Dark Weapon Rising
Chapter 3
Distressing Conclusion
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"I don't think that my child's progression should be in any way hindered in relation to the rest of this generation simply because of his success in the training room! Academically he is doing well, and I can't find any conceivable reason to halt his education in any area. Turning down his potential in no way shape or form will make our society any weaker; if anything it will make us safer! Some lot of cowards we have here to be afraid of a youth dragon simply because he is excelling in his training!" Helgar protested to the large council.
"May I remind you that your relation to the subject matter allows us to exclude you from any conversation if it becomes necessary? I wouldn't want it to come to that, but if you continue to own this debate you will have given us no choice, Helgar." An aged white dragon who headed the table threatened.
"I'm sorry." replied Helgar glaring at Ignitus before slithering deeper into his chair.
Ignitus put his head down onto the table in reply giving himself a few moments to re-gather his composure. "Are you all right Ignitus?" the head dragon asked.
Ignitus looked up to the elder, "Yes, I will be, just give me a few moments."
The council returned to their discussion as soon as Ignitus appeared to be attentive.
"I think that by now we've all seen what the Apes are doing now as the time of the 'Spyro Prophecy' closes near. Their activities have all been concentrated on my district so far, but soon I fear they will start to be a much larger threat." An older red dragon who hung out towards the side of the table warned. His eyes were wide open and conveyed a sheer sense of fear.
"We know that within a few years the events of the 'Spyro Prophecy' will have to commence, and at this moment we have no way of knowing what this grand evil will be. If there is anything that we can do now to help prevent these terrible events from transpiring then I suggest that we do them. Isn't a world reigned by evil is far worse than a world with a few unfair handicaps." Another dragon suggested from near Felpar's position on the table.
Finally, Felpar had had enough of this; "Don't you understand what you guys are saying?! You are giving a guiltless hatchling a punishment you would give to those found guilty of a murder. I cannot force myself to believe that this is the correct course of action, nor will I ever."
"Felpar has a valid point." Ignitus offered turning more than a few heads. "I have only proposed this course of action because it was popular among those who had elected me into this office. I personally don't think that this is fair on a young dragon. I don't know if some of you are afraid that he'll take a few of your athletic records or what, but whatever it is you had best start looking to do what's right rather than what is the safest. The safest thing to do would be to kill everybody who is outside of this room, but we all know that this is a terrible thing to do. Why can't you see that this is wrong?"
The council murmured among themselves for a moment in reaction. When nothing was said to the group Ignitus decided that it was still his turn to speak. "You are all cowards, acting so rashly out of fear like this!"
Terrador cleared the city wall just in front of Shandra, and, not paying attention where he was going, collided with Mal. "Looks like you are going to have to mate with Jalon!" Mal laughed at Shandra after regaining his flight balance.
She looked at him oddly, but with a smile she huffed "No, I think that's Terrador's territory."
"No way! I did hear a rumor you getting all oiled up with your best friend Tirana." Terrador rebuffed blushing.
"Oh, no fair, we had frost bite! We had to." Shandra protested as the two boys chuckled to themselves.
"Nice excuse," returned Terrador.
"Nah, forget about the whole thing," Mal decided at last. "I think it's time that we get moving; our parents will be back here pretty soon, and we don't want them to find us away from home."
"Either of you guys ever been up to that mountain before?" Shandra asked pointing to a peek on the horizon seeing that the two boys seemed to lack a sense of direction.
"No, is that where you want to go?" Mal asked glaring directly into her eyes, a slight smile on his face.
"Sure, I think it would be pretty cool to go there." Shandra decided bringing herself forward towards the mountain in invitation. Immediately the two males copied the action, and the group was on their way.
The council was still recovering from the words that had come from Ignitus's mouth. Finally after a few minutes of private discussion the head council member spoke up once more.
"I think it's time that we get this vote done with, we have already shown that a debate gets us nowhere, and that this is a simple matter of ethics. It is our job to decide what is right and what is wrong; I advise you all to take your time to think out the possible implications of your decision before you cast your final vote."
A small sheet of parchment sat before each of the members along with an ick bottle. Many of the council members immediately removed their bottle's closure and dipped their first claw into the basin of ink.
Quick movements of the finger and wrists etched out the different letters that would ultimately decide the fate of their civilization. The lives of the next nine generations would hinge upon this vote.
Felpar waited for a few to finish writing before he too dipped his claw into the ink bottle and scratched out in his unpleasant script "Nay"
After quickly signing "Felpar District 16" beneath it he folded the paper in half and tossed it into the middle of the table.
The die had now been cast, the stakes were high, and a count was the only thing left to do before the results would be set into stone.
Mal landed upon the summit of the mountain long before Terrador and Shandra were able to get there. He marveled at the clouds that were mere feet above his head. The wind slipped around his body and created a soft whistling sound; he saw how Terrador and Shandra were struggling to move against the wind, and he felt like helping them. An erratic thought suddenly entered his mind and crossed out any thought of this action.
"Kill them,"
It sounded as though it was spoken aloud so he looked around; upon seeing nobody near him he decided that this was something in his mind. Never had anything like this happened to Mal, and it mesmerized him into silence.
"For the betterment of dragon-kind you must kill them all."