Highfield Academy - Revenge of The Crows
Chapter Eight.

Various spies for Merlin had reported in their replaceings and the information was extremely disturbing. However from the collated information before him it appeared there was a minimum of twelve families involved in the Tebard’s deception, and Merlin knew it went even further, as to have maintained this level of secrecy, involved people in authority and power, and this then included high law enforcement, also members of Parliament and possibly those in even higher office.

Cautiously Merlin reported these replaceings to the Royal Courts of the Fay, and on learning the Tebard race was still alive and worst still involved in the hideous crimes at the highest level angered them.

“This can’t be the Tebard were wiped out” said a stunned Court Official, “and until now we have had no indication that any had survived.”

Merlin looked at those before him, as even to those in the Royal Court, other than the Queen of the Fay, Merlin was thought to be the most powerful male Fay magician or wizard to have ever existed.

His eyes had focused on one Samuel Miller, and the appearance of what could best be described as a heat haze, surrounded Miller without him noticing its presence, quickly it grew until it fully encased the individual, and it was then the Fay became aware his movement was restricted.

“What is this? This is outrages, release me immediately you have no right to hold a member of the Royal Court,” exclaimed Miller.

It was then seven of his loyal guards tried to intervene only to discover they also were in a similar situation, held and unable to take action in their maters defence.

The Queen rose from her throne and walked over to Samuel Miller.

“We trusted you Samuel, and even honoured your family by including your bloodline in the Royal Courts, yet unknown to your friends and the Royal Family, you deceived us, and have always been in line with the Tebard’s,” she said.

Unknown to Samuel his entire family and household were at that moment under arrest, having been magically bound and held in custody. His past was under even deeper investigation and hundreds of years of ledgers and family history were under severe scrutiny, to enable the investigators to discover just how deep this crime went and to see whom else might be involved.

Samuel protested still trying to hide any involvement and objected loudly,

“This is outrages I have been loyal, and each Fay here knows me personally, and can vouch I have never betrayed anyone of my friends,” he shouted.

Merlin was angered by Samuel’s denial,

“Yes friends are the key word, and these Fay around you are not, and have never been your friends, as it is the Tebard who your loyalty lies with, and your involvement in the human world is one of utter betrayal to the Fay Courts.”

Controlled anger rose within the great Merlin, “Your family and all associated with you including your household, are as we speak, under Royal custody, those found to be truly innocent of involvement will be treated leniently and mercy will be shown, but any found guilty; Merlin paused and then continued talking, “already we have arrested and terminated their lives.”

Those words brought fear into Samuel, as he knew all too well those involved in this deception, and this included his immediate family, and they had profited from the crime, believing they were untouchable, and that their involvement would never be discovered.

Unexplainably Samuel’s laughed and this confused all within the Royal Court, and their expressions showed their confusion, and this made Samuel laugh even more, then at the next moment his eyes widened, and his shape transformed into a Tebard warrior from their old Royal Courts.

“You fool’s, did you think yourselves so superior that my kind could be fully wiped out,” he shouted.

At that Samuels glanced at five members of the Royal Court and they collectively advanced around the Queen and surrounded themselves within a force field of their making.

“I am a willing sacrifice for my kin, and now we have your Queen, kill me and it will only make me a martyr to my kind, and then it will rally the thousands involved in this war to mutiny against you.”

As he had been speaking the Tebard Warriors holding the Queen hostage vanished, and took the Queen with them,

“It has started,” he shouted. “and we have won this round, soon we shall rule the Fay and humanity will then be ours.”

At that, he bit onto a tooth and released a powerful toxin sacrificing his life in the aid of their course.

As he died he saw Merlin laughing, “Thank you, Samuel Miller, your confession has saved me months of searching into who else is involved, and now these present are aware of your deception and to the full extent of your kinds intentions, it was so kind of you to voluntarily devolve this of all those in your breed involved.”

The realisation that he had been duped enraged Samuel’s, but it was too late as he was unable to warn his kind and his life was already slipping away.

“How, how did you know, I…, I took.” but then he died, and at least in part, comforted by the knowledge his kind had captured the Queen.

As Samuels body was removed from the Royal quarters, Merlin addressed those remaining. “As I speak the Royal Fay Warriors are making arrests across our kingdom and that of humanities. We are once again at war, and the human Prime Minister has been informed as has also their Royal Family.”

Merlin paused as the horror dawned on those present, yet Merlin then carried on talking. “The Deputy Prime Minister is Tebard, and he has been secretly arrested and is no longer alive, it will be announced that he, unfortunately, died in a road accident, yet there are still others involved of whom we are not yet aware, so be warned in our kingdom and that of the humans, wars will be fought for the overall control of our future.”

One of the Royal Fay’s spoke. “What of the children and Highfield Academy?” they asked. Merlin smiled,

“They are Safe, it would take an army of magicians to locate it let alone to gain entry, rest assured the students are safe, and I am pleased to say it was thanks in part to seven of the oldest students that we were able to infiltrate so deeply into those involved, last year they were enrolled as probationary Overseer Wardens and have since honoured their school and training without the loss of a single life.”

Then a tiny fairy appeared by Merlin’s shoulder and spoke quietly into his ear.

“Thank you, Tianna please convey my regards to your people,” replied Merlin, and then waited until Tianna left the room.

“I have just been informed we have the location of where the Tebard warriors took our Queen, and as I am talking, our finest warrior magicians are surrounding their headquarters and awaiting my orders.”

Some of the members of the Royal Court looked alarmed and two spoke out.

“But what about our Queen they still have her hostage,” they shouted in unison. Merlin lowered his head but observed who had not spoken.

Unknown to those in the room this had been an intended deception and Merlin had already picked up on the unguarded thoughts of those involved, and of their mannerisms and body language, in that in the excitement of the events which had just unfolded, had given them away.

Royal guards entered the room, and it was only then that all present realised they too were encased in an unseen impenetrable field of energy which quickly took control of their minds as well as prevented any movement.

The guards signalled out three of the Royal Court Fay under Merlin’s guidance,

“Take them into custody and await my arrival as I intend to interrogate them further.” Exclaimed Merlin, and then he turned and viewed into yet another’s mind,

“That one also, but be extra vigilant with her, she is powerful and almost deceived even me, but I have captured her power, so she is unable to use it against you.”

As the guards removed the captured prisoners from the room one of the guards also found he was encased in an energy field and Merlin set him aside,

“You can stay and talk, as I know of your involvement, but also, I sense it is involuntary on your part to betray your Queen, and that you even tried warning your captain that you were compromised.”

The guard looked relieved, yet still worried as he explained to Merlin how he had become forced to be involved.

“They have my wife and children and told me unless I cooperated that I would never see them again.”

Merlin could see that he was telling the truth and that he was also greatly suffering, yet he had found the courage at a great risk to his beloved family to have tried to have warned his superiors.

The guard fought to gain emotional control,

“I could not allow my Queen or the Fay Court to be endangered sir, even if it meant I would lose my family, also I did not know who else was involved, and I was uncertain just who I could tell without endangering my family. I knew the Sargent at Arms to be a loyal and trustworthy, and a man of honour and to his word, and I reasoned no amount of persuasion could turn him from his beliefs, so I spoke to him and tried to inform him of my troubles and of been compromised.”

Merlin nodded in agreement,

“Most courageous of you, that is how I was aware of your involvement and how we were able to learn about the others involved, and those in turn who had infiltrated the Royal Courts. You indirectly have every reason to be proud, as what you did has saved lives, but as for your family you do not have reason to fear any more, as we intercepted those involved in their kidnapping and have them in custody, your family is shaken, and that goes without saying, but other than that they appear to be safe, you will be reunited with them shortly,” stated Merlin.

It had been a well-planned operation and Merlin had brought in those who had been trained by Highfield Academy, this being their first full blown field operation. Their skills were unmatched, and the arduous training in Rang had paid dividends, in that it had enabled the students to stand united and fight off multiple opponents who were trying to kill them.

The seven probationary Overseer Wardens had been victorious, and with only two suffering anything near to serious injuries, and one who was lightly wounded. It had been their skill in the Rang arena that had developed their reflexes and enabling them to detach all else from their minds and sense the multiple of attacks which came from almost every direction.

Two wardens suffered injury from deflected spells glancing off their energy barriers, and one suffered a direct hit to his left arm, and blasting it away, yet enabling the warden to continue defending with help from the others.

Across the Fay Kingdom alone, over three hundred Tebard warriors had been eliminated and some five hundred more arrested ranging from family members and house staff. As for the human world, an outright war had been declared, and the Prime Minister’s office and the Royal Family had reliable Fay warriors protecting them. While a representative of the Fay Queen was personally acting as a liaison keeping the humans informed.

Hundreds of Human Fay guards along with the military and policing authority started rounding up all those who they suspected held any kind of involvement, while other and better armed Tabard warriors openly attacked and killed who-so-ever they could.