In Urianthe, in the Plantesa courtroom, there was a strange occurrence. Naturally the talking slime asylum hearing was strange.
But among the viewers there was a gap. Solana was sitting on the left side of the public seats and every seat around her was moved away, by two meters. Her colleagues, the other runesmiths, didn't want to be anywhere near her: the outcast.
But she was scribbling in her notes, analyzing Jack, Aria, Jeanne and even the judges.
She stopped writing to look at a spider-like blue slime, who was sitting on Jack's bowtie.
"The honorable Plantesa Court is now in session," The little girl announced. Her gaze, a depth of ancient forests in eyes too young for such burdens, swept over the room, lingering for a fraction of a second longer on the blue spider sitting atop Jack's leaf bow tie.
Lyren stood up with clasped hands, "The proceedings against Ms .Jeanne D'Amain, Ms .Aria Voss, and... The slime, are open."
His bark-like face was stern, a mask carved from centuries of unyielding elven tradition.
"The asylum plea originates from an encounter at the border, which now has... escalated into an incident." He gestured vaguely at them, as if their very presence was a diplomatic blemish.
"The court will start with Ms. Voss. The floor is yours, Advocate Vatris."
With a deep, steadying breath that seemed too large for her petite frame, Leena rose.
"Your honors," she began, her voice clear and steady despite the tremor in her hands as she smoothed her green pants. "Ms Voss is the sole known survivor of the purging of the Olyrian Kingdom."
Unsuspecting gasps rippled through the elven audience, a rustling of leaves and whispered names of a fallen kingdom.
Leena pressed on, her words finding their natural rhythm. "For years, she has lived as a fugitive, a shadow hunted by both slavers and the very Inquisitors who burned her home. She seeks refuge not as an aggressor, but as a remnant, a final echo of a culture systematically erased... Granting her asylum is not merely an act of compassion; it is a preservation of knowledge, a final defiance against Rethia's colonial crusade."
Her plea hung in the arboreal chamber, a powerful argument steeped in history.
Usually there would be counter arguments made by the judges or the prosecutor of the court. However this matter was special; it concerned the Church.
Orrian, the dark elf, shifted on his throne, a predator examining a cornered prey. He broke this court tradition.
"A touching story of loss. But loss alone does not grant sanctuary. Ms. Voss, you carry the blood of demons in your veins. Why should Vylara open its branches to a creature who, by her very nature, thrives in blood and shadow?"
His voice wasn't a shout, but a soft, cutting blade that sliced through the tense silence. However his gaze lingered on her hands, her tattoos more specifically.
They were the markings vampires used when they overthrew their previous monarchy and established the Olyrian Kingdom. A history only the elves kept records of.
Aria did not flinch. Her chin rose, her crimson eyes reflecting the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy. Leena was whispering to her, trying to stop her.
Yet Aria took a step forward. The wooden cuffs on her wrists seemed to tighten.
"My kingdom was called 'monstrous' because we refused to bow to any deity. My family burned because of your rival god."
She held up her cuffed hands.
"You call these markings evil, yet they are exactly what Yggdrasil stands for, growth through adaptation."
Her gaze shifted to the little judge. The judge's eyes went slightly wide but no one could have noticed it.
After the vampire hybrid said what she had to say, Leena's face was white as a sheet. She quickly bowed, "Your honors, my apologies for my client's outburst."
The audience started to talk amongst themselves.
Sitting back down, Leena wanted to scream at Aria. Yet when their eyes met, she saw something more in the hybrid's eyes than just defiance. Jack did as well.
"Good job Aria," he gave her a thumbs up with his tentacle.
Of course he knew it wasn't a good job because judges didn't like that kind of talk, but he enjoyed it, a chaotic good in a sea of law.
"We'll probably die together," he said.
Aria chuckled. A genuine laugh.
"Perhaps we'll be tortured in hell together," she said with a weird smile. A fanged one.
Needless to say all the judges heard this. The five of them had a brief silent conversation using a skill Jack was unfamiliar with.
"The court will now deliberate," The little judge said before they disappeared through their root thrones.
Everyone was waiting, the clock ticking through the deafening silence.
For a full minute. That was all the deliberation they needed. The five thrones lit up again.
Lyren stood up, "The court has reached a verdict." He paused, letting the anticipation build.
"We, the Plantesa Court, acknowledge the grave injustice committed by the Rethian Church upon Olyria." He then paused and took another look at the audience. They were all on Aria's side.
"Yet, the inherent volatility of Vampiric-Phantasmal heritage poses a significant risk."
Jack's heart sank. He knew that this was them saying no.
"So the court decided..." Lyren said, "Aria Voss will be granted asylum under one condition."
Relief washed over Jack.
"Aria Voss will be bound by a Geas, an elven oath of non-aggression."
He figured that was okay, better than being shipped back to Rethia.
Jack looked over at Aria.
Her expression was cold, angry. He'd seen it before. He saw it when she wanted to kill Ingelton. When a predator was denied its prey. She didn't want to agree.
Leena put a gentle, firm hand on her shoulder.
Aria bit her lip, drawing a drop of blood. She absolutely didn't want to be chained, even a mental one.
Before she could answer, the little girl judge spoke again, "The Geas will only be active on Vylara soil. Should Ms. Voss decide to leave Vylara it will be nullified along with her asylum."
She looked at Aria, "On the other hand, the court has also deemed it appropriate to grant Ms. Voss transportation to the Peryana Continent, where she'll have the chance to seek asylum in the Dragon Lord's Empire."
Aria looked at Jack, her crimson eyes widened. This wasn't a simple yes or no. This was a choice between being caged and starting anew far away.
He remembered their deal, the promise of lessons, the ghostly path he craved. Losing her would be a major setback. But he also didn't want to see her bend her will again. This was her choice.
"I'll still help you when I'm stronger," he said, hoping she understood his gesture of support. Aria closed her eyes, and made her choice.