Zuru clenched his teeth and stared into the man’s eyes. His breathing had become frantic, the pain exploding through his abdomen only adding fuel to his anger. Then, somehow, he smiled.
"You know..." He breathed through the pain. "I couldn’t believe anything could ever piss you off." The smile slowly vanished from his face. "But here you are." He leaned closer despite McCoy’s grip on his cheek. "Shaking like a little baby denied candy." He brought his face even closer. "What are you going to do, huh! burn me alive?"
McCoy smiled before releasing his face. "Bravery," he muttered, rubbing his chin. "Bravery." He nodded to himself before turning towards the huge box.
"Open it."
The man beside him immediately opened the box, and the other boxes were opened at the same time. Inside them were stones.
Not ordinary stones, either. They were thick, heavy river stones, the kind worn smooth by years of rushing water. Hard enough to crack bone and heavy enough to make anyone with common sense reconsider their life choices.
Star’s eyes widened from his position on the rooftop. His entire body tensed.
’Zuru, you couldn’t just keep your big mouth shut, could you?’
Sarah and Zuru stared at each other before their eyes shifted towards the stones. Zuru swallowed hard.
"Look, look..." He struggled to find the words. "McCoy, um... shit. It’s a little hot here."
His eyes darted towards the stones. "C’mon man, heh, l-let’s talk. I really don’t know where he is. He just sold us out and ran off."
But McCoy wasn’t listening anymore. He simply turned to the man beside him and gave the slightest nod.
Zuru’s voice grew frantic. "Look, please. You need to think this through. McCoy, wait—"
The man beside Mr. McCoy reached into the box and picked up a stone.
"Ah!"
Star suddenly gasped from the rooftop. He slowly raised a hand to his temple and closed his eyes. For a long moment, he simply breathed in and out, allowing the strange but familiar sensation inside his head to settle. Then, calmly, he opened his eyes and looked ahead, not caring about his glowing ring.
"Now I understand," he muttered as he lowered his hand.
His eyes remained fixed ahead, not on the villagers below, but somewhere far beyond them.
Unbeknownst to him, his irises had already begun glowing crimson. His vision had also changed.
Star tilted his head slightly.
Everything before him seemed to take on a faint reddish hue, and somehow, he could see farther than he ever had before. His gaze was drawn toward the eastern side of Yunbuck Village, almost as though something there had caught his attention and refused to let go.
The next instant, his vision stretched.
The distant edge of the village seemed to draw closer and closer until what should have been miles away appeared almost within reach.
Now, he was clearly seeing the glowing thin blue veil. It rose high above Yunbuck Village, its surface covered in countless tightly packed scales that resembled those of a dragon. The veil was stretched across the village and curved overhead, forming a massive dome that enclosed the entire area.
"The Accord..." Star muttered.
It was his first time actually seeing the force field that was said to be surrounding every village throughout the seven kingdoms.
But there was something else. Something on his father’s force field precisely. Something he couldn’t... see.
Yet he could feel it. Feel its darkness.
Slowly, he closed his eyes. If he couldn’t see it, then perhaps he could feel it more.
He focused harder, pushing his senses beyond what came naturally to him. For a moment, there was nothing.
But then he felt it more.
His head twitched.
It was dark, far too dark and huge. The sensation alone made his body tense. Whatever it was, it carried a presence so dangerous that even from this distance, Star could feel it pressing against his senses.
And it was coming... closer... faster.
"No." Star’s eyes snapped open.
His vision returned to normal in an instant. The crimson glow vanished from his irises, and the distant eastern side of the village disappeared back into its proper distance.
Everything rushed back to him at once and below, Zuru was still shouting, his entire body trembling against the ropes binding him.
"Please! Mc-McCoy...! You don’t have to do this! We don’t know where he is!"
McCoy paid no attention.
The entire village watched. Some covered their eyes or turned away, unwilling to witness what was about to happen. Others remained where they were, their faces twisted with anticipation. And among those enjoying the spectacle was the Red Queen, who watched from her settee with the same lazy interest one might have while waiting for a meal to arrive.
The man beside McCoy tightened his grip around the stone.
Then he raised it, aimed, and with a terrifying force flung it at Zuru.
"No!"
Zuru gasped, squeezing his eyes shut and turning his head away.
Sarah’s face went pale. "Zuru..."
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
The stone flew through the air.
It came at him with terrifying speed.
Thump!
"AAAAAH!"
Zuru yelled, his whole body tensing, but....
Nothing.
He waited for the pain but it never came, rather all he heard were gasps, dozens of them.
"Wh-what?"
Zuru slowly opened his eyes.
Then he turned his head.
A hand was held directly in front of his face.
He blinked repeatedly, as though to reset his brains. When he looked again it was still there, and resting perfectly in that hand was the stone.
He stared at it in confusion.
The hand tightened around the stone and—
CRACK!
The stone crumbled into dust between the fingers.
"What the...?" Zuru gasped.
His gaze slowly traveled from the hand to its owner.
And there...
Standing directly in front of him, was...
Star.
Star clenched his teeth as he let the dust fall from his hand. Then he raised his eyes and looked straight at McCoy.
"No one gets to hurt my friends."