Shadow Keepers (Unedited)

Thirteen: Facing the Council and a Dragon

    I have never liked the council chamber. The opaque windows, the ice fire, the feeling of injustice you get when you walk in, the oppressive damp stone walls, and of course the nineteen foot council chairs that force you to look up at the members. Everything about that place was made to make you feel little and insignificant. I’ve been here more than most but every time I have to remind myself that I could take them on and do so much damage and still not die. Etheron found me when I was at the brink of giving up. He gave me a reason to live, he gave me training and my family, but here, here he is expected to be the Lan’kntu. To you he would seem like a ruthless tyrant, but you have to understand, being one of us and living in and commanding the Shadows takes a lot out of our souls, not just our bodies. That is why we have teams, so that we don’t lose all of our humanity.

          While I walk down the hall, I am reminded of the last time I came here. About 10 years ago, I was sent out on a mission with my cousin, Gabriel. On this mission we had to infiltrate a Hunter strong hold. Since I was very young I only had to slip the poison into the head hunter’s drink during super after we’ve had enough information on their plans. To make a long story short, I was caught and in order to save me from becoming a Hunters experiment, Gabe made a bargain with them so that I could go free and he would become their guinea pig. I had to go up to my aunt, Evania, and tell her why her only child was never coming home again. Just before I was stationed in New York, I went back only to find my cousin, a mutilated unrecognizable killing machine. They sent him after me, and just before he killed me he came to and begged me to kill him and to tell his parents that he loved them. His last words were, “I’m sorry I never got to know you, I glade to die by your hand little cousin. K-katie… I’m so proud of you.” He breathed his last and I took him home for his parents to bury. I was punished for going out without orders and had it not been for my aunt’s forgiveness, I would have had a worse punishment than one hundred lashes.

          “If we dwell on the darkness of the past, we will never see the brightness of the future.” Akuji, the best assassin, a Council Member and one of the few who favor me, states trying to lighten my heartbroken mood.

          “Not even Shanna can see brightness in my future, and she is the best seer.” I retort.

          “Ah, but my old teammate Shanna, doesn’t like you nor does she know you like I do.” He quips back completely unfazed.

“And besides, we both know your uncle hates making you come here, so let’s not make it any harder for him, shall we?” he asks as we come upon the doors. He places a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and I look into the thousand year old gray and red eyes.

          “Be strong for us both.” He encourages just before he walks through the doors and leaves me to wait to be called in. The doors open and I step into the chamber. The stone walls were covered with maroon tapestries, and in the center on his knees in stockades, was my would-be-assassin.  

          “Katielena Kidstrong, White Flame Shadow Keeper, commander of the Fire Runners, and half breed, come forth and deal punishment on he who wishes to harm you.”

          “What?” I didn’t even hear the hearing. Sure he tried to kill me, but I won’t kill him if he was wrongly ordered to do so or if he lost his free will. I only kill if I have a good reason to, and my life can’t be taken so I won’t hold it against him.

          “Go Katie.” Akuji orders quietly. “Go, you need this in order for them to respect you. Kill him now.”

          I take a deep breath and chose my words carefully. I was in no mood to fight anyone.

          “Members of the Shadow Keeper Council, I am afraid I must decline this offer. I won’t kill a man for no good reason.”

          “What say you, Keeper? That you will not abide by the Lan’kntu’s decree?” asks Myron, the Shadow Duchess.

          “No, my Lady, Duchess. I am simply refusing to be your executioner.” I say with a snarl; they are really starting to get on my nerves. If they can’t get what I’m saying then I will just have to leave so that they can see what I mean. Just as I’m about to turn to leave, a blinding pain hits my shoulder. It would have brought me to my knees like it did before, but as time goes on and betrayals are served out, one starts refusing to bow before any one.

          I reach behind me and pull the glass dagger out of my shoulder and I use my powers to separate the lightning from the sand. Then, with the lightning dancing around my finger tips, I turn in one fluid motion and send the lethal light back to Myron. She just barely ducks in time to avoid the certain death of one of my bolts. Her pale green and turquoise eyes flash and glow a deadly fury that would make even Hades himself take a step back. Her bronze hair moves around her head like a nest of vipers, the freckles on her face stand out as the color leaves her face.

          Without warning she transforms into a large white tiger, who’s strips are bronze and the aura around it is blue and its eyes a glowing pale green. I sense the challenge as does everyone else in this room. I look around the room. I looked at each member. A few were amused, others, not bothering to hide their disapproval of my actions, and some, like Akuji, looked torn between their loyalties to a team member or to the heiress of the Shadow Throne.

          “Oh please Myron, is that really the best you can do?” I say accepting the challenge.

           “Enough.” Etheron says before Myron could retort. “Katielena, if you do not accept this role, then you are excused.”

          “Yes, my lord.” I say with a bow of my head.  I create a door with my powers that would lead me to my room. Just before I left I heard my uncle’s next order.

          “Quinlan; Kill the assassin.”

Then I found myself in my pitch black room. I change into my pajamas and climb into bed. Ready for my dreams to take me away from this nightmare.

The breeze was soft and the sun’s rays were warm. The song of the rustling leaves and the cool grass calms me. The streams chatter and the bird’s songs are peaceful. This place has been a place that I could only find in my dreams, though I have never seen it because every time I open my eyes, I wake up. Though this time, there is something different. A presence that has never shown its self before, but it has always lurked in the shadows.

“Open your eyes.” Says a dark yet friendly voice. So slowly I open my eyes, and there before me lay a large beautiful dark purple dragon with silver claws and spikes, its wings were also purple and silver but with a black design I couldn’t quite make out. I know I should be scared, and that I should demand to know what’s going on, but all I could do was look, mesmerized, into its flaming eyes and see the dragon, smile. I could see this dragon wasn’t alone by choice, but like me he had no choice but to except that fate, for fear that if we ever lost control, we could hurt those closest to us.

He looked at me as though I was the most precious jewel in the entire world. As though I could save him from suffering alone in silence. And why not? I too had to deal with that, and it’s not as though my panther could do much damage to him either. The Silver Blood acid only weakens a dragon but doesn’t kill it.

“Do you like the world I have created for you?” he asks. I nod.

“It is my only saving grace, when I am overwhelmed by sorrow. His look softens and he envelops me in a dragon hug.

“I know, for I have heard your sobs many times. You don’t know how long I have searched for you and now that I have found you I won’t let your grief overcome you without me there to comfort you.”        

“Why?” was all I managed to say.

“Hmm, my covensi, because—.”

And just like that I was drawn out of my dream world, but not without the dragon’s roar of grief. He didn’t want to be alone, but I had no choice but to return… someone was summoning me.