"All done," Marie declared as she cleaned off another plate. Silvie took it from her and added it to the stack while Marie settled back in her bed with a sigh with satisfaction.
It was good to see her eating well again. Now that she had her appetite back her formerly gaunt face was starting to round back out. Whatever she had gone through, and nobody had been able to figure it out yet, it had burned through her natural fat reserves to provide her the energy she'd needed for the remarkable feats of strength and speed she'd displayed that night. Trying to regain those energy reserves had made her as ravenous as a giant squid during second puberty.
Against the wishes of the clinic staff, the priestess of retribution had insisted her bonds be removed. Marie had been anxious about it too but had regained enough of her mental fortitude to refrain from arguing with a priestess. And while Silvie was grateful for her presence, the hallar that had come with her was a clear indication she had not come afraid to squash heads should it be necessary.
The Hallar were the sharp beak of the Ecclesiarchy. Trained from a young age in fighting techniques and weapons forbidden to the average inkling, the Hallar enforced the Ecclesiarchy's will, through force if necessary. They were infamous for their exploits in hunting down child murderers and teachers of false doctrines. She had worked with them a few times both as a normal Security officer and an Enforcer. Now she was on the receiving end.
Marie's words with Callie the other day had been overheard by the three clerics clearly. It was also clear in the discussion Silvie had with them afterwards that they thought Marie had felt burdened by a high degree of expectations. The disappointment the priestess had displayed had not been encouraging.
"Mrs. Sansea?" Silvie looked up as the nurse approached her. "The doctor says Marie can go home now. You have permission from Security but Marie has to remain under house arrest." She started to explain but Silvie stopped her.
"I know what 'house arrest' means, I've had to explain it plenty of times to other people when I worked in security. I'll take Marie home now. She could use a walk." Marie had barely left the bed for the three days she'd been in the clinic, suffering countless tests and analyses.
The nurse left her alone and Silvie grabbed the bag she'd had with her for most of those three days. In it was another set of clothes for Marie. She'd barely been home herself since then, leaving Natam to look after things. He still had to go to work too and despite his visits, he'd still been worried about his little girl.
Although bloated from her meal, Marie was glad to be walking outside. She held onto her hand taking deep breaths of the autumn air. There was hardly any green left on the trees now, and leaves were slowly starting to carpet the ground as the last gasps of summer faded away.
Silvie was startled when they arrived home and found Reina's car in the driveway. She wasn't sure if Marie was ready for a confrontation with her grandmother yet. For that matter, neither was she. There was worse inside.
They'd barely come in the door when Reina launched to her feet and ran to the porch from the living room couch, wrapping Marie in her arms and picking her up.
"Marie! I'm so glad you're okay." The relief in her voice was thick enough to drink through a straw. She held Marie like a toddler, patting her on the back and rocking her back and forth. Silvie was worried Marie might start convulsing again, but she just clutched her grandmother's clothes, resting her head on her shoulder, eyes shut tight.
Natam arrived shortly afterwards. Reina handed Marie over reluctantly but knew her son should have priority on holding his daughter.
Marie was quiet during the whole thing, too quiet. She didn't cry, didn't speak a word. She seemed almost numb.
Silvie glanced into the living room and felt a spike of fear when she noticed High Priestess Sivalli and the hallar. The latter, as ever, was standing behind the priestess, just off to the side. The steel-tipped staff on her back had a menacing presence despite its relatively benign appearance. She had seen what those things could do.
Silvie managed to wrestle Marie away from everyone else. She needed to take care of her before she got too tired. She gave Marie a warm bath before putting her to bed. Between tucking her in and turning the light off, Marie fell fast asleep. At least she was in her own bed now.
There was a lot of tension in the air when Silvie returned to the living room. Honestly, she would have preferred to take a nap herself but knew she couldn't put off this conversation any longer.
"How's Marie," Sivalli asked as Silvie took the dirty plates from her bag and placed them in the kitchen sink.
"Better. She's eating well again and is slowly recovering her energy. I already know what a house arrest is so you don't have to explain that to me."
"I'm aware."
Reina scowled. "What's Marie doing under house arrest? You're treating her like a criminal."
Without the slightest change in inflection, Sivalli replied, "that was a decision made by local security, not by me. It's only a precaution and it also serves to keep everyone else away from Marie."
Reina didn't accept that but didn't argue. Like everyone else in the family she was angry, frustrated, and confused. She had shown up briefly the day after the incident while Marie had been asleep. She knew the broader details of what happened but she had been kept busy.
Sivalli said, "I know Marie is no monster, nor is she necessarily a danger to anyone."
Reina crossed her arms. "Necessarily? What's that supposed to mean?"
Sivalli remained placid despite Reina's harsh tone. "It means that Marie would probably not willingly harm anyone but she may lose control in some situations or perhaps even at random.
"We believe she prematurely triggered a defence mechanism that would normally only work in adults, similar to an inkyora's protective instincts. A combination of built up mental stress, what she saw there, and believing she was about to be killed was enough to trigger it. In most such situations, a child like her would have fainted from it all or even had a stroke."
Silvie sat on the couch next to Natam, opposite the priestess. "So because it was premature, there's a chance Marie might unintentionally trigger it even in situations that don't warrant it?"
"It has happened before though it is not well documented. Everyone will be treating Marie as a unique case for the time being. But we did not come here merely to unravel and resolve this particular incident, we are also here for the long-term health of the child. So now, since all of you are here, I think it is time we had a discussion about how Marie has been raised."
Silvie's stomach fell. Sivalli had phrased that last sentence almost as a bait. It was a test she'd seen before. None of them fell for it. Good so far.
"Marie feels she has a lot of expectations placed upon her. Some are of her own making but she has grown up being expected to act a certain way and to live up to certain standards."
With exaggerated calm, Reina said, "shouldn't all children be expected to live up to certain standards? I know they can vary, but all children are expected to respect their elders, say "please" and "thank you". That's just the bare minimum. Nobody expects Marie to be perfect, just to do her best."
"Ah, but what if her best isn't good enough?"
Reina frowned and Silvie tensed. She knew where this was leading. Sivally went on.
"Marie is a precocious girl, very smart and self-aware for her age, but there are downsides to that. She is growing up in the shadow of her grandmother, a highly respected and powerful matriarch. She feels she has a lot to measure up to and that she must be a certain way, attain a certain level of achievement to be considered worthy of that pedigree."
Reina crossed her arms. "I have never implied any of the sort to Marie. I know what putting those kinds of expectations on a child does, I've seen the consequences. I'd never do that to my own grandchild."
"I would hope not, not intentionally at least. I asked Marie where this idea came from. She did not give that information up easily. She revealed that she had been raised this way. Effectively, what she told us was that she had to achieve high academic excellence, that there were certain pursuits she could not chase because they did not fit the image of a matriarch's granddaughter."
Reina frowned and stared at the high priestess in silence for a while, then slowly turned to look at Silvie. Silvie could not meet her gaze, feeling the weight of a decade's worth of disappointment coming down on her.
"Mrs. Sansea," Sivalli said in a matronly, patient tone, "why did you put such expectations on your daughter? Am I going to have to gradually draw it out of you as I did her, or will you be the grown up?"
Silvie felt trapped, as if a shark's jaws were gradually closing around her, its rows of sharp teeth pinning her down, perforating her soul.
Natam grasped her hand, holding it tightly. His eyes were full of compassion and understanding. It was the same look he had given her about ten years ago, shortly after she'd been dismissed from the National Security Force. She hadn't loved him then, he'd just been her brother's friend. Now, he was her husband and the father of her child. She had let him down too.
Fighting a shiver she forced herself to breathe slowly and remain calm. She couldn't let herself lose control, not here, not now. "I just wanted…" she swallowed, "I just wanted to raise a good child. We didn't think we would be able to have children. Reina looked after me so well, she was like the mother I hadn't had for most of my life.
"I knew I wasn't her first choice of mate for her son. I wasn't the gentle, soothing, homemaker type like she probably wanted for him. But that wasn't her fault, I knew was lacking in those sorts of skills, that's why I thought I'd never get married in the first place." She squeezed her husband's hand tighter. "I loved Natam, so I wanted to prove that I could be the wife he needed. That, I thought I could manage. Then Marie came along."
"Marie," Sivally echoed. "Miracle."
Natam smiled sheepishly. "It seemed an appropriate name."
"Indeed. But when she came along, Silvie, you had the additional pressure of trying to be a good mother, something you had even less confidence in than being a good wife."
Silvie pulsed green. "To some extent. I did basically raise my brother from the age of four, but I knew this wouldn't be the same. I didn't raise my brother to be anything but himself, but with Marie, by the time she hatched, Reina had become a matriarch."
Sivally nodded. "So you felt pressured to raise a child you thought worthy of a matriarch because you wanted to prove yourself to Reina."
Silvie flashed green, her head bowed. She couldn't even glance in her mother-in-law's direction. "I just… didn't want to disappoint her."
Sivally let out a disappointed sigh. "Do you have so little faith in Reina, Silvie? So little faith in your matriarch?"
Silvie blinked and stared up at her. "What?"
Sivally crossed her arms. "Nobody would respect a matriarch who allowed her own family to get so out of hand that her own grandchild would be a shame to her. If she thought you were doing a poor job or if she thought Marie were not turning out well, don't you think she would have stepped in at some point?"
Silvie hung her head, guilt slapping her in the face. She was right of course. "But the whole point was that she wouldn't have to."
"So you deliberately deceived her then. A combination of pride and fear stopped you from ever asking for help from the only mother figure in your life because you didn't want to be a disappointment. As a result, you offloaded much of the stress and pressure onto Marie, leaving it up to her to meet your – and thus Reina's, expectations."
Obsidian spikes pierced the belly of Silvie's soul, and made it bleed. The high priestess pulled no punches, she said it how it was and Silvie could not dispute it. She was ultimately responsible for what Marie had endured.
"Hold on," Reina interrupted. "Silvie might have made a mistake but you can't blame her for what just happened."
"I am not. However, it is important we discover the root causes of the issue. This is a difficult situation and an unusual one. We must be thorough."
Just barely holding back the flood of emotions behind the dam she'd built up over a lifetime of bitterness, Silvie said, "you can do what you want with me; just, please, help my daughter."
Sivalli stood up and walked towards her. Silvie didn't look up, not even when she saw the high priestess' feet in front of her, not even when she felt her gentle hand atop her head.
"You have made a mistake and your daughter paid the price. But you did not need us to tell you that so there is much hope for you. Being able to recognize your own mistakes is important. We will work on that later. For now, Marie does not need a tutor, or a doctor, or a judge, she needs her mother. And she is not your pet project, she is your child, and a child's purpose is not determined by you; it's something they have to discover themselves. Your job is to help her."
Silvie choked and drew in a few raspy breaths. "How do I do that?"
"First, you must strip away the image you tried to create and find out who she is. How you do that is something you will have to discover together, but this time, don't be afraid to ask for help."
Silvie nodded. She was still Marie's mother, she'd been given another chance. She was not going to waste it.
Floa ambled along the riverbank by herself, again appreciating the experience of going out for a walk. The fresh air, mild physical activity, and solitude helped her think. She had to wear a light sweater though. The air was cool today.
Floa was still in awe of what Priestess Winterveil had done. Instead of trying to figure everything out herself, she'd helped Callie find the answer to what they needed, and thus helped Marie that much more quickly.
It wasn't the way in which Winterveil had guided them that impressed her, but that she, an adult, would allow a kid to take the lead, believing they were better suited to solving the problem in the best way possible for everyone. Floa had never seen that before. Adults never let kids do anything and always assumed they knew better. Winterveil had trusted in them to fix the situation, she had faith in them.
High Priestess Sivally also impressed her. She walked around town with her Hallar escort. Despite her high position she spoke to everyone casually and came across as very friendly now that some of the facts around the incident in the cave had cleared up. Everyone seemed willing to talk to her and nobody treated her like an outsider like they had even with Matriarch Sansea. For Floa, who had come from the tribal-like streets of Xapheerell, where everyone not in your shoal was treated with suspicion, it was quite a twist to her conventional understanding.
Floa thought back to her trip to Inkopolis, how nobody had looked down on her for being a child, how they'd all taken her dreams seriously, how her first interview with Sivalli had her being treated with the same respect and consideration an adult would get without being talked down to. She'd always been taught to respect the members of the Ecclesiarchy, but now she understood why and genuinely did.
They were a force of change, a force of healing, of resolution. They didn't try to control people's actions, but guide them using the unique gifts they'd been given for everyone's benefit. A life dedicated to serving others was something Floa had never imagined before all of this, making a difference in so many people's lives. They were respected by everyone because they respected everyone in turn.
"I wonder if I could do that too."
"That all depends on you, little one."
Floa jumped and turned, seeing Priestess Winterveil herself sitting on an old log. She had her writing tools with her again.
Floa sighed, "'ow are you always there when I start thinking about this stuff?"
Winterveil gave her a wry smile. "Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Have you thought there may be a reason?"
Floa hummed thoughtfully then stepped up to the log and sat next to her.
"I saw Marie a while ago. She's feelin' better but she's a little scared about what's gonna' 'appen to 'er."
"I'm not surprised. She never imagined herself in this kind of situation. Frankly, a lot of people are scared right now. High Priestess Sivalli has had to spend a lot of her time here soothing hearts and minds."
"I saw. I 'eard Murl's back too. Didn't see 'im at school though."
"I would imagine not. I don't want to think of what would happen if he and Callie met right now."
Floa exhaled deeply. "It wouldn't be pretty. Callie pretty much blames 'im for what 'appened to Marie, not to mention what 'e did to 'er. She's nice but she's mad and Dad always told me that there's nothing scarier than a nice person angry."
Winterveil flashed a deep cerulean, agreeing sorrowfully. "Murl will need a lot of help. He's been traumatized and I suspect his mother will be using that in the upcoming debate in court. I don't expect her to be as easy to deal with as the Sanseas."
"No kidding," Floa grumbled. "Do you deal with this kind of stuff all the time?"
Winterveil laughed. "Heavens, no. I'm primarily a sehr so I spend most of my time listening for music then writing it down. After that I have to get people to play it, but there's a long list of songs before any of the ones I've heard recently will be played. As a priestess I do have to deal with disputes occasionally or offer counselling, but it isn't my specialty. I'm only still here to offer support if the High Priestess needs it and to act as a familiar face around here for the locals." She looked at Floa. "And, perhaps, I'm here for you as well."
Floa stared down at her feet and began pulling lightly on her fingers. "Why did you become a priestess?"
Winterveil exhaled and looked up at the sky, as if it were a portal to the past. "Oh my, what a long time ago that was. I suppose it's because I wanted to make use of the gift I had been given. Once I realized how special it was and how much I enjoyed listening for the old music, and how others might want to hear it, I suppose joining the Ecclesiarchy was the natural next step for me."
"No one made you do it?"
"Ha, no, of course not. Nobody is forced to join the Ecclesiarchy. One always has a choice. Even those who want to join, we don't always accept.
"Everyone has a purpose, Floa. I am very fortunate to have found mine. I have not met anyone who has joined and regretted it. Not in the long term anyway. The teenage years can be especially rough and it's not easy being a priestess once you become one. Your life isn't about you, it's about everyone else, about fulfilling the mandates of the Ecclesiarchy."
Floa grimaced. "That sounds 'ard alright."
"Haha, yes, it is. But it is also very rewarding and it isn't as if you can't live a partially normal life. I dated, found a husband, I have children. Finding a balance between your personal and professional life can be challenging, but the same can be said in many professions. What matters is that you have a fulfilling life, and that, I can say with confidence, is something I have achieved."
Floa stared at the river, watching the water swirl around a large rock sticking halfway above the surface. "A fulfilling life, eh? Don't sound so bad."
Winterveil let out a deep chuckle and patted her head. "Wait until you've lived it. Think that's what you want?"
Floa pulsed grey. "I dunno. I'll think about it."
"Well you have plenty of time to do that. For now, worry about getting through school and enjoying your childhood." She handed Floa a piece of paper. "My number. If you want to talk about your dreams again or if you need to ask me something else, feel free to call."
Floa slipped the piece of paper into her pocket. "Thanks. Are you going 'ome?"
"Soon, I think. But don't worry, I think we will see each other again soon."
Marie woke up early, much earlier than she used to. She glanced out the window and saw twilight painting the bellies of the scattered clouds a rosy pink. The sun had not yet risen above the horizon.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She had been going to bed early all week. Unable to attend school, she had buried herself in her studies and homework just to stave off the boredom of her house arrest.
She put a hand on her stomach. It hadn't started complaining yet, which was a nice change. She had been ravenous since the cave incident as her body desperately tried to recover from… whatever had happened to her.
She felt the thing inside her quiver at the memory and it stretched its black wings as if trying to fly free. Marie quashed it quickly, bound it back again. It didn't take much effort but she had to be vigilant. She couldn't lose control again, let that thing out again.
She tossed her covers aside and padded down the hall. She could hear her father in the shower, but when she reached the kitchen, expecting to find her mother making his breakfast, she found it empty. Odd.
Marie searched the living room, again found it empty. Thinking, she supposed her mother might still be in the middle of whatever exercises she did in the morning. She had never gotten up early enough to see what those exercises were before.
Marie tried to think of where someone would have enough room to exercise other than the living room. It was too cold outside so that left the sun room.
The sun room was an addition attached to the back of the house. Marie rarely went there except to practice fan dancing, something she hadn't done in a little while. She felt silly for not checking there first.
The door to the sun room was half open when she arrived, a gentle golden glow coming from inside.
Marie knew she wasn't supposed to spy on people, but a combination of curiosity and the prospect of facing another day of boredom compelled her to ignore that general rule, just this once, to see what it was her mother did.
The sun room was mostly empty. Normally, nearly everything was shoved into one corner across from the door and covered with a large blanket. Other than that, there was just a small table with the stereo sitting on top on the opposite side of the room. Not this time.
The blanket had been folded away, revealing a neatly arranged assortment of exercise equipment. When she looked to the other side of the room she saw her mother wearing a sports top and tight shorts. Marie was surprised. She had never seen her mother show so much skin, not even when they went swimming.
She was standing in front of a punching bag Marie didn't know they had and guessed it had been one of the things hidden under the blanket.
Marie watched her intently. She had her arms up, her legs spread and knees bent. She couldn't see her face clearly from where she stood but Marie could imagine her glaring at the punching bag as if it offended her.
There was a flash of motion as her mother brought her leg up and kicked the side of the bag. Chains jangled as the bag lurched to the side, away from where she'd hit it. The suddenness of it made Marie jump.
Marie watched in awe as her mother followed up the strike with a series of rapid-fire punches and lighter kicks, hitting the bag mercilessly, as if she hated the thing. Marie couldn't tear her eyes away.
After a minute or so, her mother stopped, breathing heavily. Then she turned her head towards the door. Marie slipped away, back into the darkness beyond the door and held her breath.
"Marie, come out here."
Her mother's stern tone cut through to her soul and Marie hung her head. She'd been caught spying. She was in trouble, again. Why, this week of all weeks could she not behave herself?
Timidly, she shambled out into the light in the sun room and sidled up to her mother, head hung in admonishment, expecting a stern lecture.
"Why are you up to so early?" Her mother's tone was softer this time. Odd.
"I woke up early and didn't feel like staying in bed." She'd spent too much time in bed lately, something she hadn't thought possible just a week ago when she would have gladly spent half her day sleeping. Now, all the time bed bound and being under house arrest had her feeling restless and impatient.
"I see."
Feeling a little braver, Marie asked, "what were you doing?"
Seconds ticked by. Her mother said nothing. Marie gripped the fabric of her pyjamas tightly. Of course, what audacity. She had no right to ask something when she was supposed to be getting lectured after breaking the rules.
"Something I've been doing since I was about your age."
Marie blinked then finally looked up. Her mother was eyeing the bag. It had finally stopped swaying.
"I thought that was fan dancing."
"That too, but that was usually in the evenings. In the mornings, my mother and I would practice martial arts."
Marie's eyes went wide, a tiny gasp escaping her lips. Her mother hardly ever spoke about her own mother, and it usually took careful prodding to manage even that.
"And you still do it?"
"Yes. It helped a lot. Gramps would sometimes fight me to see how I was progressing."
Marie frowned. "Huh? I thought you said Gramps was never home."
"And that was mostly true. He left early in the mornings, but sometimes he would stay long enough to throw me around and make sure I remembered who the parent was in the house." She suddenly stepped towards the bag and kicked it so hard the entire apparatus fell over with a crash. "Until one morning when he couldn't beat me."
Marie gulped, seeing the steel in her mother's eyes as she was transfixed on the overturned bag. After a few seconds, she walked over and righted it.
Marie asked, "does that mean you used to fight Granny?"
Marie thought she saw the ghost of a smile touch her mother's lips. "She did train me a fair bit. She and Gramps used to argue about the order I should learn things in. Watching the two of them go at it was… something. I never could beat my mother though. Even when she was on death's door she could throw me around the mat with ease."
Marie tapped her fingers together. She had never heard her mother so outspoken, especially not about her past. She had actually heard more about Granny from her uncle.
"How come you never talk about Granny? Didn't you love her?"
Just for a second, Marie saw pain flash behind her mother's eyes. In a soft, quiet voice she replied, "of course I did. That's why it hurt so much when she was gone. Not that I wasn't angry at her for it."
Marie's face scrunched into a confused frown. "Angry at her? But, it wasn't her fault she was dying. She was sick."
"Yes, and she knew she was sick and going to die early before I ever hatched. I was angry because she never taught me the things I needed to know.
"You have to understand, Marie, that when she was gone, I had to do everything. I had to do all the cooking and cleaning; looking after my little brother, who was only four at the time; and I didn't know how to do any of it. I had to learn it all practically on my own. Any time I thought about my mother I would wonder why she had never taught me how to do these things, why had she never prepared me for the day when she'd be gone. I felt like she'd let me down."
Marie felt like she'd just been punched in the gut as the gravity of her mother's words registered. She had grown up dreading her mother's disappointment. Even other kids agreed that the thing they most dreaded hearing from their parents was that they were disappointed in them. The idea that a child could be disappointed in their parents was a shocking revelation on its own. Knowing her own mother had experienced that added more impact.
"Marie." Marie perked up and stared at her mother. Her voice suddenly seemed… weak, fragile, the opposite how she would ever describe her mother. "Do you feel I let you down?"
Marie's mouth slowly fell open. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. "No! Mother I… I thought I was the one who let you down."
Her mother flashed red and looked at her. The pained expression on her face nearly shattered Marie's grasp on reality. She was starting to think this was a dream or yet another nightmare.
Her mother knelt in front of her, held her hands in both of hers. "You have never once let me down, Marie. You do what you're told, you get good marks in school, I'm always hearing compliments about how well behaved you are. I'm proud of you for that. But I have put so much pressure on you to be the perfect daughter and granddaughter that I've never let you just be a child."
She sighed and peered at the floor for a second before meeting her eyes again. "I was angry at my own mother for not preparing me for what was to come, for when she wouldn't be there anymore. I might have worried about that too if we didn't have your aunt and uncle and Nana and Papi. But my mother did give me something, something I would have never had if she had done what I wished: a childhood."
Marie stared at her, trying to understand. She was sure there was more meaning to them than she was getting, but she couldn't quite figure it out.
"So… so what am I supposed to be like then?"
"Just be you. Obviously, I'm not going to let you do whatever it is you want, my job is to raise you to be an upstanding member of society, after all, but don't live your life for me, Marie, live the life you want to live, find a way to live your dream so that you don't have to live a life of regret, so that you can be happy."
"Just… be… me?" Marie's searched inwardly, trying to understand what that was. Who was she? She was her parent's daughter, she was Nana's granddaughter, Callie's cousin and manager; she was… The memories of the cave came back to her. The images were less clear now, but she still remembered the anger, the fury, the taste of bloody flesh. The beast shifted inside her and she had to focus to keep it bound. "I… I don't know who 'me' is anymore."
She looked into her mother's eyes. She couldn't remember seeing those beautiful green pools looking so gentle, and yet, they seemed so familiar, as if she had seen them a long time ago.
Her mother reached up and tenderly touched her cheek. "You're very young, Marie. Nobody knows who they are at your age. You'll just have to discover that as you get older. Just make sure you don't try to be someone else."
Marie was so confused. Her head was spinning with so many revelations, new thoughts, and ideas. She was starting to get a headache.
Her mother glanced at the clock and stood up. "Come on, let's go have breakfast so your father doesn't have to eat alone."
Ah, breakfast, that was something Marie understood very well. She grasped her hand and let her mother lead her out of the sun room. On the way she asked, "can I help?"
Her mother looked down at her and then smiled. "Of course."
Calamari County's courthouse was a leftover from the county's heyday before the Great Turf War. Made of stone and large timbres, the building had stood the test of time, still standing after more than a century, and not since that heyday had it been the centre of so much attention.
Calamari County had never seemed so busy. People came from all over to mingle, discuss, and talk about the Cavern Incident. Details were scarce but rumours ran rampant. News agencies from around the country had come to report on the case, but as it was a case involving children, cameras were not allowed inside the courthouse nor were the children involved allowed to be identified.
Barely one-hundred people were able to sit in the courtroom at any given time and most of those seats were reserved for family of those involved with the case. Those not involved who managed to get a seat sat anxiously under the watchful gaze of no less than four hallar.
The Sansea family and the families of the three boys sat at tables on the opposite sides of the room with two additional hallar standing between them. Marie sat between her parents dressed in her Sunday best, her mother with her arm draped protectively around her.
Although directly involved, the presence of the children was not mandatory in discussions like this, as it could be traumatic or otherwise too much for them to handle. Marie had decided to face the issue head on as Callie had encouraged her to do, and as such, she had a constitutional right to have her matriarch present. And so, Reina sat on the other side of the family's table, simmering in cold fury, as if the trial itself were an insult.
In contrast, the bullies were represented only by their mothers. They sat silently, emotional, distressed, Drang's mother even looked bewildered and not altogether there. They sat alone. Murl was the only one physically able to come at all, and his mother had bellowed to anyone outside who would listen that he was too traumatized to face his would-be murderer.
Everyone stood as the panel of three judges took their places at the head of the courtroom and Lead Judge, Agripp, opened the session.
"The purpose of this court is to record officially the events that took place two-weeks ago in the Caverns here in town on the night of the twelfth. Following that, this court will determine what future actions, if any, must be taken, including criminal trial. I will remind everyone present that this case falls under Calachora's Child Protection laws. Any release of information pertaining to the identity of the children involved will result in immediate and severe retribution."
After pausing to make sure he had been understood, Agripp continued. "We will begin with an official report on the sequence of events presented by County Security officer Siglep, the lead investigator."
Siglep was in his dress uniform that was the colour of an orange peel. He walked up to the projector and began to speak.
"While these are the sequence of events that happened the evening of the incident on the twelfth, the court should note that there are events prior to this that must be taken into consideration to properly explain the events that took place."
"So noted," Agripp said. "Continue."
So Siglep went through the whole series of events that night, starting with when Callie and Marie entered the cavern then talking about the odd noises many of the children reported hearing inside the caverns. Neither that nor the screaming was taken seriously because kids often reported odd noises or screamed during the Cavern Run.
One of the other officers presented evidence, placing an armful of items on one of the courtroom tables. Siglep indicated the ones the bullies used to make some of the strange noises the kids heard.
"At some point, the boys moved down into the central chamber and hid in the shadows, still making noises, until Callabria Cuttlefish appeared. That's when they… surprised her." He abstained from using the word "ambushed".
He indicated the metal can. "This contained a mix of materials to make fake blood. Not quite of theatre blood quality but convincing enough for most people at a glance." He then held up a large knife, its blade stained blue. Marie noted it didn't look nearly as menacing as she remembered.
"This is a knife one of the boys was holding when they surrounded Callabria. Obviously, in this light, you can tell that it's just a wooden toy, albeit with the edges sanded down to make a sharper edge. However, if the court will note the clear plastic wrapping around the blade." He indicated to the projector which showed and image of the same object in darkness, illuminated by a single light from above. The knife gleamed just like it had on that night.
"As you can see, in darkness and with limited ambient light, the knife looks quite real. The plastic creates the illusion of it being metal. Both Callabria Cuttlefish and Marie Sansea believed that this was a real knife."
The presentation shifted back to the list of events. "Anyway, we aren't sure exactly what happened next. One of the boys splashed Callabria with the fake blood and she either fainted or she was knocked out when she fell. It was very shortly after this happened that Marie Sansea appeared."
The projector showed a photo of the caverns's main chamber. The stain on the floor where Callie had been lying was in plain view. Marie cringed when she saw the actual blood stains further in the background
"So when Marie came around this corner, she saw Callabria lying on the ground right there, covered with what she believed to be blood." He indicated the knife again. "And the knife was also stained blue around this time. Whether by accident or on-purpose, we aren't sure. She stated that she believed Callabria was dead and the boys were advancing on her, one of them threatening her with the knife."
"From where did you hear this?" The question came from Judge Neels, the second judge.
"Where they threatened her with the knife? From Marie herself and from Murl Towers, one of the boys, so we have both sides."
Marie was surprised. She hadn't expected any of the boys to admit to any wrongdoing; they always tried to play the innocent. Was Murl offloading as much guilt onto them as he could to take some of the fire off himself? Possibly, but she thought there was more loyalty between them than that.
"And what happened next?"
Siglep continued. "It isn't totally clear. Marie's own memories of the incident at the time we interviewed her were still hazy. She described what happened as a 'thing' inside her breaking loose. The next thing anyone knew, Admus Inker was sent flying into the nearest wall. Murl Towers was bitten on the arm but he managed to get away. Unfortunately, Drang Habrung wasn't so fortunate."
Marie wished she could turn her otoliths off. What had been fuzzy memories were being laid out before her, and they replayed in her mind with razor edged clarity, just as they had the first day she'd awoken after the incident.
"And how are the boys doing now?" This question came from the female third judge, Dreisi.
Siglep's face was grim. "Well, Your Honour, Murl Towers is expected to make a full recovery, albeit with some permanent scarring. Unfortunately, it's too soon to tell with the other two. Admus Inker has suffered severe brain and head trauma, including a shattered beak. Drang Habrung has all that and had to have all his limbs amputated. No word yet if they'll grow back since he's so young. He's by far the worst hurt. They had to unfold him like a piece of origami before they could even treat him."
Dreisi cut him off. "Thank you, officer, that will do. Does that conclude your presentation?"
"More or less, Your Honour."
Agripp dismissed the officer then began calling various people to the stand, starting with Mrs. Towers. She explained that she had been with her friends Mrs. Inker and Mrs. Habrung that night. The boys had been in Drang's room watching a movie. Everything was fine until Mrs. Habrung got a phone call that her son was being rushed to the hospital in Inkopolis.
"Can you imagine how panicked we were when we heard the news?" She asked the court. "Not just her, but all of us. I was lucky my son was able to walk into the hospital, their sons practically had to be brought in bowls and are still on death's door."
She stabbed an angry finger at Marie. "That thing doesn't deserve to be here in a pretty dress, she deserves to be anchored to the bottom of the sea with all the other monsters."
Red hot knives stabbed Marie and she shrank in her seat. Her mother shielded her from view, her mantle turning a dark, hostile red with blotches of inky black. But she couldn't protect Marie from the crushing weight of the guilt she felt.
"That will do," Dreisi said sternly. "We understand you are angry, Mrs. Towers. Do you know why the boys went to such lengths to pull this prank? As far as we are aware, the community here didn't want them anywhere near the caverns as part of a punishment for an earlier misdeed."
"An unjust punishment. What they did was bad but it was hardly worth that, and I think it was justified in light of what's happened."
"They almost killed my daughter," Aunt Mora spoke up. She glared darkly at Mrs. Towers. "And now you're angry at Marie for the same thing, except in her case, it was self defence. They were let off easy, only because everyone felt sorry for them being raised by the likes of you."
Agripp banged his gavel, interrupting the exchange. "Order! You will get your chance to speak later, Mrs. Cuttlefish."
Mora settled down but remained composed, taking the rebuke with quiet dignity. Mrs. Towers continued to stare at her in baleful fury. Marie was just glad to have the attention off of her for the moment.
The other two mothers were called once Mrs. Towers had been questioned, but they had little to add. Then, Marie watched her own mother be called. She was asked about Marie's childhood and about events leading up to the Cavern Run. Her mother made sure to mention all the bullying she and Callie had endured, the rock incident, what happened with Callie, and everything leading up to the Cavern Run.
Her father was called next, followed by Auntie Mora and Uncle Gren. Eventually, Marie herself was called to the stand.
Taking a big gulp of bravery, Marie anxiously left her mother's side. Her grandmother stood and offered her hand. Marie clung to it as if she would fall a thousand metres if she lost her grip.
She sat in the stand. Judge Dreisi was the closest one to it. She swivelled in her chair to face Marie. Her expression, stoic up until this point, became gentle and reassuring.
"Just relax, little one. You're not going to get in trouble for anything you say here, we just need you to answer some questions, alright?"
Marie flashed green and made sure her back was straight. Her mother's insistence on proper manners and posture helped, giving her a modicum of confidence. She turned her mantle green to indicate she was ready.
"Why don't you start with telling us how you were feeling that evening, like when you first arrived at the caverns."
Marie frowned. "Um… fine, I guess." She tried to think back. "I was excited since I was finally getting to do the Cavern Run. I… remember not being worried about being hit back as long as we were there."
Dreisi leaned forward. "What do you mean 'hit back'?"
Marie shifted uncomfortably, anxious about answering with the boy's mothers glaring spears in her direction. But she had been asked a question in a court by an authority figure and she would answer.
"Before, we had to worry about the boys getting back at us for things. Last year, it would just be some mean words or throwing dirt or mud at us. This year, things got worse." She told her about the dodgeball game and how what happened to Callie was a result of their performance at the Sports Festival, adding that everyone knew Callie was afraid of heights and the dark. All the while, she felt the burning gaze of Mrs. Towers on her.
"And how did you feel when you entered the main chamber and saw Callie lying there?"
The memory flashed up in front of her mind's eye and she felt the sensation of falling as the scene played out. Falling, falling, into the well! No, not now, not here!
Dreisi's eyes went wide as Marie skin turned a deathly pale and she began to tremble. Her eyes had dilated into huge circular discs. Reina rose from her chair and grasped her arm firmly. "Marie! Marie, it's alright, you're alright, you're safe. Listen to me."
High Priestess Sivalli arrived quickly, gently pushed the matriarch aside and grasped Marie's face between her hands. "Marie, come out of there. Follow my voice. There is a rope there, hold onto it, let it pull you out of the well. Don't look down, listen to my voice. Come on… up, up out of the well."
Marie stopped shaking, her eyes slowly returned to their natural cross shape and her pallor began to improve. Reina let out a sigh of relief as Marie's eyes refocused, finally back to reality.
Sivalli said. "Now, Marie, can you answer the question?"
Reina shot her a glare. "You want her to go through that again?"
Without so much as a glance at her, Sivalli replied, "if she can't walk around the well she will forever be falling into it. She just had a little slip. Go on, Marie. You can do it."
Marie swallowed and flashed green. She took a moment to organize her thoughts then resumed. "I was… scared. I thought Callie was gone. I thought I'd lost everything. Then I was angry."
Dreisi eyed her closely. "Why were you angry?"
Marie wet her lips. "I… because we hadn't done anything. They had been the ones to hurt Callie before, all she ever tried to do was her best. She didn't deserve to die, she'd never hurt anyone on purpose. They just killed her because they thought she was better than them."
Her mantle turned red. "We'd been bullied, attacked, our friends hurt, Callie had been hurt, then they'd killed her and I thought they were going to kill me too. I just… I stopped caring about everything else. I didn't care about being a perfect daughter or granddaughter anymore, I didn't care about what anyone thought, I just wanted to make them pay." Her eyes had become narrow slits and Reina rubbed her back to soothe her. Marie gradually calmed down.
"And that's when you attacked them?" Derisi asked. Marie responded with a green flash. "And your memories of doing that were fuzzy before. Can you see them more clearly now?"
Marie shuddered her eyes clouded. She flashed a pale green before shame and regret coloured her mantle and tears started to roll down her cheeks. "And then I… I just remember chasing after Murl. I didn't want him to get away. Then… I don't remember. I think I just remember waking up in the clinic after that."
"I see. Marie, do you regret what you've done?" Reina glared at her, as if asking how she or anyone else could possibly think otherwise, but she was ignored.
Marie sniffled and nodded, her mantle too much of a mess to respond clearly otherwise.
"Very good. You can go back to your mother now."
Sivalli stepped aside and Reina escorted her back to her seat. The courtroom was totally silent except for their footsteps and any sniffling coming from Marie. Her mother was prepared with tissues and cleaned her up.
The panel of judges looked between them and addressed the room. "The facts of the situation on the twelfth, including witness testimony, have been heard. We will break for recess and then we will hear from the medical teams that responded and the Ecclesiarchy's conclusions."
Reina entered Judge Agripp's office prickling with tension. The whole stress of the situation surrounding Marie had taken its toll on both her nerves and patience. The last few days of dealing with the legal aspects had not helped in the least. Yesterday had been the last day of the hearing and they were awaiting the verdict of the judges, which made Reina wonder why she'd been called.
High Priestess Sivalli and the hallar that had come with her were also in the room. Agripp sat behind his antique desk, the sunlight coming in through the window streamed in behind him.
"Matriarch," he greeted without rising.
"Your Honour." She sat in the chair beside Sivalli and eyed him. "May I ask what it is you wanted to speak to me about?"
Agripp folded his hands and looked her in the eye. It was the look of a person about to tell her something she didn't want to hear.
"We have come to a decision in regards to the situation around your granddaughter. It required a lot of back and forth as well as a great deal of advisement from High Priestess Sivalli and the Temple of Retribution as a whole. We can't just consider Marie, we have to consider the boys too."
Reina scowled. "If you want to do what's best for them get them away from their mothers. They're an awful influence and I don't think they've been treating their boys right either."
"That's a separate issue beyond my jurisdiction. The Temple of Retribution will have to deal with that."
"We intend to," Sivalli replied. Her voice remained perfectly neutral but her eyes were hard as rubies. "They think they can cut their losses and run. We will not let them get away with it so easily."
Reina frowned. "Cut and run?"
"They're leaving Calamari County," Agripp explained. "Moving away. Publicly they'll probably say it's to get away from your granddaughter, which is true enough, but the main reason is that they've been humiliated and they've realized that the community will shun them once the verdict is heard and people start figuring out the truth."
Reina stiffened. "So then, that means Marie won't be held responsible?"
Agripp's expression didn't change. Reina's elation evaporated, replaced with a sense of impending doom.
"We have concluded that Marie's actions were a defensive response to what seemed, to her, a deadly situation. The damage done to the boys was due to the hysterical strength she exhibited as a result of her defensive instincts being prematurely triggered. After all she'd been through and thinking she was going to die, it's hardly surprising. She did go after the last boy but we are talking about a child dealing with hormones and emotions she wasn't nearly prepared to control."
"Of course. Now, what's the bad news you've obviously brought me in here to tell me?"
Agripp's hands gripped each other tighter but he otherwise showed no change in preparing to deliver said bad news.
"What I just told you is what the public will be told. It's true enough but let's be honest, Marie's actions may be understandable but she still tried to commit murder. She was scared and she was being threatened but wasn't focused on defending herself, she wanted to kill those boys. Her feelings are understandable, given all she's gone through, which is why she's not being sent to the Hall."
Reina's insides knotted. The Hall was where some of the worst children ended up, ones that acted like criminals or other reprehensible members of society. At the Hall they were rehabilitated and a surprising percentage of them became hallar, hence their name.
Reina looked at Sivally who gave her a sympathetic look but offered nothing to contradict what Agripp said.
"Marie's a sweet girl," she said. "She regrets what she's done."
"That has been made clear," Sivally assured her. "I did hear she's been having nightmares about it. The same can be said of Murl. The other boys are not yet lucid enough to experience proper dreams. They're in comas. There is no telling when they will awaken. Marie is the one who did that to them. They certainly deserved punishment for what they did but not that."
Reina swallowed hard. "And this is where you tell me Marie's punishment, isn't it?"
Agripp flashed green. "First of all, I have to give those boys and their families a guarantee of safety. They need to know that we understood what they've been going through. The Temple will have to do most of that work but the justice system has to make the first step."
"Just spit it out, already," Reina said irately.
Agripp regarded her blandly. "I have to explain everything because I know how you react to these things, Reina, especially where your granddaughter is concerned."
Her old classmate leaned back in his chair, his eyes boring right into hers. "Firstly, Marie has to stay away from the those boys."
Reina's mantle darkened. "Shouldn't be too hard if they're leaving town."
"I'm not finished. Marie has to stay away from them by law. I'm authorizing a restraining order against her."
Reina's mantle turned a bright orange, gaping in surprise, then she scowled as it turned to a dark crimson. "You're out of your mind! How can you put a restraining order on a child?"
"I've already done it, and I'm pretty sure I just explained why."
Reina half rose from her seat. "Marie is not dangerous. She'd be too afraid to hurt those boys again. You agreed she's been having nightmares about it."
"Sit down," Agrippa barked.
Reina gave him a black look but did as he told her, griping the arms of her chair so tightly she all but left indentations in the wood.
"Marie is not a danger to anyone else, for now," Sivally agreed. "But to those boys, there's still a chance she could snap again. Those boys are also living in fear of her. This restraining order will grant them some reassurance that will make it easier for us to work with them, as well as a modicum of peace."
"At Marie's expense?"
"Your granddaughter nearly committed murder, Matriarch. She has permanently injured three young boys. Yes, she had good reasons for lashing out but that doesn't change what she actually did. If we let her go without punishment it will send the wrong message not only to her but to everyone. As a matriarch, I'm sure you understand that."
Reina did, but that didn't make it easier to swallow. "It'll affect how everyone sees Marie, how she'll be treated by everyone else. That isn't something that can be withheld from the public."
"But it isn't something she will have to constantly bring up either," Agripp told her. "Besides, it will run out when she becomes an adult and her slate will be wiped clean. The restraining order is to keep them away from her as much as the other way around. It might sting for a little while but it'll fade quickly once the initial scare is gone."
Reina crossed her arms. "You don't know this town well enough for someone who has their office here. The people around here ostracized Callie and Marie, and even Floa, just because they were a little different and basically because those three slags said so, just because Mora and Silvie have… interesting pasts."
"I am aware," Sivalli said, her tone dipping low. "In general, I have been very disappointed in Calamari County. Many of the parents here are doing a poor job of setting an example for their children and they lack a strong sense of community. Mora and Silvie at least have the excuse that they lacked good parental figures for most of their lives. The others do not. Hopefully, someone will rise to lead them soon."
"I wouldn't bet on it," Reina mumbled. "And what about those boys' punishment? Let's not forget that they violated the community's ordinance after they nearly murdered Callie."
Agripp arched an eyebrow. "You think what they've gone through isn't punishment enough?"
"It most definitely is not," Sivally interjected. "There's nothing we can do for the boys who are critically injured, at least not for the foreseeable future, but Murl we will definitely be watching and guiding for a while. His situation is delicate so we will have to be careful and slow, but it is not forgotten.
"Failing to punish them after what they did will only teach them and others the wrong lessons. People tried to show them compassion and they spat in their face. It is important they learn how unwise that was and gain some perspective on that situation from everyone else's point of view."
There was steel in Sivally's voice. Reina could imagine the conversations she had with Mrs. Towers hadn't gone nearly as well as her talks with Marie and Silvie.
"Fine," Reina grumbled. "So what else is there?"
Sivalli said, "Marie will have mandatory volunteer work with the Temple for the next few years. This is part of the punishment but it is also so we can help nurture her and help her heal. The details will be worked out later."
"And it will help redeem her in the eyes of others," Agripp added. "Assuming your quiet sanction."
Reina grunted. "You thought I'd raise the black pits if you announced all this without talking to me first."
"I didn't think," Agripp countered. "I know you would have. How do you think Marie would have acted if that happened? It would just be more evidence, in her mind, that she has brought shame on her family, on you. That girl adores you and looks up to you a great deal."
Sivalli added, "and your quiet consent would make it seem like to her that it isn't something worth making a big fuss about so she will overcome the guilt more easily, with time. Let us not repeat past mistakes, Matriarch."
Reina grit her beak, understanding their argument all too well. "And it means attention wouldn't be drawn to those boys or their mothers either. You want me to leave them alone too."
"It would help," Agripp agreed. "I think it would be best for everyone involved if we just considered the matter settled, don't you?"
Not for Reina it wouldn't. She wanted to chase those three inkyora down and bring them low, very low for what they did to their own children and what they did to Callie and Marie and Mora. But they were right, Marie's well being was more important than her own self satisfaction.
"Fine, but I need something first."
Agripp arched an eyebrow. "What would that be?"
Reina looked in Sivalli's direction, but not at Sivalli herself, at the hallar standing next to her. "I'm worried that Marie might be too afraid to defend herself now for fear of something like this happening again. She'll be more vulnerable than ever. We need a way to prevent this."
The hallar didn't realize Reina was talking to her at first. People were usually too afraid to speak to them directly. Her eyes widened in surprise then narrowed in thought as she considered Reina's dilemma.
"She must learn self-confidence and self-respect. She must learn not to fear losing control by understanding how to maintain it. She lashed out in the caverns because she panicked, because she knew no other way to defend herself. That is one of the reasons the anger took over so easily. She knew no other way."
Reina pondered this a moment. "So you're saying she should learn self-defence?"
"Might not be a bad idea," Agripp said thoughtfully. "But there are no places in Calamari County that I'm aware of where she could learn. She'd have to go to the city."
Reina regarded him with a deadpan look. "Are you serious? Why send Marie to the city when she could learn from our nation's deadliest enforcer right at home?"
Agripp's eyes went huge, and he briefly went pale before he displayed a strong red. "Absolutely not! Do you know what you're saying? You'd have someone with a history of excessive violence try and teach your granddaughter how to defend herself without ripping the other person to shreds?"
Reina gave a baleful stare. "If Silvie were the same way she was back then, do you think she would have suffered such vicious bullying of her child and niece? She was restraining herself because she was trying not to make the same mistakes of her past. If there's anyone who can teach Marie restraint and how to deal with what she's gone through, it's her."
"She would need a license to teach self defence and I can't imagine anyone giving it to her."
"To teach her own child?"
Sivalli cut in. "A license is needed for credentials and to grant qualifications to the students, but Marie is learning all this for herself. As Marie's mother, teaching her would also be her right."
Agripp looked at her disbelievingly. "You're okay with this?"
Sivalli and the hallar shared a look before she replied, "just to be thorough, we will consult the Grand Master on the matter, but I strongly suspect he will rule in her favour. A parent's right to teach their child how to protect themselves is as old as our history."
"I doubt that will ease the concerns of the other parents around here."
Reina glowered at him. "After how they treated Callie and Marie, I could hardly care less. Maybe a little fear will be good for those penless worms. Besides, I'm not going to let my own granddaughter turn into a bully, nor will Callie let her either. She'll help keep Marie stable, and in a few months, everyone will have forgotten about the incident."
Agripp's jaw tightened but he relented. "Fine, but I hope it works out as well as you say."
"The Ecclesiarchy will be there too, guiding her. I'm not worried."
"Then we're agreed?"
Reina flashed green, reluctantly. But agreement or no, she would make sure that nobody made a doormat out of her granddaughter ever again.
Author's Notes:
In human language, the name "Marie" can mean: star of the sea, rebelliousness, bitter, beloved, exalted one, and wished for child, among other meanings. I used the last one as the meaning Marie's parents wanted to have for her. Having someone well-versed in human history in the family helps ;). Similarly, I used the name "Callabria" for Callie, naming her after the Calabria region in Southern Italy (though misspelled).
Poor Marie, she's been through a lot and there's more to come for her. Doesn't seem fair, does it?
What do you think of Silvie's past with her mother and her father? Captain Cuttlefish may have made Agent 3 the Green Demon/Green Death, but Silvie's the one who taught her the skills to back it up.