Volkhard walks through the street of Phanide, his destination the guards barrack. The conversation with the scientist Tasos this morning still lingers in his mind but he pushes it away, having made a decision. He had told his crew that they would destroy the bandits threatening Osmela and Volkhard would see it done, so he left the matter about the Ubilaz for now.

Arriving at the barrack, the two guards positioned on its entrance were visibly shaken at Volkhard's appearance. They held their poleaxe at the ready if the large Agrug had come to spill blood. Unbothered by this, Volkhard carried on regardless.

"Stop right there!" said the guard on his left with a big nose "State your business."

"I've come here to meet with your captain." Volkhard answered.

"Captain Evander hasn't told us that he'll be meeting someone today, least of all someone like you." Nosy replied.

"Then tell Evander that the Agrug with a burned face wants to talk to him, tell him that it's about the bandits."

"I told you he won't..."

"Wait" his colleague on the right, a youth with blonde hair, cut in "Isn't that the Agrug who's crew fight off the bandits? The guards at the night shift told us about him."

"You sure it's him?" Nosy asked, turning his head slightly to Blondie with one eye still on Volkhard.

"They told us he have a burned face remember" Blondie responds "We should probably let him in, maybe he has something important to tell the captain."

Nosy heads turn back to the Agrug, eyes drawn uneasily to the sword in his belt. "Fine you can come in, but you have to hand over your weapon first." he said, lifting his right hand.

Volkhard obliged, drawing his sword from its scabbard and scaring the two guards. He handed it over to Nosy's waiting hand, hilt first.

"You go accompany him inside" Nosy told Blondie.

"Why me?" Blondie objects.

"Because it's your Idea to have him in, isn't it? So you better do it!"

"Shit... Alright, hey uh sir, what's your name?"

"Volkhard"

"Ok, sir Volkhard come follow me" laying his poleaxe on the wall Blondie opens the barrack's entrance and the two went inside.

There was a knock on Evander's office, "Enter" the old guard captain said while his eyes examined the reports on his desk. Another village was raided and three more caravans were lost as the bandit attacks continued, to Evander's dismay and anger the council's only response to this growing threat had been nothing, too preoccupied were they of the war. The door swings open and his eyes part from the papers to see a blonde guard come inside, and right behind him was the Agrug from last night.

"Sir!" Blondie saluted "This here is sir Volkhard and he wishes to talk to you, something important he said, sir!"

Evander narrows his eyes as he look at the two, his mind working out the reason for the Agrug's sudden visit, after a while he said "Thank you for assisting him private you may go now"

"You may now go private, I'll handle this" he ordered and reluctantly Blondie left with a worried glance at Volkhard.

After the guard is gone Evander turn his attention back to the Agrug "We'll meet again friend, Volkhard is it, please sit down and tell me the reason for this visit"

Volkhard sat on the chair opposite Evander. Leaning forward on the desk and propping himself up with lumber like arms that made the old furniture creeck in complaint. Face to face with the guard captain, his one eye meets Evander's two. "I have an offer for you" he said after a while, voice low and even like he was sharing a dangerous secret.

"And what offer would it be?" Evander replied in the same tone, wrinkly eyes narrowing.

"It's about the bandits, I have a plan to end them."

Evander takes in what the Agrug's said in a stoic mask. Whatever it is Volkhard is offering, Evander would handle it with the professionalism his station demands. "And this plan of yours, can you expound on it for my sake?"

"It's simple really, me and my crew would go to bandit's hide-out, once their we'll give their leader a little visit and cut their throat." Volkhard answered to the guard-captain's surprise.

"But how can you do that if you don't even know where their lair is?" Evander asked, knowing what the Agrug response is.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"That's why I'm here" Volkhard said. "You and your men must have track those fuckers down, am I right?"

Evander slumps back on his chair, his professional facade evaporating. "I have to be honest friend Volkhard, yes as you refer so rudely we have track those fuckers down, and yes we know where their base of operation is. But let me ask you another question, why do this? Surely, this is not part of your crew's duty as caravan-guards to that young lady."

Volkhard single eyelid twitched for a millisecond before answering "Those bandits, they are a threat to Osmela and its people, they are also a threat to my crew, what other reasons else should I have?"

"That is a really good answer my friend" Evander replied "In fact I would have wanted to end those monsters myself, unfortunately I was only left with few men with little to no experience as guards, almost every man showing a potential in combat was enlisted to the war, so that's that."

"Then we can do it ourselves." Volkhard said sitting straight and crossing his scarred arms "Me and my crew can stop the bandits and you can help us with it" his words are final, he would go through his plan whether Evander helps or not.

"But how can you be so sure that you can infiltrate the bandit's lair and assassinate their leader with only six of you?" Evander said, growing anxious and excited.

"We're Agrug" Volkhard shrugs "We are the world's most ferocious killers aren't we not?" Despite himself Evander smiles at Volkhard's response.

"I see" Evander said, his smile slowly fading. "Then perhaps your Agrug's instincts will be sufficient enough to make this plan of yours work, still though there is one problem I am bothered with."

"And what's that?" Volkhard asked

"You see friend Volkhard, these bandits are organized, too organized, even for a bunch of soldiers that went awol."

"So you think they were sent by Nascus?"

Evanders face turned grim. "You're a fast one, you know that."

"I'm often told." Volkhard said "Now tell about these Nascus bandits."

"I have seen it before during the last war, Nascus soldiers disguise as bandits spreading chaos to Osmela's country-side, striking blows to the economy, halting the war efforts and destroying people's morale." Evander said, eyes staring blankly in space. "So, when are we going through this plan of your friend Volkhard?"

"Actually, I was hoping to do it tomorrow."

The sun started its descent to the far horizon when Lia and Arnulf returned at the inn. They have spent the whole day sight-seeing after their visit to the library and have even dined in a well-heeled restaurant that, to Arnulf's embarrassment, Lia paid for. The two part ways once they reach the top floor with Lia leaving Arnulf with a kiss on the check. The young Agrug's face turn completely red as Lia left giggling away. Arnulf smiles, playing the days events on his head he wishes the two of them could do it all over again. Walking jubilantly to the the lone host's appointed room he opens the door hoping to rest early, being too exhausted in their travel.

Upon entering Arnulf sees his crew standing around a table, laid on top of it are two large maps. One is a map of a big building and the other a map of a forest.

Hagen gives a wolf's leer in the young Agrug's return "Welcome back Arf! How's the date with boss Lia?" he quips.

"Pretty great actually" Arnulf replied, taking Hagen's joke in stride, he won't let him ruin his good mood. "What's this?"

"It's about the bandits. We were planning on killing their chief, remember?" Rocoo answered.

Arnulf furrowed his brows, with his day spent idling in town with Lia he had forgotten about Volkhard's plan until now. "Yeah, of course I remember" he said, taking his place around the table.

"Alright, to recap since you've just arrived" Volkhard said as he placed a large forefinger on the forest map. "The bandit base is situated here, north west of the town. It will take us five hours to travel on foot or three on horses which the guard captain provides for us."

"Wait, you got the captain's help in this?" Arnulf said aghast.

"Of course he did. Where did you think he got the maps from?" Hagen answered

"Hey I'm just asking, I didn't know any of this stuff until now."

"It's 'cause you're too busy touching lips with the boss lady isn't it?"

"Careful Hag, if you continue poking at him he'll probably shoot ya." Rocco quips himself, sliding between the two unnoticed.

The dwarf and the short man both grinned in their ugly way at the young Agrug.

Arnulf bites back anger, he knows they are only joking, but still he can't help but get angry at his friends.

"Alright, enough of that" Volkhard said in a stern voice ending Hagen and Rocco's jesting. "According to the towns guard the bandit's lair is an abandoned cathedral built on top of a tall cliff facing south, its walls are heavily fortified and is guarded around the clock.

"But chief how can we sneak inside?" Arnulf asked, getting more anxious with this plan.

"I'm getting there" Volkhard snaps, moving his finger a centimeter to a squiggly line on the map. "The bandit won't be protecting their southern side because of the cliff, and that's where we'll be sneaking through. Below it is a river running west, shallow enough to cross on horse."

"And climb on the cliff with this rope, right chief?" Till said hefting a large bundle of rope around his shoulder that Arnulf just noticed.

"Aye, that's right but someone must climb the cliff first to tie the rope atop before the rest could." Volkhard looks at each one of his crew after saying "I'll do it, since I'm the only one that has experience climbing. Alright, now you know what the plan is, Arf, go rest for the day or do something you need first, that goes for everyone also, because we're going tomorrow."

With his final words the rest of the lone host disassembled around the table, and Arnulf, instead of going to bed, went to Lia.

In Lia's room the young Agrug told her of everything, "That's insane" she said after. "I'm going to talk to Volkhard and tell him to stop his madman's plan."

"I don't think you should" Arnulf replied.

"But why, aren't you here to make me stop him?"

"No that's not the reason. I just came here to talk with you, we're still going through Volkhard's plan tomorrow."

Lia just looked at him, eyes bewildered at what he just said. "But what if you die? Then who's going to accompany me and the laborers back home to Salia?"

"It doesn't really matter if we stay, the bandits will still threaten us if we go back to Salia and so destroying them now is the best option we have."

"Well go destroy them then." Lia said, tone of voice cold.

"Lia please, I told you about this because I'm afraid." Arnulf said "I need you to say something to me, to help me for tomorrow."

"Then don't go." Lia pleaded, her eyes begging Arnulf to stay. "You'll die if you follow them, stay with me."

Feeling sick of what she is suggesting all Arnulf said was "You know I can't do that, the lone host is my crew." To that Lia didn't respond and instead she stayed quiet. Arnulf, not knowing what to do, just left. Afraid for tomorrow but what else can he do?