All at once, the gathered beastmen of various ethnicities fell into a somber silence, their expressions a mix of grief and solemnity.
"Only yesterday, many of us were left mourning the loss of family members," one of the elders began, his voice heavy with sorrow.
"Indeed, this conflict should never have escalated to war," Logan added, his tone tinged with regret and frustration. "It was the Duskin tribe's ambition that sparked this catastrophe. They aimed to overpower our Silver Mane people and annex our lands. To achieve their goals, they manipulated the four chieftains, forging a dubious alliance to wage war against us."
The air thickened with tension as he continued, "This reckless ambition led to a tragic loss of life. Many in our tribe have suffered the heartbreak of losing loved ones, I, too, have lost friends I grew up with." His voice dropped to a whisper, resonating with the pain of his personal loss.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd as the name 'Duskin tribe' echoed with a venomous undertone.
One of the tribeman, observing from the side, offered a wry smile. "While it's true that the coalition was orchestrated by Duskin, let's not overlook the actions of our own Silver Mane. Our tribe has been quietly eyeing these smaller tribes, quickly subjugating them under our rule."
Logan, however, pointedly laid all blame at the Duskin feet, embodying the political flear that often came with leadership.
"The chiefs and leaders among us might remain indifferent," Tyton observing this mused to himself, "For them, distorting the truth is merely part of leading. As long as it serves the tribe, the ends justify the means."
Breaking the contemplative silence, Logan gestured towards the towering structures surrounding them. "You might wonder about these nine large firewood piles around us," he said calmly, drawing everyone's gaze.
The crowd's eyes shifted, their confusion evident as they regarded the massive piles.
"These are not mere woodpiles," Logan revealed, a somber note in his voice. "They hold the bodies of one hundred and two warriors, our fallen brothers and sisters."
The revelation struck a chord, leaving the crowd in stunned silence, their earlier speculations giving way to a poignant reality.
Begon and the others leaned in, their attention sharpened. They were skeptical that the bodies of fallen soldiers were brought back solely for a pyre.
"Among these one hundred and twenty warrior corpses," Logan began, his voice echoing solemnly, "sixty-seven are valiant warriors from our own Silver Mane Tribe who fell in battle. The remaining fifty-three are from the Youwa Tribe. Though not originally of our blood, they too died under our banner, fighting courageously for our cause. It was my duty to ensure their return."
With reverent precision, the nine pyres were lit, flames soaring into the sky as if fueled by resin, casting a blazing glow over the assembled crowd. The fires blazed fiercely, consuming the wood in a spectacle of light and warmth, burning for nearly two hours before finally settling into glowing beds of embers.
This sacred act not only marked a ritual of remembrance but also a communal vow of enduring guardianship and honor.
Corvinus and all the beastmen of the Silvermane tribe did not conclude their ceremonial gathering by the fireside until every last ember had been extinguished. By then, the darkness of late night had settled over them.
Yet, for the beastmen of the Silver mane, this was destined to be their deepest and most tranquil night of rest in recent memory.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and swiftly three days had elapsed.
Word of the obliteration of four tribes and the significant defeat of the Duskin tribe at the hands of the Silver mane tribe spread like wildfire across the barren lands. This news caused considerable unrest among the smaller tribes within a hundred miles of Silver mane territory.
Faced with this volatile atmosphere, Corvinus was acutely aware that the Silvermane tribe could not afford to be seen as aggressors so he asked his men to guide the rumors.
Therefore, it wasn't long before rumors began to circulate, painting the Duskin tribe as the true aggressors, eager to annex others to consolidate their power. Meanwhile, the Silvermane tribe was depicted as having barely survived an onslaught by the Duskin tribe, suffering enormous losses in the process.
The narrative being spun was clear: the Silvermane tribe was in a dire state, while the Duskin tribe was ambitious and untrustworthy.
Despite the turmoil, the Silvermane tribe enjoyed a period of relative peace. The influx of over 1,700 beastmen from the conquered tribes brought with them a surge in labor, which helped to cultivate new lands and slightly increased the population in the livestock pens.
However, with the increased labor force also came the necessity to construct more housing for the new tribe members who were without homes.
Even though this tightened the availability of labor once more, the construction of the Warrior Temple pressed on. Corvinus's uncle had allocated substantial manpower to this project. Originally, Corvinus had hoped to use this opportunity to erect a Professional Temple instead, which would attract many skilled individuals to the tribe. But he eventually abandoned this idea, as not to attract envy.
Given their current position, the Silvermane tribe could not risk drawing too much attention or envy from neighboring tribes.
Thus, Corvinus focused on completing the Warrior Temple, providing designs that incorporated elements from several of the world's most renowned temples. His strategic decision aimed to strengthen the tribe subtly, without sparking unnecessary conflict.