Children of Chaos

Chapter 23

In the weeks preceding the Harvest Festival, it feels more and more like I have been exiled from the others, awaiting further judgment that doesn't come. I barely see anyone except for Evana and Doctor Korna, who still sees us weekly for medical exams.

Bekah and the others are moved into a communal bunk room days after the meeting, leaving me alone in the unused kitchen. Willow tries to spend time with me during the first week, but our meetings dwindle as their rehearsals for the Festival performance takes up more and more of their time. They work with Keptana outside of city limits underground to rehearse, and apparently Keptana outright ignores any of their questions that don't have to do with the performance. It makes me want to see him even more, to see if he's okay, to ask him about Gerna, and about whatever data that supposedly got stolen.

Instead, I spend my days following Evana like a shadow, or stuck in my room while he's in confidential meetings. It turns out being a mute, magic-less assistant means you're pretty useless.

In my abundant free time, I try to find out more information about the Noxians, the Tybarans, my mother's necklace, or anything really, but the half-translated news articles are only so helpful. What I really want to do is ask Evana about the headdress in the exhibition room, or Keptana about my mother. I would even welcome seeing Janab the Tybaran spy just to have someone who knows something to talk to. I don't even have any dreams from my mother's necklace as a distraction.

In my search, I do come across a growing handful of articles that discuss the rumored return of the Protectors, and sightings of humans on Almnerixi. I open one article that promises pictures, to see a single picture that's ridiculously blurry, but still it's clear that the figures are not aliens. There are four small figures with their backs turned, each of them with their arms out in different positions as they manipulate magic off frame. The blaze of red curls on one of the figures gives Alexis away, even if I can't tell the others apart. I wonder if Gerna is aware of Bekah's plots coming true, if Magra or Keptana care about what they're doing.

Finally, after weeks of near isolation, I'm visited by Willow, Alexis, and Evana. I jump up from my cot a little too eagerly, then clear my throat and cross my arms casually.

"What's up?" I ask.

"Today is the first day of the Harvest Festival. There's going to be a big feast in the compound," Alexis says, jumping over.

"The opening ceremonies, if you will," Evana adds.

"Already? Is the performance today?" I ask.

"That's at the end of the week, on the day of the gala," Willow says, smiling wide. "Come on, you're not missing this one."

As I join them and the gathered Noxians in the halls, I don't speak to avoid breaking the disguise, but it feels good just to be close to the others again. As the food stores are broken into and the entire underground Noxian force comes together for the banquet, Willow and the others tell stories about their rehearsal time with Keptana, and everyone is smiling and laughing. Bekah isn't quite as harsh to me, and Sofie's smiles are shared with me in abundance, which almost makes things feel like normal.

At some point a large flask of some fruity drink passes by our group, and the Noxians around us encourage us all to take a sip. We each take a turn or two, and afterwards things seem even more silly.

Halfway through the evening, a group of young Noxians approaches our group, asking Bekah and the others to give a sneak peek of their performance. Their pleading gives way to loud chanting from Noxians across the hall and three halls down, and the intersection between halls becomes three times as crowded.

Finally, Bekah grins and stands up, and the chanting breaks into cheers and stomps. She pulls Sofie along with her, and Alexis willingly follows, blowing kisses of snowflakes at the growing crowd. To my dismay, even Willow gets up to follow, and when I grab her shirtsleeve, she only shrugs, and walks after them.