The bandit leader cocked up a questioning eyebrow. His eyes seemed to want to pierce through Garam's skull. The other bandits wore a shocked expression as their gazes darted from their leader to the audacious boy. Jikad wondered if he had underestimated Garam's suicidal intent.
As if on cue to add on to the dramatic effect,a gust of wind suddenly blew from behind making that dark street even chillier. The other bandits lifted their hands to block the dust the wind brought but their leader didn't move a muscle and neither did Garam. They stood there seemingly having a intense staring competition.
Garam's brown locks stirred in the breeze but his gaze was steady and unwavering. His baggy clothes billowed lightly from the wind but he didn't budge.
Jikad lightly nudged Garam's side intending to break him out of whatever had possessed him to act like that.
Even while leaning on his sword, the bandit leader was still considerably taller and much more intimidating. He was looking at Garam's defiant figure as a cocky smirk slowly grew on his face.
"Well well,you sure seem eager to die-"
"Don't torment my friend" Garam cut him off turning to Jikad whose jaw was practically on the ground.
"He is unwell." His clam steady tone said as he leaned down and grabbed Jikad's arm. It was the same arm with the yellow bander. He began pulling Jikad by his arm trying to make him stand.
Jikad's widening eyes glanced at the leader whose piercing glare was enough to send even the strongest of men hiding under their beds His huge sword seemed to be glinting even brighter with killing intent.
'If looks could kill' Jikad gulped involuntarily.
"N-no,no it's fine" Jikad wiggled his hand to pry it from Garam's grip but to no avail.'what the hell, why is he so strong all of a sudden?' Garam's grip was firm and Jikad couldn't shake it off no matter how much he tried.
"Stand up, you'll hurt your knees." Garam said pulling Jikad further up.
' Uwaah-Garam you lunatic!If you want to die so bad leave me out of it!!'
Jikad nervously glanced at the leader again whose glare seemed to say ' try and stand up I dare you'
Jikad frantically shook his head trying his best to go back on his knees"No no it's really fine, I like it more down here." He was already aware that everyone in this place had some screws lose but the last person he'd expected to be insane was Garam. 'Why the hell is everyone here trying to get me killed'
"Jikad " It was the first time Garam had called his name like that. Jikad met his eyes and in them was an unreadable emotion.
"Stand."
It almost felt like an order and Jikad found himself instinctively following it.
'agh! Screw it! ' He sighed to himself as he stood next to him. Garam had not released his arm yet and Jikad stood there awkwardly with his eyes on the ground. He was greatfull that at least his knees stopped aching from being pressed against the rough cobblestone.
'well at least I get to die on my feet ' He thought dejectedly as he glanced at the woman next to him who was still on her knees.Jikad thought that she might as well just stand since it had come to this now.
Jikad thought there was no way Garam didn't feel the heavy blood lust in the air. It was impossible to miss when they were literally sorrounded by armed bandits. Especially when the scariest of them all was staring daggers straight at them. As if to add salt to the wound,Garam leaned down and dusted the dirt from Jikad's knees.
"You should be more careful Jikad." He stated patting his trouser like a mother scolding a dirty child. Obllivious to the uneasy atmosphere he added."You already hurt your palms earlier at purgatory."
'Garam please stop talking.'Jikad made a pained expression bitting the inside of his cheek.' And why does it feel like I'm the only one getting glared at-uwaah'
Garam was currently checking up his palms to see if they were alright and Jikad just wanted to disappear.
The bandit leader glance darted between the two of before mumbling to himself with a bemused smirk "Well isn't that cute." He picked his sword and rested it on his shoulder.
" Your sweet little brotherly bond nearly drove me to tears." His tone was sarcastic as he did not look touched or moved at all.
'Interesting '
He thought looking at the pretty brown eyed boy that had dared to stand up against him. For a guy his size,he sure had some balls on him.
Jikad was surprised when the leader didn't attack them nor seem agitated by Garam's audacity. In any case he seemed somewhat...pleased?
"Tie them up and head back." He instructed one of the bandits with a flick of his wrist. He turned around without another word and started walking off. His long hair reached up to his broad shoulders even when tied back. Other bandits followed him such that only two remained behind.Jikad stared at the retreating figure of the bandit leader untill his broad back soon disappeared into the darkness along with the other bandits.
His attention was drawn to the two bandits that remained.
( For easier identification I shall refer to the remaining two bandits as thing1 and thing2.)
Thing1 was big and hairy. 'Bigfoot' was the first thing that came to mind when Jikad looked at him. He had long thick dark hair that was laid back in a single braid. His eyebrows had connected to form one thick unibrow.
His beard looked long,thick and unkempt. Above his v-collar black shirt one could already see the peaking chest hair which like the rest of his hair was also thick.His build resembled what Jikad would imagine a blacksmith from the age of vikings would look like. And like the rest of people in this place he was abnormally tall. His yellow teeth didn't help with his image either,he looked as if he had rabies or something.
Thing2 was like the inverted version of thing1.Jikad had thought that there was something weird about his face until he realized that thing2 had no eyebrows. Or any hair on him to begin with. His head was bald so Jikad (from his previous encounters with bald people)automatically knew that he'd have a horrible temper.So Jikad braced himself for that.
"Hold your arms up."Thing1 ordered holding a rough looking rope. Garam didn't resist as the rope was tied around his hands. When all of them had their hands tied, thing2 said gruffly"Follow quietly and don't try anything stupid."
They were led through a libarynth of streets with thing1 at the front and thing2 at the back. Jikad's feet had started to ache but thing1 and 2 didn't look very open to letting them take a break. Eventually the buildings became less dense and dingy. After a while some beams of light also seemed to peer from in between the buildings.
Jikad also saw a few passersby who didn't seem to bat an eye at the very clearly tied up people held hostage by frighteningly huge thugs. Jikad assumed that they were maybe too scared to walk up to thing 1 and 2.
'But shouldn't someone at least notify the police?' He continued to think that maybe there weren't any police in this place after all.
As if on cue,an officer appeared. Jikad assumed he was one because of his black uniform bearing the sun crest and the sword sheathed at his side. There was no way a local would just walk around carrying a sword in uniforms.
They met eyes and the unexpected happened. The officer frowned as if Jikad's was in the wrong or something before resuming on his walk as if he hadn't seen anything.
'What the hell is wrong with people in this place.' Jikad could not count the number of times he had wondered this.
The street seemed wider than the one they previously started on. There were also more people on the road as compared to before. They were all dressed as commoners though. Some were pulling on carts covered in goods of some sort. Others were carrying their own luggages. The street seemed to be bustling with people busy with their own.
The houses seemed to be in better conditions as compared to the ones they saw when first entering this place.
TRADING CENTRE
The huge sign Infront of the six story building read. It was the tallest building Jikad had seen so far and the noisiest. The entrance was huge and crowded with people and animals a like.
There wasn't a separate exit so people entering and leaving bumped into each other in the process.There were hawkers at the entrance loudly trying to lure customers in.
Jikad could see all sort of people there.Those leaving had goods over their backs and some were carrying things inside.
Thing1 bulldozed his way through the crowd knocking unsuspecting people out of the way with his huge shoulders. Jikad was actually greatfull for bigfoot's( thing1's nickname) huge build for clearing the way for them. With his current body,Jikad would have been crushed by the crowd of people.
The inside wasn't far from what Jikad had expected. Dozens of merchant shops lined on each side adorning with all kinds of goods. Others had more open stalls having laid their goods on a mats on the floor. Geese, rabbits ,chickens,ducks and other animals were caged in multiple stalls.
Jikad also saw some exotic birds with beautiful colourful feathers also caged. The entire place was bustling with activities. Some merchants were in heated debates with their customers while others were busy loading on goods to their backs.
The strong smell of spices hit Jikad as they passed by one stall, followed by the stench of fish on the next stall. The place truly did live up to it's title of 'trading centre'. It was a market place what supplied all sorts of things
'including people apparently.'Jikad was surprised so see other people tied up like himself also being dragged along by thug- looking dudes.
'No wonder no one batted an eye on the road when they saw us tied up.' Jikad thought to himself.
Making their way through the bustling crowd,they headed for a flight of stairs at the end of the hall. Jikad soon realized how hard it was climbing stairs with your hands bound could be. He missed a step and tripped stumbling forward before slamming his face into the butt of thing1.
Since they were on an inclining plane,Jikad couldn't pull himself back as his hands were tied up.And since it was also his first time having his face buried in another man's butt,any effort to wiggle himself back only delved him deeper between the cheeks. I suppose the weirdest part of this whole thing was how bigfoot(thing1) was frozen in place as Jikad's face was half buried in his butt.
"mmmmp" Jikad's muffled voice came out as he struggled in frustration. He was then roughly pulled back by a very angry looking thing2.The veins on his bald head looked almost purple as if they would pop at any moment.
"What the hell do you think you're doing to our little junior!" He snarled lathering Jikad in his spit.
"Wha- huh, I'm wasn't - W,wait JUNIOR?!"
Jikad's words were a jumbled mess.
'This seven foot bearded viking-looking man? Junior??'
Jikad would have thought that thing2 was joking if not for how his face had contorted in rage.
"What were you doing to a child you pervert!"
If Jikad's eyes open any wider they would have fallen off his head.
'Child? is he talking about bigfoot?no way'