Moon 514 || Blaze and the White Griffon

29 || the Hearing

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Last revision: 3/26/2013 

“Master, are you going to attend the hearing?” inquired a tentative voice that was attached to a habitually confident woman.  As expected, silence was her answer for several moments.  She barely took note of the delay in his response. 

“Of course,” he grumbled in return, perhaps absentmindedly, perhaps distracted.  His young hands answered to his middle aged mind as they flipped through data and recorded new information found on the large screen attached to a microscope.  “Astonishing,” he mumbled to himself, almost forgetting the woman standing at the door.  “You’re a miracle,” he added with a blank face, his eyes gliding back from the screen to the woman.  “These results are more than groundbreaking you know,” he began to explain before getting interrupted.

“As always, I’m flattered,” she hummed, her sultry voice dripping like sticky honey.  Barely missing a beat, she added: “Are you suffering from denial?  In a couple hours you could be standing accused of treason.  Your very life is on the line and you’re preoccupied with a few drops of my blood?”  She finally got his full attention: he slowly cracked a wide grin and his hawk-like eyes twinkled.

“Aria,” he airily called back.  “Every man and woman aligned to our cause believes himself dead without my continual and daily approval of their lives; they grovel at my feet in desperation and beg for their meds until I know their allegiance is unyielding and wean them because I have no doubt of their loyalty.  You,” he emphasized, “are the only one who cannot hold a tattoo or a burn – the only concern I could possibly have is your loyalty.  You’re not threatening me are you?” His voice was not menacing but neither was it particularly jovial.  That unnerved Aria somewhat but she didn’t show it.

“You’re cute,” she sweetly answered.  “I guess I didn’t think of it that way,” she confessed further.  “I was thinking that men faced with a death penalty for treason might go turncoat if given the option.”

“Doubtful,” he responded with unfeigned indifference, drifting back into his studies and making a final few notes.  The conversation was over and Aria knew her welcome was more than a little worn. 

“If I’m lucky,” she oozed with seduction, “I’ll see you soon.”  With that, she quietly turned and strutted out the door.  Her alluring gait wasn’t deliberate.  It was a habit, a habit she was rarely consciously aware of.  She took an oil vial out of her hip pocket, opened the container, and began applying it directly on her glands located under her chin.  I just may need that extra help, she fretted as she put the vial back into her pocket, trying to act nonchalant and calm as she turned into a busier, more heavily trafficked corridor.

********

“Thank you for coming,” Aria began, standing at an ornately carved podium that had the appearance of an artistic, twisting tree trunk with a slightly asymmetrical shape.  Unseen by the audience was a flat section that allowed the placement of a linatech pad or cube to allow for prompts or visual aids and angled, ergonomically shaped armrests.  Her cube sat in front of her and offered a bullet list of points to share with the crew. 

She is nervous, Evelia silently whispered to Blaze – but she looked anything but nervous to Blaze.  She appeared to be the icon of confidence and poise.

How can you tell? he softly shot back with no small degree of curiosity.  Can you read minds now?

Probably if I tried hard, she confessed, but I can tell because of her aura – it is erratic.

Her what?

Really?  You don’t know what an aura is? she teased.  Of course, she knew that auras were little more than silly superstition to members of their Order and that they were not part of their standard education but she couldn’t help but play the tease from time to time.  Blaze looked at her with a heavily cocked eyebrow and no small degree of playful petulance.  Okay, she conceded – game over.