"What...?"
"Flying Man did that alone?"
"All that...?"
The Stonefangs couldn’t believe their eyes, and the leaders did not bla them, not one bit. They had the exact sa reactions. They could already imagine that the degree of attack was big considering he had brought back the enemy chief, but for the damage to be this high...
It was absolutely mind-boggling to see the Stormcaller territory be in absolute shambles and be told that one man was behind all that death and destruction.
Even Aurelia was no different; that level of destruction was already reaching the level of a Demi-God, and Kael...
He had only been in this world for a few months.
How... how was that even possible?
She didn’t know.
The only group that didn’t seem as surprised as others were the people of Dawn of the Dragon. In their eyes, their God was absolute; anything he did, it was all under their expectation because in their eyes, their God could destroy or recreate the entire world with just a snap of his fingers.
He was absolute.
So was their faith in him.
On the Velmourn’s side, the Velmourns had pretty much the sa reaction as the Stonefangs, but if there was one thing worth noting, it was Draksis.
The old man looked at the screen in front of him with a horrified look on his face. Another interesting thing to note was that the mont the recording ended and people ca to their senses, those who were standing around Draksis—every single one of them moved away from him, despite the entire place being already crowded.
Yes, in that huge crowd, Draksis was singled out.
The Velmourn Matriarch and Elders tried to ignore that sight, to not focus on it, but it was difficult.
Draksis too felt their hidden gazes and lowered his head; he felt his face burning with sha, embarrassnt and... fear.
The previous Velmourn Elder, however, didn’t dare to do anything right now and just clenched his fists.
Morvain too finally managed to shift her focus to the people again and—
"According to the reports, more than a hundred Stormcallers had perished and a hundred more were injured.
The bridges they rely on for normal movents have been destroyed; only Stormcallers with Flying Beasts can now travel in their territory.
This attack alone has essentially taken away the Stormcaller mobility.
And last, but not the least—"
Morvain paused for a short mont, then she looked at the screen showing the sa picture and—
"Their Holy Sign."
She spoke in a solemn tone.
"The Sign the Stormcallers protected with everything they had—
Lord Kael destroyed that too.
The Stormcallers attacked us to send a ssage, to show their ability and what they could do to us. It was sothing along the lines of a warning.
And Lord Kael helped us reply in kind.
He made sure the enemy knew that the Velmourn–Stonefang Alliance wouldn’t fall to cheap and cowardly attacks like these.
He gave them a ssage in return."
Morvain spoke in a heavy tone, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the faces of every being present here.
"We will wipe the existence of the Stormcaller Tribes from the face of Heights, just like it happened with their Sign."
She declared, and the mont she said those words, the people hearing her felt the flas in their hearts rise much more brightly. Their eyes shined with certainty and determination.
The sa people who seed like they had lost hope, the sa people who felt like everything was falling apart, the sa people who feared being wiped out just a few monts ago—
They were now raring to go, to destroy everything in their wake and annihilate the enemy, just like Lord Kael had done.
And this ti, they wanted to be there and fight right beside their Lord, even if it ant losing their lives in the battle.
The Stonefang Warriors looked at Lord Kael with an even stronger fervour now, and this ti, it wasn’t just the Stonefangs who were part of the Dawn of the Dragon.
It was the Warriors, the Stonefang Army; they all stared at Kael with just one look in their eyes, a look that went beyond their family connection, a love that ca from their years of training, from their warrior spirit.
A longing.
A wish to fight beside this being and have the honour of dying beside him. An honour they could flaunt to their ancestors when they reach the afterlife.
Kael noticed their fervent gazes and, overwheld, he looked away, not knowing how he was supposed to act here. He could only clench his fists as a strange frustration built up inside him.
His eyes then fell on Vandra, who, he noticed, was looking at him as well; the woman bowed her head slightly, as if she was discreetly bowing down to her God.
Kael frowned, but Vandra just smiled, and Kael looked away again.
This ti, at Morvain, who still wasn’t done speaking.
This was one of the few tis when Kael actually didn’t know what she was planning to speak; Imperia might know, but Kael didn’t ask her.
He wanted her to rest and... he needed so rest as well.
Morvain, on the other hand, lowered her voice again.
"Lord Kael did all this for one sole reason."
The people leaned forward, their focus was all on Morvain. The entire space was filled with more than ten thousand people and it was completely silent.
It was almost unnerving how quickly these people’s attention could be grabbed just by saying Kael’s na.
"To calm your anger."
Morvain answered, looking at the Stonefangs.
Zakaar was supposed to translate, but when he heard those words and translated them in his head, even he froze for a second, surprised to know that Lord Kael went this far just for their sake.
It was only when Morvain looked at him and nodded did he finally return to his senses and translate for the Stonefangs.
And when the Stonefangs heard that, they once again felt indebted to that man.
Morvain let the reaction settle in, not rushing anything since she could see how important it was.
Then, once the people were ready, she continued—
"Lord Kael did it to show you that your pain was heard. That your families and your loved ones matter, and that if anyone tries to hurt them—
He will risk his life to make them regret that choice.
And that was exactly what he did.
Attacking an enemy territory alone was risky, reckless even. It was no different than a death sentence, but he still went.
Because he cared about you people and felt the sa pain you did."
The Stonefangs looked at Kael and, seeing that he still wasn’t looking at them, they weren’t offended. They lowered their heads, softened their shoulders and... thumped their chests.
It was the Stonefang Salute.
A salute given only to their ancestors when they prayed.
A sign of absolute respect that even the Stonefang Chief doesn’t see—not even Gruumak, who was known to be one of the most fearso and respected chiefs in Stonefang history.
Morvain let that mont stay for a good minute, letting silence prevail. Even the Velmourns watched, their hearts burned with strange determination as well.
Then, Morvain began again—
"Lord Kael did it to make sure you know that even though it has only been five days since you have been here,
This is now your ho.
And if the ho is breached and family is hurt—
Revenge is taken.
Every. Single. Ti."
Morvain spoke, the Stonefangs nodded, their eyes now shining with a new, stronger light. Then, Morvain’s tone changed again—
"But do not be blinded by victory.
The truth is bitter. The fact that the enemy took us by surprise yesterday cannot be ignored. In that regard, they were better than us.
Better trained, better coordinated; it is clear that the enemy is no longer a wild tribe of an isolated island.
They are being taught, they are preparing, they are... changing.
So if we stay the sa...
We will lose."
The mont those words were said, silence fell.
Both the Stonefangs and Velmourns lowered their heads, this ti nervous and... unwilling.
"Yesterday proved sothing."
Morvain’s voice echoed through the space.
"We must grow stronger.
Our defenses must improve.
Our formations, our coordination, our tactics—it all must evolve.
And for that—"
She stepped aside and pointed at another woman.
"General Aurelia, from the Sky Kingdom, will lead the alliance army training."
She announced as Aurelia, still with the collar on her neck, stepped forward wearing her silver armor.
And unlike how one would usually expect the people of Heights to react to an outsider, this ti—
The crowd accepted her imdiately.
How could they not?
They had all seen everything she and her people did yesterday.
Her healers saved those who would have been dead otherwise.
Her Bonds stopped burns.
Her orders kept people calm.
They were all, especially the Stonefangs, deeply indebted to her.
And now—
Now she was going to oversee their training.
Yes, the preparation for War had actually, truly begun.
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