Chapter 41: Be Mindful!
Xin frowned. That was his thinking expression. Then looked around: the beasts were still as sluggish as when he first came to this "stage". Truly, what obedient creatures! What kind of problems could Mo Emperor have with them? His word, or rather flag, even in the current crumpled state was enough to make them as docile as puppies.
But no matter, this public is here just to distract him. And his time to answer was running out. The grey wolf still looked patient, though, but who risks his life?
"What is your story?"
He asked, haughty and mighty in his head and so awkward in reality, like a child trying his best to imitate an adult. Well, that what he was doing. Kind of. Maha is an adult, right?
"My story…" The wolfs eyes blinked with blue. Just reflection from the sun?
"It is easy, when we got wind of the massacre, it was already too late. Many corpses were lying on the ground, some on the trees; it is where the most of the battle happened. Humans were trying to run away. During the battle, there was thirty of them, after it became ten, and then six ran, three I killed and one we captured. That one."
He pointed at the trembling man, and the tremble strengthened. Xin felt the urge to shake him off his leg but resisted it.
"But, but you said humans were twice…"
Before Xin could finish his words the wolf suddenly leaned to him, a shadow covered the poor captive and Xin felt his nails burrowing in his skin. Painful. He shook his leg.
"I am sorry, but you see, it was to be artistic." He whispered to him.
"However, the strength of these humans was twice as high, so the power of cooperation."
The wolf straightened his back as if nothing happened. Xin shook his leg stronger, heard a squeak and looked up.
"He doesn't look strong."
"That is in comparison. Iron-tailed birds, though quite fierce when ambushing using their tails to dive from the height, are naturally weak when caught unaware, and green monkeys are mostly scouts."
"…"
Xin was rapidly losing his cards. If it will go on like that there are no chances that the man will be saved. Frankly, at that point, the boy himself was unsure he was on the right side, however, before he started defending the man, all he knew of him were his face and poor eyes. Just an image in a way. But now, after hearing his cries and seeing his pitiful act, he saw a human at him. Not the most admirable one, but he couldn't just see him butchered without trying to find the truth. And if the truth isn't on his side...
He wasn't sure.
"What is that Squad Seven you were talking about?"
A slight unrest sounded from the beasts around. Only Mo Guang remained calm, though his expression became more solemn.
"They are humans, a part of their army sent to destabilize our Empire. That as much as we knew, they are trying to plant the seeds of disorder between our people, fear, panic. They only attack at night, dishonorable bandits."
The wolf's gaze focused on the poor man on the ground.
"So they are elite right?" Maybe someone from Imperial Intelligence? Like that pair of man and childish woman from earlier?
"Elite, but we fighting them well."
"Then, if they are elite, why is he dressed like that?" The man was in rags, very dirty and smelly.
"If he's really elite, shouldn't he have some good armor?"
"He had." Said Mo Guang.
"However, we took it from him. It would have been wasteful otherwise."
"I, I understand but why have you dressed him in that?"
"Are executions carried out in naked in your land?"
The question sounded quite genuine, but Xin couldn't help but feel that he was mocked with that. "Executions carried out in naked", ha-ha, very funny, however, it was his last straw; he won't give it up that easily. This question was his final trump card, and Xin was planning to hold it tight.
"Can you put that armor on him?"
It was a dangerous question. Everything before was more or less general, but with that one, he was really implying that the wolf was lying. No matter how good was his attitude, he was still, de facto, a person in whose paws his and Maha's lives were.
"Surely It can be done." However, despite Xin's worries, Mo Guang looked quite eager. He took the man by the scruff and dragged him from Xin. It was a relief.
"No, no, wait, save me, boy, save me, good boy, please, I beg, save mghg!"
The wolf quickly inserted the dirty bloody gag back into the man's mouth.
"I will be quick, I should find it first if it still hasn't been melted."
Xin nodded, though he didn't really wish to be left alone in the company of animals. Though Mo Guang was also an animal…
"Then I shall be going."
Slowly the wolf started dragging the poor man. The crowd of beasts divided, giving them a path. At some point, the wolf made a quick glance at Xin, and then turned back, leaving farther and farther.
The time somehow started slowing down. Xin felt a strange urge or anxiety. Everything is right, right? No matter how smooth it was up to now, he can't challenge the edge to frequently, or may finally fall.
For some reason, he wished to stop the wolf now.
However, he needed a reason to actually do that, not a feeling.
Therefore he thought, thought and at last…
"Wait!"
His sharp scream was like a thunder in a drizzly rain of half-whispers. All eyes and whatever it was of the beasts were at the boy now. Mo Guang stopped and looked back, at the finger for some reason pointed at him. He scratched his head and the finger fell. Is it a delusion or the demon-boy has reddened a bit? His voice also became higher. Mo Guang was feeling helpless as to think of it, there was little known of how demons express their emotions.
"Wait…" Sounded again, now quitter so only keen-eared animals could catch it. For example, the owner of two black bunny-like ears protruding from the ground.
Mo Guang walked back; at some point, the gag left the mouth of the man and the loud
"Thank you, oh thank you..." clouded everyone's ears, but the cold claws on his head quickly shut him up.
"Is something wrong?" Asked Mo Guang.
"It's… Chm, I Think you should just bring the armor here. No need, I mean, it is bothersome to take him away. He's scared."
How many useless words. However, he can't outright say he's afraid of how much they can do with him. For example, injure him somehow. There are almost no injuries now but he was in a fight, suspicious; either way, right now his only advantage is that the enemy isn't prepared, and he can't allow them to, especially in the matters of the suspect.
Therefore, he was sure that now Mo Guang will try to argue.
"I see, that sounds quite reasonable."
Or maybe not. With the wolf being so passive Xin will soon start being paranoid that he's deliberately giving him a false sense of security, probing how far the boy will go with his hands untied.
"Then I shall bring it here."
The wolf turned back, leaving the man who took an embryonal position on the ground.
"…"
When confuse washed off Xin started hearing the silence around. Awfully loud; stares of the beasts were like an acid rain to his body.
Still, he couldn't stand with his head lowered. The boy bravely looked around meeting everyone's gaze. Red eyes, green eyes, fly-like eyes, shining yellow eyes...
Ouch.
"What are you doing?" Calmly sounded in his mind, but rang like a hummer against his half-wasted nerves.