BALLAD OF THE TRACIENTS

The wind was cold and biting as Kon and Kopa trekked further into the icy wilderness of Narn, leaving the Stone Table behind them. The silence between them was heavy, their thoughts weighed by the recent encounter with The Shadow. Though Asalan's presence had protected them, they all knew how close they had come to danger. Now, their path led to the Air Lord, where Kon's journey would continue.

As they walked, the snow crunching beneath their feet, Kon's mind returned to the moment at the Stone Table. The image of The Shadow looming in the dark, taunting them, lingered in his thoughts. Finally, unable to shake the unease, Kon broke the silence.

"Back at the pillar," Kon began, glancing at Kopa as they moved through the snow-covered landscape. "I noticed something strange. The Shadow never spoke directly to Asalan, not once. He didn't even look at him." Kon's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure if you picked it up, but there was a smell of fear coming off of him. He was hiding it, but it was there. As powerful as The Shadow is… he's afraid of Asalan."

Kopa nodded thoughtfully, his antlers glinting faintly in the cold light. "It makes sense," he replied. "Asalan is more than just a legend. He's the one who brought life to this world, a being of pure creation. Even a creature like The Shadow knows his limits. The very existence of Asalan would strike fear into anything, no matter how powerful it believes itself to be."

Kon let the words sink in, and a small sense of hope stirred within him. If The Shadow feared Asalan, then maybe there was a way to overcome the darkness looming over Narn.

They walked in silence for a while longer, but curiosity got the better of Kon. "What's the Air Lord like?" he asked, his voice quiet but filled with anticipation.

Kopa smiled faintly. "He's not that different from you," he said. "Serious, focused, and fiercely independent. But where you're driven by emotion, he's more… controlled. Sharper. Every move he makes is calculated. You'll see for yourself soon enough."

Kon nodded, though the thought of meeting such a figure made him swallow nervously. "So he's intense."

"That's putting it mildly," Kopa said, chuckling softly.

Suddenly, a distant sound reached their ears—faint at first but growing louder with every step. The clash of metal, the screeches of battle cries, and the unmistakable roar of combat filled the air. Kopa's expression hardened as he motioned for Kon to follow him closely.

As they crested a small ridge, they saw it: a battle unfolding at the border. Razik's minions, hulking Hyena Tracients, were locked in combat with a group of Aerial Tracients—bird warriors who fought valiantly to defend their territory. The air was thick with the sound of flapping wings and clashing blades as the two forces struggled against one another.

At the forefront of Razik's forces was a massive Hyena Commander, leading the charge. He had the rank #70 mixed with another symbol, etched on is shoulder. His laughter echoed across the battlefield as his men pushed back the Aerial Tracients with brutal efficiency. The bird warriors were agile, but they were being overwhelmed by the sheer strength of the Hyenas.

Kon's fists clenched as he watched. His instincts screamed at him to jump into the fray, to help the aerial warriors, but Kopa held him back.

"Wait," Kopa said firmly, his hand on Kon's shoulder. "There's something coming. Just observe."

Kon looked at him in confusion but obeyed.

Then, it happened. The air began to shift, a powerful whirlwind stirring from above. The wind grew stronger, whipping through the battlefield with an almost unnatural force. The Hyenas faltered, looking around in confusion as dust and snow swirled violently around them.

Kon squinted, trying to make sense of the sudden change. Something was moving in the sky, but it was too fast for him to track. One by one, Razik's men began to fall. Each Hyena soldier was struck down before they could react, their bodies crumpling to the ground. Feathers—long, razor-sharp feathers—protruded from their backs, each one a deadly strike.

The Hyena Commander, sensing something was horribly wrong, crouched beside one of his fallen comrades. His eyes widened as he pulled a bloodied feather from the Hyena's body, the realization dawning on him too late. He looked up, scanning the skies.

Hovering above the battlefield, cloaked in a massive cape of long feathers, was a figure of unmistakable power. His eyes were sharp, cold, and calculating, and a long scar cut across his face, giving him an even more menacing appearance. The wind whipped around him, and his presence seemed to command the very air itself.

As Kon watched in awe, the figure raised his hand, and the sword he was holding began to shift. In one fluid motion, the weapon unfolded into a bow, gleaming with a brilliance that made it clear this was no ordinary weapon. The cape of feathers billowed behind him as he floated above the battlefield, assessing his enemies with deadly precision.

Kon's breath caught in his throat. "What is that?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Kopa's gaze never left the figure in the sky. "That," he said quietly, "is one of the most terrifying weapons among the Narn Lords. It's feared across the land."

Without another word, the figure manifested a glowing feather in his hand, charging it with an immense amount of mana. The air around him crackled with energy as he drew back the feather as if it were an arrow, notching it against the bowstring. His expression remained calm, almost detached.

The Hyena Commander, realizing the danger too late, tried to call for a retreat, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of the wind.

The figure spoke, his voice cold and steady. "Disappear from the face of the world."

He released the feather, and it shot into the sky with impossible speed. For a moment, it seemed to vanish into the clouds, but then, with a flash of light, the single feather split into thousands. Each feather-turned-arrow rained down from the sky in a devastating storm of precision strikes.

The battlefield was consumed by the onslaught. Razik's forces fell in waves, every single Hyena soldier struck down by the relentless barrage. Not a single arrow missed its target. The feathers pierced through armor, flesh, and bone, cutting down the enemy with terrifying efficiency.

Kon stood frozen, his eyes wide in shock as he watched the entire battle turn in mere seconds. Razik's forces, once overwhelming, were reduced to nothing more than broken bodies littering the snow. The battle was over before it had even begun.

Kon swallowed hard, his mind racing. "Who is that man?" he whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the figure still floating above the battlefield.

Kopa's expression was solemn, his respect for the figure clear in his voice. "That," he said, "is the Lord of the Kushan Clan. The one nick named 'The Arrow of God'"

Kon's heart pounded as he processed what he had just witnessed. The sheer power of this Lord, the precision and control—it was beyond anything he had ever seen.

Kopa glanced at Kon, seeing the awe in his eyes. "Lord Talonir Kushan," he finished, his voice filled with quiet reverence.