Melina --- Mt. Hakobe Town
Melina learned from Mithera that two mages were threatening Karn, and another near Zero and Damian. Having promised to not just leave as soon as any fight started, Melina started navigating the streets of the town under Mithera's directions from the air. This was one of the many times their telepathic link had come in handy. Melina took back roads and alleys, avoiding most of the wizards causing problems, but not all of them. She quickly handled and dispatched a couple that were out of sight of everyone, turning their bodies into magical energy for herself. As she continued, she did her best to get behind the two near Karn, hurrying.
Why can't things be easy? She thought to Mithera, who gave a simple reply back.
Because people just can't get along. Both took a breath as one of the mages attacked Karn, the other certainly soon to follow suit. Melina readied her knife, brandishing it openly, running now and barging past anyone who got in her way without a second thought.
Meanwhile, in Magnolia Town
A girl, no more than fifteen, walked through the streets alone. The girl seemed somewhat paranoid something was going to happen, and was always looking around for someone a something. Wearing a simple tank-top and shorts that only went halfway down her thighs, her attire did not even remotely cover the midnight blue guild-mark on the back of her neck, branding her as a member of the infamous dark guild
Iron Enigma. As she made her way through town, every time she saw anyone who looked to be of any authority she ducked into an alley and only came out once they had passed.
She only let herself relax as she approached the building she had been aiming for with no events worth speaking about. Glad for this, she went inside and headed up a set of stairs towards an apartment, running what she would say and what she would ask over in her head over and over again. She couldn't afford to mess this up, her guild master was counting on her! She swallowed as she stopped at the door, and after a moment reached up and began knocking, nearly jumping out of her clothes as the door opened in the middle of a knock to reveal a middle-aged woman with greying hair that still showed brown, and striking emerald eyes, and she didn't look happy at all. The girl swallowed, looking scared, but managed to shake off the fear after the woman who's day she had just interrupted spoke.
"Can I help you?"The girl nodded rapidly for a moment, remembering to speak only after a moment.
"Yes, Uh. H-hi. Mrs. Marris? I have some questions I, uh, need to ask you. M-may I please come in?" She couldn't stop herself from stammering, she sounded pathetic. She could represent her guild better than this! But Mrs. Marris regarded her with such a piercing stare she was afraid of being accused of murder and police appearing out of nowhere and arresting her.
"Well you're not from Phoenix Wing. From what my son has told me the Guild Master himself would come here to tell me why the hell he's been gone, not send a young girl like you to come tell me. Yes I am Mrs. Marris, and you may come in." The girl relaxed immensely when Mrs. Marris finished speaking and motioned her to come inside, turning and heading to the living room where only a couple of folding chairs were set up. It was more than clear that she had only recently moved in, but that was no surprise to the girl. She had been held hostage until just recently, if what the master had told her was correct. Sitting down in a chair, with her back to the empty part of the room, Mrs. Marris watched her until she finally came up with the words to speak.
"Mrs. M-Marris, d-do you happen to know a, uh, Melina Vale?" The older woman frowned.
"Aren't you even going to introduce yourself before bringing up memories I'm certain you are aware of." Mrs. Marris said pointedly, causing the girl to pale, and shift in her seat uncomfortably. She was so unlike anyone the girl would've ever guessed to be a mother, maybe she should've asked more questions before coming.
"O-oh right! I'm S-Serma Cathris." She stuttered out, gripping her knee with one hand. Why did this woman's look have to be so... So analyzing? Serma felt like she was under a microscope being studied by a scientist.
"Alright, Ms. Cathris, yes, I do know a Melina Vale, and I figure you probably have a good reason as to why you're asking about her." Mrs. Marris said calmly and cooly. Serma nodded, before continuing the conversation. The two would talk for a while, and Serma would gradually become a little more relaxed in the presence of the older woman, but never grow comfortable. Especially when she realized that Phoenix Wing probably knew when she had come into town and where she was. Serma forced herself to focus solely on the woman before her and the questions she was meant to ask. She also gained confidence as time went on, feeling like a investigator from a novel. She was interrogating a witness to a break in, a kidnapping, a murder. Her imagination bounced around in her head to the point where she started asking questions that were completely unnecessary, and eventually Mrs. Marris asked what some of them had to do with anything, forcing Serma to abandon her fantasy and return to what she needed to ask.
