Three Days Later—
WhooshWhoosh
From multiple openings in the ceiling, a large number of demi-cats began descending— just like Keri did when she first arrived, with closed eyes and arms folded across their chests. They landed one after another as if the ceiling were raining warriors.
Although the cavern was already filled with residents and the ancient, crumbling mud-brick homes that seemed as if they had existed for ten thousand years, the locals didn't resent the new arrivals. Instead, they stood on rooftops, raising their hands and cheering joyfully, "Freedom Fighters! Freedom Fighters!!"
The sight of these young men and women landing amidst them, brimming with enthusiasm and brandishing their weapons, was uplifting. It reignited a long-lost sense of hope. This was the first time in centuries that a unified army, made up of all the available forces from the different clans, had gathered under one roof and one leadership since the calamity of the Valley of Darkness.
Whoosh!
