Tamarrio Washington's Arc

Chapter 5 of 5

Tamarrio spent the night watching the captain's ship circle above the forest. She didn't attack, didn't land, just kept those creatures moving in slow loops like she had all the time in the world. By dawn, he understood why. The woman from his crew found him on the roof and pointed east. Smoke rose from the farm at the edge of his territory. The captain's creatures had taken it during the night, tearing through the barn and driving out everyone inside. Now they stood guard around the fields while her ship hovered overhead. The captain's voice carried across the distance, amplified by wind. She wanted the gem he'd taken from the fortress, the one that pulsed with stored power. She'd trade the farm and everyone in it for that single piece. Tamarrio's people gathered on his ship, waiting for his call. They looked at him like he had an answer that wouldn't cost them everything. He could fight and watch the captain kill farmers, or he could hand over the gem and prove his territory meant nothing when someone stronger showed up. The woman stood beside him, her hand on the flaming sword. She didn't say anything, but he saw the question in her eyes. He pulled the gem from his coat and held it up so the captain could see it from across the forest. Then he threw it as hard as he could into the trees below, where it vanished into thick brush and shadows. The captain's ship lurched forward, creatures scattering to search for it. Tamarrio turned to his crew. "We take the farm back while she's hunting." He'd given up the gem, but he hadn't surrendered. He'd bought time, and that was enough to prove he wouldn't choose between his people and his pride. He'd find another way to have both.