Ulmar, Brayno and Angela returned to the camp of the Fang. There, they saw Ringorne training with Binshil.

“It looks like the young kid is holding up pretty well.”, said Brayno.

“I know, he keeps on improving.”, said Lakish.

“Maybe he can become the future leader of Fang or he could become the strongest fighter in the world.”, said Brayno.

“He does have the potential to be one, but never underestimate the strength of the top fighters or sorcerers in this world.”, said Lakish.

“I know, but can’t I be optimistic for this kid?”, said Brayno.

“You may. Just make sure that those expectations are somewhat realistic.”, said Lakish.

“Hahahahaha. Sure. But then again, who can really match the Grand Magoi.”, said Brayno.

“Yeah. I don’t think anyone of us can handle the Grand Magoi in battle.”, said Lakish.

Ringorne and Binshil stopped their training. The former told the latter to take a short rest and talked with Brayno.

“This one is a different bodyguard mission. Apparently, an entire clan wants to move to the north. They are paying us a lot of GolCreds to ensure their safety.”, said Ringorne.

“It only means one thing. What ever the clan’s issue is, they may be facing a strong enemy.”, said Brayno.

“And you want to be careful with it, aren’t you. All right, we can always say that we can only escort them up to a certain area.”, said Ringorne.

“No, what I meant is that this might be for our benefit. The challenge of going after strong people may ultimately help our group.”, said Brayno.

“Agreed. Our entire group should go.”, said Ringorne.

“Alright then. But what about Binshil, will he be alright?”, asked Brayno.

“That is why everybody should go. At least one of us will be able to make sure that the kid is safe from harm.”, said Ringorne.

“Got it, leader. We will ensure that Binshil is kept safe from harm.”, said Brayno.

“I know you will. Now let’s go on ahead.”, said Ringorne.

“Wait, me and Angela have to tell you something.”, said Brayno.

“What is it?”, asked Ringorne.

“I think we need to discuss this in her tent.”, said Brayno.

“Alright then.”, said Ringorne.

Ringorne and Brayno went to Angela’s tent. There, Angela looked around and saw that no one saw them.

“Why are you so secretive about this?”, asked Ringorne.

“Because of this.”, said Angela.

Angela took out a glowing gemstone from her pouch and showed it to Ringorne.

“Where did you get those?”, asked Ringorne

“In the Amarino forest. There are plenty of these gemstones in the area.”, whispered Angela.

“Those are very valuable.”, said Ringorne.

“Now you know why we are being secretive about this.”, said Brayno.

“I know, others must not know, for we may be a target by other groups.”, said Ringorne.

“That’s not all.”, said Brayno.

Brayno then brought out his pack and out came 8 gemstones.

“So, we have nine gemstones in total?”, asked Ringorne.

“Yes, we have.”, said Brayno.

“Alright. Ensure that no one else sees those, and prepare to move.”, said Ringorne.

“Sure thing, boss.”, said Angela.

“Will do so, old friend.”, said Brayno.

The group then prepared to move and started their march towards the north. The group hiring them mentioned that they would meet at a certain town. A town named Quanxo. Remembering that the town is the area where he met Angela and Lakish, Brayno went to her side and told her,

“I don’t know what to say. It somehow feels nostalgic that our next mission is at the town we once met.”

“I know. To be honest, this town is just as corrupt as my hometown but at the same time, I met you and Ringorne in this town, and changed my life for the better.”, said Angela.

“Let’s make good memories then.”, said Brayno.

The group continued their journey towards the town, with Ringorne continuing to train Binshil while they are having a temporary stopover. The training sessions were intense but at the same time, it was clear that Binshil is growing in strength. His determination is clear as shown in his eyes, and it seems that he is just as relentless as Ringorne.

He will make a great commander, thought Brayno.

The group continued to travel until they met the other group at the town of Quanxo. There, they were greeted by the leader of the clan. A man named Orlone.

“Welcome friends, my name is Orlone. I am the leader of clan Messoggi. We hope to seek peace and allegiance with other people. We do not wish to fight with other groups.”

“Alright. We are the group called Fang of the Sabres. We seek to give shelter and a home to those who badly needed one.”, said Ringorne.

“That is a good objective, I wish the best for your group.”, said Orlone.

“Thank you. Oh, and you can call me Ringorne.”

“Well, let’s have a safe journey, Ringorne. Me and my clan depend on you.”, said Orlone.

The group started their journey north. Due to the large size of the traveling group, they traveled slowly. The slower travel gave Ringorne more time to train Binshil. As the two kept on training, Ringorne started to take interest in Binshil’s growth.

To ensure that they won’t get targeted, Ringorne instructed his group that only a select few would go into the towns to collect goods and resources to help them in their journey. For the first town, it was simply Angela and Brayno who would go and gather needed resources as well as information from the town.

The duo entered the town and bought some supplies and in a secret mission from Ringorne, exchange their gemstones for GolCreds.

No one else must know, except the other commanders. thought Brayno.

After receiving a large amount of GolCreds, the two continued on their shopping, to buy replacements for some of their items that are getting older and rusty. However, Brayno sensed something feels off. Whispering to Angela, Brayno shared his thoughts.

“I think we are being followed.”

“Wait a second.”, whispered Angela.

Closing her eyes, Angela tried to use her other senses to see if there is someone following them, but it appears that there is nobody.

“I think you’re just being paranoid, Brayno. However, we do need to be more careful. If your hunch is right, we may be in trouble.”, whispered Angela.

The two decided to walk more carefully and ensure that they were lost in the crowd of people, so that if they were indeed being followed, no one would detect them. With a successful blend with the crowd, Brayno and Angela managed to get out of the town. Immediately, they went to the tent of Ringorne, ensuring that they were not being followed.

Talking with Ringorne, the pair told them about the gemstone costs 250,000 GolCreds each, and with them selling their nine gemstones, they made 2,250,000 GolCreds, enough to last for 2 years.

“Let’s just finish this mission, and then we can rest for a while.”, said Ringorne.

“Alright. But we need to keep an eye on our resources. It is not enough that we protect it, we need to make sure that no one else knows that we have such an amount of GolCreds in our hands. Other groups might attack and pillage us if they have that knowledge.”, said Brayno.

“Agreed. Let’s keep it a secret for now.”, said Angela.

“Yeah. Although, we may tell Ulmar and Lakish, but only them.”, said Ringorne.

“I’ll summon them.”, said Brayno.

Quietly, Brayno told Lakish and Ulmar to meet the other commanders in the tent, since Ringorne would tell them something confidential.

“Guys, you are all gathered here since we are the commanders of Fang. I now ask you to keep a secret from everyone so that we won’t be targeted by forces who want nothing but our downfall.”, said Ringorne.

“Here it goes. Currently we have 2,250,000 GolCreds due to the gemstones found by Brayno and Angela in the Amarino forest. As a group, we intend to go back to the areas near the forest, so we can dig up the gemstones and sell them to the merchants and ensure our survival.”, said Ringorne.

“But won’t the villagers in Amarino forest react negatively to your selling of the gemstones?”, asked Ulmar.

“Surprisingly, they don’t. The villagers only care about creating medicines and cures for injured travelers. They want to save lives.”, said Brayno.

“Admirable from them, but ultimately foolish.”, said Lakish.

“I agree with you on that one. They could make more money or increase the wealth of their village if they do decide to monetize the gemstones, but they won’t.”, said Brayno.

“Regardless of the situation, it appears that the villages would allow us to get these gemstones.”, said Angela.

“And that is why I don’t want any of you to squeal or tell anybody about these gemstones. These are rare items that can affect the health of our group. We are not as strong as we want to be, and we need to ensure that those stones are in safe hands.”, said Ringorne.

“We promise”, said the other commanders of Fang

The commanders then went out of the tent, one by one so that others won’t get suspicious on where they went. With that in mind, the commanders strengthened their resolve. Even if they try their best to hide their newfound knowledge, it would only be a matter of time before the other groups would know how much wealth they have, and the knowledge on the source of their wealth.

The group continued their journey north and met other groups. The attackers were vicious and dangerous, but they were no match for the entire group of Fang. Moving from town to town, Fang and the Messogi Clan faced challenge after challenge, with the former managing to defeat them again and again.

During their journey, Brayno saw Ringorne bonding with Binshil. Knowing how much his friend miss his older brother and his need for a family, Brayno smiled quietly in the corner.

Maybe this kid would reinvigorate something that was lost from Ringorne. He is already the strongest one in our group, but I think, he keeps holding himself back. thought Brayno.

Suddenly, Angela went towards Brayno’s side. Whispering to him, she told him,

“Brayno, it seems that one of us already has a child of his own.”

“I know, even if we do become a married couple, our leader already has a child of his own, or maybe a younger brother he never had.”

“How did his brother die anyway?”

“They were betrayed by the person his brother trusts the most.”, said Brayno

“What the heck?”, said Angela.

“I knew that I shouldn’t have said that but seeing him in this state makes me realize that at least you have got to know this. After all, I don’t wish to keep anything from you.”, said Brayno.

“I know. No more secrets between us then.”, said Angela.

“Yup.”, said Brayno.

“Well, I have a secret of my own. Lakish and I are not related by blood.”, said Angela.

“Not related by blood?”, asked Brayno.

“When my parents and my relatives died, I was left on my own. Unlike my brother, I was already strong enough to handle myself. I was trained by my parents when I was a young kid, to ensure that I can protect myself from slavers and anyone who would go after me.”, said Angela.

“How did you meet Lakish?”, asked Brayno.

“When I was wandering from town to town, I encountered a young thief. I saw that he was rugged and dirty. Bumping to him, I saw the face of a child struggling with life. He may look innocent, but those eyes tell a different story. It is full of sadness and anger. Him attempting to steal my cash gave me an opportunity to chase after him, and know him.”, said Angela.

“He stole from you? With the two of you so close right now, I never thought that Lakish and you used to be antagonistic from one another.”, said Brayno.

“After cornering him, I decided to knock him out. Bringing him to my traveling cart, I gave Lakish some sort of food. The smile he gave at that time would leave a mark on me. It is as if someone has given that kid a chance.”, said Angela.

“How did you and Lakish became sworn brothers?”, asked Brayno.

“After that one act of kindness, Lakish would not stop following me around. It seems that for Lakish, I am the key to a home and to safety for him. As a stranger, I cannot simply take this kid in my journeys. But as an older sibling, I can take the kid wherever I go, and I would have a reason to protect him.”, said Angela.

“Can’t you just take care of Lakish as a guardian?”, asked Brayno.

“No, when I saw Lakish, it is clear that he needs a family, and I have to adopt the kid as my younger brother. I have to raise him and take care of him. The kid is alone in the world and needs someone who can give them food and shelter. Lakish is a lonely kid and he should never roam the streets on his own.”, said Angela.

“I see. And that is why you two are so close. You are practically his savior.”, said Brayno.

“I know.”, said Angela.

The group continued their journey to north and would continue to encounter threats and some merchants who would offer them their goods. Sometimes, a group of monks would walk with them and provide guidance to them. As they approached town after town in their journey, Brayno started to get more suspicious. For him, the journey seemed easier now that they are nearing their destination. But he feels as uneasy as ever. To ensure the safety of their group, Brayno would alert Angela from time to time. Although she reassures him that they are not in any danger due to the power of Ringorne and Brayno, she would be vigilant.

When Fang and the Messogi Clan reached the town of Falcris, they were blocked by a group wearing the symbol of a jaguar. The leader of the group showed himself to Fang, and upon seeing his face, Brayno is filled with fear.

It was Slephenne.

“It seems that the famous Fang fell into my trap.”, said Slephenne.

“What do you mean by trap?”, asked Ringorne.

“The Messogi Clan were never your allies, they were hired by me to lure you out.”, said Slephenne.

Upon the snapping of Slephenne’s fingers, the Messogi Clan attacked Fang and ambushed them. Although they are prepared to fight, Fang was caught by surprise and were not able to provide a strong counterattack towards the Messogi Clan.

Seeing the carnage and betrayal, Ringorne got angry and started to slice thru the Messogi Clan and managed to cut down their leader, Orlone. With his strength and fierce determination, a sure defeat almost became an improbable victory, until Slephenne and his men stepped in.

Slephenne attacked Lakish, Ulmar and Angela, knocking them out. Brayno and Ringorne attempted to attack him, but the latter simply evaded all their attacks. With his powerful kicks, he knocked out Brayno, leaving Ringorne to fight him alone.

I hope you can defeat him, old friend. thought Brayno as he faded into unconsciousness.

When his eyes opened, he saw that a good amount of Fang was wiped out by Slephenne. Luckily, he, Lakish, Ulmar, Angela, Ringorne and even Binshil survived the attack. But basing on his estimates, 80% of their group was wiped out.

Ringorne, bloodied and defeated simply told them,

“Let’s retreat to the Amarino forest.”