The water mage anticipated feeling resistance. She anticipated having to concentrate hard to keep her spells up. But a sound called the things into withdrawing and made her preparation unnecessary. For now. She didn't like it. She could almost sense Nolan was upset about it, and as soon as they disappeared beyond her barriers she turned her attention to him to see him looking more disgruntled than she saw him in the guildhall on the noisiest of days. But it seemed he quickly came to the same realization she did - they needed to remain clear headed, if not for being able to properly react to the beasts regrouping then to at least properly communicate with the guardsmen they were accompanying.

Seeing the nod to follow, Ria wasted no time dismounting and jogging lightly to catch up to him. As much as she was uncertain if lapsing concentration on her spells was viable, she knew how long it took for the magic to dissipate and determined it was worth the risk. They needed to plan and even if she were to concentrate long term they would need to be quick to implement a proper plan. It wouldn't do to be regrouping themselves and be caught proverbially with their pants around their ankles.

An alpha meant more danger; they had a leader. She dealt with plenty of dangerous beasts in her homelands that were even more deadly when they had an alpha commanding them. Much like a unifying commander could turn people dangerous enough on their own into deadly units with proper direction. They couldn't wait for the attack, they couldn't see to initiate an assault on the beasts, and it sounded like they were trying to negotiate help from warmages that were unlikely to come because of the guild. Which only left one true course of action as far as Ria could see it.

Her mismatched gaze drifted toward the netting she crafted overhead and tapped her finger to her chin. There was always a way to work around obstacles. You just had to be flexible. "The mission is to get this cargo to its destination. An alpha and our inability to see the Asterins right now eliminates the ability to properly plan a counterassault." The recap was necessary to help her process, and as the wheels in her head worked, she needed to recap out loud.

She dropped her finger as her attention turned to Nolan. While she wasn't fully certain exactly what he was capable of, she knew he was strong. She trusted his combat expertise more than she trusted her own. "Perhaps the best course of action is not to prepare for an assault or reinforce a defense here, but to mobilize. This area is secure. For now, certainly. However, I believe you and I are better suited in rallying further away from this location. If we can get them within reasonable distance of our goal, you and I can split off and create a distraction - if not fully eliminating the threat - and so the shipment can reach the destination. I can create a dome shield that should prevent the beasts from breaking through - " unless they hit it enough it takes too much energy to maintain, she thought but tried to keep the mental note from expressing on her face. "and drop it once we get to the right spot, but I'll need to ride with someone so I can focus entirely on maintaining it. What do you think?" She always trusted her defensive magic. It was the only thing her father ever considered any good from her and she was not afraid to give it her all to provide defense for the others.

---

---

Welp, there was no time like the present to proceed. With their marching order in line, and a quick calculation of the air temperature of the area, Mark adjusted the temperature of the area they walked to create a gentle breeze that pulled their way. It was pure calculation - not something he ever attempted - but the trick to hunting was staying downwind. The trick to being downwind was knowing the direction of the wind, and the direction of the wind was dependent on temperature (among other things) creating a negative pressure system in one direction. If they wanted to stand the best chance, this was it. There was only so much he could do about how noisy they were, and he hoped Adelyn took to heart the instruction to step carefully. The girl didn't seem like she went stalking through the woods to spy on animals, too much of a city life girl.

This wasn't an area he was familiar with - and given the species of animals he was completely unfamiliar with, he supposed it would do to become more acquainted with the terrain - but there were still some carry over principles to properly walking the woods. Stay aware of your surroundings, mind your direction, and watch your footing. The last thing he needed was for one of them to sprain an ankle before they were ever in danger from the beast. He didn't like the snipers nest they were putting their back to, but he just had to trust that Sergeant wouldn't take aim at any of them while they were so far removed from the town; that would be an easy way to get rid of some foreigners, for certain. Sergeant, likewise, was putting trust in the guild to help reduce further threats to the townspeople and his garrison. It was just easier to assume Sergeant was going to hold the reason to trust the group on higher regard than to stab - or rather shoot - them in the back.

Mark waited until they were almost a mile and a half out before silently signaling the other two to walk more carefully and get down lower. He took more care with his footsteps and watched more carefully for the location they had been described the creature resting in. He didn't want to take any chances they might spook it, and being low meant they could hopefully duck out of sight faster. With Adelyn between them, it also meant he could get her out of harm's way easier should the thing sense them and decide to attack.

The only sounds the three mages heard for a distance were those of the forest, birds, beasts, insects and the like going about their lives, most unaware the mages were even there. However, as the indicated clearing grew closer, the distance going from two miles, to a mile and a half and even less, the sounds eventually disappeared entirely as signs of territory marking grew more apparent, mostly in the form of large and deep gouges in the ground and larger trees. Eventually, they would reach the edge of the clearing and see a large canine like monster, red in color and currently curled up and sleeping, it's deep breathing just loud enough to barely be heard.

---

The Corporal seemed to be coming to the end of his argument as Nolan approached, as he was able to catch the tail end. "If you weren't going to make good on the promise of emergency artillery if the Asterin issue was greater than anticipated, then you shouldn't have fucking made it! I'll be reporting this to my captain! Over and out." He flipped off the radio and seemed to glare at the Ash mage, though it was clear that the anger wasn't at the mage so much as the situation. When he was done, the Corporal weighed in. "The artillery call is normal, as swarms of Asterin like this happen if an Alpha gets big enough and beats enough others, so the Pergrande 86th Artillery unit agreed to shell areas where such swarms are identified. It usually doesn't kill the alpha, but the damage it does to the swarm is enough to break it up and force the Alpha back to normalcy. The last time they kept that promise was ten years ago. I was trying to get a suppressive salvo so we could all move together, but they said our report was too much of an outlier to engage." He sighed in frustration, giving Ria her chance to chime in.

The other guardsmen listened to Ria's idea and once more, it was Tanson who spoke up. "It would be in poor taste for us to let you do that alone though. There's four of us and if we can get close enough, the station's snipers can help provide cover, so two of us could follow with you two, support you for the spells that take longer to cast." The corporal nodded.

"This is supposed to be a joint operation, let us do our part." The other two Guardsmen looked nervous but nodded in agreement. The lead driver leaned out and looked at the Corporal who waved him on, and soon the caravan was moving again, though not before handing the two mages earpieces for communication that was less loud. The Corporal near the lead vehicle and the other three space appropriately to cover approach vectors, leaving the two mages to fill the gaps they felt needed them.

---

About twenty minutes after the group reached the train station, a young girl, looking about 15 with bright red hair, sparling blue eyes, and skin just dark enough to appear she never burned in the sun arrived, escorted by a singular, though intimidating, Pergrande Soldier in infantry armor, rifle stowed, but hand resting on the pistol grip. She approached the group and appraised them all before nodding. "You all will do fine, since I'm just going home from a trip to my cousin's. Don't make any trouble for me and my daddy will make sure you all get paid handesomely."

---

Each indicator that the new arrival gave only made Jenna's smile grow wider, minus the comment about D'Angelo, who was merely an observer and not yet a member, though she hoped that he would be soon. "Well, in order, the two with the caravan are indeed members of my guild, though D'Angelo is not yet one. He's gone with a group to observe what should be a rather dull job and I hope he does join us when all is said and done. But as for work...that's a bit up in the air. Rembrandt is something of a...unique situation within Pergrande and even that took years to build up. So work will vary heavily. We've had a slight increase in jobs working with guards after the recent lightning monster attack, we're helping to fill some of those holes, but most of the time, we help with gathering and deliveries."

"Aah, he mentioned something about going with someone, somewhere." Trinity thought back on her meeting with D'Angelo just a moment, remembering that he.. hadn't said anything specific. "I only saw the caravan in passing, though. But, what you're saying is that the situation is delicate and precarious. I've been noticing a stark lack of freelance or even guilded mages around." The lyre and synth continued to play softly under her words.

If she'd heard that right, "a monster attack roughed up the local guard? They'd be in a tough spot, if you weren't here.." but that also meant combat jobs. "I.." she tapped her hand to her chest as she paused, not with meaning so much as with brief thought, "tend to prefer sneaking around threats to fighting them. Perhaps, if you ever need a scout?" That sounded dangerous, too, but she just had to make sure not to get spotted.

"You did mention various work." Besides, there were surely others that could do the fighting, even if she had to go somewhere dangerous. Not that she wanted to be dead weight, and she wouldn't be. She preferred not to fight, but that didn't always work out, but, of course, that didn't always work out. Her attacks were simple, but effective, and she had a defensive trick or two. "Seeing as you're the only guild around, I suppose I better sign up. Do I need to, er, audition?"

@Zarkun@Sanguine Rose

So, that's how it was. Hell in a handbasket was he ever glad to not be in the military. It sounded way too much like a bureaucratic migraine just waiting to happen. If it were Nolan, he would murder them if he made it out of the shithole alive. It somehow made working as a mercenary look more like honest work by comparison to whatever backwater system they had in this god forsaken country. "Better you than me," he said shaking his head with a grimace of disbelief.

The monk's attention turned to Ria who obviously had more of an understanding on what exactly these things were and listened to what she had to propose. Frankly, he didn't like the idea. It was way too dependent on whether or not Ria could maintain the barrier under constant duress from Asterin attacks, but the guardsmen were already onboard with the idea. Nolan relented with a sigh and said, "It'll have to do. Not like we have much time to plan anyway if those lizard bastards regroup quickly. Get to your stations then." While the guardsman went to their stationed positions, Nolan grabbed Ria by the shoulder.

"If this doesn't work, I want you to evacuate everyone and leave me behind to deal with the Asterins. No one is dying on my watch." He let go of his shoulder before rode off to cover one of the gaps with a dark expression etched on his face. For someone that acted like he didn't care about other people, he surely was caring a lot more than he meant to let on.

He tapped his earpiece and asked, "Corporal, what is our ETA?" It was better now to ask while it was still calm. Nolan was still unfamiliar with the lay of the land. After all, he had only been a part of the guild for as long as he lived in the kingdom, which was to say for not a very long time.

@Lunarlord34 Akemi @Cello @twave Ariel @zarkun

---

D'angelo drifted happily as he waited, delighted at getting permission to race the train as he listened to Ariel talk about introductions and magic starting with herself. Having had a first hand look at her magic, he got it pretty.

Then Akemi spoke up."Can anyone ride...umm...'Nimbus', or just you?" Prompting him to float over, where she would suddenly have his bright smiling pudgy face encompassing most of her vision." That's a great question! Glad someone asked and the answer is yes..and no." Holding his finger up as he paused as if intending to end it there before giggling like a kid unable to hold their secret anymore." Anyone can ride Nimbus, but only with his or my permission...mainly cause the needing a touch of my magic to get on and all." Pondering for a moment before leaning in closer." Plus, Nimbus just doesn't like letting jerks ride, prodding and bouncing all over." Pulling away with a satisfied hum and soft pat of his tummy." Just be respectful and ask... offer a treat doesn't hurt either, seeing as he's carrying someone's butt." Laughing at the acknowledgment of his own rear hardly being easy. A rumble as if agreeing." Hey, I feed you plenty...a bit too much I'm starting to wonder." Said while poking the cloud admonishingly.

Noticing Akemi wanting to give her introduction went quiet, ignoring the cloudy fangs now biting his finger. Soon getting to witness the seemingly exhausted girl demonstrate her take-over magic and with it came sparkling awe in his eyes." Whoa ho ho ho! So wicked! Yes! Yes! We must race sometime!" Excitement boiled as he had nimbus zoom around in a tight circle leaving a screw cloud trail slowly drifting bits of snow.

He then attempted to focus on making cloud angel wings onto his back." L-Look! Angel twinsies!" Said through strained teeth as he tried flapping them to fly. Doing so left him to look like an egg on flimsy made fluffy cloud wings wobbling a few inches in the air before dropping back down onto nimbus, the poor cloud appearing visibly strained, somehow." Oof..I..I'll get it. And have..that race!" Puffing from being a bit winded; taking this time to float back to catch his breath.

It appeared to be good timing as the client soon arrived. "You all will do fine, since I'm just going home from a trip to my cousin's. Don't make any trouble for me and my daddy will make sure you all get paid handesomely."

Now sitting back up; anxious to get going." Ooh, look Nimbus. Think we just met our first spoiled teen heiress...seems like picking the observer job was a good decision." Snickering to the cloud while giving a friendly wave to the two, deciding it best not to bother the girl unless addressed.

Going forward, he knew to keep out of the way." Can't wait to see where this story leads to, ol pal." Whispering his final musings as he prepped himself for racing the train.

The group of mages had been chattering among themselves when their charge finally arrived. Ariel's eyes darted to the soldier first, but the woman quickly passed on to the red-headed girl beside. Eyes lighting up, wolf ears perking, and tail wagging to life, Ariel stepped forward to greet the arrivals. "Hello miss. My name is Ariel Gratas. I'm here to supervise on behalf of Rising Star." The woman would gesture to her companions. The thought didn't sit long before she moved on. "What is your name? Where are we going? What can..." She was about to continue firing off questions, but stopped and paused.


Blinking a couple of times, Ariel backed off a bit even though she was clearly energized over the job. Or maybe it was meeting new people. New people are fun.

The guardsmen wanted to help, and Ria certainly couldn't deny them the right to do their job. They were nervous, they were underskilled for an alpha to be part of the attack, but this was what they were trained to do anyway. "Okay, so when it comes time for the shield to drop, we will work together to ensure the vehicles arrive safely, and Nolan and I will do our part to keep everyone in one piece." Safe wasn't exactly a word to use with Asterin. The armor she had provided everyone would do them at least a little good to keep them safe from an Asterin's bite, but it would break eventually and they wouldn't have it for future attacks once she dispelled the water to hydrate the grass near the outpost once they arrived. But having a game plan was better than nothing.

It'll have to do. After all your plans always fail when you rely on water to do what ice does better. Nolan was right to not be confident in her plan. It was a half-cocked idea in the first place. Ria swallowed and let out a slow breath to steady herself.

What she hadn't expected was Nolan to turn his focus on her. She blinked any self-doubt from her eyes the moment his hand touched her shoulder. If? When... "No one is dying today." She offered him a confident smile and patted his hand before he let go of her shoulder. As soon as his back was turned, her smile fell and her stomach knotted. Why was she making these promises? Her father's voice personified the knowledge deep in her gut she would find a way to mess up her part. History loved repeating itself.

She shook herself from the thought and quickly mounted her horse. She didn't want to spook any of the guardsmen by casting and maintaining magic on the back of their horse, especially if they weren't used to riding double. She trusted her horse was trained enough to allow her to focus on the magic while it stayed with the group, but to be sure she rode to be as centered as she could with the group so she could create a dome rather than shape the spell - the less she had to put effort into the spell, the easier it would be to maintain.

Properly seated, animal calmed, Ria let out another calming breath and cleared her mind of her worries as best she could. "Water-make Barrier," was accompanied by her raising her hands over her head then lowering them to the ground. Water rippled and flowed down around the group. The water swirled and whirled fast, splashing droplets to wet the ground around the edges and allowing a sense of cool air from the constant powerful current. Her eyes closed as the convoy began to move again. Only the feel of the reins in her hand kept her grounded to her horse. The rest of her focus was on the dome of the barrier, keeping it moving as if it were attached to her by a giant pole so it moved with her.

Once the beast was in sight, Markovis crouched down and motioned for the other two to do so as well. Then he placed a finger to his lips, staring directly at Adelyn. He wasn't concerned that Kiba might speak and break their element of surprise. But Adelyn...? He wasn't certain she would but if either of them were going to do something foolish like that, it would likely be her. That was the bigger concern he had than whether it was insulting to her or not.

With them settled up, he pointed at Kiba then motioned toward the left then motioned his hand as a signal to wait once he got in position. He was fairly certain the silent swordsman would understand that was the position he was being asked to move to. He then pointed at Adelyn and pointed to the ground before flattening his hand and motioning for her to stay low; the beast looked far more formidable than he anticipated. Considering he'd initially shot her down from joining the job because of the danger, he was certain that now this was far more than she was capable of. As for him, he pointed to himself and then pointed to the right. This way everyone knew where everyone was supposed to be. He hoped it meant they were less likely to cause each other harm in trying to subdue the beast. If everything went well, he could subdue the beast into a cryogenic stasis with freezing temperatures. If not - he wasn't looking forward to a fight.

Markovis didn't waste time waiting to see if there were questions. He moved into position and watched the beast for another minute before slowly creeping to the very edge of the clearing. Studying this creature alive would do the guards and the guild far more good than dead. Dead was just fine if it meant the beast was no longer posing a risk to the locals. Well, no sense in drawing this whole ordeal out.
A nerve twinged at the right side of the base of his skull. A sudden itch from an involuntary muscle spasm cascaded down to his finger tips. The stoic mage rolled his shoulder and shook out his hand as he stood. He extended out his arm out toward the beast with his hand clenched in a fist. As quick as opening and closing his hand, he cast a sphere of Encompassing Freeze around the beast to suck the heat from its body. If the beast woke, and if the beast broke free, he wagered the thing would spot him and launch an attack at him rather than the others. He was ready for that.

Guess we wouldn't be establishing what the other could do then. Ok, guess that's what she got for asking? She seemed a little deflated at being ignored but shrugged it off pretty quickly. It was no different to normal at home, being ignored was honestly the better of the reactions she normally got for trying to suggest something. At least he acknowledged and agreed on the horses part, even if that was just common sense really. Parting with her horse, Adelyn would for the most part stay quiet.

A few grumbled complaints under her breath every now and then, especially when she stepped on a loud twig and seemed to scare herself more than much else. She was at least trying to make an effort to avoid dry leaves and sticks though, she knew the basics like that. She hadn't really gotten any experience out in the field so to speak, but copying what Mark was doing in front of her to avoid making a huge amount of noise wasn't that difficult.

Mind you, she had wanted to at least say a few things along their little trek, but thought better of it and instead would absently play and twiddle with her necklace. Wearing her earrings was a no-go right now, not around anyone with a chance of recognizing them. And if that garrison member really was watching them through their rifle scope, then she didn't want to drag the others into that mess. But thankfully she could still wear her 'lucky' charm, and instead focused on that to both keep her mind occupied yet focused, but also to calm her nerves.

Still, she did nearly walk into the back of Mark when he stopped, only just realising he had in time not to. She seemed annoyed by his gesture to be quiet, opening her mouth to protest, thinking better of it and just sighing and giving a thumbs up. One eyeroll later, and she was very much beginning to come to an agreement about this perhaps being out of her league a bit when she saw the imposing red creature slumbering. Well, by herself maybe, but with others? Uh...man she really wished she knew what they did specifically but they seemed competent at least so she was confident they could get it done easily enough. Still, she wanted to help and seemed frustrated at his gesture.

She hadn't come along just for sightseeing!

She was an Amberfield at the end of the day. Her pride most certainly outweighed her rationale and reason when it come to gauging her own skill level, but even so she managed to force herself to nod obligingly and get lower to the ground, hopefully out of sight as well if she could find some tree roots, a trunk or the like to hide behind while still keeping a view on the beast. Even though her fists were clenched from the frustration she felt bubbling over, she just mentally told herself it was fine. This was more than her father had ever allowed her to do, so wasn't this enough? Besides, a small voice in the back of her head told her maybe if she waited, she could find a moment where she could do something.

Prove that she was more than just the name of an Amberfield, but a proper mage of the family. Surely even someone as talentless and worthless as herself could manage to do something to help right? At least for now she could start by staying out of the way, though she kept a hand on her grimoire and began generating some extra Charge. If nothing else, it wouldn't hurt to be ready. Just in case she needed more than she passively made.

Kiba

---

The serenity of the woods surrounding Rembrandt were a familiar comfort to Kiba. The group trotted along on horseback with only the crunch of crisp, fallen leaves and snow beneath hooves to accompany them. The silent swordsman ran a hand along the neck of his steed, admiring the beast’s composure. He expected nothing less of the garrison stablemasters. These horses' nerves were steeled through years of proficient taming and selective breeding. They were the perfect companion for military business. He was more enamored with his animal companion than the discussion between Adelyn and Mark. Capture or kill, Kiba was confident he would perform his duties as necessary. He spared a glance to the back of Adelyn’s head, his own personal mission to ensure her safety and wellbeing at the forefront of his mind. He had never seen her fight and had no reason to doubt her abilities, but he believed himself and Mark to have an understanding that the dark haired mage could provide the requisite power to subdue or slay the beast with little assistance from him. So Kiba would become a guardian, allowing Adelyn to act freely. The only challenge lied in performing his role in such a manner that the girl in question wouldn’t feel coddled or belittled. It required a certain subtlety and discreteness that Kiba unfortunately lacked, but so long as the end result was the same he would endure any potential fallout from a scorned Adelyn.

The horses were latched to sturdy trees and fed sweet apples and grain to occupy them. The Rising Starborn group was to head out on foot, taking care with their steps so as to not rouse their prey’s suspicions. Mark took point and Kiba headed up the rear. Their guard escort took up position as overwatch, providing reconnaissance via the devices Sergeant Munroe had given to each of them. His ear buzzed with the occasional update on various movements throughout the forest. Ahead of him Adelyn queried their capabilities to the mission. If she had spared a quick glance back at Kiba, he would have tapped the hilt of Saint Shiva’s blade. He’d been fairly liberal with his magic in previous missions, so his capabilities as a swordsman and ice mage were known throughout the guild. Though Adelyn was a somewhat fresh face, the likelihood of her knowing that probably wasn’t as high as he’d thought. He concluded that she would see for herself soon enough.

Mark’s signal to be quiet was more aimed at Adelyn than at Kiba. It would have been somewhat redundant to ask him to remain silent. Even his steps through the woods had been light and graceful, barely a sound rummaged underfoot. He nodded in response to the simple hand gestures and moved into position, keeping his eye on the slumbering beast whilst ensuring Adelyn and Mark’s position were in his periphery. He anticipated that Mark would make the first move against the beast, and they had done well to pincer it within the clearing on almost all fronts. All they had to worry about now was if it decided to retreat from the threat instead of facing them. Crouched amidst the shrubbery, Kiba cupped his palm in front of him and conjured a cyan magic circle with a snowflake crest. It hovered over his upturned fingers, his eyes tracking the space behind the slumbering creature. A row of eight identical circles appeared high above the clearing, the air around them crystallizing into the pointed tips of Kiba’s Ice Blades. He held their position, awaiting either Mark or the creature to make their move. He’d rather not leave the outcome of that move to chance, ensuring he was ready to remove the creature’s escape route with a barricade of frozen swords.

Initially, after Mark cast his spell, nothing seemed to change about the beast's behavior, as it continued to keep breathing deeply as though it slumbered. Kiba's blades appeared and all seemed to be going without a hitch. But then something in the forest snapped a twig, rather loudly in the silence, and if any of the mages looked quickly, they'd see a Vulcan trying to sneak up on the monster. The sound would immediately wake it up, the monster surging to its feet and letting out a howling roar before identifying the source of sound. The Vulcan, now caught, would rush in to pick a fight, leaving the mages with a decision to make. Now that it was awake, the odds of taking it alive were drastically reduced and the odds of them getting hurt increased. Was the effort still worth the risk?

---

Silence reigned for a long time as the caravan moved through the woods, the members of the guard sweeping their firing lanes and the mages keeping alert. Now and then an Asterin would try and get to them, see if they'd grown complacent, but it would either it would be stopped by the barrier or the guard watching that lane would gun it down in a burst of blue energy. The pattern repeated for another two hours before Nolan asked for an ETA, which the Corporal was happy to provide. {Edge of the forest should be coming up now, then it's about thirty minutes to the outpost. Aside from the odd lizard, it doesn't seem like the main swarm followed us, so the only real concern is going to be getting back to Rembrandt after the supply drop is complete.}

---

The girl seemed hardly phased by Ariel's questions and simply beckoned the group to follow her. "The train will be taking us to the town of Ansol, about a three hour ride. Once there, some of my family's soldiers will be waiting for me, so your part will end there. Daddy was nervous about the interim though, so he wanted to ensure any would be bad actors would be deterred." The group was escorted to what was clearly a private car meant for use by people like the girl, with seating, food, and other amenities for a relaxing trip. So far the girl was less spoiled and more confident that nothing could happen.

Unknown to the group at large, two people followed close behind, a man and woman in black clothing who sat in the car just before theirs. There was mischief and trouble in their eyes and their energy, to those who could read it, was full of ill intent.

---

"No audition necessary, and I've seen you tinkering with your magic, so if you'll just follow me..." Jenna lead the way to her office on the main floor, stepping into it briefly before stepping back out with a stamp in hand. "Just tell me where and keep it's color pictured clearly in your mind."

((I hit quote and not edit))

“Wh- really? Yea-hea!” Trinity played a short triumphant fanfare with the synth and lyre and struck a quick pose with her fist up, then followed along after Jenna.

As Jenna went quickly into her office, Trinity called up a trumpet and played something ceremonious-sounding. Where to put the mark? Trinity considered the question for a moment before pointing to a spot on her clavicle, just over her chest, “I'll have to show it sometimes, right? This spot should be prevalent enough.”

She closed her eyes and pictured.. her hair color. A gentle lavender. That way, she didn't have to worry about it clashing with her clothes.

She peeked down at it after it was given, “cool! So, I..” the music lulled momentarily, a mute appeared on the trumpet, her eyes came back to Jenna and she touched her finger to her own cheek, “guess I'll look at the job board, unless you've got something special for me? Oh," the intensity grew and built anticipation, the mute came off gradually, she caught her lyre as it floated into her hand and she began to play it herself, "there's probably some kind of orientation or something, right?”

@Zarkun@Sanguine Rose

"Keep your guard up. We still have an Alpha to possibly contend with. Over." He glanced around their surroundings with uncomfortably paranoid glances. This was going too smoothly. It was entirely possible that the swarm from before decided that they were not worth the effort, but a strange nagging would not stop clawing the inside of his stomach. They were intelligent creatures that utilized sophisticated pack hunting strategies to hunt down their prey and there was something else to consider; just because they couldn't see the Asterin didn't mean that the Asterin couldn't see them. They were predators, pack hunters that stalk their prey. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that they were following them, biding their time.

Maybe he was just being paranoid, wasting his energy over imaginary scenarios. If they haven't been attacked again then maybe the Asterin really gave up. However, he had not survived on his own for as long as he had by taking everything at face value. Nolan took a deep breath and focused his gaze. However, a thought occurred to him. Pressing his earpiece, he asked, "Hey, what exactly are the hunting patterns of Asterin?" He knew that he was showing his lack of knowledge, but he was not going to let a foolish sense of pride force him to remain ignorant to the enemy at hand.

It was times like this that reminded Nolan that he was a stranger in a strange land. These were monsters that he was not acquainted with, something very much to his disadvantage. However, he was more wary of the people than the monsters. One inkling of suspicion and everything he was working towards was over.

A twig snapped, but not from his left or across the way. From his right. Markovis released his spell and dropped down from sight. A blasted Vulcan. An unwelcome complication.

A heavy exhale did nothing to relieve the tension now building between his shoulder blades. He had fought Vulcan before. Troublesome but not particularly difficult for him as they were not the most tactful or agile of combatants. But given they didn't know what their actual prey was as a combatant, perhaps this was for the best. It would give them a chance to observe it's fighting style and maybe see an opening that would make for a better angle of attack.

Could kill them both.

Waiting would mean less effort to fight, less risk of injury to the others. It would be easier to take the canine-like beast in alive if he waited. He had little doubt the beast would kill the Vulcan even if the Vulcan thought it could take the beast. But if he made his presence known, he knew it would draw the attention of both - regardless of how he attacked. Inaction was easier. Safer. How long was it safe to draw this out? The lightning beast the Sergeant was watching out for could come across them in the middle of waiting and make everything harder. Hell, it could come to complicate things at any moment given no one knew how the two beasts were related. Too much risk.

Calculations swirled through the mage's head as he watched the first seconds of the combat. No, waiting was insufficient. It was going to be unfortunate, but he could not afford the greater risk. Adelyn was a mage - she could manage to survive the encounter if she used her head - and Kiba was more than competent in keeping himself safe during a dangerous task. Entering the fray was the only acceptable option, and thermodynamic conversion would not suffice in ending this quickly.

The stoic mage stood once more, thrusting his hands out toward both creatures. "Leeching Abyss." The air around him grew hazy and dark despite the daylight. Tendrils of the black and violet matter shot up from the ground beneath both creatures in an effort to latch onto the creatures limbs and hold them in place. He watched both creatures carefully to angle the tendrils of dark magic for each movement they made, anticipating adjustments to grab them and start draining some of their energy.

A wave of pain could be felt from her neck all the way down to her hips. Sleeping on a park bench wasn't healthy or comfortable at all, but at the time Evangeline didn't have another choice. All the money she haad earned as a waitress was gone and she would never dare to ask her parents' for more as she had finally succeeded in escaping from their home and the future they had planned for her. Being free, able to make decisions for her own, not being recognized. That was most important to her.

She stood up and immediately noticed that a crowd had gathered around her. They weren't looking at her though. What day was it? What time was it? Was it some kind of party? She had absolutely no idea. She decided to pack her stuff and move away from everyone. It didn't take her long. The only stuff she owned were: the jeans she wore that had a lot of holes in them, the white shirt with food stains and stains from being kicked to the ground whenever she chose the wrong place to sleep, the brown shoes that could fall apart any moment, a keychain with a pink unicorn attached to it and a book about different magic types including her own. The keychain was a gift from her parents. It was the only good memory she could remember of them. The book was stolen from the library on her last day there. Even though they must have found out immediately, they never did any effort to retrieve it. They must have realised about how difficult of a life she lead, which is why they let her keep it.

Her stomach was growling, but she didn't have any food or money to buy some. Evangeline took a deep breath, forgot about her dignity for a moment and walked up to a trashcan nearby a restaurant. She was luckily to find some half eaten leftovers. It smelled disgusting and might even get her sick with all the bacteria on it, but she had no other choice. She ate it, stilled her hunger and went up to a fountain to wash the weird smell off of herself. People looked at her weird, but she couldn't care less anymore. She also put a little bit in her mouth to make it less dry. After that, she made sure to disappear from that place and the people who were clearly judging her.

She walked up to a couple of taverns to ask about any jobs they might have for her, but they all judged her on her appearance. Evangeline didn't even get the chance to finish her sentence before they literally kicked her out. She didn't let this get to her though. She was confident about her abilities, her skills, who she was. No one deserved to live a life like this. This couldn't be permanent. She just had to keep trying and someone will say yes to her. Everything was better than returning to the life she let before with her parents. She had to keep reminding herself of that fact.

When she happened to see the sign of the wizard guild, flashbacks of her old dreams appeared in her mind. Right, she wanted to become a wizard. That's why she chose to learn magic. She chose this specific kind to net let her parents find out about her dreams, but this... This was her dream. She wanted to use magic to help people in need, to not let people become a lifeless puppet like she would feel at times. She needed to go inside. She needed to beg to join. She needed to convince them to not judge her on her appearance. She needed... Food... Her stomach was growling again. The leftovers weren't enough. If she could get a job here, she could earn money. Money for food, water, a place to stay with a shower. She walked inside the building with a great amount of confidence, a total mismatch with the way she looked. "Excuse me! Who can I talk to about working here?" She said while still holding the keychain and the book, the only things she owned.

---

Belle jumped on Matthew stomach as a way to wake him up. A loud cry out of pain didn't startle her at all as she did it every single morning. Matthew smiled and petted her enthusiastically before getting out of bed and dressed for the day. He threw on a red and black checked shirt, a white jacket, black pants and shoes. When he went downstairs, he saw a woman letting herself into his house. "Good morning, Rosa! Belle is in a good mood today and you... You look amazing!" Rosa was the dog walker Matthew had hired for Belle. She would come every morning and every evening to walk her, give her some treats, make sure that Matthew didn't forget to feed her with how often he got distracted.

He rubbed his head against Belle's fur, took some candy and a sandwich and left home. He was going to ask the people at the local guild if he could join them. They had to approve of him, right? His magic was amazing! Matthew started activating his magic and chewing on his hair, only to be disappointed with the lack of a sweet taste. Then he'll just have to eat the candy he brought. After the candy was gone, he ate the sandwich. After the sandwich was gone... He had no idea where he was anymore. Which route did he take from his house to the guild? It wasn't very far, so how could he be this lost already?

He asked some strangers on the street for directions, but most of them left as he was apparently getting too close to them. How would that scare them this much? Come on! Everyone likes attention, right? He stopped by a pet shop, went inside and looked intently at every single object and every single pet present. Where was he going again? Right! The guild! He started walking randomly again and getting rejected by strangers until one was kind enough to actually help him out. Okay, now no distractions anymore. Just follow the directions of that kind man.

Why did he want to join the guild again? Fighting was lame. He didn't like fighting. As a wizard, he would probably have to fight a lot. Maybe he could talk himself out of that! Then what kind of job could he do? He had to earn some money, so his foster parents wouldn't have to pay for everything. But then what kind of job? Oooh, he could provide cotton candy! Oh right, it wasn't actual cotton candy. Just lame hair. So he would have to fight? Maybe he shouldn't join the guild then.

But magic is amazing! He loved magic! There were so many different types and they all look amazing. Even battles can be fun to watch just because of all the impressive spells. Yes, he should join the wizard guild. And yes! He succeeded in getting to the guild without too many distractions! He was amazing! Amazing for not letting himself get distracted!

"GOOD MORNING EVERYONE! I'm ready to become a wizard in this guild! Matthew said with a huge and bright smile on his face.

The most well-laid out plans never survived first contact with the enemy. No more apparent was that saying to Adelyn than right now, as a Vulcan arrived to begin combating the beast once its presence was known. That complicated matters, but Vulcans while a threat to some was hardly a concern for them right? Let alone this beast. No, the concern from her perspective was the beast being awoken, causing the girl to drop a little closer to the ground as the loud roar filled the air.

It...it sure was loud, huh? Huh, now that it was up it seemed way bigger now. Uh. Damn. Wait, stop thinking about how the claws suddenly seem like they would tear you in two or it could probably use her as a toothpick. Focus. Focus! The now two monsters didn't know she was here, so she could stay put and wait it out. Or maybe try and slip away?

No.

Despite her common sense telling her otherwise, her pride and stubbornness was winning out here. An Amberfield wouldn't cower or hide away like this. She was a disgrace, but she wasn't that much of a stain on the name. But what could she even do with her frankly near non-existent abilities anyway? Charging in would only getting her killed, nor did she have any particularly good spells for that anyway.

But she could at least try and distract them? Or try and separate the monsters. How? Uh....she would work that out as she went along. First and foremost, an attempted distraction!

"Overload." Feeling the electrical energy surge through her body, she took a moment to scan the area before settling on her target. Rushing to the nearest tree of a suitable height with a limb that looked sturdy enough somewhere near and high up enough to hold her admittedly very light frame, she would begin to scale it as quickly as she could. Now, had she really scaled a tree before? Yes, though not since she was a kid really. So it probably wasn't the most athletic or clean climb anyone's ever seen but all she needed to do was scramble up the tree, scoot along the strongest looking branch and while clinging to the branch level a wand at the Vulcan's back.

If she could get its attention after Mark was getting up also and casting his own magic, then hopefully she could separate the two and leave the bigger one to Mark. Uh what would she do after the Vulcan came after her? One step at a time ok?! She felt mostly safe in the tree. Maybe. Hopefully. Gah, who cares?! She didn't really have much of a spell for an attack like this, so it was mostly just as strong a bolt of generic lightning attack she could muster.

Which comparatively? Much stronger than the little jolt she had accidentally given people in the guild hall. That had been a subconscious reactive spark due to not being able to control her magic too well. This had the intent to try and cause harm, but in the end it wasn't a proper spell and more a cantrip so we'll let the dm decide how effective it was. Honestly though, it was less about how strong it was...and maybe how accurate it was. Lets be real, she could muster up a real strong effort if she tried, but one handed while clinging to a branch and scared out of her mind? Well, lets say she would fire off a few bolts and pray at least one landed remotely close.

Zenith

@Squirrel98@Zarkun

Meat was sizzling, pots bubbling and steaming, and the sound vegetables being stirred in a hot pan. A bead of sweat was trailing down his head, down to the tip of his nose, and then dripped down onto the stove. The chef grabbed an old piece of cloth and rubbed his face against it, taking a deep breath before he focused back onto the cooking. His eyes darted around to various timers that were strewn in some methodical madness, his hands keeping steadily keeping ahead of the ticking. Soon he was plating various dishes; slabs of meat with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables, various pastas, hot sandwiches with fries, and it just didn't end. That was the life a chef in a mage guild and for that matter, the sole chef for that matter. Also, the lone server. Budget restraints and what not.
 
The kitchen door slammed against the wall by a lone foot and out came the Zenith with his greasy, food covered apron, hair net, sweaty t-shirt, and black slacks. "Order up!" He came out balancing trays of food on the very tip of his fingers, rushing to table to table handing out orders the same way an overworked restaurant worker would during a lunch rush. It would've been so much easier if he took over some octopus monster and used its extra arms to help carry these trays, but alas he was stuck with his two very human arms as he served guests and guild mage alike. At the very least, he could see that people enjoyed his food so that was a reward in it of itself. Well, that and the money was good too. It was hard, but it was worth it if he could offer solid support for Akemi.

Money or not, this was exhausting. Zenith slumped over the bar counter chugging down a liter of water from a bottle. "God, at the very least Jenna could hire some more servers..." He muttered to himself. His eyes trailed along the guild hall, people watching out of sheer boredom. However, his focus shifted towards someone walking through the entrance to the guild. A very raggedy woman, someone that looked like the living definition of being down on her luck though he didn't recognize her. It was not like he knew everyone in town though. After all, he had only arrived with Akemi not too long ago, but he definitely would've remembered seeing a homeless pink haired woman around these parts.

Zenith walked over to her and flashed her his typical friendly outgoing smile. "That would be our guild master Jenna. She's probably available." His eyes scanned her while they conversed. Damn, this girl must've been really slumming it. The heck happened to her?

"Are you o-?" Before he could ask, the doors swung open and more pink, much louder pink, barged on in. Also, why did the air suddenly taste very sweet?

He just stared at the man that smelled like cotton candy as if he had worms, or in his case, gummy worms crawling out of his ears though he shook his head to zone back in. Zenith tilted his head back and shouted, "Hey Jenna! We've got a couple more recruits! I'm gonna get a meal started for one of them!"

Initially the two monsters remained unaware of any other danger to them besides each other, clashing and hitting each other. For each horrible gash the many claws of the red monster left, the Vulcan pummeled the beast visciously, knocking it around and doing damage in its own way. However, the Vulcan dodged right at the wrong time and stepped directly on a tentacle, immediately becoming entangled by it. The red beast noticed and barely managed to avoid a pair angled to snag it's back legs, lashing out with it's right front paw at the same time and shredding it with it's many claws(read, ten). Before it touched the ground and dodged again as the Vulcan struggled to break free.

Meanwhile, to Adelyn's credit, her distraction was equal parts well-timed and poorly aimed as of the series of bolts, all but four found their mark, dealing a surprising amount of damage to the Vulcan as it convulsed, even a couple arcing to the red monster and shocking it. However, the four that missed fried the tendril that Mark had caught it in, releasing it from it's energy draining prison and allowing it to turn on her, which it did with a monkey yell. Plunging a fist into the ground, it flung a boulder at her position in the tree, though its recent electrotherapy ensured it missed this time, the boulder doing little more than spurring a breeze as it passed her by. However, it wouldn't risk it again and was already running towards her. A red beam lanced through the air towards the Vulcan and it barely managed to avoid in time, though the dodge forced it to change course and bout Adelyn more time to move. As was agreed upon, the Sergeant was watching their backs.

---

There wasn't an immediate answer, but there also wasn't any laughter or mockery as Nolan might have expected. Instead, the Corporal spoke with one of the other guard's via a separate channel before responding. {Typically they'd coral their targets into a small area, keep them from escaping. Usually three or four corral while the pack leader goes for the killing blows, usually the throat. But in hordes, the tactics change immensely. They try and simply swarm prey and no one touches them once they're dead until their Alpha has had its share. There's...} The Corporal hesitates and then sighs before continuing. {These are all unconfirmed reports, but there's supposedly instances of the Alpha setting up ambushes and separating the horde into individual packs that it orders via some kind of low-frequency roar, having them attack in different patterns and groups. The reported instances are so isolated that most biologists are sure it was simply perceived wrong.}

---

"Suppose an orientation of sorts wouldn't hurt. Here on the main floor is my office, the guild hall proper, including bar, kitchen, and stage; guest rooms for our clients, and the job board." Jenna points to a set of stairs leading up. "On the second floor is where most of our members live. Expenses are covered, though we do take a 15% cut of your job pay to help with that." From the hall leading to her office, the Amazonian woman leads Trinity out back, where there's a separate building across a field. The field itself has some adornments that indicate it's used both for training and recreation. Opening the door to the building, however, reveals the actual training hall, including a sparring field, where several mages from the guild were in the midst of sparring and training. "This is the training hall, complete with a specialized field to prevent permanent damage to the training field or harm to those training."

---

Karma couldn't help but smile as Jenna lead one of their newest members to the training hall after describing the layout of the guildhall itself. More migrant mages are finding us by the day. Might have to commission a bigger hall here soon... At the same time, Zenith came bursting out of the kitchen with the next set of orders for todays visitors and the mages still hanging around between jobs with no interest in working today. The bartender and Archive mage couldn't help but smile at the sight. She was in the process of finding him help serving, but so far no one quite clicked with the Takeover mages timing, but that would eventually be righted. Shortly after, two more new mages burst in. One a girl in clothes so worn-out and stained it was a miracle they weren't thread bare yet, and the other a young man with Candy? In his hair? Alright then... Zenith was quick to get to the pair and call for Jenna, who had just left. "Jenna just walked one of the new arrivals out to the training field, Zen, I'll get them."

She walked over to the pair and appraised them before addressing them, making note of their mannerisms. "Sir, why don't you have a seat at one of the booths while you wait, maybe get a meal or a drink. Miss, come with me and we'll get you cleaned up while Zen cooks you up a meal and I'll see if Lenna can't do something about your clothes." She smiled warmly. "As for joining, that's simple, but we'll wait for the Guild Master to come back in so you can speak with her."

@Zarkun

Over her shoulder, Trinity waved her hand and then made a pinching motion. The lute disappeared, the Energy Make disc collapsed into a sphere and floated over her shoulder opposite the trumpet which remained and got quieter. The horn mute also left. It didn’t have the effect she wanted. A lone horn sounded a soft, brave melody. If she was getting an orientation, it wouldn't do to be so noisy.

As Trinity and Jenna came to the training hall, the mage looked into the training hall. Some mages were sparing. She could.. probably hold her own, reasonably, right? Maybe. It was so risky, though. She couldn’t guarantee her barriers would hold, she couldn’t be confident her attacks would be effective. She looked back at the field behind them. There was recreational equipment, too. Her heart yearned for the freedom to play music and lounge and be merry all day with other people enjoying themselves, but her wallet demanded sacrifice. The horn mute came back.

Speaking of, Jenna mentioned member rooms! For a 15% cut taken from guild work. What had her mother said about rent? No more than a week's pay? Four weeks in a month, which came out to.. this being a fantastic deal, potentially. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to include meals with that room deal, would you? I suppose I’d have to take so many jobs a month or week or something, right?” You had to be clear on the terms of these things. They could get you, real easy.

Trinity turned to head back toward the guild hall, not too interested in the training hall, herself. “I suppose I should go pick one out, unless I need to pass some sort of entry phase?” Presuming the conditions were agreeable, which they probably were until you got to some fine print somewhere.