Last Light in the Darktide

Chapter 1: Reclaiming the Past

I woke up and got ready for my usual day, I grabbed my claymore and began my guard shift. Part way through my shift the hunters returned with a human male in ropes, he was being cooperative, but he was still not to be trusted. The hunters had put him in my custody, I began walking him to the cages and he spoke to me. "Komi, Komi Halane, is that you?!" I just grunted at him and he spoke again. "It's me Tristan Reiger, don't you remember your best friend?" I sighed and said "I remember you Tristan, but I have changed, I no longer seek a life among humans." He didn't seem surprised and said. "Yeah figured that was the case, but I couldn't be certain unless I heard it from your mouth." I locked him in a cage and asked. "Is that why you came here, is that why you got captured like you did?" He chuckled and said. "I didn't get caught on purpose after all I was just looking for you." I scowled and said. "Come on Tristan you were the best stealth specialist in school. I highly doubt you got caught on accident." He chuckled again and said. "You got me there, yeah I knew I couldn't find this place on my own, so I got caught by those hunters, I knew they could bring me here so I tried my luck." I sighed and said. "I figured that was the case, sit tight as I need to talk to the chief about what to do with you, I will try to put in a good word for you, but I can't promise anything." He sat down and waited as I walked to the chief's hut. I walked in and asked for the chief on the matter of the prisoner. After some time the chief walked out and spoke. "Yes Komi what is the situation?" I began to explain what was happening. "A human male named Tristan Reiger has been captured by the hunters and is currently in a cage." The chief then asked. "The way you speak of him makes me think he is someone you know, yes?" I nodded and said. "He was my best friend from a long while ago, he is a good person as he would rather focus on his own goals than focus on the racial hate most humans focus on." The chief nodded and said. "I understand, he can walk free, but he will be under observation." I nodded, then he sent me off to tell Tristan the chief's verdict. I returned to Tristan's cage and let him out and I said. "You can go free, but you are under watch of all guards, cause trouble and you will be in the cage again or you will meet my claymore's edge." Tristan nodded and said. "I get it, don't worry Komi I'll behave especially since you've been treated well." I nodded and told the other guards about what was going on and to keep an eye on him for now.

After a few weeks the hunters came back from their hunt in a panic. I asked what was wrong and the hunter said. "There are humans with guns and swords scouring the forest looking for us!" I ran to the chief and told him what was going on, so he began evacuating the women, children, and elderly while me and the other guard got our weapons ready. After a short time several human scouts entered the settlement with weapons raised, their commander said "Stand down savages, surrender and we will give you a quick...." I roared in anger and charged at the commander with ferocious rage, this caused my fellows to charge in quick. The commander and I locked blades and she scoffed at me and said. "Worthless traitor, how dare you attack your fellow humans!" I roared back at her. "I hate you filthy creatures, I wish I were never born as such a wretched creature!" I apply more pressure on her sword and a cracking noise can be heard. The commander gritted her teeth and yelled. "I can't believe how you would betray your own kind in favor of some lesser creatures!" I start seeing red and push harder and cut through her blade and slash across her chest. The commander stumbled backwards and fell to one knee in pain. Her troops started backing up full of fear and the commander spat up blood and struggled to move and said. "Please show mercy!" I stand over her and yell. "No mercy my brothers and sisters slaughter these filthy monsters just as they slaughtered our kind!" Without another word I drove my blade through her chest. The other humans tried to run away, but they were quickly caught and executed. The guard captain came to me and asked. "How do you feel Komi, this was your first kill." I replied with a cold tone. "I feel....nothing, nothing at all." He placed his hand on my shoulder and said. "I see, guess the adrenaline hasn't worn off yet, give it time, your first kill is always the hardest." I sigh and pull my blade from that commander's chest and walk in the direction of the tribe's escape camp and said. "Let's go regroup with the others and figure out our next steps." The guard captain and the other guards nodded and followed me to the camp.