The forest was damp and quiet.
Mist curled around the roots of ancient trees, and broken moonlight danced through the canopy like scattered shards of silver. Axel moved with a slow, heavy gait, every step measured. His armor, still cracked in places, clanked faintly with each movement but he wore it openly, without shame, without hiding. His suit was also slowly rebuilding itself.
Kyra trailed behind him, hopping over roots and puddles with less and less energy.
After an hour of silence, she groaned.
"My legs… are going to fall off."
Axel looked over his shoulder, visor still retracted into his armor, face tired but calm. "I thought you were a proud goblin scavenger."
"I am," she pouted. "But even scavengers get tired."
He sighed, then crouched slightly and patted his armored shoulder. "Come on, get up before I regret it."
Her eyes lit up. "Really?!"
She clambered up onto his shoulders with a happy grunt and held tightly to the sides of his helmet mount. Her giggles echoed in the trees.
"I'm so tall now!"
"You're heavier than you look."
"Hey!"
He smirked. "Maybe I am getting old."
They continued through the forest until the trees began to thin. Ahead, lanterns glowed along winding paths and stone arches. A low mist crept through the narrow alleys of a small trading village built along a crescent-shaped river.
Duskwarren.
A haven run by vampires, known for neutrality, commerce, and shadows. Gothic rooftops clawed at the sky, ironwork bridges stretched between towers, and glowing red sigils pulsed on gate pillars. The streets bustled with quiet activity, orc traders, beastfolk porters, scaled lizardkin in robes. A diverse crowd.
Axel walked through the gates without flinching.
Full armor. No cloak. No attempt to blend in.
The XK-9 Valkyros Frame still bore black burns and claw marks. The sigil of Black Halo glinted across the chestplate like a bloodstain on a crown.
Kyra sat proud on his shoulders.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the mood changed.
Whispers.
Gasps.
"…the demon…"
"He's here?"
"That's an Exterminator unit, he has a goblin on his shoulders?"
"Disgusting…"
Axel's head didn't turn. His pace didn't change. If they stared, let them.
Kyra looked around. Her smile faded.
She slid off his shoulders as they walked, falling into step beside him.
He glanced down. "They're not whispering about me."
She didn't respond.
"It's you."
Still no reply.
He crouched slightly. "Talk to me, Kyra."
She sighed, not angry, just tired. "It's always like this. Other races don't like goblins."
Axel frowned. "Why? You're not human. I thought all non-humans stuck together."
"They hate humans. Sure. But that doesn't mean they don't hate each other too."
Axel stopped. The crowd parted around him.
"Explain," he said.
She kicked a pebble. "They think goblins, ogres, trolls… we're just trash. Savages. Scum. Not worth trusting or respecting. They think we steal, lie, and spread disease."
"…Do you?"
She looked up at him, expression flat. "No more than the rest of them."
Axel scanned the crowd. The whispers were growing, not with fear but disgust. Revulsion. Not toward him. Toward the girl beside him.
"Someone called you a 'filthy animal.'"
She shrugged. "Yeah. That's what we're called. 'Pests.' 'Crawlers.' 'Rotlings.' I've heard 'em all."
"…That doesn't make any sense."
She smirked. "Welcome to being a goblin."
Axel's jaw tightened. "I thought ogres and goblins were the same species."
"WHAT?!" she barked, instantly furious.
Several people nearby flinched at her volume.
"We are NOT the same! Ogres are big dumb club-happy morons who think 'stealth' is yelling before they hit you. We are smart. Fast. Sharp."
Axel blinked. "But… you both have green skin."
Her glare could melt iron. "By that logic, are you related to pigs because you both turn pink when sunburnt?"
He chuckled despite himself. "Okay. Fair point."
She crossed her arms with a little "hmph."
"You're still heavier than you look," he added.
Kyra kicked his shin, armor and all. "And you're still old."
Axel rolled his eyes. "Don't start."
They walked deeper into Duskwarren as the red lanterns swung in the wind and quiet disdain followed them like shadows. Axel no longer cared about their stares, he had nothing left to prove. The Black Wolf had nothing to hide.
But as he glanced down at Kyra again, still walking tall, still defiant despite the looks, he knew he'd fight the world again if it meant she never had to lower her head.
Then...
The smell of roasted meat and honeyed root filled the air as Axel and Kyra made their way through the dusk-lit market.
Kyra's eyes lit up at every food stall, crispy lizard skewers, fire-baked bread, glowing fruit syrup steaming in crystal cups. Her nose twitched like she could taste it through the air.
She pointed at one of the stalls, a circular kiosk manned by a tall vampire in a fine red coat and gold piercings. "That one! Look, Axel! They have blood-roasted yuff meat!"
He stepped up to the counter and nodded at the vendor. "Two plates. Whatever's fresh."
The vampire sniffed. "Currency?"
Axel blinked. Then reached into his armor's utility pouch and came up empty. No credits. No tokens. Not even barter scraps. His jaw flexed, embarrassed.
"...Nothing."
The vendor's expression changed. Not annoyed, interested.
"Human blood," he said smoothly. "A drop of yours is worth more than a week's worth of food here. Untainted. Pure-blooded soldier, too, by the look of you. A rare vintage."
Axel stared, hesitating.
Kyra leaned in. "You don't have to..."
"I've had worse," he muttered. Then extended his arm.
With a command, part of his gauntlet hissed and retracted, exposing the pale inner flesh of his wrist. The vampire stepped forward reverently.
"This won't hurt," he said.
It did.
Fangs slid into Axel's arm like needles, sharp and clean. Heat spread through his limb as the vampire drank, eyes fluttering closed in euphoria. A sound escaped his throat, half sigh, half moan.
Axel gritted his teeth. "Don't get weird about it."
The vampire pulled back, licking his lips with elegance. "A symphony," he whispered. Then turned and shouted over his shoulder. "Two full plates, drinks too!"
Minutes later, Kyra and Axel sat at a stone table, steam rising from mountains of roasted meats, glowing fruit slices, fried roots, and tall flasks of chilled berrywine.
Kyra devoured hers like she hadn't eaten in days.
"I love vampires now," she declared with a full mouth.
Axel just stared at his bleeding wrist. "At this rate, I'm going to look like a pin cushion."
"Better a pin cushion than starving," she replied between bites.
They ate until they couldn't move, Kyra slumped over the table, Axel groaning with his head tilted back.
Eventually, they made their way to an inn.
The building was elegant and ancient, with stained glass windows and carved bat-wing motifs on its walls. The vampire hostess behind the desk took one look at Axel's armor and Kyra's muddy feet and gave a familiar, hungry smile.
"I assume you'll pay the same way?" she asked, already reaching for a sealed glass vial.
Axel sighed and extended the other wrist this time.
The bite was gentler than the last, almost pleasant, though he'd never admit it. The innkeeper's face flushed with delight, and she snapped her fingers. "Top floor. Room Nine. Suite with twin beds, hot bath, and service. Stay as long as you like, soldier."
The room was massive.
Black marble floors, velvet walls, beds big enough to sleep giants. A claw-footed bathtub steamed in the side chamber. A balcony overlooked the glowing river.
Kyra ran in spinning. "This is bigger than a goblin queen's cave!"
Axel collapsed onto the nearest bed, groaning. "Human blood must be like gold out here…"
He looked at the twin punctures on both wrists.
"I need to find a way to make money," he muttered. "Fast."
He sat up and tapped his gauntlet.
"Black Wolf. Sleep mode."
With a hiss of air and shifting metal, the entire suit collapsed into a single black gauntlet on his left arm. The armor compacted itself into layered coils and vanished beneath a slick locking plate.
Kyra's jaw dropped. "That's so cool!"
"Efficient. Makes bathing easier too."
He walked into the bathroom, slid the marble door shut, and finally let his muscles relax under hot water.
For the first time in days, he was clean.
When he stepped out, hair wet, eyes heavy, he wore just basic undersuit cloth. Kyra was already bouncing on one of the beds, stomach full and feet swinging.
"Bathroom's yours."
She zipped past him in a blur.
Steam rose again, and after several splashes and a yelp about soap in the eye, she re-emerged wearing her dress and flopped onto his bed, grabbing his arm and hugging him like a plush toy.
He blinked. "You know there's two beds."
She mumbled, already halfway asleep. "Don't wanna sleep alone."
Axel looked down at her. For a long time, he didn't move.
Her breathing slowed.
And he leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
In the quiet hum of the room, thoughts crept in.
There are other squads out there.
Exterminator teams like Black Halo. Trained. Armed. Programmed. Still loyal.
They'll come.
And even if they're not as good as us…
His eyes shifted to the girl sleeping against his chest.
There's no way I can protect her like this.
His jaw tightened.
"I need to get stronger."
His voice was barely a whisper.
"I need to be something more than just a broken weapon."
Outside, the red lanterns of Duskwarren swayed gently in the wind.
But the storm was far from over.