Counsel of Creatures

[Strawberri]

Alaidia Drem walked into the counsel room, following after her parents. Her princess crown was weaved into her long blonde hair with smaller braids twists. The girl's ears were long and pointed, showing her elfin heritage, the jewls in her ears showing her royal descent.


As she walked in, her long robes grazed the floor. The natural glitter on her skin sparkled in the occasional light that broke through small windows. Other than that, the large room was dark to make sure more nocturnal creatures would be comfortable.

 

[Tsukiyama]

Soren arrived to the council room following quietly behind her mother, her violet hues scanning the area around her. Her long dark curls fell down her back, her crown sitting neatly atop her head to announce her royal status. In between the slit of her airy dress, the patches of shimmering scales could be seen on the skin of her slim human legs.


As she took her seat between her parents, she stared off into the distance, ultimately bored with the proceedings. She doubted it would be anything important.


Her eyes caught those of the elf princess.


Reference Pic:

 

[Strawberri]

Alaidia had just sat down in front of her parents in her counsel seat when she looked up and locked eyes with Soren. She glanced at her people's enemies closely, examining her features. She found the woman very lovely and a complete opposite of herself.


Honestly, Alaidia didn't understand what the fued between their species was about. The merfolk seemed like fine people and she knew that the elves were very kind although a bit stubborn...Her attention was brought away from Soren when the Elder Leader began to speak.

 

[Tsukiyama]

Soren tore her eyes away from the other girl when their Leader began to speak, his voice loud and booming through the counsel.


She didn't consider anything he said as much importance. He went on and on about not revealing themselves to humans, about keeping their identity secret, no matter what creature they were.


It was all a bore to Soren. The mermaid had heard the same thing since she was a little guppy. The reminders came round when someone slipped up. She wondered who it was this time.

 

[Strawberri]

Though she had heard the speech since she had been a little elfling barely old enough to not trip over her robes, Alaidia listened avidly to what their leader was saying. She was the typical good little mythical creature. Her studies were wide and extensive and she followed traditions perfectly.


The girl looked secretly to her right as their leader began to speak of not showing themselves. She knew that it had been one of the fairies to accidentally show themselves. One of them had popped out of a blooming flower while a human had reached to examine it. The princess only knew this because the elves and the fairies were very close and actually shared counsel seats.

 

[Tsukiyama]

The Elder moved on to speak of how those that disobey must be punished and called the offending fairy forward to the platform where the Elders were seated.


Soren squinted, taking her mother's hand in her own tightly and fighting the urge to turn her head away. She couldn't stand this part, she hated that they had such strict rules in the Counsel of Creatures. It made her stomach turn.

 

[Strawberri]

Alaidia faught back tears as she watched the fairy float over to the platform. She could hear the fairy's family crying, her mother crying out loudly for her to be spared.


The elf could not turn away, though. If she did, her parents would simply turn her back around. They believed that turning away showed weakness and would not allow it. The blonde took a quick glance at the other side of the room and saw Soren turning away.

 

[Tsukiyama]

Soren thought this was the worst thing about the Council, it just made no sense to her. She couldn't look at the Elders carried out their duty, averting her gaze but refusing to close her eyes. Her father didn't allow that.


Her gaze found Alaidia's, surprised to see her looking her way. They always seemed to be sitting across from each other, always looking at one another, but never really speaking. The family feud, that was another thing that made no sense....

 

[Strawberri]

Alaidia looked at her supposed enemy for a few moee moments before turning back to the Elders and the fairy. After the creature was dead, she was carried out immediately.


As the Elders began to wrap up, Alaidia's parents touched her shoulders gently, telling her that they were leaving quickly after they were done.

 

[Tsukiyama]

After every Council meeting Soren felt the need to relax and unwind. It was an awful thing they did there and it often clouded Soren's mind for awhile after.


There was a deep forest near her home. Soren disappeared there after the meeting, moving far into the forest until she found a small pond with a waterfall pouring into it. The mermaid carefully removed her robes before slowly wading into the crystalline water.

 

[Strawberri]

Alaidia was brought back to the castle she lived in with her parents. It was open and filled with flowers. They liked to be close to nature.


As they were sitting down to discuss their next move to improve the lives of their people, they were alerted that there was a breech in the border. Her father told their warriors to capture whoever it was and bring them back.

 

[Tsukiyama]

Soren didn't anticipate being seized by warrier elves (judging by their ears and armor) and yanked out of the water. The mermaid thrashed and struggled, trying to use her muscular tail to ward the elves away to no avail.


She was forced to revert to human as she was gagged, tied and thrown over the shoulder of a large man, leaving her unable to sing her siren song and deter the elves. To make it all worse, they didn't even grab her clothes, just hauled her back to the kingdom with some ragged blanket around her.

 

[Strawberri]

"Escort the princess to her chambers." Alaidia's father instructed one of the guards in the room. He didn't want his daughter to even hear of what might happen. There were great punishments for trespassing on their land.


Alaidia stared at her parents until the guard gently lifted her from her seat. She hated how they always left her out of things. The elf looked back at her parents as she was escorted out until she couldn't see them anymore.

 

[Tsukiyama]

The mermaid found herself at the elf king's mercy, thrown on the hard floor before him. He decided no judgement would be made quite yet and to place her in a secure area to be held prisoner. Soren struggled hard as possible as she was carried out, never ceasing to yell through the gag.


The capture was the talk of the kingdom. Elves despised mermaids, so it was no surprise that no one was particularly heartbroken over her impending demise.

 

[Strawberri]

Alaidia could hear the screams from her room. Her face was one of worry and a bit of fear. What had her parents decided and who was the trespasser? The lithe elfin princess made her way back to where her parents were and fell to her knees gracefully in front of her father.


Despite how merciless and cruel the man could be, he was much softer and more protective of his only heir. He reached out and touched his daughter's cheek, her face so much like her mother's.


"Do not fret, little one. It has been dealt with." The man didn't explain what had been dealt with or how, but Alaidia knew that it was all she would get from him.

 

[Tsukiyama]

Soren had no idea where she was placed, she only knew that the floor was cold and hard where she was laid down. Was this some sort of dungeon? But dungeons didn't have windows, did they?


Her teeth dug into the gag in her mouth as she pushed herself to sit up, scooting towards the only window in the room. Her hands were tied together but never the less she pounded against the stained glass, howling for help through the muzzle keeping her mouth locked shut.

 

[Strawberri]

"Yes, father." Alaidia stood from the floor and slowly backed out of the room. When she was clear of her parents, the girl turned around and scowled. Why wouldn't her parents tell her what was happening? Deciding to find out herself, the elf princess made her way through the castle and into the dungeon.


"Hello?" she called out as she entered the basement holding cells. Alaidia hoped she had been correct and that the sounds had come from there. She was sure she had seen some guards running down there as she was dragged up to her room.

 

[Tsukiyama]

The mermaid slammed her fists against the bars repeatedly after scooting towards the cell door, trying to let whoever know that she was in there and wrongfully. The chances it was someone that would help her were little, but she had to try.


Even if it was someone to give her actual clothes or some water, she'd take anything.

 

[Strawberri]

Alaidia's eyes widened as she heard the loud banging and muffled protests as she walked closer to Soren's cell. Did they actually have a prisoner? What was so horrible that they were put directlt into a dungeon cell? The elf couldn't put the questions in her head aside, her curiosity leading her to the cell.


At first, the princess didn't realize who was in the cell. It took her a few moments to remember that the prisoner was the girl she had seen today. She remembered her hair most because Soren's face was covered by the muzzle on it.


"Why are you in here?"

 

[Tsukiyama]

Soren's eyes teared up when she saw Alaidia, crawling up close to the bars when the fairy came closer. She shook her head to say she didn't know, her fingers grabbing at the muzzle on her face.


The mermaid was glad to see someone of a familiar face that would hopefully have some mercy on her. Soren wondered if she knew where the keys were but doubted it, all she could do was hope.

 

[Strawberri]

Seeing that the girl was struggling to speak, Alaidia stepped a bit closer. She examined the muzzle for a moment before twitching her hand quickly. The muzzle fell to the floor of the cell. After another couple minutes, the gag and restraints were gone, bit she did not unlock the cell just in case.


"I have used my magic to set you free. Now, you must tell me why you are here."

 

[Tsukiyama]

The mermaid sighed heavily in relief, rubbing her wrists where the restraints once were and stretching her jaw. Soren looked up at Alaidia, shaking her head in response.


"I don't know. I was in the forest, down by a pond and before I know it...some big men are dragging me here. I don't know what I did wrong. They didn't tell me."

 

[Strawberri]

"Tell me...Did this pond have green and pink flowers growing around it?" Alaidia was worried. If Soren had accidentally went for a swim in the pond, she could begin to lose her memory and would probably be sentenced to death. The pond was a pond that had elfin spells on it. It could heal an array of illnesses that elves could contract, but it also punished other creatures who entered.

 

[Tsukiyama]

Soren's face paled, distinctly recalling an array of green and pink surrounding the small pool of water. Her fists tightened their grip on the bars of the cell as her throat bobbed. "What does that mean? Am I going to die?" The mermaid questioned the elfin princess, her eyes begging the other female to be honest with her. "I didn't mean to cross into your territory, I really didn't know."

 

[Strawberri]

Alaidia made her way to the other girl, stopping just out of her reach outside the cell. Her face was grave. "That was a healing pond for elves. The spells put on it will affect you negatively, most likely erasing your memory slowly. Before you lose everything, I'm guessing you will be put to death. Trespassing is a great crime in my land."