Capítulo 6: Of Wars and Kings
Arianna feltl the potion tugging at her mental walls and struggled to stay conscious, until suddenly the walls dissolved and she felt light and bare. But soon her thoughts turned outward as a figure marched towards her. Its armor was vaguely reminiscent of the prison guards, but more practical and more worn. She staggered back in surprise and another figure took its place, a man with one eye, charging in on a horse of many legs.
Then the images came in faster, brighter. There was a symbol, a golden city, a land of ice and one of fire, a slideshow of unfamiliar lands - then one of deep green trees stirs of feeling of nostalgia for her childhood home - but it's gone again, replaced with an image of a destroyed village.
And though the homes are burnt ruins, her heart sped up, recognizing it as no mere fire, but the touch of war - each building equally burnt, and never doused, and -
But it was gone again, swept away by the appearance of - her breath caught in her throat - a battlefield, after the fight.
She trembled as her eyes begin to automatically scan for signs of life among the bodies strewn across the ground.
Her breathing was coming short and fast now, but she didn't notice - seeing a battle rage before her, she looked around for her shieldbearer, crying out his name, and she dropped to her knees at the side of a wounded man. But as she looked for her healing kit, it was nowhere to be found, and the soldier was bleeding out in front of her, and -
The image cleared away, leaving Arianna patting the cold stone, still looking for her charge.
The old man - Kvasir - knelt and gently put a hand on her back. Her head swung to stare at him with wild eyes until recognition hit and she fell back onto the floor.
Though his face was unfamiliar, his eyes were kind, and he took off his outer robe to drape it over her shoulders. Arianna focused on its texture and on her breathing as the man stood.
"We've seen all we need to, haven't we?" he said to Syn, who hadn't moved since the ordeal began. She was silent for a moment.
"The trial may not catch every-" she began.
Kvasir drew himself up. "I crafted it myself, Syn, there is nothing I have not included. The results are quite clear."
Syn drew herself up as well. "Nevertheless. The council is already waiting for the prisoner."
Kvasir turned his head slightly. "The...whole council?"
"Yes, his Majesty included. Although...the elder prince will likely not show…" There was a hint of disapproval in her voice.
"Ah, speaking of, I shall take my leave to join them now," spoke up the prince. "You were right, Kvasir, that was a truly...enlightening experience." And with that, he sauntered out of the room.
Everyone's attention turned back to Arianna. With a deep breath, she slowly came to her feet.
"You can stand on your own," noted Syn. "Impressive, in a way."
Suspicious, in another, thought Arianna, but she only nodded, not quite able to form words in the new language right away. Instead, she simply held out her arms for the muffler-shaped handcuffs.
"Hm. This way." Syn strode down the hall, but this time, protective barriers lowered in succession to allow her and the guard entourage through. However, they didn't walk far. At the end of the hallway, a thick set of doors opened to reveal an austere room, dominated by a table filled with stern faces. Its breadth faced the door, which closed behind them with a low boom. The guards took their positions and Arianna was left standing before the high table with her heartbeat surging back up. They all studied her in silence, her slightly shuddered breathing tearing through the space. She couldn't stand to look at anyone, instead focusing on an empty seat between a woman - the queen, surely - and the young prince from before.
"The Trial of True Self indicates that you have no ill will towards Asgard or any of its people, but it also indicates that you are not someone with an ordinary background." The voice was commanding, coming from the man in the center. Arianna flicked her eyes to his for a brief moment before returning to the empty seat. His clear blue eye held no warmth.
"You have proved yourself with your mind, now it is time to prove yourself with your words."
Arianna fidgeted slightly but stayed silent, afraid to anger him by trespassing an unknown cultural rule.
"Well, speak!" His voice jolted into her and she stood straight.
"I...am Arianna," she began lamely. The prince next to her empty seat gave out a small chuckle.
"I am...a traveler. I - and my friends - travel between planets and help people in trouble. Well, it sounds simple, but things kinda ..happen to us."
"What kind of story is this? Traveling do-gooders?" She didn't need to look at him to feel his scowl.
"Sire,I believe she's telling the truth."
"I know that! Surely there's something you're missing? Tell me, girl, how did you just happen to infiltrate my palace without a shred of intent?"
"It was a...time-space hiccup or something." She tore her eyes from the seat to meet his. "I don't really understand it. You'd have to ask Simon, he said he knows exactly-"
"Forget that!" The king's white brow was knitted in anger. "You, and your associates, appeared here speaking completely unknown tongues, yet learned ours in mere weeks. The female is obviously a warrior, the male is a electromage of some kind and you," he thrust a hand towards her, "are some kind of healer."
"We aren't just random travelers. We can help lots of people with those skills. We're like, um, merceners, except...different."
"Mercenaries?" drawled a thin figure near the end of the table.
Arianna nodded slowly. "Yeah, people ask us for help and we help."
"Mercenaries kill for hire."
"Oh. right. Different than that." Silence fell again as the king's scowl deepened, obviously displeased with her answers.
"Please, we just want to leave, we didn't even mean to-" Arianna lost her balance as one of her legs gave out. She sat on the stone floor for a moment in stunned silence, suddenly realizing how weak her limbs had been feeling.
"Fetch her a chair." commanded the king. Arianna looked up at him from the ground. "And get her off the floor."
"No, I can stand on my own," she said, slowly rising. "For now," she added, feeling her legs tremble once more.
Silence returned to the space around Arianna as they waited for the courier to bring the chair. She used the moment to sweep her eyes along the figures at the table. Nearly every face regarding her masked its interest in some way - suspicion, sternness, or carefully crafted neutrality - all but one. The dark-haired prince - the youngest at the table - wore his interest openly, hungrily. He met her gaze evenly and they considered each other for a moment until the chair was set behind her.
But the king's patience had left. "You are foolish to think that we could simply let you go on your merry way after all that has happened. If you would only drop this ruse I may be willing to keep your punishment lenient," he spat.
Arianna lifted her chin and met his glare with a steely strength of her own. "Us being here is an accident, and we do not want to harm you or your people." She squeezed every once of earnesty she could into her voice, which rang clearer than anything she had said before. Silence fell once again, but it was subsumed into the locked gazes of the king and the woman.
At last he sighed. "Very well. I will move you to a better chamber, and the others if they undergo the Trial, but you are very much still a prisoner under my watch. Dismissed."
And with that the chair was gone and Arianna was once again on her feet, being shuffled out into the hall. She was so drained she didn't even notice they took a different route and halted, unsure, before the room they had opened for her.
It was, compared to her experiences, richly furnished, and light streamed in from a large window on the back wall, though Arianna suspected the view was simulated. Though there was not a single obstruction in the room, pillows, rugs, and blankets gave it a softness completely lacking from the high security cells deeper down. Syn brought her out of her reverie with her sharp voice.
"We shall once more ban communication between you and the other two. But you've been, provisionally, cleared." The distaste in her voice speaking the last word rang slightly acrid. "These cells are for nonviolent suspects. You may request certain amenities, and this barrier," she motioned to the transparent wall of the room, "always allows sound to pass. But make no mistake.' Her voice grew hard. "You may have three solid walls, but you are no less watched than before." With a slight turn, though, her tone lightened almost playfully. "But don't let that stop you from doing anything you might want to."
Syn nodded to the guards, who pushed Arianna into the room and locked the door behind her.
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