Tales of the Wastelander Ch. 19 - Teaser (Patreon)

On the far side of the swamp was another camp, not too unlike the ones set up by Ben and his friends. The biggest difference was that this camp was a slaver’s camp, one which was loyal to Dohlrak. The men and women at this camp were a rearguard of sorts, making sure that there was an egress available should the palisade be compromised.

It was strong against attacks from the swamp, as it was designed not only as a way out but also to keep any escaped slaves in. Its biggest weakness was the area behind it, which hadn’t been as heavily fortified. Right now, many of those very same slavers lie dead on the ground because of their overconfidence. The men that walked about the camp at that moment were those of Jarx’s company of mercenaries.

The men were reveling in the haul they had picked up after killing these slavers. There was a fair amount of food there, just enough for them to fill their packs. There were also some good quality weapons, along with some booze and swag for them to divide up. The men were exceedingly happy that their leader had made good on his promise of getting them all a better shot than what they had with Gor’thaka.

While some of them had been slavers for years, there was a lot about the job that didn’t sit well with them. Jarx knew what that was like, as he had been a slaver once, many years ago. He’d abandoned it, as he didn’t like the idea of taking innocents and thinking of them as little more than cattle. Jarx had only put up with such jobs over the years, as it was the only way to survive in some cases.

Though now, turning over a new leaf as mercs would be the salvation that all of them were looking for. He smiled as he watched the men playfully argue about some of the swag as he turned to regard their prisoners. There were no slaves to free at this camp, which made dealing with and disposing of these scum easy. Of all the slavers that were there guarding the way out, only three of the dozen were left alive.

There were two women and one man, and they were all on their knees, trying to look defiant, but fearful of what would happen next. The women were a surprise, as female slavers were a rarity among those who did illegal slaving. The man was the most hopeful of the trio, as he thought that if he turned against his now dead comrades, he might be shown leniency.

“So, what were you lot supposed to be doing here, on the outskirts of this swamp? Waiting for something? Or someone?” Jarx questioned.

One of the women hocked a loogie and spit it at the merc leader. Jarx dodged the phlegm deftly, but it wound up splatting on the face of one of his men. The man cursed and reached for his weapon, eager to show this woman her place. He was stopped by his boss, who put a hand on his arm and shook his head.

“Now, now, let’s not resort to that. Not yet, at any rate. You’ll get your chance to make her pay, eventually. But at a time and place of my choosing. Understand?” Jarx questioned the man.

The man huffed, but nodded, as this man had come through for him so far. They all had good weapons, good and hot food to eat, booze to drink and, hopefully, pussy to fuck. The mercenary removed his hand from his weapon and turned his gaze back to the women in front of him. He smirked and shook his head as he regarded both women, which looked sorely out of place amidst a company of slavers.

“You two are a surprise. It’s not very often we see women among the company of slavers. Well, those who aren’t slaves themselves, at least,” Jarx commented. “Would either of you lovely ladies care to tell me why you joined up with these men in the first place?”