"Hahaha! We almost made a fortune by selling that prince," a man in black laughed.
"Yeah, but this money will end, eventually. We will have to go back to work," Logan responded. "For the time being, let us celebrate!" He raised his wine cup high and howled in joy.
"Woohoo!" Everybody else did the same.
They were sitting around on wood logs and stones in the jungle and celebrated the acquisition of riches by selling the prince to the governor.
"What else would we do now, boss?" a man asked.
"We will chill for a while and continue our usual job of robbing people," Logan said.
"What insolence of you." They suddenly heard a voice. Logan turned to look at the source of the voice and saw Varius with his men. He also saw Sango, who was beaten up to a pulp. They all stood up in reflex and pulled out their swords.
"Who are you?" Logan demanded.
"Your friend, if you are willing to give me some answers. Your enemy, if you are wiling to not cooperate," Varius said.
"You have a lot of nerve to walk into our den and talk like that."
"Did I offend you?"
"Of course you did. And now, you will pay for it." Logan signaled his men. "Get them."
Their strength in numbers was almost the same as each other. The result lied on individual skills and experience of the fighters. Varius and Logan glared into the eyes of each other when their men cut each other into pieces. As expected, the victory went into Varius's hands and his men massacred most of their enemies, leaving only two of them beside Logan.
"Damn it." Logan gritted his teeth and shouted, "What do you want!?" He knew he had to submit or he would meet the same fate as his men.
"Now you are talking," Varius said cynically. "I just want some answers."
"What answers? I know nothing."
"Oh." Varius glanced at Sango. "I am sure you do."
Kyte and his men watched all of this from a distance.
"What is happening, sir? I am unable to understand a thing," a soldier said. "Who are those people in strange black clothing?"
"I am also confused, but by observing the situation, I think those men dressed in black know something," Kyte said. "Most likely about Prince Colt. We would wait and observe. Let us see how things transpire."
"I sold him to a governor of Wild," Logan told Varius. He was seated on a log with Varius sitting parallel to him making an eye contact. His other two men were on their knees with swords on their necks. One mistake and boom! Their heads could vanish in an instant from their shoulders.
"Which castle?" Varius demanded.
"The bordering one. Near the nest of the wild tribes," answered Logan.
Varius frowned after hearing him. "That governor is a wicked one." He signaled his man to beat up Logan, and the man followed his orders.
"Varius, just what do you know?" Kyte muttered.
"Sir, how would we find Prince Colt before them?" a soldier asked.
"We would not," replied Kyte. "They will find him. We will just snatch him away from them."
"Understood, sir. But we will need more manpower."
"I know, but we do not have enough manpower. We have to manage somehow. We might get some support from my prince."
"We will die at your orders, sir," the soldier said. Other soldiers nodded in agreement.
"I want you to live," said Kyte. "But we would lay down our lives for our prince."
After Logan and his two men were beaten to a pulp, it was Sango's turn again. His mistake? He offered Colt not to his kingdom, but to some rogue bandits.
"Please, do not hit me! I did not know he was a prince!" cried Sango when the royal soldiers confronted him. "I thought he was an ordinary slave!"
"Oh, did you?" reacted Varius. "Hit him!" he told his men.
The soldiers punched him in the gut and hit him in the face. They then beat him until he passed out.
"You should be grateful that I am not taking your lives. Now you must live in fear for your whole lives," Varius threatened. "I want your complete obedience. You are my slaves now. One mistake and I will make sure to cut you into a thousand pieces and feed you to the dogs." He ordered his soldiers, "Take them to the palace and give them some more doses once they are awake!"
The soldiers nodded and took them away.
"There is a change in plans. Some of you will follow those soldiers," Kyte said to his soldiers. "They have some information. We have a chance to get to Prince Colt before them. Do whatever you can, but get me the information."
"As you order, sir."
"Alright. The rest will follow Varius with me."
***
"So, you are here, huh? Prepare to die, old man!" a soldier cried when he found Gilbert behind a tree. He swung his sword and the old man began to receive flashbacks of his entire life. He was sure he was dead. There was no hope left now.
"I am sorry, Colt," he uttered and shut closed his eyes.
Suddenly, there was a miracle.
"Ah!" An arrow hit the soldier on his side-neck and pierced it through the other side. Gilbert had his eyes closed, but had to open it when the sword failed to reach his neck. It puzzled him to see the soldier drop to the ground with an arrow across his neck.
"Do not worry, old man! I am here to help you!" Gilbert saw there was a lady on a horse holding a bow in her hand. She was a pretty but vicious one. From her attire, she looked like she belonged to the bordering wild tribes.
She wore a small wooden crown, a brown woven shirt with a wolf skin around her shoulders, and leather pants. Her blue eyes searched for enemies as she readied her bow and arrow for another shot.
She had a few wild-looking men accompanying her. They shot arrows at each of the soldiers resulting in their deaths leaving only a few who managed to run away.
The lady jumped down from her horse and approached the old man after it was peaceful. "Are you okay, old man?"
"I am, but…" Gilbert stared at her up to down. "Who are you?"