Leytan:
I walk slowly, enjoying the still cool air upon my skin. Soon enough, this empty street will fill with the bustle of trade, people spending so much time exchanging so much for so little. My pureblood students form my retinue, underneath their green lictor robes, they carry bolas and daggers, well trained Wolf Hunters. When I was announced that I was to be a Guardian, my pureblood students fought, figuratively, and, in one case, literally, to become my lictors. And, through their pressure, all of my lictors are my students. I wonder how many of my former companions lictors are my students? Ah well, I do not wish to challenge their loyalty's. Let it not come to that. I pause suddenly, and a student bumps into my from behind, unaware of the change. "Yzil," I ask one, "How many cats do you count in this area?" Yzil, the young man that bumped into me, steps to my side, now aware, and looks about him. "I.. I don't know, Master."
I nod my head slowly, and the youth visibly deflates, disappointed with himself. I laugh, a brief chuckle that raises his head and makes him smile himself. "Look, to the alley, the rooftop, the gutter, and next to the broken cart." I point out each cat in the area. Many of the students gasp with surprise as they become aware of something that hadn't existed there to them before. I resume walking, and this time, Yzil keeps up.
I return from the ceremony to my School, wishing to attend to some business before leaving again to go to the meeting.
I am tallying the totals for this weeks ledgers when I hear a gentle knock a the door, "Enter, please."
Bryla steps in, a girl, no, a young woman, wearing Cxinatroan garb, out of place in this sandstone place of high ceilings and mild winters, but, then again, I wear the same. "Uncle Leytan, you cannot hide yourself forever from your new duties." I sigh, look down at the ledgers, and close them. I place the quill off to the side. Standing up, I am embraced suddenly by Bryla. When did she become as tall as me? I remember her still as an infant. "Uncle, I am scared for you." I hug her back, tears pricking at my eyes, "Bryla, you have no need to be afraid. We have faced worse than a room of dead men. Whatever came for the previous Guardians cannot work against me."
She steps back, brushing furiously at her eyes, gaze downcast, "I am not.. I am not fit to run this school. I am not a Master."
I embrace her again, roughly, this time, and let her go quickly, "You will not need to be a Master for a long time yet, silly girl. You can't be rid of me that fast!" She smiles feebly, and then nods. "Now, I am going to the meeting. You know what today's lesson plans will be, continue working the first years on their bola throwing, they seem to like it. Second and Third year, have them run laps for half the day, give them an hour rest, and then keep running them. Fourth year is to be given another day of preparation for the competition. Fifth years will help with the First years."
I put on my new hat, my only indication of being a Guardian, an olive green hat with a wide brim. Bryla found it in the market yesterday. It's not the most authoritative garb, though I trust the Master's blue to do that. I step out of the door of my office, collect the pureblood students, and set out.
I arrive in the Hall sometime after most of the others arrive. I nod politely to my colleagues, and sit crosslegged in the chair I am offered, accepting a mug of water and a pastry, and then closing my eyes and meditating, ignoring all outside stimulus, bringing myself into awareness only once the meeting starts. I listen calmly as Kanros speaks, nodding my head to what he says. Landar then speaks, and I have to wonder if he is as concerned about the welfare of the City or if he worries about his own profits. Hmf. He does speak of the Occult, and I suppose this is my cue.
I unravel myself from my chair, and stand gracefully, surveying the people before me. Strange to think, that 20 years ago, I would have died for these people. Now, I think, many of them would wish me dead.
"Fellow Guardians," I begin, "In my travels, I have seen much and learned of much, and, just as I have come to learn of the mystery's of magic, I have learned of the extent peoples will go to blame worldly problems onto otherworldly actions. Before we leap to the conclusion that this... Murder, was the actions of something occult, let us consider other possibility's first. Perhaps a savage beast, led by it's handler, was let into this room? Lions and bears would leave behind such damage like this." I look around the room. Some of the lictors are calmed by hearing such propositions. They would like to think that magic is make-believe. If that soothes their troubled nerves, I will allow it. And this will serve as a way to understand better how my peers feel about Magic.
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