Fleo Plector – Guild Hall
After rolling over for the fifth time, Fleo decided with a groan that it was time to get up. After the installation of her room's windows, she had adjusted the curtains just enough so that the filtering of the early morning sunlight would wake her at about 7:30 each morning. As such, she begrudgingly knew, she had only herself to blame for not being able to sleep in any more. She shook her head furiously to clear out the remnants of sleep, and rose to her full height on legs of dust. Another wonderful addition to her humble abode had been a locked door; Nolan had followed through on his terrified promise and helped her to get a new one, and shortly thereafter the security measure had gone into place. With a new guarantee of privacy, Fleo had grown acclimatized enough to be able to remove her bandages and ball them up before sleeping, allowing her to rest a little more easily. Holding her hands out, Fleo summoned the dusty bandages to her, and with practiced precision they raveled themselves around her limbs. Next came Fleo's blue blouse, and given the increasingly chilly weather as summer slid into autumn, her burnt-orange jacket was donned as well.
A few minutes later, the dusty woman stood in the guild hall proper. Even if Jarvis hadn't issued a mandatory summons, she'd be there anyway. Her eyes fell upon the table at which she and Felix had spoken a few weeks ago, back when she was brand new. Fleo couldn't help but feel bitten by sorrow, seeing that particular bit of furniture. Among the jobs that team Powder Keg plus Ariel had gone on during Nolan's extended absence was a personal one: her quest to find where her friend had vanished to. From the beginning, the magnetic boy's wordless disappearance had filled her with a worrisome dread, and as the team had followed a faint trail through several towns, that apprehension had swollen like a malignant tumor. When finally the trail went cold, no answers lay in site save one: either Felix was dead, or he'd completely and totally abandoned Phoenix Wing. Torn between resentment and concern, Fleo only ever decided that the experience stung her.
But such was the nature of life. Friends came and went, sometimes after a farewell banquet, and sometimes silently in the night, leaving nothing behind but their memory. At least Fleo knew, leaning against the wall now, that Nolan would be returning. She was anxious for him to be back. Sure, Ariel was useful enough, but having a half-dozen personalities and counting made her unreliable at best, and without the Ash God Slayer, team Powder Keg lacked a definitive leader. Other than that, things had been about as normal as could be for a guild such as Phoenix Wing. She had made it a point to go in and give Karn her well-wishes during the two weeks, for though she didn't know him very well, she had seen enough of him to know he was a unique and bright spark that shouldn't be left to smolder alone. Spotting Nolan, Fleo pushed herself off the wall and made her way toward him. She dispatched an order for oatmeal to the tender, and plopped down beside him.
"Heyo. Haven't seen you around in two weeks. Awfully inconsiderate of you not let your best friends know. I won't push it though; you look even more grim than usual."From the moment that she first stepped foot on the platform, the Dullahan knew she liked Magnolia. It had been some time since her last visit, and that undoubtedly on guild business. Today, all the time in the world lay at Xyster's fingertips, and she could practically feel the unique energy of the city. Before she could browse the boutiques and visit Magnolia's landmarks, however, an even more eye-opening experience lay in store. From the elevated platform, the Dullahan could see across the city the home of the wizards she was dying to meet. Without much ceremony, she popped her head off, and held it up with her hand to get a better view. In her excitement, Xyster quite forgot that she stood directly in front of the train doors.
“Move,” grumbled the
man behind her, and as Xyster stepped off to the side, he strode out into the sunlight. Immediately he squinted in distaste, and wiped a peremptory hand across his forehead.
”Ach! An' here I thought Oak Town were too warm! These southern towns're downright tropical!” Joakim shook himself, refreshing his own small Arctic enchantment to keep cool, and made way for the other soldiers to exit the vehicle.
Sighing, Xyster tucked her head beneath her arm and grinned.
”You're always complaining about the heat, you blue-haired coot! Hot weather's great! You should see how quickly bodies decompose in conditions like these. It's like, you're dead, and then...” she snapped the fingers of her unused hand.
“Bam! Rotten!”Stroking his beard, Joakim considered her argument.
“Perhaps. Bones are easier to extract in such a climate, with the flesh softer and whatnot.”Whirling to face her superiors' way,
Harper made a horrified face.
“Yuck! Could you two stop talking about death and bones for a second or two? We're just about to meet one of Fiore's oldest new-age guilds! Good impressions first, weirdness later, that's what General Sanders said. Permission to get going already, corporal? I'm itching to parkour the heck outta this place!”Xyster readily gave the young ninja leave to dart off. Carriage travel, however, suited her and her remaining two companions better than a wild dash for the guild hall. About halfway through the ride, she spotted a group of kids goofing around in the street, and held her head out of the carriage window to spook them.
Nandy Rewman, the party's fourth member, smiled to see the children cavort, alternatively squealing in fear and laughing at the ridiculous expression on Xyster's face. So far, the dark-haired boy hadn't said much, but in truth he probably paralleled his C.O. in eagerness to see Phoenix Wing. When the carriage finally pulled up next to the guild hall, he was the first one out, though Joakim and Xyster were not far behind. As he went to knock on the door, Harper jumped from the roof and landed beside him, smiling widely.
“Hah! Slow poke!” she beamed, jabbing Nandy in his unprotected shoulder.
”H-hey! Uh. Don't poke me! Not my, uh, my fault that th-th-the carriage's so slow!”Rolling her brilliant green eyes, Xyster waltzed up to the door and knocked away, her head nestled beneath her arm.
”Hello in there! Anyone home?”Hands clasped behind his back, the Ruby Knight faced the others with a rigid posture and a clear, imperial voice.
“Right then! Today we begin day fourteen of our special preparations! By now I don't need to repeat to you all the necessity of learning and becoming proficient in non-magical combat. You know your drills and your one-steps; I want to see five of each drill, and five of each one-step from both partners. Afterward I will give you special instruction. Begin!”The assembled soldiers teamed up into pairs and began to practice. Zander scrutinized each with an authoritative eye, but he wasn't the only one. New on the large, main chamber of the Frenzy Fort's bottom floor, the Training Room, was none other than the Tactician himself. Seeing this, Zander hurriedly made his way to the old man's side. Chances are, Sanders merely wished to observe how the training was coming along, but chances were something that the Ruby Knight didn't take.
“Yes, General? What can I do for you?”Cormorant Sanders took a sip from his canteen before replying. In the presence of the man, even Zander couldn't help but feel intimidated. This was a man who'd seen it all, the veteran of several wars and battles untold. Most men would never know as much about strategy as this elderly campaigner had forgotten. Though at first unimpressive to the eye, General Sanders gave off the air of one not to be trifled with, and never to be ignored. Perhaps, Zander had speculated often, reality itself bent slightly around the old man to cast him in a better light—given his signature but often unknown magic, it was a real possibility.
“Have you decided who among Cut Capers will be the final representative of our team in the Grand Magic Games?”A test. Zander was wise to the general's practices. Of course, Sanders already knew who'd be the best option, but in giving up the final authority in the matter he evidently wished to reassure himself of the Ruby Knight's own judgment.
”Actually, I thought that Sasithorn would be better suited than either Demetri or Owen. Owen, of course, is a marvelous fighter, but the other guilds will be able to throw incredible magics at us. Better to field a physical fighter that can eliminate magic than one whose own is not versatile. Plus, it would be a momentous occasion for Hyun, perhaps one she really needs.”Sanders nodded.
“A wise decision. I'll inform her former highness myself. In case you are unaware, I gave Xyster permission to head to Magnolia and...ah, scope out the competition, along with Saxum, Rewman, and Fortinbras. I've received word from Afina that her team will be back very shortly from the uprising near Web Valley. Complete success, she says.”If not for the visor of his helmet, Zander's relief would have been very visible.
“Excellent. It's about time that sideshow ended. We will be at full strength for the games then, sir.” The knight's eyes landed upon two of his students, Virgil and Cecilia, who had ceased dueling to discuss something.
”You two! Standing around and chatting is not becoming of soldiers! We've only a minute and thirty left before break; I want to see that fan and that sword dancing!”
