Traeton was indeed a miserable wreck. Most of the buildings had been burned down, and the few still standing had been gutted, looted, or both. The royal palace was relatively unscathed by the flames, but it hadn't been in great shape to begin with. Mazdak had delivered his armies a victory as promised, but it felt rather hollow. Still, the land the city stood on was of some strategic value, and the city needed to be rebuilt as it was. Within days, many of the refugees who had been driven from the city when the kobolds attacked began to come back in. The old ruling dynasty was declared to be defunct, although some members of the old royal family still pressed their claims in vain. Mazdak was placed in charge of the city pending the selection of a new ruling family drawn from the ranks of the remaining citizens. Preferably someone of noble descent or from the city's military.

Adykon went home after the city's recapture. For him, it was just another quest in what seemed to be a never-ending adventure. He entered his farmhouse after the seventh trip to Traeton and set his sword aside.

"Hi, honey, I'm home!"

"Really, Ady? I know you we're aiming for normalcy, but isn't that a little... trite?" Aerta sat cross-legged on a cushion next to one of the round tables they had in the living room, cutting some vegetables.

Adykon removed his shirt as he began to change into his usual clothes at home. "Well, I figured, why not? Just this once." He gave her a hug from behind, but they soon had to resume their tasks. She had to finish preparing the food, he had to get on with some correspondence. "I swear, there are too many parties involved. Every ruler of every city has been demanding my input into this matter, and every one of those kings wants my support and blessing. Think of it! Me! What did I do to deserve this?"

Aerta turned towards her husband for a moment, giving him a look. "Are you whining about fame and fortune again, my dear?" 

"I just want to be left alone, Aer. Seriously, we've got a farm to look after, kids to raise, crops to grow... not to mention the herd of goats. I'm raising more than one kind of kid these days."

"Of course. So, what of our long-lost farmhand? How's he doing?"

"Oh, that ungrateful- Rughoi has set himself up in the Xigyll River Valley, along with Kali, Krakas, and the others we know."

"Yes. I've been in contact with her. So far, his little 'Empire' is just a hillfort with some huts surrounding it. Maybe they'll have a city soon enough, but it'll never be a real danger to the dracon realms. They'll kill him if he acts up a second time. Best to just let him live and put him out of your mind for now, love. He may even be an ally someday, if he gets over whatever's bothering him."

-----------------

Kali had wanted to be Rughoi's mate for some time. While she still held out some hope for this, she understood that it was unlikely. Ardasa had him in her grasp, and Kali wasn't jealous enough to try and remove her from the picture. Of course, she still needed a mate, and although she hated having to settle for the next best thing, she still had the task of bowing to the inevitable and deciding who the second-best mate was.

She lay in her brown straw hut, on the mat she used as a bed, her head propped up on a pillow taken from Traeton's palace. Her possessions were piled up in a heap next to her, and they weren't much to speak of. Some spare clothes, a few pieces of religious paraphernalia (such as holy symbols, necklaces, and even a bronze chalice), along with a couple of books and scrolls, plus a pouch containing her cash. Kali looked up at the ceiling, in thought, one leg crossed over the other as she lay on her back, pondering her options for mating. Kutur was intelligent and held significant prestige in Rughoi's court. His armies were badly weakened by the battle against Meerat's abominations, Arjun was still missing, and the promised human reinforcements were nowhere to be found. As such, the few major court figures remaining gained in power and influence, and Kutur was one of them. On top of that, he was good-looking and an intellectual like herself. Smiling, the stood up as she made up her mind. Kutur would have to be the one. 

The city of... whatever they would choose to call it... was still very small. 'Xigyll' was a name that had been suggested for it. Although there was much work going on, the place was still extremely rudimentary. Fortunately, everything was close together, and this included the huts. She walked over to Kutur's place and knocked on the wall. There was no door as of yet.