The rustling intensified, and the group tensed, weapons held ready, muscles coiled to strike. 

The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder, and for a moment, everyone held their breath. 

As the figures drew closer, flickering firelight began to reveal familiar faces—

Faces they'd feared they might not see again.

Jiighual stepped into the clearing first, his face bruised and lined with exhaustion, yet his eyes calm as he raised a hand in a silent greeting. 

Behind him stumbled Nert, his body covered in fresh bandages, a faint, humorless grin on his lips despite the pain. 

Kazaks followed, his left arm heavily bandaged above the elbow, his war hammer resting against his shoulder in a weary grip. 

Zach walked close beside him, his face unreadable but shadowed with concern. 

Gargeal, remarkably unscathed, trailed behind with Qarek, who bore his own share of bruises and cuts.

Relief flooded through the group, their weapons lowering as realization set in.

It was them. 

Ruby let out a shaky breath, her tense stance softening. 

Yzavynne muttered, a faint grin breaking through her serious demeanor as she coiled her whip blade.

"You all nearly gave us a heart attack."

Nert chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. 

"Not our fault you're all so jumpy. Or maybe we're just too good at making an entrance."

Aina, clutching her father's hand, broke into a wide smile, her small voice breaking the silence. 

"You're all safe!" She dashed over, wrapping her arms around Kazaks' leg in a quick, shy hug.

Kazaks looked down, a softened expression overtaking his usual stern gaze. 

He gave Aina's shoulder a gentle pat. 

"Safe as we can be, little one," he murmured, his gruff voice softened by exhaustion. 

"But I'd say you all gave us a scare too. Seems we weren't the only ones fighting a battle tonight."

Ruby stepped forward, her eyes scanning over each battered figure. 

She said, her voice quiet but filled with relief.

"We've been waiting here, worried out of our minds. Thought we'd have to head out to find you ourselves."

Jiighual, always observant, noted Andhur's bandages and the way Yzavynne and Leeani stood protectively near him. 

He said.

"Looks like we all had our share of trouble."

Andhur gave a slight shrug, leaning against his glaive. 

He replied, gratitude subtly directed toward Yzavynne and Leeani for tending to his wounds.

"An unexpected encounter, let's call it."

Zach's eyes drifted over the camp, taking in the tents, the campfire, and the looks of worry that were now replaced by visible relief. 

Finally, he looked to Andhur, his voice low. 

"Glad you held out here."

In the gentle embrace of the campfire's warmth—

The reunited group found a fleeting moment of peace. 

They were battered, bruised, and drained, but here, beneath the star-strewn sky—

They felt the safety of each other's presence.

Andhur, still easing into his spot by the fire, managed a faint, tired smile. 

"So," he began, his voice breaking the silence.

"Who's got a story to share? After tonight, I'd say we're due a few."

Leeani chuckled, settling down beside him. 

"Oh, I think we've got plenty," she said, her eyes glancing across the fire at her friends, each carrying their own silent stories of the night's battle.

△▼△▼△▼△

The group settled around the fire.

Yzavynne's gaze lingered on Kazaks, her expression shifting from relief to worry. 

The thick bandage covering his severed arm was a stark reminder of the battle they'd all endured, but for Kazaks, the price had been especially brutal. 

She stepped over, her voice gentle.

"Kazaks... your arm..." 

She reached out as if to touch the bandage but stopped, her fingers hesitating in the air.

Kazaks glanced down at his bandaged stump, a shadow of acceptance crossing his face, though he tried to cover it with a rough, half-smile. 

"It's just a scratch," he replied, attempting levity, though his voice lacked its usual gruff strength. 

"Nothing I can't handle."

Yzavynne shook her head, her brow furrowing. 

"Kazaks, you don't need to pretend. This... it's not something to brush off." 

Her voice was laced with a rare softness, a gentleness she seldom showed. 

"You've lost your arm, Kazaks. You don't have to make light of it for our sake."

Kazaks clenched his jaw, avoiding her eyes. 

He'd spent his life channeling his rage and energy into battle, into wielding that war hammer that now lay at his feet, and the emptiness in his left side felt as raw as the wound itself. 

He stared at the flames, struggling with words he wasn't accustomed to sharing.

Andhur, watching him intently, finally broke the silence. 

"Kazaks," he said quietly, stepping closer.

"You've given more than any of us could have asked. But we need you here—whole, in every way that matters."

A heavy sigh escaped from Kazaks, his gaze turning hard, yet somewhere beneath it, an unfamiliar vulnerability flickered. 

"I've always thought... wrath was all I had," he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. 

"Fighting, smashing, roaring through the battlefield. It was all I knew how to do. And now..." 

Leeani knelt down beside him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

"You're more than just wrath, Kazaks. You're one of us. It's not the arm that made you strong; it's everything else in here." 

She pressed her fingers over his chest, just above his heart. 

"We're here to remind you of that."

Kazaks swallowed hard, their words breaking through a wall he hadn't known was there. His fingers clenched the edge of his cloak, his voice rough. 

"What am I without it?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the bandages.

Andhur shook his head, his gaze steady and filled with quiet conviction. 

"You're still our brother. You still have a place with us. That's all that matters now."

A long silence hung in the air, the weight of it softened only by the crackling of the fire. 

For the first time, Kazaks allowed himself to let down his guard, if only a little. 

The burden he bore felt lighter in the presence of those he fought for, those who had seen the true depths of his spirit.

"I don't know what comes next," he admitted finally, his voice trembling.

"But... I'm not giving up."

The others nodded, surrounding him with silent, steadfast support. 

They didn't have all the answers.

But in that shared space, Kazaks felt a quiet resolve building—a new purpose that didn't rely on his rage or his war hammer, but on the bond that held them together through every trial. 

And for tonight—

That was enough.

△▼△▼△▼△

Nert, Jiighual, and Qarek settled onto a log by the fire, their exhausted bodies finding comfort in simply being still. 

The night air was cool, the gentle whisper of waves mingling with the crackling of the campfire, casting warm flickers of light across their faces. 

For a moment, they just sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, the memories of the recent battle lingering in the back of their minds.

Qarek stretched his sore arms, breaking the silence with a low chuckle. 

"Can't remember the last time I got this banged up. Feels like I've been tossed around like a rag doll." 

He rubbed a bruise on his shoulder, wincing but trying to mask it with a smile.

Nert leaned back, his usual laid-back smirk softened by fatigue. 

"Yeah, took quite a beating, didn't we?" he murmured, his voice unusually reflective. 

"Feels... heavier than usual this time, doesn't it?" 

He reached down, poking a stick into the flames, watching as embers floated up into the night sky.

Jiighual, who'd been staring quietly into the fire, nodded slowly. 

"It was brutal," he admitted. 

"But I guess... it's just what we do, isn't it?" 

His voice was tinged with something like resignation, though there was a familiar strength beneath it. 

"Every time we think it's the worst we've been through, and every time, we get back up." 

He sighed. 

"But sometimes, I wonder..."

"What keeps us going?" Nert finished for him, glancing at Jiighual with a hint of understanding. 

"It's crossed my mind too." 

He shifted his gaze toward the fire, his usually light-hearted expression turning serious. 

"We've faced more than anyone else could probably handle, and yet... here we are."

Qarek chuckled, though it was laced with a quiet melancholy. 

"I think about that too. The fight, the pain—it's endless. But it's not just for us, is it?" 

He glanced around the campsite, his eyes lingering on each of their companions, resting finally on Andhur and Kazaks in the distance. 

"It's for them too. For each other."

Jiighual nodded, his eyes softening as he followed Qarek's gaze. 

"We're all we have, aren't we? Out there in the forest... I kept thinking, if I fell, if one of us fell, the others would pick up the pieces. We always do. But sometimes, I wonder if we'll ever reach a point where... there's just too much to carry."

The three sat with the weight of Jiighual's words hanging between them, heavy yet comforting. Nert sighed, rolling his shoulders. 

"Guess that's why we fight, though, isn't it? To make sure that day never comes."

Qarek nodded, his voice soft. 

"You know, during that fight, I thought about running... for a split second." 

He looked at his friends, a hint of vulnerability in his gaze. 

"But something held me back. The thought of leaving you guys out there alone? Couldn't do it. Wouldn't even dream of it."

Nert gave him a reassuring slap on the back. 

"Don't beat yourself up over it. Anyone would've thought about it—hell, even I did. But then, like you said... it's not just about us. We don't have the luxury of thinking only of ourselves anymore."

Jiighual managed a small smile. 

"Strange, isn't it? We've faced death more times than I can count, and yet every time, it feels like something pulls us back. Maybe... maybe it's because somewhere deep down, we know we'd do it all again if it meant we could protect each other."

They fell into a comfortable silence, each of them processing the truth of those words. 

The firelight cast a warm glow over their tired faces, and for a moment, the tension melted away, replaced by an unspoken understanding. 

It wasn't just duty or honor that drove them—

It was the bond they shared—

The quiet promise they'd made to each other.

Qarek cleared his throat, breaking the silence. 

"Well, let's hope we don't have to go through that again anytime soon," he said, trying to lighten the mood. 

"Though, with our luck..." 

He trailed off, chuckling softly.

Nert smirked, leaning back with a sigh. 

"Knowing us, we'll probably be back out there before we even heal." 

His smirk softened, his gaze drifting up to the stars. 

"But hey... at least we'll have some decent stories to tell. Not many can say they fought that hard and lived to talk about it."

Jiighual nodded, his gaze following Nert's to the star-strewn sky. 

"And as long as we have nights like these—just us, breathing, laughing, even if it's just for a little while—then maybe it's worth it. Maybe... we'll be okay."

The three of them sat in the quiet of the night, each drawing comfort from the others' presence. 

Ruby approached the log where Nert, Jiighual, and Qarek sat, a gentle but concerned look in her eyes. 

The soft crackle of the fire illuminated her face, casting flickering shadows as she took in their battered appearances. 

She hadn't seen Zach nearby, and a subtle worry crept into her voice.

She asked, her tone quiet but filled with a gentle urgency.

"Where's Zach?"

Qarek nodded toward the shoreline, his gaze following where he pointed. 

"Over there, not too far from us," he replied. 

"Sitting on the sand... Master's with him."

Ruby's eyes followed his direction, landing on a familiar figure silhouetted against the gentle waves. 

Zach was sitting quietly on the sand, his posture slightly slumped, as if the weight of the recent battles lingered on his shoulders. 

Beside him stood Gargeal, tall and steady, watching the water as if keeping silent guard.

Ruby looked back at the others, a faint smile tugging at her lips. 

She murmured.

"Thank you." 

And with a nod, she made her way toward Zach and Gargeal.

△▼△▼△▼△

As she walked across the cool sand, she could see Gargeal's watchful gaze shift her way, offering a nod of acknowledgment as she approached. 

She could tell he respected this moment, stepping just slightly back as she settled herself next to Zach.

Zach glanced her way but didn't immediately speak, his gaze drifting back to the waves. 

The faint sound of the ocean was soothing, and for a moment, they simply sat in shared silence. 

It felt right, a gentle calm in the aftermath of chaos.

After a long moment, Ruby broke the silence, her voice soft. 

"The stars are beautiful tonight," she remarked, glancing up at the sky. 

"They have a way of making everything feel a little... lighter."

Zach looked up, his eyes tracing the constellations scattered across the heavens. He nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting in a quiet smile. 

"They do," he murmured. 

"Strange, isn't it? How they just... go on shining, no matter what happens down here."

She nodded, resting her hands in her lap. 

"It's comforting in a way," she said softly, glancing sideways at him. 

"After everything we've been through... knowing that there's still something steady out there."

He sighed, leaning back on his hands and letting his gaze wander. 

"Sometimes I wonder... if we'll ever be as steady as that. Or if we're just meant to keep fighting, keep moving. I can't remember the last time we had a moment like this, where... everything just stopped."

Gargeal's gaze lingered on the waves for a moment before he turned to Zach, his voice low and steady.

"I'll leave you two to talk," he said, his tone warm yet respectful. 

"I think... I'll go join the others at the campfire."

Zach looked up at him, a small, appreciative nod passing between them. 

He replied, a hint of gratitude in his voice.

"Thanks, Gargeal."

Gargeal nodded back, a slight smile crossing his usually stoic face. 

"Take your time, Captain. We're all here when you're ready." 

With that, he turned, his footsteps crunching softly over the sand as he walked back toward the campfire, where the others waited, their voices a soft murmur in the night.

Ruby watched him go, then turned back to Zach, a gentle calm settling between them once more. 

Ruby sighed, breaking the silence. 

"It feels... strange, doesn't it?" 

She looked out across the endless expanse of ocean, her voice low and thoughtful. 

"One moment, you're fighting for your life, surrounded by shouts and clashing metal, and the next, there's... this. Just quiet. Like nothing ever happened."

Zach nodded slowly, his gaze distant as he took it all in. 

"Yeah. It's almost... unsettling," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper. 

"Like... we don't belong here, or like we've stumbled into some other world." 

He paused, letting the thought settle. 

"Or maybe... we've just gotten too used to the fight. And now it feels like we're not sure what to do with peace."

They sat in silence, just listening, both lost in thought. 

The ocean stretched out before them, vast and mysterious, like the lives they'd been leading—

Like the path they'd walked just to make it to this single moment.

Ruby's gaze drifted back to the campfire, where their friends were sharing quiet words.

"Seeing them all there... it reminds me how much we've gone through together. I almost can't believe we're still here, still... whole." 

She murmured, catching herself as she glanced at Zach. 

"Well... mostly whole."

Zach offered a slight smile, his eyes softening. 

"They've all been through so much... especially Kazaks. It's amazing, really, that we're all still standing." 

He glanced back to the group, the orange glow of the fire flickering over his friends' weary, bandaged forms. 

"After everything we've faced... it's hard to believe. But it's because of them that we've made it this far."

Zach nodded, her gaze never leaving the group. 

"Every scar, every battle—it's like they're all a part of us now." 

His tone softened. 

"When I see them like this, just... resting, laughing a little, I remember why we keep fighting. Why we push through."

Ruby's eyes met his, a glimmer of something deeper flickering in his gaze. 

"It's for moments like these," she murmured, more to himself than anyone else. 

"For a chance to be together like this, even if it's only for a little while. And for each other... we've all lost so much, and yet..." 

She trailed off, feeling the weight of the words he hadn't said, the silent burden they all bore. 

"I think... I think that's why we keep moving forward."

Ruby wrapped her arms around her knees, glancing up at the stars scattered like small beacons of hope against the vast sky. 

"You know, Zach, after everything... I still believe there's somewhere out there that could be ours. A place where we can finally stop, where we can just... live."

Zach's gaze softened as he watched her, feeling her quiet optimism wash over him. 

"A place to call home," he said quietly, tasting the word on his tongue as if it were foreign to him. 

"It almost feels like a dream sometimes... like something just out of reach."

"But it doesn't have to be," Ruby replied, a quiet determination in her voice. 

"I know it might sound... naïve, but I think it's out there. Somewhere."

Zach was silent, letting her words settle in, grounding him. 

He felt the weight of his armor, of the years he'd spent wandering, fighting, surviving, as if his heart had long forgotten the concept of a true 'home.' 

And yet—

Somehow— 

He wanted to believe her.

"What if we're just... moving from one battlefield to the next?" he asked.

"What if... there's no place for us to rest?"

Ruby reached out, placing a gentle hand on his. 

"We don't know that," she said, her voice steady and reassuring. 

"But even if it takes a lifetime, even if we have to fight every day, I believe we'll find a place to call our own. And if that day never comes..." 

She glanced over at him, a soft, bittersweet smile touching her lips. 

"At least we'll have each other."

For a moment, Zach's heart softened, a warm weight filling the empty spaces within him. 

Ruby's words, simple as they were, held a power that he hadn't realized he needed.

"Maybe that's enough," he murmured, looking down at their joined hands. 

"To have each other, no matter where we go. To keep each other safe... and to keep going, together." 

His voice took on a slight edge of resolve. 

"If there's a chance... just one small chance for peace, I'd do anything for it."

They sat together in the quiet, their gazes drifting to the distant horizon.

Imagining the life they longed for—

The life they'd fight for.

Ruby glanced sideways at Zach, the faint glimmer of the stars catching in her eyes. 

She hesitated, lips parting as though to speak, then closed them again, a flicker of uncertainty in her gaze. 

But as another wave rolled onto the shore, she took a deep breath and allowed her thoughts to spill into the quiet night.

"Zach," she began softly, almost as if afraid to shatter the calm. 

"Have you ever thought... about what 'we' might be?"

Zach's eyes turned to her, the calm of the ocean reflected in his expression.

But there was something else there too—

A question, a quiet intrigue that hadn't had the space to breathe until this moment. 

He asked, though the softness of his tone hinted that he understood.

"What do you mean?" 

Ruby tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a quiet smile playing at the corners of her lips as she continued. 

"I mean... if there's ever a day when all of this is behind us, the battles, the running... would we ever just... be?" 

Her words were delicate, almost fragile, yet laced with a courage she'd kept hidden for too long. 

"Together, I mean."

Zach's gaze softened, and for a moment, he looked away, his expression thoughtful, as though he were turning her question over carefully in his mind. 

The weight of her words hung between them, blending into the night air. 

He took a slow breath, letting the ocean's calm steadiness seep into him before he finally spoke.

"Ruby..." he began, his voice barely a whisper. 

"I don't think I've let myself imagine that. Not really." 

His eyes returned to her, holding a rare vulnerability, the guardedness he wore so tightly softened in her presence. 

"But if there were anyone... to share that with, if there's someone I'd want to find that peace with... it would be... you."

Ruby's eyes softened, her hand unconsciously reaching out to cover his, her fingers gently entwining with his as if they had always fit together. 

The warmth of his hand in hers felt grounding, like a promise unspoken but deeply felt. 

For the first time, she felt a spark of hope—

A tiny ember in the cold, uncertain night.

"Then maybe..." she whispered, voice thick with emotion. 

"We can have that. Someday. And until then..." 

Her gaze lingered on him, taking in the strength and resilience etched into his features. 

"We'll just keep fighting. Together..."

"... Until we don't have to anymore."

Zach's eyes met hers, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his lips. 

"I'd like that, Ruby," he murmured.

"I'd like that a lot."

They sat in silence, side by side, watching as the stars continued to drift slowly across the night sky. 

The possibility lingered between them—

Fragile but real—

A whisper of something more—

Something precious.

And then Ruby's voice, soft but steady, drifted through the stillness, carrying a weight that felt like the start of a promise. 

"Zach... would you... want to try?" 

Her question hung in the air, hopeful and hesitant as she squeezed his hand.

A gentle reassurance that they didn't need to have all the answers—

Just yet.

═════ ◆ TO BE CONTINUED ◆ ═════

◆ ◆ ◆ Author's Notes ◆ ◆ ◆

A soothing moment, between the two.