Chapter 13

December 12, 1963

Fort Benning, Georgia, USA

The task at hand, annoying if not tedious, was one Dennis Orville was hellbent on completing. He held the booklet firmly as he went over the words, his hazel eyes darting over the English translation and the foreign enunciation. The notes made by the smarter men who wrote them for grunts like him to read and memorize. Eventually, it got boring, but the ends more than justified the tedious means.

Surely...

Dennis Orville rubbed his eyes after reaching the bottom of the page.

"Now why in the name of the good lord do they use some weird Latin- Italian… what the hell even is this crap??" he muttered to no one in particular, but the dark-skinned man sitting across from him in the library’s table answered anyway.

"Ecclesiastical Latin." the soldier replied courtly, the name "Roberts" written on his uniform’s white patch.

“Then why give us Italian for reference?” Dennis huffed and placed the booklet down on the table next to the far thicker Italian to English dictionary before picking it up, flipping to the bold capital E with dull determination. Dennis tried his best not to listen to the other guys practicing the enemy’s language aloud, the library’s usual silence missing in action. It wasn’t terribly distracting, but noticing some of their mispronunciations might cause trouble if he didn’t look out for it.

He glanced back at the Latin booklet, muttering “American Army... Exercitus... Americae... Ameri-kay but Italians just say Americano. Real helpful.”

"Don't get all finicky, man, Italy has some great food. Makes up for their weird language."

"Benvenuta- benvenuto, masculine abbreviation, feminine abbreviation… Maybe these concepts are helpful in theory. Idea. Hypothesis. But still, it’s just not that helpful or insightful or... um...”

He glanced at the open English dictionary on his right, and said “Obliging.”

Shaun Roberts looked up from his booklet, eyebrow raised.

Dennis replied “I don’t want to forget my English. Dictionary is useful for something.”

Eyebrow still raised, Shaun said, “Well, that's something, right?”

“Still doesn't make it any prettier. Attractive. Fetching. Charming. It's the opposite of it all." the small-town young man said.

"Yeah? How?" the dark-skinned soldier asked.

"It ain't my language is how! Hope Kennedy force feeds English to these barbarians." He mumbled the last part, eyeing the newspaper sitting across from the two in the middle of the desk, separate from the pile of hardcover books.

Scientists Determine Otherworldly Doorway Here to Stay!

Shaun huffed, saying "You know, barbarian was just a term for anyone who wasn't a roman."

"So?"

"So assuming these Romans are the same as our Romans, technically, us invading them makes us the barbarians."

"…don't you people have low IQ or something?"

Shaun closed his booklet, a bemused expression forming as he said "Wouldn't that say more about you than me?"

Dennis shrugged.

"I'm just asking. No blacks back home. Not that I saw."

"See, if you were Roman that would make me a barbarian. A philistine, a hooligan... Well, according to our dictionary at least." Shaun said, smiling slightly.

Dennis sighed in response, returning to study the unpleasant language, the uncomfortable wooden chairs not helping matters whatsoever as he tried adjusting himself and straighten his back.

Approaching footsteps got his attention as a sergeant walked into the library, making eye contact with Dennis, he calmly approached the two young men, asking "How’s the reading, ladies?"

"Excellent, sergeant!" both men instinctively declared.

"At ease, boys, won’t take much of your time. Orville! I have some good news for you."

Instead of simply saying what the news was, the sergeant handed the young man a letter.

Dennis opened it up, his eyes widening.

"The fifty-second- I- This is real right, sergeant? Not some kind of joke?"

The sergeant seemed to sneer ever so slightly at the teenager's excitement, and Dennis immediately straightened up.

"Not a joke, kid." the sergeant said, turning around without another word.

Dennis grinned, staring at the paper in his hands as he kept reading it.

"Man, why'd you want to sign up for the LRRP? It's mostly dirty work." Shaun asked, yawning.

Dennis, with a never fading grin, said "Pa always wanted to be a ranger after hearing about Omaha. LRRP is the closest we’ve got now."

“Is it? Lurp doesn’t quite have the ring Ranger does.”

“Hey, we'll be winning the war. If you want to stay interpreting behind the lines, that’s up to you, but to us patriotic folk, this is where it’s at.” Dennis replied, waving the letter around.

Shaun seemed to frown at the statement as if the soldier wanted to tell him something but was keeping it to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing. Though shouldn't you be a bit older? You kind of look like-"

"Hey! I meet the requirements; I get to go!"

"Yeah, but… you'll get to go anyway, Ranger or LRRP or whatever. Army needs interpreters going through, and as much as you hate the language, you have it down pat. Could’ve stuck with regular infantry."

"Yeah, anybody can learn this rubbish the same way anyone can be infantry! Not everyone gets to go ahead of everyone else and make first contact.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.”

“And that's who you want to be? Guy at the front?”

With his ever-confident smile, Dennis replied “Of course! That’s where the important stuff happens. You know, for someone supposedly smart, you sure can be dim."

"Eh, you want the front, don’t let me stop you. To be honest I just want to see how things are in this other world. Wonder if I can find me a nice girl over there who won't have qualms about marrying a black man."

The statement immediately caused the smile Dennis had been wearing to vanish. He turned away from the letter, pocketing it as he stared at Shaun.

"That’s why you signed up? For better luck with girls? Really?”

“Gals dig a guy in uniform, no?” Shaun said with a confident grin of his own.

Dennis huffed, muttering “You Negroes have no sense of duty to your country, huh?"

Shaun’s grin didn’t disappear, the soldier replying with "Well, you crackers didn't exactly make this country with us in mind, did you?"

"Didn't force your kind to stick around once we freed you either."

"Yeah, but someone needed to tend the farms."

"All I see you people tending is the pavement and dirt. It's rare to see you anywhere close to a farm nowadays."

"Yeah, because someone has to do the difficult work while you people keep trying to shoot for the moon."

"You make it sound like all blacks are good for is being a step behind us whites."

"Hey, we're the ones that make things work, always have, always will."

Dennis smiled triumphantly now as he said "Saw no blacks back home, and things work out just fine there."

"Given that they produced you, the validity of that statement is in serious doubt."

"Well come visit, mom makes better food, being white and all, the- oh, no joke, my ma's cooking is the best."

"What, she mixes rat poison to strengthen your immunity or something?"

Silence.

"I'm going to go pack my bags." Dennis said.

"You do that, I can finish memorizing this rubbish language that anyone can learn. I'll be wooing all the ladies when we get sent to colonize the Romans. Hai dei bellissimi occhi."

"Oh yeah, beautiful singular eye given all the weird monster-women living there. I get dragons existing, but… Animal people? Rome or not, it's alien, man. You sure you want to find a girl there?"

"Gotta live in the future, son, we're integrating for a reason!"

Dennis felt his eye twitch slightly at the image of a fat hog-human hybrid carrying an M2 Browning like a carbine, drool and snot ruining the weapon instead of gradual use and mismanagement.

"You know what I’m going to do? I'll tell the XO that integration was a mistake once I reach a high rank. Get it up the chain of command. Stop it right in its tracks."

"Oh well, I guess you don't like Ike after all."

"Truman integrated the Army, not Ike."

"Ike was for it."

Dennis stared at Shaun, eyes squinting in an attempt at detecting falsehood.

"What? Out of quips already?"

"Trying to figure out if you're overcompensating or not… ah, doesn't matter. See you around, Roberts."

"See you around, Orville."

Dennis stepped out of the library, his heart pounding with excitement, his right hand gripping the letter he’d been reading and re-reading again.

You’ve been selected for a special operation. Report to Captain Thomas Rhodes of 52nd Infantry’s E Company...

His smile didn’t leave him as he walked down the pavement, other personnel from the base walking past him without a word.

Imperial Capital

“This sacred meeting of the Imperial Senate will come to order! Order, please!”

Emperor Adrian Sol Traianus sat comfortably in his chair, watching silently as the senators settled down on their stone slabs that surrounded the chambers, doing his best to hide his growing concerns. Oh, he knew Senator Santilla would have his back, the old man always able to call the meetings to order with that still booming voice of his. Really, he doubted any senators would dare defy him too directly. But the problem with any form of representative government was that it was impossible for everyone to agree.

Vocal opposition was always a concerning possibility. Vocal opposition could lead to dissenters not fearing voicing their own objections. Dissenters voicing their objections could lead to division. Division led to instability.

Instability led to humiliating defeat.

As his left index finger silently tapped the armrests of his seat, Senator Santilla began.

“First on the list is the situation on the eastern coasts. Barbarian Pirates continue trying to raid our coastal towns and their ships are fast enough to evade our own. General Tiberius says we need more wind and water mages to make our ships faster, a supposedly proven tactic in the far east. I also understand the venerable Senator Aurelius may be willing to offer some sailors should the proposition carry through?”

Emperor Adrian stood then, not letting the topic continue.

Seeing this, Aurelius froze as though he was about to speak but remained silent, mouth hanging open.

After but an instance of confusion, Senator Santilla quickly fell in step and said “His eminence, Emperor Adrian Sol Traianus has the floor.”

Adrismiled at the old senator a smile before turning to the other much more inexperienced senator.

“Apologies Aurelius, but the matter I have to present today is of far greater concern.”

The younger senator nodded slowly, not objecting.

Good man...

Emperor Adrian then turned to look at the senate, trying to gauge their current state of mind, savoring the last besieges of normality which he was painfully aware he was about to strip away. The formal white togas, the small splashes of colors indicating particular allegiance to certain creeds that were vast in the Empire’s land.

It all mattered so little now.

“Members of the Senate, an emergency has occurred in the Alpine Mountains that requires our attention.”

He saw some senators, the younger ones and recently elected, lean forward in anticipation of bad news; others frowned slightly, familiar with the Empire’s history and likely more interested in gauging what “bad news” meant.

It mattered not.

“Over the last year, young... mages of our great schools in the east had discovered another world.”

A few senators began to murmur amongst themselves there and then.

“To my great disappointment, I must inform you that we now find ourselves at war with this other world.”

“What?!”

Emperor Adrian slightly shifted his gaze to the right, towards the man who had so rudely interjected. He wasn’t entirely surprised to see Senator Marcus Castillo glaring daggers at him, so he ignored him.

Or at least tried to.

“At the moment, the enemy hasn’t invaded into our lands, but that may change due to a doorway connecting our worlds. General Atilla has attested to their destructive capabilities as they wiped out a scouting force last-”

“Emperor, have you sent diplomats?”

“...General Atilla attested to-”

“Emperor, have you sent any messengers to this other world?!”

“Castillo, that’s enough!” Senator Santilla bellowed. “After the Emperor finishes you may have the floor, but one more outburst and you will at once be removed from this sacred meeting!”

The old senator nodded, and sat down.

Adrian huffed in frustration, but kept going, attempting to remain softspoken.

“Right now, General Atilla and General Octavius of the Northern Legions are guarding the area this doorway was opened in. They need all the support they can get, so any wizards, flame, water, or wind, should be sent to the Alpine Peaks. Other than that, life should go on as normal.” Emperor Adrian then turned to Senator Castillo and said “Go on, old man. Ask away.”

The senator stood up and immediately began speaking.

“Do we know why this doorway opened in the peaks? If this world attacked us, the Alpine Mountains would be a terrible place to commence an invasion.”

Knowing any digging would cause problems, he decided to simply inform them.

“The doorway was opened by Imperial Mages in an experiment. Our expedition was destroyed by the men from this other world due to its small size. We have not received any diplomatic word.”

“Was this a peaceful expedition, Emperor? Or did you order our men to attack unprovoked?!”

Immediately another senator shouted “A raid is how contact is first established with all peoples we have encountered! The fact they have failed to send diplomats immediately speaks leagues about their barbarity! Even the damned rabbits sent diplomats!”

“If they were barbarians then how did they destroy an Imperial Expedition?” the older senator shot back.

Adrian took the chance without a thought.

“Through numbers! Much like the beast-men of old, they overwhelmed our expedition, our men, good men, with greater numbers. Remember the stories? Beasts overwhelming our ancestors for centuries? All that had to be done to prevent it from happening again?”

“The beast men are long gone, emperor. This whole situation is disgraceful!”

“Perhaps, but it is the situation we have been dealt!”

“Dealt by you!”

Adrian paused at the belligerent accusation, almost stunned, but not quite.

“You may blame me all you wish, but the fact remains, we are at war, and for the time being, we must begin preparing for total war as our ancestors before us when we challenged and defeated monsters for the continent!” he shouted, raising his left fist to the air.

That last part caused an uproar of approving shouts and cheers amongst the majority of senators. Adrian internally smiled to himself, watching Castillo and a few of the typical contrarians shrink away. Externally he remained stoic and calm.

He was in control of the situation.

He was in charge.

Even if he really wasn’t.

He bellowed “Your best soldiers, mages, are all to be prepared for war! Any and all weapons available will be taken into consideration.”

“Does that include allowing Demi-Humans into the Imperial Army?”

All eyes turned to a far younger face in the room.

Adrian narrowed his eyes, saying “Senator Marcel... you should know better than to make such requests.”

“But if the enemy is as dangerous as we fear, emperor, would-?”

He paused, another senator scoffing loudly before he could finish the suggestion.

Good man...

“We know very well that those damned beasts will only betray us the moment we place them close to our forces.”

“But the people of Vicenzo-” Senator Marcel tried to protest, though he seemed to shrink away at the glares from several other senators.

Adrian said “Young one, this is not a time for pushing policies that may significantly alter our capabilities. Even if some of these beasts have uses, the fact is that it was the trickery of a demi-human that caused this to begin with. They will betray us any opportunity we give them, sabotage our forces... is that really worth the exchange for some dishonorable trickery?”

The young man quietly said “They... those in Vicenzo work hard... for the empire.”

Another senator chortled “That is only because the governors of your backwater district found a way to profit off them. It would never function across the entire empire.”

Adrian half-smiled, choosing his next words carefully as he said “Precisely. However, I suppose if a demi-human is found with an ability we can manipulate, then perhaps we could allow an exception. I should add that, if necessary, we must also be prepared to cull any treasonous groups that arise within their ranks... as well as our own...”

There was silent approval, but Adrian could see some of the looks of discomfort.

He wasn't surprised.

His eyes shifted slowly towards the shadows of the senate’s chambers, right beneath one of the large windows that allowed rays of sunlight to enter. Just behind one of the many pillars that defined the holy senate, casting a bright reflection on the ancient stone floor, where the shadows were more pronounced, he saw him.

“So, as I said, prepare your respective regions for war. I will inform you of necessities as information arrives. Excuse me.”

No one dared speak as he stood and exited the chambers, the individual in the shadows following after him in silence, no one quite noticing it.

His chuckle felt slimy as he spoke to him, the voice always remaining in the shadows.

“Culling the demi-humans may upset some people, emperor.”

Adrian only huffed a quiet “Culling traitorous beasts always upsets some people. Fear not. Your tribe would be spared. Your devotion saves you all, Seljuk.”

“We aim to please, emperor. And I take it you desire-”

“I desire various things.” he growled, pausing, glancing at a pair of servants tending to the gardens outside the senate building. The morning sky above and sunlight bathing the green plants in a way that made their colors shine all the more.

“For starters... I would like to repay those animals for what they did. The loss of two of our generals and a hundred men... we should slaughter a thousand of their people and enslave a thousand more.”

He could almost feel the spymaster smile at the words, but he remained composed in righteous anger.

“I’ve already sent our warlock and his underlings to the Alpine Mountains... and while Senator Marcel is a naïve fool... he has a point. Demi-humans sometimes have unnatural abilities that could help us here. But we’d need to be in complete control of them.”

“Ah, worry not, my emperor. The Tribe of Seljuk has access to many curiosities from the far east that can be brought to you upon request. Obedient little things that would never dare raise a hand against their masters.”

“I am aware. However, I need you to do one more thing in this time of crisis.”

“Oh?”

“Indeed. Have your people keep an eye on any of those fools in the senate that wish to gather information that they should not be privy to.”

“You wish for us to kill the senator’s personal spies?” came the question before he finished formulating it in his thoughts.

Adrian smiled slightly.

“If you have to kill the senators themselves, I do not care. They will either step in line or be dealt with.”

Then he turned to look directly at where the voice stood, his eyes locking onto the slits that made up Seljuk’s feline irises.

“When I said we should cull any treason, it included those in power, Seljuk.”

The spymaster only said “As you wish, my emperor, it shall be done.”

“We will prevail in this conflict, no matter the cost.”

“Of course, my emperor. I shall execute your orders as needed.”

“Good. To victory.”

“To victory.”

Alpine Mountains

General Atilla stared silently at General Octavius. The old man’s leg was wrapped in a glowing wet cloth and placed on another chair, an Imperial Healer holding purifying water to the wound as the old general ranted, the empty goblets of fine wine sat uselessly on his desk, their droplets staining written documents that may have been important, as he aimlessly pointed fingers in accusation despite the accused not being present.

“They were cowards! The lot of them! The second I explained the etiquette for diplomacy after their barbaric actions they demonstrated their true colors! False civility, all of them! Pretenders of what it means to be a civilized people! Bastards! Damned animals no different than the savages to the north!”

Atilla calmly asked “Then it’s true? They slaughtered the garrison and retreated without a word?”

Octavius yelled loudly then.

“No, the clever creatures- they lured me out with false claims of diplomacy! They’re nothing but barbarians that wish to destroy us all! Had the palisades not been in the way, I wouldn’t be here to tell of what happened! Oh, had the palisades not been there I would bet this may have turned into a slaughter for them! Cowards! Behind their carriages of metal and masks... afraid of disease they were! Damn them...”

A third man walked in before Atilla could comment.

His longer, pitch-black hair contrasted heavily with his pale skin. His purple cape and imperial armor alone identified him as a high-ranking officer, but the L seared into the top of his hand identified him as something greater.

“Warlock Agustine. Have you found anything from the scene of this heinous crime?” Atilla asked.

The man placed the strange projectiles on the table and said “What he said is true. These were launched like arrows at his men. Hundreds if not thousands of these small metallic arrow tips given the damage.”

Octavius said, “So they do have magic?!”

Atilla crossed his arms, ever-present frown remaining as he said “Warlock Agustine still hasn’t detected magic from the other side. Have you?”

Agustine said “No... but there could be a simpler explanation. When dealing with fire magic, it is possible to cause large combustions of air that send objects flying. With it, we can contain the strength of fire and allow it to expand rapidly. I once witnessed an enchanted fire arrow cause a combustion that sent one of the warriors of the northern tribes’ blades flying into another, killing her. But such things can be accomplished without fire magic. Perhaps these men, as a kind of offensive measure, caused something to erupt and send these arrowheads flying in every direction, but whereas they were protected by their... what did you call them?”

“Horseless metal chariots.”

“Ah, yes... perhaps iron, perhaps something else, but it may have defended them from these arrows that likely flew in all directions. A shield of sorts. The palisades blocked many, but enough found their way into his men, especially at such close a range.”

“So, at best, they were frightened enough to do this, and at worst they planned this attack?”

Octavius only nodded, wincing as the healer placed new clothes on the general’s wounds.

Atilla said “If they truly attempted to kill you under the guise of diplomacy... These... savages... may be worse than any enemy we have faced.”

Octavius didn’t reply.

Agustine said “This could work in our favor. If my fire mages direct an attack at these metal chariots, we may cause them to combust before they are in range of our men.”

Atilla nodded.

Octavius quickly added “And we can chop the nearby forest to construct more barricades! If they come through, we will make it clear they will be paying dearly for every step they take into our land!”

Atilla said nothing, simply nodding in agreement.