Luminari

Chapter fourteen

"Do you know where I can find the judge's house?" I asked watching the prison cart full of dogs in the corner of my eye.

"Why do you want to go to the judge's house?" She asked horrified at the question.

"They're taking my friend to the judge, and I have to stop them," I said gesturing to the prison cart.

"People aren't taken to the judge's house they're taken to the courthouse," she said with an eye roll. "Wait you friend isn't a dog, is he?" She asked a grim look on her face, I nodded.

"That's too bad dogs are strictly banned from Meow town, if a dog is caught here, they're taken to the judge and executed on the spot," she explained, and I began to freak out.

"But he's not really a dog, he's a human he was cursed by a witch who turned him into a dog."

"In that case they might let him go, but you'll have to hurry that cart's heading straight for the courthouse," she said gesturing to the prison cart "if you follow it, it should lead you there," she explained, and I thanked her running off after the cart.

The cart lead right out of the village and into the forest where a very large and ornate marble courthouse was built. There were at least a hundred very long steps leading up to the huge wooden doors with a large statue of a male lion on the left and a female tiger on the right detailed stripes carved into her sides. The cart pulled around to the back of the courthouse and I went up through the stairs. I knocked on the large doors and they opened for me, letting me inside.

The court had high ceilings and polished marble floors with long wooden benches for people to sit on. The benches were covered in scratch marks from nervous cats. There was a line of people waiting to get on the stand, a troll with a pink piece of paper and a bag of gold. A cat man and a little cat boy, the little boy was holding a leash and empty collar obviously trying not to cry. And an old cat woman with a framed picture of her chihuahua they had all come to beg for their pets back.

"The judge will now hear your pleas," a cat in a police uniform announced.

The judge's chair was empty and there was no judge in sight, the police cat set a golden mirror on the judge's table and the mirror began to talk.

"Step up," the judge ordered, and the troll came up to the stand.

"Your honor I apologize I was just coming through the village and my dog got off his leash, I brought the documents to prove I own him and a bag of gold for the trouble," she said handing the bag of gold and pink slip to the officer.

"How much gold is it?" the judge asked, and the officer dug through the bag.

"About forty pieces."

"Sorry but that's not enough, we'll be keeping the money as payment for visiting our village with a dog, give her back the papers," the judge ordered, and the officer handed her the pink paper and she started crying.

"Next!" the judge barked.

"My family got special permission from the head of the pet regulation office to keep a dog in our house, but our neighbor came over and he got out," the dad explained his paws held together in a pleading motion.

"Sorry, but the rules are no dogs allowed on the streets now get out of here before I fine you for letting the dog go," the judge ordered, and the man quickly left with his crying son.

"Next!"

The old woman came up and handed the officer her picture frame, I was next up and feeling hopeless I prayed that they gave Seth back.

"Please I've had Mateo for thirteen years, three years before the no dogs allowed law was passed in Meow town, I'm an old widow and I have no children Mateo is my only family."

"Sorry but dogs aren't allowed in the streets."

"But Mateo wasn't in the streets he was in my yard and the dog catcher snatched him up," the old woman begged a single tear falling down her fury cheek.

"The dog catcher isn't supposed to trespass on private property," the officer said, and the judge was silent for a second.

"Alright then put the dog in a kennel and if she can come up with a hundred gold coins by midnight then she can have him back."

"But I don't have that much," the old woman cried.

"Would you rather he be executed?"

"Oh no I'll find the money," she said hurrying out of the court room mumbling to herself about loans and selling her house.

"Next!"

"My dog's name is Seth, well he isn't actually my dog he's more like my friend, I don't own him."

"Get to the point!" the judge barked. I gulped nervously staring at my own scared reflection in the mirror.

"Seth isn't a dog he was a person. He was cursed by a witch to take the form of a dog."

"The law is clear no dogs are allowed in Meow town especially strays, next!"

"But he's not a dog he's a person," I begged.

"Then he should have known better, next!" the woman behind me shoved me out of the way and began pleading her case.

"Please sir those dogs were for the purpose of eating, they escaped from the back of my restaurant," she begged.

"Alright five pieces of gold per dog and I want a free hot dog given to every police officer," the judge ordered.

"Yes of course," the woman said leaving, I cut in front of the next person again and tried begging my case once more.

"Please sir, Seth can talk, and he has the mind of a person you can't kill him."

"I have already made my decision now leave the court room or I'll execute you!" he said, and the officer grabbed me by the arms

He dragged me away from the judge and right out of the court room.