Erden crossed through the field checking the graves still awaiting their stone tablets.
Dishes many in numbers were left upon the freshly made graves, and so it would remain for fourteen days that way.
Still not used to the fiery leg, Erden stumbled through the graveyard, towards the only other person still there. An old woman covered in dirt, her eyes swollen from crying.
When he reached her he placed his hand on her shoulder, "Your grandchildren have been worried about you"
"They truly should not be. A decrepit pile of bones like me is not worth the tears." She said as she caressed the soil as if it was a baby. "Their mother would have told them the same. My Lord, please tell me. Did you find whoever was responsible?"
"It was a beast, and they encroached on its territory, it was simply a stroke of misfort…
"Please, my Lord, do not. I have lived a long life and I know, I can recognize when someone mocks life itself."
"We have not found anything yet."
The woman turned back, fury dancing in her eyes, "I am getting tired of your lies, and so are the others. Someone must be judged!"
Erden let out a sigh, "Even if that judgement led us to the freezing gates of purgatory?" he said as he stared her coldly in the eyes.
She averted her gaze and clenched the soil, "Are we not there already?"
***********************************************
Conrad stood before the door, his hand shaking, he grabbed the door knob and started turning it before he stopped himself. The giant man took a deep breath as vapor escaped his mouth due to the cold weather. His skin was beginning to sting and the tip of his fingers as well as his face were bright red from the cold. Yet he just couldn't bring himself to do it, he couldn't open the door knowing he had to look them in the eyes.
He took another deep breath and twisted the door knob, the door opened as a wave of heat struck his face followed by a soft yellow light from fireflies stuck in jars. He entered his circular home, the whole house was made in the shape of a cone, with stairs on the wall that spiralled into the second floor of the building. The first floor was equipped with a large bed on one side, a furnace in the center with a bench around it and a table with four chairs next to them. Underneath the start of the staircase wooden chests were placed.
A beautiful lady was going around from the furnace to the chest and the table, back and forth.
Conrad took off his shoes and silently headed towards the woman, sneaking up on her before lightly poking her in her back.
The woman jumped up, and turned around, the shock in her eyes turned to anger as she reached for an empty metal bucket sitting next to her. A second later she swung the bucket at Conrad's head, the poor tool breaking on contact.
Conrad winced and grovelled to the ground, "Can hold back a little next time." he said smiling, trying to hold back laughter.
The woman frowned and patted his head. "It is not like I can break that thick head of yours." She turned around to whatever she was cooking and took it off the top of the furnace, "Although if you try that again, I will find a way!" She then placed it inside a separate yet warm part of it, then turned to him and knelt before him looking him in the eyes. "Regardless, how has your day been going?"
He leaned in and kissed her, "Everything is absolutely splendid."he said smiling before getting up and walking past her. "What about you? " Conrad went to the table and sat down. "Where is Otto also?"
"He is upstairs studying," She said before joining him on the table. As she sat down she carefully examined his face."So, what happened?" her eyes mellowed out.
"I fear I am faced with a difficult choice." He said as he looked down, "He is one of the ones that deserve better things than what they have been given. Yet, his circumstances will not allow it.
"I get it," she looked away, "You have already decided what to do. Like always" she stroked her long black hair.
"Ella, I cannot abandon him."
"I know," she grabbed one of his hands, "that quality of yours is the reason I married you." Her voice was sweet all except for the last word. Ellena looked him up in the eyes, "but you also have responsibility towards us as well."
Conrad, unable to respond, just looked away, after a minute or so of avoiding her gaze he finally looked up at her. "I will stay out of it, physically. Though I hope my words can reach Erden."
"Thank you." She said as she leaned in and kissed him.
***********************************************
She stared at the full moon blossoming in the sky, its radiant light penetrating the grey clouds that rained gentle snow upon the city.
Silistra stood before the townhall waiting, as she waited her eyes wandered to the surrounding area. The town square, ever so clean and quiet, boasted not a single soul in the vicinity. Everyone had already gone home to their coned houses that were stacked nicely to each other.
She turned to the great hall behind, the only building with a different shape, it stood imposing with its southern style of a rectangular frame which supported four towers each looking at the four cardinal directions, the whole building beautifully decorated with mosaics depicting the great history of her home.
In the distance the faintest sound of steps began to echo.
"Sorry to bother you so late at night." A voice behind her echoed, ever so familiar.
Erden and Conrad had come together. "Conrad would like to talk to you about something."
She looked carefully at their eyes, ones filled with pessimism and the others with determination. "Let me guess, Conrad wants to postpone the execution?"
"Not exactly." Erden replied.
"I was thinking of something else." Conrad continued, "I would like you to allow the families of the dead to meet Beleth before the execution, to see that he is not a threat, and then I will try to convince them that he deserves a chance."
"That is just a repulsive approach to the situation." she said baffled, "You want to guilt the families of the dead into forgiving a massacre?
"And executing a child for crimes he did not commit is not?" Conrad raised an eyebrow.
Silistra let out a sigh and looked the man right in the eye, "He is someone without history here, he has neither friends nor family here." Her tone, monotone and empty, "We do not even know what he is. What if he is just pretending to be human?"
"These are just ifs." Erden joined in, as he placed one arm on Silistra's shoulder, "I know you also know that. I also know that you are curious about what he really is."
The determination in his eyes proved he was not going to give up. This determination finally snapped the fear that veiled itself over her heart. "Fine then. I will arrange the meetings, but the outcome of his fate relies entirely on the hands of the suffering. If the majority of them see him as a threat, he will die."