Bk 2: Chapter Four (18)

Arriving at the castle, they walked in to discover it was decorated festively. Red lanterns were lit and drapes were hung. They were led to a hall where a banquet awaited them. Black-skinned dancers were dressed in colourful garb, dancing to the rhythmic drums. Their bodies moved fluidly to mimic the undulating flow of water. The guest found their seats in this large hall. Their host was already seated and waiting for them. Her eyes remained closed even when they entered and sat. Food and wine passed and the entertainment slowly livened up the place and reduced tension. The wine was strong. Even those with the highest martial arts had to be careful as they drank.

After a few rounds of wine, someone dared to ask, "Lady Xier seems not to care for her guests," one of them said. Only then did Lady Xier open her eyes.

"Why do you say so?" she asked.

"Who sleeps throughout their own feast if they don't care? You don't even touch the food, did you put something in it?" the person asked. Lady Xier only smiled slightly at his question. She could already see his clansmen pulling him back in caution.

"I am on a fast," she said and they paused. Fast? Wasn't it only monks and nuns who fasted? They wondered.

"My Lady, the religion has named Juhntt the root of the broken tree. What do you see of this?" the chief of the Flutii clan asked solemnly. The feat seemed to quiet down till only the dancers' anklets and waist beads rattling as they kept dancing and the drums sounded at this moment. Finally, someone had said something; someone had asked the question everyone wanted to ask since they arrived. What was her take on all the new developments? What did she intend to do in Other-side?

"Oh? I should have sent them a congratulatory gift then," she said and they slightly paused. It dawned on them at that moment that, she was a Thraine and Lucy Wickshire was part of their clan. If she made this decision, would their Thraine clan not stand by it?

"So, you agree with the development," the Flutii clan chief said.

"You do not?" she asked and he could not find the answer. Of course, he was not. Why would he be okay with this? The power of the world has shifted to This-side; will their Other-side survive this power shift? But he could not say these words no matter how much they stood at the tip of his tongue. What if this was a Thraine clan decision and he speaks out against it? What then?

"You should be worried, Duq of Flutii. Your clan colluded with the Harnain gate to hunt down Thraines," Lady Xier said leisurely and the Flutii clan froze.

"Did you think we would not know if the entire Harnian gate gets destroyed?" Lady Xier asked and eyes were trained on them.

"Power. You are afraid your power will be drowned by this new wave. Honestly, I don't care what is happening at the moment. My interests are elsewhere. But you; you have forgotten fear," Lady Xier said and Duq stood abruptly. In the entire hall, there was not even a single guard. Even the servants were not armed. He was not comfortable with staying in this feast anymore.

"The Flutii clan has not offended you, Lady Xier," Duq said cautiously.

"Yet I am offended," she said

"We did nothing to incur your anger,"

"Yet, my anger churns without rest,"

"Lady Xier,.,"

"Fear is frowned upon amongst you lot, yet fear keeps people alive," Lady Xier said.

"We in turn are offended by your accusation. We will not stay and be insulted!" he said and the Flutii rose with him and made for the door.

"Fear is necessary," Lady Xier said and the Flutii felt their feet turn wet.

"The stench of power draws such as yourself away from reason," Lady Xier said. They looked down to find that they were being submerged in water that only they could see. The crow only saw them lifted up the ground slightly and struggled up as though swimming. Panic filled their eyes. They could no longer see the banquet halls. All they saw was dark deep water. In the distance, Lady Xier's voice rang through into their minds.

"You can't do this," Duq said, swallowing water slightly. The audience froze in their seat. They wondered who was casting such a powerful skill, that even they could not feel it. The Flutti clan before them looked as though struggling in stormy water. Just at that moment, they glanced at the dancers dancing away with bright smiles and their hearts chilled. It was them; it had to be. They moved in unison; rising from a squatting position, one leg straight forward while hands and upper body moving like water to the drum as they danced, and the Flutii only seemed to be more submerged in water. An illusion?

"Fear is an adviser for flies such as you; so they do not follow the corpse to the grave," Lady Xier said and the Flutii had completely stopped moving, floating there, seemingly drowned. The dancers lowered again as they moved and their bodies descended to the ground. Only then did they continue dancing around.

"One must not forget fear," Lady Xier said to the still room.