The entrenching tools were handy; they dug out two fox holes. One was for the Heavy autogun, the other was for Gubo and Guile. Tarphus made sure to have Ari and Wither with the Heavy autogun as Ari has become akin to a mother to it. Tarphus did not feel safe taking it away from her.

The slaves were rounded up and placed in the biggest cabin. The doors were reinforced with boxes and cabinets. The windows were nailed shut with wood planks and any other wooden crates that could be spared.

The two dryads left before the bandits came back as the two did not want to be near the enemy wizard. Moreover, they did not want to stay with Tarphus, as they saw how he executed a person who questioned him.

However, he was able to speak with them before they left. The two looked identical to each other; only the one who requested his help was smaller than they saved. But, of course, he had heard that the bigger one was the older one, and the Dryad made the argument of seducing him.

This was shot down when the younger one told her how she tried but was defeated by the floating machine that was always nearby. This sparked a debate that Tarphus was weary of hearing as they circled around the issue.

Tarphus took the initiative and knocked on the door as he heard them argue about just leaving. "A word if I may?" He asked, but his tone was not that of a question but of order. This snapped the two from their argument.

The older one smiled flirtatiously, "my dear savior ple-" Tarphus paid no attention to her dithering and focused on the younger she was nervous… Good, he needed them to feel wary for his family's future. 

"I came here to give you some advice. I will not fornicate with someone who has an agenda. The two of you will find many patrols to the north as a second great rush for the whole frontier that is getting settled."

The two dryads looked down in sorrow and anger; it looked like that was their plan; they wanted to go to the elves for safety, it seemed. "Well, I heard that the Lord south of here, in Cullivan was looking to save his forest as a wild spirit was terrorizing the forest of whisps."

Their eyes glowed with disbelief then weariness, something he could use. "You see, I had to stop at that town for some food and wanted to see the great Lord Cullivan myself." He was interrupted by the younger one. "Did you see him?"

Tarphus smiled, "Yes and I-" he was interrupted by a snort from the older one. "And Lord Cullivan did not kill you? I find that hard to believe." To which he just shrugged. "What I am trying to say is that Lord Cullivan is somehow trading with the forest; officially, it was with a shaman.

However, I do not think that is the case, so I did some snooping. The things in that forest were strange, humanoid bugs and small, winged elves. The peculiar thing is that they would not allow me any further into the woods.

I think that something strange is in there, something sick because healing potions are the only thing that the shaman takes in exchange for the trades." Tarphus smiled coldly; the two were captivated by his little tale, good they were interested.

The two looked at him then towards each other before the older one spoke up. "Why do you tell us this, don't you Federation people hate 'monsters'?" Tarphus blinked, "Not every Federation member thinks that all monsters are evil. The greenskins are our main target, not some naked tree people."

The two stared at him, the younger slowly started to draw her blade, as she asked. "And you're the only one who knows this?" Tarphus snorted, "Don't just don't. This thing is recording everything."

Tarphus pointed towards the Servo Skull, which spoke, "Designation: Kit has been recording since the entry of the camp." This caused Tarphus to smile coldly. "Besides, my troops are ordered to kill you if I don't leave first. I am not an idiot."

The youngest has a face of pure shock, while the oldest is enraged at Tarphus's speech. The Eldest then barks out, "Then why would you tell us this if you intend to kill us?" 

Tarphus shook his head dismissively. "I am trying to give you options and help the town out as well. Because I would be saddened if the town were to be destroyed by that forest. As I had stated, something wrong is in there, and it would be a shame if I was told that the place which aided me became another Red Rock." 

Tarphus now had their undivided attention. It seemed he struck something when he spoke about Red Rock. It was a disaster that the dryads allowed to happen after all.

Now he had to add a little lie. "I would be heartbroken if I could not restock there. It has a certain charm to it. That and the potions are cheaper than anywhere else well… So it would be in my interest that the town continues prospering."

That seemed to mollify them greatly; hell, they started asking where the town would be and what side the forest was. Tarphus swiftly left after giving them the directions to Cullivan and went to his squad.

Tarphus would not lie to himself; he felt awful about killing the coward. On the other hand, however, he saw what lay in the eyes of the other slaves. That should one, just one, flee in the presence of danger, they all would, and he could not afford that.

Surprisingly the execution went over well amongst his squad; they did not question him. Moreover, they looked at him with respect in their eyes; it felt… strange. The slaves did not say anything, though the nervous glances spoke all the same.

The Bandits returned a day later. Tarphus made sure that his foxholes were hidden and that His squad was well stocked with ammunition. Later in the day, sunlight was still shining, but that would not be an issue.

Tarphus smiled cruelly as the sun was behind him; this would help his squad select targets. They all knew that the "witch" would be the highest priority target. The second highest priority target would be the leader of these bandits.

After that, his squad can just shoot without mercy. Not one in his team felt pity or was going to be merciful to these traitors. Instead, these lowly maggots chose to be slaves to their desires, so the squad felt satisfaction on the deaths of these scum.

Tarphus was not so sure; he remembered the horrors of that battlefield, how he ran. These people could just be fellow runners, but they got away. They turned to banditry to stay away from the kingdom, but they took slaves. 

Tarphus hated slavers; he could have felt bad about killing these bandits if they did not take slaves. However, Tarphus will have to add more faces to his nightmares, especially the coward from before.

The bandits crested over the horizon, and Tarphus smiled a cold and cruel smile. The bandits came right up to the camp with every one of their troops more than twenty less than forty. The wizard is in front. Tarphus smiled as the wizard looked as though he would nod off.

It seemed that the caravan was more steel than they could handle. The bandits were wounded and weary. The wagons had mystical holes torn into them. All around, they were not ready. The leader looked as though he would fall off his horse at any second.

"Do you see that, Gus?" Tarphus stated Gus, who was next to him, smiled calmly. "Aye sir, a tired and wounded foe, they look as though they would drop dead any second now." Tarphus nodded, "Then let us allow them to rest."

Tarphus threw a grenade at the closest clump of bandits. The bandits were so tired that most could not react. Most of the ones that did think that it was just a rock, only two rolled out of the way of the grenade.

The resulting death of ten bandits was due to the grenade. This shocked the bandits into action. The wizard tried to summon a shield. However, he was gunned down before the shield could be brought to bear.

It was a massacre; after a few seconds, Tarphus ordered his squad to stop firing. The bandits were all dead, and he felt happy with how cleanly it was done. The slaves that were with the bandits cowered in fear.

Tarphus was about to order his group to go and loot the bodies. However, there was something off here. The wind picked up. A horrid stench, much like rotten and decayed flesh, hit his nose as the bandits started to stand up once again.

"Open fire!" Tarphus screamed as he unleashed a controlled burst into the corpses as they rose. The wizard's corpse inhaled and spoke in an unnatural gurgling wheeze. "The Grandfather protects us, more so than the golden one!"

Its eyes burst as maggots crawled out, rats burst forth from its insides, green bile started dripping from its flesh. The slaves cried out in terror as it continued to speak. "You are now known as the golden one's lapdog, and that corpse cannot aid you now."

Tarphus smiled coldly as he opened fire into the talking corpse, his men gunning down the others. The suit of armor that the leader was wearing was now riddled with bullet holes. The heavy autogun was tearing through chunks of their flesh with each bullet.

He felt something horrible on his leg; he looked down with terror as he saw that his pant leg was decaying at a rapid pace. Pain filled him as it reached his flesh, and necrosis set into his leg. Tarphus fell onto his ass as he blindly fired at the wizard.

The squad managed to put down the other walking corpses and focused fire into the wizard. The same wizard who screamed and laughed at Tarphus. "You may kill me, my brothers and sisters, but you cannot sto-" 

It was here that the wizard was shot at by the heavy autogun. Large chunks of his flesh were flayed by the bullets that shattered his bones and pulverized the internal structure holding the wizard up.

Gudo then gathered the squad around their squad captain. The wound was horrible to see; Guile winced at the amount of rotten, blackish green flesh that was no longer spreading unnaturally.

Tarphus tried not to look at it and focused on the squad; no one else was injured. Tarphus gave a relieved smile as he turned to look at Gudo. "Burn the bodies and secure the people in those wagons, search for anything useful on the two horses. Burn everything that those creatures touched just to be safe."

He winced as Guile, with gloves on, squeezed the wound; he howled in pain as the pressure increased. Guile then frowned as Tarphus was handed a blue potion that had pink swirls in it. Tarphus felt happy as this was a healing potion.

The healing potion would be used after the necrosis was cut out, that was what Guile said, and Tarphus could not agree to that. So instead, he cried in pain, tears streaming down his face as Guile cut out the affected area.

He howled in pain when the potion was poured out of his wound as steam wafted from his injury. Guile was shocked at the pink and healthy flesh that grew from just one potion use, more so that the squad captain was still conscious.

However, the leg was not fully healed Tarphus needed help going place to place as he was still weak. The squad came back twenty minutes later, but Gus reported everything. However, he was earnest. 

Tarphus smiled at the fellow as he handed Tarphus a list of supplies that they scavenged from the camp. Unfortunately, it did not detail what was in the caravan as of now. This was because they did not have enough time to catalog everything.

Gus then coughed for attention which caused Tarphus to raise his eyebrow toward Gus. "If you have something to say, then say it, friend. We killed a witch together, you know." This got a snort from Gus.

"Well, Squad Captain, the people we just saved are trying to foist his merchandise on us." Tarphus frowned, "Is that a problem? We could use some pots; by the warp, we can just turn their blades into bullets if we are pushed too far."

Gus winced. "This is not that kind of merchant, sir." Tarphus then raised an eyebrow. "So, pets?" Gus solemnly shook his head; it took Tarphus a few seconds longer to realize what was being told to him. Upon realizing it, his face contorted into a hateful glare. "Slavers."