-City Council-
[A group of elected individuals and representatives from other major parties that meets regularly to discuss matters that impact the entire city.]
The lift came to a halt with a little bounce, arriving at the First Layer. Ensaru had suggested the Hunters begin by sitting in on some city meetings, and see if they can get some interviews with the higher-ups on the city council. And so it was that Kuro and Oroske had come up to the first layer.
They spent the rest of the previous day acquainting themselves with the J’alyr’s operation complex, before Jisei and Guir escorted them to Ensaru’s home, where they were given one of the several guest rooms. His house was nearly as large as the office building was, and featured a very open floor plan. After unpacking, they decided to get some rest and relaxation in, in preparation for their task.
The First Layer felt strange after having spent half the day deep underground. The central pillar still rose up quite high, and was turned into a building with a viewing platform at the top. Aside from that, and the numerous tall buildings - most on this layer were at least four stories tall - the sky was pretty open, and Kuro relished the clear weather, and the warm sunlight. Now that they were in Tsu’ra, the air was quickly becoming colder each day. Thankfully, it was still fairly warm, and Kuro was comfortable with or without a jacket. He’d gratefully taken the opportunity to go without one, wearing one of his gray button up shirts and black pants.
It was easy to find their destination, being a large building set up on the central plaza, between the North and East bridges. It had distinct features from its neighboring structures: it was not constructed from stone, instead being made from clay with metallic frames for structural support. It featured no windows on the front or sides, but the rear was made almost entirely from glass, giving an impressive view over the Northeast quadrant of the first two layers. The interior was dated, but well maintained. The floors were made from hardwood, and lush blue and gold rugs bearing the city’s crest were placed in sitting areas and along walkways. There were several small meeting rooms and offices, and Kuro guessed the upper two floors had similar functions. The rear half of the first floor was dedicated as one, very large meeting room. Less a conference room, more like an audience chamber, it featured several rows of seats for audience members, facing a two-layered stand pressed up against the back windows.
The top layer had five seats, the center being the largest and most ornate by far. These were occupied by three women and two men, all of which were old, in their sixties at least, by Kuro’s estimation. They wore ornate clothing, with gold and silver accents. Though their colors matched, the styles were all different. One of the women wore a robe, similar to Danfis’s cloak, another a sleek and professional dress, the last wore a black button up, tucked into a white skirt, both of which were under a long white coat with fur dark lining the collar. The two old men were much more conservative with their outfits, one in a smart looking suit, the other wore an outfit similar to Kuro’s, but his shirt was blue and he had a golden tie with the city crest near its tip. Kuro guessed they were the highest authorities in the city.
The lower layer had over a dozen seats, though only six were filled at that time. Everyone sat there dressed formally, and he got the impression they were all businessmen and women.
His suspicions were confirmed by Oroske, who had apparently come to one of these meetings with Ensaru a long time ago. “The top five are the actual city council members. That woman in the white coat in the middle is the mayor. The lower seats are reserved for representatives from the major companies in the city.” He frowned as he looked them over. “Looks like Yenva isn’t here this time around. I was hoping she would be so you could familiarize yourself with how she looks.” The two Hunters took seats near the entrance of the room, and simply listened in on the meeting.
The meeting was dreadfully dull, Kuro thought. He had to fight to stay awake at times. The majority of the meeting was taken up by people from smaller businesses coming to petition for licenses to either sell certain items, mine in certain places, conduct specific types of research, or in one case, begin manufacturing parts for Aeth’mobiles. The meeting spiced up a little bit when one of the large company representatives brought up the Seventh Layer, which sparked an argument about why they should or shouldn’t begin digging the new layer. Eventually the mayor silenced the room with a loud bang, caused by using a small spark of fyrun magic in a specially made box in front of her seat.
“Enough. We on the council have been very clear: we will not approve the Seventh Layer Dig until we have approval of the Guardians. The next person to bring this up at a meeting will be thrown outside without warning.” Her statement provoked a lot of hurried, frantic talking in the crowd. She silenced the room with the same method as earlier. “I understand the need for the Seventh Layer. I understand it better than most, I think. Rest assured we are actively petitioning the Guardians, and have been for months. With things as hectic as they are all across the two Realms, it is understandable they are busy. I ask you all to be patient with us as well as our Gods.” The response to this statement seemed a little more respectful, though Kuro still heard grumbles of discontent from near him.
The meeting ended not long after that, many of the attendees were clearly upset they didn’t get their way. Oroske motioned for Kuro to follow, and they walked over to where the mayor and other council members were talking with one of the company reps.
“Can we help you?” The mayor asked, a quizzical expression on her face. Kuro had forgotten they weren’t in uniform for a second and was slightly shocked by their reception.
Oroske pulled out his communication pendant to use as identification, “We are Hunters with the Tsumi Clan,” he began his introduction. The company representative paled slightly, but the mayor and other council members retained stern expressions. “I’m Oroske, and he’s my apprentice, Kuro. We were hoping we could interview you in private.”
“What about?” One of the two men on the council asked, the one in the suit who, up close Kuro could see, was clearly much older than the other.
“I’d prefer to bring up the topic without others, for your own sakes.” Oroske said flatly, eyeing the representative.
“Oh, out with it already,” the woman in the slim dress complained, “We don’t have all day.”
“Very well,” Oroske sighed, “It’s about the Demon Lords, and any possible involvement this city’s council has had with them.” The council members all stiffened at the implied accusation, and the company man ran off. Oroske smirked slightly at the reactions. Kuro hadn’t seen this side of Oroske before. He was shocked at how brazenly he was antagonizing them.
“Fine, meet us in conference room 3, on the second floor at the back.” The mayor said with a glare, “We will be up there shortly, but there are matters we must take care of first.”
“Of course. We will be waiting.” Oroske said, remaining upright. Kuro was surprised once again to see how little respect he was showing the elderly group. Oroske motioned for Kuro to follow once again.
“I was surprised how direct you were with them,” Kuro mentioned as they climbed.
“Well, they asked for it.” Oroske grunted, “Besides, did you see that reaction? It definitely seems like they know something. Now we just need to find out what.” Kuro nodded appreciatively.
They found the target meeting room quickly, being one of only two on this floor, both of which were at the rear of the building. After entering, they circled around to the window side, and each selected a chair at random. There they waited in silence, save for Oroske rapping his fingers rhythmically on the conference table.
Nearly an hour passed before the doors opened, and the council members walked in. The mayor sat in a seat at the approximate middle between the two hunters, lowering herself with a sigh. The other four picked chairs immediately next to her. “Alright, we’re here. The floor is yours.” She said, gesturing with her hand towards Oroske.
“Thank you for your time,” Oroske said, straightening his sitting posture. “As mentioned before, we are here investigating the Demon Lords and their Human counterparts. This investigation is not only Clan business, but also a mandate by the Guardians.” All five members of the council became much more attentive at that statement. “In the spirit of honesty, we don’t actually have any reason to suspect the city council specifically. That said, there was the issue a few months ago during the Peace Party. I believe we’ve done some preliminary inspections already, but we never found anything concrete.We fully intend to get to the bottom of that issue. Beyond that, intel indicates there is at least one company that has strong ties to the Demon Lords.
“I’d like to open the floor to you all, if you have any information you’d like to share now. In addition, we’d like to schedule one-on-one interviews with each of you. The floor is yours if you have anything to share.” Oroske set his forearms on the table, hands clasped together as he spoke.
There was a prolonged, awkward silence after he finished. After several minutes, the man on the left, well, Kuro’s left - the one wearing the suit - cleared his throat and spoke. “I’ll be honest and say that I don’t have any information to share right this moment. That said, I do have something I wouldn’t mind sharing in private. Nothing indicting for my fellows on the council, more just personal, and unrelated to my duties on the council.”
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The woman sitting next to him echoed the sentiment. Afterward, the room was silent for several awkward minutes again.
“Very well,” Oroske said, leaning back in his chair. “If none of you have anything you’d like to share now we won’t waste anymore of your time.” He stood up, and Kuro followed. “We’ll reach out soon to schedule some one-on-one meetings.”
The mayor folded her arms, meeting Oroske’s eyes with a stern look. “I’m sorry we didn’t have any information to share. If anything comes up, you’ll be among the first to know. Where can we find you?”
“We’re staying at Director Ensaru of the J’alyr ke Ensaru’s home. Any inquiries or information can be sent there, he’ll be able to contact us if we are not present. Thank you for your cooperation.” Oroske said as he rounded the table, stopping in front of the mayor, who had rotated her chair to face him as he walked. He offered a hand, and she accepted, shaking his hand in respect. Oroske gave a slight bow, “We’ll be off now. I hope we can speak again soon.” He looked at the other council members, “That goes for all of you.” He motioned for Kuro to follow as he walked to the door. Kuro gave the council a respectful bow before following his mentor. Oroske poked his head back in, “Oh, and it probably goes without saying, but please keep this visit under wraps. We are undercover for a reason.”
“Well, that was a good use of our time,” Kuro said as they exited the building. “At least two of them were forthcoming that they have some information, I don’t see why they couldn’t have just told us then and there, though.”
“Each member of the council are, or at least were, merchants. They’ll treat anything and everything they have as a commodity to be hoarded, even from their allies.” Oroske explained as they walked back toward the lift. “It seems the world outside the Guardians and the Clans are unsure how to respond and feel about these Demon Lords. I feel confident that at least one member of that council sees them as potential customers, or perhaps business partners.”
Oroske stopped about half-way to the lift, and motioned to some stone benches before going over and taking a seat. Kuro followed, confused. He wasn’t even remotely tired, and Oroske had a lot more stamina than he did, so why were they taking a break? Oroske continued talking before he could ask.
“The public thinks the Guardians see the Demon Lords as a threat to their power and authority. In reality, I’m sure Naen, at least, sees them as no more than a nuisance.” Oroske leaned back, relaxing - or, trying to appear relaxed. “A lot of people, especially in this city, are… discontent, with the Guardians. I would not be surprised to hear people in positions of power, such as a city council, would look to make allies of these new influences.” Oroske looked at Kuro, making eye contact before gesturing with his head towards the crowd. It took Kuro a few seconds to see what he was looking at, but eventually picked out the same man that spoke first, patiently making his way through the busy street. He had on the same suit from earlier, but now had a bag slung across one shoulder.
Eventually, he made it to the bench the Hunters were sitting on. Oroske met his eyes with a smile. The old man sighed, “You knew I’d come looking for you, didn’t you?” Oroske just nodded. “Very well. I don’t have much to share right now, but I do know a couple members of the council are up to something. I have one of those communicator devices at home, and I’d like to give you my programming glyph so I can contact you more easily as my own investigation continues. I’m not sure how helpful it’ll be, but I’d like to get this city back on track.” He dug around in his satchel as he spoke, eventually pulling out a piece of paper with very complex designs drawn in purple ink on one side.
Oroske accepted the sheet, inspecting it. He spoke without looking up, “And here I thought you didn’t have anything to indict your fellows. What do you think the odds are that the Demon Lords are involved?”
“Frankly, I’m not sure. I’ve only recently begun looking into this matter.”
Oroske finally looked up, a small, friendly smile on his face, “Very well. I’ll contact you tonight, probably in a couple hours. I know it’s a bit late, but I believe I never caught your name.”
“I believe you’re correct. It’s Nyb, sir. Nyb Eralis.” He said, giving a slightly deeper bow, the kind one gave when introducing themselves for the first time. Kuro was surprised, he thought the old man would be upset they didn’t know his name beforehand. I like this man, Kuro decided, He’s humble, despite his station. During the last few months he’d met countless people in similar positions who were pompous and full of themselves.
“Very well, Mister Eralis.” Oroske said, standing and offering another handshake, “I look forward to our fruitful cooperation.” Nyb accepted the gesture, and reciprocated the sentiment. The old man gave a respectful bow, and disappeared into the crowd again.
“Alright, let’s get back to Ensaru’s place.” Oroske said, waving for Kuro to follow as he turned once the old man was out of sight.
“Are we not going to wait for anyone else to talk to us?” Kuro asked, jogging a little to catch up.
Oroske shook his head. “I doubt they’ll come for us here. I only stopped because I sensed we were being followed, and I guessed it was him. He seemed interested in talking to us, so he seemed like a likely candidate.”
Kuro nodded, keeping pace with his mentor. It made sense. If it was someone looking to pick a fight or just spy on them, it would be a brief encounter. Kuro hadn’t encountered many people outside of the Clan who could give either of them a fair fight.
The two Hunters traveled in relative silence back to their accommodations for this job. Once there, they were met by the mayor, leaning on the property’s front gate. “Mayor Leiku, to what do we owe the pleasure?” Oroske said, greeting her with a shallow bow, barely more than a nod of the head.
“I wanted to schedule that one-on-one interview you mentioned. I have some information you may find… useful.” She said, pushing herself off the wall, proffering a small blue envelope with the city’s seal on it. “It isn’t much but this is the information I was able to compile on short notice. I ask that you read it before our meeting to get you up to speed.”
“Very well,” Oroske grabbed the envelope and inspected it, “And what day are we to meet and discuss?”
“Three days from now, an hour after midday. We can meet here. Does that work for you?” She asked, arms folded.
“Certainly. We are quite flexible.”
“Excellent, I will see you then. I must be off, I’m late to my next appointment.”
“Thank you for your cooperation, I look forward to our next meeting.” Oroske said as Leiku departed, walking quickly, towards the center of the layer. “Alright, let’s get inside. It’s a bit early, but we can make our report to Danfis once we’re in our room.”
Once in the room - a large room with two double-sized beds, a large desk, and a floor-to-ceiling window looking towards the center of the layer - Oroske walked over to his luggage, pulling a small wooden box out of it. “I had meant to give this to you earlier, but it slipped my mind.” He handed it to Kuro, who opened it rather unceremoniously, sitting on his bed.
Inside was a small pendant attached to a chain. His pendant. He had no idea it was already finished. If it was in Oroske’s luggage, that meant it was finished before they even left Tsumi’din. He lifted the pendant, inspecting it. From afar it was difficult to notice the very intricate carvings that covered the face of both the circle and center pillar. They were written in a language he didn’t recognize, though he guessed it was likely Alten. Oroske confirmed his suspicions, and pointed out the matching engraving on the two sides of the circle. It was only five characters long, with a space between the first two and latter three.
“That’s your first piece of identification,” Oroske explained, “Not everyone can read it, but it’s your name as it would be written in Alten. As for your second piece of identification, go ahead and give it a bit of Aether, but don’t think of someone to contact.”
Kuro followed the instructions. The various engravings began to glow with a soft blue light, and a pair of lines, forming like brackets around opposing corners of the pendant, following the curve of the circle before going out straight, a little beyond the center pillar. Each part following the circle only covered a quarter of the circle. It was the same design that was on his cloak. He smiled slightly. A variant on the Clan’s emblem that was unique to him.
“And now, to actually contact someone, just think about the Clan Headquarters, or Danfis, either should work. HQ is hard programmed in, and it should be the only contact you have.” Kuro did as told, and the blue overlay pattern transformed, the lines of his variant extending to trace the other two quarters of the emblem.
“Kuro, this is Danfis. I trust all is well? Is Oroske with you?” Danfis’s voice transmitted through the pattern. Kuro was shocked. Given how busy their leader always seemed to be, he had expected it to forward him to Venn or something.
“Uh, yes! All is well. Oroske is here as well.” Kuro said, shaking himself into focus.
“I’m glad to hear that. I take it you have a report for me?”
“Yes, sir.” Kuro looked to Oroske, who simply nodded, gesturing for Kuro to deliver it. Kuro related the events of the day.
“I see. So nothing concrete yet. Very well, thank you. Keep up the good work.”
“I’m surprised you gave Kuro’s pendant your direct contact,” Oroske said, a smile on his face.
“Yes, I have. I wasn’t sure if I was going to, but I see great potential in our young Hunter, and I like the idea of being able to keep tabs personally. Besides, he’s your apprentice.” Danfis offered no further explanations, and Kuro got the feeling he wouldn’t elaborate any further if pushed. “Is there anything else you need?” Danfis asked.
“No, sir.” Kuro responded in unison with Oroske.
“Excellent. Get some rest, I imagine your work in Quarry will be long. I will expect another report tomorrow sometime.” Danfis said, with some extra background noise that sounded like a door being opened and seats being dragged across the floor coming through.
“Thank you, sir. Have a good night.” Kuro said as the blue light flickered, returning to his own emblem variant. He stopped channeling the aether, letting the light dim completely. Kuro stretched, falling back onto his bed, the pendant still clutched in his hand. The night was still young, but Kuro was exhausted. They did a lot of walking, and stuffy meetings always made him tired. He’d get up in a few minutes so they could get dinner, but for the moment he simply relaxed.