He stabbed his sabre well into the wood work. A beast thrashed within him.

“My lord, we’ll be departing this camp shortly. His majesty has personally requested we’d continue da mission north past gin. My lord?” The speaking man tilted his head, “are you ok?”

Zanzabarra heaved heavily as the beast roared within him. It craved what he craved, and he was hungry for blood.

“My lord?”

Zanzabarra turned heel and sprang upon the smaller man. Within seconds he had the man sprawling for breath as Zanzabarra held him higher and higher by purely the man’s collar.

“Do not ‘my lord’ me you insolent quack. We failed. Do you understand that, Ade? We FAILED.”

“Y-yes my lord.” Coughed Ade.

Zanzabaraa tossed the man to the side and walked to the bar table as the thud of the men’s fall met his ears.

“We shouldn’t have let dem in.” said Zanzabarra under his breath. He sat himself on the nearest bar stool. His voice hushed as he continued speaking, “Pick da five strongest men in dis encampment. I will train wit dem as we travel.”

Ade nodded once he got up, making his way to depart as quick as he could. Zanzabarra was not an agreeable man when he was calm, when he was angry he was less so.

On his way out, Ade stepped out of the way as a black scarved child passed by him.

Zanzabarra tossed his eyes at the intruder and sighed, “You failed me most of all.”

“I couldn’t have ya die.” Protested the child. “Remember our agreement.”

Zanzabarra slammed his fists on the table and spun to the door from where he stood, “Your part of the agreement is ta break da towas. Dats it.”

The speaker balled their fists and tossed their golden eyes to the floor, “I ran into trouble.”

“Trouble? You?” Zanzabarra shot up from his seat. “Taba, Taba, Taba.” He mused as he lumbered towards the count, “You are a casta. Dere be no one udda dan myself who could best you. Is dat really ya excuse?”

“You lost as well.” Snapped the caster.

Zanzabarra froze to that. His eyebrows quivered and his hands contorted.

All at once, he rose his eyes to Taba and crossed the distance in seconds, making Taba flinch. Zanzabarra leaned towards Taba and puffed, “I’ll neva lose again, as you will neva fail again. You have one job. A job ya precious sista would have done easily.”

Taba pushed Zanzabarra away, but Zanzabarra caught unto the caster’s hand, “Tala died for dis nonsense!” protested Taba.

Zanzabarra yanked the caster close until Taba was trembling under his beast like gaze, “Tala died because she did her job. Because she trusted ya wit what she wanted. You want to find him don’t ya? Da man who killed ya family?”

Taba stopped struggling.

“He’s close.” Said Zanzabarra as he let go.

Taba trailed after him while he walked towards the bar with his hands thrust in his pockets, “Close?”

“Aye, he should appear witin da next two cities. You can get ya vengeance den.”

“And what about my brudda?”

Zanzabarra paused, “Ask da killer when you find him.”