Deadsponcelling
By Carly Robb and James Clair Lewis
Deadsponcelling Chapter 14
Tara turned to Kali, "Speaking of the kid, Kali, where should I put him and what should I do with him? I know why I went in a cell, but does he? Does his Crime of believing he was Dreaming merit a cell? I know it's probably a stupid question, but if I am to be his Counsel I'm going to need some pointers, and from what I have been told, you're the best."
"Tara, you'll do fine. It really is just a formality actually. Metis, Tara needs some help here with the kid. Now I have to go make this report. Gawd, do I hate having to report atrocities like this."
Tara grumbled something about having no idea, and perhaps making things worse for the kid, but figured whatever happened happened. She looked at Metis and then to Aleph. "Look, Aleph, I'm assuming you're from the U.SA,. and that you're from around my time period, so listen to me. This might sound a bit harsh, even to you Metis, but I think this is the only way for me to explain Trials here to you. Which, by the way is something I didn't have." She rolled her eyes, wondering how much damage she would cause with her next words. "Your Trial will not seem fair to you. It will be swift, but the only outcome that I am aware of, if it doesn't go well, is your death. Don't think of the Judicial system here as the same as what you're used to. If you want to compare it to something think Spanish Inquisition. You will be considered Guilty of murder, until Proven Innocent, that's just the way it works here. You think you are Dreaming, which is a good thing on your part, but also a bad thing. Nothing is a Dream, Aleph, nothing. But remember, many of us were in your shoes at one time, myself only recently. I want this to go as smoothly as possible with you alive and realizing the reality of your Dreams at the end." She pulled up a chair and sat down. "How long have you been going through the mirror, Aleph?"
Aleph was obviously confused, "I live in Synethesia. I've never heard of the U.S. or Spain. And if I'm not dreaming, then I must have eaten some bad mushrooms. Trial? For what? For killing people in my dreams? I've never hurt anyone in real life,. I'm a college student. I party a lot. I learn things in my dreams and ace my exams. I've been having these mirror dreams for about 9 years now. This must be some guilt trip, because I got into college early. Two years ahead of when most people do. OK. I'll play along. I suppose I'm supposed to learn something from this."
Tara continued, "hmm, Synesthia, eh, never heard of it, but there are many places that I've never heard of I'm sure. Like Nemeth, and the village that was just raided. Oh well, I'm going off on a tangent here, Aleph, sorry. It's not a dream and it's not bad mushrooms. There are other Realities, other worlds, even other time lines that are accessible by a select few who can impact the Worlds that they Dream in. Everything you Dream exists somewhere. We all know about eating the brains of dream people to gain knowledge, but have realized the fact that these people do exist. The goal of the Protectors of the Order is to promote Peace among the various worlds and Realities. There is a group of Deadsponcellors, Rogues, they have made many Raids on many towns and villages, even cities. Our main goal, mine at least, is to track them down and destroy them. The town we were just in, was Raided by them, all of the people dead. Women, Children, Innocents every one. I saw nothing that wasn't scorched. I have seen this in the past. I never want to see it again. I know you couldn't have done that damage by yourself. We think we know who we are looking for, so if you could give us any information on the town or anything it would be greatly appreciated." She glanced at Metis, not wanting to add that she had her doubts on who did it, but wanting to say something not quite negative about the supposed Rogues. Wanted to say that it would have to be a large group. But didn't want to sacrifice her life for her theory. She looked back at Aleph and gave him descriptions of Sepheroth and the rest of his group.
"Wait a minute! Are you telling me that this is all real? That I've been killing real people for nine years? Oh my God! I'm a monster!" Aleph backed away from Metis and Tara, and then fell to the floor weeping. "Kill me. I don't deserve to live!"
Tara knelt next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Aleph, listen to me. Your reaction tells me that you deserve to live. The fact that you see the horrors of what you have done, what you did not know you were doing, that tells me that you do not wish to see it happen again." She stopped and shook him a bit by the shoulders, "Aleph, look at me and listen to what I am saying to you! You did not know. I did not know... I did not know that I was in cahoots with the Rogues, for crying out loud! We were like Children, Aleph, all of us, we did not know right from wrong. But we Learned. Death is not the way for you to right any wrongs that you may have done. You can work to bring Order to the worlds. That village we were at, those atrocities did not occur all by themselves. You see, you and I and all the rest, we took what we thought we needed. The Rogues take what they want. If you were to tell them what they were doing, they would merely take your head and feast upon your brains. Do you really wish to sit back and die with the Rogues doing much more harm than you ever did? Every flock needs to be culled occasionally, but you can't allow the wolves to take them all now can you?" She stopped and chewed on her lip for a minute, immersed in thought. "Aleph, I deserve the sword more than you. Come, join us, there is much to be done before we die."
Metis nodded, "Listen to Tara, kid. We've all done what you've done. It was twenty years before I learned the truth. That is why the Order was formed. Those who can pass between the worlds are rare. The Protectors search for Deadsponcellors like you to join us, so we can establish Order throughout the Realities. But we have a problem. There are Rogues out there who know the truth, and yet they prey upon people anyway. That village was wiped out by the Rogues, and it is not the only one. This has been going on for a long time. Many worlds have come under the control of the Order, and we can protect them by establishing garrisons of dragon riders. But the Rogues are still out there, and we have no idea where they are coming from, or where they will strike next. I need to know. We need to know. Did you see anything? Did you see the Rogues on your way away from that village before you came back and we captured you?
Kali gave her report of the massacre of the village and the capture of Aleph to the Supreme Judges of the Tribunal of the Protectors of the Order. She had always been in awe of them in their black robes. They were the ancient dragon riders who had founded the Order so long ago. She knew that some time in the past that there had been other Judges amongst them, but somehow, they had turned, and become the Rogues.
When she mentioned Aleph, she noticed that something had broken their composure for a moment. Then they began asking many questions about him. She explained that Europa had hit Aleph with a shovel, and knocked him unconscious, and that there had been no time to interview him properly, that he was still very dazed and confused, and was probably sleeping. But, she promised to get answers from him as soon as possible, as soon as he was conscious.
She left the inner Tribunal Room, and went directly to the holding cells, mulling over a suspicion, because the Judges had seemed not anxious for a lead on the Rogues, but actually a bit frightened. She arrived at the holding cell just as Aleph was about to speak.
Aleph finally calmed down enough to be somewhat coherent, and told them, "Yes, I did see something, but it was from a distance, so I'm not sure it will help. I had," he bowed his head in shame,"just taken the head of an old man, the village storyteller, from whom I hoped to learn the history and legends of Greece for a paper I'm writing. Tau and I were flying back, when we saw a group of dragonriders emerge from a cloud. They were all wearing black robes, and one seemed to be a very tall, thin Asian. I didn't see anything else, because Tau and I were going home. I really didn't think anything of it at all, until now. Could those dragon riders be the Rogues?"
Tara wasn't sure whether to be shocked or smug, and her face showed it. She looked at Kali, and simply stated, "I don't really think that sounds like Sepheroth's group." Her mind was reeling, she didn't really suspect Sepheroth and the others, but the Judges? "Do you remember how many there were, Aleph? More than 4? Not the people I described to you?" She felt more smug by the minute, but still did not know how the others would react. She did know, however, that if it came down to it, she would die with a sword in her hand screaming the Truth to the Citadel.
Kali pulled out a photograph of a tall thin Asian man, whom she had worshiped as a hero for many years. "Aleph, was this the dragon rider you saw?"
Aleph looked at the photograph carefully, "Yeah, that's the guy I saw. Is he the one you're looking for?"
Metiss eyes grew wide in shock, "Oh my God! That's the Supreme Judge, Fu Manchu!"
From a haze of confused smugness, Tara mumbled, "I had a feeling it would have to be more than four people...."
Eight of the black uniformed personal guards of the Judges came marching up to the holding cell. "We have come to take the prisoner for questioning by the Supreme Judges. Please stand aside."
Kali stepped aside into the center of the hallway. "Why certainly. I always obey the judgement of the Judges. He is right here. Take him." Kali drew her sword, and cut off the head of the first guard from behind, then whirled around, and split the head of a second guard right down the middle.
Metis whipped out his sword and skewered the guard in front of him, then pushed him into the ones behind him. "Tara, get Aleph. I think we are leaving!"
"You heard him, Aleph, get up. The Rogues may not fall tonight, but we are armed with truth." She turned, drew her sword, and removed the sword arm of the nearest guard in one fluid motion. "Take that sword, Aleph, and use it like you've never used it before, you're not killing for knowledge anymore." Tara faced the Guards, screaming, "Protectors of the Order, we've been had! Trickery of the worst sort! NEMETH HAS FALLEN!" And if it hadn't been for the fact that Kali and Metis were in the doorway she would have taken out a few more Guards.
Kali dispatched two more of the guards while Tara was getting Aleph armed for battle. Metis took out one more.
The two Protectors from the Guard station by the elevators rushed up with pistols drawn, "Kali Yuga! What is going on?"
Tara kept her sword at the ready. "What's going on, you ask? I'll tell you what's going on. Reverse Mutiny is going on. We've been lied to and used. We've been an army of bodyguards, hunting a False Enemy. People died while we were watching the wrong group of Powerful Deadsponcellors. That, my friend, is what's going on."
Aleph nearly cut her off, saying, "I saw them. The ones you call the Judges. The were flying into the village when I was leaving, and when I came back the next day, everybody there was dead."
The last of the Judge's personal Guards lunged at Aleph with his sword, and screamed, "He Lies!"
Tara lunged, her sword aimed low to maim, not kill. "A Liar? Go ask your Beloved Judges if he Lies. Or, oh, never mind, it appears your entrails are falling out of your abdomen, I guess you won't be going anywhere on your own for a while. So while you're here, tell me how four people could massacre a village in such short time, behead all of the residents, and make sure that the whole place was merely ash and embers. Also, tell me why you were sent to escort him to his Trial when I haven't even spoken for him yet. I figure if either of us were to be escorted by the Judges personal guards, it would have been me. I mean, I was the one who was aiding the Rogues, was I not. Oh, I wasn't, I almost forgot."
She kicked the guard's sword away from his hand, not that she thought he could do anything with it, but just in case. "It seems a lot of people have been mislead by a few power-hungry individuals. Kali, what should I do with him? Leave him for someone to find and nurse back to health later or end his pain now?" She glared down at the bloody heap on the floor, resisting the urge to spit on him.
The two Protectors from the Guard station looked at each other. "You are going to have to make a run for it. Knock us out, so we can live to spread the word!" The other added, "And don't forget to take our guns. We have to make this look good."
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