The clans of the desert part 2

Eight riders clad in robes with their faces covered rode through the large rocks and arrived at the village's cave entrance.

"Old man. We are here to collect our protection money," one of the riders said.

The old clan leader ordered a couple of people from the village to bring forth four vases of water and a bag full of expensive tea leaves that they grew inside the caves.

"Here is the quarterly payment, as always," the old man said grudgingly.

The riders laughed.

"old man...The protection money has now doubled. We demand more," the rider said with a smile.

"That is outrageous. We won't have enough water for us then. We need also tea leaves to trade to get needed goods for our survival," one of the villagers protested.

The rider then slowly rode toward the villager and stared at her menacingly. The villager got scared and didn't dare to look back.

The rider then took out his scimitar and cut the villager on his cheek.

"Do not ever talk back to our clan ever again," the rider said.

The old man clan leader yelled to get more water vases and to collect more tea leaves.

Rufus and the rest of them looked at the villagers who had treated them nicely, being ridiculed and harmed by the other Saracens. They knew if they would try and help, they could make it only worse. They then thought that they could get help, without having them intervene and expose themselves.

The witch of the village then walked over with the large ants to confront the riders. These other clansmen didn't seem afraid and started to harass her.

"Get out of here witch! This doesn't concern you!" one of the riders yelled.

The witch just stared at them and didn't retaliate.

"You know the rules bitch. The witches can mediate but they are not to intervene," the head rider yelled out.

The witch was clinging to her scythe. She clearly was mad but was unable to do anything.

"What the hell is taking so long? You two, go and rip the entire tea plant from its roots if it makes collecting protection money faster," the head rider ordered.

Two Saracen warriors climbed off their horses and went inside the cave. They started to make a ruckus and a mess, scaring the villagers as if they were acting like a bunch of gangsters.

"Hey, where the hell are the tea bushes that they grow in these caves? Woah, look at that young girl and her bright golden blond hair.....What the hell is wrong with that kid, his skin is grey," one of the Saracen riders said.

"Take that young girl with us. You know how our boss likes them young. And smack that grey-skinned kid.....he gives me the creeps," the other Saracen said back.

Rufus and the rest of them then realized that Liana and Gwon weren't with them.

The two Saracen warriors then yelled in fear. They ran from the cave back to their horses with the other Saracens looking confused.

Gwon then stumbled out of the cave in his Seng form. On top of him was Liana, wielding weapons made from bright light.

"Well might as well now go and help...." Edward said as he jumped down from hiding.

They jumped at the Saracens and surrounded them. Edward placed his sword on their leader's throat.

"Aesians!"

"Yes, Aesians, and now you punks will leave oooooor you will leave with all of you blinded with only one of you being let to have one eye, so he can guide you back," Edward said and threatened them.

The young girl witch looked stunned with the old man clan leader of the village looking distressed.

The leader of the riders look mad and stared at the old man.

"You got Aesians here with your village!? You fucking cockroach old man! You broke one of the biggest laws we have!" the leader of the riders yelled.

The old man looked scared as the witch looked like she didn't know what to do.

"Shut up will you!" Joan said and was about to cleave the head off from the leader of the riders.

Then the witch stepped in and blocked Joan's strike with her scythe. The leader of the rabble peed his pants as he thought for sure his head would leave his body.

Some of the villagers tried to hold in their laughter, as this was the first time they had seen that man in such a state.

The witch then waved her hands and then signaled the riders to leave. The head rider wasn't budging at first, but the Sahira stared him down with the ants being ready to attack.

"Be ready for your judgment old man. You will be all finished now that you have broken one of our most sacred laws," the leader of the riders said before they rode off from the rocks and back to the desert without taking any of the goods.

The old man looked terrified and nervous like he was having a panic attack. He then started gasping for air until he passed out.

"Old man!" Rufus yelled and ran to him.

The old man quickly regained consciousness but was still feeling very uneasy.

"I am sorry that we revealed ourselves," Rufus apologized.

"No, no...I should be the one to apologize,"

Rufus and his friends looked confused.

"Now that they know you are here, they will send the witches after you. And when the witches are hunting for someone, they always will catch their prey," the old man explained.