Allies

"How can I serve you." the younger and taller man said, and after a brief pause, he added with some noticeable unwillingness in his tone, "Sir.".

"At first, Ryu thought that this might be another attempt at deception on the part of the slaves because he expected a person who should be the leader of the slaves. And the young man, appearing to be the same age as Ryu, did not express the image of the leader of the rebellious slaves.

"I would like to talk about an arrangement we made a few days ago." Ryu tried to bring the subject, but Ian made a thoroughly confused face, so Ryu decided to make himself more clear, "It's about destroying the highvale base, here at the mines, and rescuing you guys."

As soon as Ryu finished speaking, two out of the three men in his front expressed a shocked reaction; Ian and the short one, while the old one managed successfully to hide his emotion.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Sir." Ian said, trying to recompose his face, and this time, he was quick to add the address of respect.

"Listen." Ryu started, not knowing how to start, and that they would try to deny with all their effort. Then Ryu tried to be honest and straight, "I talked to you through a hole on the wall, you gave me gem to and said me to go to a town and hire mercenaries to come and rescue you, I said I would do it myself, so here I am to discuss the plan with you guys. So, please, if you drop the act, so we can start."

Once Ryu finished his little speech, a footstep work on his back drew his attention. At this moment, Ryu realized that he probably had screw things over as he placed himself in between four men, inside a closed dark tunnel.

"Stop right there!" Ryu looked at his back, held up his index finger, and said in a firm tone, hoping to get Shawn to stop before things turned violent, and the man obeyed his order instantly, standing still at a distance of two steps as he looked at Ryu. However, this was a trick played by Shaw; to draw Ryu's attention to his back.

When Ryu was still looking behind, he saw a shade running along the wall. In a matter of a fraction of a second, both the old and the short man moved to attack Ryu, the old one came with an improvised ill-crafted stone knife, while the short one moved the pickaxe to smash Ryu from head to toe.

Without time to draw his staff, Ryu activated the vanishing raindrop steps and disappeared from his place. Then the knife stabbed where Ryu's stomach should have been, but it was harmlessly empty, as did the pickaxe, which fell heavily to the ground, giving the short man's hand a sharp recoil.

Ryu appeared behind Shawn with an angry face, but he still did not draw his weapon as he knew that this would eradicate any further chance to make things clear. But this did not mean that if the four men decided to press further on him, he would passively wait until they calm down to hold a conversation.

"Where is he?" Shawn yelled as he lost track of Ryu. But the other three had a perfect view of Ryu positioned behind Shawn, and so they stopped moving, fearing for their friends' lives.

"I am right here." Ryu said, trying to keep his voice the calmest as possible.

"That was quite impressive." Shawn said, giving a step closer to the other three guys, then he spoke further, "Since you didn't attack from behind, I will assume that killing me isn't your intention. So, now, tell me, what do you want?"

"I literally just told you." said Ryu, "I came to discuss a strategy to destroy this base."

"Enough toying with us. If it is a bribe that you want, we can arrange a jewel for you. But you will have to give us time." said Shawn.

"As I said, my intention is to fight the highvale. How can I prove you my identity?" Ryu said, getting impatient, "And, by the way, why are you talking to me? I want to talk with the chief only, so stop interrupting me and let me talk with Ian!".

"So you want to talk with chief Ian? is that it?" Shawn asked in a mocking tone that annoyed Ryu.

"He must have found the guy from before and killed him." the old man said, giving a step ahead, "we better gang up and take this guy down here and now.".

"Wait! Don't we will get in trouble for this?" Ian spoke for the first time.

"Probably. And we will receive punishment, but at least we can try another time in the future. But if this guy gets out with this information, we are doomed." the old man replied as his face became gloomier.

"Hey, can you stop talking like I am the enemy, right on my face?" Ryu interrupted.

"If you are not the enemy, why are you dressed like one?" the short man asked, leaping forward with his pickaxe in attack position.

When the short men started to move, the other three also assumed a fighting position, so the time for talk ended. And this was the clue for Ryu to pick his staff and prepare to fight.

With a pickaxe coming slowly toward his face, Ryu moved his staff horizontally to move the weapon aside. However, once the staff connected with the pickaxe, it barely managed to move the weapon aside, and it continued to follow its path toward Ryu.

Ryu immediately recognized his mistake, as he overestimated the attack when he saw the pickaxe moving so slowly that he didn't place the attack in many respects. An err that could cost him his life as that was no ordinary attack, but a skill to lock the weapon's trajectory.

Thus, Ryu pressed the staff against the pickaxe to gain lateral speed to dodge the attack by stepping aside. But, just as he dodged the first attack, the old man appeared from his blind spot, pressing the stone dagger toward his liver.

Although the stab was already coming his way, Ryu managed to pull the staff back in time, thanks to the aquatic malleability coming from his technique, and thus managed to hit the man's hand, throwing the knife away.

Before Ryu got time to breathe, Ian came running with his arms extending forward to grab Ryu into a clinch. But Ian's movements were telegraphed, which allowed Ryu to shove his staff straight into the young man's belly.

But, as Ian bent in pain, he grabbed the staff on his belly, preventing Ryu from retrieving his weapon. With the corner of his eyes, Ryu saw the short man swinging his pickaxe horizontally against Ryu.

Once Ryu's weapon got stuck in Ian's hands, he had to crouch to the ground to dodge the pick, causing it to pass centimeters from his head. Then Ryu jumped back with all his strength, releasing the weapon from Ian's hands.

"You are good. But…" Shawn, the only one not joining the fight, spoke at the end of the tunnel.