Shadows of Home Page 15

  "You almost let me get in a fight with the First Seeker?" Bavian asked Shay before he shook his head in shock. "Not something a friend should let another friend do."

  "I tried to warn you--"

  "It would have been a good fight, though," he continued, "up until he killed me."

  Shay rubbed at the bridge of her nose to try and stave off the headache that had started to build. "Regardless, we need to think about how we're going to get out of this throng of people without the priests noticing. We need some kind of distraction. Maybe the two of you could cause a commotion--"

  "How would that help us escape?" Nolan asked, then his eyes narrowed as he leveled his accusation at her. "You don't think all of us need to escape."

  "Ezzy already has a head start on us. One could travel much faster than three, and if she is already in trouble, I would be the best one to arrive first to assist her."

  "She makes a point," Bavian said as he used a finger to dig in his ear.

  "A weak one at best," Nolan retorted.

  Shay shrugged. "But still, it’s the best option we have besides waiting this out."

  Bavian rubbed his hands together. "I think waiting this out is our only option."

  "Why?" Shay and Nolan asked in unison.

  "That one Seeker has been watching us since we left the inn," Bavian said, his body shuddering. "He gives me the creeps."

  "Someone gives you the creeps?" Shay turned to look. "Where?"

  She found the man before Bavian could answer—the one called EliZane, with his dark hair and slick grin. He was speaking with one of the priests but his eyes met Shay’s and the man's grin took on a cruel twist. Shay quickly looked away.

  Bavian noticed and moved so Shay was standing between himself and the Seeker. "I think he's taken a liking to you."

  "Shut up."

  "We'll just have to face the unfortunate truth," Nolan said. "If we're being closely watched, we must wait until the Seekers have concluded their business."

  This did not sit well with Shay, especially since she knew he spoke the truth.

  Chapter 19

  Three days.

  That's how long Ean had agreed to let Zin go back to the Abyss to search for Tataren'bala. After much argument, a little bit of planning, and making sure the imp was properly supplied, Ean had agreed to three days. At the end of that time, Ean would bring Zin back, and if his friend hadn't found the creature he was looking for, they would come up with a new plan. Sending him back was surprisingly easy with their bond. Ean just needed to focus on the tattoo on his own body that represented the imp and then picture his summoning circle. It appeared and opened, a glowing hole in the ground covered in purple mist. Zin climbed down and the circle disappeared without a further thought from Ean. The connection Ean felt to Zin disappeared as well, causing a moment of panic. The fear that he had lost his friend gripped his heart but he relaxed as a moment later, he found the imp's tattoo still present on his body. He hoped the link wasn't strong enough to cross over between worlds, but he wouldn't know until he tried to bring his friend back.

  While Zin was gone, Ean did his best to keep busy. Thankfully, that wasn’t difficult. The first thing that he focused on was making sure the people from Rensen were properly settling in at the inn and in his mine. Those at the inn were easy. The mayor had provided everything they needed, and since Ean was paying the bill, he had provided them with even more than Ean would have thought necessary. Only the best food and drink were made available to them, Mayor Erikson saying that because of their trouble, they should be given the top stock at his inn. Every day, a bill came for the eighteen people housed there, which should have covered almost three times as many people. After receiving the first bill, Ean agreed to hand over part of his future profits from the mine to the mayor just so he didn't have to dig too deeply into the money the mines had earned so far.

  The seven people in the mine were a bit more troublesome to handle. First, despite how tasty carnslugs actually were when prepared correctly by human standards, Ean didn't want to push the mine's staple food on them. This meant having meals brought in from the village. Another expense. Second, he couldn't just keep them locked away, so a Crux had to be readily available in case they needed something or wanted to leave the mine. With Lotrug being the only one who could speak human, it meant he had to be with them constantly. The Crux wouldn't complain directly to Ean of course about the permanent position as babysitter, but Azalea and Jaan both overheard him grumbling about not having time to train with the others of his species.

  Lotrug wasn't the only Crux with complaints. By the second day, Jaan had stopped him as they crossed paths and demanded, demanded, that he speak to the Crux living in the mine as a whole. That should have been Ean's first warning of dissent amongst the ranks. Instead, Ean had been happy enough for a distraction to keep his mind off worrying about Zin. That feeling quickly turned into nervousness as he walked into the Crux training room and found all five staring at him with intense eyes with their arms crossed. He had turned to Jaan and found his advisor standing in the same grim stance as the rest.

  "I did not agree with you going away," Jaan said and the grumble behind Ean told him the other Crux agreed. "Then you come back, having battled a Nar'Grim without us to share in such a legendary fight. All you bring home is a few humans you let live in our mine. As a final insult," Jaan uncrossed his top arms and point a thick finger at Ean, "despite everything that is going on, you dishonor us by not letting your guard in on your future plans for our home. I could not allow another day to go without addressing these slights."

  It took Ean a few moments to shake off his shock at the accusations. He had no idea he was supposed to do any of those things. Usually, Zin guided him around any of the cultural missteps that might occur with intelligent creatures from the Abyss. With everything else going on, his friend must not have thought about it before leaving. Now, Ean would have to try and salvage the situation by the seat of his pants.

  "I'm sorry," Ean began. "I've been distracted by events that occurred on my way home, the apparent murders occurring in Rottwealth, and whatever happened with Auz. All of you," he turned to look at each Crux in turn before continuing, "have taken excellent care of our home while I was gone and you deserved to hear from me firsthand what happened while I was gone. I apologize. If you wish, I can speak with you all about that now."

  "Yes, you will speak with us while answering for how you dishonored us."

  "Of course. Whatever I need to do to make amends." The words were barely out of his mouth before he realized who he was talking to. "Wait--"

  "Excellent. You will face all of us in battle at the same time. Even though you are only a little human, your ability to heal will keep us from killing you. That makes things fair."

  "Al...alright. How long will this little show of humility last?"

  "Until you are able to tell us the full story of what happened while you are gone and your plan for the future. You will leave nothing out. If any of us believe you are leaving anything out, you will be made to start from the beginning and tell us again. Is that clear?"

  "That might take a while if I'm dodging fists. The people from Rensen shouldn't be left alone for that long--"

  "Your Yulari has agreed to watch over the humans for as long as necessary so that Lotrug will not miss your apology."

  Ean sent the feeling of betrayal through his bond with Azalea and received intense amusement in return. The Yulari had a funny sense of humor, especially if she was willing to be around other people for an extended period of time just so Ean could get knocked around by the Crux.

  Ean let out a sigh and then moved so their was a good amount of distance between himself and the Crux. "Shall we begin then?"

  What occurred next was the worst, nonlethal beating Ean had ever received. The Crux were merciless, attacking him as if they were of one mind, barely letting him get more than a few words out at a time. With his enhanced relaxes, Ean tried playing a defensive g
ame at first. He dodged fists, deflected kicks, and was able to relate his experiences from when he had left all the way up to his time in Lurthalan. That was when the Crux stepped things up.

  It became clear they had been holding back as dodged blows became ones that clipped him or flat out struck. Kicks he had deflected traveled through his defenses and took him off his feet. More kicks followed as he lay prone on the ground. After the Crux had gotten enough blows in, they let up long enough for him to catch his breath and get another word or two out before the onslaught began again. It took him most of the day to get the story out. He also had suffered two broken arms and three broken legs. He broke his fist twice by punching the Crux improperly, possibly had his jaw broken at one point, his nose busted a few times, and suffered so many broken ribs that he lost count after the number grew above the double digits. In the end, all six Crux had given him a rough pat on the back and favored him with a word of advice on how he could have fought better. Jaan had even gone as far as to congratulate him on not passing out once during the entire ordeal.

  If there was any consolation to be had, besides regaining some respect amongst his Crux, it was that he was so exhausted by the end of the day that even his concern over Zin's safety wasn't enough to keep him awake.

  When Ean woke up on the third day, his mind was rested but his body was still sore. While bones mended, muscles knit back together, and cuts closed, the power that healed him did nothing to alleviate the residual pain left over. Ean felt like he had been put through a meat grinder. Even so, he pushed himself out of bed and got dressed. The plan was to summon Zin back at the end of the day, so Ean had to busy himself until then. A quick inspection of the mines would kill some time, and then he planned on heading into town to talk to a carpenter about what it would take to construct homes for all the people from Rensen. It was going to be another great expense, but with the prices the mayor was charging to board the majority of people from Rensen, Ean would end up saving money in the long run.

  First though was the tour of his home. He wanted to have it completed before the Rottwealth miners arrived.

  Using the light of his tattoos to guide him, Ean moved about the tunnels with ease. Over a dozen new paths had been carved out of the stone. Most led to places where ores had been found, allowing his imps and Rottwealth's miners to do their work and earn some money. Others ended in empty rooms built to house more creatures freed from the Abyss. Except with Auz silent, he knew the rooms may remain empty indefinitely. Ean shook the thought from his mind as soon as it appeared. No use worrying about it. Either Zin would return with the name of someone who could help them, or they would explore other options. For now, all he could do was take care of the little problems around him.

  Ean's first stop was to visit the two Maruks. The cavern they called home was both their residence and the forge for the mines. Even as he walked down the tunnel towards their chamber, the temperature began to sharply increase. By the time he reached the opening to their home, it was enough to make him sweat. Being the type of person who preferred being cold over hot, Ean didn't come down this way often, but when he did, he was always impressed with the work the Maruks had done in building what was simply called the Forge.

  A massive cavern opened up before him, easily the size of a two-story inn, if not wider. The room had the acrid smell of burnt metal and stone. Much of the floor was covered in what you might find in a blacksmith's shop: tool racks filled with different sized tongs, hammers, chisels, augers, and punches; tables covered in different molds for tools and weapons; and massive anvils, their metal surfaces scorched black from the Maruks heavy hammer strokes. There was one addition that Ean had never seen in any blacksmith's shop.

  At the center of the room, a small fountain of molten lava flowed sluggishly out the top of a carved cylinder of stone to pool in a small basin before draining back down into the earth. The Maruks had an ability to find and manipulate the substance, bringing it forth from deep underground to supply them with heat to make the ores malleable. The warm glow of the lava was inviting, but Ean had learned firsthand that the heat close up was far too intense even with the protection his tattoos provided. Anything organic that got too close to that fountain would quickly learn how fast flesh would crack and burn. The Maruks, of course, didn't have that problem.

  Ean found his two Maruks “drinking” from the fountain, their crimson stone arms plunged into the viscous material, absorbing it through the multitude of cracks that covered every inch of their stony skin. After facing the Vithalos in Lurthalan, Ean could see a stark similarity between the metal giant he had fought and the two-piece Maruks in front of him. While not having the same height as the Vithalos, the Maruks' stone bodies certainly held the same girth. At full height, they stood an extra foot or two taller than Ean, their heads cone-shaped except with the tip cut off and flattened. The only discernible feature to even call the block that rested on top of their bodies a head was the two carved recesses where eyes should be that blazed a dark azure light that mirrored the light that shown off Ean's arms. They had no mouth and did little to even try and communicate outside of a few hand gestures, which made it hard to tell what they were feeling or if they even felt anything at all.

  They would be intimidating creatures if Ean didn't know they were one of the most peaceful things that could be found in the Abyss. All they wanted to do was craft metal, content to create and fix the tools Ean required. Zin had told Ean once that Maruks could craft items out of metal to be things of beauty as much as strength, but they were possessive and secretive of such creations. For that reason, he provided them with extra ore when he could. What they did with it he didn't know, but they seemed content to perform any task put before them. And they were always attentive when he came by.

  "Hello fellas," Ean spoke in Crux as he gave them a wave.

  The Maruks didn't speak or have a language of their own but seemed to understand Crux. Most creatures did. The two in front of him stopped eating and turned his way. Their flaring blue eyes did little to convey whether they minded his interruption of their meal. "Everything going well down here?"

  The Maruks stared at him for a few moments, then both moved in unison to one of the many tables and began holding up different tools. After they showed Ean a dozen or so different pieces, they stopped and stared at him.

  "Yes, very good. Very good." He put on a pleased expression even though he doubted they understood it. "Keep up the good work."

  They nodded and literally got back to work. One grabbed a partially-formed mining pick head and took it over to the fountain. The other one grabbed what looked like a bent wagon wheel axel and began to hammer it out. Ean wasn't sure whether they did so because he had said as much or because they had finished eating. With the two back to work, there wasn't much else he could do here. He left the Maruks and the oppressive heat of the Forge behind him.

  His next stop was the Crux barracks. After the events of the previous day, it was important that he make an appearance and check on the troops. It would probably be a good idea to spar with one or two of them before they started their own routines. As much as his muscles complained, it would be good for his relation with the Crux. Plus, it wasn't that far from the Heart, and Ean wanted to stop and take a quick look at Auz. He doubted anything had changed, but it wouldn't hurt.

  Imps scurried past him as he moved back towards the Heart, pausing for the briefest moment to bow before continuing on with whatever task Jaan had them performing today. That was new. The common imp was barely smart enough to follow the simplest of directions. Who had taught them how to bow? Ean shook his head and let the edges of a smile touch his face. His home now might be just some caverns cut into a mountain but there was always something to offer him an interesting surprise. Sometimes though, the surprise wasn't as positive.

  A sudden spike of concern through his bond with Azalea was Ean's first clue that something was wrong. He felt her in the direction of the mine entrance as her emotion washed ov
er him. A moment later, he could feel her rushing towards him, her worry only growing the closer she got. Ean picked up speed as well and they met as he reached the entrance to the Heart.

  "What is it?" he asked as she skidded to a halt in front of him.

  "Trouble. A lot of it."

  "Could you be a bit more specific?"

  "Of course. There is a mob outside the mine calling for your arrest. Jaan is already outside to meet them and did not seem pleased. It's only a matter of time before the Crux shows them just how useless a pack of pitchfork-carrying humans are against a single one of his kind. Is that specific enough for you?"

  Azalea had to call the last part as Ean sprinted for the mine exit.

  Chapter 20

  Ean reached the exit of the mine in record time, sprinting out into the late afternoon light and almost right into Jaan's muscular yellow back. The marsh bubbled lazily a ways to his left. The fetid smell of the murky waters mixed in with the stench of decay that wafted off the plants that gave the village its name. Even with the edge of the marsh a dozen or so yards away, the stink was enough to bowl most men over. Having spent most of his life picking the Rottwealth plants from those waters made the offending smells almost comforting to Ean. Ahead of him, close to thirty villagers had gathered, mostly men, each brandishing some form of makeshift weapon or tool. Directly in front of him, Jaan was in the middle of addressing the mob.

  "Disperse now," the Crux commanded the crowd. His breath came out in great puffs of steam in the cold air. "The Zekarian does not answer to the mob rule of the peasants."

  "So," Mayor Erikson separated himself from the crowd and took a few steps forward, "Ean is above the laws of men?"

  Jaan let out a throaty laugh. "I am above all you puny humans, and the Zekarian is above me. Now, leave before I decide you all are a threat to the mine and need to be--"

  "Stand down, Jaan," Ean said, moving in front of the Crux. He took a few more steps towards the gathered crowd but Jaan gripped his shoulder to stop him. The Crux's fingers dug in to the point of being painful as the Crux spoke.