The army below them was celebrating.
Hundreds of torches.
Hundreds of voices.
One name.
Again.
And again.
And again.
—
**Stacy:**
“They love him.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Aye.”
—
**Stacy:**
“They’d follow him anywhere.”
—
Caelwyn watched the soldiers.
—
**Caelwyn:**
“That’s what worries me.”
—
Stacy frowned.
—
**Stacy:**
“He saved them.”
“He broke the siege.”
“He brought food into the city.”
“Why should their loyalty worry you?”
—
Caelwyn pointed towards the commander.
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Yesterday…”
“…he had to convince them.”
—
Below them, hundreds waited for the man’s next words.
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Tomorrow…”
“…he may only need to point.”
—
**Stacy:**
“Power?”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Permission.”
—
She looked at him.
—
**Stacy:**
“Permission to do what?”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Whatever lets his fire triumph.”
—
The wind moved through the camp.
Hundreds of flames bent together.
—
**Stacy:**
“Give me an example.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“An Orc wants victory.”
—
**Stacy:**
“Obviously.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“He fights beside his Boyz.”
“Leads every charge.”
“Looks for the biggest enemy.”
—
“Then one day…”
“…one more charge will win the battle.”
—
**Stacy:**
“But his Boyz won’t survive it.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Most won’t.”
—
**Stacy:**
“So he sends them.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Perhaps.”
—
**Stacy:**
“And that’s the moment?”
—
Caelwyn shook his head.
—
**Caelwyn:**
“The moment may come later.”
—
“When he stops asking how many Boyz will survive…”
—
“…and only asks whether enough will die to give him victory.”
—
Stacy went quiet.
—
**Stacy:**
“The fire hasn’t changed.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“No.”
—
**Stacy:**
“He still wants to win.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Aye.”
—
**Stacy:**
“What changed…”
“…was what he was willing to feed it.”
—
Caelwyn nodded.
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Now you understand.”
—
Stacy looked towards the mountains.
—
**Stacy:**
“A Dwarf wants his ancestral hold back.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“One expedition.”
—
**Stacy:**
“Then another.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Then another.”
—
**Stacy:**
“Gold.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Friends.”
—
**Stacy:**
“Warriors.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Family.”
—
Silence.
—
**Stacy:**
“Until he’s no longer reclaiming the hold for his people.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“He’s sacrificing his people for the hold.”
—
Another cheer erupted below.
—
**Stacy:**
“A priest wants people to know his god.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Until knowing isn’t enough.”
—
**Stacy:**
“So everyone must believe.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“And if they refuse?”
—
Stacy looked towards the fires.
—
**Stacy:**
“First words.”
“Then laws.”
“Then swords.”
“Then fire.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“All in the name of salvation.”
—
Stacy swallowed.
—
**Stacy:**
“A warrior wants to protect his people.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“So he reaches for greater power.”
—
**Stacy:**
“Just this once.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Just this once.”
—
**Stacy:**
“And if it works…”
—
Caelwyn looked at her.
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Then next time…”
“…the line is already behind him.”
—
Below them, the commander raised his hand.
Hundreds raised theirs.
—
**Stacy:**
“So Chaos doesn’t need to change what you want.”
—
**Caelwyn:**
“No.”
—
For an instant…
four strange shadows seemed to move beyond the campfires.
Then they were gone.
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Sometimes it only needs to ask…”
—
“…what you’re willing to feed to the fire you already have.”
—
**Stacy:**
“And if the answer is everything?”
—
Caelwyn watched hundreds waiting for a single command.
—
**Caelwyn:**
“Then the fire has already triumphed.”
—
Stacy closed her journal.
Then she looked directly towards us.
—
**Stacy:**
“We’ve talked about Orcs.”
“Dwarfs.”
“Priests.”
“Warriors.”
—
She paused.
—
**Stacy:**
“But everyone has a fire.”
—
Caelwyn turned towards us as well.
—
**Stacy:**
“So what about yours?”
—
# What would you sacrifice to let your fire triumph?
Caelwyn waited a moment.
—
# And what would you refuse to sacrifice — even then?
—
## PLAY EPIC. FEEL THE STORY.
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