"Are you ready?" she asked.

        "Yes," said James, "I have everything we need."

        "Including that sword of yours?" said Thomas crossing his arms.

        "I-i apologised, I completely forgot, I rarely ever need to use it!"

        "Seriously?" he spread his arms.  "Why not?"

        "W-well I...I do not like to use it."  James tented his fingers like a punished child.  "I am not comfortable with being so close to violence, th-that is why I prefer magic, I can temper it, I can control its strength-"

        "And not have to see your enemy's dying face up close?"

        "Yes...if one wished to phrase it so morbidly."

        "I understand, you're a civilian after all, trained or not."  He tapped his finger on the lemming's head.  "Now let's put your brain to good use, those two weeks of planning better pay off we're entering the lion's den."

        "I have everything," said the scribe patting a folder underneath his arm, "I have Chanoch's testimony and I even read up on Polish history concerning the years that he was active!"

        "Why?  He's from another world that'd be pointless."

        "Not so, I discovered that the events he spoke of correlated to certain events of your world history too!  So if anything that will allow us a basis in historical background."

        "Very good James!" said Anna patting his shoulder.  "Even if it may not be relevant it is always good to be overprepared than under."

        "That is exactly what I said yes!"

        "God you two are nerds," muttered Thomas with eyes rolling, "even when we presented all this to the judge's representative they thought it was unnecessary."

        "You were the one that translated the Hebrew years to Gregorian!" cried James with pointing finger.

        "It's not nerdy to learn another language, it was part of my damn life, also the only thing I got that was actually useful was his date of birth being 1291."

        "I gave you two dates did I not?"

        "Yeah but the other one is just him meeting Dracula, that, SURPRISINGLY is not important."

        "Sadly not," said Ms. Kerkorian walking front, "much as I hate to say it, that part of the testimony was not relevant as the ex parte demonstrated.  But at least they are following our rulebook."

        "Even if we haven't met the judge?" asked Thomas.

        "I did try to contest that meeting a representative was not good enough for an ex parte communication but they played hardball and this was the best we could get."

        "Just be glad we even got this far, I'm surprised they even played ball with us in the first place."

        "Yes.  Well...shall we?"

They marched through the forest of the lonesome island where they first found Chanoch.  The lizardman walked behind them, bound by chains and completely naked as a mixed envoy of two human soldiers and two gargoyles escorted him with cautious eyes at each other.  Thomas wore a ceremonial suit with medals on his chest in mustard-green, whilst James was in his standard robes.  But Anna Kerkorian took full stride with an immaculate black gown and coat tails sweeping underneath with a white bow tie above her shirt.  Through the dark woods they came upon a clearing where a surprisingly elaborate court was set up in the open where thirteen skull-shaped torches stood unlit.  Two desks with chairs sat some distance from each other, facing towards a grand seat looming above with a smaller bullpen at its base resembling the lower half of a cage.  To one side of this court were ten seats in two rows of five as a black wind trembled through the leaves behind them.  Darkness consumed the air, the clouds above forming an impenetrable layer of eternal thunder that threatened to break at any moment.  The entire structure of the court was a macabre mockery of the human courts, a Gigeresque nightmare of iron-cast bone and bloody veins hardened within grand oaken constructs.

The defence took their place at one desk with Chanoch seated behind them, placing their folders down and waiting for the rest of the court to show up.  The first one to do so was the panel of jurors, smouldering from the depths of their darkest nightmares to fully form upon seats that twisted and deformed specially for their anatomy.  Amongst them Thomas and Anna recognised some of the more terrifying beasts of their own folklore, such as the gorgon Medusa wearing protective eyewear beneath her dozens of serpents, or a large surprisingly muscular mummy who clasped their bandaged hands together in waiting.  There was also a minotaur, a Frankensteinian creature of several discoloured parts, a thin-looking man with the body of a giant locust wrapped in a fanciful cape, a succubus with blood-red wings and long clawed fingers, a pale zombie in Chinese clothes with a paper tag covering his face, a massive unblinking eye the size of a wrecking ball, a floating sword that seemed to turn its hilt in staring across the place, and a colossal goat-man with black wings.

        "Jesus christ," muttered Thomas tensing his face, "I can't believe all of these monsters exist."

        "Maybe not in our world," said Anna with forced calm, "but in another universe certainly even if they all look like Ray Harryhausen's film rejects."

        "What a ghastly panel," whispered James, "do you think they will serve their duty well?"

        "Mister Dullahan assured us that they would follow our rules, that is the best we can hope for.  Speak of the devil."

She looked over towards the prosecutor's desk, a swirling vortex bursting through as a familiar-looking suit appeared.  The headless horror stepped up to plant his own folder down before he was accompanied by two further beasts that burst from the abyss.  A lion's head set within a star-shaped body formed of legs in every direction, and a surprisingly human-looking archer clad in green with bow at his back and half his face missing to resemble a broken vase.

        "These are some bizarre creatures," mumbled the lemming, "even moreso than the ones master and I met whilst travelling."

        "More than us even?" joked Thomas with a raised brow.

        "N-no not really, I...uhh, I admit that I am surprised you are maintaining such composure in the face of monstrosities."

        "I wouldn't have been picked to lead the T.E.A.R. base if I was so easily shaken.  All of us at the base passed the psychology test knowing we would have to face unusual disturbances."

        "I mean it's certainly throwing my world-view into a loop," stated Kerkorian opening her folders, "but we must focus on the trial ahead of us."

        "Agreed," said the soldier leaning on the desk with fingers pressing on his chin, "I did not think that monster would be the prosecutor though."

        "He is the investigating officer," she replied, "not the accuser nor even in the same chain of command as Chanoch so he was always planned to be prosecutor for the court martial."

        "That's not a conflict of interest?  Considering he's basically an officer and therefore should be in the chain of command."

        "On the contrary," butted in Dullahan with a bow of his full neck-stump, "I am of the Unseelie Circle which is a separate division from the accused who is in the Lower Infantry.  I may be an officer yes, but I do not have direct command of him.  Only the Higher Infantry rules him."

        "So who are your subordinates then?"

        "The Mischief Ranks.  Smaller fae that rely on trickery, essentially I am part of the scouting forces that sow discord and terror in foreign lands."

        "Ahhh, I see, black ops."  The soldier nodded.  "Explains why you came out hunting for us."

        "Indeed."

The trial was soon ready and waiting for the judge to arrive.  From the highest seat there came a bone-chilling cry of wind that shrieked as a chorus of banshees trembled through the being of every beast and human that stood within the court.  Black essence beyond the humans' vision created a strange perforation in the air that bent and cracked itself with a shimmering crack of moonlight that burst into a million fragments of white.  The sound was not unlike a sonic boom that deafened the land, scattered leaves from the trees and caused rippling shockwaves across the waters in every direction as a long sleeve pulled through the gap between worlds.  Tearing it open with the slightest touch, a grand skeletal figure that revealed himself with a robe of stygian screams that whispered the softest agonies in every sweep of its cloth.  In one hand he carried a long scythe that spoke of the moon in its gleaming madness and sorrow, his face pale with eternal rictus as his hollow sockets burned with undying gaze through every creature in the place.  The pantheon of mythical monsters cowered in reverence when he turned his head to them, casting his eyeless stare across the unlit sconces as the reaper took his seat.

        "Is...that..." Thomas could hardly finish his sentence.

        "I-it must be," whispered Anna, "I...suddenly I feel very old all of a sudden."

        "I-is it too late to say I'm too young to die?" mewled James.  "B-because if so, I would...like, to write my last will and testament now before this trial starts."

KHNNN!

        "COURT IS NOW IN SESSION."

The gavel silenced them as thirteen torches blazed with tremendous pale fire of a dark indigo hue, dripping off the skull sconces to burn huge lines across the outside court.  Circling around the exterior before crisscrossing between the attendants, the raw infernal flames formed a pentagram that sealed itself as an invisible barrier that prevented all and anyone from fleeing.  Even the humans knew this when the sense of being trapped crept through their minds as the judge spoke with a voice that only the end of Time itself could surpass in its soul-trembling depth.

        "We are gathered here for case IGA-2567943, to determine the fate of one of our soldiers.  A beast-of-arms who has fled from our bastion to so currently reside in extradition in a foreign space and time beyond our dimension.  Due to the nature of this court, we are administering the laws of humans in our conventional court as a means of compromise.  Members of the panel."

He turned his skull towards the ten beasts who balked beneath his look.

        "Have you read up on these laws?"

        "We have your Honour," said Medusa with a distinct serpentine hiss, "we understand the laws we will be administering."

        "Good.  Now, swear to me unto this."

The phantom clicked his fingers to reveal a portrait of a thin gaunt man, his beard pointed to a V with wide collar around his neck and vampiric fangs bridging the sides of his lips.

        "Swear unto the face of our master.  'I will respect and obey the laws of this court.  I shall not let my command nor my own instincts betray my judgement.  I will decide the verdict of the defendant, through only the facts that have been presented before me, and nothing else'."

        "I will respect and obey the laws of this court," said the ten demons.  "I shall not let my command nor my own instincts betray my judgement.  I will decide the verdict of the defendant, through only the facts that have been presented before me, and nothing else."

        "Good."  He clicked the portrait away.  "Before we begin, does the defence have any questions concerning our unorthodox union?"

        "One."  Miss Kerkorian clenched her fists until they became white as bone.  "Are...are you...the grim reaper?"

        "That is a moniker I have obtained, yes.  Is that a problem?"

        "No, certainly not.  I...well I admit I was hesitant due to the fact this case requires an impartial judge so-"

        "Miss Anna Mariam Kerkorian."  Her name in his voice stopped her heart for a second.  "I am above such mortal weaknesses.  I am such because, I am not mortal.  I am not life, for within life there is weakness and deception, virtues and sin.  I have none.  I...am Death."

He pulled out a pocket watch in the shape of a skull from his robe.

        "I am the one you shall meet at the end of things, regardless of what horrors you face and what lives you shall condemn for the next..." he looked to the watch, "ten years, one week, sixteen hours and thirty-seven seconds...starting now."

The reaper clicked his watch shut as the woman clutched her chest.  She felt as if someone had burned her mother's grave.

        "Do I require any further means to assure you of such, miss Kerkorian?"

        "No...your Honour."

        "Then let us begin."

He snapped his fingers to summon a dossier to his seat, along with a small chair where a book popped up and suddenly began to write itself with a quill.

        "The defendant is a member of the lower infantry who is accused of petty treason.  I instruct the panel to utilise the laws of this court fairly, taking into account they were built with mortals in mind."

        "Damn cheek," muttered Thomas in a harsh whisper, "for the grim reaper he's sure passive-aggressive as hell."

        "Not as aggressive as you shall be in ten years, one week, seventeen hours and two seconds from now, Thomas Brightman."

Death smiled a cruel grin with pocket watch back open, snapping it tightly shut once more as Brightman felt an icy burn in the pit of his heart.

        "Considering we have agreed to your rulings of law, I would expect you to be more grateful rather than comment on my tone."

        "My apologies your Honour," said Anna with a fierce look to Thomas, "I shall curb my assistant's tongue more proper in future."

        "Good.  Now, begin your opening statement please, prosecutor."

        "Gladly, mo Thiarna."

Dullahan stepped into the pentagram's centre as if he were about to invoke a ritual.  He clapped his hands together with a hard steel shiver as he deliberated his words.

        "Members of the panel, peers and superiors.  I serve the Darkness just as much as you.  I am loyal to the Darkness because I came from a world that was slowly becoming oppressed by the so-called 'Almighty Father'.  Back in our world us demons have had to band together against the forces of Heaven, in our eternal struggle just to exist through our needs of a hedonistic life.  And when poor wretches like the defendant..."

The unseelie swept his hand towards Chanoch.

        "Have been abandoned too by God, do we not show them mercy?  Do we not give them food and shelter from the cruelty of His ego?  This poor beast, this godforsaken child had nowhere to run beneath the forces of the one he called Father that were SUPPOSED to protect him.  And so we raised him, for almost two-hundred years in our enclave where he would be safe, free to live his life the way he deserved to.  But instead he chose to serve no one, not even for the sake of a warm bed and a new purpose to keep our world safe from God's bleeding hands, the same hands that chose to cross like this!"

He crossed his arms tight in a humph.

        "And watch his own son die on the cross to prove a point.  I am not asking you to condemn the defendant, he is but a broken lad who has been raised by an abusive egocentric being that never wanted to give his people the right of free will in the first place!  But I must ask, you deliver justice for the sake of one of our own who was unjustly murdered in the line of duty, trying to stop the defendant from making one of the biggest mistakes in his life.  Thank you."

With a contained swagger he stepped back to his desk with shuffling steel grinding on greaves as Death nodded with a hand towards Anna.

        "Defence, your opening statement please."

Miss Kerkorian stepped up to the plate, subconsciously walking over the lines of fire in the ring despite them harmlessly shifting through her skin.

        "When I was thirteen, I had a friend named Kendra.  She was slightly older than me, very sporty, loved to be outside more often than not, one of those people who could never be inside for too long like a bird in a cage.  I called her Finch because they were my favourite birds, so many kinds of them all with different beaks.  We grew up together, same classes, same interests at least academically we were both very into history, I enjoyed the Greek classics whilst she was more fascinated by Chinese dynasties."

She noted the slightest nod from Medusa and the jiang-shi zombie as she walked to the other side of the court.

        "We both ended up in college.  The first two years we were endeavouring to become archaeologists, studying and unearthing the ancient secrets of the past thinking we were Indiana Jones, we watched the movies a dozen times I liked Last Crusade and she loved Temple of Doom haha...but, before our third year of college, she died when a police officer threw her down a flight of stairs and broke her neck."

Silence.  A few seconds to process as James struggled not to gasp when Anna put her hands behind her back.

        "My dearest friend was accused of a crime she never committed.  She was walking home from the gym and was about to take the train, when a police officer asked her 'let me see your bag, what's inside it?'.  She refused naturally because there was no reason, he had not given one.  He called her a thief, demanded, accused her because a theft had just happened recently five hours ago that day and the only thing that anyone said they noticed of the thief, was that 'he was black'.  Kendra was a young woman of dark skin, and the police officer, without any shred of evidence or logic, assumed she was the thief returning to the scene of the crime...and killed her."

She closed her eyes for a moment and gritted her teeth.

        "She was a citizen of my country, she was born and raised in the schools of my country like any other woman, the only difference being that her skin was just darker than the rest of her classmates who looked...well, like me.  And yet despite being a CITIZEN of my country, a person entitled to be protected by the laws of that country whom her family pay for the services of through taxes on their hard-working business like EVERY, OTHER PERSON of every skin colour in my home city...she was...killed."

She opened her eyes once more with a deep sigh.

        "I learned something that day.  That absolute power and authority can corrupt absolutely.  That without guidelines, without proper punitive measures to restrict individuals in a station of power that corruption can so very easily spread to become a festering cancer throughout an entire unit, all because of one superior above them.  My client, the defendant, is but a victim of that circumstance, a soldier who joined your army, fought your enemies and supported your cause in the NAME of your master and what was he given!?

        "Punishment.  Abuse.  Disrespect from the very person whose job it was to train him and protect him, NOT to treat him as an expendable number because of the body he was given, not to treat him and his friends as subhuman because they are reptiles, not that they had a CHOICE for what body they could have, did they?!  THAT is why I became a lawyer.  To stand up to authorities that abuse their position and to make sure that they are punished with the same extent of the law that all are entitled to."

She swept her arms open as if imploring the audience for support.  Her heart quivered horribly in her chest as her hand waved across the entire courtroom.

        "Your esteemed colleagues have spoken on the weakness of humans, of mortal flaws and virtues and sins and one perfect example of that flaw in humanity was the avarice of the man who killed my friend, because she had different skin.  Blinded from basic facts and logic because she was not the right 'kind' of human being in his eyes.  If those flaws are so human, then tell me, why...was Chanoch treated with the same avarice despite living amongst those greater than humans?"

Another moment of pause.  Her rhetorical question hung over their heads.

        "If you so desire to prove yourself as being better than humankind then I implore you not to make the same mistakes as us.  Please, don't give in to hatred.  Do not succumb to jealousy and above all please do not make Chanoch become another...h-hhhh...another Kendra.  Thank you."

The woman pointed her finger shaking towards the reptile in chains.  Her eyes gleamed with tears but she never wiped them free.  She walked back to her desk to compose herself as Thomas looked at her both astonished and heartbroken.  James reached out to hold her hand with a look asking if she was alright, but she waved him off saying nothing further as Death tented his fingers unmoved.

        "Bring forth the defendant."

Dragging his feet with clinking manacles, the accused was taken up to the bullpen across the demon court.  Without his armour he felt like an orphaned waif in the mud, naked and vulnerable in the glint of light from the pentagram before him casting soft purple bruises upon his skin.  James turned his head with a softened blush from the light shimmering across his tail and lower back, despite his lack of genitalia until he sat inside the pen beneath the shadow of Death.  He felt the reaper stare upon him and shook through his shoulders.

        "State your full name and rank to the court."

        "Captain...Chanoch Lieb Jarogniew."

        "Do you understand the accusations that are brought before you?"

        "Yes."

        "Prosecutor, you may have the floor."

Dullahan stood up after briefly conferring with the lion-head and the half-faced man, nodding as he took a sheet of paper and craned his neck over it whilst stepping towards him.

        "Mister Jarogniew, please explain to the panel what led to your attempted desertion."

        "Objection," stated Anna, "that is conjecture and you have no proof that Chanoch was trying to desert himself!"

        "He was helping others desert wasn't he?"

        "You are accusing HIM of deserting, your Honour!"

        "Sustained," noted Death tapping his desk, "prosecutor rephrase that, do not accuse the defendant of any specific crimes regardless of testimony."

        "...alright."  The headless armour sighed audibly enough the stenographer wrote it down.  "Mister Jarogniew...please explain to us what led to the EVENT in question."

        "...I was helping my friends escape."  He clenched his hands against his chains.  "We obtained some holy relics.  We opened a portal in the mines."

        "But things didn't go as planned did it?"

        "No.  It was a trap, Malphas found out.  We woke up twenty years later in the dungeon.  One of us managed to escape, freed the rest of us.  We ran."

        "How did you escape from imprisonment?"

        "One of us pretended to be willing, said there were other deserters we were helping, would betray them to be let go."

        "And is that true?" asked the headless man turning his throat towards him.  "Are there other deserters?"

        "No, it was a lie.  Just us."

        "So where did you run?"

        "We found an exit near the chapel.  Malphas caught up with us.  I fought him."

        "Who attacked first, you or Malphas?"

        "Malphas."

        "Do you swear by that?"  Dullahan leaned closer with intimidating bile leaking from his neck.  "I must remind you that you are under oath."

        "It is true," insisted Chanoch, "I have nothing to hide."

        "So he died in combat?"

        "Yes."

        "Hmhmhm, forgive me but I find it very difficult to believe that a mere CAPTAIN somehow managed to off a superior marshal!"

        "I fought him to protect my friends."

        "Fought him or stabbed him in the BACK?!"

        "OBJECTION!" cried Anna standing up.  "He's badgering the defendant!"

        "Sustained," echoed Death through the ether, "general Gan Ceann please refrain from such conjecture, they shall be stricken from the record."

        "Yes...apologies mo Thiarna."  The quill in the book scribbled out a sentence as Dullahan recomposed himself.  "To clarify, who attacked first, you or Malphas?"

        "Malphas," said Chanoch bluntly.

        "Thank you, no further questions."

The suit staggered off to sit back down amidst a quiet look of displeasure from the panel.  The lion-head conferred with Dullahan glancing towards the lizardman occasionally as Death motioned Anna to the floor.

        "Defence, you may have the floor."

She stood up and took slow graceful steps with ease.

        "Mister Jarogniew, exactly how did the fight with Malphas come about?"

        "He tried to attack my friends," stated the reptile sitting up proper, "I protected them."

        "And what happened to them afterwards?"

        "Some...escaped."

        "I see."  Kerkorian stroked her chin to imagine the scene.  "And according to your previous statement Malphas attacked you first."

        "Yes."

        "Then, why did you not escape with your friends after the fact?"

        "I told them to run," he leaned forwards slightly, "said I would stop Malphas."

        "I see."  She pressed her hands together until the index fingers touched her nose.  "And what happened after the battle?"

        "I left the castle."

        "Why?"

        "...I do not know.  I was frightened."  He clasped his hands gently.

        "What do you mean, you do not know?  Wasn't that your plan from the beginning to leave the castle?"

        "No."  Dullahan looked to him astonished.  "I did not want to leave the castle."

        "Really?  But you are being accused of deserting."

        "I did not want to desert, I wanted to help my friends."

        "So what was your plan after your friends escaped then?" asked Anna stroking her chin.

        "I wanted to stay, in the castle."  Whisperings of the panel came in confusion as the sword murmured to the locust.  "I...I felt I had nowhere left to go, and...I liked the castle."

        "You wanted to stay?"

        "No.  Not wanted.  I was more afraid of the humans outside.  There was no place left for me but the castle...I felt Elohim would...would not take me back.  I still love Him.  But I felt I......I...f-forgive me."

He stopped with a stutter in his throat as he wiped his tears, taking a deep breath to recompose himself as Anna nodded patiently.  She walked across the pentagram giving a deep pale fuchsia gleam to her skin.

        "What happened after you left the castle?"

        "I came to this island, the recon group chased me.  Then the island...was...a great light burst in the sky and everything vanished."  He stared up towards the brazen storm that thundered over the place.  "I thought...Elohim had come at last to save me.  Instead I end up here.  I found your people."

        "I see.  Last question, what was your relationship with Malphas like?"

        "He hated me.  Hated my friends."

        "Why is that?"

        "Because we are lizardmen.  He hated us, called us arrogant and disobedient."

        "Agóid!" cried Dullahan with finger raised.  "Mo thiarna this is conjecture, the reason he was hunted was because his friends were deserting!"

        "Sustained," said Death clicking his fingers, "mister Jarogniew we are not here for opinions."

        "It is true," he said bluntly looking up to him, "that is what he called us-"

        "Do NOT argue defendant, we are solely relying upon facts and unless your counsel has evidence pertaining to this avarice sir Malphas had towards yourself, you shall refrain from such remarks."

The lizardman kept silent, staring downwards as Ms. Kerkorian nodded.

        "No further questions, your Honour."

        "You may leave the stand, defendant."

Chanoch nodded and slowly stepped back down to behind his counsel.  Anna sat down after he and turned in her seat.

        "That was good, very good we're out the gate."

        "Are you sure?" asked Thomas.  "Wasn't exactly a clean cut from guilt."

        "Oh yes but his talk on not wanting to leave the castle rang a good note with the panel, it shows less active betrayal and more the fear of a panicked citizen, they'll take pity on that hopefully."

        "Was that even true?"

        "I did not plan on leaving the castle," said Chanoch leaning forwards, "miss Anna told me to say that."

        "Just a little coaching," she stressed with hand on his shoulder, "some things should be said to help the panel see you in a better light and so long as the defendant has said it, it will be entered into the court record as part of testimony."

        "Even if he's basically accused of killing a superior officer?" asked Thomas with elbow leaning.

        "There is more to a death than just the killing, there is always a deeper reason.  What's important now is that we build up a profile of Chanoch as a respectable soldier who was forced into a grievous circumstance."

        "I just hope we can bring that to light," muttered James rereading his notes, "I have not missed anything have I?  I'm sure I have everything."

        "I think if anything you put in too much," argued Brightman flicking a page, "did you really need to put down a timeline of Polish history?"

        "I was curious, I needed context, I know nothing of Chanoch's background!"

        "You have forty pages about Judaism and it has nothing to do with this trial!"

        "When I am told to study something, I do NOT underperform major-general!"  The lemming bristled with a stinging sneer and hardened fists.  "I did not become the youngest Scribe of the Lemming nation by half-arsing book reports and scribbling doodles into parchments, you can rest assured that I will answer the most tedious questions possible that ANY prosecutor may think of!"

        "You're not even on the stand!" snarled Thomas biting his teeth.

        "Does not matter, I never give anything less!"

        "He asked me about every single food I cannot eat," said Chanoch with a huge shrug, "wrote down a list of every thing in your kitchen then asked me about each food."

        "Are you serious?" asked Anna looking shocked at him.  "James I know you take your task quite seriously but you are not his nurse."

        "He said he was," said the lizardman shrugging, "he wrote down everything."

        "Yes indeed!" said James proudly flipping his book towards page 593.  "No pork, no birds except for poultry, no donkey's milk or dairy derived thereof, no mixing of meat and dairy, no new grains, no eggs with bloodied spots, no fruit from trees planted within the past three years, no insects or fish-"

        "Wait wait wait there are SOME fish he can eat," corrected Thomas, "it's just only fish with fins and scales, so no shellfish."

        "I hate all fish," said Chanoch pulling a face, "even the kosher ones.  Cold, slimy, disgusting things."

        "So I assure you I am QUITE prepared," said James smacking his book shut with a proud grin, "rest assured this trial shall be a breeze."

        "Now," spoke Death, "is our first witness ready, prosecutor?"

        "He is mo Thiarna," said Dullahan bowing his wretched stump, "I summon the Master Librarian to the stand."

Dullahan bowed in proclamation as the reaper clicked his fingers to summon a dark portal that swirled just above the witness stand.  Slowly a form came through, wrenched from the abyss of the castle's depths to reveal an aged man with grey beard and Renaissance clothes of salmon and beige.  The humans were astonished to see an exceptionally normal person amongst the devils' elite as Death leaned slightly over his desk.

        "State your name and rank."

        "My name is...well, redacted," said the man facing the court, "but my formal title and rank are but one and the same, the Master Librarian."

        "And in what capacity are you serving in this trial?"

        "I am the coroner, I was the one who exhumed the remains of Malphas."

        "Very well.  Prosecutor, you may begin."

The headless horseman stood with a folder in his arms whilst the defence read a copy of the same on their own desk.  An exceptionally-detailed daguerreotype of a feathered cloak lying upon the ground to resemble a Rorschach painting, the remains of a withered body inside showing a cracked orb of silver that bled smoke into the airs above.

        "Master librarian, please explain to the panel the conditions of the victim."

        "The victim was a high-ranking marshal of the Army of Night known as Malphas, a great prince of Hell.  He was killed by a bladed weapon when it carved through his soul and severed it from his body, rendering his magickal energies inert and leaving behind a husk of his former body."

        "Can you determine what sort of weapon could have been used?"

        "It was a longsword of a broad width and a holy strength, that was what caused his death exactly."

        "A holy blade such as the one that Chanoch in the stand would use?"

        "That is correct," said the librarian.

        "Objection!" cried Anna.

        "Overruled," claimed Death, "he said a blade that one WOULD use, defence, that is a fact.  Continue."

Dullahan smiled somehow with an aura of smugness in his fingers behind his back.

        "Can you prove without a shadow of a doubt that Chanoch killed sir Malphas?"

        "I cannot," said the librarian.

        "And tha-...pardon?!"

        "I can prove that it is very likely Chanoch's sword killed Malphas."

        "Right!"  Dullahan clicked his fingers and turned on his foot.  "No further question-"

        "But I cannot prove he himself did, only that his blade is the culprit."

He stopped and turned back towards the witness.

        "But-...wait, what?!"

        "I can prove his blade was the murder weapon," said the librarian twiddling thumbs, "but I cannot prove Chanoch killed him."

        "What?!  Bu-you-guh-it was HIS sword!"

        "If I took your blade and ran someone through, it would still be YOUR sword would it not?"

        "Don't get into semantics with me, Chanoch killed Malphas!"

        "OBJECTION!"

The court reeled  back from the sudden dual outburst.  Anna stood up thrusting her finger out in protest, only to find the librarian also stood up thrusting his finger out in protest.

        "THAT is out of order good sir," said the witness.

        "What the shite?!" blustered Dullahan between them.

        "Did the defendant specifically mention that he killed Malphas?"

        "No he did not!" answered Anna back.

        "HEY I'm still cross-examining!" shouted the knight.  "Sit the fuck down!"

        "And you are putting words in my client's mouth!"

        "It was HIS sword and HE was there!"

        "I do not care," said the librarian throwing open his sleeves, "I only deal in the facts my good Gan."

        "DON'T YOU CALL ME THAT!"

        "Unless I were an eyewitness who actually saw him thrust his blade into Malphas' soul, you cannot tell me that was what happened."  The man slipped back into his seat with a smirk on his face.  "I know this is your first day in court, but if you like I can give you some pointers.  First rule being that if the defendant never said it, then YOU cannot say it either."

        "GUH...R-RRRRNNNNNRAAAAAAARRGH!"

His neck started to blaze with a roaring flame of green as his black skull showed itself to the court much to a frightened chuckle from the defence and a snigger from the panel that was silenced by Death's gavel.

        "ORDER.  General Gan Ceann, I understand that you are not used to this system of law, but the humans are correct.  Retract your statement immediately and ask ONLY what has been made aware to the court."

        "Hhhhh...hhhnnnngh...yes."  The skull faded back into his rotting stump with dying flames.  "My...my apologies mo Thiarna."

        "As for the witness, you know better than not to ask questions yourself which are herefore stricken from the record."

        "Apologies your Honour," said the librarian whilst the quill scribbled out the previous argument, "I will not let it happen again."

        "This is good," muttered Anna, "losing his cool like that will surely lose his standing with the panel."

        "Doesn't look good seeing a general lose his head," said Brightman smirking lowly.

        "Hmhmhahaha."

        "Master librarian," began Dullahan again, "please explain how you know that it was the defendant's weapon that did the deed."

        "The weapon was examined by my assistants," said the elder man, "during the process of the trial's engagement, we analysed his sword using arcane scans and discovered traces of soul essence still present on his blade."

        "And were you able to find out whose soul essence it was?"

        "Indeed, it belonged to sir Malphas.  However the circumstance, I can say beyond reasonable doubt that it was his sword that killed him."

        "THANK you.  No further questions."

Somewhat relieved to hear this the unseelie walked back to his desk where the pale archer spoke to him with his half-broke frace poring over the folders.  Death spoke thus with a slow turn of his head:

        "Defence, do you wish to cross-examine?"

        "No thank you your Honour," said Anna proudly, "we have no further questions."

        "Very well, witness you are dismissed."

        "Thank you, your Honour."

The librarian stood up and took his bow before the portal sucked him away through a spatial rift.

        "Who is your second witness?"

        "We have two character witnesses," said Dullahan with a nod from his counsel, "those who can attest to the defendant's motives."

        "Very well."

        "I summon...Slogra and Gaibon."

The panel suddenly murmured with confusion at this development.  The defence looked up worryingly as Death nodded and started to invoke his rule of necrotic strength through another portal.

        "Who the hell are Slogra and Gaibon?" asked Thomas shrugging.

        "Perhaps they are high commanders," whispered James clenching his fingers, "if that is so then their word shall be very hard to break."

        "But not impossible," said Anna with finger raised, "Chanoch what do you know of these two?"

        "They are Death's associates," said the defendant, "they follow every order of his."

        "Wait...they are DEATH'S associates, THAT Death in the judge's seat?!"

        "Yes."

        "...oh bugger me this better not be what I think it is."

She turned towards the pentagram in the centre of the place, the star spinning from its darkest invocation by the reaper who formed a gaping black wound within the earth, swirling and howling with the shrieks of the dead.  It was a horrifying sound, one that made James cower back against Chanoch's arms and clutch himself tight as he grabbed him by instinct.  Thomas clenched his fists with growing fear in his heart as memories of war crept up on him.  Anna gritted her teeth waiting for its witnesses to emerge as two spirits, broken horrific creatures that had suffered the most grave of injuries.  One was a red bird with thin flesh wrapped upon its skeletal figure, its chest cracked open to reveal its absent lungs; the other was a blue bat whose grand muscular wings had been tarnished by the broken vestigial limb on the right side of his body, breathing raspily through his carved-open throat.

        "H-HHHHRRRKKH...wha...m-master?"

        "Master..." the bird looked up with a feeble grin across his beak, "has it...has it been three-hundred years already?"

        "Unfortunately not," said the eternal judge, "I have called you as character witnesses as part of the trial concerning Chanoch Lieb Jarogniew."

        "Oh...I know...hmhmhah, I was humouring you master."

        "Your Honour I would like to object," said Ms. Kerkorian, "is this not a conflict of interest having your own associates be witnesses to a trial?"

        "Your objection is overruled, miss Kerkorian."

        "On what grounds may I ask?!"

        "The grounds that Slogra and Gaibon have been deceased for the past twenty years due to an unrelated incident.  Any attempts to perjure this trial are nonexistent for neither of these two have been in contact with mister Jarogniew during the engagement with Malphas, nor have I been privy to meeting them for my business has kept me engaged at my master's side, far from my two associates' spirits recuperating in the underworld."

        "Recuperating?" she asked leaning her head back surprised.  "From...death?"

        "The only means of killing a demon fully," muttered the large-winged bat turning his head to her, "is by destroying the soul completely...the one who killed us did not.  He killed our bodies, and wounded our souls, but...we shall rise again soon."

        "Are you two alright?" asked Dullahan in a soft voice.  "I am sorry to have to bring you out for this trial, I understand that this is an inordinate circumstance-"

        "You owe us much more than that...'dearthair'."

The armoured suit suddenly slinked into his seat, curling up with his neck bowed and his arms clutching himself as Anna suddenly realised something.

        "My apologies to ask again but...if we are able to bring back two deceased spirits, why is Malphas' spirit not here to testify?"

        "His soul was too damaged," said Dullahan sulking, "it needs to regenerate enough of itself to revive him back to a new state.  The extent of damage to his soul means that he won't revive for a few hundred years.."

        "Like with us," said the crippled bird, "we...we were fortunate that the scavenging beast that ruined us did not feed on us when it had the chance."

        "Enough."  Death nodded calmly with a hand offered to them.  "You fought well for your master.  I swear to you that you shall be rewarded for your sacrifice when you return to us."

        "Thank you master.  So...shall we get this trial over with?"

        "If both of you are able."

        "Always."  The bird and bat turned above the pentagram to face both counsels' desks.  "Bring it on...general."

Slowly Dullahan pulled himself up from his desk and straightened his back best he could.  But his subservient posture said everything.

        "Do you...remember the night of September 12th, 1438?"

        "Yes," said the bird and bat.

        "Tell us what happened."

        "We were on a scouting mission," said Slogra bowing his beak, "our orders were to monitor the operation on Crizbav, a small village where a garrison of Teutonic soldiers were stationed."

        "And what operation was that?"

        "Malphas was leading four units," said Gaibon creaking his wing, "to erase the soldiers from our territory but also taking the opportunity to pacify the populace.  Our usual method of such was to destroy the church and kill its clergy, so as to free them from God and encourage the people to think for themselves."

        "Th-that is barbaric," gasped Anna stifling her voice.

        "It's a fucking war crime is what it is," snarled Thomas clenching his fists to whitened tips.

        "Was anyone in this court part of this operation?" asked Dullahan sweeping his hand towards the defence.

        "Chanoch was," said Gaibon pointing along with Slogra towards him, "he was the one who burned down the church."

        "And did Chanoch perform his duty amicably?" inquired the unseelie.

        "Not exactly," stated the bird-beast, "he burned the church down yes.  But he did not kill the clergy nor any of the humans within."

        "Reaaally?"  The knightly necrotic raised his voice with a whimsical step.  "So what you are saying is he directly disobeyed an order?"

        "Yes."

        "And who was it that gave him that order?"

        "Malphas did," said Gaibon scratching his chin with his unbroken wing.

        "SO, in conclusion the defendant defied his orders from his superior!  In fact I have it on record that this was mister Jarogniew's FIRST mission as the leader of his unit!"

The undead beast turned with a grand flourish of his blade as a spark of lightning rendered the air alight to wrap round his weapon.

        "FROM THE MOMENT HE STEPPED UP IN COMMAND, CHANOCH WAS A TRAITOR TO THE CAUSE FOR DEFYING HIS MASTER!"

        "OBJECTI-"

        "LOOK OUT!"

With thunderous roar he lashed his blade through the air and struck a surging bolt towards the defence.  Thomas grabbed Anna as Chanoch pulled James close to hunch his body over like a shield against the shocking blue.  The lightning however veered right and struck the edge of the pentagram between the desks, tingling the hairs of the humans and lemming as Thomas stood up slamming his fist.

        "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

        "Twas a proclamation, sit down sassenach."

        "HE JUST TRIED TO ATTACK US!"

        "In the court of demons," stated Death with hand over his desk, "tis natural for our counsels to demonstrate the strength of their argument by means of a show of power.  Not with intent to assault of course."

        "Hmhmhahahaha, awwww did I scare the wee humans?"

        "Sh-SHUT UP!" barked James.  "You are a malodorous thug, a common-based myrmidon and nothing more!"

        "Ohohhhh you wanna get nasty with me?!"

        "I wouldst battle with you head-to-head, IF you had one.  Not that it would do much difference for you neither have a brain with or without a skull!"

        "SILENCE!"

        "ENOUGH!"  Death banged his gavel with soul-shattering force to still their thoughts.  "You have made your point now return to the subject at hand. "

        "Yes mo Thiarna.  So, to clarify, Chanoch's first mission as leader of his unit ended in disobedience to his superior Malphas, the victim of this case."

        "Yes," stated Gaibon bowing politely, "that is the case."

        "No further questions."

Walking back to his desk, Dullahan gave a look to defence with a turn of his stumped neck, glaring at James as he gripped his umbrella tight in one hand.  He stopped upon seeing it and puleld away slightly to sit down as Anna stood up.

        "I have two questions for you, let's say you can answer one each."

        "We shall answer them both," said Slogra wrapping an arm round his brother-in-wings, "ask what you may."

        "Was Malphas always Chanoch's superior, in the sense that he led his unit?"

        "Not directly, his superior is general Gobanz, but Malphas was a marshal and therefore overruled him to include a unit for his mission."

        "Why were you overseeing this mission exactly, if Malphas was so respected?"

        "We...cannot say, due to contractual obligations."

        "Does it concern Chanoch or his unit?" she asked pointedly with hands clasped behind her back.

        "No," said Gaibon sweeping his wing against his chest, "therefore we cannot answer that question since it has no relevance to this case."

        "And that contractual obligation extends even to death?"

        "Yes, all contracts with the Army of Night extend beyond death."

        "I see.  Well then, no further questions."

        "Wait!"  The souls of beasts turned towards the judge.  "May we ask one thing, before we are sent back to the under-realm?"

        "Normally as witnesses one would not," said Death, "but only if it has no relevance to the case."

        "It does not."  They looked to each other as Gaibon put his wing around Slogra's shoulders.  "How...how is Adrian?"

        "He is well.  He has grown into a fine young man."

        "Really?  That's...that's good."  Slogra wrung his hands with a bitter trill in his throat.  "Tell him...tell him that...Birdy and Bon-Bon miss him.  And...w-we are sorry...we did not get to play again."

        "I shall pass on your words."

The reaper teleported from his desk to hover before them by a shifting of his cloak.  He placed a hand upon each of their shoulders.

        "You have done well.  Rest assured in the next century your souls shall be strong enough to regenerate once more."

        "Thank you master," said Gaibon bowing, "we await our time of rebirth most eagerly.  Farewell."

With their last bow they soon disappeared back into the realm of spirits, holding each other's forms tightly in eternal embrace.  Their souls melted back into the pentagram, scattered like ash on the breeze as the portal reopened to send them back to whence they came.  The panel started to deliberate as Dullahan patted his counsel on the back feeling victorious, whilst Anna continued to read over testimonies with a growing worry over her features.  The judge returned to his seat as he proclaimed:

        "The last of our witnesses have come.  Therefore this trial shall end and the panel are left to make their choice concerning the defendant's fate."

        "What do we do!?" muttered James.  "We have nothing to aid our testimony and they just painted Chanoch as a traitor from the beginning!"

        "Because he was and he always will be," said Dullahan from the side leering his neckrot at them, "face it boy, you lost.  You tried to best the Army of Night, and all you did was put the stake in his heart doing my job for me."

        "I'm sorry."  The general turned towards the defendant with despondent look.  "I know I promised I would-"

        "No, it is fine," said Chanoch bowing graciously, "you did what you could.  You defended me."

        "Th-that is not enough!"  The lemming turned round fully in his seat.  "Y-you are a good person, I KNOW you are, your sparing of the clergy proves that!"

        "The panel will decide my fate."

        "NO!"  He grabbed the lizard's hand and stared into his eyes sharply.  "I will NOT accept this, I will fight for you, this is not FAIR!"

        "Life is not always fair."

        "Then I will MAKE IT FAIR, please do not give up!  I do not want you to give up, if I do not give up then you should not too!"

        "Why?"  He pulled his hand away slightly confused.  "Why do you...care about this?"

        "I...I-i do not know.  I just...I just do not want to see someone being punished for their chivalry."  He sniffed back his growing tears and looked downwards.  "Forgive me, I...I should not let my heart rule this matter, I know I must look at this objectively."

He turned his head to Anna with a frantic look.

        "Is there nothing we have left?!  Really?!"

        "Hmmmm..." she kept flicking through the pages, "we just need something to cast doubt on the testimony of those two, something we can counter with."

        "But, wh-what about the story of his superior Matthieu!?"

        "Matthieu was never brought up in the trial, therefore he is not relevant."

        "But...b-but it proves so much about Malphas' contempt!"

        "We cannot ask them directly and we never brought it up in the ex parte, in fact Dullahan never mentioned it once so I genuinely think he did not know about it."

        "Someone did."  Thomas clicked his fingers.  "One person did, right here in Chanoch's recount of things."

        "You mean...OH!  YOUR HONOUR, WAIT!"

The woman stood up fast with a creak of her chair as both the judge and the panel turned towards her.

        "WE HAVE A WITNESS!"

        "Wh-what?!"  Dullahan lurched forwards in his seat as his counsel looked shocked.  "No you haven't, stop wasting time!"

        "There is ONE person who holds the key to the truth of this story, a piece that we are not seeing in its entirety concerning the relationship between Chanoch and Malphas!"

        "Unless this person has already been noted by the court you have nothing lady!"

        "Ohhh?"  She turned with a confident grin as she cracked her knuckles as if gearing up for a fight.  "Then I DO have something."

        "What?"

        "I summon...general Gobanz to the stand, as a rebuttal witness!"

        "WHAT?!"

        "Whaaaa?!"

        "...what?"

The panel drew a breath at once, even those who did not possess a mouth or throat as swords shivered and demons gaped.  The Frankensteinian corpse felt his jaw drop off and hastily fetched to retrieve it whilst the mummy rubbed his brow with a bandage slipping off.

        "You can't do that!" blustered Dullahan.  "You agreed to ex parte and both sides had to present all their evidence!"

        "Ohhhh but rebuttal witnesses do not HAVE to be presented," said Anna waving a finger at him, "a witness can be called to provide contradictory evidence for the accused's character if needed, and in such cases that witness does not have to be presented beforehand!"

        "YOU-...mo Thiarna!"

        "She is correct," said Death reading through the book of human laws, "a rebuttal witness is allowed and since it is one of our own generals, he has relevance to the case as Chanoch's superior."

        "NOOOO!"

The headless monster slammed the desk with such force that the archer with half a face felt another crack in his porcelain cheek.  James could hardly contain his excitement and hugged Thomas frantically much to his confused distaste as the End of all Things clicked his fingers.

        "Bring General Gobanz to this plane of earth."

The portal shuddered through the bullpen, shaking with colossal energy that had the entire panel shake and the foundations of the court rumbled even harder.  A great force resisted, but soon it would yield as Death pulled something large through the aether to land with a crunch into the forum.  Staggering against the bullpen, hands creaking like thick iron gauntlets, was a colossal azure suit of armour with horned helm and slitted visor from which no eyes could be seen.  A broad-chested mountain of a knight, he looked across the court with some confusion.  Then he saw the defendant.

        "Ch-...Ch-chanoch?  What is this?!"

        "You have been called as a rebuttal witness in the trial of Chanoch Lieb Jarogniew."  Death loomed over him causing the golem to cower slightly.  "This is not negotiable, I gave you plenty of time to prepare before sending you here."

        "Nine seconds is hardly 'plenty of time', sir."

        "If it is enough time for twelve children to die in the world, it is plenty of time for me.  Now, do you understand the case?"

        "Yes, from the subpoena you so thrusted into my consciousness."

        "Then state your name and rank and let us proceed."

        "...very well."  He turned towards the court fully standing up straight.  "My name is Zeldo Gobanz, I am a General in the Army of Night and the former commander of Captain Chanoch Jarogniew."

        "Counsel, you may proceed."

With silent prayer of thanks, Ms. Kerkorian stepped over across the pentagram and stopped short of the bullpen with a trail of violet dust.

        "General, forgive me for bringing you out of your service but we are currently concerned about the nature of the defendant's character.  Do you recall a mission in a village called Crizbav, which Malphas borrowed your unit for?"

        "I know of it," said Gobanz, "and yes Malphas ordered me to hand his unit over for a reconnaissance."

        "Do you know the circumstances your unit performed in Crizbav?"

        "They were ordered to attack a Teutonic garrison.  Then burn down a church with the clergy inside slaughtered, of which they performed the task adequately."

        "Was there anything...different with your unit upon their return?"

        "Yes."  Gobanz shifted pushing the too-small chair behind him away.  "One of them had been killed."

        "Really?"  She pressed her thumbs together whilst locking the rest of her fingers.  "Which one had been killed, and how did their death come to?"

        "My lieutenant-colonel Matthieu Seraine.  He was killed by Malphas."

Murmurs rippled through the panel as the defence tried their hardest not to break into full smiles.

        "Well that's rather strange, why would your superior kill one of your own officers?"

        "AGÓID!" cried Dullahan thumping his desk.  "This death isn't relevant to the case!"

        "You were the one to establish Crizbav as the focal point of the defendant's candour," reminded Death, "this is a new detail that must be considered."

        "BUT-...b-but-"

        "Overruled."  He turned to Anna with a courteous hand.  "Proceeed, defence."

        "Thank you your Honour," she bowed politely, "general Gobanz I ask again, why would Malphas kill one of your own officers?"

        "Because he defied orders," said the golem crushing his hands together, "Malphas informed me that Seraine refused to burn down the church when he was ordered to.  For that he was executed."

        "By Malphas' own hand?" asked Anna pointedly.

        "No, strictly speaking.  Malphas ordered Chanoch to kill his own superior, under the threat that he would execute my entire unit for disobedience."

        "I see.  Is that allowed within your rules of the army, sir?"

        "To quell rebellion yes," said Gobanz sighing heavily, "if a soldier refuses orders on the battlefield, then they are either detained or executed and their souls are taken back to the castle for incarceration, punishment and eventual rebirth."

        "And where is Matthieu's soul now?"

        "He is still awaiting trial in the castle.  Direct disobedience of his calibre would mean the sentence would be at least a century without a body, wracked in eternal torture of the spirit."

        "So..." she turned round cupping her chin in bemused pondering, "Chanoch was only made leader of the unit for his commander above was executed, quite cruelly with an ultimatum by sir Malphas."

        "That is correct," said the giant leaning over her, "it is rather exorbitant however that a marshal would force one of his own men to execute a traitor, there is a line between suppressing rebellion and active destruction of morale."

        "See, we all heard the story that Chanoch was some sort of rebellious spirit who constantly clashed and defied orders for no reason against Malphas.  But that's only half the story isn't it general Gobanz, as you have so clearly explained that it was Malphas whose cruelty incited rebellion!"

        "AGÓID DAMMIT!" roared Dullahan stomping his greaves.  "Malphas' method is not relevant for how he deals with traitors to the cause, he was following orders, rebellion is NOT-"

        "SIT.  DOWN."  Death's shadow rose over the court as the thunderous skies turned quiet from his voice.  "If you wish to make a statement, then do so in your cross-examination, Gan Ceann.  Now.  Sit."

The suit of armour slumped back in his seat shaking from fear and fury before he slammed his chest into the desk, whilst Anna Kerkorian calmly asked the witness:

        "Did you know that Chanoch actively defied orders?"

        "No," stated Gobanz.  "What orders?"

        "The orders to kill the clergy.  It was revealed by our previous witnesses that whilst Chanoch did burn down the church, he did not exterminate the clergy and so masqueraded the bodies with those of soldiers he had slain."

        "He...what?"  The iron giant leered over towards his former soldier sitting in chains.  "I never knew.  Malphas never knew, in fact he was rather pleased by Chanoch's work."

        "Well a body's still a body isn't it, and the soldiers were men of God TECHNICALLY yes?"

        "He still defied orders.  Hm.  Perhaps Matthieu taught him TOO well...hmhmhmhm..." he shook his head and slumped his shoulders, "no matter how much one's soul is bound to a contract, it will still find means to break it."

The desk of the prosecutor shuddered as Dullahan lifted his neck suddenly.  There was a strange turn of his shoulders that almost resembled a savage grin giving James a fright from his seat.

        "He, h-he's up to something," muttered the scribe to Thomas.

        "Just keep your head cool," said Brightman with a hand on his arm, "we've got a chance to turn this so let's not waste it with his mind games."

        "Do you condone what Malphas did?" asked Anna to Gobanz.

        "No, I do not."

        "What would you have done, or rather recommended with insurgent soldiers?"

        "I would subdue him by force, lethal or otherwise, by my OWN hand."

        "I have two last questions, then I shall hand you over to my honourable opponent.  First, what was Malphas' relation with your unit previous to this mission?"

        "He considered them expendable," stated Gobanz with calm restraint, "as requisitions officer in charge of mining and mineral allocation, Malphas would order me to obtain such for his quarters and spoke of my reptilian troops with the greatest of disdain."

        "I see, now, the last question.  How was mister Jarogniew as a soldier in your capacity?

        "At first he was quiet, traumatised no doubt by the circumstance in which he was recruited, but I encouraged him through training and the friendship of our unit to trust in us and not in God.  From that point, despite having never truly renounced his God, he was the finest soldier I had next to Matthieu Seraine who took him under his wing.

        "Chanoch was a fine upstanding soldier who in the one-hundred-and-forty-two years of service under my command has never defied me, nor disobeyed nor shown any intention of spurious deceit, when in my capacity.  For as long as I have known him he has always been loyal, if not to our master, then of certainty to his unit and his friends...including me."

He felt Chanoch's gaze upon him as a smile came to the reptile's lips.  His hands creaked in his chains as he gave a quiet nod of thanks to Gobanz who simply nodded in turn when Anna finished.

        "Thank you, no further questions your Honour."

She stepped back to her seat.  Then Dullahan stood up with a swaggering walk that indicated trouble up ahead whilst Thomas leaned over towards James and asked:

        "Can I borrow that folder for a minute?"

        "Um, yes but-"

        "Just wanna check something is all," he pulled the book towards him and started to flick through the pages, "where is the Polish history section?"

        "The uh red tab on the side," the lemming pointed towards an enormous section of pages, "but why are you so-"

        "I'll explain when I get to it."

        "You've spoken at great length how Chanoch is a fine upstanding soldier.  I can believe that, certainly the first transgression he's ever made was this entire damn circus we've got here."

        "I am full aware of the severity," said Gobanz rolling his visor at him.

        "But I would like to ask something that you briefly mentioned in your testimony.  No matter how much one's soul is bound to a contract, it will still find means to break through.  WHICH reminds me...there is a contract upon signing with the Army of Night, yes?"

        "Yes, there is."

        "Well...since you're his superior who if I recall was the one that first recruited him from the entry ranks, that means you would have his contract then."

        "I do."

        "Oh no," muttered Anna with a hand to her lips, "oh...bugger he did mention this."

        "May I ask you to present the contract which Chanoch signed upon his entry to our ranks!?"

        "OBJECTION!"  Kerkorian shot herself up.  "Evidence that has not been presented before the trial cannot be submitted even from a rebuttal witness!"

        "Oh, NOW you're complaining about not presenting evidence!"

        "This is a legal document, a different form of evidence entirely from that of testimony!"

        "But it IS evidence from a rebuttal witness ergo that evidence is allowed into the court, BY YOUR OWN HAND!"

        "I am inclined to agree with Gan Ceann," said the reaper tapping his prayer hands to the hollow nasal bone of his skull, "you brought forth this witness as rebuttal, any evidence he presents in any form is allowed."

        "And what if that is hearsay?!" she argued frantically.

        "I can tell you that any contract signed with the Army of Night is proof in itself of documentation as a business record exception.  You cannot have your blood and drink it, miss Kerkorian and so objection overruled."

        "Thank you, mo Thiarna."  The demon headless gave a short snigger as he thrust his hand open towards the bullpen.  "General Gobanz, please produce the contract by which the defendant signed."

The armoured giant reached his fingers into his visor, creaking burly digits through to pierce his essence and pull out a dark mystic cloud containing a rolled-up parchment.  He offered it to the judge who nodded at its legitimacy and spun it towards the pentagram where it suddenly convulsed and grew to a tremendous size for all to read its elaborate font.

        "OBJECTION!"  Anna stood up once again with finger high.  "The contract is in English yet Chanoch's signature is not, how could he have understood this?!"

        "Hhhhmhmhmhahaha, BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!

Dullahan suddenly burst out laughing as half the panel did so in turn, a tremor of shrieks and hisses and chortling growls.

        "Youhuhu fuckin' eejit, all demon contracts are magically-aligned to the first language of those who read it!"

        "What?!"

        "I'm reading it in Gaelic, YOU are reading it in your sassenach shite scribble, and the defendant over there read it in the same language as his SIGNATURE, SEE?!"

The court became oppressive all of a sudden towards the humans as they felt the looks of disapproving monsters.  The gorgon and her serpents hissed in unison, the succubus tutted as loud as a fart in a church and the giant eye simply turned away with disgust.

        "We're losing them," said Thomas, "god...dammit we fucked up."

        "N-no," whimpered James scrabbling the desk, "n-no, no no we were so CLOSE I could feel it!  F-forgive me, Chanoch, please forgive me!"

        "It is fine," said Jarogniew patting his shoulder, "you fought well, and I thank you for your effort."

        "You are about to be sentenced to DEATH!"

        "I have long accepted it by now."

        "WELL I HAVE NOT!"

        "Res Ipsa Loquitur!" boasted Dullahan swinging his sword out before them.  "You just handed me the keys to his death as if you were the executioner yourSELF!"

        "SHUT YOUR TRAP ICHABOD!" shouted Thomas.  "YOU CAME FOR A FIGHT AND YOU'RE GONNA GET ONE!"

        "Shame that I already WON!"

He flashed his spinal blade with a scurrilous lightning bolt shooting across the court, striking their desk with dangerously-close precision as James swept out his brolly to protect his counsel with shielding canopy.

        "I have had ENOUGH of your bullying!" barked the lemming.  "The panel has not decided yet their verdict, and you will NOT frighten us with your parlour tricks!"

        "Hmhmhaha, big talk for a little lad whose head is thicker than a bull's walt."

        "Says the chancer who lost his tongue in his horse's arse!"

        "YOU LITTLE FUCK, TRASNA ORT FÉIN!"

Before he had a chance to strike again, both his sword and James' brolly were struck apart by a vicious invisible strength, sending them scattering both ways with a deep gouging wound suddenly appearing through the desk between them.

        "That, is, enough."  Death stood before them with a scythe cleaving the air between them.  "Prosecutor, enough mockery and continue your cross-examination."

        "Hmph...fine then."  He stretched his arm out and summoned his sword back to him with a whisper through the air.  "General Gobanz, you can confirm that this contract was signed by the defendant?"

        "Yes," said the giant pressing his thumbs, "when I took him on I was given his contract by Slogra and Gaibon, they were the ones who recruited him."

        "What?!" cried Anna.  "That is important testimony we have to bring them back to court!"

        "I apologise madame, but I can tell you all the details myself, or rather they can by their own hand."

        "Wha-what do you mean?!"

        "Please direct your gaze towards at the back of the document."

Death, understanding, turned the document around in his hover back towards the judge's seat to find it had been stamped by an official declaration in dark red cursive.  Thomas looked up once and clicked his fingers.

Chanoch Lieb Jarogniew

Time of Recruitment: 10.17am, November 13th, 1308

Place of Recruitment: Gdansk, Province of Pomerania, Poland

Designation of Soul: Enchanted (Lizardman)

        "Th-this cannot be," whimpered James with his head in his hands, "this is...th-this is terrible, I do not know what we can do."

        "Just lay down your arms and accept your fate," said Dullahan proudly spreading his arms, "you fought your hardest, but in the end the Army of Night shall always succeed."

        "Forgive me Chanoch," said Gobanz glumly looking downwards, "I do not blame you for what happened but, I-"

        "Cease thy tongue general," warned Death from his podium, "you are here as a witness, not to support the defendant."

        "Well then!"  The undead creature doffed an imaginary cap to his audience of beasts.  "The panel shall decide after our closing arguments yes?  I just hope you have a real good 'un planned for the fact that our accused just broke a contract which in ANY universe is absolute binding-"

BANG!

        "OBJECTIOOOOON!"

Thunderous blasts rolled out across the sky as the sound of a gunshot pierced the courtroom.  Standing with pistol raised amidst the shocked outrage of the panel was Thomas Brightman defiant with smoking gun pointed at the prosecutor.

        "NOT.  Another word stump-bitch."

        "WHA-the fuck is this gobshite up to?!"

        "I have evidence to submit."

        "WHAT?!"

        "What."

        "What?!"

        "What?!"  Even the defence cried out in shock.

        "This contract just confirmed that there is a fatal flaw in this entire case," said Thomas stepping up to the plate with James' dossier in his hands, "your Honour, as someone who is Death himself, you showed off some of your power in our introduction with that pocket watch of yours."

        "The watch is but an ornament," said the reaper creaking fingers at his desk, "my gift is but a vultuous calling."

        "But as the reaper, you would know how old someone is just by looking at them right?"

        "Naturally, I see the threads of all creatures to their very end."

        "So, if I said that Chanoch Jarogniew was born exactly a hundred-and-eighty-one years ago-"

        "You would be correct but I hardly see how this is relev-......no."

The judge leaned back slightly with a look of terrible realisation.  Gobanz soon followed cupping his helm to the side as Dullahan looked back and forth between them as he threw up his arms in outrage.

        "WHAT, WHAT IS IT?!"

        "He was THAT young?" muttered Gobanz slightly reeling.  "I never knew, he always seemed so much taller than most humans."

        "What, what do you mean taller?!"

        "He was that tall as a human naturally, or thereabouts."

        "In A.D. 1291 Chanoch was born in Gdansk, Poland," explained Thomas walking with open book in hand, "he was recruited in 1308 as a survivor of what is now known historically as the Teutonic Takeover of Gdansk, also known as the Gdansk Massacre.  Now."

He clapped the book shut with a fast spin towards Dullahan.

        "Let's see if not having a brain does you any good, what's thirteen-hundred-and-eight minus twelve-hundred-and-ninety-one?"

        "You fucking serious you jarheaded geebag?!"

        "Well, tell me then!"

        "It's seventeen obviously JEEZ!  ...wait.  Wait, wh-what...what does that have to do with anything?!"

The look on Thomas' face said everything to him.  A rifling shock came through the unseelie's body as he rubbed his neckstump furiously with his gauntlet.

        "Under historic military law in Poland, a soldier must be eighteen or over before they are recruited into an army.  No exceptions."

        "But, but, this isn't Poland, we were never in Poland!"

        "Yes you were when you recruited him," he pointed at the contract's blurb, "see, says right there, place of recruitment."

        "But-...b-but...no...n-no, nonononono, NONONONO YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"  Dullahan grabbed his neck with both hands and rocked his chest.  "YOU CAN'T JUST APPLY YOUR HUMAN LAWS TO OUR CONTRACT!"

        "Ohhhh but we CAN!" cried James as he recovered his brolly and swung out towards his opponent.  "This court is bound by the laws of humans and it JUST so happens that you are in but an alternate realm where the history of humans has become largely similar to that of yours, such as the Gdansk Massacre that we just spoke of!"

        "H-HUH?!"

        "The laws of this realm and this court mirror the ones of your own, is that not true your Honour?!"

        "It is," said Death tightening his jaw, "I have seen no difference between the laws of Man in either of our worlds."

        "We even have a plethora of history books proving such, that is but a judicial notice and irrefutable FACT!"

        "Meaning that when you recruited Chanoch," said Brightman touting his gun at the sky, "you recruited an underaged person, REGARDLESS of his consent, a minor who cannot, COULD NOT legally sign any binding contract!"

        "BUT YOU-AH, AAAHAHAHAA!"  Dullahan lurched forwards with his tapering sword.  "He was but a man wasn't he?!  He had his bar mitzvah, past the age of thirteen he's considered one!"

        "Not in the eyes of the legal system of Poland," said Anna Kerkorian stepping up alongside her counsel, "whilst he may have been counted as a man spiritually in his faith, the legal system of Poland would not recognise him as such until the age of eighteen when he at that time would have had to join a mandatory military service.  YOU and your Army of Night recruited him a year too early!"

        "AAAAAGH!" the unseelie cried with frustration shaking his fists above before slamming them to the desk.

        "Therefore this contract is null and void, and the only path you have left is but extinguishment!"

Almost as if they read each other's thoughts the three of them stood with weapons raised towards the prosecutor.  Thomas with black beretta, James with his brolly where his sword remained sheathed, and Anna with her gold-inlaid compact mirror as they shouted one after the other.

        "You've lost the game!"

        "You lost your head!"

        "And now you have lost this CASE!"

        "TAKE THAT!"

        "NNNNNOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGH!"

With furious scream he felt the full force of trifecta combined from the assault all around him.  Thomas' pin-point shot, James' magic wind and Anna's golden gleam all pierced through his armour as he fell back hard against his desk, sending it off-kilter enough that his lion-headed assistant went rolling like a football in a snarling wince and the glass-faced archer felt the other half of his face crack to cave in on itself.  The dust soon settled, the clouds murmuring to a quiet breeze as the judge creaked his thumbs together with muted consideration.

        "It appears that this trial was in error.  Normally there is no age of consent within the Army of Night for we do not follow the laws of Man.  However, in light of the fact that we adhered to these laws as agreed for this case, we have no option but to terminate his contract under the rules of military conduct of the nation of Poland."

He turned towards the panel of mythopoeic beasts that looked more bemused than anything else.

        "My apologies to the panel of our esteemed colleagues, but your verdict will not be needed in these circumstances."

        "We understand," said Medusa with humble bow, [i]"the defendant is protected now by human law, and no longer our concern."

        "Agreed.  Defendant, step forth please."

Chanoch stood up with slinking chains cautiously, trailing past like a ghost between the desks as Death bade him stop in the centre of the pentagram whilst his contract floated above him.

        "Due to this court's machinations your contract has been rendered null and void.  I find that Captain Chanoch Lieb Jarogniew be excommunicated from our service, and that the crime of petty treason does not apply to him legally."

He banged his gavel and the contract burst into flames, scattering ashes across the wind.  Chanoch felt his heart swoon with release as if a weight had just lifted, a gentle gasp as he looked to Gobanz who gave him a patient nod whilst his defence quivered in cheer hugging each other excitably.

        "However," stated Death, "due to the murder of our superior being an unavoidable circumstance, you are banished from the realm of Dracula.  Should you ever step foot within our borders again, you will be exterminated as an enemy of His legion.  Do you understand?"

        "Yes," said Chanoch bowing.

        "Wait!"  James stood up with a hand to protest.  "What of his human form?!  If the contract is null then that means-"

        "His transformation is irreversible.  The magic has seeped in for far too long that his body is now permanent.  Furthermore, since you are now 'free' from our illustrious order, you are also free from the curse of immortality."

        "What?"

        "Your body stopped aging at what would have been twenty-five in human years as part of your 'curse' in our servitude.  But the rest of your life..." he took a moment to pull out his watch slowly, "...will continue the same thread as it would have done.  But do not fear."

He clacked the watch shut.

        "You shall live plenty of years yet.  Longer than those who fought to save you.  This court is adjourned."  The gavel called.  "You are all dismissed."

The panel of monsters began to fade in wreathes of smoke, spirited portals that twisted and sucked them through with a colossal strength as the court room itself started to melt towards the pentagram.  The lines of the star-shape spun rapidly like a hadron collider, pulling everything of the courtroom in as Chanoch stepped back to feel his chains suddenly rip themselves from his body.  Dullahan went with his counsel, turning towards the humans with a shake of his head.

        "You fought well," said Anna offering an open hand to shake, "twas a good fight for the ages."

        "Hmph.  Likewise."  He shook back curtly.  "Never fought a human in the courts before."

        "And I never fought a demon so it was new for both of us.  Be safe on your travels, good sir."

        "The same to you, madame.  But, one last thing."  He walked over towards James with towering presence.  "Where did you get that weapon of yours lad?"

        "My...you mean this?"  He held up his brolly.  "It was made by my people then-"

        "No it wasn't.  Not a part of it at least, where did you REALLY get it?"

        "Why do you want to know?"

        "Humour me."

        "The...sword within was made by a smith of my village, but the handle I discovered on my journeys since my original handle broke.  I snapped it trying to wedge open a passage in a cave, and sometime later I found this new handle."  He showed it with some pride to the unseelie.  "It's an odd metal but it fit so perfectly with a sword I thought it would make good use."

        "Huh.  Well that's good."  The raw headless beast put a heavy hand on his shoulder.  "Watch yourself...would be a shame to get blood on that thing, huh?  Hhhmhmhm."

He walked away into the pentagram, spinning faster and faster with rabid hunger for all things demonic as Gobanz followed suit stepping to the edge, clanking his giant robust feet towards Chanoch as the lizardman looked up to his former commander.

        "Sir...I-"

        "Shh."  Gobanz pulled him into a hug pressing his body against his cold steel heart.  "I know why you did it.  Whatever happens to you, know that I am proud to call you my soldier."

        "Tha-...th-thank you...sir.  For everything."

        "May your God be with you, Chanoch.  You deserve nothing less."

With one last squeeze they parted as Gobanz stepped into the shivering dark, the last infernal breaths of Dis gasping its power to the sky as one final scream before the gateway shut.  The island was bereft of beasts except for Chanoch and his defence, the clouds parting to show a clear night of stars.

        "We did it," gasped James, "we...we did it."

        "I promised you didn't I?" said Thomas bumping the reptile's shoulder.  "Now you're stuck here with the rest of us."

        "I am?"  He turned curiously twitching his tail.  "Hm.  That is good.  I have nothing left back in that world."

        "That and you do not want to cross those folks again," said Anna putting an arm round his waist, "let's go back to the base and see what we can do for you."

        "I would like to stay at your base.  As one of your soldiers."

        "Really?  Are you sure, because you don't HAVE to stay, there's a whole world out there you can roam."

        "I would like to stay," he repeated, "you were good to me.  You are...you protected me."

        "It was only the right thing to do," said James taking his hand, "I did not think it right to leave you to the wolves."

        "None of us thought it was right," said Brightman standing by him, "to not give you a fair trial that is."

        "I...thank you," Chanoch nodded with a gentle grip of James' hand, "I will not fail you."

        "I know.  You already got good credentials from what we've heard.  Come on, let's get you started."

They walked their way back to the waiting small ship at the edge of the forest.  Chanoch was free as he felt the moonlight on his face from above.  He wondered if Elohim existed even in this other place, whilst James read through his dossier and turned the pages back to the last piece of testimony that Chanoch spoke to him.  Their escape from the castle.