Donvano came running back, carrying a rope as Yanz and the Chief laid the sky person's body on its stomach. The man in white was still bleeding profusely, leaving a trail on the stone floor. Together, they bound his hands and legs tightly.
-"We're going to regret this. We don't even know what kind of powers these people have,"
Donvano said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
-"What if he's strong enough to break free?"
Neither Yanz nor the Chief responded, but their tense faces showed they were thinking the same thing.
Suddenly, a faint groan escaped the man in white.
"Mm..."
The three of them immediately stepped back, their bodies taut with caution. The sky person stirred. His head shifted slightly as his eyelids fluttered open.
His vision was blurry. All he saw were blurred colors and heard voices, he blinked forcefully a few times until his vision became clearer, he saw the three figures standing before him.
His eyes moved from shock to immediate rage as he recognized their dirty ugly clothes.
-"You dare tie me up damn parasites!"
His voice was filled with fury, his eyes glowing red as he struggled to stand. Bound and unsteady, he fell flat on his face, gritting his teeth in frustration. Lying on the floor, he roared again, his voice echoing through the room.
-"I REMEMBER YOU!"
He glared at Yanz.
-"YOU TRIED TO KILL ME, YOU PUNK! I'LL KILL YOU! RELEASE ΜΕ!"
Yanz stepped forward and kicked the man squarely in the face, sending a spurt of blood from his nose.
"Aghhh!"
the sky person cried out, his face twisting in pain.
-"HOW DARE YO-"
Before he could finish, Yanz pressed his foot down on the man's head, pinning it to the ground.
-"How does it feel to be the one humiliated for once?"
Yanz said coldly, his voice as sharp as a blade.
The Chief and Donvano exchanged uneasy glances.
They weren't sure if this was bravery or madness.
"I'LL KILL YOU, MOTHERFUCKER! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM CAPABLE OF!! The man screamed, writhing on the ground, attempting to break free.
Yanz knelt down, looked him in the eye, and smacked the back of his head hard enough to daze him.
-"Are you stupid or something? You're tied up. Why do you keep trying?"
Enraged, the man in white lunged forward with his teeth, attempting to bite Yanz. But Yanz moved his hand just in time and punched the man in the back of the head, rendering him unconscious.
-"He's not talking now. We'll interrogate him tomorrow,"
Yanz said calmly, sitting on the floor beside the body.
The Chief broke the silence.
-"What exactly do you want to interrogate him about? Keeping him alive is too dangerous."
Yanz stood, brushing himself off.
-"You'll find out once he talks."
Donvano turned to Yanz, suspicion in his voice.
-"What did you even do to make that massive wound disappear?"
Yanz avoided his gaze.
-"I don't know myself"
He said simply, walking out the door without another word.
"Can we really trust him? He seemed to have bloodlust"
Donvano muttered under his breath.
The Chief patted Donvano on the shoulder.
Outside, Yanz walked quietly through the village until a faint voice called out from the shadows behind the Chief's house.
-"Yanz."
Ceph stepped out, looking worried. He ran up to him.
-"What happened? What's going on now?"
Yanz looked down at him, his voice calm.
-"we have to wait till tomorrow"
As they walked back home together, Ceph's stomach growled loudly.
-"You're hungry, aren't you?"
Yanz said with a slight smirk.
-"there is enough food to fill our belly tonight"
They went to the house and yanz climbed up the ladder to his bed to get mushrooms. He saw Hazel sleeping, her arms spread open. He looked at the mushrooms and some were eaten, and there were small crumbs on the bed.
Yanz smiled and petted Hazel, took the mushrooms and went out where Ceph was waiting.
Ceph asked
"Wait is that?"
Yanz replied
"It's safe to eat, trust me"
They took a fire tourch and used it to roast the mushrooms
The soft orange flames flickered in the darkness, casting a warm glow. They laughed and ate together, their worries momentarily forgotten.
At dawn, the village woke to the sound of birds chirping and the soft rustle of leaves in the cool breeze.
*𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘬*
The sound came from the door.
Ceph groggily opened his eyes and stumbled to answer it.
Donvano stood outside, his face serious.
-"Where's Yanz?"
-"The sky person....he's gaining consciousness"
Together, they walked to the Chief's house.
Inside the Chief's house, the air was heavy with tension. The man in white sat tied against the wall, his face swollen and bruised from the previous night. His once-pristine clothes were now filthy and blood-stained.
-"Water..."
He croaked weakly, his voice barely above a whisper, cracked and desperate.
The Chief handed a cup of water to Yanz. Yanz walked up to the man and crouched down.
-"You want water?"
Yanz said coldly.
-"Answer my questions, and you'll get it."
The man glared at him with loathing. -"You filthy peasant dare interrogate me?! Just you wait-when I get out of these ropes, I'll burn your entire village to ash!"
Yanz stood, his expression unchanging.
He told donvano and the chief to step outside. He stepped outside along with them, and returned with a handful of wooden sticks, each one sharpened to a point. Without hesitation, he stabbed one into the man's leg.
-"AAAAAAHHH!"
The sky person screamed, his voice tearing through the room as blood seeped onto the floor.
-"If you just answer, this doesn't have to happen again,"
Yanz said, his voice as steady as stone.
-"I'd rather die than lower myself to a rat like you!"
Yanz drove another stick into the man's other leg, drawing another ear-splitting scream.
The man's eyes darted to the wand lying on the ground nearby. Seeing his opportunity, he made a desperate attempt to lunge for it, only to collapse face-first.
Yanz chuckled darkly.
-"I put it there on purpose to see what kind of reaction you give out"
He stabbed the man's tied hands with a third stick, earning another cry of agony. Picking up the wand, Yanz examined it.
-"What happens if I break this?"
He asked, twirling it in his hands.
-"No!" the man shouted, panic flashing in his eyes.
-"YOU CAN'T!"
Yanz crouched down, gripping the man's collar.
-"Then answer the damn questions. I won't break it if you answer.
Why were you here last night?"
-"I came to...to blow off steam,"
the man admitted reluctantly, his voice trembling with rage and pain. And his eyes looking down, avoiding eye contact.
-"Why?"
-".....i...."
-" It doesn't matter. Does anyone know you're here?"
"No!...I sneaked down alone!"
-"Final question."
Yanz's tone softened slightly.
-"Do you know anything about magic that can heal?"
The man hesitated before answering in a weak voice.
-"Yes...but not much. it's rare. Only a few people on the Sky Island can use it. And even among them, it's really hard to control"
Yanz stood silently for a moment, deep in thought.
-"You promised to give me my wand!" the man yelled desperately.
Yanz smirked coldly.
-"Did I? I only said that i won't break it. No one said anything about returning it"
The man's expression sank, despair taking hold as he realized he wouldn't live to see another day.
Without hesitation, Yanz stabbed him in the chest with the last stick. The man convulsed violently, gasping for air, and then went still. His lifeless eyes stared at nothing.
Yanz stood, his face unreadable.
He took the cup of water from earlier and drank it.