Member
Assembly
Unknown Date and Time
Ein stepped through the massive wooden doors and into the north Aula's warm core.
The space was majestic, meant to hold and teach a total of 150 students, half of the institution's intended students. Of course, a few hundred years after the Academy’s establishment, its growing prestige as a top-ranked musical school and later importance as a paramilitary organisation had led to an increase in population which necessitated the creation of a new Aula at the center of the south wing. It was admittedly bigger, more modern and better equipped for the various activities tutors engaged in besides speaking.
But the old auditorium remained, harboring the charm of old architecture which many of the more sentimental staff preferred. The north Aula carried on the tradition of the late nineteenth century in placing an elevated stage near the door and an amphitheatrical design of the long wooden benches and desks spreading outwards and up . It was an old-fashioned room, coated in oak from floor to ceiling with relatively small windows covering one of the walls. That, along with the grey autumn skies obstructed by wooden shutters made the space seem darker than it actually was.
Of course, it wasn't the usual place for an Assembly and it wasn't really perfect for one either. It was far from the Peacekeepers moot hall and it was far too big for it's current residents, numbering only eleven. What wasn't explicitly said was that the Academy was one of the most secure places in the world, even better protected than most Parliaments. It was also omitted that just a few hours prior, the wooden walls and shutters were treated with a thin layer of onyx to effectively render the space a magic-free zone and thus allowing maximum privacy by restricting any magical interferences.
Today they were faced with very special circumstances. Hence why only Ein and Hazumi wore their official Assembly robes. The Peacekeepers had been called in with very little time to respond which left them unable to retrieve their own gowns. As a result, the nine representatives of the three races were left boasting their regular clothes: an interesting sight providing some insight into the personalities they usually concealed.
Hazumi followed Ein in, closing the door behind them. She followed the principal to the podium, glancing at each of the Peacekeepers but not actually staring. Tradition meant that Ein would speak for her as the person deemed to be the Essence’s keeper, and he would have the ‘pleasure’ of letting the rest know what had happened over the past two weeks. Hazumi didn’t mind, and in fact she was grateful for it. The hellion’s halo was making slow circles above his head revealing only the slightest animation - a feat she herself couldn’t muster. Standing beside him, Hazumi stared into the fire and tried to detach herself from what she was about to hear and fake her own composure.
“Dear Peacekeepers, thank you very much for responding to my request on such short notice. Without further ado, please let me proceed to explain the reason for this emergency meeting. As you have heard and can now see for yourselves, the Essence of the World is back with us.
She disappeared on the twelfth of september, just over two weeks ago, and everyone’s best efforts yielded no results in finding her. However less than twenty-four hours ago she awoke in a demon’s residence here in Loom and was able to return to us.
The location of her disappearance was Heaven which she vaguely remembers reaching on her own on the twelfth, after which an agony overcame her that she compares with the moment of her inception during which the Fleshshaper knit together the souls of millions of victims of the Great War. The Essence does not remember why she went to Heaven or what happened with her while she was there. She claims the pain was so overwhelming it was impossible to keep track of time or space, and that all her attempts but one in communicating her whereabouts were futile.
She also has no recollection of how she awoke back in Loom. However, as some of you might notice, she did not come back complete.” Ein turned to the angels and humans in the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am afraid our Essence has lost her divine powers. She is incapable of perceiving and manipulating essence and our doctors have observed that she now bleeds like a regular human being with no magical abilities whatsoever. Of course, the heart of Heaven’s Gatekeeper still beats in her chest but as that was the organ originally planted inside her current human body, it is reasonable to say that it is impossible to extract that without Hazumi’s complete and utter demise in physical terms. No signs of violence, torture, or invasive surgery were found on her body, but she does report feeling weak, fatigued and disoriented, probably as a result to seeing the World in a new way.
So far, the only people to know of the Essence’s condition are us, her partner, doctor Fiera. As the information is very sensitive and has the capacity to shake the Peace in an unprecedented way, we have asked you to assemble and decide how to proceed. Should we make the matter public, and if yes, whom should we tell and under what conditions?”
The first voice to respond came from one of the human representatives. The human was in his late forties with light blonde hair and a slightly distracted demeanor. Maximilian Gent, the Founder and CEO of one of the world's bleeding edge technology companies and notorious for his slightly radical tendencies. The man's seat on the council was all but bought and paid for by his insights into essence through a modern lens but it also paid dividends for the council as he was also a practical man.
“Why would we ever tell the public? The world got along just fine before the creation of the Essence is my understanding. Are we so afraid that we think we need a weapon that was created for the purpose of subjugation just to do our job?” The man had been reading what appeared to be profit margins reports prior to Ein entry with Hazumi in tow. Now he folded them and set them aside, all business in a nicely pressed light grey business suit.
“We step up our boots on the ground, make our execution of murderers more public and we show the masses there is nothing wrong, Hazumi is back, everyone can rejoice.” His tone was bleeding sarcasm “We already exist in an orwellian world so I hardly think a little more deception to keep the rates down for now is a problem. Besides if she still has the gatekeeper’s heart beating in her chest it seems to me there is no reason why she can't get her powers back. That and it hardly seems like she's in danger…”
Maximilian was of course referencing the hair raising sight of The Herald in the hallway outside of the room. Having walked passed the necromancer on his way in he'd gotten a good look at the pair of massive zombie mastiffs flanking their master who was waiting patiently for the meeting to be over.
“More importantly, unless or until she does get her powers back, what exactly is the point of this little coalition?” Pierce was characteristically blunt as always, a petite woman with a shock of peroxide hair cut in an angled bob. In her robes she was an elect of the council same as any other, dignified and professional, but in a red hoodie four sizes too large and a pair of high top sneakers she didn’t exactly look the part. Still, she watched the others evenly over laced fingers, her voice as wry as the businessman’s had been. She’d been an easy choice when it came to choosing a representative for the Peacekeepers--her clairvoyance was impressive even by the standards of her limited kin and she wasn’t at all afraid to cut to the heart of the matter.
“The Peacekeepers are predicated on our ability to prevent demons from doing what demons do; without the ability to know if they do it, how exactly do you think we can expect to maintain any sort of legitimacy? We can lie about it all we want, but if we’re flying blind it doesn’t change the fact that it will come out and we will be looking at a significant percentage of the world’s population whose entire existence is based on devouring the rest. I’m surprised we’re not calling for an evacuation.” Flicking her eyes to the other angels on the council, her sharp little hummingbird wings gave a nearly subsonic flutter before returning flat to her back as before.
Ceri was silent, listening to the discussion and wondering just how long this could go on for. Years, if they allowed it. Hours certainly. She studied her companions, contemplating each and every one of them. These were the people she had to work with, to help maintain peace, yet as the discussion began, Ceri wondered if they had always seemed so stupid, or if something about her had changed. Probably the latter. She closed her eyes, and shifted, breathing in and out slowly, as if trying to maintain her patience. Ceri was normally known for her patience, yet lately it seemed that just about anything had her a step away from exploding. With a heavy sigh, Ceri decided she couldn't maintain her silence.
"Maximillian, the problem with that is by becoming more strict, we risk people seeing us as unreasonable. Oppressed people bring about more venomous thoughts, and ultimately bring out a revolt that will leave the population sorely depleted. Think of what a war could do, and the statistics that could very well bring about-life loss, land destroyed. The general population are happy to think that we keep the dirty laundry hidden, throw it out, and there will be problems. And sooner or later, it will be noticed by many Hazumi's lack of power.
Yes, the world has survived without an Essence before, but having an Essence is essential in maintaining the peace." She shook her head, smoothing her dress of imaginary wrinkles, looking to Pierce now. Maybe he assumption about he comrades becoming stupider than they had been was correct. "the point of this is to develop ideas about what we can do to ensure chaos does not rain. It's so we can get a handle on this situation before things get out of hand." She brushed back her curly red hair from her face, wondering if she should have put the long, difficult to maintain hair up in a bun, anything to have the semblance of a well-maintained appearance, yet the well-built young woman did certainly leave a striking impression. Pale skin that seemed to glow, nails painted a shocking, vibrant red, a tight dress that showed off her curves, yet tantalisingly hid her chest, and brilliant green eyes that seemed to pierce the soul.
"Calling for an evacuation will cause a mass panic. We can do something about this situation, we just have to figure out what."
Dilgar, a Hellion who had lived most of his life in Hell, scoffed loudly and then raised his hand sarcastically as if it was necessary at all. He wasn't ancient but he seemed to really believe in the superiority of his mind.. and consider it an excuse to behave like a jerk. Sadly, his physical power meant he rarely met sufficient opposition. Peacekeepers were chosen democratically and apparently many demons though he was the model bureaucrat.
“Excuse me, but am I the only one who doubts what Hazumi says?”
The woman's eyes focused on the room. She didn't like it when he addressed her by name on those meetings. It meant it was a personal accusations. After all, she was both Hazumi and the Essence. Hazumi was the weaker part.
She didn't flinch. But she couldn't help it when the suggestion to read her mind left his mouth. Instantly her blood was boiling.
“Are we really going to accept that half-assed explanation of what happened? Do you remember Judas? And even before that, I heard she wiped out a ton of Academy students back in 2012.” Hazumi's mouth opened to protest but he continued. “So what's to say she hasn't done it again? Went and gave the next dictator a gift. For all we know, the Essence is indestructible, the Instruments still exist… so where is that power?”
The woman stared at him violently, clenching her jaw shut. The halo over Ein’s head was picking pace. If it came to it, would he protect her?
“So I suggest we read her mind. See for ourselves exactly what happened.”
“I'm sorry, as I have no powers left I also have no means of showing you…” Hazumi hissed through gritted teeth. “Oh it's ok, I'm sure we'll find someone who can break in, as things are.”
“Outrageous!” Hazumi exclaimed, unable to take it any longer. “Are you insinuating you don't trust me?! That your faith in me was entirely predicted on my powers alone?! I have made mistakes, and so have you. All of you! Are you saying that's reason enough to violate my mind?!”
“Why would you consider it a violation? It doesn't have to be, if you're willing. After all, you serve the people, right?” He smirked. A cold wave passed through Hazumi. He had her.
“I serve the people. Not you. I'll comply with what's decided.” She said. Lied. There was no way she'd let them. If she could help it.
“How about you still your tongue, Dilgar… Before I cut it out and force it down your throat…” Garvagh was ancient, enormously tall, with horns that could puncture the weaker Hellion’s face with ease should she wish to do so. She is the daughter of the once Warden of the Northern Realm, Corvax, Mephistopheles’ right hand and advisor, before the Demon Lord was cut down by the infamous Solus Grim.
Having been forced into this meeting without formal preparations, she was still brandishing her massive SawBlade and Qun Armor.
“We will not resort to manipulating the soul of ANYONE.” Her armored hands clutched into fists, ready to pummel the pompous fool into oblivion. Her breath heaved, and molten ashes escaped the mouth of the helmet as she attempted to contain her rage. That was the trouble with the Qun. They were bred for war, and were constantly consumed by rage and a lust for combat. Hence her position as the current Commander and Chief of the Black Guard. Despite her genetic vices, she still has a tactical head on her shoulders. Investigation and wisdom came first, but sometimes, like in Dilgar’s case, a good backhanded strike that would send the demon across the room would be more that satisfactory. This, however, was not the time.
“We need to think about the now. What’s done is done.” Her armoured head turned to Hazumi and addressed her directly. “What about Sameda? Would it be a suitable replacement under a capable wielder while you search for your lost power?”
Maximilian's eyes bulged at the suggested violation of the Essence; it was amazing how savage these beings were. For all their magic and their superiority complex they were incredibly crude in their execution of...well everything really. As Dilgar continued the vein on Max’s temple pulsed as he bit down on his tongue doing his best to continue keeping the veneer of the cool multi-billionaire CEO.
It went rather well and then the leader of the Blackguard opened her mouth and said everything that Maximilian wanted to say. Settling back Max folded his arms with a rather smug look on his face until the word Sameda came out of Garvagh’s mouth. It went without saying that there were lots of people and lots of things that lived in and around Loom which were fully capable of doing a fair bit more than the council of Peacekeepers were comfortable with. Some of them were the relics of Judas’ age much like the necromancer in the hallway. Some were newer and more unstable and some predated all of them. The problem was the vast majority of them were unstable and dangerous. Surprisingly for all her power the Essence had proved to be the least deranged of a long list of beings on Maximilian’s list of ‘Things to attend to’. Sameda rated somewhere near the bottom third of the list in terms of stability and somewhere above the 50th percentile in power.
“And who the hell do you think we are going to place Sameda in the hands of pray tell? There isn’t a single musician I can think of who is trustworthy enough to respond to this council’s wishes and who is sufficiently skilled enough to reign Sameda in. So run that by me one more time? Why are we considering letting something that rabid off the leash in the middle of a crisis? In all honesty you’re better off releasing Sathanus’ essence back into the care of The Herald and then asking him nicely not to level the other half of Loom. Any more bright ideas?”
There actually was one who came to mind but it would be like handing an unhinged huntsman the leash to a rabid dog. Sure the huntsman could probably use the dog but you were never quite sure who was going to be on the receiving end of the dog’s bite.
It took Max a long moment to realize what he’d said and whom he’d said it to. When it dawned on him, he visibly blanched but that was all. The CEO was many things but a coward was not one of them. At least he wasn’t afraid of demons; humans had stopped fearing them in the 1800s and rightly so. Technology was the solution to the vast majority of humanity's problems and Maximilian was the conductor of the particular train. Still. One did not [i]lightly[/] imply the leader of the Blackguard was being dense.
“Dawton Gray…” The demon replied matter-of-factly. “Sameda’s primary, controlling soul is that of Samantha Beat, a now deceased musician who sacrificed herself in order to keep the instruments out of Lashiel’s hands. Her and Dawton were close, and he is the only one who can wield Sameda to its fullest, and safest potential.” The demon paused as she inspected the corporate man. “Or would you rather sit and watch as the Three Races tear down the very foundation of peace while Hazumi is weak?”
Maximilian rolled his eyes at the comment “I somehow doubt that the races will be at each other's throats that quickly. Hazumi is back which is the notable feature of this discussion. Until someone actively figures out that the Essence has no teeth so to speak we have Time. Better to think this through fully before jumping to a rash decision. Not only that you are suggesting putting Sameda in the spotlight. A merged musician and instrument. I can think of about a dozen people off the top of my head who will react poorly to us parading some thing who shouldn’t exist. As for Mr. Gray I have my own reservations.” Max trailed off as he contemplated the implications of the proposed plan. It appeared that most or all of the control he might have had was predicated on them listening. There was no doubt in his mind that they were being driven largely by fear at this point; this whole meeting was going to end with an incredibly poor choice.
The Academy’s headmaster kept quiet during the short alteration, quite impassive about the whole thing. If he had an opinion about any of what was said, he didn’t let it show. Then again, he was known to be a very reasonable, albeit occasionally very narrow-minded man. The only things that concerned him were his Academy, his students and his Essence. If he could even call her that. Either way, he was… pleased… that Hazumi wouldn’t need to be examined by those people, even though he did see the logic behind Dilgar’s questions.
He glanced at his watch – a big thing with a brilliantly red body so as to stand out from the Hellion’s near-black scales, and considered the progression of the meeting. They had much to talk about and a consensus seemed increasingly unlikely. They would probably need to decide things with a popular vote in the end.
Then he glanced at the Ess-- at Hazumi, giving her a small nod. After all, she was addressed before this whole thing happened. The woman frowned slightly at him, probably irked by the etiquette but it didn’t matter. Perhaps they would listen to her, even if she was almost as good as worthless now.
“To address Garvagh’s question…. While Sameda is indeed powerful, it is in no way comparable to what I was capable of. Indeed, it is a fraction of myself and as such, capable of assimilating foreign essence, but that would require sacrifice – willing or not. As you know, I myself would be capable of growing my strength but refrain from doing so for moral and practical reasons. In contrast, Sameda knows little restraint and I wouldn’t trust it not to act out, even if our current system of controlling it seems capable. I wouldn’t be comfortable entrusting Sameda on anyone. I am not willing to put any of my students in such risk.
As far as Dawton is concerned…. Yes, they were indeed close. Yes, he might be capable of controlling her. But to what end? Sameda is a weapon – she will want to cut. And Dawton…. Is a demon. And one who was presumably in love with her. What do you think he would do with her?
I believe Sameda would be a good display of power and authority. But the only way I can see this happen is if we erase his memories of her…. Or employ someone to actively control him while he controls her.” She left the implication hang in the air.
Maximilian pursed his lips before picking a device up off the arm of the chair where he was sitting. The item was about the size of a small tv remote depressing one of the buttons on its surface and pointed it at the wall. The device projected an image onto the wall; it was the beginning of a video of a room. The whole room was a collection of masks under cases. Hitting play on the device the video rolled forward. After a few moments a demon entered the room with two individuals in tow. One was immediately recognizable as the female they were talking about; the original owner of Samantha Rule's body. The second was a male with short black hair and the build of a soldier or perhaps a martial artist. Pausing the video here Maximilian turned to address the rest of the peacekeepers.
“Can anyone explain to me who this is?” The tech company CEO didn’t actually need the question answered but it seemed like this was an opportunity to see which members of the peacekeepers had any clue what was going on in the streets of Loom right now.
Not waiting for an answer Maximilian switched the feed from the mask room to a cut from the Academy tragedy. It was a feed from just before Solus showed up to start the rescue; although rescue was a stretch given that by that time the vast majority of Lashriel’s forces had already made off with the students they were after. This footage however was focused on a part of the room that also included the original owner of Sam’s body. Once again the younger man appeared in the footage but this time he was armed with an automatic rifle and as the footage rolled forward he shot three of the angels near Sam to death in quick order before making a beeline for her through four or five other students to make sure she was okay.
Pausing the feed again Maximilian turned and held up his hands as though to say: help me out?
“It would seem to me that there were other individuals in Sameda’s life besides Mr. Gray. In all honesty this individual” Maximilian pointed to the man in the video feed “Seems far more stable than Mr. Gray.” Max never thought the words stable would come out of his own mouth when describing the Academy’s black sheep but it was better than unleashing Sameda under the direction of Dawton Gray. The CEO had really hoped to avoid this conversation all together as Mr. Snyder had been obsessive in his search for Sam after she’d merged with the weapon.
“So” His gaze turned to Ein. “Care to enlighten us as to who he is?”
“And where are your facts regarding Dawton’s stability?” The demon interrupted the human. “The man was trained by Solus Grim himself, and was recently been selected for Black Guard recruitment. What, if you mind telling me, makes you think he is incapable?”
Ein cleared his throat and cut in, hopeful to at least partially cool the tempers.
“The man in the video is Ian Snyder, a highly valued asset in our fight against Lashiel’s forces, among others. If I'm allowed to express an opinion, I would say I consider him too valuable to be wasted in an experiment. Thus far we have taken precaution not to allow his mental health to degrade any further by meeting with Sameda in its present state.”
“May I remind you that the question isn't who but if we need to use Sameda at all?” Hazumi said, visibly annoyed by Ian’s mention. The man had a special place in her heart which was hardly a secret. “If you have decided to do so anyway, may I suggest we request that Zadkiel become part of a team, dedicated on controlling her? One person wouldn't be enough and can think of nobody better to serve as a safety net. He has been loyal to us this far, and if he puts up any resistance we can always use Lucien’s name to make him comply.”
Ein looked at Hazumi with a slight surprise in his eyes. A bold proposition to raise at the keepers of peace. Could she really be hiding something?
Garvagh responded, positively. “One one condition. We will only touch Dawton’s memories should he become dangerous. If we do so before he acquires Sameda, we will have a useless zombie controlling the instrument instead. I have recommended him based on his skill, and wiping his memories will render him incapable of doing the job in the first place.”
Ceri stayed silent as the rest argued what would be pointless in the long run. The simple fact to Ceri was that something needed to be done, and done now. Max, to Ceri, was fooling himself if he didn't think the races wouldn't be at each others throat without the Essences guidance. You simply had to look at history to know. "Those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it" She murmured to herself. Were they doomed to repeat the endless mistakes of their predecessors? Yes, this wasn't the same situation as in history, yet this constant back and forth could very well lead to a bad decision.
They were going to be here for a while, and Ceri settled back, content for now to listen. If she had to be the voice of reason, she would be. For now though, they could wear themselves out by this bickering. Something stuck with her though, and she frowned over it.
Trust.
If they couldn't trust the musicians that had been trained, that were being trained, then what was the point of the whole thing? If they couldn't trust Hazumi, as some seemed to think wasn't wise, questioning her as they had, then why were they here? She had some doubts about the group actually trusting each other. So. Why were they here? Were they deluding themselves that they were in control, when in fact they weren't?
Finding herself rising, she spoke loudly "You state that Zadkiel is loyal. And yet earlier Maximilian said that there isn't a single musician that is trustworthy enough. Why do we demand trust from them, but don't give it in return? Many of you questioned Hazumi mere moments ago, whether she herself could be trusted because you didn't like the explanation of what had happened. So there is no single musician we will trust, but a group of them is enough? Why, because there will always be someone watching someone else? Because that has worked so well for us?" she shook her head, and sighed wearily, "Yes, there needs to be a group for this to work. Yes, it probably has to happen. But we are speaking of lives as if they are things to throw away. Take a moment to seriously think, instead of trying to prove who has the biggest balls. This arguing will get us no where. Because there is always going to be a reason not to do something. But if we don't do something here, now, then its not going to matter. So i think the question is not who, but how we will get this to work with as minimal loss of life as possible"
She reflected on her words a moment, nodding to herself as if satisfied. "Because if we screw up, it doesn't matter. Everything we do to prevent disaster won't matter, because it will happen anyway. This has to be done. But we can't be stupid about it. Zadkiel is a good choice to help in control, potentially destroying Snyder is not-perhaps the only logical choice is Dawton, and yes, we cannot take his memory simply because it would be easier for us, only if the threat is there. Sometimes you have to take the harder road to get the results you need." And that was it, that was all she had to say. Ceri sat down, knowing she'd stay silent from here on out, unless a vote was required.
“Thank you…” Garvagh said first. “Finally, a voice of reason.” Her and Ceri agreed on such matters often. And the fact that an angry Demon Princess turned Military Commander for the three races, and the cool, collected human who, frankly, is far more mature and considerate than the rest of the people here, actually agreed of something, would have been a surprise on it’s own. But such agreements between them are almost predictable.
Garvagh was an individual of fast action and response, while Ceri, was logical and calculated, and had the patience of a Saint. Garvagh gave the young woman a curt nod, and definitely appreciated her insight. She articulated Garvagh’s point far better than she herself could.
While Hazumi scowled at the insinuation that any of what she suggested was “throwing lives away”, she had to admit the meeting went better than expected. For herself, anyway. The Peacekeepers nowadays were different from the ones she’d had to deal with some hundred years ago – people lusting power and dominance, people like Dilgar who would have rather had her remain a mindless object of unimaginable power than what she had become over time. As usual, agreement was hard to reach and required sacrifices, but the sacrifices the people standing before her now were willing to make were entirely different from the ones she was used to. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if things went smoothly – for Sameda to be free but tame in Dawton’s hands, for Zadkiel to accept their request with no complaints, for her power to be found, returned, with no problems.
Wouldn’t the world be a nice place if that’s how things worked.
But that’s why you had politicians and you had executives. The two rarely mixed. Garvagh was an interesting example in that respect. If her idealistic opinions came from anyone else, they might have been considered ridiculous but the Black guard general had proven her worth. Now if she could only smash that bastard Dilgar’s nose on the way out….
“Well, as much as it pains me to agree with Miss Garvagh, I certainly support staying away from the soul of one of our own. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen, right?” The demon in question grinned at Ein who caught himself before letting an expression escape him, even if a spark flew off his halo.
The rest of the Peacekeepers remained silent, apparently having reached an agreement. With nothing more to say the meeting was quickly disbanded, and the old aula was left silent once again. It was the ominous quiet left to fill the gaping hole of a space where history was made.
It matched Hazumi’s feelings well.
