Tales of Malenatu: The Blue Dragonlady

Trials And I Must Be Going Insane

  We arrived about 30 minutes late. A vast room with rows upon rows on either side of me was revealed as the large maple doors opened. A barricade with a gate separated the far end of the room from me. Three seats above and on the center back wall of the rest of the room sat waiting for the trial. Two large rows barred off by another barricade held A group of men and women: the Deciders. The Announcer in the center seat did not look pleased at all. The men and women Deciders looked bored. Some drew, some stared into space. Others just glared at me.

 A Representative for my opposing side and my opposer, red curly-haired Melody, stood up and opened the gate for me as Caden wheeled me through to my right where I sat waiting for them to start. My Representative, Jabari, also stood and began to talk. His grey suit and blonde hair made him stand out against Connor, the black-suited and haired Representative now glaring at me. We had once been on friendly terms. Now he was fighting to punish me. How did it get to this?

  "Announcer Raanan. Apologies for my Defendant. She was on the road to recovery, and Headhoustess Caden informs me they only found out about this schedule 20 minutes ago." Jabari bowed.

 "Yes, yes. Let's just begin, shall we?" Brown-haired Raanan sighed, his ocean blue eyes looking at the ceiling in annoyance.

 "I quite agree. I think-" Connor stood up, only to be interrupted by Raanan.

  "Sit down and be quiet! I do not care what you think. I am here to listen to facts." I liked him already. "Now, commence the case of Donelia Nest versus Clarissa Rebilliachi. We are here to determine whether or not Clarissa is innocent of the following: Destruction of public property, intent to harm, attempted murder in the first degree, child labor, malicious intent, the torture of humans and dragons, creating a werewolf, setting said werewolf free upon Donelia Nest, and intent to kill Dragon Tamers and their Dragons. How do you plead?"

  "Your Honor, may we have a few moments to discuss the plea bargain?" Jabari stood, and I looked at him dumbfounded. I started to look towards Connor and Melody when three strange figures caught my eye. The middle one had his foot up against the wall they all were leaning on. The left one stared directly at with ice blue eyes and black hair, a smile crossing his face as I noticed them. He then looked to the middle man, a slightly taller one than the first. The middle man shook his head towards the first. He was very serious looking, as if he'd pull a sword on you if you were silly. His short dark brown hair and olive eyes hardly moved, but were fixated on the Deciders. The one on the right was by far the tallest of the three. He had brown hair and eyes and seemed kind of silly. He had a semi-serious look on his face with his arms crossed and stared unblinkingly at the Announcer.

  No one else seemed to notice the three strange men against the left wall, all dressed completely in white. No one paid any attention to them, though they weren't there a moment before. I didn't even hear them enter.

 "So, Melody has offered life in prison if you accept, instead of death. Do you agree?" Jabari asked me, his voice lowered so only I could hear him. I looked over to the three men. The black-haired one shook his head vigorously.

  "No. I didn't mean to do it. Well, I mean, I did, but-" I whispered back to him.

  "Stop talking." He raised his voice. "Not guilty."

  "Very well then. Hence the trial of Clarissa versus the Donelia Nest. Begin, Jabari."

  "Thank you, Your Honor. We are pleading innocent by reason of insanity."

  "On what grounds, Rep?" Connor stood, his voice bellowing out across the room.

  "On the grounds that my client did not do her actions because she was temporarily incapable of realizing that what she did was wrong." Raanan looked between the two Representatives before motioning for them to continue with one hand. He then folded his hands, rested his elbows on his desk, and his chin on his hands in one sweeping motion.