Chimaera's Conquest: The Legend Of The Devourer
Chapter 66: Minotaur’s Bane (2)

Chapter 66: Minotaur’s Bane (2)

Adrian stirred awake with the sunlight peeking through a window. As he yawned, he had a feeling more tired than usual. Trying to shake off the tiredness, he opened his eyes and was confused immediately.

The entire council stood before him, their weapons aimed at him. Adrian didn’t know what was going on when he realised heavy chains around his limbs and neck.

It was like history was repeating itself. However, the chains weren’t like the ones before; they were the kind used to restrain massive beasts on the tribe’s farm.

"What is going on here?" Adrian asked, wondering why everyone saw him as hostile.

"What’s going on, he says!" one of the members scoffed before getting angry and almost shoving her spear down Adrian’s throat. "Stop acting innocent, you sick fuck! We know what you did to those kids."

"What? What kids?" Adrian quizzed, but no one seemed to buy his words or reaction.

Adrian was generally confused until the memories of the past flashed before him. He could remember fighting with Red, and then... everything went dark. When he opened his eyes again, he was in the settlement, but there was a blank spot in his memory.

Adrian felt annoyed because he couldn’t remember what happened during that gap. Something had happened during that time, which made the tribe act hostile towards him. But nothing came to his mind, no matter how hard he tried to remember.

It was then that A’Mila and Akila entered the tent, and Adrian had a look of relief in his eyes. But it didn’t last for long as both of them refused to look towards him.

"What kids? The ones you killed!" Silka, Leno’s warrior mother, yelled before kicking Adrian’s face with all her might. "You killed my boy and dare act innocent!?"

A’Mila immediately rushed to Silka’s side, restraining her. "Enough, sister... Killing the outsider now won’t give you peace."

"I know..." Silka mumbled before breaking down right there.

"Look... I really don’t know what’s going on here," Adrian pleaded, staring at Akila, who shook his head in disappointment. "Someone explain it to me-"

Without saying a word, Akila roughly grabbed Adrian’s collar and dragged him outside on his knees. Adrian struggled and was about to yell for Akila to stop before he threw him to the ground.

Adrian wasn’t allowed a second to gather himself when Akila grabbed his hair and yanked him to look in front. Adrian wanted to free himself, but all his strength left his body when he noticed the settlement’s state.

The lively settlement he remembered was nowhere to be seen, replaced by chaos and despair.

Corpses of countless tamed beasts were scattered about, surrounded by injured tribesmen who, while tending to their injuries, were busy cleaning the place as blood and remains were scattered everywhere.

The once-thriving community now resembled a disaster zone. No matter where Adrian’s eyes went, all he saw was pain, destruction and death.

Not only the settlement but the forest was also torn up with uprooted trees scattered about. It looked as though a hurricane had swept through, leaving devastation in its wake.

"How did this happen?" Adrian mumbled, genuinely worried about the tribe, but the answer shocked him.

"You did this!" Akila snarled through gritted teeth.

"What!?" Adrian exclaimed, but the anger in Akila’s eyes didn’t subside.

"I should’ve let you die back then... None of this would’ve happened if I just kept to myself!" He retorted. "All you outsiders ever do is cause us pain and repay kindness with betrayal!"

"I..."

Adrian was baffled by the allegations. But he knew if all of them were accusing him of it, then... there might be some truth to it. Moreover, the gaps in his memories of that time weren’t doing him any good.

Just then, A’Mila appeared behind them and asked everyone to leave as she wanted to talk about something with the outsider. Although hesitant, the council followed her orders and returned to rebuilding the settlement.

Once everyone had left, she sighed, asking Adrian to return to the tent, which he did. A moment later, she followed him inside and locked him in chains again.

"Why did you do it?" A’Mila demanded to know while tightening the restraints.

"I don’t... remember anything..." Adrian replied. "The last thing I remembered was fighting Red-"

"The guy who ambushed Vesper?" A’Mila asked with a raised eyebrow. "How did he get here?"

Adrian then proceeded to narrate everything that happened in the Forbidden Forest. Once he was done, he looked at A’Mila’s face, hoping to see anything that would assure him of her support, but she had a poker face while Adrian said his piece.

"So... this Red fellow was the one who killed the younguns?" A’Mila broke the silence after what felt like an eternity.

"Yes! I swear it’s the truth!"

However, Adrian knew she didn’t believe him, and he was about to find out why.

"If what you said is true... then where’s this guy?" A’Mila quizzed.

"What do you mean?"

A’Mila then recounted Adrian’s tale, emphasising the part where he tore off Red’s limbs. Someone without their limbs won’t live for long and will die of blood loss. That was the logical explanation.

But if Red was in the forbidden forest and Adrian had killed him, then where was his corpse? Not only his but Sikha’s and Leno’s corpses were also missing, as well as those of their direwolves. Where were they?

A’Mila brought up her questions before Adrian, and he had no answers for her. He never saw Sikha’s corpse, and the last time he saw Leno’s corpse, it was dangling on a tree branch. He told her as much, but as usual, A’Mila didn’t respond.

"Red’s corpse is the only thing that could provide your innocence, but we found nothing in the forest," A’Mila mumbled with a strange coldness. "How are you planning to explain this loophole in your plan?"

"You don’t believe me, do you?" Adrian smiled wanly, knowing he couldn’t prove his innocence when A’Mila viewed the truth as Adrian’s ’plan’.

"I believe in evidence and facts, Adrian. Both of which are against you," A’Mila said as she got up. "Consider yourself lucky that we’re not savages. If we were, I would have personally taken your head."

She continued, "Instead, you’ll have a trial tomorrow. So, prepare for that and fix the loopholes in your story if you want to survive."

With that, A’Mila left, leaving Adrian to his thoughts.

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