Bandit Camp
Nightfall had now come around as the gang of bandits were slowly making their way back to their bandit base with their loot and hostage in tow. "Do we really!... Need to... Drag him!.... Like this!?" Craig complains through strained teeth as he was tasked to lug around their hostage like they were walking a mule, except the mule's legs were tied and was now being dragged through the floor.
"I agree! This definitely isn't an efficient way to transport prisoners!" Derrick who had now recovered from being knocked out, elaborates for the bandit, Craig. Still, with a smile on his face. "No one's asking you six eyes!" The lazy of the 3 berates Derrick as he tries to keep him quiet as to not raise any suspicion in case there was someone amidst the now dimly lit forestry.
"Stop complaining Craig. We all know we can't lift a whole guy on our shoulders the whole way back so dragging him is the next best thing. Besides, do you really want him to be even nearer to your ears?" The smarter and the self appointed leader of the 3 bandits spoke as he explains the logistics of such a method. But as he pointed out the last part to Craig. They focus their attention towards Derrick who was now just mindlessly spewing facts and tidbits of rocks and trees that passed by them.
"... Yeah, on second thought. You may have a point." Craig just relents and continues to drag Derrick along with them as they slowly track through the path ahead of them. "How far till we get there?" The lazy one checks in on the navigation as their leader was up in front, leading them to their destination. "Just about. I think I can see the lights up ahead." He informs as they near the base camp which was lit up by torches as it revealed the camp in all its bandit glory.
The camp itself wasn't just your ordinary campsite with tents and log benches but was actually a village that they had pillaged a while ago and decided to turn into their base operations. This way, they could save their time from making tents and stuff for shelter and could just focus more on material gathering and pillaging. "Well if it isn't the bounty team!" One of the stationed bandits outside the camp spoke as he greeted the three bandits who were still dragging Derrick uncomfortably on the ground. Not that he minded himself which is odd for a person to think so in such a situation.
"We got the bounty right here with us. Also some goodies that came with him" the leader of the three says as he flaunts them off to the bandit in front of them. "Nice. Quite the haul y'all got. Anyways, Best not to keep the boss waiting." The bandit says as he ushers the three inside. "We're going to see the bandit boss? Ha! Ha! This is really exciting! I wonder what they're gonna be like?" Derrick on the other hand was just as upbeat as he was earlier in the day. At this point, nothing could ruin this pep in his step. But doesn't stop the bandits from trying.
"Quiet down you! I've already got an earful from your stupid fun facts!" Craig was the one to berate the boy as he had it with his explanations and random jargon as he continues to drag Derricks' butt through the camp as the three bandits head their way over to their boss. Conveniently for them, the boss was out and about in the camp. He was standing there, ordering the bandits around as they lug around heavy crates full of stolen goods and rations. "Keep it up boys! We don't got all night for this!" The boss spoke with a commanding yet casual tone of voice.
"Good evening Mr. Yurie." The leader of the bandit trio greets him as he gives him a small bow. The boss looks over at them in silence, as if contemplating or thinking of something as he squinted his eyes at them in a thought. ".... Who were you guys again?" The boss asked in a deadpanned manner as the trio of bandits sweatdrop at his lack of knowledge about their group seeing as they were tasked by him to retrieve the man with a bounty. A.K.A. Derrick Barnes who was enjoying his time on the floor as he listens on to their seemingly one-sided conversation.
"Y'know... the team that you tasked... with getting the bounty?" the leader tried to spell it out for their boss but all they got back from him was a confused head tilt. "hmmm... no. doesn't ring any bells." the bandit boss says bluntly. clearly showing signs of not giving a damn of who or what he ordered them to retrieve. luckily, Craig had enough of his forgetfulness as he storms over to the front and presents Derrick in an unkind manner as he shoves him forward. "this guy! Derrick Barnes! the Alchemist dude or whatever!!" he yells at him as he puts his pointer finger right up to his face while using his other hand to gesture towards Derrick who happily looks up at his captors. "The one and only!" Derrick gleefully adds to the conversation before getting shot down by Craig. "Quiet down you! no one asked!" Craig rudely yells back at the boy who heeds his words with a smile "okey dokey!"
"I think that guy gets off to getting yelled at..." the lazy one among them comments as he observes the odd behavior expressed by the tied up boy on the ground. "oh!... that team. well about time you got the guy. i was starting to think yall got eaten by a bear or something." the Boss finally remembers them after getting a glimpse of Derrick. "now what the hell are yall still doing here? get him to a cell!" the boss then yells at them their orders as he aggressively points towards the storage house which they repurposed as a cell for captive prisoners or hostages.
"Yes sir." The leader of the three says as they obey his orders. Dragging Derrick along with them to the cells. As they were doing so, one of them commented on something as they looked over to the other two. "Y'know guys... Definitely not feeling the love from the big boss." The lazy one comments. "Just bear with it. It's not like we can do anything about it." The leader tried to shush him before it became a bigger matter than it needed to be. "Besides. Isn't he like that with everybody?" Craig interjects with a point. Which the lazy one of them refutes with a stronger one.
"Craig, the boss remembered the birthday of bandit #3. His name was so forgetful that nobody bothered to learn it again anymore and just settled with calling him bandit #3" they say as Craig relents with a sigh. "Things never go our way do they." Craig says with a down trodden attitude as they walk. "Y'know, for once Craig. I agree." The lazy one responds as he shoves his hands into his pockets without a care in the world.
...
"Looks like the tracks lead up to that place." After a long ways walk from the dinky laboratory, Tetsuga now finds the base of the bandits three as the light of the torches gave away that there was a settlement down the way. "I should probably not waltz up front. Don't want another repeat of last time..." Tetsuga thought to himself as he reminisced about a similar situation he had experienced once before. Given that thought, he strayed off from the dirt trail made by Derricks' behind and took a right. Hoping to peer in from the side without being spotted.
"Shove him in." The leading bandit orders Craig as they follow his order and shoved Derrick into the cell house. "Oof! Well, you guys are certainly resourceful!" Derrick comments as he lifts his face off of the ground as he looks around the repurposed house cell. "Using a raided village as a bandit camp... Certainly save you all the trouble of setting up camp!" He says. Commending them of their resourcefulness and efficiency. Traits that he personally likes.
"Now you stay quiet in here and don't talk anyone else's ear off!" Craig warns as he walks off with the other two. Leaving Derrick to his own devices. "Anyone else's?" Derrick repeats to himself before finally noticing the figures lurking within the dark corners of the cell house. Thanks to his goggles, he was able to see them all quite well in the dark. It turns out that the bandits had taken the civilian villagers as hostages after they took over the village. "Well isn't this a conundrum." He says outloud as the captive villagers stare at him with caution in their eyes.