Amilar Agathon
"This court finds that there is no relationship between the accused's justified act of legal insubordination and their posession of a banned Anathema text. Any so-called "evidence" of such a link is at best attributable to hysteria, and at worst to an organized campaign of whispers and slander carried out by certain political allies of Taizei Fuo Bahari."
Excerpt from Judge Magistrate Amilar Agathon's Findings in the court-martial of five Chuzei
Several days had passed since the trial, and the uproar that followed. There were three days of hearings even after the ruling was passed down and the prisoners were freed, and there was a mountain of paperwork to complete even after that. When he finally found time to return to his family's estates, his cousin Amilar Amaki was waiting for him. Just as he expected, she was furious; her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, and she didn't bow. "You idiot, cousin! Do you have any idea what you've done to our family's standing?"
Amilar Agathon swept past her, without breaking stride. "I don't really care what impact this has on your ambitions, Cousin Amaki. Justice was upheld."
As he continued down the hall, she shouted after him. "I did not dismiss you, Chuzei!" He stiffened and turned to her, his own fingers sliding upward until they were poised on the tsuba of his own blade. They glared at each other across the hall for several minutes. Finally, Agathon withdrew his hand and granted his cousin a shallow bow.
"I do not answer to you, Taizei. I am a Chuzei of the magistrate-advocate directorate, and am outside of the regular military chain of command. You should know that, cousin."
"And you should know, cousin - " she spoke the word as if spitting out a piece of sour fruit - "that people are saying that the Amilar family is in thrall to the Anathema, that my mind was poisoned when I was posted there, and that I've spread this poison to the rest of Gens Amilar"
Agathon made a scoffing sound. "More Fuo lies, cousin. They are jealous of the fame you earned with your intelligence reports."
"The Fuo have powerful allies, and you just embarassed them deeply."
"These allies tried to bribe me. They suggested that should the prisoners be found guilty and sentenced to die, that I might be promoted beyond your own rank of Taizei, directly to a city-level position in the Directorate."
This made Amaki's eyes burn with envy. "And yet you chose to spite the Fuo by finding the prisoners innocent."
"No, cousin. I found the prisoners innocent because that was the truth of the matter."
Her eyes narrowed at him. "The truth is fickle, cousin. This arrived by courier this morning." She took a folded piece of paper from her sleeves and threw it at his feet, then she turned to go.
"Last night, the five Chuzei involved in the matter of the Anathema text were found dead in their barracks. The cause of death was seppuku. This implies a deep and abiding sense of guilt on the part of these officers, a guilt not in evidence in Chuzei Amilar Agathon's formal ruling five days ago. Accordingly, the Defense Directorate and the Magistrate-Advocate Directorate have jointly concluded that the the ruling was issued in error. Chuzei Amilar Agathon's rank and appointment are hereby suspended indefinitely, pending investigation."
That night, Amilar Agathon received no invitation to dine with his family. He sat in the six tatami-mat chamber that doubled as his bedroom and personal study, his fists clenched, reading the words on the paper over and over. He had little appetite, but he called for a servant to bring him dinner anyway. He did not know when the soldiers of the Magistrate-Advocate Directorate would come, but it would be soon, and he had not intention of fainting from hunger when they arrived.
Finally, a pretty serving-girl carrying a stack of laquerware dinner boxes announced her presence, and opened the door. As she did, the night breeze rustled into the room, carrying a gentle chill, a stray oak leaf... and whispered Wind-Carried Words. "Chuzei, it has begun." Agathon immediately recognized the gruff voice of his commanding officer, Taisei Yuto Hanto.
He forced himself to smile at the the servant. "Come in, I'm famished. You do not look familiar; did old Kana finally get permission to hire some more staff?"
She smiled back, and dropped her gaze. "Yes sir, she hired me just last week."
The hair rose on the back of Agathon's neck; to one trained in the Falsehood Unearthing Attitude, this sensation was louder than a trumpet's clarion call. He shifted his seiza posture subtly, and slowed his breath as the girl sat down across from him and began arranging the trays. He closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, and when he opened them again he could clearly see the glimmer of a narrow jade knife tucked up her sleeve. Only killers and operatives carry that kind of blade. He rubbed his stomach theatrically with his left hand, as if to express his appetite. His heart pounded once.
In a single motion, his left hand shot backwards to the saya of his wakisashi, reversed direction, and propelled the sword's hilt into the assassin's solar plexus. She staggered backwards and drew her knife, but Agathon had already launched himself forward. His right hand swept across and drew the short sword from its sheath; his momentum carried him right into her, and they went sprawling through the open door. They came to rest in the hallway, with him on top, his weight pinning her to the floor as the razor-keen edge of his wakizashi buried itself two full inches into her windpipe. His heart pounded a second time as blood began to pool on the floor around them.
The sound of foosteps could be heard down the hall; Agathon rolled off of the dying assassin and sprang to his feet, the wakizashi held evenly before him. The newcomers were indeed from the Directorate... and yet Agathon smiled to see them.
Yuto Hanto's badge of office got them through the final checkpoint without incident; while many had heard of the trial and its controversial aftermath, few knew Amilar Agathon's face by sight. Still, Agathon found it prudent to travel clad head-to-toe in Ashigaru Armor, lest his distinctive marks of breeding set toungues to wagging. Finally, they found themselves out of sight of the last southern checkpoint. They no longer stood on Lookshy soil.
As Agathon removed the Ashigaru armor and packed it onto Hanto's steed, the elder warrior spoke. "There will be warrants for your arrest as soon as they find out what happened. You have many friends in the Ministry who detest these plots and schemes; we will find a way to vindicate you, but it will take time. Where will you go?"
Agathon embraced his commander and friend, and turned to look at the sprawling prairies of Marukan. At length, he spoke. "I found no justice in Lookshy. Perhaps it is time to see for myself if these 'Lawgivers' are any better."
