The Cold Inside: Call of the Necromancer (Open Novella Contest II)

Chapter 9 - The Council

Lianta might have been a standoffish individual, but Warfen definitely wasn't and he started up a light conversation as they waited for the owners of the rest of the chairs. Becky did her very best not to be awestruck every time someone arrived and she was introduced.

There were eight members of the council in total, four full Fae and four Halfbreeds, as all those with magical blood, but non-Fae attributes were designated, or so Rosalind quietly explained. The council was all about balance, so it brought together races that might not necessarily go well together outside it.

She as a necromancer and Fen as a werewolf were two of the Halfbreed members. The first of the other two to arrive was Jax, who was what Rosalind called an Ice Hawk, a race of shapeshifters who lived in the far north and had the ability to turn into very large birds of prey. They, not he or she according to Rosalind, since Ice Hawks were predominantly genderless, reproducing by using magic to convert humans or Fae into their own kind, had pale, almost white skin and feathers instead of hair. They also immediately shed their blue robe as soon as they arrived, declaring it was very warm in the council chamber.

The second of the remaining Halfbreeds was Kroven, a full blood vampire. He looked more like Mr Darcy than Count Dracula, in Becky's opinion, but his eyes were the most dazzling red, which Becky could see even though he wore a layer of gauze over them in the bright room. She also couldn't help noticing that when he smiled at her he had perfectly normal teeth, when he smiled at Fen in a much less friendly manner, he had rather prominent fangs. Rosalind confirmed that vampires and werewolves were not the best of friends.

Valoia and Lianta were both full Fae, one Dark, one Light, and their compatriots arrived last and together. One was a slight woman, at least half a foot shorter than Becky. She had dark brown hair with green streaks and her skin was variegated from light brown through to very dark in a few places. It gave her a very natural look, which became clear after she had introduced herself as Sigra and Rosalind explained she was a dryad. She also had the pointed ears, which seemed to be indicative of pure Fae blood.

With her was Taraki, a Dragonling. Like Fen and Jax, Taraki was a shapeshifter, but one that was actually born from a dragon. Dragonlings were dragons with the ability to take on a human shape when they so wished. She was tall and broad and had scales running under her dead straight, short, purple hair, down both sides of her neck. Becky couldn't help noticing she also only had one leg, the other was a beautifully crafted prosthetic.

"Don't ask," was all Rosalind had said when she'd looked to her aunt for an explanation of that one.

Everyone had a robe of some kind, practical, but all slightly different. Becky wished she knew how to wear one as well as everyone else did.

"Good, we're all here," Lianta said, almost before the introductions had been finished, "let's get on with this."

Valoia and Taraki shared a look at that and Fen rolled his eyes, but everyone went to move to their seats. Becky held back when Rosalind put her hand out, touching it lightly to her arm, making it tingle with cold. All the members of the council sat, except for Lianta who stood in front of her chair, leaving one empty.

It had a skull as the symbol on the high back. Not overly original in Becky's opinion.

"As one of our number has passed, so another is called," Lianta intoned. "Let the heir step forward."

Becky looked at her aunt for help.

"Stand in the centre of the circle under the crystal, Rebecca," Rosalind told her from the side of the room, "and speak the following words. 'As heir, I claim the seat of Necromancer. I pledge my loyalty to this council, bound to its purpose for as long as I live.'"