TBATE: Let The Truth Be Known {Completed}

Chapter 41: The Beginning of the End

ARTHUR LEYWIN

As the morning comes and I groggily roll from bed, I'm reminded once more of how my life has changed recently. Regis is asleep in his human form on the loveseat he insisted on having put in my room... or our room? His feet are crossed across one armrest and his head lies on his hands that rest on the opposite armrest.

To my left, Cecilia and Tess are fast asleep in the second bed. It was agreed they'd share that bed and let me sleep alone. They're already best friends. They're even asleep in the same position.

I stand from my bed and it creaks slightly but not enough to wake my companions. I tip-toe out of the room and open the door into the common area where my mother is sitting on the couch crocheting. I gently close the door behind me and walk to join her on the adjacent couch.

"Good morning, Mom. How come you're up so early?" I ask.

"I couldn't sleep very well. Call me superstitious, but I got a foreboding feeling all last night. I barely slept a wink. I'm trying to bore myself to sleep now," she answers as she looks up at me and gives me an exhausted smile.

"Let me know if there's anything I can do. I'm going to head over to the council building. If you need me, tell Regis," I reply before standing, grabbing a banana-like fruit from the kitchen, and heading out the door.

It's my routine peaceful journey from home to work that serves to calm me and set the pace for my day. Songbirds chirp, creatures rustle in the bushes and undergrowth, and the gentle purple hue of the 'sunrise' begins to emerge in the 'horizon.'

Before long, I'm strolling through the town. We've elected to title it New Zestier in celebration of Tessia's return. She's become a beacon of hope for the many elves that have taken residence here.

"Care for breakfast, Arthur?" an aged yet gentle voice calls to me from one of the nearby vendors on the main strip.

"I can never say no, Kryssel. I'll take one now, and here's some money for when Tess comes to get one later. Tell her a secret admirer got it for her," I tell him with a giggle.

"Hah! Understood, General Arthur. Same as always?" Kryssel asks.

"Yes sir. One strawberry and one elderberry," I answer as I slide a couple coins from my dimension rune across the counter.

We share a bit of menial conversation before my order is served and I'm off once more to the Council Building.

"Good Morning, General Leywin," the guard at the entrance declares. The portly human man with deep brown eyes gives a firm salute as I give him a nod with my two conical breakfast foods in hand.

"How is the Council doing this morning?" I ask the council room as I sit down in my chair at the slight inlet of the circular table and begin eating my breakfast.

"We're fine, brat. On the other hand, it's rather unprofessional to eat in a work meeting," Virion jokes.

"Well, *smack smack* that may be true, but *smack* I'm pretty hungry," I taunt. Half the room cringes at my incessant open-mouthed chewing.

"Okay, kid! Close the damn mouth!" Virion shouts, mimicked by nearly everyone in the room except Curtis who stifles a laugh.

The room has its fair share of laughs as Seris is the last Council member to walk in. "I hate to ruin your fun, Arthur, but as soon as you're done with that meal, you need to head to the ruins of Cardigan."

"What for?" I ask.

"You'll find out when you get there, I promise," she answers as she sits down and pulls a strand of hair over her left horn and tucks it behind her ear.