The next few days passed agonizingly slow—at least, according to Karma.Each day dragged on longer than the last, making her frustration grow.
Every now and then, she would let out an irritated grunt, and each time, Omar would offer words of encouragement. Which, honestly, didn't help much.Entering Elven Clan territory felt oddly familiar—its landscape resembling the Dwarf Clan in many ways. The only notable difference was the wildlife.
While deer roamed the Dwarf lands, elks wandered freely through the Elven domain, accompanied by an array of exotic creatures. Finally, as the sun dipped lower in the sky, the great village of Abaddon came into view. Karma cheered aloud, unable to contain her excitement.
But there was still half a day's journey ahead, and with night approaching, they decided to set up camp at the edge of a grassy hill overlooking the village. From her perch on the hilltop, Karma gazed down at Abaddon.
Lanterns flickered throughout the village, illuminating the streets with a soft golden glow. At its heart stood an ancient tree, its massive trunk hollowed out to serve as the royal dwelling of King Curlus and his court.
It resembled a castle, just as Karma had imagined it all those years ago—back when her world still felt whole. Beside her, Angel curled up, her long-tailed body pressed against Karma's side. The fox's ears drooped, and her mouth opened every so often, making small smacking noises in her sleep.
Karma smiled, reaching out to scratch behind her ears. Angel sighed contently, sinking deeper into sleep. The moment tugged at Karma's heart. She remembered how Buster, her dog back on Earth, would react the exact same way whenever she rubbed his ears.
Earth. Her old home. A place that now felt more like a dream than reality. This is where I belong now, she thought.
No one had ever understood her back there. She had been alone—with a family that only seemed to love her when she wasn't drawing in that cursed book. Letting out a deep sigh, she lay back in the grass, staring at the night sky. As the sky darkened, stars began to appear, shining brighter and brighter.
Slowly, constellations took shape.Karma traced the familiar patterns—Drago, the Dragon constellation. Orion's Belt. The Big Dipper. But, as always, she couldn't find the Little Dipper. She had never been able to—not even back on Earth.
A thought crossed her mind. Is Dennis looking at these same stars right now? Little did she know, at that very moment, Dennis sat by his bedroom window, gazing up at those very same stars.
The soft crunch of grass pulled her from her thoughts. She glanced up as Omar approached, crouching beside her. The elf followed her gaze to the stars. "You know," he murmured, "my people have stories about those stars." Karma turned to him, intrigued.
"You want to hear one?" he asked. She nodded, propping herself up on her elbows. Omar cleared his throat, then began: "Long ago, humans, elves, dwarves, sprites, and all other creatures did not live in harmony. War spread across the land, villages burned, and lives were lost."
"Then one night, Asteria, the Goddess of the Stars, descended from the heavens. She gathered the warring Clans before her and spoke:" 'My children, how far you have fallen...Hatred has divided you. Greed has destroyed you. This great land was meant to be shared, not divided.' Then, she raised her hands to the sky."
"The stars above began to shift, forming shapes—creatures and figures made of light. She continued: 'As long as these stars remain aglow, there will be peace between your Clans. As long as these stars remain aglow, darkness will never consume this world. And as long as you let these stars shine, disaster shall never come to pass.' With those final words, she vanished in a blinding light, never to be seen again."
Omar exhaled deeply, his eyes still locked onto the sky. As if searching for any sign that the stars might fade. But they only twinkled above him. "Wow," Karma whispered. "That was... powerful."
"Mm," Omar hummed in agreement. Behind them, a monstrous snore shattered the silence. Both Omar and Karma burst into laughter.
"Who knew such a small creature could snore so loud?!" Karma cackled.
"Agreed!" Omar chuckled. As their laughter faded, the night's quiet returned. Crickets sang softly in the distance. Omar's expression grew serious.
"You should sleep," he said. "You'll need the energy when we speak to Curlus tomorrow." Karma groaned. "It's going to be a long day," Omar continued. "And you'd better hope Curlus actually listens to your ridiculous plan."
"Hey!" she protested. Omar smirked, patting her shoulder before standing.
"Good night, Karma." And with that, he returned to the campfire, leaving Karma alone with Angel. Angel snored softly beside her, her long blue tongue flicking out every now and then to lick her black lips.
Smiling, Karma rested her head against the fox's warm fur. The last thing she saw before sleep took her was the dragon constellation, Drago, twinkling above. At the campfire, Omar sat in silence. His gaze drifted between the flames and the stars.
Then—his breath hitched. His hazel eyes widened. One of the stars— Orion's Belt was fading.Drawing a sharp breath, Omar clenched his jaw. He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "So... it has begun."