Angel's Fall, Volume I

Chapter One: The Prophecy of the Unseen

Chapter One: The Prophecy of the Unseen

"Lies!" Amok’Tar shouted at the rest of the clouded men gathered in the room. "The Dragon Lords have long started to be disrespectful of their subjects’ lives! Ever since the Stone was shattered and the chaotic forces became available for the willing to use it! They're afraid of us."

"Grand Seeker, calm down." One thundering voice was heard, coming from the center of the table. "This Council was created to control the real threats to our lands and people, not to defy the will of the gods." It came from a figure hooded in white robes, the short, frizzy beard the only thing discernible in his face.

"May I remind you, Wise One, that it was the gods' will that led to this situation in the first place?" Amok’Tar adverted in a vehement tone of voice. "And we should not be ruled by petty gods and their disputes."

"Careful, councilman, with your words. They seem to betray the reason for which you were chosen for this council." The leader of the reunion stood up slowly and started pacing around the ancient wooden table. "The lords fight for what they think is best for their people."

"I was not aware that dying was any good for anyone's happiness." His opposer said sardonically.

"It might be if the man who dies is your enemy." The rest of the people gathered in the table nodded their heads in accord.

"Wouldn't it be better if no one had any enemies?"

"Yes, but an utopia is a thing of dreams. Not possible in the slightest." And with that, the council leader seemed to close the argument, as he wandered back to his place at the table.

"Indeed. But we could work to create something at least more like a perfect society than it is now. Wars, malcontent in the mobs, robbers patrolling the streets, aberrations of the dark looming in the horizon as a constant threat, hundreds of people disappearing without a trace, skinners crossing our borders without opposition and a set of self-entitled gods that do nothing but wage war against each other because their whelps find it amusing to raze whole towns in demonstrations of power against each other." His voice was rising in intensity but not in volume as the other council men's stares weighed down on him. "Long gone is the golden time in which our lords treated everyone equally and were happy to see to our well fare. But if the Council of the Wise can no longer see the reality as it is now, then I fear it may have lost its legendary wisdom." He spat in conclusion.

The room was now silently oppressing as the twelve men and women convened there mongered over the words dictated by the pleader. It was a great hall, kept dark for the sake of the anonymousness of its occupants, which either wore large vest that covered their featured or had a spell clouding them. A large and rectangular table, with beautiful flourishes of gold and silver, sat in the center of the room, with candles burning shyly on top of it. The rest of the room was veiled in the darkness that hungered for the light in the center. Over the next moments, no one spoke, partly for the fear that the revered Grand Seeker inspired on the few people that knew of his true power. But then, from the end of the right side of the table came an apparently weaker voice, shrouded in age and experience.

“What do you suggest this council do, Master Amok’ Tar?” he asked with the diligence of someone who simply had to say it before he died.

The answer took a while to gain form and was spoken deliberately slowly so that each word had the time to sink into everyone’s mind. “I’m putting forth a motion to overthrow each and every Dragon Lord and replace each and every one of them with some of the wisest people in this land, present here.” Protests arose from all around the table, except from the old man who had asked the question. Amok’ Tar had been waiting for this reaction and he knew that there was only a fool’s chance that he’d actually be able to convince the Council into accepting the motion, but he had to try every option.

“I don’t think this motion should even be considered valid.” Shouts of accordance rose from the table. “It’s not like anyone will deliberately vote for madness.” The leader of the council was now clearly antagonized by Amok’s raving ideas.

“A motion has been set forth. It is in the law of the Council of the Wise that each councilman should vote in every motion presented by another councilman.” The old man dictated ceremoniously.

“That’s preposterous! How can you slay a god!? The last time one of them was killed he took the Guardian Stone with him!” More nods of agreement were watched stoically by the Grand Guide.

The Grand Guide straightened up and his eyes turned blank, his feet leaving the ground as he levitated in mid air and started to glow a strange white light. Muffled sounds of surprise erupted from his audience as a supernatural voice came from Amok’s childish lips.

“After the ashes and dust have settled, change will come fierce and chaotic. Alliances will be shattered by fear and pain and power. A savior will be born anew in the World Made Foul. May the Hiding Guide find her and with her, the Ancient Knowledge, the Untarnished Rage, the Screaming Desire, the Pure Joy and the Sincere Death. Five lords must they kill before killing the sixth. The seventh will kill her and rule all in peace.” The trance quietly subsided and the Grand Seeker returned to his former self, his eyes set on the rest of the council. “My ancestors have spoken.” He added solemnly.

“A prophecy!” the elderly man exclaimed, delighted.

“No.” Amok began, shaking his head. “A prophecy concerns something that will surely happen in the future. This is a choice, a plan, which we should follow in order to succeed in our quest. My ancestors have devised this based on their knowledge of this world and the other, as well as what they know of the lords. I trust that they know what they are saying. They’ve never been wrong before.”

“Then you will care to explain to us how this plan would work.” The leader of the council stated, carefully. “Seen, as our wisdom is dwindling…” Amok noted the sarcasm.

“I was only able to understand it because I’m not a prisoner in my own tower.” The members of the council of the Wise were known to be a reclusive lot, all cooped in their high spires, relying on the information of spies and messengers to work their schemes. Except for Amok. “The virtues and sentiments that the Savior must find have two meanings. She must acquire each of them in herself and outside of herself. She must find people that are the embodiment of these attitudes. I found the Hiding Guide first and with him I went looking for the other five pieces of the puzzle. I eventually got to them but had to first find the Savior before I could explain to them the plan.” He explained quickly, now seemingly trying to get rid of those old wise men.”

“And who is this Guide?” One of the other council men asked, obviously intrigued by the plot.

“The Guide wishes to remain secret for the time being. He will appear to you when the time is right.” He spoke with confidence in his voice.

“I see. And the Savior?” The council leader said.

“She’s being rescued from the World Made Foul as we speak.”

“I don’t understand. There is no one who can walk through the Edge. There is no one that powerful.” A woman said, with weakly voice, in the left corner of the table.

“The Draconic Lords can do it, and so can the Guide, through an accident of birth, I believe.” The Grand Seeker said, wondering how the Council would take all the secrecy.

“Well, that’s all very fairy-talish, but you have yet to tell us where we all come into play in this.” The leader spoke, obviously mocking the whole situation.

“It’s quite simple. Besides being put in command of the seven kingdoms, I ask that you use all your contacts to give me as much updated information of army movements and such in this continent. It will be vital that we are informed of everything if we are to succeed in this. And it’s likely that you be called to put your prodigious magical abilities against the lords.” He said with a smirk, warning them to take this with a grain of salt.

“Well, we can do that. This council is not afraid of fighting for a good cause. But I think I speak for all of us when I say that we will require proof of this prophecy.” Amok frowned at the implications of the word. “Bring us the so-called Savior and we will enter your little game. But be advised that we will officially have nothing to do with this. We serve no one if we’re dead.”

Author's note: This is not yet finished. I'll update it in a few days, with any luck.

Thanks to the kind soul who paid for my upgraded my membership. You're my hero/heroine!