Nerluce was dragged from the scene of his sin before the High Priestess.

She sat on her brass throne, raised above him despite the difference in stature. Despite the fact that Nerluce had just suffered a fall and likely had his own set of serious injuries, Aristide had handled him with no softness. He looked like he wanted to send Nerluce straight to the gallows but Nerluce had gritted his teeth and demanded that the other - much larger problem be taken care of first.

Everyone was safe in the infirmary now, their wounds being treated. Everyone except Nerluce, who had to bow before the High Priestess of their land. His head was still spinning. Everything felt too tight and too loose all at once. He didn't even fully comprehend what he had done to deserve this treatment. Or what he'd done at all. He had just called out, in desperation and magic, and the roses had responded.

To the High Priestess's right, there was Taayir. To her left was Aristide. And the one on trial, bent over on the floor was Nerluce. The room had otherwise been completely emptied.

"Nerluce of the Hebikoti Clan," the High Priestess began, her white eyes fixed on Nerluce's shrunken form splayed out before her. He was completely at her mercy. His name held no dominion here. "Your father is Prathesh of the Hebikoti Clan. He comes from a long line of those with Fire Affinity. His power and prowess as a politician is known in every corner of the world. Is that correct, Nerluce?"

"Wha-what?" Nerluce stuttered.

"Nerluce, just answer the question honestly," Taayir said, her voice soft. She seemed the only one to have even any sympathy for Nerluce.

So Nerluce said, "Yes."

The High Priestess nodded as though Nerluce's word meant anything at all. Maybe it did. Nerluce's head hurt. "Your elder sister is Junipei Coam of the Hebikoti Clan. She was a powerful general on the front lines for many years, known for her advanced usage of Fire Magic and tactics which were equal parts cunning and ruthless." The High Priestess closed her eyes. "Is that correct?"

"Yes," Nerluce said again.

"One more question," the High Priestess said, opening her eyes with a smile that gave nothing away. "Your mother is Okiachi, born into the Shikari Clan and then married into the Hebikoti Clan. She was a General and manned the largest fort on the border for fifteen years before her marriage to your father. Her Affinity is towards Lightning. Is this correct?"

"Yes, um no," Nerluce shook his head which only served to make his head hurt more. He wanted to shake out the confusion but instead, it felt like he scrambled his brains. "What you said is true but Lady Okiachi isn't my birth mother."

"I see," the High Priestess said.

Taayir's shoulders seemed to relax a bit.

"Who is your birth mother?" the High Priestess asked. "I was not aware that Lord Prathesh had children with more than one woman."

To the world outside of Itoroh, not many did.

"My mother... my mother's name is Song. Her full name is Birdsong, actually." He looked down at his knees. "She doesn't come from any prominent family or clan. She was a prostitute and my father was a man with money. I don't know her magical affinity."

"Aristide?" the High Priestess asked.

"I will look into it, High Priestess," Aristide said, bowing his head before exiting the room.

The doors clanged behind him. It sounded like the metal jaws of a trap closing in on him.

"Nerluce of the Hebikoti Clan do you have any idea what you've done?" the High Priestess asked, arching a brow.

Nerluce shook his head, helplessly.

The High Priestess's eyes turned to Taayir, who bowed and asked, "Nerluce, what are the four major elements of Magic?"

"Fire, Air, Water, Earth," Nerluce listed. The words fell from his lips almost subconsciously. Too much studying he supposed. Maybe he really was getting smart with all the effort he was putting in.

Taayir nodded. "At Ethera, disciples are given an Affinity based in one of these four broad categories. Later, students can choose to branch out and study different types of magic - like Aristide - or hone into one specific type of magic - as I have. However, there is a fifth category of magic which we do not teach at Ethera." Her eyes darkened. "You may have heard of it from your history classes. The forbidden magics of Life."

"Oh," Nerluce said.

"What I am about to tell you," the High Priestess said, cutting Taayir off. "Has only been shared by three people. Myself, Aristide, and Taayir." The High Priestess closed her eyes slowly. "When you arrived at Ethera, Nerluce of the Hebikoti Clan, your affinity wasn't for Fire."

"It... wasn't?"

"No," the High Priestess said. "Affinities are odd things." She ran her fingers along the edge of her brass throne. "Many parents and children share Affinities. Some even share magical attributes, such as the Hebikoti's crimson eyes." She nodded to him. "However, there are some children who gain affinities towards certain elements they surround themselves in and enjoy. This is why a child who lives by the river and swims in it every day could have a Water Affinity, even if both of their parents had Fire Affinities."

Nerluce stared. He had a cold and slimy feeling about where this conversation was going. He stared at the High Priestess with wide, uncertain eyes.

"Finally, an Affinity can be forced." The High Priestess looked and her eyes burned through Nerluce as if he was paper. "We... were attempting to force a Fire Affinity upon you. It is not recommended but it is possible to simply use one type of magic enough that you become an expert at it. However, it is difficult as it goes against the body's natural flow of magic."

Nerluce looked down at his hands and then up at the High Priestess. "So... you mean that the reason I can't use fire magic, as well as everyone else, is because... it's their Affinity and it's not mine."

"Precisely," the High Priestess said.

"My actual Affinity... is towards Life, isn't it?"

"Yes," the High Priestess said. "People with Life Affinities are rather uncommon." She smiled at him, awkwardly. "Life Affinities almost always come from a childhood of neglect." Her eyes looked at Nerluce mournfully. "A child who grows up in the wilderness or in the streets could possibly develop a Life Affinity. It's almost never passed from parent to child."

The reason behind this went unspoken. Because people with a Life Affinity were killed. Almost completely wiped out by a war that had occurred hundreds of years ago and in a way was still occurring to this day. Life magic was forbidden. Life magic was forbidden and Nerluce had performed it. No wonder Aristide looked like he wanted to run Nerluce through right then and there.

Nerluce looked up at the High Priestess and Taayir. He wondered if Aristide might still get his wish once he returned.

"The Wolf Woman is the only other person with a known Life Affinity," the High Priestess said. "She was raised in the forest by a pack of wolves and as such, she developed a unique magick which allowed her to understand and control the beasts." At this point, the High Priestess let out a long sigh. "We do not know if those who practice Life magic are born corrupt or if the practicing of Life magic somehow corrupts them."

"You think... you think that I might be evil," Nerluce whispered.

"Aristide has been watching you for some time now," the High Priestess said. "Taayir has been trying to pull you away from that path."

"Nerluce..." Taayir said, taking a deep breath. "You found the Chosen Light on your first day here. You've spoken with the Wolf Woman. And now we know for a fact you've used Life magic." She opened her eyes and they seemed like hot coals. "Nerluce Hebikoti, I need you to confirm here and now that you did not choose this Affinity for yourself. I need you to tell me that you are not evil. And I need you to promise, to swear on your life, to never use it again."

Nerluce's lower lip trembled.

Life magic. Plant magic, in particular. Looking back it seemed kind of obvious. Nerluce was always in gardens and orchards when he could help it. He constantly surrounded himself by plants - and if not plants people. And that had filled Nerluce to the brim with magic that he could never use.

Nerluce had forced the rose bush to do his will. He had made it and it had been so, so easy for him to do so. He shouldn't have- he should've stayed calm, he should've listened to Eko. Aristide was already on his way. He would have saved them in no time. Nerluce bit his cheek as emotions swelled inside of his chest. Stupid. He was still stupid and reckless and as impulsive as ever. And worst of all... he saw inside of himself a creature just a little too much like Lord Father.

He had rid a living being of its free will. Sure it was only a plant but what if next time it wasn't a plant? What if it was an animal? Or worse, even, a human being? What if he forced a human being, contorted their will so they had to do as he desired? Just as Lord Father had done to him. Nerluce gripped at his chest.

No. No, no, no. He wouldn't do that! He wouldn't be like Lord Father, now or ever. He would bury this magic. His body would become its tomb. He looked up at Taayir, tears burning at the corners of his eyes, and nodded.

"I swear," Nerluce said.

And if he broke this vow to Taayir he made another one to himself. If he ever used Life Magic to take away the free will of another living being, if he ever stumbled into Lord Father's footprints again, then Nerluce swore he'd take his own life as retribution for what he'd done. He swore it to himself and to the world.

The High Priestess smiled. "Perfect."