“Mommy, Daddy, time to wake up!” Aidan opened his eyes to find his daughter jumping onto the bed with them. His internal sun-sense told him the sun was just setting. He sat up and yawned. Flame Song opened her eyes and blinked sleepily.

Corinne came to the open door saying, “Good morning, or evening rather. The sun was setting and Spark wanted to wake you up. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” said Flame Song.

“We’ve had a busy day. I napped a bit myself, and just a little while ago someone from the watch house stopped by. They want you both to testify at Branson’s trial. It’s being held early tomorrow morning. I told them I wasn’t sure if you could come or not, with the trial being held during the day.”

“Sure, we’ll be there,” said Aidan. “I can certainly put up with a little daylight in order to see him get what he deserves.”

“I’ve been rather curious about that,” said Corinne. “It was my impression that sunlight is fatal to vampires, but you don’t seem to mind it.”

“You’re right, sunlight and vampires don’t mix one bit, though the sun isn’t instantly fatal,” said Aidan. “Luckily enough, however, I have this.” He tapped the medallion around his neck. “It’s a very good sun protection spell. I’m completely immune to the effects of sunlight while wearing it.”

“Ah,” said Corinne. “Well, I’ll let them know you’ll be at the trial then.”

The sun had hardly peeked over the horizon when Flame Song and Aidan set out that morning. They wanted to do some shopping before the trial. Fortunately they were able to find a few shops open that early. Aidan got himself a pair of trousers that actually fit him, grumbling at how hard it was to find them in his size. He managed to turn up a shirt tailored for aerian wings as well. It was plain brown rather than the blue he favored, but he didn’t have time to be picky. Dressed and combed, they set off for the courthouse where the trial would be held. Corinne and her daughter Ariana came along too, as did Littlespark.

Mysteria’s judicial system was fairly simple. As the person being tried was a cleric, the local head of one of the larger clerical orders was the judge. There was no jury, but anyone in attendance could offer an opinion. All parties concerned would tell their stories, then time was allowed for questions, and at last the judge would give his decision. A blanket truth spell was continually in place over the whole room, so no one could speak a lie during the trial. Aidan winced as he entered the room. The truth spell had been cast by a cleric, and so it was distinctly uncomfortable for him. Flame squeezed his hand reassuringly and he smiled back at her. They seated themselves on the front row. Branson, also on the front and flanked by a pair of watchmen, glared at them.

The trial wasn’t long. Aidan, Corinne, and Flame Song each told their version of the night’s events. Even Littlespark spoke briefly, much to the amusement of those gathered. Then Branson told his version of events, differing little in facts, but greatly in delivery. He clung to his position that killing a vampire wasn’t murder. The judge shook his head, looking solemn. “Mr. Alder, I do not support your claim that killing a vampire isn’t murder, nor do I support your notion that Mr. Rhiannon is somehow evil because of his race. But to make sure that are no doubts about the matter I have a few questions for him.” He turned his attention to Aidan and asked, “Mr. Rhiannon, is it true that you are a member of Queen Tara’s Clan of the Lost Dragon?” A murmur ran through the crowd at the question. Everyone had heard of the famous band of adventurers who protected Mysteria under the direction of the Dragon Queen.

Aidan answered simply, “Yes.”

The murmur grew, people exchanging amazed comments with their neighbors. The amazement expressed was about equally divided between surprise that a local was part of the famous Clan and surprise that such a creature as a vampire could be part of that group. Still, everyone knew that there wasn’t any way around the truth spell, so it must be true. The judge waited for the sound to die down and asked, “And are you personally acquainted with Her Majesty?”

“Yes. I count her as a friend,” was his reply. “It’s due to her kindness that I’m able to be present in daylight today,” he added. “She gifted me with my sun protection amulet.”

The judge nodded. “I think in that case there is no question that Mr. Rhiannon is not evil, quite the contrary in fact. Mr. Alder,” he turned his gaze back to Branson, “I am aware of your history. My own clerical order trained you, and we allowed you, once you had left us, to find your own path. But you have stepped over the line by attempting to murder a law-abiding citizen of this world. It is my judgment that you are guilty of attempted murder and should be stripped of all clerical rank and power. Further, I exile you from Snowcap village. You may go where you please, but you are no longer welcome here.”

The judge nodded at a group of robed clerics who had been sitting in the back of the room during the trial. They wasted no time, coming forward and surrounding Branson. It was only a moment before they stepped back. One of them held Branson’s holy symbol in his hand. Without a word they filed quietly out of the room. Branson was left standing between his guards, an expression of stunned bereavement on his face. He suddenly looked small and hopeless. Aidan felt a bit of pity for the man, but only a very little bit. He really deserved what had happened to him. The rest of the gathered audience began to leave. Flame Song, Aidan, and Littlespark rose to their feet as well and made their way to the door.

Outside Aidan let out a sigh of relief. “Thank heaven that’s over with.” He paused and watched as the two watchmen escorted Branson out of the courthouse. Branson’s gaze fell on Aidan as he was led past and his forlorn look was replaced with an expression of pure rage. Suddenly he tore free of his escort and flung himself at Aidan. Aidan stumbled back, Branson’s hands at his throat. He had a moment to think, why is this idiot trying to strangle me? I don’t need to breathe, before he realized that Branson was after his sun medallion. His mind was suddenly flooded with panic. It was mid-morning and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. If Branson got the medallion off, Aidan could very well die. The guards tried to haul Branson away, but they couldn’t get a grip on the flailing lunatic.

Aidan managed to grab the raving ex-cleric, whose touch was no longer painful now that he’d been stripped of his clerical power. He flung Branson away from him as hard as he could. But in that same instant, the ex-cleric wrapped his fingers around the medallion. The chain snapped from the force of Aidan’s own strength and Branson shouted in triumph. His shout was abruptly cut off as he hit the side of a building across the street hard. He slid limply to the ground.

In the same instant that the chain of the medallion broke Aidan screamed in incredible pain. He stumbled forward, trying to escape the merciless light that hammered him with an almost physical force. He fell, his skin visibly reddening.