Chapter 275: The Shadow over the Village
A tremor began to rumble from deep within the earth, shaking the timber and stone foundations across the village. Bewilderment seized the inhabitants who had remained in the settlement. Nobody understood what was transpiring; the ground vibrated as though on the verge of collapse beneath the weight of a cataclysm.
Among the captives, the terror was total. The envoys from the Valorian Kingdom and Count Evander Ellington of Aethelgard gripped the timber rails of their confinement, their faces turned pale. Before long, the heavy thuds against the ground grew deafening as a shadow eclipsed the night gloom. Within the darkness, discerning the creature’s exact form was impossible; it appeared as though a mountain range were advancing toward them.
Yet as the tribal army’s column reappeared along the horizon, illuminating the trail with hundreds of burning torches, the monster’s scale was laid bare. The diplomats froze in their tracks, suffocated by the visual impact of the rock turtle bringing its strides to a halt directly before the village’s perimeter.
"By all the gods...!" Count Evander managed to utter, his voice choking in his throat.
Benoit, beside him, lost all strength in his legs and collapsed onto his knees upon the dirt. His eyes were wide with shock as he stared at the ancestral creature that resembled a god descended upon the earth, locking its magmatic gaze onto the settlement.
"My Lord... this is impossible!" one of the Valorian diplomats shrieked, trembling from head to toe. "No creature of such magnitude can exist! This cannot be real! WE ARE DOOMED! We must flee at once!"
All four envoys felt an urge to run and seek shelter from the earth titan, yet glancing around, they noticed something far more surreal: not a single warrior or villager of the Overlord tribe seemed troubled by the colossus’s presence. The tribal members observed the giant monster’s approach with composure, and even with curiosity.
As it drew closer, the envoys caught sight of the defining detail: spiraling alongside the turtle’s head, Little Green circled through the air, guiding the newly bound subject’s path toward its new home.
Little Green executed a spiraling descent, touching down in the center of the main plaza. Kellar dismounted with a leap, adjusting the Overlord Club across his back as Freyja repositioned herself atop his shoulder.
At the head of the army caravan that had entered the settlement in triumph, Brak and Lennis dismounted from their steeds. As the commanders in charge of coordinating and directing the artillery barrage from the canyon heights, they walked with steady strides toward Kellar to deliver their report.
"Great Shaman..." Brak spoke with pride, tightening his battle harness. "The contingent has returned without a single casualty. All fifteen Garnis cannons and supplies have been secured back within the carriages."
"Excellent work, both of you," Kellar nodded in approval.
In the middle of the plaza, Mentz, who had remained in charge of the village’s internal security during the operation, stared with his mouth agape. As he raised his gaze toward the landmass looming just beyond the outer perimeter, the veteran warrior felt the breath escape his lungs. He was awestruck by the dimensions of the giant rock turtle that had followed their leader into the heart of their territory.
Kellar walked toward the outer border right where Karkadann’s head rested upon the soil. The great turtle opened its magmatic eyes, exhaling a gust of warm air that ruffled the tribe’s banners.
"Where do you wish for me to station myself, Master?" Karkadann’s voice resonated within Kellar’s mind. "My form is far too vast to rest within the confines of your walls."
Kellar evaluated the topography of the surroundings. The Overlord village was protected by rock formations to the north and open valleys to the south, leaving the eastern flank exposed.
"You shall settle along the eastern valley, lining the outer perimeter of the village," designated Kellar in a decisive tone, gesturing toward the stretch of land. "Your shell shall serve as a natural rampart. No enemy army or beast of the forest shall flank the village without first attempting to pass over you."
"A simple duty," the colossus rumbled with pride. "I shall rest here, and my ancient bones shall watch over the slumber of your people."
Karkadann began settling along the eastern border, sinking into the earth. Within minutes, its shell blended into the landscape, appearing as though a natural mountain ridge had risen to seal the valley’s entry entirely.
From their quarters, Count Evander, Benoit, and the Valorian diplomats witnessed the display with disbelief. The tribe did not merely command devastating artillery and warriors bound by enviable discipline led by captains like Brak, Lennis, and Mentz; they now held a mythical colossus guarding their gates.
Kellar turned toward his officers, offering a smirk under the glow of the torches.
"As of today, the eastern border is absolute. Tomorrow, we begin restructuring our patrols."
Before Kellar could retire to rest, Garik, the chief engineer and artisan of the tribe, pushed through the crowd with wide eyes and a leather sketchpad clutched against his chest.
"Great Shaman! Great Shaman!" blurted out Garik, breathing heavily as he bowed. "Pardon my lack of respect toward your magnificent beast... but from the first second I caught sight of it along the horizon, I have been unable to stop thinking about a revolutionary possibility!"
Kellar came to a halt, turning his head toward the artisan with a raised eyebrow.
"Speak freely, Garik," answered the shaman, intrigued by the engineer’s enthusiasm.
"Upon watching it arrive, I cannot stop imagining how powerful it would be to construct an entire fortress upon its back!" exclaimed Garik, waving his arms as he gestured toward Karkadann’s rock shell. "Would that not constitute the ultimate, impenetrable fortress of this world? Imagine it, my Lord! Hundreds of Garnis cannons mounted upon fortified platforms built across its ridge! Should we command such a mobile bastion, would we ever need to fear any of those human kingdoms or neighboring empires? No! We could simply march against them and lay waste to them one after another, while their armies watch helpless to do a single thing against us!"
Kellar locked his gaze onto the sweeping mountain range formed by the giant turtle’s shell, weighing the engineer’s words. The concept of converting a mythical creature into a mobile siege fortress outfitted with heavy artillery brought a smirk across the shaman’s face.
Just meters away, behind the timber bars of their quarters, Count Evander Ellington and Benoit overheard Garik’s words with clarity. A shudder ran down the human nobles’ spines; the mere prospect of the Overlord tribe deploying such a military monstrosity heralded the absolute end of the balance of power across the entire continent.