Daisy stepped forward a single step. She had a good amount of height over him, but he didn't seem intimidated. She didn't want to be arrested, or have to resist arrest. She needed a better way out. "I've been trying to be a good person. Ask around. I have only a good reputation around here."

Jaspur let out a dry laugh. "A good reputation does not a crime erase. Ignorance is no plea either. Now, will you surrender peacefully? That is all I need to know."

Daisy clenched her fists. She trembled, but slumped, defeat rolling through her. "Nobody else did anything wrong, don't hurt them."

"Very good." Jaspur advanced on her. "Arms behind your back." He drew out some manacles. "Let's get moving. We need to get you out of here before you cause any more problems."

Cedric gasped, rushing forward. "No! Let her go!"

Jaspur looked down at him, then turned towards him, rapier raised.

"Back up." She whipped her tail behind her. "I'll be back, soon as I can. Tell Theodoren what happened. Don't get hurt."

Cedric stepped back from the officer, but didn't look convinced.

Daisy offered a small smile. "It's okay, I promise. I don't want anyone getting hurt."

Cedric nodded meekly, taking several steps away from the cat. "O-okay."

With loud clicks, Jaspur secured her arms and began to lead her away. She felt Cedric watching until they were out of sight. Her tail hung limp, but she was far from defeated. If nothing else, she would find a way to contact her family.

She was lead down towards the city proper, into the streets and past shops. She glanced at the shop she had done the deed in, mutated someone without their permission. Part of her wondered if that shopkeeper was alright. Another cursed her for getting her into the trouble in the first place.

She was led to the city's dungeon. The place was cold and musty, as prisons tend to be. He led her into the back and placed her in an isolated cell. "You stay here."

She could see that little window in her vision. She was alone, with no family around. She clenched her teeth as she paced about the cell. "Solitary confinement at that?"

"I have orders," Jaspur responded. He stood just out of sight of the bars. "You are to be kept away from anyone until you can be brought before the judge, tomorrow." He gave a long sigh. "Brood mice are social monsters. Letting you have company is giving you power. We do not want you having power."

Daisy grit her teeth, but there was little she could say. It wasn't as if he were wrong, after all.

Jaspur continued. "If you're lucky, they'll send you back where you came from, but I doubt it.

Daisy threw up her hands. "I'm an otherworlder. I doubt they'll be sending me 'back where I came from'."

Jaspur shrugged. "I'm sure the judge will take that into account. Until then, you sit here and think about your crimes. I'll bring you food in a while."

Daisy settled down on the wooden bench that would be her bed for the night. She got little sleep, thoughts busy thinking about the family she didn't have near her.

The next morning, Jaspur returned with a plate of food that was bland at best, but at least filling. He led her, chained, out of the cell and through town towards the nearest courthouse. There, in the building's main court room, sat a human judge. "A brood mouse?" The human leaned in closer for a better look. "I've only heard of those. The court calls upon an elder. Bring forth one knowledgable of monsters and their ways."

Daisy waited quietly until an old woman, her hair long since gone white, hobbled her way into the court room, leaning on her walking stick.

The judge gave her a nod of great respect.

The elder nodded at the judge, then turned to regard Daisy quietly a moment. It was like she were looking through Daisy, or maybe she could see extra information like Daisy could? Daisy wasn't sure which. "Daisy?"

The judge sat up. "You know the accused?"

"I brought them here. Daisy, it's me, Sally." The elder walked closer with a smile. "I'm looking more of my age, but it's still me."

Jaspur stepped up to block Sally's approach. He gave her a stiff smile. "Sorry Ma'am. She is dangerous and cannot be allowed to infect anyone else."

Daisy smiled at the old woman. "You were just an young woman that needed help, and I needed your help as well. Once we were out of that dungeon anyway."

The judge clapped his gavel smartly. "Order. Elder, what do you know of brood mice, and this individual? Please stick to the facts, not opinions."

Sally nodded slowly, hobbling towards the front of the room. She settled down in a seat set aside for the witnesses. "Brood mice are considered monsters because they will breed, well, like mice. Given the chance, they'll create a lot of monsters in a small space, making quite the obstacle to any adventurers trying to get past." She waved at Daisy. "But this one isn't a monster. Just an otherworlder that got 'lucky' with a mutagen. She could have hurt me, but moved instead to free me from quite the situation with no request for recompensating. Hardly a monstrous mindset."

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Daisy smiled, her eyes glazing over. "That was one heck of a fight. I'm glad I managed to keep my head. But you were trapped in there. It wasn't fair."

The judge nodded slowly, his fingers steepling before him. He gestured for Sally to continue.

"Right. Daisy is a warrior." Sally gestured at Daisy. "She's been tested by the guild, scanned and everything. If she were a monster, they would have detected it. Instead, they found the rare breed, and that's all."

The judge turned his attention to Daisy, steepling his fingers once more. "You seem very certain of your facts."

Daisy shrugged. "I know I don't want to hurt random people. I was a student, at the university, and I still work there." She kept the part about as a lab animal quiet. "I learned magic, and became a paladin."

The judge waved Daisy to silence. "We've heard quite enough from the accused. Jaspur."

The cat stood ramrod straight. "She has infected someone without their permission, Sir. The only thing we need to decide is if she means ill will."

The judge leveled his gavel at Daisy. "Explain how this occurred."

Daisy faintly colored, thinking about it. "I was still very new, and someone offered to buy some of my milk. Why not? Or so I thought, so I went with her. She, uh, showed interest, and I didn't stop her from taking a test. She, uh, nursed from me." Her cheeks were now fully red, which caused a little snicker to come from Jaspur. "And that was the mutagen."

Jaspur shrugged. "That's an awful lot of details, and no mention of you stopping her."

"I didn't know!" Her tail lashed. "I had no idea. I just thought I made tasty milk. That's a new experience, but I figured a harmless one. I learned, later, that my milk is harmless if allowed to rest a short while outside of my body. Taken directly, it will turn one towards a mouse. She looked happy with the changes."

The judge frowned. "And yet you do not deny that you are a monster?"

Daisy let out a slow breath. "The definition of monster seems to be someone who attacks or mutates without permission. I don't generally do that. So if that's the definition, I'm a pretty lousy monster."

"I see." The judge turned to the elder. "What can we expect to happen as she continues to stay at the university?"

Sally grinned. "They'll continue doing research on her. I'm certain they have some plans."

Jaspur looked at Sally with a fresh frown, but kept quiet.

The judge fiddled with his gavel. "Where is the attacked? Bring her forward."

Jaspur tensed at that. "She isn't here, Your Honor."

The judge frowned at Jaspur. "Why not? Her testimony is essential."

Jaspur turned away. "She didn't want to testify."

"Then bring her in anyway!" The gavel came down. "This is an important case. She must testify to the events that happened. Her words will either damn this monster, or see her set free."

"I'll go get her." Jaspur turned and stalked from the courtroom, leaving Daisy behind.

Sally looked between the door and judge. "This doesn't bode well."

The judge shrugged. "If she was attacked by a monster, she won't protect them."

Sally gave him a dry look. "And that's the problem."

It took a couple of hours, and Daisy was returned to the jail cell while they awaited the victim of the case. She had to make the trip back when they did get her to show up.

There she was, mostly human if not for the short mouse tail and a few whiskers on her face. The moment she saw Daisy, her attention was fixed.

The judge cleared his throat. "Miss, please come forward and give testimony."

The mouse woman reluctantly tore her gaze from Daisy and approached. She sat in the seat Sally had occupied previously.

"Now, please tell us what happened," the judge commanded.

"I was foolish, Your Honor." She wringed her fingers. "The, uh, accused sold me some milk, and I wanted to try some myself. It's expensive, that milk, and rare. If I sold it, I would never get a chance otherwise, so I asked if I could get one more, directly."

Jaspur spoke out of turn. "She let you drink straight from her? You're lucky you didn't turn fully into a monster yourself!"

She looked at Jaspur, then at Daisy, and shrugged. "Maybe, but I didn't know, and I don't think she did either. She was, simply, delicious. It was everything I paid for and more. I wanted more, but she fled, cheeks all red and looking embarrassed. I didn't notice the changes until later." She raised a hand to her face, feeling her new whiskers as her little tail swayed against the chair she sat in.

Jaspur clenched his fists. "So she transformed you!"

"Into something closer to her, yes." She looked up with a smile. "I don't feel that I was attacked or wronged." She looked up at the judge. "If I could change anything, I'd ask her to finish the job. Being stuck only partway is the bad part. I'd rather just be a mouse, or all human, not a little of either."

Daisy looked at the young woman with surprise. "Really?"

She smiled. "Really." She turned towards Daisy. "You were really good. I hope you'll sell me some more milk, sometime."

The judge clapped his gavel. "Order. We are here today to decide if the accused is a monster. Would you see them banished from civilized company?"

"I would not!" The shopkeeper crossed her arms. "Let her go."

"Your opinion has been noted." He waved her away. "Now then." He regarded Daisy with piercing eyes. "It seems you were not aware of the danger at the time, but are now aware, correct?"

Daisy bobbed her head. "Nobody's allowed near these without being told exactly what the danger is."

He waved for Jaspur to bring a vial forward. He slipped on gloves and opened it, sniffing carefully. "Indeed, you did make it clear. If there is any fault, it is the shopkeeper's, not yours."

The shopkeeper shrank in misery at that, but didn't argue it.

"Fortunately for her, there's no law against imbibing a mutagen, even if it can be a dangerous hobby at times." The judge clapped his gavel smartly. "The court finds the defendant, Daisy, to be a person. Not a monster."

The shopkeeper stood. "That's wonderful news. But, I'm still stuck as I am? I just want to finish it. Be either mouse or human."

Jaspur sighed and turned from her, waving dismissively. "That's up to you." He marched away, done with the entire affair.

A bailiff stepped forward to release Daisy from her manacles. "You're free to go."

She rubbed her wrists, then bowed her head in thanks.

The judge waved at the shopkeeper. "Your request is outside my purview. Speak to her, directly. Court adjourned."

The shopkeeper brightened and hurried over to Daisy with her best smile. "Hello there. Glad they let you go. I helped." She rocked lightly in place. "I already know what will happen. Can I get a new sip or two?"

Daisy thought about it. A little smile spread across her lips. She reached out to pull the shopkeeper into a hug against herself. "Sure, but you'll need to do something for me. One, we have to get out of here. I will not do that in the middle of a court, dear god." She gently pushed the lady towards the exit, following her.

"Oh! I can't wait!" The shopkeeper bounced with every step. "Thank you so much! I promise, I'll drink as much as you give me!"

"I believe it." Daisy gently put her arm around her shoulders, guiding her along.