Act VII: Replacement

As Zerran approached the lone figure at the back of the bar, people's eyes followed her every movement. Silence was still present in this supposedly wild bar.

"If you won't stop eyeing my mistress in the next three seconds, I will personally gut all of you!"

The crowd was stunned at the knight's ultimatum. Although drunken and wild, people did begin to think logically. They slowly began to realize that the guild mistress might indeed be on a business visit. A serious and threatening look on the knight's face did put them on a short break from their intoxicated form of thinking and began thinking properly. They did not want to aggravate the guild mistress and his bodyguard.

A man from the side, probably the smartest of the bunch, climbed up a table, raised his bottle of rum and began singing a theme song for the drunks; thus hoping to bring the ambience back. The rest began to understand was he was doing and slowly started to join in the singing fray. They tried their best not to look at the 'oh so great guild mistress, Zerran', even though they were still wondering what Zerran could possibly want from their prominent tavern.

Zerran reached the figure she was approaching.

"Hello assassin."

It was the assassin from the infamous fight with the mage.

The assassin just looked at her coldly. But still, he couldn't help but find Zerran to be very attractive. Although a few years older than him, he noticed that she portrayed an aura of a young spirited woman. She had a soft, white skin that seemed aristocratic. Her scarlet hair plumped above her shoulders; making her look even more ravishing.

"Quite the shy type, aren't we?"

It was as if the assassin didn't have the ability to speak.

This didn't irritate Zerran though. She found the assassin to be very interesting and even let out a small giggle.

"Shall I take a seat then?" although her bodyguard was already pulling a seat for her.

As Zerran sat, she slowly began to distinguish the assassin's features. Much to her surprised, she found the assassin to be handsome. Zerran distinguished him to be younger than her. He had the brown, Morrocan skin that was usually found on rogues and assassins but he had a 'baby face' feature that would replenish all that.

"Oh young sin… I have business to discuss with you and you have to respond or else it would seem that I'd just be talking to no one. Not to mention in front of all these people. Although they're all so cute! Pretending not to notice me."

More giggles came out. Zerran seemed to be enjoying herself.

"But nevertheless, I would be greatly ridiculed if you still insist on keeping your silence. Now we wouldn't want that, would we? A woman in my position can't afford to be ridiculed…" Hinting seriousness on her face.

A soft, cold, barely audible voice came out.

"What do you want…"

"Oh, he finally talks! Good. Now let's move on to business. I want to reprimand you for the action you made unto certain guild member of mine."

The assassin knew it was the mage he had killed.

Zerran continued.

"You killed a member of Cinder! And we can't let it go so easily."

"So you want revenge..."

"I'm still thinking. But before that, Lomer was my best fire mage. To kill him so easily requires great skill. You must be good."

The assassin recalled his battle with the mage. The mage was indeed powerful; remembering the immense firewall on the market.

"Hmmph… if you had wanted revenge, you would have already attempted to blast me out… I'll say again, what do you want…"

Another small giggle went out before Zerran replied.

"You're quite intelligent! Be let's not continue this crap, shall we? That market fight was an audition for the guilds. You know very well news from displaying your skills on the street would make its way up the castles… thus having lots of recruiters hunting you."

The assassin became silent again.

"You have two choices now, sin. First, you acknowledge my recruitment… Secondly, I have to replenish my guild's honor by killing my member of mine's, murderer. You seem smart enough; I suggest you do the former. You are not dealing with a mere mage here anymore. I am a very capable wizard and my bodyguard here I used to killing hundreds in the battlefield."

"Hmm… Cinder sounds fine…"

"Is that a yes, then?"

"Yup, but under one condition…"

"Huh? What could that be?"

"I'll become one of your representatives on the upcoming tournament. I'm very sure you won't get disappointed."

Zerran was surprised indeed. The assassin did have everything planned out. Her interest on the assassin grew even more! She couldn't help but blurt out laughter of amusement. Since she became the guild mistress of Cinder, she did have little time for fun.

"You're not only cold, sin… you seem a bit conceited as well!"

More laughter came out as people began thinking she was solely amusing herself. It was common in the Ticktop Tavern to have all sorts of roars of laughter but Zerran was the only one laughing without the aid of alcohol.

"Fine! I'll make you a deal! We have a few days till the tournament, I'll put a few test for you along the way. If I deem worthy, I'll gladly put you on the tournament."

"Fine, I'll look forward to it…"

Again, Zerran ruptured out more laughter as it would really seem that she hasn't had fun in years.

"Okay, conceited sin! Let's get you out of this forsaken Tavern and you to your new home… Castle Svanhilt. And don't worry about your drink; we have better wines in the castle."

The assassin relieving himself, he got what he wanted. Zerran was right all along, challenging the mage ensured him a place in Cinder.


Behind Zerran, Armallion couldn't help but admire her mistress' wit. Replenishing her guild's honor by means of revenge would have been a lost cause. Instead, by recruiting Lomer's murderer, Zerran replaced her casualty with a better one.

Armallion was always the most loyal of Zerran's member. He was thelargest member of the guild, not to mention the rest of Prontera. Toweringover seven feet, he was called a 'Monster' in the battlefield. His bald head and dark-brown skinmade it seem even more that he was indeed a monster.But there was something in the guild mistress that made him loyal like a puppy dog. Recalling his reasons why he had stayed loyal and admired her mistress in the first place. He couldn't help but compare his mistress with other guild masters.

'That raging lunatic,Vional, would have hunted down the assassin already; tearing him into pieces if his member was murdered, unlike my mistress.'

Zerran and the assassin stood up and began to walk out of the tavern.

"By the way, you never gave me your name…"

"Klyxe…"