Recent news from the anons (people around Melina).
Melina woke up this morning to blood everywhere on her bedsheets, Baby Dog had a nose bleed. And he sneezed, he apparently sneezes a lot now. "But a neighbour sneezes all the time too, so maybe there's something in the air that makes them both sneeze all the time ?" (quote)
Melina went to the vet, to make sure there was no big issue. Baby Dog did an X-ray, no blood in his lungs or anything abnormal (apart from the tumor, which hasn't moved, doesn't seem to be the reason of the bleeding, hasn't grown).
After taking Chinese medicine for a month, Baby Dog basically doesn't cough anymore (unless he's very excited, like before going on a walk, but the cough is not as bad as before) and his heart is "less enlarged" (from the x-ray).
However, his bones apparently are weak (because he's old) and he has a broken bone in his jaw. 😦 It doesn't seem to be from the past days. But Baby Dog didn't complain or seem hurt. The vet said some of his remaining teeth root was pressuring the bone, so it might have furthermore weakened it. They won't operate him, he seems to not be in pain and is still be able to eat normally. Melina was 😨😭😭. Even the vet didn't notice last time, as the x-ray stopped right before his jaw bone and there was no sign from Baby Dog he was in pain or anything. They think that the sneezing might move the bone and make him uncomfortable. It's unclear if it's caused the bleeding.
Melina apparently doesn't feel like making a video rn. Also, she might not be in the mood to write and post the new novel just now.
Baby Dog is basically recovering from the cough and heart issue, but he's getting old. The tumor is not really treatable, even if he can take Chinese meds (still unclear what the meds do EXACTLY, like, would that make it smaller ? Or disappear ? Or just slow the growing down ?). His bones are becoming weaker. It's usually the sign that it's the end... Bones that break easily.
​
So, that would be a good time to leave Melina alone. She allegedly said to her friends that "she's not in the best mood and has too much glycols (from what they spray at the vet) in her system to have patient or be nice at all).
This time, no one was sent to stalk her at the vet.
HOWEVER. Yesterday, which would be March 28th, there was yet another instance of people that might be sent to her for those "stupid indirects" and basically [email protected] stalking. Stuff that happened a bajillion times in diffrent cities, but are hard to prove as a fact. So, let's just say what happened and let everybody conclude what they want. (Context is they had people even jump before Melina with shirts with inscriptions in English or French on them. The most obvious was some woman who "jumped in front Melina, wearing a t-shirt saying "Am I French enough, now ?". The neighbour in Shanwei who SLANDERED Melina and tried to convince by passers that Melina was taking picture of her daughters, when her daughters were not physically here, and the neighbour had to admit and confessed she lied when Melina called the police, was wearing a shirt with "Tais toi, je parle, je commande" or something like that written on it (in French, it means shvt up, I'm talking, I command")
So, yesterday, in the street where Melina lives, and which has safety cameras all around......... Some guy on his bike started to sing (hum) some song while passing by Melina. As he rode his bike by, Melina saw that there was "Je suis Jesvs" written on his black hoodie (was an old guy wearing a hoodie...). It was in FRench, and it means "I am Jesvs".
So, we'll just let people wonder if that could be X3nvtter again doing this and asking people to do this (like the bajillion stuff that happened in Shanwei) or just a mere coincidence.
We'll let people wonder if they know of anyone who literally thinks he's Jesvs, has several instances of tracking women using trackers (on cars and stuff), going after singers who are not mainstream yet, and cases of being accused of harassment, slander and [email protected] harassment. I do not think about anyone right now....
There are safety cameras everywhere in China. It happened yesterday in the street Melina lives, around the time she came back from her walk, "maybe 16h30 or 17h30".
​
Also, we don't know what to say or expect. Melina has recorded the harassers screaming and banging at her door. A short snippet of the video is literally on our subreddit. You can hear the neighbour claiming Melina "smells like mutton" and stuff, because they claim she's Uighur. It's on video. Then there's the video of the nasty police officer who claims "We can't tell it's this neighbour here who's talking in your recording, we can't see her face. Then insult Melina and her dog (claim she need to clean her flat, dogs are dirty).
The videos were online, but then taken down by the mod (so they're probably still on Reddit's servers.....) and can be reuploaded any time. Might also be on some cloud server. It's literally on video that everybody watched.
Allegedly, before he arrived, the neighbours received a phone call to tell them to stop and leave......
So, we're not claiming that this specific police officer received money or is part of whatever is going on. We also know he's one nasty police officer and there were like a dozen normal ones who listened to Melina, listened to the recording and acknowledges there was something wrong and stuff. Anyway, we're still posting about this incident so that it's not forgotten. Don't try to play "so totally not true", because we have the videos of the full encountered, it was posted on here too, so A LOT of people watched it and know we are just summarizing things as they happened, nothing more.
That is all.

Trying a new format to make this data a little easier to read.
​
Game 1:
Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks
Winner: Milwaukee Bucks (66.3%)
O/U: OVER 238.5 (62.7%)
​
Game 2:
Brooklyn Nets vs Houston Rockets
Winner: Brooklyn Nets (83.2%)
O/U: OVER 230 (52.1%)
​
Game 3:
Philadelphia 76ers vs Dallas Mavericks
Winner: Philadelphia 76ers (73.2%)
O/U: UNDER 231 (59.9%)
​
Game 4:
New York Knicks vs Miami Heat
Winner: New York Knicks (64.7%)
O/U: UNDER 223 (73.1%)
​
Game 5:
Chicago Bulls vs Los Angeles Lakers
Winner: Chicago Bulls (59.3%)
O/U: UNDER 225 (55.1%)
​
Game 6:
Memphis Grizzlies vs LA Clippers
Winner: Memphis Grizzlies (65.9%)
O/U: UNDER 234.5 (50.8%)
​
Game 7:
San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz
Winner: Utah Jazz (66.9%):
O/U: UNDER 234.5 (53.2%)
​
Game 8:
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Detroit Pistons
Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder (79.8%)
O/U: UNDER 232 (50.3%)
​
Game 9:
Portland Trail Blazers vs Sacramento Kings
Winner: Sacramento Kings (64.0%):
O/U: UNDER 234.5 (67.2%)
​
Game 10:
Phoenix Suns vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Winner: Phoenix Suns (61.5%)
O/U: UNDER 235 (52.6%)
​
-----------------------------------------
EV Data: (Positive is better)
Indiana Pacers EV: 102.04
Milwaukee Bucks EV: -24.2
Brooklyn Nets EV: -5.3
Houston Rockets EV: 4.44
Philadelphia 76ers EV: 15.75
Dallas Mavericks EV: -34.6
New York Knicks EV: 1.94
Miami Heat EV: -13.95
Chicago Bulls EV: 22.23
Los Angeles Lakers EV: -26.54
Memphis Grizzlies EV: 0.61
LA Clippers EV: -11.39
San Antonio Spurs EV: -8.73
Utah Jazz EV: -1.2
Oklahoma City Thunder EV: -7.29
Detroit Pistons EV: 12.95
Portland Trail Blazers EV: 198.75
Sacramento Kings EV: -30.43
Phoenix Suns EV: -9.23
Minnesota Timberwolves EV: 6.29
​
-----------------------------------------------
Monday's Record:
ML: 7-1
O/U: 5-3
Tuesday's Record:
ML: 3-3
O/U: 4-2

I matched with this woman over the weekend, and we had a good conversation the first day, but then the second day, she went full-blown "dating is horrible!" rant mode because apparently this other guy she went on one date with the other week who she really liked and thought the interest was mutual sent her a message saying he didn't think things were going to work out, and nixed their second date plans (which she admitted were going to be plans to hookup.)
From there, she starts saying things like "I must be ugly. Nobody wants me. I'm undateable and unf-ckable." Keep in mind, this is a very attractive progressive hipster woman who sounds intelligent in her profile who has only been on the app for a month saying this, and already is in nihilist mode with trying to meet someone. She's had a few dates, but another guy ghosted and now this guy just wasn't interested even if sex was on the table. All of this to say, she's saying this to ANOTHER match (me) who was under the impression we matched because she was interested in me.
Anyhow, I entertain her venting session, and ask to see the guy's profile who rejected her. The guy is this taller, dark, handsome strong but not overly muscular handsome guy with sleeve tattoos and good pictures. Profile prompts were kind of meh, but I can see the appeal of him physically. He also works in finance and lives right in the middle of a bigger city. She does not live in the city. She actually lives 45 minutes outside of where the guy lives, plus add on traffic/public transit. Of course he didn't see a future there. It's too much effort. He's a good looking guy who lives in a population dense big city, and likely has more convenient local quality matches.
Still, I tell her that this guy kind sounds like a flake and is a mindf-ck if he's sexting you one day, and then breaking plans off the next. It's not a reflection of how attractive she is and she deserves someone who is not a flake. That's just the nature of dating apps with people having options, geography being a factor, and people being piss poor with transparent communication. "Are you sure you aren't saying that to make me feel better?" and then moments later, "I'm a woman. It shouldn't be this hard to get laid. I must be ugly."
There was literally no getting through to this person, and it really had me wondering: How many other totally attractive people on dating apps see their self worth and confidence shattered because some guy they perceive to be ideal rejects them? I unmatched the next day and deleted her number. If you aren't talking to me like I'm your bestie and not like I'm a guy who you want to potentially date and unlike your other matches, showed up to the conversation, then why are you talking to me to begin with? The tone deafness...
Don't do this.

Hello! I am trying to upload a photo of my city skyline and have midjourney do a watercolor style rendition of it but it keeps adding human faces to it. When i said “—no people” it just only did people and no city. Any advice? Thank you!

I'm getting pretty excited about what might be possible with ChatGPT plugins.
You can now get comprehensive answers to questions about things that are happening in real-time. It's completely new territory.
It made me think about what kind of plugins we might be able to make and use soon. Here are 6 quick examples I could think of:

1. Career Development Plugin

A career development plugin supports its users in their professional growth by providing personalized advice, job search assistance and real-time job market data.
Example questions to ask the plugin

• What are the latest job opportunities in the marketing field in my area?
• What are some effective strategies for networking in my industry?
• Can you help me prepare for an upcoming job interview by suggesting some common questions and answers?
• What are some online resources I can use to improve my skills and stay current with industry trends?
• How can I leverage LinkedIn to build my professional network and find new job opportunities?

2. Local Services Plugin

A local services plugin helps users find and book local services such as plumbers, electricians, hairdressers and more by offering real-time information on availability, pricing and customer ratings.
Example questions to ask the plugin

• Can you find a highly-rated electrician available in my area within the next 24 hours?
• What are the top-rated hair salons in my area that specialize in a specific hairstyle?
• Can you find a reputable car mechanic nearby with availability this week?
• Are there any local workshops or classes happening this month related to my hobbies?
• Can you recommend a professional cleaning service in my area with positive customer reviews?
• Which nearby hotels or accommodations have the best deals for my upcoming trip?

3. Social Media Manager Plugin

A social media manager plugin streamlines social media management by integrating with various social media platforms, real-time analytics and content suggestions based on current trends.
Example questions to ask the plugin

• Can you analyze my social media content and suggest ways to improve my overall engagement?
• How can I leverage user-generated content to increase my brand's online presence?
• What are some successful social media campaigns in my industry that I can learn from?
• Can you help me identify and engage with key influencers in my niche?
• Help me track the performance of my paid social media advertising campaigns?

4. Event Planner Plugin

An event planner plugin would simplify the event planning process by providing real-time data on venues, services and scheduling.
Example questions to ask the plugin

• Can you help me find an available venue for a 200-person corporate party in December?
• Can you help me find a local photographer with experience in event photography?
• What are some unique and creative ideas for event decor and themes?
• Can you recommend a reliable transportation service for my guests?
• Are there any potential scheduling conflicts with other major events in my area? If so, what is the best date to hold the event next month?
• Can you help me create a detailed event timeline and checklist to ensure everything runs smoothly?

5. Real Estate Advisor Plugin

A Real Estate Advisor plugin could assist users finding and evaluating properties by providing up-to-date information on available properties, market trends, and personalized advice.
Example questions to ask the plugin

• What are the latest property listings in my preferred neighborhood that match my budget?
• Can you provide an analysis of the rental market in my area, including average rent prices and vacancy rates?
• How can I determine if a property is fairly priced based on comparable listings in the area?
• Can you help me understand the financing options available for my specific situation?
• What are some up-and-coming neighborhoods in my city that I should consider for investment

6. SEO Optimization Plugin

The SEO plugin would help users optimize their web content for search engineers by privding real-time keyword suggestions, content analysis and backlink tracking.
Example questions to ask the plugin

• Which long-tail keywords should I target to improve my website's search rankings?
• Can you suggest an optimal word count for my blog post to improve its SEO performance?
• How can I optimize my website's images to enhance its search engine visibility?
• What are some common SEO pitfalls that I should avoid when creating content?
• Can you help me identify and fix any broken links on my website?

---------------------------------------------------
What have I missed? I'm know for a fact people in this subreddit will have some banger ideas.

Get the collection here: https://www.genkicourses.com/product/robert-kyosaki-ultimate-collection-bundle/ [Get] Robert Kyosaki Ultimate Courses Collection📷 What’s Included in the collection?

• ABCs of Real estate investing
• Cashflow Quadrant
• Choose to be Rich
• ChooseRich
• Conspiracy of the Rich
• Financial Freedom Planner – Your Personal Financial Organizer
• Guide to Becoming Rich Without Cutting up Your Credit Cards
• High Performance Selling [Robert Kiyosaki, Tony Robbins, T Harv Eker,Bob Proctor]
• How to predict the future
• How To Save A Fortune In Taxes [Robert kiyosaki, Tony Robbins, T Harv Eker]
• Increase Your Financial IQ
• Michael Maloney – Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver
• Own Your Own Corporation
• Real Estate Advantages
• Rich Dad Poor Dad audio and book
• Rich Dad Poor Dad for Teens_ The Secrets About Money – Robert T. Kiyosaki & Sharon L. Lechter
• Rich Dad Secrets Of Wealth [Robert Kiyosaki, T Harv Eker, Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield]
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad
• Rich Dad’s Advisors – The ABCs of Getting Out of Debt
• Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing
• Rich Dad’s guide to Wealth
• Rich Dad’s how to Predict the Future
• Rich Dad’s Success Stories
• Rich Dad’s Who Took My Money
• Rich Dads Advisors The ABCs of Building a Business Team That Wins
• Rich Dads Before You Quit Your Job
• Rich Woman
• Richard Kiyosaki – Rich Dad, Poor Dad
• Robert Kiyosaki – 6 Steps To Becoming A Successful Real Estate Investor (AUDIO & VIDEO)
• Robert Kiyosaki – Before You Quit Your Job
• Robert Kiyosaki – Corporations
• Robert Kiyosaki – Freedom or Security
• Robert Kiyosaki – How to Find Great Investments
• Robert Kiyosaki – New Rules of Money
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• Robert Kiyosaki – Retire Rich Retire Young (AUDIO)
• Robert Kiyosaki – Rich Dad’s Real Estate Riches
• Robert Kiyosaki – Rich Dad’s Secrets Of Wealth [T Harv Eker, Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield]
• Robert Kiyosaki – Rich Dads Guide To Investing (AUDIO)
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• Robert Kiyosaki Cashflow 101 and 202
• Robert T. Kiyosaki – 8 Lessons in Military Leadership for Entrepreneurs
• Sales Dogs
• The ABC’s Of Building a Business Team That Wins
• The ABC’s Of Property Management
• Why -A- Students Work for -C- Students
• Kiyosaki Live NY City
• Robert Kiyosaki – 60 Minutes To Getting Rich

After moving to a new home, one of the lengthiest processes is buying furniture. Many people spend lots of their money on buying furniture. Sometimes it goes out of budget. If you want to stay within your budget, keep reading this post. People can opt for furniture rental services. The benefits of furniture on rent are that people do not need to give all their money together. Users can use furniture for a particular period and pay charges in installments. Corporate Rentals help you in choosing rental furniture services at reasonable prices.

Some benefits of renting furniture

There are various benefits of using rental furniture. However, students and fresher job holders can better benefit from renting furniture;
More flexibility
Renting furniture can be one of the best choices for people with a low budget. They can rent furniture of their choice for a certain period. This type of rental service is comfortable for some people. People can give their homes a luxurious look and match their furniture with the interior design of their homes. Rental services also provide the facility to switch furniture. However, if you are moving to a different city for further study or job purposes, renting furniture is the best choice.
Budget
Taking furniture on rent is budget-friendly. It needs low investment for purchasing different pieces of furniture on rent. The user only needs to pay rent for the period they have chosen. After the end of the period, users can also buy the furniture they like.
Speedy delivery
Sometimes buying furniture on rent takes a lot of waiting. People need to wait for days, weeks, or even months to receive their choice of furniture. On the other hand, clients do not need to wait for a long time for the choice of their furniture. Rental furniture services provide furniture at your doorstep in a short time. Perfect if you have a tight moving deadline and can't wait for your newly ordered furniture to arrive at your new house.
Environment-friendly
Customer purchase furniture on rent for some time. After use, they return the furniture to its owner. The owner re-rent the furniture to another person. It means there is no need to through it for landfills. However, landfilling is also responsible for a negative impact on the environment. Moreover, customers can contribute to a better environment by minimizing waste.
Long or short term
Furniture rental is not suitable for the short term, but it also provides benefits in the long term. Customers can rent the furniture for a week to months. When the contract expires, the items may be returned without incurring any additional costs. or for a modest additional fee, can be purchased outright.

Final words

Here you can see how to choose rental furniture to see its benefits. In this post, you have seen various benefits of renting furniture. If you want to take advantage of Corporate Rental services, you can also visit their website.

Moving out for the first time can be daunting, but with a little planning and preparation, it doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. Here is a comprehensive guide to help you make the transition from living at home to living on your own go more smoothly.
​
First and foremost, you’re going to need money. Make sure you know how much money will be necessary upfront for deposits, moving costs, furniture purchases or rentals and any other expenses related to setting up your new home. Create a budget plan so that you don’t run out of funds during this time. Consider taking out an additional part-time job in order cover those expenses or try using services like TaskRabbit or Freelancer which are great resources if you only need temporary work.
​
Your next task is finding where you want to live – what state, county and city? Start by researching each area's cost of living vs salary/income averages so that you understand what types of jobs are available in each locality as well as get an idea on housing availability (you may also find real estate agents very helpful here). You'll also want to look into what recreational activities there are nearby such as parks & hiking trails for outdoor enthusiasts!
​
Once those two steps are complete it’s time start looking for apartments in earnest! Pull up websites such as Trulia & Zillow - some sites even offer virtual tours online; however these options can never take the place of actually visiting the property yourself before signing any contracts/leen agreements because not all places advertise themselves accurately online (especially concerning price!). Investigate further by utilizing review sites like Yelp; Apartments ratings - which might mention key details about roommates sharing spaces etc... Most importantly visit during different times throughout day (morning/evening) & night just check outside noise level too! Once apartment selected always ask leasing agent questions regarding security features; ask tenants who live there about their experience when possible etc…
​
Lastly it's important prepare yourself mentally: create vision board with pictures representing goals/dreams; journal regularly practice affirmative action or meditate according Google Scholar study “Psychology Today” journal article “How Meditation Can Reduce Stress When Moving Out For The First Time." These strategies will ensure smoother transition into independence while avoiding common pitfalls associated with abrupt life changes!
​
https://mtcremovals.com

Hello! I usually look for friends and servers to join over here at Reddit, but I wanna try my luck at something new: Dates
Hays. I'm not really sure how this works, pero it's worth the shot I guess. Ang sabi nila na madami daw poser ganon, so sariling diskarte ko nalang yon.
Naghahanap ako ng... Something. Ka talking stage? Di ko alam. Potential jowa? Di ko rin sure. We'll see where it goes.
Long intro I know. So here's some information about me:

• I am 22 years old from Cebu City, Cebu
• Tall girl ako. I'm 5'8.
• I like gaming but I had to stop pc gaming since my laptop cannot handle the updates. I play ML and PUBG Mobile tho.
• I love to bullet journal. It's my form of journaling.
• Love language is: Receiving/Giving gifts pero no pressure naman if di kaya pa. I can do physical touch naman.
• ENFP po ako so yeah hahahaha.
• BA Communication student on a gap year
• I listen to various artists so goods lang kahit anong kanta irecommend mo saken ganon haha.
• I don't know what else to put here basta medyo baliw rin hahaha.

About You:

• Mas matangkad saken (pLs sawa na ako magiging matangkad palagi)
• Easy on the eyes
• Kahit taga san ka pa, oks lang lmao
• Just be yourself but also be honest naman siyempre

I hope may makuha ako dito. If wala, then I at least tried. We can chat in Discord or Telegram if ever. We can also swap pics.
Thanks for reading!

I'm getting pretty excited about what might be possible with ChatGPT plugins.
You can now get comprehensive answers to questions about things that are happening in real-time. It's completely new territory.
It made me think about what kind of plugins we might be able to use soon. Here are 6 quick examples I could think of:

1. Career Development Plugin

A career development plugin supports its users in their professional growth by providing personalized advice, job search assistance and real-time job market data.
Example questions to ask the plugin

• What are the latest job opportunities in the marketing field in my area?
• What are some effective strategies for networking in my industry?
• Can you help me prepare for an upcoming job interview by suggesting some common questions and answers?
• What are some online resources I can use to improve my skills and stay current with industry trends?
• How can I leverage LinkedIn to build my professional network and find new job opportunities?

2. Local Services Plugin

A local services plugin helps users find and book local services such as plumbers, electricians, hairdressers and more by offering real-time information on availability, pricing and customer ratings.
Example questions to ask the plugin

• Can you find a highly-rated electrician available in my area within the next 24 hours?
• What are the top-rated hair salons in my area that specialize in a specific hairstyle?
• Can you find a reputable car mechanic nearby with availability this week?
• Are there any local workshops or classes happening this month related to my hobbies?
• Can you recommend a professional cleaning service in my area with positive customer reviews?
• Which nearby hotels or accommodations have the best deals for my upcoming trip?

3. Social Media Manager Plugin

A social media manager plugin streamlines social media management by integrating with various social media platforms, real-time analytics and content suggestions based on current trends.
Example questions to ask the plugin

• Can you analyze my social media content and suggest ways to improve my overall engagement?
• How can I leverage user-generated content to increase my brand's online presence?
• What are some successful social media campaigns in my industry that I can learn from?
• Can you help me identify and engage with key influencers in my niche?
• Help me track the performance of my paid social media advertising campaigns?

4. Event Planner Plugin

An event planner plugin would simplify the event planning process by providing real-time data on venues, services and scheduling.
Example questions to ask the plugin

• Can you help me find an available venue for a 200-person corporate party in December?
• Can you help me find a local photographer with experience in event photography?
• What are some unique and creative ideas for event decor and themes?
• Can you recommend a reliable transportation service for my guests?
• Are there any potential scheduling conflicts with other major events in my area? If so, what is the best date to hold the event next month?
• Can you help me create a detailed event timeline and checklist to ensure everything runs smoothly?

5. Real Estate Advisor Plugin

A Real Estate Advisor plugin could assist users finding and evaluating properties by providing up-to-date information on available properties, market trends, and personalized advice.
Example questions to ask the plugin

• What are the latest property listings in my preferred neighborhood that match my budget?
• Can you provide an analysis of the rental market in my area, including average rent prices and vacancy rates?
• How can I determine if a property is fairly priced based on comparable listings in the area?
• Can you help me understand the financing options available for my specific situation?
• What are some up-and-coming neighborhoods in my city that I should consider for investment

6. SEO Optimization Plugin

The SEO plugin would help users optimize their web content for search engineers by privding real-time keyword suggestions, content analysis and backlink tracking.
Example questions to ask the plugin

• Which long-tail keywords should I target to improve my website's search rankings?
• Can you suggest an optimal word count for my blog post to improve its SEO performance?
• How can I optimize my website's images to enhance its search engine visibility?
• What are some common SEO pitfalls that I should avoid when creating content?
• Can you help me identify and fix any broken links on my website?

---------------------------------------------------
What have I missed? I'm know for a fact people in this subreddit will have some banger ideas.
Also, I write a newsletter that talks about AI tools and how to use them... let me know if you're interested and I'll share the link!

35 married male here, currently living in NY at the moment. Not sure what I'm looking for at the moment, but I would enjoy having someone to talk to.
I'm not much of a gamer or anime person, but I'm open to different things. I enjoy playing music and the art scene overall. I love horror movies and I'm always looking for a new scare. However I do have a deeper appreciation for movies as a whole. I also have a newfound enjoyment for baking. Still relatively new to it all, but im learning. I'm always down for small talk, but I also enjoy deeper conversation. I love to learn! I enjoy learning new things and the never ending sense of wonder.
HWP, but also kind of a dadbod going on. I enjoy working out and do so pretty regularly. Work gets in the way sometimes, but I try not to let it. I'm short, so if that's a problem, don't bother.
I'm looking for a two way street. I understand introverts and guiding a conversation, but back and forth is important to me, otherwise it just feels like an interview. Hope to hear from you!

4th of June, 2070
(One month after the Northeast park incident)
After the attack, it was clear what needed to be done. Elements of the 29th infantry division of the National Guard were stationed around Northeast park and were tasked with keeping watch over the now designated 'Rift' 24/7. Nothing was to get in or out without permission. The coast guard near San Diego was told to do the same. There has been no activity on either of them for a month, but the US Army didn't want to take chances.
At the UN council, the world came to a decision. The United States will attempt to solve this issue on its own, diplomatically. Elements of the US 75th Ranger regiment, 7th Infantry division, 1st Armored division, and 1st Special forces command have been organized into a force 30.000 strong and dubbed the Rift Expeditionary Corp or REC, led by Lieutenant General Patrick Coleman. They were tasked to cross to the other side, create an FOB and make contact with the natives. Despite prince Bodin Zorgen's constant attempts to persuade them otherwise, the US held strong to its decision. Any and all chances to stop bloodshed will be taken and America will not strike first. One of the conditions for peace will be the return of all captive Americans, this will not be negotiable.
This decision was not favored by some. The Chinese president, Bao Huang, suggested that the US should listen to Bodin and wage a full-blown war with the empire. He used the Empire of Japan as an example, a power that couldn't be negotiated with and chose war. US President Arthur McShane said that the empire and the elves received a vision through magic that humanity is a monstrous enemy that wishes to destroy their world. Bao refused to believe anything that 'magic' has to say but Arthur told him that if they do wage a war and strike, then they would only prove them right. Diplomacy needs to go first and should things go south, they'll cross that bridge when they get there.
The Russian president, Dmitri Vukov, suggested that the US should destroy the rifts so that they would not cause problems in the future. Out of sight, out of mind. There were two problems with this plan. First, the US had no way of doing this as they themselves don't possess magic and the rifts aren't affected by any physical means. Second, even if they destroy them, there exists a possibility of the elves opening another one, maybe in another part of the world, and should it open in an unprepared land, it would cause devastation. This is why Arthur urged all countries to create contingencies just for a situation like that. With all of this said, the UN council ultimately decided to let the US deal with this threat, however, NATO will be on alert should things take a turn for the worst.
Now it came down to picking the right people for the job. The empire wasn't the only faction they needed to make peace with. First things first, the Rosians. While prince Bodin is alive, they first needed to get them to know this. Second, they needed to make friendly relations with native elves. Not all of them are cold-hearted like the army. Turns out, most of them live in smaller communities and try to live their lives in peace. The plan is to make contact with them and show them that they aren't an enemy. Third, the tribal peoples. Between thirty and forty percent of lepians, feelians, leanoids, welfen, and others are enslaved by the elves and forced to do their bidding. About twenty percent fled south to the Rosian kingdoms to live in peace. The others live in scattered tribes across North Altia. The captured animal peoples will join the REC and help them establish peaceful relations with them. Finally, the other continents. Besides North Altia, there are also South Altia and Kaplios that are also under the empire's control. However, they are all in a war with the natives and aren't able to send any proper aid, so the UNEF is on low alert at the moment.
Several platoons of rangers have already been organized for the assignment, along with their lieutenants all that was missing was a certain prodigy.
Norfolk, Virginia
Connors estate
The Connors family has a long and proud military tradition dating all the way back to the first world war when Joshua Connors volunteered to go to Europe. World War II, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and even the Great Crisis. They've been through it all. But the current successor, Logan, wasn't too proud of that. It's soldiers who fight wars and bring death. Logan was naturally gifted with strength and skill. He was tall, and athletic and rose to the rank of captain at the age of twenty-five. Still, this didn't make him as happy as he wanted to be. He wondered if there is something else out there for him. But, that might just be a dream.
He lived alone in his house in Norfolk, Virginia near Deep Creek park. He'd usually wait for his sister, Penelope, to come back from her assignments at DARPA and go for a walk, but lately, she's been coming over less and less. At twenty-six, Logan didn't really know what to do anymore.
He sat down with a beer in his hand and turned on the TV. The first channel was the news, typical.
"Thank you Jack.", said the newscaster, "Now that we're at the end of our program I'd like to read you the decision President Arthur McShane has made regarding the now dubbed Rifts incident. The United States army will lead an expedition force through the land rift and attempt to make contact and creates peaceful relations with the Empire of Light. This decision is not supported by some American citizens, the majority of which are from North Carolina. Protesters have gathered near Northeast park and are demanding justice for their loved ones and their city. Still, the president is standing by his decision, and for the time being, the diplomatic approach will be taken. No NATO or other UN forces will intervene until the necessity arises. May God help our brave men and women. This is Kevin Harper, signing off."
The news ended and Logan turned off the TV while sipping his beer. A few moments later knocking came on his front door. Logan stood up and answered, only to find two men dressed in military uniforms standing in front of him. Both were clearly older than Logan and one had gray hair while the other one had blonde hair and carried a briefcase.
"Captain Logan Connors?", asked the man with gray hair.
"Yes.", Logan answered, "What can I do for you, Lieutenant General?"
"My name is Patrick Coleman and this is Brigadier General Oscar Wayne. May we come in?"
"Of course.". Logan let them enter and closed the door. He showed them to the living room where they took a seat on the couch and Logan sat in front of them. "Now. To what do I own the pleasure of sitting in front of the leader of the rift expeditionary force?"
Oscar was a bit stunned by his question, "How did you-"
"Why else would you be here? I'm one of the rangers that are going over there, aren't I?"
Patrick chuckled and pulled out a folder from the briefcase. "Logan Hannibal Connors. Unique middle name. Joined the military at age of 19, and was recruited into special forces at age of 24 upon reaching the rank of lieutenant but quit a month after starting. Rewarded the Medal of Honor and the rank of captain on August 29th in Thailand after saving three platoons of soldiers in an attack on a remnant True salvation outpost. Now serving the army rangers and saving up money to help his father, Marcus Connors, walk again after his legs were paralyzed in a car accident last year. Those new nerve surgeries sure are expensive."
"Where are you going with this lieutenant-general?", Logan asked.
"I don't want to sound like I'm trying to bribe you, that's not my job. I'm just saying that if you take this opportunity it will prove to be mutually beneficial."
Logan took a long look at the folder Patrick was holding. Was this really worth it? This could help his father, but he was going to a completely foreign land to fight an enemy only seen in fiction. He knew there was going to be war, that he will have to fight. Question was, could he? After much consideration, Logan spoke, "Fine. I'll do it. But I want my father's medical bills paid for in full and I want insurance for him and my sister."
"We can arrange that.", Patrick said, "Thank you for accepting this, captain."
"Don't thank me yet. But what's your role in all of this, brigadier general?"
"Me?", asked Oscar, "That's simple. I'm the commander of the first REC infantry brigade. We will go in first and prepare the terrain for the first armored brigade which will properly enforce FOB Galdush. That's the name of the place we're going to by the way."
"And I'm supposed to be in it?"
"Corectomundo, my friend."
"Alright. Let's go win a war then."
---
(Around the same time)
Undisclosed location
The invasion was over in several hours. Zoya had never seen such destruction. Thousands dead in minutes, great beasts slaughtered like cattle, and entire armies turned to blood and ash. She wished she had never come here. She should have just stayed with her tribe in the Great Bolma forest all those cycles ago and not run away. This is what she got for it. A life of enslavement and then being sent to a foreign land just to die.
'Mother. Sister.', she thought to herself as tears went down her face. She was now in a human prison, all alone, separated from her kin. That soldier, Jeff Miller brought her there. He could have killed her along with Bora, but didn't. The reason was never cleared to Zoya. 'Please be alright. I beg you spirits, watch over them. Don't let them suffer my fate.'
As she finished her thought, three loud knocks came from the metal door of her cell. A small window opened and a man spoke, "You. Do you understand me?" After hesitating a bit, Zoya nodded.
"Do you understand me?", he asked again.
"Yes! I understand you.", she said frightened.
"Please stand up.", he said and opened the bottom window. Zoya slowly moved to them and was put in chains. A feeling all too familiar. The cell door opened and she saw the man who talked to her. He was slightly taller and was wearing blue clothing of material unknown to Zoya, unlike the two armed guards who wore black armor.
"Come with me.", he said and led her through the halls. They walked for some time until they reached a door with glass on it. As they entered, the guards stood outside and Zoya sat down at a metal desk. Before the man sat down, he opened a box in the corner of the room and took a white plate of sorts. When he placed it in front of Zoya she saw it was food. Fried meat on one half and green and orange vegetables on the other. She first assumed it was a trick before the man gestured for her to eat. She took the meat and ate as fast as she could. It was delicious, way more than anything she had ever eaten. As she ate the man sat down and opened a thin book.
'He can read?', she thought, 'He must be a scholar then.'
He grabbed some kind of sharp stick and asked, "What is your name?"
"M-My name is Zoya."
"Last name?", she didn't answer, "Family name?"
"I... I don't have one."
"You are a lepian, correct?"
"Yes."
"Are there multiple kinds?"
'What kind of questions are these?', she thought, "Yes. Brown and orange. I am brown. You can see by my fur."
"Alright. Where are you from?"
The questions went on and on for what seemed like hours. The man asked Zoya about everything. How she fights, her skills, what can she do that an elf can't, and what are her relations with the other tribal peoples. She couldn't understand why all this was important. If she was going to be a slave, then not even her name mattered. Why? That question kept ringing in her head.
After a while, the man closed his book and spoke, "Alright, I think we're done here."
Zoya rubbed her hands and muttered, "Can you... can you tell me who my new owner will be? Is it you?"
The man seemed confused by her question, "Owner?"
"Y-Yes. My slave owner. Who am I going to?"
The man laughed a little, "Unbelievable. The others asked the same thing."
Now it was Zoya who was confused, "O-Others? What do you mean by others? Others of my kin? Or other tribals? Tell me."
"Relax. All your questions will be answered in there.", he said pointing at the door on the opposite side of the room from the one they came in, "Just step in and someone else will answer your questions."
The man removed Zoya's chains and then left through the same door they entered from. Zoya stood like a statue for a while. She didn't know what to do. Trust this human? He could be trying to deceive her. But either way, she didn't have a choice. She opened the door she was told to open and entered the room. Inside she saw chairs and three more people. One male welfen, one leanoid, and a familiar face.
"Bora!", she shouted.
"Zoya!", Bora shouted back and hugged her, "I thought you were dead." The two friends hugged for a while before Bora spoke again, "What happened? Did they hurt you?"
"No.", Zoya said, "They just asked me a lot of questions and even fed me."
"They did the same with us.", the welfen said, "The meat was very good, however."
"Yes.", said the leanoid, "For a moment I thought about killing that human for food. The questions confused me. He wanted to know what my strengths were and where are the rest of my people."
"Same with me.", said the welfen, "My name is Brokil by the way."
"I am Gorgo.", said the leanoid.
"A pleasure to meet you.", said Zoya.
"Likewise.", said Bora.
"I see you're getting along.", said a man as he walked into the room. All four of them were immediately on edge as five more entered behind him. They knew that these men were warriors, perhaps the elites of these humans. "That's good.". One of them looked elderly as he had gray hair. One had golden hair and blue eyes, one had medium brown hair, and two were bald, one of which was very tall and had dark skin. The one who entered first had short black hair and black eyes. He was the leader.
"Who are you?", asked Brokil.
"A bit rude.", said the leader.
"Answer the question.", demanded Gorgo.
"Well, we're gonna be working together. So why not?", said the leader after a short pause and sigh. This greatly confused the tribals. "My name is Julius Fisher, but I'm better known as Chief. The senior gentleman is John Castro, known as Pops. This big fella is Griffin West, call him Boxer. The guy eyeballing you is Rick Hunt, Lucky. The ladies man here is Noah Ramirez, he likes to be called Pretty Boy. And last but not least, this is Ryan Spencer, better known as Rook."
"Hi.", said Rook as he waved.
"We are soldiers of the First Special Forces Command, also known as Green Berets, and our team is Spearhead. And you are Brokil, Bora, Gorgo, and Zoya. Nice to meet you all."
The four relaxed a little bit but were still confused. Finally, Bora spoke, "What did you mean by working with us?"
"Oh that.", Chief said, "My superiors think it's a good idea to work with the native tribal peoples as we know you hate the empire and the elves."
"That may be true.", said Gorgo, "But what makes you think we will fight for you?"
"I never said for us, I said with us. We will work together and beat the empire."
"Why?", Zoya asked, "We all saw what you're capable of. You can turn all the elven armies to ash if you wanted. What do you gain from using us?"
"We gain knowledge.", said Pops, "We don't know much about your land and we can use a guide. Besides, allies are always good in war. It's true that we can completely destroy the empire if we wanted to, but that is not how we wage war. In doing so we would kill tens of millions of people and that is not something we want."
This came as a surprise to the four. A force so powerful and yet they choose not to use their power to the fullest and crush their enemies? They sound nothing like the elves.
"Furthermore.", said Pretty Boy, "We're not the monsters your elves say we are. In truth all we want is peace. But since that might not be possible, we have to make plans for the future."
"And why us?", asked Bora, "Why do you care about what happens to us?"
"Because we want to help you.", said Rook, attracting the four's attention.
"Why?", asked Zoya.
"'Cause slavery is wrong.", Boxer said, "And we know a thing or two about that."
This came as a shock to the four. Do they know? Does that mean they were slaves, too?
"You see.", Lucky spoke, "A long time ago, there existed an empire called Great Britain. They, much like your elves, had the bright idea of conquering the world. At some point, they conquered our country and turned us into their slaves. But our ancestors rebelled and we beat them. From that point on, we decided to end slavery everywhere. Because everyone deserves to be free. No one can own another person's life."
The four could just listen. A part of them didn't believe this. These people fought against their rulers and won. And now they seek to eradicate slavery everywhere. This was too good to be true.
"So...", Zoya said, "We fight for, I mean, with you, and we gain our freedom?"
"Not just you.", Rook said, "But all of your people as well. All of your tribes will be free and no longer hunted by the empire."
"This seems too good.", Brokil said. Chief walked up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"I promise you.", Chief spoke, "You and all your people will gain their freedom, if you help us win this war." The four walked to the corner of the room and whispered to each other.
"You think they're gonna accept?", Rook asked.
"I have a gut feeling.", Chief replied.
After some time, Bora stepped forward and spoke, "Alright. We will join you and fight. What do you want us to do?"
Chief smiled, "First, I need you to try these on.". He walked to a large wooden crate and out of it took out some clothing. They looked thick and were green in color, but it wasn't armor. It looked similar to what the humans were wearing. "Then, I need you to sit down and listen carefully."
---
(Twenty days after REC crossed over)
Late yellow season
Past the Yellow forest, Meilume region
General Drannor Crax needed to hurry. The news of the invasion force being destroyed in less than a day was as troubling as it was unbelievable. According to the surviving soldiers, the enemy has boomsticks and cannons much like the dwarves, but more powerful and devastating. This made the general feel worried but also relieved. He knew how the dwarves fought and how their weapons worked. Moreover, he had dwarves in his army and this would help him. The enemy is a more powerful version just meant that he needed to be more careful. At least in his mind.
The force of the VII army along with five thousand dwarves and five thousand auxiliary marched to the Galdush fields in hopes of preventing the enemy from making a foothold in Meilume from which to launch an assault. It might have been a good idea to get one of the three east coast fleets to launch an organized strike from the coast so they can pincer them, but it was too late to plan now. They were now eighty leagues from Galdush and one hill separated them from a straight towards the enemy. Drannor decided to go over the plan one more time in order to finish this battle with perfection.
In his personal tent, he spoke to his captains and the dwarves, "Do your troops know the strategy?"
"Of course.", said captain Bamur of the dwarves, "Dunan and I are prepared."
"Our legions are also ready, sir.", said the first captain of the elven army.
"Excellent.", Drannor said, "The spearhead of the attack will be the feral auxiliary, the dwarven legions, and the wyvern corp. The combined force of over forty thousand shall attack the enemy from the front, with the ferals serving as a distraction the dwarves will launch the initial attack with cannons and move in with shooters. The infantry and archer legions will move in from the right but not before the cavalry penetrates the enemy's left flank. We must strike hard, fast, and make sure the enemy can't use its cannons against us."
"I do not like the idea of our troops going in as distractions.", said Dunan.
"Have a better strategy, dwarf?", asked the first captain, "The general is the one in command here.". Dunan scoffed at that and didn't say anything.
"This is the best we can do.", Drannor said. At that moment, a lepian walked into the tent.
"I have news.", she said walking closer but was stopped by one of the captains.
"Aren't you forgetting something?", he said.
The lepian groaned and knelt. "My lord. I bring news."
"Speak.", Drannor said.
"I have returned with my scouts from observing the enemy."
"What have you seen?"
"They have already built a fortification of sorts."
This troubled the officers and the general in the tent. The enemy already has a foothold in their land. Perhaps their cannons aren't the most dangerous part about them.
"What kind of fortification?", the second captain asked.
"It is... strange. They have short walls and round metallic tents as well as long silver bushes. On top of that, many of the soldiers spent their entire day digging holes using metal monsters." This didn't trouble them as much as it made them confused. What kind of fortifications were these?
"What of their weapons and numbers?", asked the sixth captain.
"As far as we know, they have many strange-looking cannons that face upwards as well as several long cannons on iron carriages. Their numbers however can't be higher than eight thousand.". To this, the officers widened their eyes and some smiled.
"Only eight thousand?", said the fifth captain, "They dare think so low of us."
"Seems like you won't even need to send your army, Drannor.", said Bamur, "We will deal with the enemy and scavenge what remains."
"This does not feel right.", Drannor said.
"What are you saying, sir?", asked the tenth captain, "Not only will we destroy the enemy, but also prove why we are not to be trifled with."
"Do you forget already? This is the same army that defeated the first invasion force. I will not make the same mistake of underestimating our enemy. If what the survivors say is true, then their numbers mean nothing.". The tent turned quiet. Drannor's words held truth. If this is the same army that defeated general Ylindar, then they cannot afford to take chances.
"My lord.", the lepian spoke.
"What is it?", Drannor replied.
"I am just a scout, but when my people attack we usually prefer to go on a night raid and strike the enemy when they least expect it."
"You expect us to use such a barbaric and dishonorable tactic?", asked the third captain in disgust, "What do you take us for?"
"This is no time for being picky.", Drannor said, "It is a sound strategy, often used when facing an enemy with a strong defense. Attacking at night will limit their capabilities. Perhaps even inhibit them from using their cannons."
"You cannot hit what you cannot see.", said Dunan, "If we get close enough, it will not matter how powerful they are. Our numbers will drown them."
At last, a sense of hope filled their hearts. Perhaps not all was lost. This could work.
"Very well.", Drannor said, "Spread the word to all soldiers. The tactic remains the same, just that it will be a night raid. And tenth captain?"
"Yes general?", he asked.
"The wyvern corps will not move in. They can't fly well in an organized formation at night."
"Yes, general."
"Lepian."
"Yes my lord?", she asked.
"Take your scouts and prepare for the raid. You will infiltrate their base and cause distortion."
"Yes my lord.". With that, she left and the other officers as well. It was time to prepare. This will be the first battle with the enemy in the empire's own borders. No matter what, they needed to win. Or at the very least, make the enemy bleed.
---
Everything was prepared. The feral auxiliary already started moving forward and the dwarves steadily advanced behind them. The warhogs moved first, behind them were warriors, then shooters, and finally the cannon crew. Dunan was on the right and Bamur on the left, each ready to give orders and lead their legions to battle. As they moved closer they could see the enemy fortification in the distance. It looked just like how the lepian described it. All that was not immediately visible were the cannons. Perhaps they were camouflaged. A tactic used often by the dwarven general of the second Halboram army, Kutmec Coalcloack. He would paint his cannons in the color of the surroundings so the enemy couldn't see them until it was too late. No matter, all they had to do was get close.
"What do you think will happen, commander?", asked a dwarven shooter.
"We will win.", Dunan answered, "We have to. And after this, we will get what we were promised."
The dwarves wouldn't typically choose to fight alongside the elves unless there was something in it for them. Such was their nature. The dwarven kingdoms have good relations with the empire as miners, builders, and blacksmiths. A large portion of elven mines are mostly run by dwarves and with that, the dwarves gain a fifth of the profit. If they dug out five ores of iron, they would get one and if the ore is sold for five pieces of silver, they get one, and so forth. This made the dwarven economy boom as the elves control roughly eighty percent of the Tubal mountains. Now the emperor gave them an offer they could not refuse. If they contributed to the war, they would receive half of the earnings from North Altia, but also half of the earnings from the other side of the rift. The dwarves, due to their lust for riches, could not say no. Of course, king Bylnar of Benullur refused, but the other two kings assumed that when they win the war, Bylnar would see that he was wrong. And if he didn't, the elves would take care of him.
"I hope we do win, commander.", the shooter continued, "I want revenge for what they did to general Dalmin."
"So do I.", Dunan said, "But we must not be-"
Suddenly, explosions came from the front lines. The feral auxiliary started to die out as the ground burst into flames. Orcs, swine, ogres, and trolls were all being destroyed and their scorched bodies were scattered across the field. But there was something strange. The cannons weren't firing. Dunan would have seen them if they did. So how? It's almost as if the ground beneath the ferals exploded on its own as they crossed it. But that shouldn't be possible.
The dwarves were all in shock. "Commander!", shouted the shooter, "What do we do?!"
Dunan was stunned for a moment but spoke, "At this point, I would signal the wyverns. But we left them behind.". Before he could say more, something he never thought would happen, happened. A bright light flew into the air, shining like the sun. Then another and another. The whole sky was filled with them. What kind of magic was this?
"Commander?", a shooter asked.
"All legions, charge!", Dunan shouted, "Quickly, charge! They see us! We must reach them as quickly as possible! Go!". Dunan charged with his warhog. The rest of the cavalry charged with him as well as the infantry and shooters. Now that they can see them, it was only a matter of time before their cannons took aim. They needed to hurry. The hogs ran and ran, behind them the thousands of warriors and shooters. In the distance, he could see cannons and rods pointed upwards as well as the enemy running toward some of them. "Scatter!", he ordered and the dwarves did just that. They knew the power of a cannon and that they couldn't stay clumped together. But they weren't quick enough and the cannons opened fire. The upward-facing rods shot into the air and explosions erupted around the dwarves. Despite them being somewhat scattered they were losing hundreds. The warriors screamed in pain as their arms and legs were scattered over the land, the shooters fired at the enemy, hoping they would cause at least some amount of damage, but fared no better than the warriors. The cannon crew fired as well but were horrified at the sight. Their cannons couldn't reach and were destroyed by the enemies.
Dunan didn't fair much better. His cavalry was almost destroyed and he himself began to realize he would lose. But not before drawing blood, spirits damn him. He had made it to the lines the ferals crossed. He could see craters in the ground and bodies around them. Trolls and ogres were missing legs and heads while orcs and swine were blown to pieces. The ground beneath them did erupt. Dunan knew he would have to be careful, but he couldn't finish his train of thought as the ground beneath his hog exploded and he was tossed on the ground. As he slowly and painfully got on his knees, he removed his helmet and looked around him. None of his soldiers got through, they were all dead or dying. Some retreated, hopefully, they can tell the others. To the left he saw Banur's body, half of it in a pool of blood and the other half gone, he suffered the same fate. Exhausted and frightened, Dunan lay there and prayed. Perhaps the enemy won't see him.
On the left flank, the eighth and ninth captain led their respective cavalry legions. Ten thousand cavalry troops, ready to fulfill their part. As the two captains moved in they could hear the explosions and death on the central front, but there was nothing they could do. Now that the enemy used its magic to create light they needed to hurry. The cavalry charged in two arrowhead formations and had one target, the enemy's left flank. Their mission was to break it and move into the enemy's center so the infantry can take the rift.
The horses ran as fast as they could and could see the enemy's fortification. All that was defending them was a line of silver thorns. The eighth captain rushed in, hoping to jump over, but the thorns were too thick and the horses got stuck. Hundreds of horses got entangled in the thorns and the elves were thrown over. Thousands behind them either trampled themselves or stopped.
"Scatter!", yelled the eighth captain, "You have to get out of here! The enem-". Before he could say more the horses and elves were engulfed in flames. They screamed as they were burned and torn apart.
The ninth captain ran to the eighth and shook him, "Come on! We're still alive! We can reach the enemy on foot!". There was some truth to that. They still had hundreds of soldiers.
"You are right.", he said and drew his sword, "Forward soldiers! We still have a mission!". So he ran towards the enemy fortification alongside the ninth captain and hundreds of soldiers. He had not just hope, but confidence. Confidence that he can still do what he needed to do. Confidence was shattered as the enemy fired upon him. Their boomsticks spat thousands of led arrows at them as if hundreds of thousands of dwarves were in front of them. His elves were dying and dying quickly. They couldn't even get close as they were torn apart and left screaming on the ground. Time seemed to slow down for him. He turned to all sides and swore he could see the arrowheads pierce his soldiers. He could see the blood pouring out of them and the life escaping their bodies. He faced forward just in time to see the arrow coming toward him. It pierced his forehead, and in those few final moments, he thought of his home and how all of this was a mistake.
On the right flank, general Drannor moved with his men. He could hear and see the explosions on the other sides. How could the enemy have known they would come, and worse off how could they possess such magic to create suns in the night sky, was beyond him. He led forty thousand troops in hopes to penetrate the enemy's flank, but it hasn't been going well. They were being slowed down by iron thorns and were forced to use shields to get across. A large part of the army got over them, but then the enemy attacked. Their cannons fired cannon balls that killed dozens of soldiers per hit, blasting them to pieces. Most of the army that was on the outside of the thorns was destroyed and Drannor could only watch the horror unfold before him. After one of the explosions, a soldier was sent flying toward Drannor, knocking him to the ground. At the same time, the enemy fired its boomsticks and tore through his men. First, they killed the ones on the sides and then worked their way in. The survivors gathered near the general and created a layered shield formation, hoping to save him.
When Drannor came to his senses he got up and shouted, "You fools! You have to run! Scatter before they-", but it was too late. The enemy's weapons destroyed their shields and soldiers all around him began to fall, screaming in pain as their hearts, lungs, and heads were pierced by thousands of lead arrows. Drannor just stood there. Miraculously, he wasn't injured. He looked to all sides and saw nothing but carnage. Most of the men that crossed the iron thorns were dead, the ones behind either got blown to pieces or fled.
Drannor just walked. Slowly. He walked towards the enemy as he was taking off his helmet, then his wrist guards, then shoulder pads, and finally his breastplate. He extended his arms and closed his eyes as if he accepted his fate. It was his fault that nearly a hundred thousand people died, so now he was ready to pay the price. As he walked closer to the source of the firing, he noticed it started to die down. He assumed all his men were dead. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw a bright white light in front of him and a shadowy figure walking closer.
'Morto?', he thought, 'Have you come to collect my soul?'. As the figure got closer, he saw a pale-skinned man with a black boomstick and before he could react, the man hit him in the head and Drannor was knocked out cold. With that, it was over.
---
It was finally over. The ferals were all dead and the surrendering and wounded elves and dwarves were brought to Galdush base. This couldn't have been a battle, more of a one-sided slaughter. The enemy walked straight into them. First, the minefield destroyed the ferals and the leftover claymores took care of most of the dwarven cavalry. The entrenched Abrams tanks and mortars cleared the rest. Their cannons fired, but couldn't reach the foxholes.
On the right, the elven cavalry made their way to the barbed wire and misunderstood how it worked, which caused them to fall over and leave the horses trapped. Mortar fire destroyed what was on the outer portion and machine guns cleared the foot soldiers that tried to rush them.
The left side was bloodier. The infantry used their shields to get across the barbed wire, but most weren't quick enough and were killed by the mortars and tanks. The ones that did survive put their shields in layers, but that didn't help them much. After most of them died, the several dozen that still had a brain left and one crazy bastard stripped his armor and walked to the machine guns. Luckily, Logan stopped the firing and knocked the nutjob out.
The army was rounding up the survivors, cuffing them, and sending them to a special prison back in the States. Some struggled, but ultimately couldn't do much. From the scorched field came a group of tribals. They walked slowly in shock at what just happened.
"Hold it!", said one of the army soldiers who pointed his gun at them. The tribals raised their hands.
"Lower your weapons.", said Chief, "That's not how you treat your allies."
From behind Chief came Zoya, "Mina. Are you alright?"
"Yes.", spoke the lepian, "I'm just in shock. When you said they were powerful I never imagined this."
"I know. I can hardly believe it myself. Let me introduce you to someone.", she said as she gestured to Chief, "This is Julius Fisher, the chief of the humans' elite warriors."
"A pleasure to meet you, Mina. You helped us out a lot.", Chief said as he extended his hand. After a slight hesitation, Mina shook it.
"You!", yelled an elf as he was pushed, "You traitor! When the others find out about this, they will have the heads of your families, and then-", his bantering was stopped by a kick to the stomach delivered by Zoya which knocked him several feet back.
"Shut up.", she said.
"Is it really true?", Mina asked, "Will you really save my people?"
"Yes.", Chief said, "In time, we will free all of you."
This made Mina smile, "Then, we will fight alongside you.". She turned around and waved her hand several times. Far away in the tall grass, Chief could see people rise and walk towards them. A battalion-sized force of tribals. Lepians, feelians, leanoids, and welfen all walked towards the base. A lot of the soldiers stopped what they were doing and stared at them. The elves and dwarves felt nothing but disgust.
Chief chuckled and so did Pretty Boy next to him, "We're gonna need more uniforms."
End of chapter 6
---
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4th of June, 2070
(One month after the Northeast park incident)
After the attack, it was clear what needed to be done. Elements of the 29th infantry division of the National Guard were stationed around Northeast park and were tasked with keeping watch over the now designated 'Rift' 24/7. Nothing was to get in or out without permission. The coast guard near San Diego was told to do the same. There has been no activity on either of them for a month, but the US Army didn't want to take chances.
At the UN council, the world came to a decision. The United States will attempt to solve this issue on its own, diplomatically. Elements of the US 75th Ranger regiment, 7th Infantry division, 1st Armored division, and 1st Special forces command have been organized into a force 30.000 strong and dubbed the Rift Expeditionary Corp or REC, led by Lieutenant General Patrick Coleman. They were tasked to cross to the other side, create an FOB and make contact with the natives. Despite prince Bodin Zorgen's constant attempts to persuade them otherwise, the US held strong to its decision. Any and all chances to stop bloodshed will be taken and America will not strike first. One of the conditions for peace will be the return of all captive Americans, this will not be negotiable.
This decision was not favored by some. The Chinese president, Bao Huang, suggested that the US should listen to Bodin and wage a full-blown war with the empire. He used the Empire of Japan as an example, a power that couldn't be negotiated with and chose war. US President Arthur McShane said that the empire and the elves received a vision through magic that humanity is a monstrous enemy that wishes to destroy their world. Bao refused to believe anything that 'magic' has to say but Arthur told him that if they do wage a war and strike, then they would only prove them right. Diplomacy needs to go first and should things go south, they'll cross that bridge when they get there.
The Russian president, Dmitri Vukov, suggested that the US should destroy the rifts so that they would not cause problems in the future. Out of sight, out of mind. There were two problems with this plan. First, the US had no way of doing this as they themselves don't possess magic and the rifts aren't affected by any physical means. Second, even if they destroy them, there exists a possibility of the elves opening another one, maybe in another part of the world, and should it open in an unprepared land, it would cause devastation. This is why Arthur urged all countries to create contingencies just for a situation like that. With all of this said, the UN council ultimately decided to let the US deal with this threat, however, NATO will be on alert should things take a turn for the worst.
Now it came down to picking the right people for the job. The empire wasn't the only faction they needed to make peace with. First things first, the Rosians. While prince Bodin is alive, they first needed to get them to know this. Second, they needed to make friendly relations with native elves. Not all of them are cold-hearted like the army. Turns out, most of them live in smaller communities and try to live their lives in peace. The plan is to make contact with them and show them that they aren't an enemy. Third, the tribal peoples. Between thirty and forty percent of lepians, feelians, leanoids, welfen, and others are enslaved by the elves and forced to do their bidding. About twenty percent fled south to the Rosian kingdoms to live in peace. The others live in scattered tribes across North Altia. The captured animal peoples will join the REC and help them establish peaceful relations with them. Finally, the other continents. Besides North Altia, there are also South Altia and Kaplios that are also under the empire's control. However, they are all in a war with the natives and aren't able to send any proper aid, so the UNEF is on low alert at the moment.
Several platoons of rangers have already been organized for the assignment, along with their lieutenants all that was missing was a certain prodigy.
Norfolk, Virginia
Connors estate
The Connors family has a long and proud military tradition dating all the way back to the first world war when Joshua Connors volunteered to go to Europe. World War II, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and even the Great Crisis. They've been through it all. But the current successor, Logan, wasn't too proud of that. It's soldiers who fight wars and bring death. Logan was naturally gifted with strength and skill. He was tall, and athletic and rose to the rank of captain at the age of twenty-five. Still, this didn't make him as happy as he wanted to be. He wondered if there is something else out there for him. But, that might just be a dream.
He lived alone in his house in Norfolk, Virginia near Deep Creek park. He'd usually wait for his sister, Penelope, to come back from her assignments at DARPA and go for a walk, but lately, she's been coming over less and less. At twenty-six, Logan didn't really know what to do anymore.
He sat down with a beer in his hand and turned on the TV. The first channel was the news, typical.
"Thank you Jack.", said the newscaster, "Now that we're at the end of our program I'd like to read you the decision President Arthur McShane has made regarding the now dubbed Rifts incident. The United States army will lead an expedition force through the land rift and attempt to make contact and creates peaceful relations with the Empire of Light. This decision is not supported by some American citizens, the majority of which are from North Carolina. Protesters have gathered near Northeast park and are demanding justice for their loved ones and their city. Still, the president is standing by his decision, and for the time being, the diplomatic approach will be taken. No NATO or other UN forces will intervene until the necessity arises. May God help our brave men and women. This is Kevin Harper, signing off."
The news ended and Logan turned off the TV while sipping his beer. A few moments later knocking came on his front door. Logan stood up and answered, only to find two men dressed in military uniforms standing in front of him. Both were clearly older than Logan and one had gray hair while the other one had blonde hair and carried a briefcase.
"Captain Logan Connors?", asked the man with gray hair.
"Yes.", Logan answered, "What can I do for you, Lieutenant General?"
"My name is Patrick Coleman and this is Brigadier General Oscar Wayne. May we come in?"
"Of course.". Logan let them enter and closed the door. He showed them to the living room where they took a seat on the couch and Logan sat in front of them. "Now. To what do I own the pleasure of sitting in front of the leader of the rift expeditionary force?"
Oscar was a bit stunned by his question, "How did you-"
"Why else would you be here? I'm one of the rangers that are going over there, aren't I?"
Patrick chuckled and pulled out a folder from the briefcase. "Logan Hannibal Connors. Unique middle name. Joined the military at age of 19, and was recruited into special forces at age of 24 upon reaching the rank of lieutenant but quit a month after starting. Rewarded the Medal of Honor and the rank of captain on August 29th in Thailand after saving three platoons of soldiers in an attack on a remnant True salvation outpost. Now serving the army rangers and saving up money to help his father, Marcus Connors, walk again after his legs were paralyzed in a car accident last year. Those new nerve surgeries sure are expensive."
"Where are you going with this lieutenant-general?", Logan asked.
"I don't want to sound like I'm trying to bribe you, that's not my job. I'm just saying that if you take this opportunity it will prove to be mutually beneficial."
Logan took a long look at the folder Patrick was holding. Was this really worth it? This could help his father, but he was going to a completely foreign land to fight an enemy only seen in fiction. He knew there was going to be war, that he will have to fight. Question was, could he? After much consideration, Logan spoke, "Fine. I'll do it. But I want my father's medical bills paid for in full and I want insurance for him and my sister."
"We can arrange that.", Patrick said, "Thank you for accepting this, captain."
"Don't thank me yet. But what's your role in all of this, brigadier general?"
"Me?", asked Oscar, "That's simple. I'm the commander of the first REC infantry brigade. We will go in first and prepare the terrain for the first armored brigade which will properly enforce FOB Galdush. That's the name of the place we're going to by the way."
"And I'm supposed to be in it?"
"Corectomundo, my friend."
"Alright. Let's go win a war then."
---
(Around the same time)
Undisclosed location
The invasion was over in several hours. Zoya had never seen such destruction. Thousands dead in minutes, great beasts slaughtered like cattle, and entire armies turned to blood and ash. She wished she had never come here. She should have just stayed with her tribe in the Great Bolma forest all those cycles ago and not run away. This is what she got for it. A life of enslavement and then being sent to a foreign land just to die.
'Mother. Sister.', she thought to herself as tears went down her face. She was now in a human prison, all alone, separated from her kin. That soldier, Jeff Miller brought her there. He could have killed her along with Bora, but didn't. The reason was never cleared to Zoya. 'Please be alright. I beg you spirits, watch over them. Don't let them suffer my fate.'
As she finished her thought, three loud knocks came from the metal door of her cell. A small window opened and a man spoke, "You. Do you understand me?" After hesitating a bit, Zoya nodded.
"Do you understand me?", he asked again.
"Yes! I understand you.", she said frightened.
"Please stand up.", he said and opened the bottom window. Zoya slowly moved to them and was put in chains. A feeling all too familiar. The cell door opened and she saw the man who talked to her. He was slightly taller and was wearing blue clothing of material unknown to Zoya, unlike the two armed guards who wore black armor.
"Come with me.", he said and led her through the halls. They walked for some time until they reached a door with glass on it. As they entered, the guards stood outside and Zoya sat down at a metal desk. Before the man sat down, he opened a box in the corner of the room and took a white plate of sorts. When he placed it in front of Zoya she saw it was food. Fried meat on one half and green and orange vegetables on the other. She first assumed it was a trick before the man gestured for her to eat. She took the meat and ate as fast as she could. It was delicious, way more than anything she had ever eaten. As she ate the man sat down and opened a thin book.
'He can read?', she thought, 'He must be a scholar then.'
He grabbed some kind of sharp stick and asked, "What is your name?"
"M-My name is Zoya."
"Last name?", she didn't answer, "Family name?"
"I... I don't have one."
"You are a lepian, correct?"
"Yes."
"Are there multiple kinds?"
'What kind of questions are these?', she thought, "Yes. Brown and orange. I am brown. You can see by my fur."
"Alright. Where are you from?"
The questions went on and on for what seemed like hours. The man asked Zoya about everything. How she fights, her skills, what can she do that an elf can't, and what are her relations with the other tribal peoples. She couldn't understand why all this was important. If she was going to be a slave, then not even her name mattered. Why? That question kept ringing in her head.
After a while, the man closed his book and spoke, "Alright, I think we're done here."
Zoya rubbed her hands and muttered, "Can you... can you tell me who my new owner will be? Is it you?"
The man seemed confused by her question, "Owner?"
"Y-Yes. My slave owner. Who am I going to?"
The man laughed a little, "Unbelievable. The others asked the same thing."
Now it was Zoya who was confused, "O-Others? What do you mean by others? Others of my kin? Or other tribals? Tell me."
"Relax. All your questions will be answered in there.", he said pointing at the door on the opposite side of the room from the one they came in, "Just step in and someone else will answer your questions."
The man removed Zoya's chains and then left through the same door they entered from. Zoya stood like a statue for a while. She didn't know what to do. Trust this human? He could be trying to deceive her. But either way, she didn't have a choice. She opened the door she was told to open and entered the room. Inside she saw chairs and three more people. One male welfen, one leanoid, and a familiar face.
"Bora!", she shouted.
"Zoya!", Bora shouted back and hugged her, "I thought you were dead." The two friends hugged for a while before Bora spoke again, "What happened? Did they hurt you?"
"No.", Zoya said, "They just asked me a lot of questions and even fed me."
"They did the same with us.", the welfen said, "The meat was very good, however."
"Yes.", said the leanoid, "For a moment I thought about killing that human for food. The questions confused me. He wanted to know what my strengths were and where are the rest of my people."
"Same with me.", said the welfen, "My name is Brokil by the way."
"I am Gorgo.", said the leanoid.
"A pleasure to meet you.", said Zoya.
"Likewise.", said Bora.
"I see you're getting along.", said a man as he walked into the room. All four of them were immediately on edge as five more entered behind him. They knew that these men were warriors, perhaps the elites of these humans. "That's good.". One of them looked elderly as he had gray hair. One had golden hair and blue eyes, one had medium brown hair, and two were bald, one of which was very tall and had dark skin. The one who entered first had short black hair and black eyes. He was the leader.
"Who are you?", asked Brokil.
"A bit rude.", said the leader.
"Answer the question.", demanded Gorgo.
"Well, we're gonna be working together. So why not?", said the leader after a short pause and sigh. This greatly confused the tribals. "My name is Julius Fisher, but I'm better known as Chief. The senior gentleman is John Castro, known as Pops. This big fella is Griffin West, call him Boxer. The guy eyeballing you is Rick Hunt, Lucky. The ladies man here is Noah Ramirez, he likes to be called Pretty Boy. And last but not least, this is Ryan Spencer, better known as Rook."
"Hi.", said Rook as he waved.
"We are soldiers of the First Special Forces Command, also known as Green Berets, and our team is Spearhead. And you are Brokil, Bora, Gorgo, and Zoya. Nice to meet you all."
The four relaxed a little bit but were still confused. Finally, Bora spoke, "What did you mean by working with us?"
"Oh that.", Chief said, "My superiors think it's a good idea to work with the native tribal peoples as we know you hate the empire and the elves."
"That may be true.", said Gorgo, "But what makes you think we will fight for you?"
"I never said for us, I said with us. We will work together and beat the empire."
"Why?", Zoya asked, "We all saw what you're capable of. You can turn all the elven armies to ash if you wanted. What do you gain from using us?"
"We gain knowledge.", said Pops, "We don't know much about your land and we can use a guide. Besides, allies are always good in war. It's true that we can completely destroy the empire if we wanted to, but that is not how we wage war. In doing so we would kill tens of millions of people and that is not something we want."
This came as a surprise to the four. A force so powerful and yet they choose not to use their power to the fullest and crush their enemies? They sound nothing like the elves.
"Furthermore.", said Pretty Boy, "We're not the monsters your elves say we are. In truth all we want is peace. But since that might not be possible, we have to make plans for the future."
"And why us?", asked Bora, "Why do you care about what happens to us?"
"Because we want to help you.", said Rook, attracting the four's attention.
"Why?", asked Zoya.
"'Cause slavery is wrong.", Boxer said, "And we know a thing or two about that."
This came as a shock to the four. Do they know? Does that mean they were slaves, too?
"You see.", Lucky spoke, "A long time ago, there existed an empire called Great Britain. They, much like your elves, had the bright idea of conquering the world. At some point, they conquered our country and turned us into their slaves. But our ancestors rebelled and we beat them. From that point on, we decided to end slavery everywhere. Because everyone deserves to be free. No one can own another person's life."
The four could just listen. A part of them didn't believe this. These people fought against their rulers and won. And now they seek to eradicate slavery everywhere. This was too good to be true.
"So...", Zoya said, "We fight for, I mean, with you, and we gain our freedom?"
"Not just you.", Rook said, "But all of your people as well. All of your tribes will be free and no longer hunted by the empire."
"This seems too good.", Brokil said. Chief walked up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"I promise you.", Chief spoke, "You and all your people will gain their freedom, if you help us win this war." The four walked to the corner of the room and whispered to each other.
"You think they're gonna accept?", Rook asked.
"I have a gut feeling.", Chief replied.
After some time, Bora stepped forward and spoke, "Alright. We will join you and fight. What do you want us to do?"
Chief smiled, "First, I need you to try these on.". He walked to a large wooden crate and out of it took out some clothing. They looked thick and were green in color, but it wasn't armor. It looked similar to what the humans were wearing. "Then, I need you to sit down and listen carefully."
---
(Twenty days after REC crossed over)
Late yellow season
Past the Yellow forest, Meilume region
General Drannor Crax needed to hurry. The news of the invasion force being destroyed in less than a day was as troubling as it was unbelievable. According to the surviving soldiers, the enemy has boomsticks and cannons much like the dwarves, but more powerful and devastating. This made the general feel worried but also relieved. He knew how the dwarves fought and how their weapons worked. Moreover, he had dwarves in his army and this would help him. The enemy is a more powerful version just meant that he needed to be more careful. At least in his mind.
The force of the VII army along with five thousand dwarves and five thousand auxiliary marched to the Galdush fields in hopes of preventing the enemy from making a foothold in Meilume from which to launch an assault. It might have been a good idea to get one of the three east coast fleets to launch an organized strike from the coast so they can pincer them, but it was too late to plan now. They were now eighty leagues from Galdush and one hill separated them from a straight towards the enemy. Drannor decided to go over the plan one more time in order to finish this battle with perfection.
In his personal tent, he spoke to his captains and the dwarves, "Do your troops know the strategy?"
"Of course.", said captain Bamur of the dwarves, "Dunan and I are prepared."
"Our legions are also ready, sir.", said the first captain of the elven army.
"Excellent.", Drannor said, "The spearhead of the attack will be the feral auxiliary, the dwarven legions, and the wyvern corp. The combined force of over forty thousand shall attack the enemy from the front, with the ferals serving as a distraction the dwarves will launch the initial attack with cannons and move in with shooters. The infantry and archer legions will move in from the right but not before the cavalry penetrates the enemy's left flank. We must strike hard, fast, and make sure the enemy can't use its cannons against us."
"I do not like the idea of our troops going in as distractions.", said Dunan.
"Have a better strategy, dwarf?", asked the first captain, "The general is the one in command here.". Dunan scoffed at that and didn't say anything.
"This is the best we can do.", Drannor said. At that moment, a lepian walked into the tent.
"I have news.", she said walking closer but was stopped by one of the captains.
"Aren't you forgetting something?", he said.
The lepian groaned and knelt. "My lord. I bring news."
"Speak.", Drannor said.
"I have returned with my scouts from observing the enemy."
"What have you seen?"
"They have already built a fortification of sorts."
This troubled the officers and the general in the tent. The enemy already has a foothold in their land. Perhaps their cannons aren't the most dangerous part about them.
"What kind of fortification?", the second captain asked.
"It is... strange. They have short walls and round metallic tents as well as long silver bushes. On top of that, many of the soldiers spent their entire day digging holes using metal monsters." This didn't trouble them as much as it made them confused. What kind of fortifications were these?
"What of their weapons and numbers?", asked the sixth captain.
"As far as we know, they have many strange-looking cannons that face upwards as well as several long cannons on iron carriages. Their numbers however can't be higher than eight thousand.". To this, the officers widened their eyes and some smiled.
"Only eight thousand?", said the fifth captain, "They dare think so low of us."
"Seems like you won't even need to send your army, Drannor.", said Bamur, "We will deal with the enemy and scavenge what remains."
"This does not feel right.", Drannor said.
"What are you saying, sir?", asked the tenth captain, "Not only will we destroy the enemy, but also prove why we are not to be trifled with."
"Do you forget already? This is the same army that defeated the first invasion force. I will not make the same mistake of underestimating our enemy. If what the survivors say is true, then their numbers mean nothing.". The tent turned quiet. Drannor's words held truth. If this is the same army that defeated general Ylindar, then they cannot afford to take chances.
"My lord.", the lepian spoke.
"What is it?", Drannor replied.
"I am just a scout, but when my people attack we usually prefer to go on a night raid and strike the enemy when they least expect it."
"You expect us to use such a barbaric and dishonorable tactic?", asked the third captain in disgust, "What do you take us for?"
"This is no time for being picky.", Drannor said, "It is a sound strategy, often used when facing an enemy with a strong defense. Attacking at night will limit their capabilities. Perhaps even inhibit them from using their cannons."
"You cannot hit what you cannot see.", said Dunan, "If we get close enough, it will not matter how powerful they are. Our numbers will drown them."
At last, a sense of hope filled their hearts. Perhaps not all was lost. This could work.
"Very well.", Drannor said, "Spread the word to all soldiers. The tactic remains the same, just that it will be a night raid. And tenth captain?"
"Yes general?", he asked.
"The wyvern corps will not move in. They can't fly well in an organized formation at night."
"Yes, general."
"Lepian."
"Yes my lord?", she asked.
"Take your scouts and prepare for the raid. You will infiltrate their base and cause distortion."
"Yes my lord.". With that, she left and the other officers as well. It was time to prepare. This will be the first battle with the enemy in the empire's own borders. No matter what, they needed to win. Or at the very least, make the enemy bleed.
---
Everything was prepared. The feral auxiliary already started moving forward and the dwarves steadily advanced behind them. The warhogs moved first, behind them were warriors, then shooters, and finally the cannon crew. Dunan was on the right and Bamur on the left, each ready to give orders and lead their legions to battle. As they moved closer they could see the enemy fortification in the distance. It looked just like how the lepian described it. All that was not immediately visible were the cannons. Perhaps they were camouflaged. A tactic used often by the dwarven general of the second Halboram army, Kutmec Coalcloack. He would paint his cannons in the color of the surroundings so the enemy couldn't see them until it was too late. No matter, all they had to do was get close.
"What do you think will happen, commander?", asked a dwarven shooter.
"We will win.", Dunan answered, "We have to. And after this, we will get what we were promised."
The dwarves wouldn't typically choose to fight alongside the elves unless there was something in it for them. Such was their nature. The dwarven kingdoms have good relations with the empire as miners, builders, and blacksmiths. A large portion of elven mines are mostly run by dwarves and with that, the dwarves gain a fifth of the profit. If they dug out five ores of iron, they would get one and if the ore is sold for five pieces of silver, they get one, and so forth. This made the dwarven economy boom as the elves control roughly eighty percent of the Tubal mountains. Now the emperor gave them an offer they could not refuse. If they contributed to the war, they would receive half of the earnings from North Altia, but also half of the earnings from the other side of the rift. The dwarves, due to their lust for riches, could not say no. Of course, king Bylnar of Benullur refused, but the other two kings assumed that when they win the war, Bylnar would see that he was wrong. And if he didn't, the elves would take care of him.
"I hope we do win, commander.", the shooter continued, "I want revenge for what they did to general Dalmin."
"So do I.", Dunan said, "But we must not be-"
Suddenly, explosions came from the front lines. The feral auxiliary started to die out as the ground burst into flames. Orcs, swine, ogres, and trolls were all being destroyed and their scorched bodies were scattered across the field. But there was something strange. The cannons weren't firing. Dunan would have seen them if they did. So how? It's almost as if the ground beneath the ferals exploded on its own as they crossed it. But that shouldn't be possible.
The dwarves were all in shock. "Commander!", shouted the shooter, "What do we do?!"
Dunan was stunned for a moment but spoke, "At this point, I would signal the wyverns. But we left them behind.". Before he could say more, something he never thought would happen, happened. A bright light flew into the air, shining like the sun. Then another and another. The whole sky was filled with them. What kind of magic was this?
"Commander?", a shooter asked.
"All legions, charge!", Dunan shouted, "Quickly, charge! They see us! We must reach them as quickly as possible! Go!". Dunan charged with his warhog. The rest of the cavalry charged with him as well as the infantry and shooters. Now that they can see them, it was only a matter of time before their cannons took aim. They needed to hurry. The hogs ran and ran, behind them the thousands of warriors and shooters. In the distance, he could see cannons and rods pointed upwards as well as the enemy running toward some of them. "Scatter!", he ordered and the dwarves did just that. They knew the power of a cannon and that they couldn't stay clumped together. But they weren't quick enough and the cannons opened fire. The upward-facing rods shot into the air and explosions erupted around the dwarves. Despite them being somewhat scattered they were losing hundreds. The warriors screamed in pain as their arms and legs were scattered over the land, the shooters fired at the enemy, hoping they would cause at least some amount of damage, but fared no better than the warriors. The cannon crew fired as well but were horrified at the sight. Their cannons couldn't reach and were destroyed by the enemies.
Dunan didn't fair much better. His cavalry was almost destroyed and he himself began to realize he would lose. But not before drawing blood, spirits damn him. He had made it to the lines the ferals crossed. He could see craters in the ground and bodies around them. Trolls and ogres were missing legs and heads while orcs and swine were blown to pieces. The ground beneath them did erupt. Dunan knew he would have to be careful, but he couldn't finish his train of thought as the ground beneath his hog exploded and he was tossed on the ground. As he slowly and painfully got on his knees, he removed his helmet and looked around him. None of his soldiers got through, they were all dead or dying. Some retreated, hopefully, they can tell the others. To the left he saw Banur's body, half of it in a pool of blood and the other half gone, he suffered the same fate. Exhausted and frightened, Dunan lay there and prayed. Perhaps the enemy won't see him.
On the left flank, the eighth and ninth captain led their respective cavalry legions. Ten thousand cavalry troops, ready to fulfill their part. As the two captains moved in they could hear the explosions and death on the central front, but there was nothing they could do. Now that the enemy used its magic to create light they needed to hurry. The cavalry charged in two arrowhead formations and had one target, the enemy's left flank. Their mission was to break it and move into the enemy's center so the infantry can take the rift.
The horses ran as fast as they could and could see the enemy's fortification. All that was defending them was a line of silver thorns. The eighth captain rushed in, hoping to jump over, but the thorns were too thick and the horses got stuck. Hundreds of horses got entangled in the thorns and the elves were thrown over. Thousands behind them either trampled themselves or stopped.
"Scatter!", yelled the eighth captain, "You have to get out of here! The enem-". Before he could say more the horses and elves were engulfed in flames. They screamed as they were burned and torn apart.
The ninth captain ran to the eighth and shook him, "Come on! We're still alive! We can reach the enemy on foot!". There was some truth to that. They still had hundreds of soldiers.
"You are right.", he said and drew his sword, "Forward soldiers! We still have a mission!". So he ran towards the enemy fortification alongside the ninth captain and hundreds of soldiers. He had not just hope, but confidence. Confidence that he can still do what he needed to do. Confidence was shattered as the enemy fired upon him. Their boomsticks spat thousands of led arrows at them as if hundreds of thousands of dwarves were in front of them. His elves were dying and dying quickly. They couldn't even get close as they were torn apart and left screaming on the ground. Time seemed to slow down for him. He turned to all sides and swore he could see the arrowheads pierce his soldiers. He could see the blood pouring out of them and the life escaping their bodies. He faced forward just in time to see the arrow coming toward him. It pierced his forehead, and in those few final moments, he thought of his home and how all of this was a mistake.
On the right flank, general Drannor moved with his men. He could hear and see the explosions on the other sides. How could the enemy have known they would come, and worse off how could they possess such magic to create suns in the night sky, was beyond him. He led forty thousand troops in hopes to penetrate the enemy's flank, but it hasn't been going well. They were being slowed down by iron thorns and were forced to use shields to get across. A large part of the army got over them, but then the enemy attacked. Their cannons fired cannon balls that killed dozens of soldiers per hit, blasting them to pieces. Most of the army that was on the outside of the thorns was destroyed and Drannor could only watch the horror unfold before him. After one of the explosions, a soldier was sent flying toward Drannor, knocking him to the ground. At the same time, the enemy fired its boomsticks and tore through his men. First, they killed the ones on the sides and then worked their way in. The survivors gathered near the general and created a layered shield formation, hoping to save him.
When Drannor came to his senses he got up and shouted, "You fools! You have to run! Scatter before they-", but it was too late. The enemy's weapons destroyed their shields and soldiers all around him began to fall, screaming in pain as their hearts, lungs, and heads were pierced by thousands of lead arrows. Drannor just stood there. Miraculously, he wasn't injured. He looked to all sides and saw nothing but carnage. Most of the men that crossed the iron thorns were dead, the ones behind either got blown to pieces or fled.
Drannor just walked. Slowly. He walked towards the enemy as he was taking off his helmet, then his wrist guards, then shoulder pads, and finally his breastplate. He extended his arms and closed his eyes as if he accepted his fate. It was his fault that nearly a hundred thousand people died, so now he was ready to pay the price. As he walked closer to the source of the firing, he noticed it started to die down. He assumed all his men were dead. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw a bright white light in front of him and a shadowy figure walking closer.
'Morto?', he thought, 'Have you come to collect my soul?'. As the figure got closer, he saw a pale-skinned man with a black boomstick and before he could react, the man hit him in the head and Drannor was knocked out cold. With that, it was over.
---
It was finally over. The ferals were all dead and the surrendering and wounded elves and dwarves were brought to Galdush base. This couldn't have been a battle, more of a one-sided slaughter. The enemy walked straight into them. First, the minefield destroyed the ferals and the leftover claymores took care of most of the dwarven cavalry. The entrenched Abrams tanks and mortars cleared the rest. Their cannons fired, but couldn't reach the foxholes.
On the right, the elven cavalry made their way to the barbed wire and misunderstood how it worked, which caused them to fall over and leave the horses trapped. Mortar fire destroyed what was on the outer portion and machine guns cleared the foot soldiers that tried to rush them.
The left side was bloodier. The infantry used their shields to get across the barbed wire, but most weren't quick enough and were killed by the mortars and tanks. The ones that did survive put their shields in layers, but that didn't help them much. After most of them died, the several dozen that still had a brain left and one crazy bastard stripped his armor and walked to the machine guns. Luckily, Logan stopped the firing and knocked the nutjob out.
The army was rounding up the survivors, cuffing them, and sending them to a special prison back in the States. Some struggled, but ultimately couldn't do much. From the scorched field came a group of tribals. They walked slowly in shock at what just happened.
"Hold it!", said one of the army soldiers who pointed his gun at them. The tribals raised their hands.
"Lower your weapons.", said Chief, "That's not how you treat your allies."
From behind Chief came Zoya, "Mina. Are you alright?"
"Yes.", spoke the lepian, "I'm just in shock. When you said they were powerful I never imagined this."
"I know. I can hardly believe it myself. Let me introduce you to someone.", she said as she gestured to Chief, "This is Julius Fisher, the chief of the humans' elite warriors."
"A pleasure to meet you, Mina. You helped us out a lot.", Chief said as he extended his hand. After a slight hesitation, Mina shook it.
"You!", yelled an elf as he was pushed, "You traitor! When the others find out about this, they will have the heads of your families, and then-", his bantering was stopped by a kick to the stomach delivered by Zoya which knocked him several feet back.
"Shut up.", she said.
"Is it really true?", Mina asked, "Will you really save my people?"
"Yes.", Chief said, "In time, we will free all of you."
This made Mina smile, "Then, we will fight alongside you.". She turned around and waved her hand several times. Far away in the tall grass, Chief could see people rise and walk towards them. A battalion-sized force of tribals. Lepians, feelians, leanoids, and welfen all walked towards the base. A lot of the soldiers stopped what they were doing and stared at them. The elves and dwarves felt nothing but disgust.
Chief chuckled and so did Pretty Boy next to him, "We're gonna need more uniforms."
End of chapter 6
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I am grateful for realizing I have been feeling down!
I am grateful for free access to amazing books from the NY library!
I am grateful for trying!

I always look forward to traveling abroad because I get to try dishes I’ve not had before. I went to Kenya a few weeks ago and had an eight hour layover in Doha, Qatar, where I was looking for a specific local dish - fish machboos, basically a biryani-style rice with spices and topped with a fried fish filet. In this case, a local grouper called hamour.
I wasn’t able to find it on the street like I was hoping, and I needed to leave the city soon, so I went to this relatively touristy and upscale place because they had the fish on the menu. When I asked, the restaurant cooks were gracious enough to make the traditional rice with the fish. But they also served the dish with a tangy lemon butter sauce that reminded me a ton of scampi. Which, as you can expect, went beautifully with seafood. Everything on the plate was delicious and actually made me glad that I ordered it here, because now I have a new idea.
Who would’ve thought Italian and Middle Eastern flavors would’ve gone together so well?

Is there really a difference in altar spawn (eater in my case) in maps like city square and underground sea ? Regardless of the “kill boss first “ issue.
Iam running city square atm with all packsize nodes, not a lot of aide content as I had the impression it hindered atlas spawn, and fortune for the additional 10% as well as 4 gilded scarabs with the related packsize node and all this averages less than 2 altars per map. Not rarely do I get 0 altars even.
Et didn’t run a lot of ugs but I had like a ton of altars each time not even trying as hard as I city square to buff packsize ... rng ?
What am I doing wrong ?