Return to Jorgaldur Volume III: blood warrior

Judge

"Who're you, and what're you doing here?" Golo demanded, as he looked at the vampiress with hostility.

"She's my friend! She saved me from Hrako!" Tili interrupted, to the keeper's surprise.

"Where's my son!?" the tribe chief intervened and demanded an answer.

"Dead. I killed him when he was stoning Tili," Gjaki replied dismissively.

"Damn... Keeper! Make her pay! She's killed one of our kin!" Hrako's father demanded, beside himself.

Golo looked at the vampiress with a frown. It was evident that she wasn't afraid of him. Besides, his instincts were telling him clearly that she was much more dangerous than her level showed. Furthermore, while it was true that the stranger had confessed to killing a goblin, she also seemed to have reasons for it. Though she needed to prove it.

It was then that the vampiress pulled some strange red threads and dragged a few goblins with them. They were already bandaged, and their ears covered.

The keeper tensed, not knowing what she was up to, or why they were bound. The village chief and the guards wanted to intervene, since they had recognized them as their people. Nonetheless, they didn't dare to take a step.

Gjaki walked over to one of them and removed the earplugs.

"Explain to me again why you attacked Tili, and who organized it," she demanded, while holding the cold metal of a dagger to his throat.

"I only did what Hrako and his father ordered me! I'm innocent! Hrako hated her, and the chief helped him organize it. They wanted to kill her for that humiliation," he assured.

"That's a lie! Damn traitor!" Hrako's father yelled.

"Chi... Chief..." the goblin paled when he heard him.

Gjaki didn't flinch, but walked over to the next one, and then the next, and the next. They all confessed their crimes, and accused the village chief.

"It's all a lie! She's threatened them! She's set them against me! Surely, they've been brainwashed!" the defendant argued.

"The accusations are serious, but I cannot rule out that they've been intimidated or controlled. Besides, I don't know if I can trust you, I don't know you. You're not even a goblin, so your word has no value in a trial of my people," the keeper stated grudgingly.

Actually, he tended to believe the accusations, but he couldn't make a decision without proof. The keeper often played the judge, and he knew he had to be impartial, stick to the facts and the laws of his people.

"I'm a goblin. Everything they've said is true," Tili intervened.

"Then, it's your word against his. Are there more witnesses?" Golo asked.

The rest doubted. They hadn't been direct witnesses, but they had heard the prisoners confessions. However, they couldn't rule out that it hadn't been under coercion.

"It's a bit cold of you to say that we don't know each other," Gjaki suddenly complained, wanting to sound sad.

"How do we know each other?" he asked, as he raised an eyebrow.

The keeper was sure that he would remember her if that were the case. The impression she gave him wasn't usual, nor easy to forget.

"Don't you remember my friends?" she asked. At the same time, she summoned a Bat, and sent it in front of the goblin.

His eyes widened when he saw it. Obviously, he had recognized it.

"How...? Did you warn us? Why...?" he asked, stunned.

"Back then, I was too weak to help them, so I called for help," she shrugged.

To everyone's surprise, Golo bowed to her.

"There're many who owe you their lives, and I owe you a great favor. For your actions, I name you honorary goblin. Your word can be heard. There're two witnesses, they're two against one," Golo sentenced.

"Wait! You cannot do that! She's a vampire!" the goblin boss revealed.

The keeper looked at her, questioning. He didn't like vampires.

"Yes, I'm a vampiress, but that doesn't mean I'm going to bite everyone. I'm not like that Krovledi monster," she said almost without thinking.

"Krovledi? Do you know her?" the keeper asked, while gritting his teeth and holding back his voice.

"Unfortunately. She tried to attack my family when she thought I wouldn't come back. We have a score to settle. Do you know where to find her?" Gjaki explained, with clear hostility.

"No. But if you need help against her, look for me," Golo offered. It was obvious that he hated her.

The goblin keeper then turned on Hrako's father, and immobilized him with the Hold spell. Almost all the keepers had it, as it was very useful in their job.

"Because of my status as keeper, and having been recognized as a judge by the Green Council, you are detained. Your position as chief of this village is revoked. If anyone wants to speak for or against him, they can do it now. I promise to protect you," he assured.

What he didn't expect was to be overwhelmed by the village's people. They didn't want to waste this unique opportunity, in which Gjaki and the keeper were there, in addition to the village chief retained. An elderly goblin was the first who decided to accuse them of other crimes, the chief and his accomplices.

When the keeper heard it, and put him under his protection, others were also encouraged, and others. In the end, most of the village spoke out against a few, their chief included, which surprised the hunters from the other tribes. They could never have imagined that the situation had reached this point. They had been oppressed by threatening their relatives if anyone said anything.

They had never seen their keeper so furious before. He didn't hesitate to Hold all the accomplices, not so gently. He felt outraged and disappointed by his fellow people. Golo felt also embarrassed for not having suspected anything. He wasn't the only one.

All of them would be brought before the Green Council, the goblins coordinating organization. There, with the help of the truth seeker if necessary, they would decide the final sentence of those who were a shame to their kin. Golo had no doubt that it wouldn't be lenient.

Gjaki accompanied the hunters to their villages, and brought the result of the hunt with her. That way, they didn't need to cure the meat before going, and could treat it leisurely with the help of all the village.

The last one was Tili's, where she stayed for a few more hours. Otherwise, the children wouldn't have forgiven her. She said goodbye to return to the mansion, where they were waiting for her. She had already been there a while ago to let them know, but they wanted to know more.

As she arrived, she took the opportunity to bite her cow a little.