Golm

Golm - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I woke up in a prison cell. A drip of water had awakened me. I stood up and looked around. I was in a bed, but it was worse than the one I had at John and Fiona’s house. The floor was muddy and putrid, but it was tiled. There was a door at the front, with a small window in the center. There were some shackles on a wall and there were a few rats huddled in the corner. My cut on my chest wasn’t bleeding. Only it was filled with a thick, disgusting fluid. I decided not to pick at it, so it wouldn’t bleed again.
I walked up to the door and banged on it. I yelled, “Hello! Can anybody explain why I’m in here?” Through the window, I could see a hall; a guard was walking down it.
He came up to me and said, “Ah, I see yer finally awake.”
I asked, “Well how long have I been sleeping.”
He answered, “Almost two days. Boy, that tournament mus’ have been hell fer ye.”
I nodded and started to back away. Then he interrupted me and told me, “Don’t geet too relaxed. Ye have a visitor, who’ll be seeing ye very soon.” I asked whom, but he said he couldn’t tell. So I waited for about 15 minutes. Then my door was unlocked and some one walked in. It was Princess Elesia!
She ran up to me and gave me a hug. She cried, “Are you ok Herridan? Is you wound bad?”
I patted her back and told her, “I’m fine. I’m fine.” She stopped hugging me and looked happy.
She explained to me, “Runar was going to get you executed today, but that isn’t happening.” I was surprised that I was supposed to die today, but I let her continue. She went on, “I begged and pleaded for ages to Runar and you won’t have to die. You see, I made you go on trial, so you can be proved innocent.
I yelled, “Proved innocent? What was I guilty for?”
She answered, “For being a tail man and for murdering six people.”
I then yelled, “But the fights were to the death. I was supposed to kill them.”
Elesia sighed, “Tail men weren’t allowed in the tournament, according to Runar. So it was technically murder.” I shook my fist, but the shaking hurt my cut. Elesia tried to tend to it, but I didn’t cooperate. She said, “I’ll go and get a surgeon for your wound.” She started to walk away, but I pulled her back with my tail.
I asked her, “That will cure it physically, but only you can ease the pain.” She didn’t know what I meant. I asked, “Can we finish that kiss?”
She nodded, but the guard said her time was up. Elesia gave me a quick peck on the cheek and told me, “Be strong in your trial. I don’t want you to loose. I got you a very good lawyer.” She left the room and said she’d be back with a surgeon in an hour. The guard locked the door and I lay down on my bed.
The surgeon did arrive and he stitched my cut, but the only bad thing, was that they hadn’t discovered anesthetic yet. So it hurt a lot. At least now it’ll heal. I also got another tunic, from him. When it was over and done with, I realized how fun the tournament was. Even though I almost died, and because of it I might die now, it was fun. I kept the outcome of the trial positive in my mind and imagined what I’d do with the money, because Elesia would most likely give it to me afterwards.
After a couple hours my door opened. The guard was telling me to come outside. When I got out, he put a collar on me and attached it to a rope. It felt tight and pretty uncomfortable, but I didn’t want to struggle, I had no hope of any escape in the heart of a palace. The hall that we were walking down was long and dark. There were torches every while lighting the dark path. There were other cells along the hall and from what I saw, nothing living or should be living, was in them. The walls were dusty, cob web infested brick walls. The smell of the dungeon was damp, stuffy and cold. But finally, we reached a large door, which he opened. We entered a lobby, but then we went through another door in it. I concluded our trip was over, when I entered a courthouse.
It was very, very large and there were enough seats for a hockey game. I was brought to my chair. The seats were filled with lots of the audience from the tournament; the jury was mostly sages. The judge’s chair was tall and seemed to hang over me. Then I saw Channdis walking into the room. He sat next to me. I was glad to see him again. I asked him if he was my lawyer.
“I’m not your lawyer. Though you won’t be disappointed. It’s the master sage, Dulahin. We concluded that you are the offspring of Narr and Kridden, so he wants to protect you at all costs.”
I looked worried and asked him, “But what if he loses?”
Channdis grinned, “I don’t think he’ll lose.”
Then Runar stepped in and everyone bowed before him, except me. I gave him a quick, disrespectful bow when he was seated. A horned man announced to us, “Please rise for our judge, King Banokkon.” Elesia had told me, when we were together that one night, that King Banokkon was her father. I rose for his entrance. He too had wings and he was very kind looking. He was wearing a very bright red robe and he had a crown on as well. Before he started his fly up to his chair he looked at me. Elesia must have told him that she cared for me. He looked at me with a look of suspicion.
He fluttered up high and sat down in his chair and then he declared, “This court is now in session. Please state the controversy.” A female sage stood up from the jury and explained why I was in chains. “Emperor Runar has accused this tail man, Herridan, for illegal entry to the Golan Sword and six counts of murder.”
Banokkon nodded and looked around. He asked, “Is there anything else I should know?” A few moments later a horned man stood up. I recognized him from before. He was the leader of the squad I made a fool of, Flidon.
He pointed at me and yelled, “He resisted arrest and assaulted my men and I very badly.”
The clerk who registered me in the tournament stood up and shouted, “He threatened my life to get in the tournament.”
When they were done, I crossed my arms and pouted, “Tattle-tales.”
Dulahin looked down at me and shook his head, “Your mistakes are going to haunt you. These added crimes have slimmed your chances. You’ll be lucky now if you get out of this alive.”
Banokkon looked at me and asked, “How do you plead?”
I hesitated to answer. “Not guilty.” He nodded and asked for Runar to begin.
Runar got up and shouted, “Why are we having this trial? You can clearly see the disgusting maggot that he is, he is guilty.”
Banokkon tried to calm Runar, “My daughter begged you and I for this trial. I accepted and so did you, your majesty.”
He remembered and he relaxed, “Yes I did. This is the one favour I’ll give you before I kill you.” Banokkon ignored the comment and asked Runar to begin. He announced, “I would like to call to the stand, your daughter, Princess Elesia.” Elesia was up on one of the balconies at the top floor and she was surprised to hear her name called. She flew down to our floor and walked onto the witness chair.
A horned man asked her if she would tell the truth and she said that she would. Runar began with, “Have you met this man before the tournament?”
Elesia answered, “Yes, when I was giving my speech at the monthly announcements. I saw him and asked him his name.”
“Why did you ask for his name?”
“I heard of Channdis’ new tail man slave, Herridan and I wanted to know if that was him.”
Runar cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Why did you call this trial for this, so called man?”
She answered, “I thought that it was ruthless of you to execute him and that he was innocent.”
He laughed, “You and I both know I said, that no tail man can do anything, but live in there area of town.”
She explained, “But the rules say that anyone, who can wield a sword can enter. He certainly can use a sword; he won!” I could tell by the swaying of Runar’s tail, he was up to something.
He asked, “Ok then. Why did you anxiously want to give him a kiss? Why did you quickly fly over to him? Why did you worry for his wound? Why did you chase after him when he was caged?”
Elesia was scared. Dulahin was worried too. Elesia slowly replied, “Because he’s Channdis’ friend and he disserves respect.”
Runar put his huge hands on Elesia’s desk and asked her slowly, “He is a slave and a tail man. They are so low I can’t see why you would care for him; there’s no possible reason to care for something like that. Is there any extra special reason you might be caring for this man?”
She shook her head, “No, he’s just Herridan.”
He turned around to see the spectators’ reactions were; they we all confused at what Runar was trying to say. He turned back and asked, “If he was executed, would you cry?” Elesia didn’t understand. Runar said it slowly and clearly for the whole courthouse to hear. “If this slave, tail man, murderer or what ever you think of him, was declared guilty and his small useless head rolled 50 paces from his body. Would you cry? Would your life be shattered? Would you ever be able to look at my face again? Yes or no.”
Elesia hesitated. She let out a few ums and a couple uhs. Then Runar smashed his tail in the ground creating a crater and yelled, “Answer my question!” Elesia was of a noble race, so she couldn’t lie, only she could word it differently so it seemed like a lie.
Before she could answer Dulahin stepped up and shouted, “I object! The trial is about my friend here and not about Princess Elesia!”
Banokkon nodded and said, “Sustained. Your highness, do you have any questions that will help our discussion about Herridan?” Runar looked angry, but he calmed down.
He walked to his chair and told him, “I’m done for now. Let the defense go.” Banokkon told Elesia that she could return to her seat. Elesia was scared, I could tell. She was very close to revealing our secret.
Dulahin called up Channdis, as his witness, to my surprise. The man asked if that Channdis would tell the truth, he agreed. Channdis was calm, probably because he knew Dulahin wasn’t going to kill him, like Runar seemed to do when he testified Elesia. Dulahin asked Channdis, “Where and when did you meet Herridan for the first time?” I was glad he didn’t ask how.
Channdis answered, “I met him a little over three months ago, when I was walking by an alley.”
Dulahin asked, “Why did you take him in for a slave?”
“He needed somewhere to stay; he was lost. He also looked worthy of the job.” Dulahin was pacing and occasionally looking at me. He was good, they were both good. They both covered my secrets, but didn’t lie.
Dulahin started again, “Have there been any problems with him?”
Channdis answered, “No.”
“Has he always done what you’ve asked him?”
“Once when he had to use the outhouse, but yes. He’s been extremely obedient.”
“Has he done absolutely anything wrong to you or others, since you’ve had him?”
“No, he’s a very kind and gentle man.”
“So why did he want to join the tournament?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he wanted some action.”
“When you gave him an arm, how did he react?”
“He was surprised that I transported it.”
“You didn’t give me the answer I wanted. When he was holding the sword for the first time, what do you think was going through his mind?”
“He liked the feeling of a sword in his hands.”
“Did you tell me before that his second swipe at your tree, he almost cut it in two?”
“Yes.”
Dulahin finished, “I’m done. I have no more questions for Channdis.”
The courthouse was filled with confusion. Dulahin used an intelligent approach my testifying Channdis, but Runar’s choice of Elesia, just made her a suspect. Then Runar wasn’t that dumb after all, he called me up.
I slowly rose from the chair and I could hear the whispering of the other people. “I still can’t believe he’s a tail man.” One said.
Another whispered, “Remember how that guy fought? It was like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
For the most part, peoples’ comments were not in my favour. I finished walking and I sat down in the chair. I guessed the courthouse wasn’t too familiar with my kind at court. There wasn’t that little gap at the bottom of the chair, which I actually found a use for, my tail hole, so I sat in discomfort.
Runar slowly paced towards me. He was big. Seeing him close up, sent chills down my vertebrae. His steps shook the ground, his tail screeched the air, his eyes burnt your body, and his very presence heated and befouled the air. He looked down on me. Shadows covered his body, but his evil smile stayed white. Banokkon told Runar to begin. Runar took a deep breath and asked me some questions that probably took away some of my sanity.
Runar began, “Herridan. According to our sources, you weren’t born anywhere. Can you explain this?”
I answered, “I could, but you wouldn’t understand.”
Runar got angry, “Might I remind you, you are under oath and you must answer my questions, in my court! Have I made myself clear?”
I thought to myself, “Yes I do, your chicken-footed-ness.” I told him loud and clear, “Yes I understand.” I grabbed my tail and explained, “I’ve never always had this. It grew out of my body when I was in a coma from a snowboarding crash.”
Runar looked confused. He asked again, “So where were you born?”
“I don’t really know where, but I do know that I was raised from the other side of Tolken door. It’s true!”
After the brief pause, everybody, even Runar and Banokkon burst out laughing. But the ones who knew it was true, Channdis, Dulahin, some sages and Elesia, didn’t laugh. Runar finished laughing and announced to the whole audience, “The boy is clearly mad. To think he came from the other side of the Tolken door!” I wished I hadn’t of said that, but it was too late. Runar began again, “If I ask you anymore on that subject, you’ll just give me lies. So let’s see here. From what I gather, you attacked a team of patrol men, did you not.”
I answered, “No.”
Runar gave me a cross look. He asked again, “Did you attack anybody that day?”
I repeated myself, “NO!”
Runar slammed his hands on my desk and demanded, “Give me an answer, you sorry freak with a tail.”
I stood up and yelled at him back, “I’ve answered your f***ing question for the third time! NO! I didn’t attack anyone. You sorry freak with a tail!”
We began to quarrel. Dulahin stood up and objected, “Your honour, he’s asked the same question three times.
Banokkon shouted, “Overruled!” He looked down at us and demanded that we stopped. He asked Runar, “Your highness, do you believe that Herridan is lying?”
Runar shouted. “Yes I do!”
Banokkon nodded and asked him, “Would you like to call a man from the team to justify this?” Runar paused, then agreed.
Of course he had to pick Flidon. There was still a very faint mark on his face from where I had kicked him. He did not hesitate to go to the stand. I gave him a look that said, “Don’t be a snitcher you ass hole.” I got out of the chair and let him sit. I went back to my chair and sat down.
Runar began, “Have you ever heard of this Herridan before the incident?”
He realized, “No I haven’t. It’s funny because I know everybody around my patrol.” That helped me a little, slightly showing I’ve never lived here before.
Runar paced and asked, “When did you first see him?”
Flidon shouted out, “I saw him punch my first man, right in the face! I rounded two of my men and we chased after him.”
Runar ordered, “The tail man you saw that day, would you please point to him.” He pointed to me. Runar asked, “How injured was your first man?”
“He didn’t wake up for about a day. Also he broke one our men’s nose and broke the jaw of the other.” He raised his voice, “And look at what he did to me! It’s been over 3 months and the mark of his kick is still there! He’s a killer!”
Runar smiled, “That was all I needed from you. Tail man! I want you back up here!”
When I sat down in the witness stand, I knew it would be hard for me to win this trial. Runar began, “So you lied to me?”
I pointed out, “What if Flidon lied to you?” I started to mock him, “Oh no, I can’t lie. I don’t know how. I’m just a dumb tail man that you accused of murder.”
Runar boomed, “You dare mock me? I am the Emperor of the entire land of Golm!”
I replied, “Yeah and I’m the Queen of England. You can fight with me all you like, but your wasting time. We have to find an agreement.” I decided to irritate him a little, “So, how was your morning today? Good, bad, eat a live chicken rather than a pheasant? Oh really? You invited your little friends for a tea party with Mrs. Ferryweather.”
Runar was confused. But the entire audience was laughing with me at Runar. Runar later realized that I was still mocking him. He turned around to see everybody laughing at him. Runar waved his hand and shouted, “SILIENCE!” Everybody didn’t make a peep after that. Runar turned to me and yelled at Banokkon, “Add another charge. Insulting the Emperor!” Runar cooled down and began to question me again.
“You did attack the officers and what about threatening the clerk at the registry booth?”
I knew how to respond to that one, “There was one slot left. I was to take it, but two industrial citizens cut ahead of me and tried to take my spot. Fortunately the clerk was very nice. He asked why we wanted to go in the tournament. The others wanted the money for terrible things. I grabbed his shirt and told him, ‘You better let me in or I’ll get mad.’ So in other words, he wanted me to, so called ‘threaten him.’”
Runar turned to the audience and asked, “Clerk, what did he really say?”
The clerk stood up and shouted, “He said he’d rip my lungs out if I didn’t sign him up.”
Runar smiled again, “Now we know what happened on those side adventures of yours. What made you want to enter the tournament?”
I didn’t want to blow our relationship, so I had to lie. “I wanted the money. If Channdis let me go, I could live on my own.”
Runar suspected that I was lying, so he asked, “But didn’t a kiss from the Princess strike you?”
I didn’t answer. I looked up at Elesia. She was nodding her head, as if to tell me to say “yes.” I saw Dulahin nodding too.
I didn’t know why they were telling me to say, yes. Why would Elesia ask me to say yes? It would blow our relationship. If they knew that we were in love, who knows what would become of us. So I did what I thought was right, I said, “no.”
A gasp filled the room. Both Elesia and Dulahin hung their heads and Runar smiled. The whispers amongst the audience were shocked. “Disrespecting the Princess like that, he should be beheaded.”
A couple said. “Why would he say the Princess isn’t intriguing, only the money?”
After they settled I realized my mistake; I had disrespected the Princess. I had just basically said, that she was ugly, stupid and she wasn’t wonderful in any way. Which wasn’t true, I loved her and I was pretty sure she loved me back. At least our relationship wasn’t revealed; the only bright side of my mistake.
Runar finished smiling and declared to the audience, “Can’t you see? The tail man doesn’t like the Princess. He would get the money and use it for his own evil purposes. This man is guilty.”
I shouted, “That isn’t true!” We began to quarrel again, but Banokkon told us to settle down. We did.
Runar started again, “Well then, maybe I can ask a question that I’ll get the truth out of you. Did you know that tail men weren’t allowed in the tournament?”
I knew what to say here. “Like I said before, I’m new in Golm and I didn’t know. But I will quote the Princess; ‘Any one who can wield a sword may enter.’ And I can certainly wield a sword, I won.” The audience agreed with me.
Runar didn’t have anything crafty to counter that one, so he changed the subject. “Well if you could wield a sword, where could a person of your status even dream of getting one?”
I sarcastically laughed, then told him, “Like Channdis said, He gave it to me for a present.”
Runar asked, “What made you deserve the present?”
“The night after the Princess gave the speech about the tournament, he saw me hitting the wall with a stick and thought I had some skills.”
“Why were you in town?”
“I was getting bread for Channdis as an errand.”
“So you got your sword from Channdis and practiced hitting a wall as your training?”
I shook my head, “Channdis hired many people for real training.”
“How did you fare?”
“At the end of it all, 5 on 1 was still too easy.”
People still thought I was bluffing, so I guess Runar decided to ease their tension. He asked the question people had been waiting for, “How could you learn to use a sword so well in five weeks? Tail men can’t learn anything, they never have been able, never will be.”
I explained to everybody, “It’s hard to explain, but I didn’t learn anything.” Runar and everybody else didn’t know what to think. I continued, “I didn’t learn anything, it was more like, I was remembering it.” Runar asked for more detail. I explained, “I already knew how to fight, like instinct, sixth sense, or what ever. Like I was born knowing how to fight and I had just remembered it while I was training.” The audience knew that I must be special or something, but Runar looked like he was in a trance or something. A cold drop of sweat dripped from his forehead. I wondered if he was afraid of something maybe he knew something else I didn’t.
Then Runar snapped out of his little trance and laughed. “Ha ha ha ha ha! A tail man knowing the art of the sword by instinct like a warrior? That’ll be the day the heavens burn and the hells enlighten! Ha ha ha ha!” I had a feeling he was faking the laughs, but the audience bought it. After Runar caught his breath, he asked some final questions, “Well then, only a few things I would like to be answered. Were you a warrior in the tournament?” I nodded. “Did you murder six people, one of which was the endangered species of the Aquasian?” People whispered about the race of the Aquasian, but I didn’t catch any of it.
I hung my head and answered, “yes.”
“When you won, you ran to Princess Elesia and didn’t kiss her.”
I yelled, “I wanted to kiss her, but your men yanked me away.”
Runar looked around. He said to Banokkon, “I am done.”
The sun was almost set. If Dulahin didn’t pull off anything amazing, I would be a dead man. Dulahin rose from his chair and walked to me. I whispered to him, “Tell them I might be the hero of Golm.”
Dulahin shook his head and told me, “If I told them that, it would be an automatic threat to the Emperor and the trial would be over and you would be dead. Don’t worry I have a feeling I can get you out of this.” I didn’t know what could possibly save me now; I was as good as dead.
Dulahin faced the audience, the jury and everyone else as best as he could. He stood tall, he stood proud and opened his arms and said this: “My fellow Golans, great honour is amongst us. This boy you see here is not any ordinary tail man, nor Golan. He is an example of the few people that emerge from our land every century. His type are not based on their rank or their appearance, but the person inside of them. This position gives them the intelligence of a sage, the heart of a king, the power of a warrior, but also the symphony and comprehension for everybody else in the land. His face may read guilt and evil, but that’s not the case with this man. If he is sentenced to death tonight, we will not only be destroying a brave tail man who is new to the land and its rules, who fought bravely against the odds, but didn’t know his place, who served peacefully for his master, but found war. We will be destroying the forgotten bridge between the ranks amongst us. That would lead us to our normal lives, but if our bridge stays intact…” He looked at me, then turned back to everyone. “Wouldn’t our stories become legends? Think of it. You can destroy a rare book, because its ugly and moldy, but couldn’t you also learn from it, open it up and see what dwells inside? That is the case with Herridan. He got up on the wrong foot, but haven’t we all had a bad day?”
I saw his approach. It was like a wall had blocked my innocence, so Dulahin gave everybody something to think about or a way for them to look over the wall. Dulahin turned to me again, “Herridan, all questions have been asked, but do you have anything to point out that we had missed?”
I stood up, “Yes I do!” I pointed to Runar and shouted, “He was the death of 63 people. We had protective padding on our weapons, but Runar demanded we take our padding off and fight to the death, while his men locked the doors!” Half the audience gasped and the others remembered that it was his fault that their families were dead.
Banokkon turned to Runar and asked, “Is this true Emperor?”
Runar crossed his big bulky arms and denied it, “No, I have no idea what this boy telling us. There was no padding and the rules say that the 750th anniversary was to the death. I believe the Princess forgot to mention that to the people.
I shouted, “He lies! About a million people heard Runar’s words to fight to the death.” But the people didn’t agree with me. The audience had changed their minds, they didn’t believe me. I glanced at Runar he was facing the audience, but he turned back towards me. Though when he turned back, I noticed a source of light disappear from his hands. I couldn’t see what it was, but I guessed he threatened the crowd to change their minds and lie along with him with something.
Banokkon called to me. He told me, “Young Herridan, the Emperor cannot lie in his own courthouse. I’m sorry, but our time is up.” He turned to the jury, “Please leave now and come back with a decision. Herridan, return to your chair.” I walked back to my chair beside Dulahin. He was very worried and so was I.
Half an hour passed and jury was still in there. Closer to an hour they came out. Banokkon asked them, “Have you come to a decision?”
A female sage stood up and answered, “We have your honour.” He nodded. She read from a piece of paper, “Emperor Runar, King Banokkon, Princess Elesia, Master Sage Dulahin and everyone of Golm. We find Herridan, accused for: assault on three law enforcers, life threatening of a clerk, illegal entry of the Golan Sword, murder of six people, one of which was an Aquasian, disrespect for royalty, unconfirmed birth in Golm and insanity…” My heart pounded like a jackhammer and my breath was short. “We find Herridan, guilty of all charges.”
Banokkon turned to me and said, “Herridan, the court has made their decision, you are to be executed tomorrow at dawn. Guards, take him away.”
Those words slowed my vision to a gray mist. I didn’t breathe, nor did I speak. My chest was on fire, but I was cold. I had only felt fear like this since my dream, almost six years ago. Dulahin knew he couldn’t help me, so he and Channdis walked away. Elesia flew down and tried to hold me, but her father stopped her and the guards were taking me to my cell. Through the image of Banokkon sentencing me to death, I saw a tear from Elesia’s eye, but I saw a grin from Runar’s lips. I heard my echoing voice in my head, “I was set up! I’m innocent! Elesia, I love you!” I was too dazed to know if I was thinking the words or shouting them at the top of my lungs. I had completely lost everything.
I was placed into my cell. I took off my tunic and put on my hospital T-shirt and jeans, as sort of an honorary thing. After that I don’t think I moved a muscle after I crawled onto my bed. The cracks on the ceiling seemed to shape my life. After my life stopped appearing, my thoughts of death turned to fatigue. I fell asleep, once more.