Vistarion, Council Tower
"Abyss Fang huh," Vergil muttered out loud as he let the name roll over his tongue a few times. "Sounds like someone just mashed two words together when they couldn't think of anything else. A pretty cheap name for an operation."
"Really," Len stared bewildered "I thought it sounded pretty cool." Mika moaned in agreement as well, sharing Len's sentiments.
"That's cause you guys have bad taste." Vergil remarked. "Any details provided about this job?"
"Nope, that's exactly why we were called here right," Len replied as he propped his legs up against the meeting table, kicking back in his chair to try and relax. Though one could hardly say that this was the most comfortable scenario. All around them stood teams of Rune Knights, staring at them intently with tightened grips on their weapons.
"Told ya we should have washed the blood off first," Vergil grumbled as he scanned the room, looking for any points of exit should a fight break out. They were in a circular cobblestone room that only had a single balcony and was lit by a light lacrima that hung overhead. Due to simplicity in design, it didn't provide Vergil with much options to escape, save for the fall out of the window. It wasn't the fact that Vergil could not defeat them, but the last thing he needed now was causing trouble with the higher ups of Alvarez. They had arrived at Vistarion an hour ago, trying to find their mission handler but only to be teleported straight into the council building. There, a minor mayhem erupted slightly seeing as how all their clothes were caked with the blood of Tyson and his crew, in particularly Mika. As a result, they have been kept under extreme scrutiny in the meeting room as they waited for the council member who contacted them to arrive.
After what seemed like an eternity, they finally heard the door knob click and turn. As it swung open, the teams of Rune Knights snapped into crisp salutes as the council member walked in.
"Well, color me surprised. I really did not expect you to show up." Cody remarked as he laid down the documents in his hands onto the table, taking the seat directly opposite Vergil.
"Thanks for the wait asshole," Len growled. "You could have told us you would only be home an hour later when you sent that transmission earlier. You were lucky that you didn't compromise our job with that annoying buzzer of yours."
Unfortunately for Len, Cody seemed to pay no heed to his words, causing the Machias to rave in frustration, held back only by Mika. Instead, he began to sort through the paperwork that he had placed down, stopping only when he had found what he was looking for.
"Let's get down to business shall we," he smiled as he began to read off the three sheets of paper that he held in his hand. "Vergil the Absolute, 27, human. Currently a freelance mercenary."
"Yeah, that's me," Vergil smirked.
"Len Vega, Unknown, Machias. Last of his kind."
"Hey, I know about my pitiful state ok," Len grumbled, already not liking Cody. "Can we quickly get this done and over with."
"Mikaela Blaze, 24, modified human. Wielder of a Relic of Solomon."
"Ahhhhhh," Mika moaned slightly, not seeing any point of these details.
"I'm pretty surprised that Rex even chose any of you. From all I can tell, you guys are nothing but a motley bunch of mages. I'm sure that there are better candidates out there for this job." Cody sighed as he placed the papers back onto the table, looking each mage in the eye.
"Well, trust me. I'm the last person that wants to be here." Scowled Len. "If it weren't for Vergil, I would have torn this place apart long ago. You guys ordered the extinction of my entire race!"
"Well the Machias were plotting a rebellion and we could not afford any more damage to the stability of Alvarez. We did offer them a chance to surrender you know. It's not as though we are heartless monsters that go about causing race extinctions." Cody retorted. "We even gave each one of you a proper burial after the deed was done."
"But to kill the children and the women? Who have nothing to do with the rebellion!?" Len roared, infuriated by Cody's choice of words. "We may be machines but we have human hearts and minds!"
"Then you should have thought twice before razing human villages and killing humans too. Where did your human parts go to then!?" Cody rebuked, his face still in a state of calm despite Len's outburst.
"MOTHERFUCKER!" Len yelled, slamming his hands onto the table as his arms started to morph. Before he could even move a step, spears and blades instantly surrounded his neck and body, forbidding any sudden movements.
"AHHHHH!" Mika growled angrily as she watched her friend fall captive to the weapons of the Rune Knights. She subconsciously began to reach for her scissor blade, only to be stopped by a hand that clamped down on her wrist. Snarling, she looked up, only to see Vergil shaking his head slightly.
"That's enough Mika. You too, Len. Cool off." Vergil spoke gently as he addressed his two comrades. While his voice held no ill intentions, it was clear from his eyes that he was serious about it. With that, Mika's expression softened and her hand left the grip of her blade. Len's scowl was replaced with a much gentler frown. He immediately began to withdraw his morph, settling back into his chair, arms crossed.
"Well, I do apologize for my friends' behavior," Vergil smiled as he faced Cody. "If possible we would like to get down to business and leave already."
"Fine," Cody snorted, a slight grin on his face. "We want you to create and lead a taskforce that is capable of fighting Blood Halo, so that we can return peace to Alvarez and reunite the country once more."
"Pffffffftttttt! What!" Len snorted in disbelief before exploding into laughter.
"Ahhhhhh?" Mika looked confused as well.
"What's so funny," Cody asked, a stern look on his face. "Here we are, seeking help from you to save our country. And all you can do is mock it?"
"That's the problem right there," Len giggled. "We are mercenaries, man. Not some group of chummy people that hold hands together and sing kumbaya. That's what you want us to do right? Form a guild to take out another one? And here I thought I was crazy!"
"Very well then." Cody sighed heavily. "You leave me with no choice." Before anyone could react, a small silver magic circle appeared before his palm, glistening brightly upon activation.
"Time stop." Cody commanded.
In that very instant, all life seemed to crawl at an unbelievably slow pace. Mika's widening eyes, Len's gaping mouth as he laughed, the curses flowing out of the Rune Knights present at their utter disrespect. It was as though time had stood still for everything and everyone.
Well save for two people.
"Guess you didn't earn the title of Chronomancer for nothing," Vergil remarked as he stared around him, taking in the view from within the silver bubble that was erected around him and Cody.
"It took years of practice. Unlike a certain prodigy that I know." Cody smirked, to which Vergil returned the smile. "I still can't believe that after all this time, you are still alive."
"Touche," grinned Vergil. "And I can't believe that you actually joined the council. I still remember the days when you followed me around on the streets, claiming that you wanted to be my disciple. A decade later and you are already on par with me."
That caused a small laugh to erupt from both males but as quickly as it came, it died down fast. For a moment, a veil of silence surrounded them.
"Why me?" Vergil asked, finally breaking it. "You should know better than to let the godson of August take on such an important job. What will the public think? The council will lose all credibility overnight."
"They don't know that. Neither do they need to. Of all the candidates in there, I know you the best. And I know that you still have a sense of justice buried deep within you." Cody replied. "10 years may be enough time to change someone, but not you."
"What makes you so sure?" Vergil chuckled.
"All the cases you've taken so far, they all involved families that needed help or villages that were being terrorized. No matter how paltry the payment was, you would take it up without hesitation. If there's something I know, it's that you ain't in it for the money. You are just doing this because it's the only option open to you to help others unofficially."
"You sneaky bastard," Vergil commented though his tone was more jest than hostile.
"I'm not the council member in charge of surveillance for nothing," Cody grinned.
For a moment, Vergil's smile died down as he crossed his hands over his chest and pondered. Cody had really hit the nail on the head there. Though their methods were sometimes a bit extreme, all he wanted to do was to help save people. More than anything, he still wanted to carry on his dream of being a hero of justice. All of them did. Len wanted to make amendments for his race's mistakes and Mika wanted to prevent what had happened to her from befalling anyone else. Now an opportunity had finally presented itself. They no longer needed to hide in the shadows and can finally be proud of what they were doing. They had the power to save this country, and it was about time they started doing so.
"Very well, I accept." Vergil answered determination and steel lacing his voice. Cody smiled, glad that his friend had finally come to terms with himself. Just as he was about to speak, Vergil cut him off, holding up his hand.
"But, I have two conditions." Vergil insisted.
"Very well, name them."
"One, I get to choose my guild mates without the council's interference. The last thing I need is you guys spying on me from my own guild."
"Fair enough," Cody agreed. "The second?"
"I want Rebbie back." Vergil replied simply.
That statement actually made Cody pale. "You know I can't do that Vergil."
"Why not? You are the one who took it from me. So you should also have the ability to return it right?" Vergil protested.
"Well, that may be true but doing so also violates rule 35 of the constitution which states that…" Cody started before Vergil interrupted him. "Rebbie is an important part of me. If you want me to start a guild, I would prefer to be at full strength in case something happens. Don't you agree? Besides, she's hurt. I have to nurse her."
Cody just gave a smile of exasperation, already knowing that he could not win this argument. "Very well. I guess I'll entrust you with her again."
"By the way, your guild house and accommodations are all taken care of already. Just bring your members back here to Vistarion by the end of the month and we will see to your arrangements." Cody added, causing Vergil to grin even more.
"Well that's one more problem I can worry less for." Vergil laughed, Cody following suit as well.
With that, he snapped his fingers again, causing the silver bubble to vanish and time to flow normally once more.
"Hahahahahhahaha! There's no way we'll help them right Vergil?" Len laughed out loud, expecting Vergil to back him up. To his surprise though, Vergil responded different.
"Thank you for the job councilor. We will accept the job and get started immediately." Vergil smirked, shaking Cody's hand as both men reached an agreement.
With that, Vergil got off his seat and made his way to the door, beckoning for Len and Mika to follow suit.
"Did something happen that I didn't notice?" Len asked, slightly confused at the turn of events.
"Arhhh?" Mika moaned, equally surprised at Vergil's decision. Guess Vergil might have some explaining to do.
As he watched the trio leave the room, Cody gave a silent prayer, wishing his old friend all the best in his future endeavors.
"Stay safe Vergil. The fate of our country now rests with you."
Outside the Council Tower
"Ok, so what just happened?" Len asked, still slightly confused as to what just happened. One moment they were all in the room arguing, and in the next Vergil seemed to already make a deal with the Council. Something just felt amiss.
"Secret," Vergil hushed, bringing a finger up to his lips. That caused Len to scowl slightly and Mika to giggle uncontrollably.
"Har har very funny," Len remarked sarcastically. He really hated it when Vergil kept secrets from them, though he knew it was mostly in their best interests not to know either way. "How bout telling us what's in that trunk then," Len pointed to the black box that was currently in tow behind Vergil. Before they left the council tower, Vergil had taken a short detour to one of the higher floors, asking them to wait in the lobby. When he returned, he was carrying the black case. While it did seem normal, what caught Len's attention was that it was decorated in various runes, most of which were in a language that was long forgotten. Those that Len did recognize bore markings of sealing and containment, all of which were high tiered ones. Add that to the sinister presence Len could sense from within the box, he could not help but wonder what warranted such heavy protection.
"Sure why not," Vergil smirked, placing the box onto the ground. "Though I would highly recommend you guys to stand back."
Without another word, both Mika and Vergil took a few paces, watching with bated breath for something to happen. Vergil then proceeded to place his hand above the chest, muttering something softly under his breath as he did so. A moment of calm passed before a distinct sizzling sound could be heard. Both mages watched as the runes began to gradually disappear off the surface of the chest. With each one that vanished, Len and Mika could sense the growing discomfort that lurked in their hearts. There was a life source within the chest and it was straining to get free. Although neither mage heard anything, they felt as though there was a voice crying savagely, eager to leave its confinement.
It was desperate.
It was hungry.
And it sure as hell wasn't happy.
When the final seal was undone, both mages were literally not breathing; their tongues and stomachs too clenched up to utter a single word. They saw Vergil open the chest and reached in, fear gripping their hearts as to what monstrosity he was about to pull out.
So imagine their surprise when they saw something else entirely.
"That's it?" Len asked, disbelief and fear oozing from his tone as he gazed upon the thing that Vergil had drawn.
It was a simple broadsword, though one could hardly call it a sword anymore. The entire blade was coated in a deep sea of rust, cracks already glistening along it. From what Len could tell, the edges of the blade were blunt, incapable of cutting but rather for bashing. To top that off, it looked as though the blade was missing its top half. Where the tip of the blade was supposed to be was a jagged piece of metal, suggesting that the weapon was broken. Len had been expecting something more sinister, more savage and more destructive based on the aura he was picking up before. Yet all he saw was a pathetic excuse of a weapon.
Mika on the other hand was beyond speechless. Unlike Len, she knew exactly what that weapon was. She did not expect there to be other wielders apart from herself though the condition of the weapon was a mystery of its own. From what she understood, they were near indestructible and yet there lay one before her very eyes, worn and battered to the point of almost beyond repair. For someone to be able to do so, he or she had to be beyond powerful.
"Good to have you back Rebbie," Vergil grinned as he stroked the blade of the broadsword, dusting off some of the rust in the process. "Well then, shall we get going then?" he added, addressing Mika and Len.
"Where to?" Len asked. "And what exactly are we doing?"
"We're going to be recruiting guild members. To do that, we'll be travelling to various parts of Alvarez in search of mages willing to join our cause. When we're done, we assemble back here since the council wants to get an idea of our guild size and members." Vergil explained.
"Easier said than done," Len deadpanned. "It's going to take months to get approval to use the teleporter. If it wasn't for official business, there would be no way we could have gotten to Vistarion in the first place so quickly. And now you want to travel the entire continent?" Mika groaned in agreement, acknowledging the truth in Len's words. It would take weeks just to descend Vistarion, let alone travel Alvarez on foot. How were they even going to find guild mates at this rate?
"That's why I have Rebbie," Vergil corrected. "With her, travelling is not an issue at all." Seeing the looks of confusion on their faces once more, Vergil decided to elaborate. Channeling a fraction of his magic into Rebbie, the blade began to hum slightly as an aura manifested around it. Vergil then proceeded to cleave the air in front of him and as he did so, there was the distinct sound of something being ripped in half. Both mages watched as the space which Vergil just cleaved opened into an elongated oval portal. It was pitched black and seemed to gaze into nothingness, causing them to swallow nervously.
"And voila," Vergil presented grinningly. "There's our ticket out of here." With that he then took a step into the portal, disappearing completely from sight. Although not very certain of its safety, Len and Mika also followed suit, not wanting to be left behind. As soon as all three of them entered, the portal instantly closed itself, removing any trace of their existence in Vistarion.
Kraken Turf, south of Leol Port
"Alright man, this is a far as we can take you." The fisherman called out as a man walked onto the deck of the ship, waving his hand lazily as he did so. "Our livelihoods all depend on this so we wish you all the best."
"Yeah, yeah I get it," the man replied back. "Just hurry back to shore, unless you wanna get stung." With that, he then proceeded to dive overboard, leaping into the crystal clear waters. Turning up, he watched with relief as the boat began pulling away from the area, grateful that he could concentrate on his work.
Said man's name looked like he was in his early twenties, with slanted crimson eyes that were rimmed with thin lashes and a triangular face with a pointed nose. What stood out though were the red teal lines that trickled down his eyes and onto his cheeks as though they were tears. He stood at an even 6'0 with a very well toned figure that had pale skin color. His spiky white hair floated messily about in the water and at his neck was a nasty scar that stretched all the way across his chest. He was currently wearing nothing but a pair of black swimming trunks and a pair of black leather gloves. The bracelet around his wrist shimmered in the sunlight wafting down into the sea, slightly illuminating the region around him.
The man's name was Gryndel and he was a travelling mage for a few years now. Originally from Fiore, he had decided to pay a visit to Alvarez in search of work. Ever since the war ended 10 years ago, Fiore had entered a certain state of peace and mage jobs were currently on the decline. Deciding to try his luck elsewhere, he chose the more dangerous Alvarez that was still in the state of recovery. As luck would have it, he immediately found work at the harbor that he arrived at. An Elephant Kraken was sinking ships off the port and needed to be exterminated. Seeing as how the pay was decent, he took it up at a moment's notice.
Apart from that, he had also heard certain rumors about a certain guild being formed by the Magic Council. They were quite sketchy though, not mentioning where the guild was located or who the guild master was. However one thing was for certain, only the strongest of the strong were being offered a chance to join. It would be a great way to test how he fared against the rest and it also gave him a chance to have a stable income for now.
Gryndel was lost in his thoughts as he swam about in the ocean, but his thoughts were interrupted when he heard what sounded like an ominous fog horn resonating from below him. His eyes widened and a grin began to form across his face.
"It's here!" he thought excitedly as he caught sight of two bulbous yellow eyes glowing from deep down. As he swam further down, the Kraken's main body came into view. It was pink and fleshy, easily spanning 10 meters in length. It had eight sickly arms that were each armed with barbs and suckers as well as two gigantic tusks that grew near its mouth. Sensing Gryndel's approach, the Kraken roared out a challenge, sending forth four of its tentacles to intercept him.
"Child's Play," Gryndel though as a bright red magic circle appeared before his hands. "Iron sand!" he mentally called out, unleashing thin streaks of red lightning along the sea bed. The iron particles present within the seabed began to rise, rotating furiously as they streaked all around Gryndel. With a flick of his wrists, the iron sand shot out and slashed cleanly through the tentacles, dicing them into tiny parts.
The Kraken bellowed in pain at the lost of its arms, but still continued to send another wave of its arms towards Gryndel. Smirking, Gryndel waved his arms once more and cleaved the remainder of its eight arms, disarming it literally. Left completely open and defenseless, the Kraken roared and open up its mouth, creating a miniature vacuum as it tried to suck in Gryndel and devour him.
Even as Gryndel was spiraling out of control, having been dragged into the strong underwater current the Kraken was creating, there was no fear in his eyes. Instead, a happy smile was etched on his face, knowing that the Kraken had just signed its own death wish. Within a few inches of the Kraken, Gryndel removed his gloves, letting them spark as red lightning surged through his palms. The Kraken's eyes widened as it realized the significance of that action, trying to close its jaws in a last attempt to maintain distance but it was too late.
"Mjolnir Impact!" Gryndel cried out, ploughing his fist right in between the Kraken's eye sockets.
A bright red flash erupted from beneath the ocean. Seconds later, a mountain of water exploded, splashing several feet into the air before subsiding. As the water rained back down, it revealed a smirking Gryndel and a charred Kraken that was floating on the water surface.
"Well I guess I did go a tad overboard with that last spell," Gryndel laughed as he admired his handiwork. While he deemed it necessary to kill the Kraken, he chose that particular spell given its blast radius, hoping it would catch some attention. Maybe someone would see his awesomeness from afar and elect him into that mysterious guild that everyone was talking about.
"Yeah, I have to agree with you on that," a voice behind him called out. "Way too much firepower for a beast like this."
That made Gryndel jump slightly, assuming a battle stance as he turned around. He was definitely not expecting company so soon, especially since they were so far away from the harbor.
"Yo, the name's Vergil," Vergil greeted as he sat atop the Kraken's head. Behind him, Len was busy staring into the eyes of the dead creature while Mika was using her blade to cut up portions of it, tasting them. "What's yours?"
"Gryndel, the strongest lightning mage you'll find in these parts!" Gryndel declared arrogantly, his fists sparking slightly as if to make a point. Guess his gamble did pay off. "Do you belong to that mysterious guild that everyone is talking about?"
"As a matter a fact, I'm actually its guild master." Vergil chuckled, lifting up his hand to reveal his black guild mark. It was a hollow orb that had three sickle like appendages extending from it.
That made Gryndel frown a little. The man before him looked just a few years older than him and he was claiming to be the guild master? "You know, if you are pulling my leg, you are doing a terrible job at it."
"I'm being very serious here," replied Vergil, the smile never leaving his face. "I really am the Guild Master of Abyss Fang."
"If that's the case, I must say I'm kinda disappointed." Gryndel shrugged. "I was expecting someone a lot more powerful and older. If you really are the Guild Master, I'm guessing that your guild must be pretty weak."
"Maybe, but I'm pretty sure I just snuck up on you without you noticing." Vergil laughed.
"Hey what's that supposed to mean," Gryndel growled. "Are you insinuating that I am weaker than you?" Lightning began to course through his entire body, creating a bright red aura around him as he prepared to strike out at Vergil for belittling him.
"I don't know," Vergil shrugged. "Maybe you would find out if you join us."
"Fine!" growled Gryndel. He didn't see why not. If the guild was really as weak as he thought it to be he could always leave, after beating this arrogant punk to a pulp. If otherwise, he could very well be one of the few to join a guild of powerful mages.
"Great, then I'll see you in Vistarion at the end of the month eh," Vergil concluded as he got up from his spot. With a swing of Rebbie, he opened up a portal and walked through it along with Len and Mika, waving goodbye as he did so. And with that, he vanished.
"What?" Gryndel blinked. He could have at least told him how to get to Vistarion. All the more he was going to sock him in the face if this guild of his was anything less than expected.
Blackrattler Pass
"I'm telling you, it's real Sis. There really exists such a guild out there. It's being told in the bars, the schools and even by passing travelers." A young voice squealed over the communications lacrima, causing the recipient to rub her nose bridge in frustration.
"Floretta, these are only rumors. You shouldn't believe anything that people say." The other female replied, trying to sound as nice as possible. She was getting a tad annoyed though, her sister calling every few days to tell her about some mysterious guild that was currently recruiting members.
"But Aspen, think about it." Floretta whined slightly. "If it really is true, you don't have to work as a mercenary anymore. You can hold a proper job and take care of us both without having to risk your life so much anymore."
"It doesn't work that way Floretta," Aspen sighed inwardly. "Look, I have to go now. I have a job on hand. I'll call you back when it's done ok?" she said warmly.
"Ok, bye bye sis," Floretta replied, waving her hand goodbye as the holographic image on the lacrima disappeared. Aspen then tossed the lacrima into her bag pack, afraid it would get in the way of her latest job. She had a plaintive kind of face without many striking features. Her nose, chin, and cheeks were all subtly defined and slightly sharp when one looked close enough. Her shoulder length dark ash brown hair was mostly tied up neatly and she had almond shaped eyes with light definition and auburn colored irises. She stood at 5'6 with a lithe, slightly tanned figure that had good proportions and flexible limbs. She currently wore a dark blue shirt underneath a long light brown coat and brown trousers, with a pair of running shoes to finish. Currently obscured from view was also a thin scar on her abdomen that starts around her middle and curves down to her hip.
As much as Aspen would deny it, Floretta was right. While being a mercenary was profitable, it also contained many unforeseen dangers. Over the past 3 years or so, she had taken out countless of people, most of which were complete strangers who had done nothing to her. This made her conscience waver at times, the burden on her heart growing with each additional mission she took. Then there were those that bore grudges and struck back. While Aspen wasn't scared of retribution, deep down she feared for her sister's safety. It was very likely that Floretta would become a target for her actions and that unnerved her. The last thing she wanted was her sister to get involved in her business but if she stopped, so did the cash flow that kept their lives going.
That certainly wouldn't do.
"What a pain in the ass," Aspen frowned. Truth be told, she too was getting tired of sleeping with a dagger next to her, weary of enemies that never seemed to come. If only what Floretta said was true, about there being a guild that was willing to take in members from all walks of life. No more hiding and living in fear, leading a normal life like any other person. Too bad that it was all rumors.
While Aspen was still caught up in her thoughts, she vaguely saw something dart from atop one of the boulders and into the ravine. That snapped her back to reality, remembering the job she was currently tasked with. Someone had sent her a request a few days back, to eliminate a Machias that was terrorizing a village. She was initially skeptical about it, believing that all the Machias were exterminated half a decade ago but then again, the reward was too alluring to refuse. No harm checking it out right?
Moving quickly, she treaded lightly across the sandy terrain to avoid making any obvious noises, keeping an eye on her target while she was at it. Years of training with her mentor and on the field have made her a very efficient hunter, stalking people silently without being noticed. After a short 5 minutes, she watched from behind a bush as the Machias stopped next to a river, bending over as though to get a drink.
"Don't think too badly of me for this," Aspen whispered to no one in particular, a blue magic circle already forming at her outstretched palms. "It's just business."
"Glacier Lock," she uttered silently. Instantly, water from the river surged towards the Machias, enveloping it completely before freezing over to form an icy prison around her target.
"Mission complete," she smiled, emerging from her cover to approach her quarry. That was way too easy. She was expecting the Machias to put up much more of a fight.
"Well, time to ship this back to the client and get paid," she chirped as she admired her own handiwork. Though what happened next indicated that none of that was happening.
"Nice try woman, but not all of us are just resistant to Thunder Magic," a hollow laughter erupted from within the ice prison, setting Aspen's alarms bells ringing as she darted back immediately. Just in time too, as the ice was blown apart, revealing a very wet and pissed Len. Len looked slightly different from before though. His chest was currently wide open, revealing streams of boiling hot metal loops and several pistons extended from his back, billowing out black steam. His right arm had morphed into a buzz saw that was glowing hot whereas his left was a dual barreled flamethrower
"Have to give it to you too, you know," Len chuckled as he deactivated his transformations, spewing black smoke from his mouth as he spoke. "You were difficult to pinpoint all this time so I had no choice but to stand still and force your hand."
"Well thank you for the complement but it still doesn't change the fact that I'm going to be bringing you in." Aspen growled as she back flipped onto a rock, this time a red magic circle appearing instead.
"Firecracker!' she yelled as began condensing heat magic into small beads, scattering them towards Len. Due to their small size, most of the beads were stuck onto Len's body while the rest covered the ground surrounding him. Just as Aspen was about to detonate them, Len spoke up, causing her to pause momentarily and that was all the time needed for Len to do deactivate them.
"Nice try, but you're way over your pay grade missy." With that, the screws on Len's body sank into his body, revealing small nozzles. An instant later, ice cold liquid nitrogen sprayed all around him and on his body, freezing each of the beads and sapping it completely of any heat.
"Shit!" Aspen cursed when she realized she could not detonate them. Before she could cast another spell though, Len was on her like white on rice, his right arm forming bladed fingers. Instinctively, she drew her dagger, preparing for the worse. Judging from the speed he was leaping and distance covered, she was sure she could pierce an organ without sustaining serious harm to herself. All she needed was to time her strike.
"Len, that's enough," she suddenly heard a voice cry out.
Len immediately stopped in his tracks, the bladed fingers inches from her face. Likewise, Aspen's dagger was also inches from his left lung. That was way too close.
"Oh come on Vergil, I barely had any fun." Len complained, causing Aspen's eyes to widen as she heard the familiar name.
"Vergil?" she asked in disbelief, whipping her head to a side as she recognized the other mage. "What in blazes are you doing here?"
"Yo Aspen, it's been a while." Vergil smiled as he beckoned for Len to stand down.
"What is the meaning of this? Are you here to steal my job again?" Aspen growled. The two had met on multiple occasions as fellow mercenaries. By luck would have it, they sometimes shared the same target and each time they did, Vergil always beat her to it.
"Actually no," he laughed. "I'm the one that issued the request this time." That caused Aspen's eyes to widen in surprise and disbelief. "Because I know if I asked to meet, you definitely wouldn't turn up."
"No shit Sherlock," Aspen snorted, "Not with you stealing my pay checks each time. State your business."
"I want you to join my guild," Vergil stated, getting straight to the point. "I need talents like you."
"Why should I?" Aspen retorted. "What's in it for me?"
"Food, shelter and a stable income." Vergil elaborated. "Above all, you are guaranteed protection from anyone who tries to harm you and your family."
That last part resonated particularly with Aspen. If she did join, Floretta could be safe. That was her main priority now anyways. After all, she was getting a bit sick of doing merc jobs either way.
"Fine with me." Aspen eventually said, causing the smile on Vergil's face to grow even bigger. "But I want a rematch with metal head here after that. I hate leaving fights unsettled."
"It's all good with me." Len grinned, cracking his knuckles as he looked forward to settling their match.
"Well then, I'll see you in Vistarion at the end of the month." Vergil said, placing his hands on his hips. "Be there or be square."
Kongo Plains
"Well I guess that's it for the day eh?" Len smirked as he propped his legs up against the table. "We've got quite a haul thanks to that portal dropping weapon of yours."
"Ahhhh…" Mika moaned, the smile on her face glowing brightly. She too was glad that they managed to recruit this many people thus far.
"Well, I would prefer to have at least one more to end the day," Vergil wondered out loud as he went through the numbers on his hands. They had been warping about the country for some time now and they had witnessed many different mages. Among them were those who were loners, headstrong, arrogant and also complete assholes. The way things were turning, he was going to have some problems taming them.
While Vergil did not mention it, he was actually pretty low on magic reserves currently. Opening portals every few minutes was no easy feat, even for him. Especially when his weapon of choice was a literal bloodsucker preying on his mana reserves. Even so he knew he had to keep going. Not everyone they encountered was offered a choice to join given the strict criteria he had for joining, which made it all the more reason to seek out a larger group of people.
That being said, it was time to eat. Even mages had to rest some time. The trio was currently at the Kongo Plains' only restaurant, Syrup Rose, catching a breather from their travelling. The Kongo plains were literally a wide stretch of grass fields that spanned the central region of Alvarez, having only a single dirt road that connected it between Badgerpaw Town and the Skulltooth Mountains. It was a common route used by travelers and hence made a lot of sense to set up a restaurant there. While it did classify as a restaurant, Syrup Rose specialized more in making sweets and desserts, hence its tasty-sounding name.
"May I take your order please?" a young waitress dressed in pink asked.
"I'll have the Spaghetti with beef balls," Vergil called out.
"Fish and Chips for me," Len added.
Mika simply just pointed at the strawberry shortcake in the menu, smiling excitedly.
"Order up!" the waitress cheered as she proceeded to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, all their food was served and the mages dug in, eager to fill their hungry bellies. However, even that was interrupted.
"Oh look what a hot chick we have here guys!" a voice laughed from behind the trio. Vergil looked up slightly, noticing a group of 5 males in biker jackets and afros approaching their table. Sensing no magic power from them, Vergil decided to give it a rest. They just weren't the effort.
"Hey beautiful, why don't you go out with us instead." Another one of them spoke up, his face pressing surprisingly close to Mika.
"Yeah, we'll definitely make sure you have a fun time," One of them had taken the liberty to actually stroke Mika's left palm while the other had started sniffing Mika's hair, his face a look of complete bliss.
Unfortunately for either of them, Mika ignored them completely. She was still fixated on eating her strawberry shortcake, her face emanating a bright smile as she enjoyed her dessert.
"Damn it bitch! Look here instead!" the first male yelled, frustrated that their attempts and flirting were going nowhere. He then proceeded to swipe his hand across the table, knocking over Mika's cake and spilling it all over the floor.
"Ahhhhh!" Mika moaned, her eyes all watery as she watched her dessert vanish from her grip. As if to add insult to injury, the men stomped on what was left of the cake.
"Oh they've done goof," Len cackled under his breath.
"That's a cute moan you made there. Care to repeat that again in…" One of the men started but was instantly cut off when Mika's fist grabbed his skull and pounded him into the earth, one blow raining after another like a systematic process. When she was done, the man's neck was completely bent in, blood staining the earth around his body.
"Ahhhhh…" Mika now snarled, her eyes glinting with immense killer intent. She turned away from what was left of the man and began to turn her attention on the rest of his crew.
"Oh shit! Let her have…" another one of them panicked, trying to issue orders but once again he was cut off when Mika charged forth and spun his neck around with her bare hands. The other three instantly freaked out, sweating furiously as they watched yet another one of their comrades get slaughtered.
"SHIT! DON"T COME ANY CLOSER!" One of them shouted, pulling out a dagger and pressing it against a nearby customer. Said female was in the midst of eating a parfait when she felt a blade press against her jugular, stopping her from continuing her meal. Against such a threat, any normal person would have cried out for help but not her. Instead, she let a white magic circle form at her fingertips and spoke in a rather annoyed voice.
"You guys are disturbing my meal." With that, all three men were encased in pale crystals, unable to neither move nor speak. Seeing her chance, Mika leapt forward and swung a powerful roundhouse kick, shattering the top half of the crystals and their encased bodies in the process.
"Ahhhh!" Mika groaned in satisfaction, elated that she had avenged her cake. She then turned around, letting out yet another moan at the female who had assisted her. Said female was now looking at Mika in admiration, utterly surprised at the brute force she had behind her strikes despite her figure. The female had an oval face with mid-back length midnight blue soft wavy hair in a one sided left sweep and large doe violet eyes. She stood at about 5'2, having an Alabaster skin tone and a lithe figure with slight curves. At her collarbone, she sported a 5 black sakura petals tattoo. She was currently wearing a dark grey shirt and black shorts, accompanied by black see through leggings that had black leather straps around the knees and black combat boots. To finish off the outfit was a long grey hooded cardigan and an amethyst shard choker.
"That was so cool!" she remarked, grabbing Mika's hands. "How did you do that?" Mika blushed at the close contact, giggling slightly as the girl bombarded her with questions.
"Now, now calm down," Vergil started as she addressed the female mage. "Mika here has some problems speaking so it would be best if we answered for her."
"Oh, where are my manners. My name's Bella. Nice to meet all of you!" Bella chirped excitedly as she greeted Vergil and Len. The duo then proceeded to introduce themselves as well.
"So are you guys mages? Cause you all look very strong." Bella asked elatedly, bouncing about in her seat like a puppy.
"Yeah we are," Vergil replied smiling. "We are actually part of a guild called Abyss Fang and we are currently seeking members. From what I saw just now, you seem to have quite a good control over your crystal magic. So would you like to join us? I could help you out with it some more."
"Really, that would be great!" Bella cheered. "Count me in!"
That got everyone laughing, in particularly Vergil. At least he fulfilled his final objective of the day.
Author's Note
Gryndel Astaroth – Death Obelisk
Aspen Weathercroft – lacrimanightingale
Bella Aima – Written whim
Ok this author's note will be particularly short. All I want to say is thanks for the support everyone so far and please do send in more OCs cause slots are still open and I need a lot more of them. Till next time guys!