The Wizard the Knight and the Pragmatist

Disclaimer and thanks - The Dresden files are the sole property of Jim Butcher. Highlander is the property of Davis-Panzer Productions. I wish to thank my editor BCF and my Beta Reader RJ Bingham I would encourage everyone to go read his stories; they can be found at (.net/u/2428181/R_J_Bingham)

Next chapter 14

Part two – The Trial is Rebooted - the The Trial of Matthias Zander

Harry's Narrative

After seeing Zander's feigning death it is hard for even me with all my wizard-y wisdom to explain how these immortals heal. I know I had made fun of Methos dying more than once. But after today I doubt I will ever tease him again, after watching the pain Zander felt throughout his healing. All the wardens and myself had waited and watched for quite some time to finally have Matthias Zander join us again among the land of the living. I suggested several times we should make a Burger King run but I was still told no. Stars and stones don't these people ever get hungry?

When Zander was fully recovered he, Methos and Sanya spoke quietly to one another before the trial resumed. You could cut tension with a sword knowing that Zander had repeatedly violating several of the seven laws of magic.

The Knights felt it was their mission to convince the wardens it was the Denarians that were responsible for what Zander had done. Frankly I wasn't sure even Knights with their holy swords and connections with archangels could even pull off this miracle and save Zanders life.

The trial began again as if it had never started a redo of sorts. The Wardens led Zander out again just as before bound with the black hood on his head. Then Morgan read the charges against him. For the second time The Merlin spear headed the prosecution with full confidence he could convince the Wardens that Zander was a warlock and should be put to death.

First for the defense was Captain Luccio. She explained she how she had discovered that the warlock they were hunting was a new type of supernatural creature, an immortal. Then Anastasia described how the Knights were able to apprehend him. Anastasia made me explain to the wardens the cliff notes on what it meant to be an immortal. This time I carefully left out the explanation on just how to kill immortals permanently. Methos was already annoyed with me I did not need any more problems with the old grump.

Next up for the defense was Sanya, the "elder" of the two Knights Of the Cross. He was dressed all in Black except for a similar cape, gloves that Methos wore. I could tell his cape was new and identical to Methos', which had been the one Michael had worn and was sewed by Charity. Methos was in his usual white washed Jeans and oversized off white sweater. They looked like two matching chess pieces one black one white, except for blood splattered on Methos' clothes. I smiled because I swear I could almost see an Archangel whispering in Methos' ear. I knew even with heavenly persuasion there was no way Methos was going to testify first in any scenario.

Sanya stood in front of the crowd of wardens and proclaimed, "I am Sanya the Knight of the Cross bearer of the sword of Hope Esperacchius. First I should explain to you all the primary duty of the Knights of The Cross is to fight the Order of the Blacken Denarius. The Knight, who bore the sword Amoracchius before Methos, taught me that the Denarius were really angels who had fallen from heaven. He said there once was a war fought in heaven to decide who would be the rulers of the universe. The Order of the Blacken Denarius were overthrown and cast to the earth. Now they take a human host so they may manifest themselves in this world, and will do anything to control the will of their host. There are thirty such Fallen, each bound to a tarnished silver Roman denarius that bears its respective Fallen's sigil; they are the same thirty denarii paid to Judas Iscariot when he betrayed Jesus. Once a human has physically touched one of the coins, the Fallen whose sigil is on that coin is free to communicate with its new host. They are able to bestow knowledge, physical prowess, and magical ability, for as long as the host maintains possession of the coin. This man Matthias Zander mind was manipulated and controlled by one of the fallen because he held a coin of the Order of the Blacken Denarius." Anyone could hear the sincerity emanating from Sanya's voice.

I was also thrilled that Sanya decided to tell Michael Carpenter's version of the story and not his own personal beliefs that the Archangels and Order of the Blacken Denarius were really aliens from distant plants.

Sanya's testimony continued, "I too once was like Zander and possessed a coin. I too was one of the Order of the Blacken Denarius. One of the fallen had owned my heart and controlled my actions. But like Zander I was able to renounce the Order of the Blacken Denarius and tossed my coin away. Then Archangel Michael saw it fitting to honor me by asking me to be the bearer of Esperacchius and gave me hope when I had no hope. I do not understand any of these creatures for I am an agnostic Trotskyite, but I have turned my life around from one of hate to one of hope. Zander has made the same decision and gave up his coin. You cannot hold him accountable for what he did under the influence and temptations of the Denarius. They corrupt you in ways you wizards have no comprehension of. Hear me oh wizards' do not put this man to death who has turned away from his evil ways. If he is guilty so am I." Sanya said in his big finish.

The Merlin looked at the four of us and scowled, his voice was sarcastic, flat and unimpressed. "My dear Knight I understand what you are saying but you are not guilty of anything but giving a good speech. This warlock is not like you or a average human for he is immortal. While he did change and give up the ways of the Denarians for now what assurances would we have he would not be lured back to the power of the Order of the Blacken Denarius in another hundred years?"

OK good Sanya tried his best but the senior counsel members and the wardens did not look like they were swallowing it. I looked at Methos and I whispered in his ear, "I think it's up to you. Sanya did a good job but Zander is immortal like you so if anyone can sway the crowd I am convinced it you Methos. I am afraid you are his last hope."

Methos looked lost in his own thoughts, which was just peachy! I knew how he hated to revel his past to any one even a good friend, but this was a warehouse full of strangers. Men the old man might never see again and now they would know his secrets many secrets that few men on earth were aware of. I knew Amoracchius had changed Methos but I wondered had Amoracchius changed him enough for Methos to speak up and save Zander? Or was he still the elusive 5,000 year old immortal who was more interested in saving his own skin than fulfilling the contract he had made with an Archangel?

Methos bowed his head as if he was saying a prayer, but I knew he wasn't praying especially to the Christian God, Amoracchius had not changed him that much. Then suddenly he raised his eyes to the crowd of wardens and began to speak.

"I am Methos, Knight of the Cross bearer of the great Sword Amoracchius, the sword of Christ love. Yet I cannot call myself a Christian. I did meet the man you call Jesus on the shore of the lake Galilee over 2,000 years ago. I saw him feed thousands of people with just a few fish and crumbs of bread. I saw him heal the sick and bring sight to the blind. Yet like you I still stood in ignorance and unbelief. I am immortal and have lived longer than I wish to say." Methos stopped and went over to stand next to Zander and pulled off the black hood from his head and smiled at Zander to try to give him hope.

Methos then bowed his head again as if in meditation then he looked up out at the wardens once again. "Years ago I knew this selfsame sword but it had a different name." Methos held up his sword and it burst into flames, yet it had not a wisp of smoke. Methos paused as if he was listening to someone then he took a deep breath had a furled brow and frustrated inflexion to his voice as he began to speak. "This sword was named Excalibur and it was in the hands of a wizard you all honor who had the name of Merlin."

The crowd began to mumble saying to each other how on earth could have Methos known the original Merlin?

"You all hold him in such high esteem but you do not know the truth about your own legend! Every man that lives makes mistakes. Yes even your great wizard Merlin made terrible mistakes and because of his own vanity Camelot fell." Methos reached out his free arm and pointed his finger at all the wardens who had looks of infuriation and shock on their faces. The Merlin looked angrier than anyone at Methos' words.

"How dare you defile the name of Merlin." Arthur Langtry the Merlin yelled out with great rage at Methos.

"How dare you wizards speak of things you have no knowledge of, were you there in Camelot? Where you there on that fateful day on the battle field when King Arthur died? Did you hold Arthur bleeding to death in your arms? Merlin was there and so was I. If the great wizard himself had just not been so vain and not ignored the voice of the lady of the lake, Arthur Pendragon would never have died that terrible day. Then perhaps the concepts Camelot stood for would have survived another 1,000 years and Dark Ages could have been avoided!" Methos shot back at Arthur Langtry the acting present Merlin senior member of the white council.

"This is preposterous! You have no proof of this!" Arthur Langtry said as his face went red and the veins in his head stood out as he yelled back at Methos in rebuttal.

"But you are wrong Wizard, I hold Excalibur in my hands and that is all the proof I need."

Methos' face was looking red with rage and not faring much better than Langtry except for the fact he will always look less than thirty years old.

"Any man can make the wrong choice. You hold yourself in such high esteem with your magical abilities; you do not think that tomorrow any of you could not fall to the pit of despair? You wizards believe that with one wrong mistake a man is undone. Do not look too closely at the man you have based your society on, the great original Merlin himself. Well by your standards Merlin should have been doomed 100 times over. Bloody Hell the man did not get his act together until he was over two hundred and fifty years old! Sadly by then Camelot was just a legend lost to time. King Arthur and his Queen Guinevere were both long dead rotting in their graves along with the Knights of the Round Table! Because of him it became nothing but a memory, repeated by generation and finally in the end Camelot became only a fairy tale. The greatest chance man has had for peace until the twenty first century was lost. All this was because of a wizard who broke most of your seven laws of magic. But this was not just any wizard who screwed every thing up but the one and only original Merlin. You see you founding father through rose colored lens, and have no idea of truth!"

After delivering his speech Methos looked visibly shaken and outraged as he took a moment to compose himself. Then he began speaking even louder above the murmuring of the crowed. "The dream of Camelot was lost because of the mistakes of Merlin this selfsame man who wrote your seven laws of magic which you base your wizard society upon!"

Arthur Langtry yelled out at Methos "Sir Knight I do not believe you!"

Methos rebutted back "Wizard Langtry why do you think the one and only Merlin wrote the seven laws of magic?"

"They were his masterpiece; it is not you a non-wizard to question them!" Arthur Langtry heatedly returned his words back at Methos.

"Wrong! Merlin wrote them because he had broken most of them himself! Because he realized in order for your society to ever accomplish anything there had to be order and certain acts were unacceptable. So he wrote the seven laws of magic in order to save the wizards from themselves. From himself!" Methos proclaimed. "To prevent any wizard from ever doing what he had done!"

The crowds of warden were becoming more infuriated at every word Methos spoke, how dare anyone especially someone who was not a wizard say Merlin was a man who made many mistakes, broken the seven laws of magic! Was the man who destroyed Camelot, everyone knew it was really Lancelot and his affair with the Queen that brought down Camelot. The wardens started to turn against Methos; the wizards had blood in their eyes. No one spoke out against the original Merlin; gee not even I did that!

Suddenly out of nowhere next to Methos appeared a bright glowing light, so bright that everyone had to shield their eyes from it. That was everyone but the two Knights of The Cross Methos, and Sanya. Out of the light came a thunderous voice, "I am the Archangel Rafael. This is my Knight Methos who bears the sword Amoracchius that was once the sword Excalibur. I have compelled him to speak to you of these things but as always you wizards have remained hard hearted. Continue so and you will surely face consequences of you actions. For he is my representative in your world and I request you treat him with the respect he deserves. My Knight speaks for me and in truth, for the sword that was once called Excalibur guides him. You wizards all have free will but do not mock the lord GOD Almighty and his earthly representatives. Because sometimes your free actions can bring outcomes to you that you may not wish to receive." Then as suddenly as the light came it disappeared.

Ok I didn't see that one coming. Then again neither did the Merlin, Arthur Langtry, the rest of the Senior Counsel or any of the wardens. There was a quick enjoinment to discuss the surprise testimony of the Archangel Rafael. WOW this trial was going in a definitely different direction from any other I had attended. Then I was called over by the Merlin to explain what just happened.

LIKE I REALLY KNEW?

I certainly was not going to inform the senior counsel about my personal experience with angel's be they fallen or archangels, lash or Uriel!

Hells bells it seems like just earlier today The Merlin wanted to toss me out on my ass. Now he wants me to be the senior white councils freaking middleman between them and the archangels! Oh this is just peachy! I never should have lent Methos Michael's sword! I knew it was going to cause trouble, but I never believed the archangels would ever make a self-serving, sarcastic, bastard like Methos a Knight of the Cross! Gee lovely, isn't this just another day in paradise?

The end chapter 14

Next Chapter 15

Part three and the conclusion of the trial of Matthias Zander –

The Pragmatic Knight