The ambush had left behind something worse than corpses: fear. Fear of the unknown. Doubt.
They had departed believing themselves to be the chosen of the gods, destined to conquer a new land. Now they were beginning to understand that, to the creatures of this continent, they were not conquerors.
They were food.
Three days earlier, a group of scouts from the Army of Silence vanished into the tall grass.
It could not even be called a battle.
It happened too fast. Too chaotically. One moment they were there, and the next there were only muffled screams, movement in the vegetation, and men running without knowing where to aim their weapons.
When the reinforcements arrived, they found blood dragged through the plants…
and nothing else.
No bodies.
No weapons.
No survivors.
Since then, rumors had spread through the entire camp.
That the continent was alive.
That things hidden in the jungle hunted men like animals.
That some soldiers had been dragged away and devoured before they could even cry for help.
And the worst part was not hearing those stories.
The worst part was that nobody could say they were false.
Morale began to fracture before they even took the next step forward.
The camp no longer sounded the same. The laughter disappeared. Night watches became tense, shorter, quieter. Even the veterans avoided staring too long at the dark line of the forest.
—This isn't war —one soldier muttered beside the fire—. Fighting men is different. These things… you don't even know they're there. One second you're walking normally, and the next you're already in their jaws.
No one answered.
Because everyone had heard similar stories.
And though nobody dared say it in front of the officers, the idea had already rooted itself in every mind.
The continent was not the enemy.
It was a predator.
The area had to be cleared.
For days, entire squads marched out at dawn to hunt those creatures before they could strike again. They returned dragging the corpses of semihumans with leonine, hyena-like, or leopard features. Some barely looked human at all; others resembled beasts that had simply learned to walk upright.
But every advance carried a cost.
They lost soldiers too.
Sometimes one.
Sometimes ten.
And slowly, everyone began to realize the same thing: if they kept advancing like this, they would never reach the mountain. They would never complete the mission. Defeating the Devil no longer felt like a holy war.
It was beginning to feel like a suicide march, even with the blessing of the gods upon their shoulders.
The strategists tried to maintain control with maps, routes, and clear orders. But this land obeyed no familiar logic. Every patrol that returned brought fewer answers and more fear.
That was when the Chosen intervened.
Their mere presence was enough to quiet the voices.
Aurelius walked among the soldiers without looking at anyone in particular. The sound of his footsteps alone was enough to make many straighten their backs.
—Calm yourselves. Do not bend before fear —he said as he moved through the ranks—. Fear is exactly what these creatures want from you.
He paused for a moment, staring into the darkness of the distant forest.
—Yes, we bleed. Yes, we have lost men. But we did not cross the sea to flee from the first shadow that roars among the trees. We are here because no one else can do this.
Some soldiers slowly lifted their heads.
—That continent is diseased. It is filled with things that feed on death, terror, and weakness. If we retreat, those creatures will continue to grow… and one day they will reach the lands of our children.
His voice was not loud, but every word fell heavily among the soldiers.
—We did not come seeking glory. We came to destroy the evil corrupting this world. And as long as even one of us still stands, this mission will not end.
—Do not forget who you are. You are not victims. You are not prey. You are the army chosen to tear the darkness from this world.
The wind stirred the flames around the silent ranks.
—We will prevail in the name of the gods.
Aurelius placed a hand over his chest.
—That is a promise.
No one answered.
But some straightened their backs.
And it was in that state —caught between forced discipline and restrained fear— that the Army of Silence reached the lower passes.
The camp continued to advance, though exhaustion was beginning to show in everyone.
Among hastily raised tents and still unfinished walls, the Eighteen New Chosen gathered far from the noise of the soldiers.
It was not an official council.
It was what happened when authority began running out of answers.
Voren spoke first.
—This is a disaster.
He did not raise his voice. He did not need to.
—If we keep losing men before reaching the mountain, we won't even see the Evil One —he paused—. We'll be exterminated just like the first heroes.
The atmosphere hardened instantly.
Icarus stopped tightening the string of his bow.
Selene looked up.
Aurelius remained motionless for a few seconds before answering.
—Calm yourself.
Voren let out a dry laugh.
—Calm? You've seen what's out there. This isn't hostile territory, Aurelius. It's a slaughterhouse.
Silence fell over the table.
Then Kaelen spoke, cold and almost mechanical.
—We are only losing the weakest ones.
Pause.
—The nonessential.
The tension shifted immediately.
Not because of the words.
Because of the way he said them.
Selene slowly turned toward him.
—Don't call them that again.
Her voice was low.
But sharp.
—They are people.
Kaelen did not even blink.
—If they died that easily, without putting up a fight… then they were nothing but waste. Cowards.
Before anyone could respond, Uther stepped forward.
—No.
He looked directly at Kaelen.
—They are believers. They left their homes because of faith. They are not numbers.
Kaelen did not argue.
He merely shifted his gaze toward the tactical map suspended above the table.
Elias placed both hands against the edge.
—We are arguing about the wrong thing —he said—. The real problem is that we are advancing blindly.
Icarus spoke for the first time without lifting his eyes from his bow.
—We do not understand this place.
Pause.
—And an enemy you do not understand already has the advantage.
No one answered.
Because they all knew it was true.
Thalessa broke the silence in a calm voice, nearly lost beneath the sound of the wind striking the tents.
—The sea changes currents constantly… and survives because it learns to adapt.
Her eyes slowly drifted toward the map.
—But this land… we still do not know how it moves.
Balthazar finally looked up from his scrolls.
—Yes, we do.
Everyone turned toward him.
—The problem is that we keep thinking like humans.
The silence grew heavier.
That was when Aurelius spoke again.
This time more firmly.
—We are not losing control of the army.
Pause.
—We are losing our understanding of this continent.
His gaze remained fixed on Zarhama.
—But we are not stopping.
Voren crossed his arms.
—And what if that is exactly what this place wants?
Aurelius held his gaze without hesitation.
—The gods have already moved their pieces.
The torchfire trembled around them.
—We only need to fulfill their will.
The first Lithaar appeared shortly after dawn.
They did not look like an immediate threat.
They emerged from perfectly carved tunnels, as though the stone itself had opened to let them pass. The entrances were too precise to be natural, more like doors built with purpose rather than shaped by time.
Their bodies were crystalline. They reflected the light of the Chosen without hostility, but with a strange calm, almost as though they were observing without judgment.
At the center of each one burned the Solar Fire granted by Aeltharis.
The soldiers reacted instantly, raising swords and forming a defensive line.
—Positions! —the order echoed across the front.
Some lowered spears.
Others drew already-tensed bows.
The entire camp shifted from calm to restrained panic in seconds.
Even among the Chosen, hands moved toward weapons.
Aurelius suddenly raised his voice, cutting through the murmurs of the camp.
—Stop! Can't you see they bear the blessing of a god?
The echo of his shout spread through the ranks. For a moment, even the nervous movement of the soldiers ceased.
His gaze swept from side to side, firm.
—Yes, they are creatures of this continent, but they carry the mark of Aeltharis. Do not act as if they are an immediate threat.
—They are the guides —Aurelius continued, lowering his tone slightly without losing authority—. The gods sent them so our divine mission may be completed more swiftly.
A murmur spread through the ranks.