If Lorelia occupied the highest echelon of the Horde's broodmothers, then Soraya stood firmly in the second. Though she wasn't raised by the Horde from infancy, Soraya had joined during the early days of its teoric rise. Her Scorpion Swarm had proven their absolute loyalty through countless battlefield comndations and mountains of enemy corpses. As a result, the Horde trusted the Scorpion Swarm implicitly.
The third tier consisted of Myxara, broodmother of the Flying Fish Mayflies, and Sophia, the Butterfly Mother of the Dark Butterfly Race.
As for the broodmothers below the Legendary level, they were relatively nurous. However, within the current power structure of the Stoneheart Horde, they weren't even considered relevant enough to warrant a seat at the table. Furthermore, Kaelen was privy to certain closely guarded secrets: within the Horde's territories in the Abyssal World, they kept a considerable number of high-tier broodmothers in captivity.
To the Stoneheart Horde as a whole, lissa's existence was utterly inconsequential. But to Kaelen, whose wings were not yet fully fledged, she was vital. She represented the foundational strength he needed to secure future glory for both himself and the Horde. Because of this, Kaelen had to fight for her place.
First, however, he had to legitimize lissa's status and earn the acknowledgnt of the Giant King.
"Let's go," Kaelen said curtly, leading lissa toward the palace where Orion slumbered.
Barely fifteen minutes later, a suffocating aura enveloped lissa once again. Just standing outside the palace gates filled her with an overwhelming urge to turn and flee. It was the primal survival instinct inherent to every broodmother screaming at her to run.
Suppressing her rising panic, lissa faced the majestic presence radiating from the palace with utmost reverence. She understood implicitly that this was the aura of a Demigod—a realm of power she could never hope to touch in her lifeti.
Suppressing her rising panic, lissa faced the majestic presence radiating from the palace with utmost reverence. She understood implicitly that this was the aura of a Demigod—a realm of power she could never hope to touch in her lifeti.
The Stoneheart Horde, the Giant King, Kaelen, the Insect King... these titles etched themselves deeply into her mind. For the first ti, a genuine, profound desire to submit took root in her heart.
When she initially chose to align herself with Kaelen, she had secretly viewed it as a stepping stone—a temporary shelter until she could find a better opportunity. But after witnessing Lorelia's terrifying power and feeling Orion's godlike presence, she abandoned such foolish notions entirely. Serving under the banner of a Demigod actually gave her a tangible chance at true evolution. Broodmothers were highly intelligent creatures, more than capable of calculating long-term gains.
As lissa kept her head bowed in humble contemplation, she heard light footsteps and sensed a familiar presence. Kaelen had erged from the palace. lissa wanted to look up and gauge his expression, but she didn't dare.
"Do not resist," Kaelen commanded. Simultaneously, he slapped a piece of enchanted parchnt against her forehead.
lissa felt a binding contract taking root within her body, branding her with a mystic seal she couldn't physically see. She didn't dare fight it; in truth, she didn't want to. Instead, a wave of relief and subtle joy washed over her. By binding her with this contract, Kaelen was officially bringing her into the fold. Her safety was now guaranteed.
"My father said you will be granted an audience once you advance to the rank of High Lord," Kaelen said tactfully.
For a broodmother like lissa to reach such heights, she would need imnse resources and vast territories. To acquire those within the Stoneheart Horde, she would have to earn countless military rits. And rits were bought with loyalty, blood, and lives.
lissa finally lifted her head, a brief flicker of disappointnt crossing her features.
"The Horde is not just a feral Swarm. You have much to learn," Kaelen added. "Also, you still need to et my mother."
"My King, I obey your will," lissa replied deferentially.In the inner city, a grand auction was underway within the opulent halls of the Seeker faction. As night fell outside, the interior of the Seeker estate blazed with magical light, burning as bright as the midday sun.
Every esteed guest who walked through the doors was greeted and escorted by a breathtakingly beautiful succubus attendant. If a patron happened to harbor a distaste for the dark races, an equally stunning elven attendant would seamlessly step in to take her place.
This highly anticipated auction, a gathering of endless nobility and wealth, was held in a magnificent grand hall. The finale item had yet to be presented, and the bidding wars were already in full swing. Several spectacular rarities had dazzled the crowd.
To properly build anticipation for the grand finale, the Seekers had gone to great lengths to curate a selection of exquisite artifacts. The unveiling of every treasure sparked gasps and murmurs of awe from the audience. With practiced flair, the auctioneer would use his magnetic voice to weave legendary tales about each item's origins. Artifacts with a history always fetched a much higher price.
"Got it," Theodore breathed.
Sitting beside Delphine in a private booth tucked into a corner of the grand hall, he only lowered his bidding paddle when the auctioneer's gavel struck the podium with a resounding, heart-pounding crack.
Theodore hadn't bid on the prized insectoid eggs. Instead, he had won a bow—a masterfully crafted crossbow inscribed with dual elental runes of wind and fire.
"I didn't have much in the way of a proper gift when we got married," Theodore said softly. He reached out to accept the crossbow from the succubus attendant who had just delivered it, then presented the weapon to Delphine. "Let this bow make up for it."
As a Blood Elf, Delphine's undisputed specialty lay in archery. With this enchanted crossbow in her hands, her combat effectiveness would increase by at least fifty percent.
"Thank you, Theodore." Her heart swelled with a profound sweetness. Receiving such a thoughtful gift and knowing her husband cared so deeply for her ant everything.
"But why didn't you save more of our funds for the eggs?" she asked gently.
As his wife, Delphine was well aware of his ambitions, as well as the exact limits of their wealth. To her, this purchase practically guaranteed he was forfeiting the final auction item.
"What, you want to get into a bidding war with my brother-in-law?" Theodore looked at her, his eyes shining with a mix of wry amusent and deep affection. "Besides, I'm in no position to compete with the Elf King right now."
Theodore was nothing if not self-aware. Without the backing of a human kingdom, his personal coffers were a re drop in the bucket compared to the vast wealth of Rommath.
"You know that's not what I ant!" Delphine protested, feeling caught in the middle. On one side was her older brother; on the other, her cherished husband. She wanted both of them to succeed.
"I know." Theodore wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a warm embrace to show her he understood her heart perfectly. "If your brother wins the eggs, it benefits us too, doesn't it? We're all family now."
Delphine nodded against his chest. With the human kingdoms and the Blood Elf nations both things of the past, they were all citizens of the Stoneheart Horde. There were no longer any conflicting political interests separating them. They were kin; they were truly one family.
"In truth, the other items up for grabs tonight are exquisite artifacts handpicked by the Seekers. Winning them makes this trip more than worthwhile," Theodore said, his tone turning serious. "Delphine, we have to prepare for the future."
As the old saying goes, when husband and wife are united, nothing is too strong to break. Walking forward side by side, step by step—that is the true mark of a lasting union.
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