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There was silence. Then the muttering started. Gage-jun ignored the silent murmuring from the gathered crowd. She didn’t even look at the Son of Sand, Xarax himself. She instead watched Liu’ye. The elf tried to speak several times, his mouth opening and closing. His face shifted from anger to confusion, to fear and despair. In a span of just a few moments, Gage-jun watched as the man he had felt such anger for just a short time ago, broke.
A shift in the conversation behind her had her turning away to look. Elfric, Griz’tek, Keylan, and Taylon stood at the edge of the crowd. Elfric was frowning, looking around at the crowd. Griz’tek looked confused, while Keylan looked like he would rather be anywhere but here. Taylon’s face was contorted in anger. Being as he was the only physical support for his brother was the only thing that kept him from charging forward.
“Rajan’kin, I will be right back.” Gage-jun stayed only long enough to see Rajan’kin acknowledge her words before moving over to the group. As she arrived, she lifted a hand to stop any of them from speaking. “Please, let me speak quickly. This is Liu’ye and he is indeed the one who attacked. What I say next is not an excuse for his for his actions, but I feel you should know.” She paused, looking from Griz’tek to Keylan. Neither moved to speak so she continued. “Liu’ye did think he was working at the behest of Kin. That Kin himself was speaking to him. The Respected just confirmed that Liu’ye was tricked into performing these actions. By Xarax.”
All four of them looked at Gage-jun with shock. “So, he was…” Griz’tek’s face once again turned confused as he spoke. “Divinely dictated to by a god, to do a crime… in the name of another god?”
“Seems… petty.” Keylan’s voice was barely above a whisper. It was raw and rough as he spoke.
Before Gage-jun could speak, the voice of the Respected reached them. “Griz’tek and Keylan, please step forth.”
“Please,” Gage-jun looked to Taylon, “Leave this to me.” The large bull studied her, scrutinizing her before nodding. Together, Gage-jun and Griz’tek walked forward with Keylan until the stood before the Respected.
“Confirm or deny Liu’ye as your attacker.” The Respected’s voice still reverberated with the echo of the ancestors that spoke with her. The intensity had lessened, however.
“I…” Griz’tek looked away. “I’m not sure. I thought… I didn’t see him clearly.”
Kaylon nodded and tried to speak, the Respected leaned in to listen to his subdued whisper. “It was him. I saw him... as he beat... Griz’tek.” Liu’ye didn’t even twitch, lost in his own mind.
Silence once more descended. Its weight was oppressive as the sun baking the sands around them. The heat closed in, and the Son stepped forward. “This violence cannot be tolerated. These foreigners fight among themselves, soil our sands with their blood. We have offered them sanctuary. We have offered them peace. We have offered them our very water, and this is how they thank us? With violence!” The Son was not even looking at Liu’ye, Keylan, and Griz’tek. He did not even spare a glance to the Respected. The crowd stood frozen in place, watching as the Son addressed the guards that watched over the trial.
“Kelechi,” The Son of Sand seemed to flinch as the Respected stated the name, “You step out of your way.” The Respected stood to her full height, her regal bearing radiating from her as she spoke. “You may be addressed as the Son of Sand, a title of your own making, but you hold no authori-”
“You allow this!” The Son spun about to thrust a finger at the Respected, spittle flying from his lips. “You allow them to take from us. Our food. Our water. Our peace! You demand no RESPECT!” There was a ripple in the air as he bellowed out the word, like a shimmer of heat. The Respected visibly paled as it rolled over her.
The following silence rung in the ears of all who were present. Even Gage-jun was taken aback, staring nearly slack jawed at the angry, seething man.
As the heat of the sun and its reflection from the sand bore down on all who were gathered, a sudden breeze stirred the air. A refreshing waft of air cut cleanly through the heat and the tension along with it. All eyes turned to Rajan’kin. Just behind the alajin stood the sandstone slab on which Keylan had been brought to the healer’s hut. When did that...?
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A thin line of light cut through the center of the slab, cutting through the stone, blood, and ever shifting words beneath the door’s surface. Rajan’kin bowed deeply, “Respected, Daughter Ndya, Son of Sand. This one humbly thanks you, your people, and your ancestors. May this one present to you, Asura Salikat, the Will of Kin.” As Rajan’kin righted, a figure stepped out through the open door.
The being stood tall and imposing, with skin as deep and rich as the night sky, interspersed with tiny, glimmering stars that twinkle faintly, creating an ethereal, cosmic pattern. His face was finely chiseled with high cheekbones, a straight nose, and an angular jawline, which accentuated his elven-like elegance. The eyes, large and almond-shaped, were serene and captivating. Pointed ears peek out from under a crop of white, wavy hair that contrasted starkly against his dark skin.
What truly set this figure apart was his six majestic wings, sprouting symmetrically from his back. These wings, each feather meticulously detailed, started with a warm, golden-brown near the base and transitioned to a light, almost white hue at the tips that fluttered softly as if moved by a gentle breeze.
What complimented his divine appearance, were his four muscular arms. Each adorned with golden armbands. His clothes were simple, a flowing wrap around the waist that was made from a light fabric that draped gracefully. The material fluttered softly with each movement, as if it were alive. Earrings dangled from his ears and a fine chain necklace with a small pendant sat at his throat.
The Respected shifted from shock to contemplation while Daughter Ndya struggled to keep her feet beneath her. Awe was clearly etched across her face. Gage-jun only had eyes for the Son, though. He could not help but to feel a sense of smugness at seeing the look of shock and ill contained hatred that radiated from every fiber of Xarax, the Son of Sand.
“This one extends gratitude to the Son of Sand for his insightful perspective,” Rajan’kin said, stepping forward to align with the Respected. “We are confronted with a grave crime, committed in the name of Kin. The perpetrator, though deceived, acted with the conviction that he was fulfilling Kin’s will. This constitutes the first sin against Kin. In light of this, we humbly seek the wisdom of the Ancestors and respectfully request that Asura Salikat be allowed to render judgment.”
The Son of Sand blinked. Then blinked again. As he opened his mouth to speak, the intensity of the echoing reverberation of the ancestors speaking interrupted him as the Respected spoke. “The Ancestors of the Akalahari tribe grant Kin the right of judgement, to be administered through his asura, the Will of Kin, Asura Salikat.”
A rumble shook the sand beneath their feet. Some of those gathered cried out in surprise, a few even falling to the ground. Gage-jun could not tell if the cause had been the ancestors’ decree or perhaps a fit of rage from Xarax. He set aside the contemplation and turned to watch Liu’ye, who was still kneeling in the sand. His body trembled with what Gage-jun thought was fear and doubt. Afterall, Liu’ye had believed himself to be an agent of Kin’s will.
Asura Salikat seemed to materialize beside him. The full weight of the Asura’s authority pressed down on Liu’ye, who shrunk as he looked up at the imposing figure.
“Liu’ye,” Salikat’s voice echoed with a thousand whispers, each one carried an immense weight. “You have acted in the name of Kin, but your actions were guided by a voice of deceit. The trial you imposed was not but the machinations of Xarax.”
Liu’ye’s eyes widened, his breath escaped him in ragged gasps. “I... I did not know... I thought...”
Salikat raised a hand, silencing him. “Ignorance does not absolve you of the consequences of your actions. There is, however, a path to redemption. You will be given the chance to atone, to understand the true teachings of Kin through a trial of transformation. That is, should those who bore your trial, allow it.”
Griz’tek gasped, he and Keylan exchanged a glance. There was but a moment’s hesitation, before they both nodded. Before Liu’ye could respond, a wave of shimmering cosmos enveloped him. The crowd watched in awe and fear as his form began to shift and change. Cries of fear and confusion echoed across the sands, blending with the hum of wind.
When the light faded, Liu’ye was no longer an elf, but a small, fragile creature. What looked to be a desert fox sat, curled in his space.
Salikat’s gaze turned to the gathered crowd. “Let this be a lesson to all who seek to twist the will of the divine for their own ends.” The asura picked up the trembling Liu’ye, now fox, and approached Griz’tek and Keylan. “Liu’ye will walk the path of humility and survival, learning the true essence of Kin’s teachings. The judgment is passed, and justice is done.” He placed the creature into Griz’tek’s shaking but outstretched arms. Without another word, the asura walked back to the door of stone and stepped through. With a same silence that had opened it, it closed.
The crowd began to disperse, murmurs of fear and awe spreading among them. Gage-jun looked to Rajan’kin, a mixture of relief and awe in the alajin’s eyes. They exchanged a solemn nod. The Son of Sand, his face a mask of contemplation, turned and walked away, leaving the judgment site in silence. Gage-jun couldn’t help but think of the warning in Asura Salikat’s words. That all who sought to twist the will of the divine would not do so unscathed. It was as much a warning to himself as it was to Xarax.