The news Finn brought instantly poisoned the sweet peace of their victory at the Pinnacle of the Wind. The air now held not just the clean mountain wind, but the weight of an approaching storm.
Moaito immediately sprang into action. He moved Finn to a relatively safe corner of the temple. Using their remaining water and medicinal herbs, he tried to tend to his wounds, to at least ensure his survival.
"How many are they?" Moaito asked, his voice urgent and focused.
"Many..." Finn groaned, his eyes glazed. "Hundreds... maybe more. They left the City of Silence... and on the way... they're... recruiting from other villages." A coughing fit seized him. "Kael... leads them. People look at him... like a savior."
This was the most disturbing news. Kael wasn't just gathering an army; he was creating a movement of faith.
Sere stood guard at the temple entrance, listening to every sound carried by the new, clean wind outside. Finn's account had ignited something within her. This was no longer just about her own fear or some ancient balance. People, families, children were under threat.
Moaito came to her side. His face was tense. "The plan has changed. We cleansed the Pinnacle of the Wind, but Kael's army is still coming. And this 'woman'... she could be as dangerous as Lyrian, perhaps more."
"What do we do?" Sere asked, her voice calm but simmering with underlying fury. "We can't just sit here and wait for them."
"No, we cannot," Moaito confirmed. "But we cannot attack an army head-on either. That would be suicide." His eyes held the cold calculation of a strategist. "We must reach the villagers Finn hid. Get them to a safer place. At the same time, we need to learn what Kael's army is doing, who this woman is. Information is our strongest weapon right now."
"What about Kael?" Sere insisted. "We have to stop him!"
"Stopping Kael means stopping his army," Moaito explained. "He gives them a purpose, a belief. If we don't break that belief, even if we defeat Kael, a thousand new Kaels will be born." Seeing the disappointment in Sere's eyes, he softened his voice. "This isn't a retreat, Sere. It's a move to fight the war in the right place and the right way. We start by protecting the innocents who need us."
Sere had to accept it. It was logical. But her instincts screamed for her to go after Kael, to confront him.
Using Finn's map and directions, they set out for the cave where the villagers were hidden. The path wound through rugged hills and dense forests. They moved through the shadows, fearing an encounter with a patrol or a hunter group at any moment.
While resting by a stream, Sere couldn't hold back her question: "That woman... the shadow that swallows light. Do you have any idea about her?"
Moaito watched the flow of the water for a long time. "The servants of the Void are varied," he said finally. "Those seduced by philosophy like Kael, those led astray by twisted wisdom like Lyrian... and then there are those created directly from the Void's darkest, purest energy. Perhaps she is such a being. Kael's personal guard, or... something more."
This possibility added an even sharper fear to the air.
Finally, they reached the hidden cave Finn had described. From inside came the sound of children crying and anxious whispers. When they entered, about twenty villagers looked at them with fearful eyes. They all looked tired, hungry, and hopeless.
Among them, Sere saw a small child holding a wooden toy sword. The child looked at her and whispered, "Are you... are you here to save us?"
In that moment, everything became clear for Sere. Moaito was right. Saving these people was more important than fighting Kael. This was tangible, real.
"Yes," Sere replied to the child with a warm smile. "We are here."
Moaito began speaking with an elderly woman who seemed to be the villagers' leader. He planned to lead them to an abandoned but defensible Naje fortress deeper in the mountains. There, they could be safe, at least for a while.
But once again, the plan was disrupted.
From outside the cave, a metallic hum and the sound of heavy footsteps, distant but growing closer, began to be heard. The ground trembled.
Moaito ran to the cave mouth and looked out. His face turned ashen.
In the distance, down the valley, a grey river was advancing in orderly ranks. Kael's army. And at the very front of the army, he could see Kael and beside him, a tall, slender figure whose armor was black as night, her face unseen. The "Shadow that Swallows Light".
And worst of all, the army was heading directly in their direction, towards the cave.
Sere came to his side. Her heart froze at the sight.
"Did they find us?" she whispered.
Moaito shook his head, his eyes fixed on the army. "No. By chance. But their path... leads straight towards us. Hiding is impossible."
The two stood at the cave entrance, watching the approaching catastrophe. There was no escape. War had knocked on their door.
Moaito turned to Sere. His face held the calm of an ancient warrior.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Sere gripped the hilt of her sword tightly and took a deep breath.
"Yes."