The camp settlement sprawled through the heart of the forest like a wound that had learned to heal. Makeshift tents and wooden structures dotted the clearing, smoke rising from scattered fires as the day's last light painted everything in shades of amber and gold.
High above in an ancient oak, a girl with striking dark brown hair sat perched on a thick branch, her legs dangling freely as she watched the sun sink toward the horizon. She'd taken to spending her evenings up here, away from the noise and bustle below, where she could think and see everything coming from miles away.
Her sharp eyes caught movement in the distance, three dark shapes cutting through the forest's edge. She squinted, leaning forward instinctively, her heart skipping when recognition hit her like a physical blow.
"No way," she breathed, then scrambled down the tree with practiced ease, bark scraping against her palms as she dropped the final few feet. Her boots hit the ground hard, but she was already running, crashing through the underbrush toward the settlement.
"They're back!" she shouted, her voice carrying across the camp like a bell. "Kayden's back!"
People emerged from tents and cooking fires, heads turning at her announcement. She burst into the main area, chest heaving, and made straight for a weathered canvas tent near the center of camp.
"What is it this time, Rika?" came a tired voice from within. "Did you beat up the new recruits again?"
Inside, a man roughly Kayden's age lay sprawled on a narrow cot, one arm thrown over his eyes against the dying light that filtered through the tent flaps. Despite his casual tone, Rika could see the tension in his shoulders.
"They're... they're back!" she managed between gasps, her breath still ragged from the sprint.
Talon's arm fell away from his face immediately. In one fluid motion, he rolled off the cot and pushed past her out of the tent, suddenly all business.
"And he says I'm the excited one" Rika muttered with a smirk, but she was already following him, her earlier exhaustion forgotten.
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The three horses moved at an easy pace through the dappled shadows, their riders relaxed in their saddles after what had clearly been a long journey. Dust clung to their clothes and gear, and their mounts showed the wear of hard miles, but there was something settled about them—the look of people coming home.
Carla dismounted first, running her hands along her horse's neck before loosening the saddle straps. She looked around the familiar forest clearing with something that might have been fondness. "Been a while since I saw this place," she said, though whether she was talking to her companions or herself wasn't clear.
"Time has a way of stretching when you're on the road," Kayden replied, swinging down from his own horse. There was weariness in his movements, but also relief.
Maria followed suit, automatically checking that her sword sat properly at her hip—a warrior's habit that never died. "The forest looks smaller than I remembered."
"Hey! Hey!"
The shout came from uphill, accompanied by wild waving. Kayden looked up to see a familiar figure bounding down the slope toward them, and his face broke into the first genuine smile he'd worn in weeks.
"Is that...? Rika!" His eyes widened as she got closer. The girl he'd left behind six months ago had shot up like a weed, all long limbs and awkward grace.
"She's grown," Maria observed with the faint surprise of someone watching time catch up all at once. "Kids have a way of doing that when you're not looking."
'Six months. Has it really only been six months?' Kayden found himself thinking as Rika closed the distance between them. Then she was there, throwing herself into his arms with enough force to make him stagger.
"Hey there, trouble," he said, automatically reaching up to ruffle her hair the way he always had. Some things, at least, stayed the same.
"You came back," she said against his shoulder, and there was something in her voice—relief mixed with something deeper. "Just like I saw you would."
"Of course I did. What, you think I'd go and get myself killed after all the trouble I went through saving you?" The teasing came easy, natural as breathing, but he felt her stiffen slightly in his arms.
When she pulled back, her head was bowed, and the silence stretched long enough to make him uncomfortable.
"Hey." He touched her chin, tilting her face up. "I'm kidding. You know I always trust those visions of yours."
The smile that spread across her face could have powered the whole camp, but it faded just as quickly when he added, "Though you sure have gotten ..... big since I left."
Her expression shifted to a scowl. "Are you calling me fat?"
"What? No! I just meant—you've grown. Taller. Not fat, just—" He gestured helplessly, caught between laughter and panic at the wounded look on her face.
She turned away with theatrical dignity, arms crossed, nose in the air.
'Kids sure are confusing' Kayden thought, though the truth was more complex than that. Rika wasn't just any teenager. Two years ago, she'd been pulled from a Divine Order laboratory, the only survivor of experiments that had killed dozens other children. The physical scars had healed, but the other kind...those took longer.
She'd attached herself to him from the beginning, refusing to speak to anyone else for months. Gradually, she'd warmed up to the others, but Kayden knew he occupied a special place in her world, part older brother, part savior.
Which made moments like this—normal teenage sulking—somehow more precious than gold.
"Where's Talon?" he asked, looking around the clearing.
"Talon?" Rika glanced around as if just noticing his absence. "He was right behind me when I ran down here. Maybe he—"
"Missing me already?" The voice came from directly overhead.
Kayden looked up to find Talon lounging on a thick branch, grinning down at them like some overgrown cat. Some things, apparently, never changed.
"Still alive I see." Kayden replied with a cocky grin.
"We'll see about that," Talon replied, but his grin widened.
"Stop showing off and get down here!" Rika shouted up at him. "Nobody's impressed!"
"Whatever, brat." Talon dropped from the branch in a controlled fall, landing in a crouch before straightening. "I see you're still as sharp-tongued as ever."
"And you're still living, a bit of a shock" Kayden shot back.
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut, tension crackling between them like static before a storm. Rika let out unconscious sigh
'Why the tension everytime?' she thought.
Then Talon's expression softened, and he reached out to pull Kayden into a rough embrace. "Welcome back, brother."
"Good to be back," Kayden replied, and meant it.
"How are you doing, Maria? Carla?" Talon asked, turning to include the others.
Maria responded with a soft nod. Carla ...with a disgusted scoff towards him.
"Ouch." Talon held up his hands in mock surrender. "Six months away and this is how you greet an old friend? That stings."
"We were never friends," Carla said flatly.
Something dangerous flickered in Talon's eyes. "I see."
The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees. Maria stepped between them before things could escalate further.
"Enough," she said in a voice that brooked no argument. "We just got back. I won't have you two at each other's throats before we even unpack."
Carla stalked off without another word. Talon watched her go, his expression unreadable.
Kayden sighed. Some things, unfortunately, never changed. Over the past year, Carla got along with everyone in their little family—except Talon. The hatred between them was like a live wire, always sparking, always threatening to burn down everything around it. He'd never gotten the full story from either of them, and frankly, he was tired of trying.
"How's the base holding up?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Better than expected." Talon's demeanor shifted back to business. "We've taken in about five hundred new recruits in the last few months."
"Five hundred?" Kayden's eyebrows shot up. "In six months?"
"Most of them are refugees from Divine Order raids," Maria explained. "Elena's been working overtime, spreading word about us to villages in the kingdoms"
"Elena." Kayden shook his head ruefully. "I should have known she'd turn recruitment into an art form."
"She's effective," Maria acknowledged. "I'll give her that. I want to review the new arrivals personally, see what we're working with. You should focus on getting your Lux Flow back up to speed."
'No rest for the wicked, huh?' Kayden thought, but he nodded.
"There's another issue, though," Talon said, his expression growing serious. "All these new people—we're running out of space. The forest can only hide so much. We need a real base, something permanent."
"He's right," Rika added, worry creeping into her voice. "Where are we going to put everyone?"
Kayden's grin was answer enough. "Funny you should ask."
"You found something?" Rika's eyes lit up with curiosity.
"I'll brief everyone once we get back to camp," Kayden said, starting toward the settlement with his horse's reins in hand. "Let's just say our little expedition was more successful than planned."
"Dependable as always," Talon murmured, falling into step beside him. "Come on, brat."
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Rika said, jogging to catch up with them.