Ilugei smiled as he embraced the scorching flames washing over him. Trusting his insticts, he closes his eyes as he swung his heavy scimitar in a downward slash. The curved sword released a pressure that pushed against the heat, splitting the curtain of flames apart. Hot sand tickled Ilugei’s feet as he calmly emerged from the fire.
“You can not stop me, Oktai. I will unite our people.”
Oktai sneered, his face contorted by multiple old burn marks that drew themselves all over his skin.
“The Restless will never follow you, boy. Do you really believe to succeed where Bataar himself has failed?”
Ilugei squared his feet, his eyes shining with fervor.
“Yes.”
Oktai scoffed. The space between his hands started to pulse with an orange tinge, and swirling rivulets of heat circulated with increasing velocity.
“Your arrogance will be your downfall, boy.”
Ilugei smirked. “On that at least, we can agree.”
By now, the heat had condensed into a blue orb of writhing flames that floated between Oktai’s hands. The two adversaries locked eyes. Among the hundreds of bystanders, no one did so much as breathe.
“I have to admit that you surprise me, Ilugei. But then again, neither did I expect you to be dumb enough to challenge me,” Oktai said with a cruel smile.
The blue orb in Oktai’s hands suddenly started to grow, emitting flashes of heat like a heartbeat. With every pulse more flames emerged from the orb, forming a tall, humanoid avatar of flame that stood before Oktai. Four orange appendages grew from the mass of flames, their thin tips tasting the air.
A number of gasps came from the bystanders. The heat intensified so much the air started to shimmer. Ilugei hesitated. He had one more surprise left for the Tujid’s chieftain. But now was not the time—the avatar had to be weakened first. Oktai spread his arms wide, the large mass of flame following his movements. Ten long strings of fire immediately shot out of it, each one encircling Ilugei.
He was trapped.
With each breath, the strings grew closer to him. Hot sweat ran over his skin. With a roar, Ilugei swung his scimitar towards one of the strings. The weapon barely managed to separate it, creating a minuscule gap for him to escape through.
Ilugei lunged towards it. A scorching pain radiated from his back as soon as he left the circle. His leather armor was smoldering, and the smell of his own burnt flesh filled his nostrils.
He had just turned around when the remaining strings lashed at him. Ilugei dodged frantically, ducking under two of them and splicing another apart with a slash of his scimitar. But there were simply too many. One of the strings whipped across his face, jerking his head to the side. He stumbled.
Ilugei’s gaze flickered to one of the spectators. Dressed in an elegant, silvery flowing robe, an old woman with hollow eyes stood to the side, slightly apart from the rest of the spectators. She looked at him with a bored expression and raised an eyebrow.
Almost there.
Ilugei changed his stance to face the avatar with his good eye. Once more, the strings lashed at him. One wrapped itself around his left leg, almost causing him to fall. Ilugei grimaced as he cut the thread apart, the flames immediately evaporating. Scorch marks were visible on various parts of his body, and he could barely put any weight on his left leg. His eyes glanced to the bored-looking woman in the crowd. It was time. Locking eyes with Oktai, Ilugei reached deep into his Inner Landscape.
“Welcome to my Domain!”
A sudden shockwave exploded out of him, blowing away the remaining strings of fire like leaves caught in the wind. The stronger of the bystanders were forced to their knees, while the weaker ones started to scramble away as long, deep cuts spliced into their skin. While the air previously was hot enough to scorch one’s lungs, it now held a sharpness to it that threatened to wound with every step taken.
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The chieftain of the Tujid stumbled, taken aback. This should not be possible. Materializing one’s domain while still being at the stage of an Aspect? Oktai’s face was scrunched up in disbelief. Countless scimitars formed themselves out of seemingly thin air, each one as real as the one in Ilugei’s hand.
Standing in the center of it all, Ilugei calmly looked at his adversary. Scimitar raised, every floating weapon turned to point at Oktai and his avatar.
“Die.”
As one, the weapons surged forward. The first few weapons to reach the avatar were still repelled, the strings weaving through the air to block the incoming weapons. But Ilugei’s assault was relentless.
With every scimitar the avatar was forced to block, it became a little more insubstantial. A few moments later, the blue orb in Oktai’s shattered under the pressure and the avatar completely dissipated. Oktai stumbled, falling to his knees. Scarlet blood gushed out of multiple deep lacerations from his body, painting the sand and glinting in the unrelenting sun.
Weapon held by his side, Ilugei walked toward his defeated opponent.
“I respect your strength, but we both know the prophecy will never be fulfilled with you standing in my way.”
The chieftain looked up at Ilugei, the hate in his eyes accentuating his grotesque visage.
“You’ve got your head stuck in the sand, boy! The Restless will never settle down. ” Oktai retorted.
Ilugei shook his head. “You’re wrong, old man. No need to put up with something you can change.”
Oktai’s nostrils flared as he opened his mouth to respond. However, he did not get to utter a single word. With a flick of Ilugei’s wrist, the remaining weapons all shot towards his opponent. Little was left of the Tujid’s chieftain as Ilugei left the arena, his soft footsteps the only thing audible amidst the hundreds of silent spectators.
***
Like bees in a honeycomb, workers entered and left the large tunnel in front of Ilugei. The tunnel was only one of many along the mountain range that separated the Steppes from Ceraviehl.
Ilugei’s hands were clasped behind him, his back ramrod straight. Hazel eyes shone with anticipation. It wouldn’t take too long, now. After having united the tribes, breaking through the mountain would only be a matter of time.
Not too long ago, the chieftains had laughed at him behind his back, calling him a hotheaded youth. Now, barely a year later, they sent their best Gifted to help dig out the tunnels.
Ilugei smiled. He would fulfill the prophecy and succeed where Bataar had failed. He would lead the Restless into the promised lands to give them a new home. They deserved it, after everything his people had been through.
‘Ah, mother, if only you could see me now’ he mused to himself. ‘You always had such faith in me, but did you expect me to come this far?’
A sudden scream interrupted Ilugei’s thoughts.
“I told you, I’m sorry! It was just an accident!”
The voice belonged to a young girl. One of the warriors guarding the tunnel dragged her away, heedless of her desperate cries. Judging by her clothes, she belonged to the Gifted who helped the workers carve out the tunnel.
Her long, dark auburn hair was braided into pigtails that fell over her shoulders. Eyes darting back and forth, the girl looked around frantically for anyone who could help her. Her gaze eventually landed on Ilugei, who frowned as he observed the scene.
“Great leader, please have mercy! The miner touched me, and I lost control!” the young girl sobbed.
The guard’s eyes widened with fury as he raised one hand to strike girl wriggling in his grip. “Insolence! How dare you speak to the great leader without being addressed to?”
With a small gesture of his right hand, Ilugei commanded the guard to stop.
“What happened in there?”
The man immediately lowered his hand, placing two fingers on his forehead.
“Great leader, this Gifted killed one of our miners. She claims it was an accident, but killing can not be tolerated,” the guard explained.
Judging by the sheer desperation in the girl’s emerald eyes, Ilugei felt certain she did not kill the man in cold blood. Nevertheless, murder could not go unpunished. Although Ilugei didn’t approve of executions, even he could not break traditions that had existed for centuries. But he also couldn’t bring himself to have her executed. Another useless death, another Restless that would never live to see the promised lands. Ilugei took a deep breath, looking down at the guard holding the girl in his grip.
“She will not be executed. Instead, she will receive the brand and be exiled from her tribe.”
The young girl immediately fell to her knees, thanking him profusely. Ilugei smiled sadly. Her apparent gratitude left a bitter taste in his mouth. He had just condemned her to a life of solitude, yet she could not stop thanking him for sparing her life.
Ilugei watched the girl walk away and tried to dismiss the situation from his mind. He knew he shouldn’t get involved in these kinds of issues. The laws existed for a reason. With a tired sigh, he returned his attention to the process in front of him.
The tunnels were not solely made for their warriors and Gifted. No, he would bring the entirety of the six tribes with him. Tens of thousands would pass through the mountain and settle down in the promised lands of Ceraviehl. Farmers, horse tamers, architects, teachers, children, Ilugei planned to bring them all.
This was more than an invasion. It was a mass exodus.