The Hawk Warriors

VI

The sound of my feet tapping the wooden floor outside of Tyler's apartment fills my ears as I let out an impatient sigh. Glancing at my bronze watch, it stabs me each time the little hand moved ever so slightly. "You told me you would be ready by two," I grumbled at a sheepish looking Tyler.

"I might have overslept," he says, giving me a weak smile.

"Might? It's four o'clock!" I explode. "You know I don't like being late to meetings," I tell him as I smooth down my suit jacket.

"Well, let's stop wasting time arguing and actually get to the meeting," Tyler says as he walks off.

"I hope we're not too late." I pray.

Opening the doors to the council room, I scan the place to see it was filled with every one of each rank dressed in their finest clothing. Finding the sign-in sheet, I write down Tyler's and I names.

As I took a seat in the fifth row, I use my special ability to see what's happening as if I was in the front row; my eyes saw them seated together on the stage, the embodiment of grace and power. For each animal, there has to be one female and one male to represent the species.

Seated on the far left of the table were the Dragons by the look of their metallic outfits and menacing animals behind them. The far-right sat the phoenixes with their bright hues of red and orange. In the middle, usually reserved for the most powerful animal, was unusually empty. "Do you see the council members?" Tyler whispers to me.

"Yeah," I answer back. My mind didn't register the fact that I was searching for something until my eyes landed on someone: Hazel. Her brown locks are pushed back with a tight bronze dress that showed off her shoulders. It was evident on her face that she was not happy. Next to her in a tan suit is her boyfriend, whose long mane is slicked back into a man bun whose eyes ignore Hazel's.

"Can I have your attention!" The female Phoenix announces out. Peeling my eyes off of Hazel, I turn to look at the woman with a simple orange dress. Dangling from her neck, I can see a necklace with a bright feather on the gold chain. "If you haven't noticed, our fellow unicorns aren't here. His partner, however, is, but his personal secretary will speak on his behalf." She motions for someone to take the stage. My eyes lock onto the tall woman dressed in a white dress that has a hint of yellow to it. Her green eyes shine with unshed tears. Behind her, I see the other unicorn taking her seat with her companions.

"Good afternoon," the woman warmly greets. "For those who do not know me, my name is Urania Ulla, and I am Ulrik's sister in law. As I stand here, I can see the love and acceptance this community has. Here we are a family that does not hold any secrets. That is why I am here, and my brother is not." She gives a weak smile as she fixes her short blonde hair.

"I've seen her before," I say almost to myself.

"I doubt that," Tyler comments. Rolling my eyes, I put my attention back on her. Like a soft breeze, the memories came back to me. She was the unicorn I talked to when she dropped the baby blanket.

"Many know of my dear sister's pregnancy and how excited we were to have another baby in our family. We all knew it was going to be a little girl..." she stops, and I can tell she fought back the tears. "I regret to inform everyone that the baby is no longer with us. She suffered a second-trimester miscarriage." The tears actively fell down her face. "At this time, my family asks for privacy as we grieve this loss. Thank you to all for being here. Remember that we are stronger together than apart." she gives us a smile before walking off stage. The woman in the plain orange dress comes back on stage with a grim expression.

"Let us lower our heads in unity to pay homage to our friend." At once, everyone lowers their heads, and silence entered the room. Whispers could be heard after the moment of silence. All eyes glued to the only unicorn seated. She sat with a slight slouch and covered her face with her blonde hair. I can tell she sensed all our eyes on her since she immediately stood up and fixed her clear glasses.