Stars & Night

[Proof]

The air in the room was heavy, heat radiating off the bodies crammed inside. A small bead of sweat formed at the brow of the shadow bender. His hand still dug into my arm, from where he had dragged me up from the cells through the sprawling series of buildings and to this room.

There was a distinct smell that the old had to them. Like fruit that was on the cusp of becoming too ripe, almost rotten. The faces around us were haggard, wrinkled, in sharp contrast with the plump youth of the shadow bender and I.

He looked down to me, his lips set in a thin line. The playfulness in his eyes was gone from when he held me in the dungeon.

The old woman at the head of the room, slammed her hand on the table, causing me to jump slightly.

"What is it this time, Xiaden? Why have you woke us all at this hour of the night?" I was surprised she hadn't hurt her hand with the way her bones looked so fragile, her wrinkled skin barely still clinging to them.

"Let's hear it." Another elderly woman murmured from beside her.

The shadow bender led me to the center of the space, and let go of my arm, pushing me in front of the group, their tired eyes scanning me. I stood tall under their scrutinous stares.

"A light bender. Fallen from the sky."

The room fell silent, before a series of hushed whispers broke out amongst the gathering.

The worn old woman scoffed. "Prove it." Her eyes bore into me, the color of them so dark and lifeless it was like staring into a black pit. There was something about her that made me instinctively recoil, and avert my eyes to the floor. Power suddenly radiated off of the old woman, as if she were reminding the room why she sat at the head of the table.

The shadow bender shifted beside me. "You want to live?" His voice was low, a barely audible whisper. "Then you better show them you have something of value or they'll kill you right now."

My eyes widened.

The way the old woman's eyes glinted at me from across the room confirmed his statement. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the table, as if counting down before she'd strike.

My eyes darted around the room for any hope of escape, but there were none. Only one door behind me which the shadow bender currently blocked.

The old woman's taps became faster, matching the beats of my heart pounding in my chest.

I knew I shouldn't. Sharing my gifts with strangers did not guarantee safety. 

But I didn't have a choice.

Slowly, I let the light flow to my hands, enveloping them, as I lit up the room with my starlight. The sensation sent a comforting wave through me, like receiving a hug from an old friend in this room full of strangers.

The old woman's tapping ceased, and a wicked smile formed on her face. Her sharp teeth glinted in my starlight, a terrifying shade of grey. I quickly shrunk back my powers, if only to see her terrifying face less clearly.

"Do you know where you are, girl?" Her voice was shaky and hollow, yet it still reverberated powerfully across the room.

I shook my head.

"You are in Sahnad's main military camp."

I swallowed, unsure if she wanted me to respond, as she stared at me in quiet contemplation. She stared at me for a moment longer, and then nodded, as if conferring with her own thoughts. "You will join our recruits. Your powers could be of use to us."

"We cannot just let anyone come and join our ranks! There is protocol, there is process –" One of the men in the back yelled out, spit flying from his mouth.