One month had passed since the disciples and wardens began their deep cultivation. And now, one day before Altan's emergence, they returned. Chaghan was the first to step into the sunlit grounds of Gale Citadel, followed silently by his five wardens. Behind them came the five disciples. Each bore a stillness within them, yet their presence radiated deeper than before. It was not shown through flashy aura or erupting energy, but through the quiet weight of power they now carried. Even the guards stationed at the gates felt it. None could describe what had changed, only that it had. They stood straighter as the group passed. But it was Nyzekh, the dark elf disciple attuned to the void, who seemed the most altered. He moved with an uncanny ordinariness, his energy signature almost entirely masked. To the unaware eye, he seemed like a simple martial artist, yet even veteran stormguards found themselves briefly unsettled when he passed.
Later that same day, they gathered inside the War Hall at the heart of Gale Citadel. The central dais was lit by soft beams filtering through the high windows. Around it stood the key commanders of the United Gale Army. Khulan, robed in battlecolors of the eastern steppe, stood tall beside Burgedai, her ever-loyal second. On the opposite end of the circle stood Stormwake, commander of the Qorjin Ke Legion, the elite auxiliary of the stormguard legions. As Chaghan and the others took their places, the great doors of the hall opened.
The Stormlord entered.
All eyes turned.
He looked changed. Sharply so. His face, once marked by quiet burden, now carried a younger, leaner countenance. Though he was thirty-six, he now looked barely in his late twenties. His physique had shifted as well, no longer simply muscled from battle, but refined. Every movement carried efficiency. No excess. Only the essentials remained. And yet, the most powerful transformation was not seen, but felt. As he walked toward the central platform, the room stilled. Even the air quieted. Torches flickered, leaning slightly away from his path. Something unseen moved with him. None spoke until he raised his hand.
Khulan was the first to step forward. She bowed. "Stormlord. Reporting on the state of our forces."
He nodded.
Khulan began. "We have rallied four full legions, twenty thousand warriors, from the Twelve Tribes. Between five to ten thousand among them possess the potential to become stormguards. Burgedai has already begun initial evaluations."
The Stormlord gave a small nod.
Stormwake stepped next. "The Qorjin Ke Legion stands ready. All deployments are in position. The sharp beaked Vahir messenger birds have been tested. From the coastal city in the west, a clear sky transmission reaches the Citadel in one hour. We've dispatched Vahir detachments to the Black Vein hospital fortresses across the free cities. Stormguard Hospitaliers have begun setting up triage stations in major districts."
The Stormlord looked between them. "And the rest of our forces?"
Khulan answered, "We have the United Gale Army numbering twenty thousand active. Ten thousand additional recruits from city drafts. Five legions of stormguards, another twenty thousand. Stormguard squires number ten thousand. An auxiliary force of recruits still undergoing testing, between five to ten thousand may be retained or repurposed. We have recruited one legion of war mages and elemental shamans. The free cities have also offered four legions. Among them, five thousand show potential for stormguard advancement."
The Stormlord listened quietly. Then spoke.
"It is not enough."
Silence filled the chamber. He turned, gaze sweeping across the gathered commanders.
"Our spies have sent word. The Dazhum Empire and the exiled Zhong lords have amassed and trained their own combined army. They march soon. Within a year, perhaps less, they will arrive through the western sea route to invade the port cities. Five legions have already been sighted boarding transport vessels. Twenty more march overland, through the northern passes. They intend to link with Zhong sympathizer cities along the route. And if their claim is true, ten more legions will follow once the path is secured."
Murmurs broke out among the commanders. The sheer number was staggering.
The Stormlord raised a hand and the hall fell quiet again.
He looked to Khulan. "I want every academy student aged eighteen and above evaluated. With parental consent, if they are still bonded, they will serve as stormguard squires."
Khulan gave a slow nod.
"Announce recruitment through all adventurer guilds. Mercenary halls. Send word to ranger clans, retired soldiers, independent hunters. We will offer coin, land, and status to any who enlist, especially those skilled in war magic or shamanic arts."
The Stormlord turned to Stormwake. "Send this same message to Prime Minister Qiu. Tell him the free cities must make the same announcement."
"It will be done," Stormwake replied.
The Stormlord took one last look around the circle of assembled leaders.
"Go. Prepare. Begin evaluations. Begin drills. The first wave will not wait for us to be ready."
The commanders bowed and exited in silence, leaving only Chaghan, the five wardens, and the five disciples. The Stormlord remained standing.
"You will stay," he said quietly.
None moved.
His voice was calm, but resolute.
"There are truths I will share now that must not leave this chamber."
And behind him, the doors of the War Hall slowly closed.