A full day and night passed before the mole people made their decision. During that time Noah became aware of just how far into exhaustion they had been pushed, barely moving during that entire time. This realization also confirmed that they had not put the majority of their stats into constitution and were likely not combatants at all. When the decision came it was unanimous and clear. They would join, but they did not wish to be self-governed vassals. They explained that they had no remaining leaders, nor warriors to protect them and desired to live in relative safety. Their solution was to build an underground counterpart to their town that would be open to everyone. After discussing the details with Un’Dal and Ne’Ja they agreed, and the moles swore the same oaths that his other citizens had sworn. After that, they revealed the location of their children and the rest of their people, a cavern over a day’s journey away.

  Noah, Recter, and several of the mole people made the journey the following day with the moles riding in a wagon that had been built to transport ore from the mines. With their stats the trip took only a matter of hours, stunning their subterranean companions who would never have been able to match their speed. The cavern was really just a hollowed-out hole in the ground, big enough to hide the remaining mole people. Noah was shocked when they found 30 children and several clearly pregnant moles.

  “So many babies!” he exclaimed as the others exchanged greetings. The first mole he had spoken with, Lisbet walked up beside him and spoke.

  “Yes, isn’t it wonderful! With all of the warriors dead, it is good fortune that so many boys were born.” Noah blanched.

  “Do you mean you are female?” he asked, feeling somewhat foolish. She nodded.

  “Could you not tell? Does that change things for our arrangement?” she asked, a bit of worry creeping into her voice.

  “No, no of course not. I simply didn’t realize,” he said with a blush. Despite them being animals, the insinuation still left him embarrassed.

  “Shall we help the others?” he said, changing the subject. She nodded, and they began to load the children into the wagon. The other adults were informed of their new situation, and Noah was happy to see that they were relieved at the change. They were glad to make the new oaths, and as Noah looked at the follower count rise it seemed that the children had been added as well.

  [Followers: 4,900/10,000.]

  There were more than he had expected, and he couldn’t shake the hope he felt as he saw the number near the halfway mark. With any luck they would close the gap in the next year. The journey back took longer as only the children were able to fit on the wagon. And so it wasn’t until a full day later that arrived back at home. The underground city was already well underway, with work moving quickly between the mole people and the crafters excavating and reinforcing with near frantic speed. He said his hellos, planned a dinner and finally broke away toward his favorite place in town. Just as he had lowered himself into the steaming pool, someone barged into the bathhouse shouting for Noah.

  “Chief! Are you in here? A messenger from Jeline has arrived and its urgent!” the orc shouted. Noah groaned but got up nonetheless, making himself decent before sprinting from the building.

  “What did they say?” Noah asked as they ran.

  “Only that the message had to be delivered to you, and that the timing was urgent. The deer refused to say anything more, though judging by its attitude it is serious,” he replied. Noah felt his face go pale and his stomach dropped. Serious for Jeline meant something really bad.

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  “We better hurry then,” he said, picking up the pace. They soon found the messenger pacing back and forth just outside Noah’s house.

  “Finally! What took you so long?” the deer demanded. Noah almost barked back a sharp retort but reigned himself in.

  “What’s your message?” he asked. The deer snorted but obliged.

  “This message is from Jeline. She said to tell you that enemies are closing in on her borders and she fears that they may be too much for her to handle. She requests assistance assuming that you would prefer to have her as a neighbor over the invading kingdoms. She also wanted to make it clear that time is of the essence.” The deer finished. Noah frowned, his brow scrunching.

  “Did she say anything else? Any idea about the size of their forces or a specific timeline? And what does she mean that enemies are closing in? Is it one kingdom or multiple?” he pressed. The deer only looked at him dumbly.

  “I gave you the message, I didn’t leave anything out,” the doe said, sounding offended.

  “Perhaps you have your own information to add then, it could be a deciding factor for your kingdom,” Noah suggested. The deer frowned as if finding his words distasteful.

  “I am a messenger, it would be wrong for me to add my own words—but I assure you that the threat is genuine. When we fought the previous kingdom, it was a closer battle than we would have liked. We may very well need your help if we want to make it through this battle,” the doe lamented. Noah sighed.

  “Alright, it will take time to gather my warriors. Rest for the night, we will plan to leave in the morning,” he told her. She dipped her head before leaving him alone. He immediately sought out Ne’Ja, Recter, and Un’Dal, all of whom were busy trying to relax from the previous days’ events. The news was enough to shake them from their stupor, however, and they began their war council.

  “Who should we send?” Ne’Ja asked. Noah was glad that their going was not in question.

  “I hesitate to take too many. I suggest that several of our strongest warriors make the trip with plenty left behind to protect the town,” Noah replied. Un’Dal nodded in agreement along with Recter.

  “I will go, and I would like to take Gerald as well. He gained many levels from this last fight and will come in handy,” said Recter.

  “Agreed. I will also take Zo’Kati, Me’Zin, and Un’Dal,” Noah added.

  “You want me to stay?” Ne’Ja questioned. Noah nodded.

  “In that case, you should take two of my scouts as well as the rest of Zo’Kati’s squad. Un’Dal’s apprentices will remain with us in case a healer is needed,” she replied.

  “I also recommend Do’Fan and Hu’lo. We may need their strength.” Un’Dal recommended. Noah nodded, he hadn’t interacted with the pair much since they filled similar roles to him in battle but he knew that they could take and deal hits better than anyone else in the tribe.

  “It’s decided then, we leave in the morning. We will need rations and supplies made up for the warriors, and they will need to be notified tonight about our departure.” Noah said, dismissing the group to their tasks. Noah made the rounds, knocking on doors and informing his warriors. The injured had already recovered, but their fight still felt fresh, making him reluctant to share the news. His warriors never failed to rise to the occasion though and he was thankful for their vigor. As much as Noah would have liked to avoid another battle so soon, the prospect of two overwhelming enemies bearing down on them was too much. He only hoped that Jeline would respond in kind when their places were reversed.

  With his task taken care of Noah returned to finish what he had started, choosing to relish every moment of luxury he could get while he still had access to it. Not surprisingly, he was joined by several other warriors including Recter, who had grown accustomed to the feeling of cleanliness and serenity. The rowdy bunch of warriors exchanged tales of battle and victories won as the evening turned to night. Recter joined him for dinner afterward and they polished their gear by the fire well into the night. Knowing that hard travel would come with the morning, the two savored their remaining day as long as they were able, not falling asleep until well into the night.

  The messenger was pacing frantically as the warriors assembled the next morning, and Noah had to assure the deer that this was the soonest they could have left and that she really ought to be grateful that they agreed to come at all. That line didn’t work, but he felt good having said it. They said their farewells and began their journey to yet another battlefield.