The buzzing noise from outside woke Nyell up. His train of thought was all over the place, and it took him a minute to remember where he was. In a split second, his senses seemed to come back to life, and his nostrils were assaulted by a rancid stench. Meanwhile, the dense, humid air made him feel suffocated, and his skin was overly moist and sticky. It gave off the sensation that his skin was too tight around his muscles, giving rise to an unbearable itch.
In other words, Nyell felt like shit. But why was it again?
Oh, right. Nyell had been locked up inside the cellar alongside other unlucky souls. He shook his head to clear his mind, then crunched his stuffy nose. Now wasn't the time to be muddled-headed, but just as he was about to lift his head to look at the wooden door on the ceiling, something caught his attention. Stopping mid-movement, he ever so slowly glanced at his side, a stiff expression stretching his face taut. What the heck…? Since when had he turned into a pillow? He didn't know, but Lapis seemed to have decided he had become one during the night, whatever his thoughts on the matter might have been.
The shaman was leaning his whole body against his, sound asleep and drooling on his shoulder. This guy was making himself at home a little too much.
"You gotta be kidding me…Who was it again who was complaining they could never, ever fall asleep in such a rotten place?" Nyell tsked before grabbing the shaman's face and mercilessly pushing him off his shoulder. "Oh shit, this is disgusting! Fucking hell, I've got drool all over! Jeez, have you forgotten that you're first and foremost a human and not a frigging dog?"
However, no matter how much Nyell cursed, no answer came. After being pushed and falling limply on the muddy ground, Lapis didn't so much as make a sound of discomfort and instead started to snore again after a brief pause. It left Nyell speechless, and considering the exasperated sighs he heard all around, he wasn't the only one who felt annoyed. Many didn't get a wink of sleep, a crushing anxiety keeping them awake all night. In contrast, the shaman was sleeping like a baby without a care in the world, even though he should have been even more anxious than them, as his fate was far more uncertain than theirs. The stakes were life or death, for crying out loud! His laid-back reaction was disconcerting, especially considering his usual fidgety behavior. No one expected him to go ahead and doze off, not even Nyell.
"Fine," Nyell spat out resentfully. "If that's what you want, sleep while you still can."
Which, Nyell knew, wouldn't be for long. Lapis probably had a dozen minutes left at most, maybe even less. Nyell had been woken up by the incoming commotion from above. The undistinct chatters were getting closer along with the drumming of footsteps. A crowd was gathering toward the cellar yet again, and considering how agitated the voices sounded, something horribly wrong had happened once again. At the thought, Nyell almost couldn't resist smirking. It seemed like they succeeded in abducting the sixth elder.
Now, only Burg was left.
Before long, the door was opened, and the bright sunlight flooded the cellar, blinding everyone. From the corner of his eyes, Nyell saw a few warriors spring up to their feet, waiting for the people above to throw down the ladder. After the suspects entered the cellar yesterday, Burg ordered his people to roll up the rope ladder so no one would be tempted to climb up and flee. Why potentially help the culprit escape when they could make it harder for them to do so? Of course, guards had also been posted above for the night. The reason? Better to be safe than sorry.
However, when the rope ladder was thrown down, it wasn't for people to climb out.
"Don't touch!" a stern voice warned. "Anyone who tries to leave will be pushed down. It has been decided that you will need to spend another night in the cellar. But don't worry, you will have new companions to keep you company."
"So, the sixth elder disappeared, huh," Nyell snorted to let everyone know what was going on. Then, ignoring the horrified gasps, he screamed for the man upstairs, "Alright, sure. But just as a reminder, you only gave us one bucket to do our business! It's almost full, and it stinks down here! Are you sure you're not trying to suffocate us to death? Well, if not, could you at least have the decency to leave the door open during the day to give us some fresh air and switch the darn bucket already? Oh, and I expect some jerky and fruit for dinner. I swear, this is ridiculous."
"…Ah."
"Yes, ah!"
Nyell could hear some people retch in disgust, and others stifle their laughter at his crude wording. However, his intervention had the merit to somehow ease the tension. Although, it'd have been another story had he revolted over the order, and that would have been done with justification, too. It might have led to an uprising. But that would hinder his plan, so he made sure to play along with Burg's scheme. Staying in the cellar served him well, as it was the perfect alibi.
Soon enough, they exchanged the buckets, and then the newcomers, aka the warriors on last night's duty, descended into the cellar. Thankfully, the cellar wasn't small; it had been built to store enough food for the whole tribe for half a year, and there was more than enough place for people to sit and keep a comfortable distance from each other. And yes, despite that, Lapis still somehow managed to fall asleep on Nyell's shoulder…
Whatever. That wasn't important right now.
This time, Myrven and Layla didn't manage to escape being confined. Burg might have realized the subterfuge behind their oaths or simply didn't want to take any chance. He probably used the same excuse as for Nyell, that it wasn't fair if only these two were spared of the confinement, disregarding the fact that they were helpful manpower they couldn't afford to lose. Thankfully for Burg, people were too desperate and troubled to think too deeply about his orders. They were like pious devouts who had forgotten what critical thinking was and believed whatever came out of the elder's mouth. No one had it in them to question him, for deep down, they probably knew something was off. However, they unconsciously decided not to face that thought and its implications, burying their misgivings deep into their subconsciousness. Otherwise, it'd be too hard to bear.
"Long time no see," Nyell chortled, amused at Layla's expression. Her small face was distorted by a grimace of disgust, her upturned nose crunching with wrinkles. "Welcome to our humble abode!"
"Don't be dramatic," Myrven sighed. "It has only been a day."
"Trust me, yesterday was a long day for me."
"…Fair enough."
.
.
Crashing noises resounded throughout the hut as Burg trashed the living room, throwing things all around and kicking whatever lay in his path. Anger clouded his mind, and he needed an outlet to vent his frustration, whatever it might be.
What the hell had gone wrong? Among the seven elders, he was the only one left. In a week, they had all been caught and dragged away. To make matters worse, he had no idea how that was possible. He had been racking his brain over the past few days, yet he couldn't make tails or heads of what was going on. Even locking up Nyell didn't change anything! The annoying brat and the White Moon tribe's shaman were his primary suspects, and as such, Burg ordered some of his most trusted subordinates to watch over the men, ensuring he couldn't pull any trick during the night. And still, the sixth elder vanished into thin air last night.
Now, Burg was running out of ideas, and time was ticking.
"It seems like I don't have much choice left," the elder spat out, biting his thumbnail in annoyance. "That's the only thing left I can think of."
Every person he could think of who might be helping out Dangu was locked up, except for Corriel and Isa. Going after these two wouldn't have ended well, so he had let them be so as not to anger the crowd. However, he couldn't trust them. He also wasn't sure if his men would wholeheartedly accept to watch over their chief. Trusting their judgment would be foolish, especially if tonight was his turn. He could not risk it and so decided that he'd be the one to supervise Corriel for the night.
With this in mind, the elder left his hut and went to the chief's. He knocked and waited for Corriel to open the door, even though all he wanted to do was to enter this instant, slam the door behind him, and confront the man. But he knew he couldn't, not with his life at stake.
"Yes?" Corriel opened the door and cocked an eyebrow at the elder's sight. "Oh, it's you, Burg. Do you need something?"
"Actually, yes. I have a favor to ask of you," the elder asked with a stiff smile. "Would you mind if I spent the night at your place? I can't shake off the feeling that something terrible will happen tonight. Every elder has been spirited away, and I fear I'll be the next. If there's someone I can trust in the tribe, it's you, so…"
If Corriel found his request outrageous, he didn't show it. No, he wore his usual kind smile and nodded to let him know he understood. There was no need to explain further, and the chief thus invited the elder inside.
"You're welcome to stay for the night. That is, if you don't mind sleeping in the living room."
"No, not at all."
The elder gestured for the warriors who had accompanied him to stand guard around the house. He had handpicked them and knew they wouldn't let anyone approach the hut, whoever they were.
"Isa!" Corriel called. "Do you mind sleeping over at your friend's house tonight? Burg will stay over, and I'd rather you be elsewhere tonight, just in case."
"Dad, come on! With you around, there's nothing to fear. Whatever might appear tonight, I know I'd be safe with you. Heck, nowhere is safer than next to you! And don't you dare look down on me, ok? I know how to defend myself just fine, and it's my duty to help the people of our tribe as your daughter. How can I hide away just because it might get dangerous tonight?"
"Isa, please…"
Corriel threw an exasperated but firm gaze at his daughter. Although the teenager grumbled under her breath a few more times, she ultimately conceded. Meanwhile, Burg didn't utter a word and observed their interactions instead. He couldn't see anything wrong with it, either. The feisty teenage girl was being her usual self, as was Corriel.
"Sorry for the little show," Corriel smiled apologetically before showing Burg to his quarter for the night. "If you want, I can stand watch with you tonight, too. I might have gotten old, but I'm still a proud warrior of the Black Moon tribe."
"That would be appreciated, yes."
And as such, both men sat on the rug face to face and waited as night fell. The light grew dimmer in the hut, although neither was bothered by the darkness as they could still see as clear as day. Neither spoke and instead strained their ears. Time seemed to stretch, and the seconds were painfully long. Nevermind the five hours that passed: they felt like an eternity. The night was oddly quiet until Corriel finally spoke, breaking the silence.
"You know," he whispered ever so softly, still smiling kindly, "my son told me something interesting a while back. He said this tragedy would never have happened if you had just let Dangu rest in peace. That guy had a much bigger heart than me and didn't hold a grudge over what happened to him. He didn't even mind being trapped in a cave at first. Really, he had no plan to exact revenge whatsoever."
"What nonsense are you spouting…?"
"Shh, let me finish. Dangu truly had planned to let bygones be bygones. That was, until you did the dumbest thing you could ever imagine doing."
Burg felt shivers run down his spine. Corriel's kind smile suddenly seemed to turn cold, even though there was no change in his expression. His manners were as gentle as ever, even as he pronounced the following words:
"Burg, why did you have to kill my mate?"
But the elder could not answer his chief's question, for he blacked out. He never noticed the presence behind him, not until it was too late, and he was now lying out cold on the floor. Although, it wouldn't be for long, for Myur was ready to take over.