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

Chapter 6 - A Guardians Duty

Chapter

Unable to capture his swirling senses at first Ezekiel didn’t fight the feelings coming over him, instead he left them crash and battle with his own wild rage. He welcomed it now like a security blanket where before he despised it.

He let the Reaver broil up everything in his mind except for his own desire to remain unaffected. In control. Powerful. He brushed aside her painful hold on his beast.

But still Ezekiel felt his chest tighten and he squirmed as he felt his air choking off.

Pressure upon pressure built, he started to snarl and pant but he didn’t fall completely beneath her dominance ...and he wasn’t the only one to withstand the storm. With snarls and glowing eyes all of the Guardians and Healers glared at the High Elder as she exerted her unimaginable supernatural strength against them.

Erin and Drin, being the youngest and untrained among them visibly wilted and Erin whimpered and turned into her mate as she felt the power of the Elder lash against her mind and body. Ezekiel pressed his talons into the table and shuddered as a harsh c***k filled the air as he seemed to snap and shatter the wood in his fists.

Lander and Walter shook their heads and hissed, as if their minds were scrambled by the sensations all around them and the pain and emotions seething in the air. The only ones completely unaffected by the sensation of the Elders pure domination was Glen, Mantilo....and Nate.

Both Clan Heads were unmoved by the display, but they did let their fangs and eyes fully shift as they felt the Elder trying to force them to submit and their Leopards bristled at the rude action against them in their own home. Nate also let his eyes shift, while his face remained mostly stoic and unmoved.

When Bonsa spoke to them once more she growled and her eyes turned a dangeroucobalt blue as she spat and threw out her arm in anger.

“I command you to be honey, do not lie to me! Why would the Lion Kings body just be gone if you are not trying to hide something that you did to him? Why would anyone take him if he was already dead to the world? Your words make no sense Guardians...and my patience is not unlimited. Im High Elder and I will sunder the life from each and every one of you if I deem you guilty of this act against the peace of our lands. So no more lies! If you want me to trust your words then you must explain what hand you hand in the disappearance of the Lion Jaco ...tell me all that transpired so that I can make the choice of your judgement for myself!”

Fighting to think past the suffocation and his own burning anger Ezekiel closed his eyes.

Fuck...this is not good! But we can’t tell her the truth about Jacob or who killed him...We still have no idea if the Elders and Dragons can be trusted! And the proof...is there proof that we can even use...perhaps in the forest...?

Ezekiel’s mind raced and his guts twisted as once again it came down to revealing Brandon and telling the Elders about his powers and the fact that he killed Jacob...or protecting his family and his home. One of them had to be sacrificed to save the other...one of them had to take the brunt of the charges...one of them had to answer for the Treason and murder committed.

It was apparently very clear by now that none of the other guardians or Mantilo or even Glen were willing to betray his Mate. No one had even said Brandons name this whole time.

The unveiling of Brandon’s involvent in the murder had to be Ezekiel...and even if he didn’t spill the truth and betray Brandon to the Elders Ezekiel was at once warmed and sickened to realize that his family would support him either way.

Ezekiel gnashed his fangs in helpless agony, he couldn’t bring himself to speak, to choose...and everyone in that room, even Bonsa seemed to be waiting on someone to do or say something.

For a few moments there was silence, and then suddenly there was the intrusion of the one voice in the room that hadn’t said a word the entire time.

“High Elder if I may speak...do you hear and understand just how f*****g insane you sound right now? You are being unreasonable and highhanded. You are not being fair....” came the rumbled growl of Nate, his eyes were glittering like pearly moon gems as he and his wolf smiled vicious and cold.

“You want answers...you want us to just be open? So what you’re really saying is that you expect us to incriminate ourselves to you? If you were sent here, by the Dragons, oh great and powerful Elder Lioness then you must already have some idea of what has transpired here! You Elders are supposed to be pure power of the Gods condensed into weak flesh packages to d their bidding. So Isn’t our great Dragon king an omnipotent god who knows all and sees all? Or so the bullshit legends say....if you truly are sent by an omnipotent being why are you acting like we have to tell you s**t!?”

Nate said to her putting a clawed hand on the table as he talked. His entire demeanor was one of vicious belligerence signaling to all of his brothers that the Wolf was more in control then Nate. This was something that hadn’t happened for months and before Brandon had arrived Nowell hadn’t made himself so outspoken. Infact no one in the family took pains to acknowledge the wolf as a sentient seperate being outside of Nate at all.

Mostly because in the Leopard clans the beasts they carried were just a part of them a tool , a lower form, a ball of instincts and power they could control, and so Nates wolf had been regulated down to the same. Even though Nate had a name for the beast and treated his Wolf more as a companion then a tool, the wolf was mostly ignored by the larger society...but it seemed in this case the Wolf, Nate other side Nowell wanted out. He bleed into the world speaking with Nates body in a way none of them ever allowed thier Leopards too.

Nates entire appearance was one of a Shifter in Mid-Shift. All six of the fangs in his mouth flared as he sneered at Bonsa, and his long claws scratched the wood of the table while his glimmering eyes burned with wolfish aggression and even though he and his family were moments from treason and possible execution Ezekiel couldn’t help but be momentarily struck speechless by the animosity his brother was displaying. Compared to his reaction to Balder it seemed that Nate and his wolf both found the Elder unsavory. “We owe you nothing!”

Ezekiel smirjed before he looked around and he openly shuddered in hatred as he looked at Erin and saw her face crumble in agony..

Ezekiel graveled out in a beastly monstrous snarl directed at Bonsa. “Also my cousin is pregnant and she is but a cub and you...your actions are hurting her and her Mate...you need to stop before you send her into a panic.” Ezekiel let his fangs bleed over his lips. “Elder stop before you harm the child...and we make you regret it!” he shouted starting to get beyond frustrated.

“You’ll MAKE ME regret it will you?” The High Elder laughed, she seemed genuinely tickled as she smirked meanly and leaned forwards looking Ezekiel right in the eyes. “I fear no beast, least of all you child.”

“Regardless the child is innocent in this, now stop it! Stop hurting them!” Walter suddenly thundered like a vicious monster. His face contorted in so much rage and aggression it even gave Ezekiel pause. Their elder brother slammed his fist into the table and all six of his fangs lengthened in his sneering maw. His beasts roar actually made everyone I the room flinch slightly. Wide shocked eyes danced over Walters livid expression.

“Hmph...impressive even you are able to push past the power in some small way Clan Heir...” Bonsa sneered back at thier Eldest brother, but after she held his eyes for a moment, something seemed to click for her, then suddenly she glanced at Erin, the young healer bundled into a terrified ball,, held close to her Mate shivering and whimpering.

It was obvious the Erin was trying to fight to stay strong like the rest to them. Ezekiel could sense her struggling to choke back her cries. Drin was trying to calm her, his hand on her shoulder and on her growing belly as she sobbed into Drin’s chest but it was clear Drin could barely think or even breathe himself.

Drin tried to kiss Erin, he gripped her cheeks, dashing aside her tears with his thumbs tenderly before he pressed close and pressed their lips together gently as he whispered ” Its okay baby. Its okay. Don’t be scared...” he looked so young and helpless as his mate pressed her forehead closer to him and tears danced heavy across her cheeks.

The Elder made a grunt and suddenly the horrifying pressure over them all lessened, but only by a few subtle degrees.

Erin’s body stopped shivering, but suddenly her composure cracked even more and she started to sob as relief replaced the feeling of being forced to submit so cruelly. The young Healer gasped as she tried to wipe the tears away and regain control. Drin wiped the moisture with tender fingers over her chin.

Then Drin pulled her into his lap and embraced her and their son. He rumbled into her hair, and he kissed her gently rubbing her back to sooth her into silence. Her cries tore Ezekiel’s soul to shreds. Her pain made the Reaver in his soul seethe with hatred and in that moment the Leopard was sure that he would never trust such a cruel woman.

Bonsa sighed and said. “She will survive. But I will not ask kindly again. All of you need to stop fighting me!”

Nate kicked the leg under the table making the large mahogany table to shake hard. There was an arrogant and protective air about him as he spoke next. “Look there is no way were going to tell you anything! You aren’t trying to protect us. So WE are going to protect this Clan on our own....” Nate rolled his burning white eyes to Ezekiel and with a growling inflection, his voice split and deepened as if two beings were speaking through him at once. “We are going to protect our pack. All of our Pack even the ones who aren’t here now.”

Ezekiel heard the words and knew that Nate was offering him his support, his unwavering loyalty, but at his words Ezekiel just felt his heart break because he was starting to fear that this couldn’t go on.

“Well said Wolf pup...and I can understand why you would choose not to speak but you think the Dragon King is Omnipotent as well as the Elders?” With a soft shake of her head Bonsa drew back, her eyes still glowing like Nates, but her voice was softer and the flames on her body had fled so she looked less like a blue burning beast come to devour them all.

The High Elder took a step to the left and paced a small circle behind her chair at the table, and then she said.

“You are dearly mistaken wolf cub. We do not work that way!” Bonsa called to Nate in denial, shuffling her clothing about her neck and then pointing to the embossed gold gleaming from the flesh of her forehead. “Neither man or beast has power to see what is beyond them, that is not how we work at all. And even us Elders and Dragons are beings of the flesh.”

“Oh really! I guess the stories were a myth! So tell me great Elder....How exactly do you work?” Nate smirked; the wolf analyzed the Elder with dispassion and absolutely no fear.

Bonsa seemed both aggrieved to answer...and more than willing to explain. Almost as if she wasn’t used to people inquiring anything personally of her or the Dragons she served. Her blue eyes flashed and died out, returning to cold brown pupils as she tapped her foot and explained. The overwhelming sense of power being pressed on his chest and mind fled entirely.

“Well...” She began on a soft note looking Nate, then the other Shifters in the eyes.

“I guess what many believe about the Dragons and Elders are myths simply born of fear or out of respect.”

Bonsa gestured out towards the sky, then down at herself as she said “Myth number one being that Dragons are Gods and we Elders are in some ways their seraphim or angles. We are Shifters...There are no gods among us.” Bonsa sniffed and waved a nimble hand in the air.

“The Clans have elevated the Dragons to a status of being on par with Gods, but they are simply the oldest, wisest of our kind, and the most powerful. They are not gods, but they are formidable beings that have protected the balance of power in our world from the beginning of time.” Bonsa continued looking about the room.

“We as Elders can sense things through the Dragons....They are the earth’s child and yet separate from her as well. So they know things that we can’t. Elders feel through the Dragons. We know that there are disturbances in the energies, a skew in the Balance of the world, negative changes in the flows of life and we are sent out to investigate these changes.” Bonsa continued to explain. “We do not know for sure what happened and I simply prefer not to speculate unless clear proof of crime or wrong doing has been supplemented to me, mostly given to me by the King himself.”

“So you have proof?” Mantilo asked as she stopped.

Bonsa sharply shook her head. “No the King had very little to tell me when it came to this current situation.”

“Then why are you charging us with treason off the words of others!?” The Clan head bashed the table in frustration.

“....As I said, you are only being convened and charged of treason....you have not been judged at this time.” Bonsa corrected him sternly. “All I know is that two very strong and powerful energies have been here and because the Lion King Jacob Elicist is missing I must make sure that no Sacred Laws have been defiled. ” The Elder growled, the lion in her becoming frustrated with explanations.

“Now I have waited and been patient and answered many of your questions, but all you have given me these last few days are half answers and veiled secrets. By order of the Elders Covenant you will revel to me what has happened here or I will pass judgement on your entire Clan....As is my right! NOW speak or you will all be put to death by your own lack of cooperation!” A sharp brimming blue light flashed around her irises.

A dormant beast flashing its anger and authority.

“You cant!” Erin made a small sound of fear as she bent over her son.

“Fine! NO more...!“Ezekiel shouted and stood up fully from his seat to capture the Elders gaze as he sensed the power of the High Elder caressing all f their inner beasts again, clawing into their minds and souls...and Erin started to cry again. He couldn’t take it. He couldn’t let his family suffer like this.

“Stop hurting them! No more.” Bonsas heavy eyes swung to him and glared at him. Ezekiel turned his eyes aside and admitted his submittal to her with that small gesture. Gripping his talons hard he hissed over his lips. “I beg you. Leave my family alone...please. Just take a seat and I will tell you everything I can High Elder. I will tell you what my family didn’t want you to know for my own sake. I will tell you what became of Jacob. ”

Lander and Mantilo’s voiced cut into his brain like two frozen nails, and Ezekiel flinched as their words rumbled into his consciousness at one time.

Wait! What are you going to do? No matter what...If we talk....Brandon’s going to be on more than on Hovels list....the Dragons will go after him next.

Mantilo calmly expressed, he sounded conflicted but willing to follow Ezekiel’s lead.

“I know.....

Ezekiel offered.

So what are you going to do... Bonsa doesn’t need to know about him.

Lander snarled.

Ezekiel shook his head as he looked over at his parents and brothers and smiled at them in gratitude. “It’s okay.” He told them.

They were trying to help him. Trying to help him protect his Mate and more then anything else that moment outlined to him how much they all care for him and wanted them both to be happy, but this was too much....he couldn’t just ignore his duties to his people. Once a Guardian always a Guardian. Brandon being his Mate did not negate this truth.

“Speak! Talk...What you are waiting for?” Bonsa pressed impatiently. She had taken her chair at the table and sat glaring at the Guardian in impatience.

With slightly sad chuckle at the situation he was in the Shifter shrugged and sat up high.

“I just don’t know where to start...It’s a really long story and me telling some of these things is going to endanger someone very important to me.” Ezekiel said slowly, fighting the painful wave of hate and betrayal his Leopard was feeling towards him.

Protect Mate! Protect!

Came the powerful thoughts and feelings of the Leopard, but Ezekiel just put him aside. Put the pain lacerating him aside. It was almost impossible to speak.

Fighting for control He stared at the Lioness drawing her frosty gaze. “But whatever happens next......We are not the ones in the wrong here. That is the truth.” He breathed and sat up tall and calmly waited on her to respond.

Elder Bonsa paused, twisted her lips in thought then shook her head and sighed. “I am not so sure that it IS the truth. For you see there is blood and violence thick in the air here. I can sense that something took place on these lands. I can even tell you that something dark and scarily powerful marks this home, these fields and even this family.” Bonsa glanced around herself and put a hand out into the air as if to grasp something unseen by the naked eye.

“Ah it shimmers and vibrates on my soul. Such a strange energy saturating the air, it’s like nothing I have ever experienced. And there is also the residue of Blood. I can almost smell it soaking your woodlands to the south, where the earth and tress stink of rotted flesh. It is like an army has perished there...” she said looking Ezekiel up and down as though she was searching for answers.

Rot? An Army....

Ezekiel shook his head.

AH! The dead ghouls....Wait that can be our proof that were being targeted by the Alchemists! But thats not enough, I also have to tell her what became of Jacob.

He couldn’t deny it any more. He couldn’t let his Clan pay the price for the things that had taken place and he got the feeling that Brandon wouldn’t want that either.

“You can smell blood to the south huh? Well I guess I better start from there. Blood... it’s in every other damn conversation I seem to be having lately.” Ezekiel chuckled trying to be light for a moment, but his voice was ragged and full of reluctance.

He sat back, shrugged his shoulders. “All right, there’s blood on our soil but it is not blood that was not rightfully spilt by people who were just trying to protect a very dear friend. A friend who the Lions and the Alchemists wished to cause great harm.”

Friend? Brandon was so much more than that to him now...but Ezekiel wasn’t just going to tell a stranger that. He also knew that if it was revealed that Brandon was his Mate he could be drawing a target on himself or been seen as simply trying to fabricate a story to keep Brandon safe.

Elder Bonsa looked into the Guardians eyes, and sighed deeply. “Young one, I know a Reaver may not think this is true. But no blood is ever rightfully spilt.” She told him.

“But I don’t sense that you are lying to me....anymore.” said the Lioness taking her seat once more.

The five silent guards all around her didnt shift or move to speak at all. The entire time they remained beside her like dummies made of flesh...making Ezkeiel wonder if they are even live at all.

Bonsa flared out her arms, then folded them into her robs. “Tell me your truth Leopard cub.”

Ezekiel looked at his father to see if the Clan Head would prefer to speak on their behalf. But Mantilo simply nodded at him to continue his expression both proud and sad, as his father definitely knew the sacrifice it had to take to do something that Ezekiel knew could potentially endanger his Mate. Mantilo empathized with his struggle, but his father also seemed to feel as he felt that this conversation had to happen regardless of personal feelings.

Soothing away the unhappy snarls of his Leopard, he told the Elder exactly what she wanted to know. He told her about Brandon, but kept all mention of his strange powers out of the tale only telling her that he had been a test subject for the Alchemists rituals. A innocent who was tortured and who had eventually managed to escape. None of his family members or Bonsa interrupted as he recounted the last five and a half months of turmoil.

Months that had seemed like a lifetime.

Lander shot him a surprised look as Ezekiel cut up the story slightly in multiple places, taking pains to omit speaking of Brandons powers until he had no other choice.

Ezekiel moved the story to a c****x as he told her about Jacob and the Alchemists invading. He recounted the Ghouls pouring like locusts from the woods to kill them.

He explained to her that Jacob had invaded their lands and attacked Brandon mercilessly and was then struck down in self-defense by Brandon ending the Lions life. When he had finished Bosna didn’t comment. Instead she seemed to openly look to the side and whisper quietly to herself.

Ezkeiel frowned and his heckles raised and his skin flooded with goosebumps as he caught her movements. She even flinched and touched her temple as if in pain suddenly. A familiar gesture that made his skin crawl because of how many times he had done the same thing.

Then like a whisper on his skin Ezekiel felt a strange niggle at the base of his skull. A presence...unknown eyes turned and focused on him in particular, then it was gone.

She’s speaking to someone! f**k is she talking to the Dragons or another Elder in her head? Is it a Elder who can talk like Lander talks to us?

Ezekiel wondered to himself as he watched her bite her lip and look back at him a second later.

It seemed that no one else had noticed the behavior, but Ezekiel was deeply disturbed and distracted as she spoke to him again.

“Ok...I have heard your truth and now know that this boy Brandon is at fault for the death of the Lion.” Was all she said then she stood up abruptly ignoring Ezkeiel as he tried to speak.

“No more conversation! Take me to the dead Ghouls Guardians of this Clan...and then I will speak with you all further.”