The Broken Council

by Steven R. Burke

  Silence fell over the room. The sounds from the storm were growing worse still and seemed to be filling the silence in the council chambers. No one had the look yet of even forming a question on their faces. However, when Kishi looked at her sister, Kira was giving her a look of mingled indignation and disbelief all at once. The princess did not need the ability to read minds to know what her younger sibling was thinking. She knew that she felt betrayed by her older sister and by the faces of those who clearly agreed with Kishi. She could not believe that she would ask for the right to rule after doing nothing on her part to secure it.

  Queen Kira could take it no longer. She was too incensed to sit quietly on her throne and say nothing after such an attack. She stood up, and as she did so her, eyes began to have blue mist coming out of her eyes. No one had ever seen her so angry before that she would use her magic unknowingly. "You traitor!" she bellowed at her sister. "What gives you the right to come here and belittle what I have done to save these people? Who are you to question my ability to rule? You are no better than those that we left behind! They were ignorant fools who wanted to do the minimum and still reap the rewards of hard work off of the backs of others!" The blue mist was now surrounding the queen and seemed to be freezing the very air about her.

  Kishi smiled at her sibling's reaction to the truth. Everything was going better than she could have wished for. She had sufficiently provoked her sister into attacking her verbally. That should give everyone sufficient doubt in her ability to rule. She just needed to egg Kira on a little more to reach her breaking point. Now she would attack the queen's illegitimate husband who was king. He will be the perfect trigger to push her over the edge.

  "Dear sister, you question my right to come here to petition this just council of high elves? What about your own violation of our laws in marrying a member of a different race? Have the laws changed for everyone in this regard, or did we bend the rules for you and this pathetic excuse for a spouse? Haven't you defiled yourself enough by marrying him? Why bring these good people down with you through your inept leadership?" She had a triumphant smile on her dark face. She had done it. Let the storm come. I am ready!

  Kira sent shards of ice hurtling toward her sister, who deflected the darts just enough to prevent major damage. She wanted it to appear that she was unprepared for this attack. Many of the icy daggers had pierced her clothing and grazed her skin. Blood began to trickle down her sides as she struggled to stand erect.

  "What did I do to deserve this treatment, Queen? I am your sister. Why do you attack me so? As a leader, you cannot allow for your passions and anger to rule your judgment. You must think outside yourself." Kishi, with the help of the queen's guard, stood all the way up now to make the declaration she had come to make this day.

  "I feel that my sister is not a competent leader, so I have taken it upon myself, the rightful heir, to start anew." The queen looked shocked for an instant, and then her countenance fell.

  "I have established the true kingdom of the high elves on Mount Konane without the help of the deceitful guardians. All those who wish to join us will be welcome on our mountain kingdom. What I have done cannot be construed as treason because I have followed the laws of our people. I have set up a monarchy that is in keeping with the right of rule established by high elven law. I vow to lead the people by their voice and limit bureaucracy to fulfill their purpose and nothing more." She winced from the pain from the cuts on her sides. She turned around and used her magic to blast open the doors of the hall and departed into the unrelenting storm.

  As the council's meeting was beginning, Jaali met with the people who had gathered together for their departure to the east. From their vantage point, they could just see the outer wall and the massive gate. There were only four guards protecting the entrance because of the high security at the council chambers. The people began to murmur amongst themselves that their escape would come off without a hitch. However, as the black storm clouds began to move in, many feared that this was an ominous sign that what they were about to do was wrong.

  Jaali immediately took control of the situation. "The clouds you see overhead were created by our friend Lord Diikker. He felt that a little darkness along with rain would assist in keeping our departure secret." He knew something of how to inspire people and how to cajole others into accepting what he said. The people seemed to understand and had a surge of new hope to move forward with their plans.

  "By the time our queen has made known to the council what her intentions are; we will be off this mountain. The rain will slow any pursuit if they choose to act so rashly." He was a natural at this kind of leadership. He knew that he would get all of the people off this mountain and not get caught in the process. "Tenanden will guard our retreat from any possible pursuit. As you can see now, the guards at the gate have been dealt with." He gestured toward the main entrance. "They have not been harmed, just rendered unconscious. The doors will be open by the time we reach them, so let's move out."

  The group that departed that day was not pursued. They made it all the way to their new home without seeing another soul. The total number of those that left the main body of the high elves under Queen Kira's rule was just a little more than half the total number of people. Many of them were traditionalists who felt that King Ciel was not bad but that he had lost control of the kingdom. They saw Queen Kishi as a powerful leader who would not allow the rule of her people to suffer the same fate as the elves. They also understood that Kira was leading them down a treacherous road with all of the rules and laws she had personally broken.

  General Yukio called a halt to his vanguard. They had just caught a glimpse of their homeland of Nairi off in the distance. He whistled three sharp blasts that sounded very near to the call of a warrior hawk. Silence was the only answer before the call was actually returned. A dark spot appeared on the horizon and appeared to be getting bigger and bigger as it neared their position. It was obvious that a bird of some kind was approaching at a very fast pace. This was the hawk that the general had apparently called to. The bird went into a steep dive as he approached the group. Yukio stuck his arm out, and his faithful servant landed lightly. He gave his trusty companion some food and stroked his chest affectionately.

  "I need you to carry a couple of important messages for me," he said to his feathered friend. He tied two messages onto each leg of the warrior hawk. The messages contained requests for a meeting with the government of the new nation of high elves. This first trip to his homeland was important for him to make not only because he had been gone from the service of Queen Daria for far too long, but also to request her presence at a summit at the capital city of Alanderas. He needed to explain what had happened and to ask for military support. He had a very difficult task in front of him. The messages on the hawk were for the kings of men.

  The hawk took off with an unexpected urgency as if Yukio had somehow communicated to him the necessity of ensuring the messages were delivered as fast as possible. The warrior hawk was heading in the direction of King Leroy Ishrafle of the realm of Landen. Yukio thought that he would get a positive reply from him regarding Queen Kira's request. When he had the king's reply, the hawk would return with it to his master before he delivered the next message. His next stop would be King Derek Udrugi of the Forest of Aran. The general was not as sure about that particular reply. He knew that the Udrugi was close with the elven king and would not be happy about the division. It remained to be seen if he would come or not.

  "What do you think will be your queen's reply to our summons?" questioned Bronwen Merindiel. He eyed the general passively as he waited for an answer.

  "Well, I would understand if she was angry with me, but I do not believe she will turn her back on the high elves in their hour of need. She will respect my judgment in this matter," General Yukio said with great confidence.

  "Are we going to visit any of the dwarven kingdoms? They would be very important allies to have if a war comes of this," said Bronwen. H
e continued to watch the general as they rode along the path that led down to Nairi.

  "We will visit King Edric Nognili at his island kingdom of Mount Ennis," Yukio replied. "He may not personally come to the summit, but he will likely send someone in his stead. I believe he will provide us with provisions, armor, and weapons. He does not like to get involved in other people's affairs. He has the only dwarven warriors close enough to us to do us any good, so that is why we will visit him. The mighty kings Jarvis Dagnolir and Kasim Thokrog are too far to the south for a visit. I will send my hawk to deliver messages to them once the other kings of men have had their invitations delivered." His eyes were focused on the beautiful cliffs of Nairi. He did not notice the looks that Bronwen was giving him.

  "That sounds like a prudent course of action. What of the giants? Will we visit them?" queried the chairman.

  "When the queen and I were speaking with Mistress Kana, she gave us the impression that they would side with the elves. It would not be wise to venture into their realm. We may not come out again. We should not send them any messages either because that would give away our plans. Secrecy is vital to our success where they are concerned."

  "With a guardian on our side, we will not fail. I believe that there is great wisdom in not involving the giants. They are too unpredictable and violent. They would ruin our plans even if they were on our side. Their aggressive tendencies have made them an isolated people. Even King Ciel could not deal with them for very long," Bronwen explained.

  "Well put, my good friend. Our hope lies with men and dwarves. They are powerful allies in seasons of peace and even more so in times of war. We must be persuasive in our meetings with my queen and with King Edric. Those two alone would provide us with sufficient protection and much needed supplies. When we meet with Queen Daria, please allow me to do the talking at first. I will need to explain my actions and seek her forgiveness. I will let you explain the division that has taken place. Then we will ask for her support together," Yukio explained.

  Bronwen nodded in agreement with Yukio's plan. He understood that the queen may not be too happy at first because her general had not reported back for many months. He knew that Yukio was a very persuasive man and would succeed in securing her pardon. Then he could present the case for Queen Kira and the high elves. Obtaining the military support of the Nairian army would be vital to their success. Their first meeting was the most important. His thoughts were beginning to consume him so much that he did not take notice of the immense beauty of the ragged canyon lands that the general called home. He knew that he must succeed in securing the support of the people of Nairi if their new nation was going to survive.

  The small group continued their journey into the canyon lands as the sun began to wane. Far to the west the sun was setting and the clouds overhead turned an auburn color. Mount Ennis could be barely seen, but it too looked like it was alive with the evening colors. It was truly a picturesque scene that they took in while descending the steep canyon switchbacks. Torches lined the path as they continued down to the canyon floor. They needed to reach the palace before too long, or they would have to make camp for the night and meet with the queen in the morning. They wanted to meet with her before night fell so they could have a nice place to sleep.

  As they turned another winding corner, Queen Daria's palace came into view. It was a wonder to look at because of the way it was constructed. The structure was built into the side of the canyon walls. All of the dwelling places were constructed in this manner. There were no freestanding buildings in the entire kingdom. Their construction was very similar to the dwarven mountain homes. The dwarves had a special affinity for the people of Nairi because of their many similarities. Most of the people were miners and blacksmiths, which made them very close with their dwarven neighbor on the island of Mount Ennis.

  The front of the palace was made of smooth marble, which could withstand the harsh winds that frequently assailed the canyons. There were symbols carved into the marble that represented their different gods. These carvings were filled with silver and gold to represent the various guardians. They believed that the Elementals were their personal deities. This was yet another similarity between the dwarves and this particular nation of men. As they approached the entrance, they were met by the captain of the home guard. Commander Zareh Hacus bowed slightly to General Yukio as they approached the gates outside the queen's home.

  "General, the queen has been expecting you," Commander Hacus said stoically.

  "Commander Hacus, how good it is to see you, my old friend!" barked Yukio as he slid off his beautiful steed and shook hands hardily with the commander.

  "I hope that you have been well, General. We have missed you dearly these many months. We have not heard anything aside from the troops who returned to us with the tale of an elf witch saving you all from a pack of demonic wolves," the commander said with a genuine tone of concern. He was very much the senior of the general in years and had many silver hairs to prove it. He had been the head of the queen's home guard for many years. While the commander and the general spoke pleasantly to one another, General Yukio had never fully trusted Zareh. Yukio was never able to read his thoughts or intentions. He considered this to be a sign of someone who was hiding something.

  "Dear friend, I am well. I will need to speak with her majesty tonight. I want to explain the events of the past few months right away. Is she expecting us straight away?" queried the general.

  "She is. She ordered me to take you to her as soon as you arrived. I will warn you right now that she is not entirely happy with you. She has been worried that you were killed by that elf witch. She has stopped all trade and communications with King Ciel until he answers for what had happened to you. I think you are wise in your desire to explain your actions right away," replied Commander Hacus.

  "Then let us waste no more time; please lead the way," commanded the general kindly.

  As they entered the palace gate, everyone except Yukio was in awe. They had expected tight enclosed spaces inside instead of a vaulted roof. There were murals of battles and of the Nairi canyons on the ceiling. It too had the appearance of being made of marble. There were massive pillars on both sides of the aisle that they were being led down. Torches were positioned on every pillar to provide visitors with sufficient light. The images on the ceiling had an ominous feel to them in the flickering light, which made them appear to be alive. The only sound that could be heard was the echoing of their footsteps. Everyone had the feeling that they were being watched. The home guard lay safely concealed in the shadows as they passed them by. Their unseen eyes watched the vanguard carefully for any indication of a possible assassination attempt. They no longer trusted elves, and the general was surrounded by them, so they were on edge.

  They came to another chamber, which was much brighter than the previous one. Apparently this was the receiving room for foreign dignitaries. The queen was seated on a raised platform at the opposite end of the hall. She was very fair and beautiful to look upon. She did not have a beautiful look on her face however. She was clearly displeased with her general and with his traveling mates. Her look was one of utter disgust as she looked at the elves. Clearly she blamed them for Yukio's unexplained absence. She fixated on her general as he approached. He took one knee and bowed his face to the floor in a show of reverence. The high elves followed suit hurriedly after seeing the nasty look from Queen Daria.

  "General, please stand up and explain your actions. We have been worried," the queen said with genuine concern. If these elves have done anything to Yukio, there will be bloodshed tonight!

  "Your majesty, please forgive the lateness of my return. I hope that you will understand and accept my humblest apology. I will explain, in great detail, what has transpired since the attack by the pack of wolves," the general said with another bow.

  He went into great detail explaining everything that had happened to him. She seemed to come around when he explained that the mighty Elemental Kana fe
lt it important enough to involve herself in the affairs of the people of Tuwa. She was shocked at first when he explained that he had taken an elf to wife, but she was pleased to hear that his union was blessed by the revered deity. She was much more willing to listen to the remainder of the story after this. She was not the only one to be hanging on every word that came out of Yukio's mouth. It was as if he was commanding everyone's attention.

  The only one who was not transfixed was Commander Hacus. He knew that the general was using some kind of psychic power to manipulate the minds of everyone in the hall. He remained cautious and vigilant while everyone else seemed to shed all hatred of these elves and accepted them with open arms. He had a very bad feeling about what was taking place. What the general was reporting to the queen was good and seemed to answer all questions the queen had adequately. It was a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach that had him so worried.

  Once General Yukio had presented all of the facts, Chairman Bronwen Merindiel presented the request of Queen Kira. To his surprise, Queen Daria was only too eager to provide military assistance to the high elves. She felt that all that had transpired was inspired by the gods and that they should not ignore the pleas of a blessed race. As a result of this, she was overly accommodating to the delegation. Commander Hacus was concerned by her willing acceptance of Yukio's explanation. He was shocked that they had formed an alliance with this new nation so quickly. The only person that seemed to expect this outcome was the general himself. He had a smug look of accomplishment that frightened the head of the home guard. He could not shake the feeling that there was more to this situation than what they had been told.