If the sky is too bright, they say to block the sun
If one tree grows high and above, they say to chop it down
If there is an injustice, they say to stamp it out.
Who says if there is anything?
If one tree grows high and above, they say to chop it down
If there is an injustice, they say to stamp it out.
Who says if there is anything?
"I won't let you execute this man," came the steady voice of Lacey Botticelli as she stood in front of the handcuffed and chained figure positioned in the middle of the sidewalk.
"Miss, please step aside, this man is dangerous. He was behind the massacre on Twenty-Second Avenue, two weeks ago."
"You can't just kill him, though," she protested, refusing to move despite the two Rune Knights who wordlessly fell into ranks at their captain's sides. She could say for sure that one man's gauntlets had clanked as his fingers twitched towards his sword.
"He admitted to committing the crime, and it is too risky to transport him. We have him subdued at the moment, but nothing is for sure," the officer tried to explain to placate the black haired mage, his face set in an expression of steadfast patience, trying to ignore his comrades' restless movements. By now, a small crowd had formed at the scene.
"You can't!" The young woman folded her arms and stood with her legs spaced apart to evenly distribute her weight; it was like she could stand just as unyielding as a turret and able to argue this point all day without conceding her position in either way. However, the two junior knights seemed offended by what they supposed was a challenging stance. From Lacey's left front, a man with unruly hair and stubble just as uneven, drew a gleaming rapier and raised the needle-sharp point to rest against the center of the suddenly still female's throat.
"We can. I'd like to see you try to stop us," the man corrected her with glittering ebony eyes. Lacey opened her mouth to tell him this was wrong, but as she did so the tip of the weapon gouged into her skin and drew thin rivulets of blood to run down the blade and her neck. He had apparently deliberately pushed it forwards just a tad after seeing her intention of speech, for some kind of threatening purpose. The second Rune Knight spoke up at that point, saying, "You're not from around here, I know every person in this part of Crocus." His eyes betrayed his suspicion as they took in her bleached pale skin and warm winter jacket~ to hid the tail~, hat, and boots. Lacey's scarf had come undone when she had moved to block the Rune Knights' path, leaving her throat exposed to be aimed at. Still, the article of clothing didn't need to be wrapped around a person's neck to be able to discern snowflakes and a certain nation's white and blue square flag woven into the abstract wool pattern.
"Come from Iceberg, have you?" the second guard continued as his brain processed those bits of information. "I'll have you arrested for obstruction of justice. And crossing the border without paperwork or even identification," he said. Underneath her fluffy dark hair and hat, two pale tanuki ears twitched as she told the man tersely that she was perfectly documented and legal. Still keeping the weapon poised against her pulse, the first guard roughly dug in her pockets and purse, yanking out anything that seemed to have some kind of information on it or be related to travel in any way. "Not any more you aren't," his friend said with a smug smile. He snapped his fingers, and a miniature campfire burst into existence right there on the pavement; clearly this man had a bit of magic, at least. Or he was willing to waste his power on conjuring showy things. The other knight dangled her passport over the flames as their officer averted his eyes with a grim set to his mouth, and Lacey felt a surge of pity for all three of them.
"There are witnesses," she gently reminded them all, but the second knight was already shaking his head at her words and scattering the crowd with a few shooing gestures. She was nobody, while he was clearly known to the residents here, just like he had stated earlier. There was reputation at work as he waved around his hands and suddenly almost everybody was gone.
"If anyone has a problem with this, they can speak up now," he called loudly and with a lazy coloring to his tone, eyes still locked mockingly on Lacey. She realized that the criminal had been forgotten, which wasn't wise anyways, and now this public affair was about her as an outsider. He didn't expect anyone to challenge his decisions.