A goodbye to the red fox

The enormous army of Saracens arrived at Jacobstadt. The long winter had seeded, and spring was here. The Aurelian army had arrived, camping right outside the walls. A large contingent from the nation of Sparv was also marching toward the capital.

"It sure is weird to see a Sparv army marching towards our capital, not as our enemy, but as an alley," Haley said as she looked down from the gravity ship.

"Look over there!" Amala said and pointed at the river.

A large navy of Haraldrar longships was rowing upstream. At least twenty-five thousand battle-hardened Huscarls were arriving at the river port of Jacobstadt. These warriors had fought for a long time against each other and gone raiding other nations and kingdoms, as their forefathers and the first king had done.

"How did you get the Haraldrar to ally with us?" Doreen ask king Ritter.

"The Haraldrar have always loved to fight each other and raid other people. They may not be the smartest and most educated people. Still, they quickly realized that the emperor would no longer allow them to do so. To save their culture, they were effortless to persuade to fight alongside us," Maxim explained.

"Who else has king Ritter gotten to join forces with us?" Edward asked.

"The Guiscards are also on their way. The realm of Angol, State of Westphal, Raiden Dukedom, republic of Vatigaad, and Elis colonies have all agreed to aid us. Only the nation of Brahm refused and agreed to fight alongside the emperor instead," Maxim explained.

"Can't wonder why the nation of Brahm is a bit salty," Yosef said and laughed a bit.

"What do you mean?" Maxim asked.

"We kinda threatened to expose and then kill his lover," Joan said casually.

~~

The red fox landed at Jacobstadt and let Rufus and his friends off. Haley went and hugged Kassim tightly.

"Why don't you stay? Kassim, we could really use you," Haley asked him.

"Hahahaaaa, little girl. Do you not remember what I say always? Never get tangled with the politics of other worlders," Kassim laughed.

"But you already have meddled now two times," Doreen pointed out.

"Sometimes rules are meant to be broken. And anyway, I was mostly a courier when I dropped you off on the green solo moon world."

"A courier who loses and then spends weeks on finding the delivery..." Edward said.

"Still, I am no mercenary," Kassim said with a smile.

"Even if we would pay you handsomely," Ritter joined in on the conversation.

Kassim's eyes glittered, but he was hit in the head by Udi, who yelled, "You nor we are no mercenaries!"

Udi then looked at the rest of them.

"I am sorry, but it is my duty to remind our captain of some rules. Despite the reward, they are not worth taking," Udi explained and looked resentful at his captain.

Kassim realized that his first responsibility was to his crew, not Rufus and his gang, despite how fond he had grown of them.

"Udi is right, and I have probably too much meddled in the dealings of this world. It is time for my crew and me to go and find new opportunities in the vast universe," Kassim explained.

Everyone looked a bit sad, but Rufus cheered everyone.

"Guys, we can't have Kassim and people not of our world to handle our problems. It is time for us Aesians to handle our own problems since one of us caused it," Rufus explained.

They all looked confused.

"Rufus, it is unusual for you to see us as Aesians?" Doreen questioned.

"I don't understand?"

"Most people on Aesis don't identify with the world they live in, but mainly by their own nation and country, they come from. How you just identified is a normal way many people from larger heavens identify themselves. They identify themselves based on the world they live in or the main world of their heaven where their gods live," Doreen explained.

"Can you give an example?" Rufus asked.

"The human of Cortinhos identify themselves as Corinthos or Olympians, even though they don't live on Olympus, just because the world of Olympus is part of the Olympus heaven."

"Have you always identified yourself based on your world?" Yosef asked.

"I...I don't know. I just did now, I guess, for the first time."

~~

Kassim left the Aesis world. Rufus and Haley were looking at the lift-off from the castle of Jacobstadt.

"I guess we have to put on hold this place's transition to a school while we are at war," Rufus said and looked at the palace floor.

"Yeah, let's just get this war over so we can do this," Haley said and went down.

Rufus saw that his sister's hand was trembling and holding on to it with her other hand.

"Haley! You know we will win this war, right?" Rufus said.

Haley took a big breath and said, "Didn't doubt it for a second."