Sub-Chapter 6.a - Glitch In Our Matrix
/December, 2011, a Friday
Council Room/
The Head of the Council stared intently, yet calmly, at the door until it closed behind the group.
After a few seconds, she turned briskly around, her strong voice shattering the silence.
"Disgrace! How dare they bring that scum to our realm!"
She turned to Lord Tycho, who was avoiding her glare.
"And Tycho! How dared you mistake that thing for an Anima! How dared you admit to your mistake!"
She glowered at the assembled Archanima.
"We are the Council," she spoke lowly, "we do not make mistakes."
Four of the five Council members nodded and voiced their agreement. Tycho, still ashamed and perplexed, said nothing.
She took a deep breath and turned away from her Council.
"What do you all suggest?" Her voice was very strained.
The Council was quiet for a moment. Then, one of the Archanima - the blue-feathered one, turned her face toward the ceiling.
Even though she was not watching, the Head Archanima noticed.
"Yes, Vega? Do you have something to say?"
Vega closed her eyes and whispered gently, "Bellatrix save us..."
Hearing her plea, the others joined her in her whispers.
"May Alshain keep his hand upon our shoulders," the one with violet wings murmured, his voice low.
"Nashira, show us the way..." The small green-and-grey winged woman pleaded.
"Acrux shield us from this darkness," The gold-feathered Anima cried out.
The magenta Archanima fumed.
"Why do you shout to spirits?!" She yelled, hushing the whispers.
"They will hear us," the green Anima said softly. "They always do."
"Mira, you know that they do not-"
Vega stood. "Pray you not to Ankaa?"
The Head Archanima glowered, standing taller, as if she had been challenged.
"Why would I pray to her? She is long dead and gone. Why would I pray to one of the foul Reds? They were exiled for a reason."
"And what was the reason? It seems as if only you Magentas know anymore," the gold Anima countered.
"Rigel, it matters not what they did, it matters only that they never do it again."
She turned to Tycho, who had remained quiet the entire time.
"What say you, Tycho? Do you, too, call to the dead?"
Tycho kept his head down, his voice almost nothing.. "Altais would know what to do..."
"Why do you seek help from the dead?! There is no one to help us! We are the Council of Archanima! We are the highest voice in the land!"
The violet-feathered Anima spoke up solemnly.
"Fellow Council, do not pretend. Do not turn a blind eye to what you know. Her Highness does not pray to Ankaa because she has given herself to-" here he was quite literally choked off, Her Highness' nails digging into his throat.
"Altair," she hissed, "you know not who you speak of."
He snarled at her, and her nails gripped tighter, a trail or two of blood slipping out from under them.
She released him, and calmly allowed him a moment to cough before she screamed, "Death to those who worship the dead! May Haedus claim your souls and Sinistra tear you apart!"
Silence fell like a thick, suffocating blanket at the mention of the two unholy names.
She took a deep breath, pleased with the discomfort and fear she had procured in them.
"Now," she said levelly, trying to keep her voice from shaking with anger, "now that we have that out of our systems, let's move on to something we can agree on, yes?"
The heads around the table hastily nodded.
"We must decide what to do about this... predicament."
More nods.
Vega was the first to actually speak, having taken a long moment to gather her nerves.
"I don't see why we allow him to remain up here... Not only is he a Flightless, but a human!"
Rigel joined her. "You know what those humans have done to their own lands... we don't want that here. ....Not anymore than we have already..." The last statement had been made under his breath, but the others understood without hearing.
"Besides," the soft voice of Mira spoke up, "he looks... so much like... her..."
Her Highness shot the green-winged Archanima a glare.
"We agreed to never speak of her again. She is dead and gone, years ago."
"But it is true... when I first laid eyes on him, all I could see was her face..." Altair whispered, dabbing the hem of his dark cloak at his lightly bloodied throat.
The magenta-feathered Anima sighed.
"Yes, I suppose there is a resemblance. But that is no need for concern, it is merely a coincidence."
"A bad omen," Vega added.
Suddenly, Tycho made his wavering presence known again, definity and certainty in his voice.
"We must keep our people safe, no matter what."
He stood, his voice remaining firm.
"I say we kill him."
Another stunned silence, then nods and solemn murmurs of agreement.
"But what if that group with his decides to protect him? They are on the edge of a rebellion, we all know it." Mira glanced around, saw understanding on the faces around her.
Tycho shrugged. "If they rebel and try to protect the human, we simply kill them, too."
The Head Archanima smiled darkly.
"I agree. Kill the human, and the rebels. Two birds with one stone, if you will." Her chuckle was painted with the same dark demeanor as her smile.
"I always knew you were my ally, Tycho."
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