The seven members of the High Council sat in their thick, high-backed seats in the magnificent chamber looking down upon the petitioner, the First Edos, who looked small and out of place on the floor of the chamber rather than in his traditional seat on the right side of the chamber. At the center seat a heavily bearded dwarf banged his golden gavel down onto the stone podium. “The petition is denied, for the last time.”
“This is a violation of our laws,” said First Edos Fierfelm and stomped his foot against the stone floor. “According to our ancient laws it is perfectly acceptable for the First Edos to make a request of this nature.”
“The law to which you refer is nearly three thousand years old and hasn’t been invoked in over a thousand years,” said the High Councilor and raised his gavel again.
Borrombus chimed in from his seat at the left edge of the podium, “This violation of our laws sets an unseemly precedent, High Councilor. If we can simply choose to ignore whichever law doesn’t suit our tastes then what is the point of having laws at all?”
“When revolutionaries sit in the dungeons and councilors are nigh on accused of treason, then the laws must be adjusted,” said the High Councilor. “The Council has spoken about this, Councilor Five. More than once. If you continue to push this matter then arrests will be made at the highest levels of government!” With this he banged his golden gavel down again. “At… the… highest… levels,” he said glaring directly at Borrombus.
“The arrest of a Council Member requires the unanimous consent…,” started Borrombus but again the High Councilor banged his gavel.
“Do not dare to quote rules to me,” he said and glared again.
“Can we not be civil in our discourse,” said the First Edos from the floor. “Has it come down to threats of imprisonment?”
“Treason!” shouted another of the councilors from his seat. “We’ve already uncovered a plot to allow invaders into Craggen Steep. Corancil has assembled a massive army not more than a month’s march from our citadel. Hundreds of young dwarves are sympathetic to his cause, particularly among the lower classes who do not have the advantage of a proper education. Those of the lesser families have always been jealous of our power, but they do not understand that we provide their security and their wealth.”
“How is it treason to simply invite a man to visit Craggen Steep?” said the First Edos wringing his hands together. “This has happened many times in the history of Craggen Steep.”
“The council has spoken,” said the High Councilor and again banged his gavel on the stone counter. “One more word and I’ll arrest not only Councilor Five, but you as well First Edos. Do I make myself clear?”
“You have already sent the arrest orders,” said one of the pikemen with golden armor at the side of the great table.
“What is this!?” shrieked the High Councilor. “Treason among the pikemen? How deeply does this disease run? To the roots of the mountain? Into the Darkling land? Arrest that man!” he shouted and pointed to the pikeman.
Two of his fellows immediately pointed their weapons at him but another quickly jumped to his defense, and Borrombus stood up and pulled out a long knife, “When the council abandons the laws of Craggen Steep we must strike for the freedom of all!”
An absolute cacophony of sound erupted as two councilors kicked back from the table and attacked Borrombus, but the first went down in a spray of blood as the dagger went into his throat.
“Stop this violence,” shouted First Edos Fierfelm from the floor, but he was quickly overwhelmed in the general shouting and screaming. “This is madness! Madness!”
Golden-armed pikemen intermingled with one another and a door burst open to reveal a mass of seething dwarves who ran into the room tripping and trampling one another as they came. “Freedom! Freedom!”
From another corner came a group of well-armed dwarf soldiers and while they did not shout for freedom, they moved with precision and their shields came up as a group. A shouted order and they pulled short axes out and marched into the melee in single-step unison.
Tom Liberman
The Hammer of Fire