I regret everything.

I had stuffed myself into some nice dress and shoes, flown to the Nest, and sat for three hours without complaining. As Finch droned on about harvest projections, my mind felt like it was being weighed down by stone blocks. The previous guy had even made fighting drills sound boring! How do you make descriptions of stabbing and mauling dull? How?

I looked to my right to see myself reflected in my siblings. Wren, for her best effort, had managed to appear like she was listening. Eyes fully on the speaker, sitting comfortably in her seat, she looked completely professional in her neatly cut jacket and slacks. A little fact about my sister: she could sleep with her eyes open. If I listen closely, I could hear all too steady breathing. I was tempted to wake her up, but Wren didn’t need to suffer.

Cyane had a few papers in front of him, but he had given up on taking notes since the speaker covering trade and communications with the Hurpiti had finished his lecture. Even though he had a job in the communications and alliance division, Cyane didn’t need to listen to every single announcement. Currently, his elbow was propped up on the desk, his head in his right hand, his left twirling the pen.

I groaned, head in my left hand, as Finch finished. When the next Harpy took the center, I was hoping for an interesting topic, but it turned out to be education reforms. I glanced around at the semi-circle of desks built into the floor, each one of every raised level occupied. It crossed my mind once again that the lecture hall was built like a theater, facing a sunken stage and back wall, but held none of the entertainment.

I sunk into a stupor as more Harpies came and went, delivering whatever information they had. At one point, Cyane was taking notes again, but he joined me in boredom soon after. As a brown feathered Harpy stepped off the stage, I heard a flap of wings from the middle of the hall. I saw a large male Harpy with white feathers outlined in black land on the stage. Instantly, my attention was fully on him. A glance at Cyane told me it was the same case with him. Even Wren had woken up at his entrance.

This is Crane, one of the Wise Trio and head of Canopy. If he had something to say, then it was worth listening.

He cleared his throat and began to speak, his voice booming from the rooms excellent acoustics. “I thank you all for attending this council meeting today. While we’ve of course attended to all the normal proceedings, there is another matter that we must inform you of.”

Murmurs arose from the gathered audience. Cyane, Wren and I exchanged curious glances. I remembered Cyane had mentioned a special guest earlier. Is that what this is about?

Crane let the noise quiet down before he spoke again. “Since our last gathering, we’ve had an encounter with an interesting individual. She carried information that we thought was best to be shared among all of you. If what she has to tell comes to pass, it could lead to an unstable future for Canopy.”

I was hovering over my seat, anxious to see what happened next.

Crane nodded to a guard at the entrance. She exited, leaving the room in another chorus of chattering and speculation. I turned to Cyane. “Do you know what this about?”

He shook his head. “I heard that we had a guest speaker, but that’s it. I don’t know the specifics.”

The doors opened, the guard escorting a girl at her side. Gasps rang up from the crowd, Wren and I among them. The girl had pale skin, as in white as milk skin. But she had patches of discoloration along her face and every exposed limp. These patches were the mixture of purple, blue and black that made up the night sky, and I could even see miniature stars within these spots of the night. Her hair was a blending of pink and purple, held back in two incredibly long braids tied together at her waist.

When she reached the stage, she turned and I saw her eyes: a shifting swirl of crystal and gray. She faced the crowd in a cloak, her feet bare. She didn’t seem excited or nervous or afraid, but I could see the tension in her posture.

Crane spoke once more to the stunned audience. “This here is Lumi, and she came to us seeking shelter about a month ago. Lumi was being pursued by those who wished to use her gifts for themselves. We took her in, tended to her wounds, fed her, and gave her a room to sleep.”

“Why is this the first time we’ve heard about her?” A voice called from the stands. His outburst was followed by a dozen more complaints.

Crane held up his hand. They fell silent. “We, being the Wise Trio, believed it was best to keep Miss Lumi here a secret until we were certain of her well being.” Crane seemed to look every Harpy in the eye, his gaze was steely and unrelenting. “We apologize for keeping you in the dark, but someone like Miss Lumi deserves to have the utmost security. She had been through a great terror and wished only to recover. Do any of you doubt the intentions of the members of the Wise Trio?”

No one retorted Crane. No one spoke. Crane had complete control of their focus, and it was all strained towards his words. “Now that we are assured of Miss Lumi’s welfare, she has offered us important information that all of you must hear.” He turned towards Lumi. “I believe it’s your turn, Miss Lumi.”

Lumi stepped forward, everyone’s gaze shifting to her. They were enraptured, utterly fascinated by what lay before them. It was as if this Lumi held the whole world in her hands.

And how could they not react like this? After all, standing in front of us is a Seer, the tribe that speaks prophecies. Those that see the past and future in full display.