Planteria

Chapter 3

All the Elfer's filed into the room, and I slipped behind the banner right next to the door, which was left open a crack.

"We need to set new boundaries in place," Elfer Lars told the rest of the council. "The Peace is being disturbed more and more often. Just last night I had to stop a fight in front of the bar."

"What do you suggest?" Elfer Coda asked.

"We need to shut down the bars, and move the curfew from 11:00pm to 9:30pm." Elfer Lars said.

"The people are almost ready to rebel again, we can't push them over the edge, not after it took so long to clean up the last war," Elfer Uziah chimed in.

Elfer Zennious sat at the head of the table halfway, listening to the pointless conversation of his fellow Elfers, but the comment about the war made him pay attention.

"Quiet fools!" he snapped at them. "Anyone could be listening, you might as well shout out to the world what happened!"

The rest of the Elfers visibly recoiled at his tone

"You're right, sorry," Elfer Uziah muttered.

"Sorry doesn't always cut it," Elfer Zennious told him.

"You're right," Elfer Uziah said again, "I'll take the 1 to 5 shift tonight."

The rest of the Elfers smiled slightly. The 1 to 5 shift was the worst. It was 1 to 5 in the morning, and it seriously messed up the sleep schedule of whoever had the shift.

"Good," Elfer Zennious said. Outwardly he had no emotion, but inwardly he was delighted and relieved. It was his turn to do the 1 to 5, and now he was off the hook until next week.

"Has anyone checked on the Quarrelsome Caves lately?" Elfer Kobb asked. "Last time we forgot to check them, those poor guys got trapped for weeks and were trying to shout at each other even though they lost their voices."

"I was going to check on them tonight," Elfer Burdu said.

"And has anyone started planning the anniversary festival?" Elfer Kobb asked this question, even though they all knew that Elfer Coda spent all year planning it.

"I have a couple ideas," Elfer Coda said.

"That's all we have for today then," Elfer Zennious said, standing to leave.

"If I may, your honor," Elfer Lars said. "I have some troubling news."

"What is it?" Elfer Zennious asked, sighing as he sat back down. But, of course, Lars usually interrupted the end of their meetings with petty things that no one cared about, and this probably wouldn't be any different.

"Last night, I got to the 1 to 5 a little early, at about 12:30. I came across the Aurelius girl with quite a bit of gear. She said that she was going to find MoonGlows since her father's birthday is coming up and that she had to go then because it was dark."

I fumed behind my banner. Elfer Lars would be suspicious of a child picking flowers in the middle of the afternoon!

"Which Aurelius girl?" Elder Zennious asked.

"The older one," Elder Lars answered.

"Well her explanation makes sense-" Elfer Coda started

"What is your point, Lars?" Elfer Zennious demanded, getting annoyed. His dinner was going cold while this fool sat here babbling.

"It's just that she looked suspicious is all," Elfer Lars said, realizing that he didn't have a good reason to bring this to the head Elfer's attention.

"We don't go on gut feelings and you know that," Elfer Vlur said, quietly speaking for the first time that evening, his voice projecting throughout the room like a ghost. "So unless you have anything concrete, then this meeting is adjourned."

All the Elfers got up and left, leaving Elfer Lars feeling like a fool.

"I'll find some proof," he said to the empty room. "Just you wait and see."

The Elfers filed out of the room but Elfer Zennious held Elfer Vlur back.

"Do you think Kaia is anything to be worried about?" he asked

"Not in my opinion sir," Elfer Vlur said. "I could keep an eye on her if you wish though."

"Please do," Elfer Zennious said. "It is so close to the anniversary festival that we wouldn't want anything to impede it."

"Yes sir," Elfer Vlur said, "Is there anything else?"

"Keep an eye on Elfer Lars also, I think that he will go to whatever means necessary to prove himself right," Elfer Zennious said.

They both walked away, and "I let out the breath I was holding. They had been mere inches from me! That was definitely not something I was doing again. So I would have a shadow up the mountain. I honestly didn't really care. I was going to find that Angel Dew, whether an Elfer was on my tail or not. I snuck out of the building and headed towards the Never Mountains.