by J C Maynard
Abitha Silverbrook
Borius set down the envelope and rested his head on the ladder. So that’s why Xandria hasn’t used the stone against us. She can’t. But she could if she had a magic user. Borius thought hard for a minute, and then his stomach dropped. A magic user like Selenora …
From below, Calleneck called out. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
Borius tucked the envelope into his cloak. “I’m afraid not.” he lied to Calleneck for fear of him asking what it was. As he stepped back down the ladder to the floor, Borius thought to himself, We’re in for quite a fight.
The Trial
Chapter Thirty Six
~Late Afternoon, February 10th
Kyan sat in the Great Library reading a novel by the famous Tomdar Fe with his feet up on a table next to a window. Right outside the window the snow lightly drifted down through the frozen air, and the gray afternoon sky was slowly transforming into a menacing evening cloud cover. The candle next to him dripped, and the couch he sat on creaked as he changed his sitting position.
His mind often wandered off, thinking about his other bodies, where they were, what they were doing. As Calleneck, he was making his way through the Network with Borius back to Seirnkov; as Tayben, he was in Endlebarr with Miss Silverbrook, and as Eston, he was scheduled to arrive in Aunestauna that night. He was beginning to feel as if everything he was doing was somehow connected, all a part of one grand purpose.
After another hour, the sky had begun to dim considerably. Tired from reading, Kyan looked out the window into the snowy Palace grounds and the frosted city beyond, hoping Raelynn and Vree were headed back soon — the girls were going to meet up at the Palace Baths and then have dinner with Kyan.
Kyan hadn’t seen Vree all day, but he had confidence she was fine. If anything bad happens, he thought, we agreed to meet on the docks of the inlet.
What am I doing here in the Palace? he thought, looking around the Grand Library surrounding him, most of which had been spared from the flames when the Cerebrians attacked Aunestauna. He looked back out to the snow-covered, jagged streets below. I can’t hide up here forever . . . Riccolo’s out there somewhere and he’ll find me . . . I’m going to have to leave Aunestauna soon. His mind wandered back to a conversation with Raelynn.
“Kyan,” said Raelynn, “you can’t stay here . . . I can offer you a new life . . . the Evertauri is-”
“Raelynn,” said Kyan, “I’m not a sorcerer, I can’t help.”
“That’s not true.” said Raelynn. “There’s something you can help us do, but you’ll just have to trust me.”
Kyan came back to reality and shook his head, sipped his hot tea, and continued reading. Not two minutes later, Kyan noticed an unusual amount of noise around him. Kyan set down the book and got up from his couch. Half the people in the Great Library were standing up and leaving through an archway to the hall where a crowd of people was hustling. Sensing that something was wrong, Kyan put the book in his coat pocket and followed the people out of the Great Library.
As soon as he entered the hallway, he was pushed and shoved by dozens of chattering, yelling people who all walked in one direction down the hall. Looking around to try and see what was wrong, he could find nothing. Grabbing a man by the shoulder, Kyan asked, “Excuse me, do you know where everyone is going?”
“There’s something big going on in the courtroom.” said the man. “Everyone’s headed there.”
The man moved on with the crowd and Kyan followed it, curious to find out what was going on. After a few minutes, he reached the entrance to the courtroom, but couldn’t see anything due to the hundreds of people funneling into it. For a second, he thought he heard someone calling his name, but he funneled into the courtroom along with everyone else. The room had a massive ceiling decorated with scenes from legends of the Great Mother. There was a balcony that wrapped completely around the courtroom, and the judge’s stand sat beneath a section of the balcony in the front of the hall. But looking around, Kyan felt as if something was wrong. Again, he thought he heard his name. Looking around, he saw no one. “Kyan!” yelled a familiar voice again in the distance.
Kyan looked far back behind the massive doorway to the courtroom and saw Raelynn shoving people to try and get to Kyan — Vree wasn’t with her. “Kyan!” yelled Raelynn. He tried to push his way back to her, but the crowds of people pushed him further into the courtroom. “Kyan!” she yelled again with a horrified face, but he couldn’t understand what else she was saying. “I couldn’t find — she never showed up-”
Kyan he tried to push his way back through the crowd to get to Raelynn outside of the courtroom. “Where is Vree!?” he yelled in vain. About twenty feet from the doorway, the Guards at the door began closing it. “Wait, wait!” Kyan shouted.
As Kyan was just five feet from the massive oak doors, the Guards shut them with a bang, separating him from Raelynn. Kyan ran up to the Guards. “Excuse me!” he said breathlessly. “Excuse me, can I please exit back out into the hallway?”
The Guards shook their heads. “Sorry sir, we can’t let you back out while the court is in session.” The sound of a gavel behind Kyan rang through the hall, shushing the courtroom.
Kyan whispered frantically to them. “Please, my friend is in trouble.” He tried to piece Raelynn’s words together. Vree never showed up at the Palace Baths to meet Raelynn? Something is wrong . . .
The Guards shook their heads again. “Sir, it’s a matter of security — same rules have always applied — we can’t let anyone in or out while the court is in session.” The gavel sounded again behind Kyan, who felt an overwhelming feeling of dread spread over him. Kyan slowly backed away from the doors and pushed his way through the crowd to get to the balcony that overlooked the floor of the courtroom. Looking down, his heart nearly stopped when he saw, standing alone on the courtroom floor in all black, Riccolo.
Stepping back behind people so that Riccolo wouldn’t see his face, Kyan’s heart pounded out of his chest and he could feel the blood pulsing through his brain. The gavel sounded one more time, and silence spread over the courtroom. The judge — Judge Ratticrad — spoke out with a loud, irritating voice. “Let the session begin.” Kyan looked over and saw King Tronum sitting next to the judge, who spoke again. “This meeting concerns information of an Aunestaunean based thief gang by the name of the Nightsnakes.” Whispers spread throughout the hall. Judge Ratticrad continued. “Here before us today stands Mr.-”
“Mr. Aldas.” said Riccolo as he handed the judge forged identification papers, wearing a long black coat with a collar pointed up, covering his neck. Aldas, the name on Kyan’s orphanage record.
“Mr. Aldas.” repeated Judge Ratticrad. “Will you swear today to testify with candor, may your soul be treated with justice by the Great Mother according to and fitting of your testimony today?”
Riccolo nodded and smiled. “Yes, sir.”
Kyan’s mind ran fast as a horse, thinking of a thousand different reasons why Riccolo was there in the Palace, testifying to the judge. Has he been caught? He thought of Raelynn’s horrified face. No, something is wrong . . . Riccolo is plotting something.
Judge Ratticrad continued. “Mr. Aldas has come to the court today with information regarding the Nightsnakes of Aunestauna — Mr. Aldas, would you please elaborate on your case to our jury and the people of the Palace?”
“Of course.” said Riccolo, with the same chilling voice that plagued Kyan’s nightmares. Peeking in between people to see through the balcony down to the courtroom floor, he saw Riccolo standing ominously like a snake ready to strike its prey. Riccolo spoke up and addressed the hall. “The Nightsnakes are an infamous band of thieves that have cursed Aunestauna for the past six years. I’m a spy, and two years ago, my men and I began trying to crack down on them and bring them to justice, trying to find out how they operate and who they are . . . but I have had little success until now.”
Kyan’s heart raced. Hearing Riccolo bl
atantly lie and talk about his own gang to a judge unsettled Kyan in the worst way possible. What’s up Riccolo’s sleeve? He thought of Raelynn who was outside the courtroom doors.
Down on the courtroom floor, Riccolo continued speaking. “Months ago, a man, whom you all knew quite well by the name of Sir Whittingale came in contact with the Nightsnakes. Whittingale collaborated with the Nightsnakes to help set up a plan that would ensure the death of Benja Tiggins.”
The crowd of people in the courtroom gasped and erupted into chatter, prompting Judge Ratticrad to slam down his gavel. “Silence please!”
Riccolo pressed on. “The plan also ensured that he would take over Benja Tiggins’ position as Palace Overseer, therefore setting up Aunestauna to be unprepared for a Cerebrian naval attack.”
Ratticrad spoke mockingly. “I think we’re going to see a bit of proof for these claims, sir.”
Riccolo smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.” Riccolo drew from his pocket a piece of paper and held it up high. “I present to you the contract from Whittingale to The Nightsnakes, retrieved by me after their leader met with Whittingale on the night of September 23rd. This details Whittingale’s exact intentions. His signature can be seen at the bottom.”
The courtroom filled with soft gasps and whispering.
A guard walked down to Riccolo to bring up the paper to the judge, who read it carefully. “And you stole this from the Nightsnakes’ Leader?”
Riccolo nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Ironic.” said the judge, who examined the signature and then showed it to another person on the stand, who nodded. Judge Ratticrad turned back to the courtroom. “The signature looks authentic.
Again, the courtroom fell into chaos; the only ones who previously knew what had happened were the high government officials and the Royal family. Tronum scratched his beard and examined the room below him without expression on his face.
The judge pounded his gavel two times. “Silence please!” The courtroom took a minute to calm.
As Kyan slowly tried to distance himself from the balcony, Riccolo began to walk in a circle, and continued his obviously well-rehearsed lie. “Whittingale asked for the Nightsnakes to steal something quite valuable from the Palace Vault. In return, he promised them to destroy all the documents in the Palace’s archives detailing information about the Nightsnakes. Benja Tiggins was set up as the thief that night, and the plan hatched by Whittingale and the Nightsnakes succeeded. I also obtained some of the documents that Whittingale was supposed to destroy.” Riccolo opened up his coat and pulled out two large envelopes containing many sheets of parchment.
Kyan’s eyes widened. Riccolo wouldn’t have trusted Whittingale just to destroy the documents, he would have wanted them in his own hands before ever telling me to steal that stone from the Palace Vaults. With access to the documents that have a Palace Seal, he could change any information that he wants in those documents . . . like who is in the Nightsnakes- Kyan turned and began slowly pushing his way even farther from the balcony, which hung against the side wall of the room.
Riccolo walked toward Judge Ratticrad’s stand and handed him the documents. “I think you’d like to take a look at these.” As the judge read them intently, Riccolo walked back out onto the floor of the courtroom and addressed the room. “I found out where the Nightsnakes were all hiding; but by the time I got to their manor in the fourth district, they were gone.”
Kyan’s stomach dropped and his heart raced as he figured out what was soon to come. He’s sacrificing everything right now. But he wouldn’t do this unless he has a plan on diverting the attention. His eyes shot wide open when he realized that underneath his scarf was a fresh snakebite. If everyone thought I was a Nightsnake, I’d be caught instantly. Riccolo can’t catch me himself . . . but with the entire Palace Guard on his side, there’s no way I can escape . . .
Riccolo smiled and projected his voice even louder. “But the Nightsnakes didn’t go far . . . You see, the leader of their gang is quite smart and cozied up to the same people who could execute him in hopes that they would never suspect him of being a Nightsnake."
Kyan tried to get through the crowd as far away as he could, but there were too many people.
Riccolo laughed and threw up his hands. “So through an extraordinary course of events, the Lord of Thieves is in our midst today! In this very courtroom!”
The entire hall fell into chaos and Judge Ratticrad slammed his gavel down ten times before the crowd quieted enough to hear him. “Silence!” he yelled. The judge scooted forward in his seat and stared at Riccolo. “Well, Mr. Aldas? Who are you accusing?”
Riccolo smiled and looked up to the side balcony where the crowd of spectators stood. “Maybe,” chuckled Riccolo, “it’s the person who has slowly been trying to press his way through the crowd this whole time so as not to be seen.”
The spectators around Kyan who had noticed him pressing toward an exit spun and stared in fear at him. Kyan froze.
Riccolo threw his arms up to the ceiling and laughed. “Ladies and gentlemen! May I present to you Mr. Kyan, the first and greatest Nightsnake! Leader to them all!” The crowd around screamed and hollered and pushed Kyan over to the balcony for everyone to see. A Guard from the front doors came and stood behind him, trapping him against the balcony.
Kyan frantically tried to find words. “I- It’s not true, I swear I’m not a Nightsnake-”
Judge Ratticrad slammed down his gavel close to twenty times before the crowd quieted. Everyone’s eyes alternated between Kyan, Riccolo, and the judge. Ratticrad stood up from his chair. “And what grounds do you have, Mr. Aldas, for accusing Mr. Kyan of something punishable by death.”
Riccolo smiled. “Sir, I believe that Whittingale’s contract with the Nightsnakes that I handed you has another signature on it. The signature of the person who agreed to help Whittingale, and the person who met with him. Would you care to read it aloud?”
The courtroom was now eerily silent, and the judge spoke. “It- it says Kyan.”
Kyan’s stomach dropped. He’s been planning this from day one. He signed my name instead of his when he agreed to help Whittingale. He’s going by the name Aldas; he’s trying to switch identities with me. Kyan looked around the courtroom in vain for anyone that could help; but the only one who knew the truth was Fillian, and neither were present. The chamber rang out in noise as people chattered with their neighbors.
Riccolo turned up his hands. “Perhaps this all would be more believable if we had a witness, no?” Riccolo turned to the back of the courtroom floor, where two giant doors below the balcony lead to the outside, the only other exit in the courtroom besides the main doors. “Bring her in, boys!” The doors opened, letting in a freezing gust of wind accompanied by snowflakes. In through the doors came two Nightsnakes who dragged between them the limp and bloody body of Vree.
Kyan almost called out her name, but stopped himself, for doing so would surely sentence him to death. You don’t know her, you don’t know her. Riccolo’s two half-pushed half-dragged Vree into the chamber and threw her to the floor in front of Riccolo. Her face was bloody and her limbs were bruised. Her outer shawl was gone so her skin was tinted blue from the cold outside. She coughed, and little drops of blood shot from her mouth and onto the white stone floor of the chamber.
Riccolo thanked his men and they left back through the doors, letting another cold gust of air into the chamber. The spectators on the balcony whispered and glanced between Kyan, Riccolo, and Vree. Stepping uncomfortably slowly toward Vree, who tried to stand up, Riccolo spoke to everyone in the chamber. “We have another special guest with us today that my associates helped track down — another Nightsnake!” The whole chamber mumbled and gasped. Riccolo put his hand on her head as Vree sat there crying. “Her name is Vree Srine; we found her in the streets of Aunestauna just today . . . I think that we all agree we can get some valuable information from her, no?”
The crowd of people surrounding Kyan moved in c
loser, pushing him up to the balcony and closing him off from any escape.
Judge Ratticrad raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “And you know she is a Nightsnake how?”
Riccolo smiled at the judge. “The Nightsnakes have a signature mark . . . one that’s easy to hide with a scarf.”
Vree’s head shot up and she tried to scoot away from Riccolo, but he grabbed her shoulder and ripped off the scarf to reveal a red snakebite. The courtroom gasped, and Riccolo picked up Vree, pinning her head back to show everyone up in the audience the bite. One man from a balcony shouted out, “Well someone grab him!”
A Guard behind Kyan drew his sword, and another grabbed Kyan and pushed him up against the balcony. Riccolo laughed and raised his hands to the balconies, speaking to everyone. “Who would like to see this mark on our friend Mr. Kyan?”
The whole courtroom erupted in yelling. Kyan struggled, but the Guard behind him had his arms pinned back. Another man pushed his way to Kyan and untied his scarf to reveal Kyan’s snakebite.
Seeing it, the chamber roared with screams and shouting, and the judge slammed his gavel down again. A sickening dread spread through Kyan, who felt absolutely helpless pinned up against the balcony in front of hundreds of people. The crack of the gavel sounded again and Ratticrad yelled above the crowd. “Silence!”
Riccolo tried to hold Vree up, but she kicked him back. Falling to the ground crying, she sniffed and shivered and tried to clear some blood off her face. She refused to look up at Kyan, who flinched as the Guard behind him increased the pressure on his arms by pushing them up behind his back. Some of her hair stuck to her face in the dried blood.