Army of the Damned

VOLUME 14 Chapter 3

As the party began to die down, most of the guests had left for the garden and to roam around the Castle. The Duke of Janishaire stands up from his seat and looks to Jackson. With a wet towel over his eyes, the woman in black eating her unknown number of Buknade and the Countess, busy writing things down on a notepad. "My dear wife, keep watch of our children." He stands up, opening his arms and the servants give him his fur greatcoat.

The air got heavy, even the Cardinal who was at the throne and the Financier went silent at the sight of the man walking down the room. He carried himself in a way that was not only great, but also historic. Every step he took, as if the very foundations of the City Fortress sang along to the tune of it. Tud, tud, tud. An Elf then proceeded to give him his Scepter as he approached the table with a peculiar group of people.

With the foreign sun bowing down on the horizon, his shadow casts a heavy black over the notepad of Alana. She clicks her pen and turns to her right. "M'L- My husband." as she shook him, the groans of the man aired out. Like a stuffed toy that's been blown too much and unable to make noise anymore. The tired Knight unravels the section of the towel that covered his right eye. "Arrrr... what is it?" looking at the Vampire's well rounded chest, her lanky hands then hovers infront of it, pointing to her right where the shadow was coming from.

Lifting his head, he sees the purple fur greatcoat and Golden Scepter of the Duke.

"S-SIR!" He stands up, saluting like a soldier just to suddenly shake his head and bow. "Knight General Paul Jackson Minuit of the Knights of Eldwood!" peeking behind from his seat was a small blonde girl. She merely gushes a glance at the Duke and proceeds to hide back. As if she lived under the shadow he casts. "H-How may I help you Duke Spitze?"

Breathing in and out, the Duke's presentation was immaculate. Even at his advance age, he had himself a tone that was nearly akin to the Vampire's yet still Human. With a big well combed beard, and elegantly clean cut hair, he lifts his hand and lowers it. Making the two stand down.

"Tell me, Lord Jackson. What does that medal mean?" confused, he looks at the medals strewn on his uniform. "Errrr..." he then looks at Alana who just widens her gold eyes at him multiple times. Unraveling her intentions, he nods. "Th-this one that looks like a Cross, Lord Spitze?" he nods. "I have been to war before. A true war, unlike the younguns' that spout these metal upon their chest." He unravels his fur coat, revealing numerous medal buttons on his uniform. "Each and every one of these for the King's greatness, I've earned. Have you?"

He then gestures to Alana, prompting the Vampire to sit down whilst he continues standing. After a while, he nods. "I have. Duke Spitze. This particular one is a rendition of an actual Medal I earned." The great man then taps his scepter, one of the Servants immediately running with an elegant chair as he sits down. "Every soldier has a story for every scar that's on his body. Tell me a story, Lord Jackson."

"I uhhhh..." Alana then bows. "Duke Spitze." he lifts his hand. "Call me Spitze, Vampire." she quickly nods. "Spitze, my husband suffers from an illness. He has a hard time recalling his time in a war he participated in. Please do not let him go through the pain." the Spitze then looked at Jackson, his hands weren't clenched. He merely leaned down to pick up the wine glass and downed all the wine in it. "M-My husband, you do not need to do this."

"No. I can do it."

Opening his eyes, he was back inside the cramped interior of their T-100K. His body, cooled by the exoskeleton undersuit inside his fatigues. The red blinking on the Commander Panel in front of him notifying its crew of something. "30MM AMMO DEPLETED!" and suddenly, alarms blare as the Active Protection System of their Main Battle Tank detects an oncoming projectile. The labeling on it widens his eyes. "AGM-114K HELLFIRE - 4.8KM" and with just a blink of his eye, it was "AGM-114K HELLFIRE - 4.5KM".