Crack!
"Answer my questions!" LaRae barked again, embedding his axe in the log pole just beside Ayse's face. "Where are they? How will they attack?"
Ayse squinted his eyes and adorned a curious stare. He quietly but boldly asked, "... Who was this traitor you mentioned earlier? I can't say whether I know them or not if you don't explain who we're talking about."
Elder LaRae's tone eased up a single degree, barely lightening up. "Listen. While the others are gone.
"Twenty-three years past, the first sky fiend fell. Her flying boat crashed in ice," LaRae explained, his voice being barely louder than a whisper. And he pointed to one of the larger glaciers in the distance. "It no longer flew. She lived with us. We cared for her. And she married one of us.
"But what did she give us? A massacre. Bloodshed… The village was destroyed. We had to rebuild. Only half survived because of Grandma Shaman."
When LaRae's tone wavered, Ayse took a shot in the dark, asking, "... And someone you loved was killed?"
"Yes!" Elder LaRae nearly lost control of his voice, almost shouting and drawing attention to them. "That's why you must die. No sky fiend can live. So no curse can befall us."
Nodding in agreement, Ayse sighed, "I get that. But it has nothing to do with me."
"Lies!"
But before the elder could fully interject, Ayse continued, "There are how many people in your tribe? Two hundred, maybe? And how many are there in your rival tribe?"
LaRae squinted. "I don't need to answer."
"Fine, then let me guess. Possibly the same amount of people. Maybe a bit more, or maybe a bit less," reasoned Ayse. "Well, Elder LaRae, do you happen to know every single person in both your tribe and your rival tribe?"
… When the elder stayed silent, Ayse answered his own question, "No, it seems you don't. Now, let me share a fact to help give you some perspective.
"There aren't hundreds of people living on other worlds. There aren't thousands of people. Hell, there aren't millions of people. Across all the civilized worlds of the universe, there are billions and billions of people. Hundreds of charted planets have formed alliances to share in trade and wealth.
"So," Ayse concluded his reasoning with a question, "if you don't personally know every single person in your tribe and rival tribe, then what are the odds of me knowing one person out of hundreds of billions? Especially when you haven't given me a name or any actual details about this you assume that I know."
"Silence!"
LaRae took in a sharp breath while yanking his tomahawk from the pole. "Answer my questions. Or die."
Not backing down, Ayse shook his head. "Or die? Since when did you have the right to kill me? I thought you have to wait till midday tomorrow. Unless LaRee's use of the chief's right is worth nothing."
"If it saves the tribe. I'll break traditions this once," answered the elder, sharing a crazy stare.
Still, Ayse wasn't impressed or intimidated. He shrugged and smiled. "Really? Then get on with it."
Elder LaRae blinked in bafflement for a split second. "Stop lying. Answer my questions."
"No, you stop lying," Ayse retorted without hesitation. "If it's so easy and justifiable to kill me, then why are we still talking?"
Irked by the defiant nature of his captive, Elder LaRae raised his tomahawk toward Ayse's hand. He let the handaxe rest in the air a few centimeters from Ayse's tied-up wrists. "Answer my questions. Or lose a finger. Maybe a hand."
But Ayse just stared back at LaRae with unblinking eyes and an unconcerned frown. Silent.
"Answer me!"
Ayse shrugged once more, saying, "I already answered you. But you don't want my answers. You want me to be guilty of a crime I never committed, and never considered committing. So no. I'm done talking. Either attack me or shut up."
That was the last straw. That was the phrase that fractured Elder LaRae's limits of self-control.
The elder brought his tomahawk back to perform a full swing out of impulse. And he aimed straight for Ayse's left side, just below his ribs.
Ayse reacted accordingly, without a word.
Gripping the cords holding his wrists to the log, Ayse pulled himself up in a flash. He curled his lower body above his head and wrapped his legs around the log pole, scooting up against the top of the cage. Ayse's hands were still restrained, but they were no longer holding all of Ayse's weight and could somewhat move around. And Ayse shrugged while looking down at the elder with a dauntless smile.
Elder LaRae was left with his tomahawk digging into the pole, landing nowhere near his true target.
There was a moment of silence.
Ayse was busy chuckling to himself. He was utterly unimpressed by the elder's half-assed attack.
LaRae, on the other hand, used that moment to return to his senses. To reflect, somewhat, on Ayse's reasonings and to calm down before further escalating the situation.
"Elder!" two voices called out.
Noticing the rushed return of the veteran hunters, Elder LaRae sighed and looked back at Ayse with stern but frustrated eyes. "Tomorrow, you die. It doesn't matter who you know. We will not fall to a sky fiend's curse again."
"YAOOOH!! Ya, ya, ya, ya, YAOOOH!!"
All of a sudden, unified battle cries filled the air and brought the entire village to full alert.
What immediately followed were the horns of three watch towers, those stationed between the jungle and the village.
"We're under attack!" Elder LaRae immediately flipped into battle mode. He drew his bow and gave his first order, "You two. Hurry and stop the charge. We can't fight inside the village!"
"Yes, Elder!" the veterans replied, already taking their first steps toward the imminent battle.
"Untie me!"
Elder LaRae pulled the arrow out of the pole before looking up at Ayse. As LaRae nocked the arrow, he hastily remarked, "I have no need. You can't help. This is the curse you caused!"
"I told you, I promised to protect the village!" Ayse shouted.
But the elder had already rushed out of the cage to find the nearest quiver available.
"Fine! Then, I'll get myself out!" Ayse groaned, annoyed but not down on himself.
So, when left with no choice, Ayse tightly gripped the log pole with his legs to remove all weight and excess tension from the knots around his wrists. And Ayse proceeded to bite down on the tough cords with his teeth, beginning to pull the knots loose.