Chapter 129: The Price Of Betrayal (1)
Adrian wanted to deal with the Tulkas, but by the time they arrived in the settlement, things weren’t as Adrian had expected.
Fire and smoke billowed from several buildings, casting an eerie glow against the dark sky. The rain poured down relentlessly, dousing the flames in some places but failing to extinguish the fire entirely.
A third of the settlement lay in ruins, the charred remains of homes smouldering amidst the downpour. Despite the destruction, the rest of the village stood relatively intact, which bothered Adrian the most.
As Adrian surveyed the scene, a disturbing thought crossed his mind. It almost seemed like those places had been intentionally set on fire to give any intruders a false sense of the Tulkas being an easy target. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became of their involvement.
Standing on a tree, Adrian could see the people of the settlement, undeterred by the devastation, scurrying about, tending to the wounded and salvaging what they could from the wreckage.
"Something’s off," he mumbled, climbing down from the tree. "They most likely know about us, or at least me."
"That’s...not good," A’Mila sighed.
Their entire attack was planned around the element of surprise. But if they had lost that edge, then charging into the settlement would have been the worst decision they could have made.
"Maybe we should retreat-" one of the council persons spoke, but Akila cut them off.
"That’s not an option," he said. "If they already know about us, they will soon attack us. It’s better to take advantage of whatever little benefit we’d have now and be done with it."
People nodded, agreeing with Akila’s decision. But A’Mila raised her hand, silencing them before turning towards Adrian.