At the gallows, a squeak was heard as a bandit walked to the lever where a boy who had a noose over his neck stood over a chair. The lever was pulled then the boy hung. Stephan watched as the body struggled and it looked like a dance in the air. He looked at the quest again then decided it wasn't a given to let them live. The bandits charged with taking the prisoners to the gallows were used to the process that it was boring for them. They moved quickly with no need to keep an eye over the dead.
Junks crammed together in corners all around the place. Criss-crossing shadows from hanging lamps or ones those bandits had in their reach to move around. There were people walking and rats running. Stephan couldn't walk properly losing focus in front of the atrocities he witnessed. The bandits had to haul him many times to keep walking correctly.
A boy came from somewhere running with a pinwheel in hand. It spun, lit in fire then the latter caught Stephan's cape and set it ablaze. He had no choice but to remove it and toss it aside. It was the dead of the night again.
There was a reason why the killing was done only at night. Keep the good deeds in the open during the day and hide the evil at night. That was what the bandits mostly did; they worked at night and slept at day. Those bandits were moving at night like normal people moved at day. Who the hell would work at such an hour when everyone avoided the timing?
A group of men then carried a giant cage covered with a white cloth. The night made it impossible to see what was behind it but his enhanced sight caught glimpse of a woman in there, almost dead. They didn't move her to the gallows; she was taken behind the doors. It was easy to understand what happened from the place she was brought out from.
"Poor boys, you must have suffered this whole time. Working this late at night to keep your end of the bargain. Don't you want to be in the comfort of your bed and dream about winning some kind of jackpot?"
The bandits accompanying him rolled their eyes at him and then pushed him forward. He was slammed against the door before entering and they searched him for any potential weapon that he could use. They manacled at his ankles and wrists then put a black cloth bag over his head.
"Okay, mate, why is this for? And you stink; do you only wash when rain is above you?"
"Move along, wanderer. Or should I say, bargainer? Hah!"
For Stephan, the next movements all happened in darkness. He didn't know when he would arrive but he knew why they were doing it all. They intended to hide where the chief stayed but he already knew the layout of the place. When the game involved exploration and puzzles around the place, the players tend to learn of the place.
As they entered a seemingly expensive room, hisses and insults rose to a roar. The place was filled with naked women and servants. Stephan was shoved inside and pushed to sit down. The bandits removed his chains and replaced them with cords. He was bound to the chair and secured. It looked fancy under his touch. One of the bandits removed his cloth bag from his head and as he emerged, he came face-to-face with a sword pointed at him. In fact, there were a lot of bandits pointing their swords at him. He smiled seeing them like that.
"I am happy that I am given such attention. It's quite flattering."
In front of Stephan, a vast table laden with food. He licked his lips. It felt as if it was an eternity since he tasted something good. His stomach growled. However, he was too far to reach it. He rolled his eyes annoyed then looked around; high ceiling, chandeliers, tall drapes and especially women. He felt himself turning red from the sight and immediately turned away.
"Oh mother*cker! My eyes aren't virgin anymore."
There was a giant man looking like a bigger bear than the one they met at the road. He had women on both sides. His eyes stared into Stephan sending shivers down his spine. There was something strange within the man and the apprentice felt it. He couldn't bring himself to make fun of him as he did to the others. There was something about the man that he would never forget, especially his face.
"I heard that one of my prisoners asked for a Parley. To think that a spitting image of Maddock Prowell would be in front of me. Are you an offspring of his?"
"There should be a Stephan Lancaster in there. I don't know of any Maddock Prowell but I am quite curious about the man as well. Everyone says he looks like me but I don't think so. I have spent my whole life on this planet wandering the Plaguelands, I swear on my long beard and incredible skills."
"Very well but you don't have a bear, which means you are lying."
"No, I am not. It's just my way of swearing. I beg your pardon if I offended you in any way."
"I have heard of you from my servant; he said you had the guts for a young lad. I see that he was right. Are you one of those mages?"
"My skills are mediocre, your highness… I mean your greatness… Majesty… I don't know what to call you."
"You don't know me, lad. My name is quite known in these parts. It reached outside Valtrar's territory. You are in the presence of the king of the bandits of Valtrar, Usiusstupidis, former Duke of Sovenstien-unendburg, head of the bandits of Gira, the butcher of slaves and knights alike. I hate knights."
"Oh. Doesn't ring a bell but I agree, I hate knights as well. You don't know, you are considered my saviour. You saved me from them. They chained me and intended to take me to the Plaguelands and I am a poor lad. However, your Greatness appeared at the right moment and saved me," his lips twisted into a fake smile.