Their Prophecy

Interception

It looked like a m******e.

Healers were strewn across the grass, hands placed upon patients, singing in separate rhythms, trying to revive the fallen. The recruit hadn't stopped there, still ambling forward, urging him past the mess of bodies. Was that not what he'd intended to bring him to address? "It's . . . they're in critical condition," the recruit said. "There were eight of them. Almost all of them are on the education board."

Eight of them.

The education board.

Brentik had an idea of who might be behind this particular m******e.

"Any casualties?"

The recruit was frazzled. "Well, no." His voice had gone up a few octaves. "Not yet."

Not yet?

Moving faster, Brentik realized they were headed for the weapons training ground, with great surprise, he found that his men had formed the circle of death, all explosive bows drawn downward and, to his surprise, Nolan was standing in the center of it, his hands raised in defense. Nolan was visibly frazzled which was unlike him in general. That particular squad leader was always cool as a cucumber, taking command of hazardous situations without any hesitation.

As the Chief came into the circle, it was normal for drawn weapons to drop as a sign of respect.

That didn't happen, he noted, watching as the warriors only seemed more set on hitting the mark.

"Chief!" Nolan shouted, "Tell them to stop."

Peeking around the elf's leg, Brentik came to a halt as he took in familiar blue eyes.

"Analise," Brentik called.

The girl just frowned at the Chieftain.

She was probably still upset with him about the ceremony last night. Moving closer, the Chieftain hit a crouch next to the girl who seemed incredibly calm despite her situation. "What happened?"

The girl moved toward the Chieftain and an arrow whizzed out, landing just between them.

Eyes flashing green, Brentik stood, gazing out toward the elf who would dare to loose an arrow without permission.

Nolan's words came out in a rush. "Don't blame them, Chief. They're scared she'll touch you."

"Touch me?" Brentik stated, glancing down at the girl.

"She . . . I don't know what she did to them," the Squad Leader stated, shaking his head. "It all happened so fast and then there were bodies everywhere and I thought the worst of it, I really did but--"

"Your heartrate is too high," Ana interjected, tugging at Nolan's pant leg. "Maybe you should sit."

The Squad Leader glanced down at the girl with wide eyes before rising to me. "She's just . . . like this. They tried to kill her," he gasped, shaking his head. "It was an ambush. They were trying to kill her."

"Who?"

"You . . . didn't you see?" he asked, voice strained.

Members of the Board of Education.

With a sigh, Brentik thought he understand much of the situation now. "You chose not to kill them," he stated, holding up a sign for the circle of death to disperse. His own men didn't move, at the ready, waiting. Glancing up at his own troops who refused to accept his order, he realized just how bad the situation had become. This was outright insubordination and from some of his most trusted warriors. With a sigh, he added, "I appreciate that."

Nolan, who was already pale and sweating, looked even more alarmed by Brentik's statement. It must be odd, the Chieftain was certain, for him to thank her for not slaughtering everyone.

The girl frowned. "Kai says all life is precious."

The Chieftain quirked a brow. That was interesting coming from a creature that had once had the nickname Hell Cat. "Does he now?"

"Unc says everything dies eventually," she countered, staring at him pointedly.

Yeah, that checked out. Xavier always had that personality. "Did he now?" Rubbing at his forehead, he knew he'd have to force his troops to disperse before King Rosario caught wind of what was happening here. "And what do you think?"

"Both are probably true." The girl gave a light shrug.

Reaching out, the Chieftain offered his hand once more.

The girl stepped out from behind Nolan and, as another arrow whizzed down, the Chietain caught it in his closed fist, snapping it in two in his fist. He'd seen where it had come from, his green gaze falling on a captain who hadn't even had the decency to look ashamed of himself for disobeying clear orders.

They were a tight-knit community, every elf knowing their neighbors their entire lives. There was very little doubt that the elves would want blood for the injuries their neighbors had received. But, Brentik thought with gritted his teeth, this entire situation could have been avoided had they not decided to attempt to assassinate what was probably the strongest creature he'd ever met.

He hadn't been able to explain things clearly to his tribesmen and this was the direct result of misinformation.

They thought they had a choice in this matter, that they could just exile the girl and there wouldn't be enormous consequences. He wondered if they had begun to understand now that this wasn't the case.

"I apologize for my tribe," the Chieftain stated. "I did not know they held such malice in their hearts."

The girl stared at his hand, unmoving.

Her unwillingness to take his hand, to be led away from this mess, was problematic for a number of reasons. The main one being that her guardians would track the girl and if they saw open hostility--a cry.

Glancing to his right, Brentik watched as an elf fell from from the tree, slamming into the ground.

Another cry on the opposite side.

A third to the front.

A fourth to the back.

The elves had dropped their weapons as the circle, their strongest line of defense, was broken apart by outraged Purebloods. When a man with ebony skin appeared just beside Brentik, he'd moved so quickly it was like he'd materialized there, lifting the girl over his shoulder, his eyes shining an eerily deep green as he gazed down at Brentik who was still crouched, gazing up at him with resolute calm. There was no point in panicking.

This interception had been inevitable.

"Zech," the little girl hissed, banging on the man's back. "Let me--"

But he'd breezed away, vanishing with nearly the same finesse as he'd arrived.

Straightening from where he'd been crouched, Brentik gazed around at the broken circle, to his terrified tribesmen, some still in the trees, some now stationed at the ground. Xavier, Luca, Cronan, and Violet--glancing up at the woman with shining gold eyes, he watched her feet land lithely on the ground, walking forward with a venomous tilt to her chin.

Nolan, no longer guarding the young girl, hit his knees in the grass.

"Chieftain," she hissed, gazing at Brentik with a ferocity that made her comparable to even the King, "we need to talk."