The Grand Ball

Serena nodded, slowly absorbing what she'd heard. "Yeah, I know what necromancy is. But I never thought there would be someone who would know it, since it is a magic frowned upon by many," she stated and then looked back at the pile of kitten bones. She felt quite sorry for the poor feline, dying so young. More so, she never knew that even animals might have a dying wish to be put at rest. "Anyways, what is it that the kitten wants you to do?"

"It, wants me to give it the chance to see now since it never got that chance when it was ali- Wait you heard about necromancy??!"he asked, a bit of surprise and fear in his voice. But then he remembered the kitten's body in his hand. "I hope you find it all right if I ask you how you heard of necromancy after I reanimate this body...and you will be fine to see this come back to life?" he asked her to make sure she wanted to be around for it. Unknowing to both however, the spirits that continue to haunt zecarayus have put the illusion over his and seranas eyes that the building was on the ground when in fact it was floating in the middle of the air, in the hopes of tricking one of them to fall to their demise.(Honestly though, did anyone else know that the ball was being held in the ST guild in the air??)

Cirven slowly broke from staring at the stars to look at the hand that had touched him and then to Alyia. He felt that they really could understand each other's pasts and all of the sadness that they held in. He was surprised though that she had acted similar to how he would have earlier when she spoke about her past.

"I have to forgive.. Myself..?" He thought in his head as she spoke. He closed his eyes as she helped him come to this realization and saw all those he had lost smiling at him and waving. He started to step forward but was really being moved around by Alyia and felt himself be embraced by something. The hug caused him to snap back to reality and away from his thoughts.

"Thanks." He wrapped his arms around her and embraced her back figuring she needed it just as much as he did after thinking of their pasts. He couldn't help but have a blush of red on his face. "You know, you are like the shortest Guildmaster I have ever met." He said to tease her and show her that he was back to himself.

Serena shrugged, not caring which came first. "I'm fine with it. The body is just bones so, as long as it isn't the full corpse with blood I should be alright," she said and glanced Astrid who was just curled up on the floor, keeping watch outside and on the two of them. Something about their current position seemed a bit odd to the lion, but nothing too out of the ordinary, at least.

"Yeah, don't like organs spilling out either, but regardless I have to do this." he said to serana. He then took a deep breath and began to cast the spell. He moved his free hand around the kit's remains and then the bones started to slightly glow, then brighter at the ends of each joint. The whole process itself created a soft blue light that illuminated his hand that reflected in his eyes as he focused on the spell. Then, he hovered his hand above the remains and pulled up. All at once the bones came together as they should and held slightly in the air over his hand. Then he lowered his free hand slowly and let the skeleton move on it's own. However, the skeleton trembled like a leaf in the wind even though their was no wind, and opened it's mouth as if it tried to meow, but instead it fell back apart in zecarayus's hand. "Damn..." he said to himself a little frusturated, The problem is it needs to be able to stabilize as much as gain mana since it's so small, and that requires a gas or an liquid at least, he thought to himself, he then looked at serana. "By chance, what kind of magic do you know?" he asked her, she stuck around this far, she could help maybe?

While the dance floor finally started to get packed with the attending mages, Frederick was about to bash his own head into the balcony's railing. Just because he was unable to cope with the feelings he simply didn't understand, or better yet didn't knew how to remember. And maybe that was the reason he was so agitated with what just happened, because by his own doing he had forgotten completely how it was to actually like someone. Not tolerate or appreciate, but actual affection.

His attention got suddenly turned towards a new person, who had entered the fray of the balcony. Who simply just like him was there to stare into the night sky, only to sink deep in her own thoughts without realizing she was actually talking out loud.

'girl, I wouldn't know about your problems' responded Frederick to the white haired girl 'but unless you share the same thought pattern with a vulcan, I highly doubt you are an actual idiot.'

At this moment Frederick was still unaware who else had joined the ball, mostly because the balcony he was one was located at the other side of the guild. From where the sky ships could dock. Meaning that he still had no idea that his life long nemesis Shuhei had joined to fray. A nemesis he himself had created the moment he had orchestrated to attack on the former guild hall of Blue Pegasus.

Akeya tensed as Akryn kept keeping up that aggressive behaviour, giving a very convincing image that he would try to fight both her and Zack at the same time just to get to Frederick, even when he had no way of knowing whether he would be able to succeed in killing the man if he went that far. Akryn wasn't always the most perfect of teammates, but at least she had worked together with him for long enough that she didn't feel too enthusiastic at the concept of having to fight him. Not that she didn't believe that she could take him on, but it wouldn't be very enjoyable.

However she wasn't going to let Akryn do something that he would most certainly end up regretting, which would cost not only him but the entirety of Blue Pegasus, because of his hatred for this man. Yes, Frederick was known to have committed horrible deeds in the past, but the important part there was that it was in the past. Before he had been admitted into Sabertooth, provided a new home and shelter against those who would want to get revenge on him. The fact that he showed up here was a sign that Sabertooth expected nobody to try something as treacherous as attempting to kill somebody else during this Ball. Akryn wasn't going to be the one who proved them wrong, and not only Akeya but also Zack were here to make sure of it.

And so Akeya kept her gaze on Akryn, waiting for the slightest sign that he would begin to try and get to Frederick. The quicker they managed to subdue him the least trouble it would cause, and the easier it would be. While she wasn't using her magic just yet she was keeping a careful eye on all the magic that she was sensing in the room, and also where the shadows were that she could use if necessary.

When Akryn finally relented, saying that he would allow Frederick to live, at least for now, Akeya nearly sighed in relief. If he had kept up his murderous intent it could have resulted in one giant catastrophe. She was honestly glad that they had managed to make him change his mind before it got to that point, because while she and Zack could most likely have taken him down quickly she wasn't sure how much damage he could already have done before that point. His chances of being able to assault his actual target were low, but even making a scene by fighting other mages would already have been followed by problems for the rest of Blue Pegasus. Unless they somehow managed to hide who it was that had begun to wreak havoc.

The half dragon, however, didn't actually show that relief, instead nodding and releasing the tension that had formed in her body as she had prepared to act against her teammate. He was the one who had designed the outfit she was currently wearing, minus the gem on her throat and the blindfold covering her eyes. At her request he had designed it in such a way that if necessary it would not hinder her movements. A simple precaution, one for a more cautious soul, but if she never had to make use of that little trait of her dress she'd call it a win.

Her hand no longer clenched around her partner's arm she watched him as he tried to put up a fake grin, although it wasn't a very good attempt. A stranger might have fallen for it, but Akeya was pretty sure that anybody who had known Akryn for longer than, say, a week, could have told you that that wasn't how he usually smiled. For one thing, his eye normally didn't sparkle. She'd have to try and give him some advice in hiding one's true thoughts and emotions, for if they had to do an infiltration mission at some point.

At his request for her to dance with him Akeya raised her eyebrows underneath her blindfold, although Akryn at least would probably be able to recognize the reaction. Familiarity worked both ways, after all. The real question was whether she would say yes or not. While he had said that he would allow Frederick to live he still was clearly not happy, which might affect his actions whether he wanted them to or not. And dancing wasn't something that either of them did on a usual basis. Well, at least Akryn didn't. Akeya herself was a bit more of a maybe in regards to that question. Either way, it might not be the best idea to then immediately try and go dance after a nearly avoided disaster...

Then again, he had already asked her to dance before the whole situation with Frederick started, and he had also looked forward to it at that point. And when she let him persuade her to attend the ball she had already suspected and accepted that she would have to dance at some point. Honestly she herself didn't mind dancing that much, and now that she was in a location where she could not do what she deemed more practical she had no qualms against it. So maybe she should just stop thinking about it too much and just say yes. As Zack began his...interesting...performance, Akeya looked at him through her blindfold, then returned her focus to Akryn.

"All right then, although you'll have to lead."

All he could do was laugh at the small angel in front of him. It was funny to him how a angel and a demon could get along so well when in what stories he knew of them meeting ever they always ended in fighting each other. Maybe those stories were only a lies to get people to think they were like that? Or maybe Alyia and him were different compared to those of the past. Either way it didn't matter. They were close friends and he intended to keep it that way and support Eclipse Soul as long as they supported him.

"Do all Guildmasters make fun of their Aces like that?" He shrugged and then followed her. "Oh, so we are continuing our date down stairs? Thought we were all danced out?" He teased her a bit more as he followed her to the stairs.

He looked around the lower floor as they went down to see that more people had shown up for this ball. He didn't necessarily notice many of them though. "So we are finding the one woman who is shorter than you, right? Sure we can see her over everyone else?" He continued to joke around.

The well dressed, for once, woman continued shuffling around the outskirts of the room as she did hellos and greetings with people that were flocking in. But after seeing one woman in particular Aiyana made a beeline for her; Mao Nakiri. Her best friend was at the ball! Of course it was kind of obvious that she would have showed up, the inquisitive woman was part of the guild hosting it after all! She made her to her quickly, and politely took a seat across from her at a table before speaking up. "Hey Mao! How've you been!" It was short and sweet, but she had learned that that was what worked best with Mao unless something long winded was needed. The all black ensemble of clothing looked good on Mao, although a part of the scarf was twirled around her finger as the tailed woman nervously wound it around out of habit. 'Maybe if I'm lucky I can talk her into a dance too!' The single thought was all she had as she awaited her best friend's response.

The blonde nun smiled softly when Elyx complimented her on managing the ball so far. "Thank you... although I'll be happy when its over and nobodies been hurt, or worse. Floating guild hall, alcohol, not a good combination..." she said before clutching her skull and covering her mouth, doubling over as if she were about to throw up. She slowly stood up panting, her body having not thrown up, but it felt to her like she had all the same. "Wh-What was..." asked Kiersa, her eyes wide with confusion and dread. Something or someone had just cast a spell that had made her body go into such a violent reaction...

The Paragon quickly flagged over one of the Sabertooth guards. "Check the exterior now... some... something's going on..." the nun quietly ordered, the guard nodding and hurrying away to spread the word to the rest of the guards who were patrolling the outside of the Guild Hall and its balconies. She stood there panting for a little bit, her hands shaking a little before she brought herself back under control. She looked to the two Aces and feigned a smile. "A-Apologies for that..." she said before more people appeared... Vexel and Emilia. The Demon Slayer appeared to already know Elyx... and Emilia... the blonde nun blinked at the sight of her. "That dress suits you Miss Leirynaut." Kiersa complimented her.

She quickly ran through her head if it had been Vexel's approach that her body had been reacting to, but put that thought away. If that had been the case, then every time a Demon Slayer mage came near her in the past, she would've reacted the same way... since she hadn't that meant that someone in or near the Guild Hall had been casting some form of magic that went against all that was Holy... Whoever they were, they were going to be in so much trouble...