A ROUGH NIGHT

It was almost mid night.

Kai, Ken and Cyer were all by the fire, Kai had fallen asleep, as Ken and Cyer sat observing the flame.

"So, you buried it eh, what did you find out about it?" Ken inquired.

"Age 28, female, from the southern lands, died three days ago, cause of death extreme torture. The body after being violated that is to say... raped... was left to rot."

"I see, so why doesn't it reek by now?"

"The moss that covered it, it has special properties of hiding one's presence. The local wildlife makes good use of this fact, I believe that would be the reason as well as to why no animal has eaten it till now or why I can't sense its presence or smell." Cyer replied

"Is that so? I wonder if this has anything to do with the disappearances in this area?"

"Yes, I concur, the number of disappearances is abnormally high, and one cannot solely blame the wildlife."

"Well, I guess I should place Kai here in his bed."

"Kenviar, are you and Kai friends?"

" What?"

"Are you and Kai friends?" repeated Cyer

"That depends on what you understand by friends, now let me place him in his bed. You look tired as well get some rest yourself."

"I might just."

Ken stood up pointing a finger at Kai, levitating his body towards the tent, following it inside he placed him in his bed. Seated back around the fire, he saw Cyer whose eyes were fixed on the flame still.

A strange bird sound could be heard in the distance; Ken merely looked in the direction.

"Trouble..." Cyer said alarmed standing upright, he drew his weapon. Ken alarmed at Cyer's actions looked around, his eyes went full rustic.

"Bandits, nearly thirty of them" Ken said

Cyer tightened his grip on his sword, "shouldn't you wake Kai?"

"I have a plan, follow my lead." said Ken, grinning.

Kai felt a falling sensation, as he jerked open his eyes, he felt that he was tied up.

"Not again," he thought. Still sleepy he began to analyze the situation. The whole area was lit up with torches. Large brutish men were scattered around the place, and all his belongings were piled up.

"Boss, he is awake," A husky voice sounded close to Kai.

Kai was amidst what looked like, bandits with his own two companions nowhere to be seen.

"You boy, who are you?" a large man wearing a cape with a pirate sword slung across his back was speaking.

"Me... I am Kai, from Aube" said Kai adjusting his eyes.

"From Aube eh, what are ya doin in Hubok" the large man inquired

"I was attempting to cross the forest."

The bandits were everywhere. There was no chance of escape.

"Aaah, where after that?"

"I am travelling south towards the academy," Kai answered observing the situation.

"Oh, joining up with them wolves eh, boy?"

"Well, that was the plan."

"Boss nothing valuable here, other than the bracelets on his hands" A bandit came forward and reported to the large man.

"Bracelets," the boss looked at Kai's wrist, "oh hoho, those be mighty fine ones, boy."

"You can have them if they come off," said Kai,

Ken and Cyer were missing, their cups and belongings were still there though.

"Oh, we will, we will."

"Boss there is one more bedding here!" a bandit with a meek voice called out.

"Eh, boy was anyone else with ya?"

Kai thought for a while and then answered without hesitation, "Yes, I had two companions with me till before I slept, I think they are hiding somewhere." He quickly finished" smiling a little at ratting his comrades out.

"The cups, boss, three of em, he speaks the truth." came a voice from behind

"Oh so yr friends abandoned ya eh, I wouldn't call em friends though"

A rustling sound was herd from a tree somewhere, a branch braking, the bandits quickly turned around.

"You! go check that out," spat the boss at a nearby person, who quickly went off.

"So, what did yr friends look like?" the boss inquired further.

One was wearing a black trouser and a white shirt almost as tall as me, the other was dressed in copper green, I think they are hiding in the trees." Kai replied, truthfully again.

"Oh ho, I like you boy, corporation with us increases yr chances of livin," the boss commented smirking.

"It was just a monkey boss," the man from before came back with a dead monkey in his hand."

"Eh, they probably ran off"

"Boss this loot isn't worth much, coming here was a waste" the bandit from earlier was saying.

"Silence, I say what is or ain't a waste, pick up everythin and search for his two friends."

"Boss if we don't set out now, we won't make it back in time!" the same man interjected again.

"Arrh, we are leaving, pick this one up as well," The boss pointed at Kai

A man approached Kai,

"Err, Boss," said Kai. "If it isn't enough trouble, I could walk you know you can tie me up so that I don't run away" Kai said eyeing the approaching man.

"Huh..."

"It's just that being hoisted feels a bit uncomfortable."

"Hahaha, I like ya kid, let him walk" he added to the bandits.

"Thank you."

The bandits tied Kai and packed everything before setting off, torches lighting their way.

"So, kid you were going to the academy eh?" the boss asked as they made their way through the jungle,

"Yeah, I was" Kai answered politely.

"Aube eh, that snow-covered hell hole. Not many rich families there as I recall, what did ya do there?" the boss inquired stroking his beard as they kept walking.

"I worked at an Inn."

"An inn eh, I can see why you want to join up with them wolves."

"Ahaan, err boss... can I ask what it is that you have planned to do with me?" Kai inquired looking at the tall man.

"with you? probably sell ya off, an auction. You have a strong build so that be the most profitable use."

"Auction? as in to sell me to the highest bidder?" Kai asked his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," the boss replied looking over at something ahead in the distance.

They continued to walk for what seemed like several hours, to the point that Kai's feet hurt. The jungle got thicker and thicker as the mist grew denser. Beyond one-point Kai was convinced they were moving in circles but thought better than to express his weakness.

"Hey, Boss,"

"Yeah?" the man replied, looking over his shoulder at towards Kai.

"Why did you guys become bandits?" Kai asked.

The boss shook his head a bit then replied, "Well that because of them white wolves. See we were just a local gang at a town not far from here, kept to ourselves, never took more than our share either. Then one day, they show up and pick a fight with us. They drove us off our own lands."

"Oh, I see" kai commented at the boss who was getting more and more involved with his own story.

"See, they drove us out, and well we didn't have anything to live off of, so we joined up with them bandits and here we are. I hate them wolves ya know, a few days back they even tried to attack our den, though another group faced em off"

"What happened?" Kai asked curious about this info.

"We showed em, killed every last one of em," the boss answered.

"Oh..." Kai answered quickly shaking his head.

"Well, it wasn't just the wolf who drove us out, the good for nothin towns people also had a hand in it, huh. but I have forgiven them see I decided not to hold on to the past, gonna start fresh with these guys, and ever since I joined up good things have been happenin" The boss went on with his tale.

"That's quite noble of you," Kai answered.

"It is aint it."

Kai and the bandits continued for quite some time during which the bandit boss opened more to him, telling him stories of what he called the good old days. After a few hours, they came to a stone path where the group halted. The boss ordered a man to go forward into the mist.

A few minutes later a strange bird like sound was heard after which the group started moving again,

"Had to let em know it was us," the boss commented as they made their way through what looked like natural and unnatural obstacles, traps and such, soon enough they entered a kind of a village, buildings of odd shapes, people of odd tastes, the entire area was lit up with torches. The populace was all around, from thieves to bandits to gamblers to whores. It seemed like a center for criminal activity.

"Welcome boy, to the devil's nest, Oh no no no this aint the actual devil's nest, it's just named after it" the boss added looking at Kai's amazed expression who had no idea what the boss was saying. The area had stalls and stores as well but what caught Kai's eye were the cages and prison cell that housed both humanoids and exotic creatures. It was as Kai realized a slave market as well.

After talking to some people, the boss, told one of his men to lock Kai up in a cage isolated from others.

"I like ya kid, so this will be your cage. The others won't bug ya much here, well anyway good night. Hahahah" the boss spoke as he walked away while Kai was locked up.