The meerca finished her tale, her head down and hands laid out gracefully before her on the marble floor. A tentative silence consumed the banquet hall, forcing the meerca to look up at her audience, particularly the long table of the Elders. A smirk graced her features as the Elders looked about themselves nervously, finally laying their eyes on Mother Mahina, the head master of the Citadel. Mother Mahina shot the meerca a fierce glare as she stood, slowly applauding her performance. One after another, the Elders joined in, and soon the whole congregation echoed with the stiff, hollow clatter of applause. With a nod of satisfaction, the meerca stood, unstrapped her beloved lute from her back, and began to dance and sing, weaving another tale into her audience's imagination.
The hall began to settle down into scattered, quiet conversations as the meerca began another show, but the uncomfortable reaction from her previous story still lingered. "What was that all about?" Juno asked, having finally perked up the courage when the Sisters at either end of the long table became engrossed in the new performance. The other students around her murmured responses, many feeling just as confused as Juno.
"She was talking about suicide," Elly finally replied, her pale face narrowly framed by her straight, black hair as she stared at the soup in front of her. "The meerca was talking about suicide, that's why the Elders were so upset." A look of horror and slight disgust covered many of the faces surrounding Elly, but there was no hint of surprise. Suicide, although not unheard of in Vasu, was a rare occurrence, and was highly frowned upon by the Citadel. It was believed that if one was to sacrifice themselves, it should be done for the benefit and honor of the Citadel and your country, not for personal satisfaction. However, if anyone was capable of committing such a depressing act for any reason, it would be Elly.
Kaori frowned, unsure of how to handle the situation. "I don't think that's what she was talking about. True, her story was called 'The Falling Girl', and if any of us had half a mind, we would have read the story by now, it is available in the library, but I don't think it was about suicide."
Elly looked up at Kaori, forcing her classmate to shift uneasily under the intense scrutiny of the girl's pale, blue eyes. "But don't you see? The girl's life was flashing before her eyes. You got to see her as a young girl, and an old woman, and everything in between." Elly returned her stare to her untouched soup as she continued. "She was so sad, so depressed. She wanted everything, but got nothing. She..."
"That's the point," Kaori interjected before Elly could say anymore. She could already see the troubled faces of her fellows. "The story was about a girl who wanted so much, and tried so hard to get it, but was after the wrong thing. Fame, fortune, romance - although not bad, can corrupt a person. She ignored her life, sped through it too quickly, gave up on things that truly meant something in order to strive for a worthless ideal." All eyes were now on Kaori, as she looked over at the table of Elders. Such ideals were held high by the Citadel, especially Mother Mahina. The Citadel was carved and created by men and women who believed in only one thing: power. Much was sacrificed to obtain and keep this power, and this ideal was strictly instilled in the students. The school was proclaimed to be the most prominent wizarding school in the nation, each year producing the leaders of tomorrow. However, it was also a school to be feared, as well as revered. Kaori despised the school, believing it to be a corrupt society with a corrupt goal. Nothing could sedate Mother Mahina's insatiable hunger for more power and prestige.
Rael, Kaori's dearest friend and brother, frowned at her in concern. "What are you saying, Kay?" He knew the answer, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear it.
Kaori looked at her brother, a small hint of hatred rising to the surface of her brown eyes. "I'm saying, the meerca was making a statement that we all know to be true. She was throwing into the face of the Elders the ideals they blindly believe in. And the consequence of their desires? Death - a death full of sorrow and emptiness for those who push aside what matters for that which doesn't." A hushed silence swept over the small group. They couldn't swallow what Kaori had just proclaimed, although a handful of them would agree. The society of the Citadel was far from ideal, but it was all they knew, having been bred within the walls of the school since infancy. What were they do to? Kaori had the answer, of course, but it was for herself and herself alone. With a sigh, she looked back out into the center of the hall and watched the meerca dance in her golden silks and play her magical lute.
