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Pneumarians do not possess the ability to steal energy, only giving it in the form of ascension marks. And as many of you have experienced, cindarians suffer from a nearly irresistible reaction of falling unconscious when either their energy or stamina runs out. For our kind, training has never been a method of getting stronger. Only sharpening our skills.
"It is beginning," Rabae whispered to us. More people - pneumarians and klevonians, it seemed - had come in. The court was filled now. Each pneumarian sat in one of the remaining seats with their crest symbol on their banner. Besides the elevated reserved throne, all but one seat among the 14 not part of the council was empty. It dawned on me it was Rabae's seat.
Below, we witnessed a pneumarian made of magma, and two klevonians entered the room and stood in the center. The pneumarian wore large, cindium suppression cuffs and was bound in cindium chains that were coated in strong energy, restricting it from gaining too much movement. In contrast, the klevonians only wore the suppression cuffs. Based on the pneumarian's element and the klevonians' char-furred hybrid forms and magma-colored eyes, I got the sense they were part of the same Crest. Likely whichever one the magma pneumarian among the council was part of.
According to Rabae, we were about to witness someone be sentenced to expungement. It's a rare sentencing where beings that the Ryfi Theos or Ryfa Pakt view as threats to the peace of Pneuma City or Forgeton are sent. By using something called a void pen that's created on a different world, the Ryfi Theos and Ryfa Pakt and those they authorize have the means to send beings such as pneumarians somewhere they'll never be seen again. Apparently, no one knows what's really on the other side. Rabae said most assume it's a doorway to the innards of a black hole that kills the sentenced. I was kinda curious to see it for myself now. I hope that doesn't make me a bad person, now that I think about it...
The pneumarian made of light among the council stood and walked to a pedestal posted below the reserved throne area next to them.
"Handu the pneumarian. Cerbi the klevonian. Livil the klevonian. Each, a member of the Hellhound Crest. Kneel before your judgment," the pneumarian of light commanded in a feminine voice.
Hendu and Livil knelt obediently, but Cerbi stood defiantly.
The magma pneumarian part of the council leaned forward in its seat.
"Kneel or lose your kneecaps. Either way, you end up on the floor," the pneumarian's rough, dry, masculine voice boomed.
Cerbi looked at him with fear, then grunted reluctantly as he slowly lowered to the floor.
"Handu, you've permitted klevonians beneath you to attempt a hunt on one of the Sacred Guardians," the pneumarian of light announced. "For this heresy, those klevonians will be sent to the Prison Moon. You, however, have, yet again, disrupted the peace and have threatened the lives of many within Pneuma City. Your punishment this time will be severe."
Handu's black-orange eyes widened as his klevonians looked at him with concerned fear.
"No..." Handu said as the pneumarian of light continued.
"You will be sentenced to expungement."
"No!" Handu resisted and thrashed around in his restraints. He looked up at the magma pneumarian part of the council. "Kit! It was for our Crest! If the Dragons lose their symbol by us, we'd be recognized as the undisputed strongest! Can't you see that!? You'd let your own go down like this!?"
"Why didn't you come to me first," the magma pneumarian sighed, disappointed and chagrined, as he sat back in his seat. "I may not be a fan of the Dragons, but I'm not stupid enough to break a Golden Law. I can't protect you now, you idiot."
Handu flared his energy in rage, causing the room to heat up as lava pooled around him.
"Amazing, even with his power restricted to such a degree, he can give off this much of a presence," Avarice commented as we watched.
The pneumarian of the cold mist silently stood before he suddenly appeared before Handu, who was now hardened into cooled rock covered in ice. The room immediately felt much colder as a thin mist spread from the pneumarian.
"You must take us lightly if you believe the three of you alone would suffice for such a goal," the pneumarian said in a smoother, masculine voice before he turned and levitated back to his seat.
The Dragons and Hellhounds are often at each other's throats, Viraa enlightened us. Strength-wise, as a Crest, those two are noted to be the strongest. Ekitaihi and Zekryo never got along when I was around. It seems nothing has changed, she laughed.
"So you won't help us...," Cerbi said in a low, threatening voice as his chest began to glow red hot.
"I don't think the suppression cuffs are very effective," I whispered.
Most of us have far too much energy to be suppressed entirely as it is on Earth. They do still restrict our cintracies and most of our power, so it is not a complete waste.
The glow in Cerbi's chest moved up to his throat as we realized he was about to fire it from his mouth. He wasn't dumb enough to aim it at anyone, though. With the number of klevonian bodyguards and untouchable pneumarians present, he'd only be wasting his energy. Instead, he aimed at the floor, either to create a smokescreen or to burn a hole for him to escape through, but before he could fire it, as he inhaled, he breathed in some nitrogen mist left by the pneumarian of cold mist and started to writhe in agony on the floor.
"Dammit," the magma pneumarian exhaled. "You fool, enter your restricted state before your lungs burst. You need to give your organs time to thaw from your internal heat."
"Why help him? His decisions led him to this state," the pneumarian of the blue mist called out from his seat.
"The klevonians are being sentenced to a millennium of imprisonment. Not death," the magma pneumarian responded sharply.
"If you insist on trying to kill them, I'll kill you myself," he said, glaring at him as he glowed a little hotter.
"Will you, now?" the pneumarian of blue mist retorted as ice began to creep from his seat.
"That's enough, you two. This is the Royal Palace. Restrain yourselves," the pneumarian of light called out. "We're proceeding with the expungement. Take the prisoners away."
As the klevonians were escorted out, presumably to be transported to prison later, she pulled out a 4-inch-long, black pen-like object. It was made almost entirely of this black stone material. In the middle of the pen was a red pea-sized piece of mineral that began to glow. It reacted with the black stone, causing it to radiate black, starry energy that felt natural yet unnatural. At the pen's tip was now a tiny blade of the eerie energy.
Everyone watched silently as the pneumarian of light descended to the floor and stood before Handu. She extended her arm and pretended to cut the air with the pen, except it actually did cut the air open.
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