Chapter 9: 'Cause This is Filler!

Name: Marin Yokuni ( Marin is a female version of Marinus. And that means "of the sea".)

Blood type: -AB ( AB negative)

Birthday: Lapin 14th

Class: Hoplite, but she has the abilities of a Shogun. No one around her knows why.

Hair color: light blond

Eye Color: Seriously...? You know how many times I've told you readers.

Age: 44 ( Scary ,right?)

Hometown: Also Tharsis.

Height: 5'9" with her boots on. She rarely takes them off.

Notes: Marin is the protector of Armoroad. She is called the city's "Citadel",and others call her "The Woman Who Basks in Secrets". Ezra and Yakusoku have done research on her because they know of her Shogun abilities. They believe that she once found the Deep City ,but kept it a secret. They think that because the Deep City has an apparent power called subclassing. It would explain her two classes. Marin also knows many secrets about her underlings, Kise and Kujura. She knows that Kujura's sword is driving him crazy, but chooses not to do anything. When he asks her about it she claims that he doesn't get enough sleep. She knows about Kise's past.(Keep in mind that not even Kise knows about her past.) She also likes to keep the things she tells about herself to a minimum. She has a close bond to the Guild -master, whom she has known ever since she was twelve. They are about the same age. Marin tells him nearly everything because he had helped her with traumatizing situation she had. She doesn't know that the Guild-master tends to spill certain things about her. She calls him Zefora because her childhood frenemy ,Hanasaki (Also Hana's niece!), called him that before he could introduce himself. She's lived in Armoroad for 22 years trying to get revenge on a certain someone… Marin knows plenty of things about the Dominion.

(Fun Facts: Marin has a younger half sister that ran away from home. Marin also played a crucial role in Hana's childhood, but Hana doesn't remember her. Hana's muscle memory still does. Marin has younger brother named Sen. And her mother is a very strong woman that shares the name "Sapphire" with Marin's half sister.)

Pros: She very strong and wise. Matter of fact, she even found out the she was controlled by contempt. She's agile, kind, and brave.

Cons: Is controlled mainly by vengeance. She's not the most sane person in the world. Her temper is shorter than her hair. Abuses people (mainly Ezra) with her meter stick.

Hobbies: Lambasting Ezra, harassing Kujura, admonishing Kise, talking to the Guild-master, picking fights with weaklings.

I forgot a few things for Meru….

Hobbies: Flirting with Ryuu, talking to Dove, singing, dancing.

Age: 13

Here's the next chapter…

Ace lifted Inki in his arms and she began to groan. Aoimi stared at Hanasaku for a split second before Hanasaku told her to get out of her sight. Aoimi had gotten in trouble too. Aoimi ran over to Hana with a concerned expression. She went to put her hand on her shoulder. She went to speak ,but then Hypatia began.

"Hana, what were you thinking?" She asked nervously. That was an odd question. Or that's what Hana thought.

"Adrenaline… it overwhelmed me, I guess…" Hana swallowed, "Why'd you ask?" she finished.

Hypatia shrugged and then sighed. "I just thought since you did the same thing Agata did… That your reason would resemble his a bit."

"You don't know why he ran?" Hana turned back to check on the others that were trailing behind her. Ace was silently walking with Inki still wrapped around in his arms. Aoimi was quietly waiting her turn. Hypatia rubbed her temples before she closed her eyes.

"He just left. He was gone." She replied. She did not want to talk anymore.

Hana fixed a few things on her map. "Maybe, you could stay with us for the day, you know, until they find Agata." Hana suggested with a jovial tone. "If you stayed by yourself, you'd probably explode!" Hana joked.

Hypatia laughed with a shake in her voice. "I guess…"

A dead silence fell between the two astrologers. Aoimi needed to tell Hana about what had happened to guild Blue Sky.

"Hana!" She called out to her. Hana frowned back at her ,and did not respond. Of course, she was still angry. Aoimi thought she had always been a baby about things. Why didn't she ever accept the truth? "Hana, it's about our relationship with Gears." She stated irately. Hypatia froze for a moment, and that caused Hana's attention to shift to Aoimi.

"Gears?" Hypatia's voice boomed. "They spoke to you?" She nearly interrogated.

"Yes… We're allies actually." Hana spoke back. Aoimi grumbled angrily to herself. Why was Hypatia so buddy-buddy with Hana? She needed to tell Hana. She thought that it would clear her bad relationship with Hana. Aoimi felt a weird pit at the bottom of her stomach. She didn't know what it was.

"Have you heard about guild Blue Sky?" Hypatia asked. Aoimi cringed. She was supposed to inform Hana about this. She found it unfair.

"What?" Hana kept walking. "No."

"Well…" Hypatia looked down wearily. "You should know…"

Hana had a uneasy expression on her face. "Some one really should tell me then, huh?" She pointed her sharp comment at Aoimi. Aoimi felt the weird feeling from earlier leaving her body.

"Gears teamed up with another guild… Before ours." Aoimi firmly began," That guild was guild Blue Sky. Blue Sky was a guild with a lot of potential. So, Gears teamed up with them. Everyone in these parts knows that Gears is a hermit guild, and likes to keep contact with other guilds to a bare minimum. Blue Sky was different. They eagerly went to team up with them, and shortly started exploring with one another. Gears and Blue Sky went missing for three days, and all the members of Gears were fine, but no sight of Blue Sky. Lamia's younger sister was in that guild. Marin was told to search for them, and found…" Aoimi stopped and stared at Hana. "Marin only found their carcasses, and Gears was the last set of people seen with them." She finally finished with a brittle voice.

Hana stood there and clenched her fists. She glared at the two girls that were talking to her. Gears wouldn't do anything like that. Would they? Hana gritted her teeth. Ezra and the rest of Gears were too kind to do that to anyone. Hana teared up for some reason unknown to her. She felt like she should try to protect Ezra.

"Are you saying that Gears used Blue Sky?" She asked harshly.

Aoimi furrowed her brow. "Yes, Hana. I'm saying that they killed them too." They were nearing the staircase to the first floor. Hana's expression changed drastically. It went to a uneasy one to furious one. Gears wouldn't do anything like that. Hana knew that.

"Do you have any of that Ariadne Thread?" Hypatia could sense the tension rising. Hana dug through her left pocket and pulled out the fuchsia thread. She used it and they teleported out with a purplish flash. They were back in town. The streets were busy ,and they could see Dove and Meru forcefully pushing through the crowd around the Via Senatus as they left the building. A large majority of the throng of people began to follow them. Dove shouted something at them and they stopped. They stormed to the Aman's Inn. A group of what seemed to be nobles followed them to the inn. Meru said a few cruel statements at them. They, however, did not stop. Marin came out afterwards,but she did not follow anyone. She merely made the crowd of people leave. She stood at the doors after that. Hana groaned.

"What just happened?"

Aoimi shrugged. "I dunno, I know that Meru doesn't have a clean mouth."

"The more you know." Hypatia yawned.

Ace decided to speak for once. "Your inn is that way?" He pointed at it with his head.

"Yeah… You can go if you want." Hana acknowledged him.

"I'm fine. We should ask Marin about what went on." He added.

The group walked over to Marin who was sweating. She looked at them coldly. Hana took the lead in talking to her, When she heard Hana's voice her stare wasn't as cold.

"Excuse me, but what just occurred?" Hana inquired with complete innocence.

Marin had relaxed a bit. "The girl Meru that's in your guild… She's the lost princess of Jotunheim."

"WHAT?!" Aoimi and Hana yelled in unison. This didn't make sense to any of them.

Marin laughed at them and her eyes regained the creepy cold they had always carried. "Yes, and now her father has found her. He's pretty beat up about it."

"Oh, dear… What do we do?!" Aoimi shouted. "Meru's like my only friend here!"

Marin combed her hair with her fingers. "You could always say that Meru's a crucial part to your party." Marin answered her opinion.

Aoimi suddenly sprinted off with Hypatia, Ace ,and Inki. ( She was still in Ace's arms.) Aoimi shouted one more thing.

"Thanks, Marebear !" Her voice echoed.

Hana stayed and examined Marin for a time. She honestly wanted to know how Marin had met her mother. Marin didn't have a big reaction to Hana's presence. She peered down to the girl.

"Your niece, Hanasaki, have you heard from her?" Hana was shocked by her question.

"Well, not really. She sent me a letter last year, but that was the last from her."

Marin smiled as if she were getting nostalgic. "I used to explore this labyrinth with her. We made it all the way to the second stratum." She appeared to be cheery for once, but then it faded. "Next time you send her something, you should tell her that you've met me." She kept her pose in front of the doors.

"Okay." Hana went off after Aoimi. Marin watched her run before she ruefully began to talk to herself.

"She's too much like me for her own good…" She winced. "I guess I'll have to stop her before she messes up." She stood in the afternoon's light. She went off into a weird stupor of sorts. She had a strange tingling sensation as she began to daze out. She heard a lot of things she didn't want to remember. She shook her head and looked at the ocean shore. In the distance she saw a small boat. It was near the shores of Batavia. Marin was pretty sure there was a pirate ship in that area. She hoped that the ship in the distance wouldn't collide with that pirate ship. While she was thinking, she saw Caelum with two children. One appeared to be a ten year-old girl, and the other was a boy that was only five years of age. Marin realized that Caelum had started conversation with her. Caelum wore her normal bland expression.

"Marin, have you heard of that missing couple?" She asked, her voice was monotone. Marin nodded at this. She had heard from a set of locals. She knew that the poor in Armoroad were easy targets to, well, everyone. Lady Caelum grimaced a bit as she proceeded to explain everything she had seen and heard. At first, Marin had a hard time believing her, for she knew about her relationship with Isis. She pondered for a moment.

"It's true…" The ten-year old girl spoke with teary eyes. "Isis took my mommy, and daddy…" She almost cried ,but she began to comfort herself. The boy ,who seemed to be her brother, was standing there with a befuddled face. He didn't know what was happening. Marin felt bad for a moment, until she had an idea.

"How about this…" She suddenly began to dig in her armor, and she pulled out a packet of papers. Caelum asked why she had those in there, but got no response. Marin pulled a pen out of thin air. She handed both to Caelum. "How would you like to become their legal guardian?" Caelum's mouth dropped opened.

"Children? But I'm only nineteen years of age!" Her glasses fell off her face. The children ,that were latching onto her at the time, saddened. Caelum looked at Marin's face, and the children's. She then took the papers and began to skim and sign them.

"While you sign those, I'll do my research, and question Isis Pompadour."

"Yes ma'am." Caelum put her glasses back on.

When Hana got to the inn , Bare was there. She didn't know why. She didn't see Bare before. She asked Bare ,and she said that Hanasaku sent her to make sure they were safe. Bare was next to the guild. Meru was constantly shaking her head. Could that day get any worse? Hana sat down next to Meru with an inquisitive look in her eye. Meru was talking to Dove so quickly that her words were gibberish. They could all tell that Dove wasn't listening. Hana got up and went to the Innkeeper Boy. She told him that she was going to her room, and he pulled out two letters out of nowhere. One read Hanasaki Zaki, and the other read Lazasia Zaki. Hana thanked the boy ,and ran up to her room. She removed her glasses and used one of the arms as a letter opener. She opened Lazasia's first, since she was the one who paid for her training. Hanasaki paid for Hana to go to school, but Hana hated school. Hana carefully took the letter out and read it.

Dear Hana, are you dead?

Hana's expression was unexplainable. It was a mixture of anger, confusion, and happiness. She was so weirded out by it she wrote a letter back to her. She sat at her desk and moved her papers on science to the side. She had her pencil in hand and simply wrote back: Yes, I'm dead, Lazasia with a smug look on herface.

'Just wait until Lazasia sees this!' She thought while still wearing that expression. She sealed it in an envelope that she found between her papers on Mercury's rotation and a paper on why she thought Betelgeuse didn't die yet. She opened Hanasaki's. It was longer than Lazasia's.

Dear Hana,

how's life in Armoroad? I heard that pirates are crazy there, but it's not like that's new to me. I think you can handle them. You're smart. This probably won't get to you until after your birthday, and that's because I sent it on your birthday. Lazasia had to remind me. Oh, wait I'm getting way off topic… Anyway, why did you become an explorer again? It is hard to see why, no offense. Your mother was a great person, you know that. She raised me when my mother left me to die. I don't get you at all. You're different. Hanasaku, and Solly are quiet and introverted, but you're loud and you you're smart. But at the same time… You don't get anything.I bet you'll make your mark at Armoroad. It's a nice place. I hope that maze will help you understand everything that's going on.

Your niece, Hanasaki.

Hana stared at the letter. How could she be smart, but not know anything at all? She turned away. She had to stay in her room for a day and a half. She tapped the pencil on the paper. Hanasaki always had to write her mind. Hana moved her pencil across the paper, and found herself writing a response. She was unaware of if she was angry or not.

Dear Hanasaki,

you know why I became an adventurer. You just don't want to accept it. I don't even understand what you just wrote to me. How can I be smart ,but not know anything? I know you wanted me to go to college, but here's the news… I didn't. I have to make sure Hanasaku turns out okay. You know that's she sensitive, and you know that Ryuu will protect me. You said exploring wasn't a steady pay job, and ,frankly, it isn't. I can still be an astrologer here… Could you give me some tips? The guild's has been acting strange and won't tell me anything. It's has only been,what, three days since our arrival? And from that point I've learned that Meru's Jotunheim's lost heir, Tanaku is a rich kid, Aoimi had sister who betrayed her, and that Hanasaku and Ryuu have been keeping things from me. It's hard. We've allied ourselves with another guild that has been accused of murder, and I know that they're good people. Then after we met them, we met one of your apparent old allies, Marin. She's the strongest person here. She's kind of scary. She looks like she detests everything.

Your short aunt, Hana Venus Zaki.

Hana scrambled for another envelope. She heard her door open, and turned back. Aoimi leaned on Hana's doorway and was staring at her. She was wearing a slight cringe. She was moving her head back and forth as if she were making sure no one was in the area. She was quiet and actually seemed cool. Her arms were crossed, and she hadn't changed out her armor yet. She inhaled and she was about to say something, but Hana beat her to it.

"I didn't mean what I said, Aoimi." Aoimi walked in after that. Her hair was over her eyes. Hana never said sorry. She always used another phrase. I guess she thought the word sorry would make her look sensitive. "I was angry, and didn't want to take it out on Hanasaku or Ryuu. I just needed to get it out." She finished. Aoimi walked over to Hana's side. She looked down at her letter to Hanasaki and the letter Hanasaki had sent. She said something that seemed to be aimed at herself. She shook her head before she attempted to start conversation.

"You have two nieces, Hana? Doesn't that mean you have a sister or a brother?" She asked. She knew that she didn't say anything like "it's okay" to Hana. That was because she wasn't okay with what Hana did. Hana always put her feelings before everyone else's. Therefore, Aoimi thought if she had put Hana's feelings first she would have become worse.

Hana looked up at her. "I have an older sister, Hanawa, and an older brother, Hermes. Hanasaki and Lazasia are Hanawa's children."

Aoimi placed her fingers on Hanasaki's letter to Hana. "You don't know what she meant by that, do you?" Hana nodded. She thought this was awkward. "What Hanasaki meant was that you're smart Hana, but you aren't mature. You still think like a child." Hana began to move her feet around under her desk.

"Makes sense." She said back. "If you didn't come in here for an apology… What did you come in here for?"

Aoimi had her normal smirk crawling back on her face. "Well, aren't cha bored?" Her mood had brightened up. "Hanasaku said no more exploring the labyrinth, she didn't mention anything about the seas." She sounded like she was dealing something illegal. It was bad to go against Hanasaku's words….

But she didn't anything about sea questing.