296 The Night Is Still Young (1/2)
The Messiah swallowed the greasy strip of grilled meat offered to him with relish. He watched the squirming female bonded and gagged to a rock stab been carved up by the Elders and grilling the meat over the fire like a live bbq station.
Some of his people were dancing and singing to the musical instruments either salvaged or handcrafted. He smiled at the scene, totally oblivious to the suffering and dying female before him.
Suddenly, continuous thunder could be heard rumbling away in the distant. He frowned as he was pretty sure the skies were clear earlier in the evening. He ignored the storm as females members of his Pact invited him to dance with them.
Just as he was enjoying himself, his men suddenly appeared beside him and whispered the news of his people getting massacred by the strangers.
He stopped his revelry and stormed off towards his tent with his men in tow. ”What exactly happened?” He asked as he entered his tent.
”Elder Samu left with his cadre to invite the strangers to our feast...” The man reported. ”He wanted to trap them here with all our people... but somehow they failed and a battle started.”
”How many people did Elder Samu brought along?” The Messiah was surprised at the turn of events.
”Over a hundred...” The messenger said. ”None returned.”
”Over a hundred of our people?” The Messiah stood up and shouted in anger. ”ALL DEAD?”
”Yes, Messiah,” The man replied. ”The strangers appeared to either have the help of the Oerkins with their thunder smoke weapons or they possessed similar weapons!”
”What?” The Messiah paced around his tent as his mind processed the news. ”Those savages!”
”Since they forced our hand...” The Messiah's expression darkened. ”Send word to the other two factions. Tell them to attack the Oerkin and I will cede to them control of a water point each!”
His Pact has controlled all the usable wells and most of the region of the ruins. All parties must pay in warm bodies and most of the time, they demanded youngsters as their flesh was more tender.
”Go! Burn and feast on the Oerkins, my children! Destroy them all!”
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Turok, Chieftain of the Wolfmasters clan after the demise of his father, now the leader of all the remaining Oerkin clans, sat on the barricade made out of earth filled sacks and watched the strangers sort out the bodies of the Pact. He came alone under the invitation of these ... Mar-eens as they called themselves.
The leader of this small but powerful force had enquired about the events that had happened here. Seeing no point to conceal anything, Turok had explained how his clansmen fought against the Great Evil and in return, the majority of their forces had been decimated.
Least than a tenth of the warriors survived, while almost every shaman had burnt up their life force to find against the Great Evil. Even all the ancestral warriors were defeated by the Great Evil in the end.
If Turok had not ordered the remaining forces to scatter, he doubts there could be any survivors against the Great Evil.
What remained of the Oerkins' major clans were a bunch of young, old, and weak while other lesser clans and tribes were scattered all over the plains. They had banded together under the suggestion of Turok who managed to survive the battle.
Now, the Head Chieftain of all the remaining Oerkin clans, he was placed in a position of the great responsibility that he once craved for. But he realized with such great responsibility, eery action or order he made could lead to the deaths of hundreds of his remaining kinsman.
While the scarce amount of resources in the area and the majority of the creatures been frightened off by the great battle that occurred here, his people struggled to survive in this cursed land.
They were better off compared to the soft skins as they knew the ways of the plains. He wanted his people to head off to better grounds, but the travel will kill many of the young, weak and old.
He did not have the heart to abandon the weak and old even when they volunteered to do so for the greater good of the Oerkins.
In the end, he and his people stayed on, making the best use of their skills to hunt for food and gather water while defending an uneasy truce with the hostile Pact and the ex slaves.
He was grateful to these strangers who gave him people some of their supplies of food, despite it barely able to feed all his people for a day or two.
When Rathia the leader of the Mar-eens offered him an option for the salvation of his people, he was worried that it might be a trap by these Mar-eens and their United Nations.
But after seeing the power of their weaponry, inside his heart, he knew he found the answer for his race survival and he pledged his service to them in exchange for saving his people.
Suddenly a wind wolf bearing a rider rode up to the gate and the guards stopped the rider. ”Halt! State your business!”
”Me bear critical news to my Chief!” The young Oerkin rider panted as he hopped down from the back of the wolf. ”Need see chief at once! Much importance!'
”I am here?” Turok walked over quickly. ”What urgent news you bear?”
”The Pact and the other factions!” The message bearer cried out. ”They are attacking us!”
Turok jerked his head up and turned to look towards the direction of his people. He vaguely could hear some rumbling of thunder but he hasn't paid much attention to it before and his face paled. ”We need to return at once! Wait here!”
Turok turned and found Rathia directing his men at one corner. ”Lord Rathia! I must leave at once! My people are under attack by the Pact!”