The sounds of the Zu Ge beating their chests echoed anew at the edge of the oak forest.
Several elder Zu Ge propped up their upper bodies, tripping over themselves in a rush to describe everything the little Zu Ge had observed to the Female Demon, from spotting the arrival of unfamiliar Wizards, to those Wizards erecting a magic circle, and then the swirling of white mist within the Array and the descent of the Shatake bird flock—everything recounted with a cadence of scattered, rhythmic thudding.
Of course, in the process of describing, these timid yet malicious creatures very much enjoyed shifting blame onto others.
For instance, how the Shatak Birds were unruly, especially the Shatake leader that had been torn apart by the Three-headed Black Flood Dragon, who dismissed mice entirely, ignoring the advisement of the Zu Ge elders and stubbornly used its pitch-black claws to grab at the Wizards' magic circle.
