Blood Moon Ch. 06

This was her second time within the Council chamber. Her second time standing before Vya'thaes to await his judgment. She could only pray that the verdict would be different. Delanna, who was not one to sugarcoat things, said that she believed the vote would go differently this time. Not the verdict, but the vote. The distinction provided only a mild comfort.

"Have a seat," the guard escorting her said.

"Must I?"

The man, a spellbreaker judging by his armor, blinked in confusion, but then shrugged. "I suppose not."

"Then I will stand, thank you."

"As you wish," he said, and moved to stand to the side behind her.

For the next few minutes Seraphita stood, too engrossed in her thoughts to feel the awkwardness of standing with her hands shackled behind her back; and when the councilmembers emerged from a door that blended into the wall so well she hadn't even noticed it, her heart began to pound against her chest.

They emerged in the order that they had assumed office, with Vya'thaes in the forefront and Delanna trailing not far behind at number three in line. The spellbreaker behind Seraphita announced them, clearly doing his utmost to act like he was enthusiastic about something he had done countless times before, and when he was finished they took a seat at their respective placements on the judicial bench. Seraphita recognized all of them. In terms of legal power the seven of them were equal, and the ordering of them was merely for show, however she knew that Vya'thaes' power came from more than what the law had bequeathed to him.

"Seraphita Silverbreeze," Vya'thaes said, his booming voice dripping with mockery. "Back so soon?" He spoke down to her both literally and figuratively, as the sturdy wooden judicial bench he resided upon was at least double her height.

Though it hadn't been very long since she had last been in this room facing judgment, somehow she no longer felt nearly as intimidated by this man. He wasn't an esteemed and honored arbiter of justice or some paragon of virtue, but a sleazy and corrupt man abusing his position of power, barely even worth her anger. Furthermore, she was ready for the outcome, no matter what it was.

"I'm back to correct your mistake," she said firmly.

A few of the councilmembers scoffed, which seemed to please Vya'thaes. Delanna looked annoyed.

An irritable voice said, "The Council doesn't make mistakes, priestess." She glanced over, finding that the voice belonged to Tallaris Goldbinder--one of the men in league with Vya'thaes--sneering down at her and speaking in a tone that one uses for a clueless but demanding child.

If only the same could be said of your parents, she thought, opting to hold her tongue and instead fixing him with an unimpressed gaze that made him squirm.

"Let us begin," Delanna declared with a nod towards Seraphita.

"Yes, let's," a man by the name of Pellar Duskbane agreed. Another member who had voted against her. "This shouldn't take very long. What new evidence is there even, a witness?"

"Correct." Delanna gestured towards the guard, her eyes meeting Seraphita's for a moment while the man moved to retrieve the witness. "Don't let them get to you," was her silent message.

"A witness to the murder, I wonder?" Vya'thaes asked, knowing full well what the answer was. The air of mockery about him was so thick it was almost visible.

"No," Seraphita said. "Do you know of one?"

"Bit of a smart ass isn't she?" Pellar chuckled. Whether or not he understood her hidden implication was anyone's guess, but Vya'thaes did, and his lips curved into a forced smile.

"Very cute," he said.

At that moment the guard returned, striding in through the main door with Seraphita's witness trailing behind. Recognizing Seraphita, the innkeeper gave her a curt nod as she took position to her right, sitting down at the opposite table while the guard settled in between them, standing like a statue with weapon and shield held at the ready.

"A single witness," said Talina Dawnstar, a strawberry blonde woman with great chains of gold around her neck. She yawned. "Go on then, tell us who you are, dear."

The witness' head swiveled about, lazily taking in the sights of the Council chamber before responding. "My name is Marniel Amberlight. I work at the inn in Fairbreeze Village."

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mrs. Amberlight," Delanna said with a nod. "I will try to be brief. Now, according to you Seraphita was in Fairbreeze Village on the day her fiancé was killed, correct?"

"Yes, Your Grace."

"And this is in your logbook?"

"Yes."

Delanna motioned to the guard who retrieved the innkeeper's logbook and handed it to Satheas, the seventh councilmember located at the end of the bench. He took a quick glance at it then passed it along. "And you're certain the woman standing to your left is the same woman you saw that day?" she asked.

Marniel glanced at Seraphita, then channeled her gaze back up to the councilwoman. "Yes."

Delanna looked to her left and right at the other councilmembers, gauging their reactions and inviting them to pose their own questions.

"Convenient." Tallaris handed the logbook to Delanna who, having already reviewed it, handed it to Pellar. "Tell us, are you friends with Seraphita Silverbreeze?" he asked.

"I have known her for the two decades I've worked at the inn, but no, we are not friends, and if you're implying that I'm lying to cover for her, you are mistaken."

Tallaris' lips twisted into a scowl and Seraphita couldn't help but smile. Nice one, Marniel.

"So you aren't covering for her," Vya'thaes said, "but can you really be certain it was the real Seraphita?"

"I don't understand your question."

"With illusory magic it's possible to impersonate someone," he explained. "So how can you be certain it was Seraphita and not someone else impersonating her? For that matter, Seraphita is a priestess, and we all know that some of her ilk are known to dabble in mind control. Marniel here may have had certain memories and suggestions implanted in her head."

Seraphita refrained from rolling her eyes. Delanna did not. Others, namely Tallaris and Satheas, nodded, but a woman named Disiri Summerfield scoffed.

"By that logic you could be an impersonator, Vya'thaes. Let's not get into such ridiculous theories without proof," Disiri said.

"I'm just stating a possibility."

"It seems to me like your justification for condemning her relies solely upon these 'what if' theories as opposed to facts and evidence," Delanna said.

"Agreed," said Pellar. "I don't see any reason to believe that Marniel here didn't truly see Seraphita, so unless she can be in two places at once, it would seem to me that she simply couldn't be the one who killed Halron."

"That's a bold assumption to make based off of one witness alone," Satheas snorted.

"No, it's a logical conclusion," Delanna said, sweeping her plaited hair behind her back.

Tallaris sighed. "I don't see why you're so set on defending Seraphita, Delanna. Her own dagger was used to kill Halron."

"It was stolen!" Seraphita cried before Delanna could respond.

All seven of the councilmembers as well as Marniel turned their gazes towards her. She felt like a mouse about to be pounced upon by a group of cats.

"And did you report it as being stolen?" Talina asked.

"No, I didn't have time before leaving for Fairbreeze."

"Sure you did."

"It was stolen the same day that I was supposed to leave!" Seraphita exclaimed, her cheeks flushing red with frustration. "My friend was waiting for me outside Silvermoon, I couldn't just leave her there."

Talina didn't seem convinced. Unsurprisingly, Vya'thaes looked like he was enjoying himself. "It was stolen... then returned to your home? That's rather ridiculous don't you think?" he said.

"Ridiculous or not, that's what happened."

Seraphita glanced between each councilmember, studying their faces, assessing the likelihood of them voting in her favor. Vya'thaes, Tallaris and Satheas would be impossible to convince, which meant that she needed all four of the others on her side. Delanna was a given, Pellar seemed convinced she had not done it, and Disiri at least seemed annoyed with Vya'thaes and his endless speculation. That only left Talina, but the hawk-faced woman seemed out for blood. Perhaps she was in on it with the others? If that was the case this trial truly was hopeless.

"And what of the claw marks on Halron's body?" Delanna asked.

"We went over this the last time, Delanna!" Satheas said, throwing his hands up and allowing them to fall back onto the bench with a thump. "Her fiancé liked to hunt, yes? So he got hurt by a lynx that day. Simple."

"Lynx's have four claws, not five."

"All right, so it attacks him multiple times. First time it slashes him with four claws, second time it slashes him with just one claw. Or three claws and then two claws, take your pick."

"That's ridiculous," Seraphita fumed. "And besides, Halron didn't say anything to me about going hunting before I left."

Vya'thaes snorted. "Why would he, clearly you two weren't on very good terms."

Seraphita glared at him. "You don't know anything about us, and you don't care to learn because you're so biased nothing I say will matter."

His face darkened, and he leaned forward to examine her. "You've already been convicted, girl, this trial is a farce arranged only out of goodwill for Delanna's three-hundred years of service."

Seraphita was so angry the anti-magic shackles around her were reacting to her, searing hot against her wrists. He was outright admitting that he wasn't taking this trial seriously. Surely that had to be illegal?

"If there is one thing you're right about today it's that this trial is a farce." Delanna gestured towards the guard. He left the room, and for a while everyone waited, their attention on Delanna and whatever new evidence she was going to present. When the man returned, he carried a stack of documents that he passed to each councilmember, as well as Seraphita.

"What are these?" Disiri asked, skimming through her copies of the documents.

"Evidence retrieved from a man named Kaerys Soulgazer."

Satheas' ears twitched. Tallaris' eyes went wide. Vya'thaes was better controlled, but he scanned the documents as if the cause of his own death might be found written somewhere upon them. Seraphita watched with bated breath, fighting off the urge to sit down.

"To be honest, I was hoping it wouldn't be necessary to introduce this evidence today," Delanna went on, "but now I think it's important that I do so for reasons you will soon understand." She waited a moment, giving them time to inspect the documents, then continued. "Kaerys was a magister and a warlock from a minor noble house that had been having financial troubles. As you can see from these letters and promissory notes--I've highlighted the most important details--he was in contact with none other than First Councilmember Vya'thaes here two months before the death of Seraphita's fiancé."

"Are you implying that Vya'thaes had something to do with Halron's death?" Pellar asked, two bushy eyebrows raised.

"Not just Vya'thaes." Delanna turned her gaze towards Seraphita. Her tone was as deadly as her eyes, and she ignored the seething look Vya'thaes was giving her. "Tell them what you told me. About what occurred in Tanaris."

Seraphita resisted the nervous urge to twirl at a lock of her hair. Delanna had prepared her for this, but her throat felt a little dry regardless. "Shortly after leaving Gadgetzan I was kidnapped by Kaerys and taken to his hideout in the desert near the coast. He spoke of a plot to kill Halron, told me that combined our families would be too influential, too powerful, and that he and other nobles couldn't allow that."

She shook her head. Love was never a word she'd use to describe her affection towards Halron, but he was a good man and neither of them would have used their influence in any way that was unfair. His death, this plot against her, it was all so pointless. "Thankfully I was rescued by his own bodyguards, and before he died he told us who was involved in the plot against me and my fiancé."

"Who were they?" Delanna probed, though she already knew the answer.

"Vya'thaes Sunfury, Tallaris Goldbinder, and Satheas Arcanewhisper." Seraphita fixed each one of them with a venomous look as she spoke their name.

"That's outrageous!" Satheas shouted with a rustling of his papers. His face was red, and the other councilmembers looked between him and the other two Seraphita had accused with a mixture of both amazement and curiosity. She could only hope that they would believe her, or at least begin to question things.

"Farce indeed," Vya'thaes growled. "You're so pathetically desperate that you're trying to undermine the values of this tribunal."

"Truth does not fear scrutiny, Vya'thaes," Delanna replied, face stern, voice challenging.

He glared at her from across Pellar's seat, and for a moment Delanna's eyes widened, but then they narrowed into slits of smoldering green. The familiar, unmasked ebb and flow of magic began to permeate the air, an extension of Delanna, but her magic mixed with that of Vya'thaes', who was clearly struggling to keep his hidden. After a moment he looked away, and the intense pressure radiating from them faded.

"You may be older but you are not wiser, Vya. Try to wiggle your way into my head again and you will regret it."

"Oh my," Disiri gasped.

The chamber turned into a roar of questions and accusations, with Seraphita, Marniel, and the guard watching silently as the councilmembers bickered. For a moment she forgot that her own life was on the line, and all she could think about was how very childish this display seemed. This was supposed to be the highest court in the land?

Delanna's voice rang out; "You came up with the idea that Seraphita was the murderer. You rushed the initial trial, you paid Kaerys, and documents in his possession specifically mention you 'dealing' with Seraphita and Halron before his murder."

Vya'thaes waved an angry hand. "I'm not going to humor this any longer," he barked back. "It's time to vote."

There was a shuffling of papers, and the room gradually became quiet. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Delanna looking at her, but she kept her focus on Vya'thaes as he resituated himself and cooled his temper. He began to read out her charges, and she tuned out until they finally began to recite their verdicts, starting with him and then moving down in order of tenure.

Guilty. Innocent. Innocent. Guilty. Guilty. Innocent...

Guilty.

The room went silent. Whether this was a result of her own state of mind or not she wasn't sure, and despite her preparation for such a verdict, a cold numbness began to seep through her. Anger smoldered beneath the surface, but for now she was frozen.

"Sorry, Seraphita. I did my best," said Marniel, whom it seemed everyone had forgotten.

Seraphita heard the innkeeper's voice as if from afar, through a muddying, gray mist, and she could only nod.

The sky above Ruby Hill Park was a wash of orange and lavender, the sun resting below the horizon and dipping gradually into the night. Ren had arrived hours prior, hiding by utilizing both practical skills and magic while keeping a lookout for the man he was scheduled to meet. And now that day was ceding to night, the majority of those visiting the park had already left, making what he had to do all the more simple.

He'd arrived early just to scout out the area, so when Vya'thaes and a big hulking man arrived he was there to greet them. As Ren got close, Vya'thaes and what must have been his bodyguard exchanged a glance. There was something secretive in that glance, a fragment of a conversation already spoken. He didn't like that.

"Ren Branson, is it?" Vya'thaes asked when they were only a few steps away. Neither spared the courtesy of a handshake. "I sent you and a few others to do the job and you're the first one I've heard back from." It was a simple enough statement, but somewhere in there was a healthy amount of suspicion that he didn't care for. This man didn't trust anyone, much less a sellsword.

"Yeah, I ran into a few of them," Ren replied, trying his best not to sound angry. "Tried to rough me up. Wouldn't count on hearing back from any of them."

"How unfortunate." Vya'thaes couldn't sound any less insincere, and he quickly transitioned into the subject he really wanted to talk about. "Seraphita is alive."

Ren didn't so much as blink. "Yes."

His former employer gave him an annoyed look. "Why is she alive? Do you have any idea what she pulled today at trial?"

Pulled? Trial? What had she gotten herself into?

"No. Enlighten me."

"She told the entire damn Council about me!" Vya'thaes slapped his hand against the side of the dragonhawk monument and spat onto the grass. "Thank the Light there's not enough evidence for any impeachment hearings to be called for."

Ren couldn't help but grin just a little. It was nice to see this worm of a man squirm. "And the verdict?"

Vya'thaes threw up his hands and shook his head in bewilderment. "Guilty of course! As if I'd allow her to go free. She'd find a way to ruin me, you know."

Ren's smile faded and his eyes glinted with a reflection of the worgen inside him. "I know."

The councilman frowned, suddenly nervous over the change in his demeanor. He glanced to his bodyguard who was standing idly by with his arms crossed. His presence seemed to reassure him. "Why are you here? You failed your mission."

Depends on the mission, he thought, but kept his thoughts from showing.

"I was hoping to get some information from you," Ren explained. "Specifically, everything you've got on me, and everyone who's got it."

"Information? You're an assassin, nothing more. I'm not going to tell you a damn thing that you don't need to know. Light, I just hope this won't be in the papers tomorrow morning."

Ren felt dirty just being around this man. All of his contact with Vya'thaes had been through Alerin, but now that he was talking with him face to face he was beginning to find out how truly repugnant he was.

"I won't be an assassin for much longer if I have to worry about you and whoever you're working with leaking information about me." He held up a hand to stifle an outburst. "Kaerys told me everything before he died. I just want to confirm things and cover my own hide."

This made one of Vya'thaes' long eyebrows arch upward. "You're the one who killed Kaerys then? Good, at least you can do something right."

He must have learned about Kaerys' death during Seraphita's trial.

"I'd like to renegotiate our contract," Ren said.

This time both of Vya'thaes' eyebrows went up. "Why should I give you more than what you were already paid?"

"Because I can do the job. Clearly the other men you're hiring don't cut it."

Vya'thaes chuckled. "It would seem that way. There's just one problem." He squeezed the shoulder of his bodyguard. "I've already found a replacement for you. Jereth here just got out of prison and is looking to make some quick money."

Ren made eye contact with Jereth for the first time. He was tall and elven, with defined muscles that indicated his profession, and a deep scar that ran from his ear to the edge of his lip.

"Looks like all of the others you sent."

"Oh, I think he has potential." Vya'thaes made a show of eyeing them both. "Tell you what Mr. Branson, we'll discuss your contract on one condition..." Ren knew where this was going. "...Best Jereth in a fight."

He'd really rather not, but he had the distinct feeling that if he said no he'd end up fighting a two on one battle instead.