"The time for your trial has come," the prison guard informed Aria as he opened the prison cell and commanded her to accompany him. Aria, still determined to prove her innocence, decided to see this through, regardless of what Archmage Zephyr had told her. She was doing this for the Hero and the people who believed in her. She steeled herself and followed the guard. Aria was then led to the Royal Throne room where she saw only a few people present. She noticed the King on his throne and Zephyr beside him. There were some individuals adorned in elegant garments. These must be the Lords and Ladies of the Kingdom, she thought. There weren't any soldiers except the King's Five near the King. Aria searched for any familiar faces; she half expected the commander to be present but quickly resigned to the thought. She was a little disheartened but quickly regained her composure and steeled herself once more. She was placed in the center, a few feet away from the King. One of the King's Five stood beside her. It was a woman with short black hair and black eyes. An adorned silver longbow was placed at her back, and a symbol on her chest, a gold spade, marked her as one of the King's Five. Their gazes met, and Aria knew that this woman didn't like her.
The King stood up and took a few steps closer to Aria, then proclaimed, "I am King Sirius XIII, King of the Kingdom of Merthol and the Leader of the Allied Forces against the Demon Lord." He then looked at Aria, who was still bowing her head. "Aria Nightbloom, you are here today because of your crime against the realm. You are to be tried for your crime as a betrayer of Solandis, who is an ally of the Demon Lord." He then looked at the people present and continued, "Let the goddess determine your innocence." With those words, the trial began.
Somewhere inside the castle, Elias woke up, only to find himself inside a prison cell. He slowly stood up, his body still aching. He questioned why he was in prison, but then a surge of memories flooded back to him. Negative emotions filled him as he remembered the recent events. His comrades had been dishonorably slaughtered... His commander, the person he admired the most, the person he regarded as a father, was now dead. Out of anger, he punched the cold hard walls of the prison. Tears flowed from his eyes as he stared blankly out the window. "Thalia.." he mumbled to himself. He reminisced about his fond memories with Thalia, back when he was running with the Thieves Guild, when he was still Elarion. She was his childhood friend, someone with whom he grew up, fought side by side, someone whom he loved - before her father killed his. Amidst these swirling emotions, he then saw Thalia killing his comrades and his commander in cold blood. A haunting reality that will forever be with him until his dying days. He didn't know what to do with his anger, the confusion. Thalia should have killed him with his comrades. Elias dropped to his knees, hope evading him. He wanted to give in to despair. In the darkest depths of his mind, he remembered the words his commander said to him. "We never fully get over our comrades' deaths. We can only move on from it, evolve from it. So we can save even more lives," he assured him. With his commander's words, he tried to stand up. Even gone, his commander still guided him. He vowed to live for his memory. Elias gathered his thoughts and steeled his resolve. He must first get out of this place. Rodney had plans to take over the city, but he would have to wait. The commander's last wish was to save Aria. Whatever the commander found out, it warranted his demise at the hands of Thalia, the former member of the hero's party and the daughter of the Thieves Guild Master. It must be connected with Aria somehow. He needed to find and help her. With his lock-picking skills, he freed himself from his prison cell.
"I am not an ally of the Demon Lord!" Aria proclaimed as she insisted on her innocence. Aria's trial is in session, and her jury consists of Lords and Ladies of the Kingdom. She at least hoped that the King would hear her out. The King then proceeds to call on the first witness. He calls on the accuser, the wizard of the Hero's party and the advisor of the King, Zephyr Elcrass. The advisor looks at Aria with his cold and calculating eyes as he makes his way to the reserved podium. Aria gazes at him, but she doesn't say a word. Then Zephyr starts his testimony. "Aria Nightbloom and I have been companions in the Hero's party. I have seen her as a worthy companion, someone you can rely on." Aria was surprised to hear this from Zephyr. She thought he would be against her. But her hope was for naught when she heard what he said next. "But because she is young, she is still naive. She is faithful to the hero, which is most admirable, and because of that naivety, she failed to see how he manipulated her to his cause. " Aria wanted to call out Zephyr on his lies, but she waited to hear everything he had to say. "After we defeated the Demon Lord, the Hero wanted to use the crown. He thought he could use it for the kingdom. We tried to talk him out of it, but instead, he lashed out at us. The hero was strong, even alone. We were nearly wiped out. Aria also joined him, which made our odds even bleaker. So I did the most logical thing and helped my friends escape using a very rare Transportation scroll that I saved for dangerous situations." Aria couldn't believe the lie that Zephyr was weaving. But she was not fazed. He didn't have proof of his story. With that, the advisor vacated the podium. The King then asks Aria, "How do you plead, Aria Nightbloom? Do you deny this?" Aria, with determination and confidence, declares, "Those words are lies! The hero would never use the crown. He sought to destroy it!" The jury observes Aria's reaction and talks among themselves. Aria studies their expressions. They seem unconvinced by her words. The King then asks for the next witness to be called. Aria is surprised to see who it is. A soldier comes to the podium. Aria recognizes this person as one of the soldiers who escorted her, one of Commander Rufus' men! She feels a ray of hope that someone is willing to defend her. Then the soldier speaks. "I am one of the soldiers who brought Aria Nightbloom here under Commander Rufus' command. The commander trusted her with his life and brought her here so she could prove her innocence." Aria is happy to hear those words. But like Zephyr's testimony, this man's next words break Aria's heart. "Because of this woman, all of my comrades are dead. Including the great Commander." These words come as a shock to her. She can't believe that the commander has died. Questions flood her mind. When did he die? Who killed him? Why? Her knees give in, and she falls to the ground. The despair is too much to bear. But the soldier is not done. As he puts the final nail in her coffin, he speaks. "We were attacked several times during the journey. We were attacked by demons who wanted to bring her back." Aria is frozen stiff, unable to comprehend the lies she is hearing. She gazes at the soldier on the podium. His expression is empty, like a talking doll. She senses that something is wrong. The King asks the soldier, "Do you swear this in the name of the goddess?" His eyes gazing at Aria. "I swear on my comrades' and commander's souls." With that, the soldier leaves the podium. Aria is still in shock, unable to get up. She feels it was like the betrayal in the Demon Lord's castle all over again. The King then asks Aria, "How do you plead, Aria Nightbloom?" Aria is unable to speak. The trauma she had suppressed resurfaces, overwhelming her. The King and the jury study Aria's movements and whisper among themselves. The advisor whispers something to the King, and then the King says, "It seems we have evidence to support her allegations." Then someone brings an object forward. The King speaks to Aria, "Is this satchel yours, Aria Nightbloom?" Aria, without thinking, looks at the object and says with a shaky voice, "Y-yes." The advisor then takes out the contents of her satchel, revealing a dark gem among its contents. The advisor shows the King and the jury the gem, using a holy glove to hold it. "This, this is one of the dark gems adorned in the unholy crown." He demonstrates how its glow casts a shadowed crimson light. "I used the holy glove artifact to hold this, otherwise I would succumb to its power." Aria is now deep in despair. She realizes that this was not a trial to begin with. It was an elaborate setup orchestrated by the advisor for something she doesn't yet know. The King and the jury have made up their minds. The King is now ready to pass judgment. "Aria Nightbloom, I declare you guilty! Guilty of betraying Solandis!"
Aria, eventhough she had been played by the advisor, she refuses to give up. She gathers her strength to stand up. With all her might she declares to the people present and to the King. "Arlan the Hero defeated the Demon Lord and saved this world, saved all of us!" Her voice echoing inside the Throne room. "Even in his vulnerable state, he believed in his friends! Even in his final moments, He believed He had saved the world! He is a true Hero and I will not let anyone treat him like this!" Aria's voice reached the Jury and the King, something inside resonated to Aria's words, but sadly the King and the jury have made up their minds. The King is now ready to pass judgment. "Aria Nightbloom, I declare you guilty! Guilty of betraying Solandis!"
The advisor, Zephyr, gives a terrifying smile as the King announces the punishment. Suddenly, the ground shakes violently, and a ritual circle forms on the castle floor with Aria at the center of it. Aria sees a glowing light beneath her feet. Panic ensues in the Royal Palace, with people running towards the exits. Then, one of the jury members shouts, "She is summoning the demons! Kill her!" Aria, still in shackles, is unable to move even if she wants to. One of the King's Five Royal Guards, who is guarding Aria, unsheathes her sword and prepares to decapitate her. "Die, demon!" she shouts. Just as the royal guard is about to swing her sword, a wave of magic washes over her, and she is instantly cleaved in two. Aria is horrified by the brutality she has just witnessed. She looks to see where the attack originated from, and it turns out to be none other than Zephyr himself. With a terrifying grin, he says, "Not yet," his staff still smoking at the tip. The other King's Five guards witness this and unsheathe their blades. The King, surprised, asks Zephyr, "What are you doing!?" Zephyr replies with a malicious smile, "You all have outlived your usefulness." He then summons portals around the castle, from which demons emerge. The King's Five guards, now reduced to four, surround the King to protect him. Aria, witnessing the events unfold, tries her best to break free from the shackles. Then suddenly, a pillar of red light flashes beneath her, shooting straight up into the heavens.
"The time for your trial has come," the prison guard informed Aria as he opened the prison cell and commanded her to accompany him. Aria, still determined to prove her innocence, decided to see this through, regardless of what Archmage Zephyr had told her. She was doing this for the Hero and the people who believed in her. She steeled herself and followed the guard. Aria was then led to the Royal Throne room where she saw only a few people present. She noticed the King on his throne and Zephyr beside him. There were some individuals adorned in elegant garments. These must be the Lords and Ladies of the Kingdom, she thought. There weren't any soldiers except the King's Five near the King. Aria searched for any familiar faces; she half expected the commander to be present but quickly resigned to the thought. She was a little disheartened but quickly regained her composure and steeled herself once more. She was placed in the center, a few feet away from the King. One of the King's Five stood beside her. It was a woman with short black hair and black eyes. An adorned silver longbow was placed at her back, and a symbol on her chest, a gold spade, marked her as one of the King's Five. Their gazes met, and Aria knew that this woman didn't like her.
The King stood up and took a few steps closer to Aria, then proclaimed, "I am King Sirius XIII, King of the Kingdom of Merthol and the Leader of the Allied Forces against the Demon Lord." He then looked at Aria, who was still bowing her head. "Aria Nightbloom, you are here today because of your crime against the realm. You are to be tried for your crime as a betrayer of Solandis, who is an ally of the Demon Lord." He then looked at the people present and continued, "Let the goddess determine your innocence." With those words, the trial began.
Somewhere inside the castle, Elias woke up, only to find himself inside a prison cell. He slowly stood up, his body still aching. He questioned why he was in prison, but then a surge of memories flooded back to him. Negative emotions filled him as he remembered the recent events. His comrades had been dishonorably slaughtered... His commander, the person he admired the most, the person he regarded as a father, was now dead. Out of anger, he punched the cold hard walls of the prison. Tears flowed from his eyes as he stared blankly out the window. "Thalia.." he mumbled to himself. He reminisced about his fond memories with Thalia, back when he was running with the Thieves Guild, when he was still Elarion. She was his childhood friend, someone with whom he grew up, fought side by side, someone whom he loved - before her father killed his. Amidst these swirling emotions, he then saw Thalia killing his comrades and his commander in cold blood. A haunting reality that will forever be with him until his dying days. He didn't know what to do with his anger, the confusion. Thalia should have killed him with his comrades. Elias dropped to his knees, hope evading him. He wanted to give in to despair. In the darkest depths of his mind, he remembered the words his commander said to him. "We never fully get over our comrades' deaths. We can only move on from it, evolve from it. So we can save even more lives," he assured him. With his commander's words, he tried to stand up. Even gone, his commander still guided him. He vowed to live for his memory. Elias gathered his thoughts and steeled his resolve. He must first get out of this place. Rodney had plans to take over the city, but he would have to wait. The commander's last wish was to save Aria. Whatever the commander found out, it warranted his demise at the hands of Thalia, the former member of the hero's party and the daughter of the Thieves Guild Master. It must be connected with Aria somehow. He needed to find and help her. With his lock-picking skills, he freed himself from his prison cell.
"I am not an ally of the Demon Lord!" Aria proclaimed as she insisted on her innocence. Aria's trial is in session, and her jury consists of Lords and Ladies of the Kingdom. She at least hoped that the King would hear her out. The King then proceeds to call on the first witness. He calls on the accuser, the wizard of the Hero's party and the advisor of the King, Zephyr Elcrass. The advisor looks at Aria with his cold and calculating eyes as he makes his way to the reserved podium. Aria gazes at him, but she doesn't say a word. Then Zephyr starts his testimony. "Aria Nightbloom and I have been companions in the Hero's party. I have seen her as a worthy companion, someone you can rely on." Aria was surprised to hear this from Zephyr. She thought he would be against her. But her hope was for naught when she heard what he said next. "But because she is young, she is still naive. She is faithful to the hero, which is most admirable, and because of that naivety, she failed to see how he manipulated her to his cause. " Aria wanted to call out Zephyr on his lies, but she waited to hear everything he had to say. "After we defeated the Demon Lord, the Hero wanted to use the crown. He thought he could use it for the kingdom. We tried to talk him out of it, but instead, he lashed out at us. The hero was strong, even alone. We were nearly wiped out. Aria also joined him, which made our odds even bleaker. So I did the most logical thing and helped my friends escape using a very rare Transportation scroll that I saved for dangerous situations." Aria couldn't believe the lie that Zephyr was weaving. But she was not fazed. He didn't have proof of his story. With that, the advisor vacated the podium. The King then asks Aria, "How do you plead, Aria Nightbloom? Do you deny this?" Aria, with determination and confidence, declares, "Those words are lies! The hero would never use the crown. He sought to destroy it!" The jury observes Aria's reaction and talks among themselves. Aria studies their expressions. They seem unconvinced by her words. The King then asks for the next witness to be called. Aria is surprised to see who it is. A soldier comes to the podium. Aria recognizes this person as one of the soldiers who escorted her, one of Commander Rufus' men! She feels a ray of hope that someone is willing to defend her. Then the soldier speaks. "I am one of the soldiers who brought Aria Nightbloom here under Commander Rufus' command. The commander trusted her with his life and brought her here so she could prove her innocence." Aria is happy to hear those words. But like Zephyr's testimony, this man's next words break Aria's heart. "Because of this woman, all of my comrades are dead. Including the great Commander." These words come as a shock to her. She can't believe that the commander has died. Questions flood her mind. When did he die? Who killed him? Why? Her knees give in, and she falls to the ground. The despair is too much to bear. But the soldier is not done. As he puts the final nail in her coffin, he speaks. "We were attacked several times during the journey. We were attacked by demons who wanted to bring her back." Aria is frozen stiff, unable to comprehend the lies she is hearing. She gazes at the soldier on the podium. His expression is empty, like a talking doll. She senses that something is wrong. The King asks the soldier, "Do you swear this in the name of the goddess?" His eyes gazing at Aria. "I swear on my comrades' and commander's souls." With that, the soldier leaves the podium. Aria is still in shock, unable to get up. She feels it was like the betrayal in the Demon Lord's castle all over again. The King then asks Aria, "How do you plead, Aria Nightbloom?" Aria is unable to speak. The trauma she had suppressed resurfaces, overwhelming her. The King and the jury study Aria's movements and whisper among themselves. The advisor whispers something to the King, and then the King says, "It seems we have evidence to support her allegations." Then someone brings an object forward. The King speaks to Aria, "Is this satchel yours, Aria Nightbloom?" Aria, without thinking, looks at the object and says with a shaky voice, "Y-yes." The advisor then takes out the contents of her satchel, revealing a dark gem among its contents. The advisor shows the King and the jury the gem, using a holy glove to hold it. "This, this is one of the dark gems adorned in the unholy crown." He demonstrates how its glow casts a shadowed crimson light. "I used the holy glove artifact to hold this, otherwise I would succumb to its power." Aria is now deep in despair. She realizes that this was not a trial to begin with. It was an elaborate setup orchestrated by the advisor for something she doesn't yet know. The King and the jury have made up their minds. The King is now ready to pass judgment. "Aria Nightbloom, I declare you guilty! Guilty of betraying Solandis!"
Aria, eventhough she had been played by the advisor, she refuses to give up. She gathers her strength to stand up. With all her might she declares to the people present and to the King. "Arlan the Hero defeated the Demon Lord and saved this world, saved all of us!" Her voice echoing inside the Throne room. "Even in his vulnerable state, he believed in his friends! Even in his final moments, He believed He had saved the world! He is a true Hero and I will not let anyone treat him like this!" Aria's voice reached the Jury and the King, something inside resonated to Aria's words, but sadly the King and the jury have made up their minds. The King is now ready to pass judgment. "Aria Nightbloom, I declare you guilty! Guilty of betraying Solandis!"
The advisor, Zephyr, gives a terrifying smile as the King announces the punishment. Suddenly, the ground shakes violently, and a ritual circle forms on the castle floor with Aria at the center of it. Aria sees a glowing light beneath her feet. Panic ensues in the Royal Palace, with people running towards the exits. Then, one of the jury members shouts, "She is summoning the demons! Kill her!" Aria, still in shackles, is unable to move even if she wants to. One of the King's Five Royal Guards, who is guarding Aria, unsheathes her sword and prepares to decapitate her. "Die, demon!" she shouts. Just as the royal guard is about to swing her sword, a wave of magic washes over her, and she is instantly cleaved in two. Aria is horrified by the brutality she has just witnessed. She looks to see where the attack originated from, and it turns out to be none other than Zephyr himself. With a terrifying grin, he says, "Not yet," his staff still smoking at the tip. The other King's Five guards witness this and unsheathe their blades. The King, surprised, asks Zephyr, "What are you doing!?" Zephyr replies with a malicious smile, "You all have outlived your usefulness." He then summons portals around the castle, from which demons emerge. The King's Five guards, now reduced to four, surround the King to protect him. Aria, witnessing the events unfold, tries her best to break free from the shackles. Then suddenly, a pillar of red light flashes beneath her, shooting straight up into the heavens.
