Beasts of the Frozen Tundra (OPEN)

[Lucy Heartphilia]

[SPECIAL MISSION]

Status: Top Priority!

Recently, there have been numerous vicious and bloody attacks, by unknown creatures, in the proximity of, and on the huge icy Mount Hakobe. The name and abilities of these creatures is unknown, but they have caused thousands of Jewels of damage and killed five civilians.

Due to this danger of this region, and the amount of damage and murders that have happened, the Mage Council has been asked to help, by sending out missions to all available Mage Guilds! Because of the unknown nature, all guilds have been informed and any and all mages, willing to risk life and limb, have been called to the frozen tundra of Mount Hakobe!

The mission is dangerous, but the rewards are lucrative! Any and all participants will receive the following, for the successful completion of this mission!

Rewards:
5,750 Jewels (per Mage)
Specially Made Weapon/Armor by Heart Kreuz (Ex-Quippers)
A New Technique (All who participate)

Please note the dangers and your abilities before making the trip to Mount Hakobe! And we appreciate your continued patronage...

-- Posted on the sign at the bottom of Mt. Hakobe

[0/5 (per person) to find and annihilate the unknown creatures of Mt. Hakobe]

Ineligible Characters:
Vega Veligi Gavellius
Amaliric Unlicht

(OOC: Lucy will also be participating, and will end the cycle. Everyone who wants in, jump in before Lucy does~ No joining after first cycle!)

[Aruka Ignite]

Aruka held watch from the second floor of the guild, like usual, when the new request came in.

Something new, huh...

She was not too interested, but quite free on that day and needed some new money. The green haired demon did not waste money, like other magicians, but you could not live from those few peanuts, you earned. Dark Guilds had a lot of freedom, but no glory and a lack of well paid official jobs could cause troubles. It was better to take a look at it, no matter how boring it was. Placing the mask on her face, she took her time to take a thorough look at the worn out piece of paper. It made someone wonder, what the deliverer had done to it, to change it into this toilet paper, before it made it to the pinboard.

Some other magicians, who had taken some interest into the request, soon dispersed and made free place for the unknown, intimitating lady. No one knew her face, just a pair of cold, unemotional eyes visible through her cover, quite the opposite from the heat, she was able to produce.

Monsters. They are panicking because of 5 lousy victims? Who cares? Hmph...

Aruka put some short consideration into the mission and then just ripped it off the wall, stuffing it into one of her pockets. The S Rank guild member had no interest in the others, but chose to undertake it on her own. If someone had the guts to follow, could they, when they stayed out of her way. The question was, who had even seen it ? Several hours later, she was on her way up the cold frozen tundra, a lightly dressed Aruka marching through the snow, each step melting the snow under her feet . . .

[Raem Kichishima]

A few paces ahead of miss Ignite was a young man clothed completely in thick brown cloth. On his hands were leather gloves, on his back was a heavy jacket that trailed behind him like a cloak, and left a line instead of footprints in the winter snow.

His face was concealed completely by a shawl-like scarf and a wizard's hat bent at the tip, which cast a shadow upon his features so that it seemed the young man didn't have a head at all, only a dark orb with shining white eyes.

This young man walked with a slight stagger up the snowy mountain. When a slight breeze passed him, he would have to walk back three or four paces the way he came every time, because the playful breeze would steal his hat from his head and lie it on his trail in the snow.

Without his hat, any passer-by could see that the young man did actually posses a head. Out of the scarf stuck out a head of orange hair and a pair of orange eyes that seemed nearly too childish to belong to someone of his age. Yet, and it is something that deserves mention, those childish eyes seemed to shine in a light not of the sun, but of their own making. An intelligent light.

A passer-by actually did witness this at one time, and was the young man's companion for a little before going back the way he came. The passer-by said that he was very young to be a mage and asked him his name.

He told the passer-by his name was Raem Kichishima.

So this boy, coming over to his hat, bent down but had difficulty picking it up, due to the pain in his left side. It was a smart pain, nearly healed, but still stung whenever stressed.

'I miscalculated,' he thought bitterly.

It was a wound he received in a battle with a very powerful and skilled mage-knight only a day or two ago. It was rare that he underestimated his opponents; in actuality, they were usually the ones underestimating him, but there was an exceptionally powerful trait in the mage-knight that he had not anticipated. It was this carelessness that could have gotten him killed. Now, if he had just listened to his companions and the narrator that day, he probably would have-

Ow!

Raem fastened a snowball and threw it at the head of the narrator.

What the hell was that for!?!

"For adding unnecessary information."

I don't see how that is.

"You've done it multiple times. Your doing it right now. Just get back to your job so that story can begin."

Fine. But just remember, I'm the writer here! I could make you walk into a pit or something and be done with you.

"Yeah, yeah," Raem said, with a dismissive wave that annoyed the writer/narrator. Such sauce for a character!

But anyway...

Raem, after flinching from his wound, was about to try it again when he suddenly felt a powerful aura coming up behind him. No, Raem didn't have any abnormal senses, he couldn't tell or feel the power of other mages near him. It was no special magic on his part, but on the part of the person who was approaching him. Indeed, even the frolicksome breeze in the air seemed to have ceased it's play and ran for safer places. The air and the ground felt warmer and dry, the snow was even melting. Anyone, mage or non-mage, could sense the arrival of this person.

But Raem knew this person. Her viciousness and sheer power was legendary among the ranks of the Crimson Lotus, and her fierce resolve and cruelty towards her opposition was undeniable. The green haired woman who wore a mask and blasted through her enemies like an atomic explosion. The S rank demon slayer, Aruka Ignite.

Raem had hoped that he would be alone in this venture, since not many mages, let alone people in general, would be ludicrous enough to accept the mission he had heard from one of his contacts. He never expected someone like Aruka to get involved.

Did Crimson Lotus send her? What for? There was nothing in the mission description to incite any form of interest from the guild master, or anyone from the guild for that matter. Usually, they were the ones doing the killing.

It passed Raem's mind that Jaffar might have sent her to tag along with him, just to spite him. It wasn't unthinkable, he had done it before. But no, even Jaffar would shrink in the presence of the woman who was slowly approaching Raem. Though Jaffar's magic was a powerful one, it paled in comparison to Aruka's. No one he knew, Amy, Nestor, or himself, could possibly hold his own in a one-on-one fight with the demon slayer.

However, from the rumors he had heard, Aruka Ignite was also an uncontrollable powerhouse. Rather than being a masterful sorceress, like Amy, Aruka was more like a wrathful storm. Anything that stood in her path, be them friend, foe, or an innocent civilian, would perish. And this was the part that greatly worried Raem. If she were here to get herself involved, then it would be best to situate himself in the storm's eye, and let the destruction around him do it's job.

But he still hoped that she wasn't here to get involved.

Fully aware that he was in plain sight and that Aruka had probably spotted him, Raem picked up his signature hat to completely conceal his features once more, and waited for the deadly storm to reach him as the earth quivered at their feet.

[Hilde Møller Knag]

Helical Shughart once said, that it's all about momentum. A steel carriage loaded with weight rolling down a hill can break through a heavy concrete wall. The same carriage, when there's a tiny wheel-stopper blocking it, won't move an inch. The difference? There's no momentum.

Now, I'm not really sure what kind of weird lesson he was trying to teach me, back then, or how I can apply the principle to things other than physics - a bullet whose primer hasn't been struck remains inert, after all - but I was soon reminded of this fact when I looked up the snowy mountain. If somebody rolled a snowball down a steep enough incline, and let it go its merry way for long enough, it would eventually build up enough momentum - mass and velocity - to run over just about anybody.

This is your host, Hilde Møller Knag, going on a trip to Mount Hakobe. Why? Well, it all started not long ago. I had just finished my daily routine of target practice. And as usual, not long after that, I ran into that presence most suspicious. Quite possibly the only person in that guild that causes Helical Shughart to question his personal decision to let him stick around. We know him as Myles, and he reeks of... I'm not really sure, but whatever it is, it can't be good.

There are many varieties of people in Crimson Lotus. Some are genuinely good people who happen to see no better alternative. Others, are in it for their own reasons. But Helical Shughart makes one thing clear, that they have the intention to kill off mages from dark guilds in our quest for vigilante justice. The Council writes us off as Dark. Which is natural, since despite all our motives, and good works, it doesn't change the fact that our primary business is to kill other dark mages.

Like some other dark mages out there, I'm a monster. But I at least know that monsters don't belong in this world. I'm a monster. But at least I intend to make my stay here as short as possible. Enough of my usual prattle of self-justification to soliloquy.

Ignite? She's one of two S's in the guild not counting Helical Shughart. She's a monster too. But as long as Helical Shughart can show her who's better, she'll behave... most of the time. And the other S? That's Myles. Not even Helical Shughart can abide him for too long. There are two smaaaart people in Crimson Lotus. There's Raem, and then there's this guy. Raem, has a little bit of balance, the so-called 'inner good' that I keep hearing about, holding him back.

This guy Myles? Has no such thing. That's probably what makes him more dangerous. If anybody were to stab Helical Shughart in the back just for kicks, it would be him. That's why he's wary of Myles. He doesn't have anything to keep this guy in check. Which is why he keeps on roaming around and doing whatever he wants, because he does his job, and does it perfectly... unless he feels like screwing it up, which he also does on occasion.

This guy Myles, told me that the Council had sent out this notice - he was there when it first appeared, apparently. He said that while I had no obligation to go on the job as it didn't involve killing anybody on my hitlist, it would do me good to get some live practice once in a while. And before I could protest, he launched a ferocious verbal campaign to trick me into tricking myself that I could use the workout.

It was similar to an old joke my parents used to tell me. How a duck and a rabbit were being stared down by a hunter, who was asking them what hunting season it was. They had several exchanges, pointing at the other and saying it was his season. The rabbit, however, eventually pulls a trick in the heat of the exchange, tricking the duck into saying it was duck season. Suffice to say, the hunter and rabbit shared a good roast that night.

But yes, you can imagine how that went about. And so now, I find myself trudging up this snow-covered mountain. Not too far from me? The two people I had mentioned aside from Myles and Helical Shughart. Raem and Aruka. I guess it means this is room for another team op, of the strangest and most unlikely combination... Myles probably sent me after them to get a laugh at how we wouldn't be able to properly coordinate.

"Well met, friends!" I put on my usual fake smile, raising a hand in greeting. "I did not expect that we would meet so unexpectedly. You would not be in the market for that five thousand jewel reward, by any chance, would you?"

[Altair Eleison]

Meanwhile, me and my two partners were walking up another side of the mountain. As opposed to my normal outfit, I was wearing something else, but to explain what it is, I have to flash-back a bit...

Days earlier...

"Altair, you will lead the expedition to Mt. Hakobe. Raine and Corina will assist you, of course." Caterina said, holding up the flyer. "It is important to do this mission! It can help get us into the Mage Council! So I expect results!

I sighed, which obviously came across as the problem with a snowy mountain. Because, suddenly, she pulled out three outfits, from a hidden door, and smiled. "These will be what you wear there. Think of them as your winter costumes~" There was a playful tone, in her voice, that made me feel uneasy, as she stood their smiling.

I sighed, looking at the outfits, laid on the desk. The center one was clearly mine, as the left one was Raine's and the right one was Corina's. I picked it up, sighing. "Where did you get this?"

Caterina blinked, tilting her head. "I did of course." She said, smiling brightly. "I figured Raine and Corina could look cute, in those. And if you guys all look good, the guild will have a good impression made~ Don't you think, Altair?" And to end it, she winked, smiling.

I can't say it didn't make me blush a little. Grabbing the brown outfit, I sighed, walking towards to the my room, in the building. As I was the only male, I slept separate from the girls room, who all shared one room. I quickly changed and looked around and moved around, swiveling the upper half of my body, to look at it. It was nice and flexible. And oddly well-made.

How long had she been doing this? I sighed, walking out, to show off the outfit. Black pants, a fancy brown shirt with red and white accents, that was in two pieces, the sleeveless shirt over a tight black, long-sleeved one, and a sleeveless jacket, that fastened in front of my torso. The neck of the jacket covered my neck entirely, and my chin barely peaked out, of the top.

There were also gauntlets, and boots, that were gray in color, and made of a very heavy and sturdy leather. Really, it was a good snow outfit, and perfect for fighting, with the flexibility. I stretched my right arm, grabbing below the red shoulder guard, that was attached. "Not bad. I can move, at least. That's the important thing."

Caterina was on me, jumping around me, at all angles, examining the outfit with stars in her eyes. "I knew it would be perfect for you. The fabric, the colors, the..." Her words became like a dull sound, as she continued ranting, seeming to compliment her own work, as opposed to how it looked on me.

I looked at the other two girls, for reinforcement, and saw them holding their outfits, feeling it. Raine's was some long black cloth, and Corina's was a light blue. Just what did Caterina have planned for them...?

Present...

I sighed, trudging through the snow, as we reached a cliff face, a red cloak, tied around my arms, to add to the layers for this torrential snow hell, that we were in. My sword was tied to my hip, off the left side of the pants, where Caterina had made a loop for that very purpose. I couldn't complain too much. She did have a, albeit weird and totally unexpected, good bit of skill, at making outfits. Who knew the rough tomboyish sword girl, had such a girly side!?

I planted my right foot on the edge, crouching down, my right arm against my knee. "We don't know what it looks like, or anything." I sighed, narrowing my eyes, trying to get a layout below us, which led to the small village, that sent out the warning. It was rather hard to, with the swirling gusts of wind and the heavy snowfall. At least, Corina was here, so Raine and I had some advantage, with her lack of sight, being useful to me once again. I really needed to thank her for the help with that mission, anyway...

Shaking my head, I put my right hand over my eyes, shielding them, trying to make out more. "Well, whatever it is, obviously they weren't kidding..." I could barely make out the silhouettes of three other people. Probably mages. "...they must've sent something out to every guild. I hope we don't get pushed aside. Or maybe we can find this beast first." I stood up, letting the cloak cover both my arms again, and looked at the two girls, behind me.

"Raine..." I said, to the slender, black-haired beauty behind me, her twin-tails spinning as they flew behind her, in the heavy wind. "What can you see?" Her eyes wouldn't be much better than mine, but she had a longer range, with her magic.

I looked at the elegant blond-haired girl, after asking Raine that. Clearly, we were probably going to rely on her sig...er, lack their of. To us, blindness was a weakness and a hindrance. But to her, it was how she lived, and a strength. I couldn't say what would've happened, had she not 'seen' through the blackness caused by that horrid fellow, from Crimson Lotus. Now that I think about it, I didn't even know his name. His comrades, were the same too. I swore, if I ran into them again, then I certainly would not hold back.

I sighed, looking back down at the silhouettes, waiting for Raine's response. Even if they were rival mages, they were behind us. I narrowed my eyes down at them, almost swearing I saw the boy from the other day, for an instant, in the rarest pause of swirling snow and blinding wind. But I couldn't quite be sure... Who knew? But regardless, we had the advantage. I turned to Raine smiling.

We were already halfway up the mountain, after all.

((OOC: For reference, to the outfit: Caterina Altair Special #1!))

[Corina Lucifer]

One thing I learned, from my early years as a visually impaired person, was that sound is amplified in the cold. My first winter in darkness was a frightening experience, as I could hear the furthest echoing of footsteps down the empty hallways of the estate, especially at night, after the flames of the torches had been extinguished. This greatly enhanced awareness I had acquired at the time, gave me the impression that such terrifying creatures lurked about in the darkness, louder than ever.

But a Knight must stand fast, and despite the presence of fear, confront the terror and strike it down in the name of righteousness. That was what I reminded myself, even as I resisted the instinctive, human desire to hide and cower beneath the covers, which, mind you, was rendered more powerful by the fact that it was cold. Yes, reduced temperatures for some reason make things easier to hear. I do not understand the underlying mechanisms of this, but I do have an idea of what it might be.

You see, cold is, at the atomic level, merely a lack of movement. When something is cold, the microscopic particles comprising the thing are bombarded less, as whatever strikes them is moving slower. As such, sudden vibrations like sound are more easily transmitted, due to the fact that there is no background noise. Less momentum on the part of the medium substance equates to more efficient redirection of the particles in it, as there are less forces to cancel out... or somesuch other explanation. Science, I must say, is not my forte, but it was taught to me in my youth.

Regardless of the true reason, the fact remains that at this temperature, if it were not for the snowstorm creating background noise, my hearing would be superb beyond a doubt. A plain experiencing a gentle snowfall would be my ideal battlefield, for my sensory range would at least double. In this environ, however, the advantage of the cold is somewhat nullified by the howling of the wind. Behind us, trudged, from what I understand, a group of individuals.

I could not tell how far they were, aside from the fact that they were at least beyond my field of hearing. That said, the field of hearing in this case would be a radius of about... forty-five feet. Roughly three-fourths of what it would be without this blizzard. Not that I am filing any sort of complaint. After all, traversing mountains featuring blistering winds is not something alien to me. I have had my share of snowy treks. One could say that the ideal non-stormy battlefield that I spoke of earlier is more of a Utopian ideal than anything else.

Utopia, of course, being an ancient pun, meaning both 'ideal place' and 'non-existent place'. Not slowing down, I turned in Altair's direction and enquired. "How many are there?" I would at least hope that this probable competition was not too competitive. Otherwise, we would lose sight - well, they would, anyway - of the true mission of slaying the beasts. As it is my duty to protect the weak and innocent, I would have taken up my sword to this task regardless of the value, or even existence, of a reward.

[Eri Foxhound]

But the team was a bit different this time. A quiet member had just added herself to this little assault squad, because of her interest in those unique monsters. Taming one or two.. or maybe ALL OF THEM !? Eri would not pass on that chance. The reports were not too interesting so far. Who cared about some peasants ? It would have been a different story, for rare noble men who were working for the greater good of the country, but just some peasants, that could easily get replaced?

She felt sorry for those 'monsters' being hunted down by just eating some things. They needed some training, that was all and Erina Reignsworth Windbloom-sama, albeit just in her role as Eri Foxhound would take this matter into her claws. If it just would not be so freaking cold. Brrr~ Another reason to pity those poor kids. Living in this freezing hell.

No wonder they were searching for warmth. Warmth, which the blonde haired woman kept, by rolling herself into the finest of winter clothes, making some have suspections regarding her actual money. Just a pity, she had no real access on anything other than clothes. It would be a big matter if some money would suddenly end up missing, that was her family's and not really hers. So she had to work like one of those lowly commoners.

How mortifying. Well ... there were other goals in her current undertaking of fulfilling missions, other than money. Finding her sister and new animals for her personal ... army. Coming here had already proven to be useful for her, a new suitable friend in her personal guard, a bear. A big, badass looking, white bear and he was extremely flushy and cuddly when you could ride his back.

There was a good reason, why someone could oversee her, when she was holding tight unto the bear and sleeping like a little kitten in warm fur. The bear on the other hand, was unlikely to end up overseen, even in this white realm, making its natural fur-tone, the perfect camouflage.

"Yawn... already here? Oh.. brr..."

It was cold even in her clothes. Getting up to stretch probably not the best idea. Her skin would get ruined from that stupid, freezing wind. They should have lured those animals down, rather than stepping up into their territory, but no.. no one listened to her. Well, she also did not say anything, but steal herself into the team, afterwards. - Pout - They still could just consult her. She was a beastmaster, afterall, the best candidate for such a mission or not ? Considering that the goal was slaying them, could there be a reason behind their qualms, but that was not a reason to step down.

"You are loud.. I was sleeping. Oh.. hmm. Teddy says, that he smells 3 people and that he is scared. Maybe one is a monster?"

[Raine Fleur]

Visibability was indeed difficult in such a snowstorm and not to mention rather cold temperatures. However, despite such conditions it didn't dampen Raine's excitement. Barely hearing Altair's voice above the howling wind, Raine turned around and looked back squinting through the snowflakes.

It was difficult to make out the shadows of everyone and not mistake them for trees in such weather conditions. Even so, Raine could see several different shadowed figures not too far behind them and further below.

"It's hard to say, Altair!" Raine glanced over at him. "Quite a large number if I dare say. Looks like a lot of other guilds are here for this mission as well."

[Lucy Heartphilia]

[EVENT START!!]

Alright, let the counters begin~ First post will be [1/5] of course, and will raise until the events conclusion. Don't make [5/5] the stopping point!

Characters can leave, at any time during the event, and will receive a reduced reward. RP and battle how you like! Interact, fight, go~

Erza and Lucy will not be RPed in this!

And follow the order, you set:

Aruka
Raem
Hilde
Altair
Corina
Eri
Raine

Between every cycle, new event details will be added! ^^

[BEGIN!!]

[Aruka Ignite]

The green haired woman turned half around to take notice of the new arrival and could identify him as a member of their guild. It was hard to keep check of all those bugs, but it was better than crushing something, that was supposed to be the leader's belonging. Her long cape, not meant to keep her warm, was used by the freezing wind as a plaything and transplanted images of a cold woman into any eye-witness' head.. at least if not for the steam turning her into a living oven.

Some 'overdressed' might maybe feel like undressing, but she did not care at all. Aruka could also care less, if those mages would get ripped apart by those monsters. Mages ? Indeed.. it took her another second to register the presence of this other girl following up immediately and asking a question, that could not be said to be anything BUT DUMB !

She sneered under her mask, yet albeit not her primary intention, the item making her actual appearance to one of the guild's biggest secrets, shielded it well from this individual. Only her loathing and cruel eyes, peering through the mask's slits gave an impression of Aruka's opinion to Hilde's question. 3 seconds passed, before she raised her view to take a look into the direction of several approaching shilouettes, not stopping her mouth from making some things clear.

"Do not put myself on the same level as yourself and don't get into my way... Did you bring the entire guild along ?"

She was really not much of a guildperson... and additional people would just decrease her income and also would make it tougher to let out some steam. Was the leader not trusting into her capabilities or had those brats heard about the assignment, elsewhere ? Aruka was ticked off, but managed to keep this growing sentiment to herself, for the time being. The green haired woman could not say, who those other newcomers really were.

[Raem Kichishima]

Raem had waited impatiently for a comment from Aruka, but when it finally came, he found that it didn't answer any of his questions. He sighed inwardly.

It was obvious that she wanted to get herself involved, though. The "what for's" didn't matter after that. If she really wanted to get involved, then there really wasn't anything Raem could do about it save for suck it up and let her kill everything that got in Raem's way. Heck, this could even be beneficial for the two of them.

Oh wait...I meant three. Apparently everyone in Crimson Lotus had nothing better to do today than hop on the gravy train and see if they could kill these "monsters" and maybe a few mages on the same quest just for sport. Raem didn't get it. It was cold, windy, and people of no importance what-so-ever had died. Why in the world would members of a dark guild even care what happens to people, let alone go through all the trouble of hiking up a mountain in what could be considered sub-zero temperatures to kill these "monsters?"

Raem let out another inward sigh. He had a sinking feeling this was all going to have a really stupid conclusion in the end.

As it was his job to know things, especially things about his own guild, Raem also knew who this third woman was. The infamous sharp-shooter trained by Helical Shughart himself. A person who seemed kind to her teammates, but a specter of death to her enemies. The girl with a heart as black as ice that spun in the center of a bullet-tornado. The Marks-mage of Helix, Hilde Moller Knag.

Yes...on some nights when there's nothing better to do, Raem and I just sit in his room and think of snazzy introductions for everyone. It's kind of a thing we do every Tuesday and Thursday.

But anyway, yes, Raem had heard of Hilde Moller Knag, though they never met face to face. In actuality, he hadn't really taken as much an interest to Hilde as he did her constant "companion."

We both wracked our heads together thinking about a suitable introduction to this man (woman, or whatever he [she, it] is) but Raem refused every introduction except the one he made up himself. "The Utter Bastard," Miles *insert stupidly long and obscure references to things no one cares about here* Hanlon.

This was even the toned down version. I could write the full intro, but it's three paragraphs long and the risk of being banned permanently from this board would be exceedingly high if I did.

This animosity on Raem's part sprung from the "Hilde Incident" in Tully Village not so long ago. Hilde and Miles weren't the only one working on the Orphen Blood case, after all.

Of course not! I was even the first, the FIRST DAMMIT! I had this great lead! The perfect lead! And now he's dead! DEAD! I worked my frekin' arse off for months on that guy, and what happens? Miles has him killed off along with a 4th of Tully Village! That zarking, codswalloing, pomwrangling...

We'll leave Raem to his internal rant of Hitchhiker's curses that no one here will probably understand for now, and pan off to the bigger story.

So we haven't really explained in full why Raem is here, have we? Well let's do a paragraph on that and, by the time we're done, Raem should have cooled down.

It went like this. One fine afternoon, after taking a walk without his usual outfit (it was recognizable, and he didn't want to take the chance that authorities might have spotted him from the Manor mission) Raem was off to meet an old friend he knew in his days as a freelance mage. When he came to the spot, he waited for a pretty reasonable amount of time but his friend never showed. Finally, thinking it was suspicious, since his friend had never not shown up to a meeting before, Raem decided to go out and see if he got lost or something. It was during this search that he learned of the "Monsters of Mount. Hakobe," and, since his friend had declared he was going to take a path through said mountain, feared that something happened to him.

Half an hour later, Raem was in his usual garb and taking the next carriage to the foot of the mountain.

So that's basically the long story short. Let's see if he's finished yet.

...matress-zarking, slime-eating, un-froody-

Hey! I realize you're having another episode here, but it's not a good idea to be zoning out like that in front of these two well-looking and very dangerous ladies.

...Eh...yeah I guess...

Good. Now that you've gotten your head back, let's continue.

All of the above said, Raem wasn't in this for the guild. His reasons were personal, if self-less. Therefore, as far as his silent figure was concerned, these two others just happened to be on the same mountain with almost the same goal as him. Raem wasn't going to force a team dynamic when there obviously wasn't going to be one. He was here to get in the forest, maybe encounter a monster, rescue his friend, and get the hell out. These other two ladies could do whatever they wanted, Raem sure as zarking hell wasn't going to do anything about it.

In other words, as long as those two didn't get in his way, and he in theirs, then they would all probably get along hunky-dory.

He just stood there, wobbling a little, and gave an anonymous shrug in order to address any and all questions/comments directed at him from either of the females.

It hadn't occurred to him that there were other mages farther up ahead, but then, if it did, he probably wouldn't have cared about them either.

[1/5]

[Hilde Møller Knag]

I bowed in apology, a humble little act, if I do so myself. "I do apologize for making such an assumption, Miss Ignite. But fret not, for as far as I can tell, it is only the three of us who are on this heroic journey!" It's becoming quite clear, what Myles was planning. No doubt, more chaos for him to enjoy watching from a distance. It would seem that where one would search for a coordinated team effort here, one would not find it.

After all, what we have are a monster who apparently wants to work alone, and quite likely, keep as much of the reward as possible to herself, a strange, quiet, but cunning planner who probably won't reveal his reason for being here, and little me. Little me, who doesn't really care much for the victims of these monster attacks, and was only tricked into convincing myself that I needed some live fire target practice.

Myles did have a point, though. Those dummies back at the Guild Hall weren't monsters, and there was little point in shooting something that didn't fight back, or at least try to get out of the way. A true gunner, or gunman, or whatever the actual gun-slinging mage is called, needs to keep in mind that unless you were partnered with an illusionist who gave you things that dodged, and fought back, then it would stunt your growth. I mean, stationary targets aren't really much fun, no matter how far they are from you. Case in point, most of my skills come from going after marks, live targets.

The only purpose of the shooting range back at the Guild Hall was to keep myself from becoming a rusty girl, in the same way that a blade is maintained by sharpening. The principles are really all the same, regardless of what skill you develop. Unless it's biking, in which case once you learn how to ride a bike, it'll still be there after ten years of not biking. Practice truly makes permanent.

But that's beside the point right now, isn't it? No, the point is, I'm going to kill some random monsters that I don't really give a flying frap about, these two other people who are more suited to working together are keeping apart from each other, and there might just be four other people ahead of us. Yes, my eyesight has not been dulled by this blizzard that we're going through, just so you know. It gets me thinking, then, of what should be done about these other guys.

For one, Aruka would probably murder them the moment they got in her way, in which it would be their fault for minding another guild's business. Raem might get out of the way and continue on his own, or maybe, do something that I wouldn't expect, seeing as he's known for his complex plans. I would smile, greet them, and say that this is a little bit of a problem, what with them interfering in my reward and whatnot. That's one way to look at it, at least. I wouldn't shoot them for no good reason. Slugs, shells, and rounds are expensive, and using them on people who weren't worth that much would be a waste.

"I assure the both of you that I will not interfere with your affairs, and that I shall keep to my own business. I am hoping that there are enough monsters to go around for everybody, of course. That way, there will be no need to fight over what is abundant, and we may all share in the lucrative gifts that this mission brings!" Actually, I just want to kill something. It's quite a bonus too, if killing something gets me money. More money, equals more ammunition, and less worrying about wasting it on pointless people.

[1/5]

[Altair Eleison]

I was about to respond to Raine and Corina, when a third female voice chimed in. I glanced beyond Raine and Corina, at the woman, and realized she was not only with us, but the new member of our guild. How amazing that it took a year and a half before getting our fourth member. And now we have five. Regardless, it would help us out, in this mission.

"Ah, Eri, right?" I said, smiling at her. In all honesty, I didn't expect her to join us. I knew Caterina had plans to expand our guild, to get it beyond it's new guild status, and Eri was the answer to that. Corina had pushed us towards it, and Eri was what put us over the edge. "Great to have you with us?" From my understanding, she was a beast-master. She could possess and control animals, at will. Pretty useful, against these monsters, I'd say.

But, this does beg the question: why isn't Caterina here? She goes to help me, with commotion in our village, but a mission on an ice mountain, where fire is all but useless, she decides to send all members out and stay home. Now I understand we need to keep someone around, in case, but myself or Raine can do that! It's not exactly hard, to run the guild. We don't get a huge amount of missions. This would change that, hopefully, but still...

"Well, more help is useful." Corina's question was answered, as was mine. I was really hoping we wouldn't run afoul of that guild we fought back in Tully. "I believe Eri is right, Corina. I can see three shadows." I turned, leading the now group of four, up the mountain, pushing through the wind and ice, slowly. We did have quite a head-start, which worked well, in our favor.

I led us up a bit, taking slow and careful steps, as I made sure at least three sets were behind me. After what seemed like an hour, though I had no real concept of the time, while we worked on our ascent. Somehow, we walked up to an opening, in the mountain, and not hesitating, I led the way inside, with the three girls and...bear? following me inside. I didn't know what the group was, but I really hoped they were allies. Or someone who wouldn't disturb us. We walked inside the cave, which went pretty far in, which I didn't expect.

Regardless, we kept moving forward, going at a better pace now. Hopefully, we could end this frozen hell mission quickly.

[1/5]

[Corina Lucifer]

It was the scent of a particular kind of animal, that heralded the arrival of this new member, who I had just recently heard of, and not quite directly, either. In kind, I thanked her for the information. It is times like these where I sometimes wished that I could see again. It is quite difficult to feel your way around, you understand, especially with a disorienting blizzard blowing away your sense of direction. The best I could do was follow the somewhat faint footsteps of those who were going before me.

Fortunately, I was still rather sharp, and could hear these faint footsteps that to other people, would have been drowned out by the howling of the wind. Of course, people like them did not have to worry about hearing in the first place, as they were capable of seeing their comrades who were ahead. It is times like these that bring me to ponder about what could have been, and serve to remind me that for all the amazing sensitivity of my hearing, smell, taste, and touch, it was because I was compensating for having lost my sight.

I resisted the urge to lose myself to flights of fancy, a common risk when the only reliable sense is blocked out by a distorting stimulus, such as an incessant billowing sound care of the blizzard. Not only was it dangerous because of the obvious risk brought about by the distraction, but the fact that as a blind person, I no longer have a functioning receptor for visual stimuli. My mind thus compensates for what my eyes cannot see, resulting in a fairly hyperactive imagination that paints scenery for me.

You might be thinking, 'and what is so wrong with that'? The answer is rather simple, actually. The mind fills in the blanks caused by blindness. As with any fill in the blanks examination, if you did not study enough, then what you fill the blanks with will more likely than not, be in error. In this same way, as I see nothing, and rely on what I smell, hear, taste, and feel, the true image probably differs greatly from what I imagine it to be. If somebody were to tell me that Sir Altair had long, dark hair, deep, purple eyes, and a fair, effeminate face, there would be a million and one ways for my mind to interpret that.

Even if I were to spend a whole afternoon feeling his face for all the little shapes and flaws it may have, there would still be insufficient information for me to construct a completely accurate mental image. When explained this way, the danger should be self-evident. Making assumptions of the battlefield based on one's imagination can most certainly lead to death. The final problem stemming from a hyperactive imagination is an issue so simple that it needs no explanation other than what follows.

A vivid, visual imagination that is constantly active, utilises far more energy than a vivid, visual imagination that is only active when required. As I said, my mind constantly fills in the blanks, with every little detail. It is by no means the same as actually seeing it, but it is quite marvellous to behold. Oh, if only you could see the things I picture in my mind. Bright, green meadows littered with beautiful flowers, distant, blue mountains jutting up into the sky... imagery that is certainly far more ideal in appearance than what you might normally see in the real world.

This is the fuel for art. A mind that has seen life, and wishes to imitate it. I am no artist, however. I may be familiar with painting and drawing, but that is by no means my forte. My true calling is to protect the weak and oppressed, to draw my sword against the fist of darkness and corruption. With the Morning Star as my guide, there is no way that I will falter or stray from the path of righteousness. No matter how blind my body, my heart shall always see the light of justice.

Within an unmeasured amount of time, the howling of the blistering wind became more distant. The buffeting storm ceased to touch me. Footsteps began to echo, and a distinct dripping sound made itself known. On a mountain such as this, with nothing but ice and snow, there could only be one possible explanation, one edifice that would cause such a resonance of sound and feeling. We had entered a cave.

Now it should be noted, that a few days ago, before I joined this guild, I encountered and fought a silent opponent who had at his beck and call, a form of plasmatic darkness. The match ended indecisively, in a sense, and we parted ways for the time. In the interim, on the supposition that I meet him once again to settle our unfinished battle, I needed to prepare. And to do that, the best and most logical option was to improve on my skill.

The light and darkness are natural enemies. They cannot abide in each other's presence. Where there is illumination, there can be no shadow. Where it is bright, it cannot be dark. There is a middle ground, the dim areas, but these are places where there is merely insufficient light. A true, powerful source of light will immediately dispel any darkness it encounters. In short, it was practically my nature to contend with this opponent.

I opened my personal copy of the House Lucifer's Grimoire, which had been transcribed into Braille for my convenience, and began to search. It did not take long for me to find a suitable spell to counteract the creeping shadow that was darkness. There were many such varieties, but this particular spell stood out in its flexible function. With a few days of practice, I had become accustomed to its use, and confidently must say, that I am now prepared to employ its useful condition in this present situation.

It is known by the name Lux Diu, 'Long Light', more precisely, in the context of time. 'Light for a long time'. It is not eternal, but it will suffice. I drew my sword, faithful Danwyn, and recited a short incantation, focusing my magical energy into the blade. This torch gave out no heat, and as such, was not a risk of melting this cave, or causing somesuch other problem. "If you require a beacon, Sir Altair, I can provide it for you. That is of course, if such a device is truly necessary."

[1/5]

[Eri Foxhound]

"Of course I am right. Do you doubt this great Eri-sama's words ? What's with this half-assed attitude anyway. I will show you how useful I am, hmph..."

It went without further words, to see that the blond haired beast-mistress was slightly angry about those words. Like she was just some little addon. Sure she was just a fresh member, but already had quite the amount of battle experience and her lovely pet was strong enough to compete with some stellar spirits.

Teddy's nose was good and also Eri relied at the moment more on her beast senses, than anything human, albeit just too ineffective, without using the use of actual transformation magic. AAAAAAAAH, that complaining made her hungry and the little princess took some 'Wieners' out of her skimpy clothes and began to eat.

Fighting on an empty stomach ? No way. If she could help it, she would not fight at all, but just take some additional pets into her personal zoo. "This signal would turn us into a nice target too. Depending on those animals it might make them seek their distance or will come at us. ..Do we actually know something about them ? It is soooo boring."

The mission could be amusing, but the way to it was just a nightmare. How irritating. Making the great Eri wait. Those beasts should soon learn who their master is. A grim smile already showed on her face, but she was a bit worried about her cute pet's fear.

An animal knew when something was dangerous and those shadows from before were probably not easy to take out and quite likely not friends. Nothing on this cold, desolated place would be their friends. Yet could she even call those people in her group, comrades ? Eri did not know any of them and their abilities were also unknown, as well as their weaknesses.

[1/5]