"Shiloh Sutton, you are appearing before these wgivers in accusation of one Ashleigh Coldwater, is that correct?" The chief wgiver asked, reading their names off a sheet of part.

  "Yes, sir." Shiloh respohis drew looks of mingled amusement and disdain from the wgivers.

  "Master Sutton, while you are in this court you will address the wgivers as 'justice' or 'yrace'." The chief wgiver said sternly.

  "Oh. Um... I'm sorry, yrace. It won't happen again."

  "Very good. Now, please tell the wgivers what happe you to this court."

  Shiloh's stomach seemed to be doing backflips. He had never liked public speaking, and being in a courtroom, even as the pintiff, made him incredibly nervous. He cleared his throat, and tried not to let the pressure get to him as he began speaking.

  "My party, Aphrodite's Apostles, were seeking a new member to join us. We sent out four requests for meetings yesterday, and one of them was received by Ashleigh. We didn't think her personality would be a good fit for our team, and so didn't accept her application. We instead accepted Beck Quickfoot, seated behind me.

  "This m, we had arrao meet Beck at the Adventurer's Guild at the seventh bell. We arrived a bit early, and I went upstairs intending to collect Bey way to her room, a door opened as I passed it, and I was knocked unscious. When I awoke, I was in a dark basement, which Ashleigh had cimed was ented to prevent noise from esg. It was there that she r-r-r..." Shiloh's voice broke, aruggled with everything he had not to break down g.

  The wgivers patiently waited for him to recover. They didn't press him or express irritation. The female sitting on the far right even gave him an encing smile. Shiloh finally swallowed his emotions enough to tinue.

  "It was there that she r-raped me. I..." He broke off again, looking helplessly up at the wgivers. The female directly to the left of the chief wgiver seemed to uand his unspokeion.

  "We don't he details, Master Sutton." She said calmly.

  Shiloh nodded and rexed a little bit. "I don't remember all of it, because I passed out at some point. When I woke up again, all of my party members were in the basement with us, and Ashleigh was unscious on the floor. Elnave me a healing potion, which brought me back up to 16 HP..." At this, Shiloh heard fasps from behind him. He briefly turo look at his friends before the chief wgiver coughed lightly, drawing his attention back to the proceedings.

  "Sorry, yrace. Elnave me a healing potion, which brought me back up to 16 HP, and then she and Ara carried me to the Adventurer's Guild while Bed Twil carried Ashleigh to the jail." Shiloh finished.

  "Thank you, Master Sutton. Lady Coldwater, have you ought to add?" The chief justice asked. His tone olite, but Shiloh noticed his eyes had gone cold.

  Ashleigh cleared her throat as well before speaking. "I accepted the invitation to meet this party yesterday, and I did so in the early afternoon. When I arrived, only Elnor and Twil were present. They ducted the bulk of the interview, and only minutes before I left did Ara and Shiloh join us, smelling freshly of sex."

  The wgivers muttered amongst themselves, and the chief wgiver smacked a ro his hand against a rge, wooden block resting on the ter. The single boht the mutters to an end, and he addressed Ashleigh.

  "Lady Coldwater, the wgivers advise you against discussing anything not strictly reted to the i at hand."

  "It is reted, yrace. You see, Shiloh very btantly admired my physical form not moments ter. These two facts, along with the remainder of his party being of the third sex, was enough for me to uand that he was ied in a al retionship with me. This m, I was awoken by a knoy door and found, to nobody's surprise, Shiloh standing there.

  "He propositioned me, and insisted that we leave the Guild in order to find a more private location, since his other party members would no doubt be searg for him with his extended absence. I took him to the basement iion, where we engaged each other pletely sensually. In the midst of our tryst, those four broke into the basement. Twil Reiguhe entire room, removed Shiloh from my embrace, the me mercilessly until I lost sciousness."

  Shiloh, Ara and Beck all stared at her with open mouths, incredulous at her bald-faced lie. Twil showed ion whatsoever, but Elnor was looking slightly worried. The story Ashleigh had cocted ated for everything, owing to the fact that futas were known to be aggressive when having sex, and uional injuries were easy enough to e by.

  The wgivers had a quick discussion amongst themselves before the chief wgiver spoke to the onlookers.

  "Lady Ludger, would you please step forward?"

  Elnor looked up aantly got to her feet before approag the bench.

  "Was it a standard healing potion you gave Master Sutton?" The man to the right of the chief wgiver asked.

  "Yes, justice." Elnor respoiffly. "It healed him for exactly fifteen HP."

  Shiloh realized then why they had all gasped. He had literally been a point away from death when they found him. Even a minute longer...

  " you firm that yourself?" The man on the far left asked sharply.

  "No, justice. I did not see his status sheet." Elnor said.

  "Very well." The chief wgiver looked at his fellows, then dismissed Elnor. "You may return to your seat. Lady Reignover, would you please step forward?"

  Twil stood up meically, and her guards followed her to the bench.

  "Did you, in fact, beat Lady Coldwater unscious when you discovered her and Master Sutton in the basement?"

  "Yes, I did." Twil stated.

  "Why?" The chief wgiver asked, sitting ba his chair.

  "Wheered the basement, I saw Lady Coldwater holding Master Sutton's unscious body in the air as she was achieving asm within him." The wgivers wi Twil's brutal hoy, but none of them stopped her monotone delivery. "His cheekbone was clearly broken and there was blood running from his mouth and anus. He had obviously been abused, and a fit e came over me at the sight of my wounded friend. That is when I stuhe room a her until she was unscious."

  "I see..." The chief wgiver said carefully. "Have you ought else to add?"

  "Only my wish for the court to show no mercy to that animal." She motioned over at Ashleigh.

  "Very well. Should Lady Coldwater be found guilty, the charges against you shall be dropped. You may return to your seat."

  When Twil and her guards had sat back down, the chief wgiver addressed Ashleigh once more.

  "Lady Coldwater, is the description provided by Lady Reignover of Master Sutton's dition upon their arrival accurate?"

  "Yes, yrace." Ashleigh responded unapologetically.

  "Why was he in such a state, if your coupling was sensual?"

  "He asked for it." Ashleigh said with the barest hint of a smirk. "He demahat I hurt him. He told me he 't enjoy himself without pain. I didn't really want to do it, but he insisted. I had no idea that he had passed out. I expect his mind couldn't handle all the sensations."

  The chief wgiver turo Shiloh. "Is this true, Master Sutton?"

  "No, yrace!" Shiloh said emphatically. "Our... coupling... was not sensual! I asked her, pleaded with her multiple times not to do it."

  The chief wgiver sat back, and the five of them had another whispered versation before he addressed the court at rge.

  "We have heard ats from the parties present, but there is no hard evidehat supports one at over the other. Though the dition Master Sutton was discovered in recarious one, we ot say definitively that Lady Coldwater is lying and not him. Is there anyone else with evidehat may help the wgivers discover the truth of these matters?"

  Beck stood. "I have a testimony for the wgivers." She announced clearly.

  "Please step forward and give your testimony, Lady Quickfoot."

  Beck strode up to the bend told them her at. "This m, when the seventh bell chimed, I left my room in search of the party which I was to join, Aphrodite's Apostles. When I reached the foyer, I found only Elnor Ludger. She informed me that she had sent Shiloh Sutton to locate me and bring me down. When she realized that he hadn't actually found me, she went to retrieve Twil Reignover and Ara Litton from the Looking froup hall while I went back to the third floor to search for Shiloh. On my the stairs, I passed Ashleigh Coldwater, who was desding them and carrying a full sack, big enough to fit a person inside."

  The chief wgiver sat forward. "Did you see what was in the sack?"

  "No, yrace. I only saw the sack."

  "So it could have been full of anything?"

  "Yes, yrace. However, given Shiloh's sudden disappearand his ck of elusive skills, I think you'll find it far more likely that he was kidnapped in that sack than that he mao evade four people searg for him to escape the Guild ued."

  "Likeliness is not evidence, Lady Quickfoot." The chief wgiver said calmly. Shiloh, however, had gotten a brain wave when Beck mentioned his ck of elusive skills. He did have proof of what happened, right in his skills. As Beck moved back to her seat, Shiloh stood up.

  "Yes, Master Sutton?" The chief wgiver asked.

  "Yrace, may I have a mio fer with Lady Ludger?"

  The chief wgiver looked left and right, receiving nods from the ivers. "Very well, but you must fer here at the bench so that we may hear as well."

  Shiloh looked back at Elnor, and motioned for her to join him. They walked to the bench, where the wgivers leaned forward. They all spoke quietly.

  "Is there a way for me to show them my skills?" Shiloh asked Elnor.

  "Master Sutton, even proving a ck of elusive skills will not be suffit evidehe man on the far left interjected.

  "I don't want to prove a ck of elusive skills." Shiloh replied. "I obtained a boon that proves Ashleigh raped me."

  A weighty silence fell upon all of them. Each of the wgivers looked just as shocked as Elnor did.

  "Did you say you've obtained a boon?" The woman on the far right asked.

  "Yes." Shiloh responded. "It's description is proof of what happened."

  "You show them your skills." Elnor murmured beside him. "Is it worth it, though? Exposing a skill as powerful as a boon to win the case? You'll have to show everyone, including Ashleigh."

  "She 't be allowed to do that to someone else." Shiloh said firmly. "I won't let it happen if I help it. How do I show them?"

  "Go to your skill list, and focus on the one you wish to share. After a moment, you should be given the "Dispy" option. If you select it, the skill will be dispyed above your head until you turn it off." Elnor instructed him.

  "Shall I do it now, yrace?" Shiloh asked, addressing the chief wgiver.

  The man examined him for a long moment before sighing. "Master Sutton, it is uhat these wgivers will find Lady Coldwater i. We pose the most dire of punishments without hard evidence, but she would be subjected to some form of penalty. If you insist, you may show your skill to us."

  Shiloh debated for several moments, but hardened his resolve. "She 't be allowed to do this again." He then pulled up his skills and focused on the "Boon of Nemesis's Retribution". When he selected "Dispy", there was an audible gasp from everyone in the court.

  "Gods..." The woman to the left of the chief wgiver murmured.

  "He really has a boon." The chief wgiver said. "Look, look at the description!"

  Boon of Nemesis's Retribution

  Nemesis has seen the injustice which has beeninflicted on you by Ashleigh Coldwater. She hastaken all but one of each of Coldwater's stat pointsand giveo you.

  The wgivers read the description carefully, then began murmuring about it among themselves.

  "You may close the skill, Master Sutton." The chief wgiver said. "Please return to your seats, both of you."

  When Shiloh turned around, he saw a murderous gre in Ashleigh's eyes. Well, if she didn't know where her points had gone, she did now. He avoided her gaze auro his seat. Before she walked past him, Elnor briefly squeezed his hand in reassurance.

  The wgivers tinued discussing the skill for a long time before they seemed to e to a clusion. They settled ba their seats, and the chief wgiver turned his attention to Ashleigh.

  "Lady Coldwater, please rise." She did so, g her hands behind her back. To Shiloh's surprise, she didn't seem worried at all. "Lady Coldwater, these wgivers have discussed the evidend testimony of these witnesses, and we have e to a decision. You have been found guilty of kidnapping, assault, and rape. Due to the abhorrent violence dispyed in these crimes, the wgivers have decided that the only acceptable punishment is to be death by hanging."

  "No!" Shiloh excimed. All eyes turo him. "I'm sorry, yrace, but I didn't wao be executed. Please, she's a despicable person, but please don't kill her on my at."

  The chief wgiver raised an eyebrow, and a smirk broke out across Ashleigh's face. "Master Sutton, are you sure about this?"

  Shiloh nodded. "I don't want to be a killer, even if it's through the courts. She 't be allowed to do this again, but if there's a way to aplish that without exeg her, please sider it instead."

  "Very well." The chief wgiver said, and there was a brief discussion amongst them again before he turned back to Ashleigh. "At the mercy of your victim, in lieu of execution, these wgivers have decided to sentence you to twenty years of forced bor, perma restri to the city limits of Chattery, and a perma obedience chip.

  "It will be impnted within your spine, and it will be monitored around the clock by our Obedienfort Units. Should they ever be alerted to you pursuing the same vile as you are victed of here, or an attempt to remove the chip, or an attempt to flee the city, they will activate it, paralyzing you until you be collected by the guards, and you will be given another five years of forced bor."

  When the chief wgiver had finished speaking, Ashleigh smiled at him. "Yrace, I do not believe that such as are necessary. The gods have already punished me beyond what you could ever hope to." With that, she dispyed three skills above her head.

  Aphrodite's Disdain

  You have offehe goddess of love by assaulting herbeloved. Your penis has been cursed with impotency.You will no longer be able to reach asm unlessyou are submissive to your partner.

  Akeso's Fury

  Your transgressions against the weak and the ihave drawn Akeso's wrath. Your maximum healthis permaly reduced by 20%. Future ges to yourmaximum health are also subject to this curse.

  Nemesis's Adjudication

  The goddess of vengeand bance hasfound your soul to be g. Your crimeshave brought a reing upon you. Each ofyour stats have had all but 1 point removed fromthem.

  There was silen the courtroom as everyone digested the tents of Ashleigh's curses. When they had, the wgivers began muttering again. Ashleigh looked over at Shiloh and, catg his eye, smiled at him.

  "Lady Coldwater, we uand that Master Sutton's wish was for you to be uo perpetrate the same crime against another person that you did against him. It would seem that Aphrodite has already aplished that. In addition to the other two curses, the wgivers have decided that you are correct. We could not punish you in a way more cruel than the gods have seen fit to do." The chief wgiver g Shiloh, who nodded his approval.

  "However, to make absolutely certain that you will not ever be tolerated i pany, the wgivers will sentence you to a branding."

  Ashleigh's smile dropped off her face as quickly as it had appeared. "Are the gods' punishments not enough for mortal's standards, yrace?"

  The chief wgiver eyed her carefully. "It does not escape the attention of these wgivers that the punishments the gods have inflicted you with do not retain you to the custody of Chattery or the surrounding nds. Thus, to make sure that anyone who meets you, here or abroad, will know that you are not to be trusted, a branding will be imposed."

  "Very well." Ashleigh muttered, her voice a mixture of acceptand cold fury.

  With her acceptance, and without any more obje, the woman on the far right rose and pointed a wand at Ashleigh. She said something Shiloh couldn't hear, and Ashleigh's screams of pain ripped through the courtroom. There was smoke rising from her face which, when it had cleared, revealed a very promi series of scars across her once-handsome features. The scars together made an image of a setting sun over an open grave.

  "Justice has been carried out." The chief wgiver said. "Lady Reignover, you are free to go. You all are dismissed."

  Shiloh took o look at Ashleigh's whimpering face, then turned and fled the courtroom with his party.

  theninjagoose