Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

Ming Yue quietly listened as the expedition was being explained. There wasn't too much left for Niu Hong to say and everyone focused on traversing through the Savage Lands. Time seemed to pass by quickly as night came and the time to camp was set. 

They ate rations in the dark as there was no campfire for it could alert the monsters of this place. 

Outside of that, everyone was given a slot of time to watch the camp at night, the first being Ming Yue. 

She quickly found her spot, hiding within the branches of a tree. Xiao Yin perched upon another branch whilst Hei Yue managed to climb up, sleeping on her lap. She looked around and stayed alert, listening to the sounds of these lands. 

To many, it would be quite terrifying to sleep in a place like that. 

Although the night was relatively peaceful, every now and then, there'd be a horrifying roar or some booming sound in a distance. Somewhere, two beasts were fighting each other to the death. But this was just one clash out of hundreds. 

The Savage Lands were vast and much of it was unexplored. 

"I wonder... Are the locations of the teleportation circles the same as the other two continents?" 

The thought suddenly came up. 

"If I wanted to return, I'd have to go there. But I don't even know how to activate it, much less the resources that I'd need."

She couldn't help but think about returning. 

After some time, one of the tents opened up and a figure walked out. Carefully moving Hei Yue into her arms, the young woman hopped down and looked at her replacement, Niu Hong. 

"You're out early, there's still another hour before we switch, no?" she asked. 

The leader of the group nodded with a slightly embarrassed smile. 

"Hah, I couldn't quite fall asleep so I thought it'd be better to do this. If you want to continue your part of the watch then please, don't mind me."

Ming Yue shook her head. 

"No it's alright, this would be a good time to ask you more about this place", she replied. 

"Oh, what would you like to know? As one of the strongest Seekers, I do know quite a bit!" 

He patted his chest with confidence, waiting for her questions. 

"Strongest? How many other Seekers are at your level then?" she asked. 

"Ah, this..."

Niu Hong scratched his head before answering with a bit of embarrassment. 

"Presently, there are probably nine other expedition groups stronger than ours. As shameful as it is to say it, we are the tenth strongest group. And if we go by individuals, Qiang Rong is stronger than me but all four of us range in the top hundred with a total of ten thousand active Seekers."

Ming Yue listened carefully before her eyes flashed as something came to mind. 

"If it's this much, reclaiming the Savage Lands would be more than difficult wouldn't it?" she muttered. 

The beastman's face showed surprise but nodded in agreement. 

"You're right, any effort made in doing so just vanishes the next day. Those things living in the Savage Lands are just what they are, savages. They know nothing but killing and conquering. And for the Seekers, to defeat such beasts requires strength in power and numbers, both of which we have little of."

"Can you tell me more about the Seekers? I've read that there are divisions, each one tasked with a responsibility."

She then followed with this inquiry. 

"Ah, so you know up to that much, I can explain the rest."

He answered and began to draw a circle with his finger, dividing it into three unequal pieces. 

"To become a Seeker you must be recognized by the Elders of your tribe and pass a test. This test is usually killing a beast from the Savage Lands. And from there, you could join one of three divisions."

He pointed at the biggest section. 

"Preservation. The largest group where most tend to join. Seekers here are tasked with defending the borders and stopping or slowing the expansion of the Savage Lands. Any attacks or raids that happen are what they deal with. The beasts that die are then taken and used, none of it is wasted, not even its core."

His finger then moved to the middle section which was just a little bit smaller than Preservation. 

"This is Expedition, the division we are a part of. Our responsibility is to explore the ruins and retrieve any treasure or information that could help us. We recover anything from precious documents to weapons and armor."

And then his finger moved to the last section of the circle, the smallest section. 

"This is Reclamation, the division tasked to enter the Savage Lands, solely to hunt and kill. Although it is the smallest section, it is generally filled with the strongest Seekers. Only they can match those monsters in savagery but because of that, they often move alone. The reason why it's so small is because it is the most dangerous division and the requirements to enter are stringent."

Looking at the dirt drawing, Ming Yue thought about the three divisions before asking something else. 

"Then resources, the beast cores and the treasures, where do they usually go?"

Niu Hong thought for a moment before answering. 

"The Reclamation Division gets priority in weapons and equipment. But as for beast cores, they use the ones that they hunt. And the other two divisions split the rest between two", he answered. 

"Then can you not just form teams to hunt in the Reclamation Division? Find Seekers to help bolter that division?" she suggested. 

However, Niu Hong shook his head at this idea. 

"If only it were that easy. Although all of the Seekers fall under these three divisions, they are not unified, far from it in fact. Perhaps it is easier with humans but for us, beast people have a lot of pride. Because of that, the many tribes are in conflict with one another. And that transfers to the divisions where some refuse to work with others for numerous reasons, feelings of superiority, a dislike for weaker tribes. Squads like my Four Claws where we have different tribes are rare."

Hearing this, Ming Yue understood why the beast people could not contend with the creatures of the Savage Lands. 

"So not every tribe is willing to help others, is that it?" she said. 

Niu Hong sighed and nodded. 

"Unfortunately, that is true. Many tribes either help some or not at all. Some just stay hidden, feeling that the encroachment of the Savage Lands is not their own problem. And those that work or want to work together are often shunned."

"I see." 

There was a pause in between before Niu Hong stood up and stretched out. 

"Well now, it's my turn to keep watch. I hope that you are satisfied with what I've told you but you don't seem like it. I know that the situation for us isn't looking well but we're all trying our best. It's a difficult battle, there is no doubt. But this is a battle that must be won."

After speaking, he went off to take watch, leaving Ming Yue to linger with her own thoughts. 

She sat there quietly before retiring for the night, showing little on her face. It was hard to tell what she was thinking about. But after learning all of that, there was no doubt that Ming Yue was fixated on this problem. 

Night soon passed with no interruptions and everyone went on their way to the ruins. It took a little less than a week for them to reach the ruins to which Ming Yue now saw for the very first time. 

The Ruins of a Broken Banner.