America Stranded in a Fantasy World

Chapter 6 "Brave or Stupid?"

June 24th 2040: The White Palace, Hoffen City Capital, The Ruppriecht Kingdom

Gazing at the city below the white palace, King Heinrich leaned against the marble balcony, his long, aging white hair and long beard waving in the wind. But he hadn't come here to admire what his forefathers had created, but to clear his head from the near-constant bickering of the nobles over the crisis that was looming over the kingdom--nay, the whole continent. With last year's harvest failing across the land, many had come up short of the food needed to feed their respective kingdoms. The few larger kingdoms and empires demanding what little food there was from their neighbors to feed their own. And now, the Autoriario Empire had come knocking on his door demanding food. Heinrich looked to the clear blue sky.

"What have we done to anger the gods?" He wondered. Was this a test for the realms to see who was strongest? Perhaps they saw the land being abused and sought to punish them. His focus was broken when the wooden door to the balcony was opened by a servant who stepped forward before kneeling.

"Your Majesty, a report from Händluf." The servant kept his head facing the ground, waiting for Heinrich to respond.

"Read it." Heinrichs scruffy old voice commanded.

"A fleet made of steel vessels from a nation hailing as the United States of America has made landfall; sending someone going by the title 'Ambassador Aaron' to open diplomatic talks with us. They have expressed their utmost desire to discuss with you in particular. From what the report has stated, they will be arriving here with their own flying mounts sometime today." Heinrich turned to the servant.

"And what have they demanded so far?" He inquired.

"According to the report nothing. Ambassador Aaron did express an apology on behalf of their ruler 'President John Dresdon' as they had fired on one of our vessels which sailed out of port to confront theirs. To their credit, they did warn the ship numerous times to change its heading but the captain refused to." The servant kept his head lowered, with Heinrich becoming more confused by these actions.

"Just how many vessels were in this 'steel fleet'?" He asked.

"From what could be counted, around fifty; with six of them towering over the city. According to the report, the vessel Ambassador Aaron arrived on, they had to use a net to reach the dock as their ship was too tall."

Heinrich's mind tried to process what the servant said. Steel ships that were so tall they had to use nets to climb down? Just now big were these ships, and to have fifty of them! Did they make the near-suicidal trip across The Great Ocean? If only he was there to see this for himself.

A low and quiet buzzing noise started to fill the air, causing Heinrich to turn and face the city again. At the farthest gatehouse, he saw faint black specks on the horizon. With them getting closer he recognized two of them being wyvern knights but the other three contraptions he didn't recognize; and the noise they made was nothing he had heard in his lifetime.

The formation landed in the courtyard, with the three black contraptions opening up their sides to allow what appeared to be soldiers to create a circle around the middle black contraption from which a more well-dressed man stepped out holding a silver case.

"I suppose I should greet them." Heinrich turned away from the developing scene and headed inside the palace towards his throne room.

Arriving at the spacious throne hall, his Queen had already seated herself with a smile in her silver and white gem-encrusted throne.

"It's not every day we get visitors from other countries." She said pensively.

"Indeed my Queen, and for them to have such unique items with them is even stranger." He added while sitting on his own silver-covered throne.