Heartstone

The narrow alleys of Gursh echoed with the thunder of boots, clanging armor, and barked orders as Toby, Brea, Reu, and Enci tore through the maze of ruins. Dust rose in their wake, and the air reeked of smoke, fear, and metal. Their lungs burned, legs aching from the relentless chase, but they pressed on.

"Should we just stop and fight them already?" Toby growled, sweat dripping from his brow as he glanced over his shoulder. "Running around like headless chickens is getting real tiring."

"Idiot!" Brea hissed, seizing his arm and dragging him behind a toppled stone column. Her chest heaved as she caught her breath. "That'll only call in more of them! You want a whole legion breathing down our necks? Because that's how we die today!"

Reu peered around the edge of the debris, eyes narrowed. "They're splitting into two groups... Trying to box us in."

Toby clicked his tongue. "Great. Just great. We're rats in a cage."

Enci clung to Brea's side, eyes wide with terror. "I-I don't want to go back. Please, don't let them take me."

"They won't," Brea said, her voice softer as she knelt to meet his gaze. "You stay close. You don't leave our side, alright?"

"Okay..." the boy whimpered.

Suddenly, a shrill whistle cut through the air, followed by the thwip of a bowstring.

A whistle of wind—then a streak of movement.

From the smoke-choked end of the alley, a lone figure sprinted toward them with the speed and grace of a wolf. Arthur.

He leapt forward, bow already in hand. In one fluid motion, he knocked an arrow, let it fly, then rolled to avoid a paladin's swinging blade. The arrow found its mark, slamming into a paladin's leg and toppling him. Before the others could react, Arthur was upon them. His bow became a club, slamming into a helmet and sending the soldier sprawling.

He pivoted, ducked, and fired again—this time at point-blank range into another's chest. A third paladin lunged at him from behind, but Arthur spun, delivering a brutal elbow and cracking the soldier's nose beneath his visor.

The chase ended in an instant. More than ten paladins lay groaning on the ground.

"Arthur?!" Toby exclaimed, astonished. "You're back! What, decided to finally join the group?"

Arthur laughed, brushing dust from his coat. "Still not joining you, boy."

Reu smirked. "I thought you were settling down."

"I was. I am," Arthur said. "But to make this city a place worth settling in, I have to help clean it first. Gursh needs to be freed of war, of bloodshed... and I'll start with thelping you guys and ask you to help me back."

"Where's your wife?" Brea asked.

"She's safe," Arthur said. "With the citizens. We've gathered what's left of Gursh's people—those who haven't given up. They want their city back."

Reu looked at Toby and Brea. "We should join them."

Toby folded his arms. "What? He's not part of our mission. I'm not part of his."

Arthur chuckled. "No need to 'join' anything. But lend your strength... and you might just help end this city's nightmare."

A small hand tugged at Arthur's sleeve. It was Enci.

"Mister," the boy whispered. "You're strong... will you help me save my father? He's still with them..."

Arthur's stern face softened. He knelt down, placing a hand on Enci's head and gave a slow nod. The boy's eyes welled with tears, but he smiled.

"Follow me," Arthur said, standing. "It's not far now."

At the center of Gursh, the paladin camp simmered in tension. In the command post, Runy Figets stood tall, arms behind his back as he stared at the flames of the war brazier.

"Sir!" a watchman called from the tower. "The third platoon has returned!"

Runy turned. "Open the gate."

The massive iron doors creaked, and a battered group limped in. Their armor was scorched, dented. Some paladins were carried on stretchers. Captain Hundra himself dragged a bloodied leg behind him.

Runy stepped forward. "Captain Hundra. I assume you succeeded?"

Hundra knelt. "JO Figets... the Lunas were far stronger than anticipated. We gave our best but—"

SLAP!

Runy's armored hand lashed across Hundra's face. The camp fell silent.

"Shut up," Runy hissed. "You're a disgrace. From this moment, you are no longer a captain."

"Please... sir—"

Runy kicked him down. "The Nasyonalistas have no place for weakness."

He turned. "Call the other two captains. We are tightening the noose. This rebellion ends now."

At the outskirts of the city, Arthur led the group into a hidden valley nestled between rocky ridges. Makeshift tents formed a rough semi-circle, smoke rising from cook fires. Men, women, even teenagers, practiced sword swings and spear thrusts with crude weapons.

Arthur raised his hand. "This is it. Not much, but it's all we have. I'll lead them myself."

Toby watched the people, seeing their worn hands, tired eyes, and the thinness of their frames. Yet... there was fire in them. Courage. Hope.

He stepped forward. "You've got us too."

A cheer rose around the camp.

Arthur addressed them. "In two days, we march. Gursh will no longer kneel!"

Inside the main tent, Arthur unfurled a rough map.

"The Lunas are the last standing threat," Arthur said, tracing his finger over the ragged map. "If we take them down, the paladins may lose their justification for being here."

"That's your whole plan?" Brea raised an eyebrow, folding her arms.

Arthur nodded solemnly. "Simple. Difficult. Necessary. And the only shot we've got."

Reu stepped closer, glancing at the huddled figures outside the tent—civilians clutching farming tools and broken blades. "You're leading farmers into war, Arthur. People who've never held a blade before."

"Then help me train them," Arthur said without hesitation. "You and Toby both. We don't have time to waste. Every day we wait, they suffer."

He turned to Reu, voice lowering. "But tell me... why are you so determined to free this city? I've seen your eyes. This is more than just a fight to you."

Reu's gaze dropped. For a moment, silence fell over the tent.

Brea gently nudged him. "Go on. TI think it is time that we should know."

Reu exhaled slowly.

"I was born here. Back when Gursh was still a city of laughter and light, not shadows and screams. I was just a kid—loud, stubborn, always getting into trouble. I pulled pranks, skipped lessons, challenged strangers to fights I had no hope of winning. And somehow... the people loved me anyway. They called me the storm with a crooked smile."

He gave a small, wistful chuckle.

"There was this one girl—Rena. Fierce, smarter than me, quicker too. I challenged her to a duel once. She mopped the floor with me in front of half the marketplace. Humiliated me so bad I couldn't show my face for a week. That day, I promised myself I'd beat her one day. So I trained. Hard. Every night. But then... she disappeared."

His voice faltered.

"That was when it all started to fall apart. The ashkin raids began. The paladins seized control. They brought martial law, curfews, punishments... and people just vanished. Like her. Like others I cared about. And I—I just kept training. But I wasn't trying to beat Rena anymore. I was training to protect what little was left."

Reu looked up, eyes misty but resolute. "So yeah, maybe this city is all I have left. And if fighting for it gives meaning to that pain... then I'll fight until I can't anymore."

Brea sniffled, wiping her eyes. "That was... such a beautiful, heartbreaking love story. Like something out of a poem."

"It's not a love story!" Reu snapped, flustered. "There was nothing between me and Rena!"

Brea smirked. "Rena, huh? You said her name with a lot of heart."

Reu groaned and stood up. "I'm going outside. I need air. And sanity."

Toby let out a hearty laugh. "Don't worry, Romeo. You've got our swords. Love-struck or not."

Arthur smiled faintly. "We all carry wounds, Reu. You just reminded us what we're fighting for. Not vengeance. Not titles. But people. A future."

"Then let's build it. Together."

Reu stood up. "I'm going out!"

Toby laughed. "Don't worry, buddy. We still think you're a badass."

Arthur nodded. "We all carry ghosts, Reu. But now's the time to fight for the living."

Later, as dusk settled, Toby wandered the camp. He passed children laughing, villagers hammering rusted tools into weapons. He saw Enci playing tag. For the first time, he smiled.

An old man approached, offering a tin cup.

"Drink, lad. It's all I have, but you look like you need it."

"Thanks, gramps."

"What's your name, son?"

"Toby. I'm going to be the next Ashkin King."

The old man chuckled. "That's quite the dream. I'm Hano. Used to be chief executive here. Before everything burned for seventeen years."

"Seventeen years ago, right?"

"Aye. And now, I just want to see my city free again before I die."

Toby looked at him seriously. "You will. I'll make sure you stand in the center of Gursh, smiling, free."

Hano's eyes gleamed. "You've got the fire, boy. Maybe you will."

Behind a nearby tent pole, Arthur stood listening, a faint smile on his lips.

"That boy... he's more than he thinks. And he just might be the hope Gursh needs."