Chapter 33: After the red mist

When Zaine's red haze cleared, he was staring at the floor. There was so much blood. He made a step forward, and slipped on it. Falling hard on the floor, he was face to face with a caved in face.

Heaving, Zaine rolled to the side. A small shape dragged itself to him. He looked down. It was the raccoon. He took the fur ball, as gently as he could. Zaine could feel the broken ribs.

"You will be ok," the berserker told the animal. "You need a vet. Oh God, I killed someone."

Zaine knew that he needed to first explain to sheriff Rocco about what happened here, but his little friend was whining pitifully, so, he got up, walked out of the house and into the night, and didn't even bother to lock the door.

He was so out of it that he didn't notice when he got to the vet clinic. It was still open, and he walked in. The doctors gasped as they saw him.

"Young man, what is this? Did you get mauled by a bear?" The receptionist asked, and Zaine shook his head.

"Thieves, in the house. I..." Zaine held out the raccoon, whose eyes were closed. If it wasn't for the feint heartbeat of the small animal, he would have broken down entirely.

"Is this animal hurt?" She asked. "Thieves? I need to send a messenger to sheriff Rocco. You wait in here."

"Wait, the raccoon," Zaine murmured, but the receptionist was gone. A vet came and took the raccoon from him, and Zaine was left to sit on one of the chairs.

The sheriff soon entered the building, and he made a beeline for Zaine.

"What happened, boy?" The gruff old man asked, and Zaine began to explain. His voice was shaking, so were his hands. By the end, he was holding back tears.

"You have the right to remain silent, and the right to a lawyer," the sheriff said, as he took out some chains from his bottomless bag. "I am sure lord Elathana will provide you with one."

Zaine didn't resist, as the chains were around him. He walked behind the sheriff all the way to the police station. When his bloody clothes were exchanged for orange ones, he finally realized the situation he was in.

Sure, it had been a quest, but there were different rules when it came to quests in urban territories. Killing was taboo, unless there was a great need.

An hour later, his family was before his cell. Filarion looked pale, Johnny looked angry.

"You couldn't have just roughed the thugs up?" Johnny hissed, and Zaine looked down at his hands.

"The raccoon got thrown to the ground. I heard the ribs..." Zaine began, as in a trance, but Johnny growled at him.

"Filarion gave you the handbook to read. You know that. Zaine, were you in a bloodlust, or did you know what you were doing?" Johnny asked, and Zaine balled his fists at his side.

"I don't know what came over me, ok? One moment the raccoon was on the ground, the next I was standing over corpses," Zaine yelled. Johnny's eyes softened.

"We will get you out of here," Filarion said, as he took a hold of one of the bars. "If I can get out, then so can you."

"I am a murderer," Zaine managed to get out, and then began to blink back tears. "Those people had families. Families that..."

"They would have killed you, had they had the chance," Filarion told him softly. "Or done worse."

The distant memory of one of the thieves calling him kitten made Zaine shudder. Maybe Filarion was right. Had he not fought back...

"Big bro, you will be well. I am certain that you will be out of here by the end of the week," Gregory said, and then looked at Filarion. "Right, Fil?"

"Right," the elf nodded, and then the guard who had the first shift came and stood to the side.

"Your time is up. Leave now," he grumbled, and Filarion glared at him.

"Just..." Filarion began, but the guard glared at him right back.

"Leave now," the guard repeated, and Zaine watched as his family got out of the hall. Before they were completely out of sight, Zaine yelled:

"There is a raccoon at West Allele Veterinary Clinic. Take it home, when they release it," Zaine called, and he heard a hum of agreement from Filarion.

Alone in his cell, Zaine buried his face in his hands. This was a nightmare. He had been so happy, when he got the badge. The guild was going to do something to get him out, surely. They were responsible for his conduct on quests. If they stood idle, then Filarion was going to turn over mountains to give him back his freedom.

Then, there was the elephant in the room. Zaine couldn't control his bloodlust. That realization hit him like a sledgehammer. What use was a berserker, who turned into a wild beast, every time he felt bloodlust?

Were his adventuring days over? Should he think about a different future? He only knew how to fight, all thanks to Filarion and all the trainers at the estate, and how to farm.

Maybe, if he got out of here while still young, then he could beg Filarion to get him a small farmstead somewhere. Then, Zaine wouldn't have to kill. Or fall into a bloodlust.

The morning found him dead tired. He hadn't slept the entire night. Sheriff Rocco came to his cell, and looked inside.

"Not even a year after you became an Elathana, and you are already a murderer," the sheriff told him, disappointment dripping from his voice. "Your bail has been paid. If it hadn't been for Marius, I wouldn't have even announced it."

The door opened, and Zaine stood on shaky legs.

"If I catch you with another murder, one that is not on a bandit camp, I will make sure you rot in the dungeons under the village," the sheriff growled, and the escorted Zaine back to the berserker's family.