�Those present who wish the human, Simeon Kane, interred to the wood, give visible assent,� Nettamion directed.

The Dark-Fey were the first to respond, each making a clear movement by bowing their heads, or raising misshapen appendages. Slowly the winged Fey followed, some with expressions of deep remorse, while others consented with little or no resolve at all. Turn by turn, each of the winged Fey rendered their assent until only Tahletha remained.

The raven-haired Fey sat in one of the lower branches, internally debating which of her sisters to side with. She met Chendrelle�s gaze with a long, mournful stare before reluctantly nodding in assent to Nettamion.

�It is unanimous, or nearly so unless the human�s influence upon you has waned,� Nettamion said. �What say you sister?�

Chendrelle fought back tears of defeat as she cleared her throat to address the council.

�There is an influence upon me, but it is not his,� Chendrelle said looking down at Simeon. �When I lured him to our wood, his flesh was perished beyond the laws that divide life from death as we know it, yet his Qelltalis continued to shine as if in life. I attempted several mendings upon his flesh, but it did not respond to them. As he began to fade from the world he spoke words I did not recognize. They were not the words of men, but rather WORDS of power; the WORDS of the Nameless.

In the moment his death seemed inevitable, I invoked the greatest of our magics upon him, coaxing the most primal of his instincts to what remained of his living flesh. As I finished my incantation, I realized that I was no longer speaking the words of our tongue, but instead echoed the WORDS that he spoke. The WORDS became storms within us, ripping our minds, flesh, and Qelltalis asunder. I know not how long we remained this way, but when I became aware of my surroundings once more, something had happened to us. I since have come to understand that by the power of those WORDS we became bonded��

Any measure of spite held within the hearts of Chendrelle�s sisters before her confession was hurled viciously upon her then. Even the Dark-Fey were utterly appalled. Chendrelle sat silently beside Simeon, numbly absorbing the myriad of curses thrown upon her. Somewhere deep inside her heart, the threads of compassion that tethered her to her Sister-Fey were severed.

Amid the roar of the council, Simeon Kane awoke in confusion. Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he took a deep breath and leaned to Chendrelle�s ear asking, �How�s it going so far?� The look on the nymph�s tiny face spoke volumes, bringing Simeon to his feet in their defense. He began to shout a warning to the gathering when a giant black millipede crawled toward them with what seemed a gruesome smile upon its face.

�It is decided!� Voraphet announced. �Take them to Ignall�s Grounding where they shall be interred until their Qelltali are bled from existence.�

�Them?� Tahletha asked in shock.

Voraphet grew exuberant in the moment explaining, �By Chendrelle�s own admission she has violated the greatest of our covenants, laid down by Khorrus in the first turnings of our world. She has shed her bonding with the wood, taking upon her instead the curse of the Nameless with the humanisaad before us. She is now bonded in death to this mortal, and thus her fate must be joined with his. Khorrus would demand it so.�

�But we have never interred a Sister, Voraphet,� Nettamion stated, stepping forward.

�Never has a Sister engaged in such acts of blasphemy,� Voraphet retorted coldly. Her countenance warmed as she crawled to Nettamion�s side, her voice becoming calm yet insincere. �You need not birth the guilt that grows inside you Sister. It was Chendrelle that chose her punishment, not you. Either we accept the covenants that guide us� or we do not. That choice is yours however.�

The gravity of the situation did not escape Nettamion as she quietly commanded, �Take them to Ignall�s Grounding where they will be interred� until death.�

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