---

Illedrith's charge across the room started quite well to be frank, certainly much better than she was expecting. The first group in her way literally dove under the benches on each side of the hallway in order to get out of the way, briefly pacifying that area of the room in her wake. In fact, it wasn't until the third brawl that she even had to make good on her promise, where she found her way blocked by two brawlers who were completely oblivious to her approach. Taking a longer stride than usual, Illedrith lowered one of her shoulders and rammed right into the back of one of the fighers, catching him off balance and sending him and his foe careening off into a bench, which promptly broke.

It was at this point that she saw movement coming at her from the side, cutting low and towards her feet. Luckily she was still wearing her greaves on the road, and so she didn't hesitate to channel her magic into them, their mirror finish glowing even brighter as they became imbued with [Reflections of the Mirror]. As she turned her head to look for her assailant, she felt whatever it was that had been thrown at her shatter against her greaves, its own force negated on contact before being forcefully kicked as Mis continued running forward. It came as no surprise to see Vega - standing some way away - having been the one to lob what looked to have been a chair at her, but at this point Mis knew there was no point reprimanding him for something as stupid as this, so she simply threw him a dirty look and kept going. It was about then that someone started shouting, and people started scattering.

Looking up, Mis saw Muko above on the balcony gathering power, and sighed to herself. This would break up the fight for sure, but anything from this guy was bound to be more than necessary. Seeing she was far enough away from him that she would be fine, Mis slowed down and readied herself, before seeing that two of the really young members were still going hammer and tongs at each other, not ten meters away from the foot of the balcony; seemingly paying no attention to the impending doom from above. Stifling a gasp, Illedrith strained herself and pulled her cart forward at a sprint, reaching the pair just as Muko dropped from the balcony. With no time to get out of the radius or even slow down properly, she intentionally dropped to her knees and slid across the ground with her cart pressed up against her back, using the friction with the ground to slow her and the cart down even as she collided with the two youngsters, pulling them close to her in a bearhug.

"[Kaleidoscope]!!"

The world around the trio suddenly looked like it had broken into a thousand shards around them, encasing them and the cart in a silver globe which immediately had a wave of frost sweep across it in a wave as the temperature inside plummeted. Mis sighed in relief and rose to her feet as the two youngsters stared around in shock and confusion as their reflections stared back at them a hundred times over. Smiling sadly down at the two of them, Mis' mood quickly deteriorated thinking about what might have happened to them if she hadn't been there - the amount of energy stored in the mirrors around them was a testament to exactly how much force had been behind the attack. With a snap of her fingers, the mirrors around them glowed red hot and then dissipated into motes of light as their released their stored energy from the attack as heat, a welcome change from the cold air as they melted the slurry and ice around them. Emerging from the mirrored dome she immediately looked around for the idiot who did this, and for once had no pity for him as she saw him being attacked by Vega. Seeing that he had more troubles on his hands than a talking to from her, she sighed and shelved her complaints for a later time. Instead, she turned her ire to the two youngsters who were suddenly looking very much like they'd like to disappear into the floorboards rather than stand in front of her.

"Well you're a right pair of fools aren't you?! You could have been flattened just being in this brawl, let alone getting squashed or frozen by that moron over there! I better see the both of you at my training every day this week or I swear I'll get the guildmaster to hang you from the ceiling! Now get out of here before you get turned into a popsicle or something..."

She couldn't really get angry at the two youngsters, but they certainly needed to work on their situational awareness. The sounds of Vega and Muko's confrontation went on behind her, but she just didn't have the energy to care about it at the moment, so she simply moved on to the bar with her cart, sat down on a stool with a deep sigh. Reaching into the depths of the cart, she then pulled out a box of recently chilled strawberries and some strong wine that had been part of her reward for her recent job. When the Guildmaster turned up to deal with the mess she'd pitch in as needed, but for now she decided that she deserved a break...

---

The hug from Mis radiated the warmth of her genuine concern and regard for each of the guild's individual members. Even as the ridges of her armor pushed against the ribs of his chest, the marksman returned the valiant knight's embrace with an amused and somewhat pained sigh. As they parted, Vali stepped back before taking off his mask. He combed his hair back so that he could get a better look at Mis before he smiled at her. "It's nice to see you, too, Mis. You never fail to make this guild brighter with your presence alone." Vali remarked, and he was about to take her up on her offer to partake of the fruits (again, beggars can't be choosers), one of the guild members flew past them before crashing against the wall with a painful crack.

Vali didn't need to ask Lorn to read the hearts of the people around him to know that all hell was about to break the loose. The metaphorical fists of the netherworld gripped at the gates of the guild as the mages around them joined each other in a flurry of fists, kicks, and tackles. Slippers slammed against noses, knuckles bashed against jaws, and even someone's dentures soared to the second floor amidst the chaos. The sniper shook his head, but instead of feeling irritation or anger, only a serene smile overtook his features. This cacophony of pained wails, hysteric laughters, and rabid jeers was indeed the sign that the Dragon Heart still remained true to its reputation-- to the warmth of its trademark flames. While this kind of brawl was indeed against the rules of the guild (and by the gods, Vali itched to scream at them), he believed that if Mis or the other S-class mages were here, they'd stop it at any time.

The least he could do was to just prepare his own spot at the ledges of the second floor, so that he could start shooting the medicinal bullets at the ones who were injured quite badly. Or, two medicinal bullets in Vega's head for good measure whilst Vali pretended that he was using the Unrelenting Spell.

"I appreciate the offer, Mis, but," He tried to call out to her as the knight began charging into the fray. "I'd rather salvage whatever remains of my face."

Stuffing his mask into his bag, Vali summoned his rifle before loading a bullet into it. Just in time, Lorn passed by him and, as was expected of most of the higher rank mages, dignified him with nothing more but a quaint smile. One can tell a lot about a person by the way they greeted those below them, and the stark difference in attitude really contrasted between Mis, the one who greeted him like a friend with a hug without hesitation, and Lorn, the one who regarded him like any stranger on the field or one of his many adoring fans.

Interestingly, Valishin noted, both Mis and Lorn were of the same rank.

It went without saying that even if one attained an A-Rank, they still could not buy a personality.

He returned the smile with a respectful nod before he aimed his rifle at one of the draconic ribs arching over the ceiling. His bullet glowed white, and with a click, a luminous white thread connected the bullet and his gun. Next, he grappled himself to one of the ribs before swinging towards the staircase with trained expertise. The thread disconnected as the white spool vanished into the crowd below while Vali perched at the stair railings, looking down at the ensuing brawl where more and more mages have now begun to use their magics.

His keen eye began spotting some prominent members already: Dreadlin, the resident lizard, Glory, the mechanical hybrid, and even Muko, one of the darker mages around. Vali was feeling confident that this brawl would end soon-- unless Vega tries to screw things up again. And, boy, was he doing a great job at that with his instigating remarks even as a symphony of frost and flame passed around the room like a typhoon.

"I refuse to be a part of this." Vali shook his head before aiming down his rifle, just as Mis contained most of the magics being flung around the hall within her mirrors. Her voice echoed across the room, and the cheery tone she possessed all but vanished into one that spoke of real anger and protectiveness. The two mages who started the brawl now looked repentant after being chewed out by Mis, and when their senses finally returned, the bruises and wounds they sustained healed and closed up, returning a healthy shade to their skin as puffs of yellow powder wafted at their necks. Whistling sounds of medicinal bullets filled the air, the emptied shells clacking against the stairs as Vali got to work on doing what he did best after a brawl: patching his brothers and sisters up. "Vega," Vali called out with an annoyed tone. "Craziness may have been popular back in whatever hole you came from, but breaking the rules don't make you cool. They make you look like the fragile child that you are. And, Sir Dreadlin could not have described sir Zanthrax better: that you're a bloody git. Ever heard of holding back, frosty? We already know you're powerful, but there are better ways of stopping this brawl without breaking the rules." Vali failed to even flinch, knowing that he was addressing two of the guild's top dogs. In his eyes, no one was above the law-- whether it be a C-rank, A-rank, or even the master himself: the law was blind to the titles men called themselves. Lady Justice only concerned herself of the right and the wrong. "Your ego's showing, you git."

It was no secret in the guild that Vali held little to no respect for Vega and the other lawbreakers, and the marksman would gladly lead him to the pointed end of a pitchfork, given the chance. His blatant disregard for the law and the system irked the sniper ten-fold, and god knows why the hell the master even bothered with someone as unstable as him. However, Vali immediately regretted his thoughts. This was what made Dragon Heart such an amazing guild: they accepted anyone from all walks of life, as long as they proved themselves. A bandit, a scum like him should have never questioned the master's decision.

Valishin refused to speak any further, knowing that Mis had already driven her point forward.

The sniper toted his rifle on his shoulder as he jumped off the stairs, landing softly near the bar as he walked towards the exhausted knight.

"Stopping them doesn't get easier, huh?" Vali chuckled at her. "But, I'd thank you nonetheless." The lad stood a few inches away from Mis as he addressed her once more. "Oh, and I'd like to take you up on that offer, if it still stands."

---

Being very honest with himself, Ladon knew that it was his fault that the demoness ran away. Not because he gave her reasons for it, mind you, and much less because he couldn't beat her when it came to agility, but simply because he felt that the scene of a very short girl dressed in a very large robe jumping around obstacles was so goddamn funny that he couldn't help but hesitate for a bit when it came to actually try to stop Ceri, away too entertained by the absurdity of the situation to actually have the resolve to stop it. Unfortunately for him, though, this hesitation of his ended up bringing a less than desired result since Ceri not only managed to reach the guild hall before him in a rather hilarious way, tumbling down the stairs while making sounds that the devil slayer could only consider as funny, but actually navigated the chaotic guild hall - for yet another fight had broken out, as per usual - not towards Illedrith but towards the much more troublesome and undoubtedly more intimidating Glory, using the ridiculously tall metal mage as a shield against him.

Faced with such a less than optimal outlook, Ladon quite obviously didn't plan on trying to stop the demon girl anymore, simply throwing a venomous glare towards her and directly hid the book she was interested in - that he had accidentally taken with himself due to how hurriedly he left the library - in his coat, quite obviously planning to keep it around until she got impatient and went after him to get it back - moment where he would enact his revenge on the cheeky brat of a demoness - and started to make his way out of the hall, not willing to risk staying around to see the end of the brawl and deal with the them free Illedrith, that most certainly wouldn't even try to hear him out before going after him for bullying her precious little Ceri.

Luck didn't seem to be on the Devil Slayer's side today, though, as before he could make his way out the resident dumbass dragon slayer decided that it was his reponsibility to stop the fighting - choosing to finally be a bit useful in the most inoportune time as possible, since his subsequent move would most certainly trouble him quite a bit. Of course, the move wasn't especially dangerous towards Ladon per see, as just waving his arm and controlling his poison to form a shield around himself was more than enough to avoid getting thrown out by the snowy wave of bullshit generated by Muko, but the fact that the fight was stopped was most certainly enough to trigger him into hurriedly leaving the hall, as it meant that Illedrith would soon be more than free to scold him for the following hours - something that he worried him considerably more than the possbility of staying around while Vega and Muko fought to decide who was the biggest twerp around.

"O-oh..." Ceri glanced up at the large woman, head still occasionally poking out from behind her to glance in Ladon's direction. Everyone was fighting. Urgh, not good. At least they weren't focused on her and Glory seemed pretty adamant about not getting involved either. Good for her, then. She really didn't want to get violent. It'd be a bad idea for multiple reasons. Ceri tried hard never to resort using her 'magic'. The more she used it, the more chances someone would have to find out its true nature.

"T-thanks..." Ceri quietly shuffled away from Glory's back, taking a seat next to her. "Ooh, I hope it stops soon." The small mage turned her head towards the table, keeping her eyes off the fight. She eyed Ladon in the distance...did he still have that book? Ceri frowned, glaring briefly in his direction. Well now if he had just left the book in the library, then this would be over. But fine. He wanted to have an angry Mis after him, then he'd have an angry Mis after him. Slumping back in her seat, Ceri grabbed the hem of her hood just in time to noticed a certain lizard approaching.

"Eep! Dreadlin?!" Now Dreadlin was a friendly fellow to be sure, but that didn't mean Ceri couldn't be somewhat intimidated by him. She scooted a little closer to Glory as he walked over. Not out of any ill will, but she didn't like being around him. "H-hi..." Seemed like he didn't notice her, though. That was fine, too. Easier that way. So she contented herself with merely watching the ongoing fight which seemed to rather quickly de-escalate and then escalate into something far more dangerous.

She flinched as Dreadlin began shouting. Well, she couldn't disagree with anything he said. Going about and doing that was rather rude, especially for the people trying to stay out of the fighting. Urf, why couldn't everyone just not fight? All the fighting was bound to attract -

Vega.

Not even the Devil slayer scared her so much. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear as they say. Not seconds after Dreadlin chastised Muko, Vega reared his ugly head. Ceri merely glared at the both of them. Ugh, fine. Let them fight then. Typical humans - always fighting over something.

Keeping her head down, Ceri noticed Mis off in the distance, deciding she'd feel safer around her.

"UH-uhm...thanks...Glory!" Ceri managed to raise the level of volume in her voice just enough to hopefully be heard. "D-dreadlin...!" She gave the lizardman a quick nod before dashing off to Mis. It was easy enough to skirt the edges of the guild hall, avoiding the two idiots fighting.

"Mis...!" Ceri reached the mirror knight, smiling happily at the human with a relieved tone. "Y-you're back...uhm uhm...!" Right, conversation Ceri. She needed to do that. How does one converse again in a totally human and not evil way? Her eyes locked onto the strawberries Mis had. "O-oh...a reward for the...job?" Now, she wasn't saying she wanted some - but yes, she definitely wanted some.

---

The arena seemed set as a clearing created by Muko's attack was made in the center of the guild hall. The one deemed strongest in the guild against Vega whose strength with magic alone near or did rival it, no one could tell for they never went all out against each other. Yet of course, Vega was still an A rank for various reasons that were apparent. As Illedrith separated the two lower rank mages away to be scolded, Vali was heard from the sidelines by Vega, who responded in kind.

"Hehahahahaha! Shows me how much you know about the justice you love so much, I just joined in you stupid scarecrow, go to the lab uptown and get yourself a brain. I'm sure that alch lab has one laying around somewhere!", true. He did not start this fight, he's only joining in... Given he's more or less egging it on, but it was not him who started it. Any comments about his ego were more or less redundant, because he did not care, and did this all for fun. Thrilling. Seeing these people use their flashy magic, hitting little mages out on the road wouldn't give him this level of interesting people. The way he used and treated his magic was troublesome however... Like someone too eager to test out and push the limits of a new tool or invention. Regardless...

"Now then where were we huh? You comin' at me or am I gonna have to get over there? I'd say we have tops one minute before guild master or someone capable breaks it up", well in normal circumstances, he, being an A rank... Should be the one breaking it up. You know, being a good example for those below. But obviously he doesn't care for that. His strength has him just inches away from that S and that still irks him. Teamwork and cooperation were trash to him. Other people just kept him from doing what he needed to.

"Also, let's try not bringing the guild hall down huh? I hear money's a bit tight, I sure as hell don't want to be stuck paying that with your sorry ass", surprisingly considerate, but it did happen before...

"Hiding away in the library again are we?"

Flavia visibly started as a voice broke her out of her concentration. Her head swung up to see a beautiful woman addressing her.

No wait. That was Lorn. Despite having been told she was actually a he, Flavia had trouble believing it.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't uh notice you." She said quickly. Her mind immediately recalled what she knew about the Trap. A rank mage, famous for his looks and beauty. Modeled on the side. Likes nature and...yeah that summed it up. He used Heart Magic, notable for being able to let the caster feel and even influence another's emotions. Magical Empathy. Flavia immediately distrusted a person who could do something like that. Her emotions were her's and her's alone. She didn't want any one tinkering with them. She resolved to watch herself and question herself to sure she wasn't being influenced in some way.

And if she was? So what? She wouldn't she couldn't do anything about it.

He seemed to accept the apology with his usual grace as he sat down and continued talking.

"You know...", he began calmly, picking up one of the spellbooks Flavia had been studying and flipping through the pages, "I don't have to use my magic to tell that you're nervous." He looked up at her and beamed, "And hungry" he chimed playfully, noticing her tummy grumble. "I understand though. It can be a little scary down there. Especially with all the loud noises they make when they get a little rowdy." He chuckled to himself. The thought of their antics downstairs always amused him so. "But...you'll get used to it. There's nothing to be afraid of. Everyone in this guild is family, whether they realize it or not." he said, winking at her in a light-hearted manner, hoping to quelm some of her wariness.

His patronizing tone and mannerisms set her nerves on edge. "I know that." She snapped, eyes blazing. Then the next moment she lowered her head and shrank inward on herself. "I-I'm sorry." She half whimpered in apology. So much for watching her emotions.

She was feeling too comfortable here, surrounded by the familiar smell and sight of books. She had forgotten herself. "Its just...they are hurting each other over nothing with no point to it. It...doesn't make sense. No one benefits, they just inflict pain." She continued. Memories of a heavy hand crossed her mind, and old, healed, bruises started to ache.

Then the moment was gone. The memories forcefully repressed. She appeared to come out of her shell a little. "Sorry. You were just trying to help." She noticed the title of the book Lorn was flipping through. "Um. That book you are holding...I, uh, need it. Sorry." She smiled a wane smile at the feminine boy as she extended a hesitant hand.

In the background, she noted shouts and voices. The air also dropped a few degrees. Ice magic. Had to be. At a guess, she'd say it was Muko's doing. Slayer magic always felt different from normal magics and she thought what she could feel carried it's taint. She really hoped they didn't bring the guildhall down on everyone. Not that it would be the first time.

@Aeolian

---

Glory was unphased by the sudden cold flooding the room. The loud yelling that Muko had decided to make use of was dampened by Glory's ears automatically, allowing her to stare in calm silence as Muko showed off to try and impress people that didn't need impressing. Thankfully for Glory, she was sitting quite a distance away from the epicenter of the brawl, and thus the snowfall and other slush hardly affected her. After a few moments of staring judgmentally at Muko for his excessive display Glory noted that Dreadlin decided to start yelling as well. This too was dampened, and a moment later Glory held her arm out towards the lizard man. From what Glory knew of lizards, they were cold blooded and thus could not adequately produce their own body heat. Glory produced a lot of body heat, and thus had a simple solution to the problem that would now be facing Dreadlin. With a series of mechanical clicks several vents dotted across Glory's arm opened, and a few moments later a sharp hissing sound was heard as heat was vented from them. This caused a plume of steam to engulf Dreadlin, but aside from the brief startle that the steam would provide, Dreadlin would find himself quite warm for a few moments at least.

Glory casually chirped. "Two favors." as she brought her arm back to a neutral position. Several more mechanical clicking sounds followed as the vents on her arm closed once again. Glory turned her attention now to Ceri, who had taken up residence virtually on top of Glory. Glory looked to Ceri, then back to Dreadlin, then back to Ceri before she quietly mused. "Ah, I see." and abided Ceri's presence. Glory even went so far as to shift her arm slightly so that it lay on the other side of Ceri. A sort of informal hand across the shoulders safety net. This didn't last long, however, as Ceri darted up and away to go and seek the shelter of Illedrith. Glory mentally shrugged and moved her arm back into place once more. Glory had missed the glare that Ladon had given her due to looking back and forth between Ceri and Dreadlin, but even if she didn't she merely would've locked eye contact, which most people didn't want to maintain.

Glory rose from the bench now, grabbing the empty platter she made her way over to the bar and returned it. With that, Glory turned and made for one of the many staircases in the room and ascended it. She chose to ignore Vega, Muko, and Illedrith at this time, as she wanted no business in the fight that they were possibly going to get themselves into. On most days Glory could be known as the fight-ender through her sheer size and ability to take punches with impunity, but not today. Just as with earlier: Glory figured that they needed some kind of vent for their stress, and if they needed to beat the tar out of one another to do it, then so be it.

Glory's chosen path brought her up to a ledge that overlooked the main room. Glory figured that this would be a good enough spot to passively observe the evolving situation in the guild's main hall from, and pulled a chair up to the railing. Glory gave a sigh at this point. She was quite disappointed with the state of the guild members, but there was nothing she could do about it. Aside from making jobs magically flood into the guild, but that was impossible even for guild masters.

Dragon's Heart seemed to have a problem then: Heroes, or anti-heroes, without problems to solve. Nothing to do day in and day out makes mages bored.

---

---

Victoria laughs, "Yah! Sara, Yah, The horses can jump over all the little people." Victoria turns around and leans back against the bar as sounds of a fight erupt in the hall. She hides her smile at the brawl behind her wine glass as she brings it up to lips. She quickly finishes her glass and lowers it casually. Her luck keeps improving. It might not bode well for her next mission to use up all her good luck now, but she might as well roll with it.

Looking around to see if anyone was paying attention to her, before she reaches back behind the bar counter and snags a bottle of vodka. She begins to pour herself vodka shots as she watches the brawl unfold. She sees no reason to intervene.

Moments before the ‘snowstorm’...

Situated in the courtyard of the the dragons heart guild laid a young man laxing in the trees. It was a place where Damian spent a good amount of time when he was at the guild, during this period of downtime was often where he would come to reflect, refocuse, or just destress. It’s been about 6 months since he has joined the guild and it has been a rather interesting time to be honest. The guild was filled with all kinds of people in all kinds of packages, no two wizards were the same by any means. Speaking of the guild, it seemed as though there was some sort of gathering going on inside that was beginning to peak his interest. Giving into the curiosty, Damian decided to go see whats going on inside. The boy grabbed his sword, which had been wedged nicely inbetween a tree branch before hopping down to the ground and walking up the steps to the door.

VOID

The boys ears perked up as he heard a shout on the otherside of the door, he quickly took a defensive stance and approached the door carefully.

DRAGON'S

There was only one guy who was capable of such magic, Damian furrowed his brow as he felt the rising magic energy on the otherside of the door. He quickly made a gesture with his hands, thrusting them upward into the air, a dome of branches erected from the ground to shield Damian from the impending danger.

DROP

The Guildhall entrance flung, releasing a heavy stream of snow and slush followed by a few resident guild members that slammed into Damians protective barrier, a few of the members caught in the blasts desperately attempted to cling onto the the branches that Damian produced but found no luck as they were blown away into the distance. Once the snow was done pouring out of the hall, the blonde released his barrier, slowly the branches began to receed back into the ground. The wizards eyebrows began to twitch in anger as he placed a hand on the grip of his sword before entering, passing Ladon on his way out who seemed to want no business in what just happened.

It wasn't even a challenge to find the idiot behind this destruction as he was standing in the middle of the hall triumphantly and infront of him stood Vega blatantly trying to oppose him. The blonde wizard let out a sigh before taking his hand off the grip of his sword, was it worth the headache trying to stop those two? Most certantly not, with the fighting spirit he had momentarily possessed vanishing, Damian decided to forfeit towards the bar where he could grab a drink and spectate the impending demolition. Dame reached over the counter and grabbed a mug before taking a seat next to Victoria and Sara.

"Mind pouring me up some?" he said as he held his cup up towards the brunette.

@Rune_Alchemist@Esran@MarsAdept

---

Illedrith had barely eaten one strawberry before the vultures seemed to decend, most notably in the form of her favourite guildmate.

"Mis...! Y-you're back...uhm uhm...!"

"CERI!!!"

Having been too preoccupied opening her wine to have noticed Ceri's approach, Mis' head whipped around in delight! She darted forwards and tried to pull her friend into a tight hug even as she changed the subject matter.

"O-oh...a reward for the...job?"

"Yes! The lovely farmers offered me some produce instead of full payment, and they're lovely. I saved a whole box for you! Here you go."

Mis reached back down into the cart and pulled out another of the wooden boxes. This one was also filled to the brim with fresh (and also freshly chilled) strawberries, and she pushed the box towards Ceri along the bar, patting the seat next to her invitingly as she poured her a small glass of the wine. It was then she was addressed by Vali, who had just jumped down from the second story nearby.

"Stopping them doesn't get easier, huh? But, I'd thank you nonetheless. Oh, and I'd like to take you up on that offer, if it still stands."

Mis chuckled lightly and grabbed another glass from the rack over the bar before pouring Vali a glass of the dark red wine and pushing her box of stawberries towards him.

"Even if I hadn't offered beforehand, you'd deserve it for your help patching up the bruised and battered from the brawl before. I really do appreciate your commitment to the guild, and I'm sure Kukan feels the same. I raise a glass to your health, good sir!"

She then raised her glass and, grinning broadly at Vali, downed it in one mouthful before pouring herself another. As she was doing this, she noticed someone reaching over the bar in her peripheral vision, and immediately took notice - spotting Victoria brazenly pouring herself shots with the bottle she had just taken. Raising her voice a little so it would clearly carry, Mis playfully reprimanded her senior.

"Victoriaaaa, you wouldn't have been thinking to take that without paying for it would you? I had something to give you from my trip, but I guess I'll keep it to myself..."

---

"Easy Cornelius. Easy." The crow skittered nervously on his master's arm as the biting chill of the windy valley cut through the night. It was a disquieting night. Wolves howled in the distance and a light rain has given everything in the lowlands a swampy mil-dewy smell and texture. The figure was wrapped in leathers, wearing a mask to match the crow that waited on his arm, complaining of the condition and the speed at which he was taken from his perch. The figure however attempted to calm his friend with soft strokes to his thick black feathers before he went to his belt. "Your job is much easier than poor Nicodemous, our pint-sized pal has his work cut out for him. I do hope the spread was no too concentrated. Anyway, Cornelius, Corne- listen. Listen to me." The figure grabbed the crows beak between he thumb and forefinger to make him look beak to beak with his master. The figure explained the instructions as he held up a small tube with latches on it and he set it to the crows foot. It was a magical receptacle, while minuscule, it could hold a large bunch of parcels due to its compacting enchantments, however this time, it only held a piece of parchment. "Rosa Blanca. You know, the pretty one with all the Lunar Moths you like to munch on. Rosa Blanca. Deliver this and fly back. And be safe my friend." He cast his arm and the crow took off. "No! Cornelius! No that way!" He pointed, redirecting his courier.

And that was all for now. The figure had followed his instructions to the T, and it was only in the most minor ways could he protest to this foolhardy attempt.

The figure picked up his lantern and made it back through the bog. He wasn't alone of course. He was always being watched ever since he had the nerve to speak out for himself. His own Master had not liked that. He could always feel her scrying magic on him, making sure he said the right things and did the right things. It almost felt as cold and foreign as a curse laid upon him, as in essence, it was. On the way back, he felt the Guild Mark on the back of his left hand. Its been itchy these days. It felt dirty, unwanted, just like himself.

He looked at the path ahead, he'd have to cater to his fellow Guildsmen and to the hired help they took with them on this job. He wasn't well known, regardless of how odd he looked. It was just an odd foible of House Apothecary that they dawn the beaked hoods and walk amongst those of curse and plague. It is a lie though. He is not of the House and to use their name is no doubt an insult. That seemed so long ago. How he just left them without even thinking it. He was a young and foolish dreamer back then, and such whimsical things are hard to give up. How many people would still be alive if he just did what he was supposed to do?

He went back to their meeting house, an inn being rented for that purpose. He opened the door with a creak and did not dare to look in anyone's direction. A simple "Message sent." Was all he needed before he rolled his shoulders. "If I am needed I'll be in my room. So much to prepare, I doubt I'll get a lick of sleep tonight." He had to be chippur. Had to be positive.

No one must suspect.

@Lord Sawsaw2@Hitman@pkken

---

---

Victoria was being entertained by all the fighting. Seeing her friends and family test each other in a half serious manner was a good thing. It would forge them into an effective and trusting team. Victoria drank her vodka when Damian came up to her. Victoria was half expecting to Damian to have joined into the brawl already. When Damian asked for Victoria to share, she looked at her bottle and hesitated. Seeing no harm in it, She raises her bottle to pour into Damian's glass, but Sara had already stepped in. "Well darn," Victoria says with a smile, "Looks like you already got a drink. More for me 'den." Victoria pours herself another shot and drinks.

Victoria was finally feeling the magic of the liquor she had in her hand when from across the way by a lovely voice she assumed was that of everyone's favorite Illedrith. Victoria looks over the crowd until she sees Illedrith. Victoria was hoping that she would get away with it for a little longer. Victoria laughed at the thought she was of course spotted by such a goody goody. Summoning up some convincing self-rightousness, Victoria calls accusingly back at Illedrith, "Mis, Are you accusing me of being a Petty thief? Unlike a lot of people here, I am actually good for my money. Plus, if had to use Credit, I am trusted. You Serious, Missy?" Victoria looks like she is willing to fight to defend her 'honor'.

@Lord Sawsaw2

---

"Mrf...?!" Ceri gave a startled, muffled yelp as she was suddenly hugged by Mis, though she didn't seem to mind too much. Hugs were nice. She let Mis hug her for as long as she wanted, relaxing a bit in the woman's protective embrace. At times like this Ceri almost thought she was safe, but such thoughts were quickly drowned out by everything else.

"Th-that was nice of them...E-eh? For me?" Ceri quickly took a seat next to Mis in an awkward fashion. "O-oh goodness..." The small girl opened the box, unable to hide her obvious eagerness at having received such a gift. All of them were for her? While Mis went to turned to address Vali and her earlier companions, Ceri simply remained quiet, content to not be noticed for now as she took a strawberry and took a bite of one.

"...Delicious~" Ceri held a hand to the side of her face, enjoyment obvious. "Ehe, thanks Mis!" Now, how should she approach the topic of Ladon? She really wanted to read that book. In all honesty...she had kind of panicked a bit. Caught between actually being totally what she was to Ladon - which was kind of what she wanted to do. Wasn't like he could do anything to her. All she'd really have to do was just act all innocent and sweet like she normally did. Wouldn't be hard to convince everyone...but at the same time, that felt...bad? Was that the right word? And It looked like Mis was having fun with the others, too. She didn't want to interrupt that just for a book. Urgh, what should she do? Ceri grabbed the hem of her hood, pulling it further over her face.

Why was it always so difficult interacting with people? Pausing her enjoyment of the strawberries, Ceri fidgeted, pressing her fingers together as she cast a few glances to Mis.

"...Uhm...uhm Mis?" She almost hoped Mis didn't hear her quiet voice.

---

Of course, this commotion would have to bring in the worst kind of person in the guild. When Vega reared his ugly head upon the notion of causing mayhem, Dreadlin could only sigh in utter disgust. Of all the log-heads in this guild, this dark edge-lord took the cake and then some. This along with the chills that rattled his scales would cause the lizardman to become way more irritable then he already has been. But just before he'd bellow at that magic-eatin' numb-skull, he'd hear a sudden hiss from behind him, followed by warm steam flowing from behind. The warmth would easily be absorbed into his scales and he suddenly became way calmer than before. But who could've done that without~?

"Two favors."

The lizardman irked unexpectedly as his eyes widened in disbelief as he sees Glory's arm shift back into it's neutral state.

"EHHH?" he breathed in shockingly, "Y-Ya didn't have ta do tat, ya know!"

He then remembered who he was talking too and quickly had to gather his commotion for her good deed. Wouldn't want to piss her off or even be on her bad side either.

"I-I mean..." he remarked as he cleared his throat, "Yeh, t-tanks for dat. I-I'll beh sure ta repay da favors... somehow."

Just then he'd hear a high-pitched chirp call out to him from below. Looking down, he can see lil' Ceri timidly nodding at him after finishing chatting with Glory. Dreadlin gave a friendly toothy grin as he waved towards her while she left to see someone else. He always liked Ceri, an adorable lass who must be protected. She may be timid, but her power's aren't to be trifled with in any circumstance. You could craft something interesting with all that smoke.

As Glory rose and walked to another part of the guild, Dreadlin was left alone once again as he devoured the rest of the meat into his massive gullet. With the brawl having just concluded, the lizardman finally gets up to the bar to grab a pint of beer. He's definitely going to need a drink after all that.

Yep! Mission accomplished! A complete success of events that should endear him greatly to his fellow Guild Members. Praise at how he pacified a brawl with a healthy dose of snow and i- "OI, YA DAMN BARNEY RUBBLIN' GIT! HAVEN'T YA GOT THE SLIGHTEST NOTION OF RESPECTIN' OTHA PEEPLE'S SPACES?! WHERE ARE YA BLOODY MANNAS?!"

That brilliant grin went from flashy and smug, to sort of half smile, mouth open and eyes semi drooped in the dumbest kind of face possible. All the joy of making a snowfall vanished, replaced with silence before the depression kicked right in. Head hung, arms flopping forward, and slightly hunched from the weight of it all.
_{"He's right. That wasn't cool at all. I truly failed to respect the traditions and honors of others. How can I expect to uphold my title if I ruin the lives of everybody around me? I should have thought it through more. I sh-"}

So sucked into his own self pity, Muko failed to notice the immediate consequences of his action. Vega's foot crashed into his face, the impact from the strike knocking him back. Cartwheeling through the air in the most obvious mood whiplash ever, he plowed through at least two guild members, and impacted into a bank of snow. Muko unseen, as he was buried deep in cold, wet, slush. _{"Why should we have fun? We're only going to cause more woes and pain."} Muko whined out as the snow melted around him. Soaking him in water till the great dragonslayer looked more like a wet dog, than a hero of any kind.

"Dude, you're bringing the vibe down." Another member whispered to Muko. "Just punch him back before the guild master shows up."
_{"What's the point?"}
"He did kick you in the face."
"Good point." Muko said, a bit more peppy feeling. Maybe punching Vega could fill the whole in his heart. He sat up, eyes narrowed and focus upon the scythe wielding member of the guild. He charged, kicking off the ground and swinging at the distracted Vega. A good right hook should cheer him up.

---

"Mis, Are you accusing me of being a Petty thief? Unlike a lot of people here, I am actually good for my money. Plus, if had to use Credit, I am trusted. You Serious, Missy?"

Illedrith stared pointedly at Victoria's hand, still holding the incrimiating bottle even as she openly proclaims her innocence. Hardly a new interaction between the two, they were always getting into little tiffs over things like this. As an S-class, Victoria had a certain degree of immunity from trouble from such petty things, and she certainly seemed to flaunt it often in Illedrith's eyes. She wasn't hurting anyone specifically, but this was just the kind of thing that made Mis feel like letting Victoria know that people were watching her for guidance.

"Oh I'm sure you're good for the cash Ms. Moneybags, but my question was whether you were going to use that money to pay our dear bartender Stevens or not. Look, he's coming over now, if you pay him now I'll even apologise by giving you your present..."

Turning to her cart to find the object in question, Mis just heard the last of Trixie's statement and saw her begin rifling through her stuff.

“I love it when you bring stuff back! It's like a game and the winner is me!”

"OI! [Form Mirror]!"

With a snap of her fingers, Mis summoned a mirror to cover the majority of the top of the cart in an attempt to block Trixie's vision and then lunged forward, trying to force her and her grubby hands away from the cart. She'd have time to escape with whatever she happened to have in her hand at the time, but precious little extra time after that if she didn't want to get tackled by Illedrith.

"This is why you never get any presents Trix! Maybe if you didn't mess with my stuff all the time I would have got you something too!"

Amongst all the commotion, the small sound of her best friend calling her name simply wasn't loud enough to reach her ears, a fact which she would absolutely beat herself up about if she knew...

---

"Ah?", Vega was suffice to say, disappointed. As Muko lunged at him with a simple right hook, he simply stepped aside, before grabbing him. He had a look of disdain on his face.

"And you're supposed to be the strongest here, what happened to that flare from earlier huh?", he shoved him back away to let him stagger a few steps, before he swung his scythe at him in an inward horizontal arc. Not intended to strike but if his so-called senior even has a little sense for battle, he should be able to dodge it no problem.

Muko... It puzzled him why he was marked the Guild's strongest. Well, only halfway, he knows he has that power with the Void Dragon Slayer magic, nothing he himself can't handle, but a direct hit could still threaten and override his drain if he wasn't careful. But how did he reach that power anyway? Such a weak will, he hated it. Muko for Vega was a mixed bag, he didn't mind it when he put his heart into something, but when he was like this it disgusted him. Timid and only putting in effort because someone else spurred him to it.

He had few expectations at this point, but let's see where this leads. For now.

---

This Flavia certainly was an interesting little thing. Lorn kept a close eye on her, his lips curled into a unperturbed smile when she barked at him.

"I know that." She snapped, eyes blazing. Then the next moment she lowered her head and shrank inward on herself. "I-I'm sorry."

Lorn's eyes made a crescent as he let out a cute chuckle, his grin hidden gracefully behind his hand. When he allowed his hand to fall again upon his lap, he kept his modest gaze upon the girl and shook his head, "No need to apologize love. That light within you...it burns brighter than you realize." His eyes became alit, as though that spark within her somehow showed the potential she herself had not yet grasped. It brought a warmth to his senses; no doubt an inner flame that he felt because of his Heart Magic. He certainly felt it indeed...that hidden strength.

He remained peacefully quiet as she explained.

"Its just...they are hurting each other over nothing with no point to it. It...doesn't make sense. No one benefits, they just inflict pain." She continued. Memories of a heavy hand crossed her mind, and old, healed, bruises started to ache.

Lorn kept his response brief, "I understand...".

It was difficult sometimes...not reading someones mind without their explicit permission to do so. Lorn had trained himself to resist the temptation. There was always a compulsion to pry into the minds of others to better understand them. Even in this moment, when her expression and body language suddenly shifted for a brief moment, he felt it, a deep wound that penetrated his own heart as if it were his own. And in that moment, his own smile disappeared, as though he had unexpectedly mimicked her own emotional sensibilities. As was the plight of possessing Magical Empathy; sometimes the emotions of others became his own. If only he could read her mind, then maybe he could better understand the origin of her sudden pain and focus it. But...that should remain earthed for another occasion.

His hand drifted to his chest, gripped over his heart as though he were grasping at her pain, yet like it was his own. And when it subsided from her, so it did from him. Lorn's smile returned, albeit a bit reticent this time around. Perhaps she had noticed him shift when she did. Hopefully not. In any case, he prettily swiped some of his hair behind his ear as he handed her back the book. "Oh. Oh of course. Here you go. Study well Flavia.", he said calmly, lifting himself up off the floor and looking towards the exit of the library. He felt the shift in the air and Flavia most likely did too, the temperature dropped and a burst of cold air and snowflakes penetrated the atheneum.

Muko, he immediately thought. Peculiar that one. Lorn had met fools and cowards in the past who feigned power and competency, and yet, their guild's strongest mage feigned quite the opposite. It was a peculiar charade, one that took some time for Lorn to pick up on, but that was his magic's specialty, sensing things that belie the surface. This was why Master Kukan valued his presence so much within the guild. Lorn played the game from behind the curtains of flash and might.

As he made his way towards the exit, he could hear the voice of Sara calling out Fornax from below. That sudden warmth that melted the snow and frost was a soothing sensation upon his flesh. He let out a contented smile as he turned to face Flavia, his hands gracefully clasped behind his back, giving him an upright and dignified kind of posture, "Your presence would be valued. Please don't be afraid to commune with us when you're ready." He contemplated bringing her food, but resigned from the idea. He wanted her to further step out of her shell. Little by little.

Making his way towards the staircase, he caught the figure of Glory from his peripherals. The large mechanical woman was perched along the rail, far out of the way of any toil and trouble that accented the Main Hall below. People often misunderstood her, as even he himself had at first. She was difficult to read. The nature of her physiology proved his Heart Magic to be fairly ineffective, a fact he kept close to consciousness whenever they interacted.

Lorn meandered over to where she sat, pressing his lithe and feminine frame gently against the rail beside her. He looked down over the rail at the scuffle below. Vega and Muko were getting into it. Some of the others were at the bar still; the presence of Damian between Sara and Victoria especially peaking his interest. Truth be told, he kind of had a crush on the lad...DESPITE already having a girlfriend. This always made him feel utterly guilty, but what could he do really...even more so now that Bébé was actively avoiding him. Damian was cute...and his magic revolved around nature, soooo...it was difficult for him not to fancy the blonde-haired higher ranking mage. Nonetheless, these were feelings the effeminately beautiful male kept hidden, locked away in a mental box.

He shook his head to remove the thought and turned his attention to Glory, though his gaze remained on the floor below, his eye catching Trixie the trickster plucking her little hands through Illedrith's cart of goods. Lorn chuckled to himself at the sight, amused. "Glory..." he said at last, his voice calm and as androgynously effeminate as ever, "Who within our guild do you care for the most?...And why?" Even though his gaze was not upon her, his expression was curious for an answer.