The Tubular Ship, a larger and improved version of the rocket train, traversed the twisted space and time of this portal at an unimaginable speed.

It was much larger and more powerful than those used by the Japanese. The dragons had scientifically helped to make it more stable and less dangerous for those who rode it. Although they said nothing, for fear of abnormal use, in the event of an accident, those ejected could walk through it "on foot, at last in weightlessness..."

At the end of the tunnel, communications were restored and the ship was able to make contact with the base that served as a dimensional port.

Information about the dragon's escape had not yet arrived.

The staff and soldiers of the voyage had to evacuate as quickly as possible, for security reasons and because the port was a major target.

Daily, long-range missiles from across the sea tried to destroy the base.

Magic shields reinforced with electric forcefields protected the base and anti-aircraft systems intercepted non-stop missiles and drones of all kinds.

Reinforced armour and concrete walls protected the gate, which was buried in a large crevasse. It was already naturally protected by being in a winding gorge.

Humans and dragons who had come to reinforce the earth and the surrounding kingdoms were on the spot.

The ship was refuelled and demagnetised. But it would take several hours.

Even the travelers had to be depolarized. This was to establish their existentialism, since they came from the future. Earth, our world at last, being in the future of Ethernia...

Tania grabbed Argentrix by the leg: "Quick, let's hide... we may have been denounced or spotted.

Tania, an expert, walked out of a door in the canteen and pretended to be a cook, mastering the art of mimicry.

Dela, they went out through the corridors leading to the refrigerators.

Tania: "I know hiding places... there's lots of them here and I've dug lots of them!"

When they came round a rock that looked very heavy, it was just a hollowed-out shell.

She pushed it and a cave opened up in front of them.

They went in after they made sure no one had seen them.

She put the hollowed rock back in its place and they walked down the corridor.

At the end, a well-equipped hiding place.

Dried food, jerry cans, ammunition and a suitcase containing gems to make a mini portal with the "Drop of God", Tania's hidden treasure inside. And Georgia's underwear..."

Argentrix was shocked, but she also saw a loving creature. She snorted one last time what was left of her friend.

Tania: "I know it's shocking but it's all I have left of him...I loved him so much..."

Argentrix stroked the raptor's feathers. You're a good person, Tania...

Tania: "Do you have your old phone? I'll try to log on to my secret Mi6 account. We must be near the cell tower... the rock is very thin here. The waves must pass through...

In the meantime...

Anchorage...

Higgins: We've made contact with the base. Search warrants are out except for Fomalhaut. He's our last resort. He got a text message saying we've got him covered.

Sand dragon desert specialists were swelling the ranks. They were asked to maintain human form and size for rationing purposes. Solar generators of portable mana were distributed to them like lanterns. They were also used as portable heaters and ration cookers. Everyone here was equal. Human and non-human as halves, all had the same rights. The laws of the American and draconian empire being almost the same.

Tania, sitting next to Argentrix on a stone ledge, they were lit by the glow of their smartphones.

"This is the big moment, I've managed to get a channel..."

Argentrix was holding his breath.

The ringer was on and there was an outgoing call.

Evil EVA called me on speaker while I meditated with Hirrax to get my mana flowing and master my new powers.

"This is Tania's line calling."

I rushed to the rocket train and took the call.

"IVAN??? IVAN????? Is that you???????"

I immediately recognized my love. I wept with joy at hearing her voice again. The knowledge that she was alive was all that mattered to me!

"My little silver spoon... (that was his intimate nickname) how I missed you, how I missed you...X5..."

"Ivan, I can't see you, why don't you plug in your camera?"

"No, I'm not ready yet. I've changed, I've changed a lot... But I love you just as much."

"Ivan, you don't know how happy I am to hear you, to know that it's you, that I can hold you again. Your death was devastating for me..."

"I could see you, but I couldn't do anything about it. Abysses separated us and the risk of wandering in absolute emptiness... a horror... But our eggs?? "

"I have them in my dimensional space... safe... We'll hatch them together."

"Argentrix, I have to warn you... there's someone you must meet...

"Do you remember how often Auronne cried alone in the dark? And you didn't know why...

"You had an older sister... but from another dad... We found her and she's next to me.

Hirrax: "Argentrix? I'm Hirrax... your older sister... Ohhh, how beautiful you are...eeehh but you have the same eyes as me!"

Laughter...

Argentrix: "You have the same voice as mother... Can I see you if you turn on the camera?"

But ohh you're beautiful too! A proud red dragon!

Me off-camera: "To be proud, she is. It's General Hirrax!"

Argentrix was startled to hear her name. She was known in the chronicles as one of the leaders of the infernal army.

Hirrax smiled and obviously flattered with exaggeration, which Argentrix laughed at...

"I'm sure we've got a lot to talk about and we're going to have a lot of fun! Say, can you ride a motorcycle?"

Hirrax didn't understand, but I told her: "It's one of the most fun things to do when we're together... I've got lots of friends to introduce you to. And they like to fight!"

Flames burst out of her nose when she laughed...

"You know, Argentrix, you're lucky to have a husband like him... I'm jealous!"

The ladies laughed, but Argentrix: "Ehh, that's a preserve!"

Then, against all odds, Tania: "Yes! It's a cinch and she winked at me and gave Argentrix a hug and a friendly lick."

Hirrax: "Your family's hot,' all smiles...

"Argentrix, it's very dangerous where you are, you have to go east... the gate is a target with a big O and Japanese troops will break in here any moment. A fleet is on its way to bomb the gate from the coast with large caliber weapons. Nothing will stop the shells...

Run away...

I'll find you.

"Argentrix, but but..."

"I've come back from the dead...then...I'll find you... "

We sent her satellite images of the fleet that had arrived at its destination.

Tania immediately understood the danger.

She tapped the phone to make it short...

"But why? Tania??"

"We don't have a second to lose, we have to run! We risk being killed or buried alive. Or crushed."

She returned to her giant raptor form and loaded her gear into leather saddlebags.

Realising the urgency, Hirrax said, "It's time to get some exercise."

Demodragon was waiting for us when we got off the train...

"What are your intentions?"

"Don't forget Bhaal.. "the demon hammered at me..

"Demodragon, I must protect her little girl!!! a TIAMAT!!!!"

He bowed in approval.

We plunged into darkness, followed by the zodiacal dragons.

A tunnel shortened the distance. It was I who led and used to be the dark dragon. But this time it was faster and easier. I had the power of a dark god, in fact, I was a dark god but I didn't know it yet...

In an inverted image, in white on a black background, I could see the first Japanese fleet and we arrived on an overhang of a high cliff.

We came out of the shadow of the rocks and had a clear view of the warships.

There weren't many of them, but a support group accompanied these ships.

U-boats escorted the fleet and several anti-aircraft support ships clustered around a modernized Piotr Velikiy missile-launching destroyer.

Many others had been built, but the older ones were sent on the attack, because in case of failure, it would not be too big a loss.

There were treacherous bootlegged dragons from the Japanese empire on board and immediately felt my pressure. They were rejected dracosires and happy to have regained their prestige and especially their wallets in the Japanese empire that had taken them in.

Under my dark pressure, they immediately felt crushed, panicked, desperate.

Admiral Kondō, half Japanese, half Russian, from a city in Kamchatka, was warned of a hostile presence from the land.

A new and impalpable enemy.

Second: "A report from the command center warned us that the US spy satellite is active and has broken through our jamming. We're trying to destroy it, but it's as if it's impalpable, and our hackers have managed to intercept messages in a drastic manner. We haven't been able to decipher everything but the dragons that heard the message behaved like prey in the face of a super predator. They speak of a legendary, infernal army that is said to be waking up.

Kondō" Dragons and knights facing battleships... You've got to be kidding me...

Look at those scaly jerks... is that a dragon???"

Second: "Admiral, what measures should we take???"

Kondō: "Dragons fly and spit fire... so flood the ammunition with fire-fighting foam and sprinkle the deck with foam.

Arm the anti-aircraft guns and tighten up the support group ships. Load the flame-throwing tubes with fragmentation munitions. We'll bomb the cliffs and they'll be blown to pieces.

I want the two shield ships at the stern and bow of the destroyer.

We're moving ahead of schedule so they won't have time to react.

We'll fire and destroy the portal once and for all. Once we're cut off, Ethernia will be ours.

Second: "What about the Kanda'aar?"

"The emperor will certainly marry Magestia. Crushing other continents and countries will be child's play... we may not even have to fire a single round. "The US troops will make excellent prisoners to build and establish our empire.

The crew were on alert long before we took an interest in them.

Hirrax, in my shadow, and Demodragon as an observer were at my side. The 12 zodiacal dragons were also around me.

"Your orders, Lord Ivan..."

It was the first time they'd ever called me Lord.

I turned to them. They're easy targets, but I'm sure they felt me... that's a serious problem in itself...

I want you to survive! No bravado to display your power.

They all turned to me in amazement.

I said, "We're going to make a killing, but it could be us. They have at least 2,000 years more technology than we do... and now, with the rebel dragons, they have magic and our advantage is greatly reduced. but the immediate danger to us is the cause of your failures as well.

I've reviewed your scrolls to see the cause of failure in each of your campaigns. They've only served to fill your belly without any convincing result. You have been bent on the losing cities and countries, devouring innocent people who, deep down, have brought nothing in return.

You have antagonized the gods, but not only that, they have antagonized you and you have paid the price."

Hirrax: "Get to the point, Ivan."

"Yes, sir..."

That made her shudder and she was a little disappointed, but she was also happy to have respected the hierarchical order.

Moments later, at the gate in Ethernia...

...the sirens sounded,

"GENERAL EVACUATION. Members assigned to the Hood are to join him immediately! Emergency departure imminent.

Tania: "Run, fly! No time..."

Tania, as a dragon, there was no time to wait for Argentrix to transform. She grabbed her and flew away.

The Hood hummed and entered the portal, which was activated. Not everyone had managed to get on board yet, but the Hood was saving himself from the falling shells.

The first salvo destroyed the shield and overloaded the field generator, which imploded because of the charge.

Then another hit the portal the Hood had entered.

The rocks didn't move all at once, then the drawings became full of bright, purple lines, and the next moment a flash like a nuclear detonation occurred. Hundreds of violet flashes struck the men who had not reached the Hood in time and they disappeared.

But an identical flash hit Tania and Argentrix.

The next moment they were crashed into the dimensional tunnel, next to the Hood, where they were standing on the spot.

Not waiting for the rest of them, the doors opened and the men, dragons and Tania rushed into the ship for cover.

The tunnel was closed behind them, then a movement, an acceleration and all were pressed against the seats, walls and structures of the ship for an abnormal acceleration.

The distended tunnel then acted as a dimensional rubber band and they were ejected into a journey of uncertain outcome in space and time.

The base lifted and the rocks imploded.

Fortunately, there were no casualties. The still polarized soldiers had been caught in the portal. Inside the portal, there were many protection spells and they did so to protect the users. But the portal was destroyed, leaving Earth and the residents of Ethernia separated and out of communication.

U.S. troops were separated from their command... surrender was their only alternative... into slavery. The U.S. had the story of the Kwai River Bridge in their minds...

The Hood was travelling across the universe at astronomical speed and the dragons were crying...

Then a flash of light and it all stopped.

They were in the path of a star and the pilot used the star's gravitational force to brake.

Then they drifted away and approached an unknown system. Behind them, the great void and the stars and galaxies did not correspond to any known map. No constellations, even with a 3D scan and perspective search.

They were in another world...

Signals were emitted from one planet in the system and it turned out that the planet was mostly sand with some seas here and there.

On the dark side, lights were shining through the darkness.

There was life.

Everyone returned to their positions in the ship and safety instructions were broadcast again. Everyone was invited to bring a water generator, dragon mana, and a survival kit. Everyone donned a suit capable of withstanding the vacuum of space.

Except the dragons, who could survive the vacuum. They just took an air generator to get a breath of air once in a while.

"This is Commander Sarus!, It's terrible what happened to us, but we're alive.

We're going to try to find a way out of this, but right now, we have to survive! The planet is habitable and there's life on it. This is our only chance."

But his speech was interrupted.

A flash of light appeared between the Hood and the sand planet.

Gigantic tubes appeared out of nowhere and strange signals were emitted.

The Hood, attracted by a tractor beam with the controls not responding, Sarus was preparing to be killed or boarded.

"We're facing an unknown civilization. This was also the original motive for this expedition, but this time we'll have no outside support.

We're all likely to be boarded and captured.

No violence and keep quiet. Every scrap of information may guarantee us another day. Think of the conquistadores. They're far more advanced than we are... I'm counting on you and your coolness. I also speak for you dragons. Try to be as humane as possible and don't reveal your assets. Not a word about magic or our portal science. Imagine if they're slavers or brain eaters, they can't find their way to both our worlds."

In silence, the troops packed up and those with cabins emptied them, carrying only pictures and family letters. The weapons were left in the armory.

They respected the standards for prisoners of war and soldiers to avoid misinterpretations.

Slowly, but surely, the Hood approached the huge ship.

The ai was immediately hijacked and the ship was put under control of the alien ship.

A figure appeared on the main screen. A horror...

A mixture of human, mutant, and machine, a head plugged into a socket.

Sarus was shocked to see this being. What if they were meant to be connected, beheaded on a base like that?????

The thought chilled him.

Sounds and screams were heard. Then a screeching sound from the diffusers ripped a cry of pain out of all the soldiers.

"Now you can understand me, humans..."