The two officers that had unstrapped Sain stepped either side of him and each grabbed one of his elbows rather tightly, causing the youth to cry out slightly in pain. His discomfort was ignored as he was marched out of the room and into a long hallway, bare of any sort of furniture or fixture. He was forcefully turned to the right and marched down the windowless corridor past numerous other doors. Hearing a bang behind him, Sain turned his head trying to look over his shoulder, guessing the third officer was behind him. However, as soon as he tried to look away, his elbows were squeezed hard, causing him to yelp and momentarily step up onto his tip toes. He guessed the officers didn’t want him looking around.
As he was marched, he just latched his eyes on the figure of the dark haired man, who was striding confidently before him, turning around corners in this maze like building.
After a few minutes of silent walking, the dark haired man stopped before a door and turned to face it. He looked back to Sain and the officer's, a smirk light on his lips. After a few moments, he pushed the door open and disappeared inside. Sain was then marched straight into the new room and he cringed at what he saw. There was a long wooden table situated in the middle of the room, at which two men were seated. The dark haired man was quietly conversing with them, and pointing to a pair of boxes on the table.
Sain didn’t have the luxury of investigating it further as the officers flanking him forced him to sit in a fixed metal chair at the end of the table. They lifted his hands above the table and un-cuffed one of his hands before looping the cuffs through a metal fixture on the table and re-cuffing him. As soon as the youth was contained they stepped away from him and exited the room. Only one of the officers remained, standing directly behind Sain.
Sain looked around the room now, noticing that the wall was actually ringed on three sides by a pane of glass or a window most like, with a hidden room on the other side. He scowled.
"So, Mr Belford. Now that we are here, it is time to get started" a sharp voice sounded, almost echoing in the room. Sain's gaze snapped to look at the source of the voice, the dark haired man. Sain opened his mouth and tried to say something back, but once more, a jumble of confused sounds left his mouth, and his mind swam.
"Well. We need to fix that. Can't speak all drugged up now can we" the dark haired man stated and then gestured to one of the men he had been conversing with at the table. One stood up and opened a box, more like a container really, and produced a small syringe and bottle of some liquid drug. The man twisted off the lid and sucked out a small amount of liquid from the bottle with the syringe. He then approached Sain who eyed him warily.
The man stood on Sain's left side and held the syringe against the vein on the inside of Sain's elbow. Without a hint of hesitation, the man injected Sain with the drug and then wadded the youths arm with a cotton ball. Sain instantly felt a little flushed and irritated as the drug hit his system.
"The substance will take a few minutes to act Sir, and counter-act the anti-magic serum" the unknown man stated as he moved back to his chair and put the bottle and Syringe away.
"Good. Thank you Dr. Kowka. Dr Harris, please set up the lie detector now" the dark haired man requested, whilst naming both the individuals. Sain turned his gaze to the two doctor's and scowled as Dr. Harris brought his chair over to near Sain, and placed his own container down near Sain. The Dr. opened it and Sain saw a computer within the vessel, and once more scowled. This was some sort of interrogation. As the man started to hook Sain up to the machine, the youth latched his eyes on the dark haired man, realizing that his thoughts were no longer a jumble. Whatever he had been injected with was giving him control of himself once more.
"Mr Belford. No doubt you are feeling clearer now, so I will give you a warning. Do not attempt to use magic in this room. The chair you are sitting on is an electric chair. Not strong enough to kill, but certainly enough to incapacitate or cause significant pain. It is also controlled by officers behind these glass windows. They can see you and hear you even if you cannot see or hear them. Is that clear enough for you?" the man asked as he went to one of the room’s corners and slouched into it.
Sain sucked in a breath and stared at the man before nodding, not trusting his words yet. The man just smiled somewhat and turned his attention to Dr. Harris and waited in silence. After a few moments the Dr. looked at Sain with a blank look as he seemed to be ready.
"Is your name Sain Belford? Yes or no?" he asked of the youth. Sain blinked and then turned his attention to the dark haired man even as he answered hesitantly, opening and closing his mouth silently a few times first.
"Yes" he answered simply, his voice wavering somewhat. The Dr. stayed quiet a moment before asking another question.
"Are you fourteen years old?" came the second question, as toneless as the first.
"Yes. That is correct" Sain replied, his voice a little unsteady.
"Good, good, everything seems to be in order. Now I need you to lie to me. Say something like, you are a king or the like" came the order from the doctor. Sain blinked, his heart stopping for a moment and his heart jolted as his mind raced a little.
"Ah, ok. I am the Governor of Rindai" Sain stated hesitantly, slightly stuttering. The Dr. raised an eyebrow and tapped away at the computer briefly before looking up at the dark haired man in the corner.
"Sir, you can begin now" Dr. Harris stated. Sain groaned inwardly, knowing they must have been calibrating the machine to his answers. He just wanted to hit his head into a wall now and knock out his stupidity. He had never done one of these before and he doubted these lie detectors were as easy to throw off as displayed on TV. The dark haired man stepped forward now and placed both his hands palm down on the table, his eyes locked on Sain.
"I am going to ask you some questions Mr Belford, and know that you cannot lie to us now" he stated, his eyes cold as he seemed to stare almost right through Sain. Sain just gulped and nodded somewhat timidly and tried to relax. He reminded himself that he probably didn’t have anything to hide. The dark haired man continued to look at Sain as he began his questioning.
"Are you apprenticed to a man by the name of Clyde Sedious" the man asked, causing Sain to blink in surprise.
"Yes Sir. I am" Sain replied. With a nod from Dr. Harris, the dark haired man continued.
"Were you aware that Clyde has been a wanted fugitive for some time? And do you know of his current whereabouts?" The man asked, still staring at Sain. Sain actually furrowed his brow in confusion and just looked at the man for a short time before replying.
"I, I did not know that. Um, I am sorry, but I don't know where he is" Sain stated, his gaze dropping to look at his hands.
"Very well. So, tell me the nature of your work for Clyde. What sort of things was he teaching you? Having you do?" the dark haired man asked as he pushed off the table and sat in an unclaimed chair, slouching somewhat into its frame. Sain frowned, wondering what this line of questioning was for. He didn’t even know why he was here. He couldn't even remember how he had got where he was. He had thought he had died after all. Biting his lip, he shook his head slightly, eliciting strange looks from the doctor's in the room.
"Um, well, I was only apprenticed to him for around one year, and we only did a few things. Mostly I worked in the factory" Sain stated as he looked up at the dark haired man who had tightened his jaw as he listened.
"Just a few experiments based around explosives and stuff. Clyde liked to blow stuff up I think" Sain stated and shrugged rather nervously.
"Yes, I know he likes to blow stuff up. That’s why he is a fugitive. He blew up an embassy around ten years ago. And only days ago, he blew up his own factory. This caused significant destruction and multiple deaths. Of which you are considered an accessory to the fact" the dark haired man stated, a fist clenched as it was laid on the table. Sain sat there shocked and stared with his mouth hanging open slightly.
"What, but I didn't blow anything up. I swear I didn't" Sain said, his voice going high as he
panicked. Had he just incriminated himself somewhat?
"Mr. Belford. You are considered a domestic terrorist. You were found half dead in the rubble, but it wouldn't be the first time Clyde has left an accomplice to die. I suggest you start thinking on what you know of Clyde, and what you can tell us to help your case" came a snappy reply from the un-named man.
"But, I don't know anything. Why don't you ask his family or something? Those nobles in the Hill's quarter. His sister and stuff" Sain shot back, throwing out almost random thoughts. He stared at the man though who simply raised an eyebrow.
"Clyde Sedious has no relative’s young man. He has been on the run for two decades. And he is no noble. Tell me what you know of this 'family' of his?" the man asked as he leant forward, seemingly interested.
"They live in the hills, on Castor lane. Forty Seven I think. A big mansion with a statue of a whale out the front. I have been there. Clyde took me there a few times" Sain stammered, eyes wide. The doctor on the lie detector wasn't even paying attention to the machine anymore, most likely interested in what Sain had to say. The dark haired man just tapped a hand on the table and quirked an eyebrow.
"Well. That is unfortunate. That sounds like the House of Vouille. This was burnt to the ground just yesterday. Whole family died in the fire. The servants and everything. It was classed as suspicious by the fire department, and I can understand why, especially if they were linked to Clyde" the man stated and continued to think on something. He seemed to decide and focused his gaze on Sain.
"Finally Mr. Belford, did Clyde ever perform any experiments on you. Do anything to you against your will?" the man asked his eyes bright, almost excitable. Sain blinked in surprise again and shook his head vigorously.
"No, he did not. Well, not that I am aware" Sain spluttered. Sain's answer seemed to disappoint the man who just scowled and stood up.
"Well, I think we are done here. I have no further questions. "Dr's, please drug him again, and officer, take him back to his cell. He has his trial tomorrow" the man stated looking over Sain's head at the lone officer in the room.
Sain widened his eyes in shock and looked around the room at everyone. Trial. What was he? A criminal? He didn't even know what to think anymore. He locked his panicked gaze on the Dr. approaching him with a fresh syringe in his hand, no doubt full of the drug that dimmed his mind and turned him into a simpleton capable only of speaking gibberish.
"No, no, please don't" he almost begged as he lifted his arms and tried to pull the cuff's from the table, doing nothing but causing them to cut into his wrist's. He instinctively reached for his magic as the dark haired man left the room, feeling trapped and threatened.
As he did though, a shock ran hard through his body and he convulsed as his muscles spasmed. He had forgotten about the electric chair he was seated upon. He heard swearing from the doctor with the syringe as the man grabbed Sain's left arm and jabbed him with the needle. The coolness of the liquid ran through Sain and his mind near instantly became fogged, causing him to just slump in his seat, and mumble softly.
He just stared dumbly at the surface of the table, not even registering the other two officers returning to the room to collect him.
* * *
"Sain Belford, you are hereby charged with five cases of murder, one case of reckless endangerment and one case of illegal use of magic, which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries to the citizens of Rindai. In such an extreme case of blatant misuse of your given abilities and the severity of your crimes, in imperial law you will not be judged as a minor, but as an adult. Mr. Belford, by the power invested in me by his lord majesty, I hereby sentence you to death by lethal injection, the sentence to be carried out in two days’ time" the Judge stated, lifting his hammer and slamming it down on his desk.
Sain reeled as his judgment was given. The last few days had been so surreal, he had moved about in a dream like trance trying to make sense of it all. His drugged mind simply could not keep up with all that had occurred. He looked around himself at the near bare courtroom from the podium at which he stood. The galley was empty of people, and only a city prosecutor, eight jurors, a few court staff and his so called lawyer filled the expansive room. Then there was the judge sitting up on his chair, now stacking a few documents as if he had not a care in the world.
Two guards approached Sain and grabbed him by the elbows before escorting him from the platform. As he was led from the podium before the imperial court, Sain sagged with despair as he cast his eyes around the sparse room. He didn't even look at his lawyer, who he thought was nothing more than a sham. The lawyer was state provided after all, as his father Regas had no hope in affording one. The trial had been closed to the public, and not even his father had been allowed to witness the proceedings, rigged as they were. It was painfully obvious to Sain that he had been charged and his case swept quietly under the rug as someone else pulled the strings. He was not important and this sham court was just a front for the public who were probably demanding justice to be served.
Sain finally lifted his head and started to walk, or more like shuffle as he was escorted from the room. As he passed through the main doors of the courtroom, he noticed a tall dark haired man whom Sain was certain to be the man orchestrating this fake trial. It was the same man that had interrogated him only yesterday. The man watched Sain like a hawk as the youth was escorted from the premises, a sick, twisted smile heavy on his face, as though he had won a great prize and was gloating to himself. Whoever he was, he seemed to be feared by the men that surrounded him and he carried himself like a man that was used to being obeyed and never disobeyed.
Sain shook his head and turned his attention away from the man, instead focusing on the path he was being guided down. He grit his teeth and tried to focus his gaze on a single point as he was marched passed people who hurriedly moved out of his way. All the people watched him with dark expressions, and some even muttered curses as the youth was marched past. Sain flicked his gaze to the floor and locked his eyes on his own shuffling feet. For the twenty four hours, he had been heavily drugged and had been unable to gather his thoughts. He had found however, that concentration was not forbidden from his grasp, especially when the drug began to wear off. All he had to do was focus on a single point.
After a few minutes of silent walking, Sain and his escorts exited the main building and stepped onto a section of the court house roof. Sain lifted his gaze and squinted his eyes at the sun glaring off the ocean. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the bright light even as he was near dragged along a walkway. When his eyes adjusted, Sain cast his gaze on a waiting gunship situated on a helipad a bare ten meters in front of him. Waiting with the gunship was a doctor, a needle with the anti-magic drug ready to go in the doctor’s hand.
Sain locked his gaze on the man and sucked in a deep breath. He felt a lot more coherent, the drug having worn off significantly during his trial, and the following march to this point. Exhaling, Sain flared his nostrils and focused his gaze, collecting his thoughts.
Everything seemed to slow down for him as he readied himself. His gaze hardened and the two guards flanking him seemed like nothing. He centered his mind’s eye on his core, filled with a magical energy to the point of bursting, having built up over a number of days. Hearing a shout from his front, he ignored it, the doctor pointing straight at him, having noticed the youth’s hard expression.
The sense of slow motion simply increased for him as two more guards appeared from behind the gunship, raising small tazers. He felt the guards either side of him tighten the grip on his elbows, and he snarled. Bringing up his energy, he imagined a wave exploding around him, and true to his thoughts, the energy from his core erupted outwards in a silent explosion. The two guard’s grips released from his limbs as they flew sideways, spinning through the air and colliding heavily with the railings flanking the roof. He ignored them, and turned his attention to those in front of him, his cuffed hands rising in front of him in that seemingly slow motion.
Everything was happening in the blink of an eye, and yet it felt like an eternity.
The doctor and two guards rushed him, the guards firing their tazers at his chest. Sain focused a surge of energy before him and created a shield, knocking the tazer's pins straight out of the air. Then he blew the shield outwards to his front, the force launching both the guards and doctors straight off of their feet. The trio flew back into the gunship behind them, audible cracks sounding as they collided with the cold steel of the vehicle. They crumpled straight to the ground as Sain sensed a shift of energy to his rear and he turned, ever so slowly to meet it, a shield being brought up to guard him.
As he came to face his rear, Sain locked eyes with the dark haired man who wore an expression of anger even as the two men flanking him jumped into action. Sain had not known the man had followed him, and with guards of his own.
As energy shifted again, Sain locked his attention to the mage to his right, who was launching into an incantation and twisting his hands dramatically. A blast of energy hit Sain, punching into his shield and sending him staggering backwards, his chained legs nearly tripping him. Sain hissed and flung a blast of energy right back at the man. It skittered harmlessly against the mages own shield, causing Sain to scowl. He was clearly outmatched here. As flashes of brilliant light bounced off his barrier Sain flicked his eyes to his left and looked at the other guard, an apparent soldier that was firing at him with an energy pistol. The beams of energy smashed into his shield again and again, sending colorful ripples through it.
Then came another blast from the mage, this time directed from above by the man. Sain crumpled to his knees under the pressure and grit his teeth as he felt the full weight of the man’s magic bearing down on him. And then it was gone, causing Sain to blink in surprise. The soldier stopped firing his pistol at him even as a magical blast crashed into Sain’s shield from the front. It broke through his now thin barrier and battered into him. Sain didn’t even have time to scream as he felt himself flung backwards, his consciousness leaving him seemingly mid-flight.
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