Chapter 782: Say Goodbye
Along the way she passed her clansmen moving in both directions with bags on their backs, their faces carrying the particular grief of people who know they are leaving a home and cannot pretend otherwise. Since Wildflame had fallen to third rank, they would be reassigned to the smaller quarters in Stone Castle. Those lower still on the ledger would be moved to the campsites beyond the castle walls — still within Iron Sand City, technically, but cut off from the central oases, the good land, the stone-rimmed water. The big clans had always held those.
Lorgar memorized their faces and stored them somewhere below thought.
The guard outside her father’s room broke into a grin the moment he saw her. “Princess — you’re healed!”
“Good as I was.” She kept it light. “Is my father inside?”
“Lord Chief is always in his room, but —” The man hesitated. “He’s not alone.”
She had a fair guess who. She didn’t ask.
Then the voices reached her through the closed door.
“We settled this already. Your clan vacates the main castle in three days — so why are you still here? Are you defying the vow of the Three Gods?”
A second voice, tighter with barely restrained anger: “Watch your tone, Kabucha.” That was Rohan, her oldest brother. “You’ve absorbed the Black River clan — make them clear out first. We can’t share space with people still in mourning. White linens on every wall.”
“Send your men to tear the linens down. Our Lord Chief wants results, not your excuses.”
“You —”
“Your clan conceded the holy duel. You have no standing to lecture us. Your chief hasn’t spoken and you’re raising your voice? Stand aside.”
More voices joining in — Exactly, accept it or we’ll beat you again — and then the clean ring of steel leaving scabbards.
Lorgar reached the guard just as his hand moved to his own weapon.
“Leave it to me.”
“But —” He read her face and lowered his head. “I understand, Princess.”
She pushed the door open.
The Wildwave warriors stood with their arms crossed, unmoved by the blades at their throats, their posture saying plainly: you won’t swing them. They were right. Rohan and the guards had drawn to intimidate, and intimidation against men who weren’t afraid was only weakness made visible.
Guelz Burnflame sat behind the square table, firelight moving in his eyes. The room went quiet.
“Put away your weapons.”
The Wildwave men looked at her. Then they looked again, differently.
Guelz smiled. “Finally. You’re awake.”
“Sister — you —” Rohan’s voice broke somewhere between shock and something harder to name. He stared at her as though tallying whether to believe it. “No — I mean — this is —”
She understood quickly: their father had told no one. The maid who had tended her knew, and Rohan didn’t. The Wildwave warriors certainly didn’t.
“Lo — Lorgar? Weren’t your legs —”
“Crushed and bloodied, I saw it myself —”
“Those ears — that tail — what is she —”
“She’s a monster!”
Lorgar crossed the room without altering her pace and stopped in front of the Wildwave warriors. “Whatever she is, Wildflame yielded in the holy duel on the Burning Stage. The Three Gods witnessed it. You know the rule as well as I do — six months before the yielding party may challenge again.”
The tension in their chests loosened slightly. Then she kept talking, and it tightened again.
“We accept the result. We honor the Three Gods.”
A beat.
“Now — which one of you is Kabucha?”
The head of the warriors had no good choice but to step forward. “That’s me. And since you’ve just agreed to respect the outcome, you should move out immediately. You’re no longer the strongest clan. Why are you still clinging to this castle?”
The answer was a right hook.
Kabucha was a competent fighter. Against a fist he could see, he might have answered it. Against wolf claws that had already closed the distance, he had no time at all. He cleared the doorframe and landed in the corridor in a heap, blood already spreading across his face.
The remaining warriors stared. None moved.
“Even dropped to third rank, the Wildflame chief commands respect — especially on his own ground.” Lorgar’s voice was even. “That punch was a lesson in manners. Now get out. All of you.”
They went. They carried Kabucha with them, and they said nothing.
The moment she had walked into the room, the calculation had shifted. Wildwave’s confidence rested on numbers absorbed from the Black River clan. They weren’t afraid of the holy duel, weren’t afraid of a private challenge in six months. But a living Princess Lorgar was a different problem — the giant Desert Wolf, moving at her own discretion, could erode them injury by injury in the months ahead. The rules of the duel didn’t govern that.
And in the Sand Nation, revenge was as sacred as any vow.
“Father.” Rohan’s voice was bright now, almost giddy. “Now that sister’s healed, can we move back to the Stone Castle in six months? Or can you negotiate with the Wildwave chief directly — he has to know they can’t win the next duel —”
“Yes, the Prince is right —”
“Let me go stop everyone who’s packing —”
“And throw out the Wildwave clansmen still lingering —”
“Tell them to take their things when they go —”
The voices tumbled over each other, cheerful and certain.
Guelz Burnflame coughed softly. He looked at Lorgar and waited.
The room went still. Everyone turned. Rohan stood among them, jaw slightly set, his eyes carrying a shadow she didn’t want to examine too carefully.
She took a breath and said it clearly: “Father. I’m leaving. I came to say goodbye.”
Chapter 782: Say Goodbye
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
Along the way, she witnessed her clansmen coming and going with bags on their backs, their sad faces displayed an obvious reluctance to leave their homes.
Since their ranks had dropped down to third, they would be distributed to the much smaller houses of Stone Castle. It would be even worse for the people who were no longer be eligible to live in the castle. They were going to be moved to the campsite in the outer street. Even though it belonged to the Iron Sand City, it would be inconvenient when compared to the central area.
After all, the big clans Stone Castles controlled the limited pieces of land around the lakes and oases.
Lorgar etched their expressions in her mind and stored it in her heart.
As the guard stationed outside her father’s bedroom saw Lorgar coming, he couldn’t help but smile. “Princess, you… are healed!”
“Yeah, as good as I was,” Lorgar joked. “Is my father in his room?”
“Lord Chief is always in there, however…” The guard hesitated. “He is not alone.”
She had an idea who they might be so she didn’t bother asking.
That’s when she heard the sounds of an argument coming from behind the closed door.
“I thought we settled this already. Your clan would vacate the main castle within three days. So, why are you still here?” someone inquired loudly. “Are you defying the vow of the Three Gods?”
“Mind your attitude, Kabucha!” a voice chastised. If she had correctly identified it, the voice belonged to her oldest brother Rohan. “Now that you’ve absorbed the Black River clan, you should make them vacate, so we can move in. We can’t share a space with them while they are still mourning their loss, they still have white linens hanging on the walls.”
“You can send your men in to tear down the linen. Our Lord Chief wants results, not your excuses.”
“You—!”
“Ha, since your clan conceded during the holy duel, you shouldn’t bother trying to be arrogant. Your chief still hasn’t spoken and yet you dare to criticize us? Stay out of the way and be quiet.”
Others started to join in, “Exactly, accept the results or we can defeat you again!”
“Cang—”
Subsequently, the sound of swords being unsheathed rang out.
Just as the guard outside the room drew his weapon to join the fight, Lorgar stopped him.
“Leave it to me.”
“But…” The guard murmured as he attempted to argue. However, his next words were quelled by Lorgar’s peremptory gaze, he lowered his head as he replied, “I understand, My Princess.”
Lorgar pushed open the door and walked in, her face sullen.
The warriors of the Wildwave clan stood with their arms crossed, defiant, as they ignored the sharp blades near their throats, betting that the Wildflame
clan wouldn’t dare to swing them.
The warriors had guessed right. Both, her brother and the guards, only dared to threaten harm, making the Wildflame look weaker.
Guelz Burnflame was seated behind a square table and his eyes reflected the rooms unsettled flames. Momentarily, the room was silenced.
“Stow your weapons.”
Lorgar’s voice broke the tension.
Guelz smiled, “Finally, you’re awake.”
“Sister, you… are… no, I mean… this is great!” Rohan sputtered in disbelief as she approached them. At first, Lorgar wasn’t able to read her brother expression. She couldn’t tell if he was shocked or surprised.
Lorgar suddenly realized that her father hadn’t told anyone about the Divine Lady of the North. Only her father and those who had cared for her knew, the rest still remained ignorant.
Even her brother was surprised, not to mention the Wildwave warriors.
“Lo-Lorgar? Weren’t you… badly wounded during the holy duel?”
“It’s impossible! I saw clearly with my own eyes that her legs had been crushed and bloodied, as she was carried off the platform!”
“What’s that I see… a wolf’s ears and tail?”
“She’s a monster!”
Lorgar, unmoved, walked over to the Wildwave warriors, who had clearly lost their cool as they continued to argue, “Anyway, Wildflame yielded during the duel on the Burning Stage, which was witnessed by the Three Gods! You have to wait six months before your next challenge.”
This rule about participants who yield not being allowed to challenge the winner before six months had passed was a safeguard against planned surrender for the preservation of power and it was well known and accepted throughout the Sand Nation.
“We accepted the results, just like we believe in the Three Gods.” Lorgar gave the answer which relieved the tension in warriors chest, unfortunately, it wouldn’t last long. What she said next tensed the room up again, “So… who’s Kabucha?”
“I am!” the head of the Wildwave warriors had no choice but to step forward. “Now that you have promised to respect the results, move out immediately. You are no longer the strongest clan. Do you really still want to cling to this castle?”
The reply was a right hook to the face.
Kabucha was indeed a good fighter, even so, he wouldn’t be able to defeat a wolf claw that had instantly emerged in front of him. He had been blown away, breaking the door, before he landed outside in a crumpled heap.
“You—” The other warriors glared at her, and yet, none of them dared to charge at her.
“Even though Wildflame dropped to the third clan, the dignity of the chief can’t be ignored, especially by someone standing in the middle of our land. How dare you be so insolent?” Lorgar accused. “Take that punch as a lesson and get out, all of you!”
The moment Lorgar entered the room, the table had turned. Annexing Blackwater had contributed to a great part of Wildwave’s force, so they hadn’t feared the holy duel or the possible private challenge, they were confident they would transcend Wildflame. But, when Princess Lorgar of the Wildflame clan appeared before them, in the flesh, their confidence vacated them. They had to admit, even if Wildflame had decided not to duel with them in six month, they still wouldn’t be able to afford losses to the giant Desert Wolf, who could sneak up and assault them, from time to time, in the future.
Their day of reckoning would come, for they challenged them in the first place.
For the Sand Nation People, revenge was as sacred as the holy duel.
Wildwave warriors carried the bloody-faced Kabucha and left without a word.
“Father, now that my sister has healed, can we move back to this Stone Castle in six months?” Rohan asked excitedly, his fists clenched. “Or perhaps you could negotiate with the chief of Wildwave and save us from the trouble of moving—since they wouldn’t stand a chance in winning the next duel, he should allow you the favor.”
“Yes, our Prince is right,” the guards echoed in excitement.
“Let me go and stop everyone who is packing.”
“Also, don’t forget to throw out the Wildwave clansmen who have been lingering in our castle.”
“Don’t forget to tell them to take their belongings with them.”
They prattled on delightedly.
Guelz Burnflame softly coughed and looked at his daughter, “What’d you have in mind?”
That brought silence to the room. Everyone turned their eyes towards Lorgar and waited for her answer. Rohan was among them, slightly biting his lips, his eyes shadowed.
Lorgar barely noticed. She took a deep breath and said clearly, “Father, I want to leave and I’m here to say goodbye.”