by Za1d3
“H-hello Kaidus.” She answered him. Trying to give him the same smile she always saw in her dreams. It was strange to remember his name so clearly.
————–
“I apologize for the intrusion, but this is of the utmost importance.” Joral Valnur spoke, bowing towards the judges.
The judges looked at the newcomers. The young boy and this young girl that just came in, seem to know each other.
‘This is the girl.’ all the judges thought in their minds.
“And what is so important that you had to barge in on an official trial?” One of the judge calmly asked. It was all in the name of propriety. They could guess exactly what he was there for.
“It has come to my attention that, there is more to this trial than what was previously expected.” Joral spoke, trying to ease his position into the trial.
“Would this be about the harm that befell your daughter?” The same male judge asked.
“Y-Yes sir.” Joral replied. He was surprised that the trial had already progressed so far, and that they even knew about it.
“Excellent timing. We were just touching onto the very topic.” The judge spoke to Joral affably.
Joral looked at the judges, and then turned to look at those around him. The parents of the four boys were sitting up straight, and their faces looked a shade lighter upon catching his eyes. He looked at the boy sitting with them, cowering between his parents.
Turning to the other side, he saw the other family. A man and a woman with a daughter on her lap. He looked to where Celene is standing, and spotted the one who saved her. A young boy, almost a full head shorter than his daughter. He stood at the podium calmly.
As if noticing his gaze, the boy turned and caught his eyes. The child had dark black eyes that looked to tear right through his very being. Joral quickly turned back to look back at the judges, afraid of what he would see in those eyes.
“Well then, this really changes everything.” The female judge in the middle spoke. “I would like to hear what the girl has to say before taking this case any further.” She spoke out loud.
“Agreed.” All the other judges consented.
“How old are you, and what is your name?” The judge asked.
“I- I’m 11. My name is C-Celene Valnur” Celene answered.
“Can you tell us what happened on the 20th of Hiso, Celene Valnur?” The female judge spoke kindly, trying not to scare the girl.
“Y-yes.” Celene replied. She had come for a reason. It was too late to be scared now.
The whole hall listened in silence as the young girl recalled her horrific tale as she fell into tears.
The faces of the audience went from curious, to disbelief as they heard the young girl’s story. Their shock at the young boy’s brutal attack—against the four older boys—turned into shocks of revulsion at what the four boys had done.
After the girl’s story,
“Were you all aware of this?” The head judge asked the parents of the so called, “victims”. Staring at them closely.
The parents were speechless. The boy sitting with them had not told them everything. None of their sons who are currently recovering had even mentioned a word about attacking a young girl. For her to be the younger sister of the boy their sons maimed two turns ago, what other excuses were there that would help their case?
“I cannot believe such a tale!” A woman finally spoke—the mother of one of the boys. “Look at her! She looks perfectly healthy! They are obviously working together in this!” she cried out.
“You call my daughter a liar after what your sons did to mine?!” Joral couldn’t stand it anymore. He had sat through enough of their fabrications during his son’s private trial.
“My son already paid for what he did to yours! Is this your ploy to get back at our sons?!” The woman angrily shouted back.
“MY SON IS NOW A CRIPPLE!” Joral roared, pointing to his son Naran.
The new information sounded through the hall. The audience watched in contempt, as the parents of the boys attempted to defend their son’s actions.
“ENOUGH!” The judge shouted. “Clearly there an issue between all of you! There will be no more of this, or none of you will be able to talk!” admonishing the two who were yelling.
“Young lady. You said the pain disappeared, and you fell asleep?” Another judge picked up the questions.
“Y-yes. When I woke up, I was all alone with K-Kaidus. He walked me home.” She answered. It was strange to call the boy by his name.
“The pain in your body was gone. Do you have any idea how?” the judge asked.
“I… I don’t know…” Celene replied to the question that’s been mystifying her.
“Hmmm… Their stories do collaborate with each other. There … magic… that … for…” The judges were talking to each other quietly. People started chattering again as the judges took their time discussing.
Troyle and Adalina sat quietly in their seats. Both of them were bewildered by what had just been exposed.
Kaidus never ceases to amaze. Firs it was his uncanny abilities from such a young age, then his unusual demeanor, and now, healing magic. They could do nothing but sit there proudly, as their son stood up for what was right—even if he had gone overboard.
“Quiet in the audience!” the head judge finally spoke. “We have come to a consensus.”
“I thought we would get another chance to defend our sons?!” another man cried out, rising from his seat.
“I believe you have all spoken enough. Lying to the Mystiks guild is a serious offense. Be glad that we believe you all to not know, about the assault on this young girl.” The head judge reprimanded the man.
“We have made up our minds.” She threw her voice around the room, infused with mana. “In the case of young Kaidus, as a mage, for the crimes of brutally attacking three non-mages with magic, he is to be exiled. For-”
Before the judge could finish, the room fell into pandemonium. The audience was crying out against the ruling.
“NOOO!!!” A cry sheared through the noise.
Adalina broke down and cried. Troyle sat stoically, trying to comfort his wife. Inside of him, a torrent of emotion attempted to force their way out.
Everyone—except for the parents of the four kids—were questioning the severity of the punishment.
Kaidus stood silently. As calm and collected as ever. As if accepting his punishment.
“QUIET!” Another judge yelled out. “THE RULING IS NOT FINISHED!”
The disturbance quickly died out. The room held their breath and waited. Only thing that could be heard was the judge speaking, and the sound of Adalina sobbing in the background.
“As I was saying, for the brutality of attacking three non-mages with magic, he is to be exiled. BUT! For saving this young girl, for fighting back in self-defense, for being the only side to have told the truth. He is to be acquitted! We have determined that this incident is due to self-defense, and the compulsion to protect this girl!” the judge spoke, gesturing to Celene.
The hall breathed a sigh of relief. Adalina was recovering, and was now looking up at the judge.
“AFTER ALL HE’S DONE?!” the parents who were silent in the uproar were now voicing their opinions. “He just goes free!?”
“Are your sons crippled with broken arms and legs?” The judge asked, looking at the broken young man being supported by two men. “If they are not, consider yourselves very lucky, and let this be a lesson for them.” She added.
“This farce of a trial has wasted enough of everyone’s time. I am officially calling this trial to a close.” The head judge ruled.
As the trial ended, chattering about the verdict began.
As soon as the chattering began and the judges were rising from their chairs, a man charged Kaidus.
————-
Kalwun Heldeins was not happy with the ruling. Using the opportunity of the shift at the trial’s end, he faked getting up to leave, then rush
ed towards the young boy—who had devastated his son and was now going to be released without any charges.
Before he could reach the boy,
“MMMMM!!!!!” He sounded off angrily, as his body refused to move.
Those in the front turned to look at the oddly postured man.
“Exactly what were you trying to do? Mister Heldeins?” One of the judge had seen the movement, and had quickly bound the man with an immobilization spell.
“MMMM!!!” he cried out, as guards stepped in between him and the child.
“You are deplorable.” the judge said, as he released the binding and canceled the silencing spell.
“I refuse to accept this!” Kalwun exclaimed, his mouth finally able to talk. “This is obviously a ploy against our sons!” He shouted again, denying the testaments of two kids.
“Your son cripples a boy, and now that he’s hurt, you want revenge?” the judge asked.
“I- This whole trial was a joke! You all arbitrary decide the ruling without giving a single thought into the fact of the matter! There is still no proof that our sons attacked the girl!”
“Is that what this is about? Proof?” The judge asked. “What about that boy? Is he not proof enough for this situation?” she pointed to Naran.
“These are two very different issues!” Kalwun shouted back angrily.
“Really? The way I see it, they are very similar. If this boy had not stepped in, who’s to say the same thing wouldn’t have happened to the girl?” The judge was nearing the end of her patience.
“But that is not the case! I refuse to take the words of a little girl, and call it proof to absolve the heinous crimes committed against my son!”
“Hah… Mister Heldeins… what is required for you to accept the judgement?” the judge sighed. This problem needed to be nipped in the bud before it bloomed into something horrible.
“I require proof! If he truly knows healing magic, allow everyone here to witness it!” Kalwun demanded.
“If that is all you require, I will oblige.” a childish voice came through from behind the guards. The guards moved, and Kalwun saw the boy staring back at him. A calm and apathetic face, unfazed by his demands.
Without looking away from him, the boy brought his hand forth and smashed his wrist into a corner of the podium. Bones shattered, and his hand twisted irregularly, drooping parallel to his forearm.
Those at the front gasped in shock. They were unprepared for the display.
“NOO!!” Adalina yelped, her hands quickly covered her mouth to suppress the screams.
The judges watched, astounded at the young child who: without hesitation, broke his own wrist with only so much as a grimace. Their eyes widen in surprise at the indescribable phenomenon occurring before them.
In seconds, the dangling hand twisted itself up again as the shattered bones fused back together, and the fingers started moving again. The boy made a show of a fist, and stretched each finger to show that his hand had healed.
‘A monster!’ Kalwun thought in his mind. The proof was in front of him, yet a part of him would not allow this boy to walk free. “You claim to have healed that girl! Heal someone!” He shouted, grasping at straws, hoping the child would fail in the endeavor.
“Enough of your sophisms Heldeins!” someone from the audience called out.
“Break your own hand for the boy to heal!” another fed up spectator yelled.
—————-
Kaidus was already sickened by the man in front of him. Hasen was not helping by relentlessly asking for permission to disembowel the man.
The only thing keeping the man safe from Hasen right now: was Kaidus’s iron will that kept the entity in check. A single slip-up of consent, and Hasen would burst forth, severing the man in two before consuming all that he is.
“I have conceded to your demands, and now you want to change the rules?” Kaidus asked, glaring at the unreasonable man.
“It was your own claims!” The man retorted.
“Your exact words were: ‘If he truly knows healing magic, allow everyone here to witness it’. Did I not just do so?” Kaidus calmly asked, still glaring at the man.
“That does not demonstrate your ability to heal others!” the man spouted. He knew that healing magic was pretty much an impossibility, but here, he was spouting about not just healing magic, but healing others as if it was some common magic.
“Very well.” Kaidus replied. There was no other way to appease people like this.
‘What better way, then to experience it first hand?’ he thought to himself.
“GYAAAAHH!!!!!!” The man screamed out in pain.
Chapter 29 – Miracles
The man’s scream resounded through the hall.
His right arm tore out of his shoulder and sagged to his side. Everyone in the front heard as the muscles tore and snapped. The man fell onto his knees.
The boy who had witnessed a similar display not long ago hid his eyes, crying at the memories.
“KYAAAAAH!!!” Kalwun Heldeins wife screamed out at her husband’s dangling arm.
Everyone else was too shocked to make a sound. They just saw the boy wrench a grown man’s arm out of its socket.
The judges cringed at the dastardly sight. Before they could even stop him, the unassuming child had already stepped forth towards the infuriating man, and dislocated the man’s arm from his shoulder.
The child was now standing in front of the man, watching calmly as the man screamed in pain.
The child reached out his left hand, and the man recoiled back in fear. Placing a hand onto the man’s shoulder, within seconds, the arm jerked itself back into place.
The boy stepped back.
The man’s screams have stopped. His eyes were filled with terror, but there was also a hint of resignation.
The man slowly raised his arm that had been dislocated. He raised it sideways, then swung it back and forth. He clenched his fist and he flexed his arm to make sure nothing was out of place.
His arm was back to normal, he was healed. Phantom pain lingered where he knew his shoulder should have been dislocated.
“Does that constitute as proof?” the boy asked the man in front of him.
… The room was silently watching, waiting for the answer.
“Y-yes…” Kalwun Heldeins finally replied. His head drooped in shame, staring at the floor.
Seeing the young girl come in to testify, hearing both stories, he knew his son was in the wrong.
Yet as a father, he could not back down and avert his eyes from his son’s pain. He fought against the verdict to bring retribution against this child in front of him, but in the end, everything was as the child said. There was nothing left to refute in the child’s story. The boy truly could use healing magic on other people: He himself was proof. The excruciating pain had suddenly vanished, and his arm healed completely. It was his complete and utter defeat.
He remembered the incessant begging for them not to look for the attacker. He recalled the choices he’d made.
If he did not push to bring this issue to a public trial: his son would have been safe from the disgrace of attacking a child, and the matter of Joral’s son would still be in the dark for many people.
Kalwun stalked over to where his wife and the other parents were sitting, regretting his actions.
“This trial is over! Go home!” the head judge called out.
There was nothing else they could do. The child had attacked someone in front of them, but he had also healed the victim, proving himself in the process. They too realized that doing so was about the only thing that could have ended this trial.
The judges slowly made their way through the audience, and out of the room. The audience followed after, chattering about the outcome of the trial.
———————
Seeing the man’s eyes, Kaidus recognized the look.It was reminiscent of the ones Troyle used to have: full of fear and uncertainty.
The man wanted pr
oof, and Kaidus had given him indisputable proof. The only thing now, was to face his parents and see the fear in them.
Kaidus turned towards his family.
Instead of fright, Troyle was grinning at him. Adalina had on her soft smile, eyes red from crying. Anise stared back at him quizzically, confused about everything that had just happened. Kaidus walked over to them.
“Good show.” Troyle told him happily. “You should have broken his legs too, and his neck while you were at it.” Troyle joked quietly so that only they could hear. A wide grin on his face.
The swarm of emotions earlier had subsided. Being a body guard, Troyle also caught the man’s movement towards Kaidus earlier. Before he could move to intercept, the man had already been immobilized. His anger was at its boiling point, but seeing what Kaidus had done, the demonstration had mollified him.
“No he shouldn’t!” Adalina rebuked. “Kaidus… did you really have to do such a thing?” she asked him.
She was shocked at the display, but it was her beloved son. There was no way she would not love him even if he does turn out to be a demon. She had already come to terms with such things years ago. While many things had shocked her today, she always knew that Kaidus was more than he lets on. Much more. Ever since he was born, there was something peculiar about the boy, something special. The feeling only grew stronger as she witnessed this trial.
“You saw the man. He wasn’t about to give up unless something drastic happened.” Troyle replied in Kaidus’s defense.
“But healing magic? You were always an odd child beyond our expectations, but this… this is something else altogether!” Troyle exclaimed with the grin still on his face.
“Since when have you been able to?” Troyle inquired.
“I’ve only just started dabbling with it a couple turns ago.” Kaidus partially lied.
He always knew healing magic, but it wasn’t until he was used to his body a couple years ago, that he began experimenting with it.
The restrictions of using magic to heal others is that: a body cannot withstand foreign mana, and will always reject it. But such rules did seem not apply to him.