There was something in the Chieftana’s eyes that Darryl didn’t like.

Perhaps it was her anxiousness that

bothered him or the fact that she was trying to discredit his answer to her riddle. Nevertheless, the
moment the Chieftana showed up with only few members of the council and no Enoch, he knew the odds
were not in his favor right then.

“Destroy this bridge I command you!” The Chieftana’s face contorted with anger. “You didn’t answer my
riddle right and you dared to build a bridge to mock on me?”

Darryl only looked at the woman. Something had changed about her, her once composed and confident
self was gone and she was nothing near like the leader he had met previously. The one standing in front
of him now was a messed up woman and her anxiety had made her face looked older than she was a year
and half ago. Darryl thought perhaps that things in the Manggan Island were not running well and this
only made him worried more about Xhemin’s condition.

“Chieftana, if I may ask, where is Enoch and the rest of the council?” Ignoring her previous hostile words,
Darryl asked politely.

“Do not look for someone who didn’t give you an audience today,” She said with a hard stare and a jaw
clenching face. Together with her anger, panicked flushed to her eyes as if Darryl’s question made a hard
hit on her stem. “Enoch is not anymore interested with you. After much thought, he had realized that the
safety of our island should be given highest priority”

“I thought I had made it clear previously that I meant no harm in your island” Darryl replied with a sighed.
His common sense had already told him, he cannot get a consent today. He needed a chieftain’s consent
but not even the Chieftain’s heir was here to give it to him.

“You are a roux blooded. That is enough reason we should suspect your intentions” She replied hastily as
if this meeting was something she wanted to end abruptly. When Baruk Tam told her about the bridge
and Darryl, she knew she was in deep mess. Now that the Chieftain was awake, the more the reason
Darryl cannot enter the island. Roux blooded had already brought so much chaos in their tribe especially
to the Nan people and so it was her duty to block Darryl’s attempts. Besides, the intruder constructed a
bridge this time and she’s afraid that such bridge might become the pathway for more intruders in their
island.

“I agree!” Baruk Tam interjected. He had managed to get the Chieftana’s attention without raising a
suspicion in the central village. The boy had informed the Chieftain’s wife about the bridge and of course
about the intruder who sent the small boats. “Roux blooded had brought us so much trouble. They’re all
opportunist and evil!”

“I warn you roux blood to just stay away from us, or else we had no more choice but to make war with
you” Baruk Gu warned. He cooperated with the Chieftana when they secretly travelled to Somer village to
meet the intruder. Everyone in the central village had no idea that they came here to shoo Darryl away.

“Again, I just want to make it clear, I meant no harm. Please tell Enoch I want to see him,” Darryl replied
graciously. He knew inside of him that he cannot talk his way through these tribesmen. They had already
decided even before he could make his plea so he had no choice but to think of other alternatives.
“The chieftain’s heir will have no more business with you,” Baruk Gu replied sternly. “Remember, a war
shall await you in case you insist on entering our island. Destroy this bridge immediately”

“I’m sorry but beyond the par line you had no power to command me,” Darryl retorted “My bridge didn’t
cross the par line. Therefore you cannot force me to take it down,”

“You!” Baruk Gu pulled an arrow in his anger. It was the first time Darryl had met him heads on and that
irritated him greatly. His hands was determined to hurt the Lagdameo heir as he pointed the arrow head
in his direction but there was something in Darryl’s eyes that made his hands tremble.

“Let us not shed blood,” Baruk Tam said hurriedly, trying to stop Baruk Gu’s attempts. Although he didn’t
like roux blooded, he was against any forms of violence too and so he don’t want anyone to be hurt.
“Baruk Gu, lower your arrows down,”

“Let this meeting end here,” The Chieftana dismissed their conversation. “If you won’t tear down this
bridge, then I’ll have the Gunta’s destroy it for you”

Darryl’s last statement made her more worried. She cannot let the bridge stay there for long as it will be a
matter of time before someone can whisper the fact to the Chieftain. She was afraid that once he will
know that she did not honor Darryl’s riddle, the council as well as the Chieftain will punish her for
shaming the royal family. Every words that had been promised must be fulfilled and yet she chose not to
bear her dignity today but her treachery.

“Go ahead. I’ll wait for them right here,” Darryl replied and turned his back completely from the
tribesmen. He turned on the engine of his motorboat and left his recent company. He knew he was being
disrespectful yet the people he just conversed with do not deserve a single inch of respect.

“Baruk Tam, this bridge cannot forever stay here,” The Chieftana told the little Baruk as she watched
Darryl leave.

“I know Chieftana,” The boy answered. “We shall discuss how to tear it apart some other time. For now
let’s head back immediately to the shoreline. We need to go back to the central village as soon as
possible. Our presence is demanded during the offering,”
“As if the Devil’s child will hear our prayers,” She said with mockery. She was against this offering ever
since because she thought it was just a waste of resources and she knew it will not help them in
whatsoever way. The Devil’s child take whatever it pleased and no one can stopped it. Their offerings
were all useless in her opinion. Nevertheless, it was a tradition they had long observed since the birth of
the Devil’s child and so she opted to keep her mouth shut as to not offend anyone.

“Let’s just pray it will not leave us too much casualty these days,” Baruk Tam sighed “We shall get through
this red moon safe and after it, we shall tear this bridge down,”

“You are right Baruk Tam. Let’s get through it safely,” The Chieftana gave the boy a bitter smile. She
looked at the boy and pitied him for his fate as if she knew something about him that he had no idea
about.