Hiaoi, seeker of Elias - Part Two¶

So we are speaking with Hiaoi again, in order to complete our interview on a calmer note. To avoid upsetting her again, I decided to continue the interview with a more neutral topic.

What made you decide to become a member of the Guild of Elias?

I joined the guild in 2506. My sister had been a member for a long time, but she died in 2504 while trying to defend one of our Tryker members, who the Fung-Tun slave masters had come to capture. Some homins came to see us the next day to tell us that she had been punished by Ma-Duk for infringing on the laws of his representative, the great sage Fung-Tun. My sister was not the only victim; the reign of Fung-Tun made me aware of how dangerous fanatics can be. That is why, two years after my sister's death, I decided to follow in her footsteps.

How did you become aware of the existence of the Guild of Elias?

The first person to tell me about Elias was our neighbor. He traveled a lot, but he was always sure to visit us whenever he returned home. I was still very young, but I loved to listen to him speak of his travels. And then, one day, he spoke of Elias. My mother, who was a kamist believer, didn't like him talking about Elias and always looked for a way to interrupt the conversation. I barely paid attention at the time, but this only piqued my sister's curiosity. She spent more and more time with our neighbor, to our mother's despair. When I decided to join the guild, I tried to make contact with him. I thought he must have helped my sister get into the guild. But it took me two years to find him, because he had fled from the repression that came after the guild's fight against slavery. But I have never regretted it.

How does one join the guild?

Well, to tell you the truth, it isn't really that you join the guild, but that it comes to you. When it was first created, the guild recruited everyone on the basis of their good will, but today, with the tensions between Kamis and Karavans, the guild cannot take the risk of recruiting everyone indiscriminately. The risk of a new round of repression, at a time when homins need us more than ever, is far too great. When a homin seems suitable to us, we contact him. If he shows an interest, then we give him permission to learn the teachings of the guild. If he is still interested at the end of this learning period, we put him in the position where he can be the most useful. But even though we limit our recruiting to avoid drawing attention to ourselves, we need sympathizers now more than ever, to spread the message of Elias. I hope that this interview will give homins a chance to know us better, and make up for the risks I am taking by speaking with you.