One Way Compromise

Armored cars and trucks from diverse nations came piling on Base Historia. Not just vehicles, but a lot of drones are being prepared. As hours passed by, it's time to move. Tom sat down on one of these armored cars, readying the speakers.

Over rough jungle terrain, it took about 5 minutes to drive from the plains to the road, while from the road, it also took 2 minutes to travel to the village.

While on the way, the massive force splitted out. Some of the forces flank north, west and south of the village, but the main force remained from the east. It's basically encircling the village. Drones flew, this time, all of the drones flew low.

While Imakh, the village chief was checking on the production of spears for the upcoming beast raid, suddenly a buzzing sound could be heard. Immediately the villagers and Imakh went out to look. Some sort of weird huge looking bugs flying and swarming the village, but it doesn't appear to attack anyone. Everyone's look are very grim.

"Quickly call the men! Arm them with our available spears! Tell the others to hide in their houses and lock their goddamn doors!" Immediately Imakh shouted.

"First mysterious beast massacring the villagers now bugs? Is the end of the world upon us already?" Imakh muttered.

Suddenly roaring sounds could be heard nearing the village. Not just one, but many, and yet it appears to be from all sides! Imakh who heard the roaring sounds couldn't help himself to drop tears. He was afraid, not for his death, but for the lives who will lost while defending this village. It's just a massacre. As the sounds he heard got nearer, the beasts who makes these bone chilling sounds appear on the vicinity. By this time, the armed villagers had appeared and regroup at the town hall with Imakh.

The beasts stood there surrounding the village. The weird beasts appeared with different colors and shapes. Most of them looked like huge metal box with some sort of head with a pole sticking out of it. Some of them were colored yellow and some were a mixture of green, brown and black color, resembling the foliage. But the most noticeable things are the wheels, some with 4 and some with 8. They almost looked like wagons, but there are no horses.

Suddenly a mysterious voice could be heard from these beasts all surrounding the village. It was very loud and scary.

"Hello. We. Empire. Called. 'Yuw-En'. We. Come. Bring. Peace. We. Will. Not. Kill. Not. Steal. Not. Kidnap. Anyone. We. Just. Want. Talk." The mysterious voice spoke with a different accent. It didn't sound natural at all but it's very scary and heavy. This makes everyone on the village dropped their jaws. They don't know what to do nor how to talk with these beasts.

We. Want. Talk. To. Imakh. Village. Chief. Do. Not. Fight. If. Must. Fight. We. Kill. With. Boom. Sticks-" While the voice haven't finished. The villagers gasped and shouted.

"Ziegler Empire's Beast!"

"We're doomed." Cries could be heard

While the ruckus, the voice continued. "We. Not. Ziegler. Empire. We. Promise. Safety." The voice then stopped and the beasts just stood there.

"The great Imakh, what should we do!"

"They're no mercenary! It's a trick! Never such beasts appeared on the Schantilia Kingdom! It must be tamed under the Ziegler Empire!"

"Look at those poles on their heads, they must be the rumored boom sticks!"

"Look! Someone's manning the pole on beast's head! They're aiming at us!"

The villagers became restless while Imakh was squished upon the stress held unto him. But he decided to talk these Zieglers if they can spare the women and children of the village.

"Come! I am the one you seek! Imakh Askudoof, the village chief. Let's talk at the village hall!" He shouted to the beasts.

Suddenly weird dressed looking people exited these beasts in an orderly fashion. They wore a mixture of green, brown and yellow clothes that made them blend with the forest. But a man that wore different then them stood out the most. It was Barok.

"Look! It's Barok!"

"What?"

"All this time, he was captured by the evil Ziegler Empire!"

"They probably detain the search party too!"

The weird dressed men approached towards the village chief. They appeared to be holding their boom sticks tight, waiting to fire them. Is this one the rumored boom sticks? Imakh wondered to himself, hoping that they won't suddenly open fire upon the villagers. While wondering, Imakh was shocked when Barok followed the weird dressed people.

He then glanced at Barok. Barok looked nothing unordinary, he doesn't even look scared nor restrained unto a rope which confused Imakh. He looked he was treated fairly, no torture wounds can be seen, and he didn't look skinny which indicate he is well fed. His eyes looked much more fresh than the last time Imakh saw him. Is his mind controlled?

As then then Imakh led the weird dressed men to the village chief while the villagers stood and watched with cold eyes. The village hall was made out of bricks, it was also very big and spacious. The interiors are well furnished. The weird dressed men looked at the interior of the hall with awe, talking with unknown languages among them. Then Imakh asked the men to sit on a 4 chaired table.

Imakh sat on the chair, the weird looking men also sat on the other chair, but the most surprising is that Barok sat on the chair too. The rest of the weird dressed men stood up on one side of the hall, while armed villagers stood up on the other side, like a showdown.

Suddenly initiatively Barok talked which surprised Imakh.

"Hello the great Imakh, I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you, but I will tell you that the rest of the men are safe in their hands. They are treated very good."

"Are they fed daily? Are you also fed daily?" Imakh asked in confusion.

"Yes, I and the others were fed cooked meat, given water, and a nice soft bed. I'm not lying. You can have my word."

"Then why are you all kept?"

"They want to learn our language."

"Really?" Imakh became much more confused.

"Yes, I can assure you they are not Zieglers. They did not even came from this continent."

"So they are invading our continent?"

"..." Barok remained silent. While the other weird dressed man are still quiet, listening.

"To be honest I don't know, but I can tell you one thing, they are not from this world."

"What? What do you mean?"

"They came from a different earth, through magic gates."

"Impossible! Ludicrous!" Imakh shouted

"I've experienced and lived in their world for days. I see what you have never seen."

"Alright then." Imakh lay weak, forcing himself to believe.

"The great and wise Imakh, I will go straightforward. They want to annex this village under their 'or-gah-neeh-zeyh-shen' or empire as you might call it." Barok this time talked sharp. Imakh who seemed surprised didn't even mutter a single word.

"I've seen it with my own eyes. They are much advanced than our civilization. More than the Ziegler Empire. Weaponry wise, their boom sticks or 'gun' as they call it are much better than the Ziegler's. Their armor also can withstand from the boom stick's armor penetration. They claim the Ziegler's boom sticks are primitive. Technology wise, they have wagons that move without horses, like those you saw surrounding the village."

Imakh still remained silent. Then Barok nodded at the weird dressed man. The man then took pieces of paper filled with color. It's a painting, but it looked so real and detailed. There appears to be tall buildings reaching the skies. The horseless wagons, and the lifestyles of the people from the other world. The pieces of paper made Imakh dropped his jaws. He was fascinated but didn't understand any bit.

"As a return, they will 'make this village better'. They say they will improve our village for us, 'moh-dern-nih-zey-shyen' as they call it. prepare clean water and food, and most of all guarantee our safety."

Imakh remained silent.

"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you something, they won't make any slaves. They also don't want to raise any taxes or tributes on the village. Also, you will still become the village chief."

"Then what what do they want from this village?" Imakh couldn't help but ask.

Barok smiled and replied. "Simple, They want no word of their presence be told to the capital or nearby village. By that, they will set up troops around the village and it's surroundings. While they also have those flying little things that you see currently flying around the village making those sounds. It will act as their eyes. It can detect human in the dark."

The villagers behind Imakh currently are in an uproar. The swarming insects outside? Such creatures exist?

"But I do have some sad news to tell you." Barok opened his mouth.

Hearing this Imakh frowned. "What is it? Additional conditions?"

"No. It's just, you have no choice." Barok was straightforward.

Silence filled the hall. The villagers don't know what to say. By the looks of it, it's true. As for the troops in the hall, the silence felt like a bliss.

"What will they do next?" Imakh initiatively asked, breaking the silence.

"Annex nearby villages, setting troops, build camps." Barok said.

He then continued. "Until their camp is big enough, they will seek cooperation with the kingdom."

"They are already invading the Schantilia Kingdom! How such cooperation will be in favor of the kingdom?" Imakh shouted coldly.

"They plan to seek peace with the Ziegler Empire under the Schantilia Kingdom's name by showing their might. If such peace couldn't be achieved. They will use force. I've seen their might in 'Vi-diy-yos' they give me. I guarantee they can wipe the Ziegler Empire."

Imakh wanted to reply but can't put it on words. He then sighed and asked for the last time. "Why are you helping them? Why are you told such things? Aren't you loyal to your dear family?"

"Oh don't get me wrong chief. I'm not a part of them, they promise me to return me and the others to the village if they ask me to translate everything they wanted to say."

Imakh and the villagers remained silent. Wondering what the future had in store for them.

"This is everything they wanted to say so.... I will be going to my family, and the other detainees are on the way too. Thank you village chief."

"Then is this assembly done?" Imakh muttered.

This time the weird dressed men nodded to Imakh, indicating 'yes'. Then the weird dressed men left while Barok returned to his family.