Disclaimer: I only own my OCs.

Authoress: So, I see that you are getting ready for Halloween.

Anu: *nods* It is our biggest celebration.

Authoress: *sighs* Oh well. To bad the chapter isn't at Halloween.

Del: *confused* Who is up right now anyway?

Sorano: It's Constantius. It should be fun to read.

Chapter 10: Honor

June 4, 787

Constantius' 1st P.O.V.

Life wasn't fair. She had taken me in when I was five, having run away from home. She didn't even question why I was in her barn. She just ushered me inside to get ready for dinner which had been pork and apple stew with apple ice cream for dessert. Then, she had pushed me into the room that I had called mine for these many years. Days of training, she was the best teacher that I could have ever wanted, let alone got.

But, that was gone. Bella Don was dead.

Now, it wasn't the largest surprise. She was old, and we had both known that the day had been coming. But, even with all the prep work that we did, I wasn't ready to walk into her room, back on March 5th, and finding her dead. It had cracked me, seeing the woman that had been such an anchor in my life, void of that very thing. It had been difficult to call the rune knights since they were the ones who needed to be called when someone died. Their death investigation went quickly but, from that day that I found her on, I felt alone.

This house...this orchard...it felt devoid of life without her yelling at me to get up in the morning to help with chores. To focus during our training sessions, to come when it was time to eat and to stop using my magic when I should be sleeping. I still didn't know how she did it, but she always knew when I was using it...even if it wasn't completely obvious to me how she figured that out.

But, she was dead and I had finally settled all of her affairs. I had just to finish going through her room. I had even sold the orchard to our neighbor, Chress Prome, who Bella had made arrangements with to sell to before she died. But, he was allowing me to live here while I finished getting her affairs in order. She had been cremated and placed in a hole that I had planted a Honey Crisp tree in. While her favorite had been the Gala apple, and my own had been the Jonagold apple, Bella had said that, since the Honey Crisp had been an apple that was greatly used in many varying ways, that she wanted to help be the nutrition to a tree that could be used in so many different ways.

While I wanted more time to grieve, I knew that if Bella Don was still around, that she would have been yelling at me to do something productive with my life instead of mourning over something that couldn't be changed. So, I guess my three months was more than enough time. I had to get back out into the world. I had already called Chress to give him the keys to the house. I was just doing a final check of the house to make sure that I didn't forget anything. Of course, if I did, I was sure that Chress would get a hold of me somehow. But, this was my last look at the house before I went off to find my adventure, like the stories that Bella Don would tell me about. This was my time. But, first I had to finish this last run through the house. And, as it was, I was in the last room of the house; Bella Don's room. I had only been in here a couple of times to go through her stuff. But, now I had to make sure that I didn't forget anything personal of hers. I wasn't sure what I could find, but I had to make sure that I checked everywhere now. This would be the last time in some time before I was in this room again.

Of course, Bella had a way of being extremely organized that made this easy for me. Closet; check. Bed; check. Dresser; check. Now...I had to check her special closet...also known as her armory. She had been a requip mage and she had taught me her craft...especially her signature magic item requip ability. I had avoided claiming the weapons and items in her armory...hadn't even gone into it since she had died. She didn't have many weapons and items, but what she did have, she treasured. And in her will, she left them to me.

My hands shook as I gripped the handle of the door. But, I had to get through this. Chress was on his way here and I needed to be done with this so I could give him the key. So, I turned the handle and looked inside.

There were ten items in the room...all that Bella ever had on her for her requip ability. The helmet of Tarm, a helmet that allowed the wearer to become invisible to all senses. I gently took down the golden helm and placed it in my requip storage.

Then, there was Cryothane, a green-hued sword that could have its edges become covered in thorns and, with magic, could deliver poison. Bella said that this sword was given to her by her teacher, Lancelot. I carefully put the sword away.

After that, there was Grasp, a short sword that would vibrate if danger was approaching and, if the danger was stronger than the wielder, the blade of the sword would turn white. Bella said that Grasp had saved her several times when she was in trouble.

Fourthly, there was the Donner Mace. It was a weapon that I had purchased for Bella for her birthday three years ago. When magic was pushed into the weapon, it was able to fill the sky with storm clouds and strike lightning on those that it made contact with. I thought it was a nice gift and, even though I didn't remember her using it much, I was glad that she had kept it.

Then, there was the Scythe of the Sea. Bella told me she got it in a deal a long time ago and that it could produce water when it hit a rock. I remembered that Bella hadn't shown me it's magical ability, but I had seen her use it during one of our camping trips. It was incredible to see the water sprout from the rock as it had.

Plumormo, the name of her blue feather cloak, was a magical item that allowed the user to glide through the air from the moment they put on the cloak and put their magic into it. Bella used to tell me stories about how Plumormo saved her from many falls during her sword fights in her past.

Then, there was the Flintlock shield. It was a special magical item that could deflect any magic that originated from fire and the earth. Bella said there was a time where she was near a volcano that was erupting and she had been saved from death by that shield. I hoped to use it as well as she did.

My eyes then moved to Ankelt, the strange cross-shaped talisman that Bella had picked up. It was magically imbued to show the last few minutes of a beings life after they were dead. While Bella hadn't personally tested this one before, she did trust the person who gave her Ankelt and she said that he was the most trustworthy vendor that she had ever met.

Then, there was an item that Bella had made for her by a friend of hers who had been a blacksmith. She had named the double-headed axe Deathstalker since it could produce shadows when it was sliced through the air. It seemed to me like that ability was better suited for assassin weapons like daggers or a crossbow, but when I asked Bella about it, she simply laughed and said it was in memory of a friend of hers that she met a few times and was still in contact with.

Lastly, there was a spellbook called Nefer that, when asked almost any question would answer. But, Bella did warn me that the book could be difficult about its answers and she only ever used it when the question was simple and would, hopefully, have a simple answer. I remember that, once, she used Nefer to find out why our mail had been delayed. The book had given a strange answer that told us to ask the bride. Turned out that the mailman had proposed to a woman who was one of the mail carriers, and she had accidentally packed the bag in her belongings when the two of them had gone to Crocus to get married. She had apologized to us profusely but we were fine. But, that did show how unreliable the book was.

But, something seemed to be stuck in the book. So, opening it, I was surprised to see a large envelope that was tucked away and, once I took it out, I saw that my name was on it. Was this from Bella Don? Putting Nefer into my requip storage, I moved and sat on Bella Don's bed before turning it over and, requiping a letter opener that I kept, I opened it carefully. Once the seal was lifted, I returned the opener to my storage before I gently took out the contents.

The first item, to my surprise, was another sealed envelope. But, this one was not addressed to me, or anyone that I knew. Instead, this was addressed to someone called 'Anu'. I had never heard Bella Don talk about anyone by that name but, since only the first name was used on the envelope, then she must know the person. But, without any mailing specifications on the envelope, I had a feeling that I was going to have to deliver this for her.

So, I took out the other object in the envelope, a letter, and began to read it.

My Dear Constantius,

If you are reading this, then I am either dead, or you are snooping in my armory again without asking (and I will find out quickly if you are). If it is the first option, though, you had better not be taking my death hard. I am an old woman, and my time was coming. I just hope that my death was as peaceful as it could be. Not that I deserve such a death, but it wouldn't be a bad thing all things considered.

I have a feeling that you have gone through everything else in the house. You never did take loss well and I have a feeling that you saved the armory for last. As my will stated, you are the owner of all the items in the armory. Please take them with you. I am sure that they will help you with all the adventures that you are bound to go on.

While I never told you this enough in person, I am proud of you and how far you have come. From the small boy that I found hiding in a corner of my barn to the handsome, responsible young man that I have seen you become, I know that you will change the world out there for the better. And, the first step for you, I am guessing, will be for you to join a guild. While I want you to go out and explore the world, there is a favor that I need for you to do for me.

Inside this envelope, you have found a second envelope with the name of a friend of mine, Anu. If you could, take this to him and make sure, personally, to give it to him. Anu has been a good friend to me and we both have helped each other out over the years. He needs to know that I have passed. Inform him of this for me. Chress will give you an idea of where to find the man. But, you do not have to do this. You are a grown man now and you can make your own choices. However, I can say that if you do deliver this, that a path will open before you that I am sure, with the training that I have given you, that you will see and take.

I know you feel that I have left you too soon, but there is nothing that I can do about that dear boy. I do love you, and I have always thought of you as my son. So, what you need to do is stop those tears from falling and take this life of yours by the horn and make it your own. Go on adventures and make friends. Explore a world that you have only caught a small glimpse of.

For Honor and Peace,

Bella Don; Requip Master, Orchard Famer, and Caregiver

Damn, she always was one step ahead...even in death. By the time I finished reading her letter to me, the page was littered with drops of tears that had fallen from my eyes. This was just like Bella Don. I stared at that page in front of me, my eyes wet but no more tears falling. I was truly done. Bella Don's affairs were taken care of and I wasn't sure what to do.

A weight in my hand reminded me that, yes, I did have something to do. Bella Don wanted this letter delivered to this Anu guy, and I was going to make sure that I did just that. This was her last mission to me...her last lesson, and I was not going to fail. I was going to deliver this to 'Anu' and then I would go from there. I would become a mage, probably join a guild, and make sure that I showed that Bella Don was the greatest requip mage and teacher in history. I would make sure of it!

I jumped as a knock suddenly sounded at the door. Wiping away the wetness in my eyes, I walked to the door and opened it to find Chress on the other side. "You okay there kid?" The thirty-year-old asked me with concern.

Nodding, I dug the two keys for the place out of my pocket and handed them to Chress. "Here are the keys to the house. The other keys for the barns are inside." I then looked back at the house. "Make sure you take good care of it."

Chress laughed and put one of the keys in his pocket before handing the other one to me. I felt confused. Why was he giving a key back to me? "Consider this a gift from me to you. Whenever you or any of your future friends need a place to stay around here, use the house. The wife and I are going to be living at my place and I'll only be down here for harvest time for apples."

I stared at the key in appreciation and put it in my pocket. "Thanks, Chress and good luck with everything." I was then about to walk away when I remembered the envelope in my pocket. "Oh...Chress, may I ask you something?"

His green eyes found me. "Sure Constantius. What is it?"

In return, I held out the envelope with Anu's name on it. "I found this envelope inside one that Bella Don left for me. In her note to me, she said you would know how to find this Anu character. Can you tell me how to find him?"

I would swear to my dying day that I saw a glint of mischievousness flash across his eyes. But, it was in an instant and, right after, he moved a hand through his dark blue hair. "Ah, so she wants you to track down the mutt." Mutt? Chress let out a laugh before I could ask him about it. "I don't know exactly where he is, but I have heard that he has contacts in Dawn City. Go to the Lethal Shield Tavern. Talk to the owner, Elgor, and ask him about Anu. Probably won't give you a straight answer, since he won't know you, but he should know how to get word to either Anu or one of his associates that someone is looking for him. You should be contacted after that quickly." He then held out a hand to me. "Good luck Constantius."

Taking his hand, I shook it. "Thank you Chress." I then turned. The trip to Dawn City would put me there at nightfall and so I had to hurry. If I was delayed, then I wouldn't be there until morning and I had a feeling that I would need my rest for when I interacted with this 'Anu' character.

Elgor's 1st P.O.V.

"She has eight now? That seems like quite an accomplishment Anu." I congratulated my friend as, during his report on his guild's activities, he told me about how Sorano now had eight mythics since his last check-in. "She has so many now that I need a recap. Just what mythics are in Sorano's corner now?"

The golden-eyed guild master on the other end of the lacrima let out a laugh. "Well, you know about George the Angel of Victory and Cecilia the Angel of Music." Right, her first two. "Then, there was Bailey the Black Widow Spider back in August of last year. Then Fain the Elven Queen, Salazar the Scorpion Knight, and Io the Iron Giant all contracted with her on different days back in October of last year." Right, I remember that. They were new for the Halloween parade that year. "Then there was Victoria the Valkyrie back in February."

Yes, I was even there for that one. The guild had been in town getting some things for Valentine's day when some visitors from out of town started to mess with Edorin. Sorano hadn't taken too kindly to that and had jumped in to defend him quickly. That was when the golden light hit her and the Valkyrie came out when the light faded. "Yes, and I remember that contracting. But, you are saying that she has had another one since then?" I pressured him.

Laughter came from the mutt at that. "Yes. Back in May, after that check-in date, Sorano was contracted by Talia the Firebird."

"A firebird huh? What's next, some mythic that has to do with ice?" I teased the dog before I shook my head. "I am glad that she is making more contracts. She'll have her own little army soon at the rate that she is going."

Anu nodded at that. "Yes, and speaking about Sorano and her army, she is coming to town tomorrow to pick up an extra bottle of my special whiskey from you. You know, the stuff from Minstrel. I've been good and Melody gave me clearance to get another bottle."

"She better have Anu," I warned the dog. "I remember the last time you tried to sneak your whiskey behind Melody's back. I couldn't hear anything out of my right ear for days after that." And I was pretty sure that they were still ringing.

"You can ask Sorano when she gets in tomorrow. She wouldn't sneak me my whiskey. Melody approved, gift, or none at all." I was pretty sure that Anu pouted at that last bit. His guild was good at regulating Anu's whiskey intake. That incident from before, he had convinced his newest member at the time, Edorin, to get it for him.

I laughed at the transformation mage before nodding. "Alright, I'll pull a bottle and set it aside for her when she gets here." Looking at the clock next to me, I realized that it was time that I relieved Jason from his shift. The kid had some studying to do for his college studies and so he asked for a shorter shift today. Of course, I gave it to him. "Hate to let you go Anu, but I have to go and relieve Jason. He has some test coming up that he wants to do some more studying for."

My friend nodded. "Very well then. Tell him good luck from me."

"Will do Anu," I responded before I hung up the line. After I put it away, I made my way to the bar and, once I was out there, I noticed that the bar was not busy, which was just fine with me. We had our regulars and that meant that it was going to be a relaxing night. Definitely a good night to let Jason go and get some studying done. "Alright kid, get back to your place and study like there is no tomorrow."

Jason nodded and took off his apron. "Will do boss."

"Oh," I started as he made to move from behind the bar. "the dog sends a bit of good luck to you."

My assistant paused at my words. "Well, he is pretty lucky for who he is. Night Elgor." He then moved out the door.

And as soon as he left, I watched as a young man who was about seventeen walked in. He had purple hair with long bangs and sharp green eyes. Those eyes moved around the room before they landed on me. I didn't know who this was but it seemed that he was looking for me. "So, this is the Lethal Shield. You wouldn't happen to be Elgor would you?"

He knew my name. That could be dangerous. I was on edge but I was curious as to why he was looking for me. "Yes, I am. Who are you?"

The young man looked genuinely surprised when I asked him that. So, he straightened up and tilted his head towards me. "My apologies. My name is Constantius Dail and I have heard that you are the one to come to if someone is looking for a man called Anu." So, it was the dog that this boy was looking for. "Could you help me?"

Well, I wasn't going to just send the boy to Anu but, since Sorano was going to be coming into town tomorrow, I would pass the information to her and she would be able to judge the boy more and decide if he was safe enough to take to Anu or if he had to be summoned from the mountains to see him. "Not me personally, but I can contact some friends of his that can arrange a meeting between you and him. You wouldn't be able to tell me why you want to meet him would you?"

Constantius shook his head at that. "Sorry, but this is personal. Do you have a room that I could rent for the night?"

Well, it was worth a shot to see if he would tell me. Since he didn't, I guess I could at least let him pay for a room. "Sure do kid. Thirty jewels per night." He then handed over the money so I handed him his key. "Up the stairs, third door on your right. I'll be down here until two if you need anything, just come down and ask." The kid nodded and immediately made his way upstairs. I wasn't getting a bad feeling from the kid and that was a good thing toward him. I would tell Sorano about him when she got here in the morning. With her habits lately, then she would probably get here around ten in the morning. That would give me plenty of time to sleep once I closed up the bar. She would know what to do about this kid.

June 5, 587

Sorano's 1st P.O.V.

"I don't want to hear a word, Sal," I said out loud to my mythic as I walked into Dawn City, on my way to Elgor's.

I felt the eyeroll of my mythic in my mind before he mentally spoke to me. "You can't blame me for this Sorano. This was your decision and you will appreciate it in the future."

Rolling my own eyes, I continued. "But, this isn't the future yet and I hate early mornings. While I understand that noon is not waking up early, that does not mean that six in the morning is a regular one."

This time, Bailey jumped in. "I would be completely with you sweetie, but you are the one that asked us to start waking you up early so you could do more in the day. Training is one of them."

Yeah, and that was the plan for this morning before Anu snatched me last night. Thanks to his good behavior, Melody allowed Anu to get a bottle of one of his favorite whiskeys from Elgor. Since he knew I was getting up early anyway, he asked if I could run into town and get it. While a part of me didn't, I knew that the dog had been working hard on paperwork and that was not helped by a little...mishap that happened not long ago when Team Dark Angel went on a mission to Waas Forest. Not a pretty sight that one. We were a little too forceful with our attack on the dark guild and ended up destroying a good bit of the surrounding forest.

...Honestly, I was surprised that the guild was still allowed to go into the woods.

Since that was a large chunk of the recent paperwork, I decided to say yes to him. So, here I was. However, that didn't mean that I was happy for an early wake up for a trip to get the master's whiskey. "I almost wish that you all couldn't remember that well."

"Oh, but you do love us though." Talia chimed in.

A sigh escaped me as I smiled. "Of course I do. All of you." Coming up to the Lethal Shield, I converted my speech to internal speech. "Well, at least we can get back quickly. If we move fast enough, we can have time for some training still."

"I'm sure we will try our best. We have been progressing amazingly since you became open for contracting and I feel like we will only improve." George spoke to me as I walked inside.

Seeing Elgor look toward me, I waved a hand toward him. "Hey, Elgor. You have the whiskey that the master ordered?"

The barkeep nodded and reached a hand underneath the bar before pulling up a bottle of said whiskey before saying, "You got it. One bottle of beautiful Ichor of Minstrel, honey-flavored, unopened and ready for the dog." I walked up to the bar and put down the jewel for the whiskey that Anu gave me before taking the bottle in hand.

"Thanks, Elgor. This seems like it is going to be a fast trip." I commented before putting the bottle in a travel bag that I brought. When I looked back up, though, I saw that Elgor looked hesitant. Crap, did I speak too soon?

"Wouldn't surprise me one bit," Bailey commented mentally to me.

I mentally rolled my eyes at her before Elgor started talking. "I would appreciate it if you could put that on hold for a bit."

That usually meant that he had some information about something and, since he had just talked to Anu last night, that meant that something happened at the bar last night. So, I took a seat at a stool before motioning to him. "So, what happened?"

"After I got on shift last night, I had a young man, about seventeen I'd guess, with purple hair with long bangs, come in looking for the mutt." Someone was looking for Anu? "Wouldn't tell me why but I wasn't getting a bad vibe from the boy. So, since I knew you were coming in, I figured you could meet the boy. His name is Constantius Dail."

So, I wasn't getting back to the guild anytime soon. While I wanted to get back, I knew that not investigating this would be an insult to the guild. So, I pressed on. "And where can I find Constantius?"

Elgor motioned to the door. "Early riser that one. He was up at six wide awake and left a note on the register saying that he was going to be training in the park until lunchtime. So, I'm guessing that'll be the place to look for him first."

Nodding at that, I waved back to Elgor. "I'll have Anu call you tonight about this one way or another. Stay safe."

"You too Lioness," Elgor responded with a smirk.

I shook my head at that as I walked out the door. Starting back in February, Deminal had come and, using a piece of premonition magic that he practiced, he read each of the guild members' spirit beings and we all decided to use them as fun code names to have.

Anu was, of course, a Jackal. All of us saw that coming. Same with Erik being the Snake. Sawyer being the Hare was slightly surprising, since the bet around the base had been that he would be a roadrunner. But, Richard wasn't so surprising with being the Hawk, since he did have his Heaven's Eye magic. My own threw me, being the Lioness. Not what I was expecting, given my obsession with angels. But, I knew better than to argue with Deminal and his results. He was very attuned with every aspect of the magic he had. Macbeth being the Spectre wasn't a surprise, given his magic and sleeping habits.

Eden was a surprise in being the Wyrm since she was a dragon slayer. Melody wasn't a surprise being called the Siren, given her magic and her other half, but Del was again a surprise, being called the Huntress...again because she was a dragon slayer. Narissa wasn't a surprise being called the Giantess given her magic, and Tolax was right behind her being called the Demon. But, Edorin being called the Warrior threw a loop for us all. We figured his spirit being would have been something more connected to being a craftsman, not a warrior. The last two, James and Hope, were not surprises though, given that James was the Ice Wyvern and Hope was the Vampiress. Their magics and their pasts summed up those very well.

Deminal said that he would stop by the guild every six months to give an update to the spirit beings, and to have a fun visit. He said that we made him feel younger. Crazy old man. But, I knew Nabela could take care of him perfectly.

"That looks like Constantius." Io jumped in.

Looking up, I tensed when I saw that, yes, there was the man that matched Elgor's description of Constantius. But, his situation didn't look good. He was standing with his back to Jenny Scotch, a girl who was about my age that worked with Equinox. She looked like she had a nasty bump on her head. The guy had a short sword with a dark gray blade. He looked calm and not worried. In front of him was a group made of two girls and a guy and they looked tense, but also not worried.

"We should listen in and see what is going on before we jump in," Cecilia suggested.

Nodding, I moved quietly and stayed out of the notice of the others. Once I was close enough to the group, I paused and drew on Fain's stealth abilities to stay under their radar as I listened.

"Come on, we were just talking to the girl." The guy spoke.

The first girl, a blonde, nodded at that, "Yeah, we just wanted to get some information about the town and she overreacted. We were just talking."

Bullshit. Jenny wasn't one to overreact. That was one of the reasons that she wanted to join Equinox when she had applied.

The guy I was assuming was Constantius shook his head at that. "Sorry, but from where I come from, people socially speak with their words, not with their fists." He then motioned to the three with his sword. "Also, three on one isn't proper either. But, I should be alright to take you all on."

The other girl, a lavender haired girl, laughed as her hand was suddenly surrounded by electricity. I noticed that, when she did, the shortsword that Constantius was holding seemed to go a few shades lighter. "We doubt that. All of us have magic and, even if you could take on one of us, we could move you aside easily." The other two of that group then seemed to activate their magics, ice surrounding the other girl's hand and stones surrounding the guy's hands. The shortsword in Constantius' hand glowed a silver-white color. That caused the first flinch to come from Constantius that I saw.

"Well," He sighed before holding out his empty hand. In a flash, there was a second weapon...a green-hued sword, in his right hand. Once that was in his hand, the shortsword turned to a gray hue. That change in hue seemed to relax him. "then I guess I should use two weapons."

While the three looked nervous, the boy still seemed to have a voice that wasn't helping him. "So what? Two weapons. That will only keep two of us busy. In case you can't count, there are three of us."

"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Victoria asked me as the guy said that.

Nodding, I removed the cloaking abilities that I was pulling from Fain and pulled out Victoria's sword before walking into view. "Well, then I think that the two of us will be more than enough for you." I then let a pulse of my magic energy fluctuate so they could sense some of my magic power. Jenny looked relieved, Constantius looked calm, but the other three looked even tenser as I stopped next to the guy who was looking for Anu. "You punks getting out of town now? Dawn City isn't welcoming to people who want to stir up a ruckus and attack civilians. You're just lucky that Jackal Fang came up on you and not one of the other groups here in town. We are the calmest when it comes to attacks against the people of Dawn City."

It didn't take long for the three to run off.

I turned to Jenny, not caring about Constantius at the moment. "You alright Jen?"

She nodded and took the offered hand before she stood up. "Yeah. Those three came up and wanted some information on Equinox. They must have been watching for a while because, normally, I run through here for my morning jog and there aren't any people in the park normally at this point in the day. You know, since a lot of people here are either already at work, school, or just getting up. But, this guy here jumped in to help when they started getting rough."

A sigh of relief escaped me. "Good. You know what to do when you get to Equinox?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Report to Paralex that people are trying to get info on us so he can pass that along to Nero and your guild master. We'll make sure that they don't cause any more problems."

"And if Paralex has any questions about this, have him call the dog and he'll know how to get me on the comm with your boss. You might want to say that I recommend keeping Crypt Veil out of it. They get a little...over-enthusiastic about these kinds of situations."

Jenny nodded at that. "You got it." She then turned to Constantius, who was looking slightly overwhelmed. "And thank you."

To my surprise, he gave a slight bow to her. "You are most welcome." That startled Jen for a second before she nodded and ran off in the direction of Equinox headquarters.

Since that situation was behind us, I turned to the man who seemed to be a requip mage. "Okay, so I heard through Elgor that you're name is Constantius and you are looking for Anu. Can you tell me what you want with him?"

The mage looked hesitant before he answered me. "Yes, that is my name. I can't give you specifics, but I am here to give something to Anu from a friend of his...who I won't name until I see him. I would offer to let you hold my weapons while I see him, but I am afraid that I have quite a lot I have access to." He then seemed to do a mental count in his head. "About fifty weapons and thirty magical items that are not weapon-related."

Damn.

Well, I was in a guild that, currently actually had all the members there...unless someone took a mission before the two of us got there. But, since most of the guild had recently returned from various missions, I doubted that. "Well, given what just happened, I'll trust you for now and take you to Anu. But, just as fair warning, if you try anything against him...well, you won't get very far."

He seemed to study before nodding. "That seems fair. How long will our journey take us?"

"About an hour to an hour and a half. It just depends on how the trek goes today." I answered him honestly before starting to walk in the direction of the guild. After a few steps, I paused and turned when I realized that he wasn't coming with me. "You coming?"

The guy looked like I pulled him out of a daze before he nodded and followed next to me. This guy was weird but, like Elgor said he experienced, I wasn't getting a bad vibe off of him. But, the dog would have this guy figured out quickly enough...if he was sober, and if not then Melody and Tolax were just as quick at their assessments of people.

Anu's 1st P.O.V.

"Thank you very much for this Melody." I thanked my sound mage as I took a sip of whiskey.

For getting within one month of when I got the paperwork on my desk, then she allowed me to take the day off from paperwork. Of course, she had to check the office to make sure that I did. That little trick that I pulled the night before I went to get Edorin for the guild was discovered by Melody while Eden and I had been gone...and it was easy to say that she was not a happy mage when we had returned. So, from now on, she checked my office for my paperwork goals.

Melody turned from drying a highball glass before smiling. "You earned this Anu. Plus, this bottle cracked this morning during cleanup and I need it gone. You and Tolax are the only ones that like the whiskey...and you're the only one that will drink it before five. So, this is helping me more than anything."

Well, I should have seen that coming. But, I was happy that I was getting to drink this early. So, there was going to be no complaining from me. However, I was curious about something. "Melody, what are your plans for the next few days?" I was hoping that since the other members would start to take missions here soon, as the cycle normally went, that she could help me get the rest of my paperwork done. Plus...I was expecting this month's paperwork from the Council tomorrow and, from recent events, I knew that it was going to be a big stack of papers.

She raised an eyebrow at that. "I plan on doing some inventory, then some deep cleaning of the main floor, unused rooms, lounge, and offices, and then I plan on going out into the valley for some meditation training. I've heard that it can help when magic is...unstable." She then gave me a knowing look. "So that means that there will be no time for me to help you get any of that paperwork cut down."

A pout came on my face at that before I laid my head on the counter. "Phooey."

Laughter coming from my right had me turning to see Tolax walking up with Hope, who had laughed. "Come on Anu," Tolax started. "I'm sure that even Hope here has caught on to your ploys to get help with homework, and she's the newest member."

Hope nodded at that. "Quite. The one time back in February was enough for me. If it wasn't for Sorano coming in and pulling me out, I would have been on paperwork duty all day." She then looked around. "Speaking of Sorano, where is she?"

I sat up at that. "She agreed to run to Dawn City to pick up a bottle of whiskey that Melody let me order from Elgor. I am guessing that she will be back soon though. Her mythics have her on a training schedule and, if they kept their visit to the city short, then they should have time to do some of it."

"Well, you can ask her yourself." Melody started while motioning to the door. "I can hear her outside...and she isn't alone."

That piqued my curiosity and every member of the guild, since we were all down here, turned to the doors as they opened. The first one inside was Sorano and I saw that she had the bottle of whiskey in her hand that I had been waiting for. It was almost hypnotizing looking at it.

But, the boy stepping in behind her drew my attention to him and I did a quick study of his appearance and stature. Purple hair, sharp green eyes, six-foot-tall, tanned skin, and he stood with such a rigid stance that was familiar to me...yet I couldn't place it. Who was this? "Hey everyone." Sorano greeted the guild and greetings were sent back to her before she turned and motioned to the boy. "Master Anu, this boy here says he is looking for you to give something to you. His name is Constantius."

Something for me? I was curious and so I stood and walked up to the two of them since they had moved to the center of the guild and the doors were closed. "Well, I'm Anu Biskaln. What can I do for you?"

The boy nodded and dug into his bag. "I was given instructions to give this to you by the late Bella Don." He then held out an envelope with my name on it.

But, as I took the envelope, I felt saddened. I had not realized that Bella had died. She was a close friend and she helped me during a few rough patches in my past. Must have kept her ceremony private, or I had a feeling that I would have heard about it by now. Many people knew of Bella Don, and for no word to even get to Paralex was impressive. "When did she pass...Bella Don, that is?" I asked Constantius as I began to open the envelope.

He looked upset by the question matter before he answered me. "This day back in March. Died in her sleep." He must have been very close to Bella Don. I could hear the pain in his voice.

Once the envelope was opened, I took out what was inside. One was a dagger fragment that caused me to smile. One of the times Bella Don had helped me, she had pulled that sucker out. Wouldn't give it back either. The other thing was, of course, a letter.

Dear Anu (you stupid dog),

If you have been given this by Constantius, then I have left this plane of existence. I know how sappy you can get so no tears in front of the boy. He has probably done enough of that. I won't make this long but I do hope that you are doing well, as well as that guild of yours. Jackal Fang. Really couldn't come up with a name that didn't involve something about you? Never knew you to be vain but times do change.

Speaking of your guild though, I have a favor to ask of you. Constantius is a great mage, a requip mage that I have personally trained since he discovered his magic. If you could, and if you wish, offer him a place at your guild. From the reports that I keep up with, your guild is the perfect place for the boy and I am sure that he will enjoy it. It's his call, of course, and so if he says no I won't hold it against anyone.

For Honor and Peace,

Bella Don; Requip Master, Orchard Famer, and Caregiver

P.S. I told you on that day years ago that you would only get this shard of your favorite dagger back once I was dead and gone. Well, told you that I was a woman who kept her promises.

Even though I was sad that Bella was gone, I couldn't help but smile. That old crone always seemed to have a way of orchestrating things even when it looked like she couldn't possibly predict them. I was sure that she had sent Constantius here on a wild run to get here. Probably only had my name and a few other details to go on. Plus, I have to say that she did keep her word. I liked the dagger that was missing the piece that she had dug out of me that day but as the letter said she wouldn't give it up until she was dead. I would have to see someone in getting that one repaired.

But, back to the important part of this letter. "I'm assuming that you haven't read this?" I asked Constantius as I held up Bella Don's letter to me.

He shook his head. "No, sir. I have followed Bella Don's instructions to the letter. But…" He then hesitated and I saw worry. "She said in my letter that, by this time, I would know what to do. But, I just feel like there are too many roads in front of me."

I smirked at that. Seriously. Bella Don was playing puppet master even from her ashes. So, I handed the boy my letter. "Read that. You'll know which part contains to you and yes, I am offering that option to you."

The boy gave me a funny look at that but took the letter from my hands and read it. Once I was sure he got to the part that involved him, his hands dropped to his sides and his eyes were wide. "You...you are offering me this?"

While the rest of the guild, except for Erik, looked confused, I nodded. "Yes. If you wish to, I am offering you a place here in Jackal Fang." I then moved to the bar and reached behind it before I grabbed the stamp we kept there. Once I had it, I walked back up to him. "So, what do you say?"

"What do I say?" He repeated that back to me before he paused for a second. Then, he lifted his shirt to expose the right side of his stomach and he pointed to it. "There in purple please, Master Anu."

"Finally, some respect," I said with a smile as I gave him the mark.

Of course, Hope had to come over and ruin it. "Don't give the mutt that much appreciation. We all call him master...at times, but mutt, dog, and Anu work as well." She then held out her hand. "I am Hope Ravensmith and my teammate over there, the skinny one with the spiked blonde hair," She motioned to Sawyer with the other hand, "is Sawyer and I would like to offer you a place on our team; Team Nightingale."

Well, she worked quick. I had seen the other teams ready to talk with him before she stepped up. He looked at her hand before nodding and taking it. "Sure. I like birds. They keep the bugs away from apples all right. Plus, they help move seeds so new orchards can grow. So sure."

Hope looked confused by that and I sighed. It seemed like Bella Don had also taught Constantius her love for apples...like an obsession for them. The rest of the guild would learn that in time. For now, though, it was time to celebrate, both Bella Don's life and the addition of a new guild member. That meant that a bottle of Ichor of Minstrel was waiting to meet my glass, and who was I to disappoint?

Melody:*sighs* Master, if I didn't know any better, I would say you were an alcoholic.

Anu: *smirks* But I'm not, so that means more whiskey for me!

Constantius: *confused* Why does Anu drink so often?

Hope: *smirks* It's because he has to get it when he can. Melody has him on a strict time table to drink usually.

Constantius: Oh.

AN: And here is the next chapter! I hope you all enjoyed reading about Constantius and his journey to join the guild! I have a lot of fun with all of my OCs and he is no exception. Especially with his apple fet...love. I was going to say love...Anyways, Constantius is now a part of the Jackal Fang guild and we are slowly, but surely, getting close to wrapping this first part up. But, until then, you get to enjoy these characters even more!

So, here are the next chapters for you all!

Chapter 11: Shifting Sands

Chapter 12: The Night Hunter

Chapter 13:...(Find out next time!)

And that's all for now. Please leave a review, or say hi if you wish, and I will greatly appreciate it! Until next time though, TTYL! *running to get some whiskey before Anu can*