Mirage imdiately moved closer, nestling his large head next to Moon’s body affectionately. The white horse neighed softly with worry, his eyes studying Moon’s condition with concern.
"Hah... I’m okay, buddy. Thanks for worrying about ," Moon managed to say with a weak smile, reaching up to gently place his hand on Mirage’s warm neck.
Then, he changed position to rest his head more comfortably against Mirage’s side, using the loyal mount’s body as a pillow. The cave was silent except for their breathing and the sound of wind outside.
Moon stared up at the dark stone ceiling, his mind processing everything that had happened.
After taking a well-deserved rest period allowing his body to recover from the death penalty debuff, Moon slowly pushed himself upright. He stretched his body, pleasantly relieved to find it significantly stronger and lighter than before.
"Co on, buddy. We need to head back now," Moon said gently, patting Mirage’s neck. "We still have unfinished business to handle."
Mirage responded with an understanding neigh, rising smoothly to his feet.
♢♢♢♢
Moon returned to the Heretic settlent to find Selene, Yara, Gratis, and the two other surviving Savi warriors standing guard before dozens of bound captives, primarily young children and elderly non-combatants who’d survived the battle by sheltering during the battle.
When Moon arrived on Mirage, Selene imdiately walked towards him. "I stored the Black Raven’s entire body inside my spatial storage ring for you, including the beast core of course."
Moon nodded appreciation. "Thanks."
His gaze moved to observe Yara’s deeply complicated expression as she stared at the bound captives. The Savi maiden appeared to be wrestling with a dilemma of her own. Whether to execute them in revenge for her slaughtered people, or show rcy to the defenseless.
Moon did not speak or offer guidance. This wasn’t his decision to make or his business to interfere with. He had already killed every single combatant who’d participated in persecuting and fighting against him. The warriors, the guards, the Chief, all dead by his hand.
These remaining survivors—children too young to fight, elderly too frail to wield weapons—they weren’t Moon’s responsibility. They were Yara’s choice to make as the de-facto leader of what remained of the Savi Clan.
Moon wasn’t going to save them out of misplaced rcy. But he also wasn’t going to kill defenseless prisoners who posed no threat.
The choice belonged entirely to the survivors who’d actually suffered at Heretic hands.
The Savi warriors continued their intense discussion with Yara, debating various courses of action with passionate disagreent visible in their body language. Eventually, after several minutes of heated but controlled debate, Yara turned to face Moon and Selene directly. Her expression had hardened with resolve, though conflict still showed in her eyes.
"We’ve decided to spare them for now," Yara announced, her voice carrying firm decision despite obvious reluctance. "We still don’t know with certainty if there are any more of our people still alive sowhere on this island or not. If survivors exist, then we’ll discuses with those survivors the final choice about what justice demands."
Her eyes flashed with sudden cold glint, sothing that neither Moon nor Selene had witnessed in the gentle maiden before. "But if we confirm that no other Savi remain alive... if we truly are the last four of our entire civilization...we will kill them."
Moon simply shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever decision you make is yours to own. I won’t interfere."
From his perspective, the situation posed zero threat regardless of outco. All combat-capable Heretic warriors were definitively dead.
No living Heretic possessed sufficient strength to threaten Moon’s safety even remotely. As for the children, even if so harbored deep hatred and dreams of future revenge, Moon didn’t care about such distant concerns.
They lacked the talent, resources, and ti to ever beco aningful threats. Moon would be long departed from this hidden realm and advanced to far higher power tiers by the ti any of these children reached combat maturity.
"Do whatever you want with the prisoners," Moon confird. "But before we leave this place permanently, I need to understand exactly what happened at your village. Specifically, how did the Black Raven manage to kill the White Swan without sustaining any grievous injuries? You previously stated they were of roughly similar strength."
♢♢♢♢
Moon nodded thoughtfully after listening carefully to everything Yara explained.
The picture beca considerably clearer with complete information.
The White Swan had apparently been much older than the Black Raven, approaching the natural end of its lifespan. The previous Savi Clan Chief had tad the beast relatively late in both their lives, bonding with an already older swan rather than raising one from youth.
In contrast, the Black Raven had essentially grown up alongside the Heretic Chief’s predecessor, forming bonds during the guardian’s youth and pri years. This age difference ant the Black Raven retained far more combat capability despite similar rank.
Additionally, the White Swan had been caught in an ambush rather than fair confrontation. The Heretics hadn’t simply attacked directly, they’d used multiple tactics to maximize their advantage.
They’d burnt the entire Savi village settlent, creating widespread chaos and forcing the guardian to divide attention between protecting fleeing mbers of the clan and defending against the attack against it.
The Heretics had also lured nurous powerful beasts toward the Savi settlent using bait and blood trails, forcing the White Swan and Savi warriors to fight on multiple fronts simultaneously. Only after they had been severely weakened did the Heretic forces commit their own warriors to finish the exhausted survivors.
"I see, they weren’t rely stronger. They were just more ruthless and better prepared."
Yara nodded her head grimly.
The irony wasn’t lost on Moon, he’d employed similar exploitation against the Black Raven by threatening non-combatants lives to have his way.
The darkness began to cast its robe over Lunaris, removing the little light that had been present. Yara, and the remaining Savi warriors took watch over the remaining group of heretics, not letting them go in case the worst scenario was the reality.
The next few days would determine whether the remaining heretics would live or not.
anwhile, Moon was resting in a tent with Selene and Mirage. Planning his next steps carefully, because when the sun rises, he would be looking for his next target.
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