Chapter 371 The Disaster That Was Wrought In Sloria [Part 2]
Northern stopped abruptly a couple of meters away from the main crowd, the distance between him and them was parted by a broken bridge that arched over a sewage tunnel.
He came down from Mr. Fluffy and patted the wolf.
"You wait here, let me see what's happening."
The presence that he had initially sensed, he thought the person was fighting. It only made sense that they were.
But now that he was closer, he couldn't hear any clashing of metal against metal, there were no signs of any hardened struggle within the crowd.
Even if there truly was and he had missed something, then it was impossible for the crowd to be gathered like that around.
Northern trekked forward, jumping on the handle of the broken bridge and carefully treading its path to the other side.
Eventually, he reached the crowd and carefully observed from behind.
He wasn't that proud of his sense of sound but he could hear enough from this distance.
And what he heard made his brows crease.
'What the hell is this girl doing...?'
There she was, in the center of the crowd, addressing the populace, spitting the same nonsense jargon that she has always talked about.
"...Sloria stronghold has the greatest number of drifters, you people are creative and have managed to build a home for yourselves in this Desolation. While that was admirable and splendid indeed. Isn't there a need for you to ask yourselves what the fuck it is exactly that you people are doing.
"Mothers, fathers, siblings, they all wait for you, for your return or to make things worse, they have no fucking idea the hell you have been thrown into. The former principal is probably feeding them lies of your wellbeing. While you are here fighting painstakingly for your lives being forced upon with a fate that you never asked for!
"When all you just wanted to do was go to the academy and become a useful drifter. Someone valuable enough to provide a future for their family."
She glanced around as she continued.
"Those men, no matter how old they might have been at that point, are far stronger than the useless dregs that stand before me right now. Because at least they were trying to take a leap for the people they love, for themselves, for their future.
"Right now however, they have become nothing but mentally lazy riffraff, oblivious to the true reality of their situation, blinded by what is only a semblance of comfort."
Her voice grew with a powerful intensity.
"When they could take it upon themselves and stand! Fight! Pick yourselves up once more and fight for your family. Fight for your future. It is possible to leave this desolated continent, it is very possible."
A voice rose out of the crowd,
"Mind I remind you of the detrimental effect of raising the hopes of people. What you speak of is vague. Even if we do manage to defeat the rifts, defeat them as you propose, what about the Luinngard Empire? We've been in business for six years now and they have never allowed us into their walls.
"As far as the facts go, only they have the ships that can take us across the sea. Whether by air or land."
The person that spoke was a man of many hairs. He had brown curly tousled tresses.
His frame was large and dark, pitch black markings almost bearing a kindly resemblance to those on Helena's face ran across his body in straight lines and forming patterns on his exposed body.
He stepped forward as he continued, each step of his carefully guided, his entire demeanor radiating a pure and primal power.
"You approach us with vague plans, mere dreams of a child. Blinded by the semblance of comfort? You know nothing! You are naive. And what if you manage to defeat the rift?! What if you enter Luinngard?! What if you cross the river?! What if you return to the Central Plains?! And so what?!!
"Happy Happy Look At Who's back home?! You are wrong if you think they will receive you with wide arms. To think they'd be glad about your return is stupidity."
Thick cords of veins appeared along his neck as he spoke even further, glaring at Raven.
"You are stupid! Arrogant! And ignorant! The moment you return to that continent, everyone there will perceive you as a threat. From the day we arrived in this Desolation our fate was decided Raven! We are the lot who does not deserve a place in what is good of this world, the least we can do is perpetrate a deserving destruction for what we have suffered."
A wide almost maniacal smirk marked the man's face as he ended his statement.
Northern had his eyes fixed on both of them. It was like the air around them suddenly grew heavy with tension.
"I have given you the liberty to speak and now Raven, I have every right to kill you. But I plan to do that slowly..."
Northern glanced around,
'How odd... no signs of Terence or Helena...?'
Raven glared at him and took a purposeful slow stride toward him, stopping in front of him.
She craned her neck slightly to meet his predatory gaze.
"You probably gave me the liberty to speak and agreed to the bet because you were confident that there is nothing I can do to convince your populace that they need to fight."
She suddenly smiled and began to step back,
"But you misunderstood me Afkon, your one single problem is that you always fail to acknowledge my strength. Allowing me to leave, allowing me to go to the sleeping mountains, allowing me audience with your people. That Afkon, was a very stupid move, one you made because you think I don't pose any threat to your authority."
She grinned, "Watch me as I prove you wrong."
Raven turned to the other crowd, for a split second, her gaze and Northern's met.
And Northern could have sworn he saw a little smile on her face.
One that made him begin to feel uncomfortable about being here.
He raised a brow and looked at the man standing a couple of feet away from Raven.
'So, that is Afkon?'
The entire situation was a bit confusing but he was getting a hang of what was currently happening.
'Oh Raven, what in the crappy hell have you done this time?'