หัวขโมยแห่งบารามอส 2 คทาแห่งพลัง (แปลอังกฤษ) English Version

ลำดับตอนที่ #20 : Chapter 20: The Law of Justice (บทที่ 20 กฎแห่งความเที่ยงธรรม)

Chapter Twenty

The Law of Justice

The ghastly white skeleton in a contrasting black cloak stood facing him.

Felin felt his feet were so heavy he could hardly walk. His heart had almost frozen inside his ribcage. Unspoken words and his own halted breath choked his airway.

“Your Majesty”

Lucifin still kept his calm. Felin gathered himself and quickly entered, tearing his gaze away from the skeleton behind the glass.

The room was filled with showcases like the museums he had visited in Eden. But the stuff inside, that is…they made even the strong-willed Felin quiver in his boots.

Laid on numerous stands were human heads, arms, both legs and hair. A counter sported neatly arranged rows of ears. Another held digits; from the thumb to the smallest toe, each different in color and size; they were not from the same human.

Felin gulped and asked hopefully.

“A wax museum, Master Lucifin?”

Lucifin glowered as though Felin had most rudely insulted him.

“Do take a closer look, Your Majesty. These are not made from wax. They are real.” He stated proudly while Felin felt his heart, the only organ still bravely hanging in its place, drop down to join its fallen comrades at his feet. “These, are proof of the excellence of Skull Valley’s Law of Justice.”

“Law of Justice?” Felin repeated, glancing around and taking it all in.

“Exactly, Your Majesty.” Lucifin nodded. Then frowned irritably when met with Felin’s confused expression, and scolded.

“It seems you came to Demos with absolutely no knowledge of our ways. Home to demons we may be, but numerous lands in Demos are actually tests of your humanity.”

Lucifin led Felin further into the room he felt more and more like fleeing by the minute.

“The Frontier evaluates your manners. Most humans break even the easiest, basic rules of society, and so content themselves on the side of Frontier with no rules, despite it being so simple to get across. The Volcano of Abyss weighs your mercy. Among the scores of humans sent there, only a handful learned their lesson. Some die wasted. The rest went in and out like routine and never understood what laboring has to do with mercy.”

For the first time, Felin gazed at the dwarf with a slight change in his opinion of Skull Valley.

Maybe Lucifin wasn’t as horrible as he had thought.

“What about the Forgotten Forest?” Felin continued the conversation. The dwarf glanced at him briefly before replying.

“The forest puts your intelligence to test, Your Majesty. But you and your comrades had eluded the actual tests of the Dark Elves and got through with the help of Judgment. Am I correct, Your Majesty?”

Felin felt quite awkward when it seemed as though the mayor could read his mind.

“Probably without considering the consequences.” Lucifin went on, nodding slowly.

“Sir, sometimes, we just have to get out alive. And there’s not much we think of.” Felin replied. Lucifin chuckled.

“Exactly, Your Majesty. Just to save your life, you find hundreds of excuses to keep yourself at ease. Just to have it your way, you find hundreds of reasons to justify what you did. But believe it or not: Nothing is free in this world.”

Nothing is free in this world!

It was Dad’s punchline whenever they run into a bottleneck. But hearing it again in this ominous place had him bristling with questions.

Who exactly was this dwarf? How did he know so much, and why did he talk so much?

“If the Frontier tests manners. Giantcity: mercy. And the forest: wisdom. Then what about your Skull Valley here?”

Lucifin gave him a rare smile. He, however, chose not to answer, but finally led Felin over to the skeleton in the glass showcase.

“Your Majesty. This is the great king of Skull Valley. He is said to be the cruelest, most horrifying king to ever reign since the creation of our world. His descendants were tainted with his sin, and it was such that no place could hold them. So they fled to Demos, the only land on earth for sinners, and swore their allegiance to Lord Evides.”

Lucifin gazed at Felin with his dark eyes.

“We were tied to Evides merely by our pledge and our deal. You need only to follow that deal to depart safely from our valley. That, Your Majesty, will be all you need to keep in mind."

Felin nodded at that final word, and moved closer to the showcase. A name was written upon it, revealing who the stark white remains had once been.

King Yamus Lafael

Felin glanced back at the shorter figure and continued.

“Your threats are scaring me, sir.”

“You are not in the least a coward, Your Majesty, no matter how you try to make yourself seem so. It is thanks to none but bravery and sacrifice that you and your companions had overcome the odds and get thus far. May these two gifts lead you on safely to your destination.”

“We’ll need your help with that.” Felin’s eyes gleamed willfully.

“Sometimes, not helping is helping, Your Majesty.”

A smile hitched up the corner of Felin’s lips, and he left for the other showcases. This time, gems and jewelry sat with body parts, making for contrasting, unlikely pairings. A white, shiny name tag labeled each. Written on them in neat golden letters were names that obviously were not those of gemstones, but of men.

Whose?

He kept silent as his eyes darted around and his feet scoured the room. Not that he wanted to, but curiosity was taking hold of him.

Many things Lucifin said was reminiscent of Dad.

Madus Debereaux

Dad must have been here. Felin could still remember his words.

Demos? Been there. You guys go.

And he never forgot his parting sentiments.

And you’ll know better than to vacation in Demos, ever, especially when you’re a thief!

Just then, his eyes came upon something that sent chills sweeping down his spine and turned his hands numb.

The particular plaque sat beside a small pebble and a toe. Written in golden letters on the lustrous cardboard was …

Madus Debereaux.

The disgusting odor hung yellow in the air. Everything was shrouded in the dead silence of nighttime. A gust of icy wind brought along yet another wave of the reek.

It’s too strong to be animal blood.

Felin’s brown eyes narrowed as she suppressed her fear. She smiled as she rubbed the scar just below her left eye. She could feel her heart, beating dutifully as ever, a sign she was still alive.

Sometimes curiosity kills. And she would do anything to survive.

Felin's gaze explored the wide courtyard. Firewood was dumped in a pile to her left. To the right was a small well. In the center of the yard was a tall pole supporting a lengthy plank. Dangling from the plank by ropes were several dark hunks of mysterious origin.

So that’s where the smell came from.

Is there really a creature on earth that could smell this bad?

Her brows creased as she peered through the falling darkness. Unfortunately, Felin couldn’t see much by the light of the crescent moon, and could only vaguely make out large chunks of meat, large enough to have once been cattle. Or swine, an enormous one at that.

Though her intuition screamed for her to not go any further, though she felt more and more like retching, she couldn’t stop her soundless steps. It was as though she was bewitched by her own curiosity.

The stone floor was smeared with dried blood. The latest slaughter probably occurred just a few days ago. The villagers, it seemed, couldn’t care less to clean the place.

Suddenly, she felt her insides freeze. Something was sitting right in front of her, staring at her intensely. Her breath caught and her courageous heart shivered and shook. Her mouth felt too heavy to yell as she advanced into the darkness and tried with all her might to see.

What is that? What’s there?

She sighed heavily when finally the moonbeam lit her way. Just a large dog.

“Bloody mutt.”

Swearing, she shook her head and went on, just to trip over something moments later and fall flat on her face.

Argh! Chuck your rotten melons in the bin, for heaven’s sake!

She reached back for what had been in her way, and her fingers grasped around something ominously familiar.

The size was just right, covered in something dry which resembled…hair...

She turned around...just to find herself gazing into a vacant pair of eyes.

Then Felin screamed for the first time in her life.

Commotion swarmed the yard. Torches flared to life as pretty much the whole village rushed to gather.

“What are those yells about?”

“Must be them! You saw that troublesome brunette?”

“Don’t you bother with our food!”

“I just can’t stay put. If they ever caught wind of something and flee, then that’s it for our dinner! You know these guys are rotting. We can’t go on eating them. And there’s less and less stumbling into our hands these days.”

“I say we finish them tonight!”

“Do let’s. I heard they’re leaving tomorrow!”

“Peace!”

The mayor arrived and the chatter died down. Briefly.

“We can’t, mayor! If they ever came here, all our secrets would be laid bare! And then…” A villager huffed and puffed.

“They won’t go anywhere. So calm down and go back to your houses.”

Lucifin assured, a determined look in his eyes, and the crowd finally dissipated.

Silence crept back onto the square once more. But her heart was still pounding frantically. Fear overwhelmed her as she hugged him close and keep her eyes shut tight.

Not exactly the daredevil now, are we?

She’s a thief, not a killer.

That was human blood she had stepped on. That was a human head she had stumbled over. Needless to say that those hunks of meat were actually…

“Looks like they’re all gone, Kalo.”

Kil spoke up first, peeking surreptitiously out of the cottage they’re hiding in. How he wished the dwarves would conduct a search; what fun it would bring! There really are legendary cannibals in Demos, after all!

He gazed at Felin who, for the first time ever, behaved like the girl she was, and smiled. Kil didn’t feel like teasing her, however; even the most weathered warrior might just faint or go nuts if met with the same plight, but Felin merely shrieked.

“Felin…” Kalo whispered softly. His tender voice chased away her fear and little by little Felin gathered her courage. “It’s alright.” He went on and she inhaled deeply, regaining control.

“It’s okay now. Don’t be afraid.”

At that one word, she immediately reverted to her normal self. Felin extricated herself from Kalo’s arms and laughed confidently, ignoring the faint blush blossoming on her cheeks.

“Afraid? You’re not talking about me, right?”

Well, that is not adorable in the least. Thought Kalo wearily.

“Of course I am! Was that a hug or you trying to suffocate me? I’m having trouble breathing, see?”

This drove Felin up the wall, and she turned instead to Kil, who was trying not to roar with laughter and rocking from the effort.

“We’d better fly. Before they return.” He managed to answer somehow.

“Fly? Why? What’s so scary?” Felin was waxing rapidly. “Kil, you stay here with me.”

Kil shook his head forcefully without the briefest hesitation.

“I’m faint-hearted. See you.”

Kil and Kalo turned their backs on her and started off, and Felin found herself sprinting after them as if her life depended on it.

“You’re not spending the night?” Kalo greeted scathingly. Felin bared her teeth.

“You know I’m a scaredy cat, moron!”

“Oh, really? Then why was little kitty on her own? Why not tell us you’re going out?” Kil scolded.

“Like you’d let me if I did.” Felin retorted. “You two never let me in on nothing these days. Well, of course! I’m a freak! I’m neither a boy nor a girl. I’m no longer a friend to you, and you talk it over just between yourselves!”

She griped in a small, annoying voice, then continued seriously.

“Kil, I don’t want to stay here any longer. How about we flee tonight, Kalo?”

“The sword and the wand aren’t mended yet.” Kalo reminded her tensely.

“They’re not alive! But we are. Those monsters are eating us, not them!”

Felin hissed irritably, then jolted when a voice called from behind.

“Oh, there you are, Your Majesties.”

Lucifin.

The three teenagers froze for a moment before turning around. Behind Lucifin stood the villagers. They waited in silence, their torches shining brightly.

“May I ask what you are doing here, Your Majesties? You should be resting in this late hour.” Lucifin continued serenely.

“We’re out for a walk!” Felin blurted out, squeezing Kil’s arm tightly.

“If they come any closer, I’ll call out Earthsplitter.”

She whispered. Kil nodded slowly. Then froze when he heard the next part of the plan.

“You cover me while I escape.”

“Idiot! What’s the sword for, then?” Kil snapped.

“I’m a thief. You’re a killer.”

“Oh.”

“You’re hyper. I know you like playing. I’m just saving you the fun.”

Kil smiled with good fun. It seemed the scaredy cat was no longer scared and prepared for battle. But would good ol’ Prince Kalo permit any troublemaking, that is.

“Palace. Lucifin, you lead.”

Commanded the prince who was so used to giving orders. His stern, powerful blue eyes silenced all those present. Then Kalo took the lead.

“Do not cross me.”

He warned. Lucifin swept swiftly up front and the townspeople made way for the four.

*****