127 – The Old Man’s Story

"So, how did you escape from your own tribe, Suja?" Manu asked with his body still tied, though he wasn't squirming anymore.

Suja, who had just devoured Seb's soup, took a deep breath. "After the coup, they killed all my friends, subordinates, family, wives and sympathizers. However, they didn't kill me and tortured me every day instead. So many of my own people came to my cell to give me their own version of punishment." The old man then turned his head to look at Xe's corpse in the corner of the shrouded room. "If it wasn't for Xe, I don't know how long I would be in that hell. That kid had been planning my rescue for a long time. Luckily enough, Xe wasn't killed even though his father was my best friend. Redtooth still needs a skilled craftsman like Xe."

The old man coughed, and Seb helped him drink some water. I just realized several cuts on the back of his neck and Suja's hands, maybe all over his body, but they couldn't be seen because they were covered in clothes.