The Broken Council

by Steven R. Burke

  There was an intense look of relief on all of the council members' faces after the punishments were announced. They thought that they were rid of this evil man and the king's gullible daughter. The council did not know that the new couple had anticipated this grim outcome. There was one person who did not expect their ruling at all, and that was Princess Kishi. She was so enraged by how things had developed that she was ready to explode.

  "You imbeciles cannot be serious! You shall pay for what you have done this day! I promise you that!" Princess Kishi exclaimed. She kicked her chair out once again, and it shattered again as it hit the wall. She moved her hands in a complicated series of movements; this was the physical manifestation of her drawing power from non-sentient entities outside the hall, which shot a long dart of ice at the Thraalillith. The cauldron rocked back and forth from the force of the ice bolt hitting it. The pot quickly froze, and an instant later it exploded into tiny shards of gold and silver, which went flying off in every direction. Everyone in the room ducked in order to avoid these minuscule projectiles. She then turned toward the side door she had come in and sent a ball of fire at it. In a split second, the door burst into flames and was gone. She stormed from the room cursing each council member as she stalked past them.

  Princess Kira and General Yukio stood to make their announcement after this violent outburst. They were not thrown off by what happened; instead they saw it as a perfect lead in to what they were about to announce. They smiled at one another in a way that unnerved the council members as they sat back in their chairs looking at the council. Many of the members thought that Kira was about to lose control like her sister. They had not expected a reaction so extreme from Kishi, so they did not know what to expect from the youngest Tiranidrol.

  "We have come here to unveil our secret plans and not to hear your meaningless verdict," General Yukio said with an edge to his voice. He was no longer smiling. He had such a hypnotic look in his eyes that no one could look away. He was about to use his hidden mental powers to get his way yet again. There was no turning back once he revealed his psychic abilities on these supposedly superior elves.

  "The spirits of this ancient forest have shown us how the elves have become too entrenched in their archaic traditions and beliefs. An evolution of the elven race is the only way that the elves can be saved from utter ruin," Kira stated succinctly. She was making reference to the Seda, which are spirit creatures that reside in the Black Forest. These spirits give glimpses of the future to travelers that enter their realm. They unfog the future to those that can manipulate relevant events to bring about the future they have predicted. It is not wise to trifle with these powerful beings because they are allies to no one. They believe themselves to be vastly superior to every living thing in Tuwa.

  "It was also shown to us that this inept High Council would convict the two of us based on antiquated laws. The Seda informed us of what we would need to do to save the elven race from certain annihilation," the general said confidently. He was enjoying this feeling of knowing more than these high and mighty elves.

  At this point, it dawned on King Ciel what these conspirators were playing at. He did not like what he thought they were about to do. His ability to reads minds did not work on his daughter or the general for some reason. However, he was able to read the effect that the general was having on the minds of the council members. He was able to deduce that they were plotting treasonous acts. The elven kingdom had stood for countless millennia united in the common cause of caring for Tuwa, and he was not going to allow these two to ruin that. He realized that he would not be able to stop what was about to happen without force. He readied himself to command his guard to seize the traitors and to execute Yukio immediately while forcibly ejecting Kira once she was restrained. He, just like the council, did not think of the consequences of such rash actions.

  "You may think that we will allow you to carry out the assigned punishments, but you could not be more wrong. We have been planning to leave for some time now, and today was designated to be the day we leave the main body of the elves, as foretold by the Seda. We will not depart alone either... " Princess Kira said boldly. She could not wait another moment; she had waited too long for this day to arrive.

  "We will be accompanied by no less than one-third of the entire elven nation!" the general exclaimed triumphantly.

  The astonished looks on the faces of those seated around the table made all of their planning worthwhile. The council had had no inkling that they were so out of touch with their own people. The weighty significance of this mass dissension was beginning to sink in. No one spoke because they were all too dazed and confused with what was happening. The elves had always considered themselves above such selfish motives; the lesser races were the ones who fought among themselves, not the enlightened elves.

  With a mischievous grin, the princess cast her hand down toward the ground where an explosion of fire erupted violently and shot upward so that the flames licked the polished marble ceiling. Everyone had directed their attention toward the roof and did not notice that the rebels had vanished completely. General Yukio and Princess Kira had left the council with flare and style that would be remembered for years. The king immediately called for his guard to search for the convicts. Both of my daughters are dead to me! They will soon find out what happens to traitors! He was going to make it clear to his subjects that those who dissent and leave the magical realm of the elves would suffer the consequences.

  While the king's guard searched for the treacherous pair, a massive number of elves were leaving the Black Forest with all of their possessions. They were heading north toward Mount Konane and Mount Quang. They were making their way to their new homes in the mountains. The king would not be able to stop them in time; they were no longer his subjects, and they were out of the reach of his guard. They had established themselves a queen who was truly enlightened and did not fear change. They would follow her wherever she led them. They felt peace and happiness in their hearts about the prospect of a new life outside the woodland. They had lost that feeling many years ago when the elves turned to isolationism and their government became so corrupt that they would no longer listen to the people. Now they would have a new beginning, a new hope in the mountains of the north.

  General Yukio Ibreshri sat silently on his horse early in the morning surveying the vast golden canyons of his homeland Nairi. Today was going to be like every other day. He would lead a small group of soldiers to the mouth of the Blaine River and begin another week long patrol. They always followed the river, which ran right through the heart of the land of Tuwa and was a source of life for many of its creatures. This massive body of water had many roads running along either bank. These thoroughfares provided safe passage for travelers and merchants alike because of the military presence Yukio and his men provided. There was always a chance that the cavalry would meet someone new during their daily travels. It was truly a melting pot for the different races and varied beasts of Tuwa and was always full of surprises. That was why so many Nairians volunteered for this assignment.

  As the general sat pondering the splendor of this particularly peaceful morning, he had an ominous feeling come over him. He had the impression that today would be one to remember ... he simply could not identify the source of this unusual feeling. Maybe it was another dignitary or even a member of a race he did not yet know of. This day was filled with the promise of great adventure and risk; he just knew it. As a man of war, he could hope for nothing more. Patrolling the trade routes along the Blaine River had grown mundane and wearisome over the years. Why do I keep vol- unteeringfor this assignment? Maybe my premonition will bring along some danger with it to break up the monotony. Still, this does beat sitting in the queen's throne room all day doing nothing.

  His horse began to paw at the ground nervously as the morning mist clung to them. The general could tell that the beast was anxious to begin their daily patrol. General Yukio did not like the cramped dark spaces of the ca
nyon lands and yearned to ride in the open spaces along the Blaine River. The stunning black coat and mane shined magnificently as a few rays of sunlight broke through the swirling mist. The horse had a noble look to him that caused the other horses to keep their distance. He was, in fact, the lord of all black stallions. It had been said that he was the swiftest four-legged animal in all of Tuwa. The other horses began to scratch at the ground to show their eagerness to get moving. Both the men and their steeds were longing to be outside the confines of the canyons.

  "Men, enough of this hanging about; let's move out," the general commanded. He was anxious to get this day started. He thought that no one else in their right mind would be up this early, so they should be able to enjoy an open road. Let's see what this day brings.

  As the squad began to move out, the mist about them began to dissipate as the temperature climbed. They were only a few minutes away from the mouth of the river and the vast open spaces, so they spurred their horses into a gallop. Both man and beast thirsted for the wide-open plains and the beauty of the black oak trees of the Renshaw Forest. The main reason most of them signed on for this patrol was because they detested the mundane lifestyle of Nairi. Others just wanted to get away from the responsibilities of family life. Every single one of them silently believed that this was going to be an adventurous day, one that would help them forget what they had left behind. Then again they always felt this way when starting a week long patrol.

  The Nairian guard patrolled the trade routes along the Blaine River as part of a commerce deal between Nairi and the other friendly races of Tuwa. Queen Daria Thejar was the sovereign ruler of the Nairi Canyon lands who was both kind and just. The canyons provided plentiful resources in the way of precious ores and metals, but they lacked basic necessities of life. While the land was not particularly pleasing to the eye, the people did benefit from the vast richness of its soil through trade with their neighbors. The queen did not tax the people at all because their laws make it clear that the monarchy had to support its own through means other than taxation. So, the throne usually went to one of the rich ore or mineral mining families. As a result of this form of rule, her subjects remained fiercely loyal to Daria's leadership. They could not find such freedom under the reign of King Leroy Ishrafle or King Derek Udrugi, who were kings of the other lands of men.

  The morning fog burned off completely as the sun continued to climb in the sky. It was going to be another blistering hot day on the road. They were able to see the beautiful green plains on the east side of the river now that the mist was gone. They heard the sounds of birds singing from the forest that ran parallel to the banks of the Blaine River as they slowed to a trot. The water moved steadily south while making soft rushing sounds as it rolled over rocks and other debris. A squirrel ran across their path heading toward the cover of the nearby woods. Then that same furry rodent ran back into their path toward the river as though it were on fire. A small red fox burst out from the tree line toward the defenseless creature. The fox came up short when it caught sight of Yukio and his men. At least we were here to protect this helpless fur ball. The general was growing weary of the lack of anything exciting happening. What I wouldn tgive to have a battle or even a decent hunt. Maybe we will run into some filthy ores further south; that will help get the blood flowing.

  By midday, General Yukio and his men were ready to take a break from their arduous trek south. The travelers' earlier eagerness and anticipation was melting as the day wore on. They led their horses to the edge of the river for a refreshing drink of cool water and for a brief dip. After the horses had quenched their thirst and cooled off a bit, they grazed lazily a short distance from where the men had gathered for their lunch. The men had taken up refuge under the eaves of the Black Forest to escape the scorching-hot midday sun. They took out their daily rations and began to eat a nice, cold lunch. They could not bear the thought of eating a warm meal on such a blistering hot day. Chilled ale was passed around freely to quench the soldiers' parched mouths.

  The sound of the running water and the humming of small insects had a hypnotic effect on the men. Some of them began to doze off under the cool shade of the trees as a result. The horses edged closer to the tree line so that they could stay cool until they resumed their march. It was early in the afternoon, and the temperature was still on the rise. The men were hoping that the general would allow them to stay where they were until the heat of the day had passed. They stole furtive glances at their imperious leader to see if they could determine what he was thinking or what kind of mood he was in. Yukio looked around at the landscape and resigned himself to the fact that the weather was not going to change any time soon, so he decided not to subject his soldiers or their steeds to such excruciating heat.

  "Men, we will stay here for the remainder of the day. We can still patrol the waters and monitor traffic on either side of the river from our current locale," the general declared with a grin. "Captain, take fifteen of your men to the other side of the river. You will be in charge of that side of the bank until the heat of the day begins to cool. When the heat becomes tolerable for man and beast, we will set up camp for the night in the safety of the woods."

  "Yes, sir!" the captain replied as he snapped to attention. He gathered up the men that were to go with him, along with their horses. Once they had mounted, they took off toward the Elgore Bridge, which was big enough for war machines to cross over. It was only one mile north from their current location, and they would be able to ride in the shade for most of that distance. This was going to be a peaceful afternoon judging by the weather, and the captain could not see how anything could possibly go wrong.

  The men who remained behind with the general were thinking the same thing as their captain. This was such a beautiful day that no one noticed shadows moving in the eaves of the forest. There had heard no reports of possible orc or goblin raids in this area, so they kicked back and enjoyed the day from within the shade of the trees. As the men were daydreaming, the sounds of life abruptly stopped; however, none of the soldiers noticed the change. The only sound left was the rushing water. The men were so caught up in the beauty of their surroundings that they missed these signs of eminent danger.

  The general looked out over the water to see where the men were that he had sent to the west bank. They should be there by now. Maybe they stopped to talk with some travelers or are giving some directions. The general knew that he was merely placating himself. In that instant, he realized that there were no other sounds aside from the bustling river.

  One of the general's soldiers gave a sharp cry of warning as two massive blood-red wolves detached from the shadows of the forest. The beasts caught sight of the men and made directly for them. The two gargantuan creatures converged on one of the men. Before anyone could do anything to stop it, they ripped the unaware soldier in two. They tossed the torn man to the side and inched closer to the group of men who were now standing in front of them.

  "Get them!" shouted General Yukio. Two men were dead within seconds after Yukio ordered the attack. Roaring in rage, the general jumped in front of the rest of his men and cut off the two beasts' heads with two fluid swings. As he stood there panting, a sixth sense warned him that there were more of the massive brutes within the vicinity.

  "Ambush!" the general yelled. As he shouted his warning, a pack of enormous wolves that had sent the two scouts to their location detached from the eaves of the forest right behind them. They had blood-red fur that was standing on end as they growled menacingly. As the predators slowly approached the men hemming them in, all escape routes vanished as they closed in on their prey. As the general looked closer at these foul creatures, he noticed blood dripping from their massive maws. He knew that the detachment he had sent to the west bank never made it to the other side of the river.

  "Everyone stand back to back and form a circle! We do not want to give them an easy target!" General Yukio bellowed. There was no point in whispering now that they were surrounded. Th
ey would have to fight for their lives. They were going to show these brutes how much they had underestimated their prey. They had never lost a fight with their general in command, and he was not going to let the men down when they were fighting such an indomitable enemy.

  The red wolves crouched one by one into their attack position. The general's men shook slightly as they waited for the inevitable. A look of fierce determination came across Yukio's face as he stared back at the enormous beasts. He was probing the minds of his enemies, which required eye contact in the case of non-sentient beings. He was trying to force doubt and trepidation into their cruel and uncouth minds. If he was able to get these foul creatures to lower their guard for an instant, he and his men would stand a chance of surviving this deadly encounter.

  General Yukio reared back and flung his sword with both hands at the wolf nearest him after his failed attempts at mind control. The red-bladed sword buried itself to the hilt right between the beast's fierce eyes. His men sprang into action just as the wolves began their attack. Both sides were fighting with a fury that filled the air with fur, blood, and the piercing sounds of death. The general retrieved his bloodied blade and began such a furious assault on the wolves that they began to back away. The Nairian soldiers formed a circle again with their backs to one another as their leader went ballistic. Ten of the gigantic beasts lay dead or dying at their feet as the remaining predators continued to creep away.