Chapter 683: Joint Hunt
The survivors of the "Song of the Valley" clan, having endured the initial terror and numbness, embarked on the arduous journey toward the Omaticaya's "Land of Chants," carrying endless sorrow and bone-deep hatred.
Their numbers were few, consisting almost entirely of the elderly, women, and children. Every one of them was clad in tattered garments, covered in dried mud and the blackened blood of their kin.
Their eyes were hollow, their steps unsteady, as if their souls had been extracted, leaving only empty shells moving on pure instinct.
A few young children clung tightly to the torn hems of their mothers' clothes. Even their crying lacked strength; their throats could only produce intermittent, animal-like whimpers.
When they appeared at the perimeter cordon of the Land of Chants, looking as haggard as lost spirits, the shock they caused was immense.
The Omaticaya patrol hunters almost didn't dare to recognize them. It wasn't until they clearly saw the clan tattoos of the "Song of the Valley" and that un-fakeable despair that they hurriedly rushed forward to receive them.
The news spread like wildfire among the various Na'vi clans.
Emotions of fear and fury spread rapidly.
A clan of over a hundred people had been nearly slaughtered to the last, leaving only defenseless elders, women, and children. In the eyes of the Na'vi, who heavily emphasized family and clan bonds, this act was an unprecedented atrocity and desecration.
The very air seemed to thicken with the scent of blood from the "Song of the Valley."
Within a few days, representatives and warrior chieftains from surrounding clans of all sizes converged on the Omaticaya's Land of Chants, gathering in the massive assembly plaza beneath Hometree.
The crowd formed a dense, dark mass, yet it was unusually quiet. There was only the sound of suppressed breathing and the occasional, uncontrollable low sob.
A heavy, almost suffocating atmosphere filled the air. Even Hometree seemed to feel this weight, its hanging aerial roots curling slightly inward.
Chief Eytukan and Tsahik Mo'at stood on high ground, their faces etched with sorrow and severity, their gazes sweeping over every grief-stricken or terrified face below.
"The demons from the sky," an old warrior chieftain from a northern mountain clan was the first to break the silence. His voice trembled with grief and indignation, his eyes bloodshot. "Have once again poured death upon our lands!"
His son had gone missing during the massacre at the "Song of the Valley" and had most likely perished.
"Unlike the Sky People before them who came for ore and land, they... they kill merely for the sake of killing! For twisted amusement!" He practically roared the final few words, brimming with the endless agony and fury of a father and a warrior.
"We must strike back!" another hot-blooded young hunter immediately roared, violently slamming his spear against the ground with a dull thud. "They treat us as prey? Then let us show them that the hunters of the Na'vi are the apex predators of this forest!"
He looked around, attempting to ignite the fighting spirit in others. "We must organize! We must launch the greatest Great Hunt, flush these iron-skinned monsters out, and tear them to shreds!"
"Avenge the Song of the Valley!"
Public sentiment boiled over; the cries for vengeance rose higher and higher in waves.
The proposal to form a clan alliance against the Predators and conduct a massive Great Hunt was met with agreement from the vast majority of warriors.
However, disagreements arose regarding how to execute this hunt.
Sutai stepped forward. Her voice, clear and calm, cut through the noisy debate. "Brothers and sisters, vengeance is necessary! But we must see reality clearly. These iron-clad warriors possess cloaking abilities we cannot comprehend, and their weapons can easily tear our bodies apart. Relying solely on numbers and bravery, we might pay an unbearable price."
She looked around the crowd, her gaze resolute. "Last time, we only successfully killed that lone invisible hunter by cooperating with a faction of the Sky People. This proves they are not invincible, but it requires strategy, and it requires... borrowing different strength."
Taking a deep breath, she voiced the idea she had been harboring in her heart. "I believe we should seek cooperation with those Sky People once more. Not all Sky People are as greedy and destructive as the RDA. The Seekers have shown respect and a willingness to communicate. Furthermore, the invisible hunters threaten us all, including the RDA. We could attempt to form an alliance with the RDA, or at least with the Seekers, to jointly combat this threat from the stars."
This proposal was like dropping cold water into a boiling vat of oil, instantly triggering a fierce reaction.
"Absolutely impossible!" A tall warrior suddenly stepped forward. It was Tsu'tey, the prominent representative of the clan's hardliners.
His voice exploded like thunder, carrying absolute resolve. "Cooperate with the Sky People? Sutai, have you forgotten the hatred of Hometree being toppled?! Have you forgotten how many of our people died under their guns and cannons?!"
His blazing gaze swept over everyone present, as if seeking to pass the fury in his heart to all his kin. "No matter how terrifying these iron-skinned monsters are, they are an open enemy! But the Sky People—"
His voice suddenly spiked, dripping with deep loathing. "They are parasites that steal our home and poison our land! To cooperate with them is a betrayal of Eywa! It is a desecration of all our fallen kin! It is outright treason!"
"Tsu'tey is right!" Someone immediately echoed. "We cannot rely on the Sky People! Na'vi problems must be solved by the Na'vi themselves!"
"But their weapons..." A few individuals showed hesitation.
"Weapons? We have the guidance of Eywa! We have the land beneath our feet! We have the fiercest warriors and the most loyal Ikrans!" Tsu'tey's voice was like rolling thunder. "If we do not even have the courage to face our enemies alone, what right do we have to talk about protecting our home?"
Chief Eytukan and Tsahik Mo'at exchanged a glance, both seeing the worry in the other's eyes.
They understood Sutai's pragmatism, but they also knew clearly that the sentiment Tsu'tey represented was a force within the clan that could not be ignored.
Ultimately, after fierce debate, the alliance was established, but Sutai's proposal to cooperate with the RDA or the Seekers was explicitly vetoed.
The alliance decided to rely on the Na'vi's own strength to launch a massive Great Hunt aimed at purging the Predator hunters.
Soon, an unprecedented joint hunting party composed of the most elite hunters from various clans was assembled.
Riding Ikrans, accompanied by tamed Viperwolves and Direhorses, and carrying longbows, poisoned arrows, bone spears, and slings, they departed the Land of Chants with soaring morale. Like a burst dam, they flooded into the vast jungle, swearing to flush out those invisible hunters and exact a debt of blood.
Watching the backs of the departing forces, Sutai's heart was clouded with a dark premonition.
She could only pray silently that Eywa would protect her people, hoping that this all-out Great Hunt would end in success.