After the UGNE officially grabbed control over the quest for the Earth’s Cores it painted it as a research expedition, to cast away the worries of those who did not support entering the beasts’ territory.
A year has passed. The UGNE possessed now roughly five hundred Earth’s Cores and under it served thirty to forty Earth’s Cores Holders. Over this past year, although the number of casualties increased on both sides, humanity had the upper hand since from the beginning their numbers overpowered the beasts’ ten to one, and by now almost half of the outer caves of the beast’s territory were annexed. Humanity seemed to be on the rise, no longer after just Earth’s Cores but also every natural resource they could get their hands on, even a market for the different kinds of beasts that were killed has opened, encouraging people to continue the massacre.
In the middle of the second year a sudden death of over ten thousand men and women in a single night brought the expedition to a halt. The UGNE sent a unit of seven of its Earth’s Core Holders, one of which was a Core Breaker, to the place where all its workers died. There, according to the report of the only two that got back, they encountered three beasts. One was an over three meters tall horse with red mane and black scales, second was white feathers blue eyes eagle with wingspan of over ten meters and the third was a one meter tall, more than half a meter wide, green ape with a crown of yellow feathers growing from its third eye.
The three beasts launched a surprise attack, killing instantly two of the seven members of the unit. The third one was saved by the Core Breaker, who then started to fight with the green ape, which seemed to be his equal. The remaining four members paired and fought the other two beasts.
For a while all side fought equally, till a change for the worse occurred on the humans’ side. The five members of the unit were caught in a formation that the three beasts had set. The Core Breaker was forced to take the full blow of the formation which slowed him down enough for the black scales horse and the green ape to perform a joint attack and kill two more members of the unit. Realizing his chances for survival were slim, the Core Breaker, as the unit’s leader, commanded the remaining two to escape and inform the UGNE what happened.
When the invasion began the UGNE stood back and waited to see how the beasts would react. When nothing happened they decided to act, partly because they wanted to heighten the progress of the Earth’s Cores’ search by organizing and leading the different parties properly. Hearing the full report, the heads of the UGNE were not moved greatly by the appearance of the three beasts, only that they encountered them too early by their estimation that is, while still in the outer parts of the beasts’ territory.
The UGNE suspected long ago that the beasts were aware of the Earth’s Core’s existence before humanity. As to why they never used their power to take over all of New Earth even though their territory was smaller than that of humanity’s, the UGNE believed that it was because of the beasts’ nature. No matter how they evolved they were not humans.
The one thing that bothered the UGNE was the loss of the Core Breaker. A being such as him in their forces was rare. Backed to a corner the UGNE reevaluated every man and woman in its forces and depleted its stack of Earth’s Core by creating an army of Earth’s Cores Holders. In addition to the new army, the UGNE offered an Earth’s Core to any new recruit that will be found fit to receive one and promised to compensate generously those that did not or will not receive with claims that if they will achieve their goal, in the future every man woman and child will possess an Earth’s Core for a nominal fee.
For twenty seven full years the UGNE halted its advancement in the beasts’ territory, recreating its army with the power of Earth’s Cores. For all this time there was no retaliation coming from the beasts and so the UGNE acted with caution as it continued to mine Earth’s Cores. As the new army was near perfection it numbered ten million soldiers, Hundred thousand of which were Earth’s Core Holders and less than a thousand were Core Breakers.
War broke in the underground word, New Earth. As humanity led with greater numbers, the beasts led with superior bodies and much more years of experience utilizing the power of the Earth’s Core. Furthermore, any of the Core Breaker level beasts demonstrated intelligence equal to that of humans.
The war went on for centuries. Sometimes humanity pushed back, sometimes the beasts, but the battle ground never left the first two-thirds of the beasts’ outer territory. The humans could not advance any further and the beasts never tried to cross the border of two species.
800 years of war. The UGNE had to, for the first time, pull back its forces on its own and passed the beasts’ side a request for a cease fire, hoping that it will be accepted. After so many years of war its forces numbered three million soldiers, twenty thousand Earth’s Core Holders and three hundred Core Breakers, while the beasts remained resilient as ever. A response did not arrive, but the beast ceased their attacks on the humans.
Seven days later, two figures entered a UGNE’s army camp, camp three seventy-two, and sparked a furor, mainly because one of them was fifty meters long and they both came from above without anyone being noticed. The two were lizard type beasts, the bigger one looked like a green scales dragon with purple mane, two silver horns and green eyes, the other one was humanoid, around two meters tall with crimson scales covering its body and two silver horns coming out from the sides of its lizard head.
The humanoid lizard jump down from the wingless back of the dragon. Without opening its mouth it passed a telepathic demand to all the presence soldiers. “Bring here your leaders”.
Feeling the two’s unfathomable auras, only one soldier, a late phase Earth’s Core holder, could keep his senses straight as the rest of the troops fell down to the ground, clenching uncontrollably in fear. Panting for breath, that middle age soldier opened his mouth. “Please wait”, he sounded like he was begging and set off, running to the main camp.
Running in his top speed, Don, the middle age soldier, reached to the main camp, camp zero zero one, which was located at the border of two species in the western caves, after twelve hours of running. Without stating the purpose of his arrival he passed the camp’s gourds, scanned the surroundings with his aura and hurried to where he felt were the gathering forces, the army’s Three Generals.
The Three Generals served in the UGNE since the creation of the Earth’s Core army. All three came from different backgrounds; one was the son of a great colony leader, second was the daughter of a UGNE’s official and third was the son of a widow who remarried with a farmer. The three got to know each other during their battles and became closer by changing points in their training. Eventually they toasted for brotherhood and sisterhood, becoming not just for one another, but also the whole UGNE’s army’s pillars of support.
Having nothing to do but wait for orders after the last one for a cease fire has been given; the Three General spent their time in the company of one another.
Two of the generals engaged in a game of chess while the third was busy writing a scroll when Don barged into their tent. Feeling the cold gaze of Third General, Don immediately bowed. “Lieutenant Colonel Don Hakate stands, forgive this one for his rudeness, Three Generals. A great deal has happened in my camp, camp three seventy-two, and so I rushed here indiscriminately”.
“Speak”. Second General played her move on the chess board and said.
“Yes, Second General. Half a day ago two mighty lizard type beasts, one dragon one humanoid, entered our northeastern camp and demanded a session with its leaders”.
“Oh…” Second General commented, impressed and returned to the game as Third General finished his move.
Don continued. “Since our camp’s first and second commanders were not present, I was the next highest ranked officer. I’m ashamed to say that even I, a late phase Earth’s Core Holder, could not measure the opponent’s strength and as a result lost my cool…”
“You seem to be doing pretty well in our presence”. Third General said.
“Stop teasing him”. Second General snapped. “Big brother is writing a new scroll. Let’s hurry up and listen to the boy’s story and be done with it without further interruptions to big brother”.
“Right, big sister. I should apologize to big brother later”. Third General said sincerely, yet still smiled. It was always funny to see his big sister disguises her maternal instinct towards young soldiers with excuses. He turned to Don, “So you felt the need to inform us three… How did the two beasts react?”
“I asked of them to wait. They didn’t respond, but I sensed their approval. That is all”.
“Okay, there is no need for you to go back. Rest here and keep what you told us to yourself”. For the first time First General laid down his brush and joined the conversation.
“Yes, Three Generals”. Don bowed and left the tent.
Comments (0)
See all