Three days had passed, and Haran now found himself in the heart of Haugstad's governance. Before him stood a wooden table in the shape of an arc. Seven council members sat behind it, with Haran seated on a chair before them. Among them was Adel, seated to the side, his expression unreadable.
To Haran's right stood two warriors. One was Yuri, his familiar presence steady and silent. The other, a broad-shouldered man with a stern gaze, was unknown to Haran but radiated the quiet authority of a seasoned warrior.
All the council members were elderly, four women and three men. At the table's center sat a woman with fiery red curls and dark skin, her gaze sharp.
She addressed Haran. "My name is Melinda," she began. "I serve as the representative of the Haugstad council. Brother Adel has informed us of your circumstances and requested this meeting to discuss proposals and find a resolution regarding your presence here."
Haran inclined his head respectfully. "Thank you for taking the time to consider my case," he said, his voice calm but measured.
Melinda's expression didn't soften. Her tone, when she spoke again, was decisive. "No hearing is necessary," she said. Beside her, Adel shifted in his seat, his gaze dropping, unwilling to meet Haran's eyes.
"Brother Adel has provided us with all the information we need," Melinda continued. "Haran, your history is in direct conflict with the values this community upholds. There is little room for options here."
"With all due respect," Haran began, his tone composed but imploring, "I've made mistakes—mistakes I deeply regret. But none of them were directed at you or your village. My errors are tied to another land, not even your kingdom."
Melinda's gaze remained steady. "That may be true, Haran. But it doesn't change who you are or the path you've walked. You've dealt in methods that we believe contradict the Creators' vision for humanity. And then there's the fact that you are a stranger, a man who has crossed great distances, fleeing something that threatens to catch up with him. We cannot risk this village being dragged into a conflict not of our making."
"Please," Haran said, his voice soft, almost pleading. "Just hear me out."
Melinda's demeanor shifted slightly, but the resolve in her voice did not waver. "Haran, we are not tyrants. But the reality of our situation is stark. Our resources barely suffice for the village. For several cycles now, we've witnessed nature's changes. They were subtle at first, but are undeniable. The land offers less with each passing year. The monsters grow more numerous. And some of them..." Her voice faltered for a moment before she pressed on. "Some of them cannot be fought with conventional weapons. They lack physical form and require the use of crystals. This world is producing blasphemous phenomena. We never saw or heard of these so-called demons until twenty star-cycles ago. Since then, we have been forced to abandon many of our hunting grounds. This cycle, it was a struggle to gather enough to last through this season."
Melinda paused, drawing a steadying breath before continuing. "We have a proposal for you, Haran. Leave your baby here with us until the warmer days return. In the meantime, you can take refuge in the nearby city. You carry the emblem of a citizen; I'm confident they will offer you aid. The journey in this weather is perilous, so we'll provide you with clothing and camping supplies. You'll also have two more days to stay here before you must depart. If the weather permits, you may leave earlier.
"The city of Jamtara lies two days west of here on foot. The same proposal stands if you choose to take your son with you. But be warned; the roads are treacherous. I cannot promise you'll survive. The very fact that you arrived here without proper equipment tells us you were attacked and forced to abandon it. You know the dangers well. Are you truly ready to risk your son's life on those roads?"
As Melinda spoke, Haran lowered his gaze to the floor. Slowly, tears began to stream down his face. His hands clenched tightly, and his voice was sharp and hissing as he addressed the council.
"You are right about not being tyrants. You are monsters."
"Haran," Adel interjected, his tone tinged with disapproval, but Melinda silenced him with a raised hand.
"How can you stand there and hypocritically call this a hearing," Haran continued, his voice rising, "when your decision was made before I ever spoke? You've left me with no real choice. Either I walk into certain death alone or take my son with me to share the same fate."
"Haran," Adel began, stepping forward, his voice tempered with urgency. "There's no guarantee you'll face danger on the journey. You'll have food, water, and proper clothing to see you through. If you made it this far, it's proof you have the skills to survive the road ahead."
Haran's head lifted slowly, revealing eyes that had transformed. His corneas bleached white, and his pupils disappeared. When he spoke, his voice was unnervingly calm, carrying some kind of distortion between the vowels.
"Fewer mouths to feed mean more food for those who remain," Haran said as a pale glow surrounded him. The glow was soft at first, but it kept intensifying.
Adel realized what was about to happen and shouted, "Everyone, take cover!"
In an instant, a roar echoed through the room, followed by a deafening blast. The table with the elders hurtled toward the cabin wall. For a moment, it seemed inevitable that the elders would be crushed, but the table stopped mere centimeters from the wall, defying the pressure. The chairs got shattered, and fragments pierced the walls, leaving holes where the splinters had punched through.
Before anyone could process what had happened, Yuri and the second warrior launched themselves at Haran, tackling him to the ground with practiced precision. Yuri moved swiftly, pulling a small vial of crimson powder from his belt. With one forceful exhale, he blew the powder directly into Haran's face.
Haran's body went limp instantly, and the glow around him extinguished as he fell into unconsciousness.
"Is everyone alright?" Yuri asked after making sure Haran was indisposed.
"I… I think so," Melinda replied, her words shaky. "My bones are trembling from the force of that wind."
The elders were slowly getting to their feet. Thankfully, no one was injured. They all gathered around Haran, who lay unconscious on the floor.
"What are you waiting for?" one of the male elders demanded, his voice rising in panic. "Take a knife and kill him! You want him to wake up and finish what he started?"
"Stop!" Adel's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "We are not killing anyone. The damage is done, yes, but no one here has been harmed. Besides," he added, his voice lowering, tinged with something almost sorrowful, "I've seen that look before in my youth. That wasn't Haran."
Turning to Yuri and the other warrior, Adel continued, "Search him. Find the crystal. It must have been overlooked when you stripped him of his wrappings."
"But there wasn't any crystal. Malcolm and I thoroughly searched his belongings when we removed his wrappings," Yuri protested.
"Then you missed something," one of the female elders interjected, her voice tight with frustration. "This was clearly an act of magic."
"No," Yuri said, his tone resolute. "There was no oversight. Every piece of cloth, every belonging, was separated from Haran and his son while the healer worked on their injuries. Whatever this is, it escaped all of us."
"Look at his hands," Melinda suddenly said.
The skin on Haran's hands had begun to crack, forming patterns that resembled vents from which air seemed to escape. And then, as the act was done, his skin returned to normal as if nothing ever happened.
"Don't tell me…" Melinda began, but Adel continued her train of thought.
"This man is a catalyst," Adel declared, his tone heavy with certainty. "He lied when he said he hadn't used crystals on himself."
The weight of his words hung in the air, the elders exchanging uneasy glances. Adel's brow furrowed as he turned toward the warriors standing over Haran's unconscious form.
"Yuri, Marko," he said, his voice sharp. "Bind him to a chair. Then fetch two warriors to guard him until he wakes. I want his explanation. If he wakes, we will hear him out. After that, I will decide his fate."
Yuri hesitated for a moment before asking, "And if he tries to attack again?"
Adel's expression turned steely, his voice devoid of emotion. "Then instruct them to kill him without hesitation."
The command left no room for argument, and the room seemed to grow colder in its wake.