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PATH OF CHANGE
By Seth Campbell
Part Six
The next morning, we all woke up early to get ready. We all had a small but hearty breakfast before what was to come. After that, I put on a suit, the only one I owned. It was a little old, but it still looked good. (I had to modify the pants to accommodate my tail)
I collected my papers containing my defense arguments, (And a little cheat sheet for the rituals of the legal system) put on an overcoat, and said goodbye to my friends.
"Good luck," Adrian put his hand on my shoulder. Clement just gave me a hug and I hugged back.
"Well, this is it." I gave each of them one last glance before heading outside.
Once I was outside, I was met by the Chief Guardsman and two other Guardsmen. They all walked up to me and nodded as I nodded back to them.
"Mr. Meyers?" I nodded again to the Chief Guardsman as he began to escort me city's center.
Along the way, I was greeted with many onlookers. Thankfully, this time, nobody threw any rotten vegetables at me. That was probably because I was surrounded by three Guardsmen. But they didn't stop some people from yelling various colorful obscenities at me.
At the same time though, there were others who expressed their support for and solidarity with me. Some showed by cheering for me, others with homemade signs giving me words of support, and slowly a few began breaking from the crowds and marched along with me.
Eventually we all reached the base of the Scholar's Arm. We then began our ascent. The hill wasn't too steep or long. After we reached the top, I turned around to see the entire Eleventh City. All eleven arms pointed outwards from the center. I was so high up I could even see over the walls that enclosed the spaces between the arms flooded with diverted rainwater and dotted with floating villages of poor fishermen. I turned back around and headed directly for the Citadel.
Once we arrived at the gate, the Guardsmen were joined with even more Guardsmen who dispelled the crowd before allowing me to proceed through the iron gates and towards the People's Palace.
Heading towards the imposing Palace, I soon realized that we were heading for the main entrance. I was not expecting this. The accused are <i>never</i> brought in through the main entrance. This would be interesting.
When I passed the front doors to the foyer I was nothing short of blown away by the beauty of the interior. While the side hallways and meeting rooms were simply clad, the main entrance was absolutely opulent. The foyer was wider than it was deep, with two sets of double doors (one on each side) leading to the two meeting rooms.
I went through the opening in the middle, following the chief Guardsman and followed by the other two Guardsmen. Once through, I was in the first of two anterooms, the second one larger than the first. Both were ornately decorated and designed to display the power and might of the Republic. It did its job well.
Upon my exit from the anterooms, I came upon the outer waiting room, <i>filled<i/> with people who had a stake in this. Most of them were professors at the Academy, (The ones that weren't already Archmages) and even one guy I knew was in charge of the Knights of Othal.
"He's a guest of the High Priest." I turned around to see Calvin, dressed the same as I saw him last time. "The High Priest is going to give the Argument of Accusation."
"I guessed that much." Calvin briefly looked around.
"I have to go now and get ready. Good luck." He shook my hand and went through a door to my right into a hallway. I turned back around to face the two sets of large bronze double doors directly ahead of me and wide open. The Guardsmen lead me in.
I crossed the threshold into the inner waiting room. Now only a single set of huge bronze double doors closed shut separated me from the Council Hall. Surrounding me were the wives and children of the Councilors. I looked around while The Guardsmen stopped, the two left leaving only the chief Guardsman to accompany me.
Shortly afterwards, the bronze doors opened slightly and the Keyholder, dressed in the silliest poofy red suit I had ever seen, emerged from the Council Hall. Everyone immediately quieted and fixated on him.
"The Council is ready!" He ceremoniously bellowed. "Will the accused, Cecil Meyers, step forward?" I did so and he shook my hand briefly. (I'm pretty sure that this wasn't procedure) The chief Guardsman gave me one last nod and I followed the Keyholder in through the bronze doors, leaving the Guardsman and everyone else behind.
Inside the Council Hall, I never imagined that I would ever stand here. I gazed down the long chamber with its rows of seated Councilors (ten Viziers twenty Archmages, the High Priest, and Calvin) and their handpicked spectators on each side. The entire chamber was bathed in sunlight from windows running along the perimeter of the roof. I made my way down as the Keyholder closed and locked the bronze doors shut.
The Keyholder escorted me down the Hall, as the Guardsman had, stopping at a cupboard for me to put my overcoat away. He then directed me further down, past the stone table and its four candles, before arriving at a small wood table and chair. I took the hint and sat down.
The Keymaster continued and sat in his own chair tacked on at the end of the row of seats to my left, right next to Calvin, now clad in a white robe with a blue stole. Directly across the chamber sat the High Priest. He looked at me with a scowl on his face. I didn't return the favor. To my right and slightly behind me was Vizier Silias. I decided to not even bother wasting my time turning my head to look at him. I would have only seen him do something to piss me off.
At the end of the chamber was a raised platform of stained wood. At the top were three ornate chairs separated by panels covered in red velvet. At both sides was a door. And behind it all, was the flag. I focused on its three colors as I remembered being taught as a boy by my father what they meant. The blue on the left symbolized the tyranny under the Empire. The diagonal streak of red symbolized the bloodstained People's Revolution. And the green on the right symbolized the hopes for a better future.
My observations and the noise were interrupted when the Keyholder stood up and slammed a pike I never saw him have before against the floor multiple times. Everyone in the room immediately stood up and I quickly followed suit.
"All rise for Martin Young, Third Wizard of the Republic of Ethel!" With his words a man clad in a white robe and a purple stole exited the door to the right of the platform and ascended said platform before sitting down on the chair in the middle. After he sat, the rest did too.
"Read the charges!" Martin ceremoniously bellowed as the record keeper rose from his chair and table tacked on the end of the seats to my right with a piece of paper in hand.
"The Council of Mages versus Cecil Meyers," He read. "On the third Day of the seventh Month; seventy-two years after the People's Revolution." The formalities of the legal system were starting to grate on me. "The Accused, Cecil Meyers, is charged with Misuse of Magic, Inciting Unrest, and Active Rebellion against the Republic and her People." He put the paper down. (Finally) "His Holiness, the High Priest will now deliver the Argument of Accusation."
He sat down as the High Priest rose from his seat and made his way for a square area marked with darker paving stones only ten feet directly in front of me, his white robe and red stole flowed to and fro with his movement. He stopped in the center of the darkened area and addressed the crowd:
"My fellow Councilors; we are, above all other things, bound by sacred oath to defend the public good. Sometimes this means that we have to make difficult choices that might go against our own Philosophies. Thankfully, this is no such case. The offenses by this 'man' are so blatantly obvious that they not even need to be named. I only need to explain why the defendant Cecil Meyers is guilty and must die.
"Since the days of the Great Ancient Empire, our societies have always been built upon our devotion to The Four Gods and our knowledge of what is Holy and Right. Among the most central of these knowledges is what is good and what is evil. And what stands before you is evil. I know many of you are not well versed in the more detailed ways of our ancient faith, so allow me to teach you. The accused's form is that of a demon, who aside from the dark one Kusma are the oldest and most ancient enemies against all things that are Holy and Right. And here we see that Cecil Meyers has transfigured himself into one. I leave you to draw your own conclusions.
"If any of you kept in touch with the news during your journeys, you would know that violent riots have engulfed the Eleventh City. The accused is the cause of this destructive conflict and all the bloodshed. How? Because his actions created a rift and schism within the populace. Yes, there are those who side with this man. And it was they who were the first to attack those who disagreed with this man. Although he did not directly incite them to do this, he is still responsible due to his actions.
"Above all other things, these actions are a mark of rebellion against our society, our laws, and our Republic. Now, some rebellions are warranted, such as our Great People's Revolution. But unless there is tyranny to be overthrown, rebellion is an act of harm and evil. If we would allow these actions go unpunished, it would send the people a message that things like this are acceptable. This would lead to nothing less than complete anarchy and chaos. This cannot be allowed to occur.
"In short, my fellow Councilors; we cannot afford to allow this <u>wicked beast</u> to go unpunished. He has besmirched our people's heritage. He has incited bloodstained riots. He has threatened our very ways of life. And the penalty for these crimes <u>must</u> be death. It is a <u>Basic</u> <u>Moral</u> <u>Question</u>! I thank you all for hearing me."
Most (but not all) of the Councilors applauded as the High Priest turned to bow to the Wizard before returning to his seat. The record keeper again rose up.
"The Accused, Cecil Meyers, will now deliver the Argument of Defense." That was my cue and I got up, leaving my argument on the table. (I memorized it thanks to a whole week of nothing better to do) I then circled around my table, walked to the argument area, and turned to face the Council. Then, I plead my case with a cocky smirk: (Most of the time)
"Distinguished Councilors; His Holiness, the High Priest argues that I have besmirched our heritage, started a riot, and threatened our society. He is a fool and an idiot. He stands to gain the most from my death because I have threatened not our society's foundations, but the last strings that tie him to the old powers under the Imperial tyranny we fought and died to end.
"Under the undistinguished Empire of our great-grandfathers, the art and science of magic were restricted to the priestly and Imperial families. This was what ignited our Great People's Revolution. The new nation that was grown from this began with a sacred oath of their own: To fight back ceaselessly against tyranny. Today I stand for the Freedom of Life and I implore you to uphold the promise made by your predecessors.
"I mentioned the Revolution because it is the most significant event in our nation's history. And it was against most everything the High Priest has argued. The Revolution fought against the foundations of society that dated back to the Ancient Empire because they had facilitated the very society that oppressed them. And the very symbol of the Revolution was a demon clad in the vestments of the priesthood. In this, I am true to the spirit of the Revolution.
"Before the Revolution, speaking out against or even casually questioning the ruling class was a great social taboo. Today, this is not the case. Our great-grandfathers sought to that by testing and dethroning the social barriers of their day. Today, I stand here testing the social barriers of our time. I stand against the oppressive systems that have rekindled over the decades. And once again, these systems need to be tested; tested, but not torn down.
"Distinguished Councilors, I stand before you to say this: You yourselves are standing at the cusp of history. Whichever decision you make, whether I live or die; what goes on today will be remembered for years to come. I only ask you to make sure that you are on the right side of history. I thank you all for hearing me."
Much of the council erupted into a roaring applause. It wasn't as many as with the High Priest, but it was much louder. Calvin gave me a small head bow while both the High Priest and Silias were <i>pissed off</i>. It was cut short by the Keyholder pounding his pike into the ground, again. When the sound ceased, the record keeper arose.
"The arguments have been delivered." I returned to my seat. "The Council will now deliberate. Anyone who is not a Councilor must leave immediately." The Keyholder immediately made his way up the chamber as the spectators started getting up. I grabbed my papers and overcoat as I headed up with him. He unlocked the brass doors and opened them, funneling the spectators out into the inner waiting room.
Once outside, the Keymaster returned to the inside and locked the doors shut behind him, sealing us out. The Guardsmen rejoined us after also locking the bronze doors that lead out to the outer waiting room. We could not leave.
Inside, the Council deliberated whether I should live or die. Now, I had nothing but time; so I waited.
After what felt like an eternity's tithe, the silence was pierced by the sound of the Keyholder unlocking and then opening the great bronze doors. All eyes turned to him as he propped the doors open and beckoned us to reenter. And we did so, returning to our previous seats.
After we were all seated, (including the Keyholder) the record keeper rose and walked to the argument area, another piece of paper in tow.
"The Council of Mages versus Cecil Meyers," I couldn't believe it, he was gonna read the whole damn thing again. "On the third Day of the seventh Month; seventy-two years after the People's Revolution." Just kill me now. "The Council has deliberated and voted their verdict." My boredom immediately transfigured to both anticipation and sheer bloody panic. "The votes have been counted and a verdict has been made."
"This is it," I whispered to myself.
"The Accused, Cecil Meyers, has been declared... <b><u>Innocent</u></b>."
Almost the entire Hall erupted into glorious cheer, myself included. Calvin rushed up to me and gave me a great hug. And although I had been frightened of him for most of the past week, I did not care and hugged back. During this, I caught a glimpse of Martin, the Wizard, flashing me a smile out of the corner of my eye.
On that day, I didn't care what would ever happen afterwards. This day was the greatest day of my life.
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PATH OF CHANGE
By Seth Campbell
Part Six
The next morning, we all woke up early to get ready. We all had a small but hearty breakfast before what was to come. After that, I put on a suit, the only one I owned. It was a little old, but it still looked good. (I had to modify the pants to accommodate my tail)
I collected my papers containing my defense arguments, (And a little cheat sheet for the rituals of the legal system) put on an overcoat, and said goodbye to my friends.
"Good luck," Adrian put his hand on my shoulder. Clement just gave me a hug and I hugged back.
"Well, this is it." I gave each of them one last glance before heading outside.
Once I was outside, I was met by the Chief Guardsman and two other Guardsmen. They all walked up to me and nodded as I nodded back to them.
"Mr. Meyers?" I nodded again to the Chief Guardsman as he began to escort me city's center.
Along the way, I was greeted with many onlookers. Thankfully, this time, nobody threw any rotten vegetables at me. That was probably because I was surrounded by three Guardsmen. But they didn't stop some people from yelling various colorful obscenities at me.
At the same time though, there were others who expressed their support for and solidarity with me. Some showed by cheering for me, others with homemade signs giving me words of support, and slowly a few began breaking from the crowds and marched along with me.
Eventually we all reached the base of the Scholar's Arm. We then began our ascent. The hill wasn't too steep or long. After we reached the top, I turned around to see the entire Eleventh City. All eleven arms pointed outwards from the center. I was so high up I could even see over the walls that enclosed the spaces between the arms flooded with diverted rainwater and dotted with floating villages of poor fishermen. I turned back around and headed directly for the Citadel.
Once we arrived at the gate, the Guardsmen were joined with even more Guardsmen who dispelled the crowd before allowing me to proceed through the iron gates and towards the People's Palace.
Heading towards the imposing Palace, I soon realized that we were heading for the main entrance. I was not expecting this. The accused are <i>never</i> brought in through the main entrance. This would be interesting.
When I passed the front doors to the foyer I was nothing short of blown away by the beauty of the interior. While the side hallways and meeting rooms were simply clad, the main entrance was absolutely opulent. The foyer was wider than it was deep, with two sets of double doors (one on each side) leading to the two meeting rooms.
I went through the opening in the middle, following the chief Guardsman and followed by the other two Guardsmen. Once through, I was in the first of two anterooms, the second one larger than the first. Both were ornately decorated and designed to display the power and might of the Republic. It did its job well.
Upon my exit from the anterooms, I came upon the outer waiting room, <i>filled<i/> with people who had a stake in this. Most of them were professors at the Academy, (The ones that weren't already Archmages) and even one guy I knew was in charge of the Knights of Othal.
"He's a guest of the High Priest." I turned around to see Calvin, dressed the same as I saw him last time. "The High Priest is going to give the Argument of Accusation."
"I guessed that much." Calvin briefly looked around.
"I have to go now and get ready. Good luck." He shook my hand and went through a door to my right into a hallway. I turned back around to face the two sets of large bronze double doors directly ahead of me and wide open. The Guardsmen lead me in.
I crossed the threshold into the inner waiting room. Now only a single set of huge bronze double doors closed shut separated me from the Council Hall. Surrounding me were the wives and children of the Councilors. I looked around while The Guardsmen stopped, the two left leaving only the chief Guardsman to accompany me.
Shortly afterwards, the bronze doors opened slightly and the Keyholder, dressed in the silliest poofy red suit I had ever seen, emerged from the Council Hall. Everyone immediately quieted and fixated on him.
"The Council is ready!" He ceremoniously bellowed. "Will the accused, Cecil Meyers, step forward?" I did so and he shook my hand briefly. (I'm pretty sure that this wasn't procedure) The chief Guardsman gave me one last nod and I followed the Keyholder in through the bronze doors, leaving the Guardsman and everyone else behind.
Inside the Council Hall, I never imagined that I would ever stand here. I gazed down the long chamber with its rows of seated Councilors (ten Viziers twenty Archmages, the High Priest, and Calvin) and their handpicked spectators on each side. The entire chamber was bathed in sunlight from windows running along the perimeter of the roof. I made my way down as the Keyholder closed and locked the bronze doors shut.
The Keyholder escorted me down the Hall, as the Guardsman had, stopping at a cupboard for me to put my overcoat away. He then directed me further down, past the stone table and its four candles, before arriving at a small wood table and chair. I took the hint and sat down.
The Keymaster continued and sat in his own chair tacked on at the end of the row of seats to my left, right next to Calvin, now clad in a white robe with a blue stole. Directly across the chamber sat the High Priest. He looked at me with a scowl on his face. I didn't return the favor. To my right and slightly behind me was Vizier Silias. I decided to not even bother wasting my time turning my head to look at him. I would have only seen him do something to piss me off.
At the end of the chamber was a raised platform of stained wood. At the top were three ornate chairs separated by panels covered in red velvet. At both sides was a door. And behind it all, was the flag. I focused on its three colors as I remembered being taught as a boy by my father what they meant. The blue on the left symbolized the tyranny under the Empire. The diagonal streak of red symbolized the bloodstained People's Revolution. And the green on the right symbolized the hopes for a better future.
My observations and the noise were interrupted when the Keyholder stood up and slammed a pike I never saw him have before against the floor multiple times. Everyone in the room immediately stood up and I quickly followed suit.
"All rise for Martin Young, Third Wizard of the Republic of Ethel!" With his words a man clad in a white robe and a purple stole exited the door to the right of the platform and ascended said platform before sitting down on the chair in the middle. After he sat, the rest did too.
"Read the charges!" Martin ceremoniously bellowed as the record keeper rose from his chair and table tacked on the end of the seats to my right with a piece of paper in hand.
"The Council of Mages versus Cecil Meyers," He read. "On the third Day of the seventh Month; seventy-two years after the People's Revolution." The formalities of the legal system were starting to grate on me. "The Accused, Cecil Meyers, is charged with Misuse of Magic, Inciting Unrest, and Active Rebellion against the Republic and her People." He put the paper down. (Finally) "His Holiness, the High Priest will now deliver the Argument of Accusation."
He sat down as the High Priest rose from his seat and made his way for a square area marked with darker paving stones only ten feet directly in front of me, his white robe and red stole flowed to and fro with his movement. He stopped in the center of the darkened area and addressed the crowd:
"My fellow Councilors; we are, above all other things, bound by sacred oath to defend the public good. Sometimes this means that we have to make difficult choices that might go against our own Philosophies. Thankfully, this is no such case. The offenses by this 'man' are so blatantly obvious that they not even need to be named. I only need to explain why the defendant Cecil Meyers is guilty and must die.
"Since the days of the Great Ancient Empire, our societies have always been built upon our devotion to The Four Gods and our knowledge of what is Holy and Right. Among the most central of these knowledges is what is good and what is evil. And what stands before you is evil. I know many of you are not well versed in the more detailed ways of our ancient faith, so allow me to teach you. The accused's form is that of a demon, who aside from the dark one Kusma are the oldest and most ancient enemies against all things that are Holy and Right. And here we see that Cecil Meyers has transfigured himself into one. I leave you to draw your own conclusions.
"If any of you kept in touch with the news during your journeys, you would know that violent riots have engulfed the Eleventh City. The accused is the cause of this destructive conflict and all the bloodshed. How? Because his actions created a rift and schism within the populace. Yes, there are those who side with this man. And it was they who were the first to attack those who disagreed with this man. Although he did not directly incite them to do this, he is still responsible due to his actions.
"Above all other things, these actions are a mark of rebellion against our society, our laws, and our Republic. Now, some rebellions are warranted, such as our Great People's Revolution. But unless there is tyranny to be overthrown, rebellion is an act of harm and evil. If we would allow these actions go unpunished, it would send the people a message that things like this are acceptable. This would lead to nothing less than complete anarchy and chaos. This cannot be allowed to occur.
"In short, my fellow Councilors; we cannot afford to allow this <u>wicked beast</u> to go unpunished. He has besmirched our people's heritage. He has incited bloodstained riots. He has threatened our very ways of life. And the penalty for these crimes <u>must</u> be death. It is a <u>Basic</u> <u>Moral</u> <u>Question</u>! I thank you all for hearing me."
Most (but not all) of the Councilors applauded as the High Priest turned to bow to the Wizard before returning to his seat. The record keeper again rose up.
"The Accused, Cecil Meyers, will now deliver the Argument of Defense." That was my cue and I got up, leaving my argument on the table. (I memorized it thanks to a whole week of nothing better to do) I then circled around my table, walked to the argument area, and turned to face the Council. Then, I plead my case with a cocky smirk: (Most of the time)
"Distinguished Councilors; His Holiness, the High Priest argues that I have besmirched our heritage, started a riot, and threatened our society. He is a fool and an idiot. He stands to gain the most from my death because I have threatened not our society's foundations, but the last strings that tie him to the old powers under the Imperial tyranny we fought and died to end.
"Under the undistinguished Empire of our great-grandfathers, the art and science of magic were restricted to the priestly and Imperial families. This was what ignited our Great People's Revolution. The new nation that was grown from this began with a sacred oath of their own: To fight back ceaselessly against tyranny. Today I stand for the Freedom of Life and I implore you to uphold the promise made by your predecessors.
"I mentioned the Revolution because it is the most significant event in our nation's history. And it was against most everything the High Priest has argued. The Revolution fought against the foundations of society that dated back to the Ancient Empire because they had facilitated the very society that oppressed them. And the very symbol of the Revolution was a demon clad in the vestments of the priesthood. In this, I am true to the spirit of the Revolution.
"Before the Revolution, speaking out against or even casually questioning the ruling class was a great social taboo. Today, this is not the case. Our great-grandfathers sought to that by testing and dethroning the social barriers of their day. Today, I stand here testing the social barriers of our time. I stand against the oppressive systems that have rekindled over the decades. And once again, these systems need to be tested; tested, but not torn down.
"Distinguished Councilors, I stand before you to say this: You yourselves are standing at the cusp of history. Whichever decision you make, whether I live or die; what goes on today will be remembered for years to come. I only ask you to make sure that you are on the right side of history. I thank you all for hearing me."
Much of the council erupted into a roaring applause. It wasn't as many as with the High Priest, but it was much louder. Calvin gave me a small head bow while both the High Priest and Silias were <i>pissed off</i>. It was cut short by the Keyholder pounding his pike into the ground, again. When the sound ceased, the record keeper arose.
"The arguments have been delivered." I returned to my seat. "The Council will now deliberate. Anyone who is not a Councilor must leave immediately." The Keyholder immediately made his way up the chamber as the spectators started getting up. I grabbed my papers and overcoat as I headed up with him. He unlocked the brass doors and opened them, funneling the spectators out into the inner waiting room.
Once outside, the Keymaster returned to the inside and locked the doors shut behind him, sealing us out. The Guardsmen rejoined us after also locking the bronze doors that lead out to the outer waiting room. We could not leave.
Inside, the Council deliberated whether I should live or die. Now, I had nothing but time; so I waited.
After what felt like an eternity's tithe, the silence was pierced by the sound of the Keyholder unlocking and then opening the great bronze doors. All eyes turned to him as he propped the doors open and beckoned us to reenter. And we did so, returning to our previous seats.
After we were all seated, (including the Keyholder) the record keeper rose and walked to the argument area, another piece of paper in tow.
"The Council of Mages versus Cecil Meyers," I couldn't believe it, he was gonna read the whole damn thing again. "On the third Day of the seventh Month; seventy-two years after the People's Revolution." Just kill me now. "The Council has deliberated and voted their verdict." My boredom immediately transfigured to both anticipation and sheer bloody panic. "The votes have been counted and a verdict has been made."
"This is it," I whispered to myself.
"The Accused, Cecil Meyers, has been declared... <b><u>Innocent</u></b>."
Almost the entire Hall erupted into glorious cheer, myself included. Calvin rushed up to me and gave me a great hug. And although I had been frightened of him for most of the past week, I did not care and hugged back. During this, I caught a glimpse of Martin, the Wizard, flashing me a smile out of the corner of my eye.
On that day, I didn't care what would ever happen afterwards. This day was the greatest day of my life.
Reuploaded
Category Story / Transformation
Species Daemon
Gender Male
Size 50 x 50px
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