Coming out of a deep meditation always sucked. The magic around her was warm and comforting and when she drifted she could feel it. She could dance among the breezes coming in from the sea and taste the horizon.
When she was magic she was free.
Being Gisela was much harder.
Nonetheless she returned to herself as she felt Kagura doing the same, albeit on a much smaller scale. The other girl hadn't used magic for nearly as long after all. Eric didn't do even as much as Kagura.
If Gisela knew him she would have told him, told him to let go and reach out, to embrace the Quiet One's gift.
But she didn't. Instead she stayed quiet.
"It's earlier than I thought. Do we have to leave so soon?".
"We need to be back in time for the debrief, if you two insist on coming back", Eric said.
Gisela wanted to warn him that he was about to hit a tree if he stretched like that.
She was too late.
That looked like it hurt.
He glared at both of as if waiting for them to laugh. Obviously he didn't know Kagura, not that Gisela knew her well either.
As for Gisela, I wouldn't laugh at something like that, she tried to show him, to stay inoffensive. She would have asked if he was okay but something in his face told her that would only make it worse.
She didn't want to do that.
Kagura picked up the conversation as if nothing had happened, "we also need to get you better shoes, those sandals might have been okay in Caelum but they won't hold up in a fight. Not to mention that when we leave you will need better hiking gear, those will get torn apart by the world".
"Please don't say we have to go shopping", Eric said dramatically. The bump on his head made him look rather ridiculous.
"You are our guide," Kagura said flatly, "or do you want to disobey your commander".
Gisela hadn't realized faces could turn those colors, it was rather impressive. "If you don't-"
"No. I will take you, shoes first right?", he said as he regained his composure.
"Thank you", Gisela said reflexively. She looked down at her sandals, leather and straw woven together carefully.
They had served her well.
"Come on", the sharp voice had her moving. If he was being nice enough to guide them around than Gisela didn't want to make it hard. Even if he was kind of rude.
They headed out of the park and made good time on the walk to the market. Gisela found herself wanted to flinch from the sheer amount of noise.
It had been like that in Caelum's market too, Gisela found herself remembering. The noise and the vendor hawking their wares, really the only difference was the language.
Luckily they didn't stay there long, instead they headed out of the live market and to the shops.
"What shop are we going too?". It was a neutral enough question.
"A supply store. We should be able to get adequate combat boots there. Through why you do not already have them I do not know".
She forced herself to stay calm. No need to give him an opening. "Thank you, may I ask the price range of this store?"
"Price range? What matters more is quality".
What's with a comment like that, money doesn't grow on trees. Gisela questioned. Being rude was one thing but, "yes I do not have unlimited funds, as I also need to have some saved just in case I need to be careful". That was polite enough. Gisela hoped so at least.
For the first time he seemed a little embarrassed, and not like he had earlier. All bruised pride, and face.
This time he seemed almost like he had made a mistake.
"It should be affordable. The Rune Knights tend to get discounts and places like this and I should be able to get that to apply for you."
That was… actually pretty nice. It mattered more than an apology anyways. "Thank you".
He didn't seem to know how to reply to that and Kagura didn't seem interested in breaking the silence.
Thankfully they arrived at the shop before said silence could become awkward.
Erik's Outfitting, the carved wooden sign proclaimed proudly to any passer by, under which was the slogan Outfitting since X680. Impressive, even my, here her thoughts stuttered a bit, they had all but told her they weren't, even the Raimus have only been around since X720.
"Don't comment about the name", Eric muttered sharply.
Gisela sympathized, she remembered when Before when it felt like everybody and their aunt had had her name. Literally, in her best friend's case.
Funny I haven't met anyone with it here. She put that thought back into it's box, she couldn't think about that now.
The sound of a bell rang out as Eric opened the door. Looking at the door frame when she passed through, she saw a bell. The wood around it was lighter, almost like it had just been added.
Will there be any magic here? Gisela remembered the Doctor's talk of Hargeon. She wasn't going to get her hopes up.
She knew better than that.
"Can I help you".
Gisela was proud of how she didn't jump. Between one moment and the next and old man had appeared behind the counter, his face wrinkled and watching them curiously.
Kagura and Eric looked at her.
She knew what that meant. "I am looking for a pair of boots, suitable for hiking. He, " she explained, gesturing to Eric, "recommended your place as a good one to go too".
That was clear enough.
He face lit up with unholy glee. "Right this way than girly", he said, "I have just the pair that has been waiting for you".
I'm eighteen and fifteen, maybe even thirty three depending on how you look at it, I'm not a girly, Gisela thought rebelliously as she followed him. The idea of being girly just felt wrong on so many levels. She didn't say it through, she did need the new pair of boots. And to get those she didn't want to piss of the shopkeeper.
She knew better than that.
Luckily the rest of the trip went well, for a given meaning of the word well.
Erik was an odd old man, he handed her the first pair calling them, "his pretty girls" and asking them if they wanted to give Gisela's feet a try.
They were pink. Bright pink, eye smarting, brain burning pink. Really they could have qualified to be a weapon in and of themselves. Gisela hadn't missed people trying to put her in pink because she was a girl.
Luckily those were too small for her feet. He put them back, muttering reassurances about, "how he still loved them", the whole way.
The second pair was black, that was a good thing. They also had high heels. Luckily he snatched them back as soon as they touched her hands, saying something about their vibes not matching.
It was at this point Gisela glanced and Kagua and Eric. She wasn't quite sure what she was looking for. Maybe it was help? Either that or an assurance that Gisela wasn't the one going crazy.
They were no help.
Eric seemed to be stifling laughter at Gisela's expression and Kagura seemed to be bemused but not quite willing to interfere. That was nice of them.
All too soon he was back with a third pair, he seemed to have gotten the black idea, which was a good thing, and they didn't have a heel either.
The problem was the flowers, big, floppy flowers just sew on the sides and waiting for something to rip them off.
Gisela had never purchased combat boots before but she was pretty sure that they didn't have flowers on the side of four inch heels. Then again, this was Fiore, what did she know.
Luckily she was able to avoid the flower boots by hinting that they, "didn't quite feel right on her feet". That was polite and non offensive right? Gisela hoped so.
These too he comforted while walking away, saying that he would sew on an entire extra flower as an apology for disappointing them.
Gisela still wasn't sure how to react to that. He really was treating the boots like they were alive.
There was still no help from the peanut gallery. Jerks, she thought, knowing that she was being uncharitable.
They were spending time here because Gisela needed shoes after all. Maybe the shopkeep was a little odd, he still was doing his best and the boots were well made. Even the pinks ones.
Gisela wished she could forget those.
They really didn't go with her aesthetic at all. Not to mention they just felt wrong.
This time it took him awhile to get back. He had left at a near run, saying that he was going to get some friends from the store room in back that he was sure would love to meet Gisela. She wasn't sure quite how to respond to that.
She hoped the shoes weren't actually sentient. That would be awkward, Gisela wasn't sure she wanted to be responsible for the mental wellbeing of her footwear.
That was a sentence that Gisela never thought she would think.
Before Gisela could devolve into questioning her life choices, not always a pleasant pastime, Erik was back.
She looked at his hands, curious to see what boots he had this time.
They were perfect, simple, black leather and thick cloth carefully dyed and shaped. They supported her arches in just the right way.
Yes they looked a little odd with her white, flowing chiton, Gisela pushed that feeling back into it's box, she had never cared much what she looked like anyways. They were comfortable and practical, that was what mattered.
Gisela denied the slight pang as she looked at her sandals, castaway on the floor and looking as melancholy as they ever had.
She was not going to fall into the trap of sentizing her foot wear. She was not.
"How much", she asked, trying to hide how much she wanted them.
The price he quoted made her wince, even when Eric got the Rune Knight's discount subtracted.
She ran through her funds, trying to figure out what they would look like when she was done.
An idea hit her, impulsively Gisela opened her mouth, "what if we traded, look at how lonely my old sandals will be."
They did look rather forlorn. Something in the old man's face softened as he looked at them.
The next price was much lower as he cooed over her old sandals saying how strong they must have been.
Gisela agreed, the money changed hands along with the shoes and then they were out of the building.
"Good idea with your sandals", Kagura commented as they walked away from the store.
Gisela savored the warmth that Kagura's complement had given her as she walked, newly boot clad feet on the cobbled road. It gave her courage to ask a question. "Did you know he would be like that?"
"Yes. Erik is a good shopkeeper and his family has been making shoes for generations. He is a little odd but knows his stuff".
Full sentence, that is progress! "If the store is so old than why is it called Erik's outfitters?". The old man hadn't looked that old. In his seventies or eighties, yes, but not in his hundreds. Even if people could live a little longer in this world it wasn't that old.
Unless they were Zeref, the detailed popped into her head randomly. She shoved it away, even if she was in Fiore she wasn't with Fairy Tail. They were the weirdness magnets, not her.
"I believe that all boys in the family are named Erik," he paused for a moment, looking at the sun. When he spoke again his tone was far sharper. "Now if we are finished shopping we have things to do so let's stop dawdling".
Eric is back to being Eric. Gisela mused, it was nice while it lasted.
Somethings were like that.
There was a definite tension in the air as they made it back to the Rune Knight's headquarters.
Before it had only had Eric, and he had been sleeping, through Gisela wondered if he was just the most obvious protection. If she were in charge than she would have had someone keeping watch from a more hidden point. Then again, it's not like I know how much danger the Rune Knights are in and Eric could be a powerful mage. My senses aren't that great for local magic. It wasn't that he felt weak exactly… except in kind of did.
From what little Gisela had seen the Rune Knights did not appear to be nearly as ready as even her- the temple.
Then again, they always had Minstrel to worry about. The temple did watch the harbor after all.
But didn't Hargeon have a whole trafficking problem. One would think that they had more staff...
Focus Gisela. Walking back into the building made the whole thing realer than the new boots or the forms they had signed.
The woman at the desk, she didn't give a name and Gisela didn't ask, directed them down the hallway.
They didn't go into the training room this time, instead taking another passage but the destination was the same.
Eric opened the door, something slightly mocking as he held it for them. It slammed shut with the sound of finality.
The whispers quieted.
The Commander was standing at the head of the table, when the door closed he looked up. "I'm glad you made it", he said, a quick smile darting across his face.
"We did agree to come", Kagura said flatly. "Is the briefing starting".
Yet again he seemed taken aback by Kagura's sharpness. Get used to it. "Right".
He started by going over the structure of the Siren's Tongues. Explaining that they were a Dark Guild, and it was interesting that the term was actually used by Dark guilds, that specialized in Charm Magic.
Apparently the worked out of Bosco and frequently got other Guilds to do the dirty work for them, something that made it even harder to nail them down.
He finished up by explaining that they suspected they were working with the remnants of Eisenwald, as assassin guild that had been taken out by Fairy Tail and that because of the level of danger they had to be even more careful.
Distantly part of Gisela was amused by the mutters that filtered through the room at the name Fairy Tail.
Most of her was just cold as he explained the likely kill styles based on the informants information.
It was important, yes and Gisela fully acknowledged the need to know as much about possible enemies as she could but hearing about the bombs, about the rays of light that scorched through flesh killing at a distance. If it wasn't the light that killed, it was the shadows.
Eisenwald had swept a bloody swath through the years, not stopping even when the parlement of Fiore, along with the Magic Council, had ruled that taking or offering assassination missions was illegal.
They hadn't stopped then. Even as they had been shattered, some taken to prison. The skills that had made them such killers had made them very good at hiding from the law. It was only luck that they had even this much of a warning.
Nothing had ever mentioned how terrifying Eisenwald was in real life, nor had it really sunk in that until a few years ago assassination by mage guild had been legal, if expensive and strongly disapproved of.
Gisela wasn't sure what to think about that fact.
The briefing continued, now going into the tactics that they would use. Team leaders were designated and the image of a warehouse was drawn up on the table. The shipment of Charmed Objects ws going to be hiding under the guise of being a jewelry shipment. Well it is a jewelry shipment, part of Gisela thought, just… not a legal one. Tomorrow it was going to be sold to different vendors, tonight was the chance to stop it.
Gisela hung back, out of the way of the door but not part of the slowly organizing crowd.
"Kagura, Eric, Gisela," she looked up when her name was called, "you will be watching this entrance", he pointed to one of the warehouses side entrances, "as well as this",he showed a section of the perimeter, "if one of the mages has any magic that would allow them to escape".
"Understood", Eric said, slipping into a salute.
All I have to do is guard a door, I can do that. She forced herself to meet his eyes, they needed this. They could do it.
Gisela blinked. Eric had branched off with the other Rune Knights to change. He looked different out of uniform, less ridiculous.
He still had his staff through, that was good. From what she had seen Rune Knights used their magic to wake the magic of objects. It was a good way to have a large number of mages that could synergize well, it just made them weaker and dependent on their objects.
Gisela preferred her clouds. They were always with her.
"Lets go". She saw Eric puff up at Kagura's almost order before forcing himself down. That was good, they didn't need intergroup tension before getting into a fight.
All too soon they were there. Quietly waiting outside the warehouse, the other groups having their own locations to go to. It was dark but they were still close enough to the main areas of Hargeon that there were torches. Glinting faintly in the light she could see part of Kagura's sword, held steady and half unsheathed. Ready for action.
She felt her magic shift under her skin, clouds just waiting to be called on. Her protection and weapon.
Part of her wished she had a sword, not that she knew how to use one.
The bangs shock the ground, Gisela could feel the waves of magic released. She widened her stance, refusing to get thrown to the ground. They were too far away to hear voices but Gisela could feel the pulses of magic. The fighting had begun.
Strangely nothing happened where they were. The three of them just stood, steady and watching.
She couldn't help but glance at them.
Eric seemed tense, hands gripping his weapon. She had the feeling that he wondered to be fighting.
Kagura seemed unfazed, standing calmly as she faced the building. Ready and unafraid.
What do I looked like to them? Did she seem nervous, Gisela hoped not. She didn't want to disappoint them.
Her gaze flicked to a shadow she saw shifting. It was just the branch.
The bangs had quieted. "Think they're done?". Her voice seemed odd against the still quietness.
"Possibly", Kagura said calmly.
"We wait here to be relieved", Eric ordered.
"Sounds good". Gisela had seen Kagura bristle, she didn't want them to fight. Better to distract them before that happened.
The surge of magic was a second too late to work as a warning.
Light!
It burned.
Someone was screaming. Was it her?