The first light of dawn painted the Wasteland in pale, washed-out gold. Aris woke not from sleep, but from the light, half-aware doze she'd mastered over years alone. Her back ached, her throat was dry, and every muscle screamed from the endless walking—but she was alive, and that counted as a victory.
Kael was already awake, leaning against the broken wall of their shelter, gaze fixed west. He didn't look like a prisoner anymore. He didn't even look like a temporary bodyguard. In the quiet morning light, he looked like what he was:
A lord returning to his domain.
Aris's business instincts immediately flared.
Dangerous lords were bad for profit.
"You're staring again," she said, pushing herself to her feet, brushing dust off her pants. "Stop it. You're making the air feel dramatic. Dramatics attract raiders."
Kael glanced at her, the corner of his mouth twitching. "I was watching the horizon."
"You were brooding," Aris corrected. "Brooding is just dramatic sulking. I can't afford dramatic sulking in my travel crew."
"Crew?" Kael repeated, the word light with amusement. "Last I checked, I was still salvage."
"Temporary crew-member salvage," Aris clarified, very seriously. "With benefits. You get water. I get protection. And I still get to sell you later. Fair deal."
"Perfectly fair," Kael agreed.
She ignored his tone, slinging her backpack over her shoulders and checking her weapons—knife at her hip, gun at her waist, all secure. The water inside her bag felt heavy and reassuring, a luxury she still couldn't quite believe she had.
"Today we push," she said, businesslike once more. "We keep moving west, nonstop unless we're ambushed. The closer we get to the Black Fort, the more traitors and scavengers we'll run into. Stay sharp. Don't do anything heroic. If you see trouble, you either hide or fight for me. Not for honor. For me."
"For you," Kael repeated. His voice was quiet, almost too soft to hear.
Aris pretended she didn't catch the way he said it.
Feelings were bad for business.
They stepped out of the shelter and into the morning light, the Wasteland stretching empty and broken before them. No sounds. No movement. Just endless ruins and endless sky.
Peaceful, for the Wasteland.
Aris led the way, her steps steady, her mind already mapping the path ahead. She knew the general direction of the Black Fort—everyone in the Wasteland did—but she'd never been close. Too dangerous. Too many stories of soldiers, executions, and warlord cruelty.
Now she was walking straight toward it.
With the warlord himself at her side.
Life was hilarious. In a terrible, probably going-to-get-her-killed way.
"You've never been to the Black Fort," Kael said, not a question.
"Nope," Aris said cheerfully. "I stay away from places with armies and egos. Bad for lifespan. Bad for profit. Bad for my general desire to not get stabbed."
"You'll be safe inside," Kael said. "Once I reclaim what's mine—"
"Once you reclaim what's yours, I'll be looting your storage and finding a buyer who doesn't have an army," Aris interrupted. "Let's not get confused about who's still in charge here."
Kael smiled faintly. "Of course. You're in charge."
Aris eyed him suspiciously. He was agreeing too easily. Warlords didn't agree easily. They plotted. They schemed. They waited for the perfect moment to take back control.
She made a mental note to keep her knife extra close.
They walked for hours, the sun climbing high and hot, the landscape slowly changing. The scattered ruins became denser, the buildings larger, the signs of old civilization more pronounced. This had once been the city's core, before the world broke—tall skyscrapers, wide streets, signs of a life Aris had only ever heard stories about.
Now it was all just rust, concrete, and graves.
"The Black Fort was once the city's central tower," Kael said, noticing her gaze. "Reinforced walls, hidden armories, enough supplies to survive a decade under siege. My men turned it into a fortress. A safe haven."
"Until someone betrayed you," Aris said flatly.
Kael's expression darkened, the warmth in his eyes vanishing. "Someone I trusted. Someone who wanted everything I had."
"Shocking," Aris said dryly. "In the Wasteland, everyone wants everything everyone else has. You should've known better."
"I thought I did," Kael said quietly.
Aris didn't reply. She didn't do comforting. She didn't do sympathy. She did survival and profit. But for a second, she didn't snap back with a sarcastic remark. For a second, she just… let him be quiet.
He probably owed her extra water for that.
They walked in silence for another hour, until Aris suddenly froze, her hand flying to her knife.
Kael tensed immediately. "What?"
"Smell that?" Aris whispered.
Kael inhaled, his jaw tightening. "Smoke. Fire."
Aris nodded, her gaze sharp. "Not a camp. Too big. Too black. A settlement. Or a checkpoint."
Or a trap.
She crept forward, low and silent, Kael right behind her. They moved between collapsed buildings, staying in the shadows, until they reached a partially crumbled wall and peered over.
What they saw made Aris's blood run cold.
A small outpost—once a Black Fort checkpoint—burned to the ground. Tents turned to ash, supplies charred, bodies lying still in the dirt. The traitors had been here.
And they hadn't been kind.
Kael stared at the wreckage, his golden eyes cold with a fury so quiet it was terrifying. "They killed my men."
"Looks like it," Aris said, her voice low. "And they're not far. The smoke's still fresh. We need to move. Now."
She turned to leave, but Kael didn't move. He just stood there, staring at the destruction, his body rigid with rage.
Aris grabbed his arm, hard, and yanked him back into the shadows.
"Hey," she snapped, forcing him to look at her. "I know you're angry. I know you want to march in there and kill everyone. But you can't. Not yet. You'll get us both killed. And I still haven't sold you. I refuse to die before I get paid."
For a long, tense second, Kael just stared at her. Then the cold fury in his eyes faded, just a little, replaced by something like focus.
"You're right," he said.
Aris blinked. She hadn't expected him to agree so fast.
"…I usually am," she said, recovering quickly. "Now come on. We circle around. We don't engage. Not until we're ready."
Kael nodded, and this time, he followed without hesitation.
They slipped away from the burning outpost, moving deeper into the ruins, toward the massive, dark shape of the Black Fort rising in the distance.
Aris's heart was pounding, but not from fear.
From excitement.
The real game was just beginning.
The real loot was just ahead.
The real warlord was finally going home.
And she was right there with him.
…Still planning to sell him, of course.
Probably.