Spoken Weapons

Chapter 2

Council Anderson's voice spoke first. The one who had a personal vendetta against her, and was, unfortunately, the head of the council. "Welcome, Mrs. Quill. I'm glad you could join us. Please," she nodded towards a seat in front of her. "Take a seat."

Nevaeh knew that chair. She knew that there was something made for it, to where it was literally impossible to lie. A precaution the council has used for years, but either way, she sat down in it. Unable to disobey requests, especially with 100 varying degrees of scary eyes on her.

Even Council Anderson's signs radiated power, it was unnerving. How did she even do that? "I take it you know about that chair, and your inability to lie. As you've been in it quite a few times, but today it's..." she paused, searching for the right word. "Additionally needed."

Navaeh nods towards Council Anderson, "yes, high council Anderson, I do." She was remembering to sign. Good. It would be in her favor. But... 'additionally needed', that scared her. Two words made her want to get out, and she couldn't.

Council Anderson nods in approval, "Do you know why we summoned you?" She asked Navaeh bet it was asking if she figured it out. Which she hadn't.

Nevaeh shook her head, "no, high council Anderson." To her own shock, her signing remained. She was actually remembering, good.

Council Anderson sighed, it was obvious to Navaeh that Anderson assumed that. "Okay. Well, you're on pre-trial."

Nevaeh blinked a few times. "What?" She said, the shock making her not think before speaking. "Why?" What was she on trial for?

"You shall only sign in front of us." Council Anderson made it clear she wasn't kidding. "And due to your combined actions over the years, it's finally come to haunt you. And it won't be a light haunting either."

The chill to Nevaeh's bones returned, please don't hurt her family. She'd take anything, all to avoid her family getting hurt. She'd try her hardest to help them if she needed to. "Yes, ma'am." She signed back, not wanting to disobey the council now.

Council Anderson grinned a tiny bit, but the expression quickly left her face to be plain and strict. "Do you willingly submit to questioning by the council?"

Navaeh nods, "yes ma'am." She knew that questioning could get intense, and she was preparing for that. The questions she could guess what they were probably, this wasn't the first time she's been on pre-trial. 

Council Anderson smirked happily, her plan, she always had one, but Nevaeh wasn't sure what it was. That scared her. So much about the council scared her, her nerves were on end, ready to fray at any moment. She was vulnerable that way, being vulnerable in this world, especially in front of the High Council was bad. Really, really, really bad. Council Anderson's voice broke through her train of thought. "Let's begin. First question; what do you think you did wrong?"

Nevaeh froze in her seat, call her out from the damn beginning why don't you. She couldn't tell her real reasoning for it, they had not only had enough of that story, but it was what made her family in the place they were in. "I've spoken," She said simply. She had to watch her words carefully, everything that she as saying was being recorded.

"Spoken of what?" Council Anderson clearly was asking for details, which she was being FORCED to give. She literally couldn't lie in this chair, even if she wanted to. The... things inside it that controlled her from lying made pain wrack through her body if she tried. Unfortunately, she knew from experience. She had, to tell the truth... but she honestly didn't want to. Her will stronger than her common sense, she answered sarcastically.

"Of pigs flying." Nevaeh was already near snapping, which could hurt her in the end. It wasn't a lie, but technically wasn't the truth, there was no zap from the chair. Sarcasm was her answer in not lying.

"Be serious, little girl," Deep inside her soul she felt all hundred eyes on her, it was nearly overwhelming. Nearly. She was still handling it all. For how much longer, Nevaeh couldn't tell you. "What. Did. You. Say?" Each of the words was enforced by the head council, meaning she didn't mean shit and giggles. She meant business. No more joking, clearly, before she got herself further buried in the quicksand. And each joke or sarcastic comment, the equivalent to the more she fought. Everyone knew you don't fight quicksand when caught, it only makes it worse. "I'm just getting my opinion out, and right I do HAVE legally." She could say that it was in the laws, even speaking wasn't actually outlawed. Just so uncommonly used that unless you happened to be ancient, or read a lot of books, you didn't know.

Council Anderson shook her head lightly, the first convening with her other council members in hidden signs. They were experts at hiding signs, so she couldn't even read them if she tried, she didn't. Looking down to her hands instead. Only moments later the council's hands moved in question towards Nevaeh. "What do you have against signing? And living by the rules long set by the community?"

It was such a hard fight to not sign 'Everything!', not to rant off to the council. But unless she wanted her life to be taken, or at least imprisoned for many years she didn't. "Nothing," Simple short signs was all of the answers she had, but if it kept everyone safe, she'd annoy the council like that. "I have absolutely nothing against it."

Eyes of Council Anderson's bore into her soul, almost literally, "Then why don't you abide by the rules? To rebel? To disobey? Just for fun?" All of the things she's done over time had finally caught up with her many years later. Again. And accounting for it wouldn't be easy. "Multiple reasons, but what makes you think I'll even tell? There's freedom after all, or did you take that away too?" Her sass definitely didn't help anything.

"Cut it out!" Council Anderson was beginning to get annoyed quickly, "Serious answers only, otherwise, you'll have some very nasty consequences to deal with."

Nevaeh just nodded in return, not questioning it any further. 'Yes, ma'am," She had to consider what she would say. "I don't want to disobey, but my mind and heart don't agree on that, apparently. I can't control this."

This questioning went on for hours, the council getting more short tempered, and the questions harder. She had to speak so carefully for so long, to the point of where her head was pounding. The things she did for herself, her cause, and her family... Abruptly, a new voice broke through. It was a male, near the end of his time on the council, at least guessed by the graying hair, and recessing hairline. "Miss Quill, we've decided upon what you will do. Pre-trial is officially done, and you won't be getting a trial at all."

No trial? This was it? What the hell did they have planned? Nevaeh's heart begins to beat faster, as she pushed away all of a headache there was. She was scared of what he would say, all she could give was a simple nod in return.

Her punishment was given, she didn't want it. She was stuck in the spot she sat in. Frozen from shock.