"As you command," replied Nita dryly. She did not fully trust the queen because of her immense power and her willingness to use it. She believed that Kishi wanted to unify the high elves for her own reasons and not for the greater good. She thought it laughable that this sorceress cared for other people, let alone their welfare. She had the feeling that something was amiss and that she needed to keep an eye on things or they would quickly spiral out of control.
Kishi looked sideways at the druid but did not say anything more. She knew that Nita did not approve of uniting the high elves through force. She also knew that the only reason the healer left the woodland elves was because of Kira. With her sister gone, Nita did not see why she should remain with Queen Kishi and her people. There were other healers in Kishi's army, but none were as skilled as the shape-shifting druid. They were going to need her, and it was up to the queen to give her a reason to stay. That would not prove to be an easy task.
The threesome walked quietly toward the front gate as the rain pounded on them relentlessly. Kishi used her magic to keep them dry as they walked, but she could not soften the blow of the enormous raindrops as she needed to conserve some energy in order to be prepared for the unknown. No one spoke as they came around the final bend and saw a massive body of people huddled together just inside the gate. It appeared that they had arrived just in time. Queen Kishi looked around to try and find Lord Diikker, and she finally caught sight of him listening intently to a small group of people by the main gate. She ran up to him so that she could join in the conversation right away.
"Excuse me, Lord Dukker. I apologize for being late. What has happened here?" queried the queen. She was shocked to see that the small group of people was in fact members of the High Council of Alanderas. What in the name of the gods are they doing here? This cannot be good.
"Kishi, I am glad you are here. These good people have been telling me a rather distressing tale that I think you should hear," he said in welcome. "Please, tell Queen Kishi what you have told me."
"Of course, we will begin with the treachery of General Yukio then," one of the council members stated. He then related their escape and the surprise attack by the army of General Yukio. He also explained how Yukio blamed the council for the murders of Chairman Merindiel and Queen Kira. He then described how the general tried to wipe out the entire council all at once.
"This is outrageous!" exclaimed Kishi, now full of rage. "My worst fears have been confirmed. I knew that if Yukio tried something like this that I would then know for sure that he was the one responsible for my sister's death. Kana warned me of such treachery, and she was right. He must be stopped at all costs!"
"You are right of course. I would suggest a different strategy than what you are thinking," said Dukker knowingly to Kishi. She is so easy to manipulate.
"What did you have in mind?" asked Kishi earnestly. Hopefully he has a plan already.
"I believe the best way to put an end to this madness of General Yukio's is to destroy his homeland. That way we will outnumber him ten to one. If we only have to face Yukio's small numbers, then we will be successful in ending his bloody campaign and shield ourselves against retaliation," explained Dukker darkly.
"So, you are suggesting that we lay siege to the Nairi Canyons and cut off any reinforcements? I like that plan every much. We must prepare right away. We will leave some forces here to defend the city while the remainder of the army will head straight for the canyons," said the queen decisively.
"I will oversee the defense of the city and while our good General Jaali gets retribution against those vile men. " said Lord Aellenas, full of rage. He had a wicked gleam in his eyes as he stood there, anger coursing through his body.
"I share your feelings in this matter, Diikker. I will deal with our guests while you shore up the defenses," Kishi said confidently.
As they both sprang into action, the rain ceased and the clouds dispersed in an unnatural fashion. Kishi sensed a higher power at work and knew immediately that it was Mistress Kana helping them during their time of need. She knew that the Elemental had been angered by Yukio's lies and murders. This gave her the courage and inspiration she needed as she climbed the outer wall to make a speech to the huddled mass. As she turned to face the refugees, she saw that they were shivering from the penetrating rain and harsh winds that had accosted them. She smiled warmly as she raised both of her hands, sending out a hot, dry wind that eased the peoples' discomfort instantly. Though this gesture drained her energy considerably, it was worth it. A cheer of gratitude sprang up immediately and was quickly drowned out by a louder call for Kishi to be their queen.
"People of Alanderas, I bid you welcome. I know that a tragedy has befallen you, and I would like to assist you. Who will speak for you?" she asked kindly. Warmth was still radiating from her as she spoke. Immediately a small group approached the wall and bowed themselves before the queen.
"Oh powerful and wise Queen Kishi Tiranidrol, we will speak for the masses," one of the council members said humbly.
"Rise, noble council members. Why are there only eight of you? What happened to the other three?" she queried.
"Milady, yesterday we were to have a meeting with General Yukio regarding the mysterious deaths of your sister, our chairman, and our good general. We prepared for the worse by having the home guard stationed in new places because we feared we had a spy among us," said one of the shaking council members. They were still in shock at the carnage they had witnessed, and they were afraid of the awesome power of Queen Kishi.
"Please continue, you have nothing to fear here," she said soothingly.
"When in the council chambers for the meeting, we hid several guards in the shadows to protect us against a surprise attack. When the general walked in the back door for the meeting, we knew that we were betrayed. He came dressed in his full body armor and was armed to the teeth. Many of us felt that we should have had the guards seize him at that moment, but we hesitated. That is why three of our number did not make it," the council member said with a look of horror on his lined face.
"It is all right. I will take it from here," said the council member standing on the right of the trembling speaker, the spokesman for the council. He stopped shaking and looked dejectedly down at the ground as if he were envisioning what had happened all over again in his mind.
"Please forgive him, Milady; we have seen such horrors that none of us had ever witnessed before," the new speaker said pleadingly.
"It is all right. Please tell me what happened to the rest of the people. Why are only a third of you here? Where are the rest?" she asked with great concern. She was still getting used to the idea of being kind and concerned for the welfare of others. Her dark elven face looked hard and resolute as she looked out over the crowd. She always had this look, but now it was even more terrifying to look upon since the death of her twin sister. Something had been taken from her that day, and she wanted revenge on Yukio for taking a part of her when he killed Kira.
"Your Majesty, when we escaped the surprise attack in the council chambers, we were given cover by our archers stationed on the mountainside. This gave us time to use the secret exit that your sister had created for escape. Yukio apparently did not know about this or was too enraged to remember. The entire courtyard was covered in blood and was occupied by elf and man struggling to the death. Body parts were strewn throughout the yard, on the inner wall, and in the castle. We feared that all were lost, so we left through the exit to find a third of the people had escaped as well," he explained with a grievous look on his face. He looked like he was going to be sick to his stomach, but he was determined to continue the tale.