Eclipse - Act 1 - The Healing

Chapter 14 - Facing Our Fears

Killian

His arms rest upon the table in his office down on the ground, cold eyes staring at the holographic men sat in their seats, all speaking at once, with none of it entering his mind. A face can carry so many stories in a single glance, the slight cut on his bottom lip shows that someone had gotten into a fight with him a few weeks ago. Most likely from an inmate trying to fight back before being thrown into the shadows to be forgotten forever. The scars on his knuckles also show that he once was a boxer, and most likely can still fight like one...and has been beaten for most of his life.

The scar across the left side of his jawline, given to him from the stinger of a Deathstalker that lunged its pincer straight at his face. Slicing right across the skin and bone, leaving the scar behind.

Yet here he is, still fighting hard to accomplish what it is that he came here for. As a forty-six-year-old man, it is a very long time for a man to see some things, something very clear in his almost emotionless eyes. Not even a tear forming inside as they talk of the casualties recorded from the Battle of Beacon.

The Councillors across the kingdom turn their heads to the leader of the Black Gallows and the Mistraalian Councillor raises his brow in curiosity. "Commander Killian? Are you even listening?" The Mistraalian Councillor questions with an annoyed voice, scratching his grey beard. Killian stares at him, and stuns them all with his answer.

"I will listen when your points actually matter." Killian replies, his voice well spoken and certain, never mumbling and every word carefully chosen for his statement. The Councillors from the four Kingdoms gasp, eyes widening, and the Atlesian Councillor rises from his chair suddenly with clenched fists, not threatening the Commander at all. The posh elderly man sounds extremely disgusted by the voice of Killian.

"You dare speak against us in such a way? We are discussing the future of our society!" The Atlesian Councillor argues, but Killian rolls his eyes, rising up with his hands pressed against the surface of the table, glaring right into their eyes with anger.

"By talking of how much you should charge the families for the funerals of their children? For their husbands and wives? For father and mothers?" Killian questions as he tenses his muscles, and the Atlesian Councillor shakes his head.

"Disgraceful, we are thinking logically here! About the economy! An attack like this is bound to have affects!" The Atlesian Councillor argues, pointing at Killian, again he does not flinch, if anything his eye twitches with hatred towards the four Councillors all arguing over who should get the highest split of the profits.

"No...you're filling your pockets and shovelling all that delicious food into your mouths." Killian corrects, glancing at the fruit stand in shot of the hologram, one that the Atlesian Councillor pushes aside. "Don't try and convince me that you give a damn about our Kingdoms, Councillors...you all only care about your own wealth." Killian coldly reminds, pushing his palms against the table as he rises back up. The Valerian Councilwoman looks down at her table and she exhales, rubbing her bulging belly where she is pregnant. The youngest of the councillors, around thirty-four years old, the Mistraalian fifty, the Atlesian sixty-six and the Vacuo forty-five.

The Valerian Councilwoman looks at Killian and she sighs, shaking her head. "Look, Commander...we need to talk about this...your presence in Beacon Academy is making the situation more concerning. The Grimm...appropriately named as the Black Smog by the media...have been seen inside of the city, some venturing closer to the populated regions. And it is frightening people, just look at the footage that has been collected." She explains, tapping a button on her screen, and it brings up a collection of holographic screens in front of his face.