A cacophony of symphonic ranting rang out in the chamber of the selk High Council. These nine selk were the custodians of the nine pillars of selk society. They were were the few of the queen's court that she gave absolute trust to manage the kingdom as well as her affairs.

Some sitting at the table also held the honour of being some of the few friends she had.

When she called an emergency meeting in the middle of the night they were all concerned. The queens’ council was a relatively new one. The previous monach's council remained in power after the passing of the king, to insure his will was executed to the last as was the custom.

This would be the first time since the death of the last of her father's concil that she had called a meeting of her council.

An old selk whose right eye was marked by a scar and sealed snorted a huff as he reached for the plate of gel drops on middle of the table.

“Missy best have a good reason for this…”

Before he could reach the bowl he felt the sing of his hand as it was slapped away by an elegant female selk. She wore a light blue toga that covered her slight form and shimmered in the light of the room.

“I hope you're not saying Her Majesty has taken leave of her senses.” She sung in a warning tone.

“I didn’ sing anything of the sort.”

He grabbed for the gels again. This time he was able to pull one away before she could reprimanded him again. Taunting the toga wearing selk with a wry smile, he bit into it.

He chewed on the gel a couple of times, letting the sweet tang of apple hit his tongue, before he swallowed. He then shot a stern look at her.

"I could visit my brother and my nephew if I wanted to be treated like a pup, Orthodox Whakale.”

Another Selk; a young dark green haired woman with a darker upper pelt, stretched over and picked up a gel.

“And how are Masters Nuaka and Oia, Hunt Kahopno?” she asked, pecking at the gel.

“Same as always, Kamwaimae.”

There was no attempt made to hide the small chuckle of pride that punctuated the statement. “Oia is coming into his own, though. The ol’ pain in the rump finally gave ‘im the OK to get a pod together and go huntin’.”

“Bagged himself a big one the other day.”

His smile couldn't be any wider. “That pup’s gonna go further than his parents and us old bulls ever did!”

Kamwaimae hummed a thoughtful tune to herself as she nibbled away at her gel until it was gone.

As Kahopno reached for another gel, the room erupted into a flurry of sounds. The council turned around to see the noise was being blasted from the instruments held by a small group of retainers that stood guard at the door.

“The Queen’s Council of Nine, please rise for your Majesty!”

On command, the council stood and preformed a one-handed bow, as did all the retainers in the room. The double doors swung open and from them an elegant female Selk swam through accompanied by two heavily armoured guards. The straight flush of royal blue hair that flowed down to her waist highlighted her slight frame. The chain of pearls encircled her lower body and around the dorsal fin that lined her back. Those were mark of the royal family and told everyone in the room that she was the genuine article.

The music came to an end and the retainer who announced her entry continued his announcement.

“The Council of Nine welcome Queen Ankahe’a the Second to the meeting. May she guard our lands from the darkness over her borders evermore!”

The queen swam over to the table to take her seat, designed to accommodate her dorsal fin, and sit down. As soon as she sat down, she motioned to the rest of the table, allowing them to also sit down.

Everyone was silent as they waited for the queen to begin the meeting proper. Every one in the room wanted to know the reason for their summoning.

As soon as she opened her mouth a gargling sound rumbled out of it. She snapped her mouth shut, the blush burning through her porcelain white face-fur. In a small panic she looked at her council who in turn gave her confused look.

Another awkward moment followed. Then another member of the council raised his hand. His hair was a tidy short cut that showed the peaks of his hair’s dark blue gradient. The queen nodded and he asked the same question that what everyone was thinking.

“You haven't eaten today, have you, your Majesty?”

The queen shook her head. She coughed and motioned for one of the retainers. Understanding the situation as soon as she made the motion they picked up the plate and stood beside her.

Forgetting herself she swiped the first gel she could see and began to eat it. It took only two swift bites for the gel she picked up to disappear into her mouth. The gel gone, she patted her plump, dark blue lips clean and let out the smallest sigh of satisfaction she could.

The queen closed her eyes and signed. “I'm sorry everyone had to see that. Yes, Merchant Apoehaka, I did not have the chance to eat anything today.”

Kahnopo looked at her with his one good eye. “I dun’spose that’s got something to do with why you brought us here?”

She nodded. “I was in commune with the royal idol since first light.”

“Excuse me?!” Whakale blurted out in response. “Why were you in commune with the idol for that long?”

Kahnopo’s eyebrow was now arched. “More to th’ point, are you sure you should be holding this meeting if you’re this hungry?”

“Yes, I am. This matter cannot wait.” The Queen said with complete certainty. “What the idol has made clear to me is of the upmost importance.”

She turned her attention to her retainer who nodded. Pulling out a collection of scrolls, they began to swim around the table. As they passed each of the council members they handed out a scroll to each of them before handing a copy to the queen. The task done, they returned to her side.

The council, now apprehensive about what the scrolls contained, exchanged a mummer. With a swift motion, they undid the wax seal and opened their scrolls. Then they read its contents. By the time they had finished, the room had gone deathly quiet.

The Queen bit her lip, wondering who would be first to make a comment.

It was Whakale who spoke first.

“Your Majesty. The scroll suggest a Hume’rl trespassed into our land. Not only that but that she sang with an idol that we never knew about?!”

“That…”

The Queen sighed.

“…That is what has happened, yes.”

The mummer blossomed into a full-blown rabble.

“Could everyone please calm down?!”

Kamwamae’s command brought the rabble to its end. She looked at the queen and softened her stern expression.

“It’s OK, Ankahe’a. I understand the importance of the issue. That a Hume'irl-”

Whakale stood up from her chair in a pique of anger. “Never mind the Hume'irl, Justice!” she exclaimed, drawing attention to herself.

“The fact that somehow there’s been a thirteenth idol we haven’t known of for all this time? That is what we should be focusing on!”

“Oh spare my heart, Great ID.” Kamwaime uttered to herself out of hearing, shaking her head.

“Yes, I am aware of the ramifications of a thirteenth idol. Orthodox, I have every faith that you and the rest of the orthodoxy will be able to handle all that.”

The orthodox didn't hide how much she was at her wits end.

“And I suppose you'd have the experience to know that, farmhand?!”

Kamwaimae could only stutter, astonished at the act of sheer disrespect.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough.” Apoehaka said with a weary wave.

“We’re all a little tired so I suggest we let Her Majesty explain the situation and go from there. Does everyone agree?”

After a second, everyone murmured in agreement.

“Good. That’s better.” He turned to the Queen. “Your Majesty, If you please?”

“Thank you, Merchant.” The Queen said.

“As the report says, a hunting pod found the Hume’rl with the unidentified Idol and handed her over to the Hume authorities at yesterday’s twilight.” She surmised.

“When I started my daily commune with the Royal Idol at first light, it did not stop until a few clicks ago.”

The queen bit her lip before she continued; “Besides what I have told you the royal idol's song was... strange... this morning. It would only utter a vague mumbling to me.”

She hesitated, not wanting to continue.

She then closed her eyes to will herself into action.

"It was the same same utterances sang during the Great-"

She stopped herself but it was too late. She could feel the entire room cool as she mentioned the great hunt.

Every selk knew of the twelve Idols’ wisdom. Since the beginning of time the children of ID, the great creator, sang their council to the Royal family and the Orthodoxy. It was their advice that allowed the selk to tame the lands and calm the savage seafloor.

During the Territory War, as humanity referred to the great hunt, the idols would only sing the same same confused tune. Without their council the kingdom fell to the whims of the ocean’s current.

The kingdom’s desolation became hunger. That hunger, blamed on humanity, turned to anger. That anger fueled the King’s war machine and gave him his soldiers.

The queen sunk into her chair. She looked every last one of the ten selk ages that she had lived.

Kamwaemae looked around, waiting for someone else to speak up and when no one did, shook her head. Pulling herself from the table, she stood up, swam over to the queen, looked into her shimmering gem blue eyes and squeezed her hand.

The queen grabbed onto Kamwaemae’s hand and nodded. She whispered her thanks to Kamwaemae and asked her to take her seat. She stood up and cleared her throat.

“I have a plan. It is not without risk but I believe that if this succeeds that we will be able to reclaim the colonies.”

The council mumbled to each other in response to such a bold claim. The queen’s retainer began to pass over another set of sealed scrolls to the members of the council who wasted no time in opening them. They read the contents. Then, they looked at the queen whose demeanour didn’t change.

“Let us work together with the hume and end the Great Hunt once and for all.”