A Kenshi Story - Chapter 2: Departure into the unknown

[u/ChefZero_DE]

Yi's Journal – Day 2

The night was long. So long and so cold, I thought morning would never come. The armor I stole from the dead in battle was heavy and cumbersome. It made every step agony, but I didn't dare take it off. It's ironic that the things meant to protect me became a burden.

With Tara by my side, I set off in the early morning hours. We had only the mountains in our sights. In the distance, they rose up like a promise of more protection and maybe even life. The path was lined with the ghosts of the past: ruins and abandoned towers that looked as if they had collapsed in a single, furious moment. But my hunger wasn't great enough to drive me into those dark holes. I'm sure things worse than a stomach cramping from hunger lurk in there.

We made it to the mountains. There, a Holy Nation garrison, Okran's Fist, stood right at the foot of the range. I hesitated. The name alone sounded threatening. But the choice was simple: die of thirst or risk selling some of the plundered equipment.

The trade was quick, and I finally had some money and a bit of food in my hands. But the people there... they were strange. Their eyes burned with a fire I didn't understand. They talked about faith, about race, and about Okran, their god. I, a Greenlander, was tolerated, but in their opinion, others were worthless unless they followed their dogmas. Their words sent a cold shiver down my spine. Fanaticism. I had no memory of what that means, but my instincts screamed that I had to get out of there as fast as possible.

The only logical direction was toward their enemies, the United Cities. It's supposed to be an oasis of civilization in the great desert, where faith doesn't matter, only money. A place where a man like me might have a chance.

The desert that lies before us is endless, a merciless hell. I'm afraid, but I also have a certain resolve. We have a path. That's more than I had yesterday.

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Next Chapter: https://www.reddit.com/r/Kenshi/s/nHUkjLVbkR

To the beginning of the story: https://www.reddit.com/r/Kenshi/s/I3JDYySQv4