As soon as Rollin touched the bound man's chair, violent tremors and convulsions seized the man. Without warning, Rollin delivered a decisive blow to the back of the man's head, causing it to snap back violently. "I told you to stop moving like that!" Rollin yelled, his voice filled with menace. "If you break my chair, Martin, I swear to God the next time I strike you, it won't be with an empty hand!"

The helpless man immediately ceased his movements and stared blankly into the corner. Rollin then turned to face Joey with a pleasing smile, like a hotel host trying to accommodate his guest. Joey, however, was still standing in the same spot. The sight of Rollin whacking the man so mercilessly in the back of the head caused memories to flood into Joey's mind of his past with Joey and Mortello.

Rollin protested Joey's stasis. "Oh, come on, don't feel sorry for that wretched pile of human excrement. Do you want to know why the Dark Stone Brotherhood targeted one of their own? State authorities apprehended him and a group of four others, but somehow, he miraculously managed to secure his release. And what did he do next? He wasted no time returning to his grandmother's house, robbing her blind, and attempting to escape. I caught that scum trying to flee through the forest,"

Rollin then walked up to a colossal electronic screen on the wall. "I'll have to transfer the bounty I was assigned to another assassin. It might tarnish my otherwise impeccable record with the Assassins Association, but who cares? The gang will be back together soon. All we have to do is locate Scorched Mountain. Hahahaha!" Joey yelled, basking in the remnants of some euphoric recollection.

As Rollin sat engrossed in front of the computer screen, Joey approached the captive man, his eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and bewilderment. With a gentle touch, he ran his fingers through the tied man's disheveled hair, forcefully turning his head to face him.

"Hey, Joey," Rollin interjected, a note of caution mixed with encouragement. "I knew you hadn't changed. But if you can, please don't inflict too much harm upon him. There must be a reason why the Brotherhood wants him alive. They likely intend to exact their own form of torture, using him as a grim example."

Joey paid no attention to Rollin's assumptions. Instead, he removed the cloth gag from the captive man's mouth, pausing momentarily before issuing a stern warning. "I'm going to ask you something and expect a direct answer. Any deviation from the truth, and you'll find yourself delivered to the Brotherhood with an arrow in one of your feet."

The captive man hastily nodded, his wide eyes fixed on Joey. Bracing himself for the impending question and trying not to choke on his words, he quickly said, "Yes, I, Martin Marion, agree. Just ask me anything, and I swear I'll tell you everything I know."

Leaning in closer, Joey's voice carried a mix of intrigue and bitterness. "If you belong to one of the most treacherous criminal organizations, what drove you to betray them by robbing your own grandmother? Why not target a stranger or a wealthy politician? Martin, isn't it? I struggle to comprehend how one can turn against those closest to them. Please, enlighten me."

Martin locked eyes with Joey, his gaze filled with desperation, before taking a deep breath to steady himself. "I understand how it appears, but I swear I didn't betray anyone. They released me without any explanation. I'm being set up. They wanted to paint me as a traitor to the Brotherhood, so I had no choice but to run."

Joey's fingers tightened around his bow, gradually drawing the arrow back, ready to release it towards Martin's left foot. Panic surged through Martin's veins. "Wait, wait! I genuinely don't know. I can't explain why I stole from her! In some twisted way, I think I wanted to push her away, to make her despise me so much that she wouldn't want anything to do with me!"

Martin's voice echoed with desperation, his eyes shutting tightly in anticipation of the searing pain that would accompany the arrow's impact. But to his surprise, no arrow pierced his flesh. Instead, he heard Joey speak, his voice unexpectedly compassionate. "Because, if she were distant, you wouldn't be putting her in danger. She would be safer... Don't get me wrong, I still think you're an imbecile, but I believe your words."

With watery eyes, Martin opened them, startled by the compassion he witnessed. It was the first time someone had allowed him to express himself fully. Joey walked over, preparing to put the cloth gag back in Martin's mouth, when Martin cried out, "Wait, wait! I told you the truth! I'm being framed!"

Anxiety and urgency filled Martin's voice as he pleaded, but his words fell on deaf ears. Joey ignored his pleas, dismissing him with a curt remark. "Yeah, just because I believe you doesn't mean you're off the hook. You're Rollin's problem, not mine." Just as Joey was about to secure the rag in Martin's mouth, a last-ditch effort surged within Martin, and he shouted, "Scorched Mountain!"

Joey froze in place, his hand with the cloth rag hovering in mid-air. Rollin's sharp voice cut through the tension. "What would a common lowlife criminal like you know about Scorched Mountain?" Rollin's eyes widened, demanding an answer from Martin. Relief flooded Martin's body, and he seized the opportunity to explain.

He recounted the chilling tale that circulated within the Brotherhood during his time with them. It spoke of a pale, scarred mountain seemingly materializing out of thin air. "Four members of the Brotherhood stumbled upon this mysterious mountain," Martin explained, his voice filled with dread and fascination. "They discovered scars and craters adorning its surface. But when their youngest brother approached the mountain's perimeter, a sudden illness consumed him with alarming speed. Festering boils erupted all over his skin, and blackish blood oozed from every pore."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

As Martin's account continued, the atmosphere grew heavier. "Their sister rushed to his aid, equipped with their medical kit. However, before she even touched him, she, too, succumbed to the same horrifying fate. Her flesh boiled, and she began vomiting the same blackish blood. Horrified by the grotesque scene before them, the remaining two brothers fled as fast as their feet could carry them."

Martin finished his tale, attempting to conceal the anxiety that laced his voice. Both Joey and Rollin exchanged glances, their expressions tinged with a mixture of recognition and resentment. They muttered in unison, "Yup, that's Scorched Mountain, alright."

"Well Martin, I do appreciate you being so candid but there's still a bounty on your head and I collect bounties so..." Rollin said as he took the rag from Joey "Wait I'm not done after those two came back, the brotherhood issued orders to not mention the story to anyone. Me and my crew stumbled on the bones of the young brother and sister who died, except there was no mountain visible at all. We were about to walk towards them when I saw a bird falling from the sky after going past the bones." Martin said, hoping they would need him to show them the way.

Rollin said, "Damn it, that bastard must have finally mastered cloaking magic. There's no way we won't succeed with him in our crew now! As for you, Martin, you might earn your freedom."

After Joey and Rollin rested, they set out with Martin, whose hands were tied behind his back. Only his legs were free for him to walk around. "If you don't behave, Martin, I will tie a leash to you like a dog," Rollin said. He was in a delighted mood.

The sun was just rising, bringing the forest to life with vibrant colors. "I'm not too familiar with this area. I will need to look at a map to see exactly where we are so I know what direction to start walking." Martin said, Rollin took a piece of folded paper before opening it, it was a map of his own he then said "Don't try anything stupid. You're going to use your nose, like a trained mutt, and point out on this map where Scorched Mountains is supposed to be, and that's it.

Soon, the three ventured deep into the forest. "So, a year ago, I arrived at Erios to expand my business, as I told you. But before that, after we split up, I made a name for myself in my hometown before joining the Assassin Association, rising to rank number 8 in the Association, and becoming a sanctioned assassin at only 28 years old. Any bounty a sanctioned association member completes is compensated an equal amount by the association."

"After setting the record for youngest assassin to reach the sanctioned 10, I quickly accumulated money within a year. I had made more than we ever had as professional thieves. Eventually, small bounties couldn't pay for my expenses anymore as the bounties I was taking up required more expensive equipment."

"So, I began tackling more challenging and lucrative bounties. I found myself recruiting unsanctioned assassins to assist me with targets I couldn't handle alone. It is the natural course for sanctioned assassins, as we form the backbone of the Association. The rewards for such missions were staggering, often in the range of hundreds of thousands of gold coins, thanks to the Association's generous compensation policy. I didn't mind sharing a substantial percentage of the earnings with the other assassins who joined me. After all, it was a symbiotic relationship that benefited us all."

Rollin abruptly fell silent, his gaze fixed on Martin, who stood before them with alert ears. Rollin grabbed a nearby stick and hurled it towards Martin's head, but to his surprise, Martin deftly dodged it. Rollin furiously bellowed, "Enough of your eavesdropping! Just give us the direction and follow behind us. And mark my words. If I catch you listening in on our conversations again, I'll personally cut those stupid ears off."

Martin meekly complied, quickly falling in line behind the two, maintaining a careful distance.

Rollin pressed on. "There was this one particular bounty that Mr. Rend and Moon Miracle, ranked 6th and 7th respectively, had both declined. It was a massive bounty, and I saw it as an opportunity to prove myself and ascend in the ranks. Despite the recommendation for a minimum party of 8, with a 70% chance of survival, I was undeterred. I had confidence in my abilities."

He continued, "Although I couldn't gather a full team of 8, I managed to recruit some of the highest-ranking assassins within the Association. They were skilled, formidable, and capable of taking on the most dangerous missions."

"I accepted the bounty, and the details were laid out before me, revealing the true capabilities of the Assassins Association (AA). Our mission was to infiltrate Morroglosa and implant a devastating virus into their highly guarded national security software. At first glance, it didn't seem like much of a challenge for me and the skilled team I had assembled, comprised of #12, #17, #14, #23, and #28. They were all seasoned professionals. However, little did we know what was awaiting us. We stood no chance.

"We executed the mission flawlessly, infiltrating Morroglosa and installing the virus as planned. But as I connected the flash drive, a sudden surge of electric green lightning engulfed my crew. They were burned alive in an instant, consumed by the sacrifice demanded by the virus. I, too, paid a heavy price, losing my left arm and leg in the process. It turned out that the virus required seven sacrifices, and since I had only brought a crew of six, my own limbs became an unexpected addition to the toll."

Joey was left astounded by Rollin's account, struggling to comprehend the sheer impossibility of his survival. His curiosity couldn't be contained as he questioned, trying to maintain a hint of empathy, "But how did you manage to survive? How are you standing here, whole and intact?" Joey asked, trying not to sound callous.

"Well, if I knew, I would tell you. All I remember was that the next time I opened my eyes, my left arm and leg were restored. I had to then exit Morroglosa without suspicion. Even I can't believe it. It seems like a dream when I think back," Rollin said as he stared at his left hand and made a fist.

"Anyways, after I returned to the AA, I was promoted to #6. That was about two years ago. Then I heard that the relations between Morroglosa and Asutan were escalating. The city of Erios, only about an hour from the Capital city, gave me the best position to gather intel on what was happening."

Before Rollin could finish, he quickly stopped moving and looked at Martin. "Martin, what the fuck did you do?" Martin seemed surprised by Rollin's sudden shift and nervously said, "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything; I've just been following you guys like you said."

Rollin quickly approached Martin aggressively, grabbing his mouth and forcing him to open it, after looking inside he could see a little bit of blood. Rollin backhanded Martin with his left hand, sending teeth flying out and almost breaking poor Martin's jaw.