Tales Of A Shifter (B6) - The Child Of Sun & Moon

Chapter 4 - Treason

*Uh-Oh....the plot thickens. Don’t forget to hit that like button if you are enjoying the read*

Chapter 4- Treason

Ezekiel was no leaned historian like Erin or a man that put much stock in rules written before his birth.. But he was taught to reapect the Sacred Laws just like any other.

The Sacred Law was powerful...and nothing to be taken lightly.

It was a governing template or set of binding social ques that had been around for thousands of years ever since the mysterious and undocumented Great Loss.

What was the Great Loss? Who knew? No one.

Supposedly it was a tragedy that befell the world and Shifter Clans just before Man and Beast decided to live as equals for all eternity.

And simply to make this transition to peace easier for man and beast alike the Dragons had created and tirelessly enforced the Sacred Laws.

Ezekiel had learned from School that the Sacred Law was a text, containing nearly three hundred different Laws and Sub laws.

Thankfully...Ezekiel and his class had only had to learn about ten of the more important ones. And Ezekiel actually only remembered two or three of those ten laws anyway.

Sacred Law 2-The murder or Assassination of an opposing Clan’s Clan Head or their Heirs is a direct act of treason against our Law. The murder of a peoples rulers brings Chaos and War. Violation of this Law will be repaid in the blood of the usurpers.

Sacred Law 3- A Clans Rule may only be taken through Battle or by Duel or by Election. Treason and Assassinations will not be ignored.

Sacred Law 115- No taking of another Shifters Clans men or Clan Lands will be permitted by Man or Beast. The Land was divided equally by man and beast upon bloodied rock. Let the Division’s stand, for all time. So sayeth the King.

Ezekiel probably should have known more considering that he was a Guardian of his Clan. He put a knuckle to his head and tried to wrack his brain for more Laws in his memory, but he drew a blank as the Lioness Elder patiently sat watching all of him and his family. She seemed to silently be judging thier behaviors.

Feeling blindsided and edgy about the proceeding Ezekiel broke the silence.

“Elder Bonsa what law are we accused of breaking exactly?” Ezekiel questioned her, this time with all the respect that he could muster. He looked at his family and back at the Elder. “We would never break a Sacred Law Lioness. The Leopards respect the rule of the Dragons and we always have.”

“I know. Your Clan Chief has already told me this.” Elder Bonsa informed Ezekiel strictly. “But I also know that the Dragon Council is never wrong. When they speak I must investigate. They can see and sense beyond what youcan even begin to imagine, young Shifter. And they tell me that Your Clan is charged with committing treason against one of the other Clans.” Bonsa explained.

“Uh, well which Clan is she speaking about Dad?” Ezekiel said turning to Mantilo for answers.

Mantilo didn’t answer him, but he didn’t have to. Somehow Ezekiel saw the answer in his eyes.

“No...The Lion Clan?” Ezekiel scoffed in disbelief looking away from his father and over at his mother. “No way.....They have the nerve to do this!? Your charging us with treason against the Lions!!?”

Blown away Ezekiel turned back the Elder. “The Dragon Council wants to charg US with treason?” Ezekiel chuckled, then down right laughed. “You’ve got to be f*****g kidding me...are you stupid? Are you people insane! No! f**k this! Where is Balder! Elder Balder can explain what is happening so that you can understand our position! He was a witness to the attacks on our home!” he barked siting back in his seat.

“Ezekiel enough!” His mother exclaimed.

“NO, not enough! I’m sorry.” Ezekiel said sitting forward in his seat suddenly. “But you’ve got this all wrong, High Elder! We were the ones that were attacked by the Lions and the Alchemists! We called on Elder Balder to go to the Dragons to beseech them for their help and protection...and now you come here and you accuse us. You charge us!!“” Ezekiel glanced around wildly and roared as he slammed his fists into the table. “You are out of line!”

The large men guarding Elder Bonsa flinched and cast glares at him, all of them growled at him and he hissed back unaffected or scared. “Where the f**k is Balder!? Where is he! Find him and he can tell you that we are not Guilty!!”

“Balder believed us. He saw what happened and how the Dark Ones and the Lions were in cahoots with each other.”

Ezekiel hissed and pointed to his family. “We were attacked Bonsa, we are all in great danger!”

“Wait. You were attacked?” The High Elder frowned, her eyebrows arching as her brown gaze centered and darkened in concentration on this new accusation.

“So you are offering a complaint of assault for investigation? A complaint against the Lions and also a Mortal Clan...but this is all news to me... This information I am unable to verify with Elder Baulder because as I expressed to the Leopard Queen and King before you arrived young Guardian, Balder went missing soon after we were informed about the death of the King of the Lions.”

Missing!? No come on...where the f**k did he go!? Where could he be! This doesn’t make any sense!

Ezekiel snarled internally. His heart dropping to his feet at the dire news.

Ezekiel’s eyes flickered over to Nate in the corner as the Wolfs head dropped and his fists balled up tight.

A small whimpering growl lit the space, and in his brothers gaze he glimpsed intense worry and confusion as the news of Balders disappearance spread around the room for what seemed to be the second time. Grimly all of his family shared looks.

Erin glanced at Ezekiel, then at Drin and with a huff she softly breathed. “Balder, a Elder going missing and exactly when we needed him? That’s not good, it’s suspicious too. We needed Balder to help us...what do we do now if he can’t cooberate our story?”

Drin shook his head and glanced at Mantilo and Glen as the young Shifters dark blue eyes clouded with uncertainty. Holding Erin’s hand in his own on the table top Drin quietly pressed. “Perhaps if we were to have Lander share his memories with the High Elder...or maybe Ezekiel?”

The suggestion was not without merit, but Bonsa was quick to shoot it down as she fangs flashed in open displeasure at the youngest among them and Drin drew back from her ire.

“Be silent! Do you take me for a fool child! Do you think I would allow the same ones who are under threat of death at my own hand use their innnate powers on my mind and off up the chance to attack my soul! Do you think an Elder would ever allow a Shifter of any clan to touch them with their innate abilities and thus jeopardize their own lives in the process!?”

Glen sat up and hissed softly. “So your saying we are trying to lie and manipulate you? Kill you!?”

Bonsa cut an arm over her chest. “Im saying I don’t know you people or trust you not to do these things! The life of an Elder is not for the trusting or naïve and I have lived long enough to know that even the most benign of Innate Abilities can be powerful weapons. So no I will not be allowing anyone into my mind or to touch me unless I can be certain you mean me no harm!”

All of the Guardians growled or grumbled at the rude reply, insinuating their dishonesty and even Walters eyes flashed with yellow displeasure before he calmly and quietly put forth.

“Then we are at an impasse.” Walter folded his arms and chuffed his fangs. “HIGH Elder you are in a catch 22. For you must accept the words of me and those that have been effected...my Clan was attacked but it was not truly all of the Lions Pride it was only their leader Jacob, in coordinated viscous Allied actions with that of the Alchemists a Mortal Clan. Our Clan has repelled them, but there has been some loss. Please harken to our truth. You must take us at our words, even if you will not trust anything of our actions High One.”

She listened to Walter with a keen ear and a with a sigh Bonsa’s face grew grave and she shook her head.

“And yet I am getting confused.” She replied after shifting back and cutting Walter a cool expression. “You ask me to understand what you say but impossibly you want me to believe things that make no sense. You say it was an attack by the Lions and the Alchemists in conjunction. Why? What do the Dark Ones have to do with any of this and do you have any idea how absurd it is that a hateful and elitist, extremist mortal group like the Brotherhood would ever think to align themselves with Shifters to do anything to another Clan of Shifters? ”

“Jesus Im going to die of ignorance listening to you.. .” Lander cut in. “Can you Stop f*****g playing around Elder! I guess you think I forgot about you. But I saw you that day. The day the Alchemists attacked and kidnapped my brother. You’re the one that told us to beware the Dark Ones! You were standing on our lands!” Ezekiel’s brother hissed suddenly. Green angry eyes glimmered with confused outrage as he knocked his fist on the meeting table.

“Did you forget? I saw you in our Clan Lands weeks ago, you knew the Alchemists were here. You told me to to beware the Dark One, you looked right at me and you spoke to me...you smiled at me!” Lander snarled. “What kind of game are you playing!?”

For the first time Bonsa’s unflappable demeanor seemed to be shaken and she grabbed at her chest. A flood of emotions fled across her face, and her eyes blinked as if shocked, before her face became guarded once again and the High Elder softly called.

“Peace! I...I don’t know of what you speak child....” She began. “I was not here before these last few days and have not been on these lands all of my life time. I am just now meeting you boy and have never seen you or any of these other Leopards before this week...you will also do well to mitigate you tone with me child!”

Lander snarled and just shouted back in defiance. “That’s a lie! I know I have seen you before! ”

Unable to understand what was happening entirely Ezekiel shook his head and tried to reach over to Lander to nudge him and ask him why he was being so adamant...but before he could Drin hissed and he called out.

“No, I don’t think she has! No, she’s not lying Lander, just look at her closer! She’s different then the woman we saw before! Her skin is just slightly lighter and the symbol engraved in her skin is missing the diamond...plus her hair is also not as white as I remember!”

Lander hissed and shot back. “But Balder said the woman I describe to him was the High Elder! He said her name is Bonsa! And this woman is Bonsa!”

At that moment Bonsa threw up her hands for silence and she snarled. “Stop this! Calm down! By the Heavens I have no idea why this matters but you must Speak clear...you saw one just like me? An Elder adorned with a gold crest and a diamond who wears my face? Someone Balder would mistake me for as well as you?”

Drin and Lander both growled back in expiration. “Yes!”

Bonsas brown eyes fluttered closed then she dropped her hands into her robes, folding her arms at her breast as she breathed.

“It was not me. No.” She called back quietly. “I am not who you say you saw and I am not who Balder has mistaken me for. You see I have a twin sister, though the idea of her involvement gives me much to ponder.”

Lander frowned. “A twin sister...and she’s the one I saw...is that what you’re saying?”

Drin and Lander and Walter each asked questions in quick succession.

“Who is she?” Drin asked first.

“Why was she here? Why does she seem to know about the Alchemists?” Walter challenged next.

“Are you telling us you have no idea about the Dark Ones being involved? How is that possible?” Lander put in next.

High Elder Bonsa was silent for a long moment after their questions and for a longer time even after that she continued to ruminate, her face tight as if she were thinking very hard or fighting to understand her own feeling on this matter, a hand rose to grip her chin as she seemed to glower deep in though. But suddenly the lioness Elder growled, and flashed her eyes.

“My twin sister’s name is Pality...” Bonsa measured out. Her words hesitant and clouded by anger or annoyance.” I can offer to you only that she is also High Elder like me. She is older then me by a single hour’s time.” Bonsa’s brown eyes swept around then settled on Mantilo and Glen.

“Sadly I cannot tell you more because even I was not aware of her presence in these current matters. I do not know why she was here and I cannot tell you where she has gone to for I have not been face to face with my sister in almost seventy five years. We...are very much estranged you see, but we both have achieved ranks as High Elders. Ahem!”

Bonsa’s hair swept across her shoulder as she turned her eyes away and cleared her throat almost as if she was trying not to become emotional or trying to hide her hurt. After a pause she resumed speaking. Her tone became cold and clipped and once more very reserved.

This is very strange. Is it possible other Elders were a part of this even before Balder got involved?

Ezekiel hissed inside and clenched his fangs in anger as he thought to himself.

I don’t like this! What the hell is going on? First Balder makes a mistake in identifying Bonsa, then Bonsa is surprised that her sister was here to begin with and Balder os missing too... I know that a group like the Elders shouldn’t be this uninformed on the actions of its own people!

“Regardless I fail to see why any of this matters! I hope you understand that none of this can change the fact that I am here on a sacred duty appointed to me by the King...and no matter what else has happened the fact remains that there has been a terrible accusation brought against this entire Clan.”

Bonsa took a breath, glanced around at them all and she tilted her head. “Im sorry but I must focus on why I am here and even though you have expressed to me that you are in danger and have been attacked I can see you all look as healthy as a horse, and so far you have not denied a conflict exists.”

Bonsa shook her head.

“You offer me wild accusations while the Head of the Lion Clan has gone missing and it’s been reported that he was seen here; that he was last seen in the Leopard lands by two male lions he had escorts him.”

Male Lions? Probably the bastards that ganged up on me the first time Jacob attacked....

Ezekiel realized before he tapped the table and sighed, he asked the next question more for confirmation then because he really wanted the answer. Ezekiel already knew the answer. “Tell us High One who reported that information to you? Where did you get that information from?”

“Credible sources!” Bonsa scoffed and shrugged. “It was an anonymous envoy to my King himself you understand? The envoys arrived from the Lions Prides carrying the message about the acts of treason and thier missing King and the Pride asked the Elders to investigate on their behalf and I was sent.”

Lander cut into Ezekiels mind with aggressive hatred bleeding in his voice.

I can’t believe this! The f*****g Alchemist’s and Lions did this together! Hovels probably controlling the Lions now that Jacobs gone too! It’s too perfect. They beat us to the Dragons and painted us as the aggressors!

Ezekiel hissed and rubbed at his face to cover his anger from view.

Yeah, you’re right....but I don’t think this nice lady will believe us. In fact I’m thinking were really about to have problems if we don’t get ahead of this somehow...