Chapter 3: The battle

I landed on the ground that was once full of green grass and trees, although now it had been reduced to burnt dirt, reminding me of my childhood. Thankfully the bombs sent by the west didnt harm our forces too much, but the fort garrison has almost been completely wiped out so our resources were vulnerable, but the rampart garrison was patching it up as fast as they can. I just realised that i had been distracted by my surroundings, and i was very far from the flank garrison. I ran towards them as fast as i could but as it turns out they were way too ahead for me to catch up, so i decided to stay behind and help with the frontline instead. I don't know if I'll get punished for abandoning my squad, but they didn't need my help and the forts did. As i was walking towards the collapsed forts i saw 6 enemy soldiers approach me from behind. They bombed and flanked us. Great. I had no choice to surrender but then i heard a voice scream heroically "STAY OF MY TROOPS YOU TRAITOR MONKE SCUM!!!". It was war general Harold right in my presence. He jumped in the air with his modified 8 shot crossbow and jumped towards the enemies. I couldn't believe this! was i about to witness the infamous.... MONKE FLIP!!!! He shot whilst directly above the enemies and hit them all with surgically precise headshots, all impaling their craniums perfectly. I was amazed. He landed by his women friend warriors, all in the East Genesis garrison. "I Hope you saw that, i was great". He said to them. He was approaching me and asked if i was alright, so i nodded. "One day you'll need to learn that move to defend yourself monke child, although when your older there will be greater threats then just westerners..." He said, very suspiciously. "Like what?" I asked. His face looked very concerned and stressed, then switched to his usual smug smirk. "nevermind young monkey". He said whilst jumping away. "Actually follow me child, ill get you to your garrison" he said whilst looking at my embarrassing Monkey Shadow patch. We both dashed into the field, this was very dangerous but i felt safe by the general.

Whilst running throw the field i saw so many bodies of both western and eastern monke soldiers, all brutally murdered by either bombs or blades. I looked in the distance and saw my friend Ash, he was fist fighting westerners and throwing them in a pile before killing them all with a spear like picking up bananas with a skewer, i knew Ash was skilled as he got number 14 in skill when he was a trainee but I've never seen him in battle before, but he seemed capable. He called out for me before jumping over towards us. "So, what's the plan?" He asked. "We are planning to take down their forts with airstrikes then using the flank garrison to corner them and imprisoning them, but first we'll try to release smoke in the air so they wont see the planes, but this'll take awhile as we need to release smoke bombs in all areas of the battlefield, so we've entrusted the Shadowclaws to sneak around and activate the smokes" Exclaimed one of Harold Women friends, a East Genesis called Horanesse. As we approached their forts I saw prisoners they like to keep and interrogate mid battle. I saw some people i knew in there like Molucas, Jomnonke and Thoterana, all skilled fighters but i guess they got overwhelmed by the battle. "should we help the prisoners?" I asked. "no time for that right now!" Horanesse shouted. At this point i was confused on where we were going but i kept following, for some reason. I guess i just trusted the war generals instincts. As we ran past multiple enemies we reached our destination. It was the same type of fort all the other prisoner ones, except it was full of sword wrath soldiers. Women sword wrath soldiers. "MY WOMEN FRIENDS I MUST SAVED YOU MY DARLINGS", Harold screeched loudly. I was kind of disappointed this is what i was sent to help with but Harold did save me so i actually owe him now. "These soldiers will help us free the other prisoners, as they are skilled", Horanesse explained. I helped break down the fort and freed all of Harolds "women friends", and then set of for the other forts.

After freeing all the other prisoners we saw smoke rise into the air. The smoke plans worked and since the smoke was bright green it signalled the planes, but the blastzone had red smoke to signal when they should release the bombs. Whilst waiting for the planes i was able to apprehend a few western soldiers. I saw a few famous warriors like Horanesse Monkivodl, Shiranimon vasnemonk and Ash Bamonkspire show of their true potential, this really showed me how powerful some warriors can be. I realized i haven't seen Monkassia yet, but i doubt anything happened to her as she is one of the strongest fighters i know. I heard the subtle hum of approaching planes ready to bomb the forts, everyone was in position so we were set for a victory, nothing could go wrong. I looked around me and saw a lot of powerful warriors that were celebrities in the trainee corps fighting around us. I was happy to finally be part of the fight and to avenge my family and friends, thinking about home made me lose focus though so i tried to focus back on the fight but i couldn't, i felt like i was back there at my hometown, it felt vivid like i was back in the past.

I was no longer in the battlefield, somehow i was back a my village. Was i hallucinating. Am i dead? Was the water i drank drugged? Or am i reliving my past as my brains way of making me insane. All of a sudden all the people form my village were staring at me, my mother, bob and mickey... "Why did you let us die?" I heard someone whisper "Vengeance isnt enough for us..." another whisper said. Suddenly Mickey and Bob disappeared, As Mickeys mother pulled out a knife and screamed "WHY DID YOU LET MY SON DIE!!?!?!!?"...

I woke up on the battlefield and saw the bombs falling. What had happened? Why did that happen. The memory of that experience slowly faded like a dream. "Are you Ok Orion?" Jomnonke asked. "Yeah... i just need... more water" I said out of breath. "Well try to stay hydrated" Jomnonke replied before covering his ears over the loud sound of the bombs hitting the forts. Some people cheered, some people waited for the smoke to clear. Suddenly the noise of cheering was replaced by distant screaming, probably from the westerners, until the scout with binoculars screamed at us to retreat. I was shocked by this, the climbed up to get myself some binoculars to see what the problem was. As i peered through the landscape i saw in the smoke a large metal vehicle slowly move towards us. I had never seen such a monster of a tank, infact it wasnt a tank, it was a colossal juggernaught! We had to retreat into the city as the battle field became overrun by enemy soldiers coming from the juggernaught. The city of Portmonkem was a rich city getting most of their money from trades that they make with other countries. The main attraction of Portmonkem was The Grand Monkem tower. A colossal tower, 160 stories tall and takes up 300k square feet of ground. on the sides it has blimp hangars used for trades and the inside was full of resources that have ever since been halved because of the split of Monkeria, which created the war. The tower took 18 years to build and its construction was finished 14 years ago, 8 years before the war started. The leader were having a heard time think of what to do, since we had no bombs as we used all of ours bombing the forts, and since the capital was 225 miles away we couldn't send a messenger that could get there in time, and since the smoke cleared any planes would be shot down. "We are going to have to rummage the tower for bombs. Monkey shadow, flank garrison, and shadowclaw should go to the tower while the rest defends and evacuates the remaining people of the city!" General Harold commanded. Taking supplies from the tower would create problems with the council of Portmonkem but we didnt have any other choice. We entered through the big main doors and we had to find a map of the tower to find out were war supplies are kept. "Over here!" A shadowclaw soldier shouted. There was 2 cross section maps showing the towers floors and where supplies are kept. Unfortunately artillery was kept in hanger 24, and since there is 6 hangars on every hangar level, it was only 4 hangar levels up so it would take around 3 minutes to get up. As we walked up the stairs we heard more and more destruction outside. A lot of new recruits seemed very scared or disturbed, though i was a lot more used to this feeling. Once we made it to the right hangar we saw that this hangar was no longer being used as a hangar but instead as a storage unit, and it was full of shelves with metal boxes, at least 200 boxes, which made it harder. We searched and searched until almost all of the boxes were open until someone shouted "FOUND IT". It was a large bin full of missile which were about enough to destroy the juggernaught. I went to the edge of the hangar to see that the juggernaught has flattened at least 50 houses and it was approaching the tower. Because the tower was made of weak stone the juggernaught would go right through it and possibly make it collapse. I was helping people carry the missiles until i noticed a wire going out the room, extending into the corridor. The corridor wasnt lit and was really dark, so i turned the lights on, and as the lights slowly lit up i saw two silhouettes, I relatively tall monkey grabbing on too someone. As the lights were fully on I saw a hooded figure and in his hands... Was Monkassia with a cloth covering her mouth. I shouted "MONKASSIA" before realizing the hooded man had a detonator in his hands, connected to an extension cord, splitting into all rooms and going up the stairs. I knew trying to stop him would fail, as he would just detonate, so i just screamed to run, a few people ran out before the man initially clicked the detonator. It took A few seconds before anything happened. I froze in fear before snapping back to run down the stairs, but as i looked behind me all i saw was a blast in my face before i could feel the heat on my face and the pressure from the explosion...

I woke up with Molucas shaking me "HEY ORION, WAKE UPPPP!!" he shouted violently. "w-what happened" I asked, confused. "You were caught in the blast but you are fine now, you just have a few burns". He replied. I looked around me trying to remember what happened until i shouted " MONKASSIA WAS IN THERE". I quickly gained a few stares, before Molucas gained a concerned look before i said "I-I dont know if she survived but she was in the hands of a westerner that detonated the explosions ". Molucas got a scared look in his face before pointing behind me. I looked and to my surprise, The only thing left of the Grand Monkem tower was the first 20 floors, the rest of it collapsed sidewards. The juggernaught was still heading our way with a few soldier by it. "How many bombs did we get out?" I asked frightenedly. Molucas held up one finger. Seconds after we saw that we were surrounded by tanks, one in every direction. "drop your weapons or die!" a western commander said from atop of the juggernaught. I looked at a broken panel on the juggernaught and saw some wires. I recognised them but i didnt know were from, until it snapped to me, It was the same wires that were connected to the detonator the hooded figure used. If i knew anything about modern technology, those wires have a flammable substance inside of it that burns at fast rates to detonate explosives. The wires were part of the juggernaughts self destruction system! I looked around me and saw Thoterana with the missile on her back, so i sneaked over and took the bomb of her. "hey!" She whispered. I looked back at her before shushing her, and ran toward the juggernaught. "Shoot him!" the western commander shouted, before an endless myriad of arrows came my way. The juggernaught was about 30 metres away, so it was a long run but the adrenaline powered me. I ran and ran and ran until and arrow hit my back, it hardly penetrated me so i was fine, then another arrow skimmed my leg, and another skimmed the back of my neck, then one skimmed head, then my leg again and then one penetrated my arm and another hit my leg. I was injured but so close. After so many injuries, i reached the broken panel, and lodged the bomb in there. The bombs were pressure activated, but had an emergency activation switch. i reached for the switch and flipped it and on the screen it displayed some letters. "5". I had 5 seconds to leave. 4. I dashed away as fast as i could with my injured body. 3. I saw western soldiers run to dislodge it but they were two far away. 2. I saw my comrades move into what was left of the tower for protection. 1. I wasnt far enough, my life flashed through my eyes... 0

"Hes awake, hes awake!" A nurse shouted excitedly. "Orion! You did it! you destroyed the juggernaught!" Jomnonke exclaimed. "i did?" I asked, still a bit dizzy from the explosions. "yes, you created a chain reaction and the whole thing blew. And dont worry we're home now. And youre not only the first person to turn a fight around like that, you are the first person to survive an explosion like that. And also before we departed for battle you got this letter sent to you" Jomnonke said before leaving the room. The letter said "To Orion" on the the envelope. I opened it and read the letter quickly as it was short. "Orion Starmonley, by the time youre reading this the battle should be over. We have your Friend, Monkassia. Come to Afrimonica, a city in West Monkeria to discuss her release. come alone. you have 2 weeks" - the hooded figure from The Grand Monkem Tower. I was shocked but happy she was alive, Once im healed i need to go save her...

Chapter 4 coming soon...