Jay felt a great burden leaving them as they left walked out of the militia barracks and was greeted by the comforting sounds of early afternoon in a bustling city. Jeshin’s caring, protective mask had finally slipped and revealed that murderous thug who threatened them in Pleurian. And not just for them, this time, but for the entire world to see.
Now she rotted in a dungeon, the proper place for such people, and Jay’s life was better for it.
I wonder how the city will punish her, Jay thought, They will probably hold her until people can die again, then hang her.
There would be a trial, of course. Varmyr was not barbaric. But the outcome was not in doubt; even a Doge would have trouble dodging a murder charge.
"I was going to ask her to stay with us, if you can believe that," Jay said, "I thought she’d changed. But I guess a koi can’t change its spots."
"I must disagree, mystro Jay," Upaj said, "Ishkur teaches us that everyone can be redeemed, if they are treated justly."
The paladin was a tall Ukoji man with dirty blonde hair streaked with red, small pointed ears, and a slightly pinched face that made him look as if he were constantly scowling. Although Jay had not seem him smile even once in the time they’d known him, so perhaps the expression was genuine.
"It’s just an expression, Upaj," Jay said, "And from what I hear even your order is cautious when redeeming murderers."
Upaj guided them gently around a stalled delivery cart full of winter fruits and did not answer. His silence made Jay nervous.
"And don’t call me mystro," Jay said, "You’re a fellow on this quest, not my employee."
"As you say, mystro Jay," The paladin replied.
Jay sighed. The Ishkurites had fawned all over them after Jay had shown them Amber’s gem, and showed no sign of stopping. It was suffocating, and had not even been the worst part of yesterday evening.
No, that had been Jay trying to explain why Amber had given them this quest instead of contacting the paladins directly. Their explanation that Amber did not want to bother them was met with polite skepticism.
The paladins were busy, yes. Extremely so, in fact. But they also treated a holy quest with the highest priority, so the only way they would not help would be if every paladin on Loerma was dead. Jay was not sure if even that would stop them.
I should have known that the paladins would eagerly support this quest, Jay thought, And insisted that Amber ask them instead.
Even now, they should have asked the paladins to take over the quest entirely, instead of asking for an escort. Jay had thought about it, but they were too invested now. They had seen the destruction caused by Othuxtai breaking the balance, and had the skills necessary to convince her to stop. Abandoning that responsibility to someone else felt wrong.
But still. Why me? Jay thought for the umpteenth time.
They touched the gem in their pocket, expecting it to remain as beautiful and silent as ever. Instead, Jay felt nothing. The gem was not there.
Jay froze in place, and Upaj nearly collided straight into them.
"Mystro?" He asked, "Is something wrong?"
The gem. Where was the gem? Jay had shown it to the paladins, but then they had given it back and Jay had put it in their pocket. Then they had eaten some food, and taken a bath.
It’s in my other pair of pants, Jay thought, I changed after bathing so that my pants could be laundered. It must be in the other pair.
That did not feel right. Jay’s stomach seized in panic. Had someone stolen it? Who would do something like that?
They searched around frantically, looking for the culprit. A few families were enjoying a walk, there were a pair of unsupervised children playing in a nearby alley, and a clique of traders arguing around the fruit cart. There was no thief in sight. Not that Jay knew how to spot a thief in the first place.
Suddenly, a small pair of hands darted out from under the cart and snagged a pomegranate right from under the traders’ unwitting noses. It was the waif, that scrawny Lua boy who had accosted Jeshin yesterday.
The blatant lawlessness shocked Jay for a moment, but they chided themself for that thought just as quickly. Waifs stole from their betters, it was just their nature. Should Jay be shocked when the wind blew or the tides rose?
The urchin started plopping pomegranate pits into his mouth, savoring every bite. Jay scowled. A single piece of winter fruit cost as much as two loafs of bread, and Jay knew for a fact that the urchin had enough silver to buy it properly if he had wanted to. Jay itched to give the waif a good scolding, but they had more important things to worry about than seeking justice for some petty theft.
The important thing being: did he steal the gem? Jay wondered, Probably not. Even the worst of scum doesn’t bite the hand that feeds them; no waif would risk crossing the House. No, the thief must be someone who doesn’t care about divine consequence.
But wait, Jay had been bumped as they passed that cart; Upaj had steadied them. Could the waif have stolen the gem without knowing what it was? Possibly. Plausibly, even. Their heart jumped into their throat.
Jay shouted and ran after the boy, who squealed and dashed away. They tried to follow but the fruit cart blocked the urchin’s escape route. Jay shoved it out of the way, scattering fruit across the street.
"That’s my property, you brute!" One of the traders shouted.
"Not yet it isn’t," Another said, "And not ever at that price."
"My price is three times the one you paid happily just last month! This is highway robbery this is..."
Jay ignored the squabble and continued running. The alley was narrow, and the boy moved slowly. They were gaining on him.
The boy threw a glance over his shoulder, eyes widening in fear as they saw how close Jay was, then chucked the remains of his pomegranate at their head before ducking down a side street. Jay ducked the fruit but stumbled over their feet and crashed bodily into the far entrance of the side alley. Their breath left them in a rush, and they nearly fell to their knees.
Jay gasped for air and took another couple of wobbly steps before realizing it would be pointless to continue the chase. The boy was already near the end of the alley, and running faster than a winded Jay could follow.
But there was still a way to stop him. Jay traced the formula for fire projection and poured a sizeable chunk of mana into it. They were dazed and strained from the chase, and their hands were shaking, but the lines came out neatly enough the spell would have recieved top marks at Tai. Jay was vaguely proud of that.
Flames erupted from the formula, licking around Jay’s hand like a pet cat eager to play. They took careful aim at the fleeing figure, and froze.
What am I doing? Jay thought, horrified, Waif or not, thief or not, I’m better than this.
They clenched their fist, snuffing out the spell, and let the boy get away. The gem was probably in their other pair of pants anyway. And if not, well, they would figure something out. The local House would probably know the whereabouts of the boy, perhaps Jay could start there.
Upaj caught up to them a few heartbeats later.
"Mystro Jay, you must be more careful," He said, "This part of the city has been dangerous recently. There have been brawls, robberies, and even a murder."
"I know," Jay said between gasps, "We just visited the murderer, remember?"
"There have been other murders recently," Upaj said, "One over a gambling dispute, another resulting from a lover’s quarrel."
Three murders in two weeks? That was an astonishing rate for a city this size, which would see less than a handful in a full year, on average. No wonder the paladins were so busy.
"I’ll be careful," Jay said, "And stop calling me mystro."
This time, Upaj decided to simply nod and say nothing. Small blessings.
PIC [https://scythiamarrow.org/archive/SplinterGuard/Art/SectionMarkerJay.png]
Jay could hear the shouting match as soon as they stepped into the main hall of the keep, but they could not make out individual words. Someone upstairs was trying to keep their argument muffled behind a seal, and failing.
A paladin that Jay had been introduced to briefly, a short Athnat woman with dimpled cheeks named Tylo, approached them and gave Jay a short bow, which Jay returned.
"Grand Paladin Hiqua has requested your presence in the upstairs study," She said, hurriedly, "He said it was urgent."
There was the faint crack of splintering wood, and the sounds of shouting suddenly became a lot more distinct. Wait, was that Amber’s voice? What were they doing here? How could they even be here? Jay thought they were in Joinder, and even the fastest horse took weeks to... Oh.
"I presume you mean the sky study, as opposed to the stone study" Upaj said, "The one with the blue door, currently hanging off its hinges?"
Tylo gave him a blank look.
"It was a joke," Upaj explained, "As we both know there are three upstairs studies, but it is glaringly obvious which one we are needed in. Thank you for the message."
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
He bowed to Tylo, then gestured for Jay to follow him up the southern staircase. Jay obliged, nervously. Amber was in a terrible mood, judging by the bedlam, and Jay did not especially wish to be in the same room as someone both pissed off and holding the power to kill cities.
"You know," Jay said to distract themself from that thought, "Needing to explain your jokes means that they are not especially funny."
"Ah," Upaj replied, "But, Mystro, while my jokes are seldom funny I take great care to ensure that the explanations always are."
Jay did not have much time to think about that, because they quickly reached the top of the stairs and entered the sky study. Upaj made a show of knocking politely on the splintered door, which promptly came fully off its hinges and crashed to the floor. Neither inhabitant gave him the least bit of attention.
"Jay, good, you’re here," Amber said as soon as they stepped through the doorway. Loudly. "Tell this treasonous disgrace of a divine servant to either follow orders or get the fuck out of my way."
Jay quickly glanced between the two clashing personalities.
Grand Paladin Hiqua was a very short man, even for a Cliaman, with brown skin, pointed swept-back ears, teal hair, a burly build, and wearing armor even more crisp and polished than Upaj’s. The only ornamentation he wore to display his rank was a single amulet set with a lattice of small garnets worked into the shape of a lightning scarred tree. Jay could tell that he was tense by the way he wrung the pommel of his side sword with his left hand, but his expression was as still as a pond.
The Aether, meanwhile, looked a complete mess. Their hair was unkempt, their clothing disheveled, and small bits of space around them kept shimmering in iridescent colors, occasionally breaking entirely to reveal golden eyes set in a jet-black void of nothingness. Their face was streaked with faint lines of faded tears, and their expression was the ugly mask of someone hounded by circumstance into teetering one step away from murder. It shocked Jay that they even knew what that looked like.
Great Ishtar, what had happened to them?
"Amber, what’s wrong?" Jay asked, as soothingly as they could, "How can I help?"
"What’s wrong?" Amber snapped, "What’s wrong? Oh, besides me being stuck away from Elysium for half a month, a torture you mortals could not even comprehend, let alone aid me with, and now someone I love is being brutalized by the city, and my supposed divine servants are siding with the evildoers."
"We are not breaking a murderer out of imprisonment for you, Aether or no," Hiqua said, "That is not just. Nor are we your divine servants. We follow the justice of Ishkur, not the debauchery of Nanaya."
There was cracking of space, a flap of wings, and Amber gouged a set of neat, finger-width holes through the rock a hand away from Hiqua’s neck.
"You fucking idiot," Amber snarled, "If Ishkur was here he would order you tried on the spot for insulting a divinity. And he would be siding with me. Not you! ME! Do you really think that you know justice better than an Aether? Imprisonment? A tool of justice? That’s like saying a spear is a tool for peace."
The grand paladin touched his throat, and his fingers came away bloody.
"You promised to not harm me," He observed.
Amber slumped to the floor and started cackling manically.
"I’m in the hells," Amber muttered, curling up, "I’m in the fucking hells."
Jay decided to intervene before Hiqua got them both killed.
"Amber, I know you’re hurting being away from Elysium," They said, "But that is no reason to push away the people who are trying to help you."
They knelt down to lay a hand on Amber’s shoulder. It felt like the right thing to do. It was also very, very awkward. Amber did not respond to the touch for a maddening minute, choosing instead to mutter insults and rock back and forth.
Eventually they stopped and took a deep, shuddering breath. Then they picked themself into a sitting position, used a simple spell to clean themself and the floor around them in a neat circle, and plastered on the most ingenuine smile Jay had ever seen.
"Fine," Amber said with all the cheer in the world, "I’ll throw myself at the completely fruitless endeavor of explaining morality to mortals."
They flicked their wrist and the small cut on Hiqua’s neck mended itself in a whisper of golden light. It seemed to Jay less like a concession and more like a veiled threat.
I could kill you anytime I wanted, Jay thought, The fact I nicked your neck instead proves that I’m a good and caring person. I even fixed it up for you, see? Really, you should be thanking me for teaching you a lesson.
Amber’s cheerful mask broke for the briefest of moments, but they whisked it back onto their face just as quickly. Oh right, they could read thoughts.
"Take a seat. Or stand, I wouldn’t want to impose," They said, "I am just a person, and gosh, you know, like any person I could be wrong about morality. It’s not like I’m a literal manifestation of divine goodness."
"Amber..." Jay scolded.
"Sorry," They replied, "I’ll be rational, I promise. I get that just because someone says they know morality better than you does not mean that they actually do. And I get that following moral principles without actually understanding them is rarely good, either."
They seemed about to add another snide jab, but stopped themself and continued.
"But abstracts are getting us nowhere, so let’s focus on the specifics of this case, shall we?" Amber lectured, "Jeshin harmed some people, yes. And this morning I fixed that harm. I talked to each and every person harmed: every member involved in the brawl, the barkeep whose establishment was wrecked, and even some bystanders. I fixed broken bones, I repaired two tables, without magic by the way, and I assured the public that everything was fine and everyone would be taken care of.
"Two cases were extra tricky, both were mental harm. One militia member, Hujard, was new and worried that he let his team down. He had the opportunity to kill Jeshin, you see, and did not take it, which allowed her to hurt his friend. I assured him that he did everything right, that his friends appreciated him, and that I would help make sure this would not happen again.
"Tharo, the person who was killed, was deeply traumatized by being alive and drinking with her buddies in one moment, then waking up in bed next to her sobbing wife the next. We talked about it, and we made plans to speak again on a regular basis. Even if she was more concerned with using me to impress her friends than she was about genuinely getting better. She lies to herself about how much it affected her, you see."
Amber took a deep, shuddering breath, and continued with a crack in their voice.
"All of that harm is fixable. I’m currently fixing it," They said, "Meanwhile, the city has already harmed Jeshin in ways I will not be able to fix, and it gets worse every heartbeat. She does not do well when imprisoned."
Jay nodded. They did not agree fully, but they at least got where Amber was coming from. It was a strange and extremely specific view of morality, focused on individual circumstance rather than systems, but it was at least consistent. Possible to work with. Hiqua, meanwhile, was not convinced.
"You ignore the law completely," He said, "There can be no justice without universal rules."
"Fuck the law," Amber said, "And fuck you for prioritizing it over people."
Hiqua ground his teeth.
"You are contradicting the very words of Ishkur," He said, "Who taught the principles of law to us, that they may guide us to betterment. And he condoned the use of imprisonment before trial. It is a harm, yes, but a small one compared to that enabled by naively trusting in the honor of a criminal."
Amber smiled neatly.
"Ishkur gave you the law to be your guide to betterment, not your crutch, and certainly not your bludgeon," They said, "He would be the first to say that if a rule harms someone it should be rewritten or clarified. And imprisoning Jeshin is not a small harm as you claimed. It would be like pressing Jay into the oarhands again, or forcing you back into a ballgown."
Ballgown? What would Hiqua be doing in one of... Oh! The grand paladin had sought Ishtar’s blessing of change? Neat. Jay did not know many others who had, aside from themself, of course. Then their mind caught up to the first part of Amber’s sentence, and stuttered to a halt. How did Amber even know about that? Jay never even thought about those blighted few months of their life. They felt sick to their stomach at the mere mention. Hiqua did not look much better.
There was a voice at the remains of the door, and Hiqua took something from a messenger. It was a crumpled up piece of paper, wet from morning dew. The thing looked stepped on by a muddy boot.
Hiqua unrolled it and read it silently to himself. As he got about halfway Amber’s composure broke. They looked worse than they had when they were rocking, insensate, on the floor.
"Say it," They said, "You just made up your mind, so speak it. Don’t make me suffer through the show of reading all the way through."
Hiqua ignored them and finished reading the paper, then pressed it flat, folded it neatly, and handed it back to Tylo.
"As evidence," He said, then turned to Amber, "We will not aid you. You have a conflict of interest in this case, Amber. I don’t doubt that you truly believe that you are in the right. But I will not risk our reputation of impartiality to free your lover for you.
"If you truly are as good as you claim to be you will accept that and not interfere with Varmyr’s process of justice. Exactly like how you have not interfered in countless other cases where the accused ’does not do well when imprisoned’."
Amber and nodded in resigned understanding.
"I will free her regardless," They said, "I came here as a courtesy. To see if a resolution was possible."
"You would need to fight the whole city militia," Hiqua warned, "And they will not stand down unless you kill them."
"Then I will kill them," Amber said.
"That would destroy the city."
"Then I will destroy the city."
"Hells, Amber," Hiqua said, "I don’t doubt that you would. But is that really what is good? What will people think? You destroy a city over a single imprisoned murderer?"
"I would destroy a city over bigotry, corruption, and making it functionally illegal to help those less fortunate," Amber replied, immediately, "There is a reason the militia won’t release her to me directly, and yes I did ask.
"They gave me all sorts of pretty justifications for why they could not, but at the root of them all lay just two considerations. Jeshin helped a waif that the city council had been trying to get rid of for years, and escorted an Ufiq into the city despite the Doge’s expulsion order. That’s it. Those are her true crimes. And they are worth worse than a death sentence to those in power here."
Hiqua shook his head.
"People won’t see that," He said, "Even if you tell them directly. They will see you freeing someone who killed another, and seek an individual difference. Like how Jeshin has pointed ears, or how Thova is married to a woman. Your actions would encourage the bigotry you despise."
"Humans are not so evil and stupid that they would use my actions as an Aether of Nanaya to justify oppression of sexuality" Amber spat.
Actually, Jay thought, That sounds exactly like something humans would do.
They realized too late that was probably not the best thought to have had right then.
Hiqua must have read Jay’s expression slightly before Amber read their mind, as both exploded into a flurry of deadly violence near simultaneously. Hiqua drew his sword and conjured crackling lines of golden lightning that lashed out at Amber, but the attack passed straight through the aether and tore small pits into the stone wall behind them with the terrible shrieking, popping sound of stone grinding against itself.
Amber darted forward, wings extended beyond what the study could fit, and slammed a glowing fist into the paladin’s side. Hiqua’s armor dented deeply, and the sheer force of the blow threw him back into the wall hard enough to crack stone. He managed to duck the next steel-shattering punch, and even landed a slash across Amber’s chest, cutting their clothing and drawing blood.
But he was cornered, and his stance was broken. Hiqua tried to regain his footing and clear some space by pushing Amber back, but it was like trying to shove a mountain. Amber grabbed the paladin by the hair and yanked, nearly scalping him, and drove their fist straight through his neck. Hiqua exploded into a flurry of golden sprites.
The entire fight was over in less than a single one of Jay’s rapidly pounding heartbeats. They did not even have time to scream. They did, however, have time to catch Upaj by the arm before he could throw his own life away in sequence.
Amber touched their chest and frowned at the cut. It was not bleeding as profusely as a wound of its size would on a human, just oozing a steady trickle of golden red ichor, but it was obviously hurting them and they did not move to heal it. Instead they strode over to the far window, which was remarkably intact, and opened it. Their touch left streaks of red and clear liquid on the wooden window frame.
That’s spinal fluid, Jay thought, Gods, that’s Hiqua’s spinal fluid.
Amber stepped up onto the window frame and into a crouch, spread their wings wide, and Jay finally broke out of their shock.
"Wait!" They begged, "Please, don’t go. Don’t do this."
Amber whirled on them, eyes wild, and the window frame shattered in their grip. The entire room seemed to bend to the point of breaking, and hundreds of golden eyes fixed their gaze onto Jay, peering from outside the world itself. Amber’s attention was a like physical weight, and Jay struggled to even breathe under it. But, blessedly, the aether stopped to listen.
"Let me fix this," Jay said, far more calmly than they felt, "I’ll talk to the militia, I’ll talk to the council, hells I’ll beg the damn Doge if I have to. But I’ll get Jeshin out, and without killing anyone."
They did not know how they would, especially since Amber had already tried and failed. But they had to try.
Amber studied them for a few beats that felt like hours, wound tighter than a mainstay, then sighed. They reached out and carved two sets of furrows into the window frame with their index finger. The two scratched crosses blazed with golden divine light, tainted red with the ruddy hue of gore.
"You have two days," Amber said, tapping each of the crosses in turn, "To do the impossible. On the dawn of the third, I’m doing it my way."
The aether vanished into thin air and a whisper of magic.