Soulseer ✔️ *COMPLETE*

Chapter Twenty

With my hammer hanging low over my shoulder, I fight to get my breathing under control. It feels like everything is closing in on me. That's when I realize that everyone really is pressing into my space. Spinning in a slow circle, I notice the loose ring of Seers that has formed around me. With all the people milling around and popping in and out and others apparently wandering in near panic it was easy to miss it. Holy shit. They've huddled around me because they think I can protect them!

Waves of self-loathing roll through me and filter out into my soul.

But a sudden sense of calm drifts across the square like fog, spreading soul to soul.

"Thank you, everyone." Maia's voice carries easily across the Bazaar. All heads turns towards her. "We appreciate your participation in the drill."

Several seers sigh loudly in relief, letting their guards down.

"As many of you know, we have reason to believe the Covenant is preparing for a new offensive and, while unlikely, it's possible that our Gathering will be involved. For this reason, I ask you to remain vigilant. While you may go about your usual activities, be prepared to follow the same protocol as was practiced here: unless assigned to a Borough, you will congregate in the Heart. Further deployments will occur from the Bazaar as warranted by the event. Thank you and please return to your regular day."

And then, before everyone has even had a chance to process what she's said, Maia Enshrouds and blinks away. The ring of Seers surrounding me breaks up as each heads off, smiling or nodding at me before leaving.

One younger Seer even laughs with her friend as the two head off towards Rusinga Borough. "Did you know there was a drill happening today? That caught me completely off guard!"

And her friend shrugs and shakes her head. "I'm just happy it was a drill."

I turn to Mohsin. "Did you know it was a drill? Have you had them before?"

Mohsin shakes his head. "No. I don't think so."

But Ximena strolls out of the crowd. "We've had drills. Lots of them. Well they have. Apparently we've always been in class at the arena - which is where they want us to go if something does happen," she says. "The only thing different about this drill is that only the council knew it would happen today. That's why we're here and everyone else was shitting bricks."

"So they think something might happen soon - like really soon," I say.

Mohsin's eyes are wide and alarmed but he nods.

"Ready to hammer them into submission, Weaver?" Ximena teases, Shaping an unwieldy hammer block of soul to mock me. "That's why they'll attack us. Because of you."

"'Mena," Mohsin says with a withering look at her.

But Ximena shrugs it off and locks eyes with me. "Sure hope you're worth it. Otherwise a lot of good people could go to their pyres for nothing - protecting you."

It takes me a moment to process that. My eyes dart around catching the backs of the Seers I'd naively assumed had come for my protection. And I realize that Ximena's take is much more likely. Those Seers were there to protect me, ready to lay down their lives to keep me safe under the misguided belief that I am someone special.

"She'll calm down," Mohsin says as we both watch her back disappear into the remaining crowds ahead of us. "You know she didn't mean that."

But when I turn back to him, his soul is full of doubt.

+++

After staring at my mostly full bowl of Hu's noodles with chicken for far too long, I follow Mohsin back to "The Pit" to await our next instructor. Ximena scowls when she sees me but claims her spot on Mohsin's other side in the shade along the edge of the sands.