Hunt for Justice

by Vernon, James R.

  "Yes, yes, I'll ask her." Again he spoke to the air at his side. "No need to dance around with formalities now."

  He returned his attention to Ezzy although his eyes did not seem to focus. What was wrong with the man?

  "Esmerelda. What is it like being bonded to a Vilathos? I would imagine it's like having something make a home in your mind."

  "Well... yes, it is similar to that." Not sure how else to respond, Ezzy took the opportunity to take a sip from the cup in front of her. It contained a deliciously spiced wine that tingled as it touched her tongue. Was the man just making conversation, or did ulterior motives prompt the question? Shane seemed disinterested in the conversation she was having with Leya. He also seemed to be a little off. Not crazy per say, but certainly eccentric. His wife wasn't interrupting him though, so maybe he was prying for information? Ezzy struggled to figure out what was going on, which gave Shane the opportunity to speak.

  "That is so very strange. I can't even begin to imagine what that must be like." Again he turned to speak to his side. "What? Oh no, it's not the same. Plus, the Thaljori said I had too many holes in my mind to bond..."

  "Husband," Leya interrupted, "we are getting off topic. I'm sure the topic of Vilathos can be discussed later."

  "As you wish, my love. Dopa had just wanted me to ask--"

  "Perhaps you should allow me to do the talking, while you and Dopa listen and try to figure out if our guest is lying."

  Glancing around the room, Ezzy tried her best to find this Dopa fellow hiding nearby but found no one. She even tried looking underneath the table but didn't find even a hint of another person in the room. Letting her curiosity win out, she decided to just ask.

  "Who is Dopa?"

  "No one you need to concern--"

  "Dopa is my most trusted advisor," Shane cut his wife off, leaning forward with an excited expression. "A magical creature that appeared from out of The Wall. He is wise and insightful, and the best part is that he is invisible!"

  Bavian laughed. When Leya slowly turned to stare at the man, he instantly stopped laughing, looking as if he was about to wet himself. Ezzy glanced uneasily back to the beautiful Leya. What was it about her that made a psychopath like Bavian so afraid? It was as if everyone here was infected with madness.

  "Shane, my love," Leya turned her attention back to her husband. "Remember, you were wanting to keep your advisor's presence a secret. Other people wouldn't approve of him. If they knew, you would be pressured to send him away. And we can't have that now, can we?"

  The man sat back and began to pout. "I only told Esmerelda, and she is probably going to die soon. Where is the harm in that?"

  "I...I mean, we... have yet to decide Esmerelda's fate. It's rude of you to say otherwise."

  Shane rolled his eyes and then nodded. Ezzy watched as that warmth returned to Leya's face and she patted her husband's hand. The woman really did love him, despite his clear mental issues. Maybe she was crazy too. Glancing around, Ezzy tried to find something that might help her and Nolan escape. A cough from Leya brought her attention back to her host.

  "As I was saying, I have some questions to ask you. The first one being, why are you here?"

  "Because Bavian said you'd have us killed if we didn't come."

  "Ah, that Bavian. He does enjoy his jokes. What I mean is, do I have your assurance that you're not here seeking your justice on anyone else besides this Ean fellow? And for that matter, why do you think he is here in Shade?"

  "By 'anyone else,'" Ezzy stated, "you mean the Hawkpurses for their ill-treatment of my family after my father's death?"

  Leya nodded.

  "If I wanted revenge on everyone that may have been against my family, I'd need an army of Vilathos. But rest assured, all I care about, at the moment, is finding Ean."

  "And you believe he is here?"

  "No, but I think a man that might know where to find him is somewhere in your village."

  "So you are not here to seek revenge on my family? For what happened to your family's empire and the destruction of your home?"

  That caught Ezzy off-guard.

  "Were you responsible for the destruction of our home?"

  "No, but you know how the Hawkpurses plot and deceive. I had thought maybe one of the other houses had pointed you in our direction."

  "The other houses won't even sell my family a scrap of bread. We have had to survive by buying from the more expensive free traders in Lurthalan. As far as I know, the other families would rather just see mine disappear into nothingness. Yours is the first to even acknowledge that I'm alive."

  "I see..." Leya looked less than convinced.

  "My only goal," Ezzy continued, "at the moment, is to find the man that caused my father's death. After he is brought to justice, then I'll focus on who kicked the legs out from under my already crippled family. If you are lying and were a part of that, then you have some time to make amends before I come after you."

  "Bravo, girl!" Shane began to clap then noticed no one else was joining in and stopped.

  "Such spirit," Leya said once her husband had grown quiet. "It's refreshing to see a woman take charge of her family's affairs. A pity your house has been brought so low."

  "I'm tired of hearing--"

  "Brought low, but not wiped out. You might raise your family out of the ashes one day, become a Hawkpurse again. Maybe you can even undo whatever your family did that made Drenks abandon you and return to the Hawkpurse ranks."

  "Drenks has abandoned my family, so I've abandoned him. But make no mistake about it, Iwill bring my family's name back out of the mire."

  "Fewer Hawkpurses around means a bigger slice of the trading pie for the rest of us. Still, I feel an affinity towards you. After all, somewhere down the line, we are kin. I would hate to see your family's name completely disappear."

  "As would I."

  "Well then, you have my...our family's support. Not with money or manpower, but you can see us as not your enemy, at least. Can we think of you in the same manner?"

  "Was your family responsible for the destruction of my home?"

  "No."

  "Then I don't consider you my enemy."

  "Excellent!" Shane interjected. "Then we can finally eat!"

  He grabbed the closest serving tray and began shoveling the food onto his plate.

  "So glad we don't have to kill you. Now we can talk of more pleasant things."

  Ezzy let herself smile. As crazy as the man was, he was a jovial fellow. And Nolan certainly hadn't wasted any time. He had a mouthful of food and was cutting into a piece of meat. He paused for a moment when Ezzy's eyes met his, then shrugged and kept eating. Not wanting to appear rude, Ezzy picked up a thick cob of corn and took a bite. The buttery kernels overwhelmed her tastebuds with their sweetness.

  "Now that we've removed some of the tension," Leya said. "Why don't you tell us who you're looking for that is supposed to point you in the direction of this Ean fellow?"

  "Mmmph...a Saniteal..." Ezzy said, trying to talk and chew at the same time. "His name is Iacane."

  "I've heard of him," Shane said. "Been in the village for almost a whole season."

  "Do you know where?"

  "No. I haven't needed his services."

  "What my husband doesn't know," Leya said, "is that the Saniteal has gone missing recently. The home where he was staying reported that he hadn't returned one night, but his things are still there."

  "Have you tried to find him?"

  "No, it didn't seem important."

  "A missing person in your village didn't seem important?"

  "Why would--"

  A loud boom interrupted her. Followed by another. The third shook the table and was followed by the sound of splintering wood. Leya made a motion with her hand and Bavian was on his way to the doors. Just as he reached them, they burst open, showering splinters everywhere. Bavian rolled backwards and was back on his feet in an instant. Everyone else was out of their chairs.

&nbs
p; Shayua came storming through the entryway, a snarl on her lips.

  "Shay, it's alright," Ezzy said, moving towards the woman. "This is just a bit of a misunderstanding. They handled us a little roughly but--"

  The force of the larger woman backhanding Ezzy across the chest lifted her off her feet and tossed her to the side. She landed hard, her vision swimming as she tried to fight off unconsciousness. Struggling to rise, she watched as Shayua stalked towards Bavian.

  "Want another lesson?" Bavian said.

  He stood his ground, not seeming bothered by the towering woman. Shayua didn't respond. She walked right up to the man and started swinging. Bavian dodged the blows almost as easily as he had earlier in the day, but something was different with Shayua's attacks. They seemed more ferocious, more wild. There was no finesse as she swung again and again at the man.

  "Enough fun," Bavian panted. "Time to put you down."

  Ducking under a punch, he landed four quick blows to the woman's stomach. He might as well have been flicking her from what little reaction Shayua gave to the blows. She just continued swinging at the man.

  It was then that Ezzy noticed the woman's eyes. The pupils and white of her eyes were gone, replaced with a dark blue color.

  "Something's wrong with her! Look at her eyes!"

  "Difficult to do," Bavian said as he dodged another blow, "while she is trying to kill me."

  "Get her outside!"

  Bavian ducked under another punch and sprinted for the door. Shayua was right on his heels. Once outside the room, he paused in front of the rail overlooking the entranceway. As Shayua charged at him, he leapt out of the way at the last moment. The bounty hunter didn't slow as she crashed through the railing and dropped from sight.

  "I said get her outside," Ezzy screamed, running up to Bavian and what was left of the railing. "Not kill her."

  "A minor fall would kill that beast? I was hoping I would get lucky and she would knock herself out." He pointed down to where Shayua was getting to her feet. "I'm never lucky."

  "Just get her outside before she brings the house down around us," Leya said from the shattered doorway.

  "Fine, fine."

  Shayua began stomping up the left staircase, her eyes still dark blue. There was a bit of froth on her lips as well. Her feet pounded on the stairs, the railing shaking with each step. When she was almost to the top, Bavian took off down the right staircase.

  "I wouldn't stand in her way!" he called over his shoulder.

  Glancing at Shayua and seeing nothing but pure rage in her snarling lips and glaring eyes, she decided the man was right. Ezzy raced down the stairs after him. Shay let out a primal scream behind them. Not wanting to be caught by someone who could make such a terrifying noise, Ezzy pushed herself even harder, taking the stairs three at a time. On the ground floor, she found the front door in the same condition as the one leading to the dining room. Butler was sitting nearby, a small gash on his head marring his porcelain skin. Bavian was already out the door and Ezzy sprinted right behind him.

  "Ok, we're outside," Bavian panted. "Now what?"

  "Now we get help."

  Just as Shayua stormed out of the building, Paz lumbered through the gate.

  "Oh, this should be interesting."

  Ezzy sent Paz charging towards her mentor. His long strides put him there in just a few steps, and he stood with outstretched arms waiting for the bounty hunter. Now slowing down, Shayua let out a roar and leapt on the Vilathos. She landed on its chest and held on to its neck. Scrambling up its front, Shayua wrapped her legs around its metal head and began raining down blows. Even though Paz was made entirely of metal and was strengthened by the magic that gave it the semblance of life, Shayua's massive hands began making small dents in the dome of Paz's head.

  "Hey! Don't break him!"

  Shayua continued to pound away, seemingly oblivious to anyone else around her. With a thought, Ezzy had Paz wrap both of its hands around the bounty hunter, pinning her arms to her sides. She struggled against him, but even her incredible strength couldn't break free from its iron grip. Finally contained, Ezzy let out a sigh of relief. She had Paz walk her over, but not close enough that Shayua could lash out and catch her with a kick.

  "Shayua, what's wrong with you?"

  Nothing. A snarl and glare was the only response she received.

  "I've never seen anything like that," Bavian said as he reached her side. "I've beaten up or killed a fair number of people in my lifetime, but I've never seen anyone take some of my best punches with my knuckle dusters without even the slightest reaction."

  "Do you think it's some kind of magic?"

  "Could be, although I've never heard of anything like it. She seemed to have lost all...oh look."

  Ezzy watched as the dark blue color drained from her eyes. Her head drooped and her body went limp in Paz's grip. After a moment, Shayua lifted her head and looked around. Her eyes were only partially opened and she seemed to struggle to get the words out when she spoke.

  "What happened?"

  "You tell me," Ezzy said. "You went a bit nutty. It was almost like you were possessed. What do you remember?"

  "Not much. I remember being struck by this fool," she shot Bavian a glare that would have curdled milk, "and then waking up on the inn floor. I was so angry that such a little man had taken me down, I felt like I was going to burst. Then nothing. I have no idea how I got here or why your metal beast has me crushed between its hands."

  "I would like to let you go, Shay, but how do I know you won't go crazy again?"

  The bounty hunter shrugged as best as she could in the hands of the Vilathos.

  "I don't know what to tell you. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before as far as I can remember. Do what you must."

  Well, you're no help. But I can't keep you wrapped up forever.

  With a thought, she had Paz set the crimson woman down. Free of its grasp, Shayua began to stretch and rub at her arms. She kept her eyes locked on Bavian.

  "No hard feelings?" Bavian asked, spreading his arms wide. "I was just following orders and you did attack first."

  "I do not hold grudges for being bested in combat, little man. I do remember when I've been insulted, however."

  "Yes, yes. Understandable. Sometimes my mouth does get a bit out of control, especially when I encounter something as strange as you."

  Shayua scowled at him.

  "Unusual! Not strange! Unusual! See, there I go again saying the wrong words at the wrong time. A funny saying. Is there a right time to say the wrong words? That doesn't make much sense, does it? Of course, the right words at the right time would be wonderful, but never seems to happen for me. Maybe I should start again."

  "Or maybe," Leya said as she strode out the shattered front door, "you should simply stop talking."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  A Step in the Right Direction

  "As you command," Bavian replied with a bow. "Forgive my wagging tongue; I am always the Janpair's faithful servant."

  "Quite." Striding past the man, Leya walked up to Shayua. Although dwarfed by the bounty hunter, Leya stood in front of her with her nose high in the air, shoulders back, voice steady and dignified. "You have made a mess of my house and frightened my poor husband."

  "Shayua doesn't remember what she did," Ezzy said, coming to her mentor's defense. "Something happened to her that made her lose control. She wasn't herself. I'm sure she regrets what happened."

  Leya let out a laugh.

  "After a few too many glasses of wine, I sometimes make decisions that I regret the next morning. That doesn't make it any less my fault. I have half a mind to have this woman locked up. The other half of my mind thinks I should have her flogged and then locked up."

  "I assume you are Leya Janpair," Shayua said with downcast eyes. "I apologize for any destruction I have caused your home. Although I do not know why I acted the way I did, I do accept the responsibility for my actions and will submit to whatever puni
shment you feel is just."

  "That quickly? You must either be a worshipper of Alistar or Avien'zia then. Only proper followers of one of those two would submit to judgment without a fight. Which is it?"

  "Avien'zia."

  "With your size and strength, it is obvious that you're a bounty hunter. Tell me one thing then. Why are you so far from your homeland?"

  "I left Lurthalan to catch--"

  "No, no. I wasn't asking why you left your current home. By 'homeland,' I meant where you were born."

  "I was born in the city of Lurthalan." Shayua's voice was strained. "That is where I have lived all my life."

  "Do you take me for a fool? You are clearly a Shadaer, although the human in you is quite clear in some of your features. I was unaware that the two races could produce offspring. Which of your parents was Shadaer? Your mother? Your father?"

  "I did not know my father." A tinge of anger touched her voice for a moment before she got control of it.

  "So your father was Shadaer. Interesting. And irrelevant. I was simply curious. Your lineage has nothing to do with your punishment."

  "Good."

  "Tough one, aren't you? Well, Shayua, as much as I should have you flogged, I won't. You seem to know little of your own people, so I assume you know nothing of the Rage that can overtake them. Your ignorance combined with the fact that Esmerelda and I have just recently come to a mutual understanding, has earned you some lenience. Pay me fifteen gold pieces for all of the repairs, and you may be on your way."

  "I do not have that much money."

  "I do," Ezzy said, reaching for her coin purse.

  "Ezzy, I can't allow you to pay for me."

  "Think of it as an advance for everything you plan on teaching me."

  "I did not agree to teach you for money. It is the will of--"

  "I know, I know. Avien'zia put us together. Think of it this way then. I am taking up your time and you can't catch bounties and make a living while you are accompanying me. Think of this as an investment and not a payment or gift."