Gate of Dimensions

[Act 1] Chapter 18: Train to the Gate

"There it goes again," Elaine said to herself.

Elaine watched the giant metallic worm speed right past her for the second time. It rode upon the tracks faster than anything she had ever seen before. Even when it went at that speed, she still noticed men were inside of it. There was no doubt that this invention was created by the people she had been recording since she first spotted moving out from that six-sided star-shaped fortress.

She had done extensive research on the new arrivals from beyond the Gate, going from town to town for any information about the so-called Germans. The most prominent piece of information about them is that there seem to be two factions at each other's throats but working together. Other than that, she needed more information to be worthy of being shelved.

"Are you having second thoughts, Elaine," Louise asked, nudging her. "This is supposed to be your assignment before becoming a full-fledged novice. But if you want to see something worth recording, follow me."

Louise led Elaine over towards a hill, one where the sounds of fighting could be heard a mile away. The sound of massive explosions followed by littler ones coming in the numbers made each step shiver. Oh my god, Elaine thought, looking over the hill whilst crouching down.

What Elaine saw was not a battle, but a slaughter. Hundreds of grey-uniformed German soldiers were on one side, defending a single outpost near one of the tracks, and there were thousands of Arthurian soldiers on the other, but the Germans were cutting them down like harvesting season. No matter how many waves the men with swords charged at the German lines, it never mattered as more bodies were added to the increasing piles. Their weapons shot anyone who dared get close to them, faster than any archer could deploy themselves.

Metal elephants, which the criers called, "Panzers," rode in a spread-out formation until stopping in front of the infantrymen, who kept firing their weapons alongside, and shot out a metallic object that exploded upon impact, blasting pieces everywhere and scattering the survivors, which was only made worse with the weapon on top of the tank that shot into the lines at a rapid pace.

If that wasn't already bad, there were men moving beyond the tanks and spitting fire out of metal pipes, pushing back an entire cavalry charge. The only thing she could hear from it was the screaming of men and the words, "Hans," and, "Flammenwerfer," as they torched entire rows of people.

"Are you recording any of this, Elaine?" Louise hissed.

Almost forgetting, Elaine rushed out pulling out a parchment and quill from her pack and scribbled down everything she saw. But by the time she managed to scribble the word, "the," on the paper, the entire army of Arthurians were scattered, running towards the hills while the tanks persued them. The only sounds that were left were the cheers of German soldiers, marking a decisive victory.

From what they saw, it was the Arthurian's own fault they had lost. They clearly didn't even know the enemy they faced and instead tried to employ traditional tactics in an effort to beat back the Germans, only resulting in their great defeat. Charging swordsmen at an enemy who need not even position themselves? Trying to penetrate their thick armour with arrows made of yew? Forcing beasts to charge out in the open when they are nothing more than a moving target? The nerve the loyalist commanders must have had to think a frontal assault was a good idea. But judging on the size of the army, it was probably meant to be a raiding mission gone terribly wrong. At least, that was what Elaine was hoping for.

"I don't believe it," Elaine wheezed out, almost too impressed, "they didn't even have a single casualty."

"Yeah, for once the propaganda was true," Louise smirked. "They really wanted to protect that metal worm. Or was it they just happened to encounter each other?"