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First, they made their way to Hurdo to get the exact number of surviving invaders. Then, they visited Hurman and his sons to get the tally of their own numbers.

At the same time, Vloz took a moment to chuckle at Rathe’s unresponsive body, “How lucky can you get? Or do you see this as unlucky, since your moment of glory was stripped away? ... Either way, you’ll be facing your father sooner than you would’ve wanted. There’s no more delaying it now...”

The leopard stored the king’s corpse and carefully used his tail to drag Rathe onto his lowered back. Once Rathe was sleeping soundly and more comfortably, Vloz casually strolled out of the dome and walked up the synthetic hill.

Nixt was on the side with a few gorillas. Temporary walls were made around the lava pools, though they weren’t dealt with just yet. That would come in the morning once Nixt had more energy to spare. But they were already marking the ground for what they would do the next day, something Vloz knew Rathe would’ve loved to see.

As for the fort, a large opening was made in the front wall, which was now twice as thick thanks to the back wall being pushed into it. But the opening was being carefully constructed and not crudely rushed.

It was inside the formerly empty walls that camp was being set up. Hurdo was just outside of the front wall and there was a line of foxes to guide the survivors into a corral-like area inside the fort. Those prisoners of war weren’t given much space per person but it was enough. Considering they had just tried to invade the capital, it showed that Iron Army wasn’t heartless to their would-be attackers.

.....

While Puula helped speed up the questioning process, Ania was helping the others set up tents and organize bedrolls for everyone.

This went on until the final sun was nearing its descent through the horizon. And as night set in, the final counting of survivors and fallen had been finished. Carefully, those lost in battle were laid out beyond the front wall with guards taking shifts throughout the night.

Everything passed by smoothly. No other disturbance came to disrupt Iron Army’s victory nor the peace they had earned.

In the late morning after Nixt had slept in, he joined up with half a dozen gorillas and half a dozen frogs. Together, they worked on not removing but repurposing the lava pools. Nixt controlled the streams slowly and carefully to create sloping walls with a spire against the fort wall. The frogs were in charge of cooling the magma’s outer layer to make Nixt’s job easier. And the gorillas were in charge of the final shaping and patching of the structures.

In the end, there were two small, gradually rising walls leading up to the massive, open archway of the fort’s front wall, along with two small watchtowers connected to the wall. And the smaller lava pools were turned into makeshift barriers that could be used to defend the ground in the future.

Also, the fort itself was trimmed and reshaped slightly. It was more professional looking and easier on the eye.

Even the fallen trunks to the west and east were repurposed. Two low-profile platforms were made within the fort walls in dug-out craters. Both were wide and vast but one was still much larger than the other. By midday, the bodies of the fallen were laid across the platforms, the largest being for the invaders.

The lava was dealt with and the fallen were ready to be addressed. The finishing touch was an epitaph and memorial carved into the fort walls to the left and right of the archway, written by Ania.

Finally, they were ready.

Everyone gathered together. The prisoners stayed in their designated area but they could easily see and participate in the ceremony. Those of Iron Army lined the inner walls of the fort and wrapped around where the back wall once was, where the underground tunnel was made before they closed it back up.

Along the top of the fort walls were new sets of stairs and a balcony lining the edge. There, Vloz stood with the major figures of the battle, waiting for everyone’s attention to gradually fall upon him.

“Now...” Vloz spoke. “As Leader Rathe ordered, we’ll commemorate those that made our victory possible.”

As the leopard nodded, Hurman stepped forward to share the spotlight. He took out a scroll and shared a solemn expression. “Though the other side was our enemy, that doesn’t mean they deserve our disrespect. For that reason, an epitaph has been etched into these walls for those of each side, to remind us of what took place here and to stand as a monument for all to witness.

“On the left, it reads, ‘Here lay two hundred and twenty-three cultivators, adepts, elders, and perennials alike. They dared challenge the will of Iron and have hereby accepted the consequences of that challenge. May they find rest beyond death.\'”

Hurman let that linger in the air for a moment. He looked down over the mercenaries turned captives, noting the indifference that most expressed.

“On the right, it reads, ‘Here lay seventy-eight brave souls that gave their lives to protect the will of Iron. They braved the battlefield and paved the way for our future. May their souls live on in our memories and their livelihoods etched into the generations to come.\'”

“HOOOOO!!”

“HOOOOOOOO!!!”

The moment Vloz gave the rallying cry, all members of Iron Army joined in. Even some captives joined the cry, namely the respectful captain that had surrendered with his battalion in peace.