Chapter Forty-Five: The First Dispatch

The first runners set out from Manchester just as the sun peeked over the horizon. A young woman named Tessa carried a satchel stuffed with carefully sealed letters and small packages, her bicycle freshly repaired and reinforced by Ironheart.

Echo stood at the city's edge, watching her disappear down the cracked and overgrown road. His heart raced with both excitement and anxiety. "And so it begins," he murmured.

Lumina stood beside him, her glow soft in the morning light. "You've done something incredible, Echo. This will change lives."

He grinned, scratching the back of his head. "Let's just hope it works."

Tessa's route led her through a series of relay points—small, fortified outposts where other couriers would pick up her satchel and continue the journey. The system was simple on paper but fraught with risks in practice.

At the first relay near Birmingham, Tessa passed the satchel to a wiry teenager named Jacob. He adjusted his helmet nervously as he prepared to set off. "You sure this'll work?" he asked.

"It has to," Tessa replied, her confidence masking her own fears. "The Vanguard's counting on us."

Unbeknownst to the couriers, a band of rogue scavengers had caught wind of the new postal system. Viewing it as both a threat to their dominance and a potential windfall, they set an ambush along one of the main routes.

Jacob was halfway to Leeds when the ambush struck. A makeshift barricade of rusted cars blocked the road, and a group of armed scavengers emerged from the surrounding ruins.

"Drop the satchel and walk away," their leader snarled, brandishing a crowbar.

Jacob froze, his heart pounding. Before he could decide whether to fight or flee, a burst of fire erupted from the nearby ruins.

Firebrand stepped out of the shadows, his flames casting an eerie light across the scavengers. "You lot really need to find a new hobby," he said, his tone dangerously casual.

The scavengers hesitated, but their leader growled, "You think we're afraid of you?"

"You should be," Firebrand replied, his flames roaring to life.

From above, Swift Angel swooped down, his wings cutting through the air as he disarmed two of the scavengers in one fluid motion. "You've got one chance to walk away," Angel said coldly. "Take it."

The scavengers, realising they were outmatched, scattered into the ruins.

Jacob stared in awe as Firebrand extinguished his flames with a flick of his wrist. "You... you saved me," Jacob stammered.

Firebrand smirked. "Don't get used to it, kid. I'm just doing my job."

As the Vanguard escorted Jacob to the next relay point, Arthur joined them, his cybernetic motorcycle purring softly as he rode alongside the group.

"We must ensure the safety of these routes," Arthur said, his tone serious. "They are more than lines on a map. They are the lifeblood of unity."

Firebrand glanced at him, his flames flickering faintly. "You really think a few letters and packages are going to fix this mess?"

Arthur met his gaze, unflinching. "I think they are a beginning. And every great endeavour begins with a single step."

When the satchel finally reached Leeds, it was met with cheers from the waiting crowd. Letters were read aloud, packages distributed, and for the first time in years, the people of Leeds felt connected to something larger than their isolated city.

Echo arrived later that evening, tired but beaming. "We did it," he said, his excitement contagious.

Lumina smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You've given them more than letters. You've given them hope."

Arthur addressed the gathered crowd, his voice filled with quiet resolve. "This is what unity looks like. Not in grand speeches or sweeping declarations, but in the small acts that bind us together. Let this be the first of many."

As the team returned to Camelot, the success of the postal system strengthened their resolve.

Echo worked tirelessly to expand the network, recruiting more couriers and establishing additional relay points. Firebrand and Swift Angel, though initially sceptical, began to see the value in protecting the routes, their efforts inspiring others to join the cause.

Arthur watched the team's progress with quiet pride, his vision for a united Britain beginning to take shape.

"Connection," he said to Alora one evening, "is the foundation of any kingdom. And with every letter delivered, we are building something stronger than walls or weapons. We are building trust."