Eternal Abyss - Waterfire Saga - Book 5

Chapter 12 - Council

Hello! Sorry for the really late update! Please enjoy this new chapter from the Amazons.

          Ava paced back and forth in her Amazon hut. They should be arriving any second now.

"Tem certeza de que eles estão vindo?" Ava's older half-sister, Livvia, whom she lived with, asked. Here in the Amazons, most tribes spoke Artcūlies. There were however, a few who spoke BritíŽal and some others. Ava and her family belonged to the Eel Strike tribe. Their tribe had an alliance with the Pink Dolphin tribe and the Great Otter tribe. The others, Sharp Piranha and Caiman Scales were against the rules of these other tribes. They believed they should expand beyond the peaceful home of the Amazon and take over other cities. There had been a huge disagreement for years, and a silent civil war that raged through them.

"Espero que você," Ava replied, uncertain. Her friends were supposed to have shown up hours ago. But there could always be a delay. It was the fact that she'd already sent three convocas to them with no response that got her worried.

"There's a council meeting tonight," Ava sighed. "It starts in a few minutes." Ava had planned her friends to show up to it with her. She had told all the Councillors that Serafina, the Queen of Miromara, would be showing up for her Coronation. Now all the Amazonians were talking about it. They would be so disappointed when they heard Sera was late. 

"I think you should go by yourself. Council meetings are very important. I'll stay home and wait for your friends' arrival," Livvia said.

"But they're my friends, Liv. I feel bad leaving you when I should be taking care of them."

Livvia shrugged it off. "meu Deus, Ava, don't you understand a bit of kindness? This is the only time I'm going to do this, so take advantage of it. And please don't worry about me not being able to take care of myself. Just because I'm sick doesn't mean I can't handle myself alone."

Livvia had been sick for almost a year now, with some illness that made her weak and tired all the time. Ava barely left her side nowadays.

Ava reluctantly nodded. "Alright. Thank you."

Livvia smiled. "Anytime. And I assume you don't need help getting around without bumping into someone?"

Ava would've rolled her eyes if she could. "For Nyx's sake, feche. You know how much that annoys me."

Ever since Ava returned home to the Amazon River without her dear pet piranha, she had learned to develop a better understanding of her surroundings, even though she couldn't actually see. Ava had the streets and corners of her village known by heart. As she carefully swam through, she could sense the presence of the Council House near. She flicked her tail and went inside, where she headed to the Councillor chairs.

"Excuse me," she said aloud, "But my friends, Serafina, Becca, Neela, and Ling are running late. They will not be able to speak tonight."

She couldn't see it, but somehow she knew the Councillors were nodding.

"Very well," came the voice of Koreg, the representative of Great Otter tribe. Each tribe had their own representative, who was a part of the Council.

"That's a shame," Lusa said, her voice sickly sweet. Lusa had only been on Council for a little less than a year since the last representative had gotten ill. She was the most deceitful, and rumor had it she had charmed the people into choosing her as a Council member. She was a member of Caiman Scale, and deeply pushed forward the movement of taking over other cities. Ava disliked this Councillor the most. "I very much was looking forward to meeting your little . . . friends." She looked around. "Also, where is your sister? Isn't she normally with you?"

"That's quite enough," Councillor Buron grunted. Buron was the oldest, and as many said, the wisest of all Councillors. He had been on the Council for over 50 years, and represented Eel Strike, Ava's own tribe. "We really should get started."

Lusa frowned, but cleared her face a moment later. "Of course. Perhaps I'll meet them some . . . other time."

* * *

The Council meeting continued rather smoothly for the first part, each member discussing things going on in their territory. An endangered species, a burglar that had yet to be found, and plans and suggestions for the future.

"As you probably know, I completely agree with Councillor Normand's suggestion of conquering the east city, the one that bluntly disobeyed our orders to move out of the Amazons."

Councillor Normand was Councillor of Sharp Piranha and was just as intent as Lusa about being ruthless to other cities.

"Lusa, you know this already," Councillor Lya of Pink Dolphin said softly. "As Amazons, we don't attack others. It is simply against the laws that our great founders set in place."

"The world is changing," Lusa argued. "We have some of the greatest weapons in the world, the most fierce warriors, the most advanced villages -- yet we sit behind our borders and cower like fools! Is this what our founders wanted? I think not. Our talents go to waste because of weak leaders like you."

Lya looked taken aback. "Excuse me? I'm simply ensuring our safety."

"And our downfall," Lusa shot back ferociously. "The more we wait behind our walls and do nothing, the stronger the other cities become. They'll take over us soon enough, and you all will realize too late that I was right."

Ava had heard enough. She'd experienced the horrors of war firsthand. Her people, the Amazons, were in no state to battle. "Have you ever had to lose the ones you've loved? I don't think so. Have you ever fought against the Greatest Mage in history? I don't think so. But I have. And I know that war will cause terrible things. You have no right to force us into a battle that no one wants."

Councillor Buron finally stepped in. "Ava, stand down. You are not to speak without permission. I understand your urgency, Lusa -- but war is not the way to go. Protecting our people is what we stand for. No taking over others nonsense. The East Amazon River is not prepared for war, either. They will not be attacking us. Am I understood?"

Lusa sneered and hissed softly, "I have lost everything, too. You're not the only one with troubles, you know." Buron gave her a warning look.

Then she swept her tail in the direction of her tribe. "Let's get out of this charade." But before leaving, she gave Ava a wicked smile. "I hope you learn never to disrespect someone in my position again." And with that, she turned and swam away.

Buron ended the meeting a couple minutes after, and Ava was feeling a little dreary as she headed back home. Had Sera and the others arrived yet? She hoped so. But as she got back, she didn't sense the presence of her friends. Or Livvia.

"Livvia?" Ava called when she arrived. Something wasn't right.

Just then, a vision flashed into her head:

"Help! Get away from me!" Livvia screamed as rough arms grabbed her and dragged her out the door.
"You have the right to remain silent," a voice growled.

Livvia struggled and kicked her tail, but was no match for her attackers. "What do you want from me? I'm innocent!"

Her attacker pulled it's hood back -- revealing a face Ava couldn't quite make out.

"NO!" Livvia cried out.

The vision faded, leaving Ava breathless. No way. Someone had kidnapped her own sister. Someone she knew. His or her presence in the vision was vaguely familiar. Had that same person done something to her friends? Ava growled. She was going to find out, if it was the last thing she did.