Published at 25th of January 2021 10:00:03 PM
Bo Gu’s plan was to bring those members of the tribe away through the Ya tribe’s cave and then find a place for them to hide . The Ya people were not strong fighters but they were good at hiding .
The person who emerged from the ground at Bo Gu’s house was from the Ya tribe . They wouldn’t fight with them but they would help send the Gu people away .
Hence, on the next two days, the elderly, women and children all carried small sacks and crawled into the cave . From there, the Ya people directed them to where they needed to go .
More beasts showed up too within the two days . The people patrolling at night could clearly hear the sounds of the water splashing about . The beasts were no longer hiding themselves . The guards stopped walking around the river banks as a safety measure .
On the third day, the Gu tribe was very quiet . No one was out and about anymore .
As the sun hung brightly in the sky, the shaman walked out of the house and went towards the fire pond .
The members of the tribe followed suit .
Before the hunt, they had an important ritual to conduct .
For them, this was a tool and their belief .
Although others may not see the usefulness of a net, this was something the Gu tribe did before and after hunting . Just like how the Flaming Horn members would wash their blades, the Gu tribe had a similar ritual .
The more important the ritual, the more complicated it was .
For many tribes, hunts only needed warriors, tools and strength but the Gu tribe believed that there was something else more important -- rituals!
If they didn’t proceed with their ritual, they would feel that no matter how much strength or what tools you had, it wouldn’t be a satisfactory hunt .
The ritual would give power to their hunting nets which would bring them the luck they need . They wouldn't miss their prey and catch an abundance of game .
The shaman was the main character for all rituals, this one included . Without the shaman, the ritual wouldn't be able to happen .
In the eyes of the Gu people, hunting was a shamanic activity . The shaman decides when to hunt, how to hunt and every other aspect . They mainly used nets to hunt and the shaman would tell them how to use it which was why the shaman’s position in this tribe was so important . They could do without a chief but they couldn’t do without a shaman .
The hill of nets had covered up the flame from their sight but it didn’t extinguish it .
If one looked closely, the nets here were different from the ones they usually used . This beast was different from anything they faced before so they had to use the best nets they had . These were made from the best material that they collected throughout the years . A net that was much stronger than the average straw net .
“Are you ready?” The shaman looked at the people around him .
“Ready . ” Bo Gu scanned the faces there . A total of a thousand three hundred of their members were here . The junior totemic warriors would be placed in the outskirts of the tribe while the more experienced warriors would stay in the centre .
“If that is the case, let's begin!" the shaman declared solemnly .
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The crowd moved into a line, this wasn't their first time doing the ritual so they didn't need instructions .
Bo Gu stepped to the front of the fire pond and stopped . He then extended his palm .
The shaman took out a long and narrow leaf . The dried leaf was thin and looked as if it would crumble as soon as someone touched it .
The shaman held the leaf with three fingers and flicked it like a sword . He then used it to cut Bo Gu's palm .
The blood followed the leaf's path, dripping down in a straight line from Bo Gu's palm into the fire pond . The whole process didn't take longer than a breath .
Bo Gu moved away to let the second person step forward . He did the same movements as Bo Gu .
Every tribesperson that would join the battle sacrificed a drop of blood into the fire pond .
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Although there were a thousand people, it didn't take too long . When the last person was down, it had only been half an hour .
The shaman took the leaf from the last person and stuck it into the mountain of nets .
What did the net represent?
To conquer!
To vanquish!
Their presence radiated out of the ceremonial area .
The burning passion of the Gu tribe warriors could be felt from even the outskirts of the tribe . The birds and insects that lived here were long gone .
The Gu people didn't want the Flaming Horn tribe people here also because once the nets were activated, the Flaming Horns would not have a chance to act! Plus, they might even interfere with operations .