After throwing Noah into the small room, the elders left to check up on the injured people as well as to inform the family members of Jake and others about what really was going on.
Mera volunteered to come with them but three of them declined saying that she should accompany her father who was still sleeping. In just few days, the village has experienced two in invasions back to back.
With dwindling manpower, the tensions began to rise. Despite Alastair using his body to save his companions, many able bodied man were injured again because of the ambush.
The elders knew how hard Mera was working using her powers continuously, if she collapsed it would truly be the end of everyone as without her they had to evacuate the village to look for treatment.
She was the main cog that kept their small settlement moving forward. They took it upon themselves to share some of her responsibilities. They need to justify their actions of imprisoning those kids which could be dangerous because people started to get delirious due to constant pressure.
" I should accompany them. Call me immediately if something happens." The flame emperor said patted Mera's shoulder to assure her.
Still he looked at the house down the road where his students were staying. Cyra was almost healed while Bijan has started moving around but he still needed Noah's clutches to move around.
He was really contemplating whether he should take them away to safety knowing that the mysterious faction had weapons that could harm them. He put these thoughts aside for now as he didn't want to run away like a coward. He still wanted to get back at Sablethorn for hurting his pupils.
After four of them left, Mera walked toward the same house while dragging her feet. She always remained strong in front of others, acting as their leader that didn't fear anything but in this moment she felt the walls crumbling down around her.
First Sablethorn attack on the village then to his father getting injured, she felt like it was all because of her. While others viewed her as graceful and astute leader, even going so far as to call her beautiful despite her tall, dark and athletic physique, she felt like she was cursed since the beginning.
She was the first sorcerer of the village but despite having powers to heal others, she couldn't save her own mother. Many people would tell her that she resembles her mother but sadly there is nothing left of her.
Her father would regularly dodged her questions when she inquired about her mother, even believing that she is still alive somewhere. That's because she doesn't even have a grave.
Villagers would tell her about the strange circumstances surrounding her mother, some said that she died during childbirth while others told her that she was fatally injured during a hunt. Nonetheless, her death was the reason why her father left when she became old enough to take care of herself and the villagers.
Mera didn't even realise that she was standing at the door when she heard someone talking, it was Bijan and Cyra discussing something.
" This doesn't make sense. Why would he fight so valiantly just to betray everyone? You feel it too right?" Bijan said.
" It doesn't matter. We are guests here, we don't have a place to say anything because it's an inside matter." Cyra dismissed it but she also felt that Noah wasn't a traitor.
He shielded her from hail of arrows which saved her life even when she was ready to die in combat. She still remembered his blood covered face when she pleaded to him to leave her behind on the wall.
Although there was a chance that he was working with the enemy, she firmly believes that he wouldn't use such sneaky tactics.
" Here, first ook at these weapons recovered by them." Bijan wasn't ready to give up. He pulled out two weapons widely differing in appearance, the only resemblance was that both had a protruding tip.
" See this? This is made of wood. Even the joints of the barrel are crudely put together. While this weapon is made up of unknown material, it shimmers in light but it's not as heavy as iron. What's more, the bullets are smooth and round but this one has a tip ehich should give it power of penetration." First one was the weapon that Noah's team brought over while the other one was SIG rifle confiscated from Noah's team.
Any sane minded people could tell that these weapons weren't in the same league but both made loud noises upon firing.
It could mean Noah's weapons were more advanced but there was a terrifying possibility that his weapons were too expensive to make which meant he brought few of them with him when he came to the island. There could be enemy headed their way, a more elite force capable of using such weapon.
They might have escaped this time but if hundred people like Noah emerged next time, they wouldn't be able to do anything. Cyra being older and more experienced explained everything to Bijan.
After hearing her, he knew that deception was something he wasn't much familiar with. The main force of the enemy might be conversing to their location as they speak which was why everyone was so anxious to find out about Noah's real origins.
" I just... don't want him to end up like this." Bijan said with a complicated expression. Although he lost against him, he had immense respect towards him because he stood up against an entire army on his own.
Cyra patted his head and said, " Me too, we can wait until the truth is revealed. He might be innocent we just don't know."
Mera who was eavesdropping to their conversation felt even more guilty. Unbeknownst to everyone, she too liked the frivolous man that suddenly appeared in the village. His lacking appearance never taked anything away from his roburst heart and demeanor.
But for now, they could only hope that Alastair wakes up and give her some much needed advice on what to do next.