Oath of the Survivor

The tension inside Resistance territory was evident as Kyle approached Varleez. Travel along the roads was nonexistent, the refugees huddled up as close to the town walls as possible. The scars from the shrike attack were long gone, replaced instead by an oppressive fear. The army camped outside the wall was a new development since his last visit. As such, the empty roads were to be expected. Hard to get a train of refugees if nobody can get to the walls, Kyle thought.

Unlike his departure, Kyle made no attempt at stealth whatsoever. He didn’t go through the heart of the settlement, instead skirting the perimeter in full view of the onlookers.

[ARE YOU SURE THIS IS WISE, DR. MAYHEW?] C.H.A.D.D. asked. [LAST TIME, WE MADE A POINT TO AVOID VARLEEZ.]

“I want them to know we’re here, and moving fast,” Kyle replied. “If we’re lucky, D’Oillelat will be waiting for us at Railen’s Hope.”

[ARE YOU PLANNING TO SHARE EVERYTHING WE LEARNED?] C.H.A.D.D. asked.

Kyle was quiet, the only sound to be heard for the moment the pounding of his feet against the ground. Finally, he spoke. “If she wants to know, she has a right to. We won’t hold anything back. If she doesn’t, we don’t push the issue. Personally, I don’t see it being terribly helpful for her.”

[I LARGELY AGREE, DR. MAYHEW. HOWEVER, IF SHE HAS ANY INSIGHTS INTO ZIERLAN, THAT INFORMATION COULD PROVE VALUABLE TO THE COLLECTIVE.]

An involuntary chill crept up Kyle’s spine at the mention of the gray monster. Kyle was confident the increased attention from the Collective was due to Zierlan’s presence in the area. If he’d run afoul of the Collective before, they would want to see him brought down. Any information about the rogue monster would be valuable to every faction, not just the Verdant Republic.

Of course, the more he shared, the more his own life could be at risk. While he didn’t expect the Collective to sell him out, there was a chance that individuals with a grudge may try to use Kyle to lure the monster out of hiding. Otherwise, individuals sympathetic to Zierlan could try and use Kyle as a way to curry favor. Either way, he would be stepping well outside of his expertise.

“Before we share anything about Zierlan, we need to talk to Jarberry,” Kyle said, voice tinged with an edge of stress. “He’s better connected, and knows more of how things work with the Collective leadership. We’ll follow his lead.”

[THAT SEEMS WISE, DR. MAYHEW. I AM CERTAIN HE WILL HAVE A PERSONAL INTEREST AS WELL.]

“He definitely likes knowing things he shouldn’t,” Kyle agreed, thinking of his diminutive mentor fondly. Jarberry had his own agenda and objectives, but he’d done well by them so far. While he couldn’t trust everybody, the imp was as close as they had to a true confidant, other than Suierrillax. In the wide universe they now found themselves in, allies like Jarberry were invaluable.

C.H.A.D.D. flashed a warning on the map, highlighting a squad approaching from the direction of Railen’s Hope. All D Grade, by the look of things. Kyle prepared himself for a quick skirmish, not slowing his pace. Once they came into sight, however, he broke out into a broad grin.

“Ver’ah, Hanastrel, it’s good to see you!” he called, holding back a chuckle as they both stopped and turned, trying to keep pace with him.

“Slow down!” Ver’ah shouted, activating a boosting skill as he leaned into a full sprint. “It’s good to see you, but what the hell have you been up to? Stop and talk to us!”

“I can’t!” Kyle called back, checking his nav bracelet. A little over 3 hours left. “I’ve got a tight deadline, and I need to speak with D’Oillelat! I have a way to ensure she’s protected, but we don’t have much time!”

Ver’ah fell behind quickly, his speed insufficient to the task of keeping pace. Hanastrel fared a little better, though she was beginning to lose ground as well. “What do you mean, ‘ensure she’s protected?’” the goblin woman asked, panting from exertion.

“I can’t explain all the details, but if she’s willing to come with me, she’ll be protected from Pall’Eth and the other groups who hate her father. The Council of Er’Mithren was destroyed, and getting her away from the new regime is the best way to diffuse this situation before it gets worse. It’ll only be for a while,” Kyle added, still focused on his destination.

“Wait, you want to take Her Majesty away? Off the planet?” The bewilderment in Hanastrel’s voice was palpable, even as she fell further behind.

“Yes!” Kyle called back. “It’ll keep her safe, and give you all the best opportunity to through the chaos. It would just be temporary.”

He wanted to say more, but he was already too far away. Part of the reason he didn’t slow down was due to his deadline. The other part was that Kyle was hitting a wall. His body was beyond its limits, the toll of running Ignition nonstop for nearly 20 straight hours taking its toll. When he deactivated the skill, he had no doubt that he would crash for a while until his mana network and body both had a chance to recover. There would be no quick reactivation.

Despite the exhaustion, Kyle found a pleasant surprise. The pain tolerance that allowed him to get so much farther in Jarberry’s tome translated to the dull ache he felt across his body. The pain was there, certainly, but it wasn’t debilitating. C.H.A.D.D. and the Core of the Parasitic Devourer, which was still unnamed, had taken much of the edge off. Moreover, it didn’t appear that either was suffering significant side effects. C.H.A.D.D. remained focused on its research, while the core continued to give off a general sense of hunger and occasional satisfaction as it consumed a mote of energy from the World Tree Seed.

As he noted before, this came with both benefits and drawbacks. In Kyle’s current circumstances, the benefits were stronger. It was only thanks to the ability to push past his old limitations that he had a chance to meet D’Oillelat before the shuttle arrived, after all.

He passed several other guard patrols on his way toward Railen’s Hope, none of which tried to attack him. These groups were smaller, each containing only a few individuals that bore communication devices.

[IT APPEARS THAT THEY ARE MORE INTERESTED IN TRACKING YOUR PROGRESS, DR. MAYHEW.]

Kyle nodded. “It makes sense. We’re covering ground a lot faster than we did before.”

He did consider the relatively low numbers to be a bit concerning. Was that much of the Resistance trying to protect the wall? That would throw a bit of a wrench in his plans if it were true. Pall’Eth’s forces outnumbered the Resistance by a significant margin, and if circumstances were escalating toward open conflict, he could see D’Oillelat being resistant to the idea of leaving her people behind.

Finally, the outskirts of Railen’s Hope came into view. Waiting for him outside were D’Oillelat, Drokh, and several other faces he recognized from among her advisors and guards. Tension was clear on many of their faces, nervous energy causing them to shift from foot to foot. As they watched him approach, the whispers amplified. At least, until Drokh silenced them with a withering glare. The ogre and D’Oillelat stepped forward to meet him, grim expressions on their faces. Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveI-Fire.ɴet

“I was beginning to worry you got killed, Courier,” the Resistance Queen said. “Now I have an army at my wall, and you conveniently show back up to request a meeting. What happened?”

“It’s good to see you both,” Kyle said. “It’s a long story, and I don’t have time for all the details. Suffice it to say that Pall’Eth destroyed the Council, and tried to have me killed. I managed to escape, but ended up on the other side of the continent.

“From the looks of things outside, he started mobilizing their forces. You probably know what’s happening there better than I do, I was just as surprised to see it. I did manage to break some of their equipment on the way in, at least.”

While he was talking, Kyle noticed Drokh visibly paling. He was considering how to approach it, when C.H.A.D.D. made that decision for him.

[YOU SEEM UNWELL, DROKH. DO YOU NEED TO SIT DOWN? WE HAVE SOME RATIONS AVAILABLE, SHOULD THEY BE REQUIRED.]

“What… what happened to you?” the ogre finally asked. Despite a gnawing headache, Kyle activated Identify, seeing Drokh’s own identification skill active.

“What do you mean?” Kyle asked.

“Your presence has changed, Courier. You smelled slightly of the Scourge before, now your mana is radiating even more. You did more than escape the Council, Kyle.” Drokh deactivated his identification, though his eyes stayed trained on the Survivalist.

“I had a run-in with the Scourge on my way back,” Kyle said, deciding to cut to the point. “I also encountered abominations at Railen’s Folly, as well as a shrike Matriarch. All that to say, it’s been hectic while I’ve been away.”

At the mention of the Matriarch, he saw some excited whispers from the goblins and ogres behind, including Ner’has, the goblin scholar who had been involved in showing the Resistance’s relic, the old flute that helped control the shrikes.

He turned and looked at D’Oillelat. “Now, I have a question for you. It seems like the relationship with the Council has gotten out of hand, but I think I have a solution that can help deescalate. A shuttle will be here shortly to pick me up, provided by the Verdant Republic. And they are offering to take you off-world to negotiate in good faith. Will you come with me?”

The Resistance Queen stepped back as if she’d been struck, while a chorus of whispers stirred up behind her. Drokh didn’t silence them this time, instead looking at Kyle, then back at D’Oillelat. “And they will guarantee her safety?” Drokh asked, a note of hope in his voice.

“To the extent that anything is guaranteed, yes.” Kyle confirmed. “Your planet has great cultural significance to the Republic, and after Pall’Eth’s actions, he is no longer considered a legitimate government. Some details need to get sorted out, but Her Majesty’s safety is a priority for them as well.”

“I’m flattered,” D’Oillelat said. “But I can’t go. Not right now. We’re on the cusp of a bloody war; in case you haven’t noticed.” Her voice had a hard edge to it, an iron resolve mixed with deep anger.

“Your Majesty,” Drokh began, but he was cut off.

“There’s an army on our doorstep, Drokh!” the Queen shouted. “They’ve made it clear they want an open conflict, and they aren’t going to stop if I just disappear. The Council – Pall’Eth – has made his choice. Now they have to live with it.”

“I understand your anger, believe me,” Kyle said. “You getting involved and helping this escalate will only make things worse. How do you think he will spin it, if you get involved? He already tried to pin the deaths of the Council on me and you. If he can paint you in the light of a tyrant out for blood, he will. Do you really want your reign to start built off the horrors of war?”

“I don’t want to reign at all!” she shouted. “Ancestors above, what I wouldn’t give to be able to wander the world without a care. But that’s not a choice I have, Courier. If my choice is to run to safety while my people die, or fight for them and become a tyrant, the decision is an easy one.”

Kyle wanted to argue further, to keep fighting her on the topic. Looking at the resolve in her eyes, however, he faltered. If he were in her shoes, with the power to make a difference, he’d feel the same. Hell, he’d practically built his entire reputation for stepping into things he shouldn’t.

“I understand,” he finally said, shoulders slumping. “I’m sure their offer will stand, if you change your mind. Do you have any means to connect with them?”

“I do not,” she replied, the heat in her voice reduced to a smolder. “If the time comes, they can reach out to me. If I’m still alive, I’ll hear them out. Assuming you arrive as the ambassador, of course.”

Before Kyle could reply, his nav bracelet hummed. He answered, hearing Suierrillax coming through loud and clear. “Kyle, the shuttle is breaking through the atmosphere now, should be at your location in just a minute. Is the princess coming or not?”

D’Oillelat snorted, a smile spreading across her face as she interjected before Kyle could reply. “Most people around here call me a queen, actually.”

“Well, good thing I’m not most people,” Suierrillax replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “Now, are you getting on the shuttle or not? From what I’m seeing, you’ve got a full-blown beast horde attacking the people outside the walls, so hurry up and make a decision, because Mayhew is leaving.”