Bonded Summoner-Chapter 35Book 8. : Tyr - Justice Served

The Divine Tyr and his dozens of Aegis Accord brethren appeared in the grand temple that was the Sector 87 Council, their projections and avatars coordinated in several locations at once. Dozens of them were here, as this might be the largest, most important event that has happened in decades.

Another avatar of his was located in a similar temple outside of Sector 87, within the Core Territories. The Grand Council had already met for their secret hearing as a result of evidence Tyr had presented, and decisions had already been made. It was nearly time for them to apply judgment.

He stood outside the entrance, with members of the Aegis Accord present–those that had sworn the oath and a portion of their essence, and joined Odin and Hestia in their grand cause: to earnestly work together for good. To defend life, and to win this war once and for all.

Tyr smiled, and spoke excitedly to those around him. “Today will be a tremendous change in the status quo. Clan Hart has truly risen to the occasion when they defeated the Nameless Monk.”

Hestia smiled beneath her cowl. “And captured the betrayers with so many contraband items intact. Their victory couldn’t have been more complete. The defeat of the Enforcer was significant, but this act has brought Clan Hart to the level of true heroes. Don’t you agree, Lugh?”

Lugh chuckled. “You’re singling me out? I had doubts, but the void child did show the courage and backbone of a hero, and a wisdom that exceeds most that can be called one as well. Worry not, I shall not doubt him again.”

Tyr nodded at that; the only failing, if one could even call it that, was that Calix was not captured. Unfortunately, he had been smart enough to trigger his method of self-destruction before he could be disabled. Perhaps, he knew he was a dead man walking before he even fired his first arrow. They had gathered his sack, but the man had clearly curated the items.

As for their success in collecting the evidence, even opening the pouches by someone apart from the owners would have caused their contents to be destroyed. While they had warriors who had created upsets in the past and won, defeating betrayers and evil plots, they often didn’t have the important set of skills that allowed them to collect the items safely.

Hercules would have shattered the enemy with his fists but lost the tools in the rubble. Achilles would have bathed in their blood, never seeing the web they’d left behind. Cú Chulainn would have chased the foe through fire but not seen the trap’s teeth.

Clan Hart did what heroes rarely could: they won, and they unraveled the web of deception.

The Nameless Monk was truly a perfect fixer. Unable to be sensed without karma with him, and nearly unkillable by someone in the Second or Third Tier. And that’s not even considering whatever his ‘sacred bells’ were able to accomplish, which appeared to disrupt their thoughts altogether. Tyr wouldn’t know until Conquest of The Burning Steps was complete, and he could view the Framework recordings in their entirety.

Combined with their enemy’s usual foresight and divinations to back off if they didn’t see success as nearly guaranteed, Tyr didn’t think they could have caught him in a thousand years. The damage the monk could have potentially caused was incalculable, and Tyr was still reeling from the damage already discovered.

Transporting the items to his avatar had been a challenge, but Tyr had managed to use the two betrayers’ own Refuges to move them and reduce his personal burden. The Nameless Monk’s sacks and special items had him burning his own Essence for days to move them and keep them from unraveling once they left the world, but it was a worthy price to pay in the pursuit of justice.

Odin grinned, his one visible eye filled with mirth, “Our enemy rarely spends so heavily on a plot such as this in the First and Second Tier. It had to be certain that it would succeed in its victory or its ability to cover up its failure. This victory couldn’t have existed without the void child.”

Athena frowned, her owl wings fluttering in irritation. “Yes, whatever you did… you made him a bait that the great enemy wants so badly, that it would give up so much and gamble just for a chance at victory. Just what did you do to him, and just what will be the cost if it succeeds and obtains that which it works so hard for? And how can you keep it all from your allies, and the void child himself? Are you not ashamed?”

Odin responded with clenched teeth. “I do what I must. As for keeping it a secret, such is the nature and power of Mystery. When Hestia believes he can bear the burden of the truth, the knowledge will be his, and yours as well. As for my loyalty to the cause, my burden, and sacrifice are among the greatest. None here should doubt my commitment to the Accord–does anything else matter?”

Athena huffed at that, but kept her mouth shut. It was clear Odin and Hestia had paid heavily for this gamble with backing the void child, and it was truly paying off. The bait was just tantalizing enough for Tartarus to work hard for, and the hero’s hidden strength was just enough to earn victory. All within a Frontier Sector, where the rules and limitations placed on the Divine prevented them from putting their fingers too heavily on the scales.

Tyr knew there was more to it than just the Nidhogg scale Clan Hart had just learned about from the monk. While it would explain the hidden nature and the strength against divination, it would not explain the desire Tartarus clearly had for Clan Hart and the void child himself. At this point, it was just feeding him power, something Tyr had never seen it do so incessantly before.

It would usually lure them into a false sense of security and ambush all at once, but it was like it couldn’t help but try at every opportunity if it thought it had any chance of success. Whatever Odin had hidden within, the eldritch entity wanted it so badly that it would damn the costs again and again.

Echidna brushed it off, speaking from above them with her towering form. “So One Eye took some risks. So what? To not take risks, to do nothing at this point, is the same as hiding like prey, waiting for a maw to arrive at our throats.”

Athena eventually sighed. “I understand this. I just do not like being left in the dark. I will admit that our victory today is proof that Odin’s plan is working, because the void child and his clan have truly won a monumental victory, earning unquestionable potential for themselves, and thwarting so many plots all at once. Now it is up to us to follow through. Are we prepared? Truly? Loki is not one to go down without a fight, and Ares and the rest of the tricksters…”

Cernunnos chuckled darkly. “Will flail like unruly children? Perhaps. But they will all pay for their wickedness today, mark my words.” The satyr-like Divine narrowed his eyes on Athena. “You don’t have confidence in our creation? With the Grand Council’s ruling and the rest of us in position, this is nothing more than mere theatrics–the deed is as good as done.”

Athena shook her head. “I do have confidence, if it were just Loki. But Tartarus and its methods are…unnatural. It would be foolish to underestimate it.”

Odin grinned. “Then it’s a good thing we have contingency after contingency lined up. Today things change, and for the better–no matter what they do.”

Lugh shook his head. “While I don’t wish to lessen our victory, a dozen or so gods in chains might seem impressive… but in truth? They are a handful among hundreds. A drop in a divine ocean, and they are far from the only treacherous ones. This is just a start. The fight with the evil shadows of the Alliance is only beginning.”

Mars chuckled, the Roman god of war nodding. “You’re right, my brother in arms. There is much work to be done if we wish to prevail. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be proud, and that we shouldn’t press the advantage. Let us recruit more valuable allies to our great cause.”

Bastet nodded with a smile. “That is right. Let us take advantage of this upset to create an even larger one. While we might have unveiled the Aegis at a later date, we all agreed that now is the time. That this happened before the War Trial is fortuitous.” 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Arawn said with a little urgency, “It is time, brothers, and sisters.”

Tyr and the Aegis Accord Divine teleported into the Sector 87 Council, arriving above Administrator Kintrel–the entire line of seats was full of the Divine with interests, a quorum this time. Many of the Aegis Accord Divine wore cowls, mostly to speed things up and leave the traitors guessing what was happening.

It was on short notice, but it was made clear just how important this hearing truly was. They did the same at the Grand Council, preparing for the moment of judgment.

Many of the Elder Divine showed up at both councils–even those not a part of the Aegis Accord. Zeus, Izanagi, Ra and Isis, Hel, Hades, and more were here to pass judgment on the betrayers of The Alliance, most of their projections wearing cowls if they didn’t belong in Sector 87.

The Sector Native Lords and those with heavy investments lined the seats in the auditorium, and many of from both sides of the hearing have had terrible feelings lately. Memories had returned of valiant warriors and leaders they had lost over the years. Some immediately began to seek justice, and this even included some of the Elder Divine themselves.

While Champions had a strong karmic connection to their Divine which protected them from the monk unless they were in on it, as it were, the average clergy or commander didn’t have that luxury.

They had been outright erased by the Nameless Monk’s prowess, altering the outcome of various contests. Tartarus and these traitors had participated in win trading, where Tartarus would have them carry out its tasks, and in return, it would grant them wins of their choosing and more.

The monk had manipulated the outcome of dozens of Conquests and Battlegrounds, assassinating warriors and important people. The only consolation to Tyr was that in many of the cases, the price Tartarus paid to make them disappear exceeded what it gained from doing so, aside from covering up its crimes.

Bringing a Fourth Tier Divine Ascendant, even limited to Champion strength, was prohibitively expensive. And yet, it paid the price again and again, wishing to hide its crimes, and accomplish its goals.

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Now, those crimes were uncovered, and Tyr believed they had as close to an accurate accounting as possible. It would pay for its crimes, and in a way, it was paying twice and overturning many of the losses to be gains for The Alliance instead.

A royal elf looked around him with surprise, as the last people filed in and sat down. “Why are so many of us here? The Divine and us Sector Nobles.” The man’s eyes widened. “Some of those Divine are wearing cowls; just who are they? There are so many.”

Tyr saw Loki, Hermes, and Ares each had unsatisfied frowns as they spoke among themselves, trying to figure out just who was here and imagining why. The cowls truly provided anonymity; they had no idea who they were or why they were here–it seemed his guess was related to the upcoming War Trial.

Administrator Kintrel slammed the gavel down. “The Council is now in session. We are gathered in this emergency council today for an important hearing. For you to bear witness to a significant change to occur not only within this Sector, but within the Core Territories themselves. This will have far-reaching consequences for The Alliance, and will certainly influence the upcoming War Trial.”

The sector nobles were shocked, but the magic from the gavel kept them mostly quiet. The administrator continued, “Seven days ago, we received irrefutable proof that Radiant Glory and nearly all of their subsidiary guilds are actively involved in betraying The Alliance; colluding with the enemy and carrying out its will. Since then, we have refined and gathered more evidence, to present to you now. Let us begin.”

Cassius and Avaron were teleported onto the platform, their bodies in runic chains and kneeling on the ground. Loki stood in shock from his seat not far from the administrator, and Ares’s eyes widened. Hermes now looked concerned, with his eyes roaming the room in suspicion.

Tyr couldn’t help but tease Loki a bit, speaking to the roguish god from where he sat. “You seem confused, Loki. And more so than because your son was up to no good.” He chuckled. “I bet you’re surprised that he is even alive. Why is that, I wonder? Would you care to share?”

Loki schooled his features. “I am surprised. And I am shocked and appalled that my son was caught doing such terrible things, and that you would slander him so before a trial proving his guilt.”

Tyr’s smile in response didn’t meet his eyes. “Yes, shocked that he was caught.”

Administrator Kintrel spoke up. “The Divine Tyr will share the evidence gathered against these two traitors of The Alliance. You may begin speaking to the council about your findings, Divine Tyr.”

Tyr teleported down to the two men, and addressed the council, spreading his one and a half arms out wide. “The evidence we have against these two is absolute. These men used sacrificial rituals to empower themselves, and contraband items, which allowed them to attack members of The Alliance in a plot to end the world of The Burning Steps, handing it over to the enemy, and that is not all. We have received recordings of their actions and truth-bound testimony from them supporting this, but that is far from all the evidence we have against them.”

He waved his hand, and dozens of recordings played, all at once. For a normal human, there would be no way that they could keep up with the sheer number of things happening all at once. But those capable of creating projections and avatars could multitask at this level, and understand what they were seeing.

It included several videos where Cassius and Avaron admitted their many plots over the past several decades, and what they knew under Tyr’s questioning. They spoke of a Patron, and a Proxy, from whom they followed orders without question. The Proxy allowed them to work with the enemy, along with an Alliance Divine outside the sector, the Patrons, communicating in ways that violated the rules of the Framework.

The many nobles and divine in the room gasped and started speaking in outrage. From their testimonies alone, more than a dozen worlds in Sector 87 had already been lost to Tartarus altogether, and many of them were Tier 3 worlds, a tremendous loss for the Alliance and its chances in the War Trial coming soon. And Calix, who was certainly involved, hadn’t even been questioned since he was dead.

Many of them started shouting at Loki and Ares specifically, requesting reparations, and some demanding War Games to settle their grievances. But Administrator Kintrel slammed his gavel, a wave of silence washing over the auditorium once more.

“This hearing is only beginning. These crimes are terrible, and many of you seek vengeance. And you shall have it along with reparations before this session is complete, rest assured. Wait until the end, and if you still have grievances, we shall hear them. Continue, Divine Tyr.”

Tyr concluded once the videos finished playing, “So you see, these two must be punished, and their guild members must be punished as well. Nearly seventy-five percent of their members have been proven to be involved in this betrayal of the Alliance in some way, shape, or form, for which we have gathered evidence.”

Loki sneered from above him. “Proven? From a tortured testimony? Ridiculous.”

Tyr turned and gave him a thin-lipped smile in response. “Tortured testimonies? These are testimonies backed by the essence of truth–they cannot be tortured or tainted in such a way. However, perhaps you’re right. We do require some more evidence than the lips of their leaders. How about these?”

More recordings played, but this time, there were many voices. The council became noisy at this point, shocked at the number of betrayals occurring all at once.

Tyr smiled. “How about their own admissions, via a token that nearly all guild members have? Admissions from their own mouths? These are the many officers of Radiant Glory and the Obsidian Blades, and the many Subguilds within them. Rotten from the top, down to the bottom. How’s that?”

Loki was shocked. “Where did you get these recordings? How could you get them?”

Tyr chuckled. “As for how, how do you think? Hearthtribe collected these tokens with permission from Administrator Kintrel, as a result of the last hearing. Remember? The one where the hundred or so people were capturing people for slavery during wartime, and you assured us that more crimes wouldn’t be found. Interesting, that.”

Loki shrunk under his gaze, but Tyr smiled broadly, “You did believe your words, but we knew you had chosen them treacherously. At any rate, as I said, the evidence is absolute, and the vote has already been completed. It was unanimous.”

Hermes was the one who was shocked now. “What? You ruled without us here? When?”

Tyr chuckled. “There’s a good reason for that, but that will be for later. For now, there’s an issue of punishment for these two betrayers.”

Administrator Kintrel slammed his gavel down, silencing the room once again. “For the loss of so many worlds at their treachery, death would be too kind. However, these men are too dangerous to be left to their own devices, even with a tight leash. It is the council’s judgment that should they have remorse in their hearts, they can become Penitents of Arawn. If not, they shall be dragged down into the Shadows of Tir Na Nog.”

Ares looked disgusted, scoffing. “You’d drag them into some disgusting swamp? My son Cassius should at least be placed in the Greek Underworld, where his soul belongs! Why, Hades will not allow it!”

Loki sneered. “And my son won’t be going to Helheim? Hel will not allow this either!”

Administrator Kintrel shook his head, his gem-like eyes lighting up brightly. “We’ve already gotten permission. And the reason they allowed it was simple. These two attacked and tried to frame Baron Hart for their own crimes, which makes him have a right to justice. Observe.”

In his hand a recording device was held, and a managram was played, where Avaron, Cassius, and Calix almost comically defeated Clan Hart, all too easily, the true heroes billowing corruption and their eyes filled with hate. Then, a second recording played–showing what actually happened, using the contraband items to create the barrier, and Jake completely stomping them–with Fhesiah’s help.

Echidna pointed at Bloodberri in the background, cleaving the entire mountain fortress in two as Jake taunted the two betrayers. “Look! You can even see me there, in the background. What fun that was! Isn’t my descendant amazing?”

The golem continued, ignoring Echidna’s outburst, “This recording was found in your son’s Refuge, Loki–and after he himself was the one full of the evil god’s corruption–the true recording of what happened was shown. Their plot was truly vicious. They had aided Tartarus for years in setting this betrayal up, a plan that few could ever succeed in thwarting. An example must be set for this level of treachery, and so it has been decided that the Divine that have a direct interest in this case decide your son’s fate. And the aggrieved party decided on your sons’ fates.”

Loki’s eyes widened. “Wait…everything’s been decided? But only the Grand Council could…”

Tyr grinned. “We have a lot to get through, so if that will make this a little quicker for you to accept…” He gestured with his hand, and the Framework shifted, a weight descending around them.

A rumbling shook the temple, but it wasn’t just here at Sector 87. The same thing was happening in the Core Territories, the Grand Council, where Hermes, Ares, and Loki resided–their own seats of power.

Hermes gasped. “What…what is this? My true avatar is being summoned?”

Ares looked over with fear in his eyes. “Me too…what… What is happening?”

Loki looked outraged, his eyes turning cold and calculating. No doubt, plotting and trying to take action with his other projections and avatars. But eventually, his face shifted into one of disbelief.

Odin removed the cowl, and spoke up from above them, chuckling. “You must have noticed now, Loki. The reason so many Divine are here, is because they are also there. At the Grand Council. So sit down, and just listen for a moment, and we’ll get to you and your betrayals. The Elder Divine have all spoken, their decisions already made. You’ll find that your Territories are sealed, and the reason for that will become apparent in just a moment. We have other guests that will be here shortly.”

Administrator Kintrel slammed down his gavel. “Continue, Arawn. You may give judgment.”

Arawn appeared before them, the lord of Annwyn emanating a power of death. He held out his hand, and an image of the heavenly city appeared above him, the paradise, and a golden scale appeared in his hand.

It teetered to one side, and he shook his head. “These two are not repentant. They only regret that they were caught. They cannot find penitence. The two shall be dragged to the depths of the swamps, to suffer and feed the cycle of rebirth.”

“Father, help me! … Please!” Avaron pleaded, entreating his father to act. Loki met his eyes, a cold sneer on his expression. To Tyr, this was a sign that his previous ally was long gone. To look at his child with such disdain, failure or not.

Cassius just stared downward, likely knowing that pleading with Ares was fruitless. A portal to the underworld was opened underneath the two. Writhing vines covered in mud and deathly energy were seen, and they grasped onto their legs, and began dragging them underneath. Bones snapped as Avaron and Cassius screamed in pain, until eventually their screams were muffled by the mud and vines.

Three Divine Sparks shot out from each of them, arriving in Arawn's hand as the portal closed and they disappeared. Ares and Loki both looked at them covetously, knowing that their essence, only lightly shifted from the original, was contained within.

Administrator Kintrel continued, “It is done. Lord Arawn will judge all of Radiant Glory and their various Subguilds–those found guilty by the council. Those who can seek penitence will become Servants of Arawn, able to pay reparations for all the damage and harm they have done across the ages. Those not found guilty will be placed on a watch list, their actions monitored for a period no less than one decade, and up to one century for those in the Third Tier.”

It was a helpful sentence. Those not found guilty would be lucky if any major guild accepted them at all, ever again. Anyone who was up to no good would have difficulty accomplishing anything on their own, and, most importantly, the War Trial would already be beyond a stage where they could matter by then.

The council was shocked by the happenings, and there was a feeling of anticipation as they understood that this was just the beginning. Lord Zhuge fanned himself with a knowing smile, and Marcus Aurelius spoke with Cyrus and Ramesses animatedly. That Radiant Glory and the Obsidian Blades had been closed would already shift the landscape of Sector 87 significantly.

At the same time, it was merely one major alliance of dozens at the Third Tier that owned worlds. There were over a hundred Tier 3 worlds in this Sector, though only about half were Alliance-owned.

Tyr smiled as justice was served, but this was just a small fraction of what would occur today. The hearing was just getting started.