Thorne moved like a whirlwind, witnessing the state of the tribe. He felt anger, sorrow, and remorse. But it was already too late; Thornek had already rebelled, and the tribe was in the midst of destruction. He felt weak, unable to change anything, but the war needed to be fought. The only thing he could do was to save the survivors, pulling them out from their huts and bringing them to safety, regrouping the able-bodied warriors and creating a defensive formation until they reached a safe place.
With a location in mind, Thorne guided his tribesmen to the Tribal Hall. After hours of walking, they finally arrived almost one kilometer away. Noticing that a grueling fight had occurred at the Hall – blurry images of warriors through the smoke and fires – Thorne and the survivors paused, then hastened their pace, left with no choice but to continue because their pursuers were already at their heels. After nearing the hall, Thorne sighed with relief because the defender of the Hall was none other than his granddaughter and her friends, among them Usato, who was busy giving orders to the survivors. Seeing this, Thorne made a decision that would change the Evergreen Tribe's destiny.
A fierce resolve hardened Thorne's gaze. He made a decision, a gamble born of desperation and a lifetime of leading his people.
He and the hundred or so survivors he had managed to gather reached the vicinity of the tribal hall. Relief washed over Syka and the others as they recognized their Chief.
"Don't stop!" Usato's voice cut through the din. "Protect them from the rebels! Archers, target anyone approaching Tribal Chief! Kael, Gorthok, the rest of you, let's go down and escort Chief Thorne's group!" Kael moved without a word of protest. The ten of them began to cautiously descend towards Thorne's position.
Suddenly, Sky's urgent voice filled Usato's mind. "Host, multiple powerful energy signatures detected. Advise host to retreat to the designated plan of retreat."
Understanding the gravity of Sky's warning, Usato called out to Thorne, "Chief, we need to be faster! Let us carry the wounded and hike to the hall!"
Sensing the urgency in Usato's voice, Thorne nodded. "A few of you, help carry the injured! Move quickly!"
As they converged, a chilling sight unfolded in a distant corner. Thornek and his son Thaggar stood with a group of their accomplices. To Thorne's utter dismay, shock, and heartbreak, he recognized several of them as Elders – individuals who had solemnly agreed in the emergency meeting to send messengers for aid. Among them was even Elder Maya, the unwavering voice of reason, the one who always prioritized the tribe above all else. The depth of the betrayal struck Thorne like a physical blow.
Realization dawned on Thorne. This was the end of his road. He looked at Syka, his granddaughter, his heart overflowing with love. Then his gaze settled on Usato. "Usato," he declared, his voice firm despite the turmoil, "From now on, you are formally assigned as Guardian Warrior and current Tribal Chief for the Evergreen Tribe. Your trial as Guardian Warrior starts now – ensure the Evergreen Tribe's survival."
A collective gasp swept through their small group. Tears welled in many eyes, a silent acknowledgment of their Chief's likely fate. Syka cried out, her voice choked with emotion, "Grandpa, please don't do that! We can still survive!" Thorne simply shook his head, his gaze gentle. "Live on, my granddaughter." He looked at Usato, brooking no argument. "What are you waiting for? Go now!"
Before Usato could respond, a mad, maniacal laugh echoed across the ravaged tribal grounds.
"THORNEK!! YOU ANIMAL!!" Thorne roared, his voice filled with anguish. "You betrayed the tribe! And you… you… you!" He pointed a trembling finger at the traitorous Elders, his gaze lingering on Elder Maya. "I trusted you! We trusted you! You betrayed us all!"
"Brother! Haha!" Thornek's voice dripped with cruel amusement. "Don't be angry. There's still time… for the ones behind you to survive." His gaze flickered towards Usato and the younger survivors.
"My beloved niece!" Thaggar shouted, his eyes fixated on Syka. "Come to me! I'll protect you!" He punctuated his words with a lewd whistle.
"You ANIMAL!" Syka spat, her voice filled with disgust. "I'd rather die than be touched by you!"
Thaggar's face contorted in rage and humiliation. "You b*tch! Being my plaything is better than being killed! You can't appreciate favor!"
"SHUT UP!!" Thorne's bellow silenced Thaggar, who flinched and hid behind his father.
"Please, Usato," Thorne said quickly, his eyes pleading. "Take the survivors and flee. There's a backdoor in this hall leading to the forest. Run until you reach the center; they probably won't chase that far. I'll block them. Go now!"
Usato, deeply moved by Thorne's sacrifice, bowed his head slightly.
"Chief, we will avenge you." He turned to the survivors. "Let's go quickly! Move!" He urged them towards the tribal hall, his eyes scanning for the escape route. He reached Syka, who stood frozen, tears streaming down her face. "Syka! Let's go! Don't waste your Grandpa's sacrifice!"
Syka, in shock, could only stammer incoherently, "N… N… no!"
Knowing they had no time to lose, Usato instructed Kael, "Kael, we have no time. Carry Syka and come with me!" Kael obeyed, moving to Syka's side. Usato led the way towards the back of the tribal hall, urging the survivors to run faster. He noticed several tribal artifacts – swords, bows, axes – hanging on the walls. "Sky, devour these!" he commanded internally.
"Acknowledged," Sky replied.
Then, the recon nanobots reported to Sky. "Ancient altar detected behind the tribal hall." Sky relayed the information to Usato. "Host, ancient altar located behind the hall."
"Sky, analyze its structure," Usato commanded. After a brief analysis, he ordered, "Devour it as well!"
"Analysis complete. Devouring will take approximately five minutes at current nanobot allocation," Sky reported.
Five minutes was an eternity. "Use all available nanobots, including yourself! Prioritize devouring the altar!" Usato commanded, a desperate edge to his mental voice.
"Reallocating resources. Estimated devouring time: thirty seconds," Sky responded. Every second counted.
Just as Usato felt the strain of pushing Sky and the nanobots to their absolute limit, a notification chimed in his mind, clear amidst the surrounding chaos. "Ancient altar successfully devoured," Sky reported.
A wave of relief washed over Usato, quickly followed by another, more complex notification. "Initiating system update and software upgrade. Estimated duration: undetermined. Core functions will remain operational, but advanced processing and certain features may be temporarily limited."
A flicker of both elation and worry crossed Usato's face. A system update and upgrade could unlock significant new capabilities, but the timing couldn't have been worse. He would have to rely on Sky's core functions while navigating their escape.