Teligion walked over to his table where Murgun sat, and seated himself. Pi’ve was covering his face with his hands. He was so downtrodden that he forgot that he would defend his case in a few moments. He thought that the hearing was finished. Barna placed a hand on Pi’ve’s back, clapping softly in a comforting manner.
’It is our turn now.’ Barna said, and Pi’ve sat up straight, blinking in confusion. As the courtroom settled, two loud knocks came from the judge’s seat.
’Thank you, Teligion. I am pleased to see that you approach the matter in such a serious way.’ Gilania said. Pi’ve felt then within himself, in his guts, that the judge had already made up her mind. ’Now then, I will give the word over to Pi’ve and Barna, and they will present their rebuttal to the claimant’s claim.’
Linda rose from her seat. She looked at Pi’ve, and then Barna. ’Speak now your case, with only the truth.’ Linda looked at Barna, and barna nodded, and Pi’ve wondered what had happened, but that was quickly asserted as soon as Linda looked at him.
[] has been applied to you. Note that this skill is not of high enough rank to force you to speak the truth, but the spell-caster will be able to recognise your words as truth or lie.
Barna looked at Pi’ve, and Pi’ve nodded for Barna to start. Barna did not hesitate before speaking. ’Dear all. I have volunteered to speak Pi’ve’s case today, and I think you know deep down why.’ Barna begun. ’I fear for the noise you made when the claimants laid their case, in approval, and in agreement— alas, I am not here to speak of hypocrisy…
’I am here to speak Pi’ve’s case, because it is right; because we have all made blunders before. There are some things you do not know about Pi’ve, and I will give some information to clear up some of the misconceptions...’
At first, Pi’ve was rather nervous to know that his secret was about to be shared to the majority. He had over the past week or so learned that the absolute majority of wizards had elves as mentors, and that is why most came into the wizarding society with knowledge of the law, and knowledge of what you could, and could not do. It would make sense to them, Pi’ve hoped, when they learned his mentor was no elf, why he had not been enlightened about the laws of the wizards.
But why was he so scared of letting them know about his mentor? Gaudol had told him that he was allowed to tell them that he was his mentor. Pi’ve wondered if it was because he had learned that most had elves as mentors, and now he was afraid to be different in that way too. What did it mean to have a non-elf as a mentor?
’Who is Pi’ve? Pi’ve is a wee lad, as I heard one of you call him, rightly so, of only twenty years. Honestly, I believe I could have ended our defence here, for how many of you remember your rebellious years of the twenties?’ Barna said, and there were little reaction from the crowd. Janareus smirked a little as he wrote on his parchment.
’I become aware that it may seem to you that I say this, and by saying this prove that he did it in rebellion, but it is not so. I say it with the reason of wriggling back your memory of how you viewed right and wrong, and consequence. What your fathers and mothers taught you was right, was not right for you necessarily, for you had a novel view of the world and how it should be. You shouted at the guards for the wrongs of the king, and when you came home, you got your ears wrung. You had a hunch prior to shouting at the guards that it may be seen as wrong, but your sense of right was divergent from the norm.
’It is good to be reminded, when you do something wrong, that what you did was wrong. I get that, but punishment for wrongdoing, when you did not know that it was wrong, warrants a greater crime, I think. Teligion mentioned the wizard killing a woman, and that is a crime that warrants punishment even with no prior knowledge of why that is wrong.’ Pi’ve looked around the room, and he found an unsettling amount of eyes pointed at him, and he could not discern if they were eyes of pity, or eyes of disdain. ’We all need, if no prior wrongdoings have been done, a second chance at showing that we mean not to stray from the regular conducts or norms of wizards and our society.’ Barna said. There were murmurs in the crowd. Murgun seemed wholly disinterested in Barna’s words.
’Oh, and one more thing, because we want to keep this brief for the respect of your time: As mentioned, it prudent to believe, at a higher rate, that when you have an elf as a mentor, you should know at least of the rules of the wizarding society. An elf mentor should be knowledgeable enough to prepare his pupil to live among us, but here is a fact you did not know: Pi’ve’s mentor is not an elf.’ Barna said, and he paused then, letting the statement linger in the room, and dramatic effect it had. Unintelligible, loud talk rang between the walls. For some reason, many of the wizards were trying to talk to Dandrian who was seated two rows behind Pi’ve. He was shaking his head vehemently.
’Silence!’ Gilania, the judge of the hearing, called out to the room. As the murmuring died down, Pi’ve looked over at Murgun and Teligion, and he saw that they were in deep, silent talk. ’Proceed, Barna.’ Gilania said.
’Uhm… No, I think I will lay my case to rest here. It is not I who will judge if Pi’ve should reveal to you his mentor is. If that is something you must know, then you must ask him.’ Barna said, and Gilania nodded. Linda had not said that Barna was telling an untruth, and so, they all knew that his mentor was indeed not an elf, which is why it had been received so strongly.
’Indeed—’ Gilania said, it seemed mostly to herself, as she was thumbing through some of her other parchments. ’We have now concluded the first part of the session. There will be a quick intermission, and then we will continue with the final words of Murgun and Pi’ve, if they have any. In this session, their representatives are also allowed to speak, and questions may be taken, and answered. This is to allow the undecided to clear up any of their uncertainties about the case, but I must stress that questions from others than me are not under obligation to be answered. Understood? Very well. Take fifteen.’ Gilania said, and she hit her staff on the floor once, initiating the fifteen minutes of pause.
Before Pi’ve knew it, he had pulled out his and some tobac. He asked Barna if he had light, and got his pipe smoking. He felt the tension in his shoulders lessen, and saw in his status screen that he received the three point buff to intelligence and four to his wisdom. As he looked at his status screen, he saw that health and mana had been filled up completely. His stamina was at 97 of 120. He had been very stressed for some time now, so Pi’ve took that to be mental strain. But then he remembered that he had seen his stamina deplete even though he was not exerting himself physically. Back in the tutorial, it had depleted slowly, while mana— … Of course. It was a revelation. Was it the same for health?
Murgun was talking to someone in the front row over the low fence. It was a wizard clad in almost the same red robe as Teligion, but it was slightly darker and more worn. Pi’ve asked Barna who he was, and he said that it was a wizard named Redrig, who Murgun had had a long friendship with. Murgun and Redrig was both in — short for — a faction, Barna told him, which took upon themselves quests all around the world. It reminded Pi’ve of his own job, but Barna told him that the embarked upon more dangerous, difficult and pressing quests than they did. Barna was also in this faction, together with Dandrian, who was their leader. All together there were twelve wizards in , all wizards were powerful. Indeed, if you were in the , you were counted amongst the most powerful.
This did not do anything to relieve Pi’ve from his sense of doom, as he was literally up against one of the most powerful wizards in Soilar; Murgun. Of course, he had Barna, who also was a part of the same faction, but which one of them were the strongest? Did that matter in this situation? Perhaps their reputation and power had a role to play in this hearing…
Three knocks could be heard from the podium, and the talk in the courtroom settled. ’We will now commence with the hearing. Let us hear the final words of Murgun, and his representative.’ Gilania said, and Linda told them that they could speak, again without exaggeration and untruths. Nolon stood also. He was in charge of silencing those who spoke out of turn, and now that they were entering the final stretch of the hearing, he was making himself more visible to remind the crowd of just that.
’I will only say—’ Murgun said, addressing the room. ’— that my appeal stands as it is. We have heard that his mentor is not an elf— and I do not find that that makes this case waivable for Pi’ve, and that even though, whatever his mentor is, that he, or she, should have been informed of where Pi’ve would eventually end up.’ He said, and paused for a second. There was a gleam in his eyes suddenly. ’I venture… of every race capable of producing wizards— and I do not know how many different races can produce wizards— but, I wonder, is every race capable of producing good wizards? What I mean is this: would, you think, a werewolf, if capable, could produce a wizard capable of being functional in our society? A vampire? A wraith?’ Murgun said, almost offhandedly, but Pi’ve saw that the crowd was beginning to ponder. This was surely a strategy to get Pi’ve to reveal exactly who his mentor is, and it seemed to be working. Pi’ve decided not to fight it, as it was now known it was not an elf, and people would be curious forever, until they knew. Either way, he was given the go-ahead by Gaudol to do so.
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Murgun sat down. Teligion did not have anything to add. Murgun was counting on the crowd and the panel of wizards in the stand to already have made up their mind. Pi’ve was sure they had, but he was willing to give everything to make them change their mind, and so was Barna.
’Fine. Murgun has now forfeited his time. We will now go to Pi’ve and Barna, for their last statements.’ Gilania said, and Linda told them to go ahead, the truth-telling spell once again being put upon them.
Barna looked at Pi’ve, indirectly asking if he should talk for him, but pi’ve dismissed it, and said that he would like to address this situation now himself. He then rose from his seat, and walked to the floor in front of the wizards on the panel. Janareus gave Pi’ve a stern nod, and it lifted Pi’ve’s spirits somewhat.
’Hello. I… do not have much planned to add, other than some points which were brought up by Murgun. It is true, as indirectly pointed out by Linda that I do not have an elf as a mentor. I am not familiar either with the creatures capable of being mentors, but as my mentor has told me, you need to be of some kind of to do so. It can be confirmed then, that merpeople are capable, because the merman-mage Gaudol is my mentor.’
People in all the rows were sitting at the edge of their seat all the while he was saying this, and as he revealed who his mentor was, their face contorted with confusion, and then revelation at knowing who he was. Gaudol had frequented Thergiam several times, and visited several of the wizards in this room, for he is an alchemist like them. In Thergiam there were many alchemists, and as alchemists are eager to share what they know, they often meet whenever they had made new strides in the field. Gaudol was respected as he was an expert in water plants, and everything that had to do with the ocean.
Gilania let the talk linger for half a minute before she hit her staff to the ground, and Nolon threatened to silence the crowd through the day if they did not settle down right this second.
’I wish to be plain, to come forth with some enlightenment of why I brought the king back, in my own words.’ Pi’ve said, and the crowd again seemed to pay attention, almost afraid to breath too loud. It had been made clear to Pi’ve, as Barna had told him several times , that he had become some kind of celebrity, not only for his daring show in the market square, but for his exceedingly young age. He was something that had never happened. ’It has been said that I did this— bringing Oarios III— not for any gain, but I believe that some clarification is needed. I did do it for gain. The gain in mind was not fame, or notoriety or the spectacle it had. Nor was it to boast, flaunt or anything regarding placing him here in Thergiam.’ Pi’ve was nervous talking like this with all these eyes upon him, but it felt good that he was able to give his side of the story. Now, he had to manoeuvre carefully to add only the truth he wished to share, because Gaudol had not really mentored him— but they did not know that. He took a minuscule pause.
’While learning magic,’ He said this, hoping that the audience believed that he meant . ’I was given the quest to find a .’ Linda was still silent, meaning he was on the right path. ’After finding his tomb, on Barothron Island of all places— Mermen have ways to traverse the vast ocean—’ he added, a comment of no relevance since he had not traversed the ocean by the help of mermen, but merely a fact about mermen, so that they would not ask how he came to be on Barothron Island. People were nodding agreeingly. ’— I found his letter, his final words, and they spoke of wanting to return to where he was king, or where he was born. At first, I did not understand who he was, but I was reminded of someone I had heard; a king of old, forgotten now by most, but still in legends and tavern songs. I brought him here because I thought it was right to honour his wishes. It was done unselfishly, but also selfishly, because if you have read the letter, I am now in the good graces of the king forever. I will never capitalise on that favour, to be plain about that, if that ever becomes an option.’
Wizards were now talking together. It was allowed by Gilania for some time, before she hit her staff to the ground again. The talking died down, and Pi’ve wanted to add one more thing before ending his time.
’I am ready to take responsibility for what I have done. I have made peace now with whatever consequence you may bestow upon me, for I know what laws are, and why we have them. Retroactively punishing someone for breaking the law is well inside your right, and I accept any ruling. Thank you.’ Pi’ve said, then tried to seat himself, but before he could, he heard his name being called. It was Murgun. Pi’ve had forgot that questions could be asked to him.
Pi’ve nodded to him, acknowledging that he could question him.
’Is it not a slight bit selfish to only think about the gain you may or may not receive when, potentially, this king Oarios III’s descendants enters the throne? Why not think about the repercussions it may have? Look what it caused!’ Murgun said, and Pi’ve nodded. Had he not thought about that?
’Well, what I did think about, and now I know that it was the wrong thing to guide me, was that I hated the current king, with all my heart. He is corrupt, power hungry, and cares only for riches and his high status.’ Pi’ve said, and saw Murgun’s eyes twitch. It was not his intention to make Murgun reveal anything by answering that way, but Murgun’s reaction was indeed revealing. ’It obviously crossed my mind that upheaval of the current monarchy was a possible outcome, but that was as far as I came in my thoughts of consequence.’
’And now that you see what has happened, what do you wish to say?’ Murgun said. Pi’ve did not know what he was so adamant about, but if he wanted an apology, he could have it.
’I wholeheartedly apologise for what transpired by my actions. I understand that it may have cause harm to our reputation, and as I said, I am willing to take any reprimand you decide upon—’
’And what about that little boy? Who was by that wraith? What do you have to say to him?’ Murgun said, more agitated than Pi’ve may have thought warranted. Before Pi’ve could answer, and the only answer he could find was another version of the words , and , but Barna cut in before him.
’He many people from the wraiths.’ Barna said as flatly as ever, but with a force that seemed that he wanted Murgun to stop his line of questioning.
’True,’ Murgun said calmly, mirroring Barna, ’but the wraiths came of his fault to begin with, so he is merely rectifying his own mistake.’
’And that is noble in itself, is it not?’ Barna said, looking firstly at Murgun, but then standing up and looking over the crowd. ’Owning up to the mistakes you do, is it not noble? If he had dirty morals, he would not have cared if the wraiths captured people, but he came straight to me as soon as he saw them.’ Barna said, and there seemed to be rising some anger within him. ’We are now so secluded from the common people, that they do not know where to find us if something like this happens. Where were you,’ Barna said, pointing out to the stands were the wizards of the court were seated. Janareus’s eyes widened, not expecting this turn of events. ’When the wraiths appeared? And yes, before anyone calling out the hypocrisy, I am blaming myself too. Are we not here to keep the common people safe from dangers like these? Pi’ve was the to come to the people when they needed our help!’
’You cannot shift the blame onto us for not— what are you talking about?’ Murgun said, perplexed. ’I was there for a long time trying to dispel the crowd after Pi’ve had set loose the tirade.’
’Indeed, Murgun. A valiant attempt. I saw you, and you seemed rather displeased that they would not listen.’ Barna said.
’Of course I was angry. They should listen to us! They do not know the danger that these crowds may cause. It is common knowledge that wraiths may spawn if a large enough gathering is around, and there are shadows for them to hide.’ Murgun said.
’Ah, but here is the thing; it isn’t common knowledge, because it hasn’t happened here for a long time. People forget. know because you travel the world, and these things are reminded to you. Anyways, what I am getting at, is that you have a little blame too, Murgun.’ Murgun flinched at this accusation, but was not allowed to enter speech. ’Because you left! Common knowledge you say? This large of a gathering?— true it was still daylight when you were there, but what about when you saw that the sun sank, why did you not head back?’ Barna said, now addressing the larger audience. ’Magnol, Yond, Dandrian, Terler, , Redrig, Neth, Gilania… Where were you? I know you knew of the gathering. Is not common knowledge now?’
Pi’ve could see Gilania almost hitting her staff to the ground in anger, but the next second, she furrowed her brows, blinking rapidly. Redrig became angry and stood up and flung insults at Barna, shouting ’how dare you accuse me of such neglect!’. Yond did not look up. Magnol’s usually happy face looked stern. Loud talk reverberated throughout the room, with more and more people standing up.
’Order! Order!’
’The accused feels tremendous shame for what has unfolded after his actions in the market square. Any consequence that has touched the common people, he takes personal blame for, and Pi’ve would probably have asked for punishment for what he did.’ Barna said, and Gilania let out a exasperated sound, because she did not mean give them another turn to speak.
’Is he guilty? Yes— if we are to blindly follow the rule book. But did he do it with malicious intent? No. And that, in this instance carries weight. He did not know the laws and rules before he came with Oarios III. Leniency is being asked for, Dear Judge, for the way Pi’ve has acted, and he accept any punishment you put forth.’ Barna said, and before the Judge could get a word in, Barna spoke again ’Bigger is the revelation of the wizard community’s readiness to come forth when they are needed, I say to you all. is the right word, I think, to describe the sense of duty wizards have in this day and age. I must confess that I too was shocked to find myself sitting at my desk, as Pi’ve ran into my door in the middle of the night to alert anyone, and my own blatant lack of duty to the men and women who run this beautiful city which I live in. I own them my allegiance, and I owe them protection— and so do you too owe these things to them—’ and then Barna’s words was cut short. Nolon had silenced him, but not before he had berated the wizard community once again.
’We get it, Barna. We do.’ Gilania said, and found a pen and a parchment. ’We will now have a vote. People still undecided raise your hand. If the amount of hands raise now is greater than one third, then we must have a brief pause, to let you make a conclusion.’ Hands were raised, and in total there were seven undecided, and that was not more than a third of the total number in the room.
’Then we want a raise of hand for those in favour of punishment for Pi’ve, for his transgressions.’ Hands were raised, but before Pi’ve could count— he thought there was a lot of hands— they were put down again.
’And the remaining will raise their hand for dismissing this case, letting Pi’ve go free from this courtroom without punishment.’ And the last hands were raised. Pi’ve counted eleven hands. ’Very well, Pi’ve, you may collect your copy of today’s hearing from Janareus; you are free to go.’
