Chapter 38

The Fire Dance Festival is a carnival day for all the orcs. As their favorite with primitive beast nature—courtship and hunting, it will be enlarged and become the theme of the festival.

As the sky darkened, the orcs gathered in the open space in front of the altar. The bonfire formed a huge animal head which was placed according to certain rules.

As a member of the tribe, Su Ce also needs to attend this gathering. Furthermore, as an earth person, he’s also very interested in festivals of different worlds.

He always felt that there is a kind of wild feeling in people’s veins whenever they are near the orcs…

Tan Tu held Su Ce’s hand tightly. He had to let outsiders know that this was his partner. Su Ce didn’t refuse him. His attention was focused on the orcs he had never seen before.

In addition to the Tiger and Maya tribes, Yi Ge, Di Luo, and Si Lei tribes also came here.

Their appearances was generally similar to that of the Tiger tribe where Su Ce is located, but there are also some subtle differences. This is probably due to environmental influences.

Yi Ge tribe are about half a head shorter than Tan Tu and others… probably as tall as Rui Ensi, the tallest female Su Ce had ever seen. With their smooth lines, it kinda seemed that he could feel a sense of rhythm.

Yi Ge and Di Luo tribes are similar in height, but they are broader in size, dark in color, and their muscles are embedded in their bodies, just like rocks, giving people a calm feeling.

The Si Lei tribe are slender, with the highest average height among all tribes. Their skin are relatively fair, and the overall feeling is also indifferent or gloomy, just like… Er Sen.

Su Ce watched, seemingly caught something.

Tan Tu seemed to understand Su Ce’s doubts. He looked down and explained to him, “Ah Ce, our beast types are different, but most of the orcs of similar nature form a tribe.”

Su Ce thought about it and said, “Be more specific.”

Tan Tu certainly answered. “Our Tiger tribe is dominated by male beasts. The beast types are usually tigers, lions, giant dogs, foxes, bears, etc. Ah-Er Sen belongs to scaly species. It’s good to live with us, but they like to go to places that are more… wetter, such as those inhabited by the Si Lei tribe—a very large and vast swamp.”

“Most of the people living in Si Lei tribe are scaly. Their beast types are usually snakes, giant lizards and so on. The Yi Ge are raptors because they live in high places, their beast are mostly hawks, eagles and vultures. The Di Luo tribe is relatively a special one. The males belongs to the sub-dragons species and are bipedal dragons.”

It even has two-legged dragon! Saying, isn’t this a dinosaur…

Well, since even orcs exist, it’s not so strange to have dinosaurs.

Su Ce nodded and asked, “What about the Maya tribe?”

He saw the males who surrounded themselves outside to protect those who are inside, and did not find anything special about them.

Tan Tu replied, “The male beast type of the Maya tribe is not inclined to which, it is considered a mixed type.”

This is probably due to their intermarriage with various tribe… Su Ce thought to himself.

While the two were talking, Patriarch Sa Ta and leaders from other tribes saluted the statue of the Beast God. After each recited the sacrificial words belonging to the tribe, the Fire Dance Festival officially began.

Night time is reserved for males and females—after a dazzling flame flew to into the air, countless flames fell like raindrops and vanished when they were about to fall to the ground.

A high-pitched cheers rang out. Dozens of males accompanied the Maya females towards the campfire, while males–especially those without partners–held a bright red leaf in their hands. When they meet the female they like, they will pass the leaves. If the female accepts, they will stay in front of the male’s bonfire and “exchange feelings” with him. If the male is lucky enough, he can set his life partner during the Fire Dance Festival.

Tan Tu led Su Ce in front of the bonfire. There were more than 30 people in front. Most of them had a good relationship with Tan Tu. For example, they came of help when he got married. Some of them also hunted with Tan Tu in a group. Su Ce saw one of the most conspicuous one, Ah-Er Sen of the python race.

The married males also brought their own partners. There were several different stands on the fire, and some small wild animals were turned over on them, which they used to please their partners. Looking at the other single males, Su Ce found that there were also some things piled up around them. It seemed they were ready to please the Maya females later.

Seeing Tan Tu coming, Ah-Er Sen raised his hand and threw a string of things. Tan Tu reached for it. It was a few small beasts that he had left in Ka Li and Wei Duo’s hands before–fat and tender prey he had found after hunting the daily animals of the festival, in order to give it to Ah Ce.

He heard Ah-Er Sen say, “They asked me to bring it to you.”

Tan Tu scratched his hair and replied, “Thanks.”

Before Su Ce came to the tribe, as the two strongest young men in the tribe, Tan Tu and Ah-Er Sen actually didn’t fight less–that is, the sparring exchange between males, each winning or losing, plus their personalities were very different. They both regarded each other as their greatest threat. However, due to their similar strengths, the two sides are relatively friendly. Later, when they became neighbors, they occasionally met on the way, saying “hello” or something, so that when Tan Tu and Su Ce got married, although they were still a bit faint after the meeting, Tan Tu became familiar and invited him to the wedding dinner.

Su Ce found that among the unmarried males present, only Ah-Er Sen didn’t have red leaves in his hand.

Tan Tu, who was all in one’s heart for his partner, came up and explained, “Ah-Er Sen didn’t think of finding a partner. It seemed he hasn’t taken a fancy to it.”

And it is because he was not interested in the females of the tribe that Tan Tu was worried he would take a fancy to Ah Ce and rob others with him. But now it looks like he doesn’t like him either.

What does he like?

Tan Tu raised his eyebrows and thought it had nothing to do with himself. Anyway, as long as it’s not Ah Ce, it doesn’t matter whether Er Sen would end up with a female or male.

Su Ce didn’t have much interest in Ah-Er Sen, or was it because Tan Tu was familiar with his name because he had made a lot of jokes in the first place, so he didn’t pay too much attention to him. Instead, he turned his head and said, “Tan Tu, give me something.”

Before they left, he brought a lot of spices and vegetables, all of which were wrapped and carried by Tan Tu with a piece of hide, and put them on the ground in a large pile. There were also some oily, palm-sized millet cakes that are already a bit cold. Su Ce took out several wooden sticks that had been cut and put them in one by one.

Tan Tu hurriedly set up their two grills, just like any other orc families.

Su Ce put the cakes on the rack and turned it over to bake. He took a small brush and put the seasoning on top. The orcs rubbed the seasoning with their hands. Su Ce felt it was unclean so Tan Tu tried to make a brush by peeling off the fur of the animal hair and succeeded.

Tan Tu is really capable.

Soon, the cakes gave out a salty scent. Several orcs nearby had not seen this method of cooking and looked at it curiously. Su Ce turned a blind eye and concentrated on baking the cakes. When one was ready, he handed it to Tan Tu, “Eat some to cushion your stomach.”

Tan Tu was skinning the little animals with his hands covered with blood. Hearing this, Tan Tu raised his head and looked at Su Ce innocently.

With a sigh, Su Ce put another cake on the shelf and let it bake, and began to feed Tan Tu.

Tan Tu bit down the front one and smiled.

Su Ce was very pleased to see him eating well.

Other males who were roasting meat for their partners immediately pierced their eyes on Tan Tu. When they turned back to their partner, they all smiled politely.

That Tan Tu guy is lucky… Their families/partners are also cute. It’s just that it would be better if they can be more gentler… This is their common thought.

A lot of children also came to the bonfire meeting, which in this case, are cubs.

Female cubs usually stay with their two fathers, the male ones will run around and normally eat and drink everywhere.

There were no cubs in front of the bonfire where Su Ce was.

It’s not easy for the orcs to reproduce. Females often take several years to conceive and may not be able to give birth to a second child after giving birth to the first. According to Su Ce’s idea, this may be because the female is also male in appearance. Although this form is suitable for survival in the dangerous orc world, it is also because of this physical structure that it is difficult to reproduce.

After Su Ce baked the second cake, he still gave it to Tan Tu as usual. At this time, Tan Tu had already packed up a little animal and put it on the grill.

Just then, there was a sudden noise not far away.