Chapter 82: The Territory

The journey toward their settlement took the better part of two more days, the group moving slowly through the cracked, uneven terrain of the Desolate Land, stopping only when exhaustion truly demanded it. I kept mostly to myself during the walk, lost in my own thoughts, though apparently that wasn’t an option Mira was willing to accept.

"So, what’s it like out there?" she asked, falling into step right beside me for what had to be the fifth time that day. "Beyond the forest, I mean. Is it true there are entire cities made of stone? Bigger than our whole territory?"

"Something like that," I said, keeping my pace steady.

"And people actually fly around on magical creatures? Or is that just something the elders made up to scare us into staying close to home?"

I glanced sideways at her, unable to fully hide my small smile. "Some people do use flying mounts, yeah. Mostly nobles, though. It is not exactly common."

Her eyes practically sparkled at that, and she immediately launched into another round of rapid-fire questions, barely giving me time to answer one before the next came flying.

Diana, walking a short distance ahead, shot a sharp glance back at us more than once, clearly displeased with how comfortable Mira had gotten around me in such a short time. But short of physically dragging her away, there wasn’t much she could do, and Mira, stubborn as she was, simply ignored every warning look sent her way.

By the time we finally approached the edge of their territory, the sun had begun sinking low behind a distant ridge, casting long shadows across the cracked earth.

"You should probably hide your face for now. Almost everyone here has pointed ears, so a human suddenly showing up—especially right after we escaped captivity—probably isn’t going to go over well," Diana said as she moved up beside me, her tone practical and matter-of-fact.

I nodded, reaching up and adjusting the hood of my cloak to fall further over my face, shadowing most of my features.

"Just keep your mouth shut unless you need to say something. And don’t look at the guards. They’re already jumpy enough without giving them a reason to notice you," Mira said, unusually serious for once.

"Noted."

We reached the top of a small rise, and the land beyond finally opened up before us.

It was bigger than I’d expected, a sprawling collection of wooden and mud-packed houses spread out across a wide, sheltered valley, smoke curling lazily from dozens of chimneys. Still, compared to the sheer scale and standard of the Draven territory back home, this place looked almost painfully modest, more like a single large village stitched haphazardly together than anything resembling an actual city.

A tall, wooden gate marked the main entrance, crude but sturdy, stretching wide enough to cover the entire settlement’s main approach. Two guards stood posted on either side, burly men wearing mismatched, poorly maintained armor, their pointed ears twitching slightly as they watched our approaching group with cautious, tired eyes. It was obvious at a glance that whatever training they had relied far more on raw strength than any real skill.

The moment the group was close enough to recognize, the guards’ tense expressions shifted instantly into something closer to disbelief.

"They’re back... By the spirits, they actually made it back."

The news spread quickly. By the time we made it through the gates, people had already started pouring into the streets. They rushed toward the returning group, calling out names and searching through the crowd for their loved ones. Some broke down in tears the moment they recognized a familiar face.

I hung back near the edge of the gathering, watching quietly as reunions unfolded all around me. An elderly man dropped to his knees, sobbing as he wrapped his arms around a young woman who had apparently been missing for months. A child no older than six sprinted straight into his mother’s arms, both of them collapsing into each other, crying uncontrollably.

Mira, too, was swept up almost immediately, pulled into a tight, desperate embrace by an older woman who could only have been her mother, both of them crying and laughing at the same time, the sound somewhere between pure relief and overwhelming grief finally allowed to surface.

I watched it all unfold from a careful distance, my chest tightening with something I hadn’t quite expected to feel this strongly.

’My own family’s probably still out there somewhere, not knowing if I’m alive or dead.’

The thought settled uncomfortably in my stomach. I thought of Evelyn’s tear-streaked face the night I left, of Yuki curled up alone without anyone to properly look after her, of my parents working themselves sick with worry, and of Nora.

’Nora.’

I hadn’t let myself think too much about her these past few days, mostly because every time I did, guilt and worry threatened to overwhelm whatever focus I had left. I didn’t even know if she’d made it out of the carriage crash safely. I didn’t know if she was alive, hurt, or worse.

’I just need to get home... as fast as I can.’

I pushed the thought aside for now, forcing myself to stay patient. Getting impulsive and reckless here wouldn’t going to help anyone, least of all myself.

After several minutes, once the initial wave of emotional reunions had settled somewhat, Diana finally extracted herself from the crowd, glancing around until she spotted me standing quietly off to the side.

She walked over, her expression composed once more, though there remained a faint, lingering softness in her eyes from witnessing so many families reunited.

"Come with me... Let’s go to see the Master."

I gave one last glance toward Mira, who was still clinging to her mother, before following Diana.

We moved away from the crowded main street, taking a narrower path between the houses. The further we went, the quieter the settlement became. The sounds of laughter, crying, and excited voices slowly faded behind us.