Eric and Mia woke up to the alarm on his watch. They seemingly groan together while stretching, sharing a tender kiss as they hold each other to embrace their partners warmth. Eric sighed as he stood up, getting out of bed. "It's time." He said with a grimace.
"I know." She said softly, sighing as they got dressed. The bags were packed as they headed towards the waiting trucks, all vehicles already online outside the village. Today would be the day of departure for Riemskin.
Accompanying Eric and Mia were the soldiers of Eric's platoon, with members of Mia's squad. Her own superiors had told her to accompany Eric because he would need a guide and someone who knew the common sense of the world. "Alright, form up!" Eric yelled out as his LT stood at the command truck. Eric walked to the front of the platoon plus, looking at his men. "Squad leaders, report."
All soldiers were present and accounted for. Fuel was full on every vehicle, and ammo was fully stocked. After receiving the report, Eric nodded to the platoon, walking to his truck. "Alright, get in the vehicles. We will stagger formation, moving through the tree line spread out. Each vehicle should remain no more than two hundred yards apart."
Eric and the LT got into the command truck with Mia and her Lieutenant. They had a gunner, a young PFC who had shown potential as an analyst. Tension in the truck was high as systems checks and last minute functions checks were ran. "Mic check Alpha." Eric called out, beginning comms checks with each squad. After ensuring every system was in working order, the platoon began their journey.
As he left the forest the unit had called their home for so long, a surreal feeling washed over Eric. Strange animals prowled the forests, causing the element to stop more than once in order to document each new species they came across. Milano had given orders to take pictures and videos when feasible as they made the journey. One particular animal caused the unit to come to a screeching halt. Tires squealed as Eric slammed on the brakes, his eyes narrowing at the sight in front of him. "Is that a... T-rex?" He asked in disbelief, the chew almost falling out of his mouth.
Mia chuckled in response, then realized she had understood Eric in his language rather than the language of Brishan. "Hm? Do you have those over on Earth?" She said quietly, her own eyes displaying her disbelief.
"Yes." Eric responded with a quiet nod. He radioed into each squad, and they began traversing away from the beast, giving it a wide berth while continuing towards their destination.
Three days later, they arrived at their destination. A large castle city sprawled in front of them, with a steady stream of people going in and out of the gates. Eric stood on top of a hill overlooking the city, parking the vehicles approximately half a click outside the gates. "The emissary should be here shortly." Mia said as she looked at Eric's watch. "The correspondence from Riemskin stated they would be here midday today."
A young man in his mid thirties approached the convoy. He wore a blue suit and tie, with the golden crest of a lion on his lapel, signifying he was the Riemskin Alliance emissary. Behind him, a squad of armed knights followed him, each marching in sequence silently.
The man bowed as he approached, addressing the soldiers. "Greetings, soldiers of Earth. My name is Liron Brason. I am here to cater to all needs you may have while you are here in Riemskin. As the presence of your vehicles may cause public distress, i have been tasked with requesting you park them outside the city. We have set aside a small area where they will be closely monitored."
Eric nodded at the man, stepping forward to address them. "Good afternoon, my name is Master Sergeant Eric Dryer. It is our pleasure to be here. If we follow along with your request, is it okay to allow a few of my soldiers to stand guard as well?"
Liron nodded as he stood up, looking at his men. "Yes, that is acceptable." He said while pointing towards an area east of the city. "That stone wall with the silver gate is where we request your vehicles to be stationed. If you so choose, you can negotiate guard shifts with the watch commander there."
Eric shook hands with Liron, smiling. "Thank you. Allow us approximately half an hour in order to stage our vehicles."
Liron nodded back, smiling in response to Eric. "Very well. The soldiers will guide you through the entrance to the capital once your vehicles are arranged to your liking. Her Majesty Ayeolla and the royal family are aware you are here, so we will await you in the royal reception hall."
After staging the vehicles, Eric, Mia, and the LT followed the soldiers to the reception hall. Mia smoothed out her dress and straightened her hair as she walked forward, her eyes staring straight ahead. Eric noticed her nervousness, and gave her hand a quick squeeze before letting go. He walked in step with the Riemskin soldiers, surveying the scene with a poker face. "Hmm. It is as I thought, the city is reminiscent of pictures from medieval Europe on the brink of the industrial revolution." Eric thought as he saw mana-lamps and what appeared to be tracks for the early railroad systems.
Carriages were the main system of transportation, but Eric could see small mana powered vehicles. His eyebrows arched as he saw a man get into one of the vehicles. It looked similar to the humvees the battalion used, only the mana engines appeared to make no noise.
As he gathered his thoughts, the small retinue arrived in front of the royal reception hall doors. A knight stood in front of the entry way, nodding to the lead knight of their escort.
"Enter." A voice called out, crisp and clear as the doors opened.