Ashes of the FutureChapter 13 – Whispers in the Wind
Morning in Tondc smelled of damp earth and rusted metal. The sun, barely above the treeline, painted the fractured skyline with hues of amber and copper. Kira stood at the edge of the city, her arms crossed as she surveyed the horizon. Sleep had been elusive. Lexa's presence, close but untouched, had left her chest tight with unfamiliar longing.
"You're up early," Indra said as she approached, her steps quiet for someone clad in armor.
Kira nodded. "Old habit. Back in my world, I used to train at dawn."
Indra studied her for a moment. "You fight like someone who was trained from birth. Yet your eyes say you weren't always a warrior."
Kira glanced at her. "You see a lot for someone who barely talks."
A faint smirk touched Indra's lips. "Lexa trusts you. That makes you important. It also makes you dangerous."
Kira arched an eyebrow. "To who?"
"To those who think they know what's best for the Commander," Indra replied.
The day unfolded in negotiations and posturing. Ryssa hosted a council of her own, calling in tribal leaders and advisors to meet with Lexa. Kira sat silently through most of it, observing. Lexa never lost composure, even when Ryssa's lieutenant accused her of using fear to maintain unity.
"Fear isn't the weapon. Division is," Lexa replied, her voice calm. "And that is what I'm trying to prevent."
Kira admired her restraint. In her old world, she'd dealt with boardroom politics and hostile takeovers. This was no different. The stakes were just higher. Bloodier.
When the council adjourned, Lexa turned to Kira. "Walk with me."
They stepped outside the meeting hall into the open courtyard. Wind tugged at their cloaks, scattering dust and the scent of smoked meats from a nearby vendor. Lexa looked more relaxed now, away from the watchful eyes of politics.
"You handled them well," Kira said.
Lexa glanced sideways. "Did I? Sometimes I wonder if unity is even possible."
"It is," Kira said. "But not without compromise. And compromise means giving up pieces of yourself."
Lexa stopped walking. "What have you given up, Kira?"
Kira looked at her. "My world. My future. My sense of normal."
Lexa studied her. "And what have you gained?"
Kira hesitated. "Not sure yet. But I'm starting to see the value in the trade."
A gust of wind blew between them. Lexa reached out instinctively, brushing hair from Kira's face.
It lingered.
Kira's breath hitched. Not because of fear. Because of how badly she wanted to lean in. But something held her back.
Not yet.
That night, Kira left camp and wandered the city alone. Her footsteps took her to the outskirts, where children played in the dirt, their laughter echoing like birdsong through the crumbling ruins. One girl, no older than six, ran up to her.
"Are you the ghost who walks with the Commander?"
Kira knelt. "Ghost?"
"You came from the sky," the girl said matter-of-factly.
Kira chuckled. "I guess you could say that."
"Do you have magic?"
Kira considered her inventory space, the endless void that carried weapons, medicine, supplies. It wasn't magic, but to this child, it might as well be.
"Maybe a little," she said.
The girl beamed and darted off.
Kira stood slowly, feeling a warmth bloom in her chest. Connection. Purpose. Maybe this world had room for her after all.
She returned to camp late. Lexa was waiting by the fire.
"You vanished."
"I needed air," Kira replied. "And perspective."
Lexa nodded. "Did you find it?"
"Some of it."
A pause.
"Come sit."
Kira lowered herself beside Lexa. The fire cast shadows on their faces, flickering like ghosts of moments they hadn't yet shared.
"I worry about the Coalition," Lexa said quietly. "Not just Azgeda. Others grow restless. They see your presence as disruption."
Kira met her gaze. "Do you?"
Lexa shook her head. "No. You are the reminder that change is possible."
"Change is hard," Kira murmured.
"So is war."
They sat in silence, the kind that only came with trust. And something else, still unspoken but growing stronger by the day.
Lexa turned her head. "When you're ready, Kira, I won't hold back."
Kira nodded slowly. "When I'm ready."
For now, they watched the fire burn.
And behind them, the wind whispered through the bones of a broken city, carrying the promise of what might come next.
End of Chapter 13
patreon.com/KyJo_