Chapter 15
Lysaria felt warmth in her chest, her stern loving mother and calm father were the same as ever, a weight lifted from her chest a tension she hadn't known was there. Lysaria was glad to finally be able to move around she stretched her arms and back with a satisfying crack. Bethanie approached lysaria and wrapped her gently in steel clad arms, Lysaria felt relieved that her mother was here, her calming presence was reassuring as ever.
The female Cleric with short brown hair gestured to the male cleric, His long blond hair was typical for most male angels in his position. The male cleric said, "we were sent by the lord bishop to pass judgement. Bethanie, though you are of high standing among the warriors, and the Bishops, I must ask you to stay out of this." His face screwed up in a distasteful frown gesturing to lysaria he growled, "this disgrace, this thing of the Dark!"
The Clerics words cut off and everyone on the platform gasped, Bethanie gripped her sword hilt her essence covering the room in a staggering aura spreading like a green fog, Lysaria felt drowsy and her knees wobbled. In a low tone, her mother growled," watch your words cleric, this is my daughter you are talking about."
Lysaria baffled, had no idea her mother was this terrifying, She had never felt so proud, her mother looked scary clad in steel. one moment her legs felt weak and useless the next her guardians' power vanished back returning to her. The clerics' hands shook, his skin a lighter shade of green he said, "Lysaria has broken the laws of the arbitrator, and therefore revoked her membership with the light."
Holding out a scroll the cleric read, "I have here the tenants of the Arbitrator that must be followed by both The filthy dark and the followers of the light. Beings of the dark and beings of the light shall be kept separate, no being of the dark shall disgrace the halls of Eclair, they shall forever dwell in the pits of the abyss."
Lysaria could see her mothers' posture straighten, she felt her hopes fading as a frown crease her mothers face, the cleric clearly felt he had won this little conversation. Randar cut in" She is just a young angel essence, surely there is some leeway, we can't let one of our young into the harshness of Antuar she might perish."
Lysaria felt a burning in her chest, her fists clenched, how dare this cleric treat her like filth not even worth the dirt on his shoes. She wanted to speak but her mothers' grip tightened on her shoulder stopping her outburst, Bethanie whispered, "let us speak my dear, anything you say might be viewed by these close-minded clerics with scorn."
The cleric pointed to Thana, He said," Tell me your account of what happened," Thana stepped forward resting her hand with little hesitation on the shoulder of Lysaria. Thana said," We entered the cave after fighting bug monsters, passed a trap and entered some sort of trial. Following the trial, I exited the room and found Lysaria and Hectar standing waiting in the starting room."
The clerics silently listened there judging eyes roving over the group with a new light, their eyes widened as Thana told them of lysarias sword. The female cleric said," I don't believe it, completing a trial before you have ascended." Calia hefted the sword with obvious difficultly, and both clerics examined the essence weapon.
The Male cleric said "Continue," Thana said," We waited for Dakar and when he didn't return, we entered after him." Taking in a deep breath She said," We found a being of the dark, clad in dark armour, Hectar fought the monster and was injured bad enough he had to leave." Thana said," After killing the Dark being, We all agreed that killing the darkness was the wisest course of action, Lysaria was amazing fighting against a huge monster of a bear.
the monster fell before her powerful essence attacks and Dakar appeared out of the air without even realizing there was a problem." The female cleric said," Errin the barrier is going to close we don't have time for the whole story." The male cleric said," skip to the last part."
Thana bobbed her head multiple times and stammered "I'm so sorry, we followed downstairs, entering a hallway drenched in dark essence so thick it clogged the air. Thana shuddered "Dakar and I couldn't continue and fell on the stairs collapsing fighting the darkness, we couldn't even use our bells. I thought that my mind was going to be torn apart before Lysaria pulled me back destroying that accursed being of darkness."
Hectar said," She also saved me from that monster in dark armour, I might have perished from that creature of the dark." The cleric Errin sneered he said" how touching, and you Accurs, I mean Lysaria, how did you defeat a dungeon of Darkness a creature that can end our kind permanently?"
Lysaria took in a deep breath, she said," I tried my best to defeat the creature with essence and my sword, when I felt that all three of us were going to die permanently, I pulled in the darkness, taking the core of that monstrous crystal and pulling its essence into me."
Errin shuddered the two guards next to him unsheathed their weapons as if she might attack them. He said," it is worse than I thought, you possess the power of the eternal night!" The air thickened as everyone on the platform just stare at her. Her mother whispered," I'm I'm I'm sorry my dear, I don't think there is anything I can do for something like that, the tenants are clear." Lysaria could hear the shaking in her mothers' voice, she had never heard her mother so shaken before.
Errin said," to think a disciple of the Eternal Night, the worst clan of demons would spawn a member amongst such a prestigious family." His harsh retort reverberated in the shielded platform, Errin held up a scroll unrolling the parchment, a wall of essence formed in front of him showing the faces of 10 prestigious figures, Bishops of the light and the representatives of the arbitrator.
these were the keepers of the tenants and the instructors on the laws of the light. Errin said," Did you get all that?" all the group nodded some shifting in their seats uncomfortable with the scrutiny of both Bethanie and Randar, Lysaria could see the two members of her clan who had angry faces, and also seemed the most disgusted by the situation.
Bethanie said," what is going on here?" One Bishop who resembled her father, of course, he did she thought, she recognized him as Her father kept a painting in his library he was her uncle. He was dressed in white robes stitched with dark embroidery and the clan crest emblazoned on his chest covered partly by long curly dark hair. Her uncle banged his hand on the carved wood and said," I'm sorry beth we voted and lost the majority, there wasn't enough time."
In the center was a bishop with long white hair, in lysarias opinion, his grinning face deserved a fist. The bishop said, "I am Bishop Dulan, Due to overwhelming evidence, and a confession by the accursed herself, we the voices of the arbitrator find Lysaria of Clan Fair Rune Tar, Guilty of Heracy. The Whitehaired bishop said," Lysaria will be banished to Antuar, only when she has purged the foul dark will she be able to return.
Bethanie said," you Can't do this, She is my daughter, She is of Clan Fair Rune Tar." Bishop Dulan Of Clan Fair Rune Sal said," That is why she is only being banished due to the respect For Clan Fair Rune Tar. Lysaria knew this was mostly of spite, her clan had been in opposition to Fair Rune Sal for much longer than she has been alive.
Bethanie said," surely there is something we can do to lessen the allow her back to the city of Eclair?" Bishop Dulan said," we have been unable to establish a foothold on Antuar for centuries the 3 monarchs who dell there haven't allowed cities on their continents, the monsters and the accursed dark keep pushing us back, if you find a suitable place by next year, a place devoid of the dark or manage to somehow kill a monarch, we will reconsider your sentence.
The bishops skepticism was clear, the 3 monarchs were not demons, Lysaria had learned of them from books, they were a monster that controlled on of the three continents, their power soo overwhelming no one could defeat them to take their vessel. Squads of dozens of angels had attempted it and were swatted aside like they were bugs.
lysaria felt her heart race, her hands shook, her nerves were on edge, breathing in her nose taking in deep breaths trying to calm down. It was impossible she thought, she had read the histories, angels hadn't been able to create a cite on the continents of Antuar in hundreds of years. Its harsh environments vicious monsters and ruthless demons always pushed the angels back.
Bethanie shouted," A fools' errand." Bishop Dulan said," Although I do see your reasons, we do need resources. He said," the recent attack on our garrison guarding over Antuar, left many buildings damaged and in need of repair, beast vessels are also required to strengthen our barriers." Dulan Yelled," Allowing one of the enemies into the city in this time of need is asking for disaster, If we allow the accursed darkness through the barrier and into mortal realms again no telling how many mortals will die this time."
Bethanie glared at the bishops, She said," you think my daughter who had only just passed the ceremony can do this all on her own? She will die!" The audible shout fell on deaf ears, Bishop Dulan dispassionately said," you know the tenants, The laws of the arbitrator are clear, other than killing her we can only banish her to Antuar where hopefully she can survive on her own and maybe if she lucky Kill on of the terrible monsters.