Noble flew across campus.
'The front gate won't cave in. It's much too strong. But if a crowd presses against it, someone could get seriously hurt.'
The new Provost sighed. Noble was not only having to deal with the regular day-to-day functions of the Academy, but she was also having to deal with the outside world.
And that world was deeply distressed. It was no wonder Alden was so eager to leave. If he had waited much longer, he would have been the one having to deal with the riots in the street outside the walls.
Well, it wasn't a riot just yet. It was supposed to be a protest. This was the third time a group had come knocking at the Academy's gate, and Noble was all but fed up.
'It's partly my fault...' Noble reminded herself, trying to get in the right mindset.
Her impassioned speech had certainly swayed public opinion, but that was part of the problem. Now that each side had an almost identical number of supporters, they each felt emboldened to publicly take up their cause.
The results were protests and gatherings, many of which were tense and potentially dangerous. Just that morning, Noble had seen a news story that there had been a crowd outside of the Song Manor that had been chanting threateningly and blocking people from accessing the Dream Gate there.
Unwilling to cause things to turn violent, the government had taken far too long to disperse the gathering. Noble wondered if this was the same group that had found a second wind, or if a different set of instigators.
'It is probably better if I don't know.'
Long before she reached the front entrance to the school, Noble could hear the chanting. Its rhythmic cry was easy to understand.
"Justice for Changing Star. Justice for Changing Star!"
The thunderous crowd boomed in unison.
'Valor followers…'
Really, it could have gone either way. The Academy had a wide area out in front that made it good for gathering, so either side could have selected it as their staging ground.
Yesterday, Song supporters had been knocking at their door.
'At least they are taking turns, I suppose…'
If both groups had collided, Noble was certain there would have been bloodshed. The new Provost knew not to count her blessings just yet. She needed to assess the situation first.
The voices grew louder as Noble flew around the side of the final building and into the gardened lawns and beautiful paved paths of the commons.
Some Sleepers lingered around the area, staring at the closed gate with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. Mostly, the area was devoid of students.
The rest of the people were staff and a large contingent of the security team standing by for Noble's arrival.
"I hope you aren't planning on getting mixed up in that." Noble glanced meaningfully at the group of students closest to the gate.
"No, ma'am!" One of the boys shook his head quickly. "We signed the pledge of neutrality, and we meant it. We just don't want them getting in here to try and hurt…one of our own, you know?"
Noble allowed a small smile. "That is very kind. You leave that task to the security team and me. Everyone within these walls will be safe."
The provost not only said the words; she meant them with all her being. The tingle in her soul let her know that the feeling had not been in vain.
Dismissing the students, Noble made her way to the chief of security. Mori saluted her as she approached.
"Ma'am!"
"Give me the situation." Noble didn't want to waste any more time.
Mori nodded and held out the datapad in his arms.
"The protestors are obviously people who support Clan Valor, or at least her princess. The outside security feeds show they are up against the door, but so far it doesn't seem like anyone has caused damage."
Noble looked at the screen. People were holding signs of various sizes and screaming at the top of their lungs, but they hadn't physically vented their anger. That was good.
"And the government?"
"Five minutes away, although…" Mori paused.
"Speak your mind. I won't be offended." The Provost didn't want yes-men; she wanted people who would tell her what they were thinking.
"I am not sure if we should rely on the government for this, ma'am. Their forces are spread too thin. Between the usual crime and the unexpected uprisings, they are not able to mobilize effectively. And even if they were…" Mori stopped, but Noble could see where he was heading.
"You think even if they were deployed, they would not be well equipped to handle our situation."
"Unless Soul Reaper is with them to disperse the crowd, I think that is about the size of it."
The corner of Noble's mouth twisted upward. "And let me guess, Saint Jet is not with them."
"Last I heard, she was across town dealing with two legacies that got tangled up in a duel in a park. Even if she gets that sorted, she won't be over here for quite some time."
"Well then, we will have to do our best."
Noble sifted through the emotional signatures outside. There were none she could immediately recognize enough to know their owners. That was both good and bad.
It was good because it meant she didn't know anyone out there who was caught up in the madness, but it was problematic in that she had no one on the inside to help her if things went sideways.
'Nothing to be done about it one way or the other.'
"Here's what we will do. I need all of you to secure the perimeter from the inside and make sure no one gets any wild notion of coming over to join our establishment without permission. Notify the staff to move all students to a secure area. We needed to have a safety drill anyway, and now is as good a time as any." Noble would have preferred to plan the drill in advance, but she simply hadn't fit it into her schedule.
"I'll send out the alert and deploy my guards. Do we just hunker down until the government arrives?" Mori didn't seem to like that idea at all.
"Yes and no. I think seeing any type of military force will put the people out there on edge, so I would rather all of you stay hidden unless it becomes an emergency. That isn't to say we will stay idle. I'm going out there." Noble felt her companion's emotions spike.
"Alone?!" Mori gripped the summoned weapon that was sheathed at his side.
"I appreciate the concern, but of the two of us, I'm the one who can fly over the crowd. So unless someone wants to try and attack me from the air, I will be fine." Noble patted his arm gently.
"Lady Nephis was attacked from above," Mori noted with a frown.
"I would be honored to be regarded as highly as Lady Nephis." Noble winked. "If that's the case, bring on the arrows!"
Seeing that she would not be persuaded, Mori nodded. "Be careful."
Noble's smile widened. "Always!"
With that, she turned away and took to the air. It was time to get to work.