Chapter 6 - The Chief

The villagers saw the huge smoke coming from the Dark Forest. They feared the soldiers of the capital are arriving and some rival tribes have come to attack them. They prepared for an attack and all hurried below the mountain.

But once they reached the foot of the mountain, they found their Elder hugging her granddaughter tightly and two teenagers beside her. The villagers drop their weapons and begin to celebrate the return of their stolen princess. As for William and John, they are greeted as heroes for saving their stolen princess.

They were carried back to the village while the villagers are singing stories about their adventures:

The Princess was snatched away by Shadow Scale

Our people wept as our hunters returned to fail.

For weeks, we prayed to stave her death

Mother Earth gave us the warriors to venture to the depth.

William and John, fate brought you to the Dark Forest where our foe waits

Your bravery and skill were worthy to carve your fates.

Against the giant snake, you prevail and won

Hail to the victors! For your deeds will shine forever like the sun!

The boys are flattered about it and they asked them to stop treating them as such but the Elder says that it is just right to give them the praise they deserved.

They soon arrived at the village hidden between huge green trees. Their roots are large as a horse and their trunk is thick as the walls that defend the capital. From afar you cannot see them as they are well hidden within the trees but from within they blend in perfectly with the green lushes of the land. This place’s cool breeze gave him a sense that somehow he belonged to this place.

The following days are in celebration. The villagers are merry and joyous. Once the boys are familiarized with the new territory therein, the tribe gave them a new home and called them their own.

Thou this is not what he meant to be introduced to the tribe, William is happy with the outcome. He still manages to learn the ways of the hunter and improve.

As for John, his part of saving Ingrid also gave him the training he needed to help William’s quest for justice and unintentionally get closer to Ingrid. His suave and witty senses of humor manage to help him to be close to Ingrid and the other villagers faster. With this, John manages to learn that their tribe is a superstitious one. They always look for signs on the stars and the earth to guide their actions.

The runes that the villagers cast on the ground aren’t the only one that sends a chill on John’s spine. Reading prediction from a goat’s intestines, tea reading, scrying over crystal balls, all of these are part of their culture. As much as John and William don’t like these, their prediction sometimes happens.

One day Ingrid was walking discussing with the Elder. It ended up on a sour note and Ingrid left the Elder fuming. The boys saw this and asked the Elder what happened.

“Don’t concern yourself with this. This is a matter is about passing my responsibilities to her as soon she will inherit my place as the Elder of our tribe.” The Elder replied as she perused the boys to continue with their daily tasks.

The boys gave chase and asked Ingrid what happened. She replied that her grandmother will soon train her the ways on how to be an elder. They discussed a lot of things and one of them was about uniting the tribe so they can prosper and be recognized as civilized people that the Kingdom can respect and treat as equal and not some savages.

“Grandma hates that idea because of that ancient cave painting beneath this mountain. Our tribe was one nomad and found this mountain as our home. There we found this cave painting where it told a story of destruction awaits for the tribes who attempted to unite under a single banner other than the Zonian.”

The boys are perplexed by this. They never heard of this story before and asked who the Zonians are.

“Zonian is a warrior tribe that almost united this land. Their efforts were halted when the Kingdom arrived with steel on their hands and chest. Zonians are no match and were driven off from their land. This is where the Capital sits in and where most of the Kingdom’s territory lay.” Ingrid replied.

“Where are they now? You said they were driven off. Are they living around the forests and mountains that surround the kingdom?” William asked.

“They are a proud and vengeful people. They escaped the Kingdom and hid underground and created a city that spans beneath the earth. Zonian bade their time, mined the ground creating weapons of iron to match the Kingdom’s steel. Once they have recuperated their forces, Zonian across the land emerged from their underground and returned with vengeance to reclaim what was theirs.” Ingrid continues.

“So they charge to their deaths and what was left of their homes are underground city and paintings of warning other tribes not to contend their leadership.” William rubs his chin as he pieces together her story.

“I see, since your tribe are spiritual in nature, not heeding the Zonian wish might incur their wrath beyond the grave,” John adds as he finally realizes why the Elder didn’t want Ingrid to unite the tribe.

“All I was suggesting was for our tribe to engage commerce and trade. Remember that gold and other jewels the Shadow Scale left in their lair? We can use that to trade with the Kingdom. Increase our wealth and end the perception from the Kingdom that we are not savages and cannibals.” Ingrid replied.

John and William were understandably disturbed by this. The royal and commoners of the Kingdom indeed believed that tribes are uncivilized people. Their time with them made them realize how wrong they were. They are just people like them. They might have a different color of hair and shade of skin but they are still human with emotions and dreams they want to wish.

The two boys placed their support on Ingrid. They promised that one day if Ingrid became Elder, John and William will act as a bridge to help them unite their two worlds together.

Months have passed and the boys are taught the ways of the hunter and their survival skills grew. Their physique changed for the best. Strong and agile they have become. Ingrid was no slouch either, as she is being groomed to be the next elder, she also began to train alongside her friends.

William’s Sense made him excel as a hunter and become one of their best. His Sense also grew as it helped him pinpoint the location of his prey hiding within the bushes. He can detect those predators that normal he cannot see with his eyes but with his enhanced smell, he can find them. But he didn’t show his red eyes to anyone (aside from John who already knows his power) as he learned that the hunters are spiritual folks. They took anything supernatural as a sign from their pagan gods.

As for John, he comes second to William’s hunting skill but with his excellent way of words, he becomes the tribe poet and writer. His song lifts everybody’s spirit and those nights he sings, there is sure to be a good time.

Ingrid slowly began to develop some feelings for John. Other than his good nature, he became Ingrid’s support. Whenever the Elder and Ingrid fight over some minor issues within the tribe, John will try to be the mediator and work it out for them.

She might not say it but she is slowly falling for him.

Every night, the boys never forgot to give a small prayer for Eldric’s soul. They promised to learn everything as a hunter and return to the Kingdom to bring Pentalium to justice. But there was a moment in William’s heart.

It was a year since they were integrated into the tribe and William’s stay here made him feel happy. That constant seeking for revenge made him forget what is like to be a kid. The warm smile on the tribe’s faces and the ever-green land made him feel alive and welcomed. His motives are shaken and wanted to stay.

The three met up in the Dark Forest while hunting their lunch. William spots a deer and shoots an arrow but misses. The three gave chase and William tries it again. Twice he shot and twice he missed.

John and Ingrid know William well enough and asked what was wrong. William confessed his feelings and wanted to stay with the tribe, forever.

“But what about our quest for Eldric?” John asked.

“I know. This is hard for me too you know? I want to find this Pentalium and yet I consider this as my second home. I wanted to live here and forget my worries.” William replied.

“William, our tribe will always welcome you both. If you want to return to the Kingdom, then we will understand it but know this: our arms are always ready to greet you back. So there is no need to rush. Think about it, alright?” Ingrid says as she placed her hands on William’s shoulder.

“Wow, spoken like a true elder. Are you sure Ingrid is still there or is your grandmother speaking?” William jest as the three laughs it out.

But their laughter comes to a halt as an arrow was shot missing John’s arm. The three hide behind the bushes and begin to take cover. William was tempted to use his Sense to locate their attack but knows this will freak Ingrid out.

Ingrid took a peek from her end and saw a scouting party slowly approaching them. She signals the two boys with their hand gestures and instructs them for a coordinated attack. And on her signal, the three sprung up and manage to shoot their enemies' shoulders and feet.

Ingrid grabbed one of the men began to interrogate him, “Black and white grabs and white face paint with a mark of a hand? Who are you and what is your tribe’s leader?!”

“The Hand takes what we want and will plunder what we get. We heard that your mountain houses a treasure! The Hand’s Chief shall get what he deserves.” The man said.

“There are no treasures there that are worth any gold there. Our tribe has no jewels and precious materials for you to plunder.” John adds.

“Oh but the treasure we seek is not something we pocket. It is something we need to see!” the man yells and there is another arrow that flies thru. It almost hits Ingrid but William manages to catch it before it hits her.

The three are forced to run as a company of warriors began to rush towards them. As they run towards a clearing, they can see smoke begin to rise from different directions across the Dark Forest and onto the mountain. This Hand tribe began to burn the forest to snuff the hunters out and force them all back to the foot of the mountain.

The three have no other choice but to run back to their home. As they reached the foot of the mountain they are greeted by their finest warriors holding their ground against the invading tribe.

Ingrid and the boys attacked from behind and began to pick up the Hand’s warriors one arrow at a time. With their efforts, the hunters manage to push off the first wave of enemies.

“What has happened?! Report!” Ingrid yelled at the hunters for answers.

“A tribe from far away. They are called the Hand and they demand us to join their tribe or die. We don’t know how many they are but-” before the hunter can finish his words a spear hit him from afar and impaled him in his chest. Ingrid, William, and John made a defensive parameter with the hunter to defend their home.

From the smoke and flames of the burning forest emerged a huge army of the Hand. Their spears are sharp as their swords are long. Their armor of black fur and white paint across their faces impose a powerful visage of doom to their enemies. And standing in front of them is their leader the Chief. Wearing a skull of an ox as his headdress and wielding two bloody large swords as his weapon.

The Chief walked and pointed his sword to the top of the mountain. He opens his mouth with a roaring voice that can reach the sky. “The treasure of the Zonian that is rightfully ours. Elder of the Hunter Tribe! I know you can hear me. Join my tribe and be spared or face your tribe’s extinction!”

Then the Chief throws a bloodied bag and comes out of a horrific scene. Heads of different tribes across the land roll over the ground. William cannot stomach this scene and Ingrid was about to pass out from the smell.

“These tribes put up a fight and they all ended up dead before me. The archer tribe of Archon, the soothsayer tribe of Yellow Creek, and many others have joined my cause. Don’t be a follow like these dead men!” The Chief smiled.

The hunters began to feel hopeless. Seeing the other tribe dead and some of them joining the Hand made them hope for a better outcome. Ingrid cannot contain her rage and wanted to lash out. John and William looked at each other and shared an understanding: This is their second home and they will not let this one fall.

From the mountain the Elder speaks with her voice booming from above “Chief, our land is prosperous with life. Your actions of burning our sacred forest and killing the other tribes will go unpunished! Hunters, kill the oppressor and made him pay!”

The Chief smiled and replied “Good! Have it your way. Now face the Hand with ten more tribes behind us and suffer!”

Then from the smoke, an army of tribes wearing black garments began to charge. William realized the burning of the forest is not only to surround the hunters but to mask the marching armies towards the mountain.

The hunter tribe clashed with the Hand. William uses his Sense and hopes that they can live this onslaught. Little did William know, there is another Sense user among the crowd slowly approaching him and greeting him as his prey.