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--- Dumas Mountain, Balkin Hill ---

March 3rd, 2026

"Corporal," Major Bronston said. "Tell command we have to reach our third checkpoint. No contact."

"Yes Major," Corporal Mick said.

He looks around at his 1st Cavalrymen as they move out the hillside. This was the general direction General Herm went so his mission is to follow the path and clear out Imperial forces. That was supposed to happen four hours ago.

Australian Commandos went up this path, chasing Herm but they ran into heavy enemy forces and were forced to pull back.

"Maybe it is a holiday Major," First Sergeant William said, jokingly.

"Or they haven't been paid," he replies. "In Elies, the Empire fought tooth and nail to keep it. Now it seems like they are giving up land."

"I will give it to them," William said. "They are adoptive bastards. Wonder what they are thinking."

He is wondering that as well.

Recent reports are that Emperor Zorzal created his own NATO-like alliance with the Ticaret Conglomerate and the Swestuals Kingdoms, plus many smaller kingdoms.

He has never heard of the Ticaret until recently, but he faced some of the Swestual during the opening days of the war. It was rare to see Imperial troops with the Darklings or barbaric races working together. It reminds him of stories of when the US Army was segregated, with by States during the Civil War and by race in World War Two.

While he prefers to fight the more common Imperial troops like Humans and Elves. He is scared of the Darklings. He saw the videos of the brutality that they did to American civilians. They do not act like normal soldiers, so they are harder to fight. Plus, he is afraid to be eaten.

"Tell Captain Baker to get Charlie company to secure that ridge. It looks like a good place for an ambush." He orders.

"Assume they are around," Lieutenant Harvey Douglas said. "Major none of the Black Hornet Nano drones haven't found anything yet. The first batch is returning now."

Black Hornet drones are about the same size as a dragonfly, able to fly around for about twenty minutes. They are small and very stealthy, able to sneak around and spy on enemy positions. The drone feeds uplinks directly into the soldier NETT feed, allowing any soldier to see what the drone sees.

He looks to Douglas. "I see on the feed Alpha is spreading too thin. Get Captain Samuel Murillo on the line and tell him to watch his platoons. I don't want a Lost platoon scenario."

As he speaks to him and everyone else hears weapons fire from Charlie company’s position.

"Damnit," he mumbles. "Get Captain Baker to secure that ridge.".

Mick looks at him. "Sir. Charlie company is saying they are being attacked from behind."

He looks at Mick, confused by that. He is trying to figure out how the Empire got behind his battalion.

Suddenly arrows start coming down into his position. There is not a lot, which makes him think it is just a few snipers.

First Sergeant William is rallying the troops and getting them in cover. Soldiers from all around start to open fire, laying down suppressive fire.

He takes cover by this boulder and looks out. He can't see where the arrows are coming from, even though another one breaks on the boulder.

He doesn't see any infantry which means this is just snipers picking at them. During the beginning of the war, the Imperial archers used to stay behind the shield swordsmen for protection. That formation made it easier to slaughter them.

Now the archers are acting like modern soldiers, taking over and firing their arrows. The benefit of a bow is that they can arc the arrow, just like an FGM-148 Javelin. This allows them to fire from cover, making it harder to kill them.

The downside is that they are less accurate firing blind like that, which he is fine with.

"Douglas," He said. "Get the first platoon to secure our position and I want the rest of Bravo company to clear out those spotters. We are not holding here."

He watches as the company moves into the position. He hears weapon fire happening all over the place as his 1st Cav soldiers placing suppression fire against those snipers.

He hears an intense weapons fire coming from Charlie's company. He hears on the radio that they are engaged from the ridgeline and from behind.

The sound of all three companies of the battalion can be heard throughout the forest.

He again speaks over to see what is happening upfront. He sees more archers taking cover behind similar cover. He then sees this horse-like creature galloping between cover, firing arrows. While the body is a horse, where the head would usually be is the upper part of a man, two arms, and ahead.

He has seen these creatures in the educational class about mystical creatures. It is a Centaur. This is the first time he has seen one in combat before.

He hears Mick call out to him, saying that Colonel Robert is on the radio. He switches frequencies to communicate with him.

"Actual, this is Major Bronston. The full battalion has been engaged." He said.

"Roger that," Robert said. "Lieutenant Colonel Finn’s battalion is fifteen miles to your southeast. Do you need me to redirect them?"

"Negative Actual," he replies. "They surprised us, but we will wipe their asses."

As he was saying that he couldn't help but look at his feed. Bravo company rearguard appears, and he starts to see them getting their weapons ready, starting to panickily engage an approaching enemy. He turns around and looks and sees nearly a hundred Imperial swordsmen. Humans and Orcs, a sight he has yet to see before. "Where the fuck did, they come from?"

"Talk to me Major," Robert said.

"Sir we have just been ambushed from the rear twice," he replies. "There is no way we just passed them. I have no… Lieutenant, they are flanking us!"

He sees Douglas trying to quickly form up a rear defense line. He hears more heavy fire coming from Charlie and Alpha positions. He assumes they are facing the same attack from the rear as he is.

Feeling safe that the frontline is secure he rushes back to the rear to help form up a battalion line defense.

When he gets to the rear, he sees the Imperial soldiers have already breached the rear. He raises his M4 and unloads five bullets in this Orc.

Unlike Goblins where they are these four-and-a-half-foot tall green humanoid, with thin and weak arms but fast. Orcs are Man like but with dark skin with larger teeth, four of them coming out.

As the orc falls, he sees this Human swordsman slash at one of his Cav soldiers, cutting the Kevlar part. Then the swordsmen fall back after a hail of bullets hits him.

He sees a dozen more swordsmen charging up the hill. The only saving grace he sees is that they have the high ground.

He turns around and waves to five of his soldiers direct them there to plug up the holes in the lines. He then points to a soldier carrying an machine gun

That soldier takes his NGSAR and sets up on this log and opens fire down the hill. Two more soldiers rush up to provide cover.

He moves around and then stops as an arrow lands at his feet. To his left, he hears a soldier scream as am arrow hits him and falls on his back. A medic rushes to him and starts treating him.

He takes cover and fires.

After a few minutes, it looks like they have secured their rear, but he hears heavy fighting across the line everywhere else. Looking at the feed from his NETT system, he still doesn't understand how many enemy soldiers got behind them. A few many but a company size?

He then remembers the report on how General Herm escaped, through secret tunnels. They were only big enough to fit one, maybe two people in the tunnel at a time. "There is no way that is possible."

He then remembers stories from Colonel Robert and other senior officers, about hunting down Taliban and Al-Qaeda in mountain tunnels.

He then turns to Charlie company feed to see what they are seeing. He sees a bloody firefight but his Cav boys standing strong. They are in an inferior position as the archers have the high ground. He sees Captain Baker rushing around as he tries to keep his company in order and trying to prevent the swordsmen from breaking through. He notices Baker is facing double the number of Imperials than he is.

The next soldier’s feed shocks him the most. This soldier laying on the ground with a spear directly through his chest. Another soldier is kneeling there trying to cover his dead buddy. What shocks him the most is that he has this perfect view of this cluster of boulders. There is a hole in them and Imperial soldiers coming out of them.

He saw these clusters everywhere and assumed they and they were solid rock. He remembers in Lord of the Rings that the Dwarf doors are protected by a strange magic that makes the person think it is just normal rock.

"Radio!" He yells.

Corporal Mick rushes over and drops right next to him. "Here sir." He then gets up and fires his M4.

He grabs the radio. "Cav Actual this is Major Bronston. We are surrounded by the enemy. Strength unknown."

He then hears other soldiers on the radio declaring that the enemy is coming out of the ground.

"Major," Robert said. "What is going on?"

"They are coming out of the god damn ground sir," he replies. He looks up and pulls out his pistol, shooting a few rounds at this charging Orc. "Humans, Elves, and Orcs working together. Plus, new contacts, I think its Centaurs. We need back up."

"Roger," Robert replies. "I am prioritizing brigade artillery towards you. I'm contacting the Italian rapid response on the Roma Highway checkpoints. I might be able to get a Brazil Company to assist. Standby."

As he waits Lieutenant Harvey Douglas rushes to his position. He sides in the ground and stops right in front of him. "Sir, we need you upfront ASAP! I will take care of this."

He nods. "Roger that. They are coming out of the boulders we passed…" He then remembers he was leaning against a boulder when the attack began.

He gets up and rushes back up the hill to the frontlines. He sees First Sergeant William keeping everyone together.

NCOs or Non-Commissioned Officers are the backbone of the United States military. They are the best and they are what keeps the war machine going.

He sees a small casualties spot where two medics are treating the wounded. He notices about three dead already.

"William!" He yells. As he yelled, he sees that bolder deform and this small hole appears out of nowhere. He doesn't know if magically created the hole or if some illusion magic was covering it. Or something completely.

Then a Dwarf charges out of the hole with this Warhammer.

He aims his rifle and shots the Dwarf. But he sees more coming out.

This new dwarf rushes out and slams his Warhammer into an unexpecting soldier.

"About face Cav!" William orders. "Get a grenade in that hole!"

1st Cav soldiers adjust to the new threat and start laying down bullets into the hole. A soldier tosses a fragmentation grenade into the hole and an explosion. Screams can be heard from within.

"Corporal, tell all companies to watch out for this. Tell Alpha and Charlie to burn them out." He orders.

As his radioman relays his orders he rushes up to William. "First Sergeant. Get the Incinerator up here. Burn those fuckers."

He watches as William calls up the Company specialist engineer. He sees the specialist rush up with this large pack on his back. He is carrying a flamethrower, nickname the Incinerator. As ordered, the specialist fires the flames from the weapon into the new hole, burning everything down there.

The military decommissioned the weapon in 1978 because the weapon was declared obsolete for war. For every use the flamethrower could be used, there was a more effective and safer alternative. Plus, the risk was high for a sniper to easily pick off a soldier carrying the weapon, risking not just the user but his comrades next to him.

After the campaign against the Alguna Kingdom(1) against the Alguna Demi-Human hordes. Then again during the Elies Campaign, the Army decided to look at recommission the Flamethrower. The enemy replying on trench warfare and wanting to protect its soldiers from large hordes of Demi-Humans, mainly Goblins, Ogres, Ghouls, Trolls, and the other barbaric types.

The M11 Incinerator was created, and this is the first time it been used in combat, to test its effectiveness in this type of warfare. While the weapon is only allowed to be used against Demi-Humans, those restrictions are loosened of a unit is in a desperate situation like this.

"Sir!"

He turns around and sees Sergeant Brook sitting on the ground behind a tree. On his lap is a combat laptop.

He rushes over and looks at the screen. "Report."

"Look, sir," Brook said. "Before our Hornet drone was destroyed it pick this up. Wolf Cavalry incoming."

He looks at the screen and sees this large wolf, the size of a horse. On it is an Orc, riding like a horse. "Shit."

He grabs the radio from Corporal Mick hands him the radio. "Actual. I have wolf Cavalry coming down on my right now. All Companies, brace yourself."

"Brook, Mick. Get all the Artillery on that hillside and let them have it." He orders and gets up.

He moves along the line to make sure everyone is ready, dodging arrows.

He then hears the loud zooming sounds from artillery flying overhead. He stops and looks and sees large explosions as the shells it the ground.

Through the artillery, he hears the wolf's howling. And then he hears more and more, making him believe there is a hundred at least.

A soldier yells incoming and then he sees what that soldier sees. In the distance, he sees dozens of wolf cavalry charging toward. The Orc riders calling out in celebration as they charge forward.

He watches and sees the riders bursting out of the bushes. He sees them riding through the artillery shield he had called in, but they don't seem to care at all. For every one that dies from the artillery two more come up from behind.

He can't believe what he is seeing. He thought the artillery would tear them to pieces and stop their charge but that did not happen. "Fire at will!"

Everyone opens fire and the first wave of wolf cavalry falls quickly. However, the ones that were behind the first group that was not slaughtered from the artillery quickly charges right up to their lines and punches through.

He sees some of his soldiers get cut down from the Orc sword. One soldier was grabbed by the wolf mount and torn apart.

The wolves go right past them after cutting many soldiers down. Now they are within his perimeter he knows they will rush around and pick everyone off. It is every commander's worst nightmare, Imperial swordsmen within their ranks. NATO soldiers' key advantage is killing the enemy at range, once this close the Empire gets the advantage.

"Everyone, form up into groups now!" He yells.

Seeing this Wolf Rider stopping and looking for its next target. The Orc sees the wounded and starts charging towards them.

He switches his rifle to automatic and fires in bursts. He got the Orc, making the wolf stop in confusion. He then sees this other soldier rush up to protect the wounded, carrying a shotgun. With a shot from the shotgun the wolf dies.

His soldiers get together as they try to cover each other but it is chaos. He looks at his feet and sees Alpha company suffering the same problem as Bravo. He notices no Wolf Riders attacking Charlie, only the swordsmen and archers are focusing on them.

He sees the specialist firing the Incinerator out at the charging riders, blocking their advance by making a semi firewall.

He turns around and starts giving orders, rallying his men. He can feel the heat from that boulder from before. He can see the shadow of the flames on the ground in front of him.

He is keeping everyone organized so no one just scatters. If people start spreading out, then they become easier for the wolves to attack. He hasn't noticed that many arrows now, thinking the artillery either killed or scared them away.

He looks over to a batch of five soldiers and orders them to secure the left flank. That is when he notices something strange in the flame's shadows.

He turns around and sees this Wolf on top of it. He tries to aim his rifle, but the Wolf jumps up and lands on him. And then everything goes dark.