“We gather, according to Sect rule, to bear witness to a truth-telling,” he began, his voice was firm and boomed throughout the packed room. The crowd listened intently. “Disciple Aleki has been accused of attacking disciple Sen’o with the intent to kill him.” The confirmation of Aleki’s accused actions sent reverberations through the crowd. I noted, interestingly, that surprise was not something the onlookers showed even a hint of. “Sen’o will begin, as the accuser, to tell the events he believes to have happened. Followed by Aleki, who will tell us what happened according to him.”
The Grand Elder looked towards me. I watched a woman approach me. She was dressed in ceremonial garb which involved a headdress that obscured her face, a giant tunic laced with various beads and stones and jewellery covering her wrists and ankles.
As she jangled up to me, I prepared myself for the invasion of her qi. As it seeped into me it explored every nook and cranny of my body, filling me almost entirely. For the truth-telling to work I had to let all my guards down.
Truth-telling only worked if the truth-teller had unfettered access to the body, any movement of qi not belonging to them would disturb the process. This was what made truth-telling so powerful, there was no trick, no method of cheating a truth-teller. Even for me.
I began to tell what had happened. I left in all the details, the fact that I fooled him, the fact that I shot him and the fact that I kept him sedated for the entire journey back to the Sect.
I refrained from looking at the crowd too much, I was too focused on making sure everything I had said was correct. By the time I finished I looked up to find that everyone, apart from Safi and Itzcoatl, was looking at me with their mouths open wide.
Even Grand Elder Frederick had a surprised look on his face. I was not sure what he believed to have happened but it certainly did not involve me taking Aleki on alone, and winning.
The truth-teller’s qi slowly made its way out of my body. After fully extricating, she looked towards the Grand Elder and nodded her head. Gasps spread throughout the room, I even saw Aleki’s master slam the table in front of him.
“The disciple, Sen’o, has told the truth,” he said after clearing his throat. “Aleki, you will now speak.” Aleki croaked a little after being called upon. He knew there was no chance of him getting out of this. He looked at me, so angry his eyes were red.
“Fuck you!” he shouted. “You little peasant shit.”
The truth-teller tried to approach him but he did not allow them. He kept berating me, the Grand Elder watched as Aleki got angrier and angrier. His Master had his head in his hands as he realised his disciples fate was decided.
“Aleki,” said the Grand Elder, no louder than usual. A great wave of qi suppressed Aleki, he tried to continue his angry tirade but it only amounted to chokes as he struggled to breathe from the compelling force of the Grand Elder’s qi. “You are hereby denounced as a member of the Hall of the Mountain Gods. As punishment for the most egregious of crimes, assaulting a fellow disciple. You will be stripped of your cultivation.”
The final nail in Aleki’s coffin. He was frothing at the mouth, then he fainted. His face red and his eyes watering.
I was merely thankful the crowd had someone else to look at. Aleki was escorted away by his Master and another Elder. I was taken away by Grand Elder Frederick who had a contemplating look on his face.
“You did well, I trust that his punishment is sufficient?” he asked me as we walked down the green and black tunnel once more.
“More than enough, I was not entirely expecting you to claim his cultivation.”
“Well, it’s somewhat of a zero-tolerance policy.”
“As it should be,” I nodded.
Upon arriving at the end of the tunnel I found a group waiting for me. Elder Laaka was busy fending some people off while Safi, Chit and Aleki’s sister all approached me. Grand Elder Frederick bade me farewell before I was assaulted by a soft punch from Safi, who I had noticed was managing to touch me more easily.
“Looks like you’re famous now,” she said with a laugh. She was the only one not affected by the hearing. She already knew I was a reincarnator, after all.
“About time,” I chuckled. “As for you,” I said as I looked at Chit. “Don’t say anything if you were worried about me.” Chit crossed her arms in annoyance. Safi and I cracked up which summoned a confused smile on Aleki’s sister's face.
“Chit doesn’t really talk much,” explained Safi.
“Which is a good thing considering Safi talks enough for two people,” I said before having to dodge another punch from Safi that looked to be aimed somewhere slightly more painful than my arm.
“Neither of you seem to have any issues filling the silence…” said Aleki’s sister.
“Nice to properly meet you,” I said with a smile, finally acknowledging her presence. “Or did you come looking for another fight? Some revenge perhaps?”
“Rather than revenge, I came to give you a reward. A thanks for shedding light on my creepy brother’s crimes.”
“You knew?” I asked, slightly confused at the manner in which she spoke about him.
“I knew he was a creepy tool, I did not know he was a murderer.”
“He’s still your brother…” I said, with little to no conviction.
“He’s as close to being my brother as I was to beating you in our bout,” she said with a shrug. I could not help but smile at the compliment.
“Then, what is our reward?” asked Safi, eager to interrupt my fast inflating ego.
“Our reward?” I parroted, aggrieved by the bid for half my earnings.
“Oh come on, it’s not like you could actually use anything she could give you anyway…” said Safi before she realised what she was implying and quickly slapped her hand over her mouth. “I mean…” She could not even think of a viable excuse.
Aleki’s sister only hummed, Chit stayed characteristically silent. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I would not feel good about receiving a reward when all that motivated me was self-preservation.”
“You and I both know that’s a lie, you were never threatened by Aleki. You held back so much against me I felt like a toddler. I would imagine Aleki as a slightly larger toddler in your eyes.” She was admittedly close to the truth.
“If that were true, why not just kill him?” I asked, too curious not to probe. I wanted to find out how much she’d figured out.
“Because, no one would believe you beat him otherwise,” she said with surety.
“Why would I need people to believe that I had beaten him?” I asked whilst taking a step closer to her. She stopped to think for a minute as she had clearly not thought this far.
“You want to make a name for yourself?” she said after a time.
“Well that much is obvious,” I admitted with a shrug.
“So you want me to tell you why?”
“If you can.”
“You want to build a team!” she said as she remembered me wanting to meet Itzcoatl.
“Well, I suppose so.” I looked away for a second before turning back. “Besides, the only reward I could possibly be interested in is you.”
“Me?” she asked with a snort before she realised I was being serious. “You mean you want me to be part of your team?” she asked after her face flushed.
“Of course, what else?” I said with a sly smile. She went fully red at my blatant teasing.
“Well, I’m not opposed to the idea.” Her hands were fumbling with her robes as she spoke.
“Great, so that’s five total?” I asked Safi with a smile. She frowned and made a show of counting on her fingers.
“Isn’t that just four?” she asked with eyebrows crushed together.
“I don’t think Chit appreciates you leaving her out like that.” I berated her light-heartedly. Safi looked at Chit who only nodded.
“When did that happen?” asked a befuddled Safi.
“Keep up, Safi.” I wagged my finger at her jokingly. “Why don’t you introduce yourself to us, then?” I asked Aleki’s sister.
“Right,” she gathered herself. “My name is Eleb. Nice to meet you,” she smiled sweetly which convinced Safi immediately that she was a great addition to the team.
I said goodbye to Master Laaka who had finished dealing with the rabble suddenly interested in getting to know me. Then, we left. It was time to let them in on a small portion of my plan.
As we walked Eleb tugged at my robe and beckoned me down to her small height. “Did you mean what you said about being better at making people feel good than bad?” she asked. Being so close to her face I could feel the heat radiating off her skin.
“More than you know,” I said.
“Then, maybe I can be your reward after all,” she whispered shyly before letting me go.
“We gather, according to Sect rule, to bear witness to a truth-telling,” he began, his voice was firm and boomed throughout the packed room. The crowd listened intently. “Disciple Aleki has been accused of attacking disciple Sen’o with the intent to kill him.” The confirmation of Aleki’s accused actions sent reverberations through the crowd. I noted, interestingly, that surprise was not something the onlookers showed even a hint of. “Sen’o will begin, as the accuser, to tell the events he believes to have happened. Followed by Aleki, who will tell us what happened according to him.”
The Grand Elder looked towards me. I watched a woman approach me. She was dressed in ceremonial garb which involved a headdress that obscured her face, a giant tunic laced with various beads and stones and jewellery covering her wrists and ankles.
As she jangled up to me, I prepared myself for the invasion of her qi. As it seeped into me it explored every nook and cranny of my body, filling me almost entirely. For the truth-telling to work I had to let all my guards down.
Truth-telling only worked if the truth-teller had unfettered access to the body, any movement of qi not belonging to them would disturb the process. This was what made truth-telling so powerful, there was no trick, no method of cheating a truth-teller. Even for me.
I began to tell what had happened. I left in all the details, the fact that I fooled him, the fact that I shot him and the fact that I kept him sedated for the entire journey back to the Sect.
I refrained from looking at the crowd too much, I was too focused on making sure everything I had said was correct. By the time I finished I looked up to find that everyone, apart from Safi and Itzcoatl, was looking at me with their mouths open wide.
Even Grand Elder Frederick had a surprised look on his face. I was not sure what he believed to have happened but it certainly did not involve me taking Aleki on alone, and winning.
The truth-teller’s qi slowly made its way out of my body. After fully extricating, she looked towards the Grand Elder and nodded her head. Gasps spread throughout the room, I even saw Aleki’s master slam the table in front of him.
“The disciple, Sen’o, has told the truth,” he said after clearing his throat. “Aleki, you will now speak.” Aleki croaked a little after being called upon. He knew there was no chance of him getting out of this. He looked at me, so angry his eyes were red.
“Fuck you!” he shouted. “You little peasant shit.”
The truth-teller tried to approach him but he did not allow them. He kept berating me, the Grand Elder watched as Aleki got angrier and angrier. His Master had his head in his hands as he realised his disciples fate was decided.
“Aleki,” said the Grand Elder, no louder than usual. A great wave of qi suppressed Aleki, he tried to continue his angry tirade but it only amounted to chokes as he struggled to breathe from the compelling force of the Grand Elder’s qi. “You are hereby denounced as a member of the Hall of the Mountain Gods. As punishment for the most egregious of crimes, assaulting a fellow disciple. You will be stripped of your cultivation.”
The final nail in Aleki’s coffin. He was frothing at the mouth, then he fainted. His face red and his eyes watering.
I was merely thankful the crowd had someone else to look at. Aleki was escorted away by his Master and another Elder. I was taken away by Grand Elder Frederick who had a contemplating look on his face.
“You did well, I trust that his punishment is sufficient?” he asked me as we walked down the green and black tunnel once more.
“More than enough, I was not entirely expecting you to claim his cultivation.”
“Well, it’s somewhat of a zero-tolerance policy.”
“As it should be,” I nodded.
Upon arriving at the end of the tunnel I found a group waiting for me. Elder Laaka was busy fending some people off while Safi, Chit and Aleki’s sister all approached me. Grand Elder Frederick bade me farewell before I was assaulted by a soft punch from Safi, who I had noticed was managing to touch me more easily.
“Looks like you’re famous now,” she said with a laugh. She was the only one not affected by the hearing. She already knew I was a reincarnator, after all.
“About time,” I chuckled. “As for you,” I said as I looked at Chit. “Don’t say anything if you were worried about me.” Chit crossed her arms in annoyance. Safi and I cracked up which summoned a confused smile on Aleki’s sister's face.
“Chit doesn’t really talk much,” explained Safi.
“Which is a good thing considering Safi talks enough for two people,” I said before having to dodge another punch from Safi that looked to be aimed somewhere slightly more painful than my arm.
“Neither of you seem to have any issues filling the silence…” said Aleki’s sister.
“Nice to properly meet you,” I said with a smile, finally acknowledging her presence. “Or did you come looking for another fight? Some revenge perhaps?”
“Rather than revenge, I came to give you a reward. A thanks for shedding light on my creepy brother’s crimes.”
“You knew?” I asked, slightly confused at the manner in which she spoke about him.
“I knew he was a creepy tool, I did not know he was a murderer.”
“He’s still your brother…” I said, with little to no conviction.
“He’s as close to being my brother as I was to beating you in our bout,” she said with a shrug. I could not help but smile at the compliment.
“Then, what is our reward?” asked Safi, eager to interrupt my fast inflating ego.
“Our reward?” I parroted, aggrieved by the bid for half my earnings.
“Oh come on, it’s not like you could actually use anything she could give you anyway…” said Safi before she realised what she was implying and quickly slapped her hand over her mouth. “I mean…” She could not even think of a viable excuse.
Aleki’s sister only hummed, Chit stayed characteristically silent. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I would not feel good about receiving a reward when all that motivated me was self-preservation.”
“You and I both know that’s a lie, you were never threatened by Aleki. You held back so much against me I felt like a toddler. I would imagine Aleki as a slightly larger toddler in your eyes.” She was admittedly close to the truth.
“If that were true, why not just kill him?” I asked, too curious not to probe. I wanted to find out how much she’d figured out.
“Because, no one would believe you beat him otherwise,” she said with surety.
“Why would I need people to believe that I had beaten him?” I asked whilst taking a step closer to her. She stopped to think for a minute as she had clearly not thought this far.
“You want to make a name for yourself?” she said after a time.
“Well that much is obvious,” I admitted with a shrug.
“So you want me to tell you why?”
“If you can.”
“You want to build a team!” she said as she remembered me wanting to meet Itzcoatl.
“Well, I suppose so.” I looked away for a second before turning back. “Besides, the only reward I could possibly be interested in is you.”
“Me?” she asked with a snort before she realised I was being serious. “You mean you want me to be part of your team?” she asked after her face flushed.
“Of course, what else?” I said with a sly smile. She went fully red at my blatant teasing.
“Well, I’m not opposed to the idea.” Her hands were fumbling with her robes as she spoke.
“Great, so that’s five total?” I asked Safi with a smile. She frowned and made a show of counting on her fingers.
“Isn’t that just four?” she asked with eyebrows crushed together.
“I don’t think Chit appreciates you leaving her out like that.” I berated her light-heartedly. Safi looked at Chit who only nodded.
“When did that happen?” asked a befuddled Safi.
“Keep up, Safi.” I wagged my finger at her jokingly. “Why don’t you introduce yourself to us, then?” I asked Aleki’s sister.
“Right,” she gathered herself. “My name is Eleb. Nice to meet you,” she smiled sweetly which convinced Safi immediately that she was a great addition to the team.
I said goodbye to Master Laaka who had finished dealing with the rabble suddenly interested in getting to know me. Then, we left. It was time to let them in on a small portion of my plan.
As we walked Eleb tugged at my robe and beckoned me down to her small height. “Did you mean what you said about being better at making people feel good than bad?” she asked. Being so close to her face I could feel the heat radiating off her skin.
“More than you know,” I said.
“Then, maybe I can be your reward after all,” she whispered shyly before letting me go.
