Rescue Me From Night Unending

The silver-haired Ambassador of Dies Irae sighed softly as he leaned back in his leather-clad office chair, his gaze inevitably finding its way out of the large window to his side, not far from the large mahogany desk he so often found himself occupying. It was a beautiful day, really. The tides of the Azure Sea, as it was so often the case, would calmy caress the white sand beaches of Amber Island in the distance, the bright afternoon sun reflected in the sheet of blue as a glowing marble. Why was it always on days like these that bad news would reach him? Johann von Weiss closed his eyes, letting the information he had received pass through his mind once more in an attempt to sort through it, though it was of little use. The nature of the message was simply too impactful to process with a few simple thoughts, the man opening his eyes anew only to find them involuntarily drawn back to the thin piece of paper stretched out before him, the hastily-scribbled black letters on the parchment a testament to the mood in which the author of this particular piece had been when he had brought the news into writing. It was understandable, really, given the contents of the letter, addressed to the Ambassadors of Dies Irae.

Fiore was preparing its forces for war. The context described in the report was of unambiguous meaning. Pergrande and Bellum were once again taking the field of battle in a conflict with one another, Fiore, as one of Bellum's allies, seemingly being drawn into the fighting, despite the absence of a clear declaration of war as of yet. "What a mess ...", the man mumbled under his breath, briefly recalling memories from the last war between Pergrande and Bellum some 10, no, 15 years ago at the least. He didn't know for sure, but the last time they had fought the argent-haired Ambassador had not yet been a guild mage, making his living as a mercenary. The battles between Pergrande and Bellum were a steady source of income, and an easy one, too. He knew that Pergrande despised magic in any form, so fielding mages was, of course, off-limits, and dealing with mundane troops was far easier than battling against experienced magi in any form. Still, it had been a while, though Johann knew that another conflict was inevitable. As long as the two nations existed they would lust for the destruction of the other. It was a cycle without a clear end in sight. That was all well and good, but what would a guild situated on an island off the coasts of Minstrel and Midi have to do with that? The Ambassador could imagine that any ordinary person could ask themselves this question, and in truth, even Johann, who understood that, if a war would indeed break out, the system of alliances that had been forged across Ishgar would be set in motion, asked himself why Dies Irae should get involved with this particular conflict.

It was true, Fiore was allied with Bellum. The government of Fiore was the Magic Council, Dies Irae being technically an extension of this organization. The fact of the matter remained, however, that the guild was detached from events in Fiore, so why, as it had been ordered in that letter, should Dies Irae mobilize against "the enemies of the Magic Council and all of Magic itself"? It was put in such an orthodox way that the Ambassador wondered if a Bellian Archpriest themselves had written dictated this message. What an utterly ridiculous notion. Was this what people called Realpolitik? Johann sighed anew. He was no politician, but the least he could do was raise this issue with the Magic Council and protest the decision. He would do so in person. Waiting for written replies could take ages when it came to the Council, even with modern communications. Not to mention the fact that attending to this matter himself meant that they couldn't as easily give him some bureaucratic excuse, as they more often than not tended to do.

Unceremoniously, the man would rise from his chair and head for the door to his office, leaving the opened letter on his desk. After all, he had a fellow Ambassador who would undoubtedly have an interest in what it said, not to mention the fact that Johann would have to talk to Seven about this. He trusted her judgment, and as such, the two needed to reach a consensus on the best course of action. When he was not driven by emotion, that was. Naturally, there was another entity that quite appreciated the news that the Ambassador had received. "Why protest? Is this not a most intriguing development?", a deep, albeit familiar voice echoed through the man's mind. "Just imagine the fun a real war will be!". Mars' tone was an indicator of his emotional state, and the Ambassador had expected something like this. It was only natural that the creature he shared a body with would be trimming with excitement. "I have my doubts about that", the silver-haired man replied curtly as he left the office and walked down the hallway towards the Throne Hall, every step echoing back from the polished granite walls with a resounding, yet characteristic sound. Johann wasn't about to argue with the being, but he knew that this topic was far from finished. Mars would have a say in such matters in one way or another, whether Joh consented to it or not.

Busy with himself and his own thoughts, he would reach the Throne Hall, his stride taking him towards the archway that led into the spacious area Dies Irae used as a forum of sorts, though the Hall itself appeared awfully empty. Johann only took note of this in passing and would've ignored the fact entirely if it hadn't been for the two figures that seemed to converse close to the exit Joh had been heading towards. To not at least offer a word of greeting would certainly be rude, the man directing his eyes towards the pair, not to mention the curious creature that seemed to accompany the man. "Ah, forgive me. A good day to both of you. Jariel-", Johann had picked up the habit of calling people by their first names, even if he disliked such informalities, for the sake of making himself appear a little more casual. "-It's good to see you. I heard of the mission to Motor City you'd been dispatched on. If you're back, I assume you have completed your tasks successfully?". After greeting the more familiar person first, it was only natural to move on to the next, a woman, though the Ambassador had to admit that her identity remained a mystery to him. He was certain he had not seen her here before, or at least he couldn't recall ever seeing her around, though she was wearing a uniform distinctly associated with the guild. Was she from the branch of the guild located in Cedar? Or ... "Are you a new recruit, perhaps? I don't believe we've met before, so please, allow me to introduce myself: Johann von Weiss-", at the mention of his name, the man would bow slightly, a gesture richer in symbolism than true courtesy, the long, black coat that formed part of his own distinct uniform almost touching the ground, "-one of the two Ambassadors of Dies Irae".

He gave the woman a closer look. Upon further inspection, she appeared, for the lack of a better term, exotic. Young, certainly, much younger than Johann, although his own appearance wouldn't give that away. Her hair and eyes were especially eye-catching, both glowing in their own respectively unique and, it was not shameful to admit, attractive hue. He imagined that with traits like these, and certain other evident factors, she would be certain to draw the stares of many-a-man to herself, though, in truth, the Ambassador had little care for such things. It appeared, though, that the little excursion to Era he had planned spontaneously would experience a just as spontaneous delay. If a new recruit had to be initiated ...  a circumstance like that would naturally require his attention. A weak, albeit practiced smile would curl one corner of the man's mouth upward. Hopefully, an expression like this would appear friendly and welcoming rather than awkward as he continued in a gentle tone. "Who might you be, stranger?".

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When the familiar officer of Dies Irae replied to his question, the Ambassador would give him an approving nod, his expression shifting to a calm smirk of appreciation for Jariel's work, even if only for just a moment. "I'm glad to hear that. Undoubtedly, your success makes the world a safer place". Johann wasn't one to praise easily, but the praise that he did bestow upon others, in the end, was well-earned, that people could certainly be sure of, his soldiers especially. After all, the fact that this weapon was now under the guild's control meant that they could safely store it, lest it falls into the hands of innocents and causes havoc among the civilian populace of Fiore once more. That, however, was most definitely not the point of this interaction. While a job well done prompted an appropriate response, so did the arrival of a new soldier.

"Bai ... Suzhen ... of Fenghai, huh?", he slowly muttered a repetition of her introduction under his breath. Honestly, the Ambassador of Dies Irae didn't quite know what to make of that name, or what seemed like a place of origin attached to it. The name did sound as though it was Dongxian, but the man couldn't be sure. While he was versed in some languages and cultures, based on his prior education and experience, he couldn't say that about anything that related to the mysterious island nation to mainland Ishgar's south. His expression probably portrayed at least some of his confusion as he thought. Which one was the first name, which one of the two her family name? Which one would be more appropriate as a means of addressing her? Was Fenghai truly a place located in Dongxia, or was it something else entirely? After a few seconds of silent contemplation, he decided to give up on even trying to come up with a solution to his predicament. He was neither informed nor intelligent enough to simply deduce the answers to his internal questions. Of course, simply asking the woman was not an option. It would be an admission of ignorance at worst, and make him look quite the fool at best. Still, he hoped that his contemplative silence, the short period of time in which he had simply appeared as if he'd spaced out, wouldn't be a dead giveaway to either of the other two people present here.

"Ah ... no need to be so formal, Soldier. We are among our own, after all, but ... uh-". He would avoid calling her by any one of the two names until he could clarify some of his confusions. Would using them in combination be fine? Would calling her by her full name be considered rude? Perhaps the library had in their possession some material on this subject? He would try to explore that option later. For now, well, he couldn't simply take his leave and let this woman remain standing here. Joining a guild was, all things considered, a big step in a person's life, a process, so to speak, and Johann was one of the few people in Dies Irae whose responsibility it was that Neophytes wouldn't have to walk this path alone. Yes, the matter that had called for his attention could wait a bit. "-I can consider myself lucky to have such an eager Soldier at my disposal, certainly. Since we're both here now, why don't we go over your official initiation into Dies Irae?".

Still ... would it be too late to tell Jariel that he, too, enjoyed the boon of certain heightened senses? A whisper wouldn't conceal words from him, though ...  he decided that it would be best to act as though he had missed what had been said entirely. He was, after all, correct in his assessment of the Ambassador, the silver-haired man simply continuing to smile at them both as if nothing had happened. Still, he didn't quite know or understand what kind of "Demon Senses" Jariel was referring to? If anyone could boast about demon senses, surely the Ambassador would have a word to say about that particular thing, but ... no, it didn't quite ring a bell. Perhaps his ability to ascertain such things was simply not as sharp or developed as that of others, but who was he to tell? He wouldn't dwell on that matter more than he had already.

Jariel, however, appeared quite a bit more casual with the newcomer, already beginning to search for an appropriate nickname for her, an effort that Johann could only comment on in the form of a sheepish smile. The Ambassador was not a man for nicknames, in the end. He preferred a more direct approach. His voice would rind out once more, though his tone had become a little more steady than before, now that he had rid himself of the earlier confusion. "Perhaps it would be best to leave the familiarization for later. You will, of course, have more than enough time to acquaint yourself with both the members of Dies Irae and our guildhall, though the latter shouldn't be too complicated. As for the former ...", Johann would pause briefly, shooting a look at Jariel. The man was, naturally, one of the less eccentric members of the guild, despite his obvious quirks. A few others came to mind, but that would be a matter for another time entirely. The newcomer had to make that experience for herself.

"Well, you have already met Jariel Jareem, one of the guild's higher-ranking Officers. As mentioned previously, I am one of the two Ambassadors. The Guild Masters, if you will, though I'm certain you know as much." The woman didn't appear clueless, Johann assumed as much from her rather formal attitude when she had first addressed him. "As it stands, you can direct any question you have to me and I will do my best to give you an answer that you will, hopefully, find satisfactory. That said, however-", the man would pause briefly once more, now directing his gaze comprised of dual-colored eyes specifically at the emerald-hued oculi of Bai Suzhen. His stance or expression did not change one bit, and neither would the man's tone, though his attitude appeared to experience a shift, the aura around him becoming slightly tenser to those with the perceptive abilities to interpret such a shift in the first place, "-there are also some questions I would like to direct at you, if you don't mind. I like to understand my soldiers a little. I hope that makes sense".

That was no lie, of course. The questions he usually asked others were meant to offer Johann a little more insight into the attitude and personality of the candidates that joined Dies Irae. As one of the leaders of this Legal Guild, he had to, after all, make sure that the people coming to Amber Island were cut from the right cloth, in a sense. Depending on her answer, he would lose no time, as well, raising his first question in the same welcoming tone, though the eyes locked on her would give away the cold distance hidden behind the practiced mask of a friendly smile.

"Our line of work is ... particular, and it takes particular people to partake in it. So my first question is thus: Tell me, Bai Suzhen of Fenghai, what exactly brings you to Dies Irae?".

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After the newcomer had given him the okay and he had raised the question that he would direct at most of the new recruits, the Ambassador would wait for her reply, somewhat eager to learn what she would come up with. People had the most different factors that drove them forward, motivated them to do something, in short, the things that brought them here to Amber Island and Dies Irae especially. That was, of course, if people were honest in disclosing their reasoning for making the journey here. There had been cases, of course, where that had not been the case, where people had sought to profit from the guild's resources, protection, or strength for reasons that were less than savory. Johann had to think of one particular mage who was interested in bringing their contacts from the criminal underworld into the fold, something the silver-haired man even now remembered with some displeasure. It was of no matter, of course, not for the current conversation, but the man couldn't help but wonder ... what exactly would be her reasoning for joining the guild?

He would soon find out when Suzhen, her first name, as she had explained to Jariel before, that, by the way, certainly cleared up the Ambassador's questions about how to address her, "Suzhen" or "Miss Bai", he would assume, would be appropriate to use in this case, would offer him a swift and uncomplicated, albeit quite common answer. Most Soldiers that joined the guild had a similar response. Not that this would be a bad thing, of course, but he had heard something to a similar effect many times over. He nodded in understanding. Perhaps the story, her story, would have more detail to offer, but the time for personal inquiries like that was not now. They didn't really know each other, after all, and though the Ambassador hoped that he could learn about her and understand what motivated her more, just as he appreciated this same aspect of all the other Soldiers, that would be a matter for the future.

At least, that was what he thought, but as it turned out, that had not been the entire truth, Johann's attention being seized by Suzhen's explanation. His eyebrows would be raised in an obvious expression of surprise. He had not expected that. This was what he had been looking for. An individual reason, a reason that reflected her desires. Though, the nature of her reason was what had surprised him more than the presentation itself. How did she know about this? As far as Johann knew, knowledge of this particular piece of history was not very widespread in Ishgar, or indeed Earthland as a whole. There was no answering that question by himself. "I see ...", he replied, raising a hand to his chin as he lowered his gaze, his tone sounding as though he had just understood a profound truth. That was not the case, of course, but he felt like he had learned something of importance.

The Ambassador thought for a few moments. How would he approach this situation? Well, she had been truthful with him, so it was really only appropriate to return that gesture of trust. "I know indeed of the hymn to which you refer. In fact, as you may well have guessed,-", he paused briefly, a wide smile spreading over his face. The aura of vague tension had seemingly vanished from one second to the next as he continued, his voice carrying with it a soft note of pride, born from accomplishment, "-it is what has given this organization its name". There was more than that, of course. This hymn also provided Dies Irae with some of its most treasured secrets, but not many people were privy to that information. He had to think a little more to make sense of what exactly she had wanted to know. The "Night Unending", hm? Johann knew of it, or at least, of that particular part of said hymn, though his understanding of its meaning was somewhat tough to decipher in its entirety. Jariel seemed to suggest that it was a curse, and Johann wondered if that was really applicable. "It depends on interpretation, but ... I would say that it is not exactly a curse, no", the man shook his head, his eyes now wandering back to the newcomer, his mouth opening to speak anew.

"Worthless yet my prayers and fending, so, good Lord, thine mercy sending, rescue me from night unending", he would recite from memory the portion of the hymn that included the passage that Bai Suzhen had inquired about. It carried with it a certain mythological connotation, based on a certain belief that Johann, and by extension, Mars, knew all-too-well.

"The Night Unending, the Night Undying, or perhaps more literally, the Fires Everlasting, depending on your interpretation of the hymn. It is believed to be a reference to a place in which unimaginable evil dwells and the souls of the dead are punished for their sins. Many mythologies know such a place as the underworld. Helheim, Hades, Xibalba. That is, of course, only one way to look at it. I don't know what the Night Unending means to you, though, Miss Bai. Perhaps, forgive me for my presumptuousness, I could ask what you mean by "saving yourself"?". The woman's words, of course, had not escaped the Ambassador, and it did leave him wonder, what was it that had caught her interest about this particular topic? Was there something more to it than scholarly curiosity? Only her answer could clear these questions up.

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It seemed that the question the Ambassador had asked had struck a nerve, and while it had been simply nothing more or less than curiosity that had prompted the argent-haired man to direct the inquiry at Suzhen, it seemed that the reaction, unintentionally, of course, had been more severe than anticipated. In honesty, it was anything but expected, even a man as composed as Johann being unable to suppress a small gasp of shock when the strength appeared to leave her legs at once, his eyes, fixed on hers, widening at the sight. He reflexively took a step forward to prevent her from falling, but there was no need for that. Even in this motion of hers, she looked like she was perfectly able to keep that certain aspect of grace she radiated intact, her fall being best described as graceful. "Miss Bai, I-", he would reflexively speak, though immediately stopping himself when she spoke up anew, practically pleading for the silver-haired man not to inquire any further about this. He paused, being confronted with this little turn of events. What would be the best course of action here? On the one hand, the Ambassador's impression of her had changed drastically, this encounter, which the man had initially deemed rather mundane, quickly transforming into something more exciting. His curiosity returned, and he felt compelled to act on it, but he knew that doing so would exceed something as mild as poor social etiquette. She had asked him directly, and to refuse this would ignore her wish, which, in and of itself, contained no hostility, aversion, or other negative impressions.

He decided against inquiring further, at least for the time being. Though ... leaving her to kneel in the ground like this wouldn't sit particularly well with the Ambassador. There was no need to put herself in such a position. As such, he would take another step forward, offering her his hand to help her up. "My apologies. I didn't mean to remind you of things rather forgotten". It was what he figured had put her in a state like this, not knowing whether this was actually the case or not. Regardless, he would offer at least some form of reassurance with his next few words. "I promise I shall dwell on this topic no further". Everyone had their burden to carry. Everyone had a past, and some would rather not talk about the things that had happened freely. Johann understood this more than anyone else. There were certain events and circumstances that only his most trusted friends and accomplices knew of, and as such, he wouldn't press her on it.

It was convenient that Jariel appeared to have more questions, as well. It would serve as a perfect transition to return to the topic they had discussed before. "The excerpt I presented is merely a small part of a larger hymn. All in all, the hymn is something akin to a plea of mercy offered to a certain god on the day of judgment, a concept quite prominent in the particular faith that produced this work. As the souls of the dead are judged on that day, the day of wrath, or, in other words, Dies Irae, so shall this guild judge the evil of this world. By all means available and necessary. It is mere symbolism, I'm afraid, but a striking reference nonetheless".

"Still, ...", he would speak up anew, intent on picking the conversation back up where they had left off, now clearly showing more interest in Bai Suzhen than before. "... if it is assistance you need, Miss, know that Dies Irae is a place where none are left behind. To rely on one's comrades is neither shameful nor a weakness, and together, as a force that is united in the pursuit of its goals, we are strong, and stronger yet we shall become". The words the Ambassador spoke were laden with a tone of voice that was steeped in unwavering determination, as if speaking them aloud would somehow automatically transform them into an undeniable fact of reality like the sun in the sky or the wind on one's skin. Such was his conviction, his belief in this guild and their mission.

"Enough of my ideals, though", he would follow up, his posture and tone relaxing somewhat. The atmosphere had grown a bit heavy, and he sought to dispel this particular fact. "If there are any further answers you seek, then as I said, I will do my best to provide them, based on my admittedly subjective and meager experience in this field".

Naturally, there had been some things that the Ambassador had not told the other two, the special connection he shared to the faith he had mentioned, the faith that had produced the hymn which had been the topic of their talk, being among those things. It was hard to explain where he had obtained the knowledge about it and what the verses meant to him, but the power of belief often transformed the mundane into something extraordinary, even if he had told Jariel that there was nothing special about it. No matter how one looked at it, that had been a lie, but he wouldn't make that fact known in any way. It was a road too dangerous to travel, a path best left unexplored.

The snickering of the being within him echoing through the back of the man's head as it registered these thoughts within its vessel supported that opinion of his perfectly.

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The Ambassador was glad that the woman from Dongxia seemed accepting towards his gesture, taking his hand. Perhaps, he thought, this instant would be of symbolic significance, a sign of trust, though it was likely that he interpreting too much into this circumstance. Still, Johann knew that everyone had their past, and that the sort of people that ended up here on Amber Island to seek out the guild shared fates with one another that were neither easily spoken of nor lightly laid out in full. Johann, from his own experiences and events that had beaten him to the ground again and again in the past, knew precisely what a past could entail. Even now, his own trauma had not yet been dealt with, and it would likely never be dealt with in full for the rest of his existence, he reckoned. The difference between those that lost themselves in their despair and those that rose from the ashes, however, was that the strong kept their will to fight on against an unjust fate, against the one-sided beating this world had given them. This, of course, was one of the main tenets of Dies Irae's creed. The battle against fate, against destiny itself, was an overwhelmingly difficult one, yet when one stood together in the face of an unbeatable foe, there was hope. This was what the guild had been founded on.

Still, Johann took his attention off thoughts like these, recognizing that he was digressing from the situation at hand quite too much.

It seemed like that would not be the full extent of their exchange, as well, which required the Ambassador to keep his focus just a little more. Suzhen uttered one more question, the silver-haired man listening attentively and with a curious gaze. The World Serpent? Was this a name or a title? In either case, the Ambassador couldn't immediately categorize the words that Suzhen had uttered, though when she followed this up with the various other names this entity held around the world, Johann instinctively looked up when the woman from Dongxia mentioned "Jormungandr", his eyes widening in honest surprise. Did she know of Ragnarök? Was she aware of the tale? The silver-haired man did not make his recognition known at first, though his face, twisted in shock for a few seconds, his cheeks ever-so-slightly paler, before his expression returned to one that was at least more neutral in nature, was speaking volumes. Jariel appeared to have his own things to say about the topic, but Johann, to be frank, paid little attention to this. How was she connected to this World Serpent, or more specifically, to Jormungandr? Johann was under the impression that the tale that had birthed the image of this mythological creature was nothing more than that. A myth, a legend, obscure folklore from Iceberg, if anything. Still, this beast was deeply involved in Ragnarök, the fabled end of the world Johann had become all-too-intimately familiar with.

Still thrown off, though now evidently more composed than before, he responded, his words spoken slowly and with an obvious degree of uncertainty. "Jormungandr is the snake that dwells in the endless seas and encircles this world, biting its own tail in its ceaseless hunger. Once it lets go of its own tail and begins to rise from the waves ... existence will end. The legend of Ragnarök, the destruction of all worlds. I've heard it from ... an old friend". That friend being Mars, of course, though he couldn't exactly open with that fact.

It was hard for the Ambassador to put his thoughts on the matter into words. The tale was, after all, inscribed on his very body, his flesh bearing the runes that told of Jormungandr's rise at the dawn of the gods, it's battle with divinity, only to be slain by and in turn slay the god of thunder. Of course, these runes were obscured by the fabric of his clothing, though apart from his face, the entire left half of the Ambassador's body was adorned in the ancient scripture. Slowly, he would raise his still wide eyes to Suzhen, his curiosity having turned into awe and speechlessness, reservations vanishing in the blink of an eye. If there was any chance that the woman before him had information about his own confrontation with an eldritch entity whose nature the man could never quite ascertain, then he simply had to ask, speaking up with what was perhaps a little more passion than would be appropriate for a social situation such as this one, the faintest hint of a crazed light shining within the Ambassador's dual-hued eyes for a few moments as his gaze sought hers.

"It's an odd thing to inquire about. Do you know of Ragnarök, or, perhaps ... are you connected to Jormungandr?"

Almost immediately and in evident in response to this question, he could hear the echo of a deep snicker reverberate through the back of his head, the familiar voice of Mars speaking in an obviously condescending comment of his actions.

"Tsssehehe ... You're a fool, Johann von Weiss. Stop bothering the girl with pointless questions about fairytales".

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