Requiem of the Forgotten Chapter 18:Companions

Three weeks had passed since we left Topolin.

Dragontown had changed.

At first, everything had been a ss. The return from Topolin had been nothing short of a disaster. People were furious—furious at us, at Carn, at the fact that we had apparently made fools of ourselves in front of every major leader on this continent. The rumors spread like wildfire. So thought we had ruined Dragontown's reputation forever. Others didn't care, focused only on their next al or the next building that needed to go up. For days, tension ran high, and more than once, I thought soone might actually challenge Carn's leadership.

But things had settled.

The ruins we had discovered had turned out to be a blessing. The raw materials, the ancient tals, the strange, sturdy stone—all of it had been salvaged and repurposed. The first actual weapons and armor had been forged. The dirt paths had been reinforced with stone and compacted earth. Houses had been rebuilt stronger, and the first semblance of a main street had begun to form. So people even started setting up market stalls, trading whatever they could. It still wasn't much, but Dragontown was no longer just a camp—it was sothing real.

I should have felt proud. I didn't.

I had spent the past weeks helping wherever I could—mostly organizing supplies, making sure people had what they needed. Today, though, I was just another pair of hands in the forge, hamring away at a piece of scrap tal until it vaguely resembled sothing useful. The heat made my shirt stick to my back, and my arms ached from swinging the hamr all morning. It was mindless work, and that was exactly what I needed.

"Aleks!" Amina's voice cut through the clanging of tal. I turned to see her standing by the entrance, arms crossed, a bead of sweat rolling down her temple. "You look like you're about to pass out."

I wiped my forehead with my sleeve. "Yeah, well, standing next to molten tal all day will do that to you."

She smirked. "Co with . I need a second pair of hands."

I hesitated. "Depends. Am I going to regret saying yes?"

"Absolutely."

I sighed but set my hamr down and followed her outside, stretching my sore muscles. The fresh air was a relief after hours in the forge. The streets of Dragontown were busier than ever—people carrying wood, stacking supplies, talking in clusters about the latest work assignnts. It looked almost… functional.

"What's this about?" I asked as we wove through the crowd.

Amina shrugged. "Nothing crazy. Just thought you could use a change of scenery."

I narrowed my eyes. "Bullshit. You never do anything without a reason."

"Fine," she admitted. "You're avoiding people. It's annoying."

I scoffed. "I'm not avoiding people. I'm just… staying busy."

"Right. That's why I haven't seen you talk to Carn or Daisuke in days."

I frowned. "That's not—"

Before I could finish, a commotion erupted near the southern entrance of the town. A handful of people stopped what they were doing, their heads turning toward the noise. The sound of horses' hooves against the dirt grew louder, and I could see dust kicking up in the distance.

I exchanged a glance with Amina. "What the hell now?"

We pushed through the growing crowd just in ti to see them—riders, a dozen at least, dressed in armor that was a little too polished for a place like this. And at the front of them—Lydia.

Beside her, in full military gear, sat Nikita.

I barely had ti to process that before Carn stord past , making a beeline for Lydia. "Oh, hell no," she muttered under her breath. I reached out, grabbing her arm before she could make a scene.

"Not this ti," I said.

She scowled at . "The last ti we let her talk first, we got humiliated."

"Yeah. And if we do the sa shit now, it'll just happen again."

Carn huffed but stayed still, arms crossed as Lydia and her soldiers dismounted. She scanned the gathered crowd before her eyes landed on . There was sothing different in her expression—less arrogance, more… sothing else.

Regret? Doubtful.

"I need to speak to Dragontown," she announced.

The murmuring started imdiately. So people muttered insults under their breath. Others looked confused. A few seed hopeful.

Lydia stepped onto the old election platform, where Carn had won weeks ago. She let the noise die down before she spoke.

"We were wrong about you."

The words were unexpected. A few people gasped. Carn stiffened beside .

Lydia continued, her voice steady. "We saw Dragontown as a temporary problem. A gathering of lost people trying to play civilization. But in the past weeks, you've proven otherwise." She gestured around. "This isn't just a settlent. It's sothing real."

The people around didn't know how to react. So looked almost smug. Others skeptical.

"But," Lydia went on, her tone sharpening, "this doesn't change what's coming."

Silence.

"The attack is only three months away. And when it cos, there won't be ti for debates or negotiations. It will either be us—or them."

I swallowed hard. The weight of her words pressed against my chest.

"That's why we've agreed to a solution," she said. "At the center of this continent, a military camp is being built. Any who wish to fight can go there and receive real training. Fighters, tacticians, strategists—anyone who can contribute to the war effort."

A few voices called out questions, but she cut them off.

"Make no mistake. If we lose this fight, everything you've built here will be gone." She looked straight at then. "Your city. Your people. Your lives. Gone."

I clenched my fists.

Lydia took a breath before finishing. "So, for those willing to fight—for those who refuse to let this world be taken—you're welco to join us. We leave at sunrise."

Silence stretched across Dragontown. People exchanged nervous glances, whispers rising between them. So looked hesitant. Others seed ready to move already.

And then, without thinking, I stepped forward.

"I'm coming with you."

The words left my mouth before I could fully register them.

Carn spun toward . "What?"

I exhaled. "I can't keep pretending this doesn't matter. I need to learn how to fight. I need to be ready."

Caelith's voice followed almost imdiately. "I will go as well."

Murmurs spread through the crowd. More people were stepping forward, hesitant but determined.

Lydia nodded. "Then be ready. Tomorrow, we march."

And just like that, everything changed again.

After that I moved through the streets, the dirt roads packed firr now from constant foot traffic. The crude wooden houses had been reinforced, so even boasting makeshift second floors. Fires flickered in the distance, casting long shadows of people moving between them, faces half-illuminated by the orange glow. It looked like a real settlent now, sothing permanent.

It almost felt like ho.

Almost.

As I approached the town center, I caught sight of Carn standing near the raised wooden platform that had been used for the elections. She was speaking with a small group of people, gesturing with her usual confidence. Even in the dim light, her dark brown eyes held that sharp intensity, and the firelight caught strands of her wavy black hair, making them shimr with hints of auburn.

I hesitated for a mont before stepping forward.

She noticed imdiately, excusing herself from the group before making her way over. "Took you long enough," she said, crossing her arms.

I leaned against the wooden railing of the platform, letting out a slow breath. "So… what now?"

Carn exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "That's what I wanted to talk about." Her voice lowered slightly, growing more serious. "Co with . We need to figure so things out."

Sothing about the way she said it made my stomach tighten. I didn't ask questions—I just followed.

She led toward one of the sturdier buildings near the center of town, a place she had claid as a eting house for anything important. Inside, a wooden table sat in the middle, covered in scattered notes, a rough map of Dragontown, and a few simple tools. A lantern flickered in the corner, casting soft, shifting light across the room.

Carn leaned against the table, arms crossed. "Alright, let's be real here. We have no fucking clue what we're doing."

I blinked. "Wow, what an inspiring speech."

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up. You know what I an. We got lucky, Aleks. We made Dragontown work, but we're barely hanging on. We don't have proper defenses, our food supply is unpredictable, and now we've got entire cities and kingdoms looking down on us like we're kids playing pretend."

She wasn't wrong.

Carn tapped the table, her fingers drumming against the rough wood. "We need a plan. A real one. Not just 'build so walls and hope for the best.' If we want this place to survive long-term, we need to start thinking like leaders. Like we're actually building sothing bigger than ourselves."

I stayed quiet for a mont. Then, reluctantly, I nodded. "Fine. Where do we start?"

Carn smirked. "Now you're talking."

She leaned forward, pointing at the map. "First off, we need to reinforce our borders. The last thing we need is so desperate group trying to raid us because they think we're easy pickings. We also need to figure out trade. We've been getting by with what we scavenge, but if we want Dragontown to be a real city, we need connections. The United Ones are a good start, but we need more than that."

I watched her as she spoke, her expression sharp and determined. The way she carried herself, the way she thought things through—it was impossible not to admire it. And maybe that was part of the problem.

I realized then that I'd been staring too long.

Carn raised an eyebrow. "What?"

I quickly looked away. "Nothing. Just… thinking."

She snorted. "You? Thinking? That's a rare sight."

"Fuck off," I muttered, but there was no heat behind it.

She chuckled before her expression turned serious again. "We'll go over details later, but there's one more thing I need to say."

I glanced at her, waiting.

Carn hesitated. Just for a second. Then she placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Don't do anything stupid out there, alright? I know why you're going, but don't let this turn into so self-sacrificial bullshit."

I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. "I'm not planning on dying."

"You better fucking not," she said, then—before I could react—she pulled into a quick hug.

It caught off guard. The warmth of it. The way she held on for just a second longer than necessary.

Then she pulled away, clearing her throat. "Alright, get lost before I start thinking you actually have feelings."

I forced a smirk, even though my heart was doing sothing weird in my chest. "Wouldn't want that."

She gave one last glance before turning back to the table, already focused on sothing else.

I left before I could say sothing stupid.

By the ti I made it back outside, the air felt cooler. The night had deepened, and the fires around town burned low.

I had one more stop to make.

The others were waiting for near the outskirts of Dragontown—Amina, Daisuke, even Nikita. A small fire crackled between them, casting flickering shadows on their faces.

Amina was the first to notice . She smiled slightly, tilting her head. "Took your ti."

"Had to listen to Carn yell at first."

Daisuke smirked. "Statistically speaking, that sounds about right."

I rolled my eyes and sat down.

For a while, none of us spoke. We just sat there, watching the fire, feeling the weight of what was coming.

Finally, Amina broke the silence. "So… this is it, huh?"

I exhaled slowly. "Yeah. Guess so."

No one really knew what to say.

Then, to my surprise, Nikita was the one to speak next. "You'll be fine. Training's brutal, but it's what we need."

I looked at him, his face serious in the firelight. "You're coming too, huh?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Seatown's sending people. We don't have a choice if we want to survive."

I leaned back, staring up at the night sky. "Seems like none of us do."

There was a quiet mont before Amina shifted closer, resting a hand on my arm. "Just… don't forget to co back, alright?"

I glanced at her. Then at Daisuke, who, for once, wasn't making a joke.

At Nikita, who was watching with sothing that almost looked like respect.

And at Carn, who—just hours ago—had held onto like she was afraid to let go.

I took a breath, steadying myself. "I'll co back."

The words felt heavier than they should have.

A promise.

One I intended to keep.

The fire crackled low, its embers glowing like scattered stars in the dark. The night air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of burning wood and damp earth. Shadows flickered across our faces, making everything feel strangely unreal. For the first ti in months, I realized how much I was going to miss this—just sitting around, talking shit, pretending, even if just for a mont, that the world wasn't falling apart.

Amina sat cross-legged, arms resting on her knees, her usual sharp gaze softer than usual. "I still don't get why you're doing this," she muttered, staring into the fire.

I exhaled, leaning back on my hands. "Because I have to."

"That's not an answer," she shot back. "None of us expected you to be the one leaving."

I didn't respond imdiately. What was I supposed to say? That staying felt wrong? That for the first ti since all of this began, I actually wanted sothing? That I couldn't sit back and wait for the fight to co to us?

Daisuke adjusted his glasses, watching carefully. "You've always been more of a reactive person, Aleks. I never took you for soone who would make the first move."

I scoffed. "Yeah, well, people change."

"Do they?" His voice was thoughtful, almost teasing, but there was sothing serious in the way he looked at . "Or are you just doing what you think you have to, because if you stop moving, everything catches up to you?"

The fire popped, sending a small flare of sparks into the air.

I swallowed, forcing out a chuckle. "Daisuke, are you secretly my therapist? Because if you are, I need a fucking refund."

Amina rolled her eyes. "He has a point."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Look, I don't have a deep reason. I just—" I hesitated, searching for the right words. "I need to be able to fight. To actually do sothing. Otherwise, what's the point?"

There was silence. Then, to my surprise, Amina reached over and lightly smacked my arm. "Fine. Just… don't be an idiot."

Daisuke nodded. "And if you die, I'm calling dibs on your stuff."

I snorted. "That's comforting."

Carn, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, stretched out her legs and leaned back on her hands. "You'll be fine," she said simply. "You always are."

I glanced at her, trying to read her expression. It was relaxed—too relaxed. Like she was deliberately keeping sothing back.

I hesitated, then took a breath. "Carn, I—"

Before I could finish, I heard a familiar laugh. Nikita.

I turned just in ti to see Carn standing, walking toward him without hesitation. He grinned at her, saying sothing I couldn't hear, and she responded with an easy laugh, the kind she never really used around .

I froze.

Sothing twisted in my chest, cold and familiar.

I shouldn't be surprised. I wasn't surprised.

Still hurt like hell, though.

I clenched my jaw, swallowing down whatever stupid words had been about to leave my mouth.

"So things never change," I muttered under my breath.

Amina and Daisuke exchanged a glance, but neither of them said anything. They didn't have to.

I forced a smirk. "Alright, I'm getting so sleep. Try not to cry too much when I'm gone."

Daisuke scoffed. "We'll be celebrating."

Amina smirked. "I'll throw a party."

I flipped them both off and walked away before I could second-guess myself.

Morning ca faster than I wanted it to.

The sun had barely begun to rise, casting a pale glow over the landscape. The town was quieter than usual—most people were still asleep, unaware that, in a few hours, I'd be gone.

I stood near the town's entrance, adjusting the straps on my pack, making sure everything was secure. Lydia's soldiers were already prepared, their horses lined up and ready. Nikita stood among them, speaking with one of his n. Caelith, as always, was standing perfectly still, like a statue, his silver hair catching the morning light.

I took a deep breath, glancing back toward the town one last ti.

I didn't expect a dramatic farewell. I wasn't even sure I wanted one.

Climbing onto my horse, I settled into the saddle, gripping the reins. Lydia gave the signal, and one by one, we began to move.

I didn't look back.

As Dragontown disappeared behind , a single thought settled into my mind.

We were on our own now.

And whatever ca next—there was no turning back.