A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

Nora let her gaze wander around, taking in the reactions of those around. She allowed a moment for the hall to breathe before raising her voice again.

"I hope you are not dismayed, my dominant Wulfs," she began, her voice gentle but firm as she looked down at the group of people standing before her. "Although our Lord and Master, this church, and His most loyal servants are dedicated to protecting those who serve from any would-be-abusers, that does not mean we care for those who lead any less."

Having tossed the staff back into her personal storage, she extended both hands towards them with a smile. "All are equally important parts of His design. If you find a submissive who doesn't follow our tenets, and you don't manage to guide them back on the right path yourself, we stand ready to help."

Nora closed her eyes and gently shook her head. "We also don't discriminate. We don't immediately assume a submissive's accusations to be correct." She bent down to pick up the sigil stone she'd dropped in front of Kato's feet before and presented it. "That is why we use these sigil stones. These will not allow anyone to speak falsehoods within its range…"

At this point, she glanced at the first balcony. "…and if any of them levy a false accusation, they will receive an equally strict punishment." Some gulps became audible at the first floor. Perhaps some of them had plans to do exactly that, or perhaps they were simply reminded that they were not immune. Either way, every single Wulf in that hall made sure they engraved Kato's punishment in their minds.

Finally, she relaxed a little, looked at the doms, smirked cheekily, and shrugged. "But… please understand that you will always be under heavier scrutiny. Because that is the burden that comes with being a leader, and a dom within our church! If you wish for a life without burden and hardship, then the life of a dom was never meant for you!"

The doms relaxed a little after her reassurance. Some bowed their heads respectfully, others nodded grimly, but generally they appeared understanding.

"Good," Nora smiled. "I am truly blessed with such understanding disciples, and of course, our Wolf-Sire deserves no less."

Up on the second balcony, Naeku rolled her eyes as Erik smirked. It was weird for both of them to hear Nora talk like this and witness the listeners taking her seriously.

"Do not hesitate to spread news of what happened here to the other Wulfs," she continued sternly. "Today's punishment has been recorded and will be displayed in full to every gathering this week. It is important for everyone to understand how serious we are about protecting our charges and enforcing our tenets."

A shiver went through the crowd, as they all promised themselves to wait a week before coming to the meetings again.

"But with that, we have reached the end of the boring part of our gathering today," she grinned, waving a hand and using some connection to the building to open all the doors behind the crowd. "As always, we have prepared food, drinks, and other means of comfort. Please, enjoy! Socialize! Get to know your fellow Wulfs, and maybe… find yourself a master or servant."

A wave of relief and excitement passed over both groups. Although it was Nora's words that convinced most of them to join the cult, it was the after-parties that kept them coming back as often as possible.

With much of the tension lifted, everyone quickly left through the open doors, leaving only those on stage and those on the second balcony.

Nora looked up at Erik expectantly. "Was that… okay, Master?" she asked, with just a hint of anxiety. As always, she wanted nothing more than his approval, and she'd not entirely expected him to be here today.

Erik smiled at her, much to her relief. "You did well, Nora. It was extremely harsh, but… an example should be set, especially the first time. In the future, I expect you to moderate the punishment depending on the severity of the abuse, but there was no need for that today."

He glanced at Naeku. "What do you think, Naenae? Do you have any words for Nora?"

Still in her werepanther form, Naeku's animalistic yellow eyes glared down at the stage. "I don't like it when my people are tortured…"

A little worry sparked up in Nora's eyes, but then Naeku sighed. She gripped the railing with her transformed hands and glanced at Neema. "But… neither do I like it when my people are abused. Honestly, I feel my opinion is inconsequential at this moment. I would rather hear from you, Neema. What do you think of Kato's punishment? Did he get what he deserved?"

Her question startled the poor Neema, who'd been lost in thought from the moment Kato left the hall. She took a step back, wide eyes looking up at Naeku and Erik. Suddenly, she was confronted by the inquisitive looks of the princess she'd admired her whole life, and the most powerful man in the nation, who'd recently saved them all from death or worse.

"U-Uhm…" she muttered at first, clearly scared to offend anyone.

Naeku looked at her compassionately. "I understand this is difficult for you, Neema… But I would really love to hear your answer. Please be assured, my husband and I will ensure your safety, no matter what. And I hope you will forgive me for this, but…" At this point, she glanced over at Nora again, "Nora, please put that sigil stone back."

Nora and Neema both reacted in surprise to her request, but the former didn't hesitate to do as she was asked. Without Erik contradicting her, Nora was fully aware that Naeku's orders should be followed as if they were his.

In moments, the field of truth was once again enveloping the stage, and all the attention returned towards Neema. She gulped nervously. Neema was uninteresting in most respects, and to be under the full attention of four people far more influential than she took her a moment to stabilise. She also glanced at the sigil stone for a moment, seemingly unsure what this thing would even make her say.

Eventually, however, she sighed and seemed to find some resolve.