It turned out that the only member of their group who had died was Marie.
The memory of the older woman sacrificing herself still made Riley wince, but she had been sure to explain to the group that she had evened the score. Their stony expressions had softened when they had witnessed the enormous crater that now stood in the courtyard of the once Great Library and the blood-drenched cobblestones.
The door creaked open, and a red-robed mage spoke in hushed tones with one of their guards.
“I think it’s show time,” Melissa said, rolling her shoulders. “I for one am excited. I haven’t been in the shiny new council room since they updated the upholstery…”
Instead of responding, one of the fire mages forcefully stabbed the rogue in the back with his staff, maneuvering her toward the door. “Watch where you’re poking that thing, buddy,” she snapped before glancing at Riley. “Men, am I right?”
“Don’t antagonize them, Melissa,” Cecil grumbled from behind her as the guards shuffled each member through the door one at a time. “This is going to be bad enough as it is.”
As the last of her teammates stepped through the door, a guard moved to nudge Riley forward. Another mage stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, slowly shaking his head. He whispered to the other guard, “Don’t touch that one…” Riley missed the last part of his warning, but she saw the man’s eyes widen in alarm.
“Will you please step this way,” the fire mage said politely, keeping his distance. She didn’t miss the trace of fear in his eyes.
Riley didn’t bother to respond, walking slowly into the room at the back of the group. They had made special preparations for her, leaving a full ten fire mages to escort her through the doorway. The men and women were tense, keeping their eyes on her at all times and their weapons held at the ready.
They really must be afraid of me. Not that I blame them… The image of The Dark One’s message was still burned into her mind’s eye.
As she stepped through the portal, Riley found herself in a massive circular chamber. The ceiling towered above her, composed of hundreds of panels of multicolored glass that filtered the bright sunlight outside. The ceiling shifted as she watched, constantly changing the pattern of the tiles in a way that created colorful designs across the floor of the room. Riley idly considered that the chamber would be beautiful if it weren’t being used to hold her trial.
She approached her teammates where they knelt in the center of the room. “Kneel,” one of her guards whispered. She glanced sharply at the man, and he flinched back, his grip tightening on his staff. “Please,” he added quickly.
Riley dropped to her knees, the fire mages quickly encircling the group. As she fell to the ground, the back wall of the room shimmered and disappeared, revealing five floating platforms. Riley immediately caught onto the obvious color choices. Each council member sat upon a crystalline throne colored after their respective guild. The various men and women eyed the prisoners with hard expressions.
A man robed all in white sat in the center of the group and spoke up first, “We hereby convene the trial of citizens Cecil Stone and Melissa Granger and the travelers Riley, Ethan, Lucas, and Emma. The full Council is present and will stand in judgment of the prisoners. My name is Titus Augustus, acting Chairman of the Council and light mage Master.”
He eyed the group kneeling before him, hesitating before he continued. “Due to the numerous counts against each prisoner, the crimes charged against them will be summarized. The prisoners are being held on two counts of criminal trespass, five counts of arson, three counts of damage to public property, six counts of endangerment to the city and its citizens, and innumerable charges of battery, assault, criminal conspiracy, and treason.
“They are responsible for the destruction of the dormitories within the Great Library, damage to the stacks themselves, and critical damage to the library’s exterior wards and courtyard. We also have reason to believe that the prisoners conspired to destroy the tubing on level eleven and assault fire mage forces that were rerouted through level one.” Riley could see the fire mage Master grimace at this last point.
Titus eyed them each in turn. “How do the prisoners plead?”
The group all turned to look at Riley. Their message was clear. They would let her handle this process. “Guilty,” she said, returning the old man’s gaze evenly and her voice echoing slightly in the council room.
Titus turned to his fellow masters. “Very well. What says the Council? All those finding the prisoners guilty raise their hand.” Five hands were lifted into the air, the mages watching the group closely. As Riley scanned the Masters, she was surprised to see Vivian sitting upon the earth throne. The woman cocked her head as she watched Riley and her brow was furrowed in confusion.
“The vote is unanimous. The prisoners are guilty on all counts. We will now proceed to sentencing,” Titus intoned.
Riley rose to her feet, causing the fire mages around her to grab at their weapons in alarm. Fire curled around more than one staff and wand as their eyes flared red with their mana. “Permission to speak,” Riley requested, locking eyes with Titus.
The older man looked offended by her lack of decorum but received nods from the mages beside him as he glanced at his colleagues. “Very well, you may speak. Keep it brief, prisoner.”
Riley couldn’t help but smirk. Melissa might have been having a bad influence on her. “At this point, you are all aware of the magical plague that was spreading through the city. Our group already informed the fire guild patrol of the infiltration of the librarians by a group of cultists responsible for the disease. Have these cultists been found?”
The fire guild Master, a heavyset bearded man, spoke up, “Of course. We tested all of the librarians immediately, and we have already executed the group. Many killed themselves, so it made our work that much easier.” His tone was dismissive.
Vivian interjected, frowning at the other mage. “We were also able to locate the source of the plague. The cultists appear to have harnessed the library’s mana crystals to help sustain and spread the disease. Once we disabled their spell, most of the afflicted began to return to normal.”
Riley nodded in understanding. This next part would be tricky. She took a deep breath, willing herself to be calm. You can do this, she told herself.
“Then you also understand that our actions were justified,” Riley began. “This council and the guilds were warned of the danger of the plague before our group infiltrated the library and you all chose to do nothing. No help or assistance was provided to the low streets, and no investigation of the source of the plague was conducted. In this situation, the damage that we caused was much less than the result if we had not acted.”
“You blew a hole in the Great Library and nearly set fire to the stacks,” the fire mage Master sputtered. “I have over fifty mages in critical condition at the light guild because of what those scum on the lower levels did. Are you saying this was acceptable collateral damage?”
Riley patiently ignored both Melissa’s snort of laughter and the irony of being lectured to by a fire mage about collateral damage. “Yes,” she replied calmly, meeting the mage’s angry gaze. “We acted decisively and eliminated the threat.”
“And brought dark magic back to this city,” Titus added. “The message from The Dark One did not go unnoticed by the Council. Dark magic is prohibited within the city limits, as I’m certain you’ve been told. This is just the sort of situation we sought to avoid by exiling the dark guild nearly a hundred years ago.”
“Without my assistance, this city would have fallen to the cultists, resulting in thousands of deaths,” Riley argued. “And quite a bit more property damage – I might add – since you appear to value that more than the lives of your own citizens. I believe you should consider this as you rule on our sentencing.”
Titus’ face contorted briefly in anger before he could control his expression, while the fire mage Master glared at her with open hostility. She s
uspected the Prefect she had dueled on the road may have soured the well before the council meeting. Yet the other air and water mages were wavering, and she saw a small smile curl Vivian’s lips. Maybe all was not lost.
“Very well, we will take this under advisement during sentencing,” Titus continued. “Give us a moment to confer.” With that, the wall abruptly became opaque, hiding the mages from view. As soon as the wall reappeared, a notification popped up in front of Riley.
Quest Completed: Violent Vindication
Your group discovered that the cultists had infiltrated the Great Library, using the facility’s resources to develop and spread a magical plague. You defeated one of the cultists, and your actions lead to the eradication of the cult in Vaerwald. You believe that this cult may have been responsible for kidnapping townsfolk – including Lily’s family. While you suspect that this may not be the end of the cult’s influence, you have completed the intent of Lily’s quest. For now.
Difficulty: A
Success: Kill the cultists responsible for the death of Lily’s family.
Failure: Unknown
Reward: Unlock Vendetta’s special ability. Hidden class change to Fury.
As though that wasn’t obvious, Riley thought as she swiped the notice away. Sometimes, it felt like the quest prompts were pointless.
“Well, we’re screwed,” Ethan said, interrupting her thoughts. Despite their predicament, there was a trace of humor coloring his voice. “Anyone want to take bets on whether we get exiled?”
“We could use my coin, but I’m sort of tied up,” Lucas added with a chuckle.
Emma snorted, glancing at Riley with laughter in her eyes. “I would say I told you so, but this proves the point for me. Doesn’t it?” Then she hesitated, her expression sobering. “But I am glad I came along.”
“Same here,” Lucas and Ethan echoed.
“You are a bunch of idiots,” Cecil groused. Then he paused before glancing at Riley. “But I’ll be damned if I don’t agree. We still won – even if it came at a cost.”
Melissa shrugged. “I don’t know why you all look so morose. I’m going to be fine. Plus, I’ve got a hefty amount of coin coming to me after this. No one will be able to say I didn’t accomplish the job with a formal Council meeting to give me credit!”
Riley just shook her head at the rogue’s response. She was about to say something to the group when the wall shimmered again and disappeared. Titus didn’t look happy, and the fire mage Master looked like he was about to have an aneurysm. She took that as a good sign – a very good sign.
“The Council has made a verdict,” Titus declared, his voice echoing through the chamber. He paused, eyeing each of the prisoners in turn.
“The travelers Emma, Lucas, and Ethan are hereby exiled from the city for six months, with their sentence abated by five months due to their lack of a prior criminal record and their contributions to the city.” Riley could see the group heave a sigh of relief. A month of game time was doable and would pass quickly in the real world. That was only a little over a week.
Titus’ gaze turned to Cecil. “Given his previous criminal history and transgressions, Cecil Stone is hereby permanently exiled from Vaerwald, and his business will be confiscated to help pay for the damage to the city’s tube system and library.” The little man spat on the floor, glaring at the mage.
“Melissa ‘The Fox’ Granger…” the light mage hesitated, glancing at his colleagues with a frown. “Melissa is to be released on probation, and no fines or penalties shall be imposed.” A shit-eating grin had spread across the rogue’s face, and she looked like she wanted to laugh. Riley was surprised. The woman’s employers must have some serious connections – assuming they weren’t the council members themselves.
“And finally, the Council has reached a verdict regarding the traveler named Riley, The Left Hand of the Twilight Throne, and a founding member of the guild
The light mage’s gaze hardened and the other mages shuffled in their seats as he paused. “Riley shall be released, but shall be permanently banned from setting foot within Vaerwald from this day forth. Furthermore, if she is found within ten miles of the city, we shall view this as a formal declaration of war by the Twilight Throne and shall respond appropriately.”
Riley didn’t flinch as they read out the verdict. She didn’t plan to re-enter this damnable city. “My weapons will also be returned to me,” she said, locking eyes with the light mage. “Including my bow. You will also return Cecil’s equipment.”
The mage looked like he was about to argue and Riley summoned her dark mana. Crimson lines could be seen spreading away from the center of her pitch-black eyes like vines and the council members shifted in alarm. “Or this will be viewed as an act of hostility against my kingdom,” she stated coldly.
“How dare you…”
A smile drifted across Vivian’s mouth, and she interrupted the light mage. “Titus, you saw that courtyard just as I did. You are also aware of the events that have transpired recently in the Twilight Throne.” She looked at him evenly. “Is this an enemy we truly wish to make right now?”
The light mage looked flustered but eventually backed down. “Fine. Fine. It will be done. Guards, see to the prisoners and their belongings. Riley and Cecil, you have three hours to vacate the city. You should hope we never meet again.”
With that, the Council dismissed them, and the group was led back into the antechamber. The fire mages disabled their shackles, and then a group went to retrieve their equipment. The red-robed men and women kept their distance from the group of former prisoners.
“Oh, the balls on you, girl!” Melissa said, slapping Riley on the back. “Marie would be proud of her new protégé.” Riley glanced at her in surprise. “I’m well aware of what your eyes mean,” the rogue scoffed. “And so are those stuffy old mages.”
Riley’s expression sobered, thinking of the children at the orphanage. “About Marie…”
Melissa waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry. You were going to ask about the orphanage, right? The people of the low streets care for their own. We always have. The children will be fine.” She looked at her meaningfully and placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. “Trust me,” she said, squeezing once before releasing Riley.
Then the red-haired woman leaned in close. “But in return, why don’t you do me a favor? If you see Jerry again, tell him he’s a dead man if he comes near this city.”
Riley snorted involuntarily. “What’s so funny?” Melissa demanded, looking slightly offended that her attempt at intimidation had earned her a laugh.
“It’s just that I think someone already beat you to that one,” Riley replied with a smile. At the confused look the rogue gave her, she added, “Trust me, it’s a long story.”
With that, Melissa left the antechamber grumbling under her breath about ungrateful Furies. The fire mages dropped off the confiscated equipment for Emma, Lucas, and Ethan, and, a moment later, the group approached Riley, re-equipping their weapons and armor, and hefting their packs.
“So, what’s the plan now?” Ethan asked.
“I’m going home… I mean back to the Twilight Throne,” Riley said. “How about you all? Do you want to join me?”
Ethan grimaced. “I think I’m going to pass. Life’s a little too intense hanging around you – if you know what I mean.”
“What he’s trying to say is that there is another city south of Vaerwald with an air and light guild presence,” Lucas added, rolling his eyes. “I think we will head in that direction. The great coin has already spoken,” he mentioned with a chuckle, palming the silver coin.
“Understandable,” Riley said before glancing at Emma.
The light mage looked down at her hands and then back up at Riley. “I’m still sorry for what I did,” she said quietly. “I was wrong.”
“It’s alright,” Riley said, surprised that she no longer felt as angry with the girl as she had been. It seemed sort of petty after
everything that had happened. After her induction into the sisterhood and her last encounter with the Clarence-creature she just felt… different.
“We all make mistakes – myself included,” Riley added softly. Then she offered a hand. “Take care of yourself, Emma.” The light mage looked at her in relief and gripped her arm firmly.
The group bid her goodbye, and soon only Riley and Cecil were standing in the chamber. The fire mages soon returned with their equipment. Riley accepted the bundle, re-equipping her armor and daggers. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her bow was resting among the equipment. As she looked through the package, she also found the torn and tattered remains of Marie’s leather armor, the familiar red material embroidered along the seams. She traced it with her fingers.
“You could repair it,” Cecil said gruffly, watching her. “It’s what Marie would have wanted anyway. You carry her legacy – and Lily’s.”
Riley was surprised at the enchanter’s almost-kind words, especially after she had gotten him exiled. “Maybe I should,” she replied. She sighed softly, returning her attention back to Cecil. “So what are your plans?”
“Oh me? Well, I’m broke and penniless – because of you, I might point out. I thought, maybe I’d beg on the side of the road… Or try to steal some stuff on my way out of town. I briefly considered blowing up my shop. Just to stick it to those uptight mages.” A nearby fire mage glanced at the enchanter in alarm.
Riley laughed. She could tell Cecil was dead serious. “That seems a bit extreme. They also might not let you go if you keep destroying parts of the city.”
Awaken Online: Retribution (Side Quest) Page 22
