RTYY 310 - Who The Heck Is He?

It didn't take as long as ZaiWin had thought. The sun had just started to set when suddenly Snow simply slip to one side and fell off his horse like a listless doll. The loud thud his body made as it hit the dirt road made ZaiWin's heart jump, and he was immediately glued to the wooden bars again.

Was he all right? He wasn't moving!, he immediately realized, as did the others, everyone halting their horses to see what had happened.

ZaiWin wanted nothing more than to kick those bars until they cracked and rush to his side. But he knew that fucker would never allow him to get that close to him. He would probably end up sprawled on the ground as well, unable to even get up.

"I told you he was sick," RimJan, who was traveling on MaoHan's horse, pointed out, sounding annoyed by the fact that the others had obviously chosen to ignore her warnings.

"Snow? Are you alright?" RyuXin asked, dismounting probably to help him back to his feet, since no one else seemed willing to do anything. As if ZaiWin would allow that!

He knew this would happen. It had pained him to silently watch Snow get weaker and weaker as the day progressed, to silently wait for the moment he finally collapsed. Only his silly Snow to actually think that, given the circumstances, he would be able to somehow ride it out. And so he was ready to act.

He hated doing this! On the other hand, the fact that that bastard had suppressed his energy ironically actually played to his advantage, making it a lot easier and safer. Besides, if doing it meant keeping Snow safe he was more than willing to risk it.

Squeezing the wood bars ZaiWin focused as hard as he could, a burning, tingling sensation spreading across his back. And then, just as RyuXin was about to reach Snow, a circle of dark-bluish flames surrounded the boy still lying motionless on the ground.

RyuXin immediately gasped in surprise, jumping back, away from danger.

"What the heck?!" he demanded, and everyone turned to ZaiWin, who really couldn't care less, his attention completely focused on keeping those weak, but deadly flames under control.

"Brother MaoHan! What's the meaning of this?!" RyuXin complained, clearly annoyed, and MaoHan lowered RimJan to the ground, before dismounting his horse to take a closer look.

HuaQin laughed out loud, her voice echoing throughout the silent forest.

"Didn't you say you could control him?" she demanded, clearly amused.

MaoHan's angry glare turned to the prison cart.

"Stop this this instant!" he commanded and ZaiWin immediately felt the pressure of those words completely suppressing any sliver of energy that might have been flowing through his body, making him feel weak and dizzy. Good thing he was sitting, he thought grimly. If not, he would have probably have fallen on his knees again, and they were still bruised from the last time that bastard had done that to him!

However, even completely empty, his markings for once silenced, there was one spot on his back that kept burning. It made him feel sick, to actually be aware of that with precision. It made images, he had forced himself to expel from his memory, return to him as clear as day. But still he didn't avert his gaze from the dark flames, unwilling to allow any of that to break his concentration. Snow was lying in the center of that deadly ring, and he needed to keep him safe.

"Ah! It doesn't work!" HuaQin stated, still laughing happily, and RyuXin frowned, clearly annoyed.

"Why doesn't it work? And what is this thing?" he asked, reaching out a hand, bringing it closer to the flames, but RimJan quickly grabbed him by his pants and pulled him back.

"Don't touch it!"

RyuXin turned his inquisitive gaze towards her.

"You know what this is?"

"Are you an idiot?!" HuaQin demanded, as usually unable to waste a chance to insult or annoy another person. "It's obviously fire!"

RyuXin frowned doubtfully at that, the fact that she had just called him an idiot not even registering.

"Fire?! This color?! It's not even hot!" he contested. "It's actually cold, like when you're close to a block of ice!"

HuaQin raised an intrigued eyebrow at that and dismounted her horse, as did ZwaKim, both cautiously approaching the dark dancing ring with curious expressions.

"Oh! You're right. It actually emits cold," HuaQin happily confirmed.

"Are … we … sure … this … isn't … the … child's … doing?" ZwaKin asked and, surprisingly enough, all gazes turned to RimJan, who quickly shook her head.

"Snow could never command such dark energy. I know he looks different from the golden-ones, but inside he's mostly the same. His energy is soothing and healing. There's no way he's the one doing this."

"And yet he did kill his entire Clan!" HuaQin pointed out with a wide smile on her face. "Where's the soothing and healing in that?"

"I'm sure this isn't his doing," MaoHan declared. "This … although different, has the same energetic footprint as our prisoner's energy. I have no doubt that he's the one in control of these flames."

This time they all turned their heads towards the prison cart.

Once more. ZaiWin ignored them completely.

"Then … why … can't … you … control it …?" ZwaKin asked and a deep frown marked MaoHan's forehead.

"There's only one possible explanation. This is Tenwan, eternal fire."

ZwaKin actually gaped at that, HuaQin's eyes widening in disbelief. RyuXin scowled.

"How can that be? This doesn't even look or feel like fire at all!" he demanded.

"And yet it has completely scorched the ground beneath it," MaoHan pointed out. "It is most certainly completely tainted, just like he is. But it's still eternal fire. It's the only daitai that can never be suppressed or controlled by anyone else but its bearer. And it doesn't need one's energy to be activated, drawing energy from the outside world if needed. Right now I can guarantee that there's not a drop of energy circling through his body. And yet he was still able to activate it."

"What the … Who the heck is he?!" RyuXin demanded, and five pairs of black eyes stared at ZaiWin in a mix of suspicion and hatred.

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Hai!!! Let's all repeat after Ryu-chan! Who the heck is he?! 😁😁😁

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