“With the recent treaty with the Elbe Fiefdom, US Alnus Command recently gained a mapped-out region to the south of Alnus Hill. Up to this point the US Military has only had a mapped-out region to the north and west.

What Italica and Elbe consider geological surveys and with recent survey missions with the US Air Force and NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance launched a joint RQ-4 Global Hawk to map out the Dumas Mountain Range. While the operation will last a month with the objective to find a direct path through the mountains to the recently discovered capital of the Empire, Sadera.

The currently only known path to Sadera is the Dumas Pass east of Italica. The issue with the Dumas Pass is that the pass cannot support the tonnage or size of NATO armor.

Only a week into the operation, the Dumas Mountain Range is believed to be nearly twice as wide as the famous Rocky Mountains in the western United States. Alnus Command believes the chances are low that there is another direct route through the mountains for armor and supplies can pass through.

According to King Duran of the Elbe Fiefdom there is a path that leads all the way around the mountain range to the south. NATO has stated they are investigating this alternative route. According to Elbe, this path is deep to the south. The 10th Mountain, 3rd Infantry Brigade has been assigned to investigate.” – National Interest

***

--- Border between the Elbe Fiefdom and the Kingdom of Alguna ---

July 27th, 2025

Outside the town of Nabalo, a border town on Alguna territory, a joint military force of NATO soldiers and what remains of the Elbe army are gathered. All the soldiers and Marines are gathered in a defensive line, watching as the incoming Alguna horde.

For the past few weeks, the Alguna army has been raiding into Elbe territory, destroying, and stealing crops and people. Since the Elbe army is still small and weak from being wiped out in the Second Battle of Alnus(1), they ask for help.

A Marine Captain Markus Ace is walking along the line, making sure NATO forces are ready. His Marine company is not alone, a British unit and Polish unit are with him, with about a hundred sword and archer men strong force from the Elbe Fiefdom. Everyone is taking cover behind stone walls, pushed over wagons and any other type of cover. They all have their fingers on the trigger, eyes looking down the sights as the approaching army.

"Steady. Everyone holds your ground," Ace yells as he walks.

Ace can see this large formation marching towards them. The ground is shaking from the number of enemy troops coming.

Ace stops where he is and pulls out his binoculars. He clears the rainwater off the lens and looks through them. Through them, he sees an army mostly filled with Goblins, all in different sizes. Most of them see to be the standard small ones however there are some larger ones called Hobs.

Scattered through the lines are a few of these massive man-eating Ogres. In the back of these formations are Humans and Hybrids infantry. It seems that the Alguna military is using these Goblin-like races as cannon fodder.

Ace lowers his binoculars as he hears this rumbling sound to his left. He looks over and sees this LAV-25 vehicle rolling up. It stops right behind a line of British soldiers. The turret moving into position, ready to fire.

That LAV-25 is not the only vehicle here. Dozens of British Warrior vehicles, the Marine Personnel Carrier, HUMVEEs, a Army armored detachment, and many other different NATO nations have been gathering here, ready to rain down hell on the approaching the enemy.

That is when Ace radioman walks up. "Sir, A-10s inbound."

Ace looks to his radioman and then back at the approaching army. "About time."

Coming from the enemy force, a loud horn can be heard. A singling the army to charge forward. Wave after wave of every force begins charging forwards. Thousands rushing forward, moving slightly slower because of the mud from the rain.

Ace then looks to one of the Elbe soldiers, looking a bit nervous. To his surprise, the boy seems to look like he is only fourteen. "Hey, kid."

The boy looks over and his surprise that he was called on. "Me?"

Ace nods his head. "Don't worry. That looks like a large army, but they are about to get a pounding. Just stay close, follow your order and don't hesitate."

That is when Ace hears his radioman talking over his radio, talking to the A-10 pilots.

Everyone looks up and sees these three A-10 Thunderbolt II or better known as Warthogs flying closer. Right then everyone hears that famous Gatling gun sound coming from their main cannons.

The depleted uranium that is fired from the A-10s rain down at the massive Ogres, tearing them apart. As the A-10s fly pass the ground force and get over the enemy force. Once over, the three Warthogs drop their air-dropped Mark 77 incendiary bombs, the Air Force successor to napalm.

Six large explosions happen all around the Alguna lines, hundreds of enemy soldiers yelling and screaming as they burn alive. The charging force suddenly stops, not knowing what to do after what just happen. Pure chaos begins to breed from the enemy as they try to understand what to do next. Scared, some of the Goblins begin to kill each other and others begin to attack again.

"Alright boys, let them have it!" Captain Ace yells.

Everyone and everything around him open fires. .50 caliber, 30mm autocannon, rifle and machine fire, missiles, everything, and everyone just fires. Waves of explosive shells and bullets rain down at the enemy army, slaughtering the front formations.

Motor shells are fired from LAVs in the back, bring down light artillery fire into the back of the enemy formation.

---

King Duran standing by some of his remaining Generals, on top of a building balcony that faces the battleground. With them are a few military colonels and Brigadier General Harvey Davies.

Duren just looks out, impressed by the sudden devastation by his new allies' airplanes. "Impressive. This battle won't last long."

He looks up and sees this far larger plane fly above him. Looking back at the lines, the black plane fly's deep into the enemy lines and drops its bombs, killing the enemy forces behind the front lines.

Duran has fought many wars, a major key to victory is getting behind enemy lines and cutting off supply or their leadership. A far easier said than done. The people do not even have to engage an enemy force directly, just fly around and destroy the logistics of war.

"Not at all. But I just don't understand what those creatures are." A female Marine Lieutenant Colonel name Ashley Banton asks as he looks through some binoculars.

Duran looks to Ashley. He finds it interesting that they allow females into their military ranks. He does think it is funny how these people have different names for their soldiers. "We call them the Dark races. They are very different than us."

"Define different? A lot of bad stuff happens back home just because someone didn't like someone because they were different." Brigadier General Harvey Davies asks, reflecting his country's history.

"I am not talking about the difference between cat and bunny people, let me explain. These Goblins, they cannot breed with their race since they have no females. It is believed they once did eons ago but since died out for some reason." Duran explains.

The Marine Colonel Baton looks to him. "Damn, that is one hell of a long dry spell."

Duren looks at him confused about the phrase. "Anyway, to replace their population they have to take females by force to replace their numbers."

That is when he sees this shocked expression form all the Other Worlder's faces like they cannot believe or understand what he just said.

"So, these… goblins… rape for a living? Like the whole… I…" Ashley then looks to Brigadier General Harvey Davies, struggling to comprehend what she is hearing. "I can't even finish this though. How the hell can we make peace with these people."

That is when the British Colonel Dillon adds his thought to the topic. "How the hell did you guys do it?"

Duren looks to him. "My people would never do what these Algunas have done. The other Kingdoms in the region don't associate with these dark races. The point is, unless you rule over them with an iron fist and provide to their petty needs, you must slay them. There is no middle ground.”

"Sorry, that wasn’t wanted I meant," Dillon says.

"It doesn't matter. The plan was to leave these Kingdoms alone while we deal with the Empire. This complicates our invasion of the rest of Elias." Brigadier General Harvey Davies states annoyed by this second front.

"If I may ask, what do you plan on doing with the Alguna Kingdom once we conquer it?" Duran asks the general.

"I don't know any more to be honest. I guess it is good that we are dealing with them now than later. Otherwise, this horde might grow too big. Still, this complicates things greatly." Davies responds.

"No kidding. The Human Rights declaration does not cover this." Baton says.

"What is this declaration you speak of?" Duran asks, not understanding the context. Normally he would not put as much weight on the opinion of a woman. However, he has decided not to anger these people's customs. And besides, if they believe women are capable of leading men into battle and give them leadership positions, maybe he has underestimated them.

Baton looks to the king; she has picked up some form a sexism expression from him. Nothing she has not dealt with in the Middle East during the War on Terror. "After a global conflict which cost about seventy million lives, the western world created the UN Human Rights declaration. A basic global standard of ethics and rights for Mankind. Because our enemies wanted to wipe out groups of people for what they look like, what religion they had or what their culture is. It was an attempt to help establish a common foundation on how to treat people. It is to help prevent one group from committing genocide against another group."

"Fascinating," Duran says, intrigued by what she said.

"Yeah well, we believe in self rules on our world and many countries don't really like implementing it." Dillon comments. "We are going to have to figure out how to coexist with these people."

Duren looks at Dillon. "I am sorry Colonel, but I don't believe that is possible. I understand you want to stay true to your ideals however they won't apply here. At least for these people."

Duren then points out to the battlefield. "When we enter the capital, you will see the truth. Many of the Dark races will not embrace your ideals. They won't even pretend to embrace it. The second you turn your back they will stable you in the back. I have many issues with the Empire however if they did one thing right. They ended the Dark threat."

Duren sees all the Other Worlders looking at him. Their faces show that they somewhat agree with him however their ideals are getting in their way. Their beliefs in protecting what they call noncombatants and their ban on committing genocide to races like Goblins will only bring trouble down the trail, for everyone.

"Ok, when that time comes, we will deal with it then. For now, if any of them even hold a sword. Tell your units to put them down." Brigadier General Harvey Davies orders his officers.

That pretty much ends the topic as everyone looks back out on the battleground.

The horde that was charging them is now just a pile of bodies. A new M1 Abrams tank rolls up and fires its main cannon, destroying another formation of these creatures. In the distance, more explosions from their long-range trebuchet and aircraft can be seen. Dozens of smokes trails from fires from the bombs are flooding the sky.

Once the Alguna army has been destroyed and the remains falling back, the ground forces begin pushing out. The fighting vehicles and other armor forces taking point, continuing to rain down heavy fire on any remaining any formations.

Both the NATO infantry and the Elbe infantry follow behind the armor units, engaging any of the enemies that are still around.

Duran looks out and watches the massacre. He wishes he were down there leading his men into battle, but he lost his leg. While the fake leg they gave him has helped a lot, it is not useful in battle. However though, if this alliance is going to last and end the chaos in this region, he knows the other Kingdoms in the region needs to see that they can coexist with the Americans.

"General, when we enter Galuoa, permission to be with the troops?" Duran asks Davies.

Davies looks over to him. He was about to say something but stops himself to think. After a short, though he looks back at him. "I don't see why not. Technically we are here to assist you, but we have to make sure it is secure first."

"I understand General. However, I want to be the one who speaks with Princess Clayman." Duran states, making sure that the General knows that is not up for debate.

***

--- The Greater Elies Region, Fort Legrath ---

July 27th, 2025

Legatus Propraetor Pelue Muilk is standing at this large table with his other senior legionnaire officers. All of them are looking down at this large map of the Elies region with these flags and figures all around the map, all representing controlled territory and what units they are.

"If we deploy two Legions over here, close to the city of Deu. We could flank-." One of the officers says before being interrupted.

"No! We should strike now and retake Valtris. That is a vital hub for transportation. Also, that is their main foothold in the region and retaking the bridge will prevent them from crossing the Row Stream." Another man says angrily.

"So, we all can die from their war machines? And whose fault was it that the enemy gained a foothold in the region?" Another man says, armed crossed.

The man who proposed the assault looks to that man. He knows it was his fault that the enemy gained a foothold in Elias, but he just brushes it off. "Not if we use our cavalry and strike from three locations."

The first man waves him off, dismissing the idea. "They won't even get close. Their flying dragons will find and slaughter them before they get close. A defensive strategy is our best option."

The more aggressive officer looks to that man who spoke. "For what? Just to delay our deaths. If we stay put and wait for them, they will pick us off. We don't be able to fight back or even launch a counterattack if we wait. I lost a full cohort when trying to kidnap one of them. They all were slaughtered."

"It was your idea to set that trap and provoke them." The office with his arm cross states.

"We are at war! At least I have not been sitting on my hands." The aggressive officer says in an annoyed tone.

Muilk stands there, listening. The truth is that he has no good options. Attacking would result in the defeat of all the legions in the Elias region, which the Empire will never recover from. However, defending will result in a defeat in the long run.

We must hold this fort at all cost or the Other Worlders will effectively control the Rho river. On top of that, the Empire will be split in half from east to west. At least the southern parts of the continent. Indeed, the Empire could still use the more northern routes however that still takes time.

"We won't be attacking the enemy." Muilk states. Everyone looks at him, expecting a decision like that. "While I agree that a defensive strategy is not ideal however a direct assault only guarantees defeat. As long as we keep the enemy focus here and not on Sedera and the rest of the Empire, there is hope.

"We understand sir, but how will we do that. It seems they can attack at night. They fly higher and faster than our Wyverns." One of the officers says to him.

"We will have to use them sparingly then," Muilk says as he looks on the map. "Scatter three legions across here, here and here. Hopefully, they can delay them until we can establish a stronger defense here."

"Very good Legatus Propraetor Pelue Muilk." This deep male voice says.

Everyone looks over to the door and see this dark elf in a dark purple cloak.

"May I come in?" The dark elf asks.

"What are you doing here elf? How did you get in here?" One of the officers demands.

The elf pulls out this document and hands it to the officer.

The man reads it and his eyes widen. "I am sorry, please tell your master I mean no disrespect. Please accept my apologies Frayen"

"That is alright. Now, may I come in? My master has some news for you." Frayen says.

"Yes, you can come in," Muilk says, annoyed by the dark elf presence. "How is your master?"

Frayen walks in, carrying a large bag full of something.

"My master is fine. He is currently talking to Prince Diabo El Caesar about the war." Frayen says as he stops at the war table.

"Good for him. Now, what brings you here elf?" Muilk demands, wanting to get to the point.

The elf expresses himself, seeing the tension. "My master will be arriving here to take command of the entire campaign. He is just finishing up business in Sedera."

"What? He does not have the power to take away my command." Muilk states, not happy with that news.

Frayen looks right at him. "Legatus Propraetor, I would not get in a pissing contest about this." He then holds up his right hand and it glows black. "My master will be taking command however you can maintain your position. All he wants to do is help you defend Elias."

Muilk takes a deep breath, seeing there is no point in fighting this. "And how does he plan on helping?"

Frayen sets down his bag on the table, not caring the figures on it falling over. He then opens the bag up and pulls out all these documents. "My master has developed a new strategy in fighting these Americans."

One of the officers grabs a document and opens it up. What he sees is three wagons from top to bottom. Next to each is a short description of each wagon and having a weight disclaimer next to each one. The first wagon is considered Heavy, the middle on listed as Medium and the last one being listed as Light. "What does this mean?"

Frayen looks to the man as the others pick up the documents and being to read. "New manuals for the Legion. This is only one batch that I brought. Our forces need to understand what weapons the enemy uses so we can properly counter them."

"What do these weights mean? How does that help." The officer says. "The heavy wagon means don't fight it. We have no weapons that can damage it. However, our other siege weapons can inflict damage on the lightweight ones. It is to help our soldiers prioritize their targets."

At first, that man who asks the question though this was stupid however slowly he begins seeing the benefits to this. "I see."

"What are these? They look like holes in the ground with a dirt roof?" Another officer asks, confused by what he is looking at.

Frayen looks over to what he is seeing. "Ahh, that is a trench system my master has designed. Our enemy has defenses they call bunkers. Their troops hide in them for cover while they fire their weapons, making them safe from our fire. He wants to do the same with our archers and Scorpios."

The man who asks that question looks at him, not fully convinced. "That is a lot of engineering work. Besides, wouldn't their flying machines be able to see us? It seems they can see at night."

"My master believes they can see our heat. We will need to build the trenches deep and place dirt cover above, to help hide our troops form their sights." Frayen explains. "Either way, this should help protect our troops from being directly shot at by their arrows."

"Still, this will be a massive undertaking." The man states.

"That will be fine. We can conscript the locals to help build the trenches and these bunkers. Also, we can use the new elf prisoners we captured to help." Muilk says, agreeing with the plan.

Frayen looks over to Milk. "What prisoners?"

Muilk looks to the dark elf. "Don't tell me your showing sympathy towards them? We captured them not too long ago. They are from the far west, by Edras."

"Hmm, that is far away," Frayen says and thinks, placing his hand on his chin. "No. My master will want to use them from something else."

Muilk was about to protest but decided not to. "Fine."

"Another thing, our soldiers will no longer have armor. They will be wearing brown or green clothing, to make it harder for the enemy to see them. Just like the enemy soldiers." Frayen says and prepares for the protests.

"What? That will leave our forces defenseless!?" Muilk states.

"Their weapons arrows can go through our soldiers' armor. All they are unnecessary extra weight. They need to be able to move fast and blend in the environment." Frayen states.

"I agree with the Elf." One of the officers says. "However, the armor isn't just for protection but a sign of unity. A sign of the collective. Our troops feel more like soldiers like they part of the legion. Telling them to abandon their armor will not go down well."

Frayen looks to that man. "Is death preferable?"

Muilk steps into the conversation. "No, he is right. The legions won't take that part well. I see the value in what you are saying. I will declare that optional. No punishment if a soldier goes into battle without their armor."

Muilk then looks to his officers. "Ok, I know these ideas won't be all popular with the troops however this is vital in the defense of this fort. Legrath has stood tall for centuries and it shall continue to stand tall for centuries to come."

"Questions, most of the army can't read, how does this information help them?" An officer asks.

"Most of the documents are picture bases, like the one with the weights and wagons. The more detailed documents are for the ones who can read." Frayen responds.

"Ok. The hardest part is setting up these fortifications." Muilk says, knowing he does not have that much time to do this. "Start here, here and here. From what I understand they still use roads when they are not in battle. We ambush them there, that should slow them down."

"That might force them to stop using the roads. Which will slow them down." One of his officers adds.

Muilk looks up and agrees. "Alright, get what you need and inform your legions. Hail the Empire."

"Hail the Empire!" They all say and walk out of the war room.

Once everyone leaves the war room to prepare for the upcoming attack, Muilk looks to the dark elf once everyone has left. "Explain to me. Why is your master coming here? He was exiled to the far north for what he has done."

Frayen looks to him, crossing his arms. "Things have changed. The old ways no longer apply. If this war doesn't end soon then Crown Prince Zorzal will take command of the Empire and lead the war."

Muilk looks away, not pleased with that thought. The Crown Prince and all the other generals in Sedera are all corrupt and out of touch Elitist who has no idea what is going on in the field. "That doesn't answer my question."

Frayen picks up the enemy flag that is on the table and looks at it. It is painted blue with a white star on it. "Because. He thinks he found a true warrior to challenge."

Then Frayen ignites the flag in this bluish green fire, burning it while in his hand .