The sun had dipped low, casting long shadows across the plain grassland as the group of six carefully carried Zayan toward the village. The wooden fence surrounding the village showed itself ahead of them, standing four meters tall, with thick wooden beams reinforced by iron bolts. Small windows dotting the fence, allowed for visibility both in and out.
As they neared the entrance, two guards positioned at the windows spotted them. They shifted nervously, their eyes narrowing when they saw the unconscious boy being carried by the group.
“Who’s that?” one of the soldiers muttered to the other, tilting his head toward the approaching group. “Someone from the forest?”
The second soldier frowned. “Looks like it. What are they thinking to be bringing him here?”
The group reached the large wooden entrance leading into the village. They hesitated there, knowing that entering wouldn’t be as simple as knocking when they had brought someone from the forest. One of the men in the group, short and sturdy, paced back and forth, clearly irritated.
“I told you that we didn’t have to be the ones to help him,” the short man snapped, his voice filled with frustration pointed at Zayan. “Now look. We’re going to get exiled from the village for bringing him.”
The others, although they were quiet, exchanged glances nervously. The forest was dangerous—anyone who emerged from it was immediately viewed with suspicion. They knew the risks of bringing Zayan, but leaving him behind wouldn’t have been humane knowing his situation of exhaustion.
One of the guards had gone to get the elder after realizing the boy being carried was from the forest. While the other one alerted the rest of the guards about it. At the entrance, a voice said “Wait for the elder’s decision.” That was all he said and silence brewed among the group carrying Zayan.
Moments later, a deep voice spoke from behind the fence. The village elder had arrived, his voice calm yet marked with uncertainty. “Why did you bring him here? He could be dangerous.”
The group shifted awkwardly revealing the tall man carrying Zayan in his arms, clearly the unofficial leader of the group who stepped forward. “Elder, he’s just a boy. Look at him. Thin as a twig and completely exhausted. He passed out near the forest’s edge. There’s no way he could pose any threat to us even if he wanted to. He doesn’t even have a weapon with him.”
The elder remained silent for a moment, contemplating the situation. His face, visible through the window in the fence, was hard to read. He was clearly weighing the risks. “You should’ve come to me first before bringing him here. There are reasons why we avoid bringing people from the forest inside. Just 2 years ago, a man that came from the forest tried to kill everyone in this village. He even almost destroyed the east wall and entered the village. Unable to understand a single word we said, he kept attacking the fence and almost got inside. We barely managed to kill that anomaly after shooting more than 50 arrows at him. And now, you want to bring another one into the village.”
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The short man seized the moment, gesturing toward Zayan as if to back up the elder’s concerns. “Exactly! He could attack us the same way as that thing from 2 years ago. We’re risking everything by even getting close to him!”
The leader of the group turned to the elder, his voice more urgent yet filled with sympathy. “But look at him. He’s unconscious. If he meant harm, he wouldn’t have collapsed like this. He’s more in need of help than anything.”
The elder sighed, rubbing his temple before nodding reluctantly. “Fine. Bring him in. But he’s to be detained until we’re sure of his intentions. We can’t take any chances. And next time,” his voice hardened, “you come to me first.”
The group nodded in agreement, relief washing over most of their faces, except for the short man, who still mumbled about how helping the boy had been a mistake. With the elder’s permission, the large wooden door creaked open, and the group carried Zayan inside with them.
Past midnight, Zayan regained his consciousness. His body still ached all over but he found himself able to move. He sat up quickly, feeling the hard wooden surface beneath him. As his vision cleared, he looked around and realized that he was inside a small, cramped cell. The walls, floor, and even the door was made of wood, but they were thick and solid enough to contain him with ease.
His head pounded, and every muscle in his body screamed in protest. He wasn’t sure where he was, but the room had an air of confinement that put him on edge.
Outside his cell, two guards stood on either side of the door. When they saw Zayan move, they stiffened. One of them rushed off to fetch the elder signaling to the other who approached Zayan cautiously.
“Sit still!” the guard commanded. Zayan didn’t understand the language. The words sounded foreign to him, and he just stared blankly at the guard.
Seeing his confusion, the guard repeated the order, growing more impatient. “Sit still!”
Zayan blinked; his brain was still foggy from exhaustion. He tried to move again, but the guard stepped forward gesturing him to sit becoming more irritated. “Sit!”
The fourth time the guard repeated the command, Zayan finally understood. Slowly, he sat down on the wooden slab behind him, trying to make sense of what was happening. His mind was a jumble of fragmented thoughts. The last thing he remembered was being unable to move and hearing footsteps.
As he sat there, his eyes scanned the room, taking in the sturdy wooden bars that made up the cell door. The realization hit him—he was being held prisoner. His body ached, but he knew enough to understand that he wasn’t in immediate danger, at least not yet.
Zayan contemplated asking the guard what was going on but quickly dismissed the idea. Even if he asked, he doubted he’d understand the response or if the guard would understand him. And besides, the guard’s serious expression told him it wouldn’t be wise to start asking questions.
Zayan sat quietly, his mind racing as he tried to figure out his next move. He didn’t know what kind of place this village was, but he knew one thing: he needed to figure out why he was being held here before it was too late.