Herald of Steel

Chapter 1250: Metztil's Choice (Part-2)

Metztil called for a meeting with the elders the very next day arrival after getting back, wishing to discuss Alexander's offer.

"Chief, this was not what was promised to us."

And after hearing the details of it, the first to raise the objection was a young middle aged looking man with a thick mustache, "The Helvati people have been wishing for much more."

Named Tepin, this was Metztil's biggest rival.

And towards this troublemaker, Metztil let out an impatient chirp, swatting his palms in a hurried manner,

"Everyone knows that deal was nothing more than hyperbolics. I will not bother wasting any time arguing with you on the details. Alexander has already drawn out his red line. Just tell me, do you agree or not?"

"....." The council of elders did not expect Metztil to be this impatient and turned to look at each other to see what the other thought.

Preferably they would have liked to sleep on the matter for a few days. After all, they had just been informed of the matter and it did not seem prudent to jump to answer so quickly.

Hence the eldest and most respected of them, an elder woman who was also the former chief shaman coughed up in a rough, gravelly, voice,

"Do not be so hasty my child. This requires careful consideration. Let us wait a few days. Talk to the other tribes. We will be deciding on the future of the tribe after all.... perhaps even life or death.

"

Metztil visibly frowned after hearing this.

Because although it sounded all good and sensible, he knew a major source of his troubles originated from this old hag, who was Tepin's mother.

Without her considerable backing, Metztil would have made a move on the man long, long ago.

Needless to say, he had no goodwill towards her advice.

So, just like his wife advised, Metztil insisted,

"We do not have the time to wait and discuss things like a bunch of old coots. Alexander plans to strike the enemy within this week. We need to be there by then. Yes or no, we must agree here and now."

Metztil used the time limit set by Alexander to pressure the elders into giving him an answer here and now. Because he knew the more he waited, the more complex a web they could spin for him. For a straight forward man like him, that could only be disadvantageous.

Not to mention, he, by principle, did not like dragging his feet- endlessly talking and discussing like these elders.

As a man of action, he much preferred to resolve things the old fashioned way.

Metztil's not so subtle jab at the former chief shaman's age did not go unnoticed by any, and the old lady's wrinkled face darkened to form a greater frown.

No woman liked being poked about her age, and that went for even someone as old as her.

So the elder lady was about to chastise this younger generation for such a rude comment when suddenly another man interrupted with a generous hum,

It made Metztil wonder if it was a 'good cop- bad cop' thing.

Tepin pretended to be the bad man pushing Metztil towards the edge, while his mother swooped in like a hero at the last second to save the battered chief.

Such a thing would not be their first rodeo.

All such surprises were however quickly erased as Tepin's mother quickly spoke up, now turning to Metztil to lightly chide,

"But what Tepin said is indeed right. Who is this Alexander anyway? Why should we dance to whatever he says? He needs our help far more than we need his!"

Ah, here it came.

Although it might have seemed like she had just saved Metztil, she was actually sending the man a warning.

By clearly buttressing her son's words, she was saying that Metztil should agree to delay the decision, or next time, he would not be so lucky.

.net

"..." Metztil had hardly ever won against his mother son pair, their eloquence, and scheming proving too strange and mysterious to see through for this simple chief.

So other than producing a bitter face, he could do little and began to resolve himself to the fact that his scheme had failed.

Once Tepin got his way and the other tribes got involved, they would surely drag their feet until the deadline passed and use that excuse to easily depose him.

The thought made Metztil extremely aggrieved, as he saw all the power, wealth and women he had turning to dust before him, before and he and his family joined that pile, to be then all be blown away by a gust of wind.

Then moments later that regret turned to anger, and unnoticed by anybody, hidden by the table, his hands grabbed for the dirk on his waist.

If he could not stay in power by diplomacy, he would do so with force.

He had held off on doing something so radical because Tepin and his other allies also processed a significant force themselves, and the last thing Metztil wanted to do was start a civil war involving not only the Helvati, but many of the other surrounding tribes as well.

It would have been a tribal 'world war'.

And other than considering the devastaion such a huge scale conflict would cause, severely weakening or even destroying the natives as a separate identity, the much greater reason behind Metztil's benevolence was becuase he thought he had very little hope of winning.

However now with Alexander joining the equation, the calculus had suddenly changed!

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