Fated 》 a.u!zianourry

Prolouge

Foggy whispers, coming from one or two unsettled councilmen, echoed through the dim chamber. Candlelight brightened the room through reflections off dreary eyes and skillfully placed mirrors. If it weren't for the expected sound of heels smacking against the marble floors, every person seated would have fallen back into the sleep they had been summoned from.

"With all due respect, your majesty," one of the oldest councilmen yawned, "no one should be awake before the sun has risen."

"They're ready."

And suddenly, under those two words, the entirety of the council sat up ridged and alert. Whispers - no longer foggy from sleep, but alive with fear and confusion - floated from chair to chair until the Queen in her sparkling robes spoke again.

"The spirits have spoken in my dreams. They're ready, and they are on their way. Not to us of course, not yet; it hasn't come to such an extreme."

"And how do we know we can trust the spirits?"

"If you trust the Queen, then that is enough. Shouldn't it be?"

"We are at war with a force that is much stronger than any of us, perhaps even stronger than our finest warriors. Is anything enough anymore?"

More troubled whispering from the council members. Then, the Queen raised her voice, and what really made her council listen was the crawlings up and down their spines that they knew could only mean the Dragon had stepped into their proximity.

"You have every right to worry. You have every right to doubt. But if you do not believe in the Five Saviors - if you do not believe in the powers that were blessed upon me - then I will have to ask you to lie," she said in a tone that was neither inviting nor cold, but grew more desperate as she went on. "Lie to our people. Lie to your dear ones, your beloved, your fellow councilmen. Lie to keep us alive. My people...our people...they've cowered too long without hope. Give them something to fight for, to cling to."

All were quiet. Then, the Dragon stepped out from under the shadow of the Queen, causing an inaudible shiver to run between the council. Whereas the Queen was known for kindness and understanding, the Dragon was known for the fire they spit on and off the battlefield.

"I think," said the Dragon in a voice as deadly calm as the sea before a storm and as strong as the tallest fir tree along the scattered rock ridges, "that the spirits never lie. I think that the Five Saviors will prevail, and along with them, we will prevail. And most importantly, I think that anyone who dares to betray this kingdom or the Five Saviors will suffer consquences that would make the deranged quiver like baited mice. Are there any questions?"

Again, all remained silent; once a nod was recieved from the Queen, the councilmen rushed home to their much more welcoming beds, preferring the escape of slumber to the onslaught of worry and fatigue the royals endured after the council's departure.