"Isn't it interesting how you show no change in your expression after that 'traumatizing incident'?" The black eyed woman's tone was almost mocking. She even raised her hands to draw a symbol meant to convey quotes in their language.
"Isn't it interesting that water never actually stops flowing, it just stagnates for some time? Isn't it funny that people tend to hide their trauma, isn't it funny that you are baselessly accusing me?" Flieday barely hid a whimper as the surrounding tentacles squeezed her further. The uneasy feeling of slick tentacles squeezing her was almost making her puke.
Was Flieday hurt? No. Was her voice disheartened? yes.
She was rejoicing inside, the fact that Dawn had no substantial evidence essentially cleared her. After all, it was impossible to prove the ritual.
"Well then, tell me why haven't you been crushed to death yet?" Dawn's eyes pierced Flieday as she kept the same expression.
What!?
"Inky is squeezing you with enough force that any mundane human would have turned into a squished cold apple."
Flieday immediately increased her focus on the surrounding tentacles, realizing that they were indeed squeezing her. She had been subconsciously ignoring the intensity because of discomfort, and Dawn used that against her.
"My birdie increases my overall strength, you know. It is a bonded beast after all."
Dawn sighed as Flieday felt the world around her brighten. Soon she found herself in Dawn's tent and could vaguely hear some footsteps.
Flieday summoned the magical clothes by the voice as she muttered, "What exactly is a divine after all?"
Before the voice could reply, Dawn walked in and nodded before continuing, "How did things go with the Moon tribe, and what do you mean about the Kra tribe?"
[It is the peak any living being can achieve in this world. The ability to enforce themselves in this world and change it irreparably. Essentially, they are real deities.]
"We are using the 'Kra tribe' to pressure the moon tribe into cooperation. The Kra tribe has been destroyed, you know. We will trade with the Moon tribe, offering services in return for goods."
Dawn nodded and set up for Flieday to hold a meeting and speech about the 'Kra tribe' and their cooperation with the moon tribe.
Till the next morning, everything was more or less settled. Flieday gave everyone proper responsibilities and gave Dawn the main authority.
Soon the 'Kra tribe' started trading with the Moon tribe. Due to the mishmash of people, they had quite a lot of things to trade.
Dawn had also used Inky to move the crime scene near the Moon Tribe to scrutinize it. Soon the time was 6, about when the great cloud was lingering around the bloody sun as Flieday gathered 98 people around a huge tent.
Due to Frany's — the frail teenager's — parasitical beast, they were able to quickly build multiple enormous tents.
Soon, Rye Kai brought the first man to be awake at the time of the crime.
After interviewing thirty of them on the first day, Flieday learnt of a few important things.
First, Dawn can subtly affect someone's brain, allowing her to make them more honest or re-live memories. However the effect is only possible when it is consensual.
She learnt that only 3 of the 30 people gave her important information.
One was Aignu,
He said that the reason he had been awake at that time was simply insomnia. He heard someone walking and leaves rustling around the tent but did not hear any screaming or signs of fighting.
"I see. Did you see any movement?" Dawn asked.
"... I did shee someone walking, but they had their fash covered." Aignu answered.
Flieday nodded and asked for further description but received none. He truly did not remember anything about the killer. Not even their height.
Flieday asked for the next member to appear, and got no proper information; after a few other Chinen did she talk to a guy with solid information.
"Ehh? I remember a woman running from that tent, of course I did. How could I forget that?"
Flieday raised an eyebrow as Dawn questioned him further.
"Well, when she ran into the leaves, she did not make a single sound. The world seemed to be quiet at that time."
Flieday scoffed, asking, "Are you sure? Do not lie to us here."
The man shook his head before defending his honesty. Eventually Dawn asked him more about the appearance of that killer.
"Well, her height was pretty average, about as tall as leader of our 'Kra' tribe," He chuckled before continuing, "She had covered herself well but was wearing tight clothing, allowing me to see her figure and oh," The man shook his head before bowing slightly,
"My apologies, but she was quite thin, with no extra fat on her, at least that was what I saw.Oh boy, I sure want her to gain some fat real quick, even though the Sunlays are not ending soon this place is still cold."
Dawn nodded before interrogating him more. Eventually he was dismissed and eventually important witness appeared.
"So you are saying you saw a tall man run from that tent?"
The woman nodded.
"He was quite tall and definitely a man."
No matter how hard Dawn and Flieday tried to get more information out of her, all they heard was the appearance of the man.
Interestingly, maybe the criminal has some sort of appearance changing beast, most probably a bonded beast. This will be a problem for me. If we consider all the evidence, it can be said that the killer was in different places at the same time. This could lead me to become a suspect again.
Moreover, this will hinder my ambition.
Flieday sighed and walked out of the interrogation tent and walked towards her own. Dawn too simply bowed and left.
…
Flieday was sitting at her desk with a feather in her hand. She was detailing the settlement process, using the ink made by Dawn's inky.
Their Kra tribe traded ink, oil processed out of Inky's ink, and several fruits. Hunting groups had been formed as some people sold ice houses and wooden house building services.
The wood was apparently bought from the moon tribe, which had the bedrock jungle right beside it.
Water distilling mechanisms were exchanged, and in turn, made refining water cheaper for both sides. The moon tribe had traded several fruits and vegetables out because of their vast farms. Flieday even had an ice apple right beside her. The ice apple grew buried into snow and was a speciality of the 'So' tribe.
Flieday shook her head. If her past was going to hinder her present, then she could simply ignore it. Past grievances did not make enemies with anyone. When one looks back, they do not see their victory or losses.
The river of time mercilessly and quite mercifully washed the past away. The living are the fools who dig through their memories for comfort.
Flieday muttered a few chants to the goddess of sun before continuing her work. She had asked one of the elders to survey the happiness of her people and the unity and found some problematic results.
While most of the people were quite united, even without blood relation, and were optimistic too, they were not loyal to Flieday as much as she would have wanted.
Knocking the copper slab, she called one of the workers and gave him a written order to be sent to Ryu Kai.
This was not only to order the arrangement of campaigns for herself, it was also to suppress Ryu Kai and subdue him.
Knock! knock!
Knocking twice? It must be an urgent matter.