[Kara] Chapter 21: Difficult Decision (Patreon)

The Sanctuary City of Vera was destroyed.

Kara didn’t know much about the Sanctuary Cities of the Xor-In Mountains. But one thing she knew was that there were only four of them in existence. There had been five at one point, but it was destroyed by their very own Dark Lord.

And now, there were only three left, after the very same Dark Lord who destroyed the fifth went ahead and destroyed the fourth. Or at the very least, that was what Kara was assuming happened.

When she asked around even for further information about the news of Vera’s destruction, she didn’t learn much else. Most of what was said was speculation. But the only things that seemed to be confirmed were that its Dark Lady had been killed, and their refugees were fleeing to the Sanctuary City of Yulia.

How many refugees? How many were killed? And who was responsible for the destruction? Everyone seemed to give a different answer.

Some said that there were no survivors, while others said that a few hundred thousand people managed to escape with their lives. And most said that it was the very same horde of mysterious monsters that was going around the Xor-In Mountains and wreaking destruction, while some believed that it was the humans who did this, choosing to capitalize on the current chaos afflicting the world of demimonsters by destroying the Sanctuary City of Vera.

A few folks even thought that Dark Lady Orvana had gone insane and destroyed her city all by herself, although those were in the massive minority, and their delusions were laughed off.

But Kara knew what others didn’t. She knew about the Dreamers— about Dark Lord Adam’s ambitions. And she knew he was the one responsible for it.

However, the cause or consequences of the destruction of the Sanctuary City of Vera mattered not. All that mattered was that it showed one thing— not even a Sanctuary City was safe anymore. So many refugees had come to Alyona seeking shelter. And now they were starting to realize that their safety was not guaranteed, even here.

So the dark elves, the orcs, the trolls, and even the minotaurs spoke amongst themselves in hushed whispers. If they weren’t safe here, then what was the point of staying?

Some of them tried to make plans to flee Alyona. However, they soon realized the flaw with that plan. If they fled Alyona, where would they go?

They didn’t know.

The only place that seemed safe was venturing beyond the Xor-In Mountains. But that would place them firmly within human territory. And that was probably even more dangerous than remaining here in Alyona.

So no one seemed to know what to do. Everyone except for Caius.

“Well, I enjoyed hanging out today,” he said casually as he waved at her. He had been shaken to hear the news at first, but he quickly got over it, and went off to do… whatever. “We should hang out some other time too. But I’ve got to go now— check up on Koros. I’m sure this whole situation is stressing him out.”

“Right, see you.” Kara watched him go.

And while she was worried about the implications of the destruction of Vera, she decided that the elf’s response was the best one to adopt— that was to resume with her day as per normal. After all, Alyona wasn’t in any immediate danger.

From what Kara had heard, Yulia was in closer proximity to Vera than Alyona was. So if anything, Yulia was the next in line to be attacked by Adam. Of course, the three Sanctuary Cities were all relatively close to each other. Tatania was the furthest away, isolated from them all.

So while she could make plans on what to do, she also had some time to rest and relax after her trip to the lower tunnels. That was why she returned to the innsmith instead of stressing over the news.

But when she returned, she was immediately greeted by an angry, stalky dwarf.

“There ya are! Where did ye bastards go? All ye left me was a damn cryptic note!”

His face was covered in wrinkles, and he was drenched in sweat. It looked like he had been worrying about them all day. Specifically, he was worried about Arjin.

He faced the dark elf woman up and down as she shrank back, before he let out a sigh of relief.

“Where were ye?” he asked, lowering his voice. “I was so worried.”

And Arjin blinked. Her gaze softened, before she lowered her head. “I… I am sorry, Mr Dammir.”

The dwarf paused when she closed her eyes. He stared at her as she continued.

“For what I tried to do yesterday— for trying to leave in the middle of the night without considering your feelings. What I did was wrong. After everything you did for me, I was wrong. And I am sorry.”

She practically pressed her head against the ground as she finished her apology. Dammir stared at her for a long moment, before he sputtered

“What are ye doin’ lowering yerself like that? By Kozli’s beard, raise yer damn head!”

He forced her to stand up, and she blinked a few times.

“I don’t know what has gotten inta ye today. But I’m over what happened last night. Just… tell me the next time ye want ta do anything reckless, alright?”

Dammir met Arjin’s gaze. She smiled, then nodded.

“I will.”

Kara and Angel both watched at this scene unfurled from the side. She smiled as he just wore a confused look on his face.

“I love it when a story has a happy ending…”

“So—” Dammir said, turning to the human. “Where did ye lot go? Did ye go ta have a drink or something somewhere without me?”

Kara immediately averted her gaze. “Uh… where did we go? I, uh, don’t actually remember—”

“We went to the lower tunnels!” Arjin answered simply.

And Kara cursed under her breath, “Fuck— why are you being bold now of all times?!”

Dammir drew back as he scratched his beard. “But aren’t we already in the upper tunnels?”

He genuinely looked puzzled by what Arjin said. And she tried to correct him.

“No, we were in the lower tunnels.”

“Yes, we are in the upper tunnels right now.” He nodded in agreement.

“Not the upper tunnels,” Arjin tried to explain as Kara helplessly watched from the side. “But in the lower tunnels. Where the monsters are.”

“The lower… tunnels?”

Dammir paused. His eyes seemed to slowly cross into each other as he processed what was said.

“Where the monsters are?”

“That’s right.” Arjin nodded with a smile. “Ms Kara brought me—”

And the Dwarf shouted, “Why in the world were ye in the lower tunnels?!”

Arjin winced at that. But she quickly steeled herself and finished what she was saying.

“Because Ms Kara brought me there.”

Dammir’s gaze snapped the blonde woman’s way. She shrank back, trying to hide behind Angel. But the dwarf grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her as he exclaimed.

“Why would ye ever bring Arjin ta a place full of dangerous monsters that could rip her ta shreds?!”

“That’s because I was trying to help her—” Kara weakly protested.

“Help her?” The dwarf shook the human even harder. “How does that help Arjin at all?!”

Kara opened her mouth. “B-because—”

But Arjin spoke over her. “It’s because I wanted to grow stronger.”

And Dammir paused. He let go of Kara as he turned to Arjin with a frown.

“What are ye sayin’?” He narrowed his eyes.

“Kara was only trying to help me—” Arjin began to explain. “So I can grow stronger. So I wouldn’t be so weak. Because I asked for her help to be more like her.”

“I don’t understand, Arjin. What do ye mean by that?” The dwarf eyed her, evidently confused.

She spoke with resolve. “I’m tired of being a prostitute. I’m tired of being used and mistreated by others. I’m tired of being so weak. That’s why I decided…”

Raising her head, she met Dammir’s gaze.

“That I want to become a warrior.”

“What?” His eyes widened.

He swayed where he stood as Kara steadied herself. She watched him process this information slowly. Finally, he opened his mouth.

“But ye don’t have ta do this for yer family—”

“She isn’t doing this for her family, Dammir,” Kara said seriously, clearing her throat. “Arjin is doing this for herself.”

Arjin nodded in agreement. “That’s right. And thanks to Ms Kara, I am stronger now. I am more confident in myself. I feel like I can do this.”

“I—” Dammir caught himself. He looked her up and down as she held his gaze. And finally, he took in a deep breath. “I see. I am glad ta hear that, lassie.”

A small smile spread across his lips as he placed his hands on his hips.

“Whatever ye do or whatever ye become, just know that I’ll always be here for ye. So don’t ye go runnin’ away in the middle of the night again, got it?”

“I understand.” Arjin returned the smile, before bowing her head at him. “Thank you, Mr Dammir.”

He turned away from her and faced Kara. “I don’t know what ye did, but thank ye for helping Arjin again. Yer literally a miracle-worker.”

“Well, I’m just helping out where I can.” Kara shrugged back.

“Still, I owe ye,” Dammir said as he headed into the kitchen. “So how about a round of drinks on me?”

Kara’s eyes flickered as she recalled her mother downing bottles of wine, and the aftermath that came with it. She gave an apologetic look.

“Sorry, I don’t drink. But I’d gladly have some food if you have anything around. I’m starving.”

Angel perked up at the mention of food, and his two mouths began to water. It was like he forgot he was hungry until the idea of eating came to mind.

Kara chuckled at that. And a small feast was thrown at the innsmith, where Kara and Angel ate to their hearts’ delight, while Arjin and Dammir drank the last of the mead they had, as they all discussed what happened in the lower tunnels that day.

But the cheerful atmosphere did not spread throughout the city, and the night was not so joyous for everyone…

—--

Caius climbed up the Dark Lord’s tower and came to a stop right before a partially-opened window at the very top. He peeked his head in and spotted Koros in the conference room with his helmet on in a meeting with a group of his most trusted advisors. The elf recognized about half of the figures gathered there.

Hayder was one of them. And so were the captains from the Second Company to the Tenth Company, along with a few other aides like the various mage architects that had been working on the Dark Lord’s secret project and a large dwarf wearing enchanted plate armor.

Even Xhrkr the High Magus was there, and she hardly ever attended any of these sorts of meetings. She was an aracrid— a half-spider and half-elven creature. Although her skin tone was a mix between a dark elf and an elf like Caius.

Normally, she’d be found too wrapped up in her own research beneath Sentinel Square, never even leaving during an emergency. But she must have understood the full gravity of the situation.

When Caius arrived, the meeting was already well on its way. He could hear a susurration of voices— arguments breaking out about what the plan of action should be.

“We need to evacuate the city,” the Captain of the Fourth Company said, folding his arms across his chest. “Send word to Yulia and the refugees of Vera to do the same. And we can all rendezvous in Tatania.”

“And serve ourselves all in a silver platter ta the Dreamers? Are ye a damn fool?” the dwarf snorted as he crossed his burly arms across his chest.

Hayder narrowed his eyes at that. “Warlord Dhofruid. We invited you to this meeting to ask for your wisdom as someone who has waged many wars in the past. But you must remember, you are a refugee in this city, not a captain. So show your respect to the members present here.”

Dhofruid rose to his feet and sneered. “I ain’t one of these damn refugees running from a disgraced Dark Lord. Ye do not know how many human cities I razed before my defeat. Don’t test me, boy.”

Both the dwarf and Hayder glared at each other for a long moment. But Koros spoke up, stopping the two from arguing any further.

“That’s enough,” he said as his voice practically shook the room. “Any and every suggestion shall be heard and considered. There shall be no infighting over what decision should be made. We need to be united during this time, not divided.”

Dhofruid rolled his eyes at that, and Hayder gritted his teeth. High Magus Xhrkr raised her head. She nodded at the dwarven warlord.

“Dho. Fruid. Is. Cor. Rect. We. Can. Not. Flee.”

All heads turned to her as she spoke slowly. She made a clicking sound in between each syllable, holding the gazes of everyone gathered.

“We. Will. Make. Our. Selves. Tar. Gets. If. We. Leave. The. Ci. Ty.”

“That is true,” the Captain of the Seventh Company piped up. “Our walls are armed with magical defenses, and we can erect a barrier over the city. Storms above— if the Dreamers attack, we will be able to fend them off.”

Tashia, the Captain of the Second Company, frowned. “To do that, we need to implement a full lockdown of Alyona. That means we cannot allow any more refugees into the city.”

“But it also means that nobody can leave the city,” the Captain of the Eight Company, a female orc, piped up. “And perhaps that might become a necessity.”

“Why is that?” Hayder asked as he blinked.

Dhofruid guffawed and leant back in his chair. “Do ye really not know anythin’ that goes on in the city? All the refugees ye so kindly took in are planning on leaving. They think they can run away to Tatania.”

The Captain of the Fourth Company furrowed his brows. “So what if they leave?”

And High Magus Xhrkr answered simply, “That. Will. Di. Min. Ish. Our. Fight. Ing. Ca. Pa. Bi. Li. Ties.”

“That’s right,” the Captain of the Seventh Company said with a nod. “Even if the orc clans cause us trouble, they would be able to provide us with over twenty-thousand able-bodied men to fight back in the case of an attack.”

The Captain of the Eighth Company harrumphed, even as she agreed, “While I despise how they do things, that is still increasing our military capabilities by nearly fifty percent.”

Caius pursed his lips at that. While he knew those numbers were statistically accurate— as there were roughly a thousand soldiers per company, with another thousand in reserves at all times— he wasn’t sure if they were as meaningful as they were being made out to be.

After all, the orc clans wouldn’t have nearly as high of a morale as a soldier of the city. They would flee the moment the tide of battle was turned against them.

“I believe fighting would still be a foolish move,” Hayder said as he looked towards the Dark Lord. “Even with the orc clans, we would have roughly sixty-thousand troops prepared for battle. Last we communicated with Vera, they had fifty-thousand soldiers at the ready. And look what happened to them.”

“That only means our enemy's numbers have been depleted,” Dhofruid countered, waving a hand dismissively.

Hayder lowered his head. “And yet, every time we hear a report from a destroyed city, the number of nightmares have only grown.”

Dhofruid’s lips twisted at that. “Are we battling against undead?”

“No— these nightmares are monsters,” Tashia spoke up as she read from a report. “They aren’t created by necromancy, according to a missive sent by the Necromancer Isaam.”

“And how does he know that?” the dwarven warlord asked her suspiciously.

She explained simply, “Because Necromancer Issam set forth to investigate the Dreamers. But he was killed, and that was the last message he sent to all the Sanctuary Cities.”

“Is. Aam. Is. Dead?” the High Magus asked, her surprise evident in her voice.

“But the fact that Vera is destroyed doesn’t matter,” the Captain of the Seventh Company said, looking over everyone in the meeting. “Vera is the smallest of the Sanctuary Cities. They were barely half our size, even before the refugees came in. And they forcefully conscripted everyone with at least Tier 5 manacore into the military to achieve the numbers they did in case of an attack. Cursed souls— those weren’t soldiers, those were civilians.”

Tashia pursed her lips. “But if we commit to a full-scale lockdown in the preparation of an attack, we will no longer be able to accept any refugees into Alyona. That would cause massive unrest amongst the orc clans.”

“Who cares about that?” Dhofruid brushed off her concerns. “Our only worries should be an attack from the Dreamers.”

“And we are far more ready for an attack than Vera was, thanks to the preparations you have made over the last few months, Dark Lord,” the captain of the seventh company said as he turned towards Koros.

Hayder scowled at that. “But isn’t it still incomplete?”

Koros sat up in his seat. He turned to a figure at the back of the room. “Architect Magus Uzbug?” he asked expectantly.

Everyone else in the room— including Caius who was still outside the window— turned to face the giant ant standing there at the back. It was a forminac. It was a monster, but an intelligent one at that, so it had defected from its hive over a decade ago. And it was now one of the foremost architect mages in the Sanctuary City.

Its antennae twitched as Caius heard a voice in his head. The project is nearing its completion. It will only take a week at most before it is fully finished.

While forminacs couldn’t talk, Uzbug had learned mind magic to communicate with others. Everyone nodded as they heard what it had to say.

“It would be a waste of resources to plan this massive project and evacuate before it can even be used,” another architect mage said.

“Preferably, we wouldn’t want to use it at all,” Hayder almost snapped.

“Most of us are in agreement here, boy,” Dhofruid said, leaning forward in his head. “Ye are one of the few cowards who think we should flee and get ourselves killed.”

Hayder’s brows snapped together. He stood up as he pointed at the dwarven warlord. “You—”

And Koros’s voice boomed again. “I have heard enough.”

Everyone in the room turned to face the Dark Lord. He stood up in his seat and met their gazes.

“This meeting is dismissed. I shall make a final decision in a week’s time. You may go.”

And with that, everyone in the room slowly streamed out. Hayder looked like he wanted to say— like he had something else to add even still. But Koros gave an apologetic smile.

“I trust in your judgment, Captain Hayder. However, for now, I need to be left with my own thoughts.”

“I—” Hayder looked like he was going to protest, then he saluted and drew back. “Yes, Dark Lord.”

The room soon emptied, and it was just Koros alone. He removed his helmet as he settled back into his seat. A minute passed as Caius waited outside the window.

And Koros spoke up. “You may enter, Caius.”

“What, do I need permission to visit you now?” the elf asked as he pulled himself into the meeting room.

“Of course you don’t,” the Dark Lord chuckled softly. “But you were taking too long to enter, I was starting to think you were just going to leave.”

Caius spread his arms wide. “Did you miss me that much? I was only gone for a few hours.”

“Perhaps I did not seek not your presence, but I certainly was looking for your opinions.” Koros smirked back.

“Oh? That’s rare. And what does the wise Dark Lord of Alyona need of a child’s advice?” The elf tilted his head curiously.

And Koros sighed, “You know I do not think of you as a child, Caius. You are an elf far older than I. Even if you are young for your kind, you can offer much wisdom.”

Caius gave a half-pout. “Well, you certainly treat me like a child.”

“Because you are an elf,” the Dark Lord said seriously. “Your kind has been hunted to near-extinction. I cannot allow you to recklessly risk your life for no reason.”

“That’s…” And Caius hesitated, not expecting that response. “A bit too profound for me.”

Koros continued, “But also, you have the temperament of a teenager.”

“Now that’s the Dark Lord I know.” The elf laughed and took a nearby seat.

The two of them chuckled for a moment, before growing silent. They exchanged a glance as the mood in the room changed.

And Koros took in a deep breath. “What do you suggest I do, Caius?”

“Why are you asking me that?” the elf asked, averting his gaze. “Why not ask your advisors?”

“Because you have seen what Adam is capable of,” Koros said simply. “You have seen the destruction of a Sanctuary City. I have never seen these things. I was a mere soldier in the Twentieth Company when Catherine fell. So I am lost as to what to do.”

“You’re not completely lost, are you? Don’t you have that project you’re doing? That whole evacuation tunnel you’re building?” Caius waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the upper tunnels.

He remembered that walled-off section at the edge of the city. There were two tunnels, and he knew that they led straight through to the other side of the mountain.

“So you do have some plans of your own,” the elf said simply. “Good gods, you are such a shrewd man.”

“I do not recall telling you about my project,” Koros sighed, rubbing his temples. “However, it is not only an evacuation tunnel I am building. There is something more to it.”

Caius leaned forward, piqued. “And what is it?”

“You are not privy to that information. Just answer my question, Caius. I am tired. And I do not know what to do.”

The Dark Lord closed his eyes. And for the first time ever, Caius noticed the wrinkles forming on the dark elf’s face. He saw the thinning hairline, and he saw the dark circles. And he realized the immense stress Koros must be facing.

Caius opened his mouth, then caught himself. He looked down at himself. And he recalled the destruction of Catherine.

Finally, he looked back up at the Dark Lord. “There is nothing to do.”

Koros’s eyes flickered open. He raised his head and looked up with a frown. He clearly thought that Caius was joking. But when he saw the look on the elf’s face, he realized there was no humor in what was said.

Caius chuckled bitterly as he held the Dark Lord’s gaze. “Adam will destroy Alyona no matter what you do. Everyone in this city will be killed. Where it happens does not matter. It does not make a difference.”

Koros’s eyes widened, hearing what the elf had to say.

“Adam will destroy Alyona, Yulia, and Tatania. But he will not stop there. He will not stop in just the Xor-In Mountains. He will spread his nightmares out to the rest of Xantos too. Even the humans cannot stop him.”

Caius rose to his feet as he raised his hands in defeat.

“So whether you choose to lock down the city, or you choose to flee, it makes no difference. Because—”

The elf stopped by the window, before glancing back at the silent Dark Lord. He shook his head and exited into the night.

“Adam will become a god.”

—--

And a week passed.

During this time Kara wanted to pay a visit to the lower tunnels again, but she wasn’t given another permit for whatever reason. Bushra couldn’t offer a proper explanation, and Dark Lord Koros was apparently too busy to meet with her.

Not that she was going to demand he gave her priority over everyone else. So while she was a little bit upset she wasn’t able to hunt down more giant centipedes and reach her next ascension, she wasn’t going to complain about it either.

Instead, she did what she could and began training Arjin.

The former prostitute was picking up fighting quite quickly. She had already advanced her manacore to Tier 6, and she was no longer as squeamish as before.

There was no hesitation in her movements as she charged at Kara, thrusting her silver dagger forward.

“Fifth Core: Double Stab!” she shouted.

And Kara easily knocked the weapon away, before tripping the charging girl. Arjin fell face-first to the ground as she groaned.

“O-ouch…”

“Come on, pick yourself up,” Kara said as she crossed her arms. “You’ve got more to show than that, don’t you?”

Arjin tried to rise to her feet, then paused. She stared at a deep gash on her knee, before she paled. She clutched her wound as she began to sway where she stood.

“I-I think I need a bandage—”

While Arjin was less squeamish than before, she was still somewhat squeamish. Especially when she saw her own blood. But less so when she saw other people’s blood now.

Kara sighed as she took a step back. “Dammir has some healing ointments back inside the inn. You should apply it to the wound and rest.”

“Wait—” Arjin protested as she tried to steady herself. “I can continue!”

Shaking her head, Kara waved a hand off. “It’s fine. I haven’t had lunch yet, and Angel is starting to look at me with those eyes.”

She turned towards the bear cub who had been spectating a dozen feet away. He stared at her with pleading round eyes, looking like he hadn’t eaten in days. She pursed her lips.

“I can’t resist that look,” Kara said as she tried to avert her gaze.

“R-right.” Arjin nodded, before bowing her head. “I promise you I will do better tomorrow, Ms Kara!”

“Please don’t call me ‘miss’—” Kara started.

But Arjin was already vanishing into the innsmith and calling out for Dammir. Kara watched for a moment longer, before drawing back and ushering Angel forward.

“Come on, let’s head over to Issa’s shop. We haven’t spoken to her in a few days.”

Normally, Kara would visit the troll every other day just to chat. But ever since returning from the lower tunnels, she was busy with other priorities, like helping Arjin or collecting payment for killing the giant centipedes. Now though, she had some free time, and she couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t craving some skewers of centipede eyes.

So Angel followed her as she made her way through the upper tunnels until she reached the main city. But for whatever reason, the streets of Alyona were far more crowded than usual. The two of them waded their way through the crowds that stretched across the entirety of the main city, even beyond Sentinel Square.

And Kara wondered if these crowds were a result of even more news coming from the other Sanctuary Cities.

“I do need to make some plans about that…” she muttered under her breath.

If Alyona was truly at threat of being destroyed by the Dreamers, it was in her best interest to leave. She could escape to the nearest human city with Angel and be accepted without a problem. But the only thing stopping her from doing just that right away were all the people she had met here so far.

Koros, Issa, Arjin, Dammir, Zlo’tan, and Caius. She had spent enough time around them that she considered them her friends. If not, at the very least, they were close acquaintances who helped her greatly when she first arrived in the city. So she couldn’t just abandon them.

If she was going to flee Alyona, she would have to convince them to accompany her. And that was going to be tough. Especially for Koros.

He was the Dark Lord of this Sanctuary City. He was never going to leave.

But even if not him, she needed to bring Arjin, Dammir, and maybe Caius with her. Because they were the ones she had gotten to know the most. Although, the elf was someone she only really got to know over the last week, because he kept visiting her.

Strangely enough, he hadn’t paid her a visit today yet. But he always came at odd times, so she expected him to appear any time soon.

Kara didn’t know how she was going to convince them to leave with her. That was going to be tough. After all, this was their home. They weren’t just going to up and leave at her behest, who they only had gotten to know over the last month or so. But in a similar vein, she had only gotten to know them over the last month or so too.

“...so maybe I can just leave without them,” Kara whispered quietly to herself.

If they wouldn’t leave the city with her, then she could always just leave them behind. As long as she had Angel, no one else really mattered.

Kara tilted her head back “I mean, I know I called them my friends, but are we really friends friends after knowing each other for such a short period of time?”

She wasn’t sure the answer to that. But her deliberation was cut short as she finally caught sight of Issa’s food stall up ahead. The troll had no customers as per usual.

“Issa!” Kara called out as Angel bounded forward excitedly. “How have you been? It’s been a few days…”

“Hmph, it is good to see you are doing well Kara. I was starting to wonder if you have already left the city.”  Issa nodded back at them.

Kara scratched the back of her head. “Well… I haven’t made a decision on when to leave yet…”

“That is concerning,” the troll said with a frown. “Roach shells— you should make a decision soon. Otherwise…”

But before she could finish, there was a flicker of light coming from the city gates. Kara blinked as she sensed an immense amount of magic washing over Alyona. Her brows snapped together as a susurration swept over the street.

“That is—”

“Storms above, so the Dark Lord is really…”

“I can’t believe it.”

“It appears a decision has already been reached,” Issa said, staring at the magical dome falling over the Sanctuary City.

“What decision?” Kara asked with narrowed eyes. “What is going on?”

The troll shook her head in response. “The Dark Lord was to make an announcement today on Alyona’s status as a Sanctuary City. It seems that he has decreed that the city shall be going into a lockdown for the foreseeable future.”

Kara blinked a few times. “The city is… going into a lockdown? What does that mean?”

“That means,” Issa said as she met the human’s gaze, “that no one will be allowed to enter or leave Alyona.”

“I… what?” Kara’s head spun, hearing what the troll had to say.

Angel raised his two heads in alarm as he realized what that meant too. He looked towards Kara and she met his gaze.

Issa continued, “So if you wish to leave Alyona, you should make a decision right now.”

And upon hearing that, both Kara and Angel moved. They immediately started sprinting down the street as they left the troll’s food stand behind.

The magical dome continued to form slowly up ahead. Kara could see the commotion being caused as the people of the city took notice of it too. She ran past a group of orcs as they started shouting something and pointing in the air. She continued through a brawl that had broken out in the middle of the street. She even spotted Zlo’tan up ahead amidst the crowd watching the closing barrier. But she ignored him.

She ignored it all.

Kara and Angel both ran until they reached the city gates. She paused for a moment to catch her breath as she saw what was unfolding. There was a rush of bodies moving in two directions there. A clash of crowds. Refugees from outside the city were scrambling to make their way inside while they could, while some of those living within Alyona were rushing to get out, refusing to be trapped in what they believed to be a death sentence.

No one knew which was the right choice, but the time to make a decision was running out quickly. Kara watched as the first vestiges of the barrier reached the walls of the city, and continued to descend down into the gates. There were shouts and screams.

And Dark Lord Koros stood above the city walls, watching it all unfold.

She glanced up at him, before looking towards the outside of the Sanctuary City. She saw the Xor-In Mountains spread out into the distance, beyond the camp of refugees waiting outside. A magical storm was raging over the horizon, and a world of death awaited her there.

Then Kara glanced back towards this city that had given her refuge. A place where she had found people she cared about, and where people cared about her too. Perhaps this could be a deathtrap. Maybe it could all be destroyed by the Dreamers.

She didn’t know.

Beyond waited a world of unknowns and uncertainty, while inside waited a place of familiarity and dread. Kara bit her lower lip as she turned to Angel.

“What do I choose?” she asked him as she clenched her fists.

He didn’t seem to have an answer either. But he gave her a look showing that he trusted her. That he would follow whichever choice she made without regret.

Kara looked up at the magical dome that was falling over the city gates. She saw the last of the refugees making their way into Alyona, before she closed her eyes.

And she made her choice as she stood still.

The magical dome collapsed. And Kara raised her head as she opened her eyes. Angel nodded at her reassuringly, and she looked up at the Dark Lord standing atop the walls of the city.

“The Sanctuary City of Alyona has officially entered lockdown,” he announced as his voice boomed throughout the city. “Nothing can enter, and nothing can leave. This barrier is an impenetrable bubble created by Dark Lady Alyona herself. As long as this barrier stands, you will all be safe from the dangers of the outside world…”

And his voice seemed to fade into the background as Kara looked back down towards the gates of the city. She wondered if she made the right choice. She wondered if this had been the right decision.

She calmed her breathing as she took a look at the sea of faces gathered right outside the Sanctuary City, either celebrating escaping the barrier in time, or weeping failing to make it in. For a moment, she almost regretted her decision.

And then she froze as she saw a figure standing amongst the mass of refugees. She recognized it in an instant. How could she not? It was unlike anything she had ever seen before in this world.

There it was.

A hooded figure carrying a staff with a crimson crystal.

A familiar faceless helmet.

A man made of metal.

A machine sent by the Soulmaster.

It was waiting right outside of the Sanctuary City for her. But it had been stopped by the barrier. Now, it stood there, waiting patiently for her, not moving, and not reacting, even amidst the bustling crowd around it.

And as Kara stared at it at the other side of the barrier, she realized that she had made the right choice.

Author's Notes:

6k words. Thanks for reading :)

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