Chapter 73: What’s left for us?

There were plenty of guards who patrolled the village, the spirits of light hovering over their shoulders to illuminate the area around them.

Since there was no proper form of protection that would prevent monsters from entering their home, every single guard was on high alert, spotting even the smallest bugs that tried to fly into their village.

"Hmm? A person?" One guard saw a silhouette of a person, then three, coming his way. On instinct, he drew his blade, but upon a closer look, he noticed that it was his own tribesmen.

"Telah? Haha! It is! Telah, Helgen, and Viren! You’re back! Guys, they’re back!" He quickly ran into the village, used the spirit of earth to create a pillar that launched him into the air, and shot a ball of light into the sky.

It was a signal to not only show their people where the village was if night had dawned, but also to alert the people of their warrior’s return.

"Hmm?"

"Was that the signal?"

"They’re back?"

"The warriors are back!"

"The Typhon Tribe is undefeated!"

"We won!"

"Our tribe will prosper now!"

Everyone ran to the front of the village, eager to see their spoils of war, the cheers of their warriors, and the amazing story they will tell about how they completely destroyed the Nemean Tribe.

"Huh? Why are there only three people returning?"

"What do you mean? The others are behind them, right?"

As their confusion began to spread, the reality of the situation started to sink in. Only three warriors had returned, and judging from their expressions, the news they bore didn’t seem to be good.

"Warrior Telah, it’s so good to see you again." Anuwat, the witch of the Typhon tribe, made her way to the warriors and held their hands, happy to see them return safely.

"Witch Anuwat, I am blessed by the spirits to see you again as well."

"Where are the others? Are they preparing the land for our arrival?"

Telah smiled bitterly while a dry laugh escaped Helgen’s mouth. As for Viren, she simply sighed and looked at the ground in shame and defeat.

"We lost."

Telah’s voice froze everyone present. No one could comprehend the depths of her words for what felt like hours, though mere moments had passed.

She couldn’t meet any of their gazes; the shame was too great. It was hard enough returning with the news of their defeat, but now, they were to become part of the Nemean tribe, or die. Telah didn’t even know how to form those words to tell them.

"What? What do you mean?" It was a little girl who spoke up first. She didn’t quite understand the depths of the loss their tribe had suffered, but she could understand that nothing good had happened.

"We lost, little one. The Nemean Tribe was formidable, strong, powerful warriors. Our initial assault failed, so we had to resort to close combat. There was a time on the battlefield that it looked as if we were going to win, but in the end, Chief Woton fell."

Audible gasps spread throughout the crowd as some people sank to their knees while others covered their mouths in shock.

"O-Our chief lost?"

"I-Impossible!"

"Was the Nemean Tribe that formidable?"

"W-What about the others? Please, a-are there any survivors?"

After learning of their defeat, the next thing to know was whether their people were spared or killed. They all assumed the latter.

"Besides the warriors who fell in combat, the Nemean Tribe were gracious enough to spare those who surrendered after Chief Woton fell. They imprisoned us as we waited for their final verdict on our lives?"

"A-And?" Anuwat asked

"Fortunately, the imprisoned warriors will be spared. There are over a hundred of us." Telah informed everyone.

Sighs of relief spread through the crowd. Though the tribe knew that they all might have lost someone close to them, they were still thankful that the others were able to survive.

A young man walked off to the side and took a seat on the ground. "So, we’ll have to live out our days here, suffering at the hands of that plague and monster attacks."

Others also realized what this defeat meant and bit their lips out of frustration. They lost half of their fighting force, the other bit was imprisoned, and they lost the one potential place to live safely. The Typhon Tribe was finished.

"Not necessarily." Telah spoke up. "You see, the Nemean Tribe worship their god Nemean. Apparently, their god has told them not only to spare us, but to adopt us into their tribe. So, if you all agree, we will be able to move to their village where it’s safe."

"What?"

"Live with those Nemean bastards?"

"What an insult!"

"Warrior Telah, you can’t expect us to believe that, can you?"

"I know, I know, but just listen. Part of the reason why we lost is that the Nemean Tribe has a shaman, and that shaman is also of Nemean blood." Telah knew that this would get their attention.

While the younger generation didn’t understand what that meant, the older generation perfectly understood Telah’s words. As they continued to listen, they even learned that the Shaman hasn’t even grasped the true depths of his power, having had it for a few months.

"I-If a shaman who’s only been active for a few months can do this, then what choice do we have?"

"Did you listen? He’s not just a shaman, but a blood of Nemean! We’re lucky that our warriors were spared!"

"Warrior Telah, have you come to convey this Shaman’s words?"

She nodded. "Yes, I have. In fact, he has come with me and is currently camped outside. He has told me that we will be taken into their village, be offered homes, food to eat, clothes, and even work."

"What’s the catch?" Someone asked

"If we decline, then he’ll wipe out our tribe."

Everyone’s expression darkened. They didn’t know what to do, how they should respond. There was no way they wanted to join the tribe of their rival, but the lives of their people were also at stake.

Anuwat stepped closer to Telah and held her hand once more. "Bring him here; let’s talk to him."