Luna Crescente had been abuzz with speculation and activity all morning; merchants running everywhere, commoners gossiping over drinks in the many quiet alleyways and cafes of the thriving town. Most of all, however, it was the mages of Harpy's Wing and Golem's Hand wo were providing the most energy to the proceedings, flooding the town to buy things, pick up gossip, and plan for whatever lay ahead of them. On an otherwise unassuming day, and with no official events in the town calendar, an onlooker might be surprised to find themselves in the midst of such a riot of excitement and energy, but members of the town all knew what was coming.

The date was June 1st, and that meant one thing: the S-Class trials were coming to Luna Crescente.

---

In the Nest, one of the two great hubs of activity, Arianna looked out on the proceedings below from the high balcony of the S-Class landing. Set atop a spiral staircase in the center of the main hall, it gave a 360 degree view of the room, and served as a vantage point where she could watch all her darling guild members prepare for the unknown. She had said nothing to anyone about what her plans for the trial would be this year, not even the few S-Class mages lounging behind her, but her guild all knew the drill: the announcement would be made at 5pm this evening in the town square, and after that the challenge would be on.

Seeing one of her younger and quieter members pushing her way through the crowd, Arianna pulled herself over the balcony and floated down to the ground, arriving just in time to stop her from being bowled over by a rogue team who were off on their way into town. Pulling the young girl aside, Arianna brushed her off before giving her a task.

"Are you alright? Yes? Good. I have a little job for you if you're not busy. I need you to go find Dreadlin and Pan, and tell them I'd like to speak with them please! Let them know they can meet me in an hour at 4:30, just before the announcement."

The young girl nodded vigorously before scurrying off through the crowd on her errand. Arianna smiled as she watched her weave her way across the floor of the Nest, some months ago she didn't have the courage to enter the hall, let alone cut all the way across the middle of it. They grow up so fast...

Breaking her train of thought, Arianna decided that enough time and planning had gone on without an official announcement. Jumping high into the air, she floated above the heads of her guild mates, before whistling a high note which reverberated throughout the room. Well used to this signal, the hall quickly quieted down as all heads turned upwards to look at her.

"I shall interupt all your planning for a brief moment! While the announcement for what the S-Class test will be shall wait until 5pm this evening as is tradition, there is one special piece of information that you must all be aware of. For the first time since their inception, Golem's Hand and Harpy's Wing will be combining their rank ups into one event! As such, a very special rule applies. Any scraps between guild members of different guilds that do not have a very clear instigator will see both parties disqualified from the test! I'm sure that as my precious children you're aware how unhappy I'd be if this happened to any of you, so please stay out of trouble. See you all at 5!"

And with that bombshell, Arianna floated straight back up over the edge of the S-Class landing, giggling to herself at the stunned faces of her S-Class mages and the riot of noise that erupted below her...

---

At the same time, in the center of town, a very similar situation was taking place in the halls and corridors of Golem's Hand. Delsin rubbed his temples and groaned as he contemplated just how much he had to do to set this all up. A month ago, he had been surprised when Ari waltzed through the doors of his office, dragging behind her his frustrated secretary, Angela, and his even more frustrated personal guard, Sam, both of whom were trying and failing to get her to wait outside and follow the due process of setting up a formal meeting. Never one for formalities, Ari completely ignored them both and simply wandered in unannounced.

Thoroughly unprepared for her arrival on an otherwise normal day, Delsin immediately turned into something of a stammering wreck, nodding along to what Ari said and just generally agreeing with her. It was only after she'd thanked him and walzted straight back out the door that he noticed the concerned looks of his aides and he actually processed what she'd said. Combining the S-Class trials and disqualifying members who got into fights with members of the other guild? It was going to be a logistical nightmare. But he'd said yes, and he did at least see the potential benefits that she was claiming would be found in such a system, so he was now invested in going along with it.

Just earlier, at around 3, he had made the announcement that Golem's Hand would be joining Harpy's Guild to perform their S-Class trials. The response was swift and definitive. Most people were either confused or concerned with the decision, and there were a few who actively booed the announcement, calling out the Harpies as being too soft to keep up with them. Delsin warned them all not to underestimate the Harpies, but his warning seems to have gone unheeded, with many members walking around laughing about how easy it's going to be if they're just going up against Harpies. Delsin smiled grimly to himself; there would be plenty of Golems who would be learning a swift and cruel lesson about how unwise it is to underestimate a group of people so dedicated on working together. Not least of all, his biggest problem...

He spoke quietly as he turned to Angela, who was keeping pace behind him.

"Send a runner for me if you would please Angela. More than one if you have to. I need to speak with Vega before the announcement at 5. Tell him if he doesn't turn up I'll have him doing C-Class jobs exclusively for the rest of the year."

Shaking his head, Delsin carried on to his other tasks. It was going to be a loooong month.

---

"No no little love, your left foot. Left foot forward and then cut."

On a sunny day with nary a cloud in the sky, not even an impending S-Class announcement could keep Illedrith from her scheduled activities. With the sun just starting to dip below the crest of the trees, she found herself on the banks of Luna Lake, teaching her bi-weekly combat class to the 5-10 year olds of Harpy's Wing as well as some of the young townsfolk. Today, as with every first week of the month, they were focusing on footwork and basic single sword proficiency, the basics of which formed the core for most fighting styles. Typically, there would be a crowd of onlookers, parents and curious individuals alike, but with the upcoming announcement, there were far more interesting things afoot in town for people to be interested in watching young kids be throughly mediocre at following instructions.

Illedrith loved jobs like these, simple tasks where she felt she was making a significant difference to her guild. She'd been taking on responsibilities like this from Ari pretty much since she was capable of doing them, and she still never tired of watching the look on a young Harpy's face when they finally figured out a technique or learned something new. These were, in her eyes, the future that her guild was working to protect, and there were few things more cherished than that.

With her students all lined up in front of one of her mirrors, and generally doing okay at the current exercise, she let her mind wander to the upcoming announcement. She'd chatted to her team over breakfast ever so briefly, and had invited them to come meet her here at 4:30 when this training ended so they could head over together, but she really hadn't put much thought into what the task would be. The last time she'd been in it, two years ago, it had been an item hunt as the qualifier, and then a 4 person round robin to determine the two people who would be invested as S-Class members of the guild. While she did find one of the six items, whe was just minutes behind the fourth person to come in with their item, so she missed out on the tournament. It was a little sad, but looking at the quality of fights that the four qualifiers put up in the round robin, she does have to admit that she probably wouldnt have won. This only redoubled her efforts in training though, and her style has come a long way since then. Maybe even enough to make it in...

Hearing the town bell ring, Illedrith snapped out of her revery and addressed her trainees.

"Alright, only fifteen minutes left! Let's do some sparring. Choose a partner, one that you didn't fight last week, and have a blunted weapon fight with them. Remember, no magic of any kind! If I catch you cheating you have to fight me instead, and you know I won't go easy on you! Alright, hop to it my darlings!"

As the kids scrambled to grab their wooden swords, Illedrith stretched her shoulders and looked around for the first time in a while, looking to see if any of her team had made their way down early or not. It'd be nice to have the time for a quick catch up before the announcement, but they were sure to be busy today, so she didn't have her hopes up.

Alexandria turned her attention back to her tea after Arianna made her surprise announcement. Gently sipping the soothing and warm liquid Alexandria felt a wave of calm wash over her as the warm fluid traveled down her throat. Alexandria gave the tea a gentle stir before gulping the rest down. Sighing in satisfaction at the relief to her throat and warm feeling to her stomach. Standing from the counter, Alexandria gently slid the teacup and saucer back to the bartender and thanked them for the drink. Picking up her sword from where it rested against the counter, Alexandria fastened it back to her belt and turned to the majority of the crowd in the guild hall. A thought entered her mind that she should tell Illedrith that a new condition had been announced, as Illedrith was not present at the guild hall at the time of the announcement. Alexandria tapped her right heel against the floor as she pondered where Illedrith might’ve been. Alexandria snapped her fingers as she remembered hearing that Illedrith was out training some of the younger members of the guild in basic swordsmanship. Commendable and needed for the future of the guild.

Nodding to herself, Alexandria walked out of the guild hall without too much ceremony. Her metal heels clicked against the floor and the various bits of armor that she wore rattled as she walked. A sound that was pleasing to a warrior, and to Alexandria. If Alexandria wasn’t stopped or interrupted by someone, she would walk out of the main doors to the guild hall and down the cobblestone path that extended to and from the guild. Turning into a secondary path that branched off of the main road, Alexandria hummed to herself and drummed her fingers on the base of her sword while she walked. Soon she heard the thudding of wooden sword against wooden sword as she approached the training grounds, and followed the sound at a relaxed pace.

It wasn’t too long after that Alexandria came into visual range of the training grounds. They were a pleasant sight to Alexandria. She had spent long hours around them in her previous guild. The memories of her slowly but surely learning how to control her shouts and learning the arts of requip were pleasant, as were the memories of learning how to carry herself as a maid, though they were stained by the incident with the assassins that had changed her path forever. Banishing away the events of the past, Alexandria raised her hand in greeting to Illedrith. When she was in a more comfortable range, Alexandria spoke. “Greetings Illedrith. How do you fair? The guild master made an announcement just now, and I don’t know if you were informed or not: We’re combining rank up tests with Golem’s Hand. As a strict rule, no scraps between guild members. If it’s not clear who started it, everyone involved will be disqualified from the upcoming event. I figured I would make sure you knew since you’re out here training the younglings.”

With that, Alexandria had delivered her message. Illedrith probably had something to say, so Alexandria waited for her to respond. While she did, Alexandria pushed her heels together and spread her toes, standing up straight and clasping her hands together behind her back. A deeply embedded habit from when she had been working as a maid, it was probably something that wasn’t going to easily be broken from Alexandria’s mannerisms. Alexandria herself sometimes found that she did it without knowing, though this time it was intentional and deliberate. Alexandria glanced at the training younglings for a few moments before returning her attention to Illedrith. Alexandria displayed no outward signs of being impatient, as was drilled into her by her maid training. It was something that came in handy when she had to debate anc converse with others, especially those that ranked higher in the guild hierarchy than she did.

The thudding of wooden swords against one another made Alexandria smile slightly. She drifted briefly back to the days where she had spent hours whacking a wooden training dummy with a wooden sword to better her upper body strength. One specific memory surfaced of her combat instructor teaching her how to use heels in combat. Most people considered them rather impractical, but with good enough balance and the right opportunity, you could drive a sharp enough heel through the base of someone’s jaw for a gnarly and hard to manage wound. Another opportunity was the throat, and it was just as deadly. Thus, Alexandria wore heels with her default armor, as impractical as it might be to some.

Bringing herself back to the present, Alexandria continued to wait and see what Illedrith’s response was. Hopefully she took the news well. Alexandria knew that Illedrith could sometimes be a bit zealous when it came to Harpy’s Wing. It was a desirable trait in some cases, but unleashing such a passion at the wrong moment could create some major headaches. Especially with the newly announced rule that anyone caught scrapping would be in serious trouble. Best to try and keep everything calm in this situation. No need to pound on the drums of war just yet.

~Ceri~

@Valor@Lord Sawsaw2
Alexandria and Mis

---

For the most part, Ceri had been a bundle of nerves all day. She couldn't sit still for long, she couldn't relax, she couldn't do anything other than idly pace and try to keep herself occupied with something else other than thinking about the S-class exams. She had remained inside of the Nest most of the day though, she couldn't bring herself to leave for fear of getting lost in the city Again. For the umpteenth time. She should really invest in a map or something stowed in her robe. A few of the other guild members had tried their best to calm her down and help but for the most part she just ended up working herself up more than she already was.

At least she was feeling a smidge less worked up now. Enough to finally sit still, at least.

"Oh dear oh dear..." She was sitting in the main hall of the Nest, just under the Balcony where the S-class mages were allowed. "Great idea Ceri...you're definitely S-class mage material! uuurgh." She reached up, grabbing the hem of her hood with both hands and tried to pull it tighter over her face. "Idiotidiotidiot. Your an idiot! You're not S-class material. Not in your state..." She took a deep breath, shaking her head and letting her hands fall to the table she was sitting at. "No...no, you'll do fine. Yes, you'll do fine...just have to be careful. Y-you'd disappoint M-mis." She reached for her drink. Nothing fancy, just some milk. Right, deep breaths. Calm calm. She was calm, like a cool misty autumn morning.

Finally managing to get some semblance over control over her thoughts, she looked around the Nest. It was...quite the heartwarming sight, wasn't it? Everyone was chattering so eagerly and happily, speculating about the Exams and what exactly they would entail. It was...well, a bit infectious really. Soon, she found herself smiling and feeling much more at ease. Right, right. Whatever was she upset for? She...well, liked everyone in this guild. They had been nice to her. Much nicer than she expected...much more than her father said they would be...

Her thoughts were interrupted by Arianna's sharp whistle. An announcement of some sort? Ceri turned her head to the Guild master, listening as intently as she could. Regarding the S-class trial. Oh good. She could feel the anxiety creeping back into her robes at the mention of them. Just take a drink and calm down, yes. She brought the mug to her lips as Arianna continued.

In hindsight, that was a terrible idea.

"Bwugh!?" Ceri nearly choked on the drink, spilling some of the contents all over the table and someone who had been standing fairly close. Did she...she had heart that right, didn't she? They were...they were going to be working with Golems hand during their rank-ups? Or at least, combining their S-rank exams into one event?

"Why the-" She had managed to refrain from shouting, but she had very strong feelings about this, and none of them were pleasant ones.

"S-sorry!" She stuttered out to the person who she had spilled her drink all over, but she didn't stick around. She got up from her seat, and swiftly headed from the Nest to where she knew Mis would be.

Oh dear.

Oh dear oh dear.

Ohdearohdearohdear.

This was not good. Not good at all.

"Golems hand? Same event?! Great idea, accepting an the S-class exam! Whywhywhy did you think this was a good idea you moron?! Y-you're not ready, not like this..." Despite the uproar of chatter and excitement following the announcement, Ceri just couldn't bring herself to feel anything other than pure and utter dread at the thought of working with the other guild. She carried herself swiftly through the crowd, easily making her way through them. Wasn't entirely difficult for her, despite the poofy robes.

Not that she had anything against Golem's hand, no. Aside from someone she wasn't going to even consider calling them by name, they were alright people. Scary since she didn't really know them, but so were the people at Harpy's wing when she first met them. Still...even dealing with that one person was enough to make her nope out of anything dealing with them faster than she could poof from existence. Which was fast, mind you.

Right, she should talk with Mis. Mis could help her with...this. She'd feel calmer around her, too. Always did. She just needed to talk to her. She'd get her head on straight then, right, of course and soon enough she had arrived at Mis' usual bi-weekly training area on the banks of Luna Lake. By the time she arrived, she had slowed her pace considerably to a much more reasonable walk as she approached the older girl from behind.

"M-mis...!" She stuttered out, only to have her words peter out into inaudibility as she realized she was already speaking with someone. Alexandria. Another of her guild-mates participating in the S-class exams. O-oooh, they looked like they were talking about something important. She hesitated approaching further. She didn't dislike Alexandria at all - quite the opposite. If anything, she slightly admired the other girl...but she didn't feel as though she should interrupt or like she could speak very well in her current state, even with Mis there.

She grabbed the hem of her hood again, pulling it further over her face in her usual fashion when she was trying to appear as small as possible. She breathed in, and out. In, and out. Calm. She was calm and weightless like a fleeting memory or leaf on a breeze before continuing over to Mis.

"M-mis...!" She approached with almost eerie silence, and if it had been anyone other than Mis she'd have probably given them quite the scare when she tugged lightly on the older woman's hand. "H-hi...Alex-alexandria..." Her voice was barely above a whisper in front of Alexandria as she kept her gaze focused on either Mis or the ground.

Mis would easily be able to tell she wasn't currently feeling her best.

Returning from her recent job, Kage slipped into the Golem’s Arm Guild Hall to find it in a bit of an uproar. Confused as to what was going on, she moved against the wall, kept quiet and listened to the various conversations going on.

“...what is he thinking?”

“...weak Harpies...”

“They don’t stand a chance!”

“...I hope I’ll make S class this year...”

“...so there was this sock...”

A few minutes later, Kage thought she got the idea. Golem’s Arm was pairing with their rival guild Harpy’s Wing to host S-Class trials. Kage wasn’t particularly enthused. A few other guilds she had been in had similar events, but she had never been chosen. She had never been anywhere long enough, nor cared enough to try. Besides, it was likely that she would be forced to leave and find a new guild in a few months. Sooner or later they would learn her secret and drive her out.

They always did.

She passed the job request board and considered going out on a job again. But she really wasn’t feeling up to it. Instead, she made her way over to the bar for some food and drink. She got some soup and a tall glass of milk. Annoying that they wouldn’t let her have alcohol because of the way she looked... Jerks. But she couldn’t explain her condition to them, so she settled for an inferior drink. She found a mostly empty table to sit at. She gingerly placed her soup down, claiming the table as her own. Seeing a salt shaker nearby, she grabbed it. She shook a little salt into her gloved palm before casually tossing it over her left shoulder. That done, she removed her mask, placing it on the table, and began to eat.

The soup was good. A little salty. But good.

@Crimson Raven

A heavy sigh escaped Jack as he walked through the guilds main doors and rubbed his sore neck with a grunt. Jacks night had been a rather fun one of drinking and fighting at the towns pub, but it was actually pretty disappointing seeing as how everyone who went up against him went down quickly. He was a bit annoyed thanks to his sore neck caused by a cheap blow from a bar stool and his ungodly hangover. Other than those two things though it was a fun night. As he entered the guild he stopped to notice that everyone seemed either confused or extremely pumped up about something. He cocked an eyebrow in confusion and pulled one of the newer guild members away. "The hell's going on?" he asked while trying not to cringe from a splitting headache that pounded away at his skull.

"Master Delsin just told us that for the S-class trails we're going up against Harpy Wing!" the member smiled before returning to his group of excited friends. Jack was a bit surprised and caught off guard, but soon a grin crawled onto his face as the news sunk in. His excitement began to grow as the thought of fighting Harpy Wings strongest fighters fueled his enthusiasm for the S-class trials. It was almost enough to help him forget his hangover. Almost. He winced at a sharp pain in his head as he walked to the guilds bar and sat down with a grin.

"Hey, the usual," Jack ordered from the bartender. The bartender rolled his eyes and smirked as he nodded his head and disappeared under the bar table. After a few seconds he returned with three large mugs of alcohol and placed them in front of a grinning Jack.

"I'll put it on your tab as usual," he mumbled before heading off to the other end of the bar. Jack chuckled and quickly chugged half a mug with eagerness. He slapped the mug onto the table and sighed with relief.

"Now that is how you get over a hangover!" he laughed before returning to his drink. Not only were his drinks brightening his day, but the news of the S-class trails helped light the usual fighting flame within his gut. Soon he'd get another go at the rival guilds members and have a chance to fight a few others that he hadn't gone up against yet. This was going to be a good day for Jack. As he moved on to his second mug he noticed a hooded figure to his right enjoying their soup. He quickly recognized the figure to be Kage, a somewhat new member of the guild.

Jack chuckled and leaned onto the table to get a better look of her. "Hey, looks like you're back from your job. How many skulls did ya manage to crack?" he asked with a grin, but before he let her answer he noticed that she was only drinking milk and frowned. "The hell you drinking that crap for? Here, have something that really goes well with soup!" he chuckled as he slid his much fuller mug to her side. Seeing someone not drink alcohol at a freaking bar nearly broke Jacks heart! The bartender noticed what Jack did, but after a quick gaze between the two he sighed and looked the other way.

Kage turned her head toward the loud man next to her. She was quiet for a long moment, looking him up and down with her grey eyes, while also still eating. She reconized him. He was Jack. A bit of a simpleton in her book. Not that she kept one. She knew his type. They came up all friendly, then stab you in the back.

She held up three fingers with her free hand, looking at his mugs of beer. It wasn’t clear if she was answering his first question or counting the kegs. Her eyes moved up to his face. She put another spoonful of soup in her mouth. Chew. Chew. Swallow. ”Is an odd number. So is nineteen.” She looked away and shook her head. ”Ninteen is less then twenty-one also odd I can’t.” She said all this in a very quiet, slightly apologetic voice. She picked up her glass of milk, and wondered why she didn’t order coffee. Oh right. The coffee here is disgusting. Not worth discussing. ”This cuss thing.” She said aloud, taking a sip. Twenty words. Too many.

She wondered why he was here.

Interacting with: Nobody

The young lads morning started out like every other one, waltzing out of some neck of the woods though it was strange seeing him so early in the morning. Most people questioned why he lived in the forest and he would always reply with.

"It's very peaceful"

The night breeze, the starry night sky, crickets chirping. It made Damian feel as if he was back at home, it was the only kind of shelter he knew. He hated being inside of such a enclosed home, it made him feel like a bird locked in a cage. This was also his way of training. Maintaining a healthy relationship with nature is an important catalyst withj his magic. The better the relationship the easier it is to draw out the magic power embedded in the land.

He usually only came out around the afternoon but the loud ruckus from town seemed to drag the sloth out onto to his feet prematurly. It was quite funny how despite always being in nature, Damian is one of the more cleanlier people in Golem's hand. His skin always haw a nice healthy glow and he always had a nice smell of spearmint because of his proper use of herbs in hygiene.

As he walked into town all he heard about was the word "S-Class" being thrown around by everyone. Wasn't that just some fancy rank above A? He heard Delsin mention it a couple of times that it was a title bestowed only to mages are physically and mentally deserving. Who cares about some title though? Damian was pretty sure it was something he could live about. The only use he would have from it is just bragging to the ladies. Damian began day dreaming in his head a scenario where Alexandria would accept his date request because he had the title of S-Class. A dopey grin appearing on his face as he let out slight squeel.

"Hee-hee"

Just the thought of such an event possibly happening woke the boy up. Usually it takes him a while to be up and running like this. With all the thinking he had been doing, Damian had finally arrived at the Golem's Hand guild hall, as he opened the door everyone turned to see who had entered. Their faces smiling with intrigue as to why the lazy bum forest bum was up so early.

"Whatcha doing here so early huh?" one of the guild members snarled at him, Damian didn't make any eye contact with him simply sighing. They were lucky he was a really down to earth guy, no pun intended. The young lad just answered with a uninterested reply.

"I am curious as to what those chosen for the S-Class trials have to go through, so I decided to pay the guild a visit early so I dont miss anything."

"Sit tight, because with that attitude this is as far as you'll get. Watching the S-Class trials is one thing but experiencing it is another." They said heckling at the boy, Damian just kept walking over to his favorite bench before laying on the table trying to get comfortable. It was his favorite bench because the sunlight hit just nicely on his body keeping him nice and cozy.

"Besides this year is different, our guild and the Harpies are holding the trials together. Meaning it is easy pickens for us"

Damian got excited sitting up, "Really!" he finally had a good reason to be close to their guildmates without anyone getting mad. His face frowned shortly after. "That's too bad, I doubt Master Delsin selected me to partake in such a trial anyways" He said quickly laying back down and turning onto his side, the boy's body facing in the direction of the bar where he saw a familiar navy blue cloak. Kage must be back from her mission, this seemed to perk him up a little bit. He positioned his hand to getup in preperation to make way to welcome the mysterious girl back.

That is until he saw who was next to her, just staring his direction drained all desire. Surely the green haired fellow would just try and pick a fight with him if the two makes eye contact, even moreso if Damian walked over to the bar. He would just wait until Jack left, hopefully Kage wouldn't disappear by then. She rarely sat down for a meal at the guild hall so this was a good chance to get to know her a little bit more. Damien turned onto his back as he laid on the table, placing his hands behind his hands and staired at the ceiling as he awaited on who would be chosen for the trial or for the next goon to try and tease him.

---

Vega was absent since the previous evening, having heard that the S class trials were going to be held alongside the Harpy trials as well, he found it distasteful, made that clear, and then left. The following day...

"Oy, I know you ingrates have more than that on ya, or what, waiting for a big pull on today's public event?"

"H-hey, Vega ri-r-", "HAAAAH?! Speak up I can't hear ya!", he gave the raggedly dressed man yet another kick, right into two of his other accomplices. Vega despite his new affiliation still really can't let his knowledge of the criminal underbelly of towns go, the thieves and muggers of the town knew of him, and feared him. Though he never took to stealing alongside them or anything, maybe another time when he had no magic, but now? He saw them as beneath him. He freely took from them, and today...

"I-is something wrong...? Normally you'd just... Take whatever we have and go but today-", the man quickly slid back as ethereal black knives stuck themselves inches in front of him.

"Today's a pisser, you got that right. I'll go buy myself something nice in town, have fun pickpocketing the crowd... Damn small fry", Vega walked away out of the alleyway juggling the bag of coin in one hand as he left them to slink away back into the shadows.

The more and more he saw the decorations and the preparations at the trial venue the more and more foul his mood became, even pickpocketing random passersby for extra coin and before he knew it he was sitting at a bench with more food and strange assortment of trinkets than he should be doing anything with. Those who observed him enough would know he stole and mugged for stress relief, a rather harmful way of venting, but if he started a fight around the day of the trials, Delsin's probably gonna cut his payout on missions or something again. Crafty bastard, figured out physical punishment wasn't going to do a thing, money, materialistic things, that's what he wanted. Why? It was fun, call it a collector's interest or will. But what exactly was he collecting...? Compared to the other high earning members, he didn't spend it on drinking or anything, it was like he was some kind of dragon hoarding treasure.

The park today was quiet, figures, everyone was concentrated further in town, which suited him just fine, as he bit down on more of the food he bought. He got all kinds, from small cakes to fried food,

"Tch, they even make food taste bad...", he breathed another coarse exhale in contempt. He disliked the Harpies, that much was clear, their whole lovey dovey affair was disgusting, the world was nothing like that and to him it was an affront on reality. Running a guild with such flowery intentions was going to get them wound up torn apart eventually when they meet a force more powerful than them. He knew that well enough.

For now, he was considering just sitting out this S trial, or not... It was a chance to publically fight them without repercussion... But knowing how they'd make the rules, it'd be nothing like that huh? Boring, no fun at all.

Striding into The Keep, the S-Class only building at the center of the Rock, Angela Lozelle grabbed the nearest layabout and hauled them to their feet.

"Get me the Number One Special Squad, I want them front and center in ten minutes if they're in the Keep."

Nodding meekly to the diminutive lady, the younger mage scurried off to hustle up his fellow S-Class mages. It might seem like an odd scene, but anyone who knew Angela's history and prowess, not to mention her place in the guild as second only to Delsin, it was a reasonably common occurrence. As the person who dealt with job hunts and revenue distribution, being on her bad side was an exceptionally poor idea for anyone in the guild, so much so that sometimes her word would count for more than Delsin's when it came to public guild matters; a fact she ribbed him for endlessly.

Sighing and breaking from her train of thought, she walked to the panel on the wall and activated it with a spark of magic. Clearing her throat to get the attention of anyone listening, her voice was carried throughout the Rock to magical emitters in most major locations.

"Continue listening for details of a C-rank search mission. Deliver the location of Vega Ashworth to the Number One Special Squad or Angela Lozelle within 20 minutes for payment. Scaling payment depending on time taken for information. Authorized by Delsin's authority under the Vega clause."

Turning around, Angela faced the three people who had arrived behind her while she was talking. What could very accurately be described as a wall of flesh is what greeted her. Put together by Delsin to be a roundup team for whenever Vega went rogue (fortunately less common these days she was forced to admit), this group very quickly picked up a comedic name in the guild, since it was made of three powerful mages, each of which were physically focused, and so offered very little for Vega to use to his advantage. Now known across the town as the 'Number One Special Squad', basically everyone knew what it meant when these three were working together.

"Alright boys, let's go. Delsin wants to talk with Vega before the announcement, and it sounded like it was pretty important, so let's leave nothing up to chance. I'm sure someone knows where he is, so we'll get our destination on our way out."

Sure enough, they'd barely gone two rooms before someone filled them in on where Vega was enjoying his presumably unlawfully acquired goods...

- - - - - - - - - -

Walking into the park, it didn't take the group of four long to spot Vega, lounging as he was with a whole pile of food. Her brow wrinkling in distaste, Angela waved her three S-Class brothers out into a wide fan just in case Vega decided to make an uncharacteristic run for it. Weapons were still sheathed, but as always, the team was fully ready for a fight if it came to it. Reasonably unlikely this time around, but one never knew with Vega, and Angela was always happy to err on the side of caution if it brought pause to their notorious troublemaker.

"Delsin wants a word with you, Vega. Not a clue what it's about but apparently it's important. You're coming back with us: easy way or the hard way?"

---

Turning away from her trainees for a moment to search for her team, Illedrith spotted a familiar face coming towards her instead. Alexandria was making her way down the hill, and waved as she approached. Waving back, Illedrith waited as she made her way down to the training area. Any thoughts about why she had come to visit were dispelled when she delivered her message.

“Greetings Illedrith. How do you fair? The guild master made an announcement just now, and I don’t know if you were informed or not: We’re combining rank up tests with Golem’s Hand. As a strict rule, no scraps between guild members. If it’s not clear who started it, everyone involved will be disqualified from the upcoming event. I figured I would make sure you knew since you’re out here training the younglings.”

A frown developed swiftly on Illedrith's face as she heard the news, and stayed firmly plastered there while she considered the ramifications of the announcement. On one hand, it would lead to less brawls in the streets for the duration of the trials, as many of the instigators would be interested in being chosen for the trials. It could also lead to a closer bond between the divided guilds if the task was appropriate, which could hardly be seen as a bad thing. But on the other hand, there were many who would be concerned or worried about going up against or working with the Golems, not least of whom would be...

"M-mis...!"

...Ceri.

"H-hi...Alex-alexandria..."

Illedrith sighed softly as she turned around to face her closest friend who had, as always, seemingly appeared out of thin air. Grasping her hand firmly in return after she tugged on her hand, Illedrith took a step back to wordlessly invite her ever shy friend into the conversation. She'd been so very proud of her teammate when she had put her name forward for the S-Class trials. Ever pushing her to grow and improve herself, even though there wasn't a great chance of her being chosen, let alone winning and being ranked, just the act of stepping forward was a really important one. This announcement was, in that sense, a massive spanner in the works. Skittish at the best of times, this trial would no longer be simply be between people she trusted, and would potentially include people who had teased and bullied her before.

Turning back to Alexandria, Illedrith replied to the question she'd left hanging for a moment.

"I must say, I fared better before you gave me the news, but thank you very much for taking the time to make your way all the way out here to tell me, I appreciate it. I doubt it's made much of an impact on your plans though; I presume you're entering?"

Turning back to face Ceri, she smiled and patted her on the head softly with her free hand as she kept talking.

"My lovely smoke knight here and I were going to wait on the rest of our team to show up before heading off into town for the announcement. Would you care to join us, or did you have other plans for the afternoon?"

@Lord Sawsaw2 (Angela)

---

Vega lounged on the bench, arms on the upper railings as he craned his neck backwards in relaxation, though the aura he gave off was far from relaxation, more like restlessness and an element of instability. Despite having so much food, Angela could observe that he had only eaten one or two packets of probably over a dozen. He didn't seem at all interested in what he had obtained, a waste of food so it seemed.

"Aaahhhh, Ms. Angela teacher miss, my stomach feels really bad, I think I ate something foul just now and can't go and attend class. Can't I have a day off?...", he began, his voice high and mockingly acting, his head still craned over the bench, but after a pause he shifted and sat forward, elbows on his knees.

"As if... That never works with you sticklers", he didn't like being told what to do, unless there was something in it for him, he wasn't going to go willingly. Delsin wanted to talk to him, must be about the damn S Trials. He used to look forward to them as a chance to have some fun but turns out they were just boring little tests. Still... As much as he hated it, it wouldn't do him any good to ignore Delsin's demands, don't bite the hand that feeds... Too much. However... The person before him isn't Delsin, though he plans to answer, he was frustrated and stealing and mugging didn't seem to do a thing.

"Whatever, humor me for a little", he stood up, cricked his neck as he flipped his hand out of his pocket, a flash of silver could be seen as his knife flew up into the air, it's respective parts splitting and then being enveloped in a malicious matte aura tinged with purple, and within moments forming a scythe.

@Crimson Raven

Jack tilted his head slightly and cocked an eyebrow by Kages strangeness. He thought she was a little weird, but by now he's used to being around strange people. Soon he shook his head and grinned. "I'll just take it you had a good job," he said as he took another swig from his mug. A small shutter traveled down his spine as the alcohol flowed down his throat. Jack chuckled with satisfaction before glancing back to Kage. "Ya know you joined not to long ago and already you're kicking some major ass with these jobs," he said before leaning in close while glancing over his shoulders with a sly smile. "You've even gotten a few admirers that are just dying to know you're past. Ya know since you got this whole mystery girl thing going on," he chuckled and shrugged as he leaned away to give her room.

"I could care less about you're past though, I'm just interest in the way you fight. Similar magic, but different ways of using them," he looked to her with a hint of excitement in his eyes. "One of these days we need to spar with each other, see which one is stronger and learn a few new tricks. What do ya say, think you're down with a friendly brawl?" he asked with enthusiasm. "Loser has to pay for a full round of drinks for the whole guild," he said setting the bar a bit higher.

@Rune_Alchemist@Lord Sawsaw2

Alexandri's ear twitched as Ceri called the first time. She had heard a sound, but nothing so distinct as a name. She gave a quick look around, but by the time she turned her attention back to Illedrith Ceri was already grabbing at her hand. Alexandria blinked, but said nothing of the gesture. Holding hands was a bit of a foreign feeling to her since she had grown up without much in the way of parenting. Alexandria didn't comment on the situation, however, as it would've been rude. As Illedrith conversed with Ceri for a moment, Alexandria waited patiently. When Illedrith turned her attention back to Alexandria and replied, Alexandria offered her condolences. "My apologies for being the one to deliver bad news. It's not something I enjoy doing, really, but I figured you would want to know sooner rather than later."

With that said, Alexandria turned her attention down to Ceri and put a soft smile to her face while she spoke to the shy girl. "Greetings, Ceri. I thought I heard someone else speak not too long ago, and it appears that I was correct. How are you faring?" Alexandria already knew the answer to this question, but she felt it rude to point out such an obvious condition, especially when that condition was not resolved at the current time. Alexandria turned her attention back to Illedrith for a moment to answer the questions that had been posed. "It isn't a problem for me to deliver the message, I had wanted to stretch my legs anyway after sitting for a while. I had planned on entering, yes. I don't know how much of a chance I'll have of winning, but I'd at least like to put forth the effort and be there encase anything goes wrong. I don't really have a formal team of my own, so I would be grateful to have some traveling companions for the trip. You have my thanks for the offer."

Alexandria's years as a maid showed not just in her stance, but in her speaking as well. She was extremely polite and spoke in a way that frequently complemented the person she was talking to. It was no wonder why she frequently acted as diplomat between the two guilds and the higher authorities that they had to deal with from time to time: Alexandria knew well the ways of speaking formally. A soft breeze rustled Alexandria's hair and caused the various capes and and tassels that she wore to flow gently as it passed. Alexandria would've normally commented on the weather, but it was not her turn to speak in the conversation, and thus she remained quiet. The day was quite nice, however. Hopefully nothing bad happened to sour this weather.

That was an uncertainty, however. The meeting was coming up soon and Golem's Hand had a few known troublemakers. Hopefully Guildmaster Delsin would be able to keep them all in line for the meeting, especially with the ceasefire being called. Alexandria did have a few grains of doubt, however, because there were some who saw every rule as a challenge rather than a barrier. It bothered Alexandria, but she didn't show it. All she could do was put her best foot forward and be ready encase anything happened.

Traveling with Illedrith and Ceri would aid in this. Alexandria and Illedrith could make up a good frontline while Ceri supported them. Hopefully it didn't come to that, but Alexandria was thankful to be around other warriors encase it did. Misery loved company, but good company could keep you out of misery.

On the far side of Luna Lake beyond even the gorgeous tower known to the locals as The Nest, there lies a most unusual forest. It covers a fairly large area which supposedly was little more than a wide open field just a few years back, but there it stands all the same: tall and mighty, and growing rapidly.

The trees at the center of this peculiar forest are perhaps even stranger than its sudden appearance. They tower over the others in the forest with leaves of white as pure as snow. As beautiful as they are, there is something haunting about the albino trees. They grow very close together and very wide. In fact, they grow so close and so wide that in the deepest part of the grove, they actually block out the sun, leaving the only light to be the strange soft glow of their leaves, something usually only noticeable at night..

The people of Luna Crescente tend to avoid this grove, as some believe it to be haunted by vengeful forest spirits and mischievous imps. The mages of Harpy’s Wing, however, have a different name for these spirits and imps.

They call him Pan.

---

---

The birds seemed happy. This was a good sign. The old man who had been slowly following the stream kneeled down by the water. His knees cracked, as they often did now, loud enough to stir the little ball of fluff he cradled with one arm. The squirrel hopped from the old man’s arm and looked from side to side. It then laid down flat, rubbing it’s belly on the soft ground and stretching out each limb one by one before letting out a silent yawn. Pan couldn’t help but chuckle upon hearing the little squirrel’s own joints pop and crackle.

“Yer gettin’ old, friend.” he laughed, although the truth of the statement tasted a bit bitter. He noticed more and more grey in the squirrel’s fur every day. Or perhaps it would be more apt to say that he noticed less and less brown. Either way, the thought left Pan’s head as soon as the squirrel began chattering, which took for protest and laughed even harder.

When his furry friend decided to drink from the stream, Pan followed suit. He dipped one gnarled hand into the creek and cupped up a drink. The cool water was refreshing to the old man’s cracked and dry lips. And the taste...oh how sweet it was. And clean. The old man’s first instinct was to greedily drink from the stream until he swelled up and burst...but he resisted the urge. Tonight he would break the fast, but for now he must be content with just them minimum amount of water. He took two more drinks before dragging the back of his forearm across his lips and raising back to his feet, knees cracking in protest the whole time.

Perhaps in another forest, Pan might need to worry about the water, but not here. Not in his grove. The presence of the sacred tree kept the land pure and the waters free of taint. For this, he owed them thanks.

The old man moved up stream just a ways to a lone white-leafed tree. He placed a still dripping palm upon the trunk and closed his eyes, muttering a prayer. As he had countless times before. As he would countless times going forward. A very faint glow would emanate from the old man’s hand. The tree’s bark, which had been rubbed clean off in spots, began to grow. Slowly, ever so slowly, the bark above and below the rub closed in tighter and tighter, until the exposed layer was covered with bark so cleanly fused that one would never notice that it had ever been anything but.

The old man apologized to the tree. Of course, it wasn’t he that rubbed the tree raw, that likely being some buck in the rut. No, he was apologizing for not getting to it sooner. The rut was months ago and he had neglected his duty. But the trees were benevolent beings. They would understand.

Satisfied with his work, the old man turned and continued heading downstream, towards the lake.

His elderly squirrel friend followed close behind, delicious acorn in tow.

---

---

The duo arrived at the shoreline some time later. Having filled up on acorn as they walked, Pan’s little buddy had apparently tuckered himself out and decided to hitch a ride back on the old man’s arm, where he promptly fell back into his nap. Pan walked a bit slower and more carefully, which made the trip much longer, but that was fine. He wasn’t in any rush.

Should his eyesight be a bit better, perhaps Pan would have noticed the group of people on the bank of the island in the center of the lake. But it wasn’t, so he didn’t. He did notice the Nest however. It was pretty hard to miss, all things considered. He could see the city beyond the tower of course, but it compared little to the beauty of the Nest, or at least in Pan's mind it did. It was a sight to behold, that’s for sure. Pan stood admiring the Harpy’s home for a few moments before he bent over and laid his sleeping companion on a nice, soft mound of dirt that he had built.

The land made a smooth transition into the water for pretty much the entire shoreline, save for right where the stream met the lake. Here the land was raised just a bit. It was nothing extreme, just enough for the old man to have a seat and soak his feet without having to sit in the water. He drove his walking stick into the ground and used it to help lower himself down. Getting up might be a bit tricky, but that was fine. For now, he just wanted to dip his feet.

The water felt amazing. Almost immediately, Pan felt his feet loosen and what seemed like years of pain left him. It would only be temporary, he knew that, but for now he would be content just soaking his feet for a little while. The way the sun hit this particular spot at this particular time was absolutely perfect. So, not wanting to waste an opportunity, Pan laid back, resting his head on his folded hands. He closed his eyes, just planning on resting them for a bit before getting back to work.

Shortly later, Pan felt something furry climb onto his chest and spin around a couple times before finally getting settled.

In a matter of moments, the two best friends were snoozing in the sun.

~Ceri~

@Valor@Lord Sawsaw2
Alexandria and Mis

---

Ceri protested only lightly to receiving a head pat, jumping lightly from the rather unexpected gesture but she didn't mind too much. She was already feeling much more calm around Illedrith already, which was good for a number of reasons. She glanced at Alexandria again from under her hood, doing her best to smile nervously from under her hood. Not that Alexandria would be able to see it, but she had to at least try as she replied.

"A-ah...I-I'm w-well enough..." She managed to reply quietly. "Just a little...flustered after hearing the announcement..." She let go of Mis' hand, pulling her hood over her face in her usual fashion before laughing sheepishly. "I shouldn't have been drinking anything, hehe..." She wasn't going to elaborate on that. Didn't want to put her own foot in her mouth more than she just did, and she really had nothing else to say on the situation. She wasn't a very good speaker, even at the best of times.

As long as she had the two of them with her, she could do this, right? Mis was a strong mage, and so was Alexandria...unlike her. Hopefully she wouldn't get in the way too much if she did get picked for the exam. O-oh, but if she did get picked that meant another more talented mage would have lost the chance...oof, she should stop thinking now. She was only going to hurt her mindset more with all these thoughts.

She wished the others would hurry up so they could get a move on.

Saeko

"CRAAAAAAAP I'm Late!" Saeko yelled as she rushed out of her apartment her armor a bit disheveled but otherwise presentable her hair was in the same state sticking out in every which way. As she ran towards the guild hall trying to comb her hair in the process not a great start but she supposed this was her fault she pushed her self in training a lot last night where she lost track of time. Still it did not excuse tardiness. Thankfully her apartment was nearby the guild hall was the only good thing she saw so she wouldn't be as late she supposed. Managing to get her hair somewhat presentable in her rush she sighed in relief as she arrived at the guild hall. Hearing the practice of the children nearby she couldn't help but smile it was good to see they were doing their reps meaning she may not be as late as she thought she was.

Entering the hall Saeko fixed herself after noticing her disarray of her armor thankful no one saw her just yet. Than with a purpose she strode forward with clear on seeking her team. Illedrith and Ceri was easy to spot and with a smile on her face she set up a apology in her head also noticing the commotion of the guild was a bit higher than normal. She probably missed a announcement due to her tardiness which honestly wouldn't the first while rare she had missed a few announcements due to her training all night or losing track of herself as she searched for her brother. Spotting them in the training field she called out making a brief bow to Alexandria. "Illedrith, Ceri! Sorry i'm late!" She said as she got up form her bow. "I overslept after training for most of the night and early morning my apologies" She continued blush involuntary marking her cheeks.

---

But Pan and his friend would soon be in for a rude awakening...

If they listen very closely and feel the faint vibrations in the ground, they can hear the sounds of thundering footsteps coming from nearby. Not only that, they may hear the echoing roar of an enraged beast alongside the separate noise of flapping wings. The nearby wildlife cocked their heads at the sudden realization and began to flee the lake. Birds fluttered from their roosts high in the trees, squirrels and deer scampered quickly deeper into the forest, and the lizards hugging the ground slid underneath the large rocks. They knew what was coming. Something was close... and it was rapidly approaching the lake. And the next thing the two bystanders knew...

They're here.

Bursting straight from the trees, a large flying beast falls off a several meter high cliff opposite of the shore where the old man was sitting by and crashes back-first into the water. Upon closer inspection, one can clearly tell that the flying beast was a fully grown male Wyvern, with dark-red orange skin and black splotches, his wings having a tan-pasty color that shines brightly when seen directly at the sun. Yet he also has fresh wounds and scars on his head and body, clearly indicating that it's in a fight... and from just looking at his panicked nature, he appears to be loosing. As it thrashes to get himself back up and readies to fly, the trees above burst open to reveal another huge monster lunging down from the cliff!

"SKRRAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the beast roars menacingly as he pounces on the monster with his black beak-like mouth wide open with fire spewing from deep within his throat.

The Wyvern was quick enough to dodge, but only barely as the following splash shoves him at an angle that promptly puts him back on the ground. The wyvern shrieks as the attacking monster rears its massive body from the crystal-clear waters. The bipedal theropod looks like a monster from hell, sporting dark-crimson skin, with two rows of massive blackish-blue spikes piercing out of his back. Even his tail seems to be shaped like a massive sword blade, ready to decapitate anything that's foolish enough to get in his way. It's clearly much more powerful when compared to the frail-looking wyvern. As he growls menacingly towards the flying beast, he makes a mad lunge at the wyvern, only to fall slightly short as the opponent quickly takes a step back and takes to the air. Quickly the creature lunges his talons at the carnosaur's head, attempting to break into his armored skull. The theropod bellows annoyingly as he thrashes his head wildly to get him off, his tail splashing rapidly in the water in desperation.

With a sudden heave however, the theropod bangs his head against the cliff, while also thrusting the wyvern straight into the rocks. The creature grunts painfully as the impact prompts him to fly back into the air. With another screech the wyvern begins to position himself to leave the battlefield, knowing that he'll loose the battle if he continues to stick around. Yet as it prepares to leave, the land-based dinosaur had just one more thing up his sleeve. With a burst of adrenaline, the monster climbs briefly on the cliff and leaps off it all while raising his blade-like tail straight towards the wyvern! While his aim was a bit off, the tail was able to chop the wyvern's club-like spiked tail clean off as both tails make a huge splash back in the water, causing a large wave to crash upon the shore. The flying beast howls in pain as it stutters briefly in mid-flight yet was still able to regain his balance as he flies above the treetops and makes his exit.

The theropod's aquamarine eyes and void-black pupils look menacingly into the air as it dishes out one last bellow, as if calling the wyvern a coward, before submerging into the deep part of the lake. For a brief minute or two, it seemed like the monster disappeared completely, only leaving the blood from the wyvern's tail oozing in the lake. Yet by the shore where Pan and his buddy were lying, something else emerges from the depths. A scaly-green lizardman pulls himself out of the water panting heavily as he plops down on all fours by the muddy shore.

"Bloody bastard..." mutters Dreadlin Nauss to himself as he slowly takes a knee, "Ya' got lucky tis' time... I swear I'll get ya next time ya big flyin' bloke..."

For the most part the day was the same as any other, save for a lack of twisted panties and one or two slaps echoing through Luna Crescente. Usually Cyril would be around the market near this time, either grabbing a bite, or attempting to indulge himself in more voluptuary endeavors, but yet there was no sound; most women came to realize that it was that time of year again.

"Hup!"

With one hefty lunge, Cyril attempted to stab at his doppelganger, the mirror version promptly sidestepped the blow. However, he proceeded to feint out, pivoting around to slice the copy of himself, causing it to stumble back a bit as it clutched its chest with feigned pain. Cyril had been breathing a little bit more heavily with sweat caking most of his body as he pulled back a bit. Despite it all, he get smiling like a mad man, hopping back into the fray as his doppelganger proceeded to try and whip him with thin filaments.

Squinting, Cyril drew his own threads around the hilt of his sword, causing parts of his finger to disappear; he then began tying it up just a tad in case it tried to disarm him. Just as he expected his own self to do, the copy attempted to strike with one hand and attempt to take the sword out of his hand. Loosening the string around his dominant hand, the boy continued to unravel a bit more of his self as he let the blade be stolen away from him.

However, this was going exactly the way he planned. Part of the sword still had "parts" of his hand tied around it. Timing it, Cyril waited for his doppelganger to come strike him. Coming in with an overhead blow, Cyril quickly sidestepped it and hopped up, reforming his hand. Cyril was immediately launched at his own copy as his hand quickly began to reform, the being unable to react to the bullet flung towards him.

Once he knew he had a certain amount of momentum, he began to bend his body in a certain way so that he would end up skidding on the ground. Cyril adjusted himself as fast as he could before finally letting the few strings that were wrapped around his blade go.

Flying underneath his doppelganger, his foot made contact with the shins of his copies foot. The fake Cyril began to topple over, however this wasn't the end of this little excursion. Reacting as swiftly as he could, Cyril swiftly grabbed onto one of the legs. There was a resounding thunk as he gritted his teeth, sliding on the grassy landscape as he slowly came to a stop near the edge of the lake.

Grunting victoriously, Cyril sneered hollowly as he looked over at his now weakened mimic. He had given it a beating for the last thirty minutes and it looked like it wasn't going to sustain another hit...

... scratch that, it didn't sustain a final hit as the copy of himself began unfurl, becoming nothing less than string that eventually dissipated into the air. Sitting up, the magi ruffled his hair, looking over the whole lake and almost frowned.

"... bleeeeeeh, this isn't any better than playing chess with yourself..."

Cyril shook his head, brushing the stray bits of grass and gravel from his back. Turning his head, he slowly studied what remained of the session he had here... there's no way this would be just enough to properly prepare again this year... doubt loomed around him, despite his cheery visage.

...

...

"...then again, maybe I could be wrong." Scrunching one of his hands into a fist, Cyril raised that arm up and began tapping the side of his head, smiling blithely like an idiot. It seemed to give him a small confidence boost, though the weary aura lingering about didn't completely go away. This went on for a few minutes before he finally murmured something to himself.

"I'll qualify this year..." It was barely audible; if there was a breeze, there wouldn't be a possibility of him physically hearing it. He swallowed another breath of fresh air. After a few minutes later he gulped down more air. He did this for a few minutes, staying still and silent, his brows unnoticeably furrowing and twitching just a smidgen every couple of seconds.

"I will qualify for the trials and I will rise to S-Class," suddenly he sprung up like a rocket; the pounding of his fist against his head became a little harder as he continued psyching his self up for this year. Sure, the odds were overwhelming, no different than a bird flying through a monsoon and surviving.

... but even so, he continued to keep an optimistic outlook, clenching his fist and chanting to no one but himself and the wind that he would qualify and succeed. Was he delusional? Maybe, maybe not.

... but even so, Cyril had a goal in mind... one of which was to impress all of the alluring lasses and ladies in his guild, with Mis being at the top of his list, hehe... but, regardless, he surprisingly did have other goals in mind too, aside from the blatantly superficial ones. Despite all this, he pondered on if he had to strength to match with the best a brightest of the guild... "and that includes Mis, Dreadlin, Pan, and the rest... they're better than me... right?"

... but even so, he had been working hard, prepping for this moment again with Mis, Sae, and Alex! Magic and might both! Beside each of them, he had constantly been making progress to ensure that he was not only tip top for missions, but for the eventual S-Class trials... he even bested Mis a few times when they were sparring!... but then again, she could of been holding back... "What if this isn't enough?"

... but even so, he would do his damndest to succeed.

"I will do it! I will rise to top, I will qualify for the trials! And most importantly, I will become an S-Class, wooooo!" The silence was broken with his own cheer, a bright smile, and a high amount of energy as he pumped his fist into the air, throwing in a pirouette here and there and announcing to no one else but himself that he would do it.

...

...

...

Sheathing his sword after a few minutes of his grimy sweat inducing cheer, Cyril swiftly set off around the edge of the lake, breaking into a small sprint. Cyril was still full of energy, despite how ragged he appeared, not even breaking a sweat. There was a small thought lingering in the back of his mind - maybe I could catch up with the hottie with a fired up personality and body, Mis!

If he recalled about right, this was usually around the time when her bi-weekly lessons for her students came to an end. He reminisced on a memory where he actually walked in on her in the middle of lesson as he continued dashing, his smile growing a little larger as he continued to recall it all... even being bested by her was pretty good. He had fun with someone he liked and he improved himself.

As he ran, he glanced over the horizon, over the gleaming lake, and looking over at the forest. "... I wonder how Pan is doing?" He almost gave pause to curiously see how the kooky old man was faring. Trying to search for the dude in the grove was a pretty fun experience; gave him time for reflecting as well... he always was an old weirdo with some tricks up his...

... loincloth... a-anyways...

About a minute had passed on by before he reached the grounds where she was hosting he lessons for this week. Coming to a slow stop, Cyril lurched forward before pausing for a few seconds. How did he look... right, he was covered in head to toe in sweat... erm...

Before even bothering to approach, he noticed one stunning amazonian of a woman nearing Mis - Alex... yeah, that was her alright. Dang... there was no way in heck he was going to make it over there in time to flirt a bit... even had the perfect lines set out after hearing what she said from this distance about cheating with magic and that they would have to duke it out with her if that was the case.

Snapping his fingers, he decided to play it in a more subtle manner... watching from a distance, he decided to aptly try and get something done, no matter how minute. With one hand pressed firmly against his hip, he set the other one against his hair, brushing it up a bit to while looking away from the duo... save for the fact that his ears were firmly pressed to hearing this conversation.

... it wasn't eavesdropping, it was waiting your turn while learning something new!

... and of course, in the midst of parting his hair, he was struck with... surprise as he froze on the spot, not even bothering to continue brushing his hair. He blinked, then he wondered why? Why both guild leaders would agree to such a thing?

Despite the harrowing news, his grin never seemed to actually falter as he absorbed the information as his thoughts drifted to some of the troublemakers in the Golem's Hand... he was more than certain they would stir up a hornets nest and get most of the people disqualified.

By the time he had come to terms with the information, he slowly began to turn his head back... only to see that the little cinnamon bun of the group had arrived - Ceri! He remembered trying to give her a hug once... before she just poofed her way out of it.

... alright, guess it was a good time to approach! There was nothing in sight so far that could possibly interrupt him. Waltzing over as slowly as possible, myriads of different lines to make his debut to the two glamorous warriors and the overly adorable cloaked mage.

Taking one more step, Cyril flinched at the sudden shouting from the side and paused. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Saeko making a beeline towards the three, clambering as she splayed out an apology over why she overslept... and with that, the grin on his face became almost Cheshire-like. Thank you Saeko for being a beautiful golden ticket.

Sashaying forward, he approached the three with a mixture of cheer and mischief in his eye. He continued to shine his "trademarked" Cyril Parjure Charmer's Smile as he snapped his fingers and eyed at Saeko.

"Well then, y'should of gotten more beauty sleep Saeko! Beautiful people do need their beauty sleep after all."

Approaching the group, Cyril let out a small, playful giggle as he winked at the shield mage, shaking his head. "Anyways, 'ello Mis-tifying beauty, Ceri, Sae, and Alex, hope the day has been treating you all well," he cheerfully exclaimed, daintily waving at them all with one hand.

((@Ogobrogo, @Lmpkio))

Eloise was determined, and on a mission! It wasn't often that she got tasks directly from her idol, Arianna, and so she was going to do this one to the best of her abilities! Tasked with fetching Dreadlin and Pan, she'd quickly hurried off in the direction of the easier mark; old man Pan was well known for spending just about every waking hour in the forest across the lake, so it was the logical first port of call to check.

Getting down to the side of the lake, Eloise saw some of her younger friends training in Illedrith's class, and gave them a wave as she passed by, earning looks from a couple of the younger boys, who redoubled their efforts in training in order to look cooler. Giggling as she wandered down to the water, Eloise drew up a pair of plates of water from the surface and then stood on them, proceeding to use them like ice skates as she crossed straight across the lake towards the forest.

It was, unfortunately, this point at which a pair of colossal monsters barreled through the trees and crashed into the lake near the poor young girl, who almost died of fright on the spot. Stunned into inaction as the beasts thrashed and tried to murder each other, it was not until the large wave caused by their entrance reached her that Eloise was forced back into action. Riding the wave as fast as she could towards the shore, she scrambled up the slope towards the forest; the beasts had come from inside, and it's possible Pan was in danger! Cresting the hill, she saw the old man nearby, and called out to him.

"Pan! Pan! Are you alright? Arianna sent me to find you and Dreadlin, we need to get out of here and get back before-"

And it was at that moment that her second mark dragged himself out of the water not five feet away and plopped himself down in the mud. Only then did Eloise notice that both beasts were nowhere to be seen. All this excitement and action turned out to be too much for the poor young girl, and she fainted dead away.

---

((@Sho Minazuki))

The scythe signaled a very clear, and very well articulated point. Vega was choosing the hard way for the umpteenth time. The knife had barely made it to its zenith when the four S-Class mages arrayed against Vega began their preparations.

Dennis Gnaw, chief Vega apprehender and founding member of Golem's Hand, tried one more to reason the wayward young man even as he wearily drew his blunted axe and raised his tower shield.

"Do you never tire of getting your ass whooped? I'm sure Delsin wouldn't want you delivered to him covered to bruises, but at this point we're all well past caring about your well being. Drop the scythe and the tough guy schtick before Jardon breaks one of your limbs with his maul by accident..."

Meanwhile, all around the five tense members of the confrontation, a thin lattice of metal bars was forming in the shape of a dome. Created by Jardon from the large block of iron in his backpack, the lattice served a dual purpose of keeping Vega contained so he couldn't flee just to spite them, as well as serving as a catalyst for Stevan's lightning quirk. Able to mold and direct the thickness of the living metal at will, Jardon's [Hell Cell] was practically custom built for situations like this.

The three members of the Number One Special Squad were (sadly) so well versed in their strategy against Vega that their encirclement process only took a few seconds, giving Vega plenty of berth to wait for him to either cede to their request or start the fight himself. Leniency had been given altogether too many times in the past, and the team was honestly sick of it; it wasn't going to be a pleasant time for Vega if he chose to fight and lost here...

---

((@Savo, @Suku, @Rune_Alchemist, @Valor))

"My apologies for being the one to deliver bad news. It's not something I enjoy doing, really, but I figured you would want to know sooner rather than later. Greetings, Ceri. I thought I heard someone else speak not too long ago, and it appears that I was correct. How are you faring?"

"A-ah...I-I'm w-well enough...Just a little...flustered after hearing the announcement...I shouldn't have been drinking anything, hehe..."

Smirking at Ceri's comment about not drinking - there's no way there wasn't some amusing story there knowing Ceri, and Illedrith would interrogate her later in the quiet of their dorms - Illedrith turned her attention to the rest of Alexandria's comment.

"It isn't a problem for me to deliver the message, I had wanted to stretch my legs anyway after sitting for a while. I had planned on entering, yes. I don't know how much of a chance I'll have of winning, but I'd at least like to put forth the effort and be there encase anything goes wrong. I don't really have a formal team of my own, so I would be grateful to have some traveling companions for the trip. You have my thanks for the offer."

"Glad to hear you'll be travelling with us into town, it will be good to catch up on what business you've been up to, it's been too long since we last caught up; I'm sure you've been just as busy as me with your guild duties! Of course, my offer to run with us if ever you need or desire a team is still very much open. With Saeko and Cyril training with you, you'd fit in pretty naturally if you so chose. And speak of the devil, I do believe I see Saeko running up now."

Indeed, it was their resident bastion that she had spied in the distance. She did have to chuckle when Saeko, proper as always, practically skidded to a stop in front of them and bowed to Alexandria before addressing them all.

"Illedrith, Ceri! Sorry i'm late! I overslept after training for most of the night and early morning my apologies"

Illedrith was just about to respond to quell her young protege's concerns when the final member of their core team sidled in from stage left with all his shameless charisma.

"Well then, y'should of gotten more beauty sleep Saeko! Beautiful people do need their beauty sleep after all.
Anyways, 'ello Mis-tifying beauty, Ceri, Sae, and Alex, hope the day has been treating you all well,"

Actually laughing this time at Cyril's incredibly cheesy comment, Illedrith once again moved to include the two newcomers in their growing circle.

"I hope you weren't just working on your compliments during your training today, Cyril darling, because that was a solid 3 out of 10, so it doesn't seem like your practice has been paying off. Better hope your swordplay has improved since last time or you'll end up with more than a couple of loose threads!"

Driving her point home with a friendly punch to Cyril's upper arm, she turned her attention back to Saeko.

"Other than missing an announcement from Arianna earlier, which Alex here was lovely enough to deliver to me, you're not late for anything just yet. In fact you're both here just in time for us to be leaving for town, I'll finish up here and we can be on our way."

Turning her back on the group for the moment, she surveyed the results of the sparring between the children. A couple of bruises here and there, but they all seemed exhausted and happy, which really was the key aim here anyway. Dispelling the remaining mirrors around the training grounds with a wave of her hands, Illedrith breathed deeply as she felt the sunlight contained in the mirrors flow through her as the mirrors faded into nothing, refreshing her and warming her to the core.

"Alright you scamps, good work today! Remember to put your swords and things back in the guild hall, and a reminder that next week is polearm training week, so make sure you bring a helmet and grab some padded armor from the Nest before we start or you'll have to sit out! Now scram, or you'll be late for the announcement this evening."

Smiling as she watched the group of kids scamper back up the hill, pushing each other playfully as they raced to be first back, Illedrith turned back to the conversation going on behind her and tried to figure out what she'd missed.

Alexandria didn’t have a lot of input for what Ceri had been saying, so she merely stood there in silence as Ceri said what little she did. The girl was shy and didn’t look like she had the mettle for combat. Alexandria didn’t know much about Ceri, which was probably intentional. Alexandria couldn’t judge, however, as she remembered the problems that she had with self-confidence when she had first been picked up from the streets and taken in by her adoptive family. Hopefully Ceri would grow into her chosen path in time.

The silence was broken by the sound of rapid running. Alexandria turned to the sound, and a soft smile came to her lips as Saeko came running to the training field. Returning the brief bow Alexandria watched in silence as Saeko explained herself. She had no input here, and was not the one being referred to. Alexandria continued to stand in silence as she had nothing that needed to be said. That conversation was between Saeko and Illedrith. Alexandria had no place in it. Maintaining her composure, Alexandria basked in the pleasant weather for a bit until the relative silence was broken by the arrival of Cyril, and the delivery of a cheesy line with obvious hints of flirtation.

Appearing to be completely oblivious to Cyril’s feelings and antics, Alexandria hardly moved as she gave a slight bow and offered her greetings. “Greetings, Cyril. I hope the day finds you well.” His comment about beauty sleep fell on deaf ears as Alexandria had nothing to mention about the subject. Her fair looks were the result of only a little effort in keeping herself clean and tidy as she cycled through days.

Alexandria shifted slightly to bring the circle into a more inclusive state, though she promptly returned to her prim and proper pose of having her heels together with her arms folded behind her waist with her hands clasped together. Alexandria didn’t say anything, as she had no real reason to contribute to the conversation. There were no idle stories for her to tell, and she had a learned barrier against making random comments and potentially disrupting the conversation already taking place. Such was what was drilled into her during her years of being a maid.

Alexandria smiled slightly as Illedrith dismissed the kids from training. Such an innocence was lost upon her, but she was glad to see it remaining among the newer generation. In the back of her mind she knew that few of them would keep it as they grew up, like Cyril had, but hopefully some would. They would make good teachers. Perhaps not the best leaders, but good teachers. Hope was something that would be hard to come by from time to time, and they needed to have as large of a reserve of it as they could.

Alexandria took a brief glance up at the sky and noted that the sun had moved slightly since she had arrived. In a rare move, Alexandria spoke. “Time has passed a fair amount. Perhaps we should move along before we grow rooted to the ground here and miss the meeting in town?” With a look to Cyril and Saeko, Alexandria spoke again. “Illedrith, Ceri and I were going to walk together to the meeting that’s happening in town. Would you two care to join us, barring any objections from the others?”

Alexandria’s tone was polite and welcoming, though didn’t have any hints of flirtation within it. This would likely cause Cyril a bit of a dilemma as he tried to flirt back and would continually be shut down or ignored. Alexandria always found it slightly amusing that he tried so hard on a cause that would quite likely not be. Such was the life of a grown up who still had their innocence.

(@Lord Sawsaw2@Savo@Suku@Rune_Alchemist)

---

Unlike Pan, Squirrel was a very light sleeper. The first few vibrations were enough to wake up the little guy, who immediately shot up and began looking around. Panic hit the little guy as soon as he picked up on the roar. Something big was coming. Something very big and very loud.

He hopped off Pan and began tugging on the old man’s right hand the best he could...but to no avail. Pan was out like a light. So, instead, Squirrel moved on to the necklace. Grabbing it by the string, the furry friend pulled with all his might, but again, no dice.

This was bad. Those creatures, as Squirrel could now hear the large beating wings, were getting close. He crossed over the old man, putting himself between the old man and the source of the scary sounds. In a desperate move, Squirrel then began to push against Pan’s ribs, trying to roll the old man over.

It was about this time that the first beast crashed into the water. Squirrel began to nervously chatter and doubled up on his efforts. By some miracle, it worked. Sort of.

The old man rolled onto his side, still soundly asleep. Luckily, this was just far enough for him to move to avoid getting doused in the displaced water. Squirrel, however, was not so lucky. As soon as the old man moved, the squirrel felt a mixture of pride and relief. Moving the old man was certainly possible. He could do it. He could be the hero. He coul-

The water caught Squirrel completely off-guard. He was drenched. And to make matters worse, the old man rolled back onto his back...exactly where he had been. He even ripped a loud snore. It wasn’t fair. Squirrel began to shake to at least dry himself a little bit. He felt soaked to the co-

Pan awoke with a fright as soon as a little bit of water sprayed him. He made a loud, sudden gasping sound, which caught Squirrel completely unaware. The little furry friend shot straight up into the air before landing completely sprawled out as each limb tried to head off in a different direction. His tiny squirrel heart was beating like crazy. He fainted.

Pan noticed the wet, panicked squirrel and shook his head.

“How inconsiderate! Dontcha go wakin’ me up jus’ cuz ya fell in, friend!” Pan laughed at his buddy. It was about this time that the old man finally noticed the raging battle going on before him, thanks to the screeching wyvern. And what a sight it was: two huge lizard monsters duking it out in the lake. Pan let out a bit of a cheer when the spikey one lobbed off the flappy one’s tail...though the celebration was short lived. A wave was heading his way.

With speed and fluidity that should be impossible for somebody his age, Pan quickly rolled onto his feet, having both grabbed his walking stick and scooped up his lazy squirrel buddy in the process. He took a few hopping steps backwards before clearing the wave, which harmlessly crashed onto the shore.

The old man began howling with laughter as the spikey one watched the flappy one flap away and slowly sunk into the lake. About this time, Pan heard a young voice call his name and mention both Arianna and Dreadlin. That’s about all he got before the latter rose from the lake and young ‘un fainted, eliciting even more cackling from the old man.

Focusing on the lizardman for a moment, all joy left the old man's face, replaced with a look of pure disapproval and disappointment the likes of which only forged in the fires of fatherhood.

"Ya best not have hurt none o' me trees, boy." He barked using his best, most intimidating Dad voice... unfortunately his composure only lasted a few moments before the old man burst into a wide, toothless grin. Yer gonna get him next time, friend."

“Dis generation…always sleepin’ on da job,” he jabbed, making his way towards the fainted. He stopped and regarded her for a moment before heading to the water, scooping up some in his hand, and returning. He then dropped the cupped water directly on her face, howling again when it landed.

“Up ‘n’ attem, lads! Littl’ Ria be callin’ fer us!” Pan rallied, a twinkle in his eyes. He offered a friendly wink towards Dreadlin."Wouldn't wanna keeper waitin', would ya?