Chapter 29

Chapter 29 - LOT

Jack froze when he heard this. They knew he was a member of the Time Clan. His mind immediately went into overdrive, preparing to make an escape. He activated his Slowed State, giving himself time to think.

The Time Clan was hated in this world, and members of it were labelled traitors to humanity. While Jack hadn’t been hunted or known for being a member of the Time Clan publicly yet, he knew what the consequences would be.

As his heart pounded, however, Jack recognized the rest of the sentence.

“…It has been a long time since the Conclave entertained a member of the Time Clan…”

The “Conclave.” The way the doctor said that word, as if it had special importance, rang a bell in Jack’s mind.

The letter he had also spoke of important “Conclaves.” The “Conclaves” of the Space Clan.

Jack instinctively reached for his Space Pouch before remembering it wasn’t on him.

As his mind went over this, he made a decision.

Right now, he was in no condition to fight, let alone escape. If this really was a Conclave of the Space Clan, they most likely wouldn’t try to hurt him. And, it made sense. The Space Gates being near a Space Clan Conclave was logical, the people he had run into must have been members of the Space Clan.

In the moments when Jack was awakened by Wyrmblight, he had seen Space itself warp as a middle-aged warrior went up against the Magmiric Wolf, trying to fight it. Now that he thought back, these abilities could only be ones the Space Clan controlled.

Jack let the guards handcuff him, calming himself down as he released his Slowed State.

If they had wanted to kill him, he would already be dead.

Apart from the bandages that Jack was covered in, he also wore a pair of long white plans and a bright, open white shirt. Leather sandals completed his appearance, making him look like some type of injured monk.

The metal cuffs Jack wore had an odd restraining effect on the space around him. Some artifact created by the Space Clan, it locked his arms together, and prevented him from moving quickly. Jack found it quite odd, the feeling of restraint it gave causing him to feel a little claustrophobic.

The doctor didn’t accompany them after judging Jack recovered enough, instead letting the two men at arms guide him.

They walked down a long corridor that had dozens of rooms identical to Jack’s. All the ones Jack saw were unfilled, however, covered in dust.

Eventually they reached the end of the hallway and left the building, exiting into what Jack could only describe as a wonder.

Huge, towering rock walls surrounded an enormous area, visible faintly in the distance, stretching up miles to a clear, blue sky. They stood near the middle of this enclosed space, slightly raised up on a long hill. Jack could see huge, open tracts of grassy land, with forests and a small river off to one side. Thousands of houses and various buildings spread out to Jack’s right, a complex city mixed in with the natural landscape. Most of the buildings had green roofs, with brown or white wooden walls. Several paved trails led off throughout the city, a stone network.

“Wow…” Jack muttered, his eyes lighting up as he forgot his worries for the moment. He’d never seen a place quite like this, with walls so ridiculously huge.

The building Jack left was a long, wooden two-story dorm, worn with time. They followed one trail away from the building up a steep hill, towards a large, stone tower. The edifice was huge, snapped almost like a thundering bolt of lightning, striking down, with jagged corners.

On the way , they passed several civilians moving to and fro, the sounds of a city coming to life. They looked quite cheerful, only a few pausing to look at Jack curiously. They looked like regular people, wearing an assortment of colors and outfits. Jack saw a baker and two serving boys move past carrying bags of flour, a guard of some sort leading a troupe of younger boys to practice, a cobbler carrying a large bundle of colorful dyed shoes.

The sight was a welcome change from the wilderness and combat of the past many hours.

Soon, they finished scaling the hill, and entered a small opening at the base of the tower. It opened up into a general lobby, the sounds of the city dying off. A calm, respectful silence dominated this area.

The two guards nodded at a clerk that was stationed at a front desk, and moved Jack past the lobby into a long stone chamber. After a few moments, Jack tried speaking to the silent warriors to no avail.

Another clerk came up and talked to one of the guards, and a couple more silent minutes went by. Then, without ceremony, a new man entered the waiting room, focusing on Jack. This man had a formal suit of grey armor on, with a long silver blade strapped to his back. A mid-sized grey beard made him look older than he was, his face only slightly lined. His green eyes combined with his bold nose to give him an imposing appearance. He gave Jack a cheery wave.

“Come, the Council will speak to you now. I’m sure you have many questions!” He turned around without waiting for Jack’s reply, motioning for him to follow.

Jack shrugged and followed, his eyes full of curiosity for this mysterious Council.

..

..

A few moments prior…

A tall, circular room spread out around Liren as he sat in the center, on a small stool. The perimeter of the space consisted of raised platforms, with a marble desk resting in each section. Carvings of flashing lightning and cracked space could be seen in the walls of the chamber, acting as windows to let in light from the outside world.

On each dais an elderly man sat, looking down at Liren. There were 9 platforms, and 8 of them were currently filled. Each of the elderly men wore a long formal black robe, and had a stern expression on their face as they examined him. Faintly discernible auras emanated off each Councilmember as they sat, giving away their power.

The only difference between the 8 men besides their physical looks was a small, white badge in the shape of a sword that was pinned to the chest of one of the councilmembers, a wizened old man with a long, white beard, and a bald head. The Grand Marshal.

As the members of the Council that ruled the 4th Conclave looked at Liren, one of them finally broke the silence.

“This Council has shown great mercy to you, young Liren. For spreading dissent that could destroy the future of our Clan, you were merely stripped of your status. If it had been any other member of the Space Clan, the punishment would have been far more severe. You took your responsibility as a future leader of the clan and threw it to the wayside.” A man with a full head of grey hair looked at Liren sternly as he spoke, his eyes a cold blue. Councilman Bolivar, Head of Internal Affairs.

“Indeed, Bolivar is correct. And yet, despite our mercy, you have once again managed to disappoint the clan.” Another member spoke, this one the youngest looking of the lot. His hair a mix of grey and black, a man with a strong chin and a bold, black mustache looked at Liren, his hands folded together. Councilman Arash, Head of Construction and Repairs.

Liren’s face remained emotionless as he was berated, his eyes cool.

“Not only did you recklessly allow an outsider to see you use the Space Clan’s powers by your own admission, you also led your teammates and companions to near death. Evan and Bale, your two companions, are currently in critical care, suffering from severe internal injuries as well as broken bones and ruptured veins. Lee Hiro, the 5th Grand Knight, suffered 5 broken ribs, 4 cracked ribs, a broken arm, a shattered femur, and severe internal bleeding.” Councilman Mylo, Head of Heath Services, frowned as he read out a list of the injuries the combatants had suffered. His balding head of grey hair clashed with his well kept square beard, giving his face a rather unbalanced appearance.

“What do you have to say for yourself?” An elderly voice rang out, one filled with rich experience and strength, carrying an air of authority and power. The voice was enthralling, capturing the eye of everyone in the room.

The voice of the Grand Marshal, Liren’s grandfather.

Liren looked his grandfather in the eye, his mind steady.

If the Liren from a few days prior had been here, he would have been forced to look down, unable to shoulder the enormous pressure his grandfather gave off. The Grand Marshal was the strongest warrior in the clan, his mastery of Space at the peak between becoming a Space King and not. In the Space Clan’s Fourth Conclave, his authority went unquestioned.

However, after the attack by that Magmiric Wolf, Liren had noticed something strange about himself. His confidence had grown astronomically, and his vision for the clan, of a day and age where they lived freely, that vision had become real in his heart. From just a dream to something he thought, no, something he knew would happen.

Liren responded.

“I did what I needed to do, and I did the right thing.” Liren’s voice flowed out like a river, unstoppable in might. As he spoke, the air itself trembled, as if his words were of great importance. An air of authority surrounded him as he spoke, washing the room.

The Councilmembers looked at Liren in shock, their eyes wide. Even the Grand Marshal paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Immediately talk spilled out of the lips of Councilmembers, a cacophony of noise unleashing.

“The Might of a Human King…”

“This… Surely this can’t be?”

“No, this is indeed the Might of a Human King…”

“Incredible, after all these years…”

“There is hope! A Space King…”

“SILENCE!” The Grand Marshal slammed his hand down upon his stone podium, unleashing a hint of his powers. The air around the chamber instantly froze, everyone turning quiet.

The Grand Marshal looked at Liren, a hint of excitement in his eyes that he quickly covered up. He shifted his hands as he spoke, his eyes considering.

“Councilman Mylo’s words are a bit unfair. It was not within our predictions that any Gem Beast was laying dormant nearby. You cannot be faulted for the injuries that resulted from that, no one here would expect you to be able to resist. It is a miracle that you survived at all, looking at the vast damage the Magmiric Wolf caused.” The Grand Marshal continued to speak,

“The Council will have to reconsider this situation as a whole. You are dismissed for now.” The Marshal waved his hands. Immediately, a pair of guards stepped forward from the back of the room, motioning for Liren to leave.

Liren gave the Councilmembers all one last look, his gaze calm as he nodded and turned to leave.

Behind him, the Council once more returned to a furor as discussion broke out.

..

..

“…has already been stripped of his status as an elite member. We can’t just…“

“…can we do? The Might of a Human King…”

“…be properly trained. But his naiveté is leading to…”

Jack heard a deluge of voices that cut away to silence as he stepped through a lined doorway, into the round space that contained the Council. His eyes blinked a few times as he adjusted to the light.

He was led to the center where a small stool was set out. He saw several guards lining the walls, all of them wearing ornate armor. Several platforms rose a few feet off the ground interspersed between them. The elderly members of the Council were seated on each individual section, though one of the spaces was left unfilled.

Jack studied each figure, feeling a sense of strength emanate from them all. He also gained a faint feeling of danger. These aged warriors studied him back, their eyes piercing. The space around them seemed to shiver slightly, not quite stable.

A tense silence passed as Jack sat, staring. He waited, trying to act respectful.

The silence was broken as the leader of the council spoke,

“Hello, young warrior of the Time Clan. First off, as the Grand Marshal and head of this Council, I would like to welcome you to our home, the Fourth Conclave.” The Grand Marshal gave Jack a friendly nod.

Jack nodded back, worry spiking in his heart once more when he heard someone mention the Time Clan.

“I am sure you have many questions. Before those questions get answered, however, this Council has a few of its own.” The Grand Marshal continued to speak,

“Can you explain what exactly has transgressed, and how exactly you came to be here?”