Sironia, Sartoria
Mario Arcelli sat at one end of a table, facing a woman in her mid fifties, short grey hair, with a suit that betrayed her successful status in Belaria. Or perhaps that was a conscious choice? It was of little consequence in any case, considering what their priority was at the moment. This was his first field assignment, no easy feat for an associate. While operatives went on the field all the time, associates were only allowed to do that when the situation was dire, or when their stature was high enough that they could allow themselves the privilege.
Since his accession earlier in the year, he had quickly risen through the ranks, to the point that he had recently been elected as coordinator of several important operations in the eastern regions. It was in that capacity that he had been dispatched to deal with the woman in front of him, one with far more experience than him, though also one who had much more to lose, should her role in the association be publicly known. He was always amazed by that, even after all this time. Those near the top of the pyramid were often those whom one might least suspect to be involved in such conspiracies, yet they happened to be the ones most devoted to the cause.
Shortly after meeting in the room where they currently were, they raised their hands, palm open, then recited a certain chant, of which there were no public records, and which was long assumed dead, stricken from living memory. Only then they took their seats.
"You have become an accomplished associate, have you not?"
"We all leave our marks, some stronger than others."
She was about to reply when the speaker came alive, and they both prepared for their conference call with their senior associate. With several operations due in the near future, there was much to discuss.