[Kara] Chapter 27: Picking Up The Pieces (Patreon)

It had only been a day since the Sanctuary City of Alyona fell.

Hayder had known of the Dark Lord’s contingency plan if the barrier had been breached. But even still, he hadn’t expected it to ever come into play. The idea that anything could break through the grand magic that had protected Alyona for a millennia was inconceivable. And yet, that was exactly what happened.

Nothing could have stopped what happened that night. Not even the Guardian of Alyona. Now, a mountain buried Alyona, crushing over a hundred thousand nightmares and the Dreamers along with it.

Would that have been enough to stop them?

The Captain of the First Company didn’t know for certain. When they had all escaped through the other side of the evacuation tunnel, exiting into a nearby valley, he expected to see the pair of Dreamers waiting there, ready to slaughter the remaining survivors of the Sanctuary City.

Fortunately, that nightmare didn’t become a reality. At least, not yet.

Now, the survivors of the Sanctuary City streamed down the barren valley as the oppressive sun beat down on their tired bodies. They hadn’t stopped moving away from Alyona except for an hour-long break when they left the evacuation tunnel. That had been to carry out a quick headcount of the survivors and ensure no one was left behind.

And that had also been when Kara finally reached them to deliver the news.

Hayder had already expected it. But he still held out hope. Even after she had told him what had likely played out. He still believed that she was wrong. But now, as the sun began to set over the horizon, and the survivors of Alyona made camp for their very first night since escaping the destruction of the Sanctuary City, the Captain of the First Company had no choice but to accept the truth.

Dark Lord Koros was dead.

“What do we do now?” Hayder asked.

And there was no one for him to turn to for answers.

—--

Grow stronger.

That was what Kara had decided to do. But she couldn’t set off to pursue her goal right away. And there were two main reasons for it. The first was that she didn’t even know where to begin. Back in Alyona, she could have simply ventured down into the lower tunnels and killed a few Adult giant centipedes.

But right now, she was exposed to the elements of the Xor-In Mountains. While there were definitely monsters wandering about, finding them wasn’t going to be easy, especially when they would be scared off by the sheer number of people gathered together.

Kara didn’t know how many of them there were, but there had to have been at least a hundred thousand survivors. More than likely there was even more than that. She couldn’t tell for certain. What she did know was that only a large enough group of monsters would dare to attack them.

Now perhaps she could have wandered off into the night as monsters emerged from their homes and began hunting for food. And she would have done that. Just not tonight. Because of her second line of reasoning.

It was why she wanted to get stronger in the first place.

Alyona was destroyed, and her friends were killed. So she wanted to become strong enough to ensure that she could protect those around her if the need ever arose again. But before she could even do that, she had to figure out which of her friends were even still alive.

So when the survivors stopped to rest for the night, she didn’t set out and begin hunting monsters immediately. Instead, she scoured the camp to find anyone she knew.

Angel accompanied her, even though he was still weary and grieving. He had napped for half an hour, but that hadn’t been nearly enough time for him to recover from what happened. He still clutched tightly onto Zlo’tan’s crimson pole with his arms. He was hugging it like he thought someone was going to snatch it out of his hands at any moment.

Kara knew Arjin and Dammir were safe. In fact, she had mostly stayed with them throughout the journey across the valley, although they didn’t converse much beyond checking up on one another.

Now, Kara and Angel strode through the encampment. It had been built right at the base of a massive overhang, providing them some shelter from the wind. And while most of the survivors were happy to finally be able to set up camp for the night, there were some who were disgruntled about it.

Particularly, a few of the orc clans, two troll tribes, and a captain Kara didn’t recognize. They gathered around in a meeting with a few familiar faces to her.

Kara exchanged a glance with Angel, before they approached the gathering as they were locked in the middle of a tense discussion.

“...just because your people are too weak to continue, doesn’t mean we should all stay behind and die,” a rather large orc rumbled.

Hayder stood there with his arms crossed. He looked tired, injured, and at his wit’s end. But still, he tried to placate the orc. “Elder Parz, I understand your concern. But we cannot push the people of Alyona any further. They need to rest.”

“But Elder Parz is right,” one of the captains said, nodding towards the orc.

“Captain Karwan.” Hayder frowned as he turned to face the captain who spoke up. “Explain yourself.”

“We do not know if we are safe from the nightmares just yet. If they find us here, so close to Alyona, we will all be slaughtered.” Karwan crossed his arms defiantly.

“Hmph, that is right,” one of the trolls said. “Rat’s tails, our tribe has already lost many lives because of your disastrous lockdown, dark elf!”

Hayder frowned at that. “Chieftain Elias. I cannot stop you from leaving if that is what you desire. However, I must ask you to weigh your options.”

“And what other bloody options do we have?” the orc, Elder Parz, asked as he glared at the Captain of the First Company. “At any moment, those nightmares could reappear, and there is nothing you can do to protect us.”

Kara pursed her lips as she saw Hayder being ganged up on by most of those gathered. His lips pressed into a thin line, trying to formulate a response. But before he could speak up, Tashia stepped forward.

The Captain of the Second Company met the orc’s gaze. “Elder Parz, you may be right, we may not be able to protect you from the nightmares.”

“That is quite evident,” Parz commented snidely, his eyes flickering back in the direction of Alyona.

Hayder’s brows scrunched up together. He looked like he was going to snap. But Tashia stopped him and continued.

“However, those nightmares aren’t all you have to worry about. We are still in the Xor-In Mountains. Storms above— these lands are dangerous and filled with monsters. Especially during the night. Sticking together as a large group will only serve to protect us all from any other threats that may be in the area.”

Both Elder Parz and Chieftain Elias exchanged a glance. They broke out into laughter— which was an odd sight to Kara. She almost never saw trolls and orcs getting along.

“Our people have roamed the Xor-In Mountains all our lives,” Elias said as he nodded at the other troll chieftain. “Hmph, we are a nomadic people. We do not need your help in making it through the night.”

Parz placed a fist on his chest as he grinned. “And my people have always thrived in the Xevik Valley far deeper in the Xor-In Mountains. Or is your dark elf education failing you, girl?”

Tashia’s eyes narrowed at that. “I am well aware of the reputation the Xevik Valley has, Elder Parz. However, we have spoken with Architect Magus Uzbug.”

She turned towards a giant ant standing to the side. Kara blinked at that. Uzbug wasn’t like Xhrkr who was half-spider and half-person. The Architect Magus was an ant with some humanoid features, like how she was standing on two legs, while having four arms.

Tashia continued, “And we must warn you, she has told us of the grave dangers that await us up ahead.”

“We are well aware of that, Captain Tashia,” Captain Karwan said as he nodded. “But we are not afraid of mere insects.”

“It is not just the forminacs you have to worry about. The landscape of the Ashfields itself is deadly to all.”

Karwan scoffed. “So is the terrain in all of the Xor-In Mountains. We know what we are up against, and we are confident in our abilities of making it through to the other side.”

“I see.” Tashia nodded as she glanced towards Hayder.

The Captain of the First Company had calmed down at this point. He took in a deep breath and faced Karwan. “And what will you do after you get through the Ashfields?”

Karwan shrugged as he drew back. “Some of the people of Alyona do not feel safe here, Captain Hayder, Captain Tashia. It is my duty to listen to them and fulfill their needs. My company will lead them to safety. And since you believe that staying with a large group is such a significant priority, we will accompany the orc clans and the troll tribes until we reach the other side of the Ashfields.”

Both Elder Parz and Chieftain Elias nodded in agreement. Hayder pressed his lips thinly together.

“And what will you do after that? Where will you go?” he asked simply.

“We will head for either Tatania or Yulia,” Karwan said, turning away dismissively. He gestured for the orc elder and the two troll chieftains to follow him. “We will figure out our route when the time comes. But for now, what’s more important is that we press on and leave this place before the nightmares can find us.”

Hayder looked between all the figures in opposition to him as they left. Finally, he sighed and nodded. “I cannot stop you if that is what you wish to pursue. But know this—”

Karwan paused and craned his neck back. Elder Parz and the two troll chieftains continued walking, although they did glance back to hear what Hayder had to say. Even Kara was curious about it.

“By leaving us tonight, you will be forfeiting any protection that you have been given by the Sanctuary City of Alyona. So if you are in need of our aid, we may not risk our lives to save you.”

It was a simple statement. The orc and the trolls laughed it off. But Karwan himself seemed to consider it more seriously. He closed his eyes, before scoffing.

“Dark Lord Koros is dead, and the Sanctuary City of Alyona is destroyed. There is no protection you can offer us, Captain Hayder.” Karwan waved back without even looking. “I’d say see you on the other side of the Ashfields, but… that is if you don’t get slaughtered by the Dreamers.”

And with that, they were gone. Kara watched as they began to gather their people and stream away from the encampment.

Tashia placed a hand on Hayder’s shoulder reassuringly as they left. “You are not responsible for the decisions they make, Hayder.”

But he gritted his teeth together as he looked towards the large group of orcs, trolls, and some dark elves making their way out into the night.

“What if they’re right?” he asked, glancing back in the direction of Alyona. “What if we’re making ourselves vulnerable by staying here? The nightmares…”

And finally, Kara spoke up, approaching the gathering. “The nightmares are dead.”

She looked between the two captains, then towards the others who hadn’t spoken up the entire time. Uzbug was one of them, although Kara never met the ant-person before. Bushra was there too, and so were a handful of other captains. They all stared at her quizzically.

“I watched as they were crushed by the falling rubble. They shouldn’t be a worry for us. If anything, we should be more afraid of the Dreamers.” Kara shifted back as she remembered the overwhelming power Adam showed. “But if the Dreamers were after us, they’d already be here by now. So we can assume that something happened between them and Koros.”

The captains exchanged a glance hopefully. Bushra placed a hand on his chin.

“Perhaps Dark Lord Koros could have triumphed over the Dreamers?” he said, and the other captains nodded in agreement, almost pleadingly. “If so, does that mean—”

Kara bit her lower lip as she remembered Koros’s last words. She remembered the look on his face. “I’m… not so sure about that.”

The group grew silent as they heard her words. Some of the captains seemed to be offended by it, while others lowered their heads and fought back their tears. Kara herself wasn’t sure what to believe. But while she would like to hold out hope, she had also seen Adam’s immense power.

And as much as she wanted Koros to come back, she doubted that was going to happen.

“But anyways, my point is I don’t think we need to worry too much about anything chasing after us,” Kara tried to change the subject.

“I see.” Hayder lowered his head. He seemed weary of it all. “Thank you for your reassurances, Ms Kara.”

“Of course.”

She smiled back at him. But then she looked back towards the stream of people leaving the encampment. While she didn’t know exactly how many were leaving, it was a significantly-sized group. At least ten thousand people, if she had to guess.

Oddly enough, she noticed mostly only male orcs joining the group that was leaving.

“Anyways, what was that all about?” Kara asked, turning back to Hayder. “What dangers are waiting for us up ahead?”

Tashia and Hayder looked at each other, before the dark elf woman nodded. She began to explain, “The Ashfields— it’s a volcanic region just up north to the Sanctuary City of Alyona. And it’s a region we have to pass through if we want to make it to either Yulia or Tatania. The only other option would be to turn back, but…”

Kara nodded. “That’s probably a bad idea, right.”

“Storms above— not only is the terrain itself dangerous with lava spouts and rivers of magma, but it is also the territory of the forminac hives. There are plenty of other monsters there too like igna salamanders, of course. But the Ashfields is where the forminacs rule.”

“And forminacs are…?” Kara raised a brow.

Tashia glanced towards the ant-person and stepped to the side. “Forminacs are monsters like Architect Magus Uzbug. She is… special amongst her kind, which is why she is with us, rather than with her hive.”

The ant-person’s antennae twitched, and a voice echoed in Kara’s mind. Captain Tashia is correct. I was exiled from my hive for my… identity, and I sought protection in the Sanctuary City of Alyona. I owe Dark Lord Koros my life.

Kara blinked a few times, before her jaw dropped. “Woah, did you just use telepathy to speak to me?”

I am simply conveying my thoughts through mind magic, Uzbug said as she opened her mandibles— like she was smiling. I have never heard of this ‘telepathy’ before. Is it a form of mind magic?

“I mean, maybe?” Kara scratched the back of her head, before taking the forminac’s hands excitedly. “But wait— can you read my thoughts too?”

The two of them stared at each other for a long moment. Kara’s eyes practically sparkled as she waited for Uzbug’s response. And finally—

I am incapable of reading the thoughts of others, I apologize. But I am only capable of conveying my own.

“Oh.” Kara deflated.

But Uzbug shook her head as she withdrew her hands and peered at the human. I am surprised by your reaction. I did not think that you would take too kindly to me. However, you seem to bear no animosity towards me despite my kind.

“Wait, why should I dislike you?” Kara asked, taking a step back.

And a few of the other captains shuffled their feet, averting their gazes. Uzbug looked towards them fractionally, before shaking her head.

I am a monster, despite my intelligence. Even dark elves would struggle to accept me as a person, and you are a human.

“Firstly, that’s racist— or, uh, speciesist,” Kara started, before she glanced back to the two-headed bear behind her. Angel looked up at her as she continued, “And secondly… I mean, Angel is supposed to be a monster too, right?”

Uzbug nodded as she replied, The utlas bear is a monster, indeed. But they are well-known for their intelligence, unlike a forminac such as I.

“Well, to me, he’s more of a person than someone like… Levi, for example. That guy was a massive asshole. So I don’t really care what you are. I care about what you are. Do you get me?” Kara scratched her cheek, unsure if she explained her logic well.

But the Architect Magus seemed to understand. That is an interesting philosophy. I can see why Dark Lord Koros liked you, Ms Kara. You share a lot of similarities with him.

“I do?” Kara paused. “And wait, you know me?”

Indeed. There have been numerous security meetings held about you. And while I am not a combatant, as the Architect Magus of Alyona, I am still privy to the details of those meetings.

Kara’s brows snapped together. “Security meetings? Wait, I’ve never done anything bad!”

But you are a human, the ant-person stated simply.

“Alright, now that is literally speciesism.” Kara rolled her eyes.

“These meetings were held when you first arrived, Ms Kara,” Hayder interjected as he straightened. “Once you dealt with the human thief, we determined that you were no longer a threat to our security.”

Tashia cleared her throat from the side. “Although… Hayder still sent patrols of guards to keep an eye around your inn to make sure you weren’t doing anything suspicious.”

Hayder glared at her when she said that, but she whistled innocently. Kara folded her arms as she scowled, before she relaxed, remembering the simpler times that felt almost like an eternity ago.

“Well, I just came here to check up on you guys.” Kara turned to the Captain of the Second Company. “Tashia, I met you, like, once, but I’m glad to see you’re alive. And you too, Bushra.”

Tashia blinked, and Bushra uncrossed his arms.

“Hmph, I wish I would’ve been able to contribute more to the battle,” Bushra said, almost frustratedly. “However, I thank you for the sentiment.”

“I appreciate it too,” Tashia said, looking Kara up and down with a smile. “Also, we do need to get to know each other better. I feel like we’d get along.”

Kara laughed as she nodded back at the dark elf woman. “I agree— we should hang out sometime.”

If that’s even possible, Kara added grimly in her head, but quickly dismissed the thought. She turned towards the Captain of the First Company. She met his gaze as he almost looked away.

“Hayder,” she said as she came up to him. She took in his state. She saw the recently-healed scars covering his body, and the exhaustion he wore on his face. Finally, she placed a hand on his shoulder. “Keep up the good work. But don’t push yourself too hard, please.”

“I…” Hayder hesitated. And he nodded back at her. “And I’m glad you and your utlas bear are alive too, Ms Kara.”

Kara glanced back towards Angel. The two of them were taken aback by what the Captain of the First Company said. They hadn’t expected that at all.

Smiling, Kara turned towards Hayder and bowed her head. “Thank you. But you don’t have to be so formal with me. We’ve known each other for a while— even if our relationship hasn’t always been the most, uh, pleasant. Just call me Kara.”

“Very well, Kara. If you insist.” Hayder nodded and stepped back. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work.”

“Of course,” Kara said, and she left the captains behind.

—--

Kara and Angel continued to make their way through the encampment as the survivors of Alyona settled down for the night. There were many small campfires set up across the camp, but there was a large main bonfire at the center too.

While a large group of orcs, trolls, and dark elves did leave the camp, there were still many that stayed behind. Particularly, Kara recognized the orc she saved from Alyona. She spotted him as he lay by a fireplace, covered in bandages and surrounded by his fellow clansmen. They discussed something, and he tried to sit up. But a tattooed female orc forced him back down and made him drink from a soup.

Kara was glad to see the Kurg survived his injuries. When she had rescued him, she hadn’t even recognized him, mostly because they only briefly interacted once before— when he went after Arjin for being responsible for Grok’s death. But Kurg had surprisingly relented after Kara explained that it was all a misunderstanding, and the real criminal responsible, Levi, had already been dealt with.

Kurg lay there as Kara walked by him. But then he spotted her, and he forced himself to his feet, despite the other orcs trying to keep him down. He grimaced as he made his way towards her and he pointed at her.

“You—” he started.

And Kara blinked. “Yes?”

“I…”

Kurg opened his mouth, before hesitating. He seemed to wince in pain from moving, but he still dropped to his knees. His fellow clansmen caught up to him and gasped at his actions.

“Thank you, Madam Human. For saving my life.”

Kara blinked. That was new. She had been called ‘Miss’ plenty of times, but never ‘Madam’. She brought a hand up and gestured for him to stand.

“I didn’t save you. It was your father who sacrificed his life to save us.”

“My father did?” Kurg paused, looking up.

“That’s right,” Kara said as she closed her eyes. “Elder Klogg fought valiantly to hold Adam off. All I did was run away.”

It wasn’t an exact retelling of what had happened. After all, Adam had been stopped only by the combined efforts of the Soulmaster’s machine, Dhofruid, Zlo’tan, Klogg, and Koros, But there was no point mentioning all that right now.

“I… I see.” Kurg raised his head and dropped to his knees. Tears began to stream down his cheeks as he nodded. “My father saved me… I thought that—”

Kara shook her head and drew back. “Elder Klogg was a good person, Kurg. You’re going to succeed him as the leader of the Swordtooth Clan, right?”

Kurg met her gaze, before closing his eyes. “Yes.”

“Make sure you follow in his footsteps and lead your people well.” Kara nodded at him, before she turned around. “I’m sure he’ll be proud of you.”

“Thank you,” he said as he picked himself back up.

His fellow clansmen steadied him, and they broke out into a susurration of voices. But Kara didn’t stay behind to listen to their discussion. Instead, she made her way to the bonfire in the center of the camp, having also spotted another familiar face.

Issa was sitting there with a group of other trolls. They gathered around, passing insects and lizards to each other as they made a stew for themselves. The former food vendor looked up, watching as Kara approached.

Angel perked up when he saw Issa. Some of the exhaustion and the sadness on his face faded away for just a moment. Issa got up and excused herself from her friends, before making her way to Kara.

The two women hugged each other for a moment, before they drew back. Issa patted Angel and gave him a piece of lizard’s tail. He happily munched on it, and nodded at her.

“I’m glad to see you didn’t leave with those other troll tribes,” Kara said with a smile.

Issa huffed and folded her arms across her chest. “I told you, didn’t I? The Zuri Tribe assimilated into Alyona long ago. Also, I have never liked the Boraka and the Azu Tribes. Roach shells, they are a rowdy bunch. So I wouldn’t have followed them even if the Zuri Tribe decided to leave the camp too.”

“Well, I’m happy to see you either way.” Kara opened her mouth, then paused. The smile slowly left her cheeks, and Angel also whined, lowering his head.

“What’s wrong?” Issa asked, noticing the way the somber looks the two of them wore.

Kara took in a deep breath as she placed her hand to her chest. She looked back towards the crimson pole Angel carried, before she faced Issa.

“Issa… Zlo’tan—”

And Kara explained what happened. Issa’s eyes went wide, before she dropped the bowl of stew she was carrying. Her arms hung limply from her sides as she stood there in a daze.

“Oh.” That was all the troll said for a while.

Kara chewed her lower lip. She wasn’t sure if this was the appropriate moment to relay the news. But Issa and Zlo’tan had known each other— they had even been in a relationship before, so they were close.

And Issa deserved to know what happened.

“Zlo’tan was always too kind,” Issa eventually said, shaking her head. She didn’t cry, but Kara could tell that the troll was holding back her tears. “Except when it came to money. But he should’ve been more selfish. He should’ve treated his own life like he treated his gold…”

Issa let out a wet snort— not in laughter, but trying to hold back a sniffle. She wiped at her face, stopping the tears from leaking down her cheeks.

“What an idiot… what good does money do for him now?” Issa whispered.

Kara just stood there silently. Angel whimpered and lowered his two heads. The two of them watched as Issa gave in and began to cry.

And the troll backed away, covering her face. “I’m sorry… I need some time, Kara.”

“I understand,” Kara said softly. “Take however long you need.”

Kara and Angel watched as Issa left the bonfire. The two of them remained silent for a long moment. And finally, Kara turned to Angel and gestured for him to follow her.

“Come on, Angel,” she said as she took him by the paw. “We should retire for the night—”

But the two of them paused when they saw a figure standing right before the bonfire. A shadow was cast over his entire body, but they recognized him immediately

Kara took a step forward and greeted him simply, “Caius.”

The elf shifted his feet and opened his mouth. “Kara—”

He paused, looking around at all the other survivors gathered near them. He inhaled slowly and gestured for her to follow him.

“Can we talk in private?” he asked as he drew back. “Please?”

Author's Notes:

4.5k words. Thanks for reading :)