Author's Note: Okay, this time I feel that I should give fair warning about this chapter and the next few: These chapters briefly touch on rape and the like, and therefore may be bothering to some readers. There's nothing descriptive, but I thought that those who might be disturbed by just the thought of rape might not want to read on unawares. For those who would be bothered, you can skip to chapter 41: Using Evil to Stop Evil without missing much of what happened. Again, I apologize to those who are bothered by this, and I promise this will be the only time I use rape in any of my stories. Thank you.

(post-A/N: Ahhhhhhhh... Finally my computer is working right. Fized all those typos and such, sorry about that.)

Chapter 40: Fortunate Timing

The crowd gasped as the cat climbed up onto the gallows and removed the noose. Fearing trouble, the other mages quickly pushed their way through to his side.

"What's the meaning of this?" demanded a man near the platform wearing elaborately decorated clothes.

"This man is innocent," Zentarou repeated emphatically, "and I'll not allow an innocent man to die for a crime he didn't commit."

"Thank the gods," the man sobbed. "Someone finally believes me."

"He was convicted fairly by a counsel of magistrates,” another nobleman mentioned. "Who are you to declare him innocent and interrupt justice from being carried out"

"What are they?" asked another citizen, sounding a bit afraid. "They're nothing like we are." He sounded more than a bit afraid.

"My brother and I have read this man's memory," Zentarou pressed on. "We know of his innocence." That announcement got a reaction, one of fearful murmurings.

"You four are soothsayers?” the first nobleman asked.

"Soothsayers?" Vivi whispered.

"Wise men, or Magi," whispered Dregan. He discreetly nodded to Zentarou, who nodded in reply.

"Yes, we are magi of sorts. We have arrived here by mystical means, and have used our powers to verify his innocence." Zentarou, with his full robes, played the part of a magus well. The Bretheren mentally applauded his performance, as the crowd backed off a few steps.

"Prove it!" demanded the second nobleman. Zentarou huddled up with his fellow mages.

"Now what?"

"Lets run with it,” Dregan encouraged. "It seems this is a place where mages don't exist. We probably can save this man's life with our magic, if we do it right. Now lets make this look good." They whispered for a moment more, then turned back to the nobleman.

"What would you have us do to prove ourselves, doubter?”

"You're the magi; you figure it out." The crowd nervously chuckled at that. None of the mages reacted visibly, just coolly surveyed the crowd. Vivi stepped forward, to all eyes just a child, and with just a bit of concentration and a few words made fire bloom in his hand. The crowd gasped in surprise - and didn't pay attention to Dregan, who had a hand in his Jewel pouch and was casting secretly, as Zentarou didn't know this certain spell. Once his spell was complete, Vivi dramatically clapped his hands together, extinguishing the flame with a flourish. Then Zentarou held out a hand to the nobleman who'd been questioning them, drawing a palmful of crystals.

"You are keeping a secret,” he announced mysteriously. The man nervously chuckled.

"E - everyman has secrets," was the shaky reply. Zentarou played this for all it was worth, leaping to the streets and scattering the crowd. Landing in a kneel on one knee, the cat let the jewels drop to the street in front of him, where everyone could see the shining gems; one dark, three water, and three earth respectively, although all the crowd saw was a black, three blues, and three greens, all glowing brightly with their own inner light and looking mystical enough. Extending his hand, letting his thumb and first two fingers loosely point at the man and the other two hang limp, he pretended to study the gems' pattern, as if divining into the unknown through their glimmering light, swaying slightly.

"A secret about... a business deal." The man paled a bit. "A trade agreement with a merchant." In reality, Dregan had seen the memory and relevant thoughts in the man's mind, and was replaying them to Zentarou via the telepathic pendants as the cat created a grand show. "I smell... spices. The trade involves spices, but -" He held up the black gem. " - you are beginning to doubt the wisdom of the agreement." Another man cried out in protest, apparently the merchant in the deal. "Something makes you feel a threat to your investment, and you consider backing out of is."

"N - no!" he protested, albeit weakly.

"You cannot lie to me, nor to the Jewels." Zentarou scooped them up and stood. "Best discuss your concerns with your partner." Indeed, the merchant was heading over to discuss the matter.

The second nobleman approached them respectfully.

"You are very convincing, but perhaps if you would perform your reading for me." Zentarou mentally conferred with his brothers, and nodded. He dropped to a knee, grabbed a palmful of gems, and dropped them. Six gems landed on the street; three water, three fire. As he pretended to study them, Dregan did his bit.

Good draw, the elf said. Red and blue make sense with what I'm getting.

What did you read?

He's thinking of his daughter, Cerene. She was assaulted by the rapist, and he injured her badly. Since then she's fallen ill, and nothing has aided her. Vivi suddenly broke in.

Dregan, let me in your bag. The elf knelt, causing both Zentarou and the nobleman to look, and let the Black Mage reach into his backpack. The mage pulled out the tin Cadderly had given them, then strolled over to the edge of the platform and said,

"Take us to her." The nobleman paled as Zentarou scooped up the gems, then nodded. He led them through the streets, the previously condemned man following with armed escorts at the nobleman's insistence, to a large, fancy house as Vivi explained to the other mages, The poultice should held her as it did me.

Good idea, agreed Dregan, but you didn't see the gems. How did you know what the 'reading' was?

Oops. This time Orko found the solution.

I know. You called us brothers, Zentarou. We'll say that we're linked, so what one of us knows, we all know. It's more or less true.

Perfect! They entered the house behind the nobleman, the prisoner remaining outside.

As they passed into a room, a woman looked up. She was lovely, in an elegant dress, but looked worn out and tired. A teenage woman lay in the bed next to her, moaning and turning in a fitful rest. Bruises and small cuts covered her face.

"Is it over?" she asked wearily.

"No." She gasped as she saw the mages. "These magi claim he's innocent." The lady looked unsure as to how to react to this, so the man went on. "When asked to prove their powers, they made fire from air, and saw into the mind of Councilman Jerdan." He chuckled. "You would've enjoyed the spectacle, my love."

Ah, a husband and wife, and the girl's parents, deduced Dregan. Thought so, though I wonder how the prisoner fits into all this. She looked half relieved that we'd saved him.

"I asked them to do the same for me, and they told me to bring them to our Cerene." The lady quickly stood.

"Can you save her?” she asked almost pleadingly. "Please, can you save our child?" The look in her eyes was desperate. Vivi stepped forward, then bashfully shuffled his feet and adjusted his hat with one hand, feeling a bit awkward as having to ask what he had to, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"Um... wh - where was she b - badly hurt?" he stammered. The mother frowned at the question, as if almost offended, but Dregan quickly cleared up the misunderstanding.

"Where is the wound that made her ill?" he clarified, hoping he wasn't blushing.

"Oh." The lady blushed too. "Here." She drew down the covers to bare the girl's left shoulder. A deep gash pierced otherwise flawless fair skin, the edges angry red and oozing. Vivi walked over, carefully so he didn't trip, opened the jar, and scooped barely a fingerful on the tip of a gloved finger. He had to reach a bit, but fortunately for him the girl was near the edge of the bed and the bed wasn't too high, and he could smear the wound with the paste. She winced momentarily at the contact, but the gash visibly lost its redness and stopped oozing.

"She'll be better soon," he assured the woman as he closed the jar and re-joined his brothers. Indeed, before he even reached them the girl's eyes opened.

"Mama? Papa?"

"Thank the heavens." As the parents embraced their child, the mages slipped back outside.

"Is Cerene okay?” the prisoner asked.

"Yes,” answered Dregan. "She's fine." The doors opened, and the father exited.

"Ah, you are still here! There are no words to express my gratitude. My daughter is already able to sit up and eat, and her bruises and cuts are fading before my eyes! A week ago she couldn't even open her eyes. Thank you"

"Our pleasure," replied Zentarou. The nobleman looked at the guards.

"Release him. Cerene has said Pyric is innocent, and no matter what, if these magi also say it is so, then my nephew is innocent." The guard hesitated, but a look from Zentarou prompted him to obey. The newly freed man rubbed his wrists gratefully, and then the nobleman embraced him. "I'm so sorry, nephew. Can you forgive me?" He nodded.

"Never could I hold ill will to you, Uncle. I know that it looked like I was guilty, and you could only know what you saw and heard. But truly, is Cerene well?"

"Yes," the father laughed. “She is well." Then he turned to the mages. "Please, remain here as my guests. My hospitality is the lease I could offer after what you've done for me."

"Thank you, sir" Dregan replied. "I believe we'll accept." They were led back inside, to a study where they could rest.

What they didn't see was the figure eavesdropping on the conversation and not pleased at all.