Krrax's fist slammed down on the table, the wood cracking under the impact. "It's not even a siege. It's a harvest. They're... they're farming us for deaths. Every six hours, they come in, kill a few more of my people, then retreat. They're not even trying to win quickly. They're deliberately drawing this out, maximizing the death toll."
"Because they're feeding a ritual," Freda said quietly, her scholar's mind recognizing the pattern. "Every death in this valley has been part of a massive blood magic working. The cult isn't just trying to resurrect the First Demon Lord—they're trying to summon him directly into this location."
Every lizard-folk in the room turned to stare at her, horror dawning on their faces.
"That's... that's why this is happening?" a female warrior asked, her voice barely a whisper. "We're not dying in a war. We're being... sacrificed?"
