As Elder Alexander shuffled off toward the center of the district to gather his people, the team remained clustered near the smoldering remains of the marketplace, the adrenaline of battle slowly giving way to the heavier weight of everything they had just witnessed and learned.Kaelen Ashwright let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair as he surveyed the damage surrounding them. "That was… a lot, even by our standards.""That's putting it mildly." Wei Crossblade immediately said, finally setting his war hammer down against a cracked market stall, rolling his shoulders as the tension of battle slowly ebbed from his massive frame. "Fighting an army of reanimated corpses was already enough excitement for one afternoon. I wasn't exactly prepared for a family therapy session with the god of death on top of it.""Wei Crossblade." Sylra Ashwright immediately chided, though there was no real heat behind it, only exhaustion."I'm just saying." Wei Crossblade immediately said, rai

Murmurs of agreement rippled through sections of the crowd."That's right!" another villager immediately shouted. "I heard from my cousin's wife that the walkers just stopped moving suddenly, and that some of you were talking to something out there in the marketplace! If that was really him, why is he still alive to threaten us again?"Kaelen Ashwright felt the weight of the accusation settle heavily on his shoulders, though he forced himself to remain calm and composed."The situation was far more complicated than simply striking him down where he stood." Kaelen Ashwright immediately explained. "Vandel wasn't present in his true form. He was speaking through a possessed corpse, a vessel he could abandon at will. Killing that vessel wouldn't have ended him permanently, it would have simply forced him to find another anchor elsewhere.""Convenient excuse." The burly man immediately muttered, though loud enough for those nearby to hear.Wei Crossblade's jaw clenched, and he stepped forw

Kaelen Ashwright remained kneeling before the small girl, his heart pounding with a mixture of disbelief and cautious curiosity. Around them, the rest of the team, having caught the tail end of Clara's whispered words, began drawing closer, their earlier conversations about warding formations forgotten entirely."Clara." Kaelen Ashwright immediately said, keeping his voice gentle despite the urgency coursing through him. "What do you mean, where the fragments may be? Can you tell me more?"Clara's ethereal eyes flickered briefly toward the gathering crowd of adults surrounding her, a flash of nervousness crossing her young features before she steadied herself."The artifact, the piece of the orb you're looking for." Clara immediately said, her voice carrying that same strange, melodic quality. "It's buried underneath the ancient mountain."Ryn Ashenfang knelt down slowly beside Kaelen Ashwright, her expression a careful mixture of intrigue and caution. "Which ancient mountain, Clara?

Marcus's expression hardened slightly. "And if we refuse?""Then we would have no choice but to disregard the information she's provided, regardless of how valuable it might prove to be." Commander Zach immediately said solemnly. "I understand this is an uncomfortable request to make of frightened parents who have already endured a traumatic day, but the stakes involved are simply too high to risk overlooking any possibility, however unlikely."An uneasy silence settled over the group as Marcus and Elena exchanged a long, searching look, clearly communicating volumes between themselves without a single word spoken aloud.Sylra Ashwright stepped forward gently, her voice carrying warmth and genuine empathy. "I understand your hesitation completely. As a mother myself, the thought of subjecting my child to any kind of testing, especially after everything she's already endured today, would fill me with the same reluctance.""But please understand, we are not questioning Clara's character

Kaelen Ashwright felt a wave of relief wash over him as well, though it was quickly followed by a renewed sense of urgency and purpose."Thank you, Clara." Kaelen Ashwright immediately said, kneeling down to meet her eyes once more as her parents finally released her from their embrace. "Thank you for your bravery, and for trusting us with something this important."Clara offered a small, tired smile in return. "I just want to help. I don't want anyone else to lose the people they love."Commander Zach turned toward Kaelen Ashwright, his expression now sharpened with renewed determination. "Young master, given the confirmed authenticity of Clara's vision, I strongly recommend we act on this information immediately. If we delay, there's a genuine risk that Vandel's own forces could locate the fragment first, especially given how aggressively he's already been searching."Kaelen Ashwright nodded firmly, his mind already racing through logistics. "Agreed. Skyfather's Rest is three days j