Hope

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Hero in the Dark

I was angrier than I had ever been in my life. A dark fire burned inside me, making me itch to put my hands around the king's advisor's scrawny neck and squeeze. Not even my father plotted to destroy an entire race! As I strolled beside Mr. Genocide, a memory came to mind. For once I didn't try to push it down, but remembered.

Shadeclaw was crouching down low under some bushes by the Sky Tribe border. He watched through slitted eyes as the Sky Tribe hunters chased rabbits and quail across the plains. There was a look of contempt in his eyes, but he didn't break his cover to chase after the hunters.

"Why don't you wipe them out?" I asked him, trying to keep my long bangs out of my face. I asked out of pure curiosity, which had suddenly overcome my fear of his wrath.

Instead of the punishment I had been half-expecting, Shadeclaw merely looked at me. "If I did that, the others would be on me in a heartbeat," he replied. "Besides, there is no real purpose for killing that other than revenge. Sky Tribe has done nothing to me or my family. And it is hard to dominate without having anyone to dominate over. There is no point in being leader if you're only leader of the dead. Remember that, Leaf. Never commit genocide. That of all things is unforgivable. No two shifters are exactly alike, no matter how alike they appear on the surface. You cannot justify killing all warriors, leaders, seconds, healers, scouts, hunters, mothers, and kittens of a tribe. No one can. Anyone who thinks they can is wrong and they deserve to die a horrible death."

I pondered his words. "So, you're saying that it's okay to dominate, but not to destroy," I said slowly.

Shadeclaw nodded at me approvingly. "Domination is one thing. Genocide is another. That is blood on your heart, a stain that will never go away."

Even now I don't entirely understand why he drew the line there. But now I knew how Shadeclaw knew he had made a mistake. Genocide was one thing he wouldn't put up with. I then decided to try and see what the king's advisor's plan was.

"My father was of the opinion that genocide was an unforgivable offense," I said airily. "I assume that is where you parted ways..."

"Of course," the king's advisor said, his eyes flickering for a moment with a memory. "Your father was rather... softhearted when it came to matters concerning elves. He couldn't understand that only by their complete eradication that humankind can be free."

The way he said this sent chills down my back. I had no idea if he knew what I was or not, but I knew that he would hardly stop with the elves. Shifters would be next on his list, starting with the Eastern Tribes. And after that, no one would be safe.

"My father understood very well the politics of our own nation," I replied. "Genocide is at the top of a list of unforgivable offenses where I come from. He broke many of the rules, but that particular rule he didn't touch. He was, quite simply, a conqueror, not an exterminator. He couldn't bring himself to wipe out the others because they were more useful alive than dead. Perhaps he thought the elves could still be of some use to you."

"Well, they aren't. They're a nuisance," the king's advisor snapped. "You should know that since you traveled with one for a long time."

I dipped my head as if in apology. "Those are the opinions of my father I was expressing, not my own. I know elves are annoying and serve no real purpose as of yet. But from my own experience, I would tread carefully upon this matter."

"Why?" the king's advisor demanded.

"To simply put it, everyone who is not human in the Kingdom of Lyssia may regard it as the first step in a series of steps to eradicate all nonhuman presences in the kingdom. There are many humans, yes, but there are also many who are not human. They will see the killing of the elves as a direct threat to their own lives and they may rise up against you."