Dimensional Travels: World at War-Chapter 86: Decisions

The next day, Eric sat in a room with Mia, Milano, Miher, and a man dressed in a butler suit. No one spoke as each person looked from one to the other. "So this is the contact you were referring to?" Eric said, his eyebrow arched as he looked at the butler.

Owersky bowed to Eric and the two Generals

"Good afternoon Master Sergeant Dryer and General’s of 6-8. I was hoping to arrive at a much later date, but unfortunately the Cartharic Empire forced my hand. We were all due to be executed by Prince Heith, so I informed Mia and we fled."

Eric pulled out a notebook. "How many people total came with you?"

"75."

Eric tapped his pen on the desk. He looked at the Generals. They didn’t have room at the hotel in freedom town for 75 people.

Milano spoke up. "I will have someone from Vegas put the families in a hotel. We will decide what to do after they are in their lodgings. Before that is done. Mrs.Dryer informed me that you had intel. What is it you wish to tell us?"

The butler sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He rubbed his face in his hands as he met the eyes of everyone in the room.

"Prince Heith has been running the Empire to the ground. The people have little faith in him, and as the days roll on, refugees fleeing the Empire become more common. This war between you and Cartharic has made his methods even more volatile."

The man gulped as he rubbed his neck.

"Over the last few days he would execute servants left and right. He had the four generals responsible for Esponia executed on the spot for failing him."

Milano nodded after Owersky finished. "That aligns with the reports we have been recieving. Why do you bring that up?"

Owersky leaned forward, his hands trembling.

"The God Mithrael has descended in human form. He has integrated with his avatar, and has decided to lead the war himself. He placed Prince Heith on House arrest and began ordering the Generals to implement an encirclement of Riemskin."

Mia looked up in confusion. "How do you all of this? Were you not long gone by the time the meeting was held?"

Owersky chuckled. "I still have friends in the castle."

His smile then disappears. "There are a few things you must also know. The empire has begun work on new projects that they deem "impossible for you to stop."

A pause as he drank water. His face down at the desk. "They want to make human bombs."

The Generals shared a look with each other and at Eric. The three men from Earth were reminded of villages and screaming families in a desert. Eric clenched his jaw, barely suppressing the mana that threatened to explode.

"I see. If that is the case, then we know how to deal with it to an extent. In our world using humans as bombs is not a new idea."

Owersky sighed and shook his head, his eyes tearing up. "I will never forget the screams."

Eric and Milano nodded. They knew all too well what the man meant.

Owersky continued after collecting himself. "The last project they were working on was an upgraded mana circle... they wish to degrade your mana-less vehicles."

The room stilled. Eric clenched his fists. "Now that...

"Is a problem."

Milano and Miher lean forward in their seats, each taking out notepads. "Do you know the range?" Milano asked as he cross referenced a not he had taken from an earlier brief. "The mana suppression circle has a range of approximately three to five miles, does it match that?"

Owersky shook his head. "No, General. So far the largest it has spread is approximately half a mile."

Miher spoke up. "Does it require time to activate? And is there a signal it is being used?"

Owersky nodded. "Yes General. The most recent tests have shown that the closest Catharic has gotten the time down to is roughly ten minutes."

He pulled out his notebook and some letters, handing it to the Generals. "This is all the data on the systems I was able to procure."

Eric spoke up, his arms crossing. "Why do you know so much about it?" He said, creasing his eyebrows. "I do not mean to offend, but it appears as if you are a butler to me. Why would you be trusted with state secrets?"

Owersky sighed. "Ten years ago, I was an elven village leader. Cartharic forces destroyed my village. They defiled my wife and killed my daughter. I and my wife were able to survive due to luck. I have been hiding my true identity from the prince for all that time, hoping to get my chance at revenge. Overtime, he came to trust me. I was promoted to Head Butler. In Cartharic society, the head butler holds the same title as the head of house. Special licensing is required, naturally, and Head Butlers must face many tests. I was eventually given the title, and prince Heith would give me oversight of many projects due to my talents."

Eric nodded, filing his thoughts away. He looked at the Generals as they moved on to the next order of business.

"We will trust you, but we will also verify what you have said." Milano spoke up as he made eye contact with Owersky. "I am not at liberty to have you join my forces, however I trust that should we need a consult, we can contact you?"

Owersky nodded, his head bowed. "I am grateful to be alive and away from the chains that life constricted me with. If you are ever in need of my services, I will do my best to rise to the occasion."

Milano turned to the radio operator. "Have Charlie and Delta bring LMTV’s. They are to get the civilians from Cartharic to Vegas. Have them stay at the Red Belle Hotel." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

As Owersky got up from his chair to leave, his eyes widened. He felt the air burn his very breath as he looked into the corner of the room.

A ball of flame filled the air, and a man stepped out of the flame. Alongside the man stood a woman of such beauty that Owersky gasped audibly. He swallowed his thoughts and bowed. "Lady Trephania.... please for-"

She cut him off. "I bear no ill will, mortal. After traversing the plane, I have seen the atrocities my son has wrought on the surface. It pains me so to see those that are innocent being treated so barbarically. I assure you, the man whom my son is today is not the sweet child I held at his birth. I am here to confirm if what you said is true."

Milano and Miher sat still, seemingly frozen in time as they looked back and forth between Owersky and the God’s. Eric leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose as he imagined the verbal reaming he was about to recieve.

Owersky stood. "Yes, my lady. It is as I said, Mithrael himself has descended."

Dreha sighed. He placed his forehead in his hands and rubbed his face. "That idiot will create his own downfall." He groaned.

"Very well, sons of Adam. I am afraid we cannot intervene, but I will caution you on any course of action you take. Mithrael is not like Heith. He is a patient man. He still finds your technology fascinating, and will go to such lengths to study it."

Milano stood up, looking at the Phoenix. "Thank you." He said reluctantly. He had no idea how to address a God, so he nodded to the man. "Oh? Bear no thought towards my treatment, mortal. That one has never treated me differently than how he treats other mortals."

A creak echoed from Milano’s body as he turned to Eric. The Master Sergeant shrugged. "All’s well that ends well."

Trephania looked down at Eric, smiling. She saw Mia, and the two had matching rings.

"I bless your marriage, young ones. Remain strong in your convictions."

With the warning given, Trephania and Dreha dissappear back into the space between worlds. "Have you decided, child?" The Phoenix said, his eyes lined with worry. "If you descend as a mortal, there will be no going back. You will have to re-attain divinity."

Trephania smiled and kissed Dreha on his forehead. "Yes, Grandfather." She responded while hugging him. "I want to help undo the evils my ex husband and son have wrought on this world."

After the Gods leave, all eyes turn to Eric. Eric pretends to look up at the ceiling as a hand grasps his arm tightly. Mia is smiling at him. A dark smile that does not reach her eyes. "Mm. Husband?" She said with poisonous sweetness.

"When were you going to share with the rest of us that you have a God following you around?"

He chuckled. "Would you have believed me?"