An Unsavory Council

An Imprumptu Meeting
Maria couldn't believe how scared she was.

It wasn't that long after the colossal scaled battle between the Black Vox convicts and Faer Pleigh that her family received an urgent warrant for questioning. There wasn't any crime to be convicted of, but the Council personally requested that they see those involved in the Black Vox incident that could contain crucial information. They were cagey exactly what info that was, but Victor had a good idea what it entailed. While he hadn't been present, he insisted to act as official guardian and relieved Diana of the burden, but kept her present for the current predicament. Instead of flying on a Skyhawk, they took a motorized-carriage that brought them to the new Council HQ in the Alliance of Seven's capital.

The trip was tense and one containing little dialogue. She couldn't bring herself to speak, less she let something slip of crucial importance that shouldn't be said until they met the Council; or not at all, given the potential quandry that put her sister in. Regardless, she felt a bit safer with her father's comforting presence there, sitting beside them with her frame resting her head against Morgan's shoulder. After a great distance, they arrived and they could see what was a great cathedral designed structure akin to a Gothic architecture with spyres spiraling to the heavens from great obelisk shaped towers surrounding the marble and glass enamored structure. Surrounding the perimeter was a host of bipedal amphibians, Seven's elves and a few other human cohorts.

The one who greeted them was none other than Captain Bartholomew Farrow, an important member of the Holy Protectors. He was ruggedly handsome, broad jaw and strong nose with a head of combed hair that allowed it to fall to the back of his neck. With a set of elegant robes interwoven with plated armor, he was the largest of his cohorts that could be seen partrolling the outer perimeter and two helmeted colleagues standing side by side with him. As Victor exited with both of his daughters and Diana present, he leaned forward to perform a respectful bow while speaking in a deep, measured tone of professional etiquette and a hint of charisma Maria could detect.

"Greetings, Master and heiresses of the Alexander Family. I'm sorry we couldn't meet under better circumstances; I have great respect for you in particular, Victor, as a pioneer of our era and being the forefront of progress for all magicians in Ishgar," He apologetically flattered with a thin smile.

"Not at all. I see this as all part of a procedure to ensure nothing is left out. Even if I'm a bit sore that my children are being brought in for questioning, I trust the Councilors will use the utmost wisdom and maturity to sort the matter out. You have no need to apologize for being dutiful to the Council and fulfilling order in the best way you can," Victor reassured him with a polite gesture of his hand and a calm smile, passive and everpresent as always.

"Of course. But I should let you know that the Council has put in place an enchantment that disbables the outside use of magic. This means that none of you are able to use it save for the Council and those who guard them. Still, I trust you will all be on your best behavior," He informed them with eyes scanning for hints of discomfort or ignition to quarrel.

"As long as I have my body, I will defend Master Victor and his children with my life. Magic or not, it doesn't matter to me," Diana stonily replied, looking not the least unfettered.

Maria grasped Morgan's hand, smiling towards her and looking up at the Captain with a nod.

"Very well," He nodded back to them with an approving smile, turning on his heel and gesturing for his two colleagues to allow the three to follow behind him while they followed as their vanguard. "Perhaps when this is over with, I can give you an authorized tour. Not many people get to see the new Council's Cathedral of Casting very often. From its Hall of Spell Arts to the Dining Pillars and the Chosen Arena, I'd happily accompany you to any of them if you wish to see them."

"Until later, perhaps."

"Of course," The Captain acknowledged, walking ahead without showing any sign of disappointment. "We should meet the other witnesses soon."

"Others?"

"I'm glad to see your usual long stretch of influence hasn't told you what this is about. I am not permitted to speak of it, but you'll see soon enough," He explained readily, passing down a hall of visually stunning paintings and a arched ceiling of colorful mural designs. Windows sprayed majestic colored lights throughout and armed guards throughout kept watch and were at the ready. By the time they swung past the fourth hall, they pushed through an immense doorway and a film of blue light passed through them all, the sudden sense of keeping spell activation sealed now present upon all three of them.

"Ah, they arrived!" A voice announced, most of the Councilors stood in rapt attention at the approaching trio flanked by the three Holy Protectors. There, in a hall of marble flooring, was a crystal chandelier lit room who had elaborately carved seats, each with a design befitting the origin or liking of the Councilor in question on a level plane to the witnesses. Four in particular were of note to Maria.

The first was one already faimiliar to them all. He was the least appealing to the majority, dressing just as he did before. A casual kosode and hakama of dark emerald with a coat slung lazily over his person's sleeves. Cane in hand and hat covering his face, he was elbowed by the one who greeted them to make an undignified sputtering sound as his hat fell off his face, forcing him to retrieve it.

The next was the source of the voice being a relatively young woman (who surely shouldn't be much older than she) with long blonde hair affixed into a long ponytail with a red bow keeping it back. The rest of her robes were enamored with the Council's insignia, with deep blue for the outlines and symbol with a bright white being the backdrop.

Another was their mother, who wore garments akin to their father's; a burgundy cloak wrapped around black silk dress whose skirt billowed to cover her narrow waist down past her boot covered ankles.

The last was a man with pale skin, smoldering red eyes and deep black hair whose curls gave it an enchanting appeal along with the strong nose and narrow jawline. With a chiseled beard and a warming smile, something seemed eerie about him that Maria couldn't place.

"My name is Lucy Heartfilia, Councilor of Fiore," She greeted them with a polite bow, smiling at them and gesturing to the other witnesses, now made known. Much to Maria's surprise it was those of Drake Squad, Roland included, along with their stoic Captain, Rubie and their more demure squadmate. While she was tempted to wave, all eyes were now on them from the Council, flanked by the ever watching eyes of nearly a dozen Holy Protectors kept at the walls of the room to give them space. "We welcome you here, despite the hasty summons, with great charity and benevolence. I hope you don't think ill of us, for the questioning will be both intrusive and most likely personal, but essential nonetheless."

Morgan’s worst fears seemed to manifest themselves shortly after the Black Vox mission. She had expected the Council to find out about her connection to Faer that she mistakenly revealed. After all, the man was the most wanted criminal in the world after all he did. She didn’t mind being put into a position where she could explain why she had such a vendetta against the man, what feared her was the truth that would be forced out in the process; Jadow’s existence and her role as his Slayer. The world believed him to be dead but the scars she bore told a different story.

When Victor had told her that they wouldn’t be taking a Skyhawk, it was clear the young woman was put out, she loved flying as it was the one time she felt free, able to go literally wherever her heart desired. Not only that, the airship was the means she had entered the life she knew now, with a family who’s love had done the impossible and eased her pain and despair. She made it obvious how attached she was to the ship because of the freedom it gave her and how much she had gained because of the fateful trip that brought her to the mansion that she now called home.

The ride in the carriage to the meeting was silent, leaving the Dragon Slayer to her thoughts for the most part. Maria’s head rested on her shoulder like always, a gesture she welcomed freely, smiling as she thought how much the sight would confuse her older brother, Roland. She couldn’t fault her blood-sibling’s reactions, the last he had seen her, she shunned any and all contact with vehemence and disgust. Victor’s presence also eased her fears, the man was her hero and the one she proudly called father. His kindness and compassion had broken her perception of humanity, originally tainted by madness and cruelty, and showed her that there was so much more. Along with Diana, she knew there was nothing to worry about, nothing would happen.

When they finally arrived, she stepped out of the carriage, glad to be on solid ground again. Even though with the right dampening tech, transportation no longer served as her enemy, she still preferred to be on her feet when not flying.

While Victor and the guard exchanged polite words, she stayed to herself, focusing more on the interrogation to come. Being in a room with mostly strangers was not something she cared to do. Her thoughtful preparation was broken by the sudden grip of Maria’s hand with her own. The comforting gesture soothed the aching dread that loomed as it always did. Her sister’s touch always had a way of clearing her doubts and fear.

When they walked through the blue light, Morgan felt her magic power being suppressed, unnerving her. She had never before felt so cut away from that part of herself before. It was like she couldn’t even feel the darkness that pervaded the world except through a static-filled haze.She suffered the odd feeling, understanding the reason for such security measures being taken. But acceptance never meant she had to like what was going on.

After what felt like an eternity, the group finally made it to their destination. The first person Morgan saw was the woman who so kindly welcomed her without hesitation, her mother. The second was Mangetsu, who’s intervention during the tournament had helped her save so many people. The third person was a mystery to her but the fourth filled her with absolute terror. Red eyes that gleamed with the fires of hell itself, a face that haunted every waking moment and her worst nightmares.

There was no doubt who that man was. Jadow.

Morgan released her grip on Maria and bolted towards the man she knew only as a a devil, her infamous speed unhindered by the absence of her magic in the slightest. “I’m going to kill you!” she roared out, her eyes and voice filled with rage as she closed the gap between them like a rocket, a black streak like lightning. In the blink of an eye, she made the distance null and void, lashing out with her fist right into her target’s jaw.

Roland, as he walked in, noticed his sister’s motions but compared to her, he was moving in slow motion, he couldn’t have caught her even if he had been next to her. Instead, he got behind her and grabbed her, preventing her from pressing the assault further. “What are you doing?” he growled. He could figure Morgan was stressed but he never expected her to just attack out of the blue like that. “Don’t you realize you can get killed for this shit?”

“Roland...It’s Jadow! Why are you defending him?!” came the pleading girl’s reply as she struggled to break free from her sibling’s grasp to no avail.

The silver-haired swordsman looked at the council member that was unfortunate to be on the business end of a hyper-speed punch. He had to admit, the resemblance was uncanny, but things didn’t add up. “I’m sorry for my sister’s actions...you look like someone she hates and she attacked without thinking. If you insist on punishing her, I ask that you let me take it in her place, she’s suffered quite enough.” he said, hoping to spare Morgan the worst that would come from her actions.

One of the Protectors, realizing what had transpired, stepped forth, obviously female despite wearing her helmet due to her voice, looked between the parties to the scuffle. “Your orders sir?” she asked. The girl was obviously restrained enough and the red-wearing man seemed to have enough of a grasp on the situation that things could be talked through.

Maria had barely recognized Morgan's release on her hand till she heard a succinct pop. Her eyes widened at seeing such a horrific sight, one only reinforced by Roland's own innate swift movement to keep her sister from pounding the Councilor further. Gasps rang out, looks of shock claimed the majority of the Council, and Victor himself looked aghast -a rarity even for him- while Diana rushed quickly to Morgan and Roland's side, helping the latter pull Morgan away from the Councilor.

"Morgan...?" A hallowed whisper escaped the now bruised visage of the man, whose ruby eyes glistened with tears and mingled with the sliver of blood escaping his left lip's side and enamored the bruise that swelled up across his jaw. Standing up from the chair -a testament to its craft that it wasn't destroyed from the palpably audible attack- he shakily approached her, hand outstretched and faintly placed his fingertips over her head's top gently. Tears ran freely from his eyes, his free hand cupping his mouth as he looked overcome with grief and relief in equal measure. "IT is you! Morgan! My precious Morgan!"

Captain Farrow held his arm up, instructing his Protectors to hold back. While this incident was definitely one needing to be taken into account for future meetings such as this, he knew better than to break a tentative break in the moment's chaos ignited by a traumatized girl. Looking to Victor, he saw clear confusion on the man's face, unable to fathom what he was thinking at the moment.

"I-I'm so sorry, Councilor-!"

"No-No, it's alright. This girl has been through enough without me by her side," He rid himself of his tears, petting her head while he looked to Roland and Diana. "I take it you're her guardians?"

"I'm her father," Victor intoned, his stoic nature taking an icy reserve as his eyes locked with the Councilor. "Who might you be?"

"Her real father, Jarris Dowery of Sin's Magic College of Inquiry," He answered, albeit looking a bit grave as he admitted with a lower timbre."For what good that is."

"Explain," Victor calmly, as hard as it was, demanded.

"Sin is relatively a husk of its once proud heritage. Nearly a millenia ago, it was the center of learning, wonder and chiefly where the most talented of magicians presided. But, after an unknown plague -one we believe the Black Wizard himself concocted- had destroyed the highest class of learned individuals, it's been in intellectual and moral decay ever since. The Era of Dragons and their Civil War wrought terrible destruction as it was caught in the crossfire. And ever since Zeref's defeat along with Acnologia's, Sin has been toiling with drought and famine in equal measure," Looking morosely, he caught Morgan's eyes as he sighed raggedly. "Due to my position, I had to make tough choices. Some of which involved spending as much time trying to find a means of undoing the damage done to the homeland. I lost touch with my family; one day, I lost all contact with them and their whole village."

Victor realized was taken aback. There seemed to be genuine emotion behind this pained man. He knew all too well the plights that some of the tertiary countries had recieved during the last few centuries of conflict. Even his report with Godfried matched up with what he was told; the whole village that Morgan described to have been from was erased; as if something black had swallowed it up and left nothing but a quagmire of death and suffering. His contact with countries so far east of Fiore was a definite thing he'd have to improve upon during his eastern expansion plan...

"I won't ask you to relinquish Morgan to me. That'd be unfair, especially for someone who hasn't been in her life for so long," Jarris smiled sadly but with empathy in his eyes. "I know you've done well to keep her safe if she had so many people rushing to her side to make sure she was alright."

"Thank you," Victor bowed his head, placing a hand on his chest. "I apologize for Morgan striking you as well."

"Oh, it's nothing," The Councilor waved his hand, looking to Morgan with a slightly pained smile. "That is, if you're still not upset at me. Are you, Morgan?'

Morgan thrashed against the hands that bound her. She was so close to her most hated enemy, yet she was held back by the people she loved, the people who knew her revenge meant the world to her. The betrayal cut deep, far deeper than any wound she had suffered. There was no mistaking the man who destroyed her as she once was, leaving instead a shadow of the girl who was born to suffer for a sin she never committed. And now, she was once again trapped in the web of misery that bound her, no one would listen to her cries of terror, no one to free her from a literal hell.

She recoiled from her tormentor’s touch, trying to get away. She recalled every horrible day she was made to suffer for his amusement and in her panic. The overwhelming terror shut her down for a moment, unable to do anything but endure, not even a scream left her mouth.

She listened as the monster introduced himself under an obvious name. She could see through every word her abuser said, fully aware of what he was doing, he was goading her to call him out on it all and then twist how everyone saw her. She silently watched as the devil himself lied to the whole room with honeyed words to garner sympathy, to paint her as the one in the wrong, unable to do anything in her fear.

Roland, while he couldn’t deny that something about Jarris was strange, he had nothing to prove or disprove what was said. Neither of his parents had ever brought up who Morgan’s true father was, at least not around him, leaving him in the dark as to who sired his half-sister, a question he sometimes wanted no answer to, or perhaps he was terrified of the worst possibility. And yet, Jarris seemed genuine in his emotions, something he doubted Jadow could do.

Morgan growled when Jarris spoke with her directly. “I stopped being upset a long time ago.” she half-lied, her voice barely reflecting any emotion. Her words were chosen to understate her emotions, it was true being merely upset was a mental state she long passed, but it was clear there was something stirring just under the surface of her mind, the fury that she restrained with sheer will.

Before there could be any further discussions brought up on the matter, three more figures entered the room; the central figure was a middle-aged man with greyish-white hair garbed in all black robes. “I do hate to bust up what looks like a family reunion but, I do believe there’s some business to discuss?” he said calmly, his brown eyes scanning the room. “I’m sure there will be plenty of time after for this.”

The two flanking him were Tobias Lytten and Ulric Drayten the respective council members for Enca and Caelum. “I agree,” the Enca councilman said with a sigh. “though I do hate how we have to drag kids into this mess.” He was the youngest member of the Council save for Lucy. His long blonde hair was neatly tied into a ponytail and his ensemble was mostly sky blue with white trim. He wore a darker blue cloak over his regular clothes. He was more sympathetic to the kids than most, having been raised to serve a political role from birth. As such, he knew the world of official offices was not for children.

The Caelum councilman shook his head. “Yes, well, regrettably, what we like or not cannot factor into this mess as you understated it to be. But there’s much to be discussed.” he said. His red hair was cropped short and his brown eyes reflected a less kind mindset. His country being the furthest West of all Earthland was also closest to the hotbed of crime that was Minstrel without being directly landlocked with it, and thus he had seen far too many refugees trying to escape the twisted, lawless domain, making him a cynical man.

Sitting back down, Jarris cleared his throat and looked to the other Councilors as to resume his role as Councilor, "This indeed is a matter worth discussing. After all, this is the second incident this madman has executed with near flawless results on his part. The fact that he was part of another matter entirely handled by the independant guild, Phoenix, makes this a valid call for witnesses and gathering of facts."

"Could you not have had your own Arms of the Council interrogate us secluded from one another? Surely we could side with each other in case we feel pressured into a corner," Constantine inquired with a more sober disposition than Rubie and Aria were used to seeing. Arms crossed he arched a brow dryly at them collectively. "And where's pretty boy or fire punk? I don't see them cobbled together like criminals on trial."

"This is a Council inquiry, not a interrogation," Lucy Heartfilia replied sternly, her eyes fixing an affronted glare back at Constantine. "Please do not view us with such a negative light. Your livelihoods are not in jeopardy, we just need things clarified so we can propose the best course of action."

"How well worded for such a brat sitting her ass on the throne of imma-KLK!"

"What he means is, 'I understand and apologize for my accusations, Councilor'," Aria intervened through a not too subtle stomp onto his foot, making the durable Captain grimace with visible discomfort and anguish.

"This is about Faer Pleigh, isn't it?" Diana asked straightforward.

"Right-o!" Mangetsu gestured offhandedly, his sly grin becoming a bit more akin to a serious visage. "After I've seen his work firsthand, and what was reported at the Black Vox break-out, I've deduced he's a menace that shouldn't be underestimated any longer. That's why this Council was gathered in person and why we brought you people to personally testify your experience and thoughts about this guy."

"As you well know, the Council cannot issue a state of emergency lightly. The attack on the Seven Towers was already a significant blow to the stability of our nations and the age old prison Black Vox's destruction with its inmates running rampant, we have no idea what to expect. But the moment we do declare war or mount an opposition in tandem with our governments, it will be chaos," Jarris concluded, leaning forward with elbows resting on the armrests and a bridge of clasped digits forming in front of his face, eyes steeled towards the group. "So, for starters, if anybody has personal contact beyond simply crossing paths in the past few major incidents, I'd like you to speak up and let us know precisely what kind of person we're dealing with."

Roland was the first to speak. “I don’t have much info on him, but at one time, Faer wasn’t such a bad guy. In fact, he tried to be noble, a mistake really. A few years ago, he came to Sin with a goal in mind. He wanted to kill the put an end to the troubles the country had been suffering from, and honestly, he was so convicted of his purpose, even I had dared to hope it was possible. But no...he was brutally defeated by Jadow.” he said, letting the name of the devil linger in the air.

Ulric scoffed at that. “So are you really telling us that the one dragon who gave even Acnologia a run for his money is still alive, six centuries after being killed? No, I think Sin’s problem was it was afraid of someone using the name to force the citizens into a panic, and that led to the overall decline of the country. A name like that inspires dread but you can’t expect us to belive he’s alive.”

That set Morgan off, her temper getting the better of her in a snap. “He’s immortal! I don’t know how but he survived that fight and lived on. I’m living proof of that! I’m a Dragon Slayer, HIS Dragon Slayer. So don’t deny what I’ve been through just because you think he’s a myth!” she yelled, her whole body trembling as she fought to contain her rage. It would be so easy for her to lash out again with physical action, but she knew there were risks that made it too much of a gamble.

Never did Roland ever expect to hear Morgan reveal her secret so bluntly, but he was proud of her for containing her anger and avoiding another physical outburst. He softly smiled for a moment, enjoying the fact that in no time at all, his expectations of his sister were being thrown out the window, it actually seemed like she was slowly becoming more human, less like the beast Jadow had tried to make of her. “Like she said, Jadow’s very much the real deal. Not every day someone can say they survived a Dragon’s Roar from the Ragnarok Beast, one using pure darkness, and walked away from it, and trust me, it wasn’t an imitation. Only two people can do that spell, and one of them just yelled at you.”

Roland paced for a moment, trying to think of the right words to continue his story. “I guess that after Faer tried to fight Jadow and lost, the monster got inside his head, it’s a favorite tactic of his after all, and that leads us to the acts of terror as of late. I don’t know what he’s thinking of doing with this but that’s why.”

“I know what he’s trying to do.” Morgan chimed in. She knew from her first duel with Faer what his endgame was to be. “He’s trying to kill me and Jadow, then he wants to destroy the current world order. And three times now, I fought him to a standstill. He hates me, he thinks I’m no better than Jadow. And no matter what he tries, I always seem to be right there, ready to stop him...but I failed every time. It’s harder now, since he has Dragon Slayer magic and a rare magic I’ve seen once that alters space as he sees fit, a perfect offense and defense.” she explained. “And with his ink magic, he can even control others like puppets.” she added, shuddering as she recalled the feeling of being a slave, like a machine with someone else in control.

"You seem to know quite a bit about me, Morgan," A voice echoed in the air, alerting Maria immediately while stunning Victor, the Holy Protector Captain, Rubie, Constantine, Aria to the Councilors sitting there. From the suits of armor clanked out, suddenly dropping the illusion, and revealing not one but multiple copies of Faer Pleigh. His body ebbed ink into the atmosphere and the distinguishing presence of the protectors vanished, each of them wielding identical hand-clasped staves and black hooded cloaks. "This is just one of the reasons why you have to die."

"When did they-?!" Lucy cried out, just before one of the Faers leaped up and swung his staff towards her. Instinctively summoning a barrier of water to cushion the blow, it followed with an instantaneous flash of luminous flames, forcing her to smash into the wall. While it turned around in the air, Mangetsu rose up with cane in hand, and clashed with the Faer's cane, causing a loud clang to rebound in the air. What transpired was the sensation of the enchantment that held everybody's magic hostage was nullified. The man with the hat and clogs glared, turning his cane red hot and releasing a fiery crescent wave that pushed the Faer into the wall opposing of him; turning him into a thick gellatinous ooze that reformed back into constitution.

Right before Lucy barreled into him with a pair of horns erect on her head, a cow's tail flapping behind her discarded cloak and revealing a more muscularly defined body. Her fist smashed into his chest, punching a hole through him; before he could fully separate, she transformed again, this time into a tuxedo with shades and unleashed a burning wave of fiery light that sent him splattering against the main window.

"YOU!" The Holy Protector shouted with rage, his sword drawn and clashing with one of the Faers with vehement sneer crossing his face. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY MEN?!"

"Why, I replaced them, of course," Faer coldly responded, easily holding his own against the experienced Wizard. "Just like I'm going to replace everybody in this room. None will be the wiser."

"We'll see about that!" Bartholomew snarled, unleashing a curtain of jagged bolts of lime colored energy. Scattered across the room by a simple wave of the staff, he looked to Victor with urgency and announced. "Get out of here! This room is compromised!"

"No one will leave!" Faer intoned, one of the bodies slamming a cane and releasing Cosmos to outline the whole chamber with a glistening starry barrier. "Not until I say so!"

"It seems he's formed a dimensional cage. Escaping will be impossible, even for me," Jarris admitted with a rueful smile, turning to see one of the Faers fire a bolt of flames towards him. Dodging it and rolling away from the atomizing throne, he grinned and formed a earthen shield from the ground, uprooting the flawless floor and defending him from the heat. "I'll have to mimic some magic if I am to keep my identity hidden from the others. I can't spoil the fun. Not when it's gotten so good."

One of the Faer Pleighs maneuvered slowly towards Morgan, his working eye bulging with livid degrees of emoted wrath, "Again. Again. AGAIN-AGAIN-AGAIN-AGAIN! YOU STAND IN MY WAY, MORGAN DESCHAIN!"

Even as Diana transformed into her Arc Armor, Constantine aiming a hand to take a shot and Rubie her own hand couldn't perceive the enchanted individual's speed. Streaking around with Cosmos dispersing his form and reappearing in front of her, he swung his staff's hand-clasped top down to crush her with laced magic energy. Maria moved instinctively to protect her, but none got there as quickly as Victor. Raising his Sceptre, the two's magic items collided and created a fierce shockwave that cracked the foundations of the floor to the ceiling, with even the councilors' seats fracturing.

"Faer Pleigh," Victor intoned with a deep timbre, his eyes showing a dark pair of wisps that ebbed like smog from his sockets, the rest of his body projecting a mantle of black ire with him. "To strike my children in front of me has issued a death warrant!"

The other Faer Pleighs unleashed a wave of fire and light towards the Chairman with his aides next to him. Within the chaos, Jarris merely defended and observed, Lucy and Mangetsu pulled off melee with the other Faers while Constantine and Rubie -still armed, thanks to the previous enchantment disabling their holder magic- all struck at the Faers that attacked them with precise, devastating blows from all sides. Rubie looked to Roland and cried out, "Roland! I'd appreciate you thinking of a plan, cause I got none!"