Megumi sighed and closed her eyes, thinking the best way to answer. But her nerves were getting to her as she said "first of all, I did not come quietly. I am not a meek spirit. This should be known. Second, I am the Wolf spirit of the dark moon. I've been on the earth for a very long time. I have seen the darkness of this world. And I do not fear it. I plan to go on in my work to protect those blessed by moonlight....if I must come into the light to do that, so be it. I have been hiding from the world to protect the world... As my father wanted. But now I have sensed I am needed. So I came here. If you plan to kill me because of what I am, I will fight for my life. And I will go on in my work" she sighed and opened her eyes, the silver gold glow back. If they asked about her father, she couldn't answer. But she would try.

Despite the hostility that came through Megumi's voice, Ayako smiled at the response. "It is often the meek that are the loudest," Ayako said in a placid tone. "Those that are weak are loud because they have no means of defense and must deter their enemies. Those that are strong can afford to be quiet because they have little to fear. When I say you have come quietly, do not interpret that as a declaration of weakness. Rather, consider it my way of calling you a dignified and civilized individual... one that can afford to be quiet." He paused for a moment, letting those words work on Megumi before continuing. "I, too, I have lived on this world for a long time, and I have also lived in the spirit world for a long time. Believe me when I say that there is plenty of darkness in both of them." He didn't bother telling her his exact age, but it was apparent from his tone that he he was at least older than The Guild. "You remind me very much of Garoth. You are both proud, courageous, and strong spirits... I can see why he has taken a liking to you. The work you describe does not sound very different from our own. I'm sure that you could find a way to fit in here if you tried. Is this notion unsavory to you?" Ayako knew that this sounded like an ultimatum, but it was just the way he liked to ask the question. He had no intention of killing a spirit that had devoted its life to protecting others, but the question was always more interesting when said spirit was not aware of his intentions.

Megumi looked at him, a odd look in her eyes. Then she said "I will not be limited only helping those the guild decides to aid. A whole village at risk and send me to save one, I will save the whole village...its my nature and I will not fight it. But, as long as the Guild shows me I can trust its goals, we will have no problems" She stood and moved away from the table, her arms folded. "My father...was the Wolf of the West. He rescued me from the Guild...I don't why I needed saving...why I was hunted...but please know, I want those answers..." She looked at him. "Is there more you need from me?"

Ayako could tell that Megumi was ill at ease, but at the same time he was confident that he could win her over to their side; having a powerful spirit like her join would be a tremendous asset in the long run. But first, he wanted to remove the element of danger from the situation. "You may be at ease now," he said. "We will not harm you so long as you accept your brand, and whether or not you decide to join us is entirely your decision. Everybody who works for us does so willingly and may leave whenever they like. The only consequence for leaving is that they may never set foot inside our walls again. If you are not convinced that this is the right place for you, though, I would like you to think about the nature of The Guild before you refuse. If one person was in danger, I could go to them and save them with ease; even if an entire village was in danger, there are few spirits in this world that I would be unable to protect it from. I don't need The Guild to save one person. But, even as we speak, there are hundreds, if not thousands of people in danger. I cannot be in a hundred places at once. Two places I could manage--" he gave a quick smirk "--but not a hundred.

"The Guild is more than just a collection of warriors and wizards that hunt monsters. We are a nexus and a distributor of help as well as a training facility where the greatest masters in the world have gathered. We are known, and whenever there is a call for help it comes to us. The Guild does not simply protect one person, or one village; we protect the world. We decipher and organize all these calls for help and select those that can provide the best aid for a job. And when not on a job, our hunters hone their skills, learning from one another, developing rivalries and friendships, and reaching levels of strength they could not attain alone. If your nature is to help as many people as you can, we will see to it that your abilities are actually being used to their fullest. If you are still not convinced, then speak with Garoth. He used to be a lone guardian like you, but he came around to see that he was better as a guild member than he was alone.

"As for your father..." At this last stage, Ayako's voice took on a compassionate tone and his face bore a look of genuine sympathy. "It is always unfortunate when good men cannot come to terms with the times they live in. The incident with the Wolf of the West happened... well it must have been over a century ago by now, and I'm afraid that I no longer remember the details. I will not lie to you: I did vote in favor of that hunt, though I cannot remember why. Refusing to be branded alone would warrant a hunt, though I believe there was something more to this case..." Ayako thought for a moment and shook his head apologetically. "I am sorry that I cannot be more helpful to you now, but if you agree to join us, I feel as though it would be my duty to investigate the matter and give you your answers. Now, if you are ready, we can proceed with the branding. Think about all I have said and give my your decision afterwards." Ayako then motioned for Megumi to return to her seat. He had been seated the whole time and would not proceed until Megumi at least returned the courtesy.

Megumi thought it thru, feeling a little better. She didn't feel her father would fight change, but she wouldn't fight the elder on this matter. She returned to her sit, her hands in her lap. Calm and controlled. She looked him in the eyes and said "Thank you...and I will think of what you have said...I am ready"

Scarlet walked over to Garoth and said "You know as a Shaman I see things that most other creatures can't right? Your new friend...I haven't seen anything like her since I was a small child...Your girl has a secret buried inside of her...you might want to get it figured out and soon...before it blows"

Ayako smiled as Megumi took her seat and then said, "I will be gone for just a moment to fetch some supplies. Please do not mind the man standing outside the door. He is just a precaution." Apparently a man dressed entirely in black had taken a position by the door as a guard at some point during their conversation -- or perhaps he had been there the whole time. It was likely that Megumi would not have even noticed him unless Ayako had pointed him out. With that, the kitsune left the room, leaving Megumi to sit in silence for about three minutes. In that time, the man by the door stood still and statue-like; the loudest sound coming from him was the beating of his heart, and even that was muffled by layers of cloth.

Finally, Ayako returned with a piece of white silk, a slab of a black metal substance, and a tiny metal tool that looked to be a pick of some sort. He laid the piece of silk on the table before him, placed the block of metal on top of the sheet, and proceeded to carefully carve a series of symbols that translated to "wolf" into the metal. "This will be your brand," he explained as he worked. "The materials here are enchanted so that the branding is a permanent process, but I assure you that it will not interact with any other magic you wish to use, nor will it have any negative effects on your health." When finished with that word, he carved one more smaller symbol above it that signified that she was of the ancient race of spirits. Next, he turned the pick around and tapped the metal three times, pausing about a second between them. When he lifted the metal, the symbols had transferred onto the cloth, penetrating through to both sides. He picked up the silk cloth and then made his way behind Megumi. "Now hold still. You may feel a slight sting, but it will only be momentary and no harm will come of it." With that final reassurance, he tied the cloth around Megumi's head like a headband, ensuring that the brand was centered properly; after all, once it was on, it would never come off.

Once everything was in place, he lightly tapped Megumi's forehead and temples with the back of the pick, and the brand began to transfer onto her flesh. Megumi would feel a slight pain, like the prickling of thousands of needles where the symbols fused with her body, but the process took only a couple of seconds and then Ayako removed the cloth. "All finished. Now you are in compliance with our laws and have no need to hide from us. You are free to go if you like, but I would be happy if you chose to join The Guild. Of course, if you need more time to decide you are welcome to it, but spirits of your caliber do not come to us very often and I feel it would be a shame not to put your talents to use." Megumi was not blocked or restrained in any way; she was free to go if she chose, though it was clear that the fox wanted her on board.

Garoth raised an eyebrow at what Scarlet said. It was good having a friend that could give him special insights, but sometimes it frustrated him with how vague it could be. "I'm not a detective, I'm a hunter," he said. "Besides, she already told me that her father did something to her when she was a pup, but I'm not sure that even she knows what it is. If you think there's something really dangerous about her, then you should report it to the council. They have access to a lot more information than I do and can do a background check or something..." Now that he thought about it, if The Guild conducted a hunt on her father, they would definitely have a file on him that contained the reason he was hunted. "I'll talk to her again and have a look at the library," he said with a sigh, "but it it's something serious, that information would be classified." Perhaps one day he would have access to all of the information in the library, but as a warrior, he would have to make do with information that was free to everyone.

Megumi stood, rubbing the mark and said. "I will think about it....and I will come to you when I reach a choice. Thank you..." She suddenly vanished into the shadows, not wanting to be followed. She reappeared in what looked like a garden. She sensed she was alone and sat down, wrapping her arms around her legs and hiding her face with her knees. A couple tears went down her face silently as she muttered " I'm so sorry father.....I'm so sorry...." She cried into her knees, the shadows around her almost wrapping around her to comfort her.

Scarlet shrugged and said "you know me, I do my own searching. Besides, the council will just take it to extremes and want her tested...,no, I'll see what I can find. Maybe find her fathers records. The old spirits didn't do anything without a good reason..." She turned her head suddenly, her eyes glazing over for a moment, then said "she's in the peace gardens....she used her powers to leave. Malik is not going to like that...."

Ayako was a bit taken aback by Megumi's sudden departure, but at least she had the courtesy to bid him farewell. "Well, I suppose we all have our quirks, don't we Ozaku?" The man in black nodded silently as Ayako cleaned up the supplies. However, something was bothering the kitsune. What was it about the Wolf of the West -- no it was the whole pack wasn't it -- that got them exterminated? "Ozaku, bring me the file on her father and all spirits of the same race. I'd like to conduct a thorough background check before we accept her into The Guild." As soon as Ayako finished speaking, Ozaku disappeared into the shadows, although unlike Megumi, his apparent disappearance was just due to the nuances of his movement.

Garoth let out a sigh when Scarlet's eyes glazed over. He knew that look; it usually meant that he had to zip through the air to prevent some apparent misfortune from happening. Fortunately, it didn't seem too serious this time. "Well, since The Guild isn't up in arms, I guess that means she took her brand and left. We can't keep her here if she doesn't want to stay, and Malik isn't her boss just because she accepted a brand." Still, a part of Garoth thought she should have at least told him how it went. "Anyway, I guess I'd better check on her just in case. If you're hitting the books, then I'll head to the garden."

With that, a pair of shimmering wings sprouted out of his back and, with their help, he made a giant leap to the top of the wall next to a guard tower. He tapped on the window and signaled that he was heading out -- they were used to him taking off like that -- then went full griffin and soared over to the garden. As he circled from above he spotted Megumi easily, and saw that she was obviously upset about something. He immediately averted his gaze so as not to invade her privacy any further and spiraled down into a small clearing a small way away from where she was. Garoth took his mortal form and made no effort to quiet his steps as he approached; he didn't want to make her reveal any feelings that she'd rather keep to herself. "Well, The Guild didn't erupt into a chaotic frenzy when you left," he said as he walked up to her, giving her plenty of time to dry the tears that he had already seen from above. "I take it that means everything went well?"

Megumi was standing up when he walked over as he spoke, her eyes already dry. "Yes...I'm just thinking about joining up with the guild or not..." She looked at him and said "still thinking about it. I'm not sure a team is really my thing...and the old spirits don't really go with....other creatures"

Scarlet was looking thru the records when she found something in an old text. She read the page over a few times and then said "well it's a lead...not what I was thinking but it's a..." She saw ozaku walk in for the old records and she pulled the book out of sight. She wanted garoth to see it first.

Garoth was glad to see that Megumi was not so distraught that she couldn't cheer up by the time he arrived. "I guess that means Ayako put you up to it." He let out a small chuckle. "That old fox must have visited my village close to a dozen times before he convinced me to join. I was a stubborn one, but he was persistent and he's always had a way with words. Did he drop his classic 'maximize your altruistic potential' argument on you? That was the one that got me thinking." Garoth laughed again. He thought it would be great if Megumi joined The Guild and thought she would do well as a member, but he didn't want to pressure her to do something she didn't feel comfortable with; it was her decision to make, not anybody else's.

Ozaku walked through the aisles of the library, each meticulously trained footstep landing silently on the floor. The Wolf of the West's files were over 100 years old and were being kept in a special archive for preservation. He had instructed the librarian to deliver it to Ayako at her earliest convenience, but for now there was a certain book he wanted to have a look at that would provide a decent historic background for the meat of the information. Unfortunately, that book was gone. The one book he wanted in a library of thousands just happened to be gone. Coincidence? No, he didn't believe in those; there was a cause and a reason for everything, and when he determined that cause he would find the book. It wasn't a difficult riddle. He could tell from the dust patterns on the shelf that the book had just been taken out recently. So, who may have developed a recent interest in ancient wolf spirits besides Ayako? There was one lead: the spirit that just befriended one, Garoth. Seconds after seeing the missing book, Ozaku silently left the library in search of the Griffin.

Megumi looked around at the garden thinking. After a while she said "I want to find the truth of what happened to my father and why he wanted me to hide from the world..." She looked at Garoth and said "I will try...I will try and work with a team. It will take time, but I will try..."

Scarlet was heading for the garden and saw Garoth with Megumi. She paused. She didn't want to tell Garoth infront of the spirit without being sure of the information she had. She thought and then said "It can wait...she might not even join...then we won't have to worry..." She turned around to go back to the library. But something made her stop again. She looked back at Megumi, seeing things the others weren't seeing about her. "This can't wait...but Garoth can't save her...I better get this to a council member I can trust..." She turned to head to the main building, hoping she was doing the right thing.

Garoth gave Megumi a bright smile, glad to hear that she decided to join. "That's the spirit!" he said, giving her a friendly pat on the back. "I know sometimes it's tough getting along with strangers, and some people are still tough to get along with even once you know them..." The was a grumble in is voice as if he had somebody in particular in mind. "...but when push comes to shove, it feels good knowing that there's somebody you can trust watching your back. You'll know what I mean once they send you on some of the more dangerous missions." There had been times when Garoth thought of quitting The Guild, but that was when he was young and thought he was invincible. No, he'd had his ass saved one too many times to scoff at teamwork. "So, shall we head back?" Garoth didn't know why, but he was eager for Megumi to become a guild mate. Perhaps it was because she was his recruit; her becoming a guild member seemed to validate his decision to spare her. Or, perhaps it was because he saw so much of his own past in her. He knew what it was like to lose his parents at a young age, to live by himself, to be a lone guardian. Sure, he had friends here, but none of them had shared his own experience like Megumi.

Unbeknownst to the griffin, though, Ozaku listened from behind the trees. He didn't want to confront Garoth about the book while the wolf was there. He would certainly get flak from Ayako if he drove her away with his interrogations. Plus, if they were planning to lie about the book it would be better to question them separately and look for discrepancies. But for now... He pressed up against a tree and his clothing took on the color and texture of the bark. His simply waited in the shadows, undetectable unless one knew exactly what to look for.

Megumi smiled and nodded. "Yes, we can head back...would you mind coming with me? To see the council. I fear I don't really know how to get back to the chambers we were in...I left in a hurry..." She turned then stopped dead. She sniffed the air and her eyes turned gold again. She said "If you don't mind coming out of the shadows, I would really feel better. When someone tries to hide in the element I wield I get very testy" She took a step infront of Garoth, bewteen where they and where she sensed someone hiding. Her aura came out a little, her energies gathering arond her.

Scarlet was waiting in the main lobby of the high chambers when someone told her Master Ayako was able to see her. She nodded and went insdie to see him, looking very worried. "Master Ayako, I'm sorry to bother you, but I found something that I believe should be known...but I on;y wanted to show someone involvoed" She pulled the book out from her robes and showed it to him. "This is about Lady Megumi...the Wolf Spirit"

After being called out, Ozaku stepped forward out of the shadows; there was no point in hiding if they knew he was there. As soon as he stopped touching the tree, the cloths that enveloped his body, including his face, lost the tree texture and once again faded to jet black. "You have a sharp nose," he said in a soft but clear voice. "You detected me even though these cloths mask my scent. I can see why Ayako took an interest in you. But at the moment, I would like to speak with Garoth." His tone was not threatening, but at the same time was far from apologetic for making the wolf "testy."

"It's OK," Garoth said, stepping out from behind Megumi so that he could speak with Ozaku. "Sneaking up on people is just a bad habit of his. He doesn't know how to say hello like a normal person."

Ozaku knew that Garoth was just trying to pick a fight. Normally, he would be happy to oblige and give the young griffin a lesson or two, but for now he would let it slide so he could get straight to the point. "It is my understanding that a colleague of yours has taken a book out from the library." He knew that Garoth himself hadn't taken it out, because nobody had seen him in that library in years. It wasn't his MO. "The council has requested to see that same book. Who should I speak with to obtain this book?"

Garoth raised an eyebrow as Ozaku spoke, and then busted out laughing. "Geez Ozaku, all these theatrics just for a book? You realize you could have just walked up and asked me like a sane person, right?"

"Where is it?" Ozaku reiterated, finding no amusement in the matter.

"Fine, fine. I asked Scarlet to look something up for me. If you want the book then..." but before he could finish his sentence, Ozaku had already vanished back into the woods. He turned back to Megumi, shaking his head. "Like I said, some people are tough to get along with. Anyway, I'll take you back to The Guild. Anything is better than dealing with that psycho ninja."

Ayako was used to seeing Scarlet with a troubled expression, with her intuition telling her all sorts of dangerous things, but this time she actually came forward with some physical evidence. When he saw the book, though, an amused grin crossed his face. "I had just sent Ozaku to fetch this one for me. I think we can expect him any minute now. But in any case, I recall there being something important about the case with the Wolf of the West that may pertain to Megumi. You seem to be confirming my suspicions. What exactly did you find?" Even when dealing with serious matters, Ayako spoke in a calm voice. Nobody in The Guild could remember a time when the old fox appeared worried.

Scarlet moved over to him and opened the book, opening it to a chapter and pointing to it. A drawing of a huge wolf with a dozen tails was on it, all black with golden eyes. "The wolf of the black moon....it's a legend at best, but the aura that Megumi has....the power within her....this wolf was the protector of the spirit gate between heaven and hell. And she was rumored to have taken a mate....who no one knows. But when the guild was formed, all the old spirits suddenly vanished as I know you recall. Many were killed by mistake by losing their shrines or their prayer grounds....but the wolf of the west and his Shadow pack weren't ones tied to a place...so why were they afraid of the branding?"

Megumi frowned and said "I can tell....charmer" she turned to head back with garoth, clearly still on edge. She was already thinking this might have been a bad idea.

A sudden look of understanding washed over Ayako's face as Scarlet opened the book. "Yes, it makes sense that they would refuse the brand... but it was necessary. In any case, Megumi has accepted a brand, so she will not be hunted. We do not punish spirits merely because they possess power. If that was the case I wouldn't be around, now would I?" He gave a gentle laugh and closed the book. "Do not concern yourself with the matter any further. I will present the council with this information and we may take further precautions, but Megumi is still free to join if she likes." With that he swiftly separated himself from Scarlet and made his way towards the council room. He knew the girl would be able to see as clear as day that he was hiding something from her, but that was classified information that she didn't need to know.

"Don't let that creepy ninja get you down," Garoth said, seeing that Megumi seemed to be having second thoughts. "Most of the people you'll meet aren't like that. There's plenty of odd ones like Scarlet, but we're pretty odd ourselves when you think about it. And if anyone gives you trouble, just let me know and I'll kick their ass." He chuckled brightly, wanting Megumi to be in a good mood when she applied to join. Hopefully she'd get lucky and get to speak with Ayako again. If it was Malik... well, he wouldn't do anything to her now, but that man had a talent for putting people on edge.

Scarlet sighed and said "doesn't he know better I can't drop this....fine, guess I'll have to learn more on my own" she left, heading to find her partner bane. They had work to do.

Megumi nodded as they headed for the main building then she said "tell me about scarlet....what is she exactly? How she spoke before was....very odd"

"Master Ayako, that book she showed you, I apologize that I wasn't able to deliver it first."

Ayako simply gave the ninja a dismissive wave. "I do not doubt your efficiency; it was merely circumstance that she found it first. However, have you done anything that could alert Megumi to our actions?"

Ozaku thought back to their brief encounter in the garden. "She knows that Garoth sent Scarlet to get a book, but she was not yet aware of the subject matter. I doubt that Garoth will keep it a secret from her for long, though."

"I see..." said Ayako pensively. "Then it will be prudent to be forthright with her. If she returns, tell her that I have uncovered a piece of information about her father and would like to see her at her earliest convenience." With that, the ninja nodded and disappeared down the corridor.

As Garoth and Megumi headed towards the main building, Garoth thought of the best way to answer Megumi's question. "Well, Scarlet calls herself a shaman, but I'm not entirely sure what that means myself. Sometimes she knows things that she can't possibly know... but in a vague sense. I do know that you should never try lying to her. She'll know for sure. Besides that... I guess you could say she's got super-powered intuition." Scarlet's powers tended to frustrate Garoth if he tried to think about them too much. He liked things clear cut, black or white. But Scarlet was a kind person and rarely flaunted her abilities, so he was able to get along with her just fine.

Megumi nodded as they walked into the building and she said "I sensed as much....she has a lot of energy about her. She must be a great ally on the battle field" they walked to the main desk and the lady looked up and said "oh perfect. Master ayako wanted to see you. Ozaku just left to find you" Megumi asked "is there a problem?" The lady said "I wasn't given details, let me let him know your here" she stood and left just as scarlet and bane appeared, scarlet seeing garoth and heading over to him. "Perfect, just the bird I wanted to see"

Garoth was surprised to hear that Ayako was already looking for Megumi. Was that just a coincidence, or was the fox just one step ahead of everybody. In any case, he didn't have time to dwell on the matter because Scarlet was coming over, and by the looks of things she had something figured out. "Does my favorite redhead have some news for me?" he retorted in a playful tone. He did resent being called a bird, but he couldn't think of an equivalent mildly demeaning word for mortal on the fly, so he just resorted to calling her by the color of her hair.

"Excusing yourself again?" Malik drawled once Ayako stood up after receiving a message. Malik was a pale, gaunt man that looked like a borderline undead, but his unadorned forehead revealed that he was human. He had dark rings under his eyes that matched his dark hair and robes, yet despite is sickly appearance, he spoke with a full, almost threatening voice.

"Yes," Ayako replied, ignoring the man's harsh tone. "It seems as though that wolf that I just branded has returned. She will be a valuable asset if she decides to join--"

"Before you let her join I want to speak with her," Malik interrupted, again in a blunt tone. "You have a habit of romanticizing our work. I want to make sure she'll be more than a waste of paperwork."

Ayako nodded, but remained silent. He had wanted to spare Megumi the experience of talking to Malik, but she would have met him eventually so perhaps sooner was better than later. With that, he made his way through the halls and eventually came upon the little gathering that Megumi was with. "Ah, Megumi, you returned quickly." He gave a pleasant smile to the others, but motioned for the wolf to come with him. "If you do not mind, let us talk in private. I found some information that you may like to know."