Chronicles of Serniah Pelenghast's Story

Chapter 1

The Great Hall of the Ka'an was not the tallest building in Sacharim, that honor belongs to the four great towers of knowledge, but it was by far the grandest. The gold and marble pillars and the high arched ceiling of the main foyer caught the imagination of a young man of eighteen years as his eyes wandered around the landing in awe. "Pel, focus please. You are not here to gawk." Master Shekien admonished his charge while hiding a smile as he remembered his first time in the magnificent building. The architecture was designed to promote such a reaction as part of the human need to flaunt power.

Pelenghast sighed resignedly and looked down to see that his mentor had not stopped walking while he had and jogged to catch up. Which didn't take long since the young man's slender form stood a good head taller than his master's at six feet. His long dark hair framed a slender face with intense dark brown eyes that seemed to question everything and a hawk-like nose that earned him the nickname of 'Falcon' at the academy.

By the time Pelen caught up with his master, Shekien was talking to a short, balding man with an exotic look to his eyes that the student couldn't quite place. "The Ambassador arrived early this morning." the stranger said in a voice that didn't seem to match the frame that it came from as far as Pelen was concerned.
"She was quite upset that the Order had not shown up yet, and an upset Catari is not something the Ka'an wanted to deal with."

Shekien stood, arms folded across his chest and nodded absently in seeming disinterest, though Pelen knew that he was hanging on to every word that was spoken as the other man continued for the next few moments, ranting about how the Catari were useless and voicing his opinion on how the the twelve members of the Ka'an shouldn't even bother to listen to the Ambassador since they had more important matters that required their attention.

Pelen could only take so much and interrupted rather abruptly. "Surely, Sir." He said. "The Catari have just as much right to be heard by the Ka'an as any other being, and if they are so useless then the Ka'an would not be so nervous as to make them upset." Pelen suddenly became self aware as both of the older men stared at him and started to laugh. "What did I say?" he asked in puzzlement. "Exactly the right thing my boy." Shekien said as he clapped the boy on the back.

"Exactly the right thing. I believe they are waiting for us. By the way this is Lianess. The Dracari Ambassador." The short man nodded with a smile as he was introduced. "You must be Pelen who this old dodger keeps ranting on about."
Pelen flushed as they made their way to the Grand Chambers to stand in front of the Ka'an.




Kiana stood in the center of the circular room facing the high marbled dais that seated the twelve members of the Ka'an and was well aware her tail was twitching wildly at her frustration. "You cannot ignore this any longer Kuls." she all but shouted barely keeping from showing her animalistic teeth. "The rumors from the South are no longer that, they are proven true."

Kul Vertranm sat in the far right chair on the dais and looked down the table at his peers. "Please, the Catari have been known to never leave their little forest. How are they to know what dangers lie beyond our borders when the only one that has left theirs is standing before us now?"

Kiana narrowed her eyes her ears laying flat against her head as she regarded the Kul. His balding head and beady eyes made him look shifty. His clothing of fine red silk robes with gold trim and velvet lining told that he was from the coast probably Sacharim itself. She spoke slowly as she would addressing a child who was intent on raising her anger beyond what would be helpful. "Because, I was there at the Olanth land bridge and saw for myself the group making their way across it."

A murmer rushed through the audience in the chamber that Kiana had almost forgotten about, The high born sons of the Kul's who would hope to take up the mantle themselves one day or the various people who felt the need to be interested in politics for whatever reason. For the most part they kept quiet while the Ka'an had held their court, but her statement reverberated through the room with shock. Could she possibly be telling the truth? What kind of dangers lay to the unexplored South of the divide?

Kiana straightened, glad to have gotten some kind of reaction and a small smile played at her lips as she looked at Vertranm's open jaw and silent mouth. She herself knew she looked regal in her best leathers and gold silk cloak that she wore only in front of the Ka'an. Her midnight black fur shone in the torchlight as her green eyes wandered over each of the Kul's. "My people do not send Ambassadors lightly so we would hope you would listen when we do." She said cooly, herself unused to the idea of this human need for politics when action is needed more.

The sound of footsteps entering the hall echoed behind her and she turned around to see three men walking in. One she knew, the Dracori, was one of the convoy that came with her to try to warn the Ka'an. The other two she had never seen before. One was older and shorter but not terribly short by human standards, he smelled of magic and wisdom, a strong crown of gray hair on top of his head. The other was taller, younger, with a slender build and piercing eyes. His dark hair framing what she guessed would be a handsome face for humans as he was not totally unattractive. His eyes held a sort of inquisitive intelligence as they looked over the room in awed curiosity.

Ambassador Lianess was the first to speak up. "Kul's, Ub'l Lianess Tam Dracori." He introduced himself. " I have with me Master Shekien from the Arollas Academy and his student Pelenghast." Kiana fought back a scowl, "This is not a classroom." she snapped looking between the two strangers feeling a hint of satisfaction that the youngest of them seemed put on edge at her statement.

The older man laughed and looked at his student before saying. "This is Pelenghast's first time in the great hall and as he is ready to prove himself to be amongst the advisors of Kul's I brought him here to act as the Academy's representative in this matter." Pelen paled, his youthful pride forgotten as he looked over the sixteen people on the Great Hall's floor. He wanted to retch, to run and hide in a corner somewhere as the entire room seemed to turn their eyes on him expectantly wondering what this untried youth would do about such an immense threat that he knew nothing about as yet.
"So...uh.....what's going on?" He asked the silent room.