"Oh, Saluk you're here. Come, come. i have a little something for you." His Aunt, Tiya Sameng saw Saluk immediately as he entered the receiving room of his uncle's residence. She smiled beckoning him to go near.
"Good morning Tiya Sameng, I just dropped by to pay my respects to Tiyo Domam before leaving for the forest." Saluk smiled back, walking towards his Aunt.
"Yes, I know, That's why i have something for you." His Aunt handed him a folded piece of cloth.
"This...."
"A new bandana for you. It is thinner so you can see clearer in it and it's softer too so you can wear it over your eyes the whole day outside without feeling numb." His Aunt continued on.
"Your Tiya Sameng insists on giving it to you today, as if you will be gone for a very long time." His uncle finally appeared from a corner smiling. He seemed to just have finished his morning meal.
"Tiyo Domam, Tiya Sameng, This is...." Saluk can't find his voice. The new bandana that in his hands right now in made from a fine cloth, it feels so nice in his hands. The old bandana that he is wearing right now used to be glossy black, now it has the color of blackish mud, with most of the stitches gone and a lot of rips, here and there.
"Don't be so overly dramatic, that's just a small gift." His uncle walk to his side, patting him in the shoulders.
"Thank you, Tiyo Domam, Tiya Sameng." Saluk finally said, showing them a big smile.
His Tiya Sameng let out a small laugh seeing that he was happy with the gift.
"So, you have everything ready now? Are you ready to leave? It's too early." His uncle said. returning to his serious mood.
"Yes Tiyo Domam, the earlier i get going, the better for me. I already have compressed food with me that will last a couple of days. I also have a small shovel and a few seed samples to grow if i find a good ideal farming land."
His uncle nodded. "How about weapons? Did you bring any? The forest is full of wild beasts, and sometimes bandits roam around there too."
"It's okey, i am good at staying away from trouble. I will just ran away or climb a large tree if i ever sense danger.
Saluk answered.
"Alright then, if you think you have everything else, then you can go now. Always remember to stay safe." His Uncle patted his shoulder again.
"Yes, Tiyo Domam, i'm leaving now.
After paying his respects, Saluk stepped outside and walked on.
The Minggud house which where he live is located in the southern-east side of the village. Their House is the nearer to the sea in the east than the village center on the north-west. Saluk intended to enter the forest from the south-west so he doesn't need to go to the village center where all the shops and stores are located. The village hall is also there, so he is sure that there are a lot of people there. We walked silently on the village outskirts, being careful not to attract too much attention to himself. All he carries with him is a small sack-cloth where all his supply is. It doesn't weight much but he still walk slowly, taking his time. He has been into the forest a few times in the past and he was quiet familiar with the entrances. He was sometimes asked to took for a certain herbs or grass to be used as some kind of secondary catalyst in potion making. He has no complains about it. Their farm is already way too crowded so they only grow mostly the rare or the more expensive and important herbs. They do not cultivate secondary herbs that can be commonly found in the wild. Being the case, when a family elder requires for a common herb for potion or amulet making, he usually volunteers for the job as he sees it as a chance to venture outside and break the monotomy of his house-farm-repeat life.
Walking for sometime now with his mind wandering around, Saluk was not able notice when a thin vine silenty crept behind him and quickly wrapped around his feet. It was too late for him to react and he fell face-first to the ground.
"Hah! And that will be my second score this morning!" A man shouted excitedly behind him.
"But you were only able to bind his feet and stopped his movement." His companion said, unsatisfied.
"I agree. That was only a low tier grass binding magic, plus the one you attacked was a blind fellow. If he was just able to see, dodging your attack would have been so easy." A third man spoke in a loud voice, laughing. He seemed to be the oldest in the group.
Saluk slowly raised himself from the ground and saw three men behind him. They were in their early 30s. They wore fine sets of clothes so he thinks that they might be some kind of noble merchants or traders from nearby town.
Something like this is rather common around. Some noble or royalty will go to a remote village and practice their magic to some unfortunate servant or serf. Most of it can be said to be a harmless prank, but sometimes nobles will be carried away and execute a serious offensive magic.
Hurting or even killing a low level servant or serf will quickly be arranged by gold. The nobles will just simply pay the servant's master a couple of gold coins and everything will be fine. Most of the carefree nobles think that servants and slaves are of the same class.
Servants and slaves are differnt though. Servants or more commonly known as Uripon has a certain degree of freedom and privacy. They are just people in debt. They can work for a Family or royalty and expected to be paid for their service. A free commoner can even volunteer to be an Uripon if they need a big amount of gold and slowly pay it by serving the family they are indebt to. Slaves however are the ones who are captured from war, or criminals being bought by some rich noble. Slaves can be traded with chains in the neck like cattle and can be forced to work to death. The Royalty has long abolished the tradition of keeping slaves. Yet some places still practice it.
"Hey, You are an Uripon, are you? Which family do you serve. I and my friends had just reinforced our magic vein and we want to practice our offensive magic. We can quickly arrange the price." The third man, who seemed to be the oldest said.
"I am sorry, but my master had given me an important task that i need to accomplish quickly. Pardon me." Saluk hurriedly replied. Intending to get away from the area as soon as possible.
"It's too early my friend. How about this, stay with us for a few hours and we can pay you 1 silver coin directly, you can keep it for yourself. What do you say? pretty nice deal, huh?" The one who attacked him said. Smiling to him. He looked to be the youngest one on the group. maybe just a few couple of summers older than him.
"I'm sorry, but i really can't. Please excuse me." Saluk said, slowly bowing his head. He is now playing his i-am-a-blind-person-please-spare-me card. He had been into this situation before and he gets away with it most of the time.
"This is pathetic!" the man in the middle spat and stretched his right hand before him and did a grabbing motion.
Weeds sprang out from the ground and quickly wrapped around Saluk's body tightly. The sack that carries all his things were thrown to the side.
The man in the middle sneered, and raised his stretched arm up and at the same time, the weeds that bind Saluk raise him up a few meters and hold him there.
"Ha ha ha. Watch closely, this is how an offensive grass type magic is supposed to look like." The man said, giving off a cold aura.
"Hey, what are you doing, you are already overdoing it." The youngest of the group suddenly said, feeling uncomfortable.
"It's okey. This will not kill him, probably. The man holding Saluk by magic answered back. "Hey, Uripon, Are you still awake? Did you pass out already?" He said, addressing Saluk.
All this while, Saluk is internally chanting to himself, 'Please don't fall off, please don't fall off. He is referring to the bandana that covers his eyes. Being bound by weeds doesn't really hurt him in the least, They can wrap him like a mummy with weeds and get on with it for all he care. But if his bandana fall off and his eyes be exposed, he will be in a really big trouble. So he decided to be passive and just let this group play their magic on him. Maybe they will get bored quickly and leave him alone if he played docile. Saluk thought.
"Maybe the poor man really did pass out. What a pity. People in remote villages are really weak willed." The oldest in the group said. "Are you gonna just release him and make him fall, or slam him into the ground?" He continued.
The man holding Saluk contimplated for a while. After a second, he released Saluk and let him fall. "He already passed out, He might actually die if i slam him into the ground." He said before turning away.
"Ha ha ha. I did not know that you are weak willed too." The oldest of them said, laughing before turning around and left with the group.
Saluk did not dare to move until he was sure that the group has really left. He stood up and sighed.
"That was a really close call." he said, chuckling. He patted himself clean and prepared to continue on his journey when he realized that the sack that carries all his supplies and food was ripped and all the contents are everywhere.
"Why do i feel so unlucky today?" He can't help himself but ask.
"Oh well....." He said again before started to pick up all his supplies one by one.