Hasifa could only bite her lips and sit down, but glared at Hephzibah as if she truly couldn't believe what she was saying. Hephzibah ignored the older woman and continued her tale once Darius prompted her.
"Hashman and I were the top scorers for the Male and Female divisions, and our power was about equal. How he managed to defeat me was quite simple, he aimed his attacks at my abdomen, knowing that I was with child. Trying to protect my unborn child and myself at the same time wasn't working so I lost."
The faces of all those in the throne room changed. They gazed at the dead body of Hashman with anger and disgust, especially the woman. Hasifa was pale as a sheet as she shook her head, not able to reconcile the image of her great son with the vile beast Hephzibah was describing.
"I was not willing to go through with it, so I approached Martin and told him a half-truth and played on his affection for me to get some poison to deal with Hashman. I saw no easy way to use it on him, so I seduced him, and when he dropped his guard insert the poison."
"I then fled his house and considered reporting everything, but knew I wouldn't be able to escape punishment. Scared, I return to my chambers and spent hours contemplating what to do next."
"Eventually, I panicked completely and broke down, deciding to end my own life." With that, Hephzibah became silent.
The room was deathly still, as many digested the story and corroborated with what they had heard so far. In the three versions, there were some discrepancies that were easy to notice.
For one…
"Excuse me, great Lord, but can you ask the lass about how the poison she used translated into this weird affliction that killed my son? Not only that, she speaks as if she committed suicide on the day, but my son was in agony for an entire week before passing away!" Hasifa pointed out with a stern tone.
"Otherwise, how could he have told me everything so clearly. All I know came from him on his deathbed."
"Hmm…" Darius nodded, but did not pursue the faults of the case. He knew it was the Tower of Spirits or his Subconscious adjusting the story because he had been able to bring back the Hephzibah girl, so it now had to rearrange the details to make sense.
It now painted her as a victim as well, and in a sympathetic way.
Once again, Darius had to say it. This Tower or his subconscious, was extremely insidious in its planning. Previously, he had been given a flat choice of either helping his son and betraying justice, or meting out justice and betraying his son.
In essence, it was a stick only sort of thing. Now though, the carrot had been dangled in front of him enticingly, with no stick in sight. It went from forcing him to make the right choice to tempting him to make the wrong one.
Darius wanted to end this farce, and he knew how. He snapped a finger, silencing the entire throne room. He then pointed to the body of Hashman and brought him back with Death's Call, shocking everyone as they wondered what he was trying to do.
Hashman recovered to perfection and his diseased state disappeared. He opened his eyes and rose from the table groggily, seeing his mother first.
"Mother? Where am…shit." He muttered when he looked around and saw where he saw, as well as Hephzibah who was nearby and seemingly alive. With high Intellect that allowed him to practice the Sand Arts, he could readily put two and two together.
Darius snapped a finger and released the bindings on Hephzibah. He then controlled Hashman, Hephzibah, and his son Martin to stand before him equidistantly, side-by-side.
"I have heard enough. Right now, we have ascertained enough of the case to know that there are no innocent parties where and everyone is in some way, a victim. I shall now pronounce judgment." Darius said coldly, not allowing anyone to speak.
He pointed to Hashman. "Young man, your crimes are blackmail, fraud, and manslaughter."
He then pointed to Hepzhibhah. "Young woman, your crimes are murder, suicide, and treason."
He then pointed to Martin. "Son, your crimes are negligence, abuse of power, and accomplice to manslaughter."
Darius then leaned back in his seat. "The three of you will spend the next 5 years working under General Gunner at the frontlines against the Insects. You will work off your criminal debt like the others or be devoured by the insects whole if the spirit of the sands finds you lacking."
"Hashman has accrued 3,000 points of Crime. Hephzibah has accrued 12,000 points of crime. Martin has accrued 900 points of crime. General Gunner will decide the value of each insectoid kill and how it would lower your crime value. When you reach 0, you will be pardoned and allowed to live freely."
"In fact, you two especially - Hashman and Hephzibah - may stay on the battlefield to fight some more and accrue merit. I have a method to bringing you back to life completely, but only if you prove yourself worthy AFTER clearing your sins."
Darius then gazed at Martin. "And you, son, are not allowed to stay on the battlefield for even one second after completing your task. You have a job to do here that pertains to the smooth running of our state, and the time you spend away will be paid back in full when you return."
The crowd hissed at that. No mercy whatsoever! Even though he had given both Hashman and Hephzibah both the carrot and the stick, he just kept giving his son the stick.
Both of the undead teens gazed at Martin strangely, wondering if he had beef with his father, because even though the matter was essentially their fault, he seemed to be suffering a bit more than them.
However, Martin remained stoic, wearing that soft smile that was trademark to Darius, something that Darius's foes had come to fear and his allies has come to reverse.
"Yes, Father."
