Galatine sat alone in the candlelit
room as he fiddled with his bandages. His armor was mostly removed, discarded
into a neat pile in the corner alongside a backpack. He looked down at the
document before him. His report was not even half finished, yet his mind
continued to wander. He turned around and let his gaze drift along the rest of
the room. A modest bed and a bookshelf packed to brim with tomes of magic,
history, and politics. Beside them were a stand which held his sword and a
cabinet that contained a handful of awards. Galatine sighed as his thoughts
drifted to the events of the previous few hours.
~--~
"We are disappointed in your
failure Galatine," the ornately armored man declared. Galatine maintained
his silence as he stood before the council of armored individuals. Each of whom
wore an exquisite suit of armor modeled after an animal. They looked down upon
the judge as they whispered in each other's ears.
"I understand Lord
Magistrate," Galatine stated solemnly, his helmet hid his downcast
expression.
"However," the councilman
from before continued. "If what you reported about this 'Stranger' is
true, then this sets a very terrifying precedent." The wings of his avian-themed
helmet glistened in the candlelight as he shuffled through the set of documents
before him. "If there is a rogue element in these lands that could so easily
repel you, then we must address it post haste and with extreme prejudice. Lest
the commoners and the nobles are driven into a panic." The council began
to whisper among themselves again. Finally, another member turned to address
Galatine.
"Galatine," a councilwoman
spoke. "Because of your injuries we are removing both you and your
apprentice from active duty. It is only a temporary measure, but still
necessary." The woman's bear-shaped helmet obscured her face, but Galatine
could still sense her frustrated expression.
"Understood, Lady
Magistrate," Galatine accepted his orders.
"We will arrange a more
thorough debriefing in the near future," a third councilman began. His
helmet was themed after a wolf's head in mid-snarl, a perfect representation of
the man's mood. "Until then, you are dismissed."
~--~
Galatine leaned back in his chair
and let out a low groan, 'I fear I have ruined both mine and Jonathon's future
in this blunder. Maybe even more if this Stranger turns into a larger threat.'
He continued to fidget in his seat until his eyes wandered back towards his
belongings. Specifically, the pack which laid right next to his armor. The
master reached over and snatched the pack from its place and began to root
through the contents.
He pulled out a set of documents,
his original reports on the Stranger's activity. Her sudden appearance, her
encounters with bandits and the series of vague events which followed in her
wake. Galatine stared at the documents until the words began to bleed together.
Yet, he remained unsatisfied with what he saw.
'I don't understand what was her
goal?' Galatine pondered, 'It was one thing to spare us, but why did she treat
our wounds? Are we beneath her notice?' Galatine shook his head, 'no it's not
that simple. More importantly, why was she blessing those people and towns she
passed through. Is it a monetary scheme? Then why hasn't she returned to, or
even stay in contact with them?'
Galatine slumped in his chair and
rubbed his forward, 'the more I learn about this woman the less sense she makes.
I may be off duty for now, but that doesn't mean I've forfeited yet.' The
master pulled out a journal from his desk and began to write in it furiously. Every
aspect, every detail and every minor point of note he could think of that
related to the Stranger was recorded within. 'My dear Stranger, I know not what
your ambition is if you even have one, but I will solve the puzzle that is your
existence.'
~--~
Galatine spent the next three months
in recovery, delegated only minor administrative duties. However, between his
paperwork and judicial obligations, he kept close tabs on the Stranger's
activities. It was not easy for the judge, as even his peers struggled to
follow her actions. The foreign woman had maintained her promise to keep a low
profile. Yet, Galatine had learned enough to spot the telltale signs of her
presence.
The sudden prosperity of a small
town. A mediocre merchant's inexplicable payday. An otherwise defenseless town
repels invaders with ease. All marks of the woman's actions. Some might call
his close observations an obsession, Galatine saw it as closure. It was the end
of those three months, however, which brought Galatine news he wasn't ready to
hear yet.
The master had secluded himself in
his personal quarters. Deep in research on the Stranger's current whereabouts. As he sat
alone in the candlelight room a guest knocked at the door. Galatine broke from
his notes, uncertain of who would disturb him at this very moment.
"Master Galatine, may I
enter?" Jonathon's voice echoed from the hallway.
"Permission granted
apprentice," Galatine sighed and pushed his research aside. "What
brings you to me at this hour Jonathon?"
"Well Master," Jonathon
scratched the back of his neck as he entered. "It's the Stranger, word just
came in she's been captured."
"So the council finally dropped
the hammer," the master acknowledged the news. "It was only a matter
of time, unfortunately."
"No master the council had
nothing to do with it," Jonathon revealed.
"What!" Galatine's eyes
went wide.
"It was some minor lord,"
the apprentice explained. "His city guard successfully arrested the
Stranger, she's now awaiting execution. He called for one of the council
members to sit in on the execution as a witness."
"This...no..." Galatine
slumped.
"I understand Galatine,"
Jonathon assured his mentor, "I wanted to redeem myself to. We'll never
hear the end of this from the council..."
"No!" The master yelled as
he sprinted out of the room.
"Master-" The younger man
called out, but Galatine had already rounded the corner.
~--~
'It can't end like this,' Galatine
thought as he dashed through the halls. 'Maybe I can still catch up with them, maybe
I can be there to see it happen.' The master rounded through the halls until he
found himself at the entrance to the building. The area was littered with
several judges in full armor. They were accompanied by many more unarmored
assistants and young apprentices.
"Your honor Galatine," one
of the assistants stepped forward, "is there a problem?"
"Did someone from the council just
leave?" Galatine asked in between heavy breathes.
"Yes, his honor Hrunting
left to address a minor lords summons. About, five minutes ago if memory
serves," the assistant confirmed.
"Very well, thank you,"
Galatine grit his teeth and turned. 'If I leave now, I might still have a
chance-' The master considered before another figure burst into the room. He
wore a form-fitted outfit, a satchel was belted tightly to his side. The man was
drenched in sweat and gasped for breath.
"I bring urgent news, your
honors!" The messenger shouted.
'A swift messenger?' Galatine
commented internally. "What is your message?"
"I must apologize on my lord's
behalf, your honors," the messenger bowed. "He has already requested
your presence, but now he requests your help. The execution...the
execution..." The man struggled to complete his message between gasps for
air.
'The execution?' Galatine realized,
"First take a breath, then tell us what happened."
The messenger nodded and took a
moment to collect himself, "your honor, I must apologize again. Our
previous message likely only arrived hours ago. But, we moved forward with the
execution of this 'Stranger' at our lord's insistence. However, we
didn't...they tried...agh...it was horrible!" The messenger clutched his
head, unable to complete his statement.
"What happened!" Galatine
commanded. 'What is Hrunting walking into?'
~--~
The noble sat back and chuckled at
his success. He may have been nothing more than a minor lord in charge of a
small city, but he succeeded where even the mighty Judge's Council failed. The
'Stranger', a rogue menace that had alluded the council for so long was now in
his grasp. It was deceptively easy as well. The second word of the enigmatic,
foreign woman's presence reached his ears he sent out the entire city guard to
arrest her. She offered no resistance and was imprisoned within the hour.
'I can only imagine what rewards the
council will shower me with,' the minor lord giggled to himself. 'If word of my
deeds spreads fast enough, I might have the king's ear before the end of the
season.' The noble's fingers wiggled with delight as he imagined his future
successes.
"My lord," the court mage
emerged and bowed to the noble, "I have a message for you"
"Ah, has council responded to
my request?" The noble smiled.
"No, my lord, that message is
still in transit" the robed man replied, "it's from the warden."
"What does he want?" The
minor lord raised an eyebrow.
"A minor prison break
occurred," the mage answered. "It's under control now, but it was
around the foreign woman's cell."
"She tried to escape?" The
noble sprang up from his seat.
"No, my lord," the robed
man revealed, "but every prisoner in the cells around her did. The warden
said she likely could have."
"And why does he think
that?" The noble leaned over the court mage.
"Her shackles were loose,"
he explained. "To be more exact, every pair of shackles they tried to use
on her were loose. Unfortunately, that's only the start of the
complications."
"Where are you going with
this?" The minor lord demanded an answer.
"My lord, the prison guards are
scared," the robed man quivered. "None of this misfortune occurred
until after that woman was brought in. The warden says his men have been
mumbling about how she's a witch. Some of them are afraid to even touch
her."
"A witch," the noble
considered the other man's words. 'I can't risk her escaping now,' he thought,
'it'll jeopardize everything when I'm so close.' The minor lord pondered his
option for a moment until a wide grin formed on his face. "Well, I think
the answer is obvious."
"My lord?" The mage looked
up quizzically.
"She is a threat to the
established order of these lands," the noble declared. "As enforcers
of the law, we must do our duty and put an end to these problems. Now tell me,
how do you deal with a witch?"
~--~
The Stranger's execution was moved
forward, even if that meant the judges would not arrive in time. She was
brought out before the populace, dragged through the city in chains. She spared
no looks toward the crowds or her captors. She marched in silence to a wood
pyre in the town square, where she was chained to a pole in the center.
It should have been over and done
within a moment. Yet, when one of the guards came forward with a lit torch to
light the pyre a chain of misfortune struck. The fire failed to start, no
matter how many torches or open flames they piled onto the pyre it refused to
ignite. Almost an hour into the prolonged "execution," a frustrated
guarded chucked a torch against the ground, but only managed to set himself on
fire.
It finally came to an end when the
minor lord, in a fit of anger, ordered his court mage to light the flame with a
fireball. The mage succeeded and the pyre was lit ablaze, yet the Stranger did
not burn. The flames consumed the pyre, but they failed to do more than singe
the foreign woman's clothes. The fire curved and weaves around her body and
illuminated her stoic visage. The common people looked on in awe, the guards in
complete shock and the minor lord in utter horror.
Minutes felt like hours as the
populace stared at the flames as they danced around the Stranger. Her only
signs of discomfort were the beads of sweat which formed around her face. After
what felt like an eternity, a sudden rainstorm rolled over the city. The rain
poured for a few minutes until the flames were finally extinguished. The shackles
and chains fell from the Stranger's body, loose like all the rest. She was not
untouched, there were bruises and burns from the hot chains which now laid at
her feet, but she was alive. Many fell to their knees, the minor lord included,
as they tried to comprehend what they witnessed.
"Is this what they call a
miracle?" The noble asked aloud. He received no confirmation, but the
answer was clear.
~--~
"The people are in a
riot," the messenger explained, "some demanded her freedom, others
ran in fear. My lord set me to plead for your aid. The woman is long gone, but
the people are in chaos."
Galatine stared the messenger
straight in the eyes. He didn't know how much of the story he believed, but he
didn't disbelieve it either. 'My dear Stranger,' he thought, 'now I don't know
whether to fear you for your power, or admire your pomp and flair.' "Face
forward," Galatine declared, "we'll answer your plea, as enforcers of
the law it is our duty."
~~~~
Fun fact, the original title of this part was "The Witch Trial." In the end I realized I never actually wrote in a trial so I changed it. Honestly, while it is part of the Judge's duties to preside over trials, the Stranger was a special case. They aren't exactly out for her head, but if someone arrested and executed her (regardless of reason), they'd be perfectly fine with that (except Galatine). It's one less problem they have to deal with.
By the way, Hrunting is the name of the councilman with the wolf helmet.
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.
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