Bolt Action Serenade

All told, between telling my story in detail, answering questions, and letting the Doctor and some Nurses examine me and run lots more tests, it was two more days before Helanna told me they probably didn’t have more to ask for the foreseeable future.

Doctor Francova did tell me that at the very least they were going to get me a simple wooden prosthetic and some physical therapy to get me walking again. So that was… less shit than most alternatives at least. Losing my leg like two weeks after my first memory did not spark joy. Whatever the hell that means.

However, two days after all that was wrapped up I had a visit from the General, alone this time. Once we had some privacy she sat next to my bed and raised an eyebrow. “You know, it’s not often that someone gives me back what I send them.” she said with a smirk. “Most people are either intimidated by my rank or not interested in an old lady.”

I started to respond but Carmilla started writing and pulled my attention away.

[Oh she is very interested. I am well aware of her body’s reactions and you my dear General, give her very encouraging ones.]

I knew, just knew that if I looked in a mirror at that moment I would have seen a tomato with a face. “I am being bullied right now.”

Helanna laughed and leaned in closer. “Well I appreciate it, and were you not technically a prisoner I would be sorely tempted to act on the feelings I am happy to hear with both have.”

The arousal that had been building in me suddenly died. “Ah, yeah that, that complicates things quite a bit doesn’t it?”

He smile was soft, but still very real. “Well on the other hand, I did receive orders to take you back to Yevvadra, where I am normally stationed and keep you in my custody while they try and identify you and figure out what to do next. So maybe things will become less complicated in the near future?”

I tried to smile, I did, but it kinda just hit me. “Or more. Like, if I turn into some inhuman beast? The mutation effect is still happening.”

Her smile faltered. “Hey, so far it made a blood elemental not only far smarter and more capable than normal and contracted you to it in a way that has been only helpful. Then it started giving the girls a boost. Carmilla still says it’s not doing anything worrying, right?”

[It does seem to be avoiding the kinds of behaviors that I would associate with harm, including changes that would make you, as you said, inhuman.]

“See? So cheer up. You’re going to the fashion capitol of the continent, we can get you some fancy pajamas to wear in your gilded cell.”

I rolled my eyes “Oh, what a charmer.”

I complain, but she was being nice to me, and flirting a lot, and when we were alone opening the top few buttons on her shirt to give me one hell of a view. GODS I wanted to dive between her twin peaks and live the rest of my days in a cabin there. Carmilla was making it worse, teasing me whenever Helanna was and making it feel like fingers were sliding up my spine. All while encouraging Helanna’s lustful behaviors towards me.

The next day I was loaded into a car (with a wheelchair thankfully I was getting tired of laying down.) and we made our way a couple hours down the well worn dirt road to a larger base with a train station. Helanna was way more professional around others, but still friendly with me at least.

An hour or so after we arrived I was brought on a train and thankfully given a cabin. I got a dirty look from a couple of soldiers at the entrance to the train car who apparently knew I was Pitrak, but the dirty look and the words in their language the General gave them made them turn pale and pointedly look away.

Once in said cabin I insisted on a chair rather than the bed and Helanna settled in across from me for what I was told would be about three days of travel, barring possible setbacks. The southwestern front was pretty far from our destination apparently. I just nodded and sat back to watch the world pass by the windows.

After maybe ten minutes I finally asked. “Hey, why are our countries at war anyway?”

She looked uncomfortable and literally squirmed in her seat. “I… I won’t lie. We started it, the violence anyway. But like most things it’s not so simple as who fired the first shot.” she sighed. “You don’t remember anything about the nations of the world, politics, religions, any of that?”

“I know I’m a Pitrak soldier, or the old me was anyway. I know you’re an Uvtrayl General. End of list of things I know.”

She rubbed her face. “So the world has two superpowers that do not get along but also avoid stepping on each other’s lawns because neither of them thinks they can beat the other one without it costing more than they are willing to spend. On one side, coming from the central continent of Setol where we currently find ourselves, but spreading to the outlying islands of the southern continent of Olarunta, is the mighty Silan Otev Hegemony. They once held more then three times their current territory, including my own home nation of Uvtrayl but seventeen years ago the High Shaman died. That’s their head of state, their emperor to simplify matters. The state religion of the Hegemony is worship of the Thundering Pantheon and the head of their temple is also the head of the nation.”

“Religion controlling a country, no way that can go wrong, right?” I grumbled bitterly, not sure where the feeling came from but I was actually getting used to the lack of internal context somehow.

“Yeah well, the problem is he died before he named any of his children as an heir.”

“Let me guess, they immediately started trying to kill each other for the throne and dragged the Hegemony into the fighting with them?”

“Glad you’re quick on the uptake.”

[That makes two of us dear General. My Esme is gloriously brilliant most of the time.]

“Hush you, tease me later.” I smirked. “Anyway, you were saying?”

“So, they started fighting and a full blown seven sided civil war broke out. Four sided by this point, but that’s still not great. But that did give a chance to a lot of the outlying territories and vassal states to grab independence. Uvtrayl being one such vassal.”

“Still, that couldn’t have been easy, even with the government so distracted.”

“We had some luck.” She said and gestured towards her uniform. “See the vibrant purple accents on this absolutely beautifully designed uniform of mine?” I nodded, though was confused where this was going. “Purple dye, if you were not aware, is extremely difficult to make and thus incredibly expensive. The ingredients in it’s creation are not easy to get and so for well over a thousand years purple has been the color of royals and nobility, as only they could afford it and despite their best efforts, no one had been able to create an alternative recipe.”

“No. Someone in Uvtrayl figured out synthetic purple dye?” I felt my smile going wide at the silliness of the apparent source of their nation’s sudden rise in power.

“One year after the civil war began, a chemist stumbled into it my accident and within months he and his company were making more money than most can even imagine. Two years pass and he gets involved in politics and a few trusted companies get the recipe and the production of purple fabric swells. Uvtrayl is the wealthiest single nation on the continent within four years and we leverage that economic power to not only break away from the Hegemony, but draw in a few dozen of the surrounding city states vassals as well and grow into a true self sufficient and strong nation.”

“Damn, the power of a nice dress cannot be denied.” She laughed and nodded.

“Yeah well, it wasn’t all good days. See, more and more and more territories were breaking away from the Hegemony to avoid being drawn into the war and the successors were, and still are, too busy fighting each other to try and take land back.”

I grunted “And so suddenly a bunch of the protected vassal states were unprotected independents and the other superpower decided that meant they were free game?”

“Carmilla’s right. You are smart. That’s exactly what happened. Though they used their own vassals and mercenary proxies for it all, at least some level of deniability if things shifted suddenly.” She leaned back in her seat and sighed again “And that’s where we begin the ‘Uvtrayl fucks things up’ section of the story. See, we had a bunch of trading partners in a bunch of the now independent nation states and were expanding to more of them. We also started annexing the really good partners, peacefully via diplomatic channels I must point out.”

“Right right, hey things are unstable right now but we’re strong enough to protect you and our economy is a true beast so come join the table and relax, I get it.”

“Exactly. So the other superpower, the Baradash Empire. They are originally from Cambradash, the northern continent, they rule all it it there, the whole thing and any outlying island. They also rule about a third of Setol at this point, directly or through vassals. They also control, or are controlled by, or maybe are just extremely close allies with the Golden Temple of Light. The Pope is one of the five high advisors of the Emperor and the holy laws of the Temple are legally binding in most Baradash territory. So a lot like the Hegemony, just a different flavor of religious politics.”

I chuckled “Okay wait, I bet I can get this one too. The Pitrak Republic is an Imperial vassal and was gobbling up city states for their one step removed leaders. This made Uvtrayl panic as territory your leaders were aiming for was getting taken by someone that you are not on great diplomatic or economic terms with. Political and financial pressures were being taken to slow them down but the Empire was pushing Pitrak to keep taking land until someone on your side decided to resort to violence, leading to a full scale war between you both. Sound about right?”

She just blinked at me. “Are you sure you’re not a politician? You grasp these things faster than a commoner should.”

“I think we both know I’m not sure about anything. But… I do have an uncomfortable idea about things.” I admitted and looked at the floor. She raised a brow and I continued before she could ask. “I… when I came to, I was in an armored transport next to Captain (poor dead) Bernson, and we were the only two. The doors were closed and the outside was a bloodbath. As far as I can imagine, he stayed inside because big fancy important man too good to die in the mud with his men, you know?”

“From what I know of him, that does sound accurate, yes.” she confirmed the idea in my head for me.

“Well… fuck, how do I even… Okay so, why was I there though? I’m just a grunt, a common soldier, I was only level ten.” Her eyebrows shot up at that.

“You’d never even leveled?” she interrupted with confusion in her voice. I stared at her with equal if not greater confusion in my face. “Oh, right, you wouldn’t necessarily remember the lessons I suppose. Put simply, everyone sort of levels passively as they go through childhood and teenage years and once you hit twenty you are level ten and the gods activate the System for you. At which point you gain a Primary class based on your overall lifestyle and a Secondary class based on more, well, professional skills to oversimplify. This is why soldiers are sent to train at eighteen at the latest, having a soldier with a non military class makes it more difficult for them to advance. Especially as you mostly gain experience by doing things that relate to one of your classes. So a farmer on the battlefield would not level as quickly. Though, killing Mana infused creatures always grants experience no matter your class.”

“Wait, what about Attributes and Skills?”

“Also granted based on your life experience.”

I laughed a bitter laugh and put my face in my hands. “Okay great, wonderful, absolutely the best news.”

[Love? What’s wrong?]

“I just, it kinda just confirms how I almost certainly had an absolute shit life. My primary class is Survivor. I have skills to scavenge, and fight sickness, and work through pain, and see threats coming, and fucking whore myself out!” I laughed more, I couldn’t help it, it was so messed up. “I guess I was maybe thinking maybe I picked those on purpose for some good reason. I dunno how that’s any better than having them thrust upon me but… I dunno, I guess hoping for some agency was too much.”

“I can’t imagine what it’s like dealing with all that…” Helanna’s voice was free of pity, which I found comforting to be honest. “And I wont insult you by spouting empty platitudes. But I will say that the woman I’ve met isn’t some frail little doll. You’re incredibly strong and as Carmilla will agree, quite intelligent. So maybe don’t focus on a past version of yourself you can’t do anything about and decide who you want to be from here.”

“Yeah well, who I want to be from here wants a drink.” I practically spit the words out.

“I can handle that.” She smiled and revealed there was in fact a small liquor cabinet in the cabin. When I raised a brow she shrugged “I was going to try and seduce you past your depression during the trip. No one would know on an officer’s train car like this so you are at least temporarily uncomplicated. I still plan on it but right now this will be more for calming nerves than disappearing pants.”