Vitaliana fluttered down, landing on one of the arm rests of the long benches. She was well within reach of one child, she stared at the child. Then tilted her head just a little bit, causing the child to look on in wonder. However, some of the others jumped like they were scared.
"Hmm, are you afraid of me, for some reason?" Vitaliana asked, standing upright again.
"You're killing, why wouldn't we be scared of you?" A child yelled. "My daddy is on that wall. He's strong!" The child yelled again. Tears running down his face.
"Oh, so you think that we are wrong for retaliating?" Vitaliana said, trying not to giggle as she spoke. Though, it was difficult to do that.
"Retaliating! No, you simply attacked us unprovoked! And just to kill us all! Everyone here is going to be killed anyway. No one is going to live today. And it's all your stupid fault you dumb birds!" The child ranted.
The hall fell into a panic at that very moment. The only thing worse that child could have done is speak like that directly to Eternia. So they were obviously quite shocked.
"Uh, Young Lady Vitaliana, I fear this child has been fed lies. And doesn't know of the City Lord's order to attack…" The priestess started speaking in an attempt to save the boy's life. She shut her mouth quickly when a single look from Vitaliana was sent her way.
"You think we unilaterally started a battle like this just for the sake of it? Hmph, you need a wake up call. Who was it that lied to you so horribly?" Vitaliana asked, furious, but doing her best not to show her feathers were more than a bit ruffled.
"Who else but the only one who could tell the truth! My daddy! He never lies!" The boy claimed. "He told all of us about it. And that's how we know the truth. You're a lying monster, nothing more than that. And you all deserve…" The boy continued yelling until his mother came over and covered his mouth completely muffling the last word.
Vitaliana looked at the boy's mother with an intense look. "And how do you feel about this situation?" She asked. "Sisters there is a man on those walls that shouldn't be killed just yet. I want the privilege of killing him myself. He lied to his son putting his own family in danger with his actions." She said to her sisters through telepathy.
"Hmm, can you send me an image of the man? I'll find him and deliver the man to you before our elder sisters wrought divine punishment upon the city." Fernia replied, shifting her body into a seriously fast flight. Prepared to search for the guy.
Vitaliana, while waiting for the woman's response used a magic art she always hated using, memory reading. It doesn't sound like something too crazy on the surface, however. There is quite a large problem with it. Well at least I know why I always hated using this magic.
In this world, memories are stored within the soul, this is to preserve them in a far more resilient container than simple physical memory in the brain. And thus they are accessible via magic. But in order to get the memories, one must make a copy of that memory and engrave it into their own soul. It is for this reason, that when it is overused, the user will start to behave differently. And the effect is magnified if the souls cross the gender divide of the physical realm.
For example, if a man used this spell on a woman. Depending on many memories they copy, they could rapidly start acting as if they were a woman themselves. The same holds true in the reverse. So there was a strict rule that Aven, now Vitaliana, lived by. Unless it is an emergency, never read the memories of the other gender. And even then, don't stay for any longer than needed and then purge the memories as soon as possible.
Ah, and here I am about to break that rule… Wait a minute, I'm a monster now. Am I still getting hung up on human emotions? No… Oh I need to stop.
"Sister, here is what the man looks like." Vitaliana said, sending the image through to Fernia.
"Ah! I see him now, I'll bring him in a minute." Fernia cheerfully said.
Fernia flew down, readied her claw and grabbed the exact man she had been searching for. There were, of course, several casualties along the way, but who cares. They're all dead men walking as it is anyway.
"Hey stop squirming would you? I don't want you breaking your neck before you see your son again." Fernia grumbled at the man. The man continued to struggle, thinking that if he got free he would somehow survive a fall from such a height. Damn humans being stupid as always. Fine, I'll throw a barrier on him to keep the air from killing him at least.
~ Back with Vitaliana ~
"Lady Vitaliana, while I am sad that my husband will die today. I can only lament that I was unable to convince him to stay with his family." The boy's mother started explaining, tears already forming. "I don't want my boy to die today though. I had trouble carrying him and it was the blessing of Lady Eternia that allowed me to even finish my pregnancy. My boy wouldn't be alive today if not for my wonderful benevolent goddess Eternia's aid. I told my husband about this and he still wanted to fight. So… I… I won't ask you for anything other than if it is deemed my son should be punished for his words. I ask you to punish me with double. One for me and one for my husband… Huh?" The woman begged, until her husband had been teleported into the hall via teleportation.
"Sorry, but I can not grant you that request. Mainly because no matter what, this man will be dying today. His sins are far too numerous and heavy to repent for in infinite lifetimes…" Vitaliana started, until the man interrupted.
"Oh! I lied? Fuck you your just a bird. Human's are the superior race and always will be. And one day we will kill all those detestable gods. And we already got one of them out of the way. Fuck Eternia and all her spawn." The man yelled, laughing as he yelled.