Embracing My Death

"Whatever you are planning, I do not approve of it."

It was strange to Arnoba, and her body language was enough proof that she was ill at ease, standing in the majestic throne hall of the famous guild, Dies Irae. There was nothing about the architecture, or the decorations, or the colors that offended her; she was more concerned about the "why", than the "where". Goethe stood facing her, his jaw set, the emotions in his eyes a mixture of desperation, pain and resoluteness, and that was what made Arnoba afraid. A desperate man was capable of anything.

Naturally, Goethe would have replied in an offhanded manner, if she challenged any action of his that she did not like. Today, however, he kept his lips sealed and his thoughts guarded. She could understand the reason: he did not want her to see into his thoughts. This was the first time he had ever done so: restricting access to what he was thinking, and it only served to fuel Arnoba's worry. Whatever he had planned could definitely not be good.

"Talk to me, Goethe; we can find a solution to whatever ails you. Let's sit on the matter and not do anything rash. let me know what you are planning." Goethe shook his head, then after a pause, he finally spoke. "I wish I could tell you, Arnoba, and I would have loved it if you could help me, but you can't." He lowered his eyes. "I'm afraid I will have to walk this road alone."

Wanting to find a way to atone for his "sin", Goethe had decided to join a guild where he could do good deeds, obtain merit and fight against the forces of evil. He had chosen Dies Irae mostly because of its militaristic design and zero tolerance against heinous crimes. Over the short period he had joined, however, he started to see another reason, one that he had not thought of at the point he'd joined, but it had just materialized in his thoughts, especially since the time was almost up. He could feel it.

The Sleeper was straining to awaken.

"There are still a lot of things you've wanted to do, Arnie. You don't have to..."

"Don't be silly; I'm not going anywhere," her voice retorted sharply in his mind. Then it continued, more softly, this time: "We share a bond that can only be broken if one of us dies. I have never complained about it ever since it was forged..." Her eyes narrowed, as a thought came to her, then widened, fear, incredulity and horror evident in her crimson stare. "You are not planning on killing yourself, are you? That would be most unwise. We both know that if you died, the very thing you seek to avoid will happen."

Goethe sighed dejectedly. "I'm not planning to kill myself, per se; that much I will tell you. I have reached the edge, and if it is not resolved today, I don't see myself surviving the week. Loathe as I am to do this, I need someone here to help me carry this burden."

Arnoba shook her head slowly, as she tried to understand his strange words. For his part, Goethe waited, in the hopes that he might find the "right person for this job". And if there was any criterion that this particular person had to meet, it was that the person had to be very powerful, preferably more than himself.

The two figures stood silently in the throne room, painting a picture of despair and little hope.

The sanctuary on Amber Island posed some degree of respite from the outside world. With it being surrounded by many miles of water, the island was detached from the rest of Ishgar, which provided a convenient getaway for someone who desired to escape the mainland with its complications of war and carnage. Suzhen wasn't particularly shell shocked by the Bello-Pergrandian war (then again, it wasn't "the" war; others had been fought between the two nations, and if they both managed to survive it, others would be fought thereafter), but she was eager to remove herself from thoughts of death and destruction, for such things had the habit of arousing the World Serpent, which meant that she would have to exert herself more to control its influence on her. She had made peace with this fact of life, but the less she had to struggle with a bloodthirsty otherworldly snake, the better she was sure her mental health would be.

She had taken a walk towards the wilder side of the island, her steps leading her away from the port town, although she made sure that she was always within sight of the sea when she had gone abroad on the island. The sea breeze was quite calming, and with the accompanying sound of the surf on the shore and the sea birds crying loud as they sought their food from the endless sea, it made all the human politics seem thankfully so far away. With apparently no other sign of humanity except herself, it was easy to put things in a different perspective, and for the moment, all the things for which humans fought and died over seemed inconsequential in the presence of the sea, with its depth and majesty. A part of her wished this moment of peace would never end, but it was quite foolish to hope for such a thing, unless she decided to set her mind on more nihilistic ideas. Death, after all, was regarded by some to be a final peace.

After about an hour of watching the sea and the sky, Suzhen returned the way she had come, her mind relaxed sufficiently enough to put her in a good mood. She returned to the guild hall, meeting very few people along the way, and not spending time to talk with those she came across. Very soon, the Dongxian had arrived at the expansive building that was the headquarters of Dies Irae, with its red and golden banners flapping gloriously in the sea breeze. She allowed herself to smile lopsidedly, as she watched the waving flags. Whoever had chosen to build this hall here had got a winning idea. With the size of the island and very few wind breaks until one got to the forest, it meant that Port Amber would be decently, if not quite, windy, and what better way to make a statement than to set up a building with many banners in a windy place? With the smile still on her face, she walked into the guild hall, and saw two people facing each other. Not in a hostile fashion, but the tension was quite palpable. And these people she recognized.

"Goethe! Arnoba!! A pleasant surprise indeed to see you here. What brings you both to this little corner of the world?" She could sense the unease that hung thickly in a metaphorical cloud above the pair, but she decided to hail them sunnily, hoping that somehow, her cheer would help them. Somehow.


WC: 582
Total WC: 1177

Goethe started slightly, then his tensed shoulders visibly relaxed. Inasmuch as he was waiting for someone to show up, so that he could present them with his very bizarre request, he had lapsed into a moment of self-contemplation, and had not noticed when the woman had come in. Without looking at her, he recognized that voice: it was his scholar friend, Bai Suzhen. One would expect that her presence would give him a sense of peace, or calm, or some other benign feeling; unfortunately for him, such was not the case. His despair only deepened further.

How would he ask his friend to...

Taking a deep breath, he turned away from Arnoba, and managed to fix his gaze on Suzhen's pleasant face. "Suzhen... hello. It is good to see you here, though it is a bit of a surprise. So, you're a member of this guild..."

His voice faded into a musing silence, while Arnoba gave Suzhen a bow, one much similar to what she had greeted Suzhen with, back then when they had met at Pergrande's border. Then, using her telepathy, she spoke into Suzhen's mind:

"The battle with Pergrande has had a negative effect on Goethe. Normally, one would expect a mage like him to be made of sterner stuff; he is, actually, but suffers a condition that gets worse when he experiences powerful negative emotions. I have tried to get through to him, but he keeps pushing me away. He is planning something very dangerous, that much I know, and he doesn't want me to get involved." Arnoba sighed. "As if I couldn't be involved..."

"There's no point waiting further, then." Goethe looked straight into Suzhen's eyes, the feelings of sadness and gloom that he bore evident in his. "I would never have asked you to bear this burden, Suzhen, but I need help, and I need it urgently. You see, I need someone to kill me." Arnoba stared at Goethe, her usually passive face showing rarely seen emotion. Even for someone who shared a bond with Goethe, she had not expected him to take such a drastic measure.

"Goethe...!"

But he vehemently shook his head. "You wonder why I've been guarding m,y thoughts against you, especially after that skirmish? Well, I suppose since we've reached this point, I'll have to show you."

Goethe made no movement whatsoever, but it was like somewhere, on an ethereal plane, a door opened. Suzhen would feel some very ancient horror, perhaps older than the stars themselves, suddenly reaching for her mind. But in the next moment, the door was shut, and the sense of terror was gone. Arnoba looked paler than she normally was.

"If I let you into my thoughts freely, like I've always done, you would have been exposed to this on an even grander scale," Goethe spoke with difficulty, as though he was using all of his willpower to do something else. His breathing was ragged, and even though the day was not terribly hot, beads of perspiration ran down his face. After a while, his breathing evened out, and his voice became calm. "Have you ever heard of the 'Eldritch Hunters', Scholar? It would seem that I come from a line of one of their craziest clans, who would stop at nothing to get their missions accomplished."

He grasped his collar with one hand, then tore his shirt open. In less serious times, Arnoba would have probably chided him for being an exhibitionist. Anyone who looked at him now would notice the strange tattoo on his chest, the "IX", but rather than the inky black it always was, it now glowed with a purple, ominous light.

"Eldritch hunters took a cue from Slayers, and developed a bizarre type of magic. I should think it's mostly forbidden art right now. They would carve out a part of a powerful entity, and graft it into their bodies. That way, they could utilize the power of that entity, but of course, there were great costs attached." He pointed at his chest. "This is the result of that forbidden magic...  and I'm doing a very bad job of managing it right now. I have reached a precipice I cannot pull back from. Only two options are left to me: to jump into the abyss, or to slay myself at the edge."

His eyes lost their fierceness, and his voice was now gentle. "I would never have asked you to traumatize yourself for my sake, Scholar, but you're the only one I know powerful enough to do what must be done. Originally, my plan was to join this guild, as they are known for their zero tolerance to evil, find one of their leaders, and kill myself in front of them. A last sin, on my part, but perhaps some good may be born of it.

You must be wondering why I don't just find some place far away from humanity and kill myself there. I have considered it, many times. However, I have not found a place that offers a sure seal to prevent my body from escaping. You see, if I should die, the power lurking within my chest will be unleashed on the world. It is a Great Old One, so I have learned. The longer it dwells in our world, the stronger it becomes. So, I cannot kill myself alone; I need someone to kill what becomes of my corpse when I die. I have held out for so many years, resisting the insanity that comes with this curse, but I can do so no longer. I fear I have only a few days left before I run irreparably mad, and commit suicide in some very... unhelpful place."

He buttoned his shirt, and then looked at the two women. "My mind is made up, for my options are limited. I'm sure you may have questions, Suzhen. I shall answer all, as I am able, but I need your word that you will help me see this through to the end. Arnoba will help you to accomplish this."

Arnoba looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown, but she said nothing to dissuade Goethe further.

Suzhen smiled and shrugged slightly in reply to Goethe's realization that she was one of the mages of Dies Irae. She wasn't surprised that he hadn't guessed such a thing; after all, Dies Irae, thanks to its relentless and merciless pursuit of evil, tended to have this expectation slapped on it by the public as to how its members were meant to appear, or behave. The difficulty of perceiving to what guild Suzhen belonged was assisted by the fact that her guild insignia was almost always hidden, thanks to its location at the base of the back of her neck, where her thick locks of indigo hair cascaded over and thus obscured. It wasn't as though she hid her guild mark because she didn't wish for anyone to know her allegiances, but where her guild mark stood also stood another mark, one she was quite eager to keep hidden, for although many had no idea of the significance of this other, and more ominous, mark, there were some who did, and such people Suzhen was pleased to avoid.

The scholar returned Arnoba's bow, like the Goth woman, recreating the gesture with which she had greeted the owl woman on that day of war. As she heard the voice in her head, she started mentally, but quickly remembered that this was Arnoba's unique way of communication. Quietly she listened to the voice inside her head, her eyes on the equally silent snow-haired youth before her. Slowly she nodded. Goethe had seemed like a very normal person when she had met him in Rose Garden, but he seemed altogether different faraway on the Pergrandian border. Of course, judging by what Arnoba had said, there was no likelihood that Rose Garden would trigger any negative emotions, but war in all its horrors would do just that. And Suzhen remembered that while she had had her own share of fighting to do, she had noticed that Goethe didn't seem exactly himself in the last leg of the battle.

The intention of Goethe to have someone kill him was rather unsettling, to say the least. While Suzhen brought all her mental powers to bear to prevent herself from showing any dramatic outward expression, her pleasant expression had now changed into a rather worried one. Still, she kept quiet, seeing that the youth had a few things more to say. He spoke to Arnoba now, mentioned his reason for guarding his thoughts against his companion, and then Suzhen sensed a door open. It was quite difficult to describe the sense; it was neither her eyes nor her ears. She just seemed to know that a door somewhere had been opened, although its location was unknown to her. And then she felt it. Something ancient, something dangerous, its will bent towards her mind. The feeling of terror was familiar to Suzhen, because all her episodes with the World Snake had been horror-filled. Still, there was something different about this feeling. It felt like connecting with this strange abomination would unravel her mind, run her mad. With the World Snake, the horror came from the fear of utter oblivion, nothing more. Goethe was connected to this thing, whatever it was. Apparently, he had been using his willpower to hold it back from taking over his mind. But she still felt death was a little too extreme as the solution to his ailment.

As he explained the true nature of his predicament, Goethe revealed the tattoo on his chest. Apparently, when he was in danger of being influenced by the eldritch abomination in his head, the tattoo would give off a light of its own. Suzhen had some decent amount of information about eldritch abominations, seeing as she possessed a degree in matters relating to creatures and phenomena of non-Earthland origins. While the catalogue of such things was almost beyond the memory of a mortal, the more common and popular ones were known to her, including the ancient, horror-breeding creatures of darkness. Eldritch hunters were a bit more esoteric as far as knowledge went, and though Suzhen was quite aware of groups devoted to fighting all things eldritch, she was not conversant with their means of doing so. She had always found Slayer-type magics to be dangerous, in her own opinion, but this 'Eldritch-Slayer' magic was most definitely a very very bad idea.

Still, Suzhen said nothing, listening as Goethe came to the end of his discourse. It seemed almost impossible for her to do what he was asking of her. Even when fighting enemies, or people she hated, Suzhen was not comfortable with taking their lives, although she knew that sometimes, such things were inevitable in her line of duty. But to kill someone against whom she had nothing, it was very difficult to think about. Because she had done it before, and she wasn't sure she had recovered from the experience, or if she ever would. While her reason for doing so was relatively justified, it was something she never wanted to have to do again. And yet, the opportunity to do so again had appeared unbidden. Suzhen had questions, of course, but at present all the ones that came to mind seemed irrelevant. Presently, she didn't know whether to be angry or sad. Angry, because it seemed that the things she always strove to avoid kept dogging her. Sad, because she could understand the sufferings of the man before her. She decided to take the path of compassion. But she would not agree to Goethe's request. Surely, there had to be another way.

The scholar opened her mouth to speak, then froze suddenly, as she felt the presence of great power, just as she heard the familiar voice. She lifted her green eyes to the form of her guild master, descending from the ceiling of the domed hall, his descent so surreal it was almost divine. Almost spellbound, she stood frozen to the spot, watching the tall, lean man as his feet touched the ground noiselessly. "I have got to learn how to do that!" Suzhen thought silently, before mentally kicking herself. This was a serious situation, not a time to goof around. Yet there was a part of her mind that always managed to remain carefree almost to the point of irreverence, even in the face of mortal danger. She decided to keep that part of her mind as locked away as possible, until this matter had been dealt with. By way of greeting, the Dongxian maiden bowed deeply, by way of greeting to her leader. She still did not feel it best to speak yet.

Apparently, Johann was having none of Goethe's intentions, at least not on his island. Suzhen had expected that. She would have probably acted the same, if she were in her guild master's shoes, but having known Goethe, even if it had been just a little while, her heart was troubled seeing him suffer. Someone had once told her that compassion was a weakness, but she was content to have such a weakness. There had been someone who had taught her to be compassionate, and still he was the strongest and most amazing person she had known. She was alive because that man had shown her mercy. And she had killed him....

Breaking away from the unpleasant thoughts, Suzhen took a step forward. "Forgive my protest, Honorable Mr. von Weiss, but I--" Here, she paused for a brief moment, trying to frame her ideas into the right words. She was quite unwilling to face the displeasure of her leader, after all. "I know it's right for Goethe not to be here; as you rightly said, he is a threat to the inhabitants of this isle, and you have a responsibility to your own. But that being said, can we not still help him? Even if not for his sake alone, for the sakes of those who would have to face whatever horrors he may release on the occasion of his death, wherever that may be. And it may just be the fancy of a silly girl, but I refuse to believe that death is the only way out of this." That last statement was directed at Goethe. Suzhen turned her attention once more to Johann. "If he must be gone, I request your leave to try to help him if I can, even if I have to do it alone."


WC: 1400
Personal WC: 1982
Total WC: 4600

Goethe was surprised at Suzhen's response to his request. In his opinion, she had taken it rather well. He had expected her to fly off some mental handle of a sort, on hearing the macabre and distressing thing he was asking of her. He had expected some powerful outburst, her telling him that she would never do such a thing. But his indigo-haired friend remained silent. And Goethe understood the silence. She wasn't numbed by his request, but her eyes told him that it upset her. And it made him feel bad for having to entrust her with such a burden, because her silence let him know that she had most likely been in a similar situation in the past.

It may not have been intentional, but he was making her relive a nightmare.

Arnoba was right. This was a very stupid, unthoughtful thing for him to do. But the words had come out, and he couldn't call them back again. Was there any way he could salvage this situation, this mess that he had caused? He set his mind quickly to think of the next best thing to say, anything that could reduce the strain of what he had said, if that was even possible. However, he did not have to think long. For someone else had overheard their discussion, and made his presence known.

Goethe looked around in vain at first, when he heard the voice, before he discovered that the speaker was above them, descending from the ceiling in a rather dramatic entrance. If appearances alone were anything to go by, this individual was likely to be an important figure in this guild, but on reaching the floor on which Suzhen and he stood, Goethe got a clearer look at the man. His noble air and height already added to his imposing image, but it was the realization of who this was that actually caused a lump to form in his throat.

This was the Guildmaster of Dies Irae.

Okay, wait... there were supposed to be two guildmasters? Goethe didn't really understand how that system worked, but now was not the time to consider such. The next statement the silver haired man said, a question which seemed to be rhetoric, informed Goethe that he had already made a bad impression. What a great way to go about what he thought was supposed to be a noble venture. As the Guildmaster's voice became ominous and threatening, Goethe broke eye contact with him and fixed his gaze on the well polished floor, his gaze forlorn. It was not fear that had caused him to look away, but shame, for the Guildmaster's words pierced his conscience like darts.

Matters made worse, Suzhen still wanted to help him.

If he had had a long life ahead of him, this was the kind of person he would have wanted to call a friend...

Goethe shook his head and let out a troubled breath. "No, Suzhen. Every word of Mr. von Weiss is right. It was highly self-centered of me to burden you with such a request. I have no right to distress you with my own woes, and I definitely should not have endangered anyone by choosing to die here." He sniffed. Always, Goethe had wanted to act the cool, calm and composed one, but now, faced with his actions in the light of everything that had transpired in his life, which cast a shadow on his goals, he could maintain his unruffled mien no longer. "I've always wanted to be the hero in a story, but my actions have only revealed my hubris."

He bowed deeply to Suzhen, unable to look her in the eye as the tears streamed down his face.

"Forgive me, Scholar Bai Suzhen, for taking advantage of our friendship and acting so thoughtlessly."

Then he bowed to the Ambassador. "And forgive me, Mr. von Weiss, for endangering your people with my selfish ideas." He raised his head to look at the Ambassador, but despite his tear streaked face, his eyes were burning with resoluteness. "Still, I cannot back down from my final mission. I will leave your island, but I need to be assured that I can die properly. If I walk away now, it would probably be at best a couple of days later before the madness takes over my mind completely, and I fling myself off a cliff or something. When that happens, my death, without proper... monitoring, would bring about the rebirth of a Great Old One into this dimension. It will most likely hide till it becomes unstoppable, and then our world will be the worse for it."

His emotions faded, and he continued, his voice now tired. "No matter how it looks, I would never jeopardize the lives of innocents intentionally. My hope was that when I committed suicide, a trusted person would be close by to destroy the Great Old One as it takes control of my corpse. That is when it would be weakest, and most susceptible to death. The longer it endures in this world, the more powerful it becomes. I would have asked Arnoba to do it, but we cannot tell what will happen at the point of my death. There is a likelihood that the breaking of our bond will render her incapacitated or powerless, and that precious moment would be lost."

Goethe rubbed at his tears with his sleeve. "Well, this has been awkward. If Mr. von Weiss will not suffer my presence here, I shall leave promptly. I regret to have bothered the both of you. Please, Suzhen, don't inconvenience yourself on my behalf. I am beyond hope. I'm honored, though, to have known a person like you."

He then waited for the verdict of the Ambassador of Dies Irae.

"Arnoba, please, do not tell them that there is hope. You have seen my thoughts. You know there are too many probabilities, and it is too dangerous. With this path, no one else will be harmed but myself. This is the best way."

Goethe spoke into his mind, so that only Arnoba could hear him. He looked at her to get a confirmation of his request, but Arnoba held her peace.

With Johann's challenge of the plans and purposes of Goethe, the latter had chosen to agree with the stance of the Guild Master, expressing regret for having put the inhabitants of Amber Island in danger by choosing the guild hall of Dies Irae as his last port of call on the mortal coil. Suzhen was quite impressed, and not in the least bit touched, by the fact that Goethe, even with the almost complete certainty of his impending death, could consider that he was wrong, and put the concerns of others before his own, despite their apparent urgency. He didn't play the 'grant a dying man a last wish' card, which, if played, could probably have appealed to someone with a strong sense of honor or empathy, and while Suzhen did not know Johann enough to be able to accurately judge his degree of empathy, she could vouch for his being honorable, and she knew he did take the safety and well-being of those under him seriously. Suzhen was sure she didn't want to be in the unhappy position of being torn between helping someone who seemed to be in need, or looking after one's own. But as Dongxians said, 'family before individual'.

It was troubling to see Goethe's waterworks turn on. The scholar shook her head in a sign of refusal, when Goethe mentioned being an inconvenience. Friends were meant to be inconvenienced for their friends. Okay, to be more accurate, Suzhen deemed that she and she alone had the responsibility of going out on whatever limbs existed for her friends, while quite unwilling to allow her friends to undergo even the slightest discomfort for her sake. Yes, it was quite hypocritical, so some people had said. But it helped her sleep better, and in the end, it was her conscience that mattered, not the opinions of others. Being the empathic person she was, Suzhen would probably have joined in the teary occasion, if she had not been in the presence of a superior to whom she greatly deferred. So she maintained her calm. All those days of learning to control her emotions and hide them behind an impassive face worked, although her face was anything but inexpressive.

The explanation of Goethe's plight in detail only served to increase Suzhen's resolve to try everything within her power to prevent the loss of his life. Surely, there had to be another way. There had to be a means of exorcising the horror that was housed within the boy, without destroying his mortal shell. But he seemed so readily accepting of his own demise. It was wrong to see someone so without hope, someone who had accepted his hopelessness. The Dongxian scholar's emotional mask began to crack, and a stubborn tear managed to leak through and flow unbidden down her left cheek. She quickly wiped it away, and managed an increasingly difficult, but not altogether unsuccessful, battle to seal up the cracks in her emotional mask, and regain what decorum had managed to remain unwashed away by the rebel tear. Of course, it was Suzhen's duty, to the world and to a friend, to prevent this great Old One from being unleashed on the denizens of Earthland, and she would do her duty. But that was if, and only if, there was no other option to be had that could save Goethe's life.

"Stop it," Suzhen said sternly, to her friend's latest words. "What's all that nonsense you keep going on about concerning inconveniencing me? Nobody is beyond hope... nobody...." Her words, although she struggled to make them sound confident, almost sounded broken at the last 'nobody', for although she was willing to sacrifice whatever she could afford to see Goethe rid of the eldritch thing within him, she was not a stranger to being totally powerless in the face of an unearthly force of power apparently unlimited, because it appeared in scope to be beyond the kenning of mortal minds. She had seen cosmic power, and she had been powerless before it. This was one of the reasons she always strove to get better, stronger, more capable: so that she would never have to feel helpless again. But it seemed that in the end, she was just little, weak and helpless Bai Suzhen....

Johann had been speaking, but Suzhen was lost in a world of her own, and was not paying particular attention to the words being spoken. However, in the same way that someone's attention would be drawn out of whatever reverie they had been lost in when they heard their name called, a number of words spoken by the Dies Irae Guild Master shook the Dongxian Scholar out of her private thoughts. She focused her attention on her immediate environment, just to hear Johann speak of trust, even as he held out his hand in a solemn gesture of friendship and offer of acceptance. Immediately, Suzhen came to her own personal conclusions about how empathic the joint leader of Dies Irae was. And said conclusions birthed a deeper feeling of reverence for the solemn God of Justice standing there with his hand held out, unwilling to turn away someone who needed help. Suzhen had no idea how powerful Johann was, but she was very sure that he was nowhere near her league in terms of strength and knowledge. Goethe would have to see that there was hope now, if Johann had decided to help him. Things, in Suzhen's opinion, had changed from dour to 'clouds with a sliver of sun, and the promise of better weather'.

It was this birth of hope in the heart of the young scholar that made her do what she normally would never have attempted in more rational mental conditions. With a whoop of joy, the indigo-haired woman flung out her arms towards her guild master and took two steps towards him, before thankfully, her naturally reasoning psyche took over the ebullience that hope had birthed in her heart. There was something about the God of Justice that killed the intention to attempt huggles... at least, in Suzhen's opinion. And her mind had quickly informed her body that death by hugging one's guild master was certain. She was sure that Johann would probably not attempt to punish her for her irreverence; even though he was somewhat aloof, he seemed inclined to accept his guild family's quirks and nuances. But it was the grandeur he seemed to radiate from his pores that would kill her. She was sure of that fact. Not to mention that he, if one were to judge by his apparent age and bearing, was probably married, and his wife would have her revenge on Suzhen. Alright, that was quite extreme, but such was the way Suzhen's mental cogs turned.

The damsel of Fenghai made a distressed sound and covered her face with her hands, turning slightly away. Even with the shrouding of her face by her hands, only a blind person would be unable to easily see, with the littlest of effort, that Suzhen's face was on fire. "I-- I'm sorry..." she said in almost a whisper, her face still hidden by her hands. Hopefully, after this whole business of exorcising Goethe was done, she would definitely begin researching teleportation spells, to redeem her from this sort of embarrassment in the future. For now, all she could do was stand there and cook in her discomfiture.


WC: 1236
Personal WC: 3218
Total WC: 8284

While waiting for his doom with bated breath, Goethe couldn't help but wonder why Arnoba had not answered him, when he had asked her not to give the two Dies Irae mages with him any hopes. Perhaps she had already gone ahead to do so, but coming to such a conclusion based on her current taciturnity reeked of bad judgment. She had something planned, he knew that much, or she was still working through the details. Still, offering hope that his life could be spared was only going to put people at more risk; a chance he was absolutely not going to take, as far as the choice was his to make.

It was rather difficult to say, but had Suzhen's words had an impact on the Ambassador? Goethe had been watching him carefully, but such stoic features were not very easy to read. Still, he could sense the pressure in the room decreasing; the tension that came from a hostility borne of the desire to protect appeared to be fizzling away. In fact, Goethe thought something Suzhen said had taken the silver haired man aback. He didn't know whether to be pleased or distressed. Pleased, because, at least, perhaps the Ambassador would no longer view him as a man of evil deeds, who was come to threaten the peace and stability of his home. Mr. von Weiss might not look at him as a hero, but at least, seeing him in a different light other than the one in which he had been viewed just moments before was a step up. Regardless, there was the foreboding feeling that were Johann von Weiss turned compassionate to his plight, he might want to side Suzhen and attempt to save his life, while destroying the Great Old One. That was impossible, for most people, anyway. It took a person with a specialized skill set that might just be able to separate Goethe's soul from that of the eldritch being that strove to awaken within him, and not many, even among the mighty could boast of such. Yet, Goethe knew next to nothing about the God of Ishgar, save his name and status (and now, his physical presence). Perhaps the man might know a thing or two...

Although his face was turned towards the Ambassador, his eyes moved to Suzhen when she disagreed with his last statements to her. He was not surprised that Suzhen was not pleased with his fatalistic tone, and while he wished he could have said things to make her cheer up, they would only probably be words with the constituency of mirages. He found it striking the way she seemed to trail of at that last "nobody..." Most likely, Bai Suzhen had her own struggles; her expression was all too familiar to him. If only he had a longer life, perhaps he could have helped her in whatever way he could...

... but it would seem that Fate had decided to cast a sliver of hope his way. Goethe's eyes widened very slightly at the Ambassador's apology. To him, this was rather rare, quite uncommon indeed. Most people of such an elevated status as the leader of a powerful guild usually did not see the need to apologize (due to an inflated ego), and even so, Goethe was of the opinion that he had intruded unwisely on the peace and stability of Amber island, and so the last thing he expected was an apology. He felt honored by the Ambassador's words, and nodded in reply, accepting the apology but having to words to vocalize this. The light in his eyes dulled almost imperceptibly when the Ambassador reiterated his stance on not allowing Goethe to go through with his plan on the island. He nodded again; he had said he understood the man's decision to be against it, and he had chosen to agree with his final verdict. But almost immediately, another word came through, piercing through the clouds of despondency with another sunlight ray of much needed hope. Goethe was surprised at how the simple word, "however", could be so powerful in this situation. He listened intently to the Ambassador, and was very surprised when the man proclaimed that the guild would help him. Honestly, Goethe had not expected that much.

Tears came to his eyes again.

"Ugh! What a horrible 'cool guy' I am. Is this how I'm going to be tearing up at any touching moment...?"

Despite the self-chiding, Goethe was as grateful as could be. He knew that the silver haired Ambassador was not obliged to help him in any way, and yet the man, in an overwhelming act of grace, had chosen to aid him. Then he noticed that the man was approaching him. Quickly trying to regain his composure, an act which ultimately proved successful in less than a second, Goethe straightened up and put on his most resolute face. He frowned slightly at the Ambassador's words, because they were not what he had expected. The Ambassador was asking for his trust. Now, that was very strange. Goethe did not know why the man would use such words; there was surely a reason, but he couldn't fathom it. Still, this was a turn of events that seemed to show a light at the end of this dark tunnel, a light that was not the headlight of an incoming train. A sudden whoop from Suzhen caused him to focus on the present and away from the meaning of the Ambassador's words, and he slightly raised an eyebrow in silent amused questioning, as she approached the silver haired leader, then backed away with her hands over her face. Her cute antics brought him a sense of relief, and he found himself laughing lightly for a second or two. Then, as he gave a last chuckle, he shook his head slowly, and his smile disappeared. His face was now solemn. Solemn, and resolved.

"I would be dishonest if I said that I completely understand your words, but that matters little. You have offered me hope and comfort, and for these, I shall be eternally grateful. To you, Mr. von Weiss, and to you, Bai Suzhen."

He took a step forward and reached out with his own hand, grasping the hand of the Dies Irae Ambassador in a firm handshake. "I trust you completely, Ambassador-sir. I don't know what you have planned, and I myself don't know what we're entirely up against, but let me say this: should I survive this ordeal, somehow, you shall have a loyal soldier in me... if would please you to let me join your ranks."

Aside, Arnoba watched the proceedings, but a demure smile had formed on her face. Goethe might survive this day, yet.

"Do whatever you have to, sir," Goethe announced. "You have my complete assent and full support."