“I won’t allow any magic use, as Piedro said before. This pendulum is here to make sure of this,” Rainier Pitties said without explaining more.
He slowly walked back behind the long table and stood next to chief justice Fontegno and everyone was silent, daring to not utter a word. I caught Florencia’s eyes for a moment. She looked small and frail, sitting next to me. Her usual confident presence was now gone, and she looked like a young schoolkid who was disciplined by her stern teacher.
“The King is outraged,” Pitties said suddenly and the silence deepened. “Two cities lay in ruin and I have no reasonable explanation from you, Ardovar! I’ve given you plenty of time, and you’ve yet to give me a single plausible explanation.”
“Lord Pitties—” Ardovar Verrier pleaded, but Pitties’ expression twisted into a terrifying seriousness so that Lord Commander shut up in an instant.
“I’m no lord. You will speak when I allow it, Ardovar,” Pitties said coldly, and he continued. “Your failure to present me with answers over this means that I have absolutely nothing to tell Our Majesty. As far as he knows, two cities were just unexplainably attacked and massacred. And those who were supposed to protect us from dark magic have done nothing. Nor can they give me any explanation on how is this even a possibility!”
Another moment of tense silence followed where nobody dared to look up. The man sitting beside Rainier Pitties, chief justice Verralger Fontegno, spoke up with a sardonic smile: “Rainier, now that your temper has been relieved, could we, perhaps, start the trial?”
But this gave Ardovar Verrier another moment to plead his case.
“Please, Mr. Pitties,” Ardovar said, almost getting up from his chair. “I’m handling the matters. In fact, I’m close to understanding the exact—”
“Over ten thousand men, women, and children are dead!” Pitties shouted, almost looking like he had lost his composure, but it definitely did not feel like that. “And Ardovar, I hold you personally responsible!”
Silence followed as the Lord Commander stewed on the accusation and no other dared to say a word. This was definitely not going the way I thought it would.
“The circumstances changed. I needed more time,” said Ardovar, but he was interrupted by the royal advisor again.
“Circumstances change all the time and I expect you to be on top of it! This is why I gave you so much freedom to act,” Pitties replied. “I trusted you to keep these matters handled. You’ve failed to do so. Now two cities are ruined, and tens of thousands are dead, mutilated, and traumatized. And worst of all, you have no idea how this came to be or how to prevent this.”
“Mr. Pitties—”
“You will stop this pathetic begging, Ardovar. I’ll let Our Majesty know we are ready.”
He spun around and disappeared into the room again.
I had to admit I found great pleasure watching Ardovar grovel at the feet of Pitties. His high and mighty aura was gone and left was nothing more than a whimpering fat man. I looked beside me. Florencia had also lost respect for him; her face painted with a disgusted grimace.
Noises outside. Footsteps and the room suddenly felt tighter, as if there was not enough air for us.
Suddenly, the carved double doors burst open.
Marching in perfect synchronization, entered the Royal Guard of the king.
They were dressed in immaculate armor of silver, cloaked in sapphire blue and red, and wearing gilded helmets with lion’s paws reaching for the feathered plumes.
Leading them was custodian-general Fortino Dienne—a tall and broad man, wearing an even more golden helmet with wide, sweeping golden wings on the crest, and a ruby-red plume mixed with black and blue.
The Royal Guard’s march echoed loudly as they surrounded the entire courtroom. Then they stopped and stood utterly still and silent, grabbing a tight hold of their strange, tall, and intricately crafted glaives of steel. It was then I noticed the most surprising thing—every single one of them had magical abilities! This was why the room was filled with the low hum of static.
And then, following his magnificent Guard entered the court of Sanermo, the King of Lienor—Gussario Marquize Landoros II and he wore no crown upon his head.
Despite his modest stature, the older man with thin grey hair had an undeniable air of assumed authority. His piercing gaze seemed to scan the room with a sharp, calculating eye. Yet, there was a hint of odd compassion there that only the keenest was able to notice.
Beside him walked his son, Crown Prince Ames Savino Landoros, a young man in his mid-thirties, and with a carefree look in his eyes that contrasted sharply with his father’s intensity. He seemed to be almost amused by the occasion, with a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Both father and son wore impeccably tailored robes of sapphire blue and gold, adorned with intricate embroidery displaying proudly a double-headed lion. Underneath the robes, they had simple white collared shirts. The king had a jeweled pin of gold holding the stiff collar in place, and adding a touch of fine, regal elegance. The crown prince had many medals decorating his robes that were the mark of his office as marshal of one of Lienor’s armies.
In very measured steps, the king strode before the long table and stood at the center, looking again at everyone present. When his son had taken a seat beside him, he leaned forward.
“Thousands dead and two cities in ruin!” he proclaimed, but just fiercely enough to not lose control and make a fool out of himself. “I have black magic let loose upon my people, and its protectors are limp and impotent to stop it! Furthermore, they’ve yet to present an explanation other than banal accusations.”
He sat down after the accused of Cappesand went white in their faces. Ardovar Verrier looked like the most miserable person ever alive, and all hope seemed to have left Philemon’s sunken face.
“These are the people who are leading Lienor,” the king said, his eyes drilling into each before him. The weight of his disappointment was palpable. “I expect each and every one of you to have a very detailed explanation of your failure.”
After another silence, after the words had set in, he continued and his voice was gravelly: “Chief Justice Verralger Fontegno will be leading this hearing. I’ll only be listening and commenting when I feel it is necessary. But before Verralger will begin, I believe Rainier has something he wishes to say.”
Rainier Pitties stood up and pulled his robes straight. “After the Veneiea incident, I asked Mr. Verrier to give me his theories on…”
Words faded and the walls melted away and suddenly I was no longer in the grand courtroom of Sanermo.
I found myself in an entirely another realm. It was a vast space of brilliant, pearl-white light and strange, curved walls of glass that reflected the surrounding light in rainbow-colored hues. My body felt light, unchained, and weightless. I still had the form of a man, but without its fleshy, earthbound features. Here, I was made of light. Red, white, and black flowed joyously, their dance forming the shape of my body.
“Jonas Espian, champion of Scorro, we meet at last. I would have preferred us to meet sooner, but the hand of fate guides us unexpectedly these days,” said the form of Rainier Pitties—a golden light in the shape of a tall but thin human, trapped underneath ever-changing shades of bright and dark grey.
Behind him, further back, stood another figure, who was more shaded and felt less present and more like an observer.
“Our Majesty wanted to be here when we first meet as well,” Rainier Pitties said. “But he can only faintly listen and still focus on the trial.”
I felt off balance in this strange place. It felt too personal and reminded me of when I invaded Jace’s mind while traveling to Scorro.
“I also must apologize for this strange place I have created for our first meeting. This is the best I can do for now without alarming the High Council. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if Esmail notices that something is off.”
“What is this? Where am I?” I asked, but more crudely than I meant to.
“I wanted us to meet before you went off to Scorro, Jonas Espian, but this has to do. I can’t hold this realm for much longer, so I need to make this quick,” Rainier Pitties said, his golden astral form flowing like rivers of light around itself.
“There is a cancer spreading in Lienor. A sickness that is growing more serious every year, and one that digs itself ever deeper into every hidden nook and cranny. I’ve studied this for almost twenty years, but I’m still no closer to discovering how I can fight this. Our Majesty is greatly concerned about this, perhaps even more than I. He wanted to give the Yasman Lodge loosened rules so they can uncover the secrets, or give us weapons to fight this. They failed. But then, you came to Veneiea and changed everything!”
“How have I changed things?” I asked. “And how do you know about Veneiea?”
“I’ve heard no one fight the Enemy as you have,” Pitties explained. “First, it was what you did in that terrible village. My sources tell me how you vanquished the beast. I’ve only heard rumors about such powers. Though I must admit that my informants’ mental health is very unstable, so what they tell me is questionable,” Rainier Pitties laughed and it sounded much like song and flowing water. He continued. “Then all that happened in Scorro. I have nobody in Lienor that can do what you can do, Jonas. I ask for your help! The King asks for your help, but the people must not see him doing this.”
I was, for some reason, not surprised, but I was definitely not expecting that.
“I’m sorry,” I stammered. “I was not… If you wanted to talk to me, there were easier ways!”
“The Enemy has grown powerful around us,” Rainier Pitties said, speaking quickly now and ignoring what I said. “I think the evil runs deeper than I had previously guessed. I believe they can somehow influence the minds of the weak and the evil. Give strength to them! But I have no idea how.”
“You’re right. They can,” I said grimly and a large shade of black flowed to cover my chest of the astral form.
“It is then, as I feared,” Pitties said with a heavy note of sadness. “Nobody must know this! Do you understand?”
“But you,” Pitties continued without waiting for a reply, as his form flickered bright and dim, slowly fading. “Jonas, you can be our knife in the dark. You can do the work in secret without raising too much suspicion. I already have many agents working for me. One more won’t raise more questions. This way, we don’t have to reveal the horrible truth!”
“What exactly are you asking?” I asked, my head spinning as the walls of light began to close in around me, endlessly looping and folding into themselves, like an endless cave.
“The King and I are asking you to accept accusations Verralger has laid out. Verralger understands. This trial,” Pitties said. “This trial is for them. For those who do not understand, for those who have failed me, or for those who would abuse this terrible truth. Lienor must not fall like Stotor, Rielde and Limy did! We must stand. And we can stand with your help!”
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Rainier’s form flickered back into sharp focus for a brief moment. But the king, who had been standing further away for the entire time, finally faded out of existence, like a light that had been put out.
“The people must know that the Yasman Lodge is competent, and all is under control. That there is no Enemy who corrupts the mind and grants power to those who seek it. I ask you to admit in this court that you did dark magic—”
“Isn’t there an easier way to do this?” I asked.
“Not anymore. I wanted to prevent all of this,” Rainier said. “But not after what happened in Scorro, nor what Ardovar and Philemon have been saying. You must accept the punishment, but in reality, Verralger will punish none of you for any crime. The five of you will go free, I promise you this. The King promises this.”
Pitties’ form then dimmed and his words became very distant.
“You will never have to deal with the Cappesand Academy or the Lodge ever again. You will be under my protection. I’ll put a tight leash on them and get them out of our way for good. We’ll meet tonight and we can talk freely.”
The light faded now, and Pitties was almost only a faint golden glow shadowed by doubt.
“You ask me to confess to a horrible crime in court,” I said, my voice now ragged and disturbed. “How can I trust you?”
“I’ve little time left here. There’s nothing I can say now that’ll make you trust me. I simply ask you to do so. All I’m doing is trying to fight this… enemy—”
He stopped and faded more. I could barely see him, and the surrounding light was growing ever brighter, swallowing the form of Pitties and myself. I felt myself dissolving into it.
“My power is spent,” Pitties whispered, his words also fading into the light. “I can’t hold this realm together any longer without the Pendulum giving me away.”
In a quick blur, the dazzling rainbow-colored walls melted and folded away into a shapeless blob of light. My mind and body grew unbearably heavy again, and I fell back into my physical form, trapped in flesh and bone. My body trembled and twitched as I slowly regained my bearings, and I turned to see Florencia peering at me with a a worried expression in her deep, green eyes.
I looked up to my left, where I saw Rainier Pitties in the middle of speaking, but I could not yet make out his words. He didn’t seem to be bothered in any way, standing up straight, not faltering for a moment. He seemed to have been talking for quite some time, as the shadows of the chairs and tables were in entirely different places than they had been only a moment before.
And in the center sat the proud king Landoros, chin resting on his palm and reading every minute detail in the room. He did not seem like he had just come back from this strange thought-realm, but I did notice that he became suddenly much more tired, and he stifled a yawn. I saw his eyes dart between Philemon, Ardovar, and Cappesand’s High Council. It was almost like he didn’t even bother us with a thought.
Florencia was still looking at me, searching for answers in my eyes that I could not reveal yet, so I simply rested my hand on hers to calm her down. It worked a bit.
Then I felt the heavy weight of Rainier Pitties’ attention upon me. It was as if he wanted one final confirmation that I accept his plea. The King’s plea. In my heart, I believed what he had said. There were no lies in his words, and if they were, he was masterful at hiding his true feelings. Something I didn’t even know if anyone could do in soul form.
I looked straight ahead at the frightened Yasman Lodge members, and I sensed a decision click into place.
I nodded, and Pitties smiled. His attention left me.
“And while your failures at preventing the misuse of dark magic are borderline criminal,” Pitties said haughtily. “We would not do our justice system any good at ignoring your appeal. This brings us to the matter of Jonas Espian, and those he influenced by his meddling in magical practices. Ardovar—” He shot the man a sharp look that made the Lord Commander immediately stiffen in his seat. “I read from your hastily written testimony that you have first-hand witnesses that testify that this man—Jonas Espian—had used some type of black magic in Veneiea.”
Ardovar Verrier’s face slowly changed from terrified to the vilest and most wicked grin I’d ever seen. He couldn’t agree to Pitties’ words quickly enough.
“Yes, yes!” he cried. “While I don’t know whether he destroyed Veneiea, but he summoned the great monster that Sofia and Ferchell saw!”
Florencia’s face quickly changed from white to blue to green to red. She could not believe what she was hearing and I could not tell how she was able to hold herself back. She did almost rip the chair’s armrests off.
“Who are the eyewitnesses?” asked chief justice Verralger, who took over the hearing again. He sat upright and scribbled notes with a long and fluffy quill. The King’s attention switched to him now.
“They are two members of my Lodge,” Ardovar said wickedly. “Arne and Lorena Russo. They hold the Guardian rank in the Lodge, the same as defendant Vialisios. They were in Veneiea, and according to their account, Jonas Espian used some kind of dark spell to summon a terrible monster that—”
“Very well, Mr. Verrier,” the chief justice said. “Then could Arne and Lorena Russo please tell us, in their own words, the account in Veneiea?”
What happened next was nothing more than a farce, at least to me. The Russo twins, devoid of emotion and barely even blinking, told an entirely made-up story about how they arrived in Veneiea with a team of young Lodge aspirants, and how they had all died fighting the savage, bloodthirsty brutes. Many looked down in disgust or despair, but the king held his gaze on the Russos, eyes narrowed and lips pursed.
They described in too great detail how they collapsed in exhaustion and how they saw me come out from a building and conjure the pink flames, and summon the great beast.
Then, the great beast destroyed much of Veneiea and attacked Sofia Dion’s forces, who came to help the Russos. By summoning the beast—the demon, I knew with my newly found knowledge—I had depleted my energy and collapsed where Sofia and Ferchell had found me. The two then hastily agreed to the lie, handing a court clerk signed testimonies of truth.
I didn’t have to use any powers to sense that Florencia was almost boiling over with rage. She was shooting daggers at Ardovar and Philemon, utterly baffled over the betrayal. Jace took things more calmly, but it seemed to me that he was half-awake, and his thoughts were only barely present.
“… and then Jonas corrupted Miss Regalla and guardian Vialisios with his foul magic. They could not withstand his spells, and I’m afraid their minds are now lost. Scorro happened because of him as well, I think,” Ardovar finished a long, prepared speech.
All order failed in the courtroom as Ardovar finished his testimony to the silence of Philemon and the rest of the Yasman Lodge.
Iskander and Jaxine unleashed a torrent of accusations and profanities, directing their wrath at Ardovar, Philemon, Pitties, and the chief justice. Despite the onslaught, Verralger Fontegno remained utterly composed and unfazed by Jaxine’s colorful insults regarding mothers, brothels, and toilets, sometimes in inventive combinations. I thought that by his uncaring demeanor that he had endured similar outbreaks before.
Rainier Pitties, on the other hand, was less balanced than I had expected, but still held himself composed, sitting still behind the high table.
Sitting in the center, seemingly rather appalled by the crude vocabulary, was the King. He scratched his stubbled chin and exchanged looks of disapproval with his son and his mother, the high priestess, Naeve Landoros.
“How dare you!” Iskander roared and tried jumping up, but three guards landed on him immediately and forced him back into the chair. “You fucking—”
“How can you accuse us instead of…”
“You can’t be serious! Accusing us based on this lie…”
“Outrageous!”
“… fair trial…”
And much more flowed out from Florencia, Iskander, and Jaxine. Jace sat between Florencia and Jaxine, completely taken aback by the events, but he remained silent, searching out faces for clues as to what was going on. All I could do was to seem calm, and it helped, but not much, and Jace’s face fell.
Out of the five of us, Florencia was the most furious because Ardovar had all but betrayed her. She went on a long, insult-filled rant about him.
“You fucking swine!” Florencia shouted with her face red, aimed at Ardovar. “How can you do this? You’re lying through your teeth and you’ve mind-wiped the Russos! I know you did it!”
Philemon looked disturbed over what was going on but spoke nothing. Captain Sofia Dion giggled beside Ferchell. Ardovar Verrier looked very pleased with himself and at how this was playing out. The High Council, though, looked on concerned and didn’t share Ardovar’s joy. Baron Esmail de-Carsa whispered some words to Countess Patricia de-Braccarte, both looking concerned. But they also said nothing to our cause.
“I trusted you,” Florencia shouted, her shoulders held down by two guards. “Damn you! How can you…”
Chief justice Verralger gave us some more time to vent, after which he said: “Now that’s done with, I can see how you might have chosen the wrong people to work for you in the Lodge, Mr. Verrier.”
“It seems that I have,” he replied, very content with himself again.
“Now then,” the chief justice continued. “I request Jonas Espian to come forward and address the accusations against him. Please, in your own words, would you like to clarify your position?”
All eyes in the room turned toward me. I expected to feel the weight of the King’s gaze or the crown prince’s scrutinizing stare, but it was Rainier Pitties’ intense attention that weighed heaviest on me. Luckily, he moved on quickly and focused his attention elsewhere.
“I…” I said, my voice breaking.
Poor Florencia. She’s had a rough week, and it was about to become even worse. She was looking at me with strained eyes, holding back tears, and without blinking. Jace was also tense, his attention regained, but less serious than the rest. Iskander and Jaxine could barely sit still, and the guards standing behind them looked nervous.
“I don’t deny them,” I said flatly, and the room went silent as a grave.
“Jonas…” Florencia whispered. “What are you doing?”
Well, that’s it. I gambled on trust. Let’s see how this goes; I thought. Then a sudden wave of panic washed over me. Had I made a terrible mistake by trusting Rainier Pitties? The royal advisor? He had pulled me into his own mind, in front of all the masters and noblemen of Cappesand without them noticing. Would it be crazy to think he could mask his true intentions? But even then, he didn’t talk or appear treacherous.
Chief justice Verralger Fontegno adjusted himself in his large, leather seat, but I saw his face relax and he swiped an entire stack of papers beside him.
“So you do not deny the allegations!” he asked firmly.
“I do not,” I replied, to the absolute ruin of Florencia’s mental health.
“Very well,” the chief justice said and focused his attention now on Ardovar and Philemon, who looked much more concerned than they had previously. Sofia Dion first smirked, but after she noticed Ardovar’s growing panic, her face went white.
“Mr. Verrier,” Verralger said. “The accusations against Florencia Regalla, Jace Vialisios, and Jonas Espian are most serious. After considering all the evidence presented, along with its implications, I will handle the matter of their punishment personally, after I’ve had time to weigh every detail and its implications. Today, though, I order you to release them from duty at your Lodge, and sever all official ties between your Academy and them.”
This, Ardovar Verrier and Philemon Petridies did not foresee, and their expression dropped.
“What?” they weakly asked in unison.
“The Yasman Lodge has been founded to investigate and fight against the use of dark magic. Given the fact high-ranking members have provably been involved with dark magic practices, I am unable to have confidence in your ability to administer justice impartially and effectively. Therefore, I order their immediate release from duty. My office will take over.”
“Of course, we won’t—” Philemon said weakly.
“In addition,” chief justice Fontegno interrupted. “Because of your significant failure, it is imperative to increase the oversight of the Lodge’s operations, along with the Academy. I believe Rainier has some ideas about this, but I’m sure those exceed his reach.”
“We don’t think—” Philemon said again, but the chief justice interrupted him again.
“It is also my belief that due to the increasing number of accidents caused by the misuse of dark magic, it is imperative to put in place more stern regulations regarding the practice of these arts in Lienor. I trust everyone in Cappesand can agree this course of action is justified!”
His last sentence was not even a question, but more of a challenge to see if anyone would be stupid enough to try to counter his demands.
None were.
“I, uh, well… Of course,” Ardovar mumbled, and Philemon went silent for the entire duration.
Chief justice Fontegno nodded at them and turned to us.
“Then I will postpone the sentencing of these five individuals until all aspects of this case have been thoroughly evaluated. Guards! Please escort them out of the courtroom. Today, we will proceed with the hearing regarding the shocking failure of Mr. Verrier and the gross lack of oversight of dean Philemon Petridies!”
The court guards stepped close, roughly hauled us up by our armpits, and dragged us toward the exit of the courtroom. Iskander and Jaxine squirmed and muttered curses at everyone, much to the amusement of the crown prince who had taken an interest in Jaxine. As we were escorted out, the young prince and Rainier Pitties exchanged a fleeting glance of relief, and for the shortest instant, I saw Rainier smile.
When I was almost out of the door, I overheard the old Cappesand High Council member Rollodan Arde address Pitties.
“Ah, it seems that you have finally done it, Mr. Pitties,” the old Rollodan Arde said. “On your centennial birthday, you managed to cripple our Lodge and increase restrictions over us. How fortunate.”
“Oh, Rollodan,” countess Patricia de-Breccarte said with a slight smile that seemed to not fit the serious occasion. “I don’t think this is what Mr. Pitties wanted at all.”
“I’m amazed,” Pitties said coldly. “Mr. Arde, you seem to have both vastly overestimated my abilities and, at the same time, completely misunderstood my intentions. I’m sure the ten thousand souls who perished are proud of their sacrifice for my ego.”
Rollodan Arde scowled and turned away, ignoring the rest of the conversation.
The guards took us almost to the other side of the building. We walked quietly, none making a sound, until they separated us into different rooms: Iskander and Jaxine in one, Jace in another, and Florencia and I in the room next to him.
The chains binding our wrists were finally removed, and the guards politely bowed before exiting the room.
“Be well,” the guards said before leaving. “Please make as little noise as you can.”
The room was surprisingly spacious, far from the cramped quarters I expected. It was even larger than Florencia’s apartment back in Bessou. Its opulent interior design matched the rest of the courthouse, with a plush deep red carpet cushioning our steps. On a rectangular table, a silver plate full of wine, cheese, and dried meat was set.
And last of all, was a steaming bath that awaited in the opposite corner, next to a tall window that overlooked the river.
“What the fuck was that about?” Florencia exploded, grabbing my shirt, and letting her tears flow freely.