“The Three Great Tribes have pulled back, but they regrouped with the Orcs and attacked the nearby Eagle Tribe,” Great Chieftain Adrian said. “It is only a matter of time before they set their sights on us again once they’ve finished conquering them.”
“I’ve also received a report that the Nomad Tribe from the East has been attacked by a Horde of Goblins,” the Great Chieftain of the Brave Tribe, Vega, shared as he pointed at the map. “I find these battles quite suspicious. It’s like… they are not giving us a way out.”
The people inside the meeting room frowned. After analyzing the map, they realized that their paths of escape to the East and West were blocked.
Going South would lead them back to Turtle Cove, which was by the sea.
Going North, however, would take them to the White March Mountain, which bordered the Magdar Kingdom.
The Mountain People were not savages, but they didn’t like it when people passed through their territory. Also, if they did go there, would they be welcomed in the Magdar Kingdom?
The answer to this was no.
There was also a path heading Northwest, but they would arrive at the White Forest. This forest was filled with wild beasts, and traveling through it was dangerous as well.
“What do you suggest we do, Safiya?” the Great Chieftain of the Ebon Tribe, Evan, asked. “I agree with Great Chieftain Vega. The Alliance of the Orcs and the Three Great Tribes, as well as the attack of the Goblin Horde, might be connected. It’s highly possible that the Trolls living in the North would block our passage through the White March Mountain.”
The Head of the Shamans pondered for a bit before sighing.
“If we go South, building sea-worthy boats for all of us will take weeks,” Safiya commented. “Aside from the Kendall Tribe, who traveled here through the sea, none of us are proficient in seafaring. I guess we have no choice but to head Northwest.
“In order to be safe, let’s use the path through the Zlato Mines. With a mountain barrier protecting us, the Three Great Tribes and the Orcs will not be able to catch up to us easily. Also… all of us know the territory past the White Forest.”
Everyone in the meeting room eyed each other with complicated looks on their faces.
“Do you mean we should go ‘There’?” Great Chieftain Adrian asked. “Can we pass the barrier?”
All the Chieftains, as well as the other Shamans, looked at Safiya with solemn expressions on their faces.
A minute later, the Head Shaman met their gaze with a determined look in her eyes.
“We will know soon,” Safiya answered. “Either we pass through the barrier, or we make our last stand in the Forest.”
Great Chieftain Adrian sighed before nodding his head.
“Let’s not waste time.” The Chieftain of the Kendall Tribe stood up. “We leave in four hours. The sooner we leave, the farther we will be from the Orcs and the Three Great Tribes.”
Everyone nodded their heads in understanding and left the meeting room. They needed to inform their respective Tribes about their next course of action.
Safiya, on the other hand, headed towards the Shrine. 𝞸𝒱𝓵xt.𝓬𝚘𝑀
Ever since they had returned to the Weeping Shrine, Lily and Ethan had taken one of the two rooms beside it, which were usually used by the Shamans during their stay.
Since they would be leaving soon, she decided to personally inform them of the council’s decision.
When Safiya arrived at her destination, she politely knocked on the door three times.
“Lily, Ethan, it’s me, Safiya,” Safiya said. “Can I come in? I need to talk to the two of you about something important.”
A few seconds later, the voice of the young lady reached her ears.
“Come in, Safiya.”
The Head Shaman opened the door and headed inside. She then crossed the curtain made of cloth before her body froze completely.
Lying on the bed were two naked teenagers. However, their lower halves were covered with a blanket.
Ethan’s head was nestled in Lily’s chest, and the latter was lightly stroking his hair.
The young man’s hands were wrapped around Lily’s back, with his head buried in her chest.
“D-Did I come at the wrong time?” Safiya stuttered.
Truth be told, there was nothing wrong with the scene. After all, Lily and Ethan were husband and wife. She just didn’t expect that the two of them would still be in bed even though the Sun had risen from the horizon nearly four hours ago.
“It’s fine,” Lily replied, not caring if Safiya saw them in this state. “Did something happen?”
The young lady continued to lightly stroke Ethan’s hair, while waiting for the Head Shaman to tell them the important news.
“The Council has decided to leave the Weeping Shrine and head Northwest towards the White Forest,” Safiya said with a hint of embarrassment on her face. “We will leave in four hours. I hope that both of you will be ready to leave by then.”
Lily nodded in understanding.
“Understood,” Lily replied. “We’ll be ready by then.”
Safiya nodded and gave Ethan one last glance before leaving the room. She couldn’t help but blush despite her age due to how intimate the two were in the presence of other people.
When the Head Shaman finally left, Lily lightly patted Ethan’s head.
“You heard her,” Lily said softly before kissing his forehead. “It’s time to go.”
“Mmm,” Ethan replied.
The young man unwrapped his arms from around her body and pulled back. Lily watched as Ethan stood up from the bed and extended his hand to help her stand up.
Both of them were completely naked, and yet, there was no lustful look in his eyes. After nearly breaking down several hours ago, Ethan regained a bit of his bearing after Lily reached out to him.
If it weren’t for Lily taking the initiative, the young man would have completely fallen into depression, which would have ultimately broken him.
In order to prevent the worst-case scenario from happening, Lily used the most basic and most powerful approach.
And that was…
Human Touch.
This was the method that parents used whenever their children were sick. They would usually sleep beside them, and make them feel safe.
For toddlers, they would usually bury their heads on their mother’s chest because this was their most basic instinct.
Ethan was an orphan, which meant that he never had a mother. Because of this, he really didn’t understand what it was like to be held by a woman who wasn’t his grandma.
Lily was still a young lady, and yet, she didn’t hesitate to allow Ethan to feel that warmth, allowing him to calm his broken heart.
The two of them didn’t do anything except sleep together. Ethan knew that Lily went above and beyond the norms in order to keep him sane. For this, the only thing he felt toward her was respect.
After what happened in the battle, the only feeling that Ethan had was numbness.
Any young man in the academy would fight to the death in order to switch positions with him and accept Lily’s care. Ethan knew this as well, but he wasn’t in the mood to think about these perverted thoughts.
The horrors of the battle still haunted him, and he knew that it would take a while for him to recover from his nightmare.
The two bathed and ate a simple breakfast consisting of fruits. After that, they left the shrine and walked hand in hand towards Safiya’s wagon.
There were still deep dark circles under Ethan’s eyes, and his hands would tremble from time to time.
Even so, the hand holding his right now was giving him strength, allowing him to take one step at a time.
Unbeknownst to anyone, within the Scarlet Citadel, a skinny old man, holding a withered staff, gazed at the South.
He was the Mastermind behind the attacks of the Orcs, the Three Great Tribes, The Goblins, The Trolls, as well as the Kobolds within the Lands of Alastor.
“I can feel the bloodline of the Deity returning to these lands,” the skinny old man said softly. “Finally, the legacy you left behind will be mine.”
A loud laughter reverberated across the Scarlet Citadel as countless Skeletons rose from the ground and raised their weapons high.
Black clouds covered the sky, and the rumble of thunder boomed in the surroundings.
Even so, the old man’s laughter stretched far and wide, as if informing everyone that his rise was finally at hand.