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Sitting on the crate, Korin Softpaw, a husk of his original self. What horrified Astaroth was not his sunken cheeks, or pale skin, though.

Korin was much more damaged than that.

In his face, two very important things were missing. His eyes.

In their stead, two hollow holes, veiny and red where discerning eyes had once been.

Astaroth also noticed a leg missing, when his gaze lowered a little. In this state, it was a miracle he had survived whatever had happened to him.

Tears started streaming down Astaroth\'s face, as memories of Korin smiling while they hunted, or when he woke up in the woods with Korin guarding over him. Or every time he had covered his back during patrols.

The Korin in his memories, was what Astaroth had expected to see again. The Korin in his memories was mentally and physically strong.

But the one before him looked like he had given up on life. His face screamed of malnutrition while his body was battered.

Korin still looked forward, his head not registering where Astaroth was exactly.

"Is that you, Astaroth?"

Holding back a choke of tears, Astaroth responded.

"Yes. It\'s me. What happened to you, Korin?"

"This old rogue has been through a rough patch. Don\'t worry about it," Korin replied, faking a peal of laughter.

But as much as he wanted to sound joyful, his face was a mask of sorrow. There was no hiding it.

Aberon finally reached next to Astaroth.

"Young man, let Korin rest. He is tired."

But Astaroth ignored the old man. Spinning on his heels, he scanned the camp, looking at all the people huddled around the fire.

Another familiar silhouette caught his eye across the fire. The form was blurry, because of the fire\'s rising heat, but he thought he recognized Aj\'axx.

A blanket was wrapped around his shoulders, and a gloomy expression hung on his face.

Taking wide strides to reach him, Astaroth was glad Aj\'axx looked whole. Reaching him, the man looking surprised to see the familiar face; he grabbed the defender in a hug.

But as he did, reality settled in again. As he hugged Aj\'axx, the blanket wrapped around him fell back to the ground, revealing a missing arm, ripped off at the shoulder.

Astaroth\'s tears rolled down harder.

"What happened to you guys? Who did this to you?"

Aj\'axx smiled wearily at him.

"Welcome home Astaroth. I\'m afraid you are late for the party. This happened months ago."

"Who did this to you? Was the enemy slain?"

Aj\'axx\'s face became glum again as he looked down. Taking his one arm left, Aj\'axx freed himself from Astaroth\'s grip, before sitting back down on the log he was before Astaroth grabbed him.

"Aj\'axx. What happened? Is anyone going to tell me?"

The defender remained silent as Aberon reached Astaroth once more.

"Boy. Come with me. Let\'s go to my tent and speak for a while."

Turning toward Aberon, Astaroth\'s tears were still rolling down. His face was slowly morphing from sorrow to anger.

"Why won\'t anyone answer me? Who did this?!"

"Calm down, Astaroth. Come sit with me. I will explain what happened over the last few years."

Astaroth ignored his plea.

He spun around, looking at the people around the campfire. He recognized a few of them, but their numbers were on the low side.

Walking toward where the noise of training swords clashing was coming, Astaroth came to a halt. All the warriors who were training here were adolescents or very young adults.I think you should take a look at

He spun toward Aberon.

"Where are the others? Where is Chris? Or Kloud? Or even I\'dril? Why are you so few?"

"Child, please calm down. I will explain it all, but you need to come with me."

Astaroth was on the verge of exploding in rage. Everyone seemed to brush over the events that led them to look like battered dogs, and it was irking him to no end.

Ignoring the old man once more, Astaroth sent a wave of mana throughout the camp, discerning every living thing that was living in the cave.

He couldn\'t find the Colonel, or I\'dril, but he found a familiar presence. It was Kloud; he was sure.

Although the presence felt weaker and different, it was too similar not to be him. Taking off with a swift pace, he walked toward the tent that was giving the aura.

It was isolated to the back of the camp, far from the rest of them, and not even a torch lit up the area. Before he could take three steps toward it, a powerful telekinesis grabbed him, and a barrier rose in front of him, blocking his path.

Only one person in this camp was a mage strong enough to hold him like this, to Astaroth\'s knowledge.

Breaking free from the telekinesis, since he was still under the effects of Royal Protection, albeit unmelded, Astaroth spun angrily toward the mage.

"Why are you trying to stop me?"

"Boy! You must calm down! Going to speak to Kloud right now is the last thing you should do. Listen to me, for once!"

The resistance Aberon was putting up only made Astaroth even more determined to speak to Kloud. He was persuaded he would get answers from him, at the very least.

Astaroth summoned all his Spirit companions simultaneously, sending them at Aberon.

"Old man, I know you mean well. But stay out of my way. I need to know what happened."

Aberon quickly pulled the barrier back, bringing it toward him to protect himself. Rage overtook the mage, insulted that the young man rebelled against him.

But when the three spirits collided with his barrier, he quickly understood he would have to take care of them first, before he could reason with the boy.

The few seconds this bought for Astaroth were enough for him to step into the tent. The inside was pitch black.

Astaroth felt the air was heavier on the inside of the tent, almost like something was corroding it.

He looked all around himself, looking for Kloud. He finally saw a lump in the tent\'s corner.

Scanning it with his mana sense, he recognized Kloud.

Feeling the scan go through him, the man spoke up.

"Who is this? Why are you disturbing me? Leave, if you know what is best for you."

"Sir, it is me. Astaroth."

"Astaroth? Is it really you?"

"Yes, sir. It\'s me. I\'m so glad you are ok. It seems something terrible happened, and no one wants to tell me. Surely you must know what happened."

The air in the tent thickened once more.

"Leave."

"What? Sir, you—"

"Leave, now!"

In that instant of screaming, Astaroth felt the aura change of the man in the tent. This change was all too familiar to him.

But before he could ask him what was happening, a gleam lashed out toward his throat, much faster than the Kloud he knew could ever achieve.

Jumping backward, dodging the tip of a blade by a hair\'s breadth, Astaroth landed outside the tent. The fabric and supports of the tent suddenly collapsed, revealing the figure inside.

"What in tarnation?!"