Soon after they exited the only stone tower in the orc settlent.
As they did, Zul'gor shifted his gaze toward the orc settlent.
"Nox, before we leave, I must entrust sothing to you," the orc shaman said in a solemn voice. "These orcs… they are my people. My family. I cannot abandon them, but if war is coming, they will need protection."
Nox held his gaze without hesitation. "What do you want to do?"
Zul'gor exhaled, glancing at the warriors training in the distance. "I have already set the foundations. The strongest among them are ready, and the young ones will grow. But strength alone will not be enough—they need strategy, leadership. A shield against what is coming."
Nox folded his arms, thoughtful. "You want to protect them?"
"Yes," Zul'gor nodded. "You carry the blood of a man who stood against gods. I believe if anyone could guide our people well, it will be you."
For a long mont, Nox was silent. He had never considered himself a protector of orcs. But as he looked at the settlent, at the warriors sparring and the younglings watching with wide eyes, sothing inside him stirred.
"I don't see a problem with that. After all, I promised to guide your people, but how will I do that from afar?"
Zul'gor stroked his beard, eyes narrowing in thought. "There is a way, but it requires sothing deeper than re words."
Nox raised a brow. "And that is?"
The orc shaman t his gaze. "A summoning ritual. A bond between you and the settlent, forged through blood and spirit. With it, I can call upon you in tis of great need. For one hour, you will be brought here, no matter the distance."
Nox's eyes sharpened. "A teleportation ritual?"
Zul'gor nodded. "In a sense. It is an ancient rite, rarely used, for it demands a price. Once the bond is ford, you will feel the pull if the settlent is ever in danger. The choice to answer will be yours, but the connection will remain."
Nox pondered this. A thod to instantly appear at the orc settlent could be useful, but it also ant he'd be tied to them in a way he wasn't used to.
Still, he had given his word to guide them. And if he could help them without constantly staying in one place, then it was worth considering.
"What's the price?" he asked.
Zul'gor took Nox into an underground space beneath the tower and gestured toward a ceremonial pit near the center of the room. A fire burned within, not just with heat, but with a strange, ethereal glow. From his pouch, the orc shaman pulled out a curved dagger made of obsidian.
"Your blood and mine," Zul'gor said. "Given freely, offered to the flas. Once the ritual is complete, the link will be forged. When the ti cos, it will call upon you, and the fla will guide your soul to this place."
Nox nodded. "Let's get it over with."
The ceremony was swift.
Zul'gor cut his palm first, letting his blood drip into the fire. The flas shifted, turning a deep crimson. Then, without hesitation, Nox took the dagger and did the sa.
The mont his blood touched the flas, a pulse of energy rippled through the air.
For a brief mont, Nox felt sothing tug at his very essence—like an invisible thread weaving itself between him and the settlent. The sensation faded as quickly as it ca, leaving only a faint awareness at the back of his mind.
"It is done," Zul'gor said. "Should the ti co, you will know."
Nox flexed his fingers. The connection was subtle but undeniable. He could feel the presence of the settlent, distant yet tangible, like a whisper on the wind.
"Good enough," he said.
With the ritual complete, there was no need to linger. After speaking to Borok and Zul'gor, Nox and Solora left to rendezvous with the others.
So ti later, the trio arrived at the valley, now strewn with monster corpses. Nox's gaze swept through the space, noting the beasts fleeing further into the forest and the bitter expression on his pets' faces.
It was clear that they were not yet satisfied with their hunt and wanted to continue hunting the monsters. However, because of Nox's command, they could only watch with a reluctant gaze.
Naturally, Nox felt their emotions, but that still didn't change his decision to let the beasts go.
He wanted the orc tribe to grow. Killing the beasts here would only stunt their growth, forcing them to explore lands closer to the Valerian Kingdom, which could lead to them being hunted by Awakened humans.
After noticing Nox's presence, all the pets' gazes snapped to him, and they slowly approached, staring at him with curiosity as they felt the connection with him.
"New brother," Solora, coiled around Nox's shoulders, said, but then the python paused, took a mont to look at the orc shaman, and then shook her head. "No, grandpa everyone!"
"Oi, don't call an old man," Zul'gor grumbled as he shot a nacing glare at the python, who stared back at him with a defiant gleam in her eyes.
Nox watched from the side as the pets bonded with one another. Suddenly, he heard soft, light steps beside him.
"Another one, I see," Zara said in a low voice. She was now in her human form, and her glittering light blue dress clung to her body, highlighting her beautiful curves.
Nox briefly spared her a glance, still finding it hard to believe that the delicate-looking girl was a dragon—though beautiful, she was terrifying, like the scythe of death on the battlefield.
"Yes, and he's pretty powerful," Nox said, returning his gaze to his pets. "He will be instruntal in defeating the Scourge Tyrant."
"Hmm." Zara nodded, feeling warmth in her heart. Though they had simply made a deal and Nox was only fulfilling his part, it still left a deep impression on her.
And the way she looked at the dark-haired boy with strands of red changed more and more.
'I really judged him too quickly when we first t,' she thought.
"Hey," Nox called out, snapping her out of her daze. "How many days do you think are left before we reach our destination?"
So ti later, Nox was in the air again, mounting the Frost Dragon, whose scales shimred in the dim moonlight.
"In a few days at this rate."
"Good, can you go faster?"
Morning arrived.
"I can try."
Night ca.
"We need to hurry... I feel sothing terrible is happening at ho. I can feel it."
As they drew closer to Frostpire, little did they know, a spectral creature with glowing yellow eyes was trailing behind them.
This creature wasn't just any spirit—it was an Ascended-rank dragon spirit.
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