Nofus nodded to the platoon's commander and the griffons towed the steel cage and its occupant out of the room. And moments later, the castle's chefs and servants started to enter the room with lots of food on their carts while musicians started to play their tunes.
"Shadow Specter, would you join us please?" Nofus addressed the unicorn stallion, gesturing him to sit with the royal family and the newcomers.
"Of course, your majesty." Shadow replied politely before doing what he was told. Soon, the servants arrived and started to serve a combination of carnivorous and herbivorous meals at a massive amount of quantity. Shadow also noticed strange, elongated sticks leaning on the side of the newcomers' chairs.
"Before we begin our feast, I want to introduce some...pony." Nofus said.
"This is Shadow Specter. Our top field agent." Nofus said while pointing at the aforementioned pony "Shadow Specter, these are our guests. Formally known as..."
"Wolfpack." Alexandra said.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Shadow said respectfully.
"They are to be treated with respect since they helped rid us of an asset liability on their very first second here." Nofus added while again sneaking a glance at Victor who nodded in respect.
"Specifically, Commander Red Wing." Stormcrest said.
"Ah, I see. I saw his mangled remains being put away to the mausoleum when I entered." Shadow sighed "Despite the problems he caused us, he served as a commander after all. He will be missed."
"I will arrange a tribute for his family." Solarwing said.
"Very well. Now eat up, consider yourselves at home." Nofus said as he took a large plate containing a big chunk of rare grilled meat.
Knowing Monsoon's tendency to leave during occasions like these, Alexandra immediately shot a sharp glance at him who was sitting two chairs away from her. Feeling the piercing gaze, Monsoon stared back at her...the sharpness of his gaze was equally matched by his commanding officer. So, he relented...for now.
"So, what and who are you...hyoomans, really are?" Solarwing asked.
"As you know, we are soldiers. But not just ordinary soldiers." Alexandra said.
"Oh? Can you explain further?" Stormcrest asked.
"You can consider us special, for a lot of reasons..." Heinrich said before taking out a tablet from his armor's chest pocket and projecting ATLAS' signature logo.
"ATLAS Corporation?" Nofus inquired "Are you...mercenaries?"
"Not quite, your majesty." Heinrich "The corporation ve are vorking for is the largest, most powerful, independent military force in our world; ve do not answer to any country. Our main force provide services should they got hired, but ve are on a different branch from our corporation's main force...specifically, our corporation's special operations branch."
With that, multiple recordings of their previous missions started to play from the tablet's hologram projector.
"We are known as the A.T.S.S. or ATLAS Tactical Security Service." Caroline explained "We are specifically trained as a black operations unit and are tasked with conducting clandestine operations to secure our corporation's reputation by any means necessary." she said "And thus, we are different from our main force. Having a more powerful connection to the company, three times the pay than regular ATLAS soldiers, and finally the leeway to access and customize the most advanced weaponry and gadgetry ATLAS could offer."
"That...is who and what we really are." Alexandra concluded the explanation.
The unicorn and griffons just sat there with their mouths agape trying to process the shitload of information right there and right then.
But before any of them spoke, the windows sprung open and gusts of wind doused out the magic crystal lights and torches.
"All troopers assume guard formation! Protect the royal family with your lives!" Shadow ordered while materializing two dark purple scimitars with his magic. In a matter of seconds, every griffon trooper in the dining room formed up near the emperor and two princes in a protective tight formation. With some guards guarding the doors if anything was trying to get in or out.
"Wolfpack, your objective is the same. Prophet out."
"Activate night visions!" Alexandra ordered. Wolfpack activated their night visions and in an instant the room lit up in an array of yellow spectrum. The previously tagged allies were tagged with green and anything else alive with red.
"Warhammer, is your helm good enough to see?" Alexandra asked.
"This will hold, for now." Victor replied as he readied his shotgun.
Suddenly, red griffon apparitions emerged at high speeds; emitting sounds similar to speeding arrows and soon, all guards guarding the doors were lying on the floor with blood gushing out from their decapitated heads.
"Its too dark! We cant see them!" One guard yelled before being decapitated.
"Concentrate and focus! They are using speed spells!" Shadow barked as he easily dodged an attack while decapitating his attacker with his energy scimitars. One attacker commenced a diving attack from above, only to be cut in half and spilling his organs on the floor after Shadow hurled one of his scimitars; turning the sword into a deadly boomerang.
Some soldiers stood their ground while most of them remained in an disoriented state.
Behind him, the royals commenced a deadly claw-to-claw combat. Smashing skulls and breaking bones with ease due to their immense power, topping that of any griffon.
"Use overdrive and open fire!" the major ordered again. With that, time seemed to slow down around them and thunder spat from Wolfpack's weapons. One by one, hostiles began dropping to the floor like flies.
Alexandra continuously fired streams of superheated blue plasma with her Ae4 Widowmaker into more and more hostiles with deadly accuracy. Hitting them in critical parts such as the head or chest, melting through their metal armor like butter and killing them instantly. One griffon dropped in front of her swinging his large steel mace to crush her head.
As fast as lightning, she evaded the blow before jumping on the griffon's back and burying her combat knife on the back of his unprotected neck and activating the knife's tasser; sending millions of volt down to the griffon's body. Killing it instantly.
"You okay there Wolf Mother?" Victor asked in the midst of splitting his opponent's skull with his battle ax, already firing the last round of his shotgun clip with no time to reload it "Nice kill!"
"I am okay." She replied briefly "Thanks, stay focused!" Alexandra replied before engaging more hostiles.
Confronted by two griffon attackers, Victor knew he had to act fast. One griffon commenced an overhead strike with his steel greatsword, seeing the incoming attack Victor rolled diagonally to the griffon's side, dismembering his weapon's talon and decapitating the griffon's head with his ax. Before throwing it at the other one's head. A direct hit.
Just as Victor drew his breath of satisfaction, a large griffon appeared behind him with a battle ax ready to claim Victor's life. But before both of them could react, Caroline back-flipped from the griffon's rear side and unloaded her dual SAC3 SMGs on the griffon's face. Killing it.
"Not bad not bad." Victor said while pulling his battle ax from the griffon he previously killed "You stole my kill, again."
"Consider that a kill assist." Caroline smirked while reloading both weapons "And, you owe me one."
Suddenly, Victor tackled Caroline to the ground as multiple machine gun fire nearly ripped them to shreds. But the shots were not intended for them, they were intended towards four griffon attackers behind them.
"Whoops! Did I get you both?" Heinrich asked sarcastically as he continued to unload his ameli LMG at even more griffons.
"Almost! Dick!" Victor cursed as he helped Caroline up "Now we're even." he said before reloading his CEL-3 Cauterizer and engaging more hostiles.
Suddenly Caroline felt something warm and wet on her stomach. A liquid she knew too well.
Blood.
But due to absence of pain in her body, it must had came from an external source.
"Could it be? Victor..." she shrugged those thoughts aside aside as she engaged a griffon in melee combat with her twin wakizashi blades. Slicing its throat open.
"Nice kill, mädchen!" Heinrich praised her with a mixed tone of sarcasm and admiration while shooting a griffon with his signature Mauser right in the head "How's it going over there Monsoon?"
The latter did not respond as one attacker got too close to him, only to receive a roundhouse kick to the face and pierced by his sai blades on the neck after Monsoon somersaulted to his back.
"Sweet dreams..." he chuckled with a dark tone. Before continuing to engage more attackers at close quarters combat.
MAMBA aimed at the head of an attacking griffon with his RW-1 railgun and took his shot. The hypervelocity bullet pierced through his armored helm like it was a sheet of paper, blowing it clean off with a fountain of blood. Seeing more attackers, he reloaded his gun before placing it on its sheath and drawing his modified crossbow.
Utilizing his free-running skill and crossbow, he picked them off one by one by placing carbon-impact bolts squarely on their skulls. The heavy impact pierced through their helmets and killed them where they stood.
Soon, the lights came back on and revealed a gruesome sight. Both friend and foe, dead and or dismembered griffons were scattered everywhere; not to mention the putrid smell of blood and spilled organs.
Alexandra twirled her hand, signaling for everybody to fall in "Everybody okay?" she asked. Getting responds of confirmation from the others. Except...
"Damn, so much for a good dinner." Victor chuckled while putting his left hand on his stomach with blood oozing out from it. Taking a seat on a nearby bench with Caroline's help.
"That...is on me." Heinrich chuckled nervously while holstering his LMG "armor piercing rou-" he was cut off when Alexandra punched him in his epigastrium. Causing him to fall to his knees.
"Next time, be more careful." She said with a cold tone before walking towards Victor who was taking off his helmet.
"Yes ma'am." Heinrich squeaked.
"Vic, take off your armor." Alexandra said followed by a nod of concern from Caroline.
"Nah, it's just a flesh wound." He said while reaching his exo's control panel to use his stims "Besides, we are still in the combat zone."
"Fine, but when things are settled..." she trailed off "that's an order."
"Yes ma'am." Victor smiled.
"Damned rebels!" Nofus scoffed while walking towards Wolfpack "they are getting bolder as each day passes."
"Pardon your majesty?" Alexandra asked, but before the griffon could answer...Solarwing stepped in.
"Is your team okay?" Solarwing asked after instructing his soldiers to clean up the bloody mess.
"We are in good shape your highness." Alexandra said. Despite her statement, Alexandra noticed that Solarwing was looking at Victor. Specifically at his bloodied hand and abdomen section of his armor.
"It is all taken care of your majesty." Victor said.
"Very well then."
"General Stormcrest, we got a live one here!" one griffon soldier alerted them.
"Good, make sure he stays alive for interrogation." Stormcrest replied assertively and the soldiers lifted the surviving attacker off the ground and carried him away.
"Wolfpack, once again you've done us a great service. If it weren't for you, maybe we wont be standing here right now." Nofus said respectfully. The other griffons bowed their heads in respect.
"You flatter us your majesty." Alexandra said "But I am sure your majesty could fare well even without us."
"Impressive major, I am sure ATLAS is more than pleased to have a soldier like you and your team on its ranks." Nofus praised them "Do you all care to join me for a walk at the castle's Great Porch? There we will talk about getting you to your destination."
"Your majesty, with your permission I am taking a platoon of troops with me to sweep the castle grounds in case there are more of them." Shadow Specter said.
"Permission granted." Nofus said. And with no words spoken, the unicorn took off with a platoon of griffon troops following him.
All of them responded positively and off they went to the castle's Great Porch.
The walk to the Great Porch was filled with conversation. Wolfpack explained a bit about their gadgets and weaponry; especially the Storm Fortress which the griffons dubbed as the "Massive Metal Beast."
Due to Wolfpack's general friendliness and Victor's jokes; save for MAMBA and Monsoon who remained quiet and enigmatic, the griffons began to grow on them as friends.
As soon as they arrived at the Great Porch, Wolfpack was astonished by the beautiful scenery. The entire city of Gryphonia and the natural mountainous landscape surrounding it, were stretched out as far as their eyes can see. Great canals, roads, bridges, and other public facilities coursed through the city, providing access of commerce and transportation. Massive ivory towers climbed high into the sky, and added by the city's lights; they were indeed in paradise.
"Go on, enjoy the view! This is the capital city of Gryphonia after all." Nofus chuckled.
"Fantastisch." Heinrich mused. They admired the scenery for a few moments before finally sitting down with the griffons.
"Now, about getting you to your destination." Nofus stated "Perhaps, we can smuggle you in to the country. You and your giant war beast. Why smuggling? Because we are not exactly allies with them."
"More like enemies. When the time is right, perhaps we will invade them." Stormcrest added.
Hearing this, Wolfpack sensed an opportunity.
"Patch us through." Mark said "I am going to have a little chat with Nofus."
"Your majesty, perhaps we can come to an agreement." Alexandra smiled as she placed her tablet on the table.
"Oh?" Nofus inquired again "Tell me more."
"Lets just say ve are not exactly their friends either." Heinrich said as Mark's transmission came through.
"Greetings, your majesty." Mark's hologram spoke, astonishing the griffons "My name is CEO Mark Irons, Wolfpack's high command. It's an honor."
"Greetings Mr. Irons, I have to say your soldiers performed extremely well. You must be proud to have them serving your ranks." Nofus said "Now, your soldiers mentioned we can come to an agreement. Care to enlighten us? We'd love to work together with you."
"Oh your majesty, I think you are going to be more than satisfied." Mark smirked ominously.