I swallowed a little as the Councillor started introducing me. It felt a bit odd, if I was being honest. My skin felt tight, almost a little cold, as the attention of nearly everyone in the courtroom swivelled towards me again.

“As you are aware,” the Se-Targa Councillor said. “Cultist Ross Moreland is the man who killed Glonek Ilverang, the Scarseeker hired as an accountant at House Kalnislaw to ostensibly run their business, but who merely used it as a cover to carry out his illicit activities of sowing chaos in Zairgon.”

That was the start, something I had already made clear earlier when explaining my sides of things as a key witness. But the Councillor wasn’t done there.

“He was also instrumental in discovering the Scarthralls’ nest in Seethescale dungeon and alerting the rest of Zairgon,” she continued. “He is also the one who killed the Greater Brillwyrm there, which was turned into a Scarthrall as well.”

I blinked. Even the Se-Targa Councillor was more or less introducing me as the Wyrm-killer, if not in so many words.

Just that introduction was enough to get the ball rolling. People talked. Nobles pointed at me and whispered at each other—or talked normally, and I was just too far off to actually hear what they said. On the other bleachers, the bloc formed by Ring Three’s residents, I saw a wider mix of reactions. Some looked impressed, some disbelieving and surprised, others still judging in their own way.

Even the rest of the Councillors were looking my way, and their combined regard was a whole lot worse than everything else. Several overwhelming auras washed over me, poking at me in multiple different ways. Some needling, some scratching like sandpaper, some feeling like the press of ice so cold that it burned.

I didn’t enjoy the sensations one bit, but I weathered them all the same.

“Cultist Ross,” the Se-Targa Councillor said. “Despite not being a native of Zairgon, despite having been summoned against your will by forced beyond our ken, you have done Zairgon a great service. Now, step forward and speak your mind.”

I was about to do so, but the draconic Scalekin Councillor spoke first.

“A great service, is it?” His blue, slit-pupil eyes were fixed on me like I was a fly that needed swatting. “Undoubtedly, that was what came to pass. But tell us true, was thy true intention half as grand?”

Nobody said anything further. Now was apparently the time I was supposed to step forward and speak.

I steeled myself and did so.

“Calling my intentions into question muddies the purpose of this trial, doesn’t it Councillor?” I said. It was nice their posturing and grandstanding had given me a bit of time to think. “We’re not here to discuss rewards for me. We’re here to discuss punishments for the ones responsible for the crimes that I and the people I care about have suffered far more than anyone else in Zairgon.”

The draconic Scalekin raised a crested, scaled eyebrow. “None spoke of rewards. However, thy opportunity to speak is one in and of itself, an outcome of thy actions. So perhaps, thou wouldst do best to remember thy humility and speak thusly.”

“My point is that focusing on me takes away from the reality of the crime and its effects on others.” Verbally sparring with a Councillor wasn’t what I was looking for, so I fixed my eyes on the Scarseekers under the central spotlight. On Lady Kalnislaw kneeling in chains, and on Lord Kalnislaw standing over her. “Because I disagree with the sentence of banishment.”

There. That did it. The nobles’ murmurs intensified, several looking either confused or dubious. I wondered if they were stupefied that I was standing against banishment or worried that I would ask for something more severe. Those in the Ring Three bleachers leaned forward with greater attention.

“What alternative did you have in mind?” the Rakshasa mage Councillor asked, her voice as ethereal as ever.

“Banishment doesn’t bring anyone back,” I said. “It doesn’t help anyone. All you’re doing is making a statement, one that’s more or less ineffectual.”

My words were a little inflammatory, and it did have the exact effect. The nobles were outraged that I would dare go against the Councillors’ decision. Several of the Ring Three bloc whispered among each other too, throwing me looks of concern for some reason.

Even the Councillors had adorned surprised expressions. The Ogre with the long beard was leaning forward to study me with great interest.

“You wish for something more severe, then?” he asked.

In contrast, the draconic Scalekin leaned back, though he was smirking now. “Dost thy desire for revenge make thee so bold?”

Despite their reactions, I still had room to speak, so that’s what I did. “I want the punishment to mean something. Not to be a simple statement of yes, the Council will punish wrongdoers. Because you’re once again focusing on the wrong thing. Simply punishing the wrongdoers isn’t going to help anybody.”

“Is that what you truly want?” the Se-Targa Councillor asked. “Something that helps?”

“Yes. Exactly. Banishment? That only helps other people who think they can do whatever they want, and if they’re significantly powerful enough, then they can just suffer a mere banishment and essentially get away with it. No, I want something that helps the people who suffered because of the crimes. I want them to make up for their mistakes.”

That definitely didn’t help with the outrage the nobles were dealing with, but I couldn’t care less. Hamsik hadn’t interrupted me or given me any sort of looks, but now, he was appraising me in a slightly different light. An approving light.

“Your point has merit, undoubtedly,” the Se-Targa Councillor said. “And truth be told, the intention behind making Lord Kalnislaw assume culpability for the actions of his Household, if not himself directly, would lead to the exact remuneration that you speak of.”

I shook my head. My words came out surer than even I was prepared for. “It isn’t remuneration Councillor. It is the least they can offer. If banishment reduces it, if having one member of House Kalnislaw barred from Zairgon simply means the Great House can scrape by after offering only a meagre recompense for their actions, then I stand against banishment.”

The nobles were furious. Several had gotten to their feet, and one had even raised her fist high in the air.

“Councillors!” she said. Her scales were dotted with jewellery too, but I suspected they weren’t magical like Kostis’s were. “This is highly inappropriate! You are allowing a mere… resident of Ring Four to drive the conclusion of this trial?”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“Surely one… person cannot wield such influence and power,” said another Rakshasa man from the other side. “This is a breach of—of etiquette! Of established policy. We bring matters up in blocs, after all!”

The others echoed similar sentiments. As for me, I was just trying to stifle my laughter. Poor nobles were having so much difficulty not using terms that were meant to be insulting and demeaning.

They all shut up when the Rakshasa mage Councillor cleared her throat.

“We have granted special accommodations in the past,” she said. “This is following procedure. I suggest you refrain from teaching the Councillors about their own process.”

Sufficiently chagrined, the nobles quieted down. Still, they did keep grumbling among themselves and making sure no one would mistakenly think they were happy.

Hamsik cleared his throat. “May I speak, Honoured Councillors? I am—”

“Hamsik Kalnislaw,” the Se-Targa Councillor said. “Bastard son of Lord Kalnislaw, intent on staying out of his family matters yet finding himself embroiled in family matters all the same due to his association with the Cult of the Sun, the primary target of Glonek Ilverang, the true perpetrator of all the crimes we are discussing. You may speak.”

Just like me, Hamsik had received his own little description, though I supposed his was a lot less flattering than mine. He didn’t seem to mind it, though. His gaze was focused entirely on his parents.

“Thank you,” Hamsik said. He also spoke a lot more graciously, unlike my uncouth, un-noble-educated self. “I agree with Ross in that banishment for a single member of House Kalnislaw is less a punishment and more a formality. Which I detest.”

Well, so much for speaking in a polished, reasoned manner.

The nobles were clearly agitated at Hamsik riling things up like that, but the Councillors were content with hearing him out apparently. More than ever, I was certain they had a method of communicating among themselves that wasn’t outright obvious.

“Go on,” the bearded Ogre Councillor said.

Hamsik stared straight at his father. “Are you happy with this, Lord Kalnislaw?”

He frowned at Hamsik’s question. “I am one of the accused. Culpable in my own right. My happiness doesn’t—”

“Yes, it does. Are you happy to see yourself just walking free, running back to your stuffy little manor with your tail tucked between your noble arse cheeks while your lady wife gets ousted from Zairgon? Are you such a Pits-cursed coward, a piss-poor husband, father, and head of the family, that you would rather anyone and everyone suffer except you?”

And here I had thought I had been inflammatory. My heart had started thudding a little at his outright aggression.

Hamsik’s words were so harsh, the Ring Two bloc couldn’t even begin to sputter their outrage at his treatment of one of their own in such a manner. Ring Three was even more hush than they already had been so far.

The Councillors didn’t respond either, content to await Lord Kalnislaw’s response.

But it was Lady Kalnislaw who spoke first.

“Please, Hamsik,” she said. Her voice almost sounded broken, seconds away from sobbing. “Spare your poor father your misplaced ire. I was the one who was led astray, who forcefully took over the oversight of business matters, including oversight of Glonek. It was—”

“I didn’t ask you, Lady Kalnislaw.”

She gasped, and this time, her voice did break. No further words came from her, but that was in part because she had started crying.

Ah, right. I had forgotten the uncomfortable parts of trials. The human parts. I might have been transported to another world, but people were, ultimately, people everywhere.

“Lord Kalnislaw,” the Se-Targa Councillor said. “As one of the accused, you have the opportunity to add or detract at the moment, based on the admission of your culpability. However, your continued silence will be seen by the Council as tacit approval of our intentions. Are you more or less responsible for all that has gone on than Lady Kalnislaw?”

The lady’s hand slowly reached up and clutched his trousers, and that was when Lord Kalnislaw’s mask finally broke.

“I…” He swallowed. That stoic face he had tried so hard to hold on to disappeared, leaving him looking broken and old, eyes sunken and glassy. “I take no less responsibility than my beloved wife. If you must banish her, then banish me as well, please.”

“No,” Lady Kalnislaw said. She clutched his leg tighter, nails piercing through the cloth. “Husband, you mustn’t! You know you had nothing do with—”

“No, Yanessza. I cannot.”

“Please! The House needs you.”

“Perhaps… but you need me more. I need you more.”

She sobbed then, hanging her head against his leg. With slow gentleness, he knelt down to her level and wrapped his arms around her, holding her and her chains as she shook.

I hated to admit it, but despite the anger and determination I had come to the trial with, my heart did break a little at the sight. Even Hamsik was trembling where he stood, his face even paler than normal.

A soft peal of thunder broke through the moment. I watched, a little agog, as a literal rain cloud came in and took one of the empty Councillor seats. What kind of race was a cloud?

My question was answered in moments. The storm cloud hung several feet over the seat, lashing the seat with torrential downpour, and weirdly enough, a hologram of a Scalekin materialized within the rain, the droplets forming a strange, distorted screen for the white-scaled woman in the pretty blue dress.

“Apologies for my lateness,” she said. Her voice was staticky too, like she was speaking through an old walkie-talkie. “I had a different meeting to attend. But fear not, I have learned the gist of everything that has happened in the trial. As such, I now come to you with a final decision.”

None of the Councillors even reacted to any of that—which, yes, was even more proof they were in secret communication with each other, even with those who weren’t physically present here—but the same couldn’t be said for the rest of the courtroom.

The nobles stiffened, as did Hamsik beside me. The Ring Three bloc all stared at the new rainfall Councillor as one. Lord Kalnislaw had raised his head too.

“Taking into consideration all matters that have been brought forward on this fine day,” said the Scalekin woman in the rain. “I, with the full might the Council, henceforth suspend the sentence of banishment upon any member of House Kalnislaw. Instead, forty percent of their assets will be claimed and dispensed to victims of the crime they have allowed to happen.”

The nobles gasped almost in unison at the outrageous amount. Several protested vocally, a few rising to their feet while others entreated the Council to reconsider. The Councillors didn’t budge, however.

“The bloc of Ring Three,” said a man I slowly recognized. That was the Rakshasa merchant who I had assisted with my very first job from the Mage Guild. He was speaking a little loudly, forcing the Ring Two bloc to simmer down enough to be heard. “Appreciates the Council’s forthrightness in the matter and Ross Moreland for bringing up the issue.”

He was looking at me by the end of it. Not just him, now that I was taking a better look at the Ring Three bloc. A lot of them were looking at me. A lot of whom I recognized.

Receptionist Silhatsa was smiling at me, as were Linak from the Artificer’s Guild and Professor Urhei, the one who had given my first class on being a mage at the Mage Guild. There was Professor Arad too, the supervisor of the two academy mages with the treasures. He wasn’t smiling, but I was the subject of his attention as well. It was curious that he was in the Ring Three bloc, despite the academy obviously being in Ring Two.

“The trial is now concluded,” the Councillor in the rain said. “You are all adjourned. The Council will begin enacting the punitive decisions shortly and inform the relevant parties of the requisite procedures. Dismissed.”

Without waiting for anything further, the rain cloud dissipated, the hologram of the Scalekin lady within it disappearing as well. The other Councillors followed suit. The translucent Rakshasa mage just sank into the floor. I did get a few odd looks from the other Councillors, with the draconic Scalekin giving me a really piercing gaze.

But I was free. It was finally done.

I found myself slowly exhaling. A level of tension on my shoulder was slowly lifting. The same went for Hamsik, who looked like he wanted to go to his family, who were being gently herded away by the guards.

“You should go to them,” I said.

Hamsik shook his head. “Maybe later. If I go now, I’ll just end up fighting with Zoltan.”

I laughed shortly. Fair enough. I watched the bleachers slowly empty themselves, watched as Revayne gave me a short wave as she followed her squad, watched as it soon became my turn to leave, and wondered how in the world would I use forty percent of a Great House’s wealth for the benefit of Ring Four, if I even got to have an input in its disbursement.

Then I smiled. That little trip around Ring Four with Sreketh was finally going to pay dividends.