Chapter 102: Kong’gong And Bong

The journey east began almost immediately after the final preparations were completed. There was no grand farewell and no reason to make the departure more difficult than it already was. Ka’z simply exchanged a few final words with those remaining behind before turning toward the eastern path with his companions.

Za’r stood near the entrance with Kong’gong and Lan’ka, watching him carefully as he walked away. Lady Zira, Tu’ka, Tong’a and the others remained farther behind, their expressions subdued as they watched the group disappear into the distance.

Ka’z never turned around and his steps remained steady, his attention fixed on the road ahead as the members of his team followed behind him with their weapons, supplies and the battle ax wrapped securely across his back.

Za’r continued watching long after the group had disappeared beyond the trees. She seemed to be waiting for something, perhaps hoping Ka’z would suddenly stop and look back at them one last time. He never did. Eventually, only the rustling leaves and distant sounds of the forest remained, and Kong’gong slowly turned away from the path. He began walking toward the cave, passing the others without saying anything until he reached Tu’ka. The old kobold stopped beside him and gently tapped his shoulder.

"Don’t feel guilty. He didn’t leave because of you."

Kong’gong didn’t wait for a response. He simply continued walking toward the cave, leaving Tu’ka standing where he was with his eyes fixed on the empty path and a deep frown etched across his face. Tu’ka’s hands slowly tightened at his sides, but he said nothing. There was nothing he could say that would change what had already happened.

Ru’k eventually broke the silence with a bitter chuckle. He shook his head while staring toward the direction Ka’z had disappeared. "I guess we’re not a team anymore."

"No. We will fix everything when he comes back. All we need to do is talk." Za’r immediately rejected the idea, refusing to accept that the group had truly fallen apart.

Her voice carried conviction, but there was something desperate beneath it. She wanted to believe that the distance between them was temporary, that once Ka’z returned they could sit down together and resolve everything like they had done countless times before.

Kurg slowly shook his head. His expression was unusually tired, and the memories of the previous night’s battle were still written across his face.

"I don’t think Ka’z will be the same person when he gets back," Kurg said quietly. "I don’t know why, but that’s what I feel."

What Kong’gong had said earlier kept returning to his mind. Ka’z was now the second strongest warrior in the entire colony, and unlike everyone else, he possessed knowledge and ambitions that extended far beyond the walls of their home. If he succeeded in dealing with the Ashmork Clan on his own, it would only reinforce something that had already begun becoming obvious.

Ka’z didn’t need them to accomplish his dreams.

If he could defeat an enemy hundreds strong with nothing more than his own abilities and the small group that chose to follow him, then why would he continue waiting for everyone else to agree with him?

Why would he continue asking permission before acting?

Kurg feared that once Ka’z returned victorious, making decisions without consulting the others would no longer feel like an exception to him. It would simply become normal.

"It’s all because you just had to call his dream selfish." Za’r suddenly turned toward Tu’ka, her expression hardening.

Tu’ka looked at her but remained silent.

"There were a thousand things you could have said, but you called the dream of a man who only wanted us to have fresh air, feel the warmth of the sun and have a larger space to live in selfish." Her voice trembled with anger. "Now he’s keeping it all to himself. I hope you’re happy!"

Za’r didn’t wait for his response. She turned around and walked toward the cave, leaving Tu’ka standing silently behind her. Ru’k and Kurg exchanged a tired glance but neither tried to stop her. Everyone was too exhausted to deal with another argument, and the emotional weight of the previous night was still sitting heavily on their shoulders.

One by one, they eventually turned away from the eastern path and began walking back into the cave.

Tong’a and O’nil had watched everything from near the entrance, their expressions filled with quiet sadness. Neither elder needed to ask what the others were feeling. They had seen this kind of division before, and their memories of it were far more painful than anything happening now.

During their own youth, a similar disagreement had eventually contributed to a tragedy that claimed the lives of nearly half the colony. Even after all these years, Kong’gong still carried the scars of that period, both physically and emotionally.

O’nil watched the younger kobolds disappear into the cave before turning toward Kong’gong, who was approaching them slowly.

"Was it really wise to let him leave now?"

Kong’gong stopped beside them and looked toward the eastern path for several seconds before answering. He then turned his attention toward Tu’ka, Ru’k and Kurg, who were heading back to the cave.

"Do you remember when I had my first fight with Bong over my dream of leaving the colony to learn more about the world and use that knowledge to make Vaal’kor better?" Kong’gong asked.

Tong’a and O’nil exchanged a glance before both nodded. A bitter smile appeared on Tong’a’s face as the memory returned.

"You had just reached the Silver Stage while everyone else was still Bronze," Tong’a said. "It was obvious you possessed talent none of us had seen before, and Bong insisted that was exactly why you needed to remain here and protect the colony. You both wanted to protect Vaal’kor, but you wanted to do it in completely different ways."

Kong’gong released a heavy sigh and nodded. His eyes remained fixed on the younger kobolds.

"Because of that, I withheld my dream for far too long. I kept telling myself there would be another opportunity, another time when everyone would understand. Then the chief and the other elders grew too old, and the responsibility of leading the colony was slowly preparing to fall on us. I became afraid that if I waited any longer, I would never get the opportunity to follow my dream at all."

His voice became quieter as the memories continued returning.

"So I secretly left the colony and went on my journey. I spent two years traveling, learning everything I could and gathering knowledge that I believed could transform Vaal’kor. But when I finally returned, I found mass graves."

Tong’a and O’nil remained silent.

"In the end, Bong failed to protect the colony, and I was too ashamed of my own decision to leave to share the knowledge I had gathered during those two years. Both of us resisted each other’s dreams until eventually neither dream mattered anymore."

Kong’gong’s expression became heavy. He slowly looked toward the eastern forest.

"Had I been allowed to make that journey when we were still young, when the elders were still strong enough to cover for our stupidity, what do you think would have happened?"

Tong’a and O’nil stared at him, their expressions changing as they finally understood what he was trying to explain.

"You would have gone on your journey, returned to a full home and shared what you learned with everyone," O’nil said slowly. He rubbed his goatee while considering the idea. "The delay was the problem, not the dream."

Tong’a nodded quietly. The possibility was painfully obvious now. If Kong’gong had been allowed to leave while they were all still young, he would have returned long before the tragedy occurred. The knowledge he had gathered could have been used to strengthen the colony, perhaps even preventing the disaster entirely.

Instead, fear and disagreement had forced him to suppress his ambition until the opportunity became almost meaningless.

Kong’gong nodded.

"Exactly. Dreams are not something we should fight simply because they are different. What matters is the intention behind them. The longer you delay them, the more dangerous the consequences become."

He looked toward the cave entrance again.

"Ka’z wants to build a better and more progressive society in accordance to his destiny as the child of prophecy. Tu’ka wants to protect everyone by keeping them here. Both are trying to save Vaal’kor. Their methods are different, but neither of them is trying to destroy what the other loves."

He turned toward the two elders.

"They need to learn how to accommodate each other’s desires and find a middle ground. And it is better they learn that while we are still alive and strong enough to guide them. Otherwise, they risk repeating our own tragedy."

O’nil’s expression slowly softened as he looked toward the cave. He understood exactly what Kong’gong was warning them about.

If they forced Ka’z to abandon his vision, the resentment would only grow. If they forced Tu’ka to abandon his beliefs, he would eventually resist in his own way. And when both of them eventually inherited leadership responsibilities, the disagreement could become far more dangerous than it was now.

It would most likely end with the death of one side, or the fracture the colony between those who wanted to remain protected underground and those who wanted to venture into the world. By then, there might be no elders strong enough to intervene.

"True," O’nil finally said, slowly nodding. "Very true."

His earlier worry began to fade. The conflict was painful, but perhaps it was necessary. Better for the younger generation to confront their differences while the colony still had elders capable of guiding them than to allow those differences to fester until they inherited the entire burden of Vaal’kor.

Tong’a also nodded, his eyes lingering on the empty eastern path.

"Then we just have to make sure they find their way back to each other before it’s too late."

Kong’gong gave a quiet nod, but his gaze remained fixed in the direction Ka’z had gone.

"That is what we will do."