Author's Note: Yes, I know it has been a long, long time. I'm sorry. I lost a whole chapter and it just completely knocked me down.
I was saddened by the death of one of my favorite authors, David Eddings, as I'm sure many others are. It's one of the reasons I keep at this because he and his wife were incredible authors. Their characters are so vivid they keep running around in my imagination even when the books done.
This is just a break between arcs; it's not an actual chapter. The actual chapter will follow this very soon, I'm almost done.
Thank you for all the reviews in my absence. They kept me from giving up.
-Intermission-
The counsel chamber was full. Voices rose in an antiphonal dissonance of fear and chaos. Though the hall was well lit, a suppressing darkness seemed to blanket everything. Far from imagined, the pervading night was a stark and terrifying reality.
A clamorous banging, however, caused the many voices to still. Most members of the counsel were familiar with the particular sound and none cared to counter it. Sir Kalten was well known to strike first and ask questions later.
"This emergency meeting of the Queen's privy counsel is now coming to order! Anyone who does not comply with set protocol will be escorted out, on the end of my sword if needs be." Kalten said threateningly to the assemblage.
Cowed, at least for the time being, the counsel chamber was quiet. Kalten gave an imperceptible sigh of relief. "Baron Platime has the floor!" the Church Knight announced, and stepped aside for the head of Elenian intelligence.
"Most of you know some of what has happened so far, I will fill you in on everything we have been able to glean."
"Shortly after the Queen's retinue left the Chapterhouse at Demos, they were surrounded by an army of Deirans and free-lance mercenaries. Immediately following that, an additional army appeared and laid siege to the Pandion Chapterhouse in Demos. "
A frightened buzz arose in the room. Kalten rapped the hilt of his sword against the table again and the chamber grew silent, allowing Platime to continue.
"Deira's involvement surely has something to do with the turmoil over there right now. My men have confirmed King Obler and the crown prince have been assassinated. You will hear them speak later." Platime continued, gesturing at the two ragged looking men behind him.
"Right now we have some of our scouts who have returned from where the battles took place." Platime stepped aside and two men in Pandion formal armor stepped forward. Kalten stood again and addressed the first scout.
"Tell us what happened as you headed to Chyrellos. What is the fate of the Queen and the royal family?" Kalten asked.
The young, weary man bowed to the counsel. "I was with the scout group that caught the initial sight of the enemy. They were a small group in front of us, and according to my captain, they were on their way to the holy city. When I arrived back to tell Prince Sparhawk, the Genidian's had also spotted a larger group behind us."
"That day, we battled the first group with a relatively small loss of our own men. Prince Sparhawk sent Queen Ehlana and Princess Danae ahead to Chyrellos where they would be safer. That is the last I've heard. I was sent out before they fought the group trailing behind us."
Kalten nodded. "So the last you heard the entire royal family was safe."
"Yes, sir." The scout answered. Kalten nodded and the scout withdrew and the next scout came to the front of the chamber.
"Tell us about the Chapterhouse siege." Kalten ordered quietly.
This particular scout was even younger than the one preceding him. He appeared shaken and feverish even though the siege had begun almost a week before. He shook his head. "They came from nowhere my lord, not even a league from the Chapterhouse. None of us saw them until they were right upon us."
Kalten interrupted. "Are you sure it wasn't negligence of the part of the watch? Perhaps someone was sleeping on duty?"
The young scout shook his head even harder. "No sir, there are nearly a score of us that keep watch. In addition to the veterans, they discipline novitiates with watch duty as well. Every one of us would have had to been blind and mute to miss this force…it is massive."
Kalten sighed and motioned for the scout to continue.
"Preceptor Khalad sent me and Rhamik out before the actual fighting began. I was sent here and Rhamik was sent to find Prince Sparhawk and inform him of the news."
"Have we learned anything since then?" Kalten asked, turning to Platime.
"The last we heard was from two days ago, before the ah…event. At that point the Chapterhouse was holding but barely."
"We'll have to hope for the best then," Kalten said. "It's dangerous to leave the city right now."
An expectant hush fell over the room as the question on everyone's mind hung in the air, unanswered. It was finally Lenda's nephew Ensen, who broke the silence.
"Do either of ye know…?" He trailed off looking down.
Kalten cleared his throat and tried to keep his voice steady. "No, Ensen, none of us has been able to figure out why. All we can do now is warn people not to go anywhere near it. No one who has gone in has returned."
A tense silence followed the pronouncement until Platime stood and motioned for the ragged looking men to come forward. "Tell us the situation in Deira."
One of the men, dressed in a non-descript dark brown tunic came forward. "Platime already told you that king Obler and the crown prince were killed. It looks like two factions are warring for the throne. One is behind Lefiet who has enlisted the help of a great number of mercenaries. He's throwing around money like its water, but he doesn't have much support from his countrymen."
"The other faction," the spy continued, "…stands behind Guyet. He has more court connections but less money."
Platime interjected. "Were you able to tell which one was supplying the troops to fight in Elenia?"
"Not for certain, but I'm leaning toward Guyet, the rumor among the servants quarters is that he was the one who orchestrated the king's assassination. He is also reputed to have imperial appetites."
An angry murmur shot through the ranks of the privy counsel. Platime grunted. "To bad our forces are spread so thin. I would like to teach that cur a lesson or two about his imperial ambitions."
A grim smile lit on Kalten's face. "I'm afraid Darellon beat us to it. Apparently the preceptor took great offence from the assassination of his king. He plans to unleash the Alcione Knights on the perpetrator."
Several members of the counsel nodded their approval. Platime and Kalten shared a look. "We have decisions to make, gentlemen." Platime said. "We have to look to the defense and sustenance of what is left of our city. We'll adjourn for now and reconvene at midday."
The counsel filed out, eyes averted from the west windows and the view of what used to be the other side of Cimmura. Kalten did not avert his eyes; instead he forced himself to look directly into a painfully personal hell that was now the west side of Cimmura.
Alean had been in the castle. Their daughter Kida had been with her pregnant mother when it happened. They both were safe.
But his son…
Kalten remembered his son's face two days ago, alight with laughter, begging him to let him go horse riding. Finally the grizzled Pandion had relented and allowed his son to go with the stable master and the stable master's son on a short ride in the western country side.
He had not seen Eluen since.
Kalten walked out into the castle courtyard and faced the west. Several miles away the city abruptly stopped and was replaced by a different world. A world that seemed to be a landscape of hell, with its black featureless ground and flame colored sky. The only sound was the distant call of thunder. People steered clear of it, the homes and buildings lying adjacent long since abandoned.
The only thing stopping Kalten from marching directly in to reclaim his son was his concern for his wife and daughter. For them he made sure the counsel met and would do what needed to be done to protect the rest of the city. After that…
He was going to hell.