_{Location: Guild Hall}

---

Gwen felt different with her new set of clothes that she got from Era, a present from the 5th Wizard Saint, Harvard Fernandes himself. Prior to this she went to the comfort room to try it on, and she felt really different, black really suited her color and she somehow looked like pretty boy. The outfit matched her boyish hairstyle that people started mistaking her for a guy but upon closer look, it's just Gwen with clothes.

"It can't be helped. Requip!" Her clothes disappeared and afterwards she recalled it. `I forgot that I can actually materialize and strip my clothes with requip, that's one heck of an oversimplification! Gwen, you rock!'

Three Weeks have past and Gwen had been training rigorously and heeded Torys's advice of learning Requip so she won't waste clothes.

`I wonder about that, Master...' Gwen ain't taking anymore losses after her terrible loss three weeks ago. A familiar face also has shown up, Tone Sorreto — the man who rivals Gwen in firepower. She nodded in gesture of his presence, the smile behind her smile meant she wanted to fight him some day.

"Yeah, take the train, I want a seat for myself while you two can sit next to each other. I'm bored now and I'm hungry...I am craving for some Chimera meat, maybe the Requestor of the job will give us free meals! So can we go now?"

Travel through the woods always felt peaceful and relaxing with sounds of bird chirping with the flapping of the wings keeping them aloft. And the pleasant smell of sweet flowers blooming with the still faint hint of dew from the early morning though fields of flowers or where plants were thick were best avoided for the sake of his sensitive nose.

For unlike humans, this lone traveler trekking to the forest approaching upon the outskirts surrounding the town of Crocus. Sounds and smells were much more apparent to his senses; able to hear the soft footsteps of a doe trancing towards the small babbling stream and prowling steps of a stalking wolf nearly half a mile away and the sweet scented flowers while nice a bit too intense for his nose, nearly making him sneeze at times. Now, however, only the loud bustling noises coming from the town before the figure were all that he could hear. Gone were the soothing and relaxing melodies of nature; replaced with the thundering crunch of hundreds of footsteps and roaring of those strange metal vehicles once thought to be horrid misshapen beast. Even now, after nearly a month since his first encounter could he still recall his first encounter with such a viciously loud metallic creature that stank of oil and gave off the sense of heavily diluted ethernano, both that left his unprepared ears ringing and nose curling in disgust.

How strange to see the outside world having developed so much. So vastly different from the stories told and read in the books chronicling those of past scholars. He was told to expect such change with a four hundred gap; yet never would he think such things possible.

His first experience of a large human town left him feeling lost and out of place with an unsettling chill that filled and turned his veins to ice. But this is what he chose; what he spent all those years working and researching tirelessly spending several nights with little no sleep nor eating. All that he strived for gained him the title of scholar, the first in these hundreds of years in order to once again prepare his tribe to properly venture out and it all started with him.

Uncertain, doubt and fear wrapped about his body but determination, intrigue and an intense need to see and to learn drove this lone beastkin forward. Out here, amongst human he was one; a male from a race since forgotten and part of a different time had no choice but to fight his uncertainty and took the encouraging prayers from his family and tribe to give him the strength to put his foot forward.

His feet first taking him to where the magical council were stationed as advised by his own tribe's council of elders. A most important mission that needed to be done, to restore the truce once set all those years prior ensuring they would leave his home in peace and scholars like he would offer their aid and knowledge normally through joining of a guild. A meeting that took nearly weeks simply to meet, showing how tremendously busy they were that it eventually ate away at his patience and strolled into the hall and revealed himself to those that lead the council.

A decision one may consider reckless and foolish to do so in front of humans who thought him simply to be myth. Yet, he stood there before them, himself unveiled that nearly caused a commotion had the experienced council members not reacted and acted as expertly as they did and lessening the damage this single action could of caused. Warned to be careful and having the hall cleared but for them and himself; those that had been were silenced with bribe ensuring to keep their mouths quiet of the incident.

After apologies; much discussions took place. Days of discussion in fact but those of the council understood and while they only heard stories of this truce confirmed after dredging up hidden records that he succeeded in brokering new terms. Though there would need to be more discussions and paperwork to be done, but the promise of more scholars like he possibly showing soon had them assure his clan and home would be left alone.

And that had been more than three weeks ago since he had set off after refusing their generous offerings of guilds to join. He was certain most if not just about any guild would more than happily accept him as defensive mages in particular weren't all that common and due to what he was even more so. Upon hearing of their renown and fame, individual could only refuse for he felt it best to seek out a guild smaller and lesser known, to keep his existence quiet for the time being.

Some inquiring regarding such guilds of those within town bore little fruit, when eventually being advised to inspect the newspaper. The papers he pulled from his right long sleeve and held up; sharp dark blue eyes peered at the wrinkled paper covered in inked writing and ads, his studious and observing gaze lowering to find the smallest and tiniest ad on it that spoke of the guild..Fenixtear.

Fenixtear. The destination that brought Menzai to travel here, to Crocus even after being told it was a fair distance better traveled by vehicle or if one had the money to teleport. And seeing that he nary a coin to his name and refused to step into those hateful metal automatons and thus opted to go by foot and one he was far better off and content with.

Traveling with naught but the clothes on his back, his feet which bore no shoes carried him along. Needing nothing else as taught that less is better as he simply lived off the lands around that offered plentiful to scavenge and hunt with an offered prayer of resting to the caught prey he feasted upon.

Whereas most humans seemed to prefer speed for travel, he and most like him were completely content in traveling at their own pace. As there was no need for rushing unless urgency was an issue as the guild would not be going anywhere and even if he found the place closed that he could simply try another. Patience, outside of important need seemed to be slowly lost by humans as time passed; a thought that brought a small frown to Menzai's hidden face but far be it from him to judge their ways.

His clawed hand that gripped the old newspaper slipped it back in within the sleeve, where his arm remained nestled with both arms folded and hidden against his chest. Head lifting to have curious irises that glinted red and seemed to nearly glow within the shadows of the hood peering into the bustling town of Crocus.

Catching glimpses of civilians going about their day, whether to or from work or some other unknown business or children out and about. Watching them pass from the slight cover of trees still, a figure that stood out almost completely from their casual clothes and carefree mannerism. Unlike he, who wore a haori of snow white with fabric that seemed soft as fluff and smooth as silk that one might swear glittered when struck in the right light beneath the sun. A long flowing robe wrapped around his slim frame with long sleeves extending past his hands by a few inches and where his arms were currently housed, making easier to hide his less than human features. His pants, like the sleeves long and billowy; made to offer plenty of room allowing him to move and jump without worry of restraint. Only the hood adorning his head stood out in light grey, clearly not part of the haori but slipped in the nape of his neck to hide on his head what his haori could not.

Each shift of his head brought him slight discomfort from this horrendous hood, the uncomfortable fabric scraping against the hidden ears with an unbearable itch that brought a brief growling scowl to his shadowed face, flashing two rows of sharp canine teeth. Fighting back the urge to tear it off again as he needed to resist and when he only slipped it on a few minutes prior but needed to be done as it was best to draw as little attention as possible.

Closing his eyes and letting out a small sigh to calm himself, having his face return to its usual calm and near blank expression. This was just another thing he must endure for the sake of his mission and pursuit for knowledge towards magic.

Of course, it wasn't all bad. While he did not like the vehicles, there were strange and interesting objects and devices though only had brief glimpses due to the urgent needs with the council and found it best to leave quickly after nearly causing the commotion at the hall.

But, now as he prepared to enter the town saw this as a chance to properly explore seeing that he did not know where the guild hall was located. And so, a quick scan of the area of his surrounding until found a building of decent height and nodded to himself before continuing on, his steps making nary a sound as if weightless.

Humming gently to himself as he strolled over to the back of one of the buildings at the fringes of the town, making no sign nor intention of turning to go around. With a slight lifting tilt of the head as the marks etched onto the souls of feet dimly hum did he lightly jump up. Within a second of his right foot beginning to lower did a small red 3 foot wide barrier of 2 inches form beneath it, acting like a platform to which he used to jump off. Hopping up towards the building's roof with each step of foot placing a barrier that left a small trail though not for long as the platform three steps prior vanished as if never there.

Light grunts slipping from his lips with each hop upward that caused his haori to billow and flap to which if any saw might mistaken him a ghost walking on thin air. After forming around twelve platforms did he find himself on the roof and quietly walked to its edge overlooking the town. Wide curious eyes scanned along the building and its people; seeking and searching for the guild hall of Fenixtear but as expected saw no trace of it.

Momentarily finding himself distracted, however again by the strange devices and bits of magic being used. He tilted his head at seeing several walking with these tiny thin boxes pressed to their ears and talking into them, some tapping what seemed to be even tinier buttons. It perplexed and confused him; wondering why they were speaking into such a device (had he focused could he could listen on their conversation) but now was not the time to dwell on such curiosities like them or a strange cart that produced colorful and eatable clouds?!

How vexing and wondrous these things humans created, his nose crinkling at those loud vehicles roaring by and paid them little attention.

With no luck in his search, he prepared to move on, when his covered ears flicked to the word Fenixtear being mentioned by a small passing group of teens. Quickly, he sprung; hopping down and along towards the group, using platforms to drop down to the ground before them, his body bending down while his arms never unfolding from their hiding.

His sudden landing expectedly made them jump and freak out at his sudden appearance. Some were looking up at the air where they swore saw the mysterious person coming from and briefly caught sight of something red before they blinked out. The one closest, a teen male of 15 or 17, who nearly stumbled back into his friends pushed forward a bit peeved." What the hell man?! You don't just go around dropping out of the sky?!" Stating his clear annoyance, face trying to hide the slight embarrassment from letting himself get jumpscared like that while his friends voiced their agreements.

The figure, Menzai stood back up to his feed, standing upright only to bow his head and upper half in a respectful bow." Do forgive me. Was not the intention to disturb and frighten those of this group." He spoke in a clear soft masculine voice that seemed to have a somewhat soothing effect that helped settle down their frustration albeit a tad, his words came out in a respectful and sincere voice. The mannerism of how he carried himself showed a person that was curious yet slightly tense, alert as if cautious at all times." Do forgive the sudden brash actions of my appearance but as I briefly overheard the conversation to which again I apologize for and has ascertain that perchance you might know the location of Fenixtear?"

The group could only help but stare in shock at this strange weirdo who came dropping out of the sky dressed like some kind of monk and face hidden by a hood. Then hearing him speak in such a formal and respectful manner asking about the guild? The group started muttering to each other with uncertain looks, one who was eating a frozen stick treat unknown to him dripped from their hand having forgotten about it, too busy being stunned.

The teens saw his head slightly turn, shifting to look at them expectantly for an answer until the teen boy from before coughed and tugged at his jacket." Look, I don't know if you're trying to mess with us or pulling a prank with that robe but if its the guild you want..." He forced himself to try and talk and act cool probably to make up for embarrassing himself as he gave directions to the guild." Then just pass down through the alleys and you there. Man, I swear everyone asking about the guild now." He scoffed with a roll of the eye, while a buddy of his chimed up.' Come on, who can blame them? Taking out that dragon was insane yo.' Some cheered and high-fived showing how hyped up they were over the statement." Tch, I know that Gary but places are always so busy cause of people like this." The teen scoffed turning back to the stranger." But, yeah you won't have a hard time finding it. If your aim is joining then good luck. Others like you trying to get in with those weirdos."

Listening intently on their conversation as the mention of dragon caught his ears especially but remained silent. Having received the directions and intel he sought and once again politely bowed to the group." I offer my thanks for being most helpful for the information and shall take into account the advice. Some time, when able, I shall return this favor."

" Uh..yeah, whatever. Just get on with it already. Popping out of nowhere like that....uncool" The teen waved away at him then turned to start walking off with his friends." That guild attracts nothing but freaks, I swear." He muttered to them eliciting a round of laughter.

After observing the group walk off for a moment, Menzai recounted the directions in his head and glanced around to take in his surroundings. Feeling uncomfortable going through the walls and passing those dangerous hunks of metal and opted to go by roof; hopping along the close knit buildings, using his platforms for gaps too wide to jump over. Stopping every so often to get his bearings making sure he was going by the directions given to him.

Several minutes of hopping along roof after roof with brief breaks before finally catching sight of the guild hall building. Strange to find it nestled in such a secluded and deep part of the town, but thought it better ideal for him and a few more hopping, bringing himself to a landing grunt to touch down a short distance from the guild doors.

Standing back up; gazing over the multi-storied building which certainly was not like the more extravagant and larger well established guilds from the pictures shown to him. This one felt more like a...home? Even if it looked somewhat rundown and poor yet gave off a warm and inviting presence. This had his hidden lips curl into a small smile for a few moments before returning back to its usual position.

Able to hear voices coming from within, normally muffled but for him the voices and words were clear to which there were multiples. A mix of male and female voices at that. Unsure of what was being discussed though the things he caught lead him to believe it concerned quests.

With a raise of a curious brow, the shoeless individual walked up to the door and with a closed clawed fist rapped on the door five times. Making sure to do so hard enough for them to be heard by the inhabitants within.

So they were going to just ignore that machine? Was he the weird one to find that strange event with the ANP at least a little bizarre? Okay then, he was the weird one then.

"Well if there was a goddess I certainly wouldn't mind taking her over. I still can't believe I didn't take over that dragon when I had the chance." Sure, they were tasked to kill the dragon, but what were the odds that this would ever happen again? It certainly would have been useful for the upcoming job.

The fact that this mission had be passed around from various guilds and had to be bumped up a rank because all of those guilds failed certainly was a bit worrisome to say that least. So they would have to go to some new village out in the sticks and Torys wasn't even going to help with the travelling fees. Hell, even if they hired Obsidian Kite they still would not be able to land directly in the village so they would still have to either get some wheels or take a long hike. It looked like they were on their own for this one.

"We're as tough as they come. We've got this." Zenith said with a grin. Sure it was an S-Class job, but he was confident in the abilities of his guild mates and his own. Perhaps that sounded a bit overconfident though that may have been coming from the fact that he was finally stretching his legs as a mage after being cooped up in the kitchen for so long. If he had stayed in there any longer he was going to turn the skillet into his next squash racket. He really needed to thank Marduk for this.

And then the newest slayer came back from a job. He seemed like a nice enough guy, a bit of a meat head, but a nice. However. Zenith couldn't say that being called a woman by Tone felt good, but the Dragon Slayer was not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. "Yeah, a bit of a beast of a job, but nothing we can't handle. Try to take it easy; save some fun for the rest of us."

Well, it looked like the train was the preferred mode of transportation."I wouldn't mind at all." Zenith smiled kindly, which then turned into surprise at Gwen's requip. She really made a lot of progress during those weeks. It looked like Zenith was gonna have to take some time to train too and hunt down some beasts to take over. "Damn Gwen, you're making me look like a slacker here!" He said with a chuckle.

His brow arched at Gwen's comment about Chimera Meat and took a step back from her. "Yeah, I'd prefer if you didn't take a bite from me so you can have your own seat. Let's move."

He stood there patiently by the door, unsure of how this worked exactly and whether it was fine to go in or. Contemplating on what to do, when his covered ears caught the sound of footsteps coming from behind, two sets at that though the sources had not appeared just yet.

Were they possibly guild members or maybe fans and by what those teens said could even be others like him seeking to join the guild. The worst possibility being that they were enemies attempting an attack, whatever the case the mysterious figure kept on his guard while giving the hood a small tug making sure it remained in place.

Slipping the hand back within the sleeve as he remained in place, his body slightly tense. Keeping a tag prepared; ready to put up a barrier just to be safe though shortly after found the footsteps belonging to some unknown adult and the softer footsteps of that of..a child?

In an instant his body relaxed; worries melting away as a soft sigh of relief left his lips. One may say he overreacted letting himself get worked up by such a pair, but for Menzai everything out here was new to him and thus did not know what to expect. Especially so when standing in front of a guild which apparently had slain a dragon?

Tilting his head for a moment thinking of how such a feat was completed, making sure to inquire about it. For now, he planned to address the pair and started to turn, when the hair on the back of his neck prickled and felt a sudden foreboding feeling, one that gave off the ill will of death prompting him to quickly jump and dash away from the door a short distance to the right.

He landed in a low crouched defensive position. Unsure of what it even was or if he was the target or not, simply a glimpse of something black. Keeping his hooded head low as he observed the tow, trying to determined if he or the guild was in danger but the other issue was which one did the sickly feeling come from.

Leon looked over Ria’s shoulder at the commotion surrounding a strange, talking machine that had been tossed through the guild’s window. His guild mates crowded around it, trying to ascertain its origin and purpose. If he hadn’t been talking to Ria already, perhaps he may have gone over to take a look himself. Though the mission to Era was intriguing enough. If not somewhat bothersome. These student uprisings were so common it was hard to imagine any work actually got done at Era University. The faculty deserved some kind of pay rise for all the nonsense they had to deal with. Ria spoke of a diplomatic mission, but if it was anything like Leon remembered then they should definitely be preparing for the worst.

“Okay, I’ll give Irene a call.” Leon tried to suppress his childish grin to no avail. “She’s one of the smartest people I know. I’m sure she’ll be able to give us the information we need.” Leon gave Melia a little pat on her head, sending her back to the Fae realm while he went to get ready.

After a quick shower to clean himself off from his morning exercise, Leon dressed comfortably for the Era mission. Keeping his codex strapped to his hip, he would be prepared to summon one of his Pixies if the need arises. Even though he knew some of the more eccentric characters from the previous coups, he figured the stakes for this mission weren’t particularly high. Glancing over to his bedside table, a small communication device sat at the ready. Lacrima powered, it allowed wizards to communicate via voice over long distances through magic signals. He stared at the device for a short while, lost in thought.

It’s been a while since we’ve talked. Leon and Irene had kept up correspondence over letters, but it paled in comparison to the feeling of actually being with his friend. Would it be the same as he remembered? He reached for the device, punching in a series of symbols from a small, black notebook. The name ‘Irene’ was messily scrawled next to the array. He moved the device up to his mouth and awaited for the other end to receive the call.

---

---

Leon returned downstairs to meet up with Ria once Irene had given him a tip off of the situation. He had scrawled the details down onto a little scrap of paper. It was all pretty standard stuff, when it started and which faculty were caught up in the escapades. In particular, the list of students running the coup was what would be most valuable to them. Though Leon suspected from the beginning it would be them.

“Alright, Irene says she’ll help us. We’ll meet her along with Professor Harvard’s thought projection at the University Belt.” Leon took another look at the flier, thinking of the group they would have to face against. He turned to Ria with his list.

“Here’s who we’re up against.” Leon went on to describe the members of the student council who had all helped instigate the coup. Giselle Kaiser, a nice enough girl who Leon had shared a few classes with. Kai Haul, the guy was weird and Leon didn’t know much about him, truthfully. Ramiel Dreyar, a Dragon Slayer who Leon despised. He had been one of the few who insisted on antagonizing and demeaning him for his simpler upbringing compared to most of the student body. Hama Bloomfield, an entrepreneurial sort who Leon had the displeasure of dealing with when his Fairies caused some property damage to the school. On their own they weren’t too bad, some of them were even nice enough to have a chat with if you ran into them in the halls. Yet they were being led by Jana Fernandes, the younger sister of Professor Harvard. She was a wild child who used her brother's position as a means to get away with all sorts of rule-breaking shenanigans around the school. Leon avoided her like the plague during his time at Era - hoping she would graduate before he ever had to be on the receiving end of her ire.

“We might want to see if anyone else wants to lend us a hand. If I know Jana, we’re going to be in for some trouble.”

“Marvelous…” Asher speaks to himself, as he sips the coffee now in his hand. He had never heard of building little machines that not only could move on their own, but to be able to speak and magic up items too? Hearing Kaden speak about securing the job for them, Asher simply waves to let him know he heard him before refocusing on the ANP. At Lavinia decreeing he was going to be the keeper of it and ensure it doesn’t come to harm, he gave her a half lidded glance from the side before rolling his eyes and pulling out his idea notebook and started to write notes on his observations of the little robot. “I think it’s obvious I would do so, considering the job entails that everyone on the job is doing so,” he says as if it was supposed to be obvious.

Inside the notebook, little notes and rough sketches of the ANP started to fill up a page. Such notes were based on his observation of it’s joints and how it moved about. His eyes glanced over to the opposite page, which had a similar page with various notes and sketches for his current project of inspiration. This page was dedicated to the project of forging his own airship. Asher had remembered his time upon the airship that brought him and his comrades home and couldn’t help but be enthusiastic about something like this being possible. A small smile coming to his face, Asher nods to himself as he reminds himself of his goal.

With Kaden calling out to them it was time to head out, Asher closes his notebook before returning it to his rucksack. “I’m coming,” he returns to Kaden, following him out of the guild hall, choosing to ignore his comment on “playing” with the ANP. If anything, how those two could not find such a thing fascinating was the weird thing here! As their team steps through the doorway, he sees they pass yet another new member of the guild. Another one higher ranked than himself yet again, he sourly thinks in his mind, before quickly brushing such a thought to the side as he offers the guy a nod of acknowledgement as he passes. With that step back into the outdoors, he finds himself ready to prove his worth for the guild once more.

"Out of my way!" Lavinia shouted, as she barged through the door and politely stepped around those waiting outside. "If you're going to go in, then do so, before I trample you underfoot!" She laughed cruelly, swinging the door open wide behind her so they could flood in as they pleased. With this, Torys would be inundated with too many recruits, and the whole guild would burn! Or something.

"Food machine, make me a cookie. Actually, five cookies," she told the ANP. "Asher, make sure it does as I ask. Obey me and I'll let you have one of the cookies." She knew well enough not to let her minions go without reward. A little sugar could quell a rebellion just as well as a heaping dose of terror, though in Lavinia's mind the best way was to employ both at once.

"And you, mage whose name I can't be bothered to learn!" She hurried forwards, catching up to the grumpy-looking Kaden. "Is something wrong? Surely you're not so incompetent as to get us lost already?" Clearly something was affecting his morale. A cookie would go a long way towards fixing that, but in the meantime she ought to remind him of where he stood.

"Chin up! No underling of mine should let themselves be stumped by a task so trifling as this. I'll have you know that failure means a fate worse than death... As he can attest!" She jerked her thumb back towards Asher. "So don't hesitate to ask for my assistance if you need it. Much as it would please me to watch you writhe in unimaginable pain, I want to get this job done as well, so that I may return to more important matters!" Her post-mission itinerary currently included crushing society underfoot, and acquiring the latest novel in the Crimson Tides of Love series. Though maybe that first part could wait until she'd finished the book...

---

---

---

---

---

---

(This diagram is not a Timeskip Post but reaffirming on who is with who going on the missions)

---

Asher followed. If only there'd been someone he could have placed a bet with, he could have made some money. Maybe some other time. Guy seemed like he had a good head. At least there was one bonus. If what he'd read about the weird chick was correct, at least there was someone else that could fight if it came to it. It wouldn't come to it, though. he'd heard about plenty of escort missions that were just paranoid people trying to make sure no one made off with their goods. This was going to be as simple as a walk through a city; if it turned out otherwise, well hopefully they were challenging enough to make it worth his attention.

"Guys! Hey, guys! Wait..." The ANP unit called as it bounced from one leg to the other in effort to catch up to all the taller beings that were supposed to be staying with it. "You know where you're going, right?"

"For now, we're getting out of here before the stupid becomes contagious." They had people standing outside their guild knocking on doors to be let in, like it were some private establishment, being tormented by little kids. Sure, he was taking some of the crazy but apparently that couldn't be helped.

Kaden stopped walking when Lavinia caught up to him with her crazy. He closed his eyes and let out a breath before turning to face the hooded mage. "Look, chick, I asked you to come along 'cause you were listed in the papers to be pretty handy in a fight and the chick I got info on the guild from said you were nice. So keep that crazy inside and this job will go easy as cake. If you can't manage, go back to whatever you were going to be doing, and this guy and I will take care of it. So eat the damn cookies, and just keep your mouth shut until we get back to the guild."

The ANP popped up between the two. "Cookies are ready." The machine handed off a plate of hot fried mini donut balls to Lavinia. It turned to acknowledge Kaden again. "Are we going to be walking the whole way to Abeneraaa Harbor?"

Kaden sighed. "No, just until we meet up with Avedis. Then we'll look at where we're at and determine best way to Abeneraaa Harbor. So where'd the old man tell you for us to meet him."

"Meet him? We're not supposed to meet him. You're supposed to get me to the orphanage."

Kaden pinched the bridge of his nose. "So where the hell did he go after he threw you through our window?" This whole thing made him regret not grabbing that stupid actress protection job. At least then he'd have something to look at on occasion.

"Back to his workshop I'd assume."

"And where is that?"

"Outside Abeneraaa Harbor. So that brings me back to the point. Are we walking all the way there? I'm meant for only short distance walking. That means I can't be expected to walk all the way there..."

Kaden let out a hard sigh. "We'll get transportation to Abeneraaa Harbor and you'll show us where Avedis' workshop is. Then we'll make sure you get to the orphanage." He looked at Lavinia and Asher. "Either of you have money to afford your own tickets?"

---

---

---

Leon was going to call his friend. Hopefully she would actually have some information on the group causing problems. That would certainly make it easier. Otherwise, Ria supposed they could interrupt Gwen preparing for her own job, or maybe get Lilliana to actually say more than a few words to them, regarding what they remembered of when they went there. It could be the same people, and if so they would have the best information about what might happen. Well, maybe not. They likely went in fighting, whereas Ria knew the best odds she and Leon had were to try talking things out.

While he was off getting ready, she went over to finally ask Torys to approve them taking the job. "Master Torys, Leon and I would like to take the job to help mitigate the student rebellion at Era university." She sported her usual cheerful smile as she handed over the flier to Torys.

Torys took the flier and looked at it then Ria. Putting the flier to the side, she shrugged lightly. "Sure, it could just be the two of you. I'm sure you'll be able to handle it if you are willing to fight and both of you put effort into it. Though you may want to discuss a potential fight strategy with Leon, just in case. It's broken down to fights every other time we've sent people. You shouldn't expect any less. But if you both buckle down and can both use your heads on how to deal with the students before you get into the fights, you should do fine."

Ria managed to keep her smile from slipping, despite the feeling of defeat kind of settling into her gut. Yes, everyone else that went ended up fighting, but...that could just be because that was their approach. Gwen and Lilliana were both fighters, not diplomats. "I'll be sure to talk things over with Leon before we finally set out. He's calling a friend now to double check what's going on at the campus right now." She put her hand up as a wave before heading off to where the two had planned to meet up.

She didn't have to wait long. Leon was back with information before she expected. He kicked off the list with a name she recognized all too well. Giselle Kaiser. The very mention of the name made the smile vanish from her face. Giselle Kaiser. She repeated the name in her head as her gaze grew distant. The other information passed through one ear and out the other. Giselle Kaiser, her cousin, was alive. She was alive, and she was in Era. For whatever reason she was helping with a revolt among students. What could have happened in the past four years that would lead to such unruly behavior? Oh no, is it because we didn't look for her? Surely she wasn't part of the last revolt. Gwen would have told me. She must have been hiding. This must be a new team.

Blinking back to life when the name Zana was repeated, Ria forced a smile back on her face and focused on Leon. "We might be able to have an edge in the fact we know what they can do and they don't know what we can. The idea still stands to try to reason with these individuals instead of fight." Especially Giselle; I couldn't bare the thought of having to fight her. "Is there a person you want to ask to join? Or just see if someone approaches us?"

Lavinia could only chuckle at the foolishness of the man who told her to keep the crazy inside. ”You think my madness can be contained? Fool! I shall not be caged, for not matter what barriers may imprison me, my evil spilleth over to corrupt all in my presence!” Her follow-up cackle was somewhat muffled as she popped a donut ball in her mouth and happily chewed on it.

”Your reward, my loyal minion.” She handed one to Asher as well. They really were delicious, the sweet sugar coating mixing perfectly with the rich chocolate contained within. Just like how my beautiful body conceals the blackest of hearts. When she was Dark Empress of Fiore, she would have an entire factory built specifically for the mass-production of these pastries. Or perhaps just a robot army with the same capabilities as the ANP here. She hummed, considering whether the delightful evil of forcing citizens to labor away making sweets outweighed how fun it would be to own a legion of such adorable machines.

While she was chewing, Kaden and the ANP were going back and forth over the specifics of the job. Lavinia didn’t pay them much mind at first, but when the tickets came up she found herself butting in. ”Unlike you pitiful peasants, I have money to spare! In fact, rather than just my own, I think I’ll buy all of our tickets myself.” She looked smugly at Kaden as she said that. She knew he wanted to get rid of her, yet by putting her own money on the line she had solidified herself as an essential part of this mission, leaving him with no choice but to let her tag along. ”Fufufu, I bet you weren’t expecting that! Have a cookie to assuage your despair!” She offered him a donut ball, a vile act of malice that would probably shock anyone watching to their core.

There was a certain irony to the situation that was completely lost on the young woman in the violet dress, which frankly, looked more like a night gown. Grasidia was much older than she looked and Bebe's inquiry into the petulant and wearisome nature of these said old folk was a spectacle of humor had she known better. But Bebe and ignorance were one in the same. Wherever she so decided to mosey about, it moseyed about with her it seemed. Ignorant was basically her middle name. But then, she'd be too ignorant to know that too. So here she stood; rather sat. Crossed leg at the table with her gaze bright eyed and engaged towards the woman as she spoke. In that moment, Blank plopped into her lap, swiftly from out of nowhere. This cat was an elusive creature. Quick to go about his business and then return to Bebe's warm lap for a nice rub when he saw fit. He curled up into the creases of her gown and purred as Bebe stroked his fur. Blank was particular about who he let rub him.

When Grasidia finished talking, Bébé seemed a bit dazed, but noticeably engaged, though maybe too engaged in a totally dreamy and spacey kind of way. Only Bébé could manage to listen to someone and daydream at the same time. But she had drifted off somewhere in the ether spaces of her mind, the words seeping into her skull like loose honey. Learn for yourself...the short-haired woman said. These 3 little words held a certain weight to them. "Learn for yourself..." Bébé mumbled, first to herself and then more audibly. "Learn for yourself..." she repeated, bobbing her head as though she finally understood. She leaned on the table, cupping her chin in her hands, smiling brightly at Grasidia, who no doubt was probably seeing something of a cute little monster with eyes raging like the sea and a heart free like the air that which she breathed. Telling Bébé to learn for herself--you didn't have to tell her twice. "Learn for yourself!" Bébé exclaimed.

Blank was unbothered.

But Bébé perked up. A eureka moment. "You totally get it." she began, elated to have met a "same-aged" friend who totally understood her plight as a young girl who needed more than an eternal starry night within gilded gates, or tents that perpetually reeked of centuries old star perfume, or the feel of a young boys puckered cherry lips against her own. Well, maybe the last bit was okay. Her last boyfriend was a good kisser. And it's young lady to you; she liked to be referred to as a young lady, not a young girl, thank you very much. "I tell my grandfather that all the time. I need to learn and discover things for myself, otherwise I'll never gain the experience to overcome adversity. Or... discover the marvels that this world has to offer." Bébé suddenly grabbed thick locks of her long brunette hair and pulled them over her eyes, shaking her shoulders like a fangirl and squealing, "Oh I just can't wait to try something new! Something adventurous!".

After freeing her eyes from the veil of her hair, she paused. The bustle and cacophony of the guild was noticeably slowing as mages left on quests and the novelty of the morning was waning for guests who were not mages and had no intention of staying if their favorite mages were no longer present.

"I know...." Bébé cooed at Grasidia, emboldened by her ignited inner flame. Sitting a napping Blank on the seat and rising up, she looked away from Grasidia and out towards the general direction of the job board. She noted a few things. Her grandfather, Ollivander, moving away from Torys towards stairs that lead to a higher floor of guild, most likely scurrying for a quieter location to set up his portable work station so he could get to work; undoubtedly after giving Torys his donations and a curt greeting. Ollivander wasn't generally one for small talk, as he found he had better things to do with his time. He still had a medicinal recipe of stars to perfect. She noticed Ria (the girl who saved her) engaged in conversation with an unidentified male with dark skin that contrasted nicely against his blue garments, she thought. Bébé waved to Ria cheerfully, though wasn't sure if the violet haired mage noticed. She'd made a mental note to talk to her soon. For now, she strolled over to the job board and took a gander.

She scowered the jobs and wondered which one she should try to take. There weren't many left, so she simply nipped the one she was closet to and read it carefully. Certain words stood out to her more than others; Karlomene Karling, Karl, mansion, koi fish tattoo, housekeeping....

"Housekeeping!", Bébé yelped, clearly unsatisfied with such a descriptor being used for a quest. How was cleaning toilets an adventure? This was not an idea she wanted to entertain, but as she scanned the job and then quickly looked over what remained on the board, she saw that this was the only thing left that she could do and was qualified for. All she could do at this point was roll her eyes. And so she did, like the expert eye roller that she was. "Housekeeping..." she mumbled, disgruntled at the prospects of her first job in the guild placing her as nothing but a glorified babysitter or maid. But then she clasped her hands together, crumpling the paper of the job, "Maybe its haunted. Please be haunted!" she pleaded to the quest gods. Slowly she unfolded the paper as she approached Torys.

They exchanged words in a pleasant manner, Bébé doting on how cute she thought Torys was and Torys simply smiling graciously at the compliment. Then Torys briefly discussed the quest with Bébé after approving her for it, though the latter vocalized her initial discontent with the remedial unadventurous nature of the quest before being expertly convinced by Torys that there's usually more than meets the eye to quests like these. And so Bébé, filled with a newfound vitality for this quest at the Karling mansion, ventured back to the table where Grasidia was sitting, the quest paper in one hand, and Bee being tugged by the ear in the other. At some point along the journey back to the table, she nabbed him as he was about to dive deep within someones pocket or hair. She could tell by that look in his eyes when he was about to hitchhike like a little flea. And so she propped him down on the seat and then plopped down beside him, crossing her legs over each other (Blank took this opportunity to lie back in her lap), scanning the quest paper again for any details she may have missed.

Bee took out his gaming lacrima and turned it on, "Think I can tagalong on the quest?" he asked Bébé, having spied on the paper while she was lost in it herself. She looked up from it finally and furrowed her brows at her little booger headed brother, "Ummmmmm...no." she said with a cheeky grin before looking back to the quest paper.

"Come on! I can help!"

Bébé chuckled, looking at him, "I don't think so. Only capable mages can go on this quest." she boasted, leaning closer, "I hear there's more to it than meets the eye." She whispered this bit to give it an ominous and mysterious effect, raising her eyebrows at him playfully. He rolled his eyes, a skill he no doubt learned from her, and started playing his gaming lacrima, though his countenance remained visibly...feathered. Bébé for all her own carelessness, saw the disappoint on his downward facing visage and she frowned softly, sitting the quest paper on the table and rubbing his head affectionately. "Look, Bee, I would have loved for you to tag along on this quest, but you really can't come. I think only members of the guild can go on quests." She pondered this rule as she was unsure herself, but remained steadfast, not wanting to give him hope in case that really was the rule. But she and rules didn't always work hand-in-hand either, so she understood his feelings.

"But I need to protect you. In case there really is something else going on there." Bee mumbled, though he didn't look up from the game.

Bébé sighed, sweetened by the sentiments of her brothers motives, though unwavered in her own resolutions to the matter, "I'll be okay. And so will you. Stay here and keep an eye out for grandfather. I think he went upstairs somewhere. Okay?"

"Ok", hardly audible from him.

"Please? No hitchiking while I'm gone. Promise."

"Yeah, Yeah...I promise." he relinquished, nudging her slightly in the arm while remaining focused on his game lacrima.

Satisfied, Bébé smiled and looked at Grasidia, having practically forgot she was there throughout that entire sibling interaction. "Anyways, where were we?" she said kindly, "Oh. That's right." She slid the quest paper over to Grasidia, "What do you think about this one? Would you like to join? I know it seems boring, but I think..."

Bébé leaned in closer to Grasidia, grinning through a whisper, "I think it could be haunted."

Her little furball remained characteristically uninterested. Blank only opened one eye, staring up at his owner as if shaking his head disapprovingly, and then went back to sleep.

Unbeknownst to her however, two mages, one of smoke and one of feathers, both with the strange koi fish tattoos, stood just beyond the front door. An adventure was finally upon her.

How long did it take to find one person in a guild hall? Akemi had been waiting around for a hilariously long amount of time the past couple of days, taking a seat by the front door as she would wait anxiously for hours for Zen to show up, only to leave disappointed. Now she hadn't actually brought much money with her, her ride here having burnt most of it up. So by the end of the 2nd day, things were looking a little troublesome. Luckily she had been approached by a kind older girl (Ria was her name?) and after a brief chat, she soon found herself talking with the guild master Torys about the prospect of joining the guild.

This was why she now found herself sitting at one of the tables, softly nibbling away at a loaf with small, anxious bites. Three days. She had been here for three days, and while she had caught glimpses of Zen, some group of people always seem to get between them and then he would vanish! She had no idea where he was going off to, or maybe she was just seeing things. Was he even here? She could barely hold a conversation up with some of the guild members, so asking around had been a real issue. Her communication skills were barely what you would expect from a 10-year-old, let alone a 16-year-old. The most fruitful talk she had had was with another older girl, who had even brought a meal for Akemi and let her stay with her for the night. Her advice was to take a mission and make a name for herself at the guild, then finding her 'brother' would become far easier. How so, the younger girl had asked to which the older redhead had simply responded that if he heard she was there, then he would surely come looking for her himself? The girl had become enamored with what she thought to be a genius idea.

So after a good night's rest, she had turned up today, stomach-churning from the anxious anticipation she felt running through her. Though the delicate-looking girl didn't look unsettled, far from it with the almost robotic, blank facial expression she wore. She had already read over the job board, though a problem had quickly arisen. Besides the sheer amount of activity surrounding the board, which threatened to overwhelm the poor girl, even she worked out that most of these missions would require teaming up with other mages. But who did she even know here? She hadn't found Zen yet, so obviously he was out of the question.

Looking up from her half-eaten loaf, she glanced around at the nearby occupants of the guildhall. Lots of large groups between her and the bar blocked her view from that side of the guildhall, so the first person she settled her unnaturally cold gaze on was Ria, sitting alone at a table, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Akemi's mind flashed back to the previous day, her chat with the older girl still fresh on her mind. While the talk didn't really get anywhere due to Akemi's sheer social incompetence, they were at least remotely acquainted...so it was the best Akemi had at this point. She also seemed nice enough to at least point her in the direction of potential teammates, as she had offered to point out some members of the guild during the chat.

A brief nod as if to convince herself of her decision, the girl slowly stood up with the chunk of carbohydrates wedged in her mouth, her soft and pale hands pushing away from the table before she began to weave her way towards Ria. A few people were between the girl and her designation, so by the time she had gotten over there Leon had already joined her and was midway through his explanation of the situation. Though to be honest, most of what was being talked about went in one ear and out the other. She had no idea what they were talking about and didn't seem to process any of it, bar the fact that should luck have it they needed some help for a quest, and so she stood a little away from the table, nibbling once more on her now nearly finished bread. Politely waiting for the duo to finish talking, she polished off her bread and softly began licking away at her fingers. It wouldn't do to talk to people with a mouthful of food right? She was raised with better manners than that.

"ummm...Excuse me..." Without a moment's hesitation, the girl slid onto a chair by the table and looked towards the two wizards with an air of expectation about her and a respectful, quiet tone about her voice. While the younger girl wasn't entirely sure what their quest involved, those details didn't matter much to her compared to the thought of being able to be of help to someone in general, she was aware they were looking for help from what she had caught of their conversation. Though she paid Ria more attention, somewhat awkwardly acknowledging Leon but was unsure how to talk to the older boy. Should she introduce herself first? Or was the right thing to wait to be asked?

Wait a minute...this man was also in the paper. What was his name again? She hadn't learned any of their names before coming, which in hindsight was probably the least of her worries when it came to her rather rash and rushed plan to see Zen.
"I believe I can help...if you wanted?"

Asher was well on his way of tuning out most of whatever drivel was coming out of her mouth. If he didn’t, this mission would more than likely turn into even more of a slog than he was starting to anticipate it was to be. He doubted the little robot could go rebel, seeing how happy and willing it seemed to want to make things like it was designed too. Granted, I don’t know exactly how such a thing even works… He sighed a little as she started her whole antagonistic spiel with Kaden.

It quieted down a bit as Kaden started asking the ANP questions about the job. Which was only interrupted once again as Lavinia suddenly shoves one of the pastries the ANP made for her into his hand. His eyes furrow as he looks between Lavinia and his supposed ‘reward’. He made no motion to eat it, instead taking the chance to casually chuck it over his shoulder when the topic of paying way for transportation to Abeneraaa Harbor came up and Lavinia was (once again) acting smug over nothing towards Kaden.

“Yeah,” Asher speaks up. “I have money for my own ticket. I do enough business on the side repairing and selling various tools, weapons and armor down at the blacksmith down the road.” Asher lets a bit of pride flow through him and into his voice as he says this. His eyes then flick over to Lavinia. “So your… generosity, will not be necessary.”

---

"Guys?" The ANP piped up as the group discussed how to get to Abeneraaa Harbor. The first time it seemed to be ignored. So it put up an arm and waved it as it tried again. "Guys! Hey. Pay attention to me!"

Kaden put a hand up to dismiss the offered cookie from Lavinia. He was perfectly happy to let her pay his way. Asher wanting to pay his own way was no matter to him. It was perfectly fine to him however they all got to the place together. Hell, it was fine with him if they all ended up in Abeneraaa Harbor separately as long as the job got done. The problem was, the stupid machine was flailing and trying to get someone's attention.

He sighed and turned his attention back down to the robot. "What is it now?"

"Well, it's great you guys want to get there fast, but Avedis said he didn't think commercial transportation was a good way to get there."

Kaden could almost feel the twitch start in his eye. "And why not?"

"Well I'm not exactly something everyone sees every day. So seeing me twice would bring more attention than you want."

Another sigh escaped Kaden as the mage hung his head. "Of course. Escort job," he muttered. Because it couldn't just be that easy. Looking at the other two, he crossed his arms and focused his attention on Asher. "Looks like you're lucky to save that hard earned coin." His attention divided between the two. "Okay, so we get a wagon to pull this stupid thing or one of you two can carry it, then we'll cut due east. There aren't much more than hiking trails through that wood without taking main roads, but it's the quickest way without buying passage on transport. Sound good?" He looked at Lavinia. "Up for a bit of walking?" He looked between the two mages and the machine before nodding. "Good."

"Who want's breakfast? Best way to start the day is with a large meal. Help build up your strength to fight off bandits and hooligans that might want to use me for their own nefarious purposes!"

---

---

Leon hadn't gotten a chance to really respond before the newest member of the guild approached to offer her services. Ria didn't manage to get much conversation out of the girl aside from learning her name and that she was trying to get in touch with Zenith, but by the time Ria had been able to get Zenith's attention to try to help make that work out she had forgotten about it. Until now, oh what awful timing since they both seemed to be set to go out on jobs. Maybe once they both returned from jobs she would be able to make sure the girl could actually talk to Zen.

Still, Ria's smile brightened at the prospect of working with the newest member too. "Yeah? That'd be great! Another set of hands would be great. The basics of the job is there's a bit of a student rebellion in Era University, and we've been requested by the Dean to go help disperse the rabble before it gets too out of hand. We would like the approach this with the intentions of ending it as nonviolent as possible, though there is a chance it will turn into a fight. If you are sure you want to help, then we can certainly have you come along."

It was only after she'd given the introduction of the job did she realize she was likely the only one at the table that knew who everyone was. An apologetic smile slid onto her face for a moment. "Oh, my, right. I don't think you two have met yet. Akemi Desdemona, this is Leon Aldehart. Akemi joined up with us just the other day. I think between the three of us we should definitely be able to take on some rebellious students." She stood, still smiling. "So if you both are ready, we can head out to make sure we get there as soon as possible."

Unsure of what that dangerous sensation he had felt or that shadow he glimpsed but after several seconds of waiting in his defensive crouch did he relax and stand back up. Seeing no more hint of the foreboding shadow nor any sign of an attack following up was the white robed individual able to relax or at least his level of such, his body still remaining somewhat tense simply due to being in such an unfamiliar place.

Taking a glimpse on the unexpected child and some unknown adult who he was able to discern wasn't her parents by their scents being too different though she seemed in no danger either. And so, the hooded figure contemplated trying once more with the guild, when the door opened not long after where a few individuals stepped out in a group; possibly members of the guild as they seemed to be talking of a quest. Then the sight of the strange metal object much smaller than those detestable vehicles moving and following with them and...talking? His ears flicked beneath the hood, catching snippets while trying not to pry too much into their private conversation to learn they needed to get this talking automaton to some destination but decided best not to delve in much more wishing not to be rude much like the woman who faintly gave off the smell of blood so rudely burst out.

Waiting for the group to walk on to do their errand while briefly observing the metal thing following in tow, finding this one looked at least more appealing and carried the oddly out of place smell of cookies.

Using his hands to fixed his wrinkled and bunched up haori then placed his hands back into the sleeves and quietly stepped his way into the guild building. no longer blocked by the impassible barrier that is a door to his relief

Turning his head to and fro, inspecting the place to find it was warm and cozy and while it was nothing glamorous or prestigious like some of the guild images shown to him by the council. Yet, it had that more welcoming feel and most importantly wasn't overly well known nor big; perfect for him to keep out of sight and work from behind the scenes.

Menzai saw some others grouped up at the table though they seemed busy in conversation and thought to leave them be. Besides, he needed to meet with the leader to talk about the proposition of joining and set out to do just that.

Hardly a few steps taken into the establishment though before a woman seemingly young but the scent of hers seemed off though what, he was uncertain. Whatever the case, he chose not to inquire about it not wanting to come off rude as he gave his greeting and name in a manner too formal for the average people but this was simply the way he addressed himself to others. The two had a discussion and respectfully declining the suggestion of removing his hood as he felt it best to wait till he was a bit more comfortable and met some of the guild members before doing so. Afterwards, requesting to join the guild, where he soon received the mark on the left back of his hand in a light purple, a shade nearly matching that of his hair with some strands hanging from the right corner of his hood.

The guild leader whose name to be Torys seemed a peculiar but interesting person as he imagined Fenixtear was filled with such individuals if they were brave or foolish enough to take on a dragon.

”Of… of course I can walk! Don’t think that going off-road will save you from me!” She laughed, as she so often did, but for some reason both her voice and her cackling sounded anxious and shaky. Part of it was her disappointment at having her sugary temptations so thoroughly refused, and part of it was how Asher had spoken of her ‘generosity’ and the mortifying implications of that word. Did I offer him too much? What if he thinks I was being nice? What if he ends up falling in love with me?!

Most of it, though, was just the fact that—oh no, oh dear, oh shit—she was going to have to travel a sizeable distance on foot.

Her breathing sped up, a single drop of sweat rolling down her forehead. I didn’t sign up for this! This was supposed to be the easy mission! To turn back now, however would be as good as admitting defeat. She could picture it already: Asher and Kaden finishing the job on their own, and then strolling back into the guild with devastating information. ”Hey guys, did you know… Lavinia doesn’t like walking!” News of her weakness would spread throughout the land like wildfire. Within days, the Magic Council would have protected their headquarters with a massive set of stairs in front of the entrance, rendering it virtually impenetrable to her. Nobody would take her seriously as a threat ever again!

So she had to follow them, no question about that. Her credibility demanded it! Maybe it wasn’t actually as far as it sounded, and it’d end up just being a jolly forest stroll. She could do this.

It was just… Exercise. Uuuuugh. The word alone made her want to retch. Why couldn’t missions involve sitting around and cuddling? Why couldn’t all the people after this robot just line up outside the guild and wait to be defeated? That would make like a lot easier for everyone involved. Or at least for Lavinia. Who was the only one who really mattered anyway.

”Y-you can carry it, right?” She turned to Asher, her eyes pleading. ”Aha. Ahahaha. You’re strong and stuff, right? You can handle all that.” She rapidly shuffled as far away from the ANP as she could get. ”Sorry, no thank you, no meals for me today! You… you just stay away and let the muscle man take good care of you!” She averted her gaze from the machine before the mental image of lugging its weighty bulk around could trigger a nervous breakdown.

Edit

The S-Class quest was about ready to set out, the three had planned out what would happen and were all but out the door when Torys pulled Holly to the side. It was last minute - extremely so as Torys had just received the message - but nothing that would terribly impede the quest. There was no one else she could trust to take on a job of this magnitude, and Holly, while hesitant to not go on the S-Class quest, dutifully accepted the task. A 100 year quest. Few got such honors.

With Holly setting out on a separate quest, the question arose - what of the S-Class quest? The answer to that was simple. With the guild growing and both Gwen and Zenith showing such promise, the quest would be used to see just which one would be the right fit for claiming another S-Class title.

Upon return, it was clear to Torys that Zenith was the better of the two and promoted him to S-Class.



Akemi, Leon, and Ria set out for Era as planned. Upon meeting with Harvard's Thought Projecting and Leon's "friend" Irene, the group were informed what they were up against - after also seeing the problems they faced. There was the little matter of a weapon of mass destruction - the Thunder Palace - growing closer to being readied to destroy a large population, and a lot of students still on campus at risk of both being casualties to it and being caught in the crossfire of whatever might occur on campus between the council and the Fenixtear mages here to help. With little to offer besides knowledge of the council members, Leon offered to help clear the campus of any loitering students. Irene suggested most had taken to studying in their dorms and off campus housing, and set out with Leon to help make sure the campus would be safe, just in case.

Upon parting to head off in search of Ria's cousin, the girls encountered the first of the student council - Hama Bloomfield - with a hoard of blood puppet students. Ria managed to imprison the students, while Akemi forced Hama into submission with an onslaught of arrows. After securing Hama away as instructed by Harvard, for later punishment, they came face to face with Giselle Kaiser. Ria insisted on talking things out, refusing to allow it to get into a fight. They'd just come to an understanding when two other council members - Kai Haul and Ramiel Dreyar - attacked. Giselle offered to assist against Kai and keep him busy while Ria gave Akemi pointers for dealing with Ramiel. But in seeing they were now fighting the one responsible for the Thunder Palace around the school, Ria turned her sights on the bigger danger. With several water-make pillars in place, Ria used those as stakes to drive the lightning from the spell into after slamming a dome of water into the spheres. Some blow back hit her, but it was minimal compared to the lightning directed into the pillars. That left Zara Fernandes - whom they knew going into it had eye magic, and thus used an obscuring mist in the room Giselle told them she was in; they got the drop on the girl and were able to make quick work in suppressing her ability to use her power, and bring the whole ordeal to an end.

Upon reporting back to Harvard they had neutralized the threat, they were given the reward. Only after all involved - including Harvard - received a lecture from Ria for the poor decisions of all involved. Of course that was laughed off by the 5th wizard saint, but it didn't stop her from doing it. Leon, for his better judgement, decided to remain at Era University to re-enroll in his studies with the use of the scholarship. Akemi requested her offered scholarship be transferred to Irene for the assistance the older girl presented in helping reduce the potential for damage. Ria requested her offered scholarship be transferred to Giselle, after exchanging numbers for the two cousins to remain in contact now that she was aware the other was alive.

And the two girls returned home, to pay Torys the guild cut and report the news of Leon's decided hiatus from guild work.



The two Koi Fish Guild members collected the mage taking up the job. Bebe and her family left with the two mages. It was a simple job, mostly nothing to think about it. The three nights of the job went quickly enough. Fun cute little games of hide and seek, and tag, and a few other lighthearted games to keep the kid busy when not keeping to a quiet time of reading and making sure Karl did his studies. The housework kept done, and aside from cleaning up a few displaced pots - which may or may not have been because of the games played inside. A few doors slammed unsuspectingly, but that could have been the wind. At one point, Karl had tripped down the last few steps, but Ollie was able to heal the boy right back to proper. But nothing terribly exciting to report when Karlomane returned home.

The job done, they returned to the guild. However, the time spent at the Karling Mansion made Bebe and her brother realize how much they were missing the rest of their family. With the siblings growing homesick despite the wanderlust, the trio from the Star Circus bid the guild master and their compatriots farewell and took leave. Boarding the Green Man, they started the journey back home to rejoin their family in the traveling circus.



Wagon finally procured and the team finally underway, it wasn't long before the trio of mages were stopped just outside of town. It should have been a surprise to see the quartet of mages that had stopped them were from Obsidian Kite, a well respected guild, but Kaden wasn't entirely surprised. More burdened. Still, the trio made quick work of the four mages - with Kaden taken on the head of the group, Lavinia dealing with another powerful one, and Asher dealing with two mages that were surprised to be outclassed by an independent guild mage. A minor hiccup on a road of inconvenience thanks to a chatty vending machine.

Back underway, the group later came across some thugs in the walking path from one town to the next. With Lavinia sitting back offering some magical support to Asher, Kaden simply lounged beside the ANP "to ensure nothing terribly happened, obviously" while the Forge mage took on the three pests. But showing the same ingenuity of the first fight, Asher made short work of the three pests and they were sent packing. After a short break for Asher to recoup, they set off once more. Only to be stopped yet again, with Abeneraaa Harbor finally in sight. The Dark Guild Master was made to regret the decision of stopping the rather grumpy and neigh on the verge of infighting group with Kaden and Lavinia taking the powerful mage on. But like the other fights, the trio came out victorious - if not that much angry for the delays imposed on them.

Finally having arrived, and not before receiving the coordinates of the annoying appliacen's creator Avedis' workshop, they bust in the door to the workshop to confront the man for his rather poor tastes in delivery methods. After a bit of...harsh...negotiations regarding the state the eccentric inventory had left their guild hall and the price for damages, Kaden took claim of the rewards and they finally completed the delivery. The ANP finally offloaded, and inconveniently finding the reward mini-ANP was just as annoying, the smaller device was given to Asher.

The trio hired out the local Obsidian Kite to bring them back to Crocus rather than walk back (so long as Asher made sure to keep the new annoyance quiet.) Upon return to the guild, Kaden made sure to pay out Torys the guild cut of the job, plus the increase in pay for the property damages. He also gave her the heads up about the run-in the team had with Obsidian Kite just so she was aware. Lavinia, however, didn't bother remaining awake for the actual final division of payout; so the boys split the pot and paid her the next time she was awake around them.










It's been 1 week since our newest members (Menzai and Vashya) have arrived and all members have returned to the guild. Everyone has situated themselves, though not entirely easily.