Stone pillars of white marble were supports to a wooden roof. Eight pillars that were old. They had hundreds of years to witness the nations maturity; and doing their part to help the capital prosper.
There were flowerbeds, and fruit trees that ran along the front of the ancient structure. Making a circle. A lovely white loop. Like the Great Pond.
There were giant arches, that let into a robust garden of pink, and white flowers. A path ran to a pergola. And the white bleeding heart plants covered its roof in thin drapes. The wind shook a few. Jezebel, no, Mary Thompson, watched their little dance. She bit her lips, because she was hungry.
The rest of the ten at the table paid attention to the sundial in the lawn to their left. Mary watched the fountain to the right. A beautiful stone structure made from a single piece. She shook her head in satisfaction.
"It's time." Marvin Clarke a fat cardinal stood up. He looked around, and five of the other members nodded. They were in robes today to vote.
"We will be voting for our Pope today. It has come down to two people." He smiled. His teeth were well kept. "We will vote by a show of hands."
"Raise your hands if you support myself taking up the honorable, and most esteemed position."
Six of the men raised their hands the others lowered their heads.
"Seems there's no need to verify the…." A gust of wind blew his head onto the marble. It rolled wetly.
There were stifled screams and horrified shuffling.
"How could you do such a monstrous…" she scratched across the distance, his neck to his arm fell.
"I would like you, who raised their hands, to do it again for me please."
The remaining four did. And their limbs rolled across the stone. One member bent and chose the right arm out of the bunch.
"That's for supporting my enemies. I learned a long time ago that you shouldn't prod a hungry dog. I'm teaching you lot the same today. Raise your hands to vote for me. I, Mary Thompson. Be swift and you may get to the hospital in time to reattach it."
The injured ran along the path towards the arch.
"Cover my daughter's eyeshes!" She was genuinely mad. "We're about to eat!"
"You all, find someone to clean my garden."
She walked with a fast rhythm towards the arch. A little girl with long black hair, and peach skin ran into her arms. Mary placed her onto her hip, pinched her cheeks, and before she left the venue.
"Mummy.."
"Yes, baby?"
"Mummy you got a call from someone who left a message. 'She said that they were able collect most of those things for you.' I asked what they were but they wouldn't tell me. But they said, 'there were only three more to get'."
"Didn't I tell you not to let her use my phone?"
...…..
The truck slowed into a parking lot in the front of a gray gymnasium. The form stopped any wind from touching Casey. There was giant white lettering on the gray building. It read Steady. Lavender, purple, and black were on the horizon above it.
Casey's humming and his smile lit the parking lot a little. He had brought a duffle bag with him today; there were drinks and a change of clothing inside. Casey had worn a white sweat pant, a white tee shirt, and some red slides.
He entered and met the others taking instructions from his father. They wore white tees like himself.
"Casey, you're late. Run five laps, before we start."
"Yes sir." He didn't argue and in fact saw it as a good warm up.
The were four hundred meters of hard, gray, material. This was how a Steady looked. That grayness and black bleachers. There windows that spanned the entire structure, but the light came from bulbs.
He placed his stuff, and ran without stretching. It didn't take long before he had gotten the assignment complete.
His father smiled." Okay. I'm thinking of having you and Rico spar. He's learned a lot, so it'll be good if he can get some real experience. What do you think?"
Rico got up. "Let's do this, Case."
"Okay, but are we using magic?"
His father nodded. "Of course, but pull your punches a little? Rico's still new."
"I'll see what I can do about it."
"That doesn't sound right." Rico looked to John but saw him smiling.
They walked apart onto the field.
"1,2,3, go!"
Rico shot forward. Apparently he'd absorbed composite mana during the count. The quiet before had turned into his body whistling as he tore into the wind.
Casey, deflected the straight to the side, and stepped in with a knee. Rico had caught it with his forearm.
The force took him off his feet and sent him twenty feet back.
"I need you wind!"
Rico brought out a mound of spinning air. It was only visible by the things that it attracted. He threw it at Casey. And fell to his knees.
The wind rubbed along the ground as it tore towards him. Casey absorbed some void mana lingering around into his forearms. And waved.
It produced a blur that absorbed the ball of wind before vanishing and blowing Rico away.