The mountain wind shifted through the training grounds once more, cold air brushing across the stone paths as it passed through Steelbeard's massive beard and heavy armor.
"So this is where you've been, Solarynth."
Steelbeard's deep voice echoed through the area as he looked toward the two sitting outside the octagon ring, his boots thudded heavily against the ground while he walked closer without the slightest bit of hesitation.
Seraphine turned toward the entrance gate after sensing the unfamiliar presence entering her domain.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she saw the dwarf approaching.
"Who might you be?" she asked calmly.
Steelbeard didn't stop walking.
Instead, he answered immediately in the same blunt, rough tone that made him impossible to mistake for anyone else.
"Who might I be?" he grumbled. "I'm the unlucky bastard who has to hammer the dents out of every chunk of scrap metal you lot call armor."
"After you're done beating each other half to death."
He crossed his thick arms over his chest, keeping a completely straight face...
"Name's Steelbeard, not that you'll remember it through those thick skulls of yours."
His eyes shifted directly toward Solarynth.
"And you," he pointed sharply, "don't go acting deaf on me now I've had a furnace burning hot enough to melt a dragon's pride for the last two damn hours waiting on you."
Steelbeard let out an irritated breath through his nose.
"Iron doesn't stay soft forever just because you decided to take a scenic little stroll through the mountains."
Asura quietly looked away, already used to this kind of energy from SteelBeard.
Steelbeard continued talking without pause.
"Now quit staring at me like I'm some talking cave troll and answer me this are you two actually planning to do something productive today, or am I just here to decorate the scenery with my stunning personality?"
For a brief second, silence hung in the air.
Then Solarynth rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"…You done?"
"No," Steelbeard answered immediately.
The dwarf pointed a thumb behind himself.
"Anyway, I went looking for you back at the kingdom first, didn't find a damn trace of you anywhere."
He glanced toward Seraphine's mountain home before continuing.
"Ran into Grace instead, she told me you were all the way up here training with…" his eyes slowly shifted toward Asura, "…Mr. Emo over there."
Asura frowned instantly.
"…Mr. Emo?"
Steelbeard pointed directly at his all-black outfit.
"You look like a funeral crow learned every martial arts..."
Steelbeard cleared his throat heavily, the usual rough humor in his expression fading little by little.
"Anyway," he muttered, "I'm not here because of the furnace issue."
The shift in his tone was enough to make the atmosphere change immediately.
Solarynth slowly stood from the bench, his expression turning serious as the wind quietly passed through the mountain grounds once again, even Asura's relaxed posture disappeared as he looked toward the dwarf more carefully now.
Seraphine remained near the side of the training grounds, silent, but clearly listening and his little brother Henry was playing, has his own world.
"There's a big problem happening lately," Steelbeard continued, Solarynth narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Is it Maelkris again…?"
Steelbeard shook his head.
"No, and honestly, it'd be worse if it was him."
That answer alone made the silence heavier.
Steelbeard folded his arms tightly before continuing.
"Reports say the Four Pillars of the kingdom encountered an army."
Asura slowly stood up from the bench at that "An army?" he repeated.
Steelbeard nodded grimly.
"Not a normal one either."
His eyes shifted between the three of them.
"They're saying these bastards have some kind of advanced enhancement running through their bodies, don't ask me what exactly it is I only heard bits and pieces back in my hometown."
The dwarf exhaled slowly.
"Some survivors escaped and got rescued by the Four Pillars, those people started talking."
His expression darkened further.
"They said the soldiers didn't fight like normal men, no fear, no hesitation just... marching forward like damn machines."
Seraphine's eyes sharpened slightly at those words.
Steelbeard continued.
"And the worst part?"
He paused for a second.
"The reports spreading through the kingdom say that army is heading straight for the capital."
The mountain wind suddenly felt colder.
"They're coming to kill the king and queen."
Silence fell completely after that sentence, even Solarynth's expression hardened.
Steelbeard looked directly at him now.
"And I came all the way here to tell you this."
His voice lowered into something more serious than before.
"You need to get back to the kingdom as soon as possible."
Asura crossed his arms slowly.
"You really think they'll attack that soon?"
Steelbeard gave a grim nod.
"Who the hell knows?"
His gaze drifted toward the distant skies beyond the mountains.
"If those rumors are true… that army could strike at any moment...Day or night..."
Solarynth remained silent for a moment, clearly analyzing everything Steelbeard had just said inside his head.
"The Four Pillars…" he muttered quietly. "Aren't they the protectors of the kingdom?"
His eyes narrowed slightly as pieces of memory surfaced.
"And the heroes of the valley…"
He remembered reading about them back when he was recovering at Grace's place.
During those quiet days, he had spent hours going through old books and records about the kingdom stories of powerful warriors, ancient threats, and the people trusted to stand above them all.
Steelbeard gave a slow nod.
"Aye, those four."
The dwarf's expression stayed grim.
"If even they're getting involved directly, then this whole thing's already beyond a simple border conflict."
Asura crossed his arms, his face more serious now than before.
Seraphine, who had been silently listening from the side, finally spoke.
"This army…" she said calmly. "What do they call themselves?"
For a brief moment, Steelbeard didn't answer immediately.
The mountain wind drifted quietly through the training grounds as the silence settled around them.
Then the dwarf finally spoke.
"The Pandemonium Legion."
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere shifted, even the air itself felt heavier.
Solarynth's eyes hardened slightly at the name and Asura frowned.
"…That doesn't sound like the name of an ordinary army."
"It isn't," Steelbeard replied bluntly.
"From what I heard, they don't march like normal soldiers they conquer, destroy, and keep moving."
His voice lowered.
"And wherever they pass through…"
"…people disappear."
A cold silence settled across the mountain peak after Steelbeard's final words.
Even Henry, who had been quietly watching nearby, stopped smiling as he sensed the sudden heaviness in the atmosphere, solarynth lowered his gaze slightly, thinking.
An army powerful enough to force the Four Pillars into action…
That army marching directly toward the kingdom…slowly...
And somehow, the name alone already sounded wrong.
Pandemonium Legion.
The words carried something unsettling behind them, as if chaos itself had taken form and begun moving.
Asura finally broke the silence.
"So what's the kingdom doing about it?"
Steelbeard let out a rough sigh through his beard.
"Preparing," he answered. "But from the sound of it, they barely understand what they're dealing with."
His eyes narrowed.
"The survivors said those soldiers fight like they don't feel pain, and those enhanced ones…" he paused briefly, "…they're monsters."
Seraphine's expression remained calm, though her eyes sharpened with thought.
"Artificial enhancement…" she murmured quietly. "Mixing magic with forced physical amplification…"
"That kind of thing always ends badly."
Steelbeard nodded once.
"Exactly why I came here myself instead of sending a message bird."
Solarynth slowly clenched his hand.
The peaceful air of the mountains suddenly felt far away now.
Because somewhere beyond the valleys..
war was already beginning to move...