It was a frantic rush for the next day as we darted across the city. People rallied to our cause in the wake of the news, and they inevitably clashed with those who were of a more conservative mind. Arguments and brawls became more common, particularly around bars where alcohol limited the already small amount of self-restraint that these people had.
I was working day and night on the crystal. Every spare moment was spent trying to figure out what was and was not needed in its construction. There had to be a sweet spot between OSHA safety standards and blowing up in my face. In the end I would probably be the only one able to use this without lasting or permanent harm. Perhaps that was a good thing. It would prevent people from playing with it for a while at least, so the development of further weapons in its vein would be stunted.
One the other side of my problems, we didn’t have long until the Blessed Child arrived in the city. According to some reports that were shared with us by the good bishop, the Blessed Child would arrive in about another day as she had simply been in a neighboring city to initiate a new group of priests. Evidently, they wanted me to be present for the trial as I was both a key witness and the target of the offense. Maybe this was also for them to save face by kissing up to me, so their public image isn’t ruined. I would rather not start any divisions in the church myself, so having a united front in this regard would be for the best.
It was already late into the night, and I was still tapping away at the hunk of glowing minerals. Each blow had to be measured so that the chisel would still chip away at the surface, but not fracture it. The task took most of my focus, which helped me keep the stress at bay. Having a steady and almost mechanical action to perform allowed my mind to go blank for even a moment.
My rhythmic tapping was only interrupted when a gentle hand came to a rest upon my shoulder. “James, maybe you should come to bed.” Kala’s hand massaged me lightly, pulling me out of my working trance and causing my shoulders to sag as the tension flowed away.
“Kala, I can’t afford to not be working on this. We’re running out of time, and I need to have something to show for all this.”
“I know, and I understand what you are saying, but exhausting yourself isn’t going to help and makes you more likely to make a mistake that could have been avoided. We all need you to be thinking clearly and not look like you are a husk in the middle of the day.”
She did have a point, but my body was in ‘go’ mode right now and I was having trouble even feeling tired. “I don’t know, Kala. I’m not feeling sleepy right now and I may just lay awake in bed regardless.”
“You just let me handle that. Now, get your butt up and in that bed before I drag you all the way there.”
I sighed, submitting myself to her whims as I began the process of stripping down and inserting myself into the warm embrace of the bed. Kala followed me but gave my arm a slight tug to tell me roll onto my belly. After a little shuffling around, Kala positioned herself over me and began to give me a massage. Her hands pressed deep into my muscles, working on any tense areas she could find.
In the middle of her ministrations, she spoke to me. “James, you’ve been through a lot in a very short period, we all have. You’ve barely had time to breathe, and I don’t want to see you working yourself to the bone when I don’t think you’ve even sorted through everything you’re feeling.”
I let out a slow sigh, maybe feeling a little annoyed that she wasn’t feeling the same urgency as me. “What about you, Kala? Have you ‘sorted through everything’ and that’s why you aren’t in as much of a frantic mind as me?” There was a slight tone of hostility that unintentionally leaked into my voice.
Kala seemed to pick up on that as she slowed her movements. Her hands stopped the massage and simply made gentle circles around my back. It wasn’t long before I felt her shift and then lay her whole body on me, placing her head on the small of my back.
“No,” she began. “I haven’t sorted through everything. I’m just more used to loss, I suppose.” The statement was left to hang in the air like a lead weight for a moment before she continued. “I know you don’t like doing all this, and you’re giving so much of yourself every day that I’m worried there may be nothing left of you after all this is over. That look on your face when you were attacking Adder reminded me of when we first met. You had so much disdain and hate in your eyes. It scared me to think that you might fall back into that state of mind after only just having climbed out of it.”
That certainly gave me a lot to think about. Did I really look like that to her? Thinking back on that moment and comparing it to how I felt during my initial time on the run from the Thrainians, there was a similarity that could be made between my emotional states. An overwhelming urge to enact some kind of vengeance on those that wronged me, and the constant battling of my own morality when it came to hurting someone. Sometimes that dark desire seemed to outweigh the scales of my conscience.
With a sigh I began to slowly turn over again. Kala felt me move and lifted herself just enough to allow me to make the transition to my back once more. Now able to face her, I pulled her down to my chest in a hug while speaking softly to her.
“I’m sorry I scared you. Thinking back on it now, I scared myself as well. This world has had an effect on me, some positive, but a lot of negative. Things are just so different from where I came from. Going from my peaceful life to a world in the midst of a nightmarish war has left scars that aren’t visible. It’s those scars that are vulnerable to being opened again, and I don’t know if they will ever truly fade.”
“You just have to give it time, James. Right now, though, I want you to sleep. Whatever happens tomorrow I know that we can handle it together.”
I hummed lightly to acknowledge her words. “Well, here’s hoping that we can at least get along with the Blessed Child when she gets here.”
“Less worrying, more snoring.”
That got a small chuckle out of me as I did my best to relax. Kala snuggled up with me, providing comfort that only she could. Despite not feeling any sort of weariness before, the combination of a warm bed, and the woman I loved being close at hand, caused a reaction in me that brought all that hidden exhaustion to the surface. My eyes almost immediately became heavy, and soon enough they closed completely as I fell into a much-needed sleep.
Morning arrived without much fanfare. We got dressed, ate breakfast, and tried to plan out the day to the best of our ability. It was only when we emerged from the lodge that things took an unexpected turn.
The town had changed, seemingly overnight. All around there were banners, streamers, flags, and other such decorations attached to buildings, lampposts, and bits of rope that hung across streets. All of these little decorations were adorned with the symbol of the church; a simple silver circle.
Everyone was very lively, darting around and speaking energetically with their neighbors and friends. Picking up on a few of the conversations in passing, it appeared that news of the Blessed Child’s arrival had spread, and the city was preparing a welcoming parade for her. I wasn’t sure if I should have felt slighted as there wasn’t a similar reaction to my arrival, but eventually I settled on being glad that things were more restrained for me as this seemed rather awkward to deal with.
Despite the interesting sights and sounds of the city, we were on our way to the church at the request of Yolder. He wanted to make sure that everything was ready for the trial, and we didn’t have to scramble to get everyone in place. That meant we would have to wait for the arrival of the Blessed Child, but fortunately we could fill some of that time with directions on what we were expected to do.
Kala and I would be taking a direct role in the trial, speaking from the stand, and giving our side of the story. The rest of our group had statements taken which would serve as evidence, but it was decided that they did not need to speak individually as it would already be covered by my retelling of events. We did a practice run of the whole thing, going over where we would sit, how we would rise when called upon, and the general decorum that was required during the trial. This ate up a few hours of the day as we went over all the details, which was long enough that we barely had to wait at all before the news of the Blessed Child’s arrival finally arrived.
We moved outside to witness the arrival of the holy figure alongside seemingly the entire city. The streets were lined with bodies, all packed shoulder to shoulder as the dull roar of conversation and anticipation filled the air. Soon enough I saw a change in the crowd as their heads turned towards the lower road. This was as good a sign as any that our venerated guest was nearing.
The sound of a multitude of hooves on stone preceded the sight of the small parade of horses and a large carriage. The riders surrounding the carriage were all adorned in regal armor, thick and imposing. Each suit had the symbol of the church etched into the metal, a more expensive version of the embroidered tabard that our group wore. The horses themselves were large, big enough to match their Ulgor riders at about Clydesdale size.
While the mounted guards were an impressive sight, no one was really paying attention to them. Every pair of eyes was looking at the carriage. Some people were even straining their necks to try and get a view inside. Damn, I don’t know how I’d even live with that kind of attention on me at all times.
The carriage and its escort went around the large rotunda, steadily making their way towards the church. We waited in attentive and respectful silence for them to pull up in front of us. After they arrived, the Blessed Child did not disembark as I thought they would. Instead, one of the escort riders dismounted, moved to the back of the carriage, and removed a ramp that was placed against the door to the carriage to provide a steady incline down.
I thought it was an oddity, but it soon became apparent that it was more a necessity. When the carriage door finally opened, I was surprised to see the Blessed Child was in fact a Valus. While that wasn’t so shocking in and of itself, it was the fact that she had stark white scales that really caught me off guard.
She was quite a striking figure. Her scales reflected any light that hit her, perhaps more than was natural. Maybe they used some kind of product on her scales that increased the glossiness of them. Other than the scales, her attire was simple, if slightly revealing. A slender dark robe contrasted with the color of her scales, but it was designed in a way that it showed off as much of her body as possible without being lewd. She certainly pulled the look off rather well; so much so that I heard Ulthises murmuring behind me.
“Beautiful...” That simple comment earned a quick elbow to the ribs from Otar to get him focused again. I wasn’t exactly an expert on what is considered appealing in Valus women, but even I could see the allure in her features. Her top half had a certain feminine quality to it with gentle, firm, curves despite the lack of breasts. I didn’t have much of an opinion on her more serpentine half, though I briefly wondered if there was some attraction to that part to other Valus, kind of like legs for humans.
Snapping myself out of my wandering thoughts, I put my full attention on the scene playing out before us again. The Blessed Child slowly slithered out of the carriage and down the ramp, projecting a regal air as she went. Her descent to the ground was met with a wave of bowed bodies from the surrounding crowd as they all offered their respect to her.
Anyone of a lower rank than the bishop or I had their head down as she approached. It wasn’t until she was right in front of us that the bishop offered a small bow to her as well. “My lady, welcome back. I apologize for having you return on such short notice, but I'm sure that you can understand the importance of the situation. It is best if we rectify this situation with all haste.”
When she spoke, her voice came across as sweet and warm, but I found myself slightly offput by it. The cadence sounded... forced, almost. There wasn’t much time to consider it on a deeper level, though, as I still had to focus on what was being said.
“Of course, bishop. This situation paints the church in an unfavorable light. An accomplished member consorting with thugs, participating in kidnapping and aiding in murder. All serious accusations that must be dealt with.” It was then that her gaze fell on me, and I felt myself stand just a bit straighter. “You are James, correct? Chosen of the goddess?”
I briefly wondered how I should handle and interaction between us. Were we on the same level, or was one of us superior to the other? In the end I decided to play it safe and take a respectful approach.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“Indeed I am, my lady. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” I gave a slight bow of the head, which she deigned to return in kind. At least that told me we were on about the same level, socially speaking, if she thought it necessary to return my gesture of respect.
“The pleasure is mine,” she assured me. “I only wish that we had met under more pleasant circumstances. As it stands, perhaps we might have a private conversation later to better familiarize ourselves with one another.”
Another invitation to a private meeting. Hopefully, this one really is friendly and not just a pretext for accusations and threats to be thrown about. That was something to keep in the back of my mind while we were at the trial. For now, our rather large group meandered inside to get the proceedings for this trial started.
This trial would be held in the main hall of the church, under the eyes of the gods, as Yolder put it. The pews had been removed and instead chairs had been brought in to be set up on either side of the central walkway. Three podiums sat ready for use. Two were directly beneath the main altar and would be used by the Blessed Child and whoever was currently speaking as a witness. The remaining podium was lower and directly in front of the other two. Adder would be standing at this one, pleading his defense.
All of this would be semi-public, to provide some legitimacy. Only nobles and invested parties would be present, however, including Artisa and Bardis. There were only so many people who could fit into a single room, and society gave priority to those with higher status.
The escorts for both myself and the Blessed Child would position themselves around the hall to provide security. Meanwhile, Yolder, Kala and I would be sitting just left of the altar, on standby to give our public statements. This would not be a normal court trial. Sure, they must be public about their rulings and can face criticisms for their decisions, but they police themselves in most cases. That might have to change in the future, but that was neither here nor now.
After everyone was positioned correctly, the nobles who would be witness to this were allowed into the building. It took about a dozen or so minutes for them all to be seated, but eventually the quiet roar of conversation teetered off as the albino Valus slithered up to her podium. She slowly surveyed the crowd until she was certain that there would be no interruptions.
With a steady inhale, she began to speak. “We gather here under the eyes of the gods to determine the truth of a most heinous act. The accused will have the chance to defend themselves, but we pray now to Cathor to bring us to the just conclusion of these events. May the gods guide us.” She then drew a prayer circle in the air, an act that was repeated by the masses.
With that out of the way she gestured towards a guard standing by one of the side doors. “Bring in the accused,” she commanded.
Her order was obeyed, and a minute later, Adder was dragged into the room in chains. The sight of him brought an involuntary sneer to my face, but the signs of my handiwork did leave a slight feeling of satisfaction. Both his eyes were blackened, his lips were swollen, nose broken, and he had a stitch above his right brow. I was glad to know they didn’t bother wasting a healer's time on him.
Other than his physical condition, I noticed the manacles he had on contained crystals that were embedded in the metal. I leaned over to Yolder for some clarification. “What do the crystals do?”
Yolder kept everything similarly subtle as he replied. “They serve two functions. One being safety as they have a similar function to a collar, as unfortunate a comparison as that is. I doubt that we will need it as he is not a violent man by nature, but there are others who may be. The second function is that it aids in discerning truthful statements from lies. If he does tell a lie, then the stones will glow to show as much.”
That seemed rather powerful, particularly for legal uses. “Is this used all the time?”
“No. Many hold skepticism as to the validity of the readings from the crystal. There have been some instances where people could skew the results depending on if they believe that what they are saying isn’t a lie.”
I guess that makes sense. Even if a lie detector works ninety-nine percent of the time, that one percent will always be scrutinized.
Adder stepped up to his podium, and the guard stood silent behind him, just in case. With him in place, our ivory judge began the proceedings. “Adder Filnor, you stand accused of kidnapping, murder by proxy, conspiracy to commit murder, and assault by proxy. How do you plead?”
“The only thing I am guilty of is defending our city and the way of life that we seek to preserve.” I couldn’t help the glare, especially since he appeared to believe every word of what he said considering the crystals around his wrist remained dull.
“Very well,” She continued. “Since the accused has denied they are at fault, then we shall now present the evidence of the case.”
That was the signal for Yolder to take the stand. The older gentleman stood with a bit more effort than most and made his way towards the podium by the altar. He did not look the slightest bit happy about this situation. In fact, his expression could best be described as solemn.
Once at the stand, the Blessed Child addressed him. “Do you swear to tell the truth before the gods lest you face their judgment?”
“I do.”
“Then please start with the testimonies given by both the personal escort of Lord James and the local guard regiment that responded to the scene of the crime.”
With a grim face, Yolder nodded and began to read off the written testimonies. It was all things that I’ve lived through told from a secondhand account, so I focused more on the reactions around the room. Many of the nobles in attendance began to murmur amongst themselves while casting scathing looks at Adder behind his back. Adder himself was rather impassive, standing with a straight face, relatively, considering how much I bent it. Yolder, though, seemed almost sad as he read off each of the crimes that were described in detail.
After the recounts were finished, Yolder was thanked and asked one last question. “Do you have anything else to add to these proceedings?”
Yolder’s expression became deep and contemplative for a moment before he seemingly collected himself enough to talk. “I would just like to apologize to everyone who was affected by Adder’s actions. I was supposed to be his mentor, and I thought I had taught him how to be a moral and just servant of the church. It appears that I have failed in that regard. Failed him, and everyone who was hurt by him. Forgive me.”
For the first time since the start of the trial Adder’s impassive shell broke. His gaze was cast towards the floor and a look of shame crossed his face. Having said his piece, Yolder descended from the stand to take a seat once more. The old man looked positively exhausted as he slumped down into his chair.
Kala was next to take the stand and she looked nervous as she stood and fiddled with her hands. I managed to catch her eye for a moment and gave her a supportive smile with a nod of my head. She smiled back at me and took a deep breath before walking over to take her spot.
With some timidity, she began to recount her experiences with the kidnapping and events immediately preceding that. To hear her talk about her struggle against her captors and how they threatened her with pain in order to get her to cooperate made my fists clench in anger. They wanted her to get to me, and readily admitted it. I really was disappointed that I didn’t get the opportunity to beat that big Ulgor senseless.
Her recounting was relatively short as there wasn’t much that happened to her after she was tied up until I arrived. I think she was grateful for that as it meant she wouldn’t be the center of everyone’s attention. With her account of events finished, it was now my turn, for a complete retelling of all angles.
As I swapped places with Kala, my eyes were naturally drawn to Adder as he was shooting a defiant glare at me through his pulped features. My own glowering gaze could be considered menacing on the best of days, but this stare down that we were doing with one another could not go on forever. Eventually, I had to break eye contact to speak of my end of the story.
I went over it all again: getting called from Lady Nadala’s house, rushing to the scene of the crime, having my friend die in my arms, receiving the letter and then the whole siege of the house and factory. It all made for quite the tale if the enamored gazes of the crowd were anything to go by. I imagine if this were any other circumstance, they probably would have been quite entertained by the story. But this wasn’t a fiction, and the consequences were all too real.
Mine was the last testimony; so, after I had finished and removed myself from the spotlight, our pale judge gave Adder his last chance. “We have heard the evidence and testimonies of all who were present. What say you in your defense?”
Adder held his head high as he spoke with confidence. “My intention was never to cause such harm, but to expose the betrayer amongst us. We have welcomed a stranger into our homes; a stranger of unproven merit and origin that we are willing to give far too much power to. The gods have shown me visions of the damage that can be done. Haunted my dreams with fire and death. I acted to prevent this. I worked to enact the gods will.” Many people could tell who he was speaking of during his little rant despite not directly naming me.
More than one person was paying attention to the crystals on his wrist and expressing shock at their inactivity. Even the Blessed Child was looking at him with restrained surprise. “You truly believe that the gods were speaking to you through your dreams?”
“It is the same dream night after night, each time more intense than the last.”
There was a pause in the conversation that was seemingly dedicated towards consideration. When she spoke next, her voice was measured and steady. “You speak of gods, but you have held a negative perception of Lord James since he first arrived. Could it be that perhaps your own misgivings and criticisms of the man have colored your thoughts and twisted your morals into a state that makes it easily manipulated by the allure of violence? Gods or no, your actions have resulted in the loss of life, something that should be cherished and protected. The gods do not command or control us, they only provide the wisdom with which we may chart our course, and it is only our own discretion that determines the proper path to take. You have chosen poorly and have shown yourself to be unrepentant of the murky trail on which you tread.”
A sort of grim resignation crossed her features as she stared down at the man before her. “I find no joy in delivering a verdict here today, but devotion turning to zealotry is a poison that would destroy not just the foundations of the church. Adder Filnor, for the crimes of murder by proxy, assault by proxy, and kidnapping, you are found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. May the Mother’s mercy find you beyond the mortal coil.”
And just like that, it was done. The execution was set for tomorrow. Finally, the one responsible for this nightmare would be dealt with, and yet, I didn’t find the catharsis that I was expecting. It was like the fires of my rage had dulled to the point where they couldn’t burn away all the other emotions anymore. I looked at the man sentenced to die, and while I still found anger, there was also pity now. He would die, manipulated, and used by the whims of a god.
Adder did not cry injustice or attempt to plead his case any further. He accepted the punishment with a resolute gaze on his face until he was finally ushered out of sight once more. I was left with a conflicted maelstrom of emotions inside of me, and it seemed that Yolder was feeling something similar as well.
Even as the crowds slowly filed out of the building, Yolder and I sat in deep contemplation of the events in which we had just partook. It was only after the last of the peanut gallery had exited that the old man finally said something.
“I had hoped the boy would grow to be replacement for myself one day.” The statement was left to hang in the air for a moment before he let out a sigh and stood with a grunt of effort. “But few are the ones lucky enough to have all their wishes fulfilled.” He ambled off in the direction of the inner cloister.
His words and sudden exit left me feeling even more lost, but I didn’t have much time to consider as the Blessed Child was approaching me. I quickly stood up to be respectful as she gave a slight nod to me before speaking.
“An unfortunate business this, but I hope that your opinion of the church hasn’t been damaged by the actions of an individual.”
Making sure that I’m not going to hold a grudge, huh. “Don’t worry. I judge people based on the merits of their actions, and thus far you have not provided me with enough of a reason to condemn a whole organization for the actions of a few.”
She dipped her head again. “A pragmatic approach, and I thank you for that. Now, on a more personal note, would you humor me with that private conversation that we discussed earlier. My day is rather empty as of right now, but that may not be the case forever.”
Oh? “Well, I don’t believe I have any pressing commitments, but I would like to request that we keep the meeting brief if possible.”
“That is a reasonable request. I will not waste your time, or my own, with pointless talk.” I nodded and extended a hand to help Kala out of her seat and lead her to the meeting room only to be stopped. “Actually, if it can be just the two of us for a moment, that would be preferable.”
That came as a bit of a surprise, and Kala looked quite worried about it as well. We shared a brief, silent conversation between us as our eyes met. Eventually Kala let her shoulders sag in resignation as I responded to that request.
“If it is a short conversation, then very well. I wouldn’t want to keep my lady waiting, after all.”
“Of course. I will endeavor not to keep you apart for too long.”
With assurances given, I reluctantly separated myself from Kala. Most of our friends were left behind to watch over her and I took Hargon with me just as a show of security. Naturally, we were vastly outnumbered by the escort of our pale host, but I doubted that anything would happen, especially after that big show they just put on.
Eventually we arrived at a private room deep inside the heart of the church. There was a long table with several chairs around it and candles placed atop. A fireplace was nearby but laid bare of any warmth giving flame. There were two stained glass windows on the far wall that let in some slightly tinted light from outside.
After entering, she turned to address the escort, including mine. “Thank you, gentlemen, but please remain outside.” Her guards immediately bowed their heads and accepted the command, but Hargon looked at me first before consenting. I gave him a nod and he quickly followed the rest of them out.
We were alone now. For a few seconds, nothing really changed, but then I heard her let out a heavy sigh as her shoulders relaxed significantly. It was a small change, but one that had a dramatic effect on her appearance as she seemed far less imposing now.
She looked at me and gave a smile before gesturing to the chairs. “Please, have a seat, get comfortable.”
I nodded along with her request. “Thank you.” As we both got situated, I realized something that was overlooked in all the hustle from this afternoon. “Forgive me, but I believe I have not had the honor of you name yet.” I broached the subject as respectfully as possible.
“Oh?” was her immediate reaction. “Forgive me, this afternoon has been quite chaotic. My name is Ophelia. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”
I noticed that her demeanor was a bit more casual now. Not wanting to push my luck, though, I maintained a somewhat cordial tone. “The pleasure is mine, Ophelia. My name is James, though, you already knew that.” She gave a tittering laugh in response, which was a good sign. “Now, is there anything you wished to discuss in particular, or is this more a general conversation we are to have?”
She nodded her head. “Of course, I did promise not to waste your time. Let us get right to the matter which I hope that you will consider favorably.” That sounded somewhat ominous, but I was certainly not prepared for what came next. “Might I please beg of you, James, to take my seat in the church.”