On his way back, he saw a huge portion of hill missing. It was like a trail of landslide. But he did not know how a landslide had happened all of a sudden.
He reckoned it was the work of cannibals. They had eaten a part of the hill.
The hill was not showing any movement so he guessed they had eaten the part which did matter the most.
Soon he discovered the same cannibal group in the exact same place. This time, they didn’t attack him. Those cannibals didn’t even run from him because they were busy in cooking the robbed food.
“Waiting for another fish like me?” Roderick asked them.
“Get going, stranger.”
“You!” Roderick pointed a cannibal munching on raw rice grains, “I killed you.” He glanced at another man, “And including you. How are you alive?”
“I will tell you if you let us eat at least five of your soldiers.” Cannibal said while dropping half chewed rice grains.
If I find how they are reviving the dead ones, then I can help Queen to win this war.
“Three. Okay?” Roderick bargained.
“Hmm….not less than three.” Another cannibal accepted the offer.
“Okay then. Some of you follow me. I will trick three of those old men and you can abduct them.”
Those nineteen warriors were spending their time by bad-mouthing Roderick ever since they had got rid of him. Without food, their worries were elevated to a whole new level. Their legacies were not enough to fill their stomach.
“Look at the ingrate Queen.” One warrior said, “She left us here in this age after we won wars for her fathers and grandfathers. We should have had castles, lands and wealth instead of this broken hut.”
“What about youth?” Roderick asked through the big hole in the wall. He then got in the hut again.
“Why are you here now? And how dare you come in here through the window?” one old man snapped.
“I can make you young.”
“You must be lying. If you knew this, then why didn’t you tell us about it when you were here last time?”
“Don’t you remember the ambush, ser?”
“It was terrible.” Old man said.
“As you grow old, things will get more terrible. Come with me and behold youth.”
After a brief discussion, they agreed to come with him.
