The auditorium of the First Cathedral was large and made of white marble that rose in smooth, towering arcs. Light poured in from high, narrow windows and fell down in glittering colorful shafts that reflected the equally colorful panes.

At the center of the hall stood a single raised platform, the central podium. The Archon of the First, Gaeus, stood with hands clasped behind his back. His expression was neutral, betraying not his inner turmoil. He was meant to be the face of calm and level headedness. But how does one do that when faced with the divine judges?

The Omniarchy was no ordinary court of judges. They served the Omniarch; the cosmic embodiment of justice and upheld law and order of all things. They served as counsel for every political body in the world and - in times like these - acted as mediator and jury between the factions.

The Archon knew why they were here. He had been waiting for their arrival since Lythos and even though he knew he was innocent the Omniarchy would not simply take his word for it. They were impartial to the matter and had thus come to First Cathedral.

They rarely recruited individuals as theirs was a divine calling to serve justice. The individuals who sat on this council had been chosen by the Omniarch and would thus forever seek truth and justice when the need arose. They ensured order was maintained and that laws were kept. They did not need to study magic for this role. As such their identities were forever obscured.

Even now as the Archon looked up at them he could not make out their features underneath the long heavy hooded cloaks of beige and gold. All he saw was seven figures seating on a suspended platform above him but even then their presence weighed heavily in that chamber. Anyone without a spiritual core would be greatly affected by them. To say that he wasn't would be an exaggeration.

For a long while they said nothing, staring down at him with faces obscured as they silently observed him. It was an unnerving silence, no doubt meant to break him into an early confession perhaps but the Archon held his own. He had a clear conscience and would prove it at all costs.

"Lord Gaeus , Archon of the First, you stand before us accused of assassinating the Governor of Lythos. How do you plead?"

The voice that spoke belonged to one of them but with their faces hidden he could not tell which of them it was.

"I am aware of the accusations that have been raised against me, your honours," he replied with a steady tone. "And I am aware that the Omniarchy is within its rights to investigate any case brought to your attention. But I assure you these accusations are baseless with the sole intention of sowing discord between the Order and the people."

"The Governor of Lythos is dead," the Omniarchy continued. "And you were the last known individual to see him alive. There was no sign of anyone else who nor was there ample time for an enemy to attack."

"I was the last one to see him alive, that is true, but my reason for going to see him was to talk to him about his concerns. The Brotherhood grows more bolder and they run
rampant. I have no doubt that the Governor's death was their doing. I just need more time to gather this evidence and request a full on intervention."

"Your theories have weight. We are also concerned about the Brotherhood's recent activities. However,We are well aware of the latest crimes that show signs of The Brotherhood's infiltration and we are investigating the depth of their crimes. However..." another one of them added. "You fled the scene, Lord Archon. That does not spell innocence."

"I was extracted," he corrected them, his lips in a thin line as he kept his composure. "By my aides. The crowd had already turned hostile, tempers were high and remaining would have escalated the situation further. Plus I have to admit, unfortunately, that in his grief the Governor Regent would have acted in what he believed was a justified retribution. Him and the people of Lythos have already lost faith in the Order's ability to protect them and now their Governor is dead... I request the Omniarchies permission to act in flushing out the Brotherhood and crushing them once and for all before they gain any more momentum. This may be the only way to restore the people's faith in our cause."

"Or," a third voice slipped in, colder, "We judge you for the crimes you are accused of and if found guilty you will face the consequences of what you have done. Do not seek to distract us. We know the threat to instability that the Brotherhood poses. They serve the goddess Althera, of course they thrive in chaos. But we will not bend our ways to give them the attention they seek. That is how we lose."

"Doing nothing is even more harmful than sitting here and wasting time chasing misleading evidence. If I intended to assassinate the Governor," Gaeus said, each word measured as he stared them down one by one. "I would not have done so in a manner that invites immediate suspicion."

"You dare dictate the scope of our duty?" the Omniarchy pressed. "We serve the embodiment of universal law. Only we decide what is wrong and what is right. You serve Order but your judgement is clouded. You think you know the enemy because your common sense tells you that this evil has every reason to act. Tell us then, if we gave you the sword to bring down the Brotherhood, where would you start? Unlike The Order of the First, the Brotherhood of Night has always kept the identity of its members secret. To act now would be to act blindly."

They raised a valid point he could not argue with. Whatever counter measures he could come up with would be useless as long as the Brotherhood kept pulling strings from the shadows. That meant he had to deliberately draw them out and to do so, he would have to be a sitting duck.

"We will conduct a thorough investigation and until we reach the relevant we unfortunately have to ask you to remain within your cathedral under constant surveillance." Their words left no room for argument, only a bitter taste in his mouth.

The enemy has cast a wide net and it was slowly closing in around him despite his resistance.

"So I am a prisoner now?" He could not help ask.

"If you were a prisoner, Lord Archon, we would not be discussing these precautions with you."
"You call it precautions and yet you limit my movements. As Archon of the First I should be preparing my subordinates for the days ahead but if you confine me to my office how am I supposed to be of any help to anyone?" Gaeus asked, his voice strained in frustration.

"Do you expect us to bend the rules for you? Our decision is final. It is in your best interest to ensure you complete all handover procedures to your stand in for the duration of the investigation."

With those words they vanished, leaving him standing in an empty auditorium.