Strange Aeons [Book 1]

11. Trial and Error [part II]

The room literally exploded with voices. Everyone was talking at the same time; the noise was terrible.

And the Pollos were completely taken aback.

«A trial by combat? What is this, the middle-ages? Haven't we evolved a little bit in the manners of justice to fall back to the dark times? If the prosecution has no guilt proof, then this trial should be over!» Garaham stood up and thundered with his best court voice. He succeeded in standing above the general chaos.

Algernon beat his gavel. Thrice.

The third time, a nasty cloud of smoke started rising from the gavel.

The room went back to its silence.

Algernon brought a hand to his face and started to think. Justin was rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, like a child at Christmastime. It was clear for anyone with a clear view of the Judge's expression that he was furiously raking his brain for any kind of technicality or loophole to deny what Justin had just asked. Long minutes passed, and, in the end, Algernon raised to his feet.

«The prosecution has a point.» he admitted, looking back at Justin with a murderous glare that unleashed complete happiness on the Frenchman. «By the rules of the Sixth Code, Trial by combat it is.» and he beat his gavel, sealing his decision. «Let's clean up the arena and prepare for combat! Justin, I suppose that part of your plan for this extremely annoying shenanigan included the choice of a champion Coven? Or are you going to face them yourself?»

«Oh no! I hate the Oneiron, that's why I'm sending you there to preside.» Justin shook his head, and looked around him, feigning deep thinking. He stopped his eyes on Mariposa, wonderful in her armor, and smiled brightly. The Enforcer felt her heart beat a thousand times faster. «There! I would ask this marvelous, shining lady-in-arms, standing so gallant and beautiful against the wall of her unworthy peers...» dramatically, he disappeared, appeared in front of Mariposa already on one knee, taking her hand in his, as delicate as if it was a flower, and pointing his mad blue eyes in the eyes of the Enforcer. But before she could say something to much such a proposal, he kept on talking. «... but how could I, when we could have a wonderful brother against brother epic showdown? I choose The Expendables as my champions!»

Every head turned towards the side bleachers, where the lesser Covens were. A light was centered over the three: River, Staccato and Irissa, sitting I orderly at their place, shocked. Mariposa tried to contain her own violent disappointment and Garaham had to distract himself from that coup-de-theatre hearing a feeble yelping coming from his side.

Apart from her puffy eyes, Banshee had suddenly paled. Her hands were trembling. He had seen her in a hungover, but never this disheveled. He frowned, hissing at her.

«What now? You need the bathroom? Or you'll settle for the paper bin?»

«Brother against brother...» she whispered, with almost no voice. Garaham's jaw clenched.

Chico and Vopros were looking the Expendables were who starting to leave the bleachers to reach the arena. Nobody was paying any attention to the Pollos. Especially not the Judge.

«Staccato he... I think he...» Banshee couldn't even mutter the words. She looked at Garaham, who had an urging expression on his already not usually patient face.

«Well?»

«I think he's my brother.» she was finally able to extract from her chest.

«Which one, woman! You have six!» Garaham hissed, unfazed, clearly absolutely not convinced, or maybe just automatically.

«Killian.» her whispered voice broke suddenly up, just leaving that name in the air. Garaham's frown came back. As deep and dark as it has ever been. The Expendables had made their entrance in the ground of the arena, and time was ticking. He shook his head.

«I don't know from where such a stupid idea could come to you, but Justin wasn't clearly talking about you.» he muttered, through his teeth. «He was talking about me and my brother. Does this help to get you back to at least a modicum of focus for what's coming?» it would have been maybe touchy-feely to detect, in Garaham's voice, a tiny smidge of true worry for his underling.

«What? Staccato...» Banshee's eyes went wide as saucers. Garaham rolled his eyes.

«Not Staccato, woman! River!» he snapped, seconds before the tall Enforcer arrived looming over Garaham's shoulder.

«Banshee! It's nice to see you again, even if I hoped it would have been in a more private place with less clothes!» River beamed with the most astonishingly beautiful smile. «Nice to see you too, bro! I kinda hoped we would meet again on the battlefield!»

«The sentiment is so not mutual, blonde oaf!»

«My my brother, you're getting less and less polite as time flies inevitably by on you! What would mother say if she heard you talk to me like that?» River faked a pout.

«I don't know, why don't you go on her grave and ask her directly?» Garaham growled back. River's face darkened immediately, and with a hateful glance he moved to reach the other two members of his Coven.

«Wow Chief, that was savage.» Chico commented. Then, he saw Garaham's face and shut up.

«Your Coven is not complete, I see.» Algernon talked directly to River, now. The Enforcer nodded. Algernon's eyebrow twitched, looking at the Pollos. «So, one of you has to stay behind. Trial by combat calls for even numbers.»

Before Garaham could do, or say, anything, Banshee had already jumped up.

«Me, Chico and Vopros are going, Your Honor.» she declared. Algernon merely nodded.

«So, Bailiff, explain the rules of the trial by combat to everyone younger than two hundred years, which is the last time such an... old fashioned way of solving diatribes has been seen, while I go prepare. Court adjourned!» Algernon declared, leaving his chair.

The room exploded in an excited clamor at the unexpected turn of event, starting to sing choirs and rapidly forming cheering sections.

«Whatever the hell, woman! You're clearly in no conditions to fight!»

«We got you into this situation, Chief, by not recognizing Staccato's replacement of the box. We're getting you out o' it.» she said, with a decisive look.

«We know you out of shape. You not in combat for years. You do bad, whole Order sees, you lose face.» Vopros muttered.

«You were ready to fight for us in court, let us fight for you in the arena. We have your back, Chief.» Chico said, with a smirk on his face.

Garaham looked at them. His pains in his back, his bandwagon of debauchery, his useless bunch of idiots, with their absurd apparels and their self-assured expressions.

Ready to fight.

«Thanks.» he said, under his breath.

Then, Mariposa approached the two groups with a furious expression on her features.

«A ritual will be prepared, and the two Coven's wills, and the Judge's, will be projected in the Oneiron.» at this point, the Pollos started to think that, maybe, they didn't have the brightest idea. «There, you shall fight, until the last one stands. As soon as one Coven members are all down, everyone is called back to reality. It's all clear?»

Everyone nodded, even if it was painstakingly clear that the Pollos were lying.

«Excellent. We will be able to see the fight from here. May the... truth win.» Mariposa concluded, with clear disdain, and cleared the zone.