"Valen Wrenleigh! You stand accused of colluding with a Lich! How do you plead?"
Alrock's voice boomed in the indoor chambers, jolting Valen out of his stupor. Fearfully raising his eyes, the Governor trembled at the sight of the Hyades High Council, the highest authority of the land and the entity he could only dream of meeting. These lofty individuals would only spare a second glance at him once or twice at social gatherings and events, but mainly they would never concern themselves with his affairs.
Yet, seven of them were gathered today to judge him.
"Sir Solaris, we are neither the judiciary nor the parliament, and this is not a hearing."
Rather than let Alrock do as he pleased, a bespectacled woman in her late sixties intervened. She is a woman of quiet authority and undeniable presence. The Director of Scientific Research carries herself with the confidence of someone who has spent decades carving her resolute and lonely path.
