Chapter 087: Uniting to Build High Walls

"Chief of the Han Tribe, thank you for aiding our tribe in defeating our enemies. How did you know we were in danger?" Rat Chief inquired, pulling his spear from an enemy's body, his voice filled with gratitude.

If I told you it was I who led the enemies here, would you believe me? Rogan thought sardonically to himself, though he kept these words unspoken.

"We were gathering resources far afield and passed through the Dark Forest to the north of your village. There, we encountered the Cannibal Tribe who had unleashed a red-haired giant ape on us, which we managed to slay.

Then, those cannibals continued to head towards your tribe. We had intended to warn you, but the enemy moved faster than expected and reached here before us," Rogan explained to Rat Chief, the ease of his fabricated story not betraying the flicker of a conscience.

"What is a giant ape?" Rat Shaman asked, puzzled.

"It's a creature resembling a human but far larger, covered in thick, fire-colored hair, standing twice your height," added Beastfang, Rogan's companion, using Rat Shaman's stature for scale.

"Oh heavens, those are the demons of the Black Mountain! Our ancestors encountered them; they bring calamity to our tribe," Rat Shaman exclaimed, staggering with alarm.

"What? Your ancestors have seen these giant apes? How do you know this? Do you know their origin? And what is this Black Mountain?" Rogan asked, surprised by this revelation.

"It's depicted on ancient stone paintings kept in our tribe. Please, come with me to the tent," Rat Shaman invited Rogan inside, pointing towards a large stone slab in the corner of the tent. The slab bore crude and abstract charcoal drawings of a dark mountain from which numerous giant apes descended.

"These giant apes captured many from human tribes, killing the men and taking women and children back to the dark mountain. They enslaved these humans, forcing them to capture more humans. If they failed, they became food for the giant apes. This happened many generations ago, and now these enemies are the descendants of those captured children, raised to be as savage as the giant apes themselves," Rat Shaman narrated as he pointed to the drawings.

Rogan listened intently, piecing together the relationship between the giant apes and the cannibals, while Rat Chief and Rat Shaman looked on worriedly, pondering their tribe's future.

"Chief of the Han Tribe, you must teach us how to defeat these giant apes," Rat Chief implored, believing Rogan possessed the knowledge to defeat such beasts.

"I do not know how to defeat such creatures definitively. We rely on sturdy brick walls for defense. Even in our last encounter, it was only with the aid of Grey Mountain—the two tusked beasts you saw—that we prevailed, and not without losses," Rogan admitted candidly.

"What can we do then?" Rat Shaman asked, despair edging his voice.

"Can your walls withstand an attack from these giant apes?" Rat Shaman asked uncertainly.

"Not yet. But we plan to build higher, stronger walls, what we call city walls. Once constructed, we could all live within them, safe from any foe, giant apes included. No one can breach these walls," Rogan assured.

"Could our tribe also build such walls?" Rat Chief asked, more interested in immediate solutions than historical accounts.

"Alone, you could not. Even for us, constructing such fortifications requires many hands and much time. But together, we could build them more swiftly. No enemy could harm us then, and we would share abundant food and the finest weapons," Rogan proposed.

The possibility of such safety and prosperity finally swayed Rat Shaman and Rat Chief. They consulted briefly before nodding in agreement.

"Chief Rogan, we agree to join the Han Tribe. Please treat our people as your own," they said, formalizing their decision.

"Welcome to the Han Tribe. From now on, you are our brethren, entitled to the same protection and provisions as every one of us," Rogan declared, pleased with their unity.

"When do we move and start building this great wall?" Rat Chief asked, eager to begin their new life.