Elfed In New York: Transparency

By Erik Schubach

Copyright © 2022 by Erik Schubach

Self publishing

P.O. Box 523

Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026

Cover Art © 2022 Pavel Novikov / iStockPhotos.com license

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties.  Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited.  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, blog, or broadcast.

This is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

FIRST EDITION

Chapter 1 – Leaving On a Jet Plane

Mom was zipping up my winter jacket. “Did you remember to pack mostly warm weather clothes, Killishia?  Even in deep December, it's hot and humid in Bangkok.”

I pattycaked her hands from my zipper as she, well, as she mothered me. “Moom, stop, I'm a grown woman.  Yes, I packed everything I'll need... I think, maybe... most likely.  And how do you know what the winter weather is like in Bangkok?”  She winked instead of providing any sort of coherent explanation, making me wonder if she had visited there as her family ran from Elvish Special Ops to keep the Riicathi free.

Our big shaggy sheepdog leaned his bulk against my hip, looked up, and yawned at me.  I had to grin and ruffle his ears.  I was only going for a week, but I was going to miss the big guy.  He was my official bed warmer and furry pillow, and though possibly the laziest dog in New York, he was the best listener... if only he didn't get doggy drool all over everything as he slept.

Dad spoke to me from downstairs, knowing I'd hear with my Elf hearing, “Come on Itty Bit, we better get a move on or we'll be late getting you to the airfield.”

I sighed and called out since his Sapien hearing wasn't as sensitive, “Coming dad.”  It struck me that I was starting to get used to the fact I was an Elf now... well I was always an Elf, I just hadn't known that little fact about myself... well technically a Halfling, the only half Aelftus, half Sapien alive.  A fact my parents hadn't clued me in on until I Elfed on live network television doing the weather report from the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony just four short weeks ago.

Looking down, I squinted an eye at the little rolling carry-on suitcase with the wobbly and squeaky wheel that mom got at Marsha's, the secondhand shop at the end of the block when we found out I had to fly off to Thailand for the International Elf Council's annual Transparency Conference in Bangkok this morning.  Less than twelve hours notice because of a mixup in communication that I was sort of a little responsible for, or completely responsible for since I had been ignoring all the calls I was getting from Council representatives and lawyers.

Hey, I was investigating a story for WTRL news where I work as a probationary investigative reporter, so it's understandable, right?

I extended the handle of the suitcase then paused as I was about to sling my shoulder bag over my shoulder and peered inside.  “Mooom, they won't let me carry this on the plane and you know it.  I won't need it, I'll be surrounded by security, and the Cookie Twins are allowed to come, I checked.”  I pulled out the little airhorn mom had slipped into my bag and handed it back to her.

She said as if it were common sense, “A girl has to defend herself.”  I rolled my eyes at my slightly off-kilter mom, who I had to admit was pretty damn awesome.  I know an airhorn sounds silly as protection, but sound is a more effective deterrent against Elves than pepper spray or a taser. As loud noises are almost debilitatingly painful if it weren't for the silver ear shields that protected our sensitive pointed ears.

I gave in and hugged her, failing to hide my smile.  “Love you, mom.”

“Love you too, baby girl.”

“Walk a girl down?”

She looped an arm in my casted left arm, making me excited that only two more weeks and I can get the annoying and itchy abomination off of my arm.  I have solemnly sworn to myself that I'll never again try punching someone.  In an effort to save myself from a black ops military group that was developing a neurotoxin that targeted only Elves, I punched their commanding officer, breaking my thumb and wrist.  On more than one occasion, people have told me I must be making a fist wrong.  How was I supposed to know your thumb goes on the outside of your fist?

We both snorted as the suitcase squeaked and wobbled behind us.  Barney almost bowled us both over as he squeezed past us on the stairs.  I called after the silly boy, “Nice, ya impatient woolly mammoth.”  He wasn't repentant, I could tell as he just drooled as he panted, his tail swishing in whupping strokes as Dad patted his head and thumped his sides at the front entry of our little Jackson Heights house here in Queens.

I hopped down the last stair in front of him, bouncing on my toes then tiptoeing a kiss to his cheek as he took the suitcase from me like it weighed nothing to him though it was just a half pound off the maximum thirty-five-pound weight for carry-on luggage.

His strength rivaled most Elves, at six foot three and well muscled, it added to the assumption that he was just an Elf suppressing his Elvish traits like pointed ears and almost glowing eyes.  And that's exactly what he and the two most powerful houses in the Elvish Council, the Launs and Havashires wanted, believing that there would be a panic in both the Aelftus and Sapien populations knowing that it was possible, though highly unlikely that the two species can interbreed.  There had only been two other Halflings who survived birth like me over the eons where the Homo Aelftus lived side by side with Homo Sapiens, hidden in plain sight.

Those two in the past had been put to death with their parents so the Elves wouldn't be discovered and wiped out by the Humans... sorry, the Sapiens.  But now that the Elves have revealed themselves to the world in the Reveal twenty-one years ago, they believe that the time is near to reveal me to the world for what I am.  I hate hiding it, I think people are already ready.  If it makes some people uncomfortable or afraid, holding back isn't going to make any difference to those types of people.

I turned back to mom, who was humming the refrain from Leaving On A Jet Plane, and rolled my eyes hard at her.  “Mom...”

“Whaaat?  You only said to stop singing it.  Loophole, dear.”

“Abigail, stop teasing the poor girl.”

“You two are party poopers.  This is her first trip out of the country, and only her second plane ride.”

We stepped out onto the porch our little row house shared with our neighbors, Mom just held the door resting her head against the edge, Barney sitting on her feet, while dad and I navigated the toy-strewn porch.  The Lopez's must have gotten a Christmas bonus to afford so many presents for the little ones this year.  I grinned at the rubber platypus and unicorn I got in a set for Garcia and Teesha and left on their doorstep for Christmas from their “Secret Santa”.

Dad looked almost impressed that I hadn't tripped myself up coming down the stairs.  “Hey, Mr. Funnyman, I'm not that klutzy, everyone stumbles on their stairs once or twice or... four times... shut up.”  My cheeks burned as the tips of my ears heated.  So I may not be the most coordinated Elf out there, though I'm a master at graceful recovery.

After witnessing it a time or two, or more, Doc Ahmed theorized that I may not be as uncoordinated as I presented, that it may be because of my hybrid status.  My Sapien half is not able to keep up with the faster reflexes of the Aelftus.  He had just wandered off toward his office on the medical floor of Laun Tower, mumbling something about neurons firing on a muted nervous system as he excitedly typed on his pad.  So I'm going to go with that as it is less embarrassing.

The colors around us were muted and the area was slightly dim, my Elvish eyes taking in more light in an enhanced spectrum, making the night almost as bright as day when there was any light source around, like the streetlight across the street by the house of our nosy neighbor, the widow Clemens.  Sure enough, I saw her curtains move slightly, telling me she was there, watching, even at five-thirty in the morning.  I waved and the curtains fell back down in place.

It wasn't uncommon for dad to be leaving anywhere between four and five in the morning due to his job, and she would be watching.  She's become extra vigilant since I Elfed, and she's always writing things down on a notepad anytime someone stops on the block.  Going as far as taking pictures of the cars, and probably writing down license plates.  Did I mention she was nosy?

We waved back at mom as we stepped up to Gertrude, our Mediterranean food truck he ran as an independent businessman... best shawarma on the streets of Manhattan.  As we did our safety walk-around, I told him again, “Dad, you really don't need to drop me off at Laun Tower.  The Cookie Twins are just right over there at the end of the block looking all kinds of conspicuous, I could have rode in with them.”

My ears involuntarily swiveled to hear Ivan's Russian-accented voice faintly from the big black SUV my security detail sat in. “Being conspicuous is the point, Miss Kia.  A deterrent.”

I called back knowing they could hear even better than me, “Seems a waste of time and effort if we're just going to come back down to JFK or LaGuardia after we pick the others up.  We could literally be at LaGuardia in less than five minutes from here in Jackson Heights, it's only six blocks that way.”  I pointed.

Dad was used to Elves speaking to others he couldn't hear with his normal hearing, so didn't raise a brow or ask if I were talking to him.  Pietor chuckled from the car. “I don't think LaGuardia or JFK is the destination, Miss Kia.”  That had me thinking about my girlfriend, Tanaliashia Laun, telling me we'd be using a private jet.  I just assumed it would be taking off from one of the major airports.

Just as dad started to put my luggage inside the back door of the truck, a huge Humvee rumbled up to park at the curb.  My best friend, Lisa, waved in an overtly silly manner from the passenger seat as the back door opened and Tana hopped out to the curb, smiling hugely at us.

I opened my mouth, fighting off the exciting rush and fluttering belly I always got when the punk rocker slash goth slash Danger Hello Kitty, overly sexy Elf smiled at me.  She beat me to it as I tried hard not to tuck a strand of my overly straight red hair behind an ear, I failed, doh! “Lookin' good Killy.  Hi Mr. and Mrs. Renner, I'm here to grab the pumpkin before she turns into a princess.”

“Hey, Tanny.”

Then I got a hold of myself and said, “What are you guys doing here?  I told you I had a ride.  Dad has to set up the truck in the city anyway now that Gertie is back in operation.”  Our food truck had been out of commission since dad drove her through a warehouse door to save me... that's a completely different story, and dad has been going stir-crazy not being able to work while she was repaired.

She stepped up to me, into my personal space and I held my breath as I looked into the cobalt blue eyes that all Elves but me shared, a shiver of arousal reminding me just how much she affected me.  I still couldn't believe that the heir to the Laun business empire was interested in me.  She gave me a confident grin as she reached up to tuck another errant strand of my hair behind my ear, making me shiver as the warmth of her hand heated my silver ear shield. “I know, but I wanted to see you sooner, is that a crime?”

I almost melted then straightened up and pressed a finger to her chest to move her back a half a step, knowing she was trying, and succeeding in getting me flustered.  “Hey now, Elfette, my parents are right here.”  I glanced nervously between my parents.  Mom was no help as she looked like she was moments away from exploding into a pile of unicorns and glitter over my girlfriend's blatant seduction attempt, while dad just looked amused as he lifted the suitcase back out of the truck to set next to me.  Neither of them was any help.

He said as he shut the back door to head toward the driver's door, “Good morning, Tana.”

“Hiya, Mr. Renner.”

“I'll leave her in your capable hands.  I've got to get to work.”  Then he reached out with one of his muscled arms and swept me off my feet into a dangling hug.  “Love you, Itty Bit, see you in a week.  Don't work too hard and remember to take a moment to take in the country while you're there.  All work and no play makes Kia a dull girl.”

I hugged back then he set me down on my feet and then placed a hand on Tana's shoulder as he lumbered past, giving her a wink.  Even as cool and collected as my girl tries to project to the world, she still blushed a little, since dad was a good-looking man.  Or as Lisa puts it, “A fine specimen,” eww.

I waved at mom again as I heard a door open on the titanic vehicle behind me, then a tall, lanky, and pretty boy Elf was taking the handle of the suitcase, prompting me in his Australian accent, “G'day Kia, I'll get your stuff loaded up while you ladies keep warm in the jalopy with Lis.”  He looked around, his mop of wavy hair rustling with the motion, “Right, where's the rest?”

Holding up my shoulder bag a little, indicating this was it, I said, “Morning, Issac.  Thanks, but that's it.  We're only going to be gone a week.”

Isaac Walker, Lisa's Elf arm candy, as she calls him, is heir to the Walker family's seat on the International Elf Council.  I give the enthusiastic guy my stamp of approval, as he's not one of the many Elves who exude an air of superiority over Sapiens and even fewer who would deign to date a Sapien.  And he made my Latina best friend smile and treated her almost like royalty, so he was aces in my book.

Tana cocked her head, the light of the streetlight glinting off of her various facial piercings as she furrowed her brow.  “Really?  This is it?”  Her breath fogged in the chill winter air.

I was feeling self-conscious as I nodded, then she softened and just looped an arm in mine, patting my cast gently as she dragged me to the cavernous vehicle.  I waved awkwardly to mom and dad one last time as Tana opened the door and guided me up the running board step and into the delightfully toasty back seat.

Lis popped her head up over the front passenger seat, grinning hugely. “Hey, Lady.”

“Hey back at ya.  You guys didn't have to do this.  You said you'd pick me up when we got back.”  I had talked to Lisa last night to say my goodbyes, I didn't want to get all weepy in front of people since that would be silly, it was only for a week, not forever.

She smirked.  Oh dear lord, when she had that look on her face, there were hijinks afoot, and usually, it meant someone was doomed, she was a force of nature unto herself.  Tana prompted her, “You didn't tell her?”

Issac slipped into the driver's seat after depositing my bag into the cavernous cargo area in the back of the Humvee as Lisa shrugged and shared, “What would be the fun in ruining the surprise?”

They shared a wicked look then Lisa disappeared as she popped back down into her seat when Issac said, “Seatbelts, mates.”

I prompted as I complied, “What surprise?”

My evil work wife just chuckled. “We can't tell you now, it'll ruin the surprise.”

Grr... “Fine.”

The three chuckled at me as the monster conveyance rumbled away from the curb and down the road as Gertie's low throaty engine came to life.  I waved one last time as we passed by, then turned my head toward the city and our destination, Laun Tower, where our diplomatic contingent will load up and then drive right back down here in Queens to the private jet.

I have to admit that even though this entire trip was a surprise that caught me off guard, knowing I was way over my head, I still felt a thrill of excitement.  I, Killishia Renner, was going to Bangkok.

Chapter 2 – Surprise

The short drive into Manhattan was uneventful, and again I felt silly with the two SUVs following us.  My security detail as head of the Riicathi family and Council member, and Tana's security who had located us half way to our destination.  She had likely spoofed her location on her LaunPhone, sending them off to Hell's Kitchen or some other borough in search of her.  She was like me and felt a security detail was a waste of resources.

But, I have to admit, my boys, the Cookie Twins as I called them, Ivan and Pietor Korsivair... man mountains of overly pale Russian muscle, have grown on me, and I saw them almost as extended family now since they were always there, even when I didn't want them there.

The city was waking from its slumber, people starting to emerge from that short respite between the exciting nightlife of Manhattan and the crowded and always moving mass of people heading off to work or school or a multitude of other destinations.  I liked the streets this early in the morning, where just a fraction of the millions of residents of the Big Apple were about, prepping for yet another day.

I was surprised when we entered the lobby of the soaring Laun Tower, to find the place bustling with Elves everywhere, infusing the space with energy and expectation.  I've visited this early before, but there had only been the lobby security and the doorman, Ursula.  I silently wondered if the woman was ever not on duty.  She's been there at all times of night and day whenever I've visited.  I was jealous of the Elf's almost glowing russet skin tone and her dazzling smile under that doorman's cap she wore.

Now if I could just get her to stop calling me Miss Riicathi, but I think she enjoys the subtle tease as most of the Elves working at or visiting the tower don't even seem to notice her or just treat her as simply a fixture of the Tower... background noise.  I could sympathize with that, being an intern at WTRL News for two years, I felt I was nothing more than a glorified coffee girl when I thought I'd be learning the ropes of hard-hitting journalism.

I turned to Lisa and gave her a nervous grin.  “I guess this is it, I'll see you in eight days.  I'm going to miss you.”  I opened my arms for one of her hugs, but she was just smirking as I added, “Remember Junior has a dentist appointment on Thursday.”

She snorted at the mention of our imaginary child, our long-standing joke about her being my work wife.  Then she asked as Issac came through the front doors with a little collapsible dolly containing my suitcase and four huge suitcases.  “Why are you going to miss me, Killisaru?  I'm going too.  Surprise!”

I blinked rapidly, assimilating the information, and the fact that Tana didn't bat an eye at the revelation, telling me she knew what was going on.  I pointed between them as I tried not to pout. “What shenanigans are you two up to now?  And I know you can say my name, wench, you blew it with the Magus.  Whaddaya mean you're going too?”

“Didn't Mr. Klien tell you?  I spoke with him last night and pitched me shooting footage for your story since whenever you record interviews yourself, it looks like a six-year-old shot it.  I impressed upon him that since I'm a social media influencer, with over a half-million subscribers on my InstaSnap channel alone, and my video is top rate, I can only improve your content.”

She soured. “He approved it, but I don't get a station camera nor funds, and have to find my way there and submit my expense receipts when we return.  The man's a cheapskate.”

Snorting I pointed out, “You're shameless, lady.  You hijacked my assignment.”  She looked as pleased as a chipmunk at my accusation.

Tanny stepped between us, whispering harshly, even though everyone in the busy lobby was an Elf except Lis, so they could all hear, “You can't do a story about the Transparency Conference, Killy, press isn't allowed.”

I was full of sass and swagger as I informed her, “As it turns out, yes, I can.  I checked and it turns out that as it is a diplomatic function covered under the Reveal Accords, any ambassador or member of the Senior Council can authorize Sapien observers, such as press or even law enforcement or dignitaries from any of the Sapien governments, though none are allowed in the actual conference chamber itself except the latter.”

Before she could say anything I supplied, “It just so happens that nobody since the Reveal has ever invited a single Sapien to the event, nor approved any press to attend the event... until me.  It's that pompous Elf privilege at work.  So I had a Senior Council member... the Ricathii seat, me, authorize myself to be there, and funny thing, turns out I'm all Elf-y and such.”  I pointed at my ears. “So I'm even allowed in the conference Council room.”

Our conversation had Mr. Galen hustling on over, his face red as she sputtered out, “Absolutely not, Miss Riicathi...”  Lisa, Tana, and I all corrected him, “Renner.”  He stood taller, exuding that ambiguous authority of his since I still didn't know exactly his position in the hierarchy of the Council representation.  Though everyone seemed to defer to him in most matters, telling me he was likely some sort of high-level coordinator of Aelftus affairs. “Miss Renner, the press is not allowed in the chamber!”

I nodded. “Slow your roll there, Jeeves, I'll only be reporting on the things I can, I know the details of what goes on in the conference chamber is off limits.”

The man eased up a little, just enough for that pulsating vein at his temple to relax before it burst.  “This is highly unprecedented, and I'll be having conversations with legal before we land in Bangkok.”  He hesitated then asked, “Jeeves?”

Shrugging I said, “Sorry, I was just poking fun, ignore that, Mr. Galen.  Say... what exactly is your position anyway?  I've been meaning to ask, now that I have a seat on the Council and all.”

He simply said, “I coordinate,” then handed me a sheaf of papers. “The revised itinerary, customs declarations for the delegation, your Aelftus passport, and claim check for the diplomatic pouches.  I've included an outline of your responsibilities at the conference, and please Miss... Renner, I implore you to not go off script.  It is already a waste of our time and resources to deal with non-voting families, don't add your particular brand of volatile chaos to the mix.  The quicker we can disseminate the information covering the prior year, the quicker we can return to New York.”

I looked from him to Tana then back, prompting slowly, “You... coordinate?”  Then my eyes widened. “So you're like the butler for the entire Council or something like that?  That's awesome.”

“Did you not listen to anything I said, Miss Renner?  And I am not a butler.”  He stalked off in a huff.  I felt a little bad, but I still didn't know his position in Aefltus affairs.

I whispered to Lisa and Tana, “He didn't answer my question.”  Then I cocked a brow in prompt to my girl.

Tanny just said as if it made all the sense in the world, “He makes sure things go smoothly.”

Lis chuckled as she reached up to ruffle her boy's hair before pecking him on the lips and then sharing offhandedly with me. “Translation, your Elfette doesn't know either.”  Then to Issac, as she looked at all her luggage, “Thanks babe, I'm going to miss you, see you when I see you.”

He winked at her and grinned with a confident swagger. “I'll keep the bed warm for ya, love.”

“TMI, I do not need to know about your love life you two.”

Mr. Galen called out, “Ok, everyone, time to get to our transportation to the airport.  Once we arrive, your travel papers contain your seat assignments.”  Ivan and Pietor stepped up and each grabbed two of Lisa's oversize suitcases like they were toys and they just stood there grinning at us.

I looked around, prompting, “Where's your luggage, Tana?”  As I noted that most of the people in the lobby were migrating across the space with Galen, were they all part of our delegation?

The object of my affection pointed out, “It is already loaded on the plane like everyone else's, you two are the last ones.”

I smirked at my best friend and told her as I dragged my bag to my side, “I don't have to check mine, I got a carry-on.”

My girl sighed heavily, “It's a private plane, Killy, there's no checked luggage, brainiac.”

“Oh... that, I had not anticipated and... hey you two, wait for me.”  I hustled after the two who weren't predisposed to wait for me to come up with a comeback.  I sighed and started chewing on my lower lip as my girl caught my hand and laced our fingers.

I was surprised when she tugged me along to the elevators when I was gravitating toward the exit to the ground level of the underground parking garage.  Before I could ask as our twenty-two-person delegation loaded two elevators, then were being whisked upwards, Tana squeezed my hand, “There is so much to see on our off time in Bangkok.  If we're lucky we can be there for the New Years celebration.”

That sounded amazing, I admit to doing a web search or thirty about Bangkok when I had problems sleeping last night, my mind buzzing with the anticipation of leaving the country.  I've never flown anywhere but Niagra Falls, and when I crossed over into Canada, I had asked if they could stamp my passport since I never thought I'd ever get to go anywhere, to leave the country again in my life, and there's nothing as sad as a blank passport book.

Oh, speaking of... I dug out my bright and shiny new Aelftus passport as we kept going up, and flipped it open before balking and closing it quickly again.  Tana looked down in curiosity, “What?”

Lisa yanked it from my numb fingers when I held it out of Tana's grasping hand.  She flipped it open and snorted as my ears felt as if they were on fire while I wondered if it were possible to die of embarrassment. “Oh my god, Kia.  This is so going all over the interwebz.”  She took a quick picture with her cell before relinquishing the abomination to a certain punk Elf who took one look at the photo and squeaked out in tease, “Adorable,” as I tore it from her hands.

The photo they had used for the passport looked as if it had been taken during my recovery from the Elf targeting neurotoxin.  I looked drugged up and had a serious case of bedhead.  Out of the thousands of images they have of me, they chose this for my passport.  “Just kill me now.”

I've been wanting to get my driver's license updated with my new look, since the photo currently on it was before I Elfed, and looked to be in mid-sneeze in the picture.  I was looking forward to getting rid of that awkward photo.

Tana whispered as the elevator doors opened, “I think it's cute.”

“Oh, ok.”

Her cell chimed and she snickered and tapped something.  I saw her screen before she turned it off.  No!  Lis had sent her a copy of the picture and now my evil girlfriend had it as her lock screen wallpaper.  She was so damn lucky she was too sexy to get upset with.

That's when I realized where we were as they dragged me out of the elevator when Ivan cleared his throat and prompted, “Miss Kia?  Would you mind moving so we can get past?”

We were on one of the roof levels of the penthouse apartments of Tana's family.  And my ears were swiveling to a whupping sound above us.  I looked up to the next level on the roof to see two large passenger transport helicopters on two of the three helipads on the upper roof.

What in the name of the holy platypus?  Cthulu preserve us all.  Since the nineteen seventies, helicopters weren't allowed to land on the roofs of the skyscrapers of the city, except for medical transport.  The only three helipads were on the river or the outskirts of the city.  I knew they had helipads on Laun Tower, being exempt from the laws restricting air traffic, being a landless sovereign nation according to the Aelftus Accords.  I just hadn't ever given it any thought until now.  These large helicopters were waiting to whisk us away.

I'm usually the first person to speak out against Elf privilege, but the little girl inside of me was feeling a little giddy that I was going to get to ride on a helicopter... from the roof of a skyscraper, just how cool is that?

We had just all sat in our seats when one of the two pilots stood and made a short announcement about the weather and the flight time as he checked our seat-belts.  Then we were airborne as the helicopters escaped the constraints of gravity, leaving my stomach behind as we swooped down into the heart of Manhattan, steel and glass giants rising around us like sentinels in the twilight.

I was enjoying the view that few people got to experience anymore, now that most of the airspace is restricted over Manhattan except over the rivers.  It was like flying through modern canyons watching the people below starting to prepare for their mornings.  When we broke from the skyscrapers and then climbed higher I saw the glow of the impending sunrise out my window to the right.  The slowly intensifying colors told me we were minutes away from one of my favorite sights since I Elfed.

The sunrises and sunsets were almost like a gift with the explosion of colors that streaked the sky that words could not do justice to.  More than once I've been moved to tears by it and not even knowing why.  I wasn't alone in my reverie, as most Elves I've been with whenever the events occurred, seemed to have the same reactions.  Some say it is because Elves can see in a slightly different spectrum than Sapiens, but I think it's something more primal than that because I swear I can feel it down to my bones when I gaze upon it.

Then my mind caught up with my thoughts.  Wait.  I turned in my seat and looked back toward the city we were making a rapid exodus from.  I prompted Tana, who was absently stroking my fingers in our clasped hands with her thumb, “We're heading north, Upstate.”

She made a finger gun with her free hand and winked. “Correct, Captain Obvious.”

“But the airports are...”

Lisa interjected, “What part of the private airfield is tripping you up, Kia?  I swear I raised you better than this.”

Oh yeah, I was just fixating on the private jet portion of our trip.  I had just assumed we were using JFK or LaGuardia and the private airfield just whooshed over my head like a noodly appendage of the Great Spaghetti Monster in the Sky. “Watch it, lady. You just realized it too, don't think I didn't see your eyes widen just before you piped up.”

She muttered, “Damn her Vulcan powers of observation,” then she just gave a defiant toothy grin.

My girl cocked her head accusingly at me as she brain suckered Lis' face with her free hand.  “Yeah, about that.  It never ceases to amaze me the minutia of details you can glean from a glance at things that everyone else misses, yet you're oblivious to things right in front of you, Killy.”

As she yanked her hand from Lisa's face to avoid the lick attempt, I shrugged, admitting even though I was learning how biased I was at times, “Just a habit from high school, looking past the words Elves say, looking for the hidden meanings or gotchas.”  I defended before she could retort, “I know, not all Elves are like the Council.”

This got a snort from someone on the helicopter, making my eyebrows raise slightly.  Even though I was half serious and half joking about the Council quip, it seems I wasn't the only Elf who felt that way sometimes... a lot of the time... fine, most of the time.  When it came to the Council, everything was about leveraging some sort of advantage for their families or all the Aelftus, with the exclusion of all else.

Mr. Galen was a case in point, feeling this conference was a waste of time and resources simply because we were going to speak to the Elvish clans who had no voting shares, thus no power nor stake in the Mírë, the massive treasure trove of the Aelftus controlled by the Council.  It was like a pension plan created in ancient times to make sure their families want for nothing.

I was excited about this.  I think everyone should have a voice.  There were one hundred and seventy-two, well one hundred and seventy-three now, heads of the clans with voting stock who made decisions for the entire Aelftus race.  That means for every represented family there were at least five families without a voice in the affairs of the Elves.  The voting members were making life-changing decisions for all Elves, like the Reveal itself, where the Launs and Havashires told the world of the existence of Elves.

All of the minor non-voting clans had no voice and no representation in matters that affected their lives.  It was quite similar to concepts in the United States like taxation without representation.  And as much as I think the two majority shareholding clans of the Senior Council, the Launs and Havashires, as the poster families for Alfetus entitlement, from what I've learned, it was them who insisted upon forming this Transparency Conference.

Good intentions aside, it seems it hasn't been acted upon in good faith by the Council members assigned to chair the conference, being treated as an inconvenience and waste of time.  This is apparent to me, even if I hadn't heard the grumbling of the others like Mr. Galen about this trip, simply because the task falls upon the shoulders of the most junior Council member who is in over their heads.

In this case, me, who has held my seat on the Council for mere days, yet here I am, being sent off as the Council representative for the Conference.  What did I know about Aelftus politics?  But I am determined to do the one thing the others assigned to this task in the past failed to do... take this seriously and see if there is anything I can do to make these peoples' voices heard.

Our banter continued, the others almost disturbingly silent until just fifteen minutes later, when we were exiting the helicopters.  I looked back at them one last time as we were ushered to what essentially looked like a small commercial airport with only a single concourse with only two skyways.

The helicopters were marked with the Aelftus sovereign crest, and I lifted my cell and snapped a picture, it would go great with the story I was planning on writing for the station.  I was obligated to as it was my day job.  When I had contacted the station manager about it, requesting some leave time already, when I've only been a probationary investigative journalist for less than a month, Mr. Klien was almost giddy when he denied it.

The man is shameless as he said, “You don't need to go on leave, the media is banned from the Transparency Conference, so I'm assigning the story to you.  Keep track of all your expenses and keep all receipts, and the station will reimburse you.”

I had argued with him. “I'm pretty sure I can't divulge what happens in the Conference, Aelftus sovereignty and all.  I'm already on the Senior Council's bad side, I don't need to push them anymore.  That and, not a mole, sir.  I know you can't see it, but I'm pointing at myself Tobias, it would make more of an impact if we were on video chat now.”

He chuckled at my social awkwardness then just countered, as if he already expected my answer, “I understand that, Miss Renner, but you can still report on the general setting and your impressions of the venue, the people attending, and any insight you can share with the world at large about the goals of the Conference as that is shrouded in mystery as well.  All we have is speculation, and unsubstantiated rumors have it that tens of thousands of Elves attend for a chance to hear about current Aelftus affairs and to get an audience with the representative of the Council.  Another exclusive like this will cement WTRL as a worldwide leader in Elf-centric stories, all reported by the only on-air Elf personality outside of ENN.”

“But sir...”

“We'll see you when you get back Miss Renner... Kia.  Don't let me down.”

“But sir...  you're talking to the air Kia, he already hung up... and you're still talking to yourself...”  Ok, so I may be more than a little awkward at times, but that was pretty much how it went down, that this surprise trip with all this responsibility for a conference I knew next to nothing about also turned into an extremely vague story assignment for the station.  Mr. Klien and the station were adept at exploiting my Elf-ness for ratings even with the push-back from me.  I wonder what else I was going to have to handle on the trip, it's a good thing I can juggle.

Chapter 3 – Bangkok

That's how I found myself six hours later on our ten-hour supersonic flight, being endlessly quizzed by Mr. Galen and one of the three lawyers attached to our group, on my duties and responsibilities at the Conference, and the procedures I would have to follow while chairing the event. I even had two administrative assistants, Enrique and Tasha, assigned to me for the trip who were to be my right-hand Elves.

Yawning and feeling as if my brain was turning to mush as I tried to recall all the information they were pounding into my grey matter, I looked around the interior of the conference room in the huge jet constructed in the Laun Aviation factories.  There was seating for fifty people, two private cabins, and this conference room.  It wasn't the military supersonic transport model, but a civilian variation that only heads of state and royalty could afford.  And Tana simply called it “one of the family's private jets,” it was a reminder to me just how rich my girl's clan was.

If it weren't for the clouds passing by outside the windows, and the ocean far below, you'd think this was a conference room in any posh office building, complete with multiple screens on the walls, and a smart surface conference table we were all sitting around.

Mr. Galen was prompting for the umpteenth time, “And what do you do if a request is outside the scope of the checklist you were supposed to memorize?”

I yawned again and looked over at the lead lawyer from the Council's legal pool, Aldrich Ingels, “Really Aldrich, is he seriously starting over again?  Help?”

The man chuckled and my Tana-shaped companion, who was acting as my Ráquen, sort of my ambassador to the Elvish world to help educate me and catch me up to speed on all things Elf and Council-related, said, “All right boys, I'm calling it.  The princess here is about to turn into a pumpkin or die of sheer boredom.  This is her first real trip anywhere, so let her get some food, and enjoy the rest of the flight, or even catch a few Zs.”

Galen started to object. “We still haven't covered the...”

Ingels blurted out, “The Aryon is right.  We're all beat, we've been at this six hours straight.  If Miss Riicathi... sorry, Renner, doesn't have it by now, there's nothing more we can do to prepare her.”  He looked as relieved as me to call it quits, knowing Mr. Galen could literally “do this all day” like Steve Rogers.

My girl pulled me to my feet and out the conference room, past the restrooms, and into the main cabin where half our contingent was reclined in their first class style seating, sleeping to prepare for the time difference, hoping to avoid jetlag.  The others were doing various things, from looking out the windows at the endless ocean beneath us to reading or watching movies on the screens each seat had, snacks and drinks on the built-in sideboard tables in the spacious seating area each afforded.

The smell of fresh roast beef sandwiches some were nibbling on was making my stomach growl so fiercely multiple eyes turned my way as I tried to hide my face in Tana's shoulder as I pointed at her as the culprit.  They weren't buying it, were they?

There was a group of noisy Elves congregated around the front of the space, by the private cabins, and I sighed, realizing it was Lisa, separating the naive Elves in the group from their money as we stopped near the group gathered around her seat as she played Three Card Monte.  Some Elves cheered, and some groaned in defeat, throwing twenties on the impressive stack beside my bestie.

She stopped and as one of the group put a finger on the middle card, I sighed, reaching past the woman and flipping the card beside it over to reveal the red queen, saying, “She favors the left.”  People cheered and I snatched up the stack of twenties before the smug Latina could protest.

I was all smiles as I kept walking with Tanny to our private cabin.

“Hey!  That scratch is mine, woman!”  She popped up to her feet.

“Seriously?  Gambling on my first diplomatic mission?”

“It's not gambling if you're winning, oh and kudos on the Big Bang Theory reference.  Subtle... and hey, I don't favor the left.”

Tana said as she opened the cabin door and playfully shoved me through the door, “You coming or not?  Gonna feed the grumpy one before catching some Zs.”

Lisa was through the door before my girl finished.  The two evil wenches bumped fists as she passed.  Then Tana shut the door and locked it, blue light illuminating above it as a white noise curtain fell to keep the cabin private against sensitive Elvish ears.  I flopped backward on the bed and Lisa hopped up to perch on one of the two overstuffed chairs at the combination desk and table with the huge flat screen on the wall behind it.

She shared as she held her hand out toward me making grabby motions, “I'd have thought Elves with their better senses, would be better at Monte than us mere Sapiens.  Turns out, not so much... if anything, they're worse because of their air of superiority.  Present company and my guy excluded of course.”

Tana quipped back as I slapped the stack of bills in Lis' hand, “Hey now, 'roundie'.”  She smirked when she used the slur for Sapiens.  The two were thick as thieves as they both had a wicked streak a mile wide.  Tana has shared in private that Lis surprised her because she's never been friends with a Sapien, but it was hard not to like my impulsive and charismatic best friend.

Then as Lis pocketed the bills she said, “I didn't get a chance to withdraw any spending cash on such short notice, so I did a little fundraising amongst the Pointies out there.”  She grinned like a loon, daring Tana to say anything about the return slur.

They'd be at this a while if I didn't interrupt.  My stomach growled like the second coming of Ragnarok, stopping them in mid-snark.  I groaned in a hopeful tone, “Roast beef?”

Tana nodded as she flopped onto the bed beside me.  “We can have the galley prepare anything you want, or we can order up French dips for your roast beef fix, Killy.”

I blinked and Lis asked, “You mean we didn't have to eat the things they wheeled out on the carts for lunch a while back while you two were sequestered away in the back?”  Adding, “It's dinnertime now.”

She looked between us as she twined her fingers with mine as she sat up, “They've a fully stocked galley.”

I looked at Lisa and we both blurted, “Grilled cheese?”  Then I added, “And those French dips smelled divine.”

She nodded and held a stalling finger up then hit one of the two call buttons on either side of the bed, “Chef, can we get some grilled cheese, and a sampler tray of sandwiches, including French dips?  Maybe some soup?”

“Yes Aryon,” was the simple response.

I groaned as I sat back up, then looked out one of the windows on my side of the bed, “I was three minutes away from dying of boredom in there with Galen.  The peanuts and pretzels in there were NOT a good lunch substitute, the coffee was the only thing in there helping me keep my sanity.”

Then I got a little serious, pursing my lips, and then asked, “Does the Council all have the same attitude toward the Transparency Conference as Mr. Galen?  I mean, it seems like a pretty important task to listen to the concerns of the people affected by the decisions of the Council yet have no voice in it.”

I shrugged as I finished. “Shouldn't they have representation since things like the Reveal had such a huge impact on them as well?  And from what I read about the Accords, they were a treaty between the United Nations and the International Elf Council, which affects all Elves whether governed by the Council or not.  It would rub me the wrong way, the most influential families banding together and presuming to govern me without me agreeing to it.  That's medieval stuff right there, a bunch of people getting together and saying, hey, we're nobility even though we weren't appointed, but we're the biggest and baddest, so you are our subjects.  Is that fair?”

Lis was silent as she looked between us as Tana's brow creased as she seemed to be considering her words carefully, “It really isn't fair.  And the basic structure of the Council was formed back in those dark times.  It's just how it's always been.  But things sort of came to a head when Dad and Aunt Natalia proposed the Reveal.  There was even a lot of pushback on it internally in the Council, but as our two families controlled the bulk of the voting shares by proxy or loyalty, it was pushed through.”

I saw anger burning in her eyes even though she controlled her stoic facial expression. “It was when hundreds of terrified non-voting houses from all over the world, flooded the Council members with complaints and fears of those not protected by the Council's resources, that the heads of the Launs and Havashires entertained the fact that they may have been too hasty in the decision.”

Then she sighed, looking conflicted, her eyes downcast as she fidgeted with my fingers, her voice low. “That's when mom came up with the Transparency Conference.  It was a good idea, and Dad and the Havashires agreed wholeheartedly, the same guilt plaguing them as the guilt over what the Council had done to your clan, Killy, the Riicathi.”

“There's been a disconnect between the concept and execution.  What was supposed to allow the Council to listen to concerns and address grievances, giving the non-voting families a voice in the Council, was viewed as a chore that was beneath the other Council members.  So it gets kicked down the ladder to the most junior Council member, sort of like a rite of passage to suffer through.  At least that's the attitude of the majority with few exceptions, another reason I distance myself from the self-important pricks in the Council.”

Lisa asked as I thought about Tanny's words, “What about the Walkers?  Which side of the fence do they fall on?”

My Elf-girl grinned and winked at her, understanding her concern since she was dating a Walker. “Don't worry about Issac, lady.  His family is pretty much a dissenting voice in the Council, who regret that one of their ancestors contracted their proxy votes to the Havashires.  Before Killy's particular brand of chaos she's been sowing in the Council since she Elfed, the Walker and Ahmed families have been the biggest agitators in the chambers.”

Lisa visibly relaxed, relief on her face.  I liked Issac even more now if his family made waves as he did by dating my bestie.

I wondered aloud, “Has the Conference helped?  I mean, is it really working, or are their voices still silent?”

She seemed conflicted yet again as she said, “Sometimes... rarely.  Only when they get loud enough that it starts making waves outside the Council and others start noticing.  But besides that, ever since its inception, I don't think anyone assigned to chair it has taken it seriously and felt it was a complete waste of time since the Dearmadta, or 'nulls' as they call the non-voting clans, held no power nor influence among the Council families.”

I closed my eyes to stop the heat of anger from rising through me to my mouth before I said something stupid as I listened to my mouth saying without my permission, “If the Council already thinks I'm disruptive, the joke is on them, because I'm going to take this very, very seriously.  I know what it is like to not have a say in your destiny.  Time to let out a little Renner Rage.”

My girl beamed at me as she turned me toward her to give me a sloppy kiss on the lips saying, “Mwah!  Yet another reason to love you, Killishia.”  The woman smirked and said as her chest shook in restrained chuckles,  “For the record, that's what Mom and Natalia think.  I mean they are all cringy knowing your assignment to the Conference is going to blow up in the Council's face, but they seem a little excited about it.  Aunt Nat said, 'I can't wait to see what chaos young Killishia is going to unleash.'  Mom agrees.  You're already a legend in my books that you've got the two liking you.”

I chewed on my lower lip as I froze halfway through tucking some hair behind my ear.  Gah!  I have to stop doing that around her, get with it Kia, you've got more confidence than... holy Cthulhu, she's got a hungry smile that warms me up in all the right...

Lis blurted, “If you two start doing it right here in front of me, you can't blame me for streaming it live as I back out slowly.  I mean come on, I'm right here, please don't do that.”

Oh... oh!  Tana's face was burning in a blush as intense as mine.  I stage whispered, “Oh, right.  I forgot she was here.”

“Hey!”

We all cracked up and there was an electronic chime at the door.  Lisa bounced up, “Saved by the bell.”  She hopped to the door and opened it, moving aside for one of the stewards to roll a cart in, before turning to Tana, “Will there be anything else, Aryon?”

“No, this is great, thanks.”  The man left and shut the door, engaging the white noise generator again while the three of us gathered around to see what was making our mouths water as we descended on our prey.  And holy crap on a trumpet were the sandwiches and beef barley soup as tasty as the scintillating aroma advertised.

Lis said around the bite of French dip she had currently stuffed in her mouth, “Oh my god, this is almost as good as your dad's cooking, Kia.”  Tana nodded her agreement to that assessment as she devoured hers too.  She was just as ravenous as I was since she had to be cooped up in that conference room with me for the last six hours.

After we ate, I laid back in the bed and said as I felt the vibration of the plane up through my back as I slid a butter knife from the tray down between the cast on my left arm and my skin to dig at the ever-present itches. “I'm sorry ladies, but my belly is full and I want to catch a quick nap, then spend the last of the trip studying the charter for the Transparency Conference a little more before we land.”

Tana just nodded, slipped in beside me, and pulled the knife out of my hand to set aside, man I can't wait to get this damn cast off when we get back home.  Then she pulled me in to lay my head on her chest, pulling a light blanket over us.

Lis just yawned loudly.  “Agreed.  You had me up at o' too damn early today.”  Then she hit a control on the side of the chair and it reclined as a footrest extended, making it into an overstuffed nest that she just snuggled into.

Tanny said, “I think that means she's sleeping here.”

I nodded, fatigue hitting me so hard at the moment to do much else as I muttered, “Duh,” before stealing a kiss and snuggling in again.  I didn't even finish the thought that my girl was my favorite pillow of all time before I was out.

All my good intentions were for naught as the next time I opened my eyes, Tana was whispering as I shook my head once to fully wake, “We're here, Killy.”  She pointed.  “Thailand.  Welcome to Bangkok.”

Chapter 4 – Hansa

It was a whirlwind of happenings after we landed.  And I was excited to get a chance to explore the expansive city I saw from above, with its soaring towers and lights to the horizon.  Not many people realize that Bangkok is actually twice the physical size of New York City, but also has a greater population than the Big Apple.  It's the hub of mainland southeast Asia.

The Conference was only eight hours each day so that left the rest of the time to explore.  I wanted to be immersed in the culture here since I've never had a chance to travel and I'm all about new experiences... Canada doesn't count since it is basically the same culture as the US, just with more French in areas.

I found it a little odd that we didn't have to go through customs.  Limousines were waiting on the tarmac of a private airfield that didn't have a concourse like the one we left from.  So when we descended from the plane via a staircase they drove out to us, we stepped out onto a royal blue carpet they rolled out, which had gold thread woven in decorative patterns.

I noted that unlike the private airfield in upstate New York which was staffed exclusively with Elves, there was a good mix of Elves and Sapiens bustling about this airfield.  And looking around I could see there was quite a mix of plane types and even some company names painted on some hangar doors.  So it had to be some sort of shared airfield.

The one big difference though was the fact there was a bunch of armed personnel in what looked to be military uniforms between our plane and the hangers.  It made me nervous for some reason, and Ivan and Pietor somehow caught that as they moved ever so slightly to impose their considerable mass between me and them.  Ivan assured me under his breath, “It is normal here.  Do not worry.”

Nodding, I let him lead me to the limo that I saw my little carry-on loaded into with around ten other large suitcases, some of which I knew were Lisa's.  I cocked an amused eyebrow at my girl who gave me her cocksure smirk that had me involuntarily grinning back.  She was as bad as Lisa.  Did they both pack their entire wardrobes?

I slid in when the chauffeur opened the door for us.  Lisa bounced along the other bench seat facing me as Tana slid in beside me, the three of us fastened our seat belts as we were followed into the Limo by the Cookie Twins, one to a side.  Then when Ivan reached out to close the door, Mr. Galen slipped in beside Pietor on the other bench seat.  Oh, joy, he was riding to the hotel with us it seemed.

Sighing I inclined my head at him after he did the same to us.  Just as long as he wasn't going to...  the man started talking as the limo went into motion, “Miss Renner, you must remember that everything you do will be scrutinized by all at the conference, and your actions reflect upon the Council and...”

I blurted, interrupting, “I can't find the follow-up on the list of concerns the families voiced to Yan Huynh when he chaired last year or even the prior year.  Did I not get copies of resolution files?”

“Resolution?  Mr. Huynh took the concerns and entered them into the database, you have that list for statistics.”

“Well yes, but I can't find where the Council addressed the concerns and...”

The man looked truly confused as he offered, “The Council doesn't address anything.  These are non-voting clans, so it doesn't matter what they complain about.  The Council has more important matters to deal with than that.”

I bristled and held my LaunPhone out toward him with the Transparency Compact pulled up.  “But it says right here that all legitimate issues brought to the attention of the Conference Chair would be brought to light in the next meeting of the International Elf Council and addressed.”

“Please Miss Renner, don't make waves.  This is how it has been done since the conception of the Conference, you can't expect us to...”

He actually recoiled slightly when I restrained a lunge toward him, getting my face closer to his so he could see I was serious, “Don't make waves?”

Lis whispered, “Oh shit.”  But she held a stopping hand out to Tana who looked a moment away from chastising the man.

“Oh I'm not going to make waves, I'm going to hit them with a fucking tsunami.  And we?  Remember, Mr. Galen, you're not on the Senior Council, I am.  You coordinate.  And I'm about to have a shit ton of things that need coordination by the time the conference is over.”

The man's eyes were wide and I swallowed, feeling suddenly sheepish, “Sorry, Mr. Galen.  I don't mean to be short with you, I just have a thing about people being dismissed and overlooked.  And... just what is your first name anyway?  I feel weird calling you Mr. Galen all the time.”

He actually surprised me when instead of blustering and chastising like he always did, he patted the air instead. “No, don't apologize, you're correct.  I just have a hard time reconciling how young you are with your insight.  This is the first backbone I've seen from you and it is refreshing.  I can see why the Minyas tolerate you now.”

“Umm... gee, thanks?”  It took a moment for me to realize he hadn't told me his first name... again.  I let him have his secret.  I held up a hand and shook my head as I yawned big enough to swallow the Bottle City of Kandor.  Umm... sorry, Superman reference.  He pursed his lips and sat back in his seat.

I pointed at the boys and narrowed my eyes.  They rolled theirs and put on their seat belts.  I know nobody wears seat belts in a limo, but safety first.  I looked expectantly at Galen and he exhaled and put his on too.

We proceeded in silence, I was beat and nodding off as the lights of the city moved past the windows.  It was a familiar cadence, reminding me so much of New York.  The muted colors of the night are broken up by flares of bright lights and neon.  Another city that never slept... my element, and I found the familiarity soothing.

I had only closed my eyes for a moment, to take a deep cleansing breath, and the next thing I knew I was being gently shaken, a Russian accented voice prompting, “Miss Kia, Aryon, we are at our lodgings.”

Aborting a snore and wondering why I was apparently chewing on a lock of my abysmally straight hair, pushing it out with my tongue, my eyes fluttered open to the soft flickering light of gorgeous-looking red paper lanterns that washed across the walls of what was most certainly not a hotel.  At least no hotel I knew of.

I raised my head from Tana's shoulder as she stretched, waking from the impromptu slumber too.  I looked around and we seemed to be in some sort of compound.  The architectural style was a mix of modern and striking colors, opulent ornamentation, and sweeping, tiered roofs of what is known as Thailand's temple and palace architecture and its blend of influences from many Asian cultures.

Also apparent were definite Elvish influences, including the ancient runic symbology carved in the massive cowed beam peaks of the roofs, and what I know is called Eraval Ru, or Floating Sky, floating roofs attached over the entryways made to look as if nothing was supporting them.  I may or may not have binged every scrap of information about Bangkok along with everything else last night.

Lis was yawning too as she pointed as the limos came to a stop.  “Umm, this ain't no hotel.”

Mr. Galen spoke, startling me because I may or may not have remembered he was in the car with us, “Of course not, this is the family holiday retreat for the Zhou clan from China, when they come to visit Bangkok.  They graciously offered it when they heard a member of the missing Riicathi clan was going to chair the conference this year.”

He spoke as if it were a great honor, which I'm positive it was as the place was beyond breathtaking, especially with all the blooming pink cherry blossoms on the trees around the buildings.

I knew of the Zhou clan by happenstance.  Their family sash was involved in one of the stories I covered for the news station, about a group of smash-and-grab Elvish thieves that wound up being a troupe of Sapien performers.

The  Zhou Clan consisted of only thirteen members, the smallest Elf clan until my family emerged.  We number four.  But unlike the  Zhou's who are among the three richest and most influential non-voting Elf clans, we Riicathi didn't have the huge resources they had.  We were lucky just to pay our bills and keep our food truck running.

I was a little surprised that Mr. Galen seemed so animated about this, looking almost prideful that the Zhou's had made this generous offer.  But then I got it, this was one of the few clans that had prospered beyond most of the Council clans, even without holding a seat themselves.  They had actually declined to join the other prestigious families when the Council was formed, yet held power, prestige, and respect of all the clans voting and non-voting on their merit.

This excited me a little, were they here?  Was I going to get to meet them?  I grinned as I sent out a text to Detective De Luca of the NYPD, she'd get a kick out of this, since I solved the case that involved the Zhou clan for her.

I froze and shrunk under the raised brow from Tana who was looking over my shoulder.  I gave her a quick peck on the lips, “There's nothing to be jealous about, woman.”

This pulled Lisa's eyes from the window as the chauffeur moved around the car to open the door for us. “Jealous?  Oooo you messaging your cop-wife again?”

“Grr... not helping, Lis.”

“What?  That woman is hawt.”

I floundered. “Not as hot as Tanny.”

Galen exhaled and spoke just above a whisper in restrained frustration, “Ladies, can we show a little decorum?  We represent the Council here.”

Lisa offed helpfully, “Not me, I represent WTRL.”  Her grin was decidedly shit-eating as the door opened and Mr. Galen quickly schooled his face after shooting her a withering look.

Ivan moved out first, followed by Pietor who had to move past our... coordinator.  It was my turn to sigh.  I know it was their job, but I saw them as overprotective big brothers at times.

When Ivan was satisfied that there was no danger in the middle of a private compound, he made a hand motion behind him, and we all sat there looking at each other.  Galen looked around and whispered in an instructional tone, “We exit by rank, lowest to highest.  Miss Rodriguez, then myself, the Aryon, then you Miss Renner.”

Lisa cocked a brow, “In what world am I the lowest ranking here?  You don't hold a seat in the Council either.”

I had to give the middle-aged Elf props for his wordless response which relayed an unspoken, “Really?” as he pointed to his Ears, reinforcing this was an Elvish conference.

She took it in stride. “Ah, I get the point... both of them, big guy.”  Then she moved past him, trying to restrain the excitement I was also feeling as she stepped out.  Then Mr. Galen exited, and my cheeks burned when Tana stepped out to turn to take my hand to help me out like a princess or something.  Was it wrong that I wanted to swish my nonexistent skirt from side to side when she did things like that?

I stepped into the humid heat and found a bustle of activity as porters swarmed the limos, hauling baggage toward various buildings that looked like a row of bungalows in that gorgeous amalgam of Thai and Elvish architecture.  Others were gathering in front of us while the rest of our contingent slipped in behind us.

I was immediately self-conscious as I realized I was the least professionally dressed in our group, as I had expected to be checking into a hotel to get a couple more hours of sleep before we had to head off to the conference at nine in the morning.

The group of Elves who stopped in front of us all paused when we all turned our eyes to the eastern sky as the sun peeked over the horizon, washing the world in that euphoric ocean of color.  Flickers of colorful light in my peripheral caught my attention and I let out a small gasp as I saw how the incomparable morning display playing off the wispy clouds was reflected in the gold leaf highlights in the buildings, making it look as though liquid light and color had been poured through the exposed beam peaks, and down the walls to puddle in polished metal inlays throughout the cobblestones, making it look as though that light was pouring the color back into the world.

I breathlessly whispered, “Wow.”  They had used the compound itself to enhance the sunrise which made it an almost life-affirming occurrence.

When I looked back at the people in front of us as the event dwindled and subsided, they all split, exposing a woman in traditional Thai robes like they had timed this moment with the sunrise.  The thirty-something woman with delicate Asian features who stood there was positively beautiful, no other adjective would suffice.  And she moved her positively tiny frame with a liquid grace as she seemed to glide up to stop in front of us.

The woman bowed her head slightly and I followed suit when both Galen and Tana returned it.  The Elf looked pleased as she offered a hand to me palm down.  What was I supposed to do here?  Kiss it?  In a panic, realizing none of the protocols Mr. Galen had been hammering into me covered this kind of meeting outside the venue.  So I accepted her hand and did a tiny curtsy, hoping I didn't look too awkward.

She beamed at me, her makeup was flawless, making her look almost unreal with the porcelain and almost poreless complexion of Elves. “Welcome to the Zhou compound here in Bangkok, Miss Riicathi.  I am Hansa Susanti, head of the Susanti clan, and chair of the Transparency Conference.  It is an honor to meet you and your delegation.”

The Susanti clan?  Why did I know... wait, I blurted as she released my hand, “Susanti?  As in Netra Susanti?  The oldest living Elf on the planet?”  She was even older than Claude Blackwood, the Elf Council historian.  Both were over three hundred years old, the effective maximum lifespan of the Aelftus.

She beamed at me, cocking her head up at me as if to try to figure out my outburst. “Yes, she is our elder, and my grandmother.  She would very much like to speak with another Riicathi if you could spare the time during your visit.”  Then she whispered, “Your eyes... I've heard and seen pictures but...”

Feeling self-conscious under her scrutiny of me being the only green-eyed Elf, I nodded my assent.  I'd be giddy to meet the oldest living Elf, who wouldn't?  I straightened, realizing all eyes were on me and I restrained myself from babbling, “Oh.  It is an extreme honor to meet you,  As you surmised, I'm Killishia Renner.”  I winced at myself for already breaking decorum that Galen had been hammering into me, “Or rather Riicathi for the purposes of the Conference.”

Then I motioned my hand to the three standing with me at the front of our group. “And you probably recognize my Ráquen, who is educating me in all things Elf, Tanaliashia Laun.”

Tana took the offered hand and brought it to her forehead for a moment before releasing it.  Oh just shoot me now, was that what I was supposed to have done?  Nobody covered that.  My cheeks heated as my girl inclined her head, and Hansa returned the acknowledgment, “Miss Laun.”  She seemed to be studying Tana intently like she was determining if she was someone to be respected or despised.  Ok, I could see that with the lack of action from the Council since this conference was formed.

It was a shame actually since my impression is that Evander and Natalia had good intentions when they formed the Conference, but the rest of the Council lacked follow-through on the intent.

I forged on,  “Lisa Rodriguez who is here as an observer and to assist me in reporting on the Conference for WTRL News.”

I quickly assured her when her eyes widened slightly, “We're only covering the nonsensitive stuff, nothing in the actual conference space.”

Lisa, the brat, glanced at me smugly as she lifted the offered hand to her forehead, “Miss Susanti, a pleasure.  And oh my god, I adore your nails, works of art.”

The Elf looked rather amused instead of taken aback at my bestie's brash forwardness, and more than a little curious as her eyes flicked to her ears more than once, the fact she was Sapien registering with her as she replied, “Thank you, Miss Rodriguez.  Has the Council lifted the ban of media at the Conference?”

Lis shook her head. “No, this is all Kia's doing.  She has a habit of shaking things up, it's sort of her M.O.  And you can call me Lisa or Lis.  I feel like I'm in some sort of posh boarding school when someone calls me Miss.”

The woman smiled slightly, looking to be thinking intently as she nodded slowly while she took me in again, sharing thoughtfully, “Yes, I've heard that about Miss Riicathi.  She's more than a little of her grandparents in her.”

Wait, she knew my grandparents?  I... I'd have to ask her about it when I had time.  Right now I had to get back on task if I wanted any more shuteye before we had to get to the Conference venue.  “And this is Mr. Galen, our...”  Ok, this was embarrassing, what the hell was he?  I just went with, “...our coordinator.”

She just inclined her head to him instead of offering her hand. “Of course, we've met at prior Conferences, and he has been in constant contact with the Conference staff and organizers over the last twenty-four hours.  Mr. Galen.”

For how put out he's been acting about having to be here, you couldn't see any of that in him as he gave almost a half bow, looking gracious and genuine as he shared, “It is a pleasure to be in the presence of the head of the Susanti clan again.  If I can be of any service to you or your staff, just let me know.”

She regarded him then turned back to me as a teen girl who was even shorter than she stepped forward, looking excited as she held something out to Hansa, who smiled fondly at the girl who looked like a younger version of herself only with rounded ears, telling me she hasn't yet Elfed.  A younger sister or even daughter?  “Thank you, Kaeo.”  The woman took the small box that was draped with some sort of sash that looked to be delicate silk with what had to be intricate hand-woven designs, and tilted her head as she smiled, “A gift from my family to yours as chair of the Transparency Conference Miss Riicathi.”

She spoke a line from a Buddhist prayer as she dipped her head slightly lower.  Not that I'm a geek or anything, but I knew this one because I may or may not have come across it during a Dungeons and Dragon campaign when I was younger and had to translate.

I repeated it in English, “May all be free from sorrow and the causes of sorrow.  May all never be separated from the sacred happiness which is sorrowless.”

She looked surprised, “You know the teachings of Buddha?”

I shrugged.   “A bit.  And, Kia, please.”

As I reached for the offered gift, Tasha was suddenly there, bowing low as she apparently accepted the box on my behalf and then dashed away.  I blinked.  Alrighty then.  “Thank you Miss Susanti.”

She inclined her head and looked at the four of us. “Hansa in informal gatherings such as this.”

“Hansa.”

Then we all turned as Galen snapped his fingers twice behind himself, and Enrique came dashing up to me with two canvas bags I realized were the diplomatic pouches that came with us.  Not that we had to go through customs anyway as they somehow filed our customs declarations electronically, but customs officials wouldn't be able to inspect the diplomatic pouches anyway.

He motioned his hand and Enrique, who was blushing and averting his eyes from the gorgeous diplomat in our midst, held his arms out and Galen stacked the pouches on the boy's arms like a table.  That was sort of dehumanizing, wasn't it?  I gave Enrique an encouraging smile.

Galen typed in a code on the electronic lock for the pouch and then reached in and pulled out a wooden box approximately ten inches square and three inches tall and placed it on top of the bags in  Enrique's arms.  Then he nudged his eyes from me to the box.  Oh, was I supposed to give this to Hansa?  I hesitantly picked it up, surprised at its weight, and turned to her as Galen reached over and slid the top of the box back and I almost dropped it when I saw rows of little gold bullion ingots stamped with the Aelftus Sovereign Crest, the symbol of the Intentional Elf Council.

He stated as another teen on the verge of Elfing slipped in front of the woman and took the box from me when Galen slid the lid shut.  Then the kid dashed off as Mr. Galen inclined his head again, “The Transparency Conference expenses for this year.”

Then he typed in the code for the other pouch and pulled out another box that was draped in a sash with the same Aelftus crest.  He looked at me.  Oh come on man, this seemed overly ritualistic.  I took the box and turned to Hansa who looked amused at my frustration I wasn't hiding well.  And  Kaeo was back, the adorable teen girl was grinning like a loon as she accepted the box and dashed off.

Mr. Galen said, “Gifts from the Council to the representative of the Dearmadta.” Dearmadta?  There was that word again.  My Aelftus was really rusty, it borrowed from so many languages, mostly Irish, and I only had two semesters of it in high school. But didn't that word mean forgotten?  Did they call the non-voting clans the Forgotten?

I wasn't sure what to do as we all just stood there, and I looked at him. “Are you done now?”  He gave me a patient look then nudged his eyes toward our host, was I supposed to say something here?  He hammered protocol into me for the meeting ceremony at the Conference, but nothing for meetings like this.  I offered to the woman lamely, since I didn't have any poetic references or prayers I could offer at a moment's notice, and I wanted to kick myself when I heard myself asking, “Umm... may the force be with you?”

The woman snorted, beaming a huge smile my way as she chuckled, covering her mouth, looking embarrassed for her outburst, “You are not what I was expecting... Kia, you're not like the other Council members and it is refreshing.”

Tana offered, looking almost proud of the woman's statement, “She gets that a lot.”

Then Hansa bowed her head slightly and took a step back. “We'll leave you to it then.  I'm sure you wish to prepare for the Conference.  The staff will show you and your people to their rooms, and will see to all of your needs.”

She was swallowed by the people around her and they moved off as we were swarmed by helpers as Tana took my hand, then we were led away when Kaeo appeared between Lisa and me, taking our hands as she beamed a smile at us.  The three of us followed the exuberant teen to one of the bungalow-type buildings.

Then she bowed and said in a tone that sounded like a younger version of Hansa's in accented English, “I'm Kaeo, this is your space, I'm assigned to you.”  She whispered, “I asked for it.”  Then in a normal tone added, “If you need anything, just ask any of the staff and they'll get me.”  Then she whispered again, “Is it true about your ears?”

I sighed and nodded as I slipped off an ear shield for her to see before slipping it back on.  Her smile doubled and I winked at her.  She almost squeed. “They're so small and cute.”  I sighed, at least she didn't use the dreaded word, 'adorable'.  Then in a more serious tone, she assured us, “I'll manifest soon and will have my pointed ears too, like big sister.”  Her muted blue eyes were wide in excitement, and I could picture her with the almost glowing, crystalline blue eyes all Elves have after they manifest.

She bowed, waved at us, and dashed away.  She was always dashing, and I'm pretty sure she only had one speed like all teens, with their unlimited energy.  I know I made my parents nervous wrecks when I was that age.

We stepped inside into air-conditioned comfort and my jaw dropped, feeling as if we had just stepped into some sort of palace.  In the middle of a huge room that was as big as the family space the Launs had in their penthouse back home, were our bags.  And there were three doors at the far side of the space which was furnished and decorated in opulence that didn't seem to look out of place here, in Thai style.

I just said in wonder, “Wow,” and then turned back to take both of Tanny's hands.  “I bet the beds are sinfully soft and warm.”

Lis said, “By all means.  Abandon me here while you two knoodle.”

Tana yawned and chuckled. “I think she had more of a cuddly snooze in mind, cowgirl.  Get your mind out of the gutter, woman.”

I yawned. “Yeah.”  Then we headed back to the promised feathery warmth I knew was waiting for us.  Just needed an hour to recharge and I'd be right as rain.  We fell face first into a sinfully soft down comforter that was spread on the king-size bed and I sighed as Tana pulled me to her and made me her little spoon.

I was nodding off before I could start purring over the warmth of her body pressed against mine.  This was so going to be an awesome nap.

Chapter 5 – Netra Susanti

My eyes snapped open and my ears swiveled just as I dozed off, to a light rapping on the door in the main room.  My Elvish senses heard it as if it were right beside me.  I groaned, and Tana chuckled.  I was never going to get my nap, was I?  I could tell that jetlag was going to be a killer.

She whispered, “I'll get it. You rest, love.”

I got a pleasant thrill down my spine and got butterflies in my belly like this every time she called me that.  I nodded and pulled a pillow over my head as she rolled off the bed and padded away.  When Tana gasped, I rolled out of bed and trudged out to see who it was.  There was nobody at the door and I looked over to the open kitchen space at an open door, with a stunned Tana who looked like she was searching for words blocking my view, but I could see the door leading to the outside.

I padded up to her to see the most ancient-looking woman I've ever laid eyes upon, in a gorgeous floral traditional Thai dress.  I think they are called 'chut thai', which unimaginatively literally means Thai outfit if I remember right.  She had probably been five foot two or so in her youth, but age and slight hunch to her back had her standing just under five feet with the help of a carved wood cane in one hand and Hansa supporting her on the other side by the elbow.

The woman's craggy and wrinkled skin reminded me a lot of Claude back home.  And despite her age, she had an air of sharp alertness and shrewd intelligence burned in her cobalt blue eyes as they flicked from Tana to me, as if she were assessing us.

Hansa said, her brow creased in apology, “I'm sorry Kia, I told her she could meet with you after the first day of the conference...”  She looked down at the older woman. “...but my grandmother is obstinate and quite insistent about her desire to speak with you.”

I realized I was grinning as I tugged Tanny aside as she shook off the shock over who this was at the door.  “Of course, please come in ladies.  Can I get you anything?”  I screwed up my face. “Umm... actually I don't know if we have anything... water?  Please come sit.”

Tana collected herself and bowed. “Yes, please come in.  It is an honor to meet the revered Netra Susanti.”

Ah crap, was I supposed to bow?  I really needed some sort of etiquette cheat sheet or something.  It's the problem with not being exposed to other cultures when you can't afford to even go out of state as you grow up.  I've learned a lot of cultural aspects of different peoples by proxy in the great melting pot of New York City, but nothing specific to traditions in Thailand.  I felt just as awkward as I did in the Council Chambers, just floundering around as I figured things out.

The woman's eyes never left mine as she was led to the seating area, Hansa said, “Tea would be nice, the kitchens are fully stocked here.”  I nodded and tripped over the luggage when I spun to hasten to the kitchen.  I spun, placing a hand on a wardrobe trunk that had to be my girl's, and half flipped, half pirouetted around it, and ended in a quick retreat as my ears burned in embarrassment.

A voice that was full of whimsy and a rasp that you could almost taste the history of the three centuries this woman has seen, called out, “Oh dear, child.  Are you all right?”  Then she tapped Hansa's leg with her cane, as she lowered herself into a rattan chair, her bones and tendons creaking more than the wicker, sounding just like Claude's.  “Go on, Han, prepare the tea.  I need to speak with the young Riicathi before she inadvertently kills herself, that would be inconvenient.”

“Yes, grandmother.”  The younger Elf bowed to her and then strode quickly toward me, not tripping over the huge stack of luggage, the show-off, and shooed me away.  “We best humor her, she can get cantankerous in her old age.”

Her elder waggled her cane toward her. “It's my youth I've misplaced, not my hearing, you upstart.”  The two shared a similar grin as I just looked between them, seeing Hansa at that age, being just as cantankerous.  I dropped my amused smile when Netra cocked a brow at me as I made a show of walking around the luggage, holding my casted hand out toward it as if it were a wild beast.

I noted that even at her advanced age, her hair was still a shiny raven black except for a stripe of silvered white in the center that was all tied up in a bun, held in place with an elegant silver hair stick which was stylized to resemble a Phaya Naga dragon.

Tana reached out and pulled me over to her, placing my hand in the crook of her arm as she said while bowing her head again, “Netra Susanti, this is Killishia Renner Riicathi, head of the Riicathi clan and member of the Senior Council.  And I am her Ráquen, Tanaliashia Laun, Aryon of...”

The woman nodded as she lifted her cane to press against Tana's side to move her away from me.  “Yes yes. We're well aware of who you are Miss Laun.  It is a source of endless amusement here that you are a thorn in your parents' side with your rebellion.  But I am here to speak with this young... Elf.”  She had hesitated before saying Elf like she knew something.

Oh.  I let go of Tana's hand and bowed to the elder.  “It is a great honor to meet you, Ms. Susanti, Claude Blackwood has spoken of you many times.”

She snorted.  “That old blowhard?  Is he still upset at being twenty-three days younger than me?  Completely useless that man, but knows his way around in the bed chambers if you know what I mean.  There was this one time a few decades back in Cambodia where we found ourselves in a shack, waiting out a monsoon, and didn't have anything better to do so Claude took...”

“Grandmother!”

My eyes were wide in a panic, thanking the Great Spaghetti Monster in the Sky that Hansa stopped her.  Tana looked to be in shock as well.  A disconnected little voice in my head was saying... Lisa voiced my thought from one of the wicker couches that was facing away from us toward the huge television on the wall.  “All right Claude!  Props.” She held a hand up for us to see and she made a shaka in the air.

Then she popped up like she was on springs and asked sheepishly, “Yeah, should I like,” she winged a thumb toward the sleeping areas, “if you want some privacy?  I was just about to see what was on the television when everyone showed up.  I can't figure out this remote.”

It was all I could do to stop from chuckling as she feigned a tiptoe and shrugged, eyes wide.  I offered, “Ms. Susanti, this is Lisa Rodriguez, she's...”

“I'm aware of who she is.  I follow her ElfGold371 InstaSnap channel.  It helps us keep tabs on Elvish affairs in the New World.  Including you, young Kia.  You've a habit of making a mess for the Council, and you've only just Elfed.  It's what those self-important Council Elves need is some chaos to shake things up.”  Then she said something in Thai with a wicked smirk on her lips.

“Grandmother!”

“Oh don't get so uptight, Han.  I'm just an old Elf who doesn't know what she's saying.”

“You'll outlive us all, so don't start playing the senile elder, nobody would believe you.”

I almost snorted since that is exactly what Claude does, and it works amazingly as people say things around him they ought not.  Only Tana and I know his secret.  That he's in full control of his faculties.

The old Elf ignored her granddaughter and just inclined her head slightly to Lisa as she looked slowly between her and me.  “A pleasure, child.  But it all depends on something.”

Then to me, she enunciated slowly, “We know what you are, young Riicathi.”

Oh, that.  “Lisa and Tana are aware, but maybe we shouldn't talk about this with so many others in earshot.”  Most likely most of the people in the compound could make out what we were saying.

She nodded and just looked toward Hansa.  The woman touched a pad on the kitchen wall and I could hear a white noise sound curtain fall around the building, but no blue privacy light lit, was that just in the states, or was it only a Council thing to have an indicator?  Then again, the white noise itself was indicator enough I suppose.

The moment the generator activated, both the front and back doors opened, Ivan stuck his head in from the front, and Pietor from the back, their hand where their weapons usually... hey, they had their guns.  Were they supposed to have them here?

I just crossed my arms obstinately, and Ivan rolled his eyes and they slipped back out and closed the doors.  I pointed out, “The boys here know too, but the two Senior Council members are keeping it compartmentalized to prevent a panic from both the Aelftus and Sapiens.”

Netra nodded distractedly, sharing, “They challenged us outside, they are quite serious about protecting you, and that is good with everything that is going on at the Conference, with all the threats and all.  My, but the Russians make them so big and strong.  You just know they have to be good in...”

“Grandmother!”

“I was only going to say in their chosen profession.  Really, girl, you act as if I'm a dirty old lady.  Show some respect for your elders.”  Then she winked at me and I covered my mouth.  She was so very bad.  I paused as my mind caught up with me.  Wait, she and Claude had been lovers?

The woman assured me, “I love her to death, but she's too easy to get a rise out of.”

“I can hear you grandmother.”

The elder looked at me and pointed her way to illustrate her point.

I chuckled. “You're wicked.”  Then I covered my mouth.  Should I be that glib with an elder?  Was it disrespectful in Thai culture?

Hansa allayed my panic by pointing out, “See, old lady, it isn't just me.”  They both had smirks on their lips, telling me this banter was nothing new and they loved each other dearly.  I relaxed.

Tana offered, “Would you prefer if Lisa and I took a walk around the compound?”

Netra sighed and postulated, “You'll be telling them everything anyway I assume.”

Not trying to hide it I nodded. “I don't have any secrets from either of them, I trust them both implicitly.  Same with the Cookie Twins... I mean my security detail out there.”

She grinned at that and shrugged.  “I just wished a quick meeting with you before the Conference to take your measure.  I knew your grandparents well.  The Riicathi have used our safehouses over the centuries once they fled the Council.  I myself helped birth your mother just a stone's throw away from this very spot.”

Then she stood and leaned in, her face inches from mine as her eyes bored into mine.  “I just had to see for myself.  A halfling.  You are a miracle young Killishia.  And the reason the Riicathi have remained hidden for so long is when the Council forced them to end another like you.  Elves killing Elves, abhorrent.”

Then she breathed out, “Amazing.  Green eyes.”

I prompted, “You know my grandparents?”

She nodded as Hansa joined us and we all sat as she poured tea for all of us and handed us each a cup.  “I was young the first time I saw the Riicathi, after the battle that wiped most of your people out before they fled to the New World.  Fiercest and most loyal of all the clans.”

She sipped and that signaled all of us to sip too.  I'm not much of a tea person, coffee all the way usually, but my brows raised at the flavors that washed over my taste buds.  Where was tea like this in the States?

“The first time I met your grandparents, they were here seeking refuge when they fled the United States a hundred years ago, when the Council's hunters got too close, seeking sanctuary among the Dearmadta, I thought I had seen a ghost.  It was impossible but I thought I was looking upon Romulus, the leader of the Riicathi from the past, but he would have been three hundred and fifty by then.”

She cocked her head, lost in the memory. “Your grandfather, Emit, is the spitting image of Romulus, his grandfather.  That is why I believed they were who they said and not Council operatives trying to track down groups who would give shelter to fugitives of the Council.  There was no mistaking that Emit was Riicathi.  He and his wife, Audrey, were the last two surviving Riicathi by then.”

The woman sat back in her seat setting her teacup down as she said with pride, “So imagine the celebration when years later, they showed up upon our doorstep yet again, and Audrey was great with child.  The Riicathi would go on.”

She beamed at me. “And their progeny is redemption for the evils the Pallbearers had been tasked to perpetrate, as you sit here now, a halfling, grown and healthy.  As I have said... a miracle, dear child.”

Before I could ask any of my thirty-three thousand, two hundred and three questions, she rapped her cane twice on the floor and stood up, creaking like old leather, all three of us standing and reaching out to help her.  “I will let you prepare for the Conference now.  But I would greatly like to have an in-depth discussion with you before you return to America.”  Then she hesitated and met my eyes, cocking her head inquisitively. “How is Abigail?  It was such a difficult delivery, we feared the worst, but she had been a fighter, and so was Audrey.”

I beamed. “Mom is great.  She and dad are happy.  And it's a thing with us Riicathi girls I suppose, as my birth had been difficult too.”

As we followed her and Hansa to the back door again, I assured her, “I would love to speak with you again Ms. Susanti.  It would be an honor.  Maybe I can interview you before I return to New York?”

“Please child, we know each others' secrets now, I'm sure you can bring yourself to call me Netra.”

They opened the door and I bowed when Tana did.  “Netra.”

And they were gone.  When we closed the door, Lisa blurted, “God, I love that old bat.  She's a hoot.”

I nodded my agreement as my brow furrowed.  We know each other's secrets now?  She knew I was halfling but I didn't know anything... my eyes widened when I got it.  She had mentioned it so casually I almost glossed over the implications.  She had revealed to us that they ran safehouses for people hiding from the Council, just like Grandma and Grandpa Renner did.  But... the Council didn't have any authority over the non-voting houses, did they, so why would it matter?

Hmm.

Chapter 6 – Protest

I didn't get any more rest since the world was conspiring against me.  Mr. Galen and the lawyers showed up while I was heading back to bed.  Didn't he ever give it a rest?  I understand I am getting weeks of preparation in less than a day, but there is only so much a person can take.

Something was bouncing around in my head and I changed subjects from his parliamentary procedure refresher.  I prompted the lead lawyer in our group, “Aldrich?  Is the exact verbiage of the charter available for me to look at, or do you have a copy?  What little was provided to me about it and its structure was more of a general bullet-point overview.  I'm confused about some things.”

He nodded. “It is on the Council's secure servers, you can access them on your devices as a Senior Council member.  I have a hard copy here if you want.”  The ever-organized man opened his ever-present briefcase and retrieved a folder marked 'confidential' then pulled out a document that looked to be only five pages or so including the cover page.  That was it?  For something as important as coordinating between the voting and non-voting clans you'd think it would be hundreds of pages, like the Reveal Accords.

As I accepted the charter, I smirked and teased the man.  “You do know this is the twenty-first century now, there are countless professional satchels out there that won't suck away your cool factor like that archaic briefcase, right?”

The man smirked right back. “I'll take it under advisement, Miss Renner.”

Mr. Galen didn't look as amused as us.  “If you two are finished, there are things we need to...”

Tana interrupted.  “If she isn't ready now, an extra couple of minutes isn't going to make any difference, ladies, and gentlemen.  We need to get cleaned up and changed for the conference unless you want our esteemed Riicathi Transparency Chairwoman wearing sneakers and one of my band tees to represent the Council at the Conference.  The cars will be here soon to whisk us all away.”

The man got serious. “Of course.  We can go over the opening ceremony again in the car.”

He held out a hand and made an ushering motion to the pack.  They all went into motion except  Enrique and Tasha who stood there looking eager and ready to spring into action.  I assured them, “I can handle this myself.  Shoo.”  I really didn't know why I needed assistants, I was quite capable of making a fool of myself without help.

Tasha blurted, “Yes, ma'am.”

“Kia.”

“Yes, Kia.  Can we take your prep materials and speech to get things set up for you upon your arrival?”

Prep materials?  Then my eyes went wide as panic set in, “Wait!  Be kind, rewind.  Speech?”

She nodded in earnest pulling up the Conference schedule on her LaunPad to show me the third line. “Yes, here, the official greeting.  That's where you give your speech.  I'm really looking forward to what you have prepared.  It's exciting to have a Council Member around our age to introduce a more youthful viewpoint into the proceedings.”

Enrique chimed in, “Me too.  It's why we were the first to volunteer from the support pool when Yanik and Maria bowed out when they learned Yan Huynh didn't have to chair the event anymore.  Maybe a new generation can breathe new life into things, and actually make some headway into smoothing over the building animosity.”

I was nodding slowly at that as I considered his words about the building animosity, thinking about Netra's offhanded comment about threats, lending to my impression that relations between the Council and these people were one big pressure pot that was ready to blow.

“Umm... great.  No problem.  I'm just going to polish it up a bit, I'll bring it with me.”

Tasha was beaming as they grinned in unison and scurried off after Galen and our legal team.  I was smiling and waving to them when they looked back, until they all stepped out, past the curtain of white noise.

Then I allowed the blood to drain from my face, eyes so wide I felt as if they'd just fall right out and roll out the door like a meatball after someone sneezed.

Lis popped chocolate she had gotten somewhere into her mouth and said as she chewed, “No speech?”

I squeaked out to her and Tana in desperation, “No speech.”

My girl, instead of supporting me, just sputtered out a half chuckle, half giggle as she kissed the tip of my nose and dragged me toward our room. “Poor baby.  A nice steamy shower will make you forget all about it, Killy.”  Even through my panic, I noted she was almost purring.

Still squeaking, I sputtered, “A shower?  I have no speech!”

Lisa called out from where she was slipping into her room with two of her huge suitcases, “She's asking you to shower with her, Einstein.  How can the woman I have an imaginary love child with being so dense?”

Asking me to... oh.  I could feel the goofy smile on my face as I heated in all my favorite places as I mumbled, “Oh... ok.”  Then I let my emo-punk, hello kitty meets sexy multi-pierced grunge, Elf pull me along.  Some Kia was gonna get lucky.

She added as she started to peel my clothes off of me in the private bathroom attached to our room, “Just pull up the speech Yan has used the past five years in the car, and make a few tweaks to Killy-fy it.”

Ok, with that, the last vestiges of panic were pushed away by my growing arousal and need as she began to disrobe too, revealing the 'other' piercings only I was privy to.  Yes, please.

I was relaxed, thoroughly sated, and pleasantly sore in spots as I stood in front of the mirror a short time later, to adjust my one business outfit, then shivering in pleasure as Tana stepped up behind me to straighten the collar of the blouse and lay a whisper soft kiss on my bare ear, that sent a shock of pleasure directly to my core and making my knees weak, causing me to waver.

Her hot whisper sent another shiver of desire down my spine as she slid my fur-lined ear shields on for me, “My god, Killy.  Where did you learn how to do that?  I almost melted on the spot.”

I blushed profusely, trying and failing to push the heat back.  “I umm... read it in a book once.  I uh... haven't had much experience in...”

Lisa blurted from the main room, “La la la I can't hear you.”  Oh god, did she hear us in there?  Just kill me now.

I looked at Tana and bit my lower lip.  From the wardrobe trunk she raided, she donned a professional skirt-suit and heels that hugged her assets and showed off her toned and shapely legs thanks to her aggressive Mahta-cambë martial arts training. I was extremely self-conscious that she looked like an emo-punk runway model in that professional suit, and I looked like, well, I looked like a woman who saves her pennies and got most of her outfits at the thrift stores in the City.

She somehow read my doubts in my body language and assured me.  “You look amazing, Killy.  Besides, with that red hair of yours and your impossibly green eyes, nobody will be looking at how you are dressed.”

She placed her hands on my shoulders from behind and steered me out to the main room where we both came to a quick stop, eyes wide at my bestie.  Ok, I see her as the sister I've always wanted, but dayum.

Tanny voiced it for me, “Dayum girl.  You clean up nice.”

I keep forgetting how pretty she really is.  Now she was in a sleek, blood red, silk chut thai she must have bought in the States for the trip which seemed to enhance her femininity.  Her hair was draping down her back and pooling over her shoulders in loose black curls, her makeup looking precise and elegant.  The red patent leather flats and about a bajillion bangle bracelets completed the outfit.

If you looked at her from behind, you'd think she was a Thai Elf since her hairstyle hid her ears.  The only thing that broke the illusion from the front was her deep brown eyes and her lack of Asian features.  If she wore sunglasses like a good portion of the Elf population did during the day to shield their sensitive eyes, I'd defy anyone to say she wasn't Elf.

Said pseudo-Elf replied, “You two cut fine figures yourselves.  And Kia, we need to do some clothes shopping for you while we're here.  You can charge it to the station you know.”

While I was inside, Lis was going to get some b-roll at the Conference venue, even though she couldn't come inside.  She was going to canvas the area and observe the Elves attending to find locations for my report for WTRL.

I snorted and prompted, “You think Mr. Klien gave me a station card?  Not so much.  Like you, I have to keep all my receipts if I want to be reimbursed when we get back.  So maybe a new blouse or two is all I can afford right now with my dwindling bank balance.”

Lis deflated but my girlfriend just chuckled at us.  “Killy, you do realize that in your travel packet is a no-limit Black Card in your name?  Not only has the Council extended a generous travel stipend for each Elf in our delegation, but that card is for you as a Senior Council member to cover all your expenses whenever doing official Council business like the Transparency Conference.”

Fut the actual wuck? I blinked in shock.  I still haven't gone through the entire packet I was given, mostly because I was shocked about the new Aelftus passport with the unfortunate picture of myself.  Then my surprise turned into a mischievous grin as I turned back to Lis.  “Clothes shopping spree.”

Lisa looked seconds from bursting into song over that.  No really, she's been known to do that on occasion.  She took a quick picture of me and then her fingers were flying on her cell.  I prompted warily, “What's that for?”

She held up a finger and then finished, saying a few words she was typing out, “Elf Frump Garb v1.0... aaaand post.”  Oh dear lord, she just posted it to her social media.  Gah!  It was going to become another unfortunate meme, wasn't it?

I shoved her shoulder. “I don't dress like a frump.”

She cocked a brow and ran a hand up and down in front of my girl, who was looking so very fine.  I huffed out a petulant, “Fine, whatever.”

We stepped out to our waiting delegation by more limos and we hesitated.  Ivan and Pietor were positioning themselves between our door and ten or fifteen dangerous-looking security types.  They were a mix of Elves and Sapiens who were all toting some serious hardware.

One exceptionally tall, lithe Elf, who was trying to stare down Ivan, didn't have a gun like the rest, instead, she had a pair of katana-like daab swords crossed on her back, their grips sitting just above her shoulders.  She looked capable and deadly, so I took it she was in charge of this group then.

I prompted, “Ivan?”

He turned his head toward me but didn't lose eye contact with the woman in front of him. “Da, Kia.  I was just explaining to Miss Lin here that you already have a security detail to escort you to the Conference.”

That's when Hansa arrived.  “Mai, stand down.  Allow Council security to take point.  You are to lend aid in a support capacity.”

The woman broke her stare down with the big Russian, and took a single step back, bowing slightly to Hansa, “Chi.”

“English please, not all of the Council delegation can speak Thai, Mia.”

“Yes, forgive me, Miss Susanti.”

Satisfied, Hansa turned to us. “I'm sorry for the miscommunication here.  I had hoped to be here before our over-exuberant security team.  With all the threats and unease circulating the conference, I thought it prudent to bolster your security.”

Tana prompted, shooting me a look that told me she was concerned for me, “What threats?”

“There has always been some animosity between the Council and the Dearmadta clans.  The past couple of years, it has been ramping up as year after year we see no change, and our concerns are not being redressed, being bogged down in the Council.”

She pointed at the gates of the compound. “Actionable intelligence supplied by informants to the Metropolitan Royal Thai Police headquartered in Bangkok made it prudent to assure nothing untoward happens during your visit.  Some families are lobbying to break ties with the Council altogether.”

A quick glance to the approaching Galen and our legal team, then to Tana, let me know that word of this seemed to be a surprise.  I was starting to think the entire strategy with the nonvoting families had just been 'out of sight, out of mind' and I had to wonder if the Launs and Havashires knew just how mismanaged the Transparency Conference has been since they conceived of it.

I looked at the Cookie Twins. “You good, boys?  Coordinate with Miss Lin.”

Pietor, who normally didn't speak as much as his brother, inclined his head. “Da.”  Then he moved over and to my surprise, started speaking fluent Thai with the woman.

Tana looked at the gathering Elves and shooed them all off with a, “Nothing to see here.  Everyone load up, it's an insult to be late.”  With that, everyone went into motion.  Pietor called out, “One security guard per vehicle.”  Before walking over to hold the limo door open for us before the chauffeur had a chance to get to it. “Ladies, if you would.”

When Galen moved to join us in our limo, Hansa stepped in front of him bowing her head slightly.  “Khun Galen, I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I rode with the Council member.  We've proprieties to discuss.  Host to chair.”

He was smooth, I'll give that to the man, he had impeccable political skills and seemed to be adept at pivoting.  “But of course, Miss Susanti.  I look forward to future discussions with you during the Conference.”  He gave a slight bow and turned, shooing my assistants along with him.

My bullshit-o-meter, which is finely calibrated mind you, was pinging as I studied the woman as she stood by the open door for us to enter in order of precedence... which Lis was having none of as she slipped past us all to slide in first and bounce her way down the back facing bench seat.

When we were all in, Pietor up front with the driver and Ivan in the back with us, I challenged the raven-haired woman with a cocked brow.  She covered her mouth with a hand to hide her smile as she admitted after pressing a button on the door and a white noise curtain sprang up inside, “The look on your faces when you saw the man approaching tells me he must be monopolizing all your time to familiarize you with the conference since there is such high turnover of Council chairs at it.  And you look as if you haven't caught up on any rest yet.  I assumed you could use a break.”

I sighed and nodded.  “Thank you for that.  The man is the model of efficiency, and protocol, but my head is turning to mush going over the same things again and again.  Then omitting little things like the fact I have to give a speech at the opening of the Conference.”

She was covering her mouth again and I said feebly, “Gee thanks for the sympathy.  I'm glad it's amusing to you, I'm in a panic.  I have to do that and I want to read the Charter before we arrive.”  I sighed and slumped against Tana who lent me support.

Hansa furrowed her brow. “You haven't read the Charter yet?”

I pointed at her squinting an eye in a challenge.  “I only found out I was supposed to be officiating it less than forty-eight hours ago.  I've got the bullet points, but I want to review the actual verbiage.”

The woman nodded, her brow creased in thought, then looked at me as I pointed at the big man beside her, and Ivan sighed as he fastened his seat belt, making me grin at the Russian Elf.  I assured her, seeing she had automatically donned hers when she sat, “Safety first and all.”  I tapped my cast as a practical example of the consequences if you ignored safety... and or common sense.

Lis turned to the woman beside her, and my work wife held up her LaunPad, a questioning look on her face, “May I?”

Hansa nodded and looked graceful and regal as she sat tall in her seat as Lisa snapped a couple of shots, “Thanks.”

Then the two of them along with Tana, knowing I needed to concentrate, started a discussion among themselves about life in Thailand as the caravan of Limos and support and security vehicles got underway.

I smiled inwardly at how well my girls knew me and how insightful Hansa was.  So I buckled down and started reading the Charter.  The first page was full of pomp and circumstance and the usual unnecessary blustering of political bureaucracy as they tried to illustrate just how many multi-syllable words they could cram into each sentence to sound officious.  Then I slowed down to really let not just the words, but the tone of them and intent, soak in, trying to put myself in the shoes of both of the peoples affected by the agreement.

It struck me that the original intent was actually pretty altruistic and conciliatory, and the condensed version I had read earlier while covering the main points, lacked... humanity? And the intent of the original.

It almost seemed as if it were misinterpreted purposefully, as I couldn't see any reasonably intelligent person inadvertently interpreting the words for this growing animosity to have grown to a tipping point if what has been shared with us about the unrest is true, and I had no reason to believe it wasn't.

Most, but not all, of the Elves in our delegation acted as if this were a tedious inconvenience, instead of seeing how very important it was.  And I swore to myself that I wasn't going to perpetuate the malfeasance the prior delegations appeared to have perpetrated.

Instead of bringing all the Elves to stand together, there seemed to be two classes of Elf families, those with and those without voting shares, the latter dismissed as inconsequential in the overall scheme of things.  Yet those seemed fine with dictating to those who their decisions affected without giving them a voice in any of it.  So much for this perfect Elvish society, the Launs and Havashires have tried to project to the world after the Reveal.

I sighed as I looked at the document in my hands, before sliding it slowly back into my shoulder bag, seriously contemplating the entire mess.  I was too intent on it it seems since I missed Hansa prompting the first time until she repeated, “What is it, Kia?”  then Tana asked, “Everything alright, Killy?”

Pointing at my bag, lips pursed, I shared slowly, one eye on Ivan who was stoic as ever, “It seems that the heart of the Charter has been ignored.  While the technical aspects are adhered to, like an annual Transparency Conference, the driving force behind it, the intent, has just been glossed over.  The concept was to move past differences and work together to not just improve the quality of life for all Elves, voting or not, but the communities we all live in.”

Again I pointed at my bag.  “There's an entire passage about working with those communities to accomplish that concept that isn't even addressed in the condensed overview I was given.  I'm hoping it was incompetence, otherwise, I'd almost think it was intentional sabotage of the reconciliation process, mending fences and making the Elves one people again.”

Ivan didn't even blink or tense, I was half worried he might warn me about implying the Council might not be playing fair, but that he didn't made me love the big guy even more.  But the ladies were all leaning in toward me almost imperceptibly.

I finished with, “So this Transparency Conference never really had a chance, and the only transparent thing about it is that it is used as an afterthought to simply tell the Dearmadta what the Council has done over the year and they,” I looked at Hansa, “you, are just supposed to be ok with it.”

The woman was cocking an exquisitely sculpted brow at me.  “You read all of that into it just from looking through the Charter just now?”

My punk princess beamed at her, making me blush as she assured her, “Killishia has a talent for seeing into the heart of things.”  I almost sighed when she used my full name.

Lisa added, “I think the Council just made her mad.  I sense a disturbance in the force, so they better brace themselves for a Renner Rage shitstorm.  It isn't going to be pretty.”

There was no quashing the evil smile growing on my face as I realized a couple of things about what I read, and I started to scheme.  Nodding to myself as I informed them, “I need to do some research while we are here in Thailand, after I get some sleep tonight, my mind is mushy as a gelatinous cube that just rolled a one for the initiative.  But right now, I have to come up with an opening speech.”

I held up my LaunPad and wiggled it in front of me to illustrate, and they all accommodated me, thoughtful looks on all their faces, even Ivan's.

No sooner had I logged in to look at the previous speeches, then the limo slowed, Ivan turning to the windows had me looking up from the links on the secure Council server.  If it got his attention, it was something security-ish.  And if security-ish isn't a word, it should be and shouldn't reflect upon the quality of education or vocabulary I received in my studies as a journalism major.

I prompted when I saw why we had slowed to a crawl, “What's happening?”  There were hundreds of people on the pedestrian walks and blocking portions of the street.  Most were Sapien with a few Elves in the mix, with many who were holding signs, most were printed in Thai, and some were shouting.  But I put it all together when I saw a few signs in English as well with messages like 'Council go home!' or 'We don't want you here.' and 'Disband the Council.'  One read 'Free the Elves!'

They were protesting the International Elf Council for the Dearmadta, they were protecting their Elves here.  I almost half stood from my seat, my belt holding me down when I saw a wave of military-style police pushing them clear of the road, roughly in some cases.  My anxiety was spiking at that, there was no room for violence at a protest.

Hansa apologized, “I'm sorry, the protests have been growing the past few years, the Metro Royal Police should have had the route cleared, but they are understaffed and the crowd looks much larger than last year.  Please don't let this discourage...”

I blurted, “Stop the car!”  The driver on reflex did immediately, the tires squealing a little as the brakes locked up.

Then Ivan and Tana were reaching for me when I shoved the door open as I unbuckled my seat.  The big man snapped, “Miss Kia, no!” as he unbuckled to follow me as I stumbled out into the shouting crowd that had me cringing and covering my ears as the sound was slicing into me like a thousand ice-picks to my skull.

I scrambled to where some of the officers were shoving a woman back who was yelling something and reaching past them desperately.  I slid to a stop, crouching, with Tana, Ivan, and Pietor behind me as I yelled out, “Stop!” as I sheltered the little girl, no more than four or five, who had been separated from her mother as the police shoved her back with the others.

The little girl was blubbering, as I stood, holding her on my hip as I shouted at the officers who had hesitated at my arrival, “What is wrong with you?”  I pushed past one officer, who backpedaled quickly and almost fell like he was avoiding contact with me.  I handed her to her mother who looked almost terrified of me as she inclined her head deeply, then quickly moved into the crowd away from us.  Was everyone afraid of the Elf Council here?

I took another step, pulling an officer's hand off of a man's arm who they looked ready to drag away and I stepped between them. “Leave them alone!  This is a peaceful protest and you're escalating things.  Let their voices be heard without fear of injury or worse.”  Again the officer stepped back quickly from me as I chastised them all as the crowd's shouts dwindled to murmurs.

Someone shouted in broken English, “Council go home!”

I shouted back as Tana was trying to haul me back to the limo, “After the Conference, after your Elves' voices are heard.”  Lisa was beside my girl, recording it all as the Cookie Twins interposed their bodies between me and the crowd.  There were murmurs then the crowd fell silent, only the sounds of breathing and hundreds of heartbeats letting me know I hadn't suddenly gone deaf.

All the police gathered bowed slightly as Hansa spoke from right behind me, causing me to gasp and lurch forward as I spun, my hands up in a bad Karate pose as if I could be any more awkward, “Please, khun Captain, do as Miss Riicathi says.  This day should not be marked with violence.”

It was as if the semi-hostile energy of the crowd changed, like a wave rippling out, reaching for the shore.  I could hear Riicathi being repeated through whispers, as murmurs I couldn't understand were exchanged.  Most, but not all the disapproving looks of contempt had changed to genuine curiosity.

Hansa seemed to beseech them, her words melodic and quick, I caught my name in her words, then at the end she switched to English.  “This may be the season of change we have all waited for.  Patience is the flower that blooms to make us mighty, its promise carried upon the wind.  You know the Riicathi, and now one speaks for the Council.  Let us see what promise is carried in their wake.”

Many of the people bowed their heads, some lowered their signs.  Then she addressed the Captain again, “The Susanti clan and the Dearmadta thank you for your diligent service.  Your restraint is seen and appreciated.”

Sure, she could adlib an inspiring speech on the fly and I still didn't have a clue what to say in mine.  The show-off.  Fine, she was pretty damn awesome.

The man stood taller, a look of pride on his hard face then he and the others just stood at the curb, the murmuring crowd at their backs, making enough room on the street for our small caravan to pass.

I was being led backward by Tana and Ivan, Hansa walking beside me, and I caught the little girl in the crowd being held by her mother, and she waved bashfully at me, I waved back from my hip then gleeped as Ivan physically hoisted me and placed me back inside the limo.

I noted the other vehicles behind us, half the occupants standing half out the doors, watching.  Mr. Galen looked... concerned.  And he seemed to have something intense on his mind, as his brow was severely creased as his blue eyes bored into me.

Once we were all in and the doors shut, they locked and the white noise generator engaged, Ivan blurted, “That was reckless, Miss Kia.  It was not a secure scene, you could have been harmed.”

My growl did not affect him as I pointed back as the vehicle started forward again, “There was a little girl!”

Hansa pointed out, almost as if she were fishing for something. “She was Sapien.”

I looked at her, my eyes wide, and repeated, jamming my finger back, “She was a little girl!  She or her mother could have been hurt.”  Then I calmed, seeing the twitch of a smile at the corner of her lips, I huffed then said, trying not to sound like a whine, “They have a right to protest, and from what I'm learning, rightfully so.  Nobody needs to get hurt.  And the important thing is that I heard their voices and now they know that they were seen.”

Lisa added to my lame attempt to voice the thoughts going through my head, with a succinct, “Yeah.  What she said.  And I have it all right here.”  She patted her tablet.

Tana pointed out, “You know the Council won't let you use that, as they won't want word coming out that there are protests against them and discord between Elves, breaking the gaslighting image they work hard to project.”

It was my turn to ask, “Why not?  We're in the public, not any Aelftus sovereign territory.  If anything, this is the exact opposite, as the Council seems to be doing all it can to push the non-voting clans away.  Anyone can record people in public spaces back home...”  I turned to Hansa, “Is it the same here?”

She looked surprised at my words and then waffled her hand. “More or less, leaning heavily toward the more side with a few exceptions.”

I gave my girl a 'so there' nose crinkle as she whispered to herself under her breath, “Mom and dad are going to have kittens.”

Tana looked to be considering something, her brow creased ever so slightly as she shared off-topic, “You did it again, Kia.  You moved faster than I've ever seen any Elf move when you dashed out of the limo.  Not even Ivan was able to block you from exiting when you moved.”

“What?”  I hadn't moved that fast, I just needed to make sure the little one was ok is all.  An awkward silence fell over us all, with Hansa looking intently between my intimidatingly large security guard and me.

We slowed again a couple of blocks later to a sprawling green space that was cordoned off with barricades and lines of military and police.  A barricade was carried off to the side to let us through as our hostess shared, “We're here.”

Chapter 7 – Transparency

Minutes later, we were in the huge conference hall which instead of a roof, had some sort of plant conservatory, like the one on Navy Pier in Chicago that I've seen in pictures and movies.  The fifteen-acre grounds in the middle of the city core were fashioned with traditional Thai influences.  Plants and flowers in bright colors everywhere, and grass an almost unreal green with winding and twisting cobblestone walkways that led you in, hiding the city behind the hedges, trees, and gardens.

The only indication you were in the city except for the sounds beyond the natural area, were the skyscrapers towering above the trees.  It gave me a sense of déjà vu, feeling as if I were in the middle of Central Park in Manhattan, only Central Park was over fifty times the scale.

Elves of all shapes and sizes, representing dozens of cultures around the globe that I could pick out, were bustling through the green space to the structure at its core like us.  I had to stop myself from staring in wonder at the Elves, even though New York City is the great melting pot of peoples and cultures, there isn't as much representation in the Council which had a preponderance of European, Russian, and African, with some Middle Eastern families represented.  There were only a few exceptions.

But here, I was simply amazed and prompted as we made our way in, “You getting this Lis?”

My bestie was just nodding, her jaw hanging like mine.  And I knew that Mr. Galen, who was just behind me, likely still hadn't lost the sour and dour look on his face that a member of the press was allowed in.  A first.

As our delegation proceeded with Hansa's group who had joined her when we get out of our vehicles, I told Lisa as she hugged first me then Tana goodbye, “You better head outside the barricades to take some b-roll shots before someone has a conniption fit that you're here.  See if you can use that Rodriguez magic of yours to canvas some of the people out there and even protesters if you think it would be safe.  I can send some Russian muscle with you.”

Hansa had cocked her head. “Who would have a... conniption  fit?”

I shrugged and supplied, “I've been told.  Vigorously.  And by many, that the press is banned from the conference.”  I shot a look to Mr. Galen, who chose not to rise to my bait.

Our host shared, “We welcome the press so that the world can know what happens behind closed doors here.  It is the Council that forbids it.”

I looked at Tana. “Yeah, what's with that?  It's like we're trying to hide something.”

She opened her mouth to explain, but Galen spoke first, moving up to us, keeping his voice low even though everyone in at least a hundred to two hundred feet with ears of pointitude could hear, “Press is not allowed in official meetings in the Council Chamber, nor on Elvish sovereign territory.”  And by sovereign territory, he meant Laun Tower and Havashire Spire, since the Aelftus was recognized as a landless sovereign entity.  So the two skyscrapers in New York were essentially Elvish embassies.

I pointed out, “But... this isn't the Council Chamber.  And correct me if I'm wrong, there is no Aelftus Sovereign Territory here in Bangkok except these limos while they have the Aelftus crest on the tiny flags fluttering at the corners of the car hoods, and the private jet we flew in on.”

Looking at our host I pointed out, “It sounds as if the Dearmadta would welcome press at the Transparency Conference.”  She nodded and I called back, “Hey shysters... are you picking up what we're putting down?”

Aldrich replied, “There is no precedent for what you are suggesting, and we'd have to study the legal exposure and repercussions before...”

“Can we do it or not?”

He tried stalling with lawyer babble, “The Senior Council would have to sign off, but I'm sure the Minyas would not allow it.”

My girl's eyes widened.  “I know that look, Killy.  We're all doomed, aren't we?”

Oh, I was smirking too big wasn't I?  I schooled my expression and started to throw a monkey wrench in the works, but Galen held up a stalling hand to me, to which Lisa just gave a ferocious high five.  “Miss Riicathi, you cannot...”

“Mr. Galen, am I, or am I not, a Senior Council member?”

He pursed his lips, answering grudgingly, “You are.”

Then I put the hammer down, hoping I'd be worthy to pick it back up later. “I was given the task of being the chair for the Transparency Conference as the most junior Council member because nobody wanted nor saw any benefit in it, treating it almost as a joke or hazing ritual to inconvenience the newly seated members.”

“So not only as a Senior Council member do I allow limited press into the conference, at the discretion of the representatives of the Dearmadta and our legal team, but I was put in charge of our delegation, so... after consulting with myself, I've decided to allow it.”

There were gasps from our group, and even from some of the others rushing to get good seating in the building.  I glared at Galen and he exhaled, shoulders slumping slightly in resignation, as he nodded but quipped, “The Minyas are going to have your hide over this Miss Riicathi.”

“Renner.  And they have my number.”

He mumbled as he surrendered the field to me, “Which you never answer.”  My grin was all teeth, telling him I was well aware, there's a point to that after all, and was starting to become a running joke between my girl, whose calls I answered every time, and me.

Then I said, “Ok Lisa, you're with us.  And you and I can work on the story on breaks and whatnot.”

I told a blinking Hansa, “Starting next year, let's start allowing two or three vetted reporters to attend the Conference, I'm sorry we didn't have time to vet any for this one, since it starts in...”  I gulped, looking at the time, “Twenty-two minutes.  But for this one, maybe I can talk WTRL to put the story up on the AP, except for any exclusive interviews I make during our visit here.”

She was well aware of how much I was sticking my neck out here on this, as even the implication of unrest in the Elvish community is going to put a smudge on the well-crafted image the senior families were trying to project to the world.  So she just silently nodded.  I pointed back. “Can a legal eagle please shadow our camera woman, please?  To make sure any proprietary information protected by the Reveal Accords isn't compromised?”

I was pushing my luck, but Aldrich himself moved up to stand next to my bestie.  He looked almost... amused, at my little rebellion.  I liked the solicitor, and he always surprised me by backing me even after I frequently go against his legal advice.  By pure happenstance, it feels as if I've been surrounding myself with good people since my Elfing.

Hansa bowed her head slightly to us and said, “I'll see you inside, we have to get things started in there.  You've a distinct style all your own, Kia.  I look forward to working with you in there.”

I mirrored her head bow and she and her group hurried on ahead of us.  Lis hummed the death march when I started moving again, causing me to cross my leg behind me to kick her butt.

I was floored when we stepped into the huge open space.  There had to be thousands of Elves there, crowding the space that had endless rows of chairs with little swing-up desks for laptops or notepads like in college.  Swallowing I whispered, “There's so many.”

Tana shook her head and whispered back, “This isn't even all of them, there is a significant number of non-voting clans who can't afford to travel from around the globe to here since they neither have a stake in the Mírë, nor have an annual Arwë draw for their families.”  I could almost taste a mix of guilt and anger in her tone.  And for one of the first times, I heard her defend her parents. “This isn't what Dad and Aunt Natalia had in mind when they envisioned the Conference.”

Galen moved up to us, and whispered so low, I knew Lisa wouldn't have heard, and I was sure most of the Elves around us couldn't either, neat trick, “This way, Miss Renner, there's a green room behind the stage.”  And with that, our whole delegation went into motion, heading up onto the stage to sit on long tables set up on either side of the stage, with a podium in the middle.

There was that déjà vu again.  It was set up like the Council Chambers, with opposing sides on either side of the space.  Which seemed wrong to me.  And I could see the disdain on the faces of the bulk of those attending as my people moved past to take their places on stage.  This wasn't us vs them, this was supposed to be a space we could all collaborate and let everyone's voices be heard.

Once we were brought backstage, which was bustling with activity consisting of a dozen or so Elves with headsets and uniforms indicating they were staff, and into a room that had monitors on one wall with various views of the stage, we sat in some deceptively comfortable chairs that just seemed to form to my body.

I moaned and then just as the door was closing, my stomach growled so loudly my cheeks heated and Tanny chuckled out with a chuckle, “Someone's hungry.  When was the last time you ate, Killy?”

Defending El Stomach McGurgles, I squeaked out, “Those sandwiches last night.  We were a little rushed once we landed, and we got umm... busy this morning, but I saw there's a break at noon for a banquet lunch in the conservatory on the roof.”

A woman who was closing the door paused and said, “I can have coffee and pastries from the foyer brought in, the proceedings begin in fifteen but you won't be announced until fifteen minutes later.”

Opening my mouth to try to decline politely, my stomach protested violently, so I tried to make myself small in my chair as I squeaked, “Yes please.”  And coffee would be perfect to keep me sharp, as I was still quite tired and still had to somehow recycle an introductory speech and craft it into something that pretended not to be what it was in just a half hour now.

She closed the door and the sound pressure eased as a white noise curtain circled the green room, which coincidentally was not green.  I prompted Galen and Tana, “This conference center is equipped with white noise generators.  That's accommodating to Elves.”

Mr. Galen just nodded. “Of course, Netra Susanti owns it, and other major venues throughout Thailand.  She's amassed quite a respectable fortune in real estate over the years without access to the Mírë.”  He sounded in awe of the woman, and I realized it was the same awe I saw from him and everyone in the Senior Council whenever they spoke about Claude back home.  They had this awed respect for the oldest among us it seemed.

With a grin, I shared, “That's actually pretty awesome.”

“Indeed.”

I sighed and pulled out my LaunPad.  “Ok, time to get this speech cobbled together.  Nothing like doing a homework assignment at the last minute.”  Not like that ever happened to me in the past... well so maybe I panic wrote more than a few essays the night before they were due.

Snuggling deeper into the warm chair in the blessedly air-conditioned space, I closed my eyes to center my thoughts as Tana sat on the arm of the chair to run her fingers through my overly straight hair, which felt so sinfully good, making me once again bask in wonder over the fact that Tanaliashia friggin' Laun had chosen me.

When my eyes snapped open someone shook my shoulder gently, and whispered in my ear, “Killy, wakey wakey, Hansa is preparing to announce you now, lady.”

My eyes widened as I started to panic, “Frack!”  Then I turned to her, “Gah, how could you let me fall asleep?”

She leaned down to kiss the tip of my nose as she slipped off the chair, “You needed it, obviously.  You've been pushed hard ever since we left New York.”  I looked down at my tablet to see the blank screen staring back at me with the first words I wrote earlier for the speech, 'It is a pleasure to...' five words, riveting stuff.  I was about to make a fool out of myself in front of thousands of Elves... this was a nightmare I had back in High School.

I switched screens to last year's speech.  I'd have to paraphrase it out there. I stood as two staff members slipped in to stand on either side of the door, Ivan eyeballing them from where he stood, assessing them for any threat as I made grabby hands at the coffee sitting on a tray on the low table the chairs were situated around.

My girl obliged and handed me a cup of the god nectar, and I gulped it down as one of the men prompted, inclining his head slightly, “This way please, Miss Riicathi.”

I didn't even take the time to correct him as I scanned the rather lengthy, and pompous-sounding, speech that stank of entitlement.  This was really how they started the conferences before?  By making it sound as if this were some sort of grand favor the Council was doing for them, as the speech called, disenfranchised clans, just by being there.

I put the now empty cup down, a little saddened I couldn't even take a moment to savor the amazing flavors unlocked from the dark liquid with my enhanced taste buds as I realized...  “I can't use this,” I whispered.

Tana shared as she led me to the door, confident in her tone.  “Just be yourself and you'll do fine, Killy.  See you in there.”  She gave me a peck on the lips and walked with one of the newcomers, the opposite way with Mr. Galen to their seats with our delegation on the far side of the stage.

I stood just to the side of the stage by the drawn-back curtains, where I could see everything from the shadows as I stood on the X painted on the hardwood floor, the other staff member whispered, “Wait here until the moderator introduces you, ma'am.”

I nodded absently as I looked at the sea of Elves that packed the huge space.  It put the Council Chamber back home into perspective where less than two hundred families there in total dictated the affairs of all the Aefltus.  The bulk of the Council occupied the far end of the Chamber, the section of families who had either sold off or proxied off their voting shares to one of the two most powerful houses which occupied either side of the Chamber, with the few families who retained their shares but allied with one side or the together.

It seemed an almost insignificant number of clans compared to the sea of smaller, less powerful Elvish houses in attendance here today.  Not even all of the disenfranchised clans had been able to send representatives to this Transparency Conference today and the feeling of just how wrong that seemed ate at me.

I've only recently learned of my family history, how we had been used like indentured servants by the Council to do their dirty work.  The Riicathi had no voice in the Council even with the tiniest voting share; roughly two-thousandths of one percent.  So after being tasked to do the reprehensible too many times, the Riicathi embodied that and never spoke again since that moment.  And here were thousands of other families, while not servants, were denied their voices as well so it struck a nerve with me.

My ears swiveled and I winced at the roar of the crowd as Hansa finished a speech that I had been too distracted to listen to, which resonated with the crowd who applauded her words vigorously.  She held up a hand and patted the air and the cheers died down, she was a natural and commanded the audience with ease.

I noted there was a tall, lithe Elf with a complexion darker than I have ever seen a the base of the stage, translating her words in sign language, and I could hear translators in the earbuds of other Elves, sharing her words in various languages.  It was quite amazing and well organized, trying to accommodate everyone in attendance.  There was also a huge projection screen at the back wall that was displaying Hansa as her words also scrolled in various languages behind her.

“So without further ado, I am happy to introduce the new Chair of this year's Transparency Conference who has a few words to share before we begin.  Please welcome an Elf who frankly needs no introduction, because of the resurrection of her family name as much as her distinctive green eyes... Senior Council Member, Killishia Renner Riicathi.”

She clapped her hands as she stepped back from the microphone, looking my way.  There was some restrained and wooden applause, and a few low boos, one woman calling out in heavily accented English, “Council go home!”

As I shuffled out, forcing my feet to move as the wall of animosity, restraint, and even some curiosity just reinforced my nerves and panic that I had nothing prepared to say, Hansa's eyes darkened as she said in a warning tone, not needing the microphone to be heard by everyone.  “Be civil and show respect.  We are better than this and disrespect will not be tolerated.  Those who do not attend with an open mind will be escorted off the grounds.”

Silence descended, and all I could hear was people breathing and our collective heartbeats as I reached the microphone and reached out to tip it up as I bent slightly to it, Hansa giving me an encouraging nod.  Then as one, we all pulled back, like a troupe of lemmings, at the screeching feedback my manipulating the microphone had caused.

I glanced over at the divided tables then up at a huge me on the screen, looking positively pale and stiff like I were moments from passing out.  “Umm... hello.”  I pulled back and winced at the feedback squeal when I got too close to the microphone.  Knowing I couldn't bury my head in the sand, I sought out Tana at the tables, and she rolled her eyes in amusement and shot me a thumb up, bolstering my confidence.

Starting again I looked out over the seas of Elves from all the corners of the world, amazed at the diversity that mirrored that of the Sapiens of those same lands.  Two species who were just different branches of the same evolutionary tree who had lived side by side since our divergence from the Homo-Erectus so long ago.  And I was a product of the merging of both branches of humanity.

“Hello everyone.  All I can say looking out across this crowd of beautiful people from so many lands is, wow.  I'm humbled to be up here in front of you.  If I seem a little panicked, it's because I don't have any words of any significance prepared for such an awe-inspiring group.”

The energy in the room seemed to be changing and some of the hard looks were softening while others changed from indifference to curiosity or slight confusion.  I shrugged, swallowed, and went on, wondering when my throat had gone dry like this.

I forged ahead. “I know I'm supposed to have pretty words that frankly, sound self-serving and even arrogant, about how the Council is here for you to share the goings on in the Elvish community over the past year for this 'transparency' that gives this conference its name.”

Shrugging I shared, squinting one eye in mock pain, “But how can it be termed the Elvish community if that term only covers the shareholding voting families and not all the Aelftus clans?  Being dictated to without a voice or representation can only drive a wedge of animosity, especially if the purpose of this Conference is ignored and treated as an inconvenience instead of a chance to forge new bonds within the Elf community.  We're stronger together than apart.”

Sighing, I shrugged, feeling small under the gazes of everyone who had eyes on me now. “I know it may sound like empty words, since your concerns have not been properly addressed since the Conference was formed, but I give my word, my promise that I vow to do better.  To put in the effort to back my word that I'm going to do all I can to shake things up, starting today.”

I blushed profusely as I shared candidly as I caught Lis in the crowd, grinning like a loon, taking video of me, “I'm sure you've heard I have an unfortunate... or a possibly fortunate knack for shaking things up in the Council and pissing people the hell off.  So let's embrace that, dump the status quo, start anew here, and make the Transparency Conference what it was always meant to be.”

People started murmuring as I took a deep breath to calm the butterflies in my chest.  “Let's start by going over the previous issues from prior conferences which haven't been addressed yet, and start working our way through them.”

I turned from the crowd and moved my hand from side to side in front of me at the people seated on either side of the stage and spoke to them, “Come on, let's move these tables all together, it isn't an us versus them here, we're all one people, let's start to act like it.  Alternate chairs between Council delegation members and Dearmadta members, then let's roll up our sleeves and get to work.”

I started walking toward them to help, and widened my eyes, turning back to lean back toward the microphone to say sheepishly, “Umm... Killishia out.”

To my surprise, there was some cheering as I did exactly what I had said and rolled up my sleeves as I made a beeline toward Tana, who was just staring at me like it was the first time she had seen me.

Hansa joined me at my side as tables were being slid together.  She sounded contemplative and a little amused.  “Well done, Kia.  You are... unexpected.”  Then my ears and cheeks heated, and I looked down trying to hide my blush as she asked, “Stronger together?  Isn't that from the El mayarah creed from Supergirl?”

“Shut up.”

She tittered out a truly amused burst of laughter.

As I reached Tana, who just took both my hands, locked eyes with me, and offered, “Nice speech, Elf-girl,” with a beaming smile.  We turned when Galen virtually growled out, “I don't want to like you, Riicathi.”

I shot him a goofy face.  Was the stuffy grump thawing?

Looking around I said, “Well everyone, let's get to work.”

Chapter 8 – Why Is It So Hard?

The morning went by in a blur after I threw out the normal schedule they followed at the event.  We prioritized the lists from the last two conferences since they would be the most relevant and urgent to address.  It felt odd being in charge of the proceedings, even over our people.  And I promised that we'd work through the new list before the end of the conference and hear any new pressing concerns or grievances.

This felt... important to me, so I didn't want to screw it up.  And I felt in over my head as everyone was looking to me for answers to the endless stream of questions that were arising as we made our way through the extensive lists.  Thank Cthulhu for Enrique and Tasha in organizing them into groupings of subject matter.  I never thought I'd need assistants but they were making me question it.

As things progressed, I could feel the combative attitudes of our Dearmadta counterparts changing to hopeful as we prioritized.  I caught some Elves whispering questions about if I were serious or maybe just a little crazy.  Then having to stifle a snort when Aldrich shared with them, “Both.  Definitely both.”

“Love you too, buttwipe.”  Then to Hansa, I added, “Fracking lawyers.”

The fracking lawyer snorted.

I can't tell you just how relieved I was when our Susanti hostess excused herself to approach the podium again to speak into the microphone as she looked at the lines of family reps who were wanting to hand in audience requests to my assistants which the legal crew circulated.  “Hello everyone, we've made good progress organizing the outstanding issues, and appreciate the patience of all attendees, and treasure your participation.”

Then she motioned toward the bank of elevators on the far wall by the corridors that led to the various rooms backstage like the green room.  “At this time, let us take a break to enjoy the lunch buffet set up in the atrium gardens above the conference space.  We're going to need fuel if we are going to buckle down and work our way through the existing topics this afternoon so the rest of the conference can be dedicated to sharing what the Elf Council has accomplished this year, and hearing from you where we need to focus our energies from here.”

She certainly was a gifted speaker, the way she held everyone's undivided attention, and made it look so effortless.  And why the flip could she move the microphone around without it threatening to make all our ears bleed with screeching feedback?  It wasn't fair.

She finished with, “We'll reconvene here at one thirty.  Enjoy.”  Then everyone started moving toward the lifts.  The Elves in the lines hesitated, looking at their forms and then toward the elevators in indecision.

I hopped up and just spoke loudly over the thousands of voices now speaking with each other as they migrated to find the promised meal.  “If you are waiting to turn in your forms, Enrique and Tasha will collect them in order so you do not lose your place in line.”

I looked at the two who were already in motion as if they anticipated my need and were smiling at the people in line as they quickly worked their way along them to the end, collecting the paperwork as they went.

Tana and I waited on them as Lisa came bounding up to us, hopping the last step to bounce on her toes in front of us.  She bubbled out, “They don't know what to think of you, but there is a definite turning of the tide from pitchforks and torches to hesitant hope that you might not be like the other Senior Council members that just came here to give lip service without any results.”

That was good.  I sighed and shrugged. “Well I'm hoping the same thing, and that I haven't bitten off more than I can chew. Why is it so hard?  Some of these issues are legitimate complaints that could be handled easily, but every time I suggest something to legal, I keep getting the blanket statement that 'we'll have to look into that'.”

Tanny offered, “Typical lawyer 'cover their ass' crap.”

Hansa stepped up to our little group and I inclined my head slightly and told her, “You should get up there and get something to eat before it's all gone.”  My traitorous stomach growled loudly causing the three women to snicker at me.

The woman offered, “You are the guest of honor, so they won't start until you are up there.  It will be the same with the Unity Lantern Festival celebration tonight, Killishia.”

I just blinked at that, trying to remember the itinerary.  There had been something about a festival hadn't there?  I grinned as I saw my assistants motoring our way with their hands full of forms.  I wondered a moment why this couldn't all be done electronically instead of with paper forms, it would speed things up immensely.

As they reached my table and placed the forms in neat stacks, I said to everyone, “Let's see what culinary wonders await us upstairs shall we?”

Tasha gave us a huge grin as she said to herself in excitement over the prospect, “Pog.”

Lis nodded as she responded, “Straight up fire.”

This had my young assistants both blinking at her. “You know what I meant?”

“Of course, I'm an influencer.  My social media stats are sky high.”  She struck a silly pose.

“But... you're old.”

I stuttered out a surprising burst of laughter, holding my belly as my best friend looked stunned as she squeaked out, “Hey!  I can't be more than three or four years older than you.”

I pointed at her. “You're oooold.”  She snapped her teeth at my finger and I squeaked and hid behind my girlfriend.

She pouted. “You're only a year younger than me, chica.”

I squinted an eye as we just started following Hansa who was grinning at the interaction as she rolled her eyes.  I guess we were closer to thirty than we were twenty, how the frick had that happened?

When our hostess bypassed the elevators and opened the door to the stairs, I approved.  Even back home I preferred the stairs to elevators in almost every case, except for Laun Tower and Havashire Spire.  I'd likely die if I had to run up and down the stairs in frigging skyscrapers.

I stumbled to a halt when we exited the stairwell door two levels up, when I laid my eyes on an awe-inspiring sight.  An atrium like no other.  The huge glass structure looked like some sort of tropical garden paradise shaded by towering trees.  The peak had to be almost sixty feet up and I knew from looking up at it from ground level, that it was half the height of the overall building.  It just looked more... awe-inspiring from inside of it.

I muttered, “Wooow.” The others just nodded in agreement with my verbosely loquacious assessment of the amazing space.

Hansa looked inordinately proud of our reaction as she shared, “It is one of the largest natural space atriums in the world at just over one and a half acres.  When grandmother Netra commissioned it when the building was constructed thirty-six years ago, she tended the gardens herself, and planted the saplings that have grown into these great trees.”

We were all nothing but smiles as she lead us along winding cobbled paths that created the feeling of the space being even larger than it was, keeping us guessing as to what lay beyond each turn.  The space opened up to a large grassy park-like area in the center of the atrium with a covered pavilion and a couple of pagodas with colorful silk streamers draping everywhere.

Under the pavilion were rows upon rows of tables and benches, and at one end were big buffet tables brimming with all manner of food and drink, with staff members manning all the stations.  I had to cock a brow at our host.  I know most of the nonvoting clans were as destitute as my family, but the Susanti clan's wealth had to rival most of the Senior Council members if just this building and its grounds were any indications.

I was duly impressed, but at that moment, my gurgling stomach was adamant I feed it as the mouth-watering, scintillating aromas of meats and freshly baked bread assaulted my heightened Elf senses.  This... was going to be epic.

Chapter 9 – Out of Nowhere

It was almost surreal, surrounded by so many Elves, even more than I'd been around in the Council Chamber.  But just like there, I seemed to be the focal point as we all ate.  The buffet was, as I anticipated, amazing, simply because Hansa seemed to be one of the best organizers and hostesses I've ever met, and the rest of the Dearmadta seemed to look up to her for leadership.

The buffet was almost like a representation of culinary mastery of every culture I've ever heard of all in one place, and I'm almost ashamed to admit that I tried to sample the bulk of it, in my three trips through the lines, finally sating my overwhelming hunger, my stomach finally satisfied.

For most of the lunch, Tana and I, and surprisingly, Lisa answered countless questions not even about the Conference.  For as wary, as everyone was about us and our intentions, Elves were people too and were as endlessly curious as anyone else.

The problem with so many Elves concentrated in a small space was that everyone could hear everyone else as they spoke, and my ears were twitching and swiveling everywhere as I tried both to not be overwhelmed by the conversations around us, and not to eavesdrop on other people's conversations.  It was a skill that I was still having difficulty with, which is another drawback of my particular disposition, not being able to control some aspects of my Elvish heritage, as well as full Elves, can.

Just as Hansa was prompting me that we should probably head back down, my eyes were drawn to the far side of the gathering, meeting the eyes of a woman as she was whispering to a small grouping gathered around her, and my heart skipped a beat as I made out a single word, “Halfling.”  Had she figured out what I was?  The Council was adamant that I not reveal to anyone what I was to prevent a panic of both the Aelftus and the Sapiens.  But it seemed that more and more people were starting to piece things like my green eyes and stubby pointed ears.

Ivan and Pietor had heard as well, straightening and seeming to assess the group.  Others around them had looked their way at the utterance as well.  My panic was rising, we didn't need their speculation to divert attention from the work I felt was important and imperative to complete here.  And if Tana's parents and the Havashires were right, this was the last place I would ever want to sow panic or distrust.

I realized Hansa was on the other side of me as my girl took my hand and pulled me to my feet, starting to tug me gently back the way we came.  Our host just called out in her melodic tone, “We will be reconvening the Conference in ten minutes down below.  There is so much exciting work left to do.”  She bowed low to the gathering, signaling everyone to finish up here and start heading back downstairs.

Just a glance from her told me she had heard too, and this was damage mitigation.  Smooth.  Lisa had a teriyaki kebab skewer in her mouth, pulling off some of the meat that was so tender it just fell apart.

Her eyes widened slightly and she gave a goofy grin, not knowing what had triggered the abrupt end to the luncheon, then set the kebab down on her plate, primly dabbed the corners of her mouth with a linen napkin then stood, chewing and swallowing her bite as she hustled along with us, in a different direction than we had come.

She looked around but knew instinctively that this was not the time for her version of twenty questions, which was more aptly named twenty dozen questions.  We were led behind one of the pagodas, then Hansa tapped on a keypad recessed in the structure by a door.  It slid open to reveal an elevator.  My eyes narrowed.  Why did they have a hidden elevator here?

I just caught my assistant's and Galen's eyes as they came around the structure, likely to follow us when the door slid closed and the elevator started moving immediately.  It stopped on the second floor of the conference hall and when it opened, Lis quickly lowered her LaunPad she was just getting ready to start recording again.

It looked almost like a dormitory on a college campus with rooms on either side, and a sort of recreation area slash common room in the middle.  What appeared to be various families, some with babies or small children were milling about, engaging in activities in the common room, or gathered around some of the televisions sprinkled around the space's various seating areas.

And my jaw almost dropped, not because I instantly knew what I was looking at, but because Hansa trusted the three of us with this secret, especially because I was Senior Council, and Tana was essentially a princess to one of the most powerful Council families.

Lisa, always sharp, mumbled, “Safe-house?”

This was essentially as she said.  A safe house for Aelftus families who were hiding from the Council for some reason or another.  Netra had mentioned before that they had given shelter and aid to the Riicathi over the years, and to my grandma and grandpa Riicathi.

The Susanti clan was part of what was essentially an Underground Railroad for Elves avoiding the Council's attention.  Just like Gran and Gramps Renner ran a sanctuary out of their basement back home.  Something I needed to let Tana know since I hated hiding anything from her.

That sanctuary was where mom and dad met and fell in love.

We all exchanged looks with an unapologetic Hansa as she led us through to a door on the far side of the space, with all eyes on us.  I lamely waved from my hip to a group of children who were gathered around a game system around one of the televisions.  She tapped in a code at the door and we stepped out into a corridor like the ones on the first floor.

Our guide acted as if she hadn't just led us through a sanctuary with about three dozen Elves hiding from the Council, and just provided, “I thought it prudent we make our way back down before anyone could ask any questions.  We understand why you don't wish to share your unique disposition with the general public.  The Reveal is still too fresh in public memory, another bombshell may upset the delicate balance between us and the governments of the world since the Council unilaterally decided to out us without regard to anyone else's opinion.”

I gave a sheepish grin of thanks, shooting a pained look to her, one eye squinted.  Yeah, they were all given a raw deal.  It even rubbed a lot of the clans in the Senior Council the wrong way when Evander and Natalia forced the vote.  I could imagine how it would make one of the non-voting clans feel, not having a voice in the decision, and being blindsided by the Reveal.

We descended some stairs and moved down a corridor to the conference space.  Others who got here before us noted our arrival as others streamed in from the elevators.  And just as I was wondering how we could keep the Genie in the bottle before others started asking questions, since I know if we heard the whisper, a lot of others had too, Lisa asked in a loud tone, her LaunPad up and facing me.

“Is it true that more than half of Riicathi historically had green eyes like you Miss Riicathi?  And what other traits did the Pallbearers possess?”

My mind caught up with her tack and it was all I could do to not grin like a loon at her or sigh in relief as the other women clued in too.  “Yes, Riicathi historically had varied eye color, mostly blue like other Elves, but eye color could also range from green to brown.  Just as our ear length varies from stubby like mine...” I removed an ear shield for her to see before replacing it, “...to long swept back ones like my grandparents.  We can also regulate the Protoelastin enzyme levels in our system, to suppress our Elvish traits.  That was why my clan had been pressed into service to do what nobody else would or could.”

Half-truths and half-lies, but Lisa was skillfully sowing doubt in those who had suspected I might be a halfling with fake interview questions.  The Riicathi were a mystery to all, no more than a campfire story, so they wouldn't know what was true and what wasn't.  There were only two Elves left alive, Netra and Claude, who had ever seen a living Riicathi before my family fled to the New World.

As we took our seats, before Lisa could go back out in the crowd and mingle more, I told her, “I owe you a fruit basket.”

She snickered and countered.  “Five family discount coupons to your dad's food truck.”  Yes, it was true, dad had coupons for family, but no free ride there since it wasn't prudent to 'eat the profits'.

“Two, Miss Greedy Guts.”

“Three and I don't tell Junior that his other mother is a cheapskate.”

“Sold.”

Tana sighed. “You two are so weird.”

As the space filled I tried discretely to locate the woman and her group who had mentioned halflings.  But she was nowhere to be seen.  Hmm.  We all buckled down and got back to work.

And I was feeling a little hopeful that we had a good handle on the past issues and sticking points, enough so that we could start addressing the group in the morning about new business.  I was feeling a little proud that we were ready to tackle the work the prior Council Chairs had neglected since the Transparency Conference was conceived.  But I was still nervous about whether or not I could get the Council to act on the bulk of the issues or not.  Well, the road to the chandelier farm is paved on a wild elk trail or something like that.

I was starting to yawn again, just as Hansa stood at the podium to address the gathering.  “Honored guests, it is time to close down the discussions for the night.  We've already made great progress and are ready to start to forge ahead tomorrow at the same time.  Please join us at the Chao Phraya river for the Unity Lantern Festival at eight o'clock.”

We stood and watched as people began streaming out of the building, a sizable number of them taking the time to walk past the stage to offer sometimes uncertain thanks for what we have accomplished already.  I could see it for what it was, hesitant hope that maybe this once, the Council wasn't just going to offer empty words and forget them the moment they flew back home.

When the bulk of the representatives had exited, Hansa took one of Tana's hands and one of mine, pressing them together and releasing them as she offered words that mirrored my observation, “This has been the most effort we have seen since the Reveal.  Our Sapien counterparts here will be relieved.  If you can do as you say you can, Kia, then it will go far in mending their animosity toward the voting houses as well.”

I cocked a brow and she gave a mischievous grin back, offering, “As you noticed in the crowds of protesters in the area, the Sapiens here have formed a close bond with those they see as their Elves here.  They celebrate and in some cases revere us, and see any slight to us, a slight to all.”

Countering, I pointed out, “Except your police and military who seem to go out of their way not to come in contact with us.”

She shook her head her expression sincere. “But you misunderstand.  They would lay down their lives for us, as they see Elves as a precious resource to our humble nation.  It is out of respect they avoid contact, and to do otherwise would be an insult to them and the Crown.”

Ah, a cultural misconception on my part.  Was it wrong that I found learning about the customs of other people so... exciting for lack of a better word?  I smiled to myself then cocked my head as she shared, “I've other duties to attend to before the festival tonight.  I look forward to celebrating the unity between Sapien and Aelftus in our parliamentary kingdom after the Reveal.  The blending of peoples.”

We nodded and bowed our heads slightly as she did.  That was another question answered without having to ask.  I knew about the two lantern festivals in the country here, Loy Krathong and Yi Peng, where paper lanterns were lit and released to float into the sky or drift along in the river.  I hadn't heard of this Unity Lantern Festival before now. It must be relatively new if it is celebrating the Thai residents embracing the Aelftus into their people, since they have been there all along, just in hiding.

Some of the staff indicated that our delegation follow them, and they let us out a back entrance that was hidden by trees at the base of the building, our limos were waiting back there for us, telling me this wasn't the first time they needed to spirit Council representatives away, to avoid the Dearmadta.  Only this time I'd like to think so we weren't plagued with questions instead of accusations.

I decompressed, melting into the seat and Tana's side once we were all inside and the doors closed, the sound curtains going up to reduce the sound pressure.  I almost purred to my girl, “You know what I want to do with you when we get back to the compound?”

Before my pervy best friend could offer a guess, Tana just nodded and purred right back, “Cuddle in and sleep.”  See, she knew me so well since all I wanted to do just then was to be her little spoon and nap with the vengeance of a honey badger.  I had almost four hours until we needed to be at the festival, oh yeah baby.

I yawned and mused hopefully, “I feel like we accomplished something good today.  It was more than I had anticipated possible after years of their needs being swept under a rug.”

“You did good, lady.  Nap until we get back to our bungalow, I've got you.”  I didn't ever pass up an offer to snuggle with the punk princess, since it has felt as if the world was against us getting some quality alone time since I Elfed.

It took a minute to get past the protesters again, then I was in that happy haze where you hovered between consciousness and sleep, just savoring her warmth.  I let out a content sigh, then chaos erupted out of nowhere as our driver slammed on the brakes to avoid a lumbering garbage truck that drove out of an alleyway to block the road. And a smaller SUV that was going the other direction, crossed over and slid to a screeching halt behind us, isolating our limo.

Pietor was diving out the front passenger door, his gun almost materializing in his hand he moved so fast, as Ivan drew his as his free hand pulled us down between the seats, holding that hand to Lisa indicating that she should follow suit as he barked out, “Stay down, all of you,” his Russian accent heavier in this instance.  We were so low I couldn't see what was happening outside the windows.

What the ever-loving frick was going on?

Chapter 10 – Sleep

Two hours later, after answering countless questions from both the Metropolitan Royal Thai Police and the military police about the attempted kidnapping, we finally dragged ourselves into the bungalow in the compound, and almost fell into bed.  Lisa shuffled in with us, and flopped onto us, her yawn huge as she muttered, “Cuddle puddle.”

I didn't protest because my exhaustion was back with a vengeance since I came down off the adrenaline high of all the excitement of the attempt.  And we were paying homage to whatever gods of sleep there may be as we dozed off in moments.  I was cursed to only get these short spurts of sleep forever now, wasn't I?

That sleep was fitful as I dreamed of what had just happened in the streets of Bangkok.  We heard the commotion outside and there was the sound of someone slapping the limo twice.  This signaled Ivan as he said to us in a serious tone that was all business, “Ladies, follow, quickly.  Do as I say and keep down behind me.”

He opened the door and slipped out as the heat of the afternoon swirled in, and I saw just how formidable my security detail was.  The moment he stood to scan the area, a man who must have jumped off another vehicle was diving into him from above.  The Russian didn't even flinch as he caught the man mid-leap by the throat with his free hand, dangling the now choking man off the ground as he swept the area with his gun before slamming the man to the ground with bone-jarring force.

“Now.  Keep down.”  He beckoned us, my heart pounding as we slipped outside, now able to see that there were a dozen or so men and women who were running in from all directions, all armed with what looked like clubs.  Pietor was throwing one woman he was holding over his head, into two oncoming men.

They went down in a tangle of arms and legs.  Then he swung his gun toward another who was running up behind him, causing the much smaller Thai Sapien to slide to a stop, panic on his face as his wide eyes were glued on the weapon that could end him in an instant.  The club tumbled from his fingers as Pietor's grip tightened as he started to pull the trigger.

I blurted out, “No!  No killing!”  And the big man glanced my way then huffed out in exasperation and instead spun, his leg lashing out in a spinning kick to the attacker's gut that had the dark-haired man flying back with such force, his legs hit a squat, roundish fire hydrant so violently I could hear bones snap and causing the man to whip downwards into the pavement without so much as a gasp it happened so fast, leaving the unconscious man slumped in a heap on the ground.

Then we were running, following Ivan as he cleared a path for us, throwing the aggressors around like rag dolls.  In my panic, lungs heaving and laboring in huge breaths, I noted the assailants were all Sapien, with only one or two Elves mixed in.

Another realization hit me as we followed the wake of violence and people laid out on the ground in heaps, moaning in pain.  They were all changing directions to follow us... no, their eyes were intent on me.  Were they here for me?  What was going on?

Just then a motorcycle with two men on it came roaring out from the alley the garbage truck had come from and bore down on us, the passenger wielding a baseball bat.  Ivan squared off and shouted over his shoulder, “Aryon, get them to the police substation one block over.”

Without hesitation, Tana, who didn't look afraid, only intensely focused, nodded once and grabbed both my and Lisa's sleeves to head back in the direction Ivan had been leading us.  I glanced back once to see Ivan clothesline the two on the motorcycle in a violent clash.  And I saw the extent of the scene now.

The attackers rushing in were only a portion of the group intent to get to me.  Our police and military escort were forming a partial ring of defense with what looked like billy clubs fighting a dozen or so others.

I turned back just in time to see Tana engaging a man directly in front of me, exhibiting her years of her Mahta-cambë, Elven open-hand martial arts training. As she slapped away a sweeping club strike then in a smooth sidestep, looped her arm around and around the assailant's arm and somehow ended up with the club in her hand.  And she brandished it like she was going to strike him, his eyes on the weapon when she instead stomp kicked his leg, a snapping sound accompanied the cry of pain from the man as he fell to the ground grasping a leg that was bent the wrong way.

We cleared the scene and I could make out the street behind the vehicle which had blocked us from behind, to see the other limos had backed away from the scene and were retreating down a cross street.  Good, they were all safe.

I was being tugged along again and could hear the familiar sound of Ivan and Pietor gaining on us.  The big men oddly moved much quieter than their bulk suggested, and it was distinctive padding I've heard many times now.  We turned the corner in the direction our group had fled and I sighed in relief when I saw the police substation and our caravan pulling into it at the end of the block.

Then my hopes were dashed when another SUV, engine roaring, jumped the curb, slamming through a magazine stand and blocking the sidewalk at the other side of an alley we were running past.  We veered into the alley, never slowing.

But twenty feet later we were sliding to a stop, me pirouetting on a toe, rolling across Tanny's back to prevent from mowing her over, to come to a halt on my toes ten inches from a tall, thin Elvish man with Asian features, holding one of those clubs.  I eeped and noted that even though he was tall, I was looking at him eye to eye, as I heard footsteps everywhere, a man and two women flanking him and other people approaching from behind.

He started to grab for me as I stepped back a step as Tana engaged two others trying to surround us, bringing a halting hand up toward the man.  He looked confused for a moment then raised my hand higher, wiggling my fingers in my cast.  I was running on autopilot,  my flight or flight reflex reminding me I did not fight, but in that split second he looked up at my hand, I slammed my foot down on his toes with all the force I could muster.

The man howled in rage and pain as he bent to grab his foot I wondered what the heck had gotten into me.  And the man was howling in agony a moment later when Lisa slid past me and boxed his ears.  My ears twitched in sympathetic pain, knowing how sensitive Elf ears were, and that was probably the most excruciating pain an Elf could...

As he stood, hands cupping his ears, face screwed up in agony, Lis whispered, “Hey, Elf boy,” and her hand which just grabbed a handful of his groin, twisted... hard, with a vicious yank, “Get bent.”  His eyes rolled back in his head as he passed out, face bouncing off the pavement.

Ok, I stand corrected... that was the most excruciating pain an Elf... well, any man could experience.  I just blinked at her and she gave me a maniacal grin, her equally manic eyes showing both fear and elation thrumming through them, mirroring me.

We regrouped and looked both ways.  Tana was still squaring off with two of them, with five others behind us, seven slowing ahead of us.  Their eyes were on the man laying on the ground.  I winced at an aborted screech of pain as Ivan and Pietor slammed into the group behind us, fists and feet swinging.

The others looked from there to us as Tana's opponents disengaged and moved to those facing us, blood on both their faces as my girl panted.  She got ready, sliding into a bladed stance, and Lis and I exchanged looks.

We had no choice now but neither of us were fighters.  I could hear her swallow as she crouched and picked up the club from the unconscious Elf and brandished it.  I felt under-prepared for this.  My superpower was running away from a fight, really fast.  When I attempt to fight, bad things happen as I fail miserably.  My casted hand was a case in point.

But I swallowed hard, stood up straight, and made fists, making sure this time to keep my thumbs outside the fist instead of inside.  I never make the same mistake more than three or four times.  One woman growled out in accented English, “Let us have the Council member and nobody else will be harmed.”

That... sounded lame.  So of course the little devil sitting on my shoulder in my mind was mocking like a Brooklyn gangster, 'This is a stickup, see?'  She was not amusing and it was all I could do from saying the words. Then my eyes widened in disbelief at the movement in the alley that came out of the shadows.

I dropped my fists and squinted an eye in pain, pointing, “They might disagree.”

The thugs didn't even look back as the woman rolled her eyes at the oldest trick in the book.  The almost unimaginable violence which followed was over in seven seconds... I know because I counted.  If the bodies littering the alleyway in front of us weren't all still breathing, I would have thought them all dead as they lay there in various states from bloodied to one man's broken, jagged, leg bone sticking out the side of his calf.

I heard Ivan and Pietor still engaging the others behind us while I sputtered, trying to calm my thudding heart, “Grandma and Grandpa Riicathi?  What are you doing in Thailand?  You followed me?”

Gran crouched, grabbing the hair of the woman who seemed to be the leader of the attackers, “Hello dear one.  We were just here to visit an old friend, Netra Susanti.  It's just a happy coincidence we happened to be shopping at the local shops when we saw a group of limousines stopped by common street thugs.  Imagine our surprise when we saw it was you.”

My bullshit-o-meter didn't ping, it blew up with the sheer quantity of smoke she was blowing up our collective butts.

Lis squeaked out and waved, “Hi Mrs. and Mr. Riicathi.”

“Hello, Lisa, dear.”  Then she pulled the woman's head off the alley floor by her hair, “Now let's see what these people thought they thought to accomplish by attacking our granddaughter and her friends before the authorities arrive.”  I could hear dozens of pairs of running feet and police whistles being blown as they closed on the alley.

She shook the woman's head. “You're not unconscious woman, I didn't hit you that hard, stop faking.”

The woman opened her eyes and turned a hateful glare at my Gran with Gramps looming over her shoulder.  Then her glare faltered as recognition set in and that hate was transformed into nothing but fear as she whispered, “Pallbearers.  It is true, you've returned.”

While Ivan and Pietor still fought behind us, the woman spilled everything with terror in her eyes as she looked at my grandparents like they were some sort of monsters from children's tales.  It turns out they were a group of Dearmadta and Sapien sympathizers who wanted to break the Dearmadta away from Council rule, and they thought if they kidnapped the Chair of the Transparency Conference, they could use them as a bargaining chip.

They had thought it would be Yan Huynh again this year, and only learned it was a female representative instead before the attack.  They hadn't known who I was or that I was Riicathi.  That was all she shared before police flooded the alley.

I looked from the arriving authorities back to my grandparents, just to find them nowhere to be seen, the leader of the would-be kidnappers truly unconscious at my feet this time.  Just how in the name of Squidward did they keep on doing that?

Ivan and Pietor came to our side and looked at the carnage, Ivan looking at us questioningly with wide eyes.  I winged a thumb at Lisa and told them, “She hit them.”

My girlfriend gleeped out a snort and covered her smile with a hand before we were all raising our hands over our heads as one of the police officers was yelling at us.

Nobody mentioned my grandparents being at the scene, and I wondered again, what in the name of Issac Asimov they were doing in Bangkok.  I had left them behind with my parents when I left New York on this misadventure.

And we had to answer just as many questions with Mr. Galen and legal as we did the police, it was tedious repeating ourselves.

I awoke from my power nap slowly, stretching and feeling a little more rested, though I longed for later when I could get an entire night's sleep.  The cuddle puddle-ettes were already up and I was face down, alone, in the middle of the bed.  I mumbled into the bedspread, “Tanny?”

She called out from the bathroom, “Getting ready for the Lantern Festival, Killy.  You really should do the same, we have to be there in forty minutes.”

“Oh, ok.”  I inhaled deeply then exhaled as my mind caught up with me, my eyes snapping wide in a panic.  I bounced off the bed in one motion as I ran toward the bathroom, stripping out of my clothes.  Tana was in there just grinning like a loon, holding the shower curtain open for me, steam rolling out of the already running shower.  I gave her a quick peck on the lips as I stepped past her into the shower as I shed the last vestiges of clothing on me.

She had a delighted and hungry look in her eyes and I tugged the curtain between us when it looked as if she were deciding to join me, but I didn't have time for her knee-weakening distraction.  I called out, “No, stay, bad Elfette,” then grinned at her thoroughly amused laugh.

I called out as I washed away the stress of the day, my mind on my one suitcase with some panic, “What does one wear to a festival like this?”  I had a feeling I'd be woefully underdressed.

She called back, “About that.  A package was delivered for you while we slept.  A gift from Hansa.  Do I need to be jealous, Killy?”

I know she was joking, mostly, but I also knew of the two of us, she was the most insecure about our relationship, which was an accomplishment in its own right.  She's always been jealous of the professional relationship I have with Detective De Luca back home, though oddly not Lisa.

I teased, “I don't know, she is awfully pretty and...”

“Brat.”

“Of course not.  You're the only woman for me, Tanny.”

“Good.  But seriously, I don't think you'll need to figure out what to wear tonight.”

I stepped out of the shower, and she stood there, admiring my form, cocking her head with a wistful smirk as she held out a sinfully fluffy towel to me.  I hugged it to me to bask in its warmth in the air-conditioned space.  All the towels were in a heated wood cabinet on the wall, an extravagant luxury I wholeheartedly endorsed.

Beaming at her I spun a finger in the air.  “Eyes front, sailor.  We don't want to be late.”  I tucked my hair behind my ear, feeling bashful under her heated gaze.

Once I had a robe on, she went about tackling my hair.  She had a thing for it even though I thought it looked bland, being so straight with no body, but I wouldn't ever complain because it felt so sinfully good when she played with it.

I saw the tissue paper wrapped package sitting on the cushioned stool I sat on while my girl worked on drying and brushing out my locks.  I picked it up and tugged gently on the gossamer ribbon tying it shut.  It came loose effortlessly, a little card attached to it.  I read the card, “Killishia, a gift befitting your station for tonight.  I know you didn't get a chance to go shopping because of the incident after the Conference.  Hansa Susanti.”

Carefully, I removed the delicate tissue paper, and gasped at the gorgeous chut thai that was revealed, styled in the black and charcoal grey of my family sash.  I held it up to myself, glancing in the mirror as Tana whistled low in appreciation.

A few minutes later, my punk princess had my hair tied up in a bun that was held together with a pair of black lacquered chopsticks she found in the kitchen.  Interesting fact, they only use chopsticks in Thailand to put noodles onto their spoons.  Forks and spoons are the utensils they use, and never knives.

And I turned to look at myself in the free-standing, full-length mirror in the bedroom as Lisa fiddled with my family sash tied around my waist.  Even though I was in awe of the kimono-like garment, and how it made me look somehow more feminine than usual, I still felt a little nervous as I ran a hand down the impossibly silken material. “I don't know... it feels a little like cultural appropriation.”

Tana rolled her eyes as Lisa shook her head, explaining, “It was gifted to you by someone representing that culture for you to wear tonight.”  Then she shared a look with my girlfriend and said, “Damn, Killy.  You look gooood.”

I looked down and turned to Tana, biting my lower lip as I shrugged, inviting her assessment.  She whispered even though Lis could hear it just fine, “You look so good right now, that I can't wait to get back from the festival and tear it off of you.”

Oh... yes, please.  Wait.  I shook my head to clear it of the heavy arousal her words instilled in me. “Or take off me gently to fold neatly as not to damage the amazing garment, before ravishing me?”

“Yeah, that.”

Then we both snorted when Lis was saying into her phone, “Hi Issac.  No... these two horndogs here are just making me miss you.”  She shot us a 'so there' look.

I turned back to the mirror one last time, wondering if I should complete the total transformation of myself with some makeup.  I rarely did more than mascara and a little shine on my lips.  But my girl, reading my thoughts, just smiled and shared, “More makeup would ruin the look, Killy.”

Oh, ok.  I stopped myself halfway through reaching up to tuck my hair behind my ear even though there wasn't any loose from the bun.  I silently chastised myself since I found I did that every time my girl was looking at me in want.

I looked at the two women and nodded with a grin as they both posed in their chosen outfits for the night.  I rolled my eyes at how good they looked in their dresses, especially a certain punk rock Elf who looked elegant in a black sheath dress that went down to her ankles, looking both chic and professional.  My motor was purring... I mean, the way she normally dressed was so her, but this other side of her look was unfair to us mere mortals.

There was a knock at the door and I shot it a resigned look, Tana assured me, “This is the last obligation we have tonight, and I'm assured there is going to be food there, then I promise we'll get a full night's sleep.”

That was the best news I have heard in my life, so I smirked and teased, “Oooo talk dirty to me some more, woman.”

Lisa groaned, “Just stop you two, it's unfair to those of us without their Elf-toy in the same hemisphere.”

So we headed out to the waiting limo... singular.  And a dark SUV that just screamed high-end security to me.  I prompted, “What about the rest of our delegation?”

At a deep Russian accented voice beside us I gleeped and spun just to have iron grip hands clasp my shoulders to prevent me from... well from some klutzy display, “Because we do not know if there are more out there targeting you, so the fewer people we have to protect, the safer everyone is, Miss Kia.  And it would be a political insult to not attend an event meant to honor you.  Outsiders are never invited to the Unity Lantern Festival, as it is for local Thai Elves and Sapiens celebrating the inclusion of the Aleftus into the lives of the people of Bangkok.”

Oh.  I felt kind of bad for the rest of the delegation as this was already looking to be a memorable occasion.  Maybe we can send each of them a fruit basket when we get back home.

We loaded up, and I wasn't surprised to find Mr. Galen waiting in the Limo for us.  Of course, he'd be coming, and I absently wondered if he had invited himself since Ivan indicated the smaller our party the better.

Ivan again rode in the back with us, and Pietor in the front.  I noted bandages on his knuckles.  “You're hurt!”

“No, just bruised knuckles, they'll be fine.”  Elves did heal slightly faster than Sapiens, but still.  I gave him a grumpy chastising look which he just ignored as he always did.  I guess that was a hazard of his position.

I sighed and the limo went into motion.  Before Lisa or Tana could start up a conversation, I held up a stalling finger, “Just a second ladies, I have to text mom and dad.  They've been incessantly texting since we arrived.  I did sort of promise them I'd call them when we did.  Oops.”  Then I paled.  Had Gran and Gramps told them what happened?

And that's how I spent the ride to the river.

Chapter 11 – Unity Lantern Festival

The event was magical, and I thought back on it as we arrived back at the bungalow compound.  There was a green space along the river, that had tall, decorated archways in classic Thai architecture, only it was cordoned off like the conference center was, and I knew it was likely because of the attempted kidnapping.  Police were everywhere screening every person let through into the space.

I pity the fool who tried anything here.

There was so much foot traffic as we drove into a virtually empty parking lot guarded by military personnel, to unload.  We were approached by a group of police and military.  And just as the lead man started to instruct us to line up to be searched as the Cookie Twins bristled, Hansa called out as she approached.  “Captain, they are the guests of honor.  I'm quite sure they are in no danger of abducting themselves.”

They all stood at attention, with heads bowed slightly, as if the Elf woman was their commander.  “Of course, Knun Susanti.”  Then the man made a hand gesture and they dispersed back toward the arch we had driven through when a wooden barrier had been moved for us when we had been waved in.

Then she was in front of us, inclining her head, “Khun Kia.  I was incensed when word of your ordeal earlier reached me.  I trust you and your people suffered no injury?”  Her earnest eyes widened slightly as they paused at the bandages on Ivan's knuckles and the bandage on Pietor's cheek.  She looked almost on the verge of panic at that.

I assured her, “Everyone is fine, Hansa.  My security was... quite effective.  No apologies necessary.”

She looked dubious for a moment, which spoke volumes about the woman.  She felt personally responsible, being our hostess, and was mortified this had occurred on her watch, thus the greater security around the Festival that was usually open to all the residents of Bangkok.  The woman was taking no chances.  I think she, like me, had hope that we could make the Transparency Conference what it had been intended to be and didn't want that hope to slip away because of some silly little thing like the Chairwoman of the conference being attacked and kidnapped.

She just exhaled, pursed her lips then said, “We've people looking into it.  There are other groups that are tired of the indifference the Council has about making unilateral decisions that affect the Dearmadta without us having any representation in those decisions.  They've been contemplating more, questionable solutions.”

Then before we could respond her demeanor changed as she stood taller and brightened.  “But that is for another time, as this night is for celebration.  Come.”  Then she prompted, “I understand your need for your security, but why did you bring Harlow?”

My brow furrowed in confusion as I started to ask, “Who is...”  Then my eyes widened as I tried not to vibrate as my smile threatened to split my face when I spun back to point at a stern-looking Mr. Galen and blurted, “Harlow!”  He cringed and his eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked seven kinds of embarrassed while the man's cheeks heated, and I continued, calling back over my shoulder in accusation as I turned back to her, “...seems to have invited himself.”

The woman chuckled as we looked back to the man who wouldn't meet our eyes.  He had, hadn't he?  This was a first for anyone associated with the Council, to attend a festival that outsiders weren't privy to.  He likely saw it as a prestige thing.  Lisa slowed, looped her arm in his, and patted his arm, “It's ok, Harlow, I'll protect you from the mean girls.”

He looked at her and then down at her arm in his.  “Please remove yourself from my person, Miss Rodriguez.”  She smiled, release him, then straightened his tie and brushed an imaginary speck of dust from his shoulder.  Then she winked at him and almost skipped back up to Tana and me.

Then almost as one, as we turned to take in the Festival, Lis and I blurted, “Can we...”  “May I?”  She held up her LaunPad.  I had pulled up everything I could find on the Internet about the Unity Lantern Festival while I texted my parents in the car.

While there was plenty of coverage of the two main Lantern Festivals in Thailand, there was very little about this one, with only two pictures even coming up in my searches.  Mostly there were just mentions of it in Thai publications and news broadcasts.

She seemed to consider it for a long moment, her lips pursing again before saying slowly like she was measuring her own words against some scale in her head about the subject, “Only if I and the Festival committee can vet any photos or video to approve any use of them.”

Lisa nodded, agreeing as I nodded too. “Of course. I may come across as glib, but I'm aware of how serious the subject is.  I mean it's a celebration of two peoples becoming one, a private thing for your community, and should be treated with the utmost respect.”

Hansa looked between us then at my girl who shrugged, “She's a goofball, but she has as much integrity as Killishia.  I trust them with my secrets.”

“I'll goofball you right upside the...”

“Behave girls.”

Our hostess looked amused as she shared, “You've your hands full with those two.  Let's get to the pavilion, the illuminating is about to start.”

The river looked almost like something from a storybook, with shimmering water that reflected all the candlelight from the various open tent pavilions that lined it under cherry blossom trees, that looked to be painted in a fantasy landscape in pinks and whites.  The soft evening breeze that was cooling the heated air of the day stealing petals that swirled to rest on the surface of the river, a slow current that caused no ripples, had them drifting away downstream like an ethereal pathway.

I whispered, “Beautiful.”

She shook her head. “Just wait, what is to come will make this sight pale in comparison.”

One pavilion was larger than the others, and not temporary.  Its decorative wooden framework was draped in what looked to be hand-dyed and decorated silken sheets.  That was where we settled with a group of important-looking men and women, both Aelftus and Sapien.

And as Hansa was introducing us to the Sapien Governor of Bangkok, the equivalent of the mayor of a U.S. City, and about a dozen administrators and local dignitaries, some adorable little girls, maybe five or six years old, in ceremonial dresses and sandals, came running up to our group.  The introductions paused as I turned away and crouched down to one of the girls, a huge smile on my face as she said something excitedly to me.

Another was just standing in front of Ivan, a look of awe on her little face, her head tipped way back to see the giant of a man who was easily three times her height.

I said, “Hello.  I'm sorry I don't understand.”  She was offering me something from a silk bag she had over one shoulder.

Hansa offered as the little one reached out to touch my face, as she leaned in to scrutinize my left eye, her face in awe, “She's offering you a lantern for the festival.  And says your eyes are pretty.”

I smiled again and told the little one as I accepted the delicate-looking lantern she was offering, “Thank you so very much.  Your eyes are pretty too.”  Hansa was translating as I spoke and the little one blushed and looked down bashfully as she swung side to side before dashing off to Tana and Lisa to offer them lanterns.

Ivan couldn't keep his gruff and stern look as he broke and crouched to accept something tied with a ribbon and said, “K̄hxbkhuṇ cêātạw lĕk.”  The girl looked ready to explode into rainbows and unicorns at the big man before she hopped over to Pietor, who tried to ignore her until she stood on her tiptoes and offered a ribbon-tied pack to him.  He didn't look down, but exhaled and reached down to accept it as if he were being extremely careful not to break it or her, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips as he said gruffly, “K̄hx k̄hxbkhuṇ.”

I was grinning up at the big men as I accepted one of the little bundles next when she held one out and said something, “Thank you.  You're adorable.”

Hansa again translated, and the girl squeaked something and smiled.  As I watched the others accept lanterns and bundles, the elegant Elf shared, “She said it was to capture your dream.”

I cocked my head in question as she made an ushering motion to two wicker benches at the edge of the pavilion right at the big rocks lining the bank of the river here, the incredibly green and soft grass growing over the tops of them to form a little ledge over the water.

Tana and I joined Hansa as she sat primly on one of the benches, and Lisa sat with Mr. Galen on the other, the Cookie Twins flanking us all, always scanning for threats.  I noted the mischievous look on Hansa's face as she glanced back surreptitiously before looking at the lantern in her hands that was different in construction than mine.

Then my brows rose when I realized she had gotten out of a long and tedious introduction session with all those in the pavilion with us.  Had the scamp waved the girls over to cause the distraction?  She was a wily one, this Susanti woman.  And it wasn't lost on my girl either as she snickered out, “Shameless, woman.  I like it.”

Our hostess wiggled her brows in affirmation, then looked at the little bundle in her other hand.  She held it up and undid the ribbon and unrolled a small piece of parchment or rice paper that was around some sort of charcoal pencil and a long skinny stick that looked to be a bamboo sliver maybe.

She used a small wood tray from a stack on the wicker table beside each bench, rolled out the slip of parchment, and scribbled something down as she explained, “Write down a dream, or wish for your future or community, and place it in your lantern.  The river will carry it safely downstream to Buddha or whichever god looks over you.”

Ok, I was liking this, a lot.  And I closed my eyes, thinking about what I truly wished for, and scribbled it out, sliding it into my lantern before two sets of prying eyes could see what I wrote.  Then I took a moment to look at the lantern itself.

There were three different kinds, one was cylindrical, looking to be made of waxed rice paper like all the others, but without the cork base.  Another was square, with that same oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame, and seemed to be the most prominent of them as I looked around at all the pavilions.  Then there was mine, which seemed more tube-like on that cork flotation base, but it seemed to be multiple sheets of that paper that were tacked together with bee's wax and a small tea candle down at the base of the tube.

The others tucked their dreams into their lanterns and I had to glare at Ivan and Pietor before they sighed and took turns doing the same while the other kept guard.  I grinned in satisfaction, they were going to enjoy this festival too even if it meant firing off my pouty face... nobody wanted that.

Then the crowd silenced as Governor Saetang stood up and stepped to the edge of the river to turn around and address the gathering.  She spoke with the confidence of someone well versed in all things politics.  Hansa spoke low, translating for us.

Then it was her turn, and she spoke in both Thai and English, alternating between the two.  I had to cock a brow, as she was an adept speaker as we already witnessed, but she had a passion for this Unity event.  And it was heartwarming and moving, and conveyed strength and belief in the two people unified as one.  It was so very easy for me to see why she commanded so much respect from everyone in Bangkok, and why they all looked to her at the Conference.  She wasn't just a hostess for the event, but she was a respected community leader here, and not just of the Aelftus.

Then the evil wench said, “And we have an honored guest here from the Americas.  Senior Council member, Killishia Riicathi, who is working diligently with the disenfranchised of the Dearmadta, and making inroads already.”  There was restrained applause, and she prompted, “Would you like to say a few words Miss Riicathi?  Before we start the ceremony?”

I grumped under my breath at her ambush, “Renner.”  Though I knew exactly what she was doing in pointing out I'm Riicathi and overstating our progress.  Yup, she could politic with the best of them, and her smug face told me she wasn't repentant.  Just shoot me now.  What words could I possibly say here?  I was just a butterfly on a board with a pin through me here.

She reached out and pulled me back to my feet.  I shoved her shoulder lightly for putting me on the spot, eliciting an aborted snort.  I turned to look at everyone behind me looking intent, anticipating my words as I looked from side to side.  Even though they were restricting entry, there had to be hundreds if not thousands of people gathered in or around all the pavilions, and people outside the structures between us and what looked suspiciously like some sort of palace or ceremonial barracks beyond.

I looked around at so many expectant faces all turned my way.  I saw the mix of hopeful eyes and borderline hostile ones peering at me.  “Umm... hello everyone.  First, I'd like to express my gratitude to you all, as I know it isn't customary for outsiders to attend this Festival.  I know that the Council isn't exactly your favorite people, but I pledge to do all I can to mend fences.”

I spoke from my heart.  “I'm in awe of you all, how you've come together as a people, in mutual support of each other.  It is a complete departure from what I've learned is the norm where I am from.  Where the Elves live side by side with Sapiens, but not together.  So I'm envious of the harmony you've struck here.”

Chuckling nervously and tucking a strand of my hair which had escaped the bun, behind my ear.  “I suppose that is the Unity we are here tonight celebrating, and I am...”  I moved my hand around in front of our small group, “we are, humbled to be able to share in the experience with you.”

I sat quickly as more applause than I had anticipated circulated.  I hoped I had swayed a few of them to put aside any animosity or judgment for at least one night, as I didn't wish us to be the cause of the dampening of any spirits at such an inspiring event.

Hansa grinned at me, with no remorse for her evil manipulation to get me up in front of everyone and flounder around for words like that.  Tana squeezed my hand as Lisa lowered her tablet.  Had she been recording that whole thing?

Before I could ponder that, Hansa beckoned the Governor over.  They each held their lanterns as the elegant Elf called out, “Please, everyone, let us celebrate our unity, and send our dreams to be weighed and realized.”

I watched in fascination as the crowd fell almost completely silent like we were all sharing a held breath as the two women moved up to kneel at the bank of the river.  They held the little bamboo sticks that had been in the bundles in the flame of the candles that were everywhere at the gathering.  Then used the sticks to light the tea candles at the base of their lanterns.  So that's what they were for.

They exchanged bowed heads and then gently placed the lanterns on the surface of the water, and then stood as the gentle current captured them and slowly pulled the lanterns downstream.

Then most of the gathering was in motion, barely any words were exchanged as everyone moved to the river's edge and lit their candles, sending their dreams floating on a prayer.  And about a third of the lanterns were lit throughout the crowd, which lifted the other lanterns into the sky, to drift in the wind, bringing their written dreams up into the heavens.

As they drifted, sky or river, their candle lights reflected across the waters, turning the already picturesque gathering into a myriad of fair lights twinkling in an almost surreal but breathtaking manner.

We moved up with the others in our pavilion and lit our lanterns, and I closed my eyes a moment as I gently placed my delicate lantern in the water to join the others in that drifting communion.  I exchanged a smile with the others, and even Mr. Galen was smiling with us.  Then first Pietor, the Ivan sent their dreams along in the current, to be swallowed in a gently moving sea of flickering orangeish yellow light.

I laid my head on Tana's shoulder and sighed.  I noted how different the scene looked in Lisa's LaunPad as she silently recorded and watched with wistful eyes.  And not for the first time, I missed seeing the night as I used to.  As the scene looked even more impactful on her screen, in the dark of night I could no longer experience it since there was little difference between night and day for me now, except the slight muting of the colors around me.

The motion drew my eye to my lantern, which I had been keeping track of peripherally,  when the first one then another petal-like leaf of the cylinder detached and lowered, followed by the entire lantern blooming like a flower greeting the flickering light trail floating in the night sky.

I could smell melted wax as I realized half of the lanterns in the river were blooming as well.  The heat of the candles must be melting tiny dabs of wax that had been holding the petals together.  The effect just enhanced the entire experience for me, which was its obvious intent.

My girl gently shook my hand in hers, letting me know she was of the same mind and it was such an exciting thing to be part of.  And we stood like that for ten minutes after the last lantern drifted skyward over the slowly moving, floating stream of almost ethereal light.

I was knocked out of my reverie when Governor Saetang spoke to the crowd, her voice filled with that same reverence while Hansa whispered a translation for us.  “Please everyone, enjoy the feast and music.  May we have many more reasons to celebrate our community in the years to come.”  Then she bowed to me and I bowed back as live music, which reflected the mood, was played on Thai Ranat Ek and Khong Wong Yai instruments.

That signaled the relative quiet of our communion with each other to be broken and people began speaking boisterously as they headed to another pavilion just behind ours which silken curtains were pulled aside and pinned back, revealing a buffet similar to the one we had at lunch.

My stomach gurgled loudly at the scintillating aromas of the food, causing everyone around me to chuckle, Lis told Tanaliashia, “You better feed the gremlin before she starts nibbling on you.  No, wait...”  They chuckled at my expense and I ignored both of them, stepping past them with my chin high, looping an arm in Hansa's, allowing our overly amused hostess to usher me to the food.  Take that ladies.

And that was it.  One of the most magical experiences of my life.  And I almost fell asleep in the limo on the way back to the compound with a full belly and an amazing woman as a pillow in the car.

I whispered to Tana as we entered our bungalow,  “Do you know what I'm going to do with you now?”

She purred back, “Cuddle the hell out of me and then sleep like the dead?”

“Exactly.”  She kissed the tip of my nose as Lisa complained, “You two could give cavities at twenty paces with all your sweet cuteness.  I'm hitting the rack.  See you in the morning.”

We exchanged a fist bump as she passed by, yawing wide, causing me to do the same.  Oh yeah, my girl was in for a class A snuggle.  I was already savoring the idea of little spooning my way to dreamland.

Chapter 12 – Lawyers

The next day I woke feeling rested for the first time in days.  I stretched and had to grin when warm arms tightened around me.  I felt... content, for the first time in a long time.  I cocked my head and realized that the last time wasn't when I thought.  To my surprise it wasn't the first time since I Elfed, because I already felt pressure when I had become an intern at WTRL, trying to realize my dream of becoming an investigative reporter.

There was so much stress during those two years, everything that happened since my Elfing had just added to the hectic mess my life has become.  But a good night's sleep was the little spoon to Tana's big spoon and waking up to her being possessive of me in her sleep.  I sighed and snuggled my back into her.

It was the perfect moment that...

“Rise and shine Elfettes.  Mr. Galen is...”  Lisa stuttered stepped halfway into our room when I shot her Death Glare 3000 as Tana grumbled and released her grip on me to sit up behind me, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

I growled and Lis held a halting hand up.  “Reversing course.  Ooo, maybe I'll see if I can get some b-roll footage of old Harlow to buy you two time to get ready for the day.  Remember, we're going shopping after the session today, ladies.”

My girl chuckled behind me, pulling me back into her again to kiss the top of my head.  “Does she have an off button?  I mean, nobody should have that kind of energy when they wake up.  Does she understand the concept of jet lag?”

I nodded in agreement, “Her ADHD has ADHD, but she wouldn't be her any other way.  What can I say?  I hang with some eccentric people.”

“Heh, I would have used a different word.”

“Don't get smug, lady.  I was talking about you, Lis is great.”  I slipped out of her arms and stood, inching myself away from her until her eyes snapped wide and she jumped up like she was on springs as I darted to the bathroom door to shut it in her face, calling out, “You snooze you lose.”

“Hey, I have to go too.  Must I remind you I've seen you naked?”

I was blushing head to toe, heat flushing my skin and my core heating, “Yes, but our relationship isn't at 'this' level yet.”  I'd die if she saw me on the toilet.

Her chuckle set off a tuning fork in my loins.  Down libido, bad girl.

I was treated to another sinfully... um, sinful shower session after we had privately done our, um, private stuff.  In private.

I squinted an eye, wondering if I should wear the chut thai again since our clothes hamper had been emptied sometime last night and our clothing from yesterday had been cleaned and folded and placed on the table next to the hamper at the door this morning.  Even though Tana said it would be fine, I felt odd about wearing the same thing two days in a row, though I wanted to because it was so pretty and comfortable.

So here I stood in the only professional outfit I brought.  Fussing over the lapels of the little vest over my blouse.  My Elf princess stood behind me as I looked in the mirror, placing her chin on my shoulder as she wrapped my family's charcoal and black sash around my waist and tied it off like a pro.  How in the name of the Kraken could she tie it so evenly and have the tails drape smoothly from my hip?  There has to be some sort of Elf magic involved even though I knew there was no such thing.

She breathed a hot breath on first one ear then my other, causing my legs to almost give out, before she slid my ear shields on.  Well her old ear shields, but mine now.  She had lent them to me the first day after my manifesting on live TV, and has never asked for them back.

I absently touched one, feeling a warmth that was hard to explain.  It felt like, well, it felt like that contentment from earlier.  Almost as if she could read my mind, she shared as she started to brush out my hair instead of putting it in a bun, “I'll need to steal those back from you when we get back home.”

Before I could weaponize my pout, she explained, “We need to get the inner linings sized for your adorable little ears, I noticed some chaffing on your points.”

Oh.  Ok.  I smiled and nodded, then looked her up and down.  She looked like some sort of punk rock, hello kitty professional secretary today in her lavender skirt suit.  I approved as I played with straightening the stark white silk tie that just made the whole ensemble, um, yummy.

When we stepped out into the courtyard, I squinted an eye in mock pain as I realized we were the last ones out.  Again.  Hansa was waiting with my assistants at her side, and her eyes widened slightly at us.  Whether it was over how my girl could pull off sinful and professional at the same time and make it look good, or my secondhand professional suit, I wasn't sure which, though I was feeling extra self-conscious.

She bowed her head to us and then said to me, “The local police wish to speak with you and your people about the abduction attempt, but your lawyers headed them off with Accords and Diplomatic Immunity statutes.  The attackers from yesterday are speaking and their organizer is being brought in for questioning today.  An Elf named Sanoh Thawan, they are picking her up now.”

I nodded slowly, feeling mixed and even conflicting emotions.  First that legal was shielding us even though we were the victims, and second, these misguided people who were passionate and frustrated about their cause were going to be prosecuted.

My mouth was working before Tana and Mr. Galen could say anything to wave me off.  “Do charges have to be pressed?  I mean, everyone is fine, and what they did was out of desperation.  No harm no foul?”

She shook her head sadly looking surprised at my response. “That is not how it works in here, unlike America, a victim doesn't have to press charges for the state to indict a suspect.”

My eyes widened and I turned to Mr. Galen, blurting, “Wait.  The organizer and at least some of the attackers are Elf.  I know it doesn't help the Sapiens, but aren't the Elves shielded by the Accords?  I know they wouldn't have diplomatic immunity.  I know felonies and traffic stops are excluded in most cases in the Accords, but that doesn't preclude Aelftus counsel, right?”

The man sputtered, “But they don't hold voting shares.”

I nodded, smirking.  “But don't the Accords cover all Elves, not just voting families?  I mean, that's sort of why we're here right?  The Council dictating to all Elves even if they have no representation in the Council?”

Looking around, I called out, “Legal dudes? Aldrich?”  The man almost materialized between us with the other legal eagles.  I prompted, “They would have lawyers from the Council to defend them right?”

Mr. Galen interrupted, “They assaulted our group, they tried to kidnap a Senior Council member.”

“I know, I was sort of there... Harlow.  Take a moment to ask yourself why they took such a chance.  Really think about it.  The entire Council is culpable for fostering such resentment and desperation that would drive them to such an act.  And by punishing them for something we caused?  I mean...  Aldrich?”

To Galen's credit, his brow was furrowed in thought, and it looked as if he wasn't liking the conclusions he was coming to.  And our lead counsel of the group said thoughtfully, “It is unprecedented for Council Legal to represent Dearmadta members.”  I could see the wheels turning in his head as he absently smiled at my line of thinking, his brilliant white teeth a stark contrast to his flawless black skin.

Tana picked up my thread.  “Unprecedented doesn't mean no.  Don't we Elves look after each other?  Voting shares are not a prerequisite for anything in the Accords, are they?”

The legal types were, well, typing... on a variety of electronic instruments, comparing screens, but Aldrich already knew the answer as he shrugged with a grin.  “Why does this seem even more hazardous than when you had me in a car with the Elf targeting neuro-toxin?”

I rolled my hand, feeling amused at the poor man.  I was a walking disaster around him, yet he was still alive, so that's a plus, right?  I mean a point in my favor?

The man sighed and said, “The Accords cover every Aelftus citizen, there is no stipulation as to the disposition of any individual.  The only thing missing is precedent of the Council tasking legal to address the affairs of the Dearmadta.”

I did a celebratory slow-motion reverse fist pump in the air, grabbing the air and pulling my fist down in front of my face as I said, “Let's make precedent, shall we?  I happen to know a Senior Council member intimately, she's with the Riicathi if I'm not mistaken.”  I pointed a finger at myself and mocked surprise.  “Oh, me.  As a representative of the Senior Council, I'd like to task one of your legal flying monkeys here zip off to represent the Elves in this matter.”

He rolled his eyes. “Flying monkeys?  If you say something like bippity boppity boo, nobody will take you seriously.”

Lis shared helpfully, “Wrong movie, Tin Man.”

Hansa cocked her head, and prompted, “You're going to provide legal counsel to the people who tried to kidnap you?”  Galen was nodding agreement with her confusion as he pointed her way for emphasis.

I shook my head.  “No.  The Accords lay out that all Aelftus citizens will have legal representation in all criminal legal matters, and even though the Dearmadta didn't have input in drafting the Accords, you're still Aelftus citizens.  So this is where the Council puts its money where its mouth is and extends a right to Elves who need to exercise it.”

Aldrich sighed heavily, closing his eyes as he mumbled, “The Launs and Havashires are going to have our collective hides for this.”  Then he looked at a woman in the cluster of legal types.  “Myrian, you weren't with us in the cars yesterday, so you don't have a conflict of interest, being a witness.  Get with the local LEOs and inform them the International Elf Council is supplying legal counsel to the Elves involved.  Gum up the works.”

“Yes sir.”

He grinned cheesily. “Now fly away.”

The bronze-skinned Brazilian woman smirked my way and said, “I'll drive, it's faster.”  Ok, I liked this Myrian.

I noted it was silent in the courtyard, with all eyes on us.  Oh.  Hansa saved me from looking for some sand somewhere to bury my head in.  “You aren't anything like any of the Council Members I've ever met.”

I squeaked out, squinting in apology, “Yeah... I get that a lot.”

She snickered and made a sweeping, ushering motion toward the waiting vehicles.  I made my escape.  Before long our little convoy arrived at the convention center again, and I cringed and silenced my phone as all the calls from the Senior Council members started rolling in after they heard about my hijacking of the Accords.  And my girl was grinning as she showed me her cell that was blowing up with messages and voicemails from her parents she was ignoring too.  It usually sucks to be me, but not at that particular moment.

Chapter 13 – Decompressing

The day seemed to crawl by, even though we seemed to be making headway.  From a sealed diplomatic pouch Mr. Galen handed me, I went through all the prior year's Council actions and votes, some of which Lisa had to leave the room for because it was flagged need to know political dealings with various governments.  Some of it makes my brows meet my hairline.  There were some questionable items, not on the Aelftus part, but the part of some of the more overbearing countries.

Then we consolidated the topics that were submitted by the Dearmadta at prior conferences which were still relevant now, and we were organizing the new topics of discussion.  Most were minor things that shouldn't need the Council to look into, but some were quite valid and some even urgent that were brought up over and over.

A couple had me blinking and needing more information since they would have far-reaching consequences for all Elves, including the voting clans.  How had these not been addressed already?  I flagged them for our legal group.

But by the end of the day, we read the compiled lists of topics I wished to go more in-depth within the coming days at the conference with the people who submitted them.  At one point during lunch up in the conservatory, I spoke with Aldrich.

“Have you been at the conferences the past few years?”

He shook his head.  “I'm too senior to have been assigned to the Conference up until now.”  The man smirked and shared with all the humor in the world sparkling in his big blue eyes, “It was suggested from on high, that a senior litigator be assigned to... keep you reined in.”

I snorted and Tana asked, “And how's that working out for you, shyster?”

The man didn't miss a beat as he asked her, “You ever try to bottle lightning?”

She winked at me. “Every day.”  My cheeks and ears heated.

I prompted, “Have the top two we flagged today ever crossed your desk back home?  They seem to be something the Senior Council should be briefed on so they can be addressed.  They could cause a rift between Elves and Sapiens in the Middle Eastern region if left unchecked.”

All the humor left his expression as he nodded gravely.  “I can't see this not being on the Council's radar.  I'll verify and if needed, coordinate with the executive offices, this is going to require delicate political and bureaucratic maneuvering.”

Then I grinned and changed the subject. “Sooo, can you give me a list of all the basic rights extended to all Elves by the Accords?”

He sighed heavily. “I don't like that look.”

“It's the only one I got.”

He blinked at my expression and then asked the girls. “That's a movie or TV reference?”

Lis nodded and offered, “Talk to me Goose.”

I was forming an idea in my head, and I can guarantee that if it was possible, I was going to be even more of a Council black-sheep than I already was, but it had the potential to mend a few fences and benefit, not just the Aelftus and Dearmadta in general, but the Sapiens in the communities across the globe which the Dearmadta live in.

The one drawback was that if it worked out, I was manufacturing a heck of a lot of work and responsibility for myself that would just keep my life in a hectic state, but my parents instilled in me the drive to do the right thing... and I think this is it.

The man waved us off and assured me, “I'll have you a list tonight.”  I nodded my thanks and then looked at the man and texted something on my cell.  His cell pinged and he looked at it, furrowed his brow, then nodded once before heading off to finish his lunch.

This got a raised brow from the ladies and Enrique and Tasha who I felt I was overworking today.  I looked around at the hundreds of Elf ears around us and shook my head once and nudged my chin in the direction of the bungalow compound.  It wasn't anything I wanted to get out until I knew if it was possible.  False hope can cripple.  They all seemed to understand and didn't ask, I'd share before we had to go out for the New Years Eve celebration at Hansa's home the three of us were invited to.

The biggest thing I was noticing that day was the faces and eyes were a lot less hostile around us than the prior day.  I hope that meant I was building trust with the clans of the Dearmadta.  Except for the Gunggari Aboriginal clan from Australia.  I heard murmurings about how the Sapiens and Aelftus have both marginalized them over the years, and only just recently have the Sapiens been making reparations, so they did not give trust easily.

When someone made a motion to adjourn early, mid-afternoon, so people could prepare for various New Years Eve celebrations, it was quickly seconded.  I stood and called out, “Ok, then let's adjourn until Monday morning.  Thanks to everyone for your hard work and persistence today, I think we've made a lot of progress.  Enough that I can make some decent size waves in the Council.”

This got a ripple of chuckles through the crowd, which made me grin since it was another indicator we were making headway, and they knew I had a reputation for being disruptive in the Senior Council, even though my days having a seat on the Council could be counted on my fingers.

Our plan for heading out to do some shopping was derailed by the larger crowd of protesters our caravan had to navigate before pulling out onto open roads to the compound.  I was starting to think we were being housed in the amazing accommodations more to shield our delegation from the protests than to be hospitable.  I could see Hansa's skillful maneuvering in it.  I looked across to where she sat beside Lisa and Ivan in the car.  She truly was a hell of a host.

I tugged at the thread. “I take it the hotel we were originally booked at is back there in that mess somewhere?”  My brow was cocked in accusation.

She shrugged. “Happy coincidence that the Zhou clan offered their compound.”  Her innocent look needed work.

Tana shook a finger in the air between them. “Remind me not to play poker with you.”

I mused. “There goes our shopping opportunity.”

This got Hansa's attention.  “Oh, shopping?  I know just the place.”  She looked almost devious as she smiled.

I shook my head and winged a thumb at Ivan who had sat taller if possible at her words, “The big guys wouldn't let us chance it with all the protesters.”

It was her turn to shake her head as we pulled into the compound. “They won't be a problem where I'm thinking.  I'll pick you up in an hour, and bring your appetites.”

But... the driver opened the doors as the woman waved us away with fluttering fingers, and we all got out as she stayed in the limo.  “Shoo.  I have to get out of this restrictive outfit into something more appropriate for shopping.  One hour.”

We were all blinking as the limo pulled away.  I squished my lips to one side of my face to ask everyone and anyone, “Umm, what just happened?”

Lisa prompted more in question than a statement, “Sounds like hawt Asian Elf princess is taking us shopping.”

Ivan held a finger up and opened his mouth to protest, just to cover his ears when the three of us ladies squeed... in a dignified manner of course.  The poor big guys slumped, knowing their work was made out for them tonight.

Good thing the Conference was adjourned early, as it appeared it was going to be a hectic afternoon and evening since we still had a New Year's Eve celebration tonight.  I smiled as I laced my fingers with my Elf princess at the thought that this would be our first New Year together.  And it was in such a romantic setting.

We rushed past Mr. Galen as he was motoring over to us, no doubt to discuss the itinerary for the weekend.  Everything with him was scheduling and planning even though it was all already laid out.  I called back, “Sorry Harlow, we can speak tomorrow.  We have a party to buy outfits for tonight.”

I didn't have to look back to see he was trying to burn holes in the backs of our heads with his glare.  I almost worried the man would set up a hit on Hansa for divulging his first name to us.  “Of course Miss Rii... Renner.  How many will be attending?”

As I closed the door behind us, I peeked out sharing, “Girls' night, sorry.  I hear there is a hell of a fireworks display at the river at midnight.”  The white noise privacy curtain draped over us, blocking out any response he may have offered.

I paused in my thoughts when my cell buzzed, I just glanced at it, ready to send it to the limbo of my voicemail.  Then I hesitated in my steps toward the bedroom when I saw it was a text from a Senior Council member that was different than all the others I've been getting from the Council.

Cocking a brow I uttered, “Huh,” as I hustled after the living incarnation of punk rock, gothic Hello Kitty.

She turned to me as she started unbuttoning her blouse, “Huh what, Killy?”

I assisted her in shedding the sexy outfit, my eyes drinking in every inch of her, eyes stopping on her various, glittering piercings along the way.  “What do you know about the Tarek clan?  They just sent a request to see if there were any Dearmadta clans interested in trading goods for their hand-woven silks.”

She nodded as she decided it was unfair she was the only one undressing as she worked at my buttons, “The Tarek clan from Egypt is one of the more influential families.  They didn't sell their votes or proxies. And vote in alliance with the Havashires.  They have a hugely successful textile concern.  They are one of the more progressive families that mom and dad have been working on trying to get to swing their vote.  I can see them not caring what any other family thought about doing business with the disenfranchised clans.”

Ok, I wanted to meet with them sometime if they didn't care what others thought of them.  I pointed at my LaunPhone on the bed and sighed out, “And I suppose I have to say no since I'm on Council business here?”

She nodded and then dropped to her knees and reached for my waistband as my blouse fell to the floor.  “Now shut up, I'm unwrapping my present here.”  A moment later my eyes widened as my knees about gave out.  Oh my.  If we hadn't had someplace to be within the hour, we'd probably still be in that room, exploring each other's umm, everything.

After thoroughly reinforcing her claim on me and another quick shower together, we dressed and slipped out to find Lisa already standing at the door, looking at an imaginary watch on her wrist.  My cheeks and neck heated as I tucked some hair behind my ear hoping to all that is holy that I hadn't squeaked too loudly in there.

Then we were out the door, looking at two man mountains dressed in casual garb instead of their usual suits.  I almost snorted, were they going to try to blend in?  Like six foot a million near albino mountains of Russian muscle could ever blend.

I smirked and elbowed Pietor's gut playfully as we passed them, “Way to look inconspicuous.”  I gave them two thumbs up.

Ivan muttered, “You're still tiny,” and the girls burst out laughing.  What-ever.

There were a couple of dark SUVs like you'd find in any movie.  I mean isn't it almost too cliché? I mean, ok, they're practical and all for security, but just once could they at least have a color other than midnight blue or black?  They were practically the same as the one the Cookie Twins drove back home but looked somehow beefier, but instead of Laun, they were Mercedes.

A man came running from the second vehicle and bowed low as he held out a key fob to Ivan, who accepted it, then the man just jogged off.  The chauffeur of the lead vehicle stepped out and I suppressed a smile since he wore an honest-to-goodness chauffeur cap with his immaculate suit, just like Cliff back home did.  I absently wondered if they did it ironically or if it was part of the uniform.

He opened the back door and offered a hand, and a delicate hand reached out and Hansa slipped out.  What she wore was a stark contrast to the chic and elegant garb she has worn since we met her.  Instead, she was in a cute, everyday 'civilian' outfit which still somehow screamed high fashion, with some comfortable-looking designer sneakers.  Her hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail making her look younger than us somehow.

Lisa put it succinctly. “Holy super cute, lady.”

The woman gave us a coy taa-daa pose then nudged her chin to the car. “Shall we, girls?  This will be so much fun.  A good break from the seriousness of the Conference.”

Nodding we started forward just to almost walk into the backs of my overprotective security detachment.  Ivan said to me, “Sit, stay.”  I bullfrogged at him, puffing my cheeks and bulging my eyes.

He ignored me as the two men went to check out the vehicles.  They asked the chauffeur questions in Thai as they cleared both cars.  I got the impression by the responses and the way he tapped the door and windows, that they were both armor-plated and with mirrored bulletproof glass.

When they were satisfied they just looked back at us taking a single step back in unison.  Hansa said from the side of her mouth, “They take their position very seriously, where does one find men of such dedication?”

I sighed as she led us to the lead vehicle, and the chauffeur offered a hand to each of us as we loaded up, “Now they're going to get swelled heads and are going to be impossible to live with.”

This was unexpected.  I've heard of SUVs with a third row of seating, but not in this configuration with the two rear rows facing each other like a mini limousine, making it much more nondescript and infinitely more maneuverable than a limo, being half one's size.

I looked back to see the boys load up in the second vehicle after the chauffeur closed the door.  I slid a hand along the leather interior in appreciation and noted there was even a privacy partition between the front seat and the back seats.  I offered, “A step up from mom's Bug.”

The ladies snorted at Hansa's confusion.  Tana shared, “This one drives her family's beat-up VW Beetle when she's avoiding the Council's carpool.”

She nodded slowly, coming to the wrong conclusion, “Ah, sentimental value?  That is understandable.”

I squinted one eye.  “Necessity, though I guess there is some small amount of sentimentality, it being Mom's car when she and dad met.”

Lisa aired my dirty laundry as the car started toward the gates. “The Riicathi live paycheck to paycheck like the rest of us mere mortals who don't have vast wealth.”

“Lis!”

“What?  It's true and nothing to be ashamed of.  Own it, Kia.”

“And private.”

I felt an overwhelming need to bury my face in Tana's shoulder to hide from the embarrassment as Hansa seemed to take me in again, her eyes lingering on my outfit.  I felt positively destitute under her appraisal now.  It took me weeks to get over that feeling whenever I was with Tana.

The woman seemed to be contemplating something as she said in a light tone, “I'm beginning to understand you much better now, Killishia.  The incongruities make much more sense now.”

Tana's tone was short. “It makes her a better person than most of us.”

“No insult was intended.  It was but an observation.”  She inclined her head to us slightly.

Wanting to get the attention off of my private business I blurted, “So where are we going?  You said you knew a place where the protesters won't be calling for our heads?”

This made her shoot a mischievous grin as she shared like she knew a secret, “Yes, what better place to go shopping than the mall?  We'll be dining there as well.”

It was my turn to blink.  The mall?  Never in a million years would I have pictured this cultured young woman being caught dead at a common mall.  It was silly, but I liked silly.  And why was I so excited by it anyway?  It couldn't possibly be my newly acquired knowledge that the Council gave me a budget and a credit card with no limit.  I looked to Tanny and Lis who looked ready to vibrate out of their seats and we closed our eyes to squeak out restrained squees.

Though I didn't visit any of the malls in New York City often, they were still fun to explore.  At least we knew what to expect.  And was it wrong I was sort of looking forward to their equivalent of Hot Dog On a Stick?

Twenty minutes later, we were all standing on one of the many free water taxis on the river, looking at the mammoth structure of the Icon Siam Mall.  The brochure Hansa handed us as we were docking, billed it as the 'Mother of All Malls'.  With over five hundred shops and one hundred restaurants from over thirty different countries.

I whispered as we stared, “I didn't expect this.”

Lis pointed out as her eyes started to glitter in excitement, “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition either.”

Tana muttered, “You two are so weird.”  Then to punctuate her point, she looped an arm in Hansa's and stepped onto the dock, leaving us behind.

“Hey!  Wait for us, wenches.”  We scurried to follow with our mobile mountains following.  I appropriated Tana's hand for my own, and she dutifully laced our fingers while shooting me a wink.  This was going to be epic.

Chapter 14 – New Year's Eve

Later that night, standing by the railing of the expansive deck which encircled Hansa's house, looking across the spacious grounds in wonder, I reflected upon our shopping spree.  I was correct, it had been epic.

It was almost surrealistic as we just entered the mall property from the water taxi dock.  A group of Elves walking around New York City would draw crowds of Elf stanners and curious people staring in awe or disdain at times since in America the Elves go through an almost concerted effort to hold themselves, well ourselves, apart from the Sapien public.  I always feel like I can't just walk around to enjoy the city like I used to, there is always that pressure and lack of anonymity in the crowd with eyes on me.

But here?  Just from my vantage point, I saw at least five or ten other elves blending in with the crowds of shoppers moving about the outdoor stalls in the courtyard by the front doors, and nobody seemed to take much notice.  I was really starting to like Bangkok, the way the people just saw the Elves as just part of the community.  Sure they still got a few looks, mostly from shoppers from around the world, but for the most part, they were there for the same reason as everyone else, to shop.

I even saw a couple of Elvish vendors outside and then the inside of the cavernous structure that held six hundred shops and restaurants.  I was floored to see Elves working retail, and even one man was cleaning up a spill in one corner with a mop and bucket.  Heaven forbid an Elf to hold a non-glamorous or prestigious job back home.

We were swallowed up in the crowds with more than just the Cookie Twins on our tail.  More than once I caught sight of Hansa's security watching us from above or across a store lobby.  I wanted to point out to the boys how her detail could give her some breathing space, but I knew it would do no good as I saw their eyes flicking around noticing the security I had and likely a lot more, all giving her a sense of privacy.

I forgot all about them as we were led around by our hostess to all the most chic clothiers.  It was like a fantasy, but I was feeling like a pretender when on more than one occasion, I got 'the look' from the sales associates when I asked for prices of some of the items I thought were adorable.  It left me with the impression that if I had to ask the price, they weren't the store for me.  And the few prices they shared, had my arse puckered so hard I could have made diamonds between my buttcheeks.

I could market them as limited edition Elf Butt-diamonds on LaunBay online, I could make a killing.  And, oh, sorry, I digress.

As Tana was paying for a wrap she found for her little sister, Sonia, back home, while Lisa was in the changing room, trying on yet another outfit that would have cost sixteen gazillion dollars, Hansa noticed my discomfort.

She slid up beside me. “What is it, Kia?”

I scrunched up my face in apology.  “This is, well it really isn't my speed. I'd feel almost guilty paying so much for a skirt.”

After a moment of studying me for some reason, she nodded slowly but then smirked. “Would it make a difference remembering the Council is paying for it?”

We chuckled and I admitted, “Actually, it does a little.”  I grabbed the black lace-up, two-tone layered godet skirt I had been eyeing with yearning, and headed to the register.  Hansa chuckled beside me.

She shared, “We'll head to some more reasonably priced shops after this.”

I paid with the Black Card, feeling like some sort of impostor, and that Paul Blart would be wheeling my way on a Segway Scooter, lights flashing, to take me down.  They layered it on black tissue paper and placed it in a shiny white box with the store logo embossed in one corner, then tied it shut with a blood-red ribbon before handing it to me with the receipt.

Swallowing as I held it, knowing it cost more than my entire wardrobe, except maybe the chut thai I was gifted by Hansa, I turned and handed it to Ivan, who was standing beside the “spouse chairs”.  I dared him to say anything as he rolled his eyes and took the box, holding it under an arm like some sort of nuclear football or something.  I beamed up at him and he broke and smiled without looking down at me.

Then it was my turn to cock a brow when Lisa came trundling up to us with one of the dresses she had been trying on, and she just handed her credit card to them.  That had to be a two-thousand-dollar dress.  Then I remembered just how big her social media presence was and how she had to be making multiple times what she made in the mailroom in her monetization of page views.  Not for the first time I wondered if my bestie were secretly rich and just slumming it at the station in her thankless job.

She did a double-take at me when she saw me just blinking her way.  “What?  I want something special to wear for Issac for our first Valentine's day together next month.”  I grinned and she grinned back.  She was a smitten kitten for that boy.  He was a pretty man, and he adored her, so I approved wholeheartedly.

I was in my element in the next batch of stores Hansa brought us to and I bought a few outfits that wouldn't embarrass my station at the Transparency Conference. Still, I did feel a slight twinge of guilt until Tana, who figured out my trauma, mentioned, “You do realize that the prior chairs sent here usually rang up about a million dollars in receipts during their stay?  And it is a perk of your position.  God knows with the small Arwë draw your family gets from the Mírë each year, you should take advantage of a few of the benefits of your new position, Killy.”

We had Pietor and Ivan loaded up with bags and boxes when we decided we should think about dinner... which got our more relaxed-looking Thai friend to start asking what kinds of foods we preferred so she could recommend a restaurant.

That's when a little boy ran up to us from a kiosk in the common area of the mall, holding a delicate, finely woven bracelet out to me.  He said with enthusiasm as an Elf woman at the kiosk watched intently as she sorted her wares, “Sawadee kah.”

I couched and smiled broadly at the little guy and replied in the greeting I've heard others around us using, “Sawadee kraap.”

Then he said something quickly, laid the bracelet across my hand, blushed, then ran back to the woman I assumed was his mother or big sister.  I started to turn to Ivan to translate for me, but Hansa beat me to it.  “A gift to the blended, from the Daeng clan.  For luck.”  She smirked. “And he says you are pretty.”

I blushed at that and looked over to where he was peeking out from around the woman's skirts.  I waved at the little guy then inclined my head to the woman, who just turned and went about straightening her kiosk again.

Lis gushed, “How adorable was he?”

And I prompted, “Blended?”

Hansa looked around nervously and then said in a hushed tone even my Elvish hearing could barely pick out.  “She recognized you as a halfling.  Everyone has heard the stories of the halflings and what the Riicathi were forced to do.  Nobody but my grandmother and Claude Blackwood had ever seen a blended child before.  I believe she thinks you are good luck, being the only living halfling.”

Oh.  I wasn't sure how I felt about that or the fact that so many people here seemed to know what I was when they didn't back home.  Evander and Natalia seemed to believe there would be many negative reactions and even panic around the fact that it wasn't impossible for the Aelftus and Sapiens to interbreed, no matter how rare.  But here it seemed people were more well-versed in the dark periods of Aelftus history and the woman at the kiosk seemed, I don't know, awed over my existence.

Was it because the Council didn't run roughshod over taboo subjects about the Elves here?  Essentially ignoring their brethren simply because they didn't play into their politics nor control the Mírë and votes?  I wanted to sit down for a long philosophical talk with some of the Council so I could try to understand the rift better, and why they believed so adamantly on certain topics.

My first inclination was Natalia Havashire herself, as she seems less rigid than her twin brother, Evander Laun about their stranglehold on information and considering new ideas.  More than once she expressed her appreciation for my blundering ways of making waves in the Council.  And if my gut feeling was right, it was more than simply wanting her brother frustrated and in damage control with me around.

Maybe I could get with Claude and feel out the waters with her.  I'd really like to understand the Senior Council's motivations so I didn't always feel like a bumbling fool, bringing chaos in my wake like Cthulhu descending from the sky to make us mortals tremble.  Ooo, that would make a great campaign in Dungeons and Dragons, some sort of summoning of gods, and Cthulhu and the Great Spaghetti Monster in the Sky having a knock down drag out fight in the skies to determine the fate of all mortal beings on...  I digress again, back to the story.

We wound up at a French three-star restaurant in the Mall, Véronique's.  It was mind-boggling that one of the highest-rated restaurants in the world was in a mall in Bangkok.  Both Hansa and Tana agreed on Véronique's when our hostess named a few of the restaurants and I had said as I contemplated all the nationalities represented in her list, “I don't think I've ever eaten French food.  I mean, dad is always whipping up all sorts of dishes from so many cultures, so it might be possible French was stuffed in there somewhere.  And I'm sure french toast and french fries don't count.”

Both Lisa and Tanny moaned in an almost sexual way, closing their eyes and sighing as my best friend explained, “Kia's dad would rate three stars if Michelin's rated food trucks.  His Mediterranean dishes are almost better than sex.”

The woman chuckled at her description, then furrowed her brow.  “Your father is a chef?  I'm sorry, I don't get to the Americas as often as I would like, what is a food truck?”

Lis pointed back toward the main doors of the mall.  “Like the food carts by the water taxi dock, only, as the name suggests, in a big truck.”

She nodded and shared, “I enjoyed the frankfurter carts in Chicago when I last visited the United States in the eighties when I was younger.  Interesting texture and surprising flavor.”

I had blinked at that, momentarily forgetting that Elves can live to be three hundred.  Hansa looked our age or just a couple of years older, she was likely around fifty if she had visited the States in the nineteen eighties.  I wondered if it would be in ill form to ask.  I decided against it.

I was going to ask how we'd get reservations since some of the high-end restaurants in Manhattan had months-long waiting lists and sometimes even a year or more.  Then I panicked as I looked at myself and then at our group who were all dressed casually.  Weren't there dress codes for these ritzy places?  Quickly I found I shouldn't have entertained the question since the maitre’d saw us through the window before we even stepped inside.  He was all smiles, looking a combination of excited and proud, speaking to her in fluent French.  I could understand most of it since I had taken French as one of my required language classes in High School.

She replied with fluency and an accent that could have fooled you into thinking it was her native tongue.  He said something about her standing reservation and that he'd bring us to 'her' table.  Then she insisted upon English for her guests.

“But of course, Mademoiselle Susanti.  This way please.”

As we followed the man, many eyes turned our way from the other tables, Lisa said in a hushed tone, “Damn, the woman's got clout.  Respect.”

It was an odd dining experience, and I silently wondered if it was what the rich were used to in fine dining.  The only menu was the wine list, and the waiter just shared the three specials of the day., that was the extent of their offerings I assume.

The boys wouldn't join us instead of standing over us the entire time, the overprotective lugs.

I tried the Boeuf Bourguignon and was quite pleasantly surprised.  It was a savory yet simple dish with diced beef combined with braised onions and mushrooms sauteed in a burgundy sauce.  To me, it seemed a cross between a chunky chili and a hearty stew.  And a bowl of little mini potatoes.

Accompanying our meal was a wine I won't try to pronounce since I'd sound like a neophyte to wine connoisseurs.  I'm certainly not going to admit that the wine we drink at my house comes in a box, and mom may or may not get really silly after a couple of glasses.  You don't want to see a tipsy Abigail Renner, especially around the fourth of July when she has a box of sparklers.

Desert was a tiny portion of a custard-like Cherry Clafoutis, that seriously melted in my mouth, leaving me wanting a more human-size serving instead of the micro-size one they served.

All in all my first foray into French cuisine was a success.  Though I did almost have a heart attack when the bill was handed to Hansa on an actual silver platter when we finished.  My eyesight has always been good, but ever since I Elfed, it has been extraordinary, and I saw all the numbers before the decimal point on the bill.  It was almost two grand for the four of us.

But then a smirk slowly spread on my face as Hansa started to say, “Thank you, Henri, give my regards to Véronique, she's outdone herself today.  Just put it on my...”

I blurted, “No, please, Hansa, allow me,” as I dug for the black card again.

She looked at me patiently, like a schoolmarm would look at a misbehaving student, “Kia, it is my...”

Shaking my head, I gave a toothy grin as I pointed at the card. “No, really, it's on the Senior Council.”  Tana snorted, and Lis beamed as I had just pulled a winning lottery ticket out of my posterior.

This got Hansa to start smirking too. “Well, in that case, Henri, can I please get another portion of the Cherry Clafoutis for later?”

I may have squeaked something like, “Oh!” as Lisa raised her hand and my girl rolled her eyes and said as she lifted four fingers, “Quatre s'il vous plaît.”

The man bowed as I placed the card on the tray. “But of course.”  Then he dashed off.  The desserts came back in little silver boxes tied with silver bows.  I signed the receipt and made sure to take my copy... the last thing I needed was to be stuck with the bill for what amounted to a year's food budget out of my pocket.

We called it an early evening so we could all prepare for the New Year's celebration at the Susanti estate.  There may have been some greedy consumption of minuscule portions of cherry ambrosia before, as Lisa said, we got cuted up for the party.

Tana asked as she teased my hair into a complex french braid that she says Sonia taught her after just watching an instructional video online.  Sonia was a wonder.

She has Kerricyn Syndrome, the Elf equivalent of Downs, which impacts her learning ability and emotional maturity in some ways, but in others gives her incredible focus.  Like being able to watch something like braiding, and reproduce it using her own hands with ease.  She wants to be a writer, so she focuses on it with single-minded determination, and the urban fantasy book she's four chapters into writing is beyond amazing.

I wore the chut thai that I was gifted, as it had been dry-cleaned and returned in the morning by the sneaky cleaning staff who we still haven't been able to catch spiriting away our clothing nightly to be cleaned.

Tana had me drooling when she slipped into a black, thigh-length sheath dress she pulled out of her seemingly endless wardrobe trunk, and she pulled her jet-black hair back in a severe ponytail, exposing the blood-red layer below it, and the shaved sides that were showing more than a little stubble now...  was she letting it grow out since I mentioned how I loved her long hair once?

The dress shimmered in the light and she replaced all of her piercings with diamond-encrusted versions of her normal silver rings, so they sparkled with the rest of her.  I had to close my eyes to calm my libido as I questioned myself about whatever newly awakened elegant punk rock office executive obsession I now had as she slipped on some exquisite crushed black velvet flats.

Lisa went with a simple blouse and skirt but somehow made the outfit look as elegant as Tana's.  Grr.  It isn't fair the two wenches made looking good so effortless, while the rest of us mere mortals have to work at it and still feel like we are wearing some sort of costume.

And here we were now, at the Susanti estate.  Well, the estate is a misnomer.  It is like calling the Laun family super-yacht, the Empress, a little boat.  The estate was a sprawling two-hundred-acre parcel on the outskirts of the city.  It was a small valley that blocked out the nearby city.

There were around two hundred guests, and about that many of the Susanti clan in attendance.  As amazing as everything was, I kept getting distracted by what I was seeing as a travesty of justice.  The way the hundreds if not thousands of Dearmadta clans, just like the Susanti, were treated as 'less than' by the Council clans, yet made decisions that affected all Elves, not just the Council families.

Looking down, I could see groups of Elves and some Sapiens intermixed, coming outside in groups, and moving out into the various gardens and even a flowering hedge maze.  All eyes looked south as I tapped my cast absently against the railing, realizing it was in time with my heartbeat.

The almost silent swishing of the glass doors opening behind me, had me exhaling and forcing the smile back on my face as warm arms encircled my waist and pulled me back into my very own Elvish princess.

I glanced back at her, her brow furrowed in question  Lisa and Hansa stepped up to the rail, and our hostess asked, “What is it, Killishia?  You've seemed distracted all night.”

Shrugging I admitted, “Just have a lot on my mind, about the conference.”

Tana said, “Hey now, we all agreed, no work talk tonight.”

Nodding and snuggling back into her, I shared, “I agree, but Hansa, I do want to speak privately with you and the top five or ten most influential  Dearmadta families on Monday with our legal team.  I've been contemplating an idea I want to run by everyone.”

She nodded.  “Of course.”  Then she turned away to look south.  “Thirty seconds until midnight and a New Year begins.”

I shook off the tangents my mind was dwelling upon and beamed a genuine smile as we all started chanting with the crowd, “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!”  And an aerial fireworks display started firing off starbursts in the sky, illuminating Hansa's family's slice of paradise here.

Tana covered my ears as I winced at every explosion, and she kissed me with all the feeling a human could share with another.  A whispering promise that bloomed and filled the space between us just like the fireworks bursting in the sky.  “Happy New Year Killy... I love you.”

I melted into her and sighed out in amazement and warmth, “I love you too, Tanny.”

Then Lisa placed her hands on our shoulders as we all looked skyward to gaze at the wonder of the display above.  It was one of those perfect moments I'll hold in my heart forever.  It was a shame we'd have to get back to reality on Monday.  But at least we had a weekend where we could just... enjoy.  Then it would take all I had inside me to help craft a new start for the Dearmadta in this new year.

Chapter 15 – Ambassador

Evander Laun was slamming his gavel as he was shouting, “Order, we will have order in the chamber,” after I made my first motion when after the old business was read as per parliamentary procedure and a call for new business was signaled.

I just closed my eyes, still feeling a bit of jet lag after our return to New York.  It had been a hectic couple of days after we got back from the Transparency Conference, which a small group of us had extended our stay an additional week to work things out.

After asking Enrique and Tasha to wait in the main room, I pulled Hansa and the other most influential leaders of the Dearmadta, teleconferencing in a couple who hadn't bothered to attend thinking it would be as useless as the prior years, into one of the smaller conference rooms, I shared my rather unorthodox idea with them all.

Our legal team was the only other people in that impromptu meeting, and I knew they wouldn't leak it to the rest of the Senior Council since they are bound by client confidentiality.  Aldrich was intrigued and seemed to be taking me as seriously as I felt about it, even though the rest of his team were dubious something like I had suggested could even be implemented, and said it was too ambitious.  One came straight out and said, “There isn't a family in the Senior Council who would agree to this.”

Before I could point out once again, that I was in the Senior Council to the man, Aldrich rebuked him.  “Miss Renner is part of the Senior Council, and it is our job to investigate all legal avenues for our clients instead of discounting or bringing our personal opinions or feelings into it.  We will research what Miss Renner has suggested and determine if a legal path can be found through the laws and bylaws of the Council and the Reveal Accords.  Do I make myself clear, Diego?”

The man exhaled and held his tongue, just nodding once in affirmation.

And the response from the most influential representatives of the Dearmadta was cautious optimism.  When the head of a Malaysian clan, a woman named Anoud Ong, asked Hansa on the teleconference as if I weren't sitting right beside her, “Susanti, can this woman be taken seriously?  What are her ulterior motives?  Or is this another empty gesture from the Council oppressors to waste our time?”

My mouth worked like a fish out of the water as I contemplated the implications of her use of oppressors, and not liking that it sort of fit, while Hansa smirked at my inability to articulate and shared, “I believe Killishia believes she can make it happen.  She has the drive, determination, and empathy to have won my confidence that she is in earnest here.  Whether or not she can successfully make the ambitious plan come to fruition remains to be seen.  The Council is inflexible and hidebound, and it would take a hugely disrupting factor for them to consider it.  And by all accounts, Kia here has been keeping them in disarray ever since it was revealed she was of the missing Riicathi.”

Ms. Ong nodded on the screen and looked to be speaking to herself as she contemplated, “I suppose even if she fails, it is just yet another empty promise from the Council.  But even if there is the slightest chance she can do what she says, it is worth the attempt for all of the Aelftus to have a voice of our own.”

She looked at the camera and said to us, “The Pallbearers have always rocked the foundations of the Council, being the only ones to ever defy them, so maybe it is another Riicathi who can rattle their foundations again.”

“The Ong will put their faith in the Susanti clan, whose matron, Netra, is eldest of us all, and will, as the Americans say, throw our hat in the ring on this venture, no matter how foolish it may be.”

Hansa bowed at our screen. “Thank you Anoud, we shall be contacting as many clans as we can in the coming days, once we determine the best way in which to proceed.”

The woman inclined her head back and she left the conference.  Then one by one, all the others with only one abstention, agreed to work with me once Aldrich determined if there was any possible path to making this a reality.

Later that day, we ended the Transparency Conference... two days early since we had gathered all the questions, grievances, and issues.  Then the hard work began.  I still felt weird being in charge, like I was stuck in the Star Trek mirror universe when I sent the rest of our delegation home.

I think I surprised everyone when I asked Mr. Galen to stay, then shared my ideas with him and shrugged as I told him, “We need someone to help coordinate all the pieces here, and you, well you're the best coordinator I know.”  I didn't mention that he was the only coordinator I knew, and I prayed he wouldn't just say no and blab everything directly to the Launs or Havashires.

He took a long moment to seriously think about it, and I think he appreciated I had trusted him with my idea.  Then he said in the gruff seriousness that was his hallmark, “I think you're not in full control of your mental faculties, and it will likely get struck down in milliseconds once you present it to the Council... But.  I'm in the position I am because I can best serve the Aelftus with my skills, and what you propose, no matter how pie in the sky, is to benefit not just all Elves, but the communities they live in as well.  So yes, I will aid in whatever manner I can.”

Then the man chuckled and said more to himself than me, “I knew you were going to be trouble the moment we first met.  I still don't like your disregard for order and tradition.  And it appears my first impression of you was right, and I can't believe I'm agreeing to assist you in disrupting the Council.  I should have my head examined.”

Tana offered unrepentantly, “You should see my shrink for that.”

I asked, cocking my head, “You have a shrink?”

She rolled her eyes and pointed at herself, “Laun.  My family is all fucked up in more ways than one, of course, I go to therapy.  Sometimes...”

After everything was worked out the best we could in the short time we collaborated, we were mentally exhausted when it was finally time to fly back home.  I missed my bed and Barney hogging half of it.  We were surprised when Netra Susanti accompanied Hansa to see us off.  And even more surprised when the elder Susanti started to board the private jet with us.

I blinked at her and asked, “Ms. Susanti?  What are you...”

She looked back at us and shared before I could finish my question, “The youth of today are so slow on the uptake.  It's been a spell since I visited the New World.  So now is as good a time as any.”

Hansa was rushing after her and we all just watched in shock as the ancient Elf ascended the stairs slowly.  “Grandmother, you can't just...”

“Are you coming or not, child?  If not, move aside for the porters with my things.”

The younger Susanti turned as we did to see porters coming from a vehicle, carrying what appeared to be two large antique steamer trunks.

“Grandmother?  I... we... Kaeo...”

“Really Hansa dear, your parents are perfectly capable of caring for their child.  They raised you didn't they?  Now, what was the colloquialism young Miss Rodriguez here taught me?  Shit or get off of the toilet.”

Lisa called out helpfully, “Pot, gran Netra.”

“Ah yes, shit or get off the pot, love.”

Hansa huffed and hiked her chut thai and scrambled up the stairs after her headstrong matron, growling, “Impulsive, headstrong, irresponsible...”

Netra allowed her granddaughter to support her arm as they disappeared into the jet, as the elder patted the younger woman's arm and interrupted, “Yes, dear, so many pertinent adjectives, it is good to see your English education was not a waste.”

She retorted as the porters moved inside the plane too with their burdens, “Did you even speak with mother and father?”

I winged a thumb at the now empty stairs as all of us but Lisa blinked in incomprehension.  “Apparently they're coming with us?”

Tana nodded slowly. “Looks that way.”

Mr. Galen said in whispering awe, his crystalline blue eyes virtually twinkling, “The eldest of us all will be traveling with us.”  The man was star-struck the way all the Elves including him looked at Claude back home.  Elves see all older Elves as treasure.  I think I understand, it is cool and all and they are amazing people, but maybe I'll learn more about it since I only discovered I am Elf a month ago.

The porters came back out and I grinned and made an ushering motion with my casted arm, then was spinning around, my hands making a poor approximation of a karate chop, Tana and Lisa reaching out to steady me, when Ivan said from directly behind me, “Are we boarding?”  Then he patted the top of my head.

I panted out as I snapped my teeth at his hand, “Don't sneak up on a girl like that.”

Tana smirked and shared, “He's been standing there since we got out of the car, Killy.”  Then she appraised me appreciatively, causing me to chew on my lower lip as I looked down and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“Whatever.”  Then I turned back to the plane and exhaled, slouching as I released the adrenaline, saying forlornly, “I want to go home now.”

And if you think the flight was relaxing and uneventful, you've never had to sit there, flying forty-one thousand feet above the ocean with no escape as a three-hundred-year-old Elf insisted on recalling her most scandalous sexual adventures with Claude over the centuries of their lives.

“One time while scouting the jungles on a peninsula in Burma for an Aelftus settlement, we were separated from the expedition in a monsoon, and Blackwood and I were forced to weather it for two days in a cave on the rocky shoreline.  We didn't have anything better to do, so he showed me a position he learned from a nine-veiled dancer in...”

All of us but Lisa were just staring at the woman in shock, I'm sure we were all envisioning two wrinkly and older-than-sin Elves umm... doing the nasty.  Eww.  I was covering my ears saying “La la la, I can't hear you,” as Hansa was blurting in a voice so high pitched it cracked, “Grandmother!” while Lis was rolling a fist in the air, “You go, girl.”

My ears were metaphorically bleeding by the time we landed and I was thanking the Great Spaghetti Monster that the ordeal was over.  Did Elves lose their TMI filters after they hit two hundred and fifty or so?

And yes, I think the woman is pretty awesome, even though we joke about her harrowing encounters with, as she usually called him, that Blackwood boy.  Plus she's always reminding us that she is twenty-three days older than Claude and that we have to make sure 'the old blowhard' doesn't forget it.

It was like heaven sleeping in my bed that night, after feeling like I was being debriefed by my parents, who had questions about everything, and were just as interested in my personal experiences in Thailand as the Conference while Barney was almost turning himself inside out about my return.  The poor goofy, fuzzy guy was acting as if he thought he'd never see me again.

The jet lag was, and is still, kicking my little Elfy arse, and I was asleep before my head finished settling on my pillow.

The following morning Mr. Klien found Lisa and me in my impromptu office at a desk in the back of the janitor's storage room whenever I'm doing the investigative journalist part of my job.  We had been editing the endless amount of raw footage that Lis had shot in Bangkok when he stepped into the room.

He made a patting motion with his hand when we both stood up.  And he looked at a third chair that had a box of glass cleaner on it and moved the box to sit and cock his head at us.  “You better have gold, ladies.  Those little teaser tidbits you sent from the Conference weren't enough for more than a couple of highlight filler stories.  And if the station footed the bill for just that...”

I lamely raise my casted hand like I was in school again.  “But the station didn't pay for...”

He waved me off with a flutter of a hand, as he bit the inside of his cheek.  “Ah, but we do pay your salaries.”

This had me biting my lower lip and squinting an eye in mock pain. “Umm... about that, Tobias.  There is a chance I may need to cut back on my hours in the near future.  Just a heads up and it may not even happen, but I wanted to bring it up.  I might be taking up more responsibilities with the Elf Council.”

“I knew those Elf bastards were going to lure you away from...”

“I'm not quitting, sir.  Being an investigative journalist is my life's dream and I'm not about to give it up now.”

“Probationary,” he said with a pointed look at me.

“Probationary.”

Then he crossed his arms across his chest and said, “We'll discuss that later.  Right now ladies, dazzle me or we'll find something more mundane than the mailroom for you to work.”

And we dazzled him.  More than once he whispered, “Pulitzer,” after watching the various interviews Lisa and I did at the Conference, then a mini ten-minute documentary on the Transparency Conference we assembled the night before we flew back home.  There were hundreds of hours of b-roll footage.

I offered him some of the receipts the two of us gathered for the things I didn't use the Council's Black Card for.  He held his hands up, not touching them.  “You need to get those, along with your expense reports to accounting for approval and reimbursement at the end of the month.”

That had me sputtering, “The end of the month?  But I virtually drained my bank account.”

He just smiled as he patted the computer we had been displaying the video files on as he started walking away. “Get these to Mary before the end of the day.  She'll work them into something more usable.  We'll disseminate them on the air over the next week or two.  Maybe release some of the more mundane ones to the AP to draw more eyes back to WTRL.  And good job ladies, we'll make journalists out of you yet.”

Gah!  Mary, one of our primetime anchors, was going to be the one to report on the interviews again. All that work for only a byline.  Through at least I'll have more camera time accumulated in the interviews to get me through my probationary period.  It feels like being an intern all over again.

I called out after the evil man, “What about my scheduling?”

“We'll talk about that if it becomes necessary.”  Then he added as he closed the storage room door behind him. “What are you standing around for you two?  Get to work.”

Lis had just chuckled and sighed.  “You got this shit?  I suppose I need to make an appearance in the mail room.  I'm sure Oliver has been shitting his pants having to actually work and pick up the slack without me there for almost two weeks.”

Then she chuckled and hesitated in mid-step, asking, “You think Mr. Klien didn't tell Oliver where I had gone?  Oh hell, I'm going to stay quiet about it too then, this is going to be grade-A fun if HR blew him off about my whereabouts again.”  She winked at me then trudged toward the door, calling back as she opened it and slipped through, “Rodriguez out.”

I called after her, “Coward!  Love you.”

She was chuckling and saying in a normal tone as she headed down the stairs, knowing I could hear her, “Love you too, Kia.”

Best friends are weird.  Ok, let me rephrase, my best friend is weird.

Netra and Hansa were staying at the basement of Gran and Gramps Renner's Elf safehouse, where my other grandparents had somehow beat us back from Bangkok were staying.  I'm sure there were some Riicathi family secrets about how they accomplished it and were able to afford the cost of travel.  They've been traveling all around the world as they ran the Council's Black Ops Security on a wild goose chase for so long. One day when all this chaos settles down, I want to take a week or so to just hang out with them so they can tell me everything.  But at the moment, my life was so hectic and stranger than fiction.

There was a reckoning to be had soon, for me ignoring the Council's every effort to contact me about my unorthodox handling of the Conference, and about the attempted kidnapping.  Especially since I assigned legal counsel to the Aelftus perpetrators.  But luckily, Tanny was currently taking all the heat since she had been ignoring all their attempts to contact her to pressure me into calling them.  The only person back home she had contacted each day was Sonia, at her bedtime to tell her about her day like she always did.

And just a short time ago, here on Friday, I walked into the Council Chamber for the weekly meeting.  Both raised tiers, on either side of the cavernous space, went silent as I kept my head down, hands fisted at my sides, trying to make myself invisible, but I'm sure it came across as petulant.

Murmurs started at the far end of the Chamber, where the stand that held the heads of the minor Council families who had contracted their proxies or sold their voting shares to one of the Launs or Havashires, sat to watch the proceedings for full transparency.  Other Elves who wished to view the proceedings also sat sprinkled in the mix.

I sat in the single-gated Council seat in front of them.  Tana was in attendance, standing beside my chair as my Ráquen, until such time I am fully versed in all things Aelftus.   She gave me a confident smile.  I'm glad one of us was confident, especially with what I was about to do.  I looked back nervously to the building commotion and grinned, Hansa was almost directly behind me, sitting prim and proper like an actual storybook princess.

Evander spoke, sounding like a professor speaking to an undergrad.  “Miss Renner.  I expect you'll make time to speak with us after these proceedings.”

I nodded but didn't make eye contact as I squeaked out, “Yes sir.”

The doors started to close and we looked over to see Claude repeatedly hitting the door controls, his brow pinched in intense concentration.  But Netra stepped through a little more smoothly than I've seen her move before, making me think she may be faking her frailty too, just before the doors finished closing.

Claude muttered as the two sized each other up.  “Infernally slow doors.”

Netra said something in Thai, wiggling her brows at the man, then in English said, “It is a pleasure seeing you again too, Claude.”

“Rotten old hag.”

“Upstart boy.”

They looked intently at each other, and even with the snipes at each other, something heated seemed to pass between them.  Just shoot me now, they still had a thing for each other under the feigned animosity and rivalry.  The only blessing was that I wouldn't be trapped with her on her plane ride home to hear of any new sexual exploits between them.

He grudgingly held out an elbow, and she took it, with her fingertips in the crook of his arm, like royalty as he started leading her to the back seating by me.

Dimitri Havashire pounded his gavel twice to silence the voices raising in curiosity.  “We will have order in these chambers.” The crowd immediately quieted.  “Claude, what is the meaning of this?  Who is this woman?”

They stopped, only having crossed about a quarter of the distance with their shuffling walk, and Claude turned, patting the woman's hand on his arm.  He turned to look up at Evander, “Council member Havashire...”

“Claude, I'm over here.”

The elder Elf squinted hard through his overly thick glasses, then widened his eyes and turned slowly back to the other side of the chamber.  “Ah, yes, of course.  There you are.”  The old Faker McFakey from Fakersville had this act down.

He cleared his throat and then stood taller, and we could hear his bones and muscles creaking and groaning in protest as he said in a more cognoscente tone, “Council member Havashire, members of the Senior Council, and others gathered.  I present to you, the eldest living Elf on the planet, Netra Susanti.  Who just forced her way into these proceedings with no decorum at all.”

She swept a wicked grin across the room and waved it off. “Don't mind me.  I've just come to sit with my granddaughter to watch the Riicathi spectacle.”

There was a collective shocked intake of breath, and Netra's name was circulating in hushed and awed tones.  Some people gasped at the revelation.  And both the Havashires and Launs stood to gaze, wide-eyed, down on the two ancient Elves.  Claude just turned and started escorting her again, all eyes on them in silence yet again.  They stopped halfway to me and they both panted for a second before restarting again.

The person next to Hansa quickly stood to find another seat when Netra moved in front of the awe-struck man.  “Thank you, Claude darling.”  And first, a couple of people started clapping then the Chamber burst out into cheers and applause for the oldest living person on the planet.

Claude turned and looked back to the far side of the Chamber, exhaled in surrender, and started shuffling back again, a determined look on his face as the chamber became silent again with all eyes on him, some people half standing from their chairs.  He stopped to lean against the podium in the middle of the space for a moment to catch his breath before soldiering on.

When Claude finally made it all the way back, he operated the controls back at the door and the white noise generators started up, draping the Chamber in a curtain of privacy.  He turned around and looked momentarily surprised to see the Chamber was full of Elves, before doing a doubletake at the old secretary's desk beside the doors, where he sat down, his bones creaking.

Natalia Havashire, with a sweet and loving smile to the doddering old man, tapped her gavel twice and said, “The Council is now in session.  The Senior Council is honored to have an Elf of such esteem and renown in our presence today.  It is a pleasant surprise to see you here today khun Netra, and I would very much like to sit down to tea with you after the meeting.”

Natalia smiled, eyes wide when the elder Elf just inclined her head, evoking the image of a royal granting audience with one of her subjects.  Mrs. Havashire sounded more upbeat as she addressed the Chamber. “Let us begin with the reading of the minutes from the prior meeting.”

I wasn't present for the last meeting, and I've still not made it to the end of one as something was always throwing a wrench in the gears... usually me, but I found it hard to focus on the minutes as my nerves were tied in knots by my anxiety over what I was going to do.  The little voice in my head sounded suspiciously like my mom was telling me, “It doesn't do any good to fret over things you cannot control, you can only do the right thing.  And if that doesn't work, fuck 'em and drive through their flowerbed.”

My mom was the best, even as a voice in my head.

After the secretary read the minutes, Claude reported on population levels and Mírë health.  Was it my imagination or had the population numbers decreased in the two weeks since I heard them last?

And the Mírë continued to grow like a living organism, with more concentrated wealth than any country in the world.  That bolstered my courage, as the Aelftus had more money than they could ever spend in a hundred lifetimes, and it was still getting larger, so my big ask would be virtually inconsequential.

Another family reported on progress on a couple of the current projects the Council was backing, then I froze in my seat when Dimitri Havashire called out for, “New business?”  I swallowed as Tana nudged her chin almost understandably, swinging her eyes from me to the podium.

I exhaled and then squeaked when Netra nudged me with her cane from behind as I raised my hand.  The sound I made, which was a cross between a feral squirrel and a house cat startled by a cactus, had an Elf on the Havashire side of the Council, who had stood up, and pause with their mouth half open to speak.  All eyes turned to me, likely just to see where the noise had come from.  My cheeks and neck heated as I avoided eye contact with anyone as I glanced over to my raised hand, not knowing how one was supposed to be ceded the floor.

As Tanny dragged her hand down her face, Marcillia Laun chuckled and said to me, “You don't have to raise your hand, Killishia, you aren't in school.  Just standing and announcing yourself to be recognized by the Council is all that's required.  I'm surprised your Ráquen hasn't apprised you of the procedure yet.”

I defended my punk princess from the reprimand, as I said sheepishly, “She did, but I panicked.”  This gained me a chuckle rippling through the chamber.

Evander Laun looked amused as he said, “I'm sure the O'Dell clan can defer to you to report on the Transparency Conference before his new business can be voiced?”

The man whom I had interrupted inclined his head to Evander and sat.  I still found it amazing how seamlessly the four most powerful Elves presided over the Council when they were supposed to always be at each other's throats.

I stood at Tana's prompting eyes, and Evander said, “The Chair recognizes the Riicathi clan, the floor is yours Killishia.”

Looking around I said, “Actually I didn't need the floor to address the Transparency Conference, as it would be a waste of the Council's time.”  This got chuckles, and this time it focused my intent and my ire.  I looked around and said accusingly, “And that reaction is exactly why.  The Transparency Conference has never lived up to the original intent of forming the Transparency Conference, as most of the clans in the Elf Council see it as a waste of time.”

When people started to talk, upset over my implied slight, I said loudly standing tall, “I have the floor, allow me to finish.”

Marcillia called out, “We will have order, the Riicathi have the floor.”  And I saw on her face and Evander, Natalia, and Dimitri's faces, a hopeful curiosity.  Did they know what I was planning?  I didn't think the lawyers would say anything, the only weak link might be Mr. Galen, but he seemed on board.

When everyone settled I went on, “The prior Council members chairing the Conference haven't taken the concerns or issues of the non-voting families of the Dearmadta seriously.  As if their concerns didn't matter, which in turn implies that the Dearmadta... human beings, fellow Elves do not matter simply because they do not possess any voting shares in the Mírë.”

I pinned a few sour faces as I scanned the Council members and pointed out, “Hell, even the name the Council gave them illustrates this, Dearmadta... The Forgotten.  Thousands of Elf families who have no voice in the global affairs of the Council, yet are expected to abide by your... our, decrees and bend to their will under threat of reprisals from the Council with deadly consequences if they step out of line.”

I patted my chest. “I should know.  As the Riicathi were conscripted against our will to be the Pallbearers, to collect the dead, to assassinate anyone who learned of the existence of Elves, to enforce the Council's laws on all the Aelftus, including those not part of the Council.  To kill children for the Council or face our extermination which has almost happened as my line will likely see its end with me.”

I added unnecessarily, “And the Riicathi have voting shares and that is how we were treated.  How do you think the Dearmadta feels?  Disenfranchised is too mild a term.  Oppressed is the more apropos word since they have no representation.”

Angry grumblings were rising but I pressed on, my eyes flicking between the Launs and Havashires as my real yardstick as to how this was being received.  And I was glad I haven't read them wrong.  They seemed to hang on to my words as if to urge me forward.  I had hoped that since they had originally come up with the idea for the Conference, and that they had been searching for my clan to make reparations to us, I was on the right track here.

“The idea behind Transparency Conference was an attempt to try to include those without a voice to have their concerns addressed and to share what happens inside the Council Chambers when those doors are closed since most of the Dearmadta cannot afford to travel the globe to sit in the seats behind me.”

I hopped up onto the rail in front of me and paced, turning on a toe at the end of it after two paces, back and forth as people gasped.  I held a hand out beseeching all of them, my heart actually aching.  “Even if the other Council members took the intent of the Transparency Conference to heart, meeting for a few hours a year to address the needs of thousands of families with no rights, no voting shares in the Council, it is an impossible task.”

I idly somersaulted off the rail to land lightly on the floor below as I made my way to the podium between the two sides I tried to voice my frustration with the prior week. “Working with the leaders and most respected clans of the Dearmadta, ones that have forged their success beyond that of many of the Senior Council clans, such as Netra's own Susanti family, we whittled away all of the unanswered concerns and the new issues for the new year.”

Shaking my head I bent the microphone on the podium down to me, causing a feedback screech that had us all wincing as I continued even though the microphone was unneeded in a room full of people who could hear a whisper in a crowd from fifty feet away.

“That's when I realized that this isn't enough.  I had started to do the very thing the others had, by prioritizing the more urgent requests and concerns while moving the others aside to look at later.  And that isn't the kind of Senior Council member I wish to be.”

I noted the murmuring had silenced and I almost begged them. “I can be better.  We...”  I motioned my hand around the room, “...can do better.”  I challenged the room, raising my voice, “Elves look out for their own!”  Narrowing my eyes at all the nodding heads I continued, pointing at my chest.  “Those were among the first words said to me after I Elfed.  I was scared and confused, mad, amazed, and on the verge of an existential crisis when those words were spoken.”

I pointed toward Hansa and Netra. “Elves look out for their own.  Thousands of families... they are Elves, so why does the Council treat them as less than others?  Rule over them without their consent, and not afford them the same rights as families with voting shares?”

“This treatment has caused a festering animosity for the Council, anger and the feeling of futility stoking unrest among not just the Dearmadta, but of the communities that have embraced them more fully than the communities the Council holds at arm's length here in the States.”

Then I growled out in anger, slapping my hand on the podium and causing another screech of feedback. “I saw this unrest put a child in danger during protests about my presence at the Conference, their frustration causing a group of them to attempt to kidnap me for leverage.  This is what they have been pushed to.”

“We... can... do... better.  We can be... more than.”

As if she were prompting me, anticipation and... pride? in her eyes, Natalia Havashire asked, “And what would you suggest to address this inequity, Miss Renner?”

I shrugged and offered, “I suggest a full-time Council presence assigned to the Dearmadta, an ambassador if you will.  To bridge the chasm between voting and non-voting clans.  Someone working with the Council to address the overwhelming number of concerns from these thousands of ignored clans.”

This got rumblings through the crowd then as I looked back to Hansa who inclined her head, prompting me to go on.  “The Susanti clan, whose matron has the distinction of being the eldest living Elf, and the head of their clan, khun Hansa, have offered the convention center and its grounds where the Transparency Conference is held, as an Aelftus Embassy for the Dearmadta and the ambassador from the Council.”

I hopped up onto the podium, teetering on my toes as I looked around, this was where a little faith in the morality of the Council came in, and I prayed they would rise to the call, “The Riicathi make a motion to create an Ambassador position with the Dearmadta.”

Chapter 16 – Consortium

The chamber exploded into chaos, and I winced and covered my ears to try to muffle the painful shouting.  And that's where we came in, with Evander slamming his gavel as he was shouting, “Order, we will have order in the chamber.”  Netra clapped her hands in front of her chest in glee over the commotion I had caused in the chambers of the most powerful group among the Aelftus. Hansa was trying to get her to stop enjoying it so much as she was grabbing at her hands.

Slowly the mass of Elves came to order as three other gavels came into play as the Launs and Havashires called out for silence.  Finally, they had quieted the chamber.  Evander said in a stern tone, a vein throbbing angrily at his temple and a predatory gleam in his eyes, “Any further outbursts and we will start ejecting Council members from these proceedings.”

This threat had the desired effect as people shrank back in their chairs.  Then he continued, “A motion has been made, is there a second?  The Launs and Havashires cannot as it would be a conflict of interest, the Transparency Conference being our project.”

That... was smart.  Even though I could see any one of the four wanted to second, this way they did not seem self-serving and the legitimacy of the motion would seem suspect.  I closed my eyes in the silence, my heart feeling as though it were being squeezed, causing actual pain as the seconds stretched on.

Were these hidebound families the people the Dearmadta and their Sapien allies saw them, saw us, as?  Then I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding and opened my eyes when a woman with an Australian accent said quietly, “The Walker clan seconds the motion.”

I lost my balance and tumbled from the podium, one foot kicking the microphone out of its holder as I twisted in the air like a cat, and landed on my feet, breathing hard as my hand shot out to catch the microphone, forgetting about my cast.  With a thud against the plaster and a screech of feedback, it went tumbling away.  I dashed forward, sliding on my knees and catching the microphone with my good hand an inch before it hit the floor.

I squeaked out in embarrassment, wanting to die on the spot as my face heated, “Got it.  It's all good, nothing to see here.”  A ripple of nervous chuckling circulated as I stood slowly and gently placed the microphone on the podium like one would a sleeping kitten they didn't wish to wake.  More than a couple of people were whispering, “Did you see her speed?”

I stood there, looking at my hands, putting them at my sides then moving them to wring my fingers as I wondered what normal people did with their hands.

Glancing up, I saw the woman sitting just below the Havashires, who had seconded the motion.  She had to be six foot one or two, tall, fit, lanky, and quite frankly, glamorous in an almost rugged way.  It was easy to see she was Issac's mother.  Was his entire family pretty like him?

The Walkers didn't sell their voting shares or contract them out for proxy but allied themselves with the Havashires.  The other Senior Council members in these stands were allies of one family or the other, and just like in Sapien politics, voted the party line, which is why the Council was in a perpetual deadlock until the Riicathi were seated.  But in recent years, a few of the clans have started rocking the boat even though they wound up eventually voting with their allies.  The Walkers were one of them.

Dimitri Havashire stood and looked down at me in concern. “Are you alright, Miss Riicathi?”

I nodded, and it was all I could do to stop myself from saluting or bowing or something equally inane.  “We're all five by five, sir.”

He cocked his head, furrowed his brow then sighed and looked across to the Launs before addressing the chamber. “The motion to create an Ambassador position with the Dearmadta at the proposed Embassy in Thailand has been made and seconded.  Those in favor?”

There was a long pause, with a single voice called out, “Aye.”  I glanced around in a panic, seeing the Havashires and Launs holding up one blue paddle per clan as you'd see at an auction.  Tana had said something about them when she gave me a quick tutorial on the procedures in the Council.  Oh, that's right, they were abstaining from the vote.  So it was truly up to the rest of the voting Senior Council.

Evander looked concerned, telling me they truly did wish for this to succeed.  Had they known I'd wind up doing something like this when I was assigned to chair the Conference?  Or was it just a coincidence I was a junior Council member?

Dimitri opened his mouth to ask for votes who were opposed, when a man on the Laun side, with a family sash I didn't recognize called out, “Aye.”

Then one by one voices called out, building into a chorus of Ayes.  My heart started beating again as a smile spread on my face.

“Opposed?”

Two voices called out, “Nay.”  I had missed who had opposed it, as they were silent in the time it took me to look back, but one of the two voices was familiar though I couldn't quite place it.

Dimitri looked across the aisle and Evander inclined his head then tapped his gavel, looking to the secretary, “Please have the record reflect that the Ayes have it.”

Then he looked at my beaming smile, hesitated, then prompted, “I suppose you already have someone in mind as ambassador, Miss Renner?”

I'm pretty sure I took him by surprise, thinking I was going to suggest myself, when I instead said, pointing at a man in the non-voting risers, his family contracting out their proxy vote to the Launs.  “It will take a lot of coordinating to get everything set up and running smoothly, then a hell of a lot more coordination to communicate with the thousands of families in the Dearmadta and get actionable results to the issues that arise.”

I admitted, making the man puff up in pride. “That kind of organization is frankly above me and most of the people here.  The one person I know that thrives in this sort of situation and has worked closely with the people involved already, is Harlow Galen, and I would wholeheartedly recommend him for the position of Ambassador.”

Natalia looked over at the man as others were nodding and mumbling about his competence.  “What say, you Mr. Galen?”

He stood. “I'd be honored to represent the Council in this matter.”

Dimitri looked around. “If there are no objections, then it is settled then.”  Nobody objected and I exhaled in relief again.

I still had one more bombshell to drop later, but for now... I called out as I almost skipped back to my seat, Tana, Hansa, and Netra all beaming at me, “The Riicathi cede the floor back to the Chair.”

It was still hard to believe this worked, though I knew I was going to have to face Tanny's parents about it and ignoring their calls soon.  But not today.

Before long there were other motions, and I abstained on two of them that were pet projects of one Council member or another and weren't of any value to other Elves or the community.  Then I sat up straight, when a motion was put forward that would affect not just the Elves in the US, but all elves as it pertained to the accords and Aelftus rights.

As expected when a vote was called, there was no clear winner, so a roll-call vote was done, asking each Senior Council member their vote to tally.  As a junior member, the last name called was, “Riicathi.”

As with any vote that affected so many, it was split, in a fifty-fifty deadlock like most of their votes.  But this would affect the Dearmadta too without any input from them.  It was time to drop the other shoe as this would affect them negatively without any say.

I called out, “The Riicathi Consortium votes Nay.”

There were not only grumblings that the upstart Riicathi girl broke the deadlock with our two-thousandths of a percent of voting stock but also confused murmurings over my wording.

Marcillia Laun tapped her gavel lightly and everyone silenced as she prompted, “What is the Riicathi Consortium, Killishia?”

I took a deep breath, steeled my nerves, then relaxed a little when Tana reached over in front of the entire Council to grasp my hand to calm me and lend me her strength.  I pulled a sheaf of papers from my bag and handed them to my girl who walked around the Chamber, passing out packets to all the Senior Council members.

I began. “Just as the Launs and Havashires contracted proxy votes from other families, the Riicathi clan has contracted with the most influential families of the Dearmadta, to give them a voice in any Council votes that will affect them.  We've formed a legal entity, the Riicathi Consortium, which as I stated, I will be giving voice to their wishes in matters that will affect them with the Riicathi voting shares.”

First Evander, then Dimitri, followed by Marcillia and Natalia, who started to laugh.  Genuinely amused, heartfelt belly laughs as the Council Chambers exploded into the chaos beyond anything I have witnessed so far.  I had to grin up at Evander, who was wiping a tear from his cheek as he gasped for air he was laughing so hard.  He tipped an imaginary hat at me and mouthed “Touche.”

Netra leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “Now this was well worth the price of admission, dear one.”

I ignored the shouting and the gavels that were now being pounded since I only had eyes for the dishy Elfette who was grinning and holding both of my hands as she looked at me hungrily, heating me in some inappropriate places here in the Council Chamber.  But right now I had to ride out this storm I just unleashed.

Until next time, Killishia out.

The End

Killishia's Musings WTRL Channel 3

Hello, hi... umm... some of you may recognize me from the Tree Lighting at the Rockefeller Center last year.  I'm Killishia Renner, and I learned recently with many of you on the air when I Elfed, that I wasn't who I had thought I had been my entire life.

I'm doing this segment twice a week, to share my thoughts and experiences with you, our viewers, to take you along with me as I navigate this strange new world as, well as an Elf.  It's all just so surreal to me.

I've already found in the short time since my Elfing, that I had so many preconceptions and even some misconceptions about Elves, and even Sapiens, which have proved mostly to be false.  But the one thing I've found is that people are just people for the most part.  That Sapiens have more in common with the Aelftus than differences, well besides these damn ears that seem to have a mind of their own.

These last two weeks have opened my eyes to both fair representation and community building.

People are people and tend to make the same mistakes as others, no matter their culture or class.  Sometimes it is inadvertent, sometimes purposeful.  But the measure of a people is how they live up to their mistakes and how they move forward to be more fair and inclusive to all.

The Aleftus are not immune to this because, as I said earlier, people are people.  In many ways, I've found the Aelftus culture to be forward-thinking and something I greatly wish to learn more about.  But in other ways, their hierarchy is just as flawed as some of the Sapien societies we are immersed in.

Now we have a chance to do better.  Just as all societies strive to do better.  I'm hopeful we live in a time where we can all witness this change together and build one people, instead of holding Elves and Sapiens apart.  I've seen what can happen when both cultures embrace each other to make something stronger than the sum of its parts, and I'm going to strive to make that a reality here as well.

So... umm... I guess that's what I wanted to share, so, umm... live long and prosper?

I hope to see you on Tuesday for the next Killishia's Musings here on WTRL News 3.

Killishia out.

Novels by Erik Schubach

Books in the Worldship Files series...

Leviathan

Firewyrm

Cityships

Morrigan

Changeling

Mutiny

Utopia

Contagion (coming  soon)

Books in the Techromancy Scrolls series...

Adept

Soras

Masquerade

Westlands

Avalon

New Cali

Colossus

Books in the Sparo Rising series...

Blade of Wexbury

Mason of York

Hammer of Flatlash

Books in the Urban Fairytales series...

Red Hood: The Hunt

Snow: The White Crow

Ella: Cinders and Ash

Rose: Briar's Thorn

Let Down Your Hair

Hair of Gold: Just Right

The Hood of Locksley

Beauty In the Beast

No Place Like Home

Shadow Of The Hook

Armageddon

Books in the New Sentinels series...

Djinn: Cursed

Raven Maid: Out of the Darkness

Fate: No Strings Attached

Open Seas: Just Add Water

Ghost-ish: Lazarus

Anubis: Death's Mistress

Shaytan: The Final Wish

Books in the April series...

Facets of April

Shadows of April (coming  soon)

Books in the Drakon series...

Awakening

Dragonfall

Books in the Valkyrie Chronicles series...

Return of the Asgard

Bloodlines

Folkvangr

Seventy Two Hours

Titans

Books in the Tales From Olympus series...

Gods Reunited

Alfheim

Odyssey

Books in the Bridge series...

Trolls

Traitor

Unbroken

Krynn

Books in the Elfed In New York series...

Intern

Riicathi

Magus

Transparency

Fugitive (coming  soon)

Books in the Fracture series...

Divergence

Novellas by Erik Schubach

The Hollow

Novellas in the Paranormals series...

Fleas

This Sucks

Jinx (coming soon)

Novellas in the Fixit Adventures...

Fixit

Glitch

Vashon

Descent

Sedition

Novellas in the Emily Monroe Is Not The Chosen One series...

Night Shift

Unchosen

Rechosen

Novellas in the Shadow of the Scrolls series...

Hell's Gate

Arcadia

Short Stories by Erik Schubach

(These short stories span many different genres)

A Little Favor

Lost in the Woods

MUB

Mirror Mirror On The Wall

Oops!

Rift Jumpers: Faster Than Light

Scythe

Snack Run

Something Pretty

Romance Novels by Erik Schubach

Books in the Music of the Soul universe...

(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

Music of the Soul

A Deafening Whisper

Dating Game

Karaoke Queen

Silent Bob

Five Feet or Less

Broken Song

Syncopated Rhythm

Progeny

Girl Next Door

Lightning Strikes Twice

June

Dead Shot

Music of the Soul Shorts...

(All short stories are standalone and can be read in any order)

Misadventures of Victoria Davenport: Operation Matchmaker

Wallflower

Accidental Date

Holiday Morsels

What Happened In Vegas?

Books in the London Harmony series...

(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

Water Gypsy

Feel the Beat

Roctoberfest

Small Fry

Doghouse

Minuette

Squid Hugs

The Pike

Flotilla

Books in the Pike series...

(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

Ships In The Night

Right To Remain Silent

Evermore

New Beginnings

Books in the Loft series...

(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

Settling In

Books in the Flotilla series...

(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

Making Waves

Keeping Time

The Temp

Paying the Toll

Books in the Unleashed series...

Case of the Collie Flour

Case of the Hot Dog

Case of the Gold Retriever

Case of the Great Danish

Case of the Yorkshire Pudding

Case of the Poodle Doodle

Case of the Hound About Town

Case of the Shepherd's Pie

Case of the Bull Doggish

Case of the Dalmatian Salvation

Case of the Irish Sitter

Case of the Pom Poms

Sample chapter of my epic fantasy, dystopian adventure, Techromancy Scrolls: Adept...

Chapter 1 – Portcullis

I yawned as I stepped out of my family's stone cottage with my little brother, Jace, the steel pin hinges groaned in protest.  I closed the old wooden door as quietly as I could as to not waken mother.  Her health had been deteriorating and we didn't like her exerting herself.

We walked to the pig pen and I grabbed my wooden cart by the handles and started toward the portcullis of the defensive wall around our village.  I called back, “After you feed the hogs, bring Matilda to the butcher.  She isn't laying anymore, and we could probably get at least two pennies for her or trade for a half sack of grain, she has some good meat on her.”

He nodded as he grabbed the bucket to get some of the castoffs from Castle Wexbury we had traded some eggs for.  Our feathered ladies were some of the best laying hens in the village and the lords of the castle were partial to them.  I smiled.  He was only seven but was a godsend around here.  With mother down, he was all I had to help me with all the chores while I was out scavenging.

I was not about to marry myself off just to maintain the household, I don't care if I was of age of consent last month or not.  No man would have me, ever, and I don't understand why any woman would ever betroth herself to one.  I shivered at the thought.

I looked back at the door then added, “Remind me when I get back to grease the door hinges with lard or bacon grease would you?  I don't want that noisy door waking mother, she needs her rest.”  He nodded in earnest.  I smiled at him, he was such a good boy, I was proud to have him as a brother.

I started wheeling my cart to the cobbled road in the twilight of the morning.  He called back, “Do you think you'll get enough today Laney?”

I smiled more confidently than I felt and crossed my fingers at him, “Let's hope this batch will get us enough for the medicines.”  He crossed his small fingers too and smiled and went back to the morning chores.

I walked down the lane, the village was waking up.  I started passing people getting to their jobs and had to move for a couple chargers trotting gallantly past as the morning patrol went to replace the night patrol outside the walls.

I looked at them with awe and amazement.  To be a noble would be so glamorous.  They protect the village and we tithe them so that they can concentrate on that defense.  I blinked.  One had the crest with a lightning bolt crossed with a sword on her sash.  A Techno Knight!  I noticed my jaw was hanging open as she passed by and snapped my mouth shut.  She noticed my admiration and she winked at me as she trotted past.  She looked a year or two older than my nineteen years.

I blushed, she was not only a knight, but a Techno Knight.  Her red hair flowed back over her armored shoulders like a cape draping over the studded leather and metal.  Her emerald eyes were sharp, and they glowed with the magic potential of a Techno Knight... they seemed to swallow me whole.  I looked down in embarrassment when the other knight said loudly, “Looks like you have an admirer Celeste.”

She hissed at him, “Don't be such an ass Bowyn.”  I kept my eyes down but I could feel her eyes on me.  I had a little affinity for magic and could tell when it was focused my way.  Her eyes were overflowing with it.

She kicked her horse and gave it some rein and shouted, “Hyah!” And galloped off toward the gates.  I looked up to watch the other knight urge his horse to catch up.  I grinned, being a mere Knight of the Realm, he was subordinate to that Techno Knight.  What did he call her?  Celeste?  He was subordinate to Lady Celeste.

I noted the street lamps in the row I was passing were flickering.  I looked at the electric filaments in the globes and they were intact.  I stepped over and kicked the ceramic containment vessel which held the magic potential that powered the little copper wound generator.  With a scree that was just beyond all but the hearing of the young, the bulbs brightened and remained steady.  I grinned.

I absently wondered how the wizards of the old realm of the Before Times powered their tech.  I have heard so many ludicrous theories.  Like chemical reactions.  The old buffoon who proposed it called it batteries or some other nonsense.  That would be terribly inefficient, and what would you do with these... batteries... once the chemical reaction was exhausted?  Throw them out and build new ones?  Non renewable resources were in such short supply and that would be a waste.

But that wasn't as funny as the Techromancer who was laughed out of the conclave for suggesting that his interpretation of the old writings of the Before was that it was with water from rivers.  How can water power electricity?  The two do not mix.  I chuckled at the thought.

No, the wizards of the Before were so much more powerful than us.  Just look at all they had accomplished.  We unearth more every day.  They had to be so far beyond our abilities.  It was only the Great Impact that brought down their civilization.  I imagined all the wonders I would have seen if I had lived in their time.

As I approached the huge gates at the portcullis, I glanced back to the east, to Castle Wexbury.  The great castle with it's soaring towers and waving standards.  It was so large it formed two thirds of the east wall of the village itself.  Well over a half mile of stone.

There, hanging above it in the sky, were the Three Sisters.  The three pale white moons and the ring of debris around Earth.  I tried to imagine what it would be like to see one huge moon in the sky in ancient times, before the Great Impact.  A rogue astral body had collided with Mother Luna and tore her in half.  I looked at her oblong egg shape and the two smaller sisters, Athena and Freya, which formed afterwards.

They say that Mother Luna will again be round one day as gravity reshapes her as she spins.  She appears to be always looking down on Earth with her red eye.  The pale red glow of the vast magma fields on her broken edge will eventually be swallowed.  Much like the vast magma fields on the Dark Side of the Earth.

It is rumored there were billions of people in the Before.  Over three quarters of the population was wiped out when the debris storm and shock wave had hit the Dark Side.  And even more died in the early years.  There were rumored to be huge bodies of water they called oceans that covered most of the surface of the planet.  I would not have believed it if I had not seen some of the old writings that they have in the castle.  The Techromancy Scrolls.

There was a picture in one, of the Earth as a blue ball, covered in water.  The language looked so much like English, and I could read most of it, but the old English from the Before was so different than now.  Now all villages were built by the few lakes and small rivers that came down off the Whispering Walls Mountain range in the center of the habitable lands.

The young chamber maid, Resme, who cleaned the library had been punished for letting me in to see the forbidden writings.  I still feel bad for putting her in disfavor with the lords of the keep.  They traded her off to another realm.  She had been my only friend here.

I had to take ten lashes at the whipping post for my part.  The punishment for trespass into the library was usually twenty, but the magistrate did not wish to be so harsh on a thirteen year old child.  I believe he did not strike me with the enthusiasm I have seen in the past, the blows barely left any scars.  He explained why the nobles were so strict with public floggings in regard to the library.  The scrolls and tomes there are invaluable, and the kingdoms greatest treasure.  I did not cry out, I was strong like mother told me to be.

The library had tens of thousands of scrolls and tomes that were falling apart with age.  They have had Techromancers working diligently over the centuries to restore them or make modern records and reproductions so that the knowledge would not be lost to the ages.

I was knocked out of my musings when the first rays of sunlight from Father Sol crested the majestic peaks of the Whispering Walls far in the distance.  I took a deep breath and looked at the line of people that was starting to form on either side of the gate.  We all stayed clear of the knights, and the gate and wall guards.

A man was walking down the line with a checklist asking each person their business outside the gates.  The grumpy, heavyset man wearing old, ill fitting, worn leather armor that had suffered most likely decades of disrepair, finally got to me.  “Name, station, reason for travel?”

I glanced over to see the Knights just twenty feet away.  I smiled a little when I saw Lady Celeste speaking with two other knights of the realm.  I looked away and said to the man, “Laney Herder, serf, scavenging.”  We used our profession to identify ourselves, in case there were more than one person in the village with the same name.  My family are livestock herders, so I had to identify myself that way.

He placed his pen down on his tablet and cuffed my ear roughly.  “What are you doing scavenging you worthless tramp?!  Get back to your animals, the kingdom needs food more than junk!”

I held the side of my face, my cheek stung, but I did not cry out.  I worked my jaw trying to get the ringing in my ear to fade.  I looked at his feet.  “Please sir.  I'm scavenging copper, and iron.  I'm a sensitive.”  I pulled my crystal necklace from under my shirt, it hung on a small leather strap, it started glowing faintly amber when my hand came in contact with it.

I heard a large horse approach.  A familiar woman's voice snapped out with authority, “Steward!  The realm needs metals and machines from the Before as much as food!  Maybe more.”

He stood at sloppy attention and I kept my eyes down as he ground out, “Yes Lady Celeste.  She didn't specify that at first.”

Then she spoke again, “You, young miss. Are you of majority?  Has your age of consent come?”

I bowed my head a little, looking at my feet.  “Yes Lady.”

She spoke again with a tinge of amusement in her voice, “Look up, I do not bite.”  I looked nervously up and she asked, “You have others to tend your animals while you are outside the gates?”

I nodded and my voice wavered when I replied, “Yes Lady.  My brother.  He's small but is a good worker.”  She smiled a little and I looked back down.

Then she asked, “You say you are a sensitive, but you said copper AND iron.  Which is it?”

I chanced another look at her up on that grand mount of hers, its coat dark as midnight.  “Both, Lady.”  I tried not to show the pride on my face.  It was extremely uncommon to have the magic affinity to more than one metal.  That is why I did so well on my last two outings once I was the age of majority and could travel outside the walls without an adult.  I also hid the other abilities that I had started developing the past two months.

The Techromancers needed the various metals and machines to maintain and build upon the growing technology base of our village.  We were one of the most advanced villages in all the realms.  There was so much old technology buried just below the surface, which was so much easier and quicker to use than the mining and smelting of ore from the mines. I was able to save up fifteen iron pennies and two gold coins from my previous outings.  Just one more gold coin and I could afford the medicines for mother from the hospital.

She cocked an eyebrow and gave me a genuinely surprised smile. “Truly?”  I nodded and then she looked at the man.  “Steward, allow this woman to the front of the line, her work is valuable to the realm.”

He shot me a glare but bowed slightly to her and responded, “Lady.”  Then he grabbed the handles of my cart and pushed it roughly to the front of the line, cussing the whole way.

I looked up to the knight and did a curtsy and said quickly, “Thank you Lady.”

She shook her head and said, “Celeste.  You may call me Celeste, Laney.”

I nodded and ran off to my cart.  I was blushing profusely.  I wondered where all my confidence had gone.  I'd never felt so self conscious around anyone.  Because Laney you fool, she was a Techno Knight!  A Knight of the Realm!  I caught myself smiling.  I had just spoken to a Techno Knight, Jace was going to be so jealous!

The clock in the church steeple in the center of the village turned over to seven o'clock and the huge church bell started chiming the start of the day.  The deep resonating bongs filling the valley.  Lady Celeste had her horse sidle up to the receiver beside the huge motors that operated the gate.  Then she drew her long sword.

The light of the rising sun reflected off of it.  I could feel her magics rise like a pressure on my chest and the little hairs on my arm and the back of my neck stood on end.  I could see energy bleeding out of her green eyes, lighting them like twin emerald stars as energy crackled down her arm, arcing from stud to stud on her armor.  It traveled into her sword and it started to glow red hot in her hand.

Then she looked over to me and winked again and slammed her sword into the receiving socket.  It was like energy just cascaded into the ground, and I felt like I had dropped down three feet.  Nobody else seemed to notice any of this.  The motors began to turn, the huge iron gates groaned then started to rise and she withdrew her sword and slid it into her scabbard.

The steward was speaking loudly.  “The gates close at seven this evening.  If you are not in the gates of the keep by the seventh strike of the bells, you must seek your own shelter for the night.”  As he spoke, the returning knights passed the day patrol.  They saluted each other, my eyes were glued to Lady Celeste and she turned back in her saddle as she went out on patrol and I swear she looked directly at me.

I was cuffed on my ear roughly by the steward again.  “Are you listening Herder?  I told you to start moving three times.”

Oh, I had sort of tuned him out.  “Sorry sir.”  I grabbed the handles of my cart and headed out the gates, looking up to the iron gates suspended in the soaring arch above us.  I turned east toward the mountains as soon as I was out.  I had found a great rock outcropping just a couple miles away that had brought me luck so far.

I made sure to take a circuitous route through the Whispering Forest, mindful of other scavengers that had their eyes on me.  They were probably wondering where I was finding so many relics from the Before.  When I was certain I was not being followed, I turned back toward Beggar's Creek and Hawktail River that ran through the keep.  They emptied into Dragontooth Lake at the west side of the village.

I grinned, this was going to be so much fun!