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

Chapter 5 - Elders Dominion

Chapter 5

Mantilo hissed and spoke next, his demeanor calm and concerned as he gestured out. “High Elder we have no defense in this moment that you will believe. We have no proof to express that is tangible....this entire situation is one that we cannot hope to overcome if you already think we have committed a crime! You are not being an unbiased judge in these affairs!”

“Hmph! I am not here to be fair and hold your hands!” Bonsa snapped back. “A Clans leader is presumed killed by your people! Leopard King you get no quarter or leniency from me so that you can bamboozle me or treat me like a fool!”

Bonsa said raising her voice, she didn’t seem to like everyones continued tone of voice with her. “Now I have come to seek answers for the seeming murder of the Lion Clans King and to all of my questions I ask, no I EXPECT you to bend to my authority. ”

Ezekiel shook his head confused and irritated. “Is this a joke?” he said already knowing and dreading the answer. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. IT was a nightmare.

“So despite the things we said Were being charged with murder and Treason over Jacob?” Ezekiel whispered closing his eyes, utterly speechless at the absurdity of it all. His fists tightened so hard he felt his knuckles pop.

Looking at his brothers and not liking what he saw there Ezekiel felt his chest tighten on turmoil. There was darkness to all of their gazes, a heaviness that just made him feel unsettled. Something about life was royally f****d up if the men that had hurt his family and Mate so badly were the ones being defended and protected. Something was wrong. and Ezekiel wasn’t left to wonder what was wrong for long.

Lander growled, his thoughts slamming like icy cement into Ezekiel’s mind again and possibly all of the other Guardians because Ezekiel saw everyone flinch at the deep intrusion, everyone except for Walter of course.

Ok. Breath Ezekiel...don’t let your emotions get so intense. I can feel everyone on edge.

But...is this really so surprising? Look we all knew Brandon killed the Lion’s ruler..... The f*****g Clan Head to the entire Lions Prides. Killing him was like someone walking in here and killing Dad. It’s like a f*****g A-Bomb just went off in the Shifter world! I’m pretty sure Clan Wars used to begin over stuff like this way before the Dragons took over. Its no surprise, that there’s gonna be blood for this and if Brandon was right and the Elders are potentially working with the Brotherhood, then the Elders are going to make someone pay for this.

It really makes sense....they want to punish us and even if we were defending ourselves I don’t think it will matter to the Lions because they need us out of the way so they can pursue Brandon freely.

I think Right now we have to try to protect the Clan and explain the situation so we get off with as light a punishment as possible but....there is a chance that were not going to be able to avoid a serious confrontation with some very powerful people. No matter how you look at this....there is no way were getting out of this unscathed with out a miracle.

Silence fell.

Somehow a sense of terrible trepidation settled over him, because in that moment he realized that they were dealing with Hovel and the brotherhood in disguise....somehow the Alchemist had managed to outmaneuver them and created a situation none of them had even considered before.

That they would use Jacobs death to not only expertly sew confusion between the Leopards and the Heavens, but Ezekiel feared deep inside that the Lions had other plans.

He feared that their enemies would sew pure chaos as a smoke screen to hide their own complacency in the violence. That the Lions would also use the Murder of Jacob as a starting point of a Clan War, which was only going to spill more blood and cause more pain in the long run.

Worse than this understanding was the reality that the Leopards had no proof and no physical evidence to provide in their own defense.

How can we prove that we are being targeted unfairly? No one has seen what has been happening to us except for Balder! He protected us form Hovel!

Ezekiel touched his head as a thought tried to surface, an idea tried to rise past the irritation of his inner Leopard. His inner beast was sickened by the continued insult of the Lions scent in his nose. He tried to get a grasp of his own shifting thoughts beyond the rage and confusion, but the thought he tried to pull to the surface sunk beneath his anger and left him feeling lost...

The Elder, who couldn’t have heard Landers silent exchange, waited for the stalemate to break, but no words were forth coming from the Leopards, many of whom Ezekiel realized were just as aware of the severity of their situation as he was and knee exactly what was at stake.

Ezekiel was trying to think of a way to both protect his family and his Clan and Brandon at one time, but in that moment he didn’t know how.

While the rest of his family resigned to more silence also stayed stoic beside him, Bonsa soon grew tired of waiting.

“I need someone to explain what you all were thinking by starting this conflict with the Lions. As I was saying....you are being charged with treason for your actions against this Lions Prides. You will be convicted of these charges if you do not produce the Clan Head, Jacob Eilicist if he I still alive to the Lion Prides and you will fully explain your own involvement in the events that have led up to the Lion King going missing. His disappearance consequently left an entire Clan without a leader, a Clan Heads protection and or a potential hire for which none has been selected at this time.”

Jacob Eilicist...? Was that his full name in the Lion Prides? And Jacob had no heirs? Strange...

Ezekiel frowned at this information and slowly put the pieces together.

Suddenly the soft voice of Erin reached out to them all, her cool green eyes darting around to her cousins slightly wide with fear as she touched her stomach.

So the lions were left without a Leader when Jacob passed? Well then I’m guessing there was no other Clan Heir selected to take Jacobs place before he died...and I’m sure he had no children either, man this just gets better and better...we’re being blamed for trying to topple another Clans hierarchy!

With small covert shake of her head Ezekiel looked to his mother as she suddenly spoke to them all.

Don’t be so pessimistic Erin. The way I see it, this is a good thing for us. You see this incident is growing far to large to be handled discreetly by anyone involved. This entire situation is affecting so many Clans and organizations from the Brotherhood, to the Rat Clan to the Dragons even.

Understand that by virtue of the actions he has taken and that Hovel has carried out against us there must be some serious spill over and so we are protected from any outright aggression from both him, the Lion and the Elders because there is no way that the rest of the Seven Clans and the Dragons above aren’t aware of what is happening and aren’t taking steps to become involved or simply settle back and see what unravels in the days to come.

Lander hissed in all of their minds.

Oh joy, so you think the other Seven Clans may become involved? s**t at this point I’m not sure avoiding a War is best our choice anymore.

“Elder Bonsa for the sake of sanity this is all wrong!” Ezekiel began snapping his eyes to the Lioness as he pushed the words of his family away ; he felt pressure building every moment that he let himself think more and more about it all coming to War.

“Listen Elder...didn’t you hear me before, did you even consider what we have said to you!? We were the ones attacked; we are the ones who need your help, please! Its frustrating to think that you are supposed to be the ones keeping the Clans safe and yet your not doing everything you can to protect my Clan now!” Ezekiel growled only for his father to cut in.

“I am also quite frustrated Elder because from the moment you arrived here two days ago we have also tried to tell you these things!” Mantilo glared as he spoke.

“High Elder in all of that time since you arrived in my Clan you never mentioned these grievous charges of Treason. You simply interrogated us for information and pretended like you were here because of Balder. Not once did you mention that Balder was missing until I pressed you to speak with him!” Mantilo rumbled in his large chest, the long black braid of his hair dancing as he became more agitated and vocally seemed to be fighting not to snarl.

“Not ONCE did you mention this judgement over the correspondences asking for an audience with me either!” Mantilo said breaking in with a shot glare at Ezekiel to stall him from speaking as if he could sense that Ezekiel was about to cut him off.

“I want an explanation as to why you felt you needed to blind side me and my Clan with such a terrible accusation as treason...For you to do this in such a spectacular manner speaks to your inner thoughts about us and our guilt...Did you presume that we would try to run or hide if you accused us openly? Do you believe already that we are to be placed under arrest? If that is the case no further discussion will matter, will it?

All of the Guardians calmed as he spoke, then feeling the security of their Fathers control of the situation for the moment all of the brothers quietly turned back to Bonsa and waited for her to reply.

There was a slight hesitation about the High Elder as she brushed her robes about and shook her head, the she explained. “Your playing politics with the wrong one Leopard King. I will not play a game of question and answer with those who are on trial before me!” She shot back to their father, making thier mother hiss. Glen snorted softly and smirk in open displeasure.

“No...this isn’t politics or a game to us High One...” She hissed, Ezekiel’s mother’s tone turned frigid and unbending. “Only ones who play with power would think to pretend like this is some game, we do not pretend power or misconstrue it. We respect you Elder, now show us some respect in kind and be honest...You came here days ago and yet you waited to express the charges being brought against my people, my family and our home and this seems to have been done as a ploy of some kind, but it seemed like you waited for....”

Glen stopped suddenly and glanced over to Ezekiel, she frowned as she tilted her head at her son, then a startling expression of understanding cut across her face and she sat back and hissed at Bonsa in anger.

“You’re a conniving cur! You were waiting...waiting for my son Ezekiel to come back....waiting until you had all of us together in one spot so you can arrest us! Kill us. So You corralled us like cattle!” Glen flashed her fangs as she went to stand, but at that point Mantilo pulled her back into her seat and he snarled softly looking to Bonsa.

“Ah...of course that makes sense now. So you came here under the pretense of wanting to help us and even lie about being sent by Balder to hear of our plight when all you wanted was to get us into your sights, to have all of the upper ruling bodies of this Clan together in this room...” Mantilo rumbled as he let his eyes bleed a pale yellow of open violence. “Well, your deception was masterful Elder and you have us all here...now what is it you plan to do? Despite our words will you condem us?”

Bonsa rolled her eyes and gritted her jaw as if annoyed, but her cool tone and high and mighty expression sternly centered on Ezekiel’s parents as she told them.

“For suspected murder You will all be taken before the rest of the council if I find you guilty of Treason but...” Bonsa suddenly hissed and crossed her arms withering a glare of disappointment at the Clan Heads.

“Why is it that you reproach both me and this process with so much malice? You know that once the prospect of War is sat upon the worlds stage all the players responsible for that War must be gathered and taken to task.” Bonsa sighed. “You sit there in accusation of me as if me attempting to gather potential criminals is wrong of me, when all that I do I do for the good of the 7 Clans.”

Lander cut in. “Oh, right? So basically you were just doing your job by lying to us?”

Bonsa cut him a sigh. “Yes! I did what I had to do to buy time until I could get all of the individuals responsible for these circumstances before me.” Bonsa shook her head. “I arrived here at the behest of the Dragons to speak to this Clans rulers of terrible charges and when I arrived many of the Guardians of this Clan were nowhere to be found! Many of you were off in the woods frantically searching for something when I arrived, and then even once I had all of you before me, your youngest son, the dangerous Reaver, was still not present so that I could place you all in custody and do my job.”

Bonsa gestured to Mantilo. “How am I to know if you are guilty or innocent of the charges of treason unless I can investigate all the leads? Trust me when I say that I did not come with plans to deceive you, but all things considered I must do my duty.” The High Elder sighed and finished.

“Also in answer to why I did not simply express the charges being brought against you in a message to the Clan, well Treason is the kind of thing I felt had to be said face to face Leopard King. Because Treason is no laughing matter, it holds the penalty of death after all. Execution of all guilty parties.”

" Execution?” Erin gasped and flinched back, both of her arms falling over her stomach as if to protect her son.. “But you cant!”

She tried to object, her large eyes watering in horror at the idea, as Drin hissed and flashed his fangs at the High Elder, a woman who had just indirectly threatened the lives of his Mate and unborn son all at once.

“You wont touch us we have done nothing to warrant our deaths!” the young father snarled, all six of his fangs flaring and his dark blue eyes glimmering in aggression that the High Elder smiled back at as if amused.

“Death hanging over all of our heads and You’re threatening us with execution, but you’re not listening to our defense!” Ezekiel found himself hissing at her as well as standing up so he could snarl. “WE did nothing wrong. My Clan is not at fault for any of this!”

“Enough! You insolent Reaver......I decide who is and is not in the wrong! I am a foot stool below your King and saviors. And you will obey me as such! Now you will produce the Clan Head of the Lions! Or you will tell me WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM this instant!!!” Elder Bonsa thundered, her voice filling the room like the boom of thunder, making all of them flinch as their sensitive ears were electrified.

Ezekiel snarled and shook his head. “We don’t know where that fucker is! He was taken by the Alchemists! We have no proof or a body to show you, but he was dead! Dead by his own actions no less!”

“His own actions” Bonsa said with a snappy snarl. “So you’re saying he killed himself, little Reaver? You say his body is gone just like that?” Bonsa snapped her fingers aggressively and a small shower of blue sparks split off into the air as her eyes started to glow with blue mystical power. “I do not believe you and I am through playing twenty questions with you!”

Bonsa’s very hair and robes started to lightly billow and dance around her as her stern control melted into superior aggression.

Manifesting as a physical energy her aggression began to shimmer on her flesh like embers coming to life and billowing in a furnace. She looked like an ethereal blue and red flame beginning to dance to life before. Much like Balder Bonsa now overpowered them all with a harsh layered voice as powerful as winds roaring over earth.

The room filled with the sharp and oddly pleasant smell of roasted hazel and smoke. But the scent was accompanied by a sense of pure non comprehension of the sensations it evoked, like having each shifters mind and senses thrown into a blender and shredded leaving just vague animalistic instincts behind. All thoughts turned to smoke and the room filled with the mewls and cry’s of Leopards yanked to the surface in the blink of an eye, negating the men inside of them. Crushed to heel. Submit.

Their entire sense of self was snatched away and broken to pieces in an instant before this monstrous flaming Lioness who before had seemed as dangerous as any other shifter, and yet in seconds she had made every Guardian in that room submit to her mere presence alone...and Ezekiel was just shaken enough to fear just what the Elder would do with her display of total dominance against them....his gut twisting with fear for the ones he loved sitting in that room facing danger Ezekiel didn’t know how to protect them from.