Highway Robbery: Rise of the Jaguar Bandits

Enter Debora
A few miles near a trade center in a Bosco forest settlement, a great amount of people hid themselves in the foliage. They were armored with pieces scavenged and stolen. They were armed with weapons supplied or obtained just as the armor. They were heavily numbered and vastly different from one another in terms of age and gender. While the majority was on foot, others were on horseback. From their positions, they eyed the nearby train tracks with varying degrees of anticipation.

"...it's late." One of them sniffed, looking up to a woman - specifically, a woman carrying an oversized axe on her back. "You sure the info was right?"

"Positive." The woman answered readily, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the tracks. "The leader of Bosco's branch has his way of knowing what goes on in his territory."

The female she was speaking too sighed heavily, pouting. "Ah~! But it's so boring! We've been waiting here for, what, a few hours?"

"Actually," A male bandit interrupted, sitting on his horse. "It's been half an hour--"

"I wasn't talking to you, Icaro!" The female was quick to turn on the male bandit with an angry gaze, her teeth grinding together and her eyes whitened out. The male simply raised his hands in surrender and placation.

"Relax, you too." The axe-wielder called out firmly, earning the two's silence and attention. Her gaze softened as it fell onto them. "We're always early birds to the worms."

"This is a big worm, though." The proclaimed Icaro muttered, scratching his head as he looked at the tracks. "The boss said that this train's supposed to be carrying cargo from-- what? The International..." He huffed, shrugging. "It's some big title, and it starts with "International"."

"The International Magic Advancement Company." The axe-wielding woman folded her arms across her chest. Through her tone was cool, there was a subtle bite within. "They've been steadily pushing their way eastward and it's causing trouble for our brothers and sisters - especially considering the high security they have. He's counting on us to make a good effort at disrupting their progress." She gave a small smile, a dangerous flash in her eyes. "That just so happens to be a fundamental skill of ours, right?"

The horseman chuckled, adding to the female's toothy grin. "Naturally."

The sound of a train horn in the distance cut through their conversation. All individuals perked up, and the axe-wielder hardened herself.

"I hear it," She muttered, turning her gaze to Icaro. "Icaro, get your rogues into position and be prepared to disable the tracks on my signal. At this distance, we should be able to slow it down before it goes too far into the nearby village."

Icaro frowned, giving a quick nod. "Yes, ma'am!" He turned to the fellow horsemen, barking orders at them. They were quick to respond, moving on his first few words. "All right, come on! We're in a hurry, get to the other side and ready your arms! Go, go, go!"

The magic locomotive finally arrived, complete with the supplies necessary for this expanding community needed. The lucrative deal made by the town's mayor would help them kickstart into a trading hub that could potentially skyrocket their profits and unfurl into a larger city in the next five to ten years. When it arrived, the people who came to watch and help with unloading the materials were ecstatic. From small children with their parents to law enforcement to keep the peace, they watched the sleek gold outlined black train roll in with a high pitched squeak.

Out of the train came IMAC's personnel, complete with either able-bodied B-Rank Mages or men equipped with Holder Items to give them an edge over most thieves that'd dare cross them. Many could see their blue cloaks having IMAC in gold print placed on their clothing's upper left side or on the back of their poncho coats. Donned with black lipped blue flat hats with IMAC medals laced over its front, they went to work and moved the carts and crates full of magic materials, tools and machinery necessary to give them an edge in their to-be trading business.

"Here, let us help," An abled bodied citizen ran up to grab hold of the side of one of the crates.

"Ah, thanks!" The mover replied with an enthusiastic grin. "Bet you're eager to get this all set up."

"Hey, anything to make a better future," He winked.

"Haha, that's the slogan!"

"Hey mommy, what are inside the packages?" A child asked nearby.

"Magic tools and Lacrima to power them," The young mother replied with a soft tone, urging her son not to get too close and injure himself being in the way of the moving men. "They're going to help our city become a much more prosperous one."

"Pros-pus?"

"Prosperous," She intoned with a shake of her head, laughing at the mispronunciation. "It means your father will be getting a higher paying job."

"Then I can have that cool looking wand at the shop?" He asked excitedly.

"Perhaps, just be patient," The woman reassured her son.

While the workers and abled bodied men moved the large shipment, the security of the staff that were seen exiting first were taking point. While a good dozen of them watched the shipments and kept periphery on anybody that was in town that was skulking around, others were standing atop the train to get a higher viewpoint. One of them was mustached man and a blue poncho, whose mustache was the stuff of legends. The brown haired man, Barry Fergus, was a senior Security Chief of this particular train, and had seen many shipments go bad and a few go sour. Not every time he was successful, but he had grown wiser and more cautious with every encounter, good or ill.

So when he saw no one in town as far as the eye could see was watching from a distance, he dictated that no one harmful to their prepared staff was lying in wait. No, he looked to the forest on the other side of the train, where a myriad of beasts, woodland creatures and unsightly folk could be. The wind stirred and a gust made his poncho whip around, wrinkling the golden print of his company while his eyes peered towards the shadows the trees cast in the late morning day with small clouds coming over. It was comfortable Spring weather, but something about the air felt...off, to him.

A gut feeling that couldn't be ignored.

Raising a hand up, he spoke into the more standard IMAC Long-Range Communication bracelet attached to his protective glove, "Stay sharp, I have a feeling we should be expecting company soon."

"But you always say that, Chief," A Mage patrolling the trading post sidewalk intoned with a sigh. "I mean, how often is that even right?"

"Enough that it's validated, Stern."

"Whatever you say," Officer Stern replied with a huff, his own cloak flapping as the wind kicked up again. "Stupid wind."

"Careful, otherwise you may jinx us and summon a tornado," Teased a Security Officer with freckles and orange braided twin-tails that was watching the locals help their muscle continue moving the cargo.

"There's no tornadoes around here, Caren," A more muscled Officer spoke out, reclined against one of the buildings, eyes closed and blowing smoke out of the cigarette wedged between his idle lips. "Unless magic's afoot, we're too close to the sea for that to be an issue."

"Fifty kilometers is still enough distance to manifest it, Joch," Officer Caren remarked with an eyeroll.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Chief of Security, Hans Zimmer, replied with an exaggerated tone filled to the brim of annoyance. "When I say, stay sharp, it does not mean get chatty. It means zip the lip and keep your eyes and ears twice as sharp than usual. Now, do it!"

"Does that mean Joch is twice as lazy?"

"Caren!"

"Fine-Fine," She huffed while patrolling with a bored expression on her face, scanning the area for potential hostiles or ruffians.