CHAPTER 25: [The curse land] - [Taste lost] - [Damian’s Plot]

After taking care of the two messengers Damian quickly returned to the Ubaoo were he had last seen the eagles. He was worried that they may leave the temple after their victory, it would then be difficult to find them in the jungle.

It had been several days since Damian left the camp to head towards the temple of the monkeys. He had been careful not to draw attention to himself as he made his way through the forest. He was determined to make the false alliance with the eagles and carry out his plan to take both sides down.

As he neared the camp, he knew he had to be even more cautious. He couldn't afford to be caught by any of the eagle soldiers who were patrolling the area. So, he crept through the shadows and tried to stay as low to the ground as possible.

Damian crept through the night, making his way towards the Ubaoo temple. He arrived at the temple's wall, but Damian, who was an experienced climber, didn't encounter any difficulties while crossing it.

Finally, he arrived at the outskirts of the camp and could see the familiar tents in the distance. He took a deep breath and made his way towards the center of the camp, staying alert for any signs of danger.

As he approached, he saw a small group of eagle soldiers gathered around a fire, talking and laughing. He quickly darted past them, trying not to draw any attention to himself.

He continued moving silently through the camp, making his way towards the General's tent. He had to get to the General and convince him that he had found valuable information about the monkeys.

Finally, Damian arrived at the General's tent. Hearing the sound of shouting he slowly walked closer to the entrance and saw the generals and Ying-ba planning their next offensive.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves before entering the room. He was about to make a dangerous gamble, but he knew it was his best shot at achieving his goal.

"Who goes there?"

Damian was startled that he had been found so quickly, but he straightened his composure and entered the tent while hiding his excitement and fear.

"I have news for the Lord." Damian replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

Damian stepped inside to find himself surrounded by two generals, one with his hand hovering over the hilt of his sword while the second was ready to take the bow he had on his back. Ying-ba sat at a large wooden desk in the center of the room, his eyes narrowed as he studied Damian.

"I bring you an opportunity to defeat the monkey army once and for all."Damian said, spreading his hands in a gesture of peace.

Ying-ba looked at him suspiciously.

"Human", "What do you want?", "Do you even know what it means to come here uninvited."

"I am deeply sorry but there was no other way.I'm here to propose an alliance, I've been watching the conflict between the eagles and the monkeys for a while now and I have a way to end it. I know the remaining monkeys went to the last temple to seek refuge. I also have information that could help you in your war."

Ying-ba raised an eyebrow.

"Why would you do that?" he asked. "What are you gaining from that?"

"I have no loyalty nor friendship with the monkeys." Damian said.

"I just want to see them defeated. And if I help you achieve that, I'm sure that you'll reward me accordingly."

The Lord leaned back in his chair, stroking his chin as he considered Damian's proposal.

"Why should I believe you?" the Lord asked after pondering. "How do I know you're not working for the monkeys?"

Damian shook his head.

"I have no affiliation with them. I simply want to see the monkeys eradicated. I believe that we can help each other achieve that goal."

Ying-ba raised an eyebrow.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I share your hatred for the monkeys." Damian said.

Ying-ba looked skeptical.

"Why haven't you acted on your own then?"

"I was waiting for the right moment." Damian said.

The Lord considered Damian's words for a moment. Then he nodded to Gu-shisan who removed his hand from his sword's hilt.

"Very well," Ying-ba said.

Ying-ba was still suspicious of Damian, but after remaining silent for a long moment he then finally nodded and agreed to hear him out.

"I will hear you out."

Gu-washi relaxed the grip on his bow, and Damian stepped forward to lay out his plan.

Damian spoke of his supposed knowledge on the remaining monkey temple and the surrounding area, promising to help the eagle army defeat their enemies.

Ying-ba listened, but he still wasn't fully convinced. He questioned Damian and asked for evidence of his claims, but Damian was always one step ahead, anticipating Ying-ba's objections and countering them with plausible explanations.

It was a tense and difficult negotiation, but Damian's charisma and unwavering conviction finally won over the Lord. By the end of the conversation, Ying-bal agreed to let Damian join the eagle army and help him in their mission.

"I will accept this alliance." Ying-ba said.

"You may join us, but know that any sign of treachery and you will be dealt with swiftly."

"I understand," Damian said with a friendly smirk .

As Damian left the room, he followed an eagle soldier who led him out of the temple and towards a tent on the outskirts of the camp.

Damian took in his surroundings, observing the eagle army's movements and noting any weaknesses that could be exploited if necessary.

Once they arrived at the tent, the eagle soldier gestured for Damian to enter. Inside, Damian was met with a simple but functional living space. The eagle soldier told him that this would be his quarters while he was in the camp and left.

Back in the general's chambers, the general was deep in thought. Although Damian's proposal was tempting, the general was still wary of the stranger. He called over one of his generals and quietly instructed him to keep a close eye on Damian and report any suspicious behavior.

Ying-ba then sat back in his chair, his mind racing with the possibilities of what could come from this alliance with Damian. He knew that there were many risks involved, but he also knew that the rewards could be substantial.

Only time would tell if Damian was a valuable ally or a dangerous enemy and the general was determined to find it out before it was too late.

The night passed and the sun rose over the eagle army's camp. Damian was awoken by the sound of activity outside his tent.

Damian approached the General and asked for an outing to gather more information about the remaining monkey temples. The General, still wary of Damian, reluctantly agreed but assigned several of his own men to accompany Damian on the mission, one of them being the general in charge of monitoring Damian.

"Damian, I understand your eagerness to gather more information, but I can't let you go out there without any protection. My trusted officers will accompany you on this mission." the General stated firmly.

The General couldn't risk letting Damian out of his sight.

Damian's plan to form another fake alliance with the monkeys was at risk of being discovered. He had to find a way to contact them without the eagles suspecting anything.

As Damian stepped out of the general's chambers, he was met by a group of eagle soldiers that had been assigned to accompany him on his mission. He could feel their suspicion and distrust, but he didn't let it show on his face. Instead, he put on a confident smile and began to march towards the outskirts of the temple.

Damian had to be careful as he couldn't let them suspect his true intentions. He would have to play along, bide his time and wait for the right moment to make his move. He hoped that the opportunity would present itself soon, as time was running out.

The next day, Damian and the eagles set out on their mission. The sun was beating down on them as they walked, and the heat was almost unbearable. But Damian pressed on, his mind focused on his ultimate goal, finding a way to make contact with the monkey.

As Damian continued his mission to collect information, he quickly realized that the situation was far more complicated than he initially thought.

As he had suspected the Eagles were indeed wary of him. He knew that he needed to tread carefully if he was going to be able to convince them of his intentions. He also understood that he couldn't simply go to the Monkeys and reveal his true intentions to them, as the Eagles were sure to find out and attack.

After a few days of traveling, they stumbled upon a small group of monkeys. The eagle soldiers immediately raised their weapons, ready for a fight.

Damian grabbed a weapon and told the eagle soldiers that he would handle the fight alone. The eagle soldiers were hesitant at first, but Damian convinced them to stand back and watch.

With his weapon in hand, Damian slashed down a few monkeys. He put on an impressive display of combat skills, which impressed the eagle soldiers. However, he eventually faked an injury, pretending to be badly hurt to the leg by one of the monkeys.

The monkeys saw this as an opportunity to flee but the eagles didn't know what to do, should they stay here and attend Damian's injury or should they go after the monkeys.

"Go after them, I've been injured. I can't go after them in my current state." He said, pretending to be in pain.

The eagle soldiers looked uneasy, but Damian insisted.

"Please, just go before you lose their tracks. I'll be fine. I'll catch up with you later."

The eagle soldiers reluctantly agreed, and Damian watched as they left after the fleeing monkeys.

As soon as they were out of sight, he got to his feet and made his way towards the monkey temple.

Damian arrived at the temple of the monkeys, and after surrendering himself he was escorted to the room of Bahara, the leader of the monkeys. As he entered the room, he saw Bahara and Andha, his brother and former head of the Aankh temple. They were both sitting on thrones made of branches and leaves, the elders sitting beside them.

"Temple head." Damian greeted him.

"I have come to speak with you about a common enemy." he then said.

Olu raised an eyebrow.

"And who might that be?"

"The eagles." Damian answered.

"I have seen the destruction they have caused, the lives they have taken. They are nothing but barbarians, and I cannot stand by and watch them continue."

Bahara and Andh studied Damian carefully.

"You are not an eagle, that much is certain. But why should I believe that you, a stranger, truly hate the eagles?"

Damian took a deep breath. "Because I have suffered at their hands, just like you and your people have.

"And what exactly could you bring us to turn the tide of the battle."

"I have information that can be of great use to you. I promise to keep you updated on the advancements of the eagles, and I will do everything in my power to isolate their general from the rest of the army, trapping him so that you can defeat him."

Bahara stroked his chin, considering Damian's proposal. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke. "Very well, Damian. I will take your offer under consideration.

Bahara turned to his brother asking for his opinion, after a while Bahara stood in thought for a moment before finally speaking.

"I am intrigued by your proposal." He said.

"But I must admit, I am also skeptical. Why should I trust you? How do I know you are not simply trying to use us for your own gain?"

Damian knew that this was the crucial moment. He had to convince Bahara that he was genuine in his intentions, or his plan would be doomed to failure.

He looked Bahara straight in the eyes trying to look as truthful as he could.

"I understand your skepticism." He said.

"But I assure you, I am not here to harm you or your people. I have seen the toll that this war has taken on both sides and I believe that with my help you can end it."

"Tell me more about it." Bahara said to verify Damian's true thoughts on the eagles.

"They are nothing but barbarians. I have seen their atrocities first-hand and I cannot stomach it any longer. I propose that we join forces and defeat them once and for all."

As the sun began to set, Damian left the Monkey's territory and made his way back to the Eagles' camp, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

He had successfully managed to make both sides believe that he was on their side, he was well on his way to achieving his ultimate goal and he was determined to see it through to the end.

TO BE CONTINUED…