The Primeval Battalion
September 1924
Garrison near Southeastern Border
Ransylvania Region, Imperial Territory
“Uh, pardon me, but could you repeat that?”
“Certainly, Major.” The radio operator shuffled his notes. “According to the retreating border regiment, there are no signs of enemy aerial coverage.”
Tanya shook her head disbelievingly. “Surely they’re mistaken, right? Or it’s a ploy by the Dacian forces?”
“Negative, Major. Intercepted transmissions from the Dacian advance confirmed the report.” The operator replied. “The Dacian Army has no aerial defense.”
Zero air defense? How stupid can you get? A laugh threatened to bubble up, though she was able to hold back at the last second. Could she have gotten any luckier? Here she was, worrying about a massive enemy force, and they didn’t even have air support! This was…
“Wonderful.” The White Silver grinned.
I was wary of giving my battalion a too difficult first assignment, but this is really just perfect. An unguarded army for my men to use as a steppingstone on the road to experience. A live-fire exercise of grand proportions!
Those in the room felt a chill roll up their spine. The grin resembled one of a hunter stalking helpless prey.
Tanya paid them no mind. Perhaps the Principality of Dacia knew it was her birthday? After all, why else would they send her such a wonderful gift?
-=-
“Gentlemen, welcome to war.” Tanya paused. To her left and right respectively, Weiss and Viktoriya stood at attention. “No, I’m sorry. This is not war. In war, the enemy is capable of fighting back. Today’s battle will be more akin a one-sided beatdown.”
Her subordinates murmured among themselves. Their training had made them strong, and grouped up like this, they looked the part of an elite mage battalion. But resemblance can only go so far. Only Tanya and Viktoriya had true combat experience. The rest were raw, bleeding edges that had yet to be cauterized in the flames of war.
They weren’t a true battalion yet, and they certainly weren’t elites. Today would rectify the first. Future experience would change the second. At best, they were the primeval version of their future selves.
The Primeval 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion.
“The Principality of Dacia has sent us a fine offering of six hundred thousand walking targets. I don’t see any other deity stepping up to claim such an offering, so at the risk of sounding blasphemous, I will gladly accept it myself. This will be a value experience for you all by way of impromptu live-fire exercise. I couldn’t ask for a better birthday gift.”
Weiss and Viktoriya exchanged a glance.
“It’s her birthday?” Viktoriya mouthed behind Tanya’s back.
Weiss shrugged. “Guess so.”
“Our departure time is in 60 minutes. Gear up and be ready to sortie. It’s time to show our enemies the strength and ability you’ve all attained over the last month. Dismissed!”
-=-
“It almost makes me feel bad.”
“Why’s that, Commander?”
Tanya and the rest of First Company observed the carnage from above. The Second, Third, and Fourth Companies were making quick work of the undefended Dacian forces. It was such an easy rout that Tanya was left baffled. It was almost suspiciously easy.
She made sure to keep that thought handy. Nothing wrong with being cautious.
“I feel like a bully stealing Dacia’s lunch money. Shouldn’t they be more prepared? It’s the 20th century, not the Middle Ages.”
“To be fair, six hundred thousand is a lot to handle.”
“A lot of targets maybe.”
Honestly, who would throw six hundred thousand soldiers at the Empire without mages? They were just throwing away lives at this point. Truly a waste. Oh well. The vicious beast that was the Imperial military was not picky in its meals. Any invasion would be met swiftly without bias and with extreme prejudice
Tanya frowned. This was the third attempted invasion. Three if you were counted the Entente Alliance’s pathetic Norden border crossing as an ‘invasion attempt’. Was the world truly so afraid of the Empire’s sword? Fear was a powerful motivator, but wasn’t this a little much?
She certainly hoped war wasn’t the only answer. This attack by Dacia… it really felt like a trick of some sort. Was she overthinking it?
Tanya turned an analytical eye on the battlefield below.
Soldiers previously marching in formation. Commanders on horseback. Bright uniforms. Drummers…
Drummers? Maybe instead of thinking it’s the Middle Ages, they still think it’s the 19th century This isn’t a trick then. Is it bad that I’m almost disappointed?
Tanya snapped her fingers. All things considered; I’m not surprised they don’t have mages.
“Commander?” Viktoriya gave her a questioning look.
“Hm?” Whoops, she said that out loud. Tanya looked over in her adjutant’s direction. “I suppose it’s less obvious to someone not from the Imperial War College. You see Second Lieutenant, our Dacian friends here are living in the past. I want you to take a look at, well, everything about them. I’ll even give you a hint; the Entente Alliance and the Republic certainly don’t fight like this.”
Viktoriya observed the carnage below, trying to think back to some of the rare history lessons from Cadet School. “Horses, bright red coats, drums… none of those have been relevant on the battlefield in years.”
“Go on.” Tanya urged. It was so fun to see her subordinates exercise their brains like this. Really made her feel accomplished as their superior.
I wonder if I would enjoy being an instructor after the war is done. Something to think about more in my spare time.
The Second Lieutenant thought some more. “I think someone forgot to tell the Principality of Dacia that the 19th century is over. Is that what you meant Commander?”
“Very good Second Lieutenant. In other words, they’re like children who don’t yet know that the sky exists beyond the color blue.” Tanya gestured across the field to prove her point. Only now, several minutes into the conflict, were the Dacian forces mustering up an AA counterattack. Unfortunately for them, their guns, which were outdated in much the same way as their tactics and drums, proved entirely useless.
Tanya corrected herself after seeing this. “No, I’d say even a child would be a better fight right now. It’s just pathetic. Aren’t we the ones being invaded?”
Swathes of red-clad men formed large square-shaped formations on the ground. Tanya gave them only a passing glance, recognition sparking in her eyes. Recognition quickly became amusement.
Now that’s a little more interesting. Isn’t that formation meant for cavalry defense? But we’re attacking from the air? Have they not seen the explosions? Grouping up is the last thing they should do. It’s hard to imagine a nation with such a primitive military doctrine ever thinking it could stand a chance against the Empire.
Weiss and the rest of Second Company caught her eye. The Lieutenant seemed to be calling for a short retreat.
“Speaking of pathetic. Second Lieutenant take a look over there and tell me what the hell is First Lieutenant Weiss is doing.”
Viktoriya pulled a pair of binoculars from her belt. “Well, the enemy appears to be gathering in squares. I think First Lieutenant Weiss is worried about an AA attack.”
“Anti-air or not, there’s absolutely no reason the pull back from such a weak enemy. They’re using muskets for fuck’s sake.” Tanya brought a hand up to her throat mic. “Pixie 02, this is Pixie 01. Come in, over.”
Weiss responded a second later. “Pixie 02 here. What’s the situation, Commander? Over.”
“First Lieutenant Weiss, the situation seems to be that you’re, for some unknown reason, pulling away from what appears to be honest-to-god musket fire. Explain that, if you will. I’ll wait.” Tanya let some anger leak into her tone. “And it better be good, over.”
She was all for her subordinates wanting to survive. That was the reason she had trained them so hard after all. But seeing her chosen Vice Commander pull away from an engagement that should for all intents and purpose be an utter wash, well… it was a tad annoying.
-=-
Unseen to Tanya, Weiss gulped. He knew that tone.
He made sure to get his story straight. “Commander, I was just following what the manual says to do. The 22nd Flight Mage Tactics Field Manual, to be exact. It says to remain at distance when confronted with enemy anti-air fire. Over.”
Tanya’s sigh was audible over the radio. “First Lieutenant, with how dependable you were at training camp compared to your fellow trainees, I suppose I forgot that only Second Lieutenant Serebryakov and I have seen an actual battlefield. That’s on me. I’ll let you figure it out. During your month of training, did you or didn’t you learn to defend against heavy artillery and spell fire. Over.”
“I- I did, Commander. Um, over.”
“Excellent. So, tell me, Weiss. If you know how to defend yourself against heavy artillery, why are you shying away from musket fire? Over.”
“Right, Commander, but the manual-”
-=-
Tanya resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose.
“The manual doesn’t mean shit for dick on an actual battlefield except as kindling, First Lieutenant.” Tanya interrupted heatedly. She needed to nip this in the bud now, before this stiffness of his got him killed. “I’ll forgive your mistake this once, as it is from lack of experience and my own careless teaching. That’s why we are doing this live-fire exercise. To make mistakes like this in a relatively safe environment. However, for the future you must remember that I did not train cowards or idiots or mages who treat the manual as a Holy Book. Acting stiff on the battlefield will only get you shot. Understand? Over.”
“Ye- yes Commander, I understand! Thank you!” Weiss hurried to ready his rifle. He gazed at the Dacian forces with a renewed vigor. “We’ll take care of these invaders right now! Pixie 02, out.”
Tanya switched off her radio. In the distance, the First Company could be seen divebombing the Dacian squares and blasting them to all Hell. As it should have been from the start.
She smiled. It was so nice having a quick learner as her Vice Commander. Hopefully he’d pass that attitude down the line. Having a battalion full of mages like him was sure to make her job easier.
-=-=-=-
The night sky was cool and calm. A far cry from the devastation just a few hours previous. The Principality of Dacia’s capitol city shone brightly, unafraid – or rather, unaware – of any sort of potential attack. They’d sent 600,000 soldiers, the best and greatest of their army, directly into Imperial territory; surely that would serve as an appropriate declaration.
This foolishness only proved Commander Degurechaff’s earlier point. Dacia was living in the past. No mages, no magic detection, no air defense whatsoever. It was like they thought such a blatant act of disrespect, that of attacking the Empire and wasting its time with the uselessness of said attack, would go unanswered.
No. The Empire had a declaration of its own to make. And the White Silver and her unit would be the ones to deliver it.
Her mind mostly occupied by daydreaming, Viktoriya listened only partially as Commander Degurechaff delivered the required-by-International-Law warning.
How exactly had they gotten here again?
-=-
“The Principality of Dacia saw fit to make a war declaration with their invasion. It’s time we return the favor. I’ve had enough of these baseless attacks against the Fatherland. We shall strike our enemies as they have seen fit to strike us.”
“What’s our next target, Commander?” First Lieutenant Weiss asked.
The Commander wore a practically feral grin. “The capitol.”
“Commander,” Weiss’ eyes were wide, “Isn’t that a little…”
“’Fortune favors the bold’, First Lieutenant.” Commander Degurechaff turned her gaze skyward, “If you ever doubt yourself on the battlefield, remember these words: Forward, ever forward. Let’s see just how far we can go.”
-=-
Viktoriya let out a dreamy sigh. Right… I’d like to see how far I can go.
Weiss shot Viktoriya a bemused glance from his spot next to her in the sky.
“Thinking of anything in particular, Second Lieutenant Serebryakov?”
“Eh?” Viktoriya jolted out of her daydream. It involved her, Commander Degurechaff, chocolate, and a lot of-
“Ahem.” She cleared her throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, First Lieutenant Weiss.”
“You know, I find myself not believing you. Are you sure-”
The Commander unintentionally interrupted Weiss’ teasing.
“Alright, we’ve fulfilled our duty under International Law. Whether they heed the warning or not is now none of my concern.” Her eyes shifted to a familiar gold as she readied her rifle. “Aim long-distance piercing spells at the Dacian Arms Factory! Match your fire to mine! Ready?”
Weiss and Viktoriya exchanged a look while readying their own rifles. This conversation wasn’t over.
A massive amount of mana built up, as 48 Imperial mages prepared to rain hell on an enemy. If this sort of thing were happening over Berun, the entire Great Army would be running home back in an instant. But here, above the capitol of a nation stuck in the previous century, there would be no retaliation.
Only destruction.
“FIRE!”
-=-
It was over seconds after it began. Their spells shot straight through the factory, decimating anything even mildly important. Then, the factory’s stores lit up. A follow-up explosion rocked the city, like an encore to an already great firework show. It was the perfect end to a successful first battle. The perfect celebration for Tanya’s new battalion.
Because they were a battalion now. As she continued watching the explosion, her announcement to her subordinates reflected this sentiment.
“Good work… my battalion.”
She’d refrained from referring to them as such until they could see the battlefield firsthand, but now they’d earned the name. They were a primeval battalion no longer.
And truly, that was something to celebrate. Her terrified recruits becoming proper Imperial mages. They’d absolutely curb stomped the invading Dacian forces and had wreaked havoc in the Dacian capitol.
Tanya grimaced, unseen to her battalion.
If only her headache got that memo. A trail of blood from her nose was swiftly wiped away with a gloved hand. It had happened again.
The somewhat worried voice of her adjutant caught her attention.
“Are you okay-”
Her adjutant stopped.
“Second Lieutenant, I’m fine… Huh?” Tanya turned, only to find her adjutant completely frozen in place. In fact, everyone was frozen. She whipped back around. Even the explosion from before was stuck in the middle of its fiery glory, as if time itself had slowed to a halt.
“What the devil…?”
“Not quite.”
A voice echoed around her, the sound simultaneously inside her mind and out. It almost hurt to listen too. Almost like it wasn’t meant for human ears.
“Who am I? I assume that’s what you’re wondering.” The voice sounded smug, as if proud of guessing the obvious question. Tanya instantly disliked it. “I suppose you mortals may call me a deity. Or a God, if I were to be so bold. You may call me Being X.”
“Being X?” Tanya blinked. Why X? That was an oddly specific letter to choose. “Were Beings A through W already taken?”
“Well I wouldn’t quite call it that- wait, shut up!” The voice got defensive. That wasn’t a good sign. Weren’t Gods with a capital G supposed to be above everything? Literally and emotionally? “That’s not important right now.”
“Then what is important?” She filed away that info for later. Apparently, there were more ‘deities’, or something like them. And this one in particular was easily bothered. Not good. “As far as I’m concerned, you stopped time just to stroke yourself. And your ego.”
“Fine, take all the fun out of it.” The voice sounded deflated. “I suppose I’ll get to the point. I have designated you as my prophet. Happy?”
Huh?
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a minute. Prophet?” Tanya shook her head frantically. “I never agreed to be some Godly mouthpiece. I’m kind of busy right now!”
“They usually don’t agree at first. The visions for one aren’t always pleasant. And the persecution gets to some people.” Being X mused, as though he hadn’t just dropped the mother of all bombshells on Tanya’s head. “Hey, while I’m on the subject, could you tone back on the religion jokes? The ‘blasphemous’ bit was a little offensive a few of the deities upstairs. It’s not the best look for a prophet to act like that.”
Something clicked in Tanya’s mind then.
“Wait, visions?” Did he mean her dreams? The ones that woke her up every so often with a sense of existential dread even greater than the amount she already felt on a daily basis? Those dreams? “Those are dreams… they’re your fault?!”
Being X seemed to notice her anger them. For some reason, he seemed a bit nervous.
“That’s not important right now.”
“I completely disagree!”
“Tanya von Degurechaff! You will be my prophet. With the power of the Type 95 in your hands, the miracles you perform on the battlefield will spread my name across nations! Now, I believe I’ve taken enough of your time. Go forth and entertain me!”
“Entertain?” Tanya shook her head, “No, hold on! We are not done-”
“-here!”
“-Commander? Major?” Her adjutant’s voice drew Tanya from her imminent rant.
“Eh?” Tanya turned.
“Ah! You’re bleeding again!” Viktoriya drifted closer, a worried look on her face.
Tanya blinked. Well, that was a whole mess she now had to unpack later. Pushing down he frustration and confusion, she attempted to wave the Second Lieutenant off.
“I’m fine Second Lieutenant. It happens. You know this.”
However, this time Viktoriya wasn’t backing down.
“Major, I thought this awhile back too, but… don’t you think the Type 95 isn’t safe? I’ve not heard of any other mages getting headaches and bloody noses from large spells.” Her voice lowered as she fixed her Commander with a soft look of concern. “I’m worried for you.”
“Oh.” Tanya was touched, admittedly. Her adjutant was certainly caring. And oddly persistent on accompanying her everywhere, when possible. She’d think more about that some other time. “I appreciate it. Really, Second Lieutenant. But please don’t worry so much. I can handle it. Seriously.”
“Why should you have to handle it? You got everyone in the battalion these Type 97 orbs, and they don’t cause any troubles.” Viktoriya remained unconvinced. “I can’t help but worry…”
Tanya sighed, in both exasperation and fondness.
“If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll get Doctor Schugel to send me a Type 97. I’ll make sure to only use the Type 95 in case of emergencies.”
The single-core orb she’d ‘acquired’ from the Doctor’s lab was on its last legs anyway.
And this way, maybe these ‘visions’ Being X mentioned will lighten up. They seemed to worsen when I started using the Type 95, so there’s probably a connection. Something to do with the incredible mana expenditure and magical phenomena creation perhaps. Or does it have more to do with Being X taking notice of me and outright labeling me as a ‘prophet’? A coincidence? I don’t if I believe that. Either way, this will be a good test. I have no intention of being some deity’s plaything. If the Type 95 isn’t connected to these ‘visions’, I’ll use it’s full power and rip Being X a new one. No matter the consequences.