The Mage's Limits: Mages of Martir Book #2 (7 page)

The citizens of World's End were katabans like Gujak and her; however, many of these katabans looked far more human than Gujak and she. For most of them, the only clue to their true nature was their strange hair color: blue, silver, golden, green, purple, and many others. Their clothing, too, looked different from what humans wore, more closely resembling a cross between the mage's robes worn by mortal mages in the Northern Isles and common worker's leather.

Despite the kinship Durima and Gujak shared with the citizens of World's End, however, Durima hardly felt welcomed among them. Every eye that followed their progression up the street was full of hate and anger. Every single person here knew why Durima and Gujak were in the city, but none of them actually approached her or Gujak, partly because of the convoy of Soldiers escorting them, partly because the katabans were trained by the Council to let the Council handle such serious matters.

On one hand, that made Durima feel relieved. She had been expecting her and Gujak to get mobbed the minute they stepped foot in the city, but the Soldiers had so far been an excellent mob deterrent. Still, she saw more than a few katabans who looked like they wouldn't mind slitting her throat if given a chance. There was even one katabans—who resembled a small child—that was not-so-discreetly following the Soldiers wherever they went, though the Soldiers themselves didn't seem to notice.

More likely, they just don't care,
Durima thought.
Still, it's unnerving to be followed around by someone who obviously would like to kill me. Then again, this isn't the first time someone who wanted to kill me has stalked me. I had quite a few such stalkers during the War, especially after everyone started calling me the Demon.

That was why Durima kept her head down as much as she could while they walked. She didn't want to look at the glaring eyes, the hateful glances, or hear the whispers and murmurs from the citizens about the crime that she and Gujak had committed. She was not normally afraid of false rumors and harsh looks, but given what her and Gujak's ultimate fate was going to be, she didn't want her last memories of her people to include the hatefulness with which they treated her. It was just too much on top of everything else.

“Here we are,” Erich said, in a slightly singsong voice. “The Hall of Judgment, where the Council will hand out your final sentences for your unforgivable crime against the gods.”

Although Durima had seen the Hall of Judgment several times before, she looked up at it again as they approached, as it had been many years since she had last seen it and so didn't remember it very well.

The Hall of Judgment was not as huge as the skyscrapers, perhaps being about the same size as the Temple of the Gods. Nonetheless, it was an imposing building in its own right. Titanic stone columns, made of a burning red rock, supported a shining silver roof, upon which a metal statue of the God of Justice himself, Grinf, towered over all. The Grinf statue featured the god holding his gavel aloft while treading on a criminal who appeared to be dead or at least unconscious.

Massive stone steps led up to the front doors of the Hall of Judgment, which were made out of thick marble and had rubies and sapphires embedded along their edges. Even from their current position, Durima could see the words
JUSTICE IS FROM THE GODS
written above the door, because they were written in gold which reflected the light from the sun's rays above.

The Soldiers forced Durima and Gujak up the steps to the front doors, where they found two other Soldiers acting as guards protecting it. The two guards immediately noticed Durima and Gujak and one of them whispered quite audibly to his friend, “There they are. The god-killers.”

Great,
Durima thought.
We have a nickname now. I guess we've really made it.

Erich walked up to the guards and flashed his badge in their faces. “Commander Erich, leader of the Soldiers of the Gods, here with the two god-killers who murdered the Spider Goddess on Bleak Rock last year. I am here to bring them before the Council, who will decide their ultimate fates today.”

The two guards peered at Erich's badge and then stepped aside once they were certain that he was telling the truth. Erich then knocked on the doors and stood back as they opened inward; albeit, slowly, due to their massive size.

When the doors were fully open, Erich entered the Hall. The Soldiers behind and around Durima and Gujak forced them to follow—not that Durima needed the encouragement. It wasn't like she or Gujak could run away; after all, where would they run
to
?

The interior of the Hall of Judgment was, in Durima's opinion, just as magnificent as the exterior. Soaring walls, so clean that they gleamed from the light of the crystal chandeliers above, made Durima feel like she was walking in an open field, rather than inside a large building. Another statue of Grinf met them in the lobby, but whereas the outside statue had been standing on top of a captured criminal, this Grinf was sitting in a high-backed chair, his gavel on his lap, his fingers curled around the chain of a criminal who sat by his side with a long face.

This statue of Grinf was huge, towering over everyone else, yet because the interior of the Hall of Judgment was so wide open, it still didn't quite take up the entire room. Still, Durima felt like the golden eyes of that Grinf statue followed her and Gujak specifically, as if it knew what horrible crime they had committed against the gods and did not want to let them out of its sight.

Aside from the gigantic Grinf statue, the Hall's lobby had several armed guards protecting doors to various rooms. No doubt those rooms were other judgment halls, where criminals were likely being tried by katabans judges who had been carefully handpicked by Grinf himself to deliver justice.

If only the same could be said about the Council,
Durima thought, scowling as she and Gujak were led past the Grinf statue.
Apparently, the only reason they're allowed to rule is because they're 'wiser' than the rest of us. I don't know how they managed to convince the gods of that, but there you go.

Beyond the Grinf statue was another staircase leading up to yet another set of double doors. Durima, having once visited the Hall of Judgment many years ago, knew that what lay behind those double doors was the Justice Chamber. It was only where the worst of katabans criminals were tried by the Council itself. It was rarely used, since most katabans criminals rarely committed crimes great enough for the Council to try them. In fact, the last time that the Justice Chamber had been used, to Durima's knowledge, was at the end of the Katabans War, when the leader of the defeated side and his loyalists were brought before the Council and sentenced to life imprisonment.

It only makes sense that Gujak and I would be tried there,
Durima thought.
After all, we've committed a crime that not even the worst criminal would ever think of committing. I am surprised that they didn't just execute us on the spot back on Bleak Rock and call it a day.

They climbed up the tall stone stairs, each step difficult for Durima, as her legs were short and the steps were fairly tall. Gujak had no problem making the climb, but he didn't look at all excited about having to do it. The Soldiers, however, did not let her or Gujak slow down; in fact, they did quite the opposite, poking them in their backs to keep them moving up and up.

The double doors to the Justice Chamber resembled the front doors, although much smaller in stature due to being indoors. The symbol of Grinf, a golden gavel covered with fire, decorated both doors. Erich pushed the doors open, as they were small enough for him to do that, and then stepped aside as Durima and Gujak were herded directly into the Justice Chamber.

This was the first time Durima had ever been inside the Justice Chamber, so she paid more attention to her surroundings than she normally did. Unlike the lobby, the Justice Chamber was very small, more like a normal-sized room than an open field. Four benches, each equal in size and made of a fine deep brown wood, stood on the back wall, near a door that probably led to the room where the Council itself was debating their fates. The benches looked more like thrones to Durima and there was no jury, but that was normal for criminals to be tried by the Council.

Durima and Gujak stood in the slightly depressed pit in the center of the room. There was no place for them to sit, but that didn't matter because Durima doubted this trial would be very long. Once the Council came here, it would all be over quickly.

Then half of the dozen Soldiers exited the room, leaving only six to surround Durima and Gujak on all sides. Erich closed and locked the doors. Without any windows, there was truly no way for Durima and Gujak to make an escape unless they tried to fight the Soldiers first.

Which would most definitely be suicide at this point,
Durima thought, eying the sharp crystalline swords of the Soldiers and their bulging biceps.
I imagine the only reason they haven't torn us to pieces yet is because they have orders from the Council not to. I wonder if these six will get the honor of executing us once the Council tells them to.

Erich walked over to the door next to the benches and entered without knocking. He emerged a minute later, a smirk on his human-like features.

“The Council will be here in a few minutes,” Erich said, folding his arms across his chest. “In the meantime, you two keep your mouths shut. You will have plenty of opportunity to defend yourself before the Council once they appear, although I do not think anything you say will help.”

Gujak gave a great, big shuddering gasp, like he was going to cry any minute. Durima jabbed him in the side with her elbow and glared at him. She didn't want Gujak losing his composure in such a delicate situation. They were in this together, so if one of them looked weak, it would make both of them look weak.

Just as Erich said, a few minutes later, the door to the Council's chambers opened and four katabans walked out of it. Although each one of them was different, they all wore the same red-and-gold robes of Grinf that all katabans judges wore. The four Council members climbed onto their benches without even bothering to look at Durima or Gujak, though Durima could sense their intense hostility toward her and Gujak just the same.

As the four Council members adjusted their seats, Durima looked at them. She had only seen the Council members from a distance, when they were making pronouncements in front of the Temple of the Gods or at the yearly Festival of the Gods that happened at the beginning of each new year, in which they were always the guests of honor. This was the first time she had seen them up close, so she took this opportunity to get a better look at them than she normally did.

The first one was Valumor, the oldest member of the Council, who had a wolfish face that looked odd with his judge robes. If Durima remembered correctly, Valumor had been a General in the Katabans War, fighting on the side of the Council, and had in fact won the final battle of the War. That was why he had been given a spot on the Council, although Durima had never fought under him, so she didn't know how good of a General he actually was.

The one on Valumor's right was Kaxu. She had a vaguely humanoid face, except her hair was as scruffy as a lion's mane. Her claws were neatly trimmed, almost too neat, which Durima thought was a pointless thing to do because it left her vulnerable to attack. Then again, Kaxu hadn't fought in the War, so it made sense she'd know nothing about using every advantage she had in order to survive.

To Valumor's left sat Huju, the most human-looking of them all. He had a very young, almost boyish face, with the only clue to his true nature being his purple eyes. He sat with slumped shoulders, like a sulky teenager, but Durima was no fool. If the rumors she had heard about him were true, he was the most devious and manipulative of all of the Council members. He only pretended to be an immature little boy, which made him someone to watch out for, in her opinion.

On Huju's left was the final member of the Council, Namusa, who in contrast to Huju resembled an aquarian more than a human. She had an eel-like face that seemed to be constantly sweating some kind of greenish liquid, which somehow did not stain her judge's robes.

Normally, Durima would not be afraid of the Council, as she believed them to be nothing more than self-important fools who thought they were better than everyone else. Today, however, she could not deny the tingle of fear creeping up her spine as she watched the Council members finish adjusting their seats.

Beside her, Gujak didn't make a sound—which was good; very good, in fact. Durima wanted to go out with dignity, and she did not think it would look very dignified if Gujak was acting like the blubbering mess he usually became when under intense pressure like this.

Durima stood straight and tall while the Council members looked down on them with utter contempt on their features. Having once been looked at by enemy soldiers who had wanted to kill her, she wasn't as bothered by the Council's contemptuous glares.

Erich walked up to the front of the Council and stood ramrod straight. He saluted the Council and said, “Sir and Madame Council Members, I present to you the divine murderers, Durima, also known as the Demon, and Gujak, the one who, according to all reports, personally murdered the Spider Goddess himself.”

“The Council knows that, Commander,” said Valumor, putting the tips of his fingers together, “but thank you for reiterating the facts. It is important we are all on the same page here in order to make sure that the judgment we will pass on Durima and Gujak is perfect and just.”

“Yes, Sir Council Member Valumor,” said Erich, bowing. He then stepped aside, allowing the Council a better view of Durima and Gujak, who were still surrounded on every side by Erich's Soldiers.

Valumor held up a scroll and unfurled it. “Now, there is no doubt in our minds that the accused who stand here are indeed guilty of the murder of the Spider Goddess. Correct?”

He looked at his fellow Council members. None of them uttered even one word of disagreement.