The Lost Sigil; Dawn of Light

Chapter 19: The Ordeals

The rumbling through the citadel and city outside made Rhys' blood boil. Peering outside, a large crowd was already marching its way steadily towards the temple.

"There are more people today. It must be a real spectacle," Rhys said his voice low and a certain tension gripping on his throat.

"Trust me Rhys, there's nothing they can do that will put you down," Lester tried to reassure him but Rhys had noticed a certain loss in Lester. After the high watcher took the vials, Lester barely spoke. He had his head down all the while staring at the floor where the sigil once was.

"Will I have to battle?" Rhys tried engaging the broken Lester.

"No. As I said, you will be placed in situations against the elements. They might bind you with chains to block your magic but there's nothing out there they can use against you," Lester said and lifted his head and ears shot up. "They don't know it but you will still have magic even with the chains on."

It was true Rhys still did feel some power despite the cell and the bindings on them but he also knew it was pointless to try and resist.

"You know what? I'm actually starting to get excited about these ordeals." Rhys started jumping in the middle of the cell, stretching and throwing punches in the air.

The sun was high and bright, providing an intense blinding light and a scotching heat. Most of the people's faces had turned red while others looked like they had been rained on. At least there were those who had some thought and carried umbrellas.

Rhys had been led by two of the watchers that used the vines to bind him to the temple grounds that stood behind the temple and right on the edge of a cliff that overlooked the sea ahead of them. There were stands placed around a semi-circular stone platform. In the middle of the stands was a white tent with golden chairs and one in particular had a golden phoenix embedded right at the top of the back-rest.

The procession was organized differently than the trial in the temple. The entire panel arrived at the same time with the king arriving slightly later. The nine governors had reduced to four but the people had increased even more such that others stood on the spaces left beside the stands.

The slender and grey bald cleric was the one leading the procession. His voice was tired and dragged like a man out of breath. He introduced the panel which was the same as before but with an inclusion of a new man.

A hulk of a man, geared with full body armour in all but his bald head. The cleric introduced the man as "The Mighty General Oma". General Oma sat at the left side of the king, his hands resting upon a clean claymore. Rhys did notice Harren looking begrudgingly at the general as people cheered him on when he was called. Harren was moved farther left and away from the king. There was a woman however, that was not mentioned yet she sat at the right of the king. She had a long pale face and dressed in a velvet dress.

The cleric turned to Rhys and started walking towards the stone platform which had a sigil right beneath where Rhys stood.

"We gather here, this high noon to give the gods their rightful duty and judge the criminal that stands before us," Venir, the cleric paused and took a breath then continued. "In the eyes of men, the accused was found guilty of all the charges against him. But, it is not in our place to judge those over whom the gods did not give us the power. May their judgement be fair and befitting."

Venir gave Rhys a cold stare and shuffled towards the edge of the cliff, his robe sweeping the ground. He raised his arms and faced the onlooking crowd.

"Water, pure and true. Breathes life and healing to all that lives on this world. But to those it deems wrong, it can give the most brutal of punishments. May it grant its favour once again and test the faithfulness of the evil that has plagued these lands."