The Trial, Part 1

Das steps out of his tower onto the stone bridge that connects him to the palace, standing guard at each end two guards reach him and follow him close behind as he walks towards the door.

"They have you well watched, gladly there is no sight of any Hunter nearby," Drachen tells him, communicating telepathically with him.

"After the failed attempt on Lioth's life, I'm not surprised"

The path to the throne room is filled with all the events Drachen has missed while she was mourning Vater, as time goes on, the guards increase in number until a dozen of them follow him, and he watches how the amount of guards on corridors and doors only grows as they get closer.

Eventually, they reach the long corridor and big gates that separate him, from the now regent High General Edel. One of the guards rushes past Das and knocks on it three times.

Slowly, the gates open, and the usually empty room is filled with the King's court who fill it to the brim, guards that separate the court into two sides leaving a direct path from the gates to the throne. Noisy like never before everyone whispers or chats with the person next to them.

Some look anxious and lack sleep, others carry bags with scrolls they read or are loudly expressing their concern in small groups. There is anger, fear, and dread in the air.

And among all those emotions lays Edel, standing at the edge of the throne at the very top of its stairs, he looks down on the young archmage, his hands behind his back and his stare filled with contempt on his stern expression.

"Silence!" Edel shouts and his voice forces everyone to shut up and focus their attention on the archmage.

A rather fancy looking middle-aged man clears his throat now everything is silent and steps out from one of the sides, he addresses both crowds "Today, a trial shall be held to decide the fate of Das the archmage, who lied and kept a dangerous enemy within these very walls"

Some gasp while others shoot daggers at Das with their stares.

"For endangering the life of none other than the princess and future heir of the kingdom, the punishment can only be taken from the black scroll of laws," He says raising his hand that holds a black scroll.

Das knows little of the law but knows enough about the black scroll.

"Don't worry, we can get out of this just fine" Drachen tells him, sensing the rise in his heartbeat.

A push from behind is his order to walk forward and he does until he stands in the middle of the hall, he glances around at the faces of the court before clenching his fists and looking up, meeting Edel's gaze with his own.

"I won't die here," he tells himself, a little bit of that determination seeping through his eyes, causing great displeasure to the regent.

"Begin at once, Solicitor!" Edel orders, and the man in charge of the trial nods furiously.

"Archmage, someone can offer themselves to aid you in this trial, if they so wish," he says looking around the silent room.

"Let's get this over with," Freund says as he shoves his way out of the crowd, the guards standing aside for him to join Das's side, he wears clothes similar to those he had during the feast "I tried to convince him of settling this privately, but only the King could have stopped this trial from taking place" he whispers to Das.

"Thank you for trying, uncle"

Freund offers a reassuring smile "I suppose you would rather leave the opening words to me"

"No, I want to speak for myself," Das says taking a few steps forward, to Drachen's and Freund's surprise.

"Are you sure about this, Das? You never were the outspoken type of person"

"No I'm not, but I have to try"

"Remember that the circlet is not perfect, so be very careful with what you say, make sure it doesn't react or you may lose credibility"

His mouth is dry, and his hands sweaty. The black scroll is meant to give twelve punishments in case he is found guilty, all of the atrocious and incredibly cruel, only two ways to spare him the pain exists. He either wins the trial by the unanimous support of his innocence, or he receives the greatest of punishments and is executed on the spot.

But even if speaking in front of so many people is something he never thought to do, or wanted to, this is his life, no matter how short it will be, defending it is his duty more than anyone elses.

"For the crimes of treason, aiding an enemy of the crown and breaking of your oaths, the regent seeks death as payment" the Solicitor speaks "Everyone in here will hear the words of the acussed and his Wachteir first, then the acusser and their Beoterin will speak. This shall go on until one of the two sides gives in, or the acussed is caught lying, now that everything is ready, your words archmage" the Solicitor speaks, and all eyes fall on Das.

He takes a deep breath and looks around at the crowd before opening his mouth, trying his best to hide his fear "I-I..."

"This trial is a waste of time, execute him already!" someone from the crowd exclaims.

"It's a matter of time until he goes crazy, let's end this before it's too late!"

"We have to deal with living dead and rogue mages? If we can solve one of those problems now I say off with his head!"

The crowds grow louder, Das looks around anxiously and sees faces filled with hate, an usual look on people that look at him that even after years, he can't get used to see.

All the guards begin to hit the end of their spears on the ground constantly until the loud banging of steel quickly silences the throne room.

"Speak, archmage" the Solicitor says again.

"Calm down, Das" Drachen tells him "You can do this"

After hearing her words, he takes another deep breath, but this time his face no longer shows fear, but instead a much clearler expression of defiance "Treason? Under what claims am I deserving of treason? When Eversmile burned I was there to end its raging fires, to clash agaisnt the man responsible for the countless dead"

"How do we know you were not responsible for the flames?!" someone in the crowd yells.

"Burning down towns and villages must run in the blood"

"I did not burn the village, neither did I aided in it's destruction. I am young, and inexperienced, but I fought in the name of those that had died agaisnt that man, the Phantom King! I fought even thought I'm not near as strong as my father, and I did it not because it was my duty, but because I wanted to avenge the fallen!"

The crowds are silent once again as they watch the gem on Das's circlet, but it does not react and soon they begin to whisper among each other.

"Are you loyal to the kingdom then?!" someone shouts.

Das is about to responds but stops, his awnser must be completly honest or he risks making the circlet react "I would never betray the King" he is relieved when the circlet doesn't react.

"But you hid that, thing in here! That woman, the Necromancer!" someone in the crowd shouts and instanteniously countless others support him.

"She could be working with that man and you had her here with us! What if she is the one that orchestrated the attack on the princess!" the crowd explodes in support.

"You are correct, I hid Ann Faust here in the palace, knowing that she was dangerous. But I took her with me and remained at her side for as long as I could, I needed to know more about this new enemy and only she could teach me" Das lets his words hang in the air.

"Liar, you wanted revenge for all your kind that was banished by the King!"

"Learning new arts to kill us all!"

"He must fool the artifact on his head, he can't be trusted!"

The crowds shout and yell, even after the guards hit the end of their spears trying to make them all go quiet again, but the fear has completly consumed their fragile minds.

Das hears every word clearly, and his patience runs thin as he feels the wrath starting to seep into his mind, clouding it as much as theirs.

"Enough!" Freund yells as he steps forward, making Das step back "This boy has given his all to protect this kingdom to the best of his ability, and if you don't wish to spare him then let it be your children that go ride agaisnt the Phantom King and his unkown magic! Let it be your coffers that go empty when you have to finance armies, food and gear. Das is more capable than anyone here to fight for us, he has no responsabilities, no domain, no wealth...no family to lose. If you choose to get rid of him now, that will be the reality each one of you will face"

His words are loud and carry themselves with tremendous weight, making everyone go silent as the contemplate the truth in what he just said. Freund glances at Das, nodding softly to let him know that is what the nobles needed to hear.

"This" Freund continues "is a threat unlike any we have ever seen, or heard before. Spirits possesing the living, creating creatures of nightmare that are beyond our imagination. This is not a time to have petty trials such as this out of paranoia, we must stand together and face this enemy as one, being desicive and unrelenting, least our kingdom gets swarmed by demons and all what we cherish is lost"

"Does the accuser wish to speak, or will your Beoterin join us?" the Solicitor asks Edel, who locks eyes with Freund for a moment before shaking his head "Then, how does everyone find the accused, is he worthy of dead, or to be spared?"

Das anxiously looks around at the faces of the whispering nobles, nobody moving a muscle and as the seconds pass, his heartbeat increases. If they don't decide his fate now, it will fall to the Solicitor to make a choice.

But that is not needed, as one by one, everyone in the crowd rises their left arm to show that they support the second option.

"Very well, by unanimous choice, the accused will be spared and is now presumed innocent"

Freund squeezes Das's shoulder with a beaming smile, and he returns it with a grin of his own "Yeah! Shove it Edel!" Drachen exclaims in Das's mind, causing him to chuckle a bit.

"Let's go now, there is much to be done Das" Freund says as they both walk towards the big gates leading out of the throne room, when they open up.

"Now, for the hineous crime of Eversmile's butchering, and the danger she poses to the kingdom and it's people, Ann Faust, the Necromancer, is to be judged and executed!" the Solicitor announces.

The open gates show a chained up Ann, surrounded by guards pointing their spears at her and shoving her to walk inside.