The Second Meeting (All Creatures)

Benedict sat on a stub waiting for the creatures to join him. He had some new perspectives, most of them thanks to Lolly. She was a very smart woman, it proved.

He looked up as some of them came through the trees.

"We'll wait a little longer for the rest to gather up," he said calmly.

Tamara flipped her fin quickly on the way to the meeting spot. She hadn't been there last meeting, but now she had become intrigued with the thought of stopping the war. She was getting tired of it. It was so silly to see the humans being so weird.

She broke the surface, and saw a man sitting on a stub. She tilted her head. A leader. She gave him a short nod, not in respect but acknowledgement. There was a difference, and she sure hoped he'd see that.

She then waited in silence in the water, waiting for the rest to join.

Lucian began to walk to the meeting, he had been told a few things that Raziel was going to stick by for this meeting because she wasn't going to be able to make this meeting, it was now totally in his hands, even though he didn't really know what to do.

Looking around he saw a mermaid that he hadn't seen in the last meeting and the leader Benedict, nodding to both of them he gave a small wave:

"Yo."

He muttered before leaning against a tree.

Ipolani moved through the trees as quietly as she could, pointing at various objects to Faia as she taught her how to move with stealth, without leaving any hoof prints as well. She placed her hoof onto a stone slowly and moved across branches and roots. She was proud of Faia's progress, until the filly stumbled and made a large crashing sound as she tumbled.

Ipolani turned with her hands lying rest on her hips as she frowned at the filly who pulled herself up with a sheepish smile and apologised. Ipolani merely chuckled and pulled Faia into a tender hug, placing a kiss on top of the girls head. "Never you mind, sweet heart. It takes practice." Ipolani murmured, before she wrapped one arm around Faia's shoulders and took her hand in the other.

They emerged from the trees in this position, and Ipolani immediately became alert as she always did when in crowds, among people she didn't know and when she was ready to protect Faia. She looked down as Faia murmured that it was fine, her eyes fixed on Benedict. Ipolani rolled her eyes and ruffled Faia's hair, still holding the girls hand. "Stop staring, you're making it obvious." Ipolani murmured, causing Faia to blush violently.

Lolly sauntered calmly, almost distractedly, into the clearing for the second meeting. She saw that the water held a mermaid, which intrigued her. She'd known a few mermaids in her home land, but only a few as the Naiads had dominated most of the watery areas. She noticed Lucian, from the Silent Stones tag game that one time, standing off to the side. A feeling of responsibility and uncertainty was simmering off him. There were two centaurs, a mother and daughter, Lolly thought. Perhaps they were part of Cain's herd?

Making her way over to Lucian, she stopped beside him and gave a little wave. Benedict was waiting on a tree stump at the head of the clearing. Lolly wondered how many more creatures would attend this meeting.

Zara sat behind a tree out of site. For some reason, her wolf tail had grown, but no other wolf features were visible. She looked back at her fluffly, white and purple tail. I can't go out there with this. I look ridiculous! She peered through the trees and saw Benedict sitting on a tree stump. Zara knew that he would understand.

She stood up and headed towards where every other creature was. "It'll be fine. We're all creatures afterall" she said to herself.

She walked straight over towards Benedict, sitting on the floor near him. "I'm here. So is my stupid tail" she said, looking back at it with a displeased look.

Alianna moved silently through the tress from where she was coming, she was not one to draw attention to herself. She was wondering what the meeting was for. She really did not know anything of importance as far as anything was concern she was just requested at the meeting and here she was.

She wondered if her daughter was going to make the meeting. Coming into the opening she saw Benedict on his stump, and then he saw Lolly and Ipolani and gave them both a slight smile and wave.

She glided over by them and waiting for the meet to start.

Charlie had decided that she would attend the second meeting, after all she had been given no reason to dislike Benedict, quite the opposite he was an admirable fellow for a werewolf even if sometimes he was a little presumptuous about things.

Walking into the circle of creatures she looked around, there were some there who had been present in the first meeting, but there was a new Mermaid there she had not seen before.

With a nod to everyone, Charlie smiled lightly and waited for the meeting to begin.

Ostanda crept through the forest feeling the fool as she tried to remember the directions Benedict had given her. It had only been a few days since she had met he and Zara at a place called the Lunar Trap. It was there that they told her about the war and there that they, two fellow werewolves taught her how to be human once again. She hadn't be one for long, a werewolf that is, but in the short time that she had been in ate up her soul and made her cold, but no longer. Her head was filled with secret knowledge about witches and wizards and monsters that inhabited this world along side the humans but in one quite invisible and different at the same instant. It all made her head whirl.

Presently however she caught the sent of her friends and other, things. She covered her nose, this was still very new and she didn't like it, it made her face itch and not everything smelt nice. She walked on her heart racing, she stopped when she spotted Benedict's back, he was sitting on a stump. Crouching she could see Zara, who had previously been obscured by a branch sitting beside him. It warmed Ostanda slightly to see them, but the cold feeling of nerves and fear would not go away. She had no idea what was to be expected and was admittedly horrified by what she was likely to find, she shivered. No, here was as good a spot as any, well out of the way, but she felt sure that Benedict's words would still reach her. She sat.

Jaycie stared around the clearing, trying to find her Mama. She had been asked to come here just to listen to what was going on, and Jaycie had done all she could to make sure she had some free time to get here. She saw her mother standing with two other ladies - a centaur and a more human-looking girl who didn't seem that much older than Jay herself. Following what her mama had told her to do, she spoke to no one and instead made a bee-line through the creatures to her Mum.

Tugging on her mother's sleeve, she announced her presence and smiled up at the pretty, familiar face. "I made it, Mummy," she beamed.

Cain stepped forwards, he was part of this meeting this was true but he had not been made to feel at ease with the matter, both the conversation with Richard and the new meeting soon after suggested that something was going to happen he would disagree with.

Frowning lightly he neared Ipolani with a small smile, drawing strength from the fact that she was there, and also, placing his hand on his sword so that he would be able to protect Faia and Ipolani if he needed to.

Looking around the group there were some new faces here and he stayed silent, waiting for this meeting to begin.

Iris waled into the clearing her face set. She saw Ostanda and sat next to her. She looked at all the others gathered and waited for the meeting to start.

Cain turned his head when he heard the arrival of new creatures, there was the vampire from the last meeting that he didn't trust along with the other of her kind, which did not lend itself to Cains ease about the woman.

Keeping a careful eye on her, Cain saw her eyeing up Faia and slipped his sword out of its sheath, readying it in his hand and all but glaring at the Vampire. Turning his head to Ipolani, he smiled comfortingly, nothing would hurt his niece.

"Keep your eyes away from my herd Vampire. Or I so swear..." he said before turning to the older vampire "Keep an eye on your kin or I will not be responsible for what happens."

Alianna was patiently waiting for the meeting to start, and for some reason this one seemed to be taking forever. She was sure there was some where she needed to be.

Looking around she noticed Iris had arrive and with a quick nod at her she had drawn her attention to the feeling that was coming up behind her. Thats when she heard the sweetest voice she new.

Placing her arms around Jaycie she gave her a big hug and a kiss on the forehead "I am glad you made it too the meeting, I just want you to listen to what is being said and then we shall discuss it between us" Alianna made sure to take hold of Jaycie's hand just to be safe.

Benedict gave a nod to everyone who showed up. He then smiled to Zara when she walked up to him. He saw the tail and tilted his head a bit to the side. Purple?

"Don't worry about it," he said calmly.

Then he noticed Ostanda's presence a bit back from the clearing. She wasn't moving. She probably didn't want to come closer. Benedict, having fully succeeded in being able to link himself to other werewolves, sent a wave of safety to her, also tellling her that it was okay if she wanted to stay a bit back.

His head snapped back to the gathering people when Cain spoke to the vampire. Charmin Rolans, he remembered. He looked from Cain to her to the filly and added two and two. Benedict narrowed his eyes at the vampire.

"Ms. Rolans, would you please refrain from making enemies in this gathering?" he asked coldly.

Then he looked around. Some seemed to be stressing a bit, so he figured he'd just start.

"Welcome everyone. I don't know how much information this meeting will give you, but I need to tell you something. And that is that I may have given you the wrong impression last time. This might seem personal, and maybe you do not care, but I feel the need to excuse myself. I am not a very sociable person, and I therefore do not always know how to word myself correctly.

"But these meetings... They seem to already have had an impact on the people in the war. They seem to think me, us, a threat. I do not wish to threaten them. I simply want to stop this war, without parttaking in it. Someone told me once, not too long ago, that if I wanted to stop the war, I had to become a part of it. I refuse to become a part of it, I would sooner die. It might seem ideal, but nothing is too ideal if one never tries and fails at it. I haven't tried, but I am going to.

"I do not take sides in this war. I am not on Durmstrang's side, I am not on Hogwarts'. I am not on Germany's side, and I'm not on Britain's. I am on the side of peace. And trying to stop this war, without fighting, in the name of peace, is not to become a part of it. Peace does not make me a warrior or a soldier. It makes me true. Therefore I will never be a part of this war.

"I told you last time that our last resort was to battle. I take this back. I do not wish battle. I will never fight in this war, and should all our plans fail, should all our hopes vanish, I will not fight. Whether this makes me a coward or smart means next to nothing to me. I will only fight if the creatures close to me are threatened. I will protect those I care about. But I shall never war. These are my ideals, and, even if they are too big, I shall never back down on them. That is my word to you," Benedict said calmly to them all.

He looked at them. He was very happy that so many had decided to show this time too. He was pleased that there were new faces as well.

"As for how we shall proceed, someone gave me the idea of petitions. Also, Tamara has the unique ability of changing her form and is going undercover in Durmstrang to keep a watch on how things are going on the institute. I suggest you, Lucian, and Tamara try to work together on this," Benedict suggested. Then he added: "I have told her clearly that I do not seek weak points or anything of the like. I only wish to be aware, should another attack be schemed.

"I will also try to gain contact with the headmistress of Hogwarts, and possibly the head of Durmstrang. I want to make sure that they know of us, but that we do not wish to impose a threat. We only wish to help in coming to some sort of agreement in concern of the war. This will not be very easy, but I regret it is the only way to make sure that I do not want to start another side of the war. I do not want this to get harder than it already is," he said calmly.

He sighed and thought about how he would make contact. This war was too complicated for him to think it would be easy to regain an agreeable relationship to either of the parties. Then he looked seriously at them all. He needed to know if these were reasons for which they would stand for.

"Are these interests you will stand with?" he asked them, looking at each and everyone's face.

Charlie decided that after Benedict had spoken that she herself would add a few words that she believed would be helpful to him, after all what were the years of wisdom she had if she didn't use them to help people and causes she believed in.

Stepping forward she bowed at the centaur, Cain and came to stand in front of Charmin:

"I will keep her in check Cain. Forgive us." she bowed her head slightly before turning to address the rest of the group with a small smile on her lips, unsure about how to go on about it.

"I know I hold no authority here in this meeting, however, I want to say that the values that you have just proposed Benedict are admirable. They truly are. However I believe that the damage is already done."

Taking a deep breath, Charlie continued, never been a big public speaker.

"The contact made between Hogwarts and this group would have already determined us as a threat in the mind of the Headmistress, if such contact has been made in Durmstrang the same feeling would be reciprocated. The arrival of a group of people not on the side of the person you are talking to, immediately becomes a threat no matter how much we protest against it."

Sighing she continued:

"I am in no means saying we should become a threat, but the nature of these meetings being so secret is something suspicious in it's own right, if we give them reasons to doubt us they will. It will be hard graft to get Hogwarts especially to accept our goals."

Ostanda fidgeted nervously, she was only able to hear a bit of what Benedict was saying. From what she could gather, he wanted to end a war without taking part in it. Her brow furrowed as she pondered of ways this could happen, she was reminded of Mohandas Gandhi and his use of non-violent resistance. In the new context of the world, her eyes now open to things she had previously only thought to be fairy-tale things to entertain or frighten children she wondered how they would use this ideal to bring about peace.

Fire burned brightly in her soul as she was filled with even greater respect for the man who was speaking. She wanted to do something to help, in any way she could. Then Ostanda heard feet moving as someone stepped forward to speak. She tried to see them, but in vain, she was too far back, her vision obscured by trees, she hoped Iris didn't mind sitting this far away with her. It was a woman who spoke, her voice was soft and lilting and utterly beautiful. Ostanda strained even more to hear as she lightly made her points. The woman was concerned about the very secrecy of their meetings causing them to be viewed as a threat and receive possible retaliation. Ostanda could see her point, but something Gandhi had once said lit in her mind, and she knew she had to say it.

Trembling violently Ostanda rose and gave a small quavering smile to her Siren friend. Walking carefully through the brambles and undergrowth she walked towards the voices, numerous displeasing smells filling her nostrils. She rubbed her nose trying to banish the scent of horses, fish, and sickening sweetness. Ducking under a branch she froze wide eyed and shaking. It was fifth grade history class all over again, she was going to faint, going to die she knew it. Save, it was much different from history class as the possibility of one of the strange creatures she now faced could, indeed end her!

She paled, there were horse people and people looking people, who she knew from experience with herself, Benedict and Zara meant nothing. She stood there, behind Benedict breathing heavily eyes wide wondering if anyone could tell how utterly human she had been only a few months ago, not even knowing of magic to be real. Something splashed to her left and she quickly stepped right fearing to look and see 'the weeping woman' drowning her children.

Too afraid to take her eyes off the, people, before her she walked up behind Benedict, he'd said he'd protect her. She tentatively reached out and grabbed his sleeve both to alert him of her presence and for her own comfort. "I, uh," she started her voice changing pitch dangerously as she tried to steel her nerves. "I've been listening from, from back there..." she said motioning back the way she had come. "I-I don't know much about the war, or anything but the inner workings of a library really," she laughed awkwardly. "But I do know that peace is worth fighting for." she paused licking her lips which suddenly seemed impossibly dry and cracked.

She jumped when she heard the water again. "A uh, a great man named Mohandas Gandhi once said," she paused her mind momentarily blank. "'A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.' I think that applies here... If we, you," she paused unsure of herself and her standing here. She continued anyway. "If belief is strong enough, and the desire for peace great enough, peace you shall have if only you stay true..." she made an end of speaking not knowing where to go from there. Shivering as though cold, and sure that one of them was going to leap out and tear her apart, her back flared in pain mocking her attack as she watched her feet nervously.

Ai whistled silently to herself as she sat in one of the trees above one of the other creature's heads.The smells were getting confusing when she was sitting down in the grass so the tree's fresh scent made it bearable. She leaned back and waited patiently. She didn't have much to say and truly wondered why she was here. She would fight if she had to; for Durmstrang and the others but what other point did she have? She stayed silent and listened hoping that the answer would come sooner than later.

Benedict nodded, seeing the points of what Charlie was saying, and he was about to comment on them, when he felt Ostanda move towards the crowd. When she started speaking, she sounded terrified, but Benedict didn't say anything to interrupt her, only listened to her words. And they were very true. He agreed with them.

"As you say Charlie, it will be hard. Not to mention a long process. But it is important that we do not result into violence. You see, I want this group to be one thing for humans and creatures not a part of the war: I want us to be a light in the end of the tunnel that they can reach for, and hopefully drag others in the war with them," he said to the woman with a serious face.

He then looked at Ostanda with a small smile. "And Gandhi was quite right. No cause is lost as long as someone is left to fight for it. I will keep fighting for it, even if all of you should turn your backs on me," he said calmly.

He looked at Ostanda and saw that she looked quite frightened. He gave her a nod of appreciation to make her feel a bit more secure about herself. He didn't like that she was so insecure that she wasn't sure if she was even a part of this group. That wasn't a very good thing. He then looked back at the people.

"Anything else you would like to say?" he asked, "Any suggestions?"

Ostanda gave Benedict a wavering smile before casting a side long glance at the group of people beyond him. Her heart did a somersault. Stepping closer to her fellow werewolf she locked her eyes on a twig that didn't seem particularly threatening and waited to see if anyone would reply to his call for suggestions.

Helga had heard, via the office rumor, that there had been secret meetings being held among a mixed group of creatures in this forest, where exactly she wasn't quite certain, she just prayed that they weren't thinking of creating an army all their own. So, naturally she decided to go and take a look for herself and maybe try to smooth things over before someone heavy fisted jumped to conclusions and took matters into their own hands! The wind picked up as she tripped over the tangled root of a tree, she was forced to smile at herself, if anyone was watching and saw just how many times she'd not that with in the last five minutes even they would take her out nice and easy simply for being a dolt. Shoving her hands deep within her bright red jacket she walked on until something faint caught her attention, it sounded almost like a man speaking.

Her curiosity getting the better of her she walked in it's direction. Then, as if a gift from above she found them, a lot of them. Her eyes panning the group she saw, from where she was standing two centaurs, a very beautiful looking person, a vampire no doubt and, no! She looked again, yes, splashing about in a large body of water a mermaid. "Huh!" she said softly to herself, they were more diversified then she had expected and more organized and even tempered too. For some reason she half expected to find them vying for position. She shrugged remembering her own family and then did another quick scan, doing so she found a few people at what appeared to be the head of the group looking interestingly human, she wondered what they were.

Then, squaring her shoulders she prepared to walk directly into the fire. "Helga Zimmermann Ministry of Magic Kreatur Beziehungen Division!" she said in a cool and confident tone, in head. Biting her lip as she carefully to her first step forward hand resting on her wand, oh how she desperately wished she could make her voice sound like that just once! She smiled remembering what her brother Erdmann liked to call her, 'Squeaky!'

Benedict could feel the presence of something that was very much not a creature. A human. His eyes drifted to right and left, keeping his guard very much up. Not that he ever put it down. Then a confident voice rang through the gathering. He put his hand into his pocket, feeling his wand, and turned to the woman with calm eyes.

"What is a ministry member doing here?" he asked curiously, walking over to her slowly.

He stopped and looked her up and down. "You're the German creature consult?" he asked surprised.

He didn't care much for humans, but he'd be damned if any of the other creatures took to wanting to kill her. That would be a declaration of war, something that was on the last of Benedict's intentions.

"Either you're foolish to come here on your own, or brave, the latter being the less likely," he said coolly.

Lolly's head flipped up when she heard a German Ministry Official enter the clearing. Confusion swept through her, and for once, the emotion was entirely her own.

She jolted, wondering who on earth this woman thought she was. "How did you know we were here? Benedict, I thought you said these meetings were confidential and no human was to know about them!" Lolly was in shock, and feeling quite defensive. It was startling to have a witch in a bright red jacket just confidently burst her way into an entirely creature meeting.

The lady had nerves, that's really all Lolly had to say about it. "You're very brave, you know," she said, examining the lady from head to toe. "Barging in in the midst of a private meeting full of deadly creatures, half of which you probably haven't even heard of. That takes either a very foolish and stupid person, or someone who knows what they're doing."

Lolly stared the woman right in the eye. "So, which one are you?"

Tamara felt an anger rise in her as she saw the woman in the red jacket. She narrowed her eyes and rose slowly from the water, her emerald green scales shining in the light of the sun and the water. She crawled up on the shore and then her tail vanished, her legs appearing. She rose calmly on her feet, weaving her hand through the air and a long cloth covered her naked body as she walked closer to the woman.

"Who do you think you are? Walking in on this meeting like it is no big deal. I would rip your head off, if I wasn't positively sure that he wouldn't want me to," she said coldly, giving a glance at Benedict.

She then turned to Lolly, standing right next to her. Her eyes twitched. "Don't say his name, for God's sake," she whispered so only she could hear.

She then turned back to the woman. "We might have to kill her," she said to Benedict, not letting her eyes slip from the woman, "She might give the wrong impression to the government."