Shifters

Preparations

Wind whistled through the village, ensnaring leaves in clouds of dust as Sila's guards carried the prisoners tirelessly on their shoulders. Josh, who remained on guard at all times, hoped he would find something that could prove useful in the escape plan he was yet to think of. As they moved steadily through the village, he noticed that the once crowded areas had now become devoid of life. 

'Where is everyone?' he wondered, crawling to the other end of his mobile prison. 

With speculations for their sudden absence beginning to surface, the men suddenly took a sharp turn, jostling both him and Cassandra. Shaken out of his thoughts, Josh decided to pay closer attention to their route. Earlier, after Sila had disappeared ahead of them, Josh had tried to strike up conversation with the woman's servants. Unfortunately, even after managing to speak to them in their language without their conversing with him first, the men showed no desire to talk. After a few more turns however, Josh no longer needed to ask about their destination as a few landmarks he'd memorized came into view. 

Crawling over to Cassandra, who was already stationed at the wooden bars, he whispered, "They're taking us to see the Chief."

"How do you know that?" she whispered back, "did they say something?" 

"No," Josh replied, steadying himself as they took another sharp turn, "The route may be a little different but I'm sure of it. This more or less leads to the center of the village."

"I still can't feel my mana," Cassandra said, concern creeping into her tone, "If it comes down to an all out brawl, I won't be of much help. Tell me you have a plan!"

"I do," Josh said, moving in closer as he whispered the details, directly into her ear. 

As they finally broke into the open section, Josh moved away from Cassandra, who began to mentally prepare herself for the worst. Holding on to the bars once more as the men set them down onto the dry, dusty floor, Josh glanced around before looking up at the raised platform in front of him. Unlike his previous encounter, there were no spectating villagers present aside from the guards that had brought them here. Staring up at the traitorous Chief, he spotted Saivar, strapped tightly to the side of his throne. Gazing down at them menacingly were Vilan's two wives, wrapped in  well- made, hand-sewn, leather garments. Their apparel was much more refined as if preparing to attend an important event. Sila, who sat to the left of Vilan, sent almost unnoticeable looks of uncertainty as her eyes shifted back and forth between Josh and her husband. 

"The demoness is here but why does the young warrior accompany her?" Vilan asked, traces of concern flashing across his face, "We have no quarrel with the North, especially at a this time of the year." 

Josh stared at Cassandra, who nodded for him to go ahead. Earlier, she had agreed to stay silent as part of her young companion's elaborate plan to talk his way out of their current predicament. Although she hated leaving the negotiations to someone so young, her inability to converse with the tribe as well as the clear hostility shown towards her by the villagers, forced her to go along with it. 

"Ask Sila," Josh responded earning a renewed glare from the woman. 

"What is this about?" Vilan questioned, turning to Sila, "Did we not agree on letting the boy go after the ritual was completed?" 

"That was the plan until he managed to resist the poison's compulsion and awaken earlier than expected," Sila explained, "He refuses to tell us how he accomplished such a thing so I brought him here to be judged."

"We can't possibly let someone who is able to resist our strongest weapon remain alive," Vilan's other wife added as the Chief pondered the situation.