While the houses of Wayne Village were high up in the air and built around trees, only one place stayed on the ground.
No lights can come in in that house because of the lack of windows. There was also no other furniture and decoration. There was only a wooden bar, and behind the bar sat Iva, who was patiently waiting for Xiao to return to her.
Outside, the house was guarded by two men armed with a spear and a wooden shield, as if they were keeping watch for a dangerous beast and ensuring that the one inside couldn't go outside to cause harm.
Iva couldn't care less, even for this treatment, not to mention that she is one of them.
Following what Xiao told her, Iva tried to stay calm and relax to restore her strength because she knew they would be on the run once Xiao and her left this place.
In this despair and lightless place, Iva closed her eyes and searched for the light. The light of happiness was the memories she spent with Xiao at his home.
On the other side of the village, inside a house that was the centre of the village, Xiao shook his head in disbelief as he couldn't comprehend what the elder had just said.
Before Xiao gets to refute anything, the elder speaks first.
"Who are you? Human. And how do you come into possession of the cursed child?"
As much as Xiao wanted to punch the elder upon calling Ivaru a possession and the cursed child again, he resists the urge by taking a deep breath.
("And how many times should I tell him my name is Xiao, not Human. Forget it. Let's just get this over with.")
Seeing how pointless to correct the elder about his name, Xiao answered his question, but not before reminding him to call Ivaru her name.
"Ivaru, please, elder, her name is Ivaru. As for me, I am the He..." Xiao stopped before fully announcing himself as the Hero of Darkness.
Seeing how much trouble he got himself into upon getting that title, Xiao decided it was best not to ever introduce himself as the Hero of Darkness again.
"I mean... I am a traveller, and I happened to stumble on Ivaru. She passed out amid the jungle. I couldn't just leave her alone in the wilderness, so I took her back and nursed her back to health." Xiao explained.
Xiao didn't expect the elder to angrily slam the floor upon hearing what Xiao had told him.
"You should just mind your own business, Human!" The elder shouted at Xiao.
Though Xiao didn't flinch at the sudden outburst, he did express shock at how big the elder reaction was. Still, he made one last attempt to reason with the elder.
"Alright, calm down. I get what you trying to say. But with my method, which I explained thoroughly, Ivaru is no longer a threat to anyone else. Surely you all can see it, right? She is no longer what you guys called it, the cursed child." Xiao phases his sentences and tone calmy as he tries his best to convince the elder.
"The cursed child was meant to perish from this world. Her existence will only bring destruction and calamity to the world! Your action will doom us all! This is what you Humans are good at, causing mayhem and...." The elder speaks more and more hysterical as he continues to rant.
Despite the hysterical shouting and how worked up the elder gets, Xiao kept his cool as he observed the situation.
Throughout the ordeal, Xiao never took off his combat mask. Since no one questions the mask and asks him to take it off, Xiao decides to keep wearing it. One reason was that he was cautious and always prepared to get into battle mode.
And the other reason was that no one could see his expression, which happens now as he smirked at the elder beneath his mask.
Xiao concluded that this village's people are beyond reason and logic, for they are fanatics who follow only baseless beliefs. Xiao is also relieved that he decided to take Ivaru under his care because he saw no future for her to stay with these people.
Though Xiao sees no point in arguing or talking some sense to the elder, he did has one question for him after hearing everything.
"May I ask one last thing?"
Xiao raises his voice to interrupt the elder's ranting. Before the elder has the time to respond, Xiao continues with his question.
"If you guys are keen on killing Ivaru, why wait until now? Why let her live in the first place?"
Upon hearing Xiao's question, the elder quit his ranting immediately, and even the demeanour of the guards changes suddenly.
"The cursed child wouldn't live to see a single day if it wasn't for Emma." The elder said, with remorse and regret in his tone.
"Emma? Who is she?" Xiao asked.
"That is not your concern, Human." The elder refuses to answer.
"I see," Xiao replied, unsurprised.
As he has recovered his strength already, Xiao sees no point in staying here again. He was then ready to stand up and bid the elder farewell.
"Alright, I suppose it is time I take my leave. Thank you for your hospitality, if that's what you called it. I will pick up Ivaru, and we will be on our merry way."
Xiao concluded the conversation and was about to leave. Still, the elder seemed to have another plan as he sat firmly while the two of the guards behind him readied their spears.
"No, you won't be leaving, Human." The elder said, each word carrying the tone of a death threat.
"Excuse me?" Xiao said, acting confused by the situation. He could already guess what they planned to do with him.
As they were arguing about Ivaru, Xiao could hear a lot of movement and footsteps outside the house. And currently, the house has already been surrounded by local guards.
("While I was planning to talk to them while resting, they planned to entertain me while gathering up forces to apprehend me.")
"Everyone just has a hidden agenda, huh?" Xiao sighed for a bit before readying a smoke bomb and a flash bang to make his escape.
The elder slowly stands up while making a remark on Xiao's stupidity in getting himself caught.
"You are stupid enough to walk into our village and allow us to take away your weapon. Do you think you can wander into our humble home with the cursed child? The moment you find a way to pass through the fog of deception, you are already a threat to us all."
The elder raises his hand and makes a gesture, and immediately the guards cautiously move towards Xiao. Two more entered the house and were closing in as well from behind.
Despite the hopeless situation, Xiao didn't appear worried at all, for he had the element of surprise on his side, and he already had a plan in mind.
("I will drop a paralysing bomb first, take out their sight and stun them while I get my things from that box, then a smoke bomb for my grand escape.")
"You know, we can still work this out. If you guys could just let us go in peace, nobody will get hurt." Xiao said tauntingly.
Yet nobody takes Xiao's suggestion as they continue to move in close, ready to pounce upon him.
The air tensed up as two parties were about to crash any moment now. Suddenly, a loud roaring came from afar, so loud that it broke the tension in the house.
Everyone seemed deeply shaken and confused by the bizarre roaring that erupted in their village, except for one person who recognised that primal roaring, as there was no way he could forget about it, the reason being the one roaring was the reason he and Ivaru were in this village in the first place.
"Oh, shit..." Xiao said to himself.