1.43.2 The News

Once they reached the mayor's house, the mayor offered them dry clothes and towels, which Michael and Liam gladly accepted.

"So what is this about, mayor?" Liam said once they were dry and sitting among the village council, fire crackling in the hearth.

The council members exchanged uneasy glances before turning their collective attention to the mayor. "Please do explain why you have summoned the council so early in the morning, and during a storm, no less." 

The mayor looked everyone in the eye before he spoke with a sigh. "Over the past week, three villages near us have been destroyed. We …"

Two people from the Council stood up, the chairs they were sitting on toppling behind them. "Why are we only hearing this now? Explain yourself!"

The mayor's expression hardened. "Don't you take that tone with me," he snapped, glaring daggers at them. "You may be the village council, but I am still your mayor."

The pair of them wilted at those sharp eyes of the Mayor, while the other council members shook their heads with pure disappointment.

Michael almost laughed at the two of them. It seemed those two were the loudest dogs with no bite to them.

Of course, these disapproving eyes of the mayor were nothing to scoff at. Michael could almost believe the man could stare down a lion.

"Are you really that blind to think I would keep such dire news from my people, when the entire village could be in danger? Do you take me for a mayor who cannot see past the power of his seat? Now stop acting like a pair of Naika-blinded fools and sit down. Honestly, what were the villagers thinking, vouching for the two of you for the seat in the village council? I am sure they regret it now. You two are nothing but trouble."

The two councilmen went beet red, further deflating under the mayor's scathing words. They quickly obeyed, resetting their chairs and slumping into them, maintaining a clear distance from the rest of the council.

Liam leaned close to Michael, his voice a whisper in his ears. "Those two have been complaining about the stupidest things after the landslide, while everyone else is trying their best to recover."

Michael eyed the pair of them with scorn. "I guess wherever you go, there are always people like them who bring nothing but trouble for the people around them."

Liam nodded in agreement.

"Those two are the grandsons of the previous mayor, and I think they believe one of them should have been appointed to the mayor's seat."

 "Of course they do," Michael said with a scoff.

It was always the people like them who wanted more power, whether they could handle the responsibility of it or not.

After the meeting room was silent, the mayor finally explained the situation.

"Our tradesman went to other villages to trade with them just a day before the landslide. The three villages I mentioned were intact when he passed by them."

The mayor paused, and drink from the glass filled with spiced wine. Michael and Liam left their glass untouched.

"Tell us what happened to those villages," one of the councilmen spoke.

But once the first member of the Council spoke, others began to ask their own questions, speaking on top of each other, all the voices mixing to produce an incomprehensible noise.

Was the council meeting always this chaotic? Michael thought.

The mayor raised his hand, silencing the room. Michael's respect for the mayor grew. The older man could stop stubborn people from talking with only a gesture, without raising his voice. The mayor had more authority over the council than he had first expected. Though, he only used it when it was necessary it seemed.

"Please have patience. I will explain everything and answer all your questions in due time," he said and continued on with his narration.

"After the Tradesman finished this business, he began his return journey only to find the village he had left behind not a day ago was in ruins. There was no sign of life, all the villagers butchered. Not even children were spared. The next village after that and the next village were also in the same condition. The Tradesman rode his horse to near death, only to bring us this news. He arrived a few hours ago."

 "You left out what destroyed the villages," someone said.

 The council murmured, demanding answers.

"It was the work of Titan Spawns. Anyone from the Naiker's field who was alive seven years ago would recognise their handiwork."

Liam who was sitting next to him stiffened. He was clenching his fist so hard that he began to bleed from both his palms. It did not take a genius to recognise there was a terrible history between his friend and the so-called Titan Spawns. 

Worry gnawed at Michael. What had happened so long ago to bring about such a reaction from his friend.

The mayor's answer initiated another onslaught of questions, to which answer one by one. When he did not have an answer, he was honest about it.

Eventually, the exchange of questions and answers shifted into discussions about the future of the village. Now that they knew what was happening to the other villages.

"Are you going to drink that?" The councilwoman sitting next to him asked as they discussed their strategy.

Michaels shook his head, handing the wine cup he had no intention of drinking himself. The woman clearly wanted to drink it. She took the cup with a murmur of thanks.

The discussion continued for hours, Michael took that time to talk to Liam.

"Liam, you are awfully quiet," Michael said, not knowing how else to start a conversation with his distraught friend.

"Michael … I … I—"

"You do not have to tell me if it's too difficult."

Liam relaxed his fist and let out a deep breath. "No, I want you to hear this."

Michael nodded and waited patiently for his friend to tell him what had happened to him seven years ago.