But while little Levis was unconscious inside his tent, the men of the various villages in the encampment were beginning to gather before the gates of the campsite, as in a short period of time, more and more of them were moving alongside their own village chiefs at the preordain location, which the young Captain had clearly conveyed.
And as they were coming in great numbers at the gate in front of the encampment, multiple guards could be seen patrolling the outside region of the camp, to the north within the forest and to the south near the river.
However, as a dozen or so guards were patrolling the short-range vicinity, another dozen or so guards alongside vice-Captain Adrian, stood still, waiting near two large rectangular wooden crates, as the numbers of the villagers increased from a dozen or so, to a hundred and more.
And as the two hours of prearranged time were up, and no more villager was coming to add themselves to the large number of the crowd that stood before vice-Captain Adrian, two individuals walked out of the encampment, and positioned themselves subsequent to the vice-Captain and to the dozen or so guards.
One was a white-haired and straight-back old man, fitted in a black attire, while he was carrying himself with a strong vitality that a man of his age would not possess in any other normal circumstances.
As for the second one, he was a young man, with a strong decisiveness on himself, and about himself. Wearing an almost full-plated armour, it could be said that the young man had an authoritative aura about his person, even as he was giving an inexperienced feeling, given his still youthful facial characteristics.
"Captain!"
"Cap---."
“You can be at ease---------. Hmm---, I see that many have arrived. And---, there are some women blended in the crowd as well?!”
“Yes, Captain! It occured to be so---------. Should I proceed to do something about it? Should I turn them around from here?”
“No need. It will be hard and problematic if we remove them. Eighter way, if the women have come here, then they should be ready for a fight, and I think they might have no problem fighting alongside the men. In any case, speak with the men and see to it later on your own, to grasp their intent about the women.”
“Yes, Captain.”
With a short greeting, from the vice-Captain and the dozens of guards, the young Captain, did not lose a second to initiate his own immediate observation about the large gathering, because amongst the men, one-fifth to one-fourth of the number were women.
Women who were young and middle age, that currently stood staring in their direction, with deep and strange gazes, because aside from the Captain and vice-Captain, who appeared to be no older than twenty, even younger in fact, every other guard had a more seasoned age, and to add, was the old man next to them, old Wan, who stood behind him, silent as a servant, with a face that seemed to be somewhere between seriousness and calmness, whose demeanour made him appear more dependable than the two young men in front of him.
This was why, the women had to accompany their men, as they were in doubt about the young leader's capability to protect them, given that he had been forced to ask them to take arms and fight alongside the guards as well.
“It is time---, Adrian! You can take charge of them, as in the fight, you will be responsible for leading and protecting the villagers. While I and the other two vice-captains will take the front with the rest of the guards.”
“Yes, Capt–”
“And stop calling me “Captain” all the damn time. It is becoming annoying. An answer will do just fine. I do not want to be leading puppets that fear me all the time. That is for you too, old Wan, unless it is necessary, stop being so formal, now that we are out of Green City. You can commence!”
"Understood."
“Yes, young master.”
With the captain having said his piece, and giving his confirmation to his remark, Adrian turned to face the gathered villagers, whom he was supposed to take command, in the upcoming battle against the bandits.
“Lisen up!!!"
"---!"
"I will speak truthfully! About this crisis that we find ourselves in! Our Captain has already discussed of this with your village chiefs, and you should know some of the details. For our problem is but one, and that is the simple fact, that we have to deal with a larger number of bandits, a number which surpasses our own! However, we will not require of you to fight the bandits head-on, but just to hold and delay as many of the bandits as you can, in order to give us enough time to end our first battle. That way, we will eliminate as many of their numbers in a short amount of time and then we will deal with the rest of them on our own!"
"---?"
"Ahamm---! I will repeat myself! You will not fight! You will resist and stand your ground! All you ought to do, is to hold them back, for as much time as you can possibly resist!"
"---."
"Now---, to begin with! Those that can use a bow---, step to my right! Two of the guards will explain what approaches and tactics we have prepared! And as for the rest of you! We have had some of the more skilled guards prepare and produce wooden shields and spears from the nearby trees. Now come along one by one, and take one shield and two spears for yourselves.”
With a step forward and a clear voice, his long speech was easily heard by all the present villagers, who began to divide into two groups. A small one to the right, of those who could use a bow, and the grand majority who ended up for the shield and spears, although in the case of the latter group, it took some time for them to move, as only after the more daring and bold ones pushed forward, like the Down River Village Chief, the group begin to follow in large numbers.
As for the two wooden containers that were opened, their content was entirely seeable, as one was full of hundreds of two-meter-long spears, while the second one had a hundred or so of one-and-a-half-meter tall and one-meter wide thick wooden shields.
“I will now begin to inform you of all the defence strategies that you will need to know, and the various stances and reactions you will need to assume in the different possible scenarios! Those who are armed---, line up!”
"---."
"------."
"---------."
“Vice-Captain Adrian has great potential, reaching the rank of a Captain or a Commander in the army is entirely possible. As far as I have observed, his aptitude as a leader is most certainly exceeding average standards. And as a cultivator, if he can maintain his current mental state, he will most definitely become a prominent figure, if nothing is to go awry in the next hundred years. Does the young Master want to take him to the military academy, to be part of your personal troop?”
But while Adrian was taking immediate charge in the training of the hundreds of villagers, old Wan and the young Captain retreated to the sidelines, letting the young man take charge on his own, as the old man began to remark on his capabilities towards his young Master.
“That is indeed my intention. Individuals of his character are rare. Already made to be in the army---, in command to better say. I can not let him slide away, to be ruined in the hands of incompetents. Although he is quite stubborn, he will come to accept my proposal, if he understands the fact that he alone can not accomplish as much as if he follows me.”
“Wonderful! In that case-, I should prepare as expec--, mmm---?”
“What?”
But as the discussion about the invitation of vice-Captain Adrian from Captain Rowen was proceeding, old Wan's own words came to be cut short of an ending, as all of a sudden, his left eyebrow rose in surprise, as he contemporaneously turned his gaze toward the north-west part of the forest.
“I will have to excuse myself, young Master. As I ought to leave your company for a brief moment.”
“Why?”
“An old man’s problem. So you need not worry, since I will not be away for too long.”
"Alright. Just take your time. But if you need to go and relieve yourself-, do not cut your phrases--, shor---."
However, as Rowen turned his head for a moment, to look in the direction of Adrian, his hushed spoken words fell apart as the old man subsequent to him, had already begun to walk away, making some distance between the two of them in just a moment's notice.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“And, young Master---, one more thing before I go--. For I will refrain my return through the main gate-, as I will make use of the secondary entry of the camp.”
“Secondary entry?"
Yet, as Rowen, came to be lost in a moment of confusion at old Wan's words, and irregular actions, the figure of the old man came to be already within the forest, behind the first line of trees that had escaped being cut. For it was an unnatural speed that he toted himself past and beyond the guards who were patrolling, and yet, his presence was almost not perceived by the sense of those attending at the moment, and so, he disappeared into and under the shadiness of the sea of trees, which engulfed him shortly after.
"We do not have another doorway that can be accessed from the outside! So how are you going to enter then?”
But on the other side, Rowen who was now returning to observe Adrain and his ongoing battle strategies with the villagers, came to be once again confused at old Wan's words, for he knew, that other than the main entrance, the camp had no other entrances which could be opened from the outside, and only from within the innards of the encampment, in case of emergencies.
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However, deep in the same sea of trees, some distance away from the large open area and the camp, to the west of the gathering, up a hill and atop a thick branch of a tree, a man could be seen squatting down, cloth in a green attire, for at the moment, he was doing nothing but observing the gathering of little figures at the entrance of the camp, which moved and proceeded to divide themselves, whilst also taking some items into their hands to move about for some reason.
“So---!"
"---!"
"What do you see?!”
"---!?"
"Oyyy!!!"
"Tsk!!!"
And yet, while he was concentrating on observing the little figures in the far distance, his focus came to be broken, as a voice from below him, from the base of the tree, reached his ears, which disturbed his awareness, and after a series of calls, the man could do nothing less than clinked his tongue in irritation and proceed to move downwards from where he was, to face the annoyance which had disturbed him.
"So?!"
As for the man on the ground, he was cloth in a similar garment to the latter and was currently looking with high curiosity at the man that was now descending the tree, as he could not hold his curiosity about what the latter had seen from atop the tall tree.
However, the man from the tree did not immediately answer the man from the ground once his feet were planted, as he first delivered a recalling and pondering expression of one who was sorting his knowledge before speaking out.
"What did you see?!!!"
But in a moment, the ground man's impatience reminded the observer of the annoyance he was just subjected to, which made him squint his eyes in anger, while contemplating whether to hit the man's jaw, to knock him out or not, were he to not give him time to gather and formulate his own thoughts.
“Guards, about twenty or so, outside, some patrolling in near and between the trees, others in lines, in front of a large gathering of villagers I presume, I believe there were about three hundred or so at first glance, mostly men, some women too, they were handed weapons and shields---, I suppose.”
“Guards, villagers and weapons! We should move and contact Zuger as soon as possible. We might get something good from this.”
“I will attempt to do it as soon as possible, however, he should have returned by now. So we should wait till we are near the Stronghold, and then we will attempt to get a hold of him. As with this junk thing---, the range is simply too poor and imperfect.”
But despite his anger, the observer from the tree, began to give his detailed report, while throwing away the thought of beating the man, since he had neither time nor the energy to waste, with the fool before him.
And as they were debating about whether to contact or not the one called "Zuger", the observer, the man from the tree, took a blue flat and rectangular stone, which he began to twist and twirl in his hand, while a discontent look came to be plastered over his face.
“Then, let us go. What are we waiting for?”
“Alright. We will first put some distance between us and the guards, then we will rest for a few hours, and after that, we will begin our journey back.”
“That---, does not sound good at all. If you two are tired, you should sleep here before parting---, or better still, I can give you a tent, all for yourselves, so you need not make any compliment, it will all come to be at my expense.”
“What are you sayin---." - "Argh!!!”
"I am not---? Who are yo---!" - "Argh!!!!!!"
But while the two men were conversing with one another, and were readying themselves to move away from their current location and of the encampment in the far distance, a third voice added itself to their conversation.
The third spokesperson had the tone of an old and calm voice of a man, who came to catch by surprise both of the men, who at this moment, had their eyes widen in pure shock, for as they both turned their heads, one to the right and one to the left so as to see who this third speaker was, the face of a smiling withe hair old man came to be in their line of sight. An occurrence which left them tongue-tied and out of words, as the old man in a long black attire continued to gently smile at them as though looking at his own neighbours.
However, their shock began to convert into fear, as by instinct, the both of them moved back, so as to take some distance from the old man.
And yet, while they were in the process of pushing themselves away, still with their gazes on the old man who at some unknown point had intromitted himself as a ghost between the two of them, and just as they were about to make the second step backwards, their view of the world around them changed drastically, though not as they were hoping, for in that instant, the image of the gently smiling old man moved, or better said vanished, and then reappeared between them once again, although, with this move of the old man, a fist came to be planted into the lower sides of their stomach, which caused them to fall and roll on the ground for some meters away, as once they stopped, all they could do is to gasp frantically for air, while their faces were red and contorted due to the pain from the abrupt and unavoidable blow.
But even as they were trying to put themselves together, the old man approached them akin to lightning, with the same smile as before, though this time a kick was what came in their direction, a blow to their heads, which put the both of them out of consciousness in a moments notice.
“Well then---, now that I have stopped you younglings, I can say that I have offered some help for little Rowen. Now, now, let me see what information can I sap from the two of you. Since any additional information will put the young master in a better position. Anyhow---, let us first return to the camp."
And as old Wan was talking to himself, he was contemporaneously moving to pick up the flat blue stone, which had flown onto the ground from the man's failing grasp due to the sudden attack.
"Mmmm---, hopefully, you are not dead. I am pretty sure I restrained myself sufficiently, given your general constitution. Well, I will have to wait until you wake up, to know for sure. Now let us proceed.”
But after picking the blue stone plate, old Wan proceeded to carry both men, one on his shoulder and one under his arm, as though he was a strongman carrying two large sacks of potatoes, and yet, even as there were some obvious differences in stature and the somewhat lack of muscles mass on the old man, his movements did not contain any inconveniences, as he began to walk towards the camp at a regular pace.
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However, back at the camp, more accurately in front of the camp, at the main entrance, the vice-Captain and the rest of the guards were currently in the process of teaching the villagers about the fighting tactics and strategies they were to follow, given the possible and imminent confrontation against the bandits.
“This too? I am still missing something---. Still, not enough, I need more time---, I need more energy--, I need more concentration-, I need a great stimulus.”
Although, from the sidelines, Captain Rowen was still in his upright position on his feet, as though he had become a tree, that simply stood and observed in silence the happenings before him. However, a more attentive person could see that at this moment, while he was giving the appearance of observing Adrian, the guards and the villagers, in reality, the young man was lost in his own thoughts. Which has been his constant state, since the time that old Wan had left his side, up till this very moment. Whilst at the same time, the sun proceeded to move down from its peak, and closed in toward its twilight, nearing the beginning of the nightfall.
But as time continued to stream, with moment after moment passing away, Rowen's focus and present concentration came back to him, as a frown of mild anger and frustration slowly emerged on his face.
“Captain?”
“Hmmm---?"
Although, at Rowen's face of frustration, an exclamation came from a nearby guard, who came to watch him, in that brief moment, of his mental distress and unease.
"Is there something which bothers you, Sir?"
"There is nothing. You may continue as you have, and tell vice-captain Adrian that he has to meet me after he’s done here. I will retreat to my quarters, but if there is something that requires of my presence, have someone dispatched to inform me.”
“Understood, Captain!”
"---."
With a short deflection, the guard's worry was placated, as Rowen proceeded to turn around and move towards the entrance of the camp, and then in the direction of its center, where he arrived in no more than fifty breaths of time, while he walked at a leisurely stepping pace while observing the movements of the villagers inside of it.
"---."
"------."
"---------."
"How did---, why have you not call for me?"
But once arrived in front of his tent, he came to be surprised by the figure of old Wan, who was currently preparing and expecting him with the table full of the evening meal.
"I have seen you in a deep reflective state of mind, so I have considered giving you the time needed, for you to process your own reflections."
"---."
"I see."
After the short explanation from old Wan, at his lack of a call from his return, Rowen came to sit in his chair, where right before him, a particular flat blue stone plate stood out on the table, for it stood right in front of him, where his chair and the food which was prepared by old Wan were.
“What is this?”
“A communication stone.”
"---."
“I understand that it is a communication stone. But why is it here?”
"Nothing much---, just something of value I found on some scouts nearby.”
As Rowen looked at the blue plate on the table, he proceeded to eat while scrutinising it and asking old Wan the reason why it was placed before him. Though in reply, only a bland and unconcerned answer came from the old man.
“I see---, cough---, cough--, cough-, cough!!!"
"---!"
"W---, what? You have gone and found---, no, never mind. Are they alive?”
But to the words that came out of old Wan, Rowen came to almost suffocate, as he began to struggle to catch his own breath for air that surrounded him, due to the same food that the old man had prepared, because once the comment of the old man came to be registered by his mind, he came to yield his temper for the shortest of moments.
“Yes, they are alive. However, I have found nothing of value, aside from this communication plate, their base location, as well as some other information about the bandits.”
“Such as?”
However, as Rowen came back from the sudden shock, his interest peaked, as he looked intensively at the old man, who was continuing to prepare and position food on the table, as though, all that he had done had not been anything special in his eyes.
“They seemed to have been sent by a rank 4 bandit named Zuger, on a mission to do an overview of the villages. As for the communication stone, it is of a lower quality, and it does not work for more than twenty or so kilometres. Nothing much, but this shows that not all the bandits are stupid and out of their mind.”
"---."
“Well---, you have done well. But it seems I have not prepared sufficiently enough, definitely not adequate to spot scouts near our base.”
“Hmmm---, this can not be avoided, since it is not an army that you have. In the end, they are all newly recruited guards. Yet, the young master continues to forget that the men are just guards, not soldiers made to deal with matters of war at large.”
“That does not give me an excuse for my shortcomings. Sigh---! Anyway, for now, I will eat, since Adrian, should arrive and brief me, on how the situation with the villagers is advancing.”
With another glance at the flat blue plate, the young Captain gave way to a long sigh, before returning to the meal before him, while the old man continued to move around, not stopping or seating himself, unrestricted and without any concern, which made Rowen quite envious of such mental state, as he was eating and awaiting for Adrian's arrival.
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And yet, while the young Captain was sighing at his own inability, another young boy was sighing in exasperation at his own nightmare-like day which he had to endure.