Jonas and his core group watched the mass of tents and soldiers that stood at the very edge of the city guard’s arrows. The bandits wore mismatched armors and leathers that left them looking more like a band of broke vagabonds than the skilled and thriving rangers and bandits they actually are.

None had come in any formation, coming out of the tree lines a few at a time until there were thousands upon thousands shifting and moving around and setting up a camp in front of the city gates. What became obvious after a few hours was that there was actually three camps with a few distinct characteristics that made it all the more clear once they focused on them.

The first and easiest to identify were the Big Cats. To start, they looked nothing more than the villagers within the bounds of the walls. They were thin, bruised, and easy to underestimate. Most looked young, but were probably well into their twenties. They made their entire camp around a large pavilion that was colored with a hundred different greens.

Camouflage. That's the word. Their tents could literally hide right in front of everyone else just because they were the perfect color to hide among the bushes and trees.

But that didn’t really make them all that special honestly. All three camps had the same colorways and were based around a single pavillion. Seemed like a structured and formulated structure to setting up camp they’ve set up and standardized among each other.

But, that was beyond the point.

The Big Cats were easily distinguishable because they walked around or rode on massive feline beasts. From tigers, to leopards, and even lions that looked out of place in the setting. Almost every single one of them rode on their own mount strutting around with agile grace.

At the very least, the beasts looked healthy. No starved cats around that camp.

“Where’s your mount?” Jonas asked.

The old bandit, Marki was his name, was now a part of his crew and a very loyal member of the group. Jonas wasn’t sure what Ash made him do or forced him to go through, but the man flinched every time he saw her. You’d think a true and tried bandit would be afraid of a very few things, yet he was completely shook by the woman.

Marki pulled at the cuffs of his brand spanking new leather armor and cloth underneath--only his face was not covered. Custom made and mana infused. “Scanty’s down there, milord. She been prowling round the city. She probably worryin about me much. A sweat girl with a bad temper. I been spoiling her since birth.”

Jonas laughed. Then began to shake his head. “Cats are great, but dogs are where I would go for if they were as large. Better hunters when you are coordinating with them. And would be wonderful in a battle.”

He rubbed his chin. Deep in thought and just as zoned out again.

How awesome would it be to have an entire squad of seven feet tall, at the shoulders, bulldogs or terriers. Not only would he have the large cats in a squad--he’d have to get it from Marki how they did it--but another group of beasts that would bring fear to the hearts of any army that stood before them on the plains.

The thought of it made him beyond giddy. He would need to do many experiments to find the best way to get them to grow so large. He had seen quite a few dogs, thought they didn’t really look like any he had ever seen--larger even thought they were starved. Almost like they were double muscled.

Yet, they were barely taller than his waist. In a world filled with energy and an opportunity to enter the first stage of the Path. Small dogs without their own super strengths and abilities, they would be more a disadvantage than a force to be feared. They’d have to be feed, cleaned, groomed, buildings requisitioned for their living and man power diverted into taking care of them.

Would be more than a waste if they never produced on the field of battle.

But more so would be the cost in gold. The thought of wasting even a single coin made him shiver in utter disgust.

“Ash!” he called. He looked around trying to find her.

She was currently speaking with Destrian and his core group of knights. Probably getting some planning done incase of siege does occur. Never want to be caught unprepared, especially against what seemed to be an elite group of fighters.

Once she heard him, she quickly made her way towards him. “Yes, Master.”

“Get a few soldiers to find the most exception hounds and dogs available in the city. Make sure they are big, strong, and fast. Oh! And ask Melinda--is she okay, I haven’t seen her since Clay almost fried her brain at Petrous--if there is a way to make them grow into large beasts and enter the first stage of the path, at the very least.”

“Err...dogs?”

Jonas raised an eyebrow. Ash usually understood the moment he spoke. “Yes. Dogs. Hurry to it then.”

“Master, I must discourage using so many resources on just dogs. They are known to have low ceilings once they enter the path.”

“Tell me, Ash. Has anyone ever used as many resources as I have available to me?”

Ash scratched the back of her head. “No. No one would use as much as I think you're going to on just...dogs.”

“Alright then. But make sure you save more than enough for the drake eggs. Don’t want to die of blood loss, that would be a terrible way to go.”

Ash bowed. “Yes, Master. As you command.” She spun on her feet and began shouting at the soldiers around her.

Jonas could rest easy now that Ash had it underhand. He knew well enough that everything he asked for would get done and in the most excellent way possible.

He turned back towards Marki. The man was shaking in his clean and nice looking leathers. “Where were we?”

“S-scanty?”

“Yes. Scanty...err...nevermind.” He would have to wait a bit until the man stopped shaking in fear. How long that would take, he didn’t know. But what he did was that he’d have to learn as much about the leaders of the bandits groups before he met them.

Always go in with an advantage to get the best of the talks. Even if you have no idea what the talks weere actually about.