(Hello! First quote is of Bleden Mark from when you're on Rebel path. Since I didn't play with the original language, I am not sure if that's exact sentence that was used in game, so don't quote me on that. But the spirit of what Mark meant is here, so let's stick with it, okay?
Enjoy the story, thanks for listening!)
For my Panda.

„That's a cute thing about you, Fatebinders. Tunon teaches you so much about law, and then you put the law in your asses and think you're so smart."

When they gave her a choice: rightful punishment or rebranding, death or leaving the way of stealing and killing, there was no point or need to think about it. Tanova had one principle in her life, and it was "my life is important". She always thought she would pick tortures over death sentence hands down and that nothing couldn't be endured if it wasn't supposed to kill you in the process. And besides, life as a criminal wasn't good, it was a terrible nightmare of constant hunger or fearing your so-to-say comrades. Of course, sometimes it was amazing, sometimes you were meeting people you loved and sometimes the heist was so good you were living like a king and eating like one, but those occasions were rare. So when they say: become one of us and live like a decent person, she instantly forgot about all her previous friends. It was always one for oneself anyway.

During the time of learning there was but a few of them. She particularly liked Joan, a woman of quiet attitude and perfect aim, two things really worthy in her eyes, used to searching for trusted and dependable people. The rest were not that interesting, besides, some of them disappeared in the process, and some lost this or that part of their body during fighting classes.

Fighting classes were amazing, they felt like home. Tanova was surprised to see how much Fatebinders must focus on how to attack or track someone down, it was definitely different from what she was expecting. You had to have a great brain for grasping all the principles and laws, but you had to also have a great, athletic body and amazing reflex to keep yourself alive to be able to even deliver those principles and laws. And how great it was, great Kyros! She once told Joan it was much like her previous thug life, except now everyone was impressed by you rather than scared or biased, and you looked so much cooler with a sword in one hand and Codex of Kyros in the other, and with elegant, durable clothes instead of some rags.

So she was good with fighting and wasn't afraid to state it aloud, much to annoyed amusement of Bleden Mark, who never missed a change during the course to remind her of her place and often said "Kid, you're really not THAT good". She earned some limbs breaking during the whole time, but really liked to remind herself of that one time when he deliberately broke her right arm in fight and she, despite the pain, still managed to attack him with her left one, using to the fullest the fact that she was always left-handed. Of course, it resulted in some dislocation and hurt like hell for the next few weeks, but the hint of appreciation in Archon of Shadows eyes was totally worth it.

It took her a long time to take to learning laws. At first she had thought it was far too complicated for a person who just learned how to read, but after that it got more and more approachable and, surprisingly, fascinating. During the time in gangs she learned to not be afraid of her superior and speak her mind and fight for her haul or plans, and she brought that attitude to lectures of Tunon. It was clear he didn't like her confrontational ways, but on the other hands he seemed to be delighted by complicated law questions or inquiries, and she had a lot of it. At first, she thought she was just too stupid for all of it and asked questions to understand contradictions in Kyros' codex. Then she thought these problems were equally obvious for everyone, but only she had balls to engage the formidable Adjudicator in discussion. It was until much later when she realized she usually was far ahead of the rest of group, and that realization was preceded with accusation of ass-licking. It made her really pissed off, to the point of picking fight with much older guy and following-up harsh punishment from Fatebinders, but from the distance she saw it as a turning point. She realized she was actually pretty smart, so she braced herself and learned much harder from that point. Rhogalus, Calio, finally Tunon himself were very pleased. Recognition felt great.

There was something really besetting with Archon of Justice. She couldn't help but think about it and ask questions that earned her a lot of ire from him. He was just and everyone knew this, like he was made of justice and breath justice and wasn't even able to do some unjust thing. It felt unlikely, because his definition of justice was flexible, yet firm. "What can be justified is lawful, and what is lawful can be justified." That was one of the biggest dilemma she had in that "law-school". For her, in previous years of youth, justice was simple: if you had a good group, or sided with dependable people, you were sharing things equally. If someone failed, you helped them, unless they did it on purpose to endangered the rest, then you kicked him and took his loot, and watched your back from now on when they were around. If the group wasn't alright, you were fighting tooth and nail to get what you deserved, and you deserved more, the more you did to earn it. You were on a look-out, you earned some. You were doing the heist, stealing from under people's noises and then run away chased by some lawful folks – you earned a lot. And if anyone tried to do you something wrong – attack you, set you up, anything like that – you were right to fight, hurt and mutilate and expect your friend to help you. That was simple and that was right.

And Tunon's justice, or rather: Kyros' justice, was nothing of that sort. Kyros decided if you had your uses or not, if you deserved anything or not, and you yourself wasn't that important in the equation. Whatever you were doing, it wasn't for you, it was for Kyros. If Kyros decided, you had to drop everything and start something entirely different, even if you knew shit about it. Kyros set the right to judge people based on her personal caprice, and since she couldn't pay attention to everyone, she used her Archons. Some of them were crazy, some of them were damned mental and were doing what they wanted, and that was alright. Unless someone file an official complain to one of Fatebinders or just the court, Archons could make decisions based on their own laws, even if they were contradicting to Kyros' laws. It was like in the worst kind of ring, where the leader thought he was god to everyone and raped and killed whoever he pleased, and took all for himself. That wasn't justice, that was a law of the strongest.

Bleden Mark once said, that "justice" is the name of the biggest sword in the country. At first, she thought he was cynical, he had a lot of it apparently. But later, she realized he was absolutely right. And from that point learning Kyros' principles became in the same time much easier and much harder. Easier, because she understood she didn't get what justice is at all, but harder, because now she had no idea what justice should be.

And who should know the answer, if not Archon of Justice, right? It turned out that he didn't like to give such answers. For him, justice was obvious, and law was right, and either you understood it, or you were worthless as a Fatebinder. How could you understand it, he once replied with cold voice, much colder and more formidable than ever, how could you understand what makes justice just? Codex of Kyros, he said then. You are learning it, you are reading the principles, trying to grasp it, and if you study them hard enough, the justice will become a clear path. Not easy one, if you are questioning the order of things, but obvious for those who know their place and the name of what is right. The name of Kyros.

For some time, after such reply and, what's more important, after such cold fury, she lost her appetite for understanding and for question, and tried to focus on studying the laws. But the more she studies, the better she saw it. It wasn't only contradictions, because after years of learning she understood finally that contradictions are normal in law and that was why you need to follow its spirit and not its letter. But the problem lied in the whole idea. The law of Kyros was focused on one participle: Kyros is right, don't defy them, for they are unstoppable power and will crush all who opposes. But where could it lead? People who didn't want to hear criticism usually ended up not well, blinded by their own superiority. We are not here to consider Kyros ways, scolded her Tunon with ire so obvious she feared for her life, for Kyros is right, and Kyros is above your petty mind and petty doubts. You are but a voice for Overlord's law, nothing more than a worm elevated to highest honor it could achieve. You reek of independent thinking, he finished with his gavel hitting the ground, the noise deafening and leaving her heart and hands shaking. Joan told her that day she had to stop making him furious, and she agreed. They both were officially Fatebinders for some time then, and now quite often they judged people in the court. It was obvious soon they could go in the wide world of Kyros' lands to serve and adjudicate among people, Joan with better views for it than Tanova for sure. They sometimes talked, with careful words and cutting in the half, that it would be better to judge away from watchful eyes of other Fatebinders, especially Calio, of Bleden Mark and Tunon. And for sure, much safer. Little they knew back then what future held. Joan didn't know how big role she would play.

Tanova didn't know she would never leave the court.

It happened shortly before the conquest of Tiers. She used to talk with Adjudicator a lot, mostly to dispel her own fears and doubts, but also – and she never realized she was doing that until it was too late – to convince him she was right. For some reason Tunon was humoring himself with such talks, probably for the sake of straightening her mind, a task demanding, but probably worth effort in his eyes if her mind was really that good. Or: good enough to waste time.

She started stating her queries carefully, for she didn't know how to understand one of last trials. She would let the man go free, but Nunoval decided for a punishment of hand cutting, and Tunon approved gladly. Adjudicator was as patient as always, she even thought that she caught a tone of content in his voice, and it wasn't impossible, Archon of Justice apparently loved teaching. But even with his patient words, she still saw a glaring contradiction to Kyros law about everyone having a purpose. Tunon explained. She disagreed. She gave an example, Tunon discarded it with annoyance. She tried another one, he criticize her judgment. She stated Kyros law is too rhetoric. He coldly said that the problem was not rhetoric, but justifying. She said: you can justify everything. He reminded her: if you can, it is lawful. She said, how can you justify killing and disabling people for nothing. He reminded, louder with every word, that crossing Kyros is not "nothing". Then she blurted:

"There's only one Kyros' principle worth noticing, and it's the first one, for only in that one Kyros at least SUGGEST they don't care only about themselves and are protecting only them with all that 'just as hell' laws."

And that was one sentence too much.

It was also the last sentence in general.

She never heard such voice, bloodcurdling, furious and vicious as his then. He hit the ground with his gavel, and sentenced her.

"For forgetting your place, for sowing dissent and for obstinacy in staying on the path of wrong, and above it all, for blaspheme the name of Kyros, I sentence you for a collar of red hot iron, to remind you what you are for Overlord and for this court."

It was the voice of judgment, so the voice that couldn't be denied. For a second, she didn't fully grasp what he meant. All that was ringing in her ears was disbelief something like that even happened, and a few seconds later the fact that he didn't sentence her to death. She thought she couldn't take any torture, if they are not supposed to kill her. She thought, for a stupid second, she would be okay.

It was Nunoval and Calio that accompany her to the smith. Workers looked at her with fear and curiosity, but those who were supposed to carry on the sentence didn't look at her at all. They had focused eyes and steady hands when they prepared two halves of iron rim, when they checked if they would fit her neck, and even when they heated them up. And up. And up.

She almost felt when she saw red hot semi circles.

They put her on a chair, Nunoval held her arms, and after a moment some workers came too, to grab her legs and hands. Calio was standing in from of her, with sympathy badly hidden on her face, ready to start the punishment. Iron was held with tongs. Smiths moved closer. The closer the iron was, the more heat Tanova felt from it, and she didn't know if all of that was true or was it just her mind. It was hotter and hotter. On Calio sign, smiths joined two halves of iron on her neck.

She screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

It didn't kill her. It wasn't supposed to kill her, apparently when you punish a member of your court family, you also making all the medical help ready for them.

Her own scream woke her up in the bed in some healing place, probably some temple or sages house. The iron had to be still on her neck, she tried to tear it, but then it was obvious she was scratching her own burned skin, because there was nothing on it anymore. And yet she felt it and screamed and couldn't shut up, and it was more and more painful with every vibration in her throat and it never stopped until someone knocked her up. Every time she awaken it was just the same, minus her screams. She still did scream, but she didn't hear it anymore. Every time she was awaken she wished she was dead.

It took a long time for her to be able to move her head without crying in pain. For drinking anything – even longer. Ages till she was able to eat solid food. One didn't change, even when she finally got up, even when she was ready to look in the mirror to see crimson red collar of burned skin on her neck, even when she went back home. She couldn't speak. They told her it was a miracle she was alive, a miracle that her throat wasn't melted in a pulp. Ability to speak was a little pay for that, they said. She didn't reply.

When she was going back to the court, she didn't really know what to do or where to go. Was it still a place for her? Was she still wanted to be there? She knew what would happen if she ran away now – that would be even more of a treason and Bleden Mark would kill her, maybe mercifully considering they were part of the same team. So she had to go there and hear what to do now. A smart woman with ability to write and lack of ability to talk could find some uses, she thought grimly, blinking desperately to not let herself cry. There was no point in crying anyway.

In the court everyone was looking at her and then something stroke her. If there was one thing Tunon liked more than adequately severe punishment, it was making an example. And she was an example for everyone who dared to question Kyros law. Suddenly she knew she was still needed here and that they wouldn't kick her out. She was a walking sign of Kyros mercy.

When walked past her, Calio briefly held her hand. Later Rhogalus stopped her and gave her a quill and a parchment. When she frowned with unspoken question at him, he said, clearly uncomfortable and even a bit ashamed:

"Well, you will need to communicate somehow, so I thought, writing is a good answer."

She thanked him with a bow, and then moved on. Nunoval was nowhere to be found, and if it came to Joan, she was absent for a long time by then, for to the east of Kyros empire. Tunon was at his casual place, above all people, judging majestically with no drop of doubt in his heart. If he had one.

She stepped up and bow deeply before him, and then she raised her head. She was looking straight at him, first time ever having no troubles with maintaining such "eye-contact" with Adjudicator. Somehow, there was nothing formidable about him now. There was nothing worse he could do to her anyway, and if he tried, she thought to herself, she would just bite off her tongue first.

"Fatebinder Tanova" he said, the voice calm and unmoved, the mask hollow. It felt like hours, before he finally added "Join me upstairs."

The faces of pity or disdain followed her to the stairs, and only when she was halfway up she stopped seeing them. Every step was harder, stairs seemed to float and run from under her feet. Ages later she was walking to Tunon. Every step loud in the almost empty room.

"Tanova" said Adjudicator and she bowed again. There was a silence, when Archon was searching for words, and even through her numbness she noticed he was trying to be careful. "I believe you understood, what happened, both the symbolic and quelling parts."

She raised her hand and touched the mark in disbelief. Tunon nodded.

"The law we are serving is harsh, but also informative. You were spared from death sentenced for a reason."

She felt her eyebrow frowned. That was a bad idea, to frown on Adjudicator, but oh who cared.

"The reason is to protect a valuable member of the court from destroying not only herself, but also everything we are building here. To save a great mind, so it can still serve Kyros, instead of feed the cold ground. Do you understand, what I am telling you?" His question, asked in calm, yet warning voice, was not chilling her bones anymore. Her mind was indeed working to grasp the meaning. Did he mean mercy? Did he mean being an example? Did he really mean an active service as Fatebinder? Did he mean he didn't have to spare her and she owed him?

Tunon was looking at her, just like he could hear her thoughts. Finally, he nodded. "There is justice and there is conflict. There is a hammer of justice and the ground it stands for. There is no balance in the world. Only constant fight."

Suddenly she remembered the parchment Rhogalus gave her. She took it out and started to write, using the floor as a table. Then, with a bow full of gratefulness, she gave it to Archon.

What are my duties now, Your Honour?

Tunon read the note much longer than it took to decipher seven words. When he spoke, his voice was distant:

"I remember Bleden Mark pointed out how skilled you are in close combat. I want you to train other officials here."

Tanova nodded, then bowed again, as if she wanted to say some ornate goodbye, then turned back. When she was on the stairs again, she just dropped herself on the floor. Sitting on these stairs were unthinkable, yet she couldn't let herself care by now. What was the problem, if no one was around to see her?

Shadows next to her condensed in a shape of Bleden Mark, causing her a bit of a heart attack. The man looked down at her, yet she didn't find it in herself to get up and greet him properly. Maybe because he usually pretended to be really laid back about all the manners rules here.

"He fucked you up, didn't he?" She heard, and for the first time in a long time there was no hint of sarcasm in Shadow's voice. For a few seconds she was looking at him, then nodded. The fact, how right he was, realization of it took her breath away.

"Now, kid" Bleden Mark sat down next to her, on the floor on top of the stairs. There wasn't anything less of a surprise ever. "You have some options here, especially considering the fact you're here and not somewhere away, as everyone expected."

She shrugged. People probably thought she was crazy to come back.

"You can sit here forever and cry, or you can get up, get some good blades and help me shaping those useless pampered fools. Or you can pick up a hobby, since you'll have a lot of time."

The woman turned to him, frowned with question. Bleden Mark smiled mischievously:

"Since you won't waste your time on talking anymore." It was so blunt she looked at him with mouth opened in shock. He chuckled, and since she couldn't yell at him, she did an equivalent and tried to hit him in the face.

She realized what she wanted to do in a half way and felt terrified, but couldn't stop herself at that point. Archon of Shadow stopped her hand with no effort.

"I let it slide this time, don't worry. I'd say do it more often, you look less dead inside."

For a second she was thinking about writing him something, but what she meant couldn't be put in words, so she just shaken her head.

"Listen, kid" he said, suddenly quieter and much more serious. "Talking is just one thing. You have other senses too. Learn to use them, make yourself important for what you know or can do, and you'll get untouchable. That no talking thing may do a lot good to you actually, if you use it." There must have been too much misunderstanding in her eyes, cause he whispered quickly: "Think of it. Everyone is afraid of those who knows and doesn't jabber about it. And think of that too: Tunon didn't kill you, even if he had all the reasons. Why?"

When she leaned to him, eyes burning, hungry for answers, Bleden Mark suddenly got up. He smiled and said, already disappearing:

"That's today riddle for you. Think hard."

After one heartbeat she was alone on the stairs again, but this time much less despaired. Now she was focused. Wasn't it kinda the same what Tunon said? Did they both talk about the same reason, or there are more reasons to it?

Could she make herself useful?

And safe?

And important enough to make out something of that all?

Can silence be that powerful?

She headed to the training room, absent-minded. If there was anything left of burned ambition, Archon of Shadow took it out for her to see. A little, weak seed of new life. She decided to take care of it.