The Hearing

"Hubert and Aadish, welcome to the court of Kexer Special Academy," a voice echoed through the courtroom.

The room was lit by the evening sunlight that poured in from the top of the judge's podium. The place was lively with the presence of people as the proceedings continued.

Hubert stood in front of the judge, Aadish beside him. The two separated by a few steps. 

Vinc and Javarius, assigned instructors of Class C of the 72nd Cohort, stood on the right-hand side of both of them. Dareon stood adjacent to Vinc, while Henter, Cobman, and one other guy, stood beside Javarious.

A few people, wearing various clothes, presumably other instructors, sat on a bench at their left-hand side.

"Today, on the 11th of Junal. We will discuss the event that happened between student of Class C, Hubert Gubert and student of Class C, Aadish Soondi during the afternoon of the 6th of Junal. The hearing starts now," the judge's voice echoed sternly, drowning all the murmuring in the room.

Hubert looked up, the judge seemingly a man of brown skin, much alike to Aadish. A block mustache sat on his lips, his eyes colored brown, just like his pulled-back hair. Clothed in a judicial robe.

The place was tense and stagnant, accompanied with the continued low mutterings of people. Hubert's heart beat fast as the choking atmosphere hugged him tightly.

Yet he remained calm, his black eyes stared at the judge, resolved. A part of him felt something wasn't quite right, the only thing he was hopeful was fairness.

"The event that followed. Hubert Gubert and his friend, Dareon Kendrick, were on their way to a routinely done exercise behind dormitory building C. That is when Aadish Soondi, along with his accomplices: Henter, Cobman, and Cassian, had waited at the location with the intention of starting a ruckus," the judge read from a note on his podium.

"Now I ask of you two, are the events that followed correct?" he asked, turning his eyes away from the piece of paper and onto Hubert and Aadish, his gaze sharp like a sword.

"Yes!" Hubert and Aadish responded, their voices infighting with each other.

"Continuing! That is when the fight happened between the two parties. Hubert had knocked Cassian and Dareon had knocked Henter and Cobman in the following fight," the judge continued.

Then his attention headed to the book that sat beside the notes. After opening the book and flipping through the pages, he opened his mouth once again.

Everyone prepared. The room was silent.

"Following the rules of Kexer Special Academy, article two of students infighting, competitions and rivalries, states, "The students [infighting, competitions, rivalries and dueling] is not prohibited by all means by the academy. Except for a few exceptions such as the use of life threatening means of winning, the academy will not prohibit students [infighting…] between students. In hope of spurring the growth of the students of Kexer special academy using individual means,"" the judge read.

Then his hand continued, accompanied by the sound of paper flipping.

"Following the rules of Kexer Special Academy concerning grade one and grade two students, especially those that haven't been assigned to a hall, stating, "The students of grade one are prohibited to partake in [infighting, competitions, rivalries, and dueling] with its equal or superior grade by all means." And, "The students of grade two are allowed to partake in students infighting, competitions, rivalries and dueling, in a contained and restricted manner, that is, under the surveillance of instructors of prospective classes," the judge read.

The chatterings in the courtroom continued.

"Aadish Soondi! Your acts, according to Article 2 of students infighting, competitions, rivalries, and dueling, are not prohibited. But you have violated the rules concerning grade one and grade two students, especially the fact that Dareon Kendrick, a student of grade one prior to this hearing. For this, you have not only dishonored the rule of the academy, but also threatened the life of another," the judge exclaimed, his voice almost a roar.

"Ye-yes," Aadish responded.

The judge's eyes leered slightly at Aadish.

"It is according to the rules of the academy, and the conference that had been attended by not only the instructors of Class C, Vinc of the third learning hall and Javarius of the fourth learning hall. But also the instructors of other classes, especially those managing grade one and two students. And also the honorable headmaster and vice headmaster of the academy. And the honorable mentions of a few alumnus that had participated in the conference. That all have decided the punishment appropriate for Aadish Soondi of Class C of the 72nd cohort," the judge continued, his words tedious and uninteresting.

"Aadish Soondi, for his casting, Ignem Arcesso, deemed by the instructors of its deadly capabilities and the damage it had inflicted on the students, Hubert Gubert. The punishment decided would be a hundred hours of community service and a week of seclusion training. The following, should Aadish Soondi attack Hubert Gubert or Dareon Kendrick or any of the equal students, then he would be punished with double the sentence of today," the judge said.

He lifted his hand, his fingers tightly wrapped around the judge's hammer.

Hubert looked at the judge, sweat running down his forehead as his heart beat fast. His ears, slightly irritated by the long sentences of the judge. Yet another sound reached him.

The sound of growling, like an angry dog.

He looked to the side, where Aadish stood, biting his lips in frustration and clenching his fist. His face was wrinkling, eyes bulged and colored mildly red as the veins around it popped out. 

"Any objections?" the judge asked, ready to swing the hammer downward.

The chatterings had stopped once again, the courtroom in silence. Only the growling of Aadish could be heard.

The judge waited for a few seconds. Upon the fact there was no one that raised his or her hand or voice, the judge deemed it enough and struck the hammer down.

Pam!

The sound of wood meeting wood echoed through the room. The punishment had been decided.

"With this, the hearing had come to an end! I trust the instructors of Class C of the 72nd Cohort, Vinc and Javarius, to uphold the rule and show no favoritism toward the perpetrator," the judge said, picking up his book and the notes from the podium. Then he descended from the flight of stairs that supported the podium.

Then he left the courtroom from the door on the right hand side.

The sound of footsteps soon filled the place. The people, the spectators of the hearing, left, continuing with their various duties.

Hubert felt relieved as the place, once choking, was bustling with life.

Though the first thing he did was nail his attention to Aadish, slightly expecting an attack from him.

"Hubert," Dareon called, rushing to him.

"Dareon," Hubert responded.

"Let's leave this place, we need to catch up with Ron," Dareon said, rushing as he pulled Hubert by the hand, perhaps too hurriedly.

Meanwhile, Vinc and Javarius approached Aadish.

"Aadish Soondi, it is a shame, but you must follow us," Javarius said, his bicep bulging, gleaming in the sunlight.

"Tch," Aadish clicked his tongue. However much he growled or bit his lips, he knew he was powerless in the face of the instructors.

Hubert watched as Aadish was taken away by the instructors as he too left the place.

Upon reaching the clearing, Dareon, still gasping for air from the running he did, fell to the ground.

"A few seconds there, and I feel like he would start attacking you," Dareon exclaimed.

"Why… me?" Hubert asked.

All that standing and formalities in the courtroom caused him to be nervous. Once the nervousness was gone, he felt slightly pitiful about the predicament.

"Of course! Aadish won't just let this slide, I'm sure there would be a revenge on his part. Thank Goddess it didn't come sooner, it won't be fun seeing my friend get blasted by another Ignem Arcesso," Dareon said, his tone pressed though half joking.

Hubert stood.

Only then did he felt weird. He felt right and wronged. He protected his friend, Dareon, something he felt was necessary and deemed righteous. But why was the world so cruel that a person, another human being, did something as cruel as wanting to kill him.

He couldn't comprehend it.

He had experienced many things, he had been tortured by the knights of Trilly and worked to exhaustion for the Church of Visions. Yet this was the first time he had seen the unfairness.

Not because he was deemed a deserter or because he was a slave. But the things that happened were just because of what Aadish, a noble, thought his background was a peasant.

"Why…?" he asked the orange sky.

"Why is the world so unfair…?" his lips moved, yet his voice barely sounded, whispering.

—

"Is it done?" the headmaster asked. Sitting in her usual position, the tall back post of her chair hid her.

"Yes, headmaster," Vinc and Javarius echoed at the same time. Their tone, slightly tired of everything that had happened today. They had come to give the writings of the report.

"Leave." she commanded.

"Yes, headmaster!" the two said aloud, followed by their footsteps toward the door.

Sigh

"Ha… What's the use of all that bragging before? I said the duke won't have his way, but even my rule isn't important in the face of the west and south combined, who would have expected?" she said.