The Fifth Realm

by Michael Chatfield

  Nasreen stood and took the scroll, reading it in silence as he continued to watch the fighters.

  She closed the scroll and Emmanuel turned around.

  He looked to be entering his later years, his features softening with time, but his eyes were still bright and there was a hidden energy in his bones and greater power waiting to be unleashed.

  Nasreen might be the leader of the Shadowridge guards but she still wasn’t able to defeat her father.

  He looked at her, interested in her thoughts. She opened her mouth and then paused, thinking through the contents of the letter further.

  It was a few more minutes before she started to talk.

  “Do we know what their purpose is?”

  “This is the only letter that we have received,” Emmanuel said simply.

  “Based on our reports, the Vermire Outpost has only grown in strength in the recent years. They have a group of healers who brought them more adventurers. Many high-powered merchants have moved over there, some of them even opening their headquarters within the outpost. It has doubled in size and there are more people looking to move there. They are so bold to raise crops outside of the outpost. They might not sell the best items of all the outposts, but they are more consistent. You might find rare items in the different outposts; you will always find them in Vermire.

  “With being attacked by the former Zatan Confederation, they played nations like pieces on a board, and proved their strength. They became a neutral ground for many nations and powerful groups to mediate their issues within the city and trade. They have grown in power, which can make them arrogant. This letter can be a way of them exercising their power, though they have taken time to digest their gains, to stabilize their foundations. While they might be arrogant, they are also smart and showing us face by sending a letter and gifts to entice us into meeting with them.”

  Emmanuel waited for her to say anything else. “That is a good summary of Vermire, but what about this letter?”

  “It is unclear what they want, if it is to show off their strength or if it is to become a powerful figure in the outposts. The wording makes it seem as if they feel that we’re equals, even though Lord Aditya has only been doing this for a limited period of time. It makes me think that they want something from us?” Nasreen looked at her father.

  “I think so too.” A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

  Nasreen smiled, seeing her father’s acknowledgement before she frowned. “What do they want to work with us on? We’re across the other side of the Beast Mountain Range. It will take us nearly a week to reach them. Although we know of one another, we aren’t of much use to the other.”

  “Ah, Nasreen, what if I was to tell you that he has sent messengers to the Sea Breeze, Sea Castle, Hunter Frontier, and Sun Forge outposts?”

  “All of our outposts are opposite one another across the Beast Mountain Range. We’re far away from one another, so we don’t have issues with one another and we all have different beasts and items in our areas. Plenty of trade and no issues. Is he looking to set up a trading caravan between us all?”

  “Would he ask us to meet to set up a trade caravan? What about our caravans? We send out caravans we have a stake in to trade in our stead,” Emmanuel said.

  “They could have just made a trade caravan themselves, so they need our help to do something? What would need the help of six powerful outposts?” Nasreen’s eyebrows pinched together. “With that kind of strength—well, we would need others, but we could cut—”

  Her eyes flashed and she looked up at Emmanuel. “They can’t be thinking?”

  “About cutting a road through the Beast Mountain Range? Well, we should go and find out. A total of twenty-five different outposts have been contacted, nearly all of the outposts that have not had a large conflict or are owned by a nation or outside group. We will leave in three days to make it for this dinner. You will take care of the arrangements. Your brother Majdi will be taking over command of the outpost while we are away.”

  “There is no need for you to go,” Nasreen said.

  “Thank you for your concern, but on a topic such as this, if it is as I believe, then I do not think sending a proxy will be in our best interests.”

  ***

  “These are the latest reports from the outposts?” Elan asked Miss Evernight, who was spearheading intelligence gathering activities in the area immediately around Alva Dungeon. With the recent expansion of the intelligence service, there was little that moved around Alva Dungeon without her knowledge.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Elan made a noise of understanding as he read through the condensed reports. He took some ten minutes before putting the file down. “Thoughts?”

  “It is as we believed it would be. There will be neutral parties, and those against. I believe that we can, with the right pressure and incentives, bring nineteen of the outposts to our side,” Evernight said.

  Elan looked over to Glosil, who was reading an identical report.

  Glosil waited a few more minutes before closing the folder. “It looks good to me. For this operation, you will report directly to me and be Lord Aditya’s right hand. Make sure that you have support liaising with the military.”

  Chapter: Advancing on the Fire Floor

  “How are things on the Earth floor?” Yui asked Glosil.

  “Egbert is having a reading retreat. The main command formation is being repaired. He has sent up a list of materials that he will need to fill in and finish the formation with. The smiths and alchemists are working together to recreate the different enhanced metals. It’ll take them a few days to complete it,” Glosil said as he shifted his armor around.

  “How are the troops?” Glosil asked.

  “They’re interested with the changes that will be happening. Got some names for the marines already,” Domonos said.

  “Either of you two want to try your hand at it?” Glosil asked, curious.

  Domonos looked at Yui, who half laughed.

  “I’m interested, but my people...you know,” Yui said.

  “You don’t want them to think that you’re leaving them behind.” Glosil smiled, thankful that he had two unit officers who cared deeply for their people.

  “Well, I need someone for it and if you want to, the marines are going to need a commander as well.”

  “Sir.” Yui nodded.

  Glosil checked his timepiece. “All right, get them formed up. We good to go, Roska?” Glosil looked over to the two special teams who were standing or sitting around, talking to one another. With his words, they got to their feet and readied their weapons.

  “We’re ready,” Roska said.

  Glosil looked at them. They were all fairly young. Seems that everyone in the Alva Army is young, but that all of them have needed to grow up quickly, Glosil thought, remembering what he had thought in the general meeting just two days ago.

  “Let’s go take that floor back,” he said.

  People moved to the teleportation formation. They were now veterans with training to set up defenses upon insertion into a new floor.

  There was some muttering among the ranks. Glosil turned to see Erik and Rugrat walking beside George and Gilly. They both wore their full armor, releasing a powerful aura as Erik and Rugrat were wearing their battle rattle.

  Glosil went up to them. “Sirs?”

  “We’re here if you need us,” Erik said.

  “Not that you will,” Rugrat chimed in with a grin.

  Glosil let out a smile. Seeing them both was reassuring. “A two-man reserve—the Fire floor should be scared shitless.”

  The trio laughed.

  “All right, smartass. You must’ve been listening to Rugrat more in the lectures.” Erik smirked. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks,” Glosil said.

  Rugrat held out his fist and Glosil tapped it.

  “Bring them home safe.”

  Glosil nodded.

  “Now go run the operation. I want
to have a jacuzzi set up in the Fire floor by tonight!” Erik said in a mock growl.

  Glosil chuckled and turned back to the formation. Some of the tension had been bled off through the simple jokes. “First group ready?”

  “First group ready!” Yui called back.

  “Teleport.”

  With Glosil’s command, the man in charge of the teleportation formation activated it.

  The group disappeared and the second group rushed forward and onto the empty formation.

  Glosil was with them, sitting in the middle. Glosil looked around, seeing the thumbs up from the different sergeants.

  “Second group ready!” Glosil called out.

  The timer hit zero and they appeared on the Fire floor. Their breath caught with the heat but they were moving with what they had been trained to do.

  The walls were coming up and creatures in the area didn’t seem too pleased about the intrusion. The world was painted red and yellow, with an ash cloud that covered the roof of the floor. Black rocks had been twisted or created from the lava that ran through the ground and created burning seas across the floor. There was a group of volcanoes in the middle of the floor spewing out lava and smoke. Beasts could be heard fighting on the volcanoes and moving through the lava sea.

  It was a land of war and chaos. Rivals fought one another for an extra inch, their tempers like the area that they resided in.

  Creatures, sensing a new group with different mana, charged toward the camp.

  “Grenadiers to the wall!” Yui ordered.

  People put their rifles away and pulled out their grenade launchers, including Glosil.

  The walls were being thrown up in record time. They cleared the formation and seconds later, the next group appeared, reinforcing and assisting as needed.

  ***

  “Looks like they’re really happy.” Storbon adjusted his aim.

  “Time to cool them off!” Deni replied.

  Storbon sighed and rolled his eyes.

  “Fire on targets of opportunity!” Niemm yelled.

  The grenadiers opened fire. Their shells hit the approaching creatures and bloomed with ice energies as the gems within the shells cracked and released their energy into the formations covering the shell.

  The dull whoump, whoump sounded along the wall and they took their time, not wasting shells as they put them among or on top of the beasts.

  Reinforcements came through the teleportation formation. The front lines contained the beasts, firing in twos so that as one ran out of ammunition then another was firing.

  The creatures were fighting one another as they pushed forward, creating chaos.

  The camp was finished off as the creatures fled.

  Storbon reloaded his grenade launcher and surveyed the area. The ice attacks were already being melted away in the oppressive heat. Premade formations were put together and beasts were sent out to survey the area.

  Niemm came over after a few hours, the camp now fully established. “I’ve got to go talk to the big man. Make sure that everyone is good and ready to move out. We’ll probably be heading to one of the command formations.”

  “Got it.”

  Niemm went off, talking with Glosil for a few minutes before he headed back to the wall, using the linked communication channel to the team. They had been tinkering and working with their communication devices to the point that Erik and Rugrat approved of them. They were the first thing to get upgraded if there was ever a new version. Communication was as important as a weapon to a soldier.

  “Bring it in,” Niemm said.

  The team checked to make sure someone covered their position before rallying on Niemm, who had pulled out a table with an updating map on it.

  “Okay, we’re heading to this command formation. We’re going to have two sections of scouts from Dragon Platoon with us for support.” Niemm looked over to another group that was being briefed by Domonos.

  “Plan is, we set up a camp there and hold it. We get images of the formations, send it back to the formation masters. Then either we’ll have a few of them come down here, or we’ll have some of the engineer types in the company assist us in repairing the formation.”

  “Support?” Storbon asked.

  “We’ll have the support from the main camp. We have three spell batteries right now,” Niemm said.

  Storbon looked over to the formations that had been placed down. One mage stood in them, ready to cast a spell that would be enhanced by the formation to support the wall if necessary.

  With the ceiling, we can’t use the mortars, but the mages are plenty powerful.

  “Do we know average levels yet?” Setsuko asked.

  “Beasts look like they’re from level thirty to fifty—pretty powerful. Now, they might be a lower level than us, but we all know that depending on the animal, their innate traits can make them a hell of a lot stronger,” Niemm said.

  None of them relaxed, remaining focused as if they were going up against creatures three times their level.

  “We will be moving by mounts, so make sure that they’re good to go. We’ll leave in two hours, give them time to acclimatize,” Niemm said. “Anything else for me?”

  “Quick reaction force?” Yuli asked.

  “Special Team Two with Egbert, Erik, and Rugrat on call.”

  “Well shit, I’m getting all warm and fuzzy inside,” Tian Cui said.

  “Got the warm and fuzzies for Erik, huh?” Yawen joked, getting a punch to the shoulder from Tian Cui as the special team grinned.

  “No fighting, kids,” Niemm said. “Storbon, come on. Let’s go say hi to the scouts.”

  “Rockstar row, have them seeing stars,” Yuli said.

  Storbon flipped her the bird as the others laughed and brought out their mounts. Their mounts moved around, uncomfortable in the atmosphere of the Fire floor. The special team tried to get them comfortable and ready for what was to come.

  Storbon looked over the scouts.

  “Play nice. With the expansion, we’ll be growing to four special teams. Most of the new members will be coming from the engineers, scouts, and medics,” Niemm reminded him.

  “Yeah,” Storbon said. He didn’t miss the look in Niemm’s eyes, or the way Yao Meng shook his finger in mock seriousness behind him.

  It took all of Storbon’s self-control to not laugh or smile.

  He had packed on muscle, increased his strength and his mana. He was someone the rest of the military looked up to. He was unfazed with the looks that people gave him. In his mind, he was just repaying Erik and Rugrat for all that they had done for him.

  ***

  Special Team One headed out of the camp with the scouts, riding on their mounts in a convoy. As the last person made it through the gates, they were locked and sealed once again.

  Storbon looked over the Fire floor. He had thought that it would be desolate, nothing but flames and lava for miles.

  There are plants and creatures here of all kinds. The heat and Fire-attribute mana here is impressive. If someone was to draw this mana into their body, they would be able to slowly increase their Body Cultivation. There are hotspots that naturally draw the Fire-attribute mana as well.

  Storbon studied the floor, comparing what he saw with what he had learned, as they rode.

  “Fliers!” someone called out. People scanned the sky, seeing the reddish winged creatures that were visible between the rock outcroppings and the Fire floor’s sparse plant life.

  “Explosive rounds, distance trigger!” Niemm said.

  Everyone changed out their sockets on their rifles and reloaded their magazines with explosive rounds.

  “Prepare to fire in half sections!”

  Everyone got ready as the flying creatures’ bodies were revealed more. They had the wings of a butterfly and the body of a salamander, and they seemed to sweat lava as it ran down their bodies.

  “Yuli, use a wind-based Fire scroll. See if you can throw them off course,” Niemm said.

  “Ye
s, boss.” Yuli pulled out a scroll and started to activate it. Mana increased around her as the spell scroll started to glow. A spell formation appeared above the spell scroll as it was burned away.

  A replica spell formation appeared in the skies. The ash clouds that hung above were dragged together, creating flashes of lightning and flames as the clouds congealed together into a tornado that cut through the oncoming creatures’ flying formation.

  They had nowhere to hide or escape as the tornado dragged them in and threw them around, allowing the group to continue in peace.

  They pushed on, and people altered their ammunition and sockets they were using on their rifle.

  “Lava lake ahead and to the left!” Lucinda called out, acting as their lead scout.

  They followed her out of the plant life and down along the shore of the lava lake. They had to follow it around a bay-like area and then cut in toward where the control formation was located.

  “Contact!” someone yelled out as the lava lake moved. A reptile of some kind charged out of the lava, snapping his jaws at the nearest rider.

  No one needed permission; they opened fire on the large beasts that were over ten meters long and half a meter tall.

  They let out hisses as they were hit.

  A pack of them emerged from the lava. Others moved into the lake again, circling around, moving faster through the lava than on land.

  Storbon was still coming up on them. He stored his rifle and lowered himself so he was in line with his repeating ballista. He pressed the trigger. Bolts shot out, tracking across the beasts, striking them and turning into icicles. The beast cried out in agony as they were slaughtered on the lakeside.

  Niemm guided them away from the water’s edge. They had only been working together for a few hours but the scouts and the special team were adapting to one another rapidly, becoming a cohesive fighting unit.

  Their reactions were amplified by their level and having been in life-or-death situations. Instead of panicking, they focused on their tasks, broke it down and pushed on.

  Storbon stopped firing and he searched for targets. He started to reload one of the ballistas so the other remained ready to fire. Impressive. We wouldn’t have been able to have this coordination just a year ago.