[short story] In the Court of Justice

"Raise your hands above your head!" yelled the guard outside my cell and so I did. He entered and put a collar on me before taking off my bindings. "It's time for your trial."

I was lead through a cold and humid stone corridor, connecting the underground cells to the castle. Most of them were empty, save for two. My neighbor, Hrina, was sentenced to rot, living off of mold and licking water off the stones. Closer to the entrance was Stiya, whose hands were already cut off for stealing, now awaiting trial for "disrupting peace" by yelling lies on the street.

They put a damp bag on my head and escorted me to the court room, towards which the air became colder and colder. By the time we arrived, the bag became solid as the moisture in the fabric froze. Someone took it off of my head as if it was a helm when I heard:

"You are standing in front of Yss the Just, ruler of the Tundes and Chieftain of the Mountain. You are to be sentenced for---"

I lost interest in listening to what I already knew, using this time to examine the famous Yss instead; her seat was on top of a 20 foot high mountain of ice, wearing what seemed to be a bear hide and looking down at me while taking in every word of the speaker.

"What is your claim?" asked Yss as my sins were all read. "Do you have anything to defend yourself in the Court of Justice?"

I stared blankly at her.

"Alright then," she gestured towards a guard, "bring me his head!"

They made me kneel and watched as my head fall by the justice of Just Yss, sitting on her mountain-of-just-ice.

Dedicated to Hristiyana