Moons Apart | Ferry's Tale # 3

Serious games

The following days, Ferry managed to avoid the shame of being the talk of the Fortress. Now everyone was talking about Stot. And about the fact that a MAN had managed to fool everyone and pass himself off as a fairy for so long.

An emergency meeting was called in the great hall in the wing of the castle that belonged to Lord Stephan. Stot's fate was soon to be decided.

When he entered, all his guards were there, along with Lord Stephan and Leomh, the Second in Command. It was cold, colder than usual. And the light of the star, ever paler, barely crept behind the tall, cold columns.

In the middle of the room, with his hands tied tightly behind his back with wild ivy stalks that Ferry knew could only be broken by the magic of a fairy, there stood Stot. He kept his head to the ground and no longer wore his shining armor, but only linen garments woven by the Amalgham women. His long, silvery hair fell in curls, covering his face. And yet his posture was as impressive as any warrior elf's.

"Alright, let's end this meeting. I'm sure, it doesn't please any of us," echoed Lord Stephan's thunderous voice, causing the lights of the flames in the corners to tremble. "We have gathered here to decide the fate of Stot who is accused of treason at the highest level!" cried the Pan, hitting the cold slabs with his staff. The sound of the staff broke into dozens of echoes, making the room seem larger and colder than before. "Stot is accused of taking advantage of the trust the Amalghams Army gave him and betraying this trust by hiding the fact that he was human all this time. Well, more than that, he became the right hand of the Second Commander of our army!" the Lord's voice thundered.

Ferry observed the faces of those present at probably the most important gathering he had ever attended. His guards were also sitting, just like Stot, with his eyes on the ground or fixating on a dot in the room. Only Leomh stared straight ahead, beyond Stot and beyond anyone in the room, his gaze colder than the coldest winter night.

"But because we live in a rightful community, Stot has the right to justify himself... To defend himself. So Stot," said Lord Stephan, "what do you have to say in your defense?"

For the first time, Stot looked up. He looked Lord Stephan straight in the eye. But his gaze was not angry. Not even accusatory. He looked incredibly sad.

"Nothing..." he finally said, dropping his gaze to the ground again.

"Nothing?" the Lord wondered.

"What do you mean nothing?" cried Leomh, approaching, but remaining at some distance. "What are you waiting for? Defend yourself!" he shouted.

Stot looked at him and for a moment, Ferry thought he saw a tear in the corner of his eye. But only for a moment. "Why would I need to defend myself when I did nothing wrong?" he said calmly.

"What do you mean you didn't do anything wrong? You are human! Human blood runs through your veins!" Leomh continued to shout.

"And why do I have to apologize for the blood running through my veins?" said Stot, this time stressing out the words. "Don't I breathe the same air as you? Am I not fighting with you? Don't I have the same beliefs as you? Wouldn't I give my life for that?" he said, clenching his fists.

"That's not what it's about, Stot," added Lord Stephan, this time without his voice echoing throughout the castle. "Your betrayal lies in the fact that you hid that you are human..."

"But don't you see?" added Stot, and a glimpse of hope could be read in his voice. "It doesn't matter that I'm human. If we believe in the same things and fight for them, we are the same. A man can become anything he wants, if that's what he really wants. And I became a fairy. I'm a Solacer, just like you..."