Chapter 32: Chosen, Chapter 32: Serenity

Aidan

The Realms

Unknown Date

Evening

Starchaser village, Mistvale Highlands

After a brisk five-minute walk, Aidan and Brighid were once more in front of the Council Hall. He squared his shoulders and, repeating the procedure from a week past, entered in front of Brighid. This time, however, she followed closely behind him rather than staying at the doorway. All five Councillors were already present, resting on the cushions on the raised stage, watching impassively as the pair approached.

Aidan bowed deeply to the Council, saying, "Thank you, Councillors, for granting this audience."

Ignoring him for a moment, Fionn looked past Aidan. "You may withdraw now, Brighid. The Council did not summon you, and this is not an open session."

The Paladin stepped up to Aidan's side and lifted her chin defiantly. "I will not. I invoke the right of Companionship. By law and tradition, no judgment may be passed on my Companion without my presence, and you may not bar me from giving him counsel nor refuse to hear me on matters concerning him."

None of the Council so much as twitched at Brighid's pronouncement. Fionn continued, "Very well. Aidan Lostlorn, there are three matters that this Council must consider tonight. First, your very presence here, in light of your circumstances, is cause for grave concern. Second, you claim to have vital information for us regarding Ceallach Macht; we will hear this. Finally, there is the matter of your trespass on our lands." Aidan nodded, having already received Brighid's warning about the agenda.

"Ailis, if you would?" Brighid's mother nodded and began to chant the words of a spell. Her hands glowed golden-white as they traced intricate patterns in the air. A moment later, both a soft golden aura settled around both Aidan and Brighid.

Once the truth spell was in place, Eilwen spoke up, her voice stern. "Know that you are under a ritual of truth. Speak as you will, but any falsehoods will be revealed to all who watch. Consider your words well, for deceit will not be viewed favorably by this Council. Now, then, Aidan, you claim to have been inside Ceallach Macht and returned with valuable information. We will hear what you claim to have found, but first, we must determine how exactly it is that you stand before us."

Ailis picked up the narrative. "None saw you enter the lost city, for you sent your guide away, but I do know that the talisman you wore was destroyed. Furthermore, you returned to the village only a day and a half after Brighid, who was on the brink of collapse from the exhaustion of traveling the entire distance at speed. Tell us, then, how you managed to escape from the city and return to us so quickly."

Aidan breathed in deeply, then let it out slowly. He was not looking forward to this. "Honorable Councillors, you gave me a Quest, and I followed your directives to the best of my ability. After I convinced Brighid to return with a warning of what we observed outside the city, I proceeded into the valley. Once I passed through your ward, Councillor Ailis, I melted the talisman and pulled it apart into several pieces. I did not expect to survive my visit, and I did not wish the amulet to fall into the hands of the creatures there. I then made my way through the outskirts; I was detected by forces there, but managed to evade them and make my way inside the hill around which Ceallach Macht is built. I followed the tunnel until I came upon a chamber covered in dry, dead vines. I tried to burn them away but—" His mind flinched away from the memory. Aidan tried to force himself to speak, to remember, "There was a creature there, a humanoid. It— it—"

He dangled helplessly in the air, arms and legs spread far apart by living ropes of dried-out leather. More came and seized him, front and back. One wrapped tightly around his neck, trying to push its way into his mouth; another started to worm its way up the leg of his pants. A malevolent, melodic voice called out to him, and the ropes tightened, pulled. Pressure mounted, pain built, he opened his mouth to scream—

Warm lips, tasting of cinnamon and salt, pressed against his. Aidan's mind spun, dazed, confused; something was not right. The lips kissed him again, and his eyes focused on the face of a beautiful crimson-haired woman directly in front of him, tears streaming from her emerald eyes, her mouth moving, saying something. Saying what? He strained to hear.

"—dan, Aidan, I am here, you are here with me, you are safe. Please, come back to me. They are just memories, Aidan, just memories; they have no power over you; you are safe." Aidan blinked at her. How curious. Did Brighid double back and follow me into the city? She really shouldn't have. And what is she saying? She's not making any sense.

Someone else's cool hand pressed to his forehead, and Aidan slowly tilted his head to see Brighid's mother kneeling next to her daughter, glowing a color Aidan couldn't describe. "His Psyche is severely Wounded. I cannot heal it, but I can deaden his emotions and dissociate his memories from the trauma they caused for a time. It will allow him to speak of what happened without breaking down again. I am sorry, Brighid, but you know we have to hear everything." Her words make no sense, but his friend nodded, reluctance written across her face. There was no way for Ailis to be here in this chamber, but her hands glowed brown, then an intense wash of something passed through him, and he came back to himself.

He was kneeling on the floor of the Council Hall with Brighid's arms around him. Ailis was next to her, a look of genuine concern on her face. Aidan felt detached, almost as if he were floating over his own shoulder. Nothing quite felt real, except perhaps for the swell of Brighid's breasts pressed into his chest, but even that pleasant sensation was distant. He looked up at the other four Council members and saw that, for once, they were showing some emotion; even Fionn and Anwn's faces bore little frowns of worry. He looked back down at Brighid and returned her hug perfunctorily, then stood back up.

"My apologies, Councillors, for that." Aidan's voice was flat, emotionless, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "As I was saying, I was attacked and killed by the person in that central chamber." That produced a reaction from everyone, but Aidan continued dispassionately. "It controlled the vines in the room with its magic and pulled me apart, like a child toying with an insect. I awoke sometime later in the same canyon where I woke up after being brought to the Mistvale Highlands, with a prompt telling me that I had died, but my soul had forced its way back through Death's door. I believed I had information that you needed to know, so I made my way back to your village, despite not having completed the Quest you gave me." The glow around him remained a steady gold throughout his recounting.

As he spoke, Ailis returned to her place with the other Councillors, and when he finished, they whispered among themselves. Aidan waited for them to complete their discussion. Eventually, Anwn spoke. "Very well. What is this information about Ceallach Macht that you feel we need to know?"

Aidan nodded and explained everything that happened to him in the city: the Boar Manikin and its double vulnerability to fire, the feeling of despair and hopelessness that had nearly overcome him, being hunted through the mists by more manikins, then coming to the giant archway leading into the hill. He described the two guards, and when he mentioned that his killer called them dakhols, Fionn swore softly. Aidan explained how he tricked the creatures into fighting each other so that he could sneak past them, then described the long, dark tunnel and the chamber at the end.

"The chamber was not very large; it would easily fit inside this hall. In the very center was what looked like an altar, but it was hard to tell. Vines covered the room, floor to ceiling, and there was a thick tangle of them around the altar. It beat like a heart, and the pulse moved out along the other vines."

Ailis's face drained of what little color it usually had as he described the room. She spoke with urgency, interrupting his narrative. "What of the floor? Was there anything unusual about it?"

Aidan thought back, leafing through his memories with no care for anything but finding the information requested of him. He hadn't paid much attention to the ground, but he had looked down when he first walked in to make sure he didn't step on any of the vines. "Yes, it was some sort of mosaic. The light was not bright enough for me to make out the design; I am sorry."

The mage-Councillor gripped her hands tightly together before her, her knuckles bone-white from the force of her grip, but she only said, "Continue."

"There is not much more. I thought that the vines looked important, and since I did not believe I would be able to make it back past the guards, I decided to cause as much damage as I could. I cast Flame Jet and tried to burn away the vine heart, but I was only able to complete one cast before I was caught and killed. I did notice that, after I damaged the heart, some of the vines in the room ceased moving. Also, whoever that person was, the attack made them exceedingly angry."

It was Gerwyn's turn to speak, it seemed, because the short, stout centaur asked, "And what of this person? Can you describe them?"

"I did not get much time to examine it in detail. I could not tell whether it was male or female. Tall, thin. The spell it cast had a green and black aura. It spoke to me in Northern Trade-tongue using rhyming couplets; that is how I know the guards were dakhols. Right before it killed me, it said something about gnawing away its power. That is what I considered vital information. From the way it acted, I believe that its magic is tied up in the vine heart. Destroy that, destroy, or at least severely weaken, the creature."

"Is there anything else you remember that might be useful?"

Aidan carefully ran through his memories again. "No, Councillor. I believe I could draw a rough map of the path I took through the city and point out the location of the tunnel, but I cannot think of anything aside from that."

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"That being the case, we will now move onto the third subject for tonight's session, that of your trespass on the lands of the Starchaser tribe. I now call a vote on the matter before the Council. This vote will be by simple acclaim; as Councillors, you are oath-bound to vote with only our laws and your conscience as your guide, without regard for the current vote tally. The accused was found on Starchaser land by members of the tribe; this fact is not in dispute, and so a vote of 'Innocent' may not be cast. The only votes which are allowed are 'Guilty' or 'Not Guilty'. As this is a vote of the full Council on a matter which has been fully considered, none may abstain." The entire speech had an air of long-practiced ritual.

"Ailis Silverhair, as Lorekeeper and Councillor over the mages of the tribe, how do you vote?"

"Not Guilty." Her voice rang out, clear, steady, and confident.

"Anwn Wolfsister, as Huntmaster and Councillor over the hunters and border patrols, how do you vote?"

"Guilty." Even if it were not for Ailis's spell, Aidan would not have been surprised by that.

"Eilwen Brighthearth, as Elder and Councillor over families and children, how do you vote?"

"Guilty." Brighid grabbed Aidan's hand and squeezed it tightly, but he was unbothered.

"I, Fionn Ironhide, as Warleader and Councillor over the tribe's warriors, vote Not Guilty.

"Gerwyn Wanderhoof, as Master Trader and Councillor over affairs dealing with outsiders, how do you vote?"

"Not Guilty." The mountain centaur gave Aidan a slight smile as he cast the deciding vote.

"The tally of votes is three Not Guilty to two Guilty. Let it be known that Aidan Lostlorn is not guilty of trespassing on Starchaser lands. So say we all." The last was said by all five Councillors speaking in unison.

Brighid hugged Aidan tightly, but before she could celebrate any further, Ailis spoke up. "In my right as Councillor, I submit a new matter to the floor tonight. As Aidan Lostlorn is no longer under the accusation of trespass, and in light of his considerable contributions to the tribe, I petition the Council to conduct the Rite of Acceptance on his behalf to formally make him one of the people he has already fought and died for."

None of the other Councillors visibly reacted to Ailis's request, so Aidan assumed it was not unexpected. Fionn, continuing in his role as Council spokesman, said, "A new petition has been brought before the Council by a fellow Councillor. As second moonrise has not yet passed, and all other matters before the Council are completed, we must hear arguments on this matter tonight. Councillor Ailis, as you brought the petition, you have the right of the first argument. You may proceed."

Ailis rose to her feet graciously and began speaking. "This man may be an outsider by birth, but he has shown through word and deed to be a true friend of our people. He was brought here through no fault of his own and, despite enduring repeated hostility and mistrust, has shown us only honor and loyalty in return. We, this very Council, sent him on a Quest with assurances that it was within his ability to complete, and he died doing his best to achieve that mission.

"Before going to his death, however, Aidan acted as selflessly as I have seen another act. He had at his side a strong and capable Paladin, skilled in Fire Magic, who intended to go with him into the city and aid him in his Quest. Instead of accepting her assistance, he assessed the situation and sent away the one who would help him so that she could warn the tribe. Then, instead of shirking his duty, Aidan proceeded into the city, knowing that it would kill him, because that was the Quest we laid before him. Immediately upon entry, he destroyed his only known means of egress because it would be a dagger pointed at our heart if the enemy discovered it." She glared accusingly around the stage. "We failed him, Councillors, but he did not fail us. Even though Death itself claimed him, he fought his way back with a desire to help us. Even though his Psyche is hanging on by the barest thread, he did his best to give us information that may soon save the lives of dozens—lives of those who have shown him no friendship."

Ailis's voice rose to a demanding crescendo. "I say that Aidan has done more to help our people than any not here present. I say that he has done as much as those on this stage! I say that, although he was born into the body of a human, Aidan Lostlorn is a true centaur of the Starchaser tribe!"

The silver-haired Councillor resumed her seat upon her cushion, and Fionn spoke again, his voice grave and stately. "We have heard Councillor Ailis's argument in favor of her proposal. Do any other Councillors wish to be heard before I call the vote?"

Anwn sprang to her hooves, and Fionn yielded the floor to her. "I will admit that I, too, misjudged this human somewhat. He has indeed shown himself to be honorable and loyal, and though I voted against him in the past, I bear him no ill-will for the future." She inclined her head towards Aidan. He returned the gesture; it seemed the thing to do. "He is not one of us, however! No matter how much good he has done for the tribe, he has not grown up among us, does not know our customs or traditions. Our people are not comfortable in his presence! Though I judge it no fault of his own, he draws strife to him. Not four hours ago, I caught three young males attacking him between the village and the river, on the main path. These sentiments will not go away just because we wave our hands and pronounce him a Starchaser. For his own sake and the harmony of the tribe, I say that we should thank him, help him heal, even reward him if the Council deems it just, but then send him on his way. He does not belong in the Highlands, and we do neither ourselves nor him any favors by trying to make it so."

Anwn sat back down, and again Fionn asked for further argument. When none stood, he continued, "I now call a vote on the matter before the Council. This vote will be by simple acclaim; as Councillors, you are oath-bound to vote with only your conscience as your guide, without regard for the current vote tally. This is not a matter of law, so the votes shall be 'Yea' or 'Nay'. As this matter has been raised before the Council only this very night and there is no pressing need to resolve it this session, a vote of 'Abstain' or 'Delay' will also be accepted. If there is no majority among those who vote 'Yea' or 'Nay' and at least one Councillor votes 'Delay', we will table the matter until the next full Council meeting, then consider further arguments and have a final vote at that time.

"Ailis Silverhair, how do you vote?" Fionn began the calling of the vote.

"Yea."

"Anwn Wolfsister, how do you vote?"

"Nay."

"Eilwen Brighthearth, how do you vote?"

"Delay."

"I, Fionn Ironhide, Abstain."

"Gerwyn Wanderhoof, how do you vote?"

"Delay."

“The tally of votes is one Aye, one Nay, one Abstain, and two Delays. The petition will be tabled for a minimum of one week. So say we all.”

Brighid let out a disappointed noise beside him, but Aidan felt nothing. With no further items on the agenda for the meeting, Fionn adjourned the Council and the Councillors rose to their hooves. Anwn immediately headed for the exit at the rear of the stage, but the others approached Aidan.

Zurai

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