Escape From Redeem, Rise of an Emperor

Planet: Elfandar, High Council Assembly

The noise of the hundreds of Elfan nobles within the council chambers was becoming deafening. Tanandil had to fight to control his patience, with the petty squabbling of the factionist lords of the hidden realm. He had said his piece already, and now the High Council of the Elfan would decide or not, as was often the case, a course of action. The commanding voice of Gretnear silenced the bickering rabble of council members.

‘My lords and noble council members.’

He paused and waited for the murmuring to die down. Gretnear was a well-respected Lord and warrior, who had the king’s ear. But King Avarn, leader of all the Elfan, would not cast his weighty command until he had heard the arguments, and fleeting wisdom of the people at this assembly. Gretnear continued when silence finally came, and all eyes were turned to him.

‘Long, has it been, since we abandoned our once great Empire to the Orkra filth. So far they have not discovered the hidden realms, but it is only a matter of time, when we shall be discovered by the foul greens. If we sit and do nothing and just enjoy our fictitious paradise, then we will have learned nothing from the past.’

King Avarn nodded solemnly at the great Lords words. Others too would acknowledge that their contentment and lack of action, had cast their race into near extinction in the first place.

‘Freedom and peace are won at the hands of war. This is a bitter paradox but it is true. Tanandil has seen how powerful our enemy are becoming, and he thinks that the Orkra are close to finally finishing us off. I call for action, before we repeat the mistake of our ancestors.’

The high vaulted chamber was supported by many marble pillars, which helped amplify his call to war. Some of the greatest architects and artists had created this council chamber, with a view to attain the perfect acoustics. But such was their way that it was also a work of art, with statues and other images of ancient leaders, reminding them all that they were once a great race.

Their skills however did not just extend to building and artistry. Their warriors were just as talented. If it were not for the numbers of the Orkra, then surely they would have had them beat long ago. Another Elfan stood and waited for the Council’s master of ceremony, who consented for him to speak and announced him to the chamber.

Tanandil had been expecting this Elf to talk his poison, and now it was his turn to inevitably confront their plans to save their people. His name was Cael, a Lord of sorts who left the governance of his sector of worlds to administrators, while he on the other hand would swan around at the king’s court, with his retinue of followers. They were the embodiment of what was wrong with the Elfan. They cared little for others and spent most of their days worrying what kind of outfit to wear, or who they could topple on the way to their advancement and royal favour.

It was safe to say that Tanandil did not like Lord Cael. His slim sneering face surveyed the room before he began to speak, until he looked directly at Lord Gretnear.

‘Members of this Council will not be terrorised by what the exaggerating Mage fantasies my Lord Gretnear. You may be enchanted by his ill council, but do not expect the rest of us to be fooled by his tales of our imminent destruction.’

‘Lord Cael, the High Mage has defended our realms from our enemies, for longer than you have been alive. If not for him my own son would have been slain on the sacrificial stone of our enemy. What have you ever done in defence of our people? Other than luxuriate in a safety that has been secured by Elfan, who have had the courage to fight.’

Cael had been at court for far too long, to be lead away from his attack and continued as if Gretnear had not said a thing.

‘They talk of peace gained by war, when we have not been discovered for thousands of years. The High Mage also suggests an alliance with a race that has barely mastered interstellar spaceflight. How I ask, could this infantile ally assist us to strengthen our borders? If they have been discovered by the greens, I say we are fortunate for this distraction. Do not fear my noble councilmen we have never been safer in the hidden realms.’

His words made the room erupt back into argument, of what the right course of action should be. The master of ceremony was struggling to contain the council’s heated opinions. King Avarn stood, and raised his golden staff aloft and brought it down to crack onto the marbled floor beneath him. The council hushed before his great majesty.

He did not wear armour or carry a weapon. He did not need any of that to show who actually ruled here. Avarn was of a line of great kings, and led with wisdom and grace. He wore simple robes with a delicate silver crown. He looked like one of the Elfan gods of old. The king would not tolerate this kind of behaviour from the squabbling Lords. They all turned and waited for their leader to have his say.

‘We have been safe in the nebula now for a long time. You are correct in that fact, Lord Cael.’

Cael looked pleased with the Kings comment.

‘But the High Mage Tanandil, has advised this council well since the days of my grandfather. You would be wise to show him some respect.’

The smile on the face of Cael vanished in an instant, as the King resumed.

‘What exactly did the Orkra Shaman say Tanandil?’

The Mage stood in the centre of the circular council chamber. The floor he stood on was a mosaic star map of their old empire. He hoped that this constant reminder would sway the minds of the members that had not made up their mind yet.

‘My King; his words were clear. He knew about the nebular that shelters us from them. I believe that if we do not act now and fight. Then we will be destroyed.’

There were concerned looks from some of the council members. Many looked horrified by this news of a potential discovery. But others like Cael just shook their head in absolute disagreement.

‘Your words trouble me Tanandil. I do not believe you exaggerate to this council at all. However I must use caution in our approach to this threat. That is why I think to send our entire army to attack the Orkra, would be like trying to break a mountain with a single hammer.’ The king said to his Mage.

‘I agree your majesty; it would be unwise to launch an attack by ourselves. That is why we should help the Humanar and then hit back as allies.’ Tanandil replied to the king.

‘Nonsense; we have sought alliances with other races before, and a lot of good that did us.’

Cael shouted, playing a risky game to speak, when neither the king nor the master of ceremony, had invited any more opinions.

‘Cael, I will not tolerate any more outbursts from this assembly.’ The king said sternly.

Unfortunately the comment had been correct. There was another race of beings that had allied themselves with the Elfan to fight against the Orkra. They called themselves The Indergrin, but the Elfan new them as Dwarfanda which meant the Short People.

It was strange, but explainable that all of the races scattered among this galaxy were very similar in their appearance. Tanandil often met some of the long bearded mountain dwellers, who were happier mining for precious metals and stones than helping a beaten ally.

When the Orkra had attacked their worlds they had gone into hiding, just as the Elfan had done. But they had cursed the Elfan people when they abandoned them to go into the hidden realms in peace. While they fought and ran, from a doom that would eventually catch up with them. Their greatest weapon was their underground fortresses that often went unnoticed by the rampaging greens, which would sometimes inhabit a planet for centuries, not even realising that below the mountainous peaks dwelt thousands of Dwarfanda.

Many would think that because the alliance with the short folk had failed, then what chance would they have with the humans. ‘We are all related Cael, if not distantly. Even the Orkra were created in the same image as us.’ Tanandil argued back to the ignorant Cael.

‘Blasphemy!’ Cael virtually spat back, looking disgusted to be compared, to the vile enemy.

The King interjected before the Mage lost his temper with him.

‘Do not twist the words of the noble Tanandil my Lord. You know, as do we all, that all life was created by the ancient ones. I for one would like to know more about the human, before I can consent to an alliance. Tanandil, tell me more about this boy you found.’

Tanandil thought back to when he had first seen the power, emanating from the young one. There would be many in the council, which would not believe that the young race were capable of evolving into something that was perhaps far greater than even his powers.

If harnessed correctly, they could use this strength, and turn it towards a common enemy. Then the Elfan could take back their conquered lands. It was an ambitious dream that had been in his heart for a long time. He looked at the assembly and knew others shared his vision of taking back the Empire.

‘I have studied this race and watched them go from primitive beings to advanced explorers in under a thousand of their years.’

It had seemed like yesterday when he had first observed the Humanar, who shared so many characteristics with his own kind. This was not his first assessment of them however.

On some parts of their planet, they had warred on each other to a barbaric degree. Some even killed in the same way as the Orkra, sacrificing on their stones or torturing their captives. He had nearly dismissed them for this trait, which in truth was within some of his own people’s capabilities. But he kept watching them flourish, until their current state of enlightenment. They were truly an astonishing people, to achieve so much, so fast.

Tanandil told the assembly this story and the age of technology that came quicker than realised. Then a great thinking human called Edward Black emerged, who created a utopia on their world, and was even now colonising the stars.

But space travel was not Blacks greatest achievement. Tanandil then went on to tell the council of the study, in manipulating their genetic code and creating the powerful being that was Caleb Bruce. A human boy who knew little of his potential, but that potential could flourish to be greater than even the mightiest Elf. As Tanandil said this, Cael stood to speak, but it was not the master of ceremony or the king that signalled permission for him to talk. Tanandil stopped his tale and invited him to respond.

‘Is there something you would like to add Lord Cael?’ He asked quizzically.

‘As a matter of fact, there is. First you liken us to our enemy Tanandil. Then you claim this savage race of humanar, has a being of greater power than any of us? You insult the intelligence of this assembly, and of our King. I think the only end to your warmongering will be our ruin.’

Before Tanandil could respond, Queen Eira, who sat next to the King voiced her opinion.

‘I have also felt a powerful presence in my dreams Tanandil. I have also seen carnage and war. I do not believe that my dreams are prophecy of our own destruction; whether we claim our lands back or not. The Orkra will only grow more powerful, and we weaker in our inaction. I would like to meet this boy, so we may see for ourselves what kind of being we would be allying ourselves to.’

The queen had offered a good compromise to the council. The next words were from the King. ‘I would like to thank you all for your council. The weight of this decision is a burdenI must carry alone; I have a decision to make.’

The King looked around at his audience; Eira had silenced them all when she had spoken. She enchanted most Elfan with her words, including the King himself. She reached across, and touched King Avarn’s hand in a gesture of support. The King now knew what to do.

‘It is only a matter of time, before we are discovered here in the hidden realms. My Queens visions of war are troubling, and she makes a valid suggestion of finding out more of this boy, before we launch an attack to retake our old lands.’

King Avarn looked at Tanandil, who stood motionless and serene in the white robes of his Order.

‘Tanandil, I wish for you to go to this boy and learn what you can from him. If he will come with you, I would like the assembly to meet him. Then we will know if we have a true friend in our struggle.’

Nobody but Gretnear knew that the human boy was even now, being held captive by his own people. This fact was left out deliberately by the Mage. They would not sanction allying themselves with a common criminal, even if he was innocent.

’What of the Humanar home world your Highness. It will be attacked imminently by the Orkra? Gretnear pleaded.

‘Lord Gretnear it seems too late to stop this fate from befalling this world. Go with Tanandil if you wish, and once we have learned the hearts of the human; then we will fight with them.’

Tanandil watched Lord Gretnear clench his jaw in frustration. He would obey the king and go with the Mage on his quest to find this boy. But he knew in his heart that he yearned for war with their old enemy, and did not want them to claim yet another world. Even if that world was alien to him.

Once the Kings decision was made, the council was dismissed and Tanandil could not help but look at the smug expression on Lord Caels face, who thought he must have had a victory.

If only he would realise that they would all fall unless they stood together. The Mage would not waste his breath on trying to convince him.

He had more important work to do now. Events were happening in the galaxy that appeared fated. He felt the same as Queen Eira that in the not so distant future, a war was coming. It was his job to ensure that the Elfan were on the side of the victors and to end their era of hiding in fear.