The lakeside town of Shessalie Sunday July 1st, X784

Overlooking Lake Cellis, Shessalie is a small town at the upper edge of Central Atria, its population only around 1,300 people. Its people have mostly lived a simple, self-sufficient life thanks to the bounty of the land around them, but it's begun to grow ever since the Burgess and Sons mining company established a presence there, and the town has slowly started progressing into the modern age. Most of the buildings are still completely made of wood and connected by dirt paths, but now most have basic things like electricity and indoor plumbing.

Docks line the lakeside for the many boats crossing the lake, either for fishing, or to cut across to the mountains that house the mining operations. The town itself is unremarkable, but houses various craftsmen like the blacksmith and carpenter, and has services like an inn and a bathhouse. There are a couple cafes and restaurants, and even a recently opened shop for magic and magitech, though its selection is rather scarce. At the town's center is a fountain, this being where the townspeople congregate for the yearly festival at the end of autumn.

Standing out from the rest of the town is the Burgess building, doubling as both a villa for the Burgess family and the headquarters for its operations in the town. the building is several times larger than any of the town's native homes, and has been gradually expanding. It serves as a permanent home for the servants who live there and Sarah Burgess, first daughter of the Burgess family.

The nearest train station is at a town about a day away by carriage, but construction on Shessalie's own rail is underway.

But of course, you haven't come for any of this. You're here for that building sitting atop a hill on the outskirts of town with a golden logo emblazoned on its sign: Phoenix Nest.

The fledgling guild, Phoenix Nest

The guild hall inside seemed to be set up like a tavern or restaurant, with tables in the main area and a bar in the back. The expensive-looking bottles lining the shelf behind the bar were a sharp contrast to the rickety-looking wood that made up the rest of the hall. A bulletin board labelled "Job Board" was posted off to the side with various papers pinned on it.

On one side of the hall was a staircase leading up. Not much could be seen about the second floor from the first. The same could be said about the downward staircase on the opposite side of the room. And in the center of it all stood a small group of people, some of whom might be familiar faces.

"Welcome, everyone, to what I hope you'll see as your new home!" Called the figure in the middle of the group, dressed in a simple robe. His long, gray hair was silky smooth and made in a braid that draped over his shoulder, reaching down to his waist. His face was narrow, his features soft, and his expression was comforting. Together with his calm voice he gave off a motherly aura, that voice being the only thing that made it clear he was born a man.

"Or if not a home, at least just a place you can find comfort in," he added with a chuckle. "For those of you who don't know me, I am Myeloch Latare, great saint fallen from grace if the media is to be believed. But I don't think my past should matter here, nor should any of yours if you don't want it to. Here you can start fresh.

Oh, and don't worry about any sort of entrance test. You're all in, if you want to be! Of course, it's not like I'm letting just anyone in, but considering the circumstances I've set up wards around the place that prevent anyone who'd harm the guild or its members from entering! And if anyone like that does make it in, these same wards will make sure they're swiftly dealt with. Though not dealt with in that way, I assure you I don't make a habit of hurting people!" Yet another lighthearted chuckle, though it didn't erase the weight of his previous words.

"Unfortunately, I'm...uh... not actually here." He gave an apologetic look and a bit of nervous laughter. "Due to my... situation, the council has me on something of a leash. I'm speaking through a thought projection right now, which I can conjure up to talk to you all anytime! If you need to speak to me, you can ring this bell," he gestured to a crystal bell on the bar counter, "and if you'd rather speak in private I have another bell in my office. But don't worry! The other members will be more than happy to help, and in an emergency I can teleport here right away! Now..."

He gave the floor to the rest of the group, who introduced themselves.

"I'm Lina, Myeloch's daughter!" The energetic young girl announced proudly. "I'll be the one giving the grand tour! Well, as grand as it gets when the place looks like this, hehe. Don't judge though, I did my best building it." She was a petite girl with surprisingly bright eyes, considering their dull grey color. Her olive-colored skin was smooth, and her wavy red hair was cut just below the chin, the top tucked under a newsboy cap. She wore a button-up blouse, a skirt, and a tall pair of combat boots. She looked to be in her mid-teens, maybe 16.

"I'm Sarah," said the next member in a tired voice. She looked much older than Lina, somewhere in her late-twenties. "Like the man said, don't worry about who I am outside the guild. Here, I kinda do a bit of everything. Receptionist, chef, bartender, you name it. I asked boss man for something to do and he gave it to me. I'll be the one to give you your guild marks, so just come to me when you're ready to commit." Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail, with a fringe covering one of her light-brown eyes. Her skin was pale, her dress was drab, and the rest of her was remarkably average.

"I'm Boriel, I guess the guild's only S-class wizard right now," spoke the next one. He was a gruff man, maybe a bit older than Sarah. "That being the case, I'll probably be on jobs most of the time, but if you catch me while I'm here I'll help you out with whatever you need. Well, if its something I can help with I mean." He was easily taller than everyone in that group, packed with lean muscle and his tanned skin covered in scars. His long, messy black hair and stubble gave off a slovenly vibe for which his golden eyes seemed far too pretty. His outfit consisted of a plain shirt and pants, an open longcoat, and lots of seemingly random belts, all in black.

"Aaaaaand saving the best for last, I'm Rowan!" The scarlet-haired young man next to Boriel spouted, harmlessly punching the shoulder of the gruff wizard. "I'll be making sure the old man here isn't lonely when I skyrocket to the position of Phoenix Nest's best wizard!" He announced. Everyone in attendance thought for a moment they could actually physically feel the confidence and warmth rolling off of him.The young boy standing next to Rowan was lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet, apparently requiring every ounce of restraint he had to hold in his excitement until then when Rowan leaned down and laid a hand on his shoulder. "And this is my little bro-"

"I'm Patileer! Pat for short!" The boy burst out, interrupting his big brother and finally actively bouncing up and down as his garbled mess of an introduction escaped his mouth. "It'ssonicetomeetyouallandIcan'twaittobebestfriendsforeverrrrrrrr! And I'm going to be Phoenix Nest's next best wizard after my brother!" He finished, putting his hands proudly on his hips and puffing out his little chest.

"Alright everyone," Lina called, "once you've gotten your marks you can follow me!"

Main Story

You've gone on Lina's grand tour and, whether or not you've found yourself disappointed, the fact remains that it pales in comparison to more established guilds. Nowhere is this more evident than the job board, where every request is along the lines of "Find my lost cat!" or "My stove is broken, please help!" with equally pitiful rewards.

For now, you can either get to know your new guildmates, or check out the town. Or maybe you want to go ahead and take advantage of the guild's resources.

And who knows? Maybe while you're keeping busy something exciting will happen?

​

Female | 19 | Wizard/Touched


A JP post with Sephear part 1​

?Oh, you think so?? Rowan confirmed with another lighthearted chuckle. ?You?re missing a little context there but still, if you think so that means you have a good discerning eye. Looks like we found a responsible new guildmate.?

Faye ignored what Rowan said for her own good. ?I think the note said it was in the town center. I haven?t walked around town yet. Do you mind taking us there?? Faye asked the little Pat. The urge to pat his head was there.

?Yeah!? Pat agreed, his eyes practically sparkling. He spread his arms as if they were wings and ran happily towards Shessalie?s fountain, the town?s only real landmark. By the time the older wizards caught up he was circling the fountain happily, at one particular moment Pat hopped from the cobblestone path onto the side of the fountain and then back down again and Faye could swear that she saw a flower up out from between two stones when Pat?s feet left the ground.

?This fountain?s been here since this town was just a couple of houses out in the countryside if what I?ve been told is right. The place doesn?t have a lot of history but what there is to find is nearly all right here.? Rowan explained. It was a nice fountain. Smooth, well-shaped stone, clean, the water flowing through it looked perfectly pure and even drinkable but like the rest of the town, it was otherwise rather plain. Patileer finally slowed down and stopped next to Rowan, looking to him for directions. ?Alright, guys.? Rowan began. ?I?m just here as a chaperone, I?m not supposed to be doing any jobs for any of the newer folks right now, so what are ya?ll thinking of to find this cat??

?Maybe if we meow loud enough it will meow back at us?? Pat proposed.

?Sorry buddy, maybe if we were shapeshifters but all you?d be likely to do with that plan is annoy the neighbors.? Rowan shot him down.

?I think that would be rather cute instead,? Faye whispered to herself again but coughed at her own clueless words. It was like Rowan said, other than the fountain this town was everything but a high-end city. It brought back some memories from her hometown, however, the happy memories would soon turn into the sad ones before she left with her father for the big city. Faye tried to shrug off this feeling once again, it was all she literally did every day.

Faye thought back about the question Rowan had asked. What could she do to find this cat? Faye thought hard and raised a finger to her lips. Faye's magic was darkness magic so it wasn?t really useful for finding things. She did have learned to look at the shadows of her surroundings. Fate hastily looked around on the floor around her near trees. She couldn?t see anything out of the ordinary, unfortunately.

?Meow.? Faye blurted out as she held a flat hand to the side of her mouth to make her sound louder. ?Meow? she repeated as she walked around a little bit more. She just thoughtlessly decided to go ahead with Pat?s idea. Though it wasn?t as Faye expected that the cat would meow back at her. She wasn?t looking inside the trees either. As Faye walked around more she heard some rustling from a tree next to them, also a tail moving swiftly judging from the shadows on the ground. ?I think it?s that tree.? Faye spoke as she pointed at the tree with another expressionless face but it was comical after the situation just now.

?Oooh, oh!? Pat blurted out, stopping next to Faye and looking up at the tree. ?There?s a lot of frustration up there! A little fear, too, more since we got here.? He saw a pair of pale amber eyes looking down at them from the cover of the leaves. ?Kitty! Here kitty! It?s okay, we?ll protect you!? The cat?s head poked out of the leaves and it looked down at them, it leaned forward like it was preparing to jump down but backed up at the last moment. The jump was just too far down for it to go and it wasn?t about to trust some strangers to catch it. Pat?s eyes teared up almost immediately upon the cat recoiling, and the air around him grew a bit colder and damp. ?Please, kitty? We?d never hurt you, we love cats!?

Faye looked at goosebumps on her arms as Pat was getting more sad. The cold air around her made her even more visibly confused. ?What the?? Faye squinted her eyes at the cat and watched its behaviour rather than Pat?s.

As if in response to Pat?s worsening mood the cat?s hackles lifted and its fur fluffed up slightly in fear. It hissed at the young boy and that was enough to force a sob out of him. Rowan looked around them suspiciously, on guard for something nobody else could guess at. When the cat only seemed even more reluctant to move Pat?s sadness at not being trusted was overtaken by frustration. The air warmed and a breeze began to pick up. Patileer pouted so hard and screwed his face up so much he looked as if he?d just drank pure essence of sour and he stamped his foot. ?Kitty get down from there right now!? As if on cue a powerful gust of wind blew from next to the tree, weaved through the leaves as if they weren?t even there and shoved the cat right off its branch with a yowl.

Faye almost immediately responded with a cloud of darkness made from her fingertips at the area she guessed the cat would fall. The cat landed a little to the side of the soft looking cloud but the cat was okay nonetheless. Faye looked at Pat, wondering what his power was. ?Look, Pat. He got down safely, no need to be sad anymore.? she told the little guy, she could have thrown some kind of feeling into that but hey? What is empathy, right?

The burst of anger seemed to have left Pat as quick as it had shown up and he beamed at the sight of the cat touching the ground safely.

The whole magic gust stroke a nerve. Was he able to control the weather or something? That sounds like quite a dangerous kind of magic. ?We finished the job, now what?? Faye asked the slightly older her wizard.

Before answering, Rowan turned his attention to the cat, which was backed into a corner by the tree, staring at the wizards with panic in its eyes at the strange circumstances of how it had come to leave the tree. Rowan stepped closer and knelt down near the cat, holding his hand out, palm up and just out of reach of its claws. The cat stared at his hand for a few seconds, hackles still raised. Then, inch by inch the cat drew closer and began to sniff his hand. When the little ritual finished Rowan very slowly began to rub his fingers against its chin, the cat pressed into him and he pets it more properly before finally scooping it up.

The little furball was a mass of purring and relief and if Rowan?s smile was any indication he felt much the same. In fact, Faye didn?t just see the gladness and warmth on his face, it was almost as if she could feel it brushing against her own mind likes waves on a shore. ?Now we bring this little guy home, I?m sure his family must miss him. Thankfully I recognized the name on the poster, I?ve become acquainted with quite a few of the townsfolk since Pat and I came here.?

The sensation of the warmth coming from Rowan made Faye feel a little uneasy yet quite warm inside herself. Watching the cat cuddle up to Rowan reminded her that if her cloud had been just a little bit more off, the cat would?ve come to his end due to Faye?s inability. She was filled with insecurities about her own affinity. ?That cloud was so much smaller than I intended it to be?? she thought to herself. It was another sign she could not control her power well.

?That was awesome, Faye!? The younger brother interrupted, running over and hugging the young woman around her shoulders. ?You saved the kitty!? Next, he jumped over to Rowan and began scratching between the cat's ears, which it certainly had no complaints about.

Faye was left thunderstruck after Pat?s little hug. She was absolutely not used to this kind of behaviour. She was filled with more warmth. Though the feeling of unease wouldn?t go away. Why was that? Was it even unease? It was a feeling Faye couldn?t describe anyway. The more she got involved with these two the more curious she got about their magic too. Whatever it was, it was something interesting. Faye went against her own will and took a glimpse of Rowan?s face, he smiled slightly as he stroke his fingers through the fur of the little creature. Faye sighed and looked away from both brothers, while her cheeks turned slightly rosy.

?In that case, you know where this cat lives then?? Faye asked Rowan. The moment Faye wanted to come closer, the cat started hissing again. ?Okay, maybe not?? Faye decided. She didn?t want to make the cat feel even more uneasy. It did make her a little sad that the cat didn?t want her to come close and Faye couldn?t help but wonder why.

?Don?t worry, it?s a bit of a walk, you?ll have time to get him to like you,? Rowan assured her. ?All you have to do is relax a bit. Animals tend to be much more empathetic than most humans. Regardless of whether you chalk it up to a sixth sense, their sharpened primal senses letting them do things like smell fear or whatever, a lot of animals can sense when people are uneasy towards them. Cats especially tend to be like emotional mirrors, they often react with the same kind of feelings they sense from a person. In short, if you?re afraid of the cat, they?ll be afraid of you.? He began to lead the way towards the cat?s home but slowed himself down to stay next to Faye and keep her in reach of the cat. ?If you approach a cat with patience, confidence, and friendliness, more often than not they?ll act the same way towards you. Especially if you let them get a good sniff of your hand before you try to touch them~? He finished, holding the cat slightly towards the girl, which brought another pout out of Pat when the cat was out of his own reach.

Faye was silent for a while. So cat?s were able to feel how she was really feeling? Well that?s inconvenient. Faye slowly reached out her hand to the cat while trying her hardest to think about nothing. It was really hard though as there was always some sort of insecurity but the cat accepted. He sniffed her hand and allowed Faye to pet him. Faye eagerly took the opportunity and scratched his ears thoughtfully. While her face was still expressionless, there was this warm fuzzy feeling Faye had inside. She was happy at least the cat accepted her.

? Thank you?? Faye said really quietly. It was obvious she didn?t want to repeat those words though.

Rowan simply smiled wide again and said nothing.

---

?And here you are, Mrs. Nelson!? Rowan announced as the door to the house opened before the trio of wizards. The?ahem hefty woman who stepped forward squealed with delight and held out her arms, catching the cat when it excitedly jumped out of Rowan?s grasp and into hers.

?Oh! Th-th-thank you so much, mister Hoskel...I don?t know what to say!? She looked back into the house over her shoulder and shouted. ?Norman! Norman, Leonard is back! Get the children!?

?Oh, don?t thank me, miss.? Rowan began to correct her. ?All I did was carry little Lenny back here.? He stepped aside to reveal Faye hiding behind him and forced her to reveal her shyness head-on, pushing her softly towards Mrs. Nelson. ?This young lady was the one who really saved your precious fuzzball. Faye here is one of Phoenix Nest?s new wizards! She just started today, this is her first job and she?s the one who caught Lenny when he fell out of the tree he was stuck in.?

Pat pushed at Rowan with a huff. ?Hey, I helped too! I wa-mph!? His voice was muffled by Rowan?s hand covering his face and forcing him to stand behind his big brother, out of sight for Faye?s moment.

Faye didn?t know what to do and her usual expressionless face turned just slightly into one with a little bit of expression. One of a panicking person at least. ?I-It wasn?t just me! Little Pat here helped too?? Faye said but apparently, it was too quiet for the woman to hear. ?Oh thank you so much!? The woman clasped her hands while Faye just shyly looked at Rowan, hoping he would step in? but of course, he wouldn?t do that. This was probably way too funny for him. ?Y-You?re welcome?? Faye spoke softly while looking at her feet.

Rowan stepped forward before Mrs. Nelson could get too far ahead of herself and cleared his throat. ?With that done, we should get going. Sorry we can?t stay for dinner, but now that the guild is finally officially open we?ve got to have all our new members ready in the evening for the...festivities.? He tried not to let too much mirth bleed into his mention of plans for the night but some slipped through anyway. He tugged just lightly enough on Faye?s shoulder for Mrs. Nelson to take the hint and let go of her hands. ?Just make sure Sarah gets the reward so she can give us our payment and we?re all square, have a good night~?

?Yes, yes of course!? Nina Nelson agreed. ?Norman will be over with the fee soon, thank you again!?

Faye sighed in relief. Rowan really saved her there. Faye was a little awkward when it came to sudden interactions that she couldn?t prepare herself for. What a strange first day this was.

?Wooo!? Pat cut off the farewell, raising his arms and cheering. ?First job complete!? He ran in a short circle, his excitement almost making it seem like he was glowing. He grabbed Faye?s hand and pulled her in the direction of Phoenix Nest?s hall while Rowan looked on with amusement. ?C?mon Faye! Let?s go tell everyone we?re real guild wizards now! Ah, I can?t wait to see what Sarah makes for dinner tonight!?

Faye was surprised when Pat grabbed her hand but was soon at ease. She had gotten a little used to Pat by now. He was just a child after all. ?Maybe this isn?t so bad after all.? Faye thought. The people here were kind and they didn?t seem to notice any difference in Faye?s appearance from a normal regular human. Faye reached with her hand towards the top of her head, right where her small horns were supposed to be and rubbed her hair more around so it was not accidentally visible. She was hoping everyone in the guild was as kind as Rowan and Pat were.

Back in the building of Phoenix?s Nest, Faye turned to both Pat and Rowan. ?Thank you for accompanying me today.? she said coldly but did bow down out of respect. ?I have claimed a room upstairs and will be staying in this building.? Faye slowly came back up. I came from the city so I don?t have any connections here.?

?Nothing wrong with that,? Rowan assured her. ?Neither do we, besides what little we?ve made since Boriel brought us here. We?re orphans, so we totally get it!?

Pat nodded vigorously. ?Or at least, we were! Now Boriel?s family...and Myeloch and Lina and Sarah all feel more like family every day!? For once a thought popped into Pat?s head that actually made him a tad bashful, looking at his feet. That still didn?t stop it from escaping his lips. ?Maybe someday...all of Phoenix Nest can be like a big family?? Rowan pat Pat on top of the head and the little guy jumped, apparently not realizing he?d spoken out loud. ?Eep!? His cheeks blossomed with the flush of embarrassment and the air around him grew noticeably hazy as if trying to hide him from sight. ?I-I-I I mean I just hope everyone gets along becauseit?simportantforteamworkinaguildandohmygoshohmygosh.? Without another word, Pat pulled the hood of the cloak he?d stolen from Roran over his head and ran straight to the brothers? shared room, the cloud of mist following him the entire way.

Rowan chuckled heartily after Pat was out of earshot. ?Ah, what a sweet boy...too busy trying to be like me to even realize what a hopeless romantic he is...I can?t wait to see what kind of man he becomes when he grows up. Of course, first I?ve still got plenty of growing of my own to do. The path to world?s greatest wizard can?t be a short one, after all! All the greatest wizards we have right now are old farts for a reason!? That one actually got a laugh out of Sarah, who?d overheard from the bar. ?Glad you liked it, gorgeous! Just...don't tell Boriel I said that, aye??

Faye crossed her arms and shook her head in disapproval. ?At least he isn?t a hopeless flirt like his brother is.? Faye commented with her straight expressionless face. It would probably be taken as teasing even though Faye was quite serious about that, Pat would grow up a good man the way he is now. ?There is no woman that?s going to be fooled by that behaviour.? Faye continued. ?I hope so at least?? Faye turned away from Rowan and watched the people that were occasionally walking by. It was quite a sight to see.

?...I?m going to do some sightseeing and train afterwards. I?m not going to be the world?s greatest wizard but I want to at least be able to make my father proud.? Faye made her way towards the door while waving with her right hand. ?Thanks again for today. I won?t forget this favor.?

Once outside Faye stood still and kept wondering. ?Orphans??? Faye repeated quietly. Faye was a quite surprised to hear that from the two brothers. There was this sudden heavy feeling that Faye felt in her chest just thinking about it. She grew up without a mother which had troubled her for years and even now while she?s become an adult, it sometimes bothers her still. She doesn?t know whether her mother is still alive or what has become of her. Even so, she still had her father that she could rely on. He raised her the best he could. Rowan and Pat had neither. They probably grew up without a father or mother they could rely on. Even though Faye is not very good with empathy, she did feel sorry for them. ?At least they have this fella? Boriel?? Faye?s eyes drifted towards the sky and watched the clouds flying by. She had only just noticed how beautiful the weather today was.

That?s when something occurred to Faye. It was such a beautiful day. Where did that gust of wind from earlier come from then? And why was it suddenly getting damp and cold at that time too? Faye started thinking more and more about it. She knew it probably had to do something with Pat?s magic but the curiosity she had in it kept growing. She also just remembered herself that she never saw Rowan use his magic other than that time he was teasing Sarah. It confused her. She had never seen anything like it.

Faye shook her head. ?I?ll try to figure that out at a later time I guess.? she told herself and put both of her hands behind her head as she walked off in the direction of the town.

Once Primilla caught up she was greeted with the sight of the room already in use. Before she even entered the room she could hear the telltale sounds of materials being formed or transported through magic and flying through the air. What awaited her inside was a veritable volley of spears and arrows appearing along the walls of the room and flying towards the center, right at Patileer's older brother, Rowan. Each projectile that flew towards the wizard missed narrowly as he weaved, ducked, dodged and bent, several coming so close it was impossible to tell if they missed by chance or not. Eventually it seemed dodging wasn't enough and Rowan bent his elbow to thrust his palm upward, allowing an arrow to pass through the gap between his forearm and shoulder while simultaneously breaking the haft of a spear, the longer half of which he used to smack several other missiles away just before the assault stopped.

Last but not least, a large boulder formed in the area the previous attacks had come from and flung itself right towards the wizard. His eyes narrowed and he took a deep breath, holding his right hand palm out toward the boulder. Just before the massive rock struck, Rowan's index, middle and ring fingers clumped together and he thrust them the last few inches his arm could stretch into the boulder. It froze for a split second then shattered, raining down pebbles and debris around the arena. With his practice complete, Rowan bowed to an invisible opponent and turned towards the entrance. "Oh, hello there! We've got visitors here already? Good! I like that dedication!"

"Your brother isn't half-bad." Prim said to Pat from her place next to the younger mage, genuinely impressed with the display. It looked to her that Phoenix Nest really was the right place to be if she had her heart set on making an impression at the Grand Magic games. She grinned sheepishly at Rowan as she continued. "Well I'm not sure dedicated is the word but yep, I'm here!"

"Rowan's super strong!" Pat agreed heartily. "Pretty soon he's going to be the guild's strongest wizard! That's why I wanna be like him!"

The big strong wizard in question scoffed. "Oh please, I've still got a long way to go!" He protested with a chuckle. "Who knows how long it will take to surpass the geezers. Besides -" He lightly punched Pat's shoulder. "You're stronger than I am! Even if I am still a better fighter."

"Oh come onnnn~ No I'm not -" At the word 'not' Pat punched Rowan's shoulder in kind. Then Rowan wasn't there anymore. A quick glance showed the two younger wizards that he was slumped against the wall, trying to shake a bout of dizziness away. Pat positively squeaked in shock and remorse before running to Rowan's side. "I'm sorry! I meant to be gentle! I didn't mean to...ahhh."

Rowan's hand rested itself on Pat's shoulder and he straightened himself up. "Relax, relax, I'm fine. It takes more than that to do me in!... Just don't ask me to do anything too delicate or precise for… let's say an hour."

"Why'd you want to be like your brother when you can already blast him across the room with no effort?" Prim said, head tilting to the side again as she peered at Pat as though looking from a distance. "Isn't it better to want to stand on your own feet anyway?"

"Because he's my big brother and he's super cool!" Pat argued. He seemed about to say more but instead he just looked down at the floor. "I may be strong but other than that I'm useless. I can't even use my magic when I want to. I don't even have my physical strength all the time. And Rowan's the only person who can teach me to get better! There's no one else to - sniff - show me…"

"Seriously getting concerned about rain here." Prim said, elbowing the kid in the side as gently as she could. "Snap out of it already, relax. Your magic is impressive, wait until you see how weak mine is next to it. Geez."

"OH! What's your magic?!" Pat demanded, drawing closer to Prim. "Show me! Show me show me show meeeeeeeeeeee~"

"Sure, sure. Why not?" Without further warning, Prim's form was instantly replaced. Where a moment before a young woman stood, now a pretty blue and white bird flapped its wings in place in the air. A moment later, Prim was standing there, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head and displaying a cheery grin. "That's pretty much it. Not quite as flashy as yours but it's got it's perks!"

Rowan snapped his fingers and nodded his head with a grin that mirrored Prim's. "Ah, I see now, that explains why you feel so strange. You -"

"You're a bird!" Pat interrupted. "I thought that you felt familiar!"

"Complex and intelligent like a human." Rowan continued as if he hadn't been cut off.

"But with a steady, constant hum like an animal!" Pat said.


Rowan stopped next to Prim and both continued in unison. "Nobody's ever really felt like you before! So utterly unique! You really are totally -"

"Cool!" - Pat

"Interesting!" - Rowan

"And the bird you turn into is really cute!" Pat finished sweetly.

"Not every day I get that reaction!" Prim exclaimed with a giggle "You pretty much hit the nail on the head though. Like I said earlier, I'm weird and I don't think there's anyone else out there quite like me. I do make for a cute bird though, huh?"

Apparently after he'd said it out loud Pat had already moved on because now he was bouncing on his heels and biting his lip. "Heyheyhey! Prim! Show Rowan how strong you are!" Without waiting for an answer he dashed past both of them and to the room's magical interface. A boulder much like the one Rowan had shattered as they entered appeared in the center of the room and Pat pointed at it excitedly. "Punch this rock!"

"Uh… sure, why not?" Prim said with a shrug. She walked up to the boulder and looked it up and down for a second. It might have looked for a moment like she wasn't sure she could do it but she would quickly put anyone's doubts aside. "Wanted to make sure I wasn't going to break anything else by mistake… I've got in trouble for that a lot in the past. This'll be easy."

Without further pause, Prim pulled back her right hand, curling it into a fist as she did so, and then drove it hard into the stone. The minute her fist touched the surface of the boulder it exploded under the impact, dust and shrapnel scattering in all directions.

"Demonstration complete, I suppose!" Prim smiled "Now it's your turn. You've got to explain that weird magic of yours to me. Why do you glow?"

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'glowing with excitement'?" Pat queried. "That was me!

"Had that part worked out, Pat. I'm asking why you literally were glowing with excitement." Prim responded, sticking out her tongue at the boy for good measure.

"Our magic reacts to emotions to physically affect us and the world around us." Rowan explained. "It's basically on all the time and there's really no turning it off so it takes a lot of practice to control. Pat… well, he feels a lot and still needs a lot of practice on the control part so stuff like that tends to happen around him."

"Makes sense to me!" Prim said "You'll get the hang of it when you grow up then. Awesome!" Prim ruffled Pat's hair for good measure "I still want that demonstration though."

"We're a small guild and everyone seems nice so far." Rowan said. "So I'm sure we'll all become a tight little bunch before long, you'll see plenty, I promise."

Phoenix Nest Welcoming Party! Phoenix Nest Guildhall

​

Chapter 1: The Gryphons' Grace Phoenix Nest Guildhall

Their night of merriment was beginning to wind down, and the Nest had somehow managed to tear through most of their sizeable feast. Lina stood up and tapped her fork against her glass of water a few times to get the table's attention (flinching at a disconcerting crack from the motion she hoped nobody would notice).

After clearing her throat, she addressed her guildmates. "Tonight marks the official birth of this guild. Our guild. Nobody knows who we are right now, but with our heavy hitters being as incredible as they are, and the rest of us sure to follow suit, I have no doubt we're gonna hit it big. And by big, I mean really, REALLY big. My dream for this guild is for us to us to waltz into the Grand Magic Games come December and knock Gryphon Gale right off their stupid throne! Ideally with me in the lead, but I'll take what I can get as far as a victory goes.

"Of course, I'm not gonna force anyone if they don't wanna shoot quite so high," She continued. "I plan to push forward no matter what, but it'd be nice to have some company, y'know? And if you don't intend to step into the arena when the time comes, I hope you're at least there in the stands cheering us on! So, who's with me?"

"Me!" Prim cheered excitedly "That's what I'm here for, woo!"

"Ayy, sure, yeah," agreed Drell lazily. "I mean, I've already won like a thousand of those so it might be a lil' unfair, but, uh, if you really want me to."

Pat was standing in his chair, pumping his arms and whooping excitedly. Rowan lifted his tankard in a toast with his eyes closed and a relaxed smile while he leaned back in his own seat. "You already know where I stand on that, sweetie. But if you really wanna lead the charge I hope you're ready to overtake me first." He finished with a smirk and took another draught of his drink.

"Well your kid brother just blasted you across a room so I hope you're ready to step aside to the rest of us." Prim teased, already feeling completely at home in the company of her guildmates.

Faye choked in her drink when Prim mentioned that Rowan was sent across the room by Pat.

At that Pat's merriment died and he plopped down into his chair in embarrassment, blushing hotly. Rowan chuckled as he picked his teeth. "Well there's a big difference between getting knocked around by the most precious thing in my life and some spunky bird." He replied with a lupine grin. "Feel free to challenge me any time you like, cutie. We'll see if you can match my boy's feat."

"If I'm not going to get in trouble for putting a Rowan-shaped hole in the side of the building I'm up for it any time." Prim said, poking her tongue out at her senior.

"Come now you two. If you want to fight do it outside... Or clean your own damn mess." Faye mentioned as she stuffed some roasted beef in her face with an almost bored face, she was getting used to the presence of these people little by little. "Do make sure to teach that ladies-man a lesson or two though." Faye tried to tease but let's just say that she's just better off not trying to involve with humor. Faye thought it was kind of adorable how Rowan called Pat the most precious thing in his life so kudos to that.

"Don't go too far away though," Drell chuckled. "I wanna watch."

"You all seem pretty carefree considering what a brash statement that was," Rang an unfamiliar voice.

It was a woman's voice filtered through a metallic echo, coming from the door which was promptly thrown open. There stood a group of three who strode into the guildhall as if they owned it. On one side was the likely source of the voice; a woman clad head-to-toe in metal armor. But unlike Drell's, hers was sleek and form-fitting, with various lines that glowed a crystalline blue travelling across its jet-black surface. On the other side was an unassuming teenaged boy with round glasses, blue eyes, and neatly-combed black hair. A bracelet adorned his right arm with celestial spirit keys hanging from it, a single gold key standing out from the rest.

And in the center was a figure unmistakable to anyone familiar with the world of wizards. His body was lean and toned, and he stood taller than his peers. His skin was dark brown, and his eyes were ruby red. His snow-white hair fell just past his ears. And most importantly was the guild mark on the side of his neck bearing a Gryphon. Even without his iconic flame armor, Egan Lynch's constant media coverage made him hard to miss, like him or not.

"It's a lot more… modest?... than I was expecting," commented the younger Gryphon.

"You mean pitiful?" added the armored one. "I expected more people, too, all things considered. Though I guess I can't blame people if they didn't exactly believe a flier announcing the return of the history's greatest wizard, who's been missing for decades, to some dump out in the sticks. Where is the big man, anyway?"

"None of that matters," Egan cut in.

"Aww, don't act like you weren't super excited to finally meet him!"

He ignored her and addressed the Nest. "What does matter is that you'll all be representing him from now on. Everything you do will reflect back on him, seen by the public as the actions and the power of 'Myeloch's guild'. So we figured we'd come see it for ourselves; the ones who are gonna knock us off our stupid throne."

Sarah glared at the intruders, whispering to Boriel, "Hey, uh… shouldn't we ring the bell?"

"Not yet," He answered, watching the events curiously. "The fact that they could come in at all means they're not a threat, so let's just see how the kids handle it."

Faye eyed the big man with the same hair color as hers. She didn't look all that impressed but he was somewhat right. They were going to represent this guild. She glanced at the tiny Prim and the young Pat and ended that glance with the also fairly young wizard, Lina. Lina had worked hard to gather this many members for this just started guild. Of course there weren't going to be many members but what could anyone possibly expect? Faye sighed and stood up, making her way in front of the wizard named Egan. She felt somewhat intimidated by being up there all alone but she wasn't going to show that obviously, especially since she's doing this for the kids. Faye just hoped they hadn't heard Drell's outburst about having won a ridiculous, unreal amount of tournaments as well.

"We are well aware that from this day on, we bear responsibility for the name of this guild and it's our task to represent sir Myeloch's name to our best ability." Faye spoke loud enough for everyone to hear her, however, in her tone it was somewhat hearable that she had troubles with speaking so loud. Faye wasn't used to giving a speech. "My fellow members of this guild didn't mean any harm but we are not going to stand idly by if our honor is being trampled." With that Faye glared to the woman who had just called them all pitiful. After that she only looked Egan right in the eye. She was obviously tinier than him and she wasn't going to be intimidating but at least she tried. She didn't want to think about what could've happened if Drell had taken the lead.

Before any of the visitors could properly respond to Faye, Rowan stood up with a welcoming smile worthy of the most gracious of hosts. "Oh, our first meeting with another guild, wonderful!" He approached their guests warmly. "So sorry for the paltry accomodations, we'd offer you some food but I'm afraid you just missed dinner." He scanned them for only a moment before locking eyes with Egan. "What luck to meet the star of Gryphon Gale so soon! Myeloch's reputation must not have waned much over the years if it's enough to bring everyone's favorite S-class star to visit a brand new guild. I'd shake your hand but you seem like you might spit on me for it." There was nothing but friendliness in his voice, yet slight undercurrents of menace radiated from him beneath the welcome. It was only then that his eyes grew sharp, though his smile remained. "You're right, there's not much to the place yet but if you're really aware of who Myeloch is then I should warn you of something you don't seem to be considering. If this is Myeloch's guild then every single person here is here because he thinks we deserve to be, because he wants us here. So if you're going to make any assumptions about us, make them based off of that little tidbit."

"Didn't know you had it in you, Rowan." Prim teased, albeit a tad less loud than her earlier jibes. Unlike the other members of her guild, she remained completely at ease and gave the impression that she didn't much care that intruders had managed to enter the guild and interrupt their party a all. "Keep bringing out lines like that and I might have to start respecting you or something." It was only after ribbing Rowan that, still grinning widely, she turned a nonchalant gaze onto the Gryphon mages. "Are you three gatecrashers planning to join in the festivities or are you leaving? You're kind of boring."

"Dunno about you, Prim," Drell murmured to the girl next to her. The large touched lady seemed a little confused, but happily continued to chew on a bit of pie. "I was just waitin' for them to tell us how many pet cats they needed savin' from trees. I was thinkin' they'd get around to it sooner or later, but your guess is as good as mine..."

As the remarks went on, a small cadre of spiders stealthily lifted some food items off the table and fled the spread, though they seemed to glance at the newcomers and their guildmates as they did so in fear of being caught and tried for their transgressions. It was to their relief, then, that the two groups seemed too intensely focused on each other to watch the Barts dart away from the event and deliver Ephraim his dinner; the young man had arrived just in time to listen to Gryphon Gale call their guildhall "modest" [an adjective he was unable to refute] and had silently watched from the stairwell ever since. In an effort to not enter a discussion he knew little about, Ephraim elected to instead keep his mouth occupied with the better part of a dinner roll before he could say something brash.

Lina's eyes had been darting back and forth between her allies and their designated enemies, frantically trying to figure out how to handle this ever-worsening situation. "S-so, uh, there you have it! The guild doesn't want you here if you're just here to talk down to us!

The armored woman burst out laughing. "These guys are hilarious! Doesn't look like they like us very much. Though at the moment nobody really cares what they think, do they?"

The younger Gryphon didn't seem to take the Nest's verbal lashings quite so well. He stepped forward with balled-up fists. "Hey, we were just-"

"Calm down, Simon," Egan grabbed his shoulder to stop him. Simon took a step back and sulked with his arms crossed while Egan addressed their hosts. "You're all certainly bold enough, but that doesn't really mean much in the comfort of your own home. But no, despite how it seems, and despite what one of my guildmates seems to think, we didn't come to talk down to you. We actually came with a gift, though at this point I'm wondering if I should even give it to you."

"It's actually something the missus in the back might know a thing or two about, as a member of the Burgess family," Armor girl chimed in.

Sarah sighed. "Not really. If it has to do with the company, then it's none of my business."

"The company you just mooch off of so you can live in that glamorous mansion completely free? Right, of course."

Sarah shot her a nasty glare. "Okay, now that's none of your business. Who even are you?"

"You're pushing it, Harmonia," Egan scolded. Harmonia put her hands up in a disarming gesture. Egan groaned and continued where he left off. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a piece of parchment, unfurling it for all to see. It was a job request that read:

BURGESS AND SONS MINING COMPANY
Mining operations in Shessalie are being forced to stop by a swarm of magical beasts. Our guards are capable of repelling the swarm, but they return every day. Please investigate the cause and put an end to it. To avoid panic among the townspeople and shareholders, this has not been made public, so please keep things discreet.
REWARD: 600,000 J

"This request was delivered solely to our guild. A simple request, and once it's done we'll leave. But as Harmonia has so… eloquently… put, this guild currently has no influence. Your request board is proof enough of that. It's a situation unbefitting of a guild belonging to Myeloch Latare, so I figured we could lend you a hand and give the job to you. You'd get all the reward and the credit, and it'll put you in the good graces of Burgess Mining, one of the largest companies in Atria. Assuming you can complete it, though that shouldn't be a problem for Myeloch's chosen.

"Though if this is all too 'boring' for you, we could just have a little match instead. Face us in battle, and if you can prove your strength, we'll use our own influence to spread your names. Though there's only one person in this room I'm interested in facing personally." His gaze rested on Boriel, who stared back with equal intensity.

"Doesn't that sound fun?" Piped Harmonia. "I'm especially curious to see how our four-time GMG champion fares against your thousand-time champion." She struggled to hold in more laughter. Drell shot her a pair of finger guns.

"I think she'll do better than you." Faye snapped at Harmonia but soon regretted that, it was an impulse. Faye was not too keen on fighting them if she was going to be completely honest. Even though she looked somewhat calm on the outside, her panicking got worse with the moment on the inside. Faye couldn't control her magic well enough to fare well in battle against wizards supposedly better than them, at least, that is what she thought. If it was a battle without magic then sure but otherwise it was a big hell of a nope. "What unexpectedly considerate of you." Faye crossed her arms in annoyance. She was not sure whether they should take the job of a guild they were rivalling against. Especially since they seemed to be looking down on them even when they said they weren't. On the other note, it could be a good opportunity to get their name out there. Before Faye knew it, she was lost in thought.

"I really wanna talk 'n' stuff," Drell burbled quietly, desperately trying to keep her mouth as closed as possible. "But, like, I'm still eatin' this bit of pie. There's only a smidge left, c'mon guys."

"You can have mine, Drell." Rowan replied, stepping back to the table and deftly sliding his plate over to her out of pure generosity and not at all to keep her mouth too full to talk anymore before Gryphon Gale left. After, he turned back to Egan and this time his friendliness was genuine. "Sorry about that, being new means having more to prove, right? Can make folks a little over-eager to answer any challenge, but it puts me at ease to see that two of you are mature." Besides the minor nod to Simon he spoke as if Egan's two compatriots weren't even there. "That makes it all the more generous that you'd give us a chance to make a debut worthy of Myeloch's guild. It may be a bit presumptuous of me considering the big man's not here right now, but I'll gladly accept the job if nobody else has any objections. As much as I'd like watching you and my pop fight it out I'd rather get our guild some money and fame."

Faye sighed in relief when Rowan slid his plate over to Drell. It was as if he was reading her mind. As long as Drell was occupied with food she at least wouldn't say anything else that could possibly to trigger these guys. "No objections here." Faye raised her hand only slightly as an answer to Rowan's question.

Ith'drell garbled something that sounded like it could have been a complaint, but her mouth was full so the noise that came out was completely unintelligible.

Prim shrugged nonchalantly at that. Either way there was good potential for increasing their recognition and finances.

"I'm good with whatever way we go on that one."

Drell let out another indecipherable noise before grunting irritatedly.

Faye, who had absolutely no idea what Drell was trying to say, pretended that she understood what Drell was trying to say. "Drell agrees with us." Faye said with a still expressionless face. Drell grunted again.

"Yay! A real job! Thanks, Gryphon Gale!" Shouted Patileer, who'd been oddly quiet throughout the entire exchange so far. It was clear now that this was because he, too was still eating - finishing up his fourth course, in fact.

"Aww, no takers for the smackdown?" Complained Harmonia. "What a bunch of sissies."

Simon furrowed his brow, and grumbled something under his breath.

A chair scraped across the floor as Ith'drell fidgeted angrily in her seat, pointing to her mouth and trying to enunciate something that sounded suspiciously like an obscene way of saying she was still eating.

Egan, on the other hand, gave Rowan a smirk. "I don't feel the same level of magical power from you that I do from your 'pops', but something tells me you might be an interesting opponent after all. Which makes your decision that much more unfortunate."

He closed his eyes pensively. "I've decided that I'll give your guild this mission on one condition. Just as you seem to hold your guildmates' best interests at heart, so too must I. After dragging them out here for a job I could have easily completed by myself, I can't let them go home empty-handed." He rolled up the job request and stowed it away.

"I'll take this back with me for now, and we'll return to our inn in town. If you want it, come find us before sundown tomorrow. Once there's a fight between your ranks and ours, you'll get the job. It doesn't matter who, how many, or even the outcome. All that matters is that we gain something from it that helps us grow stronger, and hopefully you do, too. Considering everyone's confidence earlier, it shouldn't be too much to ask. But if the sun sets and nobody's shown, we'll finish the job ourselves and be on our way. Until then, farewell, and I hope we'll be seeing each other again soon." With that, he made his way to the door.

Harmonia pumped her fist in excitement. "Nice, Egs! I'm pretty curious about that skinny one who got all up in your face, but I think she's probably more Simon's speed." She followed after Egan, but not before glancing at Faye from over her shoulder. Her glassy helmet covered her face completely, without so much as eye holes, but it wasn't hard to imagine her expression from the aura of smugness she radiated. "And that lizard of yours had better not choke to death before tomorrow, either!"

"Skinny one...?" Faye raised an eyebrow as Harmonia left the building. It then occured Faye that she could've referred to the fact Faye has nothing there and looked slightly disappointingly at her chest. Drell, meanwhile, had given up on trying to pronounce words. She let out a long and irritable groan that lasted several seconds.

"Despite what metal-head over there says, don't expect me to be a pushover," said Simon. "The fact that I was able to get into Gryphon Gale in the first place is proof enough of that." Having said his piece, he rushed to Egan's side, walking in a suspiciously similar way to the older Gryphon.

"So... can I go then?" Prim asked, sounding more like she was asking about a social event than a sparring match.

"Everyone who wants can go!" Rowan blurted out as soon as he was sure Gryphon gale were out of earshot. "But I don't know if all of us will get the chance to spar, we have no clue how many potential opponents we'll have. What I do know is that Egan is mine." At that the air of responsibility left Rowan to be replaced by a radiant aura of pure excitement and satisfaction everyone could feel so clearly that it was almost like it were Pat speaking. "This is great! We've only just started and we've already got a real job and the chance to duke it out with the number one guild!"

"I would be careful with saying that, Rowan. Those guys are strong." Faye said softly. She didn't want to let her fellow guild members know that she didn't actually want to fight but she also didn't want to look like a coward. "If I get a chance to give Harmonia a good beating, I would do it. Otherwise I don't really care if I would be against Simon." Faye crossed her arms. If she had to choose between Pat, Prim or her being beaten up, she would prefer it to be her.

Rowan shook his head and tutted in mock disappointment. "Their strength is exactly why this is great! Weren't you listening to what their star player said? We haven't been called out for some street brawl, this is sparring to help both sides grow." He smirked and leaned towards Faye theatrically, clasping his hands. "and if I get hurt, you can just nurse me back to health, right? As long as sweet girls like you and Sarah are around I can fight with courage~"

"Keep dreaming." Faye sighed as she gently pushed Rowan a little bit away from her with a face ever so expressionless but with slight shaded cheeks. She could see Sarah shaking her head in the distance as well. "Fight with courage so you can show Pat how it's done instead." Faye commented under her breath.

"I swear," Drell blurted out, gasping for air as though she'd just been diving. "Did nobody get that I was still eating? They just come up while we're eatin' and leave 'fore I can even get a word in? Like, how even- I wanted to ask about the-" She gave up with a sigh.

"They were never gonna stay long anyways, Drell." Rowan said comfortingly to his armored guildmate. "Since they want us to earn the job I don't think there's much you could have asked them today anyways, we'll learn more when we go see them tomorrow, and I figure it's what would have happened anyways."

Pat was resting his chin on the table and dozing off, the excitement from the day having now been replaced by the stupor of a full belly and so remained quiet.

"Yeah, fine, it's whatever, I guess," huffed Drell. "Good riddance. Rude-ass garbo poopy-people - well, mainly just the, er, what's her name, Harmonia? More like, uh, just harm. 'Cause, uh... something." She trailed off, hushing her voice and jabbing a thumb in Patileer's direction. "Dude, what the fuck, your lil bro's adorable. That teeny sleepy-head blasted you 'cross a room?"

Rowan grinned wide at the praise for his brother, not showing the slightest bit of shame or embarrassment at the reminder of the punch. "Oh yeah, he sure did. If we're just talking pure power Pat's a lot stronger than I am. He could probably do it to anyone here, it even happened to Boriel once." As several gazes moved over to Phoenix Nest's resident S-class wizard and Boriel's own eyes widened slightly at the sudden attention. Rowan chuckled. "He used to not be very good at handling kids~"

Faye was a little speechless upon hearing that. That made it a lot less funny that Rowan was blasted across the room. Faye was a little curious to what magic everyone uses.

Boriel gave his own chuckle. "Hasn't happened since, now that I know what to expect, but it's still hard to believe it happened at all. Our opponents should be glad he isn't more disciplined. Speaking of which, I was considering offering to take them on myself if it came to that, but it looks like you'd rather take matters into your own hands. Good."

Lina gave a deep sigh of equal parts exhaustion and relief. "I'm just glad it turned out more or less alright. It's hard to keep your composure when the famous guild that's all over every issue of Sorcerer Weekly just waltzes through your front door, especially when it immediately escalates into an argument with your own guild… But knowing them, there probably wasn't any way to avoid a fight, so this is probably the best case scenario."

She held out her hand, summoning her curved sword "Rage of the Heavens" and resting it on her shoulder (this time remembering to keep the electricity off). "Though if we have to fight anyone, I wanna blast that Harmonia's stupid ugly face! Well, I assume it's stupid and ugly. Or… uh… it will be when I'm done with it? Yeah, that works."

Faye agreed with Lina when it comes to how this all turned out. They probably would've tried to get them to fight anyway. "I think they're testing us to see what they can expect from a guild that was created by Myeloch so fighting was unavoidable." Faye said as she drifted back to thinking and had been staring at her own hand. She was able to at least cover some body parts with her magic and sometimes her daggers but it was still hard to keep that up for longer than a few minutes. At any rate, she would have a great disadvantage against anyone of that Gryphon guild. Knowing that frustrated her a little which was why she suddenly made a fist with the hand she was staring at. "Is it possible... they are trying to find out what kind of magic each of us possesses?" Faye asked as she lifted her head.

"Oooh, ya know..." Drell put a hand to her chin. "That's an interestin' theory, Faye. Try'na get a sneaky leg-up, huh? Wonder if fightin' em but refusing to use any showy-magic-surprises would annoy 'em a little... well, that and interrupting their mealtime. That's, uh, we should do that. Maybe both, but interrupting their mealtime for sure - we gotta pounce on them the second they take the first bite, just to really stick it to 'em for being such roody-doodies. Heck, I still ain't even had dessert yet."

"I feel we should give them a pass on the dinner interruption on account of the really good job they're going to give us, I'm not sure you guys appreciate what a good deal this is for us." Rowan added. "As for the bit about our strength, I say let'em see! They may be our competition, in a sense but they're not our enemies. They don't really have anything to gain from knowing what we can do, by the time the Grand Magic Games come around we could all fight entirely differently." Smooth calm dominated his countenance. "Besides...don't dare to think for a second you can afford to hold back. This may more or less be a friendly bout between two guilds, but Gryphon Gale didn't get to be the strongest guild in Atria by messing around. I guarantee if anyone who goes up against them doesn't try their best, they'll get their ass kicked. That Simon fella was right that even just getting into Gryphon Gale at all counts for a lot."

Gryphon Gale's challenge was at the forefront of the guildmembers' minds, be it from excitement or anxiousness. It was the strongest guild in Atria, after all. But it was late, so the guild soon finished its meal and went their separate ways.

The Sun Rises over Shessalie Monday July 2nd, X784

Even before the sun had finished its ascent into the clear sky, the town was absolutely buzzing. Most of the commotion was centered around the inn, with word spreading that members of Gryphon Gale had come to stay there. Fans eager for an autograph from the Blazing Knight himself and curious residents alike surrounded the building.

Phoenix Nest's fated encounter was fast approaching. The guild's malleable training hall, as well as the nearby mountains and forests could all serve as practice grounds to warm up your bodies. Or if the mind is what needs sharpening, the library has many useful texts, and a walk through nature or a trip to the hot spring might be a good way to relax. The shops might have things that could give you an advantage, be it a weapon, lacrima, or magitech item. And as always, the job board has work, pitiful though it may be.

Alternatively, you might prioritize the mission over the fight that rewards it. Surely there are members of the mining company that could offer further insight into the mysterious monster swarms, and by the sound of it, the site of the swarms itself is currently out of use.
​

The previous night...

Patileer rolled over in bed, one foot thrusting out and kicking the blanket off of the bed. Normally he would have bumped into a certain brother of his before he rolled over too far, but tonight he was the only one in the room. The other Hoskel sibling stood atop the roof of Phoenix Nest's hall, staring up at the stars, contemplating something, a crimson book with gold filigree and no title on the cover held tight enough in his right hand to turn his knuckles white.

"Having fun with the guild yet?" came the gruff voice of a familiar darkness wizard. He stood beside Rowan and joined in the stargazing.

Rowan's posture and voice were uncharacteristically stiff - or at least what would be uncharacteristic were he speaking with anyone else. "It really is nice...It's like this place has come to life for real now. It'll be really good for Pat. Not having anyone else around a bit closer to his age was hard on him." He allowed himself a restrained laugh, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "He has a hard time being himself with Lina, guess he likes pretty little redheads… What's your take on it all?"

"You should hope your bad habits aren't rubbing off on the boy," Boriel said only partially serious. "As for the guild, Myeloch's built a good place for everyone to grow. Whether they actually do is up to them. Part of me is still a bit unsure with how hard to read that man is, though. The way he left after setting things up, knowing what kind of impact his name has… It's not that I don't trust him, I know he's a good man. But I don't like feeling like I might be a pawn in some master plan, something beyond my sight. Or maybe I'm just too used to being in control, and being a good little guild wizard is getting me antsy. Either way, I doubt this is what you called me here to talk about."

"Honestly there's not all that much too it." Rowan responded. "You actually just summed up my own feelings almost to the letter, besides the bit about being in control. I just… I expected to be more comfortable with all this. They mostly seem like good folks but I don't know if I'm ready for all this yet." He looked away from the stars and to his adoptive father. "Pat wants this guild to be a big happy family and I want to give him that but I - the very word still makes my stomach turn." By the time he finished speaking he was clutching his book tightly to his chest as if it might try to fly away at a moment's notice.

He glanced at Rowan's book with a frown, but quickly focused on the boy's eyes instead. "If you don't want to see it that way, you don't have to. Not right now, at least. I know you always want to do what you think is best for Pat, even if it comes at your own expense, but he's in good hands here so maybe it's time you focus on yourself a bit. Whether or not time helps you feel better playing into Pat's fantasy, I think as long as you can be happy, he'll be happy too."

"Maybe you're right…" Rowan muttered. After a moment he shook his head as if to fling something off of it and turned to hold his book out to Boriel. "Has any of it stuck yet?"

"No… But I feel like I'm getting closer, like it's taking away a little bit less each time."

It wasn't exactly what Rowan hoped to hear, but it was something and that brought a small smile to his face. Seemingly rid of his melancholy, Rowan stepped closer, squared his chest and thumped his own fist against it. "I'm gonna make you proud tomorrow. Those guys from Gryphon Gale are going to see Myeloch still knows how to pick'em and even if I can't beat him I'll push Egan far enough to make clear he's still years too early to take you on."

Boriel chuckled. "I'll be looking forward to it. You know full well what a monster he is, but I know you wouldn't have challenged him without a plan." He gave Rowan a pat on the back. "Just don't push yourself too hard."

"As much as a newbie guild wizard can plan around fighting the star of the Grand Magic Games." Rowan said sardonically but not rudely. He stretched, yawned and began to walk to the edge of the roof. "I've got to work off some more of this energy before I can get back to sleep. Think I'll go gather some wild herbs and veggies for Sarah's stock. See you tomorrow p-Boriel. Thank you." He leaned forward and dropped into the open night without awaiting a response.

Boriel stepped to the roof's edge as if he was going to call after Rowan, but decided against it. He just stared at the dark woods below, pensively and silently, before going back inside with a sigh.

Breakfast with Spiders Phoenix Nest Guildhall

It was a quiet morning in the Phoenix Nest guildhall, all things considered. Sarah sat behind the counter reading the morning news while she waited for the guild members to wake up and ask for breakfast. Lina had already scarfed hers down and left on her morning exercise routine. Boriel lingered in the library, searching intently for something.

Faye slowly woke up from a nice and cosy dream she was having and buried her face even futher in the too many pillows laying on her bed. Her hair was a mess, and with that I mean even messier than usual. She brought one of her hands to the top of her head, to the spot her horns were supposed to be. In her dream they had disappeared but she let out a slight sigh as her horns were still there. She got up and made small clumsy steps towards a mirror to brush and shape her hair to something more decently but messy enough to keep her horns hidden. "GRMBL..." as Faye made her way back to her room to change into her casual attire, her stomach made the noise of a dying whale. "Time to get breakfast I guess..." Faye whispered. She changed as quickly as possible before her stomach would make another embarrassing noise like that.

"G-Good morning..." Faye greeted Sarah as she stumbled towards the counter. "Can I... have breakfast?" She asked. She knew Sarah was in charge of the kitchen but it still felt weird to ask her for food.

"Sure, what do you want?" Asked Sarah without even looking up from her paper. Rustling could be heard from the kitchen, likely her plant minions preparing to make whatever Faye decided she wanted.

"I recommend a veggie omelet, myself!" said Lina as she trotted through the guild's door, wearing a tank top and shorts and glistening with sweat. "Sarah keeps all sorts of plants growing with her magic to use as ingredients and seasonings, and she can work some real… uh, magic… with them. I'd join you for the meal, but I'm just popping in real quick to get my wooden sword for practice swings."

"Ooh, oh, can I come?" Pat blurted out from his usual spot at the table. "I need to get some practice in too! Everything's always more fun when you're around, Lina~" He finished sweetly, beaming at her.

"Sure!" she smiled back. "I mean, you don't use a sword so we'd kinda just be doing our own things, but extra company's always welcome! What about you, Faye?" She turned to her other guildmate. "Got something planned before the big event later?"

Faye turned to the two youngsters, both energized so early in the morning. "M-Maybe later, I want to do some groceries before I go to that "Big event"." Faye spoke. "I want some stuff to decorate my room with..." she added softly. She turned back to Sarah to give her the order for breakfast that she's been waiting for. "I'll take a veggie omelet, please." Faye was still slightly tired but she had to get stuff done today. Of course she wanted to train but not until later today probably. The kind of training Faye wanted to do required her to have at least decent sunlight.

Ephraim emerged from the stairwell with his lack of meaningful sleep written all over his face. It had taken him all night to get Bartholomew all settled in, and despite having gotten a solid few hours of rest, it wasn't enough to offset the sudden lack of energy which had befallen the young Valbestian. As if to punctuate his slow movements towards the table and several people he had only gotten glances of earlier, he sat down in a chair, put his head in his hands, looked far into the distance as if to recall the horrors of the previous night's "tribulations" with Bartholomew, and said, "If we're serving breakfast to everyone, I, too, would like a veggie omelet." As a few Barts emerged from his scarf and began to painstakingly fix his hair, Ephraim sighed. "Make that two."

Seemingly out of nowhere, Prim arrived and perched herself on the chair next to Ephraim. In stark contrast to her fellow guild member, she looked as bubbly and full of energy as she did at any other moment.

"I'll second that order," she said jovially. "Need a full stomach so I can keep my strength for pounding Gryphon heads later." Prim said this despite there not being any real decision as to who exactly was going to be facing off against the opposing guild. Instead of continuing on that tangent however, she instead turned to Ephraim and began to stare intensely at his head with her head cocked.

"Alright, four of the exact same thing coming right up," said Sarah, finally putting her paper down. "Not sure if everyone's just going with the flow or if Lina's pitch was that good, but either way it's easier for me." She headed into the kitchen, leaving the guild members to their own devices.

"Your personal groomers are interesting," she eventually commented after several moments of deafening silence.

"So that's what I've been feeling!" Pat blurted out, suddenly staring closely at the Barts on Ephraim's head. "Normally I can't feel anything from bugs but your spiders are different. Each one is like a tiny buzz of static, so are the other spiders I noticed last night. Are they yours too?" He cocked his head, mirroring Prim. "You should introduce me to them all some time! I wanna know what they're like together!"

"Well, I can definitely take some time out of my morning to introduce them right now, if you'd like. This is Bartholomew," Ephraim explained, carefully lifting a Bart off of his hair and showing it off in the palm of his hand, "although, it'd be more appropriate to say that it's a Bartholomew." The Bart beamed up at Pat and Prim, although upon looking at Prim, it seemed to tremble a little bit. "What's important is that all of these little Barts together are one creature, whose name is Bartholomew, and that none of them are mine. I guess to most Atrians, Bart might seem like an out of control infestation, or like a bunch of pets which belong to me, but Bart is really more my partner than anything. A special partner, yeah, but still its own thing." Quietly eyeing a few Barts covertly crawling out of the kitchen with an egg and witnessing a singular Bart veer off into a completely opposite direction for seemingly no reason, Ephraim cleared his throat and added, "I can definitely show them all off for you later, but for now let's stick to the ones in my hair."

"This had better be the last time they do that or I'm getting Myeloch to put a few extra wards on the place!" shouted Sarah from the kitchen.

Faye froze at her seat upon hearing the word "spider". She slowly turned to the boy with sleek black hair and Prim before deciding just staring in front of her is probably a far better idea. Yes. Faye is terrified of Spiders.

Noticing Faye's concern, Ephraim spoke up quickly. "Right, I don't believe we've all formally met quite yet. My name's Ephraim, I joined yesterday, and although it may seem like I didn't, I saw some of what happened at dinner."

"Nice to meet you... hey why's he looking at me like that?" Prim said, leaning in closer to the Bart "Weird little guy. You planning on burrying Gryphon Gale under a bunch of 'em?" Ephraim chuckled and shrugged in response.

"Hmm..." Lina put a hand to her chin as she tried to picture it. "I'm not sure that's the best idea, at least if the Gryphons I know are anything to go by. I haven't seen the younger two in any issues of Sorcerer Weekly, so I don't actually know anything about them. Maybe you'll get lucky and they're also afraid of spiders?" She couldn't help but glance at Faye as she said that. "Oh! What can your partners... or I guess partner, do, anyway? Valbestians only bond with magical beasts, right? So that means they oughta have cool magic of their own!"

Faye couldn't help but glare slightly at Lina. Faye didn't like her fear to be exposed on the very first real day. Though... As long as they stayed away from her there shouldn't be any problems.

"And here I thought you'd never ask!" Ephraim smiled as more Barts began to crawl out of his sleeves and pockets and make their way up to Ephraim's shoulder. "See, they can't do much right now because I've got so few of them down here, but with just these I can do a good deal." Ephraim twirled his finger above him and the Barts in his hair immediately jumped and shot their webs, while some Barts on his shoulders directed their craft with their forelegs. The threads spun from the spider's webs quickly came together in a swirl and gleamed in the sunlight, creating a beautiful image as the threads began to overlap and tighten around each other. While it was clear that it was certainly not instantaneous, Ephraim had a slightly sloppy, but cute hat sitting upon his head within the second, complete with a small tuft on top.

Faye let out one of those rare snorts upon seeing the hat. "What happens if one of them dies?" She asked curiously although it might have been a rude question.

Ephraim scratched his neck sheepishly in response. "Uhh, it's hard to say? I, um, don't like to think about it. I've only had a few-- relatively speaking-- die on me because they're pretty tough. Usually they come back in a matter of days and seem good as new, and I've seen some hatch out of eggs before, so my guess is that Bartholomew just... pops out new ones." The Bart formerly on Ephraim's palm used this chance to skitter off onto the table and quietly keep watch for food.

A procession of thunderclaps from upstairs signalled the waking of Ith'Drell, who opened the door to her room groggily and let out a Yawn of Champions. As she set about the slog of journeying down the steps, she took her eyes off the bundled sheet she held under one arm to spy Ephraim - a face she didn't recall seeing at dinner last evening.

"G'mornin' all," said the pseudo-reptile. "There a lotta spiders around this place, or's it just me?"

"You're imagining things," Prim immediately replied, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Eh, yeah prolly," Drell slurred. "Wonder what I can get for brekkie, uh- hey, wait up just a minute!" Her eyes landed on the Valbestian boy at the table, being close enough now to get a better look at him. "Ah, yup. I definitely haven't been introduced to you yet, bud, I-" She paused to yawn. "Oof, sorry, uh yeah- I'm Duke Ith'drell, but you can call me Doomkiller! Or, uh, Drell, I haven't been callin' people out on usin' Drell but Doomkiller's probably the awesomer one of the two - it's whatever though. What's yer name, pally pal?"

"Aaannndd the peace and quiet is gone." Is what Faye thought. These little spider guys were interesting fellas. Faye still doesn't want them near her though.

Ephraim waved from the table. "Ephraim Thorne, nice to meet you! The spiders are mine, so feel free to flick 'em, but please don't squish 'em." A few of the Barts still nested in Ephraim's hair bit him in response. "Is Doomkiller more of a name or a title?"

"Drell kills dooms!" Pat exclaimed excitedly, wiggling a piece of bacon in front of a Bart he noticed on the table.

"Fu- uh, heck yeah I do - it's a title, yeah," Ith'drell smiled, plodding toward the kitchen. "I'll tell ya the story over breakfast or somethin', once I figure out what we got, uh... and I'm not much bothered by the creepy crawly thingies as long as stuff ain't crawlin' on my face. So long as they ain't crawlin' into any squishy grooves without me noticing or willfully jumpin' into the oncoming path o' my shoes, your eight-leg-lads'n'ladies are good as gold 'round me."

Ephraim simply grinned in response. "I'll keep an eye out for them, but they're usually pretty good about staying out of trouble. ...uh, lethal trouble, anyway."

The door to the kitchen opened with several familiar plant creatures spilling out of it. They carried their fragrant dishes to those who'd ordered them, save for one who quickly scurried back into the kitchen only to return with a pen and pad. It held these up to Drell, the pad itself only reading "Order?"

"Hope you all enjoy! Or if not, that you don't blame me for the recommendation," Joked Lina. "As much as I'd like to stay and chat, I've gotta get to my training! Wouldn't want to cool down too much before the real workout begins." She gave her guild a wave and a smile before jogging up the stairs.

"Ah, wait for me, Lina!" Pat shouted, running after her with the bacon still in his hand and now a Bart dangling from it. Just as he reached the door he skidded to a stop and set the bacon gently on the floor with its Bart. "There you go, sorry, little buddy." Then he was gone, leaving the Bart to appreciatively watch Pat run away before skittering away to share the bacon with its other bodies.

"Oh- uh- bye, Lina- uh, and Pat!" called Drell, blinking at the plant. "Uh, oh jeez- I, uh- how can I-? I haven't seen the menu yet, plantie-plant boy, I can't just- uh breakfast! I want breakfast?" The plant creature paused, likely awaiting a command from its master, before writing an explanation on its pad on how making a full menu was too much work, and to just ask for whatever she wanted. If Sarah was willing and able to make it, she would.

"Maybe it's edible," Prim joked, poking lazily at one of the Barts cowering on top of Ephraim.

"Heh, the menu is the food you get," Drell chuckled. "The illusion of choice... bu-uh, sorry- porridge?" She turned to the plant again, shaking her head to help her focus on the topic. "Uh sure, porridge, I guess, pretty standard - didn't realise the world was my oyster over here. Kinda put me on the spot, heh." The plant nodded and ran back into the kitchen.

Before long, Drell's food arrived as well, and the guild enjoyed a meal as they got to know each other better. Or at least the guild members who were there. Getting along would serve them well in their new life, as some of them would learn sooner rather than later.
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Sparks fly! Phoenix Nest VS Gryphon Gale: Round 1 Phoenix Battlefield

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Brawl In the Ring of Bubbles! Phoenix Nest VS Gryphon Gale: Round 2 Phoenix Battlefield

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The Calm Before the Storm Phoenix Battlefield

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Bullets and Blades Clash! Phoenix Nest VS Gryphon Gale: Round 3 Phoenix Battlefield

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Female | 19 | Wizard/Touched


A JP post with Geras and Turnip​

Nighttime over Shessalie Monday July 2nd, X784

The sun had fallen, and the moon was rising to take its place. The Gryphons had gone back to their inn, with Egan reminding the Nest that his business in town wasn't over until the job was complete, the job that now lay in the Nest's hands. Tomorrow they would meet with the client, and finish the job if all went well. Maybe now is a good time to prepare, or maybe it would be best to get some rest instead. Of course there are still the guild's other jobs to do as well, as paltry as they may be.

As for the town, they have not forgotten the incident at the inn. At this point, the majority of the town has heard some form of what happened. There are those who are still upset with these new ruffians of a guild, the innkeep in particular. What can come of those meant to solve the town's problems if they are just as quick to make them? But others have become fast fans of the Phoenix. These people saw the incident as a declaration of war against the Gryphons, and are proud to see their town represented by a guild that isn't afraid of those at the top; an aggressive, defiant bunch like Silver Chimera. They await their next stunt with bated breath.

As for the Phoenix Nest members, Myeloch disappeared, presumably back to his business with the Magic Council. He made sure to remind the guild about the crystal bells to contact him if they needed anything. Sarah seemed tired after the day, and went to nap in the kitchen. There would be no great feast like yesterday, but she might still be willing to make the guildmembers something to eat if they asked. Boriel continues to search the library for something, and Lina has apparently gone into town.


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The heated battles between the guilds had finished, but the night was still young. As the townspeople milled about, Simon sat by the fountain in town square looking rather mopey. Next to him was an odd spirit, small and humanoid in shape but with paws and a head like a snowman. It imitated its master's pose, keeping its head as far down as its long carrot-like nose would allow.

"Ah, there you are, I was worried you'd be gone already." Simon's attention was drawn to the same Phoenix who'd fought against Egan earlier. Rowan brushed one of his bangs from his eye and gave the Gryphon a smile he couldn't quite read. "You and I need to have a chat."

He looked up at Rowan in annoyance. "What do you want?" His defiant confidence from eariler was completely gone.

Rowan's smile didn't falter at the hostility. "I really didn't expect the least experienced Gryphon to be a Celestial Wizard...and with one of the Zodiac Keys, no less! I have a request for you. Allow me to speak with Cancer. If you do, I might be able to help you in a small way in return."

Simon raised an eyebrow. "What's this about?" he asked. The small spirit at his side made a noise with the same inquisitive tone.

"I used to know two very experienced and powerful Celestial Wizards." Rowan explained rather casually. "One of them had a Zodiac Spirit too. As I'm sure you know, all the Zodiac Spirits know each other. From what I remember hearing when I was a kid they're kind of like...an elite order of knights for whatever kind of society they have in their world. I've been wanting a chance to speak to another of the Zodiacs for a long time now. If you let me talk to Cancer a bit, I could give you some tips about how to grow stronger in your particular school of magic, tips from that old friend of mine~"

The boy scrunched his face in thought. It took nearly a full minute before he mustered a response, following a defeated sigh. "If this'll help me get stronger, I'll do it. I can't complain about the how in my position... Cancer doesn't talk much, and even then he's not good with new people, but you're free to give it a shot."

In one smooth motion he lifted his arm, gripped his golden key, and swiped it aside. The familiar shining gate appeared and out stepped Cancer. Upon seeing Rowan he stood between him and Simon. When Simon told his summon that there was no danger, Cancer instead hid behind Simon. Or at least tried to, being over twice the boy's size.

"Shy, huh? I guess that's natural for a warrior with a shell." Rowan shook his head in mock disappointment, then straightened his back. "Cancer...can you tell me anything about the constellation that disappeared from the sky?"

Cancer sprang to attention. He stared at Rowan in disbelief before for the first time allowing his faceplate to open all the way. Underneath was the unblemished face of a youthful man, with no facial hair or even eyebrows. His skin was pale red, and his irises were black. He spoke, his voice slow, quiet, and a bit shaky.

"Do you know where he is?" he asked in a hopeful yet hesitant tone. "His stars grow dim, but they are not yet gone. We must find him before they truly fade away!"

A rare look of profound sadness overtook Rowan's face at Cancer's words. "No...I...I hoped you might know...I have no idea where he is."

"...I see." Cancer took a step back and partially closed his faceplate, concealing his expression.

"What are you talking about?" asked Simon. The smaller spirit next to him tilted its head in confusion.

"The gate of the lion." Cancer explained. "We twelve Zodiac Spirits have always looked to the most courageous of our ranks, Leo, to guide us in times of need. His strength, kindness, and wisdom gave him an air of regality second only to the spirit king himself. He was far more than I could ever be. But one day he said he had lost something precious in this world, and that he needed to find it. That was the last time we saw him.

As you know, we spirits need ether to survive, just as you. But rather than using this realm's ethernano, our bodies take in the celestial light of our homeworld. This is why we need help from summoners like you if we are to stay in this world for long. But Leo is here alone, and every moment he spends here weakens him further. I don't understand why he won't come back, even now when his life depends on it…"

Cancer fell quiet. Simon frowned. "...Two years, and this is the most you've ever said to me…" he said before joining his spirit in silence.

"How often have you tried to start a conversation with him?"

Simon got defensive. "Hey, I talk to him all the time! He just... doesn't really talk back."

"I'm not trying to insult you." Rowan said softly. "It just ties in to that advice I offered. Celestial Wizards and their spirits share a deeply symbiotic relationship. Understanding your spirit and fighting smart helps to make the best of their abilities but that's only part of the equation. The more you bond with your spirits, the easier it is to keep them in our world and the more power you can draw out of them, and them from you." He smiled up at cancer, then looked at Simon sympathetically. "You're right to take responsibility for your own loss, but the thing is, Simon...You didn't lose because you were too weak. You lost because you didn't make good enough use of Cancer. He's one of the strongest of all the spirits, a newbie, even an exceptionally strong and talented one shouldn't have been any match for him. You two were completely out of synch in that fight. If you really want to take the next major step towards getting stronger, really put the work in to get to know this big guy, I'm sure his shell's not as hard to crack through as you think - metaphorically, at least."

He tried to argue but the words escaped him. "Why are you helping me? We're enemies, and what's happening now doesn't change the fact that I intend to crush your guild at the Games. Being someone who lasted as long as you did against Egan, I know you're smart enough to realize that."

"Because you helped me." Rowan replied plainly. "And even if I hated your guts I'd want to help Cancer. My family has always had great respect for the stars and their spirits. Besides, beating your ass wouldn't hold the same value if you weren't the best you could be" He finished with a wink.

"We'll see if you're in such high spirits next time our guilds cross. Egan will… no, I'll be there to kick you into the dirt." His words were harsh, but there was life in his defiant smirk.

"...I do have one last question for you though...for both of you. Have you ever heard...of a Kingdom in the Sky?"

The Gryphons let the question stir in their minds a bit before answering.

"No, I can't say I have," said the summoner.

"The phrase could potentially be used to describe our kingdom of the stars, but I somehow doubt that is what you meant," spoke the spirit.

"I thought that would be the case." Rowan replied, his smile turning sad while he looked up at the stars again. With a flourish of his hair, Rowan turned towards home. "Thanks for the help...take good care of each other. If you let anybody else beat on Cancer like Birdbrain did I'll be coming to ring your bell, Simon. Cancer...try your best, yeah? Be a little more open with him, you need each other. You know Leo would want you to be giving everything you've got to surpass him and you can't do that without Simon. I guess that's all, toodles, gents." He finished, beginning to head back. "OH YEAH" Rowan burst out, coming to a sudden halt. "And put some flare into your summoning! Don't just call his name and 'poof" Cancer into existence! Where's the showmanship? That classic 'Ding Dong!'? I expect your summoning to have some style next time I see you."

"...Ding...dong?" Simon repeated unsurely. Cancer said nothing and just looked down in thought. The two were quiet as the Phoenix walked home, each left with a lot to consider.

---

The moon continued to rise, the stars around it shining brighter as the sun fell further and further away. The townspeople were going home now, the lights around the town fading. Instead, Harmonia stood on the inn's roof to watch the celestial lightshow, despite the fact that the inn had no roof access and she probably wasn't supposed to be there. It was time to wind down and get comfortable, yet even now she wore the weaponized suit of magitech.

"Oh hey, who'da thought you liked to look up at the stars too." A voice seemed to whisper into her ear, dripping with malice at the same time as she felt a light tap on her back.

Even without a face to read, Rowan could sense the jolt of panic. It was strange, then, that Harmonia's body didn't react all that much. She quietly calmed herself before acknowledging him. "Oh, it's the Nestlings' other clown. What do you want?"

Rowan ignored the jab and stepped forward to join in her stargazing. "Not much, just a bit of a chat." She felt nothing in his tone or his presence whatsoever. So much nothing, in fact, that it was almost like a void instead of the absence of something. His voice remained eerily calm as he asked. "Do you enjoy hurting other people? Your guild seeks strength above all else, why is it that you seek it. Is it so you can grind other people beneath your feet?"

Harmonia was clearly confused and a little annoyed, but she played along. "If someone pisses me off then yeah, it feels good to knock 'em around a bit. That's not why I want to be strong, though. Not really, anyway. It's so I can be free. So I can hurt the people who piss me off. So I can say what I want. Do what I want. Strong enough so I can be me, no matter what."

"I see." He replied, sounding thoughtful. "Freedom is an admirable goal." There was a long pause, filled only with silence and the twinkling lights above them. "Might makes right, is that it? Then let me make something clear to you." Just like that the peace in the air was shattered, but not by Rowan's words. Harmonia began to feel a fear more primal and intense than anything she could have imagined, yet not her own fear, she could tell. The feeling swelled until it was accompanied by the sounds of pained screams and loud crashes in her head, echoing louder and louder until she detected something underneath the fear. Anger...rage? No. Hate...a spiraling, all consuming passion of despair and hatred bubbling up from - from where? The feelings collapsed in on themselves then sharpened until they were like a blade pointed at her throat and she couldn't help but turn her head to look at Rowan. Tiny bits of frost had formed on the ends of his hair and the look in his eyes was exponentially colder. "If you ever so much as try to treat one of my guildmates like that again - if you even think about doing that to Lina again. I will kill you. It doesn't matter if I have to do it in your sleep, it doesn't matter if I have to wait until I'm strong enough to burn your entire guild to the ground - even if my own tries to stop me... I will end your life without a second thought, without a shred of guilt." His words were pure venom, every single syllable punctuated by that invisible blade of the purest hostility pointed straight at her.

Metal clattered against wood as Harmonia shook in terror. She gripped her knees and took a deep breath. Slowly, the terror faded. In its place was sadness, which soon, too, faded. "You wouldn't be the first to want me gone. You probably won't be the last, either." The last stop on her roller coaster of emotions was indignation. "Sometimes I wonder if that might be for the best, but if it does come to that I'm sure as hell not giving you fucks the satisfaction of doing it."

She stood and made for the roof's edge, speaking without looking at him. "Say whatever you want. I'm done being cowed into submission. What about you? You gonna make good on those threats?" Her fists were clenched. She was tense. For all her usual confidence, she was truly unsure of what Rowan would do next.

Rowan examined her coldly. "You've felt this before." It wasn't a question and he didn't elaborate. After a few more seconds - that felt like an eternity - of the tension, all the feelings coming from Rowan vanished at once and he sighed. "Don't misunderstand me. I said if you ever tried to treat one of my guldmates like that again I'd do it. It wasn't a threat, it was a warning. There are some things you don't want to do, swear to yourself you will never do...then the moment comes and there's no thought, no choice to be made, it just happens. That's why I had to stop my little brother from going at you like a wild animal... Y'know, I'd really like to hear your story one day, when I can share my own... But I have to know. If you're so afraid of being weak, so afraid of being helpless and trapped... why would you want to make make someone else feel like that?" As he spoke the last words, Harmonia felt something new. One of the most advanced tricks Rowan was capable of. Everything Lina felt flowed directly into her as if they'd been linked when it happened.

Harmonia kept quiet as the feelings flowed through her mind. From the nervous excitement of Lina's first battle, to the self-doubt and desperation approaching her first defeat. Without words Rowan had only her own emotions to gauge anything from. Annoyance, frustration, and eventually anger. The same things she felt during the match, but they felt different somehow. Despite Rowan's best efforts, Harmonia held her ground. "I don't regret what I did, and I won't apologize for it. If you've got a problem with that you can stab me in my sleep or whatever. Otherwise, just leave me alone."

"Not everyone's your enemy, and not all problems can be solved by strength." Rowan said to her in closing. "I hope we can speak again one day, when we've both grown some more."

She muttered under her breath, "This was a mistake," her words tinted with the sadness from earlier before jumping down from the roof. Before long, Rowan stopped being able to track her emotions. He was alone with the stars.

Female | 19 | Wizard/Touched


Hot springs fanservice featuring Lina and Drell​