Outsiders

A loud crashing noise tore apart the tranquil ambience was quickly followed by a shrill cry of fury that exploded. Mere seconds after several shadows popped out.

It was a group of forty plus individuals, all brawny men that were madly escaping from behind the tall trees. They wore small pieces of leather armors that exposed their bare arms bulging with muscles. Everyone had different peculiar hairdos and their faces were very fierce looking. The leading man, running ahead of the group had a wolf tattoo on his neck and was also especially bald. So bald that his head even glinted sharply like a well-polished crystal ball. One could even capture a perfect picture of the ongoing apocalyptic scene from the top of his head.

"Hahaha! You lost this time, One-Eyed Snake!"

With a loud guttural laugh coming from the depths of his throat the leading bald man yelled in triumph. He was hugging a basketball sized white egg and another six of his entourage carried an egg while the rest protected them in a circle.

"Wolfgang, you're even more sinister than I am. To think you used the exact timing when the eagle appeared to ambush then abandon us, you're very good. I'll be sure to remember this!"

From behind came an angry shrill and in a whoosh another figure appeared along with thirteen others closely following behind him. This figure was actually a lanky middle-aged man close to his late fifties, wearing a black eye patch over his right eye leaving only a pitch-black left eye glaring at Wolfgang's back. He had silver hair and pale white skin exuding a sinister aura. Wearing a dark blue shirt and silver iron armor that was in tatters with frightening claw marks. His entourage were also visibly in an even more miserable state than him.

"Thanks, for the praise. I learned from studying the best after all. Ah, I wonder how much profit I'll be able to make on these."

Wolfgang chuckled in glee as he continued to escape at the fastest pace with One-Eyed Snake lagging behind.

"Hahaha! Will you even be alive to spend it?"

One-Eyed Snake coldly spoke with sinister lights flickering in his small only eye. In tandem the quaking of the ground grew a notch stronger. Something huge was approaching.

***

Two large shadows blotted out the sky, casting darkness over the forest.

This was actually two large eagles flapping their wings as they silently locked their sharp gazes upon Wolfgang and his crew or more precisely the egg's they were currently hugging. The men not carrying any eggs immediately fled the scene while those in possession eyes dimmed in despair. They couldn't run.

"Shit. Where did the second one come from? Bastards how dare you flee without bringing me!"

Wolfgang gasped in shock and he could clearly feel his knees go soft as he broke out into a cold sweat. He raged at the fleeing deserters and very much wanted to rip them apart. However, his fear of the sight above was obviously much stronger and stopped him from doing so.

"Hahaha! Let's see how much profit those eggs are worth my dear boy Wolfgang?"

One Eyed Snake laughed as he silently thanked Wolfgang for abandoning them earlier.

"Tch. Abandon ship. Throw out the eggs and flee as far as you can. We can always come back another day!"

Wolfgang yelled in reluctance. Still, it was better to leave a road for retreat. Carefully placing down the gleaming white egg in his hand, Wolfgang kept eye contact with the birds and slowly backed off. The birds focused solely on acquiring the eggs and ignored him.

"What are you waiting on dip shits? Hurry up!"

Wolfgang roared angrily at the shivering members of his entourage. Their knees were probably still soft from the fright of two birds hovering above them. Upon hearing Wolfgang's order, they nervous bunch finally woke up and hastily got rid of the eggs. They charged towards Wolfgang's side as if escaping a plague and only then did the relax.

Sounds of flapping went off, the group of birds had left just as quick as they came.

"Holy shit. To think they actually let us go?" A man cursed still shivering from the trauma, he took a deep breath. His back was drenched back completely.

"Barely survived…just barely."

"Damn it, I'm done poaching eagle eggs for life."

"I never knew birds could be so scary. I'm goanna go back home after this to work the fields and stay with my wife. Its time I became a proper husband and help look after the kids."

The six remainders of Wolfgang's crew burst into a noisy conversation.

"Shut it and let's continue fleeing further ahead. Who knows if those birds will come looking for us?"

Wolfgang said to his entourage while breaking into a run.

"Got it, boss!"

The men cease all conversing and focused solely on fleeing with Wolfgang at the helm and had the bad luck to bump into One Eyed Snake heading in the same direction they were fleeing. Seeing Wolfgang's group One-Eyed Snake stopped and stared them.

The atmosphere was palpably tense between the two former allies. Wolfgang was also feeling particular nervous at this moment. And sure, enough some vengeful survivors of One-Eyed Snake's crew were openly brood the topic as they voiced out what they wanted to do to him.

"Boss, do we kill those double crossers? Jumping them right now, there's no way they'll survive."

"What is your opinion boss? If you give the order, I'll personally capture that bastard Wolfgang and break his legs so he can't run away. Then when you're ready to kill you can kill him."

"Boss can you allow us? I want to flog him like what Jolly Lief did to that other guy. Killing the baldie alone isn't enough."

"Yes, boss. If we get rid of him now, we'll also be able to absorb all of his forces. We won't neglect his former duties and tenderly take care of his women so that his ghost will be able to rest from behind the grave. Hehe."

A large man laughed sinisterly as he looked at Wolfgang like a pig ready to be cut open.

"Let's bury him."

The rest of One-Eyed Snake's crew all voiced their agreement. All of them expectantly looked at their boss in expectation. He wouldn't refuse to bag him right. One-Eyed Snake chose to remain silent making both his and Wolfgang's crew became exceptionally anxious. But the most anxious was of course, Wolfgang himself.

Upon overhearing what One-Eyed Snake's subordinates planned to do to him, Wolfgang involuntarily shivered in fright and felt his pants become a bit damp. Wolfgang began to feel something he had never experienced since becoming a bandit boss. Wolfgang felt his blood run cold and no longer looked like a big man that had committed most of the unspeakable.

"Hahaha! I didn't expect you to fall into my hands so quickly, you little bastard."

One-Eyed Snake laughed uproariously in amusement as he closed his only eye.

Wolfgang's knees trembled.

"Are we really going to die today?"

"Shit. It seems like fate is catching up to us, I guess those piss ants' believers were right about one thing though. Your life really flashes before your eyes when you know you are about to die."

"Sigh, so much for making it up to my wife. I only hope she doesn't weep and can move on."

The members of Wolfgang's crew lamented resigning to their fates, they didn't even have the will to resist.

Suddenly One-Eyed Snake suddenly snapped open his eyes, "What a pity. I no longer have the mood to kill today, it looks like you got lucky today. However, don't think you'll be as lucky tomorrow if I get in the mood."

With a depressed look he dug into his trousers pulling out a crude, brown tobacco cigar. Lighting it with two fire stones he puffed a plume of white smoke.

"Ah!"

Surprised, Wolfgang didn't notice that he had peed himself in relief.

"What."

One-Eyed Snake's men went stupid.

"Aren't you growing a bit soft. What if he tries to get revenge in the future?" A member of his entourage meekly asked.

The others nodded in agreement, it seemed they were all of the same mind. The men crowded around him so that not even a droplet of water could escape. One-Eyed Snake took a deep inhale in frustration, the men were so close that he even had difficulty in breathing.

"Puh!" One-Eyed Snake spat out white plumes in their faces.

The entourage broke out into violent coughing fits and their eyes went watery.

"Damn it! Of course, I'm sure. Do you guys want to be the first batch of people I kill today, huh?!" Growling in irritation he jumped up and hacked out with his sword.

"Sorry!"

The men hastily escaped, scurrying off wildly like discovered rats in a multitude of directions.

"Ah, I said I'm just not in the mood. Geez. Are young people always this impatient, what's a day or two?"

One-Eyed Snake shook his head in annoyance.

"Boss is right, we're sorry."

"As long as you understand, lets continue on for now something smells…"

Frowning One-Eyed Snake scrunched his nose until it became crooked then continued onwards leaving behind Wolfgang and his entourage to fend for themselves.

"Let's start heading back to Lawless City men. That shit hole I grew up, thrived in and if unlucky will die in the hands of those detestable beasts. Seriously, the fuck are those believers doing, absolutely useless."

The men all nodded and they strode westwards.