The moon shone bright tonight, and the stars glittered.
Deep in the Jie Forest, men and women, young and old, of the wildman tribe gathered around Moon Lake in ceremonial dress, carrying torches and various offerings as they made their final preparations for the coming ceremony.
As the moon climbed higher overhead, the priests lit the bonfires on the surrounding altars. Flames rose, the clamor gradually subsided, and the entire tribe sank into an atmosphere of mystery and solemnity.
On the altar at the very center of the lakeside square, the wildman tribal chief stood alone atop the raised platform, hands behind his back. He watched the bustle below without expression, repeatedly going over the preparations for the Moon Festival in his mind, checking whether everything was in place.
For some reason, although he had made every preparation he could think of and arranged everything thoroughly, his unease only grew. He kept feeling that he had overlooked something.
"Hm?"
The tribal chief suddenly stopped, looked up in surprise at the flag fluttering overhead, and reached out a hand.
Threads of cool wind slipped between his fingers.
"The wind's picking up?" The tribal chief frowned. Normally, the entire Jie Forest was still during the Moon Festival. No previous Moon Festival had ever begun on a windy day, so why tonight...
Of course, it was nothing serious. These were only light breezes, so faint that someone not paying close attention might never notice them. Such a slight breeze could not possibly affect the Moon Festival...
The tribal chief reassured himself.
A commotion suddenly broke out somewhere below, accompanied by cheers and screams. The tribal chief looked down to see seven bare-chested young wildmen in grass skirts approaching his altar, surrounded by countless tribespeople.
These seven were this year's living sacrifices, outstanding young