“Dybbuk, who is fourth in command, will face the following charges: failing in his mission to rule the place known as the Other, and being accountable for Raum and Ailith ceasing to exist.” Grasant rolled up and tucked the parchment back under his robes. “How do you plead, Dybbuk of the fourth in command?”
Dybbuk knew it was pointless to plead his case as to why he shouldn’t be on trial, so he flatly told everyone that he was not guilty and scoffed in outright disdain at the accusations. Grasant walked off the stage, smiling.
“Dybbuk, tell us what occurred in the place known as the Other,” the Overlord said, and the trial commenced.
Dybbuk looked at each judge in turn and began. “Thirty-six moons ago, Ailith and I were allocated by the Overlord to transgress the place known as the Other. Our mission was simple; we were to infiltrate the surrounding towns and gradually take their souls into our world, so that we could substitute their essence with ours and populate their world.” Dybbuk paused.
“Go on,” Avalos of the sixth judge encouraged.
“The portal placed us in a forest to begin our charge. It was decided that Ailith would secure the forest by using a barrier ward around the area, while I went to one of the nearby towns to assess their strengths and weaknesses. I left and returned two moons later and found she didn’t erect the ward like she was supposed to, so I addressed the witch for her disobedience and found she’d laid a trap for me.”
“A trap?” Stratus of the third judge asked.
“Yes. While I was questioning her, my arm was pierced by a dart, causing it to go numb, and then humans materialized, pointing blowguns and arrows in my direction. I was about to attack them when Ailith told me that their weapons were tainted with demonsbane and said for me to stand down, which I did. She then offered me two choices: I consent to her by turning over my Amulet of Status or die. The choice was easy. I decided to live, so I gave her the amulet and left the forest.”
“Why didn’t you strike her down?” Stratus of the third judge asked.
“Revenge can be taken at any time,” Dybbuk responded flatly.
“You turned over the amulet and thus gave up your position in our world? No demon would ever do that. They would rather die than face the humiliation,” Tribler of the fifth judge furiously interjected.
“I agree,” Gravis of the first judge chimed in.
When the remainder of the judges began to stir, the Overlord abruptly barked, “ENOUGH!” and the chamber went silent. “Continue,” he instructed Dybbuk.
“As I was saying,” Dybbuk coldly started. “I left the forest under their watchful stares and took up residence in the town of Redden. Many moons later, a group of human would-be assassins tried to put an end to my life. What they didn’t know was that I erected wards of protection, and as soon as they entered my sphere, it not only stopped them and sent them scurrying away, it also left their trail behind. I hunted them down and killed them one after another until there was only one left alive and, in true demon fashion, I influenced him into telling me everything. I quickly found out Ailith sent them to end my life, so I sent him back, telling her they vanquished me. After he left, I resolved to take my revenge sooner than expected, but before I could, I needed some sort of protection against the demonsbane and opted to do something she would never suspect.” He paused for effect. “I injected myself with enough of the substance until I became so resistant to the venom, I could face her again without any fear from her little helpers.”
“Where did you get the demonsbane?” Hrad of the seventh judge asked.
“The assassins carried several small vials of the toxin.”
“How did you know that it wouldn’t have killed you in the process?”
“I didn’t. Actually, I almost perished several times.” Dybbuk waited for more questions, then continued when there weren’t any. “With each passing moon, my body became more resistant to the poison until I could ingest several doses at once and remain standing. At that point, I knew it was time to take my revenge on her. On a cold, dark, rainy night, I entered the forest and killed every outsider who stood in my way until eventually I cornered her and ripped her apart piece by piece.”
“That’s a lovely tale you weave, but what about your amulet that you so willingly gave up to spare your life? By rendering your mark, didn’t you demote yourself? Furthermore, by doing so, that would’ve put you under her command, and for that, you are guilty, and this trial is over.” Gravis of the first judge savored his finding and wanted to convict him in the worst way.
“Yes, it would.” Dybbuk smiled.
Gravis grinned and looked at the other judges in delight.
“Gravis, you’re a fool,” the Overlord snapped. “For Dybbuk to renounce his status, Ailith would’ve had to crossover to our world and reveal the amulet to me. Since she didn’t, whatever he did in the place known as the Other is irrelevant. When this trial is over, take your feeble form over to the Great Hall and read from the Book of Repute. There you will find what you openly question.”
Embarrassed, Gravis elected not to further question the one who stood in judgment on this day.
“What befell of the remaining humans?” Denin of the fourth judge inquired.
“What do you think happened to them?” Dybbuk’s eyes never left the judge.
“Dybbuk, we are now going to pass judgment on you,” the Overlord stated.
In turn, the judges, with the exception of Stratus, said he was innocent.
The Overlord rose from his chair. “I agree, you’re innocent. However, you must defeat the six drones before you can be forgiven for killing another ranking demon. Do you agree?”
“I do,” Dybbuk said and straightened his form, took a deep breath, and expanded his chest in acceptance.
The Overlord sat down and struck his staff a few times on the ground.
The drones released their swords, one after another, and circled the demon who stood in judgment. Dybbuk shifted his eyes, watching their movements. When they were ready, the drone directly to his left howled and lunged at him. The greater demon waited until the very last second, then effortlessly sidestepped the attack, grasped his assailant’s limb with his left hand, and dug his claws of his right into his left shoulder, tearing away his extremity. The drone’s momentum sent him to the ground where he bled out and never rose again.
Two more drones moved in, swinging their weapons back and forth, trying to distract their foe so that they could easily strike at him. Dybbuk was far too skillful of a warrior to fall for such a tactic and aggressively blocked each strike until their midsections were exposed, then he squatted, plunging his claws simultaneously into their stomachs and removing their innards upon retraction. Both drones fell to their knees, wailing in extreme pain, and then toppled over dead. The Overlord thought his maneuvers were both brutal and flawlessly executed, which excited him.
The remaining drones began their assault much more cautiously than the others and circled the demon several times before taking turns lunging at him. Dybbuk elusively moved out of the way of each attack until they were within range of his sharp talons, then he removed their heads one at a time. Before the last of his executioners hit the floor, Dybbuk knelt on one knee, before the council, in victory.
“Very impressive, Dybbuk, you are absolved of Ailith’s murder,” the Overlord said and tapped his staff several times on the floor, clearly indicating this portion of the trial was over. “Now tell us what occurred leading up to Raum’s death.” He rapped his staff only once to commence the trial again.
Dybbuk rose and began his tale. “After her death, the portal back to our world collapsed, and I was trapped in the place known as the Other, so I left the forest and traveled north to continue my charge. Along the way, I visited several towns and one, in particular, caught my attention. It was called Mirkin.”
“Why that town?” Hrad of the seventh judge asked.
“From the onset, I felt a very weak flow of energy from our world existing some
where from within the town, leading me to search for it until I finally discovered the source buried deep within an underground passage. After I erected a portal, I collected data about the town and was poised to begin my duty when Raum unexpectedly paid me a visit with a sealed writ from the Overlord.”
“Did you know he was in the place known as the Other?” Gravis of the first judge inquired.
“Yes, but I didn’t know where. However, looking back, I was surprised that I did not sense his presence when he entered the town beforehand.”
“Indeed, that is strange. His essence should have alerted you to him. So what did the writ say?”
“It stated that I wasn’t supposed to leave the world known as the Other until my mission was completed and Raum was supposed to lead the charge of bringing their world under demonic control. It also said failure to comply with the writ would result in my death upon my return to our realm. I scoffed at him and told him to leave. Raum simply said, in a tone that would normally invite death, orders were orders, and he would not leave until we were finished. So I reluctantly agreed.”
“Dybbuk,” all heads turned toward the Overlord, “Are you sure that was my writ?”
“It had your seal, my lord.”
“Very well, continue.”
He nodded. “We hid in the cave to discuss our plans until we finally agreed on a course of action. It was simple yet effective. We would take up the guise of a high-ranking, or influential figure and build a large structure on top of the portal so that we could easily transport our kind into their world without drawing too much attention.
“Our first step was to blend in and observe those pathetic humans. It didn’t take us long to come to the conclusion that the person who gave us our best chance for success wasn’t someone of great wealth or power, it was one of the poorest of them all. A priest named Abiathar. Not only did the poor and middle class follow him blindly, but also the wealthy. We became followers of his and studied his ways until we felt ready, then he met with a terrible accident.” Dybbuk smiled, “Raum quickly assimilated his body, while I did the same to his most trusted acolyte.
“When we felt confident enough in our roles, we paid the mayor a visit and convinced him to build a new cathedral, one that would draw more people to our teachings and raise money for his town. He agreed, and the structure took well over ten moons to erect.
“During that time, we developed a following none had ever seen before. People from the lowest, to the highest ranking attended our poetic services day in and day out, with many coming from different regions just to hear our word. Everything was going as planned. Our temple was built, the portal was safely canceled, and we had a strong foothold in the town and were now ready to set our true plans into motion.” He paused and then continued. “Two nights before the beginning of the end for the humans, I was ambushed by two Water Tirips as I passed a nearby brook.” His tone turned from calm to angry. “The guardians sprung forth from the stream and directed three-foot waves which crashed into me with enough force to send me to the ground and almost causing me to lose consciousness. After struggling to regain my footing, I was struck several times by their deadly water balls and thrown at least a hundred feet away. As I lay motionless, trying to regain my thoughts, the Water Tirips closed in. They were no more than twenty-five feet away when I conjured a small Air Tirip to my defense. The Air Tirip swirled before them in defiance and absorbed stream after steam of water, allowing me enough time to regain my footing and reach the temple. Frantically, I tried opening the doors but found them sealed from the inside. I called out several times for Raum, and he never answered. However, my voice did draw the attention of the nearby guards who came rushing over to investigate and arrived just as my Tirip dissipated into nothingness and the Water Tirips raced toward me. When they were within range, they sent balls of water, and I quickly grabbed one of the guards and used him as a shield, while others were hit and killed. The remaining guards engaged the Tirips.”
“What happened next?” Tribler of the fifth judge excitingly asked.
“After tossing aside the corpse, I escaped. There was no point in fighting the Tirips or trying the doors again.”
“Are you going to believe this liar?” Tam of the second judge stood up, raising his voice.
Dybbuk gazed upon him with hatred. He knew Tam’s student-teacher relationship with Raum.
“My lord, how can his story hold true? You mean to tell me he survived both full-strength attacks from the Tirips, had an adequate amount of power to conjure an Air Tirip, and then, as luck would have it, guards showed up and diverted the Tirips long enough for him to escape?” Tam turned his attention back to Dybbuk and continued his rant. “What happened to the Water Tirips? They would have surely tracked you down until their charge was finished. This trial is nonsense, and you should die.”
“Hold your tongue, Tam of the second judge,” said the Overlord firmly. “You seem to forget how resourceful and clever Dybbuk can be at times. Now return to your seat.”
Tam did not like being stifled, not even by the Overlord. However, he knew better and sat down without saying another word.
“Tam, it appears your emotions are tied to Raum’s death. Do not let them sway your decision during this trial or you will face judgment. Continue, Dybbuk,” the Overlord added.
Dybbuk bowed slightly and continued. “With my life force diminishing, I sought refuge in the town of Redden where I took up the guise of a wealthy man and lived among the humans until I was whole again. I was pretty sure Raum was the one who tried to kill me, so when I—”
“Tell us how you came to that conclusion,” Avalos of the sixth judge interrupted.
“You didn’t allow me to finish,” Dybbuk said, staring at him.
“I apologize. Please, go on.”
“Three things that pointed to it being Raum: he was skilled enough to conjure the Water Tirips, the temple doors were sealed shut, and after I tried reentering Mirkin, there were wards that blocked my entry. Satisfied?”
Avalos nodded and told him to continue.
“I knew to deal with Raum I needed to disable his wards first, so I persuaded a young human to aid me.”
“Did you use our way?” Tribler of the fifth judge asked?
“No.”
“Why not? Don’t they behave better when under the influence?”
“Yes, but Raum would’ve sensed it and my plan would’ve failed.”
“Then what did you use?” Gravis of the first judge asked.
“All humans crave trinkets of power, so I gave him a shiny trinket that would give him a false sense of security.” Dybbuk smiled and continued. “With detailed instructions, my pawn traveled to Mirkin and deactivated his wards, thus granting me access to his sanctuary, where I confronted and defeated him.” Dybbuk left out most of the details regarding Torhan’s travels and how he really didn’t deactivate the wards.
Upon hearing of Raum’s death, Tam’s emotions finally got the better of him. He rose from his chair, stared at the one who stood in judgment, then walked toward the door. The Overlord, surprised and angered by his actions, nodded toward Chargen, who stepped in front of Tam, blocking his way. Tam halted his progress and turned around.
“I will not participate in this trial any longer.”
The Overlord rose from his chair. “Tam, you have disrupted this trial enough and—”
“My lord,” Dybbuk interrupted the Overlord in midsentence, catching everyone’s attention. “This is the second time Tam has acted in a negative manner during this hearing. I demand retribution.”
Dybbuk wanted to seize the opportunity before him so that his challenge would accomplish two things: he would reinforce his status among his kind and destroy another rival.
The Overlord pondered his request for several seconds and was about to answer when Tam said, “I accept his challenge. Raum was my mentor, my friend, and I can’t continue living if this traitor is still alive. Let me avenge his death.”
&n
bsp; “Tam, I don’t think you can best him, but if this is the path you choose, so let it be written.” The Overlord struck his staff three times, acknowledging the challenge, and sat back down. “Now take your seat and let us pass judgment.”
After Tam was seated, the Overlord spoke again.
“Dybbuk, we’ve heard enough and will now rule.” The Overlord turned to the judges. “How do you rule?”
“Life,” Gravis of the first judge ruled without hesitation.
Tam sat there staring blankly ahead.
Well, Tam?” the Overlord hissed at him.
Tam shook his head as if he had just woken up from a long sleep, then he narrowed his gaze upon Dybbuk as he voted for death, a decision that Raum would’ve wanted.
“Life,” Stratus of the third judge continued.
“Death,” said Denin of the fourth judge.
“Life,” Tribler of the fifth judge said after hesitating.
Avalos of the sixth judge and Hrad of the seventh judge each voted for death, leaving the wisest and only one who sat in silence during the entire proceeding, Brolumore of the eighth judge.
The demon’s gaze never left the one who stood on trial this day. He simply said, “Life.”
“Dybbuk, the court has ruled, and since there is a split decision, I will decide your fate.” The Overlord stood up. “You have been acquitted of Ailith’s murder, and now I will rule on Raum’s death.” No one, not even Tam, made a noise as they eagerly awaited his decision. “Given Raum’s motives, actions, and this mysterious writ that was clearly forged, I find you not guilty of his death by reason of betrayal, not only to you, but to our kind as well. However, you are guilty of failure to carry out my plan. The penalty for that crime is usually dismemberment of a limb, but, because of the two fools who are now rotting in the abyss, you will not suffer that fate either. However, you must pay some type of retribution for failure.”
A Demon's Quest the Beginning of the End the Trilogy Box Set Page 38
