Malum was enjoying nice dinner at Jamesons and whilst they were eating he heard the knocking of the door.

  It was a violent knock. Loud and it quickened as the person punched the door with their full force.

  Florence got up immediately and Malum joined him in his walk to the door.

  “Who is it?” Florence said, as he opened the door.

  Outside was Knight, a paper in his hand.

  “I HAVE HERE THE ARREST WARRANT FOR MALUM!” He looked beyond angry an but a smug smile joined his lips as Malum turned to accept the demand.

  He walked over and let the Knight arrest him.

  When the metallic bands went onto his wrists, the Knight whispered into his ears.

  “You thought you could break into my home and get away with it. I will ensure you get the death penalty, trust me.”

  Malum wanted to rile him up some more, but that was his inner demons speaking. Instead he kept his head low and played the innocent docter. His unform had been torched and replaced with his docter one and now he had a new role to enact.

  The innocent docter.

  “I haven’t done anything.” He said as he felt terror running down him. It was easy to express, he just had to remind himself of his death.

  “We’ll talk down at the Temple.” He whacked Malum on the back of the head and was then walked outside of the house and into the road.

  There was a jail carriage waiting for him as well as 2 guards with the Knight and 4 were left with the carriage. 6 guards in total and one Knight. With the right poison Malum reckoned he take them on.

  The heavy metallic door was opened and Malum was hoisted inside, the Knight had been called back by Jameson who was having some words with the Knight but Malum could see his friends efforts were pointless.

  The courts authority was an extension of the King and the King was unquestionable.

  The Guard looked at him with differing expressions. Some were convinced by the Knight of his guilt whilst others looked at him with pity.

  Malum would need to use that disbelief well, in the courts it would be his greatest weapon. The heavy iron weighed on his muscles and Malum found himself straining to just lift them up.

  The wooden walls of the carriage surrounded him and all that was left was a small square window on the door. Metallic bars blocked him from using it to escape.

  Malum wouldn’t escape, he didn’t need to. He was entering the belly of the beast because he reckoned to get the courts away from him, he would be best to enter them on his own terms. He was going to ambush them, before they could the same to him.

  He had set the environment, he had set the terms, now he just needed to fight the battle.

  “ALL RISE!” Announced the judge. Malum wasn’t paying much attention to his surroundings and was instead looking at how white the man was.

  `Has he ever seen sunlight` he pondered.

  “Malum you are here today on suspicion of committing the robbery of the Bank of Roosevelt. Do you plead guilty?”

  Malum looked at the judge, then around him.

  He could see a few people sitting on the rows behind him. One looked like a student, on was a runner from some gang of merchantry, and other was the Butler Malum had seen inside Jameson house.

  On the prosecuting side was a Knight who had just completed a rather riveting speech. Malum would make fun of him but he was right about most of his accusations, Malum just didn’t see anything in terms of proof.

  Oh, and the judge was in front of him on a raised stand.

  With his mind set Malum said, “I am not guilty your honour, frankly I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  The judge looked at him, then sneered.

  “Really now? You just happened to be the single person the Knight identifies as the perfect match to the culprit. I’m no fool, and this court most certainly will not stand for your lies! Malum you are hereby detained for execution. Your will be interrogated before you confess your co-conspirators and perhaps if you give enough names you will get off with life in the mines.

  You are dismissed.”

  Malum looked to see two guards coming to take him away to the jail cells.

  Strangely though, he was smiling as they were taking him away.

  It was a fast sentencing, strangely fast. It seemed the Knight knew that the less time he had to defend himself the better.

  Malum had underestimated his connections, but the Knight had done the same. Before he had even walked to the end of the corridor they had already been stopped by some runner.

  “Stop! stop.” He said, out of breath. He then handed a letter to the guards escorting him. On the letter was stamp Malum recognised, it was one the one the Knight Temple used.

  The guards opened it with haste and frowned when they looked back at Malum. The head guard then changed directions and Malum was told to follow.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Past several other courtrooms Malum was taken towards the back where he found a carriage waiting for him. Malums stepped inside to find the Knight Captain.

  “Sir Erving!” Malum exclaimed as he tried to bow in the cramped carriage.

  “You have caused more headaches than I ever imaged. Sit down, we need to have words” He closed the door before he knocked on the front of the carriage. He seemed to be signalling the driver to something, and soon after Malum heard the wiping of the horses, they were moving.

  Not letting Malum question such actions, Gale started to talk.

  “For a docter you are very well connected, I have here several letters from Nobles practically pleading for your release. I find it strange a man whome I have never heard of is such a social butterfly.”

  Malum could nothing about such an aspect and only looked back at the Knight Captain with indignance.

  “I wouldn’t need to pull them if you hadn’t wrongfully arrested me. I was about to be sentenced to a life of labour because a Knight of yours has gone rogue!”

  Gone was Malums suppressed emotion from the Knights high status and Malum revealed the doctors pent up anger, this was the anger of the innocent, righteous fury as his Uncle would call it.

  The Knight captain looked at him with a stern expression.

  “Might I remind you that you are talking to a Noble and the Knight you call a rogue is still above you in platform.” His face changed to softer expression, “But your claims are not wrong and your suspicious connections give enough weight to force me to into action.”

  His face then shifted back to anger, “Don’t get me wrong though, Malum. I am Nobility, you might have friends in high places but you are below me. This time, I concede, but if you cross me again I will ensure that you go down with me. Murder of a commoner by a Noble is only a fine, it would be good for you to remember such information.”

  Malum felt the pressure of the man’s eyes weigh on him. He reckoned he could fight most people in the Kingdom but this was one of the hundred he reckoned he would lose to.

  He heard of the Erving houses achievements. The demons they had killed had crossed into the 40s and 50s with their corpses now used as simple armour or weaponry.

  But as much the man threatened him he had also clearly conceded. He was passed a key for the weights on his hands and the carriage stopped outside of a mansion Malum was more than familiar with.

  He was left with the Knight captains words, “This” The word seemed bitter in his mouth, “mistake, will fixed by the Temple, but never forgot what I have warned you. Your connections won’t save you twice.”

  Malum then climbed out and walked into the mansion. He took one last look at the leaving carriage before closing the door and doing a little dance.

  He was in the clear. More than that he reckoned the Knight was going to be in some hot water. The quickened trail would need to be overturned but that was a hassle because the Kings courts were supposed to be as unfillable as the King himself. That meant inquiries and question to each and every appeal.

  The Knights temple were going to suffer for their actions and Malum couldn’t be happier for it. He remembered that smug Knight face as he caught him, chained him and chucked him inside the jail carriage. The smile of victory was no doubt falling into the sadness of defeat.

  He would also need his dagger back, but for now he would let it collect dust in the Knight Temple, once he was happy the Knight was fully over his case he would go and collect it for future use.

  He wasn’t out the clear yet, he would need to make sure the Knight never managed to secure himself any revenge now or in the near future. So, after toasting with Florence and Jameson he asked Jameson to question the temple on the Knights future.

  His answer would come in a few days, now all he had to do was toast to the victory. His first threat was almost over and now he could turn more of his attention to the potential civil war.

  “He’s guilty, I swear my honour on it!” Screamed the poor Knight.

  “Where is your proof!” Said the Knight Captain. “You say the dagger is enough but it’s nothing but circumstantial, you know this Knight Bradford, I taught you it personally! Has my lessons left your head! I have more than 5 letters from Baron about this matter, this Thief of yours had tended to each one of them!

  Now tell how I am supposed to support you in this. I trust you; I trust your judgement and I trust your skills but this time... Drop it. I don’t care what you intuition is telling you, its wrong. They want you fired; I even got a letter from the Duke telling me to end your actions... but I can’t do that.

  Bradford. We trained at the academy together, that’s the only reason your not walking out a peasant today. Your on probation, 6 months to get your head clear. Hopefully the whole robbery will be solved and dealt with but I can’t have you riling up the Noble factions anymore. We’ve already lost more prestige, honour and trust from your actions than I can quantify.

  Go and have some fun with your kid. Amy is that right?” the Knight nodded, “I’ll see you in 6 months Brad.” He gave his subordinate and friend a salute, and he got a sad one back.

  He had never seen his friend so worked up and so he had decided to pull some strings to help him in his case. Not minuets later he regretted it.

  Now he had to an unbelievable amount of paperwork to reverse the court's decision and not only that but he lost a trusted Knight. That docter may not be guilty, but he pissed him off more than enough to know that if he walked in here with even a misdemeanour he was going to ensure that tricky bastard got the maximum punishment he could levy.

  He promised that under his honour. A breath of resignation come out of his lungs as he sat down and picked up his inked quill. Now onto his favourite part of the job...

  Paperwork.

  A few minutes later and Malum felt a peel of danger come off his surroundings. It wasn’t as clear as when the other Knights had completely gave up on him but it was a good step in the right direction.

  The Knight surely thought it was him, doubt probably clouded his mind but Malum needed to make sure that the seeds never sprouted. Once home he dug up his poisonous herbs and went to making one of the more devious creations he could make.

  The poison was an evil one, but if it meant clearing a danger from his side, Malum would be willing to do more than just murder.

  Looking inside the home of the Knight, the family sitting around the table, Malums heart was beginning to feel sick. In his mind the answer was clear but now, it was different.

  He didn’t wish to pain the child, the wife, the maid, the butler, but that’s exactly what his actions were doing. They were collateral damage to Malum ambitions, or more like his paranoia.

  Malum dragged his eyes away from the table, for some reason the sight of a family hurt him more than he could speak. His foolish Uncle had likely found out about his death by now.

  He could have stayed at the village, well, no he couldn’t. He had already thought it through, the villagers wouldn’t let him stay. They could find out he was supposedly dead and then he would be done over for cowardice.

  His Uncle could protect him from that, but that’s only if he came back soon. Malum couldn’t bring himself to trust him anymore.

  Maybe he was wrong, clenching his fists, Malum knew he was wrong. But now he could see a path that could be created all by himself. Where he could have the freedom to grow stronger than his parents ever were.

  He wished his Uncle the best and rid his heart of the guilt. Logic came first. It was his best path to power and yet his heart ached the same.

  It hurt even more when he snuck inside and placed a small amount of The Devil’s Tears inside of the Knights personal teacup.

  It caused one to slowly lose feeling in their body. From the hands to the feet, to the tongue, to their brain. That was only a large dose, it would stop at the feet but it would still take years for the Knight to recover.

  It was a slow painful poison, so evil even the Devil would cry if he ingested it: hence the name.

  He prayed for the man, and I wished his family the best. They didn’t deserve it but Malum saw no other option.

  He cleared his mind with a fresh loaf of bread and focused on his next task. The civil war was coming and Malum was going to find a way for it benefit himself.