Awakening (Telindell Book 1) (20 page)

Elinar looked around to the Elves who watched and shouted, “My only crime is giving life!”

The male soldier glanced back to Elinar and shouted, “Shut it!”

Elinar snarled and shook his head before he shouted, “No!  The people will know!  They will know how Councilor Adanna had my newborn daughter murdered!”

The soldier turned and backhanded Elinar, shouting, “I said shut it!”

Elinar spit blood from his mouth.  The people of Alinshahar gasped at his words.  They began shouting to the soldiers, “Is that true!  You monsters!  We will rise up!”

Elinar looked around with tears and hate filling his eyes.  “The streets of Alinshahar run red with the blood of an Elven child!”  Elinar closed his eyes while tears streamed from then.  He gritted his teeth and shouted, “A newborn child!  If they will murder the grandchild of General Oryn Durothill, what’s stopping them from murdering any of us?”

The crowd erupted with shouts and roars of anger.  They poured into the street and followed Elinar and his captors.

Oryn waited in the Collective Council chamber.  He heard screams of anger from the outside.  Oryn looked to a large round table where two other Elves were sitting.  Closest to him was Councilor Stala, dressed in a flowing red dress with gold floral designs that matched her tightly pulled back blonde hair.  Across from her was Councilor Manat, who wore a similar green dress.  Her dark hair was also pulled back.

Stala looked to Oryn with concern.  “What is happening?”

Oryn shook his head.  “I don’t know.  Barely past dawn and half of Alinshahar must be in an uproar.”

Manat smirked.  “I would presume this is the reason Councilor Adanna has called this emergency session.”

Stala glared toward Manat.  “I suspect you are right.”

Oryn sighed.  “In nearly one thousand years as head of this Council, I have not seen this type of unrest.”

Stala glanced to Oryn.  “I suspect they are once again calling for repeal of the Seclusion Act.  Especially the part that restricts their freedom to have offspring.”

Manat shook her head.  “That is ridiculous,” she said, with a stern look to Stala.  “We cannot repeal the act.  It has brought us one thousand years of peace when we were on the brink of extinction.”

Stala looked upon Manat with disgust.  “We all know that act was supposed to be temporary while we planned to rebuild.  That was the only reason we voted in favor before you and Adanna were members of this council.”

Oryn glared at them.  “Quiet! The both of you.  This is not the time.”

Stala sighed and looked to Oryn.  “My apologies, Councilor, but you know just as I, the act should have been repealed long ago.”

Manat smirked.  “Councilor Durothill sees the need and importance of seclusion.”

Oryn looked to Manat.  “Do not presume to know what I believe.”  Oryn glared and shook his head.  “The act should have been repealed long ago.  You know as Council Head, I can shift any vote in my favor.  I did not wish to be seen as a dictator.  I feel I may soon regret that.”

Manat banged her hand against the table.  “If we reveal ourselves and the Dalronians have returned, we will be massacred!  We must spare our people another genocide!”

Oryn’s mouth dropped open slightly.  “Do you not realize the foolishness of your words?”  Oryn gritted his teeth, shaking his head.  “I fought them.  I led our armies against them with naught chance of victory.  No magical illusion will save us.”  Oryn approached the table and leaned down toward Manat.  “It is not a question of if.  It is a question of when they come.”

Stala nodded her head.  “Oryn is right.  I was with archers that held the walls of Alinshahar.  We were all that was left.  The last Elven city.  Without the appearance of Telindell, they would have driven us to extinction.”

Manat shook her head.  “Hmph, think what you will.  The both of you.”

Oryn shook his head and glared at them.  He turned and walked to a large window at the rear of the room that overlooked all of Alinshahar.  His eyes widened.  “By the Gods… The entirety of Alinshahar looks to be at the steps of the Council.  The soldiers are having to keep them back.  Something is going on that we don’t know of.”  Oryn quickly turned to face Stala and Manat.

Before they could speak, the chamber doors burst open.  Councilor Adanna entered the room, a man with long black hair and brown eyes. He wore a black robe with gold stitching at the seams.  Adanna looked to his fellow Councilors and sternly said, “Excellent.  You’re all here.”

Oryn looked at Stala, then approached Adanna.  “What is the meaning of this?”

Adanna took his seat and looked at Oryn.  “Councilor Oryn, I must ask you to recuse yourself from these proceedings.”

Stala quickly jumped from her seat.  “On what grounds!”

Manat chuckled, looking at Stala.  “I agree with Councilor Adanna.”

Oryn and Stala both looked to Manat.  “I feel there is much deception before us, Oryn,” Stala said.

Oryn’s nostrils flared and he squinted at Manat.  “You know what’s going on here, don’t you?”

Manat chuckled once again.  “Of course I do,” she said, smirking.  “Either of you soft hearted fools would have intervened.”

Adanna shook his head.  “Enough, enough,” he said.  Adanna looked to Stala.  “Cast your vote,” he said while a slight sly smile crept across his face.  “Not that it matters, since Councilor Durothill will not be permitted to vote.”

Stala slowly took her seat, staring at Adanna with spite-filled eyes.  “I vote to not recuse Council Head Oryn Durothill.”

Adanna let out a sigh.  “It is settled,” he said while looking to Oryn.  “Councilor Durothill, you have officially been recused from these proceedings.  Would you please exit the Council chamber?”

Oryn raised an eyebrow to Adanna.  “It is obvious that you wish to force a ruling I would not agree with.”  Oryn’s voice took on a deep and stern tone.  “As Council Head, I have the right to observe and witness all proceedings, and I will exercise that right to its fullest.”

Adanna chuckled.  “Very well, Oryn,” he said while clasping his hands.  “I had wished to spare you this pain, but as usual, have it your way.”

Oryn glanced to Stala.  “Adanna, what have you done?”

Adanna smirked and shouted, “Bring in the traitors!”

Oryn could hear the clanging of shackles outside the council chamber doors.  A beaten Elinar and Daleth were pushed in, accompanied by two Elven soldiers.

Oryn’s mouth dropped open as he looked upon the two.  He quickly turned his gaze to Adanna and shouted, “This is an outrage!”  Oryn pointed at Adanna.  “On what grounds do you charge Commander Durothill and Commander Sorasan with treason?”

Stala banged her fist against the table.  “This is preposterous!  These two have devoted their entire lives to the Elven people!”

Manat shook her head.  “Be that as it may,” she said, looking coldly at Stala.  “They have committed crimes against the Elven people that cannot and will not be ignored.”

Oryn looked to Manat.  “Nonsense!  My son would do no such thing!  Neither would Daleth.  He has served me honorably for over a thousand years!”

Stala quickly shook her head.  “This is an outrage.”

Elinar glared at his father.  “You don’t know, do you?”

Oryn shook his head.  “No, my son.  I have no idea why you are here.  I had no knowledge of your arrival, much less your imprisonment.”  Oryn looked to Daleth.  “Nor Daleth’s.”

Elinar took a deep breath.  “Listen to the charges, father.”

Daleth spat upon the ground.  “You are nothing but a treacherous serpent, Adanna!  The people will not--”

A blow to Daleth’s stomach interrupted him.  The soldier dropped him to his knees.  Daleth looked to Oryn as he gasped for air.

Oryn gritted his teeth.  “Enough!”  Oryn looked upon the soldiers.  “Strike either of them again, and I will personally dispatch you to Elintae’s arms!”

Adanna sighed and rolled his eyes.  “Enough with the theatrics, Oryn.”  Adanna glanced to Manat.  “Prepare for the reading of the charges.”

Oryn nodded.  “Yes, let us hear them.”

Adanna pulled out a rolled parchment from his robe.  He unrolled it on the table and studied it for a moment.  “Elinar Durothill, Commander of the Alinshaharian riders, you are hearby charged with the willful allowance of discovery by humans.  Per your report, forwarded by Commander Sorasan, you were attacked by humans, which means you were careless in your operations.  You are also charged with two counts of Council Defiance.  The first being the release of the supposed descendant of Telindell.  The second count is for your conception of a child with Lady Teelia Solanas despite the council’s denial of your request.”

Oryn turned away from the table.  “My son and Lady Solanas were given my blessing and Councilor Stala’s.  The act was to be repealed before they returned.”  Oryn let out a sigh.  “The Elven people have grown beyond weary of this act.  It is past time to repeal this cruelty.”

Adanna chuckled.  “Careful, Oryn.  You may have stature with our people, but you are not above the law.  I have known of your communications and unlawful authorizations for some time.”  Adanna glared toward Oryn.  “Including the authorization to consult with humans living along the outskirts of Kynlynn.”

Oryn turned to face Adanna.  “Treachery!  You have no magical ability.  You could not have intercepted our correspondence without help.”

Adanna smirked.  “That is true.  Unlike soldiers, I am not trained in our long distance communication, but perhaps some of the younger and more enlightened magic wielders are loyal to me?”

Elinar glanced to Oryn.  “Father, please let him continue.”  Elinar glared towards Adanna.  “There is more you must hear.”

Adanna glanced to Elinar and chuckled.  “Indeed there is.  Daleth Sorasan, appointed Commander of the garrisoned Alinshaharian Riders, as requested by Councilor Oryn Durothill, you are charged with aiding and harboring Elven traitors.  You neglected your duty when you aided Elinar and his riders.  Elinar should have been detained and brought before the council. By you.”

Elinar’s lip quivered.  “Tell my father where Teelia is.”

Adanna shook his head.  “Teelia Solanas is of no concern to this council.”

Stala glanced to Oryn.  “Wait!” she said while looking to Adanna.  “You mentioned her specifically.  She is being charged as well.  Alinshaharian law dictates that she must be present.”

Oryn glared towards Adanna.  “Where is she?  She must be present.”

Adanna sighed.  “Lady Solanas cannot be present.  Unfortunately, she lost her life in childbirth.”

Elinar’s eyes widened.  He shook his and screamed, “Lies!”

Oryn quickly looked to Elinar.  “Lies?”

Elinar nodded.  “Teelia is locked away in the dungeon.  She did survive childbirth.”  Elinar looked to Adanna.  “Only to have our newborn daughter ripped from her arms!”  Elinar closed his eyes tightly and screamed, “You murdered my daughter!  She had only taken a few breaths and you had her throat slit!”

Oryn slowly shook his head at Adanna, speaking in a trembling voice, “Is this true?”

Adanna sighed and shook his head.  “What does it matter?  The child is dead.  The child should have never been.  Its existence would only encourage acts of defiance.”

Oryn’s eye twitched with anger.  He looked to Elinar and Daleth, then back to Adanna.  “You will pay for this!  The people will not stand for such travesty and nor will I!

Stala snarled and quickly stood.  “Adanna, I recuse myself as well.  I see exactly what you have done, you bastard!  You knew we were days, weeks at most, from repealing the act, and there is nothing you could have done with Oryn as Council Head.  When Elinar and Teelia arrived, you saw it as an opportunity.  How long before you brand Oryn and I as traitors?”  Stala banged her hands against the table, then pointed at Adanna.  “This will be the end of you!”  She glanced to Manat.  “You, as well.”

Adanna glared toward Stala.  “Quiet, all of you.  With Councilor Stala recusing herself, I am now the senior member of this Council during these proceedings.”  Adanna looked to Elinar.  “How do you plead?”

Elinar snarled and looked to Adanna.  “If giving the last two hundred years of my life to protect your paranoid seclusion, shackling my love for my companion, leading my men and women toward certain death to recover the weapon and boy that can save our world…”  Elinar shook his head.  “If that constitutes treason, then I am nothing more than treasonous scum, Councilor.”

Adanna nodded.  “Very well.  You plead guilty.”  He then looked to Daleth.  “And you?  How do you plead?”

Daleth snorted and glanced to Elinar.  “I am as much a traitor as Elinar.”

Adanna chuckled.  “Guilty.  At least you traitors have a semblance of honestly.  I move for public execution at dawn.”

Manat raised her hand.  “I second.”

Adanna nodded while boasting a victorious grin.  “Motion passes.  Sentencing is now extended.”

Elinar looked to Adanna.  “Councilor, may I speak?”

Adanna smirked and nodded.  “As you wish.  It can’t hurt.”

Elinar gritted his teeth, glaring at Adanna.  “I will kill you.  Slowly.  I will enjoy it.  I will drain the life from you just as you had it drained from my daughter.  It is not the wrath of Alinshahar that you should fear, nor that of the Dalronians, or even the gods themselves.  It is my wrath that will cast you from this world.  You will regret the day you stood against Elinar Durothill.”

Adanna burst out laughing.  “Take him to his whore.  And toss Daleth in there as well.”

Oryn nodded to Elinar, then looked to Adanna.  “I will not let this stand, Adanna.  Mark my words, if my son does not kill you, I will.  Like him, I will enjoy it.”

Adanna grinned and looked around the room.  “Anymore threats of death?  Anybody?”  Adanna looked to Oryn.  “If not, I adjourn this session of the collective council.  We will reconvene at dawn to carry out sentencing of the convicted.”

The soldiers grabbed the prisoners’ chains and dragged them from the chamber.  Oryn watched in anger until he felt a tap upon his shoulder.  He turned to see Stala.

Stala leaned in and whispered, “Meet me in my chambers shortly.”