NovaMundi Stories 4 - The Panche Menace

"…No, no, no. *YOU* shut up. You don’t deserve respect just because you’re the host. You stole 5 families that should be paying tribute to ME, not to mention the deers your hunters killed “accidentally”. I was letting them get fat, Eucaneme! They were not for you." Screamed Chunsica.

"I agree with Chunsica, why should we ally with you? If anything we should ally *against* you. You never sent a messenger back thanking me for my generous gift. Clearly you don’t respect us." Replied Raga.

"Ha! That’s rich! Of course you would agree with Chunsica! You two teamed up to raid two of my villages! I refuse to join forces with him or you, Raga." Refuted Saymoso

Eucaneme’s bohio was supposed to be a place of dialogue, where the four chieftains could reach an agreement to protect each other against the Panche menace, and Eucaneme as a host should be calm and wise. And he really was trying, but oh how he hated Chunsica. How dare he accuse him of stealing those families? They moved recently to one of the villages in the outskirts of his domain, he got notice about them just two days ago. And the deer? Hard to believe it as it may, it really was an accident. The hunters had been drinking that day and didn’t notice when they crossed the big twin rocks of the west.

His wife touched his shoulder. A signal from her to maintain calm. But Chunsica wouldn’t let him…

"Why so silent Eucaneme? Did the cuy eat your tongue? Or is it that your wife stole your manhood? That would explain why you only have one!" Said Chunsica with a smirk.

"How dare you, you honor-less bastard? Are you trying to project your failings on me? Do you really think anyone here would believe that you have many wives but that their beauty is such that you can only be seen with one?" Said Eucaneme while getting closer to Chunsica

Raga and Saymoso decided to take sides, with Raga insulting Eucaneme and Saymoso insulting Chunsica. The discussion reached its boiling point when Chunsica punched Eucaneme’s face.

When the blood touched the soil, Eucaneme and Chunsica’s wives disappeared. They were the only women inside the bohio, and Saymoso and Raga saw this as an opportunity to join in the fight. Were weapons permitted inside the bohio, death would have visited the chieftains that day.

Water. Cold water. The chiefs were stunned. The cold water of the paramos bit them harder than any punch or kick. Looking down on them were Curima and Guana, respectively Eucaneme and Chunsica wives. They had a stern look on their faces, only interrupted by a furtive smile directed at each other. These were powerful and like-minded women. They were not just adornments or trophies of their husbands. They were counselors and their complements, and so; they acted as such.

"Are you children?" Spoke the women in unison.

"Our children, *YOUR* children are in danger, not even when they play inside the walls of the cities are they safe! I had to carry mine here to this city instead of leaving him with the other women because I felt unsafe!" Said Curima with her furrowed brows.

"I don’t think anyone is saying that any offense suffered should be ignored. You are men of honour and wrongs should be righted! But NOT NOW." Argued Guana.

"We all face a common threat! And we can’t rely on the help of the powerful lords of Muequetá or Hunza, they are too