Chapter 555: No more cracks.

The evening at the Stonefang Quarter was heavy and… crowded.

Every Stonefang was here.

This had only happened on the first day. After that, the Stonefangs were divided into two shifts, each working either during the day or the night, leaving the Stonefang Quarter mostly empty with only the children and elderly staying here all the time.

But this time, it was different.

Every Stonefang—from an elderly to a mother to a warrior—everyone was here. Even children were no exception. After all, the Stonefangs firmly believed that children were supposed to participate in gatherings such as these.

That the children must understand the surroundings they lived in and watch how important decisions were taken.

According to Lavinia’s suggestion, the call had come hours ago, and not a single Stonefang ignored it, not when their chief called them.

The man in question, the Chief of the Stonefang, stood on a raised stone step near the center lane, where everyone could see him. He had a solemn, grim look on his face; the scars on his body today seemed… especially frightening.

It looked as if he might lose his calm at any moment, and that alone made most Stonefangs feel… unsettled, nervous even.

And as if to calm Gruumak’s frightening presence, just to his right stood Kael.

He was no different from his usual self—calm, watching the crowd quietly.

And to Kael’s right stood Lavinia, half a step behind him, as if she were watching his back and covering for him at all times.

Zakaar stood close enough as well, but he wasn’t needed here, especially since Lavinia too had learned and understood most of the Stonefang words by now.

Zakaar was here as a listener, just like the other Stonefangs.

Finally, Gruumak lifted his chin and looked at the crowd. In an instant, the silent quarter went… even more silent.

It was almost as if the wind itself had stopped, waiting for Gruumak to speak.

And Gruumak began in his rough, but this time, even grimmer tone.

“Some you see Fraza taken.”

A few heads nodded at those words. They had already guessed that this was what it was about. A few of them sharpened their eyes when they thought about it, while a few mothers pulled their children closer protectively.

Gruumak’s voice became even more solemn.

“Not mistake. Not fight. Not accident.”

He made it very, very clear.

“Fraza had crystal. He talk outside.”

And the instant those words were said, murmurs began. Many Stonefangs already knew the story—some had heard it from those who watched everything happen right in front of them, some heard from others.

Some, however, were learning this for the first time, and their eyes widened in shock. These were also the ones who talked the most; their anger wasn’t controlled like the others.

Gruumak did not stop them either. He let the crowd talk until they settled down, until they all came to the same page and then—

“We hold him, we dig. We ask. We check.”

Gruumak began again.

“Fraza speak with Stormcallers.”

That name had a strong impact.

A warrior spat into the snow. An elder’s shoulders stiffened. A woman’s face tightened as if she tasted something disgusting.

Gruumak continued.

“He give them words. He give them place. He give them truth that hurt Velmourn and hurt us.”

He slammed his fist into his own chest once.

“Hurt our blood.

Hurt our children.

Hurt our old.”

Gruumak’s angry eyes then looked at his people; this time, his voice had reason… and a sense of obligation, loyalty even.

“This Wall feed us. This Wall hide us. This Wall keep families alive.

Fraza try break that.”

The gathered Stonefangs growled; they clearly did not like the situation one bit, especially since one of their own had betrayed them.

“Traitor,”

Someone muttered, this time loud enough for everyone to hear it.

Gruumak heard it as well, and he did not stop it.

He let that word grow.

“Yes, he traitor.”

He then looked at his people and—

“And we come to you for decision.”

A few warriors frowned at that; a few elders looked confused. Stonefangs were not used to their Chief asking… them.

It was usually their Chief taking the decision. Today too, they thought the only reason they were called was because the Chief had made his decision and was going to announce it.

Gruumak knew that too. He knew what his people were thinking.

“I Chief. I can decide. I can cut. I can kill.”

He spoke, then he pointed at the people and—

“But this not only my blood.

This all blood.

If I kill and you not agree, crack opens.

If I let live and you hate, crack opens.”

He then looked at Kael and—

“And crack becomes fight.

Fight becomes split.

Split becomes death.”

Gruumak’s expression hardened even further, as if he feared that possibility, then he looked back at his people and—

“I not allow crack.

Not in this new life. Inside Wall. With Velmourn. With Flying Man.”

Many Stonefangs looked at the Flying Man at those words—some nodded at him, some seemed… stiff.

That was when Gruumak finally came to the main topic.

“There was Stormcaller worm inside Velmourn too.”

The Stonefangs narrowed their eyes at those words.

Gruumak then clenched his fists, like he was crushing something small.

“They catch him.”

A few Stonefangs grunted. Some looked surprised, like they hadn’t believed Velmourn could catch anything.

Gruumak’s voice turned sharp.

“That spy choose live.”

The crowd seemed… confused.

The spy… lived?

It was almost as if they couldn’t comprehend the notion.

“He bend neck. He change side. Under Flying Man.”

He nodded once toward Kael, acknowledging the truth even though he still did not like it.

“He will feed Stormcallers lies when time comes.

He will be secret attack.

Strategy attack.”

A few warriors blinked, nodding to themselves—they could see how this could be useful, even though they would never want to do it themselves.

Gruumak’s eyes turned colder.

“Flying Man offer same to Fraza.”

Again, the crowd did not like it, but they still leaned in, curious.

“He say: ’Help us. Talk for us. Feed enemy wrong words.’”

Gruumak’s lips curled in disgust.

“And Fraza—”

He spat the name like it was dirty.

“He refuse.

He refuse even when chain on him. Even when pain on him. Even when death look in his face.

He refuse side with his people.

He chose enemy. Even in death.”

Gruumak took a step forward.

“He say: ’Execute.’”

And the crowd—

Their anger burst out.

He was given a chance, a chance to make everything right, a chance to correct his mistake and return to his people, and he chose the enemy instead!?

A Stonefang!?

No!

He was no Stonefang!

Stonefang was loyal to his people, no matter what!

This was… a traitor!

Something far worse and lowly than even a traitor!

And in that anger, more, stronger words burst out.

“Stonefang not keep traitor.”

An elder growled.

“Chief should not ask traitor!”

A warrior raised his fist.

“Traitor die!”

“Traitor not live!”

“Traitor cut into pieces. Feed to enemy!”

“Yes! Feed him to enemy he side to!”

More and more Stonefangs raised their voices; their roars grew wilder and rougher.

As for Kael and Lavinia, who were seeing everything play out in front of their eyes, they were… surprised.

Not at the Stonefang reaction—that was obvious.

They were more surprised by Gruumak himself.

All this while, they thought Gruumak was a simple, honest man, but today… they were seeing him in a different light.

Sure, none of what he said was false—Fraza was given a chance to redeem himself and had refused—but that happened after he was beaten senseless for hours, after he was filled with so much hatred that there was no answer but a ’no.’

So while Gruumak did not lie, he did not tell the complete truth either.

He… formed his speech in a way that his people would want Fraza dead…

All because he wanted him dead too.

The couple looked at each other, blinking in surprise. Gruumak, on the other hand—

“This is choice now.”

He continued, this time even slower.

“One.

Execute.

Follow rules. End him.”

The Stonefangs nodded instantly, but Gruumak still gave option two.

“Two.”

He spoke in a disgusted voice.

“Force him to live. Force him to work. Force him to stand beside us when his heart hate us.”

He stared at his warriors.

“You trust?”

Warriors shook their heads instantly.

He stared at the mothers.

“You want near children?”

Mothers pulled children tighter, shaking their heads in anger as well.

Then he turned to the elders.

“You want sleep while traitor breathe?”

“No!”

An elder snarled in disgust.

Gruumak’s shoulders rose at that, and the anger he had suppressed all this time—

It finally spilled out.

“Stonefang don’t carry traitor on back.”

He spoke as he punched his chest again.

“Stonefang law is simple.

Traitor die.

Traitor execute!”

And in an instant—

His people roared with him.

“Execute!”

“Execute!”

“Execute!”

A unanimous cry.

Gruumak stood still and let it happen. He let his people roar what they wanted, then he turned towards Kael and Lavinia and—

“You hear. People decide.”

He faced his quarter one last time.

“Tomorrow, traitor die.”

And at those words,

The Stonefangs cheered again.

“Traitor die!!”

And Gruumak—

He looked at his people and spoke with a hard look on his face.

“No more cracks.”

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