Fandom [Mission] Magic From the Sky

[Lady Warlock]

| Roleplay Directory |​

Watching a Miracle… and Losing One
There was a small crowd gathered on the hill to watch the shower. It wasn’t as though meteor showers were hard to see and watch, but one couldn’t exactly call them the most common things in the world either and sometimes it was just a romantic and wonderful miracle to watch. There were bigger things to celebrate, but that wouldn’t stop a few people from celebrating the simple joy. A few children were playing on the bottom of the hill while many individuals and couples laid on the grass, feeling it tickle their skin while their eyes took in all the falling stars.

“Make a wish, honey,” one man could be heard uttering to the woman beside him.

“I already have everything I could ever want.” The smile on her face was sincere and then a loud gasp shook through all those gathered as people started pointing at a meteor that seemed way too close for comfort. In fact, it was so close that they could practically feel the heat of it as it flew overhead.

“It’s going to land!” Someone called out.

“Can we get closer?”

“Let’s go!”

A small crowd of people started running towards the sight of the meteor crashing even when common logic would’ve dictated that they run the other way. Fire erupted around it once it landed, but that could not change the fact that everyone saw it as a wishing stone. The smoke around them only grew more and more extensive until there was nothing left to see but gray clouds and the sounds of the people slowly faded away…

It was only an event of a couple people so their disappearances were not something that would make the morning news or the papers the next day. That did not mean some people didn’t notice, though. Day by day more people ventured in only to fail to return and soon the local authorities took their own precautions. A quarantine was set up and investigators were called.

Only the scientist Liam Portian actually thought to call in mages, though. He summoned them for his own purposes, obviously, but they would be more than welcome to help the people as they pleased. First they had to meet with him to hear his personal request.

Waiting in his study, the butler would be able to bring them all to him once the whole company was present.

Your first post will involve arriving at the home of Liam Portion where you will be meeting with him for more specific details on your mission. You are welcome to interact with each other as you wish until everyone is gathered.

Phayne shadowdude505 JayeTheKat Kalin Scarlet

 

[shadowdude505]

Ira Feyz and Skylar Livre
Collab Phayne
​

It was a busy day at the train station. There were a lot of people on the railway platforms boarding or leaving the trains. One of the individuals waiting for her train was Skylar Livre, the Storybook Princess of Fairy Tail. She shyly watched as all the people filed by. She wondered if some of these people were going to try to reach the meteor site. Did they know that people have disappeared, or where they swept up in the excitement anyway. She'd find out sooner or later though. She was heading toward the meteor site herself.

Skylar adjusted the bookbag over her shoulder. She could feel the wieght of her Storybook Summons books (and a few regular books aswell). She continued to watch the people as she waited for the train, but she was glad that she wasn't alone. Technically she was never alone since she could summon the storybook characters she had formed a contract with, but she was thankful to have someone older watching out for her, Ira Feyz, the Solar Dragon Slayer from her guild.

"I...I'm sorry we have to take a t...train, Ira-san," she shyly said even though she felt comfortable around her guildmate. "I...I won't be able to help you with your motion sickness. S...sorry..." she apologized again as she pressed her index fingers together.

Ira placed a firm hand to the back of his head and shook it slightly offering her a smile of reassurance as she apologized; though Ira didn't really see why she needed to in the first place. It wasn't like it was her fault that he was 'cursed' with such an unfortunate side effect to his particular type of magic. "It's alright," he replied, returning his hand down to his side whilst still retaining his smile. "It's something I'll just have to get used to... not much I or you can do about it," he added, though a slight gulp betrayed the confidence he had tried to portray. Truthfully, he had hated every moment he had previously experienced whilst on a mode of transportation. The sensation of having his internal organs go on a roller coaster ride within himself a feeling he was pretty confident he would never get used to.

"So.." he began, glancing down at Skylar, "..aside from the information on the request, have you heard anything else?.. I've tried asking a few people along the way, but nobody seems to know anything," his tone turning rather somber towards the end. Given the origins of the meteor, the potential 'source' of the disappearing people were endless and potentially extraterrestrial, the latter of which sent a tingle of excitement up Abel's back. "You don't think Aliens are the reason?" he whispered, leaning down towards Skylar so that he was level with her. "..wouldn't that make for a thrilling mission," he added, his smile growing wider.

"A..aliens?" Skylar nervously asked. "I...I don't know...I...it's possible I guess." She didn't sound excited about the possibility. If aliens were involved, they could be really strong; stronger than her at least, in her mind a Dragon Slayer could probably go toe to toe with them. Her Storybook Summon magic seemed weaker than Dragon Slayer magic.

Skylar shook her doubts out of her head as the train began to arrive. She wouldn't truely know what was going on with the meteor until they got there. "W...we'll get more information once we meet the s...scientist," she stated as she stepped onto the train. She found a pair of unclaimed seats and looked at Ira. "W...would you like the window seat?" It might not make any difference what seat Ira was in, but she figured maybe sitting close to an open window would make things a little better.

Ira unconciously took a few steps backwards as the train arrived, a feeling of dread beginning to sweep over him as he instinctively knew what was to come. A few beads of sweat had begun to form on his brow as he mentally prepared himself for the 'torture' he was about to be forced into. Not once had he ever gotten onto a vehicle without breaking into 'cold sweats', after all he wasn't the type that enjoyed putting himself into such uncomfortable situations. Had he been given the option, then he would have gladly walked all the way to the Meteor and back, all to avoid the short duration of motion sickness. As the train stopped, Ira felt a bit of bile rise up his throat, his right hand quickly rushing to cover his mouth in case any of it escaped; though this did pose its own problem as it rendered Ira unable to reply verbally.

A simple nod of the head was all he could muster, appreciating Skylar's offer of giving him the window seat. While the wind in his hair would have been comforting, his immediate need for a window seat was more in line with the potential risk of him spewing out this mornings breakfast. Reluctantly Ira followed Skylar onto the train, his legs wobbling slightly despite the train currently stopped at the station. "S..skylar..." he stuttered, his right hand still in close proximity to his mouth, "...an..any idea.. h..how.. long.. ," his body jerked forward as his hand rushed to cover his mouth once more. It didn't help that the train had begun to leave the station, the sudden movement coupled with his wobbly legs sent him tumbling backwards onto a free seat; the color in his face quickly fading.
~~~

The journey felt infinetily long for Ira; the long haired boy barely clingling on to the side of the window as he considered jumping through the window in a last ditch attempt to rid himself of this feeling of nausea. "Ar..are we.. almost...there..?" he managed to force out, turning a shaky head towards Skylar. Presently, his face resembled something akin to a mummified skeleton, his facial expression lacking any form of vitality or color.

Skylar had kept her head buried in a book during the trip, but would occasionally squeak "S...sorry." She hated that there was nothing she could do to help her Dragon Slayer friend. After the train pulled into their destination, Skylar let out a sigh of relief and put her book away. She looked over at Ira, but it looked like he'd need a moment for his stomach to settle. His condition would probably be worse if the train started moving again, so she summoned Mother Nature and began to walk off the train. Mother Nature stretched out her tree like arms, gently carried Ira off the train, and began to follow her wizard master toward Liam Portian's house.

Vision blurred and body weakened, Ira borerline collapsed as the train came to a sudden stop; his battle with the motion sickness not ending favorably for him; however rather then smacking face first into the floor; his body was caught in mid descent by one of Skylar's summons; Mother Nature. "Th..thanks," he managed to gasp, directed at both Skylar and her summon, as he allowed himself to be carried off. While some men may have found it a bit emasculating to be carried off a train, Ira had no qualms with such a thing; if anything he was rather thankful for the help; it was much better then crawling his way out.. or worse.. enjoying an extended stay aboard the train to hell.

"I..I'll be fine..thank you," he finally spoke after they made their way towards Liam Portian's home. Now out in the open and off the train. Given the nature of his magic, any exposure to the sun normally relieved him of his sickness provided his feet were firmly planted on the ground. Luckily, there weren't too many clouds in the sky and he had access to the sun light.

Mother Nature gently put Ira down, flashed a maternal smile, and disappeared back into her book, leaving the two Fairy Tail wizards to continue on to their destination.

As they neared their destination, the color and vitality begun to return to Ira and he had a much more 'healthier' aura about him. "Seem's like we are the first one's here.." he muttered, glancing around the area and seeing no signs of any other mages having arrived.

"M...maybe the other wizards are i...inside," Skylar said as she neared the front door. The Fairy Tail duo were let inside the house and lead into a room to wait. "O...or not..." she stated, noticing no one else around besides the butler.

Lady Warlock JayeTheKat Kalin Scarlet

 

[JayeTheKat]

Millie Thorrin & Nikhil Perlak

Collab with Lady Warlock
Tags: Phayne shadowdude505 Kalin Scarlet ​

Curiosity was what guided almost everything that the youngest Raven Tail mage ever did because curiosity was really all she had - well, curiosity and kindness. There were many things the young mage did simply out of the kindness of her heart as well, but this particular mission was more about curiosity. A meteor was a fallen star, after all, and the sky was curious place to learn more about. Any magic that it might have could be magic that could do good. There was that element to the situation as well. However, as she walked along, her ponytail bouncing on her back as she moved, that wasn’t what she was thinking about. She wasn’t thinking about the mission at all. Instead, Millie was thinking about how excited she was to get to spend a bunch of time with her guildmate.

“I’m so glad you’re coming with, Nikhil! I like adventures! Do you like adventures too? Do you think this’ll be an adventure?” It wasn’t often that she was this talkative.

The older Raven Tail mage walked casually beside the little girl, who was really the sole reason he was on this mission. At any rate, he was just as curious on the inside about the job they’d been called upon to do. His arms rested comfortably up behind his head as they walked along. Though he lacked in excitement, he was all smiles as he watched the young girl. He couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at the volley of questions launched his way.

”I don’t mind adventures, Millie, and I don’t know if this will be one. It sounds like it will be interesting though. I’m glad you’re so excited.” His response wasn’t as monotone as normal as he was trying to sound happy.

“Oh, I know it will be interesting!” Millie exclaimed with certainty. Slowly but surely, her footsteps were turning into skipping steps and her joy only continued to grow from there.

It really wasn’t too far of a walk from the train station to the home of the man who was funding the mission and it was an even shorter trip between the train station and the town that harbored the man’s home. Soon they were surrounded by people, all hustling about their morning routines, and it was among the people that Millie became more quiet and slightly withdrawn even. Her skipping steps transitioned back to a brisk walk and she moved closer to her guildmate, her hands fiddling with the collar of her shirt as she tried to watch everyone. Millie wasn’t entirely fond of being stared at and strangers often drew eyes when they went to new places.

Nikhil dropped his arms back to his sides as they entered the crowds, his eyes roaming from face to face for mere moments. Not wanting to lose the small girl in the crowd, and also due to Millie’s drop in attitude, one large hand came to rest gently on her shoulder. He continued to watch those in passing as they made their way through the crowd, matching what stares he did catch with slight glares. The pair had traveled together enough in the past that this was a normal occurrence for Nikhil. He wasn’t a fan of crowds, and he knew his guildmate wasn’t either. When they were free of the majority of the people, he sighed and turned towards Millie.

”You doing alright? We aren’t far from the house now.” His question was kept light, though it still held plenty of concern for the girl.

“I’m ok…” Millie muttered briefly. She was always nervous about meeting new people, though. “It's just… what if they don’t like me, Nikhil? What if…?” Her hand flurried to the scar on her neck, afraid that someone would ask her about the one thing about herself that even she didn’t have the answers to.

”I’m sure it’ll be just fine Millie. You’re a very nice girl and everyone back at the guild loves you. I don’t see why these guys will be any different.” Nikhil started, though he paused to brush a loose piece of hair away from her eyes. ”Besides, I won’t let them say anything mean to you.” He finished with a smile in her direction. He was telling the truth with that too. If anyone tried to say anything to her that wasn’t polite or nice, he’d set them straight.

Looking up to Nikhil, Millie smiled a bit and then looked forwards again with a newfound determination on her face. “It’s all worth it if we’re helping people, right Nikhil? And in this mission, we’re going to solve a mystery.” Though it wasn’t quite the same as her initial excitement, it was something and she was smiling again.

And then it really didn’t take long for them to reach their destination after that. Walking into the home that actually looked and felt more like an old library, Millie and Nikhil would see that they weren’t the first ones there. Two other mages had already arrived before them and that led the youngest to stick close to her guildmate. The older, however, stepped closer to the pair of mages. Despite his dislike of talking, introductions were in order.

”Hello.” Nikhil greeted, offering his hand politely to whichever of the two wanted to accept it. ”I’m Nikhil and this is Millie. We look forward to working with you.” He continued into their introduction, and gestured slightly to Millie when he said her name. He purposefully left out their guild due to everything that had happened lately, though all they had to do was look at his face to figure it out.

 

[Phayne]

It was a few moments of slight awkwardness before anything significant occurred. For the most part, Ira felt rather uncomfortable being cooped up in this mansion, much less being waited on by one of the butlers that resided here. It was simply inconceivable for him to be served by another. Coughing and fidgeting slightly, Ira's eyes began to wander around the room until the door opened once more revealing two additional arrivals; the older of the two quickly approaching them and beginning the introductions.

Unperturbed by the Guild Mark on Nikhil's face, Ira raised his hand and accepted the shake. Under different circumstances, Ira may have put a little 'force' into it in order to send a small message, however given his background he had no intention of doing so and simply returned the gesture in as genuine a fashion as he could muster. Among the members in Fairy Tail, Ira was probably one of the more 'blissfully oblivious' individuals when it came to the guilds past and this was largely due to his upbringing in the wilderness. A dragon and his foster son had no need and no time to spare on the frivolous relationships among the various guilds, such trivial matters barely able to draw out an iota of interest from them.

"Ira Feyz" he replied, offering a warm and welcoming smile. Meeting new people always helped to remind him of how big and vast the world really was and that the secluded part of the forest he grew up was only an insignificant fraction of the worlds wonders. "This here is Skylar, Skylar Livre" he added, gesturing towards her, though in doing so his eyes fell upon Millie, her smallish figure hiding behind that of Nikhils. Ira raised a brow as he made eye contact with her.

"Is she your daughter?" he inquired rather suddenly, ignoring any form of etiquette as he lowered himself down to one knee so that he was eye level with Millie. He stared at her for a few moments before glancing back up towards Nikhil, "Are you sure its wise to bring a child along on the mission?.. Isn't her mother able to care for her?" he questioned in a rather blunt and straightforward manner. He had no malice or intention to patronize them, he simply saw things from a rather simple perspective; one where he still saw all young children as still requiring their parents protection. "This isn't a field trip.. she could get hurt" he added once more, still talking in a straightforward manner, though a hint of concern was present in his voice.​

shadowdude505 JayeTheKat Lady Warlock Kalin Scarlet

 

[Lady Warlock]

Millie Thorrin

Her eyes looked up, watching the brief exchange as Nikhil introduced himself to the two other mages present and as their names were given to them. Millie would remember them because remembering names was a kindness that everyone was due and no one at all was an exception to that rule. She particularly liked the girl’s name because it was Skylar. The sky is a pretty thing so Millie believed that had to mean that Skylar had a pretty soul. That wasn’t something she could ever know right away, but she looked forward to discovering if she was right or not.

Then again, when Ira got down on a knee in front of her, Millie forgot about almost everything she had been wondering about prior to that moment and she looked at him closely. She took a small step to hide a bit more behind Nikhil because she didn’t like the way he looked at her yet didn’t speak to her at all. He was still speaking to Nikhil. That didn’t mean she couldn’t answer, though.

“I’m n-not his daughter. I’m his guildmate.” Her voice was quiet, but the answer was spoken. “I d-don’t have a m-mother or a father… n-not anymore.” Well, she did, but they thought she was dead and technically she did still have a gravestone where they’d intended to bury her, too. They would never believe it was her even if she did want to try and go back.

There was one more thing she wanted to say, but her voice got even more quiet as she uttered it. “I… I’m here to make sure Nikhil doesn’t get hurt…”

JayeTheKat Phayne shadowdude505 Kalin Scarlet

 

[shadowdude505]

Skylar Livre
​

Skylar shyly froze up as Nikhil introduced himself and his guildmate. Judging from Nikhil's guildmark, she guessed that Millie was from the same guild. As a Fairy Tail mage, Skylar was no stranger to the Fairy and Raven rivalry, but if they were willing to work with her, she was willing to work with them. Skylar wanted to introduce herself, but Ira ended up doing that for her as she worked up the courage. "H...hi....," she shyly said shortly after being introduced.

Skylar pressed her index fingers together as she listened to the rest of the conversation. She didn't think Millie was Nikhil's daughter. Although the male Raven Tail mage looked older than her, he still seemed a little young to be a father. Skylar stopped pressing her fingers together and perked up a little as Millie confirmed her suspicions. She wondered if Millie was shy like her or just uncomfortable about her personal space being invaded. On top of that, the no parents thing already placed the two girls on common ground. Her mother was dead now. She didn't know who her father was and didn't know where to begin when it came to searching for him, even if she wanted to. She would be one happy girl if he ended up finding her, but right now the only family she needed was Fairy Tail and her Storybook Summons.

"W...we can help with that," Skylar told Millie. "Ira-san would be a bigger help though. He's a Dragon Slayer. I....I'm just a Storybook Summoner," she explained with a lack of confidence in herself.

JayeTheKat Lady Warlock Phayne Kalin Scarlet

 

[Phayne]

Ira could relate to Millie's remark about her parents; understanding fully that he too is in a similar boat. Ira was no idiot, he knew that he wasn't Agares's real son and that he did at one point have a human mother and father, though never really knowing them meant that he didn't truly understand the pain of losing his real parents. Still the pain of losing someone -in his case Agares- still tugged at the heart and anyone that could still move forward despite experiencing such a thing was someone who was clearly strong.

"Is that so?" replied Ira, still keeping his gaze firmly fixed upon Millie.."well then, I am trusting you to look out for us too" he added, giving Millie a warm smile in an attempt to coax her out of her apparent shyness. Whilst it was still unbelievable that a child of such a young age would be sent on a mission, Ira was in no position to complain or argue the point. There was no reason for them to lie and if her guild mates trusted her to undergo this mission than there was nothing more to say, Ira merely accepted her response for what it was and left it at that.

Standing at full height once more, Ira quickly twirled around and maneuvered himself behind of Skylar, lowering his head to her right side and pressing a finger on either side of her cheeks as he pressed them inwards though not to the point where it would hurt. "... a Storybook Summoner that saved me from deaths door" he added to her last remark. "Without Skylar, god knows what would have happened, she is truly a savior" he removed his fingers, stood at full height again and placed a hand over her head scruffling her hair slightly as he did so. "You can count on us to get the job done" and as he said this, his free hand raised upwards and gave the thumbs up, followed by a wide grin.
​

shadowdude505 JayeTheKat Lady Warlock Kalin Scarlet

 

[Kalin Scarlet]

Kalin Ikiryou
​

Stumbling through town, Kalin's lips twisted into a frown as the sound of the train overtook the sound of...well, everything that wasn't a train. The young mage tugged at his tie, the thin piece of fabric dragged almost fully open, along with his shirt and suit jacket. Kalin hated the clothes he'd been forced to wear. Again. They really didn't suit him...

"Hehe! Suits..."

Kalin couldn't help but smile a bit at his own terrible joke, and with a sigh, he figured that he just needed to cheer up. After all, he was on a mission to investigate a fallen star or something. That was amazing! There were going to be mages from other guilds there, too, so this would be an opportunity for him to meet even more people. At the thought, Kalin's entire demeanor shifted, and he relaxed a bit more, shoulders and spine straightening out as he approached the mansion. Pushing open the door, chest bared, clothes disheveled, with a massive grin on his face, Kalin waved at everyone that had gathered.

"Hi there, everybody! Nice to meet you all. Sorry I was late, got kind of turned around on my way here, hehe. Um, my name's Kalin. How's it going?"

Phayne shadowdude505 Lady Warlock JayeTheKat

 

[Lady Warlock]

Liam Portian

“You are not late,” a butler responded directly to Kalin as soon as the Blue Pegasus mage showed up. “As a matter of fact, you are right on time. Now, if all five of you will follow me, I will lead you to my master. He’s very excited about the opportunity to get his hands on some of this sky stone.” And there didn’t seem to be any reason for anyone in the group to disregard the butler’s sincerity or honesty.

Without saying another word, the man in a suit turned and started leading them up a grand staircase. On the wall alongside them, there were paintings that followed the pattern of the stairs all the way to the top of them and then continued on to the second level of the house. Paintings arranged in a zigzag fashion might have been odd, but it was also fitting. It set the tone for the rest of the house and with the paintings the way they were, it was easier to see that absolutely nothing about the house at all was rounded or curved. The whole design seemed to emphasize corners and straight lines. It made the curved staircase feel like it had been a mistake, actually.

Perhaps it had been.

Reaching the top of the staircase, the paintings continued down one hallway and neglected another. The Fioran mages were led down the path with no paintings, and although that might have been less interesting, there was a single doorway at the end of the hall marking the end of their quick walk. The other hallway - the one with paintings - would’ve very obviously involved curves and tangles before an end had been reached. Walking through to the other side of the door, the butler ushered everyone in and closed the door behind them.

Now they were all on the second floor of a massive two story library. There was another staircase - one that had lead to the first floor of the library - but it had apparently been rather brutally destroyed. The staircase now literally looked like someone had taken a hammer to it and not in a pleasant manner; the staircase had been a spiral staircase before it had been rendered useless, though. Also in their sight was a square table with a man sitting at it. The table only had one additional seat so it was obvious that they weren’t meant to take a seat.

The butler promptly turned to that man. “Master Liam, I have the mages you requested.”

“Thank you,” the man called Liam replied, taking his head out of a book to look at everyone. “Now will you please call the builders and demand they come fix this god forsaken staircase. I don’t see how they could’ve misread the blueprints.” A single nod followed and the butler ran off which left the mages with Liam.

“Hello to all of you,” he greeted them. “Thank you for agreeing to help me on this small matter. Most recent data has pinpointed the meteor as having landed northeast of Mount Hakobe so it’s in the mountains. I hope that won’t be too much trouble for you as mages, but it seems worth mentioning. I have here,” he held out a piece of paper, “a document that should get you through the quarantine so long as you can prove your mages. And then from there, the magic should guide you straight to it. All I need is for you to fill this,” he nudged a clear jar towards them, “with some pieces of the meteor and return here to give it to me.”

Glancing over each of them, Liam seemed hesitant about something, but it wasn’t clear what.

“I hope that seems simple enough.”

Kalin Scarlet Phayne JayeTheKat shadowdude505

 

[shadowdude505]

Skylar Livre
​

Skylar shyly frowned as Ira poked her cheeks and messed with her hair. She started to presser her index fingers together as her guildmate gave her praise, she still felt like she hadn't done much to help him. "I just summoned Mother Nature, she did the rest," she shyly muttered.

Skylar turned her attention to the door as she heard it open and wanted to introduce herself to the newcomer, but the group of mages were quickly escorted by butler through the house. Skylar stayed quiet at the mages followed the butler. As they walked she noticed the paintings and later the lack thereof as they walked through another door. The scientist that owned the house must be an eccentric fellow. Her suspicions were later confirmed when she heard the scientist complain about the broken stairs, though at the time that comment was made she was paying more attention to the many books in the library. She wondered if Liam had any Storybook Summon books in his collection.

Skylar jerked her attention to Liam as he began to explain their mission. The mission sounded simple enough, but with people disappearing around the meteor site she thought it wouldn't be as simple as Laim described. Skylar didn't want to disappear; there were so many things she still wanted to do, like becoming a strong wizard like her mother.

"W...who wants to be in c...charge of the mage document and jar?" she shyly asked the wizards she'd be doing the job with.

Lady Warlock Kalin Scarlet Phayne JayeTheKat

 

[JayeTheKat]

✤ N●I●K●H●I●L ✤ P●E●R●L●A●K ✤

Nikhil returned Ira's smile with a small smile of his own. He smiled to Skylar when she was introduced as well, before Ira continued to talk, knelt in front of Millie. He didn't say anything in response to the questions, but he did turn his body a little to watch his small companion and the man interact. He was more than a little off put, though it didn't show, that Ira actually asked if he was Millie's father. He was pretty sure he didn't look that old. He nodded in line of Millie's last sentence and then turned to look to Skylar as the young lady spoke.

"I'm sure you're a very good storybook summoner, Skylar." He stated, giving a small bu warm smile in the girl's direction. Skylar wasn't as small as Millie, but she looked shy and quiet. He couldn't help but be nice. After that, he didn't really have much to comment, and just listened to the conversation, nodding here and there.

It wasn't long after the talking died down that the remaining member of their party arrived and the group was quickly hustled through the mansion to meet with Mr. Portian. Upon entering the library, Nikhil eyed the dangerous looking staircase. He agreed with Mr. Portian's statement on how they misread the blueprints, he didn't even see how this was possible to screw up so badly. He stood over by one of the bookcases, eyeing the stairs for a while, until his attention refocused on the man seated at the table before them as he began to brief them on their mission.

When Mr. Portian was done speaking, Nikhil eyed the paper and jar for a moment before he glanced to Skylar as she voiced his question herself. He didn't bother waiting to see what the others had to say as he stepped up to the table and took the paper from Mr. Portian. He glanced over it briefly and then looked to Mr. Portian, who looked like he still had something on his mind. Nikhil moved away from the table again, leaving the jar there for the time being, and came to a stop by Skylar.

"How about you hold onto this for us?" He suggested and handed the paper to the young girl. He figured if anything she could put the document in her book bag until they needed to use it so it wouldn't get damaged on the way there. He waited a few minutes for her to take it, and didn't really care what she did with it from there. He returned to where he had been standing and waited to see what else would come of this briefing, eyeing the other mages to see if they had any questions.

❈

 

[Lady Warlock]

Millie Thorrin

Just when Millie had been about to introduce herself to the last person on their team, it seemed that someone else had decided introductions were over for now and she wasn’t about to argue with them. Instead, she clasped both of her hands in front of her and followed Nikhil. Something about the house that they were in reminded her of her own home and she was sure this house held just as many mysteries if not more. It was that curiosity that led her eyes to stop and follow the paintings down the other hall although her feet themselves never ventured from the path she was supposed to take. She knew better than that and she stuck with the group, following them all the way into the library.

Once they were there, she nearly jumped at the sight of the staircase. Millie had no idea what could’ve happened to it, but it really didn’t look pretty at all and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what had made it that way. Personally, she doubted any builder would mess up that much.

However, she also managed to listen to Liam Portian’s little speech on what their mission entailed. There was one thing about it that caught her attention more than anything else, though, and Millie wasn’t sure if anyone else caught onto it or not. She remembered being told something about people disappearing and this Liam hadn’t mentioned a thing about them. In fact, he didn’t even seem to care what happened to them as long as he got what he was looking for. She wasn’t about to mention it in front of Liam, but it weighed heavy on her thoughts.

Instead of worrying about that, Millie tried to focus on other things and she watched as Nikhil brought the paper over to Skyler; part of her wanted to follow him to stay close to him and continue hiding behind her guildmate while another part of her wanted to walk up and grab the jar that had been left behind. The young Raven Tail mage chose the latter option. Walking up to the table, she carefully slipped the jar off of it and into her little hands. Turning to the rest of the group, she said, “I can carry the jar.” She wasn’t really asking for permission. She already had it in her hands, after all. The only reason why she said it was to make sure everyone knew that she was volunteering.

Glancing back at Liam one more time, she decided one question was ok. “Sir, do you have a book bag?” It seemed reasonable that they would have one in a library like this. There were so many books, after all.

Nodding once, Liam stood himself up. “I can grab you one. Then your group should be on their way, though. I’d appreciate it if this job could be done as quickly as possible.” There wasn’t any rudeness to his tone; instead it was rather curt and matter of factly. That wasn’t necessarily a problem. Briefly, he stepped out of the library, presumably to grab Millie a book bag.

Turning to the rest of the team, Millie took the opportunity. “We’re allowed to look for the disappearing people too, right?” It wasn’t something Liam had described in their mission at all, but Millie didn’t want to leave them lost.

Phayne shadowdude505 JayeTheKat Kalin Scarlet

 

[shadowdude505]

Skylar Livre
​

Skylar waited for someone to claim the two items they needed to complete their mission. As much as she wanted to do her best, the thought of being in charge of a key mission item was a little stressful. She was relieved when Nikhil started to walk up to Mr. Portian to claim one of the items, or so she thought. Her eyes went wide as she realized that the Raven Tail mage wanted her to be in charge of the mage document. "O...OK," she shyly replied, thinking her only option was to accept the document.

Skylar gently placed the document inside her book bag and zipped it back up so that there was no chance that she'd lose the document. She then shyly stood where she was as she waited for someone else to claim the jar. She was surprised when Millie volunteered, but didn't say anything about it. She watched Mr, Portian as he left the room to retrieve a book back for Millie and snapped her attention back to the young Raven Tail girl after she mentioned rescuing the people that disappeared.

A fiery look of determination appeared in Skylar's eyes. She wanted to find the missing people too. She took a deep breath and worked up the courage to reply "Of course," without stuttering.

Lady Warlock Phayne JayeTheKat Kalin Scarlet

 

[Phayne]

Before Ira could respond to the arrival of Kalin, the appearance of the mansion's butler had cut him off; ceasing any chancess for Ira to speak up once more. The presence of the Butler meant that their mission was on the precipice of beginning, the butler leading them towards the the man that had inititally posted this mission. Following alongside the other's, Ira did his best to remain 'professional' his present attire already made him feel out of place in this grandiose setting, he didn't need to openly show the discomfort he was currently feeling as his eyes followed the zig-zaggy display of paintings. Whoever this man was, he clearly had a unique sense of taste.

Reaching the second floor, the difference between both hallways was the first thing Ira had noticed, the lack of paintings alongside the second hallway catching his attention almost immediately. The out of place feeling that it gave off almost made Ira speak up; his desire to question why this hallway was different only suppressed by the fact that everyone else had begun to follow the Butler to the door at its end before they were ushered into the library; where again, Ira had the urge to question the selection of decor.. only this time, wanting to know what exactly happened to the stairs, however as was the case before, the rapid proceeding of things prevented him from doing so.

Instead, Ira merely bottled his urges and listened, Ira understood the gist of their mission; the collection of meteor fragments however the majority of everything else that was said failed to register with him. Silently, he hoped that Skylar and the others would remember the important details and in return, he would take care of any of the manual labor.

As the briefing ended and everyone else begun to gather the necessities, Ira took this opportunity to wonder closer to the stairs, his curiosity becoming something he could no longer contain. For a man that seemed to like straight lines, Liam didn't strike Ira s someone who was being completely straightforward with thim. Knowing that this mission was essentially put in place to gather some materials, it seemed strange that they needed this many mages to do so, likewise why was it neccessary that a mage guild be put on this mission when there were other types of guild that could handle a simple gathering mission.

"I don't like him" spoke Ira, turning around to address the rest of the group before sauntering up to Millie and placing a hand on her head. "He never said we couldn't" he tried to give her a reassuring smile.
​

shadowdude505 JayeTheKat Lady Warlock Kalin Scarlet

 

[Lady Warlock]

Millie Thorrin

Millie was glad that she wasn’t the only one getting a bad feeling from this man who’d hired them to collect a bit of sky stone for him and she nodded in agreement when Ira said that he’d never said they couldn’t investigate the missing people more. “Yes, he didn’t say anything of the sort!” It almost sounded as though she hadn’t realized that until Ira had said it out loud, though.

Despite the fact that Millie still kept close to Nikhil, she did seem to be growing more comfortable with the two Fairy Tail mages present. It had always been something that was bound to happen eventually; after all, Millie was the kind of person who’s heart almost had to open up to everyone around her eventually. Sometimes that just took time.

With that all sorted out, it just left the mages to wait for Liam to return and it took a few minutes longer than it seemed something like that should’ve taken. Nonetheless, in a few minutes time, Liam returned to the little library balcony-like area and he had a simple over the shoulder black bookbag in his hands which he held out to Millie. The young girl took the bag while Liam explained to the whole group, “It seems you lost a member of your party on the way up. I caught a young man looking over some of the paintings and saying he needed to head back a bit short notice. Something family related came up, it seems. It’s not what I would’ve liked, but four should be able to manage the job just fine.”

Kalin had left them. That was the gist of that.

“I expect, though, that since you have everything you need, you should be able to depart now. The same man who led you up is waiting by the stairs with train tickets should you decide to take the train to the border. From there I do think you’ll be stuck walking, though.” It was unfortunate, but Liam really didn’t sound too let down by it.

Nodding towards Liam, Millie slipped the jar into the bag he had given her before slinging it over her shoulder. Reaching out to grab Nikhil’s hand, she started leading the way out. Even as young as she was, Millie could tell that they were no longer welcome where they were.

At the front door, the butler was indeed waiting for them and he handed each of them a train ticket and he handed the last one to Ira simply because Ira appeared to him to be the most responsible. “In case you have need of it,” he explained before letting them out and promptly closing the door behind them. It almost seemed that the butler already knew that there was another waiting for them just beyond the door.

Kalin Irikyo is no longer a part of this mission for the time being. Dresden Gilmerton is joining the mission, though.

Phayne shadowdude505 JayeTheKat Deadeyelee

 

[Deadeyelee]

Dresden
It had been a long, horrendous journey upon the train. The only reason he hadn't made a mess of himself was the fact that he hadn't eaten in two days. His stomach let out a rolling growl and he winced. He needed money. He manipulated a small bit of water from his canteen to splash his face clean from the dust and soot he picked up on the ride. He should endeavor to look his best after all. He was meeting new guildmates, and then...practically begging them to come along.

The pathetic nature of his situation was not lost to him, but it was entirely alien. He had no money. His stomach is empty. Normally he'd happily ask for help...but this was different. He's just got here, and to immediately start begging for hand outs? He'd rather starve than suffer that much embarrassment.

So there was indeed someone waiting for them outside, a pale boy with a fading mariner's coat, and a light bit of desperation in his eyes. "E-Excuse me..." His voice was still soft as a child's but there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it. He looked up at Nikhil, who happened to be the oldest member present of his guild, and have the guild mark ON HIS FACE which did a little bit towards intimidating him.

"I-I'm a new Raven Tail mage...a B-B rank and I know this is terribly impolite, b-but I was w-wondering if I could t-tag along." His face flushes red as he pulls into a little bow. He hates the awkwardness of this situation, and his heart thumps in his chest, already expecting rejection. They need money just like he does, and it just means they'll have to split it further. Still, something comes to him as an afterthought. "My name is Dresden, and I-I'm a water dragon slayer..."

Phayne JayeTheKat shadowdude505 Lady Warlock

 

[shadowdude505]

Skylar Livre
​

Skylar was surprised to learn about one of her team members dropping out. She hoped whatever the situation was would resolve in a good way. She wasn't worried about being down a member. Ira was with her; as a Dragon Slayer he had one of the strongest types of magic in Earthland. On top of that she could summon in two of her four Storybook Summons, making the party total go up to six.

Now with the mission underway, Skylar began to follow the Raven Tail mages and passed by the butler. "Th...thanks," she said to him as she took her train ticket. She looked at the ticket in her head and frowned. Ira had survived one train, he wouldn't enjoy another one. She was about to vocalize her concern when a new Raven Tail mage began to introduce himself. Had he been waiting outside?

Skylar quickly sympathized with the young Raven Tail mage. He seemed to be shy like herself. "S...sure, you can t...tag along," she said to Dresden. She looked back at the train ticket in her hand. Having another Dragon Slayer in the party made her question taking the train even more. "Ira-san, D...Dresden, do you two feel up to taking the t...train?" she asked, sounding concerned as she pressed her index fingers together. "W...we don't have to... R..right?" she asked the group.

Lady Warlock Phayne JayeTheKat Deadeyelee

 

[Phayne]

Ira smiled, noting Millie's reaction. Though beyond that he had remained silent as Liam returned to the room, bringing with him the bag that he had gone to fetch though the extra news he had brought with him had indeed come as a bit of a surprise. Ira glanced around the room, how had he not noticed that Kalin was no longer with them. A short sigh escaped his mouth. Hopefully whatever the family issue was, Kalin would have no problem resolving it. Remaining silent for the rest of the duration they were inside. Ira followed the rest towards the front door, again feeling uneasy with Liam's selection of decor.
....
"O..okay thank you" replied Ira, glancing down towards the spare ticket that the butler had given him. However rather then acknowleding the ticket for what it was, Ira simply assumed it to be part of the paperwork that was required for their journey. He vaguely remembered Liam mentioning something about a quarantine close to where the meteor had landed. However having not paid proper attention to the briefing as well as been absorbed in his own opinions about the mansions interiors, Ira had simply 'not heard' the part about train tickets.. much less another train Journey. Though admittedly it was still rather foolish of him to think that they would be walking there.

Just as he was about to read his death warrant the tickets to see what was so important that he needed a spare one, the appearance of another member had stopped any further action, causing Ira to simply keep both tickets in his hand as he lowered them back down to his side.

'Another dragon slayer' thought Ira, his brows furrowed as he stared at the newcomer. Unlike his introductions with the other members of their party, Ira was a bit more on edge with Dresden, despite his young age the boy proclaimed to be a Dragon Slayer such as himself and it was that tidbit of information that had gotten Ira slightly worked up. Perhaps Dresden's shared a similar story to him, a dragon parent that for one reason or another had vanished without a trace.. why else would he choose not to be with his parent? Had Ira ever been given the choice, he would have more than likely chosen to remain alongside Agares, to further their training and to explore the world free from the rules that binded them. Still staring at him intently, Ira made a note to question him during their mission.. any iota of positive news regarding their parents was priceless. The staredown was only put to a pause when Skylar began to speak, despite her appearance and her storybook magic; the words she spoke next would have been more fitting had the devil said them himself.

All the tension and adrenaline that had built up inside Ira had quickly withered away, only to be replaced by a sudden outbreak of cold sweat. Ira's body now shivered ever so slightly as he retreated slighty, making his way towards a wall knowing full well that there was a good chance he would need it to support himself. He had completely forgotten about the train, so wrapped up in his thoughts and impression on Liam and his Library as well as the appearance of Dresden, Ira had simply ignored the fact that they would need some form of transportation to get to their next destination.

Hoping that this was all some elaborate joke, Ira quickly glanced down at the two tickets he held, his eyes growing wide and his pace turning pale as the writing confirmed everything. They were indeed train tickets. Ira gulped.

"N..no problem.." replied Ira, giving a less then convincing thumbs up. Even now the thought of getting back onto that death machine was causing a bit of bile to rise upwards. "There.." he paused, lurching forward slightly and quickly flashing a right hand to support himself against the wall. "...there's no need.. to inconvenience... everyone.." he managed to force out as he attempted to reign in his body's reaction towards the expected train journey.

Shakily he turned his head and raised an unsteady arm towards Dresden. "H..here.. th..thats your ..ticket" he managed to stutter.
​

shadowdude505 JayeTheKat Lady Warlock Deadeyelee

 

[JayeTheKat]

✤ N●I●K●H●I●L ✤ P●E●R●L●A●K ✤

When Millie moved forward to claim the jar, Nikhil smiled a little. He nodded along with Ira's response to the little Raven's question after the man left to get a bookbag for the girl. Of course they'd find the missing people too. It'd be a waste of time not to. When Liam returned with a book-bag, and informed them of their now gone team-member, he still remained silent. The news of Kalin leaving the mission didn't matter to him, it just meant that there was more money for each of them then. That was always a good thing in his book. He held out his hand when Millie reached for it after it seemed they'd been dismissed, and let the girl grab onto it. He followed her out of the study and out to the front door.

He accepted the train ticket from the butler with his free hand and tucked the ticket into his pocket. He wondered briefly how riding a train was going to work with a dragon slayer on the team. As far as he could recall, dragon slayers were typically not fans of transportation.

Nikhil's thoughts on the train came to a halt when they came across a small, pale boy standing outside. How long had he been waiting there? He supposed it really didn't matter, and stopped thinking about it to listen to what the boy had to say. He smiled gently to Dresden, and waited until the boy had finished speaking to move. He didn't really listen to what the others said as he freed his hand from Millie gently and stepped closer to the young dragon slayer. Now, normally he would have been very against the idea of another member, but this little boy just hit home right off the bat. Paired with the fact that he was a new Raven Tail member, and he couldn't tell him no, not that he was going to anyway.

Slowly, not to scare Dresden, he knelt down onto his knees a little to be closer to the boy's height. He reached out gently and pulled Dresden into a light hug. "Of course you can come with. Welcome to Raven Tail, by the way. I promise we're not as scary as some say we are." He stated, quiet and gentle but still loud enough for everyone to hear. He didn't hold the hug long, and had let go of Dresden by the time Ira answered Skylar about the train issue. He stood up, and smiled one more time to Dresden, then turned to the other three.

"I wouldn't mind walking, if the girls are okay with it. It'll take longer but we'll still get there in the end. We can save the train for later when we bring the meteor pieces back here." He suggested with a shrug. His suggestion was made on behalf of Dresden as well, because personally he felt the child didn't look like he could quite handle a train ride right now.

❈

 

[Deadeyelee]

Dresden Gilmerton Dresden paled, and seemed to shrink back into his coat, under the gaze of the older Dragon slayer. He might not recognize another dragon slayer when he smelt one, but he could certainly sense a powerful potential predator behind those skeptical eyes. And then the Raven Tail mage with a facial mark took a step toward him and he flinched, and closed his eyes. But then a funny thing happened. He found himself in an embrace, being reassured by not only this man, but the shy looking girl behind him that it'd be alright if he tagged along.

He was not prepared for the overflow of warmth and for what for him was an out pour of affection. He would be alright if this moment lasted forever. He leans into the hug just a bit, not confident enough to return the hug, but comfortable enough to engage a little. Aboard a ship, any warmth was hard earned, and the only affection he got was that he had no interest in. At home. Well, he'd get neither. Beatings would continue until morale and skill improved. So this? This was a little much for Dresden. His new Guild Master had assured him everything would be ok, but now? Now he started to believe him.

His face reddened considerably, and briefly his eyes moisten, but as his fellow Raven Tail mage pulls away, he wipes them dry with the sleeve of his naval coat, and he snaps to proper stance of attention like a perfect little officer. "I-I won't let you down. I won't slow this group down because something as silly as motion sickness. Besides...it's not that different than a boat....I-I think I can get o-over it this time." His fist was clenched tightly behind his back. Dresden desperately didn't want to disappoint these people who had shown him such kindness. He hoped that this is what it really means to be in a guild, because he liked this feeling.


Phayne JayeTheKat shadowdude505 Lady Warlock

 

[Lady Warlock]

Millie Thorrin

It was almost impossible for Millie not to smile at the sight of the newcomer. He was small, like her, and she couldn’t help herself from instantly leaping to the conclusion that he would be a good friend to make. That was part of her youth, though, too. Millie always expected and anticipated friendliness from everyone and more often than not, it was hard for the people she met to not live up to her expectation. The smile on her face said a lot before her words could make her emotions obvious.

When Nikhil’s hand slipped out of her own, Millie’s hand clenched down, trying to snatch her guildmate’s hand before he could escape from her, but she wasn’t quite fast enough. The result of the whole situation was Millie tumbling forward on unbalanced little feet before nearly running right into Dresden. Luckily, she managed to shift her direction right before the collision and she put her hand on his shoulder because that was the only way she was going to keep herself from falling over. Millie really didn’t want to have her first meeting with a new guildmate end with her falling flat on her bum.

“Welcome to Raven Tail,” she echoed Nikhil’s greeting. “I’m Millie and I’m in Raven Tail too!” She sounded really excited about meeting a new person and it was honest joy in her voice.

However, with Millie, that couldn’t last for long. The young girl noticed that since Dresden was shorter than most of the guildmates she worked with, he was more likely to see something she really didn’t like to share. Her hand - almost subconsciously, but not quite - flew to cover the rather significant scar on her neck. It was something many of her taller guildmates couldn’t be reminded of often simply because her short stature and chin managed to shadow it, but she wasn’t sure if that would work with Dresden. Realizing, though, that her actions would only draw more attention to it, she put conscious effort into lowering her hand down.

“Uhm… yeah. I’m Millie. I’m in Raven Tail, too.”

Looking to the rest of their group, Millie could tell that not many people seemed to be in favor of taking the train. Millie was all about making everyone happy. “Well, if no one really wants to take the train, walking seems better. Then we save tickets too and we can use them later.”

She wasn’t about to wait for anyone to try getting them to change their mind, either. “Let’s go, guys!” Grabbing Dresden’s hand, she added, “You can walk with me! I can tell you all about Harrow Town.”

Deadeyelee JayeTheKat Phayne shadowdude505

 

[shadowdude505]

Skylar Livre
​

It looked like it was decided. No train ride, for now at least. Skylar was rather happy about that. It meant that Ira gets to have a long breather before having to take another train.

Skylar walked behind Millie. Knowing that the mage document was in her book bag, she began to think about what she'd say when they reached the closed off zone near the meteor site; would she even have to say anything? She could just show the guards the paper. Maybe she should prepare something simple just in case. "H..hi. W..we're the mages sent to in...investigate," she muttered to herself. She repeated the words to herself over and over again, nervously tapping her index fingers together.

After awhile she stopped repeating her phrase as she wondered about the others in her group, the Raven Tail members mostly due to being really familiar with Ira, being a Fairy Tail wizard herself. She wondered what Water Dragon Slayer magic looked like and the magical abilities of the other two Ravens. Her mind wandered from their magical abilities as she began to consider if they were beginning to get tired from the long walk.

Skylar reached into her book bag and pulled out Tin Man's book. She summoned the tall mechanical Storybook Summon and he began to walk beside her. "I...if you guys are getting tired, y...you can ride on Tin Man."

Deadeyelee JayeTheKat Phayne Lady Warlock

 

[JayeTheKat]

✤ N●I●K●H●I●L ✤ P●E●R●L●A●K ✤

Nikhil chuckled a little to himself at Millie pulling the young boy along with her. The girl's introduction made him realize he hadn't told Dresden his name. He decided not to worry about it though. He followed after the pair and Skylar, hanging back to walk beside Ira so that they weren't leaving the older dragon slayer out. He wasn't about to start a conversation, that really wasn't his thing anyway. He was content to just walk with the man and watch the little Raven's chat.

His attention went from the pair to Skylar as the girl summoned one of her storybook friends. He eyed the large, mechanical tin-man and then looked to the girl who summoned him again. Nikhil wondered what else she had in those books of hers. His mind drifted for a while, thinking about different children's books and whatnot. He went back to watching Millie and Dresden eventually. He was slightly concerned about the boy being able to make the walk, to be completely honest. He didn't look like he had eaten in a while. Maybe they'd be able to get the boy some food on the way to the site. He certainly hoped so at least.

Nikhil turned his head a little to watch Ira quietly, observing the dragon slayer and trying to figure out if he could actually trust him or not. The man seemed likable, at least in his introduction and actions so far, but the Raven Tail mage couldn't help but be curious and cautious of him. Their two guilds weren't exactly on the best of terms, and until he could figure out more about Ira, he'd still be careful around the man.

❈

 

[Phayne]

Ira exhaled deeply as the others began to talk about walking to their destination, a pang of guilt growing within himself as he began to feel responsible for this compromise, though that pang of guilt did rival the wave of relief that had also began to envelop him. While he hated to be one of the reasons for everyone else having to walk, Ira hated the nausea that overwhelmed him each and every time he stepped foot on a vehicle even more. The feeling of riding on any form of vehicle could only be described as having someone reach into your guts, grab your innards and play a game of jump rope with your intestines, so to be spared a second round of this 'torture' was a welcomed bliss for him, despite the feeling of guilt that tugged at him. ​

​

"Th..thank you.." he muttered softly, as he steadied himself back onto both feet, his right hand resting against the back of his head as he half bowed towards the rest of the group, grateful for their compromise. With everyone else on the move, Ira followed behind them and like Skylar and Nikhil, he watched in silence as the two youngest members of their group got to know each other. While dozens of questions were running rampant within his mind, Ira quelled the urge to voice them openly as he observed Millie and Dresden. For now he was content with the peaceful picture the pair of them were painting with their interactions.
​

Walking down the road amidst the hustle and bustle of the village locals, Ira took note of a few curious eyes that happened to linger upon them. Their intentions unknown, Ira could only give them the benefit of the doubt and to be fair, their group of five did stand out a bit when compared to the ordinary. The outlandish appearance of their crew only grew in absurdity with the appearance of Skylar's summon; The Tin Man.​

​

As with mother Nature, Ira could only gawk at the sight of one her summons. Ira had no doubt that this fella packed a punch in a fight given the sheer bulk of its build. On top of that, the 'inner boy' within Ira could only marvel at the Knightly armor, that the Tin man appeared to resemble. ​

"Perhaps Millie and Dresden can hitch a ride on Tin-man" offered Ira, hoping that this would ease the burden on them. Whilst the train imposed its problems on Ira and Dresden, a long walk could easily impose its own hurdles for others in the group. As he shifted his gaze between Skylar's summon and the duo leading them, Ira briefly caught a glimpse of Nikhil; the older Raven Tail mage.​

​

"Hmm" hummed Ira.​

​

Ira could feel the mans eyes upon him, though chose not to question it. ​

​

shadowdude505 JayeTheKat Lady Warlock Deadeyelee

 

[Lady Warlock]

Millie Thorrin and Dresden Gilmerton

Collab With: Deadeyelee​

Before Millie could really launch into a tale about how much she loved being a member of Raven Tail and before she could really start telling her new guildmate anything about Harrow Town at all, Millie heard something behind them and she turned around. The young girl’s eyes found Skyler’s “Tin Man” almost immediately and her jaw nearly dropped. “That is soooo coooool!” she proclaimed with quite a significant amount of excitement. Skyler had done one thing Millie couldn’t really do with any of her magic talents - create something. At least, he looked like a creation in Millie’s eyes.

Her hand reached out and she tapped Dresden’s shoulder to get him to turn around too. “Look at it! Isn’t that awesome!?”

Dresden blinked a bit dopey, turning his head in the direction his excitable new companion indicated. His eyes widen, and he scratches the back of his head. “When did he get here? I could've sworn I got a good head count…”

Millie found herself laughing slightly at that remark. “He didn’t get here, Silly. She made him.” And when she said ‘she,’ Millie was pointing to Skyler.

“Oh...right.” He looks down sheepishly. “I’m not so familiar with all the different types of magic to be honest. I guess I’ll just try and do as you say for now…” His belly growls and his desire to crawl into a nice cozy dark abyss intensifies. Pretty soon he’s going to start feeling faint. “It would be a waste not to utilize it, r-right?”

Nodding in agreement, Millie added, “Right!” Without further ado, the two youngest mages in the party both climbed onto Tin Man’s shoulders, and the spots upon which they found themselves perched fit almost perfectly for them. Millie threw her hands up and with a jubilant smile on her face, threw a fist forward and yelled, “Forward… MARCH!” The young girl was quite amused to be able to say it.

Dresden on the other hand, clung to the poor creation’s head, and seemed the model of placidity aside from jumping when his companion approximated a commanding officer. He had been a ship’s boy after all. He was not going to waste any energy he didn’t have to. Still, he had a contented smile, the gentle rocking reminding him of the only transportation he could stand. If he wasn’t careful, he’d nod off. He shyly glanced over at Millie. “Nearly scared me out of my socks, and I’m used to getting an ear lashing from the saltiest of sea dogs to ever sail.” He offered a cautious grin. This is how you socialize, right?

For a moment after they’d climbed on, Millie watched her guildmate curiously. For once, the young Raven actually felt like she could be somewhat responsible for someone else. She could help him adjust because she knew the way around and she could introduce him to all their guildmates. Millie loved each and every one of them like family. She frowned a bit, though, when he said that she’d scared him. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled softly with her head turned down as they moved.

That didn’t seem like a good spot to just sit and be silent, though. Millie decided to press on. “Did you get to see any of Harrow Town yet… before Master Kolton sent you to find us? It was Master Kolton who told you about the mission, right?” Mille couldn’t comprehend how he could learn about it any other way.

Dresden was in full damage control mode. He hadn’t meant to make her sorry. It was small talk. Like banter between crewmates, right? “Uh...no.” He laughs sheepishly. “I just picked one that would get me enough so I could find a place to stay, and be able to budget in at least a meal a day until I can get my bearings straight, and hoped for the best. I go where the wind carries me..,sometimes literally. B-But Guildmaster Kolton was really nice!” The last part was a desperate afterthought. The last thing he wanted to be was a total downer. Those kind of people were bad luck.

“Have you eaten at all yet, today?” It was the one question that popped into Millie’s head and she only thought of it because she could sense he wasn’t quite at his full well-being. It was an odd thing her blessing magic allowed her to comprehend… or maybe it came from the angel, but it didn’t matter. “Even one meal a day probably isn’t enough…” She didn’t like the thought.

He looked down. “I uh...had dinner the day before yesterday. It’s alright. This kind of stuff happens on ships. I’ll be fine.” He looked up with the best reassuring smile he could muster. He couldn’t pay and he was not asking for food either. If you can’t put food in front of you, you just aren’t working hard enough.

Nodding, Millie made a decision. “Alright. So we’re stopping for food, first. Got it!” There was a strange determination in her face and if there was nothing else that could be said about Millie, it could be said that she made sure everyone was at their best whenever they couldn't get there themselves. Turning her head to the other mages, she asked, “Is there a town anywhere close by? We need to stop for food.”

Presuming they gave an answer, Millie would direct Tin Man towards it. She wasn’t even sure if Tin Man was actually listening to her at all, but it was still a fun game to play.

Dresden seemed to deflate, This whole situation was beyond humiliating to him. He couldn’t pay for something as simple as food, and at least in his eyes, had been the cause of both of the group’s delays. He clenched the fist opposite of Millie and tried to think of some way to make this disaster work. For every nail, a hammer. “Just...I just need some water. I’m a water dragon slayer. I’ll pay you back when the mission’s over…” He was grasping at straws.

“Water?” Millie repeated with some small uncertainty. Then it all clicked in. She remembered some things about dragon slayers from a book that Adellon had showed her and she remembered that they could eat their element. Although… could you eat water? That just sounded weird in her head. However, she wasn’t going to question that part of it. “You don’t need to pay for water, Silly,” she giggled. “I hear a river somewhere up here. Will that work?”

He nodded, sighing in visible relief. “That would be perfect.”

Their group found the river with relative ease and Dresden was able to drink his fill. Millie made sure she could see some color come back into his face and she hoped that the others were reassured as well. Then, when the first issue seemed to be resolved at least temporarily, the two young Raven’s climbed back onto Tin Man and they would continue their journey towards the quarantined meteor area. It was a bit of a journey and Millie filled the time by telling Dresden everything she could think of about Raven Tail and Harrow Town. She didn’t mention any of the bad things, though, because those weren’t supposed to be important anymore.

Eventually, the group would find a line of security individuals ahead of them leading into a rather rocky - almost mountainous but not quite - area, and the group seemed to be tasked with keeping everyone out.

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