"State your name to the court."
"Miles Jermaine Nichols of The Chakravanti." Miles stood at attention with his hands behind his back, trying not to look directly at the nine various people who had come to represent each tradition.
"What is your relationship to Derrick Alan Parker?" The one in the center, his robe, a traditional garment of the Verbena, spoke up.
"He is what I would consider a son." Miles said plainly. "He is the adoptive child of my cabal."
"What is your relationship with his father, the deceased?" The Verbena asked.
"I was present when he died." Miles stated.
"Had you met him at any point before the day of his death?" Another member of the council added.
"No. Our first encounter was the day of his death." Miles looked at the ground now.
"Why did he die Mr. Nichols?" The representative of The Akashayana folded their hands as they looked down at him.
"He threatened to kill Derrick. He said he would find us, and put a knife in his own child. Ariana put a bullet in his head." Miles replayed the memory in his head with frustration written onto his face.
The member of The Mercurial Elite sat back in their chair. "What followed the death?"
"We contacted our handle Vicente. Ariana had cleaned up evidence and rolled Jesse into a rug. We then delivered the body to our handler, and left for home."
The council exchanged looks one by one. "Miles, what do you feel about this?" The Celestial Chorus representative asked.
"Horrible, but also quite relieved. Jesse was a man who left his own child on a rooftop for four years. He was an addict, for which I have no judgment, but was clearly more invested in cocaine than his son. Jesse threatened to murder the people who rescued his child from that roof and brought him back to full health. I sleep easier knowing he is dead, but I'm also disgusted at the part I played in it." Miles took a deep breath. "That all being said, had I simply not tracked him down, I could have prevented this. I feel guilty."
None of the council members spoke for a minute as they once again exchanged looks and waited for the next question. The speaker for The Order of Hermes sighed. "That will be all Miles. Please wait outside."
Miles was directed back out into the room, and as he shut the wooden door he looked out at the cabal. Derrick had his eyes fixed on the ground, and Ariana had buried herself in her hands with her hair a tangle. "How'd it go?" Kai asked.
"You know we can't talk about it." Jason looked up from his book to an angry look from Kai.
Garrett stood up next, walking swiftly into the room and refusing to look at Miles as he passed. Miles sat across from Ariana on the benches and pulled a pack of gum from his pocket. The group sat quietly as they waited for Garrett to finish his testimony, looking up only when he opened the doors. "They're ready for us."
One by one they filed into the large court-like room and stood in a line. The center member of the tribunal stood. "The Cabal assembled by the gathered has been interviewed, assessed, and examined with the fullest ability of this tribunal." She took a breath and looked at each of them. "Ariana of The Sahajiya, is hereby placed on a temporary hold for all missions, until further notice. At this time, she is subject to evaluations with a Master of her tradition, and only to return to duty with their approval."
Ariana balled her fists, her eyes fixed on the floor as they continued. "Miles of The Chakravanti has been cleared of all charges. Vicente of The Kha'vadi is cleared of all charges. No other member faces charges. The cabal is dismissed with one quick exception." The council looked up at Derrick. "Derrick Parker of The Akashayana, we offer you our deepest sympathies for the death of your father. We will assemble and deliver the last of his items to you in time." Derrick didn't move a muscle, only staring ahead as they talked.
Dismissed, the cabal slowly walked towards the wooden doors, and back out into the world. "Well that...sucked." Miles stated plainly. "Is everyone okay?"
Ariana was silent, her eyes fixed on the ground. Derrick was looking off into the sky with his hands in his pockets. "Is it cool if I go hang out with Rema once we get home?"
"Of course." Kai said. "Just leave your phone on."
Derrick started walking away and Jason pulled out his keys. "Everyone ready?" Jason asked. As he looked around he pulled aside Ariana. "I hope you know, the shot I fired last night wasn't to scare you. I just wanted to keep everyone in order." She only nodded.
"I've got business to attend to." Miles said shortly. "Once we get back, I'm gonna duck out and do my own thing." Taking their two cars, the group silently headed home with Ariana and Derrick silent in the back seat. The awkward nature of the drive made it uncomfortable as they headed home, and when they arrived, almost all of them walked inside without talking or looking at each other.
Miles with a pad and paper he had been keeping notes on from his investigations, climbed into his own car and took off, heading for the next stop on his journey. He drove for over an hour as he headed to Boulder, home of the chantry he had determined was previously under Carolyn Brewers control. Stopping outside of a large aromatherapy shop, he parked, and drew his pad, checking the address.
"Hi uh..." Miles pulled open the door and found a woman in a colorful outfit standing behind the counter. "I'm looking for The Chantry of Chemical Construction?"
"Ah! An awakened! How lovely." She stepped forward. "I'm Diane, I represent this chantry at all gatherings, and I manage this shop most days. What is your name stranger?" She grinned, opening her arms for a hug. "Allow me to greet you."
"Oh uh...okay." Miles accepted her greeting and walked up to her, spreading his arms and hugging her. "I don't mean this to sound strange, but I love your perfume."
"Why thank you!" She said beaming. "What is your practice?"
"Chakravanti." He nodded.
"How beautiful." She played with her hair. "Do you have time away from your mission, little keeper of the cycle?" She flirted clearly but Miles held up a hand.
"I might after. I need to settle my business first." He awkwardly tried to let her down as gently as possible.
"Very well. Head back through the door, and down the stairs. "You'll find our group."
Miles thanked her and walked back through the storeroom, clomping down the stairs as he went. As he got to the bottom, he found a well furnished area that resembled a hookah bar, complete with tapestries and beanbags. "I'm looking for the leader of this chantry." Miles clapped his hands together happily.
"That's me." A woman sitting against the wall with bright and colorful clothes stood up and raised her hand. "I'm Kendall." She reached out to shake his hand with a large smile on her face. "We just whipped up a batch of acid, you want some?"
"I might take some to go, but unfortunately I have business here." Miles smiled at the large beakers and tubes running intricately around their lab.
"Well then what can I help you with?" She smiled, her eyes half closed from the drugs she had ingested.
"I'm looking for anyone who had contact with Carolyn Brewer." He stated, ready for any resistance.
"Oh! Barb over there was her apprentice for a long time." Kendall smiled as she pointed.
Miles was taken aback at the helpfulness but he held out his hand. "Thank you." Shaking hers, he walked over to Barbara. "Maybe we could talk somewhere private?" Miles offered.
"No thank you. I don't know you and I trust my mentor." She smiled but her eyes were stern and confident.
Miles looked from Kendall to Barbara and nodded slowly. "Okay, I understand you had Carolyn Brewer as a mentor?"
"Yes. Lovely woman. Brilliant too." Barbara happily nodded. "She was quite gifted."
"Can I ask what she was like before she disappeared?"
"She was...upset. As far as I understood she was always fighting with her husband, that piece of shit." Barbara folded her arms. "One day, she came down to the lab and cleared out all of her things. She said she was going to work on a new project, something that she felt could fix a mistake that was made. A lot of our people defected to The Order of Hermes so we didn't have a lot of members left."
Miles bit his thumb. "Was she trying to recruit for help?"
"She wanted any of us she could gather to work with her, and I know she crashed on another member's couch for a week or two while she got set up at her new place." Barbara set down her book and lit a small burner that she placed two coals on for a hookah in the center of the room. "Care to join me? There's nothing in there but nicotine."
Miles thought for a minute. "I supposed it would hurt." He sat on one of the beanbags as she filled a ceramic cup like bowl with the tobacco, covering it in foil and poking holes in the top. She placed it on to of the hookah and sat across from him. "Is there any way you could put me in touch with the person she stayed with? Or the house she moved to?"
"Sorry, I only know the guy she went to stay with. Poor girl gave up everything. After a few weeks, she stopped coming around, and Lonnie said she had disappeared." Looking over as the coals began to burn she sighed. "I miss her every day. She had a beautiful dream of bringing new members into the fold."
"Lonnie was the guy she stayed with?" Miles shifted back to the topic.
"Yeah." Barbara adjusted her glasses. "You're quite diligent about this. Care to extend the same level of trust to me?" She watched as Miles looked at the ground unsure. "What have you got to lose?"
Miles chuckled. "I dunno anymore. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you. Once the coals are set, I'll fill you in completely." He smiled.
Barbara nodded and the two waited for the coals to light, Barbara lifting a metal tray and tongs to transfer them with. "Gather friends." She called to the chantry.
Kendall and two others sat with them at the hookah, waiting for Miles to begin. "It all starts with a rooftop, and a boy." He took a deep breath as they primed the hookah. For an hour he talked, relaying the history of their cabal, and the nature of Derrick. He filled them in on every detail, down to the very last day, and stopped as they exited the tribunal.
"Wow." Barbara smiled. "You make most mages look like boring people in an office. Can I ask you something though?"
