Days had passed since the night of the alpha wolf's attack, a harrowing memory that lingered in the minds of Kael dwelled within the floating village. The scars of that battle remained, etched into the very wood and stone of the village's defenses, reminders of the relentless dangers that stalked the night. Yet, as dawn broke each morning, life resumed with the same determined routine, a rhythm born out of necessity and survival.
The floating village had grown in strength over the past few days. The number of seraphs had doubled, now twenty strong, their lithe forms gliding through the village with eerie precision. The Valk, originally only two, had multiplied to ten, each a sentinel of war, ready to defend the village against the myriad dangers lurking below. Five Scorpios, mighty stationary crossbows, were now positioned strategically around the village's perimeter, their bolts ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice. Though their numbers had increased, the platforms were still limited, a stark reminder of the village's nascent state.
After a sparse breakfast of dried meats and fruit, Kael would rise and prepare himself for the day. The cold water of the village's makeshift showers was a bracing shock to his senses, chasing away the last vestiges of sleep. The cloth he used, woven from the rough fibers the seraph had painstakingly sourced, scrubbed away the sweat and grime of the previous day. The chill of the water had become a familiar companion, a reminder of the harsh realities of this new world he had crafted.
Once washed and dressed, Kael would descend to the storage rooms within the village warehouse. There, the spoils of the night's hunt awaited him, brought in by the tireless seraph and the battle-ready Valk. Boar hides, dried meats, fruits, and other gathered materials were carefully cataloged and stored, each item a small victory against the unforgiving wilderness below. The seraph moved with eerie efficiency, their glowing eyes flickering with a semblance of life as they performed their tasks, while the Valk stood sentinel, ever watchful for threats.
Each night, as the village floated above the treetops, the wolves would return. Their maneuvers grew more desperate, more cunning, as if driven by some unseen hand. The alpha, a creature of immense power and cunning, had not been seen since the initial assault, but its presence was felt in the coordinated strikes that tested the village's defenses. The wolves were relentless, probing for weaknesses, seeking any opportunity to strike.
But last night, there had been no sign of them. The jungle had been eerily silent, the air thick with a tension that Kael could not shake. The absence of the wolves was as unsettling as their presence, a silence that spoke of a new threat, one lurking just beyond their sight. As Kael stood on the edge of the village, gazing out at the vast expanse of green below, he couldn't help but wonder if they had finally left the wolves' territory.
If that were true, then whose territory had they entered?
As the sun reached its zenith, the village would ascend once more, its great sails unfurling to catch the meager winds that whispered through the treetops. The ascent was slow, almost ponderous, as the village began its daily crawl toward the looming mountain in the distance. Kael, standing on the edge of the floating platform, was lost in thought as the village began its slow, deliberate movement toward the distant mountain. The sun was high, casting long shadows through the thick canopy below, and the day had been uneventful thus far. But then, a sudden, violent commotion from the jungle broke the relative peace.
His eyes narrowed as he peered through the dense foliage below. The tops of trees were swaying, then crashing down, one after another, as if some enormous beast were barreling through the forest. The distant roars of frightened animals echoed through the air, and the ground trembled slightly beneath the floating village as the disturbance drew closer.
Then, it came. A distant rumble, like the grumble of an angry god, shattered the morning calm. The Seraphs paused in their tasks, their glowing eyes turning in unison toward the source of the noise. Kael's heart quickened as he saw it: the jungle itself seemed to part before an unseen force, trees toppling like mere twigs under the weight of something colossal. He narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the shape of the creature causing such devastation, but it was obscured by the dense undergrowth.
Then, through the breaking branches and falling foliage, two figures burst into view. Young, no more than adolescents, their faces twisted in fear and desperation. The female, despite her own weariness, was supporting the male, who was clearly injured, his steps faltering as they fled. They were running from something—no, someone.
Kael's breath caught as he saw it: a massive boar, towering like a nightmare, its height that of a four-story building, tusks gleaming in the dappled sunlight. The beast charged through the jungle, uprooting trees with each thunderous step, its eyes locked on the fleeing pair. The boar's fury was palpable, a force of nature that would not be denied.
For a heartbeat, Kael was frozen, the scene playing out before him like a vision from a dark tale. But then instinct took over. He barked orders to the Seraphs, his voice cutting through the rising panic.
"Seraphs, to the ground!" Kael's voice rang out, sharp and commanding, cutting through the chaos. "Rescue them and bring them to the village—now!"
The Seraphs moved with a swift, coordinated grace, their grappling hooks hissing as they shot out and latched onto the trees below. They descended rapidly, a blur of silver and wood, racing against the inevitable doom that bore down on the young pair.
The Valk remained poised on the platforms, ready to rain bolts down on the boar should it threaten the village itself. The Scorpios creaked as they were brought to bear on the massive beast, their deadly tips trained on the advancing threat. but Kael knew they were no match for a creature of such size. Their mission was clear: retrieve the wounded and return to the safety of the floating village.
The jungle was alive with sound—the cracking of trees, the desperate cries of the young girl, the enraged bellow of the boar. As the seraphs neared the ground, the girl spotted them, her eyes wide with shock and hope. She stumbled, almost dragging the boy down with her, but the seraphs were there in an instant. Their metal arms wrapped around the pair, lifting them effortlessly from the ground as the boar closed in.
The beast let out a thunderous roar, its massive bulk crashing through the spot where the two had been mere seconds before. The ground shook with the impact, sending a shudder through the village above. The boar, momentarily confused, looked around, its beady eyes scanning the jungle for its prey. But the seraphs were already soaring upwards, carrying the two adolescents toward the safety of the floating village.
The air was thick with tension as the giant boar circled below the floating village, its massive form heaving with each labored breath. The beast's eyes, bloodshot and burning with rage, never left the village above, its frustration growing with each passing moment. The two adolescent survivors huddled in a corner of the platform, still trembling from their near brush with death, while Kael stood at the edge, his gaze fixed on the behemoth below.
For a moment, it seemed as if the boar might retreat, its roar of anger echoing through the jungle as it stamped the ground, tearing up roots and sending smaller creatures scurrying for cover. But instead of withdrawing, the creature did something unexpected—something that sent a shiver of unease through Kael's spine.
The boar, its intelligence far greater than Kael had anticipated, began to use its tusks and brute strength to hook onto trees and boulders, ripping them from the earth with terrifying ease. The ground trembled as roots were torn asunder, and the towering trees, once the guardians of the jungle, were reduced to mere missiles in the hands of the enraged beast.
With a flick of its massive head, the boar launched the first tree toward the floating village. The trunk spun through the air, its branches whipping violently as it hurtled upward, aiming to strike the vulnerable underside of the village. Kael's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the tree soar, the realization of the beast's intelligence dawning upon him.
"Scorpios, fire!" Kael shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
The Valks, manning the Scorpios, quickly adjusted their aim and released a volley of stone-tipped bolts. The projectiles streaked through the air, meeting the oncoming tree with a series of sharp impacts. Some bolts embedded themselves in the trunk, others shearing off branches, but the momentum of the massive tree was only slightly deflected. It smashed into the side of the village with a bone-jarring crash, sending tremors through the entire structure. Though the village held firm, the damage was evident—a reminder of the boar's raw power.
Undeterred, the beast continued its assault, wrenching boulders from the earth and hurling them toward the village with terrifying precision. The stones, massive and jagged, slammed into the floating platform, shattering against the reinforced wood but leaving deep gouges in their wake. The Scorpios fired relentlessly, but the stone-tipped bolts proved ineffective against the thick hide and relentless fury of the beast. Each impact only seemed to fuel the boar's anger, its roars echoing through the jungle like thunder.
Hours passed in a brutal stalemate, the village enduring wave after wave of the boar's savage onslaught. The Valks, undeterred by the ineffectiveness of their weapons, continued to fire, their resolve as unyielding as the village they defended. But as the sun dipped lower in the sky, fatigue began to set in. The boar, however, showed no sign of tiring, its rage seemingly endless as it uprooted another tree, preparing to launch it toward the village.
The boar's attacks had been relentless. For hours, it had hurled trees and boulders at the village, each impact a thunderous reminder of its raw power. The Valks had fought valiantly, manning the Scorpios and firing volley after volley of stone-tipped bolts. But the boar's hide was too thick, its resolve too strong. The village had withstood the assault, but just barely, and the scars left behind were a grim testament to the creature's might.
Then, as the sun dipped lower in the sky, the boar paused. Its fiery eyes scanned the jungle, and without warning, it disappeared into the undergrowth. Kael felt a momentary sense of relief, but it was short-lived. The beast returned moments later, dragging three lifeless bodies behind it. throwing them like ragdolls before the village. With a final, contemptuous snort, the beast turned and began marking the ground with its urine, a savage claim to its territory and a warning to all who dared to trespass.
Kael stood frozen, his mind reeling from the horror he had just witnessed. The girl's cries had faded into soft sobs as she knelt beside the body of her wounded companions. Slowly, she lifted her tear-streaked face to Kael and spoke, her voice trembling but resolute.
"My name is Gwenbelle," she said, her voice thick with grief. "And this is Buinn. Those were our protectors… our brothers in arms."
It was then that Kael noticed the three lifeless forms lying beneath the village, their bodies broken and discarded like ragdolls. He didn't recognize them at first; they were just shapes in the dirt, dwarves perhaps, judging by their stature. But before he could process the sight, a desperate, anguished cry pierced the air.
"Nainn! Nar! Nali!" The voice was raw with emotion, and Kael's heart clenched as he saw the young female adolescent, collapse to her knees at the edge of the platform. Her hands clutched the railing, knuckles white with the strain, as she stared down at the fallen dwarves with a look of utter devastation.
Kael felt a wave of sorrow wash over him, mingling with the deep sense of gratitude he saw reflected in Gwenbelle's tear-streaked face. Nainn, Nar, and Nali—these names now etched in his mind—had given everything to protect their comrades. They had stood their ground against the monstrous boar, refusing to flee, refusing to surrender, even as one by one they had been struck down. Their oath, their duty, had been their final stand.
As the boar finally retreated into the jungle, its roars fading into the distance, Kael knew that the battle was far from over. He knew not what trials lay ahead, but in that moment, he silently vowed to help these dwarves honor the sacrifice of their fallen.