“You sure you’re ready?” Ethan looked nervously at Leah as they stood at the steps to the council building.
It was a large two story brick building with colossal decorative columns supporting the roof in the center of Startegarde. He’d passed by it countless times as he walked through the city, but had never been inside. Until now, he hadn’t had a reason to. Council meetings were open affairs for players to come and air grievances with the way the city was run, but Ethan had always been happy with the town. There were more important things to do than bicker about minor violations or rules.
He was confident that no matter the outcome, they’d be okay. But Leah had been getting more and more distracted the closer to the council hall that they got.
“Yeah, no, I’m good.” She nodded, unenthusiastically as she played with the ends of her braided hair. “Just want to get this over with.”
“It’s going to be okay,” Ethan said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, giving her a quick squeeze. “As soon as this is over I’m going to Arianna to see if she can help.” He’d planned on seeing his sister early that day, but the short notice of summons to court had prevented that. “Besides, it’s just a fine.”
“Sure,” she said, sounding unconvinced that the punishment would be so light.
Their boots echoed off the white and gray marble floor of the great atrium. Twin staircases arched up to the second floor, a massive desk sat between them with a very stern looking woman in glasses and a black business suit seated at it. Ethan was surprised at how empty the large building seemed to be. He’d expected many more people than the small handful he saw hurrying between rooms and down the hallways.
“Can I help you?” The woman asked as they approached the desk, unsure of where they needed to go.
“We’re here for a court appointment,” Ethan explained, sounding much more calm than he was currently feeling. “Councillor Calder summoned us.”
“Ah yes, he’s holding disciplinary sessions in courtroom one,” the woman pursed her lips in disapproval of the two delinquents. She reminded Ethan of the brusk auctioneer he’d seen when he was buying gear after his last death. She leaned forward and pointed to his right. “You’ll need to go up the staircase and it’s the first set of double doors on the right as soon as you reach the top.”
“Thank you very much,” he responded cordially with a small bow, “I hope you have a good day.”
“You too,” she pursed her lips again and looked down at them over the rims of her square spectacles.
Ethan’s legs burned slightly by the time they reached the top, he hadn’t been expecting a short cardio workout on his way to trial.
“Looks like we’re early,” he said, looking around. Several chairs were placed against the wall, providing a seating area for those waiting their turn in court. Trying to remain casual for Leah’s sake, he took one of the seats facing the door and gestured for her to do the same.
She ignored him and walked a short distance before turning around and walking back towards him.
“Leah, relax,” he said, trying to calm her down. “It’s going to be okay.”
“You keep saying that,” she stopped her nervous pacing but continued fiddling with her hair, “but how are you so sure?”
“I’m not, okay?” He stood up and walked over to her, lowering his voice to a whisper “but if Paul or one of his lackeys sees us, do you want them to think they’re getting to us or that we’re confident we can beat them?”
“It doesn’t matter what they think!” She whispered shrilly. “What matters is the outcome,” she lowered her voice further, “what if they arrest us? They’ll be keeping us from finding Tae-Won for that much longer.”
“Heh, sorry” Ethan laughed accidentally as he put his hands on her shoulders, “Leah, at the end of the day, this is just a game. They aren’t going to arrest us.”
“Are you sure?” She didn’t sound convinced.
“Have you ever heard of that happening to anyone before?”
“No,” she admitted.
“And we won’t be the first,” he half smiled, trying to console her.
“Excuse me, sorry for interrupting,” a soft voice came from behind Ethan. “Are you waiting for courtroom one?”
Ethan turned to see a stunningly beautiful woman had walked up the stairs behind them. A long crimson scarf was wrapped around her neck, trailing down her chest and back. Her black dress was cinched around the waist with a bejeweled dagger hanging from her hip. She had soft brown skin, black hair and rich brown eyes.
“I’m sorry, did you hear me?” Her voice had a musical quality that also commanded authority.
“Yes, this is courtroom one,” Leah admitted, smacking Ethan in the chest and sitting down.
“Excellent,” the woman said, sitting across from them.
She had barely sat down when the double doors swung open.
A large throng if people swarmed out, some looking elated and the others looking unhappy. Finally, a large barrel chested man was the last to exit the courtroom.
“Ethan, good you’re here on time,” Calder greeted Ethan coldly offering his hand. They had met on a few occasions before, a small benefit of Ethan’s sister being the raid coordinator was that he knew at least passingly most of the more important people of the city of Startesgarde. “And Mrs. Kim?”
“Good afternoon, Councillor,” Ethan shook Calder’s proffered hand. “I’m sorry we aren’t seeing each other under better circumstances.”
“Yes, well…” Calder grumbled before being interrupted by a low “Hmm hmm” from behind him.
“Kalinda Patel,” Calder sounded much more shocked to see the beautiful woman sitting behind him. “I didn’t know you were going to be attending this session.”
“Yes, the victim, Caleb Smith, is a member of my guild.” Kalinda said, rising to her feet with a smug grin.
“Right this way, my dear,” Calder turned his bulky body, allowing Kalinda space to enter the courtroom before him before following her in.
“Why do I feel like this just got really bad?” Leah grabbed Ethan’s arm before he could follow Calder and Kalinda into the room.
“K, relax,” he said patiently, “Calder knows a lot of people, he’s on the city council.”
“Yeah, but he didn’t call you ‘my dear’ and let you enter first,” Leah grumbled under her breath.
“Stay positive Leah,” Ethan rubbed her shoulder again, not feeling as confident as he was trying to come across. If Calder knows anyone in the Blood Dragon guild, the verdict may already be decided. I hope Miguel can get some gold raised quickly.
Ethan slowly entered the now mostly empty courtroom, his sense of dread building. Councillor Calder sat with two aides at a raised platform, Leah was at a table to his left, a seat open for him. Kalinda sat alone at a table to his right, her smug smile still plastered to her gorgeous face. She must be waiting for Caleb to get here.
“Once everyone has taken their seats, we will begin the hearing.” Calder announced, and one of the aides began typing furiously on an invisible keyboard.
Ethan hurried to take the seat next to Leah and turned looking for Caleb’s arrival.
“Councilor, my guildmate will not be joining us today,” Kalinda said, standing up. “I am here as his representative.”
“Hold on!” Ethan jumped to his feet, pushing his chair back quickly, “Don’t we get to face our accuser?”
BANG BANG BANG Calder pounded his gavel hard on his desk.
“Kalinda, I’m afraid I agree with Mr. Holliwell. Barring a very good reason, if Mr. Smith is not here, then I will have no choice but to dismiss his charges,” Calder said formally.
“I understand,” Kalinda nodded, “however, Caleb is suffering post traumatic stress disorder after his brutal murder. In addition he fears retribution if he were to show his face.”
“That’s bullshit!” Ethan exclaimed again.
BANG BANG BANG Councillor Calder ignored Ethan and continued to address Kalinda.
“Do you have evidence of his claims?”
“I do, Councillor,” Kalinda nodded again, “Unfortunately, I cannot discuss my evidence openly.” She nodded to Calder’s two attendants as she stressed the last word.
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Calder cocked an eyebrow and peered down at her from his raised seat, “It this…”
“Yes,” Kalinda abruptly cut him off. “It is.”
Ethan looked at Leah, his heart racing in his own confusion.
“Ahem, you two are dismissed,” Calder cleared his throat and sent his aides away.
The two men shared a look of confusion, but hastily gathered their papers and shuffled their way out of the courtroom.
When the door clicked shut, heavy silence rested on the courtroom only momentarily before Calder spoke again.
“Now, Kalinda,” Calder shifted in his chair. “Present this evidence.”
“I will be very quick, as it is such a violation of our rules,” Kalinda stepped out from behind her desk, as the large councilman nodded.
Rules? Oh fuck…. Ethan’s heart sank as he finally realized where she was going.
“After our guild was barred from membership in the raid clan, our membership went a a slight hiatus as we decided what to do next,” Kalinda’s robes flowed behind her as she approached Calder’s dias. “Caleb had been traveling around the world, ending up in Anvasa. Unknown to him, Ethan, the man directly responsible for our troubles happened to be there at the same time.”
This is such bullshit, Ethan thought to himself as he sulked low in his chair. Beside him, Leah continued to stare blankly at the table.
“Caleb was abducted, transported to an unknown location while bound, blindfolded and gagged,” she continued, ticking off the order of events on her fingers. “When the hood was eventually removed, he faced Leah Kim,” Kalinda gestured at their table without looking at either of them. “Using Druidic magic, she crushed and strangled him with the vines and roots of a nearby potted plant.”
“After Caleb was murdered, the guild known as Disorder used House resources as a means to dispose of his body,” Kalinda’s voice was barely above a whisper as she hurriedly spoke, as if she was afraid of anyone overhearing and suffering the consequences.
“How do you know?’ Calder asked her directly, dropping any pretense of impartiality.
“One of his new recruits is one of ours, she made use of one of the local cleaners.”
“Alera,” Leah whispered, clenching Ethan’s wrist.
“Yes, Alera MacCulloch,” Kalinda nodded.
“Did she come to you?” Calder continued to stare at her.
“I was,” she paused, ”made aware.”
“Hold on,” Ethan interjected, “What does that mean? Did Alera tell you or did someone else?”
“No, Ethan,” Kalinda sighed, looking at him for the first time with what looked like sympathy. “Your guild mate did not betray you, if that is what you are asking.”
“And your evidence?” Calder questioned Kalinda, ignoring Ethan’s outburst.
“I saw his body, saw the damage that Mrs. Kim inflicted.”
“Very well, I will allow it,” Calder leaned back in his chair. “But I would caution everyone in this room to forget that this conversation happened as soon as they leave this room.”
Kalinda bowed her head and returned to her seat, smirking at Ethan as she passed.
“That’s it?” Ethan looked between Calder and Kalinda. “She gets to just claim “House” knowledge and you accept it? How is that fair?”
“Mr. Holliwell,” Calder cleared his throat and shifted in his seat to stare down at him, “I will assume you have a passing familiarity with a certain in game organization, and that you know of my position within that organization?” The look he was being given was far from friendly.
Ethan nodded nervously. Sam, David and Alera had been quite clear about the dangers of crossing the House of Whispers.
“Allow me to expand on your knowledge, if I may,” Calder’s jowls wobbled as he waved his hand. “I am what stands between this city's continued growth and the complete eradication of Startesgarde. That is not a statement I make lightly, nor do I take it lightly. Were it not for me, the Quiet Lords would move on the players here and wipe them out. We are a challenge to their goals, and it is only through my intervention that we have been allowed to grow our home. So when a fellow Rogue,’ he angrily thrust a pudgy finger towards Kalinda, “makes a claim about something to me, I take them at their word. Because they all know exactly what is at stake if I lose my position.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe, if you are ever so lucky, you will respawn as a Rogue at some point and you too will come to understand.”
“Now, I have accepted Caleb Smith’s claim on the matter of your guild’s culpability in his death, do you deny it?”
Ethan glanced quickly at Leah.
“No, I do not,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Very well,” Calder nodded. “Do you have anything to say in your own defense, or should I pronounce a verdict now?”
Beside him, Leah had begun to cry quietly. Ethan steeled himself to speak. He already felt like Kalinda’s story and Calder’s sense of self importance were working against him.
“Kalinda has already lied to you,” Ethan began. “Caleb was not in Anvasa on ‘vacation’, he was spying on us. Alera MacCulloch saw him, captured him, and brought him to me. That much of her story was true. But it was not an unprovoked attack, Caleb acted as a mouthpiece for their guild leader, a man named Paul, who told us that they had taken Leah’s husband, Tae-Won and were torturing him. As proof, Caleb brought with him Tae-Won’s finger and one of his eyeballs.”
“Calder, that is a farce and a lie,” she said casually standing back up. “Our guild has no such knowledge of the location of her missing spouse. Furthermore, Paul Denton is not our guild leader.”
“That is a possibly more serious allegation than what brought you here, Mr. Holliwell.” Calder ignored Kalinda and continued staring at him, “do you have evidence of it? Did you bring either of the items you described.
Ethan looked hopefully at Leah, she had kept the box that Tae-Won’s body parts had been in.
“No,” Leah’s voice cracked as she spoke. “No, councilman, By the time we arrived back in Startesgarde both had vanished due to the way the game works.”
“That’s it?” Calder looked at them incredulously, “You brought no evidence to defend your actions?”
“The ‘evidence’ vanished, we can’t fight against game mechanics!” Ethan slammed his fists into the table. “I just told you that Kalinda and her guild have taken Leah’s husband, and you’re more concerned that I don’t have a severed finger?”
“Watch your tone, Ethan,” Calder warned him, cold fury in his eyes. “I have already explained to you why I trust her word, I am willing to listen to what you say because of the severity of your claims, but you must have evidence.”
“Calder, by their own admission they cannot prove this outrageous claim!” Kalinda exclaimed, almost joyfully. “But he also leaves out another part of his ‘story’. As I said earlier, some weeks ago, Ethan did have a run in with Paul Denton, Ethan made another false allegation that he, and Caleb Smith, were harassing a caravan from Grassmere. He then used his professional connections to have our entire guild thrown out of the Raid Clan.”
Ethan could feel his rage finally beginning to grow. Kalinda was purposefully misrepresenting what had happened. Reás influence was a raging inferno inside his soil. Vewa, I am desperately in need of your calming guidance. He fervently sought the aid of the Vættr of Water to temper his rage.
“Is this true, Ethan?” Calder looked down at him with growing distrust, Kalinda’s words were taking a toll on him. “Did you use your personal or professional influence as she said?”
“Again, only partly,” Ethan clenched his jaw, he could see their defeat was looking more and more assured. “Paul and Caleb were holding up a caravan that I just happened to be taking to Startesgarde, demanding they pay a tax to use the road. They said they would kill the NPCs unless they toll was paid, I stepped in and did threaten to contact leadership of the raid clan.”
“What happened then?” Calder asked.
“They backed down,” Ethan sighed, “let the caravan go without any more issues.”
“And yet you still contacted your sister?”
Ethan’s heart skipped a beat. Kalinda had said he used professional contacts, not personal. Calder had just outed his connection to Arianna. Even if he didn’t use her name, it wouldn’t take much to connect the dots between Ethan and the Raid Coordinator.
“Yes.” He answered the question softly.
“Councillor, I have presented more than enough evidence to prove that Ethan Holliwell and Leah Kim acted in malice and for thought,” If Kalinda had been happy earlier, she was positively jubilant now. “If they have nothing else to add, I would ask now for your judgement.” Her face was split in a wide grin as she asked for the end of the farce of a trial.
“Mr. Holliwell, do you or your guildmate have anything more you’d like to say?”
“No, Councillor,” he shook his head gently in denial. Kalinda had managed to turn every bit of evidence Ethan had hoped to present against them. They had been railroaded into a loss. The best they could hope for was a low fine. Then they could pay it and restart their hunt for Tae-Won.
“Very well, judgement in favor of the accuser.” Calder banged his gavel on the desk. “Punishment is to be gold equal to 500g per level. Kalinda,” he looked away from Ethan and Leah, “what was Mr. Smith’s level still the day of his death?”
“Forty-six, Councillor,” Kalinda had not dropped her elated grin as she announced Caleb’s level.
“Very well, the sum of gold due in reparations is twenty-three thousand.” Calder banged his gavel again.
Ethan was blown away. He’d expected to have to pay between five and ten thousand, but twenty-three thousand was exuberant. They weren’t even close to that amount of gold.
“Councillor,” he spoke up meekly, “we don’t have that much gold.”
“I will give you one month to acquire it,” Calder said, raising his gavel once again to end the proceedings.
Before he could slam it down on the desk, Kalinda interrupted him.
“Calder,” she dropped the respectful pretense as she addressed the man, “we will humbly accept a lesser fine in exchange for an adjusted punishment.”
“And what would that be?”
“Seeing as his slander has cost my guild their position in the raid clan, we ask the same be meted out to his,” she paused, letting her words sink in to everyone in the room. “We will accept ten thousand gold as long as his guild receives an immediate and permanent ban on membership in the raid clan.”
Ethan felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He found it hard to breathe. Everything they had been working towards for nine months was rapidly slipping out of his grasp. Without the prospect of being able to join the raid clan, what would they work towards? Where would he and his friends find hope that eventually they’d be able to get home?
“A peculiar request,” Calder mused, rubbing his fingers through his beard, “I need to discuss this with Raid Leader Junpei, it will only take a moment.” Calder began swiping and typing on his invisible keyboard as he sent a message to the overall leader of the raid clan.
The seconds it took for him to receive a response were an eternity to Ethan. He could feel his racing heartbeat in his ears, he was hyper aware of his breathing as he waited.
“Junpei has agreed with one caveat,” Calder announced, his booming voice echoing through the silent courtroom. “The ban will be indefinite, but not permanent. He says that Ethan’s abuse of his personal connections along with the murder of Caleb Smith do necistate a punishment, however, there may come a time when all players will he needed to contribute to getting everyone out of this hell, and he will not tie his hands with that limitation.”
“A fair ruling,” Kalinda nodded, not even trying to hide her elation at her victory.
Beside him, Leah sobbed. She held her face in her hands and shook as she cried quietly. Ethan was numb, the gold loss was enough, but to be banned from trying to help get home had cost him all feeling in his body. He felt like he was merely a spectator, outside his own body, watching it happen around him. He stared at the floor, trying to breathe as each breath became shallower.
“Ten thousand gold is due in one month.” Calder announced, ending the farce of a trial with the heavy bang of his gavel.