
  [center][i]Mammals may form associations for and among themselves and be governed by stipulations that are mutually acceptable.[/i]
[b][i]~Russel M. Nelsow[/i]
  [/b]
[/center]

[center]**********************[/center]

Zootopia was a city in which mammals went on to take care of their business every day. After all, it was a big city, busy and busting with movement and life. Mammals went here and there all the time, all of them taking care of their own personal business, making something important, or simply walking around either by themselves or with some company.

From the streets of the city to the small stores that sold all manners of conveniences and objects.

Speaking of which, a particular store that sold electronic articles, with a wide variety of options to cater for all tastes and needs, was particularly busy.

Many mammals walked on this store, as they varied from adults looking for new laptops and computers for their works and personal business to cubs who were walking with their parents and begging them to buy new videogames for their PawStation IV. Mammals of all kinds walked in there, all of them looking for some short of satisfaction that the store could provide.

All of them had walked in the store, but now, most of them were gathering into a certain section of the store: the consumer electronic section.

This section had all that one could want for their household, from domestic appliances to the kitchen to televisions of all sizes and styles. The televisions in particular, were the center of the attention. Mammals were coming from the entire store and stopping what they were doing to look at the televisions. Better saying, they were coming to see what was being show in them.

It was something normal for these televisions put in the store to be plug, turned on, and tuned into something to show that the television worked and had a very good image. The televisions had each been set into a specific channel, however, for a while, they all had been tuned into the same channel.

Maybe it was because of the owners of the store that had decided to tune into that specific channel, for they considered that it was something important. Maybe it was another reason. However, they were all tuned into the same channel, and showing the exact same thing. The ZNN was still showing the interview with a genuine mage, giving explanations about mages and related subjects. This caused all of the shoppers to stop what they were doing and looking at the television, as they wanted to see what was going on. Some of them were talking among themselves, discussing all that they were saying, but most of them only wanted to look into the televisions so they could hear what explained by the ferret. A small crowd formed in front and around the televisions, as the animals all wanted to see and hear what the interview was all about…

"[i]Well, that pretty much sums up the most basic of magecraft and Magic.[/i]" The ferret in the screen said, as the mammals watched intently to the same image in the multiple televisions. "[i]There is a lot more to it, obviously, but I told you I'd only explain what I could. I'm pretty sure that the big shots of the Association would not like me talking more about this than I already have.[/i]"

The mammals in there all had become greatly interested among themselves. Most of the adults merely looked with interest, but in fact they were very much amazed by what they were seeing, although a few of them looked like they were not liking what they were seeing and hearing. The cubs, however, were a bit more excited over it; there was even a small polar bear cub who looked ready to explode as he looked at the television. Some older mammals shared the opinion of the cubs, as the geek-looking mammals talked among themselves on the subject, commenting on how magecraft was so scientific…

Meanwhile, the interview was continuing, as the televisions were showing:

"[i]Yes, this was a great Magecraft 101.[/i]" The vixen said, as she looked back at the ferret, both of them appearing in the screen of the televisions. "[i]But… I'm sorry, you have talked about this 'Association' a few times now. Would you mind talking about it next?[/i]"

All eyes were glue on the screens as the ferret smiled.

"[i]Oh, yes, of course… The [b]Mage's Association[/b].[/i]"

[center]**********************[/center]

"We mostly refer to it as '[b]The Association[/b]', and it is something that all mages know about, and many are associated to it." Zillah said, looking an the vixen as she explained. "It was founded around two thousand years ago, by a mage who reunited other mages under himself and formed a group that was intent into protecting and developing the mystic arts, as well as allowing the practitioners of these arts to manage and defend themselves."

"That was the beginning of the Association, as that small group gathered more and more adepts, growing from a small group into a larger gathering of mages, all from all species, origins and styles of magecraft. All of them united under the common goal of protecting and developing their craft." Zillah continued to explain. "Nowadays, the Mage's Association is an international, self-preservation and self-defense organization formed by practitioners of magecraft. Its main goals are to protect the mages from persecutions and dangers, as well as controlling and helping develop magecraft. Of course, their goals also included concealing magecraft, for it had been the goal since it was decide that it should be a secret since the Middle Ages, but I guess that this goal is kind of falling in disuse now. Although I'm pretty sure that some will be really mad at me for giving this interview."

"I see, I see…" Vicky said, listening intently to what she was hearing. "Well, it makes sense that mages would have their own kind of government, kind of like the Ministry of Magic, from the Harry Trotter series."

Zillah looked at her for a few moments, and Vicky actually thought that she had said something wrong. Then, the ferret started to snicker and chuckle.

"What?" Vicky said, looking at her, but the ferret quickly dismissed it.

"No, nothing. It is nothing…" She said, recomposing herself. "Anyway, the association has been around for two millennia already, and they have a great scope of influence. From nearly all areas of Roarope, all the way here to Animerica. Passing by the Afurikan continent, by Britain, and even reaching the far land of Astroala."

"But, their most present influence is in Britain." Zillah said, complimenting what she had already said. "After all, that is where their headquarters are."

"Oh. So it is really like a Ministry of Magic." Vicky said, and Zillah this time agreed.

"Yeah, I guess it kind of is... kind of… maybe…"

"So, the Association is the one who is responsible for all the important decisions of the mage community in the world." Vicky said to her. "This makes it sounds like they form the government among mages. I'll take a shot and say that it were them who had decided to make magecraft a secret from the world."

"You are right." Zillah confirmed. "The decision came from the high authorities of the Mage's Association during the middle ages. It took them a lot of effort and continual work, but they managed to make the world forget about mages and magecraft. Not only that, but their focused a lot of their policies and efforts went into making sure that magecraft would remain a secret known only by the absolutely minimum necessary."

"They took care of witnesses to make them forget what they saw, erased all kinds of evidence to make sure that there would be no proof of our existence, and made many more things to ensure that our craft would remain hidden from the world." She explained, looking at Vicky as she spoke that. "You can say that they did their best in their own personal conspiracy to keep the supernatural a secret. The Association has spent centuries monopolizing the secrets and mysteries of the world."

[center]**********************[/center]

The interview was being transmitted to everyone, in all available Medias. It was even being transmitted to the internet live for who wanted to see it. It was soon reaching all corners of internet, as more and more mammals were tuning in it by whatever means they could. It would be on the entire internet soon, or in at least a good part of it.

As a matter of fact, the interview was being transmitted at the very same moment in a sharing website. As it was transmitted, and the ferret was talking all about the Mage's Association. That started a wave of commentaries of the ones who were watching it through the internet:


  [b]
    [i]BigClaws44:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] Wow! This is so cool! There is an actual Ministry of Magic! I wonder if there is a Hogwarts?[/i]


[b][i]HornZ:[/i][/b] [i]Wanna hear more bout magecraft.[/i]


  [b]
    [i]Jay_Puppy:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] I still don't believe that all this time they were keeping magic hidden. I've been lied to for my entire life![/i]



  [b]
    [i]JJ#: [/i]
  [/b]
  [i]MAGECRAFT, dude. We're you not paying attention?[/i]



  [b]
    [i]TruthSeeker:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] I always knew that there was a constipacy going on![/i]



  [b]
    [i]TruthSeeker:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] *conspiracy[/i]



  [b]
    [i]TruthSeeker:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] Of course, I thought it was from our government and it involved aliens, but supernatural thing is practically the same, right?[/i]



  [b]
    [i]JohnKing:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] I think there is a difference between alien and mage…[/i]



  [b]
    [i]TruthSeeker:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] You sure? :wolf looking to the side Izooji:[/i]



  [b]
    [i]Mad_Buffalo:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] Don't mess this up! This is serious! Mages have been around for a long time and they kept themselves hidden the best they could! Who knows how many have gotten their reputations and lives destroyed by them in name of their secret? Show some more respect![/i]



  [b]
    [i]Honey_Badger:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] I agree with Mad_Buffalo! This is not something to play with! Especially if the sheep are somehow involved in this! Can you imagine if members of The Flock were mages? Or if they had ties with the Association? We would all be doomed![/i]



  [b]
    [i]MageChaser01:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] I know that ferret! We met with her before she gave that interview! We had an awesome video that we were going to share with everyone, but she erased it! We almost died by looking for mages![/i]



  [b]
    [i]MageChaser03:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] Let it go, Sully. No one believes us.[/i]



  [b]
    [i]MageChaser01:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] We almost died for that video and we ended up without nothing![/i]



  [b]
    [i]MageChaser03:[/i]
  [/b]
  [i] :sighing hyena Izooji:[/i]

[center]**********************[/center]

"Well, this is really interesting." Vicky said. "Surely the Association has other functions and obligations than merely keeping the supernatural a secret, right?"

"Of course." Zillah confirmed. "The Association has many functions, and keeping the secrecy of magecraft is one of them. It has been an important one for a long time, but there are others. The Association has a lot of laboratories that devote themselves into studying and improving magecraft. They reunite some of the best and most skilled mages of the world and give them all the resources they need to advance in their studies."

"As long as they are members." Vicky said, and Zillah had to agree with this.

"Yeah, the Association would not give their resources to someone who was not connected to them." The ferret admitted, as she looked at the vixen. "Joining the Association is not obligatory, but many chose in order to have access to the many resources that they can offer to their members. The same way, staying a member is not mandatory, as anyone can leave the Association when they want to, but it is rare for anyone to do this, because that would mean losing access to all of the advantages that the Association can grant to any mage who is a member, as well as their families."

Vicky nodded, "So, they must offer a lot of resources. Would this include some equipment to continue their researches? Maybe spell books that they can borrow in order to study and increase their repertories?"

"Kind of." Zillah confirmed. "The Association has some formulas and rituals that are freely transmitted across its members. This allows them to perform these rituals and use these formulas into their own researches so they can move forward with their own works."

"Well, it sounds really reasonable." Vicky admitted. "The Association gives them things that they discovered in their labs to help them grow, that is surprisingly generous, taking in account what you said about mages being possessive and envious in relation to their own advancements."

"Oh, they are." Zillah said to her, "However, they do have something to gain by giving a part of what they developed, thanks to their patents."

"Oh, you mean, patents like these for inventions?" Vicky asked, and Zillah nodded.

"Mages have always been possessive with their researches, and they will never willingly give away their greatest discoveries to others. However, mages can develop many other things during their researches, like formulas and rituals that, while not being something essential to their own works, can be considered something quite exceptional, and that other mages would like to have."

"The Association knows that, and they also know that such advancements could help a lot of their members and, consequently, the Association as a whole. So, some mages give away small portions of their studies to the Association, so they can be stored in their archives and be available for any member." Zillah explained.

"I see…" Vicky said, "So, they do this and in exchange they get paid? With money?"

Zillah looked at her, and smiled.

"Mages need money." The ferret said. "We may have great skills, but we need money to continue our researches. We need to buy and negotiate many resources in order to continue the researches we do. Not only that, but also some mages have a certain lifestyle that is not cheap. There is also the fact that the Association, while being helpful to their members, is not a beneficent institution. So, in order to be able to sponsor their research, mages need to use their own means."

"Some families run business of all kinds. Some chose to embrace the lives of freelancers, but these are looked down by the mage community. Some use of… 'less honorable' ways of making money. Some do it through property, my family, for instance, has property of a mine of copper somewhere, it is not much, but it is something that helped us get by so far." Zillah explained, and she continued:

"However, the most appreciated and honored way of making money in the World of Magecraft is through patents. Mages won't give away their secrets in exchange for nothing, and while they are okay with giving small, harmless portions of their researches, they won't even do this much for free. That is why the patent system exists."

"With this system, a mage can give away a formula or ritual to the Association, and the specific thing will be noted down as theirs. Each time it is accessed or used, each time it helps someone in their own research, all of the credit goes to the mage who created it, and it is only fair that they are rewarded for that. So, the mage gets periodically paid for the specific advancement, based on how popular it is and how useful it is to the Association and its members."

"Sounds like an interesting way of making money." Vicky said, "So, some can actually get rich from this?"

"A number of families do." Zillah confirmed once more. "Some of the oldest families around have made their researches for many generations, and they have produced some amazing formulas and rituals that the Association has been using until today. That is the reason why some of the oldest mage families also tend to be the richest. There are families out there who make millions a year with their patents alone."

"Sounds like a way of living." Vicky said, "It seems that being a member of the Association truly gives a number of advantages. I imagine that there must be responsibilities as well."

"Of course." Zillah said. "Being a member of the Association offers a lot, but it also demands a lot of you. It is no different from being a member of the political parties. There is a lot of demands of you once you are a member."

"Like, abiding to the laws of the Codex?"

"That is standard." Zillah answered. "But it is actually something that they demand of you even if you are not associated. The Codex is a series of laws that were created in order to bring forth morals and ethics into the works of mages, and they are implemented in anywhere the Association has their influence. If you are in their area of influence, you are expected to abide by their rules, and if you don't, you can be sure that there will be consequences."

"The Enforcers come for you, right?" Vicky asked, as the subject was developing in an interesting way. "There are repercussions for crimes, like being taken to a prison, ain't there?"

"Only in the worst cases. But, yeah, there are consequences for breaking the rules, and that depends on the seriousness of your crime. For small crimes, like influencing others with mental interference without the need, you usually receive a penalty of being force to wear a particular device that prevents you from activating your magic circuits, and this way it prevents you from using magecraft. You have it locked on you and you will use it for a certain time."

"Oh, kind of like an electronic anklet?"

"Similar, because it also allows the Enforcers and the Association to track you." Zillah confirmed to her. "It is a lot of trouble among mages, because it prevents you from doing anything, even though you can continue to study, but you won't be able to practice magecraft. Not to mention the stigma attached to having to wear one of those, as everyone who sees it will know that you are a troublemaker."

Vicky nodded. It did sounded much like the electronic anklets, which let others who saw it know that the mammals who wore them were criminals who were under watch. That also gave them certain stigmas.

"I totally understand." Vicky said to her, and she asked:

"So, that is for the light crimes, right? I imagine that this means that there are other kinds of punishments for more serious offenses, no?"

"Oh, certainly." Zillah confirmed, "There are some kinds of punishments that are delivered to bigger offenses. One of the most serious is to have part of your Magic Crest confiscated."

"The Magic Crest?" Vicky asked. "The one you said that is the greatest treasure of any mage clan?"

"For you to see how serious this punishment is." Zillah spoke. "Like I said, the Magic Crest can be transferred from one mammal through another in a manner similar to how an organ is transplanted, minus the surgery. Also like I said, it is possible to transfer it piece by piece, or even partially. This kind of punishment takes advantage of this aspect of the Magic Crest, allowing the responsible mages to take part of the crest of a mage as a punishment for his or her crimes."

"This is considered a serious punishment to any mage, as it involves having part of the treasure of your clan confiscated, what reduces the amount of knowledge that you have with you and that will be passed down to your descendants. It is something that scares a lot to many mages; this makes it a very efficient punishment." Zillah explained, "They also do it when a lineage has a type of ritual that they deem dangerous and that they want to remove from circulation, as a way to ensure that this specific magecraft will not be lost, but also will be out of the paws of those who will misuse it."

"Sounds like a method." Vicky admitted; this interview was proving to be all that she had expected and far more. She would even dare to say that she saw a prize in her future...

"So, being forced to wear equipment that prevents you from using magecraft, and having part of your Magic Crest taken. These are two types of punishments in the world of mages." Vicky made recap; being sure that all was in order before proceeding. "There are other kinds of punishments? What I'm asking is: is there any crime that is punished with incarceration? Like, being locked into a cell and kept in there for months or even years?"

Zillah looked at her, and soon she was speaking:

"Only serious crimes are punished with away time. Like murder, crimes against the Association, or conspiracy to commit murder. These crimes are punished with an incarceration time in [b]Terrain Tartarus[/b]."

"I see. Terrain Tartarus is a mage prison?"

"It is [i]the[/i] mage prison." Zillah confirmed to the vixen's question. "You see, before the Codex, mages had no prisons. We were used to solve our problems merely by eliminating others, but with the advent of our new laws, we adopted some behaviors close to how non-mages deal with crimes and infractions. One of them was the establishment of incarceration as a punishment. For that, they created Terrain Tartarus."

"They named after the legendary prison of the Greek mythology; it is a place to where mages who have committed serious crimes are sent. If you are a mage and you have murdered another mammal or done anything as bad as that, then you are send there. It is the only prison that the Association has, but it is the equivalent to a max security prison. The place is specially prepared so anyone inside will not be able to escape, and none of the inmates are capable of activating their magecraft while in there. There is even a powerful spell around the place that makes it difficult to discern location, so very few inside the Association even know where that place is, and even the inmates, once being free from that place, will not be able to give any clues that will help find out where the prison is located."

"Sounds to be a safe place." Vicky said.

"It has to be. Mages who have committed murder are sent there." Zillah said, "Incarceration is a very serious punishment among mages, as it basically consists into taking away your freedom and locking you away so you will be unable to continue your research and your work. That is why most mages fear Terrain Tartarus, even because they know that if you are sent there you will stay at least a few decades. It is the second worse punishment in our books."

"Second worse? Then what is the worse?" Vicky asked, and the ferret looked at her.

"They are called [b]Sealing Designations[/b]." She explained. "They are our equivalent to a death sentence."

"Oh…"

"That according to most." Zillah said, explaining that to the vixen, "A sealing designation would be… well… it is basically being put into a state of suspended animation."

"They use a special ritual to reduce your breathing and even your heartbeat to a point where it is in a near standstill. You are still alive, but you are in a state of sleep where you don't feel cold or heat, don't get hungry or thirsty, and don't age. You just… exist. And once you are in this state, they put you in a hole so deep that you will never be touched by the light of day again. Basically, they put you in suspension for all eternity."

"Wow… that is a serious punishment." Vicky said, as the prospect was indeed frightening.

"It sure is." Zillah confirmed. "That is why only those who have committed the absolutely worst crimes deserve to get them. We are talking about genocide, mass murder, conspiracy against the very Association, and this kind of thing."

"I totally get it." Vicky admitted. "It does sounds like the Association has a very good way of dealing with criminals and of maintaining their order."

"Yeah, they do… when they are not too busy with their political dances." Zillah admitted

"Yeah, you spoke about that already." Vicky said, "You know, I wonder if these 'political dances' actually affect the inner workings of the Association… Mages seem to have a hierarchy based on power, does it reflects in the Association's hierarchy?"

"Well, you can say that it does." Zillah said to her. "The status of a mage is determined by their power. This is something that reflects both by the pedigree and by their own personal talent in magecraft. This way, old families hold more influence than recent ones, and individuals who are holders of great talent are more influent than those who are mediocre."

"This does reflects in the Association's hierarchy, of course. Even though some of us really like to insists that it is a personal meritocracy, there is a great deal of elitism involved. As a matter of fact, the Association and their headquarters have their own elite, formed by the oldest and most influent families of the Association. Many of them are lords."

"Lords as in, individuals of great importance and nobility?" Vicky asked, and Zillah soon continued.

"The word 'lord' is a word that represents someone with great deal of power and authority. Among the mages of the Association, the ones who hold the title of '[b]Lords[/b]' are a great aristocratic elite, as they not only hold the respect and envy of most other mages, but also hold actual political power within the Association. Some of them actually have a great deal of talent, but there are some who just hold these titles thanks to their families, who have been influent in the Association for a very long time, and that are still able to influence what happens in the Association."

"Yeah, I can picture that." Vicky said, it was interesting to see that mage families indeed remembered very much the rich and influent families of the non-mages, as they had money, power, and they could actually induce others to do what they wanted, as some of them actually were politicians and public figures. That was something interesting…

"So, the elite of the Association is formed by lords, and they all hold political power in the Association. That is interesting. But, there are other forms of influence in the Association? There are some who hold a different type of power and influence other than the lords?" Vicky asked

"Indeed, there are." Zillah said, "There are the [b]wizard marshals[/b]. They are individuals who hold military power."

"Military?" Vicky asked, "As in, controlling armies and holding full command in moments of war?"

"One of the missions of the Association is to defend itself and its members, as it is a self-defense organization." Zillah explained, wanting to clear possible misunderstandings. "For that, we have some mages who are fit to take control and command in cases of emergency, if it ever appears, and these individuals are the wizard marshals. They are individuals that, inside of the Association, would be the equivalent to our generals. They will exercise a great deal of influence in the case of a war, if it ever happens."

[i]Although I hope it won't.[/i] Zillah added mentally, before she continued:

"But, most of the time, they do other functions, just like your generals do other things in times of peace."

"I see." Vicky said to her. "It seems that the Association really has an organization that makes it seem like a government in and on itself. This makes me wonder if there is a president, or something of the kind among you. There is an authority that is among the Association that is at the very top?"

Zillah didn't answered immediately, as it seemed that she was weighting her words and deciding what she should tell her about this next. Vicky was about to ask again, when the ferret finally found the words to answer:

"Lords have a deal of influence in the Association." She said, "And wizard marshals hold military power. However, they both are subject to another authority. The authority of the [b]Mage Council[/b]."

"The Council, huh?" Vicky said, taking in this information. "I assume that is formed by a group of mages who hold the greatest authority."

"They are considered by any the greatest level of authority that a mage can achieve inside of the Association. The Mage Council, who we refer mostly as just [b]The Council[/b], is a group of great authority inside of the Association, formed by thirteen members, and they are famous for making the most important decisions within the Association, from the banishment of certain spells, possible alterations into the Codex, and even the emission and revocation of sealing designations."

"You can really say that they are top notch in the Association. The official leaders of all mages who compose this organization."

"I see." Vicky said, "And, how these mages reached their authority? They did so because of their own authority as lords? Or they were actually elected?"

"The Council has been present soon after the Association was founded." Zillah explained. "Originally it was formed by the best and most trusted mages of the founder of the Association, with time, as they retired or passed away, they were replaced by other mages of great power and prestige, elected by the remaining members. You can say that the Council self-manages itself."

[center]**********************[/center]

"I can't believe that she is telling them all of this!" Sanders said as he stood on the table looking at the screen.

Right now, all members of the Council were all at the table. However, instead of each one being in their designated seat, as it was normal in most situations, instead, they were all reunite around Calves' seat, or they were standing on the table in order to have a better look into the screen of the laptop that his reindeer student has just brought.

The Council was in yet another of the very noisy reunions that they had been having in the past month. Lots of screaming was going on, even some names being called and some families being offended, until the reindeer once more intruded into the room, and this time without even knocking.

Some of them actually seemed ready to lash out at the reindeer who had meddled like that, until he told them about a news channel in Animerica that was transmitting a special story: a mage that was giving them an interview.

Some of them could barely believe it, however, soon they were seeing that it was indeed truth, as the one talking knew too much things for her not to be one of them. It was truly a mage, giving an interview to the ZNN, which was even being transmitted via the ZNN website to anyone who wanted to see it, even all the way across seas into the headquarters of the Association in England.

"She surely seems to have a lot to say." Calves mentioned casually, as he looked at it resting his chin on his hoof.

"She is telling them everything!" Sanders said once more. "So much effort to keep magecraft a secret and she is telling them all that they want to know just like that! She is exposing us like there is no tomorrow!"

"Weren't we already exposed after these videos started coming forth?" Collington asked, as she was standing on Calves' left, among other animals who were trying to get a good look at what was being show.

"That is beyond the point!" Sanders cried out back.

"She is not giving them all the information yet." Said another mammal, as this one was possibly the taller of the members of the Council. He was a big bull with brown fur on his body. His head had some more fur of a darker color than the brown of his body, as it went up the back and top of his head like a mane, and even covered his chin and lined the underside of his muzzle like a beard. His eyes were dark in color, and they were behind a pair of square glasses. He was wearing a suit of a sickly-green coloration, and wore a purple tie.

"She is giving them a whole lot of information, Boivin." Catlow, the cat, said to the big bull, to which Boivin answered:

"Yes, but she still has not give them truly sensitive information." He spoke, "It sounds to me that she is only giving them general notions of how our society works."

"This is just as bad!" Sanders said, "Mages are supposed to be a secret!"

"Don't we all agreed that it was no longer possible?" Lykins said, as he was standing in a way that he was trying to find the best angle to look at the screen of the computer, "We all have agreed that keeping ourselves a secret was no longer an option?"

"Still, it does not gives her the right to go and spill the beans to whoever want to hear it." Catlow said. "Who is this Zillah Ferron anyway?"

"She is of the Ferron clan, a recent and three generation family of mage ferrets." Jelel said, as he looked at the screen without showing any form of emotion. "You would know that if you had payed attention to what was being said."

Catlow gave a glare at the deer, and his eyes even seemed to glow for a moment. However, the deer completely ignored him, as his attention was turn to the screen of the technological device.

"I'm sure she must have her reasons to do what she is doing now." Vanhorne said, as she still looked at the screen, and right by her side, Mustang was speaking:

"Her reasons better be really good, otherwise she will surely be considered a criminal for doing that. There are laws about this kind of thing."

"Laws that may have to be revised." Mieczyslaw said as he had to stretch his neck to be able to see the screen. "Just like she said. After all, it seems that our situation is changing, so our laws must have to change to match."

"But the laws have not changed yet." Mustang insisted.

"I'm amazed at how well she looks on the screen." Maskell said as he leaned over to look better at the screen. He was among the ones who were standing on the table, along with Sanders and Catlow, as they were the smaller mammals on the table, and they would have trouble to see the screen of they were merely standing on the ground. "That light they are using really favors her, and they are surely catching her in the best angles.

Sanders and Catlow, as well as a few more mages who were standing, looked at Maskell with a glare that verged on being murderous. It seemed that some of them were ready to say a few more words to the raccoon, when the voice of Calves snapped them out of it by calling their attention.

"My friends, if you are done with your personal discussions and opinions on that matter, I do believe that the interview is not over yet, and that, for the shake of following the line of thought, we all should keep attention to it.

That was what it took for all of the thirteen members of the council, plus the reindeer who brought the laptop in, once more lean forward to look at the screen.

[center]**********************[/center]

"So, new members of the council are elected by the older members. That does sound like a system that actually works." Vicky said, as she looked at Zillah. "Still, I assume that they must have some parameters that they use to select new members. Like, lets say, if that specific mage is responsible and honored enough to be trusted with a position of such power. Also, by the way you speak, it seem that the power of a mage influences into their political power, so, I assume that it might also be a factor that helps into being elected."

"Well, there are standards to electing a member of the Council." Zillah confirmed. "After all, it is not like anyone should occupy a position like that. The ones who are elected are not only responsible and honored, but they are also individuals of great fame in the world of magecraft, and they must be famous for their dedication to our community and to our goals and ideals… at least, in theory."

"As for being powerful, yeah, that is also standard. After all, you have to consider that all of the members of the Council are Archmages."

"Archmages, huh?" Vicky asked. "Well, I assume that this means that they are quite powerful as mages."

"They surely are." Zillah said, and after a moment of thought, she added:

"Well, I guess that for you to understand better, I should explain to you the rankings that the Association uses."

"Please do." Vicky said to her, wanting the topic to be better developed for the shake of her interview. Soon, the ferret was speaking again:

"In order to grade the capacity that one has a mage, the Association has developed a ranking system, with specific rankings letting others know how skilled and powerful you are in terms of being a mage." Zillah said as she explained that, "The lowest rank used is the rank of [b]Frame[/b]. It is the level of the complete beginners, you know, the ones who just started learning and are still greenhorns. This is the ranking in which the put the young ones who just started to learn, or those who actually know nearly nothing. This rank is also called '[b]youngest child[/b]'."

"Right above it, is the rank of [b]Count[/b], which some also call '[b]oldest child[/b]', which is the ranking above a greenhorn. They are more skilled and able to do more than those of the previous ranking, however, they still have not finished their studies and have not stablished their skills completely. I am in this ranking myself." Zillah said, and she was not afraid to admit that she was still not fully-grown as a mage, and she continued:

"Right above this ranking, we reach the rank of [b]Cause[/b], which some refer to as '[b]open[/b]' rank. It is the level in which a mage is consider 'fully matured', having stablished their magecraft and their foundations. Among mages, reaching his ranking is considered the same as being graduated in a school, as you have learned all of the basic needed to be considered an adult and able to live in the world." Zillah explained, and she saw that Vicky was paying a great deal of attention, and she hoped that the others who saw the interview would also be so interested. "While this level is considered 'average' among mages, it is considered a feat to reach this level at all."

Vicky nodded, as she was finding the explanation very interesting. Zillah continued:

"Above this, is the rank of [b]Fes[/b], also referred to as '[b]festival[/b]', this is a rank that is above Cause, and is what some consider when you have surpassed the level of 'being matured and with a stablished and matured magecraft'. It not the highest level, but it is nothing to scoff at. Reaching this level requires true talent and intelligence, about as much as it would take for someone to graduate on college and get an advanced degree. It is a level that represents talented mages that have reached a level that puts them above average."

"Continuing to go above, there is the ranking of [b]Pride[/b], also called by some of rank of '[b]law[/b]'. It is a ranking that represents a mage who is truly exceptional. Reaching this kind of ranking is not something easy, and not many have managed to reach it in this generation, and doing so is considered an admirable feat. Many say that a clan of mages would be lucky to have a mage of this level as the head of the family, for someone of this level would someone of such power and talent that they would surely be able to achieve great feats in life, and to build a solid and lasting foundation for their descendants."

"And, above Pride, we have the ranking of [b]Brand[/b], also referred to as a '[b]color[/b]' rank. It is a level reached by those rare geniuses. It is a level said to be reach by the talented lords of the Association, although this ranking is actually rarer to achieve, due to it representing the best of the best. Still, there are mages like that around there, mages who have reached this level. It is said that someone on this level of talent and skill would be able to revolutionize an entire field of magecraft merely by existing. It is also said that only a couple hundred mages have achieved this level in the entire two thousand years of the history of the Association."

"Wow… those are some rankings." Vicky said, admired with all the information, but she still had not gotten the proper answer that she wanted. "Now, where does an Archmage goes in this?"

"[b]Archmage[/b] is not really a ranking, but more of a title." Zillah said to her. "It is an 'unofficial ranking' that is given to mages of the Pride and Brand ranks, and that symbolizes them as individuals of immense talent. Now, while only a few of those in the rank of Pride can be considered Archmages, all those in the Brand rank are Archmages. To be an Archmage means having a level of power, talent, knowledge and skill that surpasses all other mages."

"There fifty Archmages all around the world, and this includes the members of the Council." Zillah explained, "That is why they have so much influence, and that is why no one wants to defy them. Not directly, at least. Because the Council is formed by mages of this title. Because the Mage Council, that runs and rules the Association, is formed by thirteen of the fifty most powerful mages alive."

"Wow…" Was all that Vicky could formulate as an answer to that. This was quite the information, and it helped shed a better light on the hierarchy and methods that mages used to get things done. Pretty much like everything else into this interview was doing.

"It sounds like the Council is not to mess with."

"They sure are not." Zillah confirmed. "They are some of the most powerful mages of the world, and they are totally focused in the good of the Association, or so they say… That is why they are in charge of being the heads, even because we need strong leaders to deal with the other organizations out there."

"Other organizations?" Vicky asked, the subject catching her attention. "So, there are other organizations out there besides the Mage's Association?"

Zillah nodded.

"Indeed, there are. The [b]moonlit world[/b] is a wide world hidden right behind the common world that all non-mages and the common public knows. There are all kinds of things happening in there. We have had big conflicts and wars right behind the curtain that separates our world from yours." The ferret girl explained, "The Association is a big organization, but of course it is not the only one."

"I see. And these organizations enter in conflict with the Association?" Vicky asked, "Are some of them as powerful as the Association itself?"

"Well, yeah, they do enter in conflict with the Association in one occasion in another, but few of them are actually powerful enough to clash with the Association." Zillah explained, "Among them, I guess that the most meaningful would be the Church."

"The Church?" Vicky asked, "As in, the Catholic Church?"

"Yes, the same one, you know, Vatican, the Pope, this stuff." Zillah said, and she knew that for some that would probably be a bomb. "The [b]Holy Church[/b] is a very powerful organization that has been at odds with the Association ever since it was founded."

"So, that means the Church actually knew that the supernatural existed?" Vicky asked, "They knew and they kept it a secret from the world?"

"Oh, they sure did." Zillah said, as she was already imagining that some people who heard about that would be outraged with the Church for keeping a secret like that. However, she knew that she should continue.

"Now, in defense of the Church, not every priest in the world was informed of that. There is an internal hierarchy within it, and only those who have been selected to join their inner circles were informed of the existence of the supernatural."

"Now, the Church has always had many goals, and among them, was the one of destroy heresy, and ever since the beginning, magecraft was considered a form of heresy." Zillah explained, "I believe it was mostly because back in the time mages did a lot of wrong things, like using mammals as sacrifices and casting curses on others for fun. Anyway, ever since then, the Church had the mission of fighting 'heretics', as they called mages, and to protect the common public from the actions of 'evil beings' like us. I'm pretty sure you have heard about the witch hunts that happened across Roarope, right?" Zillah asked, and the expression of the vixen said that she had, and the ferret soon was continuing:

"Of course, our relations improved a bit after the Codex was stablished three hundred years ago, and now… well, now we have a truce going on. They don't come after us so long as we do not represent a threat to it or to innocents. Their faithful followers and believers in particular."

"Wow… that is… something." Vicky admitted. "So, the Church actually has the power to clash with the Association?"

"They are one of the oldest and most powerful organizations of the world." Vicky said to her. "They have a lot of followers, and they even have their own army. Not to mention that, over the course of the centuries, they developed their own way to clash head to head with mages, and these methods are… pretty efficient."

Vicky nodded at this. This was indeed very interesting. Vicky had the feeling that her views in the church have somehow changed at this. Zillah continued:

"Now, another organization that also had a lot of power is the [b]Technocracy[/b]." She said, and this once more caught the attention of the vixen, who listened intently to her words. "Now, as you probably can guess for their name, they are an organization that deals with science. Now, they also clashed with the Association a lot, especially during the times of the Renascence, when they acquired a lot of power."

"While the Church are devote followers of the religion, the Technocracy are all devoted of science. They have worked for a long time to advance science and to help advance society." Zillah explained. "Now, they classify themselves in a light different from mages, even though they have pretty much the same skills."

"Yes, the technocrats have Magic Circuits like us, but they refer to them as [b]quantic circuits[/b]. Also, they have their own branch of thaumaturgy, which they call '[b]enlightened science[/b]'." Zillah explained, looking at the vixen. She then stopped for a moment and chuckled. "I'm sure that they will see this, and they will probably get furious about me making this comparison. But truth is, what they do is a form of magecraft, by the definitions of the Association. Still, they are far more in tune with actual science than any mage would like to be, as they work in developing science and technology. Some say that their ultimate goal is to replace magecraft with technology, and this, of course, is not something that don't really pleases many mages, especially the older and most traditional mages."

"We also have a truce with them, but there are many who want to clash with them." Zillah concluded, and Vicky nodded.

"So, we have magecraft, religion, and science." The vixen recapitulated. "It seems to me like a trinity of shorts. So, these are the only organizations in the… 'moonlit world'?"

"Well, these three are surely the most meaningful, but they are not the only ones." Zillah explained. "There are other organizations out there. Also, there are other mage governments that are quite meaningful. Namely, the Middle East and the Chinese."

"Oh?" Vicky said, now once more interested into the conversation, and Zillah was soon developing the topic.

"The influence of the Association goes far, but it does not reach all places. There is a difficulty into dealing with other governments of mages. For instance, the mages of the Middle East practice a branch of magecraft that is completely incompatible with the ones that are practiced by the Association, in a way that it cannot be integrated to their teachings and philosophies."

"Also, there are the Chinese mages, who have thaumaturgical philosophies that do not fit the ones preached by the Association, including the replacement of the four classic elements and the fifth element of void with their own five elements: [b]earth[/b], [b]water[/b], [b]fire[/b], [b]wood[/b] and [b]metal[/b]." The ferret explained. "So, not only their teachings do not fit the ones of the Association, but they also reject what the Association practices and preaches. As a result of that, there has always been a mutual hostility between these three governments. I could tell you about the stories I heard about the conflicts that ensued..."

"Well, anyway, nowadays we have a non-aggression agreement, pretty much like we do with the Church and the Technocracy. Still, the animosity is still there, and it is quite hard for the Association to act in their territories. You see, these locations have their own versions of the Association and even their own models of government. I even heard that China has its own version of a Mage Council. They truly are completely independent from the Association."

"Well, that makes sense." Vicky asked, "There are other locations in which the Association has trouble to act?"

"Nippon." Zillah admitted. "It is also hard to act in Nippon. They also have their own system of government, based on some old traditions of the place. Of course, they don't flat out reject the Association's teachings like the Chinese mages do, but the Nipponese mages surely don't go forming ties with the Association as they have their own form of organizations in there."

"I also heard that recently the Association has started some initiatives that aim to improve the relations with Nippon. Can't tell if they are really working, though." Zillah concluded, and Vicky could only nod at all that was just said.

"So, it seems to me that the Association is the most influent organization of mages of the world." Vicky said, stating that fact that seemed to have become obvious. "But it is not the only one. There are Chinese and Nipponese ones. This makes me wonder if there are yet other organizations out there. Maybe minor ones, some that exist but cannot fully compete with the Association on their own terms."

Zillah looked at her, and nodded.

"Yeah, there surely are." The ferret confirmed. "The Association cannot be everywhere at once. There are limits to the amount of influence that it can exercise, even in areas that are, supposedly, their own territory."

"Of course, their influence is absolute in England, where their headquarters are, and very strong in the lands of Roarope. However the farther it goes, the harder it is to keep influence." Zillah explained, "It is very hard to keep their influence in distant lands that are across the sea, like Astroala and Animerica. Sure, they are officially under their influence, and many mage clans of these places are associated, but these places are still so far that it is hard to manage them properly. This, of course, open space for other organizations to have influence over the place."

"There are a lot of minor mage organizations out there. Here in Animerica. In Astroala. In the far corners of Afurika. Even in places of Roarope. These minors organizations surely have no hope of opposing the Association directly, but they are able to keep influence over certain territories by taking advantage that the Association cannot be in all places at all time, and that they usually give no attention to the 'little guys' out there, as they are too busy with more important matters, like keeping the non-aggression agreements, improving their relations, and helping on it's own growth." Zillah concluded, and Vicky could only nod at all of this.

"So, it does sound that the Association has a lot of work keeping relations with other organizations." The vixen said, and the ferret nodded.

"I'll say. There had been some pretty bloody conflicts in the past." Zillah said to her, remembering what she had heard and what she had read about the subjects. "We all know that they might actually start again. That is why the Association is also focus in the defense of itself and its members in the case of a conflict with all of these organizations. Not to mention that we need to be ready to defend ourselves against the possible persecutions of the common public."

"You mean… like in the protests and attacks that have been happening in the past months?" Vicky asked, and Zillah nodded at this.

"Yeah, mammals can be quite intolerant, and that are some out there who want to get rid of everything that they consider a taboo. Magecraft included." Zillah said, and a silence has followed these words. That was before the ferret once more decided that it was time to continue:

"Anyway, for this reason the Association also develops their own military force. Hence is why they have the wizard marshals. The Enforcers, while working more as our police, can also double as our army, as they are trained and skilled in combat. Not to mention the many groups of elite fighters that the Association trains and maintains, all to be ready in the advent of a great threat." Zillah said, and Vicky looked at her.

"It really sounds like you are ready for a war." The vixen mentioned

"We are ready to defend ourselves." Zillah said, and she knew that many could be nervous in reaction to what she was saying. However, it was something that needed to be said, for everyone needed to understand what was going on. They needed to understand that the situation was serious, and that it could escalate. They needed to know that the Association was truly ready for a war, and that the results could be catastrophic. That was something that was necessary.

Vicky remained in silence for a while and she could almost feel the anxiety in the members of her own group. The words of the ferret, though brief, surely had an impact. They would probably have the very same impact once they were transmitted in television. Some mammals could get really nervous at that, and that was for sure.

"So, the Association seems like it puts a lot of effort in increasing their strength." Vicky said, wanting to move forward with the subject to avoid dwelling in it more than it was really necessary.

"Yeah, they do a lot of effort in acquiring more power; in the case they ever need it." Zillah admitted. "I guess this is part of the reason why they have the school."

"Oh, a school?" Vicky asked, the information truly catching her attention. "You mean, the Association actually sponsors a school for mages? Like-"

"Please, don't say Hogwarts." Zillah said, quickly cutting the vixen, but she soon continued.

"But, yes, the Association has a school of its own, to be able to teach future generations of mages."

"Now, due to the nature of how mages conduct their craft, the teaching normally is kept within the family." Zillah explained, wanting to avoid any form of misunderstanding. "It is common for mages to be home schooled at least during part of their lives. The teachings of the family, especially the most of their own personal crafts, is made within their own households, with the young mages learning from their own parents, who learned from their parents. That was how I learned my own craft. I was homeschooled all of my life, and while I could not socialize with mammals my age, I did learned all that my father could teach me of magecraft."

"Still, the Association has a policy of offering teachings to the children of associated families. This is something that diverges from the traditions that are prior to the establishment of this, but it was deemed as something very advantageous, for the families could send their young to have classes with teachers approved by the Association, giving them the chance to learn theories and methods with some of the best mages of the world, while the Association gets to ensure the teaching and development of future members."

"I see…" Vicky said, "Well, I can only assume that these teachers must be very qualified."

"They are." Zillah confirmed, "Many of them are lords of the Association, or at least they are individuals who have reached great accomplishments within the Association."

"Oh, so the lords dispose of their time to teach others?" Vicky asked, and Zillah nodded.

"Yeah, I guess that many of them do it because they know that, deep down, they gain something from it." Zillah admitted, "After all, it is normal for students to admire their teachers. If someone has taught you, and helped you become a matured and strong mage, you will obviously be loyal to them. Not as much as you would to your own family, but still, you will probably own them something. I guess that many of the instructors and mentors of the academic part of the Association are hoping that their students will remember that they had helped them grow and will be thankful to them, maybe even returning the favor in one way or another."

Vicky had listened to it closely, and she could see the logic in this kind of reasoning.

"I see… still, it seems to me that the students also get the chance to learn from the best, for what you told me."

"Yeah, they sure do." She said to the vixen. "In fact, there is an instructor in particular who is very famous. They say that he is the best of all instructors, and that everyone who studied with him became a top mage… He is a member of the Council, you know?"

"Oh, you mean, one of the most powerful mages of the world?" Vicky asked, and Zillah nodded.

"Yeah, he is very smart and he is a top lecturer. I really do hope I get to study with him when… if I get accepted in there."

"Oh… I see." Vicky said, "Well, don't lecturing gets on the way of his duties as a member of the Council? I mean, he would have to go from the school back to the headquarters to reunite with the Council."

"Well, that is not really a problem." Zillah said with a smile, "You see, the headquarters and the school are both in the same place. Yes, they teach the future generations of mages in the same place where the headquarters of the Association are. The same place where the lords do their functions and have their laboratories and workshops where they conduct their researches. I assume it is like that for the shake of convenience of the lecturers, who just need to do a short of walk from their classrooms to their laboratories and to their own habitations. They might even visit the dorms of the students in one occasion or another, but I heard that they rarely do such thing."

Vicky nodded, and soon, she was asking yet another question:

"So, it is a boarding school, right? The students all live and sleep in there while they are studying?"

"They sure do." Zillah confirmed. "Parents do send their kits across seas to England so they have a chance to study with the best in the Association. They remain in there for years as they continue their studies. Of course, most of the students there are teenagers, or around my age, after all, it is a place for you to truly specialize in being a mage."

"And it is just like any school?" She asked, "They have a summer break and everything?"

"They have some break periods." Zillah admitted. "It is just like most schools, instead that they teach alchemy and about mystical beasts instead of chemistry and biology. They give a uniform for you to use. There are schedules to the classes. They give you homework and assignments for you to do. There are great ceremonies both to welcome new students and to congratulate the ones graduating. You even have to do a test to prove to them that you do deserve to study in there, except in occasions where an influent instructor specifically brings you there to be their student."

"I see… they also have other things you usually see in schools? Like sports teams, drama club, or prom night?"

"Yeah, not quite." Zillah said, "Mages are not quite to focus on sports. We also don't encourage clubs and these things, we are too focused on our studies for that. The lecturers pass a lot of assignments to the students, and even when they are not busy making them, they still are encourage to use any free time that they have into studying more and getting better as mages. But you can imagine how many of them actually do that…" Zillah added the last part with a little humor, and this caused both female to chuckle, as Vicky could perfectly picture it.

"Well, that is basically this about the Association." Zillah concluded. "At least, all that I can tell. Yeah, I'm not telling you the location of the headquarters/school of the Association, and neither I'll give you a briefing of their classes."

"After all" Zillah said, with a smile in her muzzle "We are still mages, and we need to have at least a few secrets."

The way she spoke was as if she was speaking something to be proud of, and Vicky could understand that.

The interview was being fascinating so far. They had talked about what it meant to be a mage, about the differences between magecraft and magic, about the way that mages governed and managed themselves. This was all really fascinating, and it would surely be a memorable story.

Still…

There was one thing that has been on Vicky's mind for a while now, and that she felt like she should ask, even though it would be a very sensitive subject. After all, it was important.

"So, I guess this was basically all that this interview could cover." Vicky said, and Zillah nodded back, however, the vixen continued.

"But, before we end. There is one more thing I need to ask of you, if you think you can answer…"

The expression in Vicky's face was serious, and it made Zillah be just as serious, especially after she asked:

"I want to ask you about [b]The Darkest Hour[/b]…"