Coward!
That was the label my teacher gave me. He accused me of being afraid and insecure, of avoiding challenges and difficulties. He predicted that I would never achieve anything in life, and that I would always be a failure.
I don't understand. Why did he judge me so harshly? What did I do to earn his disdain and contempt? I always did my best to learn and improve, to heed his instructions and advice.
Yet, I have become the Leader despite my flaws. I have worked hard and persevered, and I have gained the trust and respect of my people. I wonder what my teacher would think of me if he could see me now.
Leader Loweth.
◇
He staggers into my hut, his face grim and weary. He is one of the few warriors we have left in our tribe. But he is not a true warrior, none of us are. We don't have that luxury. We lack the core that empowers every warrior. We are only apprentices, learning the basics of combat and survival.
"Are you sure?" I bite my lip and clutch my chest, feeling a knot of worry.
"Yes, Leader. Mold has been scouting the forest for any signs of danger… and…"
"And what?" I lean forward, my fingers drumming on the table. "Spit it out," I say.
He hesitates, then says, "Well, Mold is still on his reconnaissance mission. You know how he is, always careful and thorough. But he sent back a Trabbit with a message. Here it is."
He hands me a small capsule, containing a report of Mold's findings. The monster migration pattern, trails of apex monsters and other Pariahs movement.
Pariah is the name given to those races who are condemned by having a core. I hate that name, but it has been used for longer than our tribe's history, and there is no other term that everyone agrees on. However, not everyone accepts this name. After all, we can use our own name for ourselves. Some have tried to change it, but that only led to more wars. And we can't afford another war, not us. Our tribe has no fighters at all, which makes us the weakest and most vulnerable among the other Pariahs. This is the darkest time for our tribe.
And I'm the leader of such tribe. No pressure at all.
"Mold is really quite a meticulous guy. He records every detail in his report without fail." I nod approvingly and dismiss Mill. "Mill, you're dismissed. Go and continue to assist your brother with his tasks."
"Hah. Yes, Leader!" Mill springs to his feet, his posture rigid. He makes a fist with his left hand and thumps it twice on his solar plexus, then moves it to his chest and holds it there for two seconds. His eyes shine with pride and respect.
I feel a surge of embarrassment and return his salute automatically. Crap, I shouldn't have done that. Sigh. Mill is very passionate about being a warrior. He admires the traditions and customs of our tribe. But only those who have proven themselves can use this salute. It's an unspoken rule.
I sit down again and study the report more carefully.
It says that only the red-core monsters are left in the forest. That makes sense. They depend on the forest for their survival, unlike the orange-core monsters and above.
But what worries me is the migration of the green and blue-core monsters. They are almost the top predators of this forest, but they seem to be fleeing from something. Something dangerous or threatening. I take out a map and mark the locations of the trails that Mold found.
I clutch my head, feeling a sharp pain behind my eyes. 'Why now?' I groan. 'We are not ready for this.'
The map on the table shows a monster trail moving away to whatever's coming. It is heading towards us. No, not directly at us, but close enough that anyone who looks at this map will know that it will change course soon and go straight for our settlement.
I feel a cold sweat on my forehead as I tap the skin under my chest, where my core is hidden. It is a life core, not a warrior core that a leader should have. A rare and precious gift that gives us enhanced abilities and potential. But it also makes us a target for the monsters, who crave to devour cores and absorb their power. Especially the warrior cores, the strongest and most coveted ones. Mine is not a warrior core, but the monsters do not care. They cannot tell the difference anyway.
I hear the rustling of papers as I flip through the reports from our scouts. They have been monitoring the other pariahs who live in this area. They are outcasts like us, people who have cores and are shunned by the coreless. We are not in an alliance of sorts, but we all agreed to stay in our designated stations and defend our territory. But now, it seems that some of them have fled.
No… all of them.
I compare the reports with Mold's report, which is more detailed and reliable.
Sigh.
"Is this our end?" I mutter to myself.
Clearly, the cockich tribe, who live to our right miles away, have already abandoned their homes and fled. They have broken the agreement to hold their ground and stay on their post. They are cowards with no sense of shame.
On our left however, the Fiery Tribe is still on their station. But that may be for appearance only. They may be planning to flee at any moment. Their settlement is already packed with all their warriors suited up. They are ready to move out at any time. Clearly, they are not engaging in any monster hunt, after all you don't need a caravan for that. You just need your weapons and your courage.
I shudder at the thought of a Giant appearing as I look at my table.
Giants are unpredictable and terrifying monsters that can destroy anything in their path. Their appearances are random and erratic. Sometimes they show up a few brens apart, sometimes they take a decade to emerge. No one knows where they come from or why they attack. All we know is that we have to fight them.
Most pariahs are stationed here in the Blue Serpent mountain range. Our mission is to lure any monsters away from the Centrice, a city of mostly human race. But it's not a mission we chose. It's a punishment they imposed on us. They exile us from their society and make us live in this harsh and dangerous land. They fear that our presence in their proud city will attract monsters, especially the Visor.
The Visor is the most feared monster of all. It is a Giant that can fly and ignore all defenses. It wields magic more powerful and proficient than any warrior. It is the nightmare of every pariah, human and any race alike.
Every pariah is condemned and despised by the coreless, and given the humiliation of the ages. Just by merely existing, we attract monsters, we are cursed, that's who we are to them.
Whenever we confirm a news of a Giant appearing somewhere near us, a Great Warrior will be sent from the front lines to help us here in the neglected front.
The mountain ranges are a formidable natural fortress that most Giants can't cross easily. They are too big and clumsy to climb over the steep slopes and rocky cliffs.
And having the pariahs in the middle of the forest means all monsters who live in these dangerous woods are drawn to us from every direction. They can sense our cores and they want to devour them. This means that the proud population of the Centrice is safe and secure behind us. Without us, monsters can lurk onto them. But with us here, they only need to consider supplying the frontline with enough resources.
Normally, we wouldn't panic when we hear about a Giant. We are used to living in danger and fighting for our survival. We just stay on our ground and defend ourselves from the monster wave that runs away from the Giant. We just have to wait for the Great Warrior to arrive and fight the Giant for us. The Great Warriors are elite fighters who have powerful magic and skills. They are sent by the front to deal with any Giant threats.
But, things are not normal anymore. The front line has been breached brens ago by a said to be invasion of monsters on top of occasionally appearance of giants there. The front have been losing ground and retreating ever since. They have already moved the front line a few times, almost reaching the Centrice itself. It is even rumored that three races have already gone extinct in this war, after all a city is situated there where they used to live.
With their busy schedule and lack of man power, it is understandable that the other Pariahs who are currently stationed here in the neglected front would be anxious and restless. They don't know if they can rely on the front to send them any help or support. On top of that, we are condemned and despised by the coreless, who treat us as disposable tools and scapegoats. We don't trust them or respect them at all. It is a wise choice to move out of this place until the front line can prove that they can deal with the Giant threat regardless of their setbacks.
We also might do that, if we had any warriors.
But we don't have any warriors left in our tribe. They have all died or gone missing in previous battles with monsters.
Maybe other pariahs know this fact and that's why they aren't afraid of the Defenders to punish them for leaving their stations. The Defenders are a group of warriors who are supposed to enforce the rules and regulations of deserters among every races who have been given a station, they also the intelligence unit responsible of gathering information and possible resources to the front. But they are corrupt and cruel, often abusing their power and extorting us for monster core or goods. Having one tribe still stationed here is after all still considered as acceptable by them. They won't bother even if we all perish, and just pick another tribe to replace us.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
I slap my face hard to focus on my work and stop worrying about things I can't control. I need to finish reading these reports and write my own summary for the Defenders. I also need to consider taking a breather and relax a bit. It is almost time for lunch anyway.
"Hohoho, time to go boost up my motivation!" I say to myself with a smile.
"La! La! La! La! Wait for me, Mimi~ Father is just gonna tidy up his desk first~" Kaaah, having a cute daughter washes away all my worries and troubles…