The Elders announced a short break for the majority of the people in the room, while they drew close to confer together. A good deal of the spectators in the section just before the room's entrance stood and stepped out for the time being, but the people in Lucas's section stayed put--at most gathering in their own little groups. He was no exception, as Mary and Eugene turned to face him and each other.
"You allocated your stats." Eugene stated in a hushed voice.
"I did," Lucas confirmed. "I know I said I'd wait for each of your advice, I'm sorry."
"It's quite okay," his mom reached over and rubbed his back, "there likely wasn't much choice at the time. Why don't you share what distribution you decided on?"
"Of course," Lucas nodded. "I put thirteen in WIS and INT, nine in VIT and DEX, and six in STR."
"That doesn't sound like the best distribution for a [Warrior]," Eugene furrowed his brow.
"But if I get a stat-boosting augmentation Skill with my Class," Lucas said, "it'll be perfect for a [Healer]-[Warrior] hybrid."
Lucas's words didn't seem to go far in reassuring the man, however. He probably didn't think the odds of that happening were worth betting on.
"You can also look at it another way," his mom put some cheer into her voice, "even if Lucas doesn't get a Skill like that, it was only the first 50 free stats. He doesn't have to stick with that distribution, but even if he does, it is pretty good for a [Healer]."
Eugene sighed, then nodded. "I suppose we'll just have to see when your Class evolves."
"I was actually going to ask you about that," Lucas added. "Your augmentation Skill boosts your stats, right? How did you get it?"
"Hmm," Eugene turned thoughtful, "thinking of ways to improve your chances of getting one?"
Lucas confirmed his thoughts with a nod, and the man went quiet in contemplation. Before he got the chance to speak up once more, however, the Elders started returning to their respective chairs and a guard was motioned to call the spectators back into the room.
"We'll speak more on this, later," Eugene said.
"As well as on how you killed the skaven," Mary told her son with a significant look. "I want to hear more on this latest use of mana."
"Ok," Lucas quietly agreed, and they all turned back around.
All but a few of the spectators had reentered the room and found their seats at that point, but the Elders maintained their patient silence till the very last returned. Lucas's attention drifted over to Regan's location at the center of the room. The [Hunter] had not made a single sound nor move over the entire break. Even now, she sat with her gaze glued to her feet and looked dejected, clearly not entertaining any delusion of leniency in the Elders' judgement.
The young woman looked so pitiful that Lucas almost felt bad for her. Almost being the key word here--he definitely hadn't forgotten the time he'd spent dangling from her grip on his throat. The earlier testimonies had also illuminated the many ways she had coerced the youthful population of the village into fighting in her pit arena. Regan had a mean streak, to put it mildly, and deserved very little sympathy.
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"If everyone would please quiet, we Elders have come to a consensus," Fiora stated plainly for all to hear. At her words, the last conversations finally died down and everyone, including Regan, looked to the stage.
"In the consideration of all actions perpetrated, and all potential risks [Hunter] Regan brought to the village in those actions," Elder Fiora spoke with grim ceremony, "as well as her genuine disregard for the wellbeing of the people of this village, she is to be exiled from this land."
Murmurs started back up amongst the spectators at this proclamation, though Lucas could not tell if their general reception was positive or not. He found the judgement fitting for the most part.
Regan, on the other hand, stared up at the stage with a mixture of devastation and anger. She wisely did not protest the Elders' decision, but it seemed she had not been expecting something so harsh. Rarely was a crime so harsh that a person was exiled from the village, so he supposed the general surprise was warranted.
Fiora called for any objections to their decision amongst the spectators, and particularly the people in Lucas's section, but when none came, things started to wind down. The precise time of the exile was announced to be the following morning at first light, and Commander Iltani motioned for two guards posted near Regan to escort her away.
Just before she would have left through a door on the far side of the room from Lucas, however, she forced the escort to a stop and partially turned to face everyone in audience. Regan held her head high in contempt and passed a slow glare over all her spectators, lingering for a moment on Lucas's general location before finally resting on the Elders atop the stage, who had themselves stopped to watch her.
"You are all pathetic," she spat with vitriolic hate. Then she was gone.
"Well," Mary stood and addressed their little group, "it has been a long and weary day; let's get home, eat some food, and rest. Will you be joining us?" She directed the question at Eugene.
He hesitated and glanced over at where his commander had yet to rise from her seat. "I don't know about tonight--I have a feeling I'll be working late," he bowed his head in apology.
"Don't worry about," Mary waved vaguely, then addressed Penelope. "You three are of course welcome as well. I'm sure we can put together something large enough for five, if you don't feel up to cooking."
Penelope and her husband communicated through a series of looks, in that way only people that have known each other for a great many years could. "That would be wonderful, if you would have us," Penelope eventually answered. "There has been enough worrying today, and all else can be handled tomorrow."
All nine of them, counting Yenna and her parents, followed the flow out of the building. Outside, Yenna pulled Quinn and Lucas aside to say goodbye.
"Do you- Do you want to maybe hang out tomorrow?" Yenna asked the two of them. The girl looked shy and uncomfortable, but also hopeful looking at them.
"My parents probably won't even let me leave the house tomorrow," Quinn told her dejectedly, "but I will if I can."
Lucas wasn't sure why she was including him in her plea--they hardly knew each other, after all--though she and Quinn were already friends, so maybe she decided Lucas was her friend as well by default. She seemed alright in his opinion, so he was fine with it. "I don't think I'll have time tomorrow," he said. "Maybe in a couple days?"
"Sure," Yenna smiled, "just come find me."
She rejoined her parents, who were themselves just disengaging from a conversation with the other adults, and they group split up without further ado. Eugene left them to go report to his boss, and Quinn's family followed after Mary and Lucas. Back at his house, the two families shared a light, tranquil meal with little disturbance.
They did not stay over long, as it was already fairly late and everyone was eager to turn in for the night. So much so that only a little after they left, he and his mom turned in as well. She didn't even keep him up to discuss how he killed the skaven, like he thought she intended. Doubtless, that conversation would take place the next day, when the rest of their business and Skill training picked up as well.
Regardless, Lucas bid his mother goodnight and was asleep minutes after getting into bed.
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The following morning at first light, when most of the village was only just rising for the day, [Hunter] Regan was escorted to the south gate with little but a small bag of her possessions. Lucas watched from atop a nearby building as she left the walls, now entirely on her own, and kept walking without turning back. He watched as the woman made it to the tree-line and disappeared.