(Greetings. This is your author, Rya, returning with another chapter!

Due to next week being my college move-in and the week after that the start of classes, updates will be sporadic if at all for a while. Sorry about that.

It occurred to me that you might want to know the classes of our heroes, so here they are, Clan Verity's starting classes:

Kei: Warrior

Lamoru: White Mage

Azina: Fencer

Azila: Archer

Varei: Black Mage

Yuhina: Clerk (explanation in the story)

There you have it. Now, on to the story!)

Chapter Two: Starting Out

"So, what do we do now?" asked Azina.

"We need a base," said Azila.

"Anyone know a good place?" Azina asked.

They were all quiet for a moment, thinking.

"The Chocobo's Kweh," Azila said suddenly.

"That would be great," said Azina. "Think the pubkeeper would let us?"

"If we are not too rowdy, I think he would."

"Let'ss go, then," said Kei.

The pubkeeper did indeed agree to let them use the Chocobo's Kweh as their base.

That settled, the newly formed Clan Verity began setting up a base of operations.

Then they had a clan meeting to discuss what to do next.

Varei started by bringing up a problem.

"We swore to protect each other," she said. "That's kupo and all, but Yuna can't fight. What will we do about that, kupo?"

Everyone else paused, surprised. None of them had thought of that.

"I'd be dangerous to have along, wouldn't I?" said Yuhina. "You'd have to protect me, and I wouldn't be much help.

So I think I should just stay behind. I can stay here in the base, gathering information and keeping things together here, while you go out on missions and stuff."

The six friends traded glances. None of them wanted to say it.

It was Kei who finally did, unable to take the silence.

"She hass a point," he said. "It would be eassier to complete missionss if we didn't have to worry about her."

"But-" Azi began in unison.

"None of us like it," said Varei. "But it makes sense, kupo."

Lamoru nodded.

The twins sighed.

"All right," said Azina. "I suppose that's what we'll do."

"I suppose it is," said Azila.

And so it was decided that Yuhina would stay behind at the base while the rest of the clan went out on missions. Varei worried that something would happen to her while she was alone, but Yuhina pointed out that she would be safer in Cyril than with them, if they were doing something dangerous.

"And besides," she said, "I won't be alone. There's always the pubkeeper."

Being Yuhina, she had already befriended the pubkeeper, who thought she was a sweet girl.

"Help!" said a voice from the front of the pub.

The six of them spun about and rushed to the voice.

"What is it? What's happened?" Azina asked.

"There's a fire, and it's spreading!" said the moogle who had called. "Someone help, kupo!"

"First mission!" cried Yuhina. "Go, Clan Verity, quickly!"

They went.

Time passed. Clan Verity went out on missions, and Yuhina remained behind. But she did not simply sit about idly, living off the others' work. Oh, no; Yuhina was the clan's bookkeeper. She recorded every mission they completed. She was the one who found missions for them to go on. She talked with the pubkeeper, gathering rumors. She made friends with the denizens of Cyril.

And Clan Verity's reputation grew.

So things went for a time, and life was good for the young clan.

But then Yuhina began to hear some interesting rumors...

"We're baaack!"

"Welcome back!" cried Yuhina, just as she always did.

"We met a new clan thiss time," said Kei.

"Oh? Tell me!" Yuhina said eagerly.

"They're called Clan Void," said Azila. "Not sure why. They're mostly couriers, carrying letters and packages. They were going the same way we were, so we went together for a time. They're decent folks."

Yuhina smiled.

"I'm so glad you met someone nice," she said.

"So what happened while we were gone?" asked Azina.

"I heard an interesting story," said Yuhina.

"Oh, really? Tell us," said Azina.

"There was an old nu mou, a white mage, passing through," Yuhina began. "He told me the story.

Long ago, there was a priestess. She always wore white and was skilled in white magic, so people called her the White Priestess. She was kind and gracious, always helping others. She preached kindness, peace, equality for all races, and helping others before oneself.

There was also a priest. He was skilled in black magic and always dressed in black, so people called him the Black Priest. I do not understand why they called him a priest, for his behavior was most unpriestly. He did evil deeds."

"Like what?" asked Azina.

"I asked the white mage the same question," Yuhina said. "He just shook his head and said that I was better off not knowing such things.

The point is, the Black Priest did evil deeds and encouraged his followers to do the same. Just as he was preparing for something still more terrible, the White Priestess appeared before him.

'I can no longer permit you to go on as you have,' she said. 'Your days of evil deeds are over.'

The Black Priest laughed.

'What can you do against me?' he asked. 'You have only your white magic, while I have the might of black magic!'

No one is certain what happened next. But the white mage told me that he believed that there was a great flash of light. And when the light had faded and those who had come with the White Priestess could see again, they found that both the Priest and the Priestess had vanished."

"What a crazy story," said Varei. "What's the point of it, kupo?"

"Perhaps it is simply to entertain," Azila suggested.

"It'ss interesting," said Kei.

"I wonder what happened to the White Priestess and the Black Priest," Azina mused.

"Tch. Does it matter, kupo?" asked Varei.

"Well, no," Azila answered.

"But it's fun to wonder," Azina added.

"Wonder all you like," said Varei. "Just don't let it distract you from what matters. Remember that it's only a story, kupo."

At the time, none of them knew just how wrong Varei was.