Homeland in the Flames

After the Chief Medium learned the news from Farwalker, she entered a deep meditation.

No one knew what she saw. That meditation had no assistants in attendance, nor did it leave behind any record in any form.

Outsiders only knew she had gone in, but not what she saw inside, or how long she watched.

Around evening, she stood up beside the tree and walked back to the council hall.

The high-ranking mediums in the hall had been waiting for a long time, and everyone looked at her with unease in their eyes.

The Chief Medium sat down in the main seat and accepted the tea offered by her assistant.

"Before I make the formal announcement, I want to ask you a question first."

The eldest medium inclined her body slightly. "Please speak."

"If a child learned that he was born from someone's plan, what would he think?"

The three exchanged a glance.

"That... would depend on the child's nature," the one in the middle answered softly.

"Some would resent it, some would be grateful, and some would not think much of it at all, but simply go on living."

"Yes." The Chief Medium nodded, something in her expression that was hard to tell as either relief or exhaustion.

"We will go on living."

Her gaze fell into the teacup.

"Someone in the tree told me that those vast perspectives that occasionally flash through meditation, as if transmitted from outside the world.

Those images that belong to no known ancestor were not the kind of opportunity or Apocalypse we believed them to be."

The hall was quiet for a moment.

"My lady means..."

"Someone put them there," the Chief Medium said in an extremely steady voice.

"And they have been there for a very long time."

Another silence followed, this