-After Infinus' retreat, Light Legion-
"Sir..." Struto said while bowing his head. "I know your Legion has been... split, recently."
Kas rested his head on his fist. His silent, judgmental eyes studied the visiting elite. The Zegus bowed, cloaked helmet covering his face like a pale mask. A sign of his devotion to the Code he followed.
"Infinus from the front. Yarno from behind. Encur and Ophus from below. Who else want's to fight us?" Kas replied, noticeably annoyed.
Struto lifted his head, taking a moment to see Kas sitting on the other end of the War Room's table. The perfectly crafted wooden table reflected the dancing flames of the nearby torches and candles.
He caught Kas' facial expression. Judging by his narrowed eyes and shut lips, he was thinking of a strategy. Something to get them off their backs.
And Struto was correct. Kas analyzed the results of previous conflicts. Against not just Infinus, but also several other Legions they faced in the past. He remembered the story his parents told him.
About Detta, Light's first leader, and her cunning being the source of another Legion's collapse. But he wasn't as cunning as her, he was never fond of mind games.
Not when reality was a lot harsher and brutal than fantasies. One could play a billion mind games on another, but when those mind games run out, so would their time alive.
So he remembered another story. This time it was about the leader before him. Kas remembered seeing the hooded figure guide its people with nothing but gestures.
Each gesture was a command, one everyone had to heed. It ruled with half of its face hidden under a hood, but not enough to tell everyone about their Variant or gender.
It didn't even have a name. Only Leader. That leader interested Kas the most. He was curious what they hid under that hood. And even more curious about how they made their plans.
"No one new, Infinus. They came back to Digon, hoping to reclaim it. But you were wise enough to put me there," Struto continued.
Kas sighed. "How did the outcome look like?"
"Like a bunch of dead warriors and fleeting cowards. That kid, the rogue, I think I saw him out there. Something was off about him. There were purple rocks attached to his armor that bypassed my Right," Struto answered.
Hearing what he said, 'bypassed,' caught Kas' attention. He stood up on his chair, leaning closer to Struto's faceless stare. Not once did he ever thought it was possible.
"Your 'Right' is nothing more than a fancy name for your Third Rule. Doesn't surprise me. Although, it was meant to shut down other hosts," Kas commented.
Struto shook his head. "Wrong, very wrong. Thawed Oracles claim this is the newest experiment the Nine have delivered for us. We don't know why, only that its harder to get than a Third Rule."
Kas laughed. He didn't believe there were any 'Nine Rules' out there. The best explanation he had for Third Rules were genetic mutations that appeared later in life.
He believed it developed similarly to how Threshers develop when they reach full maturation. Everything was hidden from everyone else until they reached that age. And when they did, they get new changes to their bodies.
Just like Third Rules showing up on Variants who had their bodies fully matured. Hearing the news from some Oracles fed into his skepticism.
"You seriously believe we are connected to something greater? Well, every man has their role in life. Mine didn't land on being a believer," Kas concluded.
Struto gritted his teeth. Instead of snapping back, he decided to bite his tongue and not say anything in return. This was a time of conflict, which made Kas the undisputed primary leader of the Legion.
He closed his eyes, calming himself. In his mind, he found himself bowing before an entity that danced and weaved in the skies above him. Eldigo. Several of its tentacles stopped flowing.
They turned their attention to him and rapidly descended from the pitch black skies to butcher him. But when the tentacles clashed with his body, he opened his eyes.
"Did you not hear my question?" Kas' annoyed voice asked.
"No. I'm sorry. Please repeat it, sir," Struto replied.
Kas sighed. "What does your army need to rebuild?"
"Send me another elite. Something tells me those Infinus cowards will come back eventually. Fresh harvest and newly woven clothing to award my people. And a butcher to cut up a Cemtras we found in the back of the stronghold,"
"Cemtras?" Kas raised an eyebrow. "Why do you not want to keep it. I heard those things had good taste if you cooked them in time. They spoil fast, so if you want the most out of it, go get it."
He closed his eyes, silently jotting down the requests inside his mind. "Return to your people. I will send Dire the request. And with him, Vernair."
Struto got up. His shoulders reflected the lighting with a much brighter response. Hearing his new partner, Vernair, was coming to aid him made him feel a lot safer.
Not just because it was another elite. But because Vernair was an excellent Thawed combatant who planted the first Light flag atop of Frosticus' corpse.
"I'll keep that in mind. But for now, thank you, sir," Struto concluded.
He exited the War Room. Leaving Kas alone with his thoughts. The sudden loneliness weighed on his shoulders. Reminding him of his reason for being there.
This War Room, represented his pride. Despite not having a hand in its creation, Kas still treasured this space. It held great value to him for the sole reason of, he earned his place.
Inside the Light Legion, Variants had to earn their place. No one cut lines and earned ranks for no reason. Everyone had their own spot. One that only changed when they proved themselves.
Sitting in the chair he sat in when he was just a small Zegus troop. It all felt close to him. Yet it felt in danger. He felt threatened. With every conflict that arises, Kas grew wary.
When Ophus turned their backs to them, he felt betrayed. Like they took his kindness for granted. What felt worse was when they appeared beside Infinus forces.
He brought his hand up to his chin, anchoring his sturdy head over the closed fist. Both eyes narrowed, he tried to focus on the reflections on the table.
But he couldn't. Not when the thought of his daughter being in danger was out there. His only daughter. With the other gone like an early morning breeze. His last remaining child was special.
Infinus was her biggest threat. The Coros lineage was her biggest threat. Generation after generation, they grew stronger and stronger.
Each new member became catalysts for destruction and chaos. Like a needle made specifically to thread the fabric of conflict. While the older members watched, giving advice.
Solice was a father just like him. The two shared similarities, but also shared a bitter taste for each other. Something that carried over after Solice passed.
Kas placed his forehead inside his open hand, he closed his eyes while banging on the table with his other hand. Inside his mind, he ran through different possible scenarios to taking down Infinus.
Until his mind landed on something. That stranger. The one that told them where Infinus' heart was. Ever since that meeting, that stranger never came back. They disappeared.
Leaving no trace or hint of who they were, other than the memory of a masked Variant with one torn off ear.
"Krugi..." Kas murmured.
He shot up from his seat. Directing his attention to a nearby map of the region that rested below a desk that housed a rough sketch of Yarno.
Kas grabbed the flat surface that held the map in place, then pulled it out. A map, highlighted by the orange flames, stared up at him.
One finger drifted across the entire region. Landing from named location to named location, until he found one sitting to the north eastern side of the map.
'Krugi' it said. Carbon black Bakano characters hung over a small city. Unaware of its rapid growth, a city three times its original size.
"I remember you. That fight for your protection was a massacre. My memory still paints me fresh nightmares every night after I saw what those starved Ferals did," Kas murmured.
He examined the area around it. Making sure to bring all the information laid out in front of him up to date in his mind. Something that became a daunting task as time progressed.
Out of desperation and willingness to thrive, Kas reintroduced himself with a risky method of warfare: Qarkiro. Or as other leaders called it, suicide dive.
The conditions needed to be right in order to execute such a tactic. Skies clear, warriors trained to withstand the extreme trauma and pressure of the dive, and enough forces to strike Infinus' heart.
Despite the odds being against him, Kas still admired the idea. He treasured the thought of liberating Imbushko, turning it into a safe place for his daughter to live peacefully.
He didn't want her to end up like him. Kas wanted her to grow up with a father, someone to teach her how a Variant should be. A guide who builds her from nothing into a known icon.
So he turned around. The road to victory was right before him, all Kas needed to do was take a step forward. And let the journey begin. The journey of a free Imbushko.