Chapter 131: The Heretics [1]

"Sh’vak kast ras ka!" One of the so-called Heretics hissed venomously, his eyes flashing with anger as he gestured aggressively toward the Savi leader.

The Savi clan leader remained composed despite the obvious aggression directed at him. His posture conveyed strength and authority rather than fear or weakness. He responded calmly, his position clear and unwavering.

"Vakt sh’ka rak."

The Heretic was about to respond with what looked like escalating hostility when his eyes suddenly caught movement approaching. His gaze landed on figures approaching from the shore, Yara first, then the two humans who had infiltrated their land.

His hissing intensified dramatically, filled with pure hatred that his companions immediately followed with. The entire Heretic delegation began making aggressive sounds, their body language becoming more violent with every passing second.

A few of the more zealous Heretics couldn’t contain themselves. They immediately lunged forward, attempting to break through the Savi defensive line and take Moon and Selene hostage by force.

The Savi warriors intercepted them instantly with their own bodies, hissing back at the Heretics with equal ferocity, showing absolutely no fear.

Moon’s gaze swept across the so-called Heretics, cataloging their appearance and equipment. They possessed similar physical features to the Savi people, the same blue skin, the same general body structure, clearly the same species. But their presentation was markedly different.

Their clothing consisted of bones as accessories with necklaces, bracelets and belts adorned with bones from smaller creatures. Red paint covered certain parts of their face in a pattern that they all shared.

’They look like total nut-jobs, extremists with violent ideology written all over them.’ Moon thought grimly.

The standoff intensified as both groups faced each other across a tense divide. The Savi leader stepped forward slightly, beginning to speak in measured tones directly to the Heretic leader—presumably attempting negotiation before violence became inevitable.

Moon leaned closer to Yara and whispered urgently, "What are they saying? We need to understand what’s happening."

Yara nodded, her expression tense as she began translating in hushed tones. "The chief is telling them that you are part of our family now. You are honored guests under our protection. We treat you as our own blood, and we would never surrender you."

She paused as the Heretic leader responded with sharp, cutting words.

"The Heretic leader is arguing that you are enemies with hidden agendas. He claims you’ve come to corrupt our ways and destroy our culture from within."

"That’s absurd. We literally just arrived yesterday." Selene couldn’t help but speak, a look of disgust flashing across her face.

"They don’t care," Yara said bitterly.

"The Heretics believe that our race are superior beings. Anything beyond our kind are enemies that should be killed and slaughtered without mercy or negotiation."

Her voice carried disgust as she expanded on the ideology. "Their ancestors held the same extreme beliefs about the benefactor when he first arrived five hundred years ago. They have ancient texts, scrolls and tablets written by their zealot forebears that they treat as sacred scripture. But those writings were corrupted by hatred and fear, twisted to justify violence and xenophobia."

Yara’s hands clenched into fists. "They base everything on these corrupted scripts written by ancestral Heretics. That’s why we call them Heretics—they’ve broken from the true path our people followed when the benefactor showed us a better way. They rejected his teachings of cooperation and understanding, instead clinging to the old ways of hatred and isolation."

Moon processed this information rapidly. "So they’re essentially a splinter faction that refused to accept your cultural evolution after the benefactor’s influence?"

"Exactly," Yara confirmed. "When the benefactor saved our ancestors from extinction and taught us his language and ways, most of our people embraced the change gratefully. But some—the Heretics’ ancestors—viewed it as contamination. They fled into the wilderness and have been living in isolation ever since."

"Now we’ve arrived, which probably confirms all their worst fears and fake prophecies from those corrupted texts."

"Yes," Yara said grimly. "They likely see you as the vanguard of an invasion. Proof that their paranoid warnings were justified all along."

The Heretic leader’s voice rose sharply, his words becoming more aggressive. Several of his warriors began edging forward, weapons ready.

"What’s he saying now?" Moon asked urgently.

Yara’s face paled. "He’s demanding that we hand you over immediately. He claims your blood must be spilled to prevent corruption. If we refuse..."

"They’ll attack," Moon finished grimly.

"The chief is trying to avoid bloodshed," Yara said. "He’s offering alternative solutions—tribute, territorial concessions, anything to prevent fighting. But the Heretics aren’t interested in compromise."

Moon could see the situation deteriorating rapidly. The Heretic warriors were spreading out, taking flanking positions. This wasn’t negotiation—it was preparation for assault.

"Yara," Moon said quietly but firmly. "Tell your chief that Selene and I will defend ourselves if attacked. We won’t let ourselves be captured or sacrificed. But we’ll follow the Savi clan’s lead on whether to strike first or wait for them to commit."

Yara nodded and quickly relayed Moon’s words to the chief in their language.

The Savi leader’s expression showed grim approval. He responded to the Heretics one final time, his tone shifting from diplomatic to warning.

The Heretic leader spat on the ground in contempt, his eyes looking around everyone before locking with Moon’s for a brief moment.

Then, the heretic said a few words before retreating alongside his people.

"He said that this isn’t over, and that they will return to take you," Yara said, a grim expression on her face.

Moon’s eyes flashed coldly, channeling his mana, "Why wait for them to get stronger? Let’s kill them all now before they attack us in larger numbers."

Yara immediately shook her head. "Please calm down. I told you, this isn’t our way. Killing only brings more killing, the leader would never start a fight, and it’s highly looked down upon amongst our race. Our race would never attack its own, even if they had a heretic ideology unless they attacked first. This is our Savi way."

Moon glared at the retreating figures before sighing, "Alright."

"Thank you for understanding." Yara looked at him gratefully.