Capítulo 52: The Trial, Part 2
Wearing only tattered rags befitting a slave or a lowly criminal, iron chains on her ankles, neck, and feet force her to take slow, limping steps. Bruises and cuts on her entire body, torture signs, and despite it all, her face retaining that tranquil, tiny grin that for a second, made Das see the Phantom instead of her. Her black hair covered most of her face.
But as Ann drags herself forward and past Das, they glance at each other and her fiery blue eyes make him return to the real world, so he hears the shouting and yelling that has erupted in the throne room.
"Monster!"
"Demon!"
"Kill her!"
Are some of the many things he can hear, he sees in their eyes the dark embrace of fear, and anger, greater than any he has ever seen.
"Ann Faust, the N-Necromancer" the Solicitor speaks, taking a step back once she is a few meters away "As it is tradition, you will be given a trial, but expect nothing else than swift justice to smite you down!" the crowds cheer.
"No" Das whispers "She doesn't deserve this! She is innocent!" he yells at the Solicitor and then looks at Edel "You don't know what you are doing, General!"
"Begin the trial!" Edel orders, ignoring completely Das's words.
"There is nothing you can do Das" Freund grabs his arm and whispers close to his face while the Solicitor repeats the rules to the audience "You barely got to be spared for their greed and cowardice, don't expect to save everyone"
"How can you say that, Uncle? Aren't knights supposed to protect everyone and anyone innocent?"
"We protect HUMANS, Das" he speaks with a mixture of regret and anger, but not at the young archmage "I can't speak for your friend, I know about her as much as anyone here and I have already served as a Wachteir, I can't do it again"
"Then I will" Das shoves Freund away and steps ahead "I will be her Wachteir!" he shouts.
"I'm afraid that can't be done, you were just on trial yourself" the Solicitor says.
Das looks at him and then at the crowds, they laugh, they all laugh at him. Their faces twisted in mocking grins as the shout words at him "Fool" "Pathetic" "Weak". His eyes meet Edel's and he too smiles victorious from atop the throne, the metal lions roar and...he blinks.
The Solicitor has his arms raised and the crowds have gone silent, he quickly looks around and sees everyone looking angry, or upset, but not mocking him. Even Edel has his usual stern expression.
"Let's go Das, we can do nothing" Freund says resting his hand on his shoulder.
Das clenches his fist in desperation, knowing that this means she will have to defend herself while also wondering, if he is willing to try something in order to safe her if she is found guilty.
Defeated, he turns around and with Freund next to him they walk towards the large gates.
"Well, someone can choose to be your Wachteir, Necromancer. But due to your position and gravity of your crimes, I find it difficult to believe anyone would do so" he clears his throat "So the trial, begin-"
"I will be her Wachtier"
All eyes turn to the man raising his right arm. His steel armor shinning, green short cape, and blonde hair. Ergeiz steps forward from the crowd as the guards hesitate, but eventually let him throught.
"General Ergeiz, are you sure of that desicion?" the Solicitor asks in disbelief.
The general looks up at Edel, who is visibly annoyed, and his grin grows a little bit larger "The desicion to aid a supposed enemy of the Kingdom? Of course I am" he walks up to Ann, the two of them don't look at each other.
The guards then stand in front of Das and Freund, letting them know that they have to leave, so reluctantly they step out of the throne room and the gates begin to close.
"Well...the trial begins now then, this time the accuser or his Beoterin will speak" the Solicitor says at Edel, who takes a few seconds to stop looking at Ergeiz and then looks at someone in the left crowd.
"Petra Eisenbär"
Recognizing this name, Das turns to the crowd and sees the woman step out of it, clad in armor, the knight looks with hate at Ann, but smiles when he glances at Das. This the last thing he sees before the gates close completly.
"Nobles, I was a guard of the town that got attacked yesterday" Petra adresses the crowds " I watched not only how the town I loved was burned, but how spectres possesed the body of the living, turning them into monsters forced to kill and butcher their loved ones...and she was among them!" she exclaims pointing at Ann.
"How do you know that?" Ergeiz replies "Did you saw her get into anyone's body? or maybe did she sucked out someone's soul?"
"No, but-"
"Of course you didn't! Like everyone here you are just putting her in the same position as our real enemy out of fear, trully pitiful coming from a knight" his words, while sharp don't match his calm expression.
"General, you must respect her time to speak! No more interruptions" the Solicitor says, to wich Ergeiz simply nods.
"No, I didn't saw her do any of those things...but I did saw her flying around like a cloud of smoke, just like the ghosts, black as tar. And that was before you saw her, General Ergeiz"
"And we are supposed to believe her words alone?"
"You are all free to choose, but I wasn't the only one that saw her and we all know this. Countless people saw her together with the ghosts, townfolk fleeing for their lifes and brave guards giving up theirs for them!"
"So that's what this is all about? Incriminating someone because of the personal loss you've had? Wouldn't some call it a failure from your part to properly organizing an evacuation of the town?"
"What? Are you blaming on us, the guards, Dorfmeer's fall?!"
"I'm merely stating the facts, and giving up your lifes is exactly what you were expected to do anyway"
"How can you stand there and defend this monster, instead of standing with all of us and seek vengance for what has happened?!"
"Vengance is it? No, I would never seek vengance, only justice!" Ergeiz exclaims at the crowds " Justice is the greatest of laws for humanity, it keeps us straight and beneath the light's embrace, so that our path is forever clear and never shrouded in darkness"
The most religious of the nobles grab their amulets hanging from their necks, while others scoff at the general's words.
"At the end of the day every trial is seen by the Lightbringer himself, he knows when a person is guilty, that person recieves all his righteous fury on the spot! No need for a trial! And if Ann Faust was guilty, she would already be death!"
Some begin to whisper among each other in the crowds, while others chuckle.
"Can't you see? This is an opportunity given to us by the Lightbringer! To use this creature of darkness and teach it the righous path to salvation! To cleanse her soul and let it prove itself that she can return to the light!"
"How would she do that?" someone asks in the crowd.
"We want her head, not her redemption!" someone else shouts.
"Everyone deserves a second chance if provided by the Lightbringer"
"No!" Petra shouts "She doesn't deserve a second opportunity, she is dangerous, our enemy, she will bring death to us all if she is left alive!"
"Salvation! That is what I offer to her and she has accepted! In any form it may come, at any cost, in any way! Salvation will release her chains!" Ergeiz passionatly moves and adresses the crowds, crowds that slowly begin to nod among each other.
"You speak of second chances, but have we forgotten the true crime she is being judged by? Eversmile!" Petra speaks loud enough to force the throne room into silence "She was the only survivor of that horrible tragedy, and she survived withtout a scratch!"
"That's right, she was there too!"
"Two times is too much, she has to be guilty!"
"Burn her like she burned Eversmile!!"
"Would the Lightbringer give a THIRD chance? No, this being right here is made out of PURE evil, she is a snake, a devil like the Phantom himself!"
The crowds stand once again divided, and as they bicker among themselves Drachen tells Das exactly what she sees and hears. Invisible to the naked eye but hoovering amove the masses she watches attentively the trial.
"Things are not looking too well for Ann, Das" she sounds tired, the runes in the palace's bricks draining her magic.
"We have to trust Ergeiz then" Das replies.
"This may be a little late to ask, but why do you care?"
"What do you mean?"
"I know you have spent a few nights with her teaching you Necromancy, but realisticly you don't know much about her, and haven't really been near her all that much. She already taught you enough I believe so if she dies, your life would remain unchanged"
"She is innocent Drachen, she doesn't deserve to be judged as a dangerous beast!"
"is that the only reason you worry?"
"...she is a friend"
"Hmmm" Drachen is amused by his words "Well, to be honest, I kinda worry about that falcon guy...no one ever does something like this out of kindness"
Das knows she is right, whatever the reason for him to help Ann in this moment, there must be something for him in to risk his public image in front of so many nobles and Edel himself. He will have to discover what is it if he manages to save Ann.
"Silence!" Edel orders and the entire room complies.
The regent begins his descend step by step, the metal boots echoing throughout the throne room, the red cape gently moving with each step until he reaches the end of the stairs and stands next to Petra.
"The Lightbringer doesn't stand in this trial, he will not speak for her neither will he show us a vision of her true intentions. She may ask for redemption, plead for mercy and promise loyalty, but none of her words can be trusted and there is no evidence to point at her true intentions!" Edel says earning cheers from the crowds.
"We can't know if she is honest!"
"She could decieve us!"
"All we know is what we have seen, what she is capable of, and what happened at Eversmile and now Dorfmeer deserves a culprit"
"Yes! She must be hanged!"
"Burnt!"
"Beheaded!!"
"This is no longer about what justice, you are right in that general. But the Lightbringer is not only the one who delivers justice, he gives us vengance!" Edel exclaims and the crowds support him "There is no way to prove that the Lightbringer has some type of plan for her nor that she is worthy of mercy"
"In fact...there is" Ergeiz says, his sly eyes shinning as if everything had gone according to plan. He then turns around "Prime Priest, please, shows what you have shown me"
From the crowd, the Prime Priest steps out, followed close by two other priest, in his hands a highly decorated scroll.
"The church makes sure to record every name of every person that is made a working priest, meaning someone capable of utilizing the Lightbringer's gifts in any amount or capacity. Prime Priest, if you may" Ergeiz says bowing to him slightly.
The elderly man nods and opens the scroll, everyone is silent as he looks throught all the names until eventually, he speaks "Ann Faust, age twenty five, female. A priest at Eversmile, can use the light to heal"
With those words, the crowds gasp in shock, unsure if what they heard was right. Petra and Edel share the same surprise as everyone else, but Edel's eyes lock on Ergeiz, who grins at him like a cat looking at a cornered mouse.
"That's it nobles!" Ergeiz turns to the crowd once again "The Lightbringer has choosen her from before, it was him who shielded her from harm, it was him who taught her the evil arts so that we would know how to defeat this menace, can't you see?! She is the key to stopping our world, and our lifes from falling into chaos!!"
"He must be right, the Lightbringer is protecting us!"
"If the light has choosen her, then there is no denying it"
"Release her!"
"She can't be guilty!"
"Mercy!"
"Mercy!"
"Mercy!"
The crowds chant together as a smile grows on Ann's hidden face, she and Ergeiz glancing at each other with equal satisfaction.
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