Chapter 106 Vanguard Mission [1]

Ha! Ha!

Altan struggled to breath as he collapsed on the floor.

After a tiring battle that lasted well over an hour and after some inescapable sacrifices, the protectors finally managed to drive the Giant Desert Beetles back.

Amid his rapid breathing, the first thing that Altan thought of was thanking his god for saving his life as he made a brief praying form to the east.

After that, he just stayed lying on the sand, looking at the blood of the beetles that stained his body and that also stained his war sickle.

His war sickle was a customized weapon. Before becoming a warrior, he was a farmer who served the Tree god by trying his best to nurture the few trees that can grow in the extreme conditions of the desert.

He believed that the Tree god was eternal. The fact that a tree could survive in a desert as hot and dry as this was proof that his god was eternal.

While resting, he looked at the corpse of his comrades that were already being taken care of by the rangers.

'When will this all end?' He wondered.

He briefly remembered the Hermit's promise and he felt at peace a little.

He barely closed his eyes to rest before the loud voice of his Captain interrupted him.

"Amak, Arya, Anabel, Altan, Arnold, Argast, Ackermann, you are all to report to the elder's pyramid with me".

"Yes captain!"

Without any questions, Altan forced himself up before following the captain and the other 6 protectors that were called. In no time, they arrived before a full elder council alongside 12 other warriors from the rangers department.

Tribe head Aragast addressed them himself.

"The threat of the Titans is approaching faster than we expected".

"The Freljord tribe was attacked yesterday, they barely made it".

"At the moment, the only bit of information that we know about the animated Titans from the sacrifices of rangers of the Freljord and Kong tribes is their nocturnal weakness".

"If we don't act fast, we may die before we know it".

"Kohama's plan is to send an elite team of protectors and rangers to go deep enough to know more about them, we know too little at this moment".

"I agree with the plan and you lots will be the 20 champions that will be representing our great Audun Tribe".

"Take this mission with great honor".

"Dismissed".

"Clan head". The warriors bowed before making their way out of the elder's pyramid, they were given a few dozen minutes to go see their family.

Of course, Altan did not waste this opportunity as he ran to his house where his wife was outside tanning animal hide while his son was playing about.

At the tender age of 4, Agan still had a year to enjoy his childhood before officially being taken into the ranks as a warrior of Audun.

"Daddy!" Agan cried as soon as he saw his father, running into his embrace.

Altan carried his boy. "You're growing so fast".

Like him, the little boy also had purple hair.

"You're back?" Altan's beautiful wife asked as she left what she was doing, prompting a wide smile to lit this warrior's face.

Unlike the other 2, Altan's wife, Jeldia was of the Jabari tribe and had wine-colored hair. Altan embraced his 2 most important things in the world for a few minutes, giving his wife the hint that she wanted.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes". Altan whispered into her ear. "An elite team to stop the Titans".

She patted his back slightly and kissed him on the lips before pulling out of the embrace, then she turned her back to him. "Fight hard, kill the Titans and make the tribe proud".

"I will be cheering for your victory".

"Yes, my queen". Altan dropped his boy, rubbed his head one last time before placing his hand on his war sickle's hilt as he turned to leave.

His emotions could not help his Pugilist energy from flaring a bit. Like most warriors of the Audun Tribe, Altan was a Pugilist.

"Father, come home with a big Titan's head". Agan yelled.

"I will".

"Father, promise me".