Saluk circled around the bandit's camp for a few times, trying to assess his surroundings. He leaped between trees, careful not to be noticed. The camp has indeed four tents. Three of those are of the same height and size. On the far left was the biggest tent.
He stayed on top of the tallest tree, covering himself with its dense leaves. He estimated that the bandits in the area are around 20 or more. He was not certain because he knows he haven't seen them all yet. There is bound to be someone staying inside the tents. He concluded that the bandits will not be more that 30 though.
Saluk never planned to engage these group of men for he knows that they will not hesitate to kill him if he was to be captured. He will just try to slip in the base and try to snatch their captives and run away.
He had been observing the area for a while now but he can't seem to identify the leader or the area where the captives are being held. He assumed that the captives are in one of those three tents and the bandit leader was in the biggest tent.
The sky is starting to get dark already, He knows that if wants to save those captives, he should act soon.
Saluk has always been an aloof person. The rumors about his 'demon' eyes make the people in his village avoid him. He didn't mind it at all, he just avoided them back. He is even sometimes thankful to it. Nobody bothers him and he has never been bullied. He never had developed any attachment to people, so he's not even sure what's his reason to attempt such a risky act. His adoptive uncle just tasked him to look for an unclaimed land suitable for herb growing.
Saluk would just steer away from this kind trouble any other time. But this is different. This bandits attacked him last night without any warning and now they are killing people for fun. Any sane human being will never allow such thing to happen.
He leaped again to another tall tree, changing his perspective. The sun has finally set. He noticed five bandits light a torch and stepped out of their base entering the woods. He thought that those group would patrol the area or hunt for food. He watched on. The rest of the bandits gathered into a large area in the middle of their base. They started fire in the center.
Saluk thought that this is his opening. He quietly leaped to a tree nearest to one of the tents and slowly climbed down to the ground.
He looked around. The bandits have killed a water buffalo and started to feast on it. They are singing and dancing by the fire a couple dozens of meters from him. He slipped into the tent next to him. Inside was few closed chest and few barrels stacked on top of each other. There are also some strange looking iron poles with a wooden base leaning on the side. They are about a meter long with small holes in one end. He did not find anyone. The captives weren't there.
He slowly stepped outside and slipped into the next tent.
Inside was almost the same as the tent before. Few more closed chests and barrels. Saluk walked forward and looked around.
"These are wine." He whispered to himself, touching a barrel. He can smell the sweet fragrance in it.
'Being a bandit sure is lucrative.' Saluk thought.
In his village, wine will only be served when they are celebrating a certain feast or occassion. His last taste of wine was when his aunt, Tiya Sameng gave birth to her child. The house of Minggud celebrated for a whole day. That was around 4 summers ago. Their village only produces fish and herbs. Wine is traded from another place so they only have a few of it.
Saluk sighed. Maybe the captives were in the biggest tent, he thought. He turned around and started lo leave.
He was by the entrance when two men suddenly entered. They were both taken aback when they saw Saluk inside.
Saluk himself froze in place.
"Who are you!"
"Let's kill him."
The bandits quickly stepped forward. One of them raised his blade, intending to strike him.
Saluk swiftly dashed to the side and spinned his body, sending a strong kick to the man's jaw.
The man's eyes quickly lost focus as he was thrown to the side, unconcious. The blade in his hand flew away to the corner.
The other man was completely caught off guard. He didn't expect that his companion would be knocked out so fast like that. He made a 'claw form on his fingers and forcefully raised his arms upward.
Saluk noticed the gesture of the man in front of him, he was casting an offensive magic on him. He dodged to the side.
Sure enough, a spike of pointy wood forcefully rose up from the ground where he was standing a second ago.
The man repeated his magic a few more times only to be dodged by Saluk.
There was about a fraction of a second delay between the gesture of the man in front of him and the appearance of the wooden spike from the ground. It might just be a fraction of a second but it was more than enough for Saluk to maneuver around.
The man started to panic and turned around to flee.
Saluk dashed forward and grabbed the man's hair, then smashed his head to the wooden frame on the tent's entrance.
It all happened to fast, and a minute just barely passed. Saluk was surprised himself. He quickly took a few breath and dragged the man further in.
He was afraid that he might have killed this two bandits but sighed in relief when he noticed that they are still breathing.
Saluk dragged the bandits to the corner and tied their arms and legs together with a rope he found lying around. He then ripped their clothes and used it to cover their eyes and mouth. He made sure that they will not break free easily.
After almost half an hour of hard work, He finally stood up and looked at his masterpiece. The men were still unconcious. Saluk nodded and headed outside.
He was by the entrance when he heard a rattling sound behind him. He turned around and saw a wooden cage on one side. He did not notice it earlier because it was covered by heavy canvass. He just thought it was just more barrels in there.
There was a bald, middle aged man inside. He wore the same dark long strange-looking clothes like the one he saw outside. He was one of the captives.
The man's face was full of dried blood and his clothes ripped in many places. He must have been tortured for who knows how long. His hands and legs were tied up and his mouth was covered, just like what he did to the two bandits earlier.
Saluk catiously walked toward the man. The tent was only lit by a single torch tied in the entrance but he can still see that the man was indeed the captive he was looking for.
"It's okey now, I will free you. Move back for a second." Saluk said.
He gestured the man to move to the side and quickly sent a kick to the corner of the wooden cage.
With an audible crash, three poles of the cage broke under the force of his kick.
Saluk stepped inside and untied the captive.
"I heard there are two of you still alive. Where is the other one?" Saluk asked the man.
The man looked at him solemnly and held his hands, as if to beg.
"What? What are you saying?."
The man in front of him shook his head quickly and pointed his hands outside.
The man in front of him was speaking a language he doesn't recognize.
'What the hell, how can we talk if we can't even understand each other.?' Saluk stood up, shaking his head slowly.
"Come, i will show you a safe way outside. you are free now." He knows that the man will not understand a word of it, but he said it anyway. He gestured the man to follow him.
The man paused for a moment and then nodded.
-----
His people was having fun outside. He could hear loud singing and laughter.
Bar-nu stepped out of his tent and joined the group. He and his younger brother lead this group.
A few days ago, they had raided a convoy when they were roaming in this domain. They only thought that it would just be a usual merchant's convoy.
The convoy was guarded by around 20 men then, and his group had the element of surprise when they executed the raid.
The raid cost him more than half of his men as he suddenly realized that it was heavily guarded. He himself was injured and has been recuperating for the last couple of days. He only just stepped outside now.
Bar-nu sighed. He had 60 men under him before the raid and now he have 22. That would make them 24 if he included his brother and himself on the count.
But it was all fair trade. The convoy was filled with magical artifacts, gold and wine. The greatest treasure though was the passenger. That one was secured on his tent right now.
This was the reason his group has been celebrating every night. They really did hit gold this time.
Part of their celebration was to conduct death duel with their captives. It wasn't much of a duel. His men has already tortured their captives to exhaustion. It was just more for their fulfillment and satisfaction as many of their comrades died on the raid, in the hands of their captives. His men has been killing their captives one after the other. Who knows if some jerk suddenly get carried away and kill the important one. So Bar-nu kept that one captive away from his men. He will sell it for large amount of gold when they got back into the Royal black market.
"Master Bar-nu, your seat is ready. Please come over. master Rankala is already waiting."
Bar-nu nodded in acknowledgement. He went to the seat reserved for him and looked at the man at his side.
"Big brother, you're here. Do you feel better now?" His brother Rankala said. handing him a bamboo cup filled with wine.
"Yes. The magical herb you gave me was rather effective." Bar-nu nodded.
"The duel s about to start. I think this will be the last captive. Atlast, our men will finally get back to work tomorrow after this." Rankala smiled and chuckled.
"Do you want the last duel?" Bar-nu asked.
"Of course not. I don't fancy unfair duels. Let the men have it. I like gold, you like wine and women. Let the the men do what they like." His brother Rankala answered. raising his cup.
"You're right. For gold, wine and women!" He laughed and made the toast.
"I have asked or additional barrel of wine for a while now. Where is it?" Rankala suddenly asked a man to his side.
"Master Rankala, I have already sent 2 men to get the wine."
"It's been a while now, go and check. Some of them may be to focused in having fun that they start to forget to do their work." Rankala said, shaking his head.
"Yes i will personally go now." The man answered.
Rankala nodded and gestured the man to go ahead.
It didn't take long for the man to return. But Rankala and Bar-nu saw that the man wasn't carrying a barrel of wine. The man run straight towards them.
"Speak!" Bar-nu said in a strong voice.
The other men around them also took notice and fall silent. The singing and dancing stopped.
"Master, the captive has escaped. He knocked out the two men i sent to get the wine. They are still unconcious inside the tent right now."
Bar-nu and Rankala's faces turned dark.
"What are you all waiting for, go comb the area. Look for him!" Bar-nu shouted.