The Council

11th of Camince, 1485
 
I am writing this down in the event that I do not survive these next few days. I hope that these papers will not become lost, but if they do… then it is what it is…
 
My companions accompanied me to the council meeting in Crassard today. Filandrel invited me to take a seat at the council, to “see what he deals with”. Grimaldus and Hasim took the baby to Shard’s realm, to be looked after by Grimaldus’ grandmother and cousin. I still cannot get used to the sight of Hasim in the axiomyte’s body. It is a sacrilege on the body of one of the oldest of the Elves… and Hasim refuses to even learn elementary Elvish! I offered to teach him and he refused, saying it isn’t important. Does he not understand just how important it is? I don’t think he fully grasps the gravity of just whose body he is not occupying. I understand that it must be traumatic to have your soul wrenched out of the Fugue and shoved into a body not your own – much less one of a different race. I couldn’t imagine the strain of it, but, he chose to accept the reincarnation… the least that he can do is learn a bit about the culture and ways of the Elves, seeing as he’s in the body of one of our oldest and greatest artisans.
 
But, I digress… I need to focus on the events of the matter at hand – just in case I don’t come out of this alive, it would be nice if this could find its way to someone who can use the information to stop the dragon.
 
The teleportation coordinates took us to the top of Vlatrossi Melkinov’s tower. When we entered the chamber, I could see nearly twenty seats set out around a table… a few were occupied, but many more were noticeably vacant.
 
Filandrel and Vlatrossi were both already seated. I took one of the empty seats near Filandrel, as he motioned. More individuals arrived, the vampire Ana Bathory, who immediately glared daggers at Inira. Hogar, looking much the worse for wear. Vignir was there as well. Priscilla Tringles arrived, looking greatly bothered.
 
Rowan took a seat across from the one meant for Cojisto, that will forever remain empty.
 
Everyone began arguing nearly immediately about what to do about the dragon. Vlatrossi insisted that the dragon must remain alive, but what he fails to understand is that it would be too dangerous – even if locked into a harmless demiplane, the dragon will eventually escape. The vampire Ana Bathory insisted that the dragon doesn’t matter – it is the fingers of the black one that we need to be concerned with.
 
Inira immediately started a pissing match with the vampire, which I promptly ignored, waiting for something more important…
 
We came to the agreement that because the undead curse is tied to the violence in the world, and there is no real way that anyone will truly end all violence, the undead curse will continue into perpetuity.
 
The feathered woman arrived, taking a seat. Inira spoke up “She’s in league with the black one. She shouldn’t be here.”
“Hello to you too.” The Feathered Woman replied calmly.
Inira told her to go away, calling her a bitch. While, I cannot disagree with Inira’s sentiment, does she always have to be so rash and uncouth about it? I, for one, have no desire to tangle spells with the feathered woman… especially not with the knowledge that it was she who killed the axiomyte… which Inira also blurted out. Idiot!
 
I could feel the tension rise in the room, as Filandrel and the feathered woman made eye contact. Looking at Filandrel, she said “You can see why it is unsafe for me to be here, which is why you are speaking to a projection…”
Inira kept telling her that she wasn’t welcome and should leave. I wanted nothing more than to make Inira be quiet.
“Why did you do it?” I asked the projection.
“I will have to admit that my goals are selfish, but necessary.” She replied.
“Why?” I prompted.
She admitted that the axiomyte had knowledge that he was unwilling to share with her. “There’s a war coming. One that I cannot stop this time. A horrible one. As the last time we had such a war… I wasn’t so terribly alone…”
“You didn’t seem very alone when you were with the yellow eyed man…” Inira butted in harshly.
“You were in love once, weren’t you?” The feathered woman asked.
Inira said that she doesn’t care about love, she cares about the feathered woman being in league with one of the greatest evils in the world.
But the projection shook her head. “Have you understood the difference between being alone and loneliness? Do you know what that is?”
“Save me your sob stories.” Inira snapped. “I don’t want to hear them. Get out.” Whatever possessed Inira to think that she was in control of the proceedings is something that I do not understand. I wished that she would just shut her mouth and keep quiet, so that we could learn whatever information there was to be gained from the situation…
 
“Why would you do it?” I asked quietly.
“The wind. The people. Their carts.” The feathered woman said, her projection making eye contact with Filandrel. “You’ll grow tired of them. Their noise, their sound will grow to annoy you. Eventually you’ll need to drown it out however you can. Unless of course, you’ve already experienced this… you’ll meet someone… one thing that makes it have meaning. And then, that loneliness, that feeling of being alone that could not be consulated by anyone, no matter how much they loved you, it fills a space you didn’t even know existed…” she continued glaring daggers at Filandrel. “And then they’re ripped from you.”
 
She turned then and looked to me. “I can see it in your eyes, girl. It’s going to happen to you.”
 
Inira tried to cut her off, but she continued. “I want the throne. If any of you stand in my way, I will see you as enemies.”
 
I asked her why, why would she want the throne so badly? Ultimately, she admitted that she wants to bring her dead lover back to life. She doesn’t care how vast the destruction wrecked is, all she cares about is bringing Tacitus back to life.
She said that she killed the axiomyte because he wouldn’t tell her the information that she sought. “He was jealous, I think.”
 
I glanced over at Filandrel and could see anger building like storm clouds on his face. He was pissed. It makes me curious as to what is actually the history with those three, well, four, now that I know about her relationship with Gaius’ ancestor, Tacitus… I will have to ask Filandrel about it later.
 
Arguing erupted around the table, with Inira and the Feathered Woman at the center of it. As if I needed a reminder of what Inira gave up when she took the blood kiss, she was so cold, cruel even, when she spoke, no, taunted, the Feathered Woman with her loss.
 
“Inira, stop…” I couldn’t take it anymore. So much of what the Feathered Woman was saying was coming a bit too close to my own fears. Am I setting myself up for a similar future with my relationship with Grimaldus? The loneliness for centuries?
 
A scant minute later, the apparition disappeared.
 
Everyone argued about whether to kill the dragon or not. We were interrupted by a pool of blood appearing on the floor next to the table. Slowly, the blood began to take shape, and Grimaldus and Hasim stepped out of the pool.
Grimaldus looked around the room and announced “Shard says kill the dragon.” It prompted an entirely new round of arguments.
 
“I think that the creature should die.” Filandrel said, cutting through the squabbles. His gaze was drawn to Hasim, looking at him for a moment, before dropping his gaze to the table.
 
Filandrel looked over at me. “It was necessary to do that?” I could almost hear betrayal in his voice. “To his body?”
“It was his choice.” I said, trying to explain that was the option we had to bring Hasim back, without making the situation worse.
“Your friend’s.” Filandrel said quietly.
“I’m sorry…” My heart was breaking at the look on his face. “I’m sorry…”
Filandrel straightened up. “I don’t wish to take part in this meeting anymore. Goodbye.” He teleported out, taking a piece of my heart with him.
 
I didn’t pay close attention to the rest of the meeting. Filandrel’s departure seemed to herald its end anyways.
 
We decided to try to get Paragon Cindy from Fort Mahogany to help us with the dragon, as well as some of the others who she travelled with. According to Vignir, if we can gain her aid, there is a chance that Shard might intervene in order to prevent his old friends from dying. A smart move I suppose, but my mind was admittedly elsewhere, mostly weighed down with guilt because of Filandrel’s single expression when his eyes met mine after Hasim’s arrival…
 
I did send a message to Damian at the end of the day. I told him about the dragon in the east, and that “Dekar is dead. Thought you might want to know, even if you don’t care.”
A few minutes later, I received Damian’s response. “I’ll be in contact.” Fuck him! Fuck him and his lack of caring.