Numisley had met with many people for the seven-day postponement of the trial. People had seen him and his brother roaming around the city on a wagon, meeting with many Guildmasters and community leaders carrying the authority of Racieros. However, rumors of Racieros’ betrayal and murder of his father were whispered from many more mouths within Ovespuerte, and so the outrage of people was brewing around the temple.
On the day of the trial [Shopkeepers] had closed their shops and ships started to unmoor. Guild halls shut their doors and few people made their presence known in the streets. No saline breeze wafted through the streets, nor smoke from grilled fish from the seafood markets on the docks.
“Are you sure your uncle would come, brother?” Cultrost asked as they were ascending the ramp that leads to the temple.
“I haven’t got a reply.” Numisley sighed. “But if they want the profit that comes through this port, they should.”
Cultrost stared at the almost empty streets, knowing what was to come, before returning his gaze to his brother, who was looking straight ahead to a goal yet attained.
-
“The sacred court is now in session.” The [High Priest] announced.
No springtime storm interrupted the skies at this hour, and the temple took it as a sign that they placated the wrath of their god of justice through their rituals and sacrifices. Many men and women involved in the trials had received many letters from many sources for this day. Aside from the same people sitting on the pews and the two opposing tables that hosted the defendants and the opposition, there is a significant presence that made the opposition uneasy.
Strraina Commerro sat with his son on the table, along with the documents of the trial, with lips holding back her words of wrath. The Commerros behind the opposite table and the pews, those behind her failed assassination, had started to sweat and quiver in their seats.
“To summarize what was presented before the sacred court of laws last session, Lord Racieros’ charge of high treason was annulled. The matter of the patricide of Contiearl Torresso Rahmieros Commerro and the fratricide of Lord Verrespadion Rahmieros Commerro remains inconclusive. As allowed by tradition, there will be two guest witnesses, one of which will be Strraina Commerro here, and the other will remain anonymous to maintain fairness. After her, Aryyad Guizzimeraime would give his testimony of the attack. Lady Commerro, you may speak.”
“My son has told me of the situation, and I'm offended that you accuse my son of murdering his father and brother!” Strraina pointed towards the Commerrro. “I do have a mind to protest against my own family. They tried to assassinate me on my way here!”
“Nonsense, wench! Lowborn lies! ” Garrenno spat out, unable to hold back his anger.
Strraina turned to a [Servant], who was holding a wet, bloody sack.
“Please look at the contents, Your Holiness.”
The [Servant] delivered the sack to the [High Priest], and he looked inside, opening the sack wide. The horrid sight and smell had prompted the [High Priest] to drop it, its rotten contents scattered on the floor: dismembered arms holding matchlock rifles, each with peculiar foreign patterns and familiar markings.
“See! They are of Dragonfolk-make, the only people who can make such intricate firearms! Look closely, and see the seals of my House. Only the Commerros and the Gaviolos are the only ones able to buy such arms!” Strraina accused.
“What is the proof of this?” The opposition’s [Lawyer]-[Priest]’s asked.
“My savior, Adriasta Kaminor, can testify.”
Behind the defendants was Adriasta, who strode from between the pillars of the open temple and stood beside Strraina.
“The Commerros present had sent a dozen and a half men to fire on a Commerro matriarch. It is evident that with this action and this attempt to convict Racieros that this is a conspiracy to undermine the main family.” Strraina testified.
Before the [Lawyer]-[Priest] could defend their client, Garreno was once again unable to control his emotions.
“Suppose that is true, how did you know of this? Are you involved in such a plot, accusing us to compensate for your mistake?” Garreno pointed a finger. Their [Lawyer] tried to speak, but a glare from Garreno silenced him.
“Because yes, I was there when you and the rest of the Commerros had plotted the assassination. In the dead of night, their men had bought supplies for their ambush. My men and the [Shopkeepers] they bought from the streets named Carrstan and Orterrẽ could testify. If there is a crime that I was convicted of, then it is surely the murder of twelve men and women who worked for a traitorous lot!” Strraina spat.
Raucous jeers from the rest of the Commerros shook the pews until the strike of the [High Priest]’s staff and accompanying Feat had silenced them with shame.
“Thank you for speaking, Lady Commerro. Merchant Aryyad, you are now allowed to make your testimony.” The [High Priest] spoke.
Aryyad stood up and spoke.
“On the night that the late Lord Commerro had died, I saw [Pirates] emerge from the sea and land on the docks. They looted the many merchant ships moored in that midnight. I had defended myself from these [Pirates] with my [Mercenaries], and then the next day I heard that His Highness was murdered by these [Pirates] who then disappeared into the sea. That is what I saw. I do not believe that his son had sent these scoundrels to his own city, however.”
“The opposition had bought a witness to this temple. Merchant Timorri Dovrino, you may speak.” The [High Priest] said, after Aryyad gave his testimony.
Dustitoz had somehow brought out the former Guildmaster of [Merchants] from hiding, a man whose hair had started to grey, who is a person that looks older than he is.
“Aryyad is a character of ill repute,” Timorri spoke. “He had offered me thousands of gold for my position. The fault is on me for accepting. To make up for this transgression, I have a list of several witnesses from my guild who could verify that Aryyad and the Diamond Shore Captain named ‘Johoon’, were involved in the murder of Lord Torresso Commerro and Lord Verrespadion Commerro.”
He handed a list to the [Lawyer-Priest] in charge of defending the opposition, which he gave to the [High Priest].
“This will be consulted upon in the next session.”
Numisley and Cultrost didn’t expect the former Merchant Guildmaster to appear in the trial. With cold sweat and twiddling fingers, they waited for the jury to declare their stance on the matter. After they whispered among themselves, the [Priest] in charge of the jury had spoken.
“The jury is divided on the matter.”
The words felt like a soothing, but cold breeze to Numisley and Cultrost. A brief moment of reprieve was interrupted by a faint discordant sound that grew louder and louder, with distinct voices belonging to dissatisfied people, men and women. A [Temple Guard] had pushed the doors open, disrupting the trial.
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“The citizens are protesting! They are fighting each other in the streets! They are trying to barge into the temple!”
“What?” The [High Priest] and the rest of the people in the temple try the make sense of the conflicting facts.
“The citizens know the truth! They know that Racieros had sent foreign [Pirates] to murder their [Lord] and their families! End this trial rightly so none of us would be caught in the ire of the commoners!”
After that inciting speech, Dustitoz’s lips curled upward for a moment, and only Numisley had noticed. Both of their plans flowered at the same time and at the same place. The riots outside represented their duel of wits and preparation.
Below the cliffs of the temple, there were two crowds in the streets, those who were incited by rumors of the murder of the late Contiearl by Racieros and those who were protesting against the prosecution of Raceiros. The last ships left at the docks were starting to unmoor themselves from the docks to escape the chaos. The guilds had already mustered their [Mercenaries] to guard their establishments against looters, and [Mages] of the Mage’s Guild who know the [Earth Wall] spell had cordoned off sections of the city to mitigate the riots.
The Household Guard was sent to suppress the riots, however, they found themselves fighting against each other for the same reasons. While many had stayed loyal to Racieros, many knew that they had betrayed their liege. The castle became a battlefield, and Racieros had heard the news just now from one of the [Squires] of his Household Guard within the temple. Numisley was mainly worried that his uncle would be delayed, or possibly indisposed because of these riots, and he had felt the looming fear that his grand plan would fail.
As if they were also caught in the frenzy of riot, the Commerros’ armed entourage had spilled into the temple, disarming or outright murdering the [Temple Guards]. These men and women had given the Commerros who were part of this plan weapons. Dustitoz stood up in shock, as this was not part of their scheme. Some of the Commerros were surprised too. They broke the sacred rule of not bringing weapons into a Decreeist temple.
“What are you doing, Garrenno?” Dustitoz asked, almost admitting that this was not part of his plan. He did not expect that Garrenno was this foolish as to ignore the blowback of this move when it inevitably fails.
“What I should’ve done when I got here,” Garrenno stated, pointing his ivory wand hidden in his sleeves towards Racieros. “This is my only chance. There is no reason for this charade! His Household Guard would not be able to arrive to save him.”
“Traitor!” One of the Commerros who hadn’t drawn their weapon protested. “You said we will do this the right and holy way! You said he killed his father! You lied to us–”
A sword pierced her heart, leaving the Commerros shocked.
“You despicable cur! Are you mad?” Strraina screamed as her cousin was killed in front of her.
“Whoever follows me shall gain more land and rights under my rule!” Garreno declared. The hesitant members of the Commerros had joined the rest of their house.
“Nephew, sister-in-law.” Garreno turned to Racieros. “Bequeath your throne to me and I shall spare you two and let you live in a village somewhere.”
“No.” Racieros spoke.
“A murderer would stain the throne of my spouse.” Strraina spat.
“I gave you two a chance. You two are not fit to inherit the Commerro legacy! Both of you are with diluted blood! I need not summon the Ichorvators to prove it, for you, Strraina, dare to be a parasite to our line!”
“Parasite? Parasite? How dare you!” The rage within Strraina’s words made Garrenno waver. “My marriage to my husband is not of mere duty! My Parste lineage does not matter to me, nor does the fact that my husband will not love me as much as he did for his first!”
These words did not faze Garreno, with the tip of his ornate wand glowing with silver light.
“Enough of this. It does not matter. I shall make sure that your deaths will be quick. [Ironlight Needles].”
The light emanating from his wand had fizzled when he had attempted to cast a spell, and Garrenno immediately knew who was the culprit.
“You dare use a Miracle on me?” Garreno shouted to the [High Priest].
“You had broken the sacred laws of the temple. So, bleed and begone!”
The [High Priest] spoke in the liturgical language of their faith in a reprimanding tone, uttering a Miracle. The armed entourage was blown away by a holy force that made itself known. They found themselves on the temple grounds where they killed the [Temple Guards], and they noticed their pores starting to bleed.
Only Garrenno and the other Commerros resisted the Miracle with their Auras. The jury and the [Acolytes] cowered behind the [High Priests], and the three other [Priests] had ceased their duties for the trial and manifested shields and maces out of thin air.
Numisley had already prepared for this possibility, and so he had applied his [Secret Compartment] on Cultrost’s vest and Racieros’ robes. Cultrost pulled out his mace, and Racieros pulled out two cutlasses, with the other one he tossed to Adriasta. Adriasta seemed to be talking to someone in her speaking tone, however she tossed it on the floor.
“No reinforcements.” She sighed, moving the rest of her body into a one-handed sword stance.
Soon there was a battle within the temple. Numisley found himself casting every single spell stored within his walking staff when he was sure he could hit someone, or in crucial moments when his brother was almost pierced by a crossbow bolt or a magical projectile from his recklessness. Adriasta focused on defending Strraina against Garrenno’s incessant spells that she deflected with her skillful parries and the defensive magical rings she wore. The [Priests] cast offensive Miracles that attempt to repel the Commerro nobles.
In the battle within the temple, Cultrost seemed to be the hero of tales, who fought against odds that should’ve slain here. However, he fearlessly dives into the fray among the common cursed soldiery of the Commerros and the nobles themselves and swings his mace. Cultrost proved that the nobles’ years of martial education and practice were worthless against his sheer ferocity, and shrugged off the bolts and cuts that their veterans had inflicted upon him with [Ignore Pain]. His bloodied form, for his enemies as of this moment, evoked the image of Satyr raiders that ravaged the northern coasts of the land of Trislan.
What a fearsome being that [Spymaster] raised. Dustitoz thought, as he simply walked towards the unguarded back of Garrenno Commerro, slitting his throat to cease his chant and stabbing through his ribs to make his death quick.
And what a conniving bastard that [Spymaster] nurtured. It dawned upon Dustitoz that Numisley was the one who plotted behind the scenes. He did not know how, but every failure that he suffered during this attempt to take Ovespuerte’s income was because Numisley had ingratiated himself with the Commerro’s scion. He almost won. He had forged many documents with his stolen seals and hired many people to disprove the defendant’s claims. Yet he had lost because of a fool who decided to narrow his vision to the now instead of tomorrow. And now his enemies are in a position where they can completely claim moral superiority over this moment.
It was not my fault. It was never my fault. Dustitoz repeated the mantra he told himself ever since he failed to take the throne of Torregorn and ever since he failed to kill Jascias’ sons.
“Commerros! You dare sully the sacredness of the temple of the law and the god presiding over it? Even if I had rebelled against the royal family a decade ago, I did not desecrate the temples of our gods! Disarm yourselves, and submit to them!”
Dustitoz made sure that he didn’t fight either side so that no one could accuse him of switching sides.
“Let’s make a deal. I shall ensure that in the trial that soon to come, I shall testify that you all had been coerced to follow Garrenno Commerro.”
The remaining Commerros did the most sensible thing and ordered their [Soldiers] to stand down.
While he had said these words aloud, Dustitoz was secretly using [A Private Conversation], a Feat that telepathically converses with a subject and temporarily gives the subject the ability to do the same thing.
“Let’s make a deal.” Dustitoz had said this word aloud earlier when he addressed the Commerros. “I shall let you undertake the Trial of the Ichoricon. In turn, do not speak of what I had done in your homeland, nor what I had done to you in this kingdom.”
“And why are you offering this? What’s in for you?”
“Consider this as a truce between us. Like a hen being fattened to be slaughtered later, I shall have you killed someday, when you have tasted what your heritage has to offer. The wealth, the excess, the pleasures, that you haven’t experienced in your sorry life. So that the pain that I shall inflict upon you hurts more.”
“I’m not afraid of you, you pathetic fuck. I accept your challenge. You’re just giving me enough time to destroy you.”
When that [Private Conversation] ended, Numisley smiled at that moment.