3rd Person POV – Yoshiya & Omina
The dawn air was crisp, carrying with it the scent of pine and damp earth. For the first time since the siege, Korvath stirred not with panic, but with quiet industry. Hammers clinked against broken stone, ropes were hauled across scaffolding, and orders echoed through the streets like the rhythm of a newly beating heart.
At the northern gate, a small caravan stood ready: three sturdy wagons reinforced with salvaged metal, pulled by thick-shouldered draft horses. Adventurers and soldiers checked their gear methodically, their movements efficient but subdued. The banners of Korvath and Dargath fluttered side by side, their edges singed but still standing.
Yoshiya tightened the straps on his newly made boar-hide pauldrons. The leather creaked faintly with each movement, grounding him. Across from him, Omina stretched lightly, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. She looked less like a war-hardened fighter today and more like a focused leader preparing for a demanding but straightforward task.
"This feels… different," Yoshiya said as he adjusted a rope on the first wagon.
Omina raised an eyebrow. "Less screaming. Fewer explosions. I'll take it."
A short distance away, Captain Ewald, one of Rick Kaiser's Dargath knights left behind to assist, barked orders in his booming voice. His men moved with clean precision—rows straight, gear polished, weapons inspected down to the buckle. Though their armor bore scratches from the siege, their discipline was unshaken.
Yoshiya watched them with quiet appreciation. "They really don't waste movement, do they?"
"Knights of Dargath," Omina replied, nodding. "They train like that since childhood. It's not for show."
Captain Ewald approached the two of them, his heavy boots thudding against the dirt. His weathered face carried a calm, stern authority. "We've cleared the roads up to the edge of Oakwood Forest. Expect resistance inside, but nothing organized. Small packs, wild beasts. Standard formation should suffice."
Yoshiya nodded. "We'll lead the group. Keep the wagons tight and covered."
Ewald gave a curt salute. "Understood. Let's bring Korvath its bones back."
---
The road to Oakwood Forest stretched out like a scar through the countryside — ruts from siege wagons still visible, flanked by fields trampled in battle. But as they approached the treeline, the atmosphere shifted. Oakwood's towering canopy cast long shadows, and the rustling leaves whispered like old sentinels.
The forest greeted them with cool shade and the smell of sap. The first rays of morning pierced through gaps in the branches, painting the forest floor in scattered gold. For many in the caravan, this was their first time leaving the city walls since the attack. Yoshiya noticed the way some shoulders loosened, breaths deepened — this was more than resource gathering. It was reclamation.
"Alright," Yoshiya called out, his voice carrying through the clearing. "Same as we planned. Teams of four. Two for cutting, two for loading. Mages, you're on perimeter watch and reinforcement spells. Keep noise to a minimum."
Omina took charge of the vanguard, her presence sharp and authoritative. "If something moves that shouldn't—call it out. Don't play hero."
The Dargath soldiers quickly integrated into the formation, their structured discipline complementing the adventurers' adaptable styles. Saws bit into old oak trunks with rhythmic groans, while wind and earth mages reinforced falling logs to prevent splintering. The sound of chopping wood echoed through the forest — not chaotic, but purposeful. Therapeutic.
---
They were halfway through the morning's work when the rustling began.
From the underbrush, a pack of lean, dark-furred beasts emerged — six in total. Their eyes gleamed yellow in the filtered light, their movements coordinated but instinctual. Timber wolves, territorial and hungry.
"Wolves!" someone shouted from the perimeter.
Omina was already in motion. She stepped forward with fluid precision, her blade flashing like silver lightning. The first wolf lunged, only to meet the flat of her sword and be sent tumbling aside. She didn't kill immediately; her movements were measured, testing.
Yoshiya raised his staff, murmuring a short incantation. A faint shimmer enveloped the forward line — a barrier ward, thin but sturdy enough to redirect the wolves' initial strikes. Two Dargath knights moved in beside Omina, shields raised in unison, forming a wall.
The fight was short. Wolves against trained adventurers and disciplined knights was hardly a fair contest. Within minutes, the beasts were scattered — two felled cleanly, the rest fleeing back into the depths of Oakwood.
Yoshiya lowered his staff and exhaled. "Almost nostalgic," he muttered.
Omina sheathed her sword, glancing at him with a faint smile. "Like old guild training runs. Before kobold kings and shadow puppeteers."
Around them, laughter rippled lightly through the workers. Not mocking, but relieved. It felt good to face a threat that wasn't overwhelming — something they could handle with confidence.
---
By late afternoon, the wagons were piled high with timber. The smell of fresh-cut oak filled the air. Workers wiped sweat from their brows, muscles aching but spirits lifted. The Dargath soldiers even shared their rations — dense travel bread and smoked meat — with the adventurers, trading stories between bites.
One knight leaned toward Yoshiya. "Never thought I'd be chopping trees alongside mages. But you lead well."
Yoshiya chuckled. "We all swing the axe differently. The goal's the same."
Omina oversaw the final loading, ensuring the bindings were secure. She scanned the treeline one last time before giving the signal to move. The caravan rolled out of Oakwood beneath a setting sun, their wagons creaking under the weight of their hard-won lumber.
As Korvath's walls came into view, bathed in orange light, a quiet pride settled over the group. For the first time since the siege, they were bringing something back — not just surviving, but rebuilding.
Yoshiya touched the edge of his pauldron and exhaled. "One load at a time," he whispered.
Omina nodded beside him, eyes fixed on the city. "One load at a time."