Erich signed Kisuke Urahara’s name with a practiced flourish and set aside the last page of paperwork with a sense of relief. He stacked everything together, tapped the pages against the desk to neaten them, and set the entire stack at the far corner of his desk for Tsukabishi to deal with in the morning. The man would see everything handled appropriately like he always did.

He began to tidy his desk, hands moving on autopilot while his gaze constantly drifted back to the letters that had arrived earlier in the day. Erich doubted they had anything to do with guild business; as far as everyone knew, he was just a regular member of the guild, not the one actually dealing with all of Urahara’s paperwork on a regular basis. No reason to send letters to him when he had no reason to be involved in policy or decisions.

No. Whoever had sent those letters wanted something from him specifically.

(He had a sinking suspicion what it was about.)

(Looked like his freedom was finally at an end…)

(Damn.)

Out of reasons to put it off any longer, Erich picked up the two envelopes and sat back in his seat. He recognized the handwriting on both and couldn’t help but grimace; Alexis writing to him was common enough, but she and his father at the same time?

He didn’t want to know.

(He had to know…)

Erich set Alexis’ letter aside and opened his father’s, pulling out the single sheet of crisp paper and unfolding it.

My Son,

I hope this letter finds you well, and that you will listen to my words and see the truth within them. I know you have made yourself comfortable within that tiny guild you have chosen to observe, but I fear I must call you home at last to take your place as my heir.

The world is changing and I find myself unable to keep up. We of the Quincy agreed to the plan just as everyone else did, but the consequences were far greater than any could have predicted. Monster attacks are on the rise and our greatest warriors are no longer a match for the least of them. Without our blastia we are sitting ducks, our fortress under siege and our very means of life destroyed.

We need a new leader, one with a vision for the future and the strength to lead us true.

Please, Erich. The Quincy need your strength and determination in these trying times. You had great plans for us in your youth and now is the time to see them to fruition.

With Love,
Your Father,
Seigmar von Rerugen

“Great plans my foot,” Erich muttered, tossing the envelope and letter on his desk and slumping forward. He took his glasses off and put his head in his hands, trying to breath around the sudden lump in his throat. “Fuck. That’s not… I don’t…”

He didn’t want to return, didn’t want to dedicate the rest of his life to being Guildmaster to elitist assholes—

But he didn’t have a choice. He was his father’s chosen successor and the old man would never budge without a good reason.

Erich dreaded what Alexis would say about the situation. She had a keen eye for the state of things, and if she said it was best if he returned… he would. He sighed and rubbed at his eyes, then straightened up and grabbed Alexis’ letter, turning it over in his hands. He didn’t want to know what she’d written, didn’t want to read the please return that he suspected she’d say, but… but he had to know.

Putting his glasses back on, Erich slit the envelope and pulled Alexis’ letter out to read.

Erich,

I know your father is writing to you, but I fear he will do nothing but gloss over the problems and try to coax you back with words of praise. Knowing how little you enjoy walking into situations unaware, I must inform you of the truth.

There are rumblings amongst the Quincy that we should never have agreed to the plan and that we should have fought the decision. The elders want to relocate us to Silbern, our ancient fortress in the great Cados Mountains, and the idea is gaining in popularity. They say that only there can we regain the powers that made us great and… my love, I wish I could say otherwise, but they are beginning to sway many with their words.

They strive to turn all against you and your father as well. Seigmar will have naught to do with the idea of ‘hiding like mice’ and so they whisper that he grows infirm with the loss of his bodhi blastia and the strength it granted him. As for you, they sharpen their tongues and call you coward and traitor for not standing with us at the gathering of guilds. That you stood at the side of notable Shinigami makes it worse, for they cast you as the worst sort of traitor despite your companions no longer being part of the Shinigami Guild.

I fear what will happen if either of us takes your father’s place, for I, too, am being tarred with the same brush. They do not like that I refuse to break our engagement in the face of your supposed cowardice, and despise the fact that I and my warriors remain strong because we did not rely upon our blastia to see us through a fight. They cannot control either of us and they know this.

Be wary, my star. Our home becomes a den of monsters hiding behind kindly guises. Step cautiously and wisely.

We will get but one chance at this.

All my love,
Lexi

Erich frowned at Alexis’ letter and reread it, then reread it again when the words remained the same. That the elders could twist things so thoroughly wasn’t a surprise, but that others were listening, were being swayed by it… he’d thought better of them.

Silbern would be the death of them all. They’d abandoned the fortress decades ago, chased out by encroaching monsters when his father was still a baby. Returning now, when they were weakened and unsure of their abilities, would be the height of folly.

(Did the elders even realize that?)

(Or were they out to thin the ranks again, remove the ‘undesirables’ from their roster in a way the other Guilds could do nothing about?)

Erich set the letter aside and pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering what to do. It was tempting to ignore his father’s summons and leave the Quincy to their fate; from Alexis’ words, there was little he could do to sway them to a safer path.

He leaned over and pulled some scrap paper out of a drawer, needing to put his thoughts in order before he made his decision.

Alexis was right; they’d only get one chance.

He needed to make it count.