The Broken Council (The Guardian Chronicles 1) by Steven R. Burke Page B

ready!
    Kira
sent shards of ice hurtling toward her sister, who deflected the darts just
enough to prevent major damage.   She
wanted it to appear that she was unprepared for this attack.   Many of the icy daggers had pierced her
clothing and grazed her skin.   Blood
began to trickle down her sides as she struggled to stand erect.
    “What
did I do to deserve this treatment, queen?   I am your sister. Why do you attack me so?   As a leader, you cannot allow for your
passions and anger to rule your judgment.   You must think outside yourself.”   Kishi, with the help of the queen’s guard, stood all the way up now to make
the declaration she had come to make this day.
    “I
feel that my sister is not a competent leader, so I have taken it upon myself,
the rightful heir, to start anew.”   The
queen looked shocked for an instant, and then her countenance fell.
    “I
have established the true kingdom of the high elves on Mount Konane without the
help of the deceitful guardians.   All
those who wish to join us will be welcome on our mountain kingdom.   What I have done cannot be construed as
treason because I have followed the laws of our people.   I have set up a monarchy that is in keeping
with the right of rule established by high elven law.   I vow to lead the people by their voice and
limit bureaucracy to fulfill their purpose and nothing more.”   She winced from the pain from the cuts on her
sides.   She turned around and used her
magic to blast open the doors of the hall and departed into the unrelenting
storm.
    ***
    As
the council’s meeting was beginning, Jaali met with the people who had gathered
together for their departure to the east.   From their vantage point, they could just see the outer wall and the
massive gate.   There were only four
guards protecting the entrance because of the high security at the council
chambers.   The people began to murmur
amongst themselves that their escape would come off without a hitch.   However, as the black storm clouds began to
move in, many feared that this was an ominous sign that what they were about to
do was wrong.
    Jaali
immediately took control of the situation.   “The clouds you see overhead were created by our friend Lord
Dükker.   He felt that a little darkness
along with rain would assist in keeping our departure secret.”   He knew something of how to inspire people
and how to cajole others into accepting what he said.   The people seemed to understand and had a
surge of new hope to move forward with their plans.
    “By
the time our queen has made known to the council what her intentions are; we
will be off this mountain.   The rain will
slow any pursuit if they choose to act so rashly.”   He was a natural at this kind of
leadership.   He knew that he would get
all of the people off this mountain and not get caught in the process.   “Tenanden will guard our retreat from any
possible pursuit.   As you can see now,
the guards at the gate have been dealt with.” He gestured toward the main
entrance.   “They have not been harmed,
just rendered unconscious.   The doors
will be open by the time we reach them, so let’s move out.”
    The
group that departed that day was not pursued.   They made it all the way to their new home without seeing another
soul.   The total number of those that
left the main body of the high elves under Queen Kira’s rule was just a little
more than half the total number of people.   Many of them were traditionalists who felt that King Ciel was not bad
but that he had lost control of the kingdom.   They saw Queen Kishi as a powerful leader who would not allow the rule
of her people to suffer the same fate as the elves.   They also understood that Kira was leading
them down a treacherous road with all of the rules and laws she had personally
broken.

Delegation

 
    General
Yukio called a halt to his vanguard.   They had just caught a glimpse of their homeland of Nairi off in the
distance.   He