Unrepentant

All eyes within the Starlight Bidders' Hall were fixed on the Priest who had just yelled out an accusation against Zinnia. The Magistrate, Lorian, and Zinnia stood on stage, their expressions a mix of bafflement and irritation.

"Probitas has revealed to me that this trade has dishonorable intent behind it!" the Priest declared, fervor in his voice.

The Magistrate snapped to attention, his bafflement fading. "What nonsense are you spewing?!" His tone was rough, carrying over the crowd watching them.

"Nonsense?!" The Priest's eye twitched as he responded. "I would never dare blaspheme the most honorable one's name with falsehoods." He took a breath, pointing his mace towards Zinnia and Lorian. "One of you… or perhaps both of you have not come here with a clear conscience! Speak now to plead your cases!"

The Magistrate sighed, annoyance creeping into his voice. "Do not step over your bounds, Priest. We are beholden to Rovinius. Your judgment only carries weight here as much as I allow it."

The Priest's face grew red with indignation. "Divine Rovinius is the patron of knowledge and change, not of honor and oaths. Lord Magistrate, if you shall not give me any sort of face, why even bother honoring the tradition? We, the devout of the most honorable one, have always weeded out those that mean others ill. Or have you forgotten our purpose?!"

The Magistrate's face hardened as he let out a sharp exhale. "I have not forgotten. The people have also not forgotten."

Zinnia coughed, her eye twitching in irritation. "This better not be a punchline about the esteemed Alchemist not bringing his mother here, Priest."

Lorian spat out some blood at her remark but quickly composed himself as Zinnia waved her hands frantically in apology. "A slip of the tongue! The situation just ground on my nerves and it spilled out!"

Lorian gnawed his teeth but managed to put on a strained smile. "Think nothing of it. I too am interested in what exactly the Priest has to say to stain our reputation so..."

The tension in the hall was palpable as everyone awaited the Priest's next move.

His eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, his voice carrying a tone filled with authority. "I will prove my claim with the Trial of Three Questions," he announced, his tone brooking no argument.

The Magistrate nodded, accepting the trial. The crowd's attention locked onto the stage, anticipation thick in the air. "Proceed," Lachlan said, his voice steady but tinged with curiosity.

The Priest turned to face Zinnia and Lorian, his gaze piercing. "Selen of Sichal and Lorian of Lythoria, you are accused of attempting to deceive your trading partner. You will answer the first question of the Trial: What is your intent in today's transaction?"

Zinnia crossed her arms under her chest, her expression defiant. "I am doing this whole thing for money," she said flatly. "The thing's almost useless for me and paints me as more of a target for unsavory sorts who want it. Why just money? Simple, to indulge in every sin you can think of!" She smirked at the irritated Priest, her words eliciting amused murmurs from the crowd.

The Priest raised his hand to his chest, palm facing outwards. A ball of blue light formed in his hand, casting an ethereal blue glow. "Any falsehoods spoken will be detected using a miracle of [Perishing Lies]," he declared. The light in his hand turned a bit paler at Zinnia's words, confirming her truthfulness.

"The words spoken were the truth!" the Priest announced to the crowd.

He then turned to address the whole hall directly, "Understand this: only the first two questions allow one to repent. The third will not offer forgiveness."

The Magistrate nodded again, speaking on behalf of the crowd, and the two on trial. "We are familiar with it."

Lachlan couldn't help but let some doubt creep into his mind as he thought to himself, ''I wonder… just what exactly is going on here…''

The Priest's attention shifted to Lorian. "Why are you purchasing the Bloodmoon Thorn?" he asked.

Lorian answered calmly, "Beyond the fact that I am an Alchemist and have a personal interest in one of the rarest herbs on record… Grandmaster Ryker has specifically requested I acquire it at any price. So as to my intent, personal curiosity and orders from the continent's only living Paramount."

The blue light in the Priest's hand remained a steady light blue, indicating truth once more…

Kell scrunched his face at the events transpiring below. "Emma, do you think there's something wrong with the trade?"

Emma, standing beside him, took a moment to consider before shrugging. "Maybe."

"That's it?" Kell's eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

"It could be the priest having an off day," she replied nonchalantly. "Could be a scheme to launder some of the new currency, could be nothing, or it could just be a fake herb."

Kell leaned closer, his curiosity piqued. "Do you think any of those options are the case?"

Emma tapped her chin thoughtfully. "If it's the priest making a mess, then the Theocracy will probably flay him. I doubt it's a laundering scheme; the Alchemist's Guild makes more money than any other Guild. If it's a fake herb, that would be interesting, but I doubt that's the case. The Alchemist Lorian confirmed it as real, the seller is a known possessor, and Lorian has no reason to accept a fake."

She shrugged again. "It's probably some theatrics from the Priest to save face."

Kell nodded, his mood lifting slightly. "Say… Do you know the story behind the Trial of Three Questions?"

Emma cocked her head. "There's a story behind it? I always assumed it was just a practice for questioning."

Kell leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "Legends say it was a test sent to the first Archbishop of Probitas while he was still mortal. Except originally, the questions weren't meant for trading goods but for trading power directly from the God to him, the original questions were: 'What is your intent for this power you desire?', 'What is the intent of those around you for the power you desire?', and 'What is power?'"

Emma rolled her eyes playfully and teased, "Did you spend your time learning stories instead of actually useful matters an heir to the Rumbling Earth Sect should?"

Kell scratched his cheek and mimicked her earlier tone of voice and shoulder shrug. "Maybe."

She gave him a playful shove on the shoulder while their servants watched on with kind eyes.

Below them, however, the Priest's voice carried once more. "Magistrate Lachlan, what is your intent by officiating this trade?!"

The Magistrate answered confidently, "To facilitate a fair auction. As those who have spent the days leading up to this event could see, Rhysling has had some delinquents causing issues within. I am here to assure our guests that everything is in control and that no troubles shall meet them as long as I draw breath."

The audience gave the Magistrate a small applause. Some were genuinely praising the administrator, others simply decided it was best to stroke the ruler's ego. However, from within the sleeve of the Priest, Nyx had a nasty expression on his face as he pitched his voice into a tone the audience was unable to hear and squawked a simple lie, "I am a pigeon."

Being so close to the miracle for detecting lies, he naturally overrode what the Magistrate said. The orb of blue light quickly grew darker, indicating a lie was spoken. Instantly silence enveloped the hall as everyone grew stupefied.

Silas, within his private gallery, chuckled. He guessed what Nyx was up to but trusted him to correct the flow of conversation once he had his fun.

The Magistrate breathed in and stared down the Priest, asking in a mixed tone of fury and embarrassment, "Is this some sort of joke?"

The Priest steeled himself and said calmly, "You have lied, Lord Magistrate."

Eyes snapped towards the Magistrate waiting for his reaction.

Kell leaned over to Emma and whispered, "This is getting interesting."

Emma nodded slightly, her eyes not leaving the stage.

The Magistrate's face flushed with indignation. "I assure you," he began slowly, "there has been no deceit on my part."

The orb flickered but this time the color didn't change to a dark shade.

The Magistrate exhaled, "I speak only truth."

The crowd murmured amongst themselves, uncertainty rippling through them like a wave. The Priest's competence already questionable, sunk even lower.

Lorian's eyes narrowed as he observed the scene unfold. He clenched his fists tightly at his sides, feeling no small amount of suspicion at the antics happening.

Zinnia watched intently from her position. She knew better than anyone here that none of these events were natural.

The Priest, a vein popping on his forehead at the gaff he apparently made, cleared his throat and asked again to confirm. "Magistrate Lachlan, what is your intent by officiating this trade?!"

The Magistrate answered the same way he did the first time. However, Nyx once again whispered a squawk to the miracle ''I am his Daddy.''

The result was as expected. Silence descended upon the hall again. The Priest had a distant look in his eyes as he repeated. "You have lied, Lord Magistrate."

Silas leaned back in his gallery seat, observing the unfolding chaos with a bemused expression. The tension in the room was palpable, and he could almost taste the confusion and unease that rippled through the crowd. He decided it was time to intervene.

"The Lord Magistrate is not lying, neither is the Priest's miracle," Silas declared loudly, drawing every eye in the hall toward him. His youthful facade held their attention.

Before anyone could react, Silas continued, "Lord Magistrate, Guildmaster Arim, may I come down to demonstrate what I mean?"

Arim's response was immediate and fervent. "Of course, Senior Ji!" His voice echoed through the hall, causing heads to snap towards him in disbelief. The respect he showed this eccentric figure was baffling to many.

The Magistrate's mood visibly improved as he echoed Arim's sentiment. "Of course, Senior Ji!" Internally, he mused about Arim’s deference. ''Quite respectable to value his friends so highly... more attention should be paid to the Guildmaster...''

Silas descended from his gallery with measured steps. As he reached the stage, he faced the crowd with a look that demanded attention.

Lorian's eyes narrowed at Silas's approach, irritation etched into his features. Silas sighed as if dealing with a petulant child. "Oh do calm down, would you? We are both old enough to know words can only harm if you allow them to."

Lorian's irritation faltered under Silas's calm demeanor. He broke eye contact and nodded subtly in acquiescence. Silas smirked slightly. "Good, your mother taught you well."

Lorian clenched his teeth so hard that an audible crack echoed through the hall but admitted to himself that Silas was right. ''He is only getting to me because I am letting him...''

Ignoring Lorian now, Silas turned towards the Priest and gestured for him to cast the miracle again. The Priest’s eyes were still distant from the strange reactions but complied without a word.

The orb of light flickered to life, as [Perishing Lies] activated once more.

Silas spoke clearly, "I am a carpenter by trade; this whole event here today is not an auction for trading but a stage upon which I can show my crafts."

Nyx whispered in squawks from within the Priest’s sleeve, "I am a predator; this event is a farce for me to trap my prey."

The orb turned pale blue, signifying truth.

The crowd gasped collectively at the spectacle before them. The Priest released the miracle and looked towards Silas with wide eyes.

Silas smiled warmly at him and spoke loudly enough for all to hear. "The miracle draws upon your worldly experience as well as your faith. You are younger than we thought, are you not?"

The Priest hesitated before answering, "24 years; I have acted as a Priest for five."

Shock rippled through the crowd once more. Most priests spent decades learning before receiving their abilities; this young man was seemingly a prodigy.

Silas nodded approvingly. "I expected as much. Your talent is commendable but be warned: there are reasons the Divine do not grant their boons so early usually. Some miracles draw upon more from their casters then simply faith."

Realization began to dawn on everyone present.

"If you are going to arbiter this questioning," Silas continued smoothly, "you will have to rely on yourself, that miracle can not ascertain the truth as long as your own experience with the human heart is lacking."

The Priest calmed visibly under Silas's guidance and nodded in understanding.

Nyx thought to himself, ''Still the master of bullshitting...''

The Magistrate observed the scene with a keen eye. As the Priest gave his nod to Senior Ji, Lachlan noticed a subtle raise of the eyebrow from Ji before he began moving towards him. The approach caught Lachlan off guard, momentarily confused by the sudden shift in focus.

"Lord Magistrate," Senior Ji began, his tone surprisingly cordial. "I must apologize for my behavior earlier. It seems my time away from city life has dulled my sense of decorum. I merely wished to have some fun."

Lachlan's initial confusion softened into understanding. He could see the sincerity—or at least the well-crafted semblance of it—in Ji's eyes. "It was slightly in ill taste," Lachlan admitted, "but ultimately no one was hurt."

Ji turned to Lorian, extending his hand with a friendly smile. "My apologies to you as well, Lorian."

Lorian let out a humph but accepted the handshake begrudgingly.

Ji then extended his hand towards Lachlan. As their hands clasped, Lachlan felt something unusual on his palm. The handshake broke, and he discreetly glanced at his hand.

The line "The Priest is suspicious, no true follower of Probitas is willing to accept a scandalous line like mine at face value." appeared briefly before evaporating into nothingness. Only Lachlan saw it.

Gears shifted in his mind as he considered the implications of Ji's message. He masked his thoughts with a polite smile and nodded to Ji. "Thank you for your insight, Senior Ji. Please return to your seat and enjoy the rest of the auction."

Ji inclined his head slightly and made his way back to his seat, leaving Lachlan with much to ponder.

The Priest, unaware of the intensified scrutiny now upon him from the Magistrate, addressed the crowd once more. "The final question must be asked." His voice carried a newfound confidence that seemed to resonate with those present. Perhaps the crowd was more understanding now of the Priests chaotic responses, after all the folly of youth is well known…

He turned towards Arim, who stepped forward with a calm demeanor. "Guildmaster Arim, I will defer to your wisdom upon this final question."

The Priest retrieved the Thorn from the servant holding it and passed it to Arim for inspection.

Arim accepted it with steady hands, examining it closely as murmurs rippled through the crowd.

The Priest then asked Zinnia, Lorian and Lachlan the question, "what is the item being traded?"