Shadows of Home

by James R. Vernon

  "No. Leave him be for now. I have no idea what Qo tried but I'd rather have the Crux unconscious for the time being incase Qo tries again." From Qo's continuous screams, it didn't seem like he was going to be able to try again any time soon.

  "What did you do to him?" Azalea said, trying to peer around Auz.

  "Let me show you."

  It took all of Ean's remaining strength to walk around the giant sphere in the center of the room without limping or grimacing at every other step. Qo had to see him as strong.

  The Eish’amalga Aren was on the ground, writhing around as the Hound lay partially atop him facing the other direction. Qo's leg, from below the knee to above the ankle, was in the Hound's mouth as it gnawed away at the thick, vine-like appendage. The smell of burning plants filled the room as the Hound's slobber melted the limb and helped it chew up the tough bundle that was Qo's leg.

  Through their bond, the Hound sent waves of disappointment.

  I guess it doesn't much like this meal, Ean thought as he approached the creature.

  "Please," Qo's voice echoed at a higher pitch as he paused screaming long enough to plead. He beat at the Hound's side, his hands coming back covered in the slick black oil that covered its fur. The Hound ignored him as it continued to chew. "Have it release me before it bites through completely. As it is, your beast's saliva is going to give me a horrible limp for weeks."

  Ean was surprised at how cold his voice sounded as he replied. "Why should I when you just tried to have my friends kill me?"

  "I was just testing you." Qo had given up on knocking the Hound away and lay with his hands balled into fists. "Seeing if you were as formidable as my previous master. I had to know whether you were worthy of my services."

  "How did you control my friends?" Ean's eyes went wide and he glanced around. "Where is Zin?"

  "I sent him to get me something to eat, like a good little slave." The skull that made up Qo's head showed zero emotion, but it appeared as if it were gritting its teeth. "I lost my control over him as well. I'm sure he is around somewhere. Sulking I would imagine."

  Sure enough, Ean could feel the same shame from the imp as he did from Azalea. A moment later, Zin entered the room, looking quite abashed. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ean raised a stopping hand before turning his attention back on Qo.

  "You didn't answer my first question. I wasn't told about your ability to control other creatures, something I know my advisors would have warned me about if they had known. So again I'll ask you, how did you control my friends?"

  "It's hard enough to say a few words with this beast making a meal of my leg. Have it release me and I'll tell you anything you want."

  "Let the Hound eat." Azalea sounded angry enough to join the Hound at taking Qo apart. "I told you from the beginning this was a mistake. We can't trust this creature. Best to be rid of it."

  Zin took a step forward. "We can't just let Qo die. He's--"

  "I've heard enough of your groveling," Azalea rounded on the imp. "You continue to compound one mistake after the next, your fear of this creature clearing clouding your judgement."

  "That's not true. He could be a valuable asset--"

  Azalea turned her full fury towards the imp. "That could have us murdering each other in our sleep."

  "Enough," Ean said while sending an impulse through his bond with the Hound to make it stop. The beast actually felt relieved as it released Qo's leg or what was left of it. "Stand up."

  "That might be a little difficult," Qo replied, gesturing towards his damaged leg.

  "I wasn't asking."

  "Indeed you weren't," Qo said with a sigh. He got up on his one good leg and tried putting pressure on the damaged one. The black and crumbling vines where the Hound had been chewing held his wait for a couple of seconds before there was an audible snap and Qo's leg broke off. The strange creature dropped to his knees, then looked up while spreading his hands wide. "I tried. Now instead of waiting for the wound to heal, I have to wait for the limb to completely regrow." Qo trailed off for a moment, the light in his eye sockets growing dim to the point it looked like he was blinking before flaring back to life. "Which you knew."

  "Yes." Not true, but Ean figured it was best the creature didn't know how little Ean knew about it. Instead of explaining himself, though, Ean continued to stare at the creature kneeling before him. Thankfully, Zin and Azalea sensed his mood enough not to speak and break the tension he wanted to create. The silence filled the room like a shroud until Qo finally spoke.

  "Lesson learned. You may be different from my previous master, but you have your own mean streak, I see."

  Ean pointed an accusatory finger while he struggled to control his anger at the creature's flippant attitude. "I should let my Hound have your other leg. And if you ever take control of any of those under my protection, Abyssian or human, I'll let it have the rest of you. Do I make myself clear?"

  "As crystal."

  While Ean was content with the response, for now, Azalea made it clear she was not.

  "You sound as if you're going to let that thing stay! After what he just pulled?"

  "Qo is--" Ean began.

  "Qo the 57th." The Eish'amalga quickly fell silent and looked to the ground as Ean turned a hateful glare his way.

  "Qo is needed, Azalea. He is the only lead we have in figuring out what is wrong with Auz. Believe me, if we had any other options, I would send him right back into the Abyss. For now, his usefulness outweighs the possible danger he poses."

  "I strongly disagree!" Azalea took a breath. When she spoke again, her voice had regained some of its composure. "What's to stop him from trying a stunt like that again? Maybe next time, he'll control your Hound as well, then what will you do?"

  "If he could control the Hound, why would he let it practically take off his leg?" When Azalea didn't reply, Ean turned his attention back to Qo. "Back to my question. How were you able to control Zin, Azalea, and Jaan?"

  "Evolution, my new master." Qo waved towards Zin. "The same evolution that brought intelligence to such a base creature like your imp."

  "He isn't mine, Qo. At the moment, you are the only thing in this world that I would consider a servant."

  "Excuse me, my mistake." Qo gave a differential nod of his skull. "I'm just starting to learn about the differences between my old master and yourself. As I was saying, the imp--"

  Ean cut him off. "Zin."

  "Yes, Zin has lived far longer than any known imp in existence. As I'm sure you know, the only thing lower on the food chain in the Abyss than an imp is a carnslug. And not by much. Imps are crude little beasts made of the purest instincts of eating and trying not to be eaten. Sure, they can be taught to follow simple commands, but those basically fall back on the idea that if they do what you want, they won't be eaten. But your," Qo raised a stalling hand, "I mean Zin, has been alive for over a hundred years at least. The only guess that I have ever made to his intellect is that the great deity Ze'an always meant for imps to obtain such an intelligence if they could live long enough. And if that were true, then every such creature created in the Abyss has the same potential to evolve into something greater."

  "Get to the point," Azalea growled.

  "My point, Yulari, is that I've been alive for close to the same length as Zin. Give or take a few decades. Somewhere in between when my old master died and the past few years, I've discovered that I can control the minds of most intelligent creatures." Qo gestured towards his leg. "Unfortunately, that does not seem to include your Hound."

  "And did you try to control me?"

  "Of course. You were the first creature I tried to control. Unfortunately, you remain safe from my control; otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation. You would be my puppet and I'd be ruling over whatever little corner of your world you control."

  Both Ean's hands curled into fists. "So, you actually admit you would have seized control?"

  "Yes." Qo shuffled around until he was sitting cross-legged o
r as close as he could get to that position with part of his leg missing. "Your friends or advisors or whatever you want to call them must have warned you about my kind; otherwise, they failed you. The Eish'amalga Aren are cunning, crave power almost as much as we do knowledge, only look out for ourselves, and are completely deceitful."

  Ean shook his head. "Are you trying to get me to send you back to the Abyss?"

  Qo raised a stalling hand. "No, no. I would much prefer to be in this world than in the Abyss. This place is so much more interesting. Plus, living here usually does not involve a constant struggle for survival as it does in the Abyss."

  "It might not be that much safer for you here after that stunt," Azalea mumbled loud enough for the whole mine to hear. Ean shot her a look that she returned, matching his annoyance with a look of her own. So much for the guilt she had been feeling earlier.

  Qo seemed to ignore their exchange. "I'm being honest with you now because I don't want it to come as a surprise if I decide to do a few things you don't agree with later down the line. Openness about my dishonesty helped me work well with your predecessor, just as he realized the threat of torture and repeated dismemberment gave me motivation not to cross him too often or too severely." Qo's skull tilted to the side. "Although, you do not seem the type to use pain as a motivator." He let out a chuckle. "Of course, you're still young."

  Azalea took a step forward. "And he has friends who are more than willing to do the things he can't bring himself to do."

  "Which," Qo replied, "only goes to show one of his weaknesses."

  "I'll show you weakness," Azalea growled. She took a step towards him but Ean cut her off and placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

  "Qo has made it clear we can't trust him, and I'll rely on you to make sure he doesn't do anything that will hurt us." He gave Azalea's arm a reassuring squeeze. "But for the time, we do need him."

  "Which is fine," she replied. "But I can still think you are stupid for keeping him around."

  Of course, Qo chose that point to chuckle. "And my old master would never have tolerated such insolence..."

  Feeling Azalea tense in his hand, Ean rushed to speak. "I don't care about your previous master. All I care about is how you can help us find out what is wrong with Auz. Zin seems to think you'll be able to do that."

  "Your imp--"

  "Zin," Ean spat out between clenched teeth.

  "Yes. Zin is correct. I do know a little about the sphere that seems to be connected to your power, except if your predecessor had given his sphere a name, he did not share this knowledge with me. With the time I spent with it, though, I was able to get a little insight about the sentient piece of rock. The previous owner's stone was much larger, by the way."

  Ean felt like that was some slight against him, but he ignored it. "You're old master actually let you study his version of Auz?"

  "Of course not, but he often went out into the world and left me behind. Unfortunately, his sphere would report me whenever I tried studying it, and I would face the master's wrath when he returned. After a dozen or so times, though, he must have decided I wouldn't be able to do anything to harm him, so he let me be."

  Ean felt a glimmer of hope. "So, can you tell me why Auz has suddenly gone silent?"

  "No. Maybe it's dead?"

  The hope Ean had felt retreated to the back of his mind. "No. At least I don't think so. I found what was left of your old master's sphere, and it was destroyed. Broken and charred pieces were laying in what I imagine was a room very much like this one. I think if Auz was dead, its body, or whatever the sphere is to it, would have suffered the same fate."

  "Well then, I'll have to spend some time examining this one." Qo bowed his head, showing the top of his skull. "With your permission of course."

  "Yes, you have my permission. Maybe it would be better--"

  Lotrug appeared at the doorway, which caused Ean to pause before addressing the Crux. "Do you need something?"

  The Crux took in the room but remained where he was. "I have news."

  "We're in the middle of something. Is it important?" Lotrug blinked a few times and remained quiet. Ean just stared, waiting for the Crux to decide. Zin coughed. When Qo let out a chuckle, Ean sighed and knuckled the bridge of his nose. "Well?"

  Lotrug blinked four more times before finally responding. "No, it is not important."

  "Wait." Ean thought better about letting a Crux decide what might actually be important and what might not be. "Just tell me the news."

  The Crux spoke in a flat tone. "One of the miners just told me there has been another murder."

  Chapter 27

  Ezzy wasn't exactly sure why she was following Bran to the scene of the village's latest murder.

  She had spent most of the day with the young man, eating meals in his father's inn, taking a tour of the village and the improvements made in the past year, meeting the villagers. Bran moved about shaking hands and checking on many of the families they came across during their walk about town. It was interesting to see the mayor's son interact with the villagers after having such a negative experience with his father. Where Mayor Erikson used honey-filled words to sway people to his way of thinking, something that Ezzy hated to admit had worked on her as well, Bran seemed to genuinely care about the people of Rottwealth. Part of it was the fact that growing up in such a small village must have made it easy to get to know everyone. Ezzy had barely known anyone outside her parents’ circle of friends and employees.

  The main thing to Ezzy that set Bran apart from his father, was that Bran asked the right questions when speaking with the people—personal questions he would only know to ask if the people he spoke to trusted him enough to let him that far into their family's lives. He was a person everyone seemed to trust and were happy to see.

  His company was certainly a nice change from her usual companions. Ezzy wouldn't deny that. She felt fondly about Nolan and Shay, and Bavian was even starting to grow on her, in a way, but they all had their opinions and felt those opinions should supersede her own the majority of the time. Nolan wanted her to give up her quest for justice. Shay wanted her to focus on her training and learn more about the goddess Avien'zia. Bavian—well, to be honest, Ezzy had no idea what Bavian wanted. She wasn't even sure he knew what he wanted.

  But Bran seemed to enjoy her company and didn't try to press any kind of agenda on her. Unfortunately, that didn't mean he wasn't hiding things as well. There was the occasional moment where Bran's joviality broke and Ezzy got a glimpse of some darker emotion. It usually was quick: a low sigh, a wistful look off into the distance, a tightening of the eyes at something said by one of the villagers. He hid it well, but Ezzy's mom had always put on a brave face after her husband was killed as well. Ezzy had learned to pick up on her cues, and it made it easier to catch Bran's as well. It wasn't her place to ask what memory occasionally took a little of the warmth from the man's voice.

  "We're here." Bran came to a stop in front of one of the many one-story wooden homes that populated the village. Torches had been placed outside to add illumination to the area and little slits of light peaked out from behind the leather curtains covering the windows at the front. Three villagers were posted outside the simple wooden door at the front of the home, armed with bows and simple spears. They shuffled about outside, clearly not comfortable with their positions or the weapons in their hands. Ezzy recognized all three, although their names escaped her. They were farmers, as were most of the men in the village. Shay would have found the men laughable, and she would have told them as much.

  Ezzy grinned and shook her head.

  "Something funny?" Ezzy would have expected Bran to sound accusatory; after all, they were right outside a home where someone was murdered, but he simply sounded confused.

  "No, just thinking of Shay." She took a deep breath and pushed everything else from her mind. "I'm sorry. I know this is not the time for smiles and fond thoughts."

  "True, but it’s also not the time for
weak stomachs. I don't have all the details, but from what I've heard, a lot of damage was done to the body inside."

  "I can handle it."

  He looked at her, his face almost glowing from the torch light. "Alright. Let's go then."

  The three men on guard moved out of Bran's way as he approached, each giving him a respectful nod while casting curious glances at her as Bran opened the door and they entered the home. Immediately, the smell of decaying meat assaulted her nostrils as she took in the room.

  The main living area of the home was simple in its decor. The center of the square room was taken up by a clay fireplace, the chimney reaching up and out of the roof above. Some kind of brown animal skin rug covered the wood panel floor; by the size of it, probably one of the mountain bears that occasionally came down to pick off a random sheep or goat from a villager's flock. A single table and chair sat in the far left corner, a half-eaten plate of food and some wooden utensils the only thing on its surface. A rocking chair sat in the far right corner. Next to it, a small knife, a piece of wood, and a mug rested on the floor within reaching distance. A single door rested on the far wall, slightly ajar. Through it, Ezzy could barely make out two bedposts and a small mattress.

  Ezzy wouldn't have noticed, or paid attention, to any of those small details before starting her training with Shay. The woman, at the very least, had made her more observant.

  It didn't take any training for her eyes to lock on the dead body rest against the right-hand wall.

  The man, or what was left of him, was propped up in a sitting position, his legs spread out in front of him and his arms resting with their underside up. He wore a simple pair of shorts, the rest of his body exposed, which seemed odd during the coldest season of the year and with his fireplace unlit. Ezzy wished he had been covered by something. His body and face were mutilated to the point that it was almost unrecognizable as human. The arms and legs had multiple and precise slice wounds up and down its skin that seemed to serve no purpose other than to have caused the man pain, but it was the torso that suffered the most damage. A single incision from the base of his neck to his navel had opened the man up and exposed everything underneath.