Fauna was about to finish Perros off, but when her fist almost met Perros' face, something small took the blow. Perros did take a hit, although it wasn't fatal to him.
"Argh." Perros grunted in pain as he fell back to the ground. He looked to see what had caught the fist instead, it was Esco.
"Hey, cap'n." Esco said in a battered voice.
"My body kind of jumped on its own." He added slowly and fell unconscious.
Fauna looked at Esco. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"You again?" Fauna said with anger in her voice.
"What do you mean 'you again'?" Perros asked and coughed up blood.
"He's the one who killed my parents!" Fauna shouted furiously.
"Esco? That's impossible, he's a doctor. He wouldn't do such a thing." Perros panted.
"Then it must have been someone from their tribe." Fauna continued.
"I've seen them, these creatures would only harm others in self-defense." Perros denied her again.
"So you're saying my parents attacked that time?" Fauna was angry.
"I didn't say anything like that. You're just wrong, blinded by lies from the truth." Perros said confidently.
"Did the bandits really kill them?" Fauna asked herself.
"No, no. I saw him covered in blood with a gun in his hand." She answered herself.
"He had a gun." Fauna calmly said.
Perros crawled over to Esco, who was lying close by. He shook Esco to wake him up. Esco's eyes widened a little.
"Do you know what a gun is?" Perros asked.
"Gu... what?" Esco said softly.
"No..." Esco replied, slowly closing his eyes.
"Does anyone in your village know what a gun is?" Perros asked again.
"Maybe... The Great Owl." Esco answered slowly and closed his eyes again.
"But he's 500 years old or something and his wings are broken." Perros gasped and looked at Fauna.
"I don't know what kind of grudge you hold against these creatures, but I think it's a huge misunderstanding." He added and laid down on the ground, coughing up blood.
Fauna slowly approached Esco and picked him up. She held him in her hands and tears started to drip from her eyes.
"I'm sorry..." Fauna said and hugged him.
Perros slowly closed his eyes as he fell unconscious. The very last thing he saw was Fauna holding Esco in her hands and crying.
The only one left standing was Fauna, all the others fought with all their might but were still defeated, even Perros.
After a few hours, Perros woke up in one of the small wooden houses. When Perros opened his eyes, he thought he had a nightmare, but when he looked around, he noticed an unfamiliar house and even unfamiliar voices outside. Perros felt all bruised and had bandages still around his torso when he tried to get up.
"It wasn't a dream after all." Perros chuckled, but groaned in pain in response to the state of his body.
"But what am I doing here? What about the others?" He mused.
Perros also noticed his own clothing, that he left in the bush. And the guards' clothes he was wearing were no longer on him.
"How did it get here.... Well, whatever." He thought to himself finally, dressing up and walking out of the cabin.
As Perros slowly opened the door, the sun glared at him, so he shaded his eyes with his hand. It was probably around noon, so the sun was shining as brightly as ever. Perros saw all the people he had fought last night. But no one looked at him with malice.
"I don't remember us winning..." Perros thought to himself.
"Well..." He hadn't even finished his thought when one of the henchmen spoke to him.
"Hey, you. You're finally awake." Henchman #1 said.
"Fauna wants to see you." He added and moved on.
Perros looked at him as he walked away.
"What a way to announce something." Perros thought to himself and chuckled.
And so Perros made his way to the main wooden house where he thought Fauna would be. His guess was correct.
"I heard you wanted to talk to me." Perros leaned over the door frame.
"Right." Fauna put down her cup, rose from her chair and walked over to him.
"I just wanted to say... thank you..." She added embarrassed.
"For what? If you meant for the beating. I gladly accept your apology." Perros said and patted his torso.
"But I guess you don't mean it that way." He added and chuckled, but groaned again.
"Actually I do, but... you opened my eyes." Fauna looked ashamed.
"I never told Flora, but..." Fauna began to explain to Perros why she thought the Underlings were behind the massacre in the village.
"But when you said those creatures wouldn't hurt a fly... that made me rethink all my stupid decisions so far." She finished and then chuckled in embarrassment.
Perros, who sat on a chair while Fauna told the whole story. And when she finished, he was just nodding.
"I get you." Perros smiled.
"Can't say I'd do the same, but I don't blame you." He added, standing up.
Perros was ready to walk out of the cabin, but stopped on the doorstep.
"Glad I could help." He added with a smile and walked out of the cabin.
Fauna sighed, sat back down and picked up her cup again.
"Aaand one more thing..." Perros quickly realized.
"Yes?" Fauna turned to him.
"Where are my friends?" Perros chuckled nervously.
"Come with me..." She quickly finished her cup and led Perros to a couple of quarters where lay Nazo, who was already awake. Bruno, who had just woken up, and Marco, who was still fast asleep.
"But where's Esco?" Perros asked.
"Your little friend? He helped me nurse the wounded." Fauna looked at the main cabin.
"I must say you have a good doctor, but his speech is a little strange." She added and headed back to Esco with Perros.
"There you are!" Perros said cheerfully.
"Of course I'm here. Where would I be?" Esco said and looked at Perros.
"I'm just glad you're okay." Perros said.
"Yes, as you can see. I'm in mint condition." Esco replied.
"Now scram, I have patients to take care of." He added firmly and pushed them out of the room.
"Now, I want to discuss something with you. I mean all of you." Fauna said.
"Do you want tea in the meantime?" She added.
When all of Perros's gang had gathered in the main cabin and Flora had gotten inside too, Fauna started talking again.
"I am eternally grateful for your action." Fauna said.
"I would like to repay you." She added.
"How about you let Esco's tribe live with you on the surface?" Perros suggested.
"That's it? If it weren't for you, I'd drown in my own stupidity." Fauna said.
"You sound pathetic." Flora muttered.
Fauna looked at Flora and gave her a sign that she wasn't playing games now.
"Sorry..." Flora apologized and fell silent again.
"What do you suggest then?" Nazo asked calmly.
"How about we make a pact?" Fauna said uncertainly.
"A pact?" Perros asked questioningly.
"Yes, our gang will now follow your rules and principles." Fauna explained.
"And if you need help in this territory, we will be there for you. She added.
"Still don't get it..." Perros said uncomprehendingly.
"Sigh... More people in our gang, but they won't come with us." Nazo explained as plainly as he could.
"Alright! Perros exclaimed happily.
"You are now in the Six Pistols gang... You're welcome." He added and laughed.
Perros opened the door to the main cabin and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"LET'S CELEBRATE!" Perros shouted to the entire forest.
"But first, let's get all the Underlings here too." He added and chuckled.