At noon in the Crimson Stone Desert, sunlight poured over the sand like molten gold, and the heat in the air was intense enough to distort the view.
The Watchers Legion was slowly marching along the trade route. The soldiers wore breathable linen uniforms, and sweat trickled down their cheeks from their foreheads, evaporating the instant it touched the sand.
Just then, the cavalry at the front of the formation suddenly reined in their horses and raised a signal flag. Behind the distant dunes, a cavalry unit of roughly a hundred riders had appeared, slowly approaching the legion.
"Stop advancing! Form a defensive line!" Sir Colin dismounted and ordered the soldiers to prepare.
The legion's soldiers quickly formed a loose defensive line, while the cavalry rode forward and stopped a hundred paces from the unfamiliar riders.
Colin raised the Monocular Telescope and got a clear look at them. They wore a mixture of animal skins and coarse cloth, with curved blades and bows hanging from their saddles. They looked like a group that had spent years traveling through the desert.
"We are the 'Free People'! We mean no harm!" A rider emerged from the opposing group, raised both hands, and shouted. His voice carried far across the desert. "Our leader, Ivanko, wishes to meet the commander of the Watchers Legion, Sir Colin!"
Colin exchanged a glance with the Adjutant beside him, signaling the cavalry battalion to remain vigilant. Then he shouted at the rider, "I am Colin. If your leader has something to say, come forward and speak."
The rider turned his horse and returned to the group. A moment later, a ten-man escort surrounded a middle-aged man and approached.
The middle-aged man was tall and broad, with a thick beard covering his face. His exposed skin was covered in