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The local militia captain rapped on the doorframe, "We've found the suspect, Judge."
"Excellent! Bring me to him. Let's get this headache over with," Theod replied.
A short walk later, the captain gestured to a door. "He's in here."
Theod held himself tall and thought of the ideals that had brought him to The Judge's Order. He hasn't been out in the field long, but even a new judge's rough cloth robe and wooden badge of office can project the presence of the original for long enough to make an imposing entrance.
Stepping through the door to a suddenly hushed room, he asks "Which is the accused?"
He's presented with a slightly bruised man, hands tied with ropes.
"Do you swear to tell me the truth today, as I have sworn to use that knowledge well?"
The man growls "Yes", which Theod knows is true, and then "Much good may it do you!"
There is a feeling of overwhelming light, and cracks in it, spreading through space.
When he can make sense of his surroundings, he is... not there.
fairshot
fairshot
"You know, I couldn't tell you? The last one was at the other end of the Old Kingdom from my hometown, and he was defeated when my parents were young. I think they're persuasive and good at finding dissent, or something, but people don't talk up the virtues of the nasty paths much."
fairshot
"Everyone hears about some of them; kids who think they're rebels all crow about the Thief, thieves can go silent and hard to notice, and skilled ones can pass through spaces they shouldn't be able to fit in, which all makes it hard to keep them out or in. But for the scariest ones, there's a decent lid kept on it."
winterlight
Kaja nods. "We don't allow people to publish information on how to summon up the sort of dark things who need to be summoned," she says. "Just in case someone who wants to doesn't already know how."
fairshot
"Yeah, as much as censoring information is a little morally dubious, there are things everyone recognizes it's better to keep secret."
winterlight
They're approaching a city-looking thing now. "Andivar," she says, pointing at it. "But non-paladins won't be able to speak or understand your language."
fairshot
"Right. That's inconvenient; I expect I can't make any kind of living until I learn the local language. Do you think I could get magical help?"
winterlight
"The Winter Light tells me what words in your language mean what I want to say, but I can ignore it and just speak Cirth - most of the time full paladins are busy, though, so ideally you would do a lot of self-study once you had the alphabet and a few words."
fairshot
"I'll try not to impose. Though if I can stay in your compound for a couple weeks, that would be very helpful. I'll help however I can."
fairshot
"That would be great, thanks. And like I said, my judge's gift will be at your disposal if it's useful to you all."
winterlight
"It might be, depending on what we come across. Every now and then we have to track down someone who's waking shadows or trying to become a lich, and we have no special advantages there."
fairshot
"Well, as far as semi-urban investigations go, I have some training and the gift, and I'm happy to help."
He's probably going to ask around for alternate perspectives when he's fluent, but he doesn't expect to change his mind that much. And mentioning that is clearly just rude.
He's probably going to ask around for alternate perspectives when he's fluent, but he doesn't expect to change his mind that much. And mentioning that is clearly just rude.
winterlight
"I'll introduce you to the Bright Sister when we land."
And over there is a walled campus of buildings with more griffins and winged horses in it than most walled campuses of buildings.
And over there is a walled campus of buildings with more griffins and winged horses in it than most walled campuses of buildings.
fairshot
"Sounds good."
Conspicuously not looking at the campuses, because this probably was akin to a mistake. But he can feel the descent, probably.
Conspicuously not looking at the campuses, because this probably was akin to a mistake. But he can feel the descent, probably.
fairshot
This is an improvement! He slides down off the griffin.
"Lead the way, I suppose? Unless there's other tasks needed first, I can wait."
"Lead the way, I suppose? Unless there's other tasks needed first, I can wait."
winterlight
"If you're not in a hurry I'd like to get out of my armor, and of course see to Ragnar, who has had a long day."
winterlight
"I won't be more than an hour," she says, and off she goes.
A few paladins look at Theod curiously. One pokes him with a Winter Light sigil. No one is talking directly to him, and therefore he cannot understand any of them.
A few paladins look at Theod curiously. One pokes him with a Winter Light sigil. No one is talking directly to him, and therefore he cannot understand any of them.
fairshot
This is rather frustrating.
And he has time to sit and stew over the fact that he will probably never see anyone he's ever met again.
Joy.
And he has time to sit and stew over the fact that he will probably never see anyone he's ever met again.
Joy.
fairshot
"The isolation and distance are hitting me in earnest, but I'll probably hold up."
He hopes.
He hopes.
winterlight
"I'm sorry. I've never heard of a mage pulling people from between worlds, but it's not impossible you could eventually find one who can put you back."
fairshot
"I'll look into it. Or even see about learning magery myself. But I'm plopped in a foreign world without warning, and going through my first couple official judge circuits have been more excitement than I was used to. It's going to take a while to adjust to the shock."