[XASTOL CITY, IVAN'S HOUSE — FOUR MONTHS AGO]
Ivan rocked back and forth in his armchair, a book over his face. The argument with Ruo and Dwygrand… practicing Sanctum-Smithing with Hidemi… needless to say, the day had been long.
Ivan would have remained happily asleep if it weren't for the sound of something falling downstairs. The book fell to the floor as his eyes opened.
"Hidemi?" he called, rising to his feet. It's so late, he thought, glancing at the clock on his wall. Sitting beside it was a small picture frame of himself and Gwentyn. He remembered taking the photo during a snowstorm years ago. He'd gotten sick and was bedbound for a week. A smile flashed across his face as he recalled his late wife caring for him with rabbit stew — a staple from her hometown.
I wonder if it's still snowing.
Ivan made his way through the hall and stopped by Hidemi's room. He looked around, not finding his son in bed and made his way down a flight of stairs. The first thing he noticed was how dark the rest of the house was. It wasn't like Hidemi to turn off the lights after all. He wondered if there was a malfunction with the hammer-lanters.
After a turn, he entered the living room and found Hidemi alone, sleeping on the floor besides a broken hammer and a completely purified ore.
"Hey, buddy," Ivan smiled while gently ruffling his hair. "You hungry?"
Hidemi groaned as his eyelids unstuck, the room coming back into focus. He looked at a trail of saliva running from his shoulder to his lip and flicked his head side to side with a loud, "Brwwww!!!"
The spit splashed onto Ivan's cheek and rolled off his face. "Why you..!" Ivan grunted. He thought about lunging forward and putting the boy in a headlock, but his better instincts convinced him to leave it alone. Hidemi's stomach rumbled, answering Ivan's previous question.
"I'll take that as a yes." Ivan laughed as he picked up the broken hammer handle. "What do you say we have some rabbit soup?" Hidemi's eyes twinkled with delight as interest filled his pupils. "Owa! Owa!" he beamed, outlining a bowl in his hands. He was a sucker for them. Ivan assumed he got the taste for it from his mother.
"Pfft!" Ivan smirked, "Guess I really didn't need to ask, huh?"
He turned with a sigh of exhaustion and made his way to the kitchen. He set the bowls out, measured the water, and brought out two carrots, onions, potatoes, and a small, skinned rabbit from the pantry. Next, he pulled out the chopping board and—
..? Ivan paused. That's weird… Where is the knife?
Ivan squatted down to see if he'd mistakenly left it with the pots, but nothing was there. Then, he checked the pantry to see if it was amongst the things in stock, but again, nothing was there. I should have another set in the guest room. I'll use that one for now.
He smiled at Hidemi and signed to him that he would be right back.
Ivan made his way to the closest room and stopped with a raised brow. Two things were odd: the door handle felt oddly cold, and the door itself was slightly ajar. He felt something off; he knew it. But Ivan pushed the door open anyways. The very first thing he saw when he did was a very dark glint of red.
"What the..?" he muttered. He clapped his hands three times and triggered the lights to switch on.
SSSSS!
Something slick made him fall back. The texture felt wet, thick, and sticky. It couldn't have been water, and Ivan knew it. Ivan screamed, understanding that it was blood before he had even registered the dead body in front of him.
"R-Ruo?!" he stammered, backing up into the closest wall. Goosebumps riddled his skin before he could even form his next thought. It was all he could do not to throw up at the sight of his unmoving older brother.
Ivan's eyes fell upon the large home in Ruo's chest. Blood was seeping through it and into the hardwood floor below, as if forcing proof of his death onto his house.
H-How did he get here?! Who brought him here?! Are they still here?!
He grabbed his mouth and forced back vomit. "H-Hey, this isn't funny," he said. He shook Ruo's leg. "Get up!"
Ivan realized immediately that that was the worst decision he could have made. He looked down at his palms and noticed that his hands were soaked in Ruo's blood, the moment he had fallen earlier. And now his bloodied fingerprints were all over Ruo's leggings.
"Agh!!" Ivan shouted as he jumped to his feet. By Ruo's side sat his kitchen knife, drenched in his brother's blood as well.
The ground beneath him no longer felt solid as the room spun.
Who did this? Why? What do I do? Who do I tell? If they find the body… No, I can't let them see it! Don't hide it! Run! No! Damn it! What do I do?!
Asphyxiation began to set in. "What do I do..?" he asked himself. He tried desperately to steady his breathing, but his chest wouldn't stop rising. It was too much. No… The first thing I need to do is get Hidemi out of the house. I can't let him become involved in this.
He wasn't thinking. He grabbed the knife, scrambled back towards the living room in a frenzy, and picked the boy up. Everything was a blur.
"Ah! Owa?" the boy noised. He wondered what was happening for his father to be so out of whack.
Whoever did this… It might be a warning! I have to protect us!
The front door was in reach. If he could just open it and get outside, he could figure out the next course of—
CLICK!
The door opened before he could even touch it, and in flooded a squad of Sentries, all with their Cuiongs pointed at Ivan and Hidemi's heads. "What the hell?!" Ivan roared. "What the hell is going on here?!"
He backed up slowly and covered Hidemi's head with his arm.
"Out of the way!" a voice ordered while jamming the butt of their gun into Ivan's stomach. He spluttered and let the man push past him.
"Tsk! Move it! Move it!" someone else barked. "That man was once a Councilperson! Be sure to show some respect!"
Ivan writhed in pain as Captain Upo entered his home with mud and snow stuck to his boots. He dusted snow off of his shoulders and held his gun-blade at the ready with a cocky grin.
"Why… are you here?" Ivan winced.
The captain raised a brow and stepped aside so the person behind him could enter: Banderd.
"Good evening, Ivan," his brother greeted somberly. His face was almost sickly with dark rings underneath his eyes. He avoided meeting Ivan's gaze and looked at the captain instead. "Search the property."
Upo nodded and motioned for his men to move in with haste. Ivan's eyes went wide before he reached for the captain's arm. "N-No! What are you searching for? You can't just barge in here!"
"We got a report about a loud disturbance here a few minutes ago," Upo said. He pushed Ivan off of him and stood up straighter. "Councilperson Ruo has been missing all night. Councilman Banderd says that your brother was coming here to apologize about what happened earlier. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
Confusion gripped Ivan like a viper. Uncaringly, Captain Upo brushed past Ivan and proceeded inside, intentionally knocking over drawers and picture frames as he went forward. A few men remained behind in the hall with the two brothers.
A bead of sweat rolled down Ivan's forehead. "Banderd, I need you to listen to me," he whispered.
Banderd took a step back and made as if he didn't hear. "Ivan…" he said in a low voice. "...What is that on your hand?"
Ivan nearly yelped at the sight of his bloodied palm. "T-This isn't what it looks like! I swear!"
Banderd forced himself to lie. "…Then why do you have a knife in your hands? Or is it not what I believe, either?" Ivan's heart skipped a beat. No matter what I say, he won't believe me! Why? No… It doesn't matter. He glanced at Hidemi and thought: My son is the priority. I need to get past Banderd and figure things out later!
"Wait," Banderd said. He quickly read Ivan's eyes and turned to the Sentries. "Take the boy."
Ivan's eyes shot wide, but before he could say a word in argument, he was tackled by the guard behind him, who knocked him into a nearby wall and forced the knife in his hand to fall to the floor. The other two dashed forward and wrestled the half-dwarf boy out of his father's arms.
"NO!" Ivan bellowed angrily. "STAY AWAY FROM HIM!!"
Hidemi, unaware of the situation, screamed and kicked at the Sentries, hoping to free himself from their grip. He managed to sink his foot into one of their noses, drawing a bit of blood, but alas, he was a child, and they were men. They were too strong for him to handle.
"Damn brat!" the bruised Sentries hollered. He reached for the baton on his waist and raised it above his head, ready to strike the boy. "Don't hurt him!" Banderd commanded. His order whipped through the man like chilly air, immobilizing him immediately. Such was the power of a Councilman.
Banderd averted his gaze and said, "The boy has nothing to do with this. Treat him gently and take him outside to Lady Davaa's home."
Ivan struggled once more against the Sentry, who restrained him, but failed to do anything substantial. He could only watch helplessly as the men dragged his son out of the door behind Banderd and vanished behind the thin curtain of snow outside.
Why..?! Why is Banderd doing this?
He racked his brain for an answer, but nothing made sense. No… Hidemi is safe. That's all that matters. I can figure everything out later!
But Ivan was wrong. There was no later. A rushed shuffling behind him made it all the more clear.
"YOU SICK BASTARD!" a voice roared from behind. The heads of both Ivan and the Sentry holding him spun in synchrony to see—
CRRRAAAACK!
Captain Upo threw his full bodyweight into the punch and socked Ivan's jaw, sending a tooth flying and knocking both him and the Sentry holding him into a nearby wall. They quickly sank to the floor, gluing even Banderd in place at the Captain's sudden anger.
Upo unholstered his gun-blade and shoved the barrel in Ivan's face, Sanctum Energy already amassed. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't put you down right here, right now!"
Ivan pulled his head back as far as it could go and eyed the barrel, which seemed adamant on digging into his neck. The color was quickly draining from his face as his fear rose, but his staggered breaths were what kept him tethered and not screaming for help.
"Captain, no!!" the fallen sentry whinged. The fight gone, several Sentries rushed downstairs and threw themselves onto their furious captain, one limb each, until they could forcibly drag him away from Ivan and lower his Cuiong.
Banderd, too, hurried forward and put himself between Ivan and Upo.
"Compose yourself, Captain!" Banderd barked. "What is the meaning of this? What did you find?!" Behind his back, Banderd dug his fingers into his palm again and again until Ivan noticed a glint of red running down his wrist. His brother hated every word he was saying.
Upo's teeth ground together so hard that everyone heard an audible crack. "He — That monster — what he did…"
The thought of even having to say it enraged Upo again to no end. He lunged forward, but again, his men pushed him back. Banderd's head spun to one of the other dwarfs that had come from upstairs and demanded an answer:
"What did he see? Answer me!"
"S-Sir," the Sentry mumbled. His eyebrows bent down, as if unsure whether saying it would be the right thing to do. But he had a duty to uphold. Not to mention, he owed it to his Councilman to speak only the truth. "Your brother…"
"My brother?" Banderd repeated with feigned ignorance. "You mean Ruo? What about him?"
The Sentry's lips quivered, and then he gulped down hard. "Upstairs, in one of the bedrooms… He's there. And it's horrible…" Captain Upo's anger slowly dwindled as he followed Banderd's face — his eyes — as they devolved into pure anguish. Though none of them knew it, Banderd already knew that his brother was dead. However, even hearing it again made it easy for his true feelings to come out. It didn't take much for the pain to appear.
Upo let his arms fall to his side and hung his head, ashamed to say it.
"Your brother is dead, Master Banderd."
A mix of pain, anger, inadequacy, and regret welled in the captain's throat. Not only had Ruo been the one to appoint him as Captain of the Sentries, but he had taken on the position with the pledge that he would protect every citizen of Xastol, no matter who it was. Upo had sworn to uphold the law in the way only the Sentries could: by enforcing it. To know something so… heinous had gone beyond his control — it served only to make him feel worse. And right now, all of that anger was directed at Ivan.
A tear slipped down Ivan's cheek as he sniffled. "Banderd, I swear to you, I did not do this."
Banderd remained motionless for a few moments, leaving Ivan's eyes focused only at the Murong clan crest on his elder brother's back.
A long, chilling silence settled in the room before Banderd finally spoke, unnerving everyone there with hold calm it was: "Gentlemen, would you kindly cuff my brother and take him outside? Now."
The Sentries didn't hesitate to do as they were told. Someone pulled out a pair of Illodium handcuffs and moved towards Ivan. "N-No!" Ivan shouted as they slipped the white cuffs over his wrists.
Captain Upo holstered his gun and advanced again, this time, his emotions in check. I have no right to be angry right now. This is a critical time for Councilman Banderd. The Sentries must do all they can to ease him through it.
The captain yanked Ivan by the collar until he was on his feet. He glanced at his bruised cheek — a part of him seriously considering if he should strike him again — and thought against it. "Take him outside."
Six men hurried forward and grabbed Ivan, escorting him to the door. As they walked past him, Ivan caught a glimpse of Banderd's face. His eyes were red and dark, like he'd been rubbing them too long. He knew then that his brother was also crying.
"Bring Ruo's body down," Banderd said in a low voice to the remaining guards. "Please."
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[COUNCILMAN RUO'S HOME, LIVING ROOM — SIMULTANEOUSLY]
Xué stood at the window and watched the snow fall with a furrowed brow. A blizzard will start soon, she worried. Where are you, Ruo? You're never home this late…
She turned around and glanced at Hisagi, who sat with his legs crossed in front of the fireplace. A regular Sanctum-Smithing hammer floated before him and was coated in silver, reacting to his own energy. He'd been spending the better part of the night mastering his Hammer-Tuning while waiting for his father's return. Though Hisagi was never prone to revealing emotions, Xué could tell with one look how worried he was.
"Everything will be alright, Hisagi." She smiled softly with an expression that looked more as if she was hoping to convince herself than him, and approached him. Xué watched her son's closed eyes waver for a moment and then sat behind him and rested her back against his. A long silence sat between them before Hisagi finally broke it:
"...I'm not worried," he said. The moment he said it, his energy fluctuated and caused the hammer to fall in front of him.
He tsked, cursing his lack of skill, and hugged his knees together.
"I…" he began with a look into the fire. "...I wanted to show him my Hammer-Tuning today."
Xué smiled from behind him. She understood more than anyone else what Hisagi felt for his father, even if he would never tell him. Her son was gifted, of that she had no doubt. But he was hardworking too, so much so that it felt like a detriment to his life as a child. Ruo was too strict on him and she knew it, but Hisagi always rose to meet his father's expectations. If he would not say anything, then neither would she. Xué realized a long time ago that Ruo was the only person Hisagi felt his skill mattered to.
"He'll be home soon, dear. I promise."
THUK! THUK! THUK!
A sudden banging on the door caused both of them to jerk up and rise to their feet. Xué made her way to the door and put her hand on the handle. "I told you!" she said happily. She opened the door, saying, "He's back—", before freezing at the sight of two Sentries covered in snow. Their faces were grim, and their noses red from the cold, but their eyes looked sullen and angry, like death.
"W-What are you people doing here?" Hisagi stammered. He moved for the door as well and stood next to his mother.
"Young Master Hisagi… Lady Xué," the Sentries bowed. "We are terribly sorry to bother you at this hour, but we've no other choice. We'd like you to come with us."
Xué shook her head, confused. "I-I don't understand. What are you doing here? Have you seen Ruo?"
The men averted their gaze, unsure of how to break the news to her.
"About that," one started, "The reason… we're asking you to come… Well…"
"Spit it out already!" Hisagi barked. The men flinched and nodded immediately. There was no other choice.
"...It's about your husband," the Sentry finally said. "He's…"
Xué's face went pale. Hisagi staggered back, rocked with disbelief.
And the snow kept falling.
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[IVAN'S HOME, FRONT YARD — A FEW MOMENTS LATER]
"You don't understand—" Ivan's voice cracked.
"SHUT UP!"
The hard edge of a Sentry's hammer gun struck him in his face and dropped him to the floor. He had already been forced to kneel in the one-inch snow once the Sentries had dragged him outside, but being knocked down again not only made his exposed arms colder but also caused the Illodium cuffs placed around his wrists to feel like they were cutting into his skin with every loose movement.
Ivan's thoughts were in shambles.
He looked up with a wince and noticed the lights in the surrounding houses starting to flip on. His home was separated slightly from the rest of the neighborhood, but the noise that he and the Sentries had made tonight would alert anyone within a mile of his house. Sound carried fast in Xastol, and Ivan suspected people would soon come out of their houses to see what was happening.
"Tch," he groaned, spitting into the snow. A slimy trail of scarlet flew from his mouth and sank into the icy layer of white. The tooth that Upo had knocked out stung Ivan more than he would have liked to admit, but he had more pressing issues to deal with. Namely: the small squad of Sentries surrounding him with Cuiongs pointed his way and passionless eyes that told him they wouldn't hesitate to shoot should he move. Each man's sneering face was angrier than the last. He'd insulted all of them by killing Ruo tonight. And they wouldn't stand to see such dishonor go unpunished.
The cold snow stung his bruised nose as he tried to inhale. Just as he'd suspected, several feet ahead, a crowd had already started to form. People from nearby houses who had heard the commotion were running out to find out what had happened. Sanctum-Smiths, Miners, Colliers, women and children… It felt as if everyone in Xastol was coming out to see.
Hidemi… Ivan groaned wearily. He desperately scanned the sea of agonizing faces and searched for his missing son. …Where are you?!
THOOMP!
Ivan turned his head towards the doorway of his home, where a foot stamped down angrily against his door's landing: Captain Upo, exiting with another guard, carrying with them a stretcher where a lifeless body rested.
Upo gritted his teeth at the sight of Ivan and cleared the way for the last remaining person in the house.
Ivan watched slowly as Banderd exited, his arms crossed behind his back and his hair hiding his weary eyes. The imposing crest of the Murong clan bared on his brother's chest looked hauntingly back at him.
"B-Banderd!" Ivan grunted. "Please, you must—"
"—Ivan Murong," Banderd interrupted. His tone was serious — cold. He came down the chiseled stone stoop and stopped only when he was a few feet away from where his brother stood.
"You have broken our taboo and committed an unforgivable sin by murdering your fellow Councilor. On behalf of the Murong clan and the Council of Xastol, I strip you of your rank as a citizen and title as a Stieli-class Grandmaster Sanctum-Smith."
Ivan's breathing quickened as he involuntarily began to rise. He didn't care for the title, nor of his rank as a citizen. All he cared about was proving his innocence.
"No, damn it!" he shouted, rising to his feet. "I did not do this! Banderd — please!"
Upo and two other sentries pounced on Ivan and pushed his face into the snow while holding down his legs. "B-BANDERD! I'M INNOCENT!" Ivan roared. "LISTEN TO ME!!"
Banderd's expression tightened as he turned his head away. "The time for words… Is over."
Fear swept the confused citizens like wildfire. "What?" someone asked, making sure they'd heard correctly. "No way," another murmured.
A small child stepped forward, barely peeking over the perimeter the guards had set, and glanced at the unresponsive body. Perhaps it was because it was a dead body, or because it was a Counselor? Maybe even because it was the first time the boy had ever seen death? Regardless of the reason, an ear-piercing screech spilled from the child's lips and sent a wave of fear through the ever-growing crowd.
"Ivan, that bastard!"
"MONSTER!"
"HOW COULD YOU?!"
"NOT COUNCILMAN RUO!"
"ABOMINATION!"
"DIE!"
"AIEEE!!!"
Several people ducked down to pick up whatever they could — snow, rocks — and hurled it at Ivan.
"S-Stop them, now!" Banderd ordered the Sentries. The men were sluggish to move, like they wanted him to get hit, and allowed a few projectiles through before tightening the blockade around Ivan. Screams and shouts got louder as Ivan vanished from their sight behind the Sentries' backs. To them, it looked as if they were helping him. That was infuriating.
"HOLD THE LINE!" Upo barked. He joined his men and pushed back the horde. "DON'T LET A SINGLE ONE THROUGH! UNDERSTOOD?!"
"YES SIR!"
Banderd felt a slick, cold crawl up his neck. This… This is madness!
He looked left to right on all sides of the blockade and shuddered. Is this how fast we'll devolve if the rules are challenged?! He stepped back, narrowly avoiding a flying pebble, and covered his head. His first thought was of Ruo and how he'd challenged the intruder earlier that night. His adamancy in staying true to the law no matter what, even at the cost of lives, filled Banderd with guilt. The Councilman looked on in terror at his people, hating himself for the choice he'd made in Dragonsbreath Tower with every passing second.
CRRRRRNNN!!!
A familiar surge of Sanctum Energy boomed through the ground, causing a tremor akin to a localized earthquake. The dwarven citizens staggered, rocked by the force, and backed away from the blockade the Sentries had made. The guards, too, were confused and looked forward with stunned faces as an elderly man approached Ivan's home.
S-Speaker Dwygrand, Upo shrank in reverence. He bowed his head and screamed to his men: "Clear the way!"
Both Banderd and Ivan watched as their father hobbled past them with his cane, a fine work of dwarven craftsmanship with a silver dragonhead handle. He cast a furious look at the Sentries and then at the crowd. "What is the meaning of this?!" he boomed. "Have you no shame?! You are dwarves!"
The onlookers' faces quickly shifted from anger to dejection. To incur the Speaker's wrath and judgement like that could have only meant that they'd gone too far. What they were doing was unbecoming of dwarves.
Dwygrand's eyes landed on Ivan, and he sneered. "I should have known you were the cause of this commotion, brat! What are you—"
His voice fell flat, as if the air in his chest had been sucked out of his diaphragm. Banderd could tell without turning that Dwygrand had finally noticed the stretcher. He could only guess the thoughts whirring through his father's mind. And the guesses soon narrowed down as Dwygrand advanced, his sandals becoming submerged in the quickly rising snow.
"Banderd," he said. His voice was deep and solemn, like he'd been put in a long, silent hallway. "Who… is that..? The person on the stretcher?"
Banderd hung his head, unable to say a word while Ivan winced. He and Dwygrand were never on the best of terms, but not even his father deserved to see something so heartwrenching.
After a moment of curiosity, Dwygrand's hand touched the blanket covering the body's face and slowly pulled it to the side. His legs gave out before he could even reach Ruo's nose.
"FATHER!" Banderd shouted. He rushed forward to help him up but Dwygrand remained stuck in place, his cane fallen to the side. For the first time in his long and storied life… Dwygrand Murong had been rocked with utter shock. His hand twitched, setting off a series of uncontrollable shakes in his system as the image of Ruo's pale skin bore into his mind like wine on a white carpet.
"M-My boy," he whimpered. Not only were the hairs on his neck standing, but his arms refused to cease trembling. "No…" he repeated over and over. "No…"
He looked around, hoping someone would tell him it were some bad joke, but none said a word. Then, he sought out Ivan's panic-sticken face and it all became clear to him.
This was no joke, Dwygrand realized. This was worse than that. What this was, was the start of his worst dream: the destruction of Xastol. To have any dwarf take a life was bad enough, but for it to be his own son — his favorite son, who he'd hoped would take on his teachings and continue Xastol down its path of peace…
Dwygrand knew that the death of his son marked the death of the laws he'd given his life to uphold and instill in his people. Ivan's existence now represented a crossroads for him as not just a father, but a representative of Xastol's culture. It was a cruel test of fate: charge his son with murder, stain a legacy he'd spent hundreds of years furthering, and acknowledge that the rules could be broken easily and abandoned by not only the rulebreakers but the people such change would affect… or allow Ivan to live and acknowledge it all the same.
Dwygrand was overcome by the prospect of such impossibility and slowly shut down. His senses dulled, slipping from his mind like a whisper passing between his ears. The light in his eyes faded, too.
Banderd reached forward and touched his father's shoulder, not knowing that all sense of awareness his father might have held had now been forever exhausted. To make it even worse, not only did Dwygrand's eyes roll back into his head, but his nose began to bleed profusely as well.
"F-Father?" Banderd began. "Father!"
Ivan's shoulders sank at the sight of Dwygrand, pathetic and unresponsive. What the hell is going on?! Why did father collapse?! Damn it!!
His eyes welled with water, cursing his helplessness. He hated this feeling, just as he'd hated it when Gwentyn had given birth. Ivan felt unable to save or help anyone. Not his son, Ruo, or even himself.
No matter what I do — no matter how much I try to do the right things… Ivan felt a Sentry push his head into the snow and stop him from moving. He didn't fight back. …I can never do anything about the things that truly matter…
"Get him a stretcher," Banderd yelled. "NOW!"
Captain Upo gave him a quick nod and motioned two men to draw out a new stretcher for their Speaker. By the time they had raised the old dwarf, the snow under him took on a very dark red color; its iciness giving way to Dwygrand's ruby blood.
This is my fault! Banderd cursed himself. He placed his fingers over his father's neck and felt for a pulse. He's in shock!
He glared at the Sentries. The message was clear: "Get Dwygrand to the hospital now!"
The men didn't even bother to bow or nod. They lifted Dwygrand onto the stretcher and ran towards the opening in the blockade. Their Speaker needed them now. They couldn't let him down.
However, things only seemed to get worse. As the men ran past the crowd of people, Banderd's eyes fell on a figure running barefoot through the snow towards Ivan's home: a woman wearing something akin to a shawl, with a small brown-haired sprinter shortly behind her.
Ivan vaguely made out her face as she got closer and took in a sharp breath. "Xué..?!"
Indeed, it was none other than Ruo's own wife, Xué, who had been racing towards them. She had no doubt heard the news, Banderd thought with a pained look. His chest ached for her, knowing what would happen the moment she laid eyes on the body and prepared himself. This was bound to happen sooner or later.
"Let her through," Banderd said softly. "And hold Ivan upright."
The dwarfs did as told and lifted Ivan off of the snow, his face half-numb due to the cold and half-purple due to the swollen cheek their captain had given him minutes before after striking his mouth.
Xué darted through the crowd, pushing men and women as she went along — all in an effort to see her husband. NO, she thought. It can't be true! It can't! She forced her way forward, only a few feet away from the blockade with red eyes. She had been crying since before arriving.
Xué gave no regard to the looks people flashed her, mournful or otherwise, and stormed through the snow until she had ultimately arrived at the front of the blockade. My love, she cried, eyes finally locking with Ruo's motionless body. Please… Rise…
The guards moved to the side and lowered their heads. Xué's stride became more compact and slow. She ignored the stinging in the soles of her feet and the feeling of spikes penetrating her cheekbones. She just walked forward.
Flashes of Ruo entered her mind and disappeared within the same moment. Her husband was always a hard man to love. He was tough, stubborn, and strong-willed — all things he felt every dwarf should have had. Their families had arranged their marriage for the benefit of Xastol, and she had had no say in it. And despite her marrying into the Murong family, with no accolades or ability to speak of, Ruo never once mistreated her. He never once insulted her or made her feel unwanted. He accepted her for what she was: his wife.
When they'd first met, there was no love between the two. But there was understanding. Xué cherished that. That understanding became a treasure she held near and dear to her heart until it eventually transformed into something she felt proud to call "love". And now, her husband — a pillar she'd thought would never fall — lay still at her feet, unmoving and as stoic as he'd always been. She didn't have to see his full face to know that he'd died as stubbornly as he lived.
"...You fool…" she whimpered. She placed her fingers around his cheeks and kissed him tenderly. As she pulled back, a tear fell onto his lips. "You've left me alone again…"
She hiccuped and leaned forward, locking their foreheads against each other. "It's not a dream, is it..? You're not drunk like you always are, are you..?"
His skin felt cold to the touch. His lips didn't kiss back, nor did his heart call out to hers. He was devoid of breath and therefore devoid of life. Xué had always prided herself on being able to accept things for what they were, but now that gift felt like torture with every passing second. As much as she tried to convince herself that he was just asleep as a result of a night of heavy drinking, she knew Ruo would not answer him no matter what she did. In spite of that, a great pain erupted in her chest and filled every corner of her body with an indescribable sorrow as she threw her body over her husband's and howled.
Banderd's hand moved forward involuntarily to help, but a horror-struck voice cut through Xué's wails and the drifting snow, sending a shiver through Banderd's soul:
"...Father..?"
Hisagi Murong stood in the front of Ivan's yard, his dead father and weeping mother to his left, and the man who had supposedly caused it to his right. Banderd was the only thing standing between them all.
The Councilman's resolve shook the instant he'd laid eyes on the child. Ruo's death and his involvement in it — whether he knew it or not — had more gut-wrenching consequences than he could have ever been prepared for. Banderd considered it for a moment: taking the blame for everything that happened and revealing the true murderer's identity. But it would be impossible. Not only had things progressed to an irreversible stage, but the threat the intruder had posed made him sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that Xastol would lose hundreds more if they were to oppose him. Banderd knew that if the truth were to come out now, faith in the Council would crumble even more than what was happening now with Ivan; it would dissolve completely, and the people would want to fight. Such rashness would cause violence, and violence bred only sadness. It may have been selfish, but Banderd refused to have the blood of so many innocents on his hands. Placing his cause in the name of Xastol's safety helped him rationalize it and stay sane. But even the limits of that were being tested.
Hisagi's composed demeanour soured as his entire being shook with rage. His hair quaked under clenched fists, his nostrils flared with every glance from his father, to his mother, and then to Ivan. And then, came the tears. The tears of not only loss, but confusion. Why? Hisagi wondered. Why would his uncle kill his father?
Regardless, questions were never a substitute for rationale in high-stress situations. Banderd had been given a first-hand look at that during Ruo's defiance of the intruder. Perhaps that was why he knew what Hisagi was about to do before he even did it.
THOO!!
Hisagi threw himself at Ivan before Captain Upo could react. It was so spontaneous that not even Hisagi had realized he'd done it before he'd even done it. It was the first time he'd ever given in to his emotions in such a way — such a human way. Unluckily for him, Banderd was there to catch him and stop him in his tracks.
"Hisagi, no! Control yourself!!"
An animalistic howl spilled from Hisagi's lips as he fought against his uncle's arms. "DAMN YOU!" he screeched, attempting to claw at Ivan. Ivan flinched and jerked his head back, just narrowly avoiding losing an eye.
"DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU! DAMN IT ALLL!!" Hisagi boomed.
The onlookers watched in silence. This was violence, they all thought. This was the emotion Dwygrand had so often warned them all of; the thing to be better than and rise above. They stared, mesmerized as madness consumed Hisagi — one of their youngest and brightest — and felt within them a sense of united understanding. "This could not be them", they agreed silently. This could not be what dwarves were meant to be. If it were, then they would be no better than animals. No, they thought. Dwarves will be better — they would be better.
Banderd shared a similar sentiment. He gripped Hisagi tightly and sank to his knees, bringing the boy down with him, and shook his head. Surprisingly, another tear managed to leave Banderd's eye. He'd assumed he had exhausted them, but something about the young dwarf's struggle and confusion broke his heart into a million pieces.
"You mustn't, Hisagi," Banderd cried with a broken voice. "You are a dwarf! You must be better! You have to be!"
Hisagi's fists shook horribly as he raged, spittle and hot air escaping his mouth with every furious grunt. Banderd sobbed into the boy's hair and turned his tight embrace into a hug. "I understand your anger, I do, son, but sometimes…"
He looked at Ivan through the maelstrom of anguish and said: "...To help those we cherish most, we have to be strong. We must abandon how we feel to protect what's most important."
He felt Hisagi's arms slow and the slight shift in his breathing. "Think of your people," Banderd said. "Think of what happens to them if we do not lead by example."
Hisagi's arms dropped down to his side. His naturally neat hair fell before his face, mixing with his snot and tears until he looked like what he'd never wanted others to see him as:
A boy.
Though Ruo had never let him be that, Hisagi Murong was just a boy. A boy pressured with expectations who'd never received a word of commendation from his father a day in his life. Now, though Banderd was pressuring him with another choice… Hisagi, for the first time ever, felt heard. He felt seen. And as he sobbed, Hisagi felt for the first time the embrace of a father and the ability for once to not be a "true dwarf".
He could just cry.
"If nothing else," Banderd whispered. "Do it for yourself. Be Hisagi Murong, the scion of the great Murong clan! Be bold! Be courageous! Be daring! But most of all, be better than you were the day before! Just know this:"
He didn't know why, but Banderd recalled the intruder's last words to him before vanishing into the night earlier that evening. He slowly let Hisagi go, sure that he could trust him not to attack Ivan, and told him:
"The choice on how you continue will always belong to you."
Hisagi's eyes stuck to Ivan for a few moments before he looked at his mother. She had raised her head, finally alerted to his screaming, but by the look in her eye, Hisagi knew she couldn't stand. I was selfish, Hisagi thought. I threw myself at him like a dog, concerned only with my own anger… I wanted my father's approval, and for what? To be happy? Mother is the one actually suffering!
He stared at the ground and into the snow. His dropping tears were mixing, melting, and disappearing within the ice, practically mirroring his vanishing anger, replacing it with a clear-cut self-loathing. Banderd's words replayed in his mind:
"The choice on how you continue will always belong to you."
Hisagi thought for a moment and then clenched his fist, this time with a vow: I will be better. I'll make myself in the image of Arsaes and become a true dwarf. I swear it!
He buried his face into his elbow and cried again.
Ivan's lips trembled at the sight of the crying boy while he hung his head. Perhaps Banderd was right: the time for words is over, he thought. The people had already made up their minds about him. Nothing could be said or done at this stage to change their minds. The law was just too powerful for one man alone to challenge.
Banderd observed the change in Ivan's face and realized he'd given up. Though it pained him, it brought about a sense of catharsis in the sense that they could finally move past this. As miserable as it is… to protect the people, both of us have to become the necessary evil, Ivan. Chaos cannot rule in a world where order has reigned supreme.
Banderd rose from his knees and steeled himself. Father's Xastol must be the future our people look towards. I have to ensure it. My own feelings don't matter here, and they never will again. To be a true dwarf, they never can!
"Ivan Murong," Banderd said, the fire back in his eyes. "As the eldest son of Dwygrand Murong, and first acting chairman in the absence of my father, Dwygrand Murong…"
Ivan's eyes lowered. He'd accepted his fate.
"...I sentence you to imprisonment in Jianyu Prison, where you will forever live out the rest of your days in solitude, never to see the outside world ever again!"
The crowd released a confident "yes!" in unison and stared daggers his way.
"You will eat once a day, be revoked of all visiting privileges, and stripped of Sanctum Energy," Banderd continued. "Do you object?"
Banderd's eyes furrowed, praying that Ivan would agree.
"No," Ivan said. Banderd's heart skipped a beat. He knew it was hard, but it had to be done. If an appropriate punishment wasn't given, there would be outrage. Outrage would breed distrust in the Council, and distrust in the Council was tantamount to distrust in the law. Such distrust would only lead to anarchy.
"In light of your advancements in Xastol and your former position as a Councelor and Grandmaster Sanctum-Smith, I will grant you one request."
The snow settled into Ivan's hair, turning it white as the seconds passed.
"Answer him, you ungrateful piece of—" Upo began. Banderd raised his arm to interrupt and said, "Let him speak."
Ivan thought for a moment and recalled Gwentyn's words: "But you know deep, deep down that it's not entirely their fault. You have to teach Hidemi to understand that, okay? That no matter what happens, he's got to grow up loved and capable of loving others. That he will be good because you are good. That, my love, is how you'll prove them wrong."
I wasn't able to do it after all, Gwentyn. Ivan smiled ruefully and looked up at Banderd. But maybe Hidemi will. Then, the most shocking favor the ex-Councilman could have named came forward:
"I want you to banish my son."
Banderd's eyes went wide as confused chatter broke out amongst the citizens behind Ivan. To the very end, you're still thinking of that boy?
He breathed in through his nose and collected himself. "Very well," Banderd said. "I will make sure he has the accommodations to last a few weeks, but whatever happens after that will be out of my hands."
Ivan's eyes glimmered with soft hope as he smiled. "That's enough. Thank you, Councilman Banderd."
The title hit his brother's chest like an arrow. What a woeful existence he now led.
Banderd signaled Captain Upo to pick Ivan up and take him away. "Find the boy and escort him to the gates tonight. Be sure to handle him with care." Banderd said. He knew Hidemi had to leave tonight. News of Ivan's arrest would spread through the rest of the city like wildfire in the morning, and the boy would only be a target for the people's rage once Ivan was imprisoned.
As they dragged him away, Ivan's eyes met with Banderd's for a split second. In that moment, Banderd issued a silent apology: I'm sorry.
Ivan shook his head as he was whisked through the disgusted crowd. No, Banderd, he thought. I'm the one who should be sorry. I failed all of you.
Banderd could no longer cry. At long last, his eyes had run dry, but as he watched Ivan disappear with Upo and the Sentries, a pang of pain visited his eyes, forcing a headache to reverberate through his skull. The snow fell around him, slowly obscuring the dwarves that had gathered there and leaving only his brother's corpse in his line of sight. He was surrounded by pain and death. For that, he envied where Ivan was going: a place where he could be alone with no one to worry about and no customs to adhere to. A place where the law didn't matter and no one else could be hurt.
Ivan was the free one, and Banderd knew it.
[SILENCE IN UNDERSTANDING IV]