Chapter Sixteen

“My name is Luther, I and my friend here are looking for a new place to settle.” The man who had startled me looked at me with a suspicious look, “And where are you from?” He asked, “We're from the bloody moon pack, a scuffle happened and it made us run away from home, now we're homeless and looking for a place to settle.” I replied, looking sharply aware that if he tried anything I was going to hunt him down like prey.

“Haven't you heard of the dangers that surround this forest at night? Pack your things and follow me.” He said, as he turned back, we had nothing with us so we basically just walked with him, “this forest for the past two years has had the classic mystery of having anyone in it at night disappear without trace, and after five days returning the dead piece of the people who went missing by entering the forest.” The man said I was suspicious, if the forest was as dangerous as he said, then what was he doing in here, maybe he's an evildoer that lurks in the forest, we have to keep our distance. “Brielle walks slowly behind him.” I said, and she immediately slowed down.

“You might be Wondering what I'm doing in this dangerous forest knowing fully well what danger lurks in it. “ He said, “Well when the world puts you in charge of a group of miscreants that can only destroy things, weapons of damage, you just have to become the gentle one and find the best possible means to be the best of them all.” He said, but everything he said, I couldn't understand, he was speaking in parables and I couldn't understand anything he meant, even though, I couldn't say anything all I wanted was to know I was free from danger.

After walking for about forty-five minutes, I was at the point of breaking when I saw a huge fence, with men watching it from the outside and a gate locked with the biggest keys, one I'd never seen in my whole life. “What is this place?” Brielle said, even before I could say it, she was more surprised than I was. “Welcome to the world of Bandits.” The man said, “Bandits?” I replied, wanting clarity on what he meant by the word of bandit.

“This wall here signifies the end of the world to most of us, everyone who makes up the people here had run away from where they used were from initially, and instead of making them rogue, once you come here you become a bandit, taking from people all to contribute to the growth of our new found life, and in the leader here my name is IGURO.” He said, with a cranking mischievous grin on his face, “IGURO, what sort of name is that? I haven't heard something like that since I was born. Is it because we lived in a different ideology or because the name actually doesn't exist and maybe it was just a nickname made up just to initiate fear? All these things aside, all I want is a place to lay my head, and if I notice anything wrong with the place we'll leave right away.

“Now here's the thing about being here, you can decide to leave now, but once you step beyond these walls you. Become one of us and there's no going back, you stay here and become whatever we want you to become.” He said, with a serious face, and then suddenly burst into laughter, “obviously I was joking, of course, you'd stay here without consequences. So would you cross into this new world now?” He said, at first I was being skeptical but what choice did we have? Over a thousand bloody moon pack warriors searching for us, there shouldn't be anything more scary than the bloodthirsty dogs I raised to use their teeth on me, staying with bandits would help us a lot.

“We're ready to go,” I said, and Brielle followed me, it made me wonder if she's always been that gentle or if it's because of the circumstances that she's facing. But either way, there's a whole new world in front of us left for us to explore and make the best of. “Let's go.” IGURO says, and the giant door splits open welcoming us to a sight to behold.

I thought I built a fortress with the bloody moon back, but this was much bigger, just the entrance and the beauty of the city were enchanting.

“Welcome to my world. Everything you've been and believed in us taken away, your names and identity are stripped off you, and you now become new newBorns without anything, no blood, nothing just a novice who's new to the culture here. I shall give you guys a new name after you've rested.” He said, and he started moving while we followed he headed all the way towards a castle like building, “Welcome to my humble abode.” He said it was different from what I had ever seen.

I never built something as magnificent as this, and as soon as he stepped his feet near the castle, maids rushed towards him including men who appeared to have been searching for something with the way they were covered with sweat. “ Why are you all sweating like a lamb ready to die?” He said, and laughed hard, “Take these visitors to a room and keep them there, until I request for them tomorrow, give them food and drink of the highest quality. “ He said and walked away. He was so authoritative that I felt I had to listen to him.

He had all the qualities of a great leader, but he gave me some kind of off vibes. What exactly is IGURO? It remained a mystery to me, but I had to solve the mystery of the hunger that ravaged my insides, as I could see the food I was served.