Chapter 46: Home.

The beam of sunlight rests upon a messy blond hair woman with a single horn on her forehead. Vizrez removes the sweat off her forehead with her hand after letting out a long yawn. She stretches her body on top of the wall while guarding the newly build wooden gate. The cyclops woman takes a seat on a reinforced wooden chair beside her then leans back on the chair to take a nap.

"Viz, I brought you some lunch," Grie said as he brings a bowl of cooked rice with steam meat on it.

He climbs the wooden ladder with the bowl in his hand; the women half-open eye glance at the man that's trying to climb the ladder with a single hand. Grie reaches the top of the ladder and proceeds to lift himself up onto the walkway with the food in his hand.

Vizrez looks at him with a tired smile on her face.

"Thank you for your hard work," Grie said as he passes the bowl to the cyclops woman.

Vizrez takes the bowl and places it on the end table next to her, "I should be thanking you, you're the one that has been keeping us together."

"I'm only following the chief plan, nothing more," Grie said as he rests both hands on the battlement.

"Following a plan is easy, but bringing people together after what happened, that's all you," Vizrez comments.

Grie ignore the cyclops woman words when he saw an outline of three familiar people on the path toward here. Something familiar lingers under Vizrez's nose, causing her to stand up and looks toward where Grie is looking.

"It's them," Vizrez said as a broad smile appears on her face.

"They are back," Grie said to himself at first.

Then he turns to face the camp, and shout out "The chief is back!!"

The word was passed around one by one throughout the camp as the people cheer while excitement rise in them. They all drop what they were doing and rush to the wooden gate with newfound relieved in their hearts. The large wooden gate creak as two of the males drag it open to reveal Neya, Nesto, and Vel on the other side.

"Chief, Welcome home!!" All the human greets the elf girl in unison.

Neya was surprised by the greeting that she let out a smile after hearing it. She raises her chin up while her eyes are looking up into the sky then she yells out.

"I'm home!!"

The humans cheer their heart out after hearing Neya response.

Time passed as she answers all the human questions such as: where have you been, are you okay, did they hurt you and many more. However, Grie steps in to scoot the human back to work before the conversation drags on into the night. They are disappointed to not able to talk to their chief, but Neya promised them that she will tell them everything during the feast tonight.

After the humans left, Neya turn to Grie and ask a question that darkens the mood, "Where is he?"

Grie expression sorrow, "Follow me."

The group follows Grie except for Vel. After a short walk, they arrive behind the finished dorm, where a single tombstone stood lonely on a field of beautiful orange flowers. Neya saw the flowers and it reminds her of the orange fur that Za had and the smile he had.

She sniffs her tears away, "Did you have time to mourn?"

"We all had," Grie answers.

"How about you? You're the closest to him," Neya said.

"I wish I had all the time in the world just to remember the memories we had, but he wouldn't want me to waste my time like that," Grie said.

"I was surprised to see you all so happy seeing me back because I thought you all hated me for the horrible thing that happens," Neya said.

Nesto places a hand on his master shoulder to comfort her. Neya felt her butler warm hand on her shoulder.

"Nobody hates you because you sacrifice yourself to save us when everyone would have abandoned us. You're our Chief, and we will never hate you," Grie said.

"And we're glad that you came back home safely," Grie continue.

"It's the first time I felt happy that I got home or have a home to go back to," Neya said as she let out a small smile.

Neya walks toward the grave with her heart throbbing slowly, she drops to one knee and places her hand on the tombstone.

With a saddened heart, she said: "I'm sorry, I couldn't protect you."

A moment of silence was given by them to mourn for the death of a hero, a hero that save two child life from death by sacrificing his own. After Neya was done praying for Za, Nesto takes over by giving his respect to the Wolics. Grie left the tombstone with Neya while Nesto stays behind and wanted to spend more time with Za.

As both of them walk around the camp, she can see the beautiful dorm has been built and the others are starting to work on the wall slope and farm fields.

They both stop at one of the wagons, inside it contains a few humans sewing a nicely made clothes. Neya finally realized that the humans are wearing regular clothes instead of the rag that was given to them.

"You make new clothes? That's great! Good job," Neya said excitedly.

"Thank you chief," The group of tailors reply happily with a toothy smile on their face.

Afterward, they took out a dark green overcoat with a black color eyepatch on top of it.

"We made this for you," One of the humans said.

"For me?" Neya asks and the human nod their head.

Neya glance at Grie beside her, he gestures his head to tell that she should accept it. With a small smile on her face, she took the overcoat and eyepatch, she then wears the overcoat and it was a perfect fit. After that, she finishes the set by wearing the eyepatch on her left eyes.

"How do I look?" Neya ask.

"Strong!"

"Beautiful!"

"You look fierce, Chief" This was the answer that was given by the tailors.

"Thank you very much, I loved it," Neya said.

Afterward, they continue walking, Neya waves goodbye to the group just before they left.

"So what's our next course, chief?" Grie ask.

Just before Neya could answer, Vizrez calls out to them. "Chief, there is someone at the gate who wish to meet you."

Neya turns her focus to the gate and starts jogging toward it with Grie by his side. Arriving at the gate she was joyful to see the short Satyr girl with short brown hair and the green curly-haired elf girl. But she didn't recognize the gentlemen Satyr standing beside the elf girl.

"Is him with you?" Neya asks Digia.

"Nope, I don't know him," Digia said as she shakes her head.

"Actually, I'm with the king. I brought the paperwork you need to sign," The gentlemen said.

"Ohh, King Viria. Yes, I almost forgot," Neya said finally remember the deal she made with the king.

"Grie, do we have a meeting room that we can use?" Neya ask.

"Yes, back at the dorm," Grie answers.

"Can you show us the meeting room and afterward can you show both of my friends to an empty bedroom that they can use?" Neya ask.

"Of course, It's my pleasure, Chief," Grie said with a smile on his face.

*

The soft wind brushes against the field of the orange color flowers as Nesto sits on the ground while facing the tombstone. In his mind, he can still remember how Za died as clear as day and the feeling of not being able to do anything.

"You feel it too, right?" Vizrez voice echo behind him.

The man glances behind him and sees the cyclops woman with a glass bottle in her hand. He let out a sullen smile so do the women, she walks to his side and takes a seat right next to him.

"Guilt," Nesto said.

"Yep, you want some?" Vizrez asks as she gestures to the bottle.

"What is it?" Nesto ask.

"The human said it's a spirit that the elf made, they found it in one of the wagons," Vizrez said.

The cyclops women pull the cork out and start chugging the spirit down her throat, then she stops and let out a cough. Nesto was certainly impressed by the way that Vizrez chug the spirit down. She passed on the bottle to the man, Nesto took it and wash down the guilt away with the spirit.

He passed back the bottle to Vizrez and ask "Aren't you supposed to be on the lookout?"

"I ask Melud to take over for me," Vizrez reply.

She down a few more before passing the bottle back to Nesto, and ask "I thought you were dead."

"So did I, but here we are alive and well," Nesto said.

"Not exactly well, judging by your injury," Vizrez said as she glances at Nesto's back.

"I had to fight a lot of knights... I met Za killer, I had the chance to kill him, but I didn't," Nesto said.

"Why didn't you take it?" Vizrez ask.

"I wanted to change, no more killing," Nesto said.

"You serious about that... Well it doesn't matter if you kill him or not, Za probably wouldn't care about it," Vizrez said.

"Maybe..." Nesto said as he down the spirit into his throat.

He passed the bottle to Vizrez, she took it and chug the whole thing until it's empty and ask "Do you want to... Hmm, you know."

Nesto glances at the cyclops women and saw the perverted grin on her face, "Thank you for the offer, but no."

"Aww, you are no fun," Vizrez said as she leans her side to the man beside her.

*

Night came, the campfire lights up the camp while warming the residents. People were enjoying themselves on the feast and drowning themselves in spirit to loosen up their inhibitions. The young ones were dancing to the music that Grie provide.

Nesto took his time to make teas for the camp as he always does. Vizrez flirts with the women in the camps while Digia and Lilia introduce themselves to the residents.

Neya was at the outskirt of the feast when she saw Vel longingly looking at the forest outside the wall. She walks up to him and taps him on the shoulder, this cause Vel body to perk up.

"What's wrong?" Neya ask.

"Home. Can't go back." Vel said.

"Why you can't go back home?" Neya asks surprised.

"Novuz clan rule. Outside once. Cannot go back home anymore." Vel said.

"For how long?" Neya ask.

"Forever," Vel said.

"You sacrifice your home to save me, why?" Neya ask.

"Care too much. Couldn't see you get hurt," Vel said letting out a small smile.

"If you can't go home then you are welcome here, this is your new home," Neya said as she gestures to the feast behind her.

"New home?" Vel ask.

"Yes, let's go, your new family is waiting," Neya grab Vel hands without giving it much thought and pull him toward the feast.

With Vel by her side, she pulls him toward the center and let him stand beside her. She turns to face everyone in the feast and gesture Grie to stop the music.

"I have a few things to say. First, let's welcome our new members to the sanctuary, Vel, Lilia, and Digia." Neya gesture to the people she spoke of, the people's clap their hands and cheers toward them as a sign of welcome.

"Second, I have made a deal with King Viria that this land is ours, and we are free to live here without any interference from others... We are free," Neya said.

The humans were surprised to hear what Neya just said; did she just said that all the humans here are free, that there is no slavery, and they can live in peace. It was almost a dreamed to hear those word that causes one of them to ask.

"You're joking right, Chief?"

"No, I'm not. You all are free," Neya said.

The cheers went even louder, some of them even cry in happiness after hearing those words. They thought the day that they live in peace wouldn't come, but here they are.

"Long live, Chief Neya, Slayer of the Wyvern Queen!!" They cheer repeatedly.

The night went on full blast as the news has certainly lifted their morale, they party and eat until they pass out drunk or was too tired to go on. Leaving only Nesto, Neya and Vel awake as everyone went back to their room to sleep or pass out near the campfire.

With the help of Vel and Neya, Nesto places a blanket on each one of the people that pass out drunk near the campfire. Out from the darkness, they heard a slow clap, someone familiar walk toward the light revealing himself.

"That was quite a party," 167 said.

"167?" Nesto said surprised to see him, this elf spook Vel that it causes him to take out his dagger.

"What are you doing here?" Neya ask.

"I want to say my thanks, you gave us more time than we need to prepare," 167 said as he slightly bows his head.

"What do you mean?" Neya ask.

"In three months, there will be a war that will change the entire Arorona and gave Targia time to prepare its army to fight," 167 said.

"Is that all, are you here just to say your thanks?" Nesto ask.

"That's all, I'm here to say my thanks and give you this," 167 said as he unsheathed Nesto's wooden staff that he left back at the fortress.

"You were there?" Nesto ask.

"No, I'm not, but I heard what happens and I thought, I should bring your wooden staff back to you," 167 said then he stabs the staff into the dirt and let it stand.

He put both hands into his pocket and say "Well, I'm going to leave now, have a good life."

"Wait! —" Neya stops the elf from leaving, "I want to know why my mom is doing this and I want to know what happens to the Weyshers after I left."

"It's a long story, are you sure that you want to know about it?" 167 ask.

"I'm sure," Neya reply.