The soldiers disappeared into the forest like ghosts. Fortunately, the tactic worked; I could win in a fight against them, but not while protecting others.
"Thank you for saving us, stranger," a voice behind me says.
Turning around, I see a man with a magnificent spear and adorned with various gold bracelets and earrings. He has a tall, strong physique and couldn't be more than thirty years old.
(The leader.)
"I don't mean to be disrespectful, but are you a spirit sent by the Panther Goddess?" he asks.
(Right on target; they are Wakandans and, as in the stories, devout followers of the Panther Goddess.)
"I am Baldur, a god from a distant land, on a journey to find your people," I reply.
My words put the surviving soldiers on alert, all of them pointing their weapons at me.
"Lower your weapons, you fools! Are you trying to attack our savior?" the leader commands.
Reluctantly, the soldiers obey.
"I thank you once again, God Baldur, but I must ask, why have you come from such a faraway place to find my people?"
I can sense doubt and fear in his voice. Perhaps he thinks I'm here to steal or enslave his people. I must say, he's doing an excellent job of hiding his shock at my revelation as a god, unlike his men.
"What is your name?" I inquire.
"I am Bashenga, sir, leader of the Panther tribe," he responds.
Bashenga appears not to possess the powers of the Black Panther. Perhaps he will become the first King of Wakanda, or one of his descendants.
"I have no intentions towards your people, Bashenga. I am here only to forge an alliance between our two tribes."
"Lord Baldur saved us, so he has our friendship. As for the alliance, we cannot accept it at this moment," Bashenga replies.
The Panther tribe must be going through a critical moment to be so pressured.
"Why don't we go somewhere else to talk? We also need to tend to your wounded," I suggest.
"I agree."
I glance upwards towards my flying boat.
"General, keep scouting the forest for enemies."
"YES, SIR!"
My new friends finally catch sight of my boat, which only adds to their unease.
"Let's go, Leader Bashenga. We have much to discuss."
We move the soldiers and the wounded for about thirty minutes through the forest until we find a well-hidden spot with a good view all around. The trees provide excellent cover, and with the general keeping watch from above, the chances of a surprise attack are slim.
I distribute some medicine I brought as a precaution, a salve made from magical herbs recently planted on my island. This seems to ease the men's fear and make them more grateful for my help.
After assisting his men, Bashenga sits in front of me.
"The reason my tribe is in this situation is because of the greatest blessing the heavens bestowed upon us. Years ago, a star fell from the sky. I thought it was a good sign, so my tribe and I moved to where it had landed. We discovered that the fallen star gave us a large quantity of metal stronger than any we had ever known. We began to forge weapons and build our homes around the star. The star not only gave us metal but also made the land more fertile, providing abundant harvests. Over the years, neighboring tribes began to covet our land. We won every battle and protected our home until..."
"Monsters began to appear?" I interject.
Ignoring my interruption, Bashenga is astonished by my knowledge of the situation.
"Yes, you are correct, Lord. If I may ask, how did you know?" he inquires.
"You may call me by my name, Bashenga. The reason I know is because I have extensive knowledge about the metal you speak of. That's why I've come here to forge an alliance," I explain.
"I see."
Few people know, but vibranium is radioactive. Those who extract it without protection have the chance of having their DNA altered, creating these mindless mutants. Several villains have also gained their powers because of this.
"Some of my people were possessed by the Demon Spirits and attacked anyone in a great fury. We suffered great losses until we managed to kill them all. Unfortunately, we couldn't heal them."
(He has a great love for his people; he will make a good king.)
"Taking advantage of our weakness, the Jabari tribe, using the magic of a new god called the White Ape, gained great strength and, along with other tribes, attacked us. These men possessed the strength of ten and killed many of us. Knowing that our only fate is defeat, I gathered some of my best men to go to the ancient temple of the Panther Goddess for guidance. That's when they discovered us, and you saved us."
Now I am certain that he will become the first Black Panther.
"Bashenga, once again, I suggest an alliance. I will help you reach the temple of your god, and then together we will fight your enemies."
"I understand that you want an alliance, but why fight in our war? Wouldn't it be easier for you to help the Jabari tribe defeat us, and then form an alliance with them?"
"I want an alliance with someone I can trust, and you seem to be a worthy and honorable man. We can discuss whether or not to form an alliance after dealing with our problems. But for now, we must go. We have lingered too long, and I doubt your enemy will miss the chance to kill you."
BiPBiP!
I retrieve a golden disc from my belt. A hologram of the general is projected from its center. This is the method I'm using to maintain communication not only with him but also with the island.
"Enemies are approaching, sir."
"How many?"
"About a hundred."
Hearing our conversation, all the survivors of the Panther tribe lose hope. They have forty men left, more than half of them wounded. The chances of victory in a direct confrontation are zero.
"Bashenga, I have a plan, but it will only work if you and your men follow my orders."
I address Bashenga directly.
"Tell me your plan. If it's good, I don't mind putting my men under your command."
"Great. General, I want you to scan the terrain around us and create a map."
"Yes, sir!"
(There's nothing better to defeat an army with superior numbers than a trap.)
"My plan is quite simple, Bashenga."
I begin to explain my plan to Bashenga, speaking loudly enough for the nearby soldiers to hear. If it succeeds, it could boost the soldiers' morale.
//POV: Third Person//
The pursuit had lasted for over three hours. Warriors from various tribes, led by a warrior from Jabari, were ordered to hunt down the leader of the Panther tribe; they were to assassinate him before he reached his destination.
The first warriors sent recoiled in fear after encountering what they called a demon. Upon reporting what happened to their leaders, over a hundred warriors were ordered to continue the mission. It took a long time to find the Panther leader's trail. Eventually, they found ten warriors gathering flowers near a small spring.
These men were gathering flowers for their healing properties, perhaps to save their wounded. Thus began a long and arduous chase, with the leader of the large battalion leading all his warriors in the pursuit.
Crossing fields and small forests, the men of the Panther tribe seemed to know every inch of the way, until the pursuing battalion was led to a large plain surrounded by towering trees. The men of the Panther tribe seemed to have simply vanished.
Suddenly, several arrows rained down from the treetops, killing over twenty of them.
"IN THE TREES, THEY'RE IN THE TREES!"
A few seconds later, another wave of arrows struck their targets, claiming more lives.
"SHIELDS UP!"
The leader, dressed in the white ape's fur, yelled, and his men raised their shields to defend against the arrows. Despite their efforts, they still suffered injuries and casualties.
"Archers, aim at the trees."
The Jabari tribe's archers shot upwards, trying to hit the unseen enemy. Unfortunately, the large leaves of the trees provided natural protection for those being shot at.
As time passed, the number of bodies on the ground increased, many of them still alive, screaming in pain with wounds to their legs or torso. Those who still tried to defend themselves gathered in a circle.
"Sir, to the left!"
To their left, they could see those who had led them into the trap, crouched in the tall grass.
"Let's get out of here and kill those damn cowards. Leave the wounded behind."
Those who were crouched rose and ran in the opposite direction of the battalion. Several soldiers died running towards them, trying to escape the trap. As they left the center of the plain, the arrows stopped, giving the soldiers some relief. But ahead, they began to hear the loud sound of falling water.
"Damn cowards are trying to cross the river. Move faster!"
Increasing their speed, all furious and eager to get their hands on those who caused the death of so many of their comrades, those who were fleeing crossed a large mound of leaves, disappearing on the other side. After crossing the same path, several soldiers found themselves atop a slope facing a large waterfall.
"STOP, STOP!"
Those at the front stopped, trying to avoid falling, only to be pushed by those behind them. Several fell into the waterfall, a drop of more than thirty meters. Shortly after the fall, the sound of bodies crashing against the rocks could be heard.
"Damn cowards!"
The leader was lucky to be in the middle of the battalion and not fall like those in front.
"Back into the forest."
As they turned to re-enter the forest, they saw men emerging from it with shields and spears. They were lined up in formation, not to fight, but to push back the remaining men.
From behind the formation, some archers fired, causing more panic among those on the slope.
"Do you think these shields can stop me? I'll break them with my own hands!"
The leader advanced towards the enemy shields; with his increased strength, breaking through their defense would be easy. After that, they would rely on the greater number of soldiers to kill them all.
Unfortunately for him, a few meters from the shields, a beam of light blinded everyone. After the light faded, they saw their leader lying on the ground with a hole in his head.
"It's the end. We're doomed."
With morale low, it didn't take long for everyone to share the fate of their leader.
//POV Baldur//
(The plan worked perfectly.)
"Tell me, Baldur."
Bashenga beside me calls out.
"Yes?"
"What kind of god are you?"
"I am the god of the Sun and light. Why do you ask now?"
"I was thinking that you seem more like a god of war."