Dark Bane Crew

"How many?"Asked Kain, looking at Robert, who had reported that some refugees had come to join them.

After Robert had went to the refugees camp in disguise, handed some coins to some sturdy and rowdy looking refugees and whispered about a new bandit crew under a Rank 4 Sky Warrior Chief, many had come forth in group or alone to join them. A hundred and twenty-one had already joined the crew, which Kain had christen as the Red Ogre Crew.

"Around thirty, Young master," Said Robert, "they are being led by a ruffian called Dorlock."

"Are they armed?" asked Kain.

"No, young master," came the reply," as a matter of fact, they are a wretched and raggedy group of ruffians."

"Let them in after checking properly," Said Kain,"tell them the rules and also, call me boss not young master."

"Understood, Young-- Boss," Said Kain, curtly bowing as he go out of the cave.

Thanks to his warrior body, Kain was healed but not completely. Still he can fight on his feet but his full strength hadn't came back yet.

The place he was room at was Black Dog personal quarter and was more decently fitted than the other chambers of the cave.

For the past three days, Kain and Robert had explored every part of the cave. There were sixteen such chambers. There were two secret path other than the mouth of the cave which led out.

The two had also looted the corpses and the cave out of every valuables. They found coins worth of atleast a thousand galleon and valuables of around two thousands. The rumour about the Moorland Dogs being a large bandit crew having more than a hundred proved to be false but the wealth they had accumulated was true for their infamy.

Kain will use the hideout to establish his crew hegemony in the south. He didn't had to return to the Castle for a month as he is supposed to be on a journey to the Southern city. However, he had told Robert to regularly sent courier birds once a week in order not to draw suspicions or worries. He had also sent courier to the twins with directives on how to proceed.

Kain didn't bother to check out the new recruits or welcome them. He was busily marking the map of the territory he had brought with him from the castle. There were about twenty farmland in the Moorland but only few were operational and three villages which used to be under the control of the defeated crew. But half of the moorland with thirty farmland and five village was in the control of another bandit group called the Dark Bane crew. What attracted his attention was the location of the Dark band camp. It was one of the iron mines.

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"Captain, the chief is calling for all the captains to the war chamber," Said a messenger to a young man who was working on cleaning his sword at the entrance of the cave while talking to several other bandits.

The Young man was around his mid twenties and had a good physique unlike the rest of the bandits. He wore some light leather Armor and was armed with a short sword and a bow. He had a short and slim body with a hawk nose, brown eyes and black hair. Like most people of the southern desert, he had tanned but fair skin.

"So, the time has come to meet the Chief," Said he, straightening up.

Edoras was a refugee from the Southern war but was neither a Zephyrian nor Ashuran. He was from a tribe of wandering nomads of the desert called Zerubian, which can be translated into People of the desert in Ashuran. His tribe had also escape to the north as the war saw his people killed left and right in both states. In fact, almost a thousand of his tribe people was in the Dyke territory.

Edoras was appointed as a captain because he was one of the few warriors in the crew. He was a recently awakened warrior, a late bloomer to be exact. Warriors normally awake at the age of eighteen to twenty at the latest but some awakes beyond that as well upto the age of twenty-five. Edoras awakened a month ago at the age of twenty-four while fighting against a band of thieves who snuck in to steal from his clan people, who were living outside the wall of Castle Dyke for three months.

He was appointed as Captain over fifty Zerubian bandits by the mysterious mask lieutenant, Sky Mask when they first arrive two days ago but hasn't seen the chief so far, who had hidden himself at his quarter, which only Sky Mask and the chief's four concubines could enter.

Edoras entered the cave and walked through the tunnel, taking the twists and turns. He came across other bandits, some saluting him while others glared at him. The tunnel were lit with torches to illuminate the path, so he had no trouble navigating.

"The Chief is awaiting you," Said the guard, who was station outside the war chamber, which was barred by a flap of hide.

Edoras nodded and entered the chamber. It was one of the biggest chamber in the cave. It was properly illuminated with torches on all four corners.

A table made of mud and stones was in the middle and several people were standing around it. However, only one person was seated on a thronelike chair made of wood and hides. On the right, the tall and refined stature of a bearded middle-aged man wearing a silver face mask that the upper face and black hooded cloak stood, silent and intimidating as ever.

All six captains in the chamber were warriors but there were none who were not looking at the seated man in fear. It was not the monstrous glaive nor the mask, which was shape in the face of a red fanged demon. It was the aura that was being released from him that terrified them. Cold and threatening, full of malice and bloodlust.

"Captain Edoras of the Green Mask troupe reporting Sir," Shout Edoras, his teeth shivering all along.

"It seems all the Captains are here," Said Sky Mask, nodding to Edoras to take to his right, "Then let us convene the strategy regarding the attack on the Dark Bane crew hideout."

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