The Council Chamber was at the top of the highest tree in the Lost Valley. It was the very heart of Ichi and the entire Izenth tribe was governed from this very room. Tiny windows were carved at the sides of the tree facing all directions, so that the council would have a view of the entire Lost Valley. In the center of the Council Chamber was a stone table. On the table was an intricate carved replica of the entire Lost Valley. The carving had stone markers to indicate which areas were being scouted, which had threats and where the guard patrols would go.

Curved tables were on the left and right of the stone table in the middle of the room. Eight council members sat around the curved tables to discuss matters of importance. There were four seats on the left of the stone table and four seats on the right of the stone table. The room was lit by lamps and had shelves carved into the walls all around. The shelves held many scrolls and records of the history of the Izenth and also important current information. It was somewhat of an archive for important knowledge passed down over the years as well. Some shelves had hidden compartments hiding secret documents such as the method to forge Izenth ice weapons – icicles & frost daggers.

It's now or never, thought Rei as he approached the doors of the Council Chamber and cautiously rapped on the door. The two guards standing at each side of the door were Elite Izenth warriors. Elites had to graduate at the top of their class during warrior training. They were then separated from the other warrior trainees to undergo training under extreme conditions, and often sent into skirmishes to prove themselves in battle. They looked on straight as they were trained to do, not saying a single word. Rei ignored them, and waited to be called in. He had much to report to the Council and knew that he would struggle to find the words.

"Enter," A deep voice emanated from the chamber.

The two Elites responded immediately and moved from their positions to unlock the door. They heavy doors creaked open as wood rubbed upon wood. The flickering lamps from inside the room cast nine shadows on the wooden floor of the chamber.

The Council itself consisted of eight members, and was headed by the chief. Each council member was considered to be someone of great wisdom. Aside from planning the future of the tribe, they also handled day-to-day tribe affairs. On special occasions, serious disputes were brought before the Council to be judged. Each council member was a leader of every aspect of the Izenth people. The functions led by each of them were Defense, Education, Reconnaissance, Hunting, Farming, Development, Armory and Resources.

As Rei walked into the room, a sense of awe washed over him just as it had every other time. It was in this very room that every major decision in Ichi was deliberated. He was well-prepared to report the unusual events that had taken place that day. He had played the words in his head over and over again. I saw a commoner fly and use magic. They didn't make sense no matter how many times he repeated it in his head. I hoped they don't throw me in the Healing Chamber for sudden insanity.

"Rei." A deep voice boomed from one of the nine shadows. "You disobeyed us and went to rescue your daughter. You know very well that the council has to punish disobedience." Rei shuffled nervously as the words echoed against the walls of the room. The tension hung heavily in the chamber, so thick that you could practically cut it with a knife. This wasn't going well.

"Step forward," boomed the voice from the center of the two tables. Rei did not have to step into the light to know who had spoken. The highest ranking leader in the tribe – the chief, sat in the center of the two tables. He held great authority and respect of all the Izenth Exiles.

The chief stood up from his seat as Rei took a cautious step closer towards the center of the room. The chief's face was hidden under his hood and he stood a head taller than Rei. He was still as imposing as ever, even after aging past his glory days as a mighty Izenth warrior. He pulled back his hood, revealing an aged but stout face with short white hair and a thick white beard. It was the face of a battle hardened war veteran.

"Look out the windows Rei, and tell me what you see."

Rei timidly walked towards one of the windows facing west and looked out. The cold air blew on his cheeks as he stared into the emptiness of the Lost Valley. What am I supposed to be seeing? He scanned the area carefully but was not certain what he was supposed to say. The moon? The stars? What was the right answer? Rei decided to play it safe and replied, "I don't see anything".

"Look out another window."

Brilliant, just brilliant – thought Rei. Is the council playing mind games with me? He walked to an east facing window and looked out. Although the wind was chilly, a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead as he leaned close to the window and strained his eyes. He still could not understand what he was supposed to see. The Lost Valley was in darkness, with no activity except the swaying of trees in the night wind. The owls were starting to take flight to hunt for their night meal. "I still don't see anything."

"Try another one."

Rei hesitated and decided to try his luck with a North facing window. In the distance, he could make out the familiar bright lights of White Harrow. This was the closest Noble town to Ichi and that made White Harrow their biggest threat. The Izenth took the threat so seriously that there was a permanent north facing watchtower which sole purpose was to monitor and report the activity of White Harrow – including the comings and goings of its populace. The town's radiance looked beautiful at night, almost serene. A wandering traveler could be none the wiser and think that it was a peaceful town if he did not know that it was home to many bloodthirsty Nobles. Rei gave up - he could not find anything notable outside the window. He looked back into the Council Chamber. "I still see nothing."

"Exactly." replied Chief Akai, not a single glimpse of emotion showing on his face. "There is nothing. The Nobles are gone... you made them retreat from the Lost Valley."

The room was dead silent. Right before the council members burst out in laughter.

"Relax Rei," a council member with boyish good looks playfully said. It was the resource leader, whose duty was to oversee all their resource reserves – from treasure to food, from water to medicine, from weapons to building materials. He had suddenly appeared behind him and patted him on the back. "We said we couldn't spare men to save her, we didn't say you couldn't go yourself."

"Hiroshi's right," boomed Hiroto, the defense leader who was the largest person in the room. He towered over everyone else in the room. "Rei, you did what any of us would've done. You have guts; you should really consider joining the warriors." He was in charge of training up warriors in combat and to uphold the peace and freedom of the Izenth people in the Lost Valley. "Single handedly rescued your daughter and at the same time forced an entire Noble attack party to retreat from the Lost Valley, I'd say that's an achievement."

"Hey, hands off my scouts Hiroto!" Hinata objected. She was silent up until that point, preferring to observe in the shadows than to be in the limelight. People often mistook that for shyness. She was the reconnaissance leader, and oversaw the scouting affairs and kept tabs on new developments around the Lost Valley.

Rei hesitated, unsure of what to say. "I didn't do it single handedly. I had help." he said softly.

The room fell silent and all eyes were on Rei. "Who helped you?" asked Chief Akai.

Rei hesitated. "A... commoner did."

The Council members all looked at him, considering his words. At first they just stared blankly at Rei, looking puzzled. Once they had gotten over the initial shock, they burst out laughing again.

"I'm serious!" he shouted. He was barely audible over the rowdy laughter. "A commoner helped me!"

Chief Akai held up his hand and the sounds of laughter gradually faded.

"Tell us who this commoner is, Rei. What is he doing here in the valley?"

"He wore commoner clothes which bore the White Harrow crest. At first I thought he was just an escapee, but then he told me that he was on his way to the Jagged Peaks. I convinced him to help me in exchange for my help in guiding him to the peaks."

"What business does he have with the Avianath?" Hiroto asked.

"He seeks their help. He proved it to me with a feather in his possession. The feather was from an Avianath mount."

The council members gasped. Hiroto looked the most flabbergasted. "That's impossible!"

"Rei, you know that those birds don't just give up their feathers easily – furthermore that breed can only be found at the Jagged Peaks." Chief Akai reasoned. "The Avianath hardly send scouting parties beyond the Crystal Plains. How would a commoner from White Harrow get his hands on one of those?"

Rei considered it for a moment before adding, "I assure you, this is no ordinary commoner. I've seen him wield magic."

The development leader who had been silent this whole time fell off his chair. "Ouch...ouch...." he muttered to himself as he rubbed his head and got back to his feet. His duty was to ensure that the village was well-maintained and that there were enough homes and infrastructure for everyone in Ichi.

Hiroto slammed the table with his fist and raised his voice, "A wielder of magic is no commoner! This is a Noble you are speaking of."

"No, he is a commoner," Rei explained. I saw him fight the Nobles with my own eyes. Why would a Noble fight his own kind to save my daughter?"

"Perhaps..." Chief Akai said thoughtfully, stroking his beard. "Perhaps, he is a Prophet?" His eyes seemed to stare off in the distance, recalling the past. "Aside from Exiles, Nobles and commoners, there are a powerful group of people known as Prophets. No one knows where they are from; they come and go as they wish. However, they tend to appear in times of distress to set key events into motions. When there is a dire need, they appear to guide and to inspire."

"They are without spells and incantations; yet wield great power, rivaling even those of the Nobles. The Nobles spend a lifetime trying to find or capture them. Yet, the Prophets' source of power remains a mystery to this day," added Chika, the education leader. She was the most well-read of the council. Being in charge of training and general learning for all trades of the Izenth, she would spend hours and hours going through all the documents in the archives in search of knowledge. 

Author's Note: Politics are a big part of the Exile tribes and how they co-exist but yet never truly work with each other. I had planned for politics to play a much bigger role (don't worry, I'll balance between action and politics) later on in the story in a meaningful way. Are you guys 'yay' or 'nay' for that? Let me know your thoughts.