The Lost Bloodline 2: An Isekai Epic by M. Tress

Author:M. Tress [Tress, M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Royal Guard Publishing LLC
Published: 2025-03-09T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

“We have to help them,” Koda said without hesitation. A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered the unclean feeling of the ritual that had woken him earlier that morning.

Arthene and Sienna were both nodding, while Calandra growled under her breath but nodded a moment later. Casting a glance over the other warriors, Koda was surprised to see grimly determined expressions on the faces of the others. None of them looked like they would speak out against taking action to help the captives.

“We figured you’d say that,” Netta replied wryly, gesturing back to her map with the long stick. “Part of what took us so long to get here was figuring out the best approach into the camp. There are patrols, both on foot and mounted, but they’re irregular. We can use this ridgeline”—she tapped one squiggle on the ground—“to get close enough to access the edge of the camp without being totally exposed.

“We’ll need to wait for nightfall, but based on how slowly they were moving around the ritual site, they aren’t going to try to convert anyone today—assuming that the ritual isn’t something they can do on a whim.”

“No,” Arthene drawled with a snort. “It’s called a ritual for a reason. Even the conversion ritual they tried in my old cave took hours to set up and implement.”

Koda wanted to ask about that, remembering the bizarre ritual that he and Sienna had interrupted days before amongst the bones of Arthene’s last incarnate form. Thera had begged them to act as soon as she’d realized what was going on, but he desperately wanted to know how it was that something that took hours to set up had slipped unnoticed by the goddess for so long.

Then again, she had been basically locked away from the world until that point. I’d only just claimed one of the local sites of power for her. Up until then, she’d been surviving on the last dregs of her power she’d been able to save up to that point, thought Koda, before pushing it aside.

“All right, so we need to get the captives away from the Crooked and into hiding. This prey is too big for us,” Koda said before pausing to let the statement sink in for everyone present. When no one complained—although most frowned—he continued, “If we can avoid even interacting with the Crooked, that’s ideal. Minimal risks, maximum rewards. I’m bringing home living heroes, not fallen ones. Remember that.”

Koda could still remember the grim reminder of the last battle of the vale and the lives it had claimed. Although the loss of five warriors was a minor cost for protecting his home from the Crooked, Koda still felt it was excessive, especially considering the limited number of his new tribe members.

And it seemed like the others also understood his unspoken thoughts, as the frowns melted away into somber nods of understanding. They had all celebrated the win for Silverstone Vale and the Ivory Spear tribe, but none of them would forget those who stood to fight beside them and were called to give their lives for their people.

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