Between Preparation and Purpose

While Zantrayel thrived in reconstruction and growth, a quiet storm of purpose swept through its people. The war had ended—but only for now. The next Queen, the one that Zion had foretold, would come.

And Zantrayel would be ready.

Honor Given, Debt Paid

In the city square beneath the Tower of Remembrance, those who made great contributions were honored.

The names of warriors, builders, medics, tacticians, messengers, and mystics were carved into the living wall, a sacred monument made of breathing stone and soulsteel. The names shimmered faintly in the sunlight, pulsing in rhythm with the heartbeat of the city.

The dead were wept for.

The living were raised high.

Those who had betrayed the people, who acted without cause or conscience, who abandoned sacred oaths—they were punished. Some exiled, some stripped of status, and a few placed under divine probation by the priestesses themselves.

Justice was not swift—it was precise.

Divine Recruitment and Hidden Plans

The gods, though quiet in the public eye, had not gone still.

Silently, they moved.

Shrines whispered invitations to distant tribes and remote warriors.

Dreams stirred in the hearts of individuals not yet called but marked.

Celestial envoys crossed through the veils between realms, carrying scrolls and tasks for souls of promise.

Each pantheon, in its own hidden way, recruited, nurtured, and built a new generation of protectors. Their ranks would not be caught unprepared again.

Missions of Worth

Chosen warriors were sent on missions:

Into abandoned Hive dens to harvest their lingering essence.

To ancient ruins where god relics slept beneath the dust.

Across wild lands where monsters roamed unchecked.

To border-worlds where shadow touched the edge of reality.

Each mission forged them sharper.

Each task brought them closer to divine resonance.

Training Without Cease

Throughout the city, the sounds of training never stopped.

The Coliseum of the 99 roared again, not for sport—but for preparation.

The priestesses took on select disciples, shaping warriors of body and soul.

The Seven Friends of Zion, though focused on civil mastery, ensured their own warriors trained in specialized defense.

Swords were sharpened.

Sigils were tested.

Magic was refined.

Zantrayel would not be caught waiting.

It would stand.

And when the Hive Queen returned,

it would roar first.