Like a Pestilence

[Judge Cornelius Cromwell]

Judge Cromwell sat in his courtroom in a small city on Chrystophasis. He had become somewhat of a celebrity with those who followed the same faith and many came to the city to meet him. The judge banged his gabble

"GUILTY! On account of being a witch!!"

There stood a young girl on her knees in the podium begging.

"No please I'm not a witch!"

She screamed as two guards of the same faith as the judge grabbed the screaming girl and dragged her out of the building.

[member="Dominique Di San Livici"]

 

[Dominique Di San Livici]

Dominique had been to many trials back home, but none as unfair as this. He didn't really pay attention to most of it, till the judge struck his gavel.

"Objection!" His booming voice shook throughout the courtroom.

He patiently awaited a response from the judge.

@Judge Cornelius Cromwell

 

[Judge Cornelius Cromwell]

The judge stood dumbfounded and jaw dropped at the objector

"Who dares defy my holy sentence of this foul creature"

The judge said as he stood up leaned forward hands on the stand and inspected the crowd. The entire clouds eyes widened as they looked for the person as well.

[member="Dominique Di San Livici"]

 

[Dominique Di San Livici]

Spoiler

Dominique, in his glistening white habit, stared the Judge down defiantly.

"Name the things that this woman has done. After all, what I might find Holy, you may find the purest of evil."

He stood from his seat, watching the frightened girl look directly at him.

@Judge Cornelius Cromwell

 

[Judge Cornelius Cromwell]

The judge looked down at the defiant individual his head shaking from both age and anger

"She practices witchcraft! A true evil, and may she be smited by the lord for what she does!!"

The judge grabbed his gabble and pointed it at the man in the shining white habit which greatly differed from the high collar dark black Archdeacon's vestments he wore.

"You would DE-FEND this witch!?... Be you a blasphemous heathen like her?!?!"

[member="Dominique Di San Livici"]

 

[Dominique Di San Livici]

"Do not dare to include me with those blasphemers or I will have your head on a pike..."

He walks off the Jury stands, walking up to the girl in question.

"Do not worry child... just explain what happened. Everything."

 

[Judge Cornelius Cromwell]

The judge was furious and he banged his gabble harder then before

"She was already f-OUND GUILTY!!!"

The gabble and his voice echoed his anger throughout the courtroom and it startled many in the audience

[member="Dominique Di San Livici"]

 

[Dominique Di San Livici]

"For Deus' sake and for the sake of the Patron Saint Livici let me speak to the girl..."

He turned his attention to the girl

"Tell me what you did to be accused... do not be afraid."

 

[Judge Cornelius Cromwell]

"I-I-I did nothing!.."

The girl replied in fear. The Judge them cut in

"We have witnesses foolish girl!!"

The girl cried out

"Every single witness was a man I rejected!!!"

The judge shouted again

"They are wealthy, respectable, religious individuals! You dare deny their reliability!!!"

[member="Dominique Di San Livici"]

 

[Dominique Di San Livici]

"For God's sake let the girl speak!"

He shut up most of the room... hopefully.

"Now... no need to be afraid of me. I'm here to help you. Did you do something to make the others judge? Or are they making up this whole trial for an excuse to arrest you?"

 

[Judge Cornelius Cromwell]

The girl spoke up
"The witnesses, they accused me! They claim Spectral evidence!! How could you prove or disprove that!?"

The girl started sobbing then the judge cut in once more

"For god's sake! Enough of this!!! Guards take her away! Young Elizabeth of this colonial city I hereby and fourth with sentence you to stoning you are to be mercilessly condemned for your witchcraft (the judge stands up and leans towards the girl while in the stand) and you are to be BURNED AT THE STAKE!!!!!"

The judge slammed his gabble as the guards grabbed the girl by the hair and began to drag her out of the courtroom

[member="Dominique Di San Livici"]

 

[Dominique Di San Livici]

"ENOUGH"

Dominique knocked down the guards, drawing his sword and pointing the tip to the Judge

"I demand that proof be shown that she is a witch. Real TANGIBLE proof!"

 

[Judge Cornelius Cromwell]

"Draw down your sword, HEATHEN!! We have spectral evidence! It is tangible by the fear in those poor souls eyes!"

The judge pointed his elderly shakey long finger towards the witnesses who were shivering. Though one couldn't tell if they were lying or if they spoke the truth of the visions they saw.

"If that is not enough, then they witnessed that wretched girl perform witchcraft themselves!!!"

One of the witnesses spoke up

"She bewitched us she did!! Used some sort of spell that made us leave our wives!!!"

[member="Dominique Di San Livici"]

 

[Dominique Di San Livici]

"For shame... all of you. If I weren't at a peace right now I would strike all of you liars down. I have seen fear. I know what it looks like in the eyes of men. I have seen true fear for one's life..."

His hand shook slightly, rage boiling his blood.

"If you have fought in religious wars as I have, you would know fear... witchcraft..."

 

[Judge Cornelius Cromwell]

One of the witnesses got on his knees and begged saying

"Please you must believe us she's a witch I tell you! A witch!!"

The girl did the same saying

"No, you must believe me they are liars!!"

Now even the audience was confused. Someone was lying but who? The Judge sat and waited waited patiently for the warrior's next actions

 

[Dominique Di San Livici]

"There is a simple solution to this... I happen to keep these in some situations."

He pulls two pendulums out of his pocket.

"First, Elizabeth... come here."

 

[Judge Cornelius Cromwell]

As the girl walked towards the man the crowd began to boo and chant

"She's been proven a witch! She's a witch! Burn her! Burn the witch! Burn the witch! "

The judge began to bang his gabble and shouted

"Order! Order I say! I said ORDER!!!"

The crowd didn't listen they began to stand up and chant and inched ever closer towards rioting. The girl started to become extremely frightened. The judge continued to shout and bang his gabble

"I WILL HAVE OR-DER IN THIS COURT!!!!" He pointed his gabble at the man. The crowd was so loud he was forced to shout just for the man who wasn't that far to hear "YOU SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?!?!?"

The crowd then began to riot and violently grabbed the girl and started dragging her, screaming out the doors of the courtroom. There were too many for her to fight off. Out in front of the courthouse there stood a large wooden stake with wood planks placed in a pyramid around it. It was being drenched with oil with two people with torches on either side. Meanwhile the witnesses were shivering and shuddering while chanting something no one could understand. The prosecutor Rev. Edward Paris ran towards the witnesses, clapped his hands together, and began to pray.

[member="Dominique Di San Livici"]

 

[Dominique Di San Livici]

He unsheathed his sword and stepped out with the crowd, standing in a defensive position.

"I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU IF YOU DO NOT LET ME SPEAK WITH HER! UNDERSTAND?! THIS YARD WILL BE PAINTED RED!"

Rage boiled within him, his sword glowing now.

 

[Judge Cornelius Cromwell]

The judge rushed out after the crowd. He saw the man pull out the sword and a risky scheme began to form in his head. He rushed to the front of the crowd and said

"People, people, come now!! If this man believes he has a better way if determining if she is of witch, or Sith, or other then we must listen to him! I now have doubts of this girls guilt! Now so should you!!"

The crowd let go of the girl and the judge ran up to her and put his hands on her shoulders not letting her go off yet. He asked the whilst his head was leaning over her right shoulder

"Before I let this poor girl off, I must know: What in god's name do you plan on doing to her?!"

As the crowd stopped grabbing the girl the witnesses stopped chanting and the prosecutor began to run out of the courthouse.

[member="Dominique Di San Livici"]

 

[Dominique Di San Livici]

"I am to simply prove she is innocent. No one is to be harmed... unless otherwise needed..."

He waved the girl over to him, hoping the judge would hear him out.