Consequences

"Sure, no problem," I said.
I had never seen her in the village or anywhere else.
"Thank you," she replied as she sat down. "My name is Iara, and you?"
"You can call me 'Kesel.'"
"Kesel? Okay, I will believe you. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise."
We stood watching the sunset in silence for a while. After a few moments of still watching the sunset, I asked, "Are you from here?"

"Not really, but I've been in the past. Today I'm just passing through. And you're from here? I've been here a few times in the past, and I don't remember seeing you."

"I was away for a long time, but before, I always came here. I already missed seeing things like that, like this sunset on the beach."

She looked at me silently, then looked at the stars in the sky.

"I understand you. I've lived with longing, away from home for a while."

The sky was clearly divided between the last sunlight and the dusk with stars.

"Look," she said, looking up. "The Old Man constellation has already appeared in the sky."

At that moment, an older man passed in silence, walking with the help of a staff on his arm in front of us. After a few seconds of watching him pass by and walk away, we couldn't hold back our laughter and started laughing a lot.

"Nice timing!" I said with a laugh. "He actually showed up."

"Imagine if he thinks I was talking about him? I would die of embarrassment," she spoke.

I smiled, then I said something:
"There's another funny thing about this constellation. Here we call it 'The Old Man,' but where I grew up, they associate it with a great hunter, and in some nearby regions too."

"Hunter? What is the name?"

"There were several, but Orion was the main one."

"I see."

"Ha ha ha, that reminded me of a funny thing that has to do with what we talked about," I started to say, then she looked at me, crossing her arms and resting her head on them, turning her face toward me as she sat. "My name was given in honor by my parents because of a foreign spice dealer who cured my mother of a serious illness. His name was Kesel, but on another trip through this region, he visited my parents. He saw my father calling me ‘Kesil.’ He explained that in his culture, ‘Kesil’ meant something else, different from ‘Kesel,’ which was associated with trust and hope. ‘Kesil’ meant ‘The Fool.’ From then on, my mother called me Kesil whenever she wanted to scold me for something wrong I did. And Kesil, for the people of that dealer, was the name given to the constellation Orion, a rebel who defied God and was imprisoned and punished."

I stood up and then spoke sarcastically, "Maybe I should adopt that name. It suits me better than my current name."

I noticed that she had gotten up and approached, but I noticed that, on the left, an energy brought by the wind from the beach towards us, there was someone dangerous whom I knew.

"Stand back," I said, extending my hand to her. "You better leave."

In front of me was the son of one of the leaders of another people. Not only that, there were two more, one coming from the forest and the other coming from the other side, in the direction where that older man had gone. All three were acquaintances who, like me, were raised and trained in Mora.

Everyone had their hands on their scabbards and was about to take out their swords, and they were wearing Mora's traditional armor. They were a threat to me.

Iara, nervous, had a knife in her hand. So, noticing this, I spoke to her.

"Go away, Iara. You don’t need to stay here. They want me, don't they?" 

Moima in front, Momburu in the back, and Tekopuku coming from the forest.

"That's fine with me," Moima said.

Iara turned away, put distance between Moima and Momburu, who would not move, and ran away, looking back in fright.

"What do you think you're doing?" I said, looking at Moima and the others who approached carefully.

"What does it look like to you?" Moima replied sarcastically.

Moima had long, straight hair up to his shoulders. He was thin, but with apparent muscles, he had a mischievous look.

Tekopuku was tall and strong, with long, straight hair down to his lower back, tanned, and an angry countenance.

Momburu was short in stature, with very short brownish hair and a serious expression.

Everyone activated their abilities and combinations. I didn't really know all their powers, but they knew mine. But it made no difference. I was sure that the power of my technique was stronger and more devastating than all of them. After all, they were in a trio. I just needed to have a strategy for how to use it more effectively in this scenario.

The "Wind Destroyer" was a combined technique of the Air + Destruction abilities that chain-destroyed the air of whatever my stray energy reached. The advantage is its quick execution, without simple, without having to perform mantras, symbols, or movements that require time.

Normally, I could use two variations of these techniques: the first, I would create a circular air wall in an area around us all and then perform the technique, which, with the destruction of the air, would create a vacuum in an area without any oxygen or other gas, making my enemies suffer. Their eyes and mouths would dry out. Soon they would lose consciousness. Their bodies would swell, killing them within minutes. In the second, I would simply activate it in an open area with no barrier, and this would create a vacuum that would be quickly filled by the pressure of the atmosphere and kill everyone crushed instantly. The problem is that the effects would also apply to me if I were in the effect area, so I always wore legendary armor created by the great craftsman as a form of protection. In this case, there was no protection at all, and they knew and wanted it.

In this case, the second variation is better. But I don't have any armor. The first variation would be an alternative, but for that I would have to create the barrier and escape, projecting myself onto the created barrier.

I can also use the "Wind Destroyer" technique in the first small-scale variation one at a time, but that would open up loopholes for the other two to attack. As far as I know, Moima can deny abilities, but I only know this Ability of his. He has always been the reserved type. Momburu uses the water element so that he can attack at long range. Tekopuku is the type who fights 1x1 and absorbs the opponent's energy at the same time. If I have to see someone at 1-on-1, it would be him. However, he knows I could defeat him, creating a small vacuum with "Wind Destroyer" and finishing him.

"What was it? Do you look thoughtful, Kesel? Have you made up your mind yet?" Moima mocked my hesitation to start combat.

If they were all close-quarters physical combat fighters and attacked everyone at the same time, I might have some trouble reacting, even though I have a deadly technique that can be executed quickly, but that's not the case. They didn't attack at the same time, and they're not all close-quarters.

We are at an impasse. Their reaction will be coordinated according to my initiative. They must have plans for several scenarios, in that case...

I ran toward the sea, then, with my destructive aura and wrapped air, I made a running path away from the beach.

All I need to do is create an opening for me to escape or make them stay within range for me to run "Wind Destroyer" and kill them immediately! Or just one! I only need to kill one of them to destroy the formation...

But...

If I kill them, I resolve everything. If I run away, they will be killed by the Empire for insubordination for attacking a superior. The only way they will survive is for them to kill me without the Empire knowing immediately what they did.

Since they think the current act isn't punishable as betrayal of the Empire, they must think it has some just motive. Why do they think so? Revenge? Maybe they don't think I'm worthy of leading?

Either way, I won't let them get their way!

So what will they do? Will they come and attack me now, or will they give up?