Kiaria and his companions departed without looking back.
After they left, the battlefield fell silent.
Not the silence of peace–but the silence of something concluded. Even the cries of the wounded seemed swallowed by the land itself. Kiaria's words lingered in the air like law, etched into the hearts of those who remained.
Shu Yan stood unmoving.
"Yan… Yan…"
Shu Ming called him softly.
He did not respond.
She did not interrupt him again. Instead, she waited–allowing the storm inside him to settle into stillness.
Around them, the Shu tribe gathered themselves quietly. Warriors helped one another to rest. Weapons were lowered. Armor was loosened. Their voices carried no hatred now–only awe.
They spoke of Kiaria and the others in hushed reverence.Great prodigies.True Gods.Those who taught them more in a single war than decades of struggle ever had.
–
Kiaria and his companions reached the edge of the Dandelion-Feather Land.
