Chapter 9
Saxon
The shackles dig into my ankles as the guards force me to my knees, and the blindfold is pulled off me. We’re in the chapel, next to a small door I’ve never noticed before. It’s normally hidden behind a screen with a vivid image of Othrix carved into it.
Kaelus, my old nemesis, gloats over me. His red robes seem even brighter and more ornate now, and they’re adorned by the crest of Khotor.
Something has profoundly changed while we were gone.
No klerick wears the crest of a kingdom.
Klericks answer only to Othrix. This is the law, although we all know that the klericks in each kingdom, especially each kingdom’s Head Klerick, often follows the will of their King, even if they’d ultimately yield to the Prime Klerick if ever forced to choose an allegiance.
“I knew you had Darkness.” A malicious grin spreads over Kaelus’s wrinkled face. “I should have locked you up the day you arrived here at camp.”
I cast my gaze down, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of any hint of pain in my eyes.
Now that my magic has fully woken, I feel Darkness crackling around the old klerick, and anger builds inside me at the hypocrisy of his accusation.
Does Kaelus even know how much Darkness he holds buried inside him?
“You are accused of blasphemy,” he says.
His voice is stronger now and clearly meant to be heard by far more people than just me.
“Saxon, you stand accused of hiding Darkness. Of wielding magic borne of that Darkness. And you are accused of maiming a dragon. All these are high crimes against the Tenets of Othrix.” He slams his staff against the stone floor. “How do you plead?”
I keep my gaze down, my mouth shut. Of all these accusations, the most absurd is maiming a dragon. The dragon handlers did that. I only changed which dragon they maimed. But that’s the least of my crimes, and I refuse to cooperate with this farce.
“Refuse to speak and you’ll be kept in chains. You will be starved and punished until you answer to these charges against you.”
My resolve to stay silent firms. I care nothing for my own health and safety.
The only thing that matters is Rosomon’s safety and her return to the Light.
If I must remain in captivity until then, so be it.
And my silence could help keep me here at camp until she returns.
The laws dictate that I must confess, or plead my innocence, before I’m dragged to the tribunal where I’ll certainly be found guilty, one way or the other.
And I will do anything I can to remain here until I’m certain Rosomon is safe.