Solid as stone, with a bow and arrow strapped to his back, Arcanas stepped down from his plinth and looked at the two mortals he had summoned to his presence. Next to him stood the extremely tall Dardania who was toweringly tall and seemed to have flesh made of vines. Her skin was a thick brown bark. One moment static, the next she burst into life and stepped down off her plinth. The third Arbitrator was Sataki; his flawless skin was like porcelain and appeared similar in build to Arcanas: tall, broad and muscular. He held in his hand a remarkable golden spear.
“We have summoned you both before us as the Council has lodged an official complaint against the Order, raised for the most severe of reasons, and we wish to resolve this matter here and now,” Dardania said; all three of the Arbitrators were equal but it was always she who spoke.
“Can I hear the complaint?” Jonathon asked, knowing full well what was about to come.
“The Council has informed us that a member of your kin has, with intention, killed Leceth, the leader of the Council of Tivernal. Do you acknowledge this claim? And if so, what is your response?” Again Dardania spoke.
“I acknowledge that I am aware that Leceth has died. I refute that it was a member of the Order, at this time,” Jonathon replied, as honest as he could be.
“What!” exclaimed Môn’ark. “Do not play the duplicity card. You know as I do that it was that Phoenix – Kristian. You will hand him over to the Council or there will be war! He must pay for his actions; the Treaty demands it.”
Jonathon took in a deep breath to compose himself. “The Order, like the Council, is investigating what has happened and as of yet, neither has reached a conclusion. So, until we do, I shall not enter into discussion about whom I will or will not hand over to the Council.”
“You know as well as I do it was Kristian, investigations are pointless. We demand his presence before the Council!” Môn’ark responded.
“I will not be handing him over to the Council on assumption and accusation alone,” Jonathon had turned to speak directly to the Vinji.
Before Môn’ark could reply, Dardania spoke, attempting to bring a sense of calm to the situation. “Jonathon, this allegation is of the most severe kind. And Môn’ark, you must understand the Order’s position. This is the first time we have convened in quite a few years and we take these matters seriously. Could we suggest to both parties that we investigate this matter? And whilst we are doing this we suggest that Kristian resides here in the Hall of Arbitration.”
“Agreed!” Môn’ark shouted believing that the Arbitrators in time would agree with him.
“I agree that I will adhere to the findings of your investigation. But bringing Kristian here is not possible,” Jonathon said hesitating for second, knowing it would invoke a furious response.
“Unacceptable,” Môn’ark shouted.
“The Order must understand that our position is not negotiable. We guarantee his safety here until we determine if he is responsible for the death of Leceth. Then if he is guilty the Treaty will demand he is passed to the Council, to face justice. If we conclude that he is innocent then we shall return him to you.” Arcanas spoke for the first time.
“I understand and agree with what you are saying. But I can’t bring Kristian here,” Jonathon said, concealing his anxieties well.
“Why?” asked Dardania.
“I cannot bring him here because the Order is currently uncertain of his whereabouts.”
“What? Do not deceive us, human. This is clearly a lie!” Môn’ark bellowed; the Vinji was enraged by the thought that the Order was attempting to mislead the Arbitrators.
“It is no deception. I must confess that Kristian has disappeared and the Order does not know where he is,” Jonathon said attempting to reassure those present of his sincerity.
“Well, what more do we need to hear? Running away is a clear sign of his guilt,” Môn’ark announced.
“I am unsure why he has disappeared. But I have assigned resources to locate him,” Jonathon said.
“We recommend that both sides attempt to locate him and bring him here once he has been found. We shall look for him too. If we complete our investigation before he is found then his outcome will have been determined and he may not be required to stand before us. Do you both agree?” Dardania asked.
Môn’ark agreed but knew full well if he located Kristian first he would not hand him over. Jonathon agreed reluctantly; he felt like he had no other choice. He couldn’t risk losing favour with the Arbitrators; if they sided with the Council then the victory of war he was once so assured of, would no longer be a certainty.
“We are glad you both agree. We expect both sides to uphold the Treaty. We shall investigate Leceth’s death as a matter of urgency. You shall hear from us in due course. We stress the need for calm during these difficult times and warn you both, we may just be three but our power is absolute,” Dardania spoke on behalf of all of them.
Jonathon looked compliant and understood what he had been told but he also knew that their power was not absolute; he also knew that Môn’ark knew that truth as well. That fact troubled him; he needed to find Kristian first but he also needed to find a solution to the problem before he found him. As the meeting drew to a close it wasn’t long before Jonathon was leaving the cave and had teleported back to London. He stood exhausted outside the doors to the Order of Light gathering his thoughts before entering; he could only think one thing: I’ll have to break my promise to Kristian. I’m going to have to sacrifice him in the name of peace. He was sickened to his core, it felt like a betrayal. Then he reminded himself of the only truth that mattered now: Kristian betrayed the Order, risked open warfare that could change the course of history and what was about to happen to him was entirely a destiny of his own making.
For a few minutes he dwelled on the thought; he couldn’t help but try and think of a way to avoid surrendering Kristian. He knew that there was no other option but to meet the request of the Arbitrators. It was clear to him now that Kristian was entirely alone; alone and no longer in the Light.
The Phoenix Chronicles: Alone in the Light (Book ONE) Page 38
