Starborn

Chapter 7 (Part 1)

"The Royal Court is now in session! Minister Cascavich presiding! Bring the accused forward!"

My Auryn is tightening and my head pounding. My wrists are shackled by strong steel cuffs and my legs drag behind me. I hear a pair of large doors open. When I open my eyes, I'm in the center of a massive dome-shaped room. The ceiling is made of glass which shows the moon shining, the only light in the room. Several torches are hanging about, but none of them are lit. Seven massive podiums stood in front of me, and at their sides lining the walls are large stone pews.

Hundreds of red beady eyes act as an audience to a long-awaited show. Seven Shadowhearts stand at the podiums dressed in red robes. Looking at the most prominent man in the center, I immediately remember that pale face, that red hair and those ghastly scars.

"Pay attention," I hear a voice next to me say. "You are in a court of law."

When I look to the right, there is that same fellow from Pirema responsible for Mr. Winsmore's untimely death, and Mrs. Winsmore's assault. Severus stands tall and proud- his armor glimmers slightly in the moonlight and his dark gray beard shows wisdom. But his eyes are Fiendish like the rest of the audience.

Being surrounded by so much darkness at once is making me lightheaded. My Auryn can't take this much stress.

"Before we begin, Flamekeeper," the one at the center podium said. "Do you know who I am?"

"Drago... Cascavich..."

"Well done. I do tend to leave a lasting impression if I say so myself," Drago said with a chuckle. "Now then, Triton Netherbane, you have been brought before the court under the crimes of murder, terrorism, and destruction of royal property. How do you plead?"

"I don't know... what you're talking about..." I say with barely any breath.

"Edolpha, the little village to the southwest, was burned to the ground a week ago," Drago says while reading a scroll. "Over thirty were killed that day, one of them being a royal official. Any one of those crimes is punishable by death. But I figured I would give you a chance to explain yourself before we kill you."

He stands up, towering over me. "They were innocent people living their everyday lives. Finding you there must have put them in a panic. I would too if I saw you in my hometown, where women and children are most vulnerable. So what drove you to be so ruthless?"

"Because... innocent or not... you don't deserve this kingdom... the kingdom you stole from me..."

A wave of murmurs circulates through the air. I can tell they are all looking at me like I'm a monster.

"So you have no regrets?" another judge says aloud.

"No..." I say with a smirk. "In fact... I'd do it again..."

With that, most of the Shadowhearts stand in unison, shouting only toward me. They pointed fingers and flicked wads of spit at me, but I pay them no mind. I can't stop smiling, even if I feel so weak. One of the judges bangs a small gavel, which calms the crowd and forces them back in their seats.

wuh-PSSH!

I feel a stinging, slicing pain in my back, which kills my smirk. A veiled man holds a bloodied leather whip that drips fresh blood on the courtroom floor. Now it is them who are smiling at my pain.

"I share their outrage, council," Severus says. "This man is a terrible threat to our kingdom. Edolpha was a prosperous town, truly a great loss to the nation. And this man considers it humorous to kill dozens with his hideous fire? We mustn't let him go unpunished!"