Obscure Old Tales

Chapter 8: Crows Gathering

"You're all washing your hands, that's what I'm getting."

Raeb spat while sitting in his chair.

His cape wrinkled as he heard all the other attendees begin to argue once more.

His accomplice entourage entered with him into the simulation, Shajae wore her finer ringlets, and a headpiece that looked like a flame, Gretel Andersen entered too, her suit was of a royal lieutenant. Which meant to the other heads of state that she soon would be assuming a higher rank.

"None of this makes sense."

Raeb whispered to his right.

"Guess so, little bird."

To Raeb's right the last high strix of the old world, Vladimir Maximoff, lanky yet elegant, he wore a suit black as coal over a red shirt with white cuffs that almost matched his pale skin. He held a cup with some crimson drink inside.

A feminine voice on the king's left added.

"Just hold on a little bit, a little ruckus hasn't killed nobody."

To Raeb's left was Perissa Misera, a high-ranking changeling witch from the now almost extinct clan of the twelve months, her face was proud until she began making an origami with the form of a bull.

Her pet python: Lichee curled a top her staff.

"The laws abide that..."

"Oh, come on, the laws mean nothing."

Both were the closest to him, they had history long before making the court.

"This is preposterous"

On one edge queen Concordia in her ceremonial red attire topped with her crown of hearts crossing her arms while Olivia Viridian head of the Obsidian faction kept arguing with captain James of the Jolly Roger and lieutenant Kihira cohort of the Chimerian legions of defense in the great wall.

"The kingdoms will never allow something like that, not even the president."

On the center of it all Marsea Parroian, Consul on land of Atlantis and loyal server to queen Hildegarde kept her stoic face while the members kept on arguing their next move.

"All I'm saying is, if the king requires so, we can have a trial right about a week from now and decide the fate of this betraying child from the security of the north."

Her melodious voice rang calm and soothing, the indicator of her true nature.

"And to do so, you first asked us to give up our sovereignty and kneel before her, for what? A broken boy toy?"

Olivia retorted back, her eyes shimmering green, electricity buzzing in between her fingers.

"The trial won't be easy for my queen, a huntsman like him, doing something like this, it needs to be an exemplary execution."

Added the sea witch.

"Wouldn't it be more of an example for her to show up? Come to think of it what does she even do in that isolated frozen wasteland of hers? Playing pinocle? Crocheting?"

Answered Perissa. All the while playing with a baby python in her arm.

"This is getting nowhere."

Raeburn stood up.

"When we agreed to this consortium, I thought things would be different, that we were mature leaders getting to talk, instead we are all caught in petty brawls with one another like children. Haven't we known any better?"

The room felt quiet.

"The king is right, there has to be a way for us to address this without compromising the security of our positions, whether we like it or not there is a traitor in this room, and very well has compromised our goal."

Vlad commanded; his piercing red eyes set directly on the sea commanding sorceress.

The witches, the queen of hearts, the captain, and the commander all nodded and whispered.

"Until this whole debacle is sorted, we may as well abstain, good fortune to all of you. All in favor?"

Shajae spoke, her nails clicking on her seat as a call of attention, or may as well to assort dominance given, she was using her long-claw-like nails.

Each member of the virtual space call raised their hand, the last to do so was the Atlantean woman.

"Well then, until we meet again."

The Venras King raised his arms to his face and took off the virtual reality mask, he was on his bed, his room already dark, the clock marked the witching hour.

"Poetic."

He spoke.

No wise advisor from a foreign land.

No remarkable strongest guard from the last decade.

He was alone, he was not afraid, he liked that.

He reached into the tiny scar his sister had given him earlier that day, he felt sad, angry and at his core worried. Despite the wound still feeling like a thousand little bites on his face he touched his upper right cheek.

He felt betrayed, but he also felt proud.

He got off bed and looked out the window, the faint lights of Belon distanced by miles and miles.

His fingers spotted the glass with heat.

Was she alright?

Would she survive?

Aren't there wild wolves in that space of the kingdom?

Raeb crossed his arms.

"The gig is up."

He no longer had to hide from his siter, he did not had to hold back data in the palace, he was free through and through, clear as day, well... the denizens would raise questions but nevertheless no family to hide for, but to look for, Bianca was a threat to his rule, now he had an excuse to get her out.

"I'm going mad."

He touched the quaint neckless made of silver hanging on himself, looking for the tiny little hard with a small crimson ruby crystal, the last remnant of the boy he was before.

At this hour king silver used to leave his mother's chambers to get here.

At this hour Bianca was safe asleep in the floor below him.

At this hour a few years ago, he regrated receiving this little gift now holding him in place, now anchoring him to his objective. When the kingdom failed him, when his mother betrayed him, Raeb had learnt a fundamental truth:

"Power when threaten had to be secured not by word, but actions."

He had told Bianca he was being polite when he came to reach her. Now it was no longer "nice guy" time, he was a king, he had acolytes, subjects, and loyalties to talk to, he had a few favors to broke in when necessary, and this time, that boy toy huntsman would look like a mercy to beg for, speaking of which.

"Shajae."

He called through his smart-glass.

"Hmm."

She muffled.

"Tell them to bring him to my chambers, I have quite the energy to go off yet."

"Ew, I don't need to know that."

Raeb Snickered.

Raindrops poured away. It was going to be a long night.