Chapter Four: Discord

Arrith Moira was silent, but even more silent than was customary. The Hierarchy was no longer thinking, they were watching. Talia sat in his chair; his clear eyes closed, seemingly asleep, the tips of his pale fingers pressed together. "Constance," he breathed and his eyes opened staring straight ahead. "What do you see from your window?" He turned his head ever so slowly, ever so smoothly, towards the being that was Constance.

Constance did not return his gaze, her wide eyes ever gazing out on the fields below and beyond her. She tilted her head, almost unnoticeably towards the horizon. "Illa and Antony have reached Viktor's coven," she whispered.

"And they have been welcomed by him," continued Sharine from her own chair her, eyes still closed.

Talia gave a half smile to the group. "Good," he closed his eyes again and bowed his head slightly. "This is very good. Perhaps they will become acquainted with Sonja and Lucian."

"Sonja," a stunned voice accused.

Talia sighed to himself and turned his head towards Urios before opening his eyes.

"Viktor's daughter Sonja, is that whom you mean?" continued Urios. He was standing before his statement was finished.

Talia nodded, "Their mother Sonja, as well, Urios. Your guess was correct."

"What insanity is this?!" Urios shouted, his echoing voice causing everyone to flinch.

"Peace, Urios," Darrius beseeched from across the room. "Talia has done no wrong. We all were present when the children were given their task. They only know of Viktor, and what Viktor will do. They know nothing of their parents; for, like you, we acknowledged the possibilities of that knowledge."

Yet Urios was not pacified. Swiftly, like a gale, he blew up to Tala's side. Talia's head was stilled turned in the direction of where Urios had been seconds before. "Is there a possibility," he hissed into Talia's ear, "that they might find each other, children and parents?"

Talia closed his eyes and Urios watched him, Darrius watched Urios, and Constance watched what she saw through her window. "There will always be a possibility," he murmured, "of one pair finding the other, so long as both are in the same world."

Darrius spoke up, "If you failed to recognize the connections, then that is your misfortune. You sent them as much as we did."

"Darrius," Talia whispered patronizingly. He opened his eyes and turned his head to speak directly at him, "Speak kindly to Urios. He above all others knows our purpose with the children in that world. Urios," Talia's eyes moved to him without him moving his head, "fear not. Your purpose, our purpose, will be fulfilled. The children will mix with the coven, and all that that entails, and they will intervene, when they see fit, in order to end the war."

Urios was about to speak again. "Urios, brother," said a voice wearily.

Urios sharply turned his head towards Sharine who was sitting in her chair, eyes closed, her face not turned in his direction. Her head was tilted back against the back of her chair. "Cease this discord. It's such a disturbance."

Urios stared at her seething. He snapped his head back towards Talia who once again had his eyes closed, falling into the exact same position he had been in before the discussion even took place. He turned his eyes to Darrius who had not fallen into a meditative state but was not looking at him. Urios did not even bother to seek out Constance, for her gaze rarely left her window.

Urios exhaled sharply and began down the small staircase if three steps that lead to Talia's chair. He closed his eyes for the final step. He opened them a split second later the moment his foot made contact with not the floor of the council hall, but an annex far away from the other four.

Urios stood in the center of the bare windowless room. He closed his eyes slowly, deliberately, as if her were trying to force them shut, all the while remaining absolutely still.

Suddenly his eyes opened and not even the outlines of his glass colored pupils could be seen. All was clear, even the whites of his eyes. And his eyes glowed a strange silvery color in wispy waves.

"Tanis…" he spoke to the bare wall but his eyes looking as if he could see him. His voice was guttural, the lowest a voice could physically be. And yet to the listener his voice was nothing more than the faint whisper of a ghost. "I want you to watch them for me."

The response was almost incapable to be heard, since Tanis did not know how to speak across the worlds, but Urios' keen ears were still able to pick it up. "Yes, my lord."

I'm sorry this took longer than usual to update and that it is so short (chapters just dealing with these five foreseeably will be) but I had an ACT last weekend and my Muse shot herself in protest. But since a long weekend is up I will repay you for your wait.

Also Illa like eye and la as in "la a note to follow so"