Chapter 229: The Fury of the White Sky
With every passing hour, the sky above the Overlord village shed its blue hue, dissolving into a heavy leaden grey. Raising his gaze toward the peaks, Kellar could sense the magnitude of the winter about to break across the mountain range. The air felt charged, thick with frozen moisture.
For three days, the village was a hive of activity beneath the deepening twilight. Soldiers and builders worked side by side in a race against time: freshly felled timber groaned as it was dragged through the snow-dusted streets, wagons stacked with stone from Eagle Mountain rolled back and forth, and the rhythm of axes and hammers echoed against the rising wind. In every dwelling, craftsmen put the finishing touches on internal fireplaces; rooftops billowed smoke in test firings to ensure airflow.
Kellar oversaw the emergency stockpiling. He ordered double rations of smoked and frozen meat, bundles of dry firewood, and blankets woven in the textile factory to be distributed to every family. No one would starve; no one would freeze.
On the third day, the line between morning and night vanished. The horizon was buried under a white abyss. And then, the Great Snowfall descended.
The wind howled like a pack of ancient beasts, battering the village’s wooden walls and straining the roof timbers of every home. Not a soul in the village dared step outside. Through windows sealed with heavy oak shutters, visibility dropped to zero—the outside world had dissolved into a storm of ice and gale-force winds.
Yet inside the village, Kellar’s preparations bore fruit. In every home, the hearths of the new fireplaces crackled with heat, filling rooms with warmth. Families gathered close around the embers over plates of hot meat, safe from the white hell raging outside.
Before visibility was severed, Kellar had made one final round through the stables and corrals to secure his war beasts.
Reaching the pen of the golden-horned bull, the massive creature snorted, sending twin plumes of steam from its nostrils as it evaluated the sky.
"This cold and snow are nothing to us, Great Shaman," spoke the bull in a deep voice. "Our hides are thick, and the frost will not harm us. However, judging by the way the wind thunders through the peaks, this storm will last quite some time. I would request a sheltered space to safeguard our feed, so the fodder does not spoil beneath the ice."
"I want you all inside the reinforced stables regardless," instructed Kellar him in a firm tone. "I will not have any of my beasts exposed in the middle of such a blizzard. The hay is secured under cover."
Bighorn bowed his head at the command. "We shall obey the master’s words."
A few paces away, Fenrir, the giant wolf with slate-grey fur, shook the frost off his back with indifference to the plunge in temperature. His golden eyes gleamed with composure.
"The cold poses no threat to me either, my lord," interjected Fenrir, testing the freezing air. "I was born and raised in the frozen wastes of the high peaks. This blizzard is fresh air to my kind."
"In that case, you will keep your senses sharp and guard the territory," tasked Kellar him, giving his shoulder a pat. "If anything moves through the snow or an emergency arises along the perimeter, inform me. You know which house is mine."
Fenrir let out a huff and settled near the entryway, watchful.
Looking up toward the highest roost in the corrals, Little Green, the giant green-feathered eagle, adjusted her wings and let out a screech that sliced through the wind.
"This blizzard is my favorite weather, Great Shaman!" communicated the eagle in Kellar’s mind. "The freezing air gives me strength. Do not worry about me or the skies; from my covered perch, I will keep a watchful eye over the entire village."
Finally, Ignis, the fire bear, curled up within his enclosure lined with heat stones. The reddish glow emanating from his fur melted the encroaching snow several meters around him.
"The cold will not dare approach where I rest, master," rumbled Ignis, letting out a breath that dispelled the drifting frost.
Seeing his beasts secured, assigned clear duties, and prepared for contingency, Kellar let out a sigh of relief.
After ensuring that every war beast and every corner of the village was prepared for the winter’s onslaught, Kellar returned to his residence. Pushing open the heavy oak door and securing it behind him, the roar of the wind was muffled, replaced by the crackle of the fire and the warmth of the main hall.
The newly completed stone fireplace performed its duty, filling the living space with an amber glow and driving away every trace of the morning chill.
Hearing his return, his wives and servants approached to help him off with his cloak. Naya took the garment to set it near the hearth to dry, while Kaelis offered him a cup of spiced mulled wine.
Kellar settled into the wide fur-lined armchair beside the hearth, letting out a sigh of satisfaction as he took his first sip. Through the double-shuttered oak windows, the whistling blizzard continued to thunder with violence, serving as a reminder that nature was asserting its icy dominion outside.
Yet inside the home, the atmosphere was one of tranquility. The women conversed in hushed tones, occupied with sewing and food preparation. One of his wives stepped over and seated herself beside him, resting her head against his shoulder as they watched the glowing embers.
Kellar wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close and feeling her warmth against the contrast of the white hell raging beyond the timber walls.
"To think that a few months ago we barely had a roof over our heads to withstand the winter," whispered she, looking up at him as her fingers traced the edge of his tunic. "Today the village sleeps warm and fed because of you, my lord."
Kellar offered a smile and pressed a kiss to her forehead, allowing the scent of burning timber and sweet herbs from the hearth to envelop them.
"It is not my achievement alone," replied Kellar in a low voice, running his hand through her hair. "A leader is only as strong as the home he strives to protect. As long as you are by my side, safe and smiling, there is no storm in this world that can bend us."
She nestled deeper against his chest, letting out a laugh as she laced her fingers through his.
With food reserves at their peak, advanced weaponry under development, and his people protected from the biting elements, Kellar watched the dance of the flames within the hearth. He knew the Overlord tribe would not merely endure this winter—the moment the snows cleared, they were set to dominate the entire valley.