[Mountain pass, border of northern tribes and southern tribes]

Pass a gap, or break, in high, rugged terrain such as a mountain ridge. A pass forms when a glacier or stream erodes, or wears away, the land between areas of higher terrain. Passes often provide the easiest routes for people to travel across steep mountain ranges. For this reason, they have played an important role throughout human history in migration, trade, and settlement.

Most passes are flat at their summits and have the shape of a saddle. They can consist of very short, steep summits, or expansive valleys that stretch for kilometers. Often, passes sit just above the source of a river fed by precipitation and snowmelt.

In this very moment, the mountain pass bordering the northern tribes and the southern tribes in the snow peak mountain range, is currently used as the warfront between the northern tribes front and the southern tribe front.

Currently timed a day before the stone fortress was attacked in the west and a day before the bridge got destroyed at the beast grave canyon on the east, the north side mountain pass was the appointed location where the army led by Boris tribe and 19 others gathered to face the 20 joint tribes of the north.

The current leader of the northern tribe army was named Payton who was rumored to be an excellent leader of the northern tribes who actually once led a revolution against the past tyrant ruler of the north. In this very moment the said respectable tribal leader was currently an enemy towards Boris for attempting to attack the southern tribes.

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Payton

49 years old

Male

Leader of the 1st tribe (North)

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At that very day, the army led by Payton the standing leader of all tribes in the north, had then arrived at the mountain pass and were currently stationed against the defending army that Boris had led.

Just like any other traits that the four part tribes represent, the southern tribes are adept in strategies and tactic viewpoint which could be seen on their various checkpoint located all over their land. The west are adept towards their fighting capability of each and every individual civilians. The east on the other hand are adept in taming wild beast which they merged with their own army, Lastly the north are adept in using their aura much more proficient than the three tribes combined.

Each tribal parts has their own advantage trait which they excel in their own fields, and now they are clearly represented as the war goes on.

The moment the northern tribe army begun setting up their camp opposite from them and setting up their formations, Boris and the other tribal chiefs that were with him then begun an in-depth discussion on how to defend their own side. In comparison to the army stationed in both east and west which have a very disadvantageous number, their side on the other hand stand on equal ground against the northern army.

To serve as an example to their younger generations, they must not lose on their side of the war.

In that moment just as they were discussing on how to handle the northern army, a warrior then suddenly interrupted their meeting as he held a parchment tightly on his hands.

"Forgive my insolence for interrupting your meeting chiefs!!!"

Seeing the warrior's condition and the parchment on his hand, Boris then realized that he must have brought a message for the whole council that is so important to the point that he actually interrupted the meeting. Realizing that he then pardoned the warrior.

"Speak!!!"

With that the warrior spoke.

"A letter was sent to us through a messenger bird, based on the color of its taped, i believe that it came from the northern army facing against our army chief!!!"

Hearing the warrior's words, the other chief's in the room were alarmed as Boris ordered the warrior to hand over to him the letter before dismissing him after. Once the warrior left, Boris then opened up the parchment as he red the intended message delivered to him through a messenger bird.

Upon reading it, he naturally spoke out the words towards all the council out loud in order to make them know the letter's content, as they all realized that the northern outmost leader 'Payton' is asking for a slight audience with Boris before they start the war.

Naturally this caused a lot of commotion to erupt inside the meeting area. Some scheming tribal chief's suspected the letter to be a trap in order to lure out Boris, some sympathetic chief's regarded such request to be sincere, some cautious chiefs cant even decide whether the letter bears true intent or false intent towards their side. Nevertheless this only dictates that the northern tribe  outmost leader 'Payton' wanted to have a discussion towards Boris per custom before the battle.

Despite all the opposition from his allies, Boris couldn't deny that he too was somewhat curious on the reason on why the northern tribes stood against them despite their occasional peace reinstatement. Based on his memory, Payton whom he knew doesn't want any war to happen between the northern tribes and the southern tribes wince it wouldn't benefit anyone but the western tribes, thus begs the question why did he declare war against them.

In order to find the answer, he naturally need to make his stand and approve of this request

"Prepare my tamed mount!!!" he ordered at the warriors stationed outside the room

Hearing his order the other chiefs showed their opposition and dissatisfaction as they tried to dissuade his decision. However Boris decision was already resolute as he ordered the other chiefs to stand by in case on any emergency. With those words, he then departed from the meeting

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Some time after about an hour till noon, Boris then departed from the camp as he rode his white wolf mount twice his size, together with some mounted warriors on their own tamed beast, as they headed at the center point location of the battlefield in between two camps.

The moment they arrived, Payton's side had already placed themselves comfortably as the total amount of warriors he brought to guard him was about 12 in comparison to Boris 6 guards. With Boris finally arriving on the scene, he then dismounted from his tamed beast as he looked over the warriors guarding Payton before looking towards Payton's tamed beast which is a saber tooth snow tiger.

The moment he settled down in front of Payton, the person himself then gave him a warm cup of tea as he smiled at him on his own side of the stone pretend table.

"Don't worry! that is not poisoned... I'm not shameful enough to actually undergo underhanded means of winning this war"

Hearing his words, Boris relaxed a little while staying tensed as he took the cup of warm tea and slowly drank it without hesitation. After all Payton could be called a lot of things in regards to his rumors, but he was never a scheming cheating liar unlike the previous northern tyrant. Thus his trust in his words a fully inscribed into his brain.

At that Payton started the conversation.

"You must be wondering why i initiated a war that is not meant to be right?"

"... Yes!... yes i am... No matter how hard i think, i just cant seem to fathom what your intentions are"

"..."

"You have no greed, you desire no conflict, you always step ahead of me in terms of reinstating the peace contract between the south and north due to the actions of the past tyrant leader, you aim for a better world for the future of the northern tribes... your basically like a parallel version of myself who aims for development of our own land... so why?

"... I see you've been thinking about it... yes indeed... you weren't at fault, this is basically all my wrong doings"

After a few moments of silence, Boris then spoke once more.

"Then can you tell me what made you declare war on us? i just need a concrete reason so that my curiosity can be satiated, after all you and i both know that curiosity could likely be the downfall of a person in war... i just want to get rid of that inkling feeling i felt when i face your army"

"So you want something that can make your resolve be resolute when facing against someone you know with an intent to kill? alright! I'll tell you"

"..."

"... We were forced to do it"

Upon hearing that curiosity once more surged up, as questions after questions piled up inside Boris head.

"Forced? not coerced?"

"Based on how you define it... yes"

"... Just who could force you? did the west secretly attacked your side without us knowing? did they take someone you hold dear as a hostage against you? or did they bribed you to take that initial step?"

"No! none of those things... What forced us was fear... Someone showed us fear tantamount that no hope could be found"

"Fear? Just how?"

" I cant explain, but i do know something... such fear cant be something a human could wield... our guys called it a demon"

" A demon?"

"Yes.... a person with long horns protruding out of its forehead and has a pale as snow white skin appeared before us a few weeks ago... it brazenly ordered us to submit before him to ensure our tribes safety, as you know we did fought back, but none of our attacks could kill such demon... in the end he showed how hopeless and powerless we are by simply eradicating a part of my army in just a simple action and a performance which installed fear"

"... Performance?"

"... He toyed with me, he offered that he would leave our tribe if i defeated him in combat, as the result... well you can see it for yourself" said by Payton as he hinted at the army behind him

"... you lost"

"Yes! and he crushed our hop[e alongside it while installing fear in the hearts of many... the moment fear corroded my people's hearts, i then lost control on handling my own people... I even thought of escaping alone since I'm the only one left who held hope... But i just cant abandon my own family and people who looked up to me, my own morals prevented me to"

At that Boris thought for a second before asking something he was pondering about.

"If the demon was so strong that it could instill fear to your people, then why didn't it just attack us head on? why didn't it also took us over just like how it took over the three part tribes of the snow peak mountain range?"

Hearing his question, Payton seemed to be impressed on how fast Boris connected all the dots even without him hinting about it. After all he never hinted the situation on the west and the east side, so just by figuring it all out just from hearing his side was quite something else.

"Well i cant tell you that since he also somewhat spilled it while planning by himself"

"..."

"Based on what i heard, the demon seemed to be searching for an appropriate sacrifice for something he plans along the way and since the southern tribes has the most population out of the four part tribes, your tribes were then chosen as the initial source of sacrifice for some ritual or something.

"... Ritual or something... so even your not sure of what you heard?"

"... Well its just based on my unprofessional understanding.... nevertheless the war between us cannot be stop for the sake of my people's safety"

"So the war is inevitable"

"yes indeed!"

With that Boris then crushed the cup of tea with his pure strength as he stood up and turned his back.

"I see that were fighting our own cause, I'll respect your decision... If war is what you want, then war it should be"

"Thank you for listening  from my stupid request... at least i wouldn't be hunted by my guilt if either one of us dies on this battlefield"

Without any words, Boris and his guards left first as they all retreated back to their camp in preparation for war. At the same moment  Payton returned to his camp together with his guards as he met with other chiefs of the northern tribes who shared his fate and talked to them for a brief moment.

No matter the result of this battle, there will be no regret since their will was passed along towards the competent side. Without a moments delay he then gave an order towards the whole army which was then reciprocated by the commanders of each division.

"Move forward" ordered by Payton

The moment he said those words, the commanders of each division then issued a command to their own units.

"MOVE FORWARD!!! STAY IN FORMATION!!!"

With that the northern army then begun to move to meet their opposition.

At the same time as this happened, various reports then alerted Boris side as Boris gaze became stern and resolute as he tightened his grip on his reins before giving out an order to his own army.

"Prepare to engage combat! beware of the enemies aura! make sure you observe which elemental aura they use! do you understand?"

"Sir! yes sir!"

With that the commanders on side then begun to move to their own units as they relayed out his own orders to the army. Following a few minutes after that, the commanders of each division then ordered their own units in response to the marching enemy.

"IN FORMATION!!! SHIELDERS TO THE FRONT!!! PREPARE FOR COMBAT!!!"

***ReadAtWebnovel***