The Alcoholic Mage's Guild Intro/Exam

"Careful with those, the lacrima are fragile !" Johann shouted over to a man in a white uniform who had just picked up a crate of wares, bending a little under its weight and making a face while stumbling around a bit, prompting the normally relatively reserved mage to get a little nervous with the West Fiore Trading Company employee. "My friend" he placed his hands on the man's shoulder as the other put down the crate, somewhat exhausted and heavily breathing "you might want to get help with that" he commented before smiling at the other sinisterly and continuing "if you break it, I'll make sure to let the CEO know who trashed the client's wares, not to mention that it would naturally come out of your pay". The worker apologized profusely before running off, looking for someone to help with the crate. Johann sighed. It's not like the Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company necessarily enjoyed reprimanding like that, but it was part of his duties to make sure the wares were delivered to the client in their entirety and without damage. After all, the West Fiore Trading Company had managed to build up a spotless reputation in Fiore and he wasn't gonna be the one to change that. Not this side of him, at least.

He stepped away from the ship and down the docks, his rapier dangling side to side on his belt as his shoes created a crunching sound on the wet layer of dirt on the cobblestone of the dock. He was dressed in one of his more pompous and exotic uniforms now that he was dealing with a client, dress to impress as they say, covered in a tight, white formal shirt that emphasized the mans slender, yet muscular physique, a white, thick coat with grey decorations over that, his company pin tucked into the left side of his uniform right above his heart, its usual place, and lastly a pair of formal white pants with a pair of grey leather shoes, his guild mark shining on his right hand in a light grey. Leaving the dock and setting his feet on the streets of Hargeon he saw what he was looking for at a nearby bench, a man in a black suit and waving him over, accompanied by two brutish men that looked like they might have had just a little too much exercise, easily towering over both Johann and his client. He knew that dealing with clients directly was more one of Ruvel's strengths, and he didn't look forward to talking to the other, but this, too, was one of the duties he had as a representative and official of the Company, reluctantly making his way over to the men, careful to not show any of his dislike, approaching with a friendly and warm smile before giving his client a deep and respectful bow.

"Good morning Mr. Glass, I am very pleased to see you here. I do hope you had an enjoyable journey from Magnolia ?" he asked the man before standing up straight, the two goons in his company staring down on him with bored, almost indifferent expressions while their boss stretched out a hand towards the West Fiore Trading Company Mage, Johann taking it and eagerly shaking it."Eh, was alright. Forgive me the informal meeting, but" the other took off his sunglasses and smiled back "as a renown businessman I'd prefer this over a private meeting for ... security reasons. I'm certain you understand". "Most certainly, good sir" Johann's hand met each other as he continued to smile at the other "Now, I had the workers deliver the wares to your storage hall. I do hope everything will be to your satisfaction" , the other nodded, replying simply with "Has there ever been a time when that wasn't the case ?" before he laughed out loudly, prompting a few passerbys to turn their head for him ."Thank you" he stretched out his hand one more time and Johann shook it. "The West Fiore Trading Company thanks you" he gave back before once more raising his right hand to his chest and bowing respectfully before excusing himself with "At your service" as the other turned around and was undoubtedly heading for his warehouse where the wares would be stored, the two grunts following him closely.

Johann sighed once again before turning around once more. The other, Mr. Glass, was a businessman through and through and one of the trading companies valued clients, and while some people would regard him as somewhat dubious he was an honest merchant at his core, embracing his reputation as he was obsessed with security. Johann shrugged internally. It was not like the other was a bad man or anything of the sort, he was just one of the more ... extraordinary people the WFTC was doing business with. Regardless, he made his way back to the docks, heading for the ship to go and get a bit of rest before they would leave for Divide Island tomorrow. He didn't like traveling by ship too much these days as he regarded it as inefficient with his ability to teleport pretty much anywhere where there was wind, but he couldn't really be everywhere at the same time or move an excessive amount of wares, so ships where a necessity not just for him, but also a vital part the Company as well. He got closer to where the large vessel of the West Fiore Trading Company was ankered, the crew would have shore leave for the rest of today and tomorrow when their work was finished, noticing someone sitting there on a wall, playing with a ... knife of sorts ? He had never seen something like that before, but she seemed to stare at the Company's ship for some reason. Johann was a little suspicious of that and got closer, holding his hands behind his back before addressing the peculiar black and blue haired woman in a friendly tone, smiling as he spoke.

"Excuse me Miss, is  there a way I can help you ?"

Johann, his eyes resting on the, as he saw it, somewhat suspicious, yet passive girl as she made her way off the wall, hitting the ground in a not ungraceful, yet crude way, smirked a little as the other opened her mouth to respond to his question, hearing that she was, coincidentally, looking for the West Fiore Trading Company or somebody who could "get her in". Johann held back his laughter as she turned to another, somewhat dubious person nearby, scolding the man for smoking before starting to drink from what was, judging by the smell, a flask of alcohol. The elder male sighed, looking at the sky. It was barely noon, but he couldn't blame her, for he too enjoyed a good glass of wine frequently, but still, she wouldn't exactly be advantaged in what was to come while drunk, or at least that's what he thought.

"It appears that you have more luck than manners" he grinned, giving the girl a friendly smile, looking over to the red headed man before shifting his eyes back to the woman with the ebony hair. "May I introduce myself" the man raised his right hand to his shoulder before bowing respectfully to the girl, standing up straight again before following up "Johann von Weiss, Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company. I would assume that one would be me, then." , visibly amused at the girls reaction. "In general, the West Fiore Trading Company is always welcoming new members to it's ranks ... but", he continued, the smile on his face changing to a more serious expression "the WFTC is not an ordinary guild. We are a an organization that places great emphasis on both loyalty and competence, and so, everyone who wishes to apply for a position at the WFTC will receive a test to test resolve and both strength and determination."

The Vice President crossed his arms behind his back, his hands folding as he leaned forward addressing ,as he thought, not just the girl, but also the other man nearby who seemed to have taken an interest in what he had to say before he once more opened his mouth "If you would be interested in that, I'd be the one to issue you the test and, depending on the results, I will make sure to pass on your application to our CEO. I hope all question have been answered to your satisfaction, if not, I'm open to questions" he uttered before concluding "additionally, I want to present you with the option to prepare both mentally and physically for this test, as I have received the same opportunity. The ship to Divide Island, where the Headquarters of the West Fiore Trading Company is located, will leave tomorrow evening. You will have until then to pass your test." The Vice President took a deep breath and finished up his little monologue with a little sigh "Should you still want to pursue your path, I will now give you a task that you will have to complete: I want you to challenge me to a duel and fight me in single combat" he ended his speech, the welcoming smile finding its way back onto his face, a slightly sinister undertone mixing in.

Johann, his lips still forming a gentle smile, eagerly awaited the girls and the strangers response, glad that one of the two seemed more than satisfied with the offer before raising a few questions herself. It was indeed enthusiasm he was looking for, and he would make sure to give this his all, it was for the the group that he had come to see as not just colleagues and friends, but also family, after all. A friendly expression decorating his face, he listened to what the girl had to say, nodding as she finished her last sentence before giving her the answers he hoped she would desire. "First, it is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Ortinbras" he uttered before once more raising his hand to his shoulder for a respectful bow "it is indeed preferable to seek out a remote location to avoid collateral damage. The West Fiore Trading Company enjoys a most excellent reputation all over Fiore and even beyond, and we wouldn't to change that, now, would we ?"

"As for your second concern", the Vice President raised his right hand up, his palm and fingers forming a flat surface before continuing "that is entirely up to you. I extend this offer to anyone interested and willing to listen. Should your friend desire to join us I will, of course, accept the challenge, it would only be fair ..." he answered, a barely noticeable smirk raising one side of his mouth slightly before stretching out his left and right hand, both of them forming a fist. "If you are in want of starting the test right now, you need only take my hand and I will make sure to transport us somewhere remote".

If the other two had no objections and would touch him, a chalk white magic circle would appear beneath their feet, turning them into wind before they would find themselves in the middle of a plain outside of Hargeon, the grassland stretching out from one end of the horizon to the next, with not a soul to be seen far and wide. "I hope this is sufficient" he spoke out after he, too, had reappeared from a stream of wind and set foot onto the grass. He took off his coat, folding it and placing it on the ground a few meters away before turning around to his challengers, his right hand going to his left side and vice versa, each one firmly grasping the hilt of a rapier, pulling them to unsheath the weapons and reveal their blades that reflected off them the shining summer sun. From both hands, flames sprang forth, covering the weapons in scorching fire as his left eye turned completely black, a glowing red pupil in its middle before the elder male calmly spoke out to his opponents "If you have no more questions or objections then I, Johann von Weiss, accept your challenge, your test starts now"

"I thought that was a given, as I will not hold back either. Do your best !" the elder male responded to the girl, his eyes firmly fixed on his temporary adversaries. In reality, he wasn't exactly holding back, but standing there rather passively as Adalinda started advancing towards him, waiting for an attack, trying to gather as much information about his opponents as he could before he'd have to engage. when the knife came flying at him, aimed straight at his chest. For Johann, it was moving at an excruciatingly slow pace, and a mere second before it came close to his body simply shifted through space, turning into shadow before instantly appearing a good 15 meters to the side. He did not know by what magical means the rune was managing to produce this effect, and he did not know how it managed to rip through space itself, but he paid it no mind, trusting his instinct for runery and the elements granted to him by his unusual blood to endow him with the necessary prowess to defeat any and all opponents.

"I do hope that is not the full extend of your abilities" Johann returned the taunt, knowing that in combat not just blows and spells were of importance, but also confidence, moral, the belief in one's own strength. A visible, light grey and glowing aura started to surround the Vice President, and he too assumed his prefered fighting stance, kneeling down to resemble a wolf in sprint before the air he had accumulated and compressed around himself was released explosively, sending dirt and grass flying into every direction as he was catapulted forward at close to 1000 meters per second towards the girl, the enormous speed momentarily producing a colossally loud bang, the characteristic sonic boom, as he ripped through the air, appearing behind his target. His rapiers had retained their aura of scorching flame as the atmosphere showed no effect on Johann, and out of a spin, he swund down the blades towards where the girl was standing, incinerating the area as the flames burst from the weapons, producing pure, black smoke, flame and cinder that now elegantly danced through the air, but at the same time made it hard to see. Whether he had hit her or not he didn't know, but he retreated back a few meters nonetheless, regaining his balance after the attack, focussing on the other two combatants as the smoke cleared.

Johann's eyes widened as his eyes locked on the girl, mumbling "Metal ?" under his breath as, from his left flank, a monstrosity crashed forward with explicit force, looking like it would break everything in its path. He was quick to act, flipping through the air with supreme agility and reflexes as the lightning boar struck the ground where he had stood less than a moment ago, sending sparks flying everywhere. He had not expected the attack, and had he not had his peculiar blood he probably would've had to suffer a blow, landing to hear the girl complain. Johann knew that the two weren't all too familiar with each other, and noted the lack of teamwork in the back of his mind, at least for now. "Metal and lightning, hm ? A peculiar combination ..." it rang through his head as the girl broke her block and, again, started charging. "I suppose it's only fair then, it's two against one, after all" the Vice President calmly spoke out before the runes that covered the lower left half of his body, arm and chest dug their way through his flesh, burning themselves into the skin and quickly spreading over his entire body, his other eye turning black as they reached it, an aura of crimson red, bursting energy surrounding the man's body, greatly enhancing both senses and strength.

Johann was still staring at the girl running towards him, quickly sheathing his blades, thus dispelling the flames, to free up his hands. Against her, he figured, this tactic would prove useless, trying something different as he activated another rune that he hoped would prove more effective, surrounding his hands in an aura of absolute cold that started freezing even the air, bits of ice and snow falling to the ground and instantly melting as they hit it. The extraordinarily frigid aura would freeze everything upon touch, and so, he took another stance, reading himself for melee combat with the girl while keeping an eye out for the other challenger, waiting for an attack.

Johann was somewhat surprised by Adalinda's relentless assault, the woman bursting towards him in a full sprint. It was rather sluggish for the Vice President, but such was only natural for the man in accordance with the powers he created through his magic and the abilities granted to him by his blood. He made no effort to evade her or dodge in any way, the aura of frost still covering his hands as he waited for her to come into melee range, failing in not one, but two ways: First, he himself did not notice, but tunnel vision ensued, his focus shifting solely to the woman that came storming at him, somewhat disregarding the other stranger that launched an attack that would prove more than successful. Second, a tactical blunder, he had underestimated his enemies, more specifically, the level of power on the red haired stranger ... stranger ? Johann made a small mental note to ask for the man's name after, a duell without etiquette was not honorable, after all.

Additionally, he had underestimated the ferocity of the girl that had now gotten close to him, close enough for Johann to strike but he was somewhat startled by his opponent as the girl tried to grab him. He took a step back but it was too late, the girl had gotten a firm hold of his shoulder and he, instinctively, grabbed her arm with the still active frost spell. It would probably have a reduced effect against the metal-covered limb but still hurt quite a bit nonetheless, still, it was too late, the woman spinned around, maneuvering through the air and getting behind Johann using her momentum before firmly attaching herself to the man's back. Now was the moment where his other mistake would show, a multitude of butterfly-like sparks rushing towards him and the girl, exploding viciously upon contact, covering him, the girl and the immediate surroundings in white flashes of electricity. One hit Johann's shoulder directly, scorching his shirt and the skin beneath, a large black spot now covering it. Yet, the Vice President grinned, thinking to himself just one word "Excellent !".

The Vice President kept his smile up, barely hiding the fact that he was enjoying this situation greatly as the thrill of the hunt enveloped his mind. The explosions and the electricity around them started to fade away, and he watched as one of his adversaries received his mysterious gift before he shifted into lightning, getting closer and seeming more than intent to use it all while the girl that had been attached to him now seemed intimidated by the man's assault, letting go of Johann just a second before the volley of magically infused projectiles left the peculiar weapon. Johann acted immediately, and as the wound on his shoulder closed and the skin shifted back into its original state, leaving only the burned shirt as evidence that he had ever received the hit, he calmly spoke the words that would activate one of the most special set of runes in his possession, "Indomabilis".

The runes on his right shoulder unleashed some of their power and started glowing in a deep, royal blue, endless as the ocean. The effect could be felt immediately as time started to slow down to a point where all around the Vice President was moving as if in slow motion. His opponents had seemingly stopped in their motion, moving at just a snail's pace while the hail of spark-covered projectiles were still on their way towards both Johann and Adalinda, seemingly floating through the space between them. The WFTC mage lost not a second, coating his right hand in a layer of pressurized air before storming forward to meet the one that had unleashed the volley onto them, utilizing his inhuman speed to elegantly avoid the bullets in flight while simultaneously making sure they would continue their path towards the girl, appearing before the red haired male moments later, his fist racing towards the man as time returned to its normal flow. If he would hit his opponent directly, the built up pressure would be released in a literally explosive manner, damaging him and launching him back violently.

A more or less sinister grin spread across the Vice President's face when he felt the force of the impact that launched the red haired man back and off his feet before quickly regaining his composure. He didn't mean for this side to shine through, but his opponents were giving him a ... very interesting fight, and the sweet sting of combat was something that Johann had a weakness for. The explosions were music to the man, the pain a virtue. But he knew that he had gotten carried away, his fellow Vice President would probably frown upon his actions, the man now recovering from the stance of his attack to hear Adalinda shout at him, glancing over his shoulder and back to see her charging once more, he turned his head back forward to see her partner get back up as well. "You two won't give me a break hm ? ... Good" he mumbled more to himself than anyone else before he, too, got ready to continue the brawl. He knew he had to end this quickly, one way or another, and he decided to go with the other.

Johann had noticed that the two started to work together more, the girl favouring close quarters melee combat while the man seemed to prefer ranged attacks. He had, in an effort to bring distance between himself and Adalinda, targeted him before her to play out their perceived weaknesses against them, and with that he readied another spell, surrounding himself in a grey glow before he, once more,got down on his legs and arms, the stance reminiscent of a wolf. The air that was being pulled towards him and compressed caused the air to hum strangely and in mere moments he was ready to launch himself off at extreme speed again, this time aiming it at the other male that had gotten up again, covered now in strange bandages. Johann paid that little mind to that fact anymore, but he did note the ferocity and determination of both his opponents, and for him, this fight was pretty much over. "Just a little more", the Vice President thought to himself before the air around him exploded for the last time, sending him flying like a bullet as the sound barrier was once again breached with the loud and unique boom.

In flight, Johann did something unexpected, the runes on his body binding together, ripping through the back of his clothing to form a pair of black, runic wings that lifted him up almost immediately, using his momentum to launch himself up rather than forward as he soared through the air before he came to a stop a good 50 meters above the ground, hovering in place while he stared down at the two with his black left eye and his now strangely glowing right. "You have fought valiantly, my friends. If you want, I will personally pass on your applications to our CEO ..." Johann was quick to follow up though, just in case the two thought that the fight was already over "... but, that does not mean that I give up just yet. I acknowledge your competence as fighters, prove to me now that you are persistent enough to be a part of the West Fiore Trading Company !". He was finished shouting down to them and, wordlessly and with a stoic expression, he brought his hands together, a ripple skimming through the skies as he did so.

For Johann, this was an all or nothing situation. Practically, the other two had already won: If he'd miss the attack, and there was a substantial chance that he would, it was more or less of an experiment and the spell wouldn't reach its full potential, after all, the other two had automatically won. His body wasn't strong enough yet and he would expend most of his magic energy for this spell, leaving him with not enough to take the two of them on. If he'd hit and not take them out, which was likely, he was sure that the two were clever enough to find a way to block or evade the attack somehow. If he would take them out ... well, that wasn't planned for. But that wouldn't happen, surely.

In any case, between Johann's fingers a small sphere started to form, beginning to become increasingly visible as the spell sucked in a great quantity of air while simultaneously compressing it more and more. The sheer amount of pressure that was required to just hold the spell was unfathomable for normal people, and it placed on Johann's body a great, painful strain that was pulling and stretching his muscles. He hoped he could spare himself the embarrassment of losing control over the spell with its energy unloading back on its user as it would not only demonstrate the instability of this attack, it would also most likely rip his body apart and scatter the pieces over all of this peaceful steppe. Much to his appreciation he was able to hold the finished sphere in his hands, and he could feel the glowing heat and energy emanating from it bursting through the space between his fingers. An object solely made of simple air, gases compressed to a point where the release of pressure and the ensuing explosion would create heat and kinetic energy rivaling that of, for a lack of a better term, shit-ton of explosive mass. Lucky for everyone involved the spell would be weaker than the finished product, but it didn't stop the Vice President from releasing the sphere, shot out of his hands with the same compressed air, breaking them with a loud crack before they immediately rearranged themselves back to their original state as the projectile rushed down towards the ground, tumbling sideways in flight before it hit the ground. He couldn't exactly make out where, but for just a moment, Johann's head went numb when nothing happened before an enormous explosion shook the ground, the shock wave launching him back as he struggled to keep himself in the air. He opened his eyes to see a cloud of dust and smoke rising up from a crater down below, but failed to make out more details.

He rushed down towards the ground, coughing a bit as he started breathing in the dust that was throwing off his senses, landing close to the point of impact before looking around, ready to admit his opponents' victory and spend the rest of his magical energy on healing the damage he had caused ...