The Second Avatar

Chapter 36: Streets of Bintan

The pale moonlight bathed the temple grounds in a silver glow as Yogan and Yoan sat in silence, their legs hanging off the edge of the temple's eastern wall. Below, Bintan lay quiet, nestled at the mountain's base. The serene village, with its winding paths and modest homes, was a comforting sight, but tonight, the stillness felt haunting.

Yoan's expression was somber, his gaze fixed on the flickering lights from Bintan. With a deep breath, he began recounting the harrowing events of the bandit attack. His voice was low, each word heavy, as though the memories themselves were weighted with regret.

"It was just after dawn," Yoan started, his voice rough with strain. "I was helping the villagers pack up and get to safety. Everyone was so on edge after the warnings, especially with Renji leading the defense here. But as I was making rounds near the outskirts… I saw Kuno." Yoan paused, his brow creased, as if searching for words. "There was something about him that felt… off. He was smiling, talking to this stranger who kept glancing back at the village, like he was planning something."

Yogan listened intently, his own thoughts turning dark as Yoan continued. "At first, I thought maybe Kuno was just… distracted. But when I approached, he looked at me differently, almost as if he didn't recognize me. When I called his name, he didn't answer right away, just gave me this strange smile before slipping something out of his cloak."

Yoan hesitated, his hands trembling slightly. "It was a medallion. Ornate, with a strange symbol on it. Before I knew what was happening, he muttered something, and suddenly… everything went dark."

Yogan's jaw tightened. He'd heard of rare techniques involving hypnotism and manipulation but never seen them in action. Yoan's voice broke the silence again.

"When I came to my senses, I… I was standing in the Great Hall." Yoan's eyes glistened with shame. "Kuno must've done something to me. I helped those bandits—opened the gates, destroyed the wall, even led them to our most sacred artifacts. I was their pawn. I can still feel that medallion's power, like it had carved out part of my mind."

Yogan placed a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "Yoan, none of that was your fault. Kuno used you. He used all of us."

A long silence followed as the two gazed over the village. Finally, Yogan spoke. "We need to tell the elders. If Kuno has the power to manipulate minds… he's a threat to everyone here."

They rose, determination set in their expressions, and made their way through the temple's corridors, heading toward the chamber of the elders. The Great Hall, bathed in a dim, flickering light, was empty and eerily silent. Soon, they reached the elders' council chamber, where Monk Tenzon and several other senior monks awaited them.

Yogan and Yoan bowed deeply before addressing the assembly, their voices unwavering as they recounted Yoan's tale. The elders listened in silence, their expressions growing grim with each word.

When Yoan finished, Monk Tenzon closed his eyes, absorbing the weight of the revelation. Finally, he spoke, his voice heavy with conviction. "Kuno must be brought to justice. If he has allied himself with the bandits and manipulated our own, he poses a danger far beyond what we had anticipated."

The decision was swift. The elders ordered that Kuno be taken into custody immediately. Yogan and Yoan, understanding the gravity of their mission, bowed to the elders and left the chamber with renewed purpose.

Descending the steep path down the mountain, they made their way toward Bintan, the silence between them laden with determination. As they approached the village's outskirts, they spotted Kaiya. She was leaning against an old tree, her face lighting up as she saw them, but her smile faded at the serious looks in their eyes.

"What's going on?" she asked, her gaze darting between the two.

"We're looking for Kuno," Yoan replied, his tone sharp. "Have you seen him?"

Kaiya's brow furrowed. "Last I saw, he was at Old Man Yun's tavern. He's been spending a lot of time there lately." She paused, eyeing them carefully. "What's this about?"

The friends shared a look but didn't respond, pressing onward without explanation. Kaiya watched them go, sensing the intensity in their stride.

The old tavern was dimly lit, a warm but quiet refuge at this late hour. Inside, scattered patrons nursed their drinks in the smoky room, and there, at a lone table near the corner, sat Kuno. He sipped from a wooden goblet, his eyes half-lidded, seemingly lost in thought. Yogan and Yoan strode directly to him, the clatter of their footsteps drawing the attention of several patrons, whose curiosity flickered with recognition of the two monks.

"Kuno," Yoan said, his voice steady, "you're coming with us. The elders want to speak with you."

Kuno raised an eyebrow, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh? And what have I done to deserve an audience with the mighty elders?"

Yoan clenched his fists, frustration simmering beneath his calm demeanor. "I remember what you did. Everything. You used me, and you betrayed us all."

Kuno looked at Yoan thoughtfully, his gaze lingering before he let out a slow sigh and took another sip of his drink. He leaned back, his eyes flickering to Yogan. "And you, Yogan… what makes you think you can handle me? We shared a few laughs, had a bit of fun, but don't think you stand a chance against me."

"We've already informed the elders," Yogan replied firmly. "They demand your presence immediately."

A tense silence settled over the tavern as every eye turned to the exchange. Behind the bar, Kezin stood, his usual smile replaced by an unreadable expression. His gaze locked briefly with Kuno, a subtle nod passing between them.

Kuno finished his drink in one final gulp, letting out a loud, unabashed burp. The acrid smell of strong liquor hit Yogan and Yoan, who turned away instinctively. In that split-second, Kuno flipped the table toward them and bolted for the door.

The room erupted Into chaos. Patrons stumbled from their seats, and chairs clattered as Kuno dashed through the crowd, Yogan and Yoan hot on his heels. Kuno darted through the doorway, disappearing into the shadows of the village's narrow alleyways.

Yogan and Yoan pursued him, their breaths coming in quick, determined gasps as they twisted and turned through the maze of paths.

Yogan and Yoan surged forward, hands raised as gusts of air propelled them closer to Kuno, who was sprinting ahead, weaving through the narrow alleys with practiced agility. Yogan clenched his teeth, a determined focus in his eyes as he thrust his hands forward, sending a powerful blast of wind that aimed to knock Kuno off balance.

The blast struck Kuno's back, sending him sprawling forward, crashing into a fruit vendor's stall, splintering wood and sending ripe melons tumbling onto the street. Yet, as quickly as he hit the ground, Kuno rolled to his feet, snatching a sack of dried peppers from the shattered stall and flinging it behind him. Yogan and Yoan ducked, barely avoiding the explosion of red powder that erupted as the sack hit the cobblestone, sending a cloud of fiery dust into the air.

Yogan coughed, his vision blurring momentarily. "He's fast," he muttered, blinking against the sting of the peppers.

But Yoan was already in motion, using a quick burst of airbending to propel himself over the cloud and gain on Kuno. He aimed another blast at Kuno's legs, hoping to sweep him off his feet. Kuno sidestepped just in time, grabbing the broken end of a broomstick from a nearby stack of trash, and thrust it into Yoan's path. Yoan stumbled, deflecting the broomstick with a quick arc of wind but losing precious momentum.

"Gonna have to try harder than that!" Kuno taunted, skidding around a corner into the main street. The sparse lamplight cast long shadows as he darted past startled townsfolk, who scrambled out of his way, their expressions turning from surprise to alarm as they realized the chase unfolding in their quiet village.

Yogan propelled himself forward with a powerful gust, launching over the crowd and landing just behind Kuno. He thrust his hand forward, sending a sweeping blast of air toward Kuno's side. But Kuno grabbed a loose hanging lantern from a post and swung it backward, letting go at the last moment so that it crashed directly into Yogan's path. The flame exploded, scattering shards of glass and embers across the street. Yogan twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding the shards, but the delay allowed Kuno to duck into another alley, disappearing from sight.

Frustrated, Yoan sprinted after him, forcing another gust of wind to speed himself up. He caught sight of Kuno again, this time climbing a stack of crates piled along the alley wall, reaching the rooftops in a few fluid moves. With a leap, Yoan followed, using his airbending to launch himself upward, landing lightly on the roof. He rushed forward, eyes trained on Kuno, who was dashing along the rooftops like a seasoned climber.

Kuno glanced back, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he snatched a loose tile from the roof and hurled it at Yoan. Yoan ducked, deflecting the tile with a quick hand movement, sending it spiraling into the alley below. But in that moment, Kuno had jumped to the next rooftop, widening the gap between them.

"Yogan, up here!" Yoan shouted, gesturing for his brother to join him on the rooftops.

Yogan leaped, using a powerful gust to propel himself up, landing beside Yoan. The two friends now pursued Kuno from above, using their airbending to hop across the gaps between buildings, closing in on him. Yogan pushed forward with a steady stream of air beneath his feet, picking up speed as they neared their target.

Kuno, sensing them gaining, skidded to a stop at the roof's edge, momentarily out of options. Yogan and Yoan closed in, their eyes flashing with determination. But just as Yogan extended his hand to seize him, Kuno sprang into action. He hurled himself off the rooftop, crashing through the open window of the building below.

Without hesitation, Yogan and Yoan followed, dropping through the same window. They landed on the floor of what appeared to be a small workshop, the scent of sawdust and metal filling the air. Kuno was already moving, overturning a rack of iron tools and spilling hammers, chisels, and nails across the floor. Yogan barely had time to twist out of the way as a hammer came hurtling toward him, while Yoan sidestepped a shower of nails.

"Kuno, stop running!" Yoan shouted, his voice tight with frustration.

Kuno merely smirked, using the chaos he'd created as cover, slipping through a side door that led into a narrow back alley. Yogan and Yoan burst through the door, only to see Kuno scaling a stack of wooden barrels, his agile form already halfway up the alley wall.

"Enough of this!" Yogan growled, slamming his palm forward and sending a powerful gust of air at the barrels. The force toppled them, causing Kuno to lose his grip momentarily, slipping down to the alley floor with a thud.

But Kuno was on his feet in an instant, wincing but undeterred. He grabbed a metal trash can lid, hurling it at Yogan like a makeshift shield. Yogan ducked, deflecting it with a swirl of air, but the distraction allowed Kuno to dart around the corner, putting more distance between them.

Despite their bending abilities, Yogan and Yoan found themselves increasingly frustrated by Kuno's resourcefulness. He used every obstacle, every scrap of the environment, to his advantage, constantly keeping just out of reach.

Ahead of them, Kuno suddenly darted into a covered marketplace, slipping between stalls laden with woven baskets and piles of herbs. The brothers followed, weaving through the narrow aisles, but Kuno was already two steps ahead. He tipped over a table of clay jars, sending them crashing onto the ground in a mess of shattered pottery and fragrant spices.

The sharp scent stung Yogan's nose as he pushed forward, sidestepping the shards, his eyes locked on Kuno. Just as they thought they had him cornered against a closed stall at the far end, Kuno vaulted over the stall counter, grabbing a hanging bamboo curtain and using it to swing himself up and out of their reach once more.

Yogan and Yoan ground to a halt, catching their breath as they tried to pinpoint where he'd gone. They turned sharply, spotting him dashing down yet another narrow alley, glancing back with a mocking grin.

"We can't keep letting him slip away!" Yoan muttered, frustration boiling in his voice.

As they turned to give chase once more, they heard hurried footsteps behind them. Kezin and Kaiya emerged from the shadows, having followed the noise and confusion through the village streets.

Kaiya's eyes were wide, concern etched into her expression. "Are you two alright? He's playing you both like a game of tag."

"We're fine," Yogan replied, barely containing his irritation. "But he's slippery, more than we thought. He's using everything around us to stay out of reach."

Kaiya looked at Kezin, a knowing look passing between them. She glanced back at the alley where Kuno had disappeared, a flicker of worry crossing her face. "This could get out of hand if he keeps evading you."

Kezin straightened, his usually calm demeanor hardening. "Don't worry. I'll handle it from here."

Without another word, he strode down the alley, his movements measured, purposeful. Kaiya watched him go, her expression shifting between hope and fear as she turned back to Yogan and Yoan.

"He's not getting away this time," Kaiya murmured, her voice steady but low.

[A/N: Read 15-20 chapters ahead available on patreon.com/saiyanprincenovels]