Across the Roofs, Hubyei Settlement
"Stop right there!" An officer shouted as he chased a young teen across the roofs of Hubyei. It seemed as if she was a bounty ready to catch, she caused much attention throughout the settlement.
"Catch me if you can, officer," she retaliated and jumped to the next roof with elegant acrobatics. She was a fearless teenager that only meant one thing, royalty. She was the Magistrate's daughter—or as everyone called her 'princess'.
Nia Nusk was her given name and was a very intuitive young woman. She was to assume the leader's role as soon as the magistrate abdicated. However, she had other plans. Being magistrate wasn't one of them.
"Hear me out, princess. This will not look good on you, the settlement will shame you," he shouted before she paused and turned back to him. Before he could act, she backflipped down to the street floor.
She landed on a vendor's roof and finally frontflipped onto the busy street. She landed at the busiest market in the settlement and entered the vendor's shop to hide. To the officer, her skills seemed very intriguing.
"Hey, watch where you're stepping, kid," a citizen roared as she stormed into the shop.
The vendor's shop was a fabric shop where you could find the nicest fabrics he had made; and with them, a nice disguise. The officer caught her figure last minute right before it disappeared into the shop. Although running in he struggled to find her.
"Princess, I'm sorry this is happening...your powers need to mature and we can get you sorted," he sauntered in, examining the shop for any movement.
She popped her head up for a tad bit and ducked to scurry away. The officer teleported to the spot to find her already gone.
"Your mother's been worried, kid..." he continued. "She won't like you doing this!"
"I'm adopted,"
"At least you have a father who loves you," the officer followed her voiced.
"Really?" she slowly rose through the bars of clothes she hid from. "Does he?" Her sad puppy face took control.
"Yes, and very much too," he slowly approached her spot. She thought about this for a second and a pause loomed over the room. Several agents then appeared outside the vendor's shop, waiting for a signal. Before her eyes could catch him, he signalled for his agents to storm in.
"He wants to see you safe," he continued. "Just think for a second..."
"Um, I don't know if he really does," she protested. "And you are one cunning bastard!"
As one agent stormed in she jump kicked him in the face and stood ready for the next two. Another agent revealed his forearms, surrounded by glowing ropes. He began throwing them in attempts to tie her down. He whipped the ropes, and they caught her forearms; tying around them with ease. In her attempt to reel him in, she pulled it back, but it failed with the strength he possessed.
As the agent yanked the rope, Nia slid down the floor and gave the poor agent a huge low blow. Putting out his abilities in a flash. She then screeched to a stop and slide-tackled the next agent waiting to capture her. He came tumbling to the ground before the officer teleported one last time and captured her. In a flash, they appeared in the officer's interrogation room and he bamboozled her into his handcuffs.
"That was a good chase, you been taking martial arts or something?" the officer sat down in exhaustion. Meanwhile, Nia remained silent and kept her gaze on him, in attempts of getting him pissed off.
"You know. I thought you'd be a talkative person. Like good girls who follow the rules, but also a rebel in a sense," he began. Once again she never responded.
"What if the council hears what you've done here?" he rose his shoulders, emphasizing his disappointment. "They don't like internal issues..."
"They love me," she replied with pride. "I know all of them like I know a rug, dirty and smelly..."
"They can put you in the dungeons!" the officer remarked as his temper rose. In all honesty, he didn't want her to suffer. After all, he wanted to make a good impression before the magistrate.
"You want to know something? Your father is negotiating a waiting time to the next ceremony as of right now," the officer voiced.
"So I can find out if I have powers or not?" she scoffed.
"So you can be free again!"
"But I won't be," she paused. "I've seen what the kids have seen, and woe to those who didn't have powers...what happens to them?"
"I'm sure they're safe too," he tried to resolve the situation.
"But why haven't I seen my sister in years?" in anger Nia banger the table. The bang was surprisingly loud; since her hands were restrained, it was almost impossible to hit it that hard. "I've lost the one I loved the most, because of this stupid institution."
"I-" the officer attempted to speak.
"I'm for sure it was you all. The day of the ceremony was the last I saw her and many others!" she continued and slowly sat down. "People who you took an oath for!"
"Alright princess, noted!" the officer sighed and stood up to leave. "Hopefully, the ceremony treats you well,"
Nia jerked her restraints, trying to scare him off. The officer teleported out of the room and informed the station's manager.
-
In the middle of the settlement sat the Hubyei governance building. The two levels in the building housed different offices. The lower being the council with representative offices, and the higher being the Magistrate's quarters.
Every month that the settlement remained intact, the council met to discuss the settlement's issues. Prime leaders sat in a roundtable with the magistrate standing in the middle. Thus the roundtable formed a council.
The meeting today was partially about the incoming ceremony, but later evolved to a topic on the Princess.
"Alright council," Lord Treak from the fourth sector stood up to present his case among the council members. "Just the past hour, the Magistrate's own daughter was considered a suspect of freeing slaves in the dungeons," He spoke as some members gasped almost to death.
"We have also seen her treachery when she ran from the ceremonies and somehow hid from this 'not so large settlement!' Surely this isn't amazing of her," Treak continued.
"She is my daughter, for goodness' sake," Magistrate Typho spoke.
"But you swore an oath to protect this place...this-home," Lord Larent of the ninth sector reminded him. "One life cannot comprehend the lives of many."
"What if we wait, we can have her inducted into the next ceremony," he pleaded with the council.
"You know that those aren't the rules magistrate," Lord Karte of the twelfth spoke. When he spoke, the council listened. Even the magistrate would struggle with this one.
"Please give her a chance, from a father to a father," he lamented.
"I think we should," Lord Hae of the first sector recommended. "I think we constantly believed in second chances, that's exactly why we're still alive,"
"C'mon all in support, aye?" he said with the little of hope in him. Eventually, about six council members rose their hand, but four more supported while in doubt.
"Thank you, everyone,"