War of Shadows

The morning condensation dribbled down the window plane, and a chill settled on the room. The number of people gathered had grown since yesterday, with the crowd spilling out into the paved courtyard that bordered the building. Anyone entering for a different reason would have to fight through a crowd of a couple of hundred people; not that any other case was working that day or even any day that week. It was the largest case that the court had ever seen, and it would decide the fate of a nation.

Ezra Anderson already stood at the podium, having been there an hour previous to prepare. Even though it was early, his eyes were alert, and silently scanning the crowd, any eyes that met his, would quickly look away as if being stared down by a predator. The young man wasn’t looking for a fight, but it was a look developed over years on the battlefield, one that said he wouldn’t back down from any adversary. And in a way, that was why he was there.

The courtroom was cold, and many of the crowd wore warm coats and hats, but at the front, Ezra was dressed in a simple white shirt and jacket. While at first glance, he was immovable, but in the shadow of the podium, he clenched and released his fists over and over, trying to work some heat into his fingers.

Finally, the judge arrived, and a silence spread throughout the crowd “this meeting will follow the continuing accounts of Ezra Anderson concerning the invasion by Garlantia.” He addressed the crowd, and then turning to Ezra he added, “however, due to the complaints of yesterday, I must ask that you speed up your account and only include more relevant details.”

“Yes your honour, I’ll restart my account from the day of the invasion, roughly two years ago. I’m sure most of you remember that it was like any other day…”