"Captain!" Luke shouted.
Gideon lifted his head and looked straight ahead. Luke, Lena, and Lyra had returned to the rally point, with a group of wolfkin men behind them, holding iron-tipped spears and ready for combat.
"Cover me!" Gideon commanded.
Luke and the others nodded, raised their rifles, flipped the safeties off their M4A1s, and opened fire with suppressed shots.
BANG!
The 5.56mm rounds hit several of Moko's soldiers charging with blind rage. They came without armor, wielding only swords, their fury clouding all reason after the death of their main commander.
Gideon kept running toward the wolfkin village. Bian had already ordered the entire village to prepare for battle. If the palisade was breached, the wolfkin would defend their home.
The battle startled many in the village. Women and children stayed in their homes until it was over. The wolfkin elders watched Gideon's team fight, their faces a mix of awe and disbelief.
With the black iron weapons they wielded, Gideon's team had taken down many Moko soldiers without even engaging in hand-to-hand combat. To the wolfkin, it was a terrifying power.
"STOP!" a man shouted, galloping in from the north on horseback.
Gideon reached the village safely—unhurt, just exhausted. Lena looked concerned, but he reassured her.
He turned to see three men in crimson armor on horseback. Each one was clearly a commander—infantry, cavalry, and medical, by their armor styles.
They were followed by hundreds of soldiers in full armor, armed with iron-tipped spears and rectangular shields.
"You the team leader?" one of them asked—a broad-shouldered man in heavy armor, the infantry commander.
He was speaking to Gideon, the man in green-brown camouflage standing in front of his team. It was easy to tell who the leader was based on their matching uniforms.
"That's right."
The man on the horse grinned. He dismounted and ordered the frontline troops to fall back, leaving the wounded where they were.
"Reload," Gideon ordered.
Lena and the others swapped out their mags for fresh ones. Gideon watched as the armored man stood calmly in the middle of the dirt road, as if waiting for Gideon to approach.
"Falcon Two, scout the area," Gideon commanded.
"Roger. Activating night vision. Scanning!"
Luke and Lena turned their attention to the surrounding forest, ensuring Gideon's safety in case any soldier tried to ambush him.
Through their scopes, they picked up several green glows—enemy heat signatures hiding in the trees.
"Right flank. Three targets confirmed. Awaiting execution order," Luke reported.
"Left flank. Five targets confirmed. Standing by," Lena said.
"Understood. Hold position."
"Lyra. Cover me."
"Copy, Captain!"
Gideon took a deep breath and stepped forward cautiously. He was now outside the wolfkin village again, standing just across from hundreds of Moko soldiers glaring at him with burning hatred.
"How did you kill our main commander?" the man asked.
'So that guy in the tent really was their general? Looks like the mission was a success,'Gideon thought.
"Even if I explained it, you wouldn't understand, sir."
"Can I see that black iron weapon?" the man asked.
"No."
"Since we're enemies, I can't hand over my weapon to you," Gideon replied.
"HAHA!"
"I understand. You're cautious," the man said calmly.
"I'm Norton, Infantry Commander of the Southern Moko Army. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir…"
"Gideon. Captain of Special Operations Forces 2nd, Recon Division, US Army."
"Captain Gideon… what if we made a deal?"
"You craft those weapons for us, and you and your entire team will be granted noble status—personally recommended by His Majesty the King," Norton proposed.
'If I hand them the blueprint for these weapons, destruction and danger will escalate fast,' Gideon thought.
'This is exactly what I fear about modern tech in a fantasy world.'
"How is it?" Norton asked.
Everyone knew how rare and valuable noble status was—especially if it came directly from a king. No one in this world would be foolish enough to turn that down.
Unfortunately for Norton, Gideon and his team weren't from this world. They had no interest.
"We refuse," Gideon said firmly, not even hesitating.
"That's a shame. You could've lived in luxury as nobles," Norton said.
"We're soldiers, not politicians. Luxury doesn't interest us."
Norton was impressed. He clapped slowly, Gideon's attitude reminding him of the greatest commander Moko had ever seen—one who once united all the mythical races without a single battle. He had been loved by many, but later cast aside by a jealous new king.
Since that betrayal, the Moko Kingdom had gone into decline. Many races rebelled and broke away. The consequences lingered to this day.
"Well done… very well done," Norton said.
"Our main commander is dead. The command chain is broken. The royal army will withdraw."
"I like your character, Captain Gideon."
"All troops, retreat and prepare to return to the Capital!"
"Yes, Commander Norton!" the soldiers shouted in unison.
One by one, they left the area in orderly formations, returning to their encampment to take down tents and pack supplies.
With their general dead, there was nothing more to be done. They would now wait for King Moko's next orders—likely a long, slow political process to name a new commander.
Unlike the others, Norton remained behind, standing alone. Gideon no longer sensed any danger. There was nothing to fear.
"All stations, this is Falcon One. Area is secure. Weapons low. Maintain visual," Gideon reported.
"Understood. Lowering rifles. Awaiting further tasking. Out," Luke responded.
The situation calmed down. Luke stepped forward to protect Gideon, while Norton remained in place before him.
Lena and Luke approached a few of the wounded Moko soldiers. Even though they were enemies, humanity came first. Some had been hit in the abdomen by bullets.
"Several Moko troops were hit in the belly. Their condition is critical," Lena reported.
"Extract the bullets. Provide treatment," Gideon ordered.
"Understood."
Lena called on a few wolfkin men to help carry the injured soldiers. They were shocked—many believed the enemy should just be killed off, not treated. Some refused to help.
But Bian insisted. He and a few friends stepped forward, helping carry twelve wounded soldiers into the village, laying them on the ground under close watch from the villagers.
"You're helping them? Why?" Norton asked.
"Humanity. This is war, yes, but you gave the order to retreat. That, in a way, ended the battle," Gideon said.
"You also don't seem to care about the wounded."
Norton was stunned. He had never seen an enemy treat his injured troops before. He had left them behind, thinking they weren't worth saving—they'd only be a burden on the medics and the rest of the army.
But Gideon thought differently. If he could treat them and get them home alive, then he would.
"Are we going to continue this war?" Gideon asked firmly.
Norton stood silent for a moment, then smiled and removed his iron helmet. He said he had never seen or heard of an enemy more honorable than Gideon. His kindness would make the Moko Kingdom tremble with fear.
"You might be the one to restore Moko's glory, Captain Gideon," Norton said.
"Glory?"
One by one, he removed his weapons and armor, revealing tight black clothes that hugged his muscular frame. Gideon and Luke were stunned as the man knelt before Gideon.
"I've lost," Norton admitted.
"I, Norton Ashfield, swear by my name and noble blood to follow your lead, Captain Gideon."
"What?!" Gideon exclaimed in shock.
Luke blinked in disbelief. "Well... this escalated fast."
"I command 300 elite soldiers. They'll die if I order them to. They'll fight if I ask them to," Norton said seriously.
Gideon was speechless. He had respected Norton as a strong infantry commander from Moko—but this, this was beyond anything he expected.
Luke was just as confused. He couldn't decide for Gideon, but in his opinion, having Norton on their side could only be a good thing.
The more troops fighting with Gideon, the safer they'd all be.
"If you defect to me, the Moko Kingdom will punish you—and your entire family," Gideon warned.
"Moko is already collapsing. That foolish king only cares about luxury, money, and women. He doesn't care at all for the soldiers who fight for him," Norton replied.
"My son died on the frontlines. His body was never recovered. The king sent nothing—no coin, no honor. Just silence."
"You're different, Captain Gideon. I see a wise and great commander in you."
"Let me fight for you!"