To Ythnel's far left sat Naeros, fidgeting in his chair until the man to the right of him laid a hand on his forearm. That man Ythnel had never seen before. A square jaw, blunt nose, and bushy eyebrows all fought for dominance under a mass of dark, curly hair held back by a thin circlet of gold. There was some resemblance to Naeros, but this face was older, both in years and wisdom. It could only be his father, Jaerios Karanok. That made the elderly man sitting in the middle chair above the others Maelos Karanok, and to the right of him sat Kaestra. The last chair was empty.
The guards halted a few feet from the bottom of the dais and took up flanking positions slightly behind Ythnel. Kaestra got up from her chair and stepped down to the main floor, stopping in front of Ythnel.
'You are here because an accusation of witchcraft has been brought against you,' she said in a stiff and formal voice that echoed back louder than she had spoken. 'Is there anything you would like to say before judgment is pronounced?' Ythnel nodded.
'Know this, then. Should you try to cast a spell once your gag is removed, you will be killed before you complete the first syllable.' Kaestra waited, her eyes locked with Ythnel's. Ythnel did not waver, and Kaestra looked away first, motioning one of the guards to remove the gag.
'I am innocent,' Ythnel croaked. It was the first time she had used her voice in… she wasn't sure how long.
'Innocent? Lies will not help your case. There were witnesses. Lord Naeros saw you cast a spell in the marketplace.'
'No he didn't. In fact, your brother and your sister both know that I am a handmaiden of Loviatar.'
The smug look on Kaestra's face vanished. Her eyes widened, her lips parted slightly, and she turned to look at Naeros. He returned the look with a shrug of his shoulders.
'No matter. My brother may not have seen your wizardry, but I have other witnesses.' Kaestra waved at a guard standing near a door on the wall to Ythnel's right. The door was opened and two figures shuffled out. Their hair was matted and their clothes were in disarray, but Ythnel could still recognize Master Saelis and Iuna. They were escorted up to the front of the dais and halted a few feet from Ythnel. Kaestra strode over to stand before Iuna. She bent over and cupped the girl's face with her hand, lifting it up until their eyes met.
'You saw this witch casting spells, didn't you, little one?'
Iuna bit her lip and tried to turn her head to look at her father, but Kaestra kept their gazes locked. 'Uh-huh,' Iuna mumbled. 'Speak louder, child.'
'Yes,' Iuna quavered. 'I saw her casting a spell in-'
'She doesn't know what she's saying! Be quiet, Iuna,' Master Saelis interrupted. 'The woman is a Loviatan. I hired her as a governess. Do you think I would bring a wizard into this city, into my home? I know the penalty. I don't want to die. Please, you have to believe me. This is all a big mistake.' Master Saelis's voice quickly rose in pitch as he spoke faster. 'I don't want to die. If you don't believe me, you can search through her belongings. I'm sure you'll find something that verifies what I'm saying.'
'Silence!' Lord Jaerios's voice boomed out as he rose from his seat. 'I've had enough.'
Kaestra looked questioningly at her father as he approached, but he dismissed her with a wave of his hand. She bowed out of the way and took her seat. He reached into his robe and produced something hidden in his fist.
'Is this yours?' He opened his hand to reveal Ythnel's scourge medallion. She nodded, a wave of relief washing over her. They knew who she really was. Now they'd have to set her free.
Lord Jaerios closed his fist and tucked the medallion back into his robe. Ythnel looked up to see his face twisted in contempt.
'The cult of Loviatar and its practices are as degenerate and corrupt as those of wizardry. I will not have it in this city, and those I find involved in it I will execute.' He returned to his seat.
'I order all three of you to be burned at the stake,' Lord Jaerios pronounced. Master Saelis moaned, and Ythnel's heart sank. She could see a smirk forming on Kaestra's lips.
'But I didn't do anything wrong,' Iuna wailed. 'I tried to tell Daddy to get rid of her, and… and I turned her in. It's not fair.'
Maelos Karanok leaned forward in his seat and whispered something to his son, who nodded.
'You are correct, child. You did your best to root out this disease and should be rewarded. For your efforts, I will spare your life. You shall be made a slave to the Temple of Entropy, and attend to my daughter personally.'
Kaestra beamed.
Lord Jaerios stood and helped his father down the dais, signaling the hearing was over. Naeros followed them out while Kaestra gave instructions to the guards to deliver Iuna. Master Saelis was brought alongside Ythnel, and the two of them were escorted back out of the chamber. They passed by Lord Jaerios in the hall, who had stopped to talk with a palace servant.
'Find Therescales, and bring him to my study,' he told the young boy. 'Tell him I have a change in the plan that should take care of the mages once and for all.' The servant scampered off out of Ythnel's sight as the guards led her and Master Saelis back down into the dungeon.
There was a young woman behind the desk when Therescales entered the warehouse this time. There were no antiques either. In their place were racks of weapons: swords, maces, axes, and some exotic-looking things that Therescales wasn't even sure how to use, though he imagined it would probably be quite painful if he found himself on the wrong end of one of them. They all appeared to be of fine craftsmanship, many with intricately decorated hilts. One particular dagger, with a gem embedded in its pommel, caught Therescales' eye, but he was not here to shop.
'A fine piece of steel, imported all the way from the Moonshaes. I'm sure you'll find its balance to be near perfect.' The young woman had come up on Therescales unawarea sign of how nervous he was. One misstep and he could burn at the stakeor worse if he gave himself away to the mages.
'Actually, I'm interested in a black staff. It was once owned by a shadowy sage who carved symbols all over it.'
The hungry light in the woman's eyes dimmed, and her shoulders slumped as she realized she would not be making a sale.
'Yes, of course. If you'll follow me, I believe you'll find what you're looking for over here.' She led him to the door behind her desk and unlocked it with a key from her belt pouch. Therescales strode through as soon as it was open.
The illusionary box was in the same place. Therescales descended into the secret passage and inscribed the burning rune to open the hidden door. The others were already filing in to the meeting area, so Therescales slipped into place at the rear of the line.
'It's about time you showed up,' the mage in front of him whispered over her shoulder. The hood she wore hid her profile. 'Especially considering you were the one who called this meeting.'
He ignored the comment as the mages took their seats around the table. Therescales was pleased to see everyone present. An expectant silence hung over the room until Brother Hawk cleared his throat.
'You called the gathering, Brother Asp. Please tell us what was so urgent that you risked our discovery with another meeting so soon after our last.'
Therescales blinked at the lack of formality, unsure of what it meant. He glanced at the faces around him, trying to detect if he had somehow been found out. It was rare that councils were ever held this close together, but every member had the right to request one at any time.
Should they be on to him, though, he was ready. He had procured a scroll of invisibility and cast the spell on his dagger, which now hung unseen on his belt. He had also imbibed a potion just before entering the warehouse that would protect his mind from controlling enchantments.
Unfortunately, the various disguises made it almost impossible to accurately read anyone's expression. With no recourse but to press on, Therescales stood. He had rehearsed what to say a thousand times before tonight. He sent a silent prayer to Cyric that they would believe him.
'Brothers, I apologize for the inconvenience, but know that I would not have done so if I did not think the news I have to share was of vital importance.' He paused for a moment to be sure he had everyone's attention. 'I have learned from a source in the palace that the wizard Brother Hawk was prepared to meet with has been captured and will be publicly executed at dawn, two days hence.' Murmurs and gasps sprung up as soon as he
