Trusted aide Mavik pursed his lips and nodded with difficulty, complying. The Legion Commander’s will was unchangeable. Thankfully, although the villagers had to leave their homeland, their lives should be spared. The entire southern mountain area would fall into famine next, so leaving earlier wasn’t necessarily bad...
Mavik comforted himself as he led the warriors away. The gathered legions also dispersed, bringing wolves’ howls and flames to all the coastal tribes.
After pillaging for two days, they rounded up three hundred fishermen, a hundred or so canoes, and enough food to sustain three thousand people for ten days. Everyone saw the magnificent sea sunset for the first time on the shore and welcomed the new year by the seaside.
Just after dawn on January third, Black Wolf Torc led the legion along the plains by the sea, turning southeastward. The coastal plain was vast, so the three thousand Canine Descendants spread out into several teams to sweep through all the villages. Great fires were lit along the lakeside plains, and the tribespeople scattered into the forests. During the day, thick smoke rose into the sky, while at night, the glow of fires mingled with the stars, with only the silent sea as witness.
The Guajili Legion advanced along the seaside at a much faster pace than in the mountains. Under Black Wolf’s restraint, the Canine Legion did not engage in excessive killing but rather informed during pillaging and grain burning: those who wished to live must head north and surrender to the Kingdom. Otherwise, even if they managed to survive one season, such raids would come again the next year!
After marching southeast for eight days, they swept over three hundred miles! The legion created thirth to forty thousand Tekos refugees lacking food and forcibly conscripted a thousand fishermen to row the canoes. On the coastal land marched several thousand Canine Warriors with raised bows and spears. Close to the coast were four to five hundred light canoes carrying the plundered grain and wealth, with a hundred or so of Black Wolf’s Personal Guard on board for supervision.
Black Wolf’s Personal Guards came from a wide variety, many of whom were adept in water and even capable of naval combat. As for the Canine Descendants from the wilderness, they were ducks out of water once on boats, getting seasick easily and utterly unreliable.
After eight days of fast marching, the legion rested temporarily in a wealthy village. Today was January 11th, a time when celebrations for the new year would have been in full swing in the heartlands of the Kingdom. But now, the legion just had a full meal, roasted some sea fish, and took a half-day break for a brief respite.
Black Wolf gnawed at the hot grilled fish, cleaning the bones in a few bites. Then, clutching the fish head, he pointed northward.
"Mavik, where does that mountain path lead to?"
Trusted aide Mavik looked toward the northern mountain path, a hint of reminiscence in his expression. After a moment, he spoke with a sense of emotion.
"Boss, that mountain path is long, stretching all the way to Apachigan! But it’s about four to five hundred miles long and extremely difficult to traverse. Several years ago, I took that route when I went to fight in the Tarasco Kingdom..."
Black Wolf gazed for a moment at the continuous high mountains, shaking his head. The tribes in these mountains would have to be spared for now. Venturing deep into such dense forests could cause even the hardy Canine Descendants to suffer heavy casualties.
"Mavik, where are we now?"
"Boss, we’re in Nexpa, near the largest beach within hundreds of miles."
"Nexpa? What does it mean?"
Black Wolf chewed on the strangely pronounced word, somewhat puzzled.
"It sounds a bit like ’nexatl,’ brown-grey."
"I don’t know. It’s been that word since my ancestors’ time."
Mavik shook his head, smiling as he said.
"Brown-grey places, they’re everywhere along the coast. If you really want to see something interesting, you have to travel another hundred and twenty miles east. Not far from where the Tarsas River meets the sea, there’s a grey-black mountain. There aren’t many trees on the mountain, and there are some reddish-brown stones..."
"Phew! Just another hundred or two miles... After such a long detour, we’re finally approaching the Tarsus River!"
Black Wolf looked towards the east, his heart full of anticipation. He led three thousand elites rampaging through the southwestern lands of the Tekos people like unstoppable forces. Tens of thousands of tribespeople fled for their lives, with no pursuers emerging behind them.
"Under my leadership, Black Wolf Torc, victory is just this easy! Haha!"
Black Wolf lifted his head, laughing confidently. After a while, he turned to trusted aide Mavik.
"The army’s journey thus far should not pass without commemoration. When we reach near the Tarsus River, we’ll take a look at the mountain you mentioned and carve a stele to mark our achievements!"