Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the First Border City—those still at home or heading to work—observed the shocking and astounding scene. One moment, they were going about their daily lives, and the next, individuals from the Second and Third Border City appeared on the streets. They couldn't comprehend what had just occurred.
Orion glanced skyward and noticed the sky filled with Pixies flying above them and surveying the scene with the same confusion as those who had just arrived.
A resounding voice suddenly echoed, "EVERYONE, PLEASE CALM DOWN!"
Orion turned towards the direction of the familiar voice and spotted the Village Chief atop an eagle-like shape-shifting beast in the air.
The Chief's gaze encompassed everyone, both the Pixies above and those below, as he waited for them to calm down.
"ORIONN!!" Another loud, familiar voice echoed through the air.
Orion shifted his attention to the source of the voice and saw the Princess of the Garden walking towards them. The Pixies surrounding her cleared a path, allowing her to approach.
The Princess reached Orion and hugged him gently, mindful of the children he held. "Are you okay? I received news of the evacuations from Queen Selene and suddenly found myself here with the Pixies," she explained, releasing him from her embrace.
Orion nodded, "I'm okay. We were about to move out when we were surprised and suddenly found ourselves here. I think this might have been Aegis of the Arctic Deity's work to make the evacuation process easier," he responded.
The Princess of the Garden nodded in understanding. She had already reached that conclusion when she saw that others were also teleported.
"But what will happen to the Garden?" The Princess of the Garden asked, her eyes filled with worry and anxiety.
"Who knows, maybe Aegis of the Arctic Deity transported the Garden to a safer location when he brought us here. If not, we still have a large reserve of the Garden within the Mountain that we can replace it with, so don't worry," Orion responded, recalling the several acres of greenery in the Garden surviving on the Divine Lake essence that was slowly drying up.
The Princess of the Garden felt her heart calming when she heard Orion's words. The suddenness of the situation had almost caused her to forget about the abandoned Garden within the Mountain, which they hadn't yet brought into Orion's Cities.
"Ahem!" A slight voice sounded behind them.
Turning around, the Princess of the Garden saw Celeste, Greta, and the others looking at her with raised brows. She quickly caught on, realizing that she had unknowingly ignored them. She then greeted each of them individually.
After finishing her greetings, the Princess of the Garden took the time to get to know Orion's children individually. In a way, they were also her children, and considering she was expecting a child herself, it was best to establish familiarity for future communication.
The enormous crowds fell silent at that moment, focusing on the Village Chief, awaiting his explanation.
The Village Chief addressed the crowd, his voice carrying authority and reassurance. "Firstly, I must apologize on behalf of the Leaders of the Orion's Cities for the impromptu relocation to the First Border City. For those unaware, due to the Vylkr Veil Phenomenon, our protective god, Aegis of the Arctic Deity, has informed us that shrinking the barrier is necessary for our safety."
"We asked for his aid in the evacuation, understanding it would take considerable time and effort. Thankfully, he complied.Please,settle in calmly; we will make accommodations for all. Also, the yearly festival of my village is tomorrow, and only those with appropriate behaviour will be given the chance to decide whether they would want to attend or not," he announced, deftly redirecting attention away from the Phenomenon and calming the crowd.
Although he might have woven some truths amidst his lies, he recognized the necessity of such deception in this situation.After all, the last time he faced a crisis like this was during the Vylkr vines' invasion, which had claimed many lives. He remembered how the previous Village Chief had navigated that calamity and applied those lessons to handle the current predicament.
When the Village Chief finished speaking, the crowd erupted once more.
"As I suspected, Aegis of the Arctic Deity was behind this. It's clear this goes beyond mortal capabilities," remarked a Prismerion man, sighing in relief. He had feared an undefendable assault, but knowing that Aegis of the Arctic Deity was behind this eased his anxieties.
"Who... is Aegis of the Arctic Deity?" asked a curious young Four-eared elf.
"You must be among those who just arrived in Orion's City but have stayed indoors every day, so you might not know who it is; allow me to explain the greatness of Aegis of the Arctic Deity..." the man responded, explaining his knowledge on Aegis of the Arctic Deity. His words drew the attention of the other Four-eared elves, who listened intently.
Once he finished, the young man's eyes widened in understanding, mirroring the reactions of others around him.
Aegis of the Arctic Deity is a god! While they knew that those protecting this territory were strong since they had witnessed the battle against their pursuers the first timetheyentered the Orion's Cities, hearing that they were protected by a god left the Four-eared elves torn between awe, reverence, and fear at the realization of being in the presence of a god without their knowledge.
As others introduced themselves and explained the situation to the Four-eared elves, the emotions rippled through them, freezing them in place as they gazed skywards, taking in the divine barrier shielding them and warding off the Vylkr veil phenomenon.
Orion surveyed the scene from his position and heaved a weary sigh. Despite recognizing that the Village Chief's words were filled with a hint of falsehoods, he saw it as the only way to calm the restless crowd and shift their focus to other matters. Therefore, he saw no fault in the decision.
The commotion had already roused the children from their sleep, prompting Orion to work diligently to soothe them back to sleep.
