Those Are the Chief's Orders

Amidst the groans of surrender and the cheers of victory, LaRoe took a moment to focus on the foreign young man who had saved him.

"... What is an outlaw?" LaRoe asked. "Do you pillage others? Steal their livelihoods?"

Sighing, Ayse plopped onto the ground beside the chief, answering, "Sure, some outlaws do that. But not every outlaw. To be an outlaw means to live outside of the law, which lets me live as I please."

"Outside of the law? … I guess that means living outside of traditions, from the view of our tribe," LaRoe deduced.

Ayse nodded. "Yeah, sorry for not clarifying. And sorry for hitting you with my ship. That was an accident–"

"I know it was," LaRoe stated, raising his only functional arm to interrupt the young man. "It's not my first time seeing a dymensional ship. Though I might prefer if it was my last."

"Right. LaRee and that elder mentioned another sky fiend, as you called us… Don't you hold a grudge, like that elder?" Ayse asked.

Instead of agreeing, Chief LaRoe chuckled, "No. I hold no grudge. My people have a right to be angry. But I can't bring myself to hate the last sky fiend. How could I allow a misunderstanding to make me hate my wife…"

"No need to explain," Ayse quickly stated. "I don't need a backstory or anything. I just wanted to know what you think right now, in the present. No offense, but I don't care about anyone else's past. I've had enough of my own past to make me sick…"

LaRoe squinted. Curious, he asked, "It doesn't matter to you? At all?"

"Nope!" Ayse bluntly laughed.

"What if someone wanted to join your fun adventure?"

Caught off guard, Ayse looked squarely into the chief's eyes. When Ayse saw the unwavering concern in the man's eyes, Ayse replied, "Well… My requirements for that aren't too high."

"What would those requirements be?" LaRoe asked. "It's not for me, but for someone I care about."

Ayse understood LaRoe's intentions right away, though he couldn't grasp or ask to know the chief's motives.

At the same time, a few tribesmen approached LaRee on the watch tower. They were the elders, either walking on their own or being half-carried by a fellow tribesman.

"LaRee!" Elder Kano yelled, "Where is Chief?"

Straight away, LaRee looked down at the elders and pointed his spear. "He's over there, resting."

The elders all noticed LaRoe laying down in the distance. Elder LaRae, however, was the first and only elder to rush off with tomahawks in hand.

"Uncle! Stop!" LaRee shouted in warning the moment he realized what was about to happen. He leaped off the watch tower and rolled to his feet, discarding the enemy spear with no regard. "Wait!"

The other elders were next to react, each with separate intentions. But they all rushed toward LaRoe as quickly as they were able.

"AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!!" Elder LaRae screamed, veins bulging from his neck. And a tomahawk was hurled with the utmost fury.

LaRoe caught on to the situation, yelling, "I'm fine! I'm safe!"

Still, words wouldn't stop a tomahawk.

Ayse could've easily dodged the thrown axe. And it wasn't impossible for Ayse to deflect the projectile weapon, either. But Ayse chose a different method of removal.

Crack! Snap!

With his fist wrapped in black threads of energy, Ayse punched the tomahawk to bits. All with his casual, relaxed expression.

Ayse looked back to LaRoe, saying, "Sorry. As I was saying–"

"DIE, FIEND!"

Another raging battlecry sounded out and a second tomahawk was thrown, cutting off LaRoe's and Ayse's conversation yet again.

"Stop, Brother!" LaRoe ordered with a loathing tone. He did his best to sit up with only one hand and leg to support him.

Crack! Snap!

Meanwhile, Ayse's ohra-coated fist cracked through the axehead and broke the tomahawk handle into splinters.

"Elder LaRae!" Elder Kano shouted from behind, adding his irritated tone to the mix of shouts.

But that wasn't enough to stop the adrenaline-fueled elder from lashing out against the intruder he saw as a threat. Elder LaRae drew close to the intruder and dove to tackle Ayse to the ground. "Don't touch my family! Never again!"

This time, Ayse let himself get tackled.

They rolled and tumbled over the ground for a few seconds as the other elders and LaRee caught up. Even LaRoe forced himself to stand up, with LaRee taking the chief's arm as support.

"LaRae! Enough!" LaRoe barked.

"Brother!" LaRae cried, "He's a fiend! He must be killed–"

"He saved my life!" Chief LaRoe's voice boomed out, hurting his broken ribs. "He saved LaRee's life! He saved the village! Let go of Ayse!"

Finally, LaRae's hands stopped. He had already pinned Ayse down and punched the young man in the face. And he wanted to continue, despite his brother's interruption.

"He also saved me," Elder Kano added. "I already told you, LaRae. Our captive freed himself to save us. He is the reason our casualties are so low."

Elder LaRae clenched his fist again… But he stopped himself from throwing it back into Ayse's face. "Still, he escaped capture. That's a crime against the village–"

"SILENCE!" Chief LaRoe cried, coughing up some blood after forcing himself to get louder.

"Brother! Please stop–"

"You must stop!" LaRoe continued, refusing to let his ignorant younger brother be so reckless. "Remove your hands from him! Now!"

Begrudgingly, Elder LaRae complied. He let go of Ayse's shoulder and relaxed his fist.

"Get off him! That's no way to treat the man who saved your chief!"

Elder LaRae followed orders, keeping his softened leer on Ayse for as long as possible. "This doesn't change his crimes. We should still lock him up before the full trial tomorrow–"

"Ayse shall be given food, water, and a place to rest!" Chief LaRoe demanded. The dribble of blood spilling from his lips meant nothing to him compared to the anger LaRoe felt for his brother in the heat of the moment. "Those are the chief's orders! Fulfill them immediately!"

"Yes, Chief!" four elders replied in unison.

LaRae was the only elder to not agree without question. He demanded, "At least keep him tied up. Even with slack. Don't let him flee the village before the trial."

Nodding with a frown, Chief LaRoe stated, "Then give Ayse a hut. Tie him to the center post with plenty of slack. Allow him to freely move and eat. Also, provide him a basin and water so he can bathe."

"Of course, Chief," Elder LaRae replied with a respectful bow before running back to the village. Deep dissatisfaction was still brimming from his eyes.