The garden remained quiet, the only sounds the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze. Jin and Hanz looked in silence, eyes flicking between each other and Zoltan. The tall leader of the Kharatans seemed completely at ease, tearing into another piece of meat with calm satisfaction.
Zoltan took a slow drink from his cup, then set it down. His dark red eyes moved across the two humans, studying them for a long moment before he spoke.
"My people have come far," he began, voice deep and steady, carrying the weight of years. "In the time since the old wars, we have built something lasting. Our numbers have grown. We no longer wander as scattered hunters. We have homes. Rivers that feed our crops. Children who grow strong under the red sky. These Plains are ours, and we have made them thrive."
He paused, letting the words settle as a light wind brushed through the garden, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers.
Jin and Hanz remained quiet, listening. Jin's expression was guarded, a faint crease between his brows as he tried to read the giant before them. Hanz looked tense, his hand resting near his axe, though he kept eating slowly.
Zoltan continued, his tone shifting, becoming almost reflective, like one recounting an old tale.
"There was once a time… when we were known only as hunters. When the world was younger and bloodier. We fed on humans. We were called demons by those who feared us. We moved through the night, taking what we needed to survive. It was a simpler existence. Raw. Necessary."
He leaned back slightly, the wooden bench creaking under his weight. Another pause, the wind flowing smoothly through the leaves overhead.
"But survival is not the same as living. We learned that. Slowly. Painfully. The old ways brought only endless war. Endless death. So we changed. We built. We claimed these lands and made them our own. No more living in the shadows of greater powers."
Jin's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of unease crossing his face. Hanz shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the story was taking, but both stayed silent, letting Zoltan speak.
Zoltan's voice grew quieter, almost reverent, yet carrying that same unyielding presence.
"We are no longer the monsters of old tales. We are a people. Strong. United. And we will protect what we have built… no matter the cost."
The garden fell silent again, the weight of his words lingering in the air like smoke. Jin and Hanz exchanged another glance, the tension between them and their host thicker than before.
Zoltan stood up slowly, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the table. He took a few measured steps around it, his bare feet silent on the grass. The garden felt smaller under his presence, the gentle breeze brushing through the flowers as he spoke.
"Living this life… it has also become our trap," he said, voice low and thoughtful. "A prison we cannot easily escape. We built something stable. Safe. But safety can be its own kind of cage."
He paused, looking out across the settlement, then continued, his tone turning more distant, like someone recounting a long, painful story.
"I was young during the cruel times of my kind. Our leaders would lead many to their deaths, sacrificing them for false gods, believing they would be rewarded in some greater afterlife. I saw the darkness in the old generation. The hunger for power. The willingness to throw away lives for nothing but pride and empty promises. I was weak then. Stubborn. But I knew something had to change."
He stopped walking, standing still for a moment, the wind tugging at his long dreads.
"I had to grow through it all. Develop. Become stronger. Strong enough to challenge the leaders of my kind. I lost loved ones in the process. Friends. Family. But in the end… I killed the old king. I killed those who stood by him. I killed anyone who still clung to the old ways. I alone understood how much we needed to change. How much we needed to move along with the world."
He exhaled slowly, the weight of memory heavy in his voice.
"My actions led to this. To what we have now."
Zoltan stood quietly for a moment, looking up at the red sky, the faint light catching on his dark red armor. The garden was still, the breeze the only sound breaking the tension.
"Then came the day the Dragon King bathed the human race in flames," he continued, voice quieter now. "It wasn't only the humans who burned. Other races… those the Dragon King did not deem worthy of living on this world… they suffered the same fate."
He bent down, touching the dirt with one large hand, fingers tracing the ground as if remembering the old ashes.
"I had to move my kind away from the flames. The dragons were hunting for us, too. We fled our homes. Abandoned everything we had built over lifetimes. We found these lands, covered in fog and silence. It was safe here. The dragons could not find us. We lived here for years… hidden. Surviving."
Zoltan walked slowly around the table, his tall frame moving with deliberate calm. He stopped behind Jin and Hanz, his presence casting a long shadow over them. The gentle breeze brushed through the garden, but the air felt heavier now, thicker with the weight of his words.
"My kind has lived here for centuries," he said, voice low and resonant. "We have tried to see the outside world. To understand what has become of it. But…"
He paused, the silence stretching as the wind rustled the leaves overhead.
"We have failed to cross the fog. No matter what we tried — ancient rituals, powerful spells, even tearing holes through the barrier itself — we cannot pass through. Each of my people who attempts it is returned. Thrown back as if the land itself rejects us. It is a prison we cannot see, yet one we cannot break."
Jin's expression tightened, a flicker of unease crossing his face as he processed the words.
A prison? The fog keeps them trapped here? That explains why they're so isolated…
Hanz swallowed hard, his hand instinctively tightening on the edge of the table. His eyes darted toward Jin, clearly unsettled by the revelation.
Zoltan leaned down slightly, his voice dropping even lower, almost intimate.
"Until… a few days ago… you humans showed yourselves."
Hanz's breath caught, his shoulders tensing as he stared straight ahead.
Zoltan continued, his tone carrying a strange mix of hope and warning.
"Your presence here has sparked something in me. I remember what humans of the past achieved. What they were capable of when pushed. Having two of you here… it could mean a way forward."
He straightened, the shadow over the table lengthening.
"But you have killed some of my kind. I understand why you did what you did. Survival. Fear. Yet it was still a sin. You took lives from families. From a people who have already lost so much."
Zoltan's voice grew firmer, carrying the weight of authority.
"Your fate depends on what you both do here, that is... if you wish to find a way out."
The garden fell quiet again, the breeze the only sound. Jin and Hanz sat tense, the weight of his words pressing down on them like the red sky above.
Zoltan stepped away from the table, his tall frame moving with quiet authority. He glanced back at them once.
"Try to get comfortable. There is much work to do."
With that, he turned and left the garden, disappearing down one of the stone paths.
The moment he was gone, both Jin and Hanz let out a long, shaky breath of relief. The tension that had been coiled in their shoulders eased slightly, though it didn't disappear completely.
For a moment, they sat in silence, only the smooth breeze passing through the garden, rustling the leaves and flowers. The red sky above cast a warm, almost peaceful glow over everything, but neither of them felt at ease.
Hanz slammed his fist onto the table, the impact shaking the wooden cups and plates. He placed both hands on his face, rubbing his eyes hard before letting out a deep, frustrated breath.
Jin closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. When he opened them again, they were the eyes of someone who had accepted their reality — tired, but steady.
Both of them knew what Zoltan intended. They knew what would have to be done. But what worried them most wasn't the work ahead. It was the realization that they were stuck here. The words about the fog being a prison weighed heavily on their minds, like an invisible chain they couldn't see but could already feel tightening.
Hanz finally broke the silence, voice low.
"So… what now? We just sit here and wait for whatever he wants us to do?"
Jin stared at the table for a moment, fingers tracing the edge of his cup.
"I don't know. We're alive. That's something. But being trapped here… it changes everything. We were supposed to head west. Help with the resistance. Now we're stuck in some hidden settlement with a leader who could kill us any second if he changes his mind."
Hanz let out a bitter laugh, though there was no real humor in it.
"Yeah. And the worst part? We already know what he really wants from us. He talks about humans like we're some kind of miracle, but I don't trust it. Not after what happened in the forest."
Jin nodded slowly.
"He told us to get comfortable… but that doesn't mean we're free. We're tools to him. Or at least… something he thinks he can use."
Hanz leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"I'm just glad we're both alive, man. When that big bastard showed up behind us… I really thought that was it. But here we are. Breathing. Eating. For now."
Jin gave a small, tired smile.
"For now."
They fell quiet again, the weight of their situation settling over them like the red sky above. The peaceful garden felt less like a sanctuary and more like a cage.
Hanz eventually spoke again, voice quieter.
"So… we play along? See what he wants?"
Jin stared at the table, eyes distant.
"We don't have much choice. But we stay sharp. If there's any opening to get out of here… we take it."
Hanz nodded, though his expression remained uneasy.
"Agreed. Just… don't die, alright?"
Jin let out a soft chuckle.
"Right."
He pushed his chair out and stood up. He took a few slow steps toward the other end of the table, his mind still turning over everything Zoltan had said. The weight of it all pressed on him, making the peaceful garden feel smaller, more confining.
Hanz picked up his wooden cup, squeezing it tightly in his hand. He sighed, then looked at Jin.
"Jin."
Jin turned around to face him.
Hanz stared at the cup for a moment, then spoke, voice low.
"Even though I was scared… I heard everything that bastard said. But I didn't know races were being erased back in the past. I do not know of any of it. Well… some of it. Since this is a new era."
Jin turned away, looking at the huts in the distance. Hanz continued.
"The bastard spoke of this guy… the Dragon King. I've never heard of him."
Jin's eyes widened, a look of genuine surprise crossing his face. He turned back to Hanz.
"How is it possible for you not to know?"
Hanz leaned back, shrugging slightly.
"I've never known of a Dragon King. Only the three calamities spread out in the other regions. I've only ever heard stories—"
Hanz froze as he met Jin's eyes, seeing the shocked expression there.
Jin stepped closer, voice urgent.
"What do you mean you don't know the Dragon King? Everyone in Chaos knows of him. Everyone — old or young. So why do you claim not to know?"
Hanz scoffed, though there was unease in his voice.
"Is knowing him really that big of a deal right now? I didn't really grow up in an environment that required knowledge of the world. Besides, throughout my life till now, I haven't heard anyone speak of there being a Dragon King."
Jin was quiet, looking at Hanz with clear confusion. He asked again, almost disbelieving.
"You really don't know?"
Hanz just shook his head.
"I really don't. And the fact that there was a Dragon King annihilating races…" He smiled faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Maybe being born in this era is not so bad."
He finally rose from his seat, spreading his arms wide.
"The big bastard must have lived for a long time to still remember… oh wait, he doesn't because he's stuck here, and he doesn't know shit about what's outside."
Hanz looked at Jin, expression serious now.
"What are we going to do? That giant hasn't left this place, and probably thinks the Dragon King is still alive, still erasing races."
Jin placed both hands on the table, leaning on it as he took a deep breath.
I really didn't know. I didn't know Indura did this much. I didn't know he went after different races.
He gritted his teeth.
Indura... You took so much… even from your own world.
Hanz tapped him on the shoulder.
"You okay?"
Jin sharpened his eyes as he looked down, then replied, voice steady but tired.
"I'm fine. I just need a minute."
Hanz chuckled softly, though there was no real humor in it.
"We all need a minute. But sure… take your minute while the Kharatans plot our deaths."