Welcome to Lancet

One Week Later

Fiore

"ROADTRIP!" Sting howled from his seat at the front of the Sabertooth guild. In front of him hats flew in the air, people raised their arms high in the sky, and cheers abounded. His grin could only widen as he took in the sight of his guild. This was how Sabertooth was supposed to be, and this was how Sting was going to make sure it stayed.

With recent news that this year's Grand Magic Games was being held in the newly mage liberated Kingdom of Lancet, Sting couldn't wait to get his guild there. His goal? Take Fairy Tail out of Fiore's number one guild spot and become the strongest guild in both Lancet and Fiore! It was going to be awesome.

Despite the ridiculously proud grin stretching across his face, Sting couldn't help but take note of something. While everyone was celebrating this new opportunity, Rogue was standing off to the side. His crimson eyes studied an image on a crimson lacrima. For him to be watching TV at a time like this? Something was up.

Hastily, Sting dashed through his guildmates. They were busy celebrating and checking their rankings to see who Sting might pick to be in Sabertooth's five person team. Even though the rules of this year's Lancet Grand Magic Games had yet to be announced, they were already assuming it was going to be very similar.

Rogue sat at a table in the guild. His eyes were narrowed in all seriousness. Absentmindedly, Rogue had his hand atop Frosch's head, and the little frog suited Exceed didn't appear to be paying much mind to the guild's celebration nor whatever Rogue was studying. Instead, the green cat was watching a butterfly that had snuck inside of the guild.

Crimson eyes looked at the information displayed by a hologram projected from a lacrima. Rogue read, "Unsolved murders in Lancet remain in the dark even with the upcoming event of the Grand Magic Games. King Isaac and King Toma still urge guilds the travel to the kingdom. Through the incorporation of fun and exciting mage related events, the two kings feel that Lancet Normans will become inclined to partake in the festivities instead of continuing hate related crimes…"

He drummed his fingernails against the wooden table. Rogue's mind was about to go musing on just what group of Normans would be trying to take out mages until Sting's hand slammed down hard on the wooden table. Fro leaped from her seat at the sudden intrusion, but Rogue's eyes just gradually strolled from the news to Sting's grinning face.

"Ready to go overseas?" Sting chimed in his cheerful manner.

Rogue let the hologram switch off from the lacrima. After pocketing the interesting bit of news, he grinned back at his master and partner. "We've got to show Fairy Tail that we aren't taking second place. Right?"

"No joke! Natsu may have won last time, but I'm not going to let it happen again!" He let his words fade out for a moment before tilting his head. "So… what were you reading?"

Rogue's brows rose. Huh. He hadn't thought Sting would bring that up. Then again, for Rogue to be studying foreign relations instead of partying with the rest of the guild right now was a little strange.

He leaned back in his seat before admitting, "I was looking into the murders going on in Lancet right now."

"The hate murders?"

"Yeah. I don't understand why both of the kings are risking our safety when there's someone going after mages right now. It doesn't make sense. If Normans hate all mages, mages from Fiore will be in danger as well. It's a risk every guild master has to think about before deciding to go to Lancet for the games." Rogue gave Sting a pointed look at the mention of the word master.

Sting was a great leader, but he got out of sorts sometimes with the management of the guild. For him not to be studying the hate related crimes being committed on mages right now just proved to Rogue that he had to watch his partner's back more than ever.

Even though, Sting got the hint. He drew a chair, tossed it backwards, and straddled it. With his chin resting on the back of the chair, he mentioned, "I have an idea."

Rogue just tilted his head, so Sting kept going. "The idea is that we'll go to Lancet, but since King Isaac isn't making it any secret that there've been murders, we might as well look into them. The king had Toma announce that any information or suspects found during our trip there will be considered as guild missions and rewarded properly. We could make some extra cash."

Now, Rogue was surprised. So, Sting had been looking more into the murders than Rogue had originally thought. That was amazing. Sting was high-strung, but he meant well. The fact that he'd taken time to make sure the guild was safe before traveling just assured Rogue that Sting had always been the best guild master for Sabertooth.

Grinning at his partner, Rogue mentioned, "I guess that means we'd better start packing. If we hook up to a magic ship, we can get there in a day."

"Hell yeah! We'll get there before Fairy Tail does! To Hargeon!" Sting announced.

Lancet

Port Regale

Katja sat perched on a rooftop. Her hazel eyes scanned around the docks then they looked towards the setting sun. According to its angle, the time had to have been around six. Her last Guild Escort mission would be tonight. Then, Sven would take over for tomorrow.

So far, Katja had escorted Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale. She had been honestly surprised that Port Regale was getting so much action after Isaac had made the murders of Lancet mages public, but more Fiore mages agreed with getting rid of this racial inequality than most Lancet natives could understand. Katja was included amongst that group.

She lived for herself, Sven, and only recently her guard. The fact that complete foreigners could give a damn about a country they'd never even been to had Kat's jaw loosening in surprise. Fiore mages were… stupid. Either way, Kat was grateful for their stupidity. This foolish bravery was getting some Normans to convert.

When a ship appeared on the horizon, Katja's pleased grin was hidden by her mask. Here came her final group of fools to escort into Capital Lance.

Her body visibly relaxed, and she slung her legs over the side of the brick building. Like some kind of office secretary, Katja withdrew a clipboard. Her ever color changing hazel eyes glistened golden when she peered at the papers on the board. According to the flag that King Isaac addressed all guilds to place on their ships, this was the guild Sabertooth.

She checked it off with her favorite black pen. It was sleek black with a giant purple pompom that wafted around on top. After that, Katja perused information on this Sabertooth.

According to information they'd sent in, the guild master was named Sting Eucliffe. He was a user of White Dragon Slaying Magic. Whatever that meant Katja had no clue but no matter. She flipped over to a picture of him then raised her brow. Sting was blonde headed with blue eyes and a scar that cut through his eyebrow. He was surprisingly… young to be a guild master, but then again, King Isaac was only in his mid-twenties and already the king of a massive kingdom. She supposed that age really didn't matter. Kat was only eighteen herself and a master assassin.

With her leather boots moving back and forth in the air, Katja checked out Sabertooth's guild like a girl would a copy of Sorcerer Weekly. Her faintly purple stained lips pulled into a grin as she admired the attractive members and flipped over the not so attractive members.

It wasn't until a bell chimed the ultimate arrival of Sabertooth's ship that Katja decided to leap off the top of the building. Her body landed amongst curious onlookers of both mage and Norman descent. The Grand Magic Mages was already doing a great number for the capital's economy, and many Lancet fangirls had arrived to see each and every new guild arrival.

Market stalls had been hastily set up in hopes that said fangirls would purchase guild paraphernalia, and Katja sashayed her way up to one booth selling clothing. She checked herself out in one of the mirrors.

Turning this way and that, Katja assumed she didn't look too terribly frightening or intimidating towards the newcomers. She hadn't worn her assassin clothing. Instead, Katja had pulled out a fashionable trench coat that cut at her hips before tapering downwards. The coat had three large buckles that ran down the back and a hood that Katja removed from the top of her head. Her bountiful chocolate hair went down in massive waves to frame a feminine face. Pulling the cloth mask away from the bottom half of her face, it created a short turtle neck around her tan, slender throat. She quickly checked her winged eyeliner and light purple lipstick before deciding that she was as ready as she would ever be.

She moved militaristically by spinning on her heel then marched with a curvy sway over towards the dock. Katja even decided not to step with stealth. Her heels clicked authoritatively against the wooden dock, a sound that a master of surprise found obnoxious.

Once she stood ready for her guests, Katja checked and rechecked her gloves. King Isaac and her brother had told her to be prepared to be touched, so Katja had to make sure that no piece of skin was showing. Just one touch of her skin to someone else, and there was no telling what kind of poison they would be attacked by.

When Katja's Poison Body Magic wasn't being consciously used, her skin produced anything from putting someone to sleep to killing him or her on contact. Checking her body right now, Katja noted that her body was producing a sleep poison. She only hoped that it stayed that way.

With her third nervous gulp of the day, Katja attempted to make herself look warm and inviting.

Behind her, all kinds of touchable females ooed and awed at the ship that was finally ready to allow mages to exit. A flare of hot jealousy ran up her spine, changing her poison to only her mother knew what, and Katja tried to control the urge to hiss at them like the poisonous snake she was.

She saw the way these women acted. They flung themselves at the mages they adored and admired. Their skin could be kissed and caressed, and many of them bared their skin seductively.

Katja could never wear such sexy clothing. She could never just fling herself into the arms of the man or woman she admired. If Katja ever revealed her skin, she had to flinch in fear that someone would touch her and die at the contact.

With a gulp Katja raised her chin. In her head she chanted, Don't be jealous of the half-naked sluts. Don't be jealous of the half-naked sluts. Her eyes zeroed in on the mages walking out from the ship, and she tried with her powerful mental might to slam all of those other women in her brain's Time Out Box. Slam! Slam! Slam! Stay shut, you bastard!

Shoulders back, Katja grinned shyly at the guild members entering the dock. The very first one she saw was Sting Eucliffe. His blonde hair blew in the wind, and he waved at everyone with the gusto of a champion who'd already won. He was loud. He was hyper. He was Sabertooth's guild master.

Next, Katja saw the two Exceeds of Sabertooth. The one wearing pink was named Frosch, and the other was Lector. They, too, appeared thrilled by the amounts of praise already being thrown at them. They were surprisingly cute. Katja had never seen such creatures aside from the shapeshifting Hellhound that the kingdom's princess had.

Behind them, Katja noted a dark haired mage. His hair was tied up with a band, and the rest of it fell in jagged spikes around his pale face. The eyes that he'd been gifted with were of the deepest crimson, and unlike the wild cheering that went on with the rest of his guild, this male walked with kind eyes and a gentle smile.

Katja's hand went to her clipboard before Sting and the Exceeds could catch up with her. After flipping through the pages, she caught sight of this man's visage. Ah. So, his name was Rogue Cheney, a Shadow Dragon Slayer. Interesting. Two dragon slayers in one guild. Perhaps, this guild was trying to collect them as much as Fairy Tail seemed to be doing.

Hastily, Kat slipped the clipboard into her black leather purse. As soon as she zipped the satchel up, her eyes flowed from the bag to Sting's outstretched hand. For a second there, she just stared at it. Anyone that knew her never offered his hand, and after what felt like several moments, Katja finally extended her gloved hand.

"Sting Eucliffe, master of Sabertooth!" he greeted.

Katja offered her warmest smile. "Katja Saab, King Isaac's personal assassin and leader of the Magician's Alliance. Welcome to the Kingdom of Lancet."