Observing the man's presence, my attention was drawn not only to his physique, which was notably muscular, though not quite reaching Fifi's level, but also to an interesting detail that caught my eye – a worn-out silver metal chain hanging around his neck.
This wasn't something that appeared to be crafted within our village's capabilities. Furthermore, the circular metal object hanging from the chain, gently swaying with his movements, was something I was certain no gift could create.
Also, not only that but when I looked at his legs, what he had used to cover his feet, my eyes couldn't help but linger on it as it made countless thoughts race through my mind all in a single second as I saw him walk towards us along with the two guards flanked by both of his sides.
However, just before he had arrived in front of us, I turned my head to the side and noticed Fifi coming from my back to stand beside me.
Coming to a halt before us, the man's presence prompted an immediate reaction from Fifi, who didn't hesitate to address him. "Leader Zogar, I'm surprised that you're here," she remarked, her eyes narrowing as she extended her left hand, gently pushing me behind her protective stance.
Noticing Fifi's guarded stance, the man responded with a knowing smile, his gaze briefly flickering toward me before he turned his attention back to Fifi. "Fiona, it's been a long time. How have you been?" he asked.
"I'm doing well," Fiona replied, her head nodding in acknowledgement.
He nodded, a sense of understanding in his expression. "Glad to hear that," he responded. "While I would have liked to catch up and learn about your retirement or the tasks assigned by the Village Chief, my purpose today is to speak with the young man behind you."
Fifi was just about to address him as "Stronghold Leader Zo..." but was interrupted by the man, who waved his hand dismissively. "No need to worry, I'm here solely to chat with the village's future warrior, one with the most exceptional potential I've ever come across," he stated, his focus shifting from Fifi to me. "Although I would have preferred to postpone our meeting until he visits the stronghold, allowing for a more leisurely conversation, since I'm already here, I see no reason to miss this opportunity."
Fifi attempted to interject once more, but this time I gently placed my right palm on her back, delivering a light tap as a sign to hold her thoughts.
I then stepped forward, positioning myself alongside Fifi and facing Stronghold Leader Zogar, whom I assumed to be the leader of the Stronghold.
With my palm gliding gently over Fifi's beautiful muscular back, I maintained a steady gaze on Stronghold Leader Zogar. "Good evening, Stronghold Leader Zogar," I greeted with a nod. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Zogar's eyebrow arched in response, and he offered a nod of acknowledgement. "Good..... Good, seems you have some manners and aren't trembling in fear," he commented, his scrutiny first shifting to Fifi and then back to me, finally scanning the other women gathered behind me. His attention circled back to me once more, and he asked, "Are they all your partners?"
"Yes," I responded, "they are."
"Even her?" he asked again, his finger aimed at Fifi.
"Yes," I confirmed with a firm nod, emphasizing my response. "She is also my partner."
Stronghold Leader Zogar fixed his gaze on me, his face inscrutable, like he was sifting through my expressions for some hidden meaning. After a moment, his stern expression cracked into a smile. "Humph! You haven't even officially become a warrior yet, and you're already adopting some unusual behaviours," he remarked with amusement. With an exhale, he continued, ".....Well, that just means you'll fit right in once you join the stronghold."
Without further ado, Stronghold Leader Zogar turned on his heel and strode away in the opposite direction, his final words trailing behind him, "Follow me, Orion. I need to speak with you privately."
Before I moved to join Stronghold Leader Zogar, I turned my head to catch Fifi's gaze. She shook her head with a resigned look, sighing as if reluctantly agreeing. Her eyes met mine, and she spoke with a tone of reassurance, "You can go with him. I'll be awake, waiting for you to come back."
She then shifted her attention to Stronghold Leader Zogar, who stood by our new hut as though he expected my presence. "And if anything goes wrong, I'll come to find you. So, don't worry," she added, her gaze returning to me along with a faint smile.
While I had complete faith in Fifi's strength and her promises, the reality was that this man was the Stronghold Leader – it would be stupid to assume he was any less powerful than Fifi, or that she could easily match up against him. It was clear I needed to shift my focus to preventing any potential trouble rather than placing Fifi in any unnecessary danger.
"I don't have all day to wait!" Stronghold Leader Zogar's impatient voice echoed across the distance as he eyed me from the corner of his eyes.
"Don't worry, everyone should concentrate on settling in. If any issues arise, I'm capable of handling them," I reassured her before stepping forward toward his position.
Though I held doubts that anything threatening or dangerous would occur, it had become a habit for me to brace for the worst before embracing the best, given the recent string of events.
Standing beside him, I met Stronghold Leader Zogar's gaze as he turned his head towards me. "Are you ready?" he asked.
I nodded firmly and replied, "Yes."
His attention was fixed on the large hut, I barely had time to process the situation when I heard his voice, "Hold on tight." In an instant, his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me close to him. We soared into the sky, veering to the side instead of passing over the hut, and descended back onto the grassy ground.
Before the impact could settle, we were airborne again, rising high enough for me to catch a glimpse of a portion of the farm. It became obvious that our trajectory was taking us not toward the gates, but towards the massive wooden wall that encircled the farm.
