It was a cold morning, and the protesters outside were already at a clamor. Waking early, tied and unable to sleep, Bastian stepped up to the fountain and splashed it's exceedingly cold water to wake himself. On the ground floor he walked towards the dining hall, where Guardians were already awake and eating. The cooks looked tired, bags under their eyes, and Bastian only asked for "A little porridge with brown sugar and maple syrup if there's any left. Sorry to bother."
The chants were muffled within and over a warm bowl of sloppy porridge, Bastian looked at the London Daily Times.
[HEADING=2]PROTESTS CONTINUE INTO THIRD DAY[/HEADING]
Three days of rioting and protesting the civil rights of Magic-Users and Monsters, the Metropolitan Police are unable to stem the tide of protesters and their push o Parliament. The ever-faithful Guardians have remained penned up and have refused to make any statements. They come before Parliament today to speak on this issue, sending renowned Guardian and voice of the common man Sebastian Wyre to speak before a join session of Parliament. A large force of black feather wearing, black flag carrying protesters overturned a police van today and were sprayed with pepper spray and arrested. (Page 3, Protest)
Bastian opened the paper past the political cartoons and the editorials to the Sports page and calmly read about last night's football game between Manchester and Liverpool. High Master Pharisee walked in and looked down his jackal face at Bastian. "A poor man's breakfast?" he asked, picking up a plate of carefully seasoned and prepared meat and broth, his usual meal in the morning.
"Yes, High Master. I see you were unable to sway your brothers and sisters to send someone else."
Pharisee nodded and said "Sadly, Arcturus and Skald sided against me and Miss Esmeralda was unconvinced of my speech."
Bastian nodded and kept eating, listening to Pharisee through slurping bites of mutton haunch.
"You see...you are the best...person to speak for us...and the other...High Masters...would rather you...over someone less qualified." taking one last crunch of the bone before slurping out the marrow and picking up the bowl and draining it's contents into his gullet, spilling some in the process. He once was a man, but an experiment gone awry transformed him into a half-jackal half-man. He regains his intelligence and mastery of the arcane though he is frightening. He wiped his muzzle with a handkerchief and said "You'll do fine, Bastian. Everyone believes in you."
Bastian made a wry face and said "I hope their belief is not misplaced."
~~~
The marching colum of Honor Guard that followed Bastian, all Masters and wearing the golden and emerald encrusted armor, their faceless masks etched with the symbol of the guard's patron Great Guardians. Two Libras, a Pisces, a Taurus, and two Capricorns followed Bastian all the way up to the chambers, past the insult hurling and jeering crowds of protesters carrying signs, waving plain black flags and throwing dead flowers. Bastian kept silent as he walked, the halberds of his Guard parting the sea of people as he walked up the hill to the new Parliament building. The first being demolished to expand the Guardian's Sanctuary.
The chambers of Parliament were no different, muttering abounded and a hush came over as Bastian spoke his prepared speech.
"Gentleman and ladies of Parliament. I come before you speak on behalf of my Order, the Guardians of Light. I speak with the voice of my Order."
Bastian cleared his throat and began.
"On the topic of civil rights for those who are monstrous or who are able to wield powers arcane, the Guardians of Light stand with those wearers of the black feather."
There were gasps and shouting, but the Prime Minister banged his gavel and there was silence.
"You see...Parliament has for too long looked down on those people we guard and too long have we allowed our Order to be used to punish and inflict pain on our own. You think we are ignorant savages, and you've been so many places I guess it must be so. But still I cannot see if the savage one is me, how can there be so much that you don't know? You don't know..." Here, Bastian began to sing...quietly at first but he began to swell as magic swirled and painted images before him in living color. "You think you own what ever land you land on, the earth is just a dead thing you can claim. But I know every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name. You think the only people who are people are the people who look and think like you. But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger you'll learn things you never knew you never knew. Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind? Come run the hidden pine-trails of the forests, come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth. Come roll in all the riches all around you and for once never wonder what they're worth. The rainstorm and the river are my brothers, the heron and the otter are my friends and we are all connected to each other in a circle, in a hoop that never ends. How high does the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you'll never know and you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue cor moon or whether we are mortal or arcane. We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain, need to paint with all the colors of the wind. You can own the earth and still all you'll own is earth until you can paint...with all the colors of the wind..."
The people of Parliament were silent before one shouted out "That was stirring, but why do you stand with these ingrates who clutter our doorstep?"
"Because, for too long have you simply owned the Guardians and owned the people of your United Kingdom. It is time you learned to respect your people, walk in their footsteps, feel their suffering, or be torn down as tyrants. The Guardians of Light stand united with the Black Flags, and we demand that this Parliament change. The Conclave has been summoned and will meet at midnight tonight. If no agreement is made, then on the next day the Conclave will declare a state of noncompliance and we will walk out from service. We will protest with those in the streets all over the world. We will Occupy these chamber and not back down until we are heard. Shout it from the clifftops, the Conclave has spoken! WE DRAW THE LINE HERE, THIS FAR AND NO FURTHER! THE CONCLAVE DEMANDS JUSTICE, AND JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED WHETHER BY THE PEN OR BY THE SWORD! Now, I will leave you all to debate which one is preferable." Bastian then turned as the Parliament erupted into a fierce clamor, his work was done and he Honor Guard closed aroudn him. The police first rose up to stop them but the halberd's points forced them to back down. Bastian waved some orange fate spindles around as he walked by. Outside, there was a hush as Bastian raised his hands and proclaimed "THE GUARDIANS, AND THE CONCLAVE, STAND WITH THE BLACK FLAGS!" there was such a cheer that none has ever heard before and Bastian returned to the Sanctuary in triumph, elation stealing into his step.
The crowd was jubilant as Bastian passed through the golden gates and into the safety of the Sanctuary. He steered towards the dungeons immediately, knowing exactly what to do next.
She was sitting on the cold iron bed, staring at the wall. "You're awful quiet today." said Bastian. The woman did not answer, she simply kept staring. Her horns were nicely curled back and gleaming, their fuzzy covering having sloughed off. "We made our statement today..."
"Sold us to the dogs, did you?" she said, unfeeling.
"No."
She looked at Bastian said, in a questioning voice, "No?"
Bastian shook his head.
"Then..." she started, trailing.
"We've sided with those feathers and flags out there."
"But...why?"
"It's time for everyone to have rights. The blacks got them, the women got them...why not a werewolf...or a spellcaster?"
She was silent and after a short silence she said "Now what?"
"I let you free, on the promise you help us finish this campaign."
"You...you need my help?"
"WE need your help."
Bastian unlocked the cage and she stepped out daintily. "There is a meeting soon, the Conclave is coming together. We'd like you to be there."
The woman nodded and said "I...I'll go...I just need..."
Bastian nodded, "Go and get what you need. I'll have guards escort you. The crowds are rather...animated today."
~~~
Bastian tapped his communicator twice, signaling the people he had selected to accompany him to the Monolith. "If all members of the departing party would go to the Aerie and start boarding I will be along shortly" he said before turning to the man in his room. "I'll miss you, Fred." he tussled his hair and said "Don't be a dope."
He smiled and said "For you, I'll try to stay out of trouble," and he winked. They hugged and Bastian stepped out of his room and walked towards the large ornate door covered in a relief of soaring eagles. It was a massive elevator that led all the way up, above the clouds, to the Aerie. Where the huge zeppelins docked. There in it's massive splendor was the Wind and Sail IV She was a beauty with her brass undercarraide and oak and pine paneling and floors. She was luxury afloat on the winds, and the Guardians could afford such a floating home. After saying goodbye to the oldest of his brothers, he had one more person to say goodbye to. There he was, a kind of shining splendour that would put you to your knees. A handsome man in a long coat and fedora, blustering in the wind. "Little wind up here?" shouted Bastian over the wind.
"Aye! Look at you, you'll blow away like a kite."
They embraced and kissed, "You thought I'd let you go without a goodbye" said the man, a Scotsman by the name of Charlie.
"I couldn't forget you, what kind of person would I be? Come on, I got to get going." said Bastian, looking at the gangway.
He turned Bastian's face towards his and said "You come back in one piece, no heroics and defined no shenanigans!
He smiled and they hugged again "Goodbye, Charlie. I'll see you soon."
It wasn't much of a secret within the Guardians of Bastian's sexual preferences, but the outside world knew nothing of it. It was needed to cloud Bastian's real life from his work in order to keep the respect of his people. Bastian already knew the kind of hatred and cruelty humans were capable of.
[HERE THE CHAPTER BEGINS. MAKE OF IT WHAT YOU WILL, FOR WE PREPARE TO WEIGH ANCHOR AND SAIL THE SKIES FOR SWITZERLAND.]
