"You passed my test. You truly are wise enough." Ruda'ar grinned at me.
What the...
"So you were testing me?"
"Absolutely."
The shaman carefreely nodded. As if his life isn't hanging by a thread.
Boom!
Mana surged around me intensely. Turning into a flurry of strong gusts.
Gritting my teeth. I was just one thought away. One thought away from killing the shaman.
I can do it. I can make that small bead of compressed mana mist explode. Explode and tear apart his heart.
"Do you really think this is the time for such things? People are dying. Your people. And the other camp's people! Do you not understand the gravity of this... This situation?"
I couldn't hold back from hissing and lashing out verbally. I don't get why the Shaman would test my judgement.
We are at a small scale war. There is no time for petty tests. Nor jokes.
"Pipe down Dominic child. Have you really thought of me. The shaman of an entire tribe. To be ever so foolish?" Ruda'ar's tone took a grim turn. His green eyes glaring at me.
I glared back at the lizardman who was roughly a bit above my height.
"I do not know you to truly judge who you are. But by the way you are doing things. It gives me a bad impression."
Ruda'ar laughed. Patted my shoulder and sighed.
"Truly honest. You are reliable enough."
"Dominic. What would you do if I told you that your first conjecture was right? That another party had been messing with our tribes? And what would you do if I told you that even your quiet little village is also another target?"
Silence...
Silence in the middle of war. An unlikely element.
Damn it.
Cain Village. Grim Guard and Fearless Spear Tribe. Three settlements stationed at a faraway place. Far from any other village. Wherein the closest village was located hundreds of miles away. Hidden deep inside the icy mountains.
No one would care if this place was destroyed. Or looted.
Even if the magan kingdom. The tyrannical kingdom cared about this place. It would take months to reach us.
Cain village is relatively safe.
To attack Cain Village. One has to get through the lizardmen when passing in the Twin forest.. But why?
Cain Village may be a village full of weaklings. Yet there was a reason it managed to persist throughout the generations untouched. It was built in the heart of monster infested areas.
To the west lies Danzo's plains. A grassland stretching far into the horizon. Being a few dozen miles vast. To journey through it could result in death.
Kobolds. Small field monsters. They may be weak but they kill in swarms.
Tales of brave travelling merchants assaulted by endless flocks of field rats was nothing unusual.
Further down south west. Lies Boulder Fields. An extension of the plains filled with rocks. And wandering stone golems.
Earthly constructs unable to be pierced by blades.
Boasting superhuman strength.
Eastward was the Treant Graveyard. The name alone tells of it's danger.
Passing through those three places was borderline suicide. Only the Twin forest was relatively safe enough to use as a route.
The only reason I am brave enough to consider escaping to the Cloudcap Mountains located south west, well beyond Danzo's plains and Boulder fields was because Cain village had a map. A map that I had memorized when young.
It was a map that the village elder would always show children as a form of warning and ceremony.
"Never leave the safety of Cain village. We are in the heart of danger afterall. The era of Cain Longborne had already ended and all of us are nothing but meager ants compared to our previous might."
A map foretelling of a safe way to navigate through everything safely and reach frost valley village.
For someone to lay eyes on my little village. My little safe haven.
How annoying.
How frustrating.
I just want a peaceful life. I already had it but now I was tossed smack dab in the middle of all these chaotic dangers.
I answered Ruda'ar's question.
"Then I would bide my time. And wait until I can personally deal with the one who whishes to bring harm upon me."
Venom tainted my words.
"Good. As for who is targeting all of us? No one knows."
The lizardman shrugged.
Wonderful...
I'm aware that my intervention has already caught that entity's attention. I have to be more careful this time.
Celo returned after discussing with the rest of the shield bearing warriors. Bowing with respect towards the shaman.
"Orders have been given esteemed Shaman."
Ruda'ar nodded at me. "Good. Dominic. Come with us, we need your healing skill to heal the other stupid shaman."
I understand. But...
"How are we going to bypass their defenses?"
The yellow scale lizardmen had just retreated upon hearing word of the grim guard tribe's shaman's awakening.
Safe to say. They are already back at their base. And had already started prepping defenses.
A plan needs to be cooked up. If we all rush there without one then more lives would fall.
I can't bear having the tribes being weakened.
Not to mention. Lizardmen are strong. Attacking them right now was trying to crack an iron shelled turtle's shell using a dull dagger.
"Easy. I am here. And there is an army at our fingertips." Ruda'ar pointed at himself.
Then his finger turned to me. With a willy smile. The shaman laughed at me. "The rest is up to you. Dominic. I choose you to lead our tribe to victory!"
Shock... I froze...
Why me???
Ehem ehem!
I coughed twice. Smiled sheepishly at
the shaman. "I'm just a six year old child. Commanding a small army? That's a disaster. Are you sure about it sir Ruda'ar?" I twiddled my thumbs. Sweated and looked to the side.
Ruda'ar laughed uproariously.
"A hundred percent sure. I chose you. To lead. For I wish to see how well you can command a batallion. Dominic. I can see the makings of a great leader in you. To be young yet so wise. To listen to reason, understand others and always thinking of counters against the worse."
The lizardman started scratching his chin again with a toothy grin.
Don't do that! That expression is nerve racking. For me!
"Call it stupidity or curiousity. I just want to see what a wise human can do. When I first laid my eyes on you. I felt that you were... One without equal in this world. One who was human. But utterly strange."
I blinked. Rooted to the spot.
Ruda'ar you...
Chose me to lead...
Goddamnit!
You never said that I'm going to play Civilizat*on again!
I'll be honest I'm good at that game but this is real life!
Lives are at stake! I don't want to fuck up!
Celo looked at me. Crossed his arms and grinned. "If our shaman says so. Then we will all be under your care."
Why do you seem to look favorably at me?
Did healing your shaman and beating you in a fight raise my reputation points high enough?
Should I kick you in the nuts again? So that my reputation would drop? To escape this task?
Sighing helplessly. I smiled nervously.
Damn... Thanks Celo... For adding more pressure to the mountain mounted under my back. Responsibility.
Life is precious. It has more weight than anything in this world. And I have to deal with those lives.
It would be one thing if those lives were the lives of scumbags but the lizardmen are good people!
If I screw up... Then people may die. Because of me.
I know that the shaman would cover for me. Provide slight assistance... But I'm still...
Nervous...
People are putting their faith and trust in me... Damn...
It's like the battle of milton again. That boss raid... The raid where...
That raid... All eyes on me. All hopes and dreams piling onto me.
Millions up to billions of viewers watching. Dozens of beta testers biting their nails.
I was the last man standing. The last one who could lead the remnants of our scattered forces.
To fail was to crush other's dreams. And to succeed was to be immortalized as a legend.
My heart nearly skipped its beat.
"Dominic. What seems to be clouding your thoughts?"
I shook my head. Smiled at the shaman. "Nothing... Was just distracted for a second."
I shouldn't think too much about past events. The present is a gift. And I must make full use of the time I have right now.
Ah. Fuck it.
I'm playing general again. I have to lead the lizardmen again.
"Fine fine. I won't complain about it." I shrugged.
Scratched my chin.
I need to plan. I need to make sure that we win but suffer no casualties. Nor kill any of the other tribe's lizardmen.
Think Dominic... Think.
How should you put dozens and even up to hundreds of brutes into good use?
This seems to be more troublesome than I thought.
Oh well... For now. Under the expectant gaze of the giddy shaman. I led the Grim Guard tribe to march. March towards the opposition.