Highfield Academy - Revenge of The Crows
Chapter 17.

Humanity was in upheaval as vast businesses closed leaving thousands with no work or income, traders found their goods were no longer available and long-standing orders were unable to be met, and as a result riots broke out.

Even though it had freed millions of slaves, the drastic change was more than the citizens could cope with. Suddenly the government declared slavery was illegal, and anyone found to hold slaves against their will were prosecuted, even up to members in the Royal Family.

Such behaviour was no longer to be tolerated, and the Fay Royal Courts enforced the ruling without mercy, and almost overnight, this brought the upper to middle class, into complete turmoil as they could no longer run such exclusive life styles without the help of slaves.

Fighting broke out and moreover, the Tebard took full advantage and fought to save their lifestyle. It was no longer safe to walk the streets unarmed or alone, and the poor along with the released slaves were starving.

So, Alms Houses were set up and governed by delegated trusted Fay, who had a team of Fay paid servants to voluntarily assist them. If they caught any Tebard or previously wealthy humans trying to manipulate or take advantage of their charity, the outcome always involved a severe punishment and imprisonment of those found guilty.

There were designated Fay Magicians on hand to enforce the law, and Fay warriors backing up the Royal warriors along with the police, under the human governmental rule. The Prime Minister was kept updated, and Fay warriors and magicians guarded her office constantly.

Julius McCarthy, who was the designated Prime Minister of Great Britain, was surprised to learn her sister Wilmer Lewis was married to a Fay and that her children were Human-Fay by birth, this only went to increase her desire to build unity and when she learnt Estela and Phillip her nephew and niece were Human-Fay and had both been offered a place at Highfield Academy she was delighted.

Even though she was aware of Highfield from Merlin, and that it was located somewhere in Woolavington in Somerset, no amount of satellite surveillance or searching had been able to locate it.

Now to her utter surprise, she was being offered an exclusive tour of the school by no other than the great Merlin himself. It would be a simple matter of preventing Julius McCarthy from learning of the school’s true location, and any tracking devices would be rendered useless, long before they came near to Woolavington in Somerset.

On the day of her arrival Julius McCarthy was collected by Merlin, and then transported from London to Glastonbury, where the Merlin appeared at the pinnacle of the Tor, and almost instantly tracking satellites detected the Prime Ministers location, and then they lost the signal as Merlin transported the Prime Minister and himself directly to the school having already warned them of their arrival.

Julius had not known what to expect, but had kind of imagined and old ancient Hogworth type building housing hundreds of magical students. To her surprise the building was ultra-modern and offered amazing facilities, and not only that, the students were happy.

And when she saw the library they had millions of books, but also every possible work was backed up in digital form; and with ancient works translated from whatever language to English or whatever language the student required.

It was a vast suppository of knowledge and wisdom which Julius envied, and she was pleased that her sister’s children were to receive the finest of educations and be removed from the turmoil befalling her lands in the United Kingdom, while knowing it would also not be long before this war extended across the world.

It was the senseless loss of life which upset her, and it was not as if people could not manage without slaves, they were simply a means of raising a person status and wealth, and at the cost of suffering for those caught up in this abominable trade of human lives.

The Prime Minister was eventually shown a demonstration of Rang, and of Miss Catherine’s match which the students had seen, and at first every human’s reaction to seeing a three-foot razor sharp steel enforced Rang was one of dismay.

Then to learn it is a weapon and used in training the students for magical combat, more than concerned her, but after seeing the demonstration and the training of Rang, along with the protective clothing, her concerns were in part nullified.

The tour had been controlled and Merlin ensured that the Prime Minister only saw that which would not compromise their location or place Julius herself at risk, as some of the magical creatures were kept in parts of the school, were themselves dangerous to those who held no magical powers.

Later Julius McCarthy was taken to the Royal Fay Courts and informally introduced to the Queen of the Fay. “Prime Minister I am pleased to introduce you to our Queen,” said Merlin.

Julius was surprised, as she had materialised alongside Merlin in a beautiful green field where children played and the birds were singing. Water meandered its way along a stream and the scent of wild flowers filled the air, along with Bees and other insects which were in an abundance. And it was in this setting where the Fay Queen was quietly sitting on a blanket and reading a book.

The Queen looked up and smiled, and Julius immediately felt at ease,

“It is a pleasure to meet you, but please forgive me, with a name like Julius I was expecting a man.”

Julius laughed, “Yes so was my dad, he was so certain that I was to be a boy that he even painted my room blue and purchased boys clothing and even settled on the name of his father who he idolised, so I guess they decided to stick with the name, I’m told my room was painted pink and the clothing exchanged, but as for the name apparently, dad would not budge, but I kind of like it” explained the Prime Minister.

They both laughed and the tension if there ever had been any dissipated, and they simply enjoyed for a time each other’s company and were attended to by servants who took pride in their work, and serving a variety of refreshing drinks and sumptuous cakes and sandwiches.

“I replace it so much more relaxing to meet extremely special guest as yourself here in my gardens, and I just love seeing children play, and to be free from adult concerns,” said the Queen as she waved at some of the children.

Julius the Prime Minister rather boldly inquired,

“If I may enquire, and please no offence implied, but are your servant’s slaves?”

The Queen understood the question, “I assure you there are no slaves in the Royal Courts, and no one under my kingdom is permitted such.”

The Queen paused and sipped from a glass of juice. “I replace the trading of both human and Fay lives intolerable, an abomination of a person’s rights and totally unacceptable,”

she paused only for a moment and took a further refreshing drink, and then continued talking.

“My servants are paid employees, and who are cared for and have a good quality of life, many of the children you see playing here are siblings or orphans, and we take great care of our kind, and I am deeply hurt that some renegade sections of the Fay were involved in the enslavement of your kind, I can only apologise, and continue to help in the eradication of those involved.”

Julius was shocked at the sincerity and force of the spoken words that she felt emanating from the Queen, and she could sense that the Queen truly meant every word vocalised.

After they had completed their talks Merlin returned the Prime Minister and she thanked him for such a wonderful day, her mind was at ease with the knowledge her nephew and niece were to be cared for and be in a place of safety.

Much had happened in the few months of turmoil, and although there were still uprisings from disgruntled humans fuelled by greed and loss of status, these were quickly quelled and those who remained soon realised they could still earn a living, but doing so honestly and not on the backs of human suffering.

Soon new business was opening and the staff being offered a liveable wage, many were state sanctioned, and as a means of bringing control and offering a start-up grant which in turn focused people’s minds on improving their lives, and just not at the cost of others.

Like any such business, such enterprises took time, yet it was a step in the right direction, and the state had also set up programs of re-education, especially for those who had been taken into slavery with everything been policed by Fay-human overseers who were trusted to not be bribed, as they knew all too well the cost if they were found to be at such fault.

However, the Tebard were still trying to regain control of what they had lost, only by the day their numbers were dwindling as new arrests were made, and many Tebard’s losing their lives because they refused to go into custody, and preferring an honourable death in battle.

It was only those who used their gifts and wealth to leave the country who eventually survived, this brought them a temporary rest bite at the best, allowing some to try and form new alliances and rebuild their power base.