Strange Girl... Part 6: Balex and The Council

It didn't take long for the guards to find Diana. After all, she was a confused girl dressed in funny clothes lost in the labyrinth of hallways.

Diana turned towards the sounds of the boots booming down the hall and saw two guards. The one guard looked jittery and hung back while the second guard approached Diana cautiously. The second guard spoke first. “Tineh Gallenos?” Diana furrowed her eyebrows. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand you.” His expression softened as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small device the size of a deck of playing card.  He began pushing buttons on it as he spoke again. “Are you Diana Gallenos, daughter of Xiomara and Rioden Gallenos?” Um, I think so.”

Both guard visibly relaxed. “We've come to escort you back to your mother. People are asking for you. Would you please follow us?” A feeling in the back of Diana’s mind told her that something wasn't quite right but she pushed it aside because she just might be feeling paranoid after the confrontation in the Grand Hall. “Thank you. My mother isn’t too worried about me, is she?” “No, Tineh Gallenos. Please, if you could follow us,” said the guard, speaking as he guided her down the hallway.

Diana gathered her thoughts together to figure out a way to explain all that happened to Mara with minimal chances of hearing a lecture about her combative attitude. She hardly noticed that the guard had fell behind and followed her for small distance.

From the other end of the tunnel, Diana saw the Blonde girl from the Grand Hall being identically escorted. Wordlessly, the two companies combined and turned down another hall. She realized that this wasn't a act of kindness, they were marching her back because she was in trouble. She looked to the girl with a regretful look only to see a pair of round, blue eyes in a resigned face. Diana decided to break the silence by whispering to her. “Hello again.” The blond girl did not respond so Diana tried again. “I know it might be a bit late for this but I guess I should introduce myself. I’m Diana Gallagher or Galla-something. I forgot what my last name is.”

She felt a bit foolish for trying until she heard the girl reply. “My name is Balex. I am sorry that I got you involved in all of this. I am not quite sure how this escalated.” “Don’t worry. I’m kind of confused too. Where are they taking us?”

“Well, I suspect we have summoned before the High Council.” Diana’s heart sank as she grimaced. “And that would be the same council that my mom is talking to right now, isn't?”  Balex nodded. “I‘m afraid so.” Neither of them spoke for the rest of the walk.

At last, they reached a set of ornate double doors, much like the ones Diana saw earlier with Mara. Two guards came forward and opened the doors, revealing a room Diana could only describe as hallow. The auditorium felt almost like a cathedral, ancient and sacred with a large skylight, making the room seem even more impressive.

In the midst of the room, Diana could see a group of 15 people sitting at a large table in a half circle with a vast window that overlooked much of the academy’s rolling grounds and looming trees.  Standing in front of them was Mara with a frustrated tension in her body, speaking in rapidly strange language. As Diana drew closer to Mara, Diana saw all of the council members but only two of them stood out to her, a man and a woman. The Man had a boyish face that compliment his peppered cropped hair. He didn’t appear to be anxious or upset like the other in the room but bored stiff.

The Woman, however, never took her eyes from Mara. She had a caramel complexion and had the sort of face that made it impossible to guess her age. Though she was too sitting, she sat with a proud and dutiful posture. As Mara implored and argued, the people seated squirmed and cough, trying their best to avoid Mara’s gaze, the Woman only appear to be humoring her.

One of the guards stepped forward towards the Council and bowed sharply. The Council members shifted their attention to the guard and he began to speak. Mara walked over to Diana and looked at the remaining guards and Balex. “Diana, what happened?”, she asked.

Diana gave her a sheepish smile. “Good question. Um, this is Balex. We met in the Grand Hall after you left and then we um, ran into a bit of trouble and then the guards find us and told us to go with them and now we‘re here! You probably didn't think that was a funny or interesting story but I found it very thrilling.”  She noticed the guard getting more animated as he spoke and that members of the council glancing at her and speaking to each other in hushed voices. Even the Man who was bored seemed more interested.

Diana leaned over to Mara and whispered. “What is he saying?” Mara whispered n returned “He’s saying you attacked someone in the Grand Hall but I might be hearing it wrong.”  Diana frowned. “Oh.” The guard finished his tales and bowed again to the council. The Councilwoman waved her hand in his direction and the guard took his leave. The councilwoman smiled at Mara and spoke in the foreign tongue in a haughty tone. Mara crossed her arms and replied in a stony voice. “It might be best to speak in the Earth’s language. She doesn't quite understand the Tayven language and she should understand what we’re saying.”

The Councilwoman straighten her posture and her voice flowed with false sympathy. “As we were suggesting before your daughter appeared, we think it best that she should remain on Earth to train. It would be one thing if she had been more… in tune with the atmosphere of the school. Now you tell us that she cannot even speak the language of her own people? A few years ago, this might have been possible but now? It would be near impossible for her to acclimate herself into our culture, into our world. We merely want what’s best for her and I apologize but it is not with us.”