1689
"Do you have any questions for Sister Katherine to ask you?" Dr. Azrael asked as Marie returned to her desk.
Linus sighed heavily. He wanted to say more, but Marie had him cornered. In theory, going mad wasn't the ONLY consequence. As he said, either nothing could happen, or the spell caster could get extremely lucky, but by what happened in Glendale, that wasn't likely. It was one of the times he actually wished he hadn't studied as much, not knowing that his knowledge would be needed for educational and defensive means later...
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"Educational and defensive?" Maddex wondered.
"The battle with the witches essentially ended Linus's job for the colony," Marie-Eliza answered, "artificial hands, outside of "hooks" weren't created until the late twentieth century in response to the horrors of the Vietnam war caused an increase in amputations as a result of grenade and mine wounds among Vietnam veterans..."
Lawrence shuddered, "and Mr. P wanted to go TO that war, from what I heard growing up."
"Great Grandpa was always a hero," Alice spoke, "but he has told us that by that time his responsibilities as Alpha kept him here for that war... though he still does not like the people who protested that war."
"With no official position, Linus actually found himself in Glendale with a near full time job with the former child familiars," Marie spoke, "When Marie refused to take his texts on magic and then return them to their previous forms, citing that as murder as well, and finding that several had absorbed enough magic from the witches that they kept after the witches died... Linus ended up having to "remake" the world as he saw it. Those former familiars that retained their "powers" after the witches died needed instruction, and with Running Bear being too old, Linus was the only one who could teach them."
"I take it he had better fortune then Balthilde and Running Bear did with the witches?" Maddex asked.
Marie nodded, "though mostly because Joella didn't want the war to resume."
"You said defensive as well..." Lawrence began.
"Linus and Marie would eventually investigate the Salem Witch trials in later years," Marie sighed, "they would save a few from execution, without having to fight... but between the aftermath of the "war" with the witches in Glendale, and their sudden defense of the accused in Salem would lead to some minor accusations that they were a witch and warlock themselves..."
"Warlock?" Cassandra wondered.
"Male witch," Marie answered, "It is not commonly used today, because one, popular culture says most magic users are female, and says that most magic users are evil. That part is actually a repetition of old medieval fears... but nonetheless, that is the association."
"But what about people like Merlin?" Cassandra wondered.
"Men like Merlin are known as "wizards", "magicians" and not the stage variety, or even "sorcerers"... or because they used "white magic" simply "the white" like in the Lord of the Rings," Marie explained, "some may also use "the gray" as well, but these references do not carry the negative connotations that witch and warlock do."
"Me? I'm not a witch at all! I'm Dorothy Gayle from Kansas," Samantha quoted, "Witches are old and ugly."
"HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!" Alice and Abbey did their best imitation of the munchkins from the Wizard of Oz movie with Judy Garland.
Marie only shook her head. She hoped her mother wasn't too upset with her for "seeing" that movie through their connection.
"I'm not dear," Eliza told her and hugged her daughter.
"Anyway..."
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"No," Linus sighed, sounding half defeated, "I believe I am ready to make a closing statement."
Dr. Azrael nodded, "You may step down. Once you have reached your table you may proceed with your closing argument."
Linus nodded and made his way across the room. Once there he sighed and looked down for a moment before speaking.
"The situation we find ourselves in is a difficult one, ladies and... ladies of the jury," Linus began, "it is rare in anyone's history that such a situation comes about. The defendants create those who would eventually be the jury at a trial for their lives, to be prosecuted by a man with tangential connections to their own coven, and defended by their only real adult friend."
The fairies turned from the witches to Linus and then to Marie.
"But that does not change the situation we find ourselves in," Linus spoke again, "the witches may have been driven insane by the misuse of magic that they practiced... but that does not change what they have done. There are other entries in the journal in which they describe transforming humans into forms other then what they were born in, BEFORE they went mad because of their mistakes. Essentially murdering those people, ending their lives to create you... but the references are too vague to be credible, and they appear to have also erased your memories of your former lives, so I do not expect you accept my word on that. But there is plenty of evidence presented that IS credible and HAS been presented."
Linus moved to stand behind his desk.
"The witches have committed murder, they have desired the overthrow of at least the colonial government to restore the savages' anarchy, which would kill many more, and they have sought the eradication of the Lupmen," Linus sighed, "even if that threat was made in anger, it was still made. And made before they were driven insane. And while their minds were sane... that was when they were to be most feared."
Linus looked up to the fairies, "a sane mind can generate plans far more complex then what an insane one can generate. And before they were driven mad, they were not as powerful. As such, they probably didn't risk a war with the Lupmen for their own protection. An angry Pack would have torn them apart for attacking their home, food, or pups. The witches might have killed most of the pack... but the end result would still be the witches death and while their minds were sane, they knew that."
Linus then returned his gaze to Dr. Azrael.
"Once they went mad, they were completely unpredictable and no one can explain why their earlier threats were not carried out," Linus answered, "and for their crimes, the prosecution requests the firmest measures be taken for those they have wronged and those they have planned to wrong. That is all."
Dr. Azrael nodded and then turned to Marie, "Does the defense seek to make a closing statement?"
"Yes, your honor," Marie answered, "No one is perfect. By history presented to us in the Bible, it is clear that no race of man is without some sin. Some failing that they seek to correct. I can not excuse the wrongs the witches have done, nor do I believe they should escape punishment for their actions... but to kill them for making mistakes?"
Marie then turned to the fairies, "granted the mistakes they've made have involved forces that most would never DARE consider, but much of that is a chance accident of their lives. Their parents were taken from this world before they could be properly educated. Their grandmother was murdered for the money she had on her and their foster father is not familiar with European sorcery. Fate, it seems, has conspired against them from the beginning. They began on a "fair" path before tragedy robbed them of a full opportunity to learn."
Marie then gestured to the witches with one hand, "and that is their great tragedy. The loss of family and the loss of proper educators left them without someone to warn them fully about what they were doing and what would happen if they continued on that path and that lead to the rune incident, which finally drove them mad and the REAL evils that they brought on this world... yet, even in their madness, somehow some vestige of humanity, some resemblance of the values that the prosecutor and I have sought to uphold here, remained. Look how they treated the young Joella in their care. They never abused her. They never harmed her, and never did anything to frighten her deliberately. The one time they did scare here, was more because she was attacked then because they sought to harm her."
Marie then turned to face Dr. Azrael.
"They are mad and it was after they went mad that the worst of their actions took place," Marie spoke, "of course they could have had some grander plan to eradicate the Lupmen... but it was still never acted on, and making mere threats is not something worth killing them over. Many people have made similar threats throughout history for their own reasons... but since those threats were never acted on, judging them on those threats would be akin to accusing some of murdering someone who was already DEAD. They must be judged by their actions, and the most criminal of their actions came after they went mad. And for their madness they can not truly be responsible because they could not truly understand what they were doing."
"Very well," Dr. Azrael spoke as Marie sat down, "with the exception of the jury, the court will recess for an hour. The jury is to decide the verdict in that time. If they can not reach a decision... they may petition for additional time."
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Present Day
In the entryway, Sarah found herself awakened by something coming all the way from the entryway.
"Whu... what happened?" Sarah asked.
"Your consciousness nodded off for a moment," Kira commented, "Sydney, Sunny, and Luna are still asleep..."
"How can a statue go to sleep?" Sarah asked.
"My guess is that since we are still alive and our souls reside in our "artful" forms, our souls is still capable of doing everything they could do in our flesh and blood forms," Kira guessed, "that's my best guess."
"I heard shouting..." Sarah said slowly.
"That would be the patients in the medical wing," came a new mental voice.
Sarah looked around. Sunny and Luna were "leaning" against Kira, and Kira was holding onto their waists. Sydney was there, kneeling before Luna, while she was standing to the side of Sunny.
"Who's there?" Sarah asked.
"Kira didn't tell you about the rest of us?" the voice responded, "Shame on you Kira! Are you that ashamed of us?"
"Quit teasing, Michelle," Kira answered, "I am not ashamed. I was just explaining some things to Sarah and Sydney and they sort of nodded off. I hadn't got to introducing them to you and the others yet."
Sarah glanced her perception to Kira.
"That is Michelle, Sarah," Kira explained, "she is currently Beta Julie's good luck statue in the recuperating room. She and I, along with three others made our decision to be Living Art while you were helping heal those on the island. The other three are asleep right now, so I'll introduce you to them tomorrow."
"Your perceptions aren't all connected are they?" Sarah asked, "How else can I hear her?"
"In a way," Kira answered, "although, I'd tend to think that was a result of the five of us becoming living art together. You, Sydney, Sunny, and Luna can likely hear the others because of your connection to me."
Sarah's "image" seemed to nod.
"The pack has set up some televisions in the recuperating room," Michelle then reported, "and so far they are having a hard time sticking to any one channel... though they're mostly starting to nod off to sleep or the night. Thankfully..."
"The recuperating room!" Sarah realized, "My shift!"
"Weren't you on the day shift?" Kira asked.
"Well... yes..." Sarah then spoke.
"If you go their now, you'll be sent to bed," Kira told her, "better to enjoy the night for now. If you really feel you must help as a flesh and blood wolf, I won't stop you... and to be honest, I think that Sunny and Luna will probably shuffle back and forth between my world and the flesh world, after our pups are born... though that could very well change by that time."
Sarah didn't answer.
"And, as a sort of "plus" side to our camouflage, the bonds your flesh and blood form has aren't gone," Kira commented, "Otherwise that purple teen wolf wouldn't be cuddled up to your legs."
Sarah looked down to see Ulysses quietly sleeping on the sort of pedestal that the entryway statues were sitting on.
"He respects the story of Amy's gods, he doesn't know it's me," Sarah spoke, "he is like a brother to me... and the longer I'm here, the less of a sister he'll see me as."
"Yes, but it this form, you represent Amy's gods... you don't have their powers mind you, but you still represent them," Kira tried to explain, "and while it isn't like the family bonds between the pack's mothers and their children... between the various siblings... or between the pack's pups and their friends in the Pride, you've still accomplished what you did in flesh and blood. Brought Ulysses out of his shell. I think he'll grow up to be a proud Lupman male one day... and all thanks to you, regardless of your form."
Sarah crouched down and slowly scratched behind one of Ulysses's ears. She had never thought of it like that, and she was feeling tired. Deciding to put of any formal decisions until daybreak, Sarah resumed a standing position and let her consciousness drift back to sleep for the night.
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And again, the night for the Pack and the Pride went calmly and peacefully. Mother Glen had been intrigued by Trevor's tale of saving a Felman and helping Amy kill Kurse to save the world... though he didn't tell the story dramatically like he had told his friends. He didn't want to show off in front of the Matriarch. Mother Glen ultimately helped lioness Marie put both her cubs to bed, and got a few affectionate licks in the process.
Even the herd slept well, as the Pack and the Pride's respective meat lockers were full for the moment apparently. Jack and Marcine bedded down among the trees and grass that Alice always thought to be tulgey and slept peacefully.