Heartstone - Chapter 43: Chapter 43

That night, in the great hall of the last village, torches lit the stone walls and shadows flickered over the faces of leaders gathered from across the allied villages.
Chief Eron, sat at the corner of the round table with Marah, Avera, Dalen, and the other chiefs from the surrounding lands.
He laid a folded cloth on the table and slowly unwrapped it, revealing small packets of refined gunpowder. The room quieted.
“I have seen this powder tear mountains open,” Chief Eron began, his voice heavy. “But not just in arrows or bullets. There is another way—one we’ve used in the mountains for defense.”
He pointed to a drawn sketch beside the cloth—simple lines and marks, but the meaning was clear.
“You dig into the earth, fill it with powder, and place large stones over it. When lit, the explosion will send the rocks upward—like a storm from the ground. If timed right, we can strike from below when their machines come.”
Dalen leaned forward, intrigued. “Like creating land mines—but with raw force.”
Marah nodded slowly. “It could destroy the machines before they land.”
Avera glanced at the others. “This... this could change everything.”
Chief Eron smiled. “My people will help you prepare them. We’ve done this before—for hunting, for protection. Now, for survival.”
The chiefs all exchanged firm nods. The alliance was not only growing stronger—it was growing smarter.