Chapter 38: Trial By Storm
"The accused may step forward," a loud feminine voice echoed across the chamber.
I stepped onto a small platform, elevated just a few inches above the rest of the floor. A bright spotlight shone from above, coming from a small hole at the very top of the domed ceiling.
"Aldrin Stormborn, you’ve been summoned before the Imperium Tribunal, to answer for the charges brought against you..."
It was the same monotonous, lifeless voice that made my skin crawl. Rather than focus on it, I decided to pay attention to each member of the tribunal.
There were five of them, seated around a long bench in front of me.
The large woman with the boring voice sat in the middle, wearing a long dark robe. On the table in front of her, was a small plaque inscribed with the words "Dean Zerella."
To her left, I quickly recognised Professor Long, his long white beard resting on the table, as he stared at me with a stone-cold face. And to her right, Professor Varyn sat comfortably, leisurely swinging his crystal wand.
Sasha, class leader for the third-year students, sat on the far left edge of the table, her bright pink hair combed down to cover half of her face.
On the far right edge was another student – a short male elf with pale skin, and a face that reminded me of a baby dragon. I hadn’t really seen him before, but since he was on the tribunal, I assumed he was the leader of the second years.
A bunch of students were seated behind me, carefully observing the show.
"In summary," Dean Zerella concluded, "you’ve been accused of being a false mage, cheating, and sabotaging the school tournament. The punishment is expulsion. How do you plead?"
"Not guilty," I replied.