Heartstone - Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Morning broke over the village with a heavy silence, the kind that came before a storm. A fire crackled in the center of the main hut, where Marah, Avera, Dalen, and a group of seasoned warriors sat in a wide circle, maps spread out before them.
Burn marks and blood still stained some of the warriors’ armor—wounds from the last raid. But their eyes were clear. They were ready.
Marah tapped the edge of the map. “We have six villages scattered across the highlands and forests. If we can unite them, we’ll stand a chance. If we don’t… the sky machines will tear through us one by one.”
Avera leaned forward. “Then we go to them. I’ll speak to the elders myself. If I tell them the still lives, if I tell them what’s coming—they’ll stand with us.”
Marah nodded. “I’ll go with you. We’ll take ten of our fastest riders. Each village must be warned before the end of this moon.”
Dalen studied the terrain drawn across the map. “While you do that, I want to head back to the crash site.”
Several heads turned toward him.
“There may be salvageable tech—ammunition, weapons. Even if it’s damaged, I can repair it. I know how the systems work. If we’re going to fight sky machines… we need more than just swords and arrows.”
Marah frowned slightly. “It’s risky. What if they’ve already found the wreck?”
“Then I’ll know,” Dalen replied. “And I won’t go alone. Give me a team of five, I’ll move fast. In and out before sunset.”
Avera looked at him. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “If there’s even a chance I can arm this village with what’s left of my jet, I have to take it.”
Marah exhaled and stood. “Then it’s decided. Avera and I ride west at dawn. Dalen, you move north. If we’re to survive what’s coming… we must each carry the fire.”
Everyone rose to their feet. No cheers. No applause. Only resolve.
The war was no longer coming.
It had already begun.