Ch13-2: Uprising

“Do I look okay?” Lucci asked Suzume, holding his hands out to her for judgment.

He had spent a lot of time fixing the wrap in his hair and was dressed down in a set of light blue and white robes, trimmed with a silver lining. Though the hem was just a little too high at his wrists and ankles, it was really the best outfit he had to wear…. which was no where close to the finery that Lord Zemi or Master ZenToYa wore to the Assemblies.

The collar itches…

Lucci began to tug and scratch at the back of his collar, having just noticed the one fatal flaw in the whole deal. No doubt, something like that wouldn’t go away over the hours that they would be sitting in the meeting.

Suzume nodded, “You look great, Lucci!”

The girl wore plain black robes, long and flowing around her feet, the color dark enough to match her hair and wings. Unlike Lucci, she wouldn’t be taking part in the Inner Circle of the Assembly, so extremely formal wear wasn’t mandatory for her.

I wish I didn’t have to.

Not that Lucci was really thrilled about being called to sit in the Inner Circle. But Aunt SaRa had said that Lord Zemi wanted the boy to start taking part in the talks and decision making that presided over Ceiswyr.

I don’t understand why. No one wants me there.

And that was just the plain truth. Not Lucci feeling sorry for himself or a statement of self-defeat. Just a plain out fact that his admittance to the Inner Circle would likely cause a lot of friction there at the Assembly. Which is why he wished that he could just sit in the little back area with Suzume and entertain her as he had always done up until this time.

“Lucci,” Aunt SaRa had appeared in the doorway. “Don’t tug on your collar, dear. You’ll stretch the material.”

“But it itches?” he told her.

“All ceremonial clothes do,” she gave him a small grin. “It’s part of the discomforts that come with position.”

He couldn’t tell if she was joking or if she was serious. But it didn’t make him like his robes any better.

“Are you ready, now? It wouldn’t be wise to be the last ones into the Assembly Room,” Aunt SaRa gave Suzume’s hair a quick run through with her fingers. And brushed off specs of lint from Lucci’s robes that were invisible to his own eyes.

“…I suppose…” he replied only because he knew she was probably right.

Aunt SaRa gave a nod and one final encouraging smile before beckoning them to follow behind her. The halls were churning with the winged people, all talking in low voices amongst themselves. Very few of the Cyngan were allowed inside the Assembly Room during the time of the Assembly, but everyone knew when the meetings would take place. And everyone knew that the choices made by the leaders of their city inside that room tonight would affect the future for everyone living in Ceiswyr.

Would they stay? Would they flee?

Would defenses be placed around Ceiswyr? Or would they have to quarantine the whole of the Inner Realms?

How far had the hand of Zeromus reached outside of the Cleft? And what were these new, terrible winged creations that the Dark Arweinydd commanded?

They had so many questions… so many emotions… Lucci’s head swam with the buzzing with their intermingled voices. Rarely did he like to put himself in a position that brought him around so many people at once. And the moment that a few stray glances broke from the huddled groups of  Cyngan to focus upon him, the hall grew noticeably more tense.

Please don’t look at me…

Lucci’s eyes dropped instantly to the ground.

There were quiet murmurs of ‘Sygnus’ and ‘Lei’ Igro‘ as Aunt SaRa led the way down the hall towards the Assembly Room. And a deep sense that the people were not very happy at seeing The Darkstar included in such a vital Assembly as this. There was also blame, those who would say that it was because of Lucci’s presence that Zeromus’ creatures now threatened their own peaceful lands.

Few seemed to realize that such a thing would have happened whether or not Lucci had come to live in Ceiswyr.

At least, that’s what Lord Zemi says.

Though despite what Lord Zemi said… it still hurt. The thought that he would be blamed for something he had no knowledge of at all… The thought that the Islands, the only home he had ever had, were in danger and that fingers were pointed at him as the source.

But, they’re wrong. I don’t know what the Esgyll are any more than they do.

Lucci did the only thing he ever knew to do… silently withdraw. Pretend that nothing around him existed. Afterall, nothing that he could say would convince them to think differently… and he wasn’t very good at expressing himself through words. Chances were, if he did respond to their condemnation, he would be seen as proving their point. He would be confirming that he was nothing more than The Bane.

I wonder if Lord Zemi thinks the same as they do. I wonder if that’s why he’s calling me to the Assembly? Does he believe I can give them some sort of information about Zeromus?

He did everything he could to block them out. But it wasn’t easy. As unmoving as he was out the outside, inside of him, emotional blows were falling like rain. Lucci had learned early that he could pick up the thoughts and feelings of everyone around him… and rather than being helpful, he had found it something that made the situation all the more difficult.

He could pretend not to see or hear… but what his mind could pick up, he could not run away from. Every sneer was amplified tenfold within the thoughts of the one giving it. Every blaming glance wrote a list of grievances that spoke his apparent guilt.

But if there is something that I know that they can use to stop Zeromus… then… I’ve got to go the Assembly… I’ve got to try.

Lucci’s eyes lifted from the floor at the feeling of Suzume’s fingers weaving through his own. Holding his hand, as she always did, to let him know that he wasn’t alone. He thankfully gave her hand a little squeeze to acknowledge.

Maybe then, people will see that I’m not-

“Excuse me?” Aunt SaRa’s voice was firm as she brought them to a stop. She was looking at a group of people that stood in front of the doors to the Assembly Room, blocking their way. When none of them responded, she spoke again, “Excuse me, we are going in.”

There was a heavy silence among the Cyngan that stood in front of the door. Their glances were discontent and afraid at the same time… like those who were protesting and well aware of the danger the protest would bring.

When Aunt SaRa recognized this, she her voice grew solid, “What do you think you’re doing? You are impeding the process of the Assembly.”

Lucci glanced around, looking over the faces that peered back at them, unwavering. There were a number of people that he knew of, none of them very well, but all Cyngan who had spoken out against the Sygnus at one point or another in the past. Some of them could be considered rather influential in the Islands… not the kind to stoop to randomized troublemaking.

“I’m sorry, Lady SaRa,” one of the winged men finally answered. An older, more stout man, he seemed to hold an air of authority with those that stood behind him and obviously spoke for the group. “But you know exactly what we are doing.”

“This is foolishness, DeKeiNo,” she retorted bitingly, a tone that Lucci had only heard the winged woman use few times before.  She glared up into his eyes, looking for all the world to have the determination to move him, despite the fact that she was far smaller built than most of the people in the group. “If you have something to say, bring it up in the next Discussion… but do not block the way of the Inner Circle. Or do you want to explain yourselves to Lord Zemi?”

Sheepish, fearful glances were cast around behind DeKeiNo’s back. But no one made a move away from the door.

“There should not be a Sygnus in the Assembly!” someone called from down the hall, obviously encouraged by the steadfastness of the group at the door.

Discontent murmurs broke out over the hall in instant response, agreeing that it would be doom of them all to allow the silver-haired boy to pass the threshold of the Inner Circle. Aunt SaRa’s voice was lost to the flurry of sudden protest. Though her hands were lifted in an attempt to motion for calmness, the agitation of the crowd was more than one steel-willed woman could control all on her own.

I’ve never seen them get this angry before!

Suzume clung closely to Lucci’s hand, pulling up close to his side. He, too, responded in a search for comfort in his friend’s touch, grasping her shoulder with his free hand. His mind was churning, fighting the buzz of terrible emotion and attempting to sort out the massive confusion-bordering-on-resentment that had alighted on almost every face there.

What if they try to hurt Suzume and Aunt SaRa..?

That’s when one voice rose above all the rest. It was a smooth and clear voice that rang with immense power and command, “What’s going on here?”

The whole crowd fell mute and the clamor stopped as a strange tingling rose over everyone within the hall. A single set of footsteps echoed as the silence-tamed crowd began to part, opening  a path for the approaching figure. Lucci turned, half expecting to see Master ZenToYa or even Lord Zemi. But the voice had belonged to neither of them.

A man was making his way towards the doors, looking as unassuming as a person could… when an entire crowd was parting before him. Everything about him held a sense of firmness and control, the calmness and command of an Athrylith. No doubt, it had been his voice that had quieted the crowd.

Master SoYa..?

His robes were long and deep violet, the sleeves trailing down in swaths of flowing cloth to his feet. The design bordered at a happy medium between ornate and simple, embroidered with delicate, quiet designs that seemed to reflect the Athrylith’s nature… one that Lucci had always known to be gentle and kind.

Even to me…

Maybe it was because Master SoYa was Athrylith. And despite his position as the eldest son of Master ZenToYa, there was still the sense of uncertainty that others had towards him… the fear of the Mind Mage and the powers that such a being was capable of. He, too, wasn’t always welcome among the people of the city as many of them still held on to old ways of thinking – rumors that the Athrylith were terrible, mind-sucking monsters.

And though he wasn’t publicly scorned, Master SoYa had always seemed to understand Lucci’s situation. Never had a hard look or chiding word come from the Athrylith. Not even when his brother and father did not approve. Even in facing the crowd, Master SoYa was firm in choosing where to stand.

“Good evening, Aunt SaRa,” Master SoYa greeted the winged woman with a warm smile, as if all the others around him simply did not exist.

“SoYa…” Aunt SaRa replied in a slightly breathy tone, face a bit uncertain at the way the situation had unfolded.

“Hello, Suzume… Hello Lucci,” the Athrylith gave them a small wink and a grin.

Suddenly, though Lucci didn’t understand why, things didn’t feel so bad anymore. Even Suzume did not cling so tightly to his hand, her fears slowly fading.

Mind powers… it has to be…

Master SoYa turned his attention to the group that was standing in front of the doors. Already, some of them had vacated their spots. The ones who were left standing did so with an outward show of impending trepidation. However, there was no trace of anger in the Athrylith’s voice as he spoke.

“Now is not the time to be fighting among ourselves,” Master SoYa grimaced at them. “We have far too many things pressing us from the outside to be doing things like this.”

A few more vacated their spots, stepping away in silence.

“I know that the meaning behind Zemi’s choices are not always clear,” the Athrylith’s voice rose over the crowd one final time, soothing and evocative. “But you have to trust him in knowing that he is our Patron Guide and he wants to protect all of us… and our city… by any means necessary. Sometimes this includes doing things that may seem debatable… but every possibility must be considered, even the unusual ones.”

Master SoYa took a step forward, indicating without words that he was now going to enter the Assembly Room… and that no one was going to keep him from doing so. The moment that the Athrylith came near, the remainder of the crowd melted away, leaving the path to the doors completely clear.

Wow…

As the doors opened, Master SoYa motioned them through and fell in beside the silver-haired boy. “You can come sit next to me if you’d like, Lucci?”

Surprised at the words, the boy nodded slowly, blinking at the Athrylith. The light of gratitude flickered behind his silver eyes.

“Oh, and one other thing…” Master SoYa murmured quietly.

Lucci responded with a silent question mark look.

“If you loosen the fasten-clip on the inside of your collar,” the Athrylith informed him, pulling open the collar on his own robe as example, “It won’t itch so much.”

The boy’s mouth opened wordlessly for a moment, tugging on his collar only to find a similar clip on the inside of his own. Then his voice came in an embarrassing croak, “Thanks..?”

Master SoYa said nothing more. Just a simple grin and a friendly glance. And then they were walking across the Assembly Room towards the Inner Circle.

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