Chapter One Part I

East of Norden

Doch

Spring, 1552

7 years later

Whistling kettle; A fresh flowery aroma of tea filled the air all over the house as a yellowish light came through the front window.

A man with black hair, and short boxed beard stepped outside with a cup of tea on his hand, leaning on the terrace fence as birds chirping and winds blowing through its branches make a rain of leaves. He glances at his surrounding. A quiet and peaceful neighborhood he lived in. A life Arlin dreamed about.

"Arlin, can you take my orders at Ms. Austine's shops? She said she can't come over to deliver" shouts Arlin's mother from inside the house.

"I'm on it" he returned. He always obeys everything his parent say since parent has a higher degree in Norden.

He put his tea on the table and put on his nut-brown coat since its always cold in Norden no matter what season. He pulls the blanket covering an old car his father had since Arlin was 4 years old. He opens the car door, whiffs of leather scent covering the seat overwhelm the interior.

He drove out of his neighborhood. A scenery of field with farmers harvesting whëlt grain, a blue plant with a flat stem that produces a diamond-shaped grain, a staple food ingredient of Norden. Birds migrating, across the yellowish blue atmospheres. Burst of fresh air hits Arlin's face hard, as he opens the car window, a little something he did whenever driving. Mount Gard, a mountain with a height of 25.000 feet and low gravitation producing magical elements; stands tall in the distance—hazy—because of the fog.

He arrived at the market after 20 minutes of driving since the distances were pretty far.

The indoor market decorated with a clear glass ceiling as the light illuminates through it. Shops and stands lined left and right, selling a vast of food, vegetables, daily goods, and magical substances. He walks around the market full of people tried to find a shop his mother mentions Until the voice of a lady calling his name heard through the crowd. It's Ms. Austine, 55 years old widow with bright skins, pointy nose, and long black hair. Live alone after his son died at war 7 years ago and selling magical substances for living.

She led Arlin inside her shop. A bell ringing as she opened the door to her shops as they greeted by two old lanterns, hanging by the ceiling along with orange light brighten all over the room. Dozens of hunting rifles hanging on the wall to be sold. Hundreds of colorful magical substances that can be mined in mountains with low gravity or well known as The Home of Seven Goddess; sit on the shelf behind the wood-paneled with a blue trim counter.

She takes a glance at Arlin "look at you Arlin, handsome as your father as always...by the way how old are you right now?" Asks, Ms. Austine

Arlin smile. "Thanks, Ms. Austine. I'm 30 now"

"I'm sorry that I can't deliver your orders. But anyway here; it's a flame absorber, a mass reducing fluid; caution, it disintegrates every lightweight item," said Ms. Austine as she handing the bag.

Arlin reached his pocket to get his money pouch. As he was almost done with the transaction, multiple engine sound gets louder and louder as if it's getting close. People's voices from outside of the shop telling somethings wrong. He dashed towards the door after he dropped the bag. Right before he reached the door handle, the door bashed open, he blasted by a meters away due to the impact of an explosion.

His vision became vague. His ear ringing. Smells of Noxtrillian, a chemical fluid in this world used as a propellant in firearms, rockets, artillery, fireworks, and bomb; overwhelm his senses. His vision and hearing slowly recover as Ms. Austine calling his name. He realizes this is an invasion due to his experience 7 years ago. Arlin pulled out a knife he always brings wherever he goes and stood at the side of the door guarded ready as he told Ms. Austine to get down and get behind the counter.

As he expected, an armed soldier came inside the shops to check. He grabbed the rifle and tried to jab the knife to the soldier's neck. Unfortunately, the soldier reacts to it. Stood his ground and encounter Arlin's strike along with a shoulder push to his chest force Arlin to back off. Luckily, Arlin has a strong muscle, make him possible to recover faster. He leaps towards the soldier in a blink of an eye, aiming for the Femoral Artery located at the groin area in the crook of the leg. A stab of his brings the soldier down in an instant. A shock enters his mind as he saw the soldier bleeding. It's been 7 years after the last time he saw someone killed in front of him.

Arlin took the soldier's rifle and notice a yellow flag with a red star in the middle, patched in his uniform meaning that he is an Alteran soldier. He grabs Ms. Austine's hand and leads her out of the shops.

The metallic scents of blood were the first thing that went up to his nostrils. Dead bodies and building pieces scattered everywhere along the road. Bomb residue, cover up the skies. Memories from 7 years ago flow through Arlin's mind once again, made his lung very heavy, his heart rapidly pumping as he stares at the corpses. He just stands with the same trauma at the shops. A bullet, travel from the distance, bring him out from the pass as he dodges the shots and shots back. He continues to run with Ms. Austine next to him along with waves of bullet chasing them, towards a spot where he parks his old rusty car.

He opens the car door and slid into the seat as he closes the door. The car making a clicking sound when he turns the car key piss him off until miraculously the car started. He steps on the reverse pedals as he saw a group of soldiers in a distance pointing their rifles at the car. He steps on the brake makes the car turns around. Bullets travel through the air hitting the rear window of the car.

As he driving, he keeps worried about his mother's safety. Most of the house in his neighborhood was blasted by the bomb, people coming out from their houses to save themselves, luckily his house was intact. He stops in front of his house and steps out from the car, a sudden gust of wind as he slammed the car door shut. He sprints towards the front door, bashed in. His mother pointing guns at his eye shortly after he rushed in.

Arlin surprised and put his hand up telling her to calm down. Arlin's mother was relieved as she found out her son was alright.

He gazes at her eyes as he holds both of her shoulders. "Mom packed your stuff, we need to get out of here, ASAP"

While waiting for his mother packing up. He enters his bedroom, digging all over the place making a mess looking for a crate with horizontal white and blue colored flag painted on top of it; he used to store his old rifle, and pistol. A glance at his bed remembering him where the last time he put the crate. Dust melded with air as he opens the sacred box full of bad memories. He stares at his rifle knowing he had nowhere to run but to accept. Five, 7.62x51mm bullet inserted to its internal magazine, push the bolt back to its place.

Ms. Austine who waited in the car patiently opened the car door for Arlin's mother.

"How are you doing Peach?" Greeted Ms. Austine, something she always does no matter what happens.

"Terrible time to ask that, Austine." Jabbed Arlin's mother as she entered the car.

Arlin steps on the gas as a fighter plane flew above them. He followed the road until leaving the town towards Vandaloft, the capital city of Norden located in its southern region.

Vandaloft is a city with 18th-century buildings and houses exterior, thick and huge wall cuffs the city. 800.000 people sheltering inside, from wealthy rich to destitutely poor living in the same atmosphere.

Under the dusk sky, they arrived. in spite of the distance between Doch and Vandaloft, which is beyond far. And it's a miracle for them to see Vandaloft with the rusty old car.

The entrance gate swarmed by lines of vehicle and people tried to enter the city seeking for their safety. Even the entrance guard was overwhelmed by the crowd. It would take an hour to pass the checkpoint. He looks in every direction with awareness looking for an opportunity to get inside quickly, knowing every second count. Arlin tempting to use his military badge to pass the guard quicker.

They abandon the car to saves more time. Arlin walks towards the guard hastily, of course, the guard immediately pointing their gun to Arlin identifying him as a threat as they saw a rifle strapped on his shoulder. He tells one of the guards he is a former captain of Stuart company as he showed his badge. They allowed entering the city later on after the guard checks his badge authenticity.

The commotion filled the city square, the air felt like as if there's no oxygen, people murmuring about the attack as they move through the crowds. Even the head officer exhausted for spitting words to calming down storms of people.

Arlin's vision was attracted to a building with a sign 'hotel'. He needs to make sure of his mother's safety before he can continue to investigate whats going on.

He rushes into the hotel. The sweet scent of the hotel interior greets him as he steps in.

Painting of The Eztra, Norden ancient god who believed as the protector of Norden; decorated the ceiling. Yellow light illuminates the front lobby, giving a safe feeling.

A room he rented for 4 days giving Ms. Austine and his mother a place to stay at least for a while; cost about 400 Vlad, a currency of Norden made with titanium.

Everything settled and safe. Arlin steps outside the hotel, catch some fresh air, instead, panic and anger filled the air as the people from outside the city began to worry about their safety.

He wanders around the district of Vandaloft with a rifle strapped, lanterns screwed into each building burst its yellow light, paint the street, and building around it with warm colors as the moist trimmed-cobblestones paving the street reflect the glow. Smell of roasted duck, and warm chowder. Make his stomach growling.

Despite all the chaos, some people eating at a restaurant with ease along with their family. Car, and horses with fancy wagon still driving around. Maybe live in the capital city is safer, or maybe live in the capital city will be an utter pleasure, he thought.

Loud humming of a turboprop engine roaring coming from the skies. Hundreds of ally military aircraft soaring the atmosphere above the city towards No Man's Land as he looks up towards the dark blue sky. It's on, huh?