Kael watched the survivors with narrowed eyes. Children huddled under makeshift cloaks. Women and elderly people sat silently, staring blankly into space. A few soldiers were still standing, but exhausted, dirty, and without weapons or command.
He walked to where the warehouses had been, now reduced to a pile of smoking rubble. He scoured the remains for anything—wagons, carriages, supplies—but the destruction was almost total.
He returned to the group with a frown and a grave voice.
"Nothing that can take everyone back to Arvalen. No wagons, no horses. Just ashes."
Klee and Asuka stared at him, already understanding the gravity of what was coming.
"We'll need help. And fast." He scanned the civilians. "They won't survive another night here without shelter, food, or protection."
He turned, looking back.
"I'm going to Arvalen. I'll summon the Freedom Guild. They have enough resources and personnel to mount a large-scale evacuation."
Klee nodded seriously. "I'll go with you."
