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  Her hood only moved enough for Ean to make out the barest nod. With gloved-covered hands, Paige began to gently steer the others towards the mine entrance. They took a wide berth around the crux and made it a few steps into the pitch black mine before stopping. This is how Ean noticed the guiding runes that had been inscribed into the wall had grown dark.

  "Lotrug," Ean said as he walked into the mines. "Why hasn't anyone put up any torches?"

  "Jaan instructed not to put any up." It was a simple enough answer that told Ean nothing.

  "What about for the miners who come in every day? How long has it been like this?"

  Crux faces weren't exactly built to show a range of expression. Thick, protruding eyebrows hid the eyes, even in the best light, and the only emotion Ean had ever seen on the rest of a Crux's features were when Jaan was about to lecture him. Even so, the fact that Lotrug looked away before answering hinted at the large creature’s shame.

  "Supposed to let Jaan explain all. Jaan leads while Zekarian is away."

  Ean couldn't help but shudder at the use of the Crux's title for him. Before it had just been something he brushed off, but now that some strange personality was taking over his body and calling itself the same thing, the word “Zekarian” had a much darker meaning to him, except it was too late now to try and break the Crux of using it. Just another thing he would have to deal with, just like the Crux stubbornness.

  "Lead the way then."

  The Crux gave a nod and moved into the mine. The combination of the different bonds he had with Zin, Azalea, and the Hound gave him the ability to see inside the pitch black mine as if they were completely lit. That wouldn't help the people from Rensen of course. To remedy the situation, Ean rolled back his sleeves, allowing the light that pulsed along his tattoos to shed the way for those who couldn't see in the dark.

  They walked down into the mines in silence with Lotrug in the lead, followed by the Rensen group, and Ean and Azalea taking up the back. As they moved deeper and began following the path that lead to the Heart, members of the Rensen group occasionally glanced back at his glowing tattoos, their fear clearly illuminated by the dim light coming off his arms. A real leader would probably know the perfect words to alleviate their worries. All Ean could do was try and give them reassuring smiles, which, judging by their growing concern, probably came off as more creepy than helpful. Why was it that dealing with creatures from the Abyss was becoming easier for him while interactions with other people were becoming harder? Fearing the answer might be more disturbing than he would like, Ean dashed the thought from his mind.

  One question he couldn't rid himself with, however, was what the darkening and apparent silence of Auz would cause in the long run for both him and those in the mine not of this world. Besides Zin, Azalea, and his Hound, the twelve imps, six Crux, two Maruks, and the Vunvuanima out in the marsh had all been summoned through Auz. The fact that none of them seemed to have been pulled back into the Abyss was a good sign. But was their stay in this world just temporary now that Auz had gone dark?

  Thankfully, those closest to him were now bound to him as well. He could feel all three—Zin, Azalea, and the Hound—clearly now that they were all close. Right next to him, Azalea practically radiated confidence through their bond. It almost managed to hide the dark spot of fear that she had for the few humans in front of her. Even here, in the relative protection of Ean's home, the phobia concerning people still chipped away at her. Zin, on the other hand, felt like a giant knot of worry through their bond—a knot that grew the closer Ean got to the Heart. Ean wasn't sure if he hoped the worry came from the imp’s confusion over what had happened to Auz or his friend’s knowledge of how bad Auz's silence meant for all of them.

  The Hound was the simplest of the three bonds, bouncing back and forth between the desire to eat and the desire to hunt. At the moment, both seemed to be in equal measure, which usually meant it was down in the Carnslug cave catching itself a meal. Whatever it was doing, it paused and a wave of happiness flowed through the bond. Ean's probing had probably tipped it off. Ean returned the feeling until he realized the Hound was making its way towards them. The last thing he needed was for the massive beast to come hurtling out of the darkness and scare the already timid people from Rensen. A simple urge through the bond directing the Hound to stay back was enough to elicit a small amount of disappointment, which disappeared as soon as it returned to hunting down a meal.

  It was a small comfort to Ean to know that no matter what was happening with Auz, those three wouldn't suddenly be dragged back to the Abyss—small because he knew what the freedom of being out of the Abyss meant for the others.

  Lotrug came to a stop at the entrance into the Heart, quickly turning and extending a halting hand to the people behind him.

  "Humans are not allowed into the Heart without permission." The Crux turned his attention on Ean, its blank face not giving the slightest hint on whether Lotrug was looking for permission to let them pass or just waiting for his next order.

  At that exact moment, Jaan strode out of the room. The leader of Ean's Crux was large even in his own people's standards, his head brushing the ceiling at parts and making him look down to speak, even to Lotrug. Even though he wore the same patched-up leather clothing as every other Crux in Ean's mine, Jaan's attire seemed more commanding then the rest. Deep-set eyes took in all those gathered at the entrance to the Heart before finally coming to rest on Ean.

  "My words are not for human ears," Jaan said, speaking in the Crux language. Since his words would only sound like guttural coughs and growls to the Rensen group, Ean ignored the implication that he wasn't human as Jaan continued. "Whatever your plans for them, they should not be here for what I have to report."

  "Agreed. Lotrug?" Ean turned to the Crux behind him. "Find these people a place to stay and have beds and whatever other amenities we can create made for them. Torches as well so they don't have to sit around in the dark. Once they are settled, have the imps bring them some food. I'll come to check on them after I'm done speaking with Jaan."

  The Crux seemed relieved to have an order he could follow and quickly used his thick arms to guide the remaining people from Rensen deeper into the mine. Jaan watched them go, that familiar frown the only hint at his emotions as he waited for the humans to disappear around a far corner. With them out of sight, the Crux motioned Ean inside with a hand that could have easily wrapped around Ean's entire head.

  Nothing cosmetically had changed with the Heart's appearance since Ean had left. A bare room, the Heart was circular in design with a large domed ceiling cut out of the rock of the mountain. The walls were free of adornment, and the only piece of furniture was a stone throne that sat on a raised piece of stone with four steps leading up to it on the other side of the room. Taking up the majority of the room was a large sphere that appeared cut of a porous stone. Its usually glowing surface, a storm of swirling lights like lightning hidden in a cloud, was now dark and lifeless. Instead of floating a foot above the stone, it was resting on the ground. Large cracks spread out along the floor from where it must have fallen and created a small indent that kept it from rolling off.

  Even knowing what to expect, Ean was still surprised at the lifeless sight of the floating orb.

  Zin was there as well, although the imp was staring at the floor like a recently disciplined child. Another unnerving sight, as it was a far cry from the brown-skinned imps’ usually cocky demeanor.

  "Zin, what--" Ean barely ducked in time as Jaan swung a pumpkin-sized fist directly at his head.

  It was a clumsy swing, all power and no finesse, but he had still just avoided a blow that would have easily dazed him if not flat-out knocked him unconscious. The next blow the Crux launched at him missed as well, but Ean was just stumbling out of the way more than he was making a solid effort of defending himself. His mind flew through all the different strategies Jaan had used during their almost daily training regimen, but he relied more on instinct and his enhan
ced agility to dodge the massive fists of his advisor.

  Despite not knowing the reason for the attack, Ean was glad Lotrug had taken the villagers from Rensen to find where they would be staying. It wouldn't really do to see for them to see one of Ean's most trusted advisors trying to kill him.

  "Need any help?" Azalea shouted as she leaned against the entrance opening. The smirk she wore contradicted the concern she put in her voice.

  "No," Ean managed to get out as he dodged a straight kick to his chest that would have easily broken ribs. When a follow-up punch barely missed his head, Ean used the opportunity to grab the Crux's thick wrist with both of his hands and yank the large creature forward. With his attacker pulled off balance, Ean was able to duck under its reach and land a few Abyss-enhanced punches to Jaan's midsection. The grunts the Crux gave in response put a grin to Ean's lips as he dodged away from four hands that tried to grab him. Ean moved until he was in a more open area of the room and waited for Jaan's next attack.

  The Crux, however, simply stood straight up and folded both pairs of arms across his chest.

  "You have not grown soft in your travels," Jaan said as he looked down on Ean. The Crux could have at least acted like he was the least bit sore from the blows Ean had delivered. The damn creature didn't even look winded.

  "Well, it’s not just anybody who can kill a Nar'Grim," Ean replied.

  "You are not soft, Ean Sangrave, but you are far from a warrior capable of such a great feat. If you are going to boast, do not make one which is such an obvious lie."

  Azalea pushed herself off the wall and strolled into the room. "Our little leader is telling the truth. We've been busy while we were away."

  The Crux shook his head. "Such a thing is not possible."

  "See, I figured no one would believe us." Pausing, Azalea's human form began to shimmer until she was no longer visible. When the disturbance stopped, Azalea stood in her full, blue-skinned and barely-covered glory. Out of some pocket Ean couldn't see, she took what appeared to be a curved tooth as black as the deepest part of the mines and as long as the length of her hand. "Which is why I took a trophy."

  Jaan stomped over and snatched the fang from Azalea's hand and took a closer look. He twirled it around in between his thick fingers for a few moments, the rotating dark piece of the Nar'Grim growing slower and slower as the Crux's eyes grew wider. When he finally stopped twirling it, he held the tooth as if it were a fragile egg. He kept it in the palm of his hand and gently passed it back to Azalea in a more reverent fashion than he had when he snatched it up.

  Then he rounded on Zin.

  "Why did you not tell me this, imp?"

  "You were too busy yelling at me!" A little fire crept into Zin's voice. "All I could do was listen to you berate me about keeping Ean away from here for so long, as if that were my fault, for me to say much more than a few words. And those were just answers to your questions. Maybe you should have asked if we had defeated one of the most dangerous creatures that resides in the Abyss."

  The Crux pointed a thick finger down at the imp. "Do not get fresh with me, lower creature. The Zekarian and Yulari might tolerate your disrespectful tone, but I will not. I will thrash that weak body to the point of death and only then let up simply because the Zekarian wants to keep you around for some reason."

  Zin seemed about to respond, his mouth opening into what would probably be a witty retort. His beady eyes glanced over at Ean for a moment, which allowed Ean to give a slight shake of his head. The imp threw his hands in the air and stalked off to the other side of the room, mumbling as he went, which allowed the Crux to turn his attention back to Ean.

  "I apologize for doubting you, Zekarian. Such a grand achievement only reinforces my desire to serve under your command."

  "You know," Azalea chimed in, "it was a group effort that took the monster down. Zin and I should also be afforded the same respect you want to direct Ean's way."

  "You should know, Yulari, that when a Crux hunting party takes down a large prey, it is the leader and the leader alone who gets the credit for the kill. To try and take credit otherwise is shameful."

  "And I would just hate for a Crux to think poorly of me. Your opinion just means so much..."

  "Enough!" Ean rubbed the bridge of his noise to try and calm himself before continuing. "None of this matters. For once, stop all your bickering so Jaan can tell me what in the Abyss is actually going on here." Ean stormed over to a dark sphere in the center of the room and slapped his hand against its rough surface. "What happened to Auz?"

  A hint of embarrassment flowed through Ean's bond with Azalea but the Yulari just let out a huff and moved off to a section of the room opposite both Ean and Zin. Jaan watched her go then gave a nod as if her leaving had been his doing.

  "Your stone went dark twelve days ago." The Crux uncrossed his arms as he moved to Ean's side next to the sphere. " We have provided torches for the humans during the day when they come in to do their share of mining. Lotrug does not believe they suspect anything, but he admits there are still many words he does not comprehend. I would have rounded them all up and had Lotrug interrogate them, but it would probably have led to some of their deaths. I promised you I would not harm the humans, so I have been stuck here with all hands tied behind my back."

  "I'm glad you followed the orders I gave before I left." Otherwise the villagers would have met me in town with pitchforks and torches.

  "Of course. So if you hear word of the Rottwealth villagers that were murdered, you won't think that any creatures of the Abyss were the ones to do the killing."

  "Wait. You don't just mention something like that in passing. Rottwealth people have been murdered?"

  "You did not know? Three people so far in the days since you left."

  "Do you have any idea who died? How they were killed?"

  "Why would I need to know such things? The humans outside this mine can handle their own problems. If one or two of them are murdered, what is it to us? Countless creatures are killed every day in the Abyss."

  Ean slid down the side of the silent sphere that had been, or might still be, Auz and collapsed into a sitting position. "Start from the beginning. Tell me everything."

  Chapter 16

  "The first murder took place three weeks after you left," Jaan began. Ean motioned for the Crux to sit but the towering creature waved him off with both right hands. "I do not know many details. Lotrug reported overhearing some of the miners speaking about it."

  Ean stopped the Crux with a raised hand. "And you didn't ask him to find out more?"

  "As I said, the problems of the humans are no concern of mine, and shouldn't be yours either. Their leader made his feelings towards both you and the other residents of this mine clear."

  "But what if the murders—how many did you say there have been?"

  "Three."

  "What if the three murders had something to do with why Auz has gone dark?"

  "I did not think..." Jaan began but trailed off as he began to rub at his chin.

  Azalea walked back over from the corner in which she had been pouting. "Why would a few humans being killed effect Auz? That's a bit of a stretch."

  "I'm not sure," Ean replied, "but I'm not going to ignore the fact that no one has been murdered in Rottwealth since my parents were killed. Rottwealth is a peaceful village."

  "With the influx of new people, its growing closer to the size of a town," Azalea countered. "This place isn't just a mixture of old families and the occasional new villager anymore, Ean. With the mayor opening it up to the outside world, I doubt your once neighborly little village is without the same degenerates and criminals that can be found in any other settlement of a similar size."

  "Again, not saying it’s the cause but I'm also not ruling out a connection." Ean turned his attention back to Jaan. "Did any of the three murders occur around the time when Auz went dark?"

  Jaan stopped rubbing his chin and began pacing the room. "I do not know. I stay away
from the miners. Lotrug might know. I think some of the humans even have conversations with him as he leads them in and out of the mines each day."

  "Then he should be here too. Zin?"

  The imp wandered over, each step exaggerated as he took his time. "Yes?"

  "Can you get Lotrug for us?"

  Zin let out a huff. "Let the Yulari do it. It's not like she's good for much else."

  Anger washed through Ean's bond with Azalea, causing him to speak before she let out a tirade and wasted more time. "Just do it. Please."

  Zin let out another huff but began to stomp his way towards the exit of the room.

  "Thank you," Ean called after him as Zin left the room.

  "Whatever!" Zin's voice echoed from the hallway outside.

  Annoyance and satisfaction mixed together from his connection to Zin and Azalea. Ean would have loved to throttle them both. They had been somewhat cordial to each other during their trip back from the Deadlands. Almost friendly, one might say. The fact that they had suddenly returned to each other's throats upon returning home was beyond frustrating. As if they didn't already have enough to worry about.

  "Shall I continue?" Jaan asked, cutting through Ean's thoughts. "Lotrug will fill in any gaps I am unaware of when he arrives."

  "Yes," Ean replied with a curt nod of his head.

  "Lotrug reported the second murder another week or so after the first. At that point, I informed him I did not care to hear about the humans killing each other. He told me about the third anyway, but also mentioned it was long after the fact. That was four days before you returned."

  "Did he say how they had been murdered at least?"

  "I don't remember him saying as much, but as I said--"

  "Yes, yes, you didn't care in the first place. So, you don't know for sure that they were actually murdered. They could have all been killed in different ways. Death isn't that uncommon here, especially as the temperature drops. We used to lose one of the elderly every couple years because they did not prepare themselves for the cold. It’s also not uncommon for the occasional bear or rabid wolf or troll to wander down out of the mountains a catch a villager or two unaware. Maybe Lotrug misunderstood."