The dining hall within the half-restored ruin was filled with the aroma of roasted meat and herbs that Shiri had prepared. Kairo sat at the head of the long stone table, his plate emptying slower than the others'. He wasn't much hungry; the true weight on his mind came from the three lords who had departed just hours ago.
Lyra, with her silver horns gleaming in the torchlight, had spoken with fire in her tone. Claymond, calm as a scholar and sharp as a blade, had dissected every word with surgical precision. And Jacks, the bashful lord had looked like the type of man who thrived in chaos. Together they had extended an invitation no sane Ruin Lord could refuse—the alliance.
And Kairo had answered.
"I will join you."
The memory of the other lords' satisfied smiles lingered in his thoughts even now, long after they had left.
When the hall quieted down, Shiri and Theo remained by his side. Flint, Onyx and the troops had dispersed to their posts, and the kabolts patrolled the perimeter of the ruin. It was quiet—too quiet, Kairo thought—as if the stone walls themselves held their breath.
Shiri coiled his serpentine lower body into a loose circle, resting his chin on his clawed hand. His slitted golden eyes glimmered in the dim light. "You carry the weight of your choice, Kairo. But from my perspective, you made the only viable decision. To spurn them now would have painted a target on our backs."
Theo nodded quickly, green hair bouncing as he leaned forward. "Exactly. And it's much better that we have strong friends now, right?"
Kairo exhaled slowly, looking down at the grainy surface of the table. "I know. But still, I wonder if I chained myself to something I don't fully understand."
Shiri's tail flicked against the stone floor. "That is the way of pacts and alliances. They are as dangerous as they are beneficial. Accepting their hand is not the end. It is the beginning of a dance. And in dances, one must learn when to lead and when to yield."
Theo clenched his fist. "Then we just need to get stronger. Strong enough that even if they turned their blades on us, we could stand firm."
Kairo looked at them both. Their conviction was like a steady flame, bright against the uncertainty gnawing at him. Slowly, he let himself nod. "You're right. We'll use this alliance, but we will not rely on it. If we are to survive in this world, we must walk on our own feet."
Shiri allowed himself a thin smile, his forked tongue flickering briefly. "Caution will serve you well, Kairo. Trust, but never blindly."
The moment stretched, then settled into silence again. Kairos felt the weight ease from his chest, if only a little.
The next morning, the ruin was alive with motion. Flint barked orders to the kabolts, as scavenger ghouls hunched along the walls, their twisted forms keeping a watchful guard.
Kairo stood on the highest balcony, overlooking his territory. Beyond the ruins lay dense thickets and rocky plains, littered with prowling monsters. That land was both his opportunity and his prison. To advance to Tier Three, he needed more than time. He needed to clear it, to expand.
"Today," he said aloud, voice carried by the wind, "we begin."
He gathered his strike force: Flint at his right, Theo eager with blade in hand, a cluster of kabolts armed with scavenged iron blades, and the scavenger ghouls—weak but loyal.
Their first hunt began with the sun still low. Packs of tusked boars roamed the outskirts, their emerald fur bristling as they growled. The kabolts engaged with howls, clashing iron against tusk. Flint wreathed himself in flame, his blade striking like a falling meteor.
Kairo moved through the battlefield with cold precision, his troops clearing out any monster they find. Where wounds threatened to fell his units, he used the healing salves looted from past raids. Every kill brought him closer to Tier Two's peak.
By midday, the group had pushed further, slaying feral wolves, then a massive lizard-creature that had stalked the ravine edges. The scavenger ghouls tore into carcasses with grisly efficiency, salvaging bones and hides.
Theo wiped sweat from his brow after his blade lodged deep into the skull of a beast. "That's the last of this ridge cleared."
"Good." Kairo scanned the horizon. The land felt emptier now, tamed by their blades. "This is only the beginning. The ruins must no longer be a cage."
By evening, they had carved a new perimeter further outward. Their rule now stretched wider, more secure, Kairos's claim on the land had grown. His mind ticked with possibilities—more barracks, more farms, the path toward his Tier Three territory.
Ratmen. The thought lingered in him. The strange relic he had gotten from Lyra when they formed an alliance. The Ratmen are proficient in crafting and archery, just what kairo needed, but it is still a long way to tier three, where he would have enough slots for the relic to be equipped.
As dusk settled, Kairos came back to the base, unaware of the new danger rising in the distance. The night was coming alive with movement. Shapes. Many shapes.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of beasts, their eyes glowing faintly in the dark. They gathered in a tide, led by something far larger. A wolf, its fur like iron and its body towering above the trees. Its howl rolled like thunder, shaking the leaves and stirring the air.
A figure stumbled between the trees, chased by snarling monsters. A girl—small, barely older than Theo. A pointed witch's hat bobbed on her head, oversized and crooked. She waved her arms, tripping over roots as she fled, her voice carrying high-pitched wails.
"Waaah! Why are you chasing meee?! I just wanted to look around! I wanna go home, I wanna go home!!"
She was crying, yet her eyes glittered strangely with excitement, as though even terror couldn't snuff out her wonder.
The wolf horde snapped closer, teeth bared. The girl's hat nearly fell as she stumbled again, clutching at the brim with one hand and her little satchel with the other.
The beasts surged after her, their rumbling steps shaking the earth.
Another unknow figure was headed towards kairo's domain, another battle was about to be commenced.