Chapter 5

In the center of town, there was a well. The well was the only source of water in Renzr which was a harsh desert climate. So naturally, it was the regular meeting place and where the Elders had their tents. Around the well, facing inwards were seven stone chairs, one for each of the Elders. These chairs were for deciding important choices.

Next to the well, there was a podium. This was for announcing the verdict. Standing before the podium the massed tribe gathered, waiting for the Elder's to come out of their tents and say goodbye to the Banished, which were also gathered there, standing off to the side, a little apart from everyone else.

Fennyr started to walk towards the Banished group. He saw Pyria and Azul. To his surprise, standing with them was Coal. Last time he saw Coal, he had assumed he was just comforting his sister and he had won his match. But, here it was, both of them were being banished. Fennyr's heart went out to their parents. Losing one child was hard enough, but losing both was unthinkable.

And just on the edge of the group, with dragonlings sending him fearful glances was...

DULKRN?!

Fennyr gaped and was so surprised he stopped walking for an instant. Why was Dulkrn in the group to be banished? Was there some kind of mistake? Knowing that his friends would have the answer, Fennyr rushed over to them.

As he walked over, Pyria greeted him with a smile, brilliant despite of her sadness . Azul also gave him a shaky grin that quickly disappeared. Coal nodded at Fennyr. He had scales as black as his namesake that faded to smoky grey on his talons, muzzle, wings, and tail.

"Quite a show you put on earlier." Coal said to Fennyr. Fennyr blinked in response. Coal must have noticed his puzzlement, because he sighed dramatically and turned his eyes up to the heavens.

"The submission, you dunghead! Everybody was gossiping about it after the trials. From what I heard, half the tribe felt pity for you, half wanted to strangle you for breaking tradition, and half admired you for standing up for yourself."

"That's three halves." Azul interjected, pausing her grieving long enough to correct her twin.

Coal frowned and counted on his talons. "Well, excuse me for not knowing my geometry as well as you do."

"Actually..." Azul started to correct him again, but shook her head, knowing that it would be a lost cause.

"Why is Dulkrn in this group?" Fennyr asked Pyria. "Why isn't he with the rest of the tribe."

Pyria glanced at Dulkrn before answering. She paused for so long that Fennyr started to get a sinking feeling in his chest. "He hasn't talked to anyone or said anything since the end of the Trials but..." She paused once more. "Rumor has it that his own parents banished him."

Fennyr's eyes went wide. "What?"

"Yes. They said that his win wasn't really a win and that he deserved to be banished. Can you imagine a parent willingly giving up their son just to uphold some stupid tradition? How can a mother or father think of their child, their offspring, their flesh and blood as a disgrace? Can you imagine how that must feel."                    

Fennyr turned to watch Sulfur as he strode into the center of town. Both his cheek and his heart still stung from the slap .

"Yes...yes I can." 

Pyria's eyes grew inquisitive and she opened her mouth to ask a question when the Elders appeared from out of their tents and stood in a line on the stage, solemn and serious. The sight of them hushed the crowd instantly. 

Once all was quiet, the Eldest Elder stepped forth to the podium. His scales, once a dazzling crimson had now faded to a maroon color. His talons were blunted and many of his teeth were broken or missing. The scales on the tip of his snout had turned pure white with age. The Eldest Elder let his eyes drift over the crowd. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a fit of coughing and hacking. The audience waited patiently for him to stop. When he was finally able to speak, it was in a thin, quavering, voice that you expected to break any moment.

"Citizens of Renzr. We are gathered here today to say goodbye to the young dragonlings who are being Banished today and to thank them for their sacrifice to help make Renzr a stronger village." 

A scattered amount of applause bounced around the crowd but it quickly died out. 

The Eldest Elder cleared his throat awkwardly. "Another issue that we are discussing here at this meeting today is one that all of you probably witnessed during the Gladnar trials." 

The Eldest Elder's half-blind eyes rested on Fennyr. "Fennyr Sulfur-son, come forth to face the tribe." 

Fennyr started walking towards the podium. He felt the tribe's gaze latch onto him like talons onto his scales. Many of the faces he saw looked to be pitiful, many hostile, and a few to be even admiring or hopeful. As he walked, he heard a dragonling newly hatched whisper loudly to his mother. 

"Is that the dragon that brought shame to his family, Mama." 

"Be quiet, Stanzi." The mother scolded softly. 

Fennyr felt his ears burn with embarrassment and humiliation as he reached the stage. When he got there, he bowed to the Elders. 

"Rise Fennyr Sulfur-son." The Eldest Elder unrolled a scroll that was on top of the podium. He leaned in so close to the scroll that his snout was almost touching the aged paper.

"Fennyr Sulfur-son. You stand accused in front of the tribe for disrespecting tradition and desecrating what was the custom for a century by refusing to fight during the Gladnar trials. Do you deny these charges?"

Fennyr answered without hesitation. "No. I do not." The crowd stayed silent.

The Eldest Elder continued speaking. "Because we are a compassionate and merciful tribe..." 

"Yeah, right." Fennyr heard Coal mutter in the crowd. 

"...We shall allow Sulfur-son a chance to repent of his actions and say that he regrets them. That way, although he will still be banished, he shall depart with a clean consistence."

The Eldest Elder peered at Fennyr over the edge of the scroll. "Well, Sulfur-son? Do you repent?" 

Fennyr gazed at the Elders. They had bored expressions on their faces, as if they couldn't wait for this trial to be over and they could go back to their tents. Fennyr opened his mouth to speak.

"YES!" 

Fennyr spun around. His father burst through the crowd. "YES! He repents! He repents!!" He repeated. Sulfur ran to the podium shouting all the way. When he got to the stage, he collapsed at the Eldest Elder's talons. 

The Eldest Elder was furious. "What is the meaning of this intrusion?" 

"Please milord. Spare my son. He repents. Please don't kill him." Sulfur pleaded, clutching his talons together in a begging fashion. Fennyr watched, shocked. He had never seen his father ask for anything, much less beg. It made him seem like an ordinary dragon and less like the fearless, haughty, warrior than Fennyr had grown up with. 

The Eldest Elder saw what was happening and reined in his temper like a wild horse. He spoke softly but sternly to Sulfur. "If your son repents, than you have nothing to fear." He turned to Fennyr once more. "Go on, son. You have nothing to worry about. Just repent and your life will be saved." 

Fennyr couldn't help peering at Sulfur. His father's eyes were asking, begging, him to repent. Fennyr almost felt sorry for him, but he knew what had to be done. He looked into the Eldest Elder's eyes, milky white with cataracts. 

"No. I don't repent." Fennyr said for the second time that day.   




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