20 Km east of Gim,April 8th 1639,elf Caravan
"Hah... hah... hah..."
About 20 kilometers east of Gim, there was a small, nameless, reclusive elven village. Because they did not interact much with outsiders, news about the Gim massacre arrived there late. The villagers did evacuate, but there weren't any Kua Toinan soldiers in the area, so it was a harrowing journey to escape from Lauria's watch. Currently, they were about 10 kilometers east of the village. Short, green grasslands unfolded before them, with birds singing and wild cows eating the delicious grass. It was a very peaceful scene. This area would be easy to traverse because it was flat and there were no obstacles, but it would also be easy to find and chase after them for the same reasons. To the 200 evacuees, they would be taking a huge risk to cross these grasslands. A boy pulled on his sister's hand as they kept going east. The children's mother had died early of illness, and they were living with their father. However, because of the danger of a Laurian invasion, their father, who was part of the first reserve forces, was called in to serve the army.
"Hey, Parun. You're the older brother, so take care of Asha, okay?"
The father smiled as he entrusted everything to his son and left their home. The evacuees were not gaining any speed. The children were put in the back to keep watch; only 10 remained after the draft. 25 more kilometers to go. Only 25 kilometers until they reached the frontline Kua Toinan military base...
Suddenly, there was a cry from the rear of the group.
"Laurian horsemen!!!"
The boy looked back to see 100 Laurian cavalry about 3 kilometers behind them, quickly closing in on the group of escapees. Soldiers from the Kingdom of Lauria,with orders to slaughter all demihumans, were coming for them. The villagers began to scream as they ran, but there was no way they could outrun horses, and the army slowly gained on them.
Same time,Laurian riders
Red-Eyed Jove, captain of the Hawk Knight's 15th cavalry regiment, a Laurian knight order, licked his lips at the prey in front of him.
"Well, look what we got here...!"
Around 200 women and children were making their way east through the grasslands. They were about 3 kilometers away, but the land was flat and wide with no obstructions, so they were in plain sight. Gim was a really good time. He got to torture people and go wild, doing whatever he wanted with the blessings of his superiors. It was the best! He remembered the cat demi family in Gim. The parents begged him desperately, "don't kill us!", so of course he killed them, then fucked their daughter in front of their corpses, though then he realized he didn't need to kill them first. The cat girl had screamed and cried endlessly; he had really gotten off on that. Red-Eyed Jove felt those dark, euphoric emotions rising within him again as he eyed his new prey.He truly was the lowest scum of humanity.
The Hawk Knights were comprised of elites from the eastern Laurian vassal states. They were revered as great warriors. Within their ranks, the 15th cavalry was said to be a collection of "undesirables." They were basically former bandits and pirates, from back when Lauria was still conquering their smaller neighbors, who were bestowed peerage to become nobles. Their captain, Red-Eyed Jove, had a particularly cruel personality, known to kill any subordinates he didn't like and later reporting that they had died in the battlefield.
"All right then... time to hunt! Massacre those demis! CHARGE!!!"
"Hyahah~!"
The 15th cavalry yelled out a strange rallying cry, then galloped off in pursuit of the elves.
Back to the elves
Parun clutched Asha's hand as they ran.
"It'll be fine, Big Brother will protect you! Don't worry!"
"Yeah..."
Run, our lives are at stake. I'm scared! I'm terrified!!!
Our village was being pursued by a group of demons. Did we do something wrong? Was no god going to save us? There had to be something he could do! There had to be something.... At least, he had to protect Asha...
A memory rose unbidden into Parun's mind. While wrapped in Mom's warmth and love, she used to tell this story. Long ago, when "countries" did not yet exist, in the age of elves warring with demons, the demons tried to destroy the Sacred Forest where the elves' god lived. Many elves were killed, and their warriors lost in battle. The God of Green, the elves' creator, prayed to the supreme God of the Black cross. In answer to the God of Green's prayers, the God of the Black cross sent emissaries into the world. These emissaries, on divine flying ships and steel ground dragons,using sorcery that called down thunder and burned the land, incinerated the demons. With their main forces demolished, the demons withdrew from the Sacred Forest.
To repay them for driving back the demons, the elves offered the emissaries treasures of gold and silver. However, they simply boarded the divine ships and left without accepting them. The elves were saved, and they were able to live in peace in this world. Of the numerous flying ships, one of them broke down and was left behind. That ship was preserved with magic and stored in Kua Toine, in a sacred shrine on hallowed land within the Reen Noa Forest. His mother had said that this story actually happened. So Parun prayed as he ran.
God! Please, God! God of the Black cross! If you're really there, please, help us! Even if you need my life to do it, please, save my sister!
God, please, protect us from the evil Laurian, who want to kill us all!
...but nothing happened.
Lauria's soldiers closed in. He could now hear their voices. There was nowhere to hide in this field; they weren't going to make it. Now, they had to take a stand, or be slaughtered... but the only weapons they had were bows for hunting beasts and farming tools. Some of the villagers fell to their knees in despair. They were only 500 meters away. Everyone had given up. Parun yelled to the heavens.
"Pleeeeeaaase! God!!! HEEEEELP UUUUUSSSSSS!!!!!"
RATATATATATATTATA
The sound that the world would fear arrived.
Parun looked as the Laurian horseman where shredded to pieces,many of them were killed so quickly they could not give a proper response,after all but 20 were killed they heard a voice called out.
"für Kaiser, Gott und Vaterland"the man yelled
Red eye Jones who lived the torrent of gunfire saw 3 Iron carriages that rolled right for them and behind them were around 30 men that ran after them,the second gunfire took them down within seconds. As the Machines closed to the Evles,Parun looked at them,He couldn't take his eyes off the various shapes on the Iron Beasts.
''The Black cross! They carry the symbol of the Black cross! The Black cross's emissaries really came!"
As the men and their iron beast arrived,they looked at the people before one man spoke up
''is anyone hurt?''he asked
The villagers, scared out of their wits from there power, were unable to reply. These were people who had the power to completely wipe out the Laurian cavalry in the blink of an eye. Perhaps injured people could not be used for labor and would instead be sacrificed in order to cast that destructive magic?
Parun stepped forward.
"Thank you for saving us. Are you Emissaries of the Black Cross?"
The Germans looked at each other before they nodded,It's just a kid,what' the worse that can happen?
"Yeah, something like that." their commander said
Mutter mutter mutter... The area became filled with whispered conversations. Then, all of a sudden, the villagers all bowed down on the ground. It would take some time for the German soldiers, who just came to help with the rescue effort, to properly straighten out this misunderstanding.Why were they in the area? To prepare for their attack near Ejey and show the Laurians they are not invincible and that Germany has already won.