Perdition

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A rare sight, chaos in the Grove. The Assembly was a cacophony of shouts and accusations made from both sides of the aisle.

"Inexcusable!"

"We shall not stand for this affront to our traditions!"​

"This- this is heresy! Of the highest degree!"

"Hang him, hang the traitor bastard!"​

"Bloodthirsty barbarians! Don't you understand, this is exactly what they want! Disorder!"

"And what would have us do, let him go?!"​

"We cannot have mercy! Not now, not with him!"​

"The more time we spend debating his fate, the less time we have for more pressing matters!"

"This is the most pressing matter, you dolt!"​

"The enemy at our gates, and you want to-"

"-Settle the matter closest to home! Yes, I do, you mangy, overgrown weed!"
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"How dare you! Come here, you upjumped whelp! I'll give you a f-"

"Enough. Bring the Accused forward."​

The Assembly lowered itself to loud murmuring with the announcing rattle of chains. A bound figure approached forward, towed along by his guards in bronze, their spear points gleaming and held up high. Two figures, Elders by their markings, sat before him in their ivory white chairs, at the foot of the holy tree that stretched far above all heads. The Accused lifted his bound hands up, pleading.

"Elders, please, have mercy on your humb-"

"You, you will speak only when asked to. Understood?"​

"Y-yes, my Elders. I understand."

"We have but one demand. Explain these accusations of sacrilege."​

"Elders, please. I beg you. Hear me out. What I did- I was offered no choice. They threatened fire- they threatened death, upon me, upon my family, if I did not tell them where we gathered! There was no other way! If I lied, they said, I would see my children die by their hand! When they released me from their clutches, I ran here as fast as I could. You must underst-"

The Assembly erupted at that.

"Blasphemy!"

"You filth! You wretch! You swine of a beast!"
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"How dare you?! You would dare place yourself before us?! Before your own people?!"​

"ENOUGH!"​

As the first of two Elders slammed his fist upon his armrest, the second leaned forward, softly speaking to the one in chains.

"Accused. We thank you for your forewarning. With it, I have the utmost confidence that we shall be able to secure our artefacts elsewhere, and these approaching heathens shall be eliminated. Our way of life will be preserved. But what you did, placing your life before our People, before the security and sanctity of our holy Grove, is nothing short of heresy."​

They had already decided. The second Elder nodded to the guards, and the Accused was forced onto his knees, stripped of his clothes. His hair was grabbed, and his face was forced to look upwards, into the wooden faces of his arbiters. Another Elder approached from the rear. She was silent, masked for Death, and she bore in her hands a wicked brand.

"P-please, I beg you! Have mercy! I didn't mean to-"

"Silence. Your family will be taken care of. They had no part in this, and shall not be shamed. But you, you will suffer the Damning Rite."

"You are forsaken. Not one of our people shall give you aid, not food, not drink, not shelter. You shall forever bear the mark of your shame upon your face. You shall forever wander the earth, friendless, godless, forsaken by the Ones Most High. Pray They gift you a merciful death."​

And the Elders rose their hands high to the heavens and proclaimed together, above the clamor of the Assembly and the babbling pleas of the already dead,

"Let it be done."​

Then it was done. The screams of the Damned were drowned out by the roaring cheers of once-friends, who prepared to march for war.

A rare sight, Chaos in the Grove.

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