Princess of Pandoria (Editing)

Chapter 9

Recap:     The wind poured through the hole and flowed down to where we were standing, chasing itself around into a whirlwind. Out of this, stepped the person I had least expected.

Chapter 9

Sebastian grinned at us as he stepped onto the branch in front of him.  This Sebastian was different from the other versions of him I had seen.  He would have looked like the first Sebastian I knew, but he wasn’t.  It was like he had gone feral; everything about him screamed wild beast.  His teeth had sharpened into fangs, his fingers curled slightly to form claws.

I heard a choking sound from Aerin and saw she had gone completely white and was trembling violently.  Everyone had taken a step backwards and after a strained moment Laeriel took a step forward.

“Who are you and why are you here?”  She demanded.  Sebastian cocked his head to one side and an evil smile spilt his face, like that of a predator that had just found a tasty meal.  Sickly yellow eyes locked onto hers and stared her down.

“Why don’t you ask Aerin, or better yet Xander?”  His eyes flicked over to where I stood beside Aerin and his grin, if possible, grew even wider, before flicking back towards Laeriel as he licked his lips.  “I’m sure Xander would love to tell you who I am.  And as for why I’m here,” He spread his arms wide and took a step forward, “Why, I’m here to represent the Aerien Elves.”  Everyone stared at him and Laeriel again was the person to respond.

“But you aren’t of the Aerien Elves!  Where are your wings?  Why would they send a substitute?”  Fire from Laeriel’s bracelets swirled into her hands, forming two massive fireballs.

In response, Sebastian stretched and two giant wings flared from his back.  They were the same blue-black color as Laeriel’s hair and every feather glowed with dormant magic.

“That should clear up a few of those questions.”  Sebastian said boredly, “And as to why I was sent as a substitute.  Currently, the Aerien Elves are in the middle of an important ceremony.  Everyone was needed for it, and no time could be spared from it.  I was free, so I volunteered to go instead.  If you don’t believe me, I have a document here that should prevent any more doubts as to my…authenticity.”

He held out a scroll that Laeriel snatched from his hands while the fire she had been holding flowing back into her bracelets.  She looked it over before offering it to everyone else.

When it was my turn to look at it, I saw it was written in the graceful, curling script of the Aerien Leader, though slightly sloppy with haste.  It was the standard message for when sending a substitute and signed with the magical seals of Niaennia and Elerossë Aerien.  Elfin seals cannot be replicated, as they are created by making an imprint with the soul of the creator.  There was no doubt about Sebastian now.

“Now then, shall we begin the meeting?”  Sebastian asked once the scroll had been passed around to everyone.

Samuel glanced around before he slowly said, “Well…I suppose since there is no doubt about you Sebastian.”  He led the way over to the benches grown out of the tree and we all sat.

“Now, in the letter I sent, I explained the situation in the letters I sent and if there aren’t any questions, we can begin to come up with a solution.”  Samuel stated once everyone had settled and looked at him expectantly.

“Let me get this straight,” Sebastian said, “The humans came down the river recently, only about 80 or 90 years ago, right?  Up until now they never knew about elfin immorality, and when they found out they became outraged and demanded you share this ‘gift’ with them.  The situation got heated and so your entire people left your Sacred City and moved here; to build a new Sacred City.  The humans don’t know where you are, and when they came searching for you, they saw a different forest than you did, and left with their tails between their legs like so many spineless cur.”  He paused, staring looking at the Stonien Elves present one by one.