It was only half an hour before the Alliance assembly and Maxine felt nervous. Although, not nearly as badly as Reena was. The poor little thing was trembling and clutching onto Maxine's dress for dear life. "I know it feels scary, but I'll be with you the entire time," Maxine soothed her, "Remember, you just need to answer a couple questions and the bad man that killed your parents will be punished one way or another."
Reena nodded nervously and they continued to wait. However, her communication disc vibrated a few minutes early and Maxine quirked an eyebrow up as she saw that it was Alistair Draken. How the hell did he manage to get my communication disc frequency?! No, the better question is why would he bother trying to get a hold of me this late?
She almost rejected the call reflexively, but still answered since she was genuinely curious as to what he would say. [Apologies for contacting you just before the meeting, but it's quite difficult to arrange for a private meeting with you,] Alistair Draken said in a polite tone.
[I prefer it that way. I don't like to entertain random people that want me to 'improve' their supply of chocolate,] Maxine replied calmly, [I leave such matters to the merchants. Now, what is it that you felt the need to contact me about.]
[I humbly request that you do not allow that hydrakin child to testify in the trial,] Alistair Draken said, [It would be very embarrassing for my race if one of our own were to be found guilty of such crimes.]
[Then, he shouldn't have committed them in the first place,] Maxine replied bluntly, [The lot of you will just have to swallow your pride and allow him to suffer the consequences.]
[Then, you should be prepared to face the consequences of not cooperating,] Alistair Draken replied without breaking his polite tone. He isn't as smart as I thought he was.
[You should be well aware that I do not respond well to threats,] Maxine replied coldly, [And if you actually move against me, my family or my world, I will visit upon your entire species a nightmare from which even my father would have difficulty undoing. Or did you forget in your arrogance that I am not only a very capable alchemist, but a poison master as well?] She didn't even allow him to reply as she cut off the connection. I hope he doesn't challenge me on that bluff. Catering a poison for an individual is easy, but making one that would universally target an entire species without effecting those closely related is beyond difficult. It would be prohibitively expensive and I would need at least six months to engineer such a poison. Although, the poisons that I come up with on the spot are difficult for even the Alchemist Association to cure. Hell, they're still trying figure out how to even partially cure that poison that I hit them with and I didn't work on that recipe for more than a few days.
"Who was that?" Reena asked.
"Someone very foolish," Maxine answered calmly, "Regardless, it's time for us to attend the trial. Put your hands on this disc like I showed you earlier and close your eyes."
"Okay," Reena said nervously as she gently placed her hands on to the communication disc and with a gentle motion of her energies, she pulled both herself and Reena into the virtual world for the Alliance assembly.
Instantly, she found herself standing behind her seat. Reena swiftly grasped her dress and practically hid behind Maxine when several Alliance members turned to look at them. You would think that they've never seen me in this state before. I sure as hell know that there are video and holographic files of me in this state circulating around long enough for at least half of these guys to have seen it. Perhaps, they thought it was all fake.
"Make them stop looking at us," Reena whined in english as she buried her face into Maxine's side.
"Can you gentlemen direct your gazes elsewhere?" Maxine asked loudly so that she could be heard, "You're frightening the poor child." Even before she finished speaking, many had redirected their gazes away and the rest had done as she asked. Maxine wanted to thank them for complying, but paused when she noticed that Reena's behavior had changed. She had become motionless and was breathing very quickly.
Maxine turned her head to look at Reena and saw her frozen with fear with her gaze locked on something. Maxine followed her gaze and felt her claws reflexively twitch in a sudden surge of anger. It was the dragonkin that had murdered Reena's entire village and he was sitting beside one of the dragonkin representatives. So, he's a western type dragonkin. I wasn't sure from peeking in Reena's dream, but there is no mistaking those spike like horns. Eastern dragonkin have something more akin to antlers sticking out of their heads. But his face definitely matches up with Reena's memory. Still, I'm surprise she didn't try to lunge at him claws first. I know that I had to resist that urge myself.
"It's alright, Reena. He can't hurt you while you are here," Maxine said to soothe Reena. Reena's only response was to grip Maxine's hand tightly and nod her head.
"If the representatives could find their seats, this assembly shall begin," the governing AI stated. Maxine sat down and pulled Reena onto her lap.
"This assembly was called in order to put Rigel Draken on trial for the slaughter of an originally thought to be extinct species of sapient beings known as Hydrakin," the governing AI stated, "Representative Trelnas of the high elves present your evidence and witnesses, please." Wait, Rigel Draken? So, that's what's going on! He must be a close relative of Alistair Draken.
"Of course, the first piece of evidence shall be this recording of Rigel Draken's ship approaching the planet that was home to the hydrakin," representative Trelnas said as a four sided holographic screen appeared in the center of the massive room and played a very clear video of a star ship on approach, "This video clearly shows that the defendant's ship on approach to the planet and I have several eye witness accounts of high elves stationed on that planet of his presence near the scene of the crime before and after it was committed. Their testimony will be given after the witness to the crime itself has given her testimony. Our witness is the poor, frightened child standing beside representative Cinderson of Earth. Representative Cinderson, if you would be so kind as to allow us to ask Reena a few questions."
"Of course, but I reserve the right to intervene if your line of questioning becomes too aggressive," Maxine said as she stood up and she said gently to Reena, "Just answer their questions truthfully and that man who did those bad things will be punished."
"I wouldn't expect anything less of the woman known as 'The Guardian Mother' by so many," representative Trelnas said as Maxine urged Reena to stand up and face him, "Now, Reena do you remember that horrible day?"
"Y, yes," Reena said nervously. Maxine spotted the dragonkin present scowl at the fact that Reena could speak Alliance common fluently. It left no chance of any kind of any kind of mistranslation or misinterpretation of what she meant to say.
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
"Can you tell us what happened?" representative Trelnas asked gently.
"A bad man with sharp horns came and started yelling at my village. I couldn't understand him and my parents couldn't either. The elders knew many different languages went to see why he was so angry. But he killed them before they could say anything. Daddy tried to stop him while momma and me ran away," Reena said with tears in her eyes, "We didn't run that far before I heard daddy scream for us to run away and hide. We ran harder, but I wasn't fast enough. Momma yelled at me to keep running while she tried to fight the bad man. The bad man, he... he cut her in half! He killed my Momma! He would've killed me too if a pointy eared man hadn't kicked the bad man in the face and grabbed me." At this point, Reena fell to her knees and began crying. Maxine knelt beside Reena and rubbed her shoulder gently. I didn't know that a high elf kicked that prick in the face. He shouldn't kicked him in the balls. It would've slowed him down more. Still, Reena survived so I can't really complain too much. But, I wish Reena had larger vocabulary in Alliance common, but this was the best that I could do on such short notice. To make matters worse, she didn't exactly want to learn Alliance common. She was more interested in learning english since that's what everyone around her kept speaking in.
"I know you're upset, but I have to ask one more question," representative Trelnas asked as he got much closer to Reena and lowered himself to her eye level, "Do you see the bad man here today? If you can, could you point him out."
"It was HIM!" Reena said as she pointed right at Rigel Draken and Maxine saw the bastard's expression darken with rage. It looked like he was about to make a scene, but his clansmen were swift to stop him. They talked to him in attempt to make him see reason and from what she could tell, it worked. However, he was still furious.
"Thank you, Reena," representative Trelnas said with genuine gratitude and he looked to Maxine, "Representative Cinderson, please, soothe this poor child."
"You need not ask," Maxine said as she gently picked up Reena and let Reena bury her face into Maxine's shoulder. However, before she could even sit down, the dragonkin representative spoke, "I believe it's my turn to question the witness."
Maxine simply gave him an angry glare, but otherwise did nothing. "Representative Longst is correct. Continue," the governing AI stated. She didn't like how this representative Longst was grinning when he heard the governing AI agree with him. Reena didn't either since her tail immediately wrapped around Maxine's waist.
"Child, are you certain that he is the one that killed your kin?" representative Longst asked.
"Yes," Reena answered after pulling her face away from Maxine's shoulder and turning her head.
"I don't believe you are. Trauma such as what she's experienced can muddle anyone's memory. Let alone a child who just watched her parents be brutally murdered. It could easily transform her savior into the one who committed the crime," representative Longst stated. Maxine saw a few representatives nodding their heads in agreement with his statement.
"This is indeed the case with most sapient creatures in regards to PHYSICAL trauma, particularly with blows to the head," representative Trelnas stated, "With emotional trauma, your memory either becomes remarkably clear, somewhat blurred or you don't remember the event at all. And in this case, her account coincides with the testimony of the very high elf that both saw Rigel Draken standing over the remains of her mother and 'kicked him in the face' as Reena put it." Maxine smiled and nodded her head.
"Very well. No more questions," representative Longst said calmly, but Maxine could tell that he was not happy with that.
"Ranger Goras Reyren, please, stand," representative Trelnas asked and Maxine saw a red-headed high elf stand, "Tell us in your own words what transpired that horrible day."
"I was patrolling the forests surrounding the hydrakin village to ensure no particularly aggressive predators strayed too close. However, midday, I heard sounds of combat coming from the village and rushed towards it to come to their defense. I found dozens of slain hydrakin before I came across a hydrakin child with Rigel Draken standing over her mother's bisected corpse. He was glaring with intense hostility towards the child. Thus, I moved to save her life by kicking him in the face and I swiftly grabbed the girl before making my escape. It pains me that I was too late to save her mother, but at least, she found a suitable protector in the form of 'The Guardian Mother,'" Ranger Goras Reyren explained calmly, "If any find my testimony lacking, I will submit to a spiritual sense scan of my memories in regards to this event." Oh, shit. That essentially confirms that he's speaking the truth from his perspective. Almost no one would even try to poke holes in his testimony.
"No questions," representative Longst said with a sour look on his face.
The next hour or so various high elves gave their testimonies that reinforced Reena's and ranger Goras Reyren's testimonies. However, it was clear that the representative Longst knew that he was going to loose this trial. The final piece of evidence cemented that fact when it was shown that trace amounts of Rigel Draken's energy was located within the bodies of the murdered hydrakin. He's royally fucked. Those high elves really know how to work within the law and there is no doubt that Rigel Draken is guilty. I don't see any way that he can get out of this. Perhaps, I didn't need to make that poison at all. Still to be on the safe side, it's best that I don't dispose of it just yet.
It was finally time for a sentencing in the form of a vote amongst the planetary representatives. The governing AI gave the results, "By majority vote, the Alliance finds the defendant, Rigel Draken, guil...." Unfortunately, Rigel Draken cut it off by shouting at the top of his lungs, "I demand a trial by combat!" This sudden outburst caused everyone to give Rigel Draken a dumbfounded look, including representative Longst.
"Since the only survivor of this incident is a child and significantly weaker than yourself, she may appoint a champion to fight in her stead," the governing AI stated calmly, "Hydrakin Reena choose your champion." At this point, Maxine was struggling not to laugh at his stupidity. I can't believe he did that! He actually threw himself into a situation where if Reena's champion beats him, they can literately do whatever they want to him. Perhaps, this is what the high elves were expecting Rigel Draken to do.
"What does that mean?" Reena asked quietly.
"It means that you can choose someone to fight for you, but they have to be in gold stage, the same as Rigel Draken, to make it an even contest," Maxine explained in snake-tongue, "So, you can pick me, grandma Victoria or mama Hellen. Then, these nice people will arrange a battlefield that will restrict their cultivation rank to the weakest of the pair." If you can't decide, I'll just volunteer myself to fight him. Which is within my rights as her 'guardian' during this trial.
"Oh, I pick my big sister, Maxine. She's super strong," Reena said in Alliance common. Maxine simply nodded and turned to face Rigel Draken as she revealed a malevolent grin. I wonder how he will react when he finds out what my poison does. Although, I really wish I had the time to manufacture a virus that would slowly turn the prick into an ordinary cultivator human, but I didn't have enough time to do that. It's just too hard to alter the genetic structure and biological makeup of a gold stage cultivator. I had to go with an alternative punishment. Which if I'm being honest is actually worse.
"Very well. In a month's time, a battle will be held on the planetoid known as Pluto in the Sol system," the governing AI stated, "The formation array shall be set up on the spot under the observation of both parties."
"Is there a way to expedite this process, if I were to provide a suitable formation array master?" Maxine asked.
"How soon would sed individual arrive in the Sol system?" the governing AI asked in return.
"I can have him in the system within seven days," Maxine answered. Although, I could get Horatio Quay on Earth within the hour if I really wanted to. There is still travel time to take into consideration for Rigel Draken.
"Then the battle shall be seven days from now," the governing AI stated, "If there is nothing else. This assembly shall be adjourned." Oh, he's closer to Earth than I thought. The governing AI wouldn't make such a miscalculation.
However, before she logged them out of the virtual assembly room, she gave Rigel Draken one last look. He was smiling confidently as he looked at her. He either doesn't know about what I can do or he's supremely confident in himself.
With a thought, she logged them out and Reena swiftly hugged her. Maxine sighed and began stroking Reena's head. That was very stressful for her. I wish it hadn't been necessary, but her testimony was the final nail in that prick's sentence. Still, I need to contact Horatio Quay to see if he's willing to come here to set up that formation array.