The village was quiet, save for the distant echoes of battle on the outskirts where Nathanos and his troops clashed with the Embers of Flame. I stood near the central square, the tension palpable as villagers huddled together, their eyes reflecting fear and hope in equal measure.

My thoughts were interrupted by the distant thud of hooves. Turning toward the sound, I saw Samina riding hard, her horse kicking up dust as she approached. The urgency in her posture sent a chill down my spine.

Samina was part of the cavalry unit led by Leon. She dismounted swiftly, her breathing laboured but controlled. "Augustus," she began, her voice steady despite the urgency of her words, "while scouting, we spotted a small group of men rushing towards the village from the east."

Her report shocked me. The main attack had come from the west, nearly the opposite direction. Could this be a diversion? My mind raced through possibilities as she continued.

"Their number was around eight," she explained. "They were on foot, and we decided to confront them. We managed to kill four, but the remaining men retreated to a cave not far from here. They disappeared into a basement within the cave. We’re unsure of what lies below, so we decided to keep watch while I came to inform you. The cave is close; it won’t take us more than two hours to reach it."

I nodded, processing her words. If this was an infiltration attempt, it could spell disaster for the village. The attack from the West might indeed be a distraction. I had no choice but to act quickly. "Good work, Samina. Stay here for a moment; I need to check on the progress of the battle."

Leaving Samina, I made my way toward the outskirts, where the sounds of fighting had begun to die down. A recruit intercepted me along the way, his expression grim. "The battle is over," he reported. "We managed to kill all the attackers, but..."

He hesitated, and I braced myself for the worst. "But what?" I demanded.

"The light infantry unit launched an attack before Nathanos arrived. They were told to wait, but they were too eager, wanting to prove themselves. Four of our recruits died because of their recklessness."

The news hit me like a blow to the chest. Those men had been green, untested, but they were under my command. Their loss was a heavy burden. I forced myself to focus. There would be time to grieve later. For now, the village’s safety came first.

I returned to Samina, who was waiting patiently along with Silvana. "We’ll head to the cave," I told her. "Gather a small team. We need to move quickly and find out what’s in that basement."

The journey to the cave was swift. Samina led the way, her knowledge of the terrain invaluable. The moon cast a pale light over the landscape, guiding us through the plains. When we arrived, the cave entrance loomed before us, a gaping maw that seemed to swallow the faint light.

Two scouts stood guard at the entrance, their faces tense. "They’re down there," one whispered, pointing toward the darkness. "We haven’t heard anything since they disappeared."

They informed me that Leon and another warrior had attempted to enter the cave but sustained minor injuries in the process. They decided to return to the village to receive treatment from Abda, leaving the scouts to guard the entrance. Fortunately, their injuries were not severe—just a few bruises that required attention but posed no immediate concern.

I acknowledged the information that I received. So our opponents were holed up in the basement of a cave which looked man-made indicating this might be one of their hideouts.

I nodded, signalling for the team to ready themselves. Torches were lit, and weapons drawn as we descended into the cave. The air grew colder, the faint scent of damp earth mingling with something more acrid—perhaps the remnants of their supplies or something more sinister.

The basement entrance was a narrow passage at the back of the cave. It opened into a small chamber, the walls lined with crude carvings of flames and symbols I didn’t recognize. At the centre of the room was a trapdoor, its edges worn from frequent use.

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"This must be where they went," Samina whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart.

I gestured for silence, listening carefully. Faint voices drifted up from below, confirming our suspicions. "We go in quietly," I ordered. "No unnecessary risks. Our priority is to find out what’s down there and ensure it poses no threat to the village."

The trapdoor creaked as we opened it, revealing a ladder that descended into darkness. One by one, we climbed down, torches held aloft to illuminate the way. The air grew heavier, carrying the unmistakable stench of death and decay. The chamber we entered was larger than I had expected, its walls lined with makeshift shelves holding jars, scrolls, and crude weapons.

At the far end of the room, the remaining men stood in a circle, their backs to us. They were chanting, their voices low and guttural. At the centre of their circle was an altar, a crude effigy of a figure engulfed in flames. Unfortunately, I saw something which stopped me in my steps.

It was the burnt body of a child right next to the altar "Hold," I whispered, raising a hand to stop the team. We observed for a moment, trying to make sense of the scene. The men seemed completely absorbed in their ritual, oblivious to our presence.

One of them turned suddenly, his eyes wide with surprise as he spotted us. "Intruders!" he shouted, reaching for a weapon.

There was no time for subtlety. "Engage!" I ordered, and the room erupted into chaos. Swords clashed, torches flickered, and shadows danced on the walls as we fought. The men were desperate, their movements wild and uncoordinated, but their fanaticism made them dangerous.

The battle was over quickly. The last of the men fell, their blood pooling on the stone floor. We secured the room, examining the contents of the shelves and the altar. Among the scrolls, we found maps and notes detailing their plans, including an attack on Phyca and other nearby villages.

The information was invaluable, but the discovery of the altar left me uneasy. The effigy was more than a crude statue; it was a symbol of their unwavering belief, a reminder of the danger posed by their fanaticism.

Also, we found some gold and supplies which we suspected they looted from the nearby villages. I felt a little unfortunate for the kid we decided to give him a burial in the village even without knowing his name and whether his family were alive to search for him.

The scene left a scar on me I could not put my mind to anything else, I even missed that in the basement among the four the leader of the Flame was also present Later Samina informed me about that giving me a sense of relief that at least that this madness was stopped.

Angry at those members of embers of flame I decided to let them rot in the basement. We extracted whatever was of value from their bodies and the basement and departed to meet our client to complete the terms of our contract.

We reached the village by sunrise exhausted because of lack of sleep and confrontation. Even though we won we were not that satisfied. Embers of flame burnt the freshness that our group had they killed some of our members whose families were waiting in Danustica. They also gave us a scar by showing what they have been doing for nearly a century burning innocent children alive.

After reaching the village my priority was to give proper funeral to the dead villagers and our troops who died fighting the Embers of Flame we rested for the day as we were tired.

The next day I decided to have a chat with the village chief regarding the payment and rewards. It was decided Our group Nova would keep all the loot we had taken from their hideout along with the ransom that we would get by handing the captured members of Flames to the authority in Danustica.

About the workshop in Epicrotea, it was decided that Ysmyra will continue to handle the operations she will keep some of the profits after subtracting the operational cost and will leave it in the workshop for us to collect later.

With our business settled, we departed for Danustica, carrying the weight of our losses but satisfied to put an end to the Embers of Flame’s tyranny. The battle was over, but the scars they left behind would remain as a reminder of the darkness we fought to overcome.