Series: On Dragon's Wings||Title: Proper Behavior||Chapter: Trial
Characters: Mizael, Alit, & Leonius
Chapters: 4-8||Words: 1,628||Total: 6,371
Genre: Friendship||Rated: PG-13
Challenge: Diversity Writing, YGO Zexal Aus, section I10, multichap with exactly 8 chapters
Notes: This takes place in the same world as Ring The Dinner Bell, Face of Death, and Diamond of the North, and occurs after Mizael left Vector's kingdom.
Summary: Mizael's evening rest is interrupted by two strangers who think they've seen a dragon. Really. A dragon. How silly.
Neither Alit nor Leonius got another wink of sleep that night. When they weren't talking about what Mizael did, one or both of them thought about it. Talking or thinking, neither of them could make heads or tails of it.
"It wasn't even that valuable," Alit pointed out for what could have been the third time. "Why would a thief good enough to get into the vault take something that wasn't really worth that much?"
Leonius shook his head, much as he had the previous times Alit brought up that point. Alit was right; that actually was the problem. So much else there was so much more valuable. Why ignore easily spendable coins or priceless gemstones? There was more going on here than met the eye.
"We'll give him the chance to tell us at his trial," the Emperor decided. There was little enough to decide; the law was the law. Even when someone had been caught as cleanly as Mizael had been, the law still gave them a chance to speak to their own defense.
But the Emperor could not at all guess at what defense this strange knight might give. Enchantment of some kind? There was a sense of magic about him, or so some of the spells that had been set in the vault revealed. Those spells were set to reveal as much as possible about any intruders, so that the guards and sorcerers knew how to keep a captured thief from fleeing. So far it seemed that the stasis spell would do that very well indeed.
He looked furious. Leonius hadn't forgotten the look when they'd first seen Mizael there. Shocked and angry, but not at being caught. At least he didn't think so; the spells didn't allow for the reading of minds, but the expression spoke of something else altogether.
There would be questions, the Emperor determined, and there would be answers to the questions. Mizael would not be allowed to leave until he'd spoken the truth about what he'd done and why. They'd been kind to him and this was what happened because of it? It made no sense at all.
It would have to later. For having known him only a few short hours, Leonius didn't want to execute him for theft from the royal vault.
Leonius could and usually did arrange the order of his day to suit himself. Most of the time he enjoyed a pleasant hour or two sparring with Alit before they had breakfast, then he dealt with anything truly important to the running of his realm. Trials were something he tended to hold off until the afternoon. They didn't have many that he had to personally preside over, but he made certain this one was one of those.
Mizael was brought into the courtroom, and if Leonius hadn't guessed otherwise, he would've thought he was the ruler here. The spells that kept him mute and frozen no longer applied to him; by law they were removed just before he entered the courtroom. But his head remained held high and he gave no more attention to the two guards that bracketed him than he would have if they weren't there at all.
The head of the vault guards stepped forward. "Majesty, this person was caught by the spells on your royal vaults in an attempt to steal a valuable vase from within." He gestured to where the vase rested now, held as evidence by a servant. "There is no doubt of his guilt, as he was caught in the very act."
Leonius looked from the vase to Mizael. Valuable, not even priceless. It still made no sense at all to him. But he turned his attention to the prisoner instead.
"What have you to say for yourself?" He restrained from asking the other questions he wished: that they'd offered him shelter and food and this was how Mizael chose to repay them? He didn't think he was such a horrible judge of people. Mizael had secrets; that was obvious. But ones that could justify this?
Mizael shrugged. A simple movement of his shoulders and no more. "It belongs to me."
Both guards around him and the chief vault guard stared at him. One of the closer guards breathed out a few words that likely would've given his parents cause to punish him. Alit, however, wasn't so held back.
"That's your excuse? It's not even a good one! That was sent to Leonius in honor of his coronation!" Alit's hands tightened into fists as he glared at the blond. "It came directly here from the oceans of the North! How could it be yours?"
Mizael quirked up an eyebrow curiously. "The oceans of the North. I presume you mean King Nasch?"
Alit and Leonius both froze at that. There were few people in this part of the world who knew anything of the northern realms, lands of oceans and ice and magical creatures that abounded in great numbers.
"That is not relevant," Leonius said after a moment. "Why would you claim that this is yours?" That was what mattered.
But Mizael smiled, and the Emperor wondered how that many teeth could fit into a human's mouth. It didn't seem at all possible.
"It is relevant. I'm acquainted with King Nasch and his sister. They could confirm to you what I could tell you: that vase is mine, though I never saw it before last night."
Alit shook his head. "Could you make some sense?"
Mizael glanced from one side of the room to the other, then back to the Emperor. "It would be easier to show you. But I would need more room than this. Outside would be better."
The guard chief snorted. "You think we'd just let you go outside? You'd probably try to run away."
Really, how did Mizael fit all of those teeth inside of his mouth? They were more like the teeth of a predator than anything else. His unique eating habits also made Leonius wonder what they had yet to learn. "I won't run away."
Something began to stir in the back of Leonius's mind. So many teeth, hints of magic about himself, acquainted with the ruler of the northern oceans, and claiming he needed space to prove what he said?
I think I am beginning to understand. But he would need to see it to be certain, and for the benefit of everyone else as well. They would believe him if he said what he thought, but they would not believe Mizael, and that would be more important. He rose to his feet.
"I will trust you once more, Mizael, not to leave until given permission." He chose his words with care, staring down at the prisoner. Mizael looked back at him, the light catching in his eyes in a way that it would with no human.
"Very well." Mizael nodded just once, then turned without hesitation to the nearest exit, his guards scampering after him.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Leo," Alit muttered as they followed, Leonius's own guards in formation around them. Leo said nothing at all. He hoped for the same.
Soon enough they all stood in one of the lawns outside. There was space enough here for almost anything to fit. At Leonius's gesture, the guards stepped back, and Mizael stood there, free of all bonds and spells.
"Tell me, Emperor, what is you expect to see," he said, leveling his gaze on the other. "You suspect something of me."
"There are few creatures that would say that something they've never seen before is theirs, and fewer still who could claim knowing the King of the Northern Oceans and his sister. I could confirm that in almost no time. It's not something that a common thief would lie about, or even think to lie about," Leonius said, meeting those eyes. "But you are no common thief. Nor are you a thief at all."
"No, I am not." Mizael shook his head and stood even taller and prouder. "Thieves take what isn't theirs and I would never touch what isn't mine." Magical energies began to swirl around him and the sorcerers cried out, their words muffled as winds blew harsher and harsher.
Alit rested one hand on Leonius's shoulder, his other hand a fist, ready to fight. Leonius only watched, his eyes blurring for a moment as Mizael cast aside what he had been and became what he was.
"A dragon..." Alit murmured the word, then slammed his fist onto his lover's shoulder. "I knew I saw one last night!" He glared over at Mizael, trying and failing to fight off a grin. "You said you hadn't seen one!"
The golden dragon bent his head, staring thoughtfully back at them. When he spoke, his voice hadn't changed much, save to become somewhat deeper and richer. "I didn't lie. Have you seen yourself today? Or at all, aside from a river's reflection or that of a mirror?"
Alit blinked a few times, then let out a small, rueful laugh. "I didn't think about that."
"Dragon or not, you still attempted to steal royal property!" The chief sorcerer declared, inching forward. He didn't get into Mizael's immediate bite or snatch range, as much as anyone could judge such a thing, Leonius noticed with amusement.
But Mizael again shook his head. "Dragons do not steal. I told you: it is mine. A dragon always knows when something is meant to be part of the hoard."
Leonius didn't know enough about dragons to say yes or no to this. But he knew that he had to make a decision. "Return to your human form. I will consider this and bring my judgment tomorrow." Because he needed to think this one through.
To Be Continued
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