Dark Destinies- Clare Siobhan (Fanfiction) Magical Generation

Chapter Twelve- Loyalty

Cold dense air swell her lungs as the tall stone walls withhold the towering halls.  Bleak expansive floors cover the grounds, perfectly polished and aged with meager scratches, your reflection would stare back with years of heavy history riddled in small dents.  Ancient scrolls and letters cover the left wall in an immerse bookcase that mask the wall behind.  Centuries of spells, historical figures and power all inked elegantly onto these tapestries, all frail and crippled to the touch, torn if opened roughly enough.  Delicate rays of light meagerly descend down from the soaring ceiling, mere glass separate these great halls from the heavens above, clouds being the passage.

In the center of this space, four elevated wooden platforms stand high above the ground, the looming shadows of power and previous leaders shrouding the four Sages as they all perch themselves onto the gap resting high above the ground, though at equal level to one another.  In the thin beams of light, they observe each other, watching as their breaths frighten the small specks of flying dust that gleam in the light, swirling round in agitation as glares are exchanged. 

Raven's tigress eyes emit power at every blink, gouging at Zane's beetle pair, the room is chilled and still to the bone and stone.

"May the Great Sage Assembly begin," Zane words syllable after syllable carefully.  "Present we have, I, Sage Nganga of Alchemy Magic.  Present," he moves his head to his right and glances at a slender man with thin slits for eyes, hiding golden orbs that reflected the falling rays of light from above.  His black sleek hair had begun to grow thin after years of battles, burns and age, but his determination still lays in his pale glow.  "Sage Kim of Mischief Magic,"

"Present," Seo-jun replies heartedly.  His eyes wander from the dark slouched man to the fiery redhead to his right.  He gulps discreetly, uneager for the meeting.

Zane continues, "Sage Stock of Practical Magic," 

A silence follows as everyone's gazes shift to the elderly woman brooding comfortably on the third podium.  Her wrinkled face falls saggily, holding onto her delicate skull as her muscles had all shriveled away in decay.  Blue indifferent eyes stare straight ahead, a slight tremble accompany her stance as she opens and closes her mouth, completely unaware of her heavy and tense surroundings.  Zane lifts his large hand to his chin and clears his throat, gaining the Sage's attention.  Her braided grey strands flop as she shudders confusedly and jumps.  Sculpted wooden Scandinavian figurines dance on her chest as her thick albino fox clothing shields her against the hall's chilled enchantments and ancestry.  Mild blue eyes peep between the faces of her fellow Sages.

"Oh!  Oh dear, pardon me, ynglingar.  I'm Dana Stock-"

"We know, Sage Stock-"

"The Sage of-"

"Yes, we know," Zane huffs out a galled breath of air and moves his hand up to his forehead to support his patience and head.  "I am simply doing the mandatory introduction of Magical Sage Assemblies, Sage Stock,"

"Present!  I'm Dana Stock," the old Sage chirps with a laugh, bringing her frail hand out to produce a clueless clap, a small sound that resonates in the grand halls.  Seo-jun's mouth corners stretch back into a pressed grin as he hides it behind his hand, laying an elbow on the ancient wood in front of him.  He avoids Zane's watchful gaze, gulping down the popping giggles hidden in his throat.  The building tension in him had transformed into panicked mirth.

"And finally..." Zane brings his hand to sardonically caress his dark stubble of ingrown hairs as he exchanges an equal fierce look with the remaining Sage directly in front of him.  "Sage Villareal of Untamed Magic,"