Chương 80: The First Tribal Union

What kind of people were these? To Dagon, travelling beside the Bloodclaw group was a continuous series of surprises. At the front of the migration line, Brother Krog repeatedly drew strange symbols upon an animal hide. Curious, Dagon asked Kaden what he was doing. Kaden called it a map. It recorded the surrounding terrain according to direction and distance, allowing other orcs to use it to find their way later. The map of the Bloodclaw settlement even marked the positions of nearby traps.

Because everyone knew where the traps were located, every warrior could avoid or use them. Dagon could hardly believe such a method existed. Why had no one in Warriorhearts ever thought of it? His astonishment did not end there. Dagon had noticed it during the minotaur battle, but the Bloodclaw warriors fought in ways Warriorhearts had never considered. As they drew closer to Bloodclaw territory, he discovered the traps Kaden had described scattered throughout the forest.

When the migration group finally reached the Bloodclaw settlement, Dagon's eyes widened again. A stone wall surrounded the village. It was completely different from the nearly useless wooden fence protecting Warriorhearts. Threatening stakes and spikes had been installed along different sections of the wall to prevent monsters from approaching. The houses inside also looked subtly different from those of Dagon's tribe.

"Brother Kaden, what are these channels cut into the ground?"

"Those are called drainage channels, Brother Dagon." Like a villager entering a city for the first time, Dagon pointed at everything he saw and asked questions. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"That is a well."

"Krahahaha! Has Brother Dagon never seen soap?"

"Krahahaha! Kaden already explained that every Bloodclaw warrior carries a weapon made from drake bone." Every answer exceeded anything Dagon had imagined. The greatest shock came when he learned who had created it all.

"Brother Karath made every one of these things?"

"Did he truly receive the knowledge of the ancestors?" Dagon already believed the claim enough to follow Karath here. The appearance of the Bloodclaw settlement strengthened that belief beyond measure.

"Oh!"

"Is he truly a messenger sent by the ancestors?" The Warriorhearts tribespeople within the advance group also began regarding Karath with growing reverence. Dagon reached a separate conclusion. He needed to remain near Karath. That determination did not come entirely from faith. It came from his responsibility as a potential future chief. Karath had used the knowledge of the ancestors, or whatever its true source might be, to transform Bloodclaw beyond recognition.

Dagon needed to follow him and learn as much as possible. Only then could he create a happier and safer life for the people of Warriorhearts. Five days passed after the migration began. The journey to Warriorhearts required one day. Returning with another group required another. Karath and the warriors had already made the round trip three times.

"Ugh. Only one more journey remains, right?" Karath stretched after completing the third return. Approximately fifteen women and children remained within the Warriorhearts settlement, along with around ten warriors, including Chief Moldin. Some of the warriors had travelled during the second and third groups so they could begin adapting to Bloodclaw in advance. It was fortunate that Karath had ordered the stone wall built with extra space.

A modest distance remained between the houses and the wall surrounding the settlement. The nearest earthen houses stood at least five metres away from it. The gaps between the existing houses were also generous. By constructing new homes in those spaces, the settlement could accommodate the entire Warriorhearts population without serious difficulty.

"Aunt Gerina! How are the Warriorhearts tribespeople adjusting?"

"Keh heh heh. Everyone was surprised at first, but they are adapting well."

"That is a relief. They seemed quite confused when they first arrived."

"They certainly were. One orc even tried to eat the soap."

"Krahahaha! That caused quite a commotion."

"Still, they are already becoming skilled at helping build the earthen houses." A smile appeared on Karath's face. Every time a new Warriorhearts group arrived, its members were immediately assigned to the construction of their future homes. The Bloodclaw orcs could have built everything for them. However, the newcomers needed to experience the process repeatedly so they could continue construction themselves later.

Karath had therefore placed them under Gerina, who acted as the leader and work supervisor of the Bloodclaw women. The Warriorhearts warriors who arrived earlier were accompanying Bloodclaw patrols and hunting groups. They were learning numbers, maps, traps, and Bloodclaw's coordinated methods of hunting. Only one final journey remained before the relocation would be complete. Karath was considering how to use the newly increased population when a commotion reached him.

"Hm?"

"What is happening?" The sound came from the main gate. Karath naturally turned in that direction. His eyes widened. Several dozen orcs were approaching the entrance.