He kept gazing at the sky for a while, not a word spoken between them. The only sounds were the light wind rustling through the trees and the soft crackle of the burning torches. The other shinobi stood in silence. He closed his eyes, trying to quiet his mind, letting the stillness of the night settle around him. It helped, just a little.
Then took a slow, steady breath and opened his eyes, now clearer.
"Kai," he called, his tone soft but firm, gaining the shinobi's attention.
"Yes, Master?" Kai replied, his voice flat, kept emotionless.
Kartiga remained looking at the sky, his gaze drifting across the vast spread of clouds, wide and stretched across the sky in all directions. He thought for a moment before asking, "What will the wind be like in the coming days?".
Kai's eyes also turned to the sky, his expression unchanged. "It's Fuka, Master. There's a high chance the wind will rise in a few days.".
Kartiga glanced around, his eyes falling to the ground. The earth was still damp beneath their feet. "Is there a chance those savages might cross Snakewood?".
Kai gave a slight shake of his head. "It's less likely, Master. "
Then before Kartiga could respond, a sharp whistle heard. One of the shinobi had thrown a kunai, and it landed precisely on a snake that had been approaching Kartiga. The creature's body twitched once, then went still as Kartiga stumbled back a step, his heart racing for a second before he regained his composure.
Kai continued, unaffected by the sudden action. "Snakewood has a bad reputation for not letting men stay for long.".
Kartiga gave him a quick glance, then steadied himself, his eyes shifting warily at the trees around him. His eyes darted to the shadows, sensing the presence of the snakes lurking in the underbrush.
Then, as if on cue, Kai pointed towards the distant mountain, drawing Kartiga's attention.
He squinted, trying to make out the shape through the mist that had descended over the land. The sky was covered with clouds, and the mountain was barely visible, shrouded in fog.
"There's a wood there," Kai said, "The tribemen might be camped there before they descend toward Heart Home.".
Kartiga shot a look at Kai, his brow furrowed in frustration. He hadn't been told about the savages being on the other side of the river.
Kai gave him a helpless look, as if to say it wasn't intentional, but Kartiga didn't care for the excuse.
He then stepped forward as he peered through the mist and fog at the mountain. The silhouettes of the trees and rocks barely stood out in the thick, swirling mist.
"How long will it take the savages to reach there?" Kartiga asked.
Kai paused for a moment, looking out over the mountains, then replied, "Might take four nights."
Kartiga smiled, a cold smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Wind would be good then?"
Kai nodded. "Might be."
Kartiga's gaze hardened as he turned back to the misty mountains. "Then burn it down," he said, his voice low and shown his intention.
Kai's expression shifted, but he asked quietly, "Master?"
Kartiga's eyes narrowed as he pointed toward the mountain. "Burn them down there," he said, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
Kai hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Bring down Heaven's Fire?"
Kartiga nodded, his face remain nonchalant. "Yes.".
--------------------------------
Four days later,
Around 2,000 savages gathered in the woods, their camp a frenzy of noise and violence. The air stank of sweat, blood, and meat. Most of them were wide awake and eyes bloodshot. Some were still cleaning their trophy weapons, sharpening blades, while others ransacked their latest raid—women captured from nearby villages, defiled and abused.
"Oi, get off 'er!" A savage laughed, his voice gruff, as he yanked a woman by the hair and tossed her aside. "You ain't worth the meat, b*tch!".
Nearby, a few savages were counting the grisly trophies they'd taken—ears, ripped from the heads of their victims, were piled in a bloody heap.
"How many ears we got now?" one asked, flicking through the pile with dirty fingers.
He laughed, his voice low and mocking. "We'll need more.".
At the edge of the camp, a small group of savages gathered in low voices, murmuring their unease.
"Maybe we should pull back," one of them said, his eyes darting around. "We've taken enough for now. What if the pretty boys in armor come after us?".
"You're a coward," another growled, slapping the first savage on the back. "We don't run. We hit 'em where it hurts. Our men are dead, and we'll make them pay for it. Ain't no stopping us now." He bit into a chunk of boar meat, his face smeared with grease. "We raid, we burn, and we take everything!".
Suddenly, without warning, a barrage of arrows came whistling. The first few arrows landed in the dirt, harmless, but the ones that followed shot directly into the camp, embedding themselves in the ground. The smoke they carried quickly began to rise, choking them.
"What the hell?!" A savage coughed, his eyes watering as he waved his hand in front of his face. "What's this shit?!".
The smoke spread, spread until the entire camp was shrouded in it. The savages staggered back, disoriented and confused. They tried to yell to each other, some of them stumbled and bumped into each other.
"Get off me, you idiot!" one savage screamed as he swung his axe blindly at other. But he missed, and the blow landed on another instead. Panic spread as men were fighting each other, swinging their weapons indiscriminately, slashing at their own.
Then the sound of fire erupted. Flames burst from the smoke, setting the dry woods ablaze. The crackle of fire mixed with screams as the savages panicked, trying to escape but finding only death in the flames.
"Run! Get outta here!" one savage yelled, his voice barely heard over the fire. But the fire spread too fast, swallowing the camp and everything in its path.
"Help! Someone—!" another savage shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the crackle of burning trees.
Those closest to the fire were the first to go down. Screams of agony filled the air as they tried to escape, but the fire was everywhere. They ran, but the smoke and flames followed.
Then, as if the flames weren't enough, poison arrows began to rain down from the darkness. Savages, still running, were struck. The poison worked quick, and within moments, those who were hit collapsed. The others, panicking, tried to escape, but the arrows kept coming.
"We're all gonna die!" one man cried, but his voice was cut off as another poison arrow pierced his throat. He fell, twitching, into the dirt.
Those who had kept alive by the savages now saw another terror of their life. The women and children, held captive in the woods, were forced to experience another torment. The smoke, the fire, the poison—everything was happening too fast, and they could do nothing to escape. Screams echoed as the helpless victims were consumed by the flames or fell under the arrows.
By the time the sun began to rise, the mountain was consumed in a hellish fire. Smoke billowed into the sky, and the forest was nothing but ash. The savages, reduced to nothing but scattered bodies and charred remains, had been wiped out in a brutal instant.
Then in the distance, someone watched last shriek of dead.
"Dear god," he muttered with regret. "How long you gonna torment me?" as he watched the flames swallowing the mountain. His men stood silently by his side, their eyes unreadable, as they turned and walked into the shadows, leaving the destruction behind.
[
Hey fam, our MC values power stones(red stones), so who's gonna donate to him for his future campaign? Need more!!!!!!!!
]