The sun had set, night unfurled, and the starry sky glittered above.
Jarius and his three young companions returned to Gaoman Mountain, hauling the carcasses of the three remaining forest wolves.
Atop the cliff, a bonfire roared to life, its flames licking at a plump, thick-skinned wild boar roasting on a spit.
The eaglefolk gathered in circles around the fire, their eyes gleaming with anticipation as they watched the boar sizzle.
Some of the younger eaglefolk children were already drooling, their mouths watering at the sight.
Thick-skinned wild boars were the most succulent prey in the Whispering Forest, a rare delicacy even for Jarius and his kin.
This time, their hunt had been a stroke of luck—stumbling upon three wolves attacking a boar, they'd seized the opportunity to claim the prize, a fortune they rarely encountered.
Once the roasting was done, Jarius received the choicest cut of the boar's meat.
After the eaglefolk had eaten their fill and quenched their thirst, an elderly eaglefolk with gray-white wings and a hunched frame shakily rose to his feet. He stepped toward the bonfire and addressed the tribe in a loud, resolute voice.
"My kin, it has been three years since our clan leader, Wing, led all our able-bodied warriors to the Vast Sea Forest to join the war called by the Thunder Titan."
"They have not returned. By now, they must have perished, their bones buried in the sands!"
His words tore open old wounds, and the eaglefolk lowered their heads in grief.
Soon, Jarius heard the soft sound of weeping ripple through the crowd.
The eaglefolk warriors were too weak. Beyond their ability to fly, they had little to offer.
In the grand theater of that war, they were mere cannon fodder, easily swept away by the shockwaves of the mighty.
"But three years have passed, and some of our children have grown strong," the elder continued.
"They can now aid their mothers in the hunt. Especially Jarius—he has even slain a lone forest wolf on his own."
Half a year ago, Jarius had single-handedly killed a solitary wolf.
"Wolves have their alpha, and a tribe cannot thrive without a leader."
"I propose that Jarius inherit Wing's mantle and become the clan leader of our Gaoman Mountain tribe!"
The elder's purpose was clear.
He was too old, and the tribe was in a precarious state, lacking seasoned warriors. Only Jarius, though still a youth, could rise to the role. He was no less capable than any adult eaglefolk.
The elder's words sparked immediate agreement, first from the young eaglefolk of Jarius's age.
Having grown up with him, they were already in awe of his prowess.
With the youths in favor, their mothers followed suit, and soon, nearly half the tribe voiced their support for Jarius as the new clan leader.
Not a single voice rose in opposition.
And so, it was settled.
The elder smiled warmly, a weight lifting from his shoulders. He approached Jarius, his eyes kind as he spoke.
"Jarius, are you willing to bear the future of the Gaoman Mountain eaglefolk tribe?"
As he asked, he studied Jarius's calm, steady expression and nodded to himself.
Jarius did not hesitate. He nodded solemnly.
"Elder, I am willing to become the clan leader!"
In the primal wilderness, danger lurked at every turn. Without extraordinary power, only the strength of the tribe could ensure survival.
He was no longer a player in a game. He had but one life to live.
Becoming the clan leader was his heart's desire.
Three years of living among them had forged bonds deeper than stone. How could he remain unmoved?
"At the very least," Jarius vowed silently.
"I will change the fate of our eaglefolk tribe."
-----------------
Late into the night.
Moonlight bathed the earth.
Jarius lay on a large bluestone at the cliff's edge, the cool starlit breeze washing over him.
"Thinking it over,"
He mused, "the old turtle's quest never mentioned how to avoid being burned by the Titan's blood."
"But if he was just an ordinary turtle back then, he couldn't have been far from the battlefield when he bathed in the Titan's blood!"
His eyes lit up as the realization struck.
"In the early days of the human empire's rise, the old turtle gained fame through the power of thunder. It's highly likely he was bathed in the blood of the Thunder Titan."
"And the Thunder Titan is the lord of our entire eaglefolk race."
"Turtles love water. The secret to the old turtle surviving the Titan's blood must lie in water!"
"And that water must be in the Vast Sea Forest!"
"For the Thunder Titan to bleed so profusely, it could only have been at the hands of his mortal enemy, the Blue Dragon King, Alileitos."
"Only a life-or-death battle between them could have spilled enough Titan blood to rain down on the forest and drench the old turtle."
"The path is clear now. I need only find the stream or river where the old turtle dwelled, locate him, and uncover the secret to surviving the Titan's blood."
"And with that, I'll awaken my own extraordinary power!"
Clarity surged through Jarius's mind as he pressed deeper into his thoughts.
"But the Vast Sea Forest is no place for the unprepared. It's where the territories of Titans and dragons meet, guarded by countless powerful vassal races from both sides."
"Extraordinary beings are abundant there!"
"If I go recklessly, I'll be killed on the spot!"
"No one will care about the death of a single eaglefolk—not even those on the Titan's side."
"There's only one way to get there: like my father three years ago, I must answer the summons of the Eaglefolk Royal Court and join as a soldier bound for the Vast Sea Forest!"
"When the call comes, I'll set out swiftly, arriving early."
"Eaglefolk are often scouts. If I get there ahead of time, I'll likely be chosen for a reconnaissance team. That'll give me the chance to search for the old turtle's hiding place."
As his thoughts wove together, a preliminary plan took shape in Jarius's mind.
"The Royal Court summons eaglefolk soldiers from the tribes roughly every ten years."
"Then, seven years from now, I must seize that chance!"