As midnight came close, the forest’s sounds cresended into a hushed tone, between the trees and bushes, two people running at full speed, in the dark.
“Where are we going, master?” Avira asked in a tired voice, her feet had lots of cuts, and her age was showing its shortfall.
“Just be quiet, we need to hurry, I don't want to die yet,” the lanky slaver breathed raggedly, his stamina lacking from an easy and abundant life as a slaver. He looks at the moons overhead, he knows it's his lucky day to see two full moons, at least he doesn't have to run in a dark forest.
The lanky slaver remembered something. His brother is dead, and he knows that he couldn't bury his brother properly. But, he knows that his brother’s death is a courageous death, from Datura to Datura, his body will be a plant food, and from there, a blossoming Datura will emerge, and his brother will live eternally.
The newest Datura potion of Ender has been effective. His brother Lerein, without a doubt has been transformed into the perfect vessel of the Datura deity, ready for his eternal life, the Lanky slaver thought.
Maripan closed one of his eyes, he’s still choosing which one to target, the old woman with healing capability, or the slaver. He nocked his arrow from his horse and jumped down.
There's an arrow lodged on Avira’s thigh. She screamed and rolled over, while the lanky slaver still running ahead of her. Maripan stands between the slaver and Avira.
“You could try to run, let's see how far you go,” Maripan ready to shoot him
“Or you could free me. I can pay you, a lot.” The lanky slaver entices Maripan.
“Let me think,” Maripan shoots the slaver's leg, and nocks an arrow again. He threw a bandage and a rope into Avira, “help yourself,” he said.
“Shit! Alright alright!!” Lanky slaver grimaced
“Old lady, could you tie him with that rope, tightly please”
“And don't do anything stupid. I'm not like my friends back there, I don't care if you threaten me using the slave. I'll kill her then kill you, lighten my load” Maripan said coldly.
After Avira is done binding the slaver, Maripan takes the mace and inspects the slaver’s belt. he found some coin pouches, a mini dagger, and several vials.
“Which one did you use to kill yourself?” Asked Maripan.
“Fuck you,” told the slaver
Maripan punches the slaver's ear, “Yeah, I'll ask you again later. For now, just shut your mouth,”
The Hunter whistled, and then his horse came to him. he put the slaver into the back of the horse, his hands and legs tied shut. He asked Avira to get on the horse too.
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“How's everything?” Asked Ysuf. He's been checking the slaver’s tent. He found some badges, mail, and lots of drugs, and then he put them into his pouch for proof of the quest.
“I don't know if it's good or not, they aren't chained, and physically healthy, but it seems like they were drugged. Almost all of them seem confused and high-strung, fortunately, one of the slaves has a resistance to the drug” Mira reported.
“Good, I'll talk to them to dig some information later, did you call the Uto’s sweeping team already Mira?” Ysuf asked while he checked the toppled carriage behind Izir’s cage.
“Done that, he’ll arrive with some guards too. who's the child?” Mira looked at the boy next to Compe, she looked interested in the drawings on his skin.
“He's Izir, he can't speak the common tongue, have you seen anyone who looked like him? Is he human?”
“I don't know, never seen his kind. Looks like a Human, but with dark hair, or maybe he’s a Draif? you should find some proper clothes for the kid and the free slaves, it's cold here,” she felt the chills on her hands.
“Help me then,” Ysuf grumbled.
“Nope, I want to make few bonfires for everyone, it's an hour or two till the sweepers come, I already asked them to bring food, water, and carriages, so we could just rest for a while after this” Then Mira started asking Jorn to help her guide the slaves to go outside of their cages.
Meanwhile, near the bonfire, Idard walking with Odord. his armor broke after getting punched by the abomination, it's a good thing he was already awake from fainting.
“Ow, ow- slowly” Idard winced while trying to sit near Compe and Izir at the bonfire, his brother helped him to walk.
“You good? You flew quite far, heh-” Compe grinned.
“Quite your whining brother, I'll patrol around the camp,” Odord nodded to Compe, he glanced at the boy and smiled.
Idard was already without his armor, then he checked the bruises under his chest, took some gell from his belt, and rubbed some of it.
“A few ribs were probably broken, I'll go on a date with healer Quinn then,” Idard chuckled.
“You sleazy bastard, that's why you always get injured,” Compe elbowed Idard’s chest.
“Ow ow ow- quit it Compe, you shit” Then Idard Heard a little giggle from Izir.
“Stop your giggle boy, what is wrong with him?”
“He's Izir, he can't understand us, but he knows you deserve the pain” Compe joked
“Idard, Odord,” he pointed at Idard, then at Odord who already walked away.
“Idard, Odord, Izir” Izir pointed at them, and at himself in the end.
“Good,” Compe patted Izir's head.
“So you're going to teach him how to speak then?” Idard asked Compe while still rubbing the healing gel to his wound.
“Probably, while he's at our care. I don't know what will happen to him after this-” Compe still patting the boy's head.
“You should ask Vice-captain Ysuf, or maybe Captain Gladifer,”
“Not Gladifer, she'll probably train this boy into a little killing Merc,” Compe sighed
“True that, just ask Ysuf then” Idard then looked at the bonfire, thinking about how to ask Quinn for a date.
“Bonfire, smoke” Compe pointed at the burning Bonfire, the smoke rising up from it. He takes some wood and branches, showing Izir the name of the things around him.
______________________________
Two Hobogobbos riders, and thirty-something Gobbos, riding some carriages that were pulled by some huge wild boars. they ride into the Caravan camp, and a few Gobbos almost fall from their carriages, laughing and joking around.
The two Hobogobbos jumped from their ride, they walked into bonfires surrounded by the adventures and many people.
“Uto’s sweeping team arrived!” Shout Mira to Ysuf.
Ysuf holding some clothes from the Carriage, and he still distributing clothes for the slaves with Jorn, Then he approaches Compe.
“I found this black shirt and pants, also a cloak, belt, backpack, and some underwear, the size should fit Izir's frame. ” Ysuf put everything into Compe's hand and walked away to greet the sweeping team.
“Huh, what a coincidence, probably this means for him after he gets delivered to someone” Then Compe takes Izir inside the slaver camp to get him dressed.
“Uto, my friend, who's this?” Izir greeted the two Hobogobbos.
“Uto’s far cousin, he's the Tribe Firetender, good with managing gobbos and healing. Udd, say hello”
“Greetings Bladefish adventurer, thanks for taking in Uto and the other gobbos”
There's a stark difference between Uto and Udd, while Uto is short for Hobogobbo standard, Udd’s frame reached hundred and eighty centimeters, as tall as Ysuf. And their clothes couldn't be more different, while Uto uses typical rogue leather armor, Udd's clothes used animal skins and skulls as decorations.
“Udd asked me to take more gobbos from the Tribe, and he'll help us to guard you guys till outside of the forest,” Uto said to Ysuf.
“Ahh thanks a lot, Udd, you can grab the cages and Slaver's carriage, also there are about twenty-five pairs of armor and weapons you could take, from the corpses if you want-” Ysuf shows the hobs.
“The Umazek tribe will be happy with the gift, thank you, Adventurer,” Udd bowed to Ysuf, and shouted to a group of gobbos, to take apart some cages and take the Slaver's Carriage back into their tribe.
“I bring about six carriages, is it enough?” Ask Uto.
“Should be enough, we have about thirty people, and two carriages full of items, help me distribute the food and water please, Uto”
“Will do boss,” then he shouted at a group of gobbos, they all worked under Uto's guidance, in training to become smiths or navigators. Uto had a workshop near Bladefish guild in Valkash, working under the guild for over five years now.
The free slaves and the gobbos sit near the bonfires, the free slave’s faces still looking confused. But their faces lit up while they were eating sandwiches and sausage, also they drank hot honey milk and clean water provided by the gobbos. while they were eating, Compe and Izir came out from the Slaver's tent, and they sat and joined the group
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Izir fully clothes from head to toe, and he fills his backpack with his extra shirt, pants, and underwear. Izir then smelled the food circulating between the people, he sat next to Compe again.
“Bread” Compe holds the bread part of the sandwich while showing Izir.
“This is bread,” pointed Izir,
“This is bread?” Then he pointed at the sausages.
“No, no,” Compe shook his head, then he thought for a second.
“This is bread, this is sausage, all of these is food, things that we eat-” he tried to explain with gestures to Izir.
“Food, sausage,” Izir pointed at the sausage,
“food, bread,” then he pointed at the bread.
After that, he makes an eating gesture with his hand, “ate?”
Compe smiled, even if he looked small, he knew Izir was a bright and smart boy. Then he patted the boy's head again and told him to eat properly.
“That boy is quite sharp, even for his age. He seems special, he's the only one with the mana-siphoning chain too, do you think he's dangerous?” Mira asks Compe while munching a sausage.
Compe’s smile was gone from his face. He looked at Mira with cold eyes.
“Yeah.. he looks different, the first time I see a black-haired human.” Compe pulled out a hand-rolled tobacco and lit it with the fire from the bonfire.
“But look at him, he's still a child Mira, can't you see the drawing all over his body, it must be painful to have that, we didn't even know what the drawings and symbols do to him. He looks like he's five or a six-year-old.” He takes a drag of the tobacco and blows out the smoke.
“ and the scars on his neck, I don't know how long he's been chained with that-” he looked at the mana-siphoning chain on the boy's hand. Then he looked at Mira.
“Right… I know what you mean Compe, it's a good thing that he seems to trust you,” Mira nodded at Compe.
“Yeah, I know what you think Mira, I intend to bring him to Grandmagus Nurmala” Compe smiled again.
“Okay… Stop it. I hate your fake smile, Compe” she whispered to him while she was standing up.
A sound of horse hooves came near the camp, Maripan bringing the lanky slaver and Avira on the back of his horse. He looked at the others and threw the slaver into the ground.
“Delivery, for Compe. You owe me a steak and a new bow, my friend” Maripan said with his stoic face.
“Great job, here's your payment-” Compe throws his sausage at Maripan, and the sausage hits Maripan’s face.
“Permission to kill Compe, Vice-captain?” Maripan unsheathed his dagger.
“Hold that thought-” said Ysuf.
Izir then ran into Avira, he checked her condition, he pointed at her blood-stained dress near her tight.
“I am okay child, it’ll heal soon” she smiled at Izir, and she hugged him.
“Everyone, we'll be going to Adventurers Center in Valkasth, we need to take you all into safety and report all of you to the Guards of Therm Kingdom,” Ysuf informed the free slaves.
“Please, get to the carriage, we'll be going soon,”
The free slaves then get up and get ready to ride the carriages. In the meantime, Uto's group already put the illegal goods and other stuff in two empty carriages, and the Umazek gobbos stripped the dead bodyguards and salvaged the slaver's carriages and camps.
“Mira, could you bring the one who didn't get drugged, I'll talk with them at the carriage. Maripan, bring that human waste too, he'll get special treatment. And old lady, we'll be riding the carriage together,” he looks at the Slaver and Avira.
“I'll ride my own horse, thank you. you'll ride with him, here’s some stuff from his belt,” Maripan then whispered something to Ysuf.
“Sure. Compe, bring Izir and Idard to our carriage too”
“Sure, boss” Compe bowed.
“Jorn and Odard, you'll be riding beside our carriage?”
“Can I ride Hesti then?” Odard asked Ysuf.
“No- no I'll ride her, a normal horse should be enough for you” Jorn interrupted.
“Fight me then you shield brute!” Odard taunts Jorn, while Jorn stands up and is ready to fight.
Ysuf held down his head and sighed.
“Coin toss?” Mira chipped in at the discussion. Then, Both of Jorn and Odard's eyes squinted at her.
Mira tossed the coin, and both Jorn and Odard said their bets, when the coin dropped on the ground, the three of them looked down to see the outcome.
Odard smiled and Jorn scowled, in the end, we knew who would ride the beetle-horse.
___________________________________
The Caravan rides into the night, the moons shows the time at two past midnight. Accompanied by the Umazek Gobbos and Uto’s Workshop Gobbos, the rides seem peaceful enough as it is. A few bandit groups in hiding glanced at the moving Caravan, but the sight of an Umazek’s Firetender dispelled their desire to rob the Caravan.
At one of the carriages, Ysuf’s group settled. The group consisted of a few gobbos, Mira, Compe, injured Idard, Izir, roped Slaver, Avira, and a Gandac (an insectoid-men) inside the carriage. At the helm of the carriage, Uto is the one who drives. On the sides of the carriage, Maripan and Jorn ride the horses, and Odord rides Hesti the beetle-horse pridefully.
“Ysuf, this is the guy who you want to talk to, his name is Kevdr” Mira introduced the Gandac to Ysuf.
“It’s unusual to see a Gandac far off from their Colony” Ysuf greeted the Gandac and offered a handshake to Kevdr
Kevdr then held Ysuf’s hand and chirped
“Thank you for helping us, Ysuf the adventurer. it's true, we Gandac seldom travel far from our colony, but I have a quest to find something for my King. we are the Colony of Northbug, and we are one of the Gandac nomads ” Kevdr told his background to Ysuf.
“When did you get captured and become a slave?” Ysuf asked
“About 50 nights ago, I was looking for a place to rest, near the river not far from the hills of Asth Mountain, then I saw that child,” he pointed to Izir.
“What? You were with him?” Asked Compe.
“No- no, we didn't travel together, when I took some water from the river, that child tapped my shoulder, and when I looked at him, he ran away”
Kevdr dropped his head, he looked guilty.
Izir keeps looking at Kevdr, he still can't understand the language, but he seems to know the Gandac.
“Then I started to run after him, a child that young, shouldn't be alone in these remote places, I thought he was lost and I wanted to accompany him to the nearest village or town.” Kevdr starts to recollect the past event.
“The child then tripped at some vines, and I helped clean the wounds on his leg. He seemed calm enough at that point, and I tried to speak to him, but he couldn't understand anything I said to him”
Kevdr then waves at Izir, pointing at his leg. Izir put his thumb up, and everyone was confused by his gesture.
“What did Izir say?” Asked Mira to Compe.
“What? Do you think I know how to understand him?”
Then Mira blushed, “please continue your story gentlemen Kevdr” Mira asked hurriedly.
“How was he? When you first meet him?” Asked Compe to Kevdr
“His name is Izir? I didn't even know that. He looked like a merchant’s kid, a lost one I guess, he seemed healthy and carefree, like his first time outing in the wilderness. He wore a good tunic and shoes, and he brought that backpack which he uses now with him, and a hammer, quite a good quality one” Kevdr told the others.
“What color is his hammer? Is it with a dark blue handle? Ysuf asked the Gandac
“Yeah, Did you find the hammer, Adventurer Ysuf?”
“Yeah there's a lot of miscellaneous stuff at one of the carriages, maybe after we arrive at Valkasth, all the people that were captured could see if their belongings are there”
“You are really a good adventurer, all of you. I don't know how could I repay you back” Kevdr bowed his head and chirped gratefully.
The calm night continued, some of the gobbos yawned, and the wild boars oinked while pulling the carriages. There's no beast in sight, the forest is filled with humans and other vagabonds who hunted them for food, and it makes the animals scarce in the forest.
“It's our job, Kevdr” smiled Compe to him.
“Yeah, we’ll be paid handsomely, so you don't need to repay us Kevdr,” Idard said while still in pain.
Kevdr smiled and nodded, and continued to tell his story.
“We were captured that night, a bandit group ambushed us, and Izir killed two of them,” Kevdr looked at Izir again and everyone also stared at him.
“H-How?” Mira looked at Izir, she gripped her staff tight.
“He used the hammer, cracked the bandit’s skulls and bones, he tried to defend me too, I don’t have time to grab my quarterstaff..” Kevdr's hands holding tight on his kneecap.
“I don't know how strong a human child is, I only ever go on a quest a few times, I often see an adult human, but never seen a child one,” told Kevdr.
“But, I know for sure, a small human child like him, shouldn't be able to kill an adult, two adult bandits nonetheless” Kevdr chirped.
“Alas, we were still captured, and we were beaten, stripped from our belongings and put inside a cage, that night we were transported into a cave, there was where I met the others who were captured too,” Kevdr's voice quivered a bit, his antennae straightened up.
“We were drugged, every day, all hundreds of us. I know the smell of the poison, it was from a beautiful flower, called Datura. Fortunately, our body, all of Gandac, has a resistance to the flower. We often consume the flower, it's a good nutrient for us” Kevdr smiled sadly while playing with his hands.
“Then, two nights ago, he and his friends came to the cave, they brought us, intended to sell us again when we arrive at Romulan” Kevdr pointed at the Slaver.
“But not Izir, he’ll bring Izir to his boss, I heard it, I am conscious enough without the effect from the drugs to understand what they planned for us,” Kevdr almost spats his word to the Slaver.
The Slaver closed his eyes, he seems nonchalant enough, it makes some of the Adventurers want to beat the crap out of him.
Mira holds Kevdr's hand “It’s okay, you are safe now,”
Ysuf then took out a few vials, he showed them to Kevdr.
“Do you know these? I need your help later, we need the antidote for these”
Kevdr then nodded, “I’ll help to the best of my ability”
Ysuf then took out a big chunk of ice from his pouch, inside the ice, a bulging and malformed part of a head froze up.
“We need to chec--” Ysuf wanted to say something, but the Slaver suddenly screamed.
“MY BROTHER! RELEASE MY BROTHER’S HEAD” The slaver screamed and suddenly jumped at Ysuf. some Gobbos tried to tackle The Slaver, and one of his hands became free from the rope.
While The Slaver Screams, he moves his hand in a choking motion. Avira suddenly writhed in pain, holding her collar that was hidden under her scarf.
“Throws the head or I’ll Kill her!! Now!!”
Avira’s collar tightened intensely, and her face became blue. Mira trying to help Avira, checked the collar and tried to break it open. While Compe jumped to The Slaver and tried to grab his hand, a chain suddenly shot out and encircled The Slaver's neck.
Izir rages out, he pulls the chain on his right hand, and simultaneously dashes into the Slaver. Deep blue lights suddenly appeared on his left arm, and a silhouette of a spear materialized. With his momentums, the spearhead collided with the chain and penetrated The Slaver’s neck and the lower part of the head.
On his last breath, The Slaver closed his hand. A crack of a sound came from Avira’s collar. Her neck and windpipes broke. She died while looking at Izir, her eyes glistening in the moonlights.
The Caravan stopped, and a howl could be heard from one of the carriages. The sounds traveled far into the wind. a cacophony of voices from the forest erupted and followed the howl, accompanied by calm moons at the end of the night.