As they strolled along the edge of the village, the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows that danced across the ground. Fang was filled with enthusiasm about their plan, but Alona's expression grew more serious as they discussed logistics.
"So, where do you envision this garden?" Alona asked, her smile extending further as she spoke.
"I think it would be best just outside the cave. We'll have all the space we need, and the natural shade will protect the herbs," Fang replied, gesturing toward the dense forest bordering the village.
Alona shook her head. "That's too far from the village. We need it closer to the people who will be working with the herbs. If we keep it near your cave, the villagers won't feel a connection to it. They won't see it as their own."
Fang frowned, sensing an argument brewing. "But keeping it near the cave means we have a safe haven to protect it. If the empire tries to come for it, they'll have to deal with us first. We can defend it together."
"But we need to build trust with the villagers, Fang! If they can't access the garden easily, how will they feel involved? If the empire comes, we can't abandon the village. Keeping the garden inside Davra makes it a communal resource."
Fang's frustration grew. "But what if the empire invades the village? They'll seize the garden, and we'll lose everything we've built. And remember the ownership of the herbs will belong to my group, the villagers are hired to work for us, not to be part of the group itself."
Alona crossed her arms, her voice firm. "And what about the villagers? They deserve to have something they can protect too! If we put the garden near the cave, it will become a secret we're keeping from them. How can you expect them to stand with us if we treat them like they don't matter? You need to consider the option of war too, if this war becomes certain why would any of the villagers side with the man who kept their hard work all to himself?"
Fang frowned as he retorted:
"You do understand I'm going to pay them handsomely right? They'll get 10 firewood logs per week, each! You do understand that it's not pennies right?"
Hearing the actual amount they'll earn, she understands his position a bit better yet she didn't give up and glared at him.
The tension between them inflated the situation with haste.
Fang opened his mouth to respond, but at that moment, Isgram approached, sensing the rising conflict.
He had been on his walk and decided to check on his friend, noticing the serious expressions on their faces.
"Everything alright here?" Isgram asked, tilting his head curiously.
Fang and Alona exchanged glances, the unspoken disagreement lingering in the air. Alona took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "We're just discussing the location for the herb garden."
Isgram nodded. "I see. What's the issue?"
Alona explained their opposing views, highlighting her need for accessibility and Fang's focus on security. After listening, Isgram stroked his beard thoughtfully. "What if we find a middle ground?"
"Isgram, there is no compromise to be made here. I am the owner of the garden, it is my decision."
Seeing that his friend did the one thing he asked him not to do, he jumped right in to neutralize the situation.
"How about building the garden in the middle of the land between us? It's a neutral territory, accessible for the villagers but also close enough to the cave for defence. Plus, we can ensure that we're not showing the villagers a clear path to our cave, which they might misuse if the war starts. And let me correct you fang, 'cause we all own the garden. You, me, and Gaia."
Seeing he lost control over his anger with his stubbornness, Fang rubbed the back of his head and nodded with an apologetic look on his face.
Alona considered Isgram's idea, her expression softening. "That's... not a bad suggestion, actually. But I want to ensure that we can still cultivate it as a community project. If we're doing this, it needs to feel like it belongs to everyone."
Fang nodded, appreciating Isgram's insight. "That's fair. We can establish clear roles for the villagers in maintaining the garden. For example, the harvest will be shared between the village and our group."
Alona raised her eyebrow and asked Fang with a devious smile.
"How much exactly will you share with us then? I hope you'll be a kind sir..."
Noticing the sarcastic tone, he felt mocked so he gave it to her straight.
"You'll get 10 percent."
"30."
"10."
"No deal then."
Isgram now had to intervene again.
'oh come on, she needs some iron fist from me to understand we're not some playtoys?'
Before he could respond, Fang let out his mana and overwhelmed her.
"You know, I was starting to like you Alona but you're getting on my nerves. Do you wish to keep on angering me today?
Because if that is the case, let me go to prepare for the upcoming war. Maybe your village needs a reminder of the power of chosen ones?"
Alona buckled under the pressure, but she managed to stay on her feet.
Her forehead was sweating bullets, and she gritted her teeth.
'what intense death mana, I am not close to his calibre. How much mana does he have!? That is on par with father!'
"Ok. 15 percent."
Fang's eye twitched but he respected her ability to still negotiate for the sake of her people, even under such pressure.
Fang stopped leaking his mana, and she breathed deeply again.
"Make it 15. I will let Isgram close the deal for me, I have no interest in negotiating with people who don't understand the difference in power."
Fang walked not even giving the poor girl a moment to breathe, let alone respond.
Isgram could only look at the man walking away from them, turning his head to look at the woman who was now on her knees.
"You're alright, girl? I'm sorry, he tends to be impatient at times but he means no harm."
Seeing his back only distancing, she felt relieved that Isgram would be the one to close the deal.
"I am alright, It's just that I'm a healer so dealing with such vast amounts of death mana is impossible for me. I don't get it. He seems to be around my age yet he has enormous amounts of mana."
Isgram smiled an icy smile and said:
"Hard work, some luck, and an intention to survive.
Fang saved my life from the empire, and he intends to be the chosen ones' protector.
His entire existence is dedicated to this task, to protect me and Gaia.
The day we meet more of our kind, then they will be under his protection as well.
He doesn't want to war with your empire, and certainly not with this village."
Alona sighed, propping herself on one knee, and then stood up.
"He sure doesn't seem that peaceful, I'm sure he had to kill dozens of people to get such high mana amounts.
It is on par with my father's."
"Hehe, now imagine the amount of mana Gaia and I possess.
In the rankings of power, Gaia is undoubtedly the most powerful right now.
But, Fang is better in combat than she is, as the traps are his invention.
We both just helped him to get there so yeah, Fang can be quite scary and surprisingly intelligent."
"Why are you telling me all that?" She asked, agitated thinking he was trying to scare her.
And that is the exact reason he did it.
"To make you understand: don't anger him.
He doesn't want to work with people who won't serve his agenda.
Especially if it means that war is the second option.
If you push him too hard, this mana leak will look like a mouse compared to what he can do with his mana.
If he wills it, This village will be wiped out without any of us assisting him.
The only thing that threatens him is your father.
So please take this not as a warning but as a lesson:
There will always be a bigger fish."
Feeling ridiculed, Alona trampled the grass as she went back to the mansion.
Meanwhile, Isgram gazed at her back as she went home and his only thought was what Gaia would do in such a situation.
But before he could complete that thought there were screams all over the village.
"Murder! A murderer! Someone, please!"
Hearing the mention of murder, he wished it wasn't related to Fang.
Rushing towards the noise, he felt his ribcage tightening and vowed to start working out more.
'If this is related to Fang I will kick him in the nuts. Making me run like that!'
Fang was indeed related to the incident that happened, but Isgram didn't think that such horror could take place in front of his eyes.
On the outskirts of the village were a couple of lumberjacks, all running towards Isgram and away from the scene.
Reaching the scene, Isgram was greeted by the sight of his friend on his knees, a dagger embedded in his shoulder.
"Fang!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, as he rushed towards him.
He slid over to him on the grass and noticed that his face was beginning to lose color and a web of veins in his neck was becoming purple.
Next to him, was a man who looked like a train ran over him.
The man was cleaved in half, right above his belly.
Fang's katana was stabbed in the grass, clearly the weapon of murder.
"I need a medic! Someone call Alona!
Hearing the mention of Alona, the lumberjacks who were nearby ran towards the mansion to bring her.
Isgram didn't know what to do so he sat Fang with his back leaning on a boulder.
It took only a minute or two for the lumberjacks to return with a stretcher.
They were accompanied by Alona, and she let them lift him slowly on top of the stretcher.
Keeping her cool, she asked Isgram what happened.
"I don't know, I got here after I heard screams of murder. I am sure that the man who Fang killed is the one who stabbed him, and look at his face! If that isn't poison I don't know what is!"
Isgram yelled unconcerned with his actions and behaviour.
His blood was boiling, and Alona looked at Fang's face and couldn't identify any special marks that would indicate which poison was used.
"I can't see any obvious signs of what kind of poison is at work here, but I will do my best Isgram. I promise you."
Seeing the young girl so assuring, Isgram let her run with the rest of the lumberjacks to her clinic.
"I hope for the sake of the empire that It isn't related to them cause so help me god, I will demolish their houses, I will burn their fields, I will take all they love and cherish away from them!"
Isgram's fire mana started to leak, and the air was heating up quickly.
'Someone reported to the empire we're here, that must be the case. If the assailant was from this village Fang would have noticed him by now. The only option here is that this assassin is sent here by the empire, and he surely spied on us outside the village.
Someone had to feed him information.
Can it be that Fujin or Alona betrayed us?'
Isgram opened his palm and it spewed a fire pillar towards the sky.
The pillar transformed into a dragon made entirely of deep yellow flames, with a tail as long as a pine tree.
"Go to the east. Take out as many villages as you can. Leave none alive."
Hearing the command the dragon took off, roaring like thunder, startling the entire village. The warriors of the village have all taken arms, waiting to see if the dragon attacks them.
To their surprise it flew over their head to the eastern territories, knowing that there weren't many capable warriors in this part of the country.
Isgram walked to the center of the village, furious and fuming.
The air distorted around him, the heat waves hitting the faces of the nearby villagers.
"If I find out someone here cooperated with the man who just tried to assassinate my partner, I will burn this village to the ground, and this empire will join in ashes too."
Saying that he went straight to the mansion, his steps heavy, scorching the ground each time they landed on a patch of grass leaving a sizzling noise.
In the eyes of the villagers, he was someone to fear rather than honor.
But in the eyes of the warriors of the village, it was respect.
For someone to denounce a whole village, maybe the whole empire, for the sake of his comrade was the peak of honor in their eyes.
Some nodded their heads at his threat, while one of them gathered them all with a shout:
"Listen up, maggots! An assassination attempt just took place on our land. In our village. Near your families. If that won't wake you all up, I don't know what will! You see that man? he has enough power to take us all out, and I am sure of that.
What will you do to ensure your comrades are safe?"
Seeing their one-eyed commander lash out in such a manner, They all lowered their heads.
"We will now start an investigation on the culprit. If anyone here has information, now is the time to share it."
Seeing his soldiers standing still, he assumed they knew something.
As the silence grew louder, the voice of one of them shook as he uttered a single sentence:
"Sir... I... I saw the culprit enter the village. He said he is an ambassador of the empire."
The silence once again filled the air, only the sound of wind was heard.
Then the wind grew louder until a single wave of wind hit the one who spoke.
He was hit on the chest, knocking him to the ground.
When he raised his head, the commander glared at him. He looked like a wolf eyeing his prey, his one-eye staring daggers.
"Did you report it to anyone?"
The young man shook visibly, his eyes growing teary.
"No sir, I-"
And then a blast of wind blasted him off the ground, crashing into the wooden wall surrounding the village.
Seeing he lost consciousness, the commander shook his head.
"Take him to the infirmary. Make sure he knows he is no longer a warrior of Davra from now on."
The rest of the warriors knew that their commander could be cruel and unforgiving, but this was the first time he resorted to violence.
"May this be a lesson to all of you to not slack off. A murderer entered your homes, and none were aware. Not even me."
'I must go report this to the chief, he can't take the blame for this.'
As his subordinates looked at their commander, they remembered their job was to resume guarding duty without one of them.
The air seemed to relax again as his mana returned to his body, and he started walking toward the mansion.
On his back were two swords strapped in an X shape, allowing him to reach for them easily.
He wore a green uniform, which resembled hunter camo from Earth.
His boots were made of leather, and on his belt were several fangs of different animals.
As he walked to the mansion, he spotted the fire mage from before.
'According to the chief's information, this man is the most dangerous of them all. His fire magic is my natural opponent, as any spell I hit him with will only strengthen his spells.
If it results in a fight, I must lure him to their hideout. We can't clash on village grounds no matter what.'
And so, the sun started to set as Isgram sat distracted by his thoughts outside the clinic.