Some shadowy contracted familiars would drag the other three down to the labyrinth with them, the boss lady speaks up as the duststorm grows wilder behind them, covering their tracks.

"I will handle introductions, Dante. You get a mana stone for this poor girl.

Everyone of them, even the ones that need to be interrogated, should be brought to a room with a cot, a chair, a small table, a glass, and a pitcher of water. Once the elf is alone with Ash, she smiles gently, "So...you are Chi's guest. Welcome. I'm his boss, Astra"

----------------------------------

Meanwhile, chi is floppy and goopy in someone's arms.

Dante bowed his head and said “of course my lady. Your wish is my command”

Later on Ash was lying on the cot, the mana stone glowing next to her. Dante was sitting by the cot, treating the small injuries she had. He said softly “looks like her mind took a nasty hit before chi pulled her through…her mana core opposite by the looks. She will need to take it easy for a couple of hours at least…”

Then Ash stirred and opened her eyes slightly, the room fuzzy for a few seconds. Then she tried to sit up and Dante helped her. Ash looked around and saw Astra sitting there. Dante stood and bowed to his mistress. “I’ll leave you two alone to chat. Call if you need me” then he shifted into a bat and flew out of the room thru the opening in the ceiling.

Ash looked at the elf and said “I’m Ash…I didn’t think Chi had a boss…I figured he was a stray…what is this place? And why am I here?”

Aura was cleaning Chi’s slime with her soft flame, burning off anything nasty mixed in. “So who’s your friend Chi? She’s cute…”

Chi expands slightly, and then slightly jiggles. A content sighs as the left over particulates are expunged. Finally, he begins to shift again, but its still a slow sift. Not wanting to expend too much of himself, he shifts to a small kid. Not overly big, not overly complicated. Infact he only gave himself a white sack for clothes, and didnt bother with hair. "...That girl from the shop that can make lifelike robots. I messed up a contract, and ended up in her shop....then those black robots came by. Apparently to take her cores. One saw me and took aim and she jumped in the way....things just kind of kept going after that. I don't think either of us are in good shape, but I made it home"

Asta chuckles, and takes a seat. "....Well he is old enough, and roams around as he pleases. But even strays need a safe place to rest. ANd if youre kind enough, they might choose you as their place. As it so happens, there was a time that stray decided that the scrapyard was going to be his hoe. We happen to agree on that. Eventually, he noticed us and started asking questions. And we fed him and gave him a place to sleep, when he asked for it."

Aura frowned as she brought over a mana stone for him and lit it with her own mana. “Chi you need to stop using contracts when you’re that drunk. But maybe fate stepped in knowing that girl would need your help” she smiled at him and pushed her flame colored hair off her shoulder.

Ash listened to her explanation and said “that sounds like him…from the short time I’ve known him. But now I’m wondering what you are doing here? And…why did he seem to know more about me then normal folks…”

Chi wrinkles his nose at the talk of fate, but reaches towards the mana stone to try to syphon some of the energy into himself. "I'll take it into consideration" he says, a faint smile as he attempts to tease a bit, even though he is tired and worn out from the last few days.

"Well, for the first question. We came here, because we don't really want to be found by most folks. And a normal building is just too easy to raid. Oh, dont worry. We're not the bad guys, but people might think we are. And as for the second question....well, he is very observant. But beyond that, you're a notable figure in the city." a pause, "...did you not know that?"

Aura rubbed his head and said “just rest my kitty cat. You’ve had a bad few days. We will take care of everything. Right Dante?” The fang appeared from the shadows and smiled. “Of course. We are family right? We all stick together no matter what. Do you wish this tinker to be family as well?”

Ash blinked and said “no I didn’t…figured I’m known for my bots but apart from that I don’t see myself as an important person?”

The small humanoid shifter spread out over aura's lap to enjoy head pats, and recharge his mana "Meow~"

But the Dante appears, giving Chi pause to frown and thik about it, rolling the mana stone betwee his hands "...That is up to her. Her don't forcably recruit...so right ow she's just a nice girl that I saved....but she saved me so, we're kind of even."

He plays with the mana stone a bit more, still thinking "...but I wonder how much Astra will end up telling her..."

--------

"Your bots are important" she nods slowly, "perhaps you don't understand now, but I can tell you your cores are...precious. ANd unfortunately, a bit of a lynchpin right now"

Dante raised an eyebrow and said “wait…she’s the tinker with the perfect cores? The almost life like machines that think for themselves? May you have brought us a find Chi. Not sure what the mistress will do…”

Aura said softly as she pet Chi “she seems nice. I don’t want her to get hurt…but the boss has her plans…”

Ash frowned and asked “what kind of pin? What does my orbs have to do with anything apart from my machines.” Then she thought of those attacks Bane had talked about. “Wait…the others attacked…does this have to do with that?”

Chi becomes quiet and pensive, looking between them both, then up at the ceiling, "she does have her plans..." he nods softly.

Astra just smiles slightly, "Oh sweety...you're so close to creating artificial souls...and you don't understand the ripples that makes. But do you really want to know? It'd quite the rabbit hole....a deep, dark, extensive rabbit hole. It'll turn you upside down, alice"

Aura looked at Chi and said “this wasn’t her plan was it? For you to bring her here? Chi…please tell me you didn’t trick that sweet girl”

Dante said “chi does what he wants…but he is a sly kitty…we will have to see” he smirked and added “but will you follow her down the rabbit hole, kitty? Or let dear Alice fall to the Queen of Hearts…”

Ash looked down and said “I know what I’m making…it’s why I’m trying to keep it secret…why I can’t let others get involved…I won’t risk others well being for me. It would be wrong. It’s why I didn’t want to get chi wrapped up in my affairs…” her hands were shaking as her shadow moved on its own. She grabbed her hands and closed her eyes “no not now…calm down Ash…calm down…” the look in her eyes were giving her away for the first time. Fear. Guilt. Stress.

Chi frowns but remains quiet and shakes his head, "...no, its just...we got tangled together somehow, by some botched contract. then she saved me. and i saved her. and now we're here." another moment of quiet, before he sits up straight er and sighs, stretching. "...its alright though. I have accidenly arranged for her to have an escort home. But we have to wait until after midnight. Then everything can get wrapped up in a nice bow, and i can get back to causing some intentional chaos..."

"Oh...?" Astra sits there a moment, observing the girl, and her aura. "...hm... Well. If you dont mnd me being more frank with you, this might have been an inevitable meetings. Thats just how close our organization is to your creations. Dont worry, I wouldnt dream of stealing them from you. But I have an important question for you, Asteria Shade. It will define your relationship with us, and with Chi"

Dante smirked and said “a failed contract hmm? Are you really sure of that? I mean, magic is never truly bent to the will of the user…it does have a mind of its own. Maybe it decided where you were needed?”

Aura looked at Chi and said “are you really going to leave her alone after this?”

Ash looked at the Elf, her hands still tightly wrapped together as she fought to get control over her emotions. Which she normally had iron hold on. But thinking of her past mistake as she couldn’t get a handle of them in that moment. “Ask your question “

He pauses and wrinkles his nose again, "I dont like fate telling me what to do....." he huffs some, but hesitates, "...do you think I should shadow her?"

Astra hums some, making sure to keep her gaze ready to catch any detail, "...what do you think of this city?"

Aura said “I think that girl needs a friend she can trust. From how it sounds she really only has the wolf and her bots. That’s not much of a life is it? Maybe…show her your there for her…and not her mind”

Ash blinked, stunned by the question. Then she said “it has good people in it…but it could be handled a lot better. The council always seem to be chasing their tails…people are still getting hurt…being used…someone needs to step in and find the bad gears and melt them down…”

Chi huffs some, but not with any actual displeasure, "...I wonder if youre really worried for her. Or if this is just another of your attempts to make the stray into a house cat" he rolls his eyes some, "we'll see how the talk goes."

Astra sits still a moment, and then chucckles, " So youre not blind to the darkness and corruption. Good. Now, I don't want to be presumptuous - but how would you like to help work with others to heal this sick nation? Like us."

She stretches and stands back up, "We are the Black Sun. An unregistered guild, and therefore illegal, and but also, not directly involved with the council. Our motto is "Paradoxical Darkness heals the light" and we have one job - to create chaos within the system, so that it can cleanse itself." she pauses and smirks, "Do you understand?"

Aura looked at him and said “I know better then to try and pull an outdoor cat indoors. But you have to agree that that girl is too used to doing things on her own”

Ash listened to her and said “it’s funny you use darkness…what would you ask of me if I agreed?”

He wrinkles his nose, "Youve been watching her." a moment of quiet and a shrug, "You're right about her. We'll see. Maybe I will, maybe I wont."

Astra chuckles, "Darkness is most apt for working in the shadows, dont you think? And shadows is something I have quite a bit of experience in. As for what Id expect...everyone has their role here. Whatever theyre good at, whatever they want to do. I do have those who swear loyalty to me directly, but you could simply swear loyalty to the cause instead. Some simply supply information when it suits them.'

Aura said “o haven’t been but she has a fan club among my kind. I hear things from them. They see her fate…see what she truly is..” Dante raised an eyebrow and asked “Aura…what haven’t you told us…” Aura covered her mouth, her eyes wide.

Ash looked at her carefully, thinking things over. Then she said “I won’t break laws for you. Or hurt anyone who can’t fight back. And I have to be able to tell Captain Bane…also…I want to know what you really know about me”

Chi looks at aura, "and mayb I should ask what you see, or what your friends do" he nods. He dislikes fate, but for some reason also gets a kick out of fortune telling

Astrad raises her brwo with a hum, "...like i said, we are illegal. youd break law by joining us dear. but if you still want to go along with it, my counter proposal is that you would wait a week to tell him. We dont want to be found by a man who works for the corrupted system"

Aura jumped up and backed up, her face bright red. “Nothing! Forget I said anything! I don’t know what I’m on about..” she made a beeline for the door but Dante used his fang speed and cut her off. “Now dear Aura…your not keeping secrets from family are you?”

Ash said “I mean more the bigger laws that hurt people…that’s my limit. And I would think you’d want Bane with you. he most loyal man I know. If he saw anything underhanded he would put a stop to it. And he doesn’t work for the council. His part of the Royal Guard, which protects the city itself. If he knew about this…he might be a help”