Meeting Begins

"Miss, you are now ready to leave," Opal announced as she completed the final touches to Cynthia's hair.

 Cynthia stood, giving herself a brief glance in the mirror before heading toward the door. As she stepped out of the room, she was joined by Sir Starforge and Dame Shamrock, who fell into step behind her and Opal.

Moments later, they reached the grand front doors of the manor. Opal stepped ahead and pulled one open, allowing Cynthia to step into the morning light.

"Good morning, Councilwoman. Where shall I take you today?" came the familiar, warm voice of Raha, the carriage spirit.

"I will be attending an emergency council meeting," Cynthia replied calmly as Opal opened the carriage door.

"Understood. Destination: the Assembly Hall," Raha confirmed, his voice echoing slightly as the carriage began to move forward at a steady pace.

Sir Eryndor and Dame Lysara followed from behind, gliding silently through the air on silver wings, their armor glinting with each beat as they maintained formation alongside the gently rolling carriage.

Soon, the carriage came to a smooth stop at the base of a sweeping stairway leading up to a grand, imposing building. At the top of the steps stood an enormous pair of ornate doors, flanked on either side by massive stone statues of winged tigers in seated, watchful poses.

Cynthia stepped out, her gaze rising to take in the towering structure. As she ascended the staircase and entered the hall, she was greeted by the sight of intricate murals and majestic sculptures adorning the open atrium. They depicted mythical creatures, some familiar, others wholly unknown. The aura of ancient magic pulsed faintly in the air.

While admiring the artistry, a voice, strange and slightly inhuman, echoed through the hall.

"Greetings. Welcome to the Assembly Hall. You must be the newly ascended council member, yes?"

Cynthia's golden eyes narrowed slightly as she looked around, trying to locate the source. There was no one in sight.

The voice is emanating from the central statue, Master, Veseran offered.

Turning toward the center of the hall, Cynthia focused on the towering marble statue draped in heavy robes. Its face was hidden beneath a deep hood, and suspended before it floated a crystal sphere that shimmered and flickered with every hue of the prism.

"That is correct," Cynthia replied as she stepped forward. "I am the council member you speak of."

"Wonderful. Pleased to meet you... Councilwoman Rochester," the voice responded, sounding somehow layered, both ancient and artificial.

"I see you've already learned my name," she observed, eyes never leaving the dancing lights of the crystal.

"Yes. The information was relayed to me during your time of assimilative sleep," the statue answered. "I am the administrator of this facility. I have no personal name, but I respond to the title Administrator."

"I understand," Cynthia nodded. "In that case, do you know where this meeting is being held, Administrator?"

"But of course," the Administrator said. A flicker of light burst from the crystal orb, forming a glowing sphere that hovered in the air.

"Please, follow the guide," the voice instructed. "It will lead you to the designated meeting chamber."

"You have my thanks," Cynthia said with a small bow of her head, turning on her heel as she followed the floating orb deeper into the luminous corridors of the Assembly Hall.

After arriving at a large set of double doors, the glowing orb paused momentarily before the knobs began to shimmer with light. A soft hum filled the air as the doors opened slowly, and a voice emanated from the orb:

"Now entering: Councilwoman Rochester."

The light sphere flickered once more and then dissipated.

Cynthia stepped into the room, finding herself in a grand chamber centered around an enormous rectangular table. Seats lined both sides, though only four of them were currently occupied. She made her way toward the left side of the room, naturally choosing a seat on that side since the entrance had been to the left as well.

Opal, Sir Eryndor Starforge, and Dame Lysara Shamrock took their places along the wall with the other Draethon knights and attending maids, maintaining a quiet and watchful presence.

As Cynthia settled into her seat, she noticed the man beside her was none other than Pythagoras, the same councilman who had initially barred her from leaving Lumenoth. She gave him a slight nod in acknowledgment, which he returned with equal subtlety.

A soft, pleasant voice soon echoed through the chamber.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, my dear," the woman said.

Cynthia's golden eyes scanned the room until they found the speaker: a refined woman seated at the first chair on the right side of the table, directly opposite Cynthia.

"My name is Marie Curie," she said with a warm smile.

"Pleasure to meet you, Councilwoman Curie," Cynthia replied politely.

"Well, since we're doing introductions, I suppose I should add mine," came a voice from beside Pythagoras. It belonged to the man seated at the head of the left side of the table.

"My name is Dmitri Mendeleev. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Cynthia offered a light smile. "Likewise."

"I am Johannes Kepler," said the man sitting directly across from her.

"Pleasure meeting you all," Cynthia replied with grace.

"Wonderful, now that we've introduced ourselves," Councilwoman Curie began, but was interrupted by Councilman Kepler.

"One moment, Lady Curie. Pythagoras hasn't introduced himself yet."

Lady Curie chuckled lightly. "Ah, yes. That's because Councilman Pythagoras personally welcomed Cynthia into the Council. They've already met."

"Ah, I see," Kepler nodded in understanding.

"Now," Mendeleev said sharply, his tone cutting through the calm. "I believe waiting any longer would serve no purpose. If any other members intended to attend, they'd be here by now."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Cynthia, dear, I'm sure you'll have the chance to meet the rest of us in due time," Lady Curie said, offering her a reassuring smile before shifting the topic.

"Now, regarding the matter of the Azure Dragon Sect's disappearance… just how much is this going to cost us?" Kepler asked, his expression serious.

A voice, clear but cloaked in mystery, answered from the side.

"They typically spend between three hundred and five hundred million gold coins annually just to maintain their communication arrays, talisman networks, and gathering formations. Additionally, a statesman was scheduled to assist in the refinement and creation of a new artifact, an endeavor that would have generated another ten million in net income."

"Thank you, Warden Calisa," Councilwoman Curie replied with a nod in the voice's direction.

"So let`s talk countermeasures and ways to fill in the now obvious gap the disappearance has caused." Lady Curie said as she cupped her hands on the table.