Dipping Into Conflict

The room was silent.

Specter carefully scanned the map. They looked over every word, line, and arrow over a dozen times.

"A conflict for territory between two of our biggest rivals? How did that Savage find this out?" Specter mimicked a confused voice.

Edward wrote something in a small notebook. "Doesn't sound like a problem to me. How about, you send Finch and I, out there?"

Specter's head tilted towards me.

I stopped spinning the dagger in my hand and put it away. "Sure, I need some more scout training."

"Alright, good to hear. Hey Finch, are you a night owl or an early bird?" Edward gave me a chaotic look.

"You know the answer to that."

"Too bad, we're going tonight!" Edward laughed and walked out of the room.

I already said I was going. No turning back now.

***

The night breeze passed by me, I waited for Edward outside his house.

Honestly, I'm surprised how fast a group of people can build when at any moment they can face a full scale invasion.

"Hoot, hoot, hoot!" Edward mimicked an owl.

He carried his usual bag, filled with whatever a scout needs.

Our trip to the conflict zone was a long walk. At least it felt like it.

Edward looked up at the moon and pointed out how it barely shifted since we left our home.

"We're the DRT, the best that can be. I have a special buddy, Finch with me!" Edward playfully sung quietly.

It wasn't louder than a whisper. His flexible voice never stops surprising me. One moment a serious adventure-hungry man, then the other a nearly childish voice.

I kept my mouth shut and allowed Finch to do his thing.

Every few steps he hid a jar at the foot of a tree.

"Why are you putting those there?" I couldn't contain my curiosity.

"We're the- are you talking about the jars? Inside there is water, but not too much. Just enough to keep you going until the next jar, then the next. All of my scouts do that. Never know when we'll need it."

"Right. What else do you do?"

"Reach into my bag, then take out a pen and a replica of the map. We're going to reach them directly just beyond those trees." Edward's voice quickly died down.

We fell completely silent. I followed his orders and took out a pen and a map.

Inside, I felt four maps. Each looked roughly the same. With only minor changes, like the handwriting.

"Those scouts must be quick to jot whatever they can down on a piece of paper or a map." I thought to myself.

As we got closer to a row of trees, I could hear heavy stomping. I could imagine hearing that in the middle of the night, the fear. My mind thought of one name: Downpour.

Edward lowered himself down to a crouch. He signaled me to do the same.

I started seeing four lights and heard the voices of the Downpour soldiers.

"Ha, those idiots seriously think we're going to hand them this land. By the first rays of sunlight, those idiots will lose their grip on that hill, and we'll be free to move up." A Downpour spoke to the rest of his team.

I peeked my head out to count how many of them were walking away. Four of them held lights and six were in two lines of three.

Edward grabbed my hand. I turned to look at him. Then I realized he was pulling my hand down to my dagger.

My fingers wrapped around it like snakes. We both had the same plan.

"Listen, we're going to follow them and ambush whoever wins this conflict. This is our chance to make it clear we're here to push them away. They're still under the impression that we still have a stronghold. Let's play them dizzy." Edward whispered to me.

Over the next hour, we followed the group. Edward put down jars, and I drew lines on the map.

***

It was now well into the night. I was getting tired, unlike Edward. The moon was shining above us.

Finally, the group showed signs of slowing down. In front of us, a small outpost made of wood watched everyone around it.

"Once again, light fire to that outpost. Watch them scramble out like little ants, then slaughter the survivors."

I heard their plan. It was ruthless, but expected.

Downpour's ability to thrive isn't based solely off them having more advanced gear than most other factions. Tales of ferocious Downpour leaders spread like wildfire four months after the Calamity.

Discouraging anyone stupid enough to fight Downpour soldiers. Except me and Warmonger.

I remembered our first fight against Downpour. Warmonger carelessly ripped everyone around her into bits. Meanwhile, I fought them off the way I was taught to do.

At first I questioned why she was part of the Disaster Recovery Team, but then I was reminded after she opened an escape route for us.

My thoughts made me miss out on the exciting part, watching the outpost go up in flames.

"Finch, let's go. We'll sandwich them." Edward hurried me.

I didn't want to let Downpour claim another victory unharmed. I took out the curved dagger and dashed up to them with Edward.

Wildmen ran for their lives. In front of the outpost, bodies of whoever was unfortunate enough to get greeted by the blade of a Downpour.

Inside the outpost, whoever couldn't escape kept screaming their lungs out.

The intense screaming was a horrific scene. The Downpour's laughter didn't make it any better.

"DIE YOU HEARTLESS BEASTS!" I dug my dagger into the back of a Downpour soldier.

I didn't let go; I kept running until I felt the fiery feeling gently burn my skin. Then I threw whoever I caught inside.

Edward followed my attack. He slid below a Downpour and threw a throwing knife at the neck of another.

"Look, two DRT kids. Let's teach them what it means to live in these lands."

"COME ON! CUT INTO ME I DARE YOU!" I could feel my anger rising.

I picked up a sword from the ground and impaled the Downpour Edward knocked down. Then I leaped into the air with a dagger ready to dig into whoever was next in hand.

Edward jumped on the back of a Downpour soldier and repeatedly stabbed them.

My dagger dug into the armor of another Downpour. This one had better armor. Armor meant to deflect sharp edges.

We broke out into intense fighting.

Instead of attempting to slice each other into bits, we put our weapons away and tried to break each other's armor with our fists.

The Downpour soldier got a solid grip around my neck and threw me back against the outpost.

Intense heat touched my skin. I felt like I was being cooked alive.

"Why not join the guy you just threw inside earlier?" The Downpour began getting cocky.

His mistake. Behind him, Edward slammed a large piece of wood taken from the outpost against his head.

Edward's attack knocked him out.

"Well, Mr. Bulwalks. There's your dagger. Swift death through a cut, a painful death in fire, or let him live. Your choice." Edward encouraged me to decide.

"I'm not one to cause panic. Keep that in mind."

I dropped onto my knees and finished the Downpour off.

In a night, we claimed a spot in the conflict zone. Scouted a conflict zone. And opened a path for us to claim.