Chapter 163 – Recruit
A few days had already passed since Siu visited the outers' territory after the reestablished Spirit Wardens, and today they were holding their first official meeting.
“This is what you call a meeting room?” Ruben asked, looking around with a twitching eye, making his brother snort.
“It has a table and snacks, isn't that enough for you?"
"Mhmfmhf!" Marly said something, her mouth filled with peanuts she was stuffing in them, looking at Joren with shining eyes.
“I expected nothing less.” Ruben answered, shaking his head, "I do hope we will get a proper place soon, though. With two Paragons on the list, people will expect a headquarters matching that."
"Are you here to insult me or my inn?" Joren asked, glaring daggers at Ruben, "At least I built something by myself."
"You think I got to the list a different way? Bought my rank?"
"Cut it out," Seloryn moaned, rubbing her forehead, feeling she had had enough of the brothers' antics for a week at least.
Naturally, they were having their meeting in Joren's inn, having a corner separated for their 'privacy' while life went on around them on that simple morning.
“It is temporary,” Siu reminded Ruben, helping Seloryn out with soothing him. "And, yes, this meeting is exactly about finding a proper headquarters so we won't get disbanded before anyone else can join. Alright?"
Nodding her head vigorously, Arya sat at Siu’s right while Quillian had taken the left, leaning back with his cane between his knees, drinking tea and not even listening. As for Vael, he was still working his shift, being the one pouring tea for Quillian, without any complaints. He looked like he was even enjoying it in a way. Working in the Resting Reed was a kind of change he didn't know he needed, but after just a day, he felt himself to be almost reborn.
"So," Siu continued as he looked down at the packet of notes Seloryn had prepared, “Let's tackle the issue then. What are we looking for? Everyone has one suggestion to give!"
"Umhmf!" Marly tried to say something, focusing hard to send her thoughts through without sounding like chewing, “Pantry!”
“Panty?” Arya asked, while Siu just noted it down, murmuring, making her panic, "Master, that wasn't my suggestion! We don't need panties! We don't wear any anyway!"
"Pffft?!" Joren managed to spit his tea out, and if not for Ruben's quick reflex, opening his umbrella at the desk, he would be drenched completely.
"What?" Arya raised her head at them, "Who needs those things anyway? They just get in the way."
"Ignore her." Siu said without any emotion in his voice, "Come on, details, if not, you can't complain about the place later."
"Most groups go overboard with their headquarters," Seloryn chimed in, "We only need a place where we can hold meetings and let members relax. Anything more than that would be a waste."
"It still needs some enticing qualities," Ruben argued, "Or people won't join. If not a private training field, then it has to have a private meditation room."
"Or places for beasts." Joren added, "You never know."
"Vael?" Siu asked before he could leave to go and attend to the guests.
"I'm not really a member," He smiled, but, seeing Siu's look, he still added his own thoughts in the end, "Member benefits would be worth more than any kind of room, in my opinion, so... I don't think a headquarters needs to have everything."
In the end, Seloryn unfolded a map across the table, and it showed a broad section of available spaces that were yet to be occupied. Several areas had been circled in different colors of ink, depending on their prices.
“We have three months before the temporary arrangement ends,” she began, looking over everyone. “So, if we can't decide in the upcoming three months, we are just best to disband as nobody will take us seriously.” While speaking, Seloryn pointed to the first marked area. “Our ideal headquarters needs enough room for meetings, and this one is a one-story building, simple, cheap, and, I know," she glanced at Ruben, "it's not eyecatching." Then her fingers moved to another circle, “We may also need storage, and if we do want a private formation chamber, if possible, then this one fits. The price... It is much more than the first one, but it has it all I mentioned.”
“Too expensive.” Even Ruben began shaking his head, surprising Siu.
“Very,” Seloryn agreed.
“How expensive?” Siu asked, because even after looking the map over, he couldn't see the prices, and when she spoke the number, Siu just leaned back, rubbing his face. “We are staying here forever.”
“The difficulties of being young,” Quillian said with a chortle. “Most, if not all, buildings are paid for with Amethyst Crystals. What did you expect? Proper leases are counted in Azure Crystals. My own shop, when I bought it, cost 3 Amethyst Crystals. And it was barebones, so I had to spend a lot on renovating and fitting it.”
"Three million just for starting out..." Siu muttered, pinching his nose, "No way we can afford anything like that. Seloryn, how much do we even have to spend?"
"We can start talking about resources after we have chosen a target," Seloryn argued, "If we know what we will spend, we will know what missions to take and earn the money."
"So we have nothing," Ruben concluded, but Seloryn refused to answer.
"Welcome to my world," Joren chuckled, "That's how we all started out, you know. So it's nothing new for us, Princess."
“We don't need to buy it outright. And... We would not need one perfect building,” Siu interrupted the two at once. “The Resting Reed could remain a public meeting place even after the official headquarters is established. Joren already has disciple traffic here, and we should not discard it.”
“Whoa, whoa, Siu, I did not agree to make it a forever deal,” Joren said hurriedly.
“It would bump up your private income, though,” Seloryn added, making Joren's words get stuck in his throat, suddenly reconsidering everything. Sometimes... he did look a lot like Ruben.
"If you say it like that..." He whispered, putting a finger to his chin.
"Siu may be right," Seloryn agreed, leaning over the table, crossing off some of the marks, "Let's ditch these then, and look for a simpler place."
"Maybe we should go out and check some in person, so we all get a feel for it," Siu continued, “Nothing final today. We inspect the remaining possible locations first. Let's see... One is near the Companions."
"That one has ample space for beasts in the backyard, as it was a stable before," Seloryn explained at once, then moved her fingers to another mark, "The one near the Public Road is the same simple building I mentioned first. As for this, tucked farther up the mountain is a cave, but it was later remodeled by another group that disbanded a few hundred years ago."
"Why not buy this?" Arya leaned over the map until her tail rose behind her, reaching forward, tapping an empty-looking spot on the map.
“That is not a registered property.” Seloryn muttered, "It usually means that either nobody owns it or it is completely empty.”
“It could also be restricted," Ruben added, "abandoned, dangerous, or something like that.”
"Oh?" Arya’s eyes lit up at once. “Perfect. It has to be cheap then, so we can build our own home!”
“...” Siu said nothing, looking at everyone else, while Seloryn just shrugged in the end, circling it.
“We could take a look, that would not hurt.”
“Tee-hee!” Arya grinned proudly, getting her head patted by her Master.
“Siu!" It was then that Vael reappeared, and he looked serious, making the table fall silent, "Someone is here for you...”
"We are already recruiting?" Ruben asked as he set down his cup.
"I don't think so," Vael whispered as he moved away from the sideboard, and Siu saw that the former head disciple was ready for trouble.
Naturally, everyone else noticed the change, and Arya slid off her chair, her massive ears pointing forward, her tail going straight up in the air.
“Fight?” She sniffed, forming a smile, "Oh... Second round?! This time, I'm not going to sit it out!"
“No,” Siu said, already having a guess who it was just because of her words.
“Not inside my inn!” Joren added hurriedly as they all filed out into the greater part of the Resting Reed from behind the separating screens.
Yet, the one they saw was Bortan, from the Companions, smiling at them.
“Morning,” He said, bowing his head a little. "Sorry to interrupt, um... the meeting, but I brought someone who wanted to speak with you, Siu. He was unsure how to start it, so... Asked me for help after learning we are on good terms. You see, he is a good man, he was just...”
"Call them in," Siu said before anyone else could speak, "Arya already sniffed them out."
"Thank you." Bortan smiled at him, and the next moment, the door opened behind him, and Cho’Wa entered first.
The wolf's front right leg was still wrapped from paw to shoulder, but it was no longer limping, whining, or being afraid of putting weight on it. Seeing it enter first, Arya’s entire body stiffened, and Cho’Wa stopped at once, but then Nokoh stepped in behind his companion, patting his head, just as Siu did with Arya.
“You came for another fight?” Arya asked loudly, making Nokoh shake his head, looking unperturbed.
“No, I am not. I came to apologize.” Arya looked up at Siu after hearing that, then back at Nokoh and his wolf, her mouth falling open. It was unfair, as far as she was concerned, because it made her unable to insult them anymore. “I accepted the duel under false assumptions, and that is my fault. Handler Merra told me you had used your new status to humiliate her and force through an unsafe registration for an unstable beast... My need for her offerings was too strong, and it blinded me. I am sorry.” Then, switching his eyes from Siu, Nokoh looked at Arya directly. “She did not tell me that High Elder Delia had personally reviewed your status. Once again, Young Lady... I'm sorry.”
“Merra,” Bortan began as everyone fell silent for a moment, “She could not guarantee what she promised to Nokoh. Certainly not as payment for something like this and... well, it caused a bit of trouble inside the Companions.”
"To you?" Siu asked, seeing as Nokoh’s hand tightened against Cho’Wa’s fur.
"Nokoh is fine," Bortan shook his head, "I had a bit more work because of it, but Merra is the one who is now not only taken away, but put under ten years of hard labor."
"Ten... years?" Siu asked, gawking, looking around the others, and even Quillian was surprised.
"Apparently," Bortan nodded, as he, too, found it very unexpected, "Elder Delia decided that after her personal warning, a much greater punishment is in store for someone like Merra."
"Good." Siu smiled suddenly, then reached out a hand towards Nokoh, "Well, seeing the culprit being punished, on my end, I consider it water under the bridge."
"Master!" Arya pouted, but upon getting a knock on the top of her head, she fell silent; however, she kept ignoring Cho'Wa and Nokoh.
"Thank You." Nokoh said, shaking his hand in turn, and after looking at them all, he couldn't help but ask, “Were you meeting about... me?”
"Hah!" Arya snorted, "Nope! It was our first official meeting as the Spirit Wardens! Who would have a meeting about you? Hmph-hmph!"
"Oh..." Nokoh blushed a little, repeating the name "Spirit Wardens...” Then his eyes found Seloryn, who no longer looked so cold as when he saw her at the dueling platform. Then... he recognized Ruben, having memorized all of Paragon and their faces. Two Paragons... and seeing them stand just a bit behind Siu... He didn't need his wolf's senses to realize something was very off about this 'new' disciple.
"Glad to see it!" Bortan smiled, noticing the details, his smile widening as he clapped his hands. “Thank you, Siu. As I said, he is a good man, and he cares about his partner just as much as you care about yours.”
"Are you recruiting?" Nokoh asked suddenly, making everyone look at him, “If so, I would like to sign up. Cho’Wa and I can train disciples with beasts, and I know the Companions well, along with many of their handlers, and many of the associations working near it. I can contribute resources and standing with them.”
If possible, everyone behind Siu had gone quieter than ever before. Even Arya failed to say anything. In the end, it was Seloryn who broke the silence.
"It's up to Siu; he is the group's leader."
"..." Siu looked at the rest for a brief moment before turning back to Nokoh, gazing into his eyes, and finally smiling. "First, you will need to hear how we work, because it is a bit different than usual. If after that you still decide to join... Then I would be happy to have you."