Heartstone - Chapter 36: Chapter 36
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Night cloaked the forest like a great veil. Beneath a grove of ancient trees just beyond the edge of the rebuilt village, a circle of firelight flickered—silent and tense.
The leaders of six villages had gathered.
Marah stood with authority, her blade at her side and her eyes sharp beneath her war paint. Beside her sat Avera, the faint glow of the ’s lineage pulsing subtly beneath her skin. Dalen stood behind her, arms crossed, ever watchful.
Across the circle, seated on carved wooden stools, were warlords, chieftains, and council elders. Among them:
Chief Drakon, grizzled and battle-worn, who had once been saved from the sky machine.
Denak, the commander of forest scouts and Marah’s old companion in war.
Asha-Kei, a priestess and seer from the eastern cliffs.
Eron, a young firebrand warrior whose village had lost over half its people in earlier raids.
Marah stepped forward.
> “We are no longer isolated villages. We are now one people… under one war.”
Drakon leaned in. “We must know what we face. No one’s ever fought sky machines and lived to speak of it.”
Dalen looked at them all. “They are not invincible. But they are beyond anything you’ve seen. They don’t just kill—they scorch, poison, corrupt. The soldiers they send now… they’re not entirely human anymore.”
Gasps circled the fire. Asha-Kei murmured a prayer beneath her breath.
“But,” Dalen continued, “they have limits. They don’t understand forests. They underestimate us. They believe their power alone guarantees victory.”
Avera stepped into the firelight. “They come for the . But it belongs to us. And I will protect it, with my life.”
A quiet settled, heavy with respect.
Eron stood. “Then we fight. But we must do it wisely. We strike before they expect us.”
Asha-Kei added, “I’ve seen their dreams in fire. The commander—he believes the will make him immortal. That arrogance blinds him. It can be used.”
Plans were drawn through the night. Messengers dispatched. Supply routes mapped. Traps and ambushes devised. Each leader pledged their warriors under Avera’s banner.
By dawn, the fire circle became more than a meeting—it became an oath.
A Council of Resis tance had been born.
The leaders of six villages had gathered.
Marah stood with authority, her blade at her side and her eyes sharp beneath her war paint. Beside her sat Avera, the faint glow of the ’s lineage pulsing subtly beneath her skin. Dalen stood behind her, arms crossed, ever watchful.
Across the circle, seated on carved wooden stools, were warlords, chieftains, and council elders. Among them:
Chief Drakon, grizzled and battle-worn, who had once been saved from the sky machine.
Denak, the commander of forest scouts and Marah’s old companion in war.
Asha-Kei, a priestess and seer from the eastern cliffs.
Eron, a young firebrand warrior whose village had lost over half its people in earlier raids.
Marah stepped forward.
> “We are no longer isolated villages. We are now one people… under one war.”
Drakon leaned in. “We must know what we face. No one’s ever fought sky machines and lived to speak of it.”
Dalen looked at them all. “They are not invincible. But they are beyond anything you’ve seen. They don’t just kill—they scorch, poison, corrupt. The soldiers they send now… they’re not entirely human anymore.”
Gasps circled the fire. Asha-Kei murmured a prayer beneath her breath.
“But,” Dalen continued, “they have limits. They don’t understand forests. They underestimate us. They believe their power alone guarantees victory.”
Avera stepped into the firelight. “They come for the . But it belongs to us. And I will protect it, with my life.”
A quiet settled, heavy with respect.
Eron stood. “Then we fight. But we must do it wisely. We strike before they expect us.”
Asha-Kei added, “I’ve seen their dreams in fire. The commander—he believes the will make him immortal. That arrogance blinds him. It can be used.”
Plans were drawn through the night. Messengers dispatched. Supply routes mapped. Traps and ambushes devised. Each leader pledged their warriors under Avera’s banner.
By dawn, the fire circle became more than a meeting—it became an oath.
A Council of Resis tance had been born.
End of Heartstone Chapter 36. Continue reading Chapter 37 or return to Heartstone book page.