September 12, 2005 – 09:50 (Winnipeg Time)
"Emery! Blue Thunder! Don't stay there, come in!" said Ellya, appearing in front of them.
"For a minute, we weren't sure if we were at the right place!" said Coralis.
"Don't get fooled by what you see, Yalor has been experimenting all night with wards and glamour."
"That certainly explains the smell of elven herbs," said Eva.
"I'm happy to see you here, Eva and Sebastian. Over the years, you two have worked closely with both Blue and Emery, but if I'm to take a guess, I'd say Eva is here as Emery's second and Sebastian is here as Blue's."
"Of course, I'd work with Blue! No offence, Emery," said Sebastian.
"You can't take the flyball out of them, Ellya, you should know that," said Emery as they walked toward the door.
"No, I suppose you can't. I think I remember now Tobly saying that Sebastian Larameer had joined Blue Thunder, but he has been complaining all day. I did not pay attention to his ramble."
"Sebastian has always been Blue's beta, I don't know why General Tobly thought he'd work for him," said Eva.
"Isn't that the truth," said Ellya.
Emery and Sebastian laughed walking down the CMMA hallways, following Ellya.
"Blue Thunder! At last, we have you among our ranks," said Finnas as he saw them approaching.
"Better late than never, as people say," said Coralis as she entered the meeting room.
"I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting that many people in a meeting room they usually use for mission debriefing," said Sebastian.
"It seems we're the last ones to arrive and everyone got their second. We're indeed in the usual meeting room they utilized when I had meetings with the CMMA."
"I see Zahir over there with High Goblin Glorisse, I suppose he'll be her second."
"Probably. I was told to drop the title when talking to them, I no longer have to use it. I think it also applies to you if I'm to judge by the conversation we had with Ellya earlier, or at least between us, since I don't want you to start calling me by the title they gave me last night."
They spoke to a few people before sitting down for the meeting to start. Finnas, Ellya and Yalor stood while everyone sat.
"Firstly, I am happy to see you all here with your seconds-in-command for a first official meeting post-reform," said Finnas while opening the holographic monitor in the middle of the table. "Today, we are writing history and while you will be busy this week establishing your district's Headquarters, we will be busy here renovating our Core Headquarters."
"Secondly, before we get started with the details regarding district management, we will begin the rituals we need to complete to tie our new group of elders together. Traditionally, our agents had a small tattoo on their left ankle, overlaid with a branding as they get promoted to higher ranks. We will continue with it for the agents, although with a different design," said Ellya while Finnas pulled a branding design on the monitor.
"Your second-in-command, who will also be known with an official title when referred to by the public, will have a branding looking like this below their right ear," said Yalor, pointing at the design of the new symbol representing the CMMA. "In the middle of it, will be the Roman numerals of your district. Sub-elders, you will also have one, but yours will have this symbol wrapped around it."
A more intricate version of the symbol appeared next to it, and Ellya opened a side door to pull a furnace out of it.
"Additionally, Core Elders and sub-elders will share a mind-link and a spell monitoring our lifelines. If one of us is in distress, our nails will turn cyan," said Finnas.
"Holy gods from above, as if I didn't have enough mind-links and brandings already," said Coralis to Sebastian.
"It'll be what, your fourth branding? We will probably be expected to share a mind-link with our ranked people too," said Sebastian.
"Yes, fourth one."
"If I may ask, how will our second-in-commands be called?" said Swillama.
"Similar to ours, just replace High for Second. In your case, your second will now be known as Second Pixie Pablo," said Ellya.
"Going from apprentice to Second Mage, well done!" said Coralis.
"No comment."
Finnas started talking about the responsibilities the districts would carry and their mission to their people while Ellya called each second one by one to brand them.
"Good thing you all have picked your second, we will be able to have that part done today," said Yalor.
"Will our high-ranked also be branded?" asked Ligyo.
"Yes, but not by us. When you have established your headquarters, and we visit it to tie you to it, sub-elders will be the ones to brand their Head Crew with a minimalistic version of their Second's branding below their ears," said Yalor.
When all seconds-in-command were branded, Ellya called the sub-elders for theirs while Yalor prepared the material to create their mind-links and the lifeline monitoring spell.
"What's happening to you??Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?" said Sonylla when Coralis received her branding.
"Branding happened. I am now branded for life as High Mage, and so is Sebastian as Second Mage."
"Ooh, so it's official now."
"Partially. It is for Sebastian, but for me, I still need to find a headquarters building to be tied to and finalize the district borders and basic wards over them. It reminds me of a question I need to ask Finnas when it's over."
By the time Ellya and Yalor were done and had completed all rituals, Finnas was done with what needed to be said.
"One last thing before we end this meeting," said Finnas, turning the monitor off. "I will strongly recommend all of you to swap your wands for a staff."
"All of us?" said Sebastian.
"I will say especially Blue Thunder, as she should have switched to one already, but yes, even you," said Finnas.
While Coralis asked Finnas about how she could brand Sonylla despite the twinning bond, Emery spoke with Sebastian.
"If we don't hear any more about the registry, you need to thank Blue for it," said Emery, pulling a recording of the meeting they had the previous day.
"You recorded it?"
"Of course! I wanted to protect our wanted witch asses, even Roz entered the list in the end. I needed something to leak in case something happens."
"Holy gods from above! Please, send it to me, I need to show this to our mates. They are strictly forbidding us to register even if it becomes mandatory. They think the registry is bad news for all mixed families, and they aren't wrong."
"I'm sure Blue's mate must be the most against it, the hunt was real to him."
"Trust me, so does mine. She's his sister, remember? When Blue returned home after escaping jail and completing her mission, my mate pretty much forced a mind-link between me and Blue in case something else like that happens to me."
"I see. Roz was right about the human population?"
"Yes, well, I know that humans who are close to us are against it."
"Simply put, my mate believes she, her family and mine would do worse than what Blue did at the Saskatchewan compound if I get captured because of the registry. You don't want to piss off an angry mob of humans and fays," said Roz, joining them.