Aurelius straightened his posture, his heart pounding against his chest. He felt the weight of the room's gaze upon him, but he was determined not to let it overwhelm him. He maintained his composure and met the eyes of the council members as the headmaster led him towards the one end of the room.

There, at the end of the room, one man sat, sitting in a position of authority. Aurelius assumed that the headmaster was leading him towards this figure and Aurelius carefully scrutinized him.

The man had an air of regal authority about him. His robes were adorned with intricate patterns and symbols, marking him as a High Priest of considerable influence. His silver hair cascaded down his shoulders, framing a face that exuded both wisdom and shrewdness. His eyes, a piercing shade of blue, seemed to hold a depth of experience.

Aurelius instinctively knew that this man held significant sway within the council. His gaze was unyielding, his presence commanding. As the headmaster and Aurelius reached the end of the table, the High Priest rose from his seat with deliberate grace.

"Welcome, Chosen Aurelius," he intoned, his voice smooth and measured. "I am High Priest Lorendil, and I speak on behalf of the council."

Aurelius dipped his head respectfully. "Thank you, High Priest Lorendil. It is an honor to be here."

Lorendil's gaze held a flicker of something, perhaps curiosity or assessment, as he regarded Aurelius. "The honor is ours. We have long awaited the return of a Chosen to aid us in these troubled times."

Nodding in return, Aurelius paid close attention to the words of High Priest Lorendil. Aurelius knew that within those words there were likely double meanings that carefully tested Aurelius’ knowledge. He had been warned by both the headmaster and Captain Alerion about the intricate political landscape of the council, and he was determined to navigate it as effectively as possible.

“Please, for now, sit,” the High Priest said, gesturing towards two chairs beside him, “we have much to talk about.”

Turning away from the High Priest and facing the rest of the council, Aurelius sat in one of the two chairs the High Priest had mentioned, the headmaster sitting in the other. Aurelius also knew that his seating would likely have some indication of his power within the council. For now, he had to hope that sitting next to High Priest Lorendil would place him in a high enough position.

As Aurelius settled into his seat, he felt the eyes of the council members fixed upon him, their expressions a mix of curiosity and scrutiny. The tension in the room was palpable, each council member seemingly sizing him up, trying to assess his worth and capabilities.

High Priest Lorendil took his seat, his gaze steady as he began to speak. "Chosen Aurelius, we find ourselves in dire circumstances. The recent attack on our city has shown us the extent of the threat we face."

“Before we get into that, however, I first wanted to thank you,” began the High Priest, surprising Aurelius. “I was told that you were the one to kill the Dark Elven Chosen who was threatening us outside our gate,” the High Priest trailed off leadingly as if waiting for confirmation.

Aurelius slightly nodded.

"That accomplishment alone demands our everlasting gratitude. Even amidst the History of the High Elven Chosen, the act of slaying another Chosen is a rarity, and to achieve it at such a young age is unprecedented."

Upon concluding his expression of gratitude, the High Priest startled Aurelius once more, rising from his seat and initiating a round of applause. Following the High Priest's gesture, the other members of the council rose from their places around the table, joining in the ovation.

While clapping, the High Priest looked at Aurelius and raised an eyebrow, his piercing blue eyes studying Aurelius intently. It was clear that the orchestrated display of appreciation had been designed to make a statement.

Aurelius maintained his composure, allowing a modest smile to grace his lips as he acknowledged the applause.

As the applause subsided and the council members took their seats once more, High Priest Lorendil continued, his tone becoming more serious. "However, while your actions outside our gates have earned our admiration, it is imperative that we address the larger threat at hand. From what the headmaster told us, you learned some valuable information to share with us. Information that will potentially alter the course of High Elven history."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Aurelius nodded, his gaze steady as he met the High Priest's eyes. "Indeed, High Priest Lorendil. The captive Dark Elf, Kael, provided me with crucial information about the forces aligned against us," Aurelius began, keeping his voice confident and steady.

Aurelius took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before he began to recount the information he had learned from Kael and Augustus. He spoke of Maledrakor's rise to power, his dark abilities, and the extent of his influence. He detailed the vanishing cities, the corrupted warriors, and the unsettling control Maledrakor exerted over the minds of his victims.

Throughout his narrative, the council members listened intently, their expressions shifting from curiosity to concern. Some exchanged knowing glances, while others leaned forward, their interest evident. It was clear that the gravity of the situation was sinking in, and Aurelius' words were painting a chilling picture of the threat they faced.

As he concluded his account, Aurelius looked around the table, meeting the eyes of the council members one by one. High Priest Lorendil's gaze remained fixed on him, a mixture of solemnity and contemplation in his expression.

"Chosen Aurelius," Lorendil began, his voice measured, "your information aligns with reports we have been receiving from other sources. It seems that Maledrakor's reach extends far beyond our city's walls."

Aurelius inclined his head, his resolve unwavering. "High Priest Lorendil, I stand ready to offer support in any way possible. However, there is one more aspect that is crucial to the power of this Maledrakor character — an aspect perhaps of a greater threat than any other.”

Aurelius paused for a couple of seconds, letting the anticipation build up in the room, forcing every member of the council to lean in, carefully waiting for his next words.

“I believe Maledrakor can corrupt the divine.”

There was a rapid intake of breath across the room as the council absorbed Aurelius’ news. The sharp reaction, however, didn’t surprise Aurelius. In a world where the divine ruled supremely over everything, the mere thought that the divine could in some way be corrupted would be naturally blasphemous for many of the council members — an idea that went against many of their very core tenets as High Elves.

The High Priest quickly spoke up. However, this time, Aurelius noted a slight waver in his voice that hinted at his disbelief and fear. “Corrupted the divine? What do you mean?”

Drawing from what he pieced together from Augustus, Aurelius quickly responded. “I believe that Maledrakor has the ability to absorb part of the power from the Chosen he has defeated. Furthermore, after he absorbs their power, he can corrupt the Chosen to become one of his generals, fighting for his cause. Despite what Kael said, I don’t believe it was just Maledrakor who fought — at least, not always. I believe he has had some corrupted Chosen now serving as generals fighting for his cause.

Once again, pin-drop silence filled the council room. Despite their silence, Aurelius could now see some of the gears spinning in the council members’ heads.

“It’s not all bad though” Aurelius continued, hoping to alleviate some of the tension. “From what I can tell, there are some drawbacks to this ability…” Then Aurelius thought about it. “Ok, perhaps there is only one downside.”

“What is it?” High Priest Lorendil asked quickly, sounding desperate for any sort of good news or hope.

“Once Maledrakor absorbs the Chosen, the Chosen will forever be weakened from the power that Maledrakor stole from them. In this sense, it causes corrupted chosen, or Maledrakor’s generals, to be weaker than their actual chosen counterparts.” Aurelius scratched his chin, thinking slowly. “This is why I think I was able to defeat the Dark Elven Chosen. Normally, I was too underdeveloped to fight a Chosen of Malaki’s power. However, he was most likely severely weakened by Maledrakor’s absorption of his powers.

The High Priest slowly nodded, his gaze shifting briefly to the headmaster before returning to Aurelius. "Your testimony makes sense, Chosen Aurelius. Furthermore, from all of the recent news we are receiving, it seems that the High Elves are going to be relying on the strength of our Chosen more than ever before.” The High Priest said, his gaze burrowing into Aurelius.

“Now wait just a minute!” A voice interjected. Both the High Priest and Aurelius turned to look at the new voice — a balding noble with extravagant robes. Seeing he received the council’s attention, the noble decided to continue, undisturbed. “How can we determine the validity of this information? For all we know, this simple Dark Elf, Kael, or whoever may be purposely leading us on a death trap. We’ve known the Dark Elves to employ more extravagant plots before!”

Aurelius nodded, the noble’s assessment was a fair point, relying on the word of a Dark Elven prisoner would be a mistake. The Council’s eyes returned to Aurelius, and he decided to speak up. “Besides the fact that current scout reports indicated that Kael spoke the truth, I have personally spoken to Augustus and he confirmed the matter.”

That was a slight lie

Aurelius thought but showed no expression on his face. Augustus had confirmed certain aspects of the story and had even filled in more useful information, but he certainly hadn’t confirmed that everything Kael said was the truth. Honestly, Aurelius had only brought up Augustus’ name just to see the reaction of the council members. Aurelius slightly smiled as his words had the intended effect.