Episode 7: Remnants
Bow was looking over a checklist, as supplies were loaded onto a repurposed Horde tank. Though he supposed they weren't really Horde tanks anymore. They were just hover tanks. Workers loaded supplies onto the vehicle, while several other hovercraft were being filled with supplies nearby. As he checked over the last of his list, he watched as Scorpia walked out into the courtyard. She carried two heavy crates over her shoulders, and placed them on a nearby transport. The princess waved as she spotted Bow and approached.

"You sure we're really gonna need all this stuff?" she asked. "I thought we were just doing a scouting mission to the Fright Zone?"

"We are." Bow replied. "But we also want to setup outposts for salvage, and repair crews to start getting to work. Th Fright Zone is full of technology, and materials that we can use to not only rebuild but also repurpose for something good."

"That would be nice." Scorpia said rubbing her chin with a pincer. "I have always said the place could use some redecoration. I mean, its so...so..."

"Frightening?"

"I was thinking of off-putting but yeah, frightening is good." She paused and let out a laugh. "Oooooh, I get it."

Not long after, Perfuma joined the two, smiling warmly at them. "I have to say, its still very strange seeing all this horde tech around. I'm so used to seeing it when you know, its trying to destroy our homes."

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Bow agreed. "But I'd rather use it and put it toward a good purpose then leave it to rot."

"Yes, its like composting. Just with metal, and oil instead of old fruit and dead leaves." Despite her positive spin it was easy tell that the weapons made her uneasy.

"You grow to like the oil smell." Scorpia assured.

"I'll take your word for it."

Bow soon spotted another vehicle approaching the woods. It was a much older Horde skyskiff, weathered from use. A lone figure stood on its deck, directing it with the rudder on the back. Slowly it came to a stop, and the figure hopped down, dressed in a sand colored cloak with tattered edges. They toss the hood and cloak aside to reveal the powerful frame of Huntara. Perfuma clapped her hands together excitedly and rushed over to greet her. The sour expression of the taller woman seemed to soften as the princess approached.

"Oh, its good to see you Huntara! How have you been?" Perfuma asked. "I didn't see you at the Brightmoon festival"

"Good to see you too flower girl." Huntara chuckled. "Those types of fancy parties aren't really my thing. I celebrated in my own way. Been busy since then though, out scouting the wastes. There's been quite a few changes out there since that big magic wave that took out Prime. There are oasis springing up here and there for one."

"Any new plants?" Perfuma asked excitedly.

"Maybe you can go see for yourself sometime." the other woman suggested.

Scorpia and Bow soon approached as well, with Scorpia looking Huntara up and down. "Oh wow, you're one big lady. And that's coming from me." she said with a small laugh. "I don't think we've met, I'm Scorpia."

Huntara narrowed her eyes and leaned in. "I recognize you. The little scorpion princess that used to wander around the Fright Zone. You've certainly grown!"

"You know me?" Scorpia asked, blinking in surprise.

"Huntara is ex Horde." Bow pointed out, giving her a handshake in greeting. "Thanks for coming."

"Yep, I'm a deserter from way back." Huntara said, shaking Bow's hand. "I was a force captain back in the early days of the Horde. But I left that behind me a long time ago."

"We really appreciate you coming Huntara." said Bow. "We could really use the extra muscle."

Huntara slapped Scorpia on the back. "Well between me and the scorpion princess here you've got more than enough muscle."

"Ahem." Perfuma coughed, smiling up at her.

"Oh yeah, and we can't forget the strongest princess of all, Perfuma the mighty!" Huntara chuckled. Perfuma giggled at that, flexing her arms before Huntara turned back to Bow. "So, we're headed to the Fright Zone right?"

"Yep. We're just waiting for the last members of our team." Bow replied. "Brightmoon's heads of science and tech."

As if on cue, the four spotted the two approaching figures. Entrapta rode on top of Emily, looking over three different data pads. She had a pack full of tools and equipment attached Emily's side. Walking beside the pair was Hordak, equipped with a new retractable arm cannon built into his power armor. Zed walked behind them, sporting an outfit similar to Bow's father Lance. He had grown quite close to the pair in the last few months, learning about Etherian art and history.

Bow, Scorpia and Perfuma waved as they approached. Huntara seemed to blanch, eyes wide. That bewilderment swiftly turned into a blinding rage, and she charged toward Hordak. She let out a furious battlecry, extending her collapsible staff. Hordak barely had time to react before that heavy weapon cracked him across the face, sending him staggering backward. She raised a fist for a followup strike, which Hordak managed to catch with an armored claw. The attack seemed to be a feint however, as he took a powerful knee blow to the stomach.

"Huntara, stop!' Bow called out rushing over.

Hordak dodged another strike, and readied his blaster arm. Before the fight could continue, a wall of roots rose up between the two. This did not stop Huntara, who began to lash out with her staff, to try and break through the barrier. Hordak stepped back, not making a move, but readying his attack should she close the distance. Huntara then found her limbs bound by more roots. They coiled around her body, constricting her movement but she continued to struggle and flail.

Entrapta hopped off Emily and over to Hordak. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." he answered, lowering his weapon. "I...recognize this one."

"I'll be the last thing you remember, you monster!" Huntara growled, still struggling. "Let me go!"

Perfuma dropped the wall of roots and approached, keeping Huntara bound. "Huntara, you have to calm down! Hordak is not our enemy anymore. He's here to help us."

Huntara froze looking to Perfuma in bewilderment. "What? Are you crazy?! Don't you know what that-that thing has done?!"

"He's not like that anymore!" Entrapta said.

Perfuma moved in closer. "Huntara please. Just listen. Trust me."

Huntara struggled for a few moments more before relenting with a sigh. "Fine."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, and Perfuma slowly pulled back her roots. Huntara gave Hordak a sidelong glance before turning back to Bow, Perfuma and Scorpia. They tried their best to explain the current situation with Hordak. At least the bullet points. With Entrapta helping to fill in important gaps. Hordak watched in silence, thinking it best to keep quiet. Huntara regarded everyone after the explanation before crossing her arms.

"So, you expect me to work with this scum. Just because he's repentant or whatever you want to call it?" She gave Hordak a deathly scowl before turning back to them. "No. I'm going back to the wastes. I'd rather eat a deathbarb cactus raw than spend one more second around him."

As Huntara made a move to leave, Perfuma grabbed her forearm. "Huntara wait. I know what happened to you in the Horde was painful. But, don't you want to make it better? We could make the Fright Zone into something new. But we need all the help we can get if we're going to do that."

Huntara opened her mouth but couldn't find the words for a moment. "I-I know what you're trying to say. I just..."

"Please Huntara. For me?"

Huntara let out a long sigh. "Fine. But, if I see Hordak so much as blink funny, I'm rearranging his face."

Perfuma smiled gently and patted Huntara's arm. "Thank you."

As she let go of her bicep, Scorpia glanced between the two of them with a worried frown.

Bow clapped his hands together. "Good. Now that, that disaster is temporarily averted, we can get going. Everyone ready?"

With no objections to the contrary, Bow lead the group toward their transport. Huntara declined riding in the same vehicle as Hordak, deciding to follow on her skiff. Once everyone was aboard, a small caravan of vehivles slowly rolled out of Brightmoon. It was nearly a week of tense travel as the group made their way through the whispering woods. Thanks to Perfuma the local flora and fauna seemed to let them pass without issue. Hordak kept to himself throughout the trip, as did Huntara. Both of them avoiding the other whenever possible, and eating meals on their own. Though Perfuma did get Huntara to join the others a couple of times, as long as Hordak, and Zed kept their distance. She knew the clone was not Hordak but their near identical appearance made her uneasy.

Eventually the caravan arrived at their destination. The massive city sized factory complex that was The Fright Zone. Though it was much different since the last time anyone saw it. Much of the machinery and towering smokestacks were now covered in overgrowth and moss. The wave from Prime's defeat had infused the land with magic and life initially but the surrounding area had reached a strange equilibrium. While life still seemed to flourish, only the more rugged and hardier plantlife seemed to have survived in the long term. Even with the magic that now pulsed through all Etheria the land had been severely scarred and it would be longer still before it ever returned to what it once was, if ever again.

"This place is a lot bigger than the last time I saw it." Huntara said uneasily. "And...a lot greener."

"That iron and oil smell is still in the air though." Scorpia commented, sniffing. "With a hint of pine."

"I think its an improvement." said Perfuma.

"So this is the fortress you built in your time apart from Prime, brother?" Zed asked, looking to Hordak.

"Yes. Though it has seen better days. I am beginning to wonder if we will find anything worth salvaging here."

"Only one way to find out." said Bow. "Huntara, and Scorpia, with me, we're going to go scout ahead. Entrapta, Hordak, and Zed start setting up our temporary outpost with the workers. And Perfuma see if you can nudge some of these plants out of way so that we can have space for what we need. We'll try and disturb them as little as possible."

Everyone nodded, some of them a bit surprised by how well Bow took charge. He nodded back, leading Huntara and Scorpia deeper into the Fright Zone. Perfuma wished them luck, smiling brightly at Scorpia. Though from a distance the other woman could not tell that the smile was meant for her specifically. The three slowly made their way through the winding, and almost labryinth like structures and byways of the area. With Scropa's knowledge of the Fright Zone and Huntaras innate survival skills they made good time surveying the damage as they went. Most of the structres and machinery seemed intact, if a bit overgrown. It was defnitley possible to repurpose quite a bit of it. Thought it would be a herculean effort and take years of work to complete the task fully. Bow was more focused on establishing a foothold so the process could begin for now though.

Huntara stopped as she stepped on a fallen trooper helmet. Its faceplate was cracked, and reflected a foggy, fractured image of Huntara back at her. She leaned down, to pick it up, and stared into the broken reflection, face contemplative and gloomy. She recalled standing before an entire squad of troopers who bore this helmet. A much younger, less worn Huntara giving them all a once over. She lead with confidence, and pride, making sure the soldiers under her command were as sharp as a razor's edge. Then, she saw that same helmet again, the reflection of a civilian, wracked with pain, as the green energy from the troopers baton coursed through him. All the while, those red, burning eyes watched, surveying the destruction he had wrought.

"Huntara?"The woman was snapped from her stupor, and turned to Bow. The young man wore a worried frown. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine." she replied, tossing the helmet aside. "Just...thinking about things I've tried to forget for a long time."

"Lets take a break. We've been going for a while. We'll probably head back to base camp not long after."

"Yeah, a break might be nice." she agreed.

The three found a small barracks nearby, and sat down for a quick meal. Most of the things they brought were non perishables. Thankfully Entrapta had been experimenting with the first ones tech of dehydrating foods so their meal options were broader than one would expect. They all had a deydrated beef stew mix with some instant mash potatoes. To someone like Huntara who lived in the wastes it was practically a banquet. After finishing their food, Bow headed out to take a look from a higher vantage point, leaving Scorpia and Huntara alone. Scorpia fiddled nervously, glancing back and forth between the floor and Huntara.

'If you've got something to say, spit it out." Huntara growled.

"Oh! Uhm sorry hehe. I was just uhm wondering..." Scorpia began, her fidgeting getting worse. "Uhhh, how do I say this? You and Perfuma, seem pretty close."

"I guess you could say that." Huntara shrugged. "Wasn't like that at first. She was all frily, and nice. I thought she was dead weight. But she proved me wrong. I guess you could say she really grew on me after that. No pun intended."

"Oooooh, i get it. Grew like a plant." Scorpia laughed nervously.

Huntara quirked a brow. "Why are you asking anyway?"

"N-no reason." Scorpia replied far too quickly. "Just you know, curious." Her face was getting redder by the second.

Huntara scrutinized her for a moment before realization struck. "I see. Thats what's going on. I'm not trying to steal your girl if thats what you're thinking."

"W-what? Nothing's going on! I don't know what you're talking about. Who said anytthing about a girl?! Pssssh, certainly not me!"

Huntara couldn't help but laugh. "Listen, I'm not stupid. I was fighting and surviving on my own when most of you were still in diapers. I know love when I see it. You got it written all over your face."

Scorpia was about to argue but relented with a sigh. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Well, it is to me. I'm not sure about anyone else."

Scorpia groaned, head in her claws. "Uuugh, I don't know what to do. I've never had feelings like this for someone before. Well maybe a couple crushes but they didn't last long."

Huntara leaned back and took a swig of water. "Listen, I can sit here and tell you about how 'feelings are complicated' and blah blah blah. But in my experience, the best way to deal with this kinda problem is head on. Just talk to her. Tell her how you feel."

"But I'm so baaaad at words."

"The words don't matter its how you say them. I mean the words do matter like don't say 'I don't have feelings for you' but you get the idea."

"Yeah, but when do I tell her?"

Huntara approached, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me. You'll get your chance."

Bow returned moments later with a serious look. "I think I found something."

The two followed after Bow, and he pointed to a spot in the distance. Huntara shaded her eyes and could see thick black smoke billowing up into the sky.

"I thought all this machinery was inactive." Huntara said, eyes narrowing.

"Maybe some of it is just running on its own?" Scorpia suggested.

"No. It would have shutdown after months without maintenance" Bow said, shaking his head.

"I say we get a closer look, and find out what we're dealing with." said Huntara.

"I agree. But we should tell the others. This place may be more dangerous than we thought." Bow pulled out his datapad. "Bow to basecamp do you read?"

Zed's face soon flickered onto the screen. "i read you brother Bow."

"We spotted some smoke coming from machinery. We think they're may be other people other than us. Stay on guard, and try not to draw attention to yourselves. We'll be back once we've had a better look."

"I'll be sure to relay that, brother." Zed said with a nod, before cutting off communication.

******
Back at base, Entrapta was intently gathering samples from all the nearby plants. She bounced to and fro, trying to discern how She-ra's magic and the proximity to the Fright Zone had effected their growth. Perfuma was doing as directed, making paths for the workers while not disturbing the plants too much. She could sense a hardy resilience to the plantlife. similar to the cacti in the crimson wastes. But it was a different, softer sensation, like a grizzled war veteran with a gentle heart. Hordak and Zed aided the workers in placing machinery, and setting up a communications hub, a lab, and so on. With the surrounding mostly clear, Perfuma found herself wandering over to Entrapta.

"Have you found anything interesting about the plants?" she asked.

"Oh yes! Absolutely fascinating!" Entrapta exclaimed. "It seems some this moss, and lichen is a mutation of another similar plant. It has adapted to become partially ferrovoric."

"Ferrovoric?"

"Yes, they eat metal! Iron specifically."

"Oooh, I see." Perfuma said nodding in understanding. "This place lacks so much sunlight and nutrients in the soil, the moss and lichen are drawing in extra nutrients from the surrounding metal."

"Exactly! Its incredible! This is technically a new species, which means we get to name it!" Entrapta squeed.

Perfuma regarded the moss sample for a moment. "Steve. It looks like a Steve."

"I was thinking Rust Moss, but I also like Steve."

"We'll workshop it." Perfuma giggled.

On the other side of camp, Hordak was running scans of the surrounding area. His face was dour as usual, the light from the display bathing him in a soft blue glow. Their long distance scanning capability had improved thanks to Prime's technology but it was still a far cry from Hordes full technologic capabilities. It would be some time before Etheria's technological level was up to par, at least in Hordak's estimate. Their magical power, and resources did make up for the lack of technological advancement, however.

At Hordak's side, Zed was also running scans and glanced over at his brother. "Brother, if I may. You seem vexxed. What troubles you?"

Hordak took in a deep inhale and sighed. 'Yes, my thoughts have been clouded as of late. Acts that I committed so long ago are coming to haunt my mind's eye. They are acts that I committed with no remorse and now, I feel as if my innards are being twisted each time the memories come to me."

"I believe that what is called guilt." said Zed. "It is an emotion, much like many, that we were not afforded under Prime. All was for Prime. If we served Prime's wishes, all would be well. There was no need for regret, or doubt. It was an ignorance that clouded our minds. You, I and our other brothers are now faced with our own thoughts, and feelings. It is...overwhelming."

"Yes. I had lived my whole life for Prime and to conquer this world in his name." Hordak's hand clenched into a fist. "Now, when I look back upon those reflections of my past, I no longer recognize myself. The person the mirror casts back at me in the present is a stranger as well."

"Yes, I too am struggling to find purpose and sense of self." Zed said, nodding in understanding.

"It will be a long road for all our brothers."

Zed hummed in thought. "Perhaps, this place. This Fright Zone could be a place for us to discover that. We are lost, and have no home. But with a place to belong, perhaps we can find ourselves."

Hordak smiled genuinely "You have become quite the philosopher brother. It is a good idea I think. This monument to my past transgressions could become a kingdom for our brothers. I will bring this idea up with the council at our next meeting." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Thank you for offering an ear to me brother. Your wisdom and empathy are most welcome."

Zed smiled brightly at him. "Of course, brother."

Hordak's face quickly turned stern as he glanced back at the monitor. "I'm detecting several life signatures approaching."

"As am I brother." Zed said, looking at his own console. "There's is also a large energy signature among them. Possibly a vehicle. They are a 100 meters due south and closing."

Hordak rushed out of the outpost. "Everyone, battle stations! Now!"

There was moment of hesitation amongst the crew before they scrambled to grab their weapons or anything that could be used as one. Not all of them were armed, and made do with tools. Hearing the commotion, Perfuma and Entrapta rushed to join Hordak and Zed. Before they could explain the situation, they spotted an approaching horde tank in the distance. It was flanked by soldiers, in ramshackle Horde armor, their symbols now bearing three slashes, like a claw mark.

The approaching group opened fire, sending bolts of plasma streaking through the air. Perfuma quickly raised a wall of roots to provide cover. As the plasma impacted into the wall, the armor on Horak's left arm transformed into his arm cannon. He opened fire, focusing his shots on the tank as it closed the distance. The beams blasted into its armor, but were not enough to stop its approach. The main cannon then fired, the blast of green plasma busting a gaping hole in Perfuma's wall.

A firefight quickly broke out with the crews of Brightmoon, and the approaching soldiers. The horde troopers had a slight advantage of firepower with their tank as the other group was unable to get to their own. As a plasma bolts whizzed past her head, Perfuma ducked, trying to think of the best course of action. That was when Entrapta held up the sample of the moss, and the pair shared a smile.

Perfuma then focused her mind, reaching out to the layer of moss that covered the nearby machinery. With her power she bid it to spread out like a capet, and it made its way toward the horde tank. The moss ate into the tank's hull, and machinery causing it to slow and eventually stall. The soldiers inisde leapt out in a panic as the entire tank was blanketed in a thick layer of the metal eating moss. Without their firepower advantage, the troopers were quickly overwhelmed, and were either incapacitated or surrendered.

Hordak soon loomed over the solidiers, scowling. "L-lord Hordak!" one exclaimed.

"I am no longer your lord." Hordak hissed. "But you're awe and fear are warranted." He raised his blaster threateningly. "The Horde should no longer exist. Whose banner do you follow now?"

Bow, Huntara and Scorpia slowly made their way toward the billowing smoke in the distance. They kept to the shadows, slipping in and out of alleyways and buildings. Scorpia had some difficulty following her other companion's lead. Stealth was not something that was covered in force captain training. Despite this, they were not spotted as they finally came to the source. It was a square of sorts, where dozens of people, moved to and fro. Many seemed to be horde troopers dressed in various levels of uniform. Others were in simple, almost utilitarian clothes.

The source of smoke were several horde forges. They burned molten hot, melting down bits of armor and other metals salvaged from the fright zone. Once smelted they were poured into molds and cooled, before before being piled up to be finished and refined. Most of what they were making was tools. Shovels, pickaxes, trowels, hammers and so on. Though some were forged into simple weapons or parts for energy weaponry.

"It looks like we're not the only ones who had the idea to repurpose this stuff." Bow said, looking around. "They've got quite the operation here."

"But, what are they trying to do with all these tools?" Scorpia asked.

"I'm more worried about the weapons and armor." Huntara commented.

"We could always just ask." Scorpia suggested.

"As much as I'd like to, we can't take any risks until we know if they're hostile." said Bow. "Lets see if we can get a closer look and find more information."

The other two nodded and they slunk around the perimeter of the square, observing the comings and goings. It seemed mostly calm, with the chatter and bustle not unlike what one would find in a town smithy. The workers moved in shifts, chatting and even sharing food when they were on break. It was a lax atmosphere but they moved and worked with direction and purpose. After nearly ten minutes of observation, Bow received a call on his datapad.

"This is base camp to scouting party." Zed said, image appearing on screen.

"This is scouting party, we copy." Bow answered.

"There was an attack since our last communication." Zed began. "It has been dealt with, and the others are questioning the group of horde troopers that attacked us."

"What did you find out?" Bow asked.

"These remnants of the horde are being lead by someone named Callix. They organized what was left of brother Hordak's army and have made a base of operations in the ruins of the fright zone."

"Any idea what this Callix is planning?" Huntara asked.

Zed shook his head. "We have not ascertained their intentions as of yet.'

"Thanks for the update. We're currently doing recon at what appears to be a repurposed horde foundry an-"

"Intruders!"

The three turned to see one of the horde troopers standing in the doorway. Bow quickly hung up, as Huntara gave the trooper chase, with Scorpia following right behind. He didn't make it far before Huntara entangled his legs with a bola. It sent him dropping like a sack of potatoes, weapon falling from his grasp. But the call had already gone out, and the alarm had been raised. The three rushed out from their hiding place as a dozen troopers began to chase them. Bow quickly fired some adhesive net arrows, pinning several of them to walls as they ran. Scorpia pulled down some metal containers with her electricity to block their escape, as Huntara, knocked aside two troopers who had circled to intercept them.

The three rushed through the corridors and streets, but more and more of their pursuers seemed to appear. Despite the dire situation, Bow ordered the two not to use excessive force. There was no need to escalate if they could help it. Huntara was against the idea but agreed, trying to aim for less vital areas with her staff strikes, while Bow and Scorpia continued to slow the ones behind them.

Eventually, the three found themselves herded toward a dead end, with tall walls on all sides. Huntara cursed and readied her staff, as Bow knocked an arrow and Scorpia gathered electrical energy. Bolts of plasma streaked through the air as the troopers opened fire. Scorpia stopped the first volley with a wave of lightning, Huntara rushing in. With several spinning flourishes she knocked out their frontline. Bow fired a smoke arrow into next wave, leaving them confused, and sputtering for air.

They continued to hold the line, working in tandem to strike down their foes. But the troopers numbers left them at a stalemate. Bow was slowly running out of arrows, and Huntara's stamina could only hold for so long. Scorpia was looking similarly winded, body draining of energy from continued use of her power. A squad of more heavily armored troopers eventually showed up, energy weapons at the ready. The three stood their ground as they approached but before the two groups could clash, a deep rumbling voice echoed in the air.

"Hold!"

The troopers stopped, and quickly lowered their weapons. All the enemies began to step aside, bowing or saluting in respect. A large, burly figure slowly made their way through the crowd. They stood at least eight feet tall, their steps heavy. Their body was humanoid in shape but made entirely of rough stone. Their face was like a rough hewn sculpture with a large chin, and heavy brow. Each time they move the sound of grating stone and shifting gavel could be heard. Their hands were tipped with sharp claws almost like stalagmites and a massive two headed axe was carried in their grip.

"I am Callix." they began, voice like an avalanche. "State your business here."

The three shared a look, before Bow stepped forward. "I'm Bow from Brigthmoon. This is Huntara, and Princess Scorpia."

"Uhm just Scorpia is fine." Scorpia interjected awkwardly.

"I knew that someone from Brightmoon would come eventually." Callix said thoughtfully. "And I am well aware of you, Huntara."

Huntara narrowed her eyes. "Oh? That so?"

Callix nodded with the shifting of stone. "There is not a soul in the Crimson Wastes that does not know your name."

"You're from the wastes?" Bow asked.

"Indeed. There is much to discuss. I can sense you mean us no harm." Callix gestured to the troopers behind him who were dazed but mostly unharmed. "If you were here to attack us, many of us would already be dead. You stayed your hand on purpose. Come, we will speak in my home."

"As prisoners?" Huntara growled, glancing at the heavy troopers.

"As guests." Callix corrected, making sure everyone heard them. "Follow me."

Bow nodded and began to follow after the stone giant, with Scorpia right behind them. Huntara hesitated before following as well, but did not drop her guard. Several troopers marched in step behind them, but most were helping the injured or returning back to their duties. The trio got some glares and curious looks as they walked but nothing more. After making it past the forge square, they found themselves in a group of barracks, many of them repurposed into proper homes. Civilians moved here and there, going about their daily tasks. It was a strange combination of small town settlement, and military outpost. As they reached the end of one of the streets they came to another barrack repurposed into a simple home. The furniture, and almost everything inside had been salvaged or repurposed from the surrounding area. Callix took a seat on a large command chair and gestured to a makeshift couch.

"You've really done a lot of work around here." Bow commented, taking a seat.

"Yeah, I love the decor. Its like a way homier version of the stuff we had when I was still a force captain." said Scorpia.

"We do our best." said Callix. "This place has no shortage of scrap, and machinery for our uses."

"How did you all come to be here?" Bow asked. "A lot of the people we saw were old horde but just as many were civilians."

"Survivors, orphans, wanderers and so on." Callix answered, making a wide gesture. "They were all people with no place to go. No place to call home." They leaned back in their seat, and set down their axe. "I myself was a wanderer. A vagabond of the wastes. I happened upon this place in my wanderings, finding horde soldiers in ramshackle armor and equipment, standing at posts that they no longer needed to guard. They were lost. Without the horde, they knew nothing else."

Huntara let out a deep sigh. "Most of the soldiers here were likely children when I was still with the horde. They grew up here. Were raised here. This is their home."

Callix nodded solemnly. "Yes, they needed guidance. They needed a sense of structure and community, so I begrudgingly decided to help them. And in time, I became their leader, and came to know them as family. Then our family grew, many other lost ones drawn to the ruins of this place. We scrape by on what was left behind and scavenge what we can but we are low on many necessities."

"Maybe we can help with that." Bow suggested. "The Queen sent us to try and start salvaging all the tech from the fright zone and establish a foothold to start the long process. You could help us and in exchange Brightmoon can supply you with what you need."

"This place could become a whole new city." Scorpia said with a smile.

"Its not a bad idea." said Huntara. "I'd still prefer to see this place turned into a smoking crater but if its turned into something better that'll actually benefit people, I'm all for it. Its like the flower princess said."

Callix hummed in thought for a moment. "I agree. We welcome the help of Brightmoon and are willing to cooperate. There will be some distrust and wariness amongst my people but in time they will welcome the aid."

"Would you be willing to come and speak to the Queen directly?" Bow asked. "I'm sure she'd want to discuss the details with you personally."

Callix nodded and stood from their chair. "Yes, there is much that needs to be done for this to work." They stepped forward and held out a hand. "I look forward to this new alliance."

"You won't regret it." Bow said, standing up to shake their hand.

Callix gripped Bow's hand. "Pray I do not. For, should things go wrong, and my people suffer, you, and Brightmoon will know that the hand of friendship can just as easily be a hammer of retribution."

"O-of course." Bow replied, laughing nervously.

Notes

Heyo, sorry this fic updates so inrequeuntly. Its a side project I work on when not doing commissions and well dealing with other stuff lol. Anyway, I'm glad people seem to be enjoying it. I hope to update it at least bi monthly.

If you like my work and wanna support me, consider commissioning me or donating to me.
My commission info is here post/690062778753531904/writing-commissions-open
If you want to get in touch about a commission or donation you can find me on tumblr kaiju-emperor. You can also find me on twitter Kaiju_emperor or you can email me at kingkaiju381 gmail