"Help! Someone, help me please!" A feminine voice screamed as she rolled uncontrollably in the dirt.

"Get away from her! Haaa." A male voice came to the rescue.

The man and woman passing by stopped. "What was that?" The woman asked.

"It's probably nothing, let's go", The man replied. He tried grabbing her waist but she shook free and ran towards the alleyway. The man chased after her.

On getting there, she found a girl on the ground covered in mud. Her clothes were torn and she was half naked. A man stood at her back breathing heavily and behind him was a young boy, lying motionless on the ground.

"What happened?" She asked, her face filled with concern.

"H-He tried to r-rape me", the girl replied pointing at the young boy.

"What??!!" The woman was enraged.

"Thankfully h-he helped me", she added, pointing at the man.

"It's nothing. Men like him are scum", Hopas said then spat on him.

The woman marched angrily towards the young boy, sat on him and started offloading slaps on him. "You absolute waste of a human! How dare you?! How dare you?! How dare you??!!!"

The man she was with came over and tried restraining her but she turned and punched him straight in his family jewels. "Aaah! Scum!!" She screamed. By that time her screams had drawn in a crowd.

People couldn't stand watching her brutally beat the already unconscious boy, so they dragged her off him and pulled the boy out of the alleyway.

"Ha! That's Jerome Dernewt! Son of one of the Elders!" Someone shouted.

Then people began murmuring, "What? The son of an Elder? How?", "Has he no shame?", "Who does he think he is, trying to rape a girl because his father is an Elder", "Tch, that's disgusting."

"Ravea! Are you okay?" Ravea's mother screamed from within the crowd. Soon her father came out, then her sister.

"What happened?" They asked.

"I-I took a break from working and came outside to receive a little fresh air. Then I noticed a figure approaching me from deep within the alley. When I asked who was there, he introduced himself and went ahead to boast of how his father was the wealthiest Elder and how he was going to make I and my family wealthy as well if I let him sleep with me."

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Everyone sighed in shock and disbelief.

"When I refused, he offered me some money as down payment", She pointed at the pouch of silver coins that laid on the floor near the alleyway, "But I still refused. So he got annoyed and tried to r-rape me. But the man over there ran over and stopped him."

The people were enraged. They carried him through the main street, all the way to his father's house, chanting in anger. The attention of the other elders were soon drawn to the commotion outside.

Mr. Dernewt stepped out of his house as well, he didn't really have a choice since the people were at his doorstep.

"What sort of nonsense is this?!" Mr. Dernewt said angrily as he stepped outside. His wife stood silently behind him.

"That's what we've come to ask you? You're a man chosen by the gods to serve him on our behalf, you're kind, humble and a man of integrity. That's why we want to know why your son is a scum of a human!" Someone replied.

"What did you just say?" Mr. Dernewt, unfazed by the preceding compliments, asked in mild annoyance.

Jerome's body was dropped on the ground in front of the crowd for his father to see.

"Jerome!" His mother gasped then ran and held him in her arms.

"Your son here was caught trying to publicly rape a girl after she refused his approach on her."

"What? That's a lie! Jerome would never do something like that!" His mother defended him.

"What proof do you have?" His father asked.

"Jerome's character is proof enough, don't tell me you believe what these people are saying?" His mother retorted.

"My duty is to serve the people of this village. I can't afford to be impartial in a situation like this. Even if my family is involved" Mr. Dernewt replied.

"We're grateful for your fairness Elder", the speaker said.

"I still need proof", he replied.

After she was clothed and bathed, the villagers went ahead to bring Ravea to the Elders, where she described what ensued between her and Jerome all over again. Mr. Dernewt admitted sending his son into the village to settle his bill with Mr. Semira, the father of Ravea Semira. And he also admitted to losing his purse early on that day. Even though it made a little sense, they still needed hard proof and that would be only given by a witness. With the only witness to the incident being Hopas, not even Jerome's claim of innocence could save him.

The people were pleased. They rejoiced and hailed Mr. Dernewt for his fairness and sense of justice. Mrs. Dernewt was far from pleased.

"Harvey he's your son. You've known him since the day he entered this world, do you really think he can do something like that?" Hilma asked, her eyes red from crying.

"I didn't have a choice", he replied.

"You always have a choice! You're an Elder!"

"Exactly, I'm an Elder. I have a duty to the people of this village!"

"You're a father and you have a duty to your family!!" She screamed.

He stood up from the chair he was sitting on. "What would people think?"

"Who cares what they think?"

He turned and faced her, "Why would you say that? We do, we care what the people think", he turned away, "At least we should. If they think I'm incapable of making clear and fair decisions, they won't recognize me as an Elder anymore, do you know what that would mean for our family?"

"The people didn't choose you to become an Elder. The gods did. If they go against you doesn't that mean that they're going against the gods?"

"That's a naîve way of thinking."

"Regardless, you act like it's a crime to fight for the people you love."

Mr. Dernewt said nothing.

That night, he decided to have a word with his son.

"I've always trained you to be a man. To accept the consequences of your actions. So I need to hear it from you here and now, did you do it?" He asked.

Jerome was in his room. Most of his head was bandaged due to injuries he sustained at the hands of the villagers.

"Answer me!"

"No, no I didn't. How many times do I have to say it for you to believe me", he replied.

"Then tomorrow state your claim fervently in front of the Council of Elders. I'll do my best to support you."

Jerome smiled, his father believed him, there was hope.