The sun rose to the middle of the sky, and the sea floated blood-red. Longships cruised along the shore, clearing the battlefield after the fight. Sailors salvaged cargo from the water, captured prisoners who had fallen overboard, and dealt with the dead bodies. The Kingdom warriors laughed and talked loudly, cutting off heads to record their merits, treating the fierce slaughter just now as nothing more than ordinary.
In truth, such a one-sided battle truly held no pressure. In all, only a dozen or so men had light wounds, three or four were badly injured, and two had died after being struck by poisoned arrows. As for the Ciguayos who had died in battle or fallen into the water, they now covered the coast—there were probably a full two hundred of them!
"Praise the Main God! He guided us and let us meet again!"
Priest Tomatl stood at the bow of the flagship with a smile on his face. His eyes shone brightly as he watched Bociba, the Red Stone Chief of the Red Soil Tribe, approach in a small dugout canoe, then climb aboard the flagship longship. Priest Tomatl's smile was still as gentle as it had been two months before, only more confident and composed.
"Red Stone Chief, the mighty power of the Main God shelters us! The siege of the Red Soil Tribe is lifted! The Ciguayos have been utterly routed and fled after abandoning all their captives. Their casualties are heavy. They will not come back again for a short time!"
"Ah! Praise the gods! Honored Priest Tomatl, you are a friend of the Red Soil Tribe. I truly thank you for your rescue! And you as well, respected Chief Water Splash!"
Red Stone Chief was somewhat short, with a plain, honest face, and red patterns