Solstice shook his head, “Let her go when she calms down, Commander Bayslee.”
Bastion nodded, “Will do, Commander Solstice.”
Seth checked his chair thoroughly before he sat down next to Vivian, “Ah, Commander Vivian, so nice to see you again.”
Vivian glared at him, “You’re late.”
Seth sputtered, “The ceremonies kept me, I had no choice!”
Vivian turned away from him. Seth sighed and fidgeted with a lucky charm hanging around his neck.
A ripple appeared in the air next to Solstice. A tall, black cloaked woman with a coal-black claymore on her back suddenly appeared. Her short dark hair was molded into spikes, her solid black eyes darted around the room before settling on Solstice. At a glance, she looked like a Twinblade, but closer inspection would reveal slim silver tracings on the edges of her cloak and uniform. The back of her cloak bore the insignia of the Arc Claymores: a golden arc cutting through the blade of a claymore.
She nodded at Solstice, her voice was emotionless, “Solstice.”
He nodded back, “Welcome, Annette.”
Annette walked over to one of the chairs surrounding the table and slammed her sword into a slot designed exactly for that purpose. Seth, focusing on his lucky charm, failed to notice her arrival and jumped at the sound. He looked around wildly for the source, and sighed in relief when he saw Annette.
“Ah, it’s just you. Greetings Commander De’Laan.” He said.
She stared at him with a blank expression as she took her place at the table. Seth held her gaze for a few seconds and then looked away, fidgeting with the charm once more.
Solstice looked around the room, “Two more…” He thought. Erika tapped Bastion’s side, “Hey, Bast. Can ya let me down now?” She asked.
Bastion looked down at her, “I don’t know Erika, can you control yourself?”
“Maybe?”
“Then no.”
Erika started rubbing her head on Bastion’s chest, “C’mon, Bast. Please?”
“Do not release elemental energy in here!”
Little arcs of electricity started to jump from Erika’s hair to Bastion. Bastion dropped her on the floor, and backed away with his hands up defensively. “Calm yourself, Erika!”
Erika stood in a crouch, sparks jumping from her body. Her eyes had turned solid white. The air around her was humming with electricity, rising in pitch and volume. Annette jumped up, drew, and threw her claymore in one fluid motion at Erika, who was now suspended in the middle of the room.
The sword snagged on Erika’s cloak and pinned her to a metal plate on the wall. The electric current jumped to the plate, discharging her body. Annette walked over and reached up to retrieve her sword when Solstice stopped her.
“Annette, give Commander Halcyon some time to regain her senses.” He said.
Annette stopped, “As you wish, Solstice.”
At that moment, the door opened. Commander Arya Marras Arc Longsword strode into the room, tan cloak swirling around her.
“Good morning all, Arya has arrived!” She called out.
She stopped when she saw Erika, pinned to the wall, and demanded from Solstice, “Okay Solstice. What did I miss?” Solstice walked over to Arya, “Nothing, Commander Marras. The meeting has not yet begun.” He said.
“I see that. But why is Erika speared to the wall?”
“She lost control of her element, Annette discharged her.”
Arya snorted, “I’ll say.”
She walked over to an empty chair directly across from Seth and plopped into it.
“Hey Seth, how did you get in before me?” She said teasingly.
Seth frowned, “Commander Halcyon dragged me in.”
Arya’s green eyes sparkled with merriment as she laughed.
Seth sputtered, “This is not a laughing matter! I was unable to complete the ceremony because of her!”
“Oh really?”
“Yes!” He paused, “Commander Solstice completed it in my stead.”
Arya called over to Solstice, “Why do you humor this guy, Solstice?”
Solstice took his seat, “This meeting’s efficiency would decrease if I did not.”
Bastion sat down next to Arya, “Stop teasing Commander Foundry, Commander Marras. We have better things to discuss.”
“Fine, fine.” She waved dismissively, “so when do we start?”
Erika pulled the claymore out of the wall and dropped to the floor. She rubbed the back of her head. “Damn it all, that hurt!” She shouted. She threw the sword at Annette, who calmly caught it by the hilt and slid it back into its slot. Erika staggered over to her chair, cursing under her breath as she sat.
Vivian stared at the remaining empty seat. She looked pointedly at Solstice, “Did you defeat Arc Warscythe so soundly that they dare not show their face?”
“Patience, Commander Smith. Commander Hunter will be here soon.”
Arya kicked her legs up onto the table and crossed them. Her fingers beat a tattoo into the arm rest of the chair. She waved a hand at the door absently, “If there’s any chance that a meeting will involve conflict, that violent freak will be here.”
Seth spoke up, “Speaking ill of people will bring bad luck.”
Erika retorted, “Speakin’ at all will bring you bad luck.”
Bastion and Arya laughed. Solstice clapped his hands together, everyone looked at him. He regarded Erika and Seth with cold eyes, “Save your taunts for the battlefield, Commanders.”
They answered him simultaneously.
“Sorry Sol.”
“I am terribly sorry, Commander Solstice.”
Solstice looked at the door as it opened. A tall man clad in the same fashion as the seven already seated strode into the room. His blood red cloak accented his black and red hair, which was tied back in a long ponytail. Sunken eyes gleamed like rubies set into skin as pale as bone, his mouth was set in a permanent sneer. He stepped up to the remaining chair and sat down in a theatrical fashion.
Solstice nodded at him, “Greetings, Commander Hunter Arc Warscythe.”
Banshee Hunter’s voice was fluid and sonorous, “Greetings, Commander Solstice Arc Twinblade. Shall we begin?”
Outside of the meeting chamber, two Twinblades ignored their orders to stand guard and stood crouched by the door, listening to the conversation within.
“They’ve been at it for hours. Do you think there’s been a dispute?”
The other guard shushed his partner, “Shh, I think they just mentioned Dragons!”
“Dragons? What would they be talking about Dragons for?”
“Beats me, I’ll listen some more, you watch the other end of the hall.”
The murmurs in the chamber escalated, a chair fell over as a woman started shouting.
“What’s going on?”
“The commanders are arguing!”
“Do you think they will fight like last time?”
The shouting diminished, the murmurs continued.
“They stopped shouting.”
The other guard heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s a good sign. I don’t like cleaning up blood.”
The guard by the door held up a hand for silence. One voice was speaking now. The voice stopped. The entire room was silent.
“They all just went silent.”
“What happened?”
“Commander Solstice said something, and then they all just went silent.”
“That’s not a good sign for us.”
“Definitely not.”
Commander Solstice began speaking again.
“Jukil’s blades preserve us!”
“What happened?”
“Solstice just said that the Dragons are requesting an alliance!”
“With us?”
“Not just with us, with the whole Great Arc!”
The other guard was silent.
“They’re talking again. I think they’re calling for a vote.”
Solstice’s voice murmured through the door. A unanimous word followed it. The guard watching the hall spoke, “What just happened?”
The guard listening stood. His face was pale. He walked over to the other guard and stood stock-still. “The Commanders of the Wraith Faction have just unanimously agreed to join the Dragon’s Alliance.”
“Jukil’s blades…” The other guard whispered.
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