"To Major General Harris-Space Command, I am Task Force Medical Lead Vedant Desai, a professor from Johns Hopkins University working in coordination with the Department of Defense. We thank the DoD for choosing us to research this great discovery. The specimens you have brought to us are unbelievable.
The corpses you brought us have left many questions. Colonel Katherine Evergreen, the woman you had placed in charge, has refused to tell us where you found them. However, we have our theories. Do not worry; everyone within this Task Force has chosen and agreed to the security protocols. The history that we are witnessing is mind-blowing.
When these "unidentified bodies" were delivered three days ago, Colonel Evergreen informed us that they believed the two humanoid types were Homo erectus and Neanderthal. It took time; however, we were able to confirm that the human bodies sent are related to those types of ancient humans. We took what little data we had from the ancient bones paleontologists had dug up over the generations. Cross-analysis revealed a direct link between these creatures and our ancient ancestors.
However, we have discovered changes within their DNA and RNA. With tens of thousands of years of evolution, it would make sense for there to be changes from our records and modern-day living Homo erectus and Neanderthal. However, we have also discovered a strange gland with traces of a peculiar radiation source, or at least that is what my staff calls it. Not every one of the bodies had this gland, only a select few. What was strange was that the other species you had brought us, which looked like a Vampire, had a similar gland.
The vampire bodies you sent us had a similar situation to these two humans. Most did not have these glands, while a select few do. As of now, we have no theory to explain why.
Regarding the Vampire-like species, our Programable Intelligence search engines had yet to discover any trace of their genes in all of Earth's known categories. While it is still early to assume, as we have only begun our research on the corpses you have brought us, this species seems alien to our environment.
Based on the samples that the DoD has provided, these fang-like creatures are hematophagous, the first known humanoid type of a species that needs blood to survive. These creatures do have similar organs like humans, implying that they can consume foodstuff like us; however, we have no context to what degree or levels of consumption are needed." – Professor Vedant Desai to Major General Harris, Space Command
March 8th, 2069 (Military Calendar)
Hiplose Woods, the former Confederacy of Daru'uie
Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore
*****
Listening to the Americans talk about their past experiences in their world only made Natilite more curious about the subject. In some ways, it sounded similar: dancing, social gatherings, drinking, an obsession with and hatred of politics, and, most importantly, romance. She also picked up on many comments, such as frequent air travel, mass mobile transportation, and something about a soup bowl or Super Bowl; she needed to fully understand the Americans' terms.
She still struggled to understand how to speak with people from other worlds. She had no idea what to expect; however, how different they were from the people of Alagore never occurred to her.
As Comanche walked through the forest, she asked, "What is Earth like?"
"That is a big question," King replied. "It is just as complex as this world in the geopolitical sense."
"That says a lot," Natilite said. "I have been struggling to imagine your world without magic, let alone only having one race. You do not have the Nagel, J'avais, or my kind?"
"That is partly correct," Ryder said. "We are the only type of humans on Earth as of now, but from the dead J'avais we have, our scientists are confident that they are a Homo erectus strain of our species."
"And the Nagels?" Fraeya asked.
"We still need to do studies, but we think they are the Neanderthal subgroup," Ryder said.
"And my kind?" Natilite asked.
Ryder placed his hand on his chin. "Honestly, we have no idea. Norse mythology is the only one that mentions your kind, and we have no skeletal evidence of your kind."
"That we know of," Barrios said as he walked by.
"What do you mean by that?" Fraeya asked. "As we know of?"
"From what I understand," Barrios said, "archaeologists keep pushing the date of the first human civilization back. What is it? Twelve thousand years now?"
"Really?" Fraeya asked before turning toward Ford. "Is that true?"
Benjamin Ford looked at the Elf Girl, confused. "I... I have no idea. History is not my strong suit, but it sounds right."
The Valkyrie noticed that their mage had asked the nerdy Sergeant and no one else the question and smiled at the sight. The tanned Wood Elf looked slightly disappointed by the American boy's reaction, seeing that he had failed the test of interest. She was happy to see another similar detail between worlds: males were as clueless about the female gaze on Altaerrie as they were on this world.
"Makes sense," Forest said. "I am just shocked Barrios knows that."
"Hey," Barrios said. "I was trying to sleep with this brunette who was really into anthropology. She made me work for it, listening to her talk about ruins and dead people. Who knew listening would be useful at some point?"
Hearing the tan-skinned man, Natilite placed her hand on her forehead and shook her head. "I cannot believe it. Men are the same everywhere."
Barrios and Wallace looked toward each other and jointly said, "Damn right," before fist-bumping each other.
The Templar stared at the two and giggled, finding their brotherhood adorable.
"Back on topic before I get another HR complaint," Ryder said. "Bruno might be right. We have no idea when the Bridge was placed on Earth, and I assume the same is true here. Maybe the connection between our worlds goes deeper than we can imagine."
"I am starting to think the same," Natilite said. "One issue is puzzling to me: What happened to them all? Why are there only Lat-like humans on Earth?"
When she finished her sentence, she noticed an awkward silence among Comanche, almost as if no one wanted to reply.
"They went extinct," Fraeya said.
"They did?" Natilite was shocked by the fact. "How did you know?"
"Ryder told me when I was their prisoner," Fraeya said.
Natilite stopped walking and looked directly at the Elf Girl in shock. "You were their prisoner?"
The Elf Girl was about to respond before she realized what she had said. "Yeah, I forgot to mention that part. We could not understand each other, so they locked me in a room and yelled at me forever. But that is okay; we became friends afterward. Besides, I got to look out a big window and saw a flying machine that went into the cosmic sea, so I was happy."
"Point is," King said, "on Earth, they went extinct hundreds of thousands of years ago, before any known civilization. It is believed the reason why our kind, Homo sapiens, won the evolutionary arms race was that we were the most adaptable. At least, that is what they say."
"I can believe that," Natilite said. "J'avais are one of the most warlike races on Alagore."
"That says a lot," Forest said.
"I had a feeling you would say that," Natilite said. "According to the Legend, when the Lats came here through the Bridge thousands of years ago, they crawled from the dirt to become one of the major powers on Aldrida. It is why the J'avais, or what you call Homo erectus, are angry with them. They feel jealous of all their military might; they never could build their own civilization that equals the Lats."
Natilite placed her hand on her chin as she reflected on the conversation. Assuming that Earth was the homeworld of all humanity and that only the Altaerrie remained could cause problems with racial politics.
"If what you say is true, that might become an issue," Natilite said. "The Unity will extract that information from your people and smear you."
"She is right," King said. "Imagine every town across this moon with a bulletin board stating that the Altaerrie wiped out all other races."
"That sounds childish," Ford said. "How would anyone believe that? It happened hundreds of thousands of years ago."
"Sorry, Ben, but Rommel is correct," Barrett said. "A lie spreads faster than the truth. We see that every day at the stateside. We must assume our enemies here will do the same. They can claim whatever they want, and the narrative becomes public truth when we learn of it."
As the conversation continued regarding the potential narrative the Unity might utilize against the Altaerrie, Natilite overheard the two soldiers in front of her, Charlie Higgins and Kurt Forest, using the word "slave."
Natilite missed most of the conversation; however, she could tell it was related to what they had seen at the Kitsune village. "Do you gentlemen have a question?"
The two stopped and turned around.
"Just having a friendly debate," Forest said.
"Let's not beat around the bush," Higgins said. "That village was using slave labor."
"Yeah, so?" Natilite responded. "They are a village."
"So, this is common?" Higgins asked.
"Somewhat," Natilite said before looking toward the Elf Girl. "You have been to their world; do they have something similar?"
That was when she saw the Elf Girl sigh and glance away. "Fraeya."
"In their country," she said, "slavery was abolished hundreds of years ago, at least in the civilized world. And I did not see or hear anything about a motuia."
Feeling angry that she had not been informed about such essential details until now, Natilite glared at the young Wood Elf, and the elf realized her mistake.
"We need to have a long conversation once we return to Salva."
"Sorry," Fraeya said.
Turning back to the two Americans, she collected her thoughts. While annoyed by the elf, the girl had provided one insight. She had not heard anything about motuias, which led Natilite to conclude that they lacked these two social hierarchies.
"To answer your question, it depends," Natilite said as she took a frustrated breath. "Slave labor exists on Alagore, but it is not institutionalized, if that makes sense. You mostly see it on the outskirts and in poorer regions."
"Why is that?" Higgins asked. "It's free labor? I thought that was the entire point of slaves."
"I do not understand what you mean by free labor," Natilite said. "Nothing is free in life. Housing, feeding, and training slaves usually cost a fortune. It is one reason why every nation has switched to industrial crafting. I just assumed that is what it was like in your world."
"It kind of is," Ford said. "We had a similar Industrial Revolution that made slavery obsolete."
"That still doesn't make sense," Higgins said.
"Actually, it does," Forest said. "Many of the Founding Fathers hated the practice because it was costly to maintain, so she is not making it up. Even the Romans complained about how expensive it was to maintain a free labor force."
"That is the same mindset here overall," Natilite said. "The problem is that it is hard to train and educate a slave. While it is legal, it is seen more as a punishment than a source of labor in the civilized regions."
"What about the village?" Higgins asked. "If it's uncommon, why did we see a dozen of them?"
"Because they are poor and trying to survive," Natilite said. "Most likely, they were prisoners from a rival village or were being punished for something. Some might be there trying to show their worth by joining their clan, but that's typically reserved for a motuia rather than a slave."
"You said punishments," Gonzales said. "What do you mean? If someone passes the speed limit, you're stripped of your rights?"
"I do not know what you mean by speed limits," Natilite said. "But I am assuming you mean a minor crime. The answer is no. Slave punishments are reserved for people who commit murders, rapes, treason, or other great wrongs."
"Criminals?" Higgins asked. "Sorry to keep harping on this issue, but I never heard of a government restraining itself to such a degree. You are not talking about someone shoplifting an apple?"
"I do not know what an apple is," Natilite said. "But not really. Crimes related to what I said are not important enough to enslave someone. You have to have committed something grand to receive that punishment in the civilized world. Prisoners of war can be included, but most armies avoid that, as they do not want their soldiers enslaved. As I said, it is no longer common since we adapted motuias."
"Interesting," Forest said. "Let's back up for a moment. You said a word none of us have heard before. What is a motuia?"
"This is weird," Natilite said as she scratched the back of her head. "I never had to explain any of this before."
"I can," Fraeya said with a thrill in her voice. "At the academy, I had a friend who became one after graduation."
"Go for it."
"Motuia is a type of indentured servant social class that we have on Alagore," Fraeya explained. "It is when a person voluntarily signs a contract with a master for some type of job or service."
"Why would anyone indenture themselves?" Higgins asked. "That makes no sense."
"Well, for many reasons," Fraeya said. "Many seek to become motuias so a master can take them in. That could be in magic, crafting, engineering, or anything of value, like my friend from the academy. He agreed to become a servant to someone more experienced and knowledgeable than him. In return, he gained knowledge from his owner. This is pretty common."
"Are you telling me all your workers sign over their freedoms for a paycheck?" Ford asked.
"Why would a worker sign over his rights?" Natilite asked. "They can, but I do not see why anyone would unless they are doing highly specialized work. It is common within the servant archives. Within crafting, typically, a motuia is with the person in charge of the project, not the assembly, if that makes sense."
"It does," Ford said.
"It depends on the need," Natilite said. "But that is why so many choose the path. It is a door for those in need."
"I see where this is going," Forest said. "It is a type of apprenticeship."
"That is correct," Natilite said. "Nothing is free. If one seeks knowledge or a skill set, one must give of oneself. In return, their master takes them under their guidance and gives them a lifetime of knowledge."
"I think the confusion is that it sounds open-ended," Barrett said. "In one instance, you say it is an apprenticeship program, but in the next, you say it is for the underprivileged to gain upward mobility."
"You are correct," Natilite said. "It originally started as a master-student arrangement, but over time, it expanded over the centuries to include farmers, servants, and administrators. If there is a need to serve, archive, labor, or educate, there is a motuia. Many of the poor use the system to gain upward mobility. There are many reasons why, as I know Higgins will ask. Some become one with the dream of starting their profession, while others seek a stable source of shelter, food, and pay. Others serve to have their debt expunged. And as I said before, others use it to earn the right to join a clan or fellowship."
"Regarding the village," Natilite continued, "there was a nagal who worked as a blacksmith. I saw his binark, meaning he was a motuia. I will admit, it was strange seeing a motuia there in that context. He could be paying a life debt, agreeing to provide his services for a home, or learning a craft that the village specializes in. I do not know, but he was not a slave."
"What is a binark?" Ryder asked.
Natilite glanced up to collect her thoughts, trying to find a similar example to the Americans' clip wallets. That was when she remembered their clip wallets. To her surprise, Fraeya spoke with an example in mind, having taken an interest in Altaerrie technology.
"It is a vampire word," Fraeya explained. "Binark means binding marker. It is like your cards in clip wallets or dog tags around your neck. A sage who specializes in such enchantments uses mana-enhanced ink. A crystal display shows the information that is programmed into it."
"In short," Natilite interjected, "guilds use it to place a marker on a slave or motuia: the owner, what guild they belong to, and what type of contract they are bound by. And before you guys conclude, the military, government, and other guilds use the marker throughout society for many things—not just those related to the institution."
The Templar breathed, exhausted from trying to explain her world's culture. She saw the Americans whisperingly debate amongst themselves, poking at every detail she said. Some struggled to differentiate between a motuia and a slave, while others focused on the apprentice element. This baffled her, but she understood that she was born in this world and must check her own biases.
"It is starting to sound like a welfare work program," Forest said.
"Welfare?" Higgins said. "Give up your right to vote, and you can get a job. I wouldn't call that welfare."
"You know that is not what I meant," Forest said.
"I know," Higgins said. "But can you not see? Every corporation would love to abuse that. We will give you a job; however, you no longer can vote to protect yourself. Haven't we learned anything from our history?"
"Except for the fact that isn't how it works," Forest said. "For welfare, we just give out money and hope for the best. How is that better than what Natilite said? At least there is an attempt to be proactive and incentivize something better. Because they are right: nothing is free in life."
"I do not know," Higgins said. "I get what she is trying to say, but the fact that you give up your freedoms baffles me. Who on Earth would do that?"
"We are not on Earth," Wallace said.
"You know what I meant," Higgins replied.
"There are plenty of examples on Earth where people give up their rights to gain something," Forest said.
"Maybe if they are desperate," Higgins said. "But not in the First World."
"I know a few people who might consider the option, assuming it is as legitimate as Fraeya described," Forest countered. "The idea of having someone provide shelter and food in return for work. Better than living on the streets."
"Name one," Higgins demanded.
"Marxists," Forest quickly responded. "How often do you hear them wanting the government to nationalize things in the name of getting free stuff? At least with this motuia thing, you must work for what you want. And think about it; I am assuming the owner has to take care of their student; otherwise, it would just be slavery. You indenture yourself and get guaranteed pay, a roof over your head, food, water, and a skill set for when the contract ends. That is the point; it is a contract, not really ownership. History has shown that most would rather have that over the right to vote."
"That is true," Higgins said. "But should we accept that? We don't live in huts anymore and have spent nearly three hundred years moving away from any form of ownership of others. We all had that one boss, a tyrant at work because they gained the minimum amount of power."
Forest stood there for a moment, reflecting on what the Airman had said. He took a breath and laughed.
"I worked at a supermarket. Some customers' man will go on a crusade. I will grant you that point."
"I wish to go back to Higgins's question, which I did," Natilite said.
To her surprise, everyone looked at her as if they were shocked. She remembered that they only knew her as a Templar and had just met her. It was clear that none of them had ever met anyone like her outside a negative context, and it showed her how little they understood of this world. However, she wondered if she would feel the same if she ever went to Earth.
"You were enslaved?" Ryder asked, shocking the Templar as he had remained quiet up to this point.
"Yes," Natilite said. "Harpies attacked my village. I was spared and sold for a few years. The service guild bought us off as a group and turned us into motuias. A Swordsman Adventurer contracted me. From there, I rebuilt my life, and he influenced me to become a Templar. Everything I say comes from my experience."
"And that is why you support slavery and motuia?" Higgins asked, confused by her statement.
"No," Natilite said. "I oppose slavery because of that experience. Slavery does not provide a future. A motuia does. This has allowed most of us to phase the institution out."
"My issue is that you allow the rich and powerful to have maximum control over a person," Higgins said. "There is no way you can convince me there is no abuse in that. So many people abuse others just because they have rights and protections. A system where you surrender all your rights and expect no abuse? I struggle to see past that."
"I think the misunderstanding is that you seem to believe that a motuia has no rights, like a slave," Natilite said.
"That is correct," Higgins said. "You said it yourself; you indenture yourself for a steady job or a higher education."
"Indenturing yourself does not mean you have no rights," Natilite said. "Forest was correct earlier; there are many protections. The owner or master cannot do as he pleases with his motuia. That could get someone in major trouble with the Guilds."
"So, there is no abuse at all?" Higgins asked, staring at the Valkyrie in disbelief.
"Before I answer that, let me ask you this first," Natilite said. "Do your people never abuse power once they have it?"
Higgins started to chuckle and took a deep breath.
"You got me there."
"I promise you, there are protections," Natilite responded. "The core reason motuias exist is to provide incentives and protections for everyone, rich or poor. It is very regulated and monitored through the Guilds. As I said, there is a contract, and breaking that contract by either party is taken seriously by the Guilds, as their profits and reputation are at risk. Most are judged by how they treat their indentured servants, if any. Even the people in power are held to that standard. If you break a contract, you can get fined. If it is a serious offense, you could have your freedoms taken away and be enslaved as punishment."
"She is correct," Fraeya said. "When I was in my classes, one of the professors lost their status and the right to take someone under his guidance because of severe abuse."
"And there was the brothel owner who got caught breaking so many of her contracts that the tribunal stripped her of her freedoms and sentenced her to a life of slavery," Natilite said. "To be fair, that is rare, but it was that serious. You do not break contracts."
"I know a few people on Wall Street I want to introduce this to," Barrios said, laughing.
"Also, it is very uncommon for the powerful to own a slave," Natilite said. "Less educated, harder to train. It says a lot about who you are. It is easier and more beneficial to have someone willing to work for you, either already having the skills you need or willing to learn."
"Hold up," Gonzales interjected. "It sounds like you use slavery as a threat to maintain social order in your society."
"I would not put it like that," Natilite said. "But yes. Returning to the village, I see that it is a relic from a different era because most of the economic and political activities are focused on the cities. Villages orbit around them like Tekali children and are seen as a source of food, manpower for wars, and such. Outside of that, they are left alone."
Forest laughed.
"Except for the last part, that is how it works in the US. Maybe they can take a lesson on leaving people alone."
"Not now, Kurt," Barrett said.
"I get what you're saying, Natilite," Higgins said. "Things are different, but I understand where you are coming from. I don't like the ownership of someone else part, but I do see where you are coming from."
The team's mood changed as the Americans' concerns were addressed, and Rommel King approached the two.
"This was a good philosophical debate, but we have a job. We are not here to radically change this world, but if we find these Toriffa bastards abusing any of the prisoners, they're dead."
"And I only ask to allow me to be the one who removes their head for such a crime," Natilite said.
With some laughter at the Templar's comment, Comanche regrouped and continued their march through the rocky forest. Natilite, on the other hand, hung back as she reflected on the subject. The Americans were different than she had expected, and she wondered if all Altaerrie were similar.
She then noticed the captain approaching her.
"Are you okay?" Ryder asked.
"Yes," Natilite said. She took a deep, exhausting breath. "I was just absorbing the topic. This was a conversation I was not prepared for."
"It is my fault," Ryder said. "I should have seen this coming, but I am glad it got aired out. This is a sensitive topic for us, and it would be unhealthy if we continued to ignore the issue."
"I guess that is good," Natilite said. "It is good that we are working out our differences now, and I just hope it strengthens us. Though... I will admit, I am worried they hate me because of our cultural differences."
Ryder smirked.
"Of course not. I assume what you said was true. I don't fully understand this motuia system, but I can see how it differs from slavery. Charlie and Kurt made good points; maybe we could find a balance between our values and the world's culture. I see this institution's merit, even if I don't agree with everything about it."
The Valkyrie stared at the captain, surprised by the man's character. She wondered if what she had seen at Salva the first time, negotiating with the leaderless militia, had been an isolated example. However, the man was a compromiser and a peacemaker. He always considered other points of view and tried to find a satisfactory solution.
Some thought it was a weakness or a lack of principle, a willingness to compromise on what others considered evil. While there were times that could be true, she believed no one should ever surrender their core beliefs. But being pure only brought the opposite issue: everyone became the enemy, like the Unity.
"But I will say this," Ryder said. "You still said that there is some level of slavery in some manner. My people could compromise on motuia, as I see its benefits; however, there is no way we can compromise on that subject. You brought us here to end extremism, and that is one we will not defend."
"I am okay with that," Natilite said. "I could have spoken better before; I do oppose slavery. I have seen the horrors it can bring."
"For now," Ryder said. "We can agree on that. Now, let's catch up."
*****
Lying on a small, foliage-covered ridge, Sergeant Benjamin Ford watched his feed through his helmet VISOR.
On the journey here, their Templar guide had discovered tracks that led to this location. When Comanche got close to the possible area where the Toriffa soldiers were supposed to be, they deployed the mini drone to avoid walking into an ambush. It did not take long for the drone to find the enemy camp, tucked away in a gap in the hillside.
From the feed, he saw a dozen J'avais soldiers performing menial tasks. Some were eating, preparing weapons, or napping. Two males were leaning against a post, while another was being forced into a melee match for sport. The two female Kitsune were forced to dance as entertainment for the Toriffa pack. Among the pack were a Neko and a Kitsune wearing similar armor.
Surprised to see mostly one race, Ford headed to the Valkyrie, who was sitting next to Ryder and King. "Natilite. Why are there mostly J'avais in the group? I was expecting mixed units as we faced the Aristocracy."
"Because this is a pack," Natilite said. "In the lower echelons, militaries have more humongous packs. They're meant to be a more tactical wing of a typical Order."
"What about the Neko and Kitsune?" Ford asked. "Do you think the Kitsune betrayed the village?"
"It is common for military parties to use Nekos as scouts," Natilite answered. "With the Kitsune, I doubt he was part of that village. Kitsunes are not natural warriors, so it is surprising to see one here. Most likely, he is from a rival village."
"Do you think they are the ones we are looking for?" King asked.
"Yes." Natilite pointed toward the screen. "I recognize the patch. Plus, the Kitsunes are a big clue."
Higgins leaned forward. "Is this part of your motuia?"
"Not even close," Natilite said. "As I said, there is a purpose and rules behind the institution. This is just cruel."
"Are you saying this never happens because of a contract?" Higgins asked.
"You are telling me that people in your world do not do unethical things, regardless of laws?" Natilite asked.
"I will grant you that," Higgins said.
"Knock it off, you two," Ryder said. "This is the plan. Rommel, take your team and head to this ridge. My team will flank from the right, from that bush line. Once you get their attention, we will flank. Speed is the key, as we don't know who else is out here."
"It should take us ten minutes to get into position," King said.
"That should be fine," Ryder said. "Everyone understands? Yes, good. Roll out."
Comanche split into two teams and stealthily moved into position.
The captain's team moved down the slope and into a patch of brush for cover. Benjamin Ford felt as if he were in training again. He crawled through the dirt and scraped past bush branches as he got into position.
"Why do we have to crawl like this?" Fraeya asked.
Ford turned to the Elf girl, placing his index finger over his mouth. He then whispered, "Keep your voice down. We are crawling because we don't want to be noticed."
Sergeant First Class Gregory Barrett spoke through TEAMCOM. "No talking, you two. If there is a problem, hang back."
"Sorry," Fraeya said.
The team continued to crawl, eventually reaching the edge of the foliage. Ford saw the enemy camp. Two J'avais were nearby, singing as the two female Kitsunes were forced to dance provocatively. The other hostiles were scattered, most out of sight from their position.
"Hold position," Ryder said through TEAMCOM.
Wondering why they had stopped, Ford accessed his HUD through his silver VISOR to see what the hold-up was. As he searched, he noticed the bars at zero, indicating they were completely cut off from DEFNET and that only local connections were available for the squads to communicate. This was expected, as they were too far from the Temple. While on Earth, the military had grown accustomed to having every modern technological wonder imaginable; however, they always prepared their forces to operate without those toys, as any system could fail at any moment. This must have been like how armies fought before the digital revolution.
The Sergeant saw on his HUD that Team Two was not yet in position. According to TEAMCOM, they encountered rougher terrain and needed a few additional minutes to reach their objective.
Hearing a scream, Ford saw one of the Kitsune girls trip and fell into the Toriffa Neko. The cat humanoid groped the girl, then pushed her back toward the others so she could continue dancing. However, his ears perked suddenly, and he glanced in their direction.
Noticing the Neko, Ford lowered himself as far as he could. This was more of a reaction than a conscious choice, as he did not want to be spotted.
The Neko took several steps toward them as the beast humanoid looked around. His ears flexed, almost as if he were homing in on them.
Ford struggled to understand how the beast had heard them, as he thought they were being careful. Studying the ears and understanding cats on Earth, he knew they had superior hearing to humans. This could mean the Nekos were even more sensitive than the ones he had trained against.
Seeing that the Neko was staring in their direction, he could see its eyes focusing on the foliage covering the team. The Neko then turned as a J'avais called for him. The humanoid beast took one last look in their general direction before returning to the camp.
"That was too close," Barrett said.
"Nekos have excellent hearing," Fraeya said.
"I see why they use them as scouts," Ford said.
"All right, Comanche," Ryder said. "Spread out. The Rommel team is ready. Fraeya, when I give the order, can you shake the ground?"
"I can do that," Fraeya said. "However, its effectiveness won't encompass the entire camp. I am not skilled enough for that range."
"That is okay," Ryder said. "After that, use whatever spell you think is best."
Seeing a better firing position, Benjamin Ford slowly moved toward the left. From there, he could remain in cover while targeting the enemy and, when the time came, quickly exit the foliage and advance.
As the ready message appeared on Ford's HUD, Rommel King's team opened fire from the ridgeline on the other side of the camp. Two J'avais were killed in the opening volley. The rest of the pack quickly reacted, spreading out as they grabbed their energy-staff weapons and started firing toward the ridge.
The team captain gave the order, and Fraeya started chanting as her hands glowed green. Before she could finish her spell, the Neko looked toward them and fired some sidearm-like weapon toward the female Wood Elf. A smaller energy bolt came from the gun and impacted near them as the creature fired blindly.
Ford broke from his cover and fired his M31 at the Neko, killing the beast humanoid.
Three other J'avais turned to engage the flanking Comanche soldiers. Fraeya finished her spell and placed her hands on the ground. The ground lightly shook, causing the nearby Toriffa soldiers to stop firing as they focused on rebalancing themselves.
"Comanche, advance," Ryder ordered.
Ford left his cover and moved forward. He saw an enemy soldier recovering from the quake spell and aiming his staff weapon. The Sergeant fired three shots at the enemy soldier and killed him.
Seeing an additional J'avais take center stage, Ford noticed that he carried a faintly glowing dark sword and a long shield with a black, glowing crystal at its center.
Ford understood what was happening. These human weapons were modified with enchanted crystals, likely giving the shield a more powerful hardening ability and the sword a deadlier blade.
As the J'avais charged forward, Ford fired. When the 6.8mm impacted the hostile's shield, it glowed dark as it deflected the bullet.
The Toriffa soldier suddenly stopped as a light-blue ice breeze blasted the enemy soldier. His shield arm locked up, and he could not move half his body. Ford aimed and killed the enemy soldier.
After neutralizing all the nearby hostiles, he turned to the Elf girl and gave her a thumbs-up, showing that she had done an excellent job backing him up. She clapped her hands together with joy and smiled.
"Go protect the prisoners," Ford said.
"On it," Fraeya said.
Benjamin Ford returned to the battle and advanced with the rest of the team. He saw the firefight between the remaining Toriffa soldiers and Rommel King's team, which was bunkered down on the short ridgeline.
Seeing that they were about to be flanked, one of the J'avais grabbed one of the male prisoners and used him as a shield, holding a sword against his back as he backed away toward what remained of the Toriffa pack.
"Hold position," Ryder ordered. "Keep your aim on the target but hold fire."
Struggling to find a shot, Ford noticed the winged Templar emerging from the ridgeline.
Natilite jumped and flew down toward the J'avais. She rammed into the J'avais's side, knocking the Kitsune free. She then grabbed the hostage and flew away.
This removed any protection the enemy had, and the team opened fire. One by one, the last remaining Toriffa soldiers fell.
"Make sure they are dead," Barrett ordered. "Gonzales, check the hostages."
Ford and Higgins rushed toward the remaining Toriffa soldiers, rifles ready. When they reached the bodies, Ford poked one with the barrel and confirmed that there was no movement.
"They are dead," Ford said.
Rommel King walked through the camp. "All right, Comanche; search the area for anything of value, and let's get out of here. Barrett, that is your responsibility. Forest, you, Fraeya, and Gonzales prep those prisoners for extraction."
Comanche Sergeant First Class Barrett came over and directed Higgins to take sentry duty and Benjamin Ford to search the area.
Swinging his rifle over his shoulder so the weapon would attach to the magnetic locking mechanism and secure itself to the back of his battle suit, Ford headed toward a group of tents. Over to the left, he witnessed the Twins searching many dead bodies for goodies. Wallace pulled out some coins and looked at them like a treasure hunter. To his right were Ryder and King, probably discussing the battle and seeing if there were any new lessons they should take away from it.
That was when Ford passed the Templar, Natilite. She finished wiping the blood off her sword and putting it away. While he was impressed by her skill as a swordswoman, he realized that with her wings, she would be an excellent marksman—able to move to places that could give her an exceptional and unexpected firing position.
"Hey, Natilite," Ford said. "Can I ask you a question?"
Natilite turned to the Sergeant with a smile. "I will be happy to answer anything."
Barrios approached and placed his arm over Ford's shoulder, pointing to the Valkyrie and eyeing her body. "Then I have a question for you, sweetheart."
"Except for that," Natilite calmly stated.
Barrios laughed. "You are lying."
"I do not lie," Natilite replied. "But as a woman, I can change the rules when it benefits me. If you do not like it, I dare you to stop me." She then kissed her right hand and waved it away.
Barrios laughed, commenting that she had won that round, and returned to Wallace.
Ford was shocked at how well she handled him. Many women would have been offended by his directness, yet she blew him off without issue. "I take it that happens to you a lot?"
"More than I would like," Natilite said. "But I learned to enjoy it. After all, I have been a warrior for decades, which comes with the position, so I had to learn to deal with male humor. Once you understand that most of the time, they are just testing you to see how I would react, I learned to enjoy the game—assuming they can keep up with me."
"Makes sense," Ford said. He turned to the Twins and chuckled. "If you have a sense of humor, you will fit in pretty well."
Then, what the Templar had said regarding her age clicked. Ford turned back to her and asked, "Decades? You look very young to be in your forties."
Natilite looked toward the sky and giggled. "I do not know what rules you have on your world regarding the opposite sex, but asking a lady her age is considered rude."
Benjamin Ford looked at her with an embarrassed expression. He then glanced away as he struggled to find the words. "I am sorry. I did not mean to imply—."
The Valkyrie placed her hand with her mouth and giggled. "As I said, I enjoy the games as long as they can keep up with me."
That was when Ford realized that the woman had played him. He took a deep breath, scratching the back of his neck. "I guess I have never been good with those types of games."
"Now," Natilite said, "you said you had a question?"
"Yes, I did," Ford replied. "I saw you fly down from the ridge. You are an effective swordswoman, but why don't you use a ranged weapon? We have seen the enemy use ranged weapons as their primary means of combat, yet you stick with the sword. Is that part of some code?"
The Templar chuckled before responding, "No such code restricts us to melee weapons. I had a sniper circiletum before my defeat at Salva. I took it off a dead Unity soldier long ago. It had rails beside the circles, giving it a powerful punch and superior range."
"I had a feeling," Ford said. "Something told me being a Valkyrie makes you a natural sniper."
Natilite looked toward him with a surprised but approving expression. "That is very observant, Benjamin. Most Valkyries choose one of the two extremes. We train in the art of swordsmanship because of our speed, but we also learn to be proficient marksmen."
"What happened?"
The Templar seemed hesitant to respond. She closed her eyes and looked away. "When I was defeated in Salva, they took it. I have yet to find a replacement."
That was when Gregory Barrett arrived. "I overheard your conversation. We could issue you a sniper," he said.
"Thank you," Natilite said. "I considered it; however, I prefer our type of projectiles."
"I get it," Ford said. "You're waiting for the most expensive option."
Benjamin Ford headed toward the tents and started going through the supplies. Most didn't seem to be worth anything, including coins, rations, and other miscellaneous items. He did find one of the communication devices they had found in Salva.
He picked it up and headed toward Barrett. "Hey, Greg, I found one of these. It looks like one of those old button-style cell phones."
Barrett took the device and looked it over. "That is not good. I wondered what it was like to have a phone without apps. I am a bit envious."
The Sergeant First Class then turned to the Airman. "Charlie, I have a toy for you. Learn everything you can about it."
Seeing Barrett hand the communication device to the Comanche communications expert, Ford noticed Rommel King approaching the team.
"All right, everyone," King said. "Wrap it up. We are leaving."