“I’ll contact my radio intelligence team and get back,” Thomas said.
“I am curious too,” the Scavenger said. “As soon as Osay attacks the Brentinute, he will get the shock of his life.”
“Why?” Thomas asked.
The Scavenger grinned. “You’ll know. But, what’s the status?”
Thomas stood up. “Wait for some time. I’ll be right back.”
A vast army of demons riding on hounds gathered outside the Brentinute. There was no activity inside the Brentinute, and it looked like a ghost town. The army waited for retaliation but nothing happened.
The demons grew impatient. After an hour of waiting, they attacked, yelling battle cries.
They expected resistance at the gates. However, as they hit the gates, the gates crumbled at once.
The demons leading the army sensed something was not right and tried to stop. But they couldn’t due to the strong momentum of the troops from behind.
The lead demon raised his hand. “STOP! THE COWARDS HAVE LEFT! STOP -”
He fell on a tripwire.
That was the beginning of the torture planned by Staler.
The Scavenger and Staler, with his team, had placed the dynamites strategically. They blew up in a massive ball of fire.
Within seconds, the Brentinute was reduced to rubble, consuming the entire demon army with it.
Staler was right.
The Brentinute did go out with a bang.
17
A couple of hours passed after Thomas left.
The Scavenger and children were getting anxious about the status of Brentinute.
“Why is Thomas taking so much time?” Archer asked.
The Scavenger replied, “No idea.”
As the Scavenger rose to check, Thomas entered. He looked shocked and surprised.
“What’s the news?” the Scavenger asked.
Thomas replied in a measured tone, “The Brentinute... it’s gone. Completely blown up. It consumed Osay’s army that attacked it.”
The Scavenger and Staler looked at each other and smiled. Suddenly, Staler’s eyes had tears. The Scavenger patted him on the back lightly. They all understood the emotions that Staler was going through. He had built the Brentinute brick by brick over so many years. It was not easy for him to imagine it reduced to rubble.
Thomas broke the silence. “By now, Osay must be in a rage. The attack on our Island is imminent. It would be prudent if we revisit our preparation.”
The Scavenger said, “I have a different proposal. Now that the people from Brentinute and this Island are all together, can’t we all launch an attack on Cotton Village rather than taking on Osay here? In any case, we need to reach the Cotton Village Library to combine the Pages of Destiny. Why not right away?”
Thomas replied, “Good idea. But my personal view doesn’t matter here. Let me discuss it with my people. I don’t think they will agree. I would suggest you address them personally. Let’s assemble in the meeting room in exactly one hour.”
Everyone dispersed.
The Commanders, the scientists, builders, etc., assembled in the meeting room.
The Scavenger addressed them. “As all of you are aware, we anticipate an attack from Osay and we are well-prepared. I have a proposal in mind. Instead of staying here and fighting the enemy, can’t we all go to the doorstep of the enemy and engage him there? It will not only -”
The Scavenger was interrupted by murmuring in the crowd.
The Scavenger raised his hand for calm. “Please. Listen to my reasons for the proposal. We are less in numbers. Our allies would find it difficult to reach here. In case we are overpowered, there is no escape for anyone out of the Island. Any war here could be a strategic blunder.”
“Then, so be it!” came a voice from the crowd. “We won’t leave the Island! We prefer to die here.”
The crowd supported the voice.
Another person said, “First you come into our home and put us in danger. We were living quite peacefully until you came! Now you come and ask us to fight with you! Never! People like you -”
Thomas hollered from the stage, “Talk with respect! It was me who called them. They have risked their lives for us.”
There was silence as Thomas stared at the crowd with blazing eyes.
“I can’t believe this!” Thomas said. He pointed to the Scavenger. “This man is the only reason you all are even alive at this moment! If it weren’t for him and his friends, the Death Lord and the Skull Warrior would have already taken our land long ago! We would have been lying in jail for eternity!”
Thomas’s words had a noticeable effect. The crowd calmed down.
“We are all in a critical situation,” Thomas continued. “The enemy will attack anytime, and when he does, each one of us will be left with no option other than to fight.”
“But we can’t leave our home,” someone said. “We will fight here itself. We aren’t warriors. Many of us are plump and unfit. We need the home advantage to resist the enemy. We would feel lost elsewhere.”
The person’s logic appealed to everyone.
“All right,” the Scavenger said. “You have a point. Let us discuss this further with Thomas and the Commanders. We will come back to you.”
Everyone agreed.
With that, the Scavenger, the children, Pyros and Thomas returned to Thomas’s office.
“I am sorry...” Thomas began apologizing for the behaviour of his people, but the Scavenger stopped him.
“It was as expected,” the Scavenger said. “It’s good that at least the humans have agreed to fight here.”
“The humans have a point. Let’s plan for two wars,” Pyros said to the Scavenger. “I, you and the children go to Cotton Village and the rest of them fight it out here.”
Thomas said, “But, five of you against tens of thousands of demons and warriors. How is that even possible?”
The Scavenger replied, “I think Pyros could be right. Fighting the war on two fronts might work in our favour as it will divide the resources of Osay.”
“But the odds are heavily stacked against you. Only five against thousands. You would be overpowered in no time. You guys are our last hope. If you lose there, we lose here.”
The Scavenger said, “I think you are underestimating
