Trial(Entinos) (Side/Optional)

Door 3: Trial

“HE’S GUILTY!”
“TO THE CHOPPING BLOCK WITH HIM”
“**** TO THE BEAST!” the courtroom screamed at the man locked in chains on the center of the court, his two hands chained apart as the guards removed the bag from his head revealing none other than Entinos. The satyr grunted in anger and feared seeing the situation he awoken in.

“SILENCE! SILENCE IN THE COURT!” bellowed the judge, his voice cutting through the uproar. A large, imposing man draped in dark judicial robes, he commanded the room with an iron will.
“Order!” he snarled, banging his staff against the floor until the shouting subsided. He fixed a contemptuous gaze on Entinos.

“Beast,” the judge began, leaning forward with an air of grim authority, “do you know why you are here on trial?”

Entinos tugged at the chains binding his arms apart, the metal links rattling ominously. His voice was a low growl, filled with indignation. “Should I? I’ve done nothing.”

The judge’s lips curled into a mirthless smirk. “You should,” he said, his tone heavy with accusation. “Blood is on your hands, satyr. The guards found you standing over the bodies of two citizens, your sword the instrument of their demise, according to the reports.”

Entinos stiffened. The words struck him like blows, not because they were untrue, but because they dredged up memories he had buried deep within the recesses of his mind. His breathing slowed as flashes of that harrowing night resurfaced, the charred remains of his home, the lifeless forms of his wife and children cradled in his trembling arms. The sharp tang of smoke and blood overwhelmed him, and he clenched his fists against the pain of remembering. His fury boiled just beneath the surface, but he **** it down.

“Yes,” he said finally, his voice somber. “I remember.”

The judge’s eyebrows rose, his expression a mixture of triumph and disgust. “So you understand why you are on trial. Good. That’s a start.” He shifted in his seat. “Tell me, did you know the victims?”

Entinos’s lips curled into a sneer. “If you call them victims,” he said, his tone ice-cold. “Yes, I knew them.”

A man in the gallery shot to his feet, his face red with fury. “Your honor! We need no further proof than his own words! The beast murdered my brothers in cold blood!”

Entinos’s eyes locked on the man. Recognition dawned, and his fury ignited anew. This was Castor, the sole survivor of the xenophobic mob that had torn his family apart. Entinos’s piercing gaze was like a spear, and Castor flinched but quickly masked his fear with bravado.

“Sit down, Castor,” the judge snapped, though he didn’t hide the disdain in his voice as he turned back to Entinos. “Satyr, you’re not making a strong case for your innocence.”

Entinos’s gaze swept the room, his eyes meeting those of the spectators one by one. He saw no sympathy, no desire for justice only fear and hatred. Slowly, he straightened, his posture defiant.
“I’m not,” he said simply.

Gasps rippled through the courtroom, followed by murmurs of shock. Castor’s lips curled into a triumphant sneer, confident that Entinos had just sealed his own fate.

“Are you confessing to your guilt, beast?” the judge demanded.

“GUILTY?! OF WHAT!” He declared with strength and indomitable will he stood up despite the chains trying to pull him down “I did what every other grieving being would have done in his place in that state of mind knowing the truth, JUSTICE. Those people murdered my family and despite all the proof on view you decided to take his side because of your fear to my kind. You never cared of what I said you decided that the best punishment was sell me to the gold company and sent me away to be use as war pet and a beast. I’M NO BEAST. I’M ENTINOS ZERETIA FROM CLAN RHAADKAT AND I’M NO MINDLESS BEAST.” He stopped his outburst as his voiced returned to a calmer saddened tone as he made peace with this decision and pain a long time ago in his long life.

A crystalline tear dropped from his eye from the memory of his children in his arms “I can’t change you or what you believe about me but I can damn sure prove to myself that I’m not what you think I am. I made peace with that mindless rage and vengeance for what you humans did to me a long time ago, a good kind and pure man showed me that I was wrong and made me see the true beauty of this world despite the monsters that live in it like you and your brothers ” He said spitting in the ground close to Castor. “Do what you must but know that you preferred to be shortsighted and only see the differences in my appearance than realise that I'm as same as you.

He paused, letting his words sink in. His voice softened but carried the weight of his conviction. “When my family was torn from me, I was blinded by rage and grief. I let my anger consume me, and I sought vengeance with no thought for the consequences. But I have changed. I have fought that darkness within myself, and I stand here now not as a beast, but as a man who mourned, who fought for justice, and who learned to heal.”

The courtroom sat in stunned silence as Entinos lowered his head, the weight of his memories and grief pressing heavily on his broad shoulders.
“Do what you must,” he whispered. “I am ready.”

Everything turned blurry after that, Entinos was beaten and carried away for execution. His head was placed on the cold execution stone, the executioner stood ready, his massive axe hovering ominously near Entinos's neck.

"Any last words, horns?" Castor taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.

Entinos chuckled through the pain of his brutal beating. The laughter was soft but defiant, igniting Castor's fury.

"WHAT’S SO FUNNY?!" Castor barked, stepping closer.

"I beat you," Entinos said with a smirk, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. His voice carried a calm, unsettling certainty. "You don’t know this yet, but you die alone in your bed, weeks after I leave this wretched town. Alone, sick, and scared like the rat you are. Even now, as I face ****, I take peace in knowing justice will come for you."

Castor’s face twisted in anger. He spat on Entinos and motioned for the executioner to proceed. "Finish this!"

The massive man raised his axe high, its blade glinting coldly in the dim light. Entinos closed his eyes, prepared to meet his end. As the axe descended, he let his thoughts drift to the sweet memories of his family, the warmth of their voices, and the life he had cherished. Then came the silence.

Yet, surprisingly, he was still alive.

Entinos opened his eyes and found himself unshackled, his body healed. The pain and fatigue of the beating had vanished. Confused, he muttered, "What the—?"

A deep, enigmatic voice interrupted him. "You did well, Entinos... even better than I expected."

Turning, Entinos saw the shadowy figure that had once appeared to Noor. The figure’s form seemed composed of swirling smoke, with a faint outline of a man stroking what appeared to be a smoky beard.

"Who are you? What’s going on? Where is everyone?" Entinos demanded, his voice sharp with confusion.

The figure smirked. "Don’t you remember the Styx? The moment you were taken?"

Memories flooded back; his capture, the despair, and now this strange place engulfed in darkness. "You were behind this?" he asked, anger rising. "This whole memory?"

"Indeed," the figure replied calmly. "You were on trial, Satyr. Both metaphorically and literally. I needed to test your mind, your will, your spirit. To see if you are fit for the task ahead with Kayn and the others."

Entinos’s fists clenched. "So, all of this... was just a test?"

"Not a test. The truth of yourself," the figure said, his voice resonating. "You’ve seen your losses, endured unimaginable pain, yet you found peace within yourself. Don’t you think Kayn suffers the same? Hasn’t he lost just as much, if not more? Doesn’t he seek the same solace in his friends?"
The words struck a chord. Entinos looked down, reflecting on the group’s recent discord. He recalled their fight with Kayn before heading to Hades a rift that had fractured their unity. Yet, in that moment, he realized they had overlooked Kayn’s own burdens: his amnesia, the weight of leadership, and the looming threat of the world’s end.

"Kayn has sacrificed much," Entinos murmured, his tone softening. "We were right to hold him accountable, but we forgot how much he’s done for us."

The figure nodded approvingly. "Good." He said with presence. "I’ve spoken to the others as well. They, too, understand now. This is not the time for petty fights. You must be united, stronger than ever. The world depends on it."

The figure’s voice grew commanding. "You, Entinos, are a **** of nature. A Rhaadkat Satyr born to embody strength and willpower. I need you to be the body of this group, the might that keeps them standing. Can you do that?"

Entinos straightened, his resolve firm. "Yes. I can."

"Good." The figure gestured, and a glowing portal appeared, casting light into the surrounding darkness. "Go, then. Rejoin your companions. You’ll find answers and, perhaps, reconciliation. But know this: the road ahead will demand everything you have."

As the figure dissipated into the shadows, Entinos was left alone with the portal. He closed his eyes, listening once more to the cherished sounds of his family. Then, with renewed determination, he stepped forward into the light.