13/05/81 ATE

  Illuminus and Tyler walked side by side as the Scorpion Sting Tribe’s settlement came into view, their two donkeys plodding behind them, burdened with tightly bundled wool and a crate of weapons. There was no need for long introductions or negotiations this time—Illuminus had built a rapport with Gerik, the tribe’s aging but sharp-eyed chief.

  "Illuminus," one of the tribeswomen greeted with a nod, recognizing him instantly. "Back again. The old man’s expecting you. Head straight to the longhouse." Illuminus and Tyler then moved straight over to Gerik the chief.

  “Ah, there you are,” Gerik said from his place at a low table, where an oil lamp cast flickering shadows across his gaunt features. “We brought the goods, as requested. Perhaps we’ll speak to Loretta soon.?”

  “They’re all here,” Tyler said confidently, untying one of the packs from the nearest donkey. “Five scimitars, five crossbows, and enough bolts to keep your people busy.”

  One of Gerik’s aides carefully opened the crate, nodding in approval as he examined the contents.

  “This will do nicely,” the aide said, turning to Gerik with a satisfied expression.

  Gerik nodded and turned his attention back to Illuminus.

  "Loretta will be pleased. She’s been waiting for this shipment to outfit her warriors. You’ve done well by us, Illuminus."

  “I have much news to share concerning the Flame Brotherhood, perhaps it’s best if Loretta is present to hear.”

  “Then let’s not waste time,” Gerik said, rising from his seat with a groan, his hand resting on the head of his cane. Despite his age, his movements carried a deliberate strength, and his sharp eyes betrayed an unyielding focus. He gestured for one of his aides. “Fetch Loretta and her team. Let them know we’ve got what they’ve been waiting for.”

  Minutes later, Loretta arrives. Seeing her there, Illuminus speaks,

  “I have bad news, but perhaps it isn’t bad news if we can use it to our advantage. An envoy from the Sharp Spear tribe has been killed by Luthor and his goons. Travel with me to the Sharp Spear tribe, you and your warriors, and break the news. Perhaps we can rally them to arms and finally confront the Flame Brotherhood.” Loretta crossed her arms, her sharp green eyes narrowing as she processed Illuminus’ words.

  “An envoy of the Sharp Spear Tribe,” she repeated, her voice low and deliberate. “Dead by Luthor’s hand. That bastard has gone and done it now.” She stopped pacing, turning sharply to face Gerik. “This is our moment, to finally eliminate The Flame Brotherhood from this region – with the aid of the Sharp Spears.”

  “I’m glad we think alike Loretta, we’ll do some trading and depart soon. Come travel with us – you and your girls.” Illuminus will conclude.

  Illuminus next headed to the market area and offloaded his wool and purchased some supplies and yarn for his journey. Finishing his business, he caught up with Tyler and Loretta and start the journey to the Sharp Spear tribe.

  15/05/81 ATE

  The caravan approached the familiar hills near the Sharp Spear tribe. The chanting of the tribe drifted down from the hills—low, rhythmic, filled with ancient power. A familiar figure stepped out from the settlement, the same tribal woman who had greeted Illuminus before. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the caravan and the armed figures at his side.

  "You’ve taken longer than expected," she said sharply, crossing her arms. "But you’ve returned—and not alone. What is this? What news do you bring? Where is our envoy?"

  Illuminus dismounted, brushing dust from his coat. His voice was steady, but there was an edge to it.

  "I bring news, but it’s best if I report directly to the elders. Take me to them. There, your questions will be answered."

  The woman hesitated, then nodded. "Follow me."

  The elders sat in a circle beneath the open sky, their expressions calm but watchful. Shadows from the flickering firelight danced across their weathered faces as Illuminus stood before them. He took a deep breath and began.

  "I’ll start where you left off—when I departed from here with your envoy, determined to pursue peace rather than war. I doubted the wisdom of that approach, but I respected your envoy’s leadership and followed his lead in diplomacy. Unfortunately, Luthor and his men had... other priorities."

  He paused, letting the words sink in. The fire crackled softly, filling the heavy silence.

  "In the middle of our negotiation, Luthor signalled his men. They attacked us with clubs. I was lucky enough to catch his intent before it happened—your envoy was not so fortunate."

  One of the elder men leaned forward, eyes burning with anger.

  "So, you’re saying they broke the sacred rules? They killed our envoy without fear of reprisal?"

  Illuminus met his gaze without flinching.

  "Does this surprise you?" he said coldly. "They are slavers and raiders. What makes you think they care for your rules or sensibilities?"

  A murmur of anger rippled through the elders. Illuminus raised a hand, calming the rising tension.

  "I had no time to collect his body," he continued, his voice grim. “My life was in immediate danger. Once I escaped their camp, it became clear that war was inevitable. So, I did what I had to. I travelled first to the White Moon Tribe, then to the Scorpion Sting, gathering allies for the battle ahead. Now I’ve returned here, not just to tell you what happened—but to say this: there is no negotiation with the Flame Brotherhood. They must be driven from this region, or they will destroy everything. They are the once starting this war." The elders fell silent, their expressions unreadable, but Illuminus could feel the weight of his words sinking in like stones.

  “You speak truth, Illuminus,” said an elder, his voice heavy with finality. “When Luthor broke the sacred rules of diplomacy, he declared war upon us. There is no path left but to answer in kind. General Tharek will lead our warriors to battle. Speak with him before you depart. The council stands with you.”

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Illuminus headed to the marketplace to do his trading. The same trader that sold the woollen jumpers before was there.

  “It takes a long time to create these jumpers from yarn. I can sell you our remaining stock, but I’ll have to supplement the remaining value of your yarn with some coinage.” The trader will say.

  “Tyler over here is new to this whole caravan business. You should explain to him your coins.” Illuminus will say in an attempt to get a fuller explanation without admitting not knowing things himself.

  The trader gave Illuminus a knowing smirk.

  “Oh, I see how it is.” He leaned on the counter, eyes glinting with amusement.

  “You’re lucky we’re honest folk here. If you tried that in the southern settlements, they’d rob you blind before you even set up shop. There are two types of coinage in the world and they both come from the east. One comes from Khail’s and is called the Asher, this is what I’ll be giving you. The other type comes from The Federation and is more valuable – it is called the Austermark. The exact values between the currencies varies and it’s tricky to have up to date information. What I’m giving you is what I believe to be a fair price.” The trader continues.

  “Any questions? No? Good.” With that the trader gets to work offloading the yarn from the donkeys.

  After the trader had finished loading and unloading the goods he says,

  “One more thing,” the trader said, lowering his voice. “There’s a reason caravans don’t last long up here. The tribes are small—maybe a hundred people each—but the southern settlements? Tens of thousands. That’s where the real trade is.”

  By now, the tribe’s war drums were beating in steady, rising rhythms—each strike echoing across the hills. Tribesmen were donning their leather armour and gathering their weapons. However, one of the young tribesmen grabbed Illuminus’ attention.

  “Illuminus right? Our guest has been asking for you, follow me.”

  Before Illuminus could ask a single question, the tribesman turned and walked away without waiting for a response. Curiosity gnawed at him as he followed the young man through the camp, weaving between tents and clusters of warriors preparing for battle. Finally, they reached a felt tent tucked near the edge of the camp. The tribesman pulled back the flap and motioned for him to go inside.

  Illuminus hesitated for a breath, then stepped through.

  “Looks like you’ve stirred them up good now,” the guest said, his voice calm, almost amused.

  “The whole camp’s bracing for war. I’m impressed. Not bad for someone who... appeared out of nowhere.” Illuminus frowned, his heart skipping a beat.

  “Who are you?”

  The man chuckled softly.

  “Someone who likes to keep an eye on things. Let’s just say I have... an interest in what happens out here in the west.” He stood, adjusting his cloak. “I’ve been watching you, Illuminus. You move like a ghost through this land—no history, no past. Just a man from nowhere, leading tribes to war.”

  The words hung heavy in the air. Illuminus tensed. How much does this man know?

  “Relax,” the man said with a lazy wave. “I’m not your enemy. In fact, I’ll even wish you good luck in your little war. But...” He took a step toward the tent’s entrance, his eyes locking with Illuminus’. “I won’t be sticking around to see how it ends. I prefer to keep moving. Perhaps we’ll meet again—if you survive.”

  "Now go on. Prepare for your war.” He motioned toward the entrance, and something in his gaze made it impossible to refuse. Illuminus found himself stepping outside without a word, the steady beat of the war drums filling his ears once again.

  The warriors were gathering together, the steady beat of war drums rising in intensity. Tharek stood among his men, issuing commands when he caught sight of Illuminus and the caravan approaching. He stepped forward, arms crossed, eyes scanning the newcomers.

  “I’m told you guys would be joining us,” Tharek declared, his tone calm but commanding. “I’m not sure what use you’ll provide, but I’d be foolish to refuse more warriors. We’ll march out together, and once we approach the camp, we’ll form our ranks. I’ll lead from the right, and you’ll take the left.”

  He turned to Loretta.

  “Loretta, you can add your crossbows to the centre with mine. Once we’re in range, we’ll soften them up with volleys. After that, we hit them hard and don’t stop until they break.” With that, the march began.

  17/05/81 ATE

  The Flame Brotherhood camp was spotted in the horizon and the army marched forward. Tharek lowered his binoculars and said,

  “Their lookouts have spotted me now. They’ll be preparing to meet us soon. Move into formation warriors.”

  With his command, the Sharp Spear warriors moved into position - Tharek leading from the right, Illuminus’ caravan on the left and the crossbows in the middle. The dust of the wasteland swirled around them, caught in the wind stirred by their movement.

  The Flame Brotherhood streamed out of their camp a little distance away. Their formation mirrored the advancing army—crossbowmen in the centre, flanked by melee fighters on both sides. Luthor and his bodyguards stood on their right flank, directly across from the left where Illuminus, Tyler, Loretta, and a group of Sharp Spear warriors had taken position. They were going to be in the thick of it.

  There was no speech between the leaders of the armies and no pre-battle rituals. The crossbows of the Flame Brotherhood loosed a volley of bolts as the flanks advanced. Many bolts missed their target but more than a few found the enemy confirmed by agonising screeches. The crossbows from the other side returned a volley to similar effect as the flanks also advanced from their side.

  There was no hesitation or fear from the Flame Brotherhood. As they advanced, their pace quickened, and within moments, they crashed into the ranks of their enemies with brutal force.

  Illuminus held his ground, his eyes scanning the chaos for an opportunity. He gripped his handgun tightly, knowing this was the moment to use it—but ammunition was limited. Every shot had to count. He raised the weapon, taking careful aim as the battle raged around him. What would Roderick think of this? This wasn’t stealthy, and it certainly wasn’t keeping his head down as a scout should. This was open war—a far cry from the quiet, cautious life of a scout for the Bunker community.

  Illuminus did find opportunities and fell a number of Luthor’s bodyguards. Luthor himself was a different matter. He was closing in and Tyler was moving to meet him. Taking shots at Luthor risked hitting Tyler. The crossbows were continuing to fire at each other across the centre of the battlefield, it seemed that the Flame Brotherhood was getting the better of that engagement. As for the far end – the right flank, it was hard to make sense of who held the ascendancy. Tyler was now in a duel with Luthor himself, was this bravery or foolishness? Illuminus didn’t know but he kept trying to thin the ranks of Illuminus’ bodyguards so Tyler wouldn’t be overwhelmed.

  Tyler and Luthor were violently swinging at each other with their clubs. Luthor held more momentum and force. Tyler kept dodging what he needed to but he could not anticipate everything.

  Smack!

  Luthor’s club struck Tyler squarely in the head. He crumpled to the ground, motionless.

  Luthor smirked, stepping closer. He raised his club again, preparing to bring it down and finish the job, ensuring Tyler wouldn’t get up again. Panic began to form in Illuminus’ mind, had he recruited this shepherd just to have him die like this so soon?

  His eyes darted frantically across the battlefield—then he saw her. Loretta. She was closer than he realized, moving swiftly through the fray. Before Luthor could act, Loretta struck. Her scimitar flashed in the sunlight as she slashed across his neck in one clean, decisive motion. Luthor staggered, his eyes wide with shock. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the dirt beneath him. He tried to speak, but no sound came out. A heartbeat later, he dropped to the ground beside Tyler. The nearby Flame Brotherhood warriors froze, their confidence evaporating in an instant. They looked at their fallen leader, then at each other—panic rising like a wave through their ranks.

  Loretta in a fit of bloodlust move to Luthor’s body and continued to hack away at his neck until it detached from his body. She held it high and threw it along the ranks of the Flame Brotherhood for them all the witness and despair. For all the momentum the Flame Brotherhood had it was all for nothing as they witness this spectacle. They routed and just ran from the battlefield into the open wasteland. Tharek declined to give chase and decided to claim victory and take stock of this situation.

  Illuminus dropped to his knees beside Tyler, his breath caught in his throat. Tyler lay still, his face pale, his chest unmoving—or was it? Illuminus pressed a hand to his shoulder.

  “Tyler? You still with me?” No response.