Captive?

As planned after arriving at the airport we all went straight to Nistia via bus but only a few followed me to the tribal area while the rest went and waited in the rest house.

The moment I entered the city I felt chills and a weird sense of nostalgia.

Many things had changed or perhaps I just remember them differently since I was child when I used to live here.

But, it was not the time to falter. For everyone but me, this was a completely foreign place.

I even noticed Nora was a bit disturbed so I held her hand and smiled at her, "I'm here. Don't worry." She looked back at me, "Everything will work out." She gave me a wry smile.

She wasn't convinced but believed in me and held my hand tightly.

We had a meeting planned with the people who were caught up in the tribal feud and were fed up.

Me, Nora and twenty men went to the place of meeting.

It was a hotel. In the sitting area there were three middle aged men and young men who had occupied the table at the corner.

Nora and I walked there and took our seats across them.

One of the middle-aged men stood up in shock as soon as he saw me.

"Dad? What's wrong?" The brown haired boy sitting next to him asked but the old man kept his eyes on me. He felt somewhat familiar.

"You-" He pointed at me, "You really are him."

"Him?' I raised my brows at him.

"Caesar! You really are caesar!" He suddenly leaned forward and grabbed my hands. At that moment all the men got ready to jump in but Nora acted fast and stopped them with a hand gesture, "I remember you boy. You were so small when you left."

I slipped my hands out of his and his son made him slip down, "I didn't leave." I looked at the man, "I was FORCED to." Something about this man was bothering but suddenly, it hit me, "Raisa?"

He stood up again, "Yes!! It is me!!" He looked at his team, "See! I was right! It is him!" He looked at me again, "Only he would recognize me!" The others were confused or maybe they were having a hard time accepting things.

"Who's Raisa?" Nora whispered.

"He was my caretaker…" I bit my lips.

Time really had passed like the wind.

He had grown old.

I looked at the man sitting beside him. He was about thirty himself and although he was not there at the tribe mansion I knew him because Raisa often mentioned him, "Samuel." I said his name and he looked up at me in surprise, "I remember your name because Raisa often used to tell me about you." I smiled, "How he'd bring you to the mansion one day so we could play since I only had sisters." I sighed, "Sad, that never happened."

There was a moment of silence then one of the other middle-aged men spoke, "Your appearance matches with the young lord, no doubt," His gaze meant to pierce through me but something like that wouldn't make me waver. I returned his gesture and he flinched, "B-but you have to give us some other proof that you really are Caesar Hound."

"What do you want?"

"A few questions."

"Ask."

"You had a younger sibling."

"A sister, Maya, died when she was two." He gulped at my answer.

"Your mother-"

"Did Malika die?" I think I know this man too.

I leaned back, "I won't tell you. It's not a question which will prove my identity to you anyway."

He bit his lower lip in anger, "Caesar used to be such a good boy."

"USED to be. That was twenty years ago. When he was treated like a GOOD boy." I Kept my eyes on that man, "Wait…" I scoffed, "Uncle Rauf?" His eyes suddenly went wide, "Of course. My mother's cousin who didn't even support her when she was being charged with adultery because of you." I laughed sarcastically, "No wonders you wanted to know about her."

It was because he was a man he was let off with a warning and my mother and I had to suffer. The tribes believed in men's power after all.

He looked down in shame and the last middle aged man spoke up, "You might remember these two but we never met." He had a pretty powerful aura around him, "But still I can tell you really are the lost heir." He leaned in on the table, "Still, you must have something to remove all doubt."

I smirked, "Nora."

"Yes!" She picked up a bag and placed it on the table. The five men across us leaned back in confusion. I could see the doubt and hint of fear but it vanished from the face of the older men when Nora took out the family heirloom and placed the sword on the table.

"There you have it." I smirked, "Your proof."

Rauf was the one who was most shaken, "Without a doubt, this-" He reached for the sword but I picked it up, "It's mine and so is the tribe." I stood up and handed the sword to Nora, "Anything else you want to know."

The third middle aged man stood up, "You came well prepared." He looked around, "Very well prepared." He was referring to my clansmen, "I'm Hius." He took out his hand for me to shake, "The head of the Hound's guards and this is my son." He pointed at the man next to him, "Hugh. The next head of the guards."

"We'll see about that." I shook his hand, "Only a capable person can be a head."

Hius laughed, "I agree."

Hugh didn't say anything but when I looked at him he gave me a short bow and looked at me.

I could tell why Hius wasn't offended at my words.

Hugh did have a presence like his father.

After the meeting ended we all went back to the rest house. All of us were divided into three big rest houses at close distance to each other.

The situation had been pretty much explained to me. My step-mother's son, Rama, was doing a very bad job at literally everything.

My father had grown weak after he was diagnosed with Anemia while two of my step-sisters, Rusy and Shina,had been married off.

The youngest one, Avery, was taking care of father and her mother.

The neighboring tribes were pretty dissatisfied with him. His decisions were ruining many things.

According to the situation, it might not be difficult to take over.

But still, I needed to be on my guard.

At the right time.

We will make our entrance