Pride as a Warrior left Dakkalai no choice but to grit his teeth and take some people with him to Jintha'Alor. Zul'ra stayed at Sea-Watch Cliff to make arrangements, ordering the troops to set up camp along the sea cliffs while Smolderthorn Village prepared a tight defense, making it look as if a battle was imminent.
To make the ruse more convincing, Zul'ra forbade his subordinates from having any contact with the Smolderthorn Trolls. At the same time, to ensure things didn't get worse, he kept Chieftain Broken-Tooth as a hostage on his side. The chieftain, whose face was mostly hidden beneath a wolf-head mask, agreed. She left her husband in charge of the tribe and stayed in the military camp.
In the Amani military camp, the chieftain met some of Zul'ra's followers. She watched their unusually straight backs and the steel weapons they carried, and listened to the new ideas they shared. She approved of what she saw and had many conversations with Zul'ra.
"Zul'ra Jin, do you think the Trolls can find glory simply by carrying out reforms and valuing knowledge, as you say?" Broken-Tooth addressed him the way his followers did, acknowledging his standing, but she still had many questions. Could the Trolls really rise to success just by doing that?
"Valuing knowledge is essential, but if we want to find glory, we have to make a transformation. What we're doing now can only be called change, nowhere near a transformation." Zul'ra looked at the quick-minded chieftain and explained some key points to her.
"Then what counts as a transformation?" Broken-Tooth asked curiously.
"A transformation means breaking an organization's old systems and practices, then establishing new ones to give it a vigorous new life. The difference between that and change is that transformation requires sacrifice, even bloodshed." Zul'ra explained to the curious chieftain.
"We haven't sacrificed anything yet, so this can't be called a transformation. We've only made a few small changes."
"..." Broken-Tooth sank into thought, hearing what seemed to be a pointed remark.
"All right, stop walking around the camp. Stay in the Main Tent. I have arrangements to make. Hex should be coming soon; I hope she comes in person!" Zul'ra looked at the pensive female Troll and nodded to himself with satisfaction. The chieftain was talented: she could absorb new ideas and think for herself. If possible, he could put her to good use alongside Haimuxi, Maki, and Barhan in the future.
Leaving the female Troll alone to think, Zul'ra began making arrangements. He ordered all the straight-backed Trolls to return to their tents and stay inside, while the other, hunched Trolls put on a show of being on high alert and stood guard around the camp.
Just after Zul'ra had put the camp under lockdown, one of Dakkalai's men came running back to report that Hex had arrived with her people. The Evil Priestess wouldn't join the Amani Empire, but she wouldn't pass up a chance to destroy the Smolderthorn, either.
With Hex and her followers about to arrive, Zul'ra ordered the straight-backed Trolls to hide in their tents at once. He also instructed the Troll guards to lead Hex and the others to the Main Tent.
Besides arranging all the troops, Zul'ra had agreed on a signal with the Trolls. Once he gave it, they would wipe out every Vilebranch who had come along. But they had to wait for his signal, because he needed to be sure that the one who arrived was really Hex.
Once everything was in place, Zul'ra returned to the Main Tent to wait for Hex with Broken-Tooth. They weren't friends, but she and Hex were old rivals, and she could tell whether the Troll who arrived was really Hex.
Soon, a commotion arose outside the tent, and hurried footsteps drew closer. Broken-Tooth lifted the flap a crack and watched the Trolls enter the camp, then nodded toward Zul'ra from beneath her wolf-head mask.
"That red-haired female Troll leading them is Hex. She's not wearing a mask. She's dressed in a purple skirt with red spots and wrist guards, and she's carrying a staff. There's no mistake."
"Good. Then you can welcome her here." Zul'ra picked up the spear leaning against the tent and rolled his shoulders. He nodded toward the tent's center, signaling her to wait there for Hex.
Broken-Tooth understood his gesture at once and went to wait in the center of the Main Tent. Zul'ra stood beside the tent flap, waiting for the footsteps outside to draw closer, then for the flap to be lifted and someone to enter.
The tent flap lifted, and the Trolls outside filed in. Zul'ra looked at the female Troll who entered first, dressed in a purple skirt with red spots and holding a staff, followed by four Warriors. The Warriors carried battle-axes and had red mohawks. Their backs were bent as if they were carrying mountains, and their auras were utterly savage. Dakkalai followed behind them.
As the master of Jintha'Alor, Hex had scoffed when she heard the Amani were marching against the Smolderthorn and wanted to win her over. But she had decided to come anyway. She wouldn't join Zul'jin's fanciful empire, but she wouldn't pass up the chance to destroy the Smolderthorn, those detestable neighbors.
Along the way, Hex saw that the entire Amani camp was under lockdown and assumed the Amani had already clashed with the Smolderthorn. Her guard dropped completely as she entered the camp, and she even felt a thrill of delight and smug satisfaction. These Amani Trolls were helping her destroy the Smolderthorn. How would they look when she told them she refused to join the Amani Empire?
Feeling smug, Hex confidently entered the military camp and followed the guide Troll's directions to the Main Tent. But when she opened the tent and stepped inside, she couldn't help but freeze for a moment. She thought her eyes must be playing tricks on her.
"Hello, Hex." Looking at the red-haired female Troll who had entered first, Broken-Tooth couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from lifting beneath the sharp fangs of her wolf-head mask. As an old rival, she was just as eager to see Hex's reaction.
"We've been tricked!" Hex shrieked when she saw the female Troll waiting inside the tent. But as she turned around, she saw two of her guards pinned through the neck by a spear. It was held by a Troll she'd never seen before, tall and straight-backed, with blue-white skin. He had been standing inside the tent without anyone noticing him.
"Taz'dingo!" Zul'ra yanked out the steel spear and let out a roar. His voice rang out from the tent, and the Forest Trolls waiting outside immediately turned on the Vilebranch Trolls who had come with Hex, hurling throwing axes at them. Tent after tent was torn open, revealing straight-backed Forest Trolls with shields and spears, who charged the caught-off-guard Vilebranch Trolls.
"Zandalari?" Hex stared at the Troll who had pulled his spear from her guard's neck and shouted. She wasn't entirely sure, but she mistook Zul'ra for a Zandalari Troll—and it wasn't an unreasonable guess. Only Zandalari Trolls stood straight-backed.
"Hex, I come to kill you in the name of honor." Zul'ra stared at the Priestess, protected by the two remaining Vilebranch guards. He raised his right arm alone, pointing his bloodstained spear at her.
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