Carius had moved himself to the eastern watchtower in the time since his return home. It had felt the safest, seeing as the Dragon had passed from the East due Northwest one would think it would have scared the eastern hills and forest to death, Carius had. He wondered for the umpteenth time this month. ‘Why me?’. As if the world had it against him tens of rough looking men with cleavers for swords, animal hides for clothes, and animal bones for decorations, popped out of the enlarged Eastern Clearing, stared up at his watchtower with their filthy, bloody, anger. Their leader, a former office worker with a pot belly, turned marauder and caveman extraordinaire, with a head as empty and shiny as a baby’s bottom and a wicked smile stepped forth.
It had been a peaceful morning. One like no other. The crows had stopped their daily attacks, much to the surprise of everyone but Atlas and Argea, as if they had a secret understanding. The crows where still here, watching over the goings on in the Clan and their troubles, yet silently. With a clear view, a bright sunny day to look forward to, and peace and quiet in the forest all around Carius had been preparing for another well earned easy day after what had been the last couple of weeks. He still remembered the thundering drum of the Dragon heartbeat that had nearly made his eardrums burst. The Migraine from that event was still felt today. His skull had almost split open when the beast had talked. The translation of its words mixing in many things that normal people could not hear. Things that Carius was putting off thinking about until he had to. Just like everything else in his life after he gave up on that band of his.
He chuckled in nostalgia. ‘I had been a wild Laertis boy, once upon a time.’
Sadly, it was simply not meant to be. It was through the guttural sound of phlegm being pushed from the throat, and the glob of spit flying out of someones mouth that Carius was introduced to the team of armed men marching in the forest straight ahead of him.
One after another they entered his hearing range. Noses snorted, metal scraped into hard leather. and boots scraping on dirt, maybe even a hand scratching a butt-cheek.
A full team of marauders, a troop of two dozens. One dozen up front, the other carrying a cheap looking palanquin of straw, on it a man of clearly different demeanor, not any more elegant for it. The bound straw stretching under him, and the grumble of his gut reached Carius loud and clear.
Carius was scrambling, it was quite clear to even his crumbling mental faculties that these men were not here based on luck. They knew where they were going, as they were headed straight for the eastern gate of the Laertis Compound despite having a forest with millions of trees, thousands of square kilometers, and all the directions in the world to go to.
When his mind made the connection that this was part of the same group as the Kid Atlas had happened upon a few days before on the river bed. His hand could not help but ring the bell of warning. It blared through the compound. Children hid, men and woman got ready to war. Everyone took a weapon on hand, they moved to formation on the eastern wall. Behavior drilled into them since the Beast Stampede.
The two Patriarchs stood on the walls above the gates only a minute later. Ru Feng, Atlas, Ru Shi all close by, watching on as the group of filthy warriors sauntered over through the clearing and stopped not too far from the gate itself.
“Announce yourselves! Strangers!” Archeseus took the first word. His voice boomed through the forest.
“I am the Spring Sage. Leader of the Peach Dragon Faction. Bestowed Ear and Mouth of the Divine Dragon which passed over these lands only days ago.” The balding man caressed his mustache. His makeshift palanquin was steadily brought to the ground. The man alighted calmly, stepping barefoot on the soil of fallen leaves and fresh grass.
“I am Archeseus Laertis, One of two Patriarchs of the United Clans. The land you are trespassing on has been ours since time immemorial.” Archeseus was not trying to be subtle.
Bi-Ran watched on from the side, standing not too far away from Ru Shi and Atlas, yet hidden away on the branches of a tree. His mission had been complete. He should have left and went to notify his family. That much he knew. But he had not. He told himself it was because of the Dragon, and the fact that it decided to settle on the Qi Spring the Chasm people would have used. But that was not the truth. Not only had Atlas basically negotiated with the Dragon on their behalf, but his role here was not to secure the Qi Spring, instead it was the principle. It was the existence of a spring of endless Qi that he was here to verify. Thus his presence was no longer required.
When he saw the man, heard him speak, a feeling so painfully queasy flashed through his guts that it would have been better to have Ru Feng kick him without remorse. He felt thankful for greedily enjoying the United Clans hospitality for a little while longer.
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“That is good to know. As are the other things I have learned, very bad things. You call the river running off from our Diving Dragon’s nest your water supply. Which is a crime of unspeakable proportions, especially for non believers such as yourselves. Of course you can always convert. But most of all, I have learned that the people calling this Compound their home are Cultivators. Yes. Cultivators. Cursed beings that go against the path our Divine Beast follows. Beings of unlimited greed and arrogance. Sinners that in the past have hunted and consumed the Divine Dragons in their hubris.”
Patriarch Ru Wai would not be having such slander. He rolled his eyes at Archeseus and spoke. “I am going to have to cut you off, Spring Sage. But we have never said anything about wanting to harm the Dragon. In fact when it Spoke-“
“SPOKE!? You nubile underdeveloped troglodytes think the Dragon needs to speak?!” Spittle flew out of the Spring Sage’s mouth. His oily, sweaty body trembled from his anger. His hands flying righteously in the air as the man expressed his deepest disgust. “You think that it would lower itself to such a level!? And for not even its representative amongst the mortals, but instead a Hermetic little family barely surviving in the middle of the Woods?! Shame! SHAME!” He cried like the crows perched in the trees behind him.
If anyone amongst the people of the two clans had not already understood the type of person the Spring Sage was, they certainly did now. A few giggles erupted from below the walls. The ridiculous words flowing out of the enemy leaders mouth turning their mood upside down. {Clap~~~!} “Spring Sage, your vanity is showing. You’re making our warriors laugh.” Atlas mocked. Steam came out of the balding man’s ears. He pointed his finger at Atlas. “Kill that insolent fool!” A man next to him lifted his hand axe to the sky and swung. “Actually, don’t. I changed my mind.” The throwing axe faltered to the ground as the Spring Sage coughed into his collar and straightened his hair. “I am letting you all get me too riled up. But the situation is simple. This land from today forth Belongs to the Peach Dragon Faction. It is our Sacred grounds. The first home of our peoples and the staging ground for the spreading of our great religion!”
“YEAH!” The muscle bound clean shaved men on his side all shouted, weapons in arms held high in the sky.
This went far above the levels of a threat. It was clearly a hostile declaration. Everyone knew it. Thus Patriarch Ru Wai took the initiative. He lifted his palm, behind his shoulder. Clutched and threw it forth.
A dense blot of arrows flew over the walls and straight for the Spring Sage and his men without warning. He screamed in fright and jumped to the ground as his men guarded him with their bodies. Many arrows missed the mark but many found it as well. Pincushions were made out of half the mighty warriors while the rest, injured as they were, picked up their trembling Leader, placed him on the palanquin and raced away. “Remember this Heathens. It was you who fired the first shot against the Dragon Warriors!” He yelled as he withdrew back into the forest.
Carius released a massive sigh as the spring sage left. The noise had been almost too much but everyone else’s breath found no release.
Patriarch Archeseus addresses his family below the walls. “I know this may be out of nowhere. But war has been declared. We will immediately enter preparation mode for anything that may come our way. We will treat this threat seriously until we know otherwise. Scouting parties will be sent out shortly. We need to bunker in and weather this storm. I think we all understand that facing a human threat on top of that of nature can be what breaks the camel’s back. But we, can not let this legacy die out. We are clans so ancient these factions like the Peach Dragon or the Crystal Palace do not even compare. We hold knowledge and history these random invaders could never even hope dream about. We will face this challenge head on and tackle it with all due seriousness, and we shall prevail!” declared in this impassioned speech. “United!”
“OH!” The response shook the earth and awakened the forest. For kilometers this declaration would echo. Even to the ears of Xerxes, who just happened to be nearby.
As all hostiles left, Bi-Ran jumped out of his tree and rushed to Atlas. “Atlas! That man!” He spoke in a hushed manner.
“He knew about Cultivation, considered it a reality even.” Atlas went to broach the subject before Bi-Ran brought it up.
“He was from the Pavilion!” Bi-Ran shivered even as he spoke. The tentacles of those Great Clans and Sects had already
“Are you sure? How can you know? What if he descended from a Clan much like mine.”
“Its the name of his faction. You would think it had been named after the Dragon they worship. But what if I told you the name came before the Dragon? They forced that Dragon to be birthed sooner! It’s a Method of the Heavenly Beast Sect Devised way back, when Divine Beasts could still be seen on our planet. It had been created out of desperation and had been abused to the extent that entire sects depended on that technique to continue their existence.” Bi-Ran spoke in one breath, his thoughts running at the speed of light inside his mind.
“Hey. Bi-Ran, calm down. You don’t need to worry about this. The Clans have weathered bigger storms before. You only need to get yourself safely back home, to tell the good news to your people. Remember. You are always welcome here.” Atlas encouraged. He grabbed Bi-Ran’s shoulders warmly. He gave a disarming smile and separated. Many things had to be done. Bi-Ran though did not notice Atlas shaking arms, and faltering façade. The young man spoke storms, he thought of war and of victory, of the totality of it. He felt the necessity of duty bearing down upon him, it’s call incessant. Demanding he capitulate to its purpose with ever breath he took. He shivered once more.