"That...was very unappreciated." Hope spits on the floor, wiping her lips. "Are we all alive?" She touches Anna hesitantly, sending a small surge of that healing power into the elf.

"Can we go home now?" Anna grumbles, resisting the urge to kick the sleeping monster woman as she sends a ray of light Tyrion's way.

Tyrion sighs, leaning against the wall. "No more snakes, please."

Amadeo merely stands over Azeen, a fire burning in his heart and his hand. Hope reaches out, taking his hand despite the flame burning softly against her flesh. "Justice, Amadeo."

The wizard sighs, nodding his head slowly as the fire goes out. "I know. It would be easy, but it wouldn't be right."

"A path some of us take longer to figure out than others." A voice from the door chimes in. The party looks up to see the half elf Nelos Ondra stride into the room, accompanied by Valora with a pair of long needles in hand and Rhys holding a pendant formed from silver lines interlocking in the shape of a heart.

"What are you doing here?" Amadeo asks, helping Tyrion to his feet.

"We wanted to help." Valora folds her arms. "Dad's little...thing, he had it go to your house and see what you were doing. It was watching you last night."

"Yes. Possibly my last act as a servant to my master. Things were easier before now, but they weren't right." Nelos grabs the siblings and pulls them close, kissing each on the forehead. "It's going to be a bit rocky, but my children are here now. And if they're willing to take the leap, then I am too. Which means..." He looks toward the council. "...Oh. Rhys, do you-"

"I'd like to, but I can only reverse the effect for two of them today." Rhys marches toward the table, holding out the pendant with his head bowed. "Tender Heart, share with me your power. Your children are in great need." Holding up a pair of small diamonds that Tyrion whistles at, Rhys places one against the dark elf and the other on the half giant. The diamonds crumble into dust before vanishing into the aether, and the stone forms shake off their entrapment, gasping for air.

"Four to go. But this should do for now." Rhys steps back, the two men looking around in fright.

"What happened?" Faldis asks, a shortsword popping into existence in one hand, and a crackle of lightning arcing between the fingers of his other hand as he eyes the crowd of people, Anna kneeling down to bind a cloth over Azeen's eyes.

"I think..." Kabira ponders thoughtfully. "I think we were frozen."

"You were petrified, Elder Kabira." Nelos steps forward, releasing a small sphere of iron rings from his hand and letting it drop on the sleeping woman. It expands to rapidly envelop her form like a net, entangling the woman rather tightly in its cold embrace. "Here lays the culprit, captured by these four adventurers. We can't restore the other elders just yet, but we can-"

Kabira sees Azeen, and his eyes flare with fury. He looks just about ready to shout and froth before the dark elf clears his throat. "Peace and tranquility, Kabira."

Kabira sighs, sitting in his seat and looking at the four still petrified elders with a huff a d a shake of the head. "I've seen enough to decide as head elder that this woman's guilt is doubtless. Faldis, retrieve the guards and arrest this woman. I want her in a cell five minutes ago."

"Very well, Elder Kabira." The dark elf hops over the table and dashes off, his foot colliding with Azeen's face. "Oops." He utters with a sarcastic shrug before continuing on.

Azeen, for her part, groans from the kick to the head, shifting her body around but finding herself unable to sit up. "The Hells is this? Get this thing off of me!" She struggles against the iron rings to no avail.

Nelos chuckles, squatting down to look her in the eye. "Oh, my dear Elder Azeen. Now you know how it feels to be the one who's tied up."

"You piece of trash! How dare-Egh!" She gasps as Amadeo plants a foot on her neck. "You reap what you sow, snake."

Faldis returns, flanked by the two guards from the front door. Hope's pulling her to her feet. "Can't do it again now, huh?"

"Oh, my sweet devil, you know you'll miss me. Did you like the gift I left you-Hurk!" Hope knees the woman in her stomach.

"Yeah, I'll miss having not cut you in half."

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"But I have an idea for how to break you in a way that will be far more satisfactory than any 'gift' you could give her." Amadeo folds his arms, a devious smirk crossing his lips. Hope grips Azeen's arm and shoves her toward the guards.

"Take her for processing." Faldis commands, watching Will and Rolf take the human away. He turns to the four still petrified council members and sighs. "What's this 'idea' of yours, Master Ravenwood?"

"Well, it starts with that statue you're raising taxes to build."

****************************************

"That's..." Faldis leans back against the table, arms folded as he eyes the wizard curiously. "That's quite the punishment. Do you think the people would agree to pay for it?"

"Probably not. But that's why I'm going to ask Master Yuri for help. If you lower the taxes in the meantime, we can get the money together. Or you could front the money yourselves."

"What? We can't use personal funds-" Kabira starts before Faldis holds up a hand.

"He's right, Elder. We have plenty of our own money to donate to such a project. And if it means that witch receives her due justice, I'll gladly reduce myself to the level of our fellow citizens."

"Faldis, you can't be serious!"

"I'm quite serious, Kabira." The dark elf turns his gaze to the head elder. "We've long held ourselves up as being better than the rest of the villagers, but that's obviously bull. It's high time we stopped deceiving ourselves. A lying snake lay amongst our flock, a murdering temptress we ignored as long as our purses were fat. Hell, we all did things we shouldn't be proud of to stay rich...So yes, Kabira. I am serious. I'll pay for the whole of the statue's production. Lower the taxes too, and we may just be able to keep our heads at the very least."

Amadeo watches in quiet bemusement. "So...it's settled then?"

Kabira looks between the faces of those gathered, eyeing his petrified fellows before sighing. "Very well. Faldis...has a point. I will assist with the affordance of this construction. As head of the elder council, I must make ammends to those whose lives I've helped ruin."

"Not just you, Elder Kabira." Nelos steps forward. "I am also responsible."

"Dad, what are you doing?!" Valora grabs his arm, and he pats her hand with a soft smile before continuing.

"I had my familiar steal Azeen's journal, moreover gather information on all of you, so I could easily ply the council to give me anything I wanted." He turns to Amadeo, bowing his head low. "My life for the last ten years has been in service to a dark power. I sent those men to rough up your father so he would be inclined to give me the land my master so desired. When they failed, I had my familiar kill them so they could not be traced back to me." His eyes move toward his children. Valora is mostly stone faced aside from a somewhat quivering lip, while Rhys is openly wiping his eyes on his sleeve. Nelos looks back to the wizard, his stoic expression broken by the tear running down his face. "Amadeo Ravenwood, you have done me a great service. For that, I will gladly accept any punishment the council, or those still able to, wishes upon me."

Kabira and Faldis give each other a look. "Whole lotta truth coming out today, eh, Faldis?"

Faldis shrugs, Kabira nods, and the dark elf steps forward. "Nelos Ondra. You stand accused of attempted blackmail and extortion by your own admission. Given that the son of one of your victims is in this very room, perhaps they'd like to say a few words?"

Amadeo looks to the party first; Anna nods, Tyrion grins, and Hope squeezes the wizard's shoulder.

He turns around, facing the siblings. Valora locks eyes with him in a face he registers as momentary fear followed by what his father might refer to as 'sucking it up'. Rhys just clasps his hands together, head bowed as if in prayer.

"Make today a day of mercy." Amadeo's gaze falls once again upon Nelos and the two elders. Standing beside the half elf is a shining figure with their hand laying on Nelos' back, the light coming off of their form being so bright that Amadeo has to look away. The light is accompanied by a gentle warmth radiating off the figure.

"Who-" Before he can finish his question, the light vanishes.

His eyes first turn to Anna, who tilts her head. "Something wrong?"

"No...I'm ok..." He shakes his head and looks forward again, taking a deep breath. "Nelos Ondra kept the journal and did nothing with it despite knowing its contents and the owner. Though he gave it to me to aid with our investigation, he did so only when I did something for him. He allowed a murderess to go unpunished because it might better his position rather than the village as a whole..." Nelos lowers his head, Valora gripping her father's arm tighter. Rhys rests his head on the older man's back, kissing the pendant around his neck.

But he was once a good man, and I believe he can be again. He chooses to atone, which is more than can be said for Azeen. In light of the help he provided, however selfish his requirement was, I ask that the council sentence him to live out the rest of his days knowing he could have stopped this before now, and that he be made to use the vast fortune he's acquired to serve his community."

The wizard points to the painting of the Queen of Light and her dazzling shine. "Make today a day of mercy for those choosing to stand in the Dawnmother's light."

Faldis lets out a single laugh, nodding his head approvingly. "In light of what you've done, Nelos Ondra, I believe this punishment is suitable. You will be made to live your life in service to the people you sought to rise above. Your punishment will not be prison, but to make yourself useful to those below your station. All in favor?"

Kabira nods, holding a hand up. "That works for me. I'm certain the others would share such an opinion."

Faldis turns back to Nelos, extending a hand. "Of course, if you go against this decree, it's a short hop to imprisonment for a long time."

"I understand." The half elf shakes his full blooded counterpart's hand, bowing to touch his forehead to the back of Faldis' palm.

Tyrion snorts. "Good. Now that's settled, shall we get back to the business regarding what awaits our esteemed Elder Azeen? I'm itching to give her the good news."

"Let's let her stew." Hope shrugs. "For now, we've got work to do. It's gonna take a few days to get all this done."

"Then we'd best get started." Amadeo moves toward the door. "I want to finish this quickly and see that witch's face when she finds out what's going to happen."