Here's the next chapter, guys! I would like to take this opportunity to announce that I am currently closing OC submissions for the guild. I feel I have just enough to move through the story without losing track of anyone. I am still accepting OC requests for villains however, so feel free to submit one if you like. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
At the Mermaid Heel guild hall, Kagura was sitting at a table sipping some tea.
"Ah, there's nothing like a refreshing cup of tea after a successful mission." She said to herself.
"Kagura! Kagura!" Beth shouted as she ran up to Kagura.
"Beth, what is it?" Kagura asked.
"There's someone here!" Beth answered. "And he's badly wounded!"
"Get them to the guild's infirmary immediately." Kagura calmly told her.
"There's more!" Beth said.
"Hm?"
Back in Roseshade at the Phoenix Dawn guild hall, Spiral was in the infirmary lying down on a cot with several casts and bandages wrapped around his body. Hikari and Azusa were sitting right next to his bed while Aura was finishing up with the bandages.
"Spiral, you're going to be stuck in that bed for at least a couple weeks." Aura said.
"She really did a number on you." Hikari said. "If I wasn't passing through, I don't even want to think what might have happened."
*There was nothing I could do.* Spiral thought. *She completely trounced me. I didn't stand a chance.* "… I need to become stronger."
"Huh?" Hikari turned toward Spiral.
"When I get out of here, I have to learn Rhythm Magic." Spiral said. "Otherwise I won't be able to protect you."
"Spiral…" Hikari said, tearing up and holding onto Spiral's casted hand.
"… Aura, what do I do if I have to pee?" Spiral asked.
"Ew!" Azusa exclaimed in disgust.
In the Roseshade guard prison, Blaise was walking through the corridors with several guards following her. She continued walking until she arrived in a cell where Melody and Frost were. The two women were in chairs with their hands tied behind their backs. When Frost saw Blaise, she slammed her forehead against the barrier of their cell glaring at Blaise.
"What did you do with Cole?!" Frost shouted at them. "TELL ME!"
"Your Exceed friend is fine." Blaise calmly said. "We have him detained in a carrier cage. If you cooperate, we'll let him go."
Frost set herself back down and scowled, looking downward. "Fine."
Blaise remained in front of the barrier, completely safe from Melody and Frost.
"There's no point in resisting." Blaise said. "These cells are powered by enchantments that prevent you from escaping or using your magic. Now… Tell me everything you know about Luna Ulric."
"And why should we tell you?" Melody asked.
"Because whatever Luna promised you is a lie." Blaise answered.
"… Heh…" Melody chuckled. "I knew it."
"Hm?" Blaise asked.
"You have a sound wizard in your guild, right?" Melody asked. "Well, I'm one, too. Much like him, I can sense vibrations. He might be better than me at detection, but I'm positive that Luna was lying about paying us."
"What?!" Frost asked.
"She said, and I quote, 'Your job is to wipe out every wizard of the Phoenix Dawn guild.'" Melody said. "'Complete this mission and I will pay you handsomely.' It was that last sentence that made me suspicious of her. But I'm afraid that's about all we know about her."
Blaise then turned to Frost. "You're a Dragon Slayer, aren't you? Then you should have been able to pick up her scent."
"I definitely won't forget that smell." Frost said. "For some reason, she had a scent like a wild animal… not to mention blood."
"… I'd hate to do this, but you leave me no other choice." Blaise said. "I'm going to need you two to help me in finding her."
"That's all well and good, but what's in it for us?" Melody asked.
"… A reduced sentence." Blaise answered while clenching her fist.
"… Good enough for me." Frost said.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to hire people who just a few hours ago tried to kill your wizards?" Melody asked.
Blaise clenched her fists, trying to contain her anger. "A long time ago, I learned that a guild is much more than a place where wizards come to find work or a home for children who have no place left to go. A guild is a family, and you tried to take that family away from me." Flames started to surround Blaise which made the guards escorting her back off a bit. "And for that, I'll never forgive you!"
Blaise took a deep breath and calmed herself down, which also caused the flames to stop.
"… We won't make excuses, but Frost and I only did what was necessary to survive." Melody said.
"We don't have a home, so we became mercenaries constantly looking for work." Frost said. "We've been at this for 14 years. Most of our jobs consisted of taking out Dark Guilds, but this was our first time someone asked us to take lives. Honestly… neither of us liked the idea."
*… They're just like me and Luna…* Blaise thought. "… How about this instead?"
"Hm?" Both Melody and Frost looked up at Blaise.
"You help me track down Luna and in return…" Blaise said. "You have to join my guild."
"Where did this come from all of a sudden?" Melody asked.
"Let me get this straight." Blaise said. "Your entire lives, you've done nothing but follow the orders of other?"
Melody simply looked at her without saying anything or responding.
"What do you two think of yourselves?" Blaise asked.
Both girls were taken aback by that question.
"… Yeah… What do we think of ourselves?" Frost wondered.
"That's what I thought." Blaise said. "Up until now, you two have been nothing more than puppets, your strings easily manipulated by others. If I left you two as you are now, you'd eventually find yourselves trapped in the darkness… and I can't let that happen."
"Melody, what do you think?" Frost asked.
"… I think you already know." Melody answered with closed eyes before opening them with a smile on her face. "We accept your offer… Master Blaise."
"YOU'RE LETTING THEM IN?!" Sakura shouted at Blaise.
Blaise had returned to the guild hall with Melody, Frost and Cole behind her.
"Master, have you forgotten that these girls tried to kill us?!" Sakura asked.
"The only 'little' girl I see here is you." Frost said to Sakura.
"Say that again, cow!" Sakura shouted and head-butt Frost.
"Maybe if you stopped eating leaves and had a little meat, maybe your itty, bitty tits of yours might grow a cup size!" Frost shouted as she glared back.
"I kicked your fat ass once and I can do it again!" Sakura shouted.
"Stop this right now!" Blaise ordered.
Sakura and Frost stopped arguing and looked at Blaise.
"These two hold vital information that could very well save your lives." Blaise said.
"Master Blaise!" Karina called as she ran out of Blaise's office in a panic. "Mermaid Heel is on the communications lacrima! It's about Jason!"
Blaise went into her office and looked into the lacrima.
"I'm here." Blaise said to the lacrima. "What's this about Jason?"
Back at the Mermaid Heel guild hall, Kagura was on the other end of the communications lacrima speaking with Blaise.
"Hello, Blaise." Kagura said. "Earlier today, Jason came back to the guild hall… badly injured."
A look of shock appeared on Blaise's face. Despite the low clarity of the lacrima, even Kagura could see the shock on her face.
"We asked him what happened." Kagura said. "He said he was attacked by wolves."
Blaise's expression had become more shocked than it already was.
"Kagura, tell me!" Blaise said. "Does he remember anything about those wolves?"
"Jason did mention that the wolves looked like they were possessed." Kagura answered over the lacrima. "Their behavior was abnormal."
"Is he okay?" Blaise asked.
"He's being treated as we speak." Kagura replied. "He should be fine."
"Thanks." Blaise said as she ended the communication and stepped out of the office.
"Master, what's wrong with Jason?" Sakura asked.
"Jason was attacked by the same person that hired these ladies." Blaise answered. "Ms. Melody, Ms. Frost, Cole, take me to the town where you last met with Luna."
"Understood." Melody said.
"Hold on!" Sakura shouted. "If this person hurt Jason, then I'm coming too!"
"Sakura, it's too dangerous." Blaise said. "More dangerous than you can possibly imagine."
"I don't care how dangerous it is!" Sakura said. "She hurt one of my friends and I'm going, no matter what!"
*Those eyes…* Blaise thought as she looked at Sakura's face. *All that determination and anger…* "… Very well, you may come along. We'll form a small team of seven. With me, Melody, Frost and Sakura that makes four, so we need three more. Anyone want to volunteer?"
"I will." Static said as he stepped forward. "She's gonna pay for taking out Spiral." He cracked his knuckles.
"I volunteer as well." Vincent said as he stepped forward as well.
"If Sakura's going, then I'm going too." Kuroko said as he stepped forward.
"I guess we have a team." Blaise said. "The rest of you, do not leave the guild hall under any circumstances! Especially at night!"
Everyone else nodded as the team of seven left the guild hall.
Back at the Mermaid Heel guild hall's infirmary, they finished patching up Jason's injuries and he was lying on the bed sleeping. As Kagura walked by, she could see several of her guild mates just standing around staring at Jason while he slept.
"Could you please move away from him?" Kagura calmly asked. "He needs his rest."
The women left the infirmary and Kagura walked up next to Jason's bed.
"… Jason…" Kagura muttered as she looked down at Jason.
She tightly gripped the hilt of her sheathed sword.
Near the tavern Frost and Melody were at the other night, Frost reentered the tavern and started sniffing around. The customers inside were trying to back off from her, even the bartender.
"All right, I fully managed to catch the scent." Frost said as she went back outside. "And good thing too, the scent was about to disappear entirely. Otherwise we'd never be able to find her."
"Then you take the lead and we'll follow." Blaise said.
Frost started walking and followed Luna's scent. Blaise, Melody, Sakura, Static, Vincent, Kuroko, Flora and Cole followed her.
"Hey, Pervy Cat?" Flora asked Cole. "Frost mentioned that she was raised by a dragon. Care to elaborate?"
"Since you're so pretty, I guess I'll tell you." Cole said. "From what Frost told me, she was raised by the Ice Dragon Crysalis. But on July 7, X777 she vanished. Frost found my egg and hatched me about a year later. It wasn't until 6 years ago that we finally figured out what happened to Crysalis."
"What happened?" Flora asked.
"She was killed." Cole answered. "Used as an experiment for a psychotic scientist."
"I'm sorry for your loss then." Flora said.
"That lacrima that was implanted in Frost… Crysalis's parting gift for her. She died right in front of our eyes."
Sakura overheard the conversation between the two Exceeds.
*Frost…* Sakura thought. *I never knew… I can't even imagine what it would be like if I met Fleuressca again only to watch her die…*
In a forest clearing surrounded by rocks and a small alcove hidden in the shadows, Luna was sitting down with her eyes closed.
*Soon Blaise…* She thought. *After 16 years we'll finally meet again…* "Convel, Rand, Ylva!"
Three humans wearing wolf-skin cloaks, two men and one woman, appeared before Luna and kneeled and bowed before her. The man wearing the grey wolf skin was very muscular all over his body, the man wearing the brown wolf skin hard enlarged forearms and the woman had a very skinny build and a flat chest.
"I can sense that an old friend, her allies and those mercenaries I hired are heading right for us." Luna said. "Make sure they stay away from here until nighttime."
"As you wish, My Lady." All three of them said.
The three disappeared and Luna smirked.
"It ends tonight, Blaise…"
A/N: I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! This took a little longer than I wanted, but my parents got pissed at me the other day and I wanted to avoid writing in their presence. Anyway, stay tuned for next time!