The Air Howlers Book I ✔

5

Ki was silent. She just stood there, in front of all the Howlers of Air, unable to think or speak. Everyone had stopped clapping after her mark was revealed. They were probably just as surprised as her. None of them had come to Temple Square today to witness a Four Howler being made. A whimpering noise left her throat and Ki looked to her uncle for guidance. He had angled his body so that he could see the mark for himself. His eyes were fixated on it and she had trouble getting his attention. She needed it. She needed him to tell her what to do. Kattar looked utterly dumbstruck. Had he ever believed his niece was capable of such power? Sure, the Arynn lineage was powerful; her great great grandfather had been a Four. But not once had he thought Ki would be marked.

Her uncle finally looked at her, nodding, but his gaze seemed distant, unfocused. Council member Adar spoke at last. "The Chamber has decided. Kianna Arynn has been marked as a Four Howler of Aethorin!"

As if his words made it official, the crowd on Temple Square broke into an ear-splintering roar, clapping and cheering so loudly that Ki almost covered her ears with her hands to drown out the noise. But she didn't. She was still too shaken up to move.

Adar was saying something to her, but she couldn't hear him over the cheering. Her brows furrowed in confusion and he must have noticed. He leaned his head close to hers, talking directly into her ear.

"We must take you to see the rest of the council. Immediately." Of course. Not every council member was present at Revelation Day, but with something like this, like her, they had get involved. Ki was positive that a messenger boy had already been sent to the council building to notify the others.

"Follow me," Adar said, casting another glance at Kattar before walking with brisk strides through the masses and towards the Council building's main doors on the opposite side of the square.

Kattar grabbed hold of Ki's unmarked upper arm, guiding her along. His grip wasn't hard, but she could almost feel the tension in his body. His only living relative - marked a Four Howler.

Entering the cool building housing the city council, somewhere Ki hadn't been except for school trips, she glanced up at the magnificent ceiling decorated with paintings of the sky. The pale blue sky was dotted with white clouds, slowly darkening as her eyes travelled along the dome. The different stages of air were painted, culminating in a large tornado, upending a small village. Not the most pleasant of paintings, but it showed the reality and the devastating horrors that wind could produce if not controlled properly.

"This way." Adar waiting for them in front of a large oak door. She trailed alongside her uncle who hadn't spoken a word since the revelation of her rank.

Inside the door was a long rectangular room, but it was the dominating wooden table at the far end that immediately drew Ki's eyes. Taking up at least half the space, the table stood lengthwise in front of her, four of the five chairs behind it filled with ageing men, all whom were watching her with looks ranging from surprised to shocked.

"Council," Adar began, taking the empty seat in the middle of the table. "This young lady is Kianna Arynn and it seems the Chamber of Revelation has chosen her as Air's Four Howler."

Five pairs of eyes focused on Ki and she squirmed at the attention. She was never good at being in the spotlight. They watched her silently, revealing no emotions on their faces.

"Would you care to show us your mark?" The man on the furthest to the right then said, inching a little closer in his seat. She knew his name was Ymar Sar, the representative from Water. His bright blue eyes looked kindly upon Ki as she turned to her left to show them her right arm and her Howler mark.

The man next to him, Thyga Denkt from Earth, fidgeted in his seat as he looked upon the black and silver symbol of Air.

"Interesting," murmured Brom Careen from Fire, in his seat to the far left. He stroked his greying goatee beard; narrow dark eyes fixated on Ki's blue ones, not her mark. He unnerved her a great deal.