It was evening. As the sun dipped toward the horizon, a string of black dots drifted across the sky. From below, one might have mistaken them for a flock of wild geese migrating north.
Drawing closer, they revealed themselves as hot air balloons, each one being towed forward by birdkin. Leading the formation was Rhea.
"Huff... huff..."
"Chief, would you like to rest?" A young girl standing in the gondola called out in an adorable voice. "I still have a small piece of wheat cake here."
"No need, you eat it," Rhea responded coldly. "We're almost there."
Not everyone in the stronghold called her 'Big Sister.' Only those close to her used that term; everyone else addressed her as Chief.
"Huff... huff..."
Rhea's wings beat steadily as her eyes scanned the surroundings. She was terrified of an accident—one had already occurred previously when someone nearly set a balloon on fire, delaying their arrival at the Air Force Base.
"We're quite a bit later than the agreed time. The sun is almost down," Rhea muttered to herself, glancing at the distant sunset.
"Chief! Someone is flying toward us from ahead!" A birdkin shouted.
"Hmm?" Rhea looked forward. Her sharp eyes immediately identified the figures—it was Amelia and several humans, using gliders.
"Looks like we've made it," Rhea felt a slight wave of relief. She turned to the people behind her and shouted, "It's the escort!"
Whoosh!
Amelia quickly pulled alongside Rhea's group. Seeing that Rhea was unharmed, she finally let out the breath she'd been holding.
"Sister, the Air Force Base is just ahead," Amelia said before banking her glider to lead the way back. Flying at this hour was becoming dangerous. Had she not insisted, Lucas would never have allowed her into the sky so close to nightfall.
After another ten minutes of flight, the group spotted the massive, conspicuous bonfires of the Air Force Base. The rich, savory aroma of roasting meat wafted up to them. Within a few minutes, everyone began to land safely, one after another.
"Finally..." The tension in Rhea's heart slowly unraveled. Looking at her timid, hesitant companions, her lips curled into a tiny smile. It was a good start.
Of the hundred-plus birdkin, over ninety percent were children. They were all staring wide-eyed at the mutton roasting over the charcoal fires. The adults weren't much better; they kept licking their dry lips, their throats bobbing as they swallowed hard.
The smell was so intoxicating that stomachs began to growl audibly—even Rhea's.
"Welcome back," Lucas said softly as he looked at the dazed Rhea. "You look beautiful when you smile."
"..." Rhea froze. She shot him an expressionless look, but the tips of her ears turned bright red. She pursed her lips; given her personality, she didn't know how to respond to such a comment.
"Come and eat. This is a welcome feast specifically for all of you," Lucas said, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
"Alright," Rhea hesitated for a second before nodding.
"Everyone, dig in!" Lucas shouted to the crowd.
"Yeah!" The soldiers of the base, along with Mina and Annie, cheered loudly.
The birdkin were stunned by the outburst, but they were quickly and forcefully pulled into the feast. Once they tasted the mutton, their reservations vanished, replaced by hushed, excited chatter.
"Wow, this meat is incredible! It's the best thing I've ever eaten!"
"The Chief didn't lie to us... there really is food here."
Watching her companions' faces light up with joy, Rhea's mouth curved upward involuntarily. For these smiles, she felt everything had been worth it.
"A good choice, wasn't it?" Lucas said composedly, handing her a sliced piece of mutton leg.
"Yes." Rhea hesitated before taking the meat with a slightly awkward expression. Thinking back to her previous defiance, she felt a bit foolish now.
"You can bring the rest of your people over too," Lucas said, taking a new piece of meat from Mina. He pointed toward another hill on the far side of the base. "That area can be partitioned off for your people to live."
"Okay," Rhea agreed. This place was infinitely better than Stone Mountain.
"The children should go to school to learn to read and write. They can't all join the military," Lucas added softly, watching the kids eat with grease-covered faces.
"Okay," Rhea nodded again.
Then she paused. Since when did she become so obedient to one person?
"What is it?" Lucas's lips quirked up. This woman was surprisingly easy to read.
"I will repay you," Rhea blurted out. Her cheeks flushed as she walked away with hurried, disorganized steps.
She couldn't stay there any longer. She was afraid she'd just keep saying yes to everything he asked. She had intended to observe him more closely, but she had already agreed to everything—it felt reckless.
"Interesting," Lucas muttered, taking a slow bite of his mutton.
"Master, did it really work just like that?" Annie asked, looking a bit stunned. It seemed too smooth.
"Why wouldn't it?" Lucas gestured with the meat in his hand. "No one can resist good food."
A single meal of roasted mutton had dissolved most of the animosity. A few more times, and the birdkin would integrate fully. As for the adults, they would be incorporated into the Air Force; this would limit their contact with other humans for a while, acting as a sort of psychological buffer since the birdkin had been treated so poorly by humans in the past.
"Does that actually work?" Annie blinked her eyes.
"Why wouldn't it? Annie, don't forget how you were when you first arrived. You weren't much better than them," Mina interjected, rolling her eyes.
"What?! Mina, shut up! Say that again and see if I don't use my Eighteen Technique on you!" Annie bristled, pouncing toward the cat-girl with a piece of mutton still in her mouth.
"Your hands are all oily! Get off me!"
With this, the birdkin officially joined Sedona city, becoming another major branch of Lucas's military power and perfecting his air superiority.
And his next top-secret plan would definitely require their help.
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