Council

They were fewer now than they had been, many millennia ago. The chamber had once held many thrones, now it held fewer than twenty. Many of them had died out, and their seats had been respectfully burned in tribute.

Most of them appeared to be human, but a few were far too strange or too beautiful to truly pass as mortal. Five thrones stood in a circle at the center of the chamber, with the others arranged in rows behind them. In the first of the thrones sat a woman of terrible beauty. Her hair was raven black, her eyes a luminous purplish color. Her cheekbones were well defined, her lips perfectly proportioned. Her nose was thin, and her cheeks held a rosy tint. She wore white robes, and held a rod carved with flowers and butterflies. A battle-helmet sat at her feet.

To her right sat a handsome young man, his hair platinum blond, eyes silvery gray. He was pale, but there was still color in his well sculpted features. He wore a suit of mail over a white tunic, and boots on his feet. He held a curious looking spiral horn in his hand, about three feet long.

To the white-clad woman's left sat another man, who looked slightly older but no less handsome. His hair was brown, and his eyes were mismatched. One was dark green, the other dark blue. He wore full armor, a breastplate decorated with a golden dragon, gauntlets of steel with spiraling golden scroll-work, and heavy boots with gold designs on them as well. He held a helmet in his lap, but no weapon. The helm was worked into the shape of a snarling dragon's head.

To the armored man's left sat a woman who could have been the white lady's twin. She was just as beautiful, but seemed somehow colder. She wore a dress black as night, and her eyes were pure black, with neither white nor pupil. She looked soulless, and there was no tint of blood in her cheeks. She looked to be a corpse, but for her steady breathing. She held no weapon, but a harp painted black rested in the crook of her arm.

The last of these five was the least human looking of them. He wore black armor, and a dark helmet that hid his face. Two red flames glared from the slits in the helm, and two twisted horns sprouted from the sides of his head. He wore a cape, black with red around the edges, and a heavy sword rested near his hand. His hands were hidden by spiky black gauntlets.

The other beings gathered in the room looked strange as well. A woman seated behind the white lady had flaming red hair and glowing red eyes. When she grew agitated, flames licked up her bare, tanned arms. A young being, no more than a child seated a few meters behind the fair haired man had the ears and tail of a cat, and hissed occasionally. A man who sat a few feet from the pale woman looked quite dead, with festering sores and gaping bloodless wounds all over his body, showing under his tattered clothing. Two women seated together looked quite odd, one with leaves for hair and the other with bluish skin and gills.

The entire room seemed to be in the middle of an argument. A few of the strange beings were on the edge of their seats, as if they might stand in outrage at any moment. The five who sat closest to the center appeared more composed, and it was they who seemed to be the main contributors to the strange gathering.

The man in golden armor was saying, "How can we abide this any longer? They act without any remorse or compunction, and their actions are a direct threat to many of our peoples. I agree with my predecessors, they are not meant to be evaded, but brought to heel, and taught respect." Though he appeared to speak softly, his voice carried around the chamber, and it was almost like the clashing of swords, sharp and ringing.

The fair haired man cocked his head sideways, and asked in a more mellow yet still carrying voice, "And yet they still encroach upon our people. My own warriors have long protected our people without complaint. And yet I see no thanks from many of you." He glanced at the white lady to his left, and she inclined her head, as if she were the exception to this statement.

The dark armored man stood slowly, every face instantly turning towards him, every voice going still. He spoke, his voice echoing loudly in the large chamber, deep and powerful. "You speak of protecting and teaching. Yet you do not think as they do, you do not seem to understand their minds. I have shattered many of these weak beings, crushed their minds as you would crush a moth. They seek only power, and their greed has no limit. They will not stop, will not be taught, will not cease in their quest to dominate all the world. You say teach them, make them respect us as they once did. I say the time for this has passed." The dark man started to pace around the five main thrones, still speaking.

"My people have always known how to deal with their kind, and it is with their voice that I speak today. Long ago we were feared among the weaker races, even many of you once trembled at our coming. We have since become allies, but these frail creatures care not for agreements made between those gathered here. They take, and take, with no regard for the way of things. I say, enough! And you, all of you, should not be kind to these weaklings any longer. We are the races of the dawn," here, he directed his words only to the other four beings who sat forefront. "And we will not be taken lightly. I urge you to do as my people have done in the past. Do not teach these beings, conquer them! Take what is theirs, as they have taken what is ours! Make them the slaves they should be, force them into their proper place! They are lowly animals, and should be treated as such!"

The gathered beings jumped up, shouting, and the hall was plunged into a confused symphony of raised voices. Some of the beings seemed to be agreeing with the dark being, and others were vehemently opposed. The uproar went on for a few minutes, until at last, the lady in white rose.

At once, every being sat, and the room was silent. The dark being alone still stood, and he leaned away from her as if faced with a strong wind. She looked at each of the four beings around her, her face emotionless. After what seemed hours, she spoke. Her voice was more lovely than a singing nightingale, soft as down yet strong and vibrant. "We are not of force and slavery, my lord. This is not our way, we of the light. We protect, we heal, we endure. And yet we are powerful. Against us, this scourge will not prevail. Against our might, it must surely break." Each word seemed almost a blow to the dark being, but he remained silent throughout.

The fair man and the golden armored man both nodded in agreement, but the dark man turned away from her, pacing back to his seat. The pale woman's expression didn't change, though something flickered in her black eyes.

When the dark man stood beside his seat, he turned at last to the white lady. "Your majesty, it appears we have reached an impasse. For I and my people will do as I have said. We will not allow this plague to rise unchecked, as this council seems to intend. So I ask you, will you join us in our noble cause, or will you stand by and let every chair in this chamber be emptied, and burnt to ashes? Think carefully, all of you. If we allow these creatures to progress, they will soon become more powerful than any of us."

The white lady calmly took this tirade, and answered mildly, "We will not participate in this violent quest of yours my lord. Such destruction will surely mean catastrophe for all. And we cannot abide the death and oppression of so many. Nay, we will not join you, nor shall we allow you to continue down this path of chaos. Do not splinter our peoples with what would surely follow such a brash action." A threatening edge, light as a feather, crept into her voice.

The dark being bowed his head, and was silent for a moment. When he spoke, he did it slowly. "I can see that this council can no longer act for the greater good. I no longer answer to this body, and I urge any who can see the folly of letting these monsters thrive to join me in my quest." He looked directly at the white lady, and spoke, it seemed, only to her. "For your own sake, and that of your people, do not oppose me in this." And with that, he turned on his heel, picked up his blade, and walked out of the chamber. Many beings, most of them from behind his or the pale woman's throne, stood and followed him. After a moment, the pale woman rose, and the other three stared at her incredulously. She inclined her head to them, and swept out of the room behind the dark being. More followed.

When at last the doors closed with a bang, more than a third of the beings had left. The white lady sat slowly, her face slightly shocked. The fair man put his head in his hands, and the golden armored man scowled. Most of the other beings sat uncertainly, as if some of them wondered at their decision to stay behind.

At last, the white lady stood to speak. They all looked to her expectantly, and in many cases desperately, maybe hoping she would reassure them. She looked grave. "My friends, this is a dark day. After today, nothing will be the same. We cannot hope to survive this apart. We must stand strong, together, against the threat to our safety, and the lives of those we protect and rule. As queen of the fairies, I will pledge my support to this council, until we can successfully resolve this matter." She looked to the other two, and they rose as one. The golden armored man raised his right hand, and proclaimed, "As king of the dragons, I also pledge my support." The fair haired man was quieter, but seemed just as determined. "As king of the unicorns, I pledge also my support."

The other beings rose, one by one, and pledged themselves to the council, the mythical beings that man thought long dead, solemnly gave their vows to protect the unwitting mortals, some of them with scowls on their faces. When at last all of them had vowed to serve, the Fairy Queen nodded, and waved a hand to dismiss them. Only the Unicorn King and the Dragon King remained behind.

The Queen turned to them, a look of deep sorrow and slight fear in her voice. "How in all the realms are we going to survive this?"

A/N: So, there's the first chapter. I hope everyone liked it, and I hope that everyone leaves me a review, even if they didn't like it. How could I improve the next chapter? I'm open to any advice.

Anyways, I'll update this soon, I hope, unless I'm working on Seventh Bay. Until then, happy reading!

~Lykan~