Quoted By:
“She's right!”
You are able to interrupt before anyone else can speak and all eyes fall on you, as you stand before this gathering of elders.
“We need to defend ourselves from the barbarians! If the spirits allowed Anaju to fall into their hands in the first place, how long will it take before they decide to free it? How many months or years would we have to wait before the spirits would answer our prayers and rid us of them? We need to defend ourselves, we can't rely on the land to save us from this threat!”
“Silence!” “That's enough, I say!” “Who gave you the right to speak?!” Before you are even finished, many of the elders are already crying out their objections and doing their best to silence you. It takes a long moment for them to notice the raised hand of Yanali and quieten down, so they might speak.
“That is why I would ask the sky to shroud Deva'le and keep these outsiders from finding us. Action must be taken, though to answer violence with violence and shed the blood of these savages would be the height of foolishness.” The old wind-weaver looks upon her student with a frown, disappointment etched into her face. “That would make us no different from the barbarians that invade our lands, and the spirits would smite us just as readily as them.”
“But how do you expect us to live in a land blanketed by fog? Many of the village would not be able to work, and it would not take long for the spirits of the sky to tire of your demands.” Sanao shakes his head, with a truly grim expression. You have no doubt that he is displeased by your outburst. “The best steel bends, it does not break. We must submit to these invaders when they arrive, so that they will spare us. All of you heard what Akane said, those who do not obey these foreigners are slain by them. We will survive and we shall pray, so that the spirits shall deliver us in time and send these brutes whence they came.”
“But master, what if the spirits –” Before you are able to finish, the elderly steel-shaper gives you a withering glare and continues, his tone sharp and pointed.
“There is nothing to be gained from violence, boy. I have lived that life and I have suffered for it. I have learned these lessons first-hand and I wear this sword by my side as a mark of shame, not as one of pride! There is nothing heroic about conflict or resistance. Should these invaders arrive at our village, we shall bow to them. They shall anger Ionia with their vile ways and the land itself shall rise up to cast them out. We must practise patience and we must practise serenity. If we do this, then Deva'le shall not suffer.”
