34 Independence Day Part 1

Ecith Kingdom

"We really should've had at least a day of leave. Like, the war against the Nobians is over; there's nothing to worry about for now," Emma voiced a complaint as she and Alpha Team trekked through some dense forest.

"The aliens out here ain't gonna give us a break just cause we've got a holiday, ma'am," Ron stated practically.

"Of course," Emma sighed.

"Don't worry Lamarr, I'm sure you'll still get to see some fireworks later tonight, one way or another," Henry said.

"Perhaps we may even be able to create some of these 'fireworks' ourselves through magic!" Kelmithus added. To demonstrate his ability accomplish such a task, he summoned a few light orbs before allowing them to quickly dissipate.

"Perhaps, if we can find the Hydra. If we didn't try looking for that light we probably could've been done already," Henry said as he scanned their surroundings from atop a hill. The dense forest hid anything below the tree line.

"How tall is this thing supposed to be anyway? Like five stories? Shouldn't be too hard to spot," Dr. Jones said.

"Speak of the devil…" Ron muttered. "About twelve klicks southeast, toward the mountain range we just came from. You see that?"

Henry raised his binoculars and spotted a lumbering creature that resembled an ancient plesiosaur, but with a more compact, mammalian body and a shorter stature. It was about three stories high, it's head sticking above the pines, or rather what seemed to be pines. One could never tell in an alien world.

"Looks like it's running huh?" Ron pointed out.

"Yeah, sure does." Henry looked around the creature, scanning left and then right. "Woah!"

"What is it, sir?" Emma asked, pulling out her own binoculars.

"Owens, a bit to the right, that's the hydra isn't it?"

Ron brought the gaze of his equipment toward the giant, three-headed lizard. "Yeah, and it's closing in damn fast."

The three officers watched as the hydra closed in on the other beast. The left head spat acid at the prey in order to immobilize it while the right spat fire, blocking off any possible escape routes for the prey. The herbivorous beast began to thrash and panic as the acid chewed away at its neck and fires raged around it, smoke beginning to obscure parts of the scene. The left and right heads bit respective sides of the prey, but before anyone could see what the middle head did, smoke from the fire blotted out the sky, preventing Alpha Team from gathering vital information. All that could be discerned was a loud roar, followed by violent tremors that shook the lush valley where the battle took place, causing birds even miles from the battle itself to fly off. Even Alpha Team felt the rumbling of the earth, albeit slightly; the magnitude of the quake deteriorated as it passed through miles of earth.

"Damn, that was like something that should be on National Geographic," Henry commented.

"I've never seen anything like that!" Emma said.

"Ah, yes… I have never seen anything like that as well…" Kelmithus said, his arms crossed. He and his staff were leaning on a tree a bit further back.

"Oh, sorry about that. Next time we'll get you a pair of binoculars," Henry apologized.

"Hey if it helps you feel any better, I caught most of it on tape!" Jones popped up. To the three officers' surprise, he was holding an expensive looking video camera.

Henry shook his head as he motioned for his team to begin moving. "You know all that footage is gonna be classified, right?"

Jones fiddled with the camera, analyzing the footage before stowing it. "Ya never know, Major. Besides, we need all the intel we can get, right?"

"True. Alright, Lamarr, contact command and let them know we've found the hydra. Keep a drone on its tail."

She nodded and retrieved her radio. "Sir."

"After that, we'll be heading back. If we hoof it, we can make it to Varamon and hitch a ride back to base in time for the fireworks show."

"Perhaps," Kelmithus muttered, looking back toward the site of the titanic battle.

——

Heaven's Peak, Ecith Kingdom

"The fools thought they could track me down. Pathetic! They walked right past me, even with a giant beacon signaling my location!" Emperor Novus laughed to himself. "That was funny! Laugh!"

Novus looked around. There was no one in his vicinity. The royal guards were stationed outside, watching for intruders. "Right…" He then picked up an immaculate photo from a pocket in his armor, much too immaculate given Nobian technology. In fact, it was Divinian in origin, printed from one of their cameras. Novus looked at the contents of the picture. It was a woman standing in front of a Divinian museum, holding a child no more than five years of age.

"Oh, Mother… if only you could see what I've become. Soon, I will have the Mekkanese bastards who started the war in the first place, and then I shall rebuild my empire." He placed his right hand onto the device he had activated days ago in order to resume configuring it. The device emitted a faint glow as former emperor Novus tapped into it, programming it using his magical energy.

He checked the status of the device. 76 percent and rising by one every half hour. "My destiny is but moments away!" Novus declared, his eyes twitching.

——

50 years ago…

High Vina, Divinian Empire

"Mama!" Lor Novus screamed for his mother as he was dragged away by his father.

"It is okay, my dear luuncai, you will be safe with your father. Now go and be safe. Sovad, I need to go back to the house and get the necklace. Take care of our son; I love you." He watched as his mother gave his father a kiss before retreating down the street, toward the booming metal behemoths on the beach.

"Goodbye Hallia, I love you too…"

Sovad Novus, still carrying his son, ran away from the Mekkanese soldiers storming the beachhead. A mile west lies their salvation: a small fishing river that stretched from the North Ocean all the way through the Divinian continent of Arthi, toward the Aurelian Ocean. Because of its small size, it saw little traffic; other larger rivers were used as trade routes. Hopefully, by the time they reached the river, their escape barge and crew would still be there. Lor's father ran with all his strength, the explosions going off in the distance reminding him of what was at stake and further motivating him. As he lay in his father's arms, he stared into the battlefield above. The scene was a spectacle indeed.

The first Divinian-Mekkanese War, dubbed the Lightning War, saw the introduction of mechanized units on the battlefield. Surprisingly, the name didn't originate from the speed at which the war ended. In fact, the war lasted nearly a decade. No, the name originated from the efficiency and speed at which troops could be deployed and annihilated. The Divinian Empire, noticing Mekkan's military and economic expansion, saw it as a threat to its dominion over the Central Continents, and launched a preemptive strike in order to prevent Mekkan from growing too powerful. The Divine Emperor sent a vast fleet, equipped with the latest in Divinian magical technology, including shields and mana conduits, to subjugate the Mekkanese. After traveling weeks on the open sea, the fleet finally reached Mekkanese waters some 5,000 miles away. Orders to begin bombardment of the Mekkanese coastal fortifications were received, but as soon as they began, unbeknownst to the Divinians, Mekkan immediately responded.

Arcane war machines powered by Divinian mages rumbled forth along the road, toward the coastline, attracting the attention of a Mekkanese Warbird. The massive, shielded blimp edged closer toward the road, propelling itself using an unknown combination of magical and scientific technologies, before coming into range of the road. Lor's father continued to run, putting distance between them and the Divinian Tarrasque war vehicles.

Behind, Lor watched as the heavily armored boxes opened up their hatches. In all four

Tarrasque vehicles, a mage popped out and began channeling mana energies into a cylindrical shape, resembling a barrel. Then, the shot lightning through it, aiming at the Mekkanese Warbird above.

The lightning struck the Warbird's shielding, producing a bright blue flash as the electrical currents were dispelled by the protective field surrounding the airship. As the mages prepared for another volley, the airship retaliated, unleashing thundering booms as chunks of metal were accelerated from onboard cannons, releasing clouds of smoke from the numerous artillery platforms that covered the width of the airship.

All four Tarrasque vehicles were obliterated, leaving burning metal husks. Lor's father stumbled and almost dropped him as the ground trembled from the impact of the airship's barrage. He regained his balance and continued to run toward the river, looking back and catching a glimpse of the destruction behind him. He then looked back toward his son, with tears in his eyes. Lor said nothing, understanding why he was crying. There was no way his mother could return from all that. He took one last look at the sky. The scene was beautiful, yet terrifying. New Divinian aircraft had arrived and shot down a few of the Mekkanese airships, while aging wyverns were deployed against ground targets. Despite the atmosphere being filled with the staccato of gunfire and thunderous explosions, Lor, exhausted from the initial escape, drifted off in his father's arms.

——

New York, United States

After a day of extensive touring, the Mekkanese and Sonaran diplomatic teams slept heavily, enjoying the alien comforts of American society. Wrapped up in warm sheets and a thick blanket while simultaneously being cooled by the air conditioning was blissful for the relatively primitive Gaerrans. Indeed, one of his first thoughts when Prion awoke was that of these air conditioning units. They were everywhere, from cars to homes to markets. It seems that every building in the city had such technology, which led Prion to consider the massive power requirements for such a task.

The Mekkanese power grid was still in relative infancy, as electricity had only been discovered decades prior, with the first widespread distribution of power amongst the Mekkanese population contributing to the first Divinian-Mekkanese War. After several decades, however, their electrical infrastructure grew such that each home could support numerous appliances, such as radios and television sets. Currently, the majority of Mekkanese electricity came from coal plants, since coal was the most abundant fuel source in their region. Some mana reactors were also commissioned, but they are still in construction. He wondered if the Americans were familiar with any other types of power sources.

The digital alarm clock buzzed. Yet another device these Americans have improved upon. Prion turned on the television in order to watch the news. On the screen, a man in a blue suit walked up to a podium, the scrolling headlines on the bottom of the screen identifying him as President Keener. Once he approached and tapped the mic, the crowd went silent, allowing him to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today I stand before you on our day of independence, when we birthed a nation, built upon the foundations of liberty. We, as Americans, agreed upon these truths: that all humans are created equal and that humans have certain unalienable rights - life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today we shall revisit these truths and ask ourselves, are they limited only to humanity? Now, I can see some of your faces in the crowd and it looks like you folks are beginning to see where I'm going with this.

Just over two weeks ago, I made an announcement regarding the discovery of a wormhole on American soil, and discussed our first impressions of the planet. The vegetation we have seen was indicative of animal life, and it didn't take us long to find it. As you can see on these screens, this is a livestock animal known as a cav. It closely resembles a cow, and actually tastes better than one! Now hopefully I won't have an alien bursting out of my stomach…"

The crowd bursted into a flurry of discussion and laughter. Many were hoping to have a taste of new foods discovered on this alien world. When the crowd quieted down, President Ryan Keener continued.

"Some of you may be wondering, how did we figure out that this animal was livestock? We didn't. They did," he said, gesturing toward a clip that was now playing on the screens. Two beast people resembling cats, a female and a male, answered several questions during an interview. They spoke a language similar to Latin, so audio of an English translation had to be placed over the conversation.

The crowd remained silent as they allowed the short interview to conclude. Once it finished, the clip remained paused at the final frame, which depicted the cat woman smiling at something or someone to the left of the camera. All those present were speechless, then erupted into a cacophony of discussion. Prion was intrigued by this, but then again, these people had never seen beast people before. Surely, they would have similar reactions to the other numerous surprises Gaerra had in store for the Earth humans. He watched as President Keener held up his hands in order to signal to the crowd to quiet down. After a few seconds, they did so with impressive speed.

"Today, I want to announce that the United States of America is officially the First Nation in human history to have met aliens! We are not alone in the universe!"

His declaration was followed by massive cheering. The American President allowed them to express his subjects' elation. Even some of the residents in the nearby rooms were cheering. A loud "holy shit!" came from his left, followed by running and the slamming of a door. He turned his attention back to the screen, but it appears the president's speech has been put on a hold.

"Hm… what time is it..?" Prion muttered to himself. He was already dressed, ready to enjoy the one free day he had here in New York. As such, Prion got up from the bed and walked toward Third Commander Deaunius' room.

Three knocks on the door.

"Come in," a voice within answered.

"Morning, Jean. Have you been watching the American news?"

"Yes I have, Prion. I must say, it is a bit strange being able to see the news so clearly, in such vivid detail."

"From what I've heard, the Americans think we are perhaps a decade away from color television."

"Did you ask them how close we might be to jet fighters like theirs?" Jean asked.

"They merely smiled and said nothing. Evidently they do not want to share too much of their technology, but I'm certain I can strike a bargain using our magical technology, with your advice, of course."

"And so you will. Now, let us join the Sonarans downstairs. They always like to begin their days early."

In the lobby, the Sonarans chatted with the American diplomatic team. Today, their plan was to continue their tour of New York, visiting the Statue of Liberty and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In particular, some of the Sonarans were excited to determine if there were any similarities between artwork from their planet and those from Earth.

A ding alerted everyone, causing them to glance over towards the elevator.

The elevator doors opened, revealing the Mekkanese group. Once they grouped up with the Sonarans, Ambassador Perry reviewed their plans for today. With only two destinations in their itinerary, they would most likely finish their activities within a few hours. The Gaerrans were told that it was a holiday today, and as such, some businesses were closed. Both the Sonaran and Mekkanese parties did not mind; they welcomed a chance to relax and wait for the fireworks.

"Alright, everyone ready to go?" Ambassador Perry asked.

A chorus of "yeahs" answered him.

"Perfect!" He tapped on a device attached to his ear. "Agent Simmons, we're ready for departure. Our first stop will be the Statue of Liberty, followed by the Met."

Within a minute, black SUV's pulled up to the street in front of the hotel. The Gaerrans entered excitedly, ready to sightsee and take pictures with their newly purchased cameras.

——

Eana, Eanif Imperium

Emperor Evalion once again found himself in the imperial archives, sifting through information collected on the Divinian recording artifacts. He revisited a recording submitted by a spy who participated in the massacre on the North Grenden Plains. Artillery, automatic weapons, and flying machines. He released a sigh, shaking his head as he pondered the implications of such advanced weaponry and attempted to formulate viable strategies against the Americans.

Some of their weapons seemed formidable enough to challenge his beast forces, including powerful monsters such as the heavily armored tarasque and the recently tamed basilisk. Breeding programs for these creatures were expensive, and thus his military could deploy only a few dozen of each type of larger monster. Still, even one was enough to rout entire armies, in Eanif at least.

Simulated wars against Mekkanese and Divinian forces proved tougher, but winnable as long as they were fighting defensively. Eanish kraken and sea serpent forces were sufficient in deterring and sometimes wiping out enemy naval forces. The only counters were depth charges, but even then only a small percentage of these charges actually hit. Sure, underwater boats may challenge his military's sea monsters, but neither the Divinians nor the Mekkanese have developed them enough, partly because of their depth charge tactics. They most likely did not see the underwater boats performing well given their current arsenals.

Based on the footage stored in the archives, the Americans appear to have similar weapons and tactics to the Mekkanese. This meant that he couldn't exploit fear tactics like he can with primitive Nobian and Sonaran forces. One tarasque? It could defeat a thousand Nobians or Sonarans, provided they have no skilled mages or experienced heroes. What about a thousand of the American warriors? The tarasque plating will protect it from their repeating rifles, but not from their larger artillery weapons, especially the fortress vehicle with the cannon. How many hits a tarasque could sustain from such a weapon, one could only guess. However, these cannon vehicles seemed to lack mobility. Thus, the best way to make use of these beasts is to employ them in close quarters situations, or as an ambushing party in a dense forest or elevated area. Perhaps he could even supplement them with land dragons, assuming they are capable of fighting alongside each other, and not with each other.

As for basilisks, their ability to petrify with their toxic breath was useful in breaking armored forces. The unknown magical-chemical process by which their breath solidified into a rocky substance could potentially devastate the American fortress vehicles. If only he had a decade to prepare, his wizards might have even found a way for magical users to employ this very spell in battle. Still, he was glad that the basilisks were tameable in the first place, albeit at a heavy sacrifice. Their sacrifices will not be in vain, for he plans to use his forces wisely. The Emperor tapped his fingers on a desk as he thought about potential targets for his basilisk forces. Surely, the Americans stored their flying machines somewhere; he would need to coordinate with his intelligence department in order to figure that out. Hopefully, the spies won't be too overwhelmed, like the one who committed suicide.

Another force he could make great use out of might be the hellworm contingent. Of all the monsters in his arsenal, the hellworm is quite possibly the deadliest. Capable of burrowing and tunneling through nearly any material, the hellworm could be used to harass convoys and strike at weaker outposts.

Yes, with all these forces at his disposal, and only a limited number of forces stationed at the Grenden fortress, he could secure a victory. But first, he must spend some time discreetly positioning his forces. Emperor Evalion knew that a victory could only be secured through a rapid strike, lest the enemy finds the time to send reinforcements. Satisfied with his plans, he put back the artifacts he had retrieved for review and exited the archives. Tomorrow, he will call a meeting with the generals.

——

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