by David Ekrut
Zarah grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the last row. “Let us sit.”
“Are you sure we are in the right place?”
“Yes,” she said. “We are half an hour early. Others will come.”
He let her guide him to the middle of the pew and sat next to her. Half an hour. He wanted it to be over with, but at the same time …
He never wanted any of this.
Biron had brothers and sisters, a mother and father who would miss him. A man was dead because of his actions. It was an accident, sure, but did that excuse it?
The sound of boots came from behind him. He turned to see a woman with brown hair tied in a tail enter with a balding man. Their movements were rigid, as if each step landed on pikes. Several children of varying ages followed the first two. The one who stood out to Elwin was a pretty girl no more than a handful of years older than him. She carried a young child and glanced at Elwin and Zarah as she passed by.
Elwin flinched when her eyes settled on him. Her lips quivered as if she might cry at any moment, and her eyes appeared swollen as though she had already been crying for some time. One by one they walked to the front of the room and filled the first two rows and part of the third.
Biron’s family, Elwin realized. It had to be.
Elwin could hear town criers start to yell in the streets. “Come see the trial of Elwin the Dark!”
“A Death bound has been captured! Bear witness to the trial!”
“See the Death witch crucified!”
Zarah leaned into him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “It will be alright,” she whispered. “Nothing is going to happen to you, I promise. They just do not understand.”
Elwin didn’t look at her. He couldn’t take his eyes off the family at the front of the room. Other people began to fill the empty seats. The criers continued shouting, and before long there was not an empty seat. People began to line the walls around the courtroom. Eventually, men bearing the same crest as the guards out front began to push their way through and stand at even intervals along the walls. Several would-be witnesses to the trial were displaced. Two more men stood by the doors and crossed halberds to prevent further entry.
Elwin could still hear a crowd at the front of the building. He couldn’t hear individual curses, but he heard several words that conveyed their intent.
“Burn …”
“… Witch …”
“Behead …”
No windows to escape through and a crowd blocked the exit.
Sweat tickled his forehead, and he found his mouth too dry to swallow, as if cornmeal had stuck in his throat. Breathing became labored, and his vision began to blur.
Zarah leaned over and whispered into his ear. “Shh … you are going to be alright. They do not understand us. It is alright. It will be over before you know it.”
He closed his eyes and felt tears roll down his cheeks. Taking several steadying breaths, he forced his thoughts to relax as he did when searching for his essence.
Elwin could feel the Air in the room connecting all of the people. He could feel it pulsing with life and power. He felt his heartbeat. There was peace in its rhythm. All the while, he heard Zarah’s soothing voice whispering in his ear.
He continued taking slow steady breaths. Calm washed over him.
He opened his eyes. Elwin felt the man’s gaze to his left. When he looked at him, the man narrowed his eyes and looked away.
Elwin heard metal slide across metal from behind him. The halberds had uncrossed, and the crowd at the doorway parted. Jasmine walked through them and marched down the center aisle. Her face was a portrait of calm serenity.
The crowd quieted somewhat with her passing, but Elwin heard several people whisper Jasmine’s name. Many people avoided looking at her all together.
She stood several paces in front of the central chair.
Many people believed that an elementalist could control a person’s mind through direct eye contact. Jasmine had spoken of using the Elements for compulsion, but she didn’t tell him how it worked. Still, it didn’t make sense. These people were afraid of her, yet her purpose was to protect them.
Waves of silence filled the room, and Elwin followed the crowd’s gaze to the front of the court.
Two women in white robes emerged from the dark opening as one. Their robes bore the crest of a red crescent moon with a golden circle centered between its tips. Each woman had more than a touch of silver in her hair. They paused in the doorway and bowed their heads as one, then turned and walked away from one another, coming to a stop at the furthest two chairs from the center.
Next, two men in white robes stepped out together and bowed. Both men were of an age with the women and similar in height to one another. Each stepped to the opposite ends of the platform and stood next to either woman.
Another pair of men stepped from the opening. And though they moved in unison, their differing sizes did not give the same picture of symmetry the other pairs had presented. The larger of the two had naturally tanned skin and arms as thick as tree trunks. He had long, dark hair that had individual braids.
“He’s from Kalicodon,” Zarah whispered, “the nation northeast of Alcoa.” Zarah gasped. “The other man is a dwarf.”
Next to the large man, stood a stocky man with short cropped hair, half the height of the first. His broad nose reminded Elwin of the dwarf he had seen in the palace, but he had no beard. From what Zarah had said, a dwarf would rather sever a limb than even trim his beard.
The six turned in unison to face the opening. A moment later, a bald man holding a shepherd’s crook stepped from the darkness and stood behind the center chair. His white robes had red embroidery, and the crest on his breast differed slightly from the others. An orange flame, like the tip of a candle, rested atop the crescent moon.
He raised the crook for a moment, then slammed the end into the floor. It felt like thunder rolling across the room. Two more times, he raised the crook, sending reverberations across the room.
An old voice articulated each word. “Let us all, under the Lifebringer, bear witness to the proceedings. We call forth His righteous truth to guide our hands over the fate of one Elwin Escari, who under the powers of the Elements, has prematurely ended the life of another, Biron Onderhill of Justice, by way of the Elements. We, the Guardians of Life, Searchers of Truth, will judge him under the Lifebringer’s wisdom. Let the proceedings begin.”
Three more times he pounded the floor with the shepherd’s crook in slow succession. Then, as one, the seven members took their seats.
The man at the center cleared his throat. “Whom, if any, has come to serve as the defender of the accused?”
Jasmine’s voice filled the room. “I, Jasmine Lifesong, High Counselor of the White Council, right hand to his majesty, King Brannon Justice the twenty-sixth, have come to defend the accused.”
Several people gasped, and others began to whisper loudly.
“There must be a mistake.”
“How could she defend a murderer?”
“Could he be innocent?”
The man with the crook pounded the end in rapid succession. The people quieted on the first strike of the crook, but he raised his voice as if they still whispered. “There will be order.”
“Now,” he said after a pause. “The defender will call the first witness.”
“My thanks, your honor,” Jasmine said. “I am the first witness.”
“Please,” he said, “continue.”
“I have seen the actions that took place, leading to the death of Biron Onderhill. The accused, Elwin Escari, had just come into his power and absorbed the power of Air without willful knowledge. When he—”
“How do you know it was without his knowledge that he controlled the power of Air?” His voice held no venom, but something in his tone sent chills down Elwin’
s spine.
Jasmine gave a brief pause. “He had only first entered the shadow realm upon the previous evening. It was the next d—”
“Does this knowledge come solely from the word of the accused?”
“It does,” Jasmine admitted. “However, I am certain of his words. He had no control over his taming and pulled in so much power that he almost consumed himself. He held in his flow as long as he could. And not having the knowledge to release or tame his powers, he thrust his power in a single burst. The flow caught a table of swords, which were thrown into the air. One of them accidentally struck Biron. He died instantly.”
The man nodded. “If you were in such a proximity to have witnessed this, how were you unable to stop his flow?”
“I …,” Jasmine said, “I tried, but his flow was too great.”
Elwin could see the widening of the man’s eyes. There were several short whispers from the crowd around him, but Elwin could not make out any words.
The large man to the bald man’s left leaned closer, covering his mouth with a hand. His face moved as if speaking and the bald man nodded.
“The extent of your power is well known,” he said. “If one so young has power so great, is it possible that he has bound his soul to the Element of Death and is deceiving you?”
Jasmine shook her head. “No. It is not possible. If I believed this was possible, I would not have come to his defense. I am bound to Life, and I would sense any that was Death bound.”
The man was silent for a time. Elwin could hear his heart pound with each moment of silence. The man did not move and did not speak. The other members on the platform did not move either. They all regarded her with unblinking eyes. The silence lingered.
Elwin wished he could see Jasmine’s face. He imagined her a mask of perfect serenity, but seeing her eyes would have made him feel better.
When the man spoke, Elwin flinched at the break in the silence. “We have heard tale of a Death bound warring in the lands of Alcoa, who is able to conceal his vileness. We have yet to ascertain exactly how, but there is overwhelming evidence to suggest this truth. Perhaps, this child has done the same?”
“You would like me to speculate on rumors?” Jasmine asked. “Or would you prefer that I speak to the obvious innocence of the accused?”
The man made a sound with his tongue and teeth. “One would be rash to suggest innocence without due consideration. We, the high members of the council, must deliberate on the matter. Have you anything further to add?”
Jasmine took a deep breath. “For near two months, I have observed and instructed Elwin in controlling his powers. I can sense his essence, and it is pure. I believe that he will be a great force for good and Life. He just needs to be trained. And he has spoken of his desire to be bound to Life.
“I have seen and killed my fair share of the Death bound. I have experienced evil at its core. Evil does not show remorse for a death of any kind. Elwin shows clear remorse for the death of Biron. I would wager my life that he would have done so, even had the fault not been his. This was a tragic accident. Please, I beg of you, do not make this tragedy worse by condemning an innocent child.”
The man showed no reaction, and neither did the other members.
After a moment, he said, “Are there any more witnesses to come forth on the accused’s behalf?”
“I am the only witness available.” Jasmine said.
A familiar voice shouted from outside the front doors, “I can bare thumping witness. Move aside. Let me pass.”
“Feffer,” Elwin said as he recognized the voice.
The people around Elwin jumped as if goosed and glared at him as if he really had pinched them.
“I said let me through.”
Neither of the guards moved from the path. Elwin could see his friend on the other side of the doorway. He wore a white robe, open to his small clothes and had a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his head.
Elwin stood up and made a half-step toward the door, but stopped when Zarah placed a hand on his arm. He could read the command in her wide eyes as if she had spoken the words aloud. Her gaze practically screamed for him to sit. The people around Elwin had similar shocked stares. Some moved away from him as if to announce they were not with him. Elwin sat so hard the wood creaked.
“Take your hand off me,” Feffer screeched. “I was there. Let me through.”
One of the outside guards had a hand on Feffer’s arm. Feffer pulled and tugged to be free, but his legs wobbled as if struggling to keep him upright. The guard’s face was unperturbed by Feffer’s attempts to escape. Feffer balled a fist as if to swing at the guard.
“No Feffer,” Elwin said beneath his breath. “What are you doing?”
The cracking of the crook drew attention back to the front of the court.
“Let him pass,” the bald man said. “If he wishes to give testimony, we will hear it.”
When the man released Feffer, he jerked his arm as if breaking free had been his own choice and said in a haughty voice. “Now, move aside.”
The guard glared holes into Feffer’s back as he strutted down the aisle. Well, he tried to strut, but Feffer’s legs staggered every few steps as if the ground moved beneath him.
Jasmine had turned to face Feffer, and her eyes did not look pleased to see him.
Feffer nodded to her and said, “Milady.”
Her jaw clenched shut, and she moved to the side so Feffer could stand before the court.
“What is your name?” the bald man asked.
“I am Feffer Hanck Madrowl of Benedict, initiate of the White Hand.”
“You witnessed Biron’s death?”
Feffer nodded. “I was there.”
“Please. Tell the court about the events before and after the murder.”
“There was no thum … uh … murder,” Feffer’s voice held a slight tremor. “I have known Elwin all my life. Every bad thing he’s ever done, I had to talk him into. Uh … what I mean to say is … When we were young. Much, much younger, we used to play pranks on people. Mostly, I had to drag Elwin into each one. He was never even any good at it. And he always felt ba—”
“Not quite that far before the event, child.” There was no mirth in the bald man’s smile.
Elwin felt his jaw hanging open and forced it closed. Feffer was making a mess of everything. What was he thinking? He wasn’t thinking. Judging by the crimson stains on the bandage, someone had addled his wits when they cracked Feffer’s skull.
Feffer’s head bobbed up and down and his words came out in a rush. “Well, it was the Summer Solstice Festival, and the Inn was closed up tight. Guards were everywhere, and we couldn’t get in. Everybody was trying to figure out what it all meant, and since we couldn’t get into the inn for some sweetcakes, Elwin and I climbed to the top of my Da’s shop. It overlooks the square, so we had a better look.
“Soon after Lord Lifesong announced that we were at war and needed recruits. When he called my brother’s name, we got excited and went to get off the roof to find him. When I turned around to see if Elwin was following me, he was gone. At first, I thought he was just slow. Then I saw him flying. Well... It looked more like flailing than flying. His arms went all crazy and his face went like this.”
Feffer flailed his arms and shook his head side to side, screaming. Elwin wanted to look away, but he couldn’t force his eyes to even blink. He felt sweat begin to appear on his forehead.
“Anyway,” Feffer continued, “by the time I got back around to Elwin, he ran the other direction. Toward the square. He ran straight up to Faron. He’s our town blacksmith. Well. He was. Now he’s the king’s blacksmith. I guess we’ll need a new blacksmith now. Or maybe old Gryne will open his forge back up. He retired soon after Faron moved in. Faron’s from Alcoa.”
The bald man’s voice was curt. “What happened next?”
>
“Right,” Feffer said. “Sorry. I took a bit of a blow to the head. I’ve been healed, but I don’t quite feel tip-top.”
The bald man opened his mouth as if to speak, but Feffer’s words ran over him.
“Elwin ran up to Faron and started to scream for help. This white light was leaking from his eyes, and he was scared like I’ve never seen him. Honest to Life, he looked like he had been promised the beating of his life from a thousand giants. Then, with no warning at all, the table just flew into the sky and swords went everywhere. The end. Clearly, it was an accident. Because, if Elwin had known how to fly and shoot tables into the sky before then, I would have known about it.”
“Interesting,” the bald man said. His smile held no warmth. “I must ask. Are you Death bound?”
“What?” Feffer said with more than a touch of incredulity. “No. That’s ridiculous.”
“You say you are not, but you also have admitted to habitual theft,” the man said. “We may need to hold you for further questioning.”
“I am no thief,” Feffer protested. “I swiped sweetcakes before dinner. It was all in good fun. That doesn’t make me a thumping Death bound. How do we know you’re not a Death bound?”
Everyone around Elwin, including Zarah, gasped in unison. A few people began to rise as if to move for Feffer. The crook came smashing down.
“Order. I will have Order.”
“Your Highest Honor?” Jasmine said before the crowd quieted. “If I may?”
The man gave her a single nod, but his glare suggested his patience had gone.
“I will be succinct,” she said giving Feffer a look sharp enough to sever hairs. For a wonder, Feffer remained silent as she spoke. “It is obvious Feffer has recently been healed. The act of healing taxes both the mind and the body. He should be in a bed. Judging from the amount of blood on his bandage, it is highly possible that he will wake tomorrow and not remember any of his actions here today. I do not believe it is prudent to hold him responsible for his words this day.”