Monkey

Once, in an era long forgotten, in a land far away, there was a mountain. It dwarfed all others, and rose to such heights that the tip pierced the fabric of space. There was a small village, no more than three hundred people that lived on a plateau on the eastern side of the mountain. They worshipped the spirit of the mountain, named Monkey. There they farmed rice and sweet corn, and they were content. Every morning they woke to a golden sun, and every night they slept in small hovels, under a starry canopy. They were called the Peaceful Folk, for they were never angry, and were never touched by greed, lust, or anger. They lived in complete ignorance of the world below, and the world below lived in complete ignorance of them, as they were hidden by thick clouds. This was fortunate for them, for the fires of war were spreading across the world. Blood ran in thick rivers, as the violent races from below competed for control.


But, there was a race from below who knew the secret of flight. “If we control the skies, eventually the entire world will be bowing at our feet.” So they built a mighty armada of sky-ships, and they began to take control. A hundred years, there were only two great nations left to do battle. The engineers of flight needed something to fund their war, as they were suffering heavy losses and they needed more weapons. So they set out to find a suitable source of funds. They eventually came upon the mountain called Monkey. They landed on the plateau, and men in dark black coats and black glasses descended into the Peaceful Folk’s lives. They stayed hidden, hiding behind trees and rocks. They watched carefully as the Peaceful Folk went about their lives. They did not know that the strange people were hiding near them, as they were blind. Soon, the strange people made their way to a cavern deep in the mountain. There, they found a horde of diamonds. Somehow, these strange folk found the Well of All Souls, were the souls of the deceased go to rest. As they mined the rich seam, fueling their bloody war, the Peaceful Folk grew uneasy. They knew that something was disturbing Monkey’s sleep, and soon he would wake. Then, one day, the Peaceful Folk and the strange people felt the mountain called Monkey begin to shake. Then, the mountain called Monkey woke from his deep sleep. His wrath was terrible when he fund the strange people were mining in the Well of All Souls. He released the terrible fire from his belly. There were no screams. There was no time. There was fire… then nothingness.