Crimson Claws & Fangs ch.22

    In the grand city of Higher Law, before a massive marble like building with massive steps and pillars as thick as a sycamore, stands two giant lanky figures; Ahm, in all his golden feathered glory and besides him a female looking much like himself, his wife Ohsorin.  Ahm stands angry that that the Hinnen council has waited so long to address him and his concerns.

 

    Inside the massive hall more like a coliseum than a court house Ahm and Ohsorin stand before a podium in the middle as the stands around them are filled with the Hinnen council, comprised a menagerie of bird like figures and colors from beings with dull brown and grey bodies with sparrow like heads to almost peacock and birds of paradise like Hinnen.

 

     The spokesman standing before them, a grey feathered male Hinnen with a head like that of a roadrunner, stands and addresses them, “Ahm, and Ohsorin, we of the council have been looking over your recommendations that you sent to us one year ago. Although this is a rather quick decision you have been rather impatient in wanting a response. We understand you believe this to be an urgent matter as Litmet did try to destroy humanity once. However we did act quickly and sent spies to the Earth. In this time we have not seen a single attempt by her to wreak havoc upon the human population. In fact she has been remaining hidden, assimilated quickly into the Vampire Society.”

 

    Ahm speaks to the council in a broad echoing voice, “By brethren, I personally saw what she did in the desert lands of man kind’s birth. She destroyed people, she has turned good men evil, and she has awoken an ancient immortal Kuhrai daughter of hers. She is undoubtedly biding her time and building her power. I have seen her assume a form that in the entire 50,000 years of our history no one has ever seen before. Litmet transformed into a quadruped monster, a form much stronger than the giant demon like form we documented before being her transformation. This form is disturbingly similar in shape and power to that of the Dire.”

 

   “The what?” asked the spokesman.

 

   Ohsorin speaks up, “The Dire, sir, is the name currently being used by the humans to refer to the Rai.”

 

    Ahm speaks up, “Sorry, I have become used to using the human terms for them. I will speak more properly.”

 

    Another member of the council a Hinnen with a head similar to that of an Ibis taps his gavel to indicate he wishes to speak. The spokesman says, “The floor will hear out Thoth.”

 

    Thoth stands, “In these 50,000 years, we have explored and documented many strange and as much as we way not like it, older and stronger, races that inhabit this universe. In all that time we have very little contact with the Lit, in fact in all our time we only know three of them by name. What we learned from the much more…common Rai is that the Lit come from the same place they do. We don’t know where this is, however our neighbors the Naj have told us that both those races were once rivals and next door neighbors, possibly sister species, which we deduce from the wording the Naj use to describe their rather vague past. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that the Lit have a similar beast form as the Rai. It most certainly isn’t a cause for alarm. After all they must have been able to do it this entire time.” Thoth sits back down.

 

    Ahm speaks up again, “So it doesn’t concern anyone that this very secretive group, with a very violent record, can assume a beast form stronger than the beast form we assume. In fact out of all the species we know able to assume a beast form we are the only ones who actually get weaker in that form than our humanoid state. These Lit are dark, evil creatures who we know have massive numbers, in the Northern region of the Land of Dao, amongst the Black Mountains we know there swarms hundreds if not thousands of them. Our numbers…” Ahm looks around the room holding out his arms, “this! All of you in this room make up almost 50% of our entire species. And it doesn’t concern you that if the Lit really wanted to, they could easily destroy the Earth’s people, they could kill all of us even. We should take this more seriously! The Rai, the Lit, The Naj, the Gol, all of those races out number us, all of them have vicious, barbaric methods of government, all of them have a presence on the Earth, all of them cherish strength above justice, and all of them have some stronger beast form they can become. Hell the Gol and Naj turn into giant dragons and sea serpents! We have to show them we will not simply sit back as they run rampant over lesser beings and show them we can be strong or they will look down on us, and thus view us as something to brush aside.”

 

    Another Hinnen, one with black feathers and a head like a crow bangs his gavel, the spokesman saying, “The floor will hear Seth-Tesh.”

 

   Seth-Tesh speaks with a deep mannered voice, “Ahm, and all here, as we all know, darkness does not always equal evil. Those races speak vaguely of each other; speak of each other not as friends but as rivals. They have no interest in us. They have their own concerns, their own problems. We know on their worlds of races that we have contact with, who we know despite coming from places we would label as dark and evil are not so, such as the Kuhrai, and the Sollose, and the Aesperians. And we know of races who come from places we think of as bright and holy have shown a darker side, such as the Immortals who reside to the city of Stridonia to the south of here. They claim descent from another universe of Utopias and bright fluffy clouds, yet they have gambling, brothels, and slavery. Good and evil have nothing to do with a species’ politics, instincts, or appearances. Litmet may be some mysterious character who has a personal issue with Ahm, but we have no evidence their species even cares we exist. The Naj? The Naj trade with us, The Gol have their own in-fighting to deal with, and the Rai…most of them would rather stay in their hidden caves and little corners of this universe and Earth than ever bother with any of us. They may be strong, but they, aside from the Naj, have no unified governments, and unless we did something to provoke them would never bother with us.” Seth-Tesh sits back down looking contented with himself.

 

    The spokesman orders a vote be made on the issue. Each member taps something on an unseen red screen before them, looking out of place in the otherwise Roman styled structure. The Spokesman stands and speaks to Ahm, “The council has made their decision; it seems the majority has prescribed Action 1, observation. We will continue to watch the situation with our spies on Earth. Thank you. Meeting adjourned.” With that he slams down his silver gavel indicating the issue over. Ahm leaves as the next appointee, a human sized woman with wing like feathers coming from her arms, a Hinlen, enters the chamber.

 

    Ahm turns to Ohsorin, “They had that decision ready before I ever entered there. It wouldn’t have mattered what I said, they are too thick headed to see the truth. This needs immediate action, not debates and silly rules.”

 

    Ohsorin says in a claming manner, “Dear, its these rules that separate us from monsters like the Rai and Lit.”

 

    Ahm looks at his slightly shorter than himself wife, “I know” he says calmly, “I plan to watch this situation myself, I don’t need their spies, if they even have any, I will watch, and don’t worry my dear I won’t draw any attention to myself. I just need proof of the threat.”