CH10 From a Duke to Slave

Entering the base plainly wouldn't be the best of options since this was indeed a bandits hideout.

"How are we going to enter?" Alodar questioned Zane.

"Well most likely send a little team to divert their attention and men while we sneak up behind the bushes," Zane explained in a 'I'm not so sure' kind of voice.

"You don't seem so sure, why's that?"

"That's because we don't actually know their numbers. So we wrong know if we have all their scouts attention. It was a faulty plan to begin with, but now we have almost no information to go off of. All we know is that their numbers range from 25-100. It's a wide range but all we know."

'Seems this will not be as simply walking in and bashing a few bandit heads.'

"Then we'll have to be careful with our cards. I'll pretend to be a captured slave. They do collect slaves right?"

"Yes," Zane quickly replied.

"Good. I'll pretend to be a slave and get caught by them. Then when they're not paying attention, I'll assassinate their leader, leaving them vulnerable to an enemy attack. That a good plan," Alodar proposed. Alodar plan was indeed good hence Zane agreed to follow through with it.

'The prince is so wise, what a monarch!' Alodar unaware of Zane's wondering thought felt that Zane's admiring gaze was slightly creepy.

'I don't swing that way! I'm even underage! I'm scared for my own chastity.' Zane's straying thoughts seemed to have infected Alodar as his thoughts truly strayed from the circumstance.

"Just get me a few rags to wear, I'll be disguised as a dirty slave, not a clean commoner," Alodar reasoned embarrassingly because Zane brought him a clean pair of commoner's clothes.

"Yes, but we had no dirty rags. So now I was gonna smear this set of clothes in mud and tear up most of it. I've also mitch-matched the size for a perfect disguise!" Zane solemn face showed a hint of price at his statement.

"Oh... of course,' Alodar shyly took the pair of clothes and smeared it in mud. When he smeared the set of clothes he realized that he too was dirty. 'I guess I don't need to have my skin smeared again.

When Alodar finally ripped the clothes, he took off his shoes and set them on a log beside him. He took off the leaf mask and smeared a little mud over his left eye so Zane or Collin or anyone else didn't realize he wasn't royalty.

"Good idea! Cover your crown-shaped birthmark in mud to where they can't see it, brilliant!" Collin had walked up beside Alodar and complimented him.

For some reason, Alodar thought Collin was being a little sarcastic. "Thanks, I've gotta go act now. Goodbye Collin."

Alodar appeared in a clearing and a voice was heard in the distance.

"Okay prince Andre, we'll be hiding a little further away. You stay here and start the operation." Footsteps echoed with sticks breaking and leafs smashing, but they soon faded.

About a full half hour, a few bandits appeared within the clearing with Alodar.

"Looky, looky wat we got 'ere. A new toy!"

"Let's brin' it bac' ta boz! W'at ya say?"

Alodar weakly tried to scoot away, failing when the second bandit took notice.

"'Ay! Get bac' 'ere!" He stomped on Alodar's left arm, making him wince.

"Stay 'ere. I'm talkin' to 'em," the bandits voice was harsh. He turned back to his companion. "So we brin' 'em bac' te boz?"

The first bandit seemed to think a bit then decided. "I don't see any 'arm in it, let's go!"

The first bandit walked away. The second picked Alodar up by the neck and dragged Alodar with him.

The walk was short but boring. The most interesting thing that happened is when the bandit belched and chuckled inward.

When they finally arrived at the base, another bandit with short black hair and green eyes stopped them.

"Wait, what is that?" Clearly more educated than the other bandits he pointed to their baggage; Alodar.

"A littl' soven'in? Sovenhar? W'atev'r! Somethin' for da boz," The bandit confusingly declared.

"Okay, let me just check your baggage." The mans green eyes turned a lime hue and Alodar got a notification.

[Hostile bandit is trying to view host's stats. Does host want to change what is seen?]

'YES!' Alodar gelled in his head.

[stats altered to optimal choice considering host's skills, titles, stats, and blessings]

The green eyed man which Alodar learned was Unklair seemed skeptical when he retrieved his gaze from Alodar.

"Did you fools pick up a random kid. He's not even a slave you idiots! Whatever, since he's seen the base kill him in the forest!" Unklair looked at the two 'idiots', but his demeanor and became serious. His face flashed pleasure and he looked up to the bandits.

"Bring him to the boss. He wants to talk to you two." the two bandits seemed to sense what lied ahead of them once they realized the boss found out about their blunder.

They reluctantly passed Unklair and went passed a few doors.

Laughter got be heard that sounded weirdly like Unklair. He was probably laughing his head off at the prospect of the two bandits.

This made their already bitter mood even worse.

"Why do'es da boz tre'sure 'em so much! All he can do is talk be'er dan uz! So w'at!"

"Yea! Why he get all da gl'ry w'ile we rot in h'll!"

Alodar was getting real annoyed by their endless nagging but soon it died down.

They took a lot of twists and turns, which a lot of sense as they were going to see the boss, who is the one who needs to be protected the most.

The reached a door finally which was jet black with silver engravings in the shape of a beasts fangs, or something else entirely...

"W'll, 'ere abo't to ender da boz's r'um. Get re'dy. He's a re'l wo'zzy!" A bitter laugh broke the silence of the hall, making the circumstance feel even more hopeless.

They looked at the door and steeled their nerves.

"Ok'y, lets go in!"

"Let'z me't 'Lyner, Bandit of The Dark Fang'!"