Hells Bells

Classified Events

June 8th, 2025. Border of the Kingdom of Clen. Arragonian Frontier.

The encampment moves around cheerfully and without worry. Silvia lowers her binoculars when a man on a horse moves up beside her. She acknowledges the man before looking back down at the encampment, the warm summer sun beats down on them. Her eyes focus on the labyrinth-like structure near the northern edge of the camp. She scans the front of the camp seeing two guards and kids playing in the nearby fields. She looks to the man next to her

SILVIA: Is that the structure you're looking for?

The man lifts his field glasses and looks down at the camp.

???: That's the one... After you general.

Silvia reigns her horse causing the beast to howl. The horse settles back down, with the rumble of engines filling the now silent field. Armored cars drive over the hill making their way to the camp. The camp sounds the alarm and the men start gathering rifles and moving to defensive positions, while the women gather the children and move into a makeshift church. The children outside the camp in the field run for the gate. The armored cars open fire with machine guns showing no mercy to the young. The front car aims its turret and fires its main gun perforating the gate. The other cars open up with their guns and start hitting tents and makeshift defense lines. The defenders respond with rifle and sparse machine gun fire, with some launching molotovs with slingshots. An armored car takes a dive into an unseen tank trap, the car is then set ablaze. Another car gets its front right tire blown off by a grenade. The cars fire another volley destroying the last of the makeshift defenses. Those able retreat to the church, while the wounded are left behind. The armored cars stop before entering the camp. Dust clouds erupt from the hill as cavalry from the kingdom of Clen join in. The cavalry enter the camp while the Arragonian armored cars surround it. Two horsemen are shot down by the defenders in the church. The cavalry cut down the defenders outside, and returned with rifle fire to the defenders inside the church. Shouting is heard from the church as some of the women and children get hit in the crossfire. The fighting stops with a man walking out with a white shirt on the end of his rifle. The cavalry dismount and go to apprehend the man. The man is shot down as three rounds strike him. Silvia dismounts from her horse loading a new clip into her semi automatic rifle.

SILVIA: I will see fit that all of them will be exterminated with no mercy shown.

A shout is heard as the man she talked to before the assault, gallops between the general and the church. The man dismounts and moves toward the general.

???: Now I don't mind if you massacre these bastards, but when these people can provide information on the labyrinth I have to intervene on that general.

Silvia takes a deep breath.

SILVIA: If you want your information you'd have a better chance getting it after we burn the church down.

Silvia pushes past the man and shouts to the people in the church.

SILVIA: Send the children out and we'll talk about your surrender.

The people inside hesitantly let the three children out, but when one of the mothers tries to go with them she's pushed back inside and the children are forcibly separated from the church.

SILVIA: Send out two of your highest members for negotiations, if one of you tries to leave without permission again I will burn the church down.

Silence falls upon the scene with minutes passing before two robed figures walk out. The people are escorted behind the soldiers. Silvia remounts her horse and waves her hand. An armored car moves in front of the church. A scream is heard as one of the robed people tries to plead with the general, the person is held back by the soldiers. Her screaming has no effect on the situation. The armored car fires its mounted flamethrower into the church setting it ablaze. No one inside tries to leave, but their screams echo through the empty camp. The robed figure breaks through the soldiers grips and grabs onto the generals ankle. Silvia looks down at the person, her face showing hate then realization.

SILVIA: ...Helarn?

The person looks up at the general with her hood down revealing rabbit ears and the sobbing face of the general's sister. The woman is pried off the general's leg all the while she sobs and curses. The general is awoken from her trance when the man yells for the other figure to the front. Two soldiers drag the other person to the man, one soldier grabs her hood and pulls it off. The other figure was an elf with a scar going over her left eye.

???: well how have you been head priestess? I haven't seen you since we drove you from the capital. Looks like I'll get that information after all.

The woman is dragged off while the man walks toward the church. The man stops and watches the building collapse, he notices the flag of the cult break off the flagpole and fall into the flaming wreckage.

???: Well Silvia it went better than I thought.

The man turns back to her, lighting a cigar.

???: Now then let the real fun begin.

June 9th, 2025. Yankee Hotel. Kurzen. Arragon Republic.

Ringing echoes through the embassy. The early morning rush that usually plagues the office has not hit them yet. The ambassador picks up the phone having nothing to do, he sits for a moment before his face is cluttered with confusion.

???: A labyrinth 20 miles to the east of the frontier town of Tyll on the Clen Arragonian border, has information on the labyrinth located within the Innerworld, I suggest you get a more thorough team there.

AMBASSADOR: Who is this?

???: expect more info when it comes up on my end. I'll keep in touch.

The call ends. The ambassador places the phone back in the receiver. He ponders having an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

Base Aquila. US Military Zone. Quentin Mountain Range. Yensom Federation. Innerworld.

Rivet pours coffee grounds into the coffee maker. She turns it on and walks over to the fridge and pulls out some left over chicken soup from last night's dinner. She pours some into a bowl and puts it in the microwave. She turns it on and freezes, in the reflection of the door she sees a masked figure in autumn flecktarn and wearing an Arragonian M43 helmet with a prominent six pointed red star on the front. She feels a gun press against her lower back, and feels the man's hand near her face. The man leans close and whispers into her perked up ears.

???: This is for Rishu's eyes only, for your own sake Rivet, don't read it.

The man stuffs a piece of paper into her hand. The man raises his gun by her face and pulls the trigger. The gun clicks and the man chuckles to himself. dim bronze light particles surrounded the man, and just as soon as he appeared he was gone. The microwave beeps, starling her. She turns it off and catches her breath. Thoughts race through her mind, but one thought echoes over all of them. She knows who the man was. She calms down and regains her composure. She gathers the coffee and soup, she places the note the man gave her on a napkin and walks out the cafeterias door. She continues down the hallway passing airmen and soldiers who give her a concerning look. She makes it to her destination and opens the door in front of her. Her eyes meet with Rishu's, who's on the phone. She motions Rivet with her head to set the tray down, Rivet does so and lays out the coffee and soup, she reaches for the note and hesitates. She moves away from the table and heads for the door, she hears Rishu hang up the phone.

RISHU: Rivet you look pale, are you okay?

Rivet looks back to her.

RIVET: Just feeling under the weather that's all.

Rivet opens the door and walks out.

RIVET: I'll go lay down.

The door closes. Rishu scratches her head and looks toward the note. She picks it up and reads it. She slams it down on the table and runs out the door. She looks down the hall for Rivet, seeing nothing but a pool of vomit outside her door. She re-enters her office and grabs her radio trying to get in contact with someone. She picks up the note again, she reads the dimensional coordinates on the note then rereads the words below it. "More info after you do this favor for me, also Odin knows about the situation," - Liberty.

( There is a cylindrical room on the second floor near the top, in the Arragonian Imperial Palace, that the gods use to teleport to various locations for a brief period before coming back to the room. But they can go to other worlds if a previous presence was already established there by banished gods. The room can also be used for other purposes that remain known to only the gods, the 101st HB commander and vice, and the US government.)