The Final Chapter

On Trial

Chapter 29

What he was accused of did not make sense to him in the slightest. Ever since he remembered there have always been just seven archons, but this information wasn't as shocking to everyone else present as it was to him.
"Eighth archon?", he wispered quietly and looked down at the floor. He must have forgotten. That was the only possible explanation. He was linked to Irminsul and was thereby influenced by it's information. Someone linked him to it. Did the very thing he was accused of. They managed to get the one god here that was inable to state the truth and blame him for the crimes of someone else. It was an elaborate cover-up. But why would the Principles go so far as to blame him for someone else's crimes? Was one of them the true culprit?

"You now have the chance to defend yourself against the crime", Shipati concluded her speech and sat back down, leaving the spotlight to Aether. He raised his head up and glared at the gods in front of him. What he was about to say, was a huge gamble, but he at least had to try.
"Although it is true, that my destiny seems to be linked to Teyvat", he began to explain, the audience mumbled again, "there is no proof of who did the deed. Not even my own memory is to be trusted in this case, because it was manipulated" The mumbling got louder until Shipati raised her hand to signal everyone to be silent again. Then she said: "But we have proof. We have witnesses."
She nodded towards two guards at the doors behind him to open them. As Aether turned around, he saw that two people entered the coutroom. Both of them walked straight past him without even batting an eye to his presence. Even though he was the reason for both of their deaths.

"He is right Murata! We have to stop this madness! This has gone too far!", a man with light blue hair stepped between Aether an the red haired archon. The Cryo archon. "It's not that easy...", the Pyro archon tried to explain himself but the Cryo archon intervened, "We are gods, Murata. That is our duty..." The red haired woman in front of him looked down in shame.
"He is right. We are supposed to protect our people not slaughter them.", a purple haired woman also entered the conversation. The Electro archon. "Don't worry, little one..."

Blood. Blood everywhere. Aether looked onto the scene in shock. The Sustainer raised her hand again. "Quick! Follow me!", the Cryo archon yelled and fled the scene.
"Makoto!", a heart wrenching scream in the distance.

"I will shelter you here. Don’t worry...", the archon said to him. He left Aether in the tiny room of a little cozy cabin, going to a room next to him. There a blonde woman embraced him. "Barnabas, you're back..." "Lynn!", he answered relieved to see her.
But he couldn't run from the Sustainer for long. The roof of the cabin had been ripped open to take Barnabas' life. An act of ruthlessness to show the consequences of rebellion.
Lynn never saw him there. The time had been too short to explain his presence. Or even show it.

Aether swallowed hard. Trying to fight the emotions those memories brought with them. Both of them were dead because of him. Because he told them to rebel. Being forced back here after their deaths and becoming complicits in the plan of the Principles. He flinched as Barnabas looked at him and then passed by. His eyes gave him chills. A purple haired woman followed him. Raiden Makoto. Why was she here?
And where was Murata? She had been there too.
The former archons passed Aether and positioned themselves between him and the Principles turned towards him and the onlooking audience. Their eyes seemed empty and emotionless. Aether got the suspicion that, whatever he had here in front of him, weren't the same archons he met before.
"Now present are the former archons Barnabas and Baal, who were involved in the Khaeri'an cataclysm 500 years ago. Today they will report to us what they witnessed", Thando explained in his dark voice.
Next to Shipati Ayam the Principle of Time arose from his seat and came down to the witnesses to begin questioning. "Baal. You were present the day of the cataclysm and claim to have seen the accused. What he do?", he asked. His appearence was that of a young man but from the tone of his voice, one knew that he was much older and wiser.
Makoto stepped forward and began her speech without a change of mood. Aether was now sure of it: They were being puppeteered. But were they just brainwashed or... He shivered for a brief moment.
Or were they just zombies with commands?
"We had heard that someone powerful had overtaken Khaenri'ah and was ruling at the side of the Khaeri'an princess. Someone who didn't belong there. That's why the Heavenly Principles commanded all seven archons to inspect the situation. What we found was the suspect controlling the royal family and forcing them to give him the power over their nation. As soon as he noticed us, he opened battle against us."
Aether felt like he couldn't breathe. Was he dreaming? This had to be a nightmare! He would have never done that. He loved her. That was it. He had no business in any politics and he didn't even try to get into that. All he cared about was his princess and the relationship they had. And the audacity to claim that HE started the battle... They had attacked them! They just attacked and eradicated everything.
"During the battle he tried to seperate us archons and started to sow doubts into our minds so that we would turn against the Heavenly Principles. He killed those who did not obey. That's all I know."
"You may step back, now. Thank you", Ayam dismissed her.
Makoto bowed slightly and then stepped back into position.
Ayam nodded and left a short pause there for the audience to take the bait. Aether tried to process the information but his brain wouldn't let him. He knew from the start that this show was for the onlooking gods. The Principles had already decided their verdict, but the audience needed to believe in his guilt too. The Principles were conscious of the people's doubts against them and thus could not just execute him. He was a rebell after all. If there was any doubt about his guilt, there would be an uprising. Also they could not just use Ayam's abilities because of that. He could just show a made up version of the past.
He then cleared his throat and continued: "Barnabas. You followed him from the battlefield after he had killed Baal and Murata. What did you see?"
Barnabas stepped forward. He too was completly cold. The Abyss prince started to loose hope in this trial. He looked down to the floor and closed his eyes as he heard the words that would definetly make him guilty in the eyes of everyone.

"I saw him as he tempered with Irminsul."

Aether's eyes widened. A lie. That was a...
Something within him faded for a moment. Lumine faded for a moment. Did she...?