Army of the Damned

VOLUME 4 Chapter 8

As the afternoon skies fall down upon the horizon. A lone wagon pulled by a large black horse goes over the hill and upon the other side, the metropolis built by Eldwood. With a smile to his face as its gleaming colors return, with glass windows now installed on every window and door, the old glamour was returning with the skies filled with player mounts and helicopters and planes.

Roads bustled with life as cars and trucks of varying sizes drove around and construction was already underway in expanding the territory of the city as outside, camps were set up to house even more players as a customs building was being actively constructed at the edge of the territory where Natives could freely come and go. Skeleton soldiers routinely patrolled the outskirts as he returned to the city.

There are so many new faces around him that he found it hard to believe this was the same abandoned place a few months ago as even the formerly overgrown sidewalks found itself with a new life as every crack and hole is fixed and city maintenance has grown into a large organization and the roads upgraded with a designated path for wagons as Military Police now scattered everywhere, with their large Military vehicles armed with police lights and reflective tapes over their camouflaged bodies.

Weaving through the busy streets, Jackson's wagon made quick work of the traffic as he ate on the way. Junior happily strutted along the streets as they soon arrived at their destination, the City Hall that's in the center of the city. To his surprise, black armored SUVs were already parked in front with players from the Men of the Wood and the Shine Guards guarding it.

An odd mixture of modern and fantasy Knight armors were scattered about the street as they parked opposite of the convoy. There, he could see the logo on the side of the vehicles showed the Association of Architectural Guilds. The flying griffin and hippogryph carrying towers with their talons and bridges on their beaks. Breathing in, he gets his game face on, slapping his own faces' cheeks and hopping down from the drivers seat, uniform on and all.

Approaching the city hall's front yard gate, the Military Police officers stationed there recognized the stars on his shoulders and saluted. "General Jackson, where do they want me?" The MP then turned to his friend at the other side of the post and the two got to the radio. "Sir, they want you up in the conference hall immediately but it's recommended you leave Miss Minuit and Goddess Bahamut behind." His eyes perked up a bit as he turned around. "You heard him, stay at the main lobby. I'll be back."

Walking inside, he goes straight to the elevator and to the third floor where the entire hallway was crawling with State Sec Agents. "VIP has entered the floor." hearing this, the man couldn't help but make sure his all buttoned up and his jacket is straightened out properly. Entering the conference room, he is met by a player in a Labcoat alongside two other Generals from the Men of the Woods while two other players, one in a Robe and another in a shirt and slacks, sit idly at the edge of the circular table whilst an odd one out in a pith helmet is on the corner of the room all by himself.

"General Jackson I assume." smiling he nods his head as he closes the door behind him. "Yes, good afternoon everyone. I apologize if I am a bit late. Had... uhhh, do stuff." Staring at the empty chair, he quickly walks to it and as if he was back in the army, robotically pulls it out and he sits down with a straight back. The man in the labcoat quickly removes his circular glasses. "I am Director Glennan also known as BuddhaLotusFlame, I work for the Stella Guild. Pleased to meet the General with the Dragon Bahamut."

"Of course, thank you." He then looks down at the binder in front of him and begins going through the pages till he reaches the part where they were already at which showed photos of the N-IIIB Mana Core Rocket Boosters. "As I was saying, it took us almost a year and a half to perfect this but we've done it. Thanks to the gracious donations of the Men of the Woods and Rostock, we've finally done it. Not even the teleportation incident will stop us from achieving our dreams."