~March 18th, x800~
"If you keep going north, you'll reach the Obsidian Mountain," Ria says as she, Craish, and Razi enter the clearing. "I doubt you'll have any reason to go up there. I wouldn't recommend it, either. The place is crawling with wyverns."
'That's so close. Do they ever come into the town?' Craish asks.
"Sometimes, we'll have a problem with one or two, but they seem content to remain where they are."
As they walk towards the guild, Razi sniffs the air. His ears perk up, and his tail wags.
"Miss Catie made breakfast!" He cheers and breaks into a run. Avon catches his excitement and jumps up and down on Ria's shoulder.
"Catie is my older sister," Ria explains to Craish. "She's kind of taking up the role of Assistant Guild Master. She likes to cook for everyone when she gets a chance. She says it's therapeutic; I think she's trying to bribe us. Normally she's out here tending to the flowers." Ria looks around and spots Catie's abandoned sheers but doesn't see her sister anywhere. "Something must have come up. I guess you'll just have to meet her later."
Ria jogs ahead a bit, shooting a smile back at Craish as she throws open the doors.
"Welcome to the guildhall," she says as Avon runs up and down her arm. "Half of the time, the lights don't work, someone keeps stealing our chairs, and we have a tree growing inside. We take turns watering it. Razi, I'm pretty sure it's your turn today!"
"I'll do it later!" Razi says as he piles as much food as he can balance onto his plate.
"Make sure you save enough for everyone! If I come back and everything's gone again, I'm gonna skip you across the ocean like a stone!"
Razi's ears flatten as he stops himself from making a second plate. He slumps in his seat with a great sigh. He pouts and looks up at Ria with big, watery eyes, but she just smiles and mimics flinging a stone at him. He whines but starts shoveling food into his mouth, brightening up at the taste. Avon mimics the whine, and Ria rolls her eyes and shakes her head.
"So dramatic," she says, motioning for Craish to follow her.
He looks around him, taking in everything from the large wooden beams to the vaulted ceiling to the tree growing in the middle, as if it was part of the building's original design. He makes eye contact with the portrait on the wall, and for a moment, he's certain the woman winks at him. It must've been a trick of the light.
Ria leads him to Ajax's office and gives the door two quick raps but doesn't wait for a response.
"I've got a recruit for you, Dad," she says as she walks in, frowning as the door snags on the carpet. "I thought you were getting rid of this thing."
"Ria, when you knock, you're supposed to wait for permission to enter. I'm in the middle of something." Ajax gestures to Bors.
"Oh, sorry." Ria shrugs. "I didn't think anyone else was here."
"All is fine," Bors says as he stands. "You have answered my questions. I will leave now so that you may speak."
"Are you sure?" Ajax asks, to which Bors' only response is a nod. "Alright. I'll let you know when I get more information. For now, just keep an eye out. Oh, and please come back later. I have a mission I'd like you to consider."
Bors bows and leaves, but not before squinting at Craish as if he were a wild animal he was preparing to fight. Craish stands tall and squints back, though it's hard to tell through his armor. Ria looks back and forth between them before rolling her eyes and pushing Craish forward, forcing the two to break their stare-down.
Ajax disguises his chuckle as a cough before standing to reach a hand out to Craish.
"Welcome," he says, "I'm Ajax Cinerus. What brings you to our guild today?"
Craish shakes Ajax's hand, his grip firm.
"This is Craish Desor," Ria introduces. "He's mute, so he's been using his notebook to communicate. He found us through a flyer."
Ajax furrows his brow. "What flyer?" Craish hands said flyer to Ajax, and the man shakes his head in disappointment.
"Why does he put so little effort into these things?" Ajax sighs.
"You know who made it?" Ria asks.
"It doesn't matter. Please have a seat, Mr. Desor." Ajax motions to the chair in front of his desk. "Ria, if you could leave us alone so I may conduct the interview."
She salutes the two lazily, and Ajax waits for the door to close before taking his seat. He opens a drawer and pulls out a few papers.
"If you don't mind, I'll ask you to remove your helmet now."
Craish does so. His face is clean-shaven, with brown-tinged skin and wavy black hair. A scar runs from the top of his left cheek down to his chin.
"You're younger than I was expecting," Ajax says. "How old are you?"
Craish takes out his pocketbook.
'I'm sixteen,' he writes.
Ajax nods and makes a note of it.
"I'm going to be asking you some questions. Don't think too much or feel pressured to answer something you are uncomfortable with. This is simply, so I know what kind of person you are and whether you'll be a good fit for our guild. If I think Phoenix Refuge may not be the best place for you, I can recommend an array of guilds that may suit you better, and I'll be more than happy to get you in touch with their masters."
'I understand.'
"Excellent." Ajax smiles. "Let's begin."
As Ria closes the door behind her, Avon chirps and tries to climb on top of her head.
"You're cute, but I'd rather you not nest in my hair," she says, grabbing him gently. Ria holds Avon far from her head. The beetle wiggles its legs and claps its pinchers, mimicking the whine it learned from Razi earlier. With a roll of her eyes, Ria whistles a new tune. It catches Avon's interest, and he copies her.
"Done with the tantrum, then?" She asks.
"I see you picked up another friend," says a voice with a subtle German accent. "Where did you find this one?"
"He was by the station." Ria brings Avon back to her shoulder. "Aren't you here a little early, Hunter?"
"I don't see how you could know when I typically arrive since this is the first time I've seen you in the guild before noon." He attempts to poke Avon, but Ria pulls him away with a glare.
Hunter Damek is a nineteen-year-old young man with unkempt, dirty blond hair that falls to the nape of his neck. His eyes are green, and underneath the left one are three small birthmarks forming a three-pointed star. He has a slim build and wears a black leather trench coat over a green long-sleeved shirt. His brown pants are tucked into a pair of black leather combat boots.
"What can I say?" Ria shrugs. "I need my beauty rest."
"Oh, we know, Victoria," says another young man. "Trust me when I say you need as much beauty rest as you can get."
Ria rolls her eyes, and Hunter's features settle into a frown as he crosses his arms.
"I hope you'll forgive my appearance, Leflin," Ria says. "Not all of us can be as pretty as you, after all."
Leflin Utgard is also nineteen, with a tall and lean build. His eyes are bright blue, and his messy red hair reaches his neck. He wears a wool sleeveless brown shirt and black pants, and on his shoulder is a tattoo of a blue raven.
He bows low and mimes tipping a hat.
"Fear not, young Victoria! I know your burning desire for me is unbearable, so I will lower my standards and allow you the chance to treat me to an impossibly expensive meal."
"I'm swooning," Ria says in a monotone voice. "I might faint from sheer joy."
"You may need to rescind that offer, Leflin," Hunter says and pats Ria on the head. She glares at him. "We can't have Ria fainting, now can we? Apolla wouldn't be happy."
"I suppose you're right." Leflin straightens up with a put-upon sigh. "You have no choice but to admire me from a distance, Victoria."
"How will I manage?"
"How, indeed." Leflin bends down, so he is eye to eye with Avon. "Now, the true reason I came over was to examine the insect you found. Razi mentioned it was a Bard Beetle. I wasn't aware that they were native to this area."
"They're not, or I would have just released him." Ria pulls the beetle back when Leflin tries to touch him. "I've no idea what he's doing so close to the ocean. Whoever brought him here must have smuggled him in. He wouldn't have made it past customs, otherwise."
"Why not?" Hunter asks. He tries humming, and Avon copies him. "He seems cool to me."
"Bard Beetles are insatiable," Leflin explains, "and they'll eat almost anything. When in a choir, they can devour a buck in under thirty minutes. The damage they do to forests they aren't native to is severe. They need the right predator to keep them in check."
"One beetle by themselves won't cause trouble," Ria adds, "but if Avon was a female, he could have been gravid with no one knowing, and we would have had a problem. Just to be safe, Bard Beetles are illegal in Fiore."
"So you found an illegal beetle that might be very harmful to our ecosystem, and instead of reporting it to the proper authority, you decide to keep it as a pet?" Hunter asks.
"I barely found him this morning. You don't know if I was going to report him later," Ria defends herself. Hunter and Leflin both stare at her, and she huffs. "Alright. I had no intention of doing so, but I still don't appreciate you having so little faith in me. Look, if I thought Avon would treated humanely, I would have turned him over. But he's an insect. He's seen as a pest. He'll be squashed without a second thought. I'll at least be able to give him a good life."
"Will you get in trouble if anyone finds out you have him?" Hunter asks.
"For one beetle? At worst, I'll get a fine, and Avon will be taken away."
"It's simple then," Leflin says. "We just have to hide that he's a little fugitive, and no one will be the wiser. It's not like the everyday person can recognize a Bard Beetle from any other insect."
"Exactly," Ria smiles.
"I don't mind," says Hunter, "but if at any point he becomes an issue, you should at least tell Ajax."
"You won't be a problem at all, now, will you?" Ria asks Avon. He chirps, and she scratches his stomach. "That's what I thought. Now that that's settled, there was something I wanted to ask you two today."
Leflin and Hunter trade glances before asking simultaneously, "what is it?"
"How do you feel about snakes?"
Ajax looks over Craish's answers, occasionally humming in a way that doesn't tell the young man what he thinks of them. Finally, he sets the paper down, and Craish gives him a wide smile.
"Everything looks good so far; I only have one question left for you. This one may even be the most important. Remember to answer honestly."
'What is it?' Craish asks.
"What is your opinion on redemption?"
Craish thinks, carefully writing out his answer.
'It depends on the circumstances. For example, a petty thief could redeem themselves, but someone who has done something heinous surely can not.'
"I see." Ajax hums again. "What if someone did something heinous for a reason?"
'What do you mean? What reason could they have other than their own wickedness?'
"Let me ask you this: if you could save the lives of ten people by killing one person, would you?"
Craish looks taken aback and frowns, furiously writing in his pocketbook.
'No. I would save them all.'
"That doesn't answer my question."
'Yes, it does.'
"Let me rephrase it; let's say to save the people you loved, you had no choice but to kill a stranger- an innocent person. Would you?'
With narrowed eyes and a frown, Craish writes, almost stabbing through the paper of his notebook. He pauses, shakes his head, and scratches out what he wrote before restarting.
'I would save them all. Lives are NOT to be traded.'
Ajax can't help but burst into laughter. He notices Craish's disgruntled look and smiles sheepishly.
"I apologize. I wasn't making fun of you. Your response just reminded me of an old friend of mine," Ajax says. "I'm sure you'll make quite the journey in our guild. I hope you're able to keep that determination as you grow with us. Most of the members should arrive soon. Ria will be happy to introduce you to everyone. Come back later, and I'll have my other daughter place your guild mark."
He stands and shakes Craish's hand with a crooked grin on his face. "Welcome to Phoenix Refuge."
A piercing whistle fills the air as the train signals its last call for passengers to board. A few stragglers rush to make the deadline, and as the train pulls away, Barberry station is empty. Now that the coast is clear, a blue-haired young man no older than sixteen whistles to himself as he carries a handful of flyers and a stapler. His eyes are a deep blue, and he wears a large and flowing blue, gold-trimmed coat over a simple white shirt and baggy trousers. A blue belt sits on his waist, and a scarf loosely wraps around his neck with its ends trailing behind him down to his knees. He's also barefoot.
He chooses a support beam in the middle of the station, and staples a purple and gold flyer with gusto, using twenty more staplers than necessary. Once he's done, he stands back to admire his work with a smirk. The upside-down placement adds a nice touch, in his opinion. He takes another flyer, rolls it up, and sticks it in a nearby bush so that only the very top can be seen. Another one he simply releases into the wind and salutes it as it flies away; it has an important mission, after all.
For the past three days, he's been coming to the station between departure times and leaving behind his flyers in places where people can find them only after taking a second glance. So far, no one has caught him doing it either.
Now he only has one flyer left and scans the area for the perfect spot. This one needs some place special.
An idea crosses his mind, and his face breaks into a grin. Laughing to himself, he floats to the top of the station and hovers right below the ceiling. He attaches his last flyer, going overboard with the staples once more so the paper won't end up falling soon. He's especially proud of this one. All it says is, "Phoenix! Refuge! Join?"
With a chuckle, he lowers himself to the ground. He can just picture the look on the random stranger who the flyer falls on. He hopes he's around to see it!
"What are you doing?" asks a young woman, and he turns to face her with the smirk still on his face.
She's seventeen, with short light blonde hair. Her fringe falls over her left eye, blue, and her green right eye stares at the young man in suspicion. With pale skin and a flat chest, she wears a black sleeveless combat dress marked with red stripes, a pair of fingerless black gloves, and matching black combat boots.
The young man holds out his hands, the smirk on his face only widening.
"I'm not doing anything, as you can see."
"Then what were you doing, Blue? It wouldn't have anything to do with this, now would it?" She holds up one of his flyers.
He tries not to look too proud, but he's certain he fails.
"I'm only trying to draw attention to our guild, Silver. How else are we supposed to get more members?"
"How is this going to help?" She looks at the flyer as if it was a ball of slime. "You just wrote 'PR' on it! No one's gonna know what that means! And why did you use so much glitter?"
"If you have a problem, take it up with Ajax," Blue says. "He's the one who asked me to make them."
Silver's expression could cut steel. "You and I both know he expected you to put effort into them."
"Excuse you." Blue feigns offense. "I put my heart and soul into those flyers, and I've strategically positioned them with the utmost care."
"I found this one taped to a trash can."
"Exactly! Whoever found that one would be throwing trash away. Do you want a litterer joining our guild? Because I certainly don't."
Silver feels a pounding in her temple and flexes her hands in frustration. She takes a few deep breaths. He's always pulling stunts like this and trying to get under her skin, but she won't let him get the best of her today. She scrunches up his flyer into a ball and shoves it into his chest. Counting back from ten in her head, she turns on her heel to walk away.
Blue waits until she's about twenty feet away before throwing the scrunched up flyer at her. It bounces off her head with an audible crunch. She spins to face him with fury in her eyes. He smirks and raises a brow at her.
"That's it!" She says. "Get ready to meet your maker, Asshole!"
After a flurry of further paperwork, and armed with a looseleaf pamphlet with more information than he believes he will need, Craish steps out of Ajax's office and scans the room for Ria. He makes eye contact with her between Leflin and Hunter's backs, and she breaks away from their conversation with a smile.
"So you're a person after all," she says. "I thought you might just be a suit of sentient armor." Her eyes land on the papers in his hand, and her smile grows. "Dad accepted you, then? I was certain he would. Congratulations!"
Craish returns her smile, his blue eyes sparkling, and he reaches for his pocketbook.
'Thank you,' he writes. 'I look forward to my future here.'
"You're a new member, then?" Leflin interjects himself, Hunter close behind. Ria introduces everyone, and Hunter and Craish exchange handshakes.
"We haven't had anyone join in quite a while," Leflin says. "Do you communicate in writing by choice, or are you incapable of vocalizing?"
Craish points to his throat and shakes his head.
"I see. Have you always been mute, or is it the result of an injury? Or perhaps a curse or-" Leflin is cut off as Hunter smacks him upside the head.
"Halt deinen Mund," says Hunter. "Give him a chance to settle in before you bombard him."
"I'm sure Craish will be happy to let you interrogate him as much as you want later, Leflin," Ria steps in before the two can start fighting, "but let me introduce him to everyone first. Come on; we'll start with Apolla."
Leflin laughs. "Of course you will."
Ria shoots him a glare even as her cheeks take on a slight pink. "Don't start with that again. I've already told you, you have the wrong idea."
"Whatever you say, Victoria."
"Don't take too long," Hunter says. "We still need to discuss the details for tomorrow."
"Alright."
Craish follows Ria to the far side of the room, to an oak door labeled "infirmary." Ria doesn't bother knocking, but she hesitates; she takes a deep breath and attempts to smooth down her hair. She pulls her shoulders back and pushes open the door.
"Apolla! I've brought a new member!"
The sound of an explosion greets them. The door at the opposite end of the infirmary opens, and a coughing woman in her late twenties emerges, wafting purple smoke from her face.
"Victoria," she says hoarsely, "how many times must I remind you not to barge in like this."
Her eyes are golden, the same color as her short, curly hair, and they pair nicely with her tan skin. She's lean and tall, taller than Craish even, and she wears a white tunic with elbow-length flared sleeves and a pair of high-heeled sandals.
"Sorry. I didn't realize you were working."
Apolla just shakes her head, then turns her attention to Craish.
"Who do we have here then?"
Ria introduces him, and Craish gives a half bow to the woman. The corners of Apolla's lips twitch as she raises an eyebrow at him.
"So, you're one of those chivalrous types? I suppose one more won't hurt. Why don't you have a seat? I'll be right back."
Craish rigidly rests on the bed, and Ria plops down beside him with a bit of a bounce, patting Avon's back as he squeaks.
"Don't drink what she gives you." Ria stage whispers. "It's poison."
"I can hear you!" Apolla yells, and Ria bites her palm to extinguish a giggle. She's molded her face in a neutral expression by the time Apolla returns, and the woman shoots Ria an unimpressed look.
"Don't let the pretty face fool you," Apolla says. "Victoria is a devil in disguise. If you're not careful, she'll lead you down the path of misery."
"Did you just call me pretty?" Ria's eyes glimmer.
"I called you a devil." Apolla hands Craish a flask containing a steaming purple liquid, then scoops Avon off the floor. The beetle squirms but seems to accept Apolla's hold. "And how many times do I have to ask you not to bring pets here? It's unsanitary."
Craish takes a sniff of the flask. It smells strongly of cinnamon and sage, and he starts to sneeze.
"It's not like you're performing surgery." Ria shrugs. "Besides, isn't Avon adorable?"
The sneezing fit over, Craish holds the flask up to the light. Flecks of gold reflect at him.
"Cute or not, he's a breeding ground for germs," Apolla says, even as she scratches Avon where his head connects to his abdomen. The beetle trills like a flute.
Deeming the liquid safe enough, Craish downs it in one go. Immediately he starts coughing as parts of his body glow blue. It tastes like pine needles and vinegar.
Ria tries thumping Craish on the back, but the gesture is useless due to his bulky armor. As he continues trying to expel his lungs, Apolla writes down all the places his body glows, with Avon cradled in the crook of her elbow. The light dies, and his cough stops as suddenly as it started, though Craish can still feel a tickle in his throat.
"You seem to be in excellent health, though you slept on your neck the wrong way. I'm assuming you were forced to rest in a seated position; my best guess is you spent the night on the train." She drops Avon onto Ria's lap. "If you plan on doing that in the future, I recommend investing in a neck pillow. Now hold still."
Before Craish can process what is happening, Apolla has gripped the sides of his head. Golden light emits from her palms, and warmth floods his body.
"Deep breath," Apolla instructs.
Craish inhales, and as he lets the breath go, she snaps his neck to the side. A sharp pain shoots down his spine, but it's gone before he can really feel it. The soreness he'd felt in his neck all day has fled with it.
"You should be good for the rest of the day, but if the pain returns tomorrow, come see me, and I'll give you a potion."
"I wouldn't let Apolla put her hands on you like that again, Craish," Ria says. "She could easily break your neck."
With a roll of her eyes, Apolla turns to rebuke Ria's claim but pauses. Her eyes narrow. She bends down until she and Ria face and reaches out, her fingers brushing the hair out of Ria's forehead. While her face remains impassive, Craish notices a red flush on Ria's ears and the back of her neck. She closes her eyes as Apolla's face creeps closer to hers, and her breath hitches when Apolla presses their foreheads together.
"Just as I thought," Apolla mumbles. She pulls away from Ria with a frown. "You've got a fever. I'll get you something to bring it down. Wait here."
Short of breath, Ria watches Apolla go back to her office with the intensity of a lion stalking its prey. For a second, Craish thinks her eyes turn a bright red, but it passes so quickly, he's sure he's imagined it. The cheerful chirps from Avon bring Ria out of her daze. Her entire face turns red as she realizes what Craish just witnessed, and she snaps her head towards the boy, who is indeed staring at her.
"What?" She asks.
Craish draws a heart with a question mark. Ria somehow turns even redder. She holds up her hands and shakes her head so hard it must hurt. Before he can write anything, a crash sounds from the guild's main hall, followed closely by someone's laughter.
"GET BACK HERE BLUE OR SO HELP ME-"
"YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST!"
"Sounds like Silver and Blue are in." Ria sighs, glad for the distraction.
"DUMMKOPF! STOP!" Hunter yells. "YOU'RE GOING TO KNOCK OVER THE F-"
The shattering of dishes and the mournful cry of Razi cuts off the rest of his sentence. Ria winces.
"We'll just wait here for things to cool down, and then I'll introduce you to them," she says.
'Shouldn't we check if everyone is okay?' Craish asks.
"That won't be necessary. Dad should be out to handle it in a second."
"WHAT IS GOING ON OUT HERE?" Ajax's voice booms, proving her right.
"Speak of the devil," she mumbles. "Honestly, it might be best just to avoid going out there for at least an hour. I don't want to get involved with the cleanup. We need to sneak out."
"You're not leaving without drinking this," Apolla says as she reappears from her office with another flask. The liquid in this one is a deep green that makes Craish think of fir trees. Ria moans, but after the older woman gives her a stern look, she swallows the potion in one gulp. She gags.
"Why does it taste like overripe grapes?" She asks.
Apolla chuckles and pats Ria on the head.
"I made it that way on purpose, as payback for that smart mouth of yours. Now come along; you can use my window to slip out unnoticed."
As Craish holds onto Avon while Apolla helps Ria out her office window, the distant sound of Ajax's scolding mixing with the beetle's humming, he is struck with a revelation; after this moment- after today- after joining this guild and meeting these people, his life will never be the same. He's chosen a new path for himself, and as Ria reaches back into the window to retrieve Avon from him, and she smiles up at him with the sun reflecting off her eyes, he's certain he's made the right decision.
Candlelight casts shadows over Desdemona's face as she gazes at herself in her mirror. Only a blurry visage stares back at her. All she can make out is her black hair. Not even the color of her eyes shine through.
Were they blue or brown? Perhaps green?
She doesn't remember.
Behind her, her clock chimes thrice, and she sets her mirror down on her vanity.
The time has come.
She steps into her garden and isn't surprised to see Adrastus waiting for her with a grin as sharp as jagged glass. He grabs her hand and feathers his lips over her skin.
"Have you placed all your pieces, my love?" He asks.
"I have."
"Do you have all your plans ready to be set into motion?"
"I do."
"Do you believe you have a chance of beating me this time?"
"Not just a chance." Desdemona sneers at him. "I am going to beat you."
Of course, he only laughs at her.
"You know that's what I love to hear." He clasps their hands together, and golden sparks surround them. The sparks meld into their skin, creating marks of chains circling down their arms and chests. Once the magic settles, she pulls away and watches Adrastus fade from her sight.
"Finally!" His voice echoes behind him. "Let the game begin!"
Credits (In Order of Appearance):
Hunter Jurgen Damek: LeNinja365
Leflin Utgard: Malfel
Blue: SimpleStories24
Silver Aura: Ally Nicole Rose
I don't speak German, so please feel free to correct me if it's blatantly wrong.
*Edited January 12th, 2021*