Lastly it is Otto Haigers part to do his closing statement. He insists on the Beast being guilty despite the evidence brought by the defense. And that the judges should consider how dangerous the beast is as the events on the former night showed again. But he fights an uphill battle as there is another culprit presented for all three cases.
Finally the Judges raise and with them all of the court and they retreat to find a verdict.
After a long hour that seemed like an eternity the Judges come back into the courtroom. All rise as they enter, and once they are at their seats Judge Daramid, Judge Aldaar and the audience sit down.
Chief Justice Khard stands and reads the verdict. "We have heard the evidence presented before us, and thank Pharasma that we did so, for without this trial there would have been a most terrible miscarriage of justice. There are many cruelties in the world, but to lie and blame another for one’s crimes is the most terrible of sins. We have asked ourselves a question—who is the monster here? Is it this creature before us, with its broken body and terrible form, or is it we, the people of Lepidstadt, with our bigotry and lies? The Beast is innocent!"
The crowd is aghast. Dead silence lies over the courtroom before a turmoil breaks out. "Burn the Beast!" is demanded, but Chief Justice Khard demands silence and orders the Herald of the court to remove the troublemakers and the guards to set the Beast free and escort it out of town. Then he declares the trial closed.
The guards look at each other, not believing what happened right now. But Khard is no one to make jokes and so they take off the chains of the beast.
Herm moves over to Thomas again, "You will be free soon, once free where will you go?"
Thomas also can't believe it. There is a lack of ability to properly express joy with his face but you see at his posture that he is happy as he turns to you with the sneer on his face. "My friends!"
As the guards usher him out of the court he whispers a few words that are drowned by the noise in court.
Barrister Kaple takes the hands of Kendra, then Herm, and lastly Jominda and Harrold. Overexcited he shakes them and tells "This is g-g-great, w-w-wonderful, awesome! You w-w-won the c-c-case! This hopeless c-c-case! And g-g-got the b-b-beast free!"
Herm gives Kendra a funny look but is happy when Barrister Kaple delivers the news.
Kendra's smile only forms on half her face, and it hardly reaches her eyes.
"Yes," she sighs, "We won."
Her shoulders sag as she begins making her way outside.
"What's wrong?" Jominda asks as she follows Kendra.
Kendra thinks of the angry mob which is undoubtedly forming outside the courthouse, and decides to stay indoors for now.
"I left Ravengro because I was tired of being looked at as if I was the bad guy, people gossiping behind my back and mistrust everywhere. I had planned to settle down here, amongst people who didn't show their disgust to me." she answers Jominda.
Before continuing, she adresses Gustav Kaple. "Barrister, might I borrow a pen and paper, in your office?" Waiting only half a second for a reply, she already turns towards his office and starts walking as she continues her story to Jominda.
"You've seen the crowds here. They think no differently of me than the people in Ravengro did. Probably even worse. The person who's life I saved last night with Harrold's potion, he looked at me in disgust. I have less of a chance for a normal life here than I had in Ravengro, I would think."
She looks at Jominda as she walks. "I came to Thomas' aid, because I knew what it felt like to be wrongly accused. I seem to have condemned myself in the process."
"If you look at it from this perspective then Lepidstadt sucks for me too." Jominda mulls over it aloud. "The most annoying thing in Ravengro was the Sheriff annoying me with suspicions about criminal behaviour. And here I manage to end up in prison within three days."
"I wonder if that sergeant is going to press for charges against us, now the trial is over."
"So it's not all roses, but look at the bright side: We have friends in high positions. We're known to deal with some of the most influential people of town once and for all. And the people with half a brain would see the good we've done. Mind the words the Chief Judge has said! Who cares for the opinion of the stupid mob. I don't need them to like me. I'm fine with them going out of my way.
"We could even make a business from our success: Kendra & Jominda's, private investigations and legal advice!" At the end, Jominda is back to her excited joyous self imagining herself in a plaid coat with matching deerstalker cap and a smoking pipe in hand thinking about a complex case.
"Don't forget the help we've received from Harrold and Herm. It's not all on us." Kendra playfully admonishes Jominda.
"...Perhaps it will be better in a while," Kendra admits. "I wished to talk to Justice Daramid and the professor at the university. They know the city better than I do and can advise me on if the crowd will forget this or not - if there's a life for me to start here."
Kendra seems a little bit bolstered by Jominda's positivity.
"But first, we need to bring this to a good end. Thomas has asked to see us once more, he managed to pass a message as he was escorted out."
She stops at the door to Kaple's office.
"And to bring that to a good end, I wish to ask a favour of someone - and since I don't feel like walking outside right now, I need a pen and paper for that."
"Harrold and Herm are sure part of this. But neither of them was searching for a new life in Lepidstadt." Jominda tells the cause for leaving them out.
"Where do we meet Thomas?" she asks as curiosity gets the better of her.
Kendra first looks around to see if noone's eaves dropping. The last thing she wants is anyone with anger towards Thomas heading them off.
"Schloss Caramac, in a few days." she whispers.
Jominda's Jaw drops "Thomas lives in SCHLOSS Caromarc?"
"That is what he said yes, have you heard of this place before?" Herm says as he follows the ladies back to the office.
"We also need to visit the judge."
Well I don't know if he lives there, but he said to meet him.
"Maybe he lives in some sewer of the Schloss." Jominda shrugs. "But Herm is right. We need to get our salary for a job well done. Do you write whatever you wanted to note so we can go there?"
"Now that you mention it, perhaps he's one of the Shloss's guardians. I wouldn't really need that note then. Let's head to the judge."
You head out of court onto the place. You look at the burning man that will now see no use. The more practical people of Lepidstadt have started to take the logs from the pile to carry them home for fire wood. On the other side a mob is forming again. In a group that is getting larger people are talking themselves into a rage. They will probably be going after the beast.
The home of the judge is not far away. But you are there faster than Judge Daramid. The maid recognizes you and ushers you in, that you're not seen standing outside the house. You're served tea and cake while you wait in the parlour.
About an hour later the Judge finally arrives home. "Sorry, you had to wait." She takes a seat at the table with you. "That last day of the trial, was indeed an interesting one. You surpassed my expectations by far. Lepidstadt owes you a lot for rooting out this evil. Even though the Beast roams freely again and we still don't know why it broke into the University. I really hope there comes nothing bad from that. But tell me, what became of Grine? You brought only the corpse of Vorkstag, didn't you?"
"Grine burst into a could of ash, when I struck him down. We had no body to bring back." Herm takes a sip of his tea, "The beast told us to meet him at SCHLOSS Caromarc, as to your question about the university I wonder if the beast was compelled to be there as a scape goat."
"At Schloss Caromarc? What might the Count have to do with the beast?" Daramid wonders.
Jominda enjoys the cake and tea. She is at her third helping already as the Judge came late. As she learned not to talk with her mouth full, she leaves the talking to her companions. One has to set priorities. This trial was one of those nasty disturbing uncomfortable things that make you late for dinner. This needs to be compensated for.
While she ponders that question the judge gets up. "I'm going to get your reward. You really earned that." she excuses herself and goes to her office. A few moments later she comes back with four pouches full of coins and places them on the table.
"Will you go and check on the beast at the Schloos?" she asks.
"I think we will, there is more to this and I would like to make sure that Thomas is OK." Herm Leaves is share of the reward on table till they go so as to not appear greedy.
Jominda takes the pouch, opens it and builds stacks with the coins. "I'm wondering what I could buy in Lepidstadt for that. Kendra, would you go clothes shopping with me? This adventure left it's marks on my dress and the only thing it is good enough for now is burning."
Kendra smiles softly at Jominda, acknowledging her request.
"As the beast, or Thomas, as we have come to know him, asked us to meet him at Caromac, I believe he may be in the... employ, if you will, of the count. Perhaps meeting him there might shed some light at what he was doing at the university."
"I am glad we surpassed your expectations, Judge Daramid, but it seems we have antagonized the people quite a bit."
Judge Daramid laughs a hearty laugh. "Welcome to the club. But don't take it personal. You were the strangers who dared to stand up against the mob and the opinion everyone agreed on. Now it's a public verdict. That will make it easier for you. But if you wanted to be liked by everyone, you chose to take on a task with a much too high profile. But you're a Lorrimor. I'm convinced, that you would like a life where you stay silent to not draw attention even less."
Kendra smile softly as a red glow enters her cheeks. "Yes, you are probably right. But you don't think a chance to settle down here is completely out of the cards? I won't get... say, burning logs thrown through my window at night?"
"Lepidstadt is a lawful town. I can't promise you that there is no nut living here who would try something like that. But I can promise that this person would end up in jail and get a long time to think about that. The worst I would expect to befall you, is that you have to pay higher prices for your groceries, if you buy from someone who is particular stubborn. But I'm not afraid that someone will even do so much as to speak up against me in public."
"Also, if you live here, you will become known for other things than the trial. And people will see who you're frinds with. That has a lot of influence on how people treat you. Right now I'd even suspect that there are people outright afraid of you. Vorkstag and Grine had a lot of friends in high positions. And you disposed them and got the acknowledgement of the court for that."
"If the beast doesn't show up to bring destruction and death in the years to come, it will be forgotten pretty fast. Daramid tries to assure Kendra.
While you sit there, the afternoon sun turns orange.
Herm listens to the Judge speak, assessing the situation that Kendra is presenting to everyone.
"Miss Lorrimor will you come with us to visit Thomas and the Count before you return to settle down here?"
Jominda washes down the cake with some tea. "First we need to go shopping. Everything else has to wait." Jominda objects.
Kendra sits back in her chair and mulls the judge's words over, but her face seems a lot less tense, and there might even be a smile on it.
As Herm adresses her, her grins grows wider.
"I will get my affairs here in order, but I will not miss out on visiting Thomas with you. I wouldn't want to miss that for the world!"
"Soooo, what now?" Jominda asks, packing her coins back into the pouch.
"Is there anything else we can do for you, Judge Daramid?"
"Yes. Come bck to me, to tell me how it went, once you've met the Beast again. And of course I'd like to know if Caromarc is involved in this. Besides that, I'm fine. The next days life will get back to normal again. Quieter. And I'm going to enjoy it." Judge Daramid tells and sips at her tea again.
"Well then," Kendra says as she rises, picking up her bag of coins in the process, "I am glad you gave us this opportunity, and I hope you keep us in your adress book if you need anything else handled."
"Funny that you mention it. Where would I find you, if I wanted to contact you?" Daramid asks.
"I'll let you know where I settle down, once I have a house. Until then, at the university." Kendra smiles.
"Don't call us, we'll call you." Jominda replies in a played ominous voice as she gets up. "Thanks for the coins." she says with a smile and shakes the judges hand.
All tell their goodbyes and assure each other to meet again soon. Once outside Herm with his special charm does the ladies a favour and gets a passerby to tell them where to buy nice dresses and magical items. As the weather is nice, even though it gets a bit chill as the sun sets, you walk to the district in which the shops are. You are late, but for the kind of business the pouches promise you get service even at those hours. The shop you go in is called 'This & That' with the subtitle everything magic. Where magic could either mean an enchantment, or just a well cut dress that works wonders on the looks of it's wearer. It is run by a whole family. An overly charming man acting as salesman, his no nonsense wife who operates the register, an adolescent daughter who does sewing and tailoring to clothes, as well as a young boy who runs the errands between the three and the storage at the back.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. What desire leads you to my humble store." The man approaches you.
"I have nothing to wear! And the last dress I have is nothing but rags now." Jominda replies. "And I got money now, so I also want to see the cool stuff yo have."
Jominda wants to enjoy this to the fullest. She lets them bring almost every dress they have and a lot of magical trinkets before she decides on what to take. And she tries on a lot of them. But as much as it feels liek a princess' party to Jominda a lot of practical stuff gets bought in the end.
Wearing a tight fitting 'dress' - which is actually a mithral chain mail - she turns in front of a mirror and asks Kendra "Do you think that makes me look fat?" She almost topples over in the heavy armour while laughing at her own joke.
Finally she settles for that armor, some 'special' gloves that she doesn't want to disclose what is special about them, a new cloak that helps against more than bad weather and a new backpack that is larger on the inside than on the outside.
From the selection of dresses she tries - from simply garb to something you could visit a royal festivity - she chooses two that look suspiciously similar to her old one. Pale yellow, with puffy sleeves and some frills. Because "You can't properly work in these royal things. But maybe you don't have to, if you're royal."
Kendra browses the wares as well, though far less exuberantly than Jominda. She laughs at the woman's antics, feeling her spirits lift. In the end she settles on a special book and a pair of worn-looking fingerless gloves.
Some time later she disappears into a fitting chamber with just a small bit of translucent cloth in her hands, but comes out of the chamber wearing a practical looking dress, returning the smile from the daughter who looked on as she did so.
She buys another dress, and after a casting of predistigation and a few repairs made by the daughter of the house, her cloak seems servicable enough again and Kendra moves up to the counter to pay for her items and the repairs.
Finishing a bit earlier than Jominda, she comments on a few of the dresses she shows while engaging in some small talk with the daughter of the house about different styles of clothing and technical tricks of the trade.
She also encourages herm to try an outrageous looking hat made of bright green fabrics and peacock feathers, though she's the first to admit it doesn't suit him.
Herm says his good byes and follows the ladies to the store, after watching the two women panic and jump in glee Herm finally settles on acquiring a few new things.
"This armor, are you able to tailor the plates more for myself? Also adding these pauldrons on to it?" Herm points towards the full plate along with the Pauldrons with the solid white cloak between them.
After some more browsing Herm finds some potions and a wand, after all be finishing Herm finds a gauntlet, this gauntlet calls to his to his very core and belief.
"That Gauntlet is it what I think it is? One of the Inheritors? A blessed gauntlet?"
"Ooh!" Kendra says. "Grand idea, Herm."
She quickly runs back in between the stacks of items and returns with a wand of cure light wounds. "This should keep us all a bit more safe. And healthy."