Chapter 10 - Khodra

"Ma?!" "Di alkantan!" "Ga mun kisil danam, miyolt e nakolt mitted!" Khodra was lost in the chaotic strings of strange words. He tried his best to read their reactions, to recognize any word he could have heard before, but he couldn't keep up with the loud arguing. "Is something wrong?" he finally asked. The other three immediately stopped and looked at him, which made him feel like he was back in school giving the wrong answer to a formula, waiting for the other kids to laugh at him. "Yes, something is wrong." Yala's statement sounded like she was blaming Khodra for not understanding exactly what was going on. "Why don't you tell us why there's a whole fucking army waiting for us outside the forest?!"

Chapter 8 - Tiya

"Where were you anyway?" Yala asked the warrior while she tied her captive to a tree. "I went scouting again. Sadly, I saw no sign of janti survivors. But I did hear the Imperials talk. They're of no mind of leaving, at least not yet. They were planning to send out riders during the daylight to find people who had escaped." There were a few moments of silence as Yala stood right next to Sigey, and just stared at him. Suddenly she kicked some dirt over the fire. "Then what the fuck are you doing roasting shit over the fire like an idiot?!" "We'll need the energy. A few bites of meat is better than nothing." Sigey looked at Tiya and gave a little bow, "if it's alright, good madam, I would like to join you on your journey and offer my protection." Tiya sent him a subtle smile. "And what about the villagers of Barigbal?" "There's not much I can do for them alone, especially with the Imperials still here." "I understand… Then I accept your offer, and look forward to traveling with you."

Khodra

Main character #2 - The Exile

Preceded by frightened cries - the words of which he couldn't possibly make out - a familiar and yet completely new sight greeted Khodra. Imperial cavalry. Not trotting around main squares and palaces to intimidate commoners, but charging through the gates at full speed with their glaives forward. Khodra's mind couldn't process the vision before him. It was something out of a history book. So sudden, so fast and so hard to believe. On some level he knew he should move, run and hide, do something, but he found himself frozen in the middle of the street, the terrible scene approaching at an alarming pace.

Khodra has never been to the Wildlands before, only heard the terrible tales. Tales of the savage wildfolk; bandits and cannibals with endless hatred toward the Empire.

Now he wanders these dangerous lands all alone, desperately trying to figure out where to hide and what to do with his new life. Can he forget his comfortable city life and adapt to the Wildlands before it consumes him?