CONTENT WARNING: Death, violence, some blood, discussion of potential grief, some familial disagreement, mentions of familial death
Lydia
I am equal parts furious and grieving ahead of time.
Owen doesn't want me to go to the trial - he says that Volpe has specifically told him he's leaving us out of this. I know for a fact that the only reason he's singling out Owen is so he can just come back for us without the family patriarch to help defend us. What difference will it make when I have a bone saw?
"Let's see what good this does, shall we? The world loses one of its best physicians, people are going to die, Josiah and the apprentices are washed off their feet - and none of it will matter to you, because you won't be here to see it!"
"Do you really think I'd do something this drastic without a plan, Lydia?"
"And how do you plan to do anything once Volpe kills you?!"
"He won't! As I said, I am getting out of this alive!"
"And how are you going to do that?"
"Have you even thought about how this will come back to your family? Your staff, even?"
"Of course I have! Volpe is terrified of me, and he still considers me family for some bizarre reason. He isn't going to kill me, I know it."
"And what if Thorne does, who has absolutely no possible reason to spare your life?"
"Volpe has already said that Thorne won't be there. There won't be any danger to this family, Lydia - one, I am not going to die, and two, Volpe has already made it incredibly clear that this is entirely personal."
I
can't get it through his head. He's in no state to protect this family
from the onslaught of witchfinders that are going to come for us. This isn't just about Volpe anymore. It hasn't been for a long time. Jacobism has reared its ugly head, and if the Great Convincer is dead then I've no doubt the High Priest is any better. If there's anything I've learned from growing up in the San Myshuno cities rife with death and squalor, it's that people are desperate to find for a reason for their suffering. Henford is no different. Volpe and Thorne have both given them a reason - wronging the Watcher, and of course, the witches. They aren't going to care for the truth. In their eyes, they already have it.
"Lydia, if anything goes drastically wrong, we can-"
"I'm staying right here! I came all the way to Henford to be with you, yes, but I also came here so we could save people's lives together. If this leads to bloodshed, then this corner of Henford is going to need a surgeon. I don't care how tough things get - I'm staying right here. I don't care what happens to me, I can take care of myself - but I do care what happens to you and the children! You're in no way to fight back if you have to! You know that!"
I know that this is almost entirely to do with his illness. He doesn't need to make up for what he's lost in physical ability; I love him all the same. It's only natural for any half-decent man to fight through what ails him to do what's best for the family - but nearly getting himself killed isn't going to do it. I don't trust in whatever half-baked plan he has for the evening. No amount of humiliating Lord Volpe is going to do anything about the witches. There's only one thing that needs to happen to Lord Volpe, and I dare not say it.
"I hope you know what you're doing. And whatever happens tonight... I love you. You will always be my xīngān."
It was something I would call him when we were younger, meaning 'heart and liver' - something no person could live without, and quite a fun term of endearment for a physician. I see his eyes glitter as I give him a little flat carved jade dragon from my pocket. It was a gift from my parents, one I carry everywhere.
"I love you too, Lydia, but you are forgetting that we have something no witchfinder nor Lord Volpe will know what to do with - and you know as well as I do that my calculations are rarely incorrect."
"You can't calculate anything when you're dealing with a madman like Lord Volpe!" My voice raises to a scream, and I try to calm myself. "Human psychology isn't like human biology. People will do whatever they want. They can't be worked out. Not everything can be worked out. This isn't the chess games you play with Constance."
Owen looks as if he's about to snap at me for a second, but he just pulls up his sleeves and walks away.
"You underestimate the predictability of people, Lydia - especially the likes of Volpe."
Owen
Lydia once told me that jade had the ability to ward off evil and harm. She enclosed it in my palm with her hands before I walked away.
In Lydia's culture, dragons are popular symbols of good fortune and prosperity. Even across the ocean, they are a popular image, and a welcome break from the terrifying Western dragons of the olden days. The patients say the colourful dragons make them feel at ease. Even with the growing focus on fact, reason and science, superstition still runs through the blood of most people.
Gryphons, on the other hand, are terrifying and ruthless forces of nature and fierce guardians of treasured possessions - not too dissimilar to our dragons. Many consider our family symbol to be daunting and discomforting.
It breaks my heart to see my children crying like this. Little do they know that what I am doing is for their own futures, and that I have every chance of returning to them alive.
"Father, what are we going to do without you?"
"I don't want you to die. We were so excited to spend more time with you now you're not a doctor anymore."
"We're going to be very, very sad without you...and bored, too. The other children like us don't have fathers that love them the way you love us. Some of their fathers don't even talk to them!"
My voice is shaking as I speak to them. I can't tell them what will happen tonight. One day, they will realise that I did what I did with not only their futures in mind, but the futures of magic-folk in general, young and old. I try to shake the nerves from my mind. I think back to the likes of Reynold and Katlego, wishing I had their bravery. The desire to do what is right comes so naturally to them both.
"Now, now, my dear children, don't cry. Volpe is not going to kill me, okay? I don't make promises I cannot keep, and I promise all of you that I will come back safe tonight."
Valravn speaks to myself and the children simultaneouslay. Don't you worry, my little chicks - I'll be there to make sure your father will be safe and sound. I'm also a lot scarier than your father.
"But what if you don't come back, Father? Then what?"
"Maybe you could ask Mother for something for good luck!"
The children are far more similar to their mother than they are to myself. The culture Lydia grew up with has an emphasis on the nature of luck, prosperity and fortune. Even as someone knowledgeable about medicine and the definite, fixed nature of science- to her, there's still a degree of superstition involved. To her, there are always going to be elements of the world that cannot be understood nor studied to any degree.
I have always been taught to think of everything in terms of facts, reason and mathematical chance, survival rates being an example. There is no abstract concept in this universe influencing events - it all comes down to science, skill, or human intent. There are still many elements of the scientific world that are still left to guesswork, but I know for a fact that there is something to be worked out eventually. Even the seemingly-unpredictable nature of the human mind is being studied by a number of men in Windenburg these days. There is always something to be worked out, even where magic is concerned.
I have everything planned out in its entirety. I know it won't go wrong; it couldn't possibly go wrong. Luck will play no part in tonight's events. They will go the way I intend them to. As with Samuel, I have had to wait until Volpe's confidence had returned to him. It is the only time to strike.
Miss Tilly makes her way up the stairs, her eyes glassy.
"Owen... Volpe has arrived for you."
A sickly sliver of nervousness intwines itself around my ribcage. It does not matter. Reason must come first, and emotion can wait until later. I follow her down the stairs, and I tell her and Alex not to worry - that I will return. I don't think she believes me, either.
Eduardo stands at the door, flanked by two of his finest lapdogs. There's something about his expression. With his victims, he tends to put on a domineering display. There isn't any of that with me.
"I should hope that you have taken the time to say goodbye to your family, Owen."
"I have, Eduardo. I will greatly miss them, and I am sure they will miss me just as much."
He raises an eyebrow at me. His witchfinders grab me and tie a strong rope around my wrists. I make no attempts to escape. Eduardo cannot fathom my calmness in the face of 'death'.
"You're a bad man, Mr. Volpe!"
"We hate you! We always hated you! We will always hate you!"
"Now, children - be good for your mother, Miss Tilly and Miss Oakley, won't you? I love you more than anything in the world."
With that, Eduardo and his men lead me towards the park. The men pat down my pockets, but they find nothing.
Whatever hints of nervousness I had earlier dissolve. If anything, I'm rather excited.
* * *
The crowd that has turned up is immense. I even see some familiar faces from the medical world, sneering and turning their noses up. I also notice a few furious faces - Alice, Mother Clementia, Katlego, and my own little brother, who appears to be shaking. Please, Eli - I do not want you to witness what will happen tonight.
Volpe's dreary speech begins as he struts about the snow like a terrible player.
"Tonight, these three men have all been accused of the same crime - that of maleficium. Given the size of this crowd, I assume that many of you have turned up to see the trial of a once-famous physician in many corners of the globe - the patriarch of the Annorin family, who, it seems, has more than just centuries of scientific knowledge up his sleeve."
The men utter a sigh of relief to know it's my head on the chopping block first. So much for solidarity.
I try to quell the butterflies in my stomach. I know she's hiding somewhere, watching, waiting. No-one knows the perfect time to strike like she does.
"As some of you may know, Owen Annorin publically showed and admitted to his arcane abilities during the trial of Juniper Yarnold not too long ago. Does anyone remember?"
A fair few people in the crowd nod.
"And do you agree, Owen, that this happened?"
"I do, Eduardo."
"The newspapers have been flooded with stories of the medical council removing your license to practice medicine, on the grounds that the patient did not consent to having magic used on them. Is this true?"
Everyone is sharing confused glances. This isn't like him at all. Eduardo likes to toy with his prey and instill fear in them. I wonder if this is because of our history, or because he knows he cannot instill fear in me like he can in others.
The men besides me begin to whimper. I whisper at them not to worry. They probably think it's easy for me to say such a thing.
"And why did you use magic on your patients without their consent?"
The way he narrows his eyes at me, I can tell that he does not like equal ground. He's used to burning working men and women alive. For every man in Henford who cannot wait to see me set alight, there is a man who believes I have done good for the community as a whole.
"I used a cleaning spell to sterilise equipment, to clean my hands before and after examinations, and to clean wounds. My 'remedies', as I call them, are often made alchemically, and often include a touch of magic. There are times that I have temporarily and lightly sedated a patient so they would not remember my use of magic, which was also grounds for my dismissal. Unfortunately, you have done well to create a world in which magic must be suppressed, beneficial or otherwise - of course I couldn't be open with the patient about it. I did what I did in their best interests. As you may be aware, Eduardo, it is the job of a physician to make sure people do not get sick or die, after all."
"And how do you feel knowing many who once respected you now consider you a 'quack', as they like to say in San Myshuno?"
"I could not care less what people call me. I am not my father; I do not care that some may discredit me because of my use of magic. A combination of magic and science saved many lives, and could save many more if only your disgusting attitudes weren't so prevalent. Now, Eduardo, may I ask a question? Do you think that the people here tonight are aware that you kept our secret yourself for many years?"
Gasps echo through the trees. Beautiful. I notice a young woman shove the crowd...Is that...?
Many voice their opinions out loud and amongst each other.
"Remember how you said that the bloodline families 'knew how to behave' and threatened my father's life to keep him quiet?"
I thought you hated witches? Why did you protect one for so long?
What, so magic is yet another thing that the rich get away with and the poor don't? Enough of this, Lord Volpe! Burn him already!
If it's done with the patients' best interests, then...surely that's just how being a doctor works?
Questioning Volpe like that? Trying to outfox the Fox? I suppose there's a silver tongue to go with that silver spoon.
Set him alight. We'll make a statue out of him from all the melted gold in his pockets, and we'll make it a public restroom!
The gall of some of these people... I know he wants to bring up what happened to Samuel, but he knows he can't. His case against me is already weakening. Why bring up something so irrelevant?
"Yes, that is true," he says, with a sigh. He turns to address the crowd.
"I once believed that the Annorins were the only good magic-folk I had ever met, and I am sad to say that, with the recent news of Owen's dismissal, I see that is not the case."
The crowd's voices surge again.
"The Annorins have made life a living hell for almost everyone in Henford. Magic is the least of their crimes."
"Whether you trust him or not, he's nothing like Samuel Annorin was. A step in the right direction is a step in the right direction."
"Anyone else in his shoes would have kept silent their entire lives whilst the poor witches were killed. A little too late, maybe, but he's risked his own life to speak out like this. How many rich people do you know like that?"
"I don't see why you get to criticise him- or any other spellcaster!"
That last voice - I've never heard his voice so powerful before, nor have I seen him so angry. Everyone turns to my little brother.
"Owen has dedicated his entire life to medicine and saving people's lives. He's never killed anyone or hurt anyone with magic. You don't have magic, but you've killed hundreds of thousands of people! Why do you get to be the judge of whether or not he's a good person?!"
Even I get a little chill down my spine. I admit, I never thought he had it in him. The crowd mutter amongst themselves once again. I hear sprinklings of discussions about Eduardo protecting certain witches. It shouldn't have taken the trial of such a well-known elite to get the attention of the public like this, nor should I have done someting about it so late - but to see the public's mind changing ever so slightly, it's a step in the right direction.
"When Owen's father had me exiled in fear of my 'competition', Owen rebuilt my home and place and work for the sake of reparation. He made his remedies and treatments cheaper and he shared his knowledge as freely as he was able to without persecution. I'd be interested to know what Volpe has done in apology to all of those people in Tartosa who suffered under his reign. I don't know many in his position that would be willing to defy their own flesh and blood for the sake of doing what's right. If he used magic to help his patients and not to harm them, why should it matter?"
Katlego has little reason to defend me, and yet she does anyway. I will always be incredibly thankful for everything she's done. Without her, this corner of Henford would fall to pieces. I know she would not want my sympathy, but it's only natural to feel that way about her. The people fell for Samuel's lies, and yet when their children became sick, Katlego came back and went back to her duties. People don't appreciate her enough for all she's done and put up with. Many look to Katlego as she speaks, many likely remembering when she herself was accused of doing harm with her remedies.
"You've no reason to demonise this man for trying to save people when you've killed so many. If it's about killing people, then why is he tied to the stake and not you, Volpe?"
"Putting a physician at the stake for doing his job is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. If magic was the difference between your life or great sickness and death, you'd take magic in a heartbeat!"
Róisín screams at the top of her lungs, earning a lot of stares from the crowd. I try to communicate with my eyes to her that she should not be here. It's not safe.
"Owen would have never discovered everything that he has done if it weren't for magic! Without him, many more people are going to die! If you kill all the witches there'll be no-one to save your own rears when you're sick!"
Volpe is tongue-tied for a moment.
"I am not doing this with any glee! Owen was a family friend for many years. He is the reason I am in such good health at this age-"
"Then why are you trying to kill him?" Róisín has her vocal foot on Eduardo's neck, putting even some of the adult crowd to shame.
"Because - because I - I have no choice. I cannot keep letting him get away with the scourge of magic. I am doing this because I have to, not because I want to! For many years, I almost felt like a father to him. I have given him countless chances!"
"What kind of 'father figure' wants to murder his own son?" Róisín yells. "Stop making excuses! This is nothing to do with protecting people! It never has been! The only 'fraud' here is you, Volpe!"
I've never felt anything like it - this deep pit of emotion. I knew many of these people would want me dead, but I see the way the everyday folk look at me with a sense of pity even after everything my family has historically put them through. I'm genuinely touched that so many people have decided to give me a second chance in spite of it all.
"Everyone, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart from your kindness - kindness that I do not deserve from many of you. However, I would like everyone not to panic or worry about me.
I will not be dying today, and neither will these two fine gentleman beside me. Together, we can eventually build a world where no witch should have to die for his or her magic ever again."
I feel my entire body trembling with a concoction of insatiable rage and overwhelming desire. My teenage self dreamed of this day for countless years, and it was moments away.
Volpe turns to me, bug-eyed. I can sense her presence growing ever closer. I just need to keep Volpe distracted. The temperature has changed all of a sudden; I can feel the crunchy snow under my feet turning to rime.
"Your plan to ruin my life backfired greatly, Eduardo. I may no longer be a physician, but my legacy as one will go on in the people I saved, the treatments I researched, the medical knowledge I've helped to advance, and the many books I've written and the journals I've written for. Unlike you, people will remember me, whatever happens.
I also believe you forgot to account for something important, Eduardo - something rather relevant to the treatment you've been so thankful for."
Volpe's hands begin to tremble. I've never seen him falter like this - it's entertaining.
A shrill, exotic screech splits the silence in two. Monstrous wingbeats shake the pines. Her anger becomes my own.
"I am no longer under oath."
Everyone looks to the majestic creature in the skies as she swoops down towards us, boasting beautiful plumage and a magnificent wingspan.
I hear Valravn's voice addressing some others here: Do not fear me. I am not here for you. Run.
She drops something at my feet- the wand Eli made for me.
The crowd gradually disperse, some doing as instructed and others fleeing for their lives. Some merely stand there in amazement, and I can't say I blame them. Eli strangely remains, kneeling on the ground and not taking his eyes off of Valravn. He may seem soft, but Eli has a protective side. Róisín screams and falls backwards, backing away until she's near the trees. Why won't she run?
Valravn lands right on top of Eduardo's henchman. Bones crack and blood squelches underneath her talons, sharp as kitchen knives and twice as big. Their blood sprays across the melting snow. She displays her wings proudly as she lands. She looks to Eli - maybe she's speaking to him.
Valravn stares Volpe down. Nothing matches the intensity of a raptor's piercing gaze. I used to enjoy watching the kites from my bedroom window as a child. When raptors set their eyes upon something, it's theirs; its fate has been marked there and then, and there is no escape.
She bounds after him. I can feel the thudding of her feet through the cold hard soil. Volpe trips on a plant and slips into the snow, a cloud of snow and ice enveloping him for a moment.
Valravn rears up, wings spread, and screeches at him. Volpe screams at her to stop talking. I can only imagine how much she's tearing into his pride. He tries to get back up, but he winces and holds on to his leg.
"Owen! Please, I beg you! Do something! Remember what I tried to do for you and for your father!"
Valravn -
He needs to die!
Valravn, please - let me deal with him.
She leaves a sprinkling of stubborn annoyance in my mind.
"Please- please, don't do this, Owen!"
I can't help but chuckle at him like this. It was everyone's dream to see Eduardo fear for his life, and it is my reality.
"All of the witches you killed, and yet you took pity on the only one who was a genuine threat to your life."
Why so much talk, Owen? Kill him already. Kill him, and we can try and rebuild a safe future for the witches! Don't toy with your prey! Let me do it if you must!
A burst of power surges throughout my body. Valravn must be lending me her own magic.
Valravn
The ire in his aura is almost overpowering. This is not just any old grudge. This is one that has simmered in his mind for many, many years, one he could not act on due to what he swore to as a physician.
It was an Annorin staple to have opponents or enemies of the family killed by other circumstances so that they could keep their own hands clean of any accusation. Even those who knew the Annorins had a hand in it were too scared to say anything.
I am no longer a physician, Valravn. Let me do this myself - it's what he deserves.
Volpe's panicked stare reminds me of that of a rabbit or a fish once they realise their place in the food chain. I can imagine someone like Volpe never saw a downfall quite like this. I once witnessed a territorial battle between a gryphon and a dragon, two powerful individuals at the top of the hierarchy. This reminds me of that day.
Owen - take it easy. You'll kill the both of you if you overdo it.
I don't know if he can hear me. The surge of emotions fills my chest with a kind of dread.
The Fulguris spell crackles at the end of the wand, and magical energy stutters all around him. This is the longest I've seen him hold a spell since we met, especially one so powerful. I doubt that much of this is within his own control. Magic influences emotion, emotion influences magic, and the result is explosive.
Volpe's body convulses as the lightning strikes him. His veins are struck deep red and black almost like lightning strikes themselves. His skin burns, and his clothes begin to melt. The energy of the spell is fierce. I can feel Owen's ire and euphoria as if they were my own. Heightened magic can make one feel almost like a deity, I recall Jonah once saying.
When he finally gives in, he lunges forward with a loud wince of pain. I try to speak with him, but he doesn't respond. Volpe's body is reduced to naught but a charred, forgettable husk, and the aura of deific pride radiates from my master like harsh sunlight.
The young girl is gone, but Elijah, Owen's younger brother, remains. Owen tells me he's a rather emotional fellow, but he stays kneeling on the ground, seemingly level-headed.
Elijah - are you okay?
I'm fine, Valravn. Thank you for helping my brother - from the bottom of my heart. Please, take care of him.
You have my word, Elijah.
I wonder why Eli stayed. Did he want to protect Owen, I wonder?
Owen staggers and turns to the crowd, blood trickling from his eyes, mouth and nose, and his eyes completely white.
"To any of you who side against magic, know that your fates will be the same as his if you continue the way you are! There will be no mercy for anyone else who tries to do harm to a witch! You will never take the life of another spellcaster!"
The fearful crowd disperse. If this isn't a warning to any budding witchfinder, then I don't know what will be. All I know is that today we set the stage of history, but it is too early to celebrate. This stage of history will be marked with struggle, hatred and bloodshed before it is ever marked with celebration, safety and happiness.
I help Owen to climb onto my back. In his overconfident state, he has absolutely no fear of flying nor any excitement. I was hoping our first flight would be a time of joy, but I suppose there's time for that once we have taken back what's ours. The fresh air against my feathers is freeing and nostalgic, but seeing Henford so different each time I have a new master is always a little jarring.
Owen, you need to listen me. You need to calm down. You've overdone yourself again.
Hopefully the crisp winter air will clear his mind a little. The cold wind against my feathers makes me think of old times, an apex predator surveying the river for fish. It sometimes saddens me that those days are long over. I try to keep to a reasonably-low height so that I don't make Owen feel even more nauseous than he will when we get back.
It is almost like my childhood and teenage dreams combined...Eduardo is dead, and I am flying on the back of a gryphon!
Simmering amongst the hubris is a little spark of childhood joy.
I try to distract him from his darker thoughts to bring him down from the overcharge.
Isn't it beautiful to a human to see the world from this angle? I ask him.
His reply in my mind is completely broken-up, but I get the sense that it's a wondrous sight.
You needn't talk if you don't have the energy. For now, enjoy the view - see the world in a way only a gryphon can.