Chapter 10: Five Angry Amberkin

Derek didn't get his vision back for what felt like days, and it took even longer before he could finally blink away the last lingering white spots. He was thankful to get it back, even if it only meant he got to see his jail cell and amberkin equivalent of a jailer more clearly. The guard looked eerily similar to Teetch, like carbon copied, save for the vastly different pattern of veins underneath his skin and the fact he wasn't nearly as skinny as Teetch. Derek would have liked to see the amberkin SWAT Team that had blinded and arrested him but had to settle for feeling their spindly but muscular hands tie him up and carry him to his jail cell.

Derek's prison cell had the same floor space, if not a little more than his tiny home, and the ceiling was human height, unlike most of the Giild. Later, Derek learned it was because the amberkin had specifically crafted the cell for him. Teetch's cell was across the hall from Derek's and had little bars through which the little amberkin could see and talk to Derek. The walls were fresh and smooth, and the floor had a little slanted grate in the corner for Derek to do any business. He resisted using it, but when hours stretched into days, Derek finally had to suffer the indignity of squatting in front of Teetch. At least when Derek begged for something to wipe with, they gave him some rolled-up golden paper similar to the stuff Teetch had used to send a message to Kaagen.

Derek thought being in jail could've been worse, but the amberkin didn't have much experience with criminals. They erred on the side of courtesy, to Derek at least. They let him keep his phone and all his fishing equipment. They were open about not considering him a threat. To be fair, he wasn't. Even if he escaped, there was no way he could get back to Golden Lake without Teetch, and Teetch wasn't going anywhere. Derek asked the little guy why he didn't just Shape himself a way out. If all the other amberkin did it, why couldn't he? Teetch explained it was sacrilegious to Shape pre-existing Amber and that he wasn't a Shaper. That ended the discussion.

Derek wished he'd been blind when they brought him his first meal, but Teetch assured him the brown sludge would taste like chicken. For once, Teetch was right. Chicken with the consistency of Jello, but it did taste like chicken. He explained that it was the same Nutrient Goop they used to feed livestock, Seekers, and Swoopers, and yes, Teetch used the words Nutrient Goop. The food the guards brought Teetch looked far more appetizing, but all of it had a gold tinge that revealed its Amber content, therefore off-limits for Derek.

The prison cell they'd Shaped for both Teetch and Derek had slits built to allow natural light to filter in, and it also allowed Derek to track how long they kept him in prison. Assuming the day-night cycle was similar to the Human Realm, they spent over thirty days imprisoned, but it got hard to keep track after a while. Derek even tried to do that thing where they mark the days with little hash marks in prison movies, but the materials they used in the walls proved surprisingly resilient. A pre-prison Derek might have considered it a waste of a Seekerclaw Hook, but Prison Derek didn't have anything better to use them on.

Derek received no visitors, while Teetch received hundreds. All but two of them didn't speak to him. The average amberkin looked at him through the bars with expressions ranging from disgust to fear to hatred. Derek had to admit he found the guy annoying occasionally, but the treatment the kin gave him felt overboard.

The two visitors who did talk to Teetch in that month of imprisonment were at least semi-interesting and helped alleviate the mindless activities of staring at the walls or pestering Teetch. The first visitor was a female amberkin named Preevka. Female amberkin didn't look all that different from male amberkin, but their ears pointed up instead of down, accompanied by eyes shaped like almonds. Kindness radiated from those almonds. She showed Teetch a lot of sympathy and asked him about his time in the Human Realm. Teetch bore her motherly ministrations in a stony silence until she left, but she did tell him she would fight on his behalf before she left. Teetch muttered, saying it was "too late" under his breath, but Derek didn't think she'd heard.

Teetch's other visitor was Kaagen himself. This amberkin looked the most similar to Teetch, but probably because he was wearing the same set of robes, just quite a bit cleaner and less torn. Sometimes, it felt like Kaagen's veins spelled out words or glyphs, but then he would shift, and there'd be nothing. Kaagen did not get the silent treatment. Every time Kaagen tried to explain himself, Teetch hissed or spat at the other scholar, telling him that Vaasla would be ashamed of what he'd become. Kaagen had more patience for the childlike tantrum than Derek would have, and eventually, Teetch calmed down enough to let Kaagen say his piece. Kaagen told Teetch that he'd given the Heretic enough time to reach the Queen out of respect for their friendship but had to alert the guards at some point to protect himself. Kaagen also said that there was no point in getting them both imprisoned and branded as Heretics. Derek thought the other scholar made a lot of sense, but Teetch said this betrayal dimmed in comparison to Kaagen's other betrayals. When Kaagen finally shuffled off, golden liquid leaked down the corners of his eyes.

Watching a set of old friends falling out reminded Derek uncomfortably of his old friends and how they, one by one, went back on all the promises they'd made when they were kids. Derek didn't expect to relate to Teetch on that level, but he did. Derek could tell that Teetch missed Kaagen, even while the other scholar stood before him. Teetch missed the old days and the people the two of them used to be. Been there, done that, little buddy.

When Derek reached out to Teetch and shared stories of childhood days of friends long gone, Teetch finally opened up a little bit about his past. He explained that there used to be two types of Flow or ways to work the Amber. Carvers and Shapers. Shapers worked Amber outside their bodies, while Carvers focused on working the Amber within. Carvers started to fall out of favor gradually even before the Desiccation, shifting from an equal amount of amberkin believing in both systems until only a tiny fraction of Carvers remained, of which Vaasla, Kaagen, and Teetch were the last dregs of an entire faith. When the Flow Reclaimed Vaasla, under mysterious circumstances, Kaagen gave up Carving, leaving Teetch the last Carver. The other kin treated him scornfully, but it wasn't until the Queen never woke from her slumber that the Wheel branded Carving heresy. Teetch refused to give up Carving or Vaasla's teachings. He feared the direction of the Giild, stole the Great Scroll of Hero of Prophecy, and found Derek. In this long rant, Teetch admitted that he regretted his actions had hastened the Desiccation and would accept whatever punishment the Wheel deemed rationable. That was the most talkative Teetch was during their imprisonment. Even with a steady influx of Amber-laden food, Teetch never regained his vibrant glow.

The days passed by in a mind-numbing haze. There wasn't enough room in Derek's cell to practice Improved Cast, and he worried that if he started doing anything Angler-y, they might take his phone away. Teetch seemed to have given up on any chance of an escape attempt, and when Derek asked him about it, he said they had nowhere to go. The Gate to Golden Lake was closed, and they were at the top of the Uwoom. Derek wouldn't accept their fate, so he did bodyweight workouts, mostly push-ups and sit-ups, and vowed to escape if a moment presented itself. The moment never presented itself, but Derek felt good that he hadn't allowed himself to wallow around during his imprisonment. He felt like the old Derek would've given up with the heavily stacked odds against them. The more Teetch and the Queen needed him, the less Derek thought about his problems and how dire his situation looked.

When a cluster of twenty guards came to retrieve Derek and Teetch, the duo learned why the Wheel had been ignoring them for the last month. It was because the amberkin wanted to make a public example of Teetch. They'd spent all that time creating a public courthouse for Teetch's trial before every single amberkin in the Giild. Teetch wasn't exaggerating when he said their cells were at the top of the Uwoom. Derek felt like they descended well over fifty floors under escort. As technologically advanced as the amberkin felt in some aspects, they still hadn't invented anything remotely resembling an elevator. Their twenty-guard escort was respectful but insistent that they keep up a brisk pace, and by the time they arrived at the trial venue, Derek would've sworn sweat drenched every inch of his body.

Derek didn't know how many amberkin lived in Othiamphuus, but he wouldn't have been surprised if every single one was in attendance. The Wheel had taken the time to erect an ancient Roman-style colosseum structure that was somehow attached to the Uwoom. Derek would've sworn it was impossible without seeing it with his own eyes. He couldn't imagine this massive stadium appended to the tall spire, but there wasn't any alternative. Teetch and Derek hadn't stepped a foot outside in over a month. He would've known.

The building resembled an indoor high school track in shape, with stadium seating on one end and a raised platform that stood at the structure's highest point on the other side. Derek and Teetch's escort marched them to the top of that highest platform where they could look down on the assembled masses. From the top, Derek could see a half-circle of six throne-like seats. All but one of them were occupied. He assumed they were the infamous Wheel. When Teetch reached the platform's top, a brief hush fell over the crowd of nearly twenty thousand amberkin, followed by a wave of hissing boos and jeers. Derek expected to get hit by a couple of raw tomatoes based on the crowd's energy.

When Derek reached the platform's top after Teetch, a guard instructed them to kneel. Derek didn't respond quickly enough, and something hard jabbed into the back of the knee, causing him to lurch forward. Derek thought he would tip off the platform for a brief, unsettling moment but managed to regain his balance before settling into a kneeling position next to Teetch. His heretical friend stared at a blank space on the smooth molded platform, his eyes downcast, and he refused to look at the crowd below. Derek tried to imagine if everyone in Golden Lake was giving him that treatment, and he knew he wouldn't have handled it with nearly as much composure as the usually hot-headed amberkin.

A deep, booming voice cut through the general chatter: "The Trial of Teetch kin Baaltha the Heretic for the crimes of stealing the Great Scroll of Hero of Prophecy and practicing heretical arts that run contrary to the Preservation of the Giild begins now!"

There had to have been an easier way to say that.

Judging by the crowd's attention, the speaker had to be the little guy standing in the center of the semicircle on the stadium/courtroom floor. He didn't have a microphone but had no problems projecting his voice through every inch of the stadium. Derek wondered if this was some magical version of sound amplification or if Amber structures just had excellent acoustics. When Judge Amberkin started speaking, Teetch's expressionless mask slipped, and Derek could see Teetch's teeth bared in anger, and his veins flared just a bit brighter.

The same masculine voice continued, "I, Spoke Juunor, will adjudicate the proceedings." A wave of cheers followed this pronouncement, and Junoor waited with practiced patience for the cheering to subside before he continued, "It is no secret among those gathered here today that Teetch kin Baaltha is guilty, but it is a testament to the sanctity and fairness of the Giild that he receive a fair trial. These five Spokes of the Wheel will render Judgment. If they cannot reach a majority vote, Teetch kin Baaltha will walk free, but if even three Spokes vote guilty, the Giild of Othiamphuus will fit him a punishment that matches the magnitude of his crimes." Juunor paused again like he were a showman working the crowd. This time he let the crowd boo and hiss at Teetch. The jeering for Teetch lasted a lot longer than the cheering for Juunor. Although Derek was too far away to read Juunorr's facial expression, Derek just knew it was the smirk of self-satisfaction worn by those who loved to abuse any modicum of power, "When the trial of Teetch kin Baaltha concludes, the Trial of Derek no kin shall begin, for the crimes of illegally obtaining the Giild's store of Unaspected Mana, interrupting the Flow, and disturbing the slumber of our beloved Queen."

Before he knew what he was doing, Derek was on his feet with a rebuttal, "Hold up now, I didn't choose to obtain any Mana. As far as the other stuff goes, how was I supposed to know that was a crime? I didn't hurt anyone. Some would argue I did too little. But I can see you all aren't about to let a few facts ruin a perfectly good trial. It sounds like you people decided before we even got here." Derek said, addressing the general direction of the Wheel. His voice resounded through the coliseum, sharing in the magical sound amplification. A hush fell over the crowd.

"Kneel, Derek Dunn," Teetch whispered, "You only make things worse for yourself. The Wheel will surely not pass a harsh sentence on an outsider. This trial aims to make an example of me, the last Carver. Your trial is merely an addendum for ceremonicol purposes."

"You accuse the Wheel of offering an unfair trial?" Juunor asked, his booming voice laced with subtext. He was giving Derek one last chance to opt-out.

"Did I stutter?" Derek asked, stepping forward but aware of how high the drop would be if he fell, "You didn't even give us any lawyers. Why even hold a trial if you know the verdict beforehand? At least have the courage to admit you're doing this for the fanfare and the attention. Don't pretend this has anything to do with your so-called righteous sanctity and fairness."

Derek could see some members of the crowd muttering amongst themselves. Still, he didn't know if it was because he had some people examining their beliefs more closely or if they were aghast at the crazy Human derailing the proceedings. Juunor turned and seemed to confer with the other Spokes of the Wheel in hushed tones. Judging by body language, they looked like they were locked in a fierce argument with lots of hand waving. However, when Juunor addressed the crowd again, he sounded calm and collected, like everything was unfolding as planned.

"By a slim majority, the Wheel has ruled there is merit to the Human's logic. We have agreed to discuss our deliberations openly, and both the Huamn and the Heretic may interject and state their case if they feel the Wheel has erred in some way." Juunor said, sounding too confident, and Derek worried he'd given the guy exactly what he wanted, which seemed to be more attention. The more they drew this process out, the more this Juunor would eat it up with a spoon, "The Wheel seeks Preservation in all things. By making this process transparent, the good kin of Othiamphuus will experience this firsthand, and also, a Human may glimpse what it truly means to be kin. After all, as he says, it is not his fault he's become attached to the Heretic."

MythMaker sounded in Derek's pocket, the ever-familiar sound of a sword leaving its sheath, notifying Derek of a side quest. He didn't see any harm in checking his phone. It's not like we can be in a worse position than this.

Derek Dunn: Ace Attorney

The amberkin are an ancient people steeped in tradition, disinclined to change their ways. An open trial is a first in amberkin history. Do not waste this opportunity.

No pressure.

"Teetch may be the only amberkin I know, but that doesn't change the fact that he is everything a good amberkin should strive to be. I've known him closely for the last couple of months, probably too closely, and if there is one thing that is a constant to his very being, it is his love for the Giild. I would attest that no amberkin loves his people or his Queen more than Teetch. What more could you ask for?"

"You're wasting your time, Derek Dunn. They've decided what kind of kin I am long before this farce of a trial. Your futile arguments will not get them to see me in a different light. The kin need a villain. It is too painful to lay the blame at all of our feet. Truth is not a factor in this equation."

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Derek turned to his friend and asked, "You're going to let them do this to you? What would the Queen say? Or Vaasla?"

Teetch didn't look up, "They've given up. Why shouldn't I? Leave the kin to their fate. There is some solace in that I won't be around to witness it."

"Is that what he told you, Human? That he loves the Queen and the Giild? Teetch kin Baaltha cares for one thing: himself. As the Desiccation threatened to take us all, he buried his nose in his scrolls. He did not even act when his mentor needed him most. I have a hard time imagining a more selfish creature. None can guess why he stole our Great Scroll, but I can assure you it was to serve his own ends. If he truly loved the Giild and the Queen, he would've sought to aid the Wheel, the Queen's chosen council, the kin who maintain Preservation and still hear the whispers of the Millennia Queen. It was her words, whispered to I, Spoke Juunor, denouncing the heretical art of Carving."

Teetch snorted at that last statement, but he still didn't speak in his defense.

"It is with our deepest regrets that the Heretic has entangled you in his schemes, Human, but the fact remains that you possess the kin's greatest treasure through no fault of your own. However, you have also committed crimes against the Queen, Othiamphuus, and the Realm. To Preserve our way of life, we must make an example of those who would threaten it intentionally or not."

A murmur of agreement ran through the crowd that morphed into an uproarious applause by the end. Derek didn't know what to do. Evidence and testimonies didn't matter. The kin acted like he, and Teetch's guilt was a foregone conclusion, but Juunor was trying to accentuate and exaggerate the severity of said crimes, so if Derek argued the reverse, maybe he could gain some traction. He and Teetch were guilty, but if he could sway the crowd that they'd done it in their best interest, it might force the Spokes to give them a lighter punishment. Derek didn't know the amberkin well, but something told him that execution was still on the table.

"I've learned enough from your so-called Heretic to know that the Wheel spits in the face of Preservation!" Derek shouted back.

The crowd gasped but didn't seem as angry as Derek would have thought. Maybe opinions weren't as one-sided as Teetch implied.

"Explain yourself, Human," a new voice said. It was another Spoke of the Wheel. They sounded familiar and curious about Derek's statement rather than upset.

"Yes, I demand you elaborate at once, Human," Juunor said, clearly wanting to have the last word.

Derek paused dramatically, channeling his ability to get underneath anyone's skin. If Teetch had taught him anything, amberkin could be just as easy to annoy as humans. Derek waited until enough time passed that he wasn't directly responding to Juunor's command, and instead of addressing the Wheel, Derek addressed the crowd.

"Doesn't it seem like a Wheel focused on Preservation would not hoard Amber for themselves?" Derek asked, trying to remember what Teetch had told him about their fishing ritual, "Kindaala may be gone, but it seems to me that the Wheel is not an equitable substitute, so why should they get the Amber? It should rejoin the Flow." Derek wasn't even sure he knew what the Flow was, but Teetch seemed to treat it with reverence. It had the same effect on the crowd.

"Who are you to question the Queen's will, Human? Our lady has instructed The Wheel to gather Amber for a time of dire need."

Teetch scoffed, "The Queen would never do such a thing." He muttered the words under his breath, but Derek ran with it.

"That doesn't sound like something the Millennia Queen would do. She loved the kin and wanted Amber to be with them, a part of the Flow." Derek said, "It sounds to me like the Wheel is hoarding the Amber for themselves."

"That's enough!" Juunor bellowed, "The kin care not for the words of some Human and a heretic. The kin know who has been looking after their best interests since the abandonment of their Queen." The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, and they didn't sound nearly as pleased with Juunor as earlier, and Juunor sounded less self-assured. The muscular amberkin seemed accustomed to telling people what to do, but logical discussions weren't his strong point. When everyone views your words as directly from the Queen, you probably never learn how to argue. Everyone probably just scrambles to do this guy's bidding.

Derek opened his mouth, ready to push his advantage, but Teetch spoke, "The Queen never abandoned us. We've abandoned her. She needs the kin now more than ever, but we have been too quick to abandon the old ways. The Wheel may not view the Desiccation of other Giilds and what is currently happening to our Giild as a disastrophe, but I, Teetch kin Baaltha, do. While the Wheel pretends they have everything under control, they've forgotten the teachings and face of our Queen."

Derek prepped himself for boos and hisses that never came. They were listening to Teetch, and some even unconsciously nodded approvingly. Juunor started to respond in anger, but another Wheel member stopped him. It was the one who sounded familiar, "It is true Teetch kin Baaltha used to have the ear of the Queen, but no longer. He was not there the day she instructed we five Spokes to store and nurture our precious Amber. She told us to prepare for the day we would need it most. That day has not yet arrived, my fellow kin." She stopped and turned to one side of the colosseum, like it were a more intimate conversation, "We know the precious sacrifices you have made and continue to make. We have not forgotten the face of the Queen or you, our fellow kin; we merely wait as instructed. For that fateful day, we need it most. Teetch kin Baaltha is not wrong—that day fast approaches. What Teetch has done cannot be forgiven, but no one can deny his passion for the Giild. I move to bring him back to the Uwoom, where he belongs, to help us prepare for the ravages of the Desiccation."

After the Spoke delivered her speech, Derek remembered where he recognized the voice. It was the female amberkin who visited Teetch during his imprisonment, Preevka. The way the crowd responded to her reasonable and measured statements almost made it seem like she had planned for this, and the trial was unfolding in the orderly sequence she'd planned from the start. The crowd that had been ready to murder Teetch and Derek had been replaced with a more thoughtful, introspective bunch, turned away from thoughts of execution and instead made to think about the fate of the Giild. However, the crowd's opinions didn't matter in the grand scheme. The final decision would ultimately be up to the Wheel, and Juunor would vote to execute Teetch even if the little guy started to walk on water.

"A stirring speech, Spoke Preevka. Unsurprisingly, the sister of the Heretic Vaasla would speak in favor of her Heretic spawn. Let us not forget what he has done. Teetch's passion has squandered our best advantage against the coming Desiccation on a lackluster Human." A new member of the Wheel said, his voice sounded dry and methodical like a calculator would sound if it had vocal cords, "Who is to say his actions haven't already sealed our fate?"

Teetch reacted to this statement with more vehemence than Derek had ever seen the little guy muster, "Derek Dunn is no lackluster vessel! I would be the first to admit to my incalculable doubts initially, but during my time in the Human Realm, I became certain. He is our Hero of Prophecy. It does not matter what you do this day. If the kin have any hope of stopping the Desiccation, it lies with Derek Dunn."

“Tell me Teetch kin Baaltha. You and your Derek Dunn have already attempted to save the Queen, have you not? If saving the kin was his destiny, wouldn't that be a logical first step? What do you propose we do now?" the calculator said in a coldly logical voice.

"That's hardly fair, Spoke Hamool. You should know that as well as anyone," the soothing voice of Spoke Preevka interjected.

"I concur with Spoke Preevka," a fourth Spoke chimed in, a woman with a raspy voice that sounded like she strained her words through steel wool. "There is no historical precedent for these events, but working with Teetch kin Baaltha and his Human seems the most prudent course. Who is to say the Prophecy has not taken this confluence of events into account and that it is working its intended course?"

"So you recommend inaction, Spoke Viziir?" the calculator, Spoke Hamool, asked. I find it challenging to sit back in prayer, leaving our fate to a Human. Fairy tales are an effective motivator for children, but they will not correct the course of the Flow. I vote to execute the Heretic and expel the Human from our midst. We cannot allow Human intervention to taint our efforts to save the Giild. We cannot afford any more mistakes, nor can the Queen."

"I second that vote. We cannot hope to rebuild with that stain of a Carver in our midst. I care not what we do with the Human. Let us return him to his Realm and end this." Spoke Juunor added.

Teetch nodded after Juunor's vote, "You gave it your best shot, Derek Dunn, but they decided what they were going to do with me long before this farce of a trial began."

"I don't accept that," Derek said at a volume meant for Teetch, but then he raised his voice to address the remaining Wheel members. "I know none of you know me, and judging by Teetch's opinions of Humans the first time we met, you can't think very highly of me. My fellow Humans don't either, but you have my word: I'll do whatever I can to help you and your Queen. Teetch feels the same way. You seem to think he wasted that scroll, but it gave me some special abilities, all related to fishing, just like your special ritual. How could it not all be connected?"

The overly raspy voice of Spoke Viziir chimed in on the heels of Derek's statement, "It seems presumptuous and foolhardy to squander the opportunity presented by the Hero of Prophecy and Teetch kin Baaltha. Novel events are springing forth at every turn, and I'll not be blinded by something just because it is new. I vote we work with the Heretic toward solutions we haven't previously considered. We know where our current course led the other Giilds. If something does not change, we will end up like the rest."

"It is an egregious miscarriage of logic to compare our current course with the trajectory of the other Giilds. We have had many more years to prepare and prevent a Desiccation." Spoke Hamool countered.

In a sharp voice, Spoke Preevka addressed Hamool. "Yet, our destination remains the same. There has been no significant deviation of our course from theirs based on the records we have been able to dredge up. My sister's pupil is unorthodox, but maybe the Giild could use some of that, especially if orthodoxy has led to ruin in years past. I vote to use the Human and the Heretic. The worst that could happen is that the Desiccation occurs as scheduled. We will have only delayed his execution by several years. The kin have always been patient. Haste may placate some of our baser urges. Still, it doesn't yield any significant or new result, whereas keeping the Heretic alive and using the Hero of Prophecy may make all the difference."

"That's two votes for us," Derek said to Teetch excitedly.

"Peace, Derek Dunn, we have one hurdle yet to cross. The fifth Spoke, Aangh, has been waiting for his moment. He only weighs in on matters that come to a tie and could benefit him to some degree. He will not vote in our favor unless he sees something to gain from it."

Derek scanned the five Spokes and noted an empty chair in the semicircle that would have made each side symmetrical. Why would they build an empty chair in their new arena if only five Spokes existed?

He squinted at the fifth Spoke as a new voice carried through the arena. He had an unctuous way of speaking as if the words oozed into the air. "My compatriots, you fail to see where the true crisis lies. How am I supposed to supply the great Giild of Othiamphuus with sustenance without proper recompense? Do you all think Amber appears in your homes as if it were from the air? No, it is I, the humble Spoke Aangh, who nourishes the kin, and I merely seek to be able to continue this task, but you give me less and less and expect me to achieve the same result. How can one expect to focus on this trial when there are more pressing matters? You require my vote, but my vote requires proper… motivation."

When the other Spokes addressed the assembly, they'd stood before the crowd and acted like the orators to elicit specific responses from their fellow kin, but Aangh never rose from his chair. His words made it sound like he was in dire need, but his actions and demeanor were relaxed, like a pampered noble who expected everything served on a silver platter. Judging by the Spoke's girth, Derek guessed it an apt comparison. Throughout his stay in Othiamphuus, Aangh was the only amberkin that wasn't spindly—quite the opposite. Rolls of translucent skin seemed to spill over the Spoke's chair.

No one knew how to respond to the rotund Spoke, not even his fellow Wheel mates. Derek reasoned they all were used to letting him fade into the background, and Aangh liked to dwell there unless there was a chance to seize an advantage. Preevka was the first to address her colleague, "Aangh, you share the same Giild as the rest of us, so you, of all people, know there isn't extra to spare. However, I can pledge ten of my best Shapers to the service of the Flow Administry indefinitely to help set your mind at ease and focus on these proceedings."

When Preevka bribed the large amberkin, Derek realized what was happening. Aangh sought the other Spokes to sweeten the deal and buy his vote. Derek imagined this Spoke would have made great friends with Wallace Wilco. Even as Desiccation threatened the Giild's existence, he still sought opportunities to exploit the situation for his gain. Derek wondered how someone like that rose to power in a society where most of the populace seemed primarily dedicated to the greater good.

Juunor stood up next, addressing Aangh directly, "Come, Preevka dear, why would the Flow Administry need more of your Amber-guzzling Shapers? Surely, they need Hunters instead. Without Hunters, who would ply the wilds outside Othiamphuus? In recent years, they've grown feral, and my Hunters are the only ones who can brave those lands and provide for Seekers and-"

"You can stop there, Spoke Juunor. The Flow Administry has its fair share of both Shapers and Hunters. I'm looking for something a little more," Aangh opened his mouth for a long yawn, "sweet."

Derek could see Juunor's light pulses quicken, and he started to stride toward the corpulent Spoke. "You dare diminish the contribution of my Hunters to the Giild?"

"You do an adequate job of that on your own," Aangh said dismissively, "Surely the Office of the Treasury or the Archives have something bright for me to admire."

Hamool was quick to pick up on Aangh's hint. His dry voice reminded Derek of those old tools with the beads that helped people count, an abacus. "I am sure we could divert something from the Office of the Treasury for use by the Flow Administry. I am sure we would all agree that with an increase in need, there should be a commensurate increase in Flow."

Aangh rumbled with pleasure, deep in his throat, "I can see the sense in this. Do you have anything to counter with Spoke Viziir that might better aid our people through your aid of the Flow Administry?"

"We have reduced ourselves to bribes, I see. Do you not find it interesting that a body of the Giild's most accomplished amberkin, hand-picked by the Queen herself, could have fallen so far as her Realm divides itself into disparate factions of ideologies and beliefs? The argument becomes not how can we save the Giild, but whether or not this new Giild is worth saving at all?" Spoke Viziir paced the semicircle of the Wheel's pulpit in deliberate, fragile steps as if she were old parchment that might tear with a sudden move.

"From The Archives, we have moralistic handwringing, which is as dusty and out of place as Spoke Viziir herself. Forgive me if that does not whet my appetite." Aangh said, smacking his lips dramatically, "If that will be all, I think it is obvious where the Flow Administry leans."

"Hasty," Viziir said, "The young generations are always so hasty. I was merely admiring a problem; sometimes, there is great merit in holding up a mirror to examine oneself. Great changes can happen unnoticed if we are not diligent in examining self and motive. That said, motives matter not in these deliberations. My Scholars managed to salvage some documents from the Giild of Liicanz. Preliminary findings reveal a novel method of Shaping. I would grant the Flow Administry access to these Shaping methods for the good of the Giild, should your vote align with Preevka and myself."

"Are they really bribing that Aangh guy on whether or not they're going to execute you? Why is he so important anyway?" Derek asked. He tried to imagine the public outrage if they handled trials like this back home and couldn't believe it. People would riot.

"Only in recent years has he grown so important and indolent. There used to be a sixth member of the Wheel, and for any vote to pass, there needed to be a majority of four out of six. With the Reclamation of the sixth member and no Queen to replace her, Aangh has found himself with great power, especially since the Flow Administry governs food production in Othiamphuus. Without Aangh, we wouldn't need a Desiccation to wipe out the remainder of the amberkin. Despite his corpulent figure and flamboyant manner, Aangh is a brilliant Shaper, and the kin would've starved long ago without his clever interventions. If not for his many indulgences, he could have been the Giild's greatest hero once upon a time, but now the kin have no heroes."

"Except for me," Derek said with a wink, flexing one of his biceps.

A ghost of a smile flickered on Teetch's face, "Ah yes, how could I have forgotten? It must be the stench."

"I think it makes me dark and gritty," Derek said, but he let the conversation drop. It looked like the Wheel was coming to a decision.

Aangh's unctuous voice delivered the news casually, as if the final verdict bored him, "Upon careful deliberation, the vote of Spoke Aangh rules in favor of execution and expulsion. Spokes Junoor and Hamool have helped me see the light of this matter."

Juunor cut off the rest of whatever else Aangh had to say. Derek could see a smattering of crowd members who seemed sympathetic to the Teetch and Derek faction. They murmured amongst themselves and seemed upset by the decision, but the cheering masses drowned them out, and they, in turn, were drowned out as Juunor's voice talked over them all. "The execution of the Heretic will be carried out during the Harvest. Meanwhile, I shall carry out the exile of the so-called Hero of Prophecy immediately."

MythMaker made a sad warble in Derek's pocket, reminiscent of a funeral dirge. He instinctively reached down to grab his phone and check what changed, but something solid gripped his arm. The muscular guards from earlier each had grabbed one of Derek's wrists. Their faces were expressionless as they led Derek off the platform. Teetch gave Derek one last sad, mismatched smile and waved before they hauled Derek out of view. Derek had a sinking feeling that was the last time he'd ever see the amberkin.

At least I get to go home, Derek thought, but it didn't bring him any comfort.