"Mel, come on! We need to go now if we want to get the good stuff!"
Raka yelled, glancing at the clock by the door for the third time. Their mom had told them to get the weekly supply shipment from the lobby. If they were too late, they'd have to wait hours for the next batch or get stuck with stale bread.
From inside her room, Melody's muffled voice fired back, "Alright, alright. Geez, you're starting to sound like Mom."
"I heard that!"
Melody stepped out into the hallway, wearing a casual hoodie and short jeans.
"Shit—Raka, c'mon, let's go!"
She grabbed his arm and practically dragged him through the door before Mom could say anything else.
'She's my age but still so childish,' Raka thought with mild amusement as they sprinted down the street.
By the time Melody finally slowed, they were roughly halfway to the lobby, and Melody was already out of breath at this point.
They passed a cluster of embassy neighbors: humans, a tall orc carrying crates in each arm like they weighed nothing, and even a fairy-like figure handing out small glowing tags to other residents.
Seeing all the diverse species he walked past made his mind go back to a particular elf.
"I wonder if Thalya'll be there, too," Raka mumbled, mostly to himself. Unfortunately, Melody's sisterly instinct picked up on what he was mumbling.
She whirled around, grabbing his shoulders. "Oh? Is that a girl I hear about?"
Swatting her hands off, Raka sighed. "It's not like that, Mel. She's just… well, she's an elf. The only one I've ever really talked to. You know you'd be curious, too."
Melody considered that with a smirk. "Yeah, fair. Elves are cool. But you sure you don't have a crush on her?"
"No."
"Lame,"
Before long, they reached the embassy's wide main corridor leading to the lobby. Surprisingly, it wasn't mobbed with people yet, and it was still early enough to snag decent supplies.
'Nice. Maybe it's going to be a smooth start to the day—'
"Oof!"
A rushing guard barreled into Raka's shoulder without warning, nearly knocking him over.
Melody grabbed his arm just in time to stop him from face-planting. She glared at the retreating figure, about to yell, until she noticed the guard uniform and paused.
Raka steadied himself, rubbing his shoulder. "What's up with them?" he muttered, following the guard as their figure got further away.
He spotted three more soldiers sprinting past. Their movements were rushed, and he even saw one of them still putting on their uniform while running.
Melody's grip tightened on the hem of her hoodie. "Raka… I don't like this."
He tried for a reassuring tone, though his gut squirmed uneasily. "Hey, let's not jump to conclusions. If something serious was going on, they'd—"
A harsh crackle interrupted him. Then a blaring voice exploded from the overhead speakers:
"ATTENTION ALL CITIZENS, PLEASE GO TO THE MEETING POINT IMMEDIATELY."
"ATTENTION ALL CITIZENS, PLEASE GO TO THE MEETING POINT IMMEDIATELY."
"ATTENTION ALL CITIZENS, PLEASE GO TO THE MEETING POINT IMMEDIATELY."
The urgent announcement echoed down the corridors, rattling everyone within earshot. Raka stared blankly at the speaker as the words repeated. Melody looked up at him, her face suddenly pale.
"I hate my life."
The people staying at the embassy were now crammed into the meeting point. Whatever was going on had clearly happened without warning because everyone stood in one big, disorganized cluster while murmurs were heard from all across the field. Some parents tried to comfort crying children, while others clung to each other.
Even the guards posted around the edges looked jumpy, scanning the crowd with tense shoulders and darting eyes.
'What's going on now?'
Raka wondered, standing in line with his family. Sarah practically glued herself to his side, arms wrapped around his waist, while Melody clutched their parents' hands. It had been weeks of relative peace, and the sudden panic felt like a cruel joke.
'Please let everything be okay…'
At last, the chief guard walked up to a makeshift podium at the front of the gathering.
He wore his uniform jacket open at the collar, revealing a Dravareth symbol along with an American flag-shaped pin pinned to his undershirt.
Everyone fell silent as they waited for what he had to say
"Civilians, listen up," he said. His voice was firm, but Raka could tell that even he was affected by whatever was happening.
"I can confirm there's no immediate threat to your safety. We are safe. So please rest assured."
People let out a collective sigh of relief. Suddenly, everyone started talking amongst themselves. Some folks actually sagged in place, finally letting go of the breath that they had been holding for minutes.
Melody blinked back tears, and Raka could see the tension leaving from her shoulders. He exhaled slowly, relieved and exhausted at the same time.
'At least we don't have to relocate again'
Remembering how rough the last evacuation was. His mind briefly drifted to the woman he'd saved back at the gymnasium.
'I hope she's still doing okay…'
"Excuse me!" an older man in the front row called out, raising a shaky hand high. "If there's no attack, then why gather us like this? You nearly gave me a heart attack, rushing us with alarms and sirens!"
Several voices chimed in:
"Right, we thought something terrible was happening!"
"My kids were bawling their eyes out!"
"I'm just glad we're not gonna die…"
The chief tried to respond, but the crowd only got louder. They pressed in, demanding an explanation all at once.
Suddenly, a tall lizardkin in a dark red robe stepped onto the stage beside the chief. The robe bore a Dravareth crest embroidered along the sleeves, and faint runes glimmered at the edges.
Without warning, the robed figure raised both hands. A swirl of deep crimson flame erupted from their palms.
Startled gasps swept through the crowd. People recoiled, some covering their eyes or shielding their children. Even Raka felt his pulse spike. Though the heat wasn't intense, the sudden flash of magic was enough to silence every voice.
The guard chief saluted his robed comrade and turned back to the people. "Thank you. Now, let me explain."
He cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the uneasy faces. "As of this morning, we've received confirmed intel: Karthzion, the goddess who rules these lands, will be arriving at this embassy in about three hours."
An almost physical wave of shock rippled through every single person in the crowd.
Raka felt his breath hitch in his throat and his heart beat faster.
"Excuse me but fucking WHO is arriving?!"
He glanced around—others wore identical looks of disbelief, with their jaws halfway to the floor.
The chief folded his hands behind his back, "I understand that's a lot to take in. We called you here because we wanted everyone informed—and, if you so choose, prepared."
His voice steadied. "Karthzion, as many of you know, has provided vital support to Earth refugees, especially Americans. She authorized the creation of this embassy so we could live on Dravareth soil without fear of eviction or worse. Given her contribution, we'd like to show our respect by offering her a small token of gratitude."
People exchanged puzzled glances, and a faint muttering ran through the crowd.
The chief stayed silent momentarily before continuing, "I know how you all must feel. If I have to be honest, this is also the first time I will see a god face to face. But let me reassure you, Karthzion is one of America's greatest allies, and she allowed us to stay on her lands. If that said anything about her, I would say that she is a pretty cool goddess."
Everyone was silent for a few seconds before chuckles rippled out, and the mood lifted by a notch.
Hearing the chief describe their goddess as "pretty cool" did help ease people's tensions, even if they still had to meet a divine being in three hours.
"Dismissed," the chief added, stepping away from the podium. "You're free to head back to your rooms if you'd like to prepare something. Our men will guide you if you have any questions. Stand by for further instructions."