The Beginning Ch. 15-16

Also, just what was his problem with me, or with my parents?

The archway led into a circular room, which acted as a nexus. Five more arches were set into its walls, the destination each one led to, clearly labelled. Everything was cut from the same stone, as if they'd just chiseled away at the bedrock beneath the academy— which is probably what actually happened.

Aside from the ones Rahul had mentioned, there seemed to be a "Bunker" down here, too. I'd have loved to know what that was all about, but after that unprovoked attack, it would be a cold day in hell before I asked Byrav.

We walked through the arch labelled "Dungeon", and into a well-lit, but narrow tunnel, which led out into a mid-sized rectangular room. The room, like everything down here, was completely unadorned. There was a single table and chair to our right, which faced a thick steel door to our left.

"Senapati Byrav!" the blue-robed Wielder at the table exclaimed, standing up and bowing deeply, the cuff on her arm marking her as Boar-Bonded.

"Get up," Byrav said, signaling for her to stand upright, "and open the door. We need to see the prisoner."

"At once, Senapati!" the woman said, walking briskly to the door. She reached into her pouch and drew out a metallic disc, which she placed in the middle of the door. A series of clicks and clangs rang out through the room, before the door swung back, silently.

She just stood to a side and bowed as Byrav walked through, completely ignoring me as I followed him. The door clanged shut behind us, numerous locks reengaging as it did.

We were standing in a hallway that seemed to stretch infinitely into the distance, the walls interspersed with similar steel doors on either side, all the way through.

"How many cells are there?" I wondered aloud.

"Over three-hundred thousand," Mr. Ray said, walking out of an alcove that I hadn't noticed, next to the exit door, "a full third of which are currently occupied."

I heaved a quiet sigh of relief when I saw him, but he didn't seem happy to see me.

"Ronald," Byrav said, nodding in greeting, "what are you doing here?"

"You know why I'm here." Mr. Ray replied, an edge to his voice, "You should have told me what you were planning, Byrav. Thankfully, Vaishnavi saw it fit to inform me about our latest guest. What were you thinking, bringing Chris down here like this?"

"I was thinking that I would do my job," Byrav snapped at him, "and get some goddamn answers."

"You can't be serious!" Mr. Ray yelled, "We told you already, Chris is innocent! We saw him grow up with our own eyes, for fuck's sakes! Do you really believe that the Darks could have snuck in a spy beneath all our noses?!"

I'd never heard Mr. Ray yell or swear before, so it took a second for what he was saying to sink in.

"Hold up!" I exclaimed, "Time out! You think I'm a spy?!"

"Of course, you are!" Byrav snarled, looking at me with unadulterated hatred on his face, "I don't have all the answers yet, but I don't buy your story for one second. An Unbound with access to magic, and one who severed Bonds during his Emergence? Everyone else might overlook the implausibility of your story because of who your parents supposedly were, but do you really expect me to believe that bullshit?"

"Enough, Byrav!" Mr. Ray snapped, "I know you had your issues with Michael, but you'd do well to remember everything him and Lia did for the Academy."

"And you," Byrav responded, a menacing tone coloring his voice, "would do well to remember your place here, Sthanachintaka. Now, go wait outside."

A tense moment followed that declaration, and I could tell that it wasn't good. I gathered that Byrav had pulled rank on Mr. Ray, and owing to the intrinsically militaristic nature of Wielder society, I assumed that Mr. Ray would have to obey him. I was proven right when Mr. Ray's stance changed, his shoulders drooping and his head hanging low, as he let out a loud sigh.

"I'm sorry, Chris," Mr. Ray said, defeatedly, "I'll be right outside when you're done."

I just nodded as he turned around and knocked thrice at the door, identifying himself to the guard. As the door opened, Byrav gestured for me to follow him, walking briskly down the corridor. My hatred of him rose another notch for the second time that day, but I held my tongue. A part of me wanted to defy him, to tell Mr. Ray about what had happened earlier, but something told me that wouldn't end well.

So, I swallowed my pride and my anger, and hurried after the wretched man.

We didn't have too far to go, luckily. The cell doors all had numbers etched into the left side of their doorframes, and we came to a stop in front of one marked "44". Byrav fished out a disc of his own from his pouch, and used it to unlock the door.

The smell was the first thing that struck me as it swung open. It was a mix of rancid rot and copper that made me gag, but I managed not to throw up.

The inside of the cell was dimly-lit, but there was a single slab of stone off to the left, and a sink and toilet in the right corner. A mess of cuts and bruises spat at us from where it was curled up against the far wall, the shape distinctly feminine.

That's when I noticed that she was missing her right arm and her left leg. The symmetry in that amputation struck me as odd, but, the more I focused on it, the more familiar it seemed.

That was when all my memories of the night I'd emerged slammed back into place.

"You!" I roared, stepping forward aggressively as all the anger and rage I'd sequestered away since waking up at the Academy, and over the past few minutes, burst through, "You're the one who got away that night!"

A pair of arms wrapped around me, hauling me backwards, as recognition lit up the captive's face. She started laughing wildly, her entire body convulsing with her mirth.

"Let me go!" I screamed, struggling, "She was there! She played a part in their deaths!"

"That will do." Byrav said, tossing me aside.

I slid across the ground and crashed into the door opposite the cell the Dark— Liz, that was her name!— Liz was in. I picked myself up and started to move towards her again, but Byrav just swung the door shut, cutting off her laughter.

"Enough." he said, fixing me with a cold stare, "She will be judged and sentenced according to Academy law, so, as much as I'd like to see just how real your fury towards her is, neither of us can indulge ourselves."

He turned around and started walking back the way we'd come, but I was rooted in place, alternating between staring daggers at his back, and trying to melt the door with my mind. Screaming wordlessly at my absolute impotence in that entire situation, I followed Byrav back outside.

As promised, Mr. Ray was waiting for us with the guard, but after taking one look at my face, he just nodded grimly, and fell in behind us. We walked back to the nexus in silence, proceeding into the tunnel directly opposite the dungeons.

"The rest of the Sapt have gathered in Courtroom 2." Byrav said, over his shoulder, as we walked down another narrow tunnel. "I believe the Agrayodhin and Rishiji have announced their intention to observe our inquiry, and you're welcome to as well, Sthanachintaka."

"I accept, Senapati." Mr. Ray responded, in a guarded tone.

We walked out into a short hallway that looked like it belonged in an office building— albeit, made of stone, again. Four wooden double-doors lined the walls on either side of us, and we headed towards the one on the far right. Byrav pushed it open and walked right through, but Mr. Ray held me back with a hand on my shoulder.

"Chris," he said, in a serious tone, "I know that I said it would be fine yesterday, but Byrav seems to have it out for you. He's blown an informal debrief way out of proportion, and has actually turned it into a legal hearing.

"I know you're particularly angry right now, but you need to watch what you say in that room. I'm duty-bound to refrain from telling you more, but just remember, not everyone in there is your friend. Do you understand?"

"I think so," I replied, a tinge of worry cutting through my anger.

"Okay," he said, nodding and squeezing my shoulder, before walking into the room.

Taking a few deep breaths to try and calm myself down, I followed him in, a little taken aback by what I saw within. The similarity to an office space didn't end out in the hallway, but flowed into this room, too. The floor was covered in a plush red carpet, and the walls were actually paneled in wood. A set of wooden tables formed a u-shape, the horizontal side of the shape sporting seven seats, while the shorter arms had five seats each. They faced a standalone table, which had the space for three seats.

Six seats at the long table were occupied, while Byrav stood in front of the seventh, the one in the very center. I didn't recognize anybody else at the table, apart from Swati, who was seated to Byrav's right. The two of them were the only ones robed in red, while all the other commanders wore blue.

Rishiji, Vaishnavi, and Mr. Ray sat at one of the smaller "arm" tables, and Vaishnavi shot me a soft smile, which actually did nothing to alleviate the dread that was slowly settling into the pit of my stomach. I nodded to Swati, but she completely ignored me, though one of the other commanders— a woman Bonded to a spotted big cat, maybe a Leopard or Cheetah— indicated that I should take a seat at the standalone table.

I did as I was asked, after which, Byrav took his seat, striking a sounding block with a gavel I hadn't noticed.

"My name is Byrav Lanka," he began, "Guptachar Senapati, and I hereby call this formal inquiry to order. The objective today is to debrief one Chris Michaelson, scion of Agrayodhin Michael and Bhisaj Swamini Lia, both deceased, on the events that transpired on the night of the twentieth of January, two-thousand-and-thirteen.

"It is a well-established fact that the events of that night led to the deaths of the Agrayodhin and Bhisaj Swamini, as evidenced by previous inquiries held against Protathlitís Randal, Vindex Mathias, Agrayodhin Vaishnavi, Sthanachintaka Ronald, Wielder Jeff, Wielder Jessica, Wielder Steve, and Wielder Sarah.

"These inquiries also documented Chris Michaelson's Emergence on the night in question, and his brutal slaughter of four Dark Wielders, as well as his dispassionate dismemberment of a fourth Dark Wielder, one that my team and I recently captured and interrogated. Her interrogation has revealed that it was, in fact, Chris Michaelson's mystical signature that attracted her cell's attention. The signature of someone who appears to be Unbound, and someone who, apparently, hadn't yet Emerged.

"This tribunal finds these facts to severely contradict themselves.

"As such, Chris Michaelson, you sit before this tribunal, accused of betraying your parents' and compatriots' trust, and willfully attracting the attention of a Dark Wielder cell. Additionally, you stand accused of three counts of murder, one count of use of excessive force, and a continuing count of espionage.

"How do you plead?"

I'd sat silent throughout his monologue, just letting everything he was saying wash over me. That last bit, however, the one where he accused me of betraying my parents, pushed me over the edge. It seemed to have a similar effect on Vaishnavi and Mr. Ray, both of whom looked like they were about to say something.

"Guilty," I stated, my voice carrying clearly through the room. "I plead, 'guilty'."

Chapter 16- The Trial

14^th February, 2013

Unknown Time

Courtroom 2

You could have cut through the silence that pervaded the courtroom, following my declaration, with a knife. Rishiji was looking at me with an eyebrow raised, while Vaishnavi and Mr. Ray just looked absolutely stunned. The Sapt Senapati had varying expressions on their face, some looking surprised, while others looked shocked. Swati just had a pensive expression on her face, but Byrav looked smug, like a cat who'd found some cream.

"My name is Vaishnavi Vashisthputri-Lanka," Vaishnavi intoned, in a clear voice, standing up straight, "Agrayodhin. I hereby declare that Chris Michaelson is deemed unfit to stand trial and that his previous declaration be viewed through a lens of coercion and mental distress, set off by intense loss and the complete uprooting of his previous life."

"I object," I stated. "My name is Chris Michaelson, and I am of sound mind. I further attest that I am speaking of my own free will."

"What are you doing?!" Mr. Ray demanded, shooting me a piercing glare.

"Telling the truth," I replied, shrugging. "Or, I would, if I was allowed to speak."

"Let him speak," Rishiji said, holding a hand up as Vaishnavi started to say something, "I, Rishi Vashistha, would hear what Chris Michaelson has to say."

I nodded at Rishiji gratefully, while Vaishnavi slowly sat back down. Looking at the Sapt Senapati, I took a deep breath and stood up, a surge of adrenaline causing my knees to shake.

"I stand here today," I said, "accused of three counts of murder, one count of use of excessive force, one continuing count of espionage, and one count of betrayal.

"To the first, I plead, 'guilty', with the caveat that it was in self-defense.

"To the second, I plead, 'guilty', and for attacking my family and killing my parents? She deserved it.

"To the third, I plead, 'not guilty'. While it is possible that someone has taken over my mind, somehow, and is using me to spy on the Academy, I would urge you to consider the fact that mere weeks ago, I didn't even know that magic existed; let alone the fact that there was a whole hidden world of Wielders.

"Anybody who has spent time with me recently can attest to the fact that I have absolutely no clue about most of what I see. Senapati Swati can actually verify that before yesterday, I didn't even know how to willfully draw forth my Power."

She gave me a sharp, affirmative nod, as the others looked at her, questioningly.

"I haven't even been anywhere within the Academy, other than the Hospital, my Abode, and the area where Senapati Swati now trains me." I continued, my voice rising slightly. "I truly think I'd make a horrible spy!

"As for the last accusation, the accusation that I betrayed my own parents, I have only one thing to say: Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"You will address this tribunal with respect!" Byrav declared, scowling and banging his gavel.

"Of course," I replied, holding my hands out placatingly, "just as soon as you tell me how I could even get away with what you've said. If it really was my magical signature that drew the Darks to us, wouldn't Randal, Mathias, or Mr. Ray have picked up on it, as well? For that matter, wouldn't Vaishnavi?"

I looked around the table and saw that five of the Sapt Senapati, Swati included, were nodding, slowly.

"Furthermore," I continued, "please tell me what reason I would have to turn on my own parents, on people who have loved and supported me all my life, and never did anything to hurt me; people who literally made me, and who made me who I am, today.

"Matricide or patricide may be something that catches your fancy, Senapati Byrav, but it doesn't catch mine."

He started to say something, but I was on a roll, and I simply wouldn't be stopped.

"If I was associating with the Darks," I said, my voice even louder now, "why would I have killed three of them and dismembered a fourth? If your argument is that it was all to gain the Academy's trust and weasel my way in, surely you can see that there would be better, and less drastic, ways to do so.

"Additionally— and while I'll admit that my knowledge on this subject is rather shallow, I do think I have the right idea, here— please tell me how someone with access to as little Power as I currently possess could do anything close to what I did when I Emerged."

"He is telling the truth," Swati said, leaning forward to look at all the other members of the tribunal. "My name is Swati Varunai, Dvitiya Skandhavara Senapati. The Inhibitor he sports ties his levels of Power to my son, Vince Varunai's, and I can confirm that Vince could be beaten by a Tier 5 Wielder right now. It wouldn't even need to be someone who was trained."

"Lastly," I said, getting their attention again, as they started murmuring to each other, "let's not forget that I was unconscious for a few days after I Emerged, and that shortly after that, Vince beat me down so hard, that I was out for three weeks. Again, I don't think that's something I could fake, is it?"

"Be that as it may," Byrav said loudly, banging his gavel for silence, "the facts still don't add up. This entire inquisition is based on irrefutable information, gained as a result of my team's interrogation of one Elizabeth Drake, known as 'Liz', the only surviving member of the cell of Dark Wielders that were responsible for the attack in question."

"You are right, Byrav," Rishiji said, everyone going silent, as he stood up and faced the Sapt Senapati, "the facts do not add up. It seems to me that your team may not have secured the right intelligence from our recently-captured friend, after all."

"My team did their job admirably!" Byrav protested, through gritted teeth.

"I would disagree," Rishiji said, focusing his attention on him, "but if you wish to argue it, perhaps there is one way to settle this."

"What do you suggest, Rishiji?" Swati asked.

"Chris," Rishiji said, turning to me, "I believe that your testimony indicates that your memories of the night in question have been fully restored."

"They have," I affirmed.

"In that case," he continued, turning back to the others, "and if Chris is willing, I could just scan his memories, and those of Elizabeth, and see what the truth is."

"We tried that," Byrav interjected, "but her mental defenses—"

"Her mental defenses," Rishiji cut him off, shifting his attention to him, "will be of no consequence to me. In fact, in the future, I would prefer it if you would ask me to scan a captive's memories before summoning a tribunal."

"I see no need for that," Byrav argued. "None of our captives have been able to withstand the methods my team employ to get our answers. Every single lead we've received so far has proven true. Why would this be any different?"

"Because, Byrav," Rishiji responded, "you are not as disinvested in the outcome, this time. My worry is that your personal history with Chris'parents has clouded your judgement. This is one way to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, whether or not your accusations hold any weight.

"Now, I'm aware that some of you are not quite comfortable with the methods Byrav's team employs to gain intelligence. As such, you are free to wait in one of the adjoining rooms, until I am done. Your peers who remain behind can attest to—"

"Unnecessary, Rishiji," the Jaguar-Bonded woman said, "we have faith in your word. If Chris Michaelson agrees to let you view his memories, and I think I speak for the rest of us as well, when I say that your findings will be viewed as absolute resolution."

"I do," I stated, clearly. "I have nothing to hide."

She stood up and walked out, then, followed by four other commanders. Swati, Byrav, and one other commander stayed behind, as did Vaishnavi and Mr. Ray.

"I'll go retrieve her," Byrav grunted, standing up and walking out of the room, too.

Vaishnavi looked like there was something she wanted to say to me, but Mr. Ray placed a hand on her arm and shook his head.

"So," I addressed the Gorilla-Bonded woman who'd stayed behind, breaking the heavy silence, "I don't believe we've met."

She had a face that was all hard lines, a mouth that I could never see sporting a smile, and wore her neon blue hair up in a tight topknot. As weird as it may seem, her stern expression only served to highlight her Nordic features. She was quite attractive and looked like she was in her early twenties, though that didn't really mean much in this world. She was probably over two hundred years old.