Khal took deep and calm breaths as she crouched within a bunch of bushes deep in the Startti forest north of Startton.

The moonless night cast everything in a deep darkness.

This included Khal who was clad in dark armor which helped her sink into the shadows. Dark armor that was made in Coh.

She originally didn’t like it but the armor had saved her life on several occasions, leading to her eventual appreciation it.

Her eyes narrowed upon noticing something approaching from further in the forest.

It looked like a group of five normal humans, only something wasn’t right.

The group got closer and Shakha noticed that they were all wielded small daggers and shields that looked like wooden planks.

Their frail looking bodies were also covered only in thin pieces of cloth.

Khal allowed the group to pass before returning her gaze into the forest deep where she eventually saw a larger group of two hundred men.

These ones wielded proper steel weapons and some of them even wore steel armor.

Walking behind them was a taller man clad head to toe in silver armor.

The man followed the company of soldiers as they walked past Shakha.

That man was Khal’s target.

She dashed out of the bushes while raising her dagger to strike the knights head, but the knight easily blocked the attack using his right hand.

The knight reached out to grab her only for a meter long bolt to pierce his head.

Khal nodded to herself before turning to face the company of soldiers.

She loudly whistled twice signaling that her men emerge from the shadows.

They then hacked apart, bashed and dismembered every soldier within range, filling the forest with screams all while Khal watched keenly.

Some soldiers tried attacking her prompting her to use a long dark whip which was covered in a mesh of spikes.

She used it to strike her enemies all while transferring an lethal amount of cold into the whip. Contact with the whip resulted in the freezing of entire limbs and the peeling of flesh.

One by one, her enemies turned into icy statues as her whip whistled through the air.

Her eyes then widened as her lower abdomen was suddenly filled with pain.

A sharp and consistent pain that made her wince with every step she took.

One of the enemy soldiers managed to tackle her to the ground before raising their sword to stab her but she transferred so much cold into soldier’s body, they froze in place above her.

Khal shoved away the frozen soldier before crawling onto her feet.

She then watched as her ten other comrades tore through their enemies.

Some soldiers managed to flee, but that was none of her concern.

They had eliminated the knight and that was all that mattered.

Khal's pain then intensified extremely making her squeeze the handle of her whip so hard, she unconsciously covered her hand in ice crystals.

She turned to face her comrades and saw that they were almost done killing the last of the remaining humans.

One of them walked up to her.

“Are you alright?” He asked while taking heavy, loud breaths.

“I’m fine.” Khal said as she walked towards a certain corpse on the ground.

“Let’s rip off his head and go.” Khal said.

The Rendaro next to her nodded before helping in the decapitation of the knight's helmet covered head. They then placed it in a large bag along with his sword before disassembling the two ballistae they had hidden in the bushes.

After making sure all of their equipment was accounted for and that no one was injured, they made their way south.

No one spoke as they weaved through the forest.

Although Khal noticed that her men were giving her strange looks.

The troop eventually arrived in Startton to find that it was as heavily guarded as ever.

It was also the base of operations for the scouts so causing any trouble was ill advised.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The troop made their way into a large building where many soldiers could be seen lounging about.

“I’ll go speak to captain Gunguo.” Khal said before exiting the building and making her way to the head offices all while carrying a certain bag.

She entered the office and removed her helmet revealing that she now had a head of short messy black hair.

She eventually arrived at Gunguo’s office where the scout could be seen documenting various things.

Khal knocked on the frame of the door prompting the captain to look up.

“Ah, hello. Are you already done?” She asked without dropping her pen.

“Yes.” Khal said as she entered the office proper. She then dropped the bag next to Gunguo and the bag disappeared shortly after.

“Good. And what would you like in exchange?”

Khal quickly thought about things her squad needed.

“Umm… a week’s worth of field supplies…”

“OK.” Gunguo said while writing.

“And some Mark 4's.” Khal said and this actually managed to make Gunguo raise an eyebrow.

She then looked Khal over. She wore the rather outdated Mark 3 version of armor which was terribly worn.

“Alright. If I remember correctly, there’s twelve of you, right?” Gunguo asked.

“Eleven.”

“Alright. Should I send them to Shakha’s place?” Gunguo asked.

“Yes.”

“Alright. If that’s all, you may leave.”

Khal nodded before exiting the office and heading back into the building where her troop rested.

“OK. Everything is sorted out.” Khal said.

“I think we should return home for a bit.” One of her men suggested.

“Why?” Khal asked with a frown.

“You allowed those soldiers to get too close. One of them even managed to pin you down. If we’re gonna go back there, we’re gonna need you in top condition and I think some rest will do wonders for the entire troop.” The Rendaro said but this made Khal’s frown deepen.

“Mmm… I understand.” She said before raising her right hand.

“Let’s go home then.” She said prompting everyone to grab their things.

They then made their way south to lower Coh towards one of the teleportation platforms.

They stood there along with a woman named Aevana.

She stood next to a black blade.

Khal knew why she was going to The Oasis.

To visit her father.

Khal’s thoughts were interrupted by the sudden shift in space.

She looked around and saw that they were standing on a platform that was on a hill a few hundred meters east of the Oasis.

Speaking of which, the Oasis was now guarded by a massive black wall that went all the way around it.

Khal and company made their way around the Oasis towards their base of operations further east.

A group of large tents where their beds and gear were.

However, just as they passed the Oasis, Khal suddenly stopped.

“Hey, umm… I’m going to visit the Arcusus for a bit.” She said.

“Alright.” Her men all said while continuing eastward.

Khal sighed before walking towards the Oasis.

“Hey, Khal. Long time no see!”

“You look absolutely stunning in that armor, by the way!”

“How many knights did you kill?”

Such things were said by the many guards and she did her best to respond to everyone, but her focus was Calëb’s tent.

She entered the large tent and made her way to Calëb’s room.

“H-hello.” Khal called while peeking into the room through the silky flaps that acted as its doors.

“Is that you, Khal? Please, come in.” Calëb said prompting Khal to enter it to find that the room had changed quite considerably from the way it was before.

It was far more organized and stacks of documents could be seen scattered about.

Calëb raised her baggy eyes and frowned upon seeing Khal’s expression.

“What’s wrong?” Calëb asked. She had lost a considerable amount of weight and her muscles had lot of their definition.

Khal sat opposite the Arcusus and sighed deeply.

“I… I can’t do this anymore.” Khal said while tightly clutching her helmet.

“I don’t even know if I can enter our home and look at him in the state that he’s in.”

Calëb’s eyes widened and slowly filled with tears.

She slowly nodded before standing.

“A-alright. Lets talk with Laïn and Eshi-“

“Go ahead. I’ll go get changed and wash up a bit.” Khal said and Calëb nodded once more.

Khal then exited the tent and made her way out of the Oasis.

She walked past Shakha’s house to the northeast and eventually arrived at her troop’s barracks where she entered the largest tent.

It was lined with twelve beds and she walked up to hers where she placed her helmet.

She then detached and removed every piece of amour.

She then unzipped and removed the dark bodysuit beneath revealing her now muscular but bruised body.

The dark armor could keep one’s body parts from being cleaved off, but the force of impact would still reach the body.

Khal tightly wrapped her arms around herself.

She felt every bump, bruise and scar.

Her mind was then flooded with visions of violence and death.

Visions where she, along with her troop, fought tirelessly to execute their enemies.

She sighed before changing into some casual clothes she’d gotten from Coh.

It was a simple set of loose fitting pants and a shirt, but she found the clothes quite comfortable.

She grabbed a towel and exited the tent to find one of her men waiting for her in the dark of night.

He too had a towel in hand and had changed into some casual clothes.

His name as Hanzani and he was a tall and muscular Rendaro who, like most soldiers, had short black hair.

His face was also littered with small scars and his nose looked like it had been broke recently.

He gesturing toward the Oasis and Khal followed him in silence.

The two eventually arrived at a certain spring.

It was located near the center of the settlement but it was considered a private spot since it was surrounded by trees and brushes.

Hanzani removed his clothes, revealing his scarred body.

He then turned to Khal who simply stood with her head lowered.

“Weren’t you going to wash up?” He asked with a stiff expression.

Khal remained silent prompting Hanzani to click his tongue.

“Every fucking time.” He muttered before walking up to Khal.

“Get in the water.” He hissed and Khal approached the spring.

Hanzani then suddenly disappeared, leaving Khal in the eerie silence that hung over the Oasis.

She removed her shirt but just as she removed her pants, Hanzani returned with several items in hand.

He walked up to Khal, who used her hands to cover her crotch and thighs which were stained in blood.

“Get. Into. The. Water.” He said and Khal complied.

He then placed the things he brought down before joining her in the stream and unlike her, who floated without doing much, he scrubbed away the dirt in his hair.

Khal eventually began bathing as well and she joined Hanzani in drying herself once she was finished.

She made a pained expression and Hanzani offered her the things he’d brought.

She accepted them and looked at Hanzani who looked into her eyes unshakingly.

She then slipped into a pair of black panties but before she pulled them all the way up, she fitted a lister towel to the crotch region before finally pulling them up.

She then got dressed alongside Hanzani.

“Thank-“

“Get some rest. We are needed back on that cursed plane.” Hanzani said with crossed arms.

“Alright.” Khal said before leaving the secluded spring.

She stopped after taking a few steps before looking back and her eyes widened upon seeing Hanzani standing next to the trees that hid the spring.

“Get going!” He yelled but this only made her smile a little.

She made her way home and any warmth she felt was snuffed out as she saw Calëb, Laïn and pregnant Eshi sitting next to a blank faced Shakha.