Radiance Ch. 82

"Yes that is correct honoured elder," Hill said feeling that paying attention to the honorifics they seemed to use for themselves couldn't hurt, this seemed to surprise the man and he blinked his large expressive eyes as he rotated his head to almost a ninety-degree angle as he looked at him.

"You are a member of what you humans call the Brotherhood of Steel correct?" he asked and Hill nodded again.

"That's correct honoured elder," he replied.

"Very well then tell us Adam Hill why is it your people have seemingly launched an extermination campaign against our people?" he asked and Hill felt his heart sink, this was going to be a hard thing to explain.

"Arrogance, in my opinion, honoured elder," he said and that seemed to surprise them all including Jewel who stood watching the proceedings.

"Please clarify, why would you say such a thing in regards toward your own people Knight Hill?" the elder asked.

"Simple because I do not believe that our mission here is either just or right honoured elder but I am a loyal soldier and I do what my elders tell me and go where they tell me, one of our elders and Elder Maxim launched a campaign he called the Great Cleansing of the wastes, this was supposed to be a mission that was supposed to clean the wastelands around the settlements of Boston and the surrounding area of the dangerous predator species and mutants so that it would be safer for all the normal people of the region, but in my opinion, it has become more than that is has become an insidious thing," Hill said and there was some chatter from the other elders though this time in their own language.

"Please continue Knight Hill, why do you believe this?" the elder asked.

"Because it has become an excuse to target people who do not fit the purist's and the elitist's view of who should be allowed to live and who shouldn't, they are using it as an excuse to push their bigotry and vile prejudice upon the rest of us and unfortunately it has spread to the lower ranks as well and it both disturbs me and sickens me, they are using it as an excuse to target the innocent under the guise of 'safety' and 'security' namely peoples like sentient Ghouls because their appearance disturbs their delicate sensibilities and even yourselves simply because you dared to push back against our intrusion into your lands using your non-human status as an excuse to peg you as an aggressive species who is a threat to humanity as an excuse," Hill said bitterly and the chatter intensified behind the elder.

"So what is your take on this then Knight Hill why do you believe your people are doing this?" he asked.

Hill sighed heavily and shook his head, "I don't claim to know the ins and outs of our commanders thought processes, I am a simple soldier from humble begginings, I was simply a scrap scavanger, to me the Brotherhood of Steel stood for somthing, it stood for goodness and strength, it was humanity pushing back against the dangers of the world, it was supposed to be the best of humanity standing up and protecting those who needed them against the dangers that lurk out there, while also securing the old technologies of the old world so that they can never be missused and endanger the world ever again, that is supposed to be what the Brotherhood is and when I joined it was but I also belive it still is, but there those among our number who would use the might of the Brotherhood to push forwards their own agendas, obsessions with things like purity and power have corrupted some of the hearts among my brothers and sisters and it saddens me deeply, with yourselves I do not belive it was ever intended to try and wipe your people out but you stood against the intrusions of our teams int your land and the arrogence of the commanders leading the operations there pushed them to lash out against your responce and this 'Great Cleansing' gave them the excuse they needed to strike at you," Hill said.

His bluntness seemed to be genuinely shocking those around him, "So how does what your people are currently doing to mine make you feel then Knight?" the elder asked.

"Sad and remourseful, I am a loyal solider who swore to duty his duty and to keep the integrity of the great chain, part of that oath is to obey all order my commanders and superiours give to me, to fight the Brotherhood's enemies with all that I am so that's what I do, so when the corrucpt Palidin who was leading my squad on what was supposed to be a simple reconesense mission decides in his blood lust addled mind to launch an atack rather than do as we were ordered to do I am sworn to obey despite my own protests and misgivings, for what it is worth honoured elders I offer my heartfelt condolences and aplogies for any damage I ersonaly did and any that I ersonally harmed it was not my wish to do so but the penalty for treason to the Brotherhood once in is death and I'm guessing it is probably somthing you can understand as it does not do to have your soldiers simply do as they wish or please, I guess you probably have simular rules for your honoured Feather Guard as you called them," Hill explained.

Now the elders went from surprised to full-on amazed, "Would you not be executed or at least considered a traitor for simply telling us this?" they asked and Hill nodded solemnly.

"Yes and I do not want my actions to be misconstrued, I do this not to gain leniency for myself because I do not doubt at this point that I will not receive any, but I do this simply in the hope of fostering some kind of understanding between us, I simply wish to show that the Brotherhood as a whole is not bad people, but a few bad apples are poisoning us and this is the result, I simply hope that it may in the future help to save the lives of any of my fellow Brothers or sisters that may fall into your hands and maybe thanks to my words you may see them in a slightly different light to what you obviously now see me," he said sadly.

"Do not be so arrogant as to presume our intentions or actions Knight Hill our judgement is far from made, you have spoken with surprising honesty and bluntness here today and in my opinion that must be taken into account in any decisions made, it certainly sheds new light upon some of the things we have been seeing so please excuse us we must deliberate," the owl elder said and with that, he rejoined his fellow elders and they began to converse in their native language as they obviously debated both the validity of what he had offered them and possibly the way in which he had delivered it.

It took them two hours of chirping and whistling at one another as Hill simply knelt there listening and looking around at the simple beauty of the temple, it truly was a magnificent piece of design and architecture, in fact, it was so beautiful that it truly saddened him that there were those in the Brotherhood who would destroy it and them for merely not being human, was this world not big enough and empty enough for them to share it now?

After all the human race was a fraction of the size or the strength it once was, if anything in his opinion making new enemies among the new denizens of this beautiful survivor they called mother earth was fucking foolhardy, surely they should be embracing them as Brothers and Sisters of this incredible mother offering them aid and forging alliances in order to both prosper in this harsh world in which they lived?

These and a million other questions cycled in his head, the maelstrom was so loud that he nearly didn't notice the elder approaching once more.

"We have reached a decision on your fate Knight Adam Hill, it is our belief that you have spoken both truthfully an honourably to us here in this chamber and this must be honoured and we have done just that, you have been charged with causing damage and death to our people ase well as tresspass upon our sacred lands without invite both of which would normaly carry a death penalty among our people but given as you have said you are a soldier who has been ordered against his own wishes to carry such things out this is somthing we have taken into account because this has esentially put you in a no win senario placing you between our blade and those of your own people a senario where your death is almost certinaly guarenteed one way or another, though I must say you have surprised us with your dignity and honour by attempting to not save your own life but instead those of your fellows, these are the actions of an honourable man in our opnion and it is for this reason we are commuting the penatly of death, inestead your life is forefit to us to pay for your still commited crimes," the elder said both releving Hill and then confusing him in one sentance.

How could one's life be spared but still forfeit?

It turned out that the elder read the confusion on Hill's face and proceeded to clarify his sentence, "Knight Adam Hill you are no longer a free man you are now an indentured servant of the Firefeather people, the remainder of your life will be spent serving a master among us in order to attempt to pay back your debt to us maybe one day you will manage to achieve this repayment and at that point, your freedom and autonomy will be returned to you but until that time you will remain here and your life will be the property of the one which we tie it to, in that regard you are to follow their every instruction and order with the same honour and dignity that you have already shown us that you are capable of, their every wish is your command, do you understand this gift that we are giving you?" the elder said.

His words kinda hit Adam like a slap, on one hand, he was incredibly happy and relieved that he was having his life spared but on the other, he was being made into a slave, but at least he was alive right?

"Yes honoured elder I understand and thank you for the mercy you have shown me," he said respectfully honestly feeling like he was chewing gravel as the words left his lips.

The elder nodded then turned to the group, "Bring out the binding stones," he said which confused Adam until a soldier came out carrying a large wooden box which he presented to the elder.

The elder opened it and inside where a set of stones that appeared to be what looked like tattooing needles, "These stones were originally designed to tattoo the beaks of our kind but I believe they should work just perfectly upon your skin as well, this will give you a mark that you cannot remove it will show your status and an indentured servant," the elder said gesturing with his hand for what Hill could only assume was a tattoo artist.

A theory was confirmed only moments later when the artist who appeared to be what looked like a peacock to Hill took out a very strange ink that seemed to shift and pulse with colours shifting in the light like a liquid rainbow in a bottle.

He settled in before Hill and took out the tools from the box before setting to work on both of Hill's hands and his face, oh boy did it fucking sting with every single strike of the incredibly thin but sharp needles as they carved out the oddly intricate designs into his skin.

"Umm honoured elders if I may ask, that umm looks like my family crest?" Jewel said suddenly and the elder nodded and then gestured to the box.

One of the other elders reached into it and brought out a single bracelet that was made from woven gold and resin in the design of a chain which was quickly snapped around her wrist, "Indeed honoured Feather Guard Lighttail, you are now his mistress, you were the one who captured him and it was your mercy that brought him here alive rather than a corpse on the field, you were the one who gifted us his knowledge so you are the one who is gifted his service, serve us well and ensure he serves you well," the elder said leaving Jewel stood with her beak hanging open as she glanced at Hill in disbelief who was now feeling the burning sting of the tattoos that had been carved into his hands and face, as he looked at the beautiful designs carved into both of his hands and simply felt the burn of the one on his face, but the reality kinda hit him like a slap. he was a slave now, her slave.