Dave

Dark Elf Village

14th of Cycle 3, 1015

After wolfing down the breakfast Crow whipped together, we made our way towards the location of my trial.

We were late.

Very late.

Dark elf trials were always held early in the morning. When I asked Crow why he didn’t mention that to me, he just shrugged and said, “I thought that’s how all races conducted their trials.”

Dammit, Crow.

We arrived at the village square, where a group of royal guards led us through a swarm of angry villagers and up onto a wooden stage. Atop the stage were three wooden tables, formed into a U shape, and in the center, there was a single podium.

“Sit.” The man behind the central table called out as he pointed to the empty table on the left. I took the liberty of assuming he was the judge.

As we took our seats, a single woman approached the table facing us. Her light blue hair and dark green cape fluttered through the air as she stopped and pointed at me with malicious intent. “You made me wait a long time. I hope you have a reason for this transgression, human.”

Is ‘I forgot’ a good reason?

...

Probably not.

“Refrain from making pointless statements, prosecutor,” The judge said, inadvertently saving me from an awkward situation. He waited for the prosecutor to take her seat before he continued. “Defendant, please state your name and class for the court.”

I stood up and took a deep breath. “My name is Dave, and I’m a scout.”

The crowd collectively gasped at my announcement and started murmuring among themselves. In addition to my late arrival, I held a class that was commonly associated with crime. As if my reputation wasn’t bad enough.

The judge reached into his large black overcoat, pulled out a mallet, and slammed it into his desk. “Order! I will have order!” Within a few seconds, the murmurs died down, and the judge let out a sigh. “Defense, your name.”

“Crow.”

I shot a glare at Crow. “You’re my lawyer?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Is there a problem with that?”

“Have you been one before?”

“No.”

“Are you fucking—”

The judge very loudly cleared his throat. I lowered my eyes and muttered a “sorry” under my breath.

“Prosecutor, your name.”

The prosecutor stood up with enough force to open her green cloak, put her fingertips to her forehead, and leaned back with her other arm outstretched. “I am Iktaar von Karma, the greatest prosecutor in the world! Tremble in fear, foolish human, for I have never lost a case!” Thunderous applause, high pitched whistles, and declarations of love to the woman named Iktaar von Karma erupted throughout the audience.

“Order!” The judge exclaimed as he slammed his mallet down. It took the crowd a long time to quiet down, but when they finally did, the judge turned to the prosecutor with a fury in his eyes, “Iktaar, do not make a mockery of this courtroom. I’m sure both of us don’t want a repeat of last time, right?”

“Of course, your honor,” Iktaar said as she sat back down.

“Since there are people here who are not used to our culture…” The judge said as he glanced at me. “I will open the floor to any questions.”

I raised my hand, and the judge nodded. “I was told this was to be a trial by jury, so where is the jury?”

“When searching for potential jury candidates, it is imperative to find people who are impartial to the case. There exists no person in this village who is even remotely impartial to your case, Dave. That’s why I will have the final say in your judgment. I promise to give you a fair decision.”

I glanced at the crowd of people, who looked like they could run up and kill me at any moment, and realized that his decision was probably for the best. “Thank you.”

“Do not mention it. Now, if there’s nothing else, I’d like to start.” He looked around, and when he didn’t get a response, he slammed his mallet down. “Defendant, please take the stand.”

As I approached the central podium, the judge read some lines from a script. “You have been accused of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, espionage, and theft. Please establish your side of the story before we call any witnesses to the stand. I do not know what religion you humans follow, but know that the God of Justice does not smile upon liars.”

“Yes, your honor.” I took a moment to gather my thoughts before I started my abridged account of events. “I arrived in this village in a poisoned state, and through the trade of some materials, my high elf partner Jason secured our entry along with an antidote. That night, Jason was kidnapped by high elf pursuers from his village. To save him, Jason’s contact in the village, Matilda, reported the location of the infiltrators to the guards. Using the ensuing battle as a distraction, we stole Jason back and escaped the village.”

The judge waited for a while before he perked up, “Is that all? Alright then, prosecutor von Karma, the floor is yours.”

The prosecutor clicked her tongue twice while wagging her finger. “Please explain in detail what happened on your first day in the village.”

“My first day?”

“To be more clear… what happened in the slums, on the 55th of Cycle 2.”

In the slums? What does she—

My eyes went wide as the realization hit me. I cursed myself for not including it in my testimony.

“Not going to talk? Then I’ll talk for you.” A wry grin painted itself on her face. “You had a little scuffle with a man named Rex in a tavern. Moments later, you visited our blacksmith’s shop, purchased an enchanted dagger, and disappeared into an alleyway. When you emerged, you were covered in blood. The day after you left the village, Rex’s body was found in the slums, dead. Tell me, Dave, why were you covered in blood that day?”

“That’s because…”

What am I supposed to say? Yes, you’re correct, but I killed him in self-defense. Like hell they’d believe that after the narrative she just weaved!

“Might I add that the wounds were around the depth of a dagger?”

Her final words were like an iceberg slamming into an already sinking ship. I opened my mouth, perfectly ready to confess and just hope that people would believe me, but a single word stopped me in my tracks.

“Objection!”

I turned my head and witnessed the bright outline of my savior, gallantly pointing his finger at the demonic prosecutor who was after my head. He slammed his hands onto the table. “Your honor, I knew Rex personally, and every conversation I had with him would end with some kind of fight.”

“What of it, Crow?” The judge asked.

“He was the type of man to lose his temper around his own kind, so I could only imagine how easily he would burst at the sight of a human.” A few assenting murmurs erupted from the crowd. “I find it highly likely that Dave was the victim here, and he only killed him in self-defense.”

The judge turned his attention to me. “Is that true, Dave?”

“Yes.”

“Nonsense! Absolute nonsense!” The prosecutor yelled as she slammed her fist into her table. “How can you claim self-defense when you bought the murder weapon just minutes before the actual murder?”

“I was having my bow fixed at Elrund’s shop, and he insisted I take the dagger as protection.” I scratched my head. “It kind of served its purpose, I guess.”

“But you—”

“As it stands now, self-defense seems to be the most likely reason for Rex’s murder.” The judge cut her off. “The defendant doesn’t have a motive, so unless you have some kind of solid evidence against him, please drop the issue.”

Iktaar thought for a moment but ultimately decided not to continue her line of questioning.

Crow - 1, Prosecutor Iktaar von Karma - 0.