The old man let out a deep chuckle as he straightened up. "Oh, that. Miss, not to contradict you but Sapphire Farms didn't post that job; Opal Arrangements did." He wiped dirt from his hands as he rounded the counter. The friendly smile didn't fade. "See we're a bit behind what with some increased requests from a lot of businesses. Apparently t'is the right time for being a gardener." He motioned for them to follow him toward the back of the shop where orders were being readied.

Coming to a stop next to the woman barking instructions at a young man, he touched her arm. She turned on him like a fury unleashed on him for a split second, until the woman realized who was interrupting her. "Oh, Kato. Sorry, thought you were - never mind." She turned to look at the two guild mages. "Who are they?"

"Sweetheart, these are mages from Fenixtear. Seems Lainy wasn't happy waiting another day or so for us to get the shipment to her."

The woman nodded, adjusting her own glasses as she looked through the paperwork on her clipboard. "I suppose she would. The order needs to be in the palace by Thursday and I'm not sure the trucks will be back by then." She looked at a pair of men finishing up with one truck. "Heath, Oscar - get the order for Opal loaded onto a cart," she said as she handed the pair a list. Her attention turned back to the pair. "All our trucks are in use at the moment, but if you two don't mind a bit more heavy labor, we've got a cart the two of you should do just fine pulling back to Crocus. But y'all better be mindful. Keep the tarp on them, especially during the day - and don't go sniffin' them until Lainy's dealt with them."

It would be another twenty minutes before the pull cart was filled up with the colorful array of flowers, some of which seemed to glow with a light all their own. The old man, in that time, had shuffled his way back to the front of the shop to help a walk in customer pick out a small table arrangement. The old woman had gone back to making sure everything was getting done properly. When the cart was full, the woman motioned them to take it and leave.

---

Ria's attention focused more on the crowd. She was a bit leery about what they might be thinking, but luckily most either looked intrigued by the fight or at least the mages involved. The only thing working for them was that it seemed they weren't using magic for the most part. There was the one guy that kept doing so, but if they kept it to that, then all the better.

Salvis ducked and dodged the blows, but not bothering to return any of his own yet. The latest dodge left him low, and he aimed a sweep kick for Damian's legs to get the other man off his feet. "Disciplined, not bad. Ever considered joining a real guild? We're always on the look out for new talent."

Kaden laughed, leaning away from another punch Teague aimed his way. "Classy as ever, Sal." He grunted as he landed square on his back when Teague tackled him. After slamming a few punches into the guy's ribs, the Fenixtear mage finally kicked the guy off him. He got to his feet in the same motion. Then sent the other mage sliding away with a solid kick to the ribs. When Teague finally stopped, close to the feet of Ria and the wolves, he lay there groaning but not really moving much.

"At this point, might as well just throw in the towel and clean Teague off the ground." He crossed his arms, tilting his head to watch the fight between Salvis and Damian if they continued. "Would have been one thing to be out done by me, but to lose to a schlub...? Might want to save the embarrassment."

Damian didn't reply and instead opted to capitalize on the brief distraction his guildmate offered after dancing away from the sweep and coming in with a solid roundhouse kick that connected with the side of the other mage's head and sent him spinning. Damian resumed his fighting stance, but his magic circle glowed lightly, just in case the asshole decided to keep pushing. "Your mate's down for the count and I can do this all fucking day, lad. Let it go." While magic power didn't emanate from the currently B-Ranked mage, confidence and a different kind of power did.

However, even as he spoke, he mentally spoke the words to release his power lock. Release Power Lock Alpha. Confirmation Ceta-Zulu-Foxtrot-Bravo. The orange magic circle that was softly glowing below where he stood changed to green and the shimmer of unsummoned somethings hung in the air near him. If this guy was going to insist on continuing this fight, Damian would do what he had to to bring this to an end quickly. "So lad, what's it gonna be?"

---

"Well, uh, I wouldn't say I ran out of the guild..." Tone sheepishly muttered to himself. He had already completely forgotten about the horrendous stench that almost made him sick. In fact, that was Akemi's drink! With that realization he looked back down at her with a slight look of fear. She must be quite strong. Stronger than she looks to stomach something like that! And while Akemi was perfectly willing to go along with the sparring idea it was Zen who proposed a revision to Tone's original idea. Not before giving Tone some criticisms first. "Hey I pay attention to my surroundings," he complained, pointing a thumb back at his chest. "I bet I can work with a team just fine! I used to work with my brother all the time!"

"Oh no, wait, actually we only ever trained together. But in theory I can do some teamwork." With that Tone dropped into a stance with his knees bent, his elbows in, and his hands clenched into fists. Akemi and Zenith would both immediately feel his magic power rising and likely realize at about this moment that Tone was intending on starting the spar right now, still in the middle of the street. "Alright Akemi, let's get stronger!" Jets of flame erupted from behind his limbs just as before, propelling him through the air towards Zen. But unlike before the flames entirely ceased once he reached striking distance and his feet touched the ground, where Tone immediately dropped into a low stance and attempted to sweep Zen's legs and bring him to the ground. In his mind he just assumed that Akemi would be right behind him and be perfectly able and willing to follow up on the opening strike, but much like how Zen criticized him earlier he did not actually check to see if she was ready or even on the same wavelength as him.

It would seem that no one in their little trio was on the same wavelength at all. Not from what any of them were thinking at any rate. Although nothing Zen said Akemi would really argue with, silently nodding along beside him. Even though she had done reasonably well in Era, it was only because she had the backing of Ria, the older girl issuing instructions, and Akemi simply only having to follow them. It was harder against the lightning slayer when she was on her own for a while, with Ria having to deal with the lightning palace. Her actual combat experience outside of that however was effectively nonexistent, and fighting her other guildmates was probably the safest way to gain that experience.

"I mean, you left rather quickly, what better way to describe it than running out? In fact...You seem quite distressed at the time...are you alright?" Recalling how Tone seemed to almost be in pain when he had ran out, coughing and hacking all the way like he was trying to throw his lunch up, a concerned tone crept into her voice as she looked him over. She was completely oblivious to the reason why he had run away was actually in fact due to herself, and it would likely stay that way since Tone didn't seem like he was going to admit it anytime soon. "...You are ok, right?" Was that fear in the older boys eyes? The reason why was even more lost on the younger girl as she tilted her head, watching as Tone now moved into his stance.

Now you would think the stance and sudden rise of magic power would've been the indication the girl needed to figure out what he was doing. But her obliviousness reached new heights not seemingly possible as she just blankly watched him suddenly launch his offensive on Zen, completely baffled as to the reasons why. "I don't think this is the time or place Tone...we're in the middle of the capital." Yawning, the girl showed no concern for Zen. He would be able to handle Tone she was sure. Zen was invincible after-all! At least, in her own mind he was.

"Unless...Z, is it fine to spar in the middle of the street?"

---

"Ah of course, my mistake." With a sheepish look, Alina nodded in agreement. "Indeed it would be...festivals are good for any business really, especially a celebration as big as this." Following after the man, with Menzai no doubt in tow, Alina took a cursory look around the store, her observant gaze taking in every small detail. She only need the quick glance over and she had already begun memorizing it's interior, tucking it away in case she ever needed it again. Which was doubtful, but if it was one thing she loathed it was being caught unawares or unprepared.

Watching as the old man, who she would later find out to be called Kato, approached another eldery figure, this time a woman who just by laying ones gaze on her barking orders as such even someone with the IQ of a brick could work out was the boss around here. Or at least, someone in some form of authoritative position. With Kato introducing them to the older lady, Alina gave her a brief smile and wave before diverting her gaze to the two that the older lady called out to-Heath and Oscar. Younger lads, probably in charge of the manual labour around here, or at least their physique would lead one to think as such. Her gaze slowly drifted back to the older lady as she spoke, soaking in everything she said like a sponge before repeating the important parts back to the older lady. "Keep the tarp on them and don't touch or smell the produce. I don't believe that will be a problem as my partner here has some...sensitive synuses. Terrible allergies really, so we'll make sure to treat them with care." Another small half truth to also explain and smooth over any strange behaviour Menzai might be exhibiting due to his sense of smell, it would be overloaded after all.

"And I don't believe that'll be much of a problem." Although her smile never faltered, on the inside she was already working out how long the return trip would take with a cart this size. It would slow them down no doubt, and it had already taken them seven hours to walk here. They wouldn't have the time to make it back before the day was out, so maybe it was best to simply settle in an inn in town and leave in the morning? Although if they wanted to save the jewels, and perhaps some time, they could just start the trip back tonight, then stop for the night and continue on in the morning. Unless they could procure some horses, but that was the least likely option of the lot and probably the more expensive one even if they could.

As Heath and Oscar loaded up the cart, Alina's hand subconsciously crept up to her chin as she started tapping rhymatically, as if in a trance. What would be the play here? No offense to Menzai, but while he seemed rather fit, he also didn't seem like he was made to be pushing that cart for half a day or so without a break or however long it would take them. Alina already knew she would be of little use as she currently was, which led her gaze back to the two loading up the cart. Recruiting help was obviously out of the question. No, her mind was already drifting to her next course of action. She had done well to keep her magic under wraps for the most part, she had no choice but to reveal to her teammates from the Magi Mari mission what it was. But thus far Menzai had proven a rather...exasperating one to try and get a handle on. How would he take her magic? She wouldn't be able to know where to predict his response, so it could be a gamble. But it was also suspicious to not be willing later if he asked about it wouldn't it? She had already told him her magic wasn't combat suited, but nothing else.

With a inward sigh, her hand slowly went back to her side. There really was no point in hiding her magic from the guild, but her inner paranoia and distrust simply kept holding her back from doing so. After all, the nature of her magic was the one thing she couldn't hide from them. But, it was probably their best course of action of getting the job done at a reasonable rate, or at least without making Menzai do the majority of the pulling home.

"Let me help." With a spring in her step and a eager tone about her voice, she would make her way over to the duo loading up the cart. While she wouldn't really help with any heavy lifting, she would help with the arranging in the cart or lifting any smaller loads of flowers. All the while, she made a conscious effort to make contact with the duo at one point or another, whether it was when they were handing her something or giving them a handshake once the work was done.

Once the cart was loaded up and the old lady gestured for them to leave, she would give the younger men a brief grateful smile and wave before returning to Menzai and speaking to him in a whisper. "If you wouldn't mind pulling the cart for now Mr Isanami? I'll give you a hand once we're out of town, I would rather not unsettle the townsfolk when I use my magic." Without giving further explanation, she turned away from him and bid farewell to the older woman and man respectfully as they past them.

---

As the scene unfolded before the group's eyes, Reynard took note that a normal conversation was not going to result, and instead walked over to the map Carver had laid out, inspecting it himself. A pause in this conversation would occur with their client Carver nervously trying to hand Gwendolyn back her clothes. The map from what he understood was plans for the places Carver wished to visit and access, he had some ideas what it all meant, but he was sadly not too familiar with these areas indicated on the map. The rest of the scene with the floundering Carver was but background noise to him as he involved himself with his own thing... Though eventually, his voice would cut through the atmosphere and bring attention back,

"It appears you've made a map for your journey, along with some of your own notes. Would you care to explain it to us? Preferably before you decide to turn into a blithering mess again", his tone was cold and almost reprimanding. His eyes turned to the rest of the guild as he stood around the table with the map, a sort of signal for them to gather round as hopefully Carver would too and explain to them what their job entails.

Not long after following the old man into the main room of the lighthouse did his nose begin tingling uncomfortably from all the pollen lingering in the air. Taking a quick look around the vast room, where he could see nothing but rows after rows of flowers; a large variety of types and colors assaulted both his eyes and nose with their overpowering vibrant colors and smells. Were he to venture deep within this building, he doubted that his nose would be able to withstand the thickly gathered pollen floating around the flowers. To his relief, the old man had taken them to the back where the trucks and carts awaited to be filled up. Upon arriving, they would meet with some woman and from the way she barked orders and snapped at the old man, Kato that it was likely she was the actual boss of this shop.

Thankful once again for Alina handling the talking and dealings concerning the job, even more so with the pollen indeed doing a number on his sensitive sinuses as mentioned. Each inhale left his nostrils burning and somewhat stuffy while his eyes were slightly tearing up as such effect could only grow worse the longer they remained. Choosing to keep his head tilted to prevent his face from being visible to hide the puffy redness of his eyes and faint sniffling though made sure to listen to the woman's explanation and details regarding their job.

A worried frown creased the corner of his eyebrows upon hearing how all the trucks were currently out which unfortunately left them having to handle the important package via a cart. He turned his head to peer over and study the cart the two of them would be pushing; taking in the details and state of the cart to make sure it wasn't faulty or little chance of it breaking down on them.

Ears flicking at the directions of keeping the tarp on and to not go sniffing flowers to which he made sure to give a light bow of the head to show each of them that he understood before rubbing a finger against his sniffling nose. Saying that he might have terrible allergies was sadly putting it lightly so he had no intention of going around sniffing or handling the flowers unless absolutely necessary and he doubted the shop would send any dangerous or harmful flowers.

And so, while Alina was trying to figure out every detail of how the two would handle the job, Menzai was pondering over some thoughts of his own. With one thought on whether to stop at a hotel for the night or to push on until night time as he took into consideration that the two of them had already walked over seven hours so he figured his companion must be quite tired already. Yet, then there was the issue of him having none of what the humans consider currency and didn't wish to make Alina pay for him and end up owing her. For the time being he might have to be the one to push the cart and let Ms. Bloomfield rest.

Then there was the second thought; one that was more concerning as he had his share of handling carts from times it had been his turn to handle such tasks. And from it, the canine had learned how dangerous and tricky it can be traveling with a weighted cart without knowing the area or paths. Lifting his gaze to see the redhead moving over to assist the workers packing the flowers and took this chance to walk up to the woman." Excuse me, m-" Cutting himself short due to his voice coming out nasally from his stuffed nose followed by him sneezing into his billowy sleeve." Forgive me, miss *sniff* the pollen is agitating my allergies as my companion said." Stating his apology while rubbing and scratching at his nose, his eyes red and puffy blinking away the bit of tears forming." Ahem! Yes, as I was about to ask. Considering as you and your workers know the area and paths. I like to inquire your input on which paths to take that are most optimal and safe." His words slightly muffled from the sleeved hand hovering by his mouth for in case he sneezed again and to avoid risk of spitting on the woman as he found his mouth salivating somewhat more heavily than usual forcing him to repeatedly wipe off his mouth and nose.

After receiving whatever info the woman or the workers she directed him to, he moved to meet with Ms. Bloomfield. Gliding over to her and the cart now packed and ready to go.

Before he could suggest what he planned only for Alina to lean in and whisper for him to pull the cart for the time being. It seemed the redhead's worry over usage of her magic lead her to the same plan he himself intended to suggest." It seems we are of like minded then. For the time being I will deal with the cart while I request for you to rest as much as you able." Nodding in agreement before bowing his head to the two workers, offering his thanks then quickly moved into position and grabbed hold of the left side of the handle to the cart. The faster they could leave, the quicker the relief for his stuffy nose. With a low grunt followed by another sneeze, the wolfkin began pushing to get the cart moving, making sure to keep in mind the direction of the wind as his nose really couldn't take much more of this; finding today to be a terrible one for his nose with that horrendous drink and now flowers.

Already proving how inconvenient his enhanced sense of smell was proving to be when something so mundane as a bad smell or pollen were capable of hindering him so much. A part of him preferring they encountered some bandit or thief over these wicked flowers.

It was for a brief second, but Zenith had realized he had forgotten something very important; Tone took things way too literally and that his single brain cell really only cared about what was in front of him at the moment in the same way a golden retriever lacks object permanence. Ohhhh no. Oh no, no, no, no. He thought to himself as he focused on the swell of magic that the slayer was gathering to fight in the middle of the bloody streets of the capital! There was a limit on how straight forward someone can be!

Unfortunately, that extended to Tone's fighting style as well. There was no strategy in his attacks, they were simple to a fault; he would charge in blazing and try to overwhelm his opponents from the start. Funnily enough, he was just too focused on beating people into a pulp to analyze and get a feeling for his opponent's strength. So with that information in mind, Zenith took advantage of the moment of when Tone's flames extinguished themselves. While his flames did offer the slayer a great amount of speed, stopping them mid-flight did not excuse him from the laws of motion; once landing on the ground Tone would have to cancel his own speed out to stop himself from tumbling forward at mach one, which meant a brief slow down as he was also dealing with the friction of the soles of his shoes against the paved streets.

Zenith leaped over to him and his feet landed on his head before it was used as a springboard for the S-Class mage to flip high into the air, landing elegantly on a lamp post. At least that slayer's hard head was good for something.

"Quit it Tone." Zenith said like a disappointed parent. He glanced over to Akemi when she asked him that fighting in the streets was okay and could only sign in disappointment. "Of course we're not sparring in the middle of the streets. That would be reckless." After he said that, he jumped off

His feet made a light tap when he landed on the ground, knees bent slightly and then straightened slowly. He looked at Tone with a cold, dreadful glare as he approached him. "What would you do if someone passing by were injured because of your actions? How do you think that would reflect on the rest of us in the guild?" He stopped a few feet away from the slayer and while he seemed to be looking calm on the inside, he exhibited a rage for Tone's stupid, careless actions. It was more like Zenith was holding back a monster within his human skin."Do you understand?"

For the time that it took for Duncan to meet with the new mage, Markovis considered the position in which he found himself from such a simple request. Playing babysitter wasn't exactly his forte. It shouldn't prove too challenging. Appearances were deceiving, as the latest member of their elite guild showed. For now, he would observe and complete the task given him. That would prove to be easy at least. At least, it would prove easier than pretending he wasn't also tasked to keeping her under control should the new mage become a threat.

Of course, there would be no hiding it if Kurt got overzealous. The older mage kept a positive outlook on the kid being able to handle himself appropriately. Given the spectacle the woman made showing up - something he understood - he was not surprised to see her gather attention. Some of their weaker members would certainly want to connect with someone as apparently brazen as her. Her choice in seats came as no surprise she drew the attention of other S class members as well. Perhaps a bit too much attention if his original assessment was accurate.

Markovis stood and approached the table. He stopped, hands folded neatly together behind his back, as his gaze leveled with those before him. "Arvin. Johan." Each name received an inclination of his head in greeting to the other members. "I believe Ms. Grasidia would be more comfortable if you did not crowd her." His tone was neutral, almost flat, but the seasoned members would not be mistaken to think it was any less an instruction to leave her alone. His dark eyed gaze landed on the woman in question. She was much more unassuming up close, which certainly could prove dangerous. "Ms Grasidia, I am Markovis. When you are ready, I will show you around and explain things. You will find this guild different than the one you were before." Another incline of his head, the mage turned and headed back to the table he alone frequented in the corner of the room. She likely needed to process things. He would not press for her company. If she was ready, she could seek him out. When it was right, he would do the same. Right now, it was not the time to press getting acquainted; it was time for her to adjust to her new arrangement. He was in no rush anyways.

---

Watching the fights, Ria mostly stayed on alert in case there was a rogue display of magic. But after the slayer was downed, there weren't any. It seemed the one Damian was fighting just used magic that once. But still...she wasn't about to risk the safety of those around them. Not until the guy had taken a powerful enough hit that landed him close to both her and Kaden. Considering he didn't seem quick to get up, she figured it was over and dismissed the water shield around them. The wall faded seamlessly, without leaving a trace it was even there before.

Salvis landed on his back with a grunt. He pushed himself up to his elbows, gingerly touching his jaw. The grimace of pain quickly gave way to a smirk though, and furthermore a chuckle. "Solid hit. Seriously - Steel Hydra - we've got a hall right in the city."

Kaden closed the bit of a gap and offered the guy a hand up. "Alright, enough recruitment. Go peel Teague off the sidewalk." He slapped the mage on his shoulder after the man was on his feet. Both laughed.

"You know, if you want to come crawling back after your poor decision to leave, I'm sure we can work something out. You'd have to beg to come back as S-Class though."

"Aw, how nice of you to be looking out for me. I'm good where I'm at." Kaden smirked. "I'll even keep it quiet that you got beat by a weaker mage from a nothing guild."

Salvis hoisted Teague up to support the woozy comrade. He chuckled softly. "Meet up at Sunset? Say, around 9pm?" The guy's gaze shifted to Ria and Damian. "The invitation is open to you two as well."

"Sure, maybe you'll have half a chance to get laid if you ditch the dead weight," he nodded toward Teague.

Ria's brow rose questionably. "You want us to go out for drinks with you? After you instigated a fight?"

"I didn't start it." Salvis looked at Damian with a smirk. "Didn't finish it either, apparently." He laughed. "But that's past. Right? So, if that's water under the bridge, we can all appreciate a nice pint. I'll be there. Heard Sunset is one of the better places to drink during festivals here." With that, the pair of Steel Hydra mages headed off, Salvis playfully tossing quips about Teague's loss at the still recovering mage.

Kaden smirked, shaking his head, before leveling his gaze on Damian. "Next time, ask before you steal someone's dance partner. That was going to be the most fun I've had since I joined up with this back alley guild." He smiled to himself as he turned and started walking away. "Think about what I asked, Ria. Could really use a decent water mage instructor."

---

The woman eyed Menzai when he started to talk like he had appeared out of thin air just to irritate her. The look only grew colder when he sneezed, despite the apology and her own curt acceptance of it. When he finally got to the point, she sighed. "Well, the most direct route is following the foot trail that cuts through the forest between here and Crocus. Ain't the safest though. Safest is probably back the way you came - following the main road. Easiest too, given those wheels aren't going to like the bumps the foot path have. Less you jostle those flowers up, the better you'll have it there, boy. One bad whiff, specially with your allergies, you might not make it back to Crocus. These ain't deadly to humans, but they'll still knock you on your backside for a solid day at the least if you give 'em a sniff before they're finished being prepared."

That was all the time the woman seemed to have. She turned, almost seeming to forget there were non-workers in the back, and started barking instructions at a pair of young workers who had apparently mixed up orders.

The bulkier of the two men who had been helping load up the cart shrugged at them. "Y'all be doin' just fine takin' that cart, though. Ain't too bad to pull if ye can't get help." With another shrug, the man turned and headed off to help load up a box another worker was struggling with.

Following the others into the Museum, Asher took the time from the entrance to the basement to take in the exhibits. There was a genuine look of curiosity in his eyes as he gazes at each passing section. This was in fact the first time he had ever actually been inside a museum in his life. Heading down into the basement, Asher made a mental note to himself to come back another time in the future.

As Carver asked for their names, Asher introduced himself along with the others. “Asher Lancaster,” he said, keeping it simple and professional. He would hold himself like so, though as soon as Gwen was once more stripped and then tossing her clothes at the client with her abrasive tone, Asher couldn’t help but sigh. This wasn’t helped as the new white haired man of the group also in turn spoke in his own icy tone to the poor man. Asher was at least relieved that Jessica seemed to also be treating this with proper decorum. In thinking about that thought… she may be one of the least eccentric members he’s actually got to work alongside. Internally he sighs once more. Why can’t there be more members like Jessica or Ria?

Asher lets out a polite cough as he shakes away such thoughts for now. “Yes… perhaps we should go ahead and hear of the details, Mr. Mandrake?”

Even though Kaden offered the other man help up, Damian's stance hardly relaxed until the other two from Steel Hydra were gone, though he had no intention of joining their ranks. If he'd wanted to join a corporate monstrosity, he'd have already sought them out. Or better yet, if he wanted that much nosiness, he'd have stayed with the Royal Army. Turning to his guildmates, he didn't reply to Kaden's comment about interceding with the other two mages and went over to stand by Ria as he walked away and told her to consider his offer. "You're welcome, ungrateful bastard," he muttered as he kneeled down to reassure Carmilla and Jaëger he was alright. Glancing at Ria, he sighed.

"I know, I know, trying to stop a fight in the middle of the street was probably dumb, but the lad shouldn't have been fightin' two on one, and I couldnae let that stand. But I also acknowledge that it could have drawn some unwanted attention. As I understand it, Fenixtear's still under a lot of scrutiny, especially since it isn't a corporate-like business. I apologize for my part in the mess."

---

The guild master had just finished pinning a new job to the job board when she was approached by the energetic child. Vashya wouldn't let Torys get a word in edgewise, giving no chance to answer the first, second, or third question that came out of her mouth. "Well I'm not all that old..." she muttered to herself as Vashya redirected her attention elsewhere. In a matter of seconds the girl managed to make a mess of the place using her magic. "Oh... and Zen just left a bit ago too..." The rampage of tentacles continued for a few seconds before the girl realized what she was doing and ceased, letting all the dishes and miscellaneous objects crash to the floor.

Torys stared at the mess on the floor for a few awkward seconds of silence, as if she was contemplating her life choices, before looking back up to Vashya. "You know, I've seen you around. Your name is Vashya, right?" She didn't really need an answer, she already knew. Thus she continued speaking before the girl could answer. "Of course you'd be welcome to join, we're accepting anyone with the right spirit! Buuuuuut you are a bit on the young side. I wouldn't want you getting in any trouble by joining so I think you'll need adult permission first. And I mean another adult, not me. Perhaps your caretaker over there would have an opinion on the matter." The seemingly young woman looked up at Vashya's warden with a strained smile. While always happy to see an enthusiastic young person join her family it would appear that the mess was still on her mind.

---

---

While Tone wasn't particularly shocked that Zen was able to dodge the low kick it did take him by surprise when the S-class mage bounced off his head afterwards. The sudden weight briefly took him off balance but he recovered and spun around with his fists already up. But Zen wasn't behind him. He was standing on a nearby streetlamp. "What are you..." That was when Zen began to scold him for trying to spar in the middle of the city. Tone now realized that Zen didn't intend on sparring just yet, he was only agreeing to the idea of it.

"Oh. My bad," Tone apologized, relaxing out of his fighting stance and standing up straight. "I didn't really wanna fight here anyways cuz I can't really go all-out with all these buildings and people and stuff." He looked over to Akemi and shrugged. "Guess we'll have to beat him up somewhere else." Zen did seem pretty cool right now but Tone could sense that he was angry over this. Don't know why he seems so harsh. It wasn't like I was gonna hit any bystanders or anything... It didn't really occur to him that Zen would be more worried about the possibility than the intention, because in Tone's mind it was obvious that he wasn't trying to cause any problems for the guild. Or himself. "Well, do either of you have any plans in mind? I don't think there's any good place to do this in the city. Unless you wanted to go out into the woods or something..."

Tone's gaze drifted past Zen and Akemi and looked past them into the distance. Then he suddenly perked up as if he had noticed something. "Actually, do you reckon we could use that arena-looking place?" He pointed past the two and if they turned their heads they would realize he was talking about Domus Flau, the coliseum atop the mountain to the west. "I've been here for a little while and I've never seen anyone going in or out of that place. Bet it'd be perfect for a little rough-housing..." Tone had no idea about the history or purpose of the arena so to him it seemed like a good idea. It didn't even occur to him that the Kingdom itself owned the place and that they may be trespassing if they went there. "Whatcha think?"

---

---

The arrival of yet another mage caught Grasidia's attention. That's the one that looks like Kaden, she thought as she listened to Markovis. The other mages relented at his suggestion, leading her to believe he must also be S-class and respected among the guild. "Don't have to ask me twice," Johan mumbled, bringing his mug to his lips to sip on his beer. "Of course, Markovis. You know I couldn't resist greeting such a fine lady. My apologies if I made you uncomfortable, Grasidia," Arvin spoke up, giving a polite bow towards Grasidia before moving seats to avoid crowding her. "Um, its fine."

Markovis' offer to show her around the guild seemed like a good idea to follow up on. The other mage that briefly explained the job desk didn't explain much else. If she was going to be staying here a while then it'd be wise to learn how to fit in here. On top of there being more people than there usually were at Fenixtear the atmosphere felt very different. The processes were different, the rules were different. If she couldn't fit in then people would start asking questions, or perhaps Duncan would grow tired of covering for her. These people needed to be convinced that Grasidia is just a normal human being. "Actually..." Grasidia spoke up, standing from her seat at the table as she did so. "I think I will... take him on his offer..." The other mages at the table looked up at her. "Go nuts." "Well if you ever decide you want someone closer to your age to show you around then you can always find me, unless I'm on the job."

With that she gave a brief, awkward wave and navigated across the guild hall to the table Markovis had seated himself at. He was the only one there, perhaps he also preferred solitude to some degree like Grasidia did. And though he appeared fairly youthful it was clear that this man had to be in his late 30's or early 40's, much closer to Grasidia's actual age than Arvin could've possibly realized. She couldn't think of exactly what she wanted to say as she approached the table, creating an awkward silence as she simply stared at him with a neutral expression. After a moment of this she figured she should at least sit down and picked the seat across the table from his. "You look familiar," she finally decided on. "Do you have... a son named Kaden? You bear a striking resemblance to a Kaden I know."

The ease with which Zen avoided the blow came as no surprise to any present, though her unmoving gaze followed Zen throughout his entire movement, almost as if in a trance. "Beat him up?" Slowly returning her attention to Tone, while her facial expression never changed her tone more than gave away her puzzlement on his words.

"The only beating will be him of us." Her follow-up assessment was simply peak bluntness, though that could be simply explained by her own mindset, it was the only foreseeable outcome in her eyes. She had never beaten Zen once during their countless spars growing up, at times lucky to even get a blow in on the older boy, and even those were a fluke to her. While she had no doubt grown, she was under no grand delusion that Zen would've stalled; knowing him he was even further away than before. But rather than discourage the girl, the gulf only served to fuel her desire to bridge it.

"I don't think Tone meant anything by it Z. It just seems like his teacher didn't teach him common sense on safely using magic in public." She wouldn't even be able to count the number of times she had heard a lecture on controlling magic and never using it so blatantly in public, or something of that nature. Not just from Zen, but mostly her grandparents. Though different situations, even Akemi thought it to be common sense to not use such magic in the middle of the street. "Well actually... we did have a plan in mind." Walking up beside Zen, oblivious to the quiet seething rage inside the older boy. While Tone was set on sparring, her mind was still set on the gardens, though whether it came before or after the spar didn't faze her. Her gaze never left Tone until he pointed up towards Domus Flau, slowly following the gesture till her eyes settled upon the colosseum.

"Are we even allowed up there?"

---

The fact that Menzai already seemed to be on the same page was a relief, Alina visibly showing it as such with a deep exhale. "I appreciate the co-operation Mr. Isanami, and will gladly take you up on the offer." Offering a weary smile, she propped herself up on the side of the cart, being careful to not disturb the cart's contents or the tarp as she began to fiddle with the laces of her boots while Menzai pulled the cart along. Slowly and carefully, her delicate fingers untied the knot and loosened the footwear as she half turned to grab a small pouch at her side, hidden beneath her top from prying eyes. During the short travel back through the town, she had taken her time to put her boots inside the pouch, clearly one of magical nature seeing as the boots were more than triple the size of the little bag, and now began to loosen the ribbon in her hair and cleanly folding it before putting it away also. Starting to ruffle through the bag now, she remained silent until they began to reach the outskirts of Petunia.

"Just a little longer, on our way here we passed by a large oak tree about another thirty minutes away. Has a branch that splits in 3 about three-quarters of the way up and about one and half times the size of any other tree we passed, can't miss it. That'll do just fine in getting a decent way from town and I can take over till we break for camp. Unless you plan on making the trek back in the middle of the night?" They could do another solid couple of hours, maybe even get halfway back before it got dark. Depending on the speed they could efficiently move at, and if there were to be no setbacks. While on the inside, Menzai's reaction to the flowers annoyed her more than they ever could the older lady, she still had to feign some form of concern for the beastkin, though she didn't look forward to pulling the cart even in a more suitable form. Perhaps it might've been more efficient to take over from Menzai earlier, but she thought it to be a good distance away from town to avoid anyone walking in on her magic by accident.

With her piece said, she seemed to find what she was looking for and would go silent once more, pulling out clothes that were vastly different from the ones she was wearing. They were a few sizes too large for her and consisted of baggy dark green trousers and a navy blue top. Now that she had what she wanted, her mind was already drifting to other thoughts. She already knew Menzai wasn't one for making small talk, and he was probably even less in the mood for it with all the sniffling she could hear. Just how badly was he reacting to this stuff anyway? Sighing, she pulled out a small, leather-clad journal no bigger than a pocket notebook, and undid the clasp after muttering something under her breath, though she seemed to be careful to not let Menzai hear it.

Pulling out a pen next, she would write until they reached their designation, the only sound that could be heard from her was the sound of pen on paper, and Menzai was sure to be grateful for the smell of ink, though an oddly scented ink, if nothing else. Though it wasn't enough to overpower the flower's pungent aroma. While she had the chance, she had figured it was best to jolt down the notes before the unthinkable happened, her memory somehow failing her one way or the other. It was always easier to jot down one's thoughts while they were fresh, as the longer one waited the staler they became and the more details one would forget. Unless he decided to start a conversation, Alina would stay like this till their designation.

Gwen didn't seem fazed at all by the fact their client seemed uncomfortable with her lack of clothing. She took them, but continued her inspection of the room without dressing.

As soon as the clothing was out of his hands, though, Carver turned his attention to the man that had next addressed him. He took a calming breath, and pulled his shirt in order as if it needed minding. "Yes, that is what I was going to address had your companion not disrobed." The man pulled a cloth from his pocket and removed his glasses. He focused his attention to cleaning them for a moment before returning both articles to their proper place. "Though, sir, considering how this whole thing is starting off, I'm not entirely sure I will be doing that just yet. Thus far this has gone quite below standards of a proper job undertaking, as you have yet to introduce yourself and disregard the rather uncouth behavior of your disrobed companion."

The historian's attention turned to Jessica and Asher - so far the only two to conduct themselves professionally. "Is this truly how your guild operates? I had heard good things about Fenixtear; though - perhaps - I was mistaken and should take my job to another guild."

---

Ria's gaze followed Kaden as he disappeared into the crowd. Training with him - while advantageous for him - likely could do her good as well. She knew his magics, and getting better at combating opponents that wielded lightning was something that would certainly help. There was also the fact that in training him for water magic, she could work on getting more control and shaping the water into other ways. No better way to really master your own magic than teaching someone else.

Her gaze dropped to Damian after she realized he'd been talking. How long? Well, the wolves knew. The important thing was she caught the last part. She assumed the rest was mostly just explanation leading up to the apology. A smile spread on her face, and she lightly brushed the apology away. "Fights happen. Unseemly, but no one called for Rune Knights, no bystanders were hurt, and nothing was damaged. You were acting in good faith to try to help nullify a situation between our guild and another. There is nothing for you to apologize for."

She tapped her chin, looking around for a moment. "We were going somewhere. Where were we going...?" Her voice was soft, almost like she was talking to herself and not addressing Damian. Her attention turned back to Damian as she gave a soft laugh and shrugged. "We were headed back to the guild, right?"

Damian watched as Ria spoke mostly with herself, though he was pretty sure she was trying to talk to him as well. He hadn't actually been sure they had a specific destination in mind, since he'd mostly been following her lead. While he waited for her to remember their direction of travel, he checked his cell for the time and nodded to himself. He should be ready for more training in the next few hours and he never missed a time. When his guildmate asked if they'd been heading back to the guild, Damian shrugged as he stood.

"I mean, probably? I'll admit, I was kinda just followin' you while we talked. Didn't have anywhere specific in mind at the time."

My bad? Did this moron actually understand why Zenith was upset? Tone was lucky that all he had gotten from him was a tongue lashing rather than being buried six-feet in the ground. In fact, he would have kept going, but Akemi came in with the save just before he could continue. Zenith groaned and rubbed his temples; as much as he loved his guild mates, they radiated some major crackhead energy. "Just don't do it again."

It couldn't have gotten worse, but then Tone had set his heights on the Domus Flau. This time he could not blame him for not knowing about it considering that Tone had only been in Fiore for only such a short period of time. "Not unless you feel like being arrested for trespassing. It belongs to the kingdom and used exclusively for special events so we'll have to take our spar to the forest. There's a public training ground that other guilds use so we can just use that instead."

---

As Carver digressed his concerns with the hires, Reynard sighed a stood up from the table, removing his hands from it as he turned to Carver. He made direct eye contact with the man and outstretched a hand waiting for a handshake, normally a professional and standard greeting if not for the cold glare of his eyes. Was that intentional? Probably not, though despite the way he spoke, he was by no means a terrible speaker if it was needed.

"Reynard Faust. Apologies for the lateness in introductions, but I'm afraid that while you were averting your eyes it was hardly suitable at that time", he began.

"Furthermore... This is apparently rather normal. We have forgotten that not all are used to her odd behaviour...", as for Reynard he didn't personally care, although... he turned his gaze away for a moment in some annoyance, sending a glare over to Gwen while he was at it, expressing his disdain, then turning back to Carver.

"She will apologize for her actions as befits an adult... Isn't that right, Gwen?" The way he invoked her name was cold, enough to cut a chill in the ice mage.

Jessica was as polite as possible towards the client since she always respects them; it’s what she was taught in Crimson Mare. However, what shocked her was what Reynard and Gwen did. Reynard didn’t introduce him properly to the client when he asked for their names, but Gwen did floor her a bit much. In terms, Gwen stripped completely nude, threw her clothes at him, and had an abrasive tone towards the client. She heard Asher sigh at that, which made her throw a look at Asher of, does Gwen do this all the time. It was mostly because she didn’t really see any of Gwen’s usual shenanigans, but had a clear feeling that Tearsy knew and didn’t tell her. However, the two agree to let herself gain the knowledge instead of having Tearsy tell her every little bit of information. ’ D-Damn it, Tearsy… You should’ve freaking told me that Gwendolyn strips completely naked… so embarrassing.’ Jessica thought with her staring directly at the Sky Tears Sword, with her face a bit red. However, back onto the matter entirely, she looked directly at the client with a smile.

Her mood was a bit ruined by what Mandrake had said, but it was all because of two people in her group being rude. However, Reynard finally introduced himself better late than never; she shakes her head about how he spoke. It still made her a bit embarrassed that she didn’t know Gwen’s odd behavior until now, of all things. ” Uhh, yeah, odd behavior that’s so normal that I was the only one out of the loop because of a Sentient Sword named Tearsy. Gwen, can you please get dressed? You are embarrassing our guild, and Torys said don’t do that, remember?” Jessica questioned Gwen because it obviously would hurt the reputation of Fenixtear. She sighed a bit regretfully for being slightly blunt in what she said, but she was the only one out of the loop because she was embarrassed by Gwen's sight stripping completely down. Only because she only interacted with a very few people since joining Fenixtear, the Guildmaster Torys, and some others. At the same time, being as friendly as possible while talking to them.

Jessica shook her head with the reason, and her sword wasn’t speaking to her, like how it will explain this one. She looked at Mr. Mandrake and smiled at him. ” I will work even harder to help you to your destination wherever that might be, Carver Mandrake. I don’t want a few people’s actions costing us anymore reputation.” Jessica said, with her usual demeanor towards jobs,s she takes them much more seriously than most people. Basically, putting her pride on the line to help him in any way possible to wherever they will go.

The Sword’s voice pierced the minds of the four from Fenixtear only, with a slight giggle. ” Oh my, how fun, a conundrum. How many times I wished for this moment… thankfully, it's a new thing. Oh my, that’s many times you’ve stripped Gwendolyn...” A beautiful young adult female’s voice telepathically spoke to Jessica and her three companions. However, it's pretty obvious what Tearsy was getting at; it really enjoyed this part of some people’s psyches, specifically Gwen's OCD nature. The bluish silver glow was pulsing a much brighter to show its talking to four people with its Telepathy Magic. ” I must say, I didn’t think not speaking would embarrass you completely. But we do have an agreement you must learn things for yourself without my help, but I must say your reaction to Gwen’s display was delightful, Jessica. Guess you have to deal with this a lot Asher, hehehe.” A beautiful young adult female’s voice telepathically added to the previous statement. Tearsy was mostly talking about Gwen’s constant stripping and embarrassing everyone around her with her own behavior. It was hinting at something more about what gender it's into, which Gwen and Jessica are.

Jessica blushed slightly more at what Tearsy spoke about; however, the one thing that flew past her was the massive hint in why her sword teases her so much. ” You got your point across Tearsy, can you please stop. I am so sorry, Carver Mandrake, but if you are wondering who I am talking to, it is the sword on my waist; I call her Tearsy, but it is rather called the Sky Tears Sword, a family heirloom of the Tranzell Family.” Jessica said with an informing tone towards the Historian about her sentient weapon. Sentient weapons are pretty rare in or out of Fiore, she thought, but she has one on her waist, which teases her so much it's so embarrassing.

@Lunarlord34

Like both Alina and the older woman, he was annoyed by his owned sniffling; finding the mass of flowers within the building bothersome. The quicker they left the better for his nose sake which offered another reason for accepting his companion's suggestion.

His sniffling would eventually lessen after traveling far enough from the greenhouse with his sinuses clearing up somewhat allowing for easier breathing. Though the flowers from the tarp even covered still agitated his nose to some degree but it was manageable long as he avoided any updraft wind blowing their in his direction. Yet, among the flowers there was a particular one causing the hairs on the back of his neck to rise in warning; a sense of danger seeming to emanate from somewhere deep within the cart. Uncertain of what it could be though figured this to be why the woman warned them to not sniff the flowers and was thankful for the tarp and packing of flowers keeping the dangerous scent too faint for even his nose to pick up.

And with the partial clearing of his nose made pulling of the cart easier for the wolf who pulled it along through the town with little trouble albeit with a sniffle here and there. At times he glanced over his shoulder to see how the redhead was doing, his ears flicking to the small ruffling of a bag where he caught the woman pulling boots far too large for such a tiny bag to hold.* An enchanted bag? How fascinating, I will be sure to inquire about the magical item at a later time.* He mused to himself making sure to take a mental note of this to remember for later as he turned his attention forward once more.

Travel had been mostly quiet save but for the sniffling and faint grunts Menzai let out from the cumbersome pollen and few times the cart weakly resisted his pull. Eventually reaching the outskirts of the town; not until this point did Ms. Bloomfield spoke up prompting the canine to slow to a stop and took this chance to catch his breath and wipe the beads of sweat from his brow with the back of his sleeve. Turning his attention back towards Alina where she described an a large oak tree with a branch splitting in three that of one and half size larger than others further down the way. Closing his eyes to picture the tree mention and after a few seconds recalled seeing such a tree." I know of the tree you speak, Ms. Bloomfield and find it to be an adequate point for you to join if you wish to do so." Nodding his head before taking a slow deep breath then exhaling with a sigh." As for trekking through the night the idea of doing such does not bother me as I am experienced in pulling carts for long hours from the times such jobs were given to me back home. And while my vision pales in comparisons to those of my fellow feline kins, I can see well enough to traverse a simple path in the dark." Turning his attention to the road further down the path which was stamped down from use and nary thickets in sight.

" Though as I do not know if you are used to long travel and taking into consideration the time it took reaching the town of Petunia. It is understandable that the miss might need some rest for the night, even more so if you intend to use your magic if such preparations and request to have me pull alone is any indication." He figured her reason asking for such might of had to do with her use of it along with the folded clothes clearly too large for her frame." We can travel for long as we are able then make camp of which I am fine taking first watch." Bowing his head lightly to show he understood; deciding not to inquire about her magic as she did not seem wholly comfortable talking about it and he was never one to push someone on personal matters unless choosing to speak up themselves. Certainly preferring not to start up another bout of personal stories." Let me inspect the cart then shall resume travel."

Pulling his left sleeved arm over his mouth and nose to lessen the risk of inhaling the flowers where he then walked carefully around the cart checking and lightly tugging at parts of the tarp. Checking all around to make sure the tarp was securely in place; pulling to cover any spots that might of gotten loose from the cart hitting light bumps. Once satisfied, Menzai moved back to the handle with a nod to Alina then resumed pulling the cart; delighted to have the smells of the forest once more filling his nose which further lessened the uncomfortable sniffling of his nose with the smell of scented ink further aiding in soothing the slight burning in his nostrils.

---

"Ah, I see..." Tone mumbled, still looking over at the arena in the distance. If they couldn't use it then they couldn't use it, but it still seemed like a fun locale. The idea of fighting in an official arena reminded him of home; how he would train and spar with his family. Of course the dragon Bothynus couldn't fit in the fighting pit they had but he would sit above it and help guide Tone and his brother during training. They were some good memories. "Maybe another time then..."

With that he looked back towards Akemi. "If you two had plans you should've said so! I just figured that if you guys were out walking around doing nothing that you'd be free." He crossed his arms over his chest now and began slowly tapping his foot. "Dang, I'm all warmed up now and nobody wants to have a go. I'll find those training grounds and blow off some steam, I'm not trying to intrude on your date. I'll take you up on that spar whenever you're ready." Now he unfurled his arms and gave Zen and Akemi a quick wave as he took a few steps back away from them. Once appropriately distanced from his guildmates, and any passerby, Tone leapt straight into the air. Once he cleared the rooftops two jets of flame burst forth from his feet, quickly propelling him through the sky. Those on the ground likely felt the burst of heat but Tone had paid heed to Zen's words and made sure to hold himself back enough to avoid damaging the nearby rooftops.

However, once he gained more altitude the jets increased in their intensity and more jets of flame were released from his hands. With this he was truly shooting through the sky over Crocus. Of course, Tone didn't know exactly where the training grounds Zen mentioned even were. And if he was going to go searching then he may as well start looking around in the forest past Domus Flau. That way he'd get a better look at that place to sate his curiosity. As he flew over the arena he slowed down to admire the statues overlooking it, as well as the size of the arena itself. Man, I'd want to kick ass in there some day, he thought to himself. But he didn't want to linger because if he got in trouble it'd just ruin his chances of getting a real spar out of Zen later, so he continued on past Domus Flau and lowered his altitude as he began a process of circling the city to find the alleged training grounds. Really though, I'm sure most anywhere in the forests would be fine. Not everything could be private property...