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[Thrax]

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Things were off to an excellent start in Delucia. Thraxas, under the guise of his twin, Thraxanduril, had secured the town and had sent letters to Regency Loyalists outlining his plans to supervise things in an official Directive. He was thrilled that events at Nujel'm and the feud between the Moonglow Town Council and the Protectorate could not have been better timed; no one would likely care nor take notice of the militant takeover of a thoroughly neglected rustic town perched in the middle of nowhere. "Just like Papua," he mused.

He had big plans for Delucia. It had abundant resources, especially in ore and cattle. Developing a Trade Commission would ensure the town's prosperity, and, should outsiders look in to see what value the takeover had produced, would some day see a flourishing, prosperous, town, proof that the ends justifies the means.

Lacking a suitable prison to house them, Thraxas had ordered that all prisoners be moved out of the city, to be kept in chains and under guard at the fortress until their cases could be heard. Presently, most of those indicted were there for petty crimes, but a few were considered seditionists. These had to be rooted out immediately.

Setting up his office at the fortress, Thraxas ordered that the seditionists be brought to him. The five men stood before him as he reclined in a throne at the center of the raised platform on the top level of the fortress.

"You are all charged with sedition; for attempting to create an atmosphere of rebellion toward authority and/or siding with convicted criminals who were formerly in power here. Your fellow citizens have brought these charges against you," he stated curtly, eyeing them with unconcealed disdain. "How do you plead?"

They all loquaciously expressed their innocence.

Thraxas leaned forward and threw a handful of papers to the ground at his feet. "These are signed affidavits by witnesses against you all! They are not just common scum such as yourselves, but are merchants and upstanding members of this town! Am I to dismiss these charges, effectively labeling them all liars, unworthy of making such claims against you, or is it you who are lying and unworthy of my mercy?! I give you one last chance to redeem yourselves and reassess your plea before I pass sentence on you!"

Two of the men fell to their knees, weeping, confessing their complicity in the crime. They pointed toward the other three, marking them as the instigators. They responded by denying the accusations vehemently.

Thraxas sat back and stroked his goatee, allowing the arguing to continue. He waved to the Captain of the guard, Kendall, and spoke loud enough to him for them all to hear. "What do you think we should do with them?" he asked.

Kendall, a retired paladin, and not a ruthless man, but believing that justice was the greatest virtue, ventured his opinion. "For this first offense, I think they all should be fined and released, m'Lord, except for Landon there," he said, pointing to one of the three who had been accused by the other two.

Thraxas nodded. "Verywell. Fine the four of them ten thousand gold each and mark them as having been warned that if it happens again, there will be no mercy. If they cannot pay the fine, then they will work it out in the mines."

"Yes m'lord," Kendall replied. He ordered the guards to take them away to begin their sentence.

The last man stood defiantly. He was a fine specimen of a man: tall, muscular, handsome; in his early thirties; was married and had three children. He had been arrested for talking down the takeover to his neighbors.

"It grieves me to pass judgment on you; you appear to be someone who could envigorate the blood of this town." Thraxas told him. "Will you not recant and allow me to be merciful?"

Landon shook his head. "What you have done is not right. You are doing just as the others have done to us... bribing and buying your way to power. We do not need nor want you here. Please go and let us live in peace." He spoke earnestly, clearly believing his words.

Thraxas sighed. "It's not that simple. You see, the Regency spared no expense ridding you all of the lycanthropes who would have destroyed you all sooner or later. We then stepped back to see if you could manage on your own but all that happened was a repeat; criminals filled the vacuum in leadership. I am here to make sure that ends; that Delucia prospers once more. Surely that appeals to you?"

"You are here to serve your own purposes... m'Lord."

Fury welled up in the man-daemon. He glared at him through blazing red eyes. "Fine!! Have it your own way! Kendall, what do you suggest be done for him?!"

"Send him and his family away, m'Lord. If they are not happy here, let them go elsewhere, to Papua perhaps."

"Consider it done! You are hereby banished from Delucia for life! Take you and your family and be gone before sunset! If you have not left by that time, or if you ever set foot here again, you shall die! I do not ask that you approve or accept this... I only ask if you hear me?!"

Landon nodded, lowering his head. The guards escorted him away.

Thraxas thanked his officers, especially Kendall, and then returned to Whitehall, satisfied of a day's good work.