0700 HOURS.

SATURDAY, 20 AUTUMNSUS 1441.

GLACIES, YONDEL.

There was a moment of brief confusion. Leccamaradel, the First-Born Princess had awakened in the early morning sun to the calls of distant children and the shouts of working guards. The sun high in the sky had just passed over the horizon and revealed the denizens of her kingdom working. Due to this sudden disturbance, it took her several minutes to orientate herself until a pattern of knocks emerged from the door to her room snapping out of her grog. She found her footing and made her way to the wooden door. Clutching the handle, the silver-haired maiden froze. She took one last chance to enjoy the quiet, peaceful morning that was casted upon Yondel once more. Most of those who lived in the castle within the capital never knew a day without times of silence, but she was lucky enough to know that there were places where she could decompress, alone.

The day before had been tiring. At least she had some time to think about the conversation she held with Sergeant Randall before her thoughts were interrupted. All she needed was to share her plan with both the king and the rest of the Holy Knights. The soldiers were used to fighting with support, so if they were to fight under the king, it would be best to have them at full combat readiness.

“Enter,” she ordered to the wooden door. It took a second for the person on the other side to react as the door seemingly hesitated to shift under the weight of the person’s push.

“Good morning, Princess.” The very same old and earnest-looking butler that had shadowed her movements throughout the castle had entered the room. Harold Aramid was his name and his family had been serving the throne throughout the ages. Harold had helped the princess to the adjacent bathing room and within seconds, thanks to a magic conduit attached to the pool in the center, the room quickly turned into a sauna-like place.

Disrobing herself and stepping into the rapidly warming water, the princess settled on the side of the pool as she watched her reflection in the water. Her strands of long, silver hair surrounded her and in a single motion she submerged into the warm water. Beneath the surface she tucked herself into the fetal position and rummaged through the only through that went through her mind.

Sergeant Mike Randall and his Rangers had been officially named as “Holy Knights” the night before. Though it was nothing more than a mere political and military title, the powers granted by such a name would allow the men to complete their mission from the King without issue. Even with the king’s powers at their hands the men had treated it as nothing more than a moniker bestowed to them by a worthless kingdom. The princess could see it in each of their eyes; whatever threat was to come the men thought it would be better to just simply leave and leave this nation to the fate it had casted upon itself.

Even if the insight she had gained from the conversation she had with the sergeant pointed that they wouldn’t run away immediately she could not change the reality that they came from another world. Here she was blinded by her previous beliefs by all around. It was quite the tall order; requesting soldiers from another world to fight for a nation, a kingdom they didn’t even know of would more than warrant them to leave just for the sake of survival. They didn’t know about magic, so how would they react to the great monsters well beyond the protected borders of Yondel?

Pressing her hands into the hot water, Lecca slowly raised from the sauna as her silver hair drooped over her shoulders. She gently wiped away the droplets of water on her eyes as the wooden door to the room opened and her butler walked in with a towel in his arms. Harold waited for her to collect her mind. “A cup of tea and a collection of pastries were delivered by Chef Downs.” He announced as the princess walked out of the pool. He extended his arms and gently handed the towel to the silver-haired maiden as she wrapped the cloth around her body and strode into her room.

The wooden door was quickly shut with a light groan.

“The king has read your message and is calling for your presence alongside the “Rangers”. Harold said as he moved to the large wooden cabinet at the corner of the room. Opening the doors, several white, red, and blue cloths shimmered in the few rays of sunlight that reached where he stood.

“What is today’s choice?” The princess cutely inquired garnering a small chuckled from the old man who searched through the assortment of clothes.

“Though the king had requested your audience it is imperative that you are in a position to run and fight,” Harold explained as he took out a dark leather corset and an accompanying long white skirt and tan blouse. “I’ve been inspired by how the Holy Knights’ attire looks, so I’ve made a few adjustments today to include more natural colors.”

Providing an arched eyebrow, Lecca said nothing as she held her arms above her head. It seemed that the old man had been charmed by the Ranger’s looks, though she herself couldn’t blame him. She was just as curious about the gear and armor they wore. It was unlike any she had seen before, and other than some comparison to items that existed within Yondel’s armory, she could just make speculation rather than anything solid.

The process was relatively smooth. Only when did the two reach the corset did Harold call in support of three maids that had just happened to be wandering nearby.

He needed someone with a keen eye and a delicate touch to help Lecca into the corset as the last time he tried the myth of the screaming witch spread throughout the castle like a wildfire.

Soon after she was fully dressed, Lecca took her time eating the pastries she was brought much to the protests of the guards that had arrived to escort her to the throne room. Even with her standfast attitude she was eventually force out of her room once she had caught word that the Holy Knights were on the move. Harold let out a quiet sigh as he shadowed her quick pace. The guard behind had trouble keeping up as Lecca sped down the hallways passing several paintings that held the faces of the founders of the kingdom and her older relatives. As she turned the corner near the throne room her eyes drifted to a singular, isolated painting. It displayed what looked to be a kind man, one with a wrinkled face, brown hair, and gently brown eyes. Before she found the urge to spare any time for the painting she continued, leaving behind the guards that had slowed. The words she wanted to shed were simply lost in silence.

Her mind drifted to the proposition that she had given the king the night before. What she was asking was something, an idea, a piece of inspiration she had gained from Sergeant Randall, from his story. It was a risky proposition, forcing the Holy Knights into a unfamiliar group, let alone a part of the armed forces was something that could severely backfire on her and her kingdom, but it was necessary risk to prepare for the enemy that only the king could foretell. She stood before the large wooden doors. Upon recognizing her, the two guards at the door grasped the handled and pulled open the doors sending out a chorus of groans and sharp noises. Within the time of a single step the princess set her eyes upon the Holy Knights gathered around a table at the middle of the room. There at the head, was the king and his council. Everyone turned to her sudden arrival, but now it seemed that everyone was calm. The time between the sudden arrival of the unknown soldiers at now was more than enough for everyone to accept the reality they were in and collect their thoughts.

Whatever conversation they were holding prior to her arrival was now gone as Lecca approached the end of the table with a calculating gaze. She looked at the scattered maps on the wooden table and she only was drawn out of her inspection as the king called out to her in a deep voice.

“Princess, it is great of you to join us.”

Looking out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Mike who provided as curt nod as a greeting.

“Your majesty.” She said while giving a small curtsy.

“I’ve been acquainting these fine soldiers with our world. Nations, cultures, enemies. I might say they can listen very well.” King Aldrecht complimented the men as he motioned the princess towards a magical circle, not that different looking from the one used to summon the Rangers, but there were some notable differences.

“I hope that they are able to understand your endless ramblings.”

Ignoring the princess’s insult, Aldrecht turned back to the obviously amused soldiers who watched him collect his thoughts for the next topic of conversation. “I have summoned you all here for a reason that involves the security of this kingdom,” The king began ditching his smile as he drew the attention of everyone present to one of the maps that displayed the kingdom’s borders. “Last night the princess spoke with Holy Knight Randall about forming a group that will be a part of the spearhead to the northern border, where the Frontier lays. She believes that such a group will be able to reclaim the disputed lands.”

Shifting uncomfortable, Oliver stepped forward. The captain was not willing to send his men into a potential border dispute, let alone be placed into a group that would have full control over him and the other Rangers.

“Sir, are you placing us in some sort of taskforce to deal with politics up north?” He asked making the king’s eyes widened. “We’re here to help, but I’m not going to play dice with other nations. We simply don’t know enough to even be interacting with the local population of your kingdom, let alone possibly take on some other group of magical soldiers.”

“You are mistaken.”

Oliver’s face morphed into a puzzled expression as the king stood up straight looking him dead in the eyes.

“This nation is under threat by a great foe that has proclaimed and sighted to resurge once more. Teufel. The Demon Lord. I believe I spoke of this the first time we met.”

All the other-worldly soldiers went rigid. They had just been reminded once more that this world was unlike their own. Even if they haven’t set foot outside of the walls of the castle, it was beyond clear that their lives would be put up to the test against a foe that they had never even thought of considering. Aldrecht had long wondered what enemies the soldiers before him fought in their home worlds, but the bewilderment shown made it clear that they faced no such threat that rivaled the Demon Lord.

“Say again, sir?”

“You are not aware of the threat that the Demon Lord poses,” Aldrecht spoke heavily, his eyes drifted to Senator Orpheus at the back of the room. “The men I am gathering to form this group are those that have not only sworn their oath to this kingdom, but also sworn their hearts to humanity. This will become an independent organization, long far from the control of any king, and will focus on humanity’s survival in these trying times.”

“Sounds noble.” Anthony chimed.

Behind the large group gathered at the center of the room, Princess Lecca reached out both of her hands and small white particles began to fall from her pale skin onto the gentle-blue powder scattered on the floor. The light put the Rangers on alert, but none moved as the king drew their attention away from the princess who was focusing on the spell she was casting.

“You’re putting a lot of faith that we won’t simply disagree and up and desert,” Oliver challenged. “I really doubt that you would expect just us alone, and perhaps one-hundred other soldiers to handle such a grave threat as you describe.”

The king was growing frustrated. “This unit will be formed no matter if you choose to assist us or not. If you do decide to leave, I will not stop you, yet you will also not be prepared for the world outside the walls. It is by a simple miracle that we are communicating in the same language.”

As the princess finished the preparations for casting her spell, Oliver found himself in a dilemma on how to proceed. There was little he could do to give his men the best chance at survival, let alone a shot at returning to Earth. The added hour at the end of each day had already taken a toll on his men as their natural systems were thrown into shock, and operating on little information was something he wasn’t going to risk, at least not without some serious firepower. “Fine, we’ll cooperate. I assume you already have a plan for creating this reactionary force?” He asked skeptically choosing to not put his Rangers into jeopardy. This was the only chance he had, and he’d be damned if nothing was made of it in the short game.

“Of course, I have direct my knights to gather soldiers and prepare the logistical side of the group. The plans I have include having you at the forefront with a plethora of support crews to give you what you need. In addition to being the spearhead, you will be overseen by a liaison, one Princess Leccamaradel Emma Araish.”

Reacting to the noise, a noise that sounded identical to glass shattering emerged from the magical circle that Lecca was casting. She let out a pained groan as the blue glow turned purple and her hands began to crisp at the unstable energy that was being dispersed. Her proximity to the circle would lead her to suffering severe injuries, so one-by-one she stepped back as the Rangers stepped forward behind her. Both Andrew and Malkovich grasped the princess by her arms and pulled her away from the circle as a single beam of light emerged from the center. It shot up and casted a large, distorted bubble around the table and most of the throne room.

Under the command of Oliver, the Rangers worked alongside the only two RGs that were caught in the bubble as they gathered the king, princess, and other VIPs away from the epicenter of the destructive energy.

“What the fuck is going on!” Anthony yelled as he frantically looked at the close quarters borders that the unknown orb had casted. “What the fuck just happened?”

“Is this magic?” Simon asked curiously.

“What the fuck did you just do!” Anthony was roaring at his point as he tried to close the distance between himself and the princess. He was only held back by Mike and Jacob as he pointed his finger. “Fucking mages! This should’ve been left in a damn fantasy book! Spouting about demon lords and magical monsters, what the hell is this!”

“Corporal!” Oliver barked.

“Why was that circle thing there?” Anthony furiously screamed, “What do you want from us? Guns, medicine. Give me a reason to not blow your fucking head off, right now!” The corporal’s face was a bright red as he took a spare second to catch his breath.

“Anthony!” Oliver’s voice nearly broke as he grabbed the corporal by his shoulders and shook him. “Stand down, now!”

Not removing his eyes form the princess, the older man bit his tongue and breathed heavily as he lowered his arm inch-by-inch. The restraint the three other Rangers had on him were slowly loosened. Like a deer caught in headlights, Lecca was completely frozen in shock, and her face was unmoving as she watched Anthony say a silent curse and turn around. Mike stepped in front of her and waved his hand. Whatever had just happened left an imprint on her, not that he believed it would make a major difference, but it was more than enough to show the reality of their situation to everyone in the throne room.

“Princess?” He asked opting to keep the distance he had. “You still with us?”

Looking well beyond the sergeant the princess was startled. Mike saw the petrified look in her eyes. He had seemed many of his fellow soldiers have the exact same look right before an enemy encounter. Quickened pulse, beads of sweat, tightened faces, narrowed eyes. All were signs that an enemy, though unknown, was going to engage. Taking the briefest of seconds to look at the squad condition in his HUD, his hand moved around his carbine. All condition flashes were red, something was wrong and the entire squadron-sized element had noticed it the second the princess raised her hand towards the unknowns behind the group.

Being the first to turn around beside Princess Lecca, Jacob looked over the group leaning to the side to gain leverage. In the distance the growing bubble had ceased its growth and three appendages the size of a Sanyo TV box casted three shadows just in front of the barrier. From the cloud of shadows three figures emerged, a bear with a single horn on its head, a Samurai looking swordsman, and a wolf. None of the figures had eyes and they floated as if they were nothing more than ghastly silhouettes within the confines of this tomb.

Moving swiftly and in coordination with the only two Royal Guardsmen that were also trapped in the sphere, the Rangers moved ahead of the princess, king, and other VIPs. Their weapons were aimed on the targets, only Andrew bothered to break tradition as he stepped in front of the princess and motioned his thumb towards the others behind her. “Princess, you need to move.” was all he said.

“Contact twenty-meters front! Protect the VIPs!” Oliver ordered his men as he moved to the rear of the group trying to put distance between the members of the royal family and the unknown threats that were twitching erratically.

“Reavers!”

Lecca clenched her hands, her eyes drifted to 7the rifles that each of the Rangers held. She needn’t understand how the mechanical insides of the weapons worked, but the concept was something she was going to twist into a weapon of her own. The lieutenant watched as white particles detached from Lecca’s hands, and as they grew close to each other they snapped causing a gentle gold glow before the weapon she was materializing appeared. Within two seconds did she have a long, lever-action rifle. Gold and blue embroidery traces the weapon, and engravings lined the polished white surface of the rifle giving it a look that only befitted a member of the royal family. With the weapon settling neatly into her hands, she raised the end as her eyes aligned sharply to the peep sight.

“All Rangers, you are weapons free.”

Upon that order the men rose their rifles and fired. The sudden cracks and thunderous screams of the weapons being fired captured the fear of everyone present within the confines of the orb. The occasional bright flashes form the muzzle would illuminate the three Reavers as the sprinted forward. Holes lined their bodies and what was presumed to be their blood, a purple sludge, flowed from the wounds onto the ground. Taking a step back and clearing a jam in his rifle, Mike glanced out of the corner of his eye and became completely dumbfounded as the princess sprung from an invisible wall behind her and launched herself in the air. As she landed in an area left of the firing Rangers, she landed and slid into a position where her left arm landed near the top of her knee. With a clenched fist she steadied her weapon and exhaled as her slim sights landed on the head of the wolf. With a single trigger pull, a beam of energy, no shorter than a shotgun shell exited the muzzle of her weapon and sent sparks around where she remained still. Instantly the bullet tore through the wolf’s chest. Slumping over the body began to disintegrate, the other two Reavers seemed shocked as they watched their now dead comrade turn into nothingness.

“Lecca!” Mike shouted. “Fuck, Jacob, Malk, provide covering fire!” Moving swiftly with his weapon primed on the remaining two Reavers, the Rangers provided cover for Mike as he crossed the uncovered area. His legs burned as he walked sideways, he was not going to give an opening for the unknown threats, especially not when the princess had just willingly thrown herself into an exposed position.

“Hey, Lecca! We need to move, now!” He ordered sternly reaching out a hand to the silver-haired maiden. Instinctually grabbing his hand and being hoisted to her feet, Mike turned on his boots and withdrew his pistol. He led the way back to the group as he kept the princess behind him never daring to let go of her hand until they were in a safe area.

“Reavers,” Lecca said again. “Otherworldly beings that keep the balance of magic in check. If a spell fails, they respond and are summoned to eliminate the magician that attempted to cast such magic. They keep the natural order of the world; thus, few decide to trifle against their supernatural power.”

“Didn’t you cause this?” Mike asked in a neutral tone keeping his eyes peeled on the horned bear.

“Unfortunately. I request that you all assist me in killing this threat to the throne.” Letting go of the sergeant’s hand and placing it back onto her rifle, the rest of the Rangers fell into position just in front of them. They had stopped firing for a brief second. It wasn’t that they confirmed that their targets had been killed, but that they were usure what the twenty bullets that had been fired into the remaining two had done. Falling into the half-circle position that protected the king and his entourage, the men took the critical seconds necessary to reload their weapons and prepare for one last stand against the remaining two Reavers.

All the Rangers flashed their conditions green. They were ready to assault the last two remaining hostiles.

“Alright you all had your show-off time!” Technical Sergeant Baker yelled sharply as he stood at the forefront of the resistance with Malkovich and Simon behind him.

“Shoot already!” Andrew boomed.

Lead bullet, after lead bullet flew downrange. A steady tempo of semi-automatic gunfire made those without ear protection hear a constant ringing. The two reavers on the other side were knocked back by the thirty-five bullets fired, and upon collapsing onto the ground they spasmed where they laid leaking purple blood all over the once polished floors of the throne room. Captain Oliver took note of how many bullets it took to effectively kill one of the reavers. If it took just over a standard magazine load of 6.5 APC to kill one of these unknown, magic-based threats, then it would be best to avoid any future confrontations.

“Hold fire! Hold fire!”

As the orb surrounding the group in the middle began to dissipate, the lieutenant took the RGs present, alongside Baker, Malkovich, and Simon to inspect the quickly fading bodies of the reavers. The rest stood down and additional knights led by Captain Orwell entered the room. Mike stood beside the princess and king. Aldrecht was amazed by the display that the Rangers had just given him, and the princess seemed drained by the sudden fighting as she examined the torn skirt she now wore.

This was going to be a long day.

Publicly Available Information: Intelligence Brief 7 — Reavers:

Known to respond to events that threaten the balance of the magical word, Reavers are the silent protectors that will indiscriminately eliminate anyone that stands against the very nature of magic, or those that attempt to control it.

Many scholars and historians as of late wonder why the Reavers did not participate in the campaign to eliminate the Demon Lord during the old ages.