The sky had barely brightened when Kail's boots touched the edge of the blackened soil.
Ash clung to his boots. The forest clearing ahead had once been a village, but now stood in ruin — huts collapsed, embers flickering in charred wood, and the stench of burnt hair and rotting flesh clung to the air like fog. The sky above was pale, the early morning sun casting long shadows over a scene of devastation. The land that had once been full of life was now a graveyard of scorched remnants, the last echoes of the dead lingering in the heat of the aftermath.
Elric scanned the treeline, his eyes narrowing. "Not raided. This was exterminated."
Kail didn't need to look at Elric to know the grim truth. His own heart weighed heavy as he stood at the edge of the clearing. There were no signs of a struggle, no broken weapons or smashed barricades. This had been no raid. This had been a slaughter.
Kail crouched near a corpse, half-covered in a smoldering blanket. It had once been a woman — elderly, her hand still reaching toward the remains of a child no more than six. A few disjointed pieces of a tattered cloth clung to the child's small body. The smoke hung in the air like a ghost, and Kail felt the burn of tears rising in his throat.
He stood slowly, throat dry, swallowing the lump of sorrow and rage that threatened to spill over.
"We're too late."
The weight of those words sank deep, and the air around him felt heavier with every breath. His heart pounded in his chest, but the coldness of the scene held him steady. They'd been so close.
A faint rustling from behind drew his attention. Mira's sharp voice cut through the tension, "Movement!" she whispered, her fingers nimbly nocking an arrow to her bow.
Between collapsed huts, a faint shape huddled — small, limping, dragging something heavy behind them. It was a boy, no older than ten. He moved slowly, his body covered in soot, his wide, terrified eyes scanning the remains of the village like a rabbit searching for a predator.
Kail moved first, stepping toward the child with slow, measured steps. His voice was soft, careful, not wanting to startle him. "We're not here to hurt you," he said, lowering his weapon. "We're here to help."
The boy's eyes locked onto Kail's, his breath coming in rapid gasps. He looked behind him as though expecting something worse to emerge from the smoke. His hand gripped a heavy cooking pot, and his face was smeared with soot.
"No more fire!" the boy whimpered. "Please—no more fire!"
Kail kneeled, keeping his hands visible and his movements slow, trying to reassure the child. "It's alright," he said gently. "We're not here to hurt you. I'm Kail. What's your name?"
The boy sniffled, his voice shaking as he spoke. "Fenn."
"Where are the others?" Kail asked quietly.
Fenn's gaze dropped to the ground. "Gone. All gone. Took the strong ones. Burned the rest."
System Alert – Branching Path Triggered
Diplomatic Decision DetectedSurvivor Found: Fenn (Age: 10, Trauma Status: Severe)Optional Rescue: Track Captives or Return with FennWarning: Delay may cause captives to be lost
Internal Thought – KailCaptives. That meant slavers. Raiders. Or worse.
If someone was bold enough to burn a village this close to Greyvine, they were sending a message.
Kail felt the weight of Fenn's words settle heavily in his chest. His mind raced, flickering through the possibilities — bandits, slavers, or worse, marauding raiders with no fear of reprisal. This attack wasn't just a random act of violence; it was a clear signal.
He thought back to Mira's words earlier, "You're not just building a village, you're building people." What kind of leader could he be if he ignored cries for help simply to protect the small peace he had fought for in Greyvine? What kind of man would he be to turn away from the pain of others?
The decision gnawed at him, a struggle between protecting his people and doing what was right.
He looked at Mira and Elric. "We need to track them. We're not just leaving them behind."
Mira's expression faltered, but she nodded. "This isn't like setting traps or planting grain, Kail. If we fight… some of us might not come back."
Kail didn't flinch. His eyes hardened with resolve as he met her gaze. "Then we win. Or Greyvine will always be one fire away from disappearing."
System Update – Active Path ChosenQuest Path: Liberation Fire (Quest Chain – Part II)Objective: Intercept Raider BandRewards: KP +12, Ally Faction (if successful)Risk: Combat EncounterModifier: Leadership Skill Boost (Courageous Morale Bonus Active)
Suggested Tools: Rope, Firestarter, Combat WeaponsStrategy Tip: "Ambush and outmaneuver small bands. Leverage terrain and traps."
The journey was long and silent, each step heavy with the weight of their mission. Over the next two days, the trio moved swiftly, following broken branches and torn foliage that led them away from the village's smoldering ruins. The forest felt oppressive as they trekked deeper into the highlands. The sounds of the woods were muted, the air thick with the smell of decay and ash that clung to their clothes.
Each night, they camped cold — no fire, no warmth beyond the dried meat they shared in silence. Fenn slept against Mira, his body trembling every time the wind howled through the trees. Kail watched over him, his thoughts constantly returning to the child's words. The ones who had burned this village didn't just kill—they took captives, people to use or sell.
It was a sickness, spreading like a plague. And Kail was determined to stop it.
On the second night, just as the stars began to fade behind the darkened horizon, they heard voices upwind.
From a bluff above, they saw them — a small camp of six raiders, their filthy faces twisted with greed, their jagged spears and bone-carved axes gleaming in the moonlight. Around them, seven villagers were bound, their faces a mix of terror and hopelessness. Two young women and an elderly man sat together, their hands bound with rough rope.
"They're planning to move at dawn," Elric whispered, his eyes sharp as he scanned the group. "West. Toward Blacksoil Post. Slave exchange route."
Kail studied the terrain, his mind already working. There was a narrow ridge above the camp, tight and rocky. It would be easy to control if they blocked it off, forcing the raiders into a choke point.
A trap.
Kail's lips curled into a grim smile.
At dawn, the raiders moved slowly, packing up their camp with laziness, unaware of the danger just above them. They didn't expect three strangers to strike from the trees.
Mira was the first to act. With a fluid motion, she loosed her arrow, sending it straight into the heart of the lookout. The raiders reacted too slowly. Elric was next, rushing at the nearest raider with his hatchet, and Kail, roaring like a wild beast, toppled a massive boulder from the ridge. The rock crashed into the camp below, crushing a tent and scattering embers across the ground.
Chaos erupted. The raiders scrambled in panic, scattering in all directions. Two of them turned and fled, but one tried to reach the captives. He never made it, falling to Kail's spear, the weapon piercing cleanly through his ribs.
It was over in less than two minutes. Fast. Brutal.
System Update – VictoryCombat Encounter: Raiders DefeatedKP Earned: +12Captives Rescued: +6Morale at Village: IncreasedNew Trait: Tactician I (Terrain Awareness)Faction Reputation Unlocked: Rescued Villagers
The rescued villagers, dazed but alive, clung to each other, their eyes wide with disbelief as they whispered thanks. Tears flowed freely, the weight of their ordeal finally lifting.
One woman, older than the others, stepped forward. Her hair was matted with dirt, but her eyes burned with determination. "I'm Lysa," she introduced herself, her voice strong despite her weariness. "I'm a herbalist. If we come with you, we'll work. I swear it. We'll rebuild, if you have space."
Kail nodded, offering a hand to help lift her onto a salvaged wagon. "We don't have much. But we have room. And fire that builds—not destroys."
Journal Entry – Kail of Greyvine
"The world outside our forest is cruel. But that cruelty thrives only where people turn away. We didn't turn away. And now we're more than a village—we're a shield. This land is still wild. But maybe it's ours now."