"Wait!" Saphia cried out as she ignored Blue Thunder and instead she came up close to Rastraz who backed away from her. "You have two eggs?"
Rastraz nodded, her eyes narrowed in suspicion at Saphia's sudden excitement. "Yes! With that... thing!"
"Really?" Saphia suddenly reached out and grabbed both Rastraz hands making the red dragon rear back in surprise. "That's wonderful!"
Rastraz tried to back away from Saphia but Saphia seemed determined to stick with her. Saphia's eyes glowed with adoration as she stared with adulation at Rastraz, "This is marvellous! There hasn't been an egg for many years after my birth!"
Rastraz was confused and frightened by the sparkling intense eyes of the strange black dragon, "What?"
Blue Thunder poked his head over and tried to explain, "She is from the Old World... And from what we know, dragons are almost gone there..."
Saphia bobbed her head excitedly as she stared with adoration at Rastraz, "Yes! And to have two eggs! Can... Can I see them?"
Rastraz's anger seemed to be forgotten by the infatuation given off by the black dragon as she did not know how to respond. In the end, she stammered, "O- Of course... They... are here..."
She led Saphia into the hangar which she had earlier stormed out of and inside, a large crate previously used to store ship killer rockets was padded thickly with Navy issued blankets where two eggs as large as an Orekin's head poked out from more blankets.
Saphia oohed and ahhed the moment she saw the eggs and she as gently as she could for her size and weight, came up to the eggs that were being warmed by a heat lamp hooked up to the hangar beams. She curled around the crate and stared with wide eyes at the eggs and she sighed in wonder. "This is the first time I have seen eggs of our kind!"
Blue Thunder followed into the hangar and looked over the shoulder of Rastraz and whispered, "How are the kids?"
"They are fine!" Rastraz growled as she shifted away from Blue Thunder. "Better if their father is dead!"
"Don't be like that..." Blue Thunder sighed. "I'm back!"
"I thought you don't ever want to come back any more!" Rastraz growled. "And when you come back... You bring back another... female?"
"Ahh..." Blue Thunder gave an embarrassed cough as he tried to explain, "We... erm... saved her from slavery!"
"She... is actually a very poor thing!" Blue Thunder quickly added. "We... erm... destroyed her... friends and family... and later she was captured by those barbaric Foralians who tried to sold her off in an auction!"
"And... since she has no home now and no way to return to the Old World..." Blue Thunder gave his best apologetic smile at Rastraz who was glaring at him all the time. "She erm... will be staying with... us for now... until we... er... go to... the Old World?"
"Oh...I see!" Rastraz gave a smile back which made Blue Thunder shiver. "So... she became your little girlfriend now?"
"Er... er..." Blue Thunder scratched his head and replied, "Technically... She is a girl and we are friends?"
"OUT!" Rastraz roared as she shoved Blue Thunder out of the hangar. "You shall sleep outside!"
"Waa?" Blue Thunder blinked his eyes in confusion as the sliding doors of the hangar were slammed shut before his face. The ground crew hanging around laughed at his predicament and they returned to work, leaving Blue Thunder gently tapping against the hangar doors with his claw and asking in a small voice. "Hello? Ras? Let me in?"
-----
United Nations, Hope Naval Station, Docks
Grand Lord Hammerfall was feeling awe at his surroundings as they were led down a bridge onto land. The size of the docks was staggering and at the same time excited his mind. When they were transferred on board the giant ship, he didn't even feel that it was that impressive as anyone with skills could build a large ship.
Lord Copperstone had expressed his opinions but the ship when they were aboard with praises in regards to the structure by examining their surroundings as the ship sailed off to somewhere with them inside a massive hold. Lord Copperstone was impressed with the quality of work done by the Un An's metal wrights while Hammerfall felt that only their combat magic was what won the battle.
If the Un An does not possess such powerful magic, the Cartel would not have lost the battle! But now, coming to this strange land, Hammerfall saw the massive base and in the distance, a sprawling city that was filled with towers that he could not even count!
As he and the rest of his people had all disembarked the ship, he saw more of the swift magic wagons that moved here and there on wide black paved roads. The Un An guards herded them towards a row of long wagons and they boarded the wagons to find the insides were wide enough for two people to sit on the benches placed on both sides that faced forward.
Once the wagon was filled up, the door on the side of the wagon magically closed by itself by folding outwards in such a way that made Lord Copperstone excited at the sight. "What sorcery is that?"
"Ingenious!" Lord Copperstone excited, his face bright with excitement, nearly matching the startling orange of their clothes that they were forced to wear. The material was thick yet comfortable which Hammerfall had first assumed would be rough and coarse by his first impressions. Lord Copperstone rapped his knuckles against the side of the wagon before banging his sandaled feet against the floorboards. "Metal! All metal!"
"How much metal is there?" Hammerfall was surprised as he looked out of the barred windows that covered the sides of the wagon. "First... that giant ship... And now these..."
"The Un An must have highly skilled metal wrights to produce all these metals!" Copperstone replied as he gave a lick at the metal walls trying to taste the iron. "Could be why they want more miners..."
"If they spend so much iron at everything," Hammerfall shook his head. "It's no wonder they need more miners."
As he finished his sentence, the wagon seemed to shudder and a strange demonic growl came from beneath their feet, making the prisoners nervous. "What was that?"
"A monster?" A dwarvan in the front yelled out in panic. The wagon made another shudder with more growling sounds and suddenly started moving. The prisoners looked around in panic and realized that other than moving, there was no monsters or demons appearing.
Hammerfall looked at Copperstone and whispered, "Are they using some kind of monster to run the wagons?"
"I... Don't know!" Copperstone replied as he looked around wildly. "There is no boiler that I could see, so this wagon is not steam powered..."
"The growls we heard," Copperstone continued as he stared at the floorboards at his feet. "They could be using some creature to move the wagons..."
"So for all their strengths," Hammerstone let out a satisfied sneer. "They are actually not that powerful!"
Hammerstone felt a small sense of relief as he was actually frightened by the thought that the Un An not only possessed superior battle magic and even steam and ironworks. If such a nation had such frighting knowledge and power, it would mean the end for the Old World, especially since the Seven Great Nations had been sending in their forces into the New World for resources.
If they can some more overcome the Un An's battle magic, then the Old World would have a chance against the Un An, thought Hammerstone. He turned his attention out to the barred windows and took in the sights, curious with how the lands of the Un An looked like while Copperstone kept looking around the wagon in his seat.
-----
Dr. Sharon led Plee down to the dock where a large crowd had formed up on one side that was clearly waiting for her. Dr. Sharon smiled and ruffled Plee's hair before she said, "Alright, you will be taking a special class from tomorrow onwards!"
"Listen and ask questions when you do not understand, okay?" Dr. Sharon said to the God Girl who nodded. "Be a good girl and obey your instructors. I will come to visit you when I can."
"Do you have to go?" Plee asked as she looked around her new surroundings. "Can't you teach me more?"
"Not the new subjects you will be learning and training with," Dr. Sharon gave her an assuring smile. "Don't worry, Plee is a very smart girl!"
"Now, go," She gestured to the waiting goblin at the side. "Your followers of the Faith are dying to meet you! I hear they brought many offerings for you!"
"Offerings!" Plee squeaked happily before she gave Dr. Sharon a tight hug. "Thank you, Doc!"
"Take care!" Dr. Sharon waved goodbye to Plee who waved back as she followed the goblin Racky who was the head priest of the Faith's Chapter onboard the UNS Vengeance. Dr. Sharon watched the two walked to the waiting group who started cheering and yelling slogans. She shook her head at the sight before she headed towards the base's HQ to get her new orders.
-----
Plee could feel a refreshing warmth flowing throughout her body as chants from the waiting group swept over her. "Hail Firepower! Hail Firepower!"
Racky was very excited as he hopped around and did a complicated handshake with another goblin that was dressed in an old oversize military coat that was festered with colourful ribbons and medals. "Our Most Explosive Holiness has arrived!"
"She shall bless us in war and grant us the power to blow the shit out of our enemies!" Racky declared proudly. "Also... she can give us fire support when we needed it the most!"
"Oh yea!" An Oerkin marine cried out. "Fire support is good! I like fire support!"
The followers of the Faith of Superior Firepower crowded around Plee who was basking in their worship and faith. Finally, Racky said, "Let's go to the Church! And celebrate!"
"Ooo! It's BBQ time!" The followers cried out excitedly as they shuffled off to their makeshift church at one corner of the base. Plee looked worriedly to the UNS Vengeance and Racky said, "No worries, your most explosive holiness. You will be in the range of your core! And we will bring you back before lights out!"
With that, Plee nodded and she followed curiously after her followers as she took in the sights, no longer feeling lonely after the dragons and Dr. Sharon had left her.
-----
Captain Blake and Commander Ford walked off the gangway and saluted the waiting honour guard. Blake came to a halt as he looked back to the docked UNS Vengeance and said, "Get her refitted for the journey."
Commander Ford nodded as he too glanced back at the ship. The battle carrier stretched from one end to the other and took up his entire view. "She will be ready for the journey."
"It is built by the hopes and wishes of the people here," Ford said with a fond tone. "She will carry us across the End Zone without fail."
Blake nodded before he said, "I hope so. I'm heading to HQ. There will be a lot of things to handover to the staff before the departure."
"Yes," Commander Ford replied and he followed Blake towards the waiting vehicles. "I too have to hand over my duties before we leave."
"No," Blake suddenly paused in his steps and he turned around and faced Ford. "You will not be going on this... trip."
"What?" Ford was surprised. "No, I will be going with you!"
"No," Blake shook his head as he denied Ford. "You will remind behind here."
"But-" Ford wanted to argue when Blake put up a hand to stop him from continuing.
"I need you here!" Blake said firmly. "You are to keep the UN running!"
"This is an order!"