Peaking around the corner of the building, Charlie spotted the Head Merchant sitting on a bench, happily chatting to excited and slightly flirty native women. Diving back behind the wall, he began to twiddle his thumbs. How was he meant to ask this?

“Good morning head merchant, I would like to buy a gun,” Charlie said to himself, putting out a hand to try and simulate making a deal the with merchant.

“Fucking hell, I can’t just walk up and ask for a gun!” Charlie said as he kicked the side of the house. Turning, he started to strut up and down the side of the building.

Stopping suddenly, he put out his hand again.

“I would like to buy a gun,” Charlie sighed.

“No, no, too formal, he might think I’m drunk,” Charlie paced up and down again. Again, he stopped.

“Sir, I would like to purchase four guns from you, for self-defence. Oh, sorry what? Why would I need four guns? One for each limb,” Charlie said, again realising how stupid it would be to ask for four. This gun consisted of four barrels and the clip was composed of six separate circles, good for close range and easy to use. After all you don’t need to be accurate when firing four bullets at the same time from only twenty feet away.

Arms wrapped around his shoulders. Charlie tried to jump, but the arms kept him locked in place.

“You reek of anxiety,” the familiar voice of Nolkonoe said. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the Chiefess was the one who had placed her arms around him.

“Yeah, I guess,” Charlie said, only now realising how much he was sweating. Moving to his side, Nolkonoe placed a hand onto Charlie’s head.

“Tell me everything,” She cooed as she gave him her signature warm smile.

“I…” Charlie hesitated; he had wanted the guns to be a surprise to them.

“I’m trying to think of a way to ask the Head Merchant something…” Charlie muttered, looking away slightly as he tried to keep his calm. Watching his eyes darting around, only ever stopping for a few seconds, she could tell he was trying to think of something. Deciding to play along, Nolkonoe widened her smile.

“What is it my little one? I’m sure I can help!” She said, moving closer and placing herself against him. Charlie blushed and turned his head away.

“uummm, urrrr, stuff,” Charlie croaked out. Nolkonoe uttered something to the Chiefess. In response, the Chiefess placed her neck at the tip of his left shoulder. Dragging her tongue up the side of his face like a dog, he looked at the smug grin of Nolkonoe. The Chiefess continued her licking until Charlie finally muttered something.

“Say that again, I didn’t quite hear you?” Nolkonoe said, her smirk growing ever wider as she saw their interrogation method had worked.

“I…Was feeling bad that there isn’t much I can do to help you in the counterattack, so I’d thought I would surprise you by getting you some guns to use. You know, turn the tables on the raiders,” Charlie explained as the Chiefess continued to feel his chest. Nolkonoe placed a hand onto the side of his face, making the nervous boy look at her.

“Why would you ever do such a thing? Promising to help us find ways to take down the Region Lord was more than enough,” Nolkonoe explained, looking into the large, puppy dog-like eyes of Charlie.

“I… My dad, and the rest of my family actually, see me as a failure,” Charlie said, his large, innocent eyes fixing with Nolkonoe’s far more vicious yet oddly sympathetic ones.

“Because of this, my farther sent me here to try and make money, to prove myself worthy of my family’s affection. But since I only have three days left here and I’m going to spend most of that time trying to find ways to take down the Region Lord,” Charlie was cut off by the Chiefess as Nolkonoe translated his words to her. She placed her sharp teeth onto his neck.

“You should be relaxing now for the next three days,” Nolkonoe interjected. Not wanting to argue with the stubborn woman, Charlie decided to just go along with what she was saying. He would try and find something out in secret, after all, he would be leaving in three days. Much to the denial of the women.

“Yes, of course. But since I’m doing all this, I won’t have a chance to make any deals, so I thought I’d use what money I had to at least try and help a few people,” Charlie said, slowly moving his hand to his pocket before revealing a small bag of coins. Nolkonoe felt her heart flutter, as did the Chiefess once Nolkonoe translated his intentions. Such an adorable little thing.

“But you would be in trouble if you returned home with no money? Wouldn’t your family think you more of a failure if you return home empty handed?” Nolkonoe pointed out, thinking he may not have thought of the consequences.

“Yes, but the guns would help right? So, its ok,” Charlie said, offering the bag of coins out to Nolkonoe. The Chiefess awed as she placed a bombardment of kisses onto the side of his face. Now that was the man she wanted; a man willing to do anything to help those in need. Even if doing so would be bad for himself.

Nolkonoe and the Chiefess exchanged a few words, before both came to a conclusion that they were satisfied with.

“Charlie,” Nolkonoe said, pushing his bag of coins against his chest, “what kind of guns do you need?”

Charlie thought for a few seconds, a little happy as he realised, they may have accepted his gift.

“Four, quad-barrels,” he said, a bright glimmer in his eyes. Smiling, Nolkonoe nodded.

“Wait here,” she said before wondering off. Peaking around the corner of the building, he watched as she walked over to the head merchant.

He couldn’t hear their words, but they talked for a while. As they talked, Nolkonoe reached behind her back, under her skirt, and revealed a leather bag she had tied around her waist. Reaching into the bag, she pulled out a singular, large, gold coin. When offered the coin, the face of the head merchant screwed and soured, insulted by her offer.

Within the blink of an eye, she had a knife drawn. Stabbing it down into the table next to him, he quickly accepted the offer of just one gold coin. Jumping up from his seat, he hurried off. Sprinting to his carriage, he quickly moved around it and into the large waggon attached to the back of it. Clambering into the back he disappeared for a moment but soon re-emerged with a large wooden box.

Sprinting back just as quickly as before to Nolkonoe, he offered up the box to her. Clicking open the box she looked at the contents. Smiling she patted him on the head before waltzing back towards the waiting Charlie and Chiefess. Once by their side again, she offered the box to Charlie. Taking the box from he offered out his pouch of coins.

“No don't, you need as much money as you can gather if you want to please your parents,” Nolkonoe thought for a few seconds before looking to the Chiefess. Talking quickly in their native tongue, they bickered and debated with a baffled Charlie between them. Eventually though to the reluctance of the Chiefess, they came to an agreement.

“So, Charlie, you say that to impress your parents you must gain some kind of glory or honour, or maybe just simply profit from being out here in the desert. Well, I have a proposal for you if you care to hear for it,” Nolkonoe said, smiling already as she could almost see large gold coins appear in his eyes.

“Of course, what can I do for you?” He said without hesitation, eager to pay back his new friend.

“You show three of my warriors how to use those weapons of yours and well take them on the raiding trip. But I also want you to accompany me. It should be quite easy considering we have another twenty or so warriors also willing to join us, meaning we will have seventy to their thirty,” Nolkonoe looked at the sheepish boy as he almost physically shrank at the thought of leaving the relative safety of the village and its people.

“I don’t really know how to fight, and I’m pretty sure I will just be more of a liability than anything,” he said, not really seeing himself in a situation where he could be of use on a raiding trip.

“Three gold coins, and I’ll keep you safe. You’ll just be there to look cute and entertain us more than anything. Anyway, I feel bad for hogging you so much, I’ve stopped you from doing any trading,” Nolkonoe explained, her words bringing a smile to his face.

“Thank you, I’m a bit nervous, but I think this would be wonderful,” Charlie said, almost tearing up at the idea of being praised by his family for bringing home three gold coins.

“So, you’ll come?” Nolkonoe said, smiling at the annoyed expression of the Chiefess as she knew she would have to stay behind to look after the tribe.

“Yes, thank you,” Charlie said, trying to bow his head to her, but the strong arms of the Chiefess prevented him from doing so.

“Come, you look hungry, and you still owe me and my people a day of your company,” Nolkonoe said, patting him on the butt before wandering off. Reluctantly he followed, grateful to her but also a little scared of what ever she had planned.

The Chiefess walked on behind him, her arm hovering close to his back. Wandering back through the village, clutching his box of guns to his chest, Charlie allowed the Chiefess to shelter him with one of her arms. It was like a parent escorting their child with a new toy that the child didn’t dare want to drop.

Keeping his eyes down, to avoid making eye contact with any natives, Charlie stopped as he saw the heel of Nolkonoe. The arm of the Chiefess moved from his back. Charlie looked up. Nolkonoe stood still, not moving. Her arm moved to her back. Slowly her hand crept down her back, and to her skirt. Moving her hair aside, she gripped onto the handle of a knife.

Looking up to the Chiefess he saw the look of anger in her eyes as she narrowed them, her glare fixed forward. Staring back to Nolkonoe, he moved to the side and looked past her.

“Oh no,” he murmured as he watched several tall, strong men with a large, blubbery Merchant along side them. The Region Lord and his posse. As the group approached, the Chiefess flashed past Charlie. Her hand landed onto Nolkonoe’s hand.

“You, said it yourself friend, we need to be patient. Wait, allow us to become stronger, then we shall take our revenge,” the Chiefess whispered to her in their native dialect. Nolkonoe kept her eyes fixed forward as the group moved past them. A young woman, with long blond hair, blue eyes, and dressed in a black and red dress stopped and looked to Charlie.

“Hey!” she said flirtatiously.

“Oh no,” he muttered, recognising that northern region accent anywhere.

“Lady Florentine, pleasure to see you,” he said, awkwardly placing the gun box behind his back.

“The Region Lord and myself were taking a little tour of these exotic people. They are such savage, but interesting people,” she said, twiddling between her fingers the wooden handle to a large, black, opened umbrella above her head. Frowning, she raised an eyebrow as she pursed her lips.

“May I ask what those…” she stared at Nolkonoe and the Chiefess’s grass attire.

“…bestial looking savages are doing with you?” She said, taking a few steps away from the two. As if she was trying to separate herself from them from their conversation. The Chiefess noticed this and took a step to Charlie’s side.

Locking eyes with the woman, the Chiefess wrapped an arm around Charlie’s waist.

“I um… just…” Charlie stumbled, the mixed feeling of the Chiefess touching him and the perfume from Florentine kept his mind distracted. The Region Lord looked to Nolkonoe. Smirking, he waved to Charlie.

“Follow me boy, its lunchtime and some of the native women here would do anything for a few coins,” Charlie tried his best to suppress any words he would have like to fire his way, but he decided against it.

“So,” Charlie was cut off by Nolkonoe.

“I’ll see you again soon Charlie,” she said, obviously not wanting to provoke any fights with the Region Lord. The Chiefess subtly took the box of guns from him before moving to the side of Nolkonoe.

“Come boy,” the Region Lord bellowed before turning with his posse and wandering off. Florentine grabbed his arm and quickly dragged him into the shade of her umbrella.

“Lets get you out this atrocious heat,” Florentine said, sneering back at the Chiefess as she wandered away. Charlie felt fear grip him as he saw the blank look in the eyes of the Chiefess. The same blank look she had when she broke the arm of Klipesia.

“So what have you been doing my little mut?” Lady Florentine said as she turned her gaze to fix onto him.

“Not much,”

“Nothing out of the usual then, you sorry excuse of a merchant,”

“Good to see you haven’t changed,”

“Why thank you, I know I still have the looks that made you fall for me in the first place,” she said, twirling her short, luxury, Imperial made, evening dress, with large, extended sides to try and make her hips look larger.

“No, I mean you still look like a prostitute,” Charlie said with a smirk. Biting the corner of her mouth, she smacked him in the arm. They carried on walking, now neither speaking.

As the group moved around a corner and the two natives were out of sight, a loud bang rang out. From the sound, he guessed it was the Chiefess punching a hole into the side of a wall. They walked for a while longer until the Region Lord glanced over his shoulder to Charlie.

“So boy, what were you doing with the savages,” he said, his foul eyes locking with his.

“Trading sir, as all good merchants do,” Charlie responded. The Region Lord gave no response as he led the group through the village. Slowing, Charlie looked upon the black and red wagon of the Region Lord.

Waddling up the steps, each step creaked under the bloated man’s weight. Glancing over his shoulder, he looked down to Charlie.

“Up the stairs boy,” he muttered before opening the door and walking inside. The entire carriage viably and physically dropped slightly as he entered. Each man and then Lady Florentine followed him inside.

Knowing there was no other choice unless he wanted to cause offence, he entered after them. Stepping into the wagon, a hand wrapped itself around his mouth upon entry. The Region Lord smirked and gestured for him to come and take a seat in front of him. Moving their hand from his mouth to his neck, the person escorted him to a chair.

“Now then, would you like to tell me why you were trading guns with the natives? You and that head merchant should both know such an act is punishable by death,” the Region Lord explained, turning his gaze to the bound head merchant next to Charlie.

“Afternoon” was all Charlie said. The Region Lord reached into his jacket. Slowly, he then revealed a large, double-barrelled revolver.

“So, whose going to face judgment first?”