The Sunny Tower Of No Return | Job | Frederick and Zoe

LET'S MAKE THIS FLEETING MOMENT LAST FOREVER

there's no regretting anymore.

A yawn escaped the light blonde’s slightly pink lips as she descended down to the guild hall of Sabertooth from the room quarters up above. Ruffling her blonde hair which was open and cascading down her back, it gave her a somewhat rough look matched with her attire which consisted of denim jeans and a black oversized sweater accompanied with a pair of sneakers.

Slightly humming to herself, Zoe made her way over to the kitchen and got herself a waffle, pouring some syrup over it and not bothering to have some etiquettes whilst eating such as grabbing a plate and sitting, she just nommed upon it whilst walking out of the kitchen.“Damn, this thing is good!” A heavenly sigh escaped her lips as she kept munching on the waffles and made her way over to the board that held the job request sheets. Time for another job and a good one at that; Zoe was indeed in quite an uplifting mood and nothing better than accomplishing a job to make her internally and externally shine more. Her blue hues roamed over the job board, a thoughtful look on her face – however, one that was hidden by the waffle into which she bit and chewed. "Hmm, which one? Which one?”

Wiping one of her hand on her jean, the light blonde reached forward to grab one of the papers of the board and read the title. “The Sunny Tower Of No Return.” She spoke, almost in a whisper to herself. “Sounds a like cheesy horror movie.” Pushing away the joke she made about the job, Zoe read it over, her eyebrow slightly raised at the contents in the job. Mystic Tower; as legend had it, whoever entered the place were never to return except in the form of letters being sent to their families however, those letters contained quite disturbing things as though the victim had found a new meaning in life. The place where none could fathom into had received a recent guest in the form of the client’s daughter however, she never returned and all that came from her were some letters praising the sun for some reason.

“Yup, definitely a cheesy horror movie.” Zoe commented as she began to move forward, her waffle held in one hand and the job sheet held in another as she still gazed at it contemplating whether to take this request or not. It would give her a chance to solve this mystery behind Mystic Tower and she had wondered about it since a long time when she had first stumbled upon the myth behind the tower. Moreover, the reward seemed very good too. There was no harm in accepting the job, after all. The most that would happen is that she would never return and Sabertooth would receive mysterious letters from her maybe, praising a cat; her new meaning in life. The thought made a smile crack on Zoe’s face.

However, that smile would soon disappear when she would bump into a person and fall to the ground on her butt with a ‘thud’ with the waffle and paper flying from her hands. “Hey, watch where you’re go–“ However, her words would soon stop spewing from her lips as she would gaze upon the figure she was unfortunate of bumping into and more specifically, with wide eyes, she would stare at the waffle’s syrup that had accidently been spilled on his cloak when the waffle came into contact with the figure.

LET'S MAKE THIS FLEETING MOMENT LAST FOREVER

there's no regretting anymore.

Almost as if his anger was coming upon her like a hurricane, Zoe could feel it radiating from the very core of Frederick’s being. It was this moment, she wondered whether fate was extremely and utterly bored that out of the huge magnitude of wizards within the confines of the guild of Sabertooth; why had she had the unfortunate luck of bumping into perhaps, the only person in the entire guild that she despised with a burning passion. And as the light blonde witnessed the edible item referred to as a waffle slowly trickling down the man’s head and onto his clothes; it was as if she were to be witnessing a timed bomb slowly ticking, raising the anxiety around the atmosphere for the catastrophe and demise that was to follow. But then again, anything that spewed out of this man’s mouth was a cataclysm in itself; for others, that is.

And when Fredrick’s lips parted to speak, the female knew that this was not going to end well. Yes, Zoe was a little bit intimated by the man however, at the same time, she had a back bone that could not be bent even if a hammer struck it a million times. Being one with a feisty attitude, it was crystal clear that Fredrick’s words were causing a reaction from her which could be depicted by the slight twitching of her eyebrow as he blatantly insulted her sight and even went on to claiming that a job of that level which she had supposedly decided to conquer was beyond her feeble abilities. And the waffle that followed after that being brutally thrown onto her lap was perhaps, the last straw that she would bear.

Glancing up at the man, her blue hues glazed with irritation; the female slowly stood to her feet after wiping the waffle syrup from the jeans that she had worn in the morning. Thankfully, the food item caused a lot more pandemonium upon Fredrick’s being than on hers and at this moment, she was somewhat glad for what happened. Clearly, someone needed to strike him and not be conquered by fear and the fact that her waffle was the one that had the fortune of experiencing that feeling of being able to hurt the man with its deathly syrup made the blonde extremely happy. But as she raised her head slightly and narrowed her eyes, the female would speak however, the words that would escape her lips were in a rush of anger and were, probably something that she would regret later on; a lot.

“First of all, my eyes work perfectly fine, for your information. I was engrossed in doing something productive aka reading a job sheet so I would be able to help those who need it. And I’m pretty sure that’s not something you would ever do, now would you? All your little brain can come up with is how to insult people. Well, if you have expected me to run away crying or whimper in fear, then forget it! Because that’s not what I do, ya hear me? And even if the job is of a high-level, I am confident I can accomplish it because a good challenge once in a while is what makes a person stronger. Though, honestly speaking, I doubt you can even take this job; just go to your little corner and come up with more insults, why don’t ya?”

A light smirk engulfed her lips as the blonde slightly flipped her hair and walked past Fredrick. However, she wasn’t done yet. “Unless of course, that’s not all you do. If you’re not a scaredy cat, why don’t you come with me on this job? If you got the guts for it, that is. Let’s see how bad the big, bad 'Fweddy' really is~”

LET'S MAKE THIS FLEETING MOMENT LAST FOREVER

there's no regretting anymore.

The grip that suddenly placed itself on her arm and tugged her backwards did well enough to slightly surprise the blonde-haired girl; especially, from the forcefulness of it. As Fredrick’s hand clenched around her wrist, roughly pulling her backwards, Zoe had to clench her teeth to not let a curse escape her lips; she assumed that the male was already angered to begin with from her previous antics and that insulting him even further would result in no benefit for her; perhaps, a grave but nothing more than that. And as much as his reactions amused the blonde mage, even she was keen enough to know where the line was crossed. However, when had she ever been one to listen to her brain?  Because as the words spewed out of his lips clearly laced with threatening comments, the female’s eyes only narrowed further; her glare piercing icily towards him.

The fact that angered her the most was his ego; yes, he possessed powers, perhaps, five times equivalent of hers however, his attitude in regards to others did nothing to make others shower respect towards him; they only feared and cowered in his presence that it made the blonde haired female question the sanity of the person who allowed Fredrick to join Sabertooth. Hatred was filled in her core to the brim but that was justified considering his behavior not only towards her but towards everyone. Regardless of the indication that he could, indeed, squash her like a bug, the female was beyond caring.

It were his next words that made Zoe slightly widen her eyebrows; surprise overcoming her features which was quite prominent was no attempt to mask it was made from her side; her mouth hanging in shock and eyes widened considerably. “Wait, what?” The question left her lips; astonishment clearly portrayed through it. He would be accompanying her on this job; now, that was clearly one result that had not been anticipated. Yes, she predicted he would strike her down and kill her and probably, throw her body somewhere none could find or if she was lucky enough, he would leave her without any hassles. However, the mere prospect of him accompanying her on a job was enough to render him immobile for a few mere moments until he commanded her to lead the way.

Now, this would indeed be interesting.

Still a little baffled, the light-blonde haired girl trudged forth leading the way out of the guild hall. However, her silence may have been a testament to her shock but one thing was certain; it would not last for long. The predicament that had fueled her mind for a moment was now gone. And as they walked over to the train station; Zoe caught a look of Frederick from the corner of her eyes grimacing slightly. Attempting a mission as crucial as this was on one hand, perhaps, a benefit taking into account that Frederick was indeed quite powerful and could vanquish their foes however, the similar Lord-Pain-In-The-Ass as the light blonde preferred to call him was indeed going to be a torture to endure during this mission.

Not to mention, the heavy silence between the two was suffocating Zoe and hence, she spoke the first thought that popped in her mind as she recalled upon their previous conversation; one word sticking out profusely in her brain that he preferred referring to her as. “You know.” She started, dragging on the latter part of the word to grab his attention. “You should really stop calling other females wench. That’s extremely rude; even for you. A woman should be treated with respect, you know. Not called wench so mind your tongue, Lord Pain-In-The-Ass.” Of course, the name calling was unintentional however, the mere nickname had slipped from her lips without the blonde haired female even noticing it. Of course, when she did notice, her eyes widened as she internally facepalmed herself, aware that this slip of the tongue would not go unnoticed at all.

LET'S MAKE THIS FLEETING MOMENT LAST FOREVER

there's no regretting anymore.

“Excuse me?” A quirk of an eyebrow shot upward as the young female folded her hands underneath her chest shooting a look of disdain at her accomplice; Frederick. Not only had he blatantly told her that she was not a woman, he even referred to her as ‘brat’. Of course, the wise choice would be to not instigate him any further or continue on with the argument; after all, Zoe could just have remained silent and continued forth on their journey until it absolutely required for them to communicate. But where would be the fun in that? For starters, she had never expected Frederick to associate himself with her on a job from the mere moment they had met however, how this scenario had come to pass still stupefied her. And if they were going to be in each other’s company with haughty remarks thrown from one to another then the blonde would certainly not back down.

A sneer escaped her lips followed by words; clearly, laced with a taunt towards the man’s direction. “Well, at least, unlike you, I know how to be polite to others and respect them. Clearly, you don’t have an ounce of that in you. Maybe that’s why people don’t respect you. Ain’t I ready, Fweddy-chan?~” Yet again, rationality had apparently, flown out of the window as Zoe referred to him with the nickname the Sabertooth guild master, Raven referred to Frederick as. Possessing full knowledge of the fact that it irritated him, the light-blonde had decided to take full benefit of that information as a valiant smirk laced her rosy lips; her sapphire orbs scantily shifted towards the middle-aged man’s; awaiting, patiently, for his reaction.

Zoe did indeed know how to fuel an already blazing fire.

Whilst this conversation of theirs was taking place, the two mages had successfully reached their destination; the train station. Boarding a train from here would take the two towards the outskirts of the vicinity of Mystic Tower; the location where there client’s daughter was being held. Moving forth, Zoe had decided to take the tickets to Mystic Tower for the behalf of the both of them. After which, the two would proceed to board the train with Zoe heading in first; not allowing Frederick to reach out into the train before her merely for the satisfaction of being first. It was a petty matter however, at this point, the young female was behaving as stubborn as the man was; any slight victory was a victory nonetheless; especially, against him.

Being comfortably seated in one of the ruby painted seats of the train which were arranged in a manner that one would be facing the other hence, the duo would have no choice but to face each other and sit for the duration of their ride towards their final destination. Zoe placed her elbow upon the rim of the window and gazed outside as the train slowly rattled signifying its departure; it started out slowly, the wheels rotating reverberating with a whirring echo, clearly noticeable until they inched towards the faster pace, the whirring now rushing by in a haze as sceneries of emerald laden meadows with crystal, blue skies spread above them came into view engulfing each and every with a feeling of serenity.

However, tranquility was the last thing on Zoe’s mind as she coughed to gain Frederick’s attention as she spoke, voicing out the thoughts within her mind. “Soooo.” The female started, allowing for a slight pause just to add a bit of dramatic effect. “How about we negotiate here for a bit? Let’s try not to argue during our mission there and assist each other when need be. What’d you say, Freddy?” Of course, this was a difficult negotiation for the blonde as well seeing as she wasn’t particularly fond of the man either however, as they say; desperate times call for desperate measures.  

LET'S MAKE THIS FLEETING MOMENT LAST FOREVER

there's no regretting anymore.

A curious raise of an eyebrow as the young blonde positioned her elbows upon her thighs; arms perpendicular, as her chin fashioned itself a resting spot upon her hands; the woman’s back bent, inquisitiveness plastered upon her visage; her twin pools of cerulean, curiously, gazing upon the man that sat a row in front of her, facing the young female. Zoe’s proposition had been initiated forth to Frederick, whom had accompanied her on this ventureful endeavor within the depths of Mystic Tower, on the prospect of a job. Mystification, yet outlined, her features as the ponder ran through her mind again; how had this peculiar event, even come to occur? It was no mystery, that the two mages of Sabertooth did not hold each other in high regard; in fact, if anything, the duo despised to be in each other’s presence. For, the young, effervescent female viewed him as a cavalier and pretentious man; just the type that irked her. Whereas, the man, regarded her as an aggravating and bothersome little pest; not the type he would ever associate himself with. Thus, the animosity between the two was apparent, as wafts of hostility elicited from them despite, their pursuit in negotiating; alerting the passengers of the train to be aware and far away.

Silence crept through the air; its hold tightening upon the young, blonde female highly, vexating her as her right foot initiated a series of consistent tapping; the din emanating through the rather, secluded train. For, not many wished to visit the lands of Mystic Towers after, the rumors of strange happenings occurring in the area. And, Zoe, for one could ascertain their doubts. Which, was exactly, the reason the two Sabertooth mages were undertaking this perilous quest; to assess the denouement upon these bizarre happenings.

After what, seemed like forever, though was perhaps, only a few minutes did Frederick pierce the silence by speaking; his response, agreeing to the proposition put forth by Zoe. A curl of her lips upwards, towards one side, masked her lips; her dainty visage making the smirk appear, more playful, rather than malevolent. Which was exactly what it was supposed to be. A chuckle left her lips; which then parted, to speak. However, in the company of Frederick, anything that belched out of her lips was hardly, anything appealing to the man. And, this time, it was the same. “I’m okay with that; assisting you, I mean. Or staying out of the way. Whichever option seems safer for me. And as for your other request……nah! I think, I’ll stick with Freddy. Makes you at least, a little bit cute instead, of downright grumpy.”

Testing his patience had, perhaps, become an enjoyable hobby for the blonde; the smirk still, retaining upon her lips as a halt encased itself within the train; a voice resounding across, the compacted, rectangular boxes; informing the individuals allocated within about the arrival of their destination. Ascending from her seat, the tilt in her lips, now transformed into a grin, she motioned for them to descend the train and approach, Mystic Tower to finally, commence this mission. “Let’s go and kick some butt, shall we?”