A Pact with the Owl
"No! Please have Mercy! your majesty!" The official shrieked, collapsing to his knees before the imperial guard walked up beside him. His desperate plea continued to reverberate through the hall as they roughly dragged him away for punishment.
The sound of lashes and the agonizing cries of the official still reverberated in the hall, disturbing the court gathering.
The man in the owl mask let out a smile. "Your Majesty, please excuse me for a moment," he said, then walked out of the audience hall toward where the imperial guards were lashing the official.
The official had hoped to be exempted from this punishment since this guest had arrived, but he was too naive. What the man in the wooden owl mask did was cast a silencing spell on him, and then he returned to the audience hall.
As for the official, he continued to suffer. Although he cried out in agony, no one could hear him as the spell prevented any sound from escaping his throat.