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The Man Who Sold the World

CLANK! SHWUP!

“Aaaah...”

Ah... this spring air. It was... a tad bit hotter than what he was used to. Spring was cool, usually sticking in the 50s and 60s. But right now? Oh, it was in the 70s... the 80s, even. Now, that's not to say that's a bad thing, of course. Here, this was typical. It just wasn't what he was used to. You'd think after living here for two years now, he'd be used to this heat. But, no, you'd be wrong.

Heh... funny that.

Flowers. In his youth, he remembered flowers. His grandmother was a gardener, you see. When he was a toddler, he'd stand at the side, watching as she dug out hole, and then placed her flowers into said holes. She'd do this for hours at a time, planting a wide assortment of beautiful fauna that, even now, lives rent free in his mind.

For practically all his life, his grandparents were his real parents, considering the misfortune that befell his parents. His youthful days were spent at their estate, growing up alongside them. He learned his virtues from his grandparents, his tenacity, his pension for survival... and his kindness.

They died not too long ago, but due to circumstances, he could not be there for their funeral. It pained him even now to think about it, but that's why he plants these flowers. In some small way, this was his attempt to connect with them, even through a spiritual plain. One day he'd return home – return to Dudral – and properly say his goodbyes to his grandparents' graves. But that day...

“Heeeey! Rraaaaay!”

Was a long ways away.

He stood up from his newly planted flower, dressed in dirty shorts and a thin shirt. His once pale skin had long since turned tanned within the sunlight of this country... but that's about the only noticeable change he's had.

Same messy brown hair? Check. Same sharp blue eyes? Uh-huh. That same soft disposition? You'd think after years in the army, not to mention two years living here, he'd have gave some hardness to him... but no. That was the same as well.

And, yes, that unfortunately meant that he was still had the same short stature he always had. Standing in at five feet one inch, he feared his dreams of being tall and handsome were just that; dreams.

Standing up tall, the young man looked into the direction where the call came from. His eyes fell on the backdoor patio of an opulent chateau... and the wolfess who stood in front of it. The wolfess carrying a baby in her arms.

She was big. Far bigger than he was in fact. Far bigger than anyone he's ever met. And that still rang true, even after the two years since meeting her. It's not really easy to meet people who stood above seven feet tall, especially in a country like this where the beastkin population tended to err on the shorter end like he.

While he changed very little, the same could be said for her. She still had that amazonian height, still had that snow-white fur, still had those crystal-blue eyes, the slender snout and pointed nose, and that noble, handsome scar that ran horizontally along her snout. About the only change she did have was her hair. The once short, wavy, white curls which fell to her chin, now fell long, flowing along her body like a cloud as it curled and bounced in various directions.

Unlike him, she was adorned in a sundress, one which showed the physique of her arms and bust. Coupled with the wide-brim hat on her head, she gave off the air of an elegant – and amazonian – aristocrat.

Standing there with one hand on her hip and the the other hand holding up a swaddled baby, she gave the young man in the distance a boisterous smile. He stared back, his arm dragging against his brow to clean the sweat which adorned his features. Smiling at her, he approached the wolfess, saying not a word as he came up to her. Then he stood on the tips of his toes, causing her to lean forward and--

Chu...

Ah... this feeling never gets old.

“Hey, Ray,” said the wolfess as their lips parted.

“Hey, Hilde,” he replied, before looking down towards the baby in her arms, “And hello to you too, Isolde.”

Looking down, he gently lifted the covers on the swaddled infant, revealing the human face of a baby girl. She had dirty brown hair, but the white ears of a wolf. Eyes closed, the infant was resting blissfully in the arms of her mother, who gently tugged her close.

“Okay, okay! Enough!” said the wolfess as she lightly pushed the young man away, “Come on, Ray. You smell like sweat and dirt. Get upstairs and take a shower; we can't have our local governor funking up the senate when he goes in later today. And Isolde here really shouldn't think of her father smelling like trash either.”

“T-trash?” repeated the young man as he lifted his arm and placed his nose into his pit, “Sniff sniff... huh... I don't know... I think this is the smell of determination! Hah hah!”

“Oh get real!” said the wolfess as she placed her hand on his shoulder, pushing him in towards the chateau, “Get going, Ray. We have work today, okay? Your garden can wait.”

On January 27th, a convoy containing multiple units of the Dudral Kingdom was attacked in a surprise ambush by their warring enemies while transferring to a distant outpost on the Fringe. 57 men and women lost their lives that day. There was but one survivor.

His name was Private Ray Alto.

What happened next is a story itself. Ray – seeking safety from the frigid chill of the Fringe – came in contact with a wolfess named Brunhilde Edda. She was the only survivor of a surprise ambush from their warring enemies.

Sounds familiar?

Despite being members of warring factions, they teamed up in order to survive the extreme conditions of the Fringe. Their search brought them to an old, abandoned Dudral military base by the name of Outpost Gamma. Together, they weathered through the intense storm outside... and grew closer as a result.

When free from the rules of their nations, free from the war which forced them together in the first place, they came to realize that they weren't that much different. Sure, they looked different, and they had different temperaments, but they were also still the same.

Together in the outpost, they waited for their allies to come find them. Whether Dudral or Yggdrasil, they did not care. Their fate was in the hands of the snow around them, and whether or not their SOS signal would be found.

This event happened two years ago. And what happened next...? Well...

…

…

Perhaps they had it all wrong. Perhaps they were wrong to think that Dudral would change. Perhaps they were wrong to think that Yggdrasil would change. Perhaps they were wrong to think that life would work out now that they were lovers. What's that old saying? Love conquers all? Hah... such trite, childish beliefs. A war wasn't going to stop because two soldiers found love in one another; that's fairytales.

But they did fall in love, didn't they? And they couldn't bring themselves to fight anymore, whether it be each other or each other's people. They were closer now with one another, than they had been with anyone ever before. Close enough that they yearned for a new life together. A life away from Dudral, a life away from Yggdrasil, a life away from the war. A life together.

A life here... in Kranst.

Amid the war between Dudral and Yggdrasil, Kranst was a bastion to those hoping to be free of it. A neutral country, it picked no sides, and had its borders open to any and all wishing to avoid the bloody conflict. And, yes, this includes two soldiers who found love in one another.

Was their SOS ever received by anyone, be they Dudral and Yggdrasil? Ray and Brunhilde never found out. After spending days at the base, they were eventually forced to leave Outpost Gamma together. Beyond that, they left the Fringe, and never returned to their countries. Not to say they didn't hold them in their heart.

Ah... but that's for a little bit later.

“Darcy called,” said Brunhilde as they entered into the chateau, “They said something about Argos possibly aiding Yggdrasil in the war by supplying weaponry. But the president of Argos wasn't sure yet.”

“Hrrrgh... I hope I can convince them otherwise at the senate,” muttered Ray, a disappointed look forming on his face, “Yggdrasil and Dudral have been warring for what feels like forever, and it just won't stop. Neither side is budging, even as casualties mount,” he paused for a moment, “We're not fighting anymore, but it's so tiresome...”

“Hey... don't sound so glum,” said Brunhilde as she gently rubbed the back of his head, “These things take time; you know that. There was no way we were going to bring to end the war this fast, even if we were at our most hopeful,” then a smile spread out on her lips, “So chin up! I'm not going to let Isolde sit around her father if he's acting all sour.”

“Hhhhh... well...” he smiled at her in a sheepish manner, “Hah ha! You're right, Hilde. I shouldn't be so negative. That'll only devalue all the good we have done since joining the senate!”

“Exactly! Now go and take a shower! We'll eat together, then I'll see you off to--”

Ding! Dong!

Both stopped, their eyes gazing towards the main lobby of their home. Their chateau was a royal and beautiful place, with arched walls and ceilings that all came in a variety of cool colors. Blues, whites, silvers all mixed together, making it feel like you're staring up at the sky on a sunny day. Resting out in the countryside of Kranst, they had very few neighbors... which made the sound of a ringing doorbell all the weirder.

Confused, Ray and Hilde gave each other curious looks, before staring back towards the front door of their home together. Walking towards it, the young man opened it up, revealing--

“Z-Zefiro?”

On the other end of their door was a horse. He stood tall, taller than Ray, though not as tall as Hilde. An older equine as well, he had a tired look in his brown eyes, short black hair, and a sullen, if not aloof appearance. Nevertheless, he carried himself with this poise and gravitas, one that told everyone he was better than anyone around him. Or – more accurately – he gave the aura of a politician.

Make of that what you will.

“Ray. Brunhilde,” he said, his deep voice ringing through the foyer, “We need to talk.”

…

“Hah... man... it's so cold out here.”

“Is that all you can complain about? Jeeze. Cold this, cold that. Go sit in the rec room if you're so damn cold.”

Kranst was a neutral country. Whatever was going on between Dudral, Yggdrasil, and their allies, had nothing to do with this nation. It had gained its detractors for making such a choice – particularly with politicians and nobility in Dudral – but this swayed their decision little. For generations they have watched as wars were waged by the royal kingdom; why should this war be any different? Especially when considering the inception for the war was... dubious at best.

But there's no use debating it now. This was Kranst's stance, and had been for several years now. That being said, the country was not ignorant to the war going on around them. Maybe that's why they kept their military bases staffed with men, and their armaments stocked with weaponry. While the country had not tasted war in years, they weren't going to stand idly by and wait for the wars to come to them.

Hopefully it would not come to them... hopefully.

At this time of night, the moon held high in the sky, accompanied by stars which twinkled alongside them. Corsair Airfield was this base's name: a military outpost which contained – you guessed it – jets and plans apart of Kranst's air force. Despite this being a military base however, no one seemed to move with any sense of urgency or rush. Everything was quiet and calm, as they have been for the past few years. And at the command center of the base were two beastkin; a mouse and a cat. Their names?

“Sit down, Jerry,” muttered the cat in an annoyed manner, “Ugh... of all the people I could've been stationed with, why'd it have to be you?”

“Yeah, yeah,” replied the mouse with a snarky grin as he reached over for a nearby cup of coffee, “Day in and day out, we wake up, do our chores, then just sit around for the next 24 hours doing a whole lot of nothing. Haaaah...” he leaned back in his chair, groaning as he stared up to the ceiling over head, “I'm starting to go... what's the term again? Stir crazy? I gotta keep looking at you and Butch all day, it can not get anymore annoying than this.”

“Then why don't you, I dunno, ask to be discharged?” asked the feline as he wagged his hand in the air, “I bet if you keep complaining, they'll have you back home by the weekend... dishonorably, of course.”

“Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't you?” said the mouse as he brought his cup of coffee to his lips, “Jerry going back home, dishonorably discharged, all so Tom can sleep in silence? Tch...! Give me a break... nmmph...”

Smirking to himself, Jerry began to lean his cup of coffee to his lips, drinking it down. Despite the shared animosity towards one another, one could not ignore the casual air which permeated the military base as a whole. Sure, some soldiers were running about as if they were in active duty, but most were relaxing, talking, trying to enjoy their time out here as nothing happened.

Nothing happened. Aah...

Maybe if the were more alert, they could have avoided it. But even then... that's wishful thinking. For what was coming – what would appear...

“Hey... hey! J-Jerry...? You... you see that?”

No one could have prepared for.

The mouse groaned as he pulled his mug from his lips. Looking over at the feline beside him, he shot him an annoyed glare, only to read the surprise look he wore on his face. Again he groaned, thinking Tom was being melodramatic, but deciding to entertain his ally, he looked forward too.

And...

“Wh... what...?”

Headlights. Bright, white, headlights. They beamed in the distance and floated in the skies, where they shined upon the land like the lampposts above a football field. But there were only two of them, and the way they floated there at a perfect distance from one another, gave off the impression of them being more like eyes.

Confused, Jerry stood up from his chair alongside Tom, and the duo leaned over on the dashboard of their command console to get a better look at these 'eyes'. They hovered there – miles away and in the skies – appearing like some otherworldly force. But when they leaned forward just a tiny bit...

Blink...

They vanished.

“What the...?” muttered Tom as Jerry turned.

“C'mon! Let's go see if anyone else saw it.”

Nodding, the cat followed along behind the mouse, and the two rushed away from the command console. For the most part, those they passed were unaware of the 'eyes' they saw as they were indoors. But there were a few who noticed it, a few who were also rushing alongside the cat and mouse as they all exited the base together.

Coming out on the airfield's landing strip, they stared up to the skies where they saw those 'eyes'. Was it out there? Or did they make it up? No, that's impossible; not only did they see it, but others did as well! So... where was it? Where did it go?

“Did I... make that up...?” Tom muttered to himself in an confused manner, before looking over at the mouse beside him, “J-Jerry... you did see that, right? Right?”

But the mouse didn't answer. Squinting in, he began walking forward as he peered even harder at the skies overhead. He even placed his hand above his eyes to block out the lights from their lampposts. As he did so, he scanned the heavens for something – anything – that remained of the 'eyes' they saw.

And for a few moments, all he saw was nothing. No 'eyes', and no body for which the 'eyes' to be attached to. Closing an eye and cocking his head, Jerry gritted his teeth, wondering if he, Tom, and the others who saw the 'eyes' just imagined it all. Hey, crazier things have happened, right?

But...

Blink...

“What the hell...?”

The 'eyes' returned. Above them all, they shined like lights in the distance, being even closer now than they had been before. Slowly they descended as they trapped those beneath them in their ever present gaze, growing brighter and brighter and brighter.

More and more soldiers emerged from the base, all of them gazing up to the lights which glowed like some otherworldly visitor. There were commands given, shouts and hollers, but for Tom and Jerry, it all fell on deaf ears. They were too mesmerized by the light above them to speak...

Something was above them. Something vaguely... humanoid. It had a bonnet-like hat on its head, and a billowing skirt like a dress. But that's all they could see. This silhouette of a woman, only there was no flesh for her body, or fabric for her clothes. It was all made of metal.

Cold... unfeeling... unflinching... metal.

And then came the destruction...

ZZOOOOOOWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee...

KER-POW!!!

“WHAT!?”

With no warning, a jet exploded, erupting into a ball of steal and flames. Before anyone had time to parse this however, another aircraft suddenly exploded, where it was sent tumbling through the air. Next was a jeep, which was launched up in a steal cage of carnage, before crashing into the ceiling of a nearby barracks.

One by one, vehicles and objects were destroyed as this monstrous pair of 'eyes' floated above the airfield. Soldiers ran left and right, attempting to quell the madness, but utterly failing to do so. Alarms began blaring, gunshots rang out, they were retaliating, but retaliating against... what, exactly? These 'eyes'? The 'body' that the 'eyes' were attached too? There was nothing they could do but... endure.

ZZOOOOOOWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee...

KER-POW!!! BLAAMMM!!! KER-PAAAAWWW!!! SWOOOOZZZSSSHHH!!!

Destruction, flames, death, it peppered the airfield in a matter of moments, eviscerating the land and snatching lives. There was no rhyme or reasons to the destruction. If the 'eyes' had a specific reason for being here, they did not reveal why. They just... killed. They killed indiscriminately. They killed efficiently. They killed free of care or emotion.

They just... killed.

In the end, it all happened in a matter of minutes. There was no battle; it was a slaughter. Corsair Airfield was reduced to near nothing but ash. Huge swaths of destruction was torn into its once pristine surface. The strips were littered with flames, debris and bodies, and even the walls of the military base had been broken down and shattered. An incredible, if not impossible amount of destruction to occur in such a short amount of time.

But were their survivals? Yes. Why? Because their had to be survivors...

Somehow – despite being in the center of this madness – Tom and Jerry survived it. Standing beneath the 'eyes', the cat and mouse watched as they rained destruction down upon their allies via some seemingly invisible force. And once this destruction had been wrought, and the once bustling military base had been rendered asunder... the 'eyes' began pulling away. Higher and higher they floated into the night skies, their darkened figure still reminding them of the silhouette of a woman. Up until...

Blink...

They vanished.

The sounds of death and destruction rang in their ears, now mixing with the relative silence of the night sky. Mouths agape, all Tom and Jerry could do was stair up to where the 'eyes' once were as they attempted to parse what just happened. So many they knew were now dead, killed by... what exactly?

And that noise? That noise that followed. That noise...

GUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNN...!

…

“So... that's what happened?”

“That's what our soldiers say what happens. We're still investigating the attack, and have come up with no answers. We've yet to break the news to the public... but we're sure some whistleblower will do it sooner rather than later.”

It had been thirty or so minutes since Zefiro arrived. In that time, Ray rushed to take a shower and dress himself, making himself presentable for the politician. When he returned, they made way to their chateau's parlor, where Brunhilde laid Isolde to sleep in a nearby nursery, before preparing for them all a cup of tea.

They'd need it for the information shared.

Sitting side by side, Ray and Hilde trading a few glances. Deep down inside, they didn't want to believe what they heard. An attack on Kranst soil was terrible enough – they were a neutral country – but for it to be caused by this unknown force? Oh, that was even worse.

Because they recognized this unknown force.

In unison, they closed their eyes as they thought on this new information. In their heads, they remembered the cold fields of a certain land of snow and ice. To Ray it was known as the Fringe. To Brunhilde, it was known as Niflheim. For the both of them, memories of that land carried so much pain and anguish... and yet... also a flicker of warmth and love.

But they couldn't let their thoughts be clouded by memories, both pain and good. They needed to focus on the cause of those memories. The big object that appeared in the skies, the destruction this object wrought, and the loud, deafening sound which echoed out when it left: they needed to remember all of it. But how can you remember something you've spent years trying to forget? And how can you remember something you're not sure even exists in the first place?

“You two... seem to know something...” said Zefiro, causing both Ray and Brunhilde to open their eyes.

“Hm... I...” muttered the young man as he sheepishly scratch the back of his head, “We... might know something, but...” he shook his head, “I don't want to say anything I will come to regret. Hilde and I'll need more time to think about this information, so...” he nodded, “Thank you for telling us this, Zefiro.”

“I apologize, I really do,” said the horse as he stood up from their chair, “I wish my visit could have been under better circumstances. But considering your high profiles, it was only right that I inform you personally. Kranst's senate has been talking about this all night long, and the pressure will only increase once news breaks out to the populace. I fear this'll force the Prime Minister to make a hasty decisions in regards to Kranst's position on the war. Since you two have been advocating so hard on an armistice to this war, I felt the need to tell you before you headed into the senate later.”

“Thank you, Zefiro, honestly,” said Brunhilde as she stood up, “Ray and I will talk things over before he heads in later today. Here, let me walk you to the door.”

“Of course.”

Together, Zefiro and Brunhilde headed for the door, while Ray lingered behind. Standing up himself, he turned over to face the cradle which sat in the parlor room, and walked over towards it. Inside was Isolde, his daughter with Hilde. She slept so blissfully, unaware of the world around her, and the dire straits it was in.

To think, he and Brunhilde, bearing life together. On one hand, it was blasphemous. They were from warring nations, hell, they weren't even wedded! From what Brunhilde told him in regards to her nation and their religious beliefs, having a child out of wed-lock was frowned upon, especially for someone of her status as a duchess!

On the other hand, well, what did they expect? That their trysts at Outpost Gamma would not bear fruit? And yes, trysts. While huddled up in that abandoned military base, they explored every inch of one anothers' bodies, learning things about themselves they never knew! Sure, the first time may have been spurned by adrenaline, but that doesn't explain the next several times... not to mention the fact that they've had plenty more sense moving to Kranst.

Putting it lightly, their time together at Outpost Gamma was not a fluke. While one may say their relationship was born from a need to survive, the fact that they've remained together sense is proof that there was more to it than just that. As childish as it may sound to some, they truly loved one another.

And it was honestly that love that pushed Ray forward. He wanted to – needed to – create a world where they could be together. It would be easy to just hide in Kranst, away from the war, free to start a new life with Brunhilde, Isolde, and whatever other children they would inevitably end up having. But that was too easy, wasn't it? And while their life here was peaceful, they couldn't stand idly by as their countries killed each other. Sure, they may no longer claim Dudral or Yggdrasil as their own, but they still loved their homes.

“Ray...?”

But his thoughts were cut short.

Turning over, he smiled in a sheepish manner towards the living room's entrance, where his gaze fell upon Brunhilde. The wolfess smiled back, ever being this radiant pillar of strength and beauty that never lost its luster.

Ray walked up to the wolfess, and wrapped his arms around her waist. With all of his surprising might, he gave his lover a tight embrace, one she shared back. His head rested in her busty bosom, which cradled him like a pair of firm yet soft pillows. Oooooh, they felt so nice.

“Are you okay, Ray?” asked Brunhilde, to which he nodded and pulled back, giving her a wide smile.

“Yeah. I'm about as good as can be expected,” he replied, “But this information... ah... it's not good in the lightest...” pulling away from his lover, he retreated to the couch beside Isolde, sitting down as he let out a deep breath, “It's... that thing again, isn't it? I thought it was just a nightmare; something we made up to quantify the battle that killed our squads. But to think...” he deflated slightly, “It's there again.”

“Heeeey... don't be so negative, Ray,” said Brunhilde as she sat down next to her husband, giving him a reassuring look, “We don't know exactly that it is that attacked Kranst. It could be that machine or...” she shrugged her shoulders, “It might not be that machine. Until we get concrete evidence, it's best not to jump to conclusions.”

“Even if we're wrong, and the thing that attacked Kranst is not the thing that attacked us at the Fringe, what difference does that make?” Ray asked as he looked at her, “Kranst has been attacked. Soldiers have died. Whoever attacked us... I fear they're trying to force our hand into joining the war. Possibly on Dudral's side since we're allies, but...” he shook his head, “Who would do this? Yggdrasil?”

“Why would they...?” Brunhilde asked, “Like you said, this attack may force Kranst to join Dudral in the war. That would only make things harder for Yggdrasil.”

“Yeah... that makes sense, but,” he shook his head, “Why would Dudral attack Kranst? If someone learns that they attacked their own ally to force them to join the war, that would be a public nightmare! No one in the world would trust them if they did something so heinous...”

“Then maybe it was a third-party...?” said Hilde as she cocked her head, “If this machine that attacked Kranst is the same one – or even a similar one – to the machine that attacked us two years ago, then it could be this third-party who decimated our squads.”

“But if it is... why now? Why wait two years after attacking? And why attack Kranst of all people? They have nothing to do with the war. I... hrrrgggh... this is too much, Hilde. Hmm... alright. It's time I headed to the senate. I'll go talk with the other governors and see what they have to say about the matter. This... is going to be a long day.”

“Hey... just make sure you don't push yourself too hard,” said Brunhilde as she tapped his shoulder and smiled, “You'll need to keep all that strength for me tonight, got it? I don't want the senate draining you.”

“Heh... yeah...” he smiled back, “I wouldn't want that either.”

Pursing their lips, Ray and Hilde shared a kiss, one that seemed to reinvigorate the young man. While things may be contentious, perhaps he could convince more level heads to prevail. Ray may be a former soldier, but he was still the son of a magistrate and scholar: debate and rhetoric was in his blood! If anyone could convince the senate, it was him.

Hopefully.

When their lips parted, Ray stood up and turned. It was going to be a long and lonely drive to the senate, but he'd use that time to settle his nerves.

Next stop: the House of Senate.

…

The life of a politician is a difficult one. This was nothing new to Ray Alto. Growing up in Gaurdia – a major city in Dudral – he had many friends who grew up in political households. Or, well, former friends. He himself had politicians in his household, which further increased the pressure placed on him to be a powerful man. As he drove through these city streets he wondered; did he live up to those expectations? He was a politician... just not for the correct country.

The city of Faris was Kranst's capital. It was a metropolis that dripped with history, with its aged buildings that seemingly haven't been updated since the mid-70s. When driving through the city streets, one can feel style and fashion permeate through the stone structures around them. Whether it be the buildings themselves, the historical landmarks, or even the ground beneath their feet, everything had this arched design to it that exuded beauty.

On any normal, sunny day, Ray would bask in the warmth of the city. Maybe he'd have the windows down or – if he was with his family – he'd have the hood down on the car as well. But with the information currently swimming in his head, he did not feel fun or jovial. How could he be when that... thing might be out there?

And this dour feeling was only compounded as he came to the senate house. Why? Because it was currently surrounded by people.

Just as Zefiro feared, information concerning the attack on Corsair Airfield had already been leaked to the public. And as one would suspect when learning about attack on their soil, the people of the country were demanding answers. Unfortunately for them, no matter how many camera men and reporters hung outside the senate walls, they would not be getting any answers. At least, not any time soon.

“Oh! There's Governor Alto!” called one such reporter as Alto parked his car, “Governor Alto! Governor Alto! A word with you!? Are you aware of what's attacked Corsair Airfield? Is this an attack by Dudral? By Yggdrasil? Perhaps even Lansdon? Or something else?”

“We're currently investigating the issue,” said Alto as he pushed towards the senate house, “And that's all I'll say about the situation!”

Was he being short with them? Yes. But truth be told, even he wasn't completely sure of what was going on either! That's why he rushed into the senate house, knowing that if he said the wrong things to these reporters, he could possibly stir up even more fear in the populace! Fortunately, the guards of the senate house were doing their job, allowing Alto to enter inside the relatively silent halls within.

Relatively silent; one could still hear the crowd outside as the people still tried to eek out any information they could.

Taking in a deep breath, Alto spent a few moments to settle his nerves, before turning to face the empty halls before him. He already knew the debate hall was filled with fellow governors, all who were also trying to figure out what was going on. There was nothing left to do but... go forward. And what did he hear upon entering through the door?

“WE SHOULD FIGHT BACK!”

Anger.

The debate hall was a circular chamber of medium size. In the center was a table, and surrounding this table were all the seats where the individual governors of Kranst would sit. With their being 32 states in Kranst, there were 32 seats for every governor of these states. And, well, let's just say that no one was being patient with their statements.

“We've been attacked,” said the bear at the front of the room, leaning over the table as his once roaring voice grew quiet. He was Toris, the governor of Lainos, and going by his face and violent tone, he didn't take too kindly of the attack on Kranst soil.

“We can't stand idly by here, and do nothing,” he continued as he looked at the faces of his fellow governors, “Ever since this war between Dudral and Yggdrasil started, we've stood by and let them fight. And look and what good that's brought us. Our allies in Dudral no longer trust us, and we've now invited the wrath of some... mysterious force. And this wasn't a warning of attack, or even a threat... but a full on attack. Our men our dead, our vehicles destroyed, and our base in ruin. All in one night, and all in a matter of moments! And what do we do in the meantime? We stand around merely thinking about what we should do? No... instead, we should do something.”

“We can't make decisions that quickly, Toris,” Ray suddenly spoke up, garnering the attentions of the hall as everyone turned to face him, “We still do know who or what attacked us.”

“Ah... here he is! Our lovely governor of Kelhoon,” said Toris in a sarcastic manner. He wasn't even trying to hide his disdain for Ray, though Ray was not affected, “What would you have us do, former soldier of Dudral? Would you just want to... sit around and do nothing?” he turned to face him fully, “After all... sitting around and doing nothing is what you're best at.”

“Contain yourself, Toris,” a booming voice echoed above, drawing the attentions over towards a certain horse, “Ray has as much reason to be here as the rest of us. Do not treat him any differently.”

Zefiro sat there at his spot, being the governor of the state Maskim. With a stern look, he caused Toris to sit back down, even though he remained frustrated. Then he looked over at Ray and nodded, causing the young man to do likewise. Despite Toris' outburst, Ray felt no animosity towards him. He was confused and scared, and really... he didn't blame him.

“Now then,” said Zefiro as Ray sat down, “We are all very well aware of what's happened at Corsair Airfield. At approximately 1:26 AM, a mysterious force attacked, one that the survivors claim had the figure of a woman made of metal, with bright eyes. For reasons we cannot explain, the recordings of the attack have all been ruined. But – aside from survivor examinations – sound recordings have surfaced. Our forensic analysts are going over it as we speak, but...” he shook his head, “So far, it sounds unlike anything we've experienced before.”

“Is that supposed to be reassuring...?” asked Toris as he leered at Zefiro.

“For now...? Yes,” replied the horse, “There's nothing we can do about the attack but wait until our investigation is complete. However, there is more pertinent information for me to share with you.”

“What could be more important than an attack on Kranst?” asked Ray, to which Zefiro looked at him directly.

“Easy,” he then raised his hand, silently guiding Ray over towards a single chair before the table that was empty, “Governor Alto, would you please take the floor?”

The command shook Ray, and caused everyone to look at him. He could only stare back, confused as his mouth hung open. When one takes the floor, it's usually to present information of their own. Asking for a bill, or a new law, or something like that. But to be asked to take the stand? That's different.

Ray felt his heart plunge, but he obeyed nonetheless, walking up to the central chair and sitting in it. Again, he was the center of attention as Zefiro rested his chin upon his hands.

“Governor Alto, please be honest with us. Does the name... Kristoff Invictus mean anything to you?”

“Glk...!?”

That name. That name alone triggered such palpable fear within Ray. He felt a cold sweat break down his brow at the mere thought of it, and quivered slightly in the chair. But despite his short stature, he was a brave young man; one of Dudral's (former) finest, no less. So after a few seconds, he settled his nerves, put on a professional face, and nodded in Zefiro's direction.

“Yes, I know that name,” Ray answered, “Kristoff Invictus. Haaah... in Dudral, some would say House Invictus is more synonymous with Dudral than Dudral itself. Never has there been a family more storied in the history of Dudral than Invictus...” he leaned his head to one side, “Why do you ask, Zefiro?”

“You may not know this considering how recently you and Brunhilde joined Kranst's government, but for years, Dudral attempted to sway Kranst to their side. When the war with Yggdrasil grew too big, their efforts were dialed back. However recently, a member of Dudral's aristocracy has attempted to court us again. And that person...”

“Is Kristoff Invictus...?”

“Indeed,” Zefiro answered with a nod of his head, “But more importantly, he specifically requested to speak with you.”

If the mere mention of Kristoff Invictus' name was enough to make Ray shake with fear... then what do you think it felt like to know that Kristoff Invictus wanted to speak with him specifically? All of the courage he accrued was again stolen from him at the mere thought of talking to Kristoff Invictus.

“Is something wrong, Governor Alto?” asked Toris in a sarcastic manner, “You seem shaken. Shouldn't you be happy to speak with your fellow Dudralian?”

“Ahem! Hmmph!” replied Ray, coughing in an attempt to regain his composure, “Haaaah... ahem... uh... hoooh... Z-Zefiro...” he looked at the horse, “Do you know why Kristoff Invictus wishes to speak with me?”

“No. I do not,” he replied, “Mr. Invictus would not say. He merely requested to speak with you personally... and that is all. I would have told you this personally, but this information was just relayed to me. Besides, I feel as if it's important to share this knowledge with the rest of the senate. If you are to speak with a foreign emissary, we all should be made aware of this.”

“I...” Ray sucked in air through his nose and nodded, “Yes, I understand. And I agree. Thank you for telling me this, Zefiro. Um...” he pushed away from the desk, “I-If I may please be excused?”

“But of course,” said the horse, “If you need to. Go ahead.”

“Th-thank you.”

Getting up from the chair, Ray turned and slowly exited the senate room, while the other governors began pleading their cases. He heard Toris say something. He heard Tira say something. He even heard Morvis say something. But all those words went well over his head as he stepped out into the empty halls outside, pressed his back to the wall, and gasped.

“Haaaaah... wh-what the...! K-Kristoff Invictus?”

In Dudral, there is no family as famous as Invictus. It is impossible to not open up a history book in Dudral, and not see a member of their family. Whether it at the birth of the country, or in the current day, the Invictus family have always been there, and the Invictus family have always been powerful.

While the Alto family were far from commoners, his house paled in comparison to theirs. Then again, all families pale in comparison to the might of Invictus. So to hear that an Invictus wishes to speak with him of all people – a person some would consider a traitor to his country – was enough to make him quake with fear. But not fear for himself, but fear for Brunhilde, and fear for Isolde.

What does an Invictus want with him? That question bounced around in Ray's head. But what could he do? There was no way he'd be able to escape this conversation, and nor would he want to. If it meant protecting his family, Ray would face anyone, regardless of how powerful their bloodline may be. And... hey, who knows? Maybe he'd be able to convince them to bring this war to an end.

Wishful thinking, huh?

Alright... whatever Kristoff Invictus wanted, Ray would face him when the time came. For now, he had to head back into the senate hall and plead his case.

…

Corsair Airfield was not the largest military base she had ever visited in her life. Hell, some would say it was downright paltry! But this wasn't a surprise, not to the wolfess. Kranst has almost always been a small country, one that lacks the power and gumption of Dudral, or Yggdrasil, or Argos. Its army was respectable for its size, but small is small.

So why? Why all of this destruction for a small opposing force that wasn't even properly mobilized? It was all so pointlessly cruel... and needlessly violent.

Brunhilde's jeep began to slow as Corsair Airfield's destroyed wall came closer and closer. While some would say she had fallen into the life of a housewife, they would be sorely mistaken. Brunhilde was the duchess of Astrasia, and raised to be a warrior princess! A year or so of motherhood could never hope to diminish her proud spirit!

Though... she hoped Isolde was doing well with the nanny.

When her jeep appeared in view, the groups investigating the military base all stood tall and turned to face her. While she did not serve in Kranst Army, there was this palpable respect for the wolfess who appeared. Doubly so when her jeep came to a halt, and she turned it off.

Jumping out of her car, Brunhilde had practically transformed. Gone was her sundress from earlier that day, having been replaced with more appropriate army clothes of shorts and a tank top. She even wore her old dog tags around her neck... as well as the dog tags of...

Hm...

“Duchess Brunhilde!” called a voice from aside, “You've arrived!”

Hilde looked over, her eyes falling on another wolf. He was wearing similar army fatigues to her own, and had a brown belt and black hair. He also wore this charming grin on his lips... despite the dire situation around them. Being the no-nonsense woman she was, Hilde did not take too kindly to his jovial appearance. He seemed to revel in her annoyance.

“Sergeant Riker...” she groaned whilst shaking her head at him, “If you think I'm going to perform this investigation with you babbling in my ear, you'll have something else coming.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he replied as he met her on the road, “I'd figure you'd be your typically 'friendly' self. Hah... so...” his face grew aloof as he turned to face the military base behind them, “You already know what's happened, right? We were informed that you may have an idea of what attacked us.”

“You... were...?” Brunhilde murmured with an expression of surprise, “But who told... bah...” she then shook her hand dismissively, “Look, I don't know anymore of what attacked Kranst than you do. I'm only here to confirm or not if I have seen something like this during my time in Yggdrasil.”

“Well... hah... you're the one with military experience from less than ten years ago, so...” he smiled again, “Lead the way, Duchess!”

“Rrrrgh... stop calling me that!”

He laughed at her annoyance, while she marched off towards the base. Almost everyone's vehicles were parked outside of the airfield... because the roads were so ruined by the attack, that it was damn-near impossible for any vehicle of modest size to drive over them. Here and there, debris littered the land, whether they be from a vehicle, a jet or even pieces of the base's wall. Again, there was such extreme amounts of destruction. The bodies of those who died had thankfully been removed, but that did little to reduce the somber feeling in the air.

For all of Brunhilde's seriousness, she felt herself deflate as she passed through the gates of the military base. Now the signs of destruction were even closer. The barracks destroyed, the central base flattened, the airstrip littered with smoldering pockmarks where explosions occurred, and that's just from what she could see from eyesight alone.

By the gods...

“You okay over there...?” asked Riker as he looked at Hilde, reading the frown she wore on her lips.

“Riker...” she replied whilst crouching down to check a scorch mark beneath her, “You weren't here when Corsair Airfield was attack, were you?”

“Of course not,” he replied, “I'd probably be dead along when the rest of 'em. And those who survived...” he shook his head, “I'm trying to wrap my head around things myself. Kranst isn't involved with the war in anyway, so why would we be attacked?”

“Hm... yeah...” she muttered whilst looking down, “Do you have an idea of who would attack us?”

“Tch... damn... take a pick!” Riker replied, “We have Yggdrasil, that's the obvious choice since we're Dudral's ally... even though we're not helping them. Lansdon hate our guts too, so there's a chance they could attack us for whatever fucking reason. But what I don't get is...” he looked up to the skies, “How? How'd they pull this shit off? It wasn't like were attacked by jets or... damn... fucking helicopters or anything! It seemed more like were attacked by some... abomination...” he looked back down and stared at Brunhilde, watching as she stood up, “What about you? Is it true that you've faced this... thing before?”

“I don't even know what this 'thing' is,” she replied in an annoyed manner, “And I'd like it if you stopped insinuating that I do. The people of Kranst are scared, and I don't want them coming to me thinking that I have the answers they need, got it?”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it, I got it,” he said defensively, “Hey, don't get mad at me. I'm just telling you what I was told.”

“Who told you that anyway?” Brunhilde asked, making Riker cock his head.

“It came down from the senate house. Your husband told us,” he answered, stunning Hilde.

Now, look, there were multiple problems with his statement. Firstly, Ray is not her husband! Yes, they've lived in the same house for the past year or so now, yes, they have a daughter together, and yes, they were still incredibly in love... but they weren't married!

Not yet...

But that's not the big problem. The big problem was that Ray told them she knew what attacked the base. Wasn't he the one who said they'd need more information before they made any decisions? And yet he told them that she knew what attacked this base? That didn't sound right; Ray wouldn't do that without running it over with her first!

Before she could think about it for too long...

“Duchess Brunhilde!”

A voice called from the side, garnering her attentions.

Running up was a soldier, one carrying a PDA in his hand. He gave her and Riker a salute upon arriving, before handing the PDA to her.

“You may want to see this, Duchess,” he replied, “Our cyber security team have spent all night and all morning trying to decrypt the video footage from last night. Whatever that... thing was that attacked us, ruined our recordings. But we were able to reveal a few seconds of it. Since were told you may have an idea of what attacked us, I was told to show you this footage.”

“Grrrh... I don't know who attacked... ugh... fine,” she shook her head, “Give me the PDA, let me see it.”

Holding the PDA in hand, Hilde stared at its screen with Riker doing likewise over her shoulder. Together, they watched a scratchy and glitchy screen of flickering images and stretched visuals... before it all steadily began to focus in.

ZZOOOOOOWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee...

Brunhilde flinched and pulled back.

On the screen she watched twitchy movements as the cameraman watched the terrible destruction befall the airfield. Explosions, the tossing of vehicles, the flinging of bodies; it all replayed before them in a low resolution recording. But she didn't need to see it in great detail to recognize... those sounds.

KER-POW!!! BLAAMMM!!! KER-PAAAAWWW!!! SWOOOOZZZSSSHHH!!!

“Hnnn...”

Two years ago. Two years ago on January 27th, a convoy containing multiple units of the Yggdrasil Holy Army was attacked in a surprise ambush by their warring enemies while transferring to a distant outpost in the Niflheim. 62 men and women lost their lives that day. There was but one survivor.

Just replaying those memories to herself was enough to make Brunhilde shudder. This was exactly what happened on those lonely, cold fields that killed her squadmates. The sudden attack, the brutal destruction, the cruelness; it was all being reflected through the screen of this PDA. And above all...

“Haaah...?”

GUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNN...!

That sound. That body-shaking, soul-rending sound. If anything haunted her nightmares, it was this sound! This bombastic sound! The way it shook the earth, and reverberated through the heavens! It made it feel like the world was ending!

And those eyes. Those eyes that hovered in the space above the ground, showering its iridescent light upon the earth beneath it. Those eyes that watched the destruction with a pitiless leer. Those eyes that brought the death which now littered the land.

Those eyes were the eyes of the devil himself.

And that's how the recording ended. It froze on the image of those 'eyes' as they hovered in the sky. Immobile... unflinching... looking at it felt like baring witness towards an omen of ill intent.

“Yeeeeeoooouuccch...” muttered Riker as he pulled away from the still image, “This is giving me the heebie-jeebies... yuck...” he glanced over, “What do you have to say about this, duchess? D-Duchess...?”

Hilde stood there, frozen solid as her mind replayed the events of that fateful attack two years ago. Riker – concerned for the wolfess – reached over and tapped her shoulder, causing her to jolt. Saying nothing, she stared at him with her mouth agape, this visage of shock plastered on her face.

“Brunhilde...?” he whispered as he wore a face of concern, “Is... everything okay?”

“I...” she replied, her voice trailing off.

Brunhilde was no fool. She recognized that the face she wore now told Riker everything he needed to know. She did know what attacked Corsair Airfield, and like any concerned soldier whose homeland had been attacked, he will want to know everything she knew.

But how could she tell him anything when she herself knew so little? She and Ray have spent years trying to quantify what attacked them that night, and were no closer to coming to an answer. They eventually realized it was probably best to try and forget the monstrosity, if not for themselves, then for Isolde. But now that she was given concrete evidence that this thing existed, and continues to exist, she felt the horrors of that night return to her like a bulldozer.

“Who... who recorded this...?” she asked of the private who delivered to her the PDA.

“It was recorded off of a soldiers phone,” he answered, “We're still trying to decrypt the other videos that were affected by the attack, but... it will take a while. This was the clearest video we could create, outside of audio-only.”

“Thank you for this,” said Hilde as she handed the PDA back to him, “Keep doing what you are doing. I... I need to...” she stepped back and stared to the distance, “I need some time to myself.”

She didn't care how guilty requesting such a thing may make her look; she just needed to be alone with her thoughts!

Ignoring Riker's voice, she walked off towards the barracks in the distance, hiding herself behind some debris as she doubled over. Sweat oozed down her form, and she panted like she ran a mile, despite doing nothing but just standing there.

What does she do in this situation? Could she do anything in this situation? This being that so easily wiped out entire platoons, had now returned to haunt her in her new home! What would she do if it decided to attack again? What could she do if this thing decided to rain destruction upon her home?

She could do nothing. Brunhilde could do nothing. She was powerless against this being. She was powerless in the past, and she was powerless now.

“D-dammit!” she growled as she punched the wall next to her, causing it to quiver, “Fucking hell...! Why... why here!? Why now!? Just... rrrghh... why?”

“Brunhilde...?” a voice came from behind, causing her to look over, her eyes falling on a certain wolf.

“What do you want, Riker...?” she asked, regaining her stern appearance.

“You look a bit... shaken,” he answered, his voice holding genuine concerned, “I'm a sergeant, you know? And you? You're a sergeant too. If anyone knows what a panic attack looks like, it's us, so...” he stepped forward, “Do you wanna talk about it? I could even go and get the army psychiatrist to give you a once over if you'd like.”

“No... I... I'm fine,” she replied whilst shaking her head, “It's... it's nothing I can go over anyway. L-look, I really don't know what it is that's attacked us, okay? Maybe I've seen it before... but that still doesn't mean I can tell you – or anyone – what it is. We just need to...” she palmed her head, “We just need to keep investigating. Hopefully, we can decrypt those videos and learn more of it. That's all we can hope for.”

“Brunhilde...”

“Look, I need to talk to my husband,” she groaned as she began marching off, “Just... give me some space...”

Riker stepped back as Brunhilde pushed pass him. She wore this serious face on her lips, one that spoke without her having to say a single word. Reaching down to her pocket, the wolfess pulled out her phone and brought up her contact list. And who was at the top of that list? Of course, it was--

Ray we need to talk.

…

Isolde was her name.

Born on November 1st, she was only a year old now. When was she conceived? Well... considering how amorous they were at Outpost Gamma, and how Ray seemed to climax like a draft horse, she'd say their daughter was conceived during their brief stay at the abandoned military base. Quite the thrilling story, huh? She couldn't wait to have that conversation with their daughter when she was old enough.

But that day – whenever it arose – would be years off from now. Right now, Isolde was still but a baby, resting blissfully in her cradle. She did this all the time; the little wolfgirl loved to sleep. Whether it be in her cradle, or in the arms of her loving mother and father, it didn't take long for Isolde to slumber blissfully.

Gazing down upon her daughter, a warm smile spread out on Brunhilde's lips. It was later in the day now, with the wolfess having changed her attire. Gone was the army fatigues she wore amid her investigation. Replacing it was one of her lounge dresses, this one being red and yellow in color. Quite small in size, it hugged close to her body, kept her shoulders and arms bare, and the skirt of it didn't come down to her knees. In a way, it was more akin to one of the dresses she'd wear for a sport, like tennis, as oppose to something a person would wear when relaxing around the house.

Then again, this is Brunhilde we're talking about; there's not many feminine clothes that come in her size.

The sun was now setting over Kranst. Their nanny had long since returned home, leaving their chateau massive and empty, devoid of life save for the wolfess and her daughter. Usually, either she or Ray would be preparing dinner. But her husband had yet to return from the senate.

Her husband...

Brunhilde Edda loves Ray Alto. Ray Alto loves Brunhilde Edda. At Outpost Gamma, they made a promise to one another that they would not leave one another. And for the two years since that day, they have not once parted ways. Not even for a day! Each morning they woke up with one another, and each night, they went to bed with one another. Hey, when they make promises, they don't break them. Brunhilde was just happy to know that she and Ray were as compatible as they are!

She loves him. She loves him so damn much. She loves his stupid, sweet smile. She loves his short height. She loves his surprising strength. And, yes, she loves how he can rock her world at night. But above all – and for as goofy as this may sound – she loves his kindness most of all. Almost like a naive idiot, he sees the absolute best in everyone else. And when he looks at her, ah, she swear she sees the reflection of the sun in his eyes. He truly looked at her like she was the greatest, most beautiful woman in existence.

Their life here in Kranst together, was some of the most happiest moments of her life. She almost forgot she was a duchess. She almost forgot that they were once warring enemies. She almost forgot that if life went even slightly different, they could have perhaps killed one another on some battlefield somewhere. But instead, they were building this family together, with hopes to increase it further in the future.

The future.

That future they longed for was suddenly in jeopardy. Why? Because that monstrosity has returned. And Ray told them that she knew what it was. Why would he tell them that? She needed to get to the bottom of this, and quick.

And now...

Eeeaaaarrrrk!

“Hilde...?”

That time had come.

Brunhilde turned around, facing the door to their daughter's nursery. Staring back at her was Ray, his eyes wide as she panted lightly. She stared back, a serious look on her face as her husband ran up to her.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, “Wh-what did you see at the base? Th-that text you sent me... what did it mean? I...” he took in a deep breath, “I was so worried...”

“Ray...” she replied before crossing her arms beneath her bosom and shaking her head, “Why did you tell them I knew what attacked the airfield?”

“Wh... what!?” he shouted, before clamping his hands over his mouth.

Looking over at Isolde's cradle, Ray knew their daughter was sleeping blissfully. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her up. Nodding, Brunhilde turned to face their daughter, where she pulled up her blankets up to her neck, covering her. Then she turned away, exiting the nursery along with her husband, where they closed the doors shut behind them.

“Hilde, I promise, I said nothing about this machine,” Ray said as he looked up at her, “I didn't want to say anything that could possibly imply we have answers to who attacked Kranst, so why would I tell them you knew something? We don't know anything.”

“That's what they told me when I arrived at the base,” Brunhilde replied, “I wanted to investigate myself, see if this thing was the same thing that attacked us at Niflheim. Sergeant Riker told me that information came directly from the government, and said I knew something about what attacked Kranst. He told me this information came from you directly.”

“But I... I said no such thing,” he said as he looked away, his body slumping over in slight defeat, “This is insane... who would say that? And why would they say it? Brunhilde, I... aaah...” Pat, “Aah...”

Her hand fell on his shoulder, quelling him. Turning around and looking over, Ray's eyes met Brunhilde's. Was she peeved that someone spread information on her? Yes. But did she trust that Ray had nothing to do with it? 100%. So to see him be so distraught, made her shake her head. She then placed both hands around his shoulders, and pulled him in to embrace his head against her chest. Ray trembled slightly, but then raised his arms, wrapping them around her waist so that he could give her a hug back.

Ooooh, moments like this felt so good. The warmth of Brunhilde's body, the firmness of her breasts, the strength in her arms; it all cradled him, and calmed him down. He was worried, yes, but when he was together with her, all of their problems felt so far away.

So far away...

“C'mon... let's talk...” Brunhilde whispered, to which Ray nodded.

Following along with the wolfess, she brought him down to their home's lounge, where they sat down on the couch together. She let Ray rest his head against her shoulder, while the two took in deep breaths. From eyesight alone, she could tell he was just as emotional as she was, but for a completely different reason. Ever the blunt woman she was, Brunhilde just flat out asked--

“What's wrong?”

Ray looked up and over, gazing upon his lover's serious face. She was such a serious, stern woman; he knew Isolde would grow up to be a very well-behaved woman with Brunhilde as her mother. It made him smile thinking about it, and drove him to imagine what their future would be like.

Their future... he needed to make sure that future happened. So he leaned over, resting his head in Brunhilde's lap, while his hand reached up to gently stroke upon her lovely, lovely face.

“Hilde... have you ever heard of the name 'Invictus' during your time in Yggdrasil?” he asked, causing her eyes to grow wide.

“In... victus...?” she repeated, “Aah... yes, I have heard of the name 'Invictus' before. How could I not? The Invictus family have long since been a name synonymous with death in Yggdrasil. There a proud, military family in Dudral, are they not? And they oh so love to conquer.”

“Well... you're not entirely wrong,” Ray replied, “Aaaaah... the Invictus family is the most renowned and respected of all families in Dudral. It seems as if... there's not one member of the family who isn't flawless.”

“Okay... then... why do you bring this up?” asked the wolfess as she cocked her head, “What importance does an Invictus have here?”

“Because... Kristoff Invictus, a member of the family, and a powerful politician in Dudral... wishes to speak with me.”

“Speak to... y-you...?” said Brunhilde, showing genuine concern as she began rising up, “B-but why? What would he have any reason to talk with you? Because you're both from Dudral?”

“I... I don't know, not yet,” Ray answered as he shook his head, “I was informed today at the senate hall by Zefiro. I don't know what he wants, and why he wants me specifically, but... I know I cannot deny him his request to talk. Nor would I...”

“There you go again... facing the jaws of the beast,” the wolfess whispered, “You know, there's a difference between bravery and foolishness, right?”

“I know that, Hilde,” he answered, “But... what other choice do I have? Kristoff is going to come to Kranst, and... well... I can't stop him, even if I wanted to. I just... I...” he closed his eyes and gritted this teeth, “By the gods... I feel so silly admitting this but... I honestly feel scared. Maybe it's because... we have so much in Kranst... we've worked so hard to try and bring this war to an end... and Isolde is so beautiful. I don't want to lose any of this, Brunhilde.”

“Nor will you,” she replied, making his eyes open wide.

Looking up, Ray again stared upon Brunhilde's face, reading this powerful and boisterous grin on her lips. The smile she had could quell him even during his most unruly of moments... such as right now. He melted against her lap, his hand reaching up to gently stroke upon her lovely face and features.

“You make it seem like you have to deal with all of these problems by yourself, Ray,” Brunhilde whispered, “We've been together since we met on those icy fields, and we haven't parted since. We may have problems every now and then, but nothing too dire and extreme. Whatever is going on, we'll handle it, you and I... together.”

“Hm... when you talk like that... heh... it really makes me feel lucky to have you.”

“You are lucky to have me,” she replied with a cheeky grin.

Placing her hand on his head, Brunhilde gently stroked back Ray's hair as she gazed upon her lover's smiling face. Then she pursed her lips and closed her eyes, coaxing him to do the same. Leaning forward, the two's lips met in a loving embrace, one they held for several long moments...

And continued holding.

Brunhilde's lips felt magnificent against his. There was a strength to the wolfess, a power, one that made him shudder to his core. Whenever their lips met in a loving embrace such as this, Ray truly felt like the world and all its problems were so minuscule.

The feeling was mutual.

Ray – despite his kind nature and short stature – was a soldier, through and through. He went through the same training as all those in Dudral went through, and proved himself adept in all tasks he was given. Was he the most burly? No. Was he the tallest? Of course not. But did that ever slow him? Absolutely not.

When Hilde kissed Ray, the surprising strength of her lover flowed through her body. She clung to him, grabbing and drawing him closer, causing him to do likewise. Raising his hands, he placed them on her shoulders, giving her a squeeze as he moved up; closer and closer.

And then Ray squeezed upon her. And then Ray began pushing.

“Hnnnmmph~”

A shudder traveled through Hilde's body as she was laid upon her back, resting on the couch beneath them. When she looked up, her eyes fell on Ray, who pulled his lips from hers with this audible 'Chu' of their lips. His blue eyes shined in the sunset-lit lounge, gazing upon her with this desire, this hunger that only he had for her. And that hungry look in his eyes... oh... it never got old.

Ray's hand gently stroked along Brunhilde's shoulders and arms, marveling at her powerful physique. No matter how many times he touched the wolfess, her divine and olympian body never lost its luster. His fingers danced along her arms, gliding down to her elbows, then sliding back up to her shoulders. Squeezing them, he felt how they stood firm against his touches, refusing to break, refusing to bend. And that coaxed this moan from him.

Which further caused his hungers to balloon.

“Nmmph!”

“Haaah...! Oooh...! Raaayy...”

Without warning, his mouth and lips attacked Brunhilde's neck, latching upon her where he began kissing and biting upon her body. She raised her hand and clutched the back of her lover's head, offering more of her flesh to him as their lusts continued to build. Ray's fingers did not sit on the wolfess' shoulders, and quickly slid down to grope and grip at her sides. A shuddering moan left Hilde's lips and her eyes closed shut, while her head tipped back and teeth bit into her bottom lip. She knew where he was going; it was only a matter of time before--

Squeeeeeeeezzeeee!

“Mmmgggg...!”

Ray's strong hands squeezed upon her breasts, gripping them hard through the top of her dress. Even more, Brunhilde pushed her chest out, giving more access of her body to her lover, allowing him to squeeze her even harder! And he quickly took advantage of this, groping and kneading her tits in the way she loved.

Ray knew her body so damn hard. He had this flawless skill about him, knowing when to squeeze, where to squeeze, and how hard to squeeze. All of it had Brunhilde's body melting, making her forget about all of the day's stress. The attack on Kranst, the information spread about her, the sight of the military base; all of it ceased to matter to the duchess.

No, in this moment, only Ray mattered. Only Ray...

“Mmph!”

Plap!

“Oh! Ray! Heh heh!”

Oh boy... did he absolutely love her tits. They were so damn big, so damn busty, so damn firm... and also so damn soft. Far softer than they used to be, and for a really, really good reason. Brunhilde was a mother now, after all! In fact, her entire body had changed during their two years away from the war.

She had softer curves here and here, particularly around her hips, which were both wider and rounder than they used to be. But, hey, that's why they are called 'child-baring' hips, isn't it? And her bust! Oooooooh, her bust was big before, but they were even bigger now, and their shape was so marvelous. Brunhilde was a valkyrie of a wolfess, a warrior princess whose body was physical perfection! But now, she had the added touch of motherhood, making her body that much richer.

Sandwiched between his lover's tits, Ray groaned and moaned into her, as his head rubbed left and right. It passed the level of sensuality, and quickly became humorous, making Hilde laugh. But she didn't stop him, knowing that he needed this as much as she did.

The trepidation he showed towards this 'Kristoff Invictus' man... Brunhilde could feel it through sight alone. So while this may be lewd and even childish, Ray's mindless motorboating of her tits went a long way to calming him down. It also made his body that much hotter, drawing panting moans from the wolfess' lips as she dragged her hand along his back.

“You know... I didn't drain myself today,” Hilde whispered, bringing Ray to a halt.

He pulled his head away from her tits, his blue eyes gazing up towards her face. There was this slight blush on her cheeks, embarrassed by this, but in this brash way that only she could exude. It only further endeared him to her charm and beauty.

“I didn't really get the chance to so... hah... fuck... I guess I'm a bit grumpy,” muttered Brunhilde as she leaned up.

Resting her arms beneath her chest, she hugged herself, causing her busty bosom to appear even bigger and more pronounced! And Ray didn't hesitate to gaze upon her tits, gleefully staring at them with his eyes wide and mouth agape.

“Haah... they're so fucking big and heavy... I swear, I can feel the milk just... sloshing about in there...! Nhhn... so if you want to... you're really gonna have to suck in order to drain the--” Plap! “Ahh~”

The mere hint of her milky tits was enough to make Ray's hungers explode, causing him to again dive face-first into his lover's breasts. He again snuggled close to her, again moaned and groaned against her, all while grinding his body against her illustrious form. Erotic moans flowed from Brunhilde's lips as well, their deep base rising ever higher as she rested her arms above her head.

Ray's fingers started groping at the side of her bosom, lifting and squeezing her firm tits... before slipping and gripping the rim of her cleavage. Biting into her bottom lip, Hilde watched as he tugged more upon her dress, pulling it down until--

“Aaaahh~”

Her breasts were exposed.

This was her lounge wear. She was just lazing around her home. She needed to relax after the stress of the day, so of course she wasn't wearing her bra. Why would she wear her bra? Exposed to the room around them were Brunhilde's big, busty, breasts. Their size and shape, their firmness, their smooth white fur, and of course, her hard, puffy, pink nipples. All was free to be ogled, marveled at, and lusted over.

Entranced, Ray spent a few moments to just look at his lover's tits. Didn't matter if he saw them on a near regular basis. Any moment he got to gaze upon her chest, was a glorious moment to him. And these tits, ooooh, these tits... they made Ray lick his lips like he was sizing up a delicious meal. Ya'know, he didn't really have much to eat after lunch today.

“Nnnmph!”

“Oh Ray~! Hah hah ha!”

Wet, warm and hungry, Ray's mouth wrapped around Brunhilde's plump nipple, taking it into his mouth. There was an intensity to his suckling as he drew on her tits like he'd die of thirst in a desert. The force of his suction not only pulled the milk straight out of her tits, but also showered her with pleasure, as his sucking drew these lurid moans from her lips. The wolfess even bit into her bottom lip, groaning through her grinning mouth as she arched her back and pushed more of her tit into his awaiting mouth.

And those sounds. Those loud, lewd, lustful sounds.

“Mmmph! Suckle! Mmm! Slkkl! Mmm! Slrrrp! Mmm!”

“Aaaah~ Fuck~ oooh...! Heh heh~ jeeze... and I'm always wondering... aaah~ why Isolde's so hungry... hooooh~ it's all your fault~”

Damn straight! Seriously, was that supposed to be an insult, a compliment, or a comment? Ray didn't care, not now. How could he care when his lovers delicious, wonderful, life-giving breast milk, was currently streaming through his lips and flowing down his throat?

Brunhilde's breast milk was downright perfection. Its taste was sweet, its texture strong, and the warmth flowed straight to his belly. Ray couldn't just suck it gently; he needed to suck on her with this rough hunger to him. His tongue too lapped and licked around the areola of her bosom, swirling and swirling and swirling, before he bit down softly with his teeth.

“Oh~!”

Ray didn't stop there. His hungry hands groped at her breasts even as he nursed from them, squeezing upon her firm tits and lifting them more into his mouth. Biting upon her finger, Brunhilde's head twitched left and right as moans left her, while her grin spread out even more and more.

Shit, he was nursing so hard, and she was getting so damn wet! Her panties were doing such a poor job of keeping her lewd scent in check. And when she opened her legs to give Ray more space to move around in, that odor flowed right into his nostrils.

He stopped, pulling away from Hilde's busty tits as milk and spit hung from his lips. For a few moments, the two looked at one another, panting for air. But then his eyes trailed down the illustrious body of his lover, where his gaze fell on her pelvis. Moving himself back, Ray sat up before Brunhilde, while his hands grabbed at her muscular legs.

Aaaah... such powerful legs. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he loved it when the wolfess squeezed his head between her thighs. They too felt a tad bit softer following her pregnancy, but that's like saying bricks are softer than steel. You're right... but not by much.

Up and down Ray traced his hands along her strong legs, before stopping his hands on her knees. Gripping them, he lifted Brunhilde's legs up, coaxing a moan from her lips as her skirt slid up, revealing her crotch and panties...

As well as the dark stain in the center of said panties.

Ray pried Brunhilde's legs open all the more, presenting more of her crotch to him as his blue eyes drank in the image of her pelvis. Around and around he rubbed her thighs, all while his gaze was dominated by the beautiful sight before him. Much like with her breasts before, he found this area of her body remarkable too, no matter how many times he saw it.

Reaching up, he slipped his thumbs beneath the waistband of her panties, and slowly began pealing them down her strong thighs. A grin on her lips, Hilde wiggled her hips to help Ray disrobe her. Down, down, and down those panties dragged, coming to her feet and--

“There...”

Brunhilde's pussy. No. Brunhilde's slick, wet, moist, pink, and beautiful pussy. It sat before Ray, her legs spread as she hid nothing from his sight. Maybe it was a bit odd to grow so sentimental now, but the wolfess was truly beautiful in every sense of the word. Not only did she have the strength to move mountains, but she had this stunning, statuesque beauty that made her impossible to look away from. And this pussy may very well be the most beautiful part of her body. Why? Because this was where Isolde came from.

Aah...

Now it was time to ruin it...

“Hah hah! Just gonna look all day, Ray?” Plap! “Oh~”

“Mmmmphhh!!!”

“HOOOUUUHHH~~~!?”

Without warning, without build up, Ray began to absolutely feast on Brunhilde's pussy. His hungry, lurid, talented mouth, clamped upon her cunt with the same pressure and power as her nipple. He even ran into a similar problem; Hilde was so much bigger than he was, forcing his mouth to really reach if he wanted to eat all there was. But Ray didn't get this far into their relationship by giving up, did he? Quite the opposite; he always found a way to surprise the wolfess.

The years they've spent with one another, taught him all of Brunhilde's weak spots. While her cunt was a strong as ever, his talented tongue could open her folds, presenting the deep, pink recesses within. Around and around his tongue writhed like a snake, stroking along the ridges of her cunt, and causing Hilde's back to arch off the couch fully.

“Aaaaaah~! Haaaah~~~! Aaaahhh-haaaah~! Hnnnggghh~! Haaaha~!”

Such a devious tongue. The way it attacked her cunt, lapping up her juices, sent jolts of pleasure throughout her powerful form. Bringing up her legs, Brunhilde instinctively clamped them around Ray's head. For a moment, her lover stopped... but only so he could audibly groan against her pussy, sending reverberations that traveled through her form.

“Aaaahhhnnnn~ Rrrraaaaaaayyy~”

Such a sweet and erotic noise.

Ray's muffled moans continued flowing form his mouth, while his hands gripped at Brunhilde's thighs. Leaning in more, he rested her legs upon his shoulders, propping them up as his hungry mouth continued dining on her cunt. The taste of her pussy was just as exquisite as the taste of her tits, driving Ray to increase the pressure of his cunnilingus.

Nothing was spared his oral assault. The pinks of her pussy, the labia outside, and yes, that throbbing, twitching, clit. All of it was kissed, licked, suckled, and nibbled upon, all as he slurped up her delicious juices that flowed from within.

And Hilde couldn't love it anymore.

Reaching down, she palmed the head of her lover, gripping him tight as her thighs continued closing in around him. A lewd grin spread out on her lips as her pussy toned pussy throbbed upon his tongue. More... More! She demanded more! She needed more! And Ray was giving it to her!

While he feasted on her pussy like a starving man, Brunhilde groped herself up above. The hand she had on his head worked its fingers through his hair, while her other hand gripped upon her breast. Around and around she rolled her firm tit around, kneading herself with her powerful palms. Her fingers too pinched and flicked at her nipples, making them jump as milk continued streaming down.

Fuck... she was going to be lactating all night long at this rate! Though... she doubted Ray would mind too much if she made a mess of things.

“AH~~~!?”

No, scratch that, Ray was aiming to make Brunhilde lactate all night long!

His tongue again delved into her cunt, writhing about at first... before suddenly gaining a precise aim to it. He was searching for something, moving his tongue up... then down... then side to side... before finally finding what that 'something' was. And when he touched it--

“HOOUUUHHH~~~!?”

the wolfess began twitching and bucking, her body writhing in different directions.

It was her g-spot! Ray was attacking her g-spot!

Brunhilde's eyes grew wide and her mouth split open, letting her lewd howls fill the air around them while her legs squeezed even tighter around Ray's head. But that did little to stop or even slow him! He wasn't going to stop eating her pussy – wasn't going to stop abusing her g-spot – until he had given her the mighty release she deserved!

And he was going to get it! One punch... two punches... three punches... and--

“HAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHH ~~~~~~~!!!”

Ooooooh, she was so thankful Isolde was a heavy sleeper.

Brunhilde's eyes doubled in size and her expression melted into a submissive visage of pleasure, all as she suffered such a potent orgasm. She needed this. She really needed this. When that climax washed over her, she felt all of the day's poor events melt away. None of it mattered.

None of it...

All the while, heh, she drowned her lover in her pussy juices. It splattered over Ray's face, drenching him in feminine cum which was glossy, clear, and so damn thick. And the taste? Oooooh, that taste was even more potent, even more delicious! He hummed against her, moaned against her, all as her climax steadily began to peter out.

For several more moments, Ray dined on Brunhilde's pussy, triggering a unique variety of sounds form her. At some moments he had her singing, at others he had her howling, but after a moment too long of having his air being stolen from him, he began to tap the side of her thigh. With a begrudged groan, the wolfess opened her legs, releasing her husband from her crotch.

“Haaaaah...! Hooooh!”

He gasped for breath as his head sprung up, his face covered in a glossy sheen of Hilde's pussy juices. But after a few moments of sitting there, he began to grin... and then chuckle... and then laugh! Brunhilde cocked her head at her lover, confused as to why he was acting this way. But before she could ask him, Ray sat up on the couch before her.

Brunhilde's dress was both pulled down and up, flaunting her tits and her pussy. Meanwhile, Ray was still wearing his slacks and button up shirt. Realizing this made the wolfess pout, unnecessarily annoyed at how she was bearing it all, while he wasn't. Besides... she loved his short form as much as he loved her towering one.

“Hey... heeeeyy...” said the wolfess as placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned up, “C'mon, Ray. Get naked.”

“Heh heh... is that a request, or an order?” he replied, causing her to leer at him.

“That's an order, private.”

“Heh... yeah... I thought... nmmmph...”

Their lips met in a slow-paced kiss, trading the taste of Brunhilde's body with one another. The wolfess didn't mind. Quite the opposite, really; the added spice of herself on Ray's lips, drew more hungered groans from her lips. Hilde squeezed her lover, pulling him in closer as their dancing tongues began to pick up in tempo. Her hands then traveled down, unbuttoning his shirt; one by one by one. His broad chest and toned stomach were exposed as his shirt opened up, and when she placed her flattened palm against him, a groan was coaxed from her lips. But she wasn't the only one with feisty hands. Ray clung upon her dress, pulling it up and up and up, forcing their lips to part so that he could pull it off her body and reveal her naked beauty to the room around them.

For a few moments, Ray sat there, marveling at the incredible beauty of the wolfess in front of him. His hands then trailed along her sides and abs, coming up to the bottom of her busty bosom, where he lifted them up. Ah, yes, so damn heavy, and still quaking with that milk inside. Nmmm... he came close to sucking from her tits again; spittle was even forming on his lips! But, no, he paced himself. Besides...

There was the rest of her body he could shower with attention.

Placing his hands on Brunhilde's sides, Ray gripped upon the wolfess as he lowered his head. Again and again, he pressed kisses upon her stomach, drawing these airy sighs from her lips. Even if her body was as chiseled as marbled, she could feel every affectionate kiss given to her. If he kept this up, he may very well go back down to dine on her pussy!

But, right, he still wasn't naked, was he? Sure, his shirt was gone, but his trousers were still on his legs. With that in mind, Brunhilde reached down, grabbing Ray by his shoulders, and pulling him up. His eyes widened as he came face to face with her yet again, as she grinned at him... and then brought him into a kiss.

For what felt like the umpteenth time that night, they entered into a deep kiss with one another, their tongues slowly dancing and their lips doing likewise. Ray's hands gripped and groped at his lover's busty tits, kneading them, rolling them around and around, lifting them, dropping them, and flicking her pink nipples. His groping hands brought moans from her lips, but she didn't let that stop her from what she wanted to do.

As one hand wrapped around his waist to pull him in close, Brunhilde's other hand slipped down to the front of his pants. Her big, strong palm clutched his pelvis, gripping his cock through his pants. For a moment, Ray tensed up, and groaned deeply into her mouth, but that didn't stop his kissing. Then Hilde pulled her hand up, unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned his slacks, unzipped them, and then slowly pulled his pants down.

FWIP!

Ah... this big, long, lovely, penis of his. Ray was short. Standing side by side, he barely came up to her chest in vertical height! And while he was physically capable owing to his life as a former soldier, it did not look like he was going to be getting that growth spurt he had been dreaming about for so long.

But that's okay; that's fine! Ray was perfect the way he was, short height in all! But one thing that certainly belied his short stature, was this high-powered rifle he kept between his legs. In almost stark opposition to his short height and cute features, Ray's cock was this long, thick, burly monster of a member, one that still finds a way to shock Brunhilde, even after all these years. Seriously, did he have a horse somewhere in his family blood with how big he was!?

With his cock now freed from his pants, Hilde wrapped her hand around it as she continued sharing this kiss with her lover. Ray shuddered, but didn't break the liplock, allowing the wolfess to drape her strong fingers around his dick. She squeezed him softly, then began moving her hand back and forth, gently jerking his member off. More shudders ran through Ray's body from the feeling, while his cock twitched and throbbed within her grip. From its tip, clear and thick precum oozed upon her fingers, staining her like syrup. But this touch only drove Hilde to grip his dick harder, and pump her hand along him harder too. It was so much, that with a 'Pop!' of their lips...

“Aaaah...! H-Hildeeeee,” Ray groaned.

Planting his head into her firm tits, Ray leaned against the wolfess, allowing her to jerk his cock as hard and as fast as she wanted to. An audible 'Thwap!' noise echoed out whenever her hand smacked against his waist, which sent a further quiver throughout his form. Brunhilde knew how to handle weapons of all kinds, so why would his penis be any different? It was certainly a dangerous tool, wouldn't you agree?

“You're such a menace, Ray,” Brunhilde whispered into his ear, her tone teasing as her lips curled into a smirk, “Always acting so cute and innocent with your looks. But in reality, heh... you have this big dick between your legs. And these balls too!”

Leaning in, Brunhilde placed her nose to the side of her lover's dick, giving it a big, heavy whiff. Oooooooh, all that heat he had accumulated throughout the day, made him so nice and sweaty, which made him smell so fucking gooooood. Grinning in a devious manner, Hilde chuckled as she looked up at her lover, who stared back down with a face of lost.

“It looks like I'm gonna have to teach you a few lessons, private! Heh heh... snnnniiiiiifff! Aaaahhh~ At least until you stop wagging this thing around all willy-nilly. Dangerous weapons like these... aaaah~ need to be properly holstered.... chu... mmmm...”

Pursing her lips, Brunhilde placed them to the side of Ray's cock. And such a strong kiss it was. The wolfess' lips were like the rest of her body; strong, big, and mighty enough to move mountains. But it also had this tender side. This gentleness, warmth, and loving caress. Brunhilde was a wolfess in every sense of the word, and that includes the love she shows towards her pack.

And this love? This lewd, lurid, lascivious love? It was all for Ray.

With equal parks passion and lust, Brunhilde peppered her lover's dick with a flurry of kisses. They traveled the full gamut of his member, from the hilt, along the shaft, and up to the helm. And, oh yes, there was so much girth, so much length to pleasure. Even though she was larger than him by multiple feet, the wolfess still needed to put in effort to reach every inch of his mighty member. But that's where the fun lied.

Groaning beneath her touches, Ray's cock throbbed as he gazed down upon his lover. The image of Brunhilde kissing his dick along its sides, and the feeling of her coarse tongue dragging against him, sent twitches throughout his body. If he knew the individual weak spots of her womanhood, then she did likewise with him and his cock. But where as he took his time to lick and eat her out, Hilde savored his cock with the voracious appetite one would suspect of a wolf. And the smile she had on her face made her look even hungrier.

Gripping Ray's dick, Brunhilde held it in place, resting it along her handsome face. Her tongue then sinfully dragged alongside his cock, starting from the bottom, and going all the way up to his glands. There she stopped, but only so she could swirl her tongue along the head of his penis, lathering it spit which slowly oozed down his manhood.

Ray's toes curled at the sight of his lover, who clamped both hands around the hilt of his cock to hold it in place. Then her blue eyes locked in on his, trapping him in her gaze as her grin faded. Mouth opened wide, she breathed hard over his cock, the warm touch sending quakes throughout her lover's body.

Laying back on the couch, a loud groan of pleasure flowed from Ray's mouth. Watching his cute face quiver with pleasure, was a boon to Brunhilde's spirits. She was raised to be a warrior princess, and she was proud of that title! But to know that she had enough skill to make her lover quake with desire? Oh, that was somehow more important to her than any skill on the battlefield she had.

But enough of this sampling. She needed to taste him directly!

Wrapping her hand around the hilt of his cock, Brunhilde held Ray in place as she lifted her head up. By the gods; what a fat fucking cock! How it throbbed, how it pulsated, how precum oozed from the slit at the tip. There was a reason why she compared his penis to a high-powered rifle; it really was that big, that glorious that... deadly.

And it made Brunhilde lick her lips. Time to devour.

Pursing her lips, the wolfess planted a kiss upon the head of Ray's dick... and then began pushing doooowwwwwwwn. A deep moan left her lover's lips and his eyes rolled back as her moist and warm mouth, wrapped around the head of his dick. Her teeth, her tongue; it all cradled his mighty member, pleasing him.

But Brunhilde did not stop there. Letting her lips stop at edge of his glands, the wolfess looked up towards her lover yet again, her blue eyes piercing into the very depth of his being. Then she placed her hands on his thighs, holding him in place as her head started sinking down. More... more... moooorrrreeee...

“Oooooooohooooooooh...”

Ray melted into the couch as his groan filled the room around him. Despite the great size of his throbbing cock, Brunhilde was capable of handling it. Hey, they've been together for two years now; she'd be some poor excuse of a lover if she couldn't contend with his dick! Eyes closing shut, the wolfess let Ray's dick slip into her throat, which quickly tightened around him.

A sharp 'Oh!?' was forced from his lips, stunned by how brazen his lover was being... and how tight her throat was. Seriously! Was this that 'holster' she was talking about before? If so, he wouldn't mind sliding his 'rifle' into it more often!

And this was only magnified when Brunhilde began to swallow. All of that sweat, precum and spit, was pulled off his cock with this incredible suction force which went straight down the wolfess' throat. Ray shuddered, then audibly groan as the felt the vice-like grip of his lover's throat. All the while, she began to suck on his dick passionately.

“Slrrp! Slrrk! Sluuuuk...! Slrrrmph~!”

Her hand wrapped around the hilt of his cock and her eyes closed shut, Brunhilde's head bobbed up and down as she sucked on her lover's glorious length. The lewd sounds bounced around in Ray's ears, making him groan. It was like erotic music to go with the sensual sight of of his lover sucking on his dick. Her pressing lips, her swirling tongue, and her clinching throat, all brought him closer and closer to the edge of ecstasy. But just before Ray could reach that explosive crescendo, Brunhilde began pulling back slowly.

Only to stop. But not by her own control.

Eyes opening, she looked up to her lover. Ray's hand was on her head, clinching tight and holding her still. In her mouth, his cock throbbed harder than ever before, and even seemed thicker than ever before. That told her one thing and one thing alone.

He was going to fuck her mouth!

THWAP! PAT! FWAP! PLAP!

And fuck her mouth he did!

With great speed and overwhelming power, Ray slammed his cock in and out of Brunhilde's mouth. Her eyes swelled and tears even brimmed at the edge, but she did not budge one inch. Noooo, it would be a blow to her pride if she let his cock overpower her... again. So she let him fuck his mouth with all of that pent-up aggression, feeling his dick pound into her throat as it started throbbing at an incredible rate! And once it reached its limit...

“AAAAHH! OOOOOOHHHH!!!”

“HRRRRMMMPHHH~~~!!!”

SPRRT! SPLRRRT! SPUURRTT!

Another reason why she compares Ray's penis to a high-powered rifle? Because of the rounds it fires off. These weren't ropes of cum, these were bullets. And what caliber of bullet? .50 caliber.

Bullet after bullet of thick spunk was fired into Brunhilde's mouth. It was so strong and so loud, that it audibly echoed throughout the room, even though it was all being captured by her mouth. The wolfess didn't budge an inch, remaining attached to Ray's cock as he kept shooting seed into her. It's like when she swallowed some down, he gave her more and more and more!

And more and more and moooorrreeeee...

Much like when he ate her out mere moments before, Ray didn't stop cumming until it was overflowing from Brunhilde's lips. She struggled to keep it all in, as spunk started streaming out of her lips and down his member to stain the couch beneath them. At least by this point he finally – finally – began relaxing.

Ray's orgasm petered to a halt, like an automatic rifle needing to be reloaded. It slipped out of Brunhilde's lips with this audible 'Shlop!' while she stood up before him. Eyes closed, she put her hand to her mouth, swallowing the last bits of seed she could. Bit...

“Glp!” by bit... “Gulp!” by bit... “Gllp! Gulp! Glup! Aaah! Gaaah! Haaaah! Oooooh...!”

Seriously, it's like Ray's balls were built to breed! Or, well, built to breed more than they already do. So much cum swarmed around Brunhilde's mouth and tongue. It seemed as if no matter how much she swallowed down, there was still a bit more she didn't reach!

But, damn, did it make the wolfess feel good. The warmth of delight traveled through her body, making her fur stand on end. Her blue eyes looked down upon her lover, who sat up before her with his cock still thumping up and down. Leering at his member, Brunhilde cocked her head in a slightly annoyed manner. It was starting to grow soft as expected of that accursed refraction period. But the wolfess knew what she was doing. Again, she knew Ray's body oh so well.

Pushing her lover upon his back, Brunhilde mounted him upon the couch, pinning his smaller body beneath her superior one. Her full weight pushed down upon him, but he only groaned back in pleasure as his cock gave a randy twitch.

Ah, yes, that cock. Reaching down, Brunhilde gripped it and sandwiched it between her strong, powerful tights. Despite her great size and his flaccid state, Ray's fat dick was still capable of poking through the valley of her thighs. It was daunting to deal with such a gifted member on a regular state, but Brunhilde never backed down from a challenge. Whether that be from confidence or arrogance however, that depends on who you ask.

Clinching in with her thighs, Brunhilde began stroking off Ray's cock. A gasp was forced from his lips as he felt the strong and toned ridges of her legs stroke along his manhood. The wolfess lacked a gentleness when performing this sex act, but that only made things better. Hilde's thighs squeezed around his dick, jerking him off in a manner that sent blood pumping throughout his body.

Fuck, it felt so good. These legs and thighs he loved so much, were being used to please him. The feeling, the texture, the warmth, the way she ran from the hilt to the tip, again and again, all sent surges of delight through Ray's body. His chest arched up and his hips did likewise, thrusting upwards through Brunhilde's legs as his cock stiffened and stiffened and stiffened more! Before long...

“There we go...”

Ray's cock had returned to maximum length and rigidity, standing tall and thick between Brunhilde's legs like a spire of pleasure. But the wolfess didn't stop there. She began sliding her hips back and forth, alternating in the movements of her thighs as she stroked off his cock. His dick tense up further, producing splatterings of precum which oozed out the tip and stained her legs. But still Brunhilde pleasured his manhood, panting softly as she watched his big, throbbing member get taller and taller and taller.

“Does it feel good?” asked Brunhilde to which Ray nodded.

“It feels better than good,” he groaned back, “Ahhhh... Hilde... your legs... nnn...”

“Heh heh... well...” a grin spread out on her lips, “It's about to feel even better.”

Placing her hand on his chest, she pinned him to the couch as she raised her hips up. Her other hand reached down, gripping his dick, and angling it up with her folds. Mere moments ago he dined on her pussy, eating it out until she came all over his face and head. And now he watched as her cunt again – throbbing and wet with need – began to grind against his burly dick. A blissful groan left Ray's lips, watching as she slipped his cock against her. Once... twice... thrice... and then she began pushing down.

“Nnnnhhhh!”

“Mmmgggooooooh~~~”

She felt it. She felt every girthy inch of her lover's length as it slid deep into her toned snatch. Walls were pried apart, flesh was penetrated, all as it delved in deeper... deeper... deeepeeer. A grin spreading out on her lips, Brunhilde closed her eyes shut and tucked some hair from her face as she indulged in the pleasurable feeling of his cock penetrating her folds.

So... gooooooooood...

Panting softly as she sat down on Ray's hips, Brunhilde trailed her hand down her slim stomach, feeling his cock push back on the other end. Oh, it was so big, she could nearly feel its outline press back against her fingers.

Her lover's glorious length never failed to impress her. Widening her out as it did, she held it hostage with her powerful and tight folds, while her juices tangled all around him. From cheek to cheek she smiled, her tongue extended from her jaw, while these daunting chuckles left her lips. Then she moved her hips up... and fell down.

PAT!

“Oooh!”

That weight! That heavy, wonderful, weight! It fell down upon Ray, all at once! It didn't just send a quake through his body, it didn't even just send a quake through Brunhilde's body! But it was also enough to make the couch beneath them shake on its four legs. And that was just from one bounce alone. Here came the others.

PAT! PAT! PAT! PAT! PAT! PAT! PAT!

Again and again and again, Brunhilde used the full weight of her body to pound Ray into the couch beneath them. Her strong, amazonian form, enriched by the beauty of motherhood, was truly a sight to behold. All of those curves, the musculature which defined them, and the busty bosom on her chest, could not be looked away from, even if someone tried.

And Ray gazed upon it all. He watched her breasts bounce, he felt her cunt clinch around his cock, and he stared at her face as she looked back at him with a lurid grin. At moments like this, when they were making love, the day and all of its woes just... ceased to matter. How could he think about anything else when he and his beloved Brunhilde were passionately fucking as they were? Exactly... he couldn't.

And he wouldn't.

SMACK-GRAB!

“Mghhoooh~ Raaaaay~”

With that surprising strength of his, Ray reached up and gripped hard upon Brunhilde's ass, squeezing her cheeks into his lustful palms. Aaaooooohh... such a strong, firm butt! Squeezing it was like fondling big smooth stones! And fondle them he did. His hands moved around and around in circles, groping her ass into his fingers. This went on for several moments before he suddenly came to a halt. Then he braced himself. Then he--

PATPATPATPATPATPATPATPATPATPATPATPATPAT!!!

“HHOOOOOUUUUUUUUHHH~~~!”

Thank the gods the walls were thick, less they wake up Isolde with all of their fucking.

Like a well-oiled machine, Ray pounded his cock in and out of Brunhilde's pussy, treating his member like a piston! Not one inch of her cunt was spared his burly member, which pressed, and ground, and rubbed, against every fold within her cunt. The smooth patches, the rough patches, all of them were mercilessly fucked by his mighty spire.

And he just wouldn't stop!

He wouldn't slow down, nor did he ease up in strength. Maybe it was because of his size that he was so strong. It was as if every fibrous muscle in his being, had been perfectly compressed into this five-foot form. Like a spring that's been squeezed down, all of that power was just waiting to jump out!

And it was 'jumping' alright. It was jumping straight into her womb!

Even as a wild and fervent beast, Ray knew exactly how Brunhilde liked to fuck. He knew she loved it hard, fast, and rough! Even as she sat on his lap, he slammed into her with enough power to make her body bounce up and down! Her hair, her tits, her ass; it all clapped and quivered with this sinful deliciousness that drove him to fuck her even harder, even faster! And hearing her cry out with pleasure--

“MGHOO~! YES! YES~! AAAHH-HAAAUUHH~! YEESSSSHHH~! RRAAAAAYYYY!”

Stars. Brunhilde was seeing stars. But these stars weren't new to her. These stars were familiar. She had seen them plenty of times before. She saw them whenever she was with Ray. He could always make her see stars.

And now...

“Glk~~~!”

Those stars were falling.

Collapsing atop Ray, Brunhilde pinned him beneath her tits while her hands rested on the couch beneath them. Jaw clamped shut, she heaved through her clinched teeth, while her hips continued riding out his cock; more and more and more! The juices from her cunt splattered all over Ray's cock and the couch beneath him, while his precum marred every inch of her cunt in return.

But this was just the beginning. Her throbbing cunt and his pulsating cock, both brought each other higher and higher to that blissful peak. There was only one thing left to do.

Bring each other over the edge.

“HOOOUUUUUUUUUHHHHH~~~”

“AAAHHHAAAAAA!!!”

The thick, pungent, and sensual fluids of two climaxing lovers flooded all over their hips and thighs. With his balls working overtime, and the aggressive lust that could only be ascribed to a randy draft horse, Ray unleashed a torrent of jizz deep inside of Brunhilde's cunt. Wall to wall, from labia to womb, every inch of her pussy was claimed by her lover, whether it be by his thick, pulsating length, or his overwhelming, all consuming cum. And that cum, ooooooh, it was rushing, if not outright surging to paint every inch of her pussy! And that's what it did.

It painted... it filled... it left nothing left.

Not to say Brunhilde was any different. Her climax came following along with her howling moan, shuddering and showering Ray's dick and balls with her clear, thick, feminine cum. So stringy, so gooey; it all oozed down his body like a sinful downpour of rain.

For several moments, the two sat there, panting for air as their latest tryst came to such an amazing end. The day's events – all of its frustrations and annoyances – all melted away, leaving them in only the comfortable grasp of one another. Ray's hand continued to grasp and knead at Brunhilde's butt, before traveling up to grip and squeeze at her back, sides and hips.

This lovely wolfess. He'd give his life up if it meant protecting her and their daughter. Likewise for Brunhilde, who placed her hands on Ray back in these loving strokes and squeezes. Pulling up, her blue eyes gazed down upon his own, meeting one another as they breathed the same hot, sweaty air as one another. For a couple of moments they remained still... but then she dropped her lips, pressing hers against his.

“Nmmm...”

“Mmmmphh...”

Their once raunchy and heated fuck, simmered down into this slow-paced, passionate kisses. Lips rumbled, tongues danced, moans were traded, all for seconds that seemed to go on for an eternity. And then it stopped as they pulled back, gazing at one another once more. There was just a tiny problem.

“Hnnn... Ray...” Brunhilde whispered.

“Hm...?”

“Can you keep going...?”

“...Yeah...”

…

THWAP! THWAP! THWAP! THWAP! THWAP!

“OOOOUUUUHHHH~~~!”

Pleasure. Her mind was swimming with pleasure.

At some moment amid their passionate romp, they finally got it in their head to leave their chateau's lounge. It was messy and dirty, filled with the funk of two lovers who found joy in each others' bodies. Eh... they'll figure out a way to explain that off to the maids tomorrow... maybe.

No, they retreated to their bedroom, continuing their tryst without a moments hesitation. The shower was ignored, leaving them to stew in the pungent and remarkable odor of their melding bodies. Sweat flowed down their bodies, mixing with cum – both his and hers – from multiple climaxes they've had since this started.

And... yeah... when did this start? Sometime in the evening when the sun was setting? Now the moon was high in the sky with stars twinkling as their silver glow beamed through their windows. And yet they were still going!

Leg lifted, body on its side, and pussy exposed, Brunhilde endured thrust after thrust from Ray's gifted cock. It slammed into her cunt, sending rippling waves throughout her amazonian form, and forcing loud moans from her lips. Her luscious curves jiggled, her hair fluttered, and her milky tits...? Ooooh, they bounced and bounced and bounced, all as an endless stream of cream was sprayed all over the bed and its blankets.

If there was one thing Ray could do well, it's put her through her paces in the bedroom. He was far from a weak man, but his small size not only belied his true strength, it also hid his staggering stamina.

That power within his short body came roaring through as he rammed his length deeper and deeper into Brunhilde. His pace had suddenly redoubled, and his cock began jumping like a volcano about to erupt! That told the wolfess all she needed to know. Gritting her teeth and tensing up her eyes, she prepared to be bred yet again like some sow. And Ray did not disappointed.

“AH!”

“HAAAAAUUUHHHHNNNN~~~!”

GRRRK! GLLRRRRK! GGRRRNNKKKK!

SQUIIRRRRRRTTTT!!!

The sound of his eternal cumshot, and the feeling of it weighing down in her belly, sent trembling quakes throughout the whole of Brunhilde's body. Her head fell back and her jaw split open, letting loose another loud moan of pleasure which reverberated off the walls of their bedroom. Her climax too rumbled from her cunt, splattering all over their bed to further stain it with their sinful fluids.

Then – and only then – did their fucking finally come to an end.

Panting, moaning and groaning, the two lovers attempted to catch their breath. Slowly, Ray laid Brunhilde's legs down, allowing her to flop over on her chest as a exhausted heap of flesh and fur. He sat up next to her, drenched in sweat as his cock continued to throb... and then steadily soften. Then he – like his lover – fell into the bed, resting on his back as he looked up at the ceiling.

The two were exhausted to the point of immobility. They sat there, breathing for air as hard as they could as moments went by. It was Brunhilde who moved first, rolling over to look at the face of Ray, who turned to face her back. And for several more moments they laid there, merely breathing... until a smile spread out over the wolfess' lips.

“So... heh... feeling better...?” she asked amid her panting, bringing a smile to Ray's lips.

“Much better,” he answered, to which she chuckled.

“Good... heh heh... I wouldn't be much of a wife if I couldn't help my husband unwind.”

“W-wife...? Husband...?” Ray repeated, making her shake her head.

“Never mind... just forget about it,” she answered, her lips still curled into a smirk, “Now then... with that out of the way...” she leaned up as best she could, “Aaaah~ what are we going to do now?”

“Hm? What are you talking about?” Ray asked before, “Aahh...?”

Brunhilde brought him close, resting his head against her bosom as they relaxed together. Looking over towards the window nearby, they gazed out towards the silent fields outside their home. With the moon and stars hanging in the skies, it reminded them of the sights above the Fringe as they awaited rescue while at Outpost Gamma. Funny how such a sight was so calming to them now, years after such a harrowing event.

“We have a decision to make, Ray,” Brunhilde said, “You have to speak with Kristoff Invictus, and all of Kranst has to make a decision on the war. I'm sure these things'll happen soon and... huh...” she looked away, “We have to figure out who fed information on us knowing what attacked Corsair Airfield.”

“Aaah... there's so much...” Ray bemoaned as he shook his head, “I feel like I'm at fault here. Like... this is my fault. I was the one who brought us to Kranst, and I foolishly thought that we could somehow bring this war between Yggdrasil and Dudral to an end. And yet here we are... things only seem like they're getting worse.”

“Hey, don't say that,” said Brunhilde as she looked at him, “It's not your fault things are like this. What other choice did we have? Go to Dudral where I'd be arrested? Or go to Yggdrasil where you'd be arrested? And stop making it seem like these were all your decisions. We made these decisions together, got it?”

Ray kept his gaze trained on Brunhilde, who stared at him in a no-nonsense manner. While she understood why he was acting this way, she wasn't going to let her husband talk down about himself. Their time together here in Kranst, raising their daughter and trying to bring this pointless war to an end, were some of the happiest moments of Brunhilde's life. Didn't that amount to anything?

Yeah, it did. It brought a smile to Ray's lips. She was right; these were decisions they made together. And, sure, things weren't good now, but that doesn't overwrite all the good they have had until now. Besides, maybe talking with Kristoff Invictus would bring about a positive change. He was a powerful and influential politician in Dudral; if anyone could bring this war to an end, it was him. So...

“You're right... ah... thank you for helping me see this, Hilde,” he chuckled, “I'm going to talk with Kristoff as soon as I can. And hopefully, we can figure out who told the army that we know what attacked the airfield.”

“Hmm...”

“Huh? Is something wrong, Hilde?” he asked as she took a thoughtful pose.

“Well...” she shook her head, “N-no. Nothing's wrong. I'm just... thinking too far ahead, I guess. We're at a crossroads here, Ray. We need to figure out what's happening, and figure it out soon. So...” she pointed at their bathroom, “Let's take a shower and clean off...”

“Together?”

“Heh... is there any other way?”

…

“So you know what you're going to do, right?”

“Speak with Kristoff Invictus, and figure out a way to bring the Dudral-Yggdrasil War to an end?”

“Heh heh heh! When you say it so matter-of-factly like that, it sounds easy!”

Ray smiled as he looked up at Brunhilde, who gently flattened the tie around his neck. In another life, this would be mundane start to another mundane day of life. He'd be a businessman of some sort, heading off to the office, while his wife gave him a kiss goodbye while holding their child in her arms.

If only their life was that mundane. He'd prefer it to what was happening instead.

It was the next day following everything that had happened. Ray was to speak with Kristoff Invictus, a meeting he should have spent dreading, but found it impossible to fear when he was with his wife and daughter. Brunhilde's warmth, and Isolde's precocious eyes, both imbued him with a sense of courage that wouldn't be there otherwise. So now as his eventual meeting came, he turned to face the exit with a smile.

“When I come home, I'll tell you everything, Hilde!” said Ray, to which the wolfess chuckled.

“Yeah, I figured, darling!” she replied with a grin on her lips, “Now get out here... and bring this war to an end.”

Now it was her turn to make light of a difficult objective. The irony was not lost on Ray, who laughed as he started walking away from their chateau home. Heading into the direction of his car, he prepared himself mentally to meet with Kristoff Invictus: a meeting that could very well change the trajectory of his life.

Yes, the Invictus family had that much power.

Was he scared? Obviously. Any intelligent man would feel a cold sweat break down his brow. But he knew he couldn't let that fear drive him. He had a family to protect, one he loved so very, very much. He never thought he'd be a father at his age, he never thought he'd be a father at any age when he joined the Dudral Army, but here he was, about to wage a battle of a different kind.

And he was going to come out of it alive. He will.

Brunhilde stood idly by, watching as Ray got into his car and drove off, heading for the city Faris. Despite the calm face she wore, the wolfess' heart was racing as well. Ray painted a clear picture of this Kristoff Invictus man, which made her wish she went along with him amid their conversation. But she couldn't. She had her own quest to go on.

Clutching Isolde close with one arm, Brunhilde reached into her pocket to pull out her phone. She needed to call their nanny.

…

“Mr. Alto, I presume?”

“Yes, that's me. I'm here to speak with Mr. Invictus? Kristoff Invictus?”

“Yes, yes, right away. Follow me, sir.”

Chateau de Elion. It sits on the outskirts of Faris, far from the stone buildings and streets, but no less dripping with style and history. A mighty fortress of a building, it was surrounded by a wall, and had armed guards roaming around its perimeter 24/7. But it had to have these things, for this was the resting place of politicians and foreign envoys whenever they come to visit. With its plethora of rooms and its hundreds of servants, it was less a mansion, and more a palace.

Very rarely had Ray come to this building. Very rarely did he have a reason to come to this building. So was it any surprise that he gazed around with his mouth agape, marveling in awe at the beauty on display?

But, right, he needed to move forward. Kristoff Invictus was expecting him, and one does not leave an Invictus waiting. So after taking another deep, deep breath, Ray followed behind the servant before him, walking down this hall and that hall. The closer and closer he came to his destination, the more he felt his heart pick up in speed, fearing what may occur.

He hadn't seen a fellow Dudralian since he and Brunhilde escaped Outpost Gamma; would that bring up any issues? Perhaps Kranst was returning him back to his former nation, regardless of his position of Governor. It's not like he was born here anyway.

But, no, he wouldn't let his mind get the best of him. Zefiro wouldn't sell him off, and even if he did, what would that accomplish? Dudral wouldn't threaten Kranst for any reason, would they? Especially not for just one guy like him! But there had to be a reason why Kristoff Invictus of all people wanted to speak with him.

Well...

“You may wait here, Mr. Alto,” said the servant as they arrived at one of the chateau's many courtyards, “Mr. Invictus will be joining you shortly.”

“Yes, thank you,” said Ray as he smiled up at her.

She smiled back, then turned to exit the courtyard. Left alone, Ray felt his heart again plummet as he wondered if he made the right decision here. His mind was a mess. Every time he convinced himself that he was doing the right thing, another part of his brain feared that he was only messing things up!

But what else could he do? He was here now, and he couldn't run away! So even with his mind waging a war with himself, he sat down at a chair nearby and took in a deep breath. Then he waited.

And waited.

And waited a liiiittttlee bit more.

And waited.

Until...

“Hello, Governor Alto!”

Ray's blood ran cold. It took everything in his power to not jump out of his chair when that voice came echoing into his ears. He recognized that voice. He remembered that voice. He couldn't tell you where he remembered it – be it on TV or in person – but he knew he remembered it. This voice... this voice was his voice. And he was walking around right...

Now...

Walking past Ray was a man... though you'd be forgiven for thinking he wasn't based on eyesight alone. He had a somewhat feminine figure with his wider hips and slender waist, and the way he walked didn't hurt things either. It was all so very elegant, so very dainty; like he was the very embodiment of majesty itself.

And when he turned around to face Ray, this feeling was only amplified. From his head spilled long blond hair that was as golden as the sunlight, and so bouncy and curly as well. It sat on a face that was androgynous, again making it difficult to tell if he was a man or a woman if one were standing from afar. His nose was pointed, he had this cheery smile on his lips, and his green eyes...

Had this dominating allure behind it.

Ray's chest expanded as he sucked in air. His attempts to be resolute were ruined the moment this man sat in front of him. This was him... this was Kristoff Invictus himself!

There was no escape.

“It is my pleasure to meet you, Mr. Alto,” said Kristoff as he extended his hand, guiding Ray to do likewise... though he did so shakily.

“It's my pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Invictus,” he replied with a smile on his face as he shook his hand, “If I may be a bit forward... can I ask to what do I owe this honor of speaking with you?”

“Ah! Of course, of course! But first...” Kristoff stopped as he looked Ray up and down, “Let me just... look at you for a moment or two. I'm so stunned that a former soldier of Dudral is now a governor of Kranst. If I may be so bold... how did you manage such a feat?”

“My grandfather was from Kranst,” Ray answered, “As it goes, anyone with blood from Kranst by two generations, is allowed to run for office. Though I admit...” he cocked his head, “I only got to this position thanks to the former governor of Kelhoon. He handpicked me as his successor since we shared a common interest.”

“Hm... and dare I ask what that common interest was?”

“We both wish to bring the Dudral-Yggdrasil war to an end.”

“Ah-ha... ufu... I am not too surprised by this answer.”

Kristoff smiled at him and cocked his head, though again, that did little for Ray's mental state. The man before him just felt... off. His smile – while kind – belied something else within him. Like this hidden maliciousness veiled by a flowery expression. Ray knew this man was not a man he could trust.

Everything was just... wrong...

“Tell me, Mr. Alto,” said Kristoff as he placed his elbows on the table between them and rested his head on his hands, “Who writes history?”

“Wh... what...?”

“Who writes history?” Kristoff repeated, “Answer honestly as well! Who. Writes. History?”

“Um... uh... those who are left?” Ray answered, causing a bright smile to spread out over Kristoff's face.

“Yes, yes! That's it! Bravo! History is not written by those who are right, but those who are left! I knew you'd answer that! But I guess it isn't too surprising. Your mother was a scholar and your father a magistrate, no? And you? You're a governor, so of course you'd be smart!”

“But uh... why... does that matter?” Ray asked, to which Kristoff cocked his head.

“Well... isn't history everything?” the blond replied, “Who we are, where we come from, where we are going... it can all be learned by looking towards the past. History... is very important. It teaches us everything.”

“Uh... huh...?”

“No, no, no... you don't get it...” Kristoff leaned in, “It teaches us... everything...”

“I don't... I don't quite understand...” said Ray, to which the blond leaned back and straightened up.

“Mm-hm! Okay! How about this! Two years ago on January 27th, a convoy containing multiple units of the Dudral Kingdom was attacked in a surprise ambush by their warring enemies while transferring to a distant outpost on the Fringe. 57 men and women lost their lives that day. There was but one survivor. His name was Private Ray Alto. Tell me... is that true?”

Ray tensed up. Kristoff spoke as if he knew information he should not know. Sure, one could infer what happened on the Fringe all those years ago, especially since he wound up alive in Kranst and wasn't trying to hide. But it was in the way the blond spoke which implied he knew so much more than he was willing to share.

Ray didn't like this. He didn't like this one bit. But he swallowed his spit and inhaled deeply, settling his nerves.

“Y-yes... that's true...” he said, “Why do you bring it up?”

“Ufufu... did you ever wonder what happened that night?” asked Kristoff, “It would be impossible for you not to have, right? 57. There were 57 people on that road that night, but only you survived. How lucky are those odds? Especially since all of Yggdrasil's forces were obliterated as well! All... accept for one. Brunhilde Edda, Duchess of Astrasia, she survived that night as well, didn't she? And then – working together – you and Brunhilde managed to find an abandoned military base named Outpost Gamma. There, you two worked together to survive. Tell me... is that true?”

He shouldn't have known that.

He should not have known that!

Since escaping to Kranst, Ray and Brunhilde did inform others of how they survived the Fringe. However, they never told anyone what was the name of the base they hid on. Why would they? Ultimately, Outpost Gamma was irrelevant. It could've been Outpost Gamma, or Outpost Theta, our even Outpost Lambda! It could've been any of the many abandoned bases that litter the Fringe, be it Dudral's base or Yggdrasil's! So how did he know?

Ray was confused... but Kristoff was smiling.

“When you hid out at Outpost Gamma... did you ever wonder why it was there? Did you ever stop to think about why this military outpost was abandoned? And why it still had so many items in there that could be of use in other places, but was instead left to rot away in that frigid hellhole? Did you ever wonder?”

“Of course I...!” Ray tensed up, his eyes widening as he looked at Kristoff, “You... you...” he slammed his hands on the table, but Kristoff did not flinch, “You know what attacked us, don't you? Wh-what? Was all of this planned!?”

“Ohohohohoho! Of course not,” Kristoff answered, “If everything went as planned... you and Duchess Brunhilde would have been dead alongside your allies,” he raised his hands, clapping them together, “Kudos to you, by the way. Surviving the Fringe? A very, very rare number of people have ever managed such a feet. The gods must have been looking out for you two.”

“What was it?” Ray growled through gritted teeth, “And... are you the one who attacked Kranst? Did Dudral attack Kranst?”

“Governor Alto!” said Kristoff, his smirk growing, “You'd make such a slanderous remark of Dudral? Your own home country? Dudral and Kranst are allies! And while we may not be pleased with their neutral stance on the war, we would never attack them.”

No. That was a bold-face lie. Hell, could you even call it a lie when Kristoff wasn't even trying to hide it? The smile on his face spoke a thousand words! Dudral attacked Kranst with that... thing! They attacked their own allies.

Why?

“On January 27th,” Kristoff suddenly said, “A convoy containing multiple units of the Dudral Kingdom was attacked in a surprise ambush by their warring enemies while transferring to a distant outpost on the Fringe. 57 men and women lost their lives that day. There was but one survivor. His name was Private Ray Alto. That is true, right?”

“Yes... that is true...” Ray growled.

“Good to know,” Kristoff replied whilst looking away, “You know what else is true? You and Duchess Brunhilde hid out at Outpost Gamma for two weeks, before making your own escape out of Outpost Gamma, where you retreated not to Dudral or Yggdrasil, but instead escaping to Kranst. Using your blood and connections, you are now a governor, where you and the duchess attempt to bring an ending to this war as activists... all while raising your daughter.”

“How did you know that...?”

“Ufufufu! I'm not finished, Governor Alto,” Kristoff leaned in, his smirk growing far more... sadistic, “You know what else is true?” he pointed at himself, “We always knew you and Duchess Brunhilde were hiding at Outpost Gamma. We got your SOS signal the moment you set it up... but we jammed it.”

“What? Why?”

“Because we wanted you both dead,” Kristoff answered, “It would have been easier that way. You two saw something that was better off... not seeing. So we jammed your signal so that Yggdrasil wouldn't find you or that base. And then we just ignored your call, hoping you two would die. But again, the gods were on your side, because you survived it. Impressive. Really impressive.”

“What do you want with us?” growled Ray, “Why are you bringing this up!? We just want this war to end!”

“And we want this war to end as well,” replied Kristoff, “But it's not as easy as just calling the King of Yggdrasil to write up an armistice. There are things we need. And one of those things we need...” he pointed at Ray, “Is you.”

“What?”

“How many governors are there in the senate, Mr. Alto?”

“32.”

“Mm-hm! 32 governors. If a bill needs to be passed, then a majority vote must be made. And if Kranst must go to war... a majority vote must be made. Anything less?” Kristoff shook his head, “And nothing happens. For the past two years, Kranst has suffered a stalemate. 16 governors call for war, 16 governors desire to remain neutral. And you were one of those 16 governors who wish to remain neutral. That is the wrong decision to make, Governor Alto. With this mysterious attack on Kranst that is now fresh in the mind of the country, I want you to vote for the war during your next vote. Do you understand?”

“But I don't want this war,” Ray replied, “I want this war to end. Now! Haven't enough people died?”

“Yes. Yes they have,” Kristoff answered, “That is why we need Kranst's aid to bring this war to an end. More help, quicker victory, less lives lost. A speedy victory is better than a long, drawn-out one, wouldn't you agree?”

“No... no that... that's not correct,” Ray said as he shook his head, “I couldn't dare do this. I couldn't--”

“What? Betray Brunhilde?” Kristoff said, “This war is probably tiring on her as well. Imagine. If we can bring Yggdrasil to heel, she will be free to return home.”

“No... no, she'd hate that,” Ray replied, “She's a warrior. She'd hate to return to her home as some supposed betrayer to her country.”

“It's too late for that,” Kristoff countered, “She's had a child with you, a soldier from an enemy nation. Who cares if you two are trying to bring this war to an end? She's probably having her name slandered throughout all of Yggdrasil right now.”

“Don't... hah... don't say that! You... you don't know that... hrrrrnk... I...” he closed his eyes, “I don't get it. Dudral has almost everything. Why do you want to win this war so bad? Why are you sending so many men and women to die? For what? What do you gain?”

“You're right. Dudral has almost everything,” replied Kristoff, “Everything except... well... let's just say that it is one thing that only Yggdrasil can give us. And whether we get it now, or get it later... we will get it.”

“Haah... and if I don't vote for the war... what then...?”

Kristoff's smile spread wider, and he leaned his head in close.

“Then those nightmares you have of Fleetwood? They will again become reality.”

Ray sat there, immobile as he replayed in his mind all the information given to him. Kristoff knew what happened to him and Brunhilde. Dudral attacked both forces with that... thing, whatever it was. They knew of their SOS, and ignored it, hoping they would die. And now that he was in a position of power in Kranst, they were using him to get their way.

Ray gritted his teeth, frustrated that key aspects of his life were being controlled by his own government. It made him question not just the things Kristoff admitted to, but the things he didn't. What else did Dudral know? What else was Dudral doing to him and his family? He had to know.

“Kristoff...” he whispered as he looked him in his green eyes, “Did... haaah... am I only a governor because... you pulled strings to make me a governor?”

Kristoff didn't answer. He didn't need to answer. He just smiled.

“It was a lovely conversation, Governor Alto,” he said as he stood up from the table, “I know you'll make the correct decision.”

“I...”

“Ufufufu... yes... you will...” he began walking away, “I'll leave you to think. Take as much time as you need.”

…

There was only one person who'd possibly know that she and Ray knew what attacked Kranst. A person they trusted. A person who had been nothing short of helpful since their arrival into Kranst. A person who came to personally visit them when the attack on Kranst happened, despite having not personally told anyone else. And that person...

“Good afternoon, Duchess Brunhilde.”

Was him.

“Good afternoon... Governor Zefiro...”

Zefiro was the governor of Maskim, and currently, the eldest member of the senate. He was a wizened and intelligent horse, one who always retained an air of dignity, and a face of aloofness. For the years she had known him, the wolfess had not once seen him so much as smile.

He was always professional.

Typically, Brunhilde would greet him with a smile. She was his friend, and Ray clearly looked up to him. Zefiro lobbied to let him be a member of the senate. He even convinced the Prime Minister of Kranst to allow him in! Putting it lightly, their life in Kranst was only possible because of Zefiro.

But even with all of that in mind, Brunhilde leered at him with her blue eyes in a sharp squint. She wore a serious face as she approached the horse in his home's lounge, which did not go unnoticed. But he said not a word, instead offering her the seat opposite of him.

“To what do I owe this visit?” asked Zefiro as he cocked his head, “It is not often that the wives of other governors come to visit me.”

Brunhilde's gaze locked in.

“You told them, didn't you?”

The wolfess lacked tact, but not without reason. There is a reason why she took such pride with her title of 'warrior princess'. She was both. She was both a warrior, one who would risk life and limb for her country, but she was also a princess, one who'd work hard to improve the lives of her people. But in this moment? Oh, that 'warrior' was coming out.

But even then, Zefiro showed no fear or apprehension. Nor did he attempt to deflect her accusation. She was too smart to lie to.

“I truly wish no ill upon you or your family, Brunhilde. But sometimes, we must make decisive decisions.”

“Oh, I know,” Brunhilde replied in a scathing tone, her blue eyes leering at him, “I am very well aware of what one must do. You aren't teaching me anything, Zefiro. However... I don't believe for one moment that you don't wish ill on me or my family. If information gets out that Ray and I are aware of what attacked Kranst, what do you think that will do to us? The people are horrified, and rightfully so! We don't know anything!”

“But you know enough...” replied Zefiro, “And that's good enough for me.”

“What? Rrrghh! First the attack on Kranst, then Kristoff Invictus visits? These two moments are not exclusive!” Brunhilde growled, “This was all planned, wasn't it? And you? You know more than you want to share, don't you? Answer me, Zefiro!”

“Haaah... no...” replied the horse, “Things weren't planned... but they did fall into order for us.”

That statement took Brunhilde aback, confusing her. But what shocked her more was Zefiro's face. For the first time in... ever, the horse's stoic expression morphed. She watched a variety of emotions flash through him: sadness, regret, disappointment, and finally, acceptance. When he faced Brunhilde again, he leered at her with this intensity that was far greater than ever before.

“What have you done, Zefiro?” the wolfess asked, to which he tensed up even further.

“I've done as I've always done: hold Kranst's best interests at heart,” he answered, though Brunhilde shook her head.

“That statement can burn in the flames of Hela!” the wolfess shouted as she launched up, “'Kranst's best interests at heart'!? How can that be true!? Soldiers of Kranst – your own blood – lay dead! And you were aware of it, weren't you?”

“You of all people should know that losses in war are inevitable,” Zefiro growled back, his deep voice reverberating through his lounge, “And I'd rather like it if you did not assume anything of me. I am a governor, and a respected one at that. I could have things could happen to you and your husband if I request it.”

“Do you think that scares me, you feeble old man?” Brunhilde growled back, “I've fought in wars and weathered frigid storms, while you've sat snuggled in this chateau of yours. You do not scare me.”

“Perhaps I don't,” he replied, “But if you had half a brain, then you'd know to fear Invictus.”

“Tch... and why should I?”

“Because Kristoff Invictus is a very powerful man,” Zefiro answered, “So powerful that... haaah... so powerful that his strength reaches beyond the boarders of countries. Dudral, Kranst... even Yggdrasil.”

“Huff... I do not believe you,” Brunhilde snarled as she crossed her arms.

“Ah, but Ray does,” Zefiro countered, “He knows full well the true power – the true horrors – of the Invictus family, and if he knows what's smart, he will obey.”

“You leave my husband's name out of your mouth,” growled the wolfess.

“Ray's a smart man,” the horse continued on, “And he will answer the way we want him to answer.”

“And what's that?”

“He will call for war,” Zefiro answered, stunning Brunhilde to silence, “The Prime Minister has called for a vote by we governors, asking us to weigh in on whether or not we go to war with Yggdrasil. Following the attack on Corsair Airfield, public support for the war has become the highest its ever been. The people want blood.”

“But it was not Yggdrasil who attacked us,” Brunhilde growled, “Why would they?”

“That... does not matter,” Zefiro replied, “The people want blood for blood. And if it gets out that you – Brunhilde Edda, Duchess of the Astrasia – know of what attacked Corsair Airfield... huh... I wonder what the people will think then?”

“Fuck. You.”

“I can't control you, Brunhilde,” the horse said, “But I also cannot control the people, and the people want revenge. We have a target, and they are Yggdrasil.”

“That's bullshit, and you know that,” she snarled, “The people are angry, and understandably so! But instead of performing an investigation and actually locating the source of the attack, you decide to create a target for them. Yggdrasil has done nothing! You know that, and I know that!”

“But the people don't know that. And the people don't care.”

SLAM!

KRASSH!

Anger. Brunhilde felt anger. So much anger, that she struck Zefiro's coffee table with enough force that its glass splintered and shattered. Looking down, the wolfess paced herself, and closed her eyes as she fell deep into thought.

This was bad. This was very bad. For all of Brunhilde's bravado – and she had a lot of bravado – she was not so blind to admit that she was stuck in a corner. Whatever it was Zefiro had planned, she was stuck. The people of Kranst were angry, and they had every right to be.

They were a neutral country amid the war between Dudral and Yggdrasil, so for what reason were they attacked? No one would believe Dudral attacked their own ally! Hell, even Brunhilde wouldn't believed they'd stoop that low just to usher in their war agenda! But Yggdrasil? She knew her country wouldn't do such a thing. They weren't so foolish as to start a fight with a non-aggressive entity!

In the end, she supposed, it did not matter. Zefiro was poised to label Yggdrasil as the aggressor in this war, and from the outside looking in, it did make sense. If things were different, then, yeah, Brunhilde too would believe Dudral was responsible.

But it frustrated her nonetheless that her country – her country – was being turned into a villain. In the history books of Kranst and Dudral, Yggdrasil would be seen as menace that attacked them for seemingly no reason at all. That was a bitter pill to swallow. When Isolde came of age, would she see herself as a monster for owning Yggdrasilian blood? Or would she abandon her Yggdrasilian nationality and see herself as Dudralian only?

Both made Brunhilde sick to her stomach, but in the end, what could she do at this moment? No matter how angry she was, she knew she could not lash out at Zefiro; that would only prove his agenda right. So she sucked in air, held it, and then let it go, before locking her blue eyes on the horse once more.

“Why?”

“Come again?”

“I said 'why'!?” she snarled, “Why all of this, Zefiro? Why are you letting this Kristoff Invictus man control you like this? You're the eldest governor in the senate! Even the Prime Minister looks up to you for aid! And this is how you treat your country?”

“Like I said before, I'd do anything for my country,” Zefiro growled, “Which is exactly why I am doing this. Kristoff Invictus came to me with an offer. For decades... centuries even, Kranst has been a small country. But with his aid, we can expand. If we help Dudral win this war against Yggdrasil, we will be granted land in Yggdrasil.”

“L-land in Yggdrasil? What land in Yggdrasil!?”

“I'd rather not say...”

KLANK!!!

Zefiro looked away as Brunhilde shook his shattered table. But... he didn't need to say a word; his actions had already told the wolfess everything.

Kranst would be given land in Yggdrasil, and he wouldn't tell her what land specifically. Why? Because the land being given to Kranst, was land that is important to Brunhilde specifically. Putting it lightly...

Kranst would be gaining Astrasia.

“You son of a bitch...” the wolfess growled as she stood up.

“You can't change fate, Brunhilde,” Zefiro replied as he stood up too, “The war with Yggdrasil will happen. I suggest you accept it quickly.”

“You... YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!”

Her anger exploding, Brunhilde quickly turned, rushing out of the lounge, and soon, leaving Zefiro's chateau altogether. Not giving chase, the horse sat there, listening as his front door was opened and promptly slammed shut. It only took a matter of seconds, but his chateau was once again silent.

Sitting there with his head held down, the horse questioned momentarily if what he had done – what he was doing – was the right thing to do. But these thoughts did not weight down his mind for too long.

“I need to call my cleaner,” Zefiro muttered to himself as he walked away, “Someone needs to clean this glass...”

…

“Ray!”

“Hilde!”

It was almost magical their affect on one another. The situation was dire, their fates were up in the air. But when they saw one another, they simultaneously felt all of their issues, all of their frustrations, melt away. Was it brief? Yes, yes it was. But when they rushed to one another, when they embraced one another, in these moments they felt true...

Peace...

Back at their chateau, Hilde and Ray hugged one another in the center of the lobby. They didn't say a word, but they didn't need to say a word. The both of them experienced something threatening, and they needed one another to feel calm. They were not so proud as to think they could face these issues on their own.

“Hilde...”

“Ray...”

“We need to talk,” they said in unison.

Pulling back from one another to stare in each others' eyes. Ray didn't know why Brunhilde was so antsy, but he knew well enough to fear whatever it is that shakes her of all people. Was he ready to stand any more information considering the conversation he had with Kristoff? No, not really, but if it helped Brunhilde out – even a little – then he'd face the entire world.

“What's wrong, Hilde...?” Ray asked.

“I...!”

She paused and closed her eyes, knowing that her information would only shake Ray more. To think that Zefiro had betrayed them, and been betraying them since the moment they met... it sickened her to her stomach. But she needed to pace herself for the moment...

“WAAAAAAAAHHH!!! WWAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

“Ah!? I-Isolde!?”

Alerted by the sound of their crying daughter, both Ray and Hilde rushed towards the lounge where the wolfess last laid her. Resting in her nursery, their daughter cried and cried and cried, driving Hilde to pull aside her blankets briefly, discovering that...

“Oh... heh heh heh...!” she smiled, blushing as she looked at Ray, “She needs to be changed...”

Ray looked at Brunhilde, first giving her a face of confusion... before blushing and smiling as well. Laughing, the fact that Isolde was only in need of a changed diaper, helped to dispel some of the tension they were feeling.

“Sit over there, Ray. I'll deal with this.”

“I... hmm...” he nodded, “Okay...”

Sitting down on the couch nearby, Ray watched as Brunhilde tended to their daughter. When feeling the touch of her mother, Isolde quieted down, allowing the wolfess to begin the simple task of changing her diaper. It wasn't much, nor did it take long, but her lover never stopped watching her. There was something oddly beautiful about this. When watching Brunhilde tend to Isolde, Ray remembered all he had... and all he had to lose.

Let's say – gods forbid – that he didn't do what Kristoff asked of him. What would happen then? Would Kristoff have assassins sent to kill him and his family? Somehow, that would be the least terrible thing that could happen to him. Kristoff could have them kidnapped if he wanted to. Gods, just thinking about that was horrifying. The things he could have done to Brunhilde and Isolde... no... he didn't want to even think about it!

Ray was pinned in place stuck between the orders of a war monger, and his desires to bring an end to this war. Either he did as he was told and started acting in favor of the Dudral-Yggdrasil war, or he stuck to his beliefs and continued fighting against the war as a whole. But, no, that wasn't really what was at stake here. Either he voted for a war that would lead to the deaths of more and protect his family, or he sacrifices his family to continuing fighting against said war... even though the war may still happen regardless.

Both options felt terrible right now, leaving his stomach tossing and turning. He couldn't send men and women off to die pointlessly! He's been in their position before, and it wasn't something he'd wish on anyone! On the other hand, he couldn't risk the livelihoods of his family for anyone else, no matter what!

He refused to...

“Ray...” Brunhilde whispered, cutting his thoughts short.

“Hilde... haaahh...”

“So... what happened?” asked the wolfess as she turned to face him, “You spoke with that Kristoff Invictus guy, right? What did you talk about?”

“I...” he replied, before taking in a deep breath, “Kristoff wants me to vote in favor of joining the Dudral-Yggdrasil War. He knows a vote will happen soon.”

“Hmm...”

“But that's not all. Hilde,” Ray tensed up, “Kristoff knows. He knows everything. He knows about Isolde, he knows about the attack on our platoons two years ago at the Fringe, he knew we were at Outpost Gamma. He knows what attacks us. He knows and...” he looked down, “I think it's clear that he, and Dudral, created the... thing that attacked Corsair Airfield... the same thing that attacked our platoons...”

In a way, saying this wasn't surprising. No, it only confirmed something they both felt were true. It was bittersweet in that way. Ray had to admit that his country created a machine they used to casually toss away the lives of their own soldiers, and attacked their ally as well. It sickened him to his stomach, but before he could turn green, Brunhilde's hand fell on his head.

Gently she stroked him, calming her lover down... but not by much.

“Ray...”

“I... I can't believe it!” he cried, “Dudral really did attack Kranst! Dudral attacked their own soldiers! But... why?”

“For oil,” Brunhilde answered, taking Ray aback.

“Wh... what?”

“For oil,” she repeated, further confusing him.

“What the... why do you say that?” Ray asked.

Sighing, Brunhilde sat next to her lover, her hand resting upon his thigh. Ray cocked his head at her, wondering why she of all people was acting so tense. Hadn't she been at home all day? He was the one who spoke to Kristoff, but the wolfess looked like she had a conversation of her own.

“Hilde...?”

“I spoke with Zefiro,” she said as she turned to face him, “Zefiro was the one who leaked the information about me possibly knowing what attacked Corsair Airfield.”

“What? B-but why...?”

“Zefiro... haah... Ray...” she shook her head as her face grew long, “Zefiro has been working with Dudral to bring Kranst into this war. He knew about the attack, and probably schemed with Dudral to make it happen. He named Kristoff specifically. Haaah... when you left to talk with Kristoff, I left to talk with Zefiro. I figured he was the one who told the army that I knew what attacked the airfield. I found it odd how he visited us specifically to tell us about the attack, so I confronted him with this information. And... I was right. Zefiro didn't bother with defending himself...”

“No... no, I... I can't believe this,” Ray said, “He... Z-Zefiro... he's been nothing but a tremendous help to us! Aaaahh...” he closed his eyes and shrunk, “Kristoff... he really did pull strings to make me governor. I can't believe... aahh...”

“I'm done yet,” Hilde said, “Ray... they want Astrasia. If Kranst joins the war and helps Dudral win it, then Kranst will get Astrasia. And you know what Astrasia exports? Oil. Kranst will get land, Dudral will get the oil in the land. At least... that's what I assume will happen.”

“Oh my... aaaahhh...”

Ray grabbed his head, groaning into his hands in disbelief. This situation grew worse and worse with every passing second. It's one thing to know Kristoff orchestrated so much, but he never imagined Zefiro was his confidant to make all of this happen. In a way, Ray saw Zefiro as his mentor... but the horse was just using him like a tool. All so they could get Kranst into the war.

“Brunhilde... I...” he looked over at the wolfess, “I don't know what to do. I... I feel stuck. I want to keep fighting against the war like we have since coming to Kranst, but... I don't want to ruin our family. You and Isolde... you mean everything to me. I can't risk either of you getting hurt for my sake, or anyone's sake.”

“Tch... do you truly think me and your daughter so weak that you worry for our safety?”

“Wh... what?”

Ray looked at Brunhilde, gazing into her face. She looked back, appearing serious and stern. Raising her hands, the wolfess placed them on his cheeks, framing his face with her own so that their blue eyes could look at one another. Her no-nonsense gaze penetrated into the very depths of Ray's soul.

“Hilde...”

“I've been raised to fight. And I have fought for years. Anyone who comes to disrupt our family will face my wrath, no matter who, no matter what. Do you understand that, Ray?”

“I...” he smiled, “Yeah... I understand.”

…

History is not written by those who are right, but those who are left.

Those words bounced around in Ray's head, repeating on an infinite loop. What will the history books say about this moment? Will it be a major turning point in the world? Or nothing but a footnote of yesteryear? What would they say about him? Was he a major player in history, or just another politician among many?

He just wanted peace. That's all he wanted. That's all he's ever wanted. But peace can be an abstract concept. Sometimes in order to get peace, one must do bad things.

Sometimes...

“Governor Alto. What is your vote?”

Ray slowly pulled his head up. He was in the House of Senate. All around him were his fellow governors. Toris, Tira, Morvis: all 32 governors were here. Yes, that included Zefiro, who presided over them all.

And all of them were looking directly at him.

For what had become a familiar dance for the governors, the vote was nearly split down the middle. 16 governors called for war. 15 governors called to remain neutral. Time may have changed, but their opinions had not. And now, that left Ray. It was he who had control over the situation; he who could decide not only Kranst's future, but the future of his family.

So what was his decision? What choice did he make? Did he betray his family while protecting them? Or did he damn his family to assured death, while delaying an inevitable war? The choice was his to make... but the answer was easy.

“Governor Alto...?” Zefiro called, “You do have a vote to make... right?”

Ray nodded... and then stood up.

“Yes, I do,” he said, “I vote for...”