Episode 1: The Second Breath [The Lawgivers]

Red Blossom sees red.


Normally she wouldn't feel obligated to act in the defense of others... survival of the fittest has always been her motto, but this scene was a symbol of the whole situation of Creation. Greed and fear overcoming honor and respect.


One day someone had to make a stand and say enough... and today's the day.


With one quick circular movement of her whole body, guided by the essence, she draws her bow, ready to fire an arrow at the so called noble, before anyone can even react, and with a low animal growl in her voice she spits:


It is we who will set an example for the people of Creation... no man shall be forced to starvation and then punished for trying to stay alive, and no master shall forget to take good care of those under him.


Decide now, his life... or yours !


using Flashing Vengeance Draw for 3m, ready to roll JB if needed :mrgreen:
 
14th Ascending Wood, Paragon


With the swiftness of the wind and glory of the sun, Blossom boldly pulls out her bow and points it towards the man in such speeds it would seem as though it were an instant move. Her words ring through the crowd, who was now gasping at what had just transpired. Ten more onlookers approach the circle, making nearly forty people watching this event. The nobleman backed up "I..I.." he stuttered and backed up until he trips onto his back. Resting himself on his arms, he holds himself up "Look, I am sorry just don't kill me ok.... Guards!" he motions to some guards, in gleaming bright armor, with the Perfects eye emblazoned on their chest. There were five of them amongst the crowd, but they do not enter the circle, they simple shout out to the Solars "You there, drop your weapon. That is a noble you are striking down!!" the guards shout in more of an asking tone then a commanding. The slave still remains in pain, holding onto the robe of the noble, the noble looks down and finally relents to the commoner "Ok, I forgive you of your transgressions! Happy now?" the man says spitefully.
 
Blossom smiles... the Sun god has given her strength and she sees that she can use it to do good.


Lowering her weapon slowly at the injunction of the guards she adds:


Not exactly, but the resolution of this conflict is near.


Because this man has been neglected under your care, you will sell him to us so we can restore his health.


He's in no condition to serve you well, and you're likely to loose your investment in him, so let us take care of him and with the money of the exchange you can buy a new one.


And this time you will take care of him.


Turning to the guards, she adds:


As you can see we have no intentions of harming this noble man, he barely needed a strong stimulus to see reason.
 
Takeno already kneeling down to pick his coins patiently, gets up, puts them back in his satchel, and gently touches Blossom at the wrist, whispering to her ear.


"You know i'd punch a hole through his egoistic and self-serving heart as readily as your arrow would skewer him like the filthy pig he is. But please, let not your justified anger interefere with our collective safety. See, our point is taken, the man's suffering has ended. Try to be calm, my dear, and one day i promise we'll fix all injustices that bring pain to our souls".


Then he sets his clothes properly, clears his throat and turns towards the soldiers of Paragon.


"Honorable Guardians of Paragon. Defenders of your city, protectors of your people. You, that make sure every living creature's safety within these walls, under the Perfect's august rule. I have to thank you for your timely intervention, even though i must admit my hopes of not having to disturb you from other - more important - i am certain duties. Rest assured that nothing even remotely close to criminal intent and activity took place in the scene. My companion, would never hurt the esteemed nobleman nor would I.


All that transpired was a minor - let's say - dispute, between my companions and the nobleman, regarding the adequate expression of repentance from the slave that lies before you wracked in pain. We - as well as any other among the bystanders - heard quite clearly the screams and pleas for mercy coming from the mouth of the slave. Words forming a plea to his master, attempts to be granted forgiveness over his mistake and consequently for his continuing torture to cease.


As a slave he may be illiterate or otherwise incapable to sufficiently and eloquently phrase his sincere feelings of regret over the fault he appears to have commited against the nobleman. But even if one is unable to properly express his feelings by words and elaborate speech, shouldn't we , the rest of us, all who want to call themselves learnt, wise, just, noble, see to the rest of his behaviour and discern the true expression of his feelings from it?


I say that we do and indeed that is what his behaviour told us. Down in the ground, wracking in pain, crying and begging for mercy and forgiveness. Who are we to say that his repentance is not adequate? Who are we to say that his soul doesn't feel sincere guilt over his alleged transgression? Who are we to turn down a fellow man who pleas for our mercy, putting his life and welfare into our hands, as if we were small gods in charge of his fate?


I must confess to you that i could not fathom the behaviour of the esteemed nobleman that now rests among your ranks. I could not fathom how could he could not see the intensity of the other man's torture and the sincerety of his remorse. To this end i attempted, alongside my companions, to demonstrate to your esteemed noble citizen, the obvious and apparent fact of his slave's sincere remorse. I offered even to buy the slave for myself and recompensate the nobleman with a lot more money than the slave's transgression caused him to loose. Apparently my various arguments and dilligent attempts found no purchase and my friend, being somewhat more forthright than i am, attempted to prove the validity of our point by an example. By drowing the bow, she created a realistic scene, which brought the nobleman into a situation resembling as best as possible the slave's psyche. By being exposed to what the nobleman perceived as an immediate and lethal threat against his life, he caused his mentality to shift and attempted to express an honest agreement to our stated arguments in an effort to demonstrate his remorsefullness and his unwillingness to be submitted to the corporal punishment he believed was to be exacted in him.


By doing this - as you can now clearly understand - we demonstrated to him and to all bystanders, that such an expression of remorseful feelings can be most sincere, therefore he can understand perfectly well now, that the slave's behaviour was truly sincere and consequently worthy of his recognition and forgiveness. After all, esteemed and brave soldiers of Paragon's security force, what does your experience tell you? Would a criminal dare to harm a nobleman outside of the Perfect's Palace and would someone attempt to harm another in the presence of so many bystanders without them interfering at all?


Please understand that it was not our intention to disrupt the order of your city state nor in any way harm your citizens. After all, we are on the way to carry out a mission for the Perfect himself,outside the city, therefore would be impossible for us to undermine his city's laws and order. In addition to that let it please be noted that my offer to buy this slave still stands and for its full - inflated - price, that can cover all alleged losses suffered by the nobleman. Also, i hope that the importance of a task given by the Paragon himself is enough to allow us to proceed with its execution without further delay. And now if you'd excuse us honourable gentlemen we will be on our way".
 
Mahir


Wow. So this is why Takeno was chosen as one of the Eclipse. Mahir listens, a bit dazed by his comrade's speech at first. Then he realizes that this is a perfect chance to get in one last verbal shot at the nobleman. He walks over to where the frightened man lies and looms over him. With his height (or lack thereof), Mahir has never really been able to loom properly before. It's a heady experience.


"Remember this next time you mistreat one who is of lower station than you." The Zenith pitches his voice so that only someone close by can hear him; Takeno's speech drowns him out for the crowd. "We are not the only ones in this city who care. And someday... someday we will return. We will remember you. If you have continued in your current cruelty, not only will I not stop my archer comrade, I will join her in teaching you the error of your ways." He crosses his arms across his chest. "Have I made myself clear?"
 
14th Ascending Wood, Paragon


Takeno's words rang true, like a trumpet hailing the morning sun on a strong summer morning. There was nearly fifty people around watching this all unfold, something akin to students fighting in Secondary School. The crowd would run up, chanting "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!", but that is where the similarities cease. For through Takeno's words and the Lawgivers actions, justice and law was the only sound that mattered and that could frankly be heard. The guards that weakly opposed them before all tilted their heads "Forgive us, of course you were doing the right thing. In this instance, it would behoove us for our station to take you five in." One of them finally remarks through the silence of Takeno's grand speech "But, we can see now.." The guard lifts his head to look at the noble "Who is indeed in the wrong."


Suddenly a voice breaks through the crowd, interrupting the guard "I did the same thing the other day." A noble woman stepped forward "I let a slave suffer for more time then was legally right" She admits in shame as tears roll from her eyes, undoubtedly from Takeno's strong speech "It was wrong and power hungry..."


"I sent a man to jail!" another nobleman walks through the crowd into the circle, with tears running down his face he sniffs hard to continue speaking "It was unjust, the man simply bumped into me! I must right this wrong, I am ashamed!" the man proceeds to walk directly to the North East district, home to the jail keep. Numbers of people began to come forward, confessing their legal sins to the communities. Nobleman and commoner alike, professing what they did wrong that was outside the verdict of the Perfect's eyes, but not outside what was morally right. The crowd began to clap and by the time the circle had left the scene, there were at least a hundred people who had gathered to see them off in their heroic deed. The slave, now purchased from the man, now follows Takeno graveling "Thank you! Thank you so much for your kindness! My wife and kids thank you!"


"You have made yourselves clearer then anyone we could ever come across! What house are you from?" You hear a nobleman ask Mahir.
 
Takeno turns to the man following and thanking him and grabs his hands, looking directly to his eyes with honesty and kindness.


"We did nothing more than any morally upstanding and righteous man should have done. Now that the law of state and trade considers you mine, know this. I make you a free man. You are not a slave to me. You are not a slave to anyone anymore. Go to your family, kiss your wife and hug your children, for today the Sun has final risen and shone over your miserable-till now existence. Take these with you and make sure you put them to good use, to open a shop, follow a trade, and live happily with your family. All i'll ever ask of you is to be kind to others as we were to you and if any of us ever happens to return to the city of Paragon for whatever reason, to be able to knock at your door and know that he will be welcomed by a friend and a free man".





With that, Takeno opens his satchel, sets a piece of paper against the city gate and in mere minutes writes down a perfect document declaring that Takeno resigns himself from being the owner of that specific slave and thereby grants him his freedom and legally transfers to him a certain sum of money which are to be used for the establishment of a shop, trade stand or other occupation under ownership of the freed slave and his family. Finally, he seals the document with his family's signet ring and gives it to the former slave, alongside a pouch with enough money for this purpose.
 
Mahir


House? Oh, the people here use 'house' as their equivalent of 'sept' or 'tribe'. Mahir turns to the nobleman who asked the question. "I am from the Delzhan sept of the White Simhata. If you are involved in trade, you may know of us; the White Simhata regularly stops outside Paragon for supplies and water at this time of year. And, of course, to trade for the unique goods that your city produces."


Actually, Mahir's sept usually saves the money and spices that they get in the Lap to trade with their kin in Chiaroscuro. But they do buy a few things other than the essentials in Paragon, and it can't hurt to bolster the locals' pride in their city. Who knows, maybe the sept will get some good deals out of this.
 
Red Blossom takes her hand to her forehead.


People who speak volumes often forget to ask the simplest questions.


Are your wife and children also slaves free man ?!


Turning to Takeno to test the extent of his generosity in the situation she adds:


There can be no freedom unless there is unity.
 
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