Chapter 67: The Council
’They’re all half-exalted,’ Zephyr observed. ’Okay, maybe not all of them...’ he noticed a few people with scales here and there, ’But the majority of people in here are half-exalted.’
Within the room, there were about thirteen people of varying ages, but mostly skewed towards the older side, seated at a U-shaped table, with a space for someone to talk right at the center of the room. The whole ambience gave him a feeling like he was at a parliament and about to be judged.
"Kid." A suave young man, seated closest to the door where Zephyr stood still, knocked the table lightly to draw his attention.
Zephyr’s eyes focused on the man, probably in his late twenties, "Yes?" Zephyr replied.
"You were asked a question," the man lightly said.
"Oh, yeah— Yes. I’m Zephyr," he refocused his gaze on the person seated at the head of the table who had asked him the earlier question.
"Could you step forward to the center so your voice could reach everyone?" a woman with grey hair and a kind smile on her face leaned forward in her seat and beckoned Zephyr.
He looked between the woman and the small, slightly-elevated podium at the center of the room before walking forward and standing stoically as he was scrutinized by the people seated around the table.
Zephyr stared right back at them without reserve. He noted the significance of their seated positions, already drawing conclusions by himself. The old man who had asked him a question the moment he entered the room was seated right at the head of the table, so he was very likely the one chairing the meeting. The old woman with a kind smile was seated next to him by his right, while another old man was seated directly on his left. From there, one could infer that those seated further away from the head, and closer to the ends of the U shaped table, were lower on the hierarchy.
"Hello, Zephyr," the old woman drew his attention, trying to be as cordial as possible. "We will be asking a series of questions, some are required, and others are not. I hope you can cooperate with us so we can get this done quickly," she said.
"I thought I was here to select a teacher?" Zephyr asked, puzzled.