"ENOUGH!!!" Stronghold Leader Drakar's voice thundered, slicing through the onslaught of screams. Activating his Vylkr warrior's form, he controlled the Vylkr energy, conjuring blackish wisps that swirled around him, intertwining with his hair and infusing his eyes with a dark hue.

In an instant, he vanished from his prior position, reappearing beside Saria with alarming speed. A fierce blow, like a piston, rocketed from his fist and slammed into her abdomen with a resounding "BAAM!" The surrounding air fractured into shockwaves, propelling Saria upwards. She tumbled to the floor of the basket, unconsciousness sweeping over her.

Stronghold Leader Drakar's heightened senses then suddenly picked up a movement from the corner of his eyes. With the speed born of his enhanced abilities, he appeared next to Orion, his knee thrusting forward with the force of a cannonball. A sickening "Bamm!" echoed as his kneecap slammed into Orion's chest, shattering the air pressure around them.

Blood sprayed from Orion's mouth onto Stronghold Leader Drakar's tulga as the pain radiated through his ribcage.

Finally regaining his composure, Stronghold Leader Drakar's voice carried a semblance of control as he spoke, "You see what you've made me do."

He drew in a deep, steadying breath, allowing the strange energy in his body to calm the raging Vylkr energy within him. "I had intended to leave you both in the forest before I took off," he continued, his voice resonating with a hint of irritation. "Now I'm unsure if you could even survive a fall from this height."

Stronghold Leader Drakar was about to continue, his frustration clear in his expression. "Now, it seems like I have no choice but to carry you along until you ha----"

"SSSCCCRRREEECCCH!!" The shrill cry of a bird pierced the air, reverberating in his ears. Before he could react, he felt the powerful rush of wind enveloping him, and he instinctively turned his head to the side.

There, with a set of wide, forward-facing emerald eyes, he beheld the transformed visage of none other than the Village Chief.

The gaze shifted from Saria to Orion, lingering on Orion's bloodied form, before finally locking onto Stronghold Leader Drakar with an intensity of anger and hatred that he had never encountered before.

A wry smile curved across Stronghold Leader Drakar's lips as he seized Orion's head, raising it to meet the creature's gaze. "If you move or attempt to stop me," he said, his tone resolute, "I swear that in the name of Naka, I will kill him." He was keenly aware of the significance Orion held in the eyes of the Village Chief and the other key figures, as revealed during their previous meeting.

In spite of any reservations they might have had about Orion's intelligence and resourcefulness, the man's value alive was irrefutable.

Controlling his gift, Stronghold Leader Drakar gradually adjusted the orientation of the hot air balloon to align with the wind's direction.

His wry smile transformed into a grin as he maintained his hold on Orion, refusing to let go until he was confident he had distanced himself sufficiently from the Village Chief. He watched the Chief remain stationary in the distance until he was reduced to a mere speck in the expansive sky.

Recognizing that the Village Chief could bridge the distance in mere minutes to ensure his safety and escape, Stronghold Leader Drakar never let go of Orion, while Saria lay unconscious on the ground, defeated and unable to reach her tree.

...........

"BAMMM!!"

Landing on the ground, the Village Chief could sense the weight of every key leader's gaze upon him. Their eyes were filled with curiosity, likely speculating about the recent upheaval that had disrupted the once calm sky.

Meanwhile, the villagers distributed the wealth they had obtained from the hot air balloon among themselves, and families did their best to identify their own children among the newborns. Unbeknownst to them, the reverberations in the sky were lost on them, interpreting it merely as a sign of Naka's effort to establish a connection.

'Naka communicates with us in mysterious waysindeed, he does,' they thought.

"Chief, what's happened?" The Village Chieftess asked, her heart tinged with a sense of foreboding. She observed the twisted, unsightly expression etched on her husband's facea stark contrast to what should have been a moment of satisfaction, considering they had just resolved one of their most pressing issues.

"It's Drakar," the Village Chief bit out the words, his tone laced with frustration, as he strode away, the other key figures trailing behind him.

Their faces bore tense frowns, acutely aware of the solemn atmosphere surrounding him. He signalled for the warriors nearby to keep a watchful eye on the gathering. "He's gone rogue and fled with Orion, and a tree nymph."

Whether it was the Village Chieftess, the Caretakers, or Stronghold Leader Zogar, disbelief was evident on their faces as they froze mid-step, their gazes fixed on the sky that the scream had pierced through. After a moment, their attention returned to the Village Chief, who had also halted. He turned to face them, his expression maintaining the solemnity it had held from the beginning.

Stronghold Leader Zogar stepped forward, his voice filled with a mix of dread and disbelief, "Chief, you don't mean..."

Before he could finish, the Village Chief's words cut through, "Yes," he affirmed. "From what I've witnessed, he's not only taken them hostage but has also brutally beaten them, leaving them severely injured and unconscious." The Village Chief's voice was tight with a blend of anger and helplessness.

Stronghold Leader Zogar gulped, feeling a lump in his throat as the severity of the situation further sank in within his mind.

Observing the Stronghold Leader's hesitancyhis mouth poised to speak, then closing as though he was searching for how to respondthe Village Chief's patience waned, manifesting in an impatient snort. "Get to the Leftward Stronghold and gather every shapeshifter capable of flight. We're going on an exploration," he ordered, and as his final words, "I will do the same at the Rightward Stronghold," trailed behind him, he transformed into his green-horned owl form and flew off into the distance.