The day had passed uneventfully, sunburn had set in but Sefu had been listening to every word they spoke with each other and had dug out a tarp he could use after seeing the results of sun exposure for himself.

Too little too late, the small tarp helped somewhat but when it was time to pull the wagon there was no way to keep his arms hidden from the sun but with a small amount of cordage at least his head and neck was covered.

Some of the zebras had snickered seeing the odd spectacle of a man wearing a worn out old tarp over his head but Asha had leered at them, the two had to help pull the same wagon and despite her smaller size she joined in and helped pull like the rest.

Even the "caravan master" and his sister Zuri helped pull at one point, the only one who was exempt from pulling was Sefu and one of the others who always stayed armed, everyone else had to take a turn at pulling or pushing.

When the day ended they stopped near another old well and began to clear an area for their campfires. Asha was quick to give instructions to Verik on finding the kind of kindling she was looking for and ushered him off quickly not that he was the only one.

Rummaging through the brush with a few others looking for larger, dead and dried up brush was simple enough as this trail was rarely used and they all returned with large bundles. No time was wasted in lining up for their rations which Zuri measured out carefully but this time it was ground meal and beans.

Asha had disappeared quickly after getting hers and told Verik to sit with the fire and keep it going using the dry grasses and a few of the smaller twigs till she returned. As to where she went...

Asha had wandered away from the camp and into the brush searching for various herbs to add to the jar, Zuri had given everyone a pinch of salt in their bowl as always but it was not enough.

For almost a week now it had been nothing but ugali and bean or dried fruit not that she would complain considering her circumstances but neither did it mean she had to passively accept such a bland, boring fate.

That strange creature had kept an eye on her for a time making her fur prickle a little but knew he did not mean ill by it, she was the only one who had talked to him and with any luck at all was figuring out Zuberi's plan for him.

Why did she care though, yes he was a curiosity unlike anything else and she agreed with one of his beliefs that the world would be a boring place without its curiosities but it did not shake the odd feeling she got around him.

Asha had no idea what that feeling was but it was neither good nor bad, almost like being around him was a safe place to be but also... Like being around a predator. Both set at ease and worked up at the same time.

Finding one of the little plants she was looking for Asha plucked some of the leaves and kept foraging for more. A short distance away one of the others was doing the same, no doubt trying to improve the flavor of their meal while somewhere else the unseen sentry was no doubt keeping an eye out for them.

Should she tell him? Warn him of what Zuberi was probably planning? Did she trust him?

Yes, she trusted him, to the extent of their chatting along the way and sleeping near each other but... He was nice enough, he had quickly accepted her presence and was willing to spend long hours talking.

She should warn him but how would he react? Zuberi was not bad but only looking out for them but it might cost Verik his life if anything happened.

What should she do?

Verik had been standing despite the fatigue of having helped drag a wagon across the Savannah in the heat of day but tried to keep an eye on where Asha had wandered off too. Loosing sight of her for a few minutes before he watched her emerge from the brush in a low dip.

Asha had a small handful of plants now and stuffed them in the cooking jar along with the other ingredients and water before setting about getting the contents cooking. It was not long before Zuberi made the announcement that the "pit" was ready for use as two zebras put shovels away.

Indeed it was a small, shallow and narrow pit, big enough for two to use at a time rather than squat behind a bush.

Hygene may not be terribly familiar among them but one thing he noted was that hands were washed well before sitting down at the fires to wait on dinner to finish cooking.

"Asha... What did you stuff in the pot?"

"Herbs."

"Yes but-"

"Make it taste better, less boring, give it spicy taste."

Indeed a spicy and savory aroma was filling the air as the little jar cooked away, others had done similar things and the air was beginning to fill with various sweet, spicy or savory aromas as each little party had their own preferences.

Zuri joined them for a bit and looked Verik over noting the color of his skin, she too questioned him as to what was happening, why and after listening for a few minutes she left for the wagon and returned with a small, colorful clay jar.

Whatever was inside made his skin prickle from the smell and he flinched as she rubbed the salve onto his skin quickly before leaving. Asha leaned over and smirked remarking that Zuri would not waste their medicine on him if they believed he would betray them.

What remarkable medicine it was too, the salve made his skin burn a moment before soaking in and as the minutes ticked by he could visibly see the redness going away along with any swelling and pain, Asha found it interesting to watch as Verik's skin went from red to heavily tanned.

At least tonight Sefu had not kept a close eye on him, Zuberi did that in his stead.

The two watched each other as Asha occasionally glanced back and forth between the two wondering if a fight would break out. Instead, the two stared at each other in boredom as if trying to read each others mind making her feel a little tense.

"Verik... Time to eat."

Snapping out of the staring contest Verik accepted the bowl Asha gave him and using his stick began eating the spicy, savory mixture.

"Last time I asked you what this was you said ugali and beans... What is ugali?"

"Corn, ground very fine and cooked into mash."

"Grits... Thought this tasted familiar."

"Whats grits?"

"Same thing, sort of. Different type of corn I guess, that would explain the taste."

She nodded. "You like it yes?"

Verik nodded and kept eating slowly while looking around the camp.

"I know its only been one day but did Zuberi ever say how many days it would take to get to Alzamard?"

"Hmm... Yes, one week due to the bad trail and slow wagons otherwise faster. It has been... Five days."

"You are a good cook."

The compliment made her stop with a spoon halfway to her mouth, raising her eyes to him as he kept eating. She smiled before continuing to eat.

Hushed conversations continued on as the sun once more shot below the horizon bathing the world in darkness as the moon took its place. None seemed to even care let alone notice, too caught up in their own little world.

"Asha. Why does the sun just... Set, like that then the moon raise?"

"What do you mean, it has always done that."

"Normally the sun slowly sets it does not just, vanish."

"It has always been that way."

This really was an alien world. He loved it.

It turned out that they were relegated to pulling the wagon in the evenings not the mornings now, once more Sefu made certain to escort Verik to his little place of exile alongside the caravan where he could keep a close eye on him and not missing a beat Asha joined Verik.

Zuberi had told them that morning the odds were very good they would arrive sometime tomorrow morning if they made good time but doubts were ever present among those in the convoy.

They were playing a massive gamble that they could make it to the city and escape without being noticed by anyone and so far it had worked but as to how long that luck would hold out was severely in question.

Zuri had wandered down the convoy to check on Verik that morning and when asked about it her only response was that not every convoy was raided or stopped and forced to pay a fee but enough were that the region had become... Notorious. Much like the far Eastern Coast and Western Edge.

"So what is the Western Edge and East Coast then?"

Zuri developed a nervous twitch when he asked but glaring at him she finally let out a sigh.

"To the extreme West, very long journey... Tribes come out of the jungle and raid, murder, rape and enslave before leaving again, they are known for... Eating their victims. To the East are the coastal nations, usually peaceful but long ago bad things happened there, very bad."

"So we are in the middle of cannibals and psychos?"

"Psychos? Strange word, the Easterners are not bad people but there are plenty that are eager to make their fortune. Neither are dangerous to us, it is the tribes from the South that have bothered us."

"We have all day..."

"Long ago tribes from the far South reached a great river and built a nation there, now they hire themselves as mercenaries, bandits, murderers and thugs. Sometimes they fight with each other but not so much anymore, some king took over and now they sell themselves to the highest bidder. Many nations to the South hire them to come here and attack us, rare this far North but not unheard of."

Asha nudged Verik in the side as Zuri finished talking.

"Still think this world is a better place than where you were?"

"Yes. I do."

Zuri and Asha exchanged looks before she wandered off to talk with her brother at the front of the convoy again leaving Asha and Verik to themselves once more.

"Why would you prefer this place?"

"Because Asha... Despite all your problems and granted I have only been here one... Two days? Two days and I can say that there is a great deal of honesty about your problems by comparison and also there were places I could go back on that world which had all these problems and more, they were also far more dangerous than this."

"Was your whole world like that?"

"No, but it lacked honesty and wonder after a time of studying it, your world has many wonders, like you."

"Me?"

"Yes, a walking, talking zebra. One that walks on two legs, has arms, thinks for herself, has a language, dresses, culture... Earth lost its mystery to me, it became... Normal. Mundane. Boring... You are anything but."

"You are very strange to find this place so interesting and wonderful."

"Some would probably break down sobbing or run away screaming at having this happen to them but I will not." Verik looked down at her. "Its not ever day you get to explore a new world and meet interesting new people."

Asha had no idea what to do, she wanted to tell him, warn him to be careful not that he was not already being careful and courteous to the others, never bothering them nor asking for anything.

If he reacted badly it would cost her what little she had managed to build for herself in Wete but neither did he deserve to find out the hard way that he was being used as a cheap flesh shield.

"Verik?"

"Yes?"

"Do not be mad but I should warn you about something."

Her voice was almost a whisper which made his ears strain to hear her, she took his arm and tugged him a little closer without drawing the attention of the others save probably Sefu who saw everything.

"Do not be mad but Zuberi brought you along because if we are attacked..." Asha took a deep breath and sighed. "You are a flesh shield if we are attacked..."

She looked up at him and watched his eyes, they did not narrow nor show any sign of anger nor ill intent but remained completely neutral. Closing his eyes a moment he too let out a long sigh as they continued walking then opened them scanned his surroundings.

"Makes sense. Why bring another that might cause you problems when you can just as easily leave them behind..."

"Zuberi is not bad! But you are not Wete, he does not know you-"

"I know. He is keeping me around because it is better than leaving an unknown creature trailing behind you that might be out for revenge. I do not blame him for keeping me at arms length but neither has he lied to me yet."

"So you not start a fight with Zuberi?"

"No of course not, only a fool would do that. Zuberi is taking a chance and yes if we are attacked I will probably wind up a meat shield but no more than the others like Sefu and Bwnai. In his situation I too would rather have one more fighting arm than one less."

"It could mean your death..."

"Well then-" Verik stopped and looked around before making a weird face as if the air offended him. "What is that awful smell?"

Asha sniffed the air a moment before looking back and shook her head.

"No offense to you folks who have not bathed in days but... Something foul is on the wind, cant you smell it?"

"No, where is it coming from?"

The wind was blowing into their faces and Verik pointed far ahead of them. "That way."

"What does it smell like?"

Verik took a longer breath of air before almost gagging. "Foul. Like a horse covered in something that died that never bathed in all of its long life."

Continuing to look into the distance as they slowly entered a shallow dip in the terrain Sefu walked up beside them and giving a sideways glance at Verik continued past them to the front of the column.

"What was that about?"

"If Sefu mad, Sefu let you know."

Sefu never returned but stayed at the front for a time talking with Zuberi in a hushed conversation that ended with them booth looking back at Verik for a moment. It did not take a genius to know Sefu had been listening again and after hearing his description of the foul smell had decided to take some precautions.

The sentry at the front was recalled and went down the column slowly talking with everyone except Verik and Asha before returning to the front again. Zebras began to huddle closer to the wagons and putting two and two together Verik understood what the concern might be.

"Asha... Go stand with the others next to the wagons."

"Why?"

Confusion and a little worry was on her face as he gently took her arm and nudged her towards the wagons.

"From what little I know of Sefu, he would not act this way unless he suspected something and with what I am now smelling quite strongly I guess something is or was near here that might be out to get us."

Looking around others had already pulled a few weapons from the wagons along with flimsy wicker shields, all in all it was a very poor armament but it was the best they had. The lone archer in the group had migrated to the middle and had materialized a second quiver from somewhere that now hung around his waist.

Sefu suddenly stopped, turned and began walking back down the line while Zuberi put a hand on one wagon but neither pulled anything out nor let go, Zuri had moved to the middle as well now where Asha was had removed a club, Asha had a walking stick.

Yanking something free from the wagon Sefu tied something around his waist before walking back to Verik.

"You still smell it yes?"

"Yes, stronger, what is it?"

Sefu did not answer but shoved his spear at Verik, taking it he looked at the zebra and narrowed his eyes a little as he began to walk away again ignoring him. Calling back Sefu gave him a cryptic warning that filled in the gaps: "Fight or die."

Many sets of eyes watched quietly, hidden from the view of the caravan as it slowly approached their trap, they had watched the little group approaching from a great distance. The plan was already laid out completely, it was a simple, straightforward and easily understood plan, even the dumb ones could understand it.

"Not many. That good yes?"

"Yes... That is good..."

Looking at his second in command the bandit leader sighed quietly to himself, this was his punishment for failing to pay off his boss, who in turn could not pay protection money to HIS boss...

Fortunately his punishment was light: he was given all the slow ones, nitwits, untrained, trouble makers and all the shit that no one else wanted to put up with and sent way the hell out here in the middle of nowhere to watch an ancient trail that was rarely used.

It was not all bad though, he was the boss. Win or loose no one would care nor know about it meaning he had considerable leeway in dealing with his problems and so far that had amounted to executing seven so far, their deaths had made a point to the rest and now things had quieted down.

Seven... Loosing that many in two weeks had hurt their numbers a little but they still outnumbered the caravan completely at three to one at least. Untrained or not their numbers could at least overpower them. He stopped and looked back at his second in command and glared.

"They know to take prisoners, not kill. If they kill or damage too many... I. Blame. YOU!"

Returning a wary look the other nodded slowly.

"Prisoners, not dead, they know. I made certain. Cant sell dead."

"Good..."

Closing his eyes a moment he almost let out a frustrated groan, his second in command was the smartest of the lot, utterly subservient but about as sharp as an old river stone.

If this goes well... I am selling everything, getting on a boat and looking for a band to join somewhere else, this is not worth it...

How many would be killed anyway? For that matter how many would die afterwords in the mad rush to claim loot. If there were any survivors of this caravan it would be a miracle.

"Boss man, what that?"

Squinting a little his eyes trailed along the caravan to were his second was carefully pointing.

"They shaved a zebra and cut its ears off?"

"Why they keep it away like that?"

"Dont care, tell Hja and Raji to deal with it, no weapons, no armor... Feh. Outcast, ignore it, that one though, that one is dangerous."

One of the zebras at the back of the convoy was well armed compared to the rest, the way he carried himself, turned his head and ears meant this one was probably the one in charge of the caravans security.

It did not matter.

His brow furrowed however when the creature started to act strange, it was sniffing the air and looking around as if something horrible was in the air. After a short time the one at the rear passed quickly to the front. Had they been spotted? No, that was impossible.

Slowing slightly the caravan continued to approach the slight, brush heavy dip his band was waiting in. It was when he the warrior returned to the creature and gave it a weapon that he knew they had been found out somehow.

Scooting back into position beside him his second nodded, everything had been checked again. Now to see if the band of idiots would or could carry out their instructions.

He was not trained in how to use a spear but knew the basic principles, many a book had he read on various weapons and even took some delight in watching the rare video of how they were used even practicing the moves a little... That was... A decade ago.

There is a great difference between theory and application...

These words rang in his mind as he watched Sefu walk along giving quiet instructions, Asha had been right, he was the meat-shield.

If anything sprung from this side of the trail he would be the first to go down thus saving one of Zuberi's zebras from the same fate and either giving them a little warning or proving that their caution was for naught.

The way Asha was looking around and glancing at him meant at least one of them was worried for his safety, the others had huddled together and the rear scout constantly looked over her shoulder while keeping a knobbed throwing stick handy.

A knot formed in his gut as the smell got a little worse, undoing the rope that kept the tarp on his head he pulled it free and held it in his free hand. If whatever critter was munching on the rotting carcass up ahead decided to take a bite out of him he could at least throw the tarp in its face before making one last stab before being torn to shreads.

With any luck he would take the creature out with him. What would it be anyway? Lion? Maybe, if it was hyenas or wild dogs what little he knew of them would mean they would already be making noise but it was dead silent.

Too silent.

Cheetah? No, too many of them for it to be that desperate. Lions, it had to be lions then. But this was an alien world, maybe there was more than lions out here, if zebras could walk and talk did the lions as well?

Oh he hoped that was not the case, having to deal with a pride of walking, talking lions that wanted to eat them would be very bad but that only left the one alternative.

As the convoy finally passed into the low dip Sefu jumped onto the larger wagon in the middle and used it like a watchtower to scan ahead.

He had barely gotten on and looked ahead when he jumped off just as fast and in a flash of motion drew a crude scimitar and started running forward yelling.

Here we go...

Tightening his grip on the spear Verik glanced to his right and kept a close eye waiting on something to move for what felt like ages. With a shout from Zuberi the wagons slowed and were quickly drawn into a semi-circle and the gaggle of zebras crowded in quickly leaving only four on the outside of the little defensive circle.

Another shout from up ahead drew Verik's attention as a zebra blocked the path armed with a spear and shield, quickly others rose up from around them having been hidden perfectly in the tall grass and behind the few low hanging bush trees.

Frankly he could care less what offer or demands were being made as Zuberi and the bandit yelled at each other, it was clear Zuberi was stalling for time while Sefu counted the odds not that it helped him any.

Verik was stuck outside the circle by a good distance, not insurmountable but he also knew running towards the wagons would probably result in an early death. There was no doubt that a zebra could outrun him easily and that meant standing his ground.

As yelling continued he scanned his side of the soon to be battlefield.

To his right the rear guard had hefted her throwing stick and was facing down two who were fanned out, neither had a shield and he figured she would probably get one of them considering the look on her face.

A slinger was slowly whipping a shot around their head and squaring off with the archer who was aiming in return, it was a standoff as to who would duck faster.

Sefu was still looking around counting heads and the way he bobbed the tip of his sword a plan was already formulating but Verik was apparently not part of it short of slowing them down.

The last he could see that was outside the circle carried a rather nasty looking dagger of some kind that bent and had an additional spike on it. Though the Wete tribe may be poor but they try to not skimp when it comes to weapons he thought as the standoff continued.

Across from him were his own problems however: two zebras had fanned out slightly and waited. The smell coming from them was horrific but it was their spears that had him concerned, two to one odds and he had no real idea what he was doing.

Verik knew a couple of moves that were fuzzy in his head but whether or not they would work was very much up for debate, on the bright side it appeared his two opponents were not much better off.

Having hooves came with its own issues he noted as they had to walk a specific way almost like crabs and along a set path, when attention was drawn away from him for a second he watched as one had to pivot their upper body and move their hooves around slowly since they lacked the ability to pivot quickly.

Neither seemed to know a whole lot about how to hold their spears either, one held it too high like he expected Verik to just fall on it, the other kept their hands too close together making the spear unwieldy.

Great, none of us really know what we are doing but at least I know how to hold it.

Farther away the yelling grew louder and louder before it finally went quiet. Zuberi and the bandit silently glared at each other but when the caravan master yanked is axe and shield free the world erupted in violence.

With a howl the bandits tore forward faster than he would have liked but one was already down after taking a throwing stick to the chest, the archer had fired but the slinger ducked and let a stone fly which cracked off the side of a wagon harmlessly.

Well, this is it, dont know, dont care but be damned if they take this miracle of a new life from me!

Deciding to hold his ground a moment longer Verik watched the flurry of action from the corner of his eyes as the two zebras sprinted forward screaming, without a shield all he could do was jump aside and hope the one did not skewer him.

Wait. Zebras... Bandits, predators... An idea quickly formed and drawing up enough spit to make it sound better Verik took a wild gamble.

Opening his mouth and baring his teeth while making the most furious face possible he let out a loud, throaty snarl. It worked.

Two sets of eyes popped as he charged forward and threw the tarp into the stunned face of a bandit before lurching sideways out of reach of the other. Driving his spear forward he pushed the spearhead into the bandits stomach while slapping their own spear aside with his now freed hand.

Gripping tightly with both hands he pushed and swung sideways to put the impaled, screaming bandit between himself and the other to buy a little more time. There was no honor among thieves however.

Surprise wore off quickly as the bandits compatriot stepped sideways and with a sharp push drove the bandit deeper onto Verik's spear as they stabbed around the body. Both continued to dance around the screaming body, one pushing it back and forth to block the stabs that came around it, the other using it as a hold to keep their enemy from freeing their spear.

An angry buzzing sound went past Verik's ear when he heaved to one side to block another blow, the slinger had nearly hit him in the back of the head and taking a quick glance backwards he saw it had come at a price.

When the slinger had targeted Verik instead of the archer the other had taken the chance to get a better shot and fired but unfortunately for the archer the slinger twisted at the last moment resulting in the arrow going through their arm.

Not wanting to wait Verik rapidly stepped back and with a quick yank freed his spear. Not missing a beat the other bandit shoved the body aside and stepped forward making a stab at his chest but the blow that knocked aside.

Moving forward he looked down quickly and circled the bandit before driving him backwards towards the writhing body in the grass. Stabbing again and again the bandit could only keep blocking as they were pushed backwards but a quick glance backwards they figured it out.

Trying to sidestep the body he took his to close the gap and while the bandit was busy focusing on getting around the body pushed the others spear aside and tackled them.

Landing one blow after another on their head Verik kept punching before the bandit brought a fist up and knocked him off, with a grunt he fell aside and feeling a rock under his hand grabbed it and swung.

A loud crack rang out as the blow connected with the zebras snout snapping their head sideways as blood flew. Climbing onto them again he hammered away while making the occasional glance towards the slinger who was too busy dealing with the archer again.

Unlike a bow which requires two hands a sling only needs one good arm and the wounded bandit was still fighting and dodging wildly to avoid the occasional arrow.

With one last good thud the zebra under him finally went limp but not taking a chance he grabbed a nearby spear and drove it deep before climbing off and finding the other.

Hefting the spear taken from the bandit Verik raced towards the slinger and hoping he was close enough threw it and kept charging silently. While the spear missed completely it made the slinger jump and turn towards him but he never got a chance to stab him with the spear.

A moments hesitation resulted in an arrow sprouting from the bandits leg dropping him to the ground with a scream of pain and closing the gap he tried to stab him while down but failed as the bandit grapped a hold of the other end of the spear.

Blood flowed as the bandit fought to keep the spear tip from going in and with a kick from her good leg kicked the shaft free from his grasp. Falling on top of her he brought and elbow into her face and grabbed her throat and began lifting her up and pounding her back into the ground.

She clawed at his eyes, kicked and spat then at one point managed to bring a knee into his side knocked him off and straddled him returning the favor with great vigor.

Wait... I know this.

Verik gagged as she choked him and using his arms formed an upward facing V between her grip and pushed up and away loosening her grip on his throat. Reaching up he grabbed her head and leaning up and into her gave a sharp twist snapping her neck.

Pushing her reeking body off he grabbing his spear he stood gasping for air and shuffled off towards the wagons, bandits were crawling all over it, the read guard had joined them in their little circle and now they were trying to hold them back.

Apparently the one idiot standing farther away from the caravan had been ignored. Made perfect sense they would ignore him, no armor, only a spear, not a real threat and had two facing him down. It was not like he was stopping them from getting to the cargo.

One of the bandits had not joined into the fighting but was keeping a close eye on him during the fight, the one in charge no doubt but even now as he rubbed his throat as he shuffled forward and into the fray they shook their head and yelled at the pile of bodies engaged in the mass scuffle.

A few heads turned back and one stepped free quickly. Whipping out a throwing stick they aimed and hurtled it at him with astonishing speed and accuracy, leaning back and falling to the ground was all that saved him from being hit in the head as it sailed over him and rolling over he got up with difficulty.

The bandit watched a minute before tugging another free and pointing and went back into the fight, whatever was happening neither side was winning yet but a few bodies were on the ground.

This one did not bother, they simply picked up speed and charged straight at him with their club in the air, flimsy wicker shield in the other.

He had not been fighting very long but the aches and pains of all those accumulated blows and exertions were already taking their toll on a body more used to digging holes and carrying heavy sacks or bails of hay.

Well if the fool was going to just charge straight at him... Verik waited as the other closed the gap and quickly dropped low and planted the spear, the bandit did the rest.

Picking the shield off the body he freed the spear and ran towards the caravan, perched on top the archer had since been forced off and into hiding no doubt from the throwing sticks. Closing the gap quickly Verik saw a bandit crawling under one of the wagons and running around the side dropped his shield and drug them out.

They kicked wildly but a quick, poorly aimed stab from the spear made them stop and two more stabs made them stop moving entirely. Another had climbed atop and was read to stab down at someone but a stab to their leg threw the aim off and they fell off the wagon directly into him.

Both fell to the ground but Verik was a little faster grabbing the bandit by the head and with a heave smashed it into the knob on the closest wagon wheel, a wet crack rang out as the bandits eyes rolled into the back of their head and the body went limp but a few more good hits were carried out just to be sure.

Breathing heavily Verik looked under the wagon a moment before standing and grabbing his shield began plodding around the wagons, the bandits were not very good tacticians and were focused entirely on the other side now but as he kept gasping for air he wondered how much longer he could keep this up.

Blazing heat from the sun made the world blurry as heat exhaustion had begun to set in again, pulling the wagon with lots of help was one thing but all this rapid movement made even breathing hard in the heat.

Stumbling around the side he walked up and stabbed a bandit at random from behind, the resulting yelp made others turn and look at who was assailing them from behind. Breaking away from the cluster of zebras trying to beat them off they began to scatter backwards and away.

Asha and the others were penned in tightly as the bandits continued to poke and prod at them, Sefu and the others had managed to kill or wound a few but had to quickly fall back into the safety of their little cluster as spears continued to stab at them.

It was clear they did not really intend to kill them but capture as many as they could and either "use" them or sell them, death was preferable to either fate.

What few shields they had were warding off blows as they were pressed in and quickly enough the bandits began to yell at them to surrender. Of course Sefu promptly broke free of the circle and dropped another bandit causing the battle to quickly resume.

Zuberi was favoring his leg, Zuri was pushed up so tightly against the wagon she could not get free to help the injured. Asha knew that so far only two had actually fallen injured enough they could not stand, the bandits ignored them, it was the cargo they wanted, not the damaged goods.

Jelani had dropped back into their cluster after a few close calls from rungu being thrown at her and was now busy stabbing and cutting at any that got too close with her mambele, she yelled over the screaming about Verik and Jelani yelled he was still alive at least.

Asha stabbed at a bandit with her staff and caught them in the chest making them back away wheezing but another quickly replaced them. What really terrified her however was that they were ignoring HER.

They knew she was the most poorly armed, youngest and probably the most valuable if sold which meant they had no intention of harming their future cargo. It made the fur on her neck stand on end as she realized that if they lost she was already marked.

A thump on her leg made her look down as the front end of a club appeared. One of them was crawling under the wagon and the other end of her staff stabbed at their arms and face wildly making them curse and yell at her as they swatted at her legs with their club.

She did not want it to end this way, she got away last time, barely.

Asha was panicking.

Something yanked the bandit away and wondering what happened tried to look but could not as bodies pressed backwards. Groaning from the strain as the bandits pushed them back trying to wedge them in and tire them out to make capturing them easier she looked up at the sky and saw a bandit stand and aim into the mass.

Asha closed her eyes and hoped it was aimed for her but the blow never came, a yelp and clatter sounded as the bandit fell off and opening her eyes quickly she saw they were gone. The wagon shuddered a few times as something was hammered against the other side a few times before going still.

Turning back to the battle she gritted her teeth and continued poking the bandits back as best she could as they were penned in, even Sefu was having a very hard time using his scimitar now that they were facing a row of spears that poked and prodded them back.

A pained howl rang out, the bandits began to back away and looked behind them to see what had happened and as another scream rang out they broke away and began to step back quickly as a mass freeing the trapped zebras.

Not wasting an opportunity Sefu let out a yell and the few trained warriors and fighters still standing pressed forward pushing spears out of the way.

Sefu was quicker than the rest however, driving forward behind his small, round shield to batter spears away then hammer one bandit in the face with the boss so hard they collapsed. Bandits began to fall back and shouting from behind halted them as they formed up into a rough wall, tried to at least.

Verik was clearly visible to her right, exhausted, panting for air and drenched in sweat but still standing, Sefu and the others did not allow the bandits to close their flimsy ranks but tore straight into them now that they had been reduced somewhat in number.

Fifteen versus six, no, five, Verik was hanging onto the wagon now. And bleeding.

As the others tore into the bandits now that the roles had been reversed Asha grabbed a water jug and ran. Popping the top off she promptly poured part of it over Verik's head before forcing him to drink.

Zuri was a little put off by her actions as they needed the water too but after a quick look at him nodded and went back to treating Bwnai's leg and arm.

Patting him over as he continued to wheeze she could feel the burning heat coming from his body, he was severely overheated but there was no time to stop and rest. Forcing him to drink a little more and pouring some over his head again Asha grit her teeth and pointed at the bandits.

"Not over yet, keep fighting."

Asha watched as Verik stumbled off into the fray, he was not fit for fighting but if they lost they were all doomed. Joing Zuri at the wagon she began helping her dress wounds and stop the bleeding of the wounded.

His little gaggle of bandits and cut-throats had actually pulled it off. Somehow.

Watching them pen in the zebras made a smile cross his face as he continued to watch the struggle, pressed in tightly from the wall of spears that surrounded them even their best fighters were unable to break free without great risk of being skewered.

Two had fallen but that was inevitable and from the looks of it there were only two real warriors left fighting. Their archer had been chased off the wagon and was now trapped with the rest in their little huddle.

Getting closer to the fight he yelled at them to surrender and the scimitar wielding one managed to shove enough spears aside to kill another one of his number before being pressed back in, it made him chuckle.

What a shame he is one of the warriors. That kind of fighting spirit and strength would have fetched a very good price at market in Alzamard but he would be far to dangerous to transport, he had to die.

Shaking his head as the struggle continued he caught sight of the creature, like his own it had no real idea what it was doing but none the less three were dead and it was now limping away and towards the battle again.

Yelling at his second to deal with it he walked forward with a new idea and yanking two free from the back spun them around and ordered them to go behind the wagons. One crawls under, the other over the top and with a few good strikes to the legs and heads they would knock the soon to be slaves out cold ending the fight.

They raced off and one began crawling under the wagon, another climbing over the top while the poor sap his second sent to fight the creature impaled themselves on its spear. Cackling to himself he ignored the thing as it hobbled away, his own attention returned to the battle.

Having water dumped on his head had helped greatly but being forced to swallow water with a dry throat was unpleasant to say the least. Most of the burning heat was gone now, replaced by exhaustion, aches and pains.

Asha had grabbed him by the arm and turned him towards the line of bandits being hammered away at by the caravan's guards and in a firm voice, ordered him to keep fighting. He obeyed.

Slogging forward in the heat with drenched clothes sticking to him he weaved off to one side of the fighting and when the zebra archer stabbed at a bandit, waited on them to lung at her before side stepping both and driving his own spear into their unprotected side.

It was simple, straightforward and more than anything it worked. Startled a little by his sudden appearance the zebra quickly fell into a rythm with him as they pushed forward, one would distract the other make a killing blow or try.

While it may not have always worked it kept the enemy on edge as their numbers began to dwindle, it also made him glad the two he fought had failed so horribly to employ the same tactic.

Giving a fast stab at the bandits chest they stepped away and swung towards the archer who just as quickly dodged away, unable to fight two at once but still able to keep them away they continued stabbing.

Ducking behind him the zebra mare quickly leaned up to Verik's ear and whispered: "keep him busy."

He had no idea what she was going to do as they kept pushing them back but a quick shout behind him made Verik duck quickly. The look on the bandits face was one of fear and shock, Verik watched from his crouch as an arrow slammed into his chest felling the bandit.

Quick patting on his shoulder he stood again and with a gentle push from behind began moving forward again, the archer was going to use him as a shield to keep them busy while she picked them off from behind.

This was a small change to the original tactic but it worked even better since so few of the bandits had shields, most carried spears or clubs making them excellent targets now that they were on the defensive and without their slinger or throwing sticks they were quite helpless against her assault.

Looking to his left he could see the others pushing them back very quickly now that the numbers had swung in their favor. Sefu was trying to push past to get at the bandit leader who still hung at the rear but they backed away quickly enough now he was having trouble keeping up.

Soon they would simply run for their lives but a little voice in the back of his head said that could be very bad if there were more of them nearby. They might bring back more and in their current state that would only end very badly.

Behind him the archer urged him forward faster, both sides knew what was about to happen and she was not interested in letting any of them get away either. Moments later the line broke and they began running.

Rushing forward despite his fatigue Verik just managed to clip one of the bandits from behind as the archer ran past him a short distance before firing into the fleeing few. A great struggle began as one side tried to flee and another ran them down, Sefu and another had the least trouble running them down and Zuberi managed to outrun another.

His own downed bandit kicked up a storm and even tried to throw dirt and grass at him in a desperate attempt to get away but he leaned harder on the spear driving it deeper into the bandits leg. Screaming and flailing they tried to get free but another zebra ran up and with a heavy swing of a club cracked the bandits skull before moving on.

There was no such thing as mercy here not that any would have been given by either side and most certainly Verik had none to spare as he slowly limped after the running battle. So far the archer had done quite well, the bandits were running in straight lines away from her and thus made easier targets than ones that ducked or dodged.

Three were laying in the tall grass howling because of her and running after them she slashed their throats as she continued running down more.

Farther off was where most attention was drawn however, the bandit leader was a good runner but not fast enough. Sefu had closed to gap finally and a brawl had started as the two swung at each other.

Whoever it was that commanded this band was a good enough fighter to not go down immediately to Sefu's blade but they were having a hell of a time of it. No matter what they did he either blocked it or countered quickly and nearly took their head off several times.

Verik wondered who they were. Trained, experienced, far better equipped than the rabble they had just killed, it was safe to reason they had not always been a bandit. No one tried to interfere either, the last bandit had fallen to the archer and now they all quietly watched the struggle between Sefu and the bandit leader.

A quick snap of his shield sent the bandit leaders sword arm wide and trying a cut they blocked it with their shield. Sefu twisted quickly and using the curve of his blade stabbed around the outer edge of the shield and finally scored a direct hit if the scream was any indication.

Swinging quickly and using their shield to push the intruding scimitar away while preparing a swing with their sword the bandit opened themselves up too much, Sefu dropped under the blow and brought his shield up and a loud cracking sound filled the air as the bone snapped and with a solid kick to the leg the bandit collapsed.

What happened next no one could see for the tall grass but Sefu was certainly cutting away furiously at the bandit as more cracking sounds filled the air along with screams of pain.

It was time to run and run fast. Why had he ignored that damned thing? The battle was all but over but somehow it managed to pick off a few more and cause them to fall back allowing the bigger zebra to push them even farther away.

An attempt was made to form a line but it failed horribly not that he expected it to work to begin with but it had bought him some time to run from the battle. Their deaths would not be in vain.

Legs pounding he could hear the screaming behind him as the wall broke and the stampede began, looking over his shoulder did not ease his anxieties however, the bigger one was plowing past the fodder and coming straight for him.

Running faster and looking back his pursuer had almost closed the gap as he just made out the last of his band being either run down or shot by an archer.

Spinning quickly he raised his shield and readied a swing with his sword at the pursuing zebra, there was no way to outrun him. They almost crashed into him but dodged aside quickly and made a sweeping motion with their arm.

Turning his shield into the blow it nearly connected with his body instead of the shield but the blow still made his arm ache from the strength of the impact. It had been a good decision to steal the wooden shield before coming out here, his old one would have been torn to shreds.

One slash after another fell and backing away quickly to avoid being cut to pieces he managed a few swings of his own but they were either dodged or knocked away.

Almost tripping on a rock had resulted in a cut nearly connecting with his neck but it narrowly missed its mark but just as quickly another slash was made, heaving it aside with his shield he made a swing but it struck only at the air.

Sharp pain screamed through his side and twisting away only made it worse, the zebra had dodged and using the curve of the blade to get around his shield, drove the point into his side through the cheap leather armor.

Howling in pain he struck at the blade pushing it free and tried to hit them with his shield but it proved to be a mistake as they ducked under and before he could bring his sword arm down a shield came up.

A loud crack rang out as bone shattered from the impact of the shields rim as it crashed into his unprotected arm, pain burned red hot in his arm making him gag for a moment. Just as quickly something thudded into his leg snapping another bone and soon all he could see was the blue sky as he fell backwards.

Unable to hold his sword it had dropped free and with a heave brought the shield around to try and jab the figure that descended on them in vain. Quickly knocked aside a leg was brought up to try and kick the scimitar wielding zebra back but a quick slash ended the attempt.

Struggling with each other as they straddled them a fight broke out over pushing the shield away so one could stab the other more cleanly while the bandit leader tried to keep hold of it to stop any more blows from falling.

Hooking the edge of his round shield around the bandits the zebra yanked hard pulling it away and exposing the arm, several quick slashes and cuts were made till it could no longer be held and pushing hard it slipped free of the limp hand sending it flying through the tall grass.

That was when the stabbing began, again and again they stabbed while he screamed and spat at them unable to resist. Heaving bodies made both sway back and forth but the one on top was far too strong to be pushed away, especially now that the other was severely wounded and bleeding out quickly.

Lunging up at his attacker he tried to bite at the neck in a desperate attempt but a solid crack to the side of his head from the shield made him fall back as the world spun and began to darken.

Leaning forward hard the zebra held the bandit down before putting the scimitars edge against his throat and with a quick, solid yank drew it across made a deep cut that opened the throat and vein.

A spray of blood resulted as the world faded faster and gurgling for air he stared up at the stallion that had just killed him as the world went black.

Everything was silent for a moment as everyone watched Sefu, he leaned in and made a quick jerking motion before standing and turning away then did a quick headcount on his observers. Drenched head to hoof in blood he walked off the hill and motioned everyone back to the wagons.

Verik watched him go a moment before limping off towards the wagons, this was not what he had expected of an alien world but he had survived somehow and that was all that mattered.

Every world has its problems but things aren't that bad.

Author's Notes:

Do you think it will get better or worse for him?