6 The Value of Knowledge

"What of the remaining, any relevance?" as he wore his robes, the elder was solemn after hearing the first news.

"Second, there were packs of dire wolves seen moving in large groups, numerous group have sighted them when they hunted."

The Elder had raised an eyebrow upon hearing it.

The ones hunting were juniors, below the age of 15, but to make sure no danger arises them, they could at least have one senior, who finished their training to guide them.

But even seniors hunt wolves that were isolated from their hunting teams, rarely targeting beyond groups of 4 or 5, so they are also not aware how 'large' they were referencing them.

They had used them as a form of basic training by grouping greenhorns[1] in their clans, all the elders had experienced it, even himself were thrown in the mountains to hunt and survive.

Areas with larger pacts are avoided for a reason, green horns would be food if they encountered them, while for veterans, although difficult they can at least survive from being mauled to death.

'A large group could vary, depending on what prey they are hunting, large could mean anything.'

He also studied their hunting patterns, methods, including eating habit when he was young, so such news about wolves in large groups was an exaggeration if it came from a youth.

"How is that related?"

To his knowledge, there are packs of direwolves in every territory, even in the mountains it was regular to see them.

So it considered perfect for them to train in the mountains along with gaining some food.

Until they hunted enough, they would be considered a young hunter, accidents and casualties were expected so they allowed any juniors with heavy injuries to return.

The other five clans have done similar training, which prove it was common knowledge.

"The reason why I deemed this relevant, was that we have been getting numerous casualty reports, not just from the juniors who formed groups but from patrolling guards are included, and each one was caused by being chased by a large group in every encounter."

"Fortunately no deaths were reported or found, but many are injured and will take time to recover when I had interviewed everyone involved, and compiled everything, they all said the same thing."

"That they were all at the Naga's territory during each attack."

A surprised look was on the Elder's face after hearing his explanation.

'Juniors are one thing, but to have the guards near the border as well. But that was not the problem...'

"Has there been any casualties from here?"

To confirm something, he asked the focal point of the report.

And the answer…

"None, all claimed that the usual lairs were abandoned, other locations were searched, and including those of larger pacts and the results were the same."

Felix answered the question he had expected.

'So that was why all the attacks in the Naga's, but why? Was it because of the constant hunting or the lack of food?'

'Both are impossible… even if wolves were constantly hunted, they would learn and find a new location, not leave the territory completely.'

Wolves would never abandon their lair, except for larger groups that have too many members, the smaller groups would only leave if they can't hunt enough, but to have both groups disappear and change territories was definitely unusual.

'They would have no choice unless the food became scarce which was also impossible.'

Because the war was in their homeland, the Boars had used defensive warfare, during that time the normal way to produce food was put to a halt which was farming.

As all the citizens who were farmers would be killed they had them retread in to the inner clan, so their stocks of food were going to diminish in a rapid pace, so they had used hunting to replenish from time to time.

It started out great at first, they had a mountains nearby which nested a number of beast so there was no problem if they controlled their areas.

But hunting became more desperate, as they discovered there were traps laid randomly in the hunting ground.

Since the enemy had no information on the area, they sent scouts in small teams and were not willing to gamble on large forces, then focused all soldiers in a frontal assault.

After the war ended, the Boar Clan had captured a number of animals in groups of two, from herbivores and carnivore that were in small numbers, and after five years they were released to further grow in the mountains having a few hunters observing at a regular basis, so the shortage of prey was also not the reason.

He even forbade hunting, to ensure they would spread and grow in numbers.

For 10 years, they continued to bolster their defense regaining their strength, little by little, while avoiding hunting and only farmed, and it was not until just last year the ban was lifted.

The rule of thumb[1] in hunting, was that every time they would, they would wait after half a year before they would hunt again.

Then change locations to not scare away the game, if not, then the beast would either abandon the area or move to the next location would be the only reason .

'So it's not because of constant hunting but something else.'

"Does the Naga Clan have any involvement?"

Thinking for a moment, he realized the event would have be man-made, the prime suspect could only be the one who owns the scene of the crime.

He then remembered what happened in the past and made a bitter face.

The Panther clan may have started the invasion but after interrogating some of their soldiers, they found out their initial plan was to show off their might, and have foreign powers take interest in making ties to them, not destroy the clan.

They even captured some Boars clansmen in the battlefield, but never have they been treated poorly.

Because of the outcome of each encounter, the Panther found their natural talent was rivaled by pure effort and tenacity of the Boars.

The Panther Elder respected the Boars for their stubborn mindset and their foundation of strength, in fact, the war was turning from invasion to a large sparring session, and every Panthers clansmen as a whole agreed in forming ties with the Boar clan.

Many were injured but none were killed, they then made an agreement to release the clans men if they release theirs, which both agreed to in a mountain with visible view for both parties.

Then he remembered at the time he received a letter to always be wary of the Naga clan, since they always have some plan in mind.

Since the Naga clan had been recognized as a merchant clan, so the warning served no more than a simple joke at the time.

However unaware from both sides during the war, the Nagas' were watching and orchestrating from the shadows, when both side released their respective captives in an agreed spot, the Naga's had planted assassin to both parties routes.

They had worn opposing clan logo so both parties would think they were trying to kill each other in secret leaving some survivors, to show they were betraying them.

Eventually the invasion became a bloody war, and the Naga's were adding fuel to the raging flames, focusing on the Panthers and have them as a subordinate clan, hence the one sided alliance.

The timing to form an alliance was suspicious especially when the Naga's who had no relation started aiding them, since the 'betrayal', no one noticed it was planned.

When he investigated on the murders himself, he was shocked to find the Nagas were the ones who planted traps using mercenaries and wanted to pin the blame onto the Panther's and the Boars.

But the battle was already started so he cannot voice out his claim.

So the Naga's stayed quite and watched from afar, as both clans tried to destroy each other.

The elder believed the Naga's were involved in the war, but how far was only by speculations, and not enough physical proof to convince the clans, and no doubt the Panther's elder will not cooperate to investigate even when it concerns them.

"Unfortunately Elder, Mordan City gates were closed for ten days including the storm that happened not long ago, so one was allowed to leave except for some grave diggers that were carrying bodies, it appears as though some incidence had occurred, so our spies had to continue observing in silence."

Ever since the alliance, they planted spies disguised as traders for ten years in undercover, to gain any news between the two clans.

The result, after three years they had a child named Veritas who was a genius.

Ever since his birth, the only time the two clans ever meet was when he was born.

From years of observation, the Naga's had been abusing their status for a long time, but the child was not seen during such incidents.

While the Panthers did enter, they were mostly for trade only and received gifts one-sidedly, the Panthers were not present when he was raised during those years.

It was noted that even the Panthers were not eager to trade with them, as they only entered once a month, and all their transaction were in large quantities.

They wanted more information in their dealings, but that would have their spies get discovered so they can only rely on their own abilities in listening to rumors, public notices and announcements.

However all of those can be fabricated, so they had to investigate in a roundabout manner to avoid suspicion as the Naga's have eyes and ears everywhere.

"What had happened?" anything relating to the Naga was what he was aiming for.

Although the Panther have weakened years ago, they were also starting to regain their strength, little by little after the ten years, which made him more resolute in breaking their alliance.

He looked down and thought for a moment.

"A number of people had started going missing over the past months, all of which had a common topic the 'Corpse Eater', an individual who had been killing people randomly and their bodies were being taken to be eaten, hence they started calling him that."

After a pause, he had took a glance from the Elder's expression.

"The Naga Clan had claimed to have found where the 'Corpse Eater' had been hiding the bodies he has yet eaten, that would explain the grave diggers leaving, as such they banished him as punishment, since he was still a child."

Felix had gained over similar reports from different spies, so he was able accept the credibility of the news.

'Are they starving their citizens? And why banish the child, they could have just imprisoned or executed him?'

The more he thought about it, the more his impression on the Naga became more of an enigma than he previously speculated.

The overall impression of the Naga Clan was they were sneaky, and cruel as they rule the city with fear, they uses hit and run tactics when fighting, and rely on paralyzing poison whenever possible, and they always fight in groups unless the opponent was weak.

So in terms of physical strength from among the 6 clans, they would only be in the bottom two, only physically stronger than an adult man, when they had picked a fight with the Boars, over ten people were fighting just one of their members, until they were able to beat him.

Using poison, coupled with their group strategy fully using their nimbleness, their considered tricky, and subdued large beast using such tactics over and over.

But that was only when the members are in the lesser tier, the stronger their tier was the lesser they were in groups, the Naga's great elder was, in fact, able to subdue about a hundred on his own.

They are rumors, stating that they rely on some type of drug to enhance their cultivation and strength, but shorten their life span in the process.

Another was that they are doing shady deals with the underworld, and they use mercenaries in all their fighting, but any physical evidence was disposed of, and any person involved has been making sure to use a third party for making deals.

The news he wanted to hear, was a show of weakness similar to the rumors, he wanted to have the Panther Clan take over after realizing their weak strength and betray them to cause an internal conflict, spread the information, having the other alliance show interest in invading the Naga when they are vulnerable, reap the benefits when all four clans are trying to kill each other, while the Boar takes no form of danger as they watch from the distance.

"And the last?"

He expecting the last to be some form of good news, after hearing nothing but problems he can only grasp air.

However, the news was the worst of them all was what Felix expression was saying.

"After five years, the Boars clans has returned to, no, it has surpassed its original level of strength, even when we have less than its peak." The elder had turned his back to look at the temple at top, the pride of the clan.

"However…" he waited for the response, preparing for worst outcome was what his responsibility means, as the Elder of the Boars.

"…Because of the recent attacks, the injured had been over 152, the reason for the continuous loss was because we found symptoms of paralysis."

"…It is my hypothesis, but I think the Naga's paralyzing poison had been inherited to the new born youths from their parents, and the guards are still suffering from old wounds, the poison is likely cursed, that was why our usual healing methods are not affecting their health."

Felix had explained it with a sullen expression, as he himself is infected losing all feeling on his left arm, his father died because of over dosage, and his mother and little sister are alive but were in a vegetable state.

"The total number infected is over 1000. If the other clans find outs about the news, then…" Felix never spoke afterwards.

The Elder closed his eyes, and remembered the stories told from his grandfather, about the history about the clan.

*

The Mountain Boar Clan, were originally nomads with no blood relations, they had taken residence after a mass exodus[2] from a war further north, what they have on their journey, were jugs water, dried bread, and a lot orphans from their deceased companions.

They were only 20 adults with them the whole way, while the children were double.

On their journey, they have suffered from desert storms that had used up water, freezing rains that had molded their bread, hordes of beast that chased them out from their hope.

But one man gave them hope, the founder of the Boar's Clan.

The founder, was a cultivator who lived in a seclusion in the very mountains that the current elder stood on, he opened his arms to the starving travelers and fed them.

After years, they started building homes and made the mountain sustain a community, they then voted for a leader and had chosen the man who gave them a home.

They then started to build a small town in honor of him and would prosper in the future.

However not all things would last forever, there was a bandit group that invaded them out of nowhere, their food were being stolen, the citizens being attacked, their homes were being invaded, but the founder stood his ground.

He then encouraged the community to fight and get stronger to protect their home, they rejoiced as they heard him speak highly of them.

So after training, they became cultivator but were still weak at the time, yet they were capable in fighting.

However the bandits caught wind of their action, so the crafty bandits decided to burn the two mountains where they resided and forced many to be injured.

Seeing sure a scene caused the founder to charge at the bandits by himself.

He however didn't know he fell into a trap and was surrounded when he went out.

So then he fought to his last breath, to protect his new family.

After a grueling battle, he stood victorious slaying all the bandits and bringing hope to his family.

But his wounds we numerous and knew his time was near.

Until his final moments, he stood in front of the mountains riddled with injuries refusing to bow or fall, the family came closer to help him but were stopped to hear his last words.

'Stay Strong'.

Afterwards, the great man passed away while standing up, leaving them in the mountains.

To honor of him, they had built a temple with a boar as his symbol.

They had learned to not lose hope and devoted their lives to follow his way of life.

Hence, they named their fully formed clan the 'Mountain Boar Clan'.

While remembering the past, the elder gave a resolute look he knows what was at stake, if they loss then what their ancestors stood up for will be considered history, written in sand, not in stone.

They must survive the upcoming danger.

[1] Green Horns – it's a term used to inexperienced or immature person, especially one who is easily deceived.

[2] Exodus – it was originally a name of a book