Trial by Obsidian

by Naomi Kelly

  Teriam lightly squeezed my tensing shoulders.

  “-and then we moved further south into Deshure and took care of the Onyx clan followed by the Azurites and Selenites and what was that group of crude magicians with fire coloured hair called? They lived near the western coast?” Douward merrily asked.

  The Truth Serum tightened around my neck like a winding snake. My windpipe slowly constricted until the words, “Garnet clan,” slipped from my constricted lips.

  “Ah yes the Garnets, we took care of them too. See we took care of everything down there during the War, so how is it an Obsidian orphan managed to survive?" he asked.

  "I took care of myself," I retorted before I felt the serums grip squeezing for more information, "I kept a low profile, moved further south and performed healing on locals to earn a small wage."

  "If you have such a rosy little existence why leave Deshure at all?" Delta Edvan snapped.

  "I come north every year into Sinlara to visit Sleepy Hill and obtain Obsidian-" I was interrupted by the cries of ego-bruised men who were enraged that I had evaded capture for so long. "-because it's the only way we can survive."

  "We? Who else is there? More Obsidians?" Mara asked and leaned forward, showing more interest than before.

  I bite into the tip of my tongue. Adonis's smile started to crack through the wall of memories I had stowed him away behind. I forced myself to remember finding my parents bodies. The way they held hands even in death. I could feel the truth serum pushing against the shards of memories, trying to break through, but the montage of pain seemed to be working. My family was dead and the only way to protect my brother was to pretend he was too.

  "No. No more family. Gamma Douward seems to have made sure of that. The regular people who opted to stay in Deshure rather than move in Sinlara. They have nothing. Most of them are craftsmen or farmers, and a lot of them cannot afford to seek medical help. If I can help them with ailments or injuries so they can work their land and provide for their families then I will." My windpipe burnt from the delay in answering but my solemn face didn't show pain.

  "Why do you need crystals to heal people? Can you not just use your.... abilities?" Teriam asked gently from behind me.

  "A magician’s power is damaged when the bloodline around them is weakened. If the bloodline around them is completely severed they must siphon their magic from their ancestral crystal. The crystal becomes the grounding element in place of the family. I can't access the magic within me otherwise," I answered obediently, though I felt he was asking from the position of a fellow healer and not that of a judge.

  "She is no threat if she has no Obsidian then?" the dark-haired man asked Mara. She glared harshly at him, but it was the Alpha who answered.

  "Son, do not let her stories fool you. She is dangerous. All magicians are. We trusted them once before and look what happened...." he gave a sympathetic nod to Edvan, and all the Chamber men raised their goblets. "One small acorn can turn into a forest if let."

  So he wasn't another nephew, but instead their son. I gave a long, calculating stare in his direction. He had remained still and relatively silent compared to the rest of his family, but I did not doubt his importance or authority here. He had the aura of a natural leader that only a fool would deny. The market gossip had been convinced of his death over a decade ago.

  Yet here he was, alive, well and a Beta. As if I wasn't already at a disadvantage here, my limited hearsay knowledge about this family, the Chamber's and Sinlara, in general, were probably all wrong too.

  Great.

  I took a deep breath and realised he had been watching me watch him this entire time. I quickly dropped my gaze to my lap but continued to feel his unwavering stare on me.

  The questioning went on for what felt like hours. Thankfully they stopped focusing on my family and moved towards general life in Deshure and the mystery of magicians. The serum ensured I answered truthfully in as much detail as they demanded.

  My windpipe was glad for the reprieve of lies, although my heart felt as if I were betraying my home with each word I spoke.

  Locals had often been scared that my magic would eventually draw the attention of the Chambers. They feared being reprimanded for associating with me, but they needed my help too much to turn me in themselves.

  Servers came in just before sunset with another barrel of wine and were tasked with refilling the various goblets and jugs. The Chamber men and family had their fill, and despite Douward's disapproval Teriam offered his goblet to my lips. I hesitated before drinking deeply.

  "I'm growing weary and I doubt that injection has her under control anymore. What are we do to with her now?" Mara asked.

  "You have been stealing from Sinlara for many years and that alone should call for punishment. The fact that you're a magician calls for a lesson to be made. The War didn't end fifteen years ago because we shook hands and made peace. It ended because Sinlara was stronger. It ended because the Chambers instilled fear into the hearts of rogue magicians who brutalised our people. It ended because..." Karnes flushed face stuttered as he drew breath.

  "-because we took care of problems like you." Gamma Douward offered.

  "Exactly. In accordance with our code, the Chamber reserves all right to lawfully execute any magician, especially one found north of the border, without trial." Alpha Karne's voice echoed throughout the hall. "You are hereby sentenced to death by public hanging on the last day of the Harvest Festival."

  The ensuing silence was shattered when rapturous applause rippled through the hall. Douward tried to drown his ugly smile in his goblet but his pompous narrow eyes said it all.

  The Alpha stood and everyone followed suit. The guards opened the doors and the large crowd of Chamber men took their happy chants and laughter onto the streets. Mara sighed and made her way out a smaller door where soldiers wordlessly accompanied her. Karnes followed, giving Douward a pat on the shoulder as they walked side by side.

  At the top table, the Beta remained seated. He looked right at me, but his gaze was distant. Distracted.

  Delta Edvan began releasing the chains that held me to the chair, and Teriam carefully wiped away tears I didn't feel falling with some gauze he dug from his pocket.

  The initial feelings of despondency and detachment had faded. I had made peace with the thought of death a number of days ago when it was more instant. I didn't have time to think about it then, but the thought of having to wait seemed crueller than the hanging itself. Teriam helped me to my feet and much to Edvans annoyance he kept his arm around me for support as we made our way to the door.

  "Juniper-" a gravelly voice broke the silence from behind me, "-I am sorry." Without waiting for a reply, the Alpha's son pushed his chair back and vacated the hall.

  The three of us walked back to the cells, with the shuffling of our feet being the only sound to break the silence. Once there Edvan shackled me once again to the wall, crossed his arms and waited for Teriam to leave.

  "I'll check on you in the morning. Do try to eat something." Teriam gestured to the tray of bread on the floor before turning to leave. The lantern was extinguished, and the gates locked. Edvan settled down into the bed by the door and all went silent.

  I stared at the bread in the dim light. I was hungry but there was no hope of me stomaching food. I slithered down the wall until I felt the floor. I couldn't give up. I couldn't just let them kill me.

  I curled into a ball and held myself tightly and tried to think of ways to escape and survive but none seemed feasible. I had one week to find a solution or hang. Those were my options.

  My unravelling trains of thought eventually grew weary and I let the floor also take the weight of my head.

  Three

  True to his word, Teriam arrived just before dawn with a wax sealed scroll and a smile that almost reached his tired eyes. I stood on wobbly legs and peered through the metal bars. Edvan lurched to his feet and grumbled about it being too early for visitors, which Teriam responded to
by pressing the scroll to his chest.

  Noticing the wax Chamber seal, Edvan's jaw stiffened. He uncurled the message, scanned it and then immediately glared at Teriam.

  "I'm doubting Alpha Karnes knows about this," Edvan growled.

  "Indeed. It was not your uncle but your cousin who authorised it," he replied.

  "Reuben?" Edvan questioned as he re-read the scroll and inspected the wax seal.

  Reuben? I repeated to myself. So that was the Beta's name? I rolled the syllables around my tongue as if I were tasting a fine wine. It was a name I had never heard before, but it sounded strong, solid and suitable for a Beta.

  "Yes, the Beta was concerned about how her appearance reflecting poorly on the Chambers and suggested that-"

  "Reflecting poorly on the Chambers? I've been sentenced to death yet they're worried about how my image reflects on theirs?" I shook my wrists violently, causing the shackles to clatter off the near-by metal bars. My outburst seemed to startle both men, although it was Teriam who looked more offended. Edvan just smirked, expecting nothing less from a barbaric magician.

  "I'm trying to offer help, Juniper. This is an order from the Beta that allows me to give you access to the bathhouse and medical treatment at my suite," he calmly replied. He gestured towards my cell and Edvan begrudgingly, very begrudgingly, opened the gate.

  "I am not happy about this, but I cannot defy my Beta's approvals. And you could damn-well use a bath," Edvan said, pulling his uniform over his mouth and nose, as he unchained me from the wall. I hadn't bathed since I started my journey over a week ago, layers of dirt, sweat and dry blood covered every inch of me.

  "You can leave her shackles here, she's going straight to the bathing house," Teriam said as he left the dungeon.

  "She'll be under my supervision and restraints until I see fit. How often must you be told, never trust a magician." Edvan snapped and resumed his "walk and haul" method as we followed on.

  As much as I wanted to loathe everything about the Chambers, I was in silent awe of the bathhouse. It had high wooden ceilings and deep stone pools which were soothing enough to let me momentarily forget my impending doom.

  I scrubbed for an age, rinsed and then scrubbed again. By the time I was done the square bar of soap had been worn down into a thin oval. My body felt as if it were melting as the knots in my muscles softened.

  Once clean, I sat at the edge of the warm pool and de-tangled my hair as my calloused feet soaked.

  My mind felt clearer and more able to focus. I had to come up with a plan. The easiest way to escape would be with Obsidian. The hardest, would be with a knife, but unfortunately, I had neither. If only I could find where the guards had taken my confiscated satchel, then I would have both.

  My bubble was burst by Edvan's pounding fist on the door.

  "Unless you've done me a favour and drowned, I suggest you hurry up," he said firmly.

  I rolled my eyes but quickly put on the charcoal pants and tunic I had been given and laced up the shoes. They weren't my leather boots, but they were better than walking barefoot.

  After the bathhouse, I was led through the town until we reached a grey stone cottage.

  "Welcome to my home and medical suite," Teriam smiled as he stepped inside, and started moving paperwork and apparatus out of the way. He cleared a short stool and directed me to sit.

  "I caught a glimpse of your shoulder wound yesterday and wanted to take a proper look. What happened?" he asked, and he gently pulled down the collar of the tunic.

  "One of Douward's men took her down with an arrow," Edvan said proudly before I could answer.

  Although Teriam looked angry, he didn't seem shocked. He sent him into the kitchen to make tea and give him space to work.

  After a few minutes of light prodding and poking, Teriam explained that the injury was starting to fester and was too deep to close naturally. He gathered items to stitch the wound shut and I scanned through the selected tools hopefully, but there was no knife I could swindle.

  Instead, I found gauze and a syringe that looked similar to those of yesterday.

  "Why do you have more truth serum? I don't have anything else to tell you, I-"

  "Calm, Juniper. Calm. It's not Truth Serum, it's a sedative paste to numb the area. It will make the stitching easier." he said gently as he handed me the syringe. I slowly shook it to find that the liquid it encapsulated was not as rich in texture and had a faint green hue.

  "Stitching sounds so barbaric. I could save you the trouble and heal it myself if I had my own way," I said as I handed him back his tools. He applied a thick layer of the paste and a cold tingle danced its way down my left shoulder and arm.

  "My kit would seem rather wasteful in comparison to a single crystal. It's quite the gift you have, I must admit I'm rather jealous," he chuckled quietly.

  "Jealous? I thought all Sinlarans, especially people in the Chamber loathed magicians?" I matched his lowered tone to avoid Edvan overhearing.

  "Since the War, a lot of our people feared magic because they don't understand it. They have never experienced anything positive about it, and only have stories of death and destruction to associate with it," he explained as he worked, "Don't think that everyone feels the same way."

  "I'll try to remember that as I hang. I don't even know why you're wasting your time patching me up. Wounds can't heal on a corpse," I growled.

  "The Beta approached me late last night to talk about you. He is different from his father but as much as he can disagree with him, he cannot publicly go against his Alpha," he said. I sensed he had more to tell but Edvan's presence cut him short.

  The Delta carried a smooth stone teapot that wafted sweet citrus aromas through the small room. He set down two cups and pulled over another stool. Teriam filled the mugs and handed one to Edvan and one to me.

  "Don't think I haven't noticed the lack of meals you've consumed. This isn't food but it might give you some strength until you eat something," Teriam said before completing his handiwork. Edvan scowled his mud coloured eyes at both of us before he leaned closer to me.

  "He has a point. We cannot have you fading away," he said with mock concern, "Otherwise you'll float like a feather when you meet the noose. I would rather you dropped like a bag of old horses-shoes."

  He left the room with his tea in hand to wait outside, but his hatred of me hung thick in the air.

  I knew if I did escape, I would spend the rest of my life avoiding capture from him and his men. If I fled back to Deshure, it would be the first place they would search for me. It was too obvious a location.

  My best option would be the escape the Chambers but stay in Sinlara. I tried to imagine what my life would be like in this grey world and for a moment that life sounded scarier than death itself.

  Was there honour in surviving if I had to give up who I was to do so? I swallowed the lump in my throat along with the dregs of my lemon tea.

  We sat in silence for a few fake peaceful moments until Edvans banging on the window signalled I had received enough care for one day and it was time to return to my bleak reality.

  Over the next three days, this became my new normal. Edvan's obvious hatred, Teriam's gentle concern and an overwhelming sense of doom.

  Each night I would promise myself it would be my last in the cell. I would fall asleep thinking of various ways to escape and dream of freedom, only to wake up restrained to the wall. I would then go to the bathhouse, followed by Teriam's cottage, and then back to my cell. Over and over again.

  The fifth day of my imprisonment differed somewhat. It was the first day of the Harvest Festival and the Chambers were marginally less grey than usual. Gold and ruby coloured bunting hung across the streets and large flags embroidered with the Chamber turret symbol draped from long windows.

  Unlike the previous days, Edvan unshackled me earlier than usual and without Teriam's request or presence. He walked me past our usual turn for the bathhouse, and instead, we went straight through the town squ
are and towards the cottage.

  "We have lots of good men arriving today for meetings and for celebrations this afternoon. I'm sure their wives would like to bathe after their journey. I would hate for the water to be unclean for them."

  He smirked and gave a light smile in my direction. Even though he had his usual tone of contempt towards me, he seemed less angry and had more of a bounce to his step than usual.

  He knocked a quick beat on Teriam's door and handed over the chains without delay.

  "I'll have one of my men swing by here later to ensure she has been put back in her box," he said and turned on his heel, "Happy Harvest Doc."

  "Happy Harvest Delta," he replied as he stepped out of the way and welcomed me inside.

  Once the door closed, Teriam sighed a long deep breath he seemed to have been holding in for days. He ran his hands through his grey hair and flashed a weak smile in my direction.

  "Shall we?" He gestured towards his table and stools but made his way immediately to the kitchen. I wandered over to my usual seat and listened to his light hum over the crashing of pots and pans. He shortly returned with more citrus tea and some sort of pale biscuit and made quick work of moving the mountain of books on the table in order to set down the tray.

  "Unless you have another sharp needle that can prolong life, you're never going to be able to finish all those books, " I scoffed. On every available surface waited endless piles of paperwork and literature.

  "Unfortunately, I have yet to create such a serum," he smiled sadly, before his face froze, "Wait…Do you possess such abilities?"

  I rolled my eyes, "I'm a magician, not a god."

  Although legend had it that is where magic itself stems from. I was far from immortal. Much to Alpha Karnes delight I was just as killable as all the other magicians he’d gotten a hold of.

  He nodded, "Well, when I decided to be a doctor, I knew I was signing up for a lifetime of reading. Medicine is always changing and advancing, one must do their best to keep up, or come up with those ideas," he said and handed me a mug.