186 - Council Meeting (Patreon)

So much happened within the next hour.

Elric visited Arielle's family and told them the event that had transpired at the ball. 

What followed was a lot of yelling, demands for explanations, and requests to see their daughter immediately.

Elric told them he would grant that request when he was sure it was safe. He didn't know yet if Vittoria had killed the demon who tagged Arielle in the abyss, but he figured since Gio had eliminated the one that took Arielle, and many of the others he'd met in the demonic realm, then the demons were at the very least occupied, and it was fine for her family to spend at least an hour with her.

Which was good since they weren't giving him a choice on the matter, and Celie especially looked like she would gut him if he didn't agree to take her to her sister.

The most important thing he had to tell them was that Arielle's cover was partially blown and they would have to reveal some of her ability to the council. The notion, of course, scared them, and Arielle's father wanted to attend the meeting with Elric to prove that Arielle had done nothing wrong and that she was just his 'extra-special little girl'.

Of course, Elric told him that would be a bad idea, and he couldn't bring him along, even if he wanted to.

"But Arielle will be okay?" her brother asked. "Right?"

Everyone was quiet as they awaited Elric's answer. He had a lump in his throat.

He could not lie to them, even though he wanted to.

"We'll try our best to make sure she is," he said finally.

"You better, Archmage," Thessa said, her eyes flashing. "You better."

In the meantime, Lord Wesley visited some of his allies and others on the council, putting out 'feelers,' as he said.

It took him quite a while, and he said upon his return that he'd had to call in some favors. However, he confirmed that they would have enough votes, but that they needed to be careful with their approach. Those he had spoken to were more curious than apprehensive about the idea of someone with Arielle's talent, but they also wanted to see it for themselves, and there was a small chance things might flip based on their observation.

"I didn't tell them everything," Lord Wesley said. "But what I did tell them was enough to pique their interest."

"So they will support her becoming a master after her re-evaluation?"

Lord Wesley nodded. "I cannot say for sure, but there are at least enough of us who are not opposed to the idea."

Elric breathed a sigh of relief.

However, it wasn't over yet. Lord Wesley had enough pull in the council to provide this exception for Arielle; however, it could still get shot down if enough people were against it.

It could also get shot down by the High Ascendant himself.

But Elric hoped that wouldn't be the case. He hoped that they would simply be able to pass Arielle as a special case, but not special enough to threaten him.

Another hour later, Elric and Lord Wesley both walked through the lofty gates and up the marble steps of the Rittersaal ministry headquarters, watching the tip of the limestone building touch the sky.

Elric was not part of the council, so his attendance today was as a witness to the events of last night, invited by Lord Wesley himself.

They were both silent as they walked through the hallowed halls and approached the doors that stretched to the ceiling.

It opened for them with a substantive hush.

Elric’s palms were sweating. His heart raced in his ears as he observed the rest of the two-dozen-ish people who occupied the long benches at the sides of the room.  A lot of elders had already gathered in the council hall, murmuring amongst themselves. The throne was empty, awaiting the High Ascendant.

Elric’s chest pulled tight at the sight of it.

The best-case scenario would have been to hold this meeting without the man-god in attendance, but that was too much to ask, given the gravity of what had happened last night.

“Elric,” someone called out. He recognized it as Ingel Earthbinder, one of the Earthbinder representatives of the council. “You've come to take Simon's place when his body isn't even cold yet?"

Elric ignored the man. One of the people who had died last night was Simon Earthbinder, and though Elric and Simon had never gotten along, he didn't celebrate the man's death, nor was he here to take his place. And Ingel probably knew it too. The bitterness in his voice was likely just grief.

Elric sympathized but didn't have the patience for it.

“I heard you were the one who raised the alarm,” the man continued. “Care to explain how you knew there was a demonic invasion that bypassed Lord Wesley’s protocol?”

Lord Wesley’s face reddened. It was obvious that the failure of his security system was a source of shame for him, and definitely diminished him in the eyes of the council. The rage bubbled in his eyes. Elric just hoped it didn’t make him forget their mission today.

"Maybe you can wait for the meeting to begin before your questioning," Archmage Caleb, who was Lord Wesley's nephew, called out. "Or would that simply make too much sense, Ingel?"

Ingel didn't respond to the admonition, but Elric could feel his glare at his back as they climbed to where Caleb sat.

“Are you alright, Uncle?” Archmage Ian, another nephew, said as they made space for Elric and his Uncle on the bench.

“As alright as I can be after a demonic titan almost took my head off," Lord Wesley responded wryly.

Guilt glittered in Ian's eyes. “I’m sorry. I should have been there.”

“Nonsense. You were busy. Of course, I understand.”

“But if I had been there–”

“If you had been there, you might have ended up the same as Archmage Lenore,” he said. “And that is a fate I would not wish on either of you. I would rather have died.”

Both nephews pressed their lips together and shared a look. Though they looked much younger than Lord Wesley, they were only about ten to fifteen years younger. However, their advanced cores gave them a much more youthful appearance, the same as it did for Gio and Elric.

Speaking of Gio...

The doors opened once more, and he was the next to walk in, yawning and rubbing the back of his neck. The noise in the room quieted somewhat at his appearance, everyone giving him the look one would give a wild animal.

As he passed, he met Elric’s eyes and grinned. 

Elric didn’t smile back. He hoped Gio didn’t go off cue and do anything that jeopardized their plan. He didn’t think he would, but Gio was Gio after all. Nearly impossible to predict. 

"I thought you would be arriving with this special person that you mentioned," Archmage Ian said to his uncle. "I wanted to meet them"

"Not today," Wesley said. "But if the vote goes well, you will meet them soon."

Ian and his cousin once again shared looks, but both said nothing.

A few minutes later, a more drastic hush fell over the room.

A wave of imposing authority hit all of them at once, making Elric’s heart skitter, and his palms sweat a thousand times worse.

He rose as they all did, and bowed when they all bowed.

Even after the High Ascendant sat on the throne, they remained bowing until he said, "Sit."

After they obeyed, Elric did not look directly at him. He had done it once, and knew that the High Ascendant looked far younger than his age. He couldn't say much about his features beyond that and the glow that emanated from him.  

His aura was too all-encompassing for a close look, and today of all days, Elric truly did not want to be noticed, lest the man-god read his mind.

"I’m told there was an emergency," he spoke softly, his tone cool, but radiating with power nonetheless.

“Yes.” Lord Wesley rose from his position. “Greetings to you, High Ascendant and Distinguished Council. I've called this urgent meeting to discuss a major attack last night at my estate, during the Iverson ball. Demons, moving through the abyss, came at us in legions, and we suffered severe casualties with several in attendance dead, and others in critical condition.”

The room was deathly quiet as Lord Wesley explained in detail what happened at the ball, the look of the demons and the damage they caused. He spoke of Archmage Lenore’s sacrifice and the current death toll, explaining they had lost at least five masters in the battle. He painted a vivid picture, explaining just how many demons there were, how organized they'd been, and how they'd separated them into groups to take them out individually, blocking all access points for escape.

No one interrupted him while he spoke. Though some of them had likely heard the rumors, the true horror being narrated was beyond anything they expected.

Once Lord Wesley was finished, the discourse began. 

People wanted to know more about how the demons accessed the abyss and moved through it, which he had no idea about.

They wanted to know how the demons had separated the attendees, and what spells they had used to place anchors between them, and he did not have an answer for that as well.

Finally, they wanted to know how he discovered the demons. 

For this, Lord Wesley pointed to Elric. "Elric can explain more about how he detected them.

Elric swallowed.

He got up, opened his mouth to speak, but the words got stuck in his throat. 

Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. 

It blared like an alarm over and over again, and he had a sudden vision of Arielle standing in his position in front of all these people.

They'll want to meet her. They will ask questions.

She was a terrible liar.

Somehow, his eyes met Gio’s across the room. Gio smirked and gave him a subtle nod.

It wasn't necessarily encouragement. It was a reminder that he didn't have a choice here. They would discover Arielle anyway, and it was better that they use the council as a buffer than for them to rely simply on outmaneuvering the system center and the High Ascendant himself.

This whole thing felt like a betrayal. 

Nevertheless, Elric cleared his throat and began speaking. 

“It was not I who noticed the demons. But my ward, Arielle.”

That triggered more murmuring.

"Forgive me, Elric," Master Felipe said. "I did not know you had a ward by that name."

"It’s his cousin and he recently discovered her existence," Ingel Earthbinder said. "And has refused to introduce her to the family, have you not, Elric?"

Once more, Elric ignored him.

"Arielle was a late bloomer, and didn’t undergo general testing. After I found her, I noticed a natural affinity she had for essences, and had her tested to confirm that."

"How old is this girl?" Lord Callohan said.

"Fifteen," Elric responded.

"So she's a beginner," someone said. "An adept at most."

"No. She was marked as an apprentice during her first evaluation. However, things have changed."

"What things?"

"We discovered that she does not just have a mere affinity." Elrics’ voice seemed to echo in the waiting silence. "Arielle has a sensitivity to essences. She can feel them."

“What do you mean?” Lord Angenas said. "We can all feel them.”

"She can feel them more than most,” he said. “It is how she was able to tell that there was demonic essence in the Wesley estate, despite there being no evidence of demons yet. It was she who raised the alarm.."

The hall fell silent at Elric's words.

“Wait," Queen Di Santinael spoke up, adjusting in her seat. "You're saying that this young girl could differentiate demonic essences from human essence just by a feeling?"

Elric nodded.

"How?" Queen Di Santinael asked.

"I'm not sure," Elric said. "It seems to be an ability she was born with."

"An ability to detect demonic orbs?" Ingel said. “That’s suspicious, isn’t it?”

"My son told me of a rumor at Erynwall of someone consorting with demons," Lord Angenas said. "Was that Arielle, Elric?"

"That rumor was proven to be nothing but," Lord Wesley spoke up before Elric could answer. "And you can ask Dean Octavius what happened yourself."

"Arielle isn't just sensitive to demonic orbs,” Elric said. “She can detect the difference between human orbs too, and predict the general makeup of a given room. Thanks to her ability, or perhaps acting as the cause of it, it seems that her cores are overdeveloped for her age, which has gotten the attention of the system center. She has been called in for a reevaluation."

"The system center?" Master Rowan said. "Isn't that for criminals?"

"It's for anyone whose ability is deemed to be abnormal," Elric said. "Though she is a beginner, Arielle's sensitivity enabled her to pull off a powerful spell during the attack, in order to save lives. As such, we do not believe she is simply an apprentice. We believe she has enough ability to take the place of one of the masters we lost."

"Excuse me?" Someone demanded.

“What a preposterous thing to say,” another person said, and instantly a loud dispute broke out. 

Elric had been expecting it.

What he’d just said was borderline blasphemy, and under normal circumstances, it would be deemed crazy to even suggest that someone skip the normal ascension path, jumping from an apprentice to a master, without the proper levelling required. 

But these were very abnormal circumstances.

Elric stood firm as they voiced their offense, incensed at his presumed insult. Most of them had spent decades before they’d earned the title of master. Some had to wait for other masters to die before they could get that ascension. Elric’s request was inflammatory for that very reason, no matter how he presented it.

Those who were already on Lord Wesley's side remained silent, while the rest argued that this was ultimately unfair and an insult to their system, to their bureaucracy, and would cause international outcry amongst ascendant society.

There would be protests, they said. Some of their subordinates would not stand for this. 

Lord Wesley waited for their argument to subside before he spoke again.

"What we're asking for here is nothing unusual," he said. "We understand that we have systems in place for a reason, and ascension follows a strict ladder to maintain balance in our world. We're not telling anyone to throw off that balance. We're not asking to add to the number of masters, nor to alter the quota in any way. We're simply asking to analyze a special case of a single individual who has shown exceptional magical aptitude, one that will help us in the coming fight against demons who, as we've explained, can move undetectably in ways that cannot be caught by traditional means."

“You’re asking us to allow someone to skip the line,” Lord Angenas pointed out. “To ignore the several qualified mages who have all waited their turn as they were told to, in favor of this girl who discovered a demonic attack a mere second before it happened.”

"She didn’t just see it coming," Elric said. "She enabled us to stop them before they completed their ritual. Without Arielle's help, we might all very well be dead and the casualties would have been much worse."

"Are you sure that's not just an excuse because your systems, Wesley, failed to capture them?"

Lord Wesley's face tensed. "My security systems are one of the best in the world. I dare you to analyze them yourself and find better. I would invite the same demons upon your systems, to see how well you handle them, but I would not wish what happened last night on anyone, even you, Lord Angenas."

The Lord fell quiet, and Lord Wesley continued, "We understand that this is an unusual request in some ways, but we have had young masters before with quick ascensions. Our youngest, Selena Gregor, was only a few years older than Arielle when she earned her title."

"Selena Gregor proved herself worthy of it," the Gregor representative declared. "She ascended fair and square, and was fighting wars at the age of seventeen. She more than earned her place as a master.

"And Arielle will earn hers too," Lord Wesley said, making Elric tense, though he did not deny it. "But as I mentioned, we don't have time to wait around for it, and we need to replace the masters we have lost."

"And as I mentioned, there are adepts who are willing and ready to ascend,” Lord Angenas argued.

"None of them has what she has,” Lord Wesley said. 

“You’re saying her ability surpasses theirs?”
“I’m saying, given proper training, it very well could. And her detection ability is unmatched.”

"Lord Wesley, you can't exactly expect us to vote on someone we have not met, on an ability we haven't seen," Lord Callohan said. "Where is this, Arielle? Why is she not here displaying her so-called skills for our perusal?"

"She was injured," Elric said. "And will need twenty-four hours of bed rest according to the healer. She also has a temporary magic limit, pending system review. However, once that's done, you can meet her."

“I see,” Callorhan murmured. 

There was more side discussion, more demands for answers, more short arguments. Those on Lord Wesley's side tried to convince dissenters, and voices were raised, but never above a respectable decibel. 

Ultimately, after about thirty minutes of talking, strict refusal gave way to curiosity from a slight majority of the council.

“I am not against having a quick ascension into master,” Master Li said. “Provided, of course, that we meet her and test that her abilities are really as you have said and not an exaggeration.

“Of course," another spoke up. "If she’s so special, we would like to observe it for ourselves.”

“We will do so after the evaluation," Lord Wesley said. "And you can cast your votes then.”

"I would like to attend the evaluation also," Lord Angenas said, eyes flashing. 

Elric knew this was coming, as Lord Wesley had warned him that the others would want to observe Arielle's skill themselves in order to make a decision. He was not against it. As a matter of fact, it might be good for some of the council to be there. Those who ran the system center reported directly to the Ascendant, and only followed his orders. Even if they regarded Arielle as useful, they might choose to imprison her anyway just to appease him.

In that case, the council could prevent that from happening.

There were a few more questions and a brief discussion before a consensus was reached: they would observe Arielle's skill and then make a decision based on that.   

Once that was done, Elric turned to the Ascendant. He had not spoken through this whole thing, and Elric did not know if that was good or bad.

The man-god had his hand on the side of his face, contemplatively. Elric could not read his expression through the glory emanating from him, and his stomach was in knots.

Did he approve? Or did he want further investigation into Arielle’s background and her skill? 

That would be the worst-case scenario. They could not find out that Arielle was truly Mossborne doing all this, nor could they know that her power was far beyond anything he’d said.

There was not a single sound in the room as the man-god tapped his finger to the side of his chin.
Then he began to speak. 

"Traditional ascension is important for a well-oiled system," the High Ascendant said. "However, in times like this, we can make allowances for those with unconventional development whose skill serves us well. So if the council votes yes, following an evaluation, and as long as nothing alarming is found and this individual can play a role in securing our world, I will not stand in their way."

Elric exhaled, and Lord Wesley gave him an encouraging look.

“They will need to prove themselves as useful as you claim,” the Ascendant said. “And also prove they have broken no laws to attain their skill.”

Elric nodded again. He bowed. “Thank you, High Ascendant.”

The man-god did not respond, but Elric was relieved anyway. 

That hard part was done.  Mostly. He did not ask for more investigation, nor did he ask questions that would require Elric to lie too egregiously, in a way that would raise alarm bells.  

"The demon attack is a priority," the High Ascendant continued as Elric straightened. "Their actions are a call to war. We must now take the offensive, and ensure those who perished did not do so in vain."

"Agreed," Lord Wesley said firmly. "I vote that we must wipe them out, entirely."

Support rose amongst some on the benches, although there was some hesitation too.

"A genocide is a tall order, Lord Wesley," Queen Di Santinael said, her voice triggering silence. "And inherently unethical."

"If we continue as we have, things will remain as they are," Lord Wesley responded. "We give them mercy, and the demons return with worse atrocities. We continuously set boundaries, and they continuously find ways around them. And now they have learned how to move through the abyss, undermining our security. How else do you propose we protect ourselves?

"By discovering how they did that and putting an end to it. Isn't that vastly easier than what you're proposing, Lord Wesley?"

He shook his head. "They will simply find another loophole. They always do. We've been fighting this battle for a long time, Your Highness."

"I know.” Her lip quirked. “I've been around long enough. But I simply think we should not be so casual about mass genocide, and we certainly should not make this decision out of a bid for vengeance."

Lord Wesley's face flushed. "That's what you think this is about?"

"Isn't it?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Genocide or not," the High Ascendant spoke up. "We will need more help than we currently have."

"I am in talks with the elves," Queen Di Santinael said. "And perhaps we can give them something to gain their support."

"We will not," the High Ascendant said, definitively. "And they will not help us. If we’re truly going to war against the demons, we must find someone who knows the most about them. Someone who can see through their illusions and have spent a lifetime learning to control them."

Elric tensed up. Where was this going?

Without warning, a portal appeared in the center of the room, and spat out Yseult. 

He looked haggard, face sunken in, clothes tattered, clumps of hair missing from his head. Elric wondered if it was malnutrition or if he'd ripped it out himself in his madness.

Yseult's appearance triggered a loud sound of dissent. The cacophony rose higher and higher, demanding his instant removal or death, calling his presence an abomination, his betrayal the reason for so many deaths. 

In all that, Yseult did not lower his gaze. He did not look at anyone, staring straight at the doors opposite him, as though thinking of escape.

"What is the meaning of this?” the Queen Santinael demanded. "Why is he here?"

"To help us," the High Ascendant said simply.

"You cannot be serious," Ian cried out.

"Isn’t he the reason we’re in this mess in the first place?" Lord Angenas said.

“And now his punishment will be to help end it,” the High Ascendant said. “He mentioned earlier that he was learning how to control the demons, and it's undoubtable that he knows the most about them. If we're attacking them, they will attack us at least as hard. We must not hold back, and we must use every tool in our arsenal."

"But Your Majesty." Lord Wesley stood up. "This…this is ridiculous. He betrayed us before. We cannot allow him to do it again."

"He will not," the High Ascendant said. "His cores will be temporarily unsuppressed for this mission, but they, along with his thoughts and intentions, will remain tethered to me."

The Ascendant made a gesture in the air, and a glowing string appeared from the tip of his finger, to where it wrapped around Yseult's neck.

The room fell silent at the sight of the leash. Yseult's expression did not change, but Elric thought he saw a flash of hatred in his eyes.

Elric’s whole body tensed, and he felt a little nauseous.

He had no love for Yseult, but seeing someone's will being taken away and their transformation into a virtual pet was distasteful. And he couldn’t help imagining Arielle in that position. He could see the leash attached to her neck. 

Lord Wesley’s eyes met his. That was the problem. Arielle had to be useful, but not too useful. They had to expose some of her talent, but not enough to earn the man-god's least at the first sign of wrongdoing. .

The other thing was the discussion about Arielle helping in the fight against the demons. Elric didn't like it, but he convinced himself that whatever mission she went on, he would be there.

And so would Gio. 

One phase was over.

Now they simply had to overcome the next phase, because as much as Elric had exposed, he had not told the entire truth here. 

And if the system analysis did show there was more to Arielle's cores than just being overdeveloped...

Then they were screwed.