Brotherhood of Man

One of Princess Sunri's guards entered the hall. A young human.

"Your Majesty, Jalran is here on behalf of the Brotherhood of Man. He says he has a petition to present." he said.

One of the elf guards in the hall made a scoffing sound, to which the human made an angry glare. Those two particular guards didn't get along very well. The human greatly admired Jalran, whereas the elf did not. They had often been involved in heated arguments concerning Jalran and the Brotherhood of Man, about whether or not he and the organization was racist.

"Jalran?" The elf had asked once. "Why do you idolize that lunatic?"

"He is not a lunatic." The human said indignantly. "He's just passionate about his cause."

"He's a racist." The elf said. "I've seen the kind before. He's little different from usual human supremacists. He only gets sympathy because he was a prisoner."

"He is not a racist." The human snapped. "He and the Brotherhood only want humans to be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve."

But that's enough of the guards' squabbles.

Jalran himself was seated outside the hall, reading a book, waiting to be let in. He had a petition with him, requesting a major assault on Alasantres, with specific details pertaining to the freeing of prisoners, and to their reparations (no, Jalran would not be eligible for these reparations).

The sun seemed to slip into the throne room like a close friend. Warm and inviting. The queen walked around the throne room in a long blue dress. It was not frilly or very girly but more regal. It made her looked older than twenty-three but at least most of the men that came to her court did not treat her like a child.


Layla sighed and walked over to her throne and sat down. The man in front of her was going on about a sheep that was killed. He wanted the man that kill the said sheep to pay of it but the man killed the sheep because it was in his field unattended. Layla hated dealing with little things like that but it seemed the more and more of these things seemed to show up in her court before the big things.


Layla smiled and raised her hand. The men became very still as she spoke in a sweet and endearing voice." Well as I see it the meat from the sheep paid for the crops it damaged so."

The sheep's old owner began to say something but Layla stood up and looked at him." So I think you are both even and if you can not deal with that then I will make sure you can. Guards that them out side and send them on their way. if anything becomes of this matter further then put them both in the same cell for a few weeks."

The men looked at her for a moment and then the guards took the out of the room.

" Send in the next person please." She sighed to one guard and he walked out.

" You over there reading come on." The guard said and then went back into the room.

Jalran looked up at the guard. "Ahh. Thank you." he said, putting the book in his pocket. He approached the throne as the two others left. "Mi'lady, I am here on behalf of the Brotherhood of Man, as you may have expected. We have a new petition, if you're willing to discuss." he said, pulling out a scroll of parchment.

"He's very popular" the human had said.

"He certainly has the backing of extremist religious organizations." The elf sneered. "Likely due to his anti-demon agenda."

"It's no secret that the nation is at tensions with Alasantres." Jalran said, in a serious tone. "They bully us, take our lands, enslave and wantonly slaughter our people. We propose an assault on the mainland. Very importantly, there are a number of places where a number of people of this nation, and Kamendal, are held prisoner. We think that it is very important that they be liberated, and that suitable reparations are made for their suffering. I know what it's like there..." he handed her the parchment. "I'd like you to consider it."

The queen watched the man walk in and it was Jalran. She knew of him. Seen him around a few times. He was a very out going sort of person or at least went for what he wanted.

"Jalran." She took the paper and looked it over." We do not have the trained man power nor do we need this type of thing upon us. The prophecy has started to become reality. The dawn of darkness is coming as many know and I for one am not about to start a war when my people in my kingdom need protection."

Layla stood up and walked over to him and sighed," Walked with me." She walked out of the room with Jalran in tow. She went out into the garden and picked a rose.

" You see this is Bella lune. We are alive and thriving." She bent over and found a ant and pushed it onto the rose petal. it began to pick at the edges of the rose." That is your issue you wish to squash." Layla smiled and walked over to a rock and rolled it over. A large grub rolled around until Layla picked it up and placed it in the middle of the rose. It began to eat at the center and then the entire rose fell apart." This is what I am more worried about."

" A small ant is not the issue its the grub. We need to find out where and when our nation will be under attack so that we are ready."

"Jalran's mind is too limited. He thinks too little of consequences. His proposals would have catastrophic results if we tried to enact them." The elf had said.

"At least he isn't a bureaucrat." the humans said. "He's honest."

Jalran followed, listening. Although he respected her, as all the people respected her, he was not one for talk of prophecies. His liking quiet activities aside, he was a man of action. This darkness that was coming was not something that weighed heavily on his mind. As far as he was concerned, it was not tangible. But, he trusted that she was wise. But still...

"And what about the suffering?" he asked. "The prisoners, held against their will, for no wrong committed? Are we to abandon them for fear of something that we don't even know?"

Layla stood her ground and looked at him. She tapped her fingers lightly on her dress and then spoke," Yes of course the poor people. You know I have known about them for years. My father tired to save many of them long ago. Nothing came of that other than more death. I want to save my people I can not let some group of men run up and give an open invite for more trouble. You are not thinking of the people here and now."

Layla began to walk away her anger bubbled in her veins. Did everyone think that she was unknowing of the people lost. No she lost a few as well. " You get back to your life unless you have something else to add." She said with a bit of a tone.

Jalran stood there silent for a moment. At length he spoke.

"Thank you for you time." he said politely, turning and walking back to the hall, fuming to himself.

Petition failed. The petitions always failed. They never listened. It'd just bring more war and destruction.

Let the full-blown war come, he thought. Let them pay for what they've done. For the injustice. For the wanton slaughter. Let the war rage until the red dawn of Ragnarok. Just so long as there is justice.

He was indignant. Indignant and self-righteous. They didn't understand. He'd been there. He'd been enslaved and kept as a prisoner and a slave. He'd lost everything. When he'd finally returned, he had nothing. He had to build back up, by himself. And he'd come so far. But it seemed he could go no further. The bureaucracy stood in the way. Mumbo-jumbo about a darkness coming.

He exited the castle, and paused at the door, looking out. He wanted alot of things for mankind. Things that couldn't seem to happen.

Jalran made his way away from the castle, going back to the city. What a disappointment. Still, it was pretty much expected. He'd all but given up on letting the government handle anything. That's why he formed the Brotherhood.

Their headquarters was in the city. A nice, well-kept building with their offices and files for the registration and other matters. He figured he'd stop there on the way home, see if there was anything that needed attention. He didn't like the headquarters that much. The more he was there, the more he felt like the bureaucracy had spread to them. It also didn't help that someone had decided to write a song for the organization, and that someone was singing it outside the building.

"There is a brotherhood of man
A benevolent brotherhood of man
A noble tie that binds
All human hearts and minds
Into one brotherhood of man."

Well, it was overly cheery, anyways, and Jalran was in a somber mood. It also clashed in a disturbing way with the cracking of rifles outside, from the training sessions.

"Hey, Jalran." a young recruit ran up. "How'd the petition go over."

"Same as it always does." Jalran said. "Failed."

"Well, if the Princess turned it down, she must have had a good reason." The recruit says. "She is very wise."

"Yes..." Jalran said, rummaging through some files. "Ahh, here's the case I wanted to see. Kamendal authorities holding some hikers hostage. Seems one of them was a member of the army, but off-duty."

"So, what's the plan?" The recruit asked, eager. "We gonna bust them out?"

"No. Layla's diplomats are already working on the matter, and I don't think she'll take kindly to us acting more militant. Besides, the public thinks bad enough of us already."

'Oh aren't you proud to be
In that fraternity...'

"Since when do you care what the public thinks." The recruit asked, incredulous.

"Since slander has come up." Jalran said, taking the file. "I'm going to look over this at home, and then get the lawyers to look at it. See if they can negotiate a release."

"Negotiate?" The recruit asked. "Since when do you negotiate?"

"Listen." Jalran said, getting annoyed with this shrill young recruit. "I've had alot of trouble. Last week a demon tried to kill me and I barely got out by the skin of my teeth. I started this organization, and I know how to run it. At least Kamendal doesn't eat their prisoners." he said, storming out of the building and going to his home.

His home was on the outskirts of town. He didn't like the hustle and bustle of the city, noisy people walking by on their way to market. His house was simple, small. Had a bedroom and a small kitchen and a place to sit and read, and a backyard, but nothing much. He set the file on the kitchen table and picked up a rifle that had been sitting there, then went into the back yard, where a row of bottles was sitting on a fence. He aimed the rifled and fired. BAM! BAM! BAM! Cleanly shattered each and every bottle. A good way for him to vent his frustration. He had alot of frustration to go around. He returned inside after firing and sat down at the table, reading, muttering to himself as he read. '...suspicions of sabotage or espionage...'

He set the file down and sighed. Oh, why bother? Just an excuse to look useful. Yeah, like Layla needed any help. She'd probably get the situation resolved within the week. He put his head in his hands. Pointless pointless pointless.