Sitting in the shadow in front of the window I keep my rifle rested over my legs as I look outside, the evening has now come around as the sun sets for the day and numerous patrons make their way to the Muntz tavern. We spent the entire day going over the plan and numerous scenarios to determine the best plan of action, directly below us there is a large bay window for the tavern which provides us with a clear line of sight into a free booth and over a large area of the tavern itself.

As I survey the area I take another mouthful of my rice and kidney beans, it may not be the most exciting food but at least it will stop me from getting hungry. As I finish the last of my food Georg moves low alongside me, "Are you absolutely certain about this? I must admit that I've got my doubts about this."

Resting my mess tin on the floor I grasp onto my rifle, "We'll be up here providing over-watch for you, just make sure you sit in the booth we've already identified. Gabrielle has also sent in a pair of her soldier into the tavern to blend into the crowd, they can't speak Griffonian but they know to keep an eye out for you."

"Yeah... but there's still the fact that we will be outnumbered."

Turning my head I roll my eyes, "Don't get caught then."

"So much can go wrong here-"

"-Balls, Georg!" I shout out cutting him off and causing everyone else in the room to look at me in confusion.

Georg stands up as he looks to me, "Come again?"

"Balls. Keep up. Where are your balls?" As I look to him his eyes briefly flick down as he continues to stand there with with a perplexed expression etched onto his face. "Are they firmly attached, or has someone plucked them from your perineum whilst you were asleep and placed them into an icebox?"

"That ma-"

"Georg. Balls. Grow a pair and man up, we've got you covered."

Groaning he moves to the exit as Janine joins alongside him. As he walks past the group Sure Strike leans towards him, "You heard the Captain. Balls." Georg just glares to Sure Strike as he and his sister leave for the tavern. Both of them have left their uniforms and armour behind and have adopted some clothing we were able to locate within some of the old dressers in the house, for protection they had a pistol each strapped underneath their jackets along with a short sword. In most circumstances carrying a sword would be fairly suspicious however it still seems fairly common for most civilians to be in a possession of a sword as they moved down the streets.

Looking out the window I load a round into the chamber of my rifle as I rest the end of the barrel on the windowsill, "Everyone keep on watch, if you see anything suspicious then let me know. Remember, the signal to move in is when Georg taps the table four times in quick succession. We've got another twenty to thirty minutes until Hirsch is due to arrive."

My eyes drift down the barrel of my rifle as I wait. I should probably look into developing some attachments for my rifle. As I look over the body it gets me thinking of numerous ways I could potentially improve it. I could look into developing a bipod and a scope for the rifle in order to covert it into a sniper rifle, it would certainly help with ranged engagements. Other then that I could also tinker with some sort of flash eliminator, when I had my SA80 I never had to worry about that as every single one came equipped with one.

Regaining my focus I look over the street as I watch Georg and Janine enter the tavern, they're shortly followed by the two units Gabrielle is sending in to provide some additional cover if needed. Thankfully for us the tavern has a large number of bay windows providing us with a view of most of the main floor of the tavern, I am able to easily track George and Janine as they both get a drink from the bar before going to the booth.

Now it's time to wait, with Hirsch still being some time away we just need to keep watch and get ready to intervene. As I remain in position Spectre moves to the opposite side of my window and joins me in resting her rifle on the windowsill. When I lift my eyes up to her she opens her mouth, "So you can speak Imperial Griffonian?"

Nodding my head I turn to fully face her, "German. Yes I can."

She waves a hoof, "Same difference. Can you teach me?"

"You want me to teach you how to speak German?" Spectre nods as she looks to me expectantly. "No. I'm not a language teacher."

"Oh, come on. It'll kill the time. Besides, how hard can it be?"

Raising an eyebrow I shake my head, "Well now that you said that out loud, it will be hard."

"It's not like we've got anything else to do for the next half an hour," Spectre tries to pout in an attempt to get me to agree to her request.

Sighing I run my fingers over the bridge of my nose, "We'll start basic then. I'll begin with some numbers. Repeat after me. Eins, one."

"Eins, one," Spectre repeats as she looks to me.

"Zwei, two."

"Zwai, two."

"Zwei."

Spectre looks to me in confusion "What? Three is the same as two?"

"No, Spectre I'm correcting your pronunciation. Zwei."

"That's what I said."

Letting out a shallow groan I rest my head against the window frame, "Do you want to learn this, or not?"

"Ja. That means yes."

Groaning louder I push her with my hand, "Okay... I knew this would be a mistake. Just... just go. We've already got three members of the team who speak German or Imperial Griffonian, we don't need any more. Go and learn a different language."

Getting up she moves away with a slight scowl on her face. There's a reason I became a soldier and not a teacher, I've got little to no patience for it. Once she has moved away I reach into my pocket and take out a small notepad and pencil where I have been jotting down various ideas for possible training scenarios using dreams. Looking over my current list I've primarily got dates of engagements I've been involved with in Afghanistan, it may involve technology and advanced weaponry which my team is unfamiliar with but it can show them how war has developed in my world from swords and muskets to fully automatic rifles and armoured fighting vehicles.

To show them the horrors of war I could potentially revisit the first and second world wars based on what I know from certain battles, granted since it's based from my memory they won't be one-hundred percent accurate but it should at least get the general locations and equipment right. The question is what battles or campaigns should we take part in? D-day, El Alamein, Stalingrad, Gallipoli, the Somme, Verdun and Mons could all be potential battles to take part in. It's a good thing I studied the world wars in history class so I have a decent understanding of key battles and equipment providing me with knowledge to work from.

Each battle has the potential to introduce my team to various types of combat to develop their skills and prepare them for anything war could throw at them. Anything from the amphibious landing at Normandy, close quarters combat in the ruins of Stalingrad, trench and chemical warfare at the Somme, to desert and armoured warfare at El Alamein. The possibilities are endless, although it would likely be a long time before mechanised warfare reaches this world it may be important for them to witness the power that industry and technology can have on the battlefield.

That gets me thinking about how the Equestrian military has progressed, in my time here they have begun manufacturing and issuing ballistic weapons to certain bodies within the army but what if magic could be utilised more? I've already seen it being used in combat, from Silver using his magic to enchant crossbow bolts, to Sunny and Shining erecting shield to protect friendly forces. But what if they were able to develop weapons which used magical elements instead of bullets? My sword is enchanted with a rune which has nearly been forgotten to time, maybe the knowledge will return to the Equestrians to develop more efficient melee weapons. No matter what I see with magic it will still be an unknown factor to me, I'll happily stick with what I know works and head into battle with a rifle in my hands.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the evening sun sets and the moon rises a cold wind blows through the broken panes of glass on the window, cupping my hands over my mouth I exhale in an attempt to warm my hands. This waiting around is killing me, as we remain in position waiting for Hirsch to turn up we have nothing to do. Taking hold of my rifle once again my fingers twitch against the trigger guard. Sometime I wish I didn't quite smoking, I could do with a fag right about now.

With nothing to do I dig through my webbing and retrieve the folded up intelligence reports Gabrielle gave me on Hirsch. Inside the documents it illustrates his activities during and after the war along with providing a photo of himself which was used in his military profile before the war. Although it's black and white I'm able to make out that his feathers must be black, alongside that he has a lighter beak and feathered outline around his eyes. Flipping over the photo I find a small list documenting the colours of his features confirming that he is primarily black with grey highlights.

According to the report he served on the front line at Sallagriffon during the war, I never got to see combat at that battle due to being on restricted duties working on the train line. It states that he was responsible for overseeing weapons development for the Militarist forces, primarily on their new rifles and weapon armaments for airships. Following the war he has been identified as a key member of the Children of the Motherland, primarily by working to recruit new members and by obtaining supplies for suspected weapon manufacturing. If we capture him he may be able to lead us to a facility used for weapon production and potentially weaken the groups recruitment.

Hearing chatter and footsteps outside I lower the reports to take a look through the window, sure enough I can see who I believe to be Hirsch alongside five angry looking Griffins. Turning my head back to my team I speak in a hushed tone, "We're in business."

Sure Strike joins me at the opposite side of the window as we both observe the group, sure enough they all enter in and start to make their way to another group of Griffins within the tavern. As soon as they're inside I notice that Georg's and Janine's demeanour change, likely feeling nervous about the fact that our target has arrived.

We remain in position as we observe the Lieutenant move from group to group within the tavern, unfortunately for us he seems to be greeting them in a manner you'd expect to see friends greet one another meaning we'll likely have a fight once we move in. A good twenty minutes pass as we simply observe his behaviour, Georg and Janine seem to be paying close attention to him likely listening to everything he says.

Finally something happens that catches my attention. Taking hold of my binoculars I look through the window as Hirsch hugs another Griffin, however his talons seems to take something from his jacket and places it into the others. Some sort of deal? Plans for upcoming attacks? Once they've moved away I point out the Griffin who received the package to Slicer, "When we move in I want you to detain that one and retrieve that package."

Sure Strike nods to me confirming the order. I maintain watch for the next few minutes until he finally makes another move, straight towards Georg and Janine. You two had better keep your cool, there's no telling what will happen if this turns ugly. Thankfully he only approaches with one of his elite guards on his tail, the rest seem more interested in talking to one of the barmaids then watching the Lieutenant.

Minutes pass as we watch the three converse, I'm hoping that Hirsch will move on and clear away from them reducing the risk when we move in. Typically however I have no luck as he sits down across from them. That makes things more complicated, if we storm in it will put them at risk. I just hope that Georg picks an appropriate opportunity to signal for us to move in.

It's at that moment that Georg taps the surface of the table four times with his talon. You've got to be shitting me!? Now!? Since the Griffins and the rest of my team were also informed of the signal that means we all have to move now otherwise we will be risking a number of us as only a few would go in. "We're in business. Crimson stay up here and provide cover, everyone else on me."

Pushing up from the floor Crimson switches positions with me as myself and the others all make our way down the stairs, Sure Strike flies past to get ahead of us in order to clear the barricade for us. Reaching the door we all quickly move through as the rest of the team exit their building to simultaneously join us. Sprinting down the alleyway Chaser flies ahead and lands by the main door, pivoting on the spot he kicks it with his full strength causing the door to be propelled open as the handle and lock snaps off.

"EVERYONE STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" Storming inside I quickly round the corner and take aim towards Hirsch and his escort as they turn to face me. The rest of the team immediately join me inside taking aim at various patrons and the rest of the elite guards at the bar. Janine and Georg rise from their chairs drawing their swords pointing them towards the rear of Hirsch's head. "On the floor!"

Hirsch starts to chuckle as he shakes his head, "I must say that this is a surprise, but not one that we didn't expect." Behind me I hear a number of doors open up to the rear of the tavern as a number of rifles click. "You've made a mistake coming here, Captain."

Adjusting the grip on my rifle I keep it aimed at his head as I hear everyone shuffle behind me as they continuously switch targets. Taking a step closer I rest my finger on the trigger, "Well it certainly seems that we're at an impasse. If one of us shoots then everyone shoots."

"It certainly seems that way."

Bringing my rifle to my hip I keep it aimed at him as I raise my left hand to rub my chin, "This certainly is a problem. How about we avoid bloodshed by having you join us outside?"

Chuckling he shakes his head, "Hardly. We've got the numbers here."

At that moment the upper windows of the tavern open us as Gabrielle and her unit fly inside and hover just below the tall ceiling with rifles and pistols drawn. Hirsch's smile drops as mine immediately grows, "You were saying?"

Hirsch's face scrunches up as he looks over my shoulder, "FIRE!" As soon as he shouts this I can hear someone using their magic alongside a number of clicks... yet no gunfire. A quick glance over my shoulder shows that Colbalt, Sunny and Silver are using their magic to hold all of the cocking hammers of the rifles in position preventing them from firing. Turning back I bring around my rifle across Hirsch's beak knocking him back over the table where Janine and Georg grab hold of him.

With their rifles useless I hear them all clatter to the floor as they begin to draw their swords and charge us. As the elite guard alongside me lunges for me I can hear all of mine and Gabrielle's units fire off their rounds before engaging in melee combat. The guard grabs hold of my rifle and spins me to the side slamming my back against a wall sending picture crashing to the floor. As he tries to jerk my rifle from my grasp I put all of my force into raising the butt causing it to pivot around and colliding with the side of his head breaking me free from his hold.

Lifting my rifle I take aim only for a gunshot to sound from the other side of the street, the round collides with his central mass sending him straight to the floor due to the large calibre rifle round. It definitely packs more of a punch then my SA80. With him out of the picture I turn to the rest of the tavern which seems to have turned into a pub brawl, just with a few extra swords and fatalities thrown into the mix. Bringing my rifle up I take aim at the bartender as I see him grab a musket from the bar surface and aim towards Spectre.

PHAT

My round enters straight through his left eye shattering the socket as the rear of his skull detonates propelling bone fragments back against the various spirit bottles positioned behind him. Loading a new round into the chamber I try to take aim at a new target but due to the close quarters fighting I'm unable to get a clear shot. Slinging the rifle onto my back I instead opt to draw my sword to get into the fight.

As I step forward a turquoise field spreads out from the central floor hurling three Griffin's across the room to impact with various tables and to the floor. Looking to the source I find Sunny as the glow on her horn dissolves. She may be strong with defensive shields however it seems she can also use them offensively when needed. Stepping over one of the downed Griffin's I stamp directly on his head as he tries to get up, the impact is enough to keep him down as he's rendered unconscious.

Upon hearing a scream I lift my head to find one of the other elite guards charging me with his sword raised. As he brings his sword down to strike I raise mine and counter his attack by pushing his sword to the side knocking him off balance. As he regains his composure the guard begins to pivot around me as he plans out his next attack. I don't give him any breathing room as I unleash my own attack, quickly stepping forward I attempt numerous strikes however he is able to parry these with reasonable ease.

When it's his turn to strike he decided to lunge the sword at my chest, thankfully my armour does it's job as the blade hits the natural curve causing it to simply scrape along the surface. With his sword positioned between my left arm and torso I use my free hand to grab onto his talon keeping him in place before I headbutt him. I immediately regret it as a sharp pain shoots through my head as we make contact. There's a reason I only do it when I'm wearing a helmet, you fucking idiot!

The blow knocks him back as well leaving him temporarily stunned. With an opportunity I deliver a quick slash across his chest cutting into his flesh, he releases a pained cry as I bring my sword around for another strike. However he is able to recover using his sword to block my attack resulting in our swords scrapping along one another. We both push back and forth with all of our strength trying to force the blades to come into contact with one another.

Time to test out this rune. With my off hand I quickly release my sword to brush my palm over the rune before taking control of the sword again in both hands. As the rune activates the blade is enveloped in a white flame taking the guard by surprise. Pulling back he attempts another strike which I'm able to block, the contact causes a shower of sparks to rain onto the floor between us. Jumping to his side I'm able to bring the blade along his rear left leg, thanks to the enchantment I'm easily able to slice through the flesh and bone causing him to fall to the floor as blood sprays from the large gash.

Once he's on the floor I force the blade directly into his skull. Withdrawing the blade I'm able to examine the wound it's created, the heat from the blade has burnt the flesh and feathers around both wounds leaving the immediate area charred. Moving away from my kill I step up to another Griffin who is currently engaging with Comet. Seizing the opportunity I plunge the blade directly into his back which easily pierces and pushed through his flesh until the guard is pressed into his back, withdrawing the sword he clutches onto the open wound as he falls to the floor.

I'm starting to love this sword, best Christmas present ever! Thanks Luna. Turning to the rest of the fighting I'm instantly met with a glass bottle being hurled towards my head. Acting on instinct I raise my arm to shield my face blocking the bottle as it impacts and smashes against my forearm sending glass shards showering over my face and neck. Finding the Griffin who threw it he's about to charge me only for another shot to ring out from across the street, the round impacts against his torso with a meaty thud sending him tumbling straight to the floor.

Seeing Silver Spark being engaged by one of the remaining elite guards I move in to assist him. Drawing the attention from him I bring my leg up high as I kick the Griffin against the back, as soon as he turns around I plunge the blade into his gut and slice it to the side. The heated blade tears through the left side of his stomach causing his intestines to leak from the large wound. As he stumbles back he attempts to hold his organs in place as he screams in torture. Silver Spark delivers the final strike by powering up his horn, forming a fire ball he forces it towards the Griffin's chest sending him off his feet as he's thrown through one of the taverns windows in a ball of flames.

Glancing back to Georg and Janine I find them restraining the Lieutenant by using the belts from their clothing to tie up his talons as Georg decides to use him as a seat. With Hirsch dealt with I need to try and locate that package he passed on, it could potentially hold key information on the Children of the Motherland's activities. Scanning over the mayhem I find the target as he tries to make a run for the door, Sure Strike is currently occupied with engaging with one of the other elite guards preventing him from intercepting the package.

As my target runs through the door way I'm in quick pursuit and follow him outside. As soon as I reach the street I catch him trying to fly away from the tavern. With little time to act I sheath my sword and take hold of my rifle, just as I'm about to lift it up a gunshot echos through the night as blood jets out of his left wing sending him hurtling towards the buildings at the corner of the street.

With a quick glance to Crimson I find her loading another round into the chamber of the rifle and taking up position once again to watch the tavern. I think it's safe to say I've found our sniper... when I come around to developing a scope for the rifle. Looking back to the Griffin I watch as he ends up hurtling through the second story window of one of the buildings down the street. Moving from my position I sprint towards the building with my rifle ready, I don't know whether that crash has taken him out of action or not.

Reaching the building I can hear a scream coming through the broken window as the sounds of a struggle can be heard. Pushing on the handle I find the door to be locked preventing me from entering. Taking a step back I bring my boot against the lock causing a loud crack but failing to break the door. Trying again I can see the physical cracks around the lock along with a heavy imprint from my boot. Taking a few steps back I sprint full speed towards the door and impact with with my shoulder, breaking through a sharp pain shoots through my joint as I gracefully trip on a box resting against the floor sending me down.

Climbing back to my feet I raise my rifle as I ascend the staircase and head towards the scene of the crash. Reaching the top of the stairs I can hear shouting along with furniture being thrown from the room on my left, this door thankfully seems to be flimsy in comparison allowing me to break it open in one kick as my boot impacts against the wooden surface.

Making my way inside I aim my rifle towards the Griffin as he grapples with the resident of the home. Before I can line up a shot he is able to grab hold of the resident as he draws his pistol and aims it at her head. Turning to me he keeps hold of her as he back peddles towards the window, "Stay back!"

Keeping my position I keep my sights locked onto his head. We remain stationary for a moment as my finger twitches against the trigger, "Let her go."

"Drop your weapon!" He shouts back with panic in his voice.

Taking a step closer I shake my head, "No can do. I lower this and you'll shoot me."

"If I release her you'll shoot me."

I look to his injured wing as he seems to sway slightly, the limb seemed to be bleeding profusely leading me to believe that Crimson must have hit an artery. Taking another step forward he back peddles reaching the opening of the broken window, "I don't shoot those who surrender. Drop your weapon and you have my word that you won't be harmed."

Slowly blinking he shakes his head, "I don't trust you!"

"You've got very little say in this, either you surrender or you die. Judging from the state of your wing I'd say you have a short amount of time to make your decision before you collapse from blood lose. Not to mention my rifle is much more powerful than your pistol, I could easily shoot through her and get you." This causes the hostage to panic slightly at the prospect of getting shot.

With his options becoming limited he starts to lower his pistol. As it's lowered however he seems to have a change of heart as he rapidly raises it towards me. Easing my finger on the trigger I take aim for his neck.

PHAT

The round tears through the left side of his neck spraying blood over his makeshift shield and the surrounding window frame. His grip on the hostage and the pistol fails as he releases them both before falling backwards through the window to impact with the pavement bellow. Quickly stepping forward I grab hold of the civilian and move her away from the window as she seems to break down in tears. Hearing someone approaching up the stairs I release my rifle letting it fall to my side as I draw my pistol and take aim towards the door.

One of the towns guards steps through with his own pistol drawn but quickly lowers it as he sees me. I sit the Griffin down on her bed as I step to the window, "Take care of her." The guard moves in to help comfort her as I look down below, a number of the local guards are now making their way towards the tavern as a pair begin to examine the Griffin on the road bellow.

Turning back I make my way as fast as I can down the stairs and join the pair outside as they look over the downed Griffin. With my rifle over my back I kneel down and inspect his condition, surprisingly he's still breathing however he's quickly losing blood. Pressing both of my hands against his neck I look to one of the guards, "Head into the tavern and get Slicer Jen for me."

Nodding he quickly runs off in order to get her. To many it may seem like a waste trying to save him, however since he was given the package he could be someone of importance or perhaps just a simple messenger, however there's still the potential to gain intelligence from him. As I keep one hand on his neck I open up his jacket and find the secluded package, from my initial inspection it appears to be documentation of some sort. Resting the package between my legs I prioritise slowing his bleeding by using one hand to apply pressure to his neck whilst my other hand keeps hold of the wound on his wing.

After a minute the guard returns with Slicer as she looks over the Griffin. Removing her field pack she drops it to the floor alongside me and begins to dig through its contents. Retrieving a syringe she quickly pulls the rest of his jacket open and pierces the needle into his chest, slowly but surely she pumps the concoction into him before retrieving the syringe. Taking hold of some thin thread and a needle from her bag she looks to me, "A little serum I developed. It will slow the heart rate and reduce the flow of blood in the body."

"Stopping him from bleeding out?" Slicer nods as she threads the needle. She taps her hoof onto my hand signalling for me to remove it from the Griffins wing. As she lowers herself to begin suturing the artery a sudden camera flash blinds me drawing my attention to some nosy member of the press as a crowd begins to dorm. Turning back to the guards I wave my blood soaked hand towards the crowd, "Get rid of them!"

As I turn back to Slicer I'm surprised to see that she has already finished suturing that first wound and is in the process of threading another impossibly thin thread through the needle. Once she's ready I release the Griffin's neck and move to check on his pulse and breathing, his chest can be seen physically rising and falling however his pulse is fairly weak either from the injuries or the serum.

By the time I'm finished checking on his observations Slicer has finished up suturing the second wound. With the casualty stabilised I move to my knees and watch her as she packs up, "You work fast."

Shrugging she continue to pack her kit away, "I'm a sly surgeon. Apparently."

Wait a minute. Sly surgeon... Slicer Jen. Groaning I roll my eyes as I turn to her, "You've been waiting forever to use that shitty pun. I swear every name in this fucking world is some sort of crappy pun designed to irritate me, whether it be a person or a place." Wiping my hands off on the Griffin's jacket I take hold of the package he received and place it underneath my armour. We stay with the Griffin until a medic with the guards turns up to take over and treat him whilst he's in custody.

As myself and Slicer begin to walk towards the Tavern we find that most of those who were detained are all being loaded into prison carriages to be taken to the local MoD base, including our new friend Lieutenant Hirsch. Slicer turns her head to me as we reach the tavern, "Do our names really irritate you that much."

Shrugging I look to the buildings we spent the night as Crimson exits through the doorway, "It's annoying. It seems everyone gets their shitty 'destiny' based upon whatever name they're given. If I ever magically get a kid I'm gonna call him 'Dixie Normous' and he is going to fucking thank me for it."

Slicer rolls her eyes, "Dixie Normous? Really?" I don't even reply as I just shrug. As we stop outside the tavern door Slicer seems to be focusing on me a bit, "You're bleeding."

"Am I?" Bringing my hand up I run it across my neck to feel a few small cuts likely as a result of having a bottle thrown at me.

"Want me to take a look?"

I immediately step back as I shake my head, "No. I don't need a medic, I'll sort it out myself." As I step back into the tavern I mutter to myself, "I'm not losing the bet that easily." Reaching the inside I look over my team to see them all relatively unscathed, just the few minor cuts or bruises here and there. Finding a table that's still intact I take the package out from under my armour and drop it against the surface.

Time to see what we've got.

Author's Notes:

In the future John and the team will engage in past battles from Earth for training purposes within the dream world.
The question is, which battles?

Feel free to comment or PM me with your suggestions, if you like a suggestion make sure to give it a thumbs up and I'll count that as an extra vote.

These will take place in the future and may consist of full chapters or part of chapters.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter