Human Poachers - Part 2

"I want to know who these prisoners are." Chiaki took the lead, trying to reason with them and steal some info regarding the convicts.

"The prisoners in our possession are none of your business. They were detained for valid reasons. And our chief stated not to divulge any information to noncitizens that do not belong to our tribe."

Chiaki kept her composure and didn't fall short. "Is there any way you'd be willing to share the reasons? Is there something you'd like from us?" Chiaki inquired as one of the Scanara Triibe people conversed with another, "Perhaps... However." The man pointed his finger at Tiffany and Chiaki, "One of you two should partake in a trial. And the boy should come along with us. He deserves punishment for trying to rescue the internees. Only then we'll consider sharing information."

Chiaki looked at Elliott, only for him to shrug his shoulders, expressing uncertainty. Their disorder soon locked onto Tiffany, who strode forward, holding a menacing stare. "Really, huh?" The tribe aimed their spears at Tiffany.

"You think your misconceptions oppose me?" she raised her glare, confounding the tribe. Tiffany's eyes had been glowing. "For all I see, there's only seven guards on your side and no jailbirds." The Scanara Tribe straightened their stances, "And I know... something about you and the Seraphs is abnormal. I want you to come clear. Who among the two tribes is the actual incendiary?"

-

"There..." Kyora pointed into the distance. "What are those?" Yumiko inquired. The group spotted clouds and wind currents connecting those clouds with another island high above them. "That's where the Sanctum City lies. On that island up there." Unlike Kyora, the others couldn't see too far into the distance.

"Kyora-princess. How are we meant to get all the way up there if the city stands above? I don't see any bubbles that could lead us there." Ralphie asked, "It's simple..." she began, "Tarot will use his cloud to scout out the area and look for Tim and Chiaki. In the meantime, the rest of us will concentrate on using the fluff of clouds to bounce to the top and ride the wind currents."

Yumiko scratched the side of her head, "Ride the wind currents? With what?" Kyora directed them at the giant leaves. "Those leaves are sturdy but light enough. When you bend them, they can be used as gliders." "I'll teach you how to maneuver in the air. It won't be hard."

-

The Scanara people quietly growled because of Tiffany's rehearsal. "It doesn't matter who the troublemakers are. What matters is that you came into our sight and entered our territory. The orders were clear to shoot down anyone in our cross of fire."

The man raised the spear, "Scanara people! Take them out!" he shouted, provoking others to ignite their spears. They loaded the hook cannons and readied to shoot Tiffany and her companions. The man used the spear to show the rest of his group to shoot, "Fire!" they pulled the levers, and the hooks sped in their foes' direction.

"Watch out!" Chiaki yelled as she bounced away with Tiffany and Elliott, allowing the hooks to shoot the ground instead.

Elliott and Chiaki landed on the earth next to each other while Tiffany balanced herself on one foot on the opposite side. Tiffany lowered her elevated foot and rasped in resentment, "Why are you trying to repress the truth? Just come clear, and we won't need to fight!" Tiffany clamored, keeping her cool before reaching an unnecessary conclusion.

The people already reloaded the cannons and readied themselves for another onslaught, "Don't stop until they're gone!" the guard declared while the rest of the people heeded their orders. Tiffany clenched her eyes and slightly bent her knees, "This is going nowhere."

Her body started simmering with heat and slightly turning her skin rose, "First Ascension... Searing Falcon." Tiffany pulled back her arm and smiled extensively, flashing her white teeth. The Scanara people quickly grabbed their blazing spears out of the air and threw them Tiffany's way.

"Golden Flash!" With just one flick of her arm, Tiffany shot a blazing projectile coated in blue and golden brilliance. When it reached the wall, the blast promptly detonated, spreading the flames and tossing the men around as it shot through the spears, scorching them to a crisp. Tiffany elevated her arm next to her head. The steam around her disappeared, and her skin returned back to normal.

Chiaki summoned white cables and wrapped the senseless men together, tying them to a fence. She slapped one of the men's faces and woke them, "Talk..." She ordered, composed, and reassured them.

The man observed them in frustration, "Who or what is the troublemaker should not concern you at all! If you're going to kill us, do it now, but our lips are sealed." Tiffany stepped forward and squatted in front of the man, moving her arms between her legs and sharing a cute smile, "Why are you so secretive? Come on. There's nothing to be ashamed of. I'll gladly take down the scoundrels if you want as long as you talk." Tiffany retained herself from threatening since she had no reason to make them more petrified than they already were.

She removed the mask and pinched the man's cheek, "We won't hurt you, so now, now, tell us where you're keeping the prisoners and who they are." The man started growing befuddled, "You think you'll make us talk after destroying one of our bases? You can keep dreaming." Tiffany's eyes became lifeless, and her pupils vanished as she wrung her palm and produced an orange flame, making the heat scorch underneath the man's jaw, but far enough not to harm him.

"Don't make me play dirty." She terrified the man, who sweated from the heat and fear, "You think a bit of fire scares me?" Tiffany grabbed the man's collar and neared his face closer to the flame, "I don't know... does it? Do you want to melt like frost, slowly exposing your rotten flesh beneath the skin?" The man couldn't bear the fire much longer and observed it with wet eyes, "N-No..." Tiffany toyed with him and decreased the fire's temperature, pulling away from him and smiling, "'Kay! Speak then."

"You want the truth? Fine, then. The prisoners are the Seraphs. The 'guardians' that bestow upon the god of wind Ivione. They are selfish warriors who offended god and changed him into the monster he is today. Our leader, Notonius, was once a member of the Seraphs, but he learned about their dark secrets and how they mercilessly mistreated the citizens and the god himself."

Tiffany and the others grew surprised and traded glances, "They want to take over the Sanctum Islands to summon the Monarch of the Angels named Yerachmiel. A being who has been in slumber for seven centuries. They intend to mislead the god of wind into aiding them and earn his trust by doing the deeds he allocates them to do. But to awaken Yerachmiel, they require a unique aesthetic that is in the god's possession." The Scarana person explained,

"Because Notonius comes from their bloodline, he too wishes to mislead the god and forces many of our kind into helping him reach his objective. However, his greed dragged him to the point of desiring to eradicate the remainder of the Seraphs. We — the Scanara Tribe — are the citizens from the Sanctum City who intend to resist our leader's purposes by working under Notonius' leadership in hopes of changing his mind. However, such duty is problematic to solve and difficult to receive."

The man continued, "My name's Ricardo, and everyone here wishes to retrieve our god's trust. If you are truly here not to cause problems, trust my words and help us." Chiaki looked at Tiffany, "Should we trust them?" Tiffany closed her eyes, "Nope," her response astonished the Scanara people, "but we'll do it anyway and see for ourselves. And if they lie, well..." she pointed her palm into Ricardo's face, "I'll burn down their entire village."

Elliott interrupted, "What about Shanya? She's not a member of the Seraphs but an Outlander. She's getting manipulated if this guy told the truth." Tiffany nodded, cracked her bones, and stretched, "We'll cross paths with her again. I'll make her listen to us, but first..." she tautened her eyes, latching them onto Ricardo, "If you're telling the truth, bring me to your leader. I want to have a word with him."