The next morning, the weary warriors began their trek home, the burden of the night before lessened after their revelry. Noah's mind was clouded as they ran. Jelene’s illusion had taken him captive, and he had lost all awareness of his actions. It had gone so far that he didn't even have memories of the final fights. His total XP count proved that everything that he had been told actually happened, though, leaving him with an uneasy feeling. Shedding so much blood was wearing enough on its own, but knowing that he very well could have slain his own people without a moment of hesitation scared him. That thought wasn't helped by the warning that his mother had given him. His mother. While he had suspected the truth, this was the first time that it was laid out so clearly. His mother had spoken to him; she had been speaking to him since the beginning of this mess.

  He felt a storm of emotion as he considered that. He had always wondered who his parents were, and his family had had no idea or even any hints to offer him in his search. The thought that she was indeed out there was wild, but the idea that she was on a completely different world strained his thoughts of what was possible. She had spoken as if she planned to see him in the future, that she had been watching him and even expected something of him. But to him, all of this was completely new. He couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't reached out to him sooner and how he had ended up separated from his mother in the first place. If she was already on a world initialized into the system, wasn't it odd that he had grown up on earth? Would she be considered an alien? Did that make him one as well? He supposed that if he had learned about her existence and location prior to the System's arrival, that would have been more of a disturbing thought; now, however, he led a tribe of aliens, as it were, and didn't think much of it. He didn't even think that they were on Earth anymore, though the planet bore some similarities.

  While he had some reservations about his mother's identity, more than anything, he felt excited. if he managed to survive through this ordeal, it was very likely that he'd be reunited with the person that he had been thinking and dreaming of all of his life. She also mentioned a ‘we’ in her final words, meaning that there were other people waiting for him, perhaps watching him as well. He wondered if he had more family besides her, perhaps a father or grandparents. He couldn't help but smile at the idea and found himself daydreaming about what their interplanetary family would look like.

  The group moved slower on their way back, even though their stats had all grown significantly; they were slowed down by Noah's pace. His body was taking time to heal and recover after the ordeal, and he was hesitant to push it too fast, too soon. If he was honest with himself, he also appreciated the opportunity to let his thoughts wander as they ran in companionable silence. As the days passed Noah's energy returned and they were soon able to pick up the pace. By the time they were nearing their town, they had been absent for just over a month and a half and Noah couldn't help but wonder if their trip had been worth it. He quickly pushed that thought to the side however as they crested the last hill, revealing the town below. They had made their choices and would now live with the consequences. He was also aware of the surge of XP that both he and the other survivors had gained. He wasn't the only one to have reached the next Path threshold, as Recter, Me’Zin, and Un’Dal had all reached level 300. Gerald and the twins had opted to advance their Grade to C and were now in the high 200s as well. All in all, it was very possible that their battles had been a huge boon toward their upcoming war.

  Familiar faces began to stream out of the village as they noticed the group. Ne’Ja led the way, weapons in hand. Upon inspection, Noah realized that the entire party of villagers coming to meet them were armed and armored, a step beyond what the typical scouting parties would wear. Noah frowned and waved at the approaching warriors in hopes of reassuring them of their identities. It was clear that something had happened by their change in behavior and Noah didn't want to spook them any further.

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  “Ne’Ja!” he called.

  “No’Ah, it’s you! Thank the legends! We were beginning to worry that the worst had come to pass,” she replied. Noah smiled and embraced his friend.

  “Thankfully, not all of us were lost. Did something happen while we were gone?” he asked. Ne’Ja’s face fell as she took in the rest of the group, realizing that it was far smaller than the one that had left.

  “Ah–yes, we have had some trouble. We lost several scouts to night raids and have been pestered almost nightly with quick attacks. So far, they have only moved in small groups under the cover of darkness. Our current thought is that they are working to stretch us thin before their armies arrive in force,” Ne’Ja explained. Noah nodded.

  “Do you think they are part of the army the moles fought?” he asked. Ne’Ja nodded, her face grave.

  “We have confirmed them to be one and the same, but our scouts haven’t spotted any large movements of beasts in the surrounding areas,” she explained. Noah held up a hand to stop her.

  “Let’s get settled in, and we can catch each other up on the most recent developments,” Noah suggested. She quickly agreed and together the parties returned to the town. Several changes were immediately clear as Noah reached the town. first off was the unfamiliar faces of both humans and orcs. while it was possible that he didn't recognize all of the human Crafters that had previously joined them, he had long since memorized the faces of his tribesmen. he smiled as he realized what that meant. Ta’Ku! they continued down the main road and found that many of the houses were not occupied, and the air was Lively in a way that wouldn't have been possible with their previous population. this became more and more apparent as they neared the center of the village, which was bustling with activity, and filled with laughter and bargaining. there were small booths set up in the center of the town outside of the large circular building, and he could smell roasted meat and even freshly baked bread from some of the vendors. he looked questioningly at his companion. She shrugged.

  “I will tell you more in our meeting,” she said with a cheeky smile. Noah was surprised to see several elves waiting in lines to buy food and realized that they must have come with Ta’Ku as well. His brow knitted. I wonder… before he could ask, the subject of his wondering came into sight.

  “Julie!” he exclaimed. Her eyes lit up as she saw him and she pushed through the crowd to reach him. They hugged and Noah smiled broadly as he looked over her.

  “You made it!” he said. She smiled back, nodding.

  “Just a couple of weeks ago. Ta’Ku showed up with nearly 200 orcs and offered to escort anyone close to Copper to the top. That included twenty elves and another 50 humans. It was a long trip but I am glad we came when we did. There has been a lot of work to be done in preparation for the coming battle, and you sorely needed someone to direct the work,” she grinned. Noah chuckled.

  “And I’m guessing you fit that bill?” he asked, his eyebrows raised.

  “That’s right, you’re lucky to have me,” she replied, batting her eyelashes. “I have to get going, but I will see you at the meeting tonight,” she announced before running off into the crowd. Noah turned back to Ne’ja, who had been watching their interaction quietly from the side.

  “Meeting?” he questioned. She nodded.

  “Our bi-weekly leadership meeting is tonight. We go over updates, plans, and ideas, and I give orders to the various groups through their leaders. Now I will thankfully be able to pass that burden back to you,” she explained. Noah considered that. It sounded like they had indeed become more organized in his absence.

  “Actually, I think you may be better suited to that role. I will attend, of course, but you likely have a better idea of what is needed than I do,” he replied. She grimaced.

  “I will find someone else to pawn it off on, then. Perhaps Un’Dal can carry the mantle,” she conspired. Noah grinned but agreed with her suggestion. Neither of them was particularly suited to the task, and it would be best to have someone with a bit more wisdom in the role.

  “I guess you better bring me up to speed then. When does the meeting start?”