The grass gave way beneath Rakahn's feet as he hurried across the meadow. This wasn't the first time he found himself in such a predicament, but whenever he was trapped in a tight spot, he usually had someone else to delegate the task to. Unfortunately for him, everyone was occupied, leaving him no choice but to handle it himself.
"Damn it!" he swore under his breath. "I knew we wouldn't finish everything in a week!"
After the meeting in the tent, Kido and the others had accepted his invitation. Rakahn now found himself leading several construction teams to establish their first fortress, a critical element to their plans.
They had felled a large number of trees to clear a space big enough to accommodate several thousand people, allowing all the clans to settle temporarily with better protection. The walls were almost complete, thanks to the efforts of both civilians and soldiers alike, all working toward a common goal. Rakahn was overseeing every site, running from one to another.
He rushed toward Dahlia, who was in charge of the canteen, supervising over twenty people as they prepared meals for everyone present at the camp. Since they didn't have a proper kitchen yet, they worked under a large wooden structure that provided enough shade for their difficult task.
"What's taking so long?" Rakahn asked, panting as he arrived.
"All the sites are starving. What's holding you up?"
"It's the bread, General," Dahlia replied darkly. "The stew's ready. I sent Seth and his team to fetch the bread from the kitchen."
"But it's been over half an hour since he left! Did something happen?" Rakahn's face paled. "What could have delayed them for this long?"
With no time to waste, he sprinted toward the base.
When he arrived, he stopped in front of a large wooden house, the heat from the ovens wafting through the air along with the rich, tempting scent of freshly baked bread. Rakahn inhaled the aroma but frowned immediately.
"Seth, what's going on in there?" he shouted, pounding on the door.
The door creaked open, and a frail young man with pale skin and fiery red hair stood before him, sweat dripping from his brow. His black onyx horn gleamed in the sunlight.
"General, I'm really sorry for the delay," Seth muttered apologetically. "We had to help the bakers. They weren't used to handling such large quantities, and over half the loaves burned."
Rakahn clenched his jaw in frustration, biting his lip. He now had to inform the construction crews that they'd have to wait even longer for their meals. "The Master would've solved this problem faster than me," he muttered to himself bitterly. "At this rate, I'm more of a handyman than a general."
Seth wiped his face, offering a calm, reassuring smile. "Don't worry, sir. The loaves are almost done, and with everyone pitching in, we'll distribute them much faster."
Rakahn exhaled, slightly relieved, and quickly headed toward the northwest outpost where Kido was supposed to return with a hunting party to prepare for the banquet.
On his way, he nearly tripped over a group of children playing in the road. He paused, watching the kids from different clans laugh and play together without discrimination. It reminded him of his childhood, playing alongside Akumu, Kido, and even his brother. The memory reopened an old wound that he had long kept buried.
Shaking his head to clear the thought, he continued toward the outpost.
As he approached, he noticed several soldiers standing atop a wooden structure that ran along the wall, scanning the area for any sign of danger. They waved at him and nodded in greeting, though one of them suddenly lit up with excitement.
"Open the gate! Sir Kido and Juggernaut have returned!"
With a loud creak, the northwest barrier swung open, revealing a procession of carts laden with boar-oxen, driven by tamed beasts. Juggernaut, the leader of the Orion clan, stepped forward with a grim expression.
"General Rakahn," Juggernaut began darkly, "if you told us to capture all these beasts for the banquet, three more would wipe out their entire species in this region. Is that what you want?"
A macabre grin spread across his face. "I may be greedy, but I'm not on the same level as your Master. Does he plan to exterminate every race except ours?"
"You've got it all wrong!" Rakahn snapped. "The Master said we're changing the ecosystem, not eradicating all life! We'll dominate what can bend to us and eliminate what stands in our way."
Kido joined them, his eyebrow raised. "So, Rakahn, what are we supposed to do with all these beasts? Keep them? Who's going to handle that?"
Kido had a point. These beasts were massive and heavily muscled, far from easily tamed. Only the soldiers could approach them safely.
Pride swelling in his chest, Rakahn almost felt a tear in his eye as he patted both men on the shoulders, offering them a dark grin.
"We have our ways."