Moonlight's Deception (Eclipse of Hiestora, Book 1)

Chapter 31 | Secret Origin

"Oh, Old Lazarus, only if you'd do so much as to walk and not expect to be carried around by your henchmen." She winked at the buff man whose form hulked behind Lazarus.

The tips of Lazarus' ears went red and his mustache vibrated in barely concealed detestation. He pointed a shaking finger at her, his knees wobbling as he stood. The buff man behind Lazarus put everything in him to push the fuming old gentleman gently on the chair while trying not to crush those brittle bones with his big, rough hands.

"Ye o-obno—, ye i-ill-mannered," Lazarus sputtered incoherently. The tail of his coat flapped as air gathered beneath him. Eowyn, pretending not to hear a thing, blew on her polished nails and inspected them under the little light the fireplace could offer.

"Wench!" Lazarus cried at last and it certainly caught Eowyn's attention as she gasped, eyes wide in horror.

"No. No, you didn't just say that." Eowyn stood painstakingly slow. Her eyes glowered and every person in that room scuttled farther away from her, including Lazarus who instantly regretted saying that last word. The ground beneath them quaked and the table skittered on the floor.

"Enough!" someone in the room, who knew well enough to not be intimidated by Eowyn's ability to shake the earth, roared and slammed the table to stop it in place. This man wore a loose muscle shirt and leather pants. Bolts of electricity crackled on the ends of his spiky black hair and fisted hands. "Go on. Argue like children. You've got no shame."

"I expected this meeting to be over soon, but I forgot things can turn dramatic when all of us are gathered here," Night said, rolling her eyes. She had on thick gothic makeup. What appeared to be her cloak was a bundle of shadows.

A grumble that sounded like small stones slamming against each other resounded. "No nuts, no biscuits this time," mumbled the Rock Man, oblivious to the stares at him beyond belief. His body was covered in orange, flexible, rock-like hide. The thing had no outer ear structure or neck.

"Tch, typical brawn with no brain." Beside the Rock Man, with obvious disdain for the thing, sat a little girl (or an adult the size of a child?) with metal studs piercing the skin on her face, arms, and neck. A metal chain necklace hung around her neck and the name "Brienne" was scrawled on its plate.

"Ow!" Brienne yelped and bounced on her seat. She scowled at Lynx, the man emitting electric sparks around his body, as she rubbed her arms. "How many times did I tell you not to sit beside me in any of our meetings? The least you can do is prevent yourself from touching me!"

Lynx looked down at her with a serene face. "Ah, I regret there's not much space for me to move freely around. I apologize."

Someone cleared his throat, a man with blue skin and sparkling scales on his skin. Adrian, the head chief of the Water Clan, gave a friendly smile with a silent threat hidden in his eyes."I believe the meeting shall commence as it should have been minutes ago before Eowyn and Lazarus started it."

Everyone nodded, all silently agreeing they wouldn't go as far as angering Adrian. There was a lake nearby the building they were in, and it was easy to drown everyone there in just a sweep of Adrian's hand.

"Xavia, please, do the honors of presiding," said Adrian, gracefully waving a hand at a woman with glowing golden locks of hair, even her skin as radiant as the sun.

The forum began, but it wouldn't be long enough until the tension would be back to join them.

Soon, the questions were suddenly too much that they merely drowned the voices of everyone in that room.

"Hold on," Clara said, clutching her head. "From what I'm seeing, and if I'm counting it right, there are fourteen elemental clans. That's nine more than the original five."