So, the day of the village meeting finally arrived and it was finally time to see what the hubub was all about.
As a junior, I sat to the back, and the building was quite packed, to the point my back was leaning against the wall.
The meeting started in the morning so as a consolation price, for the three consecutive nights before my lessons on rituals and languages were skipped.
Yay for skipping studies!
I still felt quite groggy as my internal clock was adjusted to sleeping during dawn and had not reset to a typical sleeping pattern yet.
It also was not helped by the fact that the first two hours of the gathering was mostly spent on seating the participants and attendants. Lots of small talk too.
That's the problem of having a meeting with close family and friends, everyone initially avoided the main topic and informally asked each other about each other's well being, newborns and other minutiae.
The meeting finally started when a representative from the 'mundane' group clapped to get everyone's attention. She was a portly middle aged woman, tall and broad in stature, and wore a head scarf and sleeveless linen dress.
" *Cough*
Everyone. I think it's finally time to get this meeting started.
I'll let Gram elaborate on the topic and then hopefully everyone's information will be up to date before early lunch. During and after lunch, till dusk, we will discuss and come up with several solutions."
The hall quieted and everyone's attention went towards Gram.
He stood up and stepped up on a table, to make himself more visible and also help his voice clearly reach further back. "All right. Everyone. Thanks for coming. I was still a boy when the last prison warden succession took place and I hope we can replicate it's success this time.
No doubt some of you have heard of past failures and the consequences. I'd like to invite Bors later on to share some stories of those failures to those less in the know."
Gram gestured at the warrior representative whose reply was a succinct nod. Gram then continued, "More importantly, the scenario this time is quite different from when I was a boy. Our village lacks an experienced Listener.
'What is a Listener?' some of you younger folks might ask. A Listener is a beyonder and usually also a night dweller.
They would first start out as a 'Secret Supplicant', a pieous worshipper of the True Creator. As they prove their devotion, they would be prepared to be promoted and be allowed to listen to the True Creator's words.
Unfortunately, not all are fit enough to understand or even survive the knowledge imparted by the True Creator.
The village judge those who have survived at least over five years as a 'Listener' to even consider them experienced and eligible to be promoted to the prison warden's sequence.
We have made a grave error in not preparing any experienced Listener to succeed him this time around, and thus this meeting is taking place in search of a solution."
Murmurs started to resound around the hall. Many amongst the participants are not or have not been involved in the beyonder circles and began discussing the newly acquired knowledge amongst themselves.
Gram maintained silence to allow them to process the information.
Only after the hall quieted to sounds of slight rustling from clothes being rubbed against the floor from fidgeting individuals did Gram continue speaking again.
"The prison warden is stepping down next moon and it is non negotiable.
The current outcomes are either we lack a warden until an experienced Listener is ready, or we try our luck and promote someone who might or might not be fit enough.
I'll let Bors elaborate on what might happen if someone is not fit enough to be promoted does get promoted."
Gram climbed down the table and sat down on a stool.
The warrior representative stood up and even without the aid of a pedestal, towered over everyone else. He did not have to sacrifice his dignity by standing on a table and everyone else was awed by his pressence alone. His muscles rippled and bulged and when he spoke, his voice boomed throughout the building. "Greetings. I've led the defence of this island for decades but I do not claim to have a flawless record.
The stories of failed warden succession have been passed down from one mentor down to another. Although they might have happened a long time ago, the sights and sounds that I have experienced as a warrior led me to believe in their veracity.
I imply the rest of you to take my words seriously despite not having lived during such events.
Those of us in the beyonder circles are no stranger to the term 'losing control'. Basically, if one is not careful or simply unlucky, the beyonder potion that we consume might turn us mad or into fearsome, bloodthirsty monsters.
The 'stronger' a beyonder is, the higher the risk and more importantly for the matter of the prison warden, the more dangerous.
In this state of emergency I am forced to divulge this secret: the warden is a sequence seven, 'Shadow ascetic'.
With enough time and preparation, such a beyonder is able to wipe out the entire island.
On the other hand, our current prison is filled with strong individuals who might attempt escape without a strong warden."
Rosa interrupted his speech, "And who are these individuals? Please elaborate."
Bors expression did not change, as if already anticipating the interruption, and continued speaking, "I'll get to that in a moment. We might be on a time limit but it's better to be fully informed rather than make a hasty mistake.
Before having any ideas on what to do with the prisoners, I'd like to share my experience on one of our expeditions. I shall not divulge the location, but me and my team found a gigantic net made of light that seems to contain and restrain the contents of a mass grave on this island. That was almost a decade ago."
More murmurings started around the hall. It seemed some villagers seemed to remember a significant event that had happened during that period.
Bors waited for the noise to subside before speaking once again, "There were twenty five of us. Only three made it back.
We have continued trips to fight back the spirits and dead to avenge our fallen brothers but I hope you understand that we have chosen to take it slow and prioritize safety.
We have managed to defeat some of our foes but there are still plenty of foes to defeat. Be warned that executing too many people might create resentment and attract those evil dead here."
Rosa interrupted once again, "Better defending against an enemy from the outside than from the inside! Stop trying to downplay the dangers of the individuals we are imprisoning right now. I ask once again, please let everyone know, who are those people that might attempt escape?"
Bors folded his arms and frowned, "Alright, I'll answer your question. But I ask the same of you, to not underestimate the evils outside our village.
Currently of those placed in the root cellar..."
(To be continued...)