“You stood there and did nothing when my sister was hurt and cried.” Lith snarled. You didn’t say a word when my- when Great Mage Solus Verhen, your superior in the Association, was treated like a common criminal and you even lent your mages to the army to help them to banish her.
“After everything she’s done for this filthy city! She had promised you that the Verhen household would have never helped Ne’sra again, yet here we are again. Putting our lives on the line for your sorry ass.
“And how did you repay her kindness?” Another squeeze made their necks crack and a healing spell fixed them before the wound became lethal. “You hid like a rat while we fought.
“You didn’t bother checking on our condition until you made sure it was safe for you to come out from your hole. When you saw me wounded and Solus missing, you didn’t treat me nor did you even bother asking me about her.
“Once again, Palaar, you sat back and let this moron take charge. I don’t know if you’re using him as a strawman to further your own agenda or if he has you in his pocket and honestly, I don’t care.”
A flick of Lith’s arm made the fingers of the Head Healer twist like a drill in a motion that spread from tip to knuckle. Then, it reached the wrist and from there moved along the arm until the humerus.
The bones cracked and then shattered into small fragments that would have burst every single blood vessel if not for a healing spell smoothing their edges. A second spell put the bone fragments together in the form of a rough, single jointless block.
Palaar’s cry of pain as her hands broke down was heart wrenching but it was nothing compared to the shriek she emitted once she realized what had happened. She could still feel the sun on her skin and the weight of her arms, but they were paralyzed.
There was no pain anymore, but they moved as if someone had swapped her arms with a wooden stick covered in meat. They swung from the shoulder socket and that was it.
“What did you do?” She tried and failed to cast even the simplest diagnostic spell, Vinire Rad Tu.
“As you said, I can’t kill you since you did nothing. Yet I’m your superior and you’ve let me down one time too many. I have decided that if you aren’t going to use your magic when necessary, I might as well take it away.” Lith smiled at her, speaking with a soft tone.
“Have your arms looked at by whoever you want. I allow it. Only a rejuvenator can fix them, and I know all two of them. I’ll make sure they’ll treat you the same way you treated Solus.”
“As for you, dear Captain.” Lith grabbed Neforce by the neck and used Body Sculpting to make his ears pointy, turn his teeth into fangs, and cove his body into thick fur.
“Since you hate beasts so much, you’ll live until the end of your days as one.” Lith pressed his thumb on the Captain’s forehead, leaving a rune that marked him for other healers as someone unworthy of any treatment except for those necessary to save his life.
“I don’t know how many you have left, though.” Lith shrugged. “Great Mage Solus Verhen did report your behavior back then and now I’m going to make another. After all, you guided those men against me.
“They were under your command and yours is the responsibility of what happened. I will leave it to the Royals to decide whether it’s better to let you have a long life in shame or a short, painful one.
“Either way you are done with the army.” A snap of Lith’s fingers made the captain’s insignia fall, demoting Neforce to a private.
Neforce conjured a small mirror of ice in front of himself, screaming in horror at the abomination he had become. He pulled out the hair from his cheeks, making his skin bleed, but soon pain and desperation overcame him.
“As for you…” Lith turned toward Vamfil, towering over the clerk.
Lith’s eyes were still ablaze with mana and his mouth with Origin Flames.
“Good job.” He shapeshifted back into his human form, using Life Vision to check his surroundings for survivors. “Neforce was right, if someone was still under the rubble, they would be dead now. Still, you were right as well.
“It’s worth trying to at least rescue the bodies and give closure to their families but I warn you. During the fight, I noticed that there were no corpses left on the streets. Anyone missing is probably dead and their remains are likely to become the monsters’ dinner.”
“Why are you telling me, sir?” Vamfil licked his lips in nervousness, his eyes instinctively falling to his amulet to check for missing runes.
“Because not only civilians died today but also good soldiers. Someone needs to tell their families the truth and I don’t trust anyone else with such a delicate task.” Lith replied.
‘Also, it will look great on your resume.’ He actually thought while knocking Neforce and Palaar out the moment their desperate wails had ceased to amuse him.
“May I ask you a question, sir?” The clerk stared at the Magus with a shocked expression.
From so up close and in human form, Vamfil could tell how young Lith was, and comparing himself with his junior left a sour aftertaste in the clerk’s mouth.
“Tista told me everything. Here’s your autograph.” Lith handed Vamfil a piece of paper with a mysterious ink smudge that was his handmade signature followed by a readable one made with water magic.
“That’s not what I was going to ask you.” The clerk replied while pocketing the paper after carefully folding it without ruining either signature.
“Was this really necessary?” He pointed at the former captain, head healer, and the mutilated troops. “Mages are rare. My colleagues might still be helpful.”
“Yes, it was.” Lith nodded. “We live in delicate times. The Kingdom endured the War of the Griffons only thanks to beasts like me and plant folk. Idiots like them, however, are unwilling to accept the change.
“Now answer me this. What makes more sense? To redeem them and change their ways or to just replace them with someone more competent and less prejudiced?”
“Replace them.” Vamfil replied after pondering the question. “They raised their hand against you. If not punished, it would encourage similar behavior in others that share their beliefs.”
“That’s why I didn’t kill them.” Lith nodded. “It would have made them martyrs. This way, they’ll be treated like the criminals they are and become a cautionary tale.”
While Vamfil called for help and started to clear the rubble, Lith gave his report to the Royals.
Useless to say, they were ecstatic about the crushing victory and how after Lith’s arrival the number of casualties had gone down to zero. The news of Neforce’s and Palaar’s behavior along with their retribution, however, spoiled their mood.
“I understand your outrage, Magus Verhen, but what you did is the very definition of cruel and unusual punishment.” Queen Sylpha weighed her words carefully.
