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Drusus leaned back in the driver’s seat and gently slapped the wagon with his hand to stir Keme from his sleep. “We’re almost there.” He said in his deep voice. Their destination, a small village called Altemire, was coming into view as their cart passed the last hump. The horses let out a huff as they continued their steady clopping on the dirt path, pulling along the wooden wagon with the two mercenaries inside.
It’d been a few days ride, so Keme and Drusus took turns driving while the other slept. The thief roused, shifting onto his stomach and crawling over to peek over the wagon’s edge. He folded his hands as a cushion and rest his head on them, gazing sleepily out across the green plains. The village was perhaps another hour or so ride away, but the lush greenery already started to wilt. The village itself was surrounded by rocks and mountainous terrain. And beyond that was a black mountain.
From their mission dossier, the mountain used to be a mine that the village used to send their men to, but it became too dangerous to mine safely. It was abandoned… until bandits moved in.
The village itself was quaint. It only had six or eight houses and probably twelve buildings over all.
Keme let out a long whistle. “You made some good progress while I was snoozin’.” Keme’s eyes flicked up to his partner’s face, observing him for a long moment. “When we get in, we’re looking for some guy named Norad, right?”
The monk grunted, resettling the lead for the horses in his hands. “The barman, I think.”
Eventually, Keme climbed up into the front of the wagon and rest his head on Drusus’ shoulder, leaning into him. He let out a distasteful whine. “It’s chilly up here…” He muttered, tilting his head up slightly to look at Drusus.
After a moment of consideration, Drusus moved the reins into his right hand, reached his left arm around Keme and pulled him closer in a one armed hug before passing the rein to his free hand again.
Keme sigh contentedly as Drusus’ natural heat warmed him.
They sat like that until they reached the village, then Drusus resettled himself and the reins, parking the wagon near the local bar.
Before the cart came to a stop, Keme hopped out and began fixing up his appearance. He ran his hands down his green tunic, attempting to press out any wrinkles, reset his belt more securely around his waist, and tugged down the green bandanna so it covered most of his blond hair. Aric, the Mercenary Group Leader, always told them to make the best first impression.
Meanwhile, Drusus brought the wagon to a stop. He jumped down and untied the horses, checking them for any injuries before he led them around the wagon and to the watering trough just outside the bar. He tied their reins to a post so they could rest and drink.
Keme pulled out a tarp from the back and began covering up the wagon, tying down the corners to protect from rain or prying eyes.
Drusus tugged at his black sleeveless shirt, pulled up his long purplish pants, and Keme kindly reached up and reset his red bandanna, retying it more securely for him. He grunted his thanks, and Keme grinned at him.
They walked inside together. The bar was quaint, not big like in their hometown. There were four round tables with wooden logs for seats, with barely enough room for anyone to sit. To get to the back table, a person would need to climb over the other three. The light above was dim and barely cast any light.
This was a seedy looking bar, and severely off-putting.
The barman looked up in the middle of wiping down the bar with a rag. He pushed his dirty blond hair out of his face, and scratched at his beard. He stared at the two of them for a long moment, sizing them up. Eventually, he gestured with a hand for them to take up the table closest to the bar. “What can I do for ya, gents?” His voice was gruff, but welcoming all the same.
“Norad?” Drusus muttered in a low, serious tone.
“Whatcha want with him?” The barman asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
Drusus scowled, deciding it was best to play it safe. “Need to talk with him, don’t I?”
He scoffed and shook his head. “Alright, alright. Enough games. I’m Norad. Who’re you two?”
Keme pulled out a scroll from his tunic and laid it out on the table. “You asked for help, right?”
Norad scowled. “Only the two of you? Guess we didn’t round up enough funds for a full crew…” He sighed, going about pouring them each a pint of ale.
Drusus grunted at the insinuation. “We’re more than enough.. Shouldn’t take more than the two of us.”
Keme puffed out his chest and nodded. “We’ve dealt with this kinda stuff before.”
He huffed, putting the two ales down on the table. “Didn’t mean anything by it…”
After a quick introduction, Drusus and Keme went right into asking about the job. Bandits, Norad wasn’t sure how many exactly, were holed up on the outskirts of town inside the black mountain. They talked about their boss, who seemed to be a formidable foe. He doesn’t come out of the mountain though, not that he’d seen, anyway. The cave used to be for mining a long time ago, but the villagers gave up on that a long while ago. The river nearby made it damn near impossible for them to delve too deep without worrying about the cave flooding.
With a promise that Norad would take care of their horses and their wagon while they were dealing with the bandits, Drusus and Keme prepared for their onslaught, stopping at the general shop for extra supplies.
And with that, they hiked to the bandit’s hideout.
There was a path leading up to the mountain, but they didn’t want to get caught walking up and lose the element of surprise. So, they took to climbing over the rocky terrain, which added an hour to their time.
Drusus assumed they must take vehicles to get into town. Every now and then, he looked behind him to check that Keme was still there. Especially since their last encounter with Killian the Beast, Drusus became more protective. He said he’d forget about it, that all that mattered was Keme was back with him safe… but he couldn’t forget the panging in his chest when he thought Keme might be hurt.
Keme cocked his head at Drusus’ forth check. He took his hand and squeezed it. It comforted Drusus and the raging beast inside him.
“Stay close.” Drusus murmured, fighting back a little pink in his cheeks.
He could hear Keme snicker, and that only made the blush harder to hold back. Keme neared him, his light footsteps barely audible, but his arm brushed against Drusus’ as they climbed.
Drusus released Keme once they neared the base. There only one road leading up and down to the village, and there wasn’t much plant life to hide behind. They circled the base as best they could, but there was only the one entrance in or out -- that they could see. Perhaps there was a secret entrance, but it would take too long to investigate.
“Our only option is to run in?” Keme asked quietly, studying the landscape with his keen eyes.
Drusus scowled. He hated to admit it, but it looked like that might be the only way. “We’ll get caught pretty quickly. You okay to fight that many all at once?”
Keme considered it. ‘I’d rather take them down one-at-a-time, but I don’t think we have enough info in our current situation. Maybe if we can use the area to our advantage? Small spaces, only allowing one or two through at a time?”
Drusus nodded seriously. “We won’t know until we can get inside. We’ll have to wing it.”
Keme proudly stuck up his nose. “I’m a master at that!”
The monk put his hand on Keme’s head, rubbing it appreciatively. “I’ll be counting on you.”
Keme grinned in response before nodding curtly. “Alright, let’s go.”
Drusus felt his stomach twist the closer they got to the entrance, scurrying up and around rocks to get above the cave entrance. It didn’t look like guards were stationed nearby, but that didn’t mean the hideout wasn’t heavily populated like Norad said. He let out a huff as he jumped down and peered in.
The cave seemed to wind down into the depths quickly, making it hard to gauge just how far it went. He saw the metal tracks and wooden flats where mining carts would be useful for carting around gold or other treasure they’d stolen. And there were small vehicles strewn all around the outside of the entrance.
Like a big clubhouse.
Drusus hesitated. The knot in his stomach only got worse. He shook it off and gestured for Keme to follow him with a bandaged hand.
He felt Keme drop next to him, keeping silent and close.
They knelt down, keeping their bodies low to the ground as they went inside.
It was like an underground anthill. The caverns wound and led deeper and deeper below. From time to time, the caverns would split and the two of them were forced to choose which direction to take.
‘Left… no right this time… right again?‘
The biggest worry was quickly shifting from how many bandits they needed to take down to how they were going to get out when it was over.
‘I’ll try to keep one of them alive…’ Drusus thought.
“...then I stabbed his hand!” Came a high-pitched weaselly voice from further down.
A guffaw of laughter filled the caverns, echoing around them.
Keme searched for a place to hide, but it was a wide and open space. All they could do is head back the way they came, maybe try a different path and hope that it didn’t lead to more of them.
By the time they gauged how far away the bandits were, it was too late. They came around the corner, armed with daggers. Six bandits, all sneering and laughing, paused when they noticed them.
“Oh, take a look, boys! We’ve got some rats lurkin’ around, just like he said.” The leader with a face like a weasel snickered. None of them were shocked to see them, which made Drusus feel uneasy.
They knew.
The torch light shone off the dagger’s blades as they all collectively drew them, circling around them like a pack of wild wolves. They moved in a flash, too quick for them to react.
Keme was almost to the previous cavern, but they cut him off and he was herded back-to-back with Drusus.
“I wouldn’t push your luck,” Drusus said calmly.
A burst of laughter rang in their ears. “Hey, guys! Check this out! We’ve got some r-” Weasel started, but not before Drusus rushed him and landed a punch to his jaw. There was an audible crack as Weasel’s jaw dislocated. He let out unintelligible whimpers and sobs as Drusus shoved him to the side.
“This way!” Drusus shouted, grabbing Keme by the arm and tugging him forward through the opening he made.
Keme automatically moved with him, rushing through the winding caverns and deeper into the belly of the beast. “Let’s use this space!” Keme gasped, slipping out of Drusus’ grasp and drawing his dagger. “I’ll take care of the others behind us, you keep any newcomers at bay!”
Drusus grunted, skidding to a halt, offering a little space between them for Keme to have room to move.
The bandits chased after them, but as they turned the corner Keme got a knife in one of their chests, slashing it with ease before pulling it back. The body fell at his feet and the remaining bandits had to climb over or step on their comrade to get at them.
Keme ducked a hit, duct a tendon, ducked another, slit a throat.
Drusus tried not to watch his partner at work as he heard frantic footsteps rushing towards them from the other end. All the bandit’s cries must’ve alerted the others to the brawl. He held up his fists, getting into a good fighting position just as bandit’s heads appeared around the corner.
He took down a bandit with a blow to his head before they knew what was going on, then proceeded to block two arms thrusting daggers at him. Drusus grabbed them by the wrists and squeezed. They dropped their weapons and let out gasps of pain before Drusus brought them forward and collided his elbow to the bandit’s face and a headbutt to the other.
They fell like a sack of bricks.
Behind Drusus, Keme dealt with the last bandit with ease, removing his dagger from the bandit’s chest and then scrambled over the dead bodies and back towards the entrance. “Let’s get out of here!”
But when he turned around, Drusus wasn’t there.
Keme poked his head over the pile and saw Drusus. Three pairs of hands grabbed his limbs and dragged him down. “Drusus! No!” Keme shouted, clamouring over the dead bodies to get to Drusus.
“No!” Drusus warned, struggling against them. “Get out of here!”
“But-” Keme said, shaking his head.
“Go!” Drusus screamed. They shared a look for just a moment, before Drusus grunted and lost his footing. He plunged into the bandits, a sea of hands all looking for purchase.
“I’ll come back for you!” He heard Keme shout. “I’ll come back!”
‘Don’t.’ He wanted to say. ‘Don’t come back for me!’ Drusus let out snarls and growls, helplessly trying to fight off the sheer amount of hands forcing him down.
The bandits dragged him out of the cavern, all grinning at their new captive. This next area was a small enclosure with a wide spherical shaped room where dozens of bandits all jeered at him. Drusus was shoved to the ground.
More hands than he could count groped at his body, removing his Nunchucks, potions, Gil…
And then he heard a laugh that chilled his blood.
“Hah! See who they sent to fight us? Those idiots couldn’t even afford good mercenaries.” Even from the ground, Drusus could see a large, tall man, muscular and dressed in black leather, his fingers stroking the hilt of an ornate scimitar. “We’ll make an example out of him, won’t we, boys?”
“Yes, Volk!” and a roar of cheers filled the cave and made it sound like thousands of bandits.
He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.
Volk knelt down and grabbed him firmly by the hair, dragging him up while two bandits stuck around and firmly held his arms behind his back. He felt like his neck was going to break the way the leader pulled it back.
“If you think this is over…” Drusus said through gritted teeth, “you’re sorely mistaken.” He thrashed against the bandits’ grip, but they held strong. He’d rather take down and kill as many bandits as he could, right here and now, die fighting rather than die helplessly.
Grinning, Volk released Drusus’ hair and took him by the jaw. “Your little friend going to save you, will he?” He laughed in his face, the ale on his breath enough to make Drusus sick. “I bet he ran off to leave you to die. You’ll never see him again.” He harshly shoved Drusus’ face and then waved to all his cohorts. “Let’s make sure he’s a monument to our power!”
Drusus was forced to walk as the bandits erupted in cheers and jeers. The catacombs felt endless. They wound down deeper and deeper, leading all the way down to a large area. There were tables everywhere, worn from blades, throwing, and rumbling. Trash littered the ground, and the bandits that hadn’t joined their companions were seated and eying their latest captive. In the centre of the room were several poles, and that’s where they were dragging Drusus toward.
They punched Drusus in the stomach and face several times as he squirmed and thrashed against the bandits holding him. He didn’t want to make this easy for them.
Volk lead the way, climbing up the stairs and gestured to the middle pole. “Bind him. I’d like to watch him struggle while I drink my ale. What say you?”
“I don’t care how many of you there are.” Drusus snarled. “You’re not going to continue terrorising the village! I’ll get free, and I’ll-”
“Gag him.” Volk interrupted, rolling his eyes at Drusus’ bravado.
The bandits dragged Drusus onto the stage. They quickly wrapped rope around his wrists behind the pole, being none too gentle while another set of bandits bound his legs to the pole.
“Cowards!” Drusus grunted, moving his hands just in hopes of getting the ropes looser.
The four bandits left him and two other bandits appeared, looking at each other as they approached Drusus. They snickered, each taking out a cloth bandanna and descending on Drusus. One balled the cloth up and pressed it roughly against his lips.
Drusus kept his mouth shut like a steel trap.
“C’mon! Open up, you big idiot! You was jus’ talkin’ all big a second ago, weren’t ya?”
But Drusus locked his jaw and moved his mouth left and right, avoiding the cloth as best he could.
However, after a few seconds, the bandits became impatient and harshly pinched his nose, waiting several seconds for him to open his mouth and gasp for air. They shoved the cloth inside, cutting off his bid for air, and cruelly kept pinching his nose as the other bandit pulled his bandanna between his teeth.
Drusus shook his head as hard as he could, hoping to remove the fingers. They’d kill him just to gag him!
The bandit pulled the gag back so that the cloth inside his mouth couldn’t budge an inch and the cloth bit the edge of his lips, and then he tied it to the pole behind Drusus’ head, forcing the back of his head against it.
They released him, Drusus taking in a deep breath through his nose, glaring at all the jovial faces in the room. He snarled and growled like a wild animal, his muscles flexing in his bonds. His teeth shone in the torch light, ferociously biting down on the cleave gag.
Humiliated and helpless… Drusus couldn’t handle being a captive like this. But at least he was able to save Keme… he hoped. Gods willing, he gained enough time to escape safely. He hoped against hope that Keme wouldn’t come for him. His partner would only be endangering himself.
He looked out at all the bandits, and felt his heart sink at the thought. This was more than they could’ve handled. And escape… it’s impossible.