The Broken Council (The Guardian Chronicles 1) (18 page)

“Dear
council members, I have called you here to give you ill news,” Yukio said
heavily.
 
“It appears that an
assassination attempt on my wife’s life was successful yesterday.”

There
were shouts of anger and dismay when he made this declaration.
 
People stood up and waved their fingers
threateningly at General Yukio.
 
It was
clear they believed that he murdered his own wife in order to take over the
kingdom.
 
He had expected this reaction
and knew that he had to get his evidence out before they stoned him.
 
He raised his hands in an effort to calm them
down and also to have them sit down.
 
That did not work at all.

“Sit
down!” he bellowed loudly.
 
His eyes were
gleaming red with anger.
 
He would not
allow this situation to get out of control.

“You
murdered our queen!” yelled one member indignantly.

“She
was my wife, you fool!
 
I loved her more
than life itself!
 
Why would I kill her?”
he blasted back angrily.

“You
thought by killing her that you would be our king.
 
You have committed high treason and should be
put to death immediately,” continued that same member.

“What
you are doing now, dear friend, is treason.
 
I am the only one who can tell you the truth about yesterday’s
events.
 
Mistress Kana has revealed the
whole truth to me of the tragic events, so sit down and shut your mouth!
 
If I have to ask you again, you will never
utter another word!” Yukio threatened the belligerent councilman.

The
obstinate council member sat down with a look of pure loathing on his
face.
 
He did not want to take his seat,
but he valued his life very much and knew that the general was capable of
horrible deeds.
 
He thought it wise to
appease this traitor and hear what lies he had to share.
 
He nodded slightly to the rest of the council
members to take their seats and to listen to what Yukio had to say.

“Now
that I have your undivided attention, let me tell you what happened.
 
I want the truth to be known because once you
hear what I have to say, you will not be so quick to point your fingers in my
direction,” he said smoothly as he regained control of the meeting.

“Please
continue, General,” said the council member closest to him.

“Thank
you.
 
Yesterday there were rumblings
coming from Mount Quang that continued far too long to be an earthquake.
 
The instant I sensed the tremors, I knew that
something was wrong.
 
In the very center
of our mountain lies a cavern that was established as an escape root for the
queen.
 
I knew of this secret and shared
it with General Marek.
 
He then passed
the information along to my wife.
 
They
knew that if an assassin was sighted that they would have to flee at once to
the hiding place.
 
It appears that there
was an attempt on her life in her bedchamber.
 
Thankfully the trap door to this cavern was hidden in the room, so
General Marek and Queen Kira were able to make it into the door before either
of them were assaulted,” Yukio explained carefully.
 
He was using his psychic power to convince
the members of the truth of what he was saying.
 
He was forcing the image of what he was describing into their minds,
though some were having measured success in keeping him out.

“Unfortunately,
Bronwen Merindiel also followed them into the passageway somehow.
 
He inadvertently allowed the assassin to
follow him through the trap door.
 
Once
in the chamber, the traitor slew the chairman and your general before turning
on the queen.
 
She defended herself
valiantly, but the killer used magic far more powerful than her own.
 
She could not fend off the attack and died in
the battle.
 
By the time I reached the
cavern, the murderer had fled, leaving no evidence of who they were.
 
He had also set a trap for anyone who came
into the cavern, which I unwittingly walked right into.
 
I was able to retrieve the queen’s crown,
Bronwen’s badge, and General Marek’s sword before the ceiling collapsed
entirely,” he said sadly.
 
He had opened
the package he had brought with him to display the articles he had just
described.
 
He allowed the council
members to examine the evidence he had brought to convince them of his
story.
 
The sword was not really Marek’s,
but Yukio made it appear to be so in the council members’ minds.
 
Those who were mentally blocking the general
were uneducated in weaponry, so they could not tell the difference.

“After
seeing this grisly scene, I passed out and did not wake until this
morning.
 
I went to my troops at the
outer wall first to give them this horrific news and to instill in them the
importance of being ready for an impending assault from whomever the assassin
worked for.
 
I then came here to report
to you.
 
However, I would like to
continue to investigate what went on and then present my final findings to you
in a week’s time,” he stated flatly.

Silence
fell over the council.
 
His report was
not what they were expecting at all.
 
Their initial beliefs did not fit what he had told them.
 
There would be no reason for Yukio to kill
his good friends, Bronwen and Marek.
 
They believed what he had told them about the events he described to
them in detail.
 
They would support him
in his request to continue to investigate the murders.

“General,
I believe I speak for all of us when I say that we are deeply sorry for your
losses.
 
We know how much you loved our
queen and that you were very close to both Marek and Bronwen.
 
We will do what is needed to find the killer
responsible for these heinous crimes.
 
We
will need to send a message to Queen Kishi right away,” said the council member
on his right.

“It
brings me comfort to hear you say that.
 
Please, do not delay in sending a message to Kira’s sister.
 
We need to prepare for three funerals for
three fallen heroes.
   
I will be in the
castle where this all began if I am needed,” he said quietly.
 
I
cannot believe the fools are so easily manipulated.

“Do
not worry about the arrangements or the messages that will need to be
delivered.
 
Use your unique abilities to
unravel the mystery behind these cruel acts.
 
We will convene officially one week from today at high noon,” the
council member to his right said.

The
council members stood up and left the hall at once.
 
They needed to work on the arrangements for
the funerals, sending messages to Queen Kishi and King Ciel, and notifying the
home guard about the tragic events.
 
They
would need to be better prepared for follow-up attacks.
 
This preparation would be the undoing of
General Yukio’s secret plans.
 
Yukio
thought that he had convinced all of the council, but he was gravely mistaken
in his assumption.
 
This too would end up
costing him dearly in the end.

General
Yukio filled the remainder of the week with secret meetings with his troops
where he explained in detail his plan of attack.
 
He also worked feverishly on investigating
the events leading up to the brutal murders.
 
He spent the day after the council meeting trying to discover the magic
that had been employed in the bedchambers.
 
He knew that magic leaves its mark for only three days, so he only had
that day to figure out what happened.
 
The only thing he discerned was that Bronwen was using his magic to
conceal himself, which confirmed his suspicions that his wife knew Marek was up
to no good.
 
What puzzled him was the
presence of magic so powerful that he could not begin to guess who it was or
what their purpose for being there was.

After
the first day of investigation, Yukio concluded that Bronwen and Kira had an
understanding that General Marek was the assassin.
 
This realization only infuriated him more
when he thought of his last conversation with his former friend before the
tragic event occurred.
 
He had given
Marek specific information that he then used for his own evil designs.
 
He had assisted the scum by giving him the
perfect secret location to commit the murder of his wife without the
possibility of being discovered.
 
The
poor chairman was an innocent bystander who merely got in the way.
 
At
least there was swift justice for that treacherous villain.

On
the fourth day after Yukio’s meeting with the council, Commander Favian arrived
with the remainder of the army sanctioned by Queen Daria for the protection the
high elves.
 
The united troops began
their final preparations for the siege during the cover of night.
 
The newly arrived men had to hide themselves
during the day because General Yukio did not want to raise any suspicion among
the home guard or cause the people to panic at the sight of
reinforcements.
 
They may worry that they
are going to be attacked and react in a way to threaten their plans.
 
The general also wanted to keep the element
of surprise as one of his weapons in this tactical strike.
 
The members of the army who were hiding
during the day had the task of setting traps for anyone who would try to escape
during the attack.
 
They also set up a
perimeter around the southern and eastern sides of the mountain to protect
against an attack from the elves or Queen Kishi.

The
day before General Yukio’s army was to lay siege to Alanderas, a last-minute
meeting was called to make final preparations.
 
The general gathered together outside the western outer wall with his
commander and captains.
 
This would be
his final meeting with them before their plans were put into action.
 
He wanted to make sure everyone was on the
same page as far as the assault was concerned, and he also wanted the captains
to ask any questions the troops may have brought to their attention.
 
This would show that he genuinely cared about
everyone in the army and that he also valued their insights.

“Men,
thank you for coming,” Yukio welcomed them.

“Thank
you for calling us together, General,” Commander Favian replied.

“Right,
let us get down to business then.
 
Behind
you is a secret entrance that will take the troops into the courtyard of the
royal palace.
 
It is placed to the left
of where the wall meets the mountain.
 
This passage is large enough to take horses and some heavy equipment, so
that is exactly what we are going to do.
 
Commander Favian will lead his men tonight through this hidden path so
he can spring the trap at high noon tomorrow,” explained Yukio.

“Will
we be able to take the large siege weapons?” asked Commander Drujien.

“You
will be able to take the arrow launchers but not the catapults,” replied Yukio.

“Is
there a room large enough within the mountainside to hide us until wait to
spring our trap?” queried Favian.

“Yes,
there is enough room to gather within the mountain.
 
There is an area that I had created for a
different purpose that will suit our need now.
 
During the night, I will need to have you lay out some traps and drag
some oil lines.
 
This way we will
maximize the amount of confusion when we set the oil ablaze.
 
The smoke will lead many of the high elves to
the traps you laid and allow us to gain the upper hand in the battle and enable
us to crush them swiftly,” Yukio said as he slammed his fist into his other
hand.

“What
will be the signal to attack, and who will lead the men from the outer wall?”
asked Commander Favian.

“I
will have Master Aiden send a volley of arrows at the home guards protecting
the main entrance.
 
He will lead the main
body of the army into battle while I take care of the council members,” he
explained.
 
At the mention of Master
Igrol’s name, a collective intake of breath was heard from the group gathered
together around General Yukio.
 
They did
not understand how this master of the sword could do such a thing since he was
back in Nairi.
 
They all feared and
revered the master and were excited at the possibility of his help in the
fight.

“How
will Master Aiden reach us in time to lead the army?” asked one of the
captains.
 
Aiden walked out of the rock
wall where the secret entrance was supposed to be as if the question was his
queue to appear.
 
More gasps of amazement
came from Yukio’s leaders.
 
It was clear
that some of the captains were having trouble processing the ever-changing
situation.

“General
Yukio, I have come as fast as I could.
 
I
take it from your councils thus far that I am in time to fulfill your request,”
Master Aiden said solemnly.

Yukio
bowed before the master, recognizing his abilities as a swordsman and as a
warrior.
 
The rest of the group quickly
bowed themselves following their general’s example.
 
Many were too surprised still to say
anything.
 
They simply stood there with
their mouths open in awe.
 
Aiden had a
long, violent-red goatee that was braided with gems.
 
His bald head shone brilliantly in the sun as
he stood before them.
 
He was shorter
than the general, but not by much.
 
He
had a much more muscular physique than any other warrior and was as powerful as
Yukio himself.
 
His legendary sword,
Keahi, was strapped across his back in the custom of master swordsmen.
 
The blade had been imbued with the power of
fire by dwarves and was of such fine craftsmanship that it looked as if it had
never been used.

“As
Aiden just demonstrated for us, the passageway is not sealed and does not have
to be opened.
 
It is camouflaged with a
concealment charm to make it look like the rock around it.
 
The opening is actually ten feet high and is
thirty feet across.
 
All you have to do
is walk straight at it, and you will gain access to the secret path,” explained
the general.

“It
should be noted that it is very cold in the passageway and chamber our general
created, so dress warm,” added Commander Favian.

“Good
point, Commander.
 
I had almost forgotten
to bring that up.
 
Thank you,” said
General Yukio graciously.
 
“Now, Master
Aiden, you must keep the attack on the homes at the south end of the city as
quiet as possible.
 
Our goal is to wipe
out the residents before we even engage the home guard.”

“Do
you want me to begin the attack tonight?” asked Aiden.

“Yes,
that sounds like a good idea.
 
That way
you will be able to use the darkness of the night to give you additional
cover.
 
I can guarantee a night of black
cloud cover.
 
I have spoken with the
goddess Kana, and she has informed me that she will cause a thunder and
lightning storm that will drive everyone into their homes,” Yukio said with a
sly smile.
 
The men in the circle all
smiled with great delight at the news that the elemental was backing them in
this campaign.
 
These men will believe anything I tell them.

“What
else did the goddess of wind and fire say?” asked one of the captains eagerly.

“She
informed me that my assumptions about the murders were correct and that she
would back our attack as long as we wipe them all out.
 
She feels betrayed by this treachery and the
high elves’ high-mindedness.
 
She will
assist us in any way needed to punish the fools properly,” said the general
confidently.

“It
would appear that the immortal elves are no longer favored by the
guardians.
 
It is the time for man to
lead the lands of Tuwa,” said Master Aiden darkly.
 
His bejeweled goatee sparkled in the
afternoon sun as he spoke.

“You
are right, Aiden.
 
Kana feels that it is
the time for man to rule the lands.
 
The
defeat of the high elves will be a sign to the rest of the races that it is our
time, and the people of Nairi will lead the way into a new era,” Yukio
continued.

“Now,
let us get to work.
 
There is much to do
before the sun sets.
 
I need to get ready
for my performance in the council chambers tomorrow, and you all have
preparations to make in order for us to be successful.
 
If we follow our plan perfectly, we will not
fail!” exclaimed General Yukio.

***

As
the sun hid itself once again below the horizon, a wicked storm swept in from
the north.
 
Cold winds came rushing down
the mountainside, sending many people running for cover.
 
Then there was a flash of lightning that
struck a building near the inner wall, and a deafening boom followed the
strike.
 
There was a brief pause before
the black clouds dumped so much rain on the city that there were ankle-high
streams running down the roads within minutes.
 
The only light that could be seen was the lightning and the brief fires
the strikes caused.
 
It was so wet that
nothing could burn for longer than a few minutes.
 
The sounds and darkness were the perfect
cover for the attacks led by Master Aiden.

Aiden
started his house-to-house hunt after the first loud boom of thunder.
 
Mistress Kana was doing her part to give them
cover, and now it was his turn to show his resolve by quietly eliminating the
wicked high elves before the home guard knew what was happening.
 
He divided up the troops into groups of
twelve and sent them down each block.
 
Each street would have two groups attacking from opposite ends so that
they would meet in the middle.
 
This
tactic would help to distract the residents if they heard anything other than
the rain and thunder just long enough to have one of the teams neutralize the
potential threat.

The
army swarmed over the southern half of the city like locusts.
 
No one in their path survived, and no alarms
were sent up as the troops executed the plan.
 
In the history of Tuwa, there had never been an assault by any of the
good races where both male and female, young and old, were slaughtered.
 
Blood ran down the streets, turning the
rivers of water caused by the violent storm red.
 
The wind howled like an angry pack of wolves
as the soldiers finished phase one of their gruesome campaign.
 
No fires were set as the men went from house
to house, so their secret was kept safe from the eyes of the home guard.
 
The high elves guarding the inner wall and
castle did not see the army of General Yukio waiting in the shadows of the
homes.
 
Aiden and his men now had to wait
until noon to complete phase three of the operation.
 

***

Commander
Favian looked up at the ominous clouds forming overhead and knew that Mistress
Kana was providing the cover that she had promised General Yukio.
 
After the first loud boom of thunder was
heard, the troops gathered up into a formation that would allow them easy
passage into the secret cavern.
 
When the
rain began to hail down upon them, they began their silent march into the
cavity in the mountainside.
 
The men
listened carefully as they walked toward the entrance to see if they could hear
anything from Aiden and his men who were carrying out phase one.
 
They heard nothing as they walked into the
pitch-black tunnel.
 
Torches were lit,
and the massive number of troops and siege weapons crept slowly toward their
destination inside the mountain.
 
The men
who were in charge of carrying out phase two were at the front of the formation
alongside their commander.