Kazaks barged through the wooden door, Yzavynne close behind him.

"Captain Zach—!"

Suddenly, Nert slipped in behind Kazaks, tackling him to the ground and locking him in a chokehold. 

Leeani pointed her crossbow, ready for any threat.

Jiighual stopped mid-bite, staring in shock.

Ruby stood frozen, watching the scene in stunned silence.

"Oh, it's just you, Kazaks," Nert said, loosening his grip with an awkward grin.

Kazaks, struggling under him, shouted.

 "GET OFF ME, YOU SNAKE!!"

Nert replied.

"Sorry, thought you were one of those guys who attacked us earlier."

He steps back and giving Kazaks a hand up.

Kazaks took it, standing and staring at him in disbelief. 

"One of those guys? Wait... what guys?!"

Leeani lowered her crossbow as she explained.

"We got jumped by two men—one with a massive halberd, the other with a machete. It wasn't exactly a friendly encounter."

Yzavynne held up a small bottle with traces of poison still inside. 

"Found this nearby. Poison, no doubt. They must've left it behind in their hurry."

Zach entered the room, emerging from his quarters just in time to catch the exchange. 

He walked over, and Yzavynne handed him the bottle without a word.

"Poison, huh?" Zach turned the bottle in his hand, examining it closely. 

"Where exactly did you find it?"

"Just north of the hideout," Yzavynne replied. 

"Kazaks and I searched further in that direction, hoping we'd run into whoever dropped it. No luck, though, so we came back to make sure everything was okay here."

"So we've got uninvited guests lurking nearby," Nert muttered. 

"Could mean trouble."

Kazaks crossed his arms, frustration clear in his stance. 

"We're not letting them slip by next time. They'll regret messing with us."

Zach held the bottle up to the light, squinting at the faint residue of poison within. 

He tipped it slowly, watching the liquid cling to the glass walls. 

His brow furrowed as he muttered, half to himself, half to the room.

"This isn't just any poison... see how it clings to the glass? It's a mixture of nightshade, wolfsbane, and a touch of belladonna. Whoever mixed this knew exactly what they were doing. It's designed to work slowly—first, a mild fever, maybe even some nausea, then it intensifies over days, drawing out every ounce of strength before the real pain hits."

He shook his head, his voice growing cold and clear. 

"It's meant to slip past your senses, silent but deadly. A weapon for those who want their target to suffer without even knowing what's coming. This was left here on purpose. They wanted to send a message, and it's clear as day: this fight of ours... it's only just beginning."

Kazaks glanced over at Jiighual and Nert, noticing the makeshift bandages. 

"So that's why you two are wrapped up in cloth," he muttered, piecing it together.

Jiighual shifted uncomfortably, nodding as he adjusted the fabric around his leg. 

"Yeah, that machete had a bite to it. Got me good."

Nert shrugged, flexing his arm carefully, wincing at the pull on his wounds. 

"They ambushed me too. Arms and legs are a bit worse for wear, but I'm still standing."

Zach looked between them, his gaze narrowing. 

"If they used this poison on the blade, those wounds might be slower to heal. Could be a lingering effect they counted on."

Jiighual and Nert exchanged a wary glance, the seriousness of the poison settling in. 

Kazaks crossed his arms, looking grim. 

"They planned every detail. We're up against someone who knows exactly how to hit us where it hurts."

Leeani looked to Zach, concern shadowing her face. 

"What do we do now, Captain? With Jiighual and Nert injured and possibly poisoned... we can't just wait around."

Zach stood silent, eyes focused on the vial in his hand, his mind racing through every possibility. 

The weight of the situation pressed down on him—he couldn't afford any missteps. 

As his gaze grew distant, doubt began to creep in, clouding his usual resolve.

Then, Ruby quietly walked over to him, her soft hand slipping gently into his, her fingers warm against his tense grip. 

She looked up at him, her eyes steady and kind.

"You're not alone in this, Zach," she whispered. "We've got each other. We'll figure this out." 

Zach's shoulders softened as her touch melted through his guarded walls.

Her presence reminding him of the strength in their bond. 

Taking a deep breath, he turned to face the group, reassured.

"We're not staying here another night. Now that they've found this place, it's too dangerous. As the sun sets tonight, we leave this hideout. Time's not on our side, so pack only the essentials—your weapons, food, water, bandages, anything we'll need. And anything that could point them back here... burn it. Leave no trace."

He paused, eyes scanning his group, taking in their nods and resolute faces. 

"Gargeal, Qarek, and Andhur are just ahead north side. It'll take us a solid three days, depending on the terrain and what we might face on the way."

As he continued, Zach outlined their escape plan, each word deliberate. 

"We'll avoid the main paths. We stick to the canopy, moving through the treetops, leaping branch to branch, out of sight from the ground. No footprints, no trail for their scouting dogs to follow. We'll survive this—together."

Kazaks, Yzavynne, Leeani, Nert, and Jiighual listened intently, their faces reflecting a mix of admiration and relief at Zach's decisive strategy.

Ruby held Zach's hands tightly, her touch gentle yet firm. 

He glanced at her, seeing the concern in her eyes.

"We'll navigate this storm together, Ruby. I won't let anything happen to you or the others. Just stay close, and we'll find our way through."

Ruby smiled softly at Zach, her eyes shining with warmth and reassurance. 

Zach's gaze widened at the sight of her comforting face, and he found himself returning a gentle smile, though it was more subtle than hers.

In that brief exchange, a quiet understanding passed between them.

 △▼△▼△▼△

Kazaks and Jiighual found a moment of levity amid the chaos.

 They settled down on a sturdy log, each determined to prove their strength in an arm-wrestling match, the crackling fire casting flickering shadows around them.

Jiighual boasted.

"Prepare to lose, Kazaks!"

Kazaks shot back.

"Ha! You wish! I've got the strength of ten men!"

Leeani and Yzavynne circled around them, acting as their enthusiastic coaches.

Yzavynne encouraged, waving her arms like a cheerleader.

"Come on, Kazaks! Use your weight!"

 Leeani chimed in, eyes wide with excitement.

"Focus, Jiighual! Remember your training!"

As they locked hands, the tension built, and the two began pushing against each other with all their might. 

Jiighual's face turned red, and Kazaks strained with determination, both men grunting comically.

Kazaks huffed, digging his elbow into the log for support.

"You call that strength?"

 Jiighual  retorted, gritting his teeth as he attempted to gain the upper hand.

"Just wait until I unleash my secret weapon!" 

Kazaks laughed.

"Secret weapon? What's that? Your charm?"

Just then, Leeani decided to spice things up. 

With a mischievous glint in her eye, she tossed a small piece of steak into the air towards Jiighual.

"Catch!"

In a surprising twist, Jiighual snapped his mouth open and caught the steak mid-air, the piece disappearing as if he'd just devoured the essence of strength itself. 

His eyes widened, and he suddenly seemed to swell with power.

"Whoa! I feel unstoppable!"

"Wait, no fair! You can't just eat your way to victory!"

"Oh, yes I can!" 

With a sudden burst of energy, Kazaks dug deep, his face turning an even deeper shade of red.

"Not today, Jiighual!" 

He strained against Jiighual's newfound strength, and with a mighty roar, he slammed Jiighual's hand down onto the log.

The group erupted in laughter.

 Kazaks declared, flashing a triumphant grin.

"I told you I'd win!" 

Jiighual said, still panting, trying to regain his composure.

"Steak power! It's a real thing!" 

Meanwhile, Nert lay nearby, blissfully napping through their antics, snoring softly.

Jiighual pouted in mock defeat, Kazaks basked in his victory.

 △▼△▼△▼△

Zach and Ruby sat together on another log, watching the playful competition unfold. 

Ruby chuckled at the sight, her laughter light and genuine.

"Looks like Kazaks is the true champion, even with steak in the mix!" she teased, leaning against Zach's shoulder.

"Let's hope they don't break the log," Zach replied. 

"We might need it later.

Ruby smiled softly, resting her head against his shoulder, her voice dropping to a gentler tone.

"Zach, is something weighing on you? Something you can't share with anyone else?" 

"What makes you ask that?"

"You've been different. Not just tense or worn out—everyone's feeling that. But it's like there's something deeper, something pulling you away."

"I guess there are things I still can't shake. There's this purpose I'm meant to fulfill, something I'm supposed to see through. But it's tangled up now."

Ruby tilted her head, her brow furrowing. 

"Tangled how?"

"I wonder if this path, everything we're doing—" Zach motioned to the scene around them..

"—if it's worth what I thought it was. Or if returning would just be starting all over, only to lose what we're building now."

Ruby said.

"Whatever that purpose is... it's still in you. But maybe there's more to it now than just doing what you thought you had to. Sometimes, when we hold too tightly to an idea, we lose sight of what it could mean to others... or even what it could mean to us."

Ruby looked at Zach thoughtfully, her voice gentle but steady. 

 "Maybe it's about impact, not just the end goal."

Zach replied.

"You're right, maybe there's more to it than before. I just hope I find the right way before it's too late."

 △▼△▼△▼△

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting the forest in a soft, amber glow as shadows stretched out from the trees.

Jiighual strapped his pavise shield firmly across his back, balancing the four heavy sacks filled with their supplies: food, water, and tools. 

"Can't believe it's been a year here. Feels like we're leaving more than a hideout."

Beside him, Kazaks hoisted two sacks with his warhammer securely on his back, while Leeani readied her crossbow and arrows, and Yzavynne adjusted her whip blade.

Kazaks rested a hand on his warhammer, his voice low.

"A year after everything, it starts to feel like home. But I guess we were never meant to stay."

Nert leaned against a nearby tree, watching the smoke drift into the twilight sky. 

He sighed, almost speaking more to the forest than to his friends.

"Strange how nature moves on so easily, isn't it? Trees lose leaves every season, never holding onto what's gone. Maybe that's why they live so long. They just... let go."

He paused, a soft chuckle escaping. 

"Wish it were that easy for us, but maybe it's something to learn from, huh?"

Zach gave a nod, and they moved as one, leaping from tree to tree, their movements synchronized and silent. 

Leaves rustled softly underfoot as they bounded forward, using the dense, high branches to shield their journey. 

Just behind him, Ruby kept pace, her eyes occasionally drifting back to the flames licking through their hideout, now crumbling into ash. 

Zach's eyes lingered on the flames swallowing the remains of their hideout, now nothing but embers and shadows against the dusk.

"We leave pieces of ourselves behind with every fire, don't we? A memory, a shelter. It's like each one's a little grave of what we tried to build."

"But those pieces—they're not just endings, Zach. They're parts of something we carry forward, shaping what we'll become. You're not leaving behind a failure; you're just clearing space for what's next."

He met her steady, understanding gaze, a flicker of something unspoken passing between them. 

Zach set to work, pressing his boots into the soft earth and creating a faint trail of footprints leading eastward. 

Ruby, watching him, raised an eyebrow. "What's all this?" she asked softly.

"Covering our tracks. If anyone tries to follow us, they'll see these and assume we took the eastern path. It should buy us more time if they're tracking us."

Ruby's lips curved in a small, approving smile as she nodded, catching onto his plan. 

With the false trail complete, Zach tightened the strap of his claymore against his hip, grounding himself in the resolve he needed. 

Then, slipping an arm around Ruby, he lifted her, leaping high into the trees to lead his comrades north, with renewed purpose.

This was the start of their next chapter.

Bound to each other and ready to face what lay ahead.

 △▼△▼△▼△

Sanaage and Xertu standing amidst the charred remains of the hideout. 

Behind them, a hundred warriors crowded in, weapons glinting in the fading light—swords, maces, axes, hammers, and shields, all ready for a battle that wouldn't come.

But the Renaissance band was long gone.

"So, where are they, Sanaage? You dragged us here for... what? Nothing but smoke?"

"Yeah, figured we'd be chasing our own shadows. Real smart, huh?"

"Better explain yourself before we take out our frustration on you!"

Sanaage remained still, eyes scanning the charred remains, with Xertu calmly beside him.

"That's the Renaissance band for you—smart enough to burn everything, erase their own trail," Xertu observed. "Should've seen this coming."

"Right," Sanaage said, almost to himself. 

"No surprises here. They've erased whole kingdoms before. They wouldn't leave anything for us to track."

"Well, we could still try the dogs," Xertu suggested. 

"Might pick up a scent somewhere."

Sanaage shook his head. 

"I doubt it. They're ahead of us already. And if there's one thing I hate more than overthinking, it's being outsmarted."

A voice from the back cut in with a mocking tone. 

"You really wasted our time, huh, Sanaage? Nice job."

The warriors laughed, and one grumbled.

"Watch it. The boss's about to snap."

Suddenly, a massive figure in heavy iron armor stepped forward, silencing the crowd. 

He stood over seven feet tall, his gaze sharp as he looked down at Sanaage and Xertu. 

At his side hung a thick sword, and he held a wanted poster with Zach's name scrawled across it, promising twenty gold bars.

"So, you brought us here to waste my time?" His voice was a low, dangerous growl. 

"You know what happens to people who waste my time, don't you, Sanaage?"

The armored warrior's eyes narrowed, and he held up the wanted poster. 

"See this? Enough gold to live like a king. But thanks to you, I'm still empty-handed. So tell me, what's the plan now?"

Unfazed, Sanaage met his gaze. 

"If you're here to babysit, you're in the wrong place. You want Zach? Find him yourself."

The warrior gritted his teeth, towering over him. 

"You think this is funny?"

Sanaage just glanced back at the burnt hideout, calm as ever, his expression unbroken.

The armored warrior's face twisted with frustration as he glared down at Sanaage. 

With a swift, angry movement, he unsheathed his sword.

 The warriors behind him shifted nervously, eyes widening as they sensed what was coming.

Without a word, the armored warrior raised his sword high, prepared to slice Sanaage in half.

Just as the blade began to descend, Xertu moved like lightning. 

He stepped in, fist clenched, and struck the warrior's helmet with a bone-crushing punch. 

The impact was so powerful it echoed, and the iron helmet cracked under the force. Xertu's knuckles were bleeding, but he didn't even flinch. The massive warrior stumbled backward, momentarily dazed, his weapon dropping to the ground. 

He crumpled, unconscious, the weight of his armor heavy against the dirt.

Xertu didn't hesitate. 

He reached back, pulled his halberd from its strap, and with one smooth, ruthless motion, brought it down. 

The blade sliced clean through the thick armor, severing the warrior's head.

For a brief, heavy moment, silence fell over the crowd. 

The other warriors stared, wide-eyed, paralyzed by the swift, brutal efficiency they had just witnessed.

Xertu stood over the fallen figure, his breathing steady. 

He looked back at Sanaage with a calm, unbothered expression.

Sanaage looked over the fallen armored giant, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

He turned to the crowd, his voice steady but carrying a cold, cutting edge.

"Anyone else feeling bold?" he called out. 

"Step up, and my friend here will gladly send you to the grave.

"Silence. Warriors who'd been full of bravado now seemed rooted to the ground, eyes darting nervously.

Finally, one of the warriors dared to speak, his voice trembling. 

"W-What do we do?"

An anxious hush settled over them again. Sanaage and Xertu turned slowly, casting an unyielding gaze over the crowd.

Sanaage walked and knelt down, eyes scanning the burned remains, narrowing in on the tracks left in the dirt. 

He smirked, then traced his fingers along a set of footprints that led east. 

With a sharp look back at the crowd, he stood.

"East. They left these tracks here on purpose, wanting us to follow a fake trail. The clever ones burn their real path behind them to hide any signs, and this... this is a decoy."

One of the warriors raised an eyebrow, still nervous but curious. 

"But why burn everything down?"

Sanaage replied smoothly, pointing to the ash and soot scattered around.

"Simple. To wipe out any real clues. They've burned everything useful, every object that might reveal their plan or direction, down to the last scrap. Only these tracks remain, clear and easy to follow—almost too easy."

He straightened up, glancing back at Xertu, then at the silent crowd. 

"They wanted us to chase them east while they're likely doubling back or heading in an entirely different direction. My guess is they're three steps ahead of us, leading us around in circles."

Sanaage's eyes gleamed with a mix of intelligence and mischief as he continued his analysis, stepping away from the ashes to face the crowd.

He held their attention, the gravity of his words pulling them in.

"Think about it." 

He began, pacing slowly. 

"These Renaissance fools have a knack for clever strategies. They don't just run; they plot, they think. This hideout was more than just a base for them—it was a chessboard, and they were the masters moving their pieces. By burning it, they aren't just covering their tracks; they're forcing us to play by their rules."

He paused, allowing the warriors to digest his words, then pointed toward the horizon, where the sun dipped low.

"Every decision they made, every action was intentional. They wanted us to feel rushed, to underestimate their capabilities. They wanted us to lose focus. The footprints lead east, yes, but who's to say they won't circle back and strike from another direction? They understand that fear and frustration can make even the best warriors falter. They've woven a web of deception, and if we aren't careful, we'll be the flies caught in it."

A few warriors exchanged glances, intrigued despite their anxiety. 

Sanaage smiled, seeing their engagement. 

"This is why I love my work. It's a puzzle, a game of wits. And I always play to win. Our enemies may have the numbers, but they lack foresight."

Sanaage stepped forward, a spark of mischief lighting up his eyes. 

"Alright, listen up, everyone. We're heading north, and here's why. I spotted some suspicious branches over there." 

He pointed toward the trees. 

"They've been broken and disturbed, like something—or someone—has recently passed through. It's almost like they wanted us to look elsewhere, to believe they've gone east where there's no evidence left at all. But they're clever, and we need to be smarter."

"Alright, let's get moving then," Xertu said, his voice brimming with confidence. 

He whistled sharply, a sound that sliced through the tense air.

Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath them. 

A massive figure emerged from the trees, a war elephant, clad in heavy iron armor, came charging through the dense foliage. Its colossal form pushed aside branches like they were mere twigs, creating a thunderous cacophony as it approached.

The warriors stood frozen, eyes wide in shock. 

"By the gods, what the hell is that?"

Sanaage grinned, his excitement palpable. 

"Our secret weapon! This beast will crush anything in its path and strike fear into our enemies!"

Xertu hopped up onto the elephant's back, his stance steady and commanding.

"They believe they've escaped. Let's remind them that shadows don't vanish; they just wait for the right moment to strike."

The chase was on.

With the war elephant leading the way, they were determined to catch their elusive prey.

═════ ◆ TO BE CONTINUED ◆ ═════

◆ ◆ ◆ Author's Notes ◆ ◆ ◆

The war elephant is HUGE! It weighs around 9500 kilograms and has a staggering height of  15 feet!