Three days slipped by in the blink of an eye. Long gone were the comforting sights of the royal capital or the city of Bishmark, but now all around were the greens, oranges, reds, and browns of the mid-fall forests and fields. Unlike their such cities, the frontier held more than just basic supplies. Bounties, criminals, farmers, people. All lived in this unconquered place, many of which stayed behind the comforting walls of the settlement they stayed in, not daring to exit the walls.

Mike preferred this newfound silence. Though traveling such a distance in a carriage was more than tedious as he preferred to have a vehicle from his own world, he someone mitigated his frustration through the countless nights sharing stories amongst his brothers, and the comforting feeling he had from learning more about the kingdom he was just barely in.

Not long ago the group came across several wild and feral animals. With the assistance of Marco, Eugene, and Anne, Richard quickly dispatched the threat posed by such wildlife. The rounds made by Great Sage George were suitable at best. The bullets he had made using black powder provided the amount of energy necessary for the gun to function, yet the “makeshift” bullets had less stopped power, penetration, and overall firepower. Yet it was imperative for the Rangers to conserve the remaining ammunition they had with them. The substitute that was provided was more than capable of taking down anything. A well-placed shot could bring down even the largest of foes.

With his head slamming on the back of the carriage, and a numb feeling spreading throughout his left arm, Mike eye’s snapped open. A warm light flooded his vision as he forced himself awake by blinking several times. Gaining his senses, the Sergeant looked around curiously. The carriage was mostly empty, and the crackle of a small fire died out just outside, no doubt caused by the other members of this “expedition”. Looking to his left he spotted Princess Lecca. Her silver hair was slumped over he faces, and she rested against his arm while breathing softly. Covering the two of them was the tarp that he had token out three days earlier. His covered hands and arms felt warm as the sun beamed down on the olive-drab cloth.

Removing himself from the tarp and placing the princess on one of his bags, Mike clambered out of the carriage. His helmet was laying on a nearby stump that the other men were sitting on, and his carbine remained strung over his chest. Compared to the cramped and uncomfortable interior of the wooden carriage, he was glad to step into the fresh air.

As he interacted with the three knights, and the Rangers not on patrol, an hour passed before Princess Lecca awoke. As she groggily climbed out of the carriage, it took her a moment to register the men under her command cleaning up the camp they had made for the early morning.

“Ah, Princess!” Knight Marco called out with a small smile on his face. “You just missed breakfast! It was apparently an “omelet” made by Sergeant Malkovich.”

With her expression dropping in disappointment, Lecca looked upon the young knight with a distraught expression. “What!?” Unironically her favorite “meal” was blueberry muffins and other pastries. Such items were commonly found during breakfast hours.

“Hey Princess!” Calling out to her PFC Simon walked alongside Patterson and Baker. “We getting ready to go!?”

“We are!” She called back startling the men around the carriage. “Get over here so we may depart!” The sudden shouting she did waked her up.

Hurrying back, it wasn’t long before they had departed once more. It would be another half day before they reached the first settlement that was essentially the entrance to the frontier. She was looking forward to taking a bath upon entering the settlement. Over the three days, sweat, grime, and dirt stained her face. Yet despite everything they had travelled, everything had remained relatively intact.

Seconds, minutes, hours passed.

Long ahead two guards waited. Within five minutes the party had arrived. Many citizens inside the settlement stared at the newcomers. The security at the front gate was to be expected, but the segmented groups around the main road unnerved Mike making him want to leave even sooner than anticipated. The driver cleared up a misunderstanding made by the two guards on station, and soon the carriage was parked on the side of the road. With the driver, Malkovich, and Patterson staying behind to secure the gear, the rest wandered the streets.

The frontier was something that he expected to be in shambles. He expected criminals to be on the loose, with western like cowboys running after them guns blazing.

It seemed that he was mistaken.

On the smaller and large dirt roads that were hidden behind the buildings that made up the small town, people walked down through the scattered gates as they returned from gathering food, wood and other miscellaneous items. Their footsteps were painted by the collection of oils in the sky that gave way to the heavenly light of the sun. It beamed down onto the busy, yet quiet and quaint town. Each ray revealed the farmers working since the early hours of the day, and the countless businessmen and adventures that returned from their respective workplaces.

With Lecca, Marco, Eugene, and Anne leading the way, Mike and the other Holy Knights trailed behind. Their first stop was to gather medicinal and food supplies. From warrior to bag carrier, Mike was beginning to sweat under the intense sun, he cursed his luck.

After their round of resupplies were complete, Lecca led the large group to what looked to be a trading post of some kind. People from all walks of life constantly entered and exited the building, many of which were armed to the teeth.

Entering the establishment, it was clear that the prior observation was wrong. People on one side sat at scattered tables near a bar, while on the other side a large wooden table was occupied by what looked to be several attendants, while the armed men and women visited them. Ignoring both crowds, Lecca walked up to a large board and began to scour over several postings, it was a work and bounty board.

Walking beside her, Mike too stared at the board, yet due to not knowing the written language, he could not decipher what was presented. Picking up a sheet of paper, Lecca turned to the sergeant as she spoke, “It seems that a group of mercenaries have gone missing.” She said, “The organization that is heading up this search and rescue mission is asking for a group of no less than five to search for them.”

Looking back at the Rangers interacting with several adventures and mercenaries, Mike let out a short laugh as he responded, “I think our numbers will be able to handle such a mission.”

Nodding along, Lecca walked with Mike to the main counter where one of the attendants stood waiting for the two. The woman at the table was a young one with purple eyes and brown hair woven into a side ponytail. Placing the paper on the table and explaining her intentions, Lecca watched the woman stare with wide eyes at the paper placed before her.

“Sir, ma’am…” She said with a nervous voice as she became of the man standing at the table with unrecognizable clothing, “This is the most dangerous request. It’s been over three months since the volunteers have gone missing, and no one from the guild is willing to take it…”

“Volunteers?” Mike asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes.” The attendant said, “The Volunteer Corps is just that, a mercenary group that works for the frontier. They went on a mission to exterminate a local sighting of golems on the far side of this forest.”

“No one else wanted to do it.” Mike said looking towards Lecca, “Normally such a mission would be handled by the PJs, but I think we’re ready.”

Understanding what he was saying, Lecca pressed the attendant to sign the request under her name. Swiftly handing back the paper, Lecca gathered the men as they returned to the carriage where those left behind waited. Explaining the situation to the others and setting off, the guards standing at the opposite side of the town paid no mind as the carriage raced past them into the oncoming forest.

The journey wasn’t long, but it was several hours of traversing the least travelled paths within the forest. Eventually, the designated location for where the original request had been made arrived. A large gaping hole stood in the side of a large hill. Unknown sculptures lined the entrance to what looked to be a cave, and now, the princess and her knights stood ready to enter the unending darkness.

“I don’t think our night vision will work in there.” Green warned as he kept his rifle trained on the pitch-black tunnel.

“I can cast a spell.” Marco said as he stepped forward. “Due to my element being Light, I am able to conjure just that.”

A small orb materialized and settled in the knight’s hand. The Rangers looked at him with surprise, and the others, amusement.

“Say, how do you kill a golem?” Thompson asked.

“Just aim for the mana gems scattered near the face.” Eugene explained as he looked at the captain with a confused face. It was obvious that the men beside him did not know what “common knowledge” was.

“Right…” Thompson sighed.

Entering the darkness, Marco led the way with the only light source. Their footsteps echoed of the enclosed environment giving a sense of claustrophobia. Weapons at the ready the men continued further into the tunnel descending three flights of stairs. The air was moist, and cold, yet Mike trialed to the rear along with Green, and the two broke into conversation as they watched for anything in the vicinity.

“So, you think this is some kind of ruin?” Green asked in a low voice. “I don’t think there’s anything we can to compare this to on Earth.”

“You really think so?” Mike returned as he looked away from the holographic sight sitting on his firearm. His voice was laced with uncertainty, and he fell silent as the question escaped into the cold air and dissolved into nothingness. Droplets of water played around them, and the sound of their breaths grew softer as the group closed in on a small room, with an equally smaller door.

A pool of water moved under the door, and much to the confusion of the three knights, Thompson led his team into position. Their boots stepped into the water as the captain gave a curt nod to Simon. Pushing the door open, Patterson took the lead as he kept his gun trained on the never-ending darkness within the room. Much to the surprise of Marco, several streams of light came from the “muskets” the men held. Such a bright light lit up the entire room.

Compared to what he suspected was on the other side, Marco stared at an elongated hall that was slowly rotting away. At the end, where the beams of lit just barely reached, the golems stood in front of several cubical stones. Weapons and armor laid messily on the ground, much of it was submerged in the stream of water. There was no blood, yet it could be assumed that it was washed away.

“I presume that is where our missing volunteers went?” Lecca said making the golems at the end of the hall shift.

“Ma’am, I recommend you fall back.” Staff Sergeant baker said as he inched his finger towards the trigger of his gun, “We’ve got some rock-heads at the end. Captain what’s the call!?”

“Hold fire!” Thompson said loudly. “Marco, Eugene, Anne! Make sure that Lecca doesn’t fall into enemy hands!”

“Enemy hands!?” Marco said confused as he followed the man’s orders. “What do you mean?”

“Cap! Golems are closing in on us!” Green said as steadied himself. “They look slow!”

“Don’t underestimate them Private!” Patterson warned as he stepped forward on the left side of the hall.

Counting three total, each golem looked at the men with their beady, glowing red eyes. Each one had some appendage that was in the shape of a weapon. Their movements were sluggish, yet their heads twitched in an irregular manner suggesting otherwise.

“Captain!” Mike said alarmed now that the Golems were a quarter closer than they were before.

Pulling out a fragmentation grenade and pulling the pin, Thompson shouted “Cover your ears and close your mouth!” before throwing the olive-drab spherical device down at the golem’s feet.

Not knowing what was happening, Lecca and the others followed his orders confused on why the other men did not do the same. Their questions were answered as a bright flash came from the golem’s feet, and a sudden flash of pressure smacked into their bodies, making Anne fall to her feet.

Lecca’s ears rang uncontrollably as more sharp noises echoed in her head. Tears flooded out of her eyes as she screamed falling to the ground, yet she could not hear her voice. She could only hear the thunderous cracks from the rifles being fired within the tunnel.

The other knights were in a similar state, and through the confusion of the dust and smoke that had been kicked up, PFC Green appeared in front of the princess. Looking at the young man with tears distorting her vision, the man’s lips moved in a constant manner as he pointed towards the exit of the room.

With his answer not getting through to the silver-haired princess, Green called over Mike. Almost tripping as he stood over Green, the man apparently explained the situation to the sergeant making him spring into action by lifting the woman up by her left arm.

“They’re still coming!” Simon yelled as he shot another three rounds into one of the golem’s eyes. “What the fuck!”

“Keep them at bay. Don’t let them get to close!” Patterson bellowed as the Rangers began to slowly back towards the door.

As Mike practically dragged Lecca out of the room, the giant golems moved frantically. They were a lost faster before, and their sudden movements almost placed them next to their former positions in an instant.

One of the golems whipped its appendage at Patterson, but thanks to Malkovich’s lucky shot, a bullet pierced the eye the golem was using to aim, and it missed by a mere meter creating a large scar in the wall just behind the lieutenant. Pieces of stone and rocks became shrapnel as it splattered in the entire room. The abnormal pressure being made by the bullets was easily being snuffed out by the golem’s volcanic footsteps. Yet due to their close distance, each eye was quickly destroyed by a hail of bullets.

One-by-one the golems collapsed to the ground. What once held together their rocky bodies was now gone, and the rocks dislodged themselves from each other.

“Cease fire!” Thompson cried out as he rose from the ground with the help of Baker.

“Holy shit!” Richard said a bit winded. “Was that all of them!?”

“Fuck Yeah!” Simon said as he kicked one of the bullet-hole-ridden heads, “They’re dead!”

Taking several calming breaths, Thompson slowly shook off Baker’s arm. He was curious of the large cubes at the end of the tunnel, so after the rest of their men had caught their breaths, he directed those in the room towards the cubed objects. The walk wasn’t long, but it felt like an eternity as they sidestepped the rubble-filled crater in the middle of the room. The grenade had done a number on the golems, and it was thanks to the destruction it held that the men made it out alive.

Though, that was the only grenade the captain held. One down, six left.

Standing in front of one of the large crates, Thompson placed his hand on the cover. He gently pushed it open, and his eyes widened as he set eyes on a naked man curled up in the fetal position. He was alive. His breaths slowly emanated from the bottom of the crate, but a pool of blood coated his lower body.

Blood, bones and ligaments laid at the bottom of the crate. The stench was so unbearable that Green was instantly reminded of the sight he saw in Peshawar that day.

“Hey!” Patterson called out to the man. “Are you alright!?”

Awakening to the sharp voice that came above him, the man slowly lifted himself. He pressed his hand on a pile of intestines and brain matter as he grabbed the edge of the crate.

“Look at me!” Baker said pushing aside Patterson. “Can you see me?” he asked while turning a flashlight on.

The man covered his eyes as a sudden bright light hit his face, he was disoriented as he climbed out of the crate much to the alarm of the unknown men around him.

“Captain, what’s your SITREP? I’m hearing a lot of shouting in there.” Mike’s voice played over a local radio channel.

Grasping the transponder on his shoulder, Captain Thompson was shaken as he answered, “We’re okay Sergeant. We’ve found a civilian, possibly a member of the Volunteer Corps.”

Shooting up from the ground, the blood-covered man screamed “The Volunteer Corps!” Tears escaped his eyes, and the men were perplexed as he fell to the ground. He let out a shrill scream as he covered his face to hide the tears he shed.

“Captain…” Green said as he looked at the large stack of crates behind the one they had opened. “What the fuck happened here?”

Publicly Available Information: The Volunteer Corps:

The Volunteer Corps is a two-century old organization that is dedicated to supporting the frontier and fighting off the Demon Lords armies. The Corps recruit people with special powers and talents, and equips them with the best upcoming and newly built equipment to fight a never-ending battle.

Though the Corps hold high casualties, they are among the world’s best organized fighting force.