CHAPTER 5 : THE INFORMATION

War comes but with a price, a price paid by all who witness it. Whoever dare to send a war to the hardrock kingdom must be planning it for years knowing how great and formidable their army was.

Shamsuddeen dropped from his mount the moment he arrived at the king's palace. He strode into the palace gates as the guards quickly opened it for him. The lion of war here at the palace calls for an urgency. The king was in his logic room having a hot discussion on the incident when the general came in looking like an enraged lion.

The room was wide enough with high small holes as windows. The king was sitting on big round tim tim alongside his wazir, the palace praiser known as sankira, head of the king's knight and the outpost commander. The king was an elder with strong features and emits power to it's fullest. Back in his days, he is undefeated and even now he is no less in battling his enemies especially those who came looking for trouble.

"He who tackles with the great lion of war have counted his days. The lion that roars and bend his enemies to his will, the formidable arch master, blade contender, spear piercer, the burning arrow of the night, the silent throat slitter, the thunder that strikes, the lightening that burns enemies to ashes, hail the general of the golden army!!!"

Praised and stimulated the palace praiser.

After acknowledging the king, shamsuddeen dropped down to a sitting position, folding his legs in. His gaze sharp on the king. Back in the days, they fought side by side and formed an impenetrable resistance. The strong hold of the golden army is not to be underestimated then who dares to bring war again?!!

Who dares to forget how he destroyed thousands army with just with hundreds of men?! Hm!

"The rouges are becoming strong headed, may you live long. Shall I pull their heads off their bodies or pull their fingers and toes off their limbs?!"

Only an enraged general will spurt out this powerful and scary threats. The king, kabeer shook his head which got the general surprised.

"Explain to him cirani." His voice low and almost heartbreaking.

This got the general astonished. What will make the whole king of hardrock this soft?

"May Allah uplift you general, this is not what you think." Began cirani, the outpost commander.

Hardrock had been build to cover a vast area in the northern region. The other kingdoms in the northern region are living peacefully with hardrock and so not dare to even point a finger towards hardrock. The kingdom have been fighting off enemies for long and have never fail. This attracted the western, eastern and the southern region.

They joined forces and are preparing the greatest army to attack hardrock in one go. Spies have already been sent out to monitor their operations outside hardrock and report any new incident.

The report came in the morning which was devastating. The regions have six kingdoms each and each of the six kingdoms have ten thousand soldiers making a total of sixty thousand soldiers in each region. The hardrock army was exceeded by a hundred and eighty thousand soldiers.Combined together, they have a grand total of a hundred and eighty thousand soldiers.

Above that, the southern region are also preparing war elephants, the eastern region have war eagles, the western regions have war lions. These animals are breed only for wars and they obey their masters wholeheartedly.

The burning fire in the eyes of the general reduced to almost extinguish. The information was disturbing. Why will they bring such a war to hardrock? To bring it down, melt it away, make it to become extinct. Bastards!!! The burning flames sparkled up again to it's full capacity in the general's eyes.

*

Arriving at the octagon, the military main headquarters, shamsuddeen parked his bike, got off and strode into the building. As he approached the inner building doors, he was stopped for verification but something was wrong. He somehow lost his badge and couldn't be allowed in. Thankfully the general, khalid was behind him and gave the permission to let the field marshal in.

Not so many soldiers knew who he was since he haven't make himself visible for a long time. As he moved with long strong strides into a glass corridor, he began to wonder where he dropped his badge. It must be at the place he nearly knocked over that lady. No problem, he will get it later.

The octa conference office was field with high ranking officers and they began to salute as he strode pass them. The secretary of defense was seated in a hot discussion with the officials when he spotted the field marshal. Shamsuddeen pull a seat and fixed his gaze on the secretary.

"There is an urgent situation that needs your attention."

"Anything the major general can't handle?"

"This is different, field marshal." commented secretary of defense.

"What is it?" Said shamsuddeen, sensing something was wrong.

"Lately yesterday at sixteen hundred hours, the stealthy team commander, sheikh cirani sent a highly classified message to the octagon. A possible arrangement of air strike of a five hundred planes, three hundred cargo war planes preparing to deploy to rock country and still on the counting."

"Battle alert, which country?"

It wasn't a normal battle alert, that was a war alert from six countries. Sensors from the AI system identified four countries out of the six. Wormland, toughbrand, the eagles and ashes. These countries were well known for their deadly air strikes. These countries were in par with rock country for long but hadn't released a single or combined strike.

Shamsuddeen couldn't understand what instigated such bold act from these countries. They want to destroy rock country and they combine forces to overwhelm the formidable rock army. Rock country have been in peace for a long time but some people wouldn't let it rest.

Are they linked to that device, the destroyer? Because after the retrieval, that was when they decide to breakout with this deadly war. Air fleet with hundreds of soldiers in cargo planes, they meant to eliminate rock country in a whole.

"Keep cirani on the outlook, tell him to report any sign of movement from the enemie's army."

"Yes sir." Answered khalid.