Hunt for Justice (23 page)

"What are they doing up there?" the man mumbled. "Bunch of drunks. Sometimes I wonder why I joined up with--"

A loud boom shook the floorboards above them, raining dust and dirt down on the room. The shouts from upstairs cut off. Then another boom shook even the stone walls around them. The yelling resumed as crashes echoed from every direction at once. The floor thumped as if a stamped was charging through the building.

"I think you should go see what that's all about," Ezzy shouted over the commotion above.

"Shut up! I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"If you say so." Ezzy took a few steps back. "Shay, would you mind backing up a bit?"

The man raised his sword towards the bounty hunter.

"You stay right there. I'm the one in charge here. No one is going to move unless I tell you to!"

"Shay! Now!"

Shay rolled away from the man. He took a step after her, then the ceiling directly above him exploded downward in a rain of wood and nails.

Followed by the enormous metal body of Paz.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

No Longer Welcome

Paz hit the ground hard, his metal feet cracking the stone floor. Ezzy couldn't help but laugh at the expression on their captor's face at the sight of her metal construct.

Then she had Paz backhand him.

The blow knocked the man into the air and out the door.

"Not so cocky now, are you?" Ezzy mumbled before going to check on Shayua. "You ok?"

"My pride is the only thing badly wounded."

Climbing to her feet, she picked up a sword before glancing at what was left of the ceiling. Shaking her head, she moved over and tapped Paz a few times with her blade.

"I suppose your metal monster does have its uses."

"Why are we wasting time?" Iacane said, moving towards the door. "We should get out of here now."

"I agree," Nolan added.

"Fine, let's go." Ezzy affectionately patted her Vilathos as she moved towards the door. She knew it didn't have any kind of sentience, but she liked imagining sometimes that it did. Having Paz around had gotten them out of trouble plenty of times, and this had certainly been the worst. Being bound to him had been the best decision she had ever made.

And Paz had been the last gift her father had given her before his death.

Entering the hall, Ezzy found the swordsman slumped on the ground against the far wall. A small line of blood dribbled out of his mouth, but he was still breathing. She felt little pity for how he would feel when he woke up.

The others joined her outside the room, and they made their way down the hall. The building was eerily quiet, besides Paz's heavy footfalls on the stone floor. Ezzy couldn't tell if the lack of noise from above was a good thing or a bad one. Had their captives fled, or were they lying in wait upstairs? Well, only one way to find out.

Reaching the stairs, Shayua pushed to the front of their group. "I'll go first. Unless you want to send Paz up ahead of us."

Glancing at the narrow stairway leading up, Ezzy shook her head. "He won't fit that way. I'll have to send him back and see if he can climb out on his own back through the ceiling."

"Then I'll take the lead. Leave some space behind me."

As Paz marched away, the rest of their group crept up the stone stairs. Shay took the lead, followed by Ezzy, Nolan, and Iacane at the rear. Shadows danced around the narrow hallway and a door sat slightly ajar at the peak. Not a single sound could be heard from upstairs. When they reached the door, Shay glanced around the corner.

"All clear, except the path of destruction Paz left behind. We should get outside before this building crumbles."

They moved out of the stairway. Shayua hadn't been exaggerating. A hole, slightly larger than Paz, went from the outside wall thru what looked like what was left of a kitchen, and ended in the room they were entering. A large hole in the floor sat square in the middle of the room, with Paz standing at the bottom of it.

"Can it climb out?" Nolan asked at her side.

"Probably, but it might do even more damage to the building. We should be outside when it tries, just to be on the safe side."

"I just want to be out in the sun," Iacane said. The man pushed pass them, almost knocking Nolan into the hole. "I've been trapped down in that room for days. I need some fresh air."

"Pleasant fellow," Nolan mumbled. Iacane either didn't hear him or ignored him. "This is the man that's supposed to help us track down Ean?"

"He might have an idea. But we won't know until we get out of here first. Come on."

Shay had followed Iacane outside and was staring at something. Her face crinkled with worry. When Ezzy maneuvered through the crumbling walls and got outside, she saw why.

A path of destruction ran directly in line with the building they were exiting out of through a number of other buildings in the village. Some houses had corners ripped off of them while others had similar holes going right through the middle. At least two homes had completely collapsed in on themselves.

"Ezzy..." Nolan whispered at her side.

"I know."

Paz. She had called for her construct to come to her and the thing had followed her simple order. In a daze at the time, she hadn't given the instruction to go around objects on its way. Paz had taken a straight line directly to her.

Ezzy felt like she had been struck in the gut. How many homes had she destroyed? Was anyone hurt? Maybe she should have Paz come and help her look for injured people in the rubble. Of course anyone that saw the destruction would most likely be scared to death of her Vilathos.

"Someone's coming."

Shay's voice brought Ezzy back to the present. Following the woman's gaze, Ezzy saw a woman wildly swinging her arms as she approached. A woman with braided auburn hair, chubby cheeks,  wearing brown pants and a blacksmith's apron.

Syla Trane.

"You have to get out of here," the woman panted as she reached them. "Some of the villagers...urk!"

The woman cut off as Shayua grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air. The blacksmith beat at the arms of her captor, but even in her weakened condition Shayua was much stronger.

"Should I snap this traitor's neck now, Esmerelda?" The fact that Shay had used her full name told Ezzy that the woman wasn't bluffing. She really would kill her. Still able to see what scars and bruises Iacane hadn't been able to heal, Ezzy didn't blame her. But Ezzy needed to know why the woman had handed them over.

"Let her down. I want to hear what she has to say. It must be good for her to risk approaching us after what she did."

Shay frowned but did as she was asked. She kept a tight grip on the woman's neck though. Syla looked both relieved and guilty at the same time.

"Well?" Ezzy asked. "Speak. We aren't in a position to stand around here all day."

"They threatened me! Those Orange Hound people. Threatened to destroy my shop, take me away in chains, and sell me off. I was too scared to go to the Janpair family for help. They are a strange lot to begin with. For all I knew, the Orange Hounds had already paid them off."

"So, you betrayed us to save your own skin."

"What else could I have done? Your family doesn't have the power or influence anymore to protect me."

Ezzy wanted to lash out at the woman, but she knew Syla was right. That didn't pardon her for the betrayal though.

"Shay? What do you think? You've suffered the most because of this woman's actions."

"I believe her," Shay said, her face as unreadable as a wall. "This one isn't strong or skilled enough to defend herself from those men. If she was forced to betray us, I hold no ill will towards her for what happened."

"Well, you heard her," Ezzy said. "I guess we won't kill you. But I will expect you to help us clean up the mess..."

"That's why I came running to find you," the blacksmith cut in. "The villagers that witnessed your Vilathos's destruction have already headed up to the Janpair's estate. It's only a matter of time before they send their men after you. I don't know if you've met Bavian Toll, but the man is as ruthless as he is crazy. You have to get out of the village as quickly as possible."

"I'm not going to just leave when there might be people I've hurt--"

"Most of the villagers are out at their day jobs. You didn't hurt or injure anyone, but when they return, they will be looking for revenge. Things aren't handled here like they are in the other villages and Lurthalan. The Janpairs let mob justice handle most disputes that don't directly affect them. If the Janpair don't capture you first, the rest of the village will tear you apart. You have to go."

"But I could help rebuild the homes." Waving back at the building behind her. "It's not like the Orange Hound gang is going to be bothering us for a while."

"Esmerelda, you don't get it. The people that have lived here their entire lives are...off. I've seen them stone a man for trampling someone's flowers. You have to leave, at least until things calm down. Maybe in a few seasons you could come back and make reparations, but for now, you need to go."

"Ezzy," Nolan said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "As much as I want to take this woman to task for what she did to us, after spending only a short time here and seeing the people that live here, I'm leaning towards believing her."

"Nolan... I..."

Shay moved close and put a hand on Ezzy as well.

"As painful as it is, I agree with Nolan as well. If these people return looking for blood, things could get very ugly. How many people might die because I'm trying to defend us? Or how much worse could things get if you need to use your Vilathos to keep us safe? We could end up doing even more harm."

Ezzy looked at the needless destruction Paz had caused and her heart sank. This was different than what had happened in Wethrintir. What happened here was just carelessness on her part. Well, she would make amends. Maybe not today or anytime in the foreseeable future, but she would return and make things right. After she found Ean.

"Iacane, come here."

The man walked up, a smarmy smile painting his face.

"I don't think we've been introduced yet, although you seem to know--"

"Ean Sangrave."

"What? That's your name?"

"No, that's the name of the man I'm looking for. A man you've recently met on a trip to the Deadlands."

The smile disappeared, along with some of the color in the man's face.

"Um...the name sounds familiar. A lot of things happened on that trip. It was a horrible affair..."

"I don't have time for this, Iacane. My name is Esmerelda Ciantar. My father, Meganan, died on that trip because of the actions of Ean Sangrave. I want to find him, and I have it on good authority that you spent a good deal of time with him on the way to the Deadlands. If you know anything about where he is or where he came from, I want you to tell me. Now."

"Yes, ok, ok. Ean Sangrave. Young man, short black hair. Kind of awkward around other people. Yes I remember him and his sister. They were from Rottwealth, I believe."

"Fredren Prown didn't know the sister's name. What is it?

"Ah Fredren, ah-hem. Glad to hear that boy made it out alive--"

"Iacane..."

"Yes, sorry. Azalea is his sister. Cute lass, can hold her ale let me tell you. The two of them seemed strange, they certainly didn't act like brother and sister, but I wasn't about to call--"

"You said they came from Rottwealth? Are you sure?"

"Yes. It was mentioned once or twice. I don't think they would have any reason to lie to me."

Rottwealth. A backwater village, named for the rare healing herb that grew only within its borders. The temples had restricted travel to and from the village for decades without giving a reason. The ban had recently been lifted. Did that have anything to do with Ean?

It didn't matter. Elation began to smother out the guilt that had been weighing Ezzy down. She was getting closer. With any luck, Ean was there, hiding out because of what he had done. It would be the perfect place to hide. Even Ezzy hadn't considered it. Thoughts of finding justice for her father overpowered any last remaining feelings of guilt for what she had done here. Rottwealth was almost directly west of here. Leaving now, they could be there in about fourteen days.

"We're leaving."

"Excellent idea," Iacane said, nodding quickly. "I wish you the best of luck."

"You don't need to wish us luck. You're coming with us."

"But--"

Ezzy raised a hand to silence him, then turned to Shay.

"I need you to go back into the house, try to find our things, especially the key to our room at the inn. It's risky, but we can't leave without our supplies."

"I understand. I'll grab some of the discarded weapons just in case. We can always sell them for money if we don't have to use them." The woman jogged back into the house.

"Nolan, I want you to get started traveling. I'm going to have Paz carry you to help you get out of town. I'll follow my connection to wherever you are."

"Ezzy, I don't want to leave you here."

"We don't have time to argue, so I'm going to be blunt. You're slow. That leg of yours barely keeps you moving. I want you to get a good head start, especially if the rest of us need to get out of here fast."

"Yes, you're quite right, of course. I'll go."

"Good." Ezzy was surprised when Shay climbed back out of the house carrying a large sack. "Did you find our things already?"

"Yes, and I have four extra swords we can use to barter or sell."

"Excellent. Everyone move away from the house. I'm going to have Paz come out now."

When her companions had all moved away, she sent the command. The house groaned as Paz used the support beams off the floor to climb out of the hole. She watched through Paz's jeweled eyes as it pulled itself up onto the first floor and then make his way out of the house. Ezzy was shocked that the building remained standing.