He was tall and thin, his face covered in dust, his eyes sunken, clearly having been awake day and night.
As soon as he entered the camp, he collapsed to the ground, still clutching a scroll of animal hide paper.
When Fusar helped him to rest by the campfire, he only said one sentence:
"Frost Howl… has moved."
Zukora took the brief report he handed her, her brows tightly furrowed.
She said nothing more, turning to give orders: "Notify all tribal representatives; gather in the war tent in two quarters."
Toka was also notified to attend, but Zukora did not arrange for him to speak.
He knew full well this was Zukora's deliberate arrangement.
This allowed him to be privy to the facts without becoming a target.
Behind him, there was no flag representing Italk, the Emberglow Dragon divine emblem was hidden beneath his leather armor, and even his seat was arranged in the furthest corner of the observer's section, alongside the scribes.
In the center of the military tent, a crudely made animal hide map was spread out on a long stone table.
Three bone chess pieces and some wooden chess pieces representing different tribes were scattered at the positions of the three mountain passes, but only at Gray Tooth Valley, on the westernmost side, was a solitary black flag planted.
"The defense line will be deployed as usual this time," Zukora stated directly, "However, the Alliance will no longer be responsible for the defense line on the 'Gray Tooth Valley' side, concentrating our forces in these three places."
As her words fell, the tent fell into a brief silence.
Toka knew that the black flag represented Italk.
"The defense of Gray Tooth Valley will be handled by Italk," Zukora stood before the map, continuing her explanation, her tone steady, yet unable to suppress the undercurrents of unrest among those present.
This was not the first time they faced Frost Howl's southern invasion, but it was the first time fighting alongside Italk.
A burly man draped in bearskin snorted coldly: "A tribe that has only risen in half a year dares to take on the defense of the entire Gray Tooth Valley?"
Another wizened old man, thin but with eyes like a hawk, interjected: "Can they hold it? This isn't just for show; if Gray Tooth Valley falls, the entire western defense will be ruined!"
"Who can prove they won't retreat midway? Haven't we seen enough disasters brought by 'new allies'?"
Toka didn't know these people.
But he could tell, even with his toes, that they were the old "partners" of the Resistance Alliance.
Although not the leaders of the Alliance, they still wielded considerable influence, otherwise they wouldn't dare to openly question the leader's decision like this.
Their current questioning was neither entirely out of hostility nor solely out of well-intentioned concern.
They were certainly afraid that Italk's battle would go poorly and drag everyone down.
But more importantly, there was another issue they didn't mention aloud, but everyone knew perfectly well.
"Who do they worship?"
This question was finally spoken by a middle-aged witch doctor wearing a bronze armlet, his tone gentle, but his meaning like a sharp bone blade:
"We, more or less, all worship a loa. But your 'Emberglow Dragon' has never been a deity of ZulDrak."
"Fighting alongside a tribe that doesn't even believe in loa… many find it hard to accept."
The atmosphere in the tent suddenly solidified.
Toka lowered his eyes, staring at the flickering flames in the brazier.
He understood this apprehension.
Half a year ago, they were a shattered tribe from the "Land of the Lost," and now they had become a crucial stronghold holding the defense line.
This leap itself was too illogical.
But isn't this the greatness of the Emberglow Dragon?
Toka silently looked at Zukora, who did not immediately respond to the questioners, but continued to listen quietly as they poured out all their "concerns."
She was waiting.
Waiting for them to finish speaking, then making a decisive statement.
Perhaps, this was her strategy.
"Religious differences are another matter! We should focus our energy on military affairs!" The burly man in bearskin was extremely displeased with the other trolls' deviation from the topic, rising indignantly and slamming the table.
The silent old man beside him, however, spoke. He wore a thick Mammoth Loa hide robe, with dry, cracked bone amulets hanging from his waist, his voice echoing through the council hall.
"I do not agree with this arrangement."
Toka looked up at the standing old man.
The amulets on that old man… Toka had seen them many times.
In Italk. More precisely, in Italk half a year ago.
They were the bone amulets of Mammoth Loa, Matos.
He faced Zukora on the other side of the council table, his tone neither humble nor arrogant, but carrying long-suppressed anger.
"Italk used to be the center of our faith," the old troll continued, "I have personally seen Matos tread through the snow in that square, and seen the prophet by the fire pit utter divine prophecies."
"But what happened later?"
He extended a calloused finger, pointing to the location marked Italk on the map.
"They believed in some damned 'Emberglow Dragon' that isn't even a loa!"
Some people frowned, while others bowed their heads in silence.
The atmosphere subtly shifted direction.
"Now you want to tell me that this 'god' can protect Gray Tooth Valley? He dares not preach in Gundrak, dares not preach in Lukare, but instead holed up in remote Italk! A complete coward!"
Toka's fingers curled slightly, gradually clenching into a fist.
The old troll seemed not to notice Toka in the corner, continuing:
"And what happened before. When we were fighting for the freedom of our entire tribe. Where was Italk? They all ran away."
"Those people didn't die; where did they go? To Frost Howl! Have you thought about it? The former elders and witch doctors all went to the enemy camp, while those who remained believed in a new god that none of us recognize."
"Ms. Zukora, you can trust them. Perhaps you have your reasons." His tone softened slightly, but then immediately firmed up again:
"But I cannot. I cannot entrust a defense line to those… shameless traitors who summon evil gods and drive out loa in our ancestral lands!"
"We have already lost too much. If even our faith must be given away, what kind of Drakkari are we?!"
As his voice fell, the entire council hall fell into a brief, deadly silence.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"