Luminary (Expanded Edition)

  Chapter 4: Chaos in the Hall

  "What the hell?"

  He stood without moving, legs slightly apart, shoulders squared at the scene in front of him. Wicus was astonished at the noise level that echoed across the normally tranquil Great Hall. It wasn't simply the volume, more the obvious rancor and tension that accompanied it.

  Stunned into silence by the pandemonium, he knew that he’d been right about the nagging sensation. There was something else going on. The question was, What?

  The chamber's vaulted, arched ceiling was some four stories high, resembling the interior ribbing of a giant walnut shell, carved out of some unknown stone that looked as smooth as highly polished granite but was warm and soft -- almost spongy -- to the touch. Each arch was so true it supported its own weight.

  Golden animated chandeliers -- more members of the Luminary race, floated elegantly a foot below the ceiling where each arch curved into the next. Their warm glow illuminating the chamber in a glorious light that seemed to have its own texture. The natural acoustics amplified the tiniest sound which meant that even the meekest voice -- Paragon or Luminary was easily heard across the room.

  The impressive architecture was now forcing the clamor of its current occupants upward and downward, a wall of sound ricocheting around them, creating a din so loud, that a Paragon might describe it as, 'ten humans shy of a riot.’

  Despite the unsettling uproar, now that they had arrived at their destination Wicus was calmer and more in control. He handled the problems of others better than his own. And he had important business to do here.

  Beside him, Waxine hissed.

  The magical flames on all eight of her invisible candles beginning to rise. Plug partially uncoiled from her base, hovering ten inches in front of her, its face forward like some bobbing electric cobra, poised to strike.

  Wicus knew from past experience that Plug was insanely protective.

  "Hold on there girl... don't flame out, no reason to burn down the place... I need to speak to the council...not charbroil it," he urged, quirking his mouth slightly.

  Even though his cautionary tone was teasing, he was concerned that she might do exactly that. He admired Waxine's spunk, he didn't feel the same way about her temper. When she got pissed off she could be unpredictable, not to mention extremely flammable.

  She rolled her eyes ignoring his attempt at sarcasm.

  Already the rows of uneven flames that circled Waxine's face soared five inches higher than normal, burning brighter, hotter and higher on the unseen wicks over each socket. Diamonds, crystals and pearls that dangled off the edges of each bobeche swayed with the intense heat, twinkling shards of light beautifully around her. The temperature of the surrounding air was rising by the second.

  He grimaced.

  On more than one occasion Wicus had been forced to jump into action, preventing her from igniting their surroundings. He wondered briefly if there was any kind of built-in fire suppression system at their current venue. Eyeing the impressive architecture again with a different mindset. Talk about making a dramatic entrance, he thought. Good grief! He needed the council on his side, not angry at his companion.

  Wicus refocused on the crowd, trying to discern the reason for such a vehement reaction.

  Only three council members were visible on the raised circular dais in the center of the hall. Two were surrounded by a knot of their acolytes. One elder was leaning over, talking to two of them who were standing on the floor of the massive chamber. He appeared to be calming them down. The intense blue flames of their eyes belying their youth.

  The third council member was on the other side of the dais, hunched over in order to be face to face with the diminutive Dallus, Wicus' west coast counterpart. The fidgety Paragon and Wicus managed the meetings of all the soul mates in North America.

  Dallus wore the traditional gray tunic and trousers, his cloak was a different story. It was spun of a magical fabric that seemed to have a life of its own. Large panels on the garment depicted different scenes; with flying dragons, knights and their squires battling in mystical glens. Whenever Dallus twitched or moved around, the images danced. And if he was in an agitated state, any Paragon who stood too close could feel the heat of the dragon's breath.

  Few were standing close to Dallus at the moment, a testament to his heated state. He gave the elder a distracted look, clearly not happy with what the council member was telling him.

  Between his animated mantle and flaming red eyes and hair, Dallus cut a striking figure in a room filled with them.

  Paragons didn't physically age, at least not in the way humans did. In fact, most looked to be between 23 and 30 years old. Their unusual eyes showed the passage of time by shifting color.

  Light blue flames meant the individual was less than one thousand years old. The blue darkened as a Paragon approached two thousand years then the flames began to change, turning from blue to green to yellow, like someone adjusting the pilot light on a furnace fueled by an unknown gas.

  Green was strictly a transitional color, if it was a color at all.

  Wicus' eyes showed the steady yellow flame of his 2752 years, physically he didn't look a day over 29. That same yellow gaze now scanned the denizens gathered in the Great Hall.

  "Ah ha!" Wicus beamed as he spotted a friend across the expanse and waved. "Ah yes, now I see what's got you in a tizzy, his Luminary is here too."

  Waxine hovered nearly motionless next to him.

  Her metallic eyes seemed focused on some inner memory. A scowl on her face. It was several moments before she responded. When she did there was a sneer in her tone.

  "I don't care how fond you are of him, I'll never trust that loathsome lantern."

  Wicus suppressed a chuckle. He couldn't understand why Waxine hated the lantern with such intensity, not that she was ever forthcoming about her reasons. She would never even call the other Luminary by name.

  "Calm down Waxine. Best not forget we’re guests in the Great Hall."

  He felt a little uneasy at her unregulated combustible display. Privately, he pondered whether they might get kicked out before he had the chance to voice his concern. Cutting his eyes sideways, he glanced at the lengthening flames.

  He sighed. Perhaps he should make that report sooner rather than later.

  Her eyes were distinctly fixed on the Moroccan-style lantern across the chamber. The enchanted lantern was doing his best to look anywhere but in Waxine’s direction.

  "Wait here," Wicus instructed.

  He began to move forward, paused and turned back to Waxine. "Please lower your flames.... or I’ll ask a certain Moroccan lantern to come over and keep you company."

  "You wouldn't dare!" she fumed, glaring at him.

  He stood firm, stubbornly glaring right back. Two could play this game.

  Begrudgingly she complied by lowering the flame on each invisible candle, one by one so that a gradual halo of short blue flames surrounded her head.

  "Good girl."

  He approached the dais trying to focus his hearing on one conversation at a time. It was difficult to make sense out of what was happening in the hall. Only snippets filtered through to him.

  "How has this happened?" wailed once voice.

  "I need to protect my souls," cried another.

  "Master what should we do?" asked a third, given the deference in the speaker's tone, Wicus assumed that it was one of the acolytes.

  A young Paragon with blue flamed eyes was engaged in what appeared to be a serious discussion with council member, Enver. Enver tried to reassure him. Like all members of the council his red-orange flamed eyes were tinged with black. A strange compliment to his blond hair and lashes. His glance shifted, settling on Wicus as he arrived at the edge of the dais.

  "How are you?" he called out amiably.

  Wicus eyed Enver levelly, "I am well. But I have serious news to report. A primary and secondary soul have been lost." Pausing briefly, he again lo
oked at the others in the chamber, "Is this a bad time? Why is there such commotion here today?"

  "You’re not the only one in distress," another Paragon chimed in, a bleak expression on his face. "I have lost a primary and secondary too… neither having met their mate."

  "Same here," a ginger haired Paragon echoed as he marched across the room to join the group. His flaming red eyes alight with a mixture of concern and mischief.

  Wicus wondered briefly if his friend, Stanus, ever took anything as seriously as the rest of them did. But his presence was reassuring.

  "I see you haven't kicked the habit," Wicus smirked. He couldn't resist teasing his hulking friend about his size... due in large part to frequent trips to the human realm. "You really have to learn to stay away from those 'All you can eat' -- Chinese buffets."

  Despite the hall's tension, Enver grinned. His acolytes snickered.

  Stanus chuckled, apparently ignoring the rebuff, patting his ample middle with pride. Like all Paragons he was not simply handsome but beautiful, his face totally symmetrical. At 7-feet-3-inches tall, he was larger than any of his counterparts. Not obese nor fat, thick was the word, definitely thick. His aristocratic nose gave his flawless features a noble air. "After you've been here more than three thousand years…then you can give me advice about my eating habits."

  "I don't mind what you eat…it’s merely the amount."

  "Perhaps it's not the meals that attract his attention quite as much as it is the company he keeps," Enver interjected, raising his brows meaningfully.

  Stanus had the good grace to look a little sheepish.

  Wicus was astonished.

  "A romance? How intriguing, do tell. Who has captured his massive heart?"

  "I believe her name is Myling, she is the tiny Asian witch who runs several restaurants in the human world."

  Wicus looked at Enver, incredulous. "An Asian witch, are you joking?" The latter shook his head. All eyes turned to the hulking Paragon.

  "We are simply friends, good friends," Stanus mumbled in his defense while his cheeks turned as red as his hair and eyes.

  Wicus saw his friend scan the hall.

  The giant Paragon seemed to deliberate for a second on how best to focus their curiosity elsewhere, spotting salvation not far from where they stood.

  "If you're looking for a hopeless romantic, you need not look any farther than our golden haired brother," he nodded conspiratorially to where Wellmus stood about five feet to their right.

  The group fell silent as they refocused their collective gaze on the moody soul minder.

  Wicus closed the gap. Moving beside Stanus to get a better view of the argument Wellmus was currently having with a council member and the Paragon in charge of security.

  One soul minder, who was shorter than Stanus and Wicus, leaned to the left to see around them. Wicus was conscious of them both; the giant Paragon and the smaller one, being so quiet, so unruffled in their secret observation.

  Enver, who was elfin by comparison, had a better view from the raised platform and merely turned his head. His gaze narrowed.

  "My Teresa must have her mate. She's already suffered much.... lost her parents ... her brother....three cats. There's so much goodness in her. So much talent, charm. She has gifts the world needs. I won't have her go mateless," Wellmus' entreaty was passionately delivered. His expression was clearly troubled -- full of helpless anxiety.

  There was general murmuring of agreement from others in the hall who were worried about their unmated souls as well. Echoing his sentiments.

  "I wanna know how this happened," Wellmus added more heatedly. His handsomely lean face looked fatigued at the moment, from within it yellow flamed eyes flashed with anger.

  Wicus’ mouth quirked again as his thoughts turned more sarcastic. The two were not exactly friends. He spoke in a low voice to Stanus, “I trust that he’s not fallen for another one....otherwise he’ll be saying that his candidate takes precedence.”

  Stanus ignored the cynicism.

  "Sounds like he has," interjected Enver.

  "That's why he broods so much. If he didn't monitor some of them every second of the day for as long as time allows, he wouldn't keep falling," Stanus paused then added ruefully, "He's a possessive fool."

  "How many does that make...sixteen, seventeen?" asked Wicus, racking his brain, trying to remember the number of times Wellmus had fallen for a person under his protection. Wellmus has no self-control, he mused.

  "Probably closer to eighty," Stanus chuckled.

  A tall legislator was doing his best to reassure Wellmus that a solution would be found. "No one is suggesting that she go mateless Wellmus. Give the council a chance to deal with this... we will come up with a plan to address all of these losses. And get to the bottom of this."

  Wellmus didn't look the slightest bit reassured.

  “I don’t have time for your stonewalling,” he said more quietly as though the lone Paragon present who possessed the absolute conviction that his work was the only kind that mattered.

  "When the others arrive we'll figure out..."

  Wicus didn't hear the rest of the council member’s platitudes, his attention was diverted by a shimmer in the air a few feet away from the arguing trio.

  The molecules seemed to visibly quiver before realigning themselves into a large rectangular shape, a portal was forming right in the Great Hall. There was a slight whoosh, like air escaping from a sealed door. A moment later he was not surprised when two more council members stepped through the magical doorway onto the dais.

  Swiftly moving to where the third council member stood on the platform, the new arrivals spoke in hushed tones -- as their acolytes arrived on foot and sought to be near their masters in case their assistance was needed. Each lawmaker had at least two.

  "I wish I could do that," Stanus said wistfully, eyeing their movement. "I'd love to be able to portal anywhere."

  "Perhaps one day," said Enver enigmatically.

  Wicus wondered if that was a playful hint indicating that Stanus was destined for council duty. The two exchanged a curious look.

  While all Paragons possessed varying levels of magical abilities and gifts, only members of the council had the power to portal into the Great Hall. That was one of the more intricate security precautions. The room was coded to the DNA of every single member of the council, all combined into the very stonework on which the hall was built. That allowed them to come and go as they pleased, handling the urgent business of the council immediately.

  "Er, it's been a thousand years or so since the composition of the council changed," Stanus offered.

  "You have a good memory," Enver replied.

  Stanus looked around the room at the council members present then back again at Wicus and Enver before continuing. "I haven't heard that any current elder wants to retire... Are you suggesting that one of these guys wants to live out eternity following other pursuits?"

  "I'm not suggesting anything of the kind," Enver replied with a wink.

  "What does that mean?" asked Wicus, undoubtedly echoing Stanus’ unspoken question.

  "You never know what the future holds."

  Before either could ask him to explain, Enver walked over to join the new arrivals on the platform.

  Stanus looked thoughtful, a small smile playing about his large mouth. "Wow, can you imagine? The hall genetically coded to my DNA."

  "Maybe it will be MY DNA," Wicus deadpanned.

  Stanus chuckled.

  Wicus was in a better humor. His words were viewed as an empty threat. Every Paragon knew that he had no desire to serve on the august body.

  "I'll keep that in mind."

  "Perhaps you’re interested in finding a quicker way to pop over and visit Myling," teased Wicus.

  The ginger giant’s expression swiftly, totally, changed unexpectedly. Red flamed eyes serious and staring at Wicus. "Sometimes having friends with gifts in the human world can provide unexpecte
d benefits. Especially given our current situation."

  Wicus sobered at the thought. Was Stanus using the Asian witch to do his bidding? Before he could ask, Stanus stepped away. Wicus turning to stare after him. He spotted additional soul minders joining the crowd -- entering from the main entrance as he had done.

  Still confused about what Stanus meant, he found himself smiling in greeting. He waved at each upon catching the newcomer’s eye.

  Dutifully floating by an Arab soul minder’s side was an enchanted brass oil lamp, made famous by the children’s stories about Aladdin and his magic torch. The Luminary had been a resident of the Paragon world for as long as Wicus could remember.

  If humans only knew how many of their fairytales and childhood legends were based on real elements from the magical realm: witches, wizards, immortals, enchanted beings and other devilish creatures in between -- well they probably wouldn't sleep easily at night or ever for that matter.

  There were no stories about Paragons in the mortal world, no tales of their beauty or courage or valor in any of the human literature. And there was a good reason for that. His kind was better at keeping secrets while exercising their duties than any other supernatural beings that ever existed.