I see several eyebrows rise all around us now in the tiny valley. At the margins of the lake, our witnesses have gone from casually interested in why their almost-Jarl has returned and risked pissing off his father, to deep awareness now.
Bjorn’s carefully chosen words have made this Trial a matter of state, rather than of just clan law. As many of our witnesses glance at each other, then lean forward in their boulder thrones, I know we have their full attention.
Because this could be an issue of treason, if Jarl Oggi has waylaid us during a mission for the King.
“My mate, Hög Skjaldmær Rikyava Andersen, has with her a Blood Seal given to her by our King,” Bjorn continues, as he nods for me to produce my Seal. “Upon it, you will find her name, my name, and Jarl-Heir Ström Eriksson’s name, as given especial permission by our King to cross any borders into Blood Dragon lands, upon this mission which he sent us.”
Thankfully, Captain Mortensen is with us; he moves forward now, though his Jarl glares at him, offering me my things so I can fetch the Blood Seal from the pocket of my fighting leathers. I hold it up, not knowing how in seven hells our witnesses are going to see what’s on it, when a raspy, old voice from our witnesses barks, “Illumine!”
It’s ancient magic the crone shoots at the paper I hold; as her magical blood-lance smites my document, it fountains up massive, gilded writing high into the sky above the lake.
Everything on my document is now blown up a hundredfold as I hold the paper above my head. As the witnesses take a moment to read mymissive, its words painted bright through the midday air, I see even more eyebrows rise.
Then several scowls, as their gazes pin their Jarl.
Jarl Oggi Magnussen weathers the judgemental stares of his clan leaders. He’s finally read my Blood Seal now also—something he neglected to do before in his anger.
His gold eyes burn as they find me now. A tight black-gold Bloodwind whirls around him as his gaze finds Bjorn, the Jarl seething with fury that we have an all-access pass to any clan lands, to chase down the Black Dragon and any Bone Mages who might wield it.
My drakaina trumpets inside me, even as my black drake snarls in wrathful pleasure; it’s a big deal if Jarl Oggi reinforces his position now on our guilt, because it would essentially tell his King to fuck off. I see him stew for a long moment, churning in thought.
Before he pins us all with his steely golden gaze—Bjorn last.
“Though you have a Blood Seal from our King, giving you passage through any clan lands,” the Jarl says as he stares us down, his gaze terrible upon Bjorn. “It does not give you the right to enter an ancient sacred site, holy to us, and severely desecrate its hallowed halls. You may have permission from our King to cross our borders and follow whatever trail you are following on your hunt. But this writ doesnotgive you permission to ruin our most sacred heritage sites. Which you have done, by enteringUnhaemmertenand utterly destroying some of its most central chambers. Such an act falls under our laws of Reckless Desecration of a Site of Blessed Rest. And the penalty for that, since ancient times…is death.”
As Bjorn growls low in his throat and Ström bristles, both of them manifesting a tight whirl of power now, I know Jarl Oggi has got us on that one. We still have one card left to play, however, and I step forward, my inner dragons strong.
To play the hell out of it.
“Did we break into your ancient sacred site and harm it? Yes.” I am blunt now, as I stare not at Jarl Oggi but at our witnesses all around, mygaze sweeping their thrones as I let a fell wind breathe off me now from whatever power I’m allowed in my current manacles. “Did we do it because we were on the trail of something far more deadly and dangerous than anything any of you have ever seen in life? Yes.”
“Explain,” the old crone says again in her rough bark; as my gaze swings to her, I see her glittering, ruby-bright eyes and wonder who she is, as she has essentially helped us out twice now against her Jarl.
An old bitch of a drakaina who doesn’t give a single fuck about him, apparently.
“If you know the tale ofUnhaemmerten,” I say now as my gaze pins her, then surveys the crowd again. “Then you know the tale of the Black Demon ofUnhaemmerten. For there was a terrible creature that caused the ancient downfall of Seerselen. And it is this creature risen again now which we track for our King.”
Deep inhales of surprise go off all around us in the frozen vale. We’vecertainlypiqued their interest now, as quite a few shocked cries burst into the crystal-thin air, along with astonished rushes of dragon magic.
Which I let settle before I go on.
“Now you really have to explain,” the old crone says as her ruby-bright eyes drill into me. “Keep in mind, young drakaina, niece of the King, that anything you say here in front of these witnesses may be used during your Trial, to test you of your truth-telling. If any part of what you tell us now is false, it will come out in your Trial. And you shall fail, blood-daughter. To the severe displeasure of our King, I believe… which may have repercussions upon all of us.”
Her words are extremely wise as she warns me now; though I can see Jarl Oggi seethe with fury as this ancient woman speaks, he does not interrupt her. Clearly, she’s someone of great personage in the Magnussen Clan. Setting his hand to his heart, Bjorn honors her now with a low nod.
Almost a bow, as she nods quietly back.
Before her eagle-red eyes pin me once more.
“I speak no lies this day,” I say now, holding her formidable gaze andgiving it back in spades. “We are on a mission for the King, my uncle, to find a beast of the ages; a terrible, undead Black Dragon that once decimated not just Seerselen, but all of Blood Dragondom. It has risen again, for only the gods know what reason, resurrected from its ancient burial site by renegade foes we also hunt. They killed my mentor Maryse Allbright… then razed her home village of Jurggadden with the Black Demon just a few days ago. Would you like to go check out the massive destruction of Jurggadden yourselves? I can wait.”
“Your hunt holds ancient legends and dire tales,” the old crone says now as she watches me. “We will confirm your tale about Maryse and Jurggadden in our own ways. But right now, are you asserting there is some connection between your hunt and the sacred site ofUnhaemmerten? More than just because it holds the dead who were killed by this creature long ago?”
“Yes.” I speak to her alone now, though everyone is listening. “For your beloved cairn-city ofUnhaemmertenwas said to hold items of ancient power at its center—items that may contain the key to stopping this creature. When we were down there, we discovered an altar of relics, used to create the Black Demon long ago. We believe they may hold the secret to stopping it. And un-making it, once and for all. If this assembly might set us free to do so.”
“It is beyond our power to set you free, child,” the old drakaina says, though her severe gaze flicks to her Jarl now. “You have chosen the Trial of Truth; by our ancient laws, now that it has begun, it cannot be halted. You must continue. Even if it was most unwise of our Jarl to place you and your mates in this situation in the first place.”
I feel it as this ancient drakaina and the Magnussen Jarl hold an intense standoff now, before our witnesses. The lake and its tight valley boil with dragon-energy now, as this outspoken clan matriarch gives her Jarl a splitting earful.
