However, when Felix mentioned bringing the chieftain to the camp, whether true or not, Aria couldn't help but feel worried. After the military meeting at the blue stone fortress ended, Neven returned to the tent, finding Aria still looking gloomy. Her responses to any questions were sharp and irritable.

"Who upset you? It can't be me, right?" Neven sat on the bed, raising an eyebrow at Aria, who was lying down.

"It's not you, no one," Aria snapped. She pulled the blanket over herself, turning away and covering her head. Neven tugged at the blanket, but Aria held it tightly over her face.

"What happened today?" he asked.

Aria held back for a while, then suddenly sat up, angrily saying, "I ran into Felix again. Guess what he said..." She didn't wait for Neven to answer before shouting, "He said he would bring the Aether chieftain to negotiate with Sage Solon to take me to Aether."

Neven pursed his lips, smiling.

"You're laughing?" Aria crossed her arms, annoyed.

"He talks big, claiming he can bring the chieftain. Even though I saved his life, he doesn't respect me, which shows he isn't reasonable. But if he can indeed bring the Aether chieftain, his identity is not simple."

"Felix? Impossible. He looks like someone with no manners."

"Tomorrow, I'll inform the legion not to let him near the camp. If he wants anything from you, he can only bring the Aether chieftain."

"What could he want from me?" Aria asked. "He's been in the camp for only a few days. We don't even know each other. It's not like he fell in love with me at first sight or something," Aria scoffed. "Anyway, I seriously threatened him. If he mentions taking me to Aether again, I'll have him arrested. Or I'll kill him with my sword," Aria said fiercely.

"You can’t even lift a sword," Neven raised an eyebrow.

"You can keep teaching me," she said angrily.

"Your swordsmanship is... difficult to teach," he said, raising his eyebrows even higher, looking disdainful.

The day after Felix left, Voidmarsh welcomed an unexpected guest... the leader of the Aether people.

When the chieftain arrived alone at the gate and announced his name, the entire camp erupted. To everyone's surprise, the Aether chieftain was a frail old man with a head full of white hair. He was so thin he looked like a skeleton, with sunken eyes and a fluffy black feathered cloak that didn't fit him at all. His eyes, however, were exceptionally sharp, as if they could see through everything. Sage Solon quickly got the news and ordered the gates to be opened to welcome the chieftain.

Aria climbed up Sable's watchtower, looking at the bustling crowd below, feeling a bit apprehensive. For her, Felix's promise had turned into a frightening reality.

"They actually have a chieftain," Sable said in a sharp voice.

"What did you think they would be?" Aria asked nervously.

"A bunch of scattered sand... zombies in graves... the living dead... freaks... shadows in the night..." Sable rattled off a list of descriptions. "What's he doing coming to our camp alone?" he asked.

"How would I know?" Aria said even more nervously, her voice weak.

As the chieftain slowly walked toward the blue stone fortress, he suddenly stopped at the watchtower and looked up at them, his gaze fixed on Aria.

Aria stepped back in surprise, and Sable gasped, muttering, "We're doomed. He must have heard me badmouthing him. Oh no... he heard... oh God... he's coming up..." Just as Sable finished speaking, the sound of creaking wood echoed from the ladder.

Aria took a step forward and looked down. Sable was right; the chieftain was coming their way. The noise below grew louder, and the archers on the cliff watched intently, their bows aimed at the lone watchtower.

When the old man finally stood on the watchtower, Aria was almost suffocating with tension.

"I've always wanted to meet you," the chieftain said as his white hair appeared over the wooden floor. "But my body is too weak for these stairs..." He stepped up, exhaling and smiling kindly despite his wrinkled face. "They wear out my legs..."

Aria and Sable exchanged glances.

"Are you here to see me?" Sable asked in a high-pitched voice. "I was just joking, don't take my words seriously..."

Aria nudged Sable, clearly indicating that the chieftain wasn't looking at him.

"It's this young lady. I wanted to thank you for saving Felix," the chieftain said.

"I didn't save him," Aria explained.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"But Felix said it was you?" The chieftain looked at Aria with some surprise.

"It was our Executive Commander Neven Everhart who saved Felix. He can testify," Aria said, nudging Sable hard.

"Ouch, yes, you have the wrong savior. Aria's words are true," Sable said.

Aria forced a smile, her mouth twitching.

"What a pity," the chieftain sighed, his voice tinged with amusement.

At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded below, and Neven quickly stepped onto the wooden floor of the watchtower. "Honorable chieftain, Sage Solon is waiting for you in the blue stone fortress. He is pleased that you have come to our camp."

"He saved Felix. He is Neven Everhart," Aria quickly explained, pointing at Neven.

"So it was him..." The chieftain showed a surprised expression, then returned to his usual kind smile. "I heard Felix caused you a lot of trouble. Young people are always full of passion," he said slowly. "But I didn't expect Felix to mistake his savior, as I only brought a gift for this young lady today."

"But Sage Solon..."

"Sage Solon won't mind waiting a bit longer," the chieftain interrupted Neven, looking around. "In the meantime, I'd like to borrow a bow." The chieftain's sharp gaze returned to Neven.

"Our shooting range is over there," Neven pointed.

The Aether chieftain's unexpected move threw the welcoming Starguard into chaos.

Neven led the way for the old chieftain, followed by Aria and Sable, a group of soldiers, a team of archers, a cavalry unit, and the onlookers. The chieftain seemed more like he was touring the Lunar Essence Clan's camp, leading a grand procession through the entire camp until they finally arrived at the shooting range.

Thorne and the archers quickly withdrew to the side, leaving a row of wooden targets in the snowfield.

"How far can a Serpent shoot?" the chieftain asked.

"Eight hundred," Thorne replied.

He then called over a Serpent archer and pointed to a rather distant rabbit. The archer smoothly completed the task, killing the rabbit with one shot. Sparse applause rang out on the range, as the Serpents found it quite ordinary.

"The Serpents' range is well-deserved," the chieftain praised.

Thorne tilted his head, displaying an air of executive arrogance.

The chieftain turned to Aria and asked, "Have you ever used a bow?"

"No, only some swordsmanship."

"How good is your swordsmanship?"

Aria awkwardly forced a smile and humbly said, "Just the basics."

"No matter how skilled you are with a sword, as a woman fighting against men, you will always be at a disadvantage. Men are stronger and more powerful. I believe your advantage should be in not letting those strong men get close to you."

"I don't understand. How can I prevent others from getting close to me?"

The chieftain seemed to have a good idea and borrowed a bow from Thorne. "This reminds me, we need a bow."

"But I've never shot an arrow. I'm more familiar with a light sword."

"Well, today you can try archery. We also need..." The chieftain looked around and pointed to a farther target. "How about that bird in the tree?"

Aria squinted, confirming again that it was indeed a bird and not a withered leaf or a small hole.

"That's too far. Are you kidding her?" Sable shouted.

Aria also thought it was too far. Holding the bow, she had a premonition of embarrassing herself in front of everyone, and her head started buzzing.

The chieftain patiently taught her how to hold the bow, relax her shoulders, and aim the arrow at the target instead of Sable. Sable covered his head, hiding behind Neven, causing the range to erupt in laughter. Aria blushed deeply and glanced at Neven, whose expression seemed ten times more nervous than hers.

"Close your eyes," the chieftain said.

"She'll shoot wide," Sable said in a sharp voice from behind.

The Serpent archers' discussions grew louder, probably saying that accuracy depended on eyesight. Aria, feeling dejected, closed her eyes, sure that she had offended Felix and that the Aether chieftain was here to embarrass her.

"Listen carefully, feel the contact between your skin and the bowstring," the chieftain said, adjusting her shoulders from behind.

Aria perked up her ears, hearing only discussions and ridicule.

Nervously sweating, her mind echoed with the grim outcome that she would become the laughingstock of everyone.

"Quiet," Neven shouted angrily, and instant silence followed.

The cold wind howled, and everyone's breathing was low and restrained. The soft, rustling sound of snowflakes slowly falling onto the arrow reached her ears. Suddenly, a faint bright picture appeared in her mind, and she felt that it was the little bird. It was standing on the branch, and as a cold wind blew, the bird flapped its wings, both claws leaving the branch simultaneously.

"It's about to fly," Aria said softly.

"Shoot," the chieftain whispered.

An arrow shot through the snow, slicing through the icy wind. It moved so fast that the bird had barely lifted its claws from the branch before Aria’s eyes opened. With a loud thud, the arrow pinned the bird to the tree. The entire training ground fell silent, as if time itself had stopped.

Aria stared in shock, her bowstring still trembling in her hand, unable to believe she had hit her target. She took a deep breath, the cold air filling her lungs and pulling her back to reality.

Then, applause erupted from behind her. Neven was clapping, a proud smile on his face. In an instant, the entire training ground was filled with thunderous applause. chieftain’s smile remained, and Aria’s mouth hung open in disbelief, her heart pounding like a drum.

"My goodness..." Sable exclaimed, his voice full of awe and astonishment.

"Even the Serpent Tribe can't match that, you're incredible," Thorne praised, his eyes shining with admiration.

Amid the chorus of praises, Neven wore a strange, serious expression. Aria's smile faded; something felt off. She had no idea she could hit such an impossible target, yet this unknown Aether leader seemed to know all along.

"I’ve never used a bow before. How did you know I could hit the target?" Aria turned to the chieftain, her voice trembling with confusion.

"It appears you are a natural-born sharpshooter," chieftain said slowly. "A hand with scales is rare, and a girl with dragon scales is destined to be an extraordinary archer."

"I didn’t even know..." Aria lifted her hand, the dense scales glinting coldly in the wind.

"Felix often talks about your scaled hand. He likes you very much and wishes to marry you. He sincerely asked for my help," the chieftain suddenly revealed, his voice carrying an authoritative weight.

"I will never agree to that," Aria said firmly. "Even if you came personally, I would never marry a stranger."

"A warrior’s heart is bound to break when rejected by the girl he admires," the chieftain sighed, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

"Honorable chieftain,Sage Solon is waiting for you," Neven reminded, a subtle urgency in his voice.

The chieftain was then escorted to the Blue Stone Bastion, leaving Aria restless. She paced around the bastion, her mind filled with anxiety and doubt. All she could think about was the impending marriage proposal and negotiations. If Felix was serious and the chieftain truly intended to send her to the Aether, Sage Solon would undoubtedly agree without hesitation. It might not even require any conditions, just as a favor. However, Neven would not agree; he would be inside, trying to prevent this disastrous agreement...