It was in the afternoon, closer to the evening hours when they arrived at this place that looked like it could be straight out of a harry potter series. And when they arrived at this arcane citadel, the sky hung with a magenta and orange twang that rippled through the clouds as the sun dipped low around the earth. The spring breeze whistled as it dashed through the clothes and tendrils of those incessantly filling the ground.
A myriad of people came out of cars and or the air traversing in pairs or alone slowly to the huge building that sat like a colossal on the verdant lands. Was it an old castle? Was it even real? Colette was genuinely intrigued as she neared the cobbled stones that stacked high. The many towers sitting, extending to the heavens were massive and the girl wondered what would cause the existence of such a huge place and when could such beauty had been established?
In addition to the mind-blowing architecture, she couldn't help but admire the people from all corners of the globe she had never seen before. They bumped into her as she walked beside the queen. A woman appeared out of nowhere causing the brunette to flinch at the way the air was manipulated and skewed.
The countless invitees and preeminent forces muttered in indistinct languages, many sounding unreal and made up to the brunette's unaccustomed ears and she was so fascinated.
"People can do that?" She asked, observing the people who appeared out of nowhere. She was in awe yet still so terrified.
"Yes, I can do that you too," revealed her majesty.
Colette gasped. "And you never told me?"
"I don't talk about my powers a lot,"
"I can tell but that's fricken cool, oh my gosh,"
The raven head grinned at her excited girl, she did her best to make Colette feel distracted and calmed during that time and so far it seemed to work. They were nearing that point Adira dreaded for the past several weeks and she exhaled and inhaled several times, calming her nerves first before she tried to calm her girl's or the others and she thought it was a good idea.
Overwhelmed by the rush now, Colette clutched Adira's taut arm close to her body the second they started showing up inside that building. The girl tried to distract herself by taking in the odd candelabras and ceilings and statues of obscure dead people but the tension in the air was too palpable, too tangible and so thick it could strangle one if you didn't have the right propensity to endure it.
Adira, being the good-natured person she was, noticed the girl's discomfort and she reassured her.
"Relax it'll be over before you know it,"
"You promise?"
The queen gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I promise," However, she knew she was lying but did her best to not make it obvious. The last council hearing she attended last almost a week but she wouldn't share that bit of information at all.
Colette's emeralds continued to take in the array of people as they all travelled the large halls: they were tall, short, pudgy, slim, bald, hairy, brown, black, white, they had dark eyes, no eyes, vibrant eyes, vibrant skin, long nose, sharp nose, flat noses, noses with undefined bridges, they wore ethnic clothing, long clothing, scaled, not scaled, small, big. The brunette ogled at the colourful crowd of people who bustled through the building, efficiently easing through the second barrier meant to keep out all those who weren't welcomed.
This barrier to the unaccustomed eye would seem invisible, clear as water and at first, it appeared that way to Colette but when she sauntered over to that section of the citadel, she saw it, that blue hue. It glinted like crystals, clumping like spiderwebs against the opening of all the doors. When she slipped past it, to which she was expecting not to, it left a tingle on her skin and for a second she could see the markings of her tattoos as they started to glow.
"Oh my gosh, who is that?" Colette questioned when she noticed the beautiful woman with the long, golden wings that nearly dragged against the floor. The queen's gaze travelled over to the being, recognizing the woman.
"That's a pact angel,"
"What is a pact angel?"
"They do the same things a deal devil does but they're usually involved in more peaceful and less chaotic deals and pacts."
"So like Rose?"
"Well, Wolf, or Rose in this sense doesn't play fairly. They're neither one nor the other but both. The fact that he could switch to whatever person he wants to be whenever is a firm indicator that's he's—"
"Did you know Rose could do that?"
"I was aware that he had many aliases but the way he presented himself to you, as this Rose, that was new,"
"Is that allowed?"
Adira chuckled, her heels clicked rhythmically against the black and white tiles but it stopped briefly when she paused to gaze down at the girl's expectant face. "Almost anything is allowed if you know how to get away with it,"
"That's true," Sam replied from behind the women and Colette turned around to see him grin, his pierced face and crooked teeth greeted her.
"I guess that's coming from a place of experience?"
"Absolutely," the man grinned.
The moment they arrived at the door, a very large door to be exact, the people bustling through, Adira stopped, turning to all those who needed to show their faces; it was a number of them.
"Why are there so many people?" Asked Colette.
"Because there's someone to represent every species of people, and sometimes spectators all are welcomed."
"Except humans," replied Sam.
"They've been a few recorded instances in the past where we welcomed several humans as representations and even spectators,"
"But?" Sam pushed on and his persistence caused Adira to frown.
"There is no but," she stated.
"Okay." Mumbled the man.
"Now, the reason I stopped you, all of you, is to give a fair warning." Her majesty began to say.
"Do not, and I emphasize greatly, aggravate the members of the council today. Do not disrespect the elders, be sincere and speak the truth but mostly do not let them switch your words, do not let them infuriate you to the point where your poise and grace is thrown to the side."
Colette frowned. "I'm so nervous," she confided and received a few whispers of 'me too' or 'I don't understand why we have to be here, we didn't do anything.
"I understand that each of you is overwhelmed and some even feel as though the situation has nothing to do with them but it does and I implore you to take into consideration that this will quell the conflict between us and the vampires, so your presence right now is crucial and I need you, all of you." Her majesty revealed and the irritable people remained silent.
"This is a rarity and most of you probably wouldn't even have to speak, okay?"
The group of people nodded. Once they collectively agreed to be on their best behaviour, Adira led them into the room and immediately Colette's jaw dropped.
There were hundreds upon hundreds of seats stacked around a large room, like an arena type style. In the centre was a small table with two chairs that faced another, very long table with a slew of benches to which a few beings already took their seats.
Colette noticed a being, he was humongous; he had his hair tied in a bun and tribal tattoos marked his forehead and chin and at the sight of him the girl questioned,
"Where on earth did he come from?"
"Underground, there's an entire civilization of giants living within the earth,"
"That... is so cool," the girl gawked. She couldn't take her eyes off the man and for a moment he glared at her and when he did she looked away almost immediately but a smile curled at his lips and the girl knew that he was aware she gazed at him and in awe.
Quickly the room filled to the brim and at the sighting of all parties the woman leading the council, an older werewolf, banged a gavel and in seconds the room became quiet, so quiet Colette wondered if the people were suddenly mute or had frozen.
"Welcome, one and all," this woman's strident voice said and the people nodded their heads almost in unison.
"It is with a mind filled with unease and despair that I greet all of you here today. We've gathered on the circumstance of a conflict and imminent violence between some of our counterparts and friends,"
The predominant older woman with greying hair searched around the room.
"This hearing is in regards to the rivalry between revenants and vampires and rather recently werewolves and succubuses have joined the fight. Shortly, names will be uttered from a list and we the council will interrogate every last person, gaining better insight into the matter and hopefully before the evening is over we come to a conclusion that would aid the people unfortunately intertwined in this conflict." The speaker's eyes panned the room and she noted the revenant queen in the front row of the crowd.
"We seem to have a full house. Queen Adira," she stated providing a slight head nod at her majesty to which Adira reciprocated.
"Shall we begin?" The speaker questioned her peers afterwards and they agreed.
Taking her seat the elder among the werewolves spoke, "As mentioned, and following the issue, the first to be called forth from the considerable list is none other than, Petra Areya,"
Everyone's eyes panned the room, including Colette's but no one noticed the flamboyant vampire anywhere. There was nothing but soft murmurs and searching gazes. Collectively, the room of people questioned the whereabouts of the ostentatious woman and then it clicked for Colette, there was no way Petra could be there with her in the same room. The seal would harm her greatly, and the thought of it now caused worry to settle in the pit of the girl's stomach. She might've despised Petra but she didn't want to see her burn to a crisp at all.
An individual eventually climbed down into the circle of people and whispered in the speaker's ear. The woman frowned, her irritated face panned only to Adira.
"I've been informed that Petra is in the building, but cannot fully entire the room because of a seal she's tethered to. It was a marking inflicted by the queen of revenants and the only one who could reverse it, is said, queen,"
At such an announcement, the room of people whispered and shuffled around and at their obvious gossip, the queen, with her arms folded across her chest spoke.
"I will lift the seal temporarily," Adira announced and all eyes were on her.
"Good, then while you do so, the council would like to call the human, Colette Rivers to join us in the circle,"
Adira stood up and all eyes were on her yet again. There were murmurs, there were whispers of adulation and distaste but the woman ignored them— people were often too opinionated for her and she didn't care but it didn't mean she wasn't annoyed.
"I would like to request speaking on the behalf of miss Rivers, councilwoman Iradessa,"
"Why, does she not have lips and a tongue like the rest of us?" The elder among vampires, a man with silver eyes and a strong visage added. He seemed irritated despite the hearing starting only minutes prior.
"She does but the girl isn't much of a talker, Councilman Victor. This sort of environment is overwhelming for her and I would much appreciate it if it's taken into consideration. If there are any concerns about my credibility to speak I would like to state that everything that happened to Colette, happened within my vicinity or I was made aware of all of it. That should qualify me to speak on her behalf,"
For several seconds, maybe a minute a few of the people mumbled among themselves.
"We will start the hearing with miss Areya first, then you will speak for the human when her turn comes. As for now, lift the seal from Petra," answered the predominant speaker.
"Of course,"
Queen Adira didn't need to leave the room, nor did she needed to be within proximity of the woman to lift the seal but she stood in her seat, channelling her thoughts and energy and within seconds she was able to locate where exactly in the building Petra was and quietly she muttered her phrases. Eventually, in seconds Adira sat back on the bench beside Colette.
"I had no idea Petra would show,"
"I didn't either, she's usually absent from matters like these,"
"Perhaps they threatened her with sanctions," answered McLean.
"Even if they did, she's too stubborn to acknowledge that," whispered Adira. "There's something that's influencing her,"
"Maybe she realized this time around tha-"
The large door leading into the vast room creaked opened and quickly Colette's gaze panned to the source. Tall heels clicked and carried this figure into the room, and with a smirk on her face, the flamboyant vampire sauntered through the room. Her hips swayed violently, her red dress provocatively short, she was the muse for all and she seemed to like it.
"Sorry I'm late," her voice echoed in tandem with her loud heels. Petra was sure to take her time as she walked, she wanted all to take a good look and to enjoy that look.
"You're actually on time this occasion miss Areya," announced Iradessa.
"Oh my, history has been made here today I see," she replied and the room of people chuckled.
Colette couldn't help but admire how at ease and natural Petra was amid the tens of eyes and stares. She seemed so comfortable and proud and the girl envied that, she wanted that.
"Adira," the vixen mumbled as she walked down in the middle of the circle, she'd noticed the revenant queen. Adira scrutinized her and although she was angry at the woman's lack of concern, she gave Petra a tiny smile. Despite the ordeal, despite the animosity that was still slightly there, Adira still cared for the woman and it was clear Petra cared for her as well but they were too proud, too egotistical to concede that bit of information. However, they preferred to drop subtle hints that they did not entirely hate each other.
"Petra, it's nice to know you're well," uttered the queen and the vampire grinned.
"My darling, Colette, I see that you're doing well too," spoke Petra.
"I am, thank you for noticing," Colette replied, fidgeting in her seat.
With another beautiful and pearly white grin, the vixen took her seat at the table that faced the elders and when she did, the room became silent yet again.
And so it began, the dissection of the ordeal, the start to something good most had hoped.