468 The Un An (1/2)
The New World, City of Hensink, New Protectorate Territories
Inquisitor General Rism smashed the golden goblet in his hands to the ground as he watched the disgraceful retreat of his men from the crystal recording. The other officers flinched as blood red wine splattered over the rich carpets and sweated nervously as they awaited the outburst from their commander.
”These... heretics!” Rism fumed. ”How dare they! How dare they strike against our holy warriors doing Ramuh's justice on this land! Heresy!”
”What do we know of them?” Rism asked in a cold voice to his gathered officers after he had calmed down. ”Why had we not encountered this... demonic force?”
”Lord Inquisitor General,” An officer stepped forward and said, ”The local lawless seemed to know them as the Un An... A force that is also deemed heretic by the standards of the locals here.”
”A heretical force among the heretics?” Rism laughed. ”What a joke!”
”Find out everything you can of this... Un An...” Rism growled. ”They dared raised their hands against us not once but twice!”
”My Lord,” Another officer stood forward. ”These Un An appeared to possess weapons that... uh... might be superior to own our...”
”Be careful with your words... Colonel Acolyte...” Rism warned. ”Blasphemy will not be tolerated!”
The colonel acolyte bowed his head in apology and changed his words, ”The enemy possess weapons of unholy powers, especially in the air. Their flyers are fast and deadly. Our ships are slower and... more likely to be hurt by the heretical flyers.”
”So?” Rism asked. ”Can they stop our Will? Our Faith?”
”No, Lord,” The colonel acolyte continued. ”The lawless and heretics cannot stop our Will and Faith, but we are on their land now...”
”We have limited troops and weapons,” The colonel acolyte explained. ”While they have an entire nation or kingdom of people and resources to draw upon.”
”In this manner, we are... lacking...” The colonel acolyte nervously said. ”We do not have the numbers to win if they can call upon such unholy powers on our warriors.”
Rism gave a unhappy grunt, as he too know this was a fact. ”What do you propose than?”
”We... need to pull back our forces...” The colonel acolyte said. ”Dig in and hold out while building up our strength and with one decisive action, we bring Judgement to the heretics!”
Rism frowned as he did not like give up things that belonged to him. ”We will be a laughingstock to the other Great Nations if they knew we retreated before a bunch of heretics and barbarians!”
”My Lord, we have to think of the bigger picture!” His officers advised him. ”Once the fleet returns with the third wave of reinforcements and supplies, our position will be stronger!”
”As the Judge had once said,” The colonel acolyte added. ”One can run from his sins, but no one can out run the Judgement!”
”Start transporting all the new converts and sinners here!” He ordered. ”Put them to work in the mines and farms!”
”Gather all the magic crystals we can!” Rism said. ”I want every single piece of crystal in our hands!”
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The New Kingdom of Mecca, Town of Turnstead
Sergeant Cork closed his fist over the dog tags in his hand with a deep sigh before he shoved them into his breast pocket. He turned his attention to the small crew of combat engineer goblins and elves who were all over the husk of a downed golem laying on its side.
A goblin in a kid sized overalls wielded a crowbar and had one end of it inside the cracks of the frontal armor. He leapt off the golem and dangled at the other end of the crowbar, trying to pry open the armor plating. Other goblins giggled and laughed at his antics and joined in, climbing over the golem and one by one they added their weight to the crowbar.
The weakened armor plating with dozens of fist sized holes gave way with a moan of twisted metal and the rivets popped off. The goblins fell off the end of the crowbar with cheers and laughter as they swarmed over the removed plating to stare at the golem's innards.
Cork feeling curious, went up to join the small crowd of soldiers who were watching the engineers take the golem apart. Suddenly, the goblins who were fiddling with something inside the golem's innards, caused a hatch opened up just behind the head and a thick viscous smelly fluid spew out from the opening.
The goblins cheered again and they ignored the smelly fluid and gathered around the opened hatch. This time, they dragged something or someone out and dumped it on the ground without ceremony. A twisted figure laid curled up in a fetal position with tubes and hoses sticking out of it withered body.
Cork went closer to examine the body, and the sour stench of decay and rot grew stronger. The body that laid twisted in death did not seemed to have passed away just recently. Instead, the naked body looked like someone who had died months or even years ago. The skin was grey and leathery, muscles and flesh had atrophied away, while the some sort of leather mask was sewn over the mouth and nose with two hoses that stretched into the hatch.
The eyes of the body was stitched shut, including the ears. Two more hoses were attached in a row at the upper spine, one hose each at the elbows and back of the thighs and even the privates. Cork stood back in disgust as the body remained him of the Emperor's experiments in making the Bronze men.
The goblins chatted excitedly over the discovery as they continued digging about the golem while Cork gave a sad shake of his head and went off to find his surviving men.
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