The Sanctuary Side-Story (5/17)

People started to ask questions quietly as Dustin looked all around in a nervous way.

"What? Did I say something that struck a nerve? You weren't nervous earlier, were you? Why don't you tell everybody what you did, before I break more of your teeth." Nova said to Dustin.

"Hehe... this isn't like you. You're so violent right now. What's the matter, are you afraid?" Dustin asked Nova.

Nova smacked him in the side of his head with her staff, and then dug her heel into his chest. He desperately gasped for air as she looked down at him with ruthless eyes.

"I already told you. I took your misdirected, primal emotions and turned them into a functioning society. I'm your leader since you don't know how to act like a normal person. Your stupid actions are my responsibility, and either you shape up, or you and I are going to have a long talk that might involve a grave for you." Nova said.

I'd never seen her this mad before. In fact, nobody has. Seeing her so serious was... alarming, but it was for a good reason. Dustin had tried to sabotage her plan just to keep those people away from Nova. He doesn't exactly deserve mercy.

"I wonder if people will like you as a ruler if you are so violent as you're being right now," Dustin commented.

This doesn't make any sense.

Why would Dustin try so hard to upset Nova right now, after praising her earlier? What is wrong with his brain?

"Do you think I care if you overthrow me? Do you think I care if I watch your society collapse on itself if people like you lead it? Do you think I care about dragging your corpse out from these walls and throwing it in the ocean? Why do you think I care about things like that? Right now, I'm pissed, I have a huge stick, and I have the culprit sitting in front of me. If you can do simple math, you can see how relentless I'm about to beat you." Nova told him.

Nova slammed her staff into his chest and knocked him down again.

"Dustin tampered with the meat I planned to give to the people on the beach. It's thanks to Kire's quick thinking that we were able to get them the right food. Dustin tried to poison the people I clearly wanted to bond with and eventually integrate into our society, and for that, I think the punishment ahead is fitting for him." Nova said. She sheathed her staff and held out her hand.

"We can learn how to coexist if you apologize," Nova told him.

"How am I supposed to take your hand if they're bound behind my back?" Dustin asked Nova. That's when she smiled.

"You take my hand and shake it, or I beat you again. You decide." Nova said.

Dustin quickly fumbled with his hands as Nova stood with her hand out, waiting for it to be shaken. She nodded over time and Dustin started to get more and more nervous while trying to break out of the bindings. Eventually, Nova lowered her hand, took out her staff, and slammed it into Dustin's knees.

It was very clear that one of his knees was pushed out of place and the bone broke, because he was on the ground, screaming out in pain as Nova circled his body like a shark in the ocean.

"A pathetic Arkian like you, trying to ruin the future for your own gain," Nova commented.

"Arkian? What's an Arkian?" I interrupted Nova's spree of merciless beating and she turned back to look at me.

"That's what we are. Waking up on this beach makes us Arkians. That group, they're Arkians. I'm an Arkian, you're an Arkian. It's our species. Or, so I've been told." Nova told us.

Dustin smiled.

"Told by who?" He asked Nova.

"You tell me. I'm waiting for you to say the name, because I'm very well aware who gave you that poison, but I want to hear it from you." Nova said.

I was so lost right now... who were they talking about?

"So, you do know Genesis?" Dustin asked Nova.

"Unfortunately." She told him. Nova circled him more and more, landing quick strikes from her staff on his back, which caused him to wince in pain.

"Genesis was the one that introduced that poison to you? Let me guess, you poisoned the well? Our livestock? Tell me what else you did." Nova crouched down in front of Dustin.

"I can't tell you, I'm sorry," Dustin said.

With nervous people all around, I went to go find Inora and Ra to tell them to stay away from the water... however, they were already watching.

"You can't tell me? You should be a hundred times more afraid of me than you should be of Genesis." Nova said.

"I'm sorry... I don't know." Dustin said.

Nova nodded, throwing her staff into the ground and leaving it stuck in place. With a simple nod, she pulled out a pairing knife and grabbed onto a clump of hair from Dustin's head.

"Start talking, or else I will skin you," Nova said.

She left a bad taste in my mouth when she said that, but it was obvious that an offense that big against the entire village deserved punishment.

Dustin stood silent, and Nova stuck the knife into his cheek, slowly sliding it down until Dustin started crying and promised to tell her.

Nova waited with a clump of his hair still in her hand, and Dustin only pointed at the well.

"It's in the well. It takes a while to activate, so everybody is fine." He slightly explained. Nova nodded and threw his head into the dirt.

"For even thinking about betraying not only my family but also your family, the punishment I grant you is halved vision," Nova said.

Nova slid the knife through Dustin's eye and sheathed it on her hip as he screamed out in pain.

Nova picked up her staff, sheathed it, and looked at everybody standing around her.

"Now that I know Genesis isn't a friendly person, I have ideas I'd like to share with everybody." Nova bluntly said.