"I do not trust them. If you wish to listen to their foolish claims, so be it, but I will not allow you to put yourself in close enough proximity to them that they could attack you without warning."
"Fine," Ean said, then grimaced as the Crux's fingers dug in even tighter. "I promise, Jaan, I won't go too far."
His words did little to soften the Crux's stoic face, but it was rare anything ever did. The Crux finally released his grip. Ean gave the Crux a reassuring nod, then turned back towards the crowd.
"I heard the mayor mention something about me being above the law. What law have I apparently broken?"
"Murder," Mayor Erikson replied with a smug smile.
Ean kept his expression blank as he heard the accusation. "A serious charge. Who exactly have I murdered?"
"In our little town?" Ean didn't like the strange emphasis the mayor put on the words but the other man continued before he could comment on it. "Gilbert Mercer, Jos Ekkles, Neil Farmer, and now Angy Peats. All four murdered in their homes. Poor Gilbert ripped apart by your own hands. Joe and Neil stabbed, and Angy strangled to death." The mayor shook his head in disbelief. "Did you not think we would know it was you behind them all?"
If the situation wasn't as serious, Ean might have laughed at the weak accusation. "Do you have any proof? Because I'm sure I can bring forth plenty of witnesses who will say I wasn't even in Rensen when the three out of the four were killed."
The mayor seemed a little surprised by Ean's caviler attitude. The fool probably thought he had caught Ean off-guard. "We can hardly believe the words of any of your monsters..."
"I was talking about the people who came with me from Rensen."
"Well," the mayor stammered, "even if that is true, there is nothing to say that one of your monsters wasn't behind the killings. If something like the brute behind you was the cause of any of the murders, then you're as responsible as if you had done them yourself."
"Again, I'm asking for what proof you have for any of this."
"Of course." The mayor began to pace in front of the crowd. He held up a hand, fingers out, and he began to tick down each one. "First, even if you can explain Gilbert's death as some strange animal attack, Jos, Neil, and Angy were killed by human means. There hasn't been a single murder in all my years here, and then you reappear with your traveling freak show and three people end up dead in less than a season."
"That's flimsy at best. Why would I kill them? Why would I have Jaan or any other creature from the Abyss kill them?"
"Second," the mayor continued as if Ean hadn't spoken. "I instructed everyone who knew about how they had died to keep things quiet. For you to know about it is suspicious, to say the least."
Ean rolled his eyes as he struggled not to laugh at the man. "Just because you told them not to speak to anyone doesn't mean they listened. Since you seem to be doing nothing about the situation, it’s only natural that some of the town's citizens spoke about the matter in front of my Crux. Maybe they were looking for protection. Maybe they were hoping I would take care of the situation. Either way, I know about it because some of your people didn't trust you to take care of it."
"That might be true, but we have no way of knowing, do we?" Ean wondered if that many people would actually care if he strangled the mayor. He pushed the thought out of his mind as Erikson continued. "Third, not a single piece of evidence has been found at any of the murder scenes. With that being the case, many of us have concluded that magic must have been involved in at least covering up the murderer's tracks if not the actual action that caused each murder. To our knowledge, the only person in the village with any magical ability is you."
The mayor crossed his arms and flashed a smug smile. A voice in the back of Ean's mind told him to smack the expression right off Erikson's face. He wanted to blame whatever kept trying to take over his body, but he knew the thoughts were all his own. But throttling the mayor in front of a group of villagers who were probably his most staunch supporters was far from the most diplomatic move on his part. Tact would be required here. Unfortunatley, it was one of his weakest skills. The only comforting fact was that Ean knew he was innocent.
"Not a single thing you've said is actual proof linking me or any of my people to the murders."
"People?" Erikson scoffed. "You mean your monsters?"
"No." Ean was surprised at the conviction in his own voice. "My people. They may not be human, but neither are the elusive Tarrun or the savage Umdaer who live to the south. That doesn't make them anymore or any less than human beings—just different."
"Listen to him!" Erikson turned his back on Ean and addressed the crowd. "Saying his monsters are the same as us! Look how twisted his mind has become. Clearly someone who relates more to monsters than men wouldn't feel any remorse over having one or four or dozens of people killed if it suited his needs. His arrogance betrays his guilt!"
The rumbling of the crowd seemed to agree with the mayor's logic. By the looks on the gathered villagers' faces, it wouldn't take that much more prodding before they decided to take justice into their own hands. No matter if Ean was guilty or not.
"My point is," Ean said before things got worse, "that murder is wrong regardless of whether it's someone from the village or the mines. I don't want anyone to die." He hoped they got the subtle hint that if things did turn sour here, there would be a lot of death.
Of course, Erikson didn't get it or didn't care.
"I doubt that," the rotund man continued. "You've held a grudge against most of this village for how you were treated. You mean to tell me you don't want revenge on anyone gathered here?"
"I don't hold a grudge for how I was treated growing up. I began to move on the moment I first left this village. And even if I was petty enough to hold a grudge, I certainly wouldn't have any reason to murder a bunch of people I didn't even know. The victims were all newer additions to the village."
Ean was surprised to hear some agreeing murmurs from the crowd. He had been telling the truth when he had said he wasn't holding a grudge, but that didn't change the fact that he still thought most were completely biased against him. Maybe in this case, he was the one who needed to adjust his views. His goal was to live in peace with them, after all; it wasn't unthinkable that they put away past misperceptions because they wanted the same thing. It was just unfortunate they were led by a mayor who had been out to get him since before Ean could remember and clearly had no intention of changing his opinion.
"What a pile of cow dung," Erikson said, supporting Ean's thoughts about the man. "All this talk about you going out into the world and changing into some generous man is just your weak attempt to appear friendly despite the fact that you stole our mine from us. And thankfully, we have a recent visitor who can refute your claims to be innocent of any crimes.
"And who might that be?"
"Me." Ean recognized the voice even before the raven-haired woman stepped out from the crowd. She still wore the same yellow cloak covering forest green winter clothing she had been wearing in Lurthalan when her Vithalos had almost crushed him. The woman still wore the same look of disgust as well. "You didn't think you could escape me once I had gotten so close to catching you the first time, did you?"
"Emerald," Ean shook his head at the woman. "How many times--"
"It's Esmerelda!" she yelled over top of him. Some of the villagers closest to her took a few steps back.
Ean kept his tone calm and controlled, a sharp contrast to the woman's voice. "I don't care what your name is. I told you I didn't murder your father. What happened in Ulundkin was all caused by a man named Sadiek. He was the one who turned the Zu'ra that lived there against your father's trade caravan. I refuse to take the blame for what happened to him, just as I'll deny that I, or any of my people, had anything to do with the murders here."
"I've had enough of your lies!" Esmerelda took a few threatening steps towards him. "You're the reason my father is dead! You are the reason why dozens of those who worked with him n
ever made it home!"
The crowd let out a collective gasp; a slow mumble of discontent rippled through the crowd. It grew until people were calling out for Ean's arrest or worst. Esmerelda seemed to feed off the anger around her, taking a few more steps towards Ean, her hands curled into tight fists.
Ean tensed but Jaan's massive form stepped in front of him before the woman even made it four steps. The Crux growled a few obscenities in his native language that made Ean glad the people gathered in front of them couldn't understand. By the way the men and women tightened their grips on their weapons and raised them, they understood the Crux's threatening demeanor. Things were going from bad to worse, and Ean needed to get a grip on the Crux before the situation turned violent.
To his surprise, the voice of reason ended up being Mayor Erikson.
"Everyone, calm down," the mayor said, stepping between Esmerelda and the Crux. Placing himself in front of the Crux made Ean realize he hadn't given the man's courage enough credit. "We didn't come out here to shed blood. We came to face the accused and to search for justice in these matters."
"Then place him under arrest," Esmerelda said through gritted teeth.
"With what evidence?" Ean countered. "If you even had anything that tied me or those with me to the murders, I would accept a Hero being called and facing his judgement. I'm not about to be taken prisoner by a stubborn woman and a pack of--"
"So you would face a Hero and accept whatever judgement he made about your guilt or innocence in the murders committed in the village?"
"Of course, regardless of what you might have told those gathered with you--"
"Excellent. Then we will send for a Hero and let his unbiased judgement decide your culpability."
"Wait," Esmerelda stuttered, some of the fire leaving her voice. It was replaced by a mixture of confusion and surprise. "That's not what we agreed upon. You said Ean would be mine to take back to Lurthalan."
Ean ignored her. "That's fine with me. The faster this can get settled, the sooner I can stop you from dirtying my name."
Esmerelda looked as if she were about to say more but the mayor cut her off. "Then we are agreed, with all those gathered here to serve as witnesses. You will face a Hero's judgement and accept his or her ruling without question. When he is found guilty," the mayor turned to Esmerelda, "then you may be the one to remove him from our village."
Esmerelda looked less than pleased, but her mouth snapped shut.
When he was sure the young woman wouldn't object, the mayor turned his attention back to Ean. "Are we in agreement?"
"Fine, I'll agree to whatever judgement an impartial Hero declares." Ean pointed a finger at the mayor. "And when I'm found innocent, you'll promise to stop trying to turn the village against me.
"I've never--"
"Do you refuse, Erikson?" Ean took a small amount of satisfaction at seeing the mayor's face sour at the use of his name without the title.
"As I was saying," the mayor seemed to force out every word, "I've never defamed you for anything in the past, but I promise not to do so in the future," his slimy smile returned, "on the slim chance you are found innocent. And when you are found guilty, it won't matter what I say because you'll be gone."
"Are we done then?" The man had eliminated all Ean's patience. All he could think of now was bringing Zin back, regardless of the fact it was earlier than they had planned. Even if his friend hadn't been able to track down the Eish'amalga, he would certainly need Zin's intelligence if he was about to be put on trial.
"I'm satisfied." The mayor looked more than satisfied, which only made Ean want his friend back from the Abyss even more. "Let's go, everyone. We only have to wait a little longer now for justice to be served."
Waved on by the mayor, the crowd began to disperse. Some looked annoyed; they were probably ones who wanted him dead regardless of his involvement in the murders. Others looked appeased while a few even looked indifferent, the latter most likely just looking for something interesting to do during the day. With the Freeze season setting in, there wasn't much in the form of entertainment in their small village. Joining a good mob was much more interesting than sitting at home whittling at a piece of wood or knitting a new sweater.
As the crowd began to move off, one person stayed behind to stare daggers in Ean's direction. Esmerelda Ciantar had a lifetime of hatred stored up behind her amber eyes. Part of Ean understood why, even if the woman's hatred was misplaced. Her whole life had been turned upside-down, her father had been killed, and her family had been forced to live in squalor. Ean had always had a hard life, his parents taken from him when he was too young to remember. He was forced into the care of a strict old man who treated him more as an apprentice than a ward; his life had always been tough. How much harder it was to have known all the better things in life and then have them all stripped away.
If he didn't have a dozen other things on his plate, he would have made every effort to convince the woman that he wasn't the reason for her family's downfall. Unfortunately, Ean had more important things to worry about than Esmerelda's feelings. He held her gaze until she finally broke it, spinning on her heels and jogging to catch up with the rest of the villagers.
"That one will still be trouble," Jaan said from right behind him. "I will instill the importance of being extra vigilant in keeping humans who don't belong out of the mines."
"Probably a good idea."
"It was foolish of you to agree to submit to their laws. You are above them now."
With a sigh, Ean passed the Crux and headed back into the mine. "You can tell me all about it as soon as we fill Azalea in. I'm sure whatever different ways you find to point out how stupid my decision was, she can find just as many. I'd rather hear them all at the same time."
Chapter 21
Ean narrowly ducked out of the way as a Carnslug whizzed past his head and struck the rock wall behind him. It slid down, eyestalks wobbling about until it reached the floor. Apparently unfazed by being thrown by Azalea, it oozed along the ground in the Heart, leaving a translucent trail of slime behind it.
"You walked right into what the mayor had planned," Azalea scoffed at him. "You do realize that, right?"
Ean watched the Carnslug slide out of the room, part of him wishing he could follow. "I'm not going to worry about that now. I need to bring Zin back and see what he's found."
"You are not supposed to summon him back until tonight and it’s only the early afternoon. Plenty of time for the dumb Crux and I to lecture you."
Jaan let out a grunt but nodded his head in agreement.
"You continue to cater to these weak humans, tolerating their insubordination when they should be grateful we don't put them all in chains."
"Jann." Ean paused for a moment to rub at his eyes. A small headache had started to form right at the front of his skull. "For the hundredth time, I'm human as well."
The Crux smacked Ean's shoulder with the back of his fingers. "As soon as you inscribed yourself with those tattoos, you became more. You think any of the Crux would willingly follow one of those flabby-skinned creatures? Even Lotrug, with his curiosity in learning their language, is smart enough to know not to listen to a human. We see you as something more. Just as you admitted we are not just some stupid monsters from the Abyss. You can see us as more, so why can you not see yourself in the same way?"
"I..." The entire walk to the Heart, Ean had been expecting harsh words and insults from the Crux. The compliment, or what he assumed was a compliment, caught him off-guard.
Azalea, on the other hand, let out a musical laugh. "Oh, look. I do believe our fearless leader is blushing. Better watch out, Jaan. I haven't seen Ean with many women. Maybe he was just waiting for a strapping young Crux to sweep him off his feet."
The Crux shrugged. "As much honor as taking him as a life-mate would bring, I do not find him attractive."
Ean threw his hands in the air and walked away from the two of them. "Can we get back to telling me how stupid I
am? That, at least, I can handle."
"I'm pretty sure," Azalea responded, " the Crux called you unattractive. That is an insult in your world, right?"
Ean turned back just as Jaan raised all four hands in an appeasing gesture. "I did not mean to insult the Zekarian. I am sure many of the fleshy humans find his appearance appealing. Both male and female."
"Oh, this just keeps getting better and better."
Ean ignored them both. "Returning to more important matters, I'm not sure how long it's going to take for the mayor to send word to Lurthalan and get a Hero sent here. For most of my life, I had no idea that Heroes even existed, and then I saw a great deal of them when that monster came down out of the mountains and made this mine its home." That seems like so long ago, Ean thought, letting the memory of what had gotten him out of the village in the first place distract him for a moment before he continued. "It wasn't until I left that I learned they also settled disputes and passed judgements on matters as well."
Azalea let out a bark of a laugh.
"So, you know little about them but you let the mayor goad you into letting one decide your fate." She took a seat, resting her back against Auz. "If stupidity were an emotion, I could grow fat feeding off you for the rest of my life."
The Crux shuffled about in place, its arms folded across its chest. It was a common reaction from Jaan whenever either Zin or Azalea insulted him. Why the massive creature got so uncomfortable when Ean refused to punish those who insulted him and then could turn around and beat him to a pulp during a training session without the slightest reaction was just one of the many things Ean had yet to figure out about the Crux in general.
"Whether the Zekarian's decision was foolish or not, it is not something we can change now."
"Exactly." Ean got the word out fast when he saw Azalea's mouth open to make what was sure to be a retort. "All we can do now is conduct our own investigation and try to find the real culprit."
Shadows of Home Page 16
