It did not matter that Gordon called to the First Consort, but his voice was heard by all the Officials... It would later be attributed to his cry that persuaded the First Consort to intercede on his behalf for the Court.

The Court watched, as the First Consort watched the God-King from the side, even as the golden runes on his skeletal frame went out... the light that shined through the armored plates on his chest went out.

The First Consort leaned, and reached out with her right hand, as it caressed the jawbone of the God-King... She leaned her forehead against the God-King's from the side...

For the Officials, time felt as if it stood still, but in truth, it had only been a minute that passed. The God-King's vacant-like eyes turned to the First Consort, as their foreheads rubbed each other. Such intimacy wasn't questioned this day... Anything was fine with the Officials so long as it quelled the wrath of their God-King.

Everyone saw the First Consort's mouth moving but did not know the words that were spoken during the rattling chaos of bones and glowstone sputtering.

Her hand caressed until his chin, and as her index finger left him, she sat back down properly in her seat to the God-King's right.

The dimming influence of the Court reversed, as the Glowstones seemed to no longer tremble, but increase in light. the light drinking runes of the God-King began to produce light. While not as strong as earlier, they were a far cry to the darkness they appeared only moments ago.

The Officials found that they were released from whatever grip they were under, with many of them slumping in their seats. The Warmarshals fared better than the other Officials, but they also flexed their bodies.

Gordon raised up from his slumped posture, to see that the God-King released his grip from his throne'... The Skull that ended it crumbled under his release, as the God-King continued until he stood up for the second time this Court Session.

"I apologize." The God-King spoke, as the Officials were silenced again...

[He apologizes?!? When was the last time he ever apologized!? When has he ever needed to apologize??!??] Gordon's thoughts raced, even while fatigue set into his body.

"I've allowed my senses to be clouded by anger... Before I dole out my judgment. Let me inform the Court," the God-King continued, as he stood holding his light-forged Femur Ferula in his left hand. Gordon couldn't help but notice that the Ferula had a strange hue to it, almost of a green-blueish tint. He blinked a few times and noticed it was gone...

The God-King turned to gaze upon his First Consort, the latter of which nodded her head.

He then turned to face the Court again, "My First Consort... Consort Leslie was a Grimnight."

Much rustling sound was heard from the stands, as the God-King continued, "I say was, as the Grimnight clan exiled her years before she traveled here to Saigunrai to start a new unlife for herself. Now that she has become my Consort, she has changed her clan name to mine."

[The God-King has a clan name?] Gordon wondered like so many other Officials... They had never thought of it before.

The God-King slammed his staff down...

CLANK!

As he pointed his finger down, "This wretch, called the Grimnight Clan Head, thought it would be funny to blackmail my Mother-in-Law... Consort Leslie's mother, to get out of his charges."

"I made a vow to my First Consort that I would not end her clan then... I further vowed I would not destroy them. While I could do so, and leave the worthy clan members with us, such as the Humble Third Elder of the Grimnight clan," the God-King pointed to the hunched Elder undead to the side.

"Elroy Grimnight... I give charge of all the minors of the Grimnight clan to you. They should not suffer the sins of their fathers and mothers. Teach them better."

The Third Elder nodded heavily, "Yes, my God-King."

"But... Emory Grimnight..." The God-King retracted his bony finger, as he continued, "My anger for their... Your transgressions... Will not be sated with such..." the God-King's voice turned low and cold.

His hand turned over and beckoned the Grimnight Clan head to him. The Officials watched as the Grimnight Clan head lifted off from the ground and the chains that bound him jangled, as floated into the area to the front of the God-King.

The God-King opened his mouth, as he issued sounds... The Officials of the Court didn't understand what was being heard, as the sounds contained the scraping of metal, guttural whispers, and horrible squishing sounds.

The God-King, as the sounds continued, put his free hand on the head of Emory Grim night... and squeezed with his taloned gauntlets, as black blood seeped from the wounds on Emory's scalp.

Emory struggled, to be free, as he began to yell animalistic noises, and screeches. His body contorted in shapes and ways that bones and joints weren't meant for undead to move, until finally...

[What in the bloody hell has he done?!?] Gordon could only comment, when the body of the Clan Head of the Grimnights slackened.

The God-King tossed the body of Emory to the side, as he held out his hand to the rest of the parade of the damned Grimnights. His Judges backed up, as they saw the men and women contort into monstrous positions as if possessed by demons.

After the sounds of the scraping of metal, chaotic mumblings, and squirming sounds ended, the Grimnight prisoners slummed in pools of black sweat that stained the white carpet of the Court a deep black.

"Pope Lucius... The Jar, if you will..." The God-King called down seeing the slumped members of the Grimnights.

Lucius produced a soul jar, and it floated to the God-King's grasp.

"I CONDEMN YOU REBELS OF THE GRIMNIGHTS! TO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT! I WILL STRIP YOU OF YOUR MEMORIES, SEAL YOUR SOULS, AND YOU WILL PAY OFF YOUR DEBT TO THE KINGDOM OF DEAGOTH AND YOUR GOD-KING UNTIL YOUR SOULS CEASE! THANK ME FOR I HAVE FREED YOU FROM PAIN, AND DELIVERED YOU INTO SERVICE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF ALL UNDEADKIND!"

The God-King then hummed with a thunderous sound, "SOLXESEEES ARE YINEL...!"

Light poured from the God-King as it condensed into numerous skeletal cherubs. They flew around the court before each dived into the bodies of the Grimnight's and without effort... Extracted the many souls of the damned that laid about... Even the Clan head of the Grimnight clan was no different, as a cherub looked him over before it reached into his chest and snatched his soul.

While the Officials had seen the God-King extract a soul before... Why did they not resist? Why were they not in pain, like the former Grimnight Jordan, Now Prophet, Jordan Lightborn?

The cherubs, one by one, deposited the souls, all of which were gray in color into the open Soul Jar of the God-King.

The Officials witness the dissolving of the cherubs into light, that swirled back into the God-King.

[...] Gordon was at a loss... This... This was crueler that true death! This couldn't be described as heinous...

Finally, the word floated into Gordon's mind, [...Madness...]

The God-King raised the soul jar to his eye level, as he stared at the many souls inside that floated around like fireflies.