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Chapter 44.5

Interlude…to war…

My name is Hakim. I was born 24 years ago this day or I have been told so. We identify ourselves as dwarfs. We are short. We are smarter than the others inhabitants of the lands we inhabit. We grow crops, craft, and are able to read and write.

The others – Cyclops, centaurs, chimeras, drakons and the ruler of all Vanar co-existed together in a particular manner. Most of the time they used to hunt on animals that lived in lands and fed on them. In times of extreme cold or short of meat supply they terrorized us to get what they want on Vanar’s orders.

We were never accepted as part of the Kingdom of Nibiru. We were not a favored species in lands of Nibiru as we resembled humans more than any other race. Dwarfs were like mini humans or replicas of them. None of the races interacted with us and our’s has avoided them for all of history.

Dwarfs inhabited the lands around the massive circular metallic monument of unknown origin. Our tribe elders had told from generation to generation that we are to protect it, but why and what for was left unanswered. I may misremember the details in full but I was 16 when it was decided that I was a useless dwarf from community’s point of view. The reason being I was avoiding all kinds of community driven work, because I did not agree with their ways. I will come to that later on.

That day I was walking around the forbidden area. Monument was always of particular interest to me. Actually whatever I was told I shouldn’t do I did. I was rebelling for the sake of rebelling.  I was walking very close to the bottom part of monument when the ground under my feet collapsed and I fall down. It did hurt, but thanks to the Creator of Monument, the most graceful one, it was not a deep hole. There was a metallic door that I opened out of interest. It led to a big room with full of books. For 3 years I came to that room on daily basis to study. At start it was hard for me so for the first month I classified books into categories. Most of it I didn’t understand because they referred to metaphor called “technology” that was something not of my understanding or knowledge. I learned about ways of agriculture, farming, war and magic. I was the first dwarf ever to be able to use magic.

Once in few decades dry season fall upon our beautiful lands. All of the creatures migrated towards the lands of humans, and they clashed with them. We would not be on the frontiers of immigration wave but we wouldn’t fall behind either. Survival of our race was of utmost importance, though some were left to protect the monument with enough resources to survive the dry season.

I was 19 when I began to help my parents and close relatives to grow corp. I brought up some new ideas unknown to them and applied it. Our harvest was much more than the average dwarfen family’s crop. In less than a year I was looked upon as a prodigy. Elders were so stuck on following the rules, set many millenniums ago, word-by-word that we as a race were far behind of our capabilities. I established animal farms of chicken, cows, and sheep. Our resources were more than enough to support all of inhabitants of Kingdom of Nibiru.

Varan was of chimera origin. He was a mutated ape. His intelligence was of higher degree than centaurs and his strength was on par with Cyclops. Varan was ruling the lands of Nibiru for the last 10 years or so. On times of lack of meat and fruits in forests of Nibiru, Varan was ordering Cyclops and centaurs to pillage from our race and steal enough for them to survive.

He hadn’t ordered pillage for the last 2 years but that year wild wolves of mountains had increased in population and had hunted more than they should.

10 Cyclops and 4 centaurs were coming towards our village. My people got scared and began to scatter. Running to hide for fear of their lives, I went against the usual dwarf attitude and challanged my fate.  Centaurs were fairly intelligent species. Its head, arms, and chest are those of a human and the rest of its body, including four legs, hindquarters, and a tail is like that of a horse. Cyclops were giants who resembled us or humans in everyway but had one eye on their forehead. They could speak but couldn’t use their brains for more than that. I took a sheep with me and waited for them at village’s entrance. It didn’t take long and they arrived.

[Me]: I’m Hakim of dwarfs. I welcome you all to dwarfen village and would like to offer you my help.

Giant cyclop who seemed as the leader of the cyclops party bended down and...

[-]: Me Frojal. Me hungry.

I let go of the sheep and Frojal let go of the baton on his right arm and grabbed sheep with his both hands. He devoured it.

[Me]: Frojal, I’m not an enemy though we are not friends either.

[-]: Are you sucking up to us?

[Me]: No wise centaur, I’m challanging the pointless massacres that has happened until now.

I talked to them for long. Centaur’s name was Erekiel. For another year, Vanar had sent centaurs, cyclops, drakons to our village for pillaging. He didn’t know that I was making friends with them and changing their ways of thought by conversating with them as they came almost every month. Tribe elders didn’t favor my contact with the beasts but couldn’t do anything against it as they were not pillaging anything anymore.

As I read more, I understood more about what had happened long time ago. Humans had done something wrong, an experiment which had messed up their plans and the environment. I’m not sure about the details as I do not know what they mean in the writings but an explosion had occured and it left this lands in devastating situation. Humans who were living here had died, and animals who inhabited these lands evolved what we identify today as centaurs, chimeras, cyclops, drakons.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

I haven’t seen any document about our, dwarfs history. I came to conclusion that we are descendants of humans. I kept most of the knowledge to myself, even excluding my own race from the information at my hands.

On dry seasons, throughout the history, whenever inhabitants of the Nibiru passed over to human lands we were welcomed with war. Human’s had no place for us within their community. They have never tried to interact with us.

Vanar had done a marvelous job by bringing the beasts of Nibiru together. Albeit he lacked something very important. He had no vision. The future was of importance to every being with self-consiousness. His kingdom had no future. The day of his death would be the end of it.

I was sitting on top of a hill when I came up with a plan. It was an excellent one, but I have had enough conversations with beasts to sway their allegiance to me. I promised myself to conquer the world. I will be on top of the hierarchy. It was a gamble, a big one and I was going to take it.

I talked to Frojal and Erekiel in private. I knew they were Varan’s most trusted sidekicks. I told them that one day they will be asked to make choice. Both of them laughed at me and told me what I was blabbering. I didn’t reply.

Beasts had come for supplies when I brought most of the dwarfs to meet them. I had prepared myself a speech which I was going to say. I used ladder to go on top of a big rock.

[Me]: I’m Hakim. Some of you know me personally, some of you have heard of me from fellow chimeras, cyclops, centaurs, drakons and dwarfs.

Silence fell.

[Me]: Yesterday I got permission from the Creator of the Monument, the omnipotent one, the omnipresent one to reveal you of our future bestowed upon us by our Creator - Jahum. Few years ago I had a dream. In the dream I was ordered to go to forbidden monument and touch it. I thought it was just a dream so I didn’t go, but I had the same dream everynight for a long time. I was getting worried so after few days I went to monument and stroked it.

They were listening carefully. I waited a bit to intensify their curiousity.

[Me]: I was enlightened. Creator himself talked to me first time. He told me that I can not reveal anything until he thought I am ready to accomplish his mission. Later on he sent down Angel Maximus to teach me the knowledge of the chosen one. That was how our resources increased in size. Yesterday Maximus told me that I’m the prophet of Creator and I’m ready to take on the mission.

I raised my arms up, right palm facing the sky and left palm pointed towards ground. Silently, I chanted two spells. Fire was coming out of my right palm while water was flowing out of my left palm.

Whispers were coming from every direction. Nobody said anything. Only whispers. I knew it was a perfect show. I went away.

Next day, more than 10 chimeras and air drakons came to take me to Murman. It was the name of cave which was home to Frojal in the past and Vanar resided there now. I expected it. I knew that not everyone had to follow me or had to be affected by my speech or vision. There had to be someone who would betray me to Vanar. Actually, I wanted to be betrayed.

There were cyclops, centaurs, air and ground drakons and chimeras in the cave. They were either sitting or lying on the ground while on opposite direction of the entrance Varan was sitting on a throne. I stood still. The apelike chimera was aggressively looking at me. He knew I was a challange which he had to overcome to rule.

[Varan]: So small, but with soo big ambitions. Couldn’t the Creator have found anybody else for his mission?

[Me]: Jahum knows the best. (it was a rhetorical answer)

I could see Varan getting agitated by my answer. I took the chance.

[Me]: I have an order from Jahum to be done today. It’s a simple choice.

[Varan]: Tell us, enlighten us too.

He was smiling.

[Me]: There are too many in here.

Varan pointed towards ten beasts.

[Varan]: Rest of you leave!

[Me]: Still too many, there should be you, me and the most trusted beasts to you.

[Varan]: Alright, Little One. I’ll play along. Everyone except Frojal and Erekiel shall leave.

Varan knew that I was powerless. He was thinking about humiliating me in front of everyone. But he could kill me anytime and anywhere so he didn’t care much about many seeing him to do it.

I raised my right and pointed my index finger at Varan.

[Me]: Jahum wishes his death to be at Frojal and Erekiel’s hands.

Varan was smiling. He thought I had gone mad. His face expressions changed from pleasure to pain when Erekiel’s bow got through his neck. Frojal used his baton to smash Varan’s head. Varan was part of history now. A history which I had felt no symphathy.

[Me]: enough.

Frojal stopped. I asked them to come with me. I talked about Jahum’s mission. I had to create heaven to beasts of Nibiru. I was to be king and prophet of Jahum in Nibiru.

Human books were right. Ignorant crowd was the easiest to rule over.

I’m 24 now. It’s been 4 years that I rule over Nibiru. Abundance in harvest and animal farming had favored my rule. Beasts believed in me. Noone was left out in the last 4 years.

I was building an army. Human books were useful. I knew what to do by heart.

The dry seasons were coming up. This time, I’ll change the history. I’ll not wait for waters to perish to attack the human lands. I have decided and I’ll announce my judgment tonight.

Again I have chosed the same rock to climb. I put on the ladder and begin to climb up. I stand still.

Silence fells again and everybody waits to hear what I say.

[Me]: Jahum has given his permission and blessings. In two months, we are taking over human lands. We are going to war...

Next: Chapter 45 - Wild Animals