Leaving the destroyed Echokinge village and their enemies behind, Crisis and the saviors escorted the villagers they managed to rescue back to their base. The headquarters of the New Saviors was called Savepoint, located in the middle of a large green valley that extended for miles but relatively close to important landmarks and major routes for transportation. It did stand out quite a lot, as the hills around it were too small compared to the size of the base itself, though there was a medium-sized forest on the backside that provided a bit of natural protection from enemies.

The team returned through the north, where the base was completely exposed and could be spotted from far away. Despite being so out in the open, the saviors possessed a strong defense, enclosing their entire base in a sturdy circular wall, tall enough to prevent any unwanted visitors from peeping in. On top of the wall, various watchtowers were located, so they had surveillance of their entire surroundings at all times. And in case they had to defend their base, they already had sentry guns at fixed locations, but their main defensive feature seemed to be the wall itself, as well as the two enormous, heavy gates on opposite sides. They remained closed at all times, only being opened by the orders of the highest-ranked soldiers, Indie being one of them since she got the guards from inside to open the gate for the team as they approached the base.

But as they came to the gate, they noticed more rescued villagers were coming in from behind. The rest of the saviors had gone to the other villages that were attacked and had rescued as many people as possible, much more than the ones at Echokinge. The people from all three villages amassed around the same number of soldiers sent to the battlefield, though it did appear that there were plenty of casualties for both villagers and saviors.

Regardless, they had seemingly done a good job at the rescue, maybe better than they expected, as the saviors looked overwhelmed by how fast the base started filling up once the gates were opened, and the villagers were allowed to come in. The entrance of the base consisted of a large courtyard with a few small buildings close to the left side of the wall, and what looked like the main barracks on the right. Using all of that open space, the saviors had set up sections with mats to welcome the villagers and have them stay momentarily since the rest of the base looked like it was just a tall headquarters building, almost as wide as the diameter of the wall circling it.

–Everyone from Echokinge, please head in this direction. All of the wounded, medical assistance will be provided as soon as possible. Please have patience, we’ll do our best to give you the best treatment– Candy announced as she guided the first group of villagers, taking charge to ensure some order but being polite and softspoken when addressing the wounded.

Some assigned soldiers help Panda, Tricky, and Nitro with the wounded from Echokinge, leading them to their reserved section next to the barracks at the right. Candy then separated the rest of the villagers in two, giving them their own separate space in the courtyard to be treated. Still in shock from the battle, most of the villagers stayed quiet, though some couldn’t help but cry or try to find a way out of being so overwhelmed. Despite this, there was only mild chaos at the beginning, as Candy seemed to be well-versed in dealing with this kind of situation. With her calm and reassuring voice, she was soothing the panicked and confused villagers and getting them to the point where they didn’t resist getting help and cooperating with the saviors, who soon provided them with food and water.

With the whole courtyard now turned into an open hospital, all of the medical assistants were called to the north wing of the base, with the rest of the saviors trying to help as much as possible. There was little to no space for them to walk, and while some were annoyed to be so crowded, it looked like the greater part of the rescued villagers actually appreciated being so close to each other, as they could support one another in these times of grief and tragedy. They didn’t get to interact much though, as the saviors’ priority was aiding their injuries, with Candy taking more time treating the wounded to make sure every villager was comfortable and feeling safe. So even though they were still distressed by the loved ones they lost, Candy was able to control the situation and always answer any of their questions or doubts.

–You killed all of them, right? Or are they still out there? Are they going to come after us??– a fearful lady asked the medic assigned to her, growing paranoid alarmingly quickly, as well as shriveling in discomfort from the mild burn on her right leg. She was being treated by a soldier who didn’t know how to calm her down and get her to stop panicking, as she was starting to worry the other villagers nearby. Luckily, Candy stepped in to take over, leaving the savior to help someone else so she could personally talk to the frightened villager.

–No, they are not, we took care of them. And even if they did, we are here to protect you. As long as you stick close to us, you’ll be safe here– Candy replied with a reassuring smile, managing to convince the lady, though it did take her some time to think it through. Ultimately, Candy seemed to lift the lady’s spirits up with a simple smile, but to make sure, she comforted her by rubbing her shoulder gently, easing her worries before moving on to her next patient.

One by one, Candy spent all her time treating villagers while the rest of Crisis helped the saviors rearrange the base to accommodate all the people that had arrived. Eventually, Candy made it to the warriors who fought bravely to defend Echokinge. There were only seven left, only they had survived. Surprisingly, they only had small cuts and bruises on their bodies, but it was due to them staying farther back from the conflict, only supporting their friends in the front line, who all perished for being the ones to confront the omens face-to-face.

However, it looked like surviving turned out worse for them, as they didn’t look like themselves after the battle. They appeared to be traumatized, their souls crushed for not being able to defend their loved ones better, but it wasn’t their fault. They were all pretty young, just teens or young adults, and didn’t seem to be in the best shape to fight. They couldn’t go back to being themselves after what they had experienced, and Candy realized they were brooding over what they had done with remorse as soon as he saw them all distanced from each other.

They stayed at the back of the courtyard, close to the wall, so they could be left alone to reflect. But with Candy instantly showing interest in the young warriors, she approached them to give them medical assistance. However, even when she got close and began treating them, they couldn’t even look at her; it was like they ignored her, even talking to themselves in delusion, not paying attention to their current reality. But as hopeless as it seemed, Candy still tried to make small talk and cheer them up, just as she did with everybody else while treating their wounds.

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–I know it was tough, but you all did amazing things out there. You don’t know how brave you are to be able to stand up to the omens. You should be proud of what you did today. It takes a lot of effort to defend your own people, so no matter how you think you did, you are all very strong for keeping your friends safe. We really need that around here, so I hope you feel at home because you are safe now, trust me…– Candy reassured in a cheerful and uplifting voice but staying respectful and not overly optimistic in order for them to actually hear her. And while it looked like the warriors couldn’t get over all the losses they suffered today, it seemed like her words actually spoke to them, giving them a chance to look on the bright side.

It did help that she was compassionate, and even quite affectionate, as she gave each warrior pats and caresses, easing their minds, though they remained quiet. In general, her attempt looked like it wasn’t as futile as expected. And since the other villagers were a bit disturbed by the warriors, who were all covered in the blood of their fallen friends, Candy was satisfied with seeing a couple of them smile, even if it was for a brief second. However, she couldn’t move on, as one warrior in particular caught her eye, as he was trying to hide from everyone else at the very back of the courtyard.

–Hey…– Candy called to the warrior after bandaging the leg of another, trying to reach out to him. He was sitting in a fetal position, covering his upper body and face with one of the blankets that a few selected villagers were given by the saviors. The warrior didn’t react when Candy tried to speak to him. But after crawling towards him and seeing that he was concealing his face, Candy worriedly tried to remove it to check on his wellbeing, giving him a light tap on his healthy arm, as the other one looked to be a bit burned around the hand.

–Uhh…– the young warrior whimpered as Candy pulled the blanket from him. He slowly opened his eyes but looked around first before turning his attention to Candy, who recognized him immediately. He was the same teen warrior that she helped earlier. His curly light brown hair was covered in dust, and his whole clothes were dirty, but his face looked in worse condition than the rest, as he looked tired, scared, and almost broken. And just like his spirit, his speech was broken as he struggled to get words out of his mouth. He couldn’t stop stammering while shriveling in the blanket he held close to his body, but Candy still approached him with a smile.

–Hey, you are the one who saved that girl from the house collapsing…– Candy said with a slightly cheerful tone but more surprised to see him yet again. He was startled by her, getting nervous and trying to hide his face again. However, he looked a bit more embarrassed, and not only since some tears were still rolling down his cheeks. He didn’t really know how to stare Candy in the eye, especially because she was staring at him closely, turning more friendly as she kept smiling vibrantly.

–I see you got burnt a little… Can I take a look?– Candy asked in a more lighthearted tone, turning her attention to the wounded hand of the warrior, who shyly offered it for her to inspect but kept shaking. He didn’t say a word, instead remaining fixated on Candy’s big eyes, starting to get flustered as she held his hand carefully. It looked like his heroic act left him with a noticeable burn on his palm, but he didn’t appear to be in so much pain, and if he did, it started going away when Candy began applying some sort of cream. It caused a bit of discomfort at first, but then the teen quickly relaxed while Candy started bandaging him. But instead of letting go after treating the wound, Candy continued to hold his hand with both of hers, much to the teen’s surprise.

–You know, you were very brave to fight. I admire people who give it their all even when it seems like it doesn’t matter or it’s pointless. But you, you really wanted to stand up for yourself and defend what you loved… maybe a bit too much, I had to drag you out of there at one point…– Candy added in a lively but soothing manner, being both appreciative and encouraging, though turning a bit more lighthearted to get a chuckle out of the teen, who remained a bit embarrassed but began smiling a little as well. After a brief silence, his shaking toned down significantly, and now being able to talk, he tried to respond, though he still seemed a bit timid.

–I… I just had to…– the teen replied quietly, mumbling a little, like he was unable to speak, though Candy seemed pleased with his answer. She was patient and waited for him to talk more, but as he soon began tearing up again and turning dejected, she tried to encourage him again.

–I know, you did a wonderful job! So be proud of what you achieved, even if it hurt a little…– Candy affirmed with a warm and supportive smile that the teen couldn’t help but smile briefly in return. His reaction seemed to fill her with joy, as she giggled to herself, breaking eye contact for a moment before immediately staring deep into his teary, dark yellow eyes.

–See, that’s what I’m talking about. I’m starting to see a bit of hope in those cute eyes, hold on to it. I assure you, things will get better…– Candy claimed, getting a bit playful, although maintaining her usual caring and compassionate nature. The teen blushed a little at her compliment but kept smiling, leading to Candy being satisfied with her job and standing up after a gentle tap on the top of his now bandaged hand. However, before she could leave, the teen found his voice again and tried to speak, though he couldn’t deliver his words very loudly.

–H-hey, what’s your name?– the warrior asked sheepishly, almost giving up on talking as he saw Candy was already leaving. However, she turned around with a big smile, and before kneeling, she responded gladly.

–My name is Cassie, but people call me Candy. What about you?– Candy replied proudly, returning the question with interest to the teen, who smiled again after hearing her name, only to get a little nervous to reveal his.

–I-I’m Sc-... Scott…– Scott replied with more shyness, wiping the tears off his cheek. He was apprehensive at first but started getting more comfortable as Candy let out a hearty giggle and stretched her hand to him, to which he only hesitated for a second before returning the gesture.

–Well, Scott… Nice to meet you! See you around…– Candy said with a bright and bubbly smile as she shook Scott’s healthy hand. For a brief moment, they stared at each other with appreciation from both sides, but it was cut short by Tricky calling for her from the other side of the courtyard. Candy let go of Scott’s hand and started walking away, leaving him alone with his own thoughts again. His smile faded away right as she left, but while he kept staring at her, it came back when he looked down at the bandage on his hand, which he held tight to his chest before closing his eyes and lying down on the mat to rest.

| WISH I COULD BE STRONG LIKE YOU

WISH I HAD SOMETHING TO PROVE |