Entering the council, you can immediately tell that it is an important place. A beating heart of sorts for this land. There is a constant stream of soldiers and messengers that are making their way in and out of this place. There are so many people moving at such speeds that it is a wonder that anything is even getting done.
In this place, I am sure that all the decisions related to the truelands are made here. About which tribe gets to live and which gets to die. Well, I do not get to remain in this part of the mountain for long, though. Things start getting much less hectic as we go deeper into the mountain.
Cloak doesn't speak anything to me, as he drags me through the complicated mess of tunnels of the mountain. As we go deeper into the place, I can feel the cold grow more intense, both physically and in my heart. I guess that I should be describing the place. At the moment, though, I am just a moment away from emptying my stomach.
As a person of the black mountain, listening is a skill that has been engraved in us since our birth. The amount of stuff that you can learn from simply listening to people is astounding. Here, the simple act of listening reminds me of the fact that I am a stranger in this strange land. The language the people here speak is about as strange as the runes that protect them from the storms.
That certainly doesn't help with my confidence one bit. I can still make a few inferences based on their tone. The people are agitated to see me, and it is going to grow with time. The people here must be more well-informed than the people outside. They know exactly who I am.
(After about ten minutes)
"Well, I have to assume that we are safe from prying ears at the very least.", Cloak speaks. "Can't trust those bastards, though. I wouldn't be surprised if they are double-dealing at this moment."
"Well, who are these bastards?" I ask.
"The beast tribe. They are merchants through and through. Remember this when you make any deals with them in the future. They are more likely to end up screwing you over if you are not ready for it.", he says. "Even if they seem like they are ready to give their life for you, be ready for a sword in your back."
"Why would I be making deals with them?" I reply.
"Well, that was just a hypothetical.", he says, a bit too anxiously. "Focus, young wolf. The council is going to be hard to deal with."
"Well, I would have thought that they would have just slapped a random crime on me and executed me already." I reply.
"Not a single person would be here to stop your head from being separated from your body. They will even cheer while it is happening. Still, if the lower tribes were to see the council executing people like that, it would not be good. It would remind them that the council is capable of doing that. That is not going to lead to anything positive. The tribes have a long memory and a shallow pool of trust." he replies. "Whatever they do to you will need to follow the letter of the law."
"Okay", is all I can reply to this.
"Well, you have three charges against you. The first is the least likely to stick to you. That is the crime of breaking the treaty made between the sages and the snow tribe. They have a very clear treaty. Right now, your standing here is breaking that treaty.", he speaks. "Don't worry about that one since I will manage it. After all, you didn't enter into the snow tribe land by choice. Since I technically kidnapped you, that particular blame will have to be taken by me."
I nod my head as I keep thinking about what the man has told me.
"I will have to warn you that the tattoo tribe will be trying to get the debate on your identity as a legioner. The tribes are tolerating your identity as a legioner. Still, it will be better not to remind everybody about it every few minutes.", he says. "Don't fall to any of their bait on this matter."
"Okay, I understand. What are the other two charges on me?" I reply.
"Well, the second one is the illegal use of formations in the truelands. Even about this, you do not need to worry about much. The wolf tribe will be taking care of this charge for you.", he replies. "Again, here, they will try to focus on your ability to use formation magic. I can't get into detail about it now, but formation magic is a tricky subject in these lands. You could say that a formation mage is about as hated as a legioner here."
"So don't speak about formation magic as well, got it." I reply.
"And the third charge is the trickiest to handle, young wolf. You have hurt the honor of the tattoo tribe by fighting a champion of their tribe using unfair means."
"What exactly do you mean?" I reply. I draw a blank until I remember the giant that had invaded my fort. "But he was a second circle mage. How exactly was I supposed to fight him? On top of that, I am a formation mage. How else am I supposed to fight him if not without formations?"
"Still doesn't change the fact that you fought him using unfair means. The general expectation of the people here is that you will fight him in an honorable duel. They don't care if it means that you will die doing so. Also, didn't I just warn you not to speak about your affinity with formation magic?" he replies, his voice taking on a growling tone.
"Well, what would be the punishment for such a crime then?" I ask him, as soothingly as I can.
"Well, punishments for dueling using unfair means are usually a reconducting of the duel. The council will be the one arranging the duel with neutral parties doing the work.", he replies. "Given that the other party is a snowlord. The result is going to be an execution."
"Well, wouldn't that be unfair? The man will chew through me like a grain of rice.", I ask. "Couldn't we argue about that? These duels are supposed to be fair, no?"
"Yeah, but you are a soldier of the legion and this punishment is technically allowed.", he replies. "Also, which tribe would argue in your favor against them? The tattoo tribe is the strongest there, and none of the other tribes would like to offend them in such a way. Things might even come to blows when honor tends to get involved."
"What can we do then?" I ask.
"We will figure out something. Punishment cannot be avoided for you. That is why our focus now is to delay the judgment until your master makes it here. If that is not possible, the goal is to reduce the intensity of the punishment that they will give you.", he says. "You have five minutes before they will summon you. Get ready for it. Standing in that court can be an intense experience the first time you go there."
(After about five minutes.)
Well, the man has essentially pushed me into the room without any warning. The moment of shock is enough for me to observe the room without getting intimidated by it. I can feel my leg shivering even as I start recording. There are two floors to the room. The lower floor is where I am right now. It is completely plain, other than a circle of stone in the middle. I think I am supposed to stand in it.
This room is meant to intimidate anybody not on the upper floor. Everything in the room is constructed of whatever ice the council is made up of. Yet every inch of the room is carved. Most of it is nonsense. The few understandable parts seem to be these tribes in various battles. Mostly against each other.
The thing that terrifies me is the things that do not make sense to me. Nonsensical squiggles that kind of look like runes. I am trained under the grand wolf of the black mountain. He should know all of the runes in the continent, and I have learned all the runes that the man knows. Well, not all runes, but I should at the very least be able to recognize the origin of these runes. At the very least, tell if they are elvish or draconic.
The upper floor is where the representatives of the five clans are sitting right now. They are presently forming half a circle around me. Each of the tribes has a table here, with five people at each of the tables. At the center of each table is the representative of that clan. Only he or she is allowed to speak. The other four people are meant to be guards and must not speak at all. (I have been learning about my trial from Cloak.)
The leftmost in this circle is the blood tribe, I guess. They are not particularly different from the people that surround them. At a second glance, you can just tell that they are different. More aloof and standoffish, they seem like they are on the edge of battle. They really don't want to be here.
On the other edge, we have the wolf tribe, each wearing a wolf skin much like Cloak. They have a calm but uneasy energy about them. It feels as if they are expecting a fight, but they are also sure that they will win it.
Right at the center, we have the tattoo tribe. They are the most obvious. Every single person at that table is covered in tattoos of various kinds. Beasts, plants and random sigils decorate the bodies of these people. All of them are also significantly larger than the people here.
To their left, we have the beast tribe. Again, they look pretty ordinary, but there is something about them that is different. I guess the correct term would be that they are comfortable here. The others are giving a more combative vibe, as if everybody here could be a potential enemy. The beast tribe gives the vibe that they don't consider anybody a threat here.
Right opposite to them is the Spear tribe, which gives me the exact opposite vibe. This is especially so whenever they look at me. They want to get their spears into me, and they are not making any effort to hide it as well. I wonder what the sages have done that they have inspired such a bloodlust in the spear tribe.
Looking at them, I am worried. They have conjured their spears here. No other tribe has brought any weapons here. Granted, most of them are still a threat without their weapons. (I am looking at the tattoo tribe and the wolf tribe, especially here.) The spears are still pretty intimidating. Well, I am sure that cloak will protect me, but it does feel like there is nothing that he can do when and if they gut me.
"Well, the accused has entered the meeting room. It is about time that we started this farce." the one who spoke was cloak. He is translating the words of the man from the blood tribe who spoke a moment before. He is behind me, though I did not notice the man entering with me. "I do not want to waste my time."
"Well, the council has its procedures for a reason, representative of the blood tribe." the lady from the tattoo tribe speaks. "Not that you brutes are going to understand it."
"Well, it is a waste of time.", the man from the blood tribe speaks. "And what is it with you guys, you know my name."
"Well, as we have briefed you a thousand times. We shall only call you by the name of your tribe. You represent the will of your leader. Your names should hold no value here." the lady from the tattoo tribes screams politely at the other man. Even I can tell that was the wrong thing to do here, and I have never been to this council. This lady is already losing control of the council. I don't know if I should be happy or sad about that.
"Well, the blood tribe is unique among all the tribes. I am certain you can forgive their lack of politeness, lady of the tattoo tribe.", spoke the man from the beast tribe. "It would be wise that we get this trial started in haste. A man of the legion can cause chaos that would benefit none of us. The quicker we are done with it, the less agitated the other tribes will get."
"So, Antonio of the legion, you have been brought before the council to answer for your crimes..." the lady of the tattoo tribe begins to speak.