"Why can't they just surrender already?" Newly promoted Sergeant Triton Jackdaw blindly moaned as his body, brain, and eyes woke around 6:37 in the morning. His squad took up residence or likely squatted in one of the seemingly abandoned two storied townhouses in one of the walled villages. Just eight of them were left in their squad. Four were killed or dead from the fall, and three others wounded. After scrounging around the townhouse, he discovered the household Dark Elf Maid who was now sound asleep next to him in the master's bedroom.
Named the Exotic Lover by the locals, Rupenda Khalve was a trained dancer, maid, and masseuse. Her massage skills came in handy for them as they were completely sore. At one-point Rupenda started to cry, since she was given an option for the first time. Her life was almost like slavery with some liberties. She had no choice than to appease her master, or any guests he brought over. Those days were now behind her. Triton hoped they were. If she would just load up on an evac truck or train and leave those days would be long gone. To his unit's misfortune Rupenda was not the only servant found in this house, one of hundreds they were likely to leave at some point. It would not be surprising if they were to defend it from Vullanese counterforces or their allies. One fat woman, the household baker/chef named Ugria Ugram Minnispear was still in this house. Someone believed someone did not know how to cook despite his squad eating up the beef stuffed bread that filled them up. Donning the usual baker's uniform Ugria stormed in as if she was going to attack Rupenda. Rupenda jolted awake when the baker stormed in. Alone with the Dark Elf with a fat hog of an Ogre looking woman Triton jumped up grabbing the closest weapon he could find. He shoved a dirk into the face of the angry fat spiteful bitch in defense of Rupenda who had been treated like a fuck toy for years.
"Waddle your fat ass out of my room! This is no longer your master's place!" He growled at her ready to end the bitch's life.
Too scared to argue with an armed Vestrisian, Ugria left the room. Rupenda gave him a hug then clung to him for several moments. She pressed her nude body against Triton's showing no signs of letting go of him. A sudden urge to push her off him came and went. She was the one who cooked for them. Yes, they knew how to cook for themselves, but their culinary skills lacked something. Private Meagolson burned one little patty, which he was forced to eat as punishment. With the fat Ugria gone Sergeant Jackdaw prepared for another day, another patrol or mission. Ever since they invaded Vullanese Mothgar his mind went straight to the conflict at hand. It occupied his mind far more than the job he once had for a year. Months went by since they launched the invasion, yet the constant counter attacks stalled them from seizing Mothgar quickly. Soldiers, Fanatics, bands of Harpies, Minotaurs, Ogres, swarms of imps, stubborn militia, Grevaskii division, Kuruk clans, Redcap Spawn, Troll Spawn, Zedirian minions, Beastmen spawn warbands, Orcs, and Goblins launched constant counterattacks. Each time ended badly for the Vullanese, but still slowed them down. What did not help was the necromancer creations prowling the countryside, or the catacombs of larger cities. From other soldiers, such as the infantrymen, he learned the fighting was fierce inside the Mothgar cities. Most agreed the Vullanese slowed their advances down throughout the several months of war. Yet Mothgar was sure to fall soon. He found his unit already downstairs at the table. In silence they ate their meals Khalve made them. Each smile in turn as she served them with a bigger grin. Her grin showed how merry she was over Vullan's impending defeat. Once prepared for another day they exited the Commandeered Quarters. Down the street from the townhouses, they came upon more of their comrades at Bart's Shipwheel's Pub. There they caught of an interesting conversation about Colonel Saster.
"I heard a story about Colonel Saster. He was bullied as an Orc Pup." one half elf soldier said.
"Bologna!" An olive-skinned Half-Orc spat at him showing disbelief in the story.
"No it's true, it's true! When someone asked him about it, he said it made him stronger these days know he survived that abuse." The Half-Elf insisted, but the Half-Orc shook his head not believing a word of it.
"Shut it the lot of you! We need to get over to the next town. But I warn you, scouts, and planes spotted caltrops of different sizes spread all over the roads, and some fields."
Close to three trains found in Mothgar woods, the company moved where there were hardly any caltrops. That job was given to teams of saboteurs, and trap cleaners. His own unit was to meet at the Wagon Wheel Rest Stop Lodge outside of town. Units from the infantry branches, and some armored joined them in mixed units. Many of them complained how Mothgar's fall was taking so long. Hordes of hostiles, necromancers' undead, and various arcane users stalled their advances. Yet it was at a great cost. Mines also slowed their advances down, which the Vullanese barely took advantage of. Combining their force with other units they formed a company of 268 soldiers, airborne, troopers, grunts, and infantry. That company of fighters turned into a small battalion of 415 with vehicles joining when 147 infantrymen joined them. This combined force did not just consist of footmen, but seven tanks, 3 armored half-tracks, 2 jeeps, 3 troop transports. Under the command of an Elf Colonel known as Vinali Thorwan of Zedarkhaand, a veteran commander from the Castarian Wars, Zegrav Conflict, and a few others Zedarkhaand must have been involved in, the combined battalion made their move. Among the engines, boots on the cobbled main road, Triton could also hear an annoying Private go on about the settlements they captured.
"Angelhaven, Heartboy, Glimmerland, Crystalstall, Lightpeak, Diregarde, Lagoonsheer, Irontide, Flatside, Lostport, Farfell, Oldyard, Sandshire, Eagelmoot, Dimhold, Glimmercoast, Direhost, Ghostgarde, Lostward, Beachdale, Rustpoint, Stagshell, Deerdrift, Puremouth, Silverburgh, Stormscar, Silentmouth, Swiftfront, Dirtgate, Mightstall, Roseford, Dogmere, all those are places I've never heard of. How many more towns do we got to take?" He vexed those around him. Several scoffed at him, others scowled, some even made the three forked gesture at him. This Private ignored them all then began to vex again intentionally.
"Entire Islands Private Pinhead bigmouth!" one Captain barked at the Private known as Pester Pete. Triton eyed this Private for a few seconds hearing the name Private Piviv Takkam being screamed at the Private's face. Triton looked at the Captain, seeing he was a half-elf named Vig Vattal.
That Private shut up after Captain Vig Vattal's barked his face off. Triton watched this Captain Vattal, astride a chestnut coffee horse, leave the Private shaken. Wearing a uniform of khaki natural brown with leather added to it, Vattal appeared to blend in a little compared to Takkam's greenish-brown uniform. Vestrisians did don the blue dyed uniform, however other dyes were issued for the military. Colors of dark green, pine green, brown shades, camouflage, tan or white were among the colors for uniforms or fatigues. Captain Vattal's rank allowed him to wear a brooch with his own uniform. Dressed just like any infantry trooper with the cargo pockets, shortened collar, Vattal donned the issued open faced modern sallet helmet, and all terrain boots. Over this uniform Vattal wore a green cloak. It seemed out of place, but likely fooled some into mistaking him for a random rider. Riding ahead of their convoy, the mounted Captain did not hesitate to make them stop in the road. Stopping like this was not good. Their location on the road, although on an island had some scattered ruins on the flanks, a few patches of foliage along the roads, an isolated farmstead within a sharpshooter's distance in the rear. Directly on the right stood a small hovel of a village. In silence he looked around like all the other soldiers did while coming to a halt. His feet could use the rest from all that walking. He sat on one of the protruding wheels of the trucks they commandeered. One of the few that still operated. Triton recalled the casualties their brethren suffered over the walled villages. All those houses were called "toomich" homes, meaning too many houses packed into a village in the form of complexes.
Within that one region of Mothgar and two others their airborne brigade lost many members. Six hundred twenty-nine airborne died during the drop of 5,000, a total of 947 found injured, or wounded. Another round of losses included 197 killed in a battle, and 187 wounded during that fighting against the counterattack. More than sixty to seventy thousand infantry, tanks, and armored vehicles came to their locations. Backed by another reserve of fifty thousand soldiers, the extra forces prepared them to hold against more counter attacks. Several months later and they were pushing further into Mothgar. Facing constant futile resistance, counter attacks, and hold outs, Triton lost count of how many they lost or killed. For their larger force to meet the airborne they went through various settlements. It was not without fighting through lines of Vullanese defenders. Reports of ambushes made by the desperate defenders flooded their ears. Not to mention the counterattacks they endured six to seven months into this war. Vullan showed desperation on clinging to territory. A massive force of 189,000 old veterans launched a counter offensive on Izvar, Mothgar, and Euzvame. To the V.U.V.R. it was a headache to deal with. Slaying old men that became combatants felt wrong to some Vestrisians. Others respected their wishes to die in the field of battle.
As they waited for Captain Vattal to return, he overheard what went down in Izvar. Four months into this war having already taken ten cities, and towns, the Vestrisians pushed deeper into the Vullanese half of Izvar Island. Despite their gains, their own V.U.V.R. forces found themselves slowed down. According to rumors that spread, mages, sorcerers, wizards, arcane users, used spells to halt their advances while main Vullanese defenses crumbled. Triton's attention was drawn away from thoughts on the Izvari situation. From their right flank, twenty-four strange humanoids emerge from ruins and the foliage. One Orc in heavy black armor, an armored non-Calornese Elf with one ear torn off, ten octopus headed warriors, 5 alien barbarians, one handsome stout-man hybrid, heavily armored tall elf, 3 alien humanoids in combat gear, some humanoid owl dressed like a Cleric, and some dinosaur humanoid warrior. Each one wore the Grevaskii or modern Vullanese uniform under their armor. Triton made a cruel mocking grin on his face. He wasn't the only one, though. As evil as it seemed on their part, the Vestrisians had their reasons to gun down these Vullanese and followers. His neighbor one day left for the Vullanese Islands under the impression that it was just a job. Reality kicked in fast when she did not return home the next year as planned. She became a ward of service, a thrall to a priest. His neighbor wasn't the only one who fell into that trap. After the evidence and reports flooded in all that evidence went towards Vullan's Order and followers.
When everyone raised their weapons the short handsome one sprang into action. Unsheathing a bearded axe, and war pick this handsome stout man began cutting down the others. He started with the alien barbarian next to him with an axe blow to the exposed neck. Using the war pick he bashed the octopus headed humanoid to his right. Before this lone "traitor" could attack another, he was shoved to the ground by the Orc, and a second Barbarian. Twenty began to encircle one. Poised to strike him down the remaining twenty-one figures only found themselves gunned down. One volley from over a hundred metal barrels did the lot in. Whoever this handsome stout man was they turned out to be a Vestrisian agent sent to infiltrate Vullanes forces.
Barely getting a chance to introduce himself as Lieutenant Mochael Catan, this agent-spy had to duck again. This time he dove towards his countrymen when a horde of war cries rose up from behind him. Another group of Vullanese defenders emerged. What had to be a force of over a thousand strong revealed themselves from three locations. Sergeant Triton noticed these Vullanese defenders consisted of Vodwanians, Grevaskii, Drow, Demon Spawn, and Vidothrans. Most of this new encounter appeared armed with long hafted axes, Folteri Bolt Action, Windkisser23s, lever rifles. Other weapons did include old style melee weapons. It seemed weird for any modern army to still use melee weapons in combat. Triton guessed it had more to do with ammo shortage. Right as these Vullanese charged another group of VUVR attacked from their flank. Ranging from 600 to 715 Infantry, Airborne, and Rangers made up this flanking VUVR force. In moments the Vullanese force was wiped out by the flanking force and their target. A quick victory which came too easily spelled something was off. Yes they felt relief, but this could be a distraction from something bigger. Captain Vattal came racing back over the moment it ended. About a score or so got a shot off or two at the Vestrisians. Captain Vattal approached them as they checked for survivors. Among this force Triton’s comrades found 930 Vodwanian Axemen, 6 curs, 164 Drow, 56 Demon Spawns, 6 Vidothran Grevaskii all in modern uniforms, or Nazdar fatigues. None of them were allowed to loot any of the bodies. Plenty of locals either left, or silently detest the Vestrisians. So, nothing could be sold to them, plus their own countrymen loathed the Vullanese over the mass indoctrination of servitude, and secret temples built on Boathrian soil. Triton could tell many of these combatants were very religious followers, and thralls, or former thralls turned initiates in the main Vullanese Religion. Among these devout soldiers, allies, and Grevaskii they found fourteen survivors, ten of whom were severely wounded. The four that were not on death's door were part of a group of 15 Order members that orchestrated this rally against the Vestrisian Invaders.
All the officers ordered for the rest of them to scour the area ahead of them. It may have been trailing Captain Vattal's footsteps, but it produced some interesting finds. A cattle car on tracks with almost nothing inside, except for bags of inhalable drugs in plant from that allowed communication with the dead. One temple along the road with snake candles barely used or used up over time. Somewhere towards the south their comrades discovered an arcane academy that was abandoned due to bombings. All its students and staff fled, leaving everything else behind. One of Triton's squad mates picked up an abandoned doll only to put it back down realizing how much these people resented them or feared the Vestrisian. Moving further along the route Vattal took Triton's unit found an abandoned village of 1,009 buildings. Completely deserted, this village had enough room for their units to rest up. While searching one street at a time they found the usual items, and abandoned supplies that could be found in any village. Sergeant Triton searched one particular house that was clearly abandoned for weeks. On the table inside its kitchen, he found a map of a continent on some different planet splayed out. It had islands and continents that held no resemblance to their own world of Calorn. A set of twelve Vestrisian Eagle coins were laid out on the map itself ready to be placed in a coin bag. With no one looking around he immediately stashed the coins in his pack. They were the only things taken from the house. Somewhere else in this village one Airborne discovered a cellar full of gold ingots, ores, copper, silver, tin, calladium, gibe, and jewels. All of this find was packed in that cellar. Zero time to even clear this out, the Vestrisians kept on searching this village along with a few other settlements nearby. Triton and his own unit found some stragglers deeper in the village along with a Boathrin soldier named Buris who buried his face into the buttocks of a female rogue from Koriv whom put a seduction spell on him. Her original plan was rendering him useless, and idle while under some seduction spell meant to enchant the target. It clearly backfired as she did not get out of the cottage fast enough after casting it. His squad mates called her the "Kurahu damsel in distress". Kurahu was the original name of the Koriv states before the Gantronese took over according to the stories he heard or read on old news pamphlets his uncle kept around.
Ten days passed with hardly anything happening. Their forces had to stay put, which allowed them to rest. It also gave time to set up defenses. More discoveries were made. An aspiring Commander known as Jimbar of Vullan was killed along with his bodyguard while he hid inside their occupied settlement. This one was responsible for the victories Mothgar's defenders achieved a few months back. It only delayed Vestrisian advances. An expert spy was found with his exotic dancer along with false documents. Called Agent Red Stealth, this spy was sent over to observe the movements and military strengths on Mothgar Island. According to him Vullanese forces massed a large force to push them out. It would be another three days before this larger force pushed their counterattack. Unfortunate for them another force of 250,000 marched its way towards their last defenses. All Sergeant Jackdaw and the others had to do was wait for the main forces to arrive. Barely two days passed before two hundred thousand Vestrisians entered the area, spread out to cover more ground. Entire units of Infantrymen, Mortar Teams, Machinegun crews, fire teams, rifle squads, sharpshooter teams, artillery teams, saboteurs, tanks, and anti-armored crews spread out. Forming a set of defendable positions, the Vestrisians allowed this Vullanese force to attack them. Advancing forward for a number of leagues then stopping to defend worked in their favor. For about eleven days they engaged this Vullanese force, which attempted multiple tactics.
On the eighth day Grevaskii, Nymresian, and Nazdar forces arrived with 4,774 troopers Amed with up-to-date weaponry, some combat armor, training, and battlefield experience proved difficult to tackle at first. His unit clung to the road they were assigned to protect. More than just infantry came at them on this road. Tanks, half-tracks, armored motorbikes pressed their own advances. Seeing Vullanese tanks roll up brought some dread to those who watched the bullets ricochet back at them. One tank ran over a Vullanese mine while avoiding artillery, and anti-tank projectiles. These mines appeared everywhere or at least in a pattern that forced vehicles towards obstacles they laid out. Mines were a variety of weapons the Vullanese, and allies threw at them, which these defenders neglected somehow. Just watching entire units snake their way across revealed where some mines were on the field. Triton tried keeping track this, but the constant exchange of fire, exploding shells, turret fire, artillery, and downed vehicles disrupted his concentration. His own squad mates fired many rounds into the scattered, but jumbled ranks. The enemy still returned fire despite the suppressing fire. One Bunyip Island Tank round whizzed over his head by a forearm. Behind this Bunyip rolled two other Bunyips, three Gumbero Tanks, and a single C-95 Tempest Tank. Each tank came accompanied by three S-12 Hellions of Vullan, the car tanks of Vullan's military. These S-12 Hellions were also accompanied by a platoon of ground troops. More Vullanese came after their positions in the area flanking the village. As the fighting over this road grew heavy more units rushed to hold it. So much noise drowned everything out that even the approach of their own aircraft could not be heard well enough.
Coming from their back flanks hundreds of Arrowhawk 500s, Holy Angels, Screaming Hawks, Roaring Eagles, and early Dreamfires made up a well-timed cavalry to the rescue. He was certain there had to be 866 of their own aircraft bearing down on the Vullanese forces. Scores of vehicles, thousands of personnel became decimated from dropped bombs and their guns. One wave of Vullanese counterforce crumbled before the Vestrisian forces, which stalled claiming all of Mothgar main island while taking the north island of Slyrim. Sergeant Jackdaw stood up to witness this Vullanese force retreat. It would not be long before the rest of Mothgar fell. His gaze returned to the skies only to witness a wave of a thousand Vullanese aircraft intercept their own VUVR. As he watched them two forces collide in the air Triton thought of their progress below them. Thousands of tanks and entire divisions pressed further into Izvar, and Mothgar. About an hour's worth of dogfighting ensued between their own aircraft and Vullanese Pale Hornets, Cloudflares, and other aircraft. Numerous aircraft already fell like flies in this massed ballet or bees dance of a dogfight. All units were ordered to stop before pursuing any further, allowing the Vestrisians rest, their enemy to flee. Their commanders ordered for them to wait for the dogfight to be finished along with the bombing run that came behind the wave of aircraft. Nearly two hundred Light Classic Boys, Light Blue Leviathans, and militarized Storm Titan bombers flew overhead. Each bomber had their own set of targets they were going to destroy or make an attempt as the Vullanese Anti-Aircraft guns opened fire.
In a slow process of searching the fallen for survivors and rounding up prisoners, the Vestrisians came across lost stragglers. Triton and his squad led three Privates towards a pile of destroyed vehicles near some downed tanks. Six Bunyip Island Tanks could barely be recognized after the beatings and hits each one took. Round shaped metal sheets forged into large shields protected the sides of the Bunyip Tank. It appeared smaller than most tanks in their arsenal. Only required a team of four to crew their hull, the Bunyip was armed with a turret resembling a crab's head holding a straight pipe to its mouth. At first someone among them, Private Omberson, made a crude jest that was not able to be finished. One of Titan's squad mates, Private Meagolson, spotted a small group of Vullanese foot soldiers, and Strikers snatching up weapons and supplies from the dead. His unit watched these Vullanese collect what they could from behind the cover of vehicles. For the Vullanese a grouping of trees, wild bushes, and some ruined walls acted as their fallback cover once they were done.
Another hour of scouring the area and searching the dead, Triton's unit came across 22 more Vullanese defenders. At a campsite of two tents near an old archway to an abandoned garden outside a wooden bridge like dock with a single boat on the river. Some parts of the bridge lay in ruin due to the bombings. No one could get a look at the damage as the Vullanese caught sight of them and opened fire. Thirteen were shot dead, one attempted to punch them, while another shielded the escape for the rest. His squad lost Private Nyburnz in the encounter to the one shielding the escape. When the Vestrisians rendezvoused at the village area their reports included Vullanese forces rose to 113,000 just before the fighting commenced. An eighth of that force retreated after their defeat. The way these Vullanese threw themselves at their lines resulted in 53,493 dead, 33,600 wounded, 6,962 surrendered, 2,594, Turncoats, 219 going AWOL, and 2007 missing in action. One Officer recounted how Vullanese shot at the ones who surrendered from behind cover whenever they gave up in the open. It seemed like a common occurrence that happened along the frontlines on Mothgar. Their own forces suffered 10,266 KIA, 42,379 wounded mainly to melee combatants who charged, 876 missing after a counterattack, and 554 of their own brethren taken prisoner. Other reports about wild animals, dead civilians, monster attacks, necromancer zombies added to their losses.
Capturing weapons, vehicles, tanks, more stragglers led to the discoveries of more abandoned villages, destroyed settlements, homes, and some interesting new weapons the Vullanese attempting using during the fighting. Vullan had an Anti-Air chain gun called the AAR 94 or the Anti-Air Rattler for taking down planes while mounted on treaded vehicles. Somewhere a team of riflemen discovered a depraved drinker who broke free after the attack and bombing runs. A few days passed by before the army moved out. Scouting parties, or patrols returned with similar reports of entire areas abandoned by the Vullanese. Some came across 3 tanks, 8 isolated mortar teams still active, 16 dump trucks full of various weapons, ammunition, and other essential supplies, and five tank killers. Ten of those dump trucks managed to get out of their reach. Others ran into small bands of Gnolls that required liquidating, or appeasing. Two bands of these Gnolls avoided liquidation after showing some hint of civilizing. No one believed it was possible, yet it happened, a civilized Gnoll.
As they gathered in force for the final push Sergeant Jackdaw thought of the various warriors, soldiers they fought. Ruffians and hired Thugs called Thags broke easily. Either fleeing, surrendering, or switching sides, these hired hands barely took out the fight in the rest of the Vullanese forces. Various knights, cultists, Cathars, paladins, squires, veterans, guards, mages, devout soldiers, harpies, goblins, orcs, champions, militia, monks and other humanoid monsters found among their ranks showed Vullan's influence. Each one wore the same identical uniforms of the new style. Pressing forward wasn't an option Mothgar's last standing settlements lay within reach. Forced to leave 40,000 of their forces to defend their gains and their wounded, or dead sent away, a sizeable force of 100,000 raced to engulf the rest of Mothgar. A trail of downed aircraft, abandoned settlements, discarded transports, dead animals, execution sites, and lightly buried dead posed as minor obstacles in their path.
Coming to the ends of Mothgar's coasts they found 29,435 Vullanese defenders left. With the fall of Slyrim Island the 29,000 remaining Vullanese manned positions at old forts, port cities defended by trenches, and a firth, some narrow inlet on Mothgar's southwestern coast. Vullan showed great determination to hold on to their positions. Traps laid out in their pathway, slowed down some of their progress. Yet saboteurs, and engineers cleared a fourth of the traps and mines the Vullanese hastily set up. Artillery strikes cleared up most of what their saboteurs missed. At this firth under Vattal's, Saster's, and Thorwan's command 6,500 launched their assault with a supporting force of 10,000. What they did not expect was for their own fleet to send landing parties to assist. About 7.000 sailors turned to land infantry went after the flanks of the firth settlements. Certain these 29,000 Vullanese defenders had themselves spread out, Vestrisian forces closed in like a pack of wolves on a crippled deer. As cruel as it seemed their overwhelming encirclement swept through the defenses quickly. Pouring through the streets they gave the Vullanese an impossible fight to win. In three settlements Vestrisian forces took out what remained of Vullan's Mothgar defenders. On their own part it took three days. Other defenses capitulated, one fortress fell in five days, another took six to seven days.
What they captured in one coastal town in the south was an unfinished church, a couple of trade buildings, damaged dock building, functional factory, foundation of a barracks, 2 trade stores, a couple of unscathed churches that survived the bombing runs. Just outside the town they found a plantation run by a mixture of Dark Elves, Half Goblins, other non-Vullanese peoples. A total of 62 houses still stood after all that fighting. A couple of mills seem operational, one marketplace remained, 3 other dock buildings by the dock, two stables, 3 barracks, 7 towers, an artillery foundry now sat in Vestrisian Hands. Despite all that fighting 18 Vullanese citizens still worked as if nothing happened. On the water they spotted 18 fishing boats carrying on. At the docks moored two frigates, 7 caravels, and 3 old galleons, which had no business still being operational. They made good uses in terms of constant transport, but became target practice for the Vestrisian navy. As for the prisoners brought in ten thousand chose to give up, three thousand wounded, while the rest died in the fighting or took thier own lives. Nine to twelve settlements made up the defenders' last stand on Mothgar. Just Triton, the five remaining squad mates, the two newer members plus one fresh member were free from checking prisoners, wounded, the dead, and remaining civilians. Privates Meagolson, Garrington, Cranberry, Smithers, Arrowsmith, Bullyce, Omberson, Corporal Greene and one Sergeant Jackdaw moved around a bit more. Buildings in one port on the firth lay in different conditions depending on which ones were hit by a bomb, shot up, or hit by artillery, tanks or left unscathed. Triton spotted an embassy by the larger docks with various flags representing different nations waving in the wind a little. Made from bricks, painted a gold color the embassy had some parts made from wood. Triton felt some relief seeing a building like this unscathed from this war. Moving back towards their main units through the cobbled streets they discovered a few things happened. An Al-Dadorian Tutor acting as an indentured servant died from a stray bullet while in the study in the larger town. The Lieutenant responsible was about to be court-martialed for shooting a civilian. In the north their forces captured 17 artillery pieces plus one old ship. A sniper team in search of a higher position found a torn wedding dress halfway out of a chest draped over a victim of an assault. Stories of encounters, and how one or more enemies went down from hundreds of voices entered their ears as they came up to Thorwan and Saster. When they gave the salute, their commanders gave them the privilege to raise the V.U.V.R. flag over the last defenses of Mothgar.