The silence in Maria's quarters felt heavy as the team processed what they'd learned from Marcus's visit. The Iron Vanguard's demand wasn't just unexpected—it was practically impossible to fulfil.
"He knows Richard," Walter stated, his weathered hands gripping his cane. "The family connection is obvious now."
"Brothers, most likely," AJ agreed.
Victor paced near the window. "Doesn't matter what their relationship is. We can't just hand over a prisoner."
"The community won't stand for it," Sam added. "People nearly called for Richard's execution during the trial. They're not going to agree to release him to his brother."
Maria looked around the table at the others, seeing her own resolve reflected in their faces. "Then we need to present this to everyone."
"And if they refuse?" Lily asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer.
"Then we prepare for a fight," Ethan said as he cracked his knuckles.
Within the hour, the settlement's residents had gathered in the central plaza yet again. The mood was markedly different from the trial, their faces showed the worry they were all feeling.
"The Iron Vanguard has made a demand," Maria announced, her voice carrying clearly across the assembled crowd. "They want us to give them Richard."
The reaction was immediate and explosive. Voices rose in outrage, people shouting questions and condemnations. Thomas stepped forward, his face flushed with anger.
"They want us to just hand him over? After what he did?"
"That's exactly what they're demanding," Victor confirmed. "Their leader claims it would solve our prisoner problem while serving his purposes."
"What purposes?" Eric called out.
"He wouldn't say," Walter replied.
Doc Hayes spoke out next. "What happens if we refuse?"
The question hung in the air, and Maria's expression provided the answer before she spoke. "We don't know for certain, but the Iron Vanguard is a well-armed mercenary group. Refusal likely means conflict."
"Let them come," someone shouted from the back of the crowd. "We didn't build this place just to surrender it!"
"Richard endangered our lives," Catherine called out. "He must remain here to serve out his punishment."
The crowd's sentiment was becoming clear. Face after face showed the same mixture of anger and defiance. These people had survived the transformation of their world, built a thriving community from nothing, and faced down monsters. They weren't about to bow to threats from outsiders.
"All in favour of refusing the Iron Vanguard's demand," Maria called out.
Every hand in the plaza rose without hesitation.
"Then we prepare for the possibility of conflict," Maria announced. "Check your weapons, secure your homes, and be ready for anything."
From his makeshift cell in the converted storage building, Richard had heard every word of the community announcement.
The walls weren't thick enough to muffle Maria's clear voice or the crowd's angry responses, and as the truth of his situation became clear, his expression shifted from confusion to excitement.
"Marcus," he whispered to himself, a smile spreading across his face. "It's actually him."
When the crowd began to disperse, Richard called out to the first person who passed near his cell—one of the younger residents.
"You people have no idea what you've just done," Richard said, his voice carrying smug satisfaction. "Marcus doesn't make idle threats. You're going to regret crossing him."
The young man paused, his face showing confusion and growing anger. "What are you talking about?"
"The Iron Vanguard leader. He's my brother, and he's come to take me away from you lot." Richard's smile widened. "You think your little walls will protect you? This place will be rubble by tomorrow night."
Word of Richard's taunting spread quickly through the settlement. Within minutes, a small crowd had gathered outside his cell, their faces showing a mixture of disbelief and rage.
"Your brother?" Thomas repeated, his voice dangerous. "The mercenary threatening us is your family?"
"That's right. And when he's done with this place, there won't be enough left to bury." Richard's confidence was absolute, fed by years of knowing his older brother.
Maria arrived as Richard's provocations were reaching their peak, Victor and Ethan close behind her. The prisoner's arrogance faltered slightly when he saw their faces, but his bravado quickly returned.
"Well, well. The people who thought they could judge me." Richard's eyes moved between them with obvious satisfaction. "How's it feel knowing you're finished?"
"You endangered our people," Maria said coldly. "It doesn't matter what your brother wants you will face your punishment."
"What I did was try to fix this place's problems. And now Marcus will finish the job properly." Richard turned his attention to Victor, his smile becoming malicious. "You were so eager to lock me up, weren't you? Going to feel very different when my brother's breaking down your gates."
Victor's hand drifted towards his weapon, but he maintained control. "Your brother can try."
"Oh, he'll do more than try." Richard's gaze shifted to Ethan, his voice dripping with remembered humiliation. "And you—thinking you're some kind of warrior because you can swing an axe. Wait until you meet real soldiers. Marcus will show you what actual fighting looks like."
Ethan's expression remained calm, but his voice carried quiet menace. "I'm looking forward to it."
The crowd around Richard's cell was growing larger and more hostile with each word. People who'd been willing to show mercy during his trial were now glaring at him with undisguised hatred.
"You're all dead," Richard continued, feeding off their anger. "Every last one of you."
"Enough," Maria commanded, but Richard wasn't finished.
"This whole settlement, everything you've built, it'll burn. And I'll be watching from safety while it happens."
The crowd pressed closer to the cell, their fury barely contained. Several people were shouting threats of their own, while others wanted him dead more than ever. The situation was spiralling towards violence when Marcus's voice cut through the noise.
"I've come for your answer."
Every head turned towards the settlement's entrance, where Marcus stood alone, he radiated an unconcealed confidence. His eyes took in the angry crowd, Richard's smug expression, and the clear tension that filled the air.
"Our answer is no," Maria said, moving to face him directly. "The community has voted unanimously. Richard remains our prisoner."
Something flickered across Marcus's face—disappointment, perhaps, or resignation.
"I was hoping for a different response," he said calmly. "But I understand your position."
"Do you?" Victor challenged, moving to stand beside Maria.
"You've made an investment in justice. You can't simply abandon your principles because an outsider makes demands." Marcus's tone remained conversational. "But you need to understand my position as well."
"Which is?" Walter asked, stepping forward with his cane.
"Richard is family. I won't leave him in your custody, regardless of what crimes he may have committed." Marcus's eyes hardened. "You have until tomorrow at noon to reconsider your decision."
The ultimatum hung in the air like a blade. Maria felt the weight of nearly 200 lives pressing down on her shoulders.
"And if we maintain our position?" she asked.
"Then I'll take him by force. Your settlement will burn, your people will scatter, and in the end, Richard comes with me anyway." Marcus's voice never rose, making his words even more chilling.
"Surrender him peacefully, and everyone gets to continue their lives as usual. Refuse, and everyone dies defending a saboteur who endangered your own people."
The crowd's angry murmurs grew louder, but Marcus ignored them, his attention focused solely on the settlement's leadership.
"Noon tomorrow," he repeated. "I hope you'll make the right choice."
Marcus turned and walked away. The settlement's residents watched him go, their faces showing a mixture of fear and defiance.
"You heard him," Maria announced, her voice cutting through the silence. "We have until noon tomorrow to prepare."
The transformation was immediate and dramatic. People scattered in every direction, some heading to secure their homes while others rushed to gather weapons and defensive supplies.
The settlement that had been celebrating its prosperity days earlier was now mobilizing for war.
In the watchtowers, archers checked their bowstrings and counted arrows. Lily climbed to her preferred position in the eastern tower, her bow strung and ready, her keen eyes already scanning the grassland for signs of Iron Vanguard movement.
Throughout the residential areas, every citizen armed themselves with whatever they could find. Farming tools became weapons, kitchen knives became daggers, and even the elderly prepared to defend themselves.
Ethan emerged from the armoury trying on something new. The armour that encased Ethan was crude but functional. Thick metal plates covered him from head to toe, hammered out in Robert's forge during the 2 days the Iron Vanguard had spent travelling.
The helmet completely enclosed his head, featuring a T-shaped visor that left only his eyes visible as dark slits behind the metal. Articulated pauldrons protected his massive shoulders, while a solid breastplate would protect his torso despite bearing dents and imperfections.
His arms were sheathed in full sleeves of overlapping plates that allowed surprising mobility despite their bulk, and heavy gauntlets turned his hands into armoured weapons themselves.
The leg protection consisted of thick thigh guards connected to greaves that covered his shins, the entire assembly held together with leather straps and iron buckles.
His right hand held his new, larger, war axe, its dark purple obsidian steel blade gleaming in the sunlight.
Standing at nearly two meters tall, Ethan had been transformed into a walking tank. The armour's crude finish only added to its intimidating presence, this wasn't ceremonial gear but battlefield equipment built for one purpose: to keep its wearer alive while he destroyed his enemies.
Anyone facing this metal-clad giant would feel that they were staring at death itself.
Victor coordinated defensive positions, his team spreading throughout the settlement. His calm authority helped focus the general panic into productive preparation.
Walter drew his sword from his cane. The blade sang as he swung it, he began practicing his stances and attacks.
Sam abandoned his projects, retrieving the spear he'd carried during their adventures. The familiar weight felt strange after so long, but muscle memory quickly returned as he practiced the basic forms.
Near the workshops, AJ had transformed into a production machine, his form spitting out weapon after weapon with mechanical efficiency. Swords, axes, spears, arrows, and shields emerged from his substance in a steady stream, providing weapons for the residents.
When the immediate rush of preparation had subsided, AJ completed his own armament, crafting another axe to create a set of twin axes.
Throughout it all, Maria found herself torn between organizing the defense and pursuing the breakthrough that could tip the balance in their favour.
The Earth Realm advancement would enhance her capabilities significantly, but the process would leave her vulnerable during the most dangerous time their community had ever faced.
But as she watched her people prepare to fight and die for their principles, the decision became clear. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
"I'm attempting the breakthrough tonight," she told Walter as the sun began to set. "We need every advantage we can get."
Walter nodded gravely. "Alright, don't rush into it, you need to take things one step at a time."
As night fell over Valentra, the settlement resembled an armed camp more than a peaceful community. Guards walked the walls, weapons gleamed in the torchlight, and everywhere people made final preparations for the battle that would decide their fate.
In his cell, Richard watched the preparations with growing excitement. Despite the settlement's preparations he still felt that Marcus would be able to handle the situation with ease.
"You're all finished," he called out to anyone within earshot, his voice carrying across the settlement. "Every last one of you—finished!"
His malicious laughter echoed through the night.