Chapter 5|

Coral had asked all the ladies of Emerald Oasis to come to the guild for a quest debrief. This request had come special down to Basil himself.

"This request has come down from a councilor of the queen's court. Her name is Lady Angell and she asked for some discretion on this matter." Coral explained. She stood behind the bar and held a picture of a young lady. Fiora, Lyra, Luna, and Viperion sat looking closely at it.

"This is Amicia Angell. She is the daughter of Lady Angell. She was kidnapped during a convoy that was returning to Fiore. They know who did it but cannot engage due to the possibility to of Amicia being moved." Coral explained. Lyra raised a hand.

"So, we're doing a rescue mission?" Lyra asked. Coral nodded.

"Yes. Thankfully, majority of the work has been done already. The hard part is the actual rescuing. She is being held at a noble's mansion around the border of Fiore. The noble is known for his... particular taste in the company he keeps. The courts have been trying to prove of his association with illegal activities, but to no avail. That's where we come in. We'll be going looking for a job and use that as a means to get inside." Coral continued.

"Wait, wait, wait. If the courts can't prove anything, what makes you think we can?" Lyra asked. Coral placed her hand on her cheek.

"Well, Lady Angell is not only a councilor of the queen, she also has ties to the Magic Council. She believes that a more... hands-on approach will work. We have to be careful though. The noble, Lord Seobrin, is a well-known playboy. He is often associated with young women, especially those of a similar age to Amicia. The only way to get to him is by infiltration. I hope that covers the gist of it. If any of you have any concerns, now is the time. You don't have to go on this request." Coral finished. Fiora raised her hand.

"The hell? How could you say that? We have to take this request! Some girl is being held hostage by some creep! Of course we should go!" Fiora expressed. Coral nodded.

"I knew you'd say that Fi-chan. It's just a courtesy to ask. However, you will need to behave yourself. This is a delicate situation, and we need to be careful." Coral responded. Fiora crossed her arms, her cheeks puffed out.

"Fine. I'll behave. But, you guys will have to deal with the consequences if I can't." She says looking to the others.

"I will go as well. I wish to help." Luna spoke.

"I'll go too. You'll need someone who can keep an eye on Fi." Lyra said. Fiora looked to her, about to protest, but decided against it.

"I'll go too." Viperion said. Coral tilted her head.

"You want to go too?" Coral asked. Viperion nodded.

"Yes. I want to do my best and help the guild." Viperion answered. Coral smiled.

"Very well. If you are sure, then I won't stop you. Lyra, Luna, Fiora, and Viperion. I want you to go and get ready. There are outfits that were made special for this. Put them on and we'll be on the way." Coral explained with a nod.

Lord Seobrin was a bachelor and a known womanizer. He often made a show of his wealth and women, and would host lavish parties in his estate. This gave Lady Angell an opportunity. She contacted her old friend Basil, whom she knew she could trust. It was also said that Lord Seobrin was associated with Dark Guilds who specialize in transporting the women that Lord Seobrin had taken.

As the girls got dressed, Basil stood at the entrance with the rest of the guild members. He turned to Gideon.

"While the ladies are away, I'll be sending you and Zephyr together on a job. It's a little on the higher end, but I believe you two will be just fine. I... usually don't let Zephyr go by himself on S-ranked jobs anyhow. But, if you have any problems, let me know and I'll be sure to make it up to you." Basil explained. Gideon nodded.

"Sure thing. Zeph and I can handle it. The two of us won't let you down." Gideon stated.

"Great. The job is at Melba City. I'll provide the necessary transportation for the two of you." Basil explained.

"Malba? Isn't that in the northern area of Fiore?" Gideon asked.

"That's correct. There's been sightings of a Doscadon. You'll be sent to investigate and stop it. You don't know how many guild masters I've upset by getting this job." Basil explained with a proud smile on his face.

"And me, master?" Abernathy asked.

"Oh, you have the most important job of all. You'll be watching the guild while everyone is away." Basil stated. Abernathy perked up.

"You mean, just watch the guild. Sit here and do nothing?" Abe asked with a bit of excitement in his voice.

"Well, I wouldn't say do nothing. There's an event coming up and I need a representative to go." Basil's eyes met with Abe's. Abe gulped.

"What is it?" He asked.

"It's the committee for the Grand Magic Games. I need you to go and receive information about it." Basil stated. Abe blinked.

"Wait, I have to go to Crocus? You can't be serious!" Abe exclaimed.

"It's fine. I've already arranged for the proper transportation. And for myself, I'll be going to the guild master meeting. So that means we'll all be very busy. Try not to slack off." Basil said. Abe sighed and rubbed his head.

"Fine, fine. I'll go." Abe complied. Basil pat him on the shoulder.

"Good man." Basil praised.

"Hell no! I'm not wearing this!" Fiora yelled. She stood in front of a maid outfit that hung in front of her. "Do I really have to wear this crap?!"

"It's the only way to get in. The invitation said that the Lord is hosting a special party, and he wants to have maids and butlers. We have to go with the flow. Once we get inside, we'll find a way to get to Amicia-san and get her out." Coral explained. Fiora scowled.

"What about you? What are you gonna wear?" She asked. Coral walked out into the open to reveal the maid outfit. It hugged her perfectly.

"I'll be wearing one as well." She said with a twirl and smile. Fiora's jaw dropped.

"Unfair..." Fiora said with a pout. Lyra, Viperion, and Luna entered.

"I don't see how this is unfair." Lyra said. All three girls wore maid outfits. Each looking just as eye catching as the next. "They were tailored just for us."

"I hate dresses! Perverts just ogling and wanting to treat you like a piece of meat. Makes me want to burn them to a crisp!" Fiora said, punching her hand. Coral sighed.

"Fi-chan, that's not what the dresses are for." Coral reminded. "You need to remember that there is a young lady's life at stake. This not for the men, this is for Amicia." Coral pointed out. Fiora crossed her arms and growled. But she knew that Coral was right. She snatched the maid outfit and left to change. Luna and Lyra chuckled. They looked at each other, with Luna returning to her usual relaxed expression.

"She's something." Lyra said. Luna nodded.

"She has passion, that is for certain." Luna remarked. Lyra looked at her fellow Star Weaver.

"We need to talk, Luna. I've been meaning to." Lyra stated. She remembered how Abe suggested taking this time to talk with her.

"I do not believe we have anything to speak about." Luna expressed with a neutral expression.

"We do. Come on. We have to discuss what happened. It's been a while, and I think we can settle this." Lyra stated.

"There is no need to discuss anything. What happened, happened." Luna expressed. Lyra felt a flame spark in her. She turned to face Luna and crossed her arms.

"That's bull and you know it. You can't run from this." She said sternly.

"I was not the one who ran, onee-san." Luna expressed. Her words had an edge to them although her face remained neutral. Lyra's heart froze.

"I..." She couldn't think of anything to say. She didn't know how to respond. Viperion approached the two.

"With the way you two looked, it seemed like you were both going to duel each other." Viperion pointed out.

"N-no, Vi-chan. We were just... talking." Lyra explained, her eyes looking to Luna, defeated. Fiora returned. She looked like a completely different person. Her hair was held up by a clip. The four other girls' eyes went wide.

"Fi-chan! You look adorable!" Coral complimented. Fiora growled.

"Shut up! Don't call me that!" Fiora said, her face turning red. Coral giggled.

"Fiora-san looks lovely in her outfit. What do you girls think?" She asked. Lyra and Luna nodded.

"It suits you Fi. I think you look great." Lyra complimented. Luna nodded.

"You look beautiful, Fiora." Luna added. Fiora blushed.

"W-whatever! Let's go." She said while pulling her outfit down. Viperion approached her.

"Fiora-san. Isn't this outfit convenient? The way it is, it allows for freedom of movement." Viperion kicked the air to showcase her flexibility.

"That's the only thing this stupid outfit has going for it." Fiora commented.

The girls were headed to the entrance of the guild. The men's eyes went wide. Abe covered Zeph's eyes.

"Abe! What are you doing?!" Zephyr complained.

"You're not of age yet." Abe stated. Zephyr ripped his hands off.

"It's not like I haven't seen them before!" He countered. Sylph fluttered over and hovered around Coral.

"You're outfits all look so cute!" She expressed. Coral smiled.

"Thank you Sylph-chan. I think they all look great. I have a feeling that this will be a success." She said with a smile. The girls approached the entrance, about to walk out. Gideon looked at Fiora with a look of shock. Fiora scowled and placed her hands on her hips.

"Got something to say, mole man?" She threatened. Gideon took a moment before answering. He knew how Fiora was about dresses and skirts.

"I'm surprised they convinced you to put it on." Gideon answered. Fiora was taken aback.

"T-they didn't! I can wear this when I want to! Don't think you have me figured out!" Fiora countered. She looked to the side with a slight blush on her face. Viperion hopped over to Gideon.

"Gideon-san! What do you think? Is it 'cute'?" She asked.

"It suits you." He replied with a smile. Viperion hopped again.

"I knew it! Fiora-san! I am 'cute'!" She cheered.

"Who cares?! We have to get going!" Fiora said, rushing out the door, but she snapped back to Gideon with a glare.

"If you tell anyone about this, I'll burn your guild mark off." She threatened. Gideon covered his bicep.

"I won't tell a soul. You have my word." He said with fear. The five ladies left the guild.

"Now, I don't mean to butt in, but it looked like Fiora was a bit jealous you didn't call her cute." Basil said. He crossed his arms and looked at Gideon closely, wanting to analyze all the minute details of his movements and words.

"Jealous? Fi? Those two words go together like water and oil. Fi hates dresses. She says that they're only for perverts and creeps." He said with a shake of his head. Basil closed his eyes and chuckled.

"It seems you have a lot to learn." Basil stated with a sad nod. Gideon tilted his head.

"Learn?" He replied.

"Finally! I'm not alone! You're just as blind as me, mole man." Abe exclaimed patting Gideon on his back. "Fiora was fishing for a compliment, in her own way. Especially Vi. She looks up to you so much." He explained. Gideon raised an eyebrow.

"Seems like you're setting me up to be spit roasted." The stone wizard replied. Abe chuckled.

"Come on, Gid. This is Fi we're talking about. She doesn't show it, but she does care about you." Abe stated.

"I guess she does, doesn't she? But she's not that kind of girl. Her idea of a good time is a bar fight. I'm not exactly her type." Gideon added.

"You never know. Things can change. In my experience, they often do. Just, keep it in mind, alright? I know you just joined and all, but we're all family. And we all got each other's backs." Abe said as he placed his hands in his pockets and walked off. Gideon gave a lopsided frown.

"It's time to get ready, mole man!" Zephyr said excitedly.

"No not you too." Gideon's face fell.

-Magnolia Station-

The women of Emerald Oasis stood at the train station waiting for their scheduled departure. As the girls passed by, they were receiving looks from passersby. Some of them looked to approach them, but Fiora's scowl would scare them away every time.

"Damn idiots won't catch a hint." Fiora expressed. Coral turned to her.

"Fi-chan, be nice. We don't want to stand out." Coral reminded.

"I agree with Fiora-san. All the people who wanted to talk to us looked nice." Viperion said.

"Such innocence. I wish I could go back to those days." Lyra spoke dreamily. Fiora growled.

"Like I said before Vi, men like that only want one thing. Those guys weren't being nice." Fiora suggested.

"What's that thing?" Viperion asked. Fiora froze. She put herself in a bind again saying something that would require more explaining to Viperion. Lyra spoke up.

"It's nothing you need to worry about now, Vi-chan. Men aren't to be trusted yet. They will use any excuse to get to you." She explained.

"What about Abe-san, Gideon-san, or even Zephyr?" She asked. The two girls were stumped. Coral smiled her usual smile, finding small joy in seeing them dig their metaphorical graves.

"Viperion-san, you may be a bit young to know, but Gideon-kun and Abe-kun are exceptions. They're good people. You can trust them. Now, for Zephyr-kun, he is a little too young to understand what it means to be a gentleman, but I'm sure he'll get the hang of it when he grows up." Coral explained. Viperion nodded.

"I see. Coral-san is very wise." Viperion nodded with smile.

"W-wise? Like old?" Coral's face fell for what seemed like the very first time for the new members.

"I'm not old! I'm in my prime!" She cried.

"I believe you're in your twenties?" Fiora asked. Lyra nodded.

"But I'm still young!" Coral tried to defend herself.

"There are plenty of mages older than you who are still active and in their prime." Fiora continued. Tears formed in Coral's eyes.

"Ooooold." She elongated. Luna began to chuckle, to everyone's surprise.

"Don't worry Coral-san. I think you look amazing. I hope that I look just as good when I'm your age." Luna explained. Coral brightened up.

"You think so? You're sweet Luna, thank you."

A whistle blew as their train pulled in.

"Remember Vi, of any guy talks to you, immediate face to ground." Fiora informed, while pantomiming the movement. Viperion smiled with a nod.

"Of course!" She responded

They boarded the train and sat in their seat.

-On the train-

The trip took them by the country side and towns. Viperion and Luna were looking out the window with wonder. Lyra smiled to herself being able to see Luna so excited. Coral was reading a magazine while Fiora napped loudly.

"Have you ever seen such beautiful sights, Luna-chan?" Viperion asked. Her eyes darted around. Luna shook her head.

"I have when I was traveling. But it never gets old." She replied. She looked over to the Fenrir Ant. "Vi, you can just say my name. We're both new to the guild." She reminded. Viperion nodded.

"Alright, Luna." She replied. Luna turned her head to Lyra. For a moment, she frowned. Had things been different, they could have probably shared a moment like this together as well. Lyra looked at her, but didn't say anything. Luna quickly looked away.

"Hey Coral-san, what are those?" Viperion asked. Coral leaned over.

"They're called sheep. They are animals that people keep on their farms." Coral explained.

"I see. Are they tasty?" Viperion asked, licking her lips.

"After you cook them, of course." She answered.

"Cook? Why not just eat them?" Was the Fenrir Ant's question. Coral had to think.

"Well, sometimes it's nice to take what nature gives you and prepare it yourself. It takes some skill, but it's well worth the effort." She explained.

"My family prepares it as well. We go and hunt down prey and bring it back for consumption." She informed with a smile.

"I... see..." Coral replied. She looked at the sheep and thought about Viperion eating the entire herd. Viperion turned to Lyra.

"We need to make sure Vi is shown all the food we can." Lyra whispered. Coral nodded.

"If we do, she'll eat us out of house and home." Coral responded. Lyra chuckled.

"I know Fi won't be happy about that."

Both women looked over to Fiora, who was leaned back in her chair, snoring.

The trip was relaxing for the most part. When Fiora awoke, she taught Viperion several ways to turn down people who hit on her, to the chagrin of Coral. When they arrived at the destination, they exited the train.

"Remember, we have a job to do. We need to find Amicia-san and get her out. Once we do, we'll need an exit plan. Oh, and here comes our ride now." Coral informed. The girls looked at the carriage that had pulled up. It was large and covered in black metal with red accents. They grabbed their bags and approached the vehicle. The driver, an older man, looked over to Coral.

"Coral 'The Kraken' Crest. I didn't think I'd get to see you again." The old man said. Coral smiled.

"Mr. Bunber, thank you for replying to my request. And it's been a while. How have you been?" Coral asked.

"Well, I have my good days and bad days. But, I'm doing alright. It's hard to not take a request from my favorite wizard." He replied. Fiora walked up with a raised eyebrow.

"You know this guy?" She asked. Coral began to load up everyone's things.

"Mr. Bunber is a client that has sent requests to us directly over the last few years. I usually respond since I enjoy the countryside." She explained.

"She's a monster, this wizard. One time we had a Plains Wolf problem. She came and taught them a harsh lesson. She summoned her sea creature and she-" Mr. Bunber began but was swiftly interrupted.

"Mr. Bunber," Coral cut in, her voice coming off a bit nervous, "I believe we need to get a move on." She insisted. He nodded.

"Ah, yes. Right. The job. I'll take you to the Angell Manor. It's a bit of a ride." He explained. He opened the door and helped the ladies inside.

"You ladies look very pretty in those outfits. What's the occasion?" He asked.

"We're here for a job. We got a request from the royal court." Coral explained. Mr. Bunber nodded.

"Oh, I see. Well, I'm sure you'll do fine." He said while sitting in the driver's seat.

The trip didn't take too long. After several hours, they arrived at a manor in a small town.

"Here's the place. Good luck ladies." He said. All the ladies grabbed their things and bowed to Mr. Bunber.

"Thank you Mr. Bunber. Please, come by the guild sometime." Coral said. The old man nodded

"If I'm ever in Magnolia, I'll do just that." He turned his carriage around and left. The ladies walked up to the front of the manor.

"Coral. What's this I hear about you being a 'monster'?" Lyra asked, very curious. Coral began to sweat a bit.

"It's a long story." She responded.

"We have time." Lyra continued she said with a smile.

"I'll tell you later. Let's focus on the mission at hand." She responded. She rang the doorbell and the door swung open. There stood an older woman in a maid outfit. She raised an eyebrow at the group.

"I do not recall hiring more maids. She said." She eyed each one. Her face would switch between being curious and appalled; mostly since the outfits showed more than she expected.

"We're here to see Lady Angell. We are from the Emerald Oasis." Coral informed, her signature smile disarming the old woman. She raised an eyebrow.

"Lady Angell? What business do you have with her?" She asked.

"We have business to discuss with her. It is regarding her daughter." Coral answered. The woman's eyes widened.

"Please, come in." She said, opening the door. Coral stepped in and the ladies followed. The maid escorted them to the living area.

"I'll inform Lady Angell of your arrival. Please, make yourselves comfortable." She said before walking out.

"Thank you." Coral said, bowing. The woman returned the gesture before leaving.

"Makes you curious. How does master Basil know someone from Queen Fiore's court?" Fiora asked.

"He has connections everywhere. Basil is a very talented wizard. He has the potential to be a Wizard Saint if he really wanted to." Lyra commented. Coral nodded.

"The man has the potential to be one of the most powerful mages in Fiore if he applied himself. But his meekness and penchant for avoiding violence are his biggest obstacles." Coral explained. Fiora snorted.

"That's a terrible weakness." She commented.

"Not when you are in charge of a guild like ours. Basil's lack of ambition and power allows him to be more down to earth and focused on the guild." Lyra stated. Luna nodded.

"I see. So Basil-san's weakness is also his strength." She stated.

"Indeed, Luna-chan." Coral answered.

The old woman returned with Lady Angell in tow.

"Good, you've finally arrived. Basil told me he was sending his best. Though, I didn't expect all women..." She expressed. "Are all your guilds members like this?" She asked.

"No ma'am. It's just a coincidence." Coral responded. Lady Angell nodded.

"I see. Basil informed me of his plan. It was a bit unorthodox, but I trust him." Fiora's eyes widened.

"He's the one that made us wear these outfits!" She exclaimed quietly among her guild mates. She huffed and crossed her arms.

"My daughter is very precious to me. She is the light of my life. If anything happened to her, I wouldn't know what to do." Lady Angell expressed.

"Do not worry, miss. Our guild is more than ready to help you." Luna expressed with a bow. They could see the worry written on Lady Angell's face. It wasn't too often that a member of the royalty's court was in a vulnerable position like this. The maid placed a hand on the shoulder of her mistress.

"Let's lead them to their quarters. They've had a long trip." She suggested. Lady Angell nodded.

"Of course. Follow me, ladies." She said, walking towards the other end of the room.

The group followed her until they reached the end of the house. Lady Angell opened the door to a small room with three bunk beds and a desk.

"This will be your quarters. Once you are settled, I'll tell you what information I have on Lord Seobrin." Lady Angell expressed.

"Thank you." Coral said with a smile. She turned to the other girls. "Go ahead and put your things away. We need to be prepared for our meeting. Take this time to prepare for the mission ahead. Once we get started, there's no room for failure." Her tone shifted from the cheery one everyone was familiar with to one of authority. The others nodded and got to work.

Fiora took the top bunk above Lyra while Viperion and Luna took the bottom bunks. The three had already become fast friends. Lyra and Coral looked on with smiles.

"Those three have already gotten close." Coral said with a smile. Lyra nodded.

"I think it's nice." Lyra responded. Fiora threw her bag onto the top bunk.

"Can we get out of these outfits?" Fiora asked in a complaining tone. Coral turned to her with a smile.

"We can change after the meeting with Lady Angell." She answered. Fiora growled.

"I'll go and change. I can't wait to get out of this stupid dress."

"But you looked so cute!" Coral said. Even with business on the way, she couldn't help but admire how the maid outfit looked on Fiora.

"I'll set you on fire!" Fiora threatened. Coral just smiled and backed off.

"This why bringing Gideon would have been a good idea. He'd extinguish any fires Fi might try to start." Lyra commented.

"Fine, fine. We'll get changed." Coral answered.

"Finally!" Fiora shouted and proceeded to practically tear the maid outfit off. The other girls did the same. With their travel complete they'd be able to relax for the time being. After getting accommodated, they returned to the living area.

"Good, you're all here." Lady Angell expressed. As everyone sat, she began the explanation.

"Lord Seobrin is a noble with some sway in the way the government leans on certain policies. But he's mostly known for his lecherous behavior." Lady Angell's tone turned to disgust. The ladies did their best to stay professional, but they could only imagine the type of environment they'd be infiltrating.

"You said that Lord Seobrin has connections to a dark guild. How do you know?" Coral asked.

"That's the difficult part, we have no proof. He's done a good job in hiding that connection. But certain wizards have been seen entering his home. And they don't look to be a part of any guilds. And by the looks of them, they're practically shady." She explained. The maid had entered the living with some tea and handed out cups to everyone. "Thank you." She said to the maid.

"We'll need more information than that, Lady Angell." Lyra said, sipping the tea.

"I know. And I wish I could give it to you. So far everything is heresy. But I know my daughter is in his estate! He's using that fact to use my influence in the royal court." She explained. "I want you to go in there and get my daughter. If he has her, then the bastard will be stripped of everything he has." She spat out the last words. The ladies could see the rage in her eyes.

"If I may, Lady Angell, why is Lord Seobrin going out of his way to kidnap your daughter?" Lyra questioned. Lady Angell gritted her teeth.

"That scum wants to marry her. He says he has feelings for her. But I know it's all a facade. He just wants to marry her for political reasons. It'll get him one step closer to having in hand in the royal court. I refuse to allow a pig like him to be anywhere near Queen Fiore. Her father was a wonderful man who left a legacy. I support his daughter. That's why I can't allow that filth to tarnish the queen's reputation!" She declared. The maid nodded.

"My Lady, you're getting worked up again." She informed. Lady Angell cleared her throat and took a moment before speaking.

"Thank you, Harriet. Now that you ladies know, you understand what's at stake here." She stated. "If you find my daughter, then you may use whatever means necessary to bring her home. If it comes to blows, then so be it. You may do what you wish to this Lord."

The ladies of the Emerald Oasis all looked to each other. Fiora stood.

"One question from me. What kind of resistance do we expect from this creep?" She asked with a grin that begged for a fight.

"I cannot give a definitive answer. But you'll likely be outnumbered." Lady Angell answered. "Are you sure you ladies can handle this? I know how dangerous this is."

"Everyone here master Basil trusts completely. I am an S-Class wizard myself, so you have nothing to worry about. As long as we're together, we can accomplish anything. Isn't that right ladies?" Coral asked.

"Yes!" Viperion declared. Fiora smirked.

"You got that right." She responded. Lyra nodded.

"We'll be able to get Amicia out safely and be back before you know it." She assured.

"Leave everything to us, Lady Angell." Coral expressed with a smile.

"Very well. I will do my best to prepare for your return." Lady Angell stood up. "Thank you ladies."

"Anything for the royal court." Coral expressed with a smile.

"Come, you ladies need to rest for tomorrow. You'll have to go in disguise." The old maid said.

"That's right. We'll be posing as maids for the event." Coral informed.

"I see. We'll have to add some flair to your outfits. It seems Angella man was trying to create his interpretation of a maid's outfits." Harriet said. She was aghast at the sight. Coral smiled.

"Harriet, I think you and I are going to get along great." She said.

"Let's go to my sewing room. We'll be able to make adjustments in there." Harriet said.

As the adjustments began, the ladies met for planning. They all sat around in their room, each Lady sitting on their respective beds.

"First thing, we have to assume that Lord Seobrin has dark wizards among his security and guests. That means we'll be walking into a snake pit." Coral explained.

"And snakes are our specialty." Fiora boasted with a smirk. Coral nodded.

"You and Luna will have to keep your eyes open. I will make sure to talk to Lord Seobrin and keep him engaged. Once I distract him, I want you two to search the mansion." Coral said. Luna and Fiora nodded.

"We'll be on the lookout. What about the others?" Luna asked. Coral looked to Lyra and Viperion.

"Vi and Lyra are our defensive side. If anything happens, they'll be in the way, making sure to cut off anyone trying to reach you two. As Abe explained to me, you both are pretty strong. So I'll rely on you both, Fiora and Luna, to find Amicia. Once you do, you have to get her out and send a signal. If Vi and Lyra see the signal, they'll clear a path to you two." Coral explained.

"How loud can we go?" Fiora asked. Coral nodded at this question.

"Once you have Amicia, as loud as you want." Coral affirmed. Fiora chuckled.

"That's what I like to hear."

"Once we make our escape, we'll rendezvous outside the mansion. But if anyone starts fighting, that's a green light to engage. Our priority is Amicia's safety, then fighting. Dark wizards will only be in the way if they find us out before we find her." Coral continued.

"So we're to be stealthy." Lyra inferred. Coral nodded.

"We must be. We can't risk being found out. We all remember what Lady Angell told us. I know it's asking a lot from you Fiora. But we have to try." Coral said. Fiora rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know. I can be discreet. I'll hold the burning to a minimum." Coral nodded. Viperion raised a hand.

"Coral-san, I will do my best to prevent Fiora-san from burning anything." She said with a serious expression. Fiora blinked.

"Thanks... I think..." She responded.

"Then it's settled. We will be going over the mission plan once more tomorrow. We will arrive at the estate with the other maids. Remember, we are to keep a low profile until Amicia is found. Any questions?" Coral asked. Everyone shook their heads.

"Good. Rest up everyone."

The ladies all nodded and began to prepare for bed.

The next morning, the ladies awoke to the smell of breakfast being cooked. They all sat around the dining room table. Harriet had served them but began to assess each girl. As she examined each girl she spoke aloud her assessment.

"Capable... Capable... Perhaps... In need of training... No." She shared. Each of the girls looked in confusion. Especially Fiora, who received the no.

"No?" She asked.

"That is correct. You don't have what it takes to be an effective maid." Harriet said bluntly.

"Excuse me?" Fiora asked, a vein beginning to pop.

"It is what I said. You don't have what it takes to be a good maid." Harriet reiterated, "The moment you step foot in that mansion you'd be found out immediately." Fiora stood up and slammed her hands on the table.

"What makes you say that?" Fiora asked, her anger flaring. Coral stood up.

"Fiora, calm down." She pleaded, but it was too late. Fiora marched over to Harriet, glaring.

"Who the hell gave you the right to determine that?" Fiora demanded.

"I've trained plenty of maids. I believe you'd be the worst I've seen." Harriet answered with a straight face. "I can see through your eyes. You lack refinement. The only way you'll succeed is if you burn down the mansion."

"You wanna see what I can do?!" Fiora yelled and swung at the maid. The others gasped. However, Harriet dodged the blow and countered by taking Fiora straight to the ground and holding her arm.

"You need a lot of work." Harriet said with a stern look. Fiora struggled against the grip.

"I don't need training! I'm a mage!" She roared.

"You have a burning turmoil in you. I've seen it before. This is the result of fear and regret." Harriet continued her bluntness. Fiora wanted to explode. But, instead her words caught in her throat.

"What?" She replied, confused.

"Your eyes are filled with rage and frustration. These are emotions that need to be let out. If you hold them in, they will consume you like an inferno." Harriet let Fiora good and backed away, adjusting her outfit. The young lady stood, somewhat embarrassed. The others said nothing, not really knowing what to say.

"I cannot allow you to attend the mission. Not unless you allow me to train you on how to be a proper maid." She stated. Fiora looked away, her face turning red.

"I-I don't need training!" She protested.

"Then I will not allow you to leave." Harriet said simply. Fiora froze.

"What?" She asked.

"You heard me. If you wish to go to Lord Seobrin's mansion, you will undergo my training. Only then will I allow you to leave." Harriet showed no fear. She stared down Fiora. This made Fiora furious.

"Fiora please. Think about what's at stake. There's more to this than just your pride." Lyra informed. Fiora smacked her teeth. She knew Lyra was right.

"Fine. I'll take the dumb training." She conceded. Harriet nodded.

"Very well. Follow me." She instructed. Fiora followed.

"I'll be back." Fiora said, turning to the other girls. She didn't wait for a response and continued following the maid.

"I wish to attend the training as well!" Viperion exclaimed and ran after Fiora. The young ant didn't wait to ask if she could come along. Luna sighed.

"I'll go as well." She said standing up and leaving.

"She doesn't even know what she's getting into." Lyra said. The two senior wizards looked to each other.

"There goes the plan..." Coral expressed.

"We still have ourselves. We can still search." Lyra informed. Coral nodded.

"Yes. We still have a chance. But this makes things a bit more difficult. I think we have an alternative." Coral mused.

The sprawling countryside spanned for seemed like miles. Farms, magical creatures, trains, and people traveling along the roads were the norm. On a seemingly empty path held two talented wizards traveling toward Lord Seobrin's Manor. A perfect mirage covered the tracks of Lyra and Coral. Lyra, being a Star Weaver, cultivated a unique magic called Lunar Illusionism. Bending moonlight itself allows her to create some of the most realistic illusions. If allowed, those very illusions could become reality. She keeps a small case of moonlight on her hip.

Coral on the other hand handled the transport. She had a relationship with the ocean itself, being able to manipulate water in a unique way. This relationship came with a boon: Coral was able to summon ocean creatures to aid her. Their ride was a sailfish, the fastest sea animal in the world. A stream of water appeared, giving the fish a track to run on, and the water would disappear as it passed. The two Emerald Oasis members held on to the fish's fin, being pulled across.

After a bit of traveling, Coral and Lyra arrived, under the cover of Lyra's magic, and began to scout. The duo made their way to the edge of the forest to observe the manor.

The manor was gaudy when compared to the countryside. It was made of marble, the only marble structure within miles, and was decorated with statues. The garden was beautiful, filled with all kinds of flowers, plants, and fruit.

"How much do you think this costs?" Lyra asked.

"Probably enough to feed a town." Coral answered. Lyra chuckled.

"We're in the right place." Lyra said.

"Ly, I want you to keep an eye on the skies. I'm going to do reconnaissance. You do what you can from here." Coral said.

"I'll get to it." Lyra answered. Coral focused. A puddle of water appeared in the air. From it emerged a cuttlefish. It's skin color shifted to blend in with the trees and branches.

"My cute little Zeke, how are you feeling?" Coral asked her summoned creature. The cuttlefish's skin changed colors, which Coral assumed to mean 'good'. She reached out and gave the cuttlefish a pat.

"That's good. I need you to sneak into the manor and find a young lady that looks like this." Coral pulled out the photo of Amicia. "There might be bad people in there guarding her. Don't get caught, and let us know what you see." Zeke's skin changed to a purple color, which Coral assumed to mean 'yes'.

"Alright, Zeke. Please, be careful. I don't want you to get hurt." Coral instructed. Zeke's skin turned to a pale orange. The cuttlefish turned and floated over to the manor.

Coral watched the cuttlefish slowly descend towards the manor. The moment Zeke touched the ground, he had disappeared.

"I haven't seen Zeke in a while." Lyra expressed.

"It has been a while, hasn't it? I've missed him." Coral replied.

"Speaking of which, how has your training with master Basil been?" Lyra asked.

"It's been going well. I'm making progress in understanding my magic's limits." Coral answered.

"Limits? I'm scared to know what that would look like for you, 'Kraken'." Lyra chuckled. Coral looked away in embarrassment.

"Please, don't call me that." Coral pleaded.

"You've never told us how you got that nickname. It doesn't sound like something Fiora would give you." Lyra inquired. Coral took a moment to collect herself.

"It's a long story. One that I don't really want to talk about." She said, a sad look in her eyes.

"Oh... I didn't know it had a bad story attached. Sorry." Lyra apologized. Coral shook her head.

"Don't worry. I don't blame you for asking. The truth is, I don't want to be called that. I don't want to be called Kraken, because of what it means to me. It's a reminder of where I come from. And it's a reminder of who I used to be." Coral explained. Lyra looked on in sympathy.

"I see. It must have been hard, then. You don't have to tell us. But, as guild mates and friends, we're here for you. I hope you know that." Lyra offered. Coral nodded with a smile.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to talk about it someday. It's still difficult for me to share." Coral admitted.

"It's alright. There's no rush." Lyra said, putting a hand on Coral's shoulder.

The two continued their wait. After some time, a figure appeared before them. Zeke had returned from its search.

"How did it go?" Coral asked. She cupped her hands in front of her and allowed the cuttlefish to land and rest.

Zeke's skin changed colors, signaling that it had information. Coral was excited.

"What did you see, buddy?" She asked. Lyra readied her pencil and paper to write down the report. The cuttlefish began to turn into an assortment of colors. With its status as an oceanic summon, the color changing was accompanied by an ethereal glow, which gave the situation a beautiful show. The shifting halted. Coral nodded.

"I understand. Thank you for your hard work. I'll see you again soon, ok?" She said with a smile and a tilt of her head. Zeke's skin turned into a pale orange. Coral patted Zeke on the head. With that, Zeke's body disappeared into mist.

"So, what did you find out?" Lyra asked. The senior guild member gave a frown.

"It's as we feared. Amicia is in the third floor of the manor. There are wizards already inside, and they looked strong. Not to mention when the party starts, it will only bring more obstacles. However, our only chance inside is by blending in as maids. Which means, we have to blend in." Coral said.

"This could be problematic." Lyra said, "We have a strong chance of being discovered before we get to her. And if the maids are all accounted for, we'll stick out." Lyra inferred. Coral nodded.

"Exactly. Our best option is to make our move before the party even begins. It would be simple, however, it depends if Fiora takes to the training. I wish I could see how she's doing. But, we need to get going. I don't want to get caught outside the manor. Let's get moving." Coral instructed. Lyra nodded. Coral pressed her fingers to her throat, and they began to glow. She sang out, her voice taking on an ethereal echo. A mist began to form in front of her. From it sped out the sailfish that brought them here. The sailfish swam through the air, its body giving that familiar glow. It swam toward Coral and gave her an affection push.

"You're always a jokester, aren't you? Thank you for taking us here." Coral said. The sailfish nuzzled her cheek before pulling back. The path of water appeared once more. Coral and Lyra grabbed onto its fin and were whisked away. Luna twisted the top of a small container on her hip, releasing moonlight. She manipulated it and gave them cover once more.

"Are you ready, Ly?" Coral asked.

"Ready." Lyra answered.

The duo raced back.

Inside the manor, Harriet and the others were in the kitchen preparing food. She walked behind her three students, ensuring that they were doing what needed to be done.

"When you prepare food, you must ensure that you are aware of what you're doing. Like magic, cooking requires you to think ahead." Harriet explained.

"The hell this has to do with being a maid?" Fiora complained.

"Because being a maid isn't just cleaning and serving. It's about serving to the best of your ability. If you cannot cook, then how are you going to serve food?" Harriet pointed out.

"I'm not gonna cook anything for those creeps. If I could, I'll roast them." Fiora declared. Viperion looked up from the meat she was cutting.

"I would like to help with the roasting." She said excitedly.

"See? She gets it!" Fiora exclaimed. Luna retained her neutral expression.

"Is cooking too hard for you, Fi?" Luna asked, while still preparing the food.

"Shut up, Blink. This is dumb. We shouldn't be doing this." Fiora huffed. Luna sighed.

"Are you sure? Because if this is too hard for you, you can stop and stay behind." Luna looked over.

Fiora gritted her teeth. She put down the knife she was using to cut vegetables with and walked toward Luna.

"Are you implying I can't do this?" Fiora asked.

"You're proving me right otherwise." Luna replied. Viperion, having finished cutting the meat, turned to face Fiora.

"Fiora-san, if you cannot cut the vegetables, I will help you." Viperion offered. But Fiora stared at Luna.

"I could cook with both hands tied behind my back and blindfolded." Fiora replied.

"If you can prove it, then do so. It is not too late to quit." Luna said. Fiora stomped away and continued to cut the vegetables. The two girls began to race in preparing the food. Viperion looked between the two girls, confused. Harriet tried to step forward to stop them.

"Ladies, please!" She pleaded but they had proceeded to rapidly move around the kitchen.

"I'm not quitting. I'll show you! I'll become the best damn maid you've ever seen!" Fiora declared. Luna began to chop at an even faster pace.

"We will see. If you cannot even do this, then you are all talk." Luna replied.

"What did you say?!" Fiora yelled. She began to cut even faster. The two continued to cut and prepare the food.

"Sensei, do I need go this fast as well?" Viperion asked Harriet. The older maid sighed.

"No, Viperion-chan. You don't need to go that fast. Just do your best." Harriet answered. The Fenrir Ant nodded.

The two continued to chop as fast as they could, their speed only increasing. A bright red aura began to surround the two, their magic seeping into their cooking.

"Is something burning?" Viperion asked. The smell of burning meat and vegetables filled the kitchen. Fiora's arms had caught fire, dark red. Suddenly, tendrils materialized from Luna's shadow and took the form of different utensils and began to do different things. A spoon began to stir a pot while another held a ladle, which was using to scoop up the food. Two more began to flip the meat. A knife began to cut the vegetables.

"That's cheating!" Fiora yelled, who began to take food and cook it with her own flames.

Harriet gently walked over and pulled Viperion to the side, continuing to teach her the proper forms of being a maid.

After the chaos, both girls stopped, panting from the exertion.

"I-I won... You're just a sore loser!" Fiora declared. Luna kept her head down.

"It was not a competition. I only wanted to teach you that this is not a joke." Luna replied. Fiora glared.

"You don't get to boss me around." Fiora shot back.

"You both have potential. But if you two keep going the way you are, you'll never grow." Harriet interjected. The two girls turned to the older woman.

"What do you mean?" Fiora asked.

"I've seen many young women that come to me for training. Some wizards and most not. I can see your potential. Both of you have the ability to grow." Harriet explained. Fiora looked at Luna.

"The only one with potential is Blink." Fiora said, looking away. Luna's eyes widened, surprised.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"I saw the way you fought the Fenrir Ants. You were in control the whole time. And the way you use your shadow magic is impressive." Fiora complimented. "But, if you think I'm all talk, then you're in for a surprise. I'll be the strongest wizard there is! And you'll bow down to me!"

Harriet smiled.

"I'm glad you two are working things out. Now, if you could clean up the kitchen." She instructed. Fiora and Luna turned and looked at the kitchen, now a mess of burnt food and other materials. Viperion had continued to cook in her space. A ding was heard, and she approached the oven, pulling out a magnificent loaf of bread.

"I've finished the bread!" She declared. She put it on the table. The other three looked at it in awe.

"Wow, Vi. I didn't know you could bake!" Fiora said taking a close look at the loaf. The steam had entered their nostrils.

"This bread smells amazing." Luna commented.

"I agree. Your baking is wonderful, Viperion-chan." Harriet complimented. Viperion blushed from all the attention.

"It's nothing. I only made bread. Your teaching was amazing miss Harriet. I learned a lot from you." Viperion replied. Fiora grabbed a piece of bread and took a bite.

"Oooh this is delicious." She praised.

"Do not eat yet! The bread is not to be eaten until dinner tonight." Harriet chastised. Fiora's eyes went wide, and she swallowed the piece of bread.

"Sorry, it's just so good. You should try it, Blink." She said. Luna approached and took a piece. She bit into the bread and was surprised by the taste.

"This is delicious." Luna commented.

"Thank you, Luna." Viperion said with a smile.

"Ladies, dinner is soon. I want you to finish up and get ready for the evening." Harriet instructed. The three ladies nodded and resumed their cleaning.

In an unspecified location, in the center of the room was Lord Seobrin. He was groveling.

"My Lady Aisling, I assure you that the party is merely a formality to celebrate our victory." He begged. The playboy and eccentric man was brought to his knees by a powerful woman.

"It would be best if you were to focus on our business. Why are you wasting your time with this party?" She asked. Her voice was smooth and feminine, but held a malicious tone.

"I-I apologize, my Lady. I will ensure that our plans will remain on schedule." He pledged. The woman, Lady Aisling, frowned.

"Good. I am counting on you, Lord Seobrin. You know the consequences. I would hate to see you lose your position. It would be a shame to have to remove you from power." Lady Aisling threatened. Lord Seobrin gulped.

"Of course, My Lady. I would do anything for you." Lord Seobrin assured. He quickly exited the room. Lady Ainsley's hair was pink and wore a black sun hat. Her dress was black and elegant. On her hip were numerous bottles of containers of all sorts of liquids. She pulled one in particular that held Lacrima. She used her alchemy to change its form. It had become small crystallized communication device.

"King, how much longer do we have to waste on this fool? He no sooner bring the magic council to our door step than simply watch the daughter like we ordered him." She spoke.

"Do not fret, my dear. The plan is still in motion. Lord Seobrin may be a fool, but he is a fool that has access to the nobles and their daughters. We are merely biding our time. Ensure Seobrin does his job, and support him in his cause. He still has his uses. But, once that is done, we will put him in the grave." A male voice answered. Lady Aisling smirked.

"That's a promise." She said.

Coral and Lyra returned to the guild hall. They returned to the sight of Fiora and Luna racing around the house, speed cleaning. Behind them ran Viperion, barely keeping up.

"Coral-san, Lyra-san, welcome back!" She greeted. Lyra watched as the two raced around, Fiora nearly falling.

"What's happening?" Lyra asked.

"Luna-san and Fiora-san are training in the art of housekeeping. But Harriet-senpai said they are 'burning down the house.'" She replied.

"How long has this been going on?" Lyra asked.

"A little after you two left. But Fiora-san burned some food. And then they began to argue and then they started to clean at a really fast rate. Luna-san is good at it, but Fiora-san is too aggressive. I can hardly keep up." She explained. Luna and Fiora were racing, dusting decorations, wiping down furniture, and the like. Finally, Fiora and Luna met in the center of the room, and both shouted,

"Done!"

"Hell no, Blink! I absolutely finished first. Admit it, I'm the winner!" Fiora yelled.

"I was the faster one, Fiora. You may have cleaned more, but I finished faster. In the end, I am the true winner." Luna rebutted.

"Now, now ladies. I think we should look at this objectively." Lyra said.

"Objectively? She cheated!" Fiora yelled.

"I did not. I simply used the tools at my disposal. I used my magic and thus finished first." Luna explained.

"You were using your magic the whole time!" Fiora argued.

"Using magic is a part of being a maid. There is no reason to not use it." Luna countered. The two girls continued to argue. Lyra tried to intervene, but it continued. Coral was smiling, but a heat was rising in her. Then suddenly, for the first time in a long time, her anger spilled over.

"Enough!" Coral shouted, her voice echoing throughout the guild hall. The members of Emerald Oasis stopped and turned to see her. Coral's body was shaking. Fiora and Luna had never seen her so angry. The delinquent that Coral used to be came to the surface.

"I expected better of you both and it's exhausting to listen to you two go at it. We're here to help these people, not tear each other down. So, either get over yourselves, or shut up, or I'll beat the living crap out of both of you." Her eyes flared and her fists were clenched. Lyra stood way back. She hadn't seen this Coral for a long time, and it was always scary to see. She didn't dare make a peep to avoid being a target. Luna's face remained neutral.

"Coral-san, I apologize for my behavior. It was childish of me." Luna said. Fiora put her hand on Coral's shoulder.

"Relax, Coral. Every-" Fiora attempted to say, but Coral used her water magic to send Fiora into the wall. Lyra flinched. Coral walked over to Fiora, who was surprised by the attack. Coral then used her magic to lift her up by the ankle.

"You know, your attitude was bearable, but now you're pissing me off!" Coral shouted, glaring into Fiora's eyes. Fiora was genuinely surprised. Who was this person?

"Coral, that's enough! Look at what you're doing." Lyra said. Coral looked over. Fiora's eyes widened.

"Coral...san. Are you alright?" Luna asked. Coral blinked. She looked around and realized what she had done. She dropped Fiora and her face went pale.

"I-I... I am so sorry." She said, running off. Fiora sat on the floor, her butt still sore. Lyra rushed to her side.

"Are you alright?" She asked. Luna looked on, surprised.

"Coral is a lot stronger than I thought." Fiora commented, her demeanor unchanged. Lyra hurried to the fire wizard and helped her up.

"You're taking this better than I expected." Lyra said. Luna approached and looked at the red head.

"I am sorry about what happened. I did not expect her to react this way." She apologized.

"What has her arm in a twist?" Fiora asked. Lyra took a moment before speaking.

"I'm not too sure, but something changed when that old guy gave us a ride. When he called her The Kraken, and I asked her about it, she didn't want to talk about it. I didn't know it was that bad..." Lyra explained. Fiora smacked her teeth.

"Well, whatever. I can take a punch. But, I don't wanna take the hit again." Fiora said, looking at Lyra, "With all this talk of being a guild, she's keeping quite the secret."

"Coral-san is a good person. She has a past she doesn't talk about, but she's always been kind to me. She has my trust." Luna explained.

"Yeah, yeah. But I don't plan to follow a hypocrite." Fiora replied.

"Coral is not a hypocrite. She was right; we should focus on the mission. We can't be fighting when we get to the manor. We must be in sync with each other." Lyra replied. Fiora removed the apron she was wearing.

"Like I said, I'm not following a hypocrite." Fiora reaffirmed.

"It's not like that." Lyra explained. Luna interjected.

"Fiora-san, Lyra-san, I will go check on her. Please, do not fight." Viperion said. She quickly ran off. Lyra looked at her for a moment, before sighing.

"I wonder who's more mature between them." She said. Luna remained silent.

"Don't know. I can't wait to get this mission over with." Fiora said.

"You will be patient. Coral-san will come back, and we will continue to train. We are all a team." Luna said. Fiora smacked her teeth once more. She turned her body and walked off. Luna and Lyra stood there, realizing it was just them alone. Slowly, Lyra had become nervous upon realization.

"I am going to prepare for the mission." Luna announced. Lyra took a step forward.

"Luna, wait." She states. Luna stopped and she looked over her shoulder.

"Save it. It is enough that I can be in the same room as you. But please do not misunderstand, I have not forgiven you." Luna said. Lyra froze, not knowing what to say. Luna turned away and continued on her path. Lyra stood there, frozen in place. Her heart sank.

A village of perpetual night. The moon shone brightly over small cottages. The village was full of wizards who could touch the stars and use the magic within them. They'd weave them into fabrics imbued with that same magic. But there was a Star Weaver that could so much more. She could bend the actual light of the moon. She could weave together illusions so real that they could touch the physical world.

"Stop this desecration! Straying from tradition will only bring ill intent to our people." One of the clan elders said. She stood in the middle of the village square. People crowded around and watched as she berated Lyra, a young girl with short dark blue hair.

She stood there, her eyes looking to the ground, her hair hiding the tears threatening to fall. Once the elder was done, Lyra ran off. Among the crowd was a young Luna, watching her sister run away from the verbal reprimand she just received. Pushing through the crowd, Luna ran to follow her older sister.

Luna found Lyra I'm her room, crying under the covers.

"Onee-san?" She asked with worry. Lyra peaked from under the covers and saw Luna standing there. She wiped the tears away.

"Luna? What are you doing here?" She asked. Luna climbed into bed with Lyra, getting under the covers with her.

"Can you show me Storyteller?" Luna asked. Lyra gave a small smile. She raised her hand to start warping the moonlight. Slowly, a figure started to weave into existence. Moonlight stitched together to show a figure in an angular hat. It wore a cloak with a hood and began to create a small story. The two girls watched the story unfold. It was here that the sisters shared their secrets and their dreams.

Coral sat in her bunk. She laid her hands in her lap and stared at them. The door open, which prompted Coral to come back to the present and set her focus back. She turned to greet who was entering.

"I'm fine. You didn't need to check on me." She said instinctually. Lyra walked and made her way to a spot next to Coral.

"The way you dangled Fiora says otherwise. Coral... what happened?" She asked. Coral's hands tightened into fists. She took a deep breath and turned to Lyra.

"I'm sorry I hurt Fiora. It was not my intention to hurt anyone. It just happened." Coral apologized.

"It's ok. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. You don't have to tell me." Lyra said. Coral sighed.

"I appreciate that you care, Lyra..." Coral paused a moment, deliberating her next move.

"Can I show you something?" The star weaver asked. Coral turned to face her guild mate with intrigue. Lyra moved her hands toward the window. The moon's light came into focus and shimmered it's way over to the pair. She moved her hands, weaving the light together. A small figure formed from the light. It wore a cloak over its head and held a scroll. It began to move its hands and swirls of lunar light danced around it.

"This is something I used to share with Luna back in our village." Lyra explained.

"That's beautiful." Coral commented. Lyra smiled, and the two watched the figure perform it's dance.

"When we were little, Luna and I would share little stories we made. It could be about things we heard or things we saw." She explained. The scribe would continue to move the light about.

"I thought maybe it could make you feel better, like it did for me." Lyra admitted with a smile. Coral smiled.

"I appreciate the thought, Lyra." Coral thanked. Lyra put her hands down and the light dissipated.

"I'm sorry for lashing out. It was uncalled for." Coral apologized. Lyra shook her head.

"No, I think Fiora and Luna took it too far. I didn't think they would fight like that." Lyra defended.

"I wasn't mad at them. I was reminded of memories of my youth. Before the guild, I used to be a troublemaker." Coral admitted.

"Really? I couldn't imagine that." Lyra commented.

"Yes. I did not always have control over my magic. I was always caught up in an argument or fight. I was always fighting... I would summon horrible creatures from deep in the ocean to vent my anger. When I joined Emerald Oasis, I always took mission so I could fight the strongest opponent. That's how I met Mr. Bunber. When I took his request, I did a good job. But my methods were brutal. After, I earned the name Kraken with how I completed my missions. I enjoyed the praise, but eventually I wanted to be more than a brute. The way people looked at me. I was a monster." Coral explained. She turned to Lyra.

"So when people called me the Kraken, I felt embarrassed and ashamed." Coral continued. Lyra pondered for a moment, before a smile formed on her face.

"I think you're like a kraken in the way that you can overcome any challenge." Lyra explained.

"What do you mean?" Coral asked.

"I've seen the way you fight. You can be fierce and strong, but also gentle and precise. The way you heal is delicate and caring. I think you can be fierce, but also compassionate." Lyra explained.

"I don't know. I'd hate to let people down." Coral said.

"I think people can handle the truth. They don't know you from back then. They know the you they see now. Coral Crest, their senpai." Lyra comforted. Coral smiled.

"I can see why Abe took a liking to you." Coral said with a small giggle. Lyra's eyes went wide, moving her hands erratically.

"W-w-what do you mean?!" Her face grew red.

"Oh, nothing." The senior member of the guild replied, a knowing smirk on her face.

"No, tell me! What did Abe say?" Lyra demanded, growing increasingly flustered. Coral's grin widened, enjoying watching Lyra squirm.

"No, you should ask him yourself." She stood and smoothed out her dress. "Let's go back. I have to apologize." She walked towards the door. Lyra hesitated a moment, before following.

The living was empty, no younger member of the guild in sight. Lyra and Coral made their way to the kitchen to find them watching Harriet make a cake. The experienced maid was showcasing her skills of multitasking. The three watched eagerly.

"I used to make breakfast feasts for Lady Angell's guests and family. But, as the family grew older, the dinner table became smaller." She explained while putting the finishing touches on the batter before putting it in the oven. She used the Lacrima attached to adjust the heat.

"The last one to leave home would be Miss Amicia." Harriet's eyes became misty eyed. She wiped her tears, "My apologies. I was fond of her, even if she was the youngest." Harriet explained. The guild members looked at each other.

"Harriet, we want to ask you something." Coral stated.

"What is it, dear?" Harriet asked.

"We think that Lord Seobrin has ties with a dark guild. Do you think that is true?" Luna inquired. Harriet's face fell a moment.

"There is a dark secret that only those of us in the family would know." Harriet walked closer to the ladies, "Lord Seobrin is Amicia's father." She admitted. The three of them gasped.

"You're saying that this guy kidnapped his own daughter?" Fiora asked, anger rising. Harriet nodded her head.

"This is how he was able to take her. We tried to explain it away, how a single man could take the daughter of the royal advisor from an escort. But she went willingly, something Lady Angell feared." Harriet explained. Fiora's anger bubbled.

"But... her dad could be associated with..." The red head began.

"A dark guild." Lyra finished. Coral put her hands to her face.

"This is serious." The senior guild member said.

"Why did Lady Angell keep this piece of information away from us?" Lyra questioned.

"Because of pride. If she had told you all, that would be an admission that she could not protect her own daughter. And what is worse is that telling the wrong people could cause Amicia to be moved. This is why she approached your guild master. He was trusted enough to keep this within a trusted circle." Harriet explained. Fiora had had enough and stood up.

"The hell are we waiting for?!" She yelled.

"The party isn't for another couple of days." Coral explained.

"Then we bust in, steal the girl, and leave!" Fiora replied.

"Fiora, we can't just barge in there. We need to be stealthy. This is why we have a plan." Lyra said.

"Coral-senpai! I know this makes you angry! The way you acted before you left! I know you feel the same way." Fiora accused. Coral looked to the side in shame. Lyra nudged her. The ocean blue haired woman nodded and looked to Fiora.

"Anger and power will only get you so far. If it's all you have, you'll only end up making things worse. We're a team, Fiora. I let old scars open up and I let it get the best of me. I forgot that I'm not alone." She replied. Coral stepped forward, coming face to face with the fire wizard.

"I understand you more than you think I do. You're here because we trust you. We're all here because the guild master trusts us. I know you're strong and courageous. That's why when it comes down to it, I'd lay my life on the line for you." Coral spoke. Fiora's expression softened. The fire wizard wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. She smacked her teeth.

"No wonder you're in charge." Fiora relented. Coral smiled with her eyes closed.

"Does this mean you'll behave for now?" She asked leaning over and looking up toward Fiora. The red head pushed her face away.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just stop with that look of yours." Fiora replied. Coral dodged the hands and stood straight.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted. So now more than ever, we need to be a team. We don't know why Lord Seobrin took his daughter, but whatever the reason, we need to rescue her. This means we'll need to be ready for when the party happens. Is everyone with me?" Coral said. The group of young women all nodded.

-Lord Seobrin's Manor-

Several days had gone by.

The ladies stood at the gate of the manor. An attractive woman approached the gate.

"Good, the help is here. I'm getting tired of being ogled. Report to the kitchen. The guests are due to arrive shortly." She instructed. The woman was well dressed in a maid dress that accentuated her curves. She was well groomed with her hair in a bun and make-up perfectly applied. Her eyes were sharp, and she gave off an air of elegance. She led the way to the kitchen, the ladies following her.

"My name is Illiana. I am the head maid of Lord Seobrin's estate. I will be expecting great things from you. Follow my lead and do not embarrass my Lord." Illiana stated. They had reached the kitchen, which was in a frenzy of activity.

"Ah, the help has arrived! Ladies, take your places and do not disappoint Lord Seobrin!" The chef commanded. The five ladies looked at each other before stepping forward. Illiana gave them a nod.

"We will begin shortly. In the meantime, prepare yourselves." Illiana instructed.

The women of Emerald Oasis used their training from Harriet to their fullest. Viperion was helping with the cooking, which surprised the chef. Fiora was prepping things to take out, while Luna had proceeded to exit the kitchen to begin scouting.

"Shadow Weaving: Pan's Umbra." She spoke quietly. Her shadow began to move a bit before detaching completely, leaving Luna without a shadow. It left to initiate scouting for potential obstacles. Once things had settled in the kitchen, the ladies were sent out.

"Oh? We have new staff?" A voice came. Lord Seobrin had descended the stairs. He closed the distance between himself and the five women, "I'm impressed~, Illiana has outdone herself." Lord Seobrin wore a grin that accompanied his blonde hair. His eyes drifted all over the place. Fiora clenched her fist, trying to hold herself back.

"Lord Seobrin, we have come to serve at your party." Coral informed with a bow. He smiled deviously.

"Wonderful! I can always use more staff." He circled them. He paused at Luna and Viperion, "Oh, you two are absolutely working the floor. Cute gets all the attention. Luna stiffened just a bit while Viperion maintained a relaxed demeanor. He approached Fiora. As his eyes lowered, Fiora hid her fist behind her, pulling on every strand of willpower to not completely obliterate her "boss".

"There's something about you... You have this aura about you. I think you'll work the VIP area." He said while nodding. He finally made his way to Lyra and Coral. He smiled widely.

"I do enjoy my maids that have a "seasoned" look to them."

Coral's face mentally dropped. He said seasoned...

"Hmm, you will be my personal maid for the night." He said pointing to Coral. She gave a light bow. And finally he looked to Lyra, "You're exuding a nice warmth. I like that... You'll greet the guests. Now! Off you ladies go. And you, with me." He commanded. He gestured for Coral to follow. She looked at her friends and gave a nod. Lyra made a light gesture of praying for Coral's wellbeing.

"My Lord, where are we going?" Coral asked as they walked the halls of the estate.

"We're going to my quarters." He replied. Coral's eyes widened. She hadn't planned for this.

"I need a shower and a new wardrobe. I have a special guest that is attending, and I need to look my absolute best." Lord Seobrin explained.

"Of course, my Lord. I will get things ready for you." Coral responded. The two arrived at his room. The doors were large and grandiose. It was an elaborate piece of art, a carving of a mythical creature.

"I will call on you when I'm done." He said. He opened the door and Coral stepped aside, letting the Lord enter the room. The moment he did, Coral spied Luna's shadow. It was moving along the ceiling. Lord Seobrin walked in and closed the door. Coral leaned against the door and let out a sigh of relief.

"Please tell me you found something." She whispered. The shadow moved and detached itself from the wall and returned to Luna. Luna nodded to herself. She leaned over to Viperion.

"I found some wizards upstairs but nothing I do not think we should worry about." Luna whispered.

"Alright, that's good. Hopefully that's it." Viperion whispered back.

"How are things going in there?" Fiora asked while passing by.

"I don't think we have much to worry about." Luna informed. Fiora nodded.

"Then the moment we can, we blow it all up." Fiora replied.

"I hope we won't have to resort to such actions. We should only use that as a last resort." Lyra stated.

Soon, the manor was filled with guests. Each looked to be a mixture of an official of some sort, nobles, and suspicious looking wizards. Each of the Emerald Oasis ladies were performing their assigned tasks. Lyra was greeting people as they entered, while Luna and Viperion were serving drinks and snacks. Fiora was roaming the VIP area. There were two gentlemen speaking to each other.

"It's been a long time. You never call. I was worried you wouldn't show." One of them said. Fiora was trying to listen in on their conversation. The other gentleman spoke. "When Lord Seobrin throws a party, I make sure to come. I hear it's the type of party that anything goes." He smirked. Fiora listened in, the hairs on the back of her neck rising.

"That's right. It's a party you can really let loose." The first said.

Fiora continued on until she felt a hand hit her rear. It took every bit of self-control to not react. She turned to see her assailant.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself." The man said. Fiora plastered a smile on her face.

"Would you like a drink sir?" She asked.

"Yes. I would love it if you brought it to me personally." He replied. Fiora clenched her teeth. She nodded. She grabbed a drink that was on the platter she held. She slowly lifted it and held onto it a moment longer before handing it over. The man took a deep swig and began to cough and yell.

"What the hell?! Ack! I just swallowed boiling wine!" He yelled. Fiora's eyes went wide.

"Sir, I don't know what you mean." She replied, doing her best to act confused, "I'll go get some aid!" She announced and hurried off around a corner. She slowed back to a walk and smiled evilly to herself.

"Oh, yes. I would love it if you brought it to me personally." She repeated to herself in a mocking tone, "Hope the wine tasted good." She muttered to herself.

In the downstairs area, Viperion was surrounded by men.

"Do you work here?!"

"Where are you from?!"

"Will you marry me?!"

Many different questions were hurled at her. The Fenrir Ant was doing her best to deal with all the attention. Suddenly, a man with short brown hair and a stubbled chin appeared.

"You! Come with me!" He commanded. Viperion froze. Her eyes darted between her admirers and the man.

"I-I cannot leave my post. I'm sorry." She replied. The man was not pleased.

"Now!" He yelled. Viperion was just about to move when she remembered some advice she received.

"Oh! I remember what to do here." She smiled kindly at the man and approached him.

"Good now-UHHHH!" He grunted, a fist being buried in his stomach. Viperion walked away casually. The man doubled over in great pain. The other men hurried to his aid.

"Is the company president ok?!" They all scrambled to help him.

Coral was in the bedroom of Lord Seobrin. She had finished cleaning the room when he exited the closet dressed for the party.

"Good. I have a meeting with my special guest." He informed. He walked out of his door with Coral following him. He went down the hallway and into a door. It was an office that was decorated with pictures and statues of Lord Seobrin. In front of his desk was an attractive woman with a witches hat. She wore a red dress that was full of intricate symbols. On her hip were bottles filled with different colored liquids.

"My Lady Aisley, I apologize for my tardiness." He said with a bow. Coral was able to see her face. Her eyes were a light purple, and her face was pristine. Her face held a serious demeanor, though her features were eye catching.

"I did as you asked. I came during your gaudy party. We are tired of your theatrics." She stated. Seobrin nodded.

"Yes, my lady. I have arranged to have Amicia delivered to you tomorrow evening. This is the best time." He said. Lady Aisley smiled.

"Good. It's not every day a father intentionally betrays his own daughter." She said. Seobrin bowed. He said nothing. Lady tilted her head.

"Now that you've inhaled my poison, tell me why you are giving us your daughter tomorrow and not today as agreed." She asked. She switched her crossed legs. Seobrin gave a confused look, not quite understanding her statement.

"Poison?" He asked.

"Why yes, Seobrin. Did you really think Cut Card would trust a snake such as yourself? A man willing to give up his own daughter. Either you're a heartless monster or you have ulterior motives. Motives such betraying us?" Her eyes narrowed. Lord Seobrin opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Or rather, nothing that he wanted to say came out.

"I plan to take her as far away as possible from here. Somewhere you will never find her." He said. His eyes grew wide as he finished his statement. His hands collapsed over his mouth. Coral stood by, trying to figure out what was going on. Who was this woman and why was she asking for Amicia? She needed to know what was going on before she could act.

"I see. So you were planning on backstabbing us. How original. There's a reason King sent me. My poison alchemy does it all. I released my truth poison into the air. You see, this poison makes people tell the truth. Then, you die a horrible death~." She sang out. Lord Seobrin's face was covered in sweat. He began to hyperventilate, his hands gripping his chest. He struggled to stay upright, his body collapsing to the floor.

"I hope you weren't fond of him." She looked to Coral. "And I hope you weren't too fond of living either. Can't have you telling anyone about what happened here." Lady Aisley stood and adjusted her hat. She walked toward the door. She paused before exiting.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Amicia is, would you?" Came her question. Coral wanted to stay quiet, but something in her compelled her to speak.

"She's in the attic. There's many wizards between you and her." Coral's eyes widened as well. She became shocked that she was being forced to tell the truth.

"Thank you." Lady Aisling smiled. She took a step forward, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing her shoulder. Lady Aisling turned to see Coral, the latter's face in a state of determination.

"I'm not letting you go!" She yelled. Lady Aisley turned with a scowl. She smacked away Coral's hand.

"How dare you. Don't you know who I am?!" The witch yelled.

"You're someone who doesn't care about a young girl's life! Someone who can throw it away so easily!" Coral yelled back. Coral pressed her fingers to her throat and began to sing. A cloud of mist appeared. From it came several tentacles that grabbed onto the witch. Aisley yelped in surprise as she was suddenly restrained by the appendages.

"What's the meaning of this?!" She yelled. She struggled against the tentacles.

"I can't let you leave. We came here to rescue Amicia and that's what I intend to do." Coral's eyes narrowed. Aisley looked up and saw Coral's eyes. She stared into them and could feel the conviction behind them.

"Who are you?" She asked with anger. Coral felt compelled to tell the truth, but she would have gladly said so.

"I am Coral Crest of the Emerald Oasis guild. I won't let you harm the young miss." She stated. Aisley tried to break free but found that she could not. Her body then began to melt. Her hands and body fell away from the grip of the tentacles and fell into sludge on the ground. The sludge moved away and reformed.

"Your body should be shutting down by now! How are you still standing?!" She yelled. Coral took a step forward.

"You specialize in poison. I specialize in healing." Her body began to glow, and shimmers danced around. Behind her, an octopus was pulling Lord Seobrin's body to her.

Lady Aisley's hands went to her belt and pulled bottles. She popped the tops off, and the liquid began to shift in color. She splashed the liquids together and an explosion engulfed the area.

Viperion was back on the floor, surrounded by men.

"It's not every day that we have such a cute girl at this party." A man stated. Viperion looked to him.

"That is good. I'm glad to see my services are appreciated." She replied. A man stepped forward and caressed her cheek.

"I bet your services are quite appreciated." He said with a smirk.

"I don't believe you're supposed to be touching my face." Viperion replied. The man leaned in closer.

"And I don't believe that you're supposed to be talking back." He growled. Viperion was about to respond when suddenly the ground began to rumble. The man fell to the ground and began to panic.

"What's happening?!" He screamed. The other guests began to run for cover, screaming in terror. The rumbling intensified, causing a bookcase to fall over.

"Everyone! Please stay calm and remain where you are!" Illiana appeared. Luna ran by.

"Vi, come on!" She yelled. Viperion nodded and followed the shadow weaver.

Fiora had a man doubled over while she held his arm.

"You son of a bitch. I'll make sure I'm the last girl you get to touch." She threatened. Suddenly the ground shook and the wall next to her gave way, a shockwave tearing through. Fiora and everyone were knock away. Fiora flipped in the air and landed on her feet, her arms covering her face. Fiora looked up when things settled to see through the hole and several walls away an octopus wrapped around something. The animal began to unwrap to reveal Coral and Lord Seobrin

"Thank you, go back and rest, you're very brave." Coral told the sea creature as she knelt down to attend to the man. The octopus nodded and mist surrounded it.

"Coral-senpai!" Fiora yelled running through the holes. The guests were panicking and trying to escape. She jumped through a hole and saw Coral attending to Lord Seobrin.

"Are you ok, Coral-senpai? What happened?" Fiora asked. Water was snaking into the lord's mouth.

"He was meeting with a woman. Things are not what they seem. Get the others and find Amicia. This woman is after her." She commanded. Luna and Viperion arrived.

"We will get Amicia out of here. Will he be ok?" Luna asked. Coral nodded.

"He'll be fine. I'm sending the water to collect the poison from his body. As soon as I am done I will catch up." The three girls nodded and ran off. Luna directed them to the attic, where her shadow and Coral's cuttlefish confirmed. Upon approach, there were bodies strewn all over the floor.

"The guards... One person did this?" Luna asked aloud. Fiora and Viperion were on guard. The three continued, careful to be quiet. They reached a room, where Luna's shadow detected Amicia's presence. They all nodded and entered the room. There stood Aisley, her hands on the girl. The room was beautifully decorated.

"I thought she was kidnapped." Viperion noted. Luna nodded.

"I suppose she's a hostage of sorts." She replied. Lady Aisling turned, revealing the terrified look of Amicia.

"You must be that woman's guild, Emerald Oasis. I'll warn you now, if you stop me, you'll be making powerful enemies. Leave now and save yourselves." She threatened. Fiora caught fire.

"That's what I should be saying to you!" Fiora yelled. Aisley frowned. She pushed Amicia aside.

"Amicia, run as far away as you can!" Luna advised. Amicia's body fell to the ground.

"I can't move!" She wailed, tears streaming down her face. "Where is my father?"

Fiora lunged at the woman her fists full of fire.

"Blazing Soul: Explosion!" She yelled. She punched forward. The fire on her fist shot out, creating a powerful explosion. Aisley held her hands out, a liquid mixture shooting up and engulfing the explosion. Fiora jumped back.

"How did you do that?" Fiora demanded.

"I'm an Alchemist. I transmuted my liquids on my belt into the correct poison." She explained.

"Alchemist?" The red headed followed up.

"She's not from Ishgar." Coral said, "She's from Guiltina."

Lady Aisley glared at Coral. She raised her hand and the bottles on her belt glowed. Fiora got ready to defend. Aisley swung her hand, and the bottles flew in front of her.

"Poison Alchemy: Poisoned Soldiers." The liquids from the bottles exploded and the resultant landed on the bodies of the guards. They slowly got to their feet.

"Don't misunderstand. As much as I'd like to make you choke on my poison, I have somewhere to be." Aisley informed, picking up the paralyzed Amicia. The guards, seven of them, stood in the ladies way. Their skin turned a grayish black color, and their sclera turned purple, but no irises. Viperion, Lyra, and Luna caught up.

"I made sure everyone got out of the manor." Lyra said. She looked to the soldiers and Lady Aisley.

"We can't let you leave with her." Viperion said, walking in front of the group. The guards slowly walked toward the Emerald Oasis crew.

"Hold them off. I need to get Amicia out of here." Aisley instructed. Viperion's activated her magic. Her body began to become covered in her exoskeleton. It reached up to her chin. Her Fenrir Ant wings unfurled, and she charged one of the guards, kicking them out of the way. The guard landed on his back and rolled across the floor. The guard that Viperion kicked charged at her. His arm stretched and a claw formed on the end of it. He slashed at her, but she used her wings to take to the air.

Luna's hand swirled in the air.

"Shadow Weaving: Big Bad Wolf!" A wolf's shadow appeared on the floor and rushed at one of the guards. It leaped at him and began to attack him. The guard grabbed at the shadow. It was cold and dark, but he managed to hold it back. None of the guards spoke. They reacted by casting their own magics.

"Rock Blast!" One of the guards yelled. His hand shot out and a rock spire burst from the ground. The spire hit Viperion and sent her flying. Lyra looked up at the flying ant and cast her magic.

"Lunar Illusion: Hansel and Gretel!" Moonlight from her hip swirled and stitched itself into two humanoid figures. Once done, a man with a bow and quiver and a woman with sword appeared. They looked to Lyra and nodded. They charged at the guard.

"Acid Blast!" A guard yelled. He shot out a green liquid that exploded on impact. It began to sizzle on the floor, burning holes.

"Not on my watch!" Luna yelled. "Shadow Weaving: Dark Forest!" The shadow beneath the guard's feet extended upward into sharp spikes. The shadow pierced the guard, causing him to scream out. The shadow faded and the guard collapsed.

"Blazing Soul: Fireworks!" Fiora yelled. Her fist burst into flames, and she punched the air. Multiple small fire balls shot out and exploded on contact. The explosions rocked the area, knocking a couple of the guards away.

Viperion pulled herself up and began to cast her magic. Her voice echoed with each word she spoke.

"Fenrir Magic: Paralyzing Needles!" Viperion yelled. From her wrist extended large needles, one on each. The needles shot out and impaled a guard, injecting him with Fenrir Ant venom.

Luna was working on trapping the remaining guards.

"Shadow Weaving: Night Terrors!" A guard had a shadow grow over him and turn into a terrifying form. It engulfed him.

Coral was focused on stopping the poison running through Lord Seobrin's body. Her eyes were closed, and her hands hovered over the body. She was collecting all the memories of her training with Basil. She needed to be precise but quick. One wrong move spelled death for the noble. After a tense couple of minutes, Lord Seobrin coughed up water. He took a deep breath, his eyes wife.

"Amicia!" He yelled. He tried to get up but found his body too weak, "Where is my daughter?" He pleaded.

"We will save her." Coral assured him.

"Please do! I'll explain everything." He told her. Coral nodded and rushed to follow her comrades.

The walls to the attic blew out, fresh air pouring in. The girls had to leap through the holes and fell three stories toward the manor grounds.

"Shadow Weaving: Storyteller!" A massive Shadow flew up from Luna's own Shadow below. It caught the women and placed them safely on the ground. The guards followed, their magic raining down.

"Acid rain!"

"Ice Rain!"

"Sword Rain!"

"Rock Pillar Strike!"

"Spiritual Smite!"

Fiora ran forward. Her hands caught on fire.

"Blazing Soul: Daybreak!" Fiora extended her flames out and it blanketed them with a dome shape. The Flame of her magic held back the magic attacks. She grunted and her knees began to buckle. She let the dome go, but she was panting heavily.

"Shit... I didn't know I could do that." She expressed between breaths. Luna, Lyra, and Viperion stood firm.

"Fiora-san, let us handle it from here. You focus on recovering." Viperion suggested. The Fenrir Ant stepped forward and fluttered her wings. She charged forward her needles prepped. One of the guards sliced the air with his hand.

"Great Sword's divide!" He casted. A sword slowly materialized from thin air. It's size was just as big as the wizard himself. He hurled it at the Fenrir Ant, whose needles clashed against it. She flipped over the blade projectile and ran across the broad side. She jumped off and sliced the man across the chest, administering her paralyzing toxin. Lyra's illusions returned, trying to occupy several more of the mages.

Lady Aisley had an escape carriage prepped. She opened the door and tossed Amicia inside. Aisley yelled at her driver to go and watched as the girls were held back by her Poisoned Soldiers.

Coral arrived at the damaged wall and saw the scene below. However, in the distance, she watched as a carriage pulled away with Lady Aisley in it. Coral looked between her allies and the vehicle. She had to trust her allies to hold out. She pressed her fingers to her throat and began to sing. Mist appeared next to her. Her sailfish shot out, swimming around and to its summoner. She gripped the fin and was pulled away. A water trail formed as it swam toward the carriage.

The girls were being pushed back little by little. Fiora stood once more and began to summon all the fire she had.

"Wait! Everyone stand behind me!" Luna commanded. Viperion, Lyra, and Fiora did so.

Luna began tracing the air erratically.

"Shadow Weaving: Fable."

From her shadow came the Storyteller. It stretched up high, until it pulled itself completely out of Luna. He stood tall, towering over the mages. It raised a hand and slammed it against the ground. A black inky like substance spread from its hands and across the grass. It spread wide until a giant circle had formed around the enemy wizards and Luna. Storyteller stood and began tracing the air just like the young Shadow Weaver.

"Once upon a time, there was an army of goblins." Luna began. Storyteller traced the air, summon shadowy goblin shapes from the black ground. The figures were just blobs with claws.

"They decided to steal from a group of wizards they spotted." Luna stated. The goblins outnumbered the wizards. They charged them, shadowy clubs in hand.

"The wizards fought back but were quickly overrun." Luna continued. The story unfolded just like Luna told. The wizards' efforts were swatted away, their bodies unable to defend against the many attacks.

"They were losing but had no other choice." Luna explained. Her face grew a small smile and her eyes narrowed just a bit.

"They could only struggle till the bitter end." Luna said. The goblins began to grab at the wizards and pull them under.

"Everything has its ending." Luna spoke. The wizards struggled against the goblins and vanished as they were dragged in. Storyteller ceased the tracing and took a deep bow.

"Fin." Luna announced. All the shadows faded, all receding back to Luna's own shadow. She fell over.

"Luna!" Lyra yelled, running over to her sister. Viperion, Fiora, and Lyra knelt with their friend.

"Damn, she's amazing." Fiora commented. Lyra pulled Luna into her lap. Tears were in her eyes.

"Was that... Storyteller?" She asked. She wanted to hear it from her own words. Luna nodded.

"It took all I had in me, but I finally got it out." She said. "I practiced hard with master Basil. It took me a long time. But, I think that was Storyteller's strongest form." Luna explained. Lyra nodded and gave her sister a tight hug.

The sailfish was dodging poisonous gas that had been thrown by the dark wizard. The ocean creature twisted and moved until its Bill sliced through one of the wheels, stopping it in its tracks. Lady Aisley looked out the window with rage in her eyes.

"How dare you." She hissed. She exited the carriage and confronted the woman.

"You just don't understand. This is beyond you. Bigger than anything you can imagine. And you're standing in my way. I'll make sure to utterly erase you. Right now." Lady Aisley proclaimed. Coral narrowed her eyes. The dark wizard grabbed every bottle on her belt and crashed them together.

"Cut Card's specialty is being able to enchant things with the utmost precision and power. And I'm one of the few that can enhance anything I wish with my poisons. Poison Alchemy: Queen's Python." She announced. The concoction engulfed her completely. It snapped and hissed and chomped. Once done, in front of Coral stood a massive snake with pale pink scales. It hissed and stuck out its tongue. It spoke:

"This is my new alter form. When enhanced with my venom, no one will be able to stop me. So just give up." Coral did her best to remain calm and collected, though she found the battle becoming something that tested her limits. The Aisley Python opened its mouth and sprayed a deadly gas toward her. Everything began to die as soon as the cloud passed. The grass, flowers, bushes, rocks, trees... Everything that was hit withered and crumbled to dust. However, Coral had escaped from it unharmed. The sailfish pulled her away some distance.

"I haven't used this magic for a while. But, the only way to take her down is to bring The Kraken back." Coral clasped her hands together as if in prayer.

"Oceans hear my call. Allow me to use the powers of those that I have made contracts with. Let me hold the power of the ocean. Ocean Fusion!" The sailfish began to glow and swim around Coral. The fish swam faster and faster until a torrent of water had surrounded them both. In a flash of light, the water dispersed. Coral had fused with the sailfish. She had donned armor, from head to toe, that was reminiscent of the scales. She held a rapier the was the bill of the sailfish, and a shield that looked like the fin.

"What's this?" The Python questioned.

"This is the power of the ocean. I call it Ocean Fusion. Now I am ready to face you." Coral said. The Python hissed and coiled itself to strike. Coral stood ready. The snake darted at the water user, but Coral blocked it with her shield. Sparks clashed as the fangs urged to break through. Coral pushed the fangs upward and readied her rapier. The tip of the rapier summoned four strips of water that formed blades. She thrust forward with a yell, striking the body. The rapier hit the scales, unable to pierce, but the water blades launched forward causing an overwhelming impact. The Python was pushed back, skidding across. The ground.

"You think that's going to stop me?" She yelled. "I'll show you just how powerful I am!" The snake opened its mouth and shot out a mist that turned the area black. The dead ground began to burn green. The fire raced toward Coral, the flames screaming. She stabbed the ground with her rapier.

"Grant me the speed of my contracted summon." Her armored glowed as she casted her spell. Before the fire could reach her, she disappeared, thick mist standing where she once did.

The Python hissed loudly.

"Are you just going to run?!" Lady Aisley screamed. She heard the sounds of gathering water. She looked up to find Coral holding her weapon pointed to the sky, collecting water at the tip. She floated, glaring down at her opponent. The water was becoming an enormous lance.

"Sailfish's Excalibur!" She yelled. The water shot down toward the Python. The lance struck, the force behind it shaking the area. The Python yelled in pain as it was pushed back. The force behind the lance kept pushing forward. Lady Aisley couldn't hold out, the attack pushing her just enough, then exploding in a torrent of ocean. Coral hovered down, her body and armor returning to normal. The Python had been pushed back and was in a large crater, her body returned to human.

"I see. You're strong, Coral of Emerald Oasis." She complimented. Her clothes were in tatters. "But you're not the only one that can fuse like that." She placed a hand on her chest and began to transmute poison from her body.

"That's enough!" A voice commanded. Coral turned to the source, finding a gorilla diving at her feet first. A blur passed Coral and met the attack. Viperion held the attack back with her needles. But she could hold out. The attack was causing cracks all throughout her weapon. And eventually, her armor. The gorilla grunted and pushed more force behind the attack. The Ferir Ant was sent flying, shards of her armor breaking off. She flew through the air and landed on the ground, tumbling. She came to a halt, her body reverting to her human appearance.

"Vi!" Coral yelled.

"You bastard!" Fiora roared, her fire flared dark red as she used her fire to propel her forward. "Blazing Soul: Devil's Right!" Her fist lit up and she struck the gorilla, causing an explosion. As the smoke cleared, the gorilla was unscathed, holding onto Fiora's fist.

"Why won't you go down?!" She yelled, more and more explosions occurring.

"His skin is enchanted by the very best of our guild! You won't break through!" Lady Aisley informed excitedly.

"Queen, we're retreating." The gorilla informed in a neutral tone. It lifted the fiery wizard and slammed her into the ground then tossed her toward Coral. The senior member caught her, both of them rolling.

"Retreating?! What do you mean? I almost have the child! These weaklings won't be able to stop us now that you're here!" She yelled.

"We've attracted too much attention to this operation, with your theatrics. Return at once. It is not a request." The gorilla ordered. Aisling sneered at the animal but obeyed.

"Very well." She looked to the unconscious Amicia, "This isn't over. I'll be seeing you again. Very soon." She grabbed a bottle that wasn't on her belt.

"I'll see you at the guild, King." She said. The bottled shattered, covering her completely. Once it cleared, she was gone.

Lyra had finally arrived with Luna, the two girls sweating profusely.

"Who is that?" Lyra asked.

"Emerald Oasis. The guild led by that failure of a wizard. Do not stand in our way. We have no quarrel with you. Though, if you oppose us, we'll happily rid ourselves of your presence." He said. Fiora, Luna, Lyra, and Viperion were all on their feet, ready to fight.

the gorilla bellowed loudly beating its chest. Behind it, a rip in the air appeared. It opened wide. On the other side was a person whose face was painted black and white. They waved happily at the girls. The gorilla stepped through. Then after, it sealed once more.

"Okay... That was weird." Fiora muttered.

"Let's head back. We have much to discuss." Coral said.

The queen had sent her personal guard to address the matter. Lady Angell ran to Amicia pulling her into a tight hug. In the distance was Lord Seobrin. He only watched, his face neutral.

"My daughter! Are you ok? Did they hurt you? Did they try to take you from us?" She asked. Her brown hair and eyes were similar to her daughters, though her face was covered in worry lines. Her green dress was in disarray, and she had a loose strand of hair that didn't match the rest. Harriet stood to next to the two, tears in her eyes.

"I had feared the worse. Amicia, I'm so glad you're alright. My dear, you must have been terrified." She cried. Amicia nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sobbed and hugged her mother and housekeeper. The Lady pulled away from her daughter and approached the women of Emerald Oasis.

"Thank you so much!" She said with a deep bow. "I don't know how I could ever repay you or Basil." The ladies looked to Coral who shook her head.

"We're happy that we could return her to her family." Coral said with a smile. But her eyes drifted to Lord Seobrin. Lady Angell nodded and returned to her maid and daughter.

"You said that lord guy was going to tell us something." Fiora stated, her arms crossed. The rest of the team nodded.

"Yes. We should go somewhere quiet to talk." Coral suggested. The other members agreed.

The group exited the manor and moved to the garden. Lord Seobrin clued into the hint and followed.

"Lord Seobrin, your ex-wife didn't paint a pretty picture of you." Lyra commented. He nodded, his eyes closed.

"I don't blame you for your distrust of me. But, I promise you that I will give you all the answers you seek." He said.

"First, I should apologize. I had taken Amicia without telling Angell. It was for her protection." He said.

"She wasn't kidnapped?" Viperion questioned. Lord Seobrin nodded.

"My daughter's magic is quite unique. The dark guild, Cut Card, were interested in her magic. They had approached me, demanding I hand her over. I don't know how they found out about her magic, but I had no choice. I played along, planning to send my daughter safe, then explain everything to Angell after. Even live with her deep seated hate. However, it seems they saw through my plan, and decided to act before I could." He explained.

"So you really care about her." Fiora said. Lord Seobrin nodded.

"If I may, my lord, what is so special about your daughter's magic that this dark guild would target her?" Luna asked. Seobrin's face turned to the side, his eyes looking to the ground. He was deliberating on whether or not to say. He closed his eyes and sighed. He returned his gaze to them, ready for what he was going to do.

"Are you familiar with Celestial Spirits and the mages that can call upon them?" He asked the group. They all nodded, with Coral answering for the group.

"Yes. They're magic users that call upon celestial spirits that are powerful beings. These beings have incredible power but are only able to be called upon by those with keys."

"Good, that saves me a ton of explaining. The mages can only use the keys if the celestial spirits agree to enter a contract with them. However, my daughter is different. She is a celestial spirit mage, though she doesn't know it." He explains. The women were shocked.

"She doesn't know she can summon celestial spirits?" Lyra asked.

"It's more than that. She has a unique contract with the most powerful celestial spirit of them all. One that, if found out, could put her in grave danger." He informed. The women looked at each other, all their faces contorted in confusion.

"What are you talking about? What spirit is more powerful than all the other ones?" Fiora inquired.

"The Celestial Spirit King." Coral answered. Lord Seobrin nodded.

"Yes. A long time ago, on her mother's side, there was a celestial spirit mage that served the royalty even then. They were powerful and well known. It was said that she had a special connection with the spirits, bringing out their full potential. However, there was a cataclysmic event that shook the continent. The details are fuzzy, but the mage had to break a key, summoning the king. It was said that her bravery and sacrifice of her bond was enough to create a special contract, one that would apply to all future generations. The only people that would know are family and trusted friends. But, the dark guild must have found out somehow. It would make sense they would want to keep an eye on her and acquire her for themselves." Seobrin explained.

"How can we be sure that you aren't lying?" Fiora cut in.

"You're right. I can't prove otherwise. And my reputation and the way I treated you ladies, you have every right not to believe me. But the one person I wouldn't betray in this world is my daughter. She means more to me than any treasure, any title, or any wealth. I love her more than my own life. That's why I will do everything in my power to protect her." He explained.

"I believe him." Viperion affirmed. "Human culture does puzzle me sometimes. But, conviction and strength are the mark of strong warriors among my kind. To lay down his life for his offspring, that is the action of a proud warrior. And if he's willing to put himself in the line of danger, that is a mark of his conviction." Lord Seobrin smiled.

"Thank you. The way I went about things, I was only doing it for my daughter. The party this time around was to move her, a distraction, but Lady Aisley called a meeting way before, as if she knew what I was planning.

"Speaking of which, who is this Lady Aisley?" Luna asked.

"She is a part of a dark guild called Cut Card. I don't know too much about them, other than their members are incredibly strong. They name their members after cards. Aisley is Queen. And their leader is King, or at least that's how she depicted it. They are an incredibly dangerous guild, willing to do anything to get what they want." He explained.

"And what do they want with your daughter?" Coral asked.

"I'm not sure. I believe they're hoping to use her in some way. But I know it has to do with her special contract." He explained.

"Please, I beg you, protect my daughter and my family!" Seobrin cried, bowing a deep as he could. The girls looked to each other then back to the lord.

"We will do everything we can to make sure they don't lay a hand on Amicia." Coral assured. Lord Seobrin stood upright. His face was riddled with tears. He nodded, then straightened himself out.

Lady Aisley followed the gorilla through a dark passage. Beyond a door, lied a round table with five chairs. In three of the chairs were members of Cut Card. Queen took her place in her assigned seat. The gorilla went to the other seat and stood next to it. Behind the gorilla came a man. His hair was slicked back and black. He had an intricate design on his face. In his hand was a Lance that glowed with powerful magic. He sat in the last chair.

"Lady Aisley, that is unlike you to be caught off guard." King commented. "You're normally so good at being prepared." He smirked. Lady Aisley glared at him, then let out a breath.

"It's true. I was careless. I underestimated their abilities. I'm sorry for letting you down." She apologized.

"However, I do know something interesting about the guild. A guild called Emerald Oasis saved the girl." She said.

"Emerald Oasis, huh?" Joker asked with giddy curiosity. "I haven't heard of them before."

"Neither have I." King agreed.

One of the other members, an elderly man with a sword on his hip spoke. "It matters not who they are, only that they got in our way." Ace remarked. "I'll take care of them myself, if I must."

"That won't be necessary. What matters is that we have lost an incredibly powerful source of magic. This places us behind schedule. We will have to initiate the backup plans to make up for this loss." King declared.

"I'll make preparations." Joker said, leaving the room. The king nodded.

"In the meantime, I suggest we take our leave. There is no reason to stick around for any longer than we need to. As of right now, we're exposed. Take what you need and go after the assigned target. Once you've claimed it, contact everyone so that we may store it." King ordered. The other four stood from their seats.

"Before you go, Queen, what was your assessment of Emerald Oasis? How strong were they?" King inquired. Queen looked down, trying to recall.

"They weren't bad. Two of them were quite strong. But, with the help of the others, they were able to keep up with me. I won't be caught unprepared again." She stated.

"You went without being fully prepared?" Joker questioned with a raised eyebrow. "It seems we have more things to worry about than some fresh guild." Joker quipped.

"Shut it you!" Queen snapped.

"Enough." Ace commanded. The two stopped bickering, "The perfect enchanted item won't make itself. We have our targets. If nothing else King, I will take my leave." King nodded and the member left.

"As will I. I'll take my leave now." Lady Aisling stated. She turned, her charred dress fluttering as she left.

"King, remind me, why do you let Ace speak to you like that?" Jack questioned. Jack was a young looking man, with short brown hair and brown eyes. His roguish outfit was riddled with daggers.

"None of us are in charge, Jack. It just so happens that I am good at making the plans. And he is the strongest of us all." King said. He stood from his seat, his lance in hand.

"Come, beast, let's put you back where you belong." King sliced the air with his lance, tearing a hole into another dimension. The gorillas eyes glowed and did as instructed. The hole revealed itself once more.

"Something you wish you say Joker? Or are you just wasting time?" King asked, the smirk returning to his face. Joker chuckled.

"No, no, nothing. Just a thought." Joker responded. "I'll get to work on the target right away."

"Excellent." King spoke. Him and Jack left. The young looking face of Joker, with paintings of black and white across their face, one couldn't tell who they really were.

"Emerald Oasis... Why does that sound familiar?"