"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The terrifying thunder was within an arm’s reach, roaring just below the main camp like fearsome specters. The whistling fire arrows tore through the night sky, and rolling fireballs attacked from afar, turning Red Dog’s front camp into a sea of flames! Soon, pungent smoke filled the encampment, and the toxic scent of sulfur overwhelmed even the bravest red-haired Hunter, rendering him unable to stand his ground.
Chichika Chieftain’s face smeared with soot, he retreated awkwardly to the higher ground at the back of the camp under the escort of red-haired Hunters. This area with steep and bare terrains did not have burning forests. On both sides were towering mountains, where a mighty mountain wind dispersed the poisonous smoke.
"Raise my flag, gather the tribal warriors!"
As soon as Red Dog Chieftain moved away from the flames, he urgently roared out. He stood on the highest rock, holding a torch high in his hand, revealed to all.
The sky full of fire arrows paused momentarily, but sporadic fireballs continued rising incessantly. The fireballs loudly crashed into various spots of the camp, spreading unknown fear. Suddenly, amidst the dim fire light, a hysterical shout erupted from the Red Salamander encampment, and countless figures burst out from the camp, rushing into the nearby Red Dog encampment.
Then, a wild shout exploded in the Red Dog encampment too, and large groups of figures surged out. Countless warriors chaotically collided, swinging their weapons, stabbing into "enemy" bodies. On this terrifying night of flames, two large tribes loyal to their leaders, thousands of elite Canine Warriors, just like that, without distinguishing friend from foe, frenziedly fought each other!
Chichika roared in agony, his expression on the verge of splitting. He looked around; flames like tidal waves inundated the lower areas, with tribal warriors running around in chaos. He listened to the left and right, where the thunder reverberated through the valleys, mixed with sharp cries of panic and fear. Over ten thousand diligently gathered Guajili elites, just like that under the unknown attack of the Mexica, suddenly completely collapsed in the depth of the night!
"No! Roar!...Roar! I’ll kill you all!"
Red Dog Chieftain’s eyes were bloodshot, furiously roaring. Countless past efforts, countless future plans, all in one night, turned to ashes with the fire. After a while, Chichika barely calmed down. He took a few steps, grabbed the tribal Priest Zuma by his collar with one hand, and pointing towards the fireballs rising from the enemy camp below, he demanded.
"Zuma, what is this?!"
"Ah! Great Chief... This, this must be a spell from the Mexica or a weapon bestowed by the gods..." the elderly tribal Priest Zuma choked, struggling to breathe under the grip of the Great Chief. His efforts to speak were labored, like an old owl in the claws of a coyote.
"It’s like the previous...Catapult...except it throws fireballs..."
Chichika paused for a moment and then showed a touch of realization.
"So the wood beast from the other days was for today!"
Red Dog Chief released his grip, and old priest Zuma coughed repeatedly. In Nava language, Zuma means "Anger," and Montezuma is "One who makes oneself angry." Of course, in front of Chichika right now, "Angry" Priest Zuma could only passively endure the other’s rage, daring not to show his own anger.
Chichika’s expression was fierce as he stared at the priest’s aged face and asked again.
"Priest Zuma, what about those fire arrows and thunder sounds?"
"Cough cough!...Great Chief, it’s all about unity and proliferation, coexistence of all things. The gods are part of nature and follow its laws... Since the gods can create a stone-throwing beast, a fireball-throwing beast, they can also create one that shoots fire arrows, emitting thunder sounds. Now it seems, the Mexica’s gods are adept in creating wood beasts, surely led by a craftful Evil God!"
Zuma steadied himself, answering conclusively. No matter what the real truth was, at this moment, the most important thing was to provide a simple, reassuring explanation to the tribal warriors terrified by the unknown.
"Various types of wood beasts...A craftful Evil God..."
Fear flashed across Chichika’s face. He then asked urgently.
"If so, esteemed Priest Zuma, do you have a way to counter the enemy’s wood beasts?"
"Cough cough...Great Chief, it’s the cycle of balance. The stronger the entity, the more fatal its weakness. Gods’ creations are no different, lacking the human spirit..."
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Priest Zuma’s expression flickered. As he spoke using the rhetoric of the wilderness priests, he rapidly pondered his next words.
"Well, you see, these beasts, although releasing thunder and fire, can’t move, can’t strike our steep camps. Thunder, although violent, and fire, although searing, lack precision and can’t truly harm many people. That’s nature’s limitation, everything has balance..."
"Priest Zuma! What do we do now?!"
After listening for a moment, Chichika’s expression turned fierce again. He looked at the chaotic fire light around, feeling as if there were flames burning inside him.
"Can you cast a spell to counter the enemy’s wood beasts?!"
"Eh, respected Great Chief...The warriors are so panicked because it’s their first time encountering the creations of the Evil God, and it’s happening in the dark night, their spirits devoured by unknown fears. Once they see it more, get used to the roar of the creations, find the weaknesses, they won’t be so..."
"Now, I want you to cast a spell! Can you or not?!"
"Ah, well... There are too many enemy priests, their mana too strong. My materials have fallen in the camp, all burned out..."
Chichika bellowed, tossing the old priest away.