Jael, Antioch, and an unconscious Michael appears in the Yohm of palace. The angelus of the King of the Gods surrounds them with their weapons drawn. Jael walks over to Antioch and snatches Michael away, letting him hit the ground. He places restraints on both his brother and the young guy.
"Be careful," Antioch says sternly.
"Silence, prisoner."
"Don't forget I'm your brother."
"That means nothing to me."
"I meant that I could kill you anytime."
The horns play as Yohm appears at the top of the pearly white steps. He stands adorned in sky blue robes, with glowing eyes that match. Hair that's black as night cascades down his back. He gives off an aura that influences a change of emotion in the room. He descends the stairs, approaching the trio and angelus, taking note of the battle damaged armor of Jael and the torn clothes of Michael.
"Welcome home, Antioch," he says in a calming yet powerful tone. "I wish it was on different terms. However, you have broken a taboo among the gods by letting this boy live."
"It is a taboo that I created, which means I can change my mind anytime."
"You're no longer the God of Judgment, Antioch, I am," Jael says. "The taboo stand and you've broken it. What's more, I've gathered all of those who conspired with you."
The angelus walk up with Stargas, Thun, Lunari, Azrael, and Hesia, all shackled and marked as prisoners.
"You're all here today because of your involvement with demigod. I've questioned you personally and have come to the conclusion that Azrael and Lunari are exempt of all accusations of colluding with Antioch. However, Stargas, Thun, and my wife are guilty and shall be confined to a separate cell from Antioch," Yohm says.
"What about Michael?" Antioch asks.
"He will be executed."
"I knew it. That's why I requested for us to be sent here. Yohm, I ask you as a friend. Hear this man out before you go through with it. Don't just kill him as if he is some evil creature."
"He is the son of Ramial!" Jael yells. "Why even consider his life, Antioch!?"
"Because he's gone through a lot. Michael is a good person that was dealt a very harsch hand in life. Please, Yohm, hear him out."
The King of the Gods stares into the eyes of his old friend. With a heavy sigh he says, "I shall grant your request. Take them away."
The angelus heeds his words, all of them vanishes from his sight.
~~~
Jael and his angelus take Michael and Antioch to their cells. He tosses the young guy on the floor, before locking Antioch into the cell next to him. He turns to walk away.
"Wait. Can two brothers talk or are you that mad with me?"
Jael stands with his back turned, thinking about what Antioch just said. He signals his men to leave, turning to give Antioch his full attention. "Don't think you can manipulate me as well as you did those fools. Our blood will not have any barring in your situation."
"I wouldn't dream of it considering how much of an ass you've become."
"What did you say to me?"
"Relax," Antioch say, waving him off. "There was a time when I used call you out on your bad behavior and you'd listen. But now it just seems like you resent me."
"I don't have time to resent someone who's not who they claim to be."
"You're just like a book, Jael. You never change and you're easy to read every time. That day happened and it's something that we all should get over. But I guess in order to do that I would have to come back and face what I caused."
"Facing it doesn't fix my view of you!" Jael says angrily. "You preached all those words of keeping calm and maintaining understanding and balance. Yet when Yohm came before you with a choice about the contracts, you shattered every one of those words with how you responded."
"I imagined I did. But just so you know, you're acting like I did back then by lashing out at me with every moment presented. If you want to be better than me, then prove it. Be a God of Judgment and not a God of Scorn."
Jael closes his eyes as more anger builds up. He soon sighs, before turning around and walking away.
~~~
In a cell far from Antioch and Michael, Stargas, Thun, and Hesia sits quietly. Thun flutters around the small room as nervousness starts to consume him.
"LET ME OUT OF HERE!! Just because I helped a demigod doesn't mean I'm a bad god!!"
"Lad, please, shut up," Stargas says as he lounges on his side on the bench. "The worse we can get is confinement for all eternity. The last part is just a minor detail."
"Do you think I want to spend an eternity with smelly farts and stank brews!? No way!! Now Hesia is different. I could spend that easy in her presence. But you? That's torture in itself!"
"Its best we keep calm and see how Antioch handles this," Hesia chimes in. "It's the best we can do."
"I agree, which is why I'm taking a nap." The hefty guy rolls over and falls to sleep. He grunts, letting off a big one.
"It's starting already! Antioch please! Save us all!"
~~~
The following day, Yohm sits on his throne with Jael by his side. "Bring in Antioch and the demigod."
The huge ivory white doors open at the end of the throne room. The sound of them echoes. The angelus, fully armed, brings in the duo. Michael walks with his head hanging low, while Antioch stares straight forward. When they arrive before the throne, they set Michael, on his knees, before it.
"Antioch has asked me today to hear your side of things. So the floor is yours, Michael."
The young guy sits, staring at the ground. Yohm gets up from his throne. He starts to walk towards Michael. Jael summons his spear, but the King of the Gods waves him off. Standing right in front of Michael, he bends to one knee.
"Speak to me, Michael. Speak to me as if we were equals."
Michael slowly lifts his head. His eyes meets Yohm's immediately receiving a calming spirit. "Why didn't you stop the ashuri when they started bringing contracts to humanity?"
"The contracts to humanity were to remind humans of our presence, for they had long forgotten who allowed them to be. But through our contracts, only good would be for humanity. History has shown that our presence only lasts for awhile for good, before humans turn their backs and take credit for our strength. We needed balance. That's why I allowed the ashuri contracts to be."
"Why rely on evil to keep balance when you can do it yourself? Is it that hard to manage us?"
"We don't wish to manage you but to have you remember where you came from. And for us to maintain balance, not only requires is to manage you, but it also requires us to turn you down, which would make humans hate us when they didn't get their way."
"So instead you'd rather innocent lives to be taken and ruined!? My grandparents were killed because of a man who had an ashuri contract! My mother was killed because of some man's stupid desires! You could have stopped this from the beginning. You could have stopped this at any point! But you didn't. You just sat there on your throne and did nothing!" Michael's powers slowly start to flare up.
"We've done nothing? For millennia we've tried to be there for you. Nations rose to flourish after surviving on the dust of the land. Men grew to prominence when they were nothing. Who do you think did that? It was us. What did we get in return? We got nothing but a few generations of appreciation before being forgotten again. We been there since the beginning, allowing time and time again for your kind to live as they were, hoping they would change and just accept us. But to no avail."
"So just because humanity didn't act how you want, you let innocent people die? My grandparents...my mother..." Michael looks down as tears fall from his eyes.
"I understand how you feel, for I've seen it countless times. I'm sorry that it happened this way." Yohm returns to his feet.
"You're sorry?" Violet and mauve energy comes from his body. "You have the power to change anything and the best you can offer is AN APOLOGY!?!"
Michael breaks from his restraints and tries to lung at Yohm. But before anyone could react, the King of the Gods knocks him away with a small wave of his hand, sending him crashing back to the wall above the doors, falling to the ground unconscious.
"I've lowered myself today to be a human before you and this is how you react. While I do understand, I don't appreciate it. Tomorrow we carry out the execution."
"I call for a trial for Michael and me," Antioch calmly says.
"There's no need for one?"
"Yes there is. My companions and I are confined and it's all because of Michael. If you execute him, you're pretty much saying that we should serve the same punishment. But since all we did were allow him to live, you can't execute us without hearing our reason."
"Jael, what do you think?"
The God of Justice looks at Antioch. He lets off a heavy sigh. "He's right. It wouldn't be fair to anyone involved if we didn't hold a trial."
"Then it's settled. It will be held tomorrow. All of the council will attend with the exception of those who are prisoners and those who were involved with the demigod. Take him back, but leave Antioch here for a bit."
Jael signals for the angelus to pick up Michael. He and his men vanish from the room.
"Antioch, why are you doing this? What stake do you have in this man?"
"A few reasons come to mind: Our war with the Progenitors, the choice to let the ashuri have their way, my own personal guilt about the rules that I established. Or maybe I just wanted to do it simply because I wanted to do it."
"You're guaranteed to lose this trial."
"It's possible. But it's worth a try."
Yohm returns to his throne after signaling the angelus to take Antioch away.
~~~
It's the day of the trial. The council sits before Michael, Antioch, and the remaining prisoners. Angelus guards stand by, while spirits observes the proceedings.
"Jael is the judge for today's trial. But I, Yohm, will cast the final judgment on all involved. Cala will be the accuser, while Antioch will be the defense. Accuser, take the floor."
"Here stands before the Council are two criminals: Antioch, the former God of Judgment and a naturally born demigod. Millennia ago, Antioch proposed a rule that no god should procreate with man or any other being that was not a god. He set this rule because he knew that man or any being could not use the power of a god with a pure heart. But now he stands before you all as one whom broke his own rule, by aiding the very abomination he spoke against. Why would you go against your word?"
"It was a judgment call. No pun intended. The idea of contracts, which I also spoke against, served the purpose if helping humanity with just about any situation. And it did just that. But it gave way to ashuri making deals with the evils and weaknesses of humanity. We refused to take any precautions."
"Are you saying that it's the job of the gods to watch over humanity? Humans gave up that right the moment they forgot about us. Or are you saying that humans are so incompetent or desperate, that they can't tell the difference between good and evil? To me it would be a simple thought, if humanity wants something, make a contract with us in order to achieve it."
"I don't speak of intelligence, I speak of desire," Antioch says with slight agitation in his voice.
"Oh, desire. Is it the same kind of desire that would make a god, such as you, attack his leader?"
All of the onlookers sigh in unison. They began to whisper among themselves.
"Twenty five years ago, you tried to kill Yohm all because he wanted to grant someone with the Supreme Contract, which would have allowed one man, to protect the world in the name of the gods. But you didn't like that, did you?"
"Yes. I made an attempt on Yohm's life. I didn't do this out of malice or hatred towards him. He got the crazy idea that one man should possess the full power of a god. I said that no man was worthy of that power, that no matter how good one is, a day would come when that human would let emotions run wild. But Yohm was adamant about his position. So I pulled my weapon on him. Since the very beginning, I was against the contracts, as you said before. I knew it would only cause chaos. Standing there with my sword at his throat made me see that I despised the very idea of contracts. Because of my feelings, I exiled myself from Paradisia. I walked in the human world for twenty five years, being a witness to the results of the contracts. At times I saw the positive sides to it, where humans flourished. Then I saw the ashuri side, where mankind used the powers of evil to gain and destroy. Michael wanted put an end to the ashuri contracts, since we allowed it to happen. So I saw it as a chance to redeem our mistake. Michael could very well be what Yohm desired, if left under my care. Consider the possibilities instead killing him for being something he didn't have a choice in or killing him for doing the job of my sister Annalise. I rest my defense."
"Michael Everett is a being that should not exist. Although we refer to him as an abomination, he is demigod. In fact, you can't even consider him that, for he was born of a Progenitor named Ramial. Those who are aware of the history of the Gods and Progenitor know of the war that happened between us. It resulted in the annihilation and imprisonment of all the Progenitors, including Ramial. As to how he escaped is not important. What is important is that his power lives on in his spawn. Ladies and gentlemen of the Council, Michael Everett is the embodiment of what we thought was removed ages ago. He used that power to cast judgment and killed hundreds of people and started to destroy the very fabric of existence. He is a detriment and should be dealt with. That is all."
Yohm takes a moment to consider all that was said. He looks over to his wife, who stares back at him with sorrowful eyes. He then stares down at Antioch and Michael, with the former showing no fear, while the latter sits with closed eyes.
"After hearing both sides, I've order that Michael, the Demigod be executed immediately."
Everyone stares on, not surprised by the ruling. Hesia closes her eyes, with Stargas shaking his head and Thun hiding his. Michael still shows no care at all.
"By your own rule, you can't do that," Antioch says, standing up.
"Why can't I," Yohm asks in curiosity.
"You said, and I quote, 'No god shall bother or tamper with one who is contracted to another god.' Should you kill Michael, you will be tampering with what belongs to me," Antioch says, making the contract appear.
"Are you saying that you're contracted with Michael?"
"Aye, lad," Stargas says. "They've been contracted for awhile."
"You contracted with a demigod," Yohm says with a chuckle. "You've put me at an impasse. Despite Michael being an abomination, he is under the contract of Antioch. This means the death of all those Dark Order members were done with Antioch being over him. I have a mind to still confine you and all those who colluded with you for eternity, and cast Michael into the depths of Tormon. But I'm sure you wouldn't like that. Instead, I shall banish Michael to Vastos forever. Antioch and all of his cohorts are free to go. Dismissed."
Everyone was shocked with the choice Yohm made. Michael looks around after realizing what was said.
"Well, Michael, you have your life," Antioch says.
"I'm not sure if it's worth it. You probably should have let me be executed."
"It looks like Michael's road to recovery won't be an easy one."