Sebas watched as the meeting room slowly began to fill with new arrivals, each figure different from the other, but still holding a distinct air of purpose.
A satyr with chestnut brown horns and curly auburn hair sauntered across the room, hooves clicking against the ground as he seemed to light the room up with a playful smile. His verdant, emerald-like eyes sparkled with mischief. The movements that carried the whimsical goat-man were accentuated with the gold and green robes that shifted with his body as if alive. The next figure entered the room: a broad-shouldered human male clad in golden-plated armor that accented his golden blond hair, adorned with red sashes featuring golden suns draped from his shoulders. Beside him sat a woman with a metallic appearance. Her opal-like skin shimmered in the light of the room, resembling a beautifully polished stone. Cascading white locks of bouncy hair rested on her red shoulders, beautifully complementing the formal outfit she wore. The slender woman’s eyes locked onto Sebas’, not staring at his eyes but something right above him. The church father with shimmering golden armor gestured her to a seat as he sat next to her.
Behind the father walked an infernal human and a dwarf, the shiny crimson skin contrasted the slim tailored suit attached to the demonkin’s torso. Polished boots clicked over as the red creature walked, eventually taking a seat next to Echo, sitting across from the pair of holier-than-thou individuals. His curved horns cast shadows over his sharp, angular face, nearly hiding the evil smile that flashed at Sebas. A large gold fang flashed at Sebas as the mouth of the demonic man opened, asking for a cookie. The dwarf was a stout man who was burly as his height was diminished, a bald head with copper wisps of hair sat atop it as he sat next to the infernal man. He grumbled about his uniform sticking him in the wrong areas as he sat.
Sebas gestured at the pile, giving him the most “help yourself” response he could without speaking as his eyes trailed towards the gaunt elf in forest green robes, her elven companion who looked much healthier with thick black hair that seemed to have flowers threaded in beside the moon shaped brooch on her chest, and the two human men who walked in, last: decorated official government robes in the standard, if not extremely pretentiously opulent with beautiful golden brown skin, next to him sat a dark-haired man with a few greying hairs near his temples, a chiseled jawline, and bright blue eyes that scoured the room.
Sebas looked at the dark, light-skinned individual; the prison rep. His charcoal-gray suit held airs of bureaucratic business-based decision-making that made Sebas think the man was dull behind what he assumed were his passions for kicking puppies and taking money.
Sebas slouched as he watched the man silently speaking to the Adventure Society official. He lounged with one leg relaxed while the other remained planted firmly on the ground. His fist supported his head as he observed the scene.
Sebas muttered “circus” to himself as he sat against the wooden throne, carefully eyeing every individual before him.
[The Goddess of the Hunt asks if you’re going to fight?]
Sebas smiled softly, shaking his head ever so slightly.
----------------------------------------
Sebas stayed silent during the preliminary preamble and banter that hung in the air, softly sitting in his chair, locking his eyes onto the human before him, switching to different targets with unreadable and sharp gazes until the head priest stood up. The father stood at the back of the conference room, where he smiled softly at the gathering, “Thank you all for coming on such short notice, for those who don’t know me, I am a residing member of Oseas and current head priest of the local Church of Mercy; Father Alleran Dovespire,” he began, letting his deep voice carry his discussion as well as amplify his authority in the room, “We are here for the discussion of a fairly grave matter, but before we proceed, I feel that it’s right to let the first to speak be Sebas Aren,” he gestured at the boy who dwarfed the side of his table.
All eyes turned to Sebas. He remained still, seated, unbothered by the attention until he moved his hand from his face, placing his hand against the armrest where he tapped softly with a claw against the wooden chair. He straightened his back slightly as he spoke, “I have to set the precedent of this meeting straight; I have done your country a service, one that I didn’t have to,” he began to clarify, “I have “taken care of” a… pest, a pest who would have made a lot of money by selling illicit and plundered goods in your states. During the time that I was “dealing with” these pests, they had claimed a sizable amount of children from the western continent and placed their “leader,” he gestures to Echo, “with me, wanting me to break and kill this child as I was nothing more than a monster in their eyes. In my efforts, I had managed to save Two Hundred and Sixty Eight children, and “subdued” forty outlaws.” Sebas smiled, “Then I was imprisoned,” gesturing at the man on the opposite side of the table.
The room stilled with the weight of his words, and the black-haired beautiful Elf spoke softly, probing, but with a level voice, “Sebas, while your actions may have been morally just, the law often sees things differently. Vigilantism, regardless of its results, is not always welcome.”
Sebas turned to her, softly settling his gaze on her, “Forgive me for not asking for permission, while children were starving to death.”
Sebas watched as the elf’s expression faltered for a fraction of a second, his golden eyes capturing the turning of her lip and slight twitch as she tried to turn away. She looked down as she clasped her hands together, looking back up at him as she began speaking again, voice calm as still water, despite the small edge that crept into her tone.
“Sebas…” She began, very carefully, “No one here… disputes what you have done, the gravity of your claims is paramount, but laws exist for a reason; order and structure. Without them, the righteous and the ruthless will never be found.”
Sebas tapped against the armrest as he leaned forward, “Miss?”
“Lady Valenforth.”
“Lady Valenforth,” Sebas began, sitting back and looking through the table before him as he spoke, “do you think that the children cared for the structure of their prison, or perhaps the order that they were placed on bunks with their feet attached to metal, or perhaps they want to see the paperwork and statistics for the percentage of those that did and did not sur-“
“Enough.” Father Dovespire demanded in a soft voice while raising a hand. “We are not here to debate the morality of man-made law. We are here to settle on the truth, and decide what to do about the truth.”
Sebas’ eyes didn’t leave the table. “Truth is simple,” his voice was firm, “I don’t blame you, the ocean is a lawless place, but you decided to lock up the judge, jury, and executioner that showed up on your doorstep. I didn’t have to save them, I could have waited.”
Father Dovespire smiled as his hand fell, he slowly leaned against the table, but his voice held urgency in its calm tone. “But you did save them Sebas,” his tone was calculated and careful, “You acted when most would not or could not, but if we are to move forward, we cannot dwell on what could have been. We need to look at what is.”
Sebas’ eyes flicked to the priest, his head unmoving and uncannily still as he looked up at him, “What is, is that I did your job, in a lawless place.”
The opalescent woman next to Inalos folded her hands in her lap after the echoing silence, she tilted her hand at him and asked, “What would you have them do Sebas?” She asked, half curious, but Sebas couldn’t determine the other half, her voice was very calm, “Forgive your methods? Rewrite the law just for your sake? Truly one mortal can’t be trusted to be held to a judgment that will always be righteous?”
Sebas’s lips curled into a hollow smile, his teeth flashing briefly as his voice remained steady. “I’m not asking for forgiveness,” he said. “The reality is simple: the dead do not follow the laws of the living. And yet, they arrived on the land of the living, untouched by death long before they arrived, who’s to say that they didn’t have a change of heart and did the world a favor.“
Father Dovespire held a hand over his head and said “Enough” in a stern tone, slowly raising his hand to halt the argument, “We are not here to trade barbs or escalate hostilities. Sebas, your actions have saved lives. That is undeniable. But the means and consequences of those actions must be addressed.”
Sebas sighed softly sat back against his chair, and nodded, “I apologize.”
The priest sighed softly as well, before letting his measured and calm tone take over “We have debated long enough on morality and personal philosophies. Let us turn our focus to the concrete concerns before us. Sebas Aren, the accusations against you are serious and multifaceted. Let us address them.”
He gestured towards the Magistrate, who took the cue to outline the allegations, his voice cold and formal. “First and foremost, the killing of the pirates, regardless of their crimes, is, by the letter of the law, murder. Vigilante justice is not condoned, no matter the context.” The prison representative interjected with a smirk. “And then there’s the matter of how you arrived here. Illegally entering the continent, even under the guise of being ‘kidnapped,’ raises questions. It’s not entirely unheard of for spies to stage such events as a pretext for infiltration.”
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Sebas listened to them, holding a small cookie up to his mouth and placing the tiny confectionary in his mouth as he stared at the both of them.
“And finally,” Greystone continued, “there is the concern that you may, in fact, be some kind of operative… a spy sent to destabilize our institutions under the guise of “heroism.” Saving children is a noble act, but it does not absolve you of suspicion when other elements of your story are so… convenient.”
Father Dovespire raised a hand to halt the barrage. “These are the accusations laid against you, Sebas. They must be addressed directly, and fairly. This is why we are here. You have the opportunity to respond to these charges. But know this; what comes of this meeting will not only affect you but the trust and balance between our institutions and the people we serve.
All eyes returned to Sebas, who filled the meeting room with a soft chewing sound until a hard swallow filled the room.
“So,” he began, “You accuse me in total for the murder of outlaws who kidnapped and sold children like livestock. You question my arrival on the very obvious pirate ship that’s, I assume, still sitting on its perch attached to the wharf. And now I’m a spy because… I’m begging for goodwill?”
“Did your mother say that you were a smart boy as a child?”
Inalos kicked him from under the table.
Sebas cleared his throat, “Sir.”
The Father raised his hand, as murmuring of levity and severity filled the room, teetering uncomfortably between the two, “Enough distractions, let us focus on the facts at hand. This meeting is not a trial, it is an attempt to get the truth and determine the next steps accordingly,” the latter half of his speech was directed at the two humans at the end of the table.
Sebas sighed and leaned his head back before looking forward, “Fact one: I killed outlaws! And for the record, we wouldn’t be having the same level of discussion with the actual outlaws if they were here to this day, they don’t exactly regard the law… at all. Fact two: I arrived here against my will, dragged to your lovely continent by said criminals. Fact three: The children I saved are alive and safe, and the ones who caused their suffering are now dead!”
“Your methods lacked due process,” the Magistrate interjected in an admonishing tone, firm and measured. “Justice is not a personal endeavor. It’s structured, balanced, and carried out by those empowered to enforce it.”
Sebas' eyes snapped to the Magistrate, “Maybe you’re just sad your shipment of cute little hands didn’t come in.”
The room went deathly silent as the Magistrate was taken aback, his ever-composed expression faltered into a short-lived scowl.
“Careful with your words, Monster,” he said with a cold tone, letting all professionalism slip, “This is a place of reason, not slander.”
Sebas cackled to himself while the journalist in the corner quietly scribbled notes to herself.
Father Dovespire’s voice cut through the tension like a blade, calm yet commanding. “Enough,” he said, his raised hand demanding immediate silence. He glanced at Sebas, his tone firm but not unkind. “This meeting will not devolve into accusations and provocations. We are here to uncover the truth, not trade insults.”
Sebas leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. The grin he’d worn faded into a neutral if unimpressed, expression.
The Father shifted his attention to the Magistrate, his gaze steady. “Magistrate Greystone, while your concerns are noted, let us not forget that this discussion must remain impartial. Accusations of espionage, unless substantiated, are counterproductive to understanding the larger issue at hand.”
Greystone adjusted his posture, his expression smoothing back into one of practiced diplomacy. “Of course, Father. My intention is not to inflame the discussion but to address the legitimate legal and security concerns this case presents.”
Father Dovespire nodded before turning back to Sebas. “Sebas, I will ask you again to remain composed. You’ve been granted an opportunity to defend your actions and your presence here. Do not squander it with unnecessary provocations.”
Sebas huffed out of his nose and nodded.
Father Dovespire's gaze swept across the room, lingering briefly on each member of the council before returning to Sebas. “Let us begin with the first charge: the deaths of the pirates. While their crimes are heinous and undeniable, their deaths still fall under the purview of the law. Sebas, I ask you directly, was there no alternative to killing them? No means of bringing them to justice without taking their lives?”
Sebas shook his head, “Nope” he replied, his voice calm. “I was outnumbered, on a ship far from your lovely continent, with children who were barely clinging to life. The power I held was insubstantial to my current abilities, they fought back, I offered mercy, and all but one died.”
The Magistrate adjusted his papers, speaking with a clipped tone. “Yet the fact remains: you decided to end their lives. Even in desperate circumstances, the law requires accountability for such actions.”
The dwarven adventurer guild representative spoke up; cutting off the Magistrate’s tirade, “You said all but one,” his gruff voice cut through the room with deep reverberations, “who, why were they spared? It’s a curious detail to omit.”
Sebas met his gaze with a bored expression, “umm… I don’t remember his name,” he said, turning to Inalos, “what happened to that statue of a Goliath?”
Inalos curled an eyebrow at Sebas, “At the warden inventory, most things get put there, why?”
“So, I wanted to sow insurrection and doubted it would work, but it turned out there was someone on board who didn’t have much interest in staying a pirate since he got his wife pregnant, isn’t that sweet?” Sebas asked rhetorically, “I never found out why or how he could turn himself to stone, but it seems it might be permanent. I don’t know,” He shrugged.
“That’s… not an answer I expected,” he muttered, the weight of his voice still heavy as he tapped against the table, “why didn’t you kill him like you did the others, leave him to his fate?”
Sebas’ eyes flickered to Inalos before returning to the dwarf, “Umm, I was going to just make him repent by beating the shit out of him, probably keep an eye on him every now and again.”
The dwarf gave a low grunt and held a hand over his face, “Beat the shit outta him, huh?” He asked, dragging his hand over his face before he started scratching his beard, “fuck me you’re no lawman.”
Sebas shrugged, “Never claimed to be,” he said in his defense.
The dwarf stopped scratching his face and muttered to himself, he turned to Sebas and said “You can’t just play it by ear every time someone shows a hint of decency lad.”
Father Dovespire’s eyes flickered to the dwarf next to him with a concerned furrow of the eyebrows, “While I understand the underlying sentiment,” he finally turned back to Sebas, “Sebas, the issue at hand is whether your personal decisions align with the rules that govern society. Regardless of the pirate’s potential for redemption, the fact remains that you took matters into your own hands.”
Sebas squinted, “So don’t spare people… and don’t murder people…”
The dwarf huffed, but his voice softened as he leaned back him his chair, “It’s not about sparing and murder lad; it’s about knowing the right call to make when you’re in those situations, for the greater good, not the few. You can make your own call, of course, but that doesn’t mean you’re doing what’s best for everyone.”
Father Dovespire nodded thoughtfully, though his eyes remained steady on Sebas. “Exactly. Justice isn’t about personal vendettas or mercy; it’s about maintaining balance. If every individual took matters into their own hands, we’d lose the very structure that keeps this society running. You might see yourself as making the right choice, but there’s a greater cost to those decisions.”
“But enough of that,” he said, “Now, we move to the next issue at hand,” he said, his voice resuming its measured calm. “Your arrival on this continent under suspicious circumstances. While your story of being kidnapped and brought here against your will is troubling, it is not the sole point of concern. The question is whether your presence here, in light of these circumstances, serves as a potential security risk.”
The prison representative cleared his throat and leaned forward. “There’s a pattern with individuals who arrive under less than lawful conditions, and while I do not suggest we treat you as an enemy outright, the possibility of infiltration cannot be dismissed.” His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Sebas. “You claim to have been dragged here. But why should we believe that? Could this not be an elaborate ruse to slip past our defenses?”
Sebas sighed and laid back in his chair, eyes flicking to the father, “do I really have to answer that?”
Father Dovespire leaned forward and nodded. “This council is here to seek the truth, but the accusations laid against you must be taken seriously.” He smiled at Sebas, encouragingly, “I suggest you do the same.”
Sebas closed his eyes for a deep breath to fill his system. He sidled up in his chair, to sit upright and stair down the man in front of him.
“I, Sebastian Iore Aren, am willing to put my existence on the line for my word, I will request the Goddess of Mercy to sit as mediator; if my words are untrue I request a slow and agonizing death.”
Sebas sneered at the man in front of him, “I request the same for the opposing party.”
[Arbiter: Goddess of Mercy{???}]
[Acceptant Terms: Truth or Death]
[Challenger Terms: Truth or Death]
Sebas gestured his hand forward, to the dark haired man, in front of him, and watched as the opalescent woman stood up before stretching, “Welp, looks like it’s my turn.”