56 - Impassible Arguments

“... are a most grievous string of charges, Sir Vanderaxe,” the deep baritone of the minotaur was exclaiming as Joe tuned back into the more important conversation. “Acolyte Ekamoon, would you please question the witness?”

“But I’ve never ….,” the red-furred novice stammered. “Surely one of you has a higher [Truthsense] than I do.”

“While that may be true,” Lady Randeau countered, “the [Truthsense] of Onhur is a powerful tool. Just as Phaelti’s [Vigilance] will detect beings from beyond Illuminaria, Onhur allows you to hear the nuances of truth in a manner we cannot. Our gods have gifted each of us with their own blessed abilities. Have faith in yours, dear.”

“Oh, alright. Let’s start with the most fundamental question.” The fox-tailed girl turned to Joe and locked eyes with him. “Are you an agent from the Feylands?”

“Uh, I don’t think so,” Joe replied. Hawking had given him an odd, fey-touched heritage. He didn’t think there were any hidden strings attached to that race, but he wasn’t one hundred percent sure about that.

“He speaks the truth,” the acolyte declared.

“I concur,” the Lord Barrister added.

“As do I,” offered the noblewoman.

“Be that as it may. It is not an answer,” Azbekt fumed. “The fey have sent bewitched agents across the Veil before. Just because he is not aware of his treacherous nature is not sufficient to excuse the charges against him.”

“That is also true,” the young priestess affirmed. “Very well. Mister Joe, do you have any plans to disrupt or damage the Kingdom of Duskrug in any way?”

That one was an easy answer. “No,” he replied decisively.

Three heads nodded their approval, but the squat, fiery dwarf shook his.

“Same objection. Who knows what enchantments lurk behind that wall of nondetection? He could be enspelled to answer in this manner, and we would never know the difference. He must reveal himself, or these questions are moot.”

“He has a valid point, m’lord,” the Marchess conceded, looking up toward the horned leader of the trial. “Joe, would you please suspend your [Deception] for the duration of this quadrunal?”

“I’d be happy to,” Joe stated, “but I don’t think I can. Can you turn off a trait?”

“Not typically, no,” the matronly bishop sighed. “Skills can be stifled by choice. Traits are constant unless they state they can be suppressed.”

“There is more proof,” the myrmidon accused. “If this being is truly the newcomer he claims to be, how did he acquire such an unbeknownst trait? Surely, this is a groomed creature from beyond and not a newcomer.”

Joe started to say his name for the ethereal guide but quickly switched to one of the names the people of this world used. “The One Above gave it to me.”

The lord and lady nodded at Joe’s words, but Mazsy paused, looking perplexed.

“He did not lie, but there is an omission in his words,” she mused, still staring intently at Joe.

‘Are you kidding me? Hawking, would you mind if I just used my name for you with these guys?’

I will leave that choice to you. Once shared, your personification of me will lose its individualization. Should that occur, we will not be able to communicate as easily and as informally as we do now.

‘You’re killin’ me, Bud.’

Joe knew he did not want to give up his relationship with Hawking. He also knew he couldn’t lie to these people. “Can I make statements, and you guys tell me if I’m lying?”

Lady Randeau smiled widely and turned to share her grin with the white-skinned huntress beside her. She approved of Joe’s alternative to being questioned.

“You may, but please direct them to Acolyte Ekamoon,” Theodonus directed.

“Great. I was born on a world called Earth. I died there and was offered the opportunity to come here.”

The servants of Glauri, Ekwiti, and Ohnur nodded together in unison. Azbekt glowered, but only a little more than was his typical expression.

“He speaks the truth,” Mazsy stated. “Earth is where the Giver of Fates says Newcomers hail from.”

“True,” the giant concurred. “Sir Vanderaxe? Do you contest this statement?”

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“Nay,” he uttered through grinding teeth.

“Also, I did not cast any form of enchantment on the people of Crowfield. I only cast healing spells on them.”

“That is false,” the kitsune refuted. “If I may. Be careful of words like always and only, Joe.”

Thinking about it, he recalled he did cast [Identify] and [Assess Wounds] as well, which were not technically healing spells.

“Thanks. I also assessed people, but I am pretty sure that’s it other than [Healing Touch] and [Heartfire].”

“That is now true,” the girl concluded. She was starting to sound more and more confident with her role among these far more experienced clerics. “Why did he strike you?”

“He didn’t like what I said.”

“Which was?” she urged, rolling her hand to prompt Joe for more.

“I said he was not very welcoming.”

“Can you be more specific?” Mazsy requested.

“I think I said, it was a good thing he was not in charge of welcoming people because he was really bad at it,” Joe offered, trying to remember exactly what he had said.

The judges each seemed to wobble their heads on this.

“I believe that is inherently true even if the words are not perfectly accurate,” Mazsy remarked.

The two high clerics nodded in agreement. The myrmidon huffed.

“Why did the villagers defy the knight?” she continued.

“As far as I could tell, they just stepped up to stop Sir Groven from killing me. Or, to be accurate, from killing me again. I think the townsfolk were afraid of angering the One Above. It didn’t sound like anything rebellious to me. Just asking for him to lay off me.”

“That is subjective bunk. ‘As far as I could tell.’ ‘Sounds to me.’ These are not statements of fact.” the Phealtian insisted.

Lady Randeau shook her head. “But they are, Sir. He believes them. That we can say for sure. Whether he is an unknowing agent is still debatable, but now we know he is not a deliberate seditionist.”

“And again, I must reiterate that his awareness of his dire purpose is not required to convict him of sedition,” the Phealti’s myrmidon retorted. “He has admitted to defaming Sir Groven Suttrel. We know he fled a legal warrant. Why are we debating this? He is clearly guilty!”

“His words were hardly slanderous,” the elder noblewoman rebutted. “Overly familiar, yes, but not worthy of punishment.”

Azbekt and Lady Randeau clashed over each of the points of Joe’s long list of charges. Occasionally, the acolyte of Onhur would point out a truth or falsehood. All the while, the hulking barrister stood still and listened. Finally, his tremendous voice broke in.

“I am afraid we are at an impasse,” the Lord Barrister confessed. “The root of these charges is locked by his obfuscation. While his statements of believed innocence are true, the myrmidon is correct in that the beings of the Feylands are capable of weaving mind-altering enchantments which could be driving this man.”

“I see only one course of action,” the minotaur continued. “Finis A Villicus.”

“A what?” Joe exclaimed.

“Finis A Villicus means Quest from the Overseer,” Lord Theodanus explained. “We place justice into the hands of He Who Guides Us. As it is not uncommon for our four-member court to split between verdicts, this is how such ties are resolved. Will you accept this course?” the giant inquired of Joe.

“Just out of curiosity, what happens if I don’t,” he had to ask.

“Then you will be held until a verdict can be reached,” the minotaur stated sternly. “Given the near impenetrability of your deceptive warding, that could be quite a lengthy process.”

For the first time since the trial began, Azbekt's smug grin returned at the armored barrister’s words. Joe gave it no mind. He would be happy to put his faith in Hawking.

‘You better give me something awesome, Bud. When you think about it, this is pretty much all your fault anyway. [No One] is a cool ability, but it is getting me in trouble here. And you dropped me right in front of a zealous bigot, which is what started this whole mess.’

Are you sure you want to throw shade at me right before I select a task for you?

Even though it was just text on a screen, Joe could feel a sense of jest in the sentence. It was not an ominous warning; it was bluster between companions.

‘Never mind,” Joe mentally drawled. “I trust you. Pick away, dude.’

Joe watched as everyone else took a large step away from the center of the small circle they had made with their bodies. Joe felt a hand gently pull him away; glancing at it, he saw a set of long, white fingers on his arm.

Before he could whisper a thanks, the flagstone of the plaza began to change shape. A stone point seemed to slide upward out of the slab of rock. It continued to grow. After a foot or so, the sides became vertical. A wide, three-sided obelisk rose until its point was slightly higher than Joe's head.

When it stopped growing, words began to take shape on the sides. The stone pulled inwards, forming letters. It was a quest description. Leaning toward the side the young priestess was facing, he saw another task listed there as well. Joe assumed the face on the far side had a third quest listed.

“Joe, as the accused,” the Lord Barrister intoned, “you have the first right of refusal. You can remove one of these options. The accusing party then chooses which other one to refuse. That would be the House of Amberwroth or the Church of Phealti in this case. These two refusals will leave you with the ordained quest from the One Above. Which one do you wish to reject?”

Joe walked around the standing stone, reading his options.

RIDDLES IN BLOOD [Legendary]

The Threat of the Blood King continues to grow as his Red Army consumes the neighboring lands. Find the King in Red’s weakness and help bring about his downfall.

MOONLIT MASSACRES [Epic]

For the last seven months, on the three nights of the full moon, Peregrine Bay has suffered a series of horrific murders. Find the killer and end its reign of terror.

SILENCE ON THE SHORE [Uncommon]

For the last two weeks, no one has heard from the village of Piperrill. Go and investigate why this shoreline community has gone silent.

Joe felt the weight of the moment settle onto his back. His fate, his whole future potentially, would be decided by one of these tasks.

‘No pressure,’ he sighed mentally.

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