They moved.
The two rows of Walkers, previously as silent as statues, raised their weapons level without warning.
The flames burning upon them were nothing like before, proof that they had entered their combat stance.
Isara was startled.
The Walkers were the strongest fighters in the entire Flame Capital, apart from the heads of its great clans.
Every one of them was an elite chosen from the finest survivors of the trials.
These warriors, who had crawled out of the burned-out ashes, had long since shed their mortal flesh and served only the Sunfire God.
They had accompanied this diplomatic mission only because Isara's special status demanded extra protection.
Yet these Walkers had not moved when they encountered the miners, nor when they met some of Hallownest's elite warriors.
But the moment this mysterious Ze'mer appeared, they moved.
What that meant went without saying.
"Please be careful, Your Holiness. By my estimate, even if all of us attacked together, we wouldn't be able to deal with this bug anytime soon."
"One look at her stance tells me she's absurdly strong."
The Walker at the head of the formation voiced his warning warily.
As the captain responsible for their security, he would never lower his guard under any circumstances.
And the bug before him posed enough of a threat that he was willing to risk grave disrespect by confronting her.
No living creature was unafraid of fire. The miners who had been watching had already fled toward town, frightened by the sudden heat.
Yet Ze'mer's gaze barely shifted as the heat washed over her.
It was not merely confidence in her own strength. As one of Hallownest's Five Great Knights, she also carried Hallownest's honor.
But to Hallownest's soldiers, this scene signaled danger, and they raised their weapons as well.
The