HUMANITY'S STRONGEST?
Chapter 20: The Seer
It was, as Levi had predicted, a little past noon before the unit returned from the prior night's festival. Most of them looked a little worse for wear. Levi smirked inwardly. At lease I can actually remember the fun I had last night! Tom, who looked very tired (It all comes, I suppose, from babysitting almost twenty drunk adults!) immediately came over to Levi and handed him a letter. "I suspect it's another summons to the capital," he said.
Levi read the letter. "Yeah, it is. I'd better leave right away." What in the hell does Zackly want now? It hasn't even been two weeks since he gave me the last few books! Levi stopped by Grandmother's to pick up the books just the same, since he had already scanned them to the notebook. "I don't trust that man, Grandmother," he told her. "He has ulterior motives of some kind. He's all but admitted that he's using me for something, but I can't be sure of what."
Grandmother smiled. "But at the same time, you need what he has to offer, so you openly use him in return. Take advantage of his help while you can, and when the time comes, make certain that your motives come out on top of his. I am certain that you will."
"You're right, Grandmother. I will." Levi gave her a quick kiss on her weathered cheek and left for the capital.
He met Zackly in the usual spot under the large oak tree on the upper terrace of the cemetery. "What do you want this time, Zackly?" Levi asked with a distinctly disrespectful tone.
"There's someone I'd like to have meet you," Zackly said. "She can confirm my suspicions of who you are and how you fit, or rather don't fit in this insane world of ours."
Levi raised an eyebrow. "How unlike you to answer my question so directly. And what exactly do you suspect me of being?"
"A wild card," Zackly promptly replied. "You've heard of the prophesies regarding humanity's future and the titans, haven't you?"
"I have. I don't put much stock in such mysticism, however," Levi answered as they walked along. This time it was actually Zackly that had walked away and Levi who followed.
Good, Zackly thought. I have his attention! "The woman I'm taking you so see is Mariana Sedatte."
"The soothsayer to the royals and the aristocracy?"
"The very same."
"I still don't quite understand why." Levi said, but still following the general, his curiosity piqued enough to see this through.
Zackly approached a rather fancy looking carriage and a footman opened the door for him. "It's a little early yet, so we shall go and have an early lunch before proceeding to Mariana's home this evening. Please, get in."
"I'll follow on Firestorm." The boy was uncomfortable with being in such an enclosed space with Zackly.
Zackly sighed. "Very well, Levi."
Levi followed the carriage to a rather exclusive looking restaurant. I don't like this. What is he really up to? And what can Lady Sedatte really tell him. Does he really put so much stock in such things? Seriously. One would think a general would know better! But . . . if I still want access to the contents of the Royal Archives, I guess I'll have to play along.
They received a lot of stares as they were taken to a table at the far end of the restaurant. Zackly was seen often enough here, but the lad in a Survey Corps uniform was unheard of. What would the second highest ranked man in the military be doing with a scout? Levi didn't like the sound of their mumblings. Tch! Like I'd ever let anyone do anything like that to me! I don't care how much I need those books . . . if he lays a hand on me, he dies! Even Kenny knew better than to try!
"Ignore them," Zackly told him, not bothering to hide the annoyed note in his voice. "Not even the MPs come in here, so any soldier is a novelty. They always like to think the worst. Makes for juicier gossip, I guess. It's the one thing I've never been able to get used to."
The meal was pleasant enough, with very little conversation between the two. "We should find you something else to wear this evening. There will be a number of nobles there, as usual. That uniform will really stand out."
Levi's steely grey eyes narrowed, even colder than usual. "I thought we were to be the only ones there."
"I never said that. It's not a party, per say. Just a political gathering of sorts. She wishes to talk with you privately after dinner."
"Tch! I should've known! As for my attire, I am a scout! I happen to be very proud of that fact and refuse to try to hide it. This is who I am, and if those aristocratic airheads don't like it, well then that's just too damn bad! And if you are ashamed of it, well . . . needless the say I like it all the better for that."
Zackly stood, eyes wide for a moment, then he took off his glasses and roared laughing. "Levi, I am most certainly NOT ashamed to be seen with a scout. Sorry to disappoint you. In fact, I find myself glad that you are so proud of that uniform." The man laughed a little longer, then said, "Very well, Levi. We shall see how uncomfortable we can make the nobles tonight!"
"There's nothing noble about them," Levi bit off.
Zakly put both hands in the air in front of him. "Hey, I agree with you! It's just funny to hear it said so openly and so loudly in public!"
Levi looked around at the faces staring at him, and smirked inwardly. Good! Too bad it'll never cross their minds that I'm right! Imbeciles!
That evening, they arrived at the mansion of Mariana Sedatte. The gatemen stared at the small scout riding bareback on a large warhorse. He received similar stares from the doormen at the house itself. The butler took Zackly's coat and then offered to take Levi's. "May I take your coat, sir?"
Levi turned to look the taller man in the eye. "Your coat, it's a symbol of the position you hold; a source of pride, is it not?"
The butler straightened even further than he already was, head held high and pride showing in his eyes. "It most certainly is, sir!"
"The same is true of mine. I'll keep it, thank you."
The butler smiled. "Very good, sir!"
Levi overheard Zackly talking to an older woman as he approached the foot of a grand stairway. "He's not more than fifteen or sixteen years of age, right?" the woman asked.
"Sixteen," Levi answered.
"Ah! Lady Sedatte, this is the young man in question; Levi. Levi, this is Lady Sedatte," Zackly introduced.
Levi gave her a salute, but, instead of holding his head high, he bowed it slightly to her. "Lady Sedatte," he greeted her solemnly.
"Levi. Let me take a good look at you," she greeted back, extending both her hands to take his. Zackly was a little surprised when the boy let her. "I can see why Darius thinks you may be the one," she said at length, after gazing into the teenager's steely eyes. "We shall talk at greater length after dinner. For now, both of you come with me."
The old woman led the two men up the staircase and after a dizzying number of turns, into a large library. There was a desk on the side of the room nearest the main door, a comfortable seating area in the middle of the room, comfortable chairs scattered about for reading, and even a cushioned seat in the massive window opposite the main door. The room was very bright, even as the sun was setting.
While Zackly sat down in the sitting area and began talking with Lady Sedatte, Levi was enthralled by the books in her extensive collection. He recognized many that he had already read, but many more that he had never seen before. One, in particular, caught his eye. "Is it okay if I take this one out to look at?" he asked, turning to look at the owner of this wealth of knowledge.
"Of course, you may!" Lady Sedatte smiled. "That's what they are there for!"
Levi pulled out the book and looked it over carefully. This was the oldest book he'd ever seen! The hard leather binding was black with age, and beautifully and ornately tooled. He set it carefully on the desk before opening it. It was magnificently hand written with hand painted scrollwork around the edges of each page. He was even more amazed that he could actually read the language. "This is ancient Sambucan, is it not?" How in the hell do I know that?
"It is," Lady Sedatte replied. "I'm surprised you know that. Can you read it?"
"Yeah. And it surprises me even more!" He continued to carefully turn through the pages. "How do you have so many books from so long before the walls?" he asked as he looked around the room.
"Special privilege of being the royals' soothsayer," she replied. "You may come and borrow them any time you like."
Levi looked at her in surprise. "I appreciate that, but, why?"
Lady Sedatte just kept smiling. "Privilege of being a friend of the royals' soothsayer! It will be our secret."
Dinner came and went uneventfully enough. Levi received a lot of stares, but most nobles didn't want to be seen cavorting with a lowly Survey Corps soldier, so, mercifully, Levi was left alone. After dinner was finished, and all of the guests were sitting around with their after dinner drinks talking about nothing, Lady Sedatte, led Levi back to the study alone and closed the door.
"Zackly tells me you know of the prophecy," She said.
"I do," the boy replied. "As I told him, I don't put any stock in such things. In fact, I doubt most people do. Otherwise, why would any of us waste any time trying to beat back the titans at all?"
The old woman smiled broadly. "I am more familiar with the actual prophecy than most. The royal family has been keeping track of its progress for many decades. However, about sixteen years ago, the future I was seeing started to become blurry. By ten years ago, I could see dozens of possible, but blurry futures. Now, I can hardly make out the future at all. It changes so constantly, that I can't make out anything at all most of the time."
"What does that have to do with me?" Levi asked.
"Let us find out."
to be continued…