The Cross in Our Stars

Chapter 18

In a sunflower yellow jumpsuit, Madison sat in a rectangular booth made of plexiglass walls, the size of an old fashioned telephone booth, guarded by four of the Mi Tal Nej. The cut cuff is a prominent accessory on her wrist, along with a sullen countenance. The booth is set in front of two long tables for the Tribunal Committee. They consist of Calissa and her husband Bilo, spiritual leaders for women and men respectfully, clad in flowing fabrics of royal blue, white, and black with a single white line down their faces. An elder named Minella, wearing waterfalls of silver and white fabric with a line of white also upon her face. The last two spots are filled by Andira, the leader and general of the F.I.R.S.T. Nation, and Josh. Both are wearing a more ornate uniform of the initiates and ranked members of the Mi Tal Nej.

The rest of the village, adorned in bright colors by the young, and silver and white by the adults, livens and fills up every square inch of space in the very large but bland room used for after school programs or singing contests. This time, numerous rows of seats with three aisles to divide them accommodate most guests, leaving others to sit on the floor or stand against the walls. The very front row, just behind the booth, is Madison's mother. Separated by a few people is Ria, Nira with her fox ears, and Louis. Ren sat outside a window listening in; the Mi Tal Nej aware of him while on patrol.

As the doors shut to the room, voices quiet down. "Madison Tallstar," Andira addresses, silencing the crowd, and prompting Madison to stand from the metal chair within the booth. "You have been charged with misdemeanor misuse of an affinity, and ethnocide in the first and second degree. All of these charges usually come with imprisonment. However," Andira surveys the room before her stern gaze falls upon Madison, "as these actions were against your own people, including descendants of the Royal House of T'Nnor, it falls under the category of treason. As such, imprisonment is no longer an option. Punishment for treason is execution."

Gasps and loud murmurs fill the room, leaving most people stunned. Madison's eyes are wide as she surveys the committee before her, unmoved by her quivering lips and tears running like rivers. She turns to look at her mother, already worn down by all the events, and now cries into her handkerchief. Their eyes meet, seeing little that can save what remains of their family. Ria and Nira look at each other. Ria might not like Madison much, or at all, but she didn't want her dead.

Andira orders for silence by repeatedly hammering a polished, wooden paperweight with a flat bottom against a flat wooden block. She only continues when silence fills the room again. "The execution will commence in three hours time-"

Madison's mother stands up suddenly. "No! She didn't mean to do this! She tried to tell me, but I never believed her! I should be punished, not her! Please!"

It takes everything in Andira's willpower to not eyeroll at another interruption, especially due to the weak reasoning. "Of course you wouldn't have believed her, Madam Tallstar. Her affinity affected you as well." Andira narrows her gaze on Madison, who wilts. "If she was truly sorry, she would have tried harder to undo all of this, but she was complacent enough to allow it to continue. She let it perpetuate. If myself and my husband hadn't remembered, who knows how long she would have let this ruse go on!"

Hanging her head in shame, Madison shrunk into herself, crying into her hands in futility.

"Then send us back to T'Nnor!" Her mother offers, desperation in her voice. "We can live as exiles! No one should die because of a mistake!"

Andira shakes her head. "She's still a danger to us all."

"She's no danger! She's scared of spiders and butterflies, for goodness sake!"

Madison gazes upwards, wishing her mother didn't have to embarrass her just to save her life.

"Valid," Ria and Louis say simultaneously, low enough for Nira to hear. They didn't like those, either.