Edited by: KenChi死

Right after Zari left the conference room, the gathering changed into lesser hellhole. Daralon started laughing maniacally, a few started shouting something about lack of information gathered by spies, a few were impressed by performed skills and a few… well, demanded extermination.

“What the hell was that!? Fire mage?! Last time I checked fire mages could only use fire! Do we even have a name for that thing?! “Please calm down…” “Our information service is inferior! Or maybe our beloved friend Hanna concealed information about his true capability?” “When he was studying under my care he never showed anything but fire magic!” “So he hides his secrets even from you? That’s simply perfect! What do we actually know about him!?” “We know that he is reacting violently even after the smallest offence. Are you ready to release that thing on the streets? Someone would offend him, so in revenge he will slaughter everyone in the vicinity? He is a wild dog! Put him down before he spreads disease!” “I once again ask for…” “Everyone… shut the fuck up.” It was Daralon. His normal, carefree attitude was somehow lost. “Or what? You can’t cover this beast…” “I wish for everyone to remember, that most of us are nobles…” “What is your poi…” “As Zariel is not a noble, I am taking his honor under my protection. Every insult against him that would say from now onwards, will be equivalent with offending me. And I will seek for satisfaction during the duel.”

The room went silent for a second. Then lots of gathered turned their eyes at the only person that could fight like equaly with the Dark mage. At Lizara.

“The hell are you looking at me?” it took her about three seconds to understand what they want from her “I like the boy. Ya want to bitch around? Do it without me.” “Thank you, Daralon.” It was very rare for the chairman to say those words. But thanks to Daralon’s action the room was finally at peace and conversation could be held without more disturbance. “So, we did it to evaluate his power, and we all can say… that this is exactly what we predicted to happen… maybe not to such degree, but we did know that he could use at least one other branch of magic and especially at the beginning, he was toying around. Before we start voting… Is there anyone who wishes to say anything?”

Someone raised her hand

“Chairman, Senators, what we saw, was a very dangerous being, that can plan his actions in advance. He came here, told us the version of his story he wanted us to hear, because I think there is no one here that thinks that he said everything. But what I think is most dangerous part, is that he wanted us to feel safe. From the very beginning he intended to lose the fight. Show some believable story, so we would let down our guard. Who knows what he was up to, if his charade, as he named it, would succeed? And as already mentioned, last thing – his aggression. He cannot control his emotions. He had a plan, a terrifying plan, which failed because he couldn’t control himself. We have here, under our own roof someone, who can be a mastermind with too many chaotic behavior patterns. He is unpredictable, and in my opinion, uncontrollable. Not only I ask you to not vote for giving him a certificate. I humbly ask to either terminate him or use him for scientific purposes.” “We are running out of time, so let’s star vot…” “Just a minute chairman.” Hanna and Lizara wanted to say something, but Daralon did not play the whole game in asking for permission to speak. “We have only one view, by the way shown by Senator… whose granddaughter was just defeated on the arena. It may only mean that her… opinion is not objective… what, no one noticed? If I may, I would like to present a different point of view, may I?”

It wasn’t a question. He was about to say it anyway. And the chairman knew about it. It was politics and politeness. Letting cthe hairman keep his reputation for “allowing” him to speak. And he was grateful for it.

“Please. It is always right to have more than one point of view. Thanks to it we can have a whole knowledge about situation we are disputing. But, please if you could make it as short as possible…” “Thank you very much, chairman” He bowed like an actor “We know we saw here, and probably most of you think exactly like... the previous speaker. But I want to show you a different angle of the same painting. I want to show you, how our bellowed guest saw this event. I talked with him, you know, so I know how he sees our reality. Let’s start at the very beginning. He came from the forest, before that he had no contact with any civilization before. He started studying under Hanna, gathering knowledge about magic and about world. He was but a lost child.

And we know, that he tried all his best to prove his good will. He was working hard in the village, studied hard. Made great progress. Up until the point where a beast attacked the village. What did he do? He could have ran away, yet he joined forced with Hanna and her other apprentice to fight the monster back and buy as much time for the villagers to run as possible. But they were about to lose. So what did he do? He made a gamble. He played with an unknown to gather powers to fight back! And he won! What did he got as reward? Hate. Contempt. Disgust. He was cast outside. And what did he do? Nothing. He did not take revenge! He didn’t say: “But I protected you! I deserve something better!”. No. he turned around and went back to where he came from.

The next 6 months are mystery, we only know that during this time he was killing witch hunters that somehow were sent after his head. But as out little messenger says. He revisited the village, for about two days before they entered the forest.

And once again, what did he do? Did he take revenge? Nope! He helped them, he blessed the ground, he cured the sick children… As he left, they built him a monument. After six months of living in a hellhole, he came back to cause even greater good.

But now we come to recent events! The messenger gave him a letter from the chairman. I asked him why did he come here. He asked back: “Did I have any other options?”. That’s right. He told me that, this polite invitations of his was almost a death sentence. He told me, that if he wouldn’t come, another assassins would be sent after him. That’s what he believed… and now tell me, Senators… was he wrong? What would YOU do, if he wouldn’t answer the invitation?

And now, he judged here. You were literally asking him, if he found himself a dangerous. If you would be dragged out from your sanctuary, you would be judged if you are WORTHY OF LIVING… what would you be talking? “Yes, I am dangerous, I am violent, I have nothing against killing?” Even more, because let’s say it, how many of you are completely innocent? I am asking every battle mage here… How many of you NEVER killed anyone.

And he wanted to be treated lightly. So he wanted to lose. Up until, someone’s granddaughter… complete moron, idiot and… okay, back to the topic, would start offending you?

For all your life… you did good, you were dragged from your home, marked as evil, mocked and finally told “You are nothing”… and now you are all surprised, that he lost to anger. Never repaid for kindness, targeted, hunted, judged and finally offended.

Our guest… is afraid. Because we are scary. Ours methods are scary. And ours duplicity is scary. Yes! We have two faces. The one we show to the others, and the one we show to each another as we are talking within four walls.

The boy is afraid of us, because, oh dear, he has a reason to be. But what I see, is an extremely talented, extraordinary, young, amazing youth. Such talent… are you ready to smash it, just because he is… different? Let’s forget for a second, that he is a monster-kin, let’s forget he has white hairs. At the same time make all his deeds as they were. Would you even bother, would you lose your precious time for a human who would do the same? I leave the answer up to you. But let me tell you in the very ends. In the eyes of this boy… we are the only one worthy of being called “monsters””

Daralon stopped talking and sat back. The voting began.