Page 28 of Larz

Larz

The moonlight cast long shadows over the human settlement, painting a tranquil scene that belied the tempest brewing beneath the surface. I stood watch from a distance, my gaze lingering on the fragile structures that housed Earth’s weary children. They slept, unaware of the storm that was about to break.

Suddenly, a sharp crack splintered the silence, followed by a chorus of human shouts. I sprinted toward the commotion, my heart racing as much with dread as with the effort. As I neared the settlement, the scent of burning material stung my nostrils.

“Explosions! What’s happening?” Hailee’s voice cut through the night, tinged with panic.

I found her amidst a growing crowd of humans emerging from their shelters, their faces illuminated by the flames that had consumed one of their storage units.

“Stay back!” I called out to her. “It’s not safe.”

She spotted me and rushed over, her eyes wide with fear. “Larz, someone attacked us!”

A group of humans clustered around us, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of confusion and fear.

“Who would do this?” one man cried out.

“We have to put out the fire!” another yelled.

I looked at Hailee, her face reflecting the orange glow as she watched her new world crumble. “We need to organize,” I told her. “Water—gather containers.”

Hailee nodded and shouted orders to those around her. “Grab buckets, anything! Hurry!”

The humans sprang into action, scurrying to salvage what they could from the wreckage and fight back against the flames that threatened to spread.

Amidst the chaos, I noticed shadows moving stealthily away from the settlement. Zorvian silhouettes. A cold realization settled in my chest—the faction opposed to peace had made their move.

I grabbed Hailee’s arm as she passed by with a container full of water. “This was no accident,” I whispered. “My people are behind this.”

Her eyes met mine, and in them, I saw betrayal war with understanding. “Why?” she asked simply.

I shook my head. “Fear,” I confessed. “Fear of what your kind might bring.”

Hailee looked away for a moment, taking in the surrounding destruction. She took a deep breath and returned her gaze to mine. “But we’re not your enemy, Larz.”

“I know.” My response was immediate and firm.

Together, we joined in the effort to quell the flames that had turned night into day. Humans and Zorvians worked side by side, some carrying water, while others formed lines to pass buckets along.

A woman stumbled near me, coughing from the smoke that filled her lungs. Without hesitation, I swept her up and carried her to safety before returning to fight alongside Hailee.

The fire eventually surrendered to our collective resolve, leaving behind smoldering embers and a charred skeleton of what once stood there. Exhausted bodies collapsed on the ground; some wept while others simply stared into space, lost in thoughts too heavy for words.

In that moment of silence, Hailee leaned against me for support—or perhaps it was the comfort she sought.

“They’re scared,” she whispered.

“We all are,” I replied.

“But you stayed,” she noted with gratitude that weighed as much as sorrow.

“I’ll always stay.” My words were a vow—a vow made among the ruin, but no less sincere for it.

Hailee lifted her head to look at me again. In those eyes—so human, yet so brave—I saw our future flicker uncertainly, like the dying flames around us.

As the humans and Zorvians toiled side by side, I stood at the edge of the clearing, my mind racing with conflict. The flames that had once threatened to engulf us now lay subdued, a stark reminder of the tension smoldering between our peoples. Their eyes were upon me, the gaze of my kin questioning my every move, every motive.

“Why are you helping them?” a voice laced with suspicion called out from behind me. I turned to face Jorak, a warrior of my tribe whose distrust of humans was as fierce as his combat skills.

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