The Guild Capitol: Chapter Two

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"Now we can find something for kids." Dawn said and moved to look around the place.

Mandeep seemed to look a bit skeptical of that, but nodded slowly again. The black goo seemed to calm down as Mandeep was reassured, and the healers took advantage of this and murmured their magics more willingly. The kitsune prayed quietly.

Matt smiled softly, heartened by this guy's calmness. "I know, I don't much like her either. But you gotta think, what are the odds that of all the people to find, your friend would find me? "

Mourn shrugged. "He knew danger of switching jobs, he make lots of enemy. He know this. Not stupid is slaver, nasty, desperate, asshole" He snickered. "But no stupid. " He shrugged again. "What we got prepare? We know argument, we have answer and solution to argument. It no take long."

Kay frowned, he really wished he could have Mourn's optimism here. [Matthew deserves every hardship he gets, forgive me if I can't summon the sympathy for someone who's spent his life prioritizing himself over other's right to freedom and dignity. The enemies he makes are his problem. ] He chewed his lip. [Mourn's right, we have nothing more to prepare. All we can do is wait and hope reason prevails.] He glanced to Asher, yeah he was seriously anxious too.

Mourn grinned at Kay. "Grumpy medic always angry."

Kay glared back at him.

Mourn just laughed and shrugged. "What you do now giant man? You try to help robots, you good man. " He nodded. "Like you."

"Matthew has a better chance of surviving than anyone else would, at least," Asher said.
He tried to think of anything that needed preparing. There had to be something he'd failed to plan for! But whatever it was, he wasn't thinking of it now. He'd think of it just as the debate started, when it was too late to do anything about it. Ugh.
He forced his mind back to the present with some difficulty. No, he was NOT going to worry about pointless things. He looked at Ragnarok curiously. Yes, what was the plan from now until the debate?

Mandeep's brow furrowed at that, but he gave no other communication. The kitsune began muttering things about the August Celestials in her prayers, causing one of the healers to blink. "Kitsune, friend, are you a priestess?"

"I have not played my abilities for some time. I doubt they would do much help here. I've tried before." The kitsune said sadly.

The Healer was silent for a moment, "Your kevali friend appears to have calmed him and it down. There might be a chance of dispelling it now."

"Perhaps so, but..." The kitsune bit her lip, "Until we know what kind of Sha it is, I do not know which Celestial to seek guidance with."

~~~~~~

Ragnarok seemed skeptical of Mourn's words. "I haven't done anything at all, though I thank you for your kind words." He thought for a moment, "I will probably ensure the room is prepared for the debate. For So-Called Scholars, the Circle likes leaving their papers everywhere..." He chuckled a bit in jest.

"How would we find out?" Matt asked quietly, still watching the Kevali. He keep his eye, wary of what might happen if he broke eye contact.

---

Mourn shrugged. "I good judge of character." He declared confidently.

[is there anything we need to do, or can do to help or would you prefer we left you alone to your work?] Kay asked

"You're most knowledgeable in this..." She stopped for a moment before leaning in to whisper the word, "banishment, business. Do you know what kind of feeling would overpower all the rest during this time?"

~~~~~~

Ragnarok only nodded at Mourn, but still looked uncertain. He turned his attention to Kay and smiled as his flames whirled around his feet like a robe of fire. "I will be fine, just relax and get ready for your debate. Even if we are your judgement, we are all cheering for you."

Starr sighed softly and looked away. "We are as ready as we can be already." She said gently

Matt nodded. "Abandonment, despair... loneliness, hopelessness. " He frowned. "The Kevali are not a space faring race, they live underground and don't have any real contact with outsiders. If you imagine living your whole life without even knowing what the sky looked like, and then suddenly you're out in space, amongst all these aliens you never imagined could exist, speaking a language you barely understand, if you understand it at all, with cultures so alien. The light hurts your eyes, everything is huge and vast and... " Matt sighed. "I can't even begin to imagine how terrifying that must be. To lose everything, your home, your family, your world. It's a punishment deemed worse than death, they don't fear death.. but they fear being outcast." Matt stared into the one good eye of the Kevali. "it isn't fair. By all reason they have a better chance out here than they do in the underground cities. there's food, there's warmth, there's shelter. there's no reason they can't live happy productive lives, but it's such a huge adjustment to make, so a massive upheaval. " Matt found this all so heartbreaking, from his perspective this guy had probably not done anything particularly wrong. The Elders just hated free thinkers who spoke their mind and wouldn't obediently follow orders Free will was punished, and Matt's freedom loving self couldn't abide by that.

Kay nodded. [Not all, or there wouldn't be a debate. ] He chewed his lip. [Thank you though, for your help and ... for your support]

"Despair and hopelessness..." The kitsune said softly, looking to Mandeep. "Then this is a Sha of Despair. We are in need of Chi-ji the Red Crane. If you'll give me a few minutes, I must get ready. Will you keep him company until I return?"

~~~~~~

Ragnarok nodded. "It is the least I can do after years of doing nothing. I will lead you to the room, so that you may know where it is, and then I shall depart until the meeting."

Matt nodded. "of course." He tried to look reassuring to the outcast.

--

Kay nodded, looking grateful.

Mourn clapped his hands. "yes, we go see!"

Asher smiled at Ragnarok. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Starr nodded and smiled "Alright, that sounds like a plan" She said softly and turned to leave the room, looking at all the other markers again. There were so many, yet not enough.

Mourn took one last look around the room too, trying to memorise as many of those markers as he could. Never knew when it might be useful to know this info.

Kay nodded and would follow the others.

Ragnarok nodded to all of them in turn. "Think nothing of it. It's the least we can do. Hopefully your endeavors in the debate go well, for then we can do more." He led them to the debate room, which looked more like a courtroom mixed with a senate room. About a dozen or so Scholars were already in their seats, and looked up from their papers upon the group entering, the newcomers quickly gaining more attention once it was seen that they were with the great Ragnarok. Ragnarok motioned to a large desk in the center of the semi-circle dorm, with four ornately carved wooden chairs of extreme size, fit just for someone the size of Ragnarok. One chair had a deep notch in it. The same woman statue that had sat in front of the building now stood behind this desk, but this time with her eyes closed as her scale seemed to have a hole spouting from the center, meant to be there for some reason.

"I will be sitting there, along with the other Inquisitors, during the debate. You will be sitting over there," he motioned to a platform with desks and chairs near the back of it, closer to the circular balconies of the Circle's seats, "And if I recall, you will also be defending Merith Sol. Get to know those seats wisely, for you will be sitting there again."

~~~~~~

The kitsune nodded, and left. She returned after several minutes with a red komono ordained with beautiful white cranes at the hem and sleeves. She also had a large prayer staff, a small golden statue of a crane in the center of a vertical ring that was decorated with red ribbons and papers inscribed with oriental-shaped runes. "I am ready. Keep him calm." she said softly.

Mandeep already looked a little nervous.

Asher smiled warmly at the people who looked their way, then looked at the woman statue. Was it the same statue, or just one that looked similar? Was it even a statue at all? You really couldn't tell around this many shapeshifters, could you?
He looked away, following Ragarok's gesture to the seats. "Well I suppose that makes things simpler if we're in the same place next time," he said with a weak attempt at humor.

Matt nodded "it's going to be fine Mandeep, i'll be here the whole time. " He tried to hide the worry on his own face.

---

Kay eyed the statue warily, nodded and headed toward the seats.

Mourn waved to those who were already here, grinning broadly and pointed at the statue. "What that?" He asked bluntly.

Starr studied the room, nodding to the ones that looked to them and studying the layout of the room curiously.

Ragnarok looked up at the statue, and his eyes softened, "The Entropium are seekers of knowledge, and over time we learned that many cultures share a similar aspect around women and justice, and that it is a woman that usually embodies a sense of justice. We have integrated many cultures into our systems over the years, and during trial the scale will tip to signify the favor of the Inquisitors.

"Why a woman... We like to think it is because the sense of justice a persona of a mother brought. To most, anyway. That is all we can really think of. The mother, the bringer of both protection and equity of treatment."

~~~~~~

Mandeep nodded slowly once again. The kitsune stood over him and placed the staff in both her hands.

"The story of Chi-Ji is what we require in our darkest days." She murmured, "During the age of Moving Stone, when the creatures took our land from us, they brought the Spirits down from their immortal forms. While the other three August Celestials were cast our and imprisoned, Chi-ji suffered the most. Bound and shackled was he, and paraded down the streets of slaves for an image to retain our disparity. But the Great Red Crane would show us something greater. The revolutions would free him of his bindings and he opened his wings to the sky. The Spirit of Hope was free, and today he still guides us.

"Guide me, Chi-ji, Emissary of Hope, and help me rise against despair."

The staff suddenly slammed its tip to the floor, startling the Healers, and even Mandeep. The Sha suddenly gurgled violently and lunged for the priestess, but was promptly pushed back by the sudden red aura she emitted. She continued to murmur prayers and the story of the Red Crane. Mandeep began to gargle and writhe again as the Sha grew agitated.

"Chi-ji will show us to raise our heads even in the greatest moments of defeat..." She murmured with her eyes closed, looking strained.

"Depend on mother." Mourn remarked.

Kay looked uncomfortable.

----

"It's alright Mandeep, it's alright. Fight it." Matt whispered. Come on... he willed that damn thing to die already. he had no gods he cared to pray to, but he still tried to will it to leave the Kevali, relinquish that hold on him, set him free.

Asher nodded. He didn't know exactly what to think of that, not having much experience with mothers or much interest in gender differences. It was certainly interesting though.

Starr nodded "Many cultures see the mother as a keeper of peace, though those same cultures see the father as a warrior or hunter, at least in the beginnings."

Ragnarok smiled softly, "Well, the ideal mother, anyhow." He seemed to notice Kay's discomfort, the way his eyes flashed slightly in recognition, but he said nothing of it.

~~~~~~

The priestess continued to pray in her unusual, Inari-esque garb. Her crimson aura got brighter and the Sha more violent. An image of a white crane with red tipped feathers. The shimmering image seemed to become self aware, gazing around the room with a glint of confusion, and slight amusement. The amusement was lost, however, when it spotted Mandeep, and it suddenly sobered. It strode forward in a most graceful manner, and placed its beak on the sludge, which began to dissipate and crawl away from the the touch easily. Mandeep's body crumpled as he was suddenly overloaded with the energy and passed out.

The Spirit of Chi-ji smiled, "Be free of doubt, creature of the underground. I see you as a friend." The crane image spoke softly before turning its head curiously to Mattias, nodding once.

Matt stared at the crane and managed a vague nod.

((Timeskip to debate?))

(sure)