Star flight

Chapter four: worrying signs

The guards walked down the corridor, the symbol of the council on their chest, they walked with an iron hoop held aloft, the symbol of an execution on alavile.

Everyone that passed booed and threw things at them, they ignored them, they were emotionless and cold.

As they walked through the stockades, the guards glared and the prisoners watched, afraid that they were the next to have their head roll.

But they walked on, reaching the deepest parts where the traitors and murderers kept, but stopped when they saw the human that everyone talked about "remove yourself from our sight filth, this is council business"

In response, he nodded and from the once thought locked cells burst fifty guards, quickly subduing the executioners and tying them up "right, for this too work, we need to move quick" the guards took the uniforms and gaged "god, they stink!" one said "what do they bathe in? raw sewerage" "oh, by the moons, I can't stand it!" The smell was so horrible that everyone, even Lexan, who was used to unsavory scents, was gaging.

Eventually the scent disappeared, and the guards were gingerly putting the armor on "let's get going" Lexan said.

***

The crowd was assembled, and the council members, all six of them, were gathered. The leader addressed the crowd "people of capital! today we are gathered to witness the death of a thief" the crowd booed and shouted insults "it was an apple!" "you monsters!" "burn in hell!"

"SILENCE!" the council member bellowed "the law stands! we will not set these aside for no one! young or old!" He turned and bellowed "bring him in!" the small boy shook with tears in his eyes, his hair was golden and soft looking, his eyes, oddly for an alavilean, were brown instead of blue.

The council member pointed and yelled "thief! you are sentenced to death for taking another's belongings without consent, for this your death is nigh!" the crowd was working itself into a frenzy, screaming insults and trying to free the child.

Suddenly, they heard something that scared even the council members, the king leant forward when he heard it, he noticed the guards moving in.

What they heard was laughter....

And it was coming from the child!

Everyone watched as light enveloped the boy and then....there stood the king!

"Ladies and gentlemen! that man sitting on my throne is an imposter! he steals my life and my family for the councils own greed!" there was muttering, the king, or rather the imposter, stood and growled "prove it!" "look upon his left finger! there you will see the signet ring of alavile, you will also see the same ring on my finger"

They nodded and waited "what you know also is that the visual manipulators are simply mirrors of pre-recorded images, so, if I can remove my ring, can that man there do so?" the man paled and tried to run but the guards had moved to positions that made escape impossible.

"And you! you filthy swine, for high treason and potential child murder, I sentence you to banishment upon the moon of disgrace! as all of you will be!" the council members gasped and the leader hissed "this is treason! We are the high council!" "you lost that title when you tried to usurp my throne! guards, take them away and let them rot upon that desolate moon!"

***

That night, on lexan's ship, the young boy hugged his knees waiting, Lexan sipped on a cup of chub Berry whiskey, while berries mainly make wine, chub berries were so thick when pulped that they made a powerful spirit with a fruity flavor.

While Lexan watched him, he could see how sad he was, no home or family was a powerful tool for doubt and fear, and only the truly strong can fight it, while the strongest win "you shouldn't worry kid" Lexan said after a big gulp of the whiskey "how can I not? I'm a fugitive now, if your plan doesn't work, how can I ever show my face again knowing it was me who got the king killed?"