The village no longer felt the same.
It was stronger.
More organized.
More alive.
But beneath that strength… there was tension.
Everyone knew it.
The next attack wouldn't be small.
Kael stood in the center of the village, looking at the training grounds.
Elite soldiers were practicing in formation.
Abyssari women carried heavy logs like it was nothing.
Archers were repeating the same motion again and again until their fingers bled.
This wasn't preparation anymore.
This was transformation into something dangerous.
Dane walked up beside him.
"You've been watching them for a while."
Kael nodded slightly.
"They're ready to defend."
He paused.
"But not enough to end it."
Dane understood immediately.
"You're thinking of attacking first."
Kael turned toward him.
"If we wait… they choose the battlefield."
"And we keep reacting."
Dane didn't disagree.
That had already happened once.
---
The War Council
That evening, Kael called a closed meeting.
Only a few were present:
Dane.
Dean.
Angelika.
Elara.
The fire in the center burned quietly as Kael spoke.
"We are not waiting for Red Sand anymore."
Silence followed.
Dean was the first to react.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Finally."
Elara's eyes sharpened.
"You're sure?"
Kael nodded.
"They are organized."
"They adapt."
"And they are already watching us."
Angelika crossed her arms, thinking deeply.
"Do we even know where their main base is?"
That was the problem.
Kael looked at Dane.
"We don't."
Dane added, "We only know their movement patterns."
"Small groups. Night attacks. Scattered presence."
Kael leaned slightly forward.
"Which means… they are not one village."
The room grew quiet.
Angelika's expression changed.
"A network…"
Kael nodded.
"Yes."
"And we just killed one of their leaders."
Elara spoke slowly,
"Then they will gather."
Dean's voice was calm.
"Or they are already gathering."
---
Strategy Before Strength
Kael drew a rough map on the ground using a piece of charcoal.
"This is us."
He marked the village.
"Here… and here…"
He added two distant points.
"These are the locations where attacks were reported."
Dane added another.
"And here. Last winter."
Angelika looked at the pattern carefully.
"They're not random."
Kael nodded.
"They move in a circle."
Elara leaned forward.
"Why?"
Kael's voice lowered slightly.
"To surround resource zones."
Silence.
Food.
Water.
Villages.
Everything important.
Dean exhaled slowly.
"They're building control."
Kael looked up.
"Yes."
"And if we let them continue…"
"They won't need to attack anymore."
"They'll just take."
---
The Plan
Kael stood up slowly.
His injury still not fully healed—but his presence didn't show weakness.
"We don't attack blindly."
"First… we find their core."
Dane nodded.
"Scouting teams?"
Kael shook his head.
"Too risky."
Then he looked at Dean.
"We use bait."
Angelika immediately reacted.
"That's dangerous."
Kael replied calmly,
"So is waiting."
Elara's eyes narrowed.
"What kind of bait?"
Kael answered without hesitation.
"A moving trade group."
The room went silent again.
Dane understood first.
"They'll target it."
Kael nodded.
"Yes."
"And when they do…"
Dean finished the sentence.
"We follow them back."
Angelika frowned.
"And if it's a trap?"
Kael looked at her.
"Then we break it."
There was no arrogance in his voice.
Only certainty.
---
A Personal Moment
After the meeting ended, Kael remained alone for a while.
The fire had almost burned out.
Elara approached quietly and sat beside him.
"You're pushing yourself again," she said softly.
Kael didn't look at her.
"If I stop… they grow stronger."
Elara placed her hand gently over his.
"And if you fall?"
Kael finally turned toward her.
"Then everything we built falls with me."
There was no hesitation in his answer.
That truth… was heavy.
Elara moved closer, her voice lower now.
"Then don't fall."
For a moment, silence wrapped around them.
Not uncomfortable.
Just… real.
Kael closed his eyes briefly.
Even in war planning…
There were moments that reminded him why he was fighting.
---
The Beginning of the Hunt
The next morning, preparations began.
A small trade group was selected.
Copper goods.
Simple weapons.
Normal appearance.
Nothing unusual.
But hidden in the distance—
Dane and elite soldiers would follow.
Unseen.
Unnoticed.
Waiting.
Kael stood at the edge of the village as the group left.
Angelika stood beside him.
"If this works… we find them."
Kael nodded.
"And if it doesn't…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Because both of them knew—
This was the moment everything changes.
From defense…
To hunting the hunters.
Kael looked toward the horizon one last time.
"Red Sand," he whispered quietly,
"Your turn to run."