The morning sun was greeted with a faint haze that proliferated through Crown City. Peering out of his window, Joran could see smoldering buildings from within the capital city and surrounding ones as well. Sighing to himself, he folded his arms as he listened to the morning traffic bustle, mixed in with the clamor and uproar of pedestrians near the Assembly building, surrounding it as they prepared for the proceedings.

“Are you ready, Master Joran?” Callahan patted Joran’s back to get his attention, and he turned around to see his two friends garmented in clean, crisp green and black tuxedoes with the same turquoise tippets from the first time they had gone to the Assembly.

With a faint smile, Joran nodded his head, donning his own tippet on his suit that he wore at the Exam, his Dao at his side, and the Assemblage was off. The Idaten Assemblage made their way past Joran as he exited his chamber, Drekor and Reigan both nodding their heads stiffly, coldly, before making their way as well, Joran’s Assemblage now tailing them. Their descent down the Sovereign Palace was met with reverent bows from all the attendants, guards, clerks, and other various residents of the building. The silence from within contrasted the muffled protests from outside, as Joran took multiple deep breaths before hardening his eyes and moving apace.

Outside, the smell of smoke pervaded Joran’s nostrils, and he couldn’t help but cough twice before straightening himself back up. He glanced back and forth between the crowd that was now silenced, watching the two Assemblages. Some had bells in hand, others with their weapons clutched, and others still with smoldering wood that no doubt torched the buildings that were in flames this morning. Bloodhound houses. Joran felt a tinge of remorse, quickly dissipating as he remembered the few Bloodhounds he had to deal with personally.

The crowd gracefully split away as the Idaten Assemblage made their way through, with the Realm Monarch, the Crown Prince, and several guards and Commanders that Joran didn’t recognize beyond their golden shoulder boards on their uniforms. And while his own Assemblage was modest of just three people, he held his head high as he nodded his head towards the people around them, locking eyes with whomever he could, giving any assurance he could silently.

Gliding through, they made it through the Idaten’s door of the Assembly building, closing it to the onlookers that fell silent, waiting for their chance to enter the building to witness the proceedings that were about to happen.

Reigan sighed once the door closed and turned to Joran, a cocked eyebrow as he gave a slight smirk, “For wanting nothing to do with these sorts of things, you’ve certainly grown.”

Joran grimly looked back at the Realm Monarch and tilted his head forward slightly, a half-nod, “We all have what we must do, don’t we?”

Reigan chuckled, and walked back to Joran before gripping his shoulder, “You didn’t have to. But you chose to all the same. I’m glad you are here with us, but are you going to be okay?”

Joran’s eyes darkened as he clamped his fists tightly, “I will be after the Bloodhounds are dealt with.”

“… Then that’s fine, I suppose,” Reigan said as he glimpsed over to Hando, who gave a curt shrug before they set off into the main chamber.

Inside, they could see it was mostly empty, save for the Major Families Assemblages that were now in the concave. Everyone, including the Warding Bloodhound Clan, were all in their seats around tables set up in the familiar annular fashion. At this Joran frowned slightly, but said nothing as they descended down to their seats. He could see the leaders all in their seats, settling down and conversing amongst their peers. All of them except Audra. And Ruben, who had the same pose as when Joran first saw him. Legs kicked back onto the table, with an arrogant straight face as he tracked the Realm Monarch down from his door to his table. Brandy was next to him, blankly staring at the table, clearly absentminded from the entire room.

Joran glanced to his left, to see Rohi also eyeing him with a curious glint before she gave a simple wave to him. He nodded and sat down with his friends flanking him, Callahan to the left, Hando to the right. In the downtime he also studied the concave, realizing that there was ample room in between each table should a new family rise to prominence.

Like how his “family” did.

Joran sighed and looked over to Hando, whose grey eyes lit up at being addressed, “So… How’s it been in the Iris Plaza?”

“You’d be surprised. I’m used to monotony, but it’s been one thing after another, having to run back and forth with records of resources moving through not just Jura, but all of the guilds throughout the cities. But I have to say, I appreciate what the military did in Sentinalus… What you did.”

Joran jabbed Hando playfully, “Nonsense, I didn’t do much.”

But then Hando turned serious and spoke tersely, “Elene was in Sentinalus. She had gone there with a prospective small sect. I had been talking back and forth with her via mail and…”

He trailed off as he started to think to himself, but Joran understood all too well now what he was going to say. His eyes were filled with relief, not sorrow. Reigan paced back and forth all night waiting for his son. If even the Realm Monarch would worry, a middling clerk couldn’t have fared any better in that night of suspense.

Joran gave his friend a pat on the back, and smiled as he settled more into his seat, “Fine. I’m glad she’s safe. I’m glad I did make some kind of difference then.”

Hando’s eyes were teary, but he smiled right back at his friend, “I’ve had my fill. I think… I think I’m going to try again with Elene. But in the Sect.”

“Didn’t she move on?” Joran cocked an eyebrow, suspicious.

“Heh… She moved on because she wanted to settle down. While I wanted to leave for a more exciting life. But in our… correspondences, it’s become apparent I’m feeling the same way.”

Joran smirked slightly, teasing his friend now, “What, the one adventure was enough?”

Hando slumped into his chair, sighing to himself in defeat, “Yes. Yes it very much was.”

Joran laughed but he didn’t say anything else further to banter, knowing full well how close to death they had been. He frowned as he realized that was only the beginning for him.

But he knew now that all of this was just the start as well. Fending off the Beasts throughout his time as the Joker, to now. He knew what he had to do. To step forward and openly accept the path that was given to him.

He muttered to himself quietly as he opened a hand outward, like his “Family” insignia, “I have to be that open palm.”

“Hm? Did you say something Master Joran?” Callahan tilted his head, as he looked at Joran.

Joran waved him off, giving him a slight jab as well, “Don’t worry about it, Callahan. You ought to find someone to spend time with too, you know! Hando can’t be the only one who gets to be with someone!”

“The same can be said for you!” Before Joran could rebuke Callahan, the chamber began to be filled with the clamor of people pouring in from all the doors along the wall.

Joran steeled himself one last time as he looked at all of the leaders in the concave, instead of watching people fill the seats that surround them. Reigan sat down in his chair, calmly watching as the people filled the chamber, Drekor doing the same while darting back and forth to paperwork on their table. Cato’s eyes were closed as he took in the sounds that now emanated in the concave, rapping a finger on his arm as they were folded. Vera was looking down at paperwork herself, but she caught Joran’s gaze and gave him a friendly wave as she went back to shuffling through them. He could see Ruben still locking his gaze directly at Reigan, non-moving whatsoever; even as people that came in were riling themselves up and trying to instigate him with insults.

“A death penalty would be lenience!”

“You’re worse than the criminals that your own people called them as!”

“Policing means keeping people safe, yet we can’t even trust you to be humans!”

Such things were hollered at Ruben, as he ignored them and remained unwavering in his gaze. Herk was talking to a few of his guards, as he shook his head to whatever they were saying, even holding up a hand and dismissing the majority of them, leaving only him and Jeremiah and a pair of guards behind them. Jeremiah locked eyes with Joran as his eyes scanned over him, still with seething hatred behind his eyes, until he looked away and took a deep breath, closing them and folding his arms as Herk now did as well.

Joran turned his eyes to Cael’s table, where he could see Audra, who sat coolly, unperturbed by anything that was happening, her eyes locked right on Ruben, devoid of any emotions. It was almost unsettling to Joran, until he recalled the defeat she faced at his hand that rendered the fate of her people all but sealed.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

That is, until today, Joran mused to himself with hope as he recalled Hallson’s father.

Finally, he turned to Suekamikou, where Rohi had also dismissed her guards until it was just herself and a pair of them behind her. She looked over at Joran once more, and she spoke directly at him, curtly.

“Joker Joran, I appreciate your work for the Metropolis.”

Joran was taken aback for a second, but nodded, responding back just as curtly, “I hope your people have been able to be taken care of.”

He obviously was referring to the few Suekamikou soldiers that he had evacuated Sentinalus with, and she for the first time gave a slight smile that only he could faintly see in her brown eyes, “They are. Thank you.”

As she said that, and with a faint smile reciprocated by Joran, the leaders could now hear the audience quieten down, as they looked over to see Reigan standing up from his chair, panning his gaze around the chamber, and then slowly around the concave. By the time he had finished his pan, it was completely silent. Joran gulped consciously, amazed yet again at the august presence the Realm Monarch exudes.

“… My citizens. Fellow men and women. My people,” as he says the last part, his eyes finally lock onto Ruben’s, as he lets his hands fall limp, “We are here to see what the Bloodhound Clan, Heca, a Major Family, has to say in defense of the accusations laid against them for abetting Beasts.”

At this, Ruben animatedly got up, almost pushing Brandy out of her chair, vaulting over his table as he spread his arms apart, addressing the audience, his red eyes wild with his practiced, arrogant showmanship, “Brothers and sisters of the Metropolis! For centuries the Bloodhound Clan has done nothing but aid the growth of our paltry cities! Our glory was ours, yes! But we could only bask in our glory alongside the appreciation we’ve had for the people beside us. To turn your backs on us, because of a few, only fashions bestial faith in fearmongering.”

Reigan spoke aloud after Ruben’s grandiose speech, almost sighing at the same time, “Yet we have multiple witnesses that can prove of the Bloodhounds’ culpability,” As he finished stating this, he motioned for a handful of guards to bring down several young men and women from the Idaten’s side of the Assembly.

Joran glanced over, to see that all of them were in a long grey cowl and robes that showed them as Cael. His stomach dropped like lead as he turned to Audra, who finally turned away from Ruben, looking emotionlessly at the witnesses’ descent. Once they had come down, they lined up beside the Idaten’s table, and Reigan spoke cordially to the one closest to him, a young woman.

“What were you told to do, Leha?”

Leha looked up at Reigan, then at Ruben as she replied, “I… I was forced to look after an underground room.”

“What was in the underground room?”

Leha fell silent for a moment as she looked away from Ruben, planting her gaze right at her feet, “… There were runes for… teleportation… That I used to go come and go.”

“That’s it?”

“… And goblins… I was told to feed them.”

Murmurs erupted in the crowd, as Reigan held a hand up to silence them once more. He walked up to the girl and gave her a gentle hug before stepping to the side of her and asking more questions.

“And where did the teleportation take you?”

“… The Mage Isles.”

Everyone, including Joran was shocked by the answer, but some of them quickly regained their senses as they realized it was the only sensible place. After all, only Heroes could use the Astral Aspect. But just as some were coming to that conclusion, a somber, dulcet voice rang out from behind Jura, at their entrance.

“And that is precisely why I was invited here by the Realm Monarch.”

Most people gasped as they saw the woman, who was apparently youthful, yet extremely thin with long black hair with silver and yellow strands flittering as she walked down the steps gracefully. Most of the leaders went wide-eyed at her arrival, and most of the people that were close to her went to their knees reverently. But Joran was baffled once more by the turn of events, as the Mage Isles were something that was barely touched on between him and Hando. But ever the reliable teacher, Hando cleared his throat and leaned forward after seeing Joran’s apparent confusion, whispering to Joran as the woman made her way down towards the concave.

“Ah… That’s Asher Seiki.”

Finally, it clicked for Joran as he stammered his response out, “… I-I see..”

The Grand Mage of the Astral Aspect, and the rumored most powerful Mage in the Realm. But the fact that seemed to take Joran’s breath away utterly was that this woman that stood now by Reigan, giving him a curt bow, was ageless. Even though she was well over 100 years old. Her frail form now suddenly made more sense to him as she began to speak again.

“I am sure that the people of the Metropolis are angered at what have transpired. I am as well, and pledged full support to the Realm Monarch in turning over the former Heca members that resided in my Sect. Even as we speak, Idaten has worked tirelessly to absolve this breach of trust.”

Ruben clenched his fists together as he roared at Asher, disregarding his own grandiosity, “You can’t do that! We had no reason to try to overthrow the cities! How could we reap any benefits from this?!”

Reigan turned back to Leha, as he gravely asked one last question to her, “… Who gave you those orders?”

Leha turned away from Ruben and turned towards Reigan and Asher, looking up at them as she took a shaky breath that no one else could hear, “It was Brandy. Brandy Heca.”

The crowd gasped once more, many eyes now turning to look at Brandy, who was still as if she wasn’t even in the room, staring up at Ruben but ignoring the newfound commotion.

It was then that Audra chimed in coldly, her voice causing Joran’s breath to snag in his throat, “How convenient it’s one of the most trusted associates of Ruben! You couldn’t get rid of Cael in my foolish Soma Lum, and as a result felt that you had to exact vengeance yourself! Forcing my own people to commit these heinous betrayals. In order to exact revenge on the people who obstructed my Family’s complete, and utter removal from the Metropolis. On the Idaten. On all of the cities!”

Her words galvanized the audience into hollering in agreement, chaos threatening to spill over, as Ruben shook his head, laughing self-deprecatingly, slowly realizing the gravity of his situation, “You think I’d let the glorious Bloodhound Clan be called traitors to the very place they love?! By the same person who skulks in shadows and schemes, even trying to launch a Soma Lum to take down my Clan in one swoop?! Who are you to tell me what my Clan has done when we have done nothing but honor our place!”

“I’ve had enough.”

The voice cut through the air, sending chills down everyone’s backs, even Brandy, who was now looking up. The voice was cold, and impatient, which belied the fact that it came from Joran, who now had stood up, looking over to Ruben with hate-filled eyes.

“I’ve had enough of your games, Heca.”

Ruben looked over to the Joker, as if he had misheard something ridiculous and started laughing, “What games? Don’t tell me you honestly believe that my Heca would do something as atrocious as betray the cities… No, the very Realm to the Beasts?!”

It all clicked into place, like a sickly, ghastly puzzle. The Bloodhounds tried to completely eradicate the Altering Cael Sect, eliminating any threat to their position as the police force of the Metropolis. But when the Sovereign Swift Clan, namely Reigan, stepped forward to shield them from the worst of the Soma Lum ramifications, the Bloodhounds felt that it wasn’t justified. Even if Ruben had no part of it, the fact it was someone in his close circle of associates that Joran saw that day in the Precinct’s bunker. The fact it was all but proven to him that it was Brandy who killed Hallson and Joseph. Who enacted the betrayal of the Metropolis. It was more than enough for him to snap at Ruben’s grandiosity and ramblings of “honor”, and “glory”.

Joran glanced over to Reigan and Drekor, who both gave him a solemn nod before he rounded his table, approaching the center of the concave, pointing his finger at Ruben, “Believe it? I’ve seen it! I’ve personally seen your own Heca be oh so ‘glorious’ and ‘honorable’, avoiding danger at any possible scenario. Even going so far as silencing one of these young men and women in a room I had been to,” Joran turned around, locking his eyes with Leha, whose eyes were filled with tears as Joran mentioned another one of her peers who was now dead, confirmed by him.

Joran turned back to Ruben, his umbrage increasing, “You, the ‘glorious Bloodhound Clan Master’ won’t let the clan be branded as traitors? How arrogant, self-righteous of you to believe it was ever in your power! I’ve seen enough suffering for any one person’s lifetime; and yet your own blinded vanity has suffused the Metropolis with Beasts! Even if you aren’t the culprit, your entire clan is now branded with this curse…” Joran went limp, as he looked to Audra, who was shocked at Joran’s accusation and disparagement of Heca, something she likely didn’t expect; he sighed lamentedly, “Just like how you branded Cael all those years ago.”

“Haha…” Ruben drooped his head, an ascending chorus of manic laughter, “HAHAHA,” until he looked up at Joran, his red eyes now seething wildly in contempt, “You think you can stand there and exact this supposed brand on me? You, who are nothing but a child clinging to the Idaten’s coattails? Don’t make me laugh. How dare you stand there!? My Bloodhound Clan has always honored the Metropolis with its presence, and will continue to honor it, even when this blows over!”

Joran’s mind went blank for a moment, as he could see time slow down to a crawl. He glimpsed around him, everyone having slowed down as well, even the Idaten Assemblage. He looked at his hands before he looked around once more. He could see each of the leaders have disdain in their face, mostly to Ruben, but some also towards him for his outburst. However, he could see Cato’s unbridled rage as he sat in his chair, struggling to restrain himself. Joran later found out after the first time he saw Cato that his father died in the last Invasion. For that reason alone, Cato opened his Family’s doors and allowed the ancient technology of old to resurface, no doubt how cement was brought into the world once more, or the guns he saw at Sentinalus. Cato forewent the resolve of his Family’s oath to only proffer sustenance, rather than progress; all because of his hatred for the Beasts, and whatever else was in the Beyond.

Joran’s mind hit a calm, and he could feel himself, almost not in his own body. He looked at his hand, open to him as he began to think back for a brief moment.

‘But what can you do to prevent my decapitating him? Will your Arts see through me? Or will you perhaps watch Hando’s life disappear, along with his heartbeat?’

‘And that gives you the right to forgo our Classes? You think you were entitled to spend your days not doing anything, lounging around?!’

‘Frankly, I don’t like that you’re here with us to figure out where they’re coming from… But I don’t disagree with the intent the Realm Monarch had with you coming here.’

‘Who was it that called the reinforcements to Inven?

‘It… It was the Warding Bloodhound Clan.

‘And who, specifically?

‘… It was from the Crown City Precinct... Right from the top.’

Joran pointed his finger at Ruben, the calm now brushed over him as he coldly stated in the center of the concave, the entire audience looking with bated breaths, “I stand to defend the Metropolis… No, to restore Cael to their rightful place as a proper Major Family. To right the wrongs of what was done to the Realm’s people. And you, Ruben, shall be sentenced along with your entire clan, for being blind to the wicked workings of them. And anyone named Heca, will become traitors.”

Before anyone could say anything else, Joran’s friends just as shocked as Reigan and Drekor, as Joran unsheathed his Dao and readied himself in his broad, wild stance, as he locked his vicious eyes slightly behind Ruben, on his true opponent, “I challenge you, Brandy Heca, to a Soma Lum.”