Oliver L. Eisenhauer's Story

It was a little less than a year ago when they arrived, the guild known as Nightmare Hearts. They came like the night does after day, passing through the throngs of people as they celebrated the founding of their town, Annandale. They were completely oblivious of the coming doom that would soon befall them in a just a little over an hour. Their Guild mates were like water trickle through mounds of pebbles, their black cloaks and hoods stuck out like a sore thumb against the festive colors of the townspeople. However it wasn’t too difficult to spot them, aside from their cloaks, for their Guilds emblem had been stitched in gold on the back of the cloak. The emblem was that of a heart being crushed by what some thought were thorns and a single ghostly wing on the left side.

While others watched from the rooftops. A keen smile spread across a figures face once they reached the roofs edge that looked out upon the main street. For their celebration, the townspeople did a parade, nothing extravagant mind you, with multiple floats. It didn’t take them long to locate a certain man considering he was in the center of it all on the largest and possibly the ugliest float created. Their smile turned to one of distaste at the sight of the mayor, leaning over the edge of the rooftop they could see the outline of the round man. Stepping back they disappeared from the rooftop leaving nothing but a soft whistling sound to inform those in the crowd of their departure. The lone figure then took a team to the mayor’s home or at least they assumed it was since it was the largest and most well maintained building in town. It didn’t take them too long to reach the outskirts of the manor nor when they made themselves known.

A single figure stood before the black iron gates with their hands raised before them. They then brought their hands together in the form of a clap releasing in a loud crack one would associate with the coming of thunder. Waves of sound tore up the ground, but only in front of them, and then the gate. It would have been somewhat normal if it weren’t for the fact that the sound wave moved in a way only a mage could make it move. The people within the mansion all jumped at the loud sound and did so with a few screams when the sound echoed throughout the mansion. The windows and anything fragile nearby all shattered making people run out into the hallways in hopes of evading the flying pieces of glass and porcelain. However they were mistaken in that sense as the moment they left their chambers and the ringing subsided from their ears a low buzzing hum could be heard drifting through the halls. And with it was that same cloaked figure from before but this time they were accompanied by a few others.



As their top mages took control of the mayors mansion, the underlings were left with the task of kidnapping the mayor and bringing him to his home. They did just that and boy did they cause a ruckus. Some got carried away but then again no one had told them they couldn’t pillage the town while they were at it, while others destroyed a few buildings and floats for the fun of it. It wasn’t very hard kidnapping the mayor, they simply sent one someone to run up onto the float and take him by force through magic. The crowds of people began to scream in terror at seeing their mayor kidnapped by hooded figures before their very eyes. At the same time those who did not witness this screamed and ran but because of the attacking mages. As the townspeople scurried about trying to get away they found that they were unable to pass their towns borders. With little protection from the attacking mages all the townspeople could do was hope for the best and stay within their homes.



The mages who had broken into the large building ran about making sure to check every room for occupants. The few guards there, who hadn’t fallen under that buzzing hum from before, were later taken down by the mages who lagged behind their obvious leader. Said leader reached a large room and there they found the parade-crashers who held a shaking mayor between them. The mayor could see the coming grin that spread itself across the ringleader’s face which didn’t really surprise him much. What did surprise him was the gender of this ringleader. Allowing their hood to fall to their shoulders, the woman shook out her bangs with her fingers and let them fall back in place over her forever obscured right eye. “Well isn’t today festive.” she said, her voice cool while walking around the room. “I apologize for the intrusion Mayor but we’ll be taking over your lovely little town now. You have something that we want. Something only you know the location of which is why you’re still alive.”

Still walking around, the woman eventually found herself standing behind a large mahogany desk. With a cat-like smile she pulled the chair out and sat herself down, bringing her booted feet up on the desks edge. This seemed to bother the mayor a bit as his face turned a light shade of pink. She was well aware of this but she chose to ignore it, “Have they set it up yet?” focusing her attention on her companies. One of them turned away for a brief moment before answering with a yes, nodding her acknowledgement she spoke. [color= #BF40FF] “Well then, let’s inform the people of the well-being of their beloved mayor.”[/color] Bringing her feet back down to earth, she leaned forwards on her elbows before continuing, “Hello people of Annandale! As you may have witness my Guild members may have already begun pillaging your homes. Well I am here to tell you that this will not be the end, not for some time, not until we get what we want. And before I end this announcement I’d like to introduce my Guild to you all and you lend a good ear. We are the Guild Nightmare Hearts and we will get what we want.” With a snap of her fingers the intercom ended and she leaned back into the chair a devilish smile on her lips that was directed towards the mayor.





The sound of wind passing through an open window could be heard from a certain room on the left side of the hallway. The door to said room was slightly ajar, and if one were to look inside they’d see where the sound was coming from. Across the room was a large balcony window that had been left open. A curtain had been pulled across the large surface of the window but with the wind blowing it fluttered in the wind. With the moving curtain and open window, the morning light poured into the otherwise dark room. It fell across the four-poster bed and its occupant. Shifting in her sleep, a tanned shoulder could be seen as the covers slipped from their previous position thanks to the unwanted movement. Eventually a head pocked out, a shock of white contrasted against the dark red of the covers.

Rolling to her side and eventually finding herself in an upright sitting position. Kisara ran a hand through her hair, pushing aside the white strands away from her face. In that moment one would be able to catch a glimpse of what lay past those strands once it settled back in place. After staring out into the darkness of her room, she stood up to get ready for the day.

Once she finished lacing up her boots, the young woman stood to her full height and stretch. A yawn escaped her lips leaving time for an amused expression to settle on her face as she walked out of her bedchamber. The mansion was relatively quiet despite it being late, the only real audible sound she could hear were the soft thuds of her boots falling against the carpeted hallways. After turning a few corners and going down two flights of stairs Kisara came across a sight that most, if they weren’t aware of the situation, would have gawked at in horror. Limp bodies were scattered across the hallway of men and women, some of which had fallen against furniture to catch themselves when Kisara had first arrived. This hallway was not alone in that it was scattered with unconscious bodies, throughout the mansion the people who had worked within the mansion were knocked out. Smiling to herself, Kisara started to hum when she noticed that some of the people were beginning to shift in their sleep, ready to wake.

At this time of the morning it has become something of a routine to leave the mansion when Kisara started to hum. She did this due to the fact that the effects of her magic spell wore off after about a day had passed. However it only worked if you were awake or even slightly awake. If the victim was sound-asleep most likely the spell wouldn’t work. Once the spell had been reinforced those of her Guild walked back inside making it full of noise once more. With her hands held behind her back Kisara strode through the dining hall nodding her head at her guild-mates when required. At one point she found herself standing at the head of the table and eventually sitting down in the chair that was set there. Not long after someone came by whispering in her ear, losing her relaxed position, Kisara leaned forwards a sinister smile on her lips.

“Now, now everyone please quiet down.” Sadly she did not receive the desired result and so she waited for a bit longer after repeating herself; however that too fell upon deaf ears. With a frown her voice boomed across the hall in a menacing manner, “I said QUIET!. Hearing their leader shout, the mages immediately stopped in their activities and stood at attention. “Better, now it seems we have a little problem on our hands. Our dear mayor it seems has chosen to sell us out and has sent a request for help in overthrowing the dark guild known as Nightmare Hearts.” Almost immediately the mages stood up in an uproar and talking amongst themselves. “Sadly I have received this news two days late, the request has most likely reached some Guild and they are likely heading this way as we speak. So I shall say this once and only once. We will prepare to meet these unfortunate souls by mid-afternoon tomorrow. However most likely they will have their entire Guild so we will meet them with our entire Guild. You are dismissed to form teams or what have you.” Waving her hands at them, the rest of the Guild broke off into groups.

Standing away she caught side of a familiar robed figure and his accompanied mask. An almost kind smile settled on her lips as she approached him, “Oliver you’re with me whether you like it or not. I’ll need that eye of yours for later.”

Kisara & Oliver

”M’lady.” Oliver tipped his mask and bowed before his guild master theatrically. It was a habit he’d taught the servants of the mansions and it greatly amused Oliver. Every time he walked by, the housestaff bowed before him now. It was their best defence against many other of the dark mages as well, so in a way it had been a good deed by Oliver. Groveling before the more sadistic of Nightmare Hearts’ mages was the best way to avoid a beating, after all.

“My eye is yours, as always, master.” Oliver insinuated, as he followed Kisara in wide strides, and put his hands in his pockets. ”What would you need of me today?” He asked eagerly. Although his walk seemed nonchalant, it was quite obvious Oliver was psyched. He always grabbed any opportunity he could to serve Kisara, after all.

Her lips curled at the ends to form a hesitant smile at Oliver’s words. “I thought I had already asked you not to call me that.” She said as she walked away and towards the stairs that led to the cellar. Her tone was full of warning so hopefully he’d take heed to it. Paying him little attention after that Kisara walked down the cellar stairs. “Not today, later. Your ability isn’t of much use to me if the enemy isn’t going to arrive until tomorrow. “ Kisara’s words may have been a bit harsh but she rarely ever sugar-coated things. The pair finally reached the dank bottom of the stairs and onto cold stone. Grabbing a torchlight their shadows danced across the walls as they entered a recently made tunnel. Kisara didn’t make much effort in making conversation instead she whistled an odd tune. as the minutes ticked by the air started to hum with power “I don’t think I’ve taken you here yet Oliver.”

”Not yet, not yet.” Oliver hummed in the same melody according to Kisara’s tune. He was already whistling parts of it, even if it didn’t summon any magical effects like his master’s magic usually did. Because while Kisara had a tendency to keep to herself, Oliver always had a need of some kind of interaction.

Walking on further the two entered a large cavern; the floor was gone for the most part so the mages had built a makeshift bridge from where Kisara and Oliver stood to the other side. “Watch your step,” taking the lead in crossing the bridge. Once they crossed it they were met by another tunnel but unlike the one they had just passed through there were openings in the walls and it was in a spiral formation. As they got closer to the end of the stairs the sound of voices grew in volume. Soon enough Oliver would figure out the source the moment they entered an even larger cavern. The cavern was full of children, all of whom were either sitting or standing with scared and tired looks on their faces. For a brief moment a look of pain flashed across her face but she wouldn’t have been surprised if Oliver didn’t notice it.

This was due to the fact that the children weren’t the only ones in the cavern. Not very far from the group was large crystallized object stood surrounded by naturally made pillars of rock. Kisara walked onto a ledge that went all the way around the cavern, so she led Oliver closer to where the giant crystal lay. If one were to look close enough you could see, faintly, a shadow of some being that looked to be sealed within the crystal. “This is what we’ve come for. As for the children they will simply serve as its meal.” Looking over at Oliver she watched to see his reaction to all of it.

”But they’re so small.” Oliver gasped, as he set his eyes on the being in the crystal. ”Wouldn’t it be better to feed it adults?” He asked, wondering about how it would feel to be eaten by a creature trapped in a crystal. Would the crystal open like a large mouth? Was there a lid on top of it Kisara opened and dropped the children through a hole? Or maybe it sucked the life-force out of the room. Oliver shivered to look at his hand, but it seemed to have remained normal. He put them against the crystal and tried to stare deeper into it, to get some kind of idea what shape or form it had.

”Maybe we can feed it the mayor. He’s big and fat, so wouldn’t he be a good meal?” Oliver mused carelessly, not having noticed Kisara’s earlier show of emotion. ”And why are we feeding it at all? It all sounds like a big hassle. Why would you do that?”

“They don’t have the same vitality as the children do, so it would only result in failure and a lot more people would be needed.” Folding her arms, Kisara watched Oliver. “He wouldn’t be enough.” she said bluntly however her eye narrowed slightly at his questions. “A big hassle for maybe but I-we need to get this done. There’s a reason we do this, although I don’t particularly approve of the method it’s what he wanted us to do.” pausing for a moment, Kisara continued, “Hmm you haven’t met him yet have you. Of course not you’re too young. I’m sure you believe I’m the Guildmaster correct? Well that’s where you’re wrong, I’m only the stand-in the substitute if you will. He only lets a select few know of his existence but what he wants he gets. And he wants this crystal.”

”Another guild master?” Oliver shrugged casually at the reveal. It made sense, that. Nightmare Hearts was filled with sadistic and evil mages. While Kisara had enough crimes on her name to be a bonafide dark mage, she had an empathic streak others lacked. “Why doesn’t he show himself? And why does he want the crystal? There has to be a reason for both.” Oliver mused, even if he sounded somewhat disinterested. He couldn’t bring himself to care very much about a person he’d never seen.

There was something that did tickle Oliver’s interest though, and that was his presence in the caverns. ”And why are you showing me this, substitute master?” He asked, putting his index finger to his chin. ”And what should I call you now? Substitute master sounds silly.”

“Now why would I know that? He trusts very few people, so he probably doesn’t want the possibility of being overthrown is my guess. Power could be one of the reasons, however he hasn’t told me much as to what he plans to do with it and i could care less of what he does with it..” Kisara responded with a disinterested shrug of her shoulders to his question. Now that she thought about it, she wasn’t sure why she brought Oliver with her here. Her lips curled slightly at the ends after hearing substitute master, “Call me Kisara, that is my name. I care little for titles, makes me feel old.” With that being said, Kisara gazed at the large crystal before her for a little while longer before turning on her heel.

“Lets go, we have a fight with mages to prepare for.” Not waiting for a reply, Kisara left the way they came.

Oliver peeked one last time into the crystal, but he could still not see anything. ”Right behind you, Kisara!” Oliver affirmed, but he couldn’t help but be tickled by his unanswered question. Maybe the legal mages came for the crystal. They would certainly not like to find the children down in these dungeons. Oliver sighed… What was the point of going through the trouble of harvesting children for a guild master who never showed up anyway? It gnawed at the young mage, moreso than the part where innocents were being drained, but he didn’t have the time to wonder if he was supposed to catch up with Kisara.

Back at the manor, Oliver found it having emptied out. Perhaps it was Cind dragging victims into his room for playtime, or Winny seducing the lower of the guild members to be her playthings. Oliver wondered where Kisara and he would position their selves. As a last defence before the caverns? That would be odd, because very few in Nightmare Hearts even knew of the cave, if Oliver were to believe the substitute master, and they lived here. On the other hand, within a guild of thieves and assassins, there were more than a few magical artefacts stored in the manor… Perhaps it would make the perfect house of traps then… And Oliver’s ability was perfect for predicting their effect…

”What do we do now, Kisara? Should I wake some of the servants to help us prepare?” Oliver asked, or perhaps even begged because he just loved having people run around for him every once in a while. ”We sure have a lot of thingies we can use in preparation, don’t you think? Their owners won’t miss it when the command comes from you.”

She thought about his suggestion and it certainly seemed alright, "Why not but only a few of them lest they figure out how to wake the others up." Kisara glanced back at Oliver, a playful light in her eye. Turning her attention back forwards she bent down low and whispered something into a servants ear. The servant slowly woke up confused as to where they were until they saw Kisara and Oliver standing over them. Yelling in fright, she tried to get away but Kisara pulled her back by the shoulder a malicious look on her face. "Now, now, after all the trouble I went through to wake you up this is the thanks I get? No matter I have some things for you to do."

After telling the woman what to do, Kisara stood up and went in search for the next person to wake up. Eventually they had enough people, six to be exact, each one with their own set of instructions. They were to gather some of the artifacts a few of the mages had taken with them from either before they ransacked the town or from carrying out that very act. They didn't find as many as Kisara had assumed there to be but they would suffice. After they had gathered them, Kisara instructed the servants to place an artifact at every open hall in the manor. That way if and when mages stepped through they'd have to deal with the artifacts but it was unlikely that they'd come across each and every one of them.

In all honesty Kisara actually had little knowledge of what each and every artifact did. She knew one sealed a beast of some sort within it, another was a trap meant to teleport whoever stepped through its range to a random location within half a mile, the others she wasn't really sure what they did. Once the servants came back, Kisara found they only had about two more left so she kept them with her. Now that the servants had gathered around her once more she spoke to Oliver, "Cover your ears Oliver." The servants confused by what she said backed away slowly but it was already too late, Kisara had begun to hum her tune again.

Protecting his ears against the lullaby, Oliver watched as the servants fell one by one. Hopefully the legal guild would fall just as easily. Oliver never was one to favour fighting, so the having the manor traps and Kisara accompanying him were blessings. Nobody would stand a chance against their substitute guild-master on their homefront like this. Once all servants were back asleep, Oliver removed his hands from his ears and yawned jokingly, even though he hadn’t heard the spell at all.

”Anything else, or are we prepared for the goodie-two-shoes to come?” Oliver asked. ”Wouldn’t want them to get past us into the cave. I don’t think the mysterious true guild master would want such a secret unraveled. Not that many headlines make it far out of town, anyway...”

“No that will be all, now all we have to do now is wait for them to show up.” Glancing at the young man, Kisara shoved her bangs away from her face before letting them fall over her eye again. Sighing she turned to faced Oliver, “Come let us go, we’ll wait for them by the guardhouse.” There was a small guardhouse not far from the entrance to the manors grounds. Most often overlooked it due to it’s small size but what it made up in size it made up the watch tower it had, which was mostly hidden by tall trees surrounding the area. There they’ll wait until the mages come to take back the town from them.

It didn’t take long for the first couple of mages to enter the area surrounding the mansion. Watching from the tower that was a part of the guard house, Kisara wasn’t all that surprised that the mages were unaware of Oliver’s’ and her presence. Sitting with one knee bent under her chin, Kisara watched them with amusement glittering in her eye. Now wouldn’t be the best time to confront these little mages, it’d be one on three. Glancing over at Oliver she knew he wouldn’t mind her counting him out in a fight. Even with his precognition, it wouldn’t be good to rely on solely his precognition in a fight against experienced mages.

Unlike those who had gone out to deal with those in wondering the town. Kisara was well aware of the surprises that come with fighting a mage. Just because they looked weak or were too young meant nothing in this world. The woman had seen it enough times as well as experienced it first-hand. Thinking back on it, Kisara realized she could also be counted in one of those surprises when she was younger but she wasn’t sure if it would count now that she was older and it was expected of her. The very idea of having some of the mages in her Guild assume she’s the guild master for being the strongest was a foolish notion.

From the looks of things the only female amongst the three mages had a rather interesting magic. From her vantage point it was a bit difficult to see what exactly she had done but there was some sort of commotion going on between her and whatever it was she had made. A man? That very man scaled the walls with ease. Standing up so to follow the movements of this man Kisara glimpsed at the scuffle between him and one of her mages. “Pitiful but they were smart in doing so.” looking over her shoulder at Oliver, “Looks like we can’t surprise them here.” she said with a shrug of her shoulders as she followed the man back to her original position. The silence barrier she had the mage put up was no more as the sounds of their surroundings came back.

Once the barrier was down the trio ventured off towards the mansions doors. Standing up once more, she turned to Oliver beckoning to follow her. “It would be best that we get moving.” Taking the stairs to the ground floor of the watch tower she made sure to keep hidden by whistling a soft tune. It was only temporary and it really wasn’t the greatest trick in the world but for the time being it would keep any mages from really seeing her and Oliver. They’d only be able to see them at the corner of their eyes but it would be near impossible to actually look at Oliver and her directly.

She caught up to the trio just in time to see one of the men reduce the main doors to nothing but splinters. Oh a shadow mage, this should be quite interesting. The ends of her lips curling to form a Cheshire like smile. Kisara followed after the trio making sure to keep her distance from them but enough for her to watch them. It began to annoy her that their apparent leader was referring to her as “this Kisara”. The small spell she put herself and Oliver under kept the trio from noticing their presence as well as any sound they made but she would soon have to dispel it in order to take a proper breathe. That was really the only downfall in using this particular spell, but that never kept her from using it.

As the trio eventually split up she followed the one who had yet to show their magic. Pausing just enough to speak to Oliver, a sly look on her face. “Why don’t we play a bit of cat and mouse.” Focusing her attention back at the man (Virgil) she quickly stepped around him making sure to brush against him lightly so he’d know of a presence. Making sure to stay just outside of his peripheral vision as she let go of her spell for just a moment, Kisara made a quiet sound that could have been a giggle but as soon as she did she took a proper breathe and resumed her spell from earlier. It seemed Kisara was having fun in playing with the fellow (Virgil) her spell’s effects and her randomly dropping it could make any one person rather paranoid about them not being alone. With Oliver’s help Kisara was able to stay out of range of some of his attacks to the being that was accompanying him but none met their mark. The fellow continued to unwilling follow Kisara as she led him to one of the artifacts. This one would be better suited in dealing with the fellow and soon enough they entered a large chamber.

Turning around to make sure where it was she had placed the artifact, a smile fell upon her lips when her eye caught hold of a small urn. There we go walking over to its location Kisara pulled Oliver close, “I need you to throw this at our friend here and then run.” kicking the urn to Oliver’s feet Kisara brought a hand to head as if in salute and dropped her spell. Virgil would finally be able to see who it was that had been tormenting him but it was already too late. “Now!” the moment Oliver threw the urn at Virgil Kisara raised her hand, snapped her fingers and motioned towards where Virgil stood. A small circle of sound formed around her fingers which then left her hand and straight for the urn. It was almost like throwing a rock but without the rock. The moment it came into contact with the urn it exploded.

Suddenly a flash of light could be seen accompanied by a strong pulling sensation like a black hole. The urn swirled sucking up everything within a few feet of where it was and one of those things was Virgil. Even the ground around him was taken with. The light then went out and the urn fell to the ground spinning a bit until it settled on the ground as if nothing happened. “Well that gets rid of one person now for the girl.”

Hannah

There were already fights bursting out and Hannah ached to join one of them. The team of Seto, Elizabeth and Virgil had vanished from her sight and for some reason Aina had summoned a giant skeleton to aid her. Aaron engaged the threat that had been moving towards them, releasing a flash of light. Hannah knew this was the perfect opportunity and needn't think twice to make use of Aaron's attack. Requipping her bow, she pulled back a swallow-infused arrow and fired it towards Aaron's target. The projectiles weren't the strongest, but they would add up. Cind would be assaulted from all kinds of directions, as Hannah released one arrow after the other; each coming from a different arc she ordered her spirit arrows to take. Between her and Aaron, Anaida wouldn't need to lift a finger, Hannah thought.

---

Oliver

Before Kisara could finish, Oliver jerked the back of her top and pulled her around a corner in the room. “We don't want them to see us.” He shrugged casually, as not a few seconds later, Elizabeth appeared where Kisara and Oliver had stood before. She had come running after the sound and would surely notice the urn laying, or more importantly; the gaping hole on the floor!

Oliver though, had a plan... And best of all he could confirm it just by walking around the corner. Stepping into Elizabeth's sight, with a casual smile and a wave, Oliver greeted her; “Welcome to our manor.” He said, making a bow while simultaneously putting his hand on his magic tool as if it was part of the bow. “Oliver L. Eisenhauer, S-rank disassembly mage, at your service.” He lied between his teeth. Oliver's range of expressions and body-language was limited to nonchalant; making it impossible to tell his emotion or intentions except for those trained to do so or very close to him. He could see through his eye the woman wouldn't act recklessly, and this was to his advantage... Because he could foresee what would happen up to five seconds in the future...

“Speaking of disassembly magic, look out, above you!” Oliver yelled as he stretched his hand out to the ceiling just in front of Elizabeth, correctly predicting for her to take a step back at the threat of the roof crashing down on her. Instead, Oliver whipped out his magic weapon as it transformed into a chain, grabbing the urn and flinging it at Elizabeth's position. He then flung it onto a chandelier, to counter-act the force pulling him towards the black hole that it created.

“Did I do good?” Oliver smirked as Elizabeth, like Virgil before her, vanished from the room completely. However, they wouldn't be able to pull the same trick on the third mage, as the urn had began smoking...

“I think this has ran out of magic power, though.”

((Wrong location))

Gravity took its natural course as Elizabeth fell victim to the bluntly obvious trap of the classic hole in the floor, what surprised her was the man's magic with his ease of reading her next step. As the wind whistled past her ears making it would be clear that this hole would not the softest landing or when exactly it would reach the bottom. Nausea creeped up through her stomach as she pictured the various injuries that would come of it as her body naturally tensed in stress. Soon fear flooded her face as her mind quickly connected that this never ending darkness could become her grave, unmarked if Seto would fall in the fight. Her life seemed to flash before her eyes in slow motion as faces of Fairy Tail and her beloved Bato, despite his overprotective nature, the kindly elder did raise her. Shaking her head as if that was the cure from her fall, her crimson eyes widened as the possible evasion from the reaper came to mind. Taking a deep breath, she quickly pulled the book from her belt along with her quill. Adrenaline numbed the pain as the pointed edge slashed through her palm, which she dragged clumsily along the open book. Words slipped from her lips in the darkness " Protector, heed my words and come shield your damsel..I don't want to die". Her voice cracked as warm tears spilled down her cheeks as she felt the form of the Damsel attempt to emerge..with no affect. The pages of the book ripped from the binding encircling its summoner as the arms of a plated knight grasped its summoner to its cold chest.


The summon's appearance was just in time as a plume of dust scattered into the air as the duo slammed into the cold earth below. A hiss of pain came from Elizabeth's lip as her teeth bit down on her lips in an effort to prevent herself from screaming out loud. The knight below her was silent as grey eyes looked back into crimson orbs. In one movement, Elizabeth found herself effectively pinned beneath the metal man as gloved hands gently prodded about her body, her face heating slightly as his hands continued their inspection. Another hiss escaped her mouth as a gloved finger prodded at her ribs, confirming at least three of them were fractured at its worst broken. Despite not being able to the knight's mouth, it was obvious that his mouth would be set in a firm line of disappointment, Elizabeth merely smiled before muttering "Nice catch...". The knight nodded before easing himself to his feet, pulling his mistress to hers as well. The duo was silent as they both took in their 'almost' grave as darkness slowly edged into actual shapes as their eyes adjusted to the lack of the light. A plated gauntlet was raised in the southern direction of the room, as if that was the actual way out. Swearing under her breath, Elizabeth walked in the direction before tumbling over a large stone. ~Wonderful now my knees and ribs are going to need medical attention.~ Elizabeth thought irritably as she waved away the offered hand of the knight "If only I had some type of light to see where the hell I was going". Inspiration struck her like a slap to the face as she quietly thanked the Knight for the rescue, pressing her bloodied lips to his helm.

With that farewell, the knight vanished into shreds of paper once again with a bow towards his lady. Her poor book was looking terribly battered with dust and its paper savagely torn from the binding. Running a gentle hand along binding, as she took the pages from the book in a much slower manner with a practiced movement. Soon a circle of paper formed on the ground as she dripped a crimson droplet of blood on each in a deliberate manner as she took a deep breath reaching within herself to steady her magical flow. This was one of her most dangerous summons, one she only used in dire situations either in a battle against living opponents or the environment. Her voice seemed to echo throughout the cave "Brimstone and bone bring forth your guardian. Let the reins of hell be given to me for this time. Allow me to chain my soul to destruction, its leash my offering of magic.".

The temperature of the cavern seemed to heat up a few degrees with a lingering scent of smoke emerging. A singular pair of eyes blinked in the darkness, crimson as its summoner, as warm breath brushed against Elizabeth's face none too pleasant. Reaching under her robe for a strip of fabric to bandage her hand, the canine-like creature merely huffed in impatience as its sat on his hunches, rubbing at large ears of the hound she muttered "Good dog..now help me find a way out of this place." The hound blinked once before opening another set of his eyes as it padded towards the hopeful exit. Wordlessly Elizabeth followed the creature with hope in her heart, her wish was granted as she found the faithful beast seated at the top of a stone staircase waiting just next to the wooden door that would lead to her return to the main floor of the manor. Wrenching the door open with her bandaged hand, a faint smirk appeared on her face as she muttered to the summon "How would you like to find me another person. He can be your new chew toy...". A single wag of the beast's tail confirmed its agreement as Elizabeth started off in the direction hoping that it would lead her back to the mage who nearly killed her..his end would be much worse.

After splitting up from Elizabeth and Virgil, Seto found himself in a large, well furnished hall on the manor's ground floor. In the centre of the room stood a long, mahogany dining table, upon which was set a dark, jagged crystal. As soon as Seto had come within a few metres of the table the crystal begin to glow with an eerie, purple light, and appeared to be expanding. Seto's left hand instinctively went for the hilt of his sword, and it seemed he was right to do so. The crystal had now expanded into a quadrupedal shape the size of a small horse, complete with a long, jagged tail and a maw lined with rows of razor-sharp, crystalline teeth. The part of it that seemed to be its head had two small but bright lilac lights where it would have had eyes had it been an organic life form.

As soon as its "eyes" had caught sight of Seto, and lurched forwards and began hurtling down the table towards him, its claws splintering they table's surface as it went. However, Seto remained motionless with his left hand gripping the hilt of his katana as the monster charged towards him. Only once it had leapt off the table towards him did he move; in one clean motion he drew his blade, cast Corrosion over it and swung it through the beast, causing it to drop to the floor in two halves. Seto dispelled the darkness from his blade and returned it to its scabbard as he turned around to examine his handiwork. The lights had faded and there were cracks in both halves of the monster, so Seto safely assumed that it was no longer a threat. He wondered why Nightmare Hearts would bother setting up such a weak trap; he was almost beginning to hope that this Kisara would provide him with more of a challenge.

As if in direct answer to his thoughts, an explosion sounded merely rooms away. Knowing that it meant conflict, he immediately ceased his examination of the crystalline beast and sprinted towards the sound as fast as his legs would carry him.

Seto's curiosity had not been misplaced; the source of the sound seemed to be two dark mages stood by a smouldering hole in the floor. Whether or not his guild mates he been there he did not know, but he certainly hoped that they weren't at the bottom of the hole.
"Kisara, I presume?" Seto asked in order to make his presence known, "I was not aware that you would have assistance, but if he's at the same standard as the rest of your lackeys, this is going to be over very quickly."
As Seto spoke he cast Gauntlets over both arms, and then beckoned for one of the two dark mages to make a move.
"Let's get this over with, shall we?"

As she was walking around the corner something pulled her back and turned to glare at Oliver who only shrugged in a casual manner. The woman from before was soon standing where they had once stood. It was obvious she had come to help at the ruckus they had caused but that just made things that much easier. His magic certainly does come in handy. What may have been a grateful smile curled the ends of her lips.

Brushing white strands away from the left side of her face Kisara was surprised by the actions Oliver then took. The boy turned the corner and introduced himself as a disassembly mage and immediately Kisara understood his intentions. Leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the corner the woman listened in on Olivers web of lies and couldn’t help but snicker softly at his warning to the space above their heads. Hearing the ground get torn up again Kisara peeked around the corner to see the woman to be nowhere in sight and a smoking urn.

Stepping closer to the urn Kisara examined it before picking it up. “I believe so, well we could always recharge it but it’s rather impractical to carrying around an urn. Besides we still have the other artifacts to use, we’ll just have to bring the other mage to them if we can. “

Placing the urn back on the ground Kisara wondered just were exactly the shadow mage was. It was rather difficult to find people within the mansion but she knew its halls better than they would. Looking at her options the woman opted to go by random. "Kisara, I presume?" Her head snapped up in the direction the shadow mage stood. I should have known better. The damn explosion gave away our position. A sly smile slipped onto her face as she turned to face him. [color= #BF40FF] “And if I am?”[/color] Her voice was on the playful side, the woman was curious as to what he’d do. "I was not aware that you would have assistance, but if he's at the same standard as the rest of your lackeys, this is going to be over very quickly.” Looking over to where Oliver stood, she was curious as to what he’d think of the mages words.

“The rest of my lackeys? Oh so then you met the fodder then, must have been boring no? Don’t worry he isn’t like the rest of them, why else who he be with me.” Shifting her stance Kisara stood so that if she needed to she’d make a run for it. however that seemed unlikely when the mage beckoned then to make the first move. Frowning if just the slightest Kisara had never been one to make the first move under such conditions, she preferred to do so under the element of surprise. “Well there goes my running away. I wish this urn was still working I could have just sent you away like the rest of your friends.”

Glancing at Oliver she hoped the boy would remember what they had discussed before. Stepping forwards Kisara brought her fists up like a boxer would even her stance was the same. Looking around she then whistled a very high tune and it seemed like everything about her had begun to shake. Let’s just test him first. Stepping forwards quickly Kisara covered the distance between the two of them with an astounding speed. Her fist went for his face but it soon became apparent that it was feint when she brought her leg up to kick him in his side. The vibrations she assumed he no doubt noticed was centered on her leg, regardless of whether he blocked it or not he’d notice the effect of getting struck by it. Kisara wanted to know how strong he was but one kick won’t tell her what she needs to know. Once again that high pitched tune slipped through her lips as a wall of defense came up in case he decided to counter attack. It was a weak defense but she really just wanted to test him.

-

“All of them?” Oliver whistled at Seto’s claimed feat. “He must be pretty strong, Kisara. Not as strong as you, though.” He shrugged casually, taking a back seat.

“No, no, that’s too much credit Kisara.” Oliver waved his hand, dismissing her praise. He hadn’t lied as much as he had in the past few minutes in ages, Oliver thought to himself as he shrugged. He took a step back, folded his arms to support his neck and leaned against a nearby wall. “I’ll just watch, I’d only be in Kisara’s way when she wipes the floor with you.” Oliver said, but he’d do more than watching… He’d predict Seto’s moves and signal them through to Kisara in a whisper only she could hear...

Glancing at Oliver, Kisara hoped the boy would remember what they had discussed before. Stepping forwards Kisara brought her fists up like a boxer would even her stance was the same. Looking around she then whistled a very high tune and it seemed like everything about her had begun to shake. Let’s just test him first. Stepping forwards quickly Kisara covered the distance between the two of them with an astounding speed. Her fist went for his face but it soon became apparent that it was feint when she brought her leg up to kick him in his side. The vibrations she assumed he no doubt noticed was centered on her leg, regardless of whether he blocked it or not he’d notice the effect of getting struck by it. Kisara wanted to know how strong he was but one kick won’t tell her what she needs to know. Once again that high pitched tune slipped through her lips as a wall of defense came up in case he decided to counterattack. It was a weak defense but she really just wanted to test him.

From how quickly she got in Seto read Kisara was strong in close quarters. She was fast, but Seto himself was no slouch either, as he had already began to weave with his hands. “Shadow Make: Shockwave!”

A powerful spherical blast released from his palm, with the strength to blow everything far away, but Seto wasn’t done yet. “Shadow Make: Pillar!” He followed up; summoning a tall, thick shadow construct behind his opponent. His shockwave by itself might not do much damage, but if Seto managed to knock Kisara into the pillar, it sure would hurt.

It was only due to her sound barrier that she wasn't flung back much. Considering how weak she had made it Kisara was pushed back with some force but much of it was kept from her face as she brought her arms up. Coming to a stand still his next move was forming a pillar right behind her, although with her back to it she wasn't quite aware of it being there. Glancing over her shoulder Kisara saw the pillar and smirked turning her attention to the man in front of her. "So close." Straightening Kisara pulled her arms back as far as they'd go before slamming her palms together to form a loud shockwave of pure sound. The wave of sound had more force behind it than Seto's previous attack and would not be stopped by some form of defense. It would then vibrate and continue forwards until it was past an obstacle, of course dodging it was a whole other matter as the wave itself did not cover much width compared to its area.

Jumping forwards right behind the shockwave Kisara drop kicked Seto. Dodging it would result in another wave of sound but of a much smaller scale as the entirety of her leg was covered in sound waves.

“Shadow Make: Forge!” Seto chanted, creating rather than a solid defence a soft one. A black pillow appeared in front of him, but not just one… An entire wall of pillows divided the two combatants! It absorbed the soundwave, even if most were destroyed and severed into particles of black energy; in and of itself making a smokescreen for Kisara…

“Disappointing.” Seto murmured, clasping his hands together once more for what he considered the final blow. Using the smashed pillows and their darkness as a cover, he forged the particles into a giant wolf’s maw behind Kisara, which surely would intercept her dropkick if she kept going… Weren’t it for a little warning. Oliver, who had been watching the whole fight both in the present and future, had tipped Kisara few seconds before before Seto’s spell would even be cast.

“Shadow Make: Fenrir!”

In a sense having that screen was to her benefit however she herself could not see her opponent. It was thanks to Olivers words of warning that she knew of Seto's oncoming attack. However it was difficult to change her trajectory so quickly. The first thing Kisara tried to attempt was bring her arms back down to form a new sound wave that was just a single beam of concentrated sound. Letting her body continue its course she used a loose wave of sound to stop her movement although she came to a jittering stop.

Barely catching herself Kisara whistled a pitch that would make those with sensitive ears cry and if one was too close their ears bleed a little. Suddenly her body seemed to vibrate just the slightest and she slammed her palms into the ground bringing her legs up into a single handstand.The action cause the ground to tear up as it rippled and moved to let the sound go its course. The sound filled the room cracking the walls and going so far as to shake most of the mansion.

Letting her body roll forwards she used her momentum to push forwards. Bring her fist up in hopes it would connect with its intended target as he would no doubt be stumbling to get himself balanced. After that shrill whistle most if her movements were incredibly fast with a little bit more power behind them. If Seto managed to evade the punch he'd still have to deal with the small push behind it. Following up after that punch Kisara would take as many chances she can to attack Seto before her spell ran out along with most of her energy and hopefully his.

The trembling caught Seto off balance; causing his attack to disperse. Quickly Seto widened his stance to remain on two feet, bracing himself for an oncoming attack, but Kisara was too fast for him to properly bring his guard up. Gutted in the stomach, the Shadow Make mage was sent sliding through the room. That Kisara was more perceptive than he’d thought… And fast too! Despite the gut-wrenching blow he’d suffered, Seto was still in decent shape to counter;

”Shadow Make: Bind!”

Tendrils spiraled from the the floor in front of Seto. He’d been observant enough to notice Kisara had only gone for frontal attacks at melee range so far… And no matter how fast she was, if she’d fall into his trap now she would be immobilised… If only Oliver didn’t whisper of these plans to Kisara as well...

Even with the shadowy tendrils now in her way Kisara merely let sound erupt from her body as a sort of armour that pushed and cut the inky black away. A smile broke out onto her lips. It had been a while since she had this much fun. If it weren't for Oliver she would have had quite a bit of trouble dealing with the mage. Once she figured out what his magic was exactly she understood how it worked for the most part but the spells capable of being cast were unknown to her.

Dropping down low she twisted her body so that her legs were in the air and kicking out at anything close to them. They destroyed a few of the tendrils before she used her arms to push herself upwards and onto her feet. The dark mage was curious as to how Oliver was holding up and was a bit surprised the Shadow Mage hadn't figured it out yet. Her speed was obviously diminishing but that didn't mean wasn't a force to be reckoned with. Standing still for once as her previous spell died away Kisara breathed heavy for a moment before it calmed down enough to not be so noticeable.

"Have you had enough boy? I'm a bit surprised you've held up for so long. Many of my opponents would have been out by now." A cheeky grin danced on her face as she awaited his reaction. All she was doing was giving her time to rest even if it was only a little.

”Hmph, you’re better than you let on.” Seto gritted. The flurry of attacks was taking the toll on his body, and it took Seto more than a little effort to stand up. When he got on his feet once more, however, his eyes had darkened and given Kisara a death glare. She needed time to recover, and he needed time to think. Sure, his opponent was fast, but it was as if she was acting on instinct; knowing exactly how to counter his Shadow Make at a second’s notice. He needed to corner her, focus on forcing an opening… But that was no easy feet against an opponent with that much speed… Unless…

”Shadow Make: Gauntlet.” Seto chanted, as shadows black as pitch wrapped from his wrists to his knuckles. Adapting a boxing stance, Seto gestured Kisara to come at him…

“Oh, he’s a tricky one.” Oliver whispered through Kisara’s linked spell, quite amused by what he’d seen. ”It’s a trap, Kisara.” He warned, already seeing what would happen if Kisara would continue her straight-forward attacks. “Once he touches you, he’s going to hit you good. Be careful.”

[color=BF40FF] “Is that so?”[/color] she said with a smirk. Wiping away a bead of sweat as it rolled down her jawline. The Sound Mage was somewhat surprised that her opponent would want her to make the first move this far into the game but she would nonetheless. However even if she had the heads up she’d have to be careful with how she approached it. The woman was already reaching into her reserves thanks to her last spell and her magic wasn’t exactly meant for sneak attacks. Now how to deal with this fellow. An idea then came to mind but she’d have to time it perfectly in order for it to work correctly.

Taking her own stance it was similar to Seto’s but more relaxed. Looking at him closely she could see that his stance was slightly off but it wouldn’t give him too much trouble considering how well he’s been doing so far. His magic’s a tricky one and annoying. Rolling her shoulders Kisara took quick steps forwards jabbing at his face. It was a feint meant to lessen the amount of area he hit with his attack as well as to keep him from noticing the two magic seals. One was hovering close to her body ready to move to where he attacked, while the other seal was being formed underneath him. The first defensive seal was weak in order to concentrate power in the offensive seal, so Kisara was taking a risk with this. Before Seto would even realize, hopefully, a barrage of concentrated sound would erupt from the ground below him.

Blasted up in the air, Seto realised something… Kisara’s ability wasn’t to quickly adapt… It was to predict his moves. His train of thought came to a halt as he was smashed into the ceiling, as dust dwindled down upon the scene as a lazy summer rain.

”Clever-” Seto groaned, feeling his body ache all over, especially when he barely caught himself dropping down. If anything, the sweat on Kisara’s brow proved she had underestimated his resilience, but the dark mage was still in far better shape than him. He circled his opponents slightly, placing Kisara between Oliver and him.

Seto rapidly made a sign, ”Shadow Make: Dart!” He chanted, launching a seemingly straightforward attack to Kisara, who easily dodged it thanks to Oliver’s warning… But then the spell continued on it’s way towards Oliver… Who also dodged it, even though the attack should have come from a blind spot for the masked mage.

”-I was wondering why you didn’t go for a direct attack last time.” Seto frowned, though even the expression itself hurt. He had to think quickly, but now he had figured out their secret, Kisara and Oliver would likely give him no quarter… He had to think fast… But the dust from the ceiling still lingering gave Seto an idea… But it was risky and would demand all his remaining magic supplies…

”Darkness Embodied: Titan!”

Dark energy sprouted from Seto’s skin like ribbons; strapping around his body layer by layer. His right arm grew fastest, and with a massive force it would rampage through the room; destroying the ceiling and walls alike. Unchecked, Seto would cloud the entire room with dust and debris… But it wouldn’t end there. From the amassed dark energy, locusts would sprout and swarm the room…

Oliver knew what was coming, as well as that he would be unable to stop it by himself. “Kisara! Don’t let him finish his move!” Oliver yelled at the sound mage, for the first time in the fight worrying about what was coming...

The dark Mage did all she could to get out of the way of the falling ceiling, letting loose a volley of short blasts of sound to destroy any falling debris. Taking note of Oliver's instructions Kisara rushed towards Seto just as a decently large chunk of the ceiling fell in between them. Jumping back in time to avoid it a cloud of dust burst into the air clouding her vision.

Coughing briefly for once in the whole time they were fighting Kisara seemed to be under strain. Knowing she wouldn't reach him in time, Kisara formed a new seal and brought it to her lips and then blew on it. The seal began to grow in size until it formed a near complete barrier around herself. A brief look of relief flashed across her face but she realized Oliver was no longer near enough to be within the barrier. Frowning Kisara began to whistle in order to keep the barrier up while moving towards Oliver. She couldn't risk running least her breathe stutter and lose the barrier. It was obvious she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long, not because she was running out of energy but the sheer fact that if she stopped to breathe the barrier would fall.

Kisara knew the barrier was weak since she made it so it could last. The sound Mage only had enough energy to do one or two more spells regarding sound but even her body was beginning to become sluggish.

A swarm of shadow locusts danced alongside the dust; an ill omen if there was any. Many would land on Kisara’s barrier, slowly but surely eating their way through her magical shield. However, Oliver was not so lucky…

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!” The boy squealed, rubbing his eyes and jolting around. While nobody could see anything, Kisara as a sound mage would probably realise Seto’s strategy at this point.

With nothing to see, there would be no predicting any of the shadow mage’s attacks… Whereas Seto would use sound as a rough locator… Specifically Oliver’s cries.

The titan’s arm swept across the room in Oliver’s direction, using it’s girth as a substitute for accuracy. It hit Oliver with it’s wrist and slammed him into - No, through the wall! In one hit, Oliver had been taken out and the playing field had been levelled. However, Seto understood that this trick wouldn’t work on Kisara. Not on it’s own at least. The titan’s hand reached for the whistling sound, but dispersed into a dozen of tentacles; each and every single one, once having found their way to the barrier, wrapped around it. Seto patiently waited for Kisara to drop her barrier, at which exact moment, the tentacles would make a full-body wrapper, leaving the sound mage no way to escape.

Shit her brow furrowed as her mind worked hard in deciding her next move. If she understood correctly the shadow mage was waiting for her to lose focus and lower her guard, thus weakening her barrier even more. Kisara could already see that the locust were eating away at it and she wouldn't be able to continue for very much longer. Her lips set into a grim line Kisara let her barrier drop and in those few seconds used the remainder of her magic to hopefully push back the tentacles.

Slamming her hands together a burst of sound exploded from her fingertips either destroying or pushing back anything out of her arms reach. It honestly wasn't strong enough to seriously injure a person let alone destroy the amount of tentacles to get her out this predicament. Cursing under breathe Kisara knew it was pointless to struggle since she not only had no more magical energy to rely on but she was now constricted with little to no room to move.

Kisara’s spell only delayed the inevitable. The darkness embodied spells were the strongest in Seto’s arsenal and resilient as well. Tentacle by tentacle wrapped her form in cold darkness, blocking her sight, chilling her skin and constraining her every movement. It was not hard to see where this branch of Seto’s magic got it’s title from…

Except for that of his tentacles arm, the mass of shadow muscles dispersed from Seto’s body, leaving a heavily panting mess of a man, clearly paler than his usual self. Coldly he stared at the grip he had on Kisara, for a sliver of a second lost in thought. With his muscles resisting every move, Seto used his free hand to weave one final sign.

“Shadow Make: Bind.”

The tentacles emitted dark energy, dispersing into the atmosphere and the remainders shrunk to the tendrils Kisara had cut through so easily before. They mummified her, putting emphasis on binding the ankles, wrists and jaws tightly together. Although it was evident the spell was inferior to it’s predecessor, it would still easily serve it’s purpose of keeping Kisara in check in her weakened state.

Exhausted, Seto dropped to his knees, grabbing the case of his katana to keep himself from falling over. Now the scene had settled, he looked at the wreckage around him. The destruction was a sight to behold, the room not even remotely reminiscent of how it had looked when he first entered it and some of the blackest of his magic still wandering in the air… But past that he could see the bound Kisara and the unconscious, but breathing Oliver, and Seto couldn’t help but smile.

“Fairy Tail wizards do not take lives, isn’t that right, master?”

Cind watched with a sneer on his face at his work. He was a bit surprised by what happened next. The dome of smoke he had formed around the mage was suddenly flung back by black light; the same kind that the kid had used earlier. Bringing his hands up to retaliate, Cind didn’t have enough time as he was soon blinded by the blast of light. Squinting the dark mage quickly formed a shield around himself to block out the light. The shield wasn’t solid enough to be considered a wall but instead it retained its smoky look. He barely had enough time to register the oncoming attack from above when felt something breach his smoke shield.

Instinctively, and without using any hand motions the smoke erupted to coat the spear with a thick burning substance. It slowed down its path but it moved past the smoke nonetheless. Cind was able to step away from it thanks to his smoke but he want prepared for the blast of light. With his smoke shied more or less still intact it took some of the blow but the dark mage was unable to fortify his smoke.

Flung backwards Cind skidded across the ground, earning him a few cuts and burns. Laying on the ground for a brief moment in shock, rage quickly filled his being and he got up. Throwing his fist back, thick smoke swirled around his hand to form a large spear which was soon launched into the air and right for Hannah. The funny thing with this particular spear was that it was very thin but the moment it got close enough to Hannah it would expand into a spiked ball.

If a glare could kill it certainly would with Aaron in his sight. Walking towards him, Cind snarled, his hair was now dishelved. “You snot-nosed little bastard! I’ll wring your neck for that!” The dark mage brought his hands together as if he were about to wring Aaron’s neck. The smoke in response to Cinds actions formed a dense cloud around the light mages head. Like the rest of his previous attacks it had that burning acid like trait to it. It was meant to distract the kid long enough for Cind to get close enough and slip a pick of solid smoke between the mages ribs.


The Guild master watched with keen eyes as the fight ensued. It was when Aaron repelled the dark mages magic that she felt the sudden surge of magical energy. Looking in the direction of the source she realized that it was where Seto and his team had gone. It seemed Aaron and Hannah had things under control so without giving Aaron much of a heads up, Anaida ran off to the magical surge. The woman did of course wave to Hannah up in the sky seeing as the girl would no doubt see her.
It wasn’t that she was worried about Seto and his group but at that level, it might have been the Guild master of this Nightmare Hearts. She trusted her guild mates’ power but they weren’t ready to face someone like that, at least not yet. She was glad no one was on the streets otherwise she’d have trouble reaching her destination in a timely manner.

Anaida ran towards the gates, pausing long enough to check on the unconscious body on the ground. Breathing a sigh of relief it wasn’t any of her mages. Continuing on further to the mansion, there was a brief surge of power and part of the manor collapsed. “What!?” Walking quickly now Anaida stepped into the manor with caution. From what she could tell there weren’t actually any mages here aside from a few strong ones. Sadly she was unable to tell if they were her mages or the dark guilds. Ignoring the rest of them Anaida felt something else as well, a darker magic but it was very dull so she chose to ignore it.


Roxie nodded in understanding of what Dami advised her not to do. When the last rumble passed, even from here the small girl could feel the ground pulse with magic for a brief second. The ceiling of the cavern shuddered and bits of dirt and rock fell from up above. Frowning the girl knew they shouldn’t be here any longer. Turning to the kids Roxie paced her hands on her hips, trying to make herself as intimidating as possible. “You saw that right. If those mages continue fighting up there the caverns ceiling’s gonna break. We need to get put of here. Do you think the big kids can form a sort of stage for the smaller kids to go up and we small kids can pull you guys up?” Some of the children looked at her dumb foundely, surprised by her escape plan.

“Well it’s worth a shot.” said one of the older kids. That very same kid rounded up the rest of his age group and they formed a sort of stepping spot for the kids. Some even pushed the kids up to the ledge as none of them was tall enough to reach it on their own. Soon enough all of the little kids were at the top and the strongest teen helped pull the rest of them up. Now that they all stood out of their prison they smiled and Roxie then led them out of the cavern. “Come on I think it’s this way.” leading them past the opening that would take them back into the manor. The white haired girl was relieved that they hadn’t come across anyone so far.



Anaida continued to run down the halls but slowed when she reached an area bathed in light. The woman wasn’t able to see around the corner but she could tell a fight had transpired there. Edging closer to the large opening, Anaida heard the pitter patter of feet. Tensing for a brief moment, she stared in the direction the footfalls were coming from. The moment that shock of white hair and small form stepped around the corner Anaida released a sigh of relief.

Roxie grinned taking quick steps to reach her Guildmaster, however Anaida brought her arms up to stop the girl. She did indeed stop turning around to keep the children from going any further. It was then that Roxie’s band of children noticed the large opening in the wall. Bits of brick had scattered into the hallway and light streamed through. Looking over at Anaida wit a look of worry, the woman nodded to her and then stepped into the hole.

With fists raised in case someone decided to surprise her, the woman herself was a bit surprise to see that Seto stood in the barely recognizable room. The place was a complete mess, a woman lay bound on the floor and a younger man was knocked out on the floor. “What in the world? Roxie you can come out now with the children, it’s just Seto.” Motioning for the children to follow her lead, Roxie gingerly walked around the wreckage while the children peeked through the opening. Upon seeing them Kisara growled and squirmed a bit, “You released the children?” Letting her head fall back to the ground, the sound mage chuckled to herself. “I assume the others have been taken care of?” turning her attention to the woman with black hair. It was easy to tell that Anaida was the guildmaster, not only by her obvious age but with the way she carried herself.

“Yes for the most part. Are you disappointed?” Anaida crouched next the dark mage. “And I’m guessing you’re the Guild Master Kisara correct?” Nodding silently Kisara answered to the former, “Far from it actually. I was getting sick of their company.” A smirk settled on her lips, the way the dark mage was reacting to it all was rather odd. Anaida sighed, standing up she looked at Seto, “Keep her bound for now. She and her guild will need to answer to the Council when we get back.” Turning her attention back on Roxie, Anaida began to question the small girl. “I’ll be back Seto. I assume you can handle things for the time being. The other should be arriving shortly.”

As she passed Dami, Anaida tapped him on the shoulder for him to come with her. “Lead me to this crystal Dami.”

Led by Dami through the mansion, the two arrived before the entrance to the tunnel. Pausing at the entrance, Anaida ran her hand over the edges of the tunnel. The two entered the the tunnel but this time the guildmaster took the lead. It wasn't hard to know where to go, the older woman could feel the dark power from the crystal Dami informed of. After a while the tunnel opened up into an immense cavern. "It's over here." Following his directions, Anaida turned to the right and now stood on a wide ledge that went around the entire cavern from what she could tell.

She looked over her shoulder at the young Mage, "Stay there Dami. I don't want you to get hurt. " The crystal stood all alone, dark waves of power rolling off its obsidian surface. With a deepening frown, Anaida now stood in front of it. Anaida placed her palm on the smooth sides and took a deep breathe. The crystal was a part of the cavern ceiling, meaning once she destroyed it, the cavern would cave in. "Dami I need you to leave now. I can't guarantee that this place will stand on its own very soon." Checking to see if the crystal Mage did leave, she was relieved to see that his was nowhere to be seen.

Anaida looked up, sizing up the crystal and a small smile crept onto her lips. "Mm you'll be a fun one." Stepping away from the crystal, Anaida shook her hands then pulled back her fist. Suddenly rocking forwards, as her fist neared the crystal it took on a scaly appearance as it slammed into the sides of the crystal. A shock wave erupted upon contact shaking the surrounding area within the carvers. It only took a split second for a crack to form and then spread throughout the crystal. Quickly stepping back, Anaida could see that the crystal was crumbling in on itself as was the cavern.

The Guild Master spent no time getting out of the carven. As she entered the manor she checked to see if her guild mates were still inside. Walking out, Anaida saw that everyone had gathered in the front grounds. Seto still had Kisara, along with the other dark Mage that was with her, tied up by dark tendrils. She wasn't sure how many of the dark mages had been taken care of and how many were able to escape, however for now she was happy to see that everyone was there. Beckoning for everyone to gather around her, Anaida placed her hands on her hips with a look of triumph on her face.

"You've done well today. Today Fairy Tail has set free a town once held captive."

Anaida led her Guild back home, making sure everyone’s injuries were sought to. It took them a little longer to get back home than it did getting to Annandale since they now sported a group of roughed up Dark Mages.

The first stop they made was in a small village by the name of Crawstoack. There Anaida sent a group of S-Class mages to gather the Dark Mages and head off towards the courts that would put them on trial for their actions. The following morning they set off once more to Magnolia. With the Dark Mages no longer being there, the Guild Traveled a bit more quickly and they arrived home as the sun was setting. The majority of them broke away from the group heading to their Guild Hall to go home.

The Guild Master was one of the few who went back to the Guild Hall. Opening the large doors, when they reached the Guild, Anaida stepped into the dark building. The darkness didn’t seem to bother her at all as she gracefully navigate around the tables, while the other mages stumbled about, grumbling about not being able to see well.


Eventually they all made it to their rooms and had fallen asleep before their bodies hit the mattress. Anaida on the other hand continued to walk around the interior of the guild. Checking up on the few who slept there, a smile found its way onto her face every time she peered into the rooms of sleeping mages.





The young girl mostly stuck to herself, strumming her guitar out of boredom on the way back. When they finally reached Magnolia, Roxie split ways with her guild after a while of walking with them. Roxie realized she had never stopped by her house to tell her mother of her departure a few days ago. Biting her lip, Roxie quickened her pace back home.

When she got there, Roxie was glad that the lights were still on within the house as well as outside. Skipping up the doorsteps, Roxie stopped in front of the door thinking of knocking when she remembered her key. Oh right” She dug into her pocket, pink tongue poking out, and breathed a sigh of relief upon pulling out a small grey key. “Oh good, I didn’t lose it”

Inserting the key into its keyhole, Roxie turned the knob and quietly entered her home. The small girl made sure to be as quiet as possible, tip toeing around as she took her shoes off and set her guitar down in the hallway. Looking ahead, she saw that there was a light in the living room, most likely coming from their fireplace. She’s still up? came the concerned thought as Roxie poked her head around the corner.

She was glad to see that her mother had fallen asleep but she could tell it was a light sleep by her fluttering eyes. Roxie walked over to her mother and smiled down at her. Shifting on her, Roxie turned to the fire place and took out the poker to move the logs a bit. The sound was loud enough to wake up her mother, which she did, and Roxie quickly put the poker back down. Turning on her heel, Roxie pushed herself into her mothers unsuspecting arms, burying her head into her mothers shoulder. A small gasp was the only sound her mother made before she returned the gesture. “I’m home mum”