The Mantis Variant - Book One - 25. Chapter 25 - UBHS

As the sun was beginning to set, Dozi followed the mystic and his husband into the meeting hall where the Unity Between Humans and Shifts members were gathered. The tension in the air was palpable. She overheard a few angry remarks.

"The Messiahs' violence needs to be stopped," one man said.

"We outnumber them," added a woman.

"Someone should retaliate," another person suggested.

Several comments of agreement came after a different woman declared, "Messiahs are cannibals."

The head of the organization stepped onto the riser at the front of the room, and she addressed the members. "Good evening, friends," she called out over the murmur of conversation. "Thank you all for coming to this UBHS meeting on such short notice."

All other talking ceased.

"In case any of you have not yet heard," she continued, "a group of Messiahs and Demifae attacked the inhabitants of the underground last night. This villainous action cannot be allowed to go without a response! Their hatred must be countered."

She began to pace across the low stage. "For too long have they lived comfortably, murdering our Shift cousins. Will we continue to stand aside and do nothing? Do we intend to watch more of this great city's citizens slain to grant power to others? And what of that power? The stolen strength that creates Messiahs come from our friends and family."

A few people called out affirmations as their leader continued.

"I may be a human, but I married a Shift, and I know there are many of you in beautiful mixed relationships. We are proof that all peoples can live in peace and harmony. We are the shining example to all others."

Another leader stepped onto the stage beside her and continued.

"We need to gather as many like-minded people as we can, and we will march in protest on the Messiah Tower. We will meet not tomorrow, but the following morning at sunrise, on the Spritehood southern waterfront. Spend tomorrow spreading the word about the march so we can increase our numbers."

The first leader continued. "We will walk the perimeter of the peninsula to the northern side before heading south to the Messiah temple. As always, make signs or banners, dress up however you would like, and remember that if you don't want your identity to be known, it is always appropriate to wear a mask. This is not an act of war, please don't attend armed. We want to inform the city what happened, not cause another confrontation."

Dozi stood off to one side, watching the gathered people, who were all watching the two leaders. All around the room, there were Shifts openly using their powers, and humans were standing side by side with them. She had never seen such diversity.

In the back of her mind, Dozi still felt that urge and desire to be more than she was. The lecture she received from the mystic and his husband was still fresh in her mind, and now that she befriended her first Shift in Ilya, someone killing her for the photonova gland inside her head was unthinkable. Dozi also could not deny the horrors of what Agrell went through before escaping the Lovegood cult. Her conflicting thoughts swirled in her mind, as the speakers finished and the group began to disperse.

"Will you join us?" the mystic asked, as he and his husband approached Dozi. "Will you be there to march?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I need to find out what happened to Ilya and Agrell."

"As a fellow human," Theolan commented with a little bow, "please allow me to encourage you to not spend too much of your worry concerned with those who are powerful, as they can usually take care of themselves. Please join us," he urged.

She only responded with, "Maybe."

Night began to swallow the city in darkness, and Dozi headed back to her home. It was quite a while since the last time she was there alone, and she could not help but worry about her new friends.

After eating, she crawled into bed and tried to find sleep, but each of the people with whom she recently became acquainted flashed into her mind. They were starting to feel like family.

That was one of the things Dozi wanted when she moved away from her home in the mountains, to find a group of people that made her feel complete, and this ragamuffin crew of mismatched individuals seemed to encompass that desire. She never could have guessed that the people with whom she would end up feeling close, would include a Shift and an ex-Messiah. Over the past several days, the mystic and his husband had also firmly lodged themselves in her heart. Even their Biological Shift daughter drifted through her mind. Lahari’s appearance may have been shocking, but she was also fascinating.

In the cold darkness, Dozi dozed off to sleep★