Amid the dissatisfied hums of the Shahan beasts, the caravan set foot on the endless sea of sand. The cargo hung on the backs of the beasts of burden was fixed by raised baffles, with many nets firmly covering them to ensure that the goods inside Things won't fall off.
Standing on the sand dunes and looking from a distance, they can see the north-south mountains stretching in front of them. This naturally forms an obstacle, but as long as they pass through this mountain range, their destination is very close. .
However, certain empty mountain ranges have always been taboo places for city-state residents. Although they originated there, their ancestors have long abandoned them. However, in the scary stories at night, the mountains are not empty. There is nothing, those abandoned beings, always watching everything coming and going with vicious eyes -
To reach the foot of the mountain when the "day" comes, there is a shelter there, and then they will be there Cross the valley in the evening and spend the night in a cave in the valley. The leader here has walked through this place four or five times. He thinks this route is absolutely safe.
No one will doubt it.
Walking in the sea of death is like walking on a cauldron burning on the fire. Everyone wraps themselves tightly, because the hot wind in the sea of sand is fatal. Fortunately, those on their bodies are woven with worm silk. The robes are extremely insulating, and living under high temperatures for a long time has given the residents of this world better heat resistance, preventing them from turning into mummies under high temperatures.
I don’t know how long we walked, but just when many people were almost dizzy, the leader began to sing, and the high pitch reverberated in the wind.
Before he reached the second verse, most of the people chanted along with him.
Because the mountains are already in sight, the white rocks are even reflecting under the blazing sun, which also means that their trek is about to end, and everyone will have a chance to drink water when they enter the shelter. , because that can minimize the waste of water.
But just when they had seen the dark hole of the shelter, the guard captain walking in front suddenly stopped, raised a hand, and warned everyone to stay quiet.
The Shahan beasts stopped with a creaking sound.
The chanter got off the back of the Shahan beast, and Likas supported him and walked lightly to the leader's side.
"What's going on?"
His voice was low and a little hoarse. Although he was the only one who could ride a pack animal, the long period of direct sunlight still made his mouth dry. Dry tongue.
The leader looked back at the team.
"I seem to hear the roar of something. Damn it, everyone is thirsty and tired, chanter, we may have encountered a tribe of marauders. This is a premeditated ambush."
li. Cass glanced at the white rock cliffs and seemed to be able to see the malicious shadows among the rock peaks.
The Predator Tribe, he almost thought it was just a legend, some caves in the mountains were abandoned, and the residents moved to places more suitable for survival, but not everyone left, some stayed and voluntarily , involuntary, those who are considered burdensome, deformed children, sick people.
They should fend for themselves in abandoned places, and in the end nothing will be left, but this is not the case. .
They survived, although it was not known where they got water, these fearsome predators howling in the strong wind, and more importantly, in the stories Ricas heard, their food Very special——
At least his father had said that those raider tribes were cannibals.
The chanter was obviously well-informed and did not panic. Instead, he scanned the environment and whispered:
"This is not suitable for defense."
< br>"Of course it's not suitable. We have to go into the shadows. The opponent is waiting for us to do this, but we can't put ourselves under the scorching sun."
After that, the experienced leader waved his hand , allowing the team to continue setting off, but weapons had been quietly distributed, and all adult men were whispered to be ready to fight.
In this cruel world, barbarism is still the mainstream, and fighting and death are not uncommon even in city-states.
Ricas got a scimitar from the teacher. This was the weapon of the chanter when he was young. Now that he is old and can no longer wield the sword, Ricas is his protector. Then the boy He also took out his dagger, knowing that he must protect the teacher's safety. Soon the scorching sun above them was obscured by the shadow of the towering peaks. They were still some distance from the shelter, but the team stopped.
The leader raised the horn to his mouth, blew it hard, and ordered everyone to form a circle around the Shahan beasts. These beasts of burden themselves have thick scales and fur. When they lie on the ground and curl up their heads to protect their abdomen and head, it is difficult for ordinary weapons to harm them, so it can be used as a barrier.
This was like a signal, and another horn sounded immediately. The sound was rough and unruly, like the howling of a wild beast.
"Don't be afraid, everyone, we have weapons! Protect the water in the middle."
The leader shouted loudly, and the weird horn sound already revealed the identity of the visitor.
Walking in the Sea of Death, the caravan will naturally not lack combat effectiveness. Including the chef, fifty or sixty adults are holding metal weapons, and the boys are preparing their slings. This is The most common ranged weapon.
The next moment, from the shadow of the rock peak, many ugly and savage figures emerged, and the noisy roars and thunderous footsteps shocked everyone's senses.
Ricas remained calm and faced the terrifying sight.
They were a group of outright savages. They had no clothes and only simple armors made of human bones. Their dark skin was covered with dirt and scars, and some of them had obvious deformities. The weapons they wielded were also made of stones and bones. The weapons are mainly made of traditional weapons, but they all have a similar symbol painted with red paint on their chests, which looks like half a gear. The first time Ricas learned about gears was when he heard his father talk about the terrible red weapon when he was a child. The story of the Clothed Witch King, what they like most is this evil magic symbol.
However, there are a lot of them, seemingly twice as many as the caravan. They are led by a tall monster with a distorted and deformed face, which is an obvious result of inbreeding, but it is also very strong. , covered with skulls, holding a huge stone hammer in his right hand, and a shield made of human ribs in his left hand.
The barbaric plunderers were coming fiercely, and many people turned pale with fright, but Likas suddenly noticed a detail.
Among them were some guys wielding iron chains. Where did these barbarians get such things?
At this time, his mentor suddenly said:
"Too bad, they are here to capture slaves for the Red Witch King."
The Red Witch King, hearing this title, even the team leader trembled.
That is a nightmare legend that existed in the world of Ata before the Sun Order arrived. It is said that it is a demon that escaped from hell, wearing bloody red clothes, and living in a place made of black metal. In the huge castle that constantly spits out black smoke, the castle is filled with enslaved living dead. These Witch Kings can also use the evil magic of fire and lightning, but fortunately they rarely go out. After the emergence of the Sun Cult , then it was announced that these demons were afraid of the light of the Sun Emperor.
But most people just regard it as a legend.
But a few well-informed people know that this is by no means a legend. The red wizard kings have an endless hunger for slaves. They will drive the barbarians to capture slaves for themselves, and at the same time, they will give these barbarians tribal water and food, and even some tools and weapons.
Each caravan leader prayed before setting off that he would not run into the Witch King's slave-catching team.
But today it seems they are unlucky.
Facing this situation, the chanter could only close his eyes and chant, as if praying for the Sun Emperor's help, while the leader raised his voice and shouted.
"Drink water, everyone! Fight them off when you're full!"
He didn't dare say that this was the Witch King's slave-catching team, otherwise everyone's morale might collapse directly.
However, the barbarians soon rushed up——