[b] February 24th, 4901 YDC (Yllendyr Dynastic Calendar) [/b]
[i] Imperial Capital of Ylleria, Temporary H'ang-hyun Barracks [/i]

Min Ru'sa sighed as she looked at the stack of papers on the desk in front of her. Military report readings and schedules for meetings with Yllendyr officers to get a grasp on the situation in the Crownlands was all that she had to look forward to in the coming days. Duke Xen had stationed her company of mages in Ylleria to aid Emperor Ecruir as a token gesture in honor of the newly formed alliance between their respective Empires, and as a result, that meant she was stuck here for the foreseeable future. It wasn't all that bad though. Life in Ylleria was far more cushy than what was available back at the Jade Tower. Hot, running water, lighting without the need to burn oil lamps, and of course, instant communication of the written and spoken word via telegraph and telephone! Was this what awaited Amrea in a decade's time? The thought of it made her giddy, to say the least. She'd need to spread the word once she got back, maybe start writing it all down in a journal! Conveniently, the Yllendyr operated on a silver standard as well, so that would make getting one a bit easier at least, given that she still had a few silver coins with her. 

Bleh. She was getting distracted again. Come on, focus! She stretched her arm to grab the first set of papers off the pile and eyed the title carefully. "Imperial Armament: A Guide for New Auxilia", it went. Well, that wasn't a bad way to start things off. Knowing the enemy was half the battle after all. No matter what you were fighting, whether it be Strigoi, mounted horsemen or plain old infantry, knowing what exactly you were up against would offer a great tactical advantage. It wasn't assembled in a proper book, so Min was left to assume that it was hastily printed out for her Company. Everyone in the group received a similar sized stack of papers after all. Well, except her. She was left with the largest stack due to her role as High Commander. 

Flipping past the title page, she was greeted by a print of the standard issue Yllendyr firearm, alongside conveniently placed annotations detailing important specifications such as rate of fire, ammo capacity and...
Wait a second! Her eyes widened in shock. A rate of fire of FIFTEEN per minute?! Ammo capacity for up to 5 rounds before reloading?! A rifled barrel and bolt-loader for continuous, accurate fire?! She took a deep breath before reading on. Hell, these things were more powerful than the breechloaders in use by the Banner Armies! But wait...

Something clicked in her head. That didn't matter at all. So what if they had a superior rate of fire? That just meant they could throw more shots down range in the same amount of time. It didn't matter at all. If the rank and file of the Gwangyeong Empress' Legions were to fight an Easternized army, they would be utterly decimated by the sheer firepower. For the mages of the H'ang-hyun? No, that wouldn't be a problem at all. 

She went through the rest of the papers as the sun began to set in the western sky, taking in the knowledge offered to her of the Far East, and it's weapons of death and destruction. They would serve the Empire well if a way was found to replicate them. Machine Guns, Howitzers, Grenades and superior rifles. With these in the hands of the Celestial Empire, none in the West would be able to challenge Imperial rule again. Coupled with the power of the rail and telegraph, Amrea would be transformed into a power to be reckoned with.

If she could convince Go'jun and the rest of the Imperial Council, that is. But that was something she'd save for when she got back home.


____________________________

[b] February 25th, 4901 YDC (Yllendyr Dynastic Calendar) [/b]
[i] Imperial Capital of Ylleria[/i]

Mae-da sat quietly on one of the many decorated chairs littering the conference room as the briefing of the Yllendyr Officers continued in front of him. Seated around him were at least a hundred other men and women, all commanding officers of the Auxilia Legions that had been rescued from the rebelling dominions or had been pulled away from the ones that remained loyal. Min Ru'sa was in attendance too, but she was busy formulating a battle plan for the Company in a quiet corner of the conference hall alongside Colonel Rhalva, the woman in charge of the planned offensive. Ahead, he could see the officer leading the session gesture wildly with a pointer stick at a mass of diagrams pinned on a wooden board, detailing troop deployments, railway timetables and the logistics behind the operation. None of it really concerned him, given that they hadn't even begun to mention the role the Imperial Mages would play in the upcoming battle, if at all. 

All he really needed to know was where he was going, who was he supporting and what he'd be facing. They'd begin moving out in a few hours after the briefing. From there, he and his squad would carve a path through the rebel lines. With or without the Yllendyr's advanced weapons, the rebels would not and could not stop him. Not when he get into the [i]mood[/i] for it, atleast. Once he feels that jolt in his brain as the adrenaline kicks in, he'd go all out, and destroy everything in his path. 

The sounds of tens of chairs scraping against the floor caused him to turn his head up and back towards the front. It seemed the strategic conference was just about over, with the assembled COs giving their final salutes before exiting out the door and returning to their respective Auxilia. This left three people in the room, the Colonel, Mae-da and Min. And of course, it looked like the two were just about done.

"Junior Commander, if I may have your attention for a moment?" came the Colonel's voice as the pair approached her.

"Yes, Colonel. Of course ya can. I haven't had much to do at this meeting anyway. Your subordinate's plans don't exactly factor in how[i]my[/i] force's are going to be acting." 

"[i]Our[/i] forces, Mae-da." said Min.

"Yep, yep, our forces, Min. Anyway, getting to the point...what have you two cooked up in the corner over there?" inquired Mae-da.

"Do you want the short version or the long version, Junior Commander?"

"Long version's fine with me. Field battles involving tens of thousands ain't exactly like dueling a Strigoi out in the woods. If you have a plan you want me to follow, lay it on me. That being said though, no guarantees I'll stick to it once the fight really gets started!" Mae-da chuckled gruffly before turning back to face the two.

"Well, the plan is pretty much as follows, Mae-da. His Imperial Highness' forces control most of the railways in the Crownlands, and more specifically, the majority of the Southern Rail-line connecting Ylleria to the city of Imqua. Olarth's forces have disabled most of the railway track south to stop a rapid offensive, so the trains will have to stop somewhere about 70% of the way to Imqua, and continue on foot. From there it's a three day march to the city."

"Junior Commander, the main element of this operation is speed. We need to capture Imqua as quickly as possible before reinforcements from Altairis or Umthyr arrive. Thus a siege of it's main defensive structure, Fort Solsryn is completely impractical. Commander Min has assured me of the elite abilities of your company, and as thus I will require the mages of Amrea to serve as the vanguard. Bring down the fortress wallswith your magicks, or infiltrate it in the dead of night and open the gates, whatever works. What I need is that you Amreans open a way for the Auxilia into the structure as fast as possible. We can handle the rest from there."

Mae-da paused for a moment, processing what had just been explained to him. "No problem, Colonel Rhalva. I'll figure something out." 

"Good on you, Mae-da~! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to discuss with the officers in the Artillery Corps to see if we can boost their firepower with some plasma magic for the offensive."

"Likewise, Junior Commander, I have one final meeting to attend before we begin the offensive."

With that, the two of them left the conference hall one after another, leaving Mae-da alone yet again. He moved over to the front of the hall, grabbing one of the maps left behind of the layout of Imqua's defenses. From the map, he could see that Imqua was divided into two sections, inner wall and outer wall. However, the defenses of the city were a non-factor. Fort Solsryn was what they'd be shedding blood for. The Yllendyr preferred to hold a fortification outside the city itself, and the capture of such a fortification by the enemy signaled the capture of the city as well. The Pretender's forces would most likely remain within the Fort and defend from within, where they had access to large stores of munitions and rations whilst reinforcements arrived. If that was the case, he'd just have to get his men to tear the walls down, brick by bloody brick.

__________________________________


[hider=Recommended Music]
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ8kzcf_8CU[/url]
[/hider]

[b]February 28th, 4901 YDC (Yllendyr Dynastic Calendar) [/b]
[i] Fort Solsryn, outskirts of Imqua [/i]

The early misty morning began with the roar of howitzers and the whizzing of shells as they flew towards their targets at Fort Solrysn and its surroundings. The extent of the bombardment around the vicinity of the Fort was certainly limited, given the Imperium's concern with preventing excessive damage to the city's vital rail infrastructure on the outskirts of Imqua. Once the Fort fell, the way to the city would be open and it would fall in short order. If Imqua was to fall to Ecruir's forces here, it would be the equivalent of pointing a dagger at the pretender's heart. All that would be needed was a thrust, and Olarth's life would be extinguished. In less metaphorical terms, the strategic value of Imqua was as thus: 

It was a vital railway hub located in the very centre of the Crownlands, connected by track to every major city under Olarth's control from Umthyr to the Sundersevain Grove. The capture of the city would give Ecruir''s forces the momentum to advance further south to the Altairis Wall, and from there, bring the civil war to a close. With the Crownlands under the rightful Emperor's control, the Sentinels would have no reason to remain on the sidelines any longer, thus granting Ecruir the army he so desired.

In a sentence, Imqua was the pivot upon which the fate of the Imperium swung. 

The shells battering the Fort were strong enough bombardment to force the garrison to hunker down within as the Auxilia marched ever onwards. From the inside, their own batteries would attempt to return fire, trading shells back and forth as the Auxilia marched ever closer to the walls. Leading the vanguard of the assault was Mae-da himself alongside a handpicked squad of four other H'ang-hyun mages. They would be the battering ram that broke the Fortress walls, allowing for the true Emperor's legions to swarm through the breach.

A pair of mages stepped forward, placing their hands on the wall as the sounds of their alien aria intermingled with the rattling of rifles and the fierce beat of the artillery. 

[i]"Behold, my Arte, my Power"[/i] began their chants

The foundations of the walls began to shake as the two mages of the H'ang-hyun cast their unholy magicks, their strength beyond anything accomplish-able by a sole, individual mage. 

[i]"The Sun stood high in the sky, unchallenged and absolute.
 Yet his ungrateful spawn dared to defy him, to curse and shout
Unaware of their own folly, He saw fit to punish them.[/i]

Segments of the bulwark began to collapse as the incantation rose higher and higher into the air, the walls buckling under the intense strain placed upon them.

[i]Sundering the Moon, his own Sister, He sent
Fragments of stone to crush their defiance.
As was once done, so it shall be again![/i]

[b]Shatter.[/b]"

With that last word, a segment of the walls of Fort Solsryn crumbled into naught but a crumpled heap of stone, concrete and gravel as smoke and dust rose into the air, concealing the advance of the Imperial Auxilia and Amrean Mages. Mae-da simply grinned as he brushed his way through the debris. Ah, he could feel the blood pumping through his veins faster and faster. This was what he'd waited for. The chaos and adrenaline of a battlefield, where it was kill or be killed, no room for thoughts, no room for doubts, just an endless maelstrom of carnage. He turned his head to look behind him and called for his men.

"Oi, now's the time. Tearing down that wall didn't leave you all queasy did it? There's gonna be alot more spellcasting before this day is through." His voice rang through the air. "Let's get to it, cast some [i]Formation[/i] spells and advance! We've got some savages to kill!"

"Yes, my Lord." came their replies. Mae-da could feel his skin harden, as his lips curved in the crude semblance of a grin. Let's see if those fancy rifles of the Elves could pierce him now. Fort Solsryn would fall, and with it, Imqua itself.

______________________________________

Min looked out from the outskirts of the city as a section of the wall crumbled before her eyes. She sighed and remarked to herself, "Well, that's one way in, isn't it?" before looking back at the artillery crews behind her. Her hands began to gesture theatrically as she attempted to wave down one of the howitzer crews. One of the crewmen, a uniformed human Auxilia ran up to her, saluting in respect, all the while maintaining an uneasy expression from being summoned by the Imperium's newest ally.

"You called, Commander?" 

"Indeed, disregard your previous orders and re-calibrate your artillery gun to fire at an undamaged section of the wall. I'm going to create another breach." 

The artilleryman merely nodded and return to his gun, followed by Min close behind. Slowly, the howitzer's barrel began to arc lower and lower, till it was aimed at the walls of Fort Solsryn. A pair of elves carried a shell from the rear and meticulously loaded the gun. In an attempt to not be outdone by Mae-da, as well as save Auxilia forces from being mowed down in droves by the defenders through a single chokepoint (though it was more the former), she began her own incantation.

Her boots dug into the ground as her stance shifted to the offense. Around her body and wrists, circles of light began to materialize and rotate effortlessly as the air was permeated with the ethereal presence of strange otherworldly runes. She giggled in her thoughts as she wondered what the others were thinking she was up to with that kind of display. It didn't really mean anything. The light show was just her way of messing around. Min's true abilities would be unleashed in the next moment.

Two syllables escaped her mouth.

[i]"Ka-sei."[/i]

Everything had a price, that was one of reality's major rules, its unbreakable law. Nothing can be gained without giving something in return. To obtain that which is desired, something of equal value had to be relinquished. In the case of mages, that was the one and only truth. To perform miracles, to conjure tidal waves to drown their foes, to bathe them in the fires of hell and to dry the blood in their veins, all of that exerted the very essence of one's being, their soul. Tearing down the walls single-handedly, Mae-da's unholy armour, and even what she was about to do was no exception to that universal constant. Overextertion of the soul in the name of performing magic would kill a mage, greatly limiting the power of any lone individual, yet the elite mages of the Celestial Empire had pioneered a different solution. It was naught but a cheap imitation of the Strigoi, and the powers they naturally commanded through their wicked, tainted, bloodline and thirst for blood. The principle was simple. Do not exert your own soul, take in the souls of a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand, use them as nothing but kindling, sacrifice them to safeguard your own as you weave an Aria for your magicks. 

Though it wasn't as simple as that, souls contained the thoughts and memories of the being who existed in the physical world. Any normal being would be mentally shattered if they couldn't muster the willpower to block out the screams of the thousands trapped within them. The souls of the damned would strengthen their own presence in the void between the magical planes, allowing them to exert greater force upon their naturally-attuned plane. Igniting a field of fire the size of a grove, tearing kilometer-wide fissures into the very earth, all of it and more stood within the reach of those who had accumulated the necessary souls to fuel their incantations. 

Of course, Min didn't really have anything that powerful up her proverbial sleeve. [i]Yet.[/i]

"Fury of the Sun!" She exclaimed.

"FIRE!" 

The barrel warped and scream as the howitzer's roar filled the sky, it's shell propelled forward by an explosion beyond anything possible with conventional artillery. The recoil of the barrel embedded it into the Earth as the sheer force knocked the crew over and into the dirt. The shell continued to fly toward its mark, whizzing through the air before impacting another segment of the wall. The foundations split and sundered as the projectile's sheer kinetic energy threatened to knock it over, carving a hole through the fort's defenses. Outside, the cheers of the Auxilia turned into a furious battle-cry as they swarmed through the newly-opened breach in the walls.

Bayonet on bayonet, bullet on bullet. Ogre, Elf, Man, Therian, Dragon or Spider-Ant, they would all fight on the walls, the courtyard and in the rooms of each and every building in Fort Solsryn. Inch by bloody inch would they push against the defenders, or be pushed back themselves. They would either be victorious or die in the attempt. There would be no middle ground. This war was being fought for the future they believed in, that they were drawn to and held dear in their hearts. 

The sun continued to rise in the sky as the morning mist began to clear, set on a path predetermined. Yet the world seemed darker than ever before, as the light and luster of a Golden Age faded from the world of V'landriel.