Axiom :: Prologue(1)

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The glass shuddered in its frame as wind blew past the study room's wide arched window. Occasionally, a petal or leaf swirled by, caught up in the current of late spring air. Bright sunlight from a cloudless day poured through the glass, falling on the simple yet well-made Meraian rug that blanketed the fine lacquered wooden floor. The blue strands of shimisha seaweed that were sewn into it seemed to dance as they sparkled, bringing the portrayed naiads to life. Each sparkle reflected onto the walls and ceiling, further illuminating the room.

On one side, the smooth stone wall was lined with tall shelves, half of which were crammed with books in a multitude of colors and sizes. The other shelves held neatly spaced and organized scrolls, some new, and some so old they seemed ready to fall apart at the touch. The opposite wall was covered with framed maps and large tapestries of ancient battles. Several of the frames held miniature wood or metal plaques with descriptions or paper notes pinned to them in study. 

Across from the window, turned away from the wall, sat a sturdy, lightly varnished wooden desk with simple trim and brass handles on a fair number of drawers. The largest furnishing in the room by far, reaching nearly to the center of the room itself.

Though, sitting behind the desk, Claradina Ou'bosa was oblivious to it all as she poured over several of the old scrolls littering the surface; many recently discovered. Her long golden-brown curls were tied back to prevent them from blocking her vision, though a few strands had managed to elude her and were now looped over her ears. The simple cut blue dress she wore seemed in slight contrast with the rest of the elegance in the room, but that was the style of clothing she preferred: fine, yet not too fancy, and definitely comfortable. She was lightly plump, and required a looser fit than some. The material was almost as soft as her own white, feathered liange wings, which lay folded on her back.

She was so focused on what she was reading that she did not hear the light tapping on the door, nor see a woman enter the room with a tray containing a pair of drinks and a platter of food. She did not notice the tray being placed on the corner of her desk next to her, and stood to get a scroll from her shelves, nearly trampling the other woman.

"Lu'vina! My goodness! I'm so sorry, I did not see you there," she said as they steadied one another.

With golden wisps rising from gleaming tan skin like faint tongues of fire, Claradina's personal Study Clerk held an air of prestige, as most su'nora did, even though she was a maidservant. Of average height, though short for a su'nora, she often stood straight, slightly craning her neck, as if to make herself seem taller. Even slouching, Lu'vina was still much taller than Claradina. And although she was entirely hairless as all su'nora were, it did not detract from her subtle beauty in the slightest.

Lu'vina straightened her simple, pale yellow dress and looked at Claradina with black, calm, star-filled eyes. "It is quite alright, my lady," she said as she picked up a glass from the tray and turned to one of the large stacks of unorganized books that filled several of the corners of the room. Two of the tall bronze candle stands they engulfed had completely melted candles from burning through the night. Some of the yellow wax forming miniature stalagmites on the surrounding floor and books after having fallen from the overburdened wax-pans. Lu'vina selected a book, brushed it clean, and sat at the small, round marble table near the window. "I have supplied you with your midday nourishment."

Claradina had not noticed the tray until it was mentioned. "Oh, why, thank you. You're not eating?"

"I consumed earlier." Lu'vina stated, not looking up from the book she was now reading. By the way her wisps lazily curled around it, Claradina was always amazed that it did not burst into flames, or, at the very least, singe the pages.

She took a few bites of the steaming potatoes that covered half the plate and a sip of the drink before continuing to get the scroll from her shelves as she had intended to earlier. This particular scroll  pertained to the War of Righteousness, as most of the old scrolls did, since it had lasted many years and encompassed a good portion of the planet. Accuracies, as it was called by most, was typically used to place other scrolls along a time-line in accordance with the war. She took a few more gulps, returned to her chair, and unrolled the scroll above the one she had been studying, covering many of the other scrolls she had been using earlier.

After a few minutes, Lu'vina began glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. "What is it you are studying so diligently this time, if I may ask?"

"An old document of occurances during the War of Righteousness. It was recently discovered in an old buried cellar in Navor," Claradina said without looking up. So many documents had been lost between then and now, many of which had conflicting timestamps.

Lu'vina slightly raised one of her hairless brows causing creases to show on her forehead, a fair sign of surprise coming from a su'nora. "And just how did you attain it so quickly?" she asked.

"I pulled a few strings with the Headmaster of Documents," she smiled slyly as she glanced up. The clerk sighed as she turned back to her book. "What is it?"

"Nothing, my lady. Only that one of these days your bending of the rules will land you in state of discomfort," Lu'vina stated matter-of-factly as she turned a page, her wisps swirling. After a few moments, she looked back at Claradina, her features softening, and smirked. That was near to a laugh coming from her. Claradina chuckled outright as the su'nora set her book down and crossed the room to peer at the scroll. "Since you have the thing, you might as well tell me what about it was holding your attention so intently."

Lu'vina was more than simply Claradina's servant. She was a friend. And since everyone in the complex was a scholar of sorts, she was also a confidant and would discuss the scrolls and histories with Claradina when she required it.

Claradina stopped laughing, but a smile still shone on her face as she pointed to a few places on the scroll placed nearest to her. "Well, the scroll was claimed to be accurate, which is why I grabbed the Accuracies, because, in a few places here, key points do not entirely make sense," then she pointed to the scroll she had placed above it, "though almost all of the major events line up."

Lu'vina examined her findings for a moment, then raised her hand and slowly moved it over the scroll in question, her wisps fanning out along the material. After a minute or two, she stood upright and placed her hands on her hips, a slight frown forming on her face.

"Well?" Claradina asked curiously, staring at that thoughtful face.

Lu'vina stared back at her for another moment, then turned toward the window before answering. "As far as I can tell, the age of the thing feels about right." Many su'nora could sense the age of an object, the time span of its existence, some down to the month of its formation. Claradina found it to be quite a useful tool, at times. "What do you intend to do?" she queried, turning back to examine the scroll again. "It is quite possible we may have missed a few documents during the Purge."

Claradina pondered. The Purge of Lies is what Lu'vina was referring to. A period of time a century ago in which many new documents were found. Each contained contradicting facts about the followers of the light, painting many of the dark races as righteous and their acts in history justified. But the documents were quickly falsified by the Mind -- a council of scholars that made major decisions for the religions views and histories -- and this led to nationwide burning of any document said to have even the slightest mention of the dark portrayed in a lighter fashion.

But her findings were too accurate. "I do not believe so," Claradina said, fingers to her lips in thought, staring at the scroll. "I feel I need to put in a petition to the Mind."

Lu'vina was quiet for several moments, and Claradina looked up to realize her clerk was not being thoughtful, she was stunned. "M-my lady, are you sure this is a wise decision?" Lu'vina stuttered. "If the Mind views this wrongly, you could be tried and killed as a traitor! I suggest we examine it further before coming to any rash conclusions." She sounded close to terrified.

Claradina rounded the desk and placed her hands on Lu'vina's shoulders, the su'nora woman's deep black eyes large and fixated on her own. "I can understand how you would be frightened by this, truly, I do. I am not entirely sure what to make of it all yet, but I believe that if we stick together on this, properly prepare our results, they will see the light of the matter." She held up a hand before Lu'vina could make another protest. "You go put in our petition, and I will write letters to some of the Brother and Sister scholars I am acquainted with to set up meetings with them and see if we cannot rally some allies on the matter. Go, now."

Claradina coaxed her clerk out the door, shutting it behind her, then sat down to write the formal invitations. Each scholar had to be approached differently and carefully if she was going to get them to even listen to her. Not unlike herself, they each had their own way of handling matters, and could deny her for any reason they deemed worthy.


**********

Over the next few weeks, Claradina met with several of the other scholars she had come to know through the years, though some were no more than acquaintances. They were not required to give an answer immediately, that would be saved for when the Mind met with her petition. And if worse came to worst, afterwards as well. The goal of these meetings was to influence those she met with to then coerce some of the higher council men, since she was not allowed to discuss the matter with them directly once the petition was in place. If all else failed and the Mind came to a less favorable motion, it was her hope that these she met with would then stand up on her behalf to repeal that decision. But she felt confident in her current standings.

So far most of the meetings had gone well. Most. There had been a few interesting encounters. One, for instance, was with Gerude Scythel, an Ar'cand from the east tribes, with his giant, bushy striped tail nearly brushing everything off his own tables as he paced around his study in thought of what she had told him during their meeting.  More than once, she had been required to rescue his own glass from being spilled, not to mention hers, and to make matters worse, she knew she had to do so unobtrusively as not to offend him. His own standpoint on the matter was a governmental one, arguing from the point of an official for the people and how it could affect them as a whole. It had been an eventful 2 hours, to say the least.

Today she had two meetings. The first had been a breakfast with Sanaiya Va'remi in the common dining hall, which was typically used by guests, common workers of the complex, and the occasional scholars who actually liked to get away from they own rooms once in a while. The woman had insisted they meet there. The meal went smoothly, or rather, as smoothly as it could have gone. The smug golden-haired liange woman was taller than most and seemed to use her height to impress her opinions upon others. She had been agreeable for the most part, but that had only been a polite facade, since Claradina knew that the woman would put up a front of formality and then stab you in the back if she felt it necessary. But she was a powerful negotiator and a useful ally, if you could trust that she truly was your ally at any given time.

Currently Claradina was in a meeting with Corellene Guppir. She had been surprised when the woman accepted her request in the first place, and even more so when she arrived and was immediately embraced as if she was a long lost friend. That was a good start, to be sure. When she had first entered the room, she immediately noticed the rug on the floor, which was similar to her own, portraying naiads but also dolphins. But the differences included everything else the room. Scenes of underwater activity and ocean battles covered most of the walls her study, books were housed in high cabinets with glass panel doors, and on every spare bit of surface lay trinkets, colourful shells, and statuettes from her home. There was even a large crystal bowl in one corner housing several exotic fish, a few of which she did not recognize.

In the center of the room, Corellene's clerk had prepared a moderate lunch of tea and sandwiches on a round crystal table formed to look as though it was made of solidified water. It had small ripples in the center and bubbles around the edges of the surface, the legs comprised of crashing waves. The two chairs were grey wood carved to look like seaweed, and the fine dishes were crafted of red coral. Claradina couldn't help but stare at the craftsmanship of the whole set. It was quite beautiful.

"Each piece was brought from home, after a time. It helps with the longing," Corellene stated as she sat down across from Claradina, nodding to the table set, then looked around the rest of the room. Apparently she had caught her admiring. With short, dark blue hair that was naturally held back by a pair of small curled horns, Corellene was a yydran from Merana -- a nation of twin islands consisting mostly of water dwelling races -- and often being away from large bodies of water over a long period of time would cause strong depression or loneliness among her race. If nothing else, the woman could take a ride through Naevehlia city to one of its several beaches. The waters surrounding the island-city were clean if you avoided the ports. Still, it was probably not the same as going home.

"Have you been able to visit your home recently?" Claradina asked sympathetically, as Corellene poured tea for both of them.

"No, I have not. I have not had much time for anything but my studies. That and not many ships trade between Haiel and Merana, especially with the recent surge of pirates in the central sea." She scowled at that last part. "Plus," she said after taking a sip of tea, "I am required to turn in a collection of my research in the next few days, so I have had no choice but to stay."

Excellent. With luck, Corellene would also bring up the matter of their meeting here today. "Speaking of research," Claradina said, peering over her own cup, the sweet smell of honey filling her nose.

"Ah, yes, your findings," Corellene interrupted as she stood and walked toward the window, her dress-like tail-fin swishing across the floor, hiding all but her bare feet.

"I know it's not really your area of study..."

"I try to stick to studying cultures for this very reason," Corellene interrupted again, nodding. Her light oily skin with its patches of blue scales sparkled in the sunlight as she flourished her hands while she spoke. "Religion can get you into all sorts of trouble. But I hear you have a compelling argument and have made quite a big fuss over it, like our meeting here today, and this has pricked my interest." Then she smiled. "And that is why I accepted your invitation."

Claradina let out a quiet sigh of relief. For a moment, she thought the woman was going to cut their lunch short. She took one more long sip of tea and then set the cup down. "Well, then, if you don't mind, I will start."

Corellene nodded again as she sat back down and Claradina began, relating what she had found and how, leaving out no details and being as accurate as possible. As she talked, the other woman's eyes seem to grow slightly wider every minute. Not in anger, but with surprise. Another good sign. If Corellene was not angered, then maybe she would be more likely to believed what she was hearing.

"So you see why I cannot just let this be pushed under the rug, so to speak," Claradina said after several minutes and a second cup of tea, which she had poured. Corellene seemed stunned, and it was yet another moment or two before the woman answered.

"That is definitely quite an argument, to be sure. I would like to see it myself, of course, if you have any spare time later this week," she insisted.

"Of course," Claradina smiled. This was definitely a victory for her.

Just then, Corellene's Study Clerk entered from the door to her chambers, white lace showing from the bottom of her green spring dress. With medium length brown hair and the typical smooth, furless skin of a hyma, she waited to be motioned in before she walked over to the table. "You have a class to teach in an hour, my lady," she said as she began collecting the dishes from their lunch. "Just a reminder."

Corellene blinked and then looked toward a small hanging clock with simple carvings of fish swimming in a circle around the clock-face. "Oh, my, you are right. I do apologize for cutting this short, Clara, but I must have completely forgot."The woman must think them on friendly terms, or she would not have shortened Claradina's name. "I do hope you understand," Corellene said hurriedly as she stood and walked to the door, opening it.

Claradina nodded as she rose and was about to leave, but Corellene caught her by the elbow. "I sincerely hope that we can do this again sometime. Maybe without all the formality?" Corellene smiled before embracing her in another warm hug.


**********

Once in the hall, the door to Corellene's room closed, she decided to head to the main library of the complex and do a little more research. As she came down one hallway, with tall open windows and large billowing curtains, she encountered a su'nora male with pale skin and blue wisps. A rarity among their race. She did not notice him at first, since she was looking down at the floor as she walked in thought, and nearly bumped right into the man. As she apologized and stepped to the side, he placed himself in front of her again, barring her way.

"I'm sorry, is there something I can do for you?" she asked, a little perturbed.

The man looked down at her, nearly a head taller, eyes close to glaring. The white stars in his eyes glowed brighter than normal in the fading afternoon light. "Claradina Ou'bosa?" he queried. She could not tell whether he was a scholar or a clerk from his well-ironed, brown vest and pants.

"Yes?"

"It is strongly rumored that you are spreading lies amongst the scholars," he said pointedly with a flat tone.

Claradina gave the man a level stare and raised her chin, standing taller. She was still barely to his nose, but she would not be looked down on. "I do not know who you have been talking to, Sir, but my information is anything but lies. If you would like we could set up a meet..."

"Never!" he exclaimed, though his volume rose only a little. "You will not succeed, that I promise you." And with that he stalked away, roughly brushing past her as he did.

Claradina stood alone in the hall for quite a few moments, stunned. She was not sure what to make of what had just happened. Had she gone too far? Was she in over her head? Surely revealing the truth was the right thing to do, but what if she did not make it out alive? If this unknown man, a random passerby, knew who she was and what she was doing, then how many others did as well? She needed to be sure in the path she was taking. She needed advice, and knew of only one person she could truly trust.

**********

Shella Trellawo dozed lightly in the small corner hammock of her study room, the floor beneath it littered with books. The swaying motion often helped her to relax and ponder about many issues, though in this instance, she had relaxed a bit more than she had intended. Short, fiery red curls topped a small round face with a light pink nose-tuff that quivered as she slowly took each soft breath. Across the bosom of her fine rose coloured dress lay a small, worn, green novel that had a title written in a tongue long forgotten by most, the gold lettering nearly faded away with time. Her arms, made bare by the shoulderless dress, lay sprawled out to either side, laying atop her large, butterfly-like, black and violet wings. In one hand, she held a large quill pen containing an inset ink tube which she used for marking down translation notes as read. It was large to her tiny fingers, at least.

A tapping at the study door jostled her awake, the disorientation of sleep causing her to topple out of the hammock as she attempted to sit up. Rising from her stomach, Shella hastily straightened her dress and righted her hair as best the curls would allow. She opened the door to find a sheepish looking liange in a simple cut green dress, golden-brown curls poorly tied back in a bun. She was surprised to see her old friend, Claradina Ou'bosa. They did not visit one another as often as they used to, and it had been quite a while since they had last spoken. Shella tsked at the sight of her. The woman never was much of one for fashion.

"Goodness, Clara, don't you have anything remotely fancy to wear?" Shella said as she shook her head, hands on her hips. She waved her friend inside. "Oh, do come in."

"Yes, quickly, before anyone else sees me in such ragged clothing," Claradina mocked. She entered the room and reclined in one of the several woven reed chairs that cluttered the room. Each one wore a different coloured set of removable cushions that tied at the corners. "Is it really that bad?" she asked as she straightened her dress.

"Oh, do shut it," Shella laughed. "You know I was only jesting. But we do have to get you some finer clothes some time."

Claradina nodded slowly as Shella climbed into the chair next to her. She could have floated up into the seat, but her wings would have fluttered in her friend's face as she did, which would have been rather rude. She was used to such situations. Petalo were some of the shortest humans to exist, and she was barely taller than Claradina's waistline while the woman was standing. But she did not let it hinder her, usually ignoring assistance unless she really needed it.

The room itself was almost entirely decorated with undersized furniture, from the hammock Shella had been sleeping in and the miniature table set for two in the center of the room, to the shrunken desk and the short high-backed chair that went with it. The bookshelves and reed chairs were the only normal size objects. Overall it was an oddly colourful mix, accented by the numerous flowers that sat in small vases on every available surface and plants that hung from hooks in the ceiling. Everything had been custom made specifically for a petalo and was only lightly adorned, though heavily lacquered.

"So, my friend, what brings you to visit me so suddenly?" She studied Claradina's face while the woman picked her words.

"I...I need some advice," Claradina said staring straight ahead. "I think I may be in a bit of trouble." She turned to look at Shella, her eyes full of worry. Shella laid her tiny hand on her friend's knee to console her.

"You can trust me. Tell me what you've gotten yourself into this time."

"You are going to think I am crazy, but, about two weeks ago, I stumbled upon something in one of the recently found scrolls."

"Ah, you mean the rumors are true," Shella stated before her friend could continue.

"You heard about it as well?" Claradina exclaimed, turning to Shella.

"Yes, and as far as I know, I've heard practically all of it."

Claradina frowned. Apparently the woman had tried to keep it confined. "Who did you hear it from? Do you know who has been spreading the rumors? What a bunch of children!"

"Easy, my friend," Shella said, taking Claradina's hand in both of hers. "This is a pretty big piece of information you've been telling people. I'm not surprised it was passed around like so."

"But I just had someone accuse me of spreading lies! I'm only trying to rally support for my hearing with the Mind, not start a revolution! By the mother!" Claradina was sounding frantic now. If members of the Mind had heard of the rumors from someone untrustworthy, it could spell bad news for her friend.

"Clara!" Shella said, surprised by Claradina's choice of words. "Please watch your mouth. I can understand where you are coming from, though. This was most likely spread by those whom you have met with who do not support you as strongly as you think. There isn't really anything you can do except to choose your meetings more wisely and try to stifle the rumors through them."

Claradina had her face in her hand now, her elbows resting on her knees. Shella could tell the woman was in a great deal of stress at the moment. She hopped down, walked over to the petalo sized table set and poured a tiny cup of tea from the miniature tea pot that sat in the center of the surface. Handing the cup to her friend, she folded her arms and rested them on the woman's knees, peering up into her eyes.

"I will see what I can do to turn these rumors around," Shella said. "I have some sway around here, being one of the few petalo in the complex. Though, it might help if I had taken a peek at these documents myself."

Claradina sighed and then smiled, nodding. "Alright," she said with new determination. "I guess all I needed was some true support." She stood, taking one of Shella's tiny hands, and they headed back to Claradina's study together.

**********

Another two weeks passed since the day Claradina and Shella had talked, and still the Mind had not given her a response. She was growing anxious, knowing that they might be stalling. She had been pacing in her room for over an hour now, arguing with herself about what her next step should be. Should she take this as a blessing? She could really use the time to gather more support, though she had been to quite a few meetings with about everyone she knew. All in all, Claradina felt she had a good number of supporters, even if the amount of support did waver per person. Then again, the longer she waited, the more time these blasted rumors had to grow, and eventually one would reach the ears of the Mind, and knowing her luck, it would be one of the more damaging of the bundle, exaggerated by the wrong person at the wrong time to the least preferred council member. Any member that heard would likely bring it up with the others before the hearing.

"If you don't stop pacing, you might cause a groove to form in the floor, or maybe wear a path in your favorite floor covering," Lu'vina stated, looking at the Meraian rug. She was out on the balcony sitting in one of the chairs that were part of a white lacquered table set, made for the outdoors. She sipped tea casually as she bathed in the bright morning sunlight, her wisps glowing brilliantly, multiplied by the rays. The tall arched doors were stopped open wide to let in the fresh air. It helped Claradina think.

Claradina paused for a moment, checking the rug, then glared at her clerk before continuing her pacing. She did not have time to wait. This had to be done, and soon. "Lu'vina," she called. "Have you heard anything from the Mind over the past week? Any sort of update at all?"

Lu'vina paused mid sip, which seemed odd to Claradina. "This past week? Uh, no, my lady. The members have been rather tight of lip." Her words and tone were uneven. Something was not right.

"I believe that I can no longer wait for the petition to be seen." Claradina stated boldly as she headed for her desk and opened the middle drawer, taking a piece of paper from it as she dipped her quill in ink. "I want you to take this to the secretary of the Mind. This will tell them that I am going to call a meeting this afternoon."

Lu'vina spit out her latest sip of tea in surprise, placing little brown spots all over the tables white smooth surface. "You cannot be sincere!"

"I am."

"My lady, please, do not do this thing," she pleaded as she quickly rose from her chair and entered the room to face Claradina. "I must be honest with you. The Mind accepted your petition immediately, but conferred with me that they do not wish to meet on this issue. They had me swear not to relay this to you. My lady, they are only trying to be kind since you are so renown. An issue like this could shake the world, and they do no want to see your career tarnished."

Inside, Claradina boiled with anger, but outwardly she remained calm. How dare they toy with her, treating her like some child. If she was uncertain before, she now surely knew what she had to do. She folded her finished letter, sealed it with hot wax, and handed it to her clerk.

"Take this to the secretary. Now, please." Her words were like steel; she would have no more games. Apparently her voice betrayed her anger because Lu'vina cut short whatever she had been about to use as rebuttal, wide eyes fixed on her own, and quickly took the letter and headed out the door.

After her clerk left, Claradina stood silently behind her desk for a little while in solemn thought, preparing herself for the trial to come. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself first, then went over the main points of discussion, as she had a hundred times in the past weeks. It had to be perfect, every word placed precisely. If she thought some of the meetings with the other scholars had been difficult, they were nothing compared to the the meeting that lay before her. Her feelings, nor anyone else's, mattered. This needed to be published. This could change history, and the world as they knew it.

**********

Claradina entered the large meeting room -- known as the Historium Assembly -- a few minutes early to prepare herself for the task at hand, slowly walking down the deep red carpet that ran down the center of the otherwise off-white stone floor. Soon the Mind would gather and the High Scholars would take the seven seats in front of her, tall gleaming things that were a combination of spiral-carved wood and plated gold with cushioned backs as deeply coloured as the rug, all raised up behind a desk as tall as herself. Anyone else who wanted to attend would fill in the long elevated benches that encompassed the rest of the room, all the way to the door.

Claradina looked up at the large domed ceiling that depicted the ancient holy mother on high, arms outstretched in opposite directions, commanding her armies during the War of Righteousness. That ancient war had been against the three Ba'corra, born of man's own greed and wickedness, who had lead her own creations against her. They were displayed on the walls of the room as black, ominous beings with large, cruel weapons, their hordes of dark creatures and cursed men depicted being destroyed by multitudes of soldiers and massive explosions of magic, much larger than anything that could be produced today. It was a grand display that covered every section of the walls. Claradina let up a silent prayer to the holy mother, placed in the very center of that dome in stained glass, her name lost to the ages. Her golden hair and pure white dress and wings gleamed with the light of the day. She resembled a liange, and it was believed they had been made in her image. Maybe she would hear Claradina's prayer and support her quest for truth. Maybe she would lift a little of the weight from her shoulders. Maybe not.

Just then the large tower bell sounded three times to mark the hour. The doors to the room behind her slowly opened to admit a mass of scholars, a mix of many different races, who methodically filtered onto the benches. Her words had definitely gotten around. This could be either very good, or very bad, but that did not matter. If anything it was more ears to hear the truth, and truth could be compelling if stated correctly. Claradina did not turn to watch them gather, but rather continued to stare at those seven seats, waiting for her opponents to fill them.

**********

Shortly after the bell sounded to mark the third hour, Corellene entered the Historium while carefully holding her tail-fin tightly around her legs to avoid it being stepped on by the throng of other scholars. She was here to support her newfound friend, regardless of what she believed herself. Corellene wanted to avoided religious study topics as much as possible. They were not worth the trouble, but her opinion in this matter did not matter, it was only the support that mattered.

She sat as close as she could to the front, behind the row of High Scholars who did not act as the High Seats during this day's hearing. They often rotated unless one or the other had a specialty with the matter being heard, but with today's issue being of such magnitude, she suspected that only the highest of the Mind would be filling those chairs today.

Besides having to peer around the long furry ears of a mu'ris scholar, she had a clear view of Claradina in the center of the room. The woman's face was stern and calm as she watched the seven High Scholars take their seats in front of her. As suspected, Joreth Du'gada took the center chair, which was the tallest of the seven. His short brown hair and angled face stood a head above any of the other High Seats, and even double that for one. As a large, hulking liange man, his bulk obviously apparent even with his ceremonial attire hiding every contour, he might have been attractive if he was not always so grim. He had held the position of Head for three years now, and even without his size, he intimidated most whether intending to or not. Now he peered over the desk down at the woman in front of him with a flat look of disapproval. Corellene might have been worried if not for Claradina's confidence.

**********

Sanaiya Va'remi, at least that was the name she currently used, sat at the end of the benches near the front of the room. Her selected spot was buried behind several rows, but she still had a good view of the woman at the center of the room, and an angled view of the High Seats. She had to be careful, if anyone saw what she was about to do, it could ruin all of her plans. This woman had to be silenced. She should have done it when the woman brought the matter to her in her study, but she did not believe then that it would escalate to this extreme. She really would have liked to stick to the old ways, when even a mention of dark support meant death, but those methods had not been practiced in over a century. Times had changed, and she was required to be more discrete if she was going to regain her position. That was more important than what this pitiful woman had to offer.

Patience. That was all she needed, though she was not accustomed to having to wait for anything. Back in the day, she either got what she wanted instantly, or someone suffered. Oh, someone would suffer soon, but not because they failed her, but because she was tired of the drivel and mindless meddling that kept trying to uproot her, even if unintentionally. She was so close to her original status, she could taste it. Another year, maybe, which was nothing compared to how long she had waited. The worst part of it was that she had somehow fallen into the background, unnoticed and unknown, and she had not even realized until it had been too late. Soon they would all know her name once again.

**********

Shella stood with the entire assembly as the Mind's secretary announced the High Seats and Claradina from one of the front benches. Every person had donned rather fine attire for today's hearing, as was expected of anyone attending, except for Claradina, who wore one of her typical plain dresses. At least this one had a hint of lace around its hem, which was better than none. Shella really needed to teach the woman about fashion.

Joreth pounded the wooden mallet on the sounding block, announcing the start of the hearing, and everyone was seated except Claradina, who remained standing in the center of the room. Shella was glad to see that she held her calm, at least on the outside. She would need it if she was going to convince this lot. The Mind could be a very stubborn and opinionated bunch when they wanted to be, and today's group were the worst. She had confidence in her friend, but she knew that Claradina needed much more than confidence or support. The woman needed all the luck of the Endless Rhea herself.

**********

Awaiting her turn to speak, Claradina kept her outward appearance steady, but inside she was nearly shaking. She kept her hands at her sides to prevent herself from fidgeting. Joreth was staring down at her, and he did not look pleased. After everyone was seated, he rifled through some documents, as did the other six seated to either side of him, before he actually started.

"Claradina Ou'bosa, the Mind has been informed that you have found something disturbing amongst the newer scrolls that you felt needed to be brought to a hearing," he said calmly as he straightened the pages in front of him. "If you would, please, tell us what it is that could not wait for a formal meeting." He added a hint of irritation near the end.

Claradina took a deep breath before she started. She slowly turned, addressing the entire room as she spoke. "High Seats and members of the mind, within a storeroom cellar long forgotten in our sister city of Navor, there was found a library of ancient scrolls. Within these scrolls, many new pieces of information have been discovered, giving clues and solidifying much of our current information and beliefs, and also revealing a few new mysteries previously unbeknownst to us. Among these new mysteries, I have found one piece of information that causes a confliction."

A slight murmur hummed through the room, and one of the High Scholars sitting on a front bench stood: a large mo'ken woman with dark fur, large hands, and no tail. She was a rarity amongst the scholars. "So just throw the document out. Any contradicting document is more than likely a work of the dark races." Many others nodded in agreement.

"Normally, I would," she said as she faced the woman. "But I checked the Accuracies against it, just to be sure. Not only do the major points align with the document as one would expect, but so do every other account detailed there in... chronologically and characteristically." She paused there to let it sink into their minds, listening to another hum of murmurs.

"Pray tell then, dear woman, what is this antithesis you found," the same woman asked. Good. They had bitten the hook even before she had revealed to them what it truly was. So far so good. At least they had not rejected her based on the fact that it was a confliction. But what was Joreth thinking? That should be her main worry. She turned to address the High Seats and found him with his hand on his chin in consideration. That heightened her spirits a little. Maybe there was hope yet.

"All of us," she began again, "know the details of the War of Righteousness and the occurances that lead up to it. Every child in our nation, and many of those beyond also know this, as it is common knowledge. We all know that, before the war, the evil in man's heart gave birth to the Ba'corra, manifesting into 3 forms: war, lust, and emptiness. We know that these beings then further enticed men to wickedness and corrupted their forms, and then lead them against the holy mother to claim all of mankind for themselves."

"What is your point, child?" one of the more elderly High Seats, a balding, white haired hyma, asked. They were growing impatient it seemed.

"My point is this." Again she turned to address the rest of the Mind, slowly pacing as she spoke. "It is common knowledge that the Ba'corra wanted man for themselves, as greed was their nature, and this new document concurs that they did coerce men. But, it also states that the holy mother sent her following of Endless and man attempted to hinder their actions before the war, many times, attacking any village containing even one Ba'corra follower, whether the entire village was corrupted or not."

Again this caused a stir, but the old scholar dismissed it with a wave of his hand as he sat back in his chair. "A minor difference, my dear, and one not unexpected. Those were difficult times, and even one wicked follower could infect a mass of people if left undealt with."

Claradina nodded in agreement. "Very true, sir, but that is only the start of it. The document also states that before the war there were no dark races." That caused an uproar throughout the room, people standing while yelling and shaking their heads in denial. Many of the High Scholars chimed in as well, including two of the High Seats. Joreth on the other hand, continued to sit in thought, his hand still on his chin, eyes locked onto her.

**********

The entire room boomed with the voices of the Mind as they made their disagreement known, except those who Claradina had previously met with to rally for support. Corellene sat patiently, studying others in the room who did not stand or yell. They numbered around twenty, more or less, and only a few she recognized: Shella Trellawo -- a petalo with bright red hair and a ravishing violet gown -- sat across the room from her, though one bench higher, Madiri Dyt -- a sylva with blue and green scales in a beautiful pink blouse -- rested at the far end of same bench she sat on, Fahn Pettsen -- an older male hyma who wore a fine brown suit -- was two rows above her, and Sanaiya Va'remi, with her large white wings and odd dark blue cloak, sat in the far front corner of the room in the back row. The noise got so loud that Corellene was tempted to put her hands over her ears.

A few moments later, Joreth finally sat forward and pounded the mallet, calling the room to silence. He set the mallet down and leaned back again, motioning for Claradina to continue. The fact that he was so calm was a very good sign. If anyone could see reason, it was Joreth.

As Claradina began explaining some of the finer details of what she had found, -- information that Corellene had already heard during their lunch a few weeks back-- her eyes were drawn to a small bit of blue light in the far corner of the room, but when she looked directly at it, there was nothing there. She watch the area for another sign of the light and noticed Sanaiya had her hands cupped in her lap, one on top of the other, hiding something. She also noticed that the gems in her bracelet were glowing faintly before the blue light flashed again between Sanaiya's cupped hands; only a small sparkle of light. Magic was not allowed during hearings. Sanaiya then pressed her hands together and a puff of blue smoke escaped before quickly vanishing.

Corellene did not know what it was the woman was up to, and was about to stand and make a protest, when, suddenly, Joreth stood and slammed his hands down on the desk in front of him, causing many in the room to jump. Claradina was also startled and quickly turned to see what had happened.

"Is something wrong, Joreth?" the High Seat to his right asked as Joreth blinked repeatedly. His face was red and his expression furious.

"I think we have heard quite enough of this dribble," he stated angrily.

Claradina looked shocked. "Sir, I..."

"I have heard that you have been spreading these lies for weeks now, and it has been causing quite a stir amongst the other scholars," he interrupted. "I have had enough of these whimsical findings. I will not continue to sit here while you spread you words of heresy to the rest of us!" That last part was nearly a yell. The rest of the Mind was silent in shock and confusion. No one seemed to understand exactly what was happening.

Claradina's eyes were wide, and she seemed stunned. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words stumbled out. "B-But... the..."

"I said we have heard enough. These documents are anything but true! You will silence yourself and forget them. You will hand them over to be burned, and if you continue to push the matter, you will force us to exact punishment," he said, glaring down at her.

**********

Shella's heart nearly sank when she heard those words leave the Head Scholar's lips. She had come to support her friend, but if a statement like that had been made, there was not a whole lot she could do. Anything further would only endanger more lives. She sat as silent as the rest of the room, all in shock from Joreth's sudden outburst. Something had suddenly changed in the man. One minute he was sitting thoughtfully, and then the next he was in a rage. It was very unlike him, from what she knew of the man.

Shella thought Clara was finished, but Joreth's last words seemed to light a new fire inside her. She stood as tall as she could, raising her chin, and met the man's gaze with defiant eyes. "I demand that my findings be released to the public. Is it not our requirement as scholars to find and correct history? You have no right to silence the truth! I am appalled by what you are commanding of me, and will not stand for it!" she exclaimed.

The other High Seats were standing now and staring at Joreth, some even tugging on his sleeves. "Sit down, Joreth! This is not the proper way to conduct a hearing," the elderly hyma demanded.

Joreth looked ready to burst, a snarl forming on his face. He yanked an arm away and pointed at the door furiously. "Since you pushed so hard for a hasty decision, you will have it. This hearing is over! Get out of my sight!" he yelled, nearly shaking with rage.

Shella watched as her friend took a few steps back, and then turned and ran out the door, leaving a thoroughly stunned Mind behind. Everyone watched her go, their confusion showing on their faces as plainly as it had Claradina's.


(Due to my member status limitations, the rest of the prologue can be found here: http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1816100-Alitheia--Prologue2 )