Kindred Spirits [Poko and Leila]

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Silver Wolf

It was no surprise that running things for a larger organization had been rather spiritually taxing. Setting it all up and finally being able to send the word out, Silver Wolf had finally become officially recognized as a guild and fully operational one at that. The rest would then follow naturally. But for now, the silver-haired maiden wished for a little bit of peace and quiet in her life. With a single soft sigh, she would stretch all of her limbs and wander toward the guild hall’s entrance. The snow was falling all around the area, as usual. The only thing preventing the building being buried beneath it was a set of runes.

But it was only this area with such climate. The lower one would go the mountain, the more sunny and pleasant the weather would become. And that sounded like a very refreshing idea right now. And while the girl would usually take her faithful companion, Melon, along with her, she had noticed that the wolf was sleeping quietly just prior to finishing all of her work. Not wishing to wake her little darling up, she would just smile and head outside by foot. And as she walked, the snow storm would part in front of her as the guild mark on her body shined, its magic allowing her to leave as she pleased.

Down the mountain, it was a fairly simple trip. Not only were there many paths already present and ready to be used, but Leila was also an experienced wanderer and her magic grew much more powerful with recent events. That allowed her to simple starting jumping of the steepest cliffs there were and landing at the bottom without as much as getting a scratch on herself. Though she still had to be careful with her attire. It was the usual midnight blue coat with crimson red insides, a short brown skirt, and thigh-high socks. She even donned her top hat and the Phoenix mask.

Thankfully she managed to get all the way down to the forest that covered the base of these mountains without any causalities whatsoever. Once down there, she had looked around. The green all around, oh so different from the white on top, was truly refreshing to see. Not to mention that this was her true element. After all, she was still a nature mage above all, even if her magic now worked slightly different. She could already feel the energy of the Earth permeating and entering her body. She should really do this more often.

Regardless, she would start aimlessly wandering about for a good bit, just observing the trees, flowers and all other forms of flora around. Along with the fauna that lived here, smaller birds and critters, sometimes even larger ones such as deer and rabbits moving about. Despite being so close to a completely rocky area, live thrived here. And not only regular one, but also magical. Though there was a certain magical signature that was far stronger than any animal in this place should have. Powerful enough to belong to a mage, even.

Perhaps it was someone who was headed for the peak of these mountains? If so, then she probably should warn them of the possible dangers along this path. Easily jumping onto the higher branches of trees, she was able to cover a good distance in only a few seconds, until she would finally stop and look down. Almost directly beneath her was a young girl, or so it would seem. Even accompanied by some manner of a magical creature, it seemed that she was heading in the direction Leila herself came from. Forgetting that she still had her mask on, one that could be easily seen as creepy, she greeted the young lass.

“Good day! Heading for the mountains, miss?”

@Pokomon 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Silver Wolf

Leila’s own body jolted slightly as well, as she did not expect the person she had just met to react in such a way. She had completely forgotten this was a possible reaction when she was wearing the mask she had. And if she was to remove it right now, a slightly flustered face would be revealed too because of that. But at least the young girl did not instinctively run away just because of that. The silver-haired maiden liked to think of herself as a bit of a guardian sometimes, so such action would be pretty much the opposite of what she wanted.

Regardless, they managed to establish a friendly encounter and even started talking. Though this young girl mentioning that she saw something happen at the edge of the woods, well… she most likely saw Leila herself, which was a bit embarrassing. And even the little creature she already noticed before flew over to the nature mage, presumably to introduce itself. The girl would extend her hand toward it and keep it still like that, allowing it to approach if it felt like it. And if it did, few pats and pleasant rubs would follow. The girl knew quite well how to work with animals.

Though this species was actually unknown to her. But it was still rather rude of her to be staying so high up. With a snap of her fingers, the tree branch she stood on started lowering itself, the entire tree bending slightly at the girl’s whim only to get her low enough to where a single step forward would get her on the ground. And once she was there, the tree would return to its original position as if nothing had happened. While doing so, Leila also went ahead and removed the mask from her face, putting it inside of her attire.

What was revealed was a pair of sparkling blue eyes, deep as the ocean itself along with a welcoming smile and slightly rose-colored cheeks. Pretty much the opposite of how the mask with a wide black grin looked like. And now that she was on the ground, couple of other details became much more visible. Namely the pair of wolf ears on top of her head, as well as a fluffy tail. Though the latter was still pretty hidden between her legs and the coat she was wearing. “I’m glad that a young and cute girl such as yourself has her guardian when traveling.” She would glance at Zephyr and wink.

“But the path up the mountains can be quite rough and should not be attempted without preparation. That said, I believe you might have seen me coming down the mountain to enjoy the fresh air down here. It’s filled with nature magic, so it’s actually better than up there for me.” The girl would also explain while scratching one of her cheeks nervously. Hopefully this other girl would not think her someone weird for taking such a direct route down the cliffs. “Anyway, my name is Leila Vergious. A saint of Eden and a guild master of Silver Wolf. And you are?”

@Pokomon 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Silver Wolf

The girl couldn’t help but chuckle and even let out a small laugh when the small creature started showing affection toward her in such intense manner, even accidentally making parts of its body hit the mask few times. A convenient protection of the girl’s pale-ish face, it seemed. At least the creepy thing was good for one thing aside from being an important heirloom to the one who was currently wearing it, though she still found not having it on better when conversing with people directly like this.

Leila was a very observant mage, had to be in order to get where she was today. Not to mention her usual hobbies of wandering the land and hunting for treasures. A person just had to possess certain traits in order to do such things properly. The unfortunate fact was that such skills could not be just turned off, however. But in this situation, they might have proved to be present for the better. Not to mention that Leila was not only a summoner mixed with a nature mage, but also what was known in this world as a slayer. A dragon slayer, to be more precise.

Though her magic was not yet ready to be used in any meaningful way, ever since she absorbed the lacrima with this magic, her senses were enhanced even further beyond what was brought about by the animal features of her body. Thanks to all of this, she was easily able to stop the sweat suddenly building up on this strange girl, as well as her rough breathing and even her heart starting to speed up rather dangerously. In return, this brought some nervousness to Leila herself, as she was unsure what was happening to the young female in front of her.

“H…hey! Are you feeling alright? If you’re unwell, just tell me, I can perform some healing magic or could even warp you out of here to the nearest hospital! Or if it was me what makes you uncomfortable, I can adjust to make you feel better!” She would make a single step toward the girl, but not get so close as to invade her personal space. She was also the type of person who could easily get concerned for others, so if there was a problem, she wanted it resolved as soon as possible in order to make the other person feel more comfortable.

But it seemed that she was able to regain her senses to some degree at least, managing to introduce herself and her companion, who Leila did let sit down on her shoulder and nuzzled with him happily. “Poko… what an adorable name. And Zephyr, too. It is a great pleasure to meet you both.” The girl would reply and perform an elegant bow to Poko, one that was not too deep so that the magical flying bunny would not fall off from her shoulder. But this elegant nature that Leila sometimes showcased was soon broken by a burst of laughter.

One that started the moment Poko said that the name Silver Wolf suited her rather well and then got quite embarrassed about it all. “Thank you, dear. I am indeed a silver wolf, through and through. But what about you? I can pretty clearly sense a magical energy from your body, so you must be a mage. But members of other guilds usually do not wander off to places like this. Not much out here aside from the empty forests and lakes, and there is a much more comfortable path up the mountains to our guild hall for those who wish to visit it on the other side of the mountains.”

@Pokomon 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Silver Wolf

The silver-haired wolf girl only blinked few times in in realization as the words reached those canine ears, her irises moving up as if she wanted to take a look at those very dog-related things on top of her head and confirm that they were indeed there. She had heard of many different fears during her journeys, but this one was first. Not that she would think any less of the girl because of it, everyone had their own weaknesses they had to deal with, including the guild master herself. So instead of looking down at Poko, she would offer a kind smile instead.

And not only that, she would clap her hands twice. In that very moment, those wolf ears, even her tail, would turn into white magical energy and dissolve into the air, leaving perfectly human-like Leila Vergious that no longer had any canine features at all that would cause fear and discomfort in the other girl. It was a little benefit of her shape-shifting ability. Or the outright fact that this body was but a mere vessel and the true form of Leila was in her own soul. Such matters were a bit complex, however. The main point was that they should be able to continue conversing without any difficulties now.

So while the guild master listened to the explanation of Poko and Zephyr’s situation while patting the small creature, not minding it playing with her hair as long as it would not tug too hard on it. Leila’s hair was special in that it not only grew very long, but it would also become transparent if it reached her lower back. Not exactly the most flashy or fancy of special traits, but it was an oddity, to say the least. Though her greatest identifier was still Eden’s mark. Thankfully, her outfit hid pretty much all of it at this point, so none of the gray skin was showing.

“A wandering mage… I was actually one myself when I first came to Fiore. And I must admit, I do look at those times fondly. The true sense of freedom and ability to go wherever without having to worry that you are leaving someone behind. Not that I’m restricted at all now, but the nostalgia is there.” She would explain that she used to be the same, a guildless mage who would wander without a goal. “Well, the doors of Silver Wolf are open to anyone, if you would ever be interested. We are a guild that focuses on survival in this world, as well as research of magic and magical devices in short.”

Explaining what her guild was about, she would also wing toward the other girl. “And don’t worry, despite the name, the guild is not filled with fluffy dogs. While one of my companions is a wolf and there is one member who is a werewolf, that’s about it. And neither of those are permanent factors that you would have to be dealing with at all time. Instead, we provide a hot spring service to everyone!” A little benefit of their location in the mountains. The warm water flowing from the rocks was extremely pleasant and helping anyone in and out of the guild relax there.

@Pokomon 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Silver Wolf

There was a moment when Leila was kinda worried, seeing how pale the other girl became. Really, would this one be fine? Dogs were rather common in this world, and what would she do if she by any chance ran into a wild werewolf that was actually hostile? But they would probably talk about that at some later point. Right now, there were other matters at hand. Such as Leila’s heart literally skipping a beat when she heard Poko say that she would like to join the Silver Wolf. Honestly, it wasn’t like she just confessed her love to the silver-haired maiden, so why was she getting so excited?

But only shortly after, Leila would chuckle and then laugh. She felt little bad for having such reaction, but could not quite help herself. This girl, Poko, was just so precious. “Guilds are not that restrictive, dear. You’ll still be able to do whatever you want. Especially with Silver Wolf, we are what the magic council calls an independent guild. Not legal, nor dark. We go by our own rules. When I started this guild… I wanted to create a place where everyone could fit without being discriminated or laughed at. A place for everyone to call home. To survive.”

Saying that, she looked toward the skies, watching the beautiful blue between the leaves of trees surrounding them. Though in not too long, she would face Poko once more. “Ah, pardon me… got a little lost in my thoughts there. I got really happy when you said you would like to join, so pardon my behavior.” She would smile and scratch the back of her head nervously. This whole thing was still a very much new experience for her. “Say, how would you feel about a free trip to a hot spring?”

She would then suddenly offer. As she already mentioned, it was one of the things that the guild hall of Silver Wolf could offer. And, well… it would probably be only beneficial for Poko to actually see the guild hall and what it had to offer. After all, it would not be all that good if she made too hasty of a decision. And Leila would not refuse a pleasant bath for herself either. It seemed somewhat appropriate, for them to get along in such way. To tear down some of the barriers strangers had between them, so to say.

@Pokomon 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Silver Wolf

Leila watched the other girl’s delight happily, now having an actual reason to spend a little bit more time with this young one and get to know her. She also noticed something else about Poko when she got excited. Wind, it reacted to her emotions. Was that her magic. Instantly, the silver-haired maiden’s mind displayed a certain black-haired canine girl who happened to be a goddess and also have control over wind. She had not seen Jiyu Kazehime in a long time, and honestly, her feelings about that girl were rather complicated at the moment. Thankfully, she was able to focus again after shaking her head some.

“Alright, then…” Stepping to the side, Leila moved one of her hands as if she wanted to present something. And sure enough, a blue portal opened right beside her. In the center, a building covered in snow could be seen, that was the guild hall. “This is one of my abilities. If you’re scared, take my hand and we’ll go through together.” She would wink at Poko to let her know that there was nothing dangerous about this and that she would make sure nothing bad would happen. Regardless of how they would get through the portal, they would get to the guild at the top of these mountains.

The area was truly lying completely beneath a blanket of pristine white snow, even more gently falling from the sky. But Leila teleported them close enough to be inside of the protective field, meaning it was actually pretty warm around them despite the weather. In front of them stood a rather big building done in an oriental style, along with a garden of beautiful flowers and several animals running around. “This is the guild hall of Silver Wolf. Let us go inside.” Looking toward the blonde girl, she would make sure there was no problem.

And as she checked on Zephyr on her shoulder as well, she would think over the questions that she was asked. It was quite nice, just how much this girl was curious. A good trait for a mage. “We are a very new guild, so there is not more than ten mages present as of right now. Though I hope we will be able to expand soon enough. As far as power goes, I am the strongest one in the guild for now. But everyone has the potential to grow as strong, or stronger than me in time. You included. And lastly, of course!”

With her last sentence, she would make a sharp turn and point toward her left outer thigh. A silver guild mark that represented a wolf head rested there and fully visible as the turn caused her skirt to fly up slightly, almost high enough to reveal little bit more than should have been. Right after this, she would lead Poko inside of the building, revealing a warm interior with atmospheric lighting. The floors were made out of older dark wood, as was the ceiling, while most of the walls were covered in paper painted with intricate shapes and paintings. She waited for a moment to see how the girl was doing with this new environment.

@Pokomon 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Silver Wolf

Leila’s arsenal of abilities was rather broad, now more than ever before. Hopping between different worlds or just different places was fairly normal for her at this point. Though that in itself was not that good either, as she often wished she would be able to feel the same way she did when she experienced all of this for the very first time, her heart beating with excitement and mind trying to process it all. Was that why she was chasing after new adventures so much? Perhaps. She was hungry for more, to explore the unknown and to learn what she did not know anything about.

Right now, Poko was the target of that desire. A lonesome girl with a companion that Leila did not recognize. Naturally, she would be curious about them. She just hoped that this would not come across as too forceful or even creepy. Though so far, it all seemed to be going just fine, and for that, she was glad. She even caught a small glimpse of the girl’s flustered face. Though she quickly connected that to the possible nervosity from visiting a new guild. So as a small response, she squeezed her hand just a little bit tighter. Not to the point of discomfort, but to reassure her that she was there still.

When the place was praised as amazing, Leila couldn’t help herself but blush a little bit as well, wondering if making this place really was a success. All starts were slow and sometimes rough, so any bit of praise and support went a long way with her. She also saw a familiar face in the background, moving from one of the side hallways. It was Melon, the faithful green wolf. Though the silver-haired girl quickly made a gesture with her hand to let her companion know that it should retreat for a little bit. She figured it would be best to not have Poko scared any further right now.

“Yes, the spring is this way.” From the main hall, it was just a very short distance to several doors. Some baths for males only, others for females. And even mixed ones for couples and parties, it was all there. Though for now, she would lead the other girl to one of the private ones, reserved for members of the guild. A small magical sensor scanned for her guild mark and opened the door, revealing several lockers before the entrance to the outside bath. “There are several towels here, and your clothes will be perfectly safe wherever you leave them in this room. I’ll prepare the bath while you disrobe.”

With a wink, Leila would slip outside through the second door and started preparing everything. Whether Zephyr went with her or not didn’t really matter, as it was just a few simple things. Once Poko would enter the outside bath, she would feel the stone flooring beneath her feet and a large circular bath formed with natural stone in the middle. While there were walls of the building in every direction to prevent any spying, there was no roof and snow was slowly falling into the steaming water. Water that was crystal clear and very warm, as one would expect from a hot spring.

Leila was standing nearby, looking at a thermometer to make sure everything was just fine. She would also speak without turning around, as she continued to fiddle with something for a little while longer. “The water here is infused with healing magic, so while you relax, your stamina will also be replenished and your wounds healed. The water is also filtered, so feel free to hop right in!”

@Pokomon 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Silver Wolf

It wasn’t long before the spring owner would turn around again, ready to slip into the warm water as well. Though her eyes quickly trailed over to Poko who already managed to slip into the water, leaving her towel behind on the stones. This resulted in an… interesting scenario to say the least. Considering everything about Leila, her cheeks quickly flushed bright red and her gaze was swiftly redirected away from the beautiful young girl with a nervous laugh to what she had said. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it then. If you need to adjust the temperature at all, just tell me…”

It might have been a little awkward, speaking while being somewhat turned away like this. But, well… this place was a new home for Leila as well, so she probably should get used to seeing other girls without any clothes on. Not exactly the easiest thing for a young magician who wished to experience the wonders of love one day and gravitated more toward the feminine gender. In any case, she decided to stop standing there awkwardly and join her new companion in the bath, where they could perhaps converse some more. And she didn’t even really have to undress in a regular way, either.

Since she was wearing her combat outfit, it was rather special. With just one snap of her fingers, the rather fancy outfit would dissolve into shadows that crept down her body and then into the ground. Just like that, the guild master found herself rather exposed as well, though unlike Poko, she very well might have had eyes pinned on her. And so she slipped into the water as quickly as she could, making sure to hide most of her body beneath the water’s surface. Though due to how clear it was, the water didn’t exactly provide much of a cover for either of them.

Shaking her head, Leila would try to shift to a different train of thought. “Is Zephyr not gonna join us? I know that some, if not most, furry animals do not quite enjoy water and bathing, but he seemed quite unique. And, if you don’t mind, would you mind sharing what species he is part of? I have not seen a creature such as himself yet, it’s most curious!” Her thoughts of exploring and discovering new things overpowered other desires pretty well. And she was genuinely curious about the girl’s companion at this point, especially after having so much physical contact with him.

@Pokomon 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Silver Wolf

The girl nodded, glad that she managed to set everything just right the first time around. She knew full well that there were certain people that were just far too sensitive to heat and could not really submerge their bodies in a water like this without some adjustments first. Thankfully, magic was capable of fixing even problems like that. And it would come in useful later on for Zephyr, as she was about to learn. Although there was not much of information on the little curious creature, his owner knew at least his preferences, which was useful in its own way.

Since he would be a member of Silver Wolf just as much as the girl was. And because of that, they would tend to his needs as well. But it was pretty strange that even Poko didn’t know what the creature really was, especially since they were together for so long. And seeing how curious the girl herself seemed to be, she probably tried to find out as well, right? Which did bring about a certain possibility, that Zephyr wasn’t quite from Earthland but some other world or planet? But that was something Leila would talk about later on, now they were here to relax rather than speculate.

“Sounds like the two of you were quite lucky, able to meet someone so caring that early in life. Sometimes there is nothing more important to have someone you can trust in this world, so I’m glad for you!” The guild master would clap her hands and smile warmly. She quite liked these kinds of stories, as they were rather heartwarming and they could remind a person that world was not just shrouded in darkness, that there was good and love as well. One just had to search for a bit sometimes. She had to as well, still was.

“Well, perhaps we can prepare a cold bath for him later, what do you say? While also treating you both to something good to ear and drink.” This place also had a section that functioned as a restaurant, feeding both customers and guild members that could not prepare their own food. But that was to be then. Right now, Poko actually asked where Leila was from. This question was somewhat… difficult to answer. Mostly because it depended on what version of “herself” she would talk about here. But in the end, she decided for her true self.

“You could say I was born in Stella. It’s a nation that is not exactly the most welcoming, however. I never had any parents to speak off, but a certain someone found me and took care of me. A machias - race of sentient machines. He was a Golem who was traveling the whole world, so he took me with him. In that sense, you could say I am simply from Earthland, as I was in all of the nations on this continent and never really stopped in one until I arrived in Fiore for the second time. That’s when I became a mage, too. What about you?”

@Pokomon 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Silver Wolf

Nodding with a smile, the girl had already started planning where to prepare said cold bath for the lovable guardian that still rested in the other room. It was actually kinda funny, thinking about an animal that loved cold bath when humans pretty much universally hated such thing unless they got used to it prior. However, all smiles were soon enough wiped from this room as Poko decided to tell her everything about her past. Something that surely took a great amount of courage and even trust. It made Leila feel bad and honored at the same time, almost unsure of how to react.

There were many things to it all, even one such that her first Earthly vessel shared the same blood as this young girl. The Evil Angel Xiolan… Leila remembered her very well. Far too well, one could say. The two girls never got along, not one bit. And there were moments when the angel even managed to break free of the girl’s control. That one time, when she was supposed to bring a certain item to her old guild master, she was nearly killed by Xiolan, only barely surviving. At that time, she didn’t even know of her true origin and thought she would actually die.

Not very fond memories. The last act of Xiolan… it was actually connected to another thing that she and Poko seemed to have in common. Perhaps something that could bring her peace in some way, the knowledge that there were others like her. So as the girl started having trouble speaking, her new guild master would get up, uncaring if she was exposed or not at this moment. No, she just cared about this almost crying child. She would walk over and sit down right next to Poko, intently watching her and then, simply embrace her.

It was slow and non-threatening, love-filled hug. She actually knew that very pain. So she would offer her warmth to the girl and the sense of protection. Of course, Poko had the option to simply slip out or shake the girl off, she would not force herself on the poor girl. Once she would calm down, she would form some distance between them again, but remain by her side while looking at the skies above them, but not before patting Zephyr who wanted to comfort his companion as well. “I see… you’ve gone through some bad times, I am truly sorry to hear that.”

Letting out a sigh, she would try to relax her body and speak up herself now. “People make many mistakes in their lives. Some can be fixed, some cannot. But regardless of that, we must accept them and grow. I made many mistakes myself. Until something happened to my body, I was actually also able to summon the Evil Angel. I have never told her to kill anyone, however. I did so myself. There was this man who wished to take my power. My magic is something you can call Lost Magic. A type of magic you can no longer learn by normal means.”

Pausing for a moment, she looked at Poko to see how she was doing. “We ended up fighting. And because of all his actions, I flew into a rage. At that moment, I have torn his body, limb from limb. Mutilated him beyond recognition. It was then that I grew disgusted with killing. Of course, it has to be still done sometimes. But I have sworn to never kill a creature that possesses sentience. And I believe that everyone deserves another chance, no matter how many chances they already got before.” Smiling at the other girl, she would try to wipe out any tears that she might still have flowing from her eyes.

“I cannot say that I know how it is to be bullied through your childhood. But I know many people are troubled by the past, present and even the future. This is why I made this guild, really. To provide shelter for people like you and more, so you could find comfort in here and people you could rely on. People that would understand you and not judge you for your actions. And I think you are very brave for telling me all of this. So I thank you, for trusting me enough to tell me your story like this.”

@Pokomon 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Silver Wolf

Some people were rather alone. Honestly, Leila fell into that category as well. But in certain situations, having another person close to you and knowing that you could trust them was just about the best help you could get. Of course, Poko couldn’t completely trust Leila just yet. They have just met. But the silver-haired girl hoped to prove herself be properly trustworthy. And hopefully, the two of them could become great friends, if not more in the future. So the fact that Poko was able to smile after all that, even if just a little, pleased the guild master greatly.

“Yes, I am quite glad myself. So I’ll do my best to give you new and good memories that will balance this horrible past of yours.” Saying that, she would grin from ear to ear. How long has it been since she felt this much determination to help someone and make them happy? The universe truly did work in the strangest of ways, didn’t it? But she was glad for all of this, truly. And when the girl's stomach reminded everyone in the room that hunger was still present even in the most serious of situations, she couldn’t help but giggle as well.

“Of course. I’ll go ahead and let the chef know, so take your time getting out and dressing again.” With that, the girl would quickly leap out of the water, allowing only for the shortest glimpse onto the back of her body before the shadows would emerge from the ground again and dress her in the same outfit she had before. Going ahead, she would leave the room and do just as she said. At the moment, pretty much all of the members were out of the guild hall on jobs or doing their own business, so the chef had to be told that someone was going to order.

Once Poko would get out of the locker room, Leila would already be waiting there for her, bowing elegantly to greet her. “Now then, my lady, this way please.” She would speak to her teasingly, as if she was talking to a princess of some kind. Just few doors away was a large hall that housed many tables, both regular and ones that were part of boxes next to the wall. There was also a bar where people could order alcoholic beverages, though that was probably not gonna be used today. “We should be able to prepare just about any food here, so feel free to order whatever you might want.”

@Pokomon 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Silver Wolf

Leila couldn’t quite help herself but giggle at the fact that Poko ordered such a sweet dish. It seemed that the fabled saying of Girls always liking sweets was holding up here. Happily putting in the order, the guild master decided to get something a bit more meaty for herself. To be precise, she ordered Cordon bleu, meat wrapped around cheese and ham along with croquettes to go with it. It’s actually been a while since she had a properly prepared meal like that, considering she usually ate on her travels and had to prepare all of her food over mere campfire.

Then again, she also didn’t have to eat as much as most people due to how her body was. What was even rarer was the fact that she would get to spend some time with another person while eating. But it would be a little bit before their meals were prepared, so the two of them just sat down for now. Poko also had more questions, eager to learn more about this guild and perhaps even about Leila herself. It was only fair if she wanted to be part of the guild. And even more so far disclosing her own past.

This location, it was actually somewhat tied to Leila’s own past as well. As a waiter employed by the Silver Wolf got them some water, the silver-haired maiden would trace her finger over the rim of her glass as she started formulating it all in her head. “The simple answer would be that this place is secure. It snows pretty much non-stop here, and the mountain is protected by spirits of wolves that can easily lead astray those with vile intentions toward the guild. But I wasn’t able to avoid being influenced by more when choosing the location.”

There was more silence as the girl took a sip and then let out a small sigh. “Depending on how new you are to this place, you might have heard about Golden Phoenix. It was a treasure hunting guild that resided on top of Phoenix Mountain. That is the mountain right next to the location where we currently are. I was… part of that guild. I already said that I used to be a guildless mage who was simply wandering all over the place, but then I met Elyx, one of the most powerful mages in this world and guild master of Golden Phoenix.”

Simply remembering those times made her eyes slightly glossy, her lips quivering. “Long story short, he showed me the essence of a guild and gave me a home. But at some point, he had to step down as a guild master due to his personal business. And with a new master in the lead, the guild started falling apart slowly. Eventually, a war of guilds came. And in the chaos, our guild master attacked another guild called Black Rose by herself, leaving Golden Phoenix alone. A dark guild took that chance.”

“They have attacked when there was almost no one to defend the guild, me included as I was in a completely different place. What I came back to were ruins and the discovery that the guild had been completely destroyed and disbanded, the remaining members fleeing to someplace else.” A story of how the girl lost her home and eventually found motivation to build her own in the form of Silver Wolf. It was still rather fresh in her memory, but she had gotten over it mostly now. “I wanted my guild to be at least somewhat close to where my old home used to be.”

@Pokomon