Some of the young Fae Masters glanced at each other the moment Elder Vova and the other Elders left the room. Faint murmurs and not-so-quiet whispering echoed throughout the classroom.
"A mandatory curfew? What in the world for?".
"There must be something outside the Clan for our movements to get restricted".
"Is there going to be an attack by another Village or something?".
"Does that mean that we'll all have to fight too?".
The moment the young woman who said this mentioned this potential outcome, the entire room went silent.
They were just Rank 1 Fae Masters, surely they would just be dead weight if they went out onto the battlefield as they were?
Most of the young boys and girls had just started walking their cultivation path. They had yet to experience the difficulties, and the trials that most cultivators had to go through.
They all firmly believed that they could just keep cultivating as they did, and eventually reach Rank 2, or perhaps even Rank 3. Cultivation had been a little hard to get used to, but after more than half a year all of them had gotten used to meditating and refining origin essence.
If they could just continue this peacefully, things would be great for them.
But, if there was a war in Winter Rain Mountain.... would they even be able to fight against spirit beasts? Or even other humans for that matter?
Most of them, if not all of them had never taken a life before. The idea of thrusting a sword into another persons chest, and watching the light drain from their eyes as they slowly sunk into an endless darkness.
Taking a deep breath, heart racing as they gazed across the corpse littered battlefield.
Ash, dust and mud clung to their hopeless bodies as they unrelentingly charged forward, not knowing whether today would be their last....
Arthur had experienced multiple different wars in his previous life.
The first being after he joined a Sect, and was led by the current possessor of the Formless Night Shadow Sovereign Boundary Physique. He, along with over 700 other Fae Masters, all Rank 3 and above, charged into battle.
Of that 700, less than 200 came back alive. Most of whom were injured.
Wars in the cultivation world were brutal. Those who were killed were the lucky ones. Those who were captured, faced a life worse than death....
Arthur's expression didn't even flicker as memories of screams and cries echoed throughout his mind. His appetite for war and death had only increased over the years.
Sometimes.... killing was the only option, he thought.
Ratimir shook his head.
"A war is probably the least likely option. If the Clan was thinking about going to war, we would all be forced to undergo strict combat training, in order to increase all of our killing power. Since they are just reinforcing the walls and preventing entry in and out of the Clan, the most likely case is that the rising waters are approaching the Clan.
Parachenko Village is built upon a flat plateau and small rivers and streams run through the Village before falling off the water fall behind the Village. This year, the level of water has exceeded all other previous years. The most likely possibility, is that the Clan is worried about flooding".
Alina noticed the sudden change in the air in the room.
She nodded too.
"Ratimir is probably right guys. Our grandparents would be the first to know whether or not Parachenko Village is going to war. There hasn't been a stockpiling of food or weapons, and it is only just now that our gates have closed. Such actions would've been taken months in advance, in order to prepare for a war. Rising water levels is indeed the most likely possibility".
Arthur smiled slightly, watching his "classmates" calm down as they sent each other calm glances.
Arthur though about adding fire to the pot, but refrained, believing it wasn't the right time.
He glanced towards Randolf, who showed a peculiar expression on his face, and glanced towards Arthur before noticing he was staring at him.
"Is there something you want to say Arthur?".
Everyone in the room noticed Randolf and Arthur staring at each other, before turning to Arthur, who only smiled before shaking his head.
This foreigner had started to understand the importance of controlling a conversation, he thought.
"Not really. Ratimir and Alina pretty much summed up everything.... but I can't help but wonder about something....".
Everyone in the room had their focus placed on Arthur. It wasn't normal for him to smile so openly, and those who had fought him during the new Fae Master tournament felt shivers crawl up their spines.
Arthur tapped his fingers on the desk in front of him, producing a strangely rhythmic sound.
"There exists.... countless mortal beasts and spirit beasts all through the vast rivers and forests of Winter Rain Mountain. River Walker Deer, Black Scaled Sturgeon, Water Dart Frog, whatever. Now that the water levels are rising, there is less room for those land-based beasts, while there is only an increasing number of rivers and streams for others to roam and grow in".
Arthur opened his hands, as if trying to show that there was something in each.
"On one hand you have the land-based beasts who can't live in water, desperately searching for a new home and new territories to live in".
"While on the other you have Parachenko Village, with all the Fae materials, food and shelter that a beast could ask for".
Arthur smiled at the rest of the class, causing shivers to crawl up all of their spines.
"You all do the math".
Ratimir and Alina glanced at each other before biting their lips. Neither of them had considered the environmental changes and the mass immigrations that those beasts would have to endure either.
All living creatures, regardless of whether they were human or not, desired a habitable and safe environment.
Parachenko Village existed in harmony with those beasts that existed inside, and outside of its territories, due to the large available plots of land. Now that the water levels had risen, those plots of land were no longer viable, or safe, forcing those beasts to retreat to higher ground.
Like towards Parachenko Village.
Arthur nodded slightly, seeing that most of his "classmates" now understood what the Clan was dealing with.
A beast tide!
What they didn't know, was that the water levels within Winter Rain Mountain would only increase further, forcing a mass exodus of every land based creature, big or small towards higher ground. Parachenko Village was a place where the water levels had barely changed so all of these beasts would move towards it.
A bloody conflict would shortly ensue, and a battle between man and beast would resound throughout all of Winter Rain Mountain.
The constant rain would mask the scent of iron and blood on the battlefield, while forcing even more beasts to retreat to safer grounds.
The water level would continue to rise, eventually reaching Parachenko Village.
When that happened....
Another beast tide would ensue.
Straight after one battle, another, larger, even more formidable battle would rage throughout the entire region.
Although no Fae Immortals were involved, there were some Rank 5 Fae Masters that lived on the shores as hermits on the banks of Falling Snow River who would help resolve some of these problems.
The rivers and streams of Winter Rain Mountain would run red with the blood of thousands.
Huge numbers of Hatred Fae, Blood Attributed Fae, Death Attributed Fae, Bone Attributed Fae and even Flesh Attributed Fae would be born, as if a phoenix rising from the ashes.
It would be-.
"Beautiful".