Seat of Judgement: 221 days before the execution - Part 2

She closed her eyes, and let her mind swim in a sea of thoughts, memories, and desires. Four more months and Raibod would be back in the city. He was the only one who could still make her laugh and bring a bit of colour to her grey world. His broad shoulders and the warmth of his body were the best pillow she could ever want. His support, even when he was mad and annoyed by her constant questions about the Orders and the gods, was the reason she was this bold.

Someone tapped on the door, and dragged Satia's mind back to her office. "Come in." She sat up straight and fixed her clothes and capelet.

A man wearing a one-shouldered brown cape over a white robe entered. Both the cape and the robe were adorned with beadwork that shimmered under the lights. "Hi, Satia."

A genuine smile appeared on Satia's face. The man who entered was one of the very few people she actually liked. He was not perfect, as no one was, but he had helped her many times even when he was just a mere Altar-minister, let alone after he became the principal of the most famous academy.

Maybe liking him for things he did for her was selfish, but it was what it was. "Hey, Govad," Satia said.

The old man settled down on the other sofa. His small round belly and long grey beard, combined with his peaceful, confident voice, made him look like the kind, caring grandfather she never had. "I heard about your little conflict with Izadyar."

Satia made a deflating sound and rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me she came to you."

"Oh dear, but she did," Govad chuckled. "While I admire your bravery, you should not expect a fair fight when jackals surround you."

"Did she make a problem for me again?"

"Nothing that cannot be handled," Govad smiled.

Satia didn't want to think about Izadyar or what she had said to the academy's board. She redirected her thoughts to the stain on Govad's cape near the small, round, simple brooch. It was fresh and brownish; probably a drop of coffee from his long beard made it... Wait! His brooch was simple, with no hands.

"You aren't wearing your prayer brooch!" Satia said.

Govad chuckled at the astonishment on her face. "It's better than wearing it but not praying, like you." he taunted.

Satia rolled her eyes. "You're aMinister, not a simple mentor like me. Plus, last time I checked, not wearing a prayer brooch is an indirect way to say you're a heretic. Are you saying that?"

Govad waved his hand dismissively. "Relax. No one cares if an old Civil-Minister wears his brooch or not." He sank deeper into the sofa and clasped his hands together. "Anyway, I came here to tell you something." That was not good. When someone says they have something to tell you without just saying it, it means they have something you don't want to hear. "The board needs you to prove your loyalty."

"I bet they do." Satia gave Govad a halfway smile.

"Satia, they chose you as one of the ten teachers for Judgment Day."

"Oh, demon-dung!" Satia didn't mean to swear in front of the principal. But it was too late. She saw the disappointment on Govad's face. "Sorry. But do you know how boring and long that day is?"

"I'm sure that's not your real reason." Govad's blue eyes got even darker. Yes, that was not Satia's only reason for disliking Judgment day. 

"Well, if you know the reason, then you know my answer too." Satia lay back on her warm sofa and watched Govad gritting his teeth.

"Satia, you need to do this or I can't convince the board to keep you in here any longer." Govad sighed.

Someone knocked on the door. Satia raised her eyebrows at Govad, who shrugged back. "Come in!" She shouted.

A guard entered. "One of the parents wants to see you." The guard had one hand on the door and the other on her sword as if Satia was about to attack her at any moment. 

"A parent wants to see me?!" Satia said. The guard nodded. "Whose parents are they?" Satia asked.

"How should I know? Bringing messages is not exactly my job." The guard was annoyed.

"Okay Almaz, get back to your post," Govad said, making the guard notice him in the room. She saluted. "Sorry, sir. Didn't see you there," she said. Govad simply waved his hand dismissively again and turned his attention back to Satia. Sometimes Satia forgot how serious and cold Govad could act.

As the guard left the room, Govad began chanting the words of Rashnu —words that sounded like a stone falling into a deep well, echoing as they descended. His irises faded, the liquid in his tattoos glowed brighter, and he froze in place. All three of his vertical eye tattoos on his forehead gleamed faintly.

Satia sat there watching the frozen body of Govad for a few minutes until he blinked again and the warmth of life returned to his body. "Ah... these stupid Karies'. After centuries of working withMinisters, they still haven't learned to follow orders properly." Govad stood up from the sofa. "Well, I only saw a black carriage in front of the gate. There was no heraldry on it either. You should go and have a chat with whoever that parent is. We don't want anyone unsatisfied with our academy, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. The whole world should be happy with us," Satia said, pushing herself to her feet.

"Satia," Govad said, standing in front of her and placing his heavy hand on her shoulder, "for my sake, don't start a conversation with them about gods and orders and all that. Okay?"

Satia rolled her eyes. "Okay, I won't."

Govad glanced at Satia before leaving the room. "And prepare yourself mentally for Judgment Day. You are going. It's an order."

Another "Okay" left Satia's mouth as she followed Govad outside. They went in different directions—Govad to his office and Satia to the gates. The corridor and the main hall were no longer empty and quiet. Students of all ages filled the space with their chatter and laughter. She made her way through them, praying that whoever the parent was, they would talk quickly so she could return to her office and get the rest she had been longing for since morning.

The rain had ended, leaving puddles in the grass. However, the sky was still covered with dark clouds. Govad's Karies was walking on the walls with its wings tucked in, dragging its long, black tail behind it like a skirt. One of its heads turned to the guard near the gate, while the other turned to Satia. Its white eyes were fixed on her, watching every step she took. She wondered if Govad was checking on her right now or not.

There was a simple black carriage on the other side of the gate, just as Govad described. Its driver was half asleep when Satia reached the carriage and cleared her throat.

"Oh gods!" The man jumped out of his state and quickly composed himself. He sat straight and, before Satia could ask anything, said, "They're waiting for you inside the carriage, madam."

Satia gave him a kind smile and turned away from him. She knocked on the carriage door and opened it. Two figures were sitting at the other end of the carriage, where the shadows were thicker and it was harder for Satila to see their faces. She felt a sense of danger.

"Hello, Satia," a man with a raspy low voice said. "Come in, we have a lot to talk about."

"I was about to invite you into the academy. We can have tea while chatting." Satia didn't want to get caught up in something amiss.

The other figure shifted in their seat and leaned out of the shadows. It was a woman with a thick black fringe on long hair, a warm smile, and a pair of dimples that looked more like deep lines. She didn't look dangerous. "We are here because of your parents," she said casually as if talking about the weather. But nothing about mentioning Satia's parents was casual; they had been dead for a long time. Satia didn't reply. Instead, she climbed into the carriage and closed the door behind her. Curiosity won over fear.

The man squeezed himself more into the corner. He had a hood on and was dressed in black from head to toe. "We know you have their notebook. And we know you are continuing their work," he said with a deep voice.

"What?" Satia's heart sank. Was this a trap? Were they devotees? Were they here to arrest her? "Who told you this nonsense?!"

"Don't be afraid," the woman said. "We are here to help you." She smiled. 

How old was this woman? Mid-twenty? No way. Maybe mid-thirty. Why was Satia even thinking about her age? She cleared her mind from any stupid thoughts. "Help me? With what? I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice was shaking slightly.

The man continued like she didn't just deny everything, "We will give you a Statebinder and a safe building to continue their projects," the man said. His voice was familiar, but fear had paralyzed Satia's brain. She couldn't remember who this voice belonged to.

"No, no, no." Satia might have been studying her parents' theories and she might have been obsessed with them too. But this offer was too scary. She didn't want to end up like her parents. She reached for the handle and opened the carriage door. But the woman grabbed her other arm before she could get out. "Don't you want to know if it works?" she asked.

Satia did want to know, but not at the risk of her life.

"It will be a breakthrough if it works. We can discover things no one has seen before. We might be able to challenge the gods. Or even free the Healers," the woman said.

Freeing Healers. Satia's heart ached. The handle slipped through her hand. "It might... but what if it confirms the gods' story?" Satia murmured.

The man considered her answer as confession, "No, it won't. The gods forbid this science because they're scared of its power in revealing the truth," he said.

"And even if it does confirm it, we still can free the Healers" the woman leaned forward. "Your parent's project is the entrance to a new science. One that can turn any ordinary person into a god."

Satia reached for the handle again and pushed the door open. "I... I need to go."

The woman placed a letter on her lap. "We'll wait for you."

Satia looked at them both one last time, grabbed the letter, and jumped out of the carriage.

Pit's fire!