The dwarf and high elf pair stepped out of Amelia's house carrying the two small bundles. While the dwarf was grumbling about being a babysitter at his age, the elf just smiled warmly down at her own bundle. A humming sound came from the street, and the two immediately pulled weapons and got ready for a fight.

"Arlean is that any way to greet your father," a voice said as soon as the group appeared.

Tuathe sighed, re-sheathed her long knife, and asked. "Does mother know you snuck out again, father?"

King Fenis disguised himself as a guard, standing behind an elven high mage acting as an escort. "I'm guessing she doesn't know your here." shaking her head, she looked to the high mage and smiled, "hello cousin Freeden how is Aleana?"

Freeden frowned, "her depression is getting worse. I'm afraid."

Shifting eyes toward her father for a second, then back, she asked. "Why are you all here?"

Freeden glanced suspiciously at the bundles in their arms. "The Elven High Council received a ransom demand from a group claiming to have captured a high elf royal wandering in the area. After looking into it, we found that a branch family had been in the area recently."

Tuathe turned to her father, who just winked. Deciding to act according to as she hoped was her father's plan. More likely, mothers.

Darnath, who was quick to take up my cue, lowered his head. "Unfortunately, we were too late to save the parents."

"Their bodies?" asked Freeden.

Darnath just shook his head, while Tuathe said, "destroyed."

"Enough, we should get the children out of here," said King Fenis, while looking up and down the street at the heaps of garbage. "This place is disgusting."

Darnath handed his bundle to Freeden and walked off toward the inner city, "I got some cleaning up to do."

Tuathe shouts, "Don't go overboard this time."

Darnath waves his hand and keeps walking.

Tuathe, while looking around, asked, "how are we taking the children home? They are too young to go through teleportation."

Freeden took a step forward and said proudly, "Guild master Therlion is rebuilding the branch here in Darnath and has asked me to take control here."

Tuathe waved her hand while rolling her eyes, "and how does that answer my question?"

Freeden replied, "pardon your highness. I was getting to that we have a mansion in the third ring. His highness and his guards can stay there until we arrange transportation."

"Sounds like everything worked out." Tuathe said with a crafty smile. "Since everything is in order, I must take my leave." She handed her own bundle to her father, pecked his cheek, told him to behave himself, and said farewell.

The king and the high mage stared at each other, stunned for a moment, then simultaneously, "wait!"

Tuathe turned, looking irritated, and asked, "what now?"

"Which one is which" they held forwards there, still sleeping bundles.

One guard let out a small trying to hide a laugh.

Tuathe rolled her eyes, "analyze them." Then in her mind, she heard her father ask, "was the core taken care of."

Tuathe answered back the same way, "yes, Triston attached it to Rocky's crown before we left. Nalle can claim her birthright when she is ready."

"Oh, don't squish the fairies," she added as an afterthought and vanished without a hint of movement, causing the guards' jaws to drop.

The king didn't notice at all; he checked the babies and noticed a piece of old parchment tucked into the cloth swaddling Amelia. Fenis took and glanced at it for a second and handed it to Freeden. "Seems you got the last thing needed to begin construction of your guildhall."

Freeden took the parchment and considered it. Frowned, "seems so," the deed to the last house on the block they required had fallen into his grasp after nearly a year searching. Freeden suspiciously peeked at his king, who was pretending to study the night sky. "Will the Land bureau cause a problem," asked Freeden, shrugging off his doubts.

"No, Guild master Therlion will go with you to sign. Those nobles and bureaucrats won't try anything."

"We could really scare them if we told them his real title," remarked Freeden.

"If there are any nobles left after tonight," Fenis replied to low for anyone to hear.

A couple of hours later.

Triston Darnath, who had been sauntering through the city, stood in front of the palace. "Should have gotten the lasses to bed by now," said the Dwarf to none in particular. The guards eyed him suspiciously rather than comment.

Triston stepped forward, his armor turned pure white, and with the second started glowing intensely.

The guards felt the intense power radiating off the man and immediately ran inside, slamming the gate closed, sounding the alarm.

Darnath ignored them, took another step, and vanished, reappearing in an ancient throne room covered in murals. Depicting a battle with all the races of Veridian against foes cloaked in shadow. He waved his hand, causing the furniture to turn to dust, vanishing before it hit the stone floor. Another step forward, he stood on the raised dais, stomped, and the floor split open as a white steel throne rose to set at the perfect height for a dwarf. Sitting down on the throne, Darnath spoke, "Bring me the head of the Governor, also begin investigating all the nobles and bureaucrats. If there is adequate evidence, burn their homes to the ground. Then read out their crimes to the public, before beheading the lot."

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Several kneeling men in white robes appeared before the steps and responded, "understood your majesty." Robed men all over the city nodded toward the palace and began their mission. Moments after all but one of the robed men vanished, the doors burst open, and rows of palace guards marched in.

Darnath sat on his throne, watching the soldiers form up impassively. When they were all ready to begin the attack, he released a bit of power and spread it throughout the room. A moment later, they all dropped to their knees, unable to move. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We will begin the trial as soon as the rest of your comrades arrive." With a wave, another kneeling man stood up, nodded, and walked through massive doors.

Approximately one hour later, a man walked in carrying a silver-covered platter. "It's done, My Lord."

Darnath grunted, "I suppose it was a brothel?"

"No, my Lord, apparently after a guard described you, he sent all his men to slow you down. While he attempted to flee through a secret passage."

"Well, I guess the fat tub of lard forgot who built this palace," Darnath said.

"My Lord, I do not think the governor forgot. You haven't been back here in over a millennium." said the man.

Darnath waved his hand dismissively and said. "Set the platter on the floor there and open it up for all to see." After watching the various expressions on the crowd's faces, he just sneered at the lot. Darnath stood, clapped his hands, causing a few ears to bleed and one maid to pass out. "This is how things are gonna go here, lads and lasses. I'm going to cast a spell I gained after robbing the tomb of some high-level light mage."

Grinning, Darnath spoke, "for those of you who prefer names and such too bad I don't remember. I can tell you he was the founder and first pope of the Church of Light."

Anyway, back on topic, this spell that fraud could never use because it requires the use of Faith.

You may wonder how one gets this power. It's simple. It comes from faith true faith. Not going to the local temple. Praying to whatever statue those so-called priests erected to get their grubby hands in your coin purse. "Or a class perk," Darnath said to quietly for anyone to hear. "Enough about that, though, let's begin. I'm going to check your soul's color since your a mixed bunch, representing most races on the continent. It will be a good chance to learn that no race stands above another," he said brightly.

As Darnath stood in place with power radiating off him, occasionally chanting something. Everyone felt their consciousness flow from their bodies.

When Darnath finished, he looked around with disgust. "Let us begin he told the two next to him. Do not bother about shades of color. Just put the dark to black over there. White or close enough on the other side, and neutrals leave in the center." Darnath pulled his power back so the three of them could prod and shove people into position.

Five minutes later, a slightly pale Darnath ended the spell. "Well, now, that was a chore," he said aloud to the crowd who seemed surprised that they had moved. "Before we begin, I would like to point out that no your souls' don't have color, not that I know of anyhow. This spell really asks the World System to rate your crimes in a way easily understood by us mere meat bags. Wouldn't want you lot thinking I'm biased now." explained Darnath.

"Attention, everyone, take a good look over here. Do you see these five folks here? These fine examples of the races have clean souls. Meaning they either did not realize what was happening or were actively trying to do something about it. The former is unlikely. They can stay here in the palace." Darnath gave them all a nod and asked them to wait. He would talk to them after he finished.

"Now on to this group, although they did not take part, they took a neutral stance on things known to be evil. I admit it is a gray area," said Darnath. "I don't trust them, and I will throw them out like trash. Considering what I know happened here, being neutral should be enough to hang 'em from the city walls." Darnath stared straight at a dwarf in the crowd, spat phlegm at the man's feet, and said, "you sicken me."

"Okay, and for the largest group, one hundred and ninety-seven people. This group, they actively took part in atrocities." Every man or woman in this group shivered at the sharp look he directed toward them. "Your all just lucky I only judge your flesh; if I could, I would erase your very soul." With a clap of Darnath's gloved hands, the entire group burst into white flames, leaving no trace behind.

He turned to the group in the center of the room and said in a low voice that shook the walls, "Get out of my city."

Darnath sat back down on his throne breathed out slowly as his white armor turned back to a dull gray. Waving the group of five over, he chuckled, "now that's taken care of who wants a drink."