by Ben Hale
Few students were out this early, and those they passed gave them a wide berth. The motion had been common over the last few days, but this time Tess suspected it was due to the cat rather than her. From what she'd gathered, an official summons from the Magtherian had become an omen of ill import.
She did her best to look calm as they exited the school and entered the pathways of Sentre. Darkened by the hour, the massive trees and cultivated walkways carried an air of danger. Even though she knew it was just her imagination, she felt a trickle of fear grip her spine. Then she realized she wasn't the only one that felt it.
Amidst the gloom a handful of shopkeepers worked to prepare for the day. The owner of an ice-cream parlor betrayed his uncertainty by the jerking motion of his hands. A woman setting up a display of underwater bikes did so in a hurry, all the while casting furtive glances into the shadows. The ease of movement and tranquility that so typically lingered on Sentre was noticeably absent.
And yet nothing appeared.
Tess scanned the darkness time and again. Aside from the morning shadows she saw nothing. If someone was hiding they did not reveal themselves. Tess walked with the golden cat and tried not to let her imagination get the best of her. A few minutes later they reached the Spirus.
Towering over the city, the white granite and flowing glass of the building exuded elegance and strength in equal measure. She looked up as dawn crested. Its light touched the peak and illuminated the streams of glass, just as it did every day. This time it failed to alleviate her dread.
She followed the cat to a side entrance that she hadn't noticed before. Flanked by a pair of battlemages dressed in white and blue, the archway was further protected by a gravity shield. The golden cat walked through without hesitation, dispelling the enchantment long enough for Tess to enter. The guards nodded to her as she passed, and she inclined her head in return.
The empty alcove glittered purple and began to rise. Inside, Tess felt only confusion and uncertainty. Outside, Tess's expression did not deviate. If anyone was watching she wanted them to think she was as calm as a summer breeze.
With one side blocked only by magic, the gravity lift provided an unparalleled view of Northpoint, home to city officials and high ranking masters. As the lift began to slow Tess had a thought cross her mind and turned to the cat.
"What is your name?"
The golden cat turned to regard her. "I am called Emissary."
"Are you an entity?"
"I am not," the cat replied.
"Then what are you?"
"I am a grend of light," the cat said as the lift slowed to a stop.
Stunned, Tess asked, "Do you know Stel?"
An opening appeared on the back side of the lift, and Emissary walked through it. She paused and looked back at Tess.
"Your grend is known to me, even though it has only lived for a few hundred years."
"How old are you?"
The cat released a low hiss and turned away. Its answer came over its shoulder. "That question is not polite for either of our kind."
Tess didn't push it. From what she knew about grends, they could live for millennia. She'd never known they could learn to talk. She reached up to her neck, and then remembered she'd sent Stel to tell Iris what was going on. Feeling alone, she plodded after Emissary down an ornate corridor that ended in a small antechamber.
A single chair had been placed in the center of the room, while the walls displayed memories of former prisoners. In nearly all of them the accused had been brought forcibly to this room, leading her to question why this room in particular was the one she'd been led to.
"Is there more than one hearing room?" Tess asked the emissary.
The cat didn't turn, but answered, "There are four Halls of Judgment reserved for the degrees of crimes committed. Capitol crimes are reviewed by the mage High Council personally."
"And which am I being led to?"
"The Hall of Severity, highest court of the Magtherian before you reach the mage High Council."
Tess's heart sank. The research she'd done indicated that she should be going to the first or second halls reserved for minor crimes or crimes committed by underage mages. The Hall of Severity was used for major crimes against the mage world. By law, the punishments of exile or removal of magic could only be sentenced in the Hall of Severity or by the mage High Council.
The mere fact that this was the location chosen for her hearing indicated that they viewed her on par with traitors and murderers. In an instant all her planned defenses appeared weak and whiny, and she realized she would not be able to get out of this unscathed without help. On impulse she dropped to one knee.
"Emissary," she implored. "I need your help."
The cat regarded her for what felt an eternity. Then she settled onto her haunches and said, "What do you require of me?"
Tess let out a breath, grateful for the small allowance. "I am unfamiliar with the customs of this hearing. Is there anything you can tell me that will help me prepare myself?"
Emissary cocked her head to the side, seeming to consider the question. "You have been brought early but will be made to wait once you are inside. High Magistrate Mallian wishes to exercise the full weight of his authority on you, and sees you as a threat to the Magtherian. Therefore he has taken measures to ensure that you appear as an angry youth. You would do well to appeal to the others of the tribunal."
Tess accepted the advice with a nod. "Anything else?"
"The others respect authority, and will be more likely to listen if you speak with it. Arrogance, however, will be seen as a sign of immaturity. They have too much of it in them to see it as a strength in others."
"I cannot express my gratitude enough for your aid," Tess said.
The cat issued a low rumble. "The few members of our kind sense the gathering storm, and many would not see it destroy what we value. Good luck, Oracle. Do not lead us astray."
The cat's voice carried both praise and warning, but before Tess could respond the wrought iron door on the other side of the entrance swung open with an ominous whisper. She dipped her head in gratitude and stepped through into the cold, empty chamber of the Hall of Severity.
Chapter 14: The Hall of Severity
Empty, the broad hall featured a single chair at the center of an anti-magic ring. Seven ornate seats sat high at the back of the room above and behind a wall. Curved to follow the circular chamber, each of the chairs bore scrollwork and runes which she did not recognize. Thirteen balls of light illuminated the hall, and were held in clawed hands that extended from the ceiling. In addition, a large teardrop of white fire hung from the center of the chamber.
Tess straightened, and strode to the empty chair meant for the accused. Crafted of solid anti-magic, the material resembled obsidian. It was smooth to the touch, and disturbingly cold. She could sense the proximity alone dampening her magic.
Certain that they expected her to be afraid, she boldly sat in the chair. As she did a pair of knights appeared on her flanks. Flowing out of the ground, the metal shaped and twisted into the two figures, but once they were formed they did not move. Tess resisted the urge to retreat, and stayed where she was.
She waited, but true to Emissary's word no one came. She did her best to appear patient even though on the inside she felt only irritation. Ten minutes stretched into thirty, and then an hour passed. Still no one arrived. The hardness of the seat began to wear, so she cast an air cushion to sit on. The chair absorbed the magic in seconds, so she cast it again a few inches above the seat. Floating above the chair, she continued to wait.
The space smelled of age and desperation, and inevitably her mind turned to those that had sat in the seat before her. No doubt they had been accused of far greater crimes, and yet she couldn't help feeling sorry for them. Anyone brought to this chamber likely regretted their choices by the time they sat here.
After two hours she settled in to practice her farsight. It was the only thing she could think to do
that wouldn't give away her mounting irritation. Assuming a patient expression, she closed her eyes and watched through the lids the world fade to grey. In a calm setting she could see almost a minute.
In her mind she made the decision to toss a fireball in the air. Nothing happened except in her vision, where she watched the fire float into the air. She changed her mind before the act occurred, and the fire dissipated in an instant. Again and again she made the decision to act, and dared herself to push it beyond a minute.
The time crawled by, and her stomach began to grumble. More than once she wished she could have stopped for breakfast earlier. She forced herself to continue practicing her magic but only once did she surpass her record. She suppressed the urge to celebrate. As she sat here, the Dark was expanding, and Alice would certainly not be still. In spite of her effort to stay distracted a flood of anger filled her. Mallian was making her wait while people were dying.
Promptly at three a door opened behind the center chair. She looked up as a man dressed in a white robe moved to take the far left seat. The next took the far right, and so on until the last man to enter took the center. Smug and condescending, High Magistrate Mallian looked down on her with disdain.
"Tess Oliver," he said, "you have been charged with high treason against the mage government, assuming an authority you do not possess, and consorting with criminals against this people."
The three charges had been given to her within an hour of the Emissary's first appearance, so she wasn't surprised—but hearing them out loud sent a shiver through her.
"I understand the false charges that have been levied against me," she said calmly.
Mallian blinked and peered down at her, evidently expecting a different response. "I assume you are pleading innocent?"
"I am not here to plead anything, Magistrate, I am here to declare my innocence."
Mallian sat back in his chair. "Be that as it may, the charges against you carry the highest form of punishment available to this court. Were you an adult mage you would be standing before the Mage High Council, as your alleged partner will do later today."
"Hawk is being charged as well?"
"Of course," Mallian's lips curled in a sneer. "The two of you have blatantly disregarded the highest laws of this government, and when you are found guilty your magic will be stripped from you prior to your permanent exile."
An image of Mallian attempting to strip Hawk's magic flashed in Tess's mind. She had to tighten her lips not to smile. Mallian must have noticed the humor in her eyes, because his gaze narrowed.
"Normally the representatives of this court are chosen from the Masters of your field. In your case, however, we could not have a representative from every field of magic. In their place, a selection from your more advanced fields of study has been made. In additional, a full tribunal has been gathered due to the severity of your crimes. In place of five, you have seven appointed magistrates."
Tess's gaze flicked between the others, but she saw little sympathy there. From her research she'd learned that only the High Magistrate was a judge. The others were temporary magistrates for the duration of the hearing, and were drawn from the ranks of other government fields. Rayths, high ranking officials, and even school administrators were regularly chosen to sit in a tribunal.
In this case she recognized two of the group. Director Grayson she had expected. As the principal administrator of Tryton's, his presence was required on any case involving his students. He smiled down at her, and she recognized it as a sign that he would be supporting her.
The other was a surprise. At first she didn't recognize him due to the ceremonial robes. Then she realized it was Janson, one of the Rayth Captains and a member of the Guild. His expression was stern, and gave zero indication that he knew her personally. Not wanting to give him away, she did not let her gaze linger. Whatever the Guild had done to get him on the tribunal she was grateful for. At the very least she had two out of seven in her favor.
The other four members couldn't have been more different. Three were men, while one was a woman. All bore expressions of extreme dislike, bordering on hatred for one. Magistrates were supposed to be chosen for their impartiality, but she suspected that Mallian had had a hand in this.
Then she realized that she knew another of the seated men. Cleaned up and dressed as he was, Keidon looked like an entirely different person. As head of the Bureau of Magical Technology he was the most powerful techno mage in the Magtherian. He was also one of Alice's chief leaders within the Harbinger ranks. Tess felt a chill as she realized that he had somehow escaped the judgment being levied against other suspected Harbingers. If he was here . . .
"Are you ready for the evidence against you?" Mallian asked.
"I am," Tess said, her gaze returning to him.
"Then this tribunal is in session. Keidon, please initiate the memory."
He motioned to a large, curved frame that dominated the east side of the chamber, and the video of Mt. Elbrus filled it. Starting with former High Chancellor Ranson pulling the sword from the fire, it displayed Draeken's portal being opened, followed by Ducalik and the Dark exiting.
Then Alice unwittingly revealed herself as the Master of the Harbingers just before defeating Ducalik and cementing her superiority. The arrival of the steel entity was sudden, and opportune. Sent by Tess's friends and the Guild, it arrived in time to help Tess and Hawk escape.
The ensuing battle between the Iseonix, Hawk, Tess, Alice, the Harbingers, and the steel entity was brutal and desperate. Ultimately it culminated in Alice gaining the upper hand, and Tess revealing that the event was being broadcast worldwide. The look of fury on Alice's face could not have been faked, nor her declaration of her intentions to bring the nations of Earth to their knees.
It was the first time Tess had seen the video since the event. She'd pointedly avoided opportunities to review it. It was already seared into her memory, and nothing had changed—except for Keidon's name. She distinctly remembered one of the Harbingers frantically telling Alice what was happening before being struck down by her. He'd mentioned Keidon by name then, yet it was noticeably absent from the video. Had he actually succeeded in removing it from the video as it was broadcast?
The video ended abruptly, as if a knife had cut the line. Keidon waved his hand and the memory faded away. Mallian rose to his feet in the resulting silence.
"As we can all witness, Tess's open betrayal of our people's decision to remain in hiding demonstrates an absolute disregard for our authority. This great institution has maintained our secrecy for thousands of years, and she usurps it in less than six months after arriving at Tryton's. That alone is grounds for the strictest of judgments to be levied against her.
"It is vital that we as a tribunal act quickly," he continued, his voice rising with passion. "We cannot allow a child to defy the primary law of our society."
"Yet she is the oracle," Director Grayson said as Mallian resumed his seat. "The ancient prophecy is believed by many to be accurate. Is it not possible that she was merely fulfilling her birthright?"
"I agree with High Magistrate Mallian," Janson said, "to a point. We must also consider the necessity of her act. Regardless of her lack of authority, was her choice in the best interest of our people?"
One of the others all but snarled. "The Harbingers are not on trial here. The betrayer of our secrecy is."
"We should stay focused," Keidon said. "Anyone who threatens our people should suffer the most severe punishment this tribunal can levy."
Tess's blood boiled as he locked eyes with him. The hypocrisy of his statement and the smug twist to his features made her want to reach out and scorch him in his seat. She reigned it in with difficulty and rose to her feet.
"If I may speak?"
"It is your right," Mallian said. "But know that your words can be used to condemn as much as exonerate."
Tess bowed her head. She didn't need magic to sense that no amount of argument would sway them to her side. H
er only hope lay in speaking with such conviction that her words could not be denied. She had to be who Hawk had described. Gathering her courage, she began.
"Honored magistrates, I come before you today as a humble servant to the Magtherian. As you know, I faced a decision unlike any in history, and in spite of the desperation displayed on my features, my choice to bring the magic world public was done with calculating foresight.
"Alice herself provides the best defense for my actions. She declared her intention to overpower the nations of the Earth with the very Dark you witnessed enter this world. Doing so would require her to reveal magic. As much as we have relied on it for thousands of years, secrecy aided her far more than us."
Mallian jerked his head. "She would have been thwarted before she could commit the act of betrayal that you did. By bringing our world public you demonstrated a lack of faith in this institution, and the battlemages sworn to protect it. You—and the friends we suspect helped you—will all suffer the full weight of your crimes. This is, of course, if you will speak their names. If you do not, we will be forced to assume that you acted alone."
Tess blinked in understanding. Mallian meant for her to take the fall so her friends would not be punished. The threat was obvious not only to her, but to the others on the tribunal. The woman cast him an annoyed glance, while Janson's lips tightened. Director Grayson was more vocal.
"You cannot expect her to be punished for anything she has not committed."
"The techno mage that assisted her will be punished for her own crimes," Keidon said lightly.
Tess felt like she'd been slapped in the face, but instead of fear a surge of indignation filled her. An unfamiliar power joined it. Forceful and intense, it touched every part of her, and compelled her to speak.
