A new path(We are so fucking back)

Chapter 43: A path being laid forward.

“As much as I would love to have some fun right now…” Noor murmured, her breath still warm against my lips as she slowly pulled away from the tangle the three of us had become. Her fingers traced lazily down my chest, teasing, tempting, then stopping altogether. “The group’s outside. And while I am tempted…” she said with a wink, “…maybe it’s better we keep this little… arrangement under wraps, for now.”

“Agreed,” Iris said, though her voice carried that same teasing mischief as she leaned in for one more lingering kiss. Her hand cupped my jaw gently before she glanced over at Noor with a sly smirk. “Though later… we are going to have some fun.”

“Oh, for sure,” Noor purred, eyes sparkling. “Last time it was just him and me… and he did very well.” She tossed me a flirty glance. “Now I want to see how we all sync together. I have a feeling I was a pretty good teacher.”

Iris giggled, biting her thumb in a way that was both playful and provocative. “Haven’t heard him complain yet.”

I gave them both a crooked smile, though my mind was still reeling from everything that had happened. Desire warred with uncertainty inside me, and I found myself staring at Noor a moment longer as Iris moved toward the tent’s flap.

“But yeah,” Iris said, straightening up. “Let’s go. We’ve been out of the loop for too long. The others deserve to know what happened.”

She stepped out into the light, and I turned back to Noor. Something in me still felt heavy.

“Are you sure you’re okay with all this?” I asked her quietly. “Everything that happened inside… with Athena… with me.”

Noor tilted her head slightly, her expression softening. “Why do you ask me that? Kayn… you know I’ve been on board with this from the start. If anything, I’m more certain now.”

I looked down, the gravity of what had occurred between Athena and me creeping back in. “I am okay,” I said, slowly. “But I can’t stop thinking about Athena. About what she must be going through now. She’s always put on this mask of power and control, but I saw it slip. She’s lost too. She needs to find peace with herself… but I need to talk to her. We can’t keep leaving this unfinished.”

Noor’s expression turned thoughtful. “Probably just as awkward as it is for Iris with Artemis, huh?”

I gave a dry chuckle. “Yeah. I doubt either side is having fun right now.”

“Well,” she said, grinning while bumping her shoulder against mine. “That’s why you should just convert and start praying to Ardvi.”

I raised an eyebrow at her, smiling faintly. “Tempting… but I think if I do that, I’d have all of Olympus and the entire Pantheon out for my head.
I’d rather not start a full-scale divine war just yet.”

Noor chuckled, tracing her finger along my
shoulder and up my cheek. “Such a shame. I wouldn’t mind having you all to myself… or well, ourselves.”

Her voice dropped to a whisper, sultry and full of promise. Then she turned and sauntered out of the tent with a wink over her shoulder. “You coming?”

“Yeah,” I muttered, shaking my head with a smile as I followed her into the sunlight.

____
Outside, the group sat in a loose circle near the edge of camp. Ikaro was the first to look up, brow arched, Aerys stood with arms crossed, tapping her foot with quiet impatience. Noor took the lead, settling on a flat stone and crossing her legs elegantly.

“So that’s the gist of things,” Noor finished, her voice steady but leaving an unmistakable undercurrent of tension in the air. “Everything that happened inside Kayn’s mind. The confrontation, the breakthrough… and what it means for him now.”

There was a beat of silence.

“Any questions?” Iris added, stepping forward and crossing her arms. Her stance was protective, almost defensive, like a lioness daring anyone to poke at something sacred.

Ikaro glanced around the circle before cautiously raising a hand halfway. “Uh… yeah. Question.” He looked directly at Iris, clearly nervous. “Are we still allowed to talk with the gods? Because… I mean, despite all this, they’re kind of still useful. And if we want to, you know, not die, maybe keeping them in the loop wouldn’t be such a bad idea—”

“No.” Iris’s tone was sharp and final. Her eyes narrowed as she cut him off.

Ikaro blinked. “But—”

“I said no.” She folded her arms tighter. “We don’t need the gods right now. We’ve gotten this far without constantly licking their boots.”

There was a tense silence. Ikaro slowly leaned back, clearly deciding it was smarter not to press further.
“What about Kayn’s memories? His abilities?”
Aerys asked, her tone softer but no less concerned.

Noor’s eyes turned toward me, a slow, mischievous smile curling her lips. “Don’t worry about that.”
The group turned to her, confused. “I can feel it,” she continued, tapping her temple lightly. “Something’s changed. That last memory he unlocked? It didn’t just return a piece of who he was, it ignited something. A deeper well of power. One that’s been waiting to surface.”

She let the silence hang for a moment, before continuing with a twinkle in her eye. “But more than that, Kayn’s evolving. Before, we were just feeding him bits of strength with each memory, but now? Now he’s ready to grow. No more borrowed flames. We’re gonna turn him into a wildfire.”
I blinked, caught slightly off guard by her certainty, and the strange flutter in my chest that came with it.

“…Alright,” Aerys said at last, frowning but nodding slowly. “I don’t understand a word you just said, but you’re the expert. So… I guess we follow your lead.”

“A word, if I may?” Entinos said quietly. He had been silent throughout the discussion as usual, but now his voice carried a certain weight. The group turned toward him, the firelight casting sharp shadows across his features.

I nodded. “Go ahead.”

“I believe it’s time we met my people.” His tone was calm, but there was a gravity to it that made the group fall into a heavier silence. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet, Kayn. Not only could he help you develop your abilities, but if we’re lucky, he might lead us to another artifact… or a memory. He is a sage, one of our last living lore keepers, and his insight may be exactly what we need.”

“Who is this person?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“First, I need to make contact with my clan. The Rhaadkat have been… silent. Our Abcar(Clan-head) has not responded to any messages. That kind of silence from them is unheard of.” There was a flicker of worry in Entinos’s usually impassive eyes. “It’s deeply troubling.”

His gaze dropped for a moment before he continued. “That’s why we must speak to Chiron.”

“Chiron?” Ikaro raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t he a centaur?”

“Yes,” Entinos confirmed. “But more importantly, he’s the leader of all Faun creatures. If something is happening, he’ll know. He always knows.”

“Do you have any idea who or what might be behind the silence?” Ikaro asked, ever the inquisitive one.

Entinos didn’t answer at first. His jaw clenched, and his next word came out low, almost ****. “Vod.”

“What is a ‘Vod’?” Aerys repeated, the sharp edge in her voice echoing his somber tone. Iris tensed subtly beside me, her brow furrowed.

“A warlord,” Entinos said grimly. “A chieftain of the Recniq clan. In your language? An asshole.”

That earned a soft chuckle from Noor, who sat with legs crossed, watching him with amusement and interest.

“One of your own?” Iris asked, glancing at me. “Are you saying there’s a civil war brewing among your people?”

“It’s likely,” Entinos admitted. “He serves Ares. He’s always been brutal, power-hungry. And if he’s responsible for our lost contact, then things are worse than we thought.”

Ikaro frowned. “But if he’s that dangerous, why hasn’t anyone stopped him?”

Entinos exhaled slowly, as if the explanation itself exhausted him. “Because to most outside the Rhaadkat, Vod is a hero. He defended sacred forests from human invasions, won battles against overwhelming odds. But what they don’t know, what they refuse to see, is that he orchestrated many of those conflicts himself. Stirred the humans up just to justify his wrath. To please his god. And his own ego.”

He looked into the fire, voice dropping. “I’ve seen what he does to traitors. He doesn’t just execute them, he makes an example.”

Disgust lingered in his voice like the bitter taste of something long-since spoiled. Noor’s smile faded slightly, her playful demeanor replaced with silent contemplation.

“Yeah, sounds like an asshole,” Aerys muttered, her arms crossed.

I nodded. “Then it’s settled. We head there next.” I turned to the group. “In the meantime, I want to follow through on what you suggested, Noor. I need to get stronger… we all do. If we’re going to stand against what’s coming, we need more than just resolve. We need power.”

“Aye aye, Captain,” Noor said with a mock salute, a teasing grin curling on her lips. But I could tell she was pleased.

“Alright, horns,” Aerys said to Entinos, rising and dusting off her hands. “Lead the way.”

We began breaking down the camp, the once easy silence now tinged with tension and anticipation.
As I moved among the group, I felt the responsibility settling on my shoulders heavier than before. I wasn’t just a follower anymore. I was beginning to lead.

As the first light of dawn kissed the treetops, I caught a glimpse of something moving in the shadows, too quick to catch, but enough to raise the hairs on my neck. A rustle where there should’ve been stillness. A sense of eyes that vanished when looked for.

Something was watching.

And whatever Vod had started… we were heading straight into the fire.