49: Star Child: Dunes of Tolapo XV

"Let me out!" Iris shouted as she slapped the wooden bars of our jail cell. Jane and I sat on the floor in the corner of the cell looking up at Iris. Astrid sat with her legs pulled up to her chest in the opposite corner.

"Give it a rest Tri-clops." I said. Iris spun around and kicked me in my shin. "Ow!"

"How can you just say give it a rest! We're locked in a cage like a bunch of animals! We don't know if Damon and Alberto are okay or where Lady Baset is." Iris snapped. I rubbed my shin land and frowned at her.

"There is not much we can do right now. The entire cell is enchanted with some type of Axiom spell to disrupt your spell casting or summoning our evos, I can't even channel mana correctly. My freaking claws just bounce off everything in here so I can't think of any way for us to get out of here." I said calmly.

"So you're just going to sit here and do nothing?" Iris snapped.

"For the time being yes. That Dwarm'moo guy already has people in the village convinced that we're somehow responsible for the attack three days ago. Breaking out and trying to escape would only make us look guilty." I said.

"Not to mention we don't know where Baset, Damon and Alberto are being kept right now." Jane added.

"Fuck, you're right…" Iris groaned then plopped down next to Jane.

As I looked through the cell bars out into the rest of the building I was surprised by the lack of supervision on the Tolapo warriors part but after trying to escape using mana and my claws they didn't need too. There wasn't anything on the other side of the room except for a door to get into the building.

'Bone, can you see what's going on outside.' I thought focusing on my farm crystal. There was silence for a moment then I felt the rush of Bone-lasher's presence in my mind.

<Enemy…>

My vision dulled a bit as a electric pulse emanated from my farm crystal. It highlighted the walls of the cell and the building itself before spreading to outside. I saw a detachment of warriors heading right this way lead by what looked like Baset and Elder Luna.

"Someone is coming." I said. Then stood up. Everyone looked up at me puzzled until the only door in or out of the jail opened and Baset and Elder Luna walked in flanked by at least a half dozen warriors.

"Lady Baset!" Iris, Jane and Astrid yelled jumping to their feet.

"Auntie." I said softly. Elder Luna smiled softly as they stood in front of the cell.

"What's going on?" Astrid asked.

"Can you translate for me?" Elder Luna asked Baset in Torapos. Her words were no longer being translated into English by my spell.

"Of course." Baset said in Torapos.

"The council of elders wants to see all of you. Specifically you Chase." Elder Luna said.

"I'm guessing it's not because they think we are innocent?" I asked. Elder Luna and Baset nodded.

"What do they want to see us for if they don't think we're innocent?" Jane asked.

"They want to see Chase mostly." Elder Luna said. "A few of the other elders are refusing to believe that he is a star carrier or that he is related to me."

"How is Chase's relation to you effect anything?" Astrid asked.

"It means a lot to a lot of people in the village. We were beginning to think that the cycle had been broken."

"Cycle, Star keeper, I keel hearing these words but no one tells me what they mean." I said slightly annoyed.

"I'd like to know the answer to this as well." Baset chimed in. "It sounds like you're suggesting that your tribe regularly has a member that posses a star farm crystal."

Elder Luna glanced at Baset then looked over her shoulder at the warriors behind them. Their gazes grew more intense and focused on Elder Luna when Baset asked her question.

"Such knowledge is not for the ears of outsiders." Elder Luna said. The response sounded rehearsed and not too convincing. The warriors seemed to pick up on that but made no comments about it.

"Well if the other elders want to see me then let's get this over with." I said motioning to the warriors. The most seasoned looking of the group motioned to the rest. Three flanked Elder Luna on each side and started casting offensive spell sigils and enchantment sigils. The seasoned warrior walked up to the cage and unlocked it then motioned to me.

"Step forward star faker." He said in Torapos. I did as I was ordered. He started casting a axiom spell sigil then touched my hands. A violet light engulfed me for a few seconds then disappeared. The seasoned warrior looked at my farm crystal then looked back at me surprised.

"That all?" I asked. He grabbed me by my shirt and yanked me put of the cage.

"Try to manipulate your mana and we will put you down star faker." He warned.

"Noted." I said. He pushed me over to the other warriors and had one of them hole me while he cast the same spell on Iris, Astrid, and Jane then threw each of then into the arms of one of the warriors.

"They don't have to be so damn rough!" Iris growled.

"Keep your cool Iris!" Baset ordered in universal standard. "Our lives all depend on it."

The warriors pushed the girls and I close to Baset and Elder Luna then flanked the while group. The seasoned warrior lead the group out of the jail building and into the village streets.

What awaited us when we exited the jail was a large mob of tribe's men and women. Each shouting at us and yelling curses. We all kept our heads down as the warriors lead us through the streets towards the tower at the center of the village.

"I really wish I could understand what everyone was yelling ay us…" Jane whispered.

"No you don't…trust me." I replied softly as I locked eyes with a woman. She was hold the bloodied clothes of her child and demanding to know why we attacked the village and why we took her child from her. The crowd was filled with people demanding similar answers. I've been in similar situations before and knew that these people weren't looking for answers but rather to put a face to the mysterious reaper that came and tore their lives asunder.

As we approached the tower step I saw a member of the crowd throw something at Jane and Iris. I moved instinctively and blocked the projectile with my body and ended up getting rocked in the head by a hard nut.

"Fuck!" I hissed as I grabbed my temple and stumbled back.

"Chase!" Iris and Jane yelled as they grabbed me to keep me steady. The warriors hardly reacted, instead rushed us inside the tower.

"Chase are you okay?" Baset asked once we were inside.

"Yep! Just peachy!" I exclaimed sarcastically as I wiped a small trickle of blood from my forehead.

"I'm sorry Chase!" Jane apologized. I shook my head.

"It's not your fault and it's not theirs. Whoever planned that attack is to blame for all this." I said. "And I'm going to knock that motherfucker into next week when I find him."

"Lets go!" The seasoned warrior ordered.

"Give him a second he's injured!" Elder Luna replied. The warrior looked at me and scoffed.

"Just a scratch, even more proof that he is a fake if something as insignificant as that could down him." He said with a smug smile.

"Kiss my ass." I growled in Torapos. The warrior's smile disappeared as he glared at me and started casting a axiom spell sigil. A sword made of fire suddenly materialized in his hand. He pressed the blade to my throat, the heat licking my skin threatening to sear it.

"Watch your tongue Faker! Else I forget my orders and cut you down where you stand." He warned. I stared him right in the eyes and laughed. He curled his lip at me then glanced back at the warriors under him. "You think I won't?"

"You think anyone's actually terrified of you with that fancy blade. Here's a tip for you…" I grabbed the blade with my bare hand, the sound of sizzling skin filled my ears and the smell of but flesh filled my nostrils. The burn hurt like hell but it wasn't the worse I've dealt with. The look of shock and horror on the seasoned warriors face made the pain just a little more bearable. "…injure them first. It makes your threats more credible and don't use a fucking fire sword compared to acid, this just fucking tickles."

"You're crazy!" He exclaimed and canceled his spell. The flames vanished but my burnt palm remained.

"I'm American. We're all a little crazy."