Better (Not) Call Florathea

Towering pillars lined up the chamber, each one carrying a flickering torch. In this grand, spacious courtroom, the limited torches barely did much but add dramatic flair, barely giving enough light to actually allow anyone to see anything.

Out of all the supposedly infinite possibilities in this unknown route of mine, I’d never imagined myself standing in Grovendale’s Hall of Justice for such an important event. The RPG version would’ve simply had players visiting this place to talk to an NPC before hurriedly moving along to their next destination.

I glanced at the other witnesses stationed beside me, also standing on their respective platforms. We’d been lined up in a single-file line, floating midair as high as the jury box across from us.

Floating above us was the judge’s platform, his glasses ominously gleaming under the limited light source. The queen’s box also floated high across the judge’s position, spectating the entire courtroom alone.

I rapidly tapped my heel against my platform and leaned on the guardrails, gazing down at the empty spectator seats and the pitch-black center of the court, awaiting Lora’s arrival.

“The wait is killing me,” Dahlian muttered, ruffling his hair. “I should’ve brought snacks before we started this.”

“Eating isn’t allowed in the court,” Sloane mumbled, yawning.

“How the hell can anyone find out that I’m eating when we’re all in the dark?”

“It’s quite easy to tell if you’re crunching and chewing.”

“Ugh, I’m pretty damn sure sleeping isn’t allowed either!”

“I know. I’m awake.”

“I clearly heard you snoring and yawning just a second ago!”

“Are you sure you weren’t hearing things?”

“Pretty damn sure!”

“Guys, keep it down!” Ashrenne hissed. “It’s starting any second!”

Amidst the suffocating silence, I managed to find a speck of respite from my friends' bickering. I scoffed at my party, cracking a smile for a moment, before it finally started.

The massive doors swung open, silencing whatever whispers and murmurs the courtroom had. Chains rattled and echoed, drowning out the light footsteps approaching the center of the room.

I hitched my breath the moment a thick ray of light shone down on the defendant’s platform, illuminating Lora and her uneasy expression. That alone made her the only perfectly visible individual in the room.

My friends and I glanced up at the judge, who leaned forward and picked up his gavel. “In light of particular circumstances in this case, this trial will be held in private until the verdict is delivered. Should the defendant be convicted, the proceedings may then be made public. With that said, I declare that the trial regarding Lora’s crimes is now in session.”

With a strike of his mallet, Lora’s platform slammed shut behind her. She flinched but kept her head down as it lifted her to join the rest of us in this session.

“Defendant Lora, you are charged with treason by corrupting victims into followers of Florathea. How do you plead?”

Lora lifted her chin. She stared straight into his eyes, her brows furrowed. Her lips quivered, and sweat trickled down her cheeks. She took a slow, deep breath and said, “Not guilty, Your Honor.”

“I now turn to the prosecutor. Please present your case.”

Another spotlight shone down on a familiar girl and followed her as her platform hovered between the defendant and the judge. “Approximately four days ago, we demon ambassadors had launched an investigation into suspected interference on the queen’s project. We’ve eventually caught a few followers of Florathea who admitted to tampering with the sigils in their goddess's favor.”

Morienelle threw some documents into the air, and with some magic, they hovered for everyone to read for themselves. “And after reviewing everyone’s backgrounds, we’ve discovered they were the escaped prisoners from the mass breakout six days ago, the same group Lora was imprisoned with. This evidence, along with her multiple accounts of healing civilians, suggests she had been cursing unknowing victims to do her bidding.”

“Objection!” I blurted out, pointing my finger high.

Lora and my team gawked at me in disbelief.

Man, I’d always wanted to do that. I could safely say I’d scratched this off my bucket list.

“Your Honor, the prosecution’s case is based on written documents and confessions from individuals who aren’t present to testify,” I said. “We have no opportunity to cross-examine these alleged confessions, and that makes them hearsay!”

“Objection!” said Morienelle, pointing back at me. “The defense is misrepresenting the rules of evidence! These documents and confessions fall under well-established exceptions to the hearsay rule!”

“Objection!” I said again. “The prosecution can’t just invoke exceptions! This is just swaying the court with inadmissible evidence!”

“Objection!” she fired back. “The defense is misrepresenting the facts and is very clearly attempting to mislead the court with baseless accusations!”

“Objection! Do you even know how a human court system works?!”

“Objection! I obviously do! Do you know, twerp?!”

The queen loudly cleared her throat.

The judge fumbled with his gavel before striking it down. “O-order! Order in the court! D-defense, your objection is sustained. You may present your case… Pft.”

Did the judge almost laugh? I raised a brow.

“About time,” said Ashrenne, standing up. “Your Honor—”

“Denied,” the judge said, striking his gavel again.

“Whaaaat?!”

Dahlian cupped his mouth and snickered.

The queen and two other silhouettes beside her facepalmed.

“Who the hell thought it was a good idea to assign him as the judge?” Silvestine whispered.

“He is the most efficient in acting and shapeshifting than anyone else,” Wymond muttered. “I’m afraid the quarrel between Haruma and Morienelle must’ve amused him immensely.”

“Running a trial with such… enthusiastic participants was a regrettable mistake after all," the queen murmured, standing up. “Enough of this farce. It is clear that they are too agitated to uphold the traditions of a fair trial, and understandably so. Let us not waste any more time.”

She tossed a nod, prompting the judge to clear his throat. 

“Defendant Lora, having been found guilty of treason, the court hereby sentences you to immediate death in accordance with the law," he said.

“Huuuuh?!” we all shouted.

Lora turned pale, stiff as a board.

The judge struck his gavel. “Court is adjourned. Off to the chopping block you go!”

“Ehh?! Just like that?! Already?!” Dahlian slammed on the platform. “We didn’t even get to testify yet!”

“Rigged, I say!” I pumped my fist. “Also, what kind of judge would say something so morbid?!”

Sloane snored and jolted up. “Oh, it’s over already?” he asked, yawning.

“Did you sleep through the whole trial?!”

“Perhaps.”

While the three of us chaotically raised our voices, everyone else closely observed the convicted, who gradually hyperventilated by the second.

Green wisps emitted from her body, prompting us to turn our attention toward her.

I exchanged glances with my party, the judge, and the queen, who all started to raise their guards.

Wymond and Silvestine radiated ominous red light, and so did Morienelle and the judge. Ashrenne ever so carefully reached for her scabbard. Dahlian and Sloane exchanged glances before gripping their wrists.

I swallowed and looked back at Lora, who lowered her head, darkness enshrouding her face. Her shoulders trembled, and quiet sobs escaped her.

No, scratch that. She wasn’t sobbing.

Cold chills crawled up my spine. I slowly combed a hand through my hair and held that position.

“Ah… ahah…” Lora raised her head back up, her lips curling into a smile. “Ahahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!”

Her uncharacteristic laughter rang through the court, silencing whatever quarrels we shared and drawing our full attention.

The judge started warping and twisting his body into something red and familiar, Wymond and Morienelle summoned their weapons, and Silvestine stood on guard in front of the queen.

Ashrenne and I ever so slowly drew our blades while Sloane and Dahlian cracked their knuckles.

The whole time, Lora didn’t stop laughing until she ran out of breath. She sneered at the judge and the rest of us with a sinister grin. “What an amazing circus show. Was the trial just to lure me out by humoring me?”

That voice didn’t belong to Lora. It belonged to none other than…

“Florathea,” the queen snarled, her glare spiteful and deadly. “There you are.”

“Now!” Morienelle shouted.

Simultaneously, everyone who drew their weapons leapt off their platforms and dived toward the girl, who calmly stood and observed our movements like they were part of a performance.

Still wearing a smile, the girl released an invisible force and knocked us back. Her chains snapped off, and a blinding light circled her feet and swallowed her whole.

The court rumbled, and pieces of rubble fell off the ceiling as the girl hovered and transformed before everyone’s eyes, sprouting massive wings on her back.

“So that’s how it is,” said Florathea, her light blue eyes looking down on us all. “Alright then, I won’t hold back either. Brace yourselves.”

She expanded her wings and released a massive burst of energy, blowing the courthouse apart.