𝓞𝒱𝐥xt.𝗇𝓔t
When the sun rose on the horizon, the water in the lagoon slowly receded, heading back to the sea.
The Allied Tribes looked at this scene with awe. Although they had been waiting for this moment, they still felt anxious because they were afraid that the legends about the City of Zentris weren’t true.
Now that their worst fears had been proven false, all of them patiently waited until the water in front of them had receded completely.
Originally, they thought that, once the water disappeared, the bottom of the lagoon would be muddy.
Fortunately, they were proven wrong.
The bottom of the lagoon was similar to the hard rock that served as the natural barrier between the White Forest and the Plains that led to the city of Zentris.
To their surprise, they even saw a natural road that traveled from the shore, up to the base of the mountain. And from the mountain, another road could be seen leading toward the gates of the city.
The wagons then made their way down the base of the lagoon. The incline wasn’t steep, and even Ethan thought that it was made with the intention of allowing several wagons to travel as safely as possible toward the city.
“So this city is going to be our fortress against the army of that Necromancer that you spoke of,” Ethan said to Sebastian via telepathy as he looked at the caravan that was making its way toward the City of Zentris. “What do you think are our chances of winning?”
“Good question,” Sebastian rubbed his chin. “I’m thinking that it’s 50/50.”
“Really?” Ethan arched an eyebrow.
Sebastian smirked. “Do you think this city is just an ordinary city? It was built with the concept of becoming a fortress. Naturally, this city is equipped with natural defenses. There are even ballistas powered by magic.”
Ethan was quite surprised by this revelation. Just as he was about to say something, Lily stirred, which made his body stiffen.
The young lady used his lap as a pillow, and her body was covered with a blanket. She had only fallen asleep a few hours ago, so the young man didn’t want to wake her up.
This was also the reason why he and Sebastian were talking through telepathy.
Ethan had slept a lot over the past few days, in Lily’s naked embrace, so he was still well-rested.
Recalling these intimate moments, the handsome young man couldn’t help but blush as he remembered how selfless she had been with him.
“She’s a keeper,” Sebastian commented as he glanced at the young beauty, whose head was resting on Ethan’s lap. “She will give birth to powerful descendants, so make sure to not let others take her away, okay?”
Ethan neither denied nor confirmed Sebastian’s statement.
After spending time with Lily, it was impossible for him to not appreciate her kindness, care, and beauty. His heart wasn’t made of stone, and he was a healthy young man.
Although he didn’t think of anything perverted when she was helping him recover from his trauma, the faster he recovered, the more conscious he became of her.
The numbness in his heart and mind had disappeared, and this was all thanks to the warmth of her body and touch, which he would remember for the rest of his life.
Seeing that Ethan wasn’t saying anything, Sebastian shrugged.
His Master was also not very good when it came to relationships. Only bold and aggressive women had the ability to pin him down on the bed, and even then, he would not take the initiative to do anything, allowing these young ladies to take the lead.
Perhaps this was why none of the young ladies of the Allied Tribes in the past managed to conceive his child. Of course, that might not be the only reason.
The Tide Bringer was a special existence.
He was superior to Humans, so it was very hard for ordinary mortals to conceive his child. Having a strong body was the bare minimum to contain his essence, and that alone wasn’t enough.
Even the chaste maidens who possessed magic still didn’t succeed. In the end, the Tide Bringer returned to the Sea, without leaving any descendants in the Allied Tribe.
Perhaps, this was also a blessing.
If he really did manage to make the women of the Allied Tribes conceive, wouldn’t that mean that the Necromancer would have succeeded in using these children as a vessel in order to obtain his Legacy?
A few hours later, the entirety of the Allied Tribes were safely evacuated behind the walls of the city.
Ethan and Lily had a meeting with the Great Chieftains as well as the Shamans. He informed them about the Necromancer who was responsible for the unrest that was happening in the lands of Alastor.
After knowing the identity of their true enemy, instead of being relieved, the expressions of everyone in the meeting room became grim.
A Necromancer wasn’t an easy opponent, especially a powerful Necromancer who commanded tens of thousands of Undead.
“First and foremost, all the warriors should familiarize themselves with the city’s defenses,” Ethan stated. “There are dozens of magical ballistas within the city that will be indispensable in the upcoming siege by our enemy.
“Although the sea water will return inside the lagoon during the night, that doesn’t mean that our enemies are unable to attack us.
“There is a possibility that they have flying mounts as well as flying beasts that can attack us from the skies, so we can’t be complacent with our defenses at night.”
The Great Chieftains, as well as the Shamans, nodded their heads in understanding.
They believed that as long as they were in the City of Zentris, their chances of surviving the Necromancer’s siege were quite high.
Seeing that their faces had gained a bit of color in them, Ethan proceeded to tell them the things that Sebastian had mentioned to him during the night.
“Food and water will not be a problem,” Ethan stated. “The city has a magical net that can capture countless fish during the night. As for water, there are several natural springs scattered around the city. You can collect fresh drinking water from those locations.”
The Great Chieftains and the Shamans sighed in relief after hearing this information.
Although they could survive a siege from their enemies, one of their primary concerns was food and water. Since they were trapped inside the city, it would be hard for them to gather the resources needed for survival.
Fortunately, they no longer had to worry about that issue and could put all their focus on the task at hand, which was to defend themselves against the Necromancer’s attack.
“One more thing, the Necromancer’s goal is to get the Tide Bringer’s Legacy,” Ethan said with a solemn expression on his face. “In order to do that, he will need to capture me and possess my body.”
Great Chieftain Adrian’s expression changed after hearing this bit of information.
“Understood, we will create a group of elite warriors to protect you at all times,” Great Chieftain Adrian stated. “Although I would like to ask you to stay in the rear where it is safe, I also hoped that you could be on the front lines of the battle. Your presence will definitely increase the morale of our people, allowing them to fight to their fullest.”
Ethan smiled bitterly after hearing Great Chieftain Adrian’s proposal.
He still hadn’t fully recovered from his trauma, but he also understood that staying away from the battle wouldn’t help him one bit.
At that moment, he felt Lily’s hand give his own hand a light squeeze as if telling him that she would be there to protect him.
“Very well,” Ethan reluctantly nodded his head. “I will do my best.”
A few minutes later, they ended their meeting, and the Great Chieftains carried their orders to their people.
They still had many things to do, and that included housing their people inside the city. Fortunately, the city was quite big and had several levels.
The City of Zentris was two miles long and three miles wide. There was more than enough space to house thousands of people who would depend on its defenses to weather the siege that would very soon arrive at their doorstep.
Ethan and Lily didn’t need to worry about their own residence. The entire pyramid was reserved for the Tide Bringer, giving the two teenagers a lot of privacy.
As everyone familiarized themselves with their new home, the Army of Undead had started to march from the Scarlet Citadel.
They were headed toward the entrance of the White Forest. Their movement speed was neither fast nor was it slow. The Undead didn’t need time to rest, so they could move day and night without stopping.
Even so, it would still take them one week to arrive at their destination.
After that, they would spend a few more days building their siege machines, which they would use against the Ancient City, which had stood in the Lands of Alastor for hundreds of years.
According to Sebastian’s estimate, the first clash between the Necromancer’s forces and the Allied Tribes would take place in two weeks’ time.
In that span of time, he intended to share the Tide Bringer’s Legacy with the handsome young man, who carried the bloodline of his Master whom he hadn’t seen since the day he left to battle with the Primordial Monster that wished to drag the entire world into the sea’s murky depths.