Here's the next chapter everyone! As always, let me know what you think!
Episode 3- Guild Members
Date: November 14, X792
Location: Artair, Albion, Valkyrie Dawn Guildhall
Jeanne was sitting by herself in the small room Valkyrie Dawn had given her, she hadn't said much of anything the past three days, quietly thanking Maelys every time she brought in food or a change of clothes, but nothing else. In truth, she still wasn't sure if she could trust these people. They all treated her with kindness, even after she had accidentally used her magic to seal Gideon but how could she know that it wasn't a trick?
That's what the Madam did after all; whenever they captured a new prisoner, they'd give them a sense of false hope by introducing a rescuer before torturing the new prisoner, shattering their hopes of escape. It was the part Madam had loved best. How could Jeanne know this wasn't a trick? But she had to admit to herself that the act was going on much longer than Madam would normally allow...
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Jeanne was pulled out of her thoughts by a sudden knock on the door, deep purple eyes flying to the wooden slab uncertainly.
"Jeanne?" Maelys' voice floated through the door and the blonde relaxed a bit. "May I come in?"
She hesitated a moment before calling out, "Come in Maelys."
Maelys entered a second later, a ready smile on her face, she was carrying a tray of food in her hands, and a tote bag was slung over one shoulder. "Hey, Jeanne. I just thought I'd bring you some breakfast and some more clothes.
Jeanne blinked gratefully at her, "Thank you..." She said, looking at the tote bag, "But, haven't you given me enough?" She glanced to the corner of the room where a small stack of clothes was starting to form. Maelys had been bringing her three or four pairs of clothes since she had been conscious, it was more than she could ever remember owning and she was thankful but... "Isn't it a bit much?"
"Nonsense," The girl smiled as she put the tray down on the table. "You have a lot of catching up to do with possessions. When you feel better, maybe I can take you around to shop for your own stuff. Maybe you'll find your own style you like and not just have such plain clothes."
"No!" Jeanne hurriedly waved the offer off, what Maelys had been giving her was plenty. "I love what you've given me Maelys. I like that it's not too fancy, honest."
Maelys huffed, looking doubtful for a moment before nodding. "If you're sure..." She took a seat opposite Jeanne, "Please eat. Today I have a creamy tomato soup, fresh bread rolls, and oats with blueberries." She pointed at each bowl as she spoke, summarizing what was on the tray. She had started doing this when she realized Jeanne had no idea what she was eating. It seemed to put the girl at ease to answer her silent curiosity.
Jeanne's stomach growled softly as Maelys spoke causing the older girl to laugh softly and the blonde to blush. "Sorry..."
The brunette shook her head, "Don't worry about it. It looks like you're gaining a normal appetite back, which is what we want. Why don't you finish eating and I'll get a bath ready for you so we can change your bandages?" Without waiting for Jeanne to answer she stood up and went to the small bathroom.
Jeanne finished up her meal just as Maelys came back out, standing up before the woman could touch her. "I'm ready." She said softly, entering the bathroom and locking the door. She had insisted yesterday that she be allowed to clean herself with no one helping; she had no memories, it wasn't like she was a child.
She took as much time as she wanted in the bath, it still surprised her how clean her skin could get after being covered in dirt and blood for years. It was also nice to have a warm bath instead of just having an icy bucket of water dumped on her.
Finally, she got out and wandered back into her given room, allowing Maelys to apply fresh bandages and ointment to her skin.
"I've been thinking," Maelys said after a moment of hesitation, "You need to meet the guild a bit more."
Jeanne froze at her words, unable to believe them. "Why do I have to do that?"
"You have to trust more than Gian and I," Maelys said simply with a shrug. "The people here are good, despite what the rest of Orcana may think."
"Who says I trust you and Gian?" Jeanne shot back defensively, shooting the other woman a glare. "And what happened to Valkyrie Dawn?"
Maelys sighed but didn't say anything else, just going back to fixing Jeanne's bandages and for some reason, Jeanne felt guilty, like she had somehow disappointed Maelys and it was a bad feeling.
The silence stretched out until Maelys started to pack her things without saying anything else to Jeanne, it was only when she was about to leave that she spoke again. "I'll bring you your lunch when it's time."
Jeanne nodded. "... I'll leave the room if you answer some questions. I don't know much of Orcana's history at all, especially how it is in the present. And I want to know why people would distrust this guild."
Maelys looked incredibly pleased at her words. "Of course! But, do you mind if I have another guild member tell you?"
Jeanne blanched at her words and Maelys must have seen her panic because she immediately reassured her. "His name is Adriano, he's an older member of the guild, we call him the Walking Library since he seems to know everything. I'll have Gian bring him in if it's okay. I promise he won't harm you Jeanne, but if you want a history lesson, he's the one to ask. It'll also let you meet someone new before stepping out of the room. If, after meeting him you decide you no longer want to venture out of here I'll leave you alone."
She nibbled on her lip, considering her words... as much as she hated to admit it, Maelys was right. She couldn't spend her entire time in here while she waited on Gideon's word to if she could visit Sanctuary. It would probably be in her best interest to interact more with unknown people before meeting a possible person from her past. "... Okay." Jeanne said, "I'll talk to... Adriano?" She looked at Maelys to make sure she got the name right.
"I'll grab him and Gian!" Maelys sounded thrilled as she practically skipped out of the room and left Jeanne alone with her thoughts.
What had she just agreed to? Jeanne suddenly felt extremely stressed as she sat down on her bed. Scenario after scenario flashed through her head of these people betraying her and working for Hydra's Wroth. How the hell would she escape?! She should never have trusted them to begin with! Could she use the spatial magic she had used on Gideon? She didn't even remember how she did it!
She took a deep breath, realizing that she was trembling slightly; she needed to calm down. She should have just told Maelys 'no' and left it at that. Maybe she could hide under her bed and they'd get the message that she changed her mind.
Before she could decide, there was another knock on the door and she froze, uncertain of what to do. She didn't give permission for them to enter and there was another knock.
"Jeanne?" Gian's voice was coated with worry as he knocked on the door again. "Are you okay?"
Jeanne took a shaky breath before steeling herself. You trust Gian. She reminded herself that he was the reason she was no longer in chains. He is not part of Hydra's Wroth, none of them are.
"Come on in." Jeanne finally said.
There was a moment of hesitation before Gian opened the door, a man who looked like he was in the later parts of life slowly trailing after him, caution in his steps.
The man was tall and lean, easily several inches taller than Gian. He had short, unkept gray hair with a few streaks of remaining black, green eyes and brownish skin. He wore a long and stylish black robe that covered his entire body with gray under his sleeves and a pair of sandals. He looked harmless... but she knew from experience that looks could be deceiving.
"It's nice to meet you," Jeanne said cautiously, not taking her eyes off the man.
The man gave her a small, reassuring smile, "It's nice to meet you too, Jeanne, I'm Adriano. You're the latest talk of the guild." His voice was slow and measured, smooth.
"In a good or bad way?" Jeanne asked hesitantly.
"That's for you to decide. Most of the guild have never seen you, so some of their imagination is running wild." Adriano chuckled softly before gesturing to one of the chairs in the room. "Do you mind if I sit?"
Jeanne nodded, watching him as he carefully settled in the chair opposite her, adjusting his robes accordingly. She then looked up to Gian who had situated himself in a corner of the room, standing rim-rod straight, hand resting loosely against his sword; a silent guard. But for her or Adriano? That was the question.
"I was told you had some questions?" Adriano quietly prompted when Jeanne remained quiet, her hands tight fists in her lap.
"Where are you from? Why'd you join this guild?" Jeanne blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, she needed to know more about this man before she could even think of speaking with him.
"I'm from Veronica, born to a rather rich and noble family from the Kingdom," Adriano answered, not looking bothered by the question. "When I was twelve, I decided what I wanted most in the world was knowledge. I traveled all over Ishgar, trying to read all the books I could find. I wanted to learn as much as I could. I joined Valkyrie Dawn because I wanted to settle down somewhere due to health issues."
"You don't look that old," Jeanne said, crossing her arms. But certainly, he was the oldest person she had met since she'd arrived, he was even older than Farrah from the looks of it.
"I'll take that as a compliment," He gave her a soft smile, "But it seems like I wasn't blessed to have good health, my body started to fail me before I expected it to." He said vaguely.
For a moment she was tempted to press Adriano to what was wrong with him, since he was avoiding saying it, but decided against it when she saw Gian slightly shake his head. She huffed, "Can you tell me about Orcana?"
"Orcana is a continent that is attached to Ishgar, it's been like that for as long as anyone knows, as you know, we are in the Kingdom of Albion which is ruled by the Auron family. The Auron's have a dynasty that goes back centuries and are descendants of King Liam himself, though they don't directly descend from him. They have a history of being exceptional rulers, I even hear that Princess Imogen has already impressed some of the high nobility with her actions. She joined the royal family's knights with her own talents."
He paused before continuing, "To the north of us is the Kingdom of Caelestine, they heavily worship the Goddess Laias, Goddess of Light and Life, even more than Albion. To them, the Temples of Laias have almost as much authority as the royal family; much to the Soleil's displeasure. The Caelestine Princess is also making waves, Princess Eliana Soleil is trying to get rid of the light and holy magic superiority mindset many mages in Caelestine have."
"Lastly, the Xeria Empire is in the west, a technologically militarized nation that doesn't have much to do with the faith of Laias at all. Some say they are greedy and are always on the brink of going to war... they even had a rebellion a decade or so ago, but Emperor Zacharias Vasilikova was quick to squash it and is now quickly on the lookout for rebels" He paused, looking at Jeanne. "I should have asked you before but do you know Laias and Naia or must I go into it?"
Jeanne shook her head, that was one thing she knew about since Hydra's Wroth was so against Laias' religion, they worshipped Naia after all.
Adriano nodded, "Those are the three existing nations on Orcana now, and Albion is the home of the legendary King Liam, Laias' warrior of Light, he united all of Orcana under one banner to fight the Demon King Biriluk, it was because of King Liam and his group of Valkyries that the Demon King was defeated and after that last battle five hundred years ago, he disappeared, no one knows what happened to him." He finished.
She nodded, that sounded right. "And there's no other nations in Orcana?"
The old man nodded, "The three Kingdoms balance each other out, even if they're always at odds. The one thing they all seem to agree on is that they don't want Kingdoms outside of Orcana to know too much about them."
"Will you tell me why Maelys says this guild isn't trusted by the people?" Jeanne asked after a moment. Today wasn't the first time that Maelys had hinted that the guild was highly distrusted.
Adriano looked at her, reading her face. "I was not a member during that time, and even I haven't been told in detail what happened back then so understand I can only give you a summary of what happened."
"I understand," She said, "I'd like to know though."
"In X773, Artair was attacked by unknown forces, and many of the townspeople and guild mages died, including Farrah's mother and father. Even though it couldn't possibly have been the guild's fault, they were blamed for allowing it to happen. The only reason why the guild wasn't forcefully disbanded was because of the Grand Sage and the royalty of Albion."
"Do you know why they were targeted?" Jeanne asked, it seemed like something Hydra's Wroth would be behind.
Adriano shook his head. "To this day, we still do not know why Valkyrie Dawn was personally attacked and no other guild was attacked in such a way. Is there anything else you would like to know?"
Jeanne met his eyes seriously, noting that there were traces of white in his right eye, clouding up the green. "Do you trust this guild with your life?"
She could tell that her question took the older man by surprise, but before she took a step out of the room, she needed to know what he thought, especially after learning what happened to the guild. If he didn't trust the guild, she didn't see why she should trust them; they couldn't even protect their own.
"I would trust my life to my guildmates," Adriano said confidently. "Some may be too rowdy and short-tempered, too eager for a fight, but all their hearts are in the right place. It would do you well to stay here and trust them if not me."
"Thank you," Jeanne said softly, feeling slightly better. "I don't think I have any more questions for now."
Adriano nodded and stood up. "Maelys told me you promised to come out of your room if we answered the questions you asked. But... you don't have to, especially if you don't feel ready."
She bit her lip, "I know... but I think I have to, especially if I want to meet the person I remembered. Do you know anything about her?" It looks like she had one more question after all.
"The Prodigy of Sanctuary, Crimson. She uses purgatory magic, which is essentially an extremely destructive form of fire magic. I know she's Rhys' childhood friend and has a horrible temper. I also know she's ruthless when it comes to what she wants. If you're meeting her... be careful. I've heard she can be quite unforgiving if crossed."
Jeanne swallowed thickly at that, this Crimson didn't seem like a person she wanted to meet but she had to. She was her only link to her past if Rhys was right. "I'll be careful. I trust Rhys enough when he says she won't attack me on Sanctuary grounds."
Adriano nodded back at her, "Well if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to my books." He silently left the room, leaving her alone with Gian.
"Should I leave the room now?" Jeanne asked uncertainly. "I did promise Mae,"
Gian shook his head, a small smile on his face, "I'm just glad you agreed to meet Adriano so easily. We shouldn't push how you feel, if you don't think you can handle it, you don't have to leave the room."
Jeanne weighed her options, on the one hand, she felt exhausted with how the day had gone, and talking with Adriano had mentally exhausted her. But, even before Maelys had pressed her to leave the room, she was starting to feel suffocated in there, it was a self-made cage she had created for herself in her refusal to leave... and she was tired of cages.
"No, I'd like to go out." Jeanne decided before she could back out.
Gian nodded and slowly led her out, opening the door and stepping aside so that she could go through.
Valkyrie Dawn Guildhall, Main Room
Jeanne took hesitant steps out, looking around with large eyes at the scene before her, she had no idea how much sound the door muffled, but the guild was quite lively even if it was small. Mages were gathered in groups and talking enthusiastically while Maelys scurried from table-to-table plates of food and drink perfectly balanced on her shoulders. How did she do it?
"Jeanne!" She jumped as Rhys called out to her, waving at her from a table in the corner. Sitting with him was a tall man with broad shoulders, tanned skin, short black hair, and stormy purple eyes. He was dressed in a simple black tunic and dark blue coat, black pants, and black boots. "Glad to see you out!" His voice was loud and caught the attention of many of the guildmembers who stopped what they were doing to stare at her, curious.
Jeanne froze under their stares, tempted to bolt back into her room, but Gian came up beside her and gently guided her over to Rhys' table. As they moved the chatter picked back up, but still, she could feel their curious stares on her back.
"Sorry," Rhys grinned sheepishly as he scratched at the back of his head. "I was just excited to see you out of your room for once."
"... it is nice to have a bit fresher air," Jeanne said, glancing at the man cautiously. He was studying her intently, purple eyes narrowed. "N-nice to meet you." She stammered.
"You too." The man replied, voice deep. "You're Jeanne, correct?"
She nodded quietly, unsure of what to say. "I am. And you are...?"
"Koen O'Neil." The man said simply. He then continued to stare at her and she started to squirm, coming out here really was a bad idea.
She was about to open her mouth and ask Gian to take her back to her room when a commotion broke out across the guild, chairs went flying through the air as a rather large dog with shaggy black fur burst into the guild, running around until it bolted to their table.
"Hey now!" Rhys shot up, trying to grab the dog but it dodged his hands and plowed right into Jeanne, causing her to let out a sharp, short scream as she was pushed out of her chair.
She waited for the dog to maul her, body shaking, but instead, it sniffed curiously at her clothes, large, glowing red-orange eyes occasionally glancing up at her face as it sniffed along her neck and shoulders.
This close, Jeanne could tell it was no normal dog. What dog had glowing red-orange eyes? And why was it so big? Jeanne was sure she was paper white by the time Rhys finally got a grip on its scruff and started to pull it away.
"Now, that's enough, Ash," He hauled the dog up by its scruff and it whimpered helplessly, paws waving through the air as it tried to throw its weight around. Its body thrashed and eventually, it was able to free itself, knocking Rhys to the ground with it on top of him.
"Heavy," Rhys grunted, but there was a hint of laughter in his voice as he pushed the dog off, scratching its head with amusement in his eyes. "Change back already Ash and introduce yourself."
"Huh?" Jeanne looked on in shock as the dog began to glow and transform, shifting from a black furball to a young woman with smooth tan skin, thick wavy brown hair that went to her back, and large, bright topaz orange eyes. She wore an orange short-sleeved blouse under a hooded black coat with bronze buttons and a black skirt that stopped at her mid-thighs, knee-high dark brown socks, and mid-calf length boots that had a slight heel.
"Nice to meet you!" The girl said, happily offering Jeanne her hand a large smile on her face. "I thought I smelled fresh meat!"
"Fresh meat?" Jeanne asked uncertainly, taking the young woman's hand and shaking it with some hesitation. "What are you talking about? What even are you?"
The brunette blinked in confusion, head tilting slightly as she looked Jeanne over, "Take-over mage, Ash Canera, it's nice to meet you. Don't worry, I don't bite." She tacked on when it looked like the blonde was going to bolt.
"Huh, I don't believe that for a second," Rhys huffed, standing up and dusting himself off, "You were sniffing her like she was your next meal."
Ash laughed softly, "Sorry, I just got excited, it's been a while since we've gotten someone new."
"Two new mages," Gian corrected, watching Jeanne carefully, he only relaxed when she cautiously slid back into her seat, her eyes never leaving Ash. "The other new one is somewhere in town, settling in."
Ash nodded before turning her attention to Koen, he hadn't spoken since she had arrived and Jeanne almost jumped when Ash launched herself at him, hugging him tightly and pressing her face against his chest, practically begging for attention; even though she no longer looked like a dog, she sure acted like one. Koen seemed unmoved as the brunette practically begged for his attention.
"I'm back," She sang resting her head on his shoulder and gazing up at him. Stormy purple eyes looked down at her with disinterest.
"I'm glad you made it back in one piece," He huffed, easily untangling her from him and having her sit properly. "I'm sorry she got too close," He turned to Jeanne, brows slightly furrowed. "When she's curious, she tends to forget about personal boundaries."
Jeanne shook her head, it did scare her a bit... and she had been a moment from bolting but looking back on it, she could tell that Ash had never meant any harm. "It's fine... so you guys are all friends?" He looked from Gian to Rhys and then to Ash and Koen.
"He's my partner," Ash nodded to Koen, wrapping her arms around one of his and leaning against him, but as she spoke, Jeanne swore there was a flash of possessiveness in her eyes.
"No, I'm not," Koen sighed, he looked exasperated and long-suffering, but seeing as he didn't move to disentangle himself again, Jeanne guessed he didn't mind her clinginess. "We work together sometimes, but not always."
"Truth be told, she works more with us," Gian explained for Jeanne's sake. "The only reason she wasn't around when we... found you is because she had someone request her for a job around the same time."
"Could've used her sniffer back there if I'm honest," Rhys said, leaning back in his chair. "But I guess it's good we didn't have to deal with her pining after that guy," He nodded towards Koen.
Ash glared at Rhys in annoyance and kicked out, unbalancing him and causing him to crash to the ground.
The loud crash echoed through the guild hall but no one took notice, not even when Rhys popped back up and started arguing with Ash.
"Why the hell did you do that?!"
"Who the hell am I pining for?!"
"Tall, dark and gloom- " He never got to finish his sentence since Ash whacked him.
"He is not gloomy! He's mysterious!" Ash defended the exasperated man beside her.
"Same difference!"
"No, it's not! You're just jealous!"
"What the hell about?!"
"Because no one's pining after you!"
"I'll have you know-"
Jeanne felt herself relax even as her head went back and forth as she watched Rhys and Ash argue out of nowhere, feeling extremely confused. How did that happen? One second it was peaceful and now... this.
"Did you want to head back to your room?" Gian leaned in and asked her quietly, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry things went out of control so quickly."
"No... it's fine." Jeanne said. Yes, she was confused, but it was also amusing, and now that the focus was off her, she realized it was calming to be in such a loud place.
Even though Ash and Rhys were arguing, it was clear even to her that there was no true malice in their eyes or words. It's how she imagined siblings would argue and she wondered if she had these kinds of arguments with Crimson when they were younger. She could only hope they were.
If Crimson was part of her past... then she hoped that they could reestablish that type of relationship... it made her more excited and nervous to meet her.
And maybe... it wouldn't be bad to stay with this guild... just a little longer.
Let me know what you guys thought in the reviews. Sorry if this chapter felt a bit rushed.
OC Created By:
Adriano da Veronica by Alby199800
Koen O'Neil by ArieneDirecrest
Ash Canera by SeraphOfStars
Have a good night everyone!
Next Chapter: Crimson
