Above Eden: Of Science, Magic, and Gods (Original, Sci-Fi/Fantasy First Contact)

[dane10152]

Captain Moore stared at the strange shimmering portal, poking the energy flaring from the sides and frowning when his hand phased through the strange purple 'frame' that surrounded the magical doorway. He stood and waited even after the others passed through, sticking his head from the forest side to the other side twice before urging his entire body through.

"Why couldn't we do that the first fucking time?" Sergeant Wells grumbled, stretching his neck and giving a side-eye glance at the Grand Elder.

The group moved instantly from a random place within the forest to the village entrance, overseeing the bustling settlement below. After the ceremony, the elves had returned to their former business, though even Captain Moore could sense a shift in the atmosphere.

He wasn't sure whether it was due to the prospect of war, the declaration of two prophets from two divines, or the humans themselves.

To the Grand Elder's credit, he only looked amused at the complaints. He planted his staff and took in the sight of Anidom with spread arms as if he was basking in the wondrous underground construct. "You asked for demonstrations of my power. I simply showed you the various ways I can make a simple, mundane task seem interesting."

"Is there a limit to the range of teleportation or that doorway magic?" Lieutenant Li asked.

"The only limitation is one's creativity and power."

"So, could you teleport yourself off this planet?"

The Grand Elder frowned. "What do you mean "off this planet?""

"Beyond the sky."

"What a preposterous thought. That is the domain of the divine; even I dare not to stray anywhere near that place."

Sergeant Wells gave a shit-eating grin to the captain, switching to English. "Do we tell him?"

"No," Captain Moore said. He felt something ringing in his ear and tapped his earpiece. "Iris, what's up?"

"It's from command."

Without waiting for his response, a foreign voice entered his ears and spoke to him briskly. "Boar Six, this is Overlord."

"Where's Corporal Chen when you need her?" Captain Moore looked over at the others and made a cutting hand sign on his neck, earning only interested glances from the elves. He cleared his throat and responded. "Overlord, this is Boar Six."

"Boar Six, return to Foxtrot Charlie immediately. Group follows, I spell Delta Wun Fife Ait bearing heading District Echo."

"Overlord, this is Boar Six. Roger that. Will be returning to base promptly. Out."

The Grand Elder twisted his staff and stared at the metal contraption in Captain Moore's ear. "And what sort of tool is that for?"

"Long-range communications. It allows me to talk to people many leagues from my location," Captain Moore answered. "I just spoke with my superiors back at our fort. It seems like my group, and I will need to return."

"How soon? Because I would also like to see a demonstration of that tool."

"Immediately. Though, I assume another group will be coming to replace my men since we hope to maintain friendly diplomatic relations with your tribe."

"I see… and I assume your replacements will have the same tools and trinkets?"

"I would be surprised if they didn't."

Nodding with a hint of satisfaction on his face, the Grand Elder waved his hand and created another doorway. "Go then. I will leave this pathway open for the new human group. Tell them I am very interested in your tools and the likes."

Captain Moore peered inside and saw familiar tall shapes towering over the vast trees in the distance. "How?"

"I know and see much."

Instead of asking more questions, Captain Moore motioned for his men to proceed before turning to Caelu. "Are you coming with us?"

Caelu turned around and glanced at the Grand Elder before turning back. "I think that might be best."

"It seems your destiny expands further than the reaches of our quaint village, Caelu," the Grand Elder stated while Captain Moore and Caelu walked towards the portal. "I will pray upon Tesa for your safe return. May you experience the joys of the outside world and avoid its horrors."

"I will pray for your health, Grand Elder." Caelu bowed and briskly walked through the magical doorway.

The captain also bowed his head. "Thank you for your hospitality and assistance."

"Of course. Do return soon with more things from your world. I expect great things through our partnership. But do remember, our Symbol of Friendship only lasts if we work together and do not betray each other."

Those final words left Captain Moore with a strange chill in his blood, though he hardly had time to consider as they promptly arrived at Fort Colossus.

+++++

"So you're telling me that one of those elves can just waltz in here, completely disregarding our defenses? Then what the hell were they digging those tunnels for?"

Lieutenant Colonel Turner chewed on his gum incessantly and took off his cap to scratch his head as Captain Moore remained nearby with Lieutenant Li and Caelu. They were at the meeting place where the captain had met with other company leaders just days prior. Despite his position as XO, Lieutenant Doe was elsewhere with First Sergeant Wilard to prepare Bravo Company for its next assignment.

An assignment that command believed Bravo Company was uniquely suited for, considering their previous mission and their 'extraterrestrial' attache.

"Magic involving long-distance travel is extremely taxing and requires an enormous amount of magic, usually enough to kill those that are not sages," Caelu answered. "I believe the Grand Elder was allowing the elders to act upon their own will until he came to a final decision."

"Anything to know about this "Grand Elder?"" Lieutenant Colonel Turner asked. "I know you're going to write your report later, but I would also like a heads up."

"There's something off about him. Not really sure what, though," Captain Moore said.

Caelu sighed. "He's a sage. All of them are 'off,' as you may say."

"Right, immortal, lots of magic," Lieutenant Li said. "He seemed very curious about our technology."

Captain Moore tapped his fingers on the table irritatingly. "And seemed like a warmonger that wanted to use our technology for his own conquests."

"That as well."

"Hold the phone. Lots of magic? Immortal? Warmonger? What?" Lieutenant Colonel Turner exclaimed.

"A sage tends to be more inclined towards… aggressive tendencies. They sacrifice their soul for the pursuit of magic. Immortality is only a byproduct, though it is a terrible curse as a gift. As time passes, their... mortality is stripped away. It seems the Grand Elder is very much the same," Caelu stated.

"Did something happen between you and the Grand Elder?" Captain Moore asked. "You're usually a bit more reserved about mentioning things regarding your tribe or its secrets."

"As our two tribes have signed a Symbol of Friendship, and the Grand Elder has approved of your tribe, I see no reason to hold back any longer."

There was something behind those words that Captain Moore sensed to be false, especially when Caelu's face twitched when speaking of the Grand Elder. Her previous reactions in the Grand Elder's presence also prompted some understanding on his part.

Before continuing his conversation with his superior, Captain Moore switched to English. "Right. So… I was going to recommend him as threat level Charlie, but Delta might be more apt."

"Delta?" Lieutenant Colonel Turner asked. He still looked a bit miffed at the words exchanged in his presence, though he shifted in his seat and sat up straight at the captain's words. "Is that…"

"I think it might be necessary."

Before landing on Roana, the peacekeepers had been briefed on the expected 'threat levels' of various creatures and sapient beings across the planet.

Alpha being the lowest, while Delta being the highest.

The divine were… on another level entirely. And they could not be feasibly tracked.

"Isn't he… well, friendly? Despite the whole 'warmonger' bit?"

"That bit doesn't worry you?"

"It does, but the last thing the general or the others want is to provoke our only contact and ally in this world."

Captain Moore sank back into his seat. "He wants to use as a mercenary army and conquer the ancient elven homeland or whatever else he wants. The trouble is, he thinks Tesa ordained our arrival, and he seems keenly interested in our weapons. I don't think a powerful guy like him will take "no" as a serious answer, especially when he thinks it's a mission given to him by a god."

"What about that prophet kid? Can't that Chiu kid talk to Tesa and tell the Grand Elder off?"

"I don't think Tesa will tell him off 'cause the god seemed pretty adamant about war from that time we saw him. Not to mention, Chiu was dragged off to god knows where."

"... Duly noted. I'll make sure to report it to command after this and brief the new team heading to that village."

"Who's going?"

"A Chinese team. Lieutenant Li will still be with you, so don't you worry about that."

Lieutenant Li glanced off to the side and hummed, earning a side eye from Captain Moore.

Lieutenant Colonel Turner cracked open a can of instant coffee and sighed. "What a goddamn mess. We'll make contingency plans regarding the teleportation bit and other feats of magic. I'm assuming he's close to Tesa regarding raw power?"

"Definitely on a similar scale, even if he denies it. He's been alive for a few centuries at least."

"I'm sensing another headache coming. Thank god for cigs and coffee… But for your next assignment. Since you're the resident 'extraterrrestrial' negotiator and already been through this rodeo once, the general wants you out there again dealing with the next group."

"The group from the Duchy," Captain Moore said.

A picture appeared on the far wall through the projector. It displayed about a hundred medieval soldiers, the majority of whom were lightly armored foot guards, a mix of heavily armored knights, and three robed individuals on horses.

The footguards were dressed in chainmail and spears, and a select few carried shields and swords. Several of them carried banners. One of the most distinct ones was a large banner with the image of some strange… black beetle-looking monster on a bold red background.

The banner that flew the highest over the group was the picture of a… mix of a dragon and tiger with six limbs and two giant horns. A single golden crown was perched between its horns, while its paws held various weaponry: an axe, a sword, a spear, a bow, a mace, and a hammer.

The red creature was reaching for the sky in the banner, and the black and silver backdrop emphasized the fierce crimson beast glowing in the center.

"The banner of the Unitary," Caelu growled. "bɒmn ƨɔum."

"Close, Ms. Caelu. They are technically a vassal of the Unitary. However, these are the local troops. As you can see, the Duchy has decided to throw us a surprise visit," Lieutenant Colonel Turner said, waving his hand at the image. "It seems like they hate having new neighbors. If it wasn't clear to you, we have strong suspicions that those cloaked people are well… magicians, wizards, mages, whatever you want to call them."

"I believe the Grand Elder mentioned that earlier," Lieutenant Li interjected. "What, the communion of two divines in a short amount of time in a specific place has attracted every mage and sage in the area?"

"And when were you going to mention this?"

Captain Moore coughed. "We were preoccupied with some… magic and shenanigans. Though, the fault remains with me. I will make sure to clarify my oversight in the report."

"Not all of the blame falls upon the captain. I believe I am also at fault," Lieutenant Li said. He adjusted his uniform and folded his hands on the table. "Since I also had a radio and the repeater needed to use it underground. If you will punish him, I believe it is only fair that I am reprimanded as well."

The response prompted the captain to raise his eyebrow, though his Chinese counterpart only offered a subtle smirk.

"Fine, whatever. The last thing I want is to write more paperwork to the Chinese side of all things. I've seen your bureaucracy, sheesh. Cover it up for all I care. We would've seen them with drones anyways, which we did," Lieutenant Colonel Turner emphasized, throwing his hands at the image again. "The important bit is that they're due to reach the eastern edges of the forest within a day."

"And you want Bravo Company to intercept, preferably away from the forest," Captain Moore replied.

"That was our deal with Tesa, so yes."

"You think things will get out of hand?"

"Do I hope that things will go tits up? No. Do I think it will? Considering what has happened to this god… scuse me, gods forsaken planet? Yes. Which is why you'll have air assets on stand-by, and the Third Marine Recon Force will be nearby in wait."

"Noted."
"Anywho, I'm just the messenger for today. I have enough meetings and reports to last me a lifetime."

"Why just Bravo Company? Why not a full battalion?"

Lieutenant Turner stared at him incredulously. "We're trying not to fight them. Do you think they would react calmly or with extreme fear and suspicion if a thousand soldiers popped out of the woods?"

"... Point taken."

"Besides, your unit has already taken the insanity in stride. Plus, you have Caelu with you."

The elf was drifting off in her seat when her name was called. Like an embarrassed student caught by a teacher, Caelu stood up and waved awkwardly. "Hello!"

"What can go wrong?"

+++++

AN: Sorry for being MIA for a week. Had some stuff irl to deal with and it only cleared up recently.

With that, we are back to our regular schedule. I will post again tomorrow as well to catch up on the chapters a bit.

Shoutout to Shabab Didar, Stikulzon, CJ Moran, Philip Mackinoths, Demoniose Oculus, Rémi Dufour, and deathraven181 for their support on Patreon. Thank you so much

As always, thank you for the support. Any comments, criticism, and suggestions are always appreciated.

And I do have a Patreon if you want to read advanced chapters/support my work. https://www.patreon.com/okmangeez.

 

[dane10152]

To Captain Moore's relief, it seemed that jinx either didn't exist here or was controlled by a kinder divine.

Privately, he shuddered at the thought of the being that controlled jinx on earth being corporeal: a god whose entire existence was to spite human arrogance and willingness to tempt the divine.

A day had passed since Captain Moore had left the underground village. Bravo Company awaited at the outskirts of the forest, hidden among the vast trees and shrubs in a tight "vee" formation. Only he, Lieutenant Li, and Caelu were standing in the open, just a few dozen feet away from eight squads and a mortar section with enough firepower to wipe out a small army.

Caelu was sitting on a box with a book in hand: a printed English-Danj dictionary for practicing both languages. She seemed… much better than she was yesterday, despite being possessed by Bie again to start a new cult religion within the fort. Specialist Smith stood next to her silently, her eyes sweeping the distance mechanically.

On the other hand, Lieutenant Li stood upright while shouldering his standard-issue Chinese Type 088 rifle. The weapon was an older model, produced after the War of the Pacific and the doctrinal shift within the Chinese military. Yet, its rugged reliability and gentle kick proved to be a favorite for many to this day.

Though the sky remained blue and clear, Captain Moore knew that the air cavalry was only minutes away if necessary. The blinding sun, familiar yet different in many ways, made him fan his undershirt and flick a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Well, this takes me back to Nova. Half the time was just standing around in the blazing sun."

"Not nearly as humid or filled with vegetation," Lieutenant Li said. He adjusted his helmet and took a discreet swig from his canteen. "No one here can shoot back at us, at least I hope."

"You served in Nova?"

"Half a year. I was rotated out weeks before Roosevelt was destroyed."

"You got lucky. The fighting got much worse after that. What sector?"

"Rogal."

Captain Moore tapped his chest. "Eephes, though I dipped into Rogal for a few operations. Some of the fiercest rebels I fought were…"

"They were deemed terrorists from the very beginning. And we had no involvement in the explosion…"

"I know."

"... But yes, they were tossed onto Nova with only a sliver of support from my government and turned to terrorism in a desperate bid to gain independence." Lieutenant Li took another swig and stashed his canteen away. "Your government also learned the same harsh lessons as we did. I heard statehood came quickly for the American colonies after Roosevelt was destroyed.."

"You allowed to say that?" Captain Moore asked in jest.

"I'll have you know that we have made great strides in allowing…"

"I don't know what you two are talking about," Caelu said, waving the book she was reading in between them. "But I think they're here."

Her comment prompted Captain Moore to grip his rifle and straighten his posture, his eyes squinting into the horizon. Several figures marched closer, and with each step, he could clearly make out the physical features of his expected guests through his binoculars.

The footage and pictures from the surveillance drone had given him a visual idea of what he was up against, but seeing the medieval troops with his own eyes was another experience entirely.

Bearded men with varying degrees of groomed hair shuffled along in their chainmail armor, their strange long helmets covering the sides of their heads and necks. Though the foot soldiers all wore the same helmets, their chainmails were of different varieties upon closer inspection. The same went for their spears, compared to shields and other weapons: all had the same spears, but shields and other weapons of wildly different looks.

Captain Moore heard someone purposely snapping pictures loudly, forcing him to turn around and glare at Sergeant Wells hiding behind a tree stump with his ridiculous camera. The lens had several layers, necessitating the tree stump to support it.

The red-headed sergeant looked all too pleased with himself, though his expression fell when First Sergeant Wilard muttered into the radio, "You're filling in for the CQ NCO's shift later tonight."

"I don't want to clean fucking tolie…"

"You asked for it sergeant. And I think Specialist Marsh mentioned something about chili tonight?"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Captain Moore cracked a smile while Sergeant Wells moaned and turned back into his binoculars.
The knights were well… to be expected. He didn't know much about the Middle Ages, but definitely knew of knights in shining armor and the such. Many of the knights he saw were in full plate armor, with emblems of what he assumed were various noble houses or families printed onto their chests.

Curiously enough, many of them were wearing light armor that only covered parts of their torso and limbs, though they also seemed to be equal to the knights wearing full plate armor.

And then there were the robed individuals: mysterious and hidden with their faces fully covered. Yet, one of them emitted an aura similar to what he had felt previously, though weaker than the two powerhouses he had encountered.

"You feel that as well?" Lieutenant Li asked.

"Mages. One of them is strong enough to be felt from here, too," Captain Moore affirmed.

Caelu frowned. "He's… weak, compared to the elders. But he definitely has a presence."

"Can you feel their emotions from here?"

The wind twirled around the elvish woman while she closed her eyes. "A tinge of curiosity, but nothing overtly hostile."

"That bodes well for us," Lieutenant Li said. "If we can make peaceful contact here and establish a rapport, it'll open up our way to interact with the local duchy smoothly."

Specialist Smith spoke up for the first time in a while. "I believe the contents of the box will do much if they prove to be particularly difficult, captain."

"I still can't believe they actually gave us this," Captain Moore said, poking the box with his foot.

"Why does the stuff in this box feel so… weird?" Caelu asked.

"Because we got it from uh… beyond the sky. This thing is universal everywhere."

"There's that beyond the sky?"

"Later, Caelu."

After what felt like an eternity, the group from the Duchy finally arrived. A man, the size of a bear, wearing only leather skins and glowing bronze-like gauntlets, led the front of the convoy and halted his horse approximately twenty feet from Captain Moore and his section.

The native leader, with sleek blonde hair and a clean-shaven, young face, bore down on the Earth group with a raised eyebrow. "You are brave souls to trespass in the woods of the Duke of Lisentia! Come, what say you? Are you the ones that have awakened the gods?"

The captain took a moment to tap his translator before speaking. Thankfully, the Standard Imperial tongue had a few more familiar words than the Danj language. "I am Captain Moore, leader of a hundred men. I am part of a bigger group, of thousands, that have trekked a long distance to reach these lands. We are currently settled in this forest and request an audience with the Duke for a fair compromise to purchase these lands."

"Such is an interesting story, if it were true at all." The young knight clicked his teeth while inspecting Captain Moore. "We are leagues from the sea and in the middle of nowhere. The closest lands to this forest would be the Fawzia, which are the lands of trolls and snow elves. No… you are mere squatters, trying to slither your way out of your crimes. What sort of sorcery have you concocted in the forests?"

Captain Moore noticed the three mages beside his counterpart stirring at the mention of sorcery. One seemed to peer directly at Caelu, his hood tilting slightly to reveal a mash of white hair. Seeing the flow of the conversation turning against him, the captain cleared his throat and spoke again. "I will be more than happy to provide more information, provided we deal like civilized beings and negotiate in a friendly manner."

"Who is to say I can not force an answer out of you?"

"Wait," the white-haired mage interrupted, pulling back his hood and pushing to the front of the group. His voice was grave, matching his wrinkled and tired appearance. "She is the one. A Seraph."

"Her?" the knight asked with a scoff. "She is but an elf. Most likely, some whore slave they purchased from a trader. How could she be a Seraph?"

Specialist Smith growled and held her rifle steady at the comment while Caelu looked at her with a puzzled expression. "What did he say?"

"It was probably a good idea not to get her that translator and have her learn on her own," Lieutenant Li mumbled.

The mage pulled out a staff and muttered something, a faint blue glow appearing at the metal top end. "No… it is the truth. She is a Seraph."

"The divines have abandoned them for centuries!" the knight exclaimed. Captain Moore noticed the young man gripping some symbol on a necklace. "Those snow elves up in Fawzia grovel at the feet of trolls to stay away from us."

"Yet we felt two divine presences in this forest… that has not occurred since the First Schism War. There may be a plot at hand… if it is of the divines' creation, then we are at their mercy."

"What is a Seraph?" Captain Moore inquired.

"You have one amongst you, and you do not know?"

"We come from afar."

This time, it was the mage that inspected Captain Moore and his group. He walked closer to the people from Earth and circled them cautiously. "Their clothing are… unfamiliar. That one over there looks to be… like the southern people. Their weapons, if they can even be called such, are… unlike anything I've seen."

Specialist Smith accurately traced the old man, with Lieutenant Li and Caelu eyeing the main group and the knight instead. Despite the situation, the lieutenant was still writing in his notepad, while Caelu had her hands at the ready, a small swirl of dust gathering at her feet.

Meanwhile, Captain Moore maintained a calm and collected exterior, though a nervous beat skipped through his chest. "We are from a very far place, and we have much to trade and to offer. What I am saying is the absolute truth."

"Do you swear upon the goddess Demesta, who has blessed this fiefdom since time immortal?"

The mage's staff emitted a strange blue and green glow, which even the captain recognized as some sort of magical binding.

One that he had already agreed to partake in twice.

"I swear."

The glow brightened for a moment, and faded away in an instant. The mage, hiding his staff in his fancy red robes, looked up at the leader of his group. "The Goddess knows and agrees."

"Then I suppose… there is no choice," the knight mumbled, rubbing the necklace once more. He hopped off his horse and landed onto the ground with a giant thud, his steel boots cracking the earth and making Caelu wince.

Instead of drawing any weapons, the bear of a man clamored over to Captain Moore and stuck out his hand. "I am Lord Pevaru of the House of Wilins. In the name of Duke Losen, the rightful lord of this fiefdom and touched by Demesta, you will have my peace for now. I do not trust you, but I trust the goddess's decision. So, let us talk."

"That is all I wanted," Captain Moore answered with a smile. He grabbed the man's hand and shook it. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Lieutenant Li slowly pulling away the box filled with gold mined from asteroids.

Despite the rocky start, contact with the Duchy would proceed much like with the UN's initial contact with the Danj tribe. Captain Moore released a silent sigh of relief as he released himself from the man's grip.

Right before the two leaders could exchange any further words, the ground shook violently and a shrill noise echoed through the forest. Within a blink of an eye, dozens of monsters emerged from the forest some distance away from Bravo Company's location and turned to the convoy from the Duchy.

Led by a giant beast with twin horns and six limbs, the monsters roared and thundered towards Lord Pevaru and his men.

+++++

AN: I barely have time to write and think these days cause life and work is keeping me busy. But the march of chapters continue

Shoutout to nhat huy huy, Shabab Didar, Stikulzon, CJ Moran, Philip Mackinoths, Demoniose Oculus, Rémi Dufour, and deathraven181 for their support on Patreon. Thank you so much

As always, thank you for the support. Any comments, criticism, and suggestions are always appreciated.

And I do have a Patreon if you want to read advanced chapters/support my work. https://www.patreon.com/okmangeez.