2026-10-09 17:39:12Kain couldn't sleep that night. Sitting by the fire, he looked at the wanted poster one last time before burning it in the leaping flames. Five hundred gold coins. Two hundred soldiers. A week at most.
He had twenty people. Half of them were unable to fight and the other half were badly injured.
The System panel floated before his eyes, the new quest glowing quietly on the dark material.
[QUEST: PREPARE FOR BATTLE.]
[OBJECTIVE 1: Fortify the camp.]
[OBJECTIVE 2: Train your fighters.]
[OBJECTIVE 3: Create a battle plan.]
[REWARD: Unknown.]
Kain skim read the objectives. Nothing complicated and just one task he couldn't complete because of sheer lack of time. At dawn he gathered his people together.
"I'm not lying to you," Kain said. "Reinforcements are coming for the Veyr. Two hundred soldiers. They will reach this valley in under a week."
The survivors stared at him. Some looked anxious, some simply resigned to their fate, while others, such as Linden, just looked tired.
"We can't fight against that kind of force," Kain said after a long pause. "However, it's not necessary to do so"
The valley was now their home, they knew it's secrets, they knew every trick and trap to ambush an enemy in the forest. The Veyr's soldiers would have no such advantage.
"What's your idea?" Ryna asked him.
Kain studied their surroundings. It wouldn't take much to turn the valley into a fortified camp; the land itself would help their efforts. If they placed the right traps correctly and blocked the narrow paths leading into the valley, then it would considerably slow down the enemy advance.
"What if they break through?" Linden asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Kain looked away, he had no answer for that.
In the afternoon Kain went to the first work site. Using Basic Fortification skill, he instructed the survivors on what they needed to do. Ditches and sharpened stakes helped to secure the northern path while the village blacksmith, Gareth, melted old tools to make crude spear heads. The farmers gathered up rocks and placed them at the top of the valley walls.
Kain worked alongside the people, helping where he could. The Leadership panel in the back of his head helped him keep track of those who needed more encouragement or an occasional slap on the backside. All in all, by the evening of the third day old peaceful valley had become a well-prepared fortress.
When the night fell on the fourth day, Kain once again found himself working alone. He studied the System panel, it had changed since last he checked.
[OBJECTIVE 1: Fortify the camp.] – COMPLETE
[OBJECTIVE 2: Train your fighters.] – IN PROGRESS
[OBJECTIVE 3: Create a battle plan.] – IN PROGRESS
Ryna materialized from the darkness next to him. For a moment she didn't say anything, studying the leaping flames.
"You're quiet," she finally said.
"I'm thinking," Kain shrugged. "I'm thinking about how many people will get killed today".
Ryna said nothing for a while.
"I've travelled around the lands before and seen several battles," she said quietly. "Most commanders I met were all big talk and no action when it came to actually getting their pawns in order. They always promised glory and victory... but none of them ever promised survival."
"What do I promise?" Kain asked her with a grim smile.
"Nothing," Ryna said as she met his eyes. "Which is why I'm not disappointed with you".
Kain had nothing to say to that, so he said nothing at all.
Ping. A new message appeared on his System panel, blue glyphs standing out against the dark background.
[NEW QUEST: SURVIVE THE FIRST WAVE.]
[REWARD: Unknown.]
[WARNING: ENEMY SCOUTS DETECTED. TIME UNTIL ARRIVAL: 2 DAYS.]
It wasn't enough time. Kain knew it in his bones.
"Everyone get up," he ordered when the morning came. "We don't have much time"
Ryna blinked in surprise when she realized what he meant. The battle would be inevitable. No matter what they did, the Veyr would come for them with all their might. But Kain knew that he couldn't just sit and wait for the enemy to break through their defenses.
"We're going to take the fight to the enemy lines," Kain announced as he looked out over the dark forest. "Let's go hunting".
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Chapter 12 :THE SIEGE
The first wave broke against the palisade.Kain felt the wall tremble beneath his boots where his forces and that of the enemy had engaged against the gate. Two-hundred fighting men surged towards the wooden doors, pressing back the reinforced iron gates with all of their might."Hold!"Kain bellowed, "Hold the line!"His men took up his cry. Gareth the blacksmith drove a soldier back with a hammer strike to the face, Ryna let out a string of arrows from her perch above the fray, and Linden held his spear high against a soldier in black despite his bad leg and the pain in his knee.The enemy pressed the attack, the gate groaning under the pressure.Kain glanced at the System panel that floated in his line of vision.What good was this going to do him in battle? It had provided him with Basic Tactics and Basic Fortification but those were for building and not for fighting.He needed to think of another way. Kain turned to Ryna who stood guardedly by the eastern wall."Ryna!"A shout from
Chapter 11 :THE FIRST WAVE
Kain was atop the knoll, looking at the northern pass.Below the valley, it was peaceful. The water was clear in the stream. The walls of the palisades were high. His people went round the camp, getting ready for battle. They were quiet but Kain could sense their fear. He carried a cold weight in his chest and a hum in the back of his mind.He had three days. Then two. Then one.On the last night, he called his warriors together. Twelve men and women capable of wielding a spear or drawing a bow. The rest were too old, too young, or too wounded. They remained within the palisade, and tended the fires.“It's important we don't have too many people here to hold the walls because we can't,” Kain said, his voice steady. So we won't attempt it, we will go to the pass. Ryna what did you see, Ryna?"Ryna stepped forward. The army is just one column, and they're moving quickly, they're not expecting to meet resistance."Good," Kain said. We'll get them to pay for every step, we will.He presen
Chapter 10 :THE HUNT
Kain chose five men.Linden, notwithstanding his limp. Gareth the blacksmith. Two farmers who used to be hunters. And Ryna, who was more familiar with the forest than anyone else.At midnight, they left the camp, silently moving among the trees. Kain's movements became smooth and silent as he raised the Basic skill. He heard all the noises, all the rumbles, all the inhales.The scouts were encamped in a small ravine 2 hours north of the valley. Kain sat on the ridge and watched them. Four men around a small fire. Their horses were tied up nearby. They were relaxed. Careless."Four," Ryna whispered. "We can take them.""No," Kain said. We don't come to kill them.Ryna frowned. So why do we have to be here?“It's about a message we are sending.”Kain explained the plan in hushed tones. Ryna's pupils dilated then contracted. She didn't like it. But she nodded.The hunters took up their positions on the ridge above the ravine. Kain and Ryna made their way down the hill, moving quietly lik
Chapter 9:THE PLAN
Kain couldn't sleep that night. Sitting by the fire, he looked at the wanted poster one last time before burning it in the leaping flames. Five hundred gold coins. Two hundred soldiers. A week at most.He had twenty people. Half of them were unable to fight and the other half were badly injured.The System panel floated before his eyes, the new quest glowing quietly on the dark material.[QUEST: PREPARE FOR BATTLE.][OBJECTIVE 1: Fortify the camp.][OBJECTIVE 2: Train your fighters.][OBJECTIVE 3: Create a battle plan.][REWARD: Unknown.]Kain skim read the objectives. Nothing complicated and just one task he couldn't complete because of sheer lack of time. At dawn he gathered his people together."I'm not lying to you," Kain said. "Reinforcements are coming for the Veyr. Two hundred soldiers. They will reach this valley in under a week."The survivors stared at him. Some looked anxious, some simply resigned to their fate, while others, such as Linden, just looked tired."We can't fig
Chapter 8 :THE TRADER
For three days, they stayed in the hills.Kain took his tribe to a small gorge on the north side of the valley, surrounded by dense pine forests. Eventually the scouts on the southern ridge lost interest and disappeared. However, Kain was not at ease. He knew that they would return.On the 4th morning, he called his people together.They will not be able to evade us forever, he said. Supplies, tools, food, weapons."Well, we have gold," Ryna said. “But, if we can't use it, then gold is no good.”Kain nodded. Two days to the north is a trading post run by Oren, a man who trades with anyone who will pay him. I will go by myself.I'm told, Linden said, stepping forward, “No.” His leg was mending, but he limped about. The leader of them is Veyr, if he gets hold of you then we're done."Then who?"I'm going to go," said Ryna. Said to be more familiar with the woods than anyone else, “Oren knows me, he'll deal with a woman by herself.”Kain hesitated. He did not want to put anybody in harm'
Chapter 7 :THE VALLEY
Kain and the others walked north the next two days.While Kain had the Basic Stealth skill to watch the tree line, it was the Basic Leadership that kept him acutely aware of his people and their struggles. Every time they stumbled, he slowed to let them rest.A scant twenty people comprised his following, some of whom suffered wounds from the battle while others, like the blacksmith, were simply villagers. There were three children among the survivors, which made Kain all the more determined to keep them alive. They all had their purpose, even if it wasn’t as fighters.Kain halted on the second night as the land dipped into a valley ringed by hills on either side. A thin, winding stream snaked along the valley floor and a relatively flat stretch of earth allowed enough space for Kain to pitch tents.“This will suffice,” Kain saidRyna’s brow was furrowed as she scanned the landscape. “It’s good that it’s defensible, but it hardly has walls.”“We will make it a wall,” Kain said.“We do
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