Chapter 16: Locked Up

Ahmond and Baynana returned to jail.

"Is this going to jail twice?" Ahmond asked. "Just asking for the record books. If I have a job, I need to know how many felonies."

"First of all, we outlawed that practice years ago," Whyrl said as he was ready to slam the doors. "It's not only bad for the felons, it's bad for society as a whole when the goal is to rehabilitate, not mindlessly punish others. Secondly, if you have to know, technically yes, but it would be noted as for the same reason."

Baynana asked, "Oh, and why is it that we're having weekends only instead of just doing it in one shot?"

"Fall Festival," Whyrl said. "You're paying on the weekend of the Fall Festival."

Fall Festival lasted seven days when Voto had six day weeks. What that meant was the Fall Festival started on the second day of the week, and went through a week end, before ending on the second day of next week. Meant one more vacation day.

"Anyway, we need more about the tale," Ahmond said.

Whyrl nodded. "I guess I did say you need more details."

"Yeah, our cousin got hit with Despair," Baynana said.

Whyrl's eyes widened, and he said, "So she still lurks around. Well, gather around kiddies, about a good point for a book."

***

"Uncle Whyrl's got a new tale for you."

"We've already established that."

"Ahmond, don't be rude!"

"Anyway..."

Whyrl's had arrested his daughter, Bittersweet, for bringing others into a dark despair. Never had he wanted to arrest his own daughter, but it was his job, and it was under the recommendation of Empress Owlis, who would later reside over her court case.

During the trial, Owlis presided, as she did whenever it concerned trials under her own palace. And soon Bittersweet was in front of her, ready for her judgement. Owlis opened a book up.

"So, it says her you are the criminal behind the acts of casting Despair onto others. Pray tell, how do you plead?"

"Guilty," Bittersweet said, to get it over with.

"Alright," Owlis said. "Now, do you have any reasons you want to talk about before I sentence you?"

And Bittersweet said, "No, I don't have any reasons."

"Very well. My associate, Solarh, says she knows a great way to relieve you of your affliction. You will be having your dark powers removed from you, via her ritual."

"Will this hurt her?" Whyrl would ask.

Owlis consulted the yellow Twayt herself, and the Twayt shook her head.

"I trust this bird with my life," Owlis said, "which may not come as a surprise since I can't die permanently. Still, idle jokes aside, darker qualities do not make for evil individuals. Therefore, other disciplinary measures will be taken besides correctional action."

And Bittersweet gulped.

Owlis said, "Due to you being a juvenile, you are not going to be prescribed with anything severe, but due to the nature of this case, it will be as harsh as I can reasonable see fit without being excessive. Since Whyrl is your father, he will not be executing this act, and is exempt from the room at that moment."

"Am I going to be tortured?" Bittersweet asked, tucking her tail in.

"Why is that everyone's first thought?" Owlis asked. "Am I some bloodthirsty maniac?" Unfortunately, pain remained a normal way of discipline within most dire kingdoms, and so it wasn't an escapable thought. But Owlis never went farther than most other kingdoms would. In fact, by comparison, she was reasonable.

Lashes still remained, but care was taken to not break the skin.

"Solarh will be removing your magic." Magical deprivation was rarely possible to employ - as stealing someone's magic could only be done if they got that magic from a source. Otherwise, stealing someone's magic wouldn't work since they manipulated magic. While some stored magic inside themselves, taking that away would only marginally improve the problem, and no such spell existed as a magical depressant. Much less depriver. Luckily, Owlis had an exceptional case now. And she stared in the books.

"Usually, for using a spell on someone unprovoked in magical sense, we'd give you a day in jail. If a particularly egregious case, as I believe this to be, it's two days. However, because the case was bullying, and a reaction thereof, it has been commuted to about a day in jail. Obviously, you shouldn't do that to bullies, you should tell an adult, but then again, that is in a perfect world, and our world is not perfect at all."

"The bullies should be punished..." Bittersweet said.

Owlis' eyes sparkled. "Excellent idea. However, it's three days in jail total for your actions."

Bittersweet asked her, "Are you really going to find it in your heart to punish those bullies?"

Owlis said, "Hm, I'll find something to jail them for."

Bittersweet wagged her tail.

"And it will be before your deprivation," Owlis said, "as I understand this ritual is quite advanced."

"It will require her father to be in attendance," Solarh said.

Owlis shrugged and said, "I won't be there to watch since I have more pressing matters to concern myself with. However, the executioner in any case will be Solarh."

Whyrl trusted Solarh with his life, and unlike Owlis, he wasn't saying that with immortality, but instead a true sense of respect for such an amazing guard.

***

"Well, that's all we have for today," Whyrl said.

"We still need more information!" Ahmond said. "Why are you stopping now, if we can find out who's doing this all?"

Whyrl said, "Maybe this is painful for me, but I wouldn't feel it anyway."

Baynana realized, "You're in Despair, I guess."

And Whyrl gave one of the few chuckles she heard from him, and he said, "Yes, very much in Despair."

He walked off.

Bayana and Ahmond stared at one another.

Ahmond said, "How are we going to get a full tale from him when he keeps stopping? Are we going to have to wait for the entire month to pass?"

"We'll just ask him tomorrow," Baynana said. "He'll be willing to talk more when it comes to tomorrow." Ahmond gave the nod.

Both went onto the couch. Since they had really nothing to do, but sit and wait, they'd just wait. Since the stay was so short, they weren't going to be going out for exercise or anything, or sent to work out in the gardens for some community service.

Community service would have been a great punishment. Maybe Owlis should have used it more. Ahmond was prepared to submit that as a suggestion.

Actually, she was sorta in the back pocket of Owlis.

Baynana wasn't in Owlis' favor, but things might change later.

Maybe.

Ahmond fell asleep.

***

Door opened. Afterwards, Ahmond asked if he'd explain more of his tale.

Whyrl shrugged and said, "Next week."

They relayed that to Mosor when she picked them up.

"Make sure to get it," Mosor said. They nodded.

And as next week came, they walked heads high.

Owlis stood with a smile. "Your sentence has been commuted! You're free to leave now!"

"Excuse?" Ahmond asked, having just heard the news.

"I have decided to reduce your sentencing, meaning you are no longer going to be in jail," Owlis said, and grinned. "I figure you girls have learned your lesson enough. You've been good from what I've heard from your guard, and he's even recommended letting you leave."

Ahmond realized Whyrl was trying to push them away, for some reason. Ahmond said, "No, we need to know more about Whyrl. He's been telling us all about his daughter, and what happened with her."

Owlis frowned. Her eyes narrowed. "You girls best run along now."

She was hiding something.

Ahmond said, "But we need to hear about her graduation, it was really funny." She stomped on Baynana's foot before she told the truth, and grinned ear to ear.

Owlis' eyes widened, and she laughed. "Ah yes, I suppose I'll have to ask him about that, well anyway, you girls should run off now..."

"Okay, thanks Owlis," Ahmond said.

As they walked off, Ahmond said, "So Owlis is pretending to keep something secret. Apparently she has no idea Whyrl's telling us about his daughter, but she has to keep it under wraps."

Baynana said, "Probably because it's a moral failing on her part, since she let it out, and if people knew she was causing problems to the outside world, they'd anger."

Ahmond blinked. "Impressive analysis. Do you really think she'd put her pride over others' safety though?"

Baynana told her, "Kinda obvious she would. She has to keep her head as a monarch, and she can't even trust us being kids. Maybe if Mosor asked around."

Ahmond said, "Realize this - there's a way to remove your quality right? She didn't sentence you to lose your quality, so something about that ritual must have gone wrong, something she won't admit to. Use your powers again."

"It has to be for a believable reason."

Baynana asked, "Like what?"

***

"I am severely unamused," Owlis said as she stared at Baynana, while Rosod was in the back of the courtroom, still visibly affected by Baynana's dark lines. "Very well, since you two plead guilty to public fighting and won't explain, I'll have to increase your punishment Baynana. After all, you were just warned."

Baynana nodded. "Yeah, I understand."

"As for you, Rosod, I believe you should understand why I'm doing what I'm doing."

Rosod nodded.

"Very well, quite an agreeable audience today," Owlis said as she stared down in the lawbooks. "Let's see here. You are both going to be in jail during the first two days of my own personal festival, okay girls?" Owlis read further along, having memorized the lines, but reading again for accuracy. She was never in a rush - and even if she was, justice would never be in a rush. As Owlis stared, she said, "Unfortunately, due to your addiction to crime, we're going a bit overboard for you Baynana." She took a deep breath.

How overboard? Baynana twitched nervously in her seat.

Owlis said, "Instead of just two days for you, the counsel and I will speak. Okay?"

As Owlis left, Baynana wondered how much more over necessary Owlis would go.

Owlis came into a backroom of the court, before sitting on a wooden perch, two judges in lower chairs besides her. A wolf named Layf, and a hyena named Blayd remained her fellow judges on this case.

Owlis said, "If we all agree, we will go over the maximum, and so far, I believe we need more than we'd normally issue for a second go around in the same month. It seems she won't learn her lesson."

Blayd was more inclined to give mercy to a child, but he said, "If she won't learn, perhaps."

Layf said, "She's using some pretty evil magics. Guess it only makes sense we should outcast her for the entire festival, if we can't banish her outright."

Owlis said, "Along with that, perhaps some community service?"

Layf said, "Maybe an hour per day of jailing."

"No weekends only," Blayd said. He reasoned, "She's abused her privilege, and won't deserve to attend the festival."

"Agreed," Layf said.

Owlis said, "Very well..." She left the room.

Baynana twitched around nervously, fiddling her paws, when Owlis came back in. And Owlis announced, "We've come to an agreement that for excessive use of your powers, we have no other alternatives. After this punishment, if we ever find you doing dark magic again, we are going to seek exile, making you the first ever juvenile to be exiled from our kingdom. As you have ridden others, infected others with your dark magic of Worthlessness, up to an entire palace, I regret showing mercy."

Baynana was realizing she really messed up.

"For now until the entire fall festival, you are hereby imprisoned."

Baynana's eyes widened. Quite a long while for an imprisonment, wouldn't you say, Owlis?

Owlis said, "Furthermore, community service for an entire hour a day."

Baynana hated the idea of having to work as well. Ahmond really messed her up with this idea. Still, it was all they needed to talk to Whyrl.

"Okay," Baynana said.

"Go along with our wolf guard, Layf, okay?"

"I'd rather be with Whyrl instead-"

"Too bad."

Baynana's eyes widened, and she realized it really was conspiracy like Ahmond guessed. She flashed Rosod a quick thumbs up since the goal was to head into prison, by faking a fight.

Rosod didn't even bother to do anything, while a guard dragged her slumping body away.

So she was going to be in prison for a long period. Also, she'd not be with Whyrl. So they weren't hearing that tale any point soon.

Maybe nothing bad would happen?

Ah, who was she kidding? It obviously would.