HYBRID (Now a draft)

Nineteen

Twyla surveyed the people sitting in the audience just next to the jury.

They were in the court room with the high vaulted ceiling, with its massive crystal chandelier just above. It was situated on the thirteenth floor of their temple. Hundreds of knowledge seekers are seated inside. The last rays of the sunset filtered through the stained glass windows that reached from the ceiling to the floors, casting brilliant blues and greens on the marble white ground. In the front sat the judge, old and wrinkled. Her uniform worn away by time, the colors faded and bleached to a faint blue. Behind her was the alter where the statues of the Seven stood. All carved from the pale, creamy moonstone marble. The leader with both her arms raised and her head tilted upward, her handmaidens on both her sides. They wore silken robes ,ankle high.Their expressions were of hope and longing, which lead to their ultimate sacrifice for the sake of Natatoria. 

 Her eyes traveled the the eccentric collections of people.She found some of her classmates chattering away. The older teens crowded together. All classes have been canceled tonight because of Max. Max, now standing in front of the judge. The naive, innocent creature with wide eyes so eager to believe in anything. Perhaps the upbringing of his aunt had brought him to his destruction, a musician without an instrument, a sad position.  His so-called cottage was practically a mansion. An oddball boy of supreme ignorance. Still, she watched the boy closely. Fairly sized ears, a cute round nose, big brown eyes and long brushstrokes of eyebrows. she kept her face passive, as his eyes found her. She stared straight ahead,ignoring his gaze. Then she felt it. A weird suggestion from the back of her mind. He seemed awfully cheerful today, he had been gloomy since the day she met him. What was with him? Twyla narrowed her eyes. He was up to something. But what?

Her hand went to the hilt of her dagger. She was standing guard tonight. Nothing will go wrong. Jay was standing beside Evellyn, who was sitting at the table behind Max. His hair was a mass of lazy curls that went nicely with his lovely blue eyes. He had on a dashing smile that could melt any girl's heart. And he probably already had. The girls in the audience were pointing and giggling at him,with soft blushes on their faces. Twyla snickered to herself. Who wouldn't have a crush on the captain of the guards? Ted and Scotch were on the other side. Their expressions blank. It was the the training that forbade their smiles from showing.  But Jay, who stood head front beside Evellyn couldn't help smiling. Did he even notice himself? She'll inform him later. But right now, she had to know what Max was up to. He didn't seem like the sort with aggressive ideas.  But anything is possible, anything could change in a flick of a second. If you don't adapt quick enough, you'll be wiped out soon enough.

The questioning started after they made Max swear in front of the Seven. The grand room silenced. There was only the voice of the Max. He answered slowly and quietly, so one had to strain their ears to listen clearly. The judge started from the point where the murg appeared. Seems Evellyn had wanted to include this all along. Evellyn herself was trained in Law and politics, so she spoke for herself. She was the best lawyer she could find. Twyla found it amusing. Poor Max.

When it came to the tree part, everyone leaned in to listen. 

Max:   I was escaping from a giant metal leopard or lion..... It appeared from a nearby tree...........I think it came out of a tree...........................metal animals don't exist?( Where do you think this is? wonderland?And I'm the queen of hearts.)............. It was the size of a car........it had sharp claws and teeth that can drill through anything( So it can drill through a mountain then?)............It can pass through trees, metal trees!......There are no such thing as metal trees? Oh, I may not be sure what species........................its bark is shiny and silver ( Was Max hallucinating? No tree of his description matches any kind.) The leopard can jump through trees( Sounds like a wonderful circus,maybe it'll jump through rings of fire next!) as if the trees are made of liquid............................ your honor, I was heading for shelter and found the tree, and the leopard ..crashed into the tree, I think,..... It was the leopard that did it.................I did not use any magic, I didn't feel anything...........your honor, I...................but......no........................I repeat, I didn't use magic.......................the magic in the protective circle was an accident........I have never used magic before........never....................learned? no......................questions I want to ask? (why am I so silly? Why doesn't my brain function properly? Was I born to be dumb?)

Max: Why am I kept being called a rogue?( Now he asks..)

Evellyn: My honor, may I ?( judge nods. She stands up.) A Rogue, boy, is one that uses magic to harm others ,who uses magic outside of our realm, who performs the dark arts and casts dark spells. A rogue does not care for the country, and uses magic for selfish deeds, who doesn't learn from the temples, instead turns to the Hidden ones , who recruit youngsters such as you to rebel against the government. Rogues despise our law , and have no respect for the ruler, and disrupts harmony.

Max: I....I am truly sorry.( Head low.)

Evellyn: Sorry doesn't save the sacred tree. Sorry doesn't mean you can put other people in danger. Sorry is just an empty word that is meaningless to one you've hurt.

Max: I...I want to compensate for what I've done. ( Looks up)

Evellyn crossed her arms. " And how are you going to do that?"

" By giving you all a gift." Said Max as he turned to the audience.

There was no time to react at all. 

A vial appeared in his palm then smashed into a thousand pieces as he dropped it. The moment it struck the ground, the stained glass on both sides suddenly dimmed.  Giant red splotches began spreading over the stained glass windows. From top to bottom, like red blood leaking from a fatal wound. It gushed to the floor, white becoming red. The floor rumbled, Twyla couldn't keep straight, she tumbled to the floor. Terrifying screams. Cracks exploded in the floor, they criss and crossed to form a deadly spiderweb that encompassed the whole room. Debris cascaded from the ceiling. An ominous creaking sound blurted that sounded the arrival of inevitable doom.

The  floor gave away to nothing.

Her stomach lurched as she felt a horrifying tugging at her feet.  Her legs dangled over a ledge.  The pit was sucking them inward. Everyone was screaming. She grabbed at a protruding piece of steel, so hard her palms screamed with pain. She glanced below her. It was a swirling dark pit  that reeked of despair. Deep, deep, deep and down it went, with no bottom the naked eye could see. The bottomless pit. The red light become to dim until all was bathed in a deadly crimson glow. Things fell. People fell. She couldn't see any of her friends, it was too dark. She called their names, but her voice was lost in all the commotion and confusion. The suction power strengthened , she tried to activate her stones, but found out she couldn't. What kind of power did Max yield? She held on with all her might, but she knew for no longer. Her fingers became wet with blood.  The windows were leaking slimey substances. The tiny trickles from the glass turned in to a steady flow. She was slipping. The slippery magma just inches before her. So slow yet so deadly. The red lights dimmed to blackness. Her hands slipped, panic arose. Her muscles were failing her. Her heart hammered like crazy. 

Twyla fell.

She curled herself into a tight ball and muttered some words. Her golden eyes shimmered. Something huge slammed into her and  knocked out her breathe. In her last few seconds of consciousness, she thought she saw Max flying with a ring of keys in his hand.