Main Story [Kingslayer Arc]

[Stormborn Targaryen]

Malakai Grave

“A government controlled guild… and you lost control of it?” Malakai spoke simply to clarify what he had heard because it seemed entirely outrageous. “You are now actively engaged in war with an organization claiming that the government is unable to effectively control and regulate mages and you have lost control of your own private guild army?” Though his words might have been extreme, the incredulity in his tone more than conveyed that he knew this only added more fire to the flames.


“You know that with that being said, there is absolutely no way you’re going to be able to regain the trust of the people, right?” His eyebrows raised at King Eisenhower. He would not rest without an answer to that one.


Furthermore, his continued words were only further stressors to Malakai. The mage had been listening to every guild representative as they spoke and he recalled that none of them said they were prepared to take orders like military dogs. Yet despite that having been their most obvious point, the king still seemed to assume that he could send them orders like they were his personal soldiers.


“Send all the orders you like. I will not submit my guild to your commands until you demonstrate that you are able to effectively regain control of Crime Sorciere. Until then, my guild will act on our own accord doing what we believe is best for the country whatever that may happen to be. I’m sorry, but I cannot turn over my guild to your control when the guild already in your control has handled things so poorly.”


In Malakai’s eyes, there were too many things that had already gone wrong. Had the king informed all the guilds sooner of the Red Tide’s actions, they could have dealt with their own members rather than having to watch them be brutally murdered. Had Crime Sorciere been polite and shared information accordingly, Blue Pegasus might not have been blown to bits because they could have worked together to address the situation rather than fighting amongst each other. Energy would’ve been better spent.


Nodding to the king and any remaining mages, Malakai took his leave of the king’s presence without more than that nod as a show of respect. The king had not earned a bow and Malakai would not offer one.


@BLUR

 

[shadowdude505]

Sarafina the Exceed

​

Sarafina could tell that Russel was feeling down in the dumps, even before he tried to smile. Other than offering the young Pegasus fish, she couldn't think of anything else that would cheer him up. Luckily Libby's voice broke through her thoughts. Leaving the fish with Russel, Sarafina darted past Ryos and heading to where she had heard Libby. The Exceed stood confused for a moment when she didn't see her guildmate. "She must have fallen through the floor..." she muttered.


She started to run down the stairs to search for Libby, but her guildmate's leg found her first. "Oof..." The next thing she knew was that she was sitting on her butt on one of the stairs. Luckily she hadn't been in her battle form, or Libby would have been the one sitting on the stairs. "What's the idea, Libby?" she asked, perking up. "Russel's here, maybe he'd like to hear the idea too."


@DaughterofAthena

_______________________________________________________

Gurren Simon

​

Gurren had intended to return to his guildhall, that is until he saw the sandstorm raging outside. His gut told him that this was the work of the Red Tide. Was it technology or magic? It didn't really mater to him. As a wizard it was his job to help people, whether they wanted it or not. Gurren took off his jacket and turned it into a makeshift scarf before running out into the storm.


With all the sand flying around, it was hard for Gurren to not feel like he was walking in circles. Not even a map of Crocus could help him now. Gurren spotted three forms running through the storm. A man, a woman (presumably the man's wife), and a male child (their son?). They were wearing scarfs and each were carrying a suitcase. The boy was father back from the adults and Gurren saw him trip. Over the roar of the sandstorm it didn't seem like his parents noticed.


Gurren ran up to the boy and picked him up, suitcase and all. "Hey! You're forgetting someone!" Gurren yelled at the adults as he ran up to them. He placed the boy beside the woman. She quickly grabbed the boys free hand and pulled the boy closer to her. "Honey, he's a Fairy Tail wizard!" the woman said to the man. "Damn wizard. Someone in your guild is behind this storm. That has to be it!" the man said as he swung his suitcase at Gurren.


With fire in his eyes, Gurren used his arm to block the man's suitcase. The Fairy Tail mage didn't even flinch. "I assure you no one from my guild is behind this and this isn't the work of any guild wizards," he replied. "But you probably won't accept that answer. I thought you wanted to get out of this storm, stop wasting time trying to fight me."


"W...was that a threat?" the woman asked the man. "Of course it was. Let's get out of here before he can act on it."


Gurren let out a disappointed "tsk" as the small family ran off. The Red Tide had made his job harder by spreading the distrust of wizards. At least he knew he helped one family get out of the storm safely. He doubted the mother would let go of her son's hand until they were clear of the storm.


Gurren wan't in a good mood after that encounter. He really wanted to find someone from the Red Tide so he could blow off some steam. That is until he faintly heard a familiar voice.


“It’s just overwhelming… all the minds in the storm.”


It was Olive. Gurren's mood lifted. She sounded far away, or maybe she was really close due to how loud the storm was. Either way he had to investigate. He wasn't going to let his missing friend stay missing.


"Olive! You out there?! Where are you, Olive?! Ooooollllliiiiivvvvveeee!" he yelled at the top of his lungs as he ran through Crocus.


@DaughterofAthena @Hellkite

 

[utdfan22]

JAMKE DAIN (Lamia Scale)



​

The meeting with the King had come to an end, the King having taken their words on-board from what he could hear. The King seemed a very patient man for one in his position, a diplomat through and through. "I suppose he'd have to be to get the alliance with Perengrande off the ground," Jamke reflected briefly while considering the power disparity between the two. "His eyes are also very alert. He's examining us very carefully." Jamke crossed his fingers just in front of his nose, obscuring much of his face. That allowed him to keep his composure more easily as the King revealed his connection to Crime Sorciere. "The situation devolved into a mess but... what was the extra factor at play then?" Jamke wondered, eyes carefully watching the King from their corner. "If he wanted to manipulate us, why reveal the connection to Crime Sorciere at this stage? Fear of discovery might rate at about a forty percent chance but the Mage Guilds would be resistant to Red Tide information due to their infiltration. Someone needs to uncover that detail quickly or uncover its falsehood." His tenseness rose, not at Gurren's potential anger but at Lynn's preparation to take him down. Gurren or Lynn could probably win handily enough to keep things limited but a conflict between the two could enflame things. "Gurren doesn't seem too bad though. I've never got a malicious or ignorant impression from him." Drake quietly leaving didn't really grab his attention either, the complexity of things making it hard to get a read on someone he didn't know or intend to fight.


His musings were distracted as he got up to leave, quietly bowing his respects to put together his future plans. The Guild would need to rally quickly and efficiently in the following days, at least to protect themselves. Those thoughts were thrown off not only by the heavy feeling of magic but by the sight of the sandstorm raging outside the windows. The grains rattled against the windows and collected, leaving Jamke blinded to the outside world. "The Red Tide are already making their move? Well, I shouldn't be surprised. This would be an obvious target to fracture our alliance. The surrounded windows are all blocked out by the storm, so there's no obvious blind spot." Jamke ran his hand through his silver hair, moving a few loose strands behind his ear, quickly running through his options, "People outside could be endangered as well as those of us in the palace. Anyone here is an easy target if their goal is any more complicated than simple rabble-rousing against the Guilds. The storm makes neutralizing them almost impossible." The thoughts rumbling around in Jamke's head were quickly scrambling for a plan of action that would, at least, mitigate the ability of the Red Tide agents inside to hide.


Jamke's head pushes back into the throne room, not having much time to stop as he hoped someone in the room would hear him. Glancing around for the King, an idea came to his head, "Please tell people to get underground, possibly into their basements if they have them, in case the glass shatters or the buildings can't stand up to the pressure." He glanced upwards, taking a moment to confirm his plan was what he wanted. "What's the tallest point of this building with a decent foothold?"


Jamke soon found himself walking out onto the roof, using his arm to try and block out the sand. His skin grew rawer under the intense blasts of high wind but it was nothing he hand't experienced before. The Iceberg native knew the real risks of a storm like this had little to do with the buildings collapsing and more to do with being buried by the sand itself. The coarse material could seriously damage eyes and throats but the real risk was being trapped. That necessitated limiting the effects of the raging sandstorm, which, actually wouldn't be too difficult in this situation. "Provided the sandstorm isn't being constantly enhanced by magic... I should be able to some decent work to clean this up. Sand travels far and fast at these speeds, which means that if it was moved, it wouldn't be reclaimed." A glyph of blank white gathered in front of the palm of the hand, beginning to drop snowflakes gently in the first moment before the glyph started to brighten rapidly. A burst of snow cut out through the air in a sharp movement, "White Fang!" The blade of snow created a brief opening in the sandstorm, allowing Jamke to gauge the open distance in front of the castle. Other blasts sliced out through the air, Jamke rapidly scouting out the height of the sandstorm versus the height of the buildings below. The calculations were taking shape in Jamke's head as he moved his hands together, the glyph morphing into a new shape as he did so. "Blizzard," Jamke muttered as his eyes shut forcibly as the storm battered down upon him. Snow ripped through the air, forming a thick burst of powder merging with the sand above. The snow started gathering up traces of sand.


The initial burst was met with heavy resistance, seeming to force back against him with a magic at least comparable to his own (and firing far more indiscriminately). All of a sudden though, he was able to pop open his eyes as the pressure lessened. It was probably imperceptible to those caught below but Jamke noticed his success raising rapidly. "The source must have been taken out," Jamke figured, having to concentrate too much on his magic to actually figure out the consequences. He was bashing away at the sand rising into the air with as much force as he could, driving the heavier loads of snow as far up into the sky as he could in the interim. "Keep funneling... the Blizzard spell generates wind as well. I need to think of it like a trap, gathering up as much of the sand below as it travels upwards. Visibility is the key..." His focus was the only thing keeping his trembling arms from disrupting the spell at this point. The difficulty on operating what was normally a very blunt spell with any kind of nuance was straining him mentally and that was building stress. His lack of practice meant he was hemorrhaging unnecessary magical power atop this. The sands below weren't totally breaking but the dust was thinning just a bit. "Need to find somewhere to put it where it's unlikely to call harm. There should be a large body of water near here but I need to make sure I can reach it once visibility markedly improves."

 

[Lady Warlock]

Olive Kittana

She could sense Alicia drawing nearer though she didn’t turn to look back at her. There was no point if she couldn’t even be sure she would actually be able to see her. The sandstorm was blurring everything, it seemed, to Olive’s eyes. She was lucky her magic could more than replace her sight.


“I’ve seen enough… the people are afraid because they don’t know who they can trust,” Olive explained. “Some have reason to doubt that all mages are bad as your rebellion seems to imply. You inspired such doubt in the mother of the boy you saved as you could not have done that without magic.” Her words were not meant to be a jibe or an attack in any way. Olive was simply reporting what she read within minds she crossed paths with and her tone was highly contemplative, reflecting that.


Hearing that a perimeter team failed to check in, Olive zoned out for a moment, seeking out Dusty’s mind once more and wondering if the men lying upon the ground around him had been such a team. Looking through his eyes, she couldn’t quite tell. The sand looked just as thick where he was as it did where she was kneeling upon the ground now. It worried her because if that had been Dusty and if that had been the perimeter team, she could slowly see her guild being torn apart by it. That wasn’t at all what Olive wanted.


“I do imagine it was likely just interference from the storm. I could try to find them, to see if they’re still there, if you wanted me to. I’d need to know where to look, though.” It was merely an offer and Olive knew it would sate her own curiosity. Pushing off the ground, she stood back on her feet again and turned to face Alicia. “I have no reason to stay, though.”


She thought for a moment longer before adding, “Though I am curious… what enemy would be moving to counter us?”


Spotting a crowd moving east, the quickest way out of the sandstorm’s rage, Olive started walking to move into it, knowing that following the crowd would allow them to blend in and to move quickly, both of which seemed like important components at the moment. She hoped Alicia wouldn’t object to that because her own feet were already moving forward. However, as Olive started walking, she also heard something and it made her hesitate. Her eyes trickled towards Alicia because Olive herself was unsure if she actually heard something or if it was a scream from a mind.


She only knew one thing for certain. One way or another, she’d heard Gurren - his actual words, maybe carried on the wind, or his thoughts.


@Hellkite @shadowdude505 (mentioned)

 

[Hellkite]

Alicia Spearheart
​

“I do imagine it was likely just interference from the storm. I could try to find them, to see if they’re still there, if you wanted me to. I’d need to know where to look, though.”


Alicia considered for a moment. If her own comms-lacrima was working well enough to receive messages from Tide HQ in the midst of the storm, then it stood to reason that the perimeter team's would be working too. If so, then radio silence seemed ominous at the least.


Still, it be would foolish to jeopardize an asset such as Olive and a Tide commander like myself on such a dubious search and rescue.


"No, don't worry about it." Alicia's tone had an air of certainty, something which she had quickly learned to adopt among the Red Tide. If a leader appears to lack confidence, then their subordinates will suffer likewise. "Others will check on our missing patrol. For now it's more important to get clear of this storm before we're discovered."


Alicia made to follow Olive but paused just as she did, cocking her head to listen.


"Olive! You out there?! Where are you, Olive?! Ooooollllliiiiivvvvveeee!"





The storm made the words seem faint, but that they could be heard at all over its roar suggested that the source was close.


"I recognize that voice..." Alicia started to rock on the balls of her feet, her stance indicating energy and a hint of nerves. "He might not be alone. We need to go."


Alicia started towards the crowd again, making three steps before stopping once more in her tracks. She frowned, and brushed her fingers over the shoulder over coat. There, mingled with the sand...


Snow?


Alicia glanced up. There wasn't much, but disguised in the storm was a light snowfall. Even as she watched the whirling stand started to slacken, and visibility improve. Alicia muttered a low curse.


"Someone's lifting the sandstorm."


A short distance away, further down the street, a third figure was now visible. Alicia recognized Gurren, from Fairy Tail, thankfully alone. She was separated from him now only by the dunes and the eddying of sand in the air as it settled.


"Afternoon, Gurren. Before you do anything rash; neither of us want to fight."


Without taking her eyes from the Fairy Tail mage, Alicia murmured to Olive.


"If you want to talk, now's your chance. Do it quick; I want to be clear of here, with or without him, before anyone else can arrive. If it comes down to a fight I'm taking you and teleporting out."


@DaughterofAthena @shadowdude505

Courtesy of Jamke Dain (@utdfan22) the sandstorm in central Crocus is starting to lift! Robbed of their advantage, the Red Tide are under instructions to withdraw prematurely. Doubtless Jamke has foiled the Tide here, but retribution will surely be swift. Beyond giving chase or assisting with the rescue efforts, there is little else to be done but wait for the extent of the damage inflicted by the Tide to become evident. Officials assure you that your first assignments will arrive imminently, and that for now you should regroup with your guilds at the Palace and prepare.

 

[Lady Warlock]

Millie Thorrin, Drake Silver and Caitlyn Malachi

Millie smiled at her guildmate as he walked over to her and sat down on the bench beside her. Though her mind was still heavily distracted, the child heard what he had said and she mumbled something unintelligable as her feet swung off the ground for a moment. Her eyes were lost in a daze for a moment as her lips seemed to be repeating something over and over again.


Almost instantly when she felt Drake's arm rub against her own as he leaned back, Millie's head shook swiftly, snapping her out of whatever trance she had been momentarily locked within. Her gaze shifted to Drake real quickly and she smiled. "I'm ready. I've got my scarf!" She grabbed the fabric and held it up like she was really happy to have it. In reality, she had almost forgotten it at their hotel that morning before she left.


"The zoo sounds fun!"


Drake closed his eyes for a moment before nodding as he stood up. "I thought it would be. Something you can tell your bird friends when we get back to Raven Tail." He said as he now looked back at the girl. "Let's get going, after that meeting I could go for a nice walk, and maybe...hmm Ice cream or donuts. Not sure just yet." He said as he extended his hand to the girl to take so they could get going.


"Oooh! Ice cream! Please, Drake?" Millie lept up and grabbed his hand before promptly starting to drag him along even though she didn't quite know where she would find ice cream or where the zoo was. The thought of needing to know where to go never even occurred to her.


That didn't matter because after a few steps, Millie froze. Focusing ahead of her, Millie saw that an entire skyline was consumed by winds and she couldn't see any of the towers anymore. "Uhm... Drake... what is that?" Millie dropped his hand so she could point to what she was seeing.


When the winds hit Drake was suprised by this and the sands that went with it. Narrowing his eyes a bit, it didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on. "That's a magic spell... Possibly a powerful sand make spell, or a wind one. Either way someone is likely attacking that area..." He said as he looked at the bellowing sandstorm. "For this to happen so shortly after the meeting, I highly doubt this is a random attack from a bunch of nobodies...."


"Do you think there are people in there?"


"Without a doubt. In an area like that there going to be quite a few people there." Drake said as he silent thought about what to do. In a sandstorm like that, the visiblity would be very low for him. However if the attackers were who he thought they were, the Red Tide. Then there would always be that chance he would run into someone he truly wished to beat. Though given the circumstance...


Millie had no hesitation after she heard what Drake had to say. "Well then we've gotta go help them!"

"Show them. Show them, child."

The words still echoed through her mind and Millie started running. No longer was she holding Drake's hand. She just ran on her own, determination flooding her eyes as her body slowly began to emit a golden aura that consumed her form before the proclamation came. "Takeover Magic: Angel Form!" It was a spell her guildmates knew she usually feared to use, but her voice was firm and loud now. Nothing would stop her as white wings grew from her back reaching out further than her arms as they expanded and carried her into the air towards the storm.


Drake who was trying to figure out what to do looked at Millie with a raised brow. "I know but I can't just go in a sandstrom. Especailly with what I'm wearing." He said went silent as he watched the girl. "....Millie..." he said in a warning tone as the gold emitted from the girls body. "Don-" Before he could finish his next statment the spell was announced, one that Drake was honestly suprised she was using. Just as she started to fly off Drake reached out to grab her but missed. "Millie! You can't rush in there! The storm might be too strong for the air! Millie!!"


By the time Drake had screamed, Millie's wings were already carrying her straight towards the storm and she didn't look back at all either. Every thought in her mind was consumed by the fact that she needed to show people that magic wasn't bad, that magic saved people. She needed to prove herself.


Hitting the sandstorm was like hitting a brick wall. All of a sudden, Millie couldn't move forward anymore and Millie couldn't control her wings anymore either. The wind took them and thus the wind took her. Spiraling her through the air as Millie cried out in panic, her screams were inaudible against the screams of everyone running from the storm down below her and it was doubtful anyone could see her even if they did look up. She was simply too high.


"Damn it Millie!" Drake shouted knowing she was too far at this point to hear him. Turning his eyes from his usual blue to his emerald green he tried to see if he could follow her soul. He was able to for a moment but when she entered the sandstorm, it only took a second before she was out of his range.


Cussing quite a bit he looked at Ursa Minor who had been next to him this entire time. "I think you can return now buddy.... I got to enter a godamn sandstorm without any of my gear." He let out a frustrated sigh and after blinking at Drake twice, the small spirit started to disappear returning to the spirit world.


Before it was fully gone Drake ran off, however not straight to the storm. Him entering a storm with any skin exposed was very risky. Seeing as he didn't want to risk getting cut by the sand from the high winds and bleeding out before he can find Millie he needed to get protection first. Luckily for him there was a clothing shop on pretty much every street. Unlucky for him, most of it was woman fashion.


Averagely Drake was one to keep up appearance, but he really didn't have time to shop for his favorite brand. Rushing into a random store he placed a stack of money on the counter which paid for more than enough for what he grabbed. Snatching some gloves and a scarf he placed them on before running out of the store ignoring the lady who was the lady who was obviously confused. 'Fuck! This material won't last long. Damn it!" After he got the last glove on he jumped into the air and four disks left his pocket, a green glow emitting from them. Two going on each foot he used this to hover above the ground before speeding off at nice speeds toward the sandstorm. As he got closer he realized he needed to protect his eyes.


'Really need to keep my stuff with me.' He thought as he scanned the area. Not wanting to go on a detour he simply snagged someone's sunglasses and placed them on. 'Yay...lower visiblity. This better work.' He approached the sandstorm as he approached the sandstorm his eyes once more glowing green under the glass, while he searched for Millie's soul.


Rose hadn't known what to expect when she ran into the storm after talking to Lynn. The winds were far stronger than she'd thought, and she found herself struggling against them to take each step. The sand and wind began to hurt her eyes rather quickly. She put up an arm in front of her face to block it as she walked.


As she went she pointed people running away back towards the palaces main hall. She could hear multiple detonations and heavy crashes from different directions. Things must be pretty bad if she heard that over the winds. She continued to direct civilians to the palace as she pushed forward. 'I hope this is enough. I'm afraid there's not much else I can do alone in this storm.'


All of a sudden, an incessant scream flooded Rose's ears before the wind took over for the scream's melody, hissing and whistling in the girl's ears before another - smaller - girl barreled straight into the girl trying to help people get away. A golden glow consumed her as the wings that the wind had nearly torn to shreds faded away and left simply the figure of a small collapsed child in the place of what was most definitely an angel.


As soon as the screaming young girl hit Rose she heard a cracking sound as she was knocked over. Initially she assumed the small girl was the one who had made the cracking sound, but as she attempted to reach out for her with her left hand she knew it had been her. She found herself unable to bend her left wrist, which now jittered at an odd angle. The nerve endings there didn't register the pain due to her burns, but nevertheless she could not use it.


Instead she held that arm close to her body and weakly jostled the small form. "A-are you ok?" She asked this rather weakly as the overall pain of impact set in over the rest if her body. She knew she might get hurt, but this was hardly how she'd expected it.


As she was rolled off of the girl who had become her unintended landing pad, Millie was quick to look at her, eyes flooded with apology. "I am sooo sorry! I was an idiot and I tried to fly and..." Millie's eyes fell to the arm cradled against the girl's core. "Your hurt."


It wasn't even something Millie had to consciously think about. She had charged into the storm to help people, to show them that magic could be good and here was a fine opportunity to help. Reaching inside of herself and finding that weird presence that always seemed to speak to her, Millie reached out, putting her hand on the woman's wrist. "I cast the Blessing of Healing... by the Angel's will."


Almost as soon as the spell was cast, the bones would mend, knitting themselves together. Millie stumbled backwards, slightly losing her balance at the energy she lost at casting the spell. She still smiled, though. She looked straight into the woman's eyes and smiled. "Better?"


Rose looked on in amazement as the young girl healed her wrist. She rotated it around a couple times and was happy to find, while she still couldn't feel it, she was able to move it again. Which was great in her opinion. She was already told the magic used to burn her didn't seem to be healable, so she wasn't expecting that to be affected.


"Yes, much better. Thank you. So, y-you are a mage too? Are you out trying to help the people stuck in the storm?" Rose was a bit surprised honestly, as the girl appeared very young. Although, with the things she has seen so far since coming to Fiore, she shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore.


Millie nodded swiftly. "Mhm." Stumbling for a few more steps, Millie watched her own feet in an attempt to regain her balance and much to her relief, it actually worked. It was a surprising feat considering she couldn't see her own shoes. "I want to help. How can I help?"


Millie contemplated for a moment. She knew that she couldn't see very well. That had to mean a lot of other people couldn't see either. "Do you think some light would help?"


Rose gave the young girl what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Light might help those near enough to us. Plus it could help make finding people easier. That's a very good idea." Rose reached into her jacket and pulled out her Book, holding it close to her chest. She held out her right hand like she was grasping a handle. "Fire Make: Sword," she spoke softly.


With a small crackling sound, and a short lived wave of exhaustion, a wavering sword of flame about three feet long appeared in her hand. The sword didn't feel hot to Rose, but it still began emitting light. She didn't know if it could hurt other without her intending to, but she kept it a bit above and away from the girl as a precaution.


"My name is Rose. What's your's?"


Millie took a hesitant step back when fire appeared, though she was surprised that the flames were maintained amidst the wind and the sand blowing about and that showed in her expression. Her eyes followed the sword as the girl moved it. "Oh... uhm... ok..." Millie had been hoping that she could be helpful and the fire made her feel as though she was unneeded. She couldn't say that though. She didn't know why, but it seemed impolite.


"I'm Mil..."


At this time Drake who had struggled to get through the worst of the sandstorm finally located Millie's soul. Getting off the disks as he worried about suddenly running into another he made his way quickly over to the girls soul. Even with the poor visibilty he was able to get by a few obstacles before he actaully saw the girl without the use of his magic. "Millie! What in the earthland were you thinking!?" He exclaimed not paying heed to the other girl as of the moment.


Millie's attention turned swiftly to Drake when she heard him come running and she frowned immensely as she realized she was being scolded. Her head hung low and she muttered, "I... I just wanted to help..."


"Help!? Millie! You ran head first into a sandstrom, you got lucky!" Drake exclaimed before taking a breath and rubbing his head. 'Come on, now is not the time and place, besides its her I shouldn't be shocked about what she did.' He thought before looking down at her as he put his hand down.


"Are you okay? Did you get hurt on the fall or anything? Also.........who's the girl with the fire sword. I assume not our enemy since she's not attack us right now." Drake said though he was still wary of her none the less.


Millie glanced down at herself hesitantly. She didn't see anything out of place and nothing felt broken. "I think I'm alright," Millie replied before she drifted her gaze back to Rose. "And this is Rose. I think she's a friend... she was trying to help people too."


Rose began shifting uncomfortably as she became the focal point of the conversation. She lowered the sword as if to assure the man she wasn't an enemy. "He-hello. My name is R-Rose. I'm a Mermaid Heel guild member. The newest member a-actually. Sorry ab-bout the sword." She tried to stifle the stutter ineffectively as she showed her right hand where her pink guild symbol was.


Drake had to squint to see the symbol but when he did he nodded. "Drake, Raven Tail mage." he said before looking at Millie. "You won't leave even if I drag you will you?" He said with a sigh making sure to keep his mouth covered by the scarf he had. He didn't wait for the answer as he looked around. "Sometimes Millie, any clue how we should actually help? There's a lot going on in this damn storm and there are likely a lot of people still here since this only started a little while ago."


To Drake's first question, Millie shook her head, determination flooding her eyes if he could see them. To his second question, even Millie didn't have a clue and her gaze shifted to every corner she could peer into as she tried to come up with an answer. In the end, she didn't have one and it disappointed even herself. "No... I don't know how to help." Her head hung low as she realized that even with magic, there really wasn't anything she could do.


Millie couldn't help but wonder why it couldn't be as easy as helping the birds. All you had to do was get some bread and break it into crumbs and they loved you for it. That was something Millie could do. This, though, she couldn't fix.


diverted her eyes from the two mages, an overtly nervous mannerism. "Nice to meet you Millie, and Drake." While she kept her eyes away from them she began noticing something. It looked as if the sandstorm was.... weakening? A chill ran down her spine as something cold landed on the back of her neck.


She reached back and touched the cold spot. As she did her hand came away oddly wet. "Wha-what?" She looked directly upwards and found that mixed in between the sand was... something rather white and fluffy. She hadn't ever seen it in person, at least that she knew of. But she was pretty sure it was snow. "Wooooow," she said in astonishment, "Well. I don't think w-we'll have to wait long for the storm to lift." She pointed upwards as she spoke.


Drake looked at the girl who was on the ground and listened to her before looking up himself. "The storm is getting rather puny. Why is it snowing now?" He asked no one really as he looked in confusion. "....Whoever casted the spell must think fun time is over or they finished what they wanted to." Now he looked at Millie and was quiet for a bit. "You want to help huh? Then we are going to go to the more populated spots and see if there is anyone injured. If so we'll try to help them, and if we find any members of the Red Tide or possibly people that did this. Then I can have my own fun. How about it?"


Millie glanced up to the sky, taking in the sight of the snow with a glimmer of magic in her eyes. "Snow?" Her head tilted and she reached out a hand, catching a snowflake in her hand and marveling at its perfection in her palm.


As it melted, her gaze returned to Drake and she nodded hesitantly. "I guess so...?"


Rose scratched at her left wrist and looked between the two. Despite Millie's apparent age she was quite strong. Drake however simply seemed strong just by her first glance. If these were just two of the mages in the storm helping people, then she was likely unneeded anymore.


She wasn't very strong after all. She gave the two a shaky smile. "Well it was nice meeting you Millie and D-drake. But now I should probably head back to the palace and wait for my guild master." She began walking backwards a bit, not looking away from them for a few feet. Then turning around and beginning her trek back, she spoke over her shoulder. "I hope I c-can see you two again sometime!"


Millie simply nodded in the direction of Rose and watched her go. "Good luck and be careful! The storm's not gone yet." A small utterance crossed her lips as she waved her hand towards Rose, a blessing of luck traveling with the Mermaid Heel mage now.


Collaboration with @AllHailDago and @Peaceswore

 

[AllHailDago]

Cipher and Caitlyn Alissa Malachi


Cipher gazed out into the sandstorm with something akin to melancholy as the order for all Red Tide operatives to withdraw came through to him. In truth, he'd done very little to cause panic compared to his colleagues, which honestly didn't surprise him. He was less of a loud, bludgeoning hammer and more of a sharpened scalpel. Too efficient to cause enough of a ruckus for this sort of thing. As he gazed out through the sandstorm, or what he could see anyways, even his special eyeware only afforded him semi-normal vision in this sandstorm Caleb cooked up.


However, his near-average eyesite DID allow him to pick out a slight figure shuffling awkwardly through the storm, despite what appeared to be a snow-storm forming as a counter to Caleb's own magic. Nevermind what his standing there encased in his field of Ethernano-sapping field has done to the boy's storm. In any case, given that he was now hesitantly what he would refer to as "off the clock" as far as the Tide was concerned, he lowered his field and made his way towards the figure.


Approaching from the left side, Cipher paused and he vaguely recognized this girl. Oh wonderful. With an internal sigh, he sincerely hoped he didn't scare her to death. With as cautious an approach as one such as he could muster in a sandstorm, he gingerly tapped the girl's arm, inwardly shaking his head at himself for his sudden aptitude for sneaking since he was employed by the Tide. Well...too late to go back now. Raising his hands in a show of peace, Cipher raised his voice to as low and level as he could over the storm. "Are you attempting to go back to the palace?"


Rose was rather absorbed in her thoughts on the way back. Her concern for Lynn's well-being and curiosity over what the huge flashes and explosions were earlier had consumer her mind. Honestly, she should've known better after what she'd been through. Paying attention to her surroundings was what kept her alive so far, aside from the wills of other people.


So absorbed in her thoughts as she was, the sudden touch on her arm made her jump a couple feet to one side. Her heart rabbited in her chest as she put her hand inside her coat. Instinctively reaching for her Book if she needed it. It turned out to just be a curious man asking her if she was headed to the palace. She couldn't get too good a glance at his face due to the storm and his hood being up.


However she was able to make out silvery hair and a rather thin frame. Not as thin as herself, but honestly she'd be concerned if anyone else was. His voice rang with a sort of.... familiar tone. Where did she know him from? Suddenly she realized she had just stared at him silently for quite a while. Turning beet red and hoping he didn't see it behind her scarf and the sandstorm. "S-sorry. You startled me a bit. I am, are you?"


Unfortunately for her, Cipher did indeed possess the visual acuity to spot the slight change of tint to her skin-tone, though only over what small amount of skin the girl had showing. In truth, he was happy at that reaction on a small level, as it meant she did not recognize him fully. At her apology, Cipher shielded his face to dip in his head in a slight nod of apology "Apologies then Miss." Taking her question into account, Cipher merely shook his head. "I am not. I am.. was... merely headed home. However, someone such as yourself shouldn't be travelling alone in...normal circumstances. Let alone..." Cipher glanced around for emphasis before returning his gaze to Rose's own eyes. "THIS."


Rose tried measuring her breathing as her face began to cool. She smiled at his apology, and then realizing her scarf was a bit in the way just nodded instead. "It's fine. I should've been paying more attention. It's pretty dumb to let down my guard in this storm, mage or no huh?" She let out a short, nervous laugh. "Besides, heading home in this? I am surprised."


After a moment's though, Cipher actualy removed his goggles and offered them to the girl with a casual motion, glancing at her bandaged left hand before motioning to her right hand with his free hand like one would a wounded, frightened animal given her timid demeanor. Offering her the eye-wear in the same moment he stopped walking and his free hand gently tugged her hand just enough to get her to stop, or hint to her to do as such, before nodding his head in a direction not quite to the side, but not quite behind them as he once again raised his voice "Then, if you don't mind an escort, you MAY want to come this way."


Her breath caught in her throat as he grabbed her hand, but she forced herself to remain still. He was just trying to help, she just needed to calm down. She took the goggles a bit reluctantly, making sure to wipe them off before putting them on. "T-Thank you. I suppose if you want to, that's fine. There is more safety in numbers after all." She began walking in the direction he'd gestured. Hr must have a great sense of direction to know where to go. Or, it could be familiarity with the city too.


Cipher began the tenuous process of escorting the girl through the miniature dunes of sand that had begun to form underfoot. In retrospect, it likely would have been wiser for him to have kept the goggles for the increased visibility so he could possibly steer them around anyone who would notice him. Even still, this girl seemed... different then what he was used to expecting from guild mages. As they continued walking their way through the slightly-lessened storm, the occasional touch of snow making Cipher shrug and unintentionally barely tightening his grip on the girl's hand. "So then, may I ask your name Miss? I'm...' Cipher racked his brain for a mere moment "Arthen. It would be nice to meet you, if the weather was just a little nicer..." A small part of himself began to recognize how easy it was becoming to lie about who he was, but Cipher kept that easily to himself.


Rose seemed to stop breathing everyone his grip tightened, her unease rising with each passing second. Eventually she wriggled her hand out if his grasp as politely as she could. "S-sorry. I just, I kind of have an issue with people touching me." She tried to look apologetic, but found it hard through both goggles and a scarf covering her face.


Rose gave a shallow half bow as she introduced herself. "My name is Rose. I'm a member of the Mermaid Heel guild." She got as close as she was comfortable, and lifted up the back of her right hand to show him her guild mark.


"It's nice to meet you Arthen. I have to admit, I was expecting anybody out here to be either panicked or angry. I'm surprised you seem so.... calm about this."


Cipher, or he suppoed for now, Arthen, released her hand as soon as she began to move as if she wished it free. At her odd explanaton he shook his head and waved a hand dismissively."No need to explain. Everyone has their own... quirks." Cipher blinked a bit as the timid girl actually moved close and revealed her guild mark to him. Her greeting back, and frankly rather obvious observation, made him pause in thought before he stopped walking and turned to her. His eyes levelling with her own now-hidden eyes before his expression all but dead-panned and he sighed "I suppose that would be because I'm a member of the Red Tide, and was, and am, completely aware of what's going on here, even before you were." His expression was studious, inquisitive as it roamed her features and mannerisms. He was tensed only a miniscule amount, as he was vaguely aware of the fact she may very well attack him, though somehow... he doubted it.


Keeping his truthful, frank demeanor but retaining as much of the helpful air he may have held before, Cipher shook his head "Before you ask, this IS the right way back to he palace, in fact we're nearly there which is why I stopped to tell you this. As I have a question for you, if you don't mind?"


When he mentioned being Red Tide Rose went entirely motionless, like a deer in headlights. She contemplated going for her Book and defending herself, but a thought occurred to her. He snuck up on her, and had an obvious chance to hurt or kill her then without her having ever known. A small chill ran down her spine as the thought of that passed. So if he wasn't trying to harm her, and if he's telling the truth about it being the right way.... what could he want. "I-I don't know what I could possibly answer that you'd want to know. But fine. Go ahead." She widened the distance between them as she spoke. "And please don't come any closer anymore."


Cipher listened calmly to her demands, and merely nodded in acqueisence. "I understand. Nor do I blame you, to be honest." Cipher glanced around for a moment, before returning hi gaze to the girl and he gave his head a slight tilt "Tell me, Rose, if you would. What do you think the Red Tide wants? Why do you think people join it?"


Rose furrowed her brow at the question posed to her. Whatever she had expected him to ask, this was not at all on her radar. Though she supposed, it probably should've been. "I um, I don't really kn-know. I haven't been in my guild, or this country for long. I only heard of the Red Tide in the last week or so. D-don't they want equality for non-mages? That's why people join, right?" She fidgeted a bit, wondering why Caleb had joined the Red Tide. It wasn't something she had thought much on yet.


Cipher nodded politely to her answer, glancing in the direction of the palace before sighing "Indeed. That would be the main reason, and what is undoubtedly the central drawing point for non-magical, and even some mage recruits." His expression shifted a bit as he paused "However, as for myself... and I would assume others, the subject of.. responible use of magic is more personal." Cipher glanced around them before levelling his gaze at her "Obviously, mages can cause a lot of havoc, a lot of HURT, if left unchecked. While guilds are...... almost necessary despite this, they've become... inefficient." He sighed before glancing at the ground "I suppose you're wondering why I'm bothering to tell you this? Well... I've.. fought... mages before... and I've come to believe understanding is more effective than things like this. This is something just to garner attention, I believe.... I hope."


Another small pause before he smiled, if just a tiny bit "I tell you because you seem different. Others would have attacked me on sight if I mentioned being part of the Tide. Not only that, but maybe you could tell others. Those without magic should have a fair chance, and those with magic should have enough of a grasp on themselves not to lay waste to entire islands or countries... or.. families." He sighed heavily, before raising his gaze to her eyes "So then, you've humored me. I apologize for being long-winded. If you'd like to ask something in return, I'll answer as honestly as I can. Whether you like the answer.... I can't determine."


Rose simply digested everything Arthen, or whatever his real name was, said. What he spoke of seemed... somewhat familiar to her. The emotion behind his words was overt in some ways and subtle in others, but she could tell thus was something he truly cared about. Peace. Safety. Were there really so many people who felt this way, that the Red Tide's violence wasn't really the desire?


She didn't really know what to believe, as she'd barely had time to begin learning about thus country. She'd lived here maybe a month or less at this point, and it just seemed like so much. She'd have to think on it more later. "I... I see. I'll definitely consider whe you all are coming from before making h-hasty decisions later. I d-do have a question for you actually." She scratched nervously at her left hand as she considered asking. She had to. "D-Do you know who or where Caleb is?"


Cipher merely watched her as she contemplated what he'd said, not expecting much else to be honest, however her question caught him slightly off-guard. Making him briefly contemplate how to answer her. "I... do." He answered slowly. Studying the girl a bit closer, Cipher hummed before sighing "Roughly on both accounts I suppose. Caleb Augustus Malachi." He gave a small, confirming nod before chewing the inside of his lip "Someone important to you I trust? Well... he's responsible for this, and... I suppose, is technically under my orders." Cipher shook his head "He's a good kid, and shouldn't be involved in this. Though...to be honest you seem older and even less suited for it than he. Let me ask you this, if you found him what would you do?"


The shock of finding someone who knew Caleb was short lived. As he spoke his full name a powerful sensation washed over Rose. Like someone had rung a tuning fork and pressed it to her skull. Her head began to hurt extensively. She winced and hunched a little before forcing herself to straighten up. Peaceful or not, it was still dangerous to be visibly weak here.


She was shocked to find he was both responsible for the storm, and was under this man's command. So-something was nagging at her. Both Caleb and the storms. The name Malachi. Something was nagging at her but for some reason she couldn't pull the thoughts together coherently. It was like trying to scoop water out of a pool with a net.


She shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. It half worked and that was as much as she could hope for. "H-he... I don't know who he is exactly. I just know that I know him. I h-have... amnesia. But when the people helping the guilds pursued, Sora spoke his name and I had... images of him. I know him somehow. I... I just want to know who I am." She didn't understand why she shared this, but it just seemed right. Her eyes began to burn with tears beneath the goggles.


Cipher felt a constriction in his chest as the girl's voice began to crack, and as her words were slowly laid out for him to process he grimaced and gave a slight nod "Well then, I'll make you a promise Rose. Return to the palace, stay safe, and I'll find Caleb for you. In truth... I feel he'd be safer with you than continuing to work for the Tide anyways. If I tell him to leave, and to meet you at the entrance to the city, would you be able to meet him?"


"R-really?" Her voice came out hardly louder than a whisper. She couldn't believe this was true. It had to be a dream, nothing good like this happened to her. Well aside from Mermaid Heel saving her from the facility. Maybe... maybe this could be true? Was it okay to hope it was?


Her thoughts drifted to Lynn, and what her opinion might be. She said they'd allied against the Red Tide. Which meant she'd probably assume this man was deceiving her and not let her go. She'd swear they'd find Caleb themselves most likely. That Mermaid Heel sisters were able to help each other out whenever they needed. Rose bit her lip. "I d-don't know. I might, but I have to see my guild master first and talk to her. We're supposed to be leaving soon. Bu-but.....," she stopped for a moment to consider what she was asking, "but y-you can keep him safe until I can see him.... right?"


Cipher was very off-put by Rose's response, in it's entirety and most definitely by each individual aspect. With a sigh, and a glance at the failing storm around him, he gives a small nod. Stepping past Rose, he pauses before placing his hand over her shoulder, not touching it but hopefully passing the sentiment "I can only try." With that said, he began walking, deciding that once the Tide's next series of actions took place, he'd be sure to question Caleb about this. Soon enough, his walking would take him out of Rose's sight entirely.


As she watched him go she realized that he'd led her to the palace withiut her noticing. She smiled lightly after him, a whispered thank you being washed away in the sandstorms dying winds. She realized a bit too late that he'd forgotten to take his goggles back. Well, she was sure she would be able to return them some day.


For now however, she retreated inside the main hall of the palace. It was a tad crowded by those who'd fled the storms wrath, but she found a spot near the doors where she sat. Here she would wait, thinking on what had transpired, until Lynn came back as well. While she waited she seemed to mutter under her breath. She was reciting names. "Cat? No. K-kate? That seems close.... maybe? W-what I'd this name I can't seem to remember?!"





@Mad Prince of Sanity @shadowdude505

 

[Lady Warlock]

Olive Kittana, Alicia Spearheart and Gurren Simon

"Don't 'afternoon' me like we're friends," Gurren said to Alicia with a fiery, pissed off expression. "You're not a part of Team Gurren. You're not even a part of Blue Pegasus." He started to take a few steps toward Alicia and Olive. Gurren stared down the woman who had been charged as his temporary Guildmaster. "You don't want to fight? Could have fooled me. Looks like you where clearing out the area so that the Red Tide could go wild, or tried to anyway."


Gurren finally turned his attention to Olive. The angry expression didn't soften despite being happy to see her. "What's going on here anyway, Olive?"


Alicia shrugged at Gurren's response.


"As you wish." She raised her hands into the air, slowly, with palms open. "I don't have any problem with you. Things are complicated."


Olive's gaze flicked to Alicia briefly, curious as to how her companion would deal with encountering a mage who clearly didn't trust her, though she didn't waste too much time thinking about it because Gurren was as close a friend as Olive could contemplate having. "We were clearing out the area because a building almost collapsed," Olive explained, knowing that Gurren's question encompassed more than just that but it was a place to start. "Search and rescue couldn't get up to the higher floors. Visibility is too low for them to see safely."


"Complicated? Things look pretty simple from where I'm standing. You guys in the Tide need to start practicing what you preach!" Gurren said as he crossed his arms. "You want wizards to be regulated somehow so that this kinda thing doesn't happen, and yet you get your sand wizard to create this big mess. I saw a family nearly forget their kid in this storm!"


"Dr. King's speach was a big success back in the ballroom. You guys didn't think to use him to pursaude everyone to leave? Or did his silver tongue need a break?" Gurren ranted.


Alicia breathed a heavy sigh and folded her arms, resisting the urge to tap her foot in impatience.


"You're throwing stones in glass houses, Gurren. Fairy Tail mages are the last ones who should criticise misuse and abuse of magic... after all, the Magic Council have let you off for leveling entire towns, have they not?"


Alicia threw a sidelong glance at Olive.


"I'm not going to be able to negotiate with this one. This is precisely the attitude that the Tide have struggled against..." She turned to look back at Gurren. "Self-righteousness is sickening when it blinds you to your own faults, Gurren.".


Alicia recognised that her words were harsh, but she couldn't bite them back in time.


How did I restrain myself for three years in a guild, with company like this?.


"I don't know why you have this wizard hating chip on your shoulder," Gurren said in a softer tone. "Yeah, Fairy Tail is destructive, but that's not what we set out to do. We take action while the Magic Council sits on their ass. We do it for each other and the people of Fiore. Fame, power, it's all worthless compared to family. The best guilds will teach you that. Looks like you overlooked that. Blue Pegauses is one of those guilds!"


"Gurren, if you hear nothing else, please hear me. Blue Pegasus is my family. It will always be my family and nothing in this world - not war, not the Red Tide, not the King himself can ever change that," Olive was oddly stern as she spoke. "We as mages like to claim that we are protectors of the people. And the very existence of the Red Tide means that the people have a complaint. And we as mages owe it to them to listen and try to work things out."


Olive paused as she spoke.


"I'm not on the side of the Red Tide. They're violent methods are unneccessary and they're idiots for not having tried more before they resorted to such." She sent a sidelong glance at Alicia as she said it because even though Alicia said they had tried a peaceful method, Olive still believed they could have done more. They could have talked with mages, gotten mages to see the real goal of the situation before violence.


"I cannot back the king here, either. He wants to crush the Red Tide before even listening to them and seeing as the Red Tide message has spread to the common people, crushing the Red Tide does not solve the problem. It leaves the people brewing in unrest and fear."


Alicia caught Olive's glance and gave a grudging nod in response. She then took a slight step back, allowing Olive and Gurren to talk while staying in reach if she felt the need to intervene.


"I hear you," Gurren told Olive with a grin. "I'm sure we'll find the solution to this mess. It's not going to be easy, but we can't give up; you can't give up" he added encouragingly. "You know me, I'm a fighter. I'm not going to let anyone hurt my family or the civilians caught in the crossfire. I'm not going to let anyone extinguish my fighting spirit. It's just as true for the King as for the Red Tide."


"So don't start any crossfire," Olive offered as a simple answer. "Don't fight. Merely protect those who need it until we've heard all sides." Olive looked flustered even as she sought out the words to explain her situation.


"You know what I can do, Gurren," Olive explained. "I need time. I'm trying to see the sides that exist because there's more than we see on the surface. Just... don't start anything, please! Not unless provoked. Get people out of this storm, protect your family. Protect the people. I... I'm trying. I'm really really trying and I need some sort of subtle peace or I'm going to be too busy trying to keep everyone safe."


"Relax," Gurren said, placing a hand on Olive's shoulder. "Our paths may not be the same, but they are side by side. I promise I won't attack unless the Red Tide or whoever attacks first. That's how Team Gurren operates."


He sighed as he removed the hand from her shoulder and crossed his arms again, this time with a hint of sadness. "So I guess this means Alicia is going to take you away now..." he said before staring at Alicia. "You better take care of her. Because if I find out she got hurt by your friends, I'm going to be provoked."


"She was my guildmate, I owe her. Olive will be fine." Alicia gave Gurren a level look. "Keep your people out of trouble, and I'll rein back mine."


"Yes. I'm going to be sticking with her for now. The people trust the Red Tide right now and that means that when I want to be heard, appearing with them may be better," Olive sighed. As much as she really wanted to go with Gurren, she knew that would put her in a harder situation.


"I'll see you again. Hopefully then we'll have some small amount of peace."


Alicia stepped forwards and touched Olive's elbow, gathering her magic. She gave Gurren a final nod.


"Tell the other mages that you saw us here, if you like. When it comes down to it, they'll make up their own minds about the King and the Tide, and about where they stand in all this."


With that, Alicia and Olive disintergrated into a flurry of purple runes which fell to the sand-dusted street, fading away to nothing.


Gurren nodded back. "They already have," he said as the young women disappeared. Alicia hadn't been at the meeting to hear how on the fence some of the guild wizards were.


After Olive was teleported, there wasn't any reason to stand around. He started to return to the palace as the falling sand was being replaced by snow.


Collaboration with @shadowdude505 and @Hellkite

 

[shadowdude505]

Libby Tuck and Sarafina

The young Lamia Scale mage's eyes trickled down to the collapsed form of Sarafina in front of her as she took a step back to give the exceed room to breathe. "I'm sorry, Sarafina," Libby muttered, though excitement flooded her voice even in that moment so it was hard to believe the apology.


"Anyway! I have an idea!" Libby proclaimed again even though she had completely heard her guildmate ask her what her idea was. "We can rebuild Blue Pegasus! Then all those mages will have a home again and no one will be mad anymore!" There was nothing imaginable that could contain her jubilance at the thought of being able to fix everything. Libby honestly thought rebuilding the guild hall for Blue Pegasus would fix everything.


"It's alright Libby, I'm fine," Sarafina said as she stood up. She flashed her feline-like teeth with a large grin. "I'm a lot tougher than I look."


After Libby's idea sunk into her mind, an equally excited face appeared on Sarafina's face. "That's a great idea, Libby!" If they rebuilt the Blue Pegasus Guildhall that should chear up mages like Russel. "We're going to need tools, lots of wood, furniture, and manpower. Lots of manpower, and grit, spit, and duck tape."


"Duck tape!?" Libby was astounded by that mention and that much showed. "I've never seen any duck tape on our guild hall... do we really use duck tape to build a guild hall?"


"No, but if you want to be cheap, duck tape fixes just about everything. How else am I going to extend the life of my punching bag?" Sarafina replied, before looking like reality struck her. "To rebuild the guildhall, we'll need supplies....supplies cost jewel. Do we have any jewels?" the Exceed said rapidly. "Know any wizards that can magically rebuild things?"


Libby considered the exceed's words. The meaning sunk in. Her head sunk down. Then the excitement was gone. "No. No I don't." For a moment, her eyes trailed away.


"We can find someone, though, right? Surely our guild has some jewel somewhere. Myla, Ryos... Jamke.... they could help too..." Even Libby could tell she was reaching for some sort of reality that may not have existed, but she wasn't ready to give up just yet.


"Ryos is here. It wouldn't hurt to ask," Sarafina replied, trying to excite Libby. "We could try calling Jamke and the others with a communication lacrima."


Libby nodded with returning excitement. She said no more. Rather, Libby resumed her running up the stairs, seeking to find Ryos and anyone else who could help. "I have an idea!" she yelled as she moved up the stairs, Exceed not far behind. "We can fix everything! I have an idea!"


Running as she was, eventually she made it all the way to the sleeping quarters and her eyes fell on Ryos before anyone else. "Ryos! I have an idea! We can fix this! We just have to rebuild the guild hall and everything will be alright again!"


Collab with: @DaughterofAthena


@BLUR

 

[BLUR]

King Eisenhower Fiore
​

Mercurius Meeting Hall; 4:00 PM

About an hour had passed from the moment that all the guild wizards had arrived in his hall. They had all had their say, and the king of Fiore gave them his own view as well. As meetings went, it was quite successful, both informative and professional. That, and none of the guild wizards managed to see through his lie about Crime Sorciere's role in Los Ichyasco. Why the guild had decided not to say anything about their mission to their legal guild friends was beyond the king's knowledge, but their role in slaughtering Red Tide members was not. Of course he had tasked them to resort to such brutality, this was war after all! But some things were better left unsaid, as he was sure the guild representatives were far too young to understand anything about keeping order in a country as passionate as Fiore.


Though all the guild representatives had left the meeting hall, the king himself had stayed seated. He took in all the events of the previous couple days, and gave himself some quiet time to seriously reflect upon the screwed up situation he was in. He would have never expected for Dr. King to have been the mastermind of the Red Tide. King had been his top advisor for two decades. He always preached peace, and his non violent methods had always been a source of inspiration for those in high ranking positions. To call his betrayal and declaration of revolution shocking was very much an understatement. To make matters worse, he had Scava's magic reactor in his possession. It was horrible to even think about the possible uses King had for such an item.


"Our best bet would be to find their HQ as soon as possible. The magic reactor will be there."


King Fiore jumped from his seat, turning to find a raven-haired woman standing a few feet behind him. The king clutched at his chest and let out an exaggerated sigh of relief.

"Don't do that Cynthia, you nearly gave me a heart attack," the king said, calming himself. "Once again, it seems you have read my mind. Our top priority should be to get the magic reactor out of the hands of the Red Tide. If we can find their location and distract them with the threat of Fiore's guild mages, perhaps we can make a successful attempt at carrying it away with an airship."


The woman named Cynthia tilted her head away from the king, her icy blue eyes drifting towards a map of Fiore hanging on the wall of the meeting hall. "I have a few ideas on where they might be hiding. A few of the Crime Sorciere wizards have been scouting out potential areas, I'll try to confirm a location by the time you call on the guild mages," she responded.


The king smiled at the woman. She always did such a great job. After all, she basically lived in the shadows, and yet she accomplished so much for the kingdom. She was the kingdom's number one weapon. Well, secret weapon really. Nobody knew of Cynthia Wolstrom except the highest ranking officials in the government and select members of Crime Sorciere.


"I think I'll have you and Hikari escort them. You might appreciate the experience," the king chuckled, leading to a light blush on the woman's face. Her expression softened a bit, less cold than it was originally.


"Were you lurking when the guild mages were talking? What did you think?" The king asked. Cynthia shot an annoyed glance over at the king.


"My liege, it appears you are trying to poke fun at me of your own entertainment," she said.


"Ohoho don't mind me, I'm just an old man interfering with the lives of the younger generation," the king laughed. His laughter would stop abruptly however, as he decided to get back to the issue. "Things are about to get serious from here on out Cynthia. I expect the guild mages to declare their official alignments soon. All the guild masters appear to be out of commission for the time being, which is probably worse for us than it is for the Tide. Without the guild mages, the Tide will have the advantage, and your Sora is a bit of a wildcard as well. From here on out, we have to be on our toes. Prepare for an all out war," Eisenhower Fiore commanded.


"Yes, my liege."

 

[AllHailDago]

Lynn Aquari and Caitlyn Alissa Malachi


Lynn gritted her theeth as she walked away from her battleground with Caleb. Her limbs hurt due to the electric shock she revieved from Caleb's magic. She fought through the pain as she quicked her pace. Jamke's snow was taking over the sandstorm and her water body form would freeze up on her if she stayed out too long. If the snow was the work of a guild wizard, she shouldn't have anything to worry about. Though it's always better to be safe than sorry, if possibe, when it comes to the unexpected. If only she had practiced more caution with Caleb...


Pursuing the safety of the indoors, Lynn entered the palace and stopped using her water body spell, stopping the slow drain on her magic reserves. Walking into the main hall, she spotted Rose muttering to herself. Lynn walked over and sat down beside her Mermaid Heel sister.


"I found Caleb, he retreated," Lynn started to say. "He was the wizard behind the sandstorm. I couldn't get a good look at him, but he seems to know you." She paused, she didn't want to overload Rose with a lot of information all at once. "He's also not an S-class wizard." she added dryly, remembering how Caleb accidentally zapped himself with his magic.


Rose looked up, surprised that she was once again snuck up on. Or in reality, surprised due to the lack of attention. Thankfully it was Lynn rather than another stranger. "Y-You found him?" Rose blinked in surprise that she had actually him out in that. "I kind of already... already know he was responsible for the storm. I kind of.... met his boss coming back here."


She shook her head vigorouly. "H-he told me he could arrange for him to meet me. But while I wanted to... he was Red Tide. I felt like I could trust him, but I decided I'd c-come back here to see you first. His name. His name is making my head hurt. Like memories are trying to come back, b-but they can't." She held her head between her hands, trying to keep still. "Why can't I remember, Lynn?"


"I don't know, but I'm sure it'll all come back to you when the information needs to," Lynn replied, instictfully putting an arm around Rose's shoulder. She tried to hide a grimace due to the pain she felt as she moved her arm.


"You met his boss? And he's arranging a meeting?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Interesting. Would you like me to acompany you to this meeting?" Lynn started to make a mental note. From her conversation with Caleb it sounded like Rose's life would be in danger if he defected. She wanted to be there in case things went downhill. Or maybe he had been talking about a different boss.


"I-I don't know if he'll actually send him now. I asked him to keep Caleb safe until we could meet later. He told m-me he would try. For some reason i-it feels like he was telling the truth." She paused in thought for a few moments. "I th-think we should go back to the guild. Whatever happens soon, I feel I'll be sure to see him." She looked up at Lynns face. "W-what's wrong? You look like your in pain."


"I had a run in with an electricity mage. Don't worry about me, I'm fine," Lynn replied. "It wouldn't hurt to check the meeting place. I promised you that we'd find Caleb. So far that promise has only been half kept. We can return to the guild if he doesn't show up."


Rose frowned as she studied Lynn's face. She was trying to hide the pain from her, probably out of worry. Rose would love to have Millie's healing ability right now. Or anything useful really. She pulled down her scarf so her mouth showed, flashing a wane smile at Lynn.


"If y-you think it's safe and okay to go, then I would like to. He said that he would send him to the entrance to the city. I don't know where that is, but you do right? Should we go now?" She began standing up, seeming reluctantly excited. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.


Lynn stood up a nodded. "Leave it to me." She unbuttoned her shirt, revealing the one piece swimsuit underneath, and used the shirt like a scarf. She wasn't going to rely on her magic this time. Lynn opened the door and headed out into the snowy sandstorm with Rose.


Rose adjusted her scarf back up overy her mouth. Which honestly she was thankful she did, because she reddened considerably when Lynn removed her shirt. She didn't understand why, but she averted her eyes, or at least attempted to. She let out a light, "Right behind you," and followed Lynn back out into the snowy sandstorm.


@shadowdude505


@Mad Prince of Sanity

 

[Refaulted]

Jacob Foles


Warden of the Fog



​

Jacob floated through the sky, the ground below him passing, looking like a paintbrush run through multiple colors and then run along a canvas. He was laying down on the mass of mist beneath him, and his hand hung limply over the side, waving gently in the wind as he soared, and he gripped Zegysto in his other hand. The cool metal of his weapon soothed his heavy heart a bit, the familiarity helping his nerves from jumping everywhere.


The meeting had been a disaster. He had had no choice but to show the current weakness of Blue Pegasus. They were down three powerful wizards, one kidnapped, one fighting a campaign against both sides of this bloody civil war, and one fighting against the government itself. Jacob was so disgusted by his own lack of action in keeping his Guild held together. He had no idea what he would do, but he knew he had to think of something fast, before things get out of hand. But the stress was getting to him. He needed to go someplace he felt would help him calm his nerves.


Soon, the Lamia Scale Guild Hall came into view. Since he had no place to return to, and he had Alyssa and Ryos as friends there, he thought that would be a good place to stay for now. He couldn't stand staying in the capital at this point in time, in fear of being called on to fight innocent civilians. And if Dusty caught him doing that, Jacob was sure he would not get out of a confrontation with his body intact.


He floated down to the ground, the mist fading away as he got closer to the ground. When his feet skimmed the ground, he followed up into a walk, the mist leaving a faint trail behind him as he walked towards the front door. Grabbing the handle, he pushed it open, too tired to wait around for permission to come in. As he entered, he took a deep breath, and made his staff fold into two-thirds, and used it as a cane as he slowly walked inside. Jacob had not changed after the meeting to with the king, so he was still wearing a rather regal red tuxedo. He pulled off his overcoat, tossing it onto a nearby table. He also loosened his tie, and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. He looked unproffessional, but at the moment, he truly didn't care.


"Hello? Anyone here?" Jacob began walking through the Guild Hall, feeling like a trespasser, and deep down felt bad, as he would be upset if he found someone randomly wandering the halls of his own home. Of course, that would be true if his Guild was still standing. He took in the modern look of the Guild Hall around him, hoping to pass a familiar face along the way.


He soon heard voices coming from down the hallway. Jacob took slightly longer strides, making his way to the source of the sounds. As he drew closer, he recognized Russell's and Ryos' voice, and two others he couldn't truly put his finger on. He overheard some of the conversation, and when he rounded the corner, he tried to keep his back straight, hoping his eyes would not give him away. "How could you think I didn't care where you went, Russell?" He mustered a wane smile, though he was definitely glad that his guildmate was safe. "How can any day go by without you wanting to show off your newest sense of style, or you exploding with happiness."


Jacob bowed to the Lamia Scale wizards. "My apologies. I came unexpected and without permission. But, I don't think the capital is a good place for me to stay until I get contact from the king. So, this was the place I felt was most reasonable for myself. And..." His eyes glanced over to Russell. "I guess it wasn't just my idea." Standing back up, Jacob leaned his shoulder against the wall, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "We all need a safe place when the world is falling apart like this. At least, that's how I feel..."


Jacob then turned his attention to Ryos, and he gave a sad smile. "I don't think I've experienced such a dark period in my life for some years, Ryos. Things seem to be going from bad to worse, and then lower than that. My Guild is destroyed, one of my guildmates has been kidnapped, another is an anarchist set on bringing down the government of Fiore, and another..."


Jacob looked away for a moment. He knew Dusty and Ryos were rivals, and Dusty always seemed to hold the Poison Dragon Slayer in high regards, and always boasted about how he would beat him in a fight where no rules were set. Jacob felt respect for him as well, both through being close in rank to one another and Ryos's confidence in his own ability.


Jacob took a deep breath, holding it for a few moments before letting it out. He was trying his best to not cry in front of the Ace. "...renounced his membership as a Blue Pegasus mage and decided to deem all power in the world as his enemy. He stands only for the people, and he just...follows his anger, wanting revenge for all the pain caused on his previous Guild. All that has happened in the last few days has taken it's toll on him, and he just snapped." Jacob chuckled, despite the situation. "To think...me and him have been an unstoppable team for 8 years. And now, it feels like we are fighting on two separate sides." Jacob rubbed his arm with his hands, shivering slightly. "It gives me goosebumps, in fear of the possibility of fighting him. He's a force of nature. A storm that has been building. You never realize how scary a person is until they look you in the eye, and remove a sign of connection between you two." He lifted his hand up, looking at the insignia tattooed onto his body. "I swear, I haven't cried like how I did in a very long time." Jacob let his arm fall, and he looked back over to Ryos, planting that smile back on his face once more. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ramble. How are you all doing today? "





@BLUR @DaughterofAthena

 

[AllHailDago]

Cipher, Lynn Aquari, and Caleb & Caitlyn Malachi


As Cipher left the sandstorm in his wake, he did not look back, instead his attention was fully ahead of himself. Thinking forward to what he would say to Caleb when he reached him, Cipher was relatively certain Caleb would be interested in meeting this girl. Come to think of it, he seemed to recall Caleb very much endeavoring to speak to pretty girls back at the Blue Pegass Guild Hall... and a LARGE, exasperated mental sigh accompanied the ironic thougt that he would be once AGAIN chauffeuring him towards some. Hopefully with less... explosive results this time.


As he neared their headquarters, his mentally exasperating note-taking distracting him from really keepin track of how far or how long he had travelled. He noted Caleb was justarriving himself. Which began to make more and more sense as Cipher approached and noted Caleb's condition. He was limpin rather noticeably and he favored his side as he moved. Cipher decided to give him a moment, and moved out of sight to let Caleb gather himself a bit before approaching him with this rather odd proposal. He was well within earshot and once again began to think about how to breach the subject wth him.


Barely keeping his thoughts coherent, Caleb had somehow managed to drag himself back to the hideout. He was glad the girl from the roof hadn't followed, because it was pretty much guaranteed he would've been captured or killed. He could practically feel the lack of magic power in his body. Normally he was teeming with barely contained energy, but now he felt like a water cup someone emptied and crushed before throwing it away.


He lowered himself slowly onto the couch in the middle of the warehouse floor, gasping with pain as he did. He would have to make sure to have Cipher get a Red Tide doctor or something. Did they have those? He laid back as he attempted, unsuccesfullt, to block out the pain. Oddly enough, it hurt enough that he couldn't cry. Thankfully. He was sure Wyatt would taunt him if he was when he got back.


Cipher stepped into the warehouse a minute or so after Caleb has laid himself down. Cipher actually felt kinda bad for the kid, which made putting himself in the right mindset even more difficult as he stepped over to the couch and cleared his throat. Setting his expression to one that was all but stoic, but with an undeniable edge of hardness and authority. "Caleb? Get up. We have something to do." Cipher turned, pretending to check out the doorway before glaning back at Caleb with that same expression.


Caleb shifted in surprise when Cipher showed himself. A searing flash of pain made him realize moving was a dumb idea. He looked at Cipher with somewhat glazed eyes, noting the tones of seriousness he was giving off. "Wh.... what's the deal Cipher? I'm uh.... pretty, pretty sure my ribs are broken. Going anywhere is gonna be tough."


Cipher narrowed his eyes ever-so-slightly at Caleb before sighing "We're being relocated. Also, as I'm sure you can guess, the storm at the palace attracted us a bit of... unwanted attention. So, I made sure to arrive ahead of our enemies and give you fair warning, as well as help make sure you make it." Cipher's tone, for the first time in front of Caleb and directed at him at that, turned vastly towards a low, threatening growl, but only just. "However, I'm under no orders to do so, so if you slow me own too much I WILL leave you to die. Understand?"


Caleb didn't really understand why Cipher was acting so aggressively when he hadn't before. Was there really someone dangerous enough after them to shake him? Caleb did not want to meet anyone who could shake up Cipher like this. Especially not in a state of weakness and injury. He slowly and steadily worked his way off the couch into a standing position.


"Yeah. I understand you. Although how fast I'll be I can't promise. So if you have to leave me behind do." Not like it mattered if he was captured or killed anyway. Caitlyn was safe with that water woma- No. That was the pain making him give up. He had to pull through this. "Go ahead, I'll follow behind you." He slipped his goggles back into place and waited to follow after Cipher.


Without another word Cipher began to walk, his back to Caleb as he moved at a stride out of the warehouse towards the main roadway into Crocus. He did stop at the entryway to allow Caleb to move to him before starting to walk at a more manageable pace. Though on occassion he would get slightly far ahead of Caleb, he made an effort to stay close to him.


Caleb kept the best pace he could considering, and somehow mage to stay close-ish most of the time. He began to shiver and looked around, realizing he didn't really recognize where they were. Although in the state he was in, would he even if he should? He rubbed at his eyes beneath his goggles and glasses. It was much easier said than done.


Looking around he realized they weren't even in the sandstorm. Had that much time passed without his knowing? We're they just not there yet? Either way, he removed his goggles and lowered the scarf a bit from his mouth. He shouted after Cipher, who'd gotten a bit ahead. "Are we nearly there?"


Approximately two minutesof walkin in silece on Cipher's part before they arrived at the now-abandoned main entryway to Fiore's capital. Seems rebellion and potential civil war have a tendency to kill tourism faster than a dead animal in your food. Finally, as he came to a stop Cipher nodded as he noticed two familiar individuals "We're here."


Caleb stopped where he was, just a little behind and to the right of Cipher. He blinked as he tried to clear his blurring vision. Two women seemed to stand just shortly ahead of them. One was quite a lot shorter than himself, and seemed to be rather skinny. He could hardly see her face with the goggles and scarf wrapped around it.


The other shape turned out to be the woman from earlier on the rooftop. Caleb froze suddenly, his eyes widening. If that was her... then the other woman.... No, no it couldn't be. This had to be some sort of trap, Cipher had led him into a trap or something. It had to be. "W-what, why? Cipher, what's going on here?!"


"Relax boy," Lynn said to Caleb. "I thought you wanted to meet her," she added dryly before glancing at Rose. She gave her an encouraging nod. "We're not here to fight unless you start one," she said to Caleb and Cipher while staring them down.


Cipher narrowed his eyes at Lynn briefly, before glancing back at Caleb and stepping back so that Caleb was in front of him. One of his hands holding the Eye lazily while his free hand gestured to Caleb as he glared demeaningly at the water-woman. Matching her stand-off-ish indifference and defensiveness of her sister with a derisive acknowledgement of an obvious fact "Oh yes, because he looks in the proper condition to fight anyone." His attention shifted to Caityn without missing a beat "For as astute as you seemed Rose, I had hoped your choice of companions was more.... well..." he glanced at Lynn "Well, more."


Lynn rolled her eyes at Cipher's remarks. He knew nothing about her. "Rejuvinating Water," she said calmly. Sprays of water appeared from her hands and headed toward Caleb. As long as Cipher didn't interfere, the water would swirl around Cabel's torso and sink into his skin to heal him.


Cipher did in fact, respond to Lynn's movements, but only by releasing his field to about a foot around his person. Not even large enough to reach Caleb or interfere with her spell.


Caleb had been so intent on trying to see who the other woman was, he didn't register the spell until it hit him. He began panicking for a moment, trying to wipe the water from his skin. He hurt himself repeatedly in the process and failed to get the water off as it sank in. However his panic began to recede as did his pain. He blinked a couple times, his vision clearing up a bit as his pain faded away.


He patted his ribs testing and found himself in good repair. Damn, that was cool magic. He looked up at the woman with a bit of a thankful look to his features. "Uhm, thanks I suppose." He looked back and forth between the two women. "Although I was pretty clear that it wasn't safe for me to see her yet." He frantically glanced from rooftop to rooftop, window to window. He couldn't see anyone watching them at first glance, but he didn't really know what he was looking for anyway.


Rose all the while, hadn't really took notice of the conversation or magic use. Her focus had been entirely on Caleb's face. It seemed somewhat different from her memory, but time would do that. He was also much, much taller. More so than she expected even given time. He had to be at least six inches taller than her. She made sure to note every feature, every bit of information mentally filed away as if it'd be the last thing she saw. "Caleb." A scant whisper of a word, but a shiver running up his body seemed to assure her it was him.


Lynn glared at Cipher after his field went up. She made a mental note and began to be on her guard. "And I told you not to worry about that under my watch," she said to Caleb. "You also said that there would be a problem if you defected, which you haven't. Though you do need to man up. Are you really going to let this meeting go to waste?" she asked sternly.


Rose looked between Lynn and Caleb, realization that they must have had a conversation before now dawning on her. A small pang of hurt ran through her that Lynn would lie to her, but she ignored it for now. Instead she pulled down the scarf around her mouth and removed the goggles. "C-Caleb. I.... I don't know who I am, or how I know you. But we DO know each other.... don't we?" A look of determination and will seemingly absent most of the time suddenly took hold of her features. "Who am I, and who are you?"


Caleb stared in slack-jawed disbelief as she removed the scarf and goggles. As she spoke, and the willful look, he knew it was true. He'd found her. More than a year had gone by since he began looking for her while running from Bosco's government. Tears began to flood his eyes, a stupidly wide smile on his face. "So.. it really is you. I... I almost began to believe I'd never find you."


He sniffed and tried wiping his eyes clear of tears. "Don't remember who you are? Well, you. You are my older sister. You've been missing for over three years. You're Caitlyn. Caitlyn Alissa Malachi." He just stood there for a moment, shaking his head in disbelief.


Rose just stood, as if every cell in her body had been frozen. Slowly she blinked once. Caitlyn. Caitlyn Alissa Malachi. The name clicked in her head and it felt as if she'd finally broken through that block in her head. At least partially, tiny pieces of memory returning to her. It wasn't everythibg, but it was something. It was enough.


She just smiled like an idiot for what seemed like forever, her eyes beginning to water as well. Caitlyn looked up at Caleb and simply said, "Thank you. Thank you so much." A brother, a name. She had begun to think it'd never happen. But here she was.


At some point during the interaction between Caleb and.... Caitlyn it seemed, Cipher had closed his eyes for a moment before glancing behind them. After Caitlyn's thanks, a flurry of actions would be enacted by the grey-eyed mage. First, his field would flare out to about fifteen feet in all direactions around him as he raised a hand towards Lynn. The field engulfin Caleb's form in the meanwhile and beginning to sap what little energy the boy had left.


Not a second later two more things happened, around Caleb, odd magical symbols began to form amongst the silver lines comprising the field and crystalline chains entangled Caleb's body from head to toe. Leaving no limb free to itself and one explicitly encircles his throat in the process. From his outstretched hand, and during his time waiting, Cipher had been contemplating how to deal with the water woman and the only conclusion he had come to came in the form of the S-class blast of pure Ethernano-sapping energy he launchd at her. It had taken a bit of time to gather the energy for, and a solid portion of his reserves to manifest. The resulting blast was large enough in diameter to leave a bus engulfed entirely and was aimed with precision.


A moment after firing the blast, and taking no action against Caitlyn, his eyes drifted from Caitlyn, to Caleb, to Lynn, and back to Caleb. His voice raising in a casually inquisitive tone as he spoke "Caleb? Do you know what I think of failures? More specifically, people who fail ME?" The chains would tighten slightly as a heavy silence now hung in the air, and Cipher kept himself ready for the possibility of hostile retaliation from Lynn.


Lynn pushed Rose to the side so that Cipher's beam wouldn't hit her. Not knowing about the magic draining effect Cipher's magic, she tried to let the beam phase through her water body, only for it to turn solid again. Lynn slumped to the ground exhausted. Now on her arms and knees, she glared up at Cipher.


"Leave him alone you idiot!" she growled. "If you want to take out your agression on someone, it should be me. I'm the one who caused him to get his broken ribs in the first place. But remember, I also healed them. Don't count guild wizards to be your enimies just yet. I was at the meeting, you weren't. We're merely buying time until the whole truth comes out....and right now, you're NOT helping your cause!" Thinking now of Rose, of Caitlyn, she continued her firece gaze at Cipher, but her voice sounded softer when she asked. "Are you alright....Caitlyn?"


Caleb was completely caught off guard by Cipher's sudden turn. He exhaled sharply as he felt his minimal remaining magic drain out of him and chains wrap around various parts of his body. They tightened and it became slightly difficult to breath. He looked frantically at Cipher, confusion and hurt on his face. He didn't understand at all why he was acting like this. "Fail? I didn't fail anything! My mission was to distract with the sandstorm. I did. And if this is what you meant, YOU led ME here. By force!"


Meanwhile Caitlyn had fallen to the ground as Lynn pushed her out if the way. She hit the ground with a small whuff of breath. Scraping her hand and hitting her head slightly in the process. It took her a second to get back up and register what had happened. How had he done that to Lynn? What was he doing to Caleb? "I'm fine Lynn," she reassured her friend. Then facing Cipher she gave him a stern look. "What are you doing?! I thought you said you were different? Attacking the unsuspecting hardly makes you seem better than any other magical thug you say you hate!"


Cipher barely batted an eyelash at Lynn's outburst. Instead, with a flick of his wrist more symbols appeared at the edge of the field, forming more crystalline chains that arced out and grappled Lynn, before flinging her aside into one of the nearby building windows. Conveniently enough, into a store that sold clothes. Turning his attention to Caleb, Cipher merely narrowed his eyes "Despite what you may think, the Tide as it is now has no room for soft-hearted children." Cipher made sure to emphasize the word children as he spoke, before continuing "As such, my original plan was in fact to slay you all here and now. However... I think you now know a bit of what you're dealing with. Do not cross the Tide." His eyes had drifted to Caitlyn as he spoke, before he suddenly flung Caleb at her and the chains shortly after vanished. Addressing Caleb one last time "Especially you Caleb, do NOT let me see you around the Tide again."


Cipher then turned, and simply left after collapsing his field. Striding away from the three and putting the Eye away only once he was out of eyesight from them. His eyes closing for a moment as the hand that had held the Eye rose up, entered his robes, and removed something he had hid from everyone. A small locket, which he opened to reveal a small, crushed pink flower faded with age. As a bead of moisture dropped onto the flower he rose his eyes to the sky, to find no rain in sight, and instead, wiped his tear away as he put the locket back. Continuing his unfinished thought 'Because I know all to well... what it's like for an unprepared boy... to lose his family to the cruel ambitions of others...'


Neither Caitlyn nor Caleb understood why Cipher was doing this, it seeming out of character for what they'd previously seen. Caitlyn's eyes widened as Lynn was tossed through the window of a nearby clothing store. She turned to run and check on her, and in doing so was turned sideways when Caleb hit her. They hit the ground rather hard, but after untangling themselves they were seemingly unhurt.


Caitlyn ran over to the storefront window as Caleb struggled to stand up, feeling positively drained. Caitlyn called into the store, afraid for Lynn. "L-Lynn, Lynn are you okay?!"


Lynn staggered out of the darkness of the store. "I'm drained, but I'm alright," she replied with a grimmace. She nearly fell over as she made her way over to Caitlyn. "I need to warn the guild mages about Cipher's abilities. Help me get back to the palace."


Caitlyn rushed to Lynn's side, helping keep her standing. She nodded, "Y-yeah, let's go." She double checked on Caleb who had made his way to his feet, and seemed to be looking unsurely at them. She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but was unsure how well she did. "Come on Caleb. You're coming too. You might have inside information on the Red Tide they'd Pardon you for. P-plus.... who knows, maybe there is a guild you could join now?"


Caleb blinked, stunned by everything that had transpired. He... wasn't part of the Tide anymore. He wasn't sure if he needed to be more or less afraid now. Would they still come after her? Him they would probably, since he had possible information on them. But what about her?


He shook his head, smiling as he followed after the two on their way to the Kings palace. Regardless he wasn't a member, and now he could protect her while being with her. He wouldn't have to hurt people if he didn't want to. Maybe... maybe things were finally working out.


Collabed with: @Mad Prince of Sanity & @shadowdude505

 

[Lady Warlock]

Ryannan “Ryan” Costice

Sounds disturbed Ryannan’s moments of a subtle silence as she sat with her guildmaster, learning clearly and obviously that he likely wouldn’t be waking any time soon. It saddened her. She had seen how he fought at the Blue Pegasus guild hall and it was inspiring to her. He was more committed to justice than anyone else she had ever met and it was not something she could ignore. Maybe that had been why he hadn’t woken once yet.


She’d heard the other guildmasters. Ryannan knew for sure that Cujo Chamber was awake enough. She’d seen Rex wander in.


Rex. He brought even more questions to the forefront of her mind. The Quatro Cerberus mage had saved her after the guild hall had exploded. He had also tried to fight with her when they’d found themselves fighting Ein. She still didn’t know what to think of him, but at the moment, she envied him because he had something she did not. He had a family to speak with even if he couldn’t help matters at all. Meanwhile, she was alone. Ezekiel had not returned, she didn’t know where Aden had run off to and A’den Kandosii, her guildmaster, was still out cold.


‘Well, I guess I’ll do something productive.’ She didn’t quite know where she’d gotten the thought but it did occur to her and the more she knew, the easier it would be to decide what to do.


“Paper Make: Ants.”


A small cloud gathered as her magic was released and upon its clearing, there was a little army of small paper ants at the side of the hospital bed. The moved in sync as she stepped down, creating spaces for her feet to land as she climbed off the bed and stood amongst her creations. The white mass of their sheer numbers covered the floor, each one so small it would barely be noticeable on its own though together their strength was immeasurable.


“Go little ones. Go see what you can see.”


And they did. White paper ants swarmed out of the hospital in Crocus, weaving their way through the halls and no doubt turning some heads as they moved along. Slowy they meandered into the storm, the hoard breaking itself apart as each one sought out a different thing to watch and see.

 

[BlackknifeVane]

Angel Litwick and Bailey O'Hara

Running through the crowd at her own speed, Angel pushed and shoved at anyone who could possibly have been in her way clearing a path both for herself and, unintentionally, also creating a path for those behind her. Though it may not have been readily aparent, the blonde's mind was dead set on figuring out who had caused this storm and eliminating them, simply for no other reason than the simple fact that they had disrupted her search. However, she found that as she was running, rather than getting thicker, the storm was actually calming. She'd found its edges and she'd found its ends.


"Fuck!" she snarled visciously though she knew no one who cared would hear her.


She was not happy with her situation. In fact, she hated her current predicament. Pissed at the mage who'd created the storm, infuriated with Sora the Windrunner as that was not an anger that could readily vanish, Angel allowed her anger to channel itself into her speed as she charged the nearest building, fist impacting the brick surface so hard it drew blood to her knuckes and the sound echoed throughout the space randomly void of people. Grimacing at the pain, Angel stopped running and looked around.


It was the edge of the city.


It was the edge of the city and her eyes fell upon a single body that was left lying alone in the dirt ground. 'Curious...' Angel contemplated. The decision to approach wasn't hard and when she saw him, Angel realized that she recognized him. She didn't know a name. She didn't know where she remembered seeing him last. She just knew that she had seen him before.


"What happened to you?" she dared to ask.


Bailey regained consciousness just Angel passed him by. He coughed up a good deal of blood, and slowly turned his head to face the girl. He had no idea who she was and he didn't really care. At this point he was in so much pain he could barely think. He lifted his hand toward Angel, trembling as he did so.


"Little help?"


At first, Angel smirked. His hand reaching towards her was pathetic at best and laughable at worst. Or was it the other way around? Either way, a smirk was the smallest reaction she even considered offering and it was what happened in the end. Intentionally, just to tease, Angel took a step away from him, making it seem as though she intended to just leave him there.


"I'll repeat my question. What happened to you?" It was very clear that she was highly amused.


"Well...if you really...wanna know...I got my ass kicked. Red Tide. Some kind of...metal guy. I tried to fight him...I failed...I let everyone down..." Bailey hadn't felt like this before. Now that he began to fully realize what had happened to him, he felt more shame than anything. And this girl standing over him certaintly wasn't helping him feel any better


"Well that's a bit dramatic if I do say so myself," Angel chuckled at the thought of it. "You got your ass handed to you... obviously. I daresay I would have loved to watch but I was too busy trying to get out of that fucking sandstorm in the first place."


Still clearly enjoying herself, Angel did not approach him again and she did not make any motion to help. Rather, her fingertips tapped her chin as she thought to herself. "You seem like the righteous kind of person though. If I were you, what would I do right now?" Legitimate curiosity flooded her.


Bailey stopped to think about her question for a minute. For the first time since she walked by he had the thought that she could be with the Tide, in which case he was really screwed. He decided to just answer her questions and do what she said, and hope for the best. Hell, maybe he'd get lucky. However, the more he looked at her, into her eyes, he saw that she wasn't exactly a bad person. He just had that feeling.


"I think...you wouldn't ask for help. But if roles were switched...If I were you, I'd help out...in a heartbeat." Bailey coughed up some more blood, and clutched his chest. Suddenly he fully remembered the exact spot where he'd been kicked, and it hurt like hell.


"Hmm... I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less from someone like you."


Angel was seriously considering her options in that moment. "I suppose if I helped you now, you'd owe me later, correct? If I ever needed something... not too difficult...?"


Bailey considered his options, and eventually realized he didn't have much of a choice in this situation, considering the circumstances. He was about to pass out again from the pain.


"Alright, fine. One favor, whatever you want."


"Fair enough."


Angel quickly scooped him up in her arms with surprising strength, her hand resting on his arm as she used the contact to commune with his mind rather than his ears. 'Please don't throw up on me...'


Angel's speed kicked in and her feet carried her at her speeds once more, moving faster than any normal person would be able to see without extreme attention. Her destination was a simple one. She would get him to the hospital. Though she knew of healing mages - one in particular who used celestial spirits - she wasn't about to dive back into the sandstorm carrying an injured boy in her arms to find them. She didn't even know if they were there in the first place.


Arriving at the front took no time at all and she swiftly passed him into the hands of a nurse who hadn't even realized she was there quite yet. "Likely case of ethernano exhaustion if not close to it. Seems to have suffered lacerations and contusions as well," Angel swiftly reported. Her hand on Bailey's arm delivered one more thought before she vanished completely. 'And if you happen to see Sora the Kingslayer... tell her I'm coming for her.'

 

[Hellkite]

Two Days Later
​

Spoiler

TERROR IN CROCUS! FOUR DEAD AS KING AND TIDE CLASH

Earlier today four were left dead and many injured after the first clash between the Red Tide and the forces of his Majesty, King Eisenhower Fiore. While his Majesty met with representatives of leading magic guilds, the Red Tide directed rioters in three separate attacks on government buildings in the heart of Crocus. Under cover of a sandstorm believed to have been summoned by Tide operatives, Rune Knight strongholds were attacked and burned. Two rioters and one Rune Knight were killed in subsequent skirmishes, and extensive damage was done to both government and civilian structures during in the fighting. One citizen has been confirmed dead after being struck by stray magic, and more are currently undergoing treatment for burns and injuries. It has been confirmed that government forces prevented first-responders from reaching the worst areas. Knight-Commander Bloome, who was in charge of the military response, claimed that: "Allowing paramedics and fire-fighters entry would only have placed more people at risk and given the Tide hostages to exploit". Commander Bloome has seen open criticism for this decision, with many calling it "a blatant failure of the government to protect its people, displaying a particular disregard for those caught in the crossfire of their own battle."


Mages from the leading guilds were conspicuous in their absence. While eye-witnesses do place isolated individuals in combat with Tide operatives, there appears to have been little organised response to the attack. Many citizens seem to count their absence as a blessing, claiming that magical 'intervention' at Pinnacle and Scava left more damage done than resolved. While the loss of the Magic Council during the tragedy at Blue Pegasus has surely limited the guild's ability to coordinate a response, it seems increasingly likely that attempts to help would be met with suspicion at best, and fear at worse. Sorcerer Weekly will continue to report on the situation in Crocus as it unfolds.


Also in Sorcerer Weekly this week:

• Wailing Banshee; Dark Guild Or Just Misunderstood? Page 9
  
• An Interview With Kokuro Scarlet; Looks, Money and Secrets. Page 12
  
• Eligible Bachelors And How To Catch Them, Part 3; Lamia Scale. Page 16
  
• The Cover Pages; Page 19
  
• Wall of Cool; Page 24
  

A Letter To All Legal Mages

​

"To those whom it may concern,


Two days have passed since I, King Eisenhower Fiore, addressed your representatives at the Palace in Crocus. During our meeting I stressed the threat that the Red Tide represents to Mages across the nation, and the importance of an alliance between guilds and government in order to stop these rebels. The Tide are little more than anarchists, intending to unseat the ancient establishment of Fioran monarchy, terrorize the common people and dissolve the guilds that so many of you call home.


The events of two days ago and the tragic deaths of four Fioran citizens leave me now with no choice but to respond in force to this threat before more innocent lives are lost. I would request the assistance of our loyal mages, who have come to the aid of this government so many times before, in our fight against the Red Tide. Together, we can defend the Fioran people and drive out this menace, restoring Fiore to peace and prosperity once again.


Let all those who profess loyalty to the crown and its people muster at the palace in Crocus. Let all those who refuse this call to arms or worse, choose to align themselves with the Red Tide, be labelled Dark Mages with their guild rights withdrawn. There can be no compromise and no halfheartedness if we intend for our Kingdom to endure this trial. We find ourselves at a pivotal moment in the history of Fiore. I am certain that Fiore's Magic Guilds, following the example of the generations before you, will not let us down.


Yours ever faithfully,


King Eisenhower Fiore"


Alicia tossed the letter back onto the war-table.


"So it appears Eisenhower has finally made his move." Dr King was stood by the window, looking out over the city with his hands firmly clasped behind his back. "I expected that he might do as much. Though his writing remains as heavy-handed as ever, with too much mindless political rhetoric. This is why I always used to write letters of state, while I was still his adviser. He may be a good monarch, but he always was quite crass."


Alicia glanced up at King, frowning.


"He's done a good job though, sir. That spiel about defending the common people will be lapped right up by the mages, especially the Fairies, Pegasi and Lamias. And if that wasn't enough, threatening to make the remainder Dark Mages if they don't obey will certainly convince them to take his side."


Dr King turned to look at Alicia, his lip curled by a slight smile. She was an able lieutenant and an indispensable strategist for the Tide, but she always had been bad at reading people.


"And that was his mistake. Mages value their independence, and take especially badly to threats. You should know this, Alicia dear." King reached into his pocket and withdrew a cigarette. "I suspect that by attempting to force their cooperation Eisenhower will have greatly irritated a number of your old colleagues. These are the ones that we should work on recruiting to our side, to fight the good fight."


King lit his cigarette with a conventional lighter, and breathed the smoke deeply. Alicia thought for a moment, trying to trace King's train of thought. Finally she spoke.


"Sir, how could we achieve that? his Majesty is wrong about many things, but he's bang on about us dissolving the guilds. The legal mages wouldn't abide that, guilds are like family to them. Beside, they only know us as rebels and terrorists."


King shrugged.


"You have that girl... what's her name again..?"


"Olive?" Alicia supplied.


"Yes, her. She might be able to convince a few, and get the propaganda machine rolling."


"I doubt her loyalty if it came to choosing sides, sir."


"You don't need her loyalty, just her cooperation. If she appreciates the danger that Mages can potentially pose to the people, then surely she will lay her own personal interests aside to serve the common good. We hardly intend to ban magic after all; just regulate it, make it fair. If we can spread the same message to the guilds, then I'm sure that we will be able to enlist just as many mages as Eisenhower, if not more."


Alicia was quiet for a moment, then unconvinced, "If you say so, sir."


"I do." King puffed on his cigarette. "Emperor Pergrande sends his regards, by the way. He has also kindly lent me a division of his Pergrandi Marines, to ensure law and order while democracy is instated."


Alicia smiled slightly, and nodded.


"I thought you didn't like his Excellency Pergrande, sir?"


"His soldiers are good. So is his money." King's body flickered with static for a moment, and he turned to look over his shoulder at something Alicia couldn't see. After a moment he glanced back to Alicia. "I had better go. Jason has just returned from his mission. One more thing though; call a peaceful rally, at the same time that Eisenhower seeks to gather the mags at the palace. It'll be an opportunity for you to show everyone that the Red Tide are not demons."


"But sir, the Rune Knights would shut us down in seconds."


"Attacking unarmed protesters? They'd be fools to, it would only draw more people to our cause. Eisenhower cannot afford it."


"Blue Pegasus would lynch me in seconds. They're not overly fond of me at the moment. Perhaps it would be better if-"


King waved a hand vaguely as the hologram faded away.


"Just make it happen, Alicia. Have a little faith."

You have all received the letter from the King, and are now called upon to report to his palace in Crocus once again. You have also heard that the Red Tide are planning a rally elsewhere in the city, where they intend to open up recruitment to the wider populace. You may choose to attend the King's summons at the palace, seemingly accepting to side with the King in the Civil War, or you may visit the rally and otherwise act independently. However those who do not report to the King will be labelled Dark Mages and have their rights to work in an official guild revoked. These individuals can either side with the Tide, or pursue their own agendas. This is an important decision for your characters, with consequences for each choice. Choose wisely!

 

[shadowdude505]

Gurren Simon

​

After his "meeting" with Alicia and Olive, Gurren had returned to the Fairy Tail Guildhall to prepare himself for whatever the King's mission required. He wasn't looking forward to it though. After his interchange with the Red Tide representative, Gurren realized that the full story hadn't been told yet, otherwise Alicia wouldn't have let him talk to his friend. There were things he didn't know about the Red Tide, things Olive would find out.


Gurren sat at the bar, lost in thought as one of Fairy Tail's female mages walked in carrying envelopes. She tried handing him one, but he didn't noticed until she tapped him on the shoulder. Gurren looked at her and quickly recognized her. The girl doubled as the guild's bartender. "Thanks," he said to the homely young woman. He opened the letter and started to read it.


Gurren's blood boiled. A flame erupted from one of his hands and started to burn the letter. While he agreed with the idea of protecting the innocent, the Dark Wizard threat didn't sit well with him. Labeling people as traitors if they didn't show up was ridiculous. If Gildarts was still alive, Gurren was willing to bet that he'd be off on an S-Class mission on the other side of Fiore and wouldn't know about this meeting (if he didn't ignore the notice entirely). There's no way he'd ever think of Guildarts, or anyone in his guild, as a traitor during this Red Tide fiasco. He'd just have to wrap it up quickly so that they could be a family again.


"You guys do what you want. I'm going to the King's meeting," Gurren announced as he headed to the guild's double doors. He had made a promise to Olive. Someone had to keep taps on the King's men for her. He had to make sure things didn't get too out of hand. "First Master Mavis, for Fairy Tail's sake, lend me some of your battle strategy smarts..."

______________________________


Lynn Aquari

​

For the past two days, Lynn had been in the care of Crocus' best mage doctors. They healed her muscles, curing them from the pain sustained after Caleb's electrical attacks, and her skin and bones from the damage sustained by Cipher. The doctors also gave her a few Ethernano pills so that she'd be back in fighting shape. Of course she only got these treatments by being buddy-buddy with the King by deciding to help him fight off the Red Tide.


Now back in fighting shape, Lynn sat at the bottom of the King's pool wearing only her one piece swimsuit. She wasn't really sure what to think of the Tide. On one hand there was Caleb, a naive young man who only wanted to protect his sister. And on the other was Cipher... she clenched a fist at the thought of that asshole. It was bad enough that he had attacked Caleb unprovoked, but what hit home harder for Lynn was when he had stated that he wanted to kill her Mermaid Heel sister, Caitlyn, and only let her live on a whim.


From underwater Lynn felt the vibrations caused by nearby footsteps. She swam up to the surface and sat on the pool ladder as she spotted what looked like a messenger, one that happened to be male. She took the letter from him, but didn't even get to thank him before noticing that he was participating in the male habit of staring. "You've done your job, now shoo!" she said, sounding irritated. Focusing her magic through her arm that was in the pool, she created a giant wave that washed the messenger (and most of the deep end) away.


Lynn read the letter. For the most part it said what she would expect, though she felt that the Dark Wizard threat was a bit extreme. Though what worried her most was how the King would react to Caleb. Would he welcome the former Red Tide wizard, or make him an example of what would happen to the Tide when they were caught. With the letter's aggressive, war-like assessment of the Red Tide situation, was execution within the realm of possibility or just a fear she decided to worry about for Caitlyn's sake. She had just found her brother two days ago, Lynn would hate it if she lost him permanently.


Thinking of Caitlyn, Lynn wondered what her thoughts about the Red Tide situation was. Hopefully they'd have a chance to discussing things before the King's meeting. As for Lynn, she'd already made up her mind to attend the King's meeting, if only to keep up appearances until she could sort everything out.


In case you want to RP @AllHailDago

 

[Lady Warlock]

Asher Novine, Marcella Novine and Bailey O'Hara

Two Days Prior

"Alright. Thanks for the call. It is really appreciated." Asher's voice echoed through the open area within the main space of the guild hall as he finished up a brief phone call and hung up, turning to Marcella who was waiting curiously.


"Well that was random," she commented. "What's up?"


Asher could not contain the smallest smirk because he knew Marcella would find his small piece of news more than a little amusing. "Seems our guildmate has wound himself up in the hospital. Apparently he got caught within a sandstorm in the city."


"HAH!" came Marcella's resounding laughter as the girl literally fell over, curling up as laughter resounded. "The little idiot can't even go to a meeting with the king without getting himself hurt! I bet now we get to go bring him home, right?"


Asher had a thought - a brief thought - that he kept to himself. 'If Marcella had gone, I bet she'd be in even worse shape...' As it was, though, he merely nodded. The two of them would be heading back to the capital to get their guildmate once he was recovered and bring him home. 'Hopefully...'


"Maybe we can stop and check in on Raito while we're there. It'd be nice to know that he's recovering well. Maybe one thing can actually go right for once."


Marcella merely nodded, still laughing over the whole ordeal.

Present Day

After two days of travel, Asher and Marcella finally found themselves making their way into the hospital in Crocus to collect their hopefully recovered guildmate. Neither had brought a whole lot with them as they had no intentions of staying in the city. Walking inside, Asher heard someone call out to him. "Excuse me, sir!" a messenger came up from behind them before his path curled in front of them. "You are Asher Novine, correct? Current acting guildmaster of Sabertooth?"


Asher nodded.


"This is for you, and the other mages of your guild." Asher was promptly handed a letter and then the messenger headed off again.


His eyes examined the envelope briefly and then Asher shrugged. "We'll go find Bailey and then figure out what this is," he decided to which Marcella offered no argument.


The archer continued walking through the hospital halls, knocking on the door to Bailey's room before entering without waiting for a call to let her know it was ok. "Hey idiot! Heard you couldn't keep outta trouble..." Though her voice was filled with tease, she still smirked at him as though she meant it.


Bailey, with much difficulty, turned around to see his two guildmates enter the room. He had been with so many strangers...it was comforting to see some familiar faces.


"Asher, Marcella! It's...it's really nice to see you guys..."


As quickly as it had come, Bailey's joy left him, and he was left with a feeling of shame and remorse.


"I'm sorry. I...I let you guys down. I let Sabertooth down...I couldn't beat the Red Tide."


Bailey put his head down in sorrow, but not before some more chest pains. He felt significantly better, but the doctors said it'd be a couple of days before he got back to full strength.


"Why were you trying to fight them in the first place, silly fool!?" Marcella retorted, some small amount of frustration slipping into her voice. "I thought you were just told to attend the meeting and come back!?"


"Enough, Marcella. If you want to fight him, at least wait until we make it home first," Asher tossed in his thoughts as he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back just a little, deeply desiring to avoid starting a fight inside of a hospital. That did not seem like the wisest idea at all, in his mind. "Besides, I'd rather figure out what this is about."


He held up the letter and his eyes glanced to Bailey briefly. "Any idea what I might have received a letter about?"


"Hell, I don't know what it could be. Unless my subscription to the weekly sorcerer is up, I got nothin'"


Bailey turned to Marcella, wanting to explain himself. He knew if she were there she would have done the exact same thing. But he decided against saying anything. She'd probably just hit him, and he was definitely in no shape to take a shock arrow to the chest again. He just sat back, hoping they'd get some food in here soon. Or maybe some pudding. That was his favorite.


"You think someone would find Asher and give him a letter just to say your subscription to a silly magazine was up!?"


"Marcella, stop. Let's just see what this is all about, ok?" Without waiting a moment longer, Asher was opening the envelope and he proceeded to read the letter out loud, his voice monotone and curious... both at the same time. It was an interesting combination.


As he finished reading it, his eyes rose to meet with those of his guildmates.


"Well, we gotta go back to the Palace. Those Red Tide jerks are up to somethin and it's gonna take all of our power to beat them. I'm not gonna let them hurt any more people..."


Bailey triumphantly stood up to head to the palace, but being in bed for two days straight didn't exactly do wonders for his legs. He fell flat on his face, but quickly got up and searched the room for his clothes. He couldn't fight the Tide in a hospital gown that was for sure.


"Wow Bailey! You're more than a little enthusiastic..." Marcella drawled on. "But I'm with you. If its a fight, you know I'm in."


"I guess that means I'm going too," Asher shrugged. He knew that it would probably be a nuisance. The king would expect him to do something or other. However, he couldn't leave his guildmates - especially his sister.


'I don't cut what is already dying...'


The words rang through Asher's head. He wondered if Lotus would be there. If there was a fight with the Red Tide, he imagined that she would show up just as she had before. Heck, she'd even showed up for werewolves. He still didn't know what she had meant, but he wanted to find out.


"Then I guess it's settled. Let's go you guys, we gotta show them that Sabertooth doesn't back down no matter what!" Though he didn't have his full strength back, he knew that with his friends by his side there was no chance they would lose.

Collaboration with @BlackknifeVane

 

[shadowdude505]

Lynn Aquari & Caitlyn Alissa Malachi

​

Caitlyn had been passing the halls of the palace on and off again for the past two days. Initially her worry was about Lynn and Caleb's health upon returning to the palace for medical care. In Caleb's case it turned out he didn't need it, having been healed by Lynn already back at the meeting of the Four of them.


Lynn turned out to be in safe enough condition the doctors told Caitlyn not to worry. She worried regardless until Lynn herself reassured her. However, post-checkup Caleb gave her all the reason she needed to worry. He had revealed himself as a Red Tide agent, and the creator of the sandstorm, giving himself up to the palace guards.


He has been in a palace prison cell, which she really hoped didn't mean dungeon, for the past two days. She fretted over what would become of him, the boy so recently revealed to be her little brother. He had given her her name back and helped recover a few snippets of memory aside from that. He seemed so genuinely happy to see her she could only believe what he said.


She didn't want to see him executed because he made stupid choices. He had just wanted to find and save her after all. Stupid choices or not, she felt at fault for this situation. Slowing her pacing she realized maybe it was time she talked a bit about things. So she headed off to the palace pool, where Lynn last told her she would be.


Lynn climbed out of the pool and sat on a nearby folding chair. She placed the King's letter on the table. Lynn ran her fingers through her wet hair as she waited for the pool to refill. She noticed Caitlyn walking over, her pace strangely slow. She seemed nervous about something. "It's Caleb...isn't it?" she asked softly, patting the folding chair beside her; though her Mermaid Heel sister didn't need permission to sit beside her. "If you want to talk, I'm here."


Caitlyn gave Lynn a wane smile as she accepted the offer and sat on the chair next to hers. Caitlyn toyed with the bandages on her left hand lightly while sitting silently for a moment. "Yeah. It.... it's Caleb. I'm just s-so worried. I only just got him back, just found out who he is. I have a brother now. I'm afraid I'm going to lose him already." She sniffed as her eyes and nose threatened to make her cry.


"I wish I could say everything is going to be alright, but this is war... and war is unpredictable," Lynn replied softly. "But..." she paused. She was about to say something she didn't want any of the king's men to hear. She placed her right hand on the side of Caitlyn's chair, the guildmark on the back of her hand was face up. Suddenly water droplets began to arrange themselves like letters on top of the Mermaid Heel mark. My bond with you is much more important to me than any King, the letters spelled.


To hide that she was trying to deliver a secret message to her guildmate, Lynn acted like she was giving Caitlyn a side hug with her left arm. Though it really wasn't acting considering she was actually giving her Mermaid Heel sister a side hug.


Caitlyn leaned into what appeared to be a hug, wanting a bit of physical confort for the first time since she's been saved. However after a moment she realized it wasn't just a hug and looked over at Lynn's hand. She read the message with an overwhelming surge of thankfulness. She simply looked up atLynn and said, "Thank you. I needed that."


"Anytime, sister," Lynn said tenderly, tapping her guild marked hand on Caitlyn's leg. The message dripped off her hand, becoming regular water droplets. Lynn stood up and looked down at Caitlyn. "We should get ready for the King's meeting. No matter what happens, remember that we're together. Nothing will change that," she said with an older sisterly smile.


Caitlyn returned the smile a bit sheepishly as she stood up with her. "Of course, I could never forget that." She wouldn't either, as Mermaid Heel had in the few short weeks she'd been there become her new home. She followed just behind Lynn as they returned to the guest room they'd been given. It was about time to prepare for the meeting. One way or another, Caitlyn would keep both her sisters in Mermaid Heel, and her brother Caleb. E-even if that meant she had to fight!


Collab with: @AllHailDago

 

[Transparent]

Angel Litwick, Ryannan “Ryan” Costice and Nathan “Skin” Wade

A single white ant… odd to think about… was walking across the ground at the edge of a large crowd of people, seemingly gathered for something though to the ant, there was no way of knowing how many or what they were there for. It was only an ant after all. However, even if it would’ve had a chance to figure that out given time, that time was swiftly taken away as a quick breeze carried with it the feet of a woman, moving faster than actual visibility allowed human eyes to track.


CRUNCH.


The feet stopped at the edge of the crowd. Long blonde hair trickled down the back of a woman as she stopped to avoid running into the backs of what very well might have been thousands of people. Her eyes trickled over the group as she sought the quickest way around them.


Nathan stood, silently watching the crowd as he listened and watched. Above him a lone eagle flew, its view shared with him as it surveyed the crowd above. Nathan had heard nothing but rumors lately pertaining to some sort of rally nearby. Nathan didn’t know anything it or who was leading it, although a thought crossed his mind as towards who might know when a figure seemed to appear out of nowhere a few feet ahead of him.


Nathan recognized the woman as the one who’d scratched him before, during that sand storm that had simply sprung up out of nowhere. During all that confusion and chaos she’d seemed to know exactly where she was going. Perhaps she knew what was going on, or perhaps not. Either way he owed her after the blood she’d drawn.


“Hey! You!” Nathan barked her way as he began moving towards her, rolling his head a bit to pop his neck, that thing tough guys tend to do when trying to seem tough.(lolz)


A fair few heads turned at his words. Apparently ‘hey you’ was a good way to get a lot of people’s attentions at once because no one could really tell who the ‘you’ was within the statement. Angel’s eyes turned too, her eyes rolling hard as they fell upon a familiar face from the sandstorm. “What!?” she snapped.


“What do you mean what? We’ve got unfinished business, and I want some fuckin’ answers that I think you can give me. So start talkin’.” Nathan growled as he approached, eyes staring daggers at the woman.


“Unfinished business, my ass! You got in my way, I ran you over. Seems finished to me. As for answers, what makes you think I know the first thing about anything!? You’ve got another thing coming if you think anyone trusts me worth a damn.” Angel’s words were sharp, snapping right back and even exceeding his volume as he sneered at her.


“I mean I owe you for both running me over and that scratch you left me. And how the hell would I know, all I do know is you’re gonna tell me something I don’t know ya crazy bitch, or things are gonna get real nasty real quick.” Nathan growled, flinging the insult with a cocky smirk.


Speed kicked in swift. Angel’s hand slipped a dagger from her hip as high speed magic carried her around and behind Nathan faster than eyes could track, the coolness of the dagger swiftly finding his throat while a hand held his cheek. Words slithered through the contact, not crossing her lips, but rather creeping straight into his mind through her hand. ‘And how am I supposed to know what you know, bastard!?’


Nathan bit back a rather venomous retort, not speaking for a moment as he focused on his magic. He refused to reply, waiting for the moment to lunge away as a small dot like tattoo at the front of his neck raised from the skin, expanding outwards from the area it covered and quickly sliding beneath the blade against his neck. At about the same time the eagle above dove from above, striking the woman’s elbow with a heavy impact meant to throw off her concentration and cause a distraction that would allow Nathan to roll free.


The eagle’s beak only scraped Angel’s elbow before she was gone once again, her hand on his cheek brushing against his skin as she dug her nails in, pulling them along before she vanished completely. ‘You’re not even worth my time. I have bigger fish to fry.’ Just like that, Angel was gone. High speed magic carried her in a large arc around the crowd as she continued her search for the one person who had hurt her the most, for the one person who deserved it the most.


Nathan picked himself up off the ground, waving at his eagle to take back to the sky and scan the crowd for the woman as he tended to his wounded cheek...again. “Damn speedy bitch...gotta think of a way around that…” Nathan growled to himself before closing his eyes and taking a bird's eye view of the plaza, literally. He could see a lot from the eagle, and it’s better vision helped him pick up a lot of things but also made it obvious that he’d once again lost her. But something else nearby him caught his, and the eagle’s eye.


An ant, small and white. As the eagle’s vision focused on the ant it picked up more details from it, the significant one being that it was made of paper. Nathan frowned at that, returning to his own eyes to find the ant nearby, crouching down to observe it as he did.


Not only was its path very straight, but along the sides of it were little scribblings, a writing too small to read. As it walked away from the crowd, others emerged from in between the legs of the people, all swarming towards an alley nearby.


Nathan frowned, following the trail first with his eyes, and then his feet as he began following it towards the alley in earnest. Rounding the corner, the ants all made their way to the figure where they seemed to amalgamate into it’s form. Sitting on the ground, leaning up against the wall, eyes turned to fall upon Nathan revealing that the figure was a woman, seemingly exhausted as her breathing took more effort than it should have.


“Are you one of the king’s men, come to brand me a dark mage for being here?” She tried to snap it, tried to sound fierce. It failed on her part.


Nathan stopped and frowned, a hand lightly gripping a dagger he’d had hidden in the back of his pants simply as a cautionary movement, although he didn’t pull it out. “Who the hell are you? And what are you talking about?” he grunted, obviously not impressed by the attempt.


The woman’s body visibly released its tension, shoulders falling as she turned her head from him, simply leaning it back against the building she leaned upon. “The king sent out a letter to all the guild mages,” she muttered softly. “He seeks a meeting with us and I sent a picto-clone. I’m not sure if I can maintain it for long enough though. It just seemed a better use of my time to try to gather more information.”


She sighed. “My name’s Ryan. I am… or I was… a mage of Silver Phoenix. I’m not quite sure if that stands anymore, though.”


“A guild mage...wait, what’s this about a meeting? Why in the hell is he holding a meeting?” Nathan asked with a confused frown.


A lousy shrug flooded Ryannan’s shoulders. “I thought Zeke would know. He met with the king a few days ago. I haven’t seen him, though.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter, tossing it towards Nathan. “That’s about all I know.”


Nathan looked over the letter a moment before looking back up at Ryan, “Right...so who the fuck are the Red Tide? Sound like a bunch of pissy losers to me.” Nathan asked, chuckling lightly at his insult.


“That’s what I’m trying to find out. Apparently they have a reactor, and apparently they don’t like the king or guild mages.”


More ants crawled into her form as she absorbed all the information they had gathered. As each one joined into Ryannan’s body, some of her strength returned though there were still thousands more out there. Sustaining each and every one of them was a significant drain on her strength.


”Riiiiight...so the hell is this reactor? And why does it have the king’s panties in a bunch?” Nathan asked, leaning against the nearest wall as he spoke.


“Well, if it wasn’t something that seemed dangerous, I wouldn’t be putting so much power into trying to find it,” Ryannan sighed, slowly annoying at his constant barrage of questions.


“Right...makes sense…” Nathan muttered, watching the small ants join the woman one by one. “So uh….what would happen actually if I lit on of them on fire? Just curious..”


“It would burn like paper… and I’d lose all the intel it collected,” Ryannan answered swiftly, her gaze turning to him as her eyes beared warning against attempting such a thing.


Nathan chuckled a bit, standing away from the wall, “So, tell me more about this meeting, and why you’re not at it then if not going spells trouble for you.” Nathan demanded, raising a questioning eyebrow.


“There’s a Red Tide rally going on, the Red Tide have possession of a reactor that could blow up the city, I have the ability to gather large amounts of information at once, and you think it makes sense for me to go to a meeting with a king instead!?” Her voice rose a bit more than she intended and it wasn’t pleasant. Her body cringed at the expenditure of energy.


Nathan frowned, crossing his arms and leveling a glare at her, “Did I say I thought it made sense to go? I simply asked why you weren’t. Also you still didn’t answer my question, although the info you gave me seems a bit more useful. Has your information gathering actually revealed anything yet though?” Nathan asked, smirking slightly as if guessing the answer. If it had he kinda doubted she’d still be there in the alley.


Ryannan’s breathing increased. Magic poured out of her as her focus left her body for a moment, ensuring that her picto clone still stood and headed for the king’s meeting. That figured out and still standing, she brought her attention back to her current situation, glaring daggers at him. The reality of it was she didn’t know. She was too busy trying to stay awake to actually piece together the information she’d gathered so far and too occupied to read through the briefest notes.


“I can’t exactly… look it over… while you’re asking so many… questions…” It was to the point where she had to take a breath in the middle of sentences.


“It looks to me like you couldn’t look it over even if you wanted to actually.” Nathan replied with a more obvious smirk, getting a good feeling that he was right about that.


“Probably not…”


Nathan nodded. “Figured, so why continue on a plan of action that’s not working? There’s a Red Tide rally going on nearby right? Well what better way to get information than directly from them yourself? A little knock and talk perhaps? Crack some heads, kick some ass, take some names? That’s about the best way to get information in my opinion.” Nathan suggested.


Ryannan’s eyes rose to his, eyebrows raising as though his idea was preposterous. In reality, it was on many levels. The whole point of seeking intel was to try to resolve the situation without hurting the larger population and there happened to be a very large crowd of general populous within a rally. Beyond that, she was at a point where she couldn’t go even if she had wanted to. She didn’t even know if she could even stand on her own anymore and the magic drain only continued on and on.


‘You’re perceptive… but not perceptive enough…’


The thought ran through her head. It was still there and she still knew she hadn’t fixed it, even with all the effort in the world, even pushing herself to the edges of her own limits as she was. A sigh escaped her lips as the ants swarming towards her, weaving their way around Nathan’s feet, poofed into nonexistence. Head rolling against the building, Ryannan’s breaths came in ragged and uneven though her eyes still watched him. “You honestly… think… I could… kick some ass… right now…?” A chuckle turned into a cough as she tried to make it seem like he had said something funny.


Nathan shrugged, “Yea not really. And it looks like you hit your limit. So uh, this meeting’s at the…” Nathan stopped a moment to re-read the letter, “Yea, that’s where I figured. You’re not in a good position if you pass out are you? And I’m not gonna go knocking heads at a rally by myself. Guess we better go to that meeting, maybe I can get more information than you can give me anyways. I mean what’s the point of knowing a bunch of shit if you can’t stay awake to tell it, eh?” Nathan said as he started walking towards Ryan. With a shake of his head Nathan picked up Ryan’s inert form and tossed her over his shoulder fireman style and left the alley, taking a brief moment to get his bearings before choosing the quickest way to this meeting.

 

[utdfan22]

JAMKE DAIN (Lamia Scale)



​

Two Days Prior


The course collection of fine sand intertwined with the controlled intricacies of his snowflakes. Seeing the storm below more or less disintegrate, Jamke gathered his strength and twisted his waist as his arms flowed through the air like waves. Every sway brought the storm further and further forwards as his eyes peered out to the waters below. The moments that followed saw the storm scatter and disperse over the water, drifting down lazily to the shimmering blue below. His arms dropped to his side heavily, each feeling like lead had been strapped to their sides. His eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curled imperceptibly as he forced his breathing to retain a steady rhythm. He leaned his head backwards to relax for a moment as a few stray droplets of frozen water melted on his cheeks. Doing so, his eyes zeroed in on the faint remnants of smoke rising up into the sky. It looked like the failing trails of dying embers, reflecting faintly in his blue eyes. His hands were placed into the pockets of his tunic as he stared out and calculated his next move. The panic seemed to be already going quiet. With one more steadying breath, he took off running down the stairs from the roof to join the efforts below.


Some Time Later


The Lamia Scale Guild Hall sat in a beautiful stretch of nature, paths trailing up towards rocky terrain opposite the beautiful lake by the guild's doors. Several sharps stones, were being gathered together from the ground, bandaged hands drawing together the pile of a six or so that each had the length of the thumb. The projectiles were flung forwards from the right arm with great force as Jamke's left arm curled below. A beautiful twist followed in the sharp patterns of his White Fang as the stones were blasted skywards over Jamke's head before a second slap of the snow drove them towards the dirt. The left arm rocked back and forth in a quick, scythe-like motion as sharp eyes followed the almost invisible debris. The arm contorted and bent like a whip as it snapped out six times in rapid succession, the hands angle shifting every time. The open palm soon revealed the six were caught perfectly, the bandages largely left untorn. A relieved sigh followed at the results of the last stretch of his routine. Once, the flickering grabs had resulted in his skin being decimated and now the result was almost flawless every time. It was a great test of reaction and reflex, requiring sharp attention in a very short space of time. A towel was soon pulled from the ragged brown bag that sat at the edge of a huge pile up of snow his training had conjured. He slung it over his back as he began his trek home. He had made a point of spending more time with his mother given the unrest in the country, ensuring he'd be able to protect her.


Several people had taken to averting their eyes when he walked through town, the gesture not stinging as much as Jamke had expected it to. He had not changed since the recent events began, they had. "If they don't like or trust me, I won't take it personally. I guess I really don't care what they think of me. Maybe that's more depressing than the alternative." His keys made a crooked, screeching noise as they forced the tumbler in the creaky old lock to move. "I'll have to buy some oil for this in a few weeks. It might start jamming. That could be expensive though..." Jamke deflated at the thought of having to spend money on the old house they'd taken up residence in. It had been one of the few places that Jamke and his mother could afford fresh off the boat, the peeling paint and bits of damp wall lowering the price during a brief economic downturn. They'd managed to eliminate the damp and get a fresh coat of paint on during their three years in the house but their medical expenses were keeping the condition of the place quite low. Wandering through the cramped hallway, Jamke dropped his bag into the tiny kitchen corner. His mother's pale skin gave a slightly ghostly quality as she threw a small smile in his direction before turning back to the Sorcerer Weekly in her hands. Noticing the Lamia Scale article, Jamke subconsciously glanced to the corner of the room with a blush.


Soon though, he was pouring himself a cup of tea and placing a second beside his mother, a ritual from his childhood. She didn't respond as she continued to read the page before her. Oddly, she seemed to be rereading the same page repeatedly. "Mother?" he ventured nervously as he read the title over her shoulder. "Terror in Crocus!... great, another thing to worry her," he bitterly lamented before patting her shoulder, "It'll be fine, Mother. Things will work out." "Of course, Jamke," she'd responded simply, her smile not shifting but the paleness of her green eyes seemed even more sickly than usual as they stayed on that same damn page. "A letter arrived while you were out, it's on the counter," she added, her normally chirpy voice somewhat dampened by the country's dour state. They both knew what it related to. Unsure of what to say, he removed his hand from her shoulder and glanced at the poorly black counter top. He carefully went over the contents of the King's order, the political form of it doing little to mask the strong approach being taken. Things would escalate but Jamke had known that already. "The Red Tide may have him backed into a corner if he's already jumping to his most extreme response," Jamke reflected before gently placing the letter away. "They want this to be a full battle. I suppose it was always going to go this way. I can't lose my main source of income, no matter how temporary." "Looks like I'm expected back in Crocus," he said gently, flinching slightly when his mother coughed into her fist. The fit was quick and harsh, Jamke's hand soon patting her back and helping her sip down some of the tea. "I can't afford to let things fall apart now. I have too much to lose."





Once things had settled, Jamke had grabbed a brief bite to eat before setting out. He walked along the path leading out of town, noticing the insulting little asides a few of the braver faces around town were muttering behind his back. The Iceberg native sighed uncomfortably at that, "I can handle this but Libby is still a child and Russell is still recovering from the loss of Blue Pegasus. They are far too young to have to be exposed to such danger." The door to Lamia Scale was shoved open as Jamke started gathering some supplies before heading to Crocus. Ryos had said something about finding the Blue Pegasus Dragon Slayer, so he had already left. Still, Jamke intended to gather up a few of his guildmates before leaving. Perhaps Libby or Sarafina would travel with him while the Guildmaster was still in the hospital. Alyssa might be willing to join up with him as well, though she usually had her own plan in place for travel.


@DaughterofAthena @shadowdude505 @Hales

 

[Stormborn Targaryen]

To King Eisenhower Fiore,


I met with you two days ago and I believe I made myself very clear at our last encounter. For the sake of clarity, I write to you again now.


You claim to be in control of the guild called Crime Sorciere. Their members slaughtered a plethora of guild mages at a meeting within the now destroyed Blue Pegasus guild hall. They also slaughtered a majority of the magic council. Nothing on your part has been done to rectify these crimes.


Now you are trying to bring even more mages under your command after demonstrating that you can’t control even a few. This will only add more fire to the flame that the Red Tide is inciting and I implore you to reconsider. Show that you can reign in and control one guild before assuming command of them all.


Until such a time that the members of Crime Sorciere are brought to trial for their crimes, I will attend no meetings. I will fight for no king. I will fight for what I believe and at the moment, that is the safety of everyone within the kingdom. If that marks me a Dark Mage, a traitor to the crown, so be it.


Send who you like to find me. It’s been awhile since I’ve been challenged. I look forward to it. Though if you claim my attention, I cannot protect the innocent and then if they should die, know that it is on your watch and not mine.


Sincerely,


Malakai Grave

Malakai Grave and Angel Litwick

True to his word, Malakai Grave had not attended the meeting. Rather, his path had carried him to the rally occurring within a corner of the capital. Though he had no interest in its actual function, he intended to assure that the protest remained peaceful as he was under the impression that that was the intention. With his magic surveying all the carbon lifeforms within the crowd, Malakai didn’t notice anything concerning quite yet.


However, his attention was swiftly drawn to the sound of raised voices on the edge of the crowd, not too far from where he was standing. Though the actual object of the fight was very unclear from what he could hear, he did see the woman involved pull a knife. Malakai’s eyes followed the bird as it dove down at the woman and the carbon mage blinked twice when he realized that the woman simply seemed to vanish after that.


‘No… not vanish…’ Though his eyes couldn’t see her, Malakai could sense the carbon in her skin as she moved at speeds faster than should have been possible. ‘She’s a mage. That explains it.’


Reaching out with his carbon magic, Malakai snatched control of the carbon within the blonde’s skin even though he couldn’t see her. In an instant, she was completely frozen and entirely visible again though he could feel her body struggling against his vice-grip hold on her. “This is supposed to be a peaceful protest!” Malakai yelled at her, his voice very assertive.


“Yeah!? So?” Angel sneered at him in return.


“Don’t you understand the meaning of the word peaceful? Put that knife away and calm down. If you are here for the rally, then just calm down and watch. No reason to cause any trouble.” Malakai responded, maintaining his assertive tone.


“Well, I can’t put the knife away until I can move again,” Angel smirked, her voice suddenly smooth and teasing. “I’m not staying anyway. Just passing through…”


In response, and seeing Angel’s point, Malakai cautiously returned the ability for the woman to move her arms, so she could put the knife away. “Now, why don’t you put that knife away, and tell me where you are off to in such a rush then?”


Angel chuckled softly. “You’re so easy to get all riled up, you know?” Nonetheless, her hand slipped the dagger back into its sheathe at her hip and then she smirked once more. “If you really must know, I have a debt to repay, though why you’d care, I haven’t the slightest idea.”


“If you are going to hurt someone at a peaceful protest, that’s everyone’s problem. Surely this can wait. Tensions are high across the nation right now, and I won’t have some woman mucking things up even more.”


“Oh, I doubt she’ll show up here, darling,” Angel drawled. “And if she does, it certainly won’t be a peaceful rally anymore. In fact, I’d probably be helpful in that case because I’d take the fight to a place where no one could interfere. Don’t worry. Your rally won’t be damaged on my intention.”


“Let’s get one thing straight. This isn’t my rally. I’m merely here to stop someone foolish like yourself from making things any worse than they already are. Everyone has something that needs fixing right now, be it the Red Tide, or the King. The only thing I’m interested in is trying to maintain peace, and keep civilians safe from any threat, if that would come from Red Tide agents, or the king alike. Perhaps even overly aggressive mages.”


“Hmm… overly aggressive mages… like myself, perhaps?” Angel’s voice sung the words again in tease. “Consider me warned, though you certainly can’t hold on to me forever. Shouldn’t you be looking for those who actually intend to cause harm? I’ve already told you, I’m on my way out.”


“I certainly should be, shouldn’t I?” Malakai walked closer to Angel, hardened his fist, and punched her hard on the top of the head. “However, I can’t be certain that you won’t cause any harm now, can I? You are going to stay right here where I can keep an eye on you, until the peaceful rally is finished.”


Lights faded from Angel’s vision fast. Unable to move, unable to run, she couldn’t even hear his last words as he uttered them. She simply collapsed upon the ground as his magic slowly released her.


Collaboration with @DaughterofAthena


@BLUR

 

[Lady Warlock]

Olive Kittana and Alicia Spearheart

Olive's eyes were focused as she looked at the small object in her hand. White as paper, though it acted like a bug, she knew it was made of magic. She'd stumbled upon a fair few of them over the course of her walks over the past two days and they had peaked her curiosity. There wasn't much more to learn from holding just one and that made her even more interested. Her hand closed around it before dropping to her side as she stepped into the elevator.


Black silk gloves covered her hands as she reached across to push the button - floor 17 - heading up to the war room to meet with her guildmate.


The ride was quick and Olive saw few people as she moved. Those she did see refused to meet the gaze of her red eyes which was entirely ok with Olive. That was something she was more than used to. Even without eye contact, though, her mind slipped briefly into the thoughts of every person she passed. She found that she was slowly starting to learn names at the very least and knowing names was something that could be useful regardless of circumstance. Her hand reached out to open the door to the room she could sense her guildmate's mind within. Though she didn't know precisely where the war room she'd been summoned to was, Olive knew Alicia's mind well enough to find it nearly anywhere in the building.


The elevator doors opened with a soft chimed, revealing what had once been a large conference room, lined on one wall with plate glass windows which looked down onto Crocus far below. A map of Crocus had been laid out on the round table that dominated the center of the room, marked with coloured pins. Alicia stood here, poring over the map with her back to Olive as she entered.


"Welcome to the heart of Tide operations in Crocus." Alicia didn't look up from the table, but she did gesture to an office chair at its far end. "Please, take a seat."


Olive merely moved as she was bid, curious as to why she was suddenly allowed up here when it seemed to have been avoided before. Her eyes trickled over the map though nothing immediately intrigued her about it. She'd seen maps of the capital before.


Alicia lingered for a moment longer at the war-table before straightening, turning to look at Olive, frowning slightly.


"Dr King has asked for the Tide to host a public rally in Crocus, to assure the people of our intentions and boost recruitment. I was hoping that you might speak for us."


"Us? As in, speak for the Red Tide?" Olive raised an eyebrow, seeking to clarify.


Alicia simply nodded.


Olive shook her head. "You heard what I said to Gurren. I am not a part of the Red Tide. Your association with violence is not something I can be a part of nor can I stand behind it." She spoke with a high resolve though she added more. "I will speak there if you still wish me too, but not as the Red Tide and not for the Red Tide. I merely speak for the democratic ideals."


Alicia considered for a moment.


"So long as you also remind people that the Tide stands for those ideas, then we are agreed."Alicia leaned against the table, watching Olive.


Once more, Olive found herself shaking her head. "For me to say that would be to lie as there was no democracy in your decision to blow up a guild hall and a home to countless mages nor threaten their lives with it. If you wish to step up after me and say that yourself, I will not stop you. I will not lie to the people, though."


She paused and considered her words. "Democracy implies that everyone has a say. And no one even had enough knowledge that a problem existed to have a say in that."


Alicia shrugged.


"We've already spoken on that point at length. Let's just agree to disagree." She crossed the room to the window.


"I'm afraid though that this is to be a rally, not an open-mic session. If you can't assure the people that the Tide are not simply terrorists, then you'll have to remain here."


"Very well, then. I will remain here. Until I have seen your organization do something that does not bring violence, I will not stand behind it."


At that Alicia smiled slightly.


"I'd hope that a peaceful rally should demonstrate that. Still, if you won't be attending the rally then we'll have to make arrangements for you here. There will be certain restrictions on your movements for our security."


"And you won't have my sense of knowing who else is at this rally of yours," Olive replied, her hand squeezing slightly around the little magic creature she'd found earlier. "You know it would be invaluable for you to simply have me there even if its not to speak. I can locate the threats before the even happen and ensure that it actually is a peaceful event."


"Mm, that's true. For your abilities to be of use to us though, we'd have to be confident of your loyalty. You've made it quite clear that you owe the Tide nothing."


"I am merely on the side that wants to prevent violence. If you are seeking to prevent any violent outbursts, I will inform you of them and even help to deal wth them accordingly."


Alicia shook her head.


"The rally will be a delicate situation as it is; I fully expect to see guild mages, if only to gather infomation. I can't afford to have you out there as well, especially when you've already been inside our headquarters. It would be very easy for you to betray us and slip away." Alicia's expression was blank. "Besides, I already have security measures to ensure that this rally remains peacful."


"Fine then. I will remain here."


Alicia nodded, moving back to the wartable and jotting a note on a pad of paper.


"Okay. You should be aware that the building's security systems will be in place. A full barrier of Dark Ecriture enchantment in addition to Ms Scarlet's own security measures. Just something to be aware of if you intend to wander."


"You act as though I'm intent on leaving. I have nowhere to go. My home's gone..." Olive shrugged at the thought of it.


"Mm, although perhaps you'd want to visit the King today. Your absence from his latest meeting might have repercussions. It's a pity our monarch resorts to petty blackmail..."


Alicia paused for a moment, gauging Olive's reaction, before reaching into her pocket and tossing the King's letter to her.


"Have a read."


Olive's hand was quick to reach out for it once it was offered, curiosity peaked at the annoyance such a simple thing seemed to bring to Alicia. Opening the paper, Olive was first bombarded with its brief history before even glancing over its contents. 'Just a copy of an original...' It was the first thing she realized. Really the only thing of importance beyond the actual writing.


Her eyes only narrowed further as she read it.


"Why would he threaten the mages like this?" she wondered out loud, suddenly very flustered. "It isn't just some fancy title to be a guild mage. It's a family... that's not something he can rightfully take away."


"Perhaps he's scared, or perhaps he has something to hide. Who knows. At the very least, we can assume that he feels threatened by the Tide." There was a hint of satisfaction in Alicia's tone. "And so Eisenhower Fiore shows his true colors to the world."


"And I suppose you're hoping that this will convince me to fight for you?" Olive inquired, her tone highly accusatory.


Alicia gave her a wry grin and a pleasant, noncommital look.


"I was hoping that, at the very least, you might be curious enough to pay the King a visit. And if you discover with your magic that he has something to hide, or some ulterior agenda, that you might report it back to me."


Olive smiled and nodded briefly.


"That... that is something I will do. I thought you wanted me to speak, though? I can't be in two places at once."


"You'd be more useful to the Tide as propoganda, true, but good spies are hard to come by. Even if we don't entirely trust each other, we both have an interest in finding out what's going on inside his Majesty's head."


"Our curiosities match," Olive nodded in agreement.


"Now I'm wondering though... what measures will you put in place to ensure I don't betray you at this meeting? You seemed determined to believe that I could betray you at the rally. What makes this any different?"


Alicia allowed a moment's pause.


You won't betray me, there'll be a capable escort to chaperone and ensure your safety. Once you've taken a look inside his head, I'd hope that you'd lend your aid to the Tide willingly."


And there was the catch. Olive smirked slightly, not having been expecting a plan and realizing she should have been. Though caught off guard, Olive couldn't really argue. There was too much she wanted to know and too little else she could actually do to get the answers she needed.


"Very well."


Alicia nodded, her lip curling again in what might have been triumph.


"Excellent. For your magic to be most effective, do you need meet the King in person, or would his possessions suffice?"


"My magic has a certain range to it as far as reading a mind goes. Meeting him in person would be highly advantageous, though getting close should theoretically be enough. The more that is risked, the more I could possibly learn."


"Getting close won't be an issue. You'll be entering the main meeting as part of Kuruko Scarlet's entourage. As a VIP guest you shouldn't encounter any trouble, and Ms Scarlet will ensure that you gather the infomation that is required and return here."


"Sounds like a plan," Olive nodded in approval. "Anything else I should be aware of?"


Alicia considered the question.


"Mingle with your fellow mages if you like, but be aware that you'll have Kuruko's eyes on you at all times. For someone without magic, she is extraordinarily capable. If any of them ask, you can mention that you have been with the Tide, and if any of them wish to return here with you after your mission is done, they are quite welcome to."


"I think I'll wait and see what I learn before extending any invitation," she stated honestly.


"I do have something that might interest you, though," Olive added as an afterthought. "When we met with Gurren earlier, he'd left an earlier meeting with the king. There was one mage in particular who seemed adamantly against the king. I thought you might be interested... if he's not at the meeting. I really can't say for sure."


Alicia raised an eyebrow.


"Oh? Did Gurren mention this man's name?"


"Not out loud, no. But he's Malakai Grave. You should keep an eye out for him."


"Indeed, I expect I shall. Thank you, Olive." Alicia was quiet for a moment, thinking, then nodded to herself. "You had better be going if you want to make it to the meeting in good time. Kuruko will meet you in the lobby. I expect she won't be too talkative, so just stay close to her and keep your head down until you're inside the palace."


"Got it." Olive nodded without further hesitation and stood up, walking out of the room without further statement. Alicia watched her go, before withdrawing a communications lacrima from inside her pocket.


"Mr Cipher, you'll be accompanying me to the rally. I'll see you downstairs in five minutes. Don't be late."


@Mad Prince of Sanity (last line)

 

[shadowdude505]

Libby Tuck, Jamke Dain, Sarafina and Light Ethereal

Light's eyes were buried within the note within his hands as his eyes traced over each line. Most of it made sense; there wasn't any particular section that didn't. However, he also was concerned by quite a few of its points. The king was openly threatening the guild mages. That didn't seem like a 'kingly' thing to do and it concerned him greatly.


He didn't get to read for long though before he heard little footsteps running up behind him. "Are you coming, Light!?" came the excited call of Libby. "We're going to see if we can find anyone to help us rebuild Blue Pegasus!" It was apparent that she was really excited about it.


Sarafina burst into the room in her battle mode, rabidly opening the door she entered through and caused the door to slam agaist the wall it was hinged to. "Did you read this?!" she asked as she fluttered in front of Libby and Light in her winged Exceed form, holding out a copy of the newspaper. "I should have been there..."


Libby's eyes turned to Sarafina quickly, jumping at the door being opened so violently. Slowly her smile began to curl down as she understood what she heard. "But if you'd been somewhere else, you wouldn't have been helping me to fix things..." she objected softly.


Light's eyes turned, glancing to Libby and then Sarafina. "I'm going to guess that talks about the deaths the king mentions here, right?" he held up the letter he had been reading.


Sarafina's expression became less tense after hearing Libby. "That's true...," she replied softly. She turned her attention to Light after hearing something about a letter from the King. Sarafina snatched the letter and started to speed read it.


"What?!" Sarafina blurted, doing a double take. She re-read the part about being labled as Dark Wizards. "B...but what about Ryos? Isn't he doing his own thing?" he asked Light, rolling the letter up and nervously twisting it. "He'll miss the King's meeting..." She looked shocked. Never in a million years would she think of Ryos as a Dark Wizard.


Jamke wandered by shortly afterwards, hoisting the brown bag over his shoulder. "It'll be fine. Ryos can look after himself in these situations. Things should be easy enough to work out given Ryos' personality. He's one of the easier allies the King could have," he said softly while glancing at his other guildmates. "We'll just have to bring that up at the meeting. Attending it would seem to be in our best interests." He was curious to see if anyone else had their own plans ahead of time but he couldn't really think of many valid options, Ryos Dragon Slayer Hunting being a silvery rare exception.


"Agreed," Light commented. "It would seem to be in our best interests. Do you think the other guilds will show?"


"They are in the same position that we are. A few of them won't but many will at least show up to make their displeasure known." Jamke remarked, reflecting on the general undercurrent of annoyance at the meeting.


Light nodded, grumbling softly. It was as he expected.


Libby, meanwhile, was growing more and more saddened by what she heard. "Do we really have to go to a meeting? Who's going to rebuild Blue Pegasus and make Russel and Jacob Misty happy again?"


"We will, Libby. Once this Red Tide mess blows over, I promise," Sarafina replied with a determined look in her eyes. "We shouldn't keep the King waiting. When are we heading out, Jamke? I'm already packed."


Jamke glanced at Libby, feeling a strange anger at the fact that she'd been caught up in the Tide's mess. He suppressed that though and flashed a polite smile to Sarafina, "We can leave once everyone's packed but we should go as a group. It will make the journey go quicker." The reality was that it wasn't safe for mages to travel alone at the moment... even successfully defending oneself could make things worse.


Light sighed and stood up, leaving the letter to sit on a coffee table. "I'll go get my stuff together."


Libby nodded as well. "How long do you think we'll be gone?"


Jamke ran a hand through his hair, his eyes glancing towards the wall. He honestly wasn't sure but he couldn't imagine the King would want to keep them gathered for too long, they were too vulnerable in large groups. It gave initiaitve to the other side. "It will take us some time to travel to and from the capital but we probably won't be there for more than two days at most," Jamke reassured Libby, knowing she wouldn't want to be gone too long. "We'll hopefully be able to get things moving soon enough." The only problem was that Jamke couldn't help but feel there would be some within the Guild itself who might soon disagree with him.He was just hoping everyone would stay on his side for the time being, that they could work together in this hard time.


Libby nodded slowly. "Ok." She started running, heading out of the guild hall to make her way home and gather enough supplies. She didn't sound too excited about it, but she would stay with her guildmates.


Light as well turned and headed upstairs to get his things.


Collab with: @DaughterofAthena @utdfan22

 

[Mad Prince of Sanity]

Alicia Spearheart and Cipher

Cipher had received Alica's instructions near-instantaneously and with his usual silent efficiency, set off to where she designated to meet him. The past two days had been rather uneventful for him aside from the altercation with Caleb, Lynn and Caitlyn although he HAD acquired a new book shortly thereafter. Written by Ms Spearheart no less. Between he, himself and only himself, he enjoyed reading and writing a great deal, and the curiosity caused by seeing an actual published book by her had been too great to pass up. Thus, while he waited, he seated himself beside the stairs and simply began to read. Eyes lazily drifting back and forth over the pages in the expected, near-trance state reading had a habit of inducing.


The elevator pinged, and Alicia stepped out into the lobby. She paused for a moment, scanning the room, before spottng Cipher and approaching at a brisk walk.


"We'd better be going. I assume you're ready?"


Cipher, in contrast to his usual attentive attitude in most cases, lingered on the page for a moment or two before closing the book and standing beside her, humming in thought as he held it for her to fully see the cover of her own work "To quote your own work 'As ready as a bird is to swoop upon it's prey.'" A slight pause, and despite what could be taken as a teasing statement leaving him, he only gave her his usual, level stare "In other words, completely."


Alicia raised an eyebrow as Cipher showed her the cover of the novel.


"Not my most inspired piece of literature, I know." She grinned nonetheless. Still, I'll be careful not to drop any spoilers."


She glanced toward the entrance.


"Shall we go? Once we're clear of the building I'll teleport us to the rally site, assuming that you can keep your magic in check."


Cipher gave a small shrug, removing the Eye from his robe's pockets before noting the eyepatch now prominently cover Alicia's eye as she turned. As she questioned him over whether he was ready go, and making him bristle slightly at keeping 'his' magic in check, his eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. I suppose it is more correct to call it this thing's magic, rather than mine as I have no magic myself." A slight pause followed "Though the answer is yes...." A small half-chuckle and half-hum rose through his throat as he glanced to her covered eye he knew could not return his gaze "For someone who's likely saved your life, that comment was a bit... biting. Apologies if I make you.. nervous, Miss Spearheart."


Alicia didn't turn to look at Cipher fully, but she did manage a kind of half-shrug. She hadn't stopped to think about it before, but she supposed that she did owe Cipher for getting her clear of Crime Sorciere's rampage at Blue Pegasus.


"Apologies, it wasn't intended as a reflection on you and I am grateful for what you've done. I'll reflect that in your paycheck once all this is over." Alicia started to walk towards the exit. "I'm just wary of what might happen if you triggered your magic mid-teleport. We'd be atomised, I suspect, so you're right in thinking that I'm nervous.


Cipher began following Alicia as she walked, her words making him pause in consideration for a moment before he merely shrugged as well. "Truth be told, I would much rather walk. Not only would it be a certain level of... ominous for to simple appear out of thin air before a crowd likely containing some... less than enthusiastc individuals, but I also pefer to work as more of a... precise deterent. Ergo, the thought of standng before a crowd and trying to look intimidating does not appeal to me." For a moment, it seemd Cipher was finished speaking, before he added "On the bright side, should you abdicate to walking, you'll conserve energy and have time to plan."


Alicia made a half-hearted noise at the prospect, giving her boots a long look.


"But I'm wearing heels..." She glanced back up at Cipher, then sighed. "Fine. Blisters it is. At least the place isn't too far away."


Cipher actually gave a small grin at her words, before returning to a stoic expression and then quirking an eyebrow at her, suddenly realizing he still held her novel, he stored it inside a pouch he'd taken to storing everyday items, before he added in a tone a little too dry to be seriously coming from even him. His eyes locked straight ahead as he spoke "Judging by the cliches in your novel, if I did not know any better I would be convinced you were trying to guilt me into carrying you." His eyes then flicked to her own good eye, a small glint found within his own "Terribly sorry, but I think you can manage."


"Tch, talk about chivalrous. And I'm your boss, too. For the record they're not cliches, they're homages to literary classics." Alicia rolled her eye, allowing a moment of silence to grow before bursting it. "I've never asked; why mercenary work? Guilds pay more. They're reputable, too. What makes you want to sell your skills to the highest bidder?"


Cipher rolled his eyes in the same moment Alicia rolled hers though he did so at her feeble, and honestly more than a little amusing, attempts to cover her novel's tracks. At her sudden question, Cipher stopped walking for a moment, before studying Alicia's expression for the briefest of moments. "To be entirely honest Alicia, there are few other people who could ask me how you just did and not infuriate me. However.... I'll give you two answers. The first, is that I do not sell my skills to the highest bidder. In truth, a priceless bid the Tide made for my services was their beliefs. Which I wholeheartedly agree with. The Jewel is necessary because once this is over, work will be scarce for someone like me. Before giving you my second answer, however, I've also been wondering as to why you joined the Tide. You've given up quite a lot you know?"


Alicia's pace barely slowed but her attention shifted entirely to Cipher's words.


"So you genuinely support the Tide? That's good to know." She made a mental note to raise Cipher's salary a touch further than she'd planned. "As to your question, I was a member of the Tide before I was a guild mage. I've known Dr King since I was very young. It was on his instructions that I joined Blue Pegasus in the first place. I know that I've given up a lot. I could have had a long and happy life with the guild."


Alicia measured her next words, trying to decide first in her own mind what she really felt. She didn't often consider her own motivations, being too engrossed in those of everyone around her.


"But I'm not cut out for that. I believe in the Tide's vision for Fiore, in democracy and in equality between mages and non-mages. If I can play even a small role in seeing that future come to pass, then I'll gladly give up my own."


Cipher listened silently to Alicia's words, measuring them each in turn before drawing a conclusion rather quickly. Her final words only adding to his assessment before he noticed the rally location come into eyesight. Stopping once again, he placed a hand on Alicia's shoulder to stop her as well, before looking her in the eye and stating simply "Alicia, has anyone ever told you that you are VERY nihilistic about your own existence? While you may be willing to die for the Tide, you could do much more or them, and yourself, alive. In truth, you're quite the impressive woman." A brief pause, before Cipher's eyes fell to the ground before rising back up to her own "Though, I suppose I am little better truth be told. As for my second answer.... and opposite yourself, I've nothing else left to lose." With that, Cipher removed his hand from her shoulder and walked off to the side, still within eyesight of the rally as he entered an alleyway and simply waited. Now more-so than before, he did not wish to be seen, and she could call on him if the need arose or he spotted something out of place.


Alicia started walking again, leaving Cipher behind in the alley, her expression quite calm.


"Don't get me wrong, Cipher. I still have work to do and I intend to see it done." She stepped out into a plaza flooded with chanting people, where a wooden stage had been erected at the far end. She started to move towards it, weaving through the crowd. She continued her train of thought under her breath as she climbed onto the stage.


"But karma will catch up to me eventually. I only hope that when it does, one of my old guild-mates carries out the revenge. It would only be appropriate."