But that was a problem for later, not now while he had a creature as dangerous as Qo within striking distance. Taking a deep breath, Ean forced his shoulders back and stood up straight.
"Alright. Now what."
"The next part will be tricky. When you take in energy, what does it feel like?"
Ean scratched at the back of his head. "It's like, well, like opening a door to a room filled with water, like an endless supply of water that surges out through the opening I supply it."
"The rushing water, what do you do with it?"
"I..." Ean struggled to find the words. This was the first time he had actually given serious thought to how he managed all that energy. "I guess the right word to use would be that I guide it. Steer it. Most days it's like I let it flow just under my skin, like a second layer. When I need more, I let it fill me up completely to the point where I feel I'm floating in the energy."
"But in either case, you guide it. Some part of you feels where it is going and knows how to make it go where you want."
"Yes."
"Good." Qo took four steps away from Auz. "Place your hand on the sphere, and in whatever manner you usually feel yourself directing your own energy, reach out and see if you can feel something else."
It all sounded vague and foolish. Part of Ean wondered if the creature was just trying to mess with him while the other part of him suspected some sort of trap. Despite expecting things to end poorly, he still gave it a try.
Ean placed both hands on Auz's surface and cleared his mind. The latter took a bit more time than he wanted. Murdered villagers. No clue to the culprit. Or culprits. A Hero coming to judge him. The crumbling relationship with the villagers of Rottwealth. Struggling to figure out what to do with those from Rensen. How to help Paige when all she did was avoid him. And of course, the creepy creature with a skull for a head a few feet away from him, probably plotting to murder him that very instant. It was difficult to push it all from his mind.
Clearing his mind was easy, though, compared to the next step. Reach out and see if you can feel something else. Reach out with what? Controlling the energy of the Abyss had come naturally. For the most part. Most of the skills he had learned after his change had been learned by accident in the heat of battle. The energy was inside him already, and it reacted to his thoughts. He had no idea how to do something similar to a magical energy he didn't control.
A quick glance over at Qo found the creature still standing a few feet away. Its glowing eyes were like tiny embers in its skull. Despite its inability to show any kind of expression, Ean still felt like Qo was looking on him with scorn.
Feel something, Ean thought. Prove to Qo I'm more than he thinks.
If anger was enough to make him succeed in detecting whatever was affecting Auz, Ean would have felt it that instant. He was tired of Qo's condescending attitude. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that the creature was just messing with him. Ean would be the first to admit he knew very little about his connection to Auz. The sphere had come from a dead piece previously owned by Ean's predecessor. In death, Ean had somehow given it a new life and it had returned the favor. Besides that, and the few cryptic answers to the questions he asked it, Ean had no idea of it capabilities. What he felt though was that it was more powerful than he could even imagine. For some strange magic to be able to completely dominate it and block their connection...
Something reverberated in Ean's mind, erasing every angry and frustrated thought. It was the faintest touch, like dipping the tip of your finger into a lukewarm cup of water. Except the feeling wasn't on his skin. It was in his mind and in his body. A feeling that lingered just enough so he could find its source as he focused on it more.
It was there. A razor thin layer, like dew covering the grass on a late summer morning. Except dew was refreshing. Life-giving. What Ean felt was rotten. It seemed to cling to his fingers, and as he continued to focus on it, a queasy sensation began to build in his stomach. When he felt the bile start to build at the back of his throat, Ean pulled his hand away from the sphere's surface. The magic seemed to cling to his skin for a few moments and then it was gone. Ean was glad it was gone, and yet, there had been something familiar to it...
"I felt it," Ean whispered, finally opening his eyes.
"Finally."
Qo's voice was close enough that Ean could have sworn he felt the creature's breath. He spun around to find the creepy skull staring at him just a foot or so away. Ean immediately drew the energy of the Abyss back into his body, letting it fill him as he prepared to defend himself. All Qo did, however, was shake his head and take a few steps back.
"I teach you something yet you still expect me to attack you at the first opportunity. Such a shame."
Ean let himself relax. Slightly. "Can you blame me? Within moments of meeting you, I was being attacked by some of my closest allies that you had manipulated. Not the best way to build trust."
"True." Qo shambled over to the throne, climbing the small dias until he stood in front of it. He reached out and caressed one of the armrests for a moment before turning back towards Ean. "I make no apologies for it. It’s just in my nature."
"Then you can understand why it is hard not to expect the worst from you."
Qo looked at him for a few moments then stepped down from the dais. When he spoke, their was a serious edge to his voice that Ean had never heard before. "You can expect the worst. I'm not like your sensitive little imp or Yulari. I don't care much about others' opinions and you won't hurt mine by mistrusting me. I do quite well on my own."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "Except if I'm to stay in this world, I'll never be on my own, will I? I can either work with you or I go back to the Abyss. If I try to leave, you'll send me back. If I kill you, the magic that brought me here reverses and I get sent back to the Abyss. For now, you have my aid."
"And your loyalty?"
"That costs more than anyone has been able to pay so far." The laugh that Qo let out actually had some warmth to it and not the usual scorn or condescending lilt. "Be assured that also means I am less likely to be swayed by any of your enemies to turn against you."
Not exactly reassuring, but it was a problem for later. "Alright, now that we know it's magic that's affecting Auz, is there any way to track--"
Ean cut off as Lotrug ran into the room. The Crux walked to within a few paces of Ean and then came to a halt. It stood there, staring down at Ean in silence until he realized Lotrug was waiting for permission to speak.
"What is it?" Ean asked.
"The Hero has arrived. The mayor has asked for you to meet them in the center of town."
Chapter 35
Ean wanted to go into the village alone. After all, he had been the one to agree to bringing a Hero in to reside over everything that had been happening in Rottwealth. Walking into town with a small group of Crux, Zin, and Azalea would come off as intimidating to most. The mayor would have spun it into his allies being there in case things did not go the way Ean wanted, which of course would go against all his attempts to improve how the people of Rottwealth viewed him and the creatures he harbored in the mines. More than he liked probably thought he was behind the murders already. No need to remind them of the handful of creatures that could wipe out the entire village without much trouble. Best for Ean to go alone. That way, when he was found innocent, they could see him again as the simple man who had grown up in their village and had returned to help make it a better place despite how he had been treated as a youth.
Azalea and Zin, of course, had a different opinion.
Azalea responded in her usual diplomatic fashion. "After all this time, you continue to amaze me with how stupid and niave you can be."
Zin saved his words and instead walked right over and kicked Ean in the shin with his clawed toes.
After a short argument, Ean was walking out of the mine with Azalea and Zin by his side. Zin remained visible, having no reason to hide now, and Azalea
took her light-skinned human guise.
"This really is the smart move," Zin said from Ean's right.
"No," Azalea replied from his other side. "The smart move would have been to bring at least one of the Crux as well. You know--"
"That the mayor probably has a few different tricks planned," Ean said before Azalea could get it out. "I know. He's been manipulating things since we got back, if not before then. That doesn't mean I'm going to march into the village ready for a fight. The last thing I want is to have a repeat of what happened in Rensen."
Azalea let out a grunt. "What? A few scarred pieces of dirt and some burnt buildings? Hardly something to feel bad about."
"I'm talking about the people, Azalea." People like Paige. "I don't want anyone else being corrupted by the energy I wield."
"You can't be serious," Azalea scoffed. "You really think the loss of some humans--"
"I'm not having this argument again. If you don't like it, you can go back home."
"Someone's a little on edge." Despite her sarcastic tone, Azalea didn't push the issue further. It might have been because of something she felt coming from Ean through their bond. Or, going on the feeling of apprehension flowing through their bond from her, she might be just as nervous as he was at the moment. Zin on the other hand was the epitome of calmness. It was strange, almost unsettling. It was similar to when Qo had taken the imp over...
"Hey!" Zin shouted as Ean “accidentally” bumped him with his hip to make sure it was really Zin in control of himself. "Having trouble walking?"
"Sorry," Ean mumbled. He hoped his friend didn't catch the relief in his voice.
From that point, they walked on in silence, following the dirt path east that the miners coming from Rottwealth had worn into the ground. The space between the mines and the village was quiet; only a few small rodents moved about and the village was far enough away that the normal bustle and calls of the people didn't reach them. All the fields used by the farmers were to the north and south of the village. Even before Ean had taken over the mines, no one ever plowed too closely to the marsh. The grass grew high here, their faded greens a good reflection of Ean's mood.
It was one thing to know you were innocent. It was something else entirely to prove it. Besides what was done to the poor villagers that had been murdered, there wasn't much evidence on what could have killed them. Azalea had been out since the last murder, watching out for any sign of what might have killed them. All she had returned with were complaints of a wasted night “babysitting humans.” Azalea hadn't even been able to pick up the scent of anything out of the ordinary. It would have been helpful if she had found anything they could bring to this Hero to prove his or his creatures' innocence. The lack of evidence was unfortunately starting to point towards something magical. As far as everyone in the village was concerned, if it was magical and bad, it had to have something to do with him or the things that dwelled in the mines.
Ean was starting to get the foreboding feeling that the murders and what was affecting Auz were somehow related. It can't just be a coincidence, he thought as the homes on the edge of the village changed from distant blurs to more detailed versions and similar styles. He would have to ask Qo if there was some way to not only detect other magic but to follow it back to its source. Ean wasn't exactly sure how things would go with the Hero, having never witnessed firsthand a Hero settling an affair like this.
The only sound was the crunch of Ean's boots on the dried and frozen dirt. Strange that none of the sounds of the village were reaching them yet. He dismissed the thought almost immediately. The cold weather and having a killer in their midsts might be keeping the villagers inside more than usual. The more likely scenario was that all of the villagers were crammed into the inn to gawk and try to speak with the Hero. That's what had happened almost a year ago when the first Hero had been summoned to deal with the monster that had taken over the mine. All the villagers had also been excited to see the second Hero arrive after the first had been killed. After that, Heroes hadn't seemed as impressive anymore. It had been a while though, so it was likely the simple villagers would be interested again to see someone held in such high esteem.
Still, it was eerie to pass those first couple homes and not hear a single sound besides the crunch of his boots, as the gravel road began, and the creaks of the wooden homes as the wind pressed against their sides.
"Something's off," Ean muttered. Even if the entire village was gathered in the inn, the sound of all those bodies packed into one place would have carried down the street.
"What?" Azalea said loud enough to almost make him jump.
"I said something seems off."
"I know. I just wanted you to say it louder so you won't be surprised when things go horribly wrong and I say, 'I told you so.'"
Ean ignored her and slowly looked around. Doors were closed. Windows were shuttered. Even the few dogs kept as pets weren't roaming the streets. As far as Ean could remember, Rottwealth had never been this quiet. He was so intent on trying to find danger, he barely felt the slight tug on his pants. Glancing down, he found Zin looking up at him.
"Do you want me to scout ahead? See what kind of danger we might be getting into?"
"Tempting, but no," Ean said with a single shake of his head.
"In that case, I could go back instead. Get a Crux or two..."
"No. We stick together. I have enough support with the two of you here." Ean kept his voice steady and made sure not to let a single nervous feeling slip through his bond with the other two. Instead, he gathered even more Abysmal energy into his body and started forward again.
They walked down the main street of the village, Azalea and Zin's heads whipping around, their eyes trying to take in every angle at once while they both sniffed the air. As they approached the center of the village and the top of the inn finally came into sight, Azalea stretched a hand out to stop Ean in his tracks.
"This is wrong, Ean." There was a bit of nervousness now tinting her voice. It was something Ean wasn't used to hearing, and it made the situation even more unsettling. "Your village smells of fear. At first, I thought the strength of the smell was only coming from one or two people. But now I can smell it everywhere. If I was the one causing it, I would be eating it up. But I don't know what’s causing this much fear, and it makes me nervous."
"I can clear that up for you," a voice called out.
It took Ean a few moments to realize it had come from on top of one of the nearby homes. Walking up from the other side of the slanted roof, the man who came into view was someone Ean hoped never to see again. Ean would have recognized that face hidden behind a mess of oily black hair even if the man wasn't wearing the gleaming white leather armor with the golden sun and scales on its breast. By the fear rushing through his bond with Zin, the imp recognized him as well: the Seeker he knew simply as EliZane.
"I was told there was some Abyss-worshipping piece of garbage in this village," EliZane continued. He moved to the edge of the roof and sat down with his legs dangling over the side. "But I didn't believe it. I mean, how stupid do you have to be to worship that forbidden place and its god knowing full well it’s a death sentence?" He paused for a moment, then rolled his eyes. "Well? How stupid are you, stranger?"
He doesn't recognize me! Ean thought. Of course not. He saw me before I died. Before my body changed. And Zin...well, he probably doesn't even consider Zin enough of a threat to pay him any attention.
Ean had no idea if that fact would help or not, but it helped his confidence that he was at least one step ahead of the Seeker in that regard. Instead of answering the man's question, he tried to catch him off guard with a few words of his own.
"I was told a Hero was coming to judge me. I should have known the mayor would bring a Seeker instead. But this works out to my favor as you have no authority to pass judgement on me.
"But I am a Hero." EliZane neared. "All Seekers are Heroes. Isn't that right, Mr. Mayor?"
Mayor Erikson
appeared from behind the same home EliZane perched atop. Ean had expected the man to strut into the street with a smug expression on his face. The slouched man who slowly moved forward, however, looked as if he carried a mountain on his shoulders.
"That's right,” Erikson finally said from the shadow of the building. "Seekers are given the same ruling power as--"
"It was a rhetorical question," EliZane said over top him. "I just wanted you to come out so this man could see how an entire village had turned on him and his blasphemous ways."
"Nice try," Ean replied, "but I know not everyone supports this spineless bully. There are people here who don't blindly follow whatever this fool says."
"Just get on with the trial," Mayor Erikson hissed. "I want this over with."
EliZane looked down on him with spiteful eyes.
"Normally, I'd give you a good thrashing for daring to speak to me like that. Luckily for you, I'm excited to get started as well. It's been too long since I've put my knives into someone corrupted by the Abyss. Your beating, Mayor, will have to wait."
EliZane leapt down from the roof, landing nimbly on the balls of his feet. Somewhere on the way down, he had pulled two long knives from their sheaths on his belt.
"Best to send your little followers away," EliZane continued. "I'll hunt them down later, of course, but I want you to be focused on our fight. It’s much less enjoyable to kill a distracted man."
Ean was about to reply, but EliZane launched one of his knives directly at Ean's throat. He managed to dodge it, the blade streaking past, and then the Seeker was on him.
Chapter 36
The Seeker was fast—as fast as Ean remembered from their first encounter. It seemed like forever ago, but the memory brought back the fear the man had caused when they first met.
In the space of two breaths, EliZane had covered the space between them. In that small moment, he had pulled a curved knife half the length of his forearm. The metal gleamed in the fading light of the sun as he plunged it straight towards Ean's chest.
Shadows of Home Page 26
