[h3][b]Chapter I[/b][/h3]
[i][b]Day 2 after Fritz's death, early morning[/b][/i]

[b]The Vengeance Safe House[/b]

[b]“The old man hasn’t been seen in at least a week, and even before his disappearance the rumours have begun to spread that he looked worn out. I talked to several people and all of them were certain that the old man was either dead or on his deathbed.”[/b]

Stalwart rocked back and forth in her chair. Her eyes were closed as she listened to the report given to her by the man who was her second-in-command. She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about the thing she just heard. 

[color=00aeef][b]“What do you propose Xeon?” [/b][/color]She asked. 

The man smirked. [b]“It is simple. We need more resources and influence if we are to have any hope of challenging Mr. Shiro. I don’t have to tell you how juicy of a target the Asylum Island is right now, after years of people escaping to the safety of its neutrality, and we have one in a thousand chance right now to take it.”[/b]

[color=00aeef][b]“Oh? We do?” [/b][/color]Stalwart raised an eyebrow. 

[b]“Yes! Shogun is busy devouring the Kingdom’s territory after King’s injury and Mr. Shiro doesn’t dare make any move that could weaken the White Blade after the Followers of Zig annihilated Braid’s gang. Veyles is the careful sort and he wouldn’t make the first move and Momo is not an expansionist. Besides those four and us, every other gang is too far away to really give a damn about the Asylum Island.”[/b]

Smirk was gone and in its stead the look of fierce determination appeared on Xeon’s face. [b]“Just give me the word and you will have the Asylum Island by nightfall.”[/b]

Stalwart made a show of pondering the matter but the truth was she had already decided on her action before Xeon even said a word. 

[hr][hr]

[b][i]Day 2 after Fritz’s death, midday[/i][/b] 

[b]The Asylum Island, outside of the Orphanage[/b]

Several men disembarked at the small pier of the Asylum Island. Neither of the bunch looked particularly friendly, but that was hardly an unusual thing in Yire-Alba. However, it was strange to see so many men who obviously were up to no good in the territory under the protection of the Old Man Fritz. Most of the island’s inhabitants who saw them come off the boat assumed that this unsavoury group would be trounced and sent packing as soon as the old man heard of their arrival. 

The group made their way through the veritable labyrinth of passageways between shacks and other buildings. The complexity of navigating around the Dirt Town’s peculiar (and unstable) architecture had made the trip to the centre of the Asylum Island longer than one would assume looking at the size of the island from one of the river shores. 

Once the men have reached the clearing around the orphanage the leader of the group, a young man who looked like he was fresh to the adulthood turned around towards the islanders who have by then gathered around his unfriendly crew – though they all still kept a safe distance, and shouted:

[b]“People of the Asylum Island, from this day on this island is the territory of the Vengeance and its boss Stalwart!”  
[/b] 

[hider=The group leader]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/8gAZqtI.jpg[/img]
[/hider]