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Tranquil Waters: The Lead Crown Ch 6.2a, A World Apart

Sister Yvette had brought the group back to her hideaway, safe from the dangers of the street. Once she had found out that they knew of Kesst and had wanted to help him she was eager enough to reunite the party with the clockwork dragon. She'd explained that Kesst had not been stolen, in fact, he had come to her under his own volition and that, when they met, he had actually been walking around. The woman knew of Weisen and had wanted to help the two get back to one another... but the way in which that was to come about is where the disagreements first began.

She was very forthcoming in explaining that Princess Noriene wanted Kesst. Julius was able to tell that Sanmer was all but ready to tell her that they were working with the Princess but the Bear had managed to interrupt the Fox by asking the Ewe what plans she had for him. Unfortunately, that was when the Nun showed her true colors: she asked the group to help her hide Kesst from the Princess-- she wanted him all to herself. The Ewe blamed the Church for her downfall, but also, for some reason, Noriene.

Julius did not consider himself a pious man, nor did he turn entirely from the teachings of the Church. If he was required to rate himself on his level of faith then he would have given himself a modest score-- neither too high nor too low... but high enough to see that the ways of the Mehnzilian Church were flawed and that, as an organization, it was far too corrupt to be of any real good to the people of the world. Sadly, in the scheme of things, he had about as much faith in the University.

During his decades as a Professor, Julius Blackburn had seen his fair share of "not right" happenings in the organization. He knew, as with anywhere, that there were bad elements positioned throughout the hierarchy. It wasn't until he'd forsaken the halls of learning to study amidst the people of the tribe lands that he'd realized just how easily Lehsunian society made it for the self-centered, self-serving egoist to take control and gain power. It wasn't until the Lehsunians encroached on those lands that he came to comprehend just how much influence those forces had in the world... their stretch was long indeed.

In order to combat the evil that men could do, Julius realized that he would have little choice but to become a foil for their schemes and, to do that, he would be forced to think like them... act like them... and, if need be, carry out the same ruthless behavior that they did. In essence, he would have to be willing to justify the means with the ends; he would become a monster. It took him a long time to come to grips with the fact that there were unavoidable acts he would be forced to commit but, when it all came to a conclusion, it would be worth it... or so he hoped.

The Mechanists, as such, were an unexpected twist in his plans. Among the many evils of the world, they were one of the lessers: a group of like minded men (and even a few women) who had a long-reaching, thoughtful outlook on the world. The vast majority of the group were interested in the advancement and prosperity of the many rather than focusing solely on themselves. Best of all, they operated in secret, and they created progress using actions were hardly the horrific atrocities and sins that the Bear had been steeling himself to commit. Looking down at the blood on his paws, however, Julius wondered how much goodness would have to come from his actions to override the bad.

Sister Yvette was one of the last surviving practitioners of an ancient sect of worship dedicated to love and tolerance. They had been hounded and persecuted by the Mehnzilian Church for decades and, most recently, decimated by the Order of Blades who, according to the Ewe, had been recruited by the Dragons for the sole purpose of destroying their order. How darkly poetic then that she had survived the powerful stroke from a headsman's axe only to be stabbed in the back by a man who was dedicated to preserving the temperate, benign cultures such as hers. Sighing, Julius tried to convince himself that it was all for the good of the many, but, looking down at the slain Ewe, he really wasn't able to put his heart into it.

She was a threat, he had to remind himself. Sister Yvette was putting the entire plan for the Mechanist's Cell at risk due to her distrust of Princes Noriene. He had tried to reason with her, but any chance for reason failed the moment it came out in discussion that he both supported the Princess and worked closely together with her. She was a good person, Julius reminded himself... just misguided.

He pulled the stiletto out from where he'd inserted it into the back of her neck. At least her death had been painless, "I am so very sorry."

Gritting his teeth, and girding himself against what would next have to be done, the Bear fidgeted with his signet ring before stepping up beside the door; he knew one of Sister Yvette's men would be waiting beyond. He called out in as calm a voice as he could manage as he stuffed a bloody paw into one of his herb pouches. "Andrew? Sister Yvette needs you for a moment, please."

The Hyena came through the door and, as anticipted, froze in his tracks the moment he saw the Ewe's body laying on the ground in a pool of blood. The instant the man's muzzle opened Julius stepped around the door and covered it with his paw-- not only did it silence the Hyena... it also exposed him to the very powerful vapors of the Albi root. Straining, Professor Julius managed to ease the heavy man's body to the ground before closing the door behind him. Andrew wasn't dead... yet. It took another ten more minutes of regretful action before Julius could put his plan into effect. He wondered through it all how the ends could justify what he was doing.

* * * * * *

In all the time Gift-of-the-Earth had known Nicholas, the man's volatile temper was always bubbling near the surface, but it had never exploded in so distinct a manner as when the soldier kicked the Hyena's corpse with each word he growled. "Fucking. Order. of. Blades!"

Despite the exclamation, the jeweler kept his attention on Metal-Eyes, who had sustained a number of injuries before managing to overpower Sister Yvette's attacker. Despite the Shaman being his superior, the brown Bear had little trouble scolding him. "You should have called for aid."

Near tears, the old Bear remained focused on the two bodies in the room. He was so shaken up he spoke in the Stone Tribe's tongue rather than that of the People. "I wish I could have done more... nobody should have died."

The faint tremble in the Shaman's voice reinforced what Gift-of-the-Earth knew of the od Bear: Metal-Eyes valued life, and it obviously hurt him a great deal to experience such callous disregard for it; his expression reminded Gift-of-the-Earth of the one the Shaman wore on the day they came to the Yew Tribe's aid. Reaching out a paw, the Jeweler rested it on the older Bear's shoulder, while he cleaned out a defensive cut on Metal-Eyes' forearm. "We can only do what we can do, Metal-Eyes... but you are safe, and that is what matters. I am just glad that you survived the attack."

Sanmer, not for the first time, interrupted them, "How could the Order of Blades infiltrate such a close-knit society? It just doesn't make sense."

Theo was standing at the entrance to the room when he spoke up for the first time since vomiting after seeing the mess within, "Maybe... it wasn't the Order?"

Nicholas growled again, kneeling down to yank at a glove the Hyena had worn, "It's the Order, alright... look."

Enarork's eyes went to where the Human had indicated, pointing at a symbol tattooed into the back of the dead man's hand. Sanmer glanced at it once, "Yea... it's the right symbol, but the wrong kind of ink."

The sailor stepped back, crossing his arms, "Some kinda copy cat then? Maybe a Blades hopeful who wanted to prove himself to em?"

Metal-Eyes looked up from his own paws which were still covered in the Hyena's blood. His words came out hollow; the Shaman was obviously pained. "Perhaps just a ruse... someone wanted it to look like the Blades had something to do with this."

Sanmer shook his head, "It doesn't make much difference... it may as well have been the Order of Blades... you heard what she said about them sacking their temple. At this point I want to find out because there's gonna be a pretty big reckoning when it's all said and done."

Theo straightened up, brushing a piece of lint off of his robe, "Marcelle had better have the right answers to some questions... I've never been much for groups like that. If they DID have something to do with this then the Princess needs to know."

Gift-of-the-Earth saw his brother glance his way as the rest of the party talked. The big black Bear spoke as quietly as his booming voice would allow, "What happens now?"

The brown Bear shook his head, "I do not know."

Looking to both of them, Metal-Eyes drew away from Gift-of-the-Earth as he stood up. "We take Kesst back to Princess Noriene."

The Ermine in the door apparently knew just enough of the Tribal tongue to catch the Shaman's meaning. The fact that he spoke in the Stone Tribe language meant that his words gathered attention. "Sister Yvette didn't trust the Princess."

Metal-Eyes likewise switched back to the language of the locals, "But we do. She can help us help Kesst."

Gift-of-the-Earth watched as Sanmer shot the Shaman a dirty look, and he apparently wasn't the only one. Roaring-Flood walked over and scooped up the Fox in his grasp, coddling him, almost like a baby. Although he was sure Sanmer didn't understand the large Bear's chiding words, it seemed to placate him. "Relax, little one... Metal-Eyes knows what's best."

Thinking back to the faint ink stains mixed with the blood he'd seen on the old Bear's paws, Gift-of-the-Earth, for once, had some doubts.