Chapter 3: The Next 849 Years - Part 1

An hour after Don left the Three Generals' tent. "Big brother..." Second General and Third General said unanimously.

"Be on your guard". First General respond.

The Three Generals left their camp an hour ago and were already on the outskirts of camp three seventy-two. The short time it took them to reach the camp is a testimony to their unrivaled power in the UGNE's army. Sensing the two beasts' immense aura all Three Generals become tense, it was like a vast mountain and far more than they expected.

In a few steps the Three Generals stood before the two beasts. "Please forgive us for the delay. Welcome to our three seventy-two camp". First Generals greeted the beasts. To his left stood Third General and to his right Second General.

The humanoid beast nodded its head. "Gratitude for seeing us. My name is Raroma and this is my kin, Raroken. The two of us are the leaders of the Silverhorned tribe, one of the five tribes entrusted with the outer territory". Raroma's voice echoed in the Three Generals' heads.

The Three Generals nodded in respect. "We three are the commanding generals of the UGNE, humanity's full force". Second General's entire figure embedded with her aura was like a mighty ice storm, clearly the sight of the unconscious soldiers laying around infuriated her.

Neither Raroma nor Raroken seemed to be affected by Second General show of power. "The purpose of our visit is a proposal to humankind". Although Raroma talked to all Three Generals, his attention was fixed on First General whom he felt was slightly stronger than the other two, yet still not a threat toward him or Raroken.

"A proposal? Now, after all these years..." Third General showed a grin. "Is it a letter of surrender?" He tried to loosen up his big brother and big sister, even if by pissing them off with his attitude. They will get annoyed and then breathe out their tension, as always. As obvious as it was to him from the beginning that he is the weakest among all five, in terms of quick thinking he was not inferior to his big brother and in most games of chess that they played he was the winner.

As Third General predicted, although the effect was more apparent on Second General, her aura turned to a warm breeze and was drawn back without her even responding to his, what could be considered in this situation, "Childish" enquiry.

"Hahaha..." Raroma laughed. "Indeed, you might as well just call it that". This time even Third General could not hide his surprise. "You wonder why?" He asked rhetorically.

"If you don't care to explain", First General said. "Our war is hundreds of years old and in the first place it was humans who started it. Currently it is no secret that our forces are the ones that being pushed back, what sort of benefit will you earn by surrendering?"

"Does it matter? As long as you will comply with our demands and give humanity's word to forever honor them, the war can be over as soon as this very moment. Of course, only if you are truly authorities to make such decisions".

"Since when the surrendering side gives demands to-"

"Since it is unquestionably the stronger side". Raroma interrupted Second General and said indefinitely. "Beside, these demands without a doubt will benefit your side far more than ours".

Being unable to argue with Raroma's first statement, Third General replied. "Is that so ... then please, tell us your demands".

"Very well, first, humanity should fall back from the two-thirds of our outer territory, where the war took place. Second, you will no longer mine Earth's Cores outside of the offered zone, while what you do in your territory is none of our business. These are our demands".

"We fought for hundreds of years and now you want it to be for nothing? It's too much ... elaborate on what you meant by 'offered zone', I'm guessing that it's that benefit you mentioned". First General said.

"Indeed, and that offered zone was a notion of good will and an idea of my kin, Raroken, therefore refer to it with respect!" Raroma's scales showed a hint of blue within their crimson cover. "Sorry, I know". He suddenly turned and told Raroken, still sharing the telepathic link with the Three Generals.

"The offered zones are ten of our outer territory caves for three months of every year. All ten considered as fields of Earth's Cores and since that was the purpose of your war all along, there are no reasons you should not be satisfied".

"How many Earth's Core we will able to mine from these ten fields?" Third General hurried to ask to obstruct any further comments from First General.

"The earth provides too many to count every year. Granted, you will have only three months per year to mine, how many is depend on you".

"Is that all?" Third General wanted to confirm.

"It is".

"How long are you willing to wait for an answer?"

"One more day".

"Then we shall meet here again tomorrow at the same time". Third General closed the session and all that was left of the Three Generals were three afterimages.

A few kilometers from camp three seventy-two. "The bubble will be set in a moment, Gid". Two of the Three Generals sat in a small underground cave they dug with their hands. Inside the cave First General moved his hands so fast a regular person would have probably only seen green flashes of his long military sleeves. He manipulated his aura into different shapes and when he released, the complete form a bubble, three meter in diameter, surrounded him and the other two generals. "It is safe to speak". He let them know and sat down.

"Impressive as always, big brother Ariel. Thank you for not rushing back to the UGNE's headquarters, big sister Trey". On their way back Third General, Gid, asked First General, Ariel, and Second General, Trey, for a short stop. At first they were reluctant; passing the beasts' offer through long term communication was out of the question, if someone will leech onto their wave that would be troublesome, and to reach the UGNE's headquarters they needed at least seven hours at their top speed, and their younger brother knew that as well. Knowing him, they allowed him ten minutes before they set off again.

"What's on your mind, Gid?" Trey asked. "You know how slow the heads with their decisions making. If we waste time, we will have to challenge our limits when we get back to camp three seventy-two".

"Then why should we?" Gid's tone changed to rigid.

"What do you mean?" Trey's brows touched each other. Although her father passed away long ago she still did not want to sully his name as a UGNE's official.

"I don't mean to offend, big sister, but you, more than me and big brother, should know that the UGNE is no longer qualified to lead humanity".

"It is not our place-" Ariel tried to say.

"Was it ever our place to fight a war we did not ask for when the actual people behind it have never stepped on the battlefield?! Is it now our place to lead soldiers to a losing war?! Tell me, big brother, big sister, do you think that we could take these two beasts with our formation?"

"Gid... !" Both Ariel and Trey could not say anything. Fifty years ago it finally happened, they crossed the Core Breaker's peak to a new level, and it was their one and only secret kept from the rest of humanity and more importantly, the UGNE.

"Mist Master", they gave the new level a fitting name. Their previews auras more than multiplied in size and became denser. Their color, too, changed from the dark white of the Core Breaker's top to bright silver. It was thanks to Ariel's special developed technique that they were able to conceal these changes. In all of humanity these three were at the top, and when they received the order to cease-fire they were delighted. Killing beasts that could not even put up a challenge to them was tasteless. When reading the restless aura of Don, a late phase Earth's Core Holder, they were not sure about the two beasts' power levels. On the other hand, when meeting them face to face, Raroma and Raroken were two entities they did not expect to encounter. At the very least, both of them were at the late phase of the Mist Master level.

After a long silence Gid continued. "Maybe if they are not together we can exchange our lives for a mortal wound on one of them, but what will it produce? The loss of humanity's greatest powers? Us losing one another? Is this a fair exchange?"

"It won't come to this". Trey grabbed Gid's arm.

"How certain are you? 820 years ago the UGNE lost a few Earth's Core Holders and a Core Breaker to three beasts. Do you remember what they did next? They created the Earth's Core army and remodeled it for hundreds of years by sending its soldiers to war and learning from their deaths while depleting half of humanity's resources to keep the army going. What do you think will happen if the UGNE will challenge beasts like Raroma and Raroken? You heard them; they are merely two beasts that lead the same tribe, one out of five tribes that are entrusted over the beasts' outer territory. I was skeptical even when our armies were pushed back, but now I'm certain, if the UGNE will look to renew the war, humanity will receive a crushing blow!"

"That is only true if the UGNE won't accept the beasts' offer. The war as being going for so long and a week ago the first cease fire was established. We cannot guess the UGNE's next step, but can give them some perspective". Ariel said.

"And if they'll make the wrong choice?" Trey asked, agitated.

"We will take over, big sister".

"The UGNE has two Core Breaker units". Trey sighed and said half convinced.