The Wrong Road Part 1 Through 16

The Wrong Road Taken Part 7

"Luke, please rest assured that everyone here has been through much the same ordeal.
We never accept a new practitioner without having them run through the gauntlet of gatherings such as this.
For the most part, this is nothing more than and "meet and greet."

From what I can gather from the gossip, the majority of those present are highly in favor of admitting you into the ranks of this august body.
Yes, there are those who will do their best to test you to see if you are able to maintain the high ethical standards we set for ourselves.
Luke remembers this: even though all of us here have abilities that are not found in the general population, we are all nonetheless quite human.
Luke I will tell you this, if it had been anyone other than Lucretia who took you in, this gathering would have been a far more grueling affair.
You would find yourself undergoing far more intrusive testing.
However, due to the respect that Lucretia has earned over the centuries, her word carries a far greater weight than most of the others here."

During this entire time, the lady sitting next to me had kept silent, yet I found that she was paying rapt attention to the conversation that Alex and I were having.
Turning towards me, I sensed that she was about to speak up, when the entire group of revelers was stunned into silence when, from some hidden area, a loud gong drew everyone's attention towards the front entrance of the dining hall.
As the last echo from the gong faded away, the tent flaps rose to reveal an odd-looking pair of individuals.

Walking arm in arm, a woman of incalculable beauty and a small Asian man who would have been considered ancient a thousand years ago stood in the entryway.
For the first few moments, silence ruled the room, followed by a thousand whispers beginning to hover in the air.
At the head of the table Lucretia and Keiko arose from their seats, followed by the remainder of those present.
To a one, all those in attendance turned towards the latecomers and bowed in deference, as well as respect for the pair.

Leaving their places, Lucretia and Keiko rushed forward to welcome the pair.
Lucretia threw herself at the woman while wrapping her arms around her.
Keiko, on the other hand, came within a foot of the older man, fell to her knees, her face pressed to the ground, and assumed a position of total submission.
Disentangling herself from Lucretia's grasp, the woman took her by the shoulders while drawing her in for a kiss, a kiss that left even the most hardened individual there envious.
Keiko, on the other hand, waited for permission to arise from her prostrate position.
That permission came as the old man tapped Keiko between her shoulder blades with his cane.
As both women turned, I could see that both of them were in tears.
Keiko's breath came in short gasps as she tried to get herself under control.

Watching Lucretia and Keiko regress to the state of little girls who shed tears of joy when their parents signaled their approval and love for their child.
It didn't take a genius to fathom who these newcomers were.
They were Simone and Asahi, two mythical practitioners often spoken of by many of those here tonight, yet never met in person by any except Lucretia and Keiko.
Regaining just the smallest amount of her senses, Lucretia began her introductions; while this was hardly necessary, it was the proper thing to do.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor and my pleasure to introduce to you my dearest friend and mentor, Simone; accompanying her is one of the oldest and most revered practitioners of the arts, Asahi.
I ask all of you to receive them with love and respect."

Gesturing to the pair, Lucretia slid her arm through Simone's as she led her forward towards the head of the table.
Keiko, who was just now beginning to regain her composure, followed Asahi, keeping three steps behind him with her head bowed, as was befitting her status as his student.
At the head of the table, two more places were set as the newcomers were seated.
There was a period of time as the other guest began to settle down and regain their composure.