𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙻𝙳 𝚂𝙾 𝙲𝙾𝙻𝙳 ‎ ‎ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏɴᴇ

Their Manifested Destiny

The fire embers rose into the pitch blackness that enveloped the campsite. Amaria sat at the entrance of a tent, wrapped in a quilt. Volkov sat on a log next to a bonfire, prodding the coals with a rusted pitching fork. Benjamin tucked the magazine of his handgun under his sleeping bag and sliding the firearm under the pillow. He let out a anxious sigh, hoping to not use the pistol again. He lifted himself and pivoted on his knees towards the tent entrance before he then pulled back the flap.

"Right behind you." He says softly, gently placing his hand on Amaria's left arm.

"Alright..." Amaria replied, nodding her head once and scoots to the right of where she sat, keeping her gaze ahead of her.

Benjamin climbed out of the tent and tied the flaps together. He looked to Amaria. "How are you feeling?"

"Just tired...physically and emotionally." Amaria had mumbled, looking back at Benjamin.

"Got the sleeping bags set up if you wanted to rest." Benjamin says, placing his hand on her shoulder. Amaria brings up her hand and plants it upon Benjamin's.

"Thanks, Ben." She says, smiling softly to him.

Benjamin returned the smile before rising on his feet and strolled over to the campfire. Volkov looked up from the fire, seeing Benjamin stuff his hands into his jacket pockets.

"I listened to the radio just a while ago." Volkov says, gazing back into the fire coals.

"Yeah? Anything new?"

"The U.S. military is mobilizing. There will be a war coming..." Volkov answers.

"Jesus. Doesn't the damn government care about what After Common Era is doing at all?"

"They could possibly see it as a secondary priority. They care more about the Nation's Army being mobilized as well."

Benjamin sighs before he then sits down on the earth next to the campfire, crossing his legs.

"What do you think the Nation's Army is going to do next?" Benjamin then asks, breaking the silence.

"Hold their ground, most likely. As far as parliament is concerned, they have the right to occupy North Minnesota."

"They do?" Benjamin asks.

Volkov nods. "After the revolution and the second war against Britain, the US sought and bought territory out west. But, naturally, there were border disputes. The US threatened to go to war, but we ended up trading lives and land for peace." Volkov explained, staring into the inferno of the bonfire pit while continuing to prod the coals. "Amarok held the upper hand in settlement negotiations, however. In the event of any uprising against our kind on the southern border, they held the right to fully reclaim the anthro and native lands that were ceded, a doctrine known as the Amarok protectorate clause." Volkov finishes, looking up to Benjamin.

"Manifest destiny coming back to haunt us." Benjamin sighs, gazing into the fire pit.

"Exactly... and the United States does not seem very thrilled about it."

Volkov and Benjamin sat in silence, listening to the crackle of the flames. Benjamin watched the embers rise. After a few moments, Volkov sighed out, lowering his head.

"My question is who will make the first move. This is a fight the US has never waged. The Nation's Army is a force trained to fight this kind of war, however." Volkov says, setting the fire prod down.

"Yeah...and with After Common Era running wild, it doesn't seem the National Guard isn't actually going to do anything about any of this." Benjamin says.