The Oracles of Retana - Act II: Pursuit

The night was cold, silent, and wind can be heard whispering what is soothing to the soul to those who grieve. Crickets chirped in rhythm with Kali’s quiet sniffs, their cadence a fragile echo of life. Kali thought of many scenarios in his head throughout the night of how he could’ve helped his grandfather, all leading to different outcomes. None ended in peace.

The smell of blood snapped him out of his trance. Kali got up, relieved himself. washed his face, grabbed his grandfather's body, and set it outside. He built the pyre, lit the flame, and watched as the fire consumed the man who had raised him. He put the bones into a jar and placed them in the house, above the chimney. He gazed at the jar in sorrow and vowed in his heart.

Grandfather Elyron, I will avenge you. I will get Tessik back even if it means my end. Goblins everywhere must hear about Retana. They must hear what happened today. This will not end in silence.

Kali slept. And when dawn broke, he awoke changed.

Kali began to plan out his infiltration of the base that the humans were staying at. He entered Elyron’s study, where maps and potions had once lined the walls like memories waiting to be used. Now, the room was a mess with only a few vials left on the walls. His grandfather was an alchemist, and though Kali had picked up fragments of the craft over the years, he knew he had much to learn.

He turns to a drawer that was surprisingly untouched. This was the drawer that his grandfather always nagged at him not to open. Yesterday morning, he had planned to open it before everything was turned upside down. Kali opens the drawer. Inside lay a blade—sleek, ancient, and humming with quiet power. A folded note was tied to its hilt.

My boy, when you see this it probably means you are ready. This blade is a special blade from the times of Retana. At the bottom of this blade, you can insert fluids giving the blade the inserted potions’ attribute effect. All the alchemy you have learned. Use what I’ve taught you. Use this blade. Fight. And do not give up. Your father and I will be watching you, my son.

A tear rolled down the cheek of Kali. He wipes the tear from his face, folds the note and puts it in his pocket. Kali grabs the blade and picks it up above his head like a legendary hero would. He notices some writing on the handle, but the darkness in the room makes it hard to see. Kali walks outside to see the engravings on the handle. He squints his eyes, and sees two names shimmered in the metal: Echo & Kali. Beneath them, a vow: For Retana. Kali slid the blade into its sheath. He strapped on his light armor, slung his bow and quiver over his shoulder, and gathered a few of Elyron’s glass vials from the wall. Kali was now in a new mindset. Ready to rip and tear anything that would stand in his way. He was no longer the boy who wept. He was a storm waiting to break. The Tessik would be reclaimed, no matter the cost.

He mounted Lacy, Elyron’s beloved mare, and rode hard. The countryside blurred past, dust rising in his wake, wind slicing through his resolve. The long straight dirt road leading out of Mirek seemed longer the faster he would go. He whipped the reins, pushing Lacy beyond her limits. Ahead lay Erasure, the human stronghold. The place where Forge had taken everything.

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Erasure - Human Base (Evening)

The journey took Kali half a day. By the time he reached the outskirts of the base, dusk had swallowed the sky. Shadows stretched long across the dirt road, and the wind carried a silence that felt unnatural. He found a tree off the beaten path, hidden from view, and tied Lacy there gently. She snorted once, sensing his unease, but stayed quiet. Easy, I’ll be back okay? Whispered Kali to the Lacy. Kali surveilles the area and sees that the base is on a hill. The base loomed atop a hill. It was fortified, elevated, and dangerous. Had he arrived in daylight, he’d have been exposed. Now, the darkness was his ally.

He crept toward the hill’s base, sliding behind trees, each one a momentary shield. Sweat trickled down his brow. His palms were slick. His breath came in shallow bursts, heart pounding like war drums in his chest. The fear of being caught sharpened his senses, fueling his silence. He remembered the training he would do with his grandfather and applied it to the best of his ability.

He reached the last tree before being at rocks thrown distance of the south wall of the base. He notices that no guard of any sort is on duty and the front doors are unprotected. They are still closed, so walking in through them could be a death trap as he cannot see what is on the other side.

A trap? Or arrogance?

Kali didn’t trust it.

He pressed his hand against the stone wall beside the main gate, fingers searching for loose bricks or hidden mechanisms. Nothing gave. Circling west, he found another door, smaller, about six feet tall. Two torches lit it up on both sides of the door. Less imposing. Possibly overlooked. He crouched beside it, listening.

No voices. No footsteps.

Just the wind whispering through the trees behind him.

Well, it’s either this door, or the big one up in front. It’s dark so maybe they are all sleeping? No. That couldn’t be it, he thought to himself.

Kali turns off the torches that were above the door making it dark. He goes to push the door open, but it's locked on the inside.

Damn it… What now… Thought Kali to himself.

As he was about to give up, he heard footsteps coming from the inside. He hurried to the north wall and peeked over the corner. He saw one guard of normal stature come out.

Stupid torches, they always turn off, complained the guard.

The guard turned to the forest, took out a pipe and began to smoke. Kali wasted no time. He took out an arrow and set its sights towards the head of the guard. He pulls back, breathes in, breathes out, and focuses. The guard, completely unaware of what is happening, continues to tar his lungs with his tobacco. Kali’s fingers let go of the pressurized bowstring and zooms the arrow into the air. Just as the arrow is about to hit the guard, the guard accidentally drops his pipe and lowers his head causing the arrow to miss and go into the forest past the guard. The guard heard the piercing of the air due to the arrow, now his senses are fully alerted.

What the hell was that? Who goes there? Said the guard in a startled manner

The guard looks in desperation in every direction looking to see where the arrow came from. Kali quickly hid himself behind the wall. Just my luck, whispered Kali. The guard slowly approaches the wall where Kali is hiding, he even presses his back against the wall to slowly crawl his way towards the corner. Kali held his breath, body pressed flat against the cold stone. The guard’s boots scraped closer, slow and deliberate. Each step was a countdown. Both the guard and Kali’s heart pounded hard.

Don’t move. Don’t breathe. Don’t blink. Thought Kali.

The guard’s silhouette passed the edge of the wall, his back still pressed against it. Kali could smell the tobacco lingering in the air, mingling with the scent of sweat and moss.

A pause. The guard stopped. Listening.

Kali’s fingers hovered near his belt, where one of Elyron’s glass vials sat snug in a pouch. Shade Draught. A potion for silence and shadow making the blade hard to see for the defender, and silent when colliding with other objects. He’d never used it before. He didn’t know if it would work.

But he had no choice.

He uncorked the vial with a soft twist and poured a few drops into the blade’s base. The metal shimmered faintly, then dulled—absorbing the liquid like thirst meeting rain.

The guard turned his head, eyes narrowing.

Kali stepped sideways, blade drawn, moving like mist.

The guard spun—too late.

Kali struck, the blade slicing across the guard’s thigh. Not fatal. Just enough to drop him. The man collapsed with a grunt, reaching for his horn—but Kali was faster. He kicked it away, then pressed the blade to the guard’s throat. The guard watched as the horn rolled down the hill.

Make a sound, Kali whispered, and I’ll make sure it’s your last.

The guard froze, eyes wide.

Kali leaned in. Now, how do I get inside?

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