"I think so, too," Aerialia responded.
Aegis of the Arctic Deity had mentioned that some creature had emerged in the village before the arrival of the other Vylkrspawns, so it was easy for them to deduce that they had all come here for a specific purpose.
"If that's the case, what will we do?" Aurora asked, her attention fixed on Aerialia and Orion.
"We'll have to wait until its formation is over before we check it out and confirm," Orion responded. "Come on, let's go and meet the rest to inform them that everything is over," he added, resummoning the Crimson Greatsword into its small mark on his right arm before carrying Aurora in a princess carry, then leaping high into the sky.
….....
First Border City
As Orion landed amidst the bustling crowd, the Village Chief, Stronghold Leader Zogar, Stronger Leader Seth, Queen Selene, High King Eldrrc, High Queen Rowena, and other key figures of the territory instantly spotted him and strode forward to greet him.
They had witnessed Orion and his entire family vanish, initially causing chaos until they received a reassuring message from the Village about Orion's safety. They knew that Aegis of the Arctic Deity was with Orion, likely discussing a solution to their current predicament.
Having witnessed the spectacular battle unfold in the sky and seeing their home ascend further into the clouds, they were now as concerned as any ordinary resident of the Orion Cities, wondering if this signalled their potential end. Therefore, they immediately sought an explanation to comprehend the situation.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Orion gently set Aurora down, letting her stand alone before focusing on the approaching leaders.
"Ahem! How is everything?" The Village Chief's throat clearing cut through the tense air, his expression serious as he awaited Orion's response.
The others fell silent, their eyes fixed on Orion, waiting for his words.
Orion nodded confidently. "You don't have to worry anymore; everything has been taken care of," he assured them, his gaze sweeping the gathered leaders.
"And what about Aegis of the Arctic Deity? Is he alright?" High King Eldric's voice held a hint of fear.
The recent intense battle in the skies had left them all on edge, making it clear that their protector was dealing with formidable foes on the same scale of power.
High King Eldric was especially concerned about Aegis of the Arctic Deity's well-being, given the powerful impact of the last attack that had shaken their floating territory to its core.
Orion remained silent momentarily, his expression grave, before shaking his head. "Aegis of the Arctic Deity is dead. He died protecting us from the assailants," he announced.
High King Eldric's expression shifted to shock upon hearing Orion's words. "Impossible! Aegis of the…" he began, his voice trailing off as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})He stumbled in mid-air, nearly falling. Luckily, his wife, High Queen Rowena, was nearby and managed to catch him, preventing a potential disaster.
The shock on her face mirrored that of the Village Chief and the other key figures.
Orion watched this unfold wearily. He knew it would take time for everyone to process such devastating news. Meanwhile, he needed to address the increasingly agitated crowd who noticed his arrival.
Accompanied by Aerialia, Orion walked forward and stood on the platform previously used by the Village Chief and the others to address the crowds.
"EVERYONE, PLEASE BE QUIET!" Orion's voice boomed through the crowd.
Instantly, the bustling crowd fell silent, their eyes fixated on Orion.
"Ahem! You may all return to your homes and rest assured that the crisis has been resolved, so there's no need for incessant worry! However, if anyone is found using this event to instigate trouble, they will face severe consequences or even banishment from Orion's cities."
"Please, let's avoid any disturbances during this sensitive time!
Any further updates will be communicated by your designated representatives!"Orion shouted, his eyes scanning the crowd as they absorbed his message and breathed in relief.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})After hearing Orion's words, the tense atmosphere dissipated, replaced by a calm that settled over the crowd. Though curious about the mind-bogging events they had witnessed and the mysterious rise of the territory into the sky, they trusted that their leaders would provide explanations in due time. For now, their safety and the promise of another day were important.
One by one, they gathered their belongings and began the journey from the First Border City. Knowing it would take a day or more for non-warriors to reach the Second Border City and even longer for those going to the Third Border City, they hastened their departure to return home and rest.
The four-eared elves, lacking knowledge of the correct route back and having been unexpectedly teleported, joined the crowd. Aware of their limited authority in this territory, they were keen to avoid complications and didn't want to be found anywhere they weren't supposed to be.
As for everything they had just witnessed in the sky and experienced, which had defied and overturned every common sense they had, as long as the key figures of this territory told them that they hadn't seen anything,theywould pretend as though they hadn't seen anything. And if they chose not to explain, they would also remain quiet as it wasn't their place to ask.
From within the crowds,
"If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it myself,"Leona said, her expression still in disbelief as she tried to comprehend everything she had witnessed.
From how they were instantly teleported here, effortlessly, to the beings capable of engaging in such an immense battle that had created fissures in the atmosphere and overturned the skies, the rising territory—everything appeared too surreal for her to simply take in without any difficulty.
Everyone else shared the same sentiments.
"They were right; our worries were for nothing. Even if we hadn't informed them about the Vylkr veil phenomenon, they would still have been able to survive it," Leif said, his eyes filled with raging emotions.
