Witness Protection (Job w/ Yona)

Yona Hisamori had spent her morning making waffles and fruit with her little brother. Sato had mixed the batter up while she had cut the fruit into small pieces. She taught him how to make whipped cream, even though it came out a little weird, she felt proud since it was his first time. Yona cooked the waffles up and served them on two plates, letting Sato decorate and cover the waffles with whipped cream to his heart's desire. Then he added the strawberries and blueberries haphazardly to their breakfast, proudly declaring of course that the fruit was something he had grown all on his own. Yona enjoyed her time with him, leaving him to clean up while she went back to the guild's headquarters. Yona was making sure she didn't spend too much time with Sato because of her demon issue and quietly she reflected upon how she still had not told Cirven or Ruvel about it. Yona had promised to do so, but time just slipped away from her. Plus, she was terrified they might lock her up or kill her outright. The fact was that it was the right thing to do, the good thing to do, to keep everyone safe. Yona couldn't even be upset at that as she was at the same time glad that there were people who defend the guild and her brother if her demon took her body over.

Her short green hair curled around her head as she made it to the stairs of the guild headquarters. Adorned in white shorts, white ankle boots, a pale green halter top that was cropped to reveal her torso, and a lightweight bone-white coat to go over it all, Yona was working on wearing something comfortable and professional for the job at hand. Johann had insisted they take on a job together despite that Yona was unsure his training was enough for her to be interacting with people who depended on her for safe keeping. She fiddled with the pin on her upper coat sleeve, one which bore the mark of WFTC and considered that if her mentor thought it was safe, perhaps she should simply trust him. Yona ached for blood, the craving worse than any drunken midnight binge, something which pained her throat. Ketsueki might have been quiet this morning but he knew to remind her every day of his lurking presence. He knew to remind her that if she ever once let her guard down again, he would be free to take the reigns. She wet her lips with her tongue and then brought both of her hands behind her back, holding them there as she leaned against the wall besides the headquarters' main entrance, waiting for Johann to appear.

WC: 460/ 7,000

Jo once more found himself lying in his bed, staring at the oh so familiar ceiling of his room in the barracks of the HQ. A few days had passed since he had returned from the mission to the Haunted Village, yet, so much had happened that he still had a hard time actually catching up with the events that had transpired around him. He had gone to and returned from Minstrel, had taken a trip to the cursed lands and another dimension, and, indeed most importantly, he had merged with Mars. His soul, his essence, his very being had been forever attached to the entity that had slumbered inside of him, a simultaneously holy and unholy being awoken from its slumber, causing the VP not only comfort. While Mars had granted him powers that he could have only ever dreamed of before, he had simultaneously changed both the appearance and the behaviour of this Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company, and both not just slightly. Johann looked like a completely different person, Mars insisting that he had "enhanced" the rune mage's physical form. Additionally, Johann had completely lost access to the magic he had held before, learning that what he had believed to be his own skill was Mars' magical power all along, the demon lord simply deeming it too be "ineffective" before getting rid of it, instead sharing his ancient knowledge with the VP, elevating the elemental runes Jo only had had limited access to before to the position of his primary magic. Additionally, since Mars and Johann, two beings who had found they weren't entirely unlike each other, now shared a body, Johann had gained limited access to the other one's ... well, it wasn't magic, the lord of war referred to it as "the holy curse". In any case, it was a strong, ancient power at the silver haired male's disposal ... but for what price ? Was it worth losing his sense for manners and etiquette ? Was it worth the nonchalant and stoic attitude he couldn't rid himself of ? He would certainly find out in the future.

Reluctantly, the Vice President sat up. He couldn't just lie around, wonder, think, be depressed about his state. He had things to do, after all ... and a lot of them too, apparently. He had been notified earlier about a job he had scheduled a while ago and almost forgotten about. The date of transfer for the client was, well, today, and so, the job that he himself had agreed to do came now, at the most inconvenient of moments. To top it all off ... he had also notified Yona that she'll join him on this job. Granted it had been a while ago, he thought, hoped that maybe, maybe she could've forgotten. He just wanted this over and done with. Johann had for the past days, once again, started avoiding his mentee for two reasons. Firstly, he had been rather busy, taking on a different task every single day he had been like this, and secondly, he had no idea if she would even recognize him at all, wondering what kind of reaction she would have to his complete change. Honestly, he was kind of nervous. Still, though, the company had a reputation to lose, he had business to take care of and they had a client to meet at the docks. Making his way out of the large mahogany front doors of the Headquarters building of the West Fiore Trading Company, her unique scent making the girl known to the man instantly. His face went from pale to even more pale as he slowly turned his head to a side, seeing Yona Hisamori, leaning against a wall. He was not prepared for this. How would he even explain to her that he was, in fact, Johann von Weiss, her mentor and the Vice President of the Company. He ... he'd figure something out. He always did ... right ? "Here goes nothing", he thought to himself before finally taking a few steps in her direction, wearing what seemed like a simple pair of white pants and an open, white jacket, wholly different from the extremely formal wear he would usually dress in. "Hey, uhm, hi there. You been waiting for long ?", a nervous smile decorating the man's face.

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Word Count: 728
Word Count Total: 728 / 7.000

A young man dressed in white approached Yona where she leaned against the wall. She looked up, surprised to be addressed. "Not too long. I have a job to do today with one of the VPs, which is weird I'll admit because he's never late," Yona returned. She pursed her lips and looked him over curiously. "I haven't seen you before. Are you new? I could spare a couple minutes if you need help with something." She tried to stop herself, but couldn't help it. A yawn stretched her mouth and she lifted a hand to cover it. The green haired mage was multi tasking in her head, pondering about her demon, her craving for blood, and her upcoming job with Johann. She admired the male for his attractiveness and had the thought that he would be well suited as a mage here. He looked very capable.

"Have you seen a tall older guy with a beard? He dresses real nice," Yona asked in addition, glancing at the headquarters, "It's peculiar that he would be so late." She sniffled, recovering from her yawn, and caught sight of a vein in the man's neck, just when he turned his head in slight. It was like being teased by the smell of fresh baked cookies and Ketsueki murmured inside of her head, "New guy, stranger, young- perfect blood, I can smell the power. You should just try a little..." Ketsueki wriggled but Yona clamped down her jaw and forced Ketsueki deeper inside, tearing her eyes away from the sight. She was no monster of course, and Johann made it clear that she could control him most of the time as long as she put forth enough attention and effort.

WC: 460+ 288= 748
Total WC needed: 7,000

"Uhm, yeah I -" he was trying to say something but his quiet, nervous voice was interrupted by the girl who kept talking. "N-No, not really new. I mean, I'm-" once again she kept going. Well, what was he supposed to do ? Just straight up tell her ? Try to convince her ? Would she even believe him if he said something ? He didn't know. So many questions were floating through his head that he had so little answers to before they vanished back into the darkness of his subconsciousness. It was no use. He would have to collect himself and tell her, well, the truth. "I have, actually. Yona, it's me. Johann. Okay, look, before you say anything, I know this sounds crazy and I know it makes no sense but, well, I'm Johann. Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company and all that.", getting a few steps closer and lowering his voice after that "Look, Mars took it upon himself to, ahem, "alter" my body, as he puts it, "make it more efficient" or whatever, and I have no way of knowing what he actually did or how to reverse it. All I know is that I feel different, look different, act different"

Taking another step back, Johann was waiting for the almost certain reaction of shock or surprise, perhaps, or even probably, disbelief from her. He silently cursed Mars, who was giggling at the whole event, for doing this, and silently cursed the job he had taken on weeks prior to this and now actually had to do where he would rather work on a solution to this issue, whether that was starting to find a way to reverse this or actually find a way to deal and, eventually, live with this condition. Before Yona could give answer anything back he continued "I'm sorry I haven't told you before, but I was unsure about what to do. The other Vice Presidents and Cirven already know, but still ... well, this is me now, I guess ?", now waiting eagerly for a response from his mentee.

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Word Count: 351
Word Count Total: 1.079 / 7.000

At first, Yona could not believe her ears. She looked the man up and down in an obvious fashion with a frown on her lips. Who was this imposter, who was this fool who dared call himself by the name of one of the greatest mages on Tolgalen? She shook her head slowly and Ketsueki murmured again, "Well it makes a little more sense now why I crave his blood so. My Lord Mars has such a delicious taste, that I should be honored to be chosen to drink from his veins.." Yona felt him shiver in excitement, in hope. It was his response and Johann's description of Mars that finally allowed her to let her guard down. Few knew the name of Mars and even fewer used it. If it wasn't another guild member playing a prank, then it was definitely her mentor.

As he spoke about feeling different, looking different, and acting different, Yona took on an expression of concern. She worried he might not be the same old man she had bonded with so closely during her time in WFTC. "Well, old man," Yona said tilting her head ever so slightly as she lowered her hand from fiddling with her green hair, "As long as you're not too different. I guess we have all seen weirder things around here. You're not a toddler this time at least, so we will just have to work with it." The plant mage cleared her throat and straightened her back, trying to stop staring and feeling embaressed that she had thought of her elder, her mentor, as an attractive young man. It was like half-crushing on your dad and it was just wrong. She shrugged it off and added, "Well, you said we had a job to take care of. I just hope Ketsueki doesn't try to modify my body because let's face it," She touched Johann on the shoulder, "I am still prettier than you." And with that she started down the stairs, hoping Johann would follow and explain their duties in this mysterious job. She was ready to work and changing the way he looked alone would not be enough to change how Yona saw her mentor.

WC: 748+368= 1116
Total WC needed: 7,000

Breathing a sigh of relief when Yona showed him a relaxed reaction, he straightened his back. Well, this wasn't so bad, after all, was it ? "I guess you're right ..." he spoke softly as he looked down on "his" hands. As long as he had no idea what was going on and, perhaps even more importantly, no idea how to reverse the curse he'd just kind of have to deal with it for the time being. Jo repeated the girl's words in his head. At least he wasn't a toddler. He had to think about Ruvel and Cirven for a second, but shook his head. It was no use. "Looks like all of you are having a good time, tssehe", the Lord of War made himself heard in the back of his head. The Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company was tempted to give back some profanity, but let it go. It wouldn't change how he looked or acted anyway. For now, they had official business to deal with. "Yeah ...", he smiled weakly as he heard the girl's comment. Ketsueki was a mystery to him. The demon that had been sealed inside his mentee seemed so much more aggressive, bloodthirsty, evil for the lack of a better term, while Mars had turned out to be ... surprisingly agreeable. Johann wasn't so delusional to assume he knew everything about demons, or the self proclaimed Lord of War for that matter, quite the contrary was the case, actually, but he knew that something wasn't quite right, felt that there was an inherent difference between the two. Whatever this might be ... time would certainly tell. He'd try to find out more about Mars. Not like he had much of a choice, anyway, the two now shared a body. It would be hard to hide something from the other, but the same would go for him. He had to lighten up a little.

"... maybe in your dreams" he added, the smirk on his face lifting one corner of his mouth slightly. Following the green haired girl down the stairs, Johann took in a deep breath. It was a nice day outside. There would be more than enough time to worry about certain things some other day. "So, you're ready for the job, Hisamori ?", the silver haired male asked his mentee despite knowing the answer. He was eager to spend some time with her, eager to talk, to see how she was feeling, not least because he was worried. The girl still had a demon sealed within, and not one that was particularly cooperative or easily controlled either. He just hoped he could be of help in regards to that somehow. He'd see how she would fare on the mission. Speaking of mission ... "So, uh, you know what's up for today ? Let me give you a quick summary : A loyal client of the West Fiore Trading Company, Mr. Olivíer, has recently had a, well, let's call it a dispute with a rival trading company, discovering that they made use of some ... not exactly legal business practices. Of course, Mr. Olivíer is a good and upstanding citizen and promptly reported this to responsible authorities, though ... it seems that these authorities had questionable ties to the rival company in question. Barely making it out of his home with but a few belongings, he somehow managed to get to Tolgalen, requesting that we shelter him from the danger he is facing. The West Fiore Trading Company, of course, allowed him to stay and offered its protection. Now, however, it appears like we have a problem. Mr. Olivíer, understandably, wants to clear his name and see returned to him what is his, and for that he has to clear his name." Johann paused briefly, taking another deep breath. Now for the difficult part. "For that our client has to reach an impartial legal institution though, his best bet likely being the district court in Hargeon. The issue is, however, that his angry, newfound "friends" will try to prevent exactly that from happening with everything they have at their disposal, their businesses and freedom depends on it, after all. You see where I'm coming from."

Johann set his eyes of the port town approaching down the road. The client would wait at the docks "We'll have to escort the client and the ship and make sure he arrives in Hargeon safely. If he is so much as scratched the reputation of the West Fiore Trading Company would be on the line. I hope you're aware of the impact that this could have on Tolgalen." The Vice President, of course, referencing the unknown, darker part of the company. The client, over a few corners, was of some importance to Onyx Moon, a supplier of certain goods or something along those lines, or that's what he had been told. It was only natural that they had to protect the man ... while also taking a close look at him on the way and make sure he would say the right things to the right people. Now reaching the outskirts of Anhew Port, the city with the closest commercial docks reserved for Company business, Johann stopped before he would head to the warehouses where they were supposed to meet the man they would escort. It was still relatively early in the day, but the vibrant merchant city was already buzzing with life. He turned to Yona, "So, any more questions before we go and meet Olivíer ?"

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Word Count: 927
Word Count Total: 2.006 / 7.000

Yona gestured towards the large warehouses, not far from the docks themselves. "Sounds like a lovely mess. Protect the man, get him to where he needs to go. We can do that." Yona nodded her head and Ketsueki growled in her head, "But can you protect him from yourself? From me?"  Yona pretended she hadn't heard and she felt the angry prowler crossing his arms. "Ignore me all you like, but I am here just the same. And," He added with a disturbing smirk, licking his lips, "I'm hungry." The green haired woman set her jaw firmly, still ignoring him as best as she could. "There's already food and supplies on the boat? I don't have anything special." The plant mage kept up with Johann as they headed to the warehouse. She straightened her back and took a deep breath, letting it out nice and slow. She could do this, she could do this, Yona reminded herself. If Johann could, she could.

Yona opened the door to the warehouse with some effort, finding the hinges to be old and the door to be heavy as it took a couple strong pulls to get it open. Not a bad place to lay low, she thought, you could hear that door opening from a mile away. Yona made sure that the pin on her coat sleeve was still obvious and then stepped into the room. Immediately a short man, only a few inches taller than herself, jumped up from his seat at a makeshift table. The table was made of barrels and a piece of dusty wood and sitting on it was the man's fresh tankard of what appeared to be coffee. As the man got close, seeing the pair, he appeared to relax a bit and Yona could smell liquor on his breath. Yona gave Johann a look, assuming he could smell it too. "Nice of you two to show up," Said Olivier, combing his fingers through his shoulder length brown hair. He looked a bit grimey but given the circumstances, Yona supposed he had to fit in with the sailors, dockworkers, and warehouse men. Dressing and looking well wasn't much part of the job.

"I've been aching to leave for thirty minutes. They wouldn't even let me on the boat yet! Do you know how stifling it can be in here?" Olivier complained. Yona let him have that one. He was probably nervous on top of being unclean and drunk at this time in the morning. She would die having to stay inside all the time too, preferring to be outdoors as always. Still, his poor attitude was not a great start when they weren't even on the boat yet. "Good morning, I am Yona, we'll be leaving soon. Do you have everything you need?" she started to say when the man interrupted her, swaying close enough that she could smell him more strongly than she liked. "What do you think I have to bring with me?" He gestured at his clothing, "The moment I am allowed to shower and put normal clothes on, you can bet I will toast to the demise of these damned docks." Yona then glanced at Johann, hoping he would finish introductions, and then get the moody businessman on the boat. He clearly didn't fully grasp the danger he was probably in and on top of that it sounded like he was far less grateful than he should have been.

WC: 1116+575= 1691
Total WC needed: 7,000

"It is, but we'll be fine. This is actually important though, so we'll have to be on our toes", the VP spoke, turning his head to his mentee and the demon inside her, raising an eyebrow. "As far as I know the ship's ready to leave. We'll just have to be a little quiet and covert if you know what I mean. Don't want to draw attention to ourselves unless we can't avoid it". Approaching the warehouse, Johann came to a stop, standing before the massive building that the West Fiore Trading Company used to temporarily house goods before they were being distributed or sent to their respective recipient. Johann's face was expressionless. He really could imagine himself spending his time with more meaningful tasks, but well, someone had to do it. At least he would be able to keep and eye out for the girl.

Standing beside her as she pulled the door open the smell of moist wood and dust hit him, the creaking of the old thing characteristic for these harbourside storage halls. It was cold in here, much colder than outside, yet the air still seemed stale and filled with various scents, or maybe that was only an issue he had due to his heightened senses ? He couldn't tell since he had measure of comparison. There was another smell. The unmistakable smell of alcohol. He sighed. Before them sat their client, visibly nervous, though composed, looking exactly like the Vice President had imagined him. A greasy, skinny businessman, his face and lineaments making no secret of his slyness. He seemed perfect for the profession he had taken. Well, he couldn't blame him, not like the West Fiore Company was entirely comprised of lawful and upstanding merchants either. As soon as the two got closer he seemed to relax a little. Johann felt the strong urge to reply something to the man who obviously seemed rather annoyed and on edge about this whole situation. "But can you reaaaally blame him ? Tsehehe", the Lord of War made himself known in the back of the VP's head. Johann didn't respond.

Listening to Olivíer's outburst of complaint he, again, was tempted to reply accordingly but, for the sake of good relations, kept his mouth shut. Mars giggled. This would be a long and nerve-wrenching trip to the mainland. At least he could find comfort in the fact that he didn't have to deal with him alone. The corner of his mouth went up, his lips forming a small smirk before immediately going back to a stoic expression. "These "damned docks", Mr. Olivíer, have kept you alive up to this point. You will have the opportunity to take a shower and change on the ship. The sooner we leave Tolgalen the better", the client frowned, making an expression as if he was looking down on the Vice President despite being shorter than him. A thoroughly repulsing person, Johann thought to himself. "Oh, forgive me Mr. "High-and-Mighty", I don't think we've met before, you are ?", obviously not happy about being reprimanded like this. "Johann von Weiss, Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company, the organisation that has built these docks, the same Company that has made sure that the limits to your inconveniences are dirty clothes and not a blade in your gut for pissing off the wrong people. A little more respect and gratitude, Olivíer". The man's jaw dropped a little, but still noticeably before collecting himself again, his face turning red. He obviously wasn't used to being spoken to like this and looked like he wanted to say something, but kept it to himself, just whispering to himself "I'll remember this ..." before uttering a long, dramatically drawn out sigh. He realized that the silver haired male before him had a point. "Fine. Let's get out of here. I don't care where, I just want to get out of this miserable outfit", Johann nodding in response, stepping to the side. "Yona, you'll take the lead and stay with our friend here, I'll follow behind to make sure we don't have unwanted company, got it ? The ship is hard to miss, just down the harbour, the only warship docked there."

He hoped that the girl would agree and would stay behind, letting her leave before moving out, shuffling through the crowd with closed eyes. It helped him sense his surrounding better and get a clearer picture. In a good 100 meters of himself, any and all movement he could sense and wouldn't miss. Meanwhile, just outside of the range of the rune mages sensory, a hooded figure stumbled into an alleyway, hastily, approaching 5 more, similarly hooded figures "They left the warehouse", speaking seemingly out of breath, one hooded figure giving a nod of acknowledgement before stepping forward and turning to the others "Alright, time for us to move. Get the guy at any cost. If one of you is captured you know what to do", all figures giving a short nod before they dispersed into different directions.

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Word Count: 838
Word Count Total: 2.844 / 7.000

Yona Hisamori was thinking about the large ship and how it was all ready to go with supplies, but she never imagined a ship as large as a warship being used. It seemed less than discreet but perhaps the goal then was not to be secretive once on the boat, but to be better defended. Yona wouldn't know, considering such boats were used for battle or transporting enormous loads of people and cargo. She had only been in rolling sloops and small ferries in her own travel experience, except for the time when she stored away in the cargo hold of a ship set to go to Tolgalen. Yona saw that Johann had caught her look of annoyance with Olivier and was pleasantly amused at the way her mentor handled the situation. He was professional, mature, and yet did not suffer the rebuke or insults deigned for him and the Company by the man they were paid by to protect. Actually, Yona only assumed he was paying them, maybe it was a third party considering his incredible importance to the case.

Olivier muttered, "I'll remember this," and Yona tensed. Typical Yona would have decked him, simply laid him out flat on his back for that comment. She was tired of his disrespect and she kind of wanted to feed him to the sharks or the assassins out there looking for him. "Of course, Johann. I'll stick by and protect him. I know you've got my back." Yona reached out, about to grab the man by his arm and lead him out the door, but she pulled her hand back with disgust about the same time that he stepped forward, hasty to get out of the fish-scented warehouse. She wasn't interested in guiding him or touching him or even being nice, so at least he plodded himself along, taking tiny steps like a rich fool while wearing the getup of a dirty sailor. Yona whispered to him, "Walk slower, more relaxed, with a small slump. You look like a rich penguin at a ball." It was true, there was no way his disguise was actually helping as much as she had hoped it would but instead of taking her light jest and comment as helpful, Olivier spat on the ground in front of her feet. She stepped over and out of the way and shot him a hateful look.

"There, is that uncivilized enough for you? I swear, just because I am dressed like a heathen doesn't mean I should act like one. I am keeping my dignity in tact," He looked over at her, his brown eyes gliding up and down her alluring form. From her ankle boots, short shorts, and cropped top and then back down without even looking at her face, Yona felt prompted to cross her arms and had to resist the urge. Her white coat flapped behind her as she walked briskly. "At least one of us has to anyway. Dressing like that, nobody would have any idea you're some sort of guild mage and not a street walker." Yona clenched her fists under her coat and forced a dark smile on her face. Ketsueki stirred awakened by her frustrations and her tense body posture. They reached the docks without much incident, but the docks were large. Crowds of workers sifted past them and around, moving to various boats while trying to get their work done. Yona sidled up next to Olivier, no longer paying any attention to all the faces around them.

The mage grabbed him at his wrist, twisting and bending it back slightly, all while maintaining a cool demeanor around her so nobody around would know. "If you dare speak of me in such a way again, I will personally sell you to those assassins out there." Nothing about her green eyes as they locked with his brown hues suggested she was lying and he went silent, unhappy but quieted for the moment. "You better apologize," She began.

WC: 1691+666= 2357
Total WC needed: 7,000

"Good. I hope I don't have to tell you to do your best, Hisamori. There's a lot on the line for everyone involved, but don't overdo it. You know the risks" the Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company spoke to his mentee in obvious reference to Ketsueki. Giving her a determined nod he stayed behind, watching the green haired girl and the short fused businessman leave the storage hall, waiting for a good minute before leaving too. He had trouble suppressing a smirk as Yona commented on the man's gait and couldn't help but chuckle as he pulled the large door closed with a loud creak and a single swing before stepping out onto the busy street that lead further down the docks. Making his way through the crowd, the occasional familiar face rushing past the Vice President. He was glad that this was the docking area that dealt with the commercial shipping, the people around made up of the various dock workers and crews of the harboured ships, otherwise this perhaps would've been a more confusing situation. Still, the unknown face of a silver haired man who ran around with his eyes closed, most of the workers of the Company hadn't been informed about the sudden change of appearance, drew the occasional odd stare, attention and some whispers questions passed between them towards Jo, who, despite his changed appearance, still wore the Company pin and the uniform with rank insignia of a VP. Didn't really matter for the time being. He was sure the whole situation would be resolved soon, anyway, one way or the other.

Keeping up with Yona and Olivíer through his sensory he listened to the conversation between them. He sighed. Both of them were behaving like children, their immature insults and back and forth annoying the rune mage to no end. He'd have a word with both of them later. Mars seemed audibly amused by the things he could hear, though. "Such spirit, so lively, tssehe. Don't you think the two are perfect for each other ?", he cackled to himself. Johann raised his eyebrows, shaking his head, admittedly slightly amused by the image Mars presented, smirking silently. "Heh. As if". Johann would keep an ear out for the two and step in if needed. He couldn't concentrate on them too much though, his attention and focus more than fully occupied with checking the dozens of people making their way to and from the dock area. So far the only thing he could sense was a lot of regular people, workers, and the occasional trace of magic from a guard or a lacrima in the area, but nothing too conspicuous. It was way too quiet given the circumstances. Maybe the enigmatic assassins Olivíers rivals had hired would fail to appear, after all ? No, they wouldn't make it that easy. At least that was what the Vice President would've done.

Sure enough, it didn't even take another minute for the man's inner alarm to ring out, a robed figure moving across the roof of one of the nearby warehouses and into his sensory range, the faint trace of magical power marking them as someone who really shouldn't be where they were. "Looks like it's finally time, tsehehe ...". At the same time, another man would get close to Yona and Olivíer, dressed in the uniform of the West Fiore Trading Company, his hands firmly grasping the two daggers in the pockets of his jacket.

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Word Count: 581
Word Count Total: 3.425 / 7.000

"I'm trying to help you, don't be an imbecile," Yona had added, still gripping his wrist while he squirmed in pain. "All right, all right, I'll be having a word with your superior on this! Just get me to the damn boat and I'll shut up," Olivier had quipped back. Her hand let go of his and he pushed himself into stride, moving up ahead of her and letting her stand directly behind. Yona kept on behind him like flies on a warthog, not letting him out of her site. She might despise him, maybe even enough to kill him herself if he pushed her a bit more, but the fact was that her job was on the line. She had a demon inside of her she needed to prioritize over her own feelings and she had to get Olivier to his destination safely. A favor for a hefty price and Yona wasn't going to embarrass the guild or get herself kicked from it over petty banter with an oily fish-smelling businessman in disguise.

Yona heard her demon in fact in her head, a sing-song voice repeating, "So fat, so sweet, his blood, his meat, consume the feet and haanddss.." It was just great that for once she agreed with Ketsueki and was tempted to let him rage out and end the short man. Her mind refocused on the area around them, the wooden docks stretching out far ahead of them, that warship looming like a great shadow over all the other boats around. Yona wasn't aware of anyone getting close who wasn't a dock worker. Truth be told, she didn't sense any levels of magic, any traces high enough to her to make her question if there was an assassin sneaking up. She caught sight of a white WFTC uniform in her periphery and paused to take a look. Just as she tilted her head, the very same person in the uniform struck out with his two daggers. Both stabbing forward towards Olivier, aimed between her and him as if trying to be careful not to harm Yona in the process. Yona didn't think, she just acted, taking a step to the right and letting both daggers hit her instead. One slid into her side, under her rib cage, and the other knife through the skin of her back but had been knocked sideways with her quick movement. She made a face of pain and groaned weakly.

Olivier looked back over his shoulder and saw what transpired, his face going as white as a bedsheet. Yona turned her body and grabbed the wrist which was connected to the dagger still inside of her, much the same way she had grabbed onto Olivier moments before. She twisted her body swiftly, however, Yona held his arm in place, causing it to break through the elbow as it was bent in a way that no elbow should be bent. The crack was painful to listen to and the assassin cried out, slashing blindly in rage and pain with his free hand. The plant mage took a step forward, pulling the dagger out of her as she moved and causing the assassin to miss his next strikes. She turned around fully to face him, blood staining her white coat from the back, blood dripping from her wound onto the dock. When the assassin struck out this time, one arm dangling from where it had been broken, the bone visible through the skin, and the other viciously trying to push through the pain and complete his task, Yona assessed him. She watched how he was moving his hand and how he held the dagger and it reminded her of her days on the streets before joining up with the guild.

"You're not going to hit a girl with that are you?" She said sweetly, drawing more attention from the dock workers and crowds around her. Olivier began backing away into the crowds, sliding towards the ship like a mouse scrambling for cover. When the assassin remained silent, except for his heavy breathing, Yona sighed, "All right then, let's finish this up."

The rest happened very quickly. The assassin dove forward with his weapon, aiming it right for Yona's center of mass. Yona sidestepped at the last minute, the way she had learned to all those years ago, and gave him a hard kick from behind. Accompanying his momentum, the assassin had no way to stop his balance and he fell forward onto the docks. He dropped his own dagger and Yona couldn't help but roll her eyes at how naive and inexperienced this guy was at killing, considering it was his job.

Yona kicked him in the side and Ketsueki cheered in her head, "Hey, I'm not picky... eat him! Kill him! Let me stretch my claws and tear the skin from his bones!" Yona was tempted to let him, again, but the scene was already causing the crowds to grow. She didn't need to cause any more drama than there already was. Yona muttered the words, "Aloe allay," healing herself as she approached the man on the ground. She rested her boot on his back and waited for a few guards to move to the front of the crowd. She explained the situation quickly to them, "This is a Company imposter, an assassin sent here to kill; take him to the prison and begin his processing, will you?" The guards chained the man's hands behind his back and Yona left to go towards the ship and towards where Olivier was cowering, a nice set of barrels on the side of the dock. "Oh, you're no fun," Ketsueki complained.

WC: 2357+950= 3307
Total WC needed: 7,000

"Oh, oh, are we gonna play ? Do we get to play with them ? Will you let me do the fighting ?", the eager Mars brabbled excitedly, a stark contrast to the deep voice that rang out inside the Vice President's head. It seemed like that, when it came to fighting and combat, Mars was easily thrilled, but then again, he was the self proclaimed "Lord of War", and, as Johann had to admit, an astonishingly strong fighter, but ... with the tendency to toy around with those weaker than him. The VP of the West Fiore Trading Company figured that was his demonic heritage shining through, still somewhat unsure about what exactly Mars actually was. "I'll take this one, Mars. We have to be quick and efficient, and, knowing you, we most likely wouldn't come out clean ...", a fair point in the other creature's eyes. Acknowledging what the silver haired male had said, Mars gave something akin to a mental nod and fell silent, though under the condition and exact knowledge that he would get his action later. He always would.

Now, however, would be a great time to test out the new weapon that he and Mars had created together, as one, acting in tandem to both use the skills they possessed to forge from what they had the best they could get. Grasping into nothing, in a swirl of darkness, the newly created Sword of War appeared in his hand, the red blade shining menacingly in the warm morning sun of Tolgalen. It would be the perfect test for the blade. Johann's form blurred, vanishing into thin air and leaving behind not a trace as he reappeared on the roof of the nearby storage hall, the insane burst of speed appearing like teleportation to anyone who could see, a good few meters behind the robed figure that had followed his mentee and the ungrateful client around, making their way from rooftop to rooftop. They hadn't noticed the sudden appearance of the Rune Mage with Johann masking his magical power and presence from the other's sensory and the person seemingly very focussed on the street below, fumbling with something under their coat before pulling out what looked like an elegantly crafted bow of dark wood, Johann however unable to spot any arrows. Remaining still and silent, he watched through his magical sensory as the figure that seemed to have the assassins attention approached Yona and Olivíer, drew his blades and attacked. The element of surprise seemed to have caught the girl off guard initially, but she was holding herself surprisingly well, not only managing to fend off the man, who had cowardly clad himself in the uniform of the West Fiore Trading Company, where he had gotten that would certainly be investigated, but also to subdue him and have him arrested in what seemed like less than a minute. The older male couldn't help but smirk a little. "She's learning, tsehe", the voice spoke in the back of his head, "Indeed", silver haired male answered quickly.

This circumstance, though, didn't go unnoticed by the other robed assassin that still held the ranged weapon, Johann sensing unease and impatience from the person that was now aiming the bow at Yona, Olivíer had long gotten himself out of the line of fire. Tss, what a coward. Drawing back the string, a magical energy flared up within the weapon itself, an arrow of bright white magic materializing in the bow. That explained. Drawing the string back further and further, the figure straightened their back, their stance tensing up, Johann only now realizing from the assassin's form that he was, in fact, facing a woman, who, from the looks of things, was about to fire her magical weapon at his mentee. With emphasis on making himself known as much as possible, he cleared his throat, the woman in the dark robe immediately tensing up, an audible gasp escaping her mouth as she released the arrow, which went flying way over the intended target and disappeared on the horizon. "Shooting these things is dangerous, Miss. Someone could get hurt, and we wouldn't want that, would we ?". In shock, the woman whipped around, drawing the string of the magical bow back once more as she did, Johann for the first time able to see her face as she did. She was probably somewhere around her mid twenties, her hair was a dirty blonde, several streaks of which fell down into her face. She wasn't unattractive, though ... the most striking feature taking away from everything else was the fact that she was missing an eye.

Immediately, she released another arrow, this time with perfect aim, the projectile bursting through the air straight towards Johann. The VP, in less than a second, had raised his blade, golden runes flaring up all over the weapon, coating it a glowing aura before slashing it through the air, the magical arrow reflected away and into the sky. "W-what ?" was all that escaped the assassin before shooting another projectile, the VP redirecting it the the side this time. "Impossible. My arrows can pierce everything !". Johann did not respond to the outburst, instead lifting his blade to about shoulder height, pointing the tip of the weapon straight at her, the glow of the weapon's aura intensifying before exploding into a burst of blinding light. A couple seconds later, the light subsided, the woman covering her remaining eye with one hand, the bow in the other, squirming in pain on all fours, Johann walking forward and starting to drag her by the back of the collar. "Be glad I don't see you as a threat to my guild's safety. You would be nothing but ash now."

Jumping off the side of the storage hall and floating down towards the ground, holding the blade with one and the assassin with the other he gently landed close where Yona was standing, throwing the woman who was still blinded by the effect of his spell forward "Take her with you while you're at it. Assassin sent to murder one of our clients", the guards of the Company looking at each other in confusion as they received orders from this person they had never seen before, though complied for now. "You okay, Yona ?" the silver haired male turned to his mentee, seeing the bloody stains on her uniform. Of course he would heal her easily if she did indeed need the help, though also follow up with the information his sensory gave him. "It's not over yet. There's 4 more in an alleyway between the warehouses, not far from here, watching us, waiting for their chance."

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Word Count: 1.117
Word Count Total: 4.542 / 7.000

From about 15 meters away, maybe more, Yona could see Olivier poking his dirty face from behind a towering stack of barrels. The barrels were secured together with rope and it was clear they would soon be packed onto a ship for delivery. Yona frowned and then jumped with a start as Johann landed beside her. He was carrying a woman it seemed and a blade and her frown turned into a half smile. "So everything's all right then. Looks like we each got to see some action," Yona quipped. She gestured with her shoulder and head, nodding towards the barrels, "It would have been so much more enjoyable to put him in a barrel you know. And less dangerous. And easier." Her joke wasn't completely a joke, as she looked over at Olivier whose expression had already changed from fear to relief, and was now back to settling on annoyance.

Yona hadn't noticed the arrow which had flown past her earlier or the fight between her mentor and the robed archer from afar. She glanced down at her stained clothing and sighed, touching it with her fingertips. "If I had been faster, I might've not gotten hit at all. I'll be fine, really, though. Thanks, shihan." She waited as Johann tossed the woman down and ordered her likewise arrested. When the guards seemed confused, Yona lifted her arm and pointed at her guild pin, "He's really one of us, I vouch for him." The guards were having a hard enough time with imposters and attempted murder on the docks this morning without her needing to go into an explanation of rank or identity on Johann's behalf. She covered her mouth and coughed once, taking a step towards the barrels as she expected them to continue on. When Johann mentioned the presence of four others between the warehouses, Yona turned her green eyes behind her to examine the docks.

Her feet were literally on the line between wooden slats and sea and the ground of the fish market and warehouses. They were exactly halfway there, she could see the huge ship waiting just down the dock aways. "I'm not sure, Johann. I mean, if we go back to face them, we risk spending more time here. More time for these pests to come out of the woodwork. We still haven't even gotten to the ship or inspected it, and I mean I know we are supposed to trust the crew because this mission was highly detailed," She talked with her hands as she spoke, "But I wanted to at least look the crew over before we are stuck on a boat with them."

The young woman didn't often disagree with Johann, especially not during a mission. It was a tricky issue: they could not just leave with four assassins certainly present and nearby, but Yona gave a good point as well. She didn't want to split up and have to deal with Olivier on her own again, considering she had already taken a knife to the side and back for him. And his expression should have been one of gratitude, but Olivier was obviously unimpressed. Yona wasn't so sure that she would not throw him into the water and make him swim up to the ship. It would please her greatly to watch him try to climb up the side ladder of a large warship. Yona was much more on land than on a boat, having spent years in the streets and traveling on land between cities and markets. "You know," She said keeping her voice low, "You are good with being fast and noticing details. Why don't you take Olivier to the ship, look it and the crew over, and get Olivier into a shower? I can double back towards the alleyways and handle those assassins. I've dealt with more numbers and worse situations before, but alleys are something I know how to make into an advantage."

If Johann approved, she would stride off towards the warehouses and fish market, towards the crowds and bustle of morning activities.


WC: 3307+680=3987
Total WC needed: 7,000

"That the day would come that you had to vouch for me", Johann grinned to himself as he turned to the girl. That was, of course, before his sensory alerted him to the presence of the assassins, a slight frown forming as his eyes grew cold and his expression neutral. Listening to what the girl had to say, the silver haired Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company took a second, staring down as the guards removed the ones they had captured. She had a point, but ... would she be able to handle all four on her own ? Or perhaps more importantly still, would she be able to keep Ketsueki and his bloodlust in check ? He didn't quite want to leave her to do this on her own, but he also didn't want to waste more time clearing the docks when they clearly had more important business to deal with. Additionally, he thought, the girl had become quite a capable mage, as he had witnessed just moments ago. Raising an arm to the side of his head he pushed his hair back a little, sheathing the rapier as he sighed "Fine. You'll go and deal with that, but look out for yourself, alright girl ? You know that with your, well, situation, you gotta. I'll go ahead and take our friend over here to the ship", pointing to Olivier who had started moving out from behind the stack of barrels "I expect you back soon. Guess I'll go ahead and inspect the ship.", moving further down the docks and leaving Yona to do what she had to do. "Oh, and one more thing", he turned around once more, lifting his hand "Don't get yourself killed".

With that, he turned towards the docked steel warship of the WFTC with Olivier trotting after him, a massive behemoth more than a ship, the barrels of the large artillery cannons on the stern and bow clearly visible, the conning tower and bridge high over the deck of the metal monstrosity. Truly, the epitome of the combination of technology and magic. Olivier seemed nervous, his head swinging from side to side periodically, his eyes darting from side to side as he tried to stay as close as possible to the Vice President, the smell of alcohol clearly emanating from the man. "Is something wrong, Olivier ?", the silver haired Jo asked the client, with unchanging pace making his way to the ramp at the side of the steel titan. "A-Are you kidding me ? There are people out there who want my head ! What is not wrong about that ?!", he clamoured towards the VP, visibly distressed. Well, in a way Jo could understand him, even if his manners were ... lacking, at least. In any case, the contract stated that the Company would keep him alive, and Jo wasn't one to break a contract. "As long as I'm around I can guarantee that you will live, Olivier. Might take a bullet or two, but nothing that isn't easily fixed". Of course, he was only teasing the man, Olivier however wincing quietly, the two men continuing on their way, almost that the ramp that led up the side of the Company's Ship.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Word Count: 542
Word Count Total: 5.084 / 7.000

Yona tensed as Johann reminded her of her situation. She, of course, knew she had to be cautious, she dealt with Ketsueki in her head all day, every day. The green haired female bit the inside of her cheek until her mentor relented and told her not to get killed. "Have fun with Olivier," Yona mumbled with a little smirk. Yona was definitely capable of many things, but tolerating people was a weak point for her. The less time she was with the client himself, the better. Not to mention, Yona enjoyed displaying her skills. She wanted a reputation like Johann; to be known for something good, to be known for her strengths, was to be a great honorable role. As he walked away Yona turned towards the warehouses again, her white ankle boots tapping across the wooden slats of the docks until it gave way to the stone and packed ground near the fish market. As if adjusting her boot, Yona touched the ground and sensed the bodies all around her. There were plenty of moving parts: workers standing still as they hacked fish, sailors moving back and forth from the docks to the warehouses, loading up their ships, customers striding in with purpose from the market to purchase fish fresh this morning. There were four bodies close together which moved as one through an alley and then began to split into two groups. The planned identical motion gave away to Yona that they were in the midst of planning a secondary attack. Two were entering a warehouse building and she lost track of them, no longer standing on the ground she could sense through. The other two were suddenly vanishing into thin air and she had to assume that they were either teleported or that they had decided to climb on top of an object, or scale the side of a building.

Yona knew the other two had to be inside of the warehouse that they entered, but the two who vanished into thin air seemed now to be the higher priority. If she lost where they were, she would never be able to pick them out of a crowd of people. The nineteen-year-old hastened her speed towards the alley where she lost track of two of the assassins. Upon arriving, she peeked around the corner and saw one figure atop the building, looking down at the second who was scaling the building, just as Yona had suspected. She let out a soft gasp of air and then walked directly into the alleyway. Yona exuded hormones, unable to be noticed by human noses, and a swarm of wasps arrived, stinging the man who was climbing his way up the wall. He let out a few curses and lost his grip, falling ten feet to the ground. The figure above vanished from her view and so Yona took advantage of the moment, racing into the alleyway and falling on the fallen assassin with vigor. She pinned his shoulders down with her knees, and placed her hand upon his throat, squeezing it. "One down," She said smiling to him. In the surprise, still in shock from the fall, he groaned back, "My leg.." Yona didn't fall for it. Even if it was broken, she didn't much care. She swiftly drove her free hand into his forehead, three times right between his eyes, with enough force to shatter the nasal bone. He was unconscious quickly enough and Yona stood up, proud of herself. Well, she was proud until a needle pricked the back of her neck. She grabbed for the needle, whirling on her heel and found herself still alone in the alleyway. The plant mage felt a bit dizzy and held the wall for balance while she removed the needle. The woman sniffed it and frowned, thankful finally for Sol's endless lessons on poisons and venoms.

"I guess I should try to pay attention more closely when he's lecturing instead of groaning about the lack of field work," Yona said to herself. It might have been the bitter smell of black mold, a basic and easy poison to obtain, or perhaps it was something that was much worse. She had become accustomed to carrying a few basic roots and herbs in a small pouch inside of her shirt, in a place nobody would dare to go looking, ever since her intense fight with Sol and Johann. Remedies were the best things to stave off symptoms when it came to toxins. She felt the bout of vertigo intensify and fiddled through her pocket. Her fingers came up with a piece of ginger root and she took a quick bite of the root, crunching off a small piece between her teeth and letting the acute flavor rush over her tongue. In a few seconds, the dizziness abated and Yona took a deep breath. Nobody was around as far as she could see. She brushed her hands to the ground and felt the two she had tracked from before moving out of the warehouse nearby, slowly and in sync. It was odd unless they were carrying something. Yona glanced at the top of the building, where she had seen the assassin. She could risk chasing him up there to find nothing or go after the other two before she lost them for good. Yona growled in frustration and dashed out of the alleyway, nearly colliding into the side wall again, her brain still reeling from the prick of poison introduced into her system. She chewed on the ginger and tried not to make a face, keeping her eyes focused.

Her green eyes scanned the crowd and she saw the two she had hoped to see. A pair of men dressed as sailors, making her doubt herself for a moment too long as she saw what they were carrying. A small but apparently heavy crate. There was a bit of blood on the corner of the crate and a missing slat from where it was pried open. They might have hurt someone already and what had she accomplished so far? The glint of metal and the heaviness made Yona step forward until Ketsueki spoke in her head. "You know what that is right? Even I can sense the magic in that lacrima. They are carrying something dangerous, very dangerous. You're not fast enough, let me-" Yona shook her head firmly starting to run. "No," She said out loud, "No I can make it!" The two men were hurrying through the crowds, being careful but efficient. She caught sight of one of their faces: a middle-aged man with a goatee and a driven focused look on his face. He was willing to really take such a weapon out onto the docks? With a crowd around? She didn't have many options here. If she stopped them, one of the two men could set the lacrima explosive off early, killing many. But if she let them continue, not even such a massive ship could withstand the power and force of what they carried. There was no good way to handle this and Ketsueki wasn't necessarily wrong about her speed. She took a deep breath and against her better judgment, against Johann's too, she conceded and gave branch-like Ketsueki's control. "Just... stop them. And fast."

Huge branch like protrusions burst from her collarbones as her skin transformed into what looked like layers of dark colored bark-wood. Her eyes glowed green instead of blue, as they had before, and the demon inside sprang forth with an intense speed. When the assassin pair looked back at Yona this time, their jaws dropped to have found that she was mere meters away. By the time they set the crate down and fiddled with some sort of transmitters in their pockets, Ketsueki was upon them. His long claws where Yona's hands once were slashed the two men apart simultaneously cutting them into ribbons. It was anything but discreet, drawing the attention of every single person in the market and on the dock. Ketsueki cackled leaning his head down, using Yona's new sharpened teeth to delve his face into the chest of one of the dead men. He drank his fill, staining her clothes with the red blood and then let the men drop to the ground. As the crowds shrieked and ran away, a group of guards stepped forward brandishing weapons. Yona was repulsed in every way, but at the same time, she was thankful that by giving Ketsueki a chance to eat and a chance to fight, she had likely saved all the people on the docks. "I need my body back," Yona urged sharply, "You did your job, I need to get us out of here!" Ketsueki laughed loudly as the guards neared, demanding that Ketsueki back down while others were clearly preparing to attack without warning. What was left of the two assassins dripped through the docks and turned the sea into a frothy pink mess. "I'm having so much fun though! Can't I stay? I could eat them too. No more survivors, no more witnesses... no more problems.." Yona fought him hard, wresting control from Ketsueki enough that the claws on his hands disappeared.

"Damn it, you give me my body!" Yona ordered from within, and Ketsueki began to run straight for the guards. To Yona's horror and then great relief, what looked like a preemptive strike was simply a running start to dive over the guards' heads and off the dock, into the water. Ketsueki swam deep into the darkness, out of sight and then crooned, "You want your body back now? Really?" Yona swore she could have killed him. She wished almost that she could do so without killing her own self. She didn't give the demon the satisfaction of a response and, sensing that he wouldn't get one, the vampire tree demon grumbled, "Oh you're no fun. You know that?" Yona tasted the thick iron in her mouth, the feeling of the flesh of those still living men bleeding out. She could practically smell their terror and shuddered in horror. Ketsueki swam around the great warship and then climbed up the stern, giving Yona control of her body just as he dumped her upon the deck floor.

Soaked and shivering, Yona coughed, all the remnants of blood washed away from her clothing but three out of the four assassins were out of play at least. "Damn demon," Yona spoke to Ketsueki in her head, and of course he responded, stretching out in her mind like a lazy dog in the warm sun. "Hey, you asked for my help." "Barely," She retorted, saying this out loud.

WC: 3987+1783= 5770
Total WC needed: 7,000

Looking back to the girl one last time before she vanished in an alleyway, Johann turned back to the ship, taking one step onto the large wooden ramp that had temporarily been attached to the side of the warship, looking back every other second and moving slowly to keep an eye out for Olivíer before finally reaching the deck, setting foot on the clean wood planks before looking around. It seemed like the usual business, sailors moving between stations, getting things sorted for the departure of the ship and carrying cargo of varying kind. It all looked very ... well, normal. Johann could neither spot nor sense immediate danger, and from what he could tell, it appeared safe, thus gesturing for the client to come on board, Olivíer clumsily making the last stairs to the top of the ramp. "S-so were safe here ?", the man asked. He seemed relieved, perhaps even somewhat grateful for the protection of his life after having realized the severity of the situation, though that aspect of him seemed to vanish almost as soon as it had come up again "About time, really. I just wanna get out of these goddamn clothes and take a shower ...", glancing at Johann with expecting eyes. The silver haired rune mage simply sighed, a short and harsh "Follow me" about the friendliest thing the Vice President could bring himself to utter.

Heading through a metal door into the inside of the ship, Johann, with Olivíer following closely behind him, navigated the narrow corridors and hallways, the ceilings and walls lined with arrays of metal pipes that occasionally puffed with the sizzling of steam before eventually reaching a slightly broader doorway that lead to a dimly lit room. "What, this measly little cabin are the showers ? Are you kidding me ?", the man frowned, staring at the admittedly not all too spacious, but adequate for a ship of this size. "Are you kidding me, Olivíer ? What do you think this is, a holiday cruise ? The West Fiore Trading Company mobilized a Warship for you, and for you only. Do you have any idea what that costs ?". "Considering the size of this vessel, its complement and its armament that-", the man immediately reconsidering his sarcastic remark when he met Johann's piercing red eyes. "Fine", the man reluctantly stepping into the room, the metal door sliding behind him.

About half an hour later, Johann had requested someone to be sent with fresh clothing and a little something else, the client stepped out, clean, sober, and in a visibly better mood, though still tense and in distress. The plain white shirt and pants, well within the Company dress code, seemed to displease Olivíer, but he knew he had to make do with what he got for now. "Take this, Olivíer, you'll need it", Johann fumbled in one of his pockets when the other stepped back into the corridor, pulling out of it what appeared like a basic firearm, grasping it by the barrel and extending his hand out, offering the grip. "I- I don't- I have never used a thing like that before. I would rather-", Johann interrupting him mid sentence "I won't be around all the time to save your ass, Olivíer, now take the damn thing so you can at least defend yourself.", the sleazy businessman extending a hand and taking the gun, starting to inspect it "Easy. Point the barrel at the one who wants to kill you. Unlock the safety lever. Pull trigger. Got it ? For the gods' sake" Johann explained as Olivíer aimed the barrel at his own head, staring down the metal tube before Johann forcefully pushed it away from his face "If I didn't know better I'd think you were actually trying to help those assassins", Olivíer making a face like a scolded puppy, visibly nervous. "You really think this is worth it ? Tsehehe ...", the deep voice in the back of his head reported to word, Johann shaking his head instinctively "We'll see". With that he stepped to the side, nodding over into another corridor "I'll show you your sleeping quarters, and after that I'll get everything prepared to leave harbour." The silver haired man couldn't help but wonder if his mentee was back already.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Word Count: 717
Word Count Total: 5.801 / 7.000

There was still one more assassin; the poison user who had gotten her so sick in seconds that she needed to take a whole minute to stabilize herself, even with the aid of some on hand ginger root. He, or she, was so stealthy that since she had detected him in the alley with his partner, Yona had not gotten a hold on him. In fact, she didn't know if it was a "him" or a "her". Yona didn't know much about his physical structure either, whether he was lanky or obese or somewhere in between. It was incredibly frustrating knowing that one of the assassins had gotten away. She had gotten a bit cocky and Johann wouldn't like that she missed one. In the case of keeping Olivier safe, it was one assassin too many. Not to mention the savagery upon the docks and the blood staining the water and wood. It was as if some monster has shredded the two assassins carrying the bomb, leaving only entrails, ribbons of skin and flesh clinging to the wood around the crate holding the explosive lacrima.

Yona drew her sopping wet self up to her feet and wrang out her white coat. Thankfully, the blood of the two dead men was cleansed in the sea but dripping wet, Yona felt the chill of the wind on the ship. She clutched her arms to herself, trying not to shiver and stepped to the side of the ship, crossing over until she could see the mess left behind on the deck. The crowds of people were gone and now only guards remained, inspecting the remains and trying to piece together what had occured. Normally, Yona would have tried to come up with some fib to protect herself but going back down there and explaining would both slow the mission down and be hardly believed. Not even the guards were that dumb. Some might have even seen her transform before Ketsueki annihilated the men. The guards popped the crate open and looked inside of it. She squinted and frowned, seeing bloodied footsteps from where Ketsueki had tracked the crimson stain over the dock before leaping into the ocean waves. There was a second set down there, and to make matters worse from where she was, Yona couldn't see anything inside of the crate. There was no lacrima. Either she was crazy, or someone had removed the explosive and walked away with it.

Briefly, the green haired woman glanced over the crew and then she directed a large male with forearms like inflated balloons, "Withdraw the ramp. Our mission must proceed and with haste. Draw anchor and get us out of here. I expect us to be away from the docks within five minutes, and out of the whole harbor in the next thirty." The sailor looked at her with disbelief, "That's not your call, nor mine I might add. Plus, it's just not possible. It would take too much time. The crew is busy." Yona put her hands on her hips, giving him a stern look and then gestured with her right hand to the pin on her coat sleeve, "You are paid by us and so you will do as we request. Make it possible or--" Yona pointedly glanced at the docks, "Do you think that happened by mere coincidence outside of your ship?" At that, the sailor gave a nod, "You make a fine point. None of us want to be turned into stew. Thirty minutes tops, miss, you have my word." The man walked away and began personally lifting the wooden ramp, three others racing to help him remove it.

The plant mage turned towards the door leading below deck and shivered, losing feeling in her hands. The female needed to dry off and find Johann quickly. She would have to explain what happened and trust that he would know what to do next. It took nearly ten minutes of exploring the labyrinth of the enormous ship. She explored the cabin, ended up near some magical boilers in a steam room, and then rounded around back to the same cabin. This time a different corridor led her to passenger and crew quarters and Yona discovered Johann settling Olivier into a room. She swallowed hard and came up from behind the silver-haired man. She tapped him on the shoulder once, knowing he would turn and see her damp, no longer drenched, body. She imagined he could deduce part of what happened just based on how she looked but wasn't going to give him the benefit of the doubt. She was forward about her circumstances and spoke crisply, "We have a problem. Have you looked out a porthole recently? Talked to any sailors?" Yona could hear Olivier in the room grumbling and she spoke under her breath, "We really need to discuss this in private, shihan."

WC: 5770+813= 6583
Total WC needed: 7,000

Moving through the metallic corridors, Olivíer trotting behind him, following closeby, Johann maneuvered his way through the steel behemoth. Of course it might appear labyrinthian to people who had no knowledge of these machines of war, though in essence they all had the same layout, and once you familiarized yourself with that, finding your way through it's hull was an easy task. Gesturing towards a door he opened it, revealing the somewhat luxurious and spacious cabin behind, one of the cabins for the highest ranking officers. In contrast to the cabins of the simple sailor, this one had a lot more room, and was equipped with various luxuries, such as a private bathroom, a sleeping quarter for yourself, a couch, a table and a somewhat extensive selection of books. Naturally, this was not what the client had expected, Olivíer seeming visibly upset by the, by relativity, crude living quarters, but quickly realized that would be the best he would get on a ship of this nature and size, keeping his mouth shut as he pushed past Johann and into the room.

Johann was about to go in as well when he felt the gentle tap on his shoulder, turning around to see his mentee standing there. The green haired girl seemed like she wasn't exactly in her best form. "What happened to you ? Bad time with those assassins ?" he asked, a smile spreading across his face "Glad to have you back in one piece though.", the smile vanishing as soon as she started speaking. "A problem ? What's wrong ? No, I haven't. I was just about to get Olivíer here settled into his quarters before giving the order to draw the anchor.". The Vice President frowned. "Fine. Come in, don't mind him ..." pointing at Olivíer before closing the door behind them, locking it and inscribing a small, black rune on the door "... he'll get used to it in no time. Here we can talk in private.", he gave the girl a concerned look. "So, Yona, what's wrong ? Do we have a problem ?"

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Word Count: 349
Word Count Total: 6.150 / 7.000

Yona entered the small room, ignoring Olivier as he fussed about opening his bags and pulling out clothing more to his like. He entered the private washroom to clean up, mumbling under his breath so that Johann and Yona would know what he was doing. It wasn't like she really cared what he was up to at the moment. The green haired mage waited until Johann had finished setting the ebon colored rune upon the back of the door. She swallowed hard and then said, "I only got three of them. I knocked one unconscious and in the middle of it I was struck by a poison blow dart or needle or something. I nearly fell over and passed out, but thanks to training with Sol, I treated myself quickly." She looked half proud of that and yet, half ashamed too. "Two of them carried an explosive lacrima in a crate," her voice got lower in volume so only her mentor could hear. She nibbled on her lip and rubbed her temple with one hand.

"Even Ketsueki could sense it from the distance we were at. I had to stop them from hurting the people in the crowd or getting to the warship. In the process, I... I let Ketsueki use my body. He tore the men to shreds and then leapt into the water to avoid capture by the guards." Yona didn't mention how Ketsueki had even taken a grotesque bite out of one of them. She lifted her hands knowing Johann would not be happy. "It was a violent and over the top way to handle the issue but the lacrima was not activated, I was not captured, and the assassins were stopped. We climbed up the side of the ship and when I went to see what was going on down upon the docks, well." She made a face and looked down. Her words were even softer now, worry and strain filling the tone of her voice as she grimaced at the facts, "The crate was empty. We still have one assassin out there and a missing explosive. Since this is a ship, I can't really detect where they are, if they are on board or not. With all the magic items and things on the ship for transport and for protection, I'm not strong enough to sense the explosive either."

It truly was terrible news. There weren't many options as it stood. The ship had started moving away from the docks and was likely almost out of the harbor itself. If the assassin had not made it on board, which was possible, then to stop would put them at risk. However, if the assassin or the explosive had made it to the warship, they would be at great risk. The whole ship and everyone on it could be stranded, killed, or left on a sinking boat in the middle of the ocean. There was no good set up as far as Yona could tell, but Johann was stronger than her. She hoped he would have an idea or at least he would tell her what to do.

WC: 6583+520= 7103
Total WC needed: 7,000

Johann's eyes widened as he listened intently to the girl speak, walking up and down a little when he heard what she had to say. "At least you're okay, do you need any healing ? I can neutralize poison if that is what you require ...". Indeed, the silver haired male was glad that the girl seemed to be doing alright, considering the circumstances, at least. He leaned down when the mentee got closer and lowered her voice. "I see ...", the Vice President taking a second to think about the information she had just given him. Not only had she let out Ketsueki, one of the assassins was still missing and potentially had access to a weapon of immense destructive power. Sounded like this would be a real good day. He shook his head "... as long as it's just the assassins and not some innocent civilian I couldn't care less. They got what they had coming, but the lacrima and the last one are a real problem." Johann straightened his back, taking another few seconds to think. In truth, if he was being honest with himself, he too had no idea what to do now. He could try to track the assassin through his supreme sense of smell, but he had nothing to pick up the scent, no item that belonged to the enigmatic cloaked figure to identify the unknown smell. And there was no way to detect that lacrima if it wasn't active either, and when it would be activated ... well, it would be too late to save the ship, in that case.

"Do you still have the dart ?" Johann asked her with inquisitive tone. If she did indeed still have it could be used as a hint to the location of the assassin ... and if not ... well, then they just had to try their luck and see, try their best to find a clue or something pointing towards the hired killer, who, no doubt, would try their best to finish their own mission. Johann would've done the same if he was their position, after all.

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Word Count: 353
Word Count Total: 6.503 / 7.000

Yona nodded, reaching into her pocket. A small dart with a needle-like tip poked from between two of her fingers like an elegant cigarette holder. She passed it to Johann and then reached both hands down to squeeze any leftover water out of her coat. It dribbled on the floor until a small puddle appeared and at the same moment, so did Olivier. "There's the dart. I haven't really looked at it yet. And yes, the missing lacrima and assassin are certainly an issue. Maybe we should--"

Olivier interrupted her with a squeal, pointing his fingers at the floor. "You unwashed heathen! Were you raised in a barn!?" The plant mage looked taken aback for a moment and then glanced at the puddle on the floor. She paused, staring, then pulled her hands back to her sides and stopped squelching out the water from her attire. "Relax, it's just water," She returned, with a lopsided glance of her head. Yona rolled her eyes and was about to continue talking to Johann when Olivier started up again. "And it sounds like you didn't even do your job right! You let one of the killers go and you have no idea where they are. Is that correct, or am I misunderstanding something here?" "Well, yes," She admitted to him. "So not only are you actively failing the mission, but in surely what will be my last moments in this world... you plan to dump water in my room? It's bad enough that I will die on this stinking ship, but do I need to live as a bilge rat in these shoddy accommodations with water all over the floor!?"

"If you die as a bilge rat, that would be far better than you deserved. You ungrateful little-- I got stabbed for you!" Yona accused, jutting her head forward and shouting. She inhaled deeply, her nose crinkling up as she exhaled. It looked like Olivier was bulging with air or some sort of sickness. His face was bright red in fury and she knew she shouldn't have egged him on. He was probably terrified as it was but he was just so rude. Yona compared his pinched face to a shriveling up boil in her head and calmed herself back down. Her demon licked his lips, whispering foul but delightful temptations in her head. "You need me to pull off his lips? Ketsueki is here for you. Just ask me, ask me. I can take off a hand for a little snack, he doesn't need two hands.." Yona gave Johann a pleading look, one that lasted less than a second, but she knew he wouldn't miss. Somewhere on this boat was an assassin and here the greasy man just wanted to argue over petty things like water on the floor.

Yona sensed magic then, not for long, just a moment. Back the way she had come, through the labyrinth of metal rooms near the engine room, the plant mage sensed great magic. It was as strong as the lacrima explosive she had felt before and the only reason she could think of that would explain the sudden surge and then lack of magic was that the lacrima had been quickly set up somewhere and was already counting down, perhaps. The woman ignored whatever nonsense Olivier was spewing out at her and waited for Johann to give his command. There was no way he hadn't come to the same conclusion that she had.

WC: 7103+ 578= 7681
Total WC needed: 7,000

Johann sighed, snapping his fingers to use the effect of one of his more peculiar runes, though it proved useful for situations like these nonetheless. "SILENCE, both of you !", the Vice President's booming, amplified voice shaking the metal walls of the room for a second. It was bad enough that they had gotten into this situation, the last thing he needed was the two going for each other's throats right now. "Olivier, this is MY ship, MY room, not yours. And if you will not show the West Fiore Trading Company the respect and recognition it has earned ..." Johann took a step towards the man who all of a sudden seemed smaller, harshly reminded of his place "... I will personally hand-deliver you to the assassins we have fought hard to keep away from you in tiny, equal sized pieces. Do I make myself clear ?", Olivier looking suspiciously like he was about to give another sarcastic off-hand remark, but swallowed his words when his eyes met those of the rune mage, the scarlet glow of his pupils threatening to turn into a raging inferno that would swallow Olivier whole at any second should he not listen to the advice he had been given. Still, Johann did not disregard their current, rather critical situation, turning around to his mentee.

"And you ...", getting closer to Yona and stretching out a hand, snatching the dart from the girl's grip. "... we still have a mission to finish here. He might be an entitled ass-", an audible gasp from Olivier could be heard, Johann paid it little mind "- but he is still our client and we have accepted his contract. Let's do what we are paid for and end this game of cat-and-mouse. I have just about had it with those paid killers.", ungracefully moving the dart closer to his nose and taking a deep breath. Other than the overwhelming, tainting smell of the poison on the projectile there was something else his sense of smell could pick up. Something more subtle, sweet, as if the trace had been left behind by but a faint touch of skin. He took in the scent, his, or rather, Mars' instinct nearly taking him over as he closed his eyes, opening them once again to reveal the two black orbs where a pure white had just been, deeply crimson pupils that immediately darted off to one side making up the only form of colour within them. "Hmmm, ... I can sense them ...", the rougher, deep voice that was laced with a distorted ring spoke from Johann's mouth, the faintest hint of a sinister smirk spreading over his lips "... they are still on the ship. Happy hunting, old man, tsssehehe".

The Vice President closed his eyes once more, the oculi seemingly returned to normal. It would be hard to miss the assassin. Not just because Mars, the predator, had picked up the person's scent, but also because the West Fiore Trading Company mage had felt it clearly, the pulse of magic emitting from the engine room. If what the girl was saying was true then they had neither the time nor the freedom to start getting caught up in interpersonal conflicts. "Yona. I'll go and take care of our little problem. No worries. But I need your help. At the moment I can't trust the crew, so I need you to stay here and protect Olivier. I know you don't necessarily want to, but we don't really have any options here, so please, do this for me.", he continued, not tolerating any backtalk, "Both of you will behave, got it ? We got enough shit on our hands as is. If all of you want to stay alive I suggest heeding my words. I'll be back soon."

Without further words Johann opened the steel door to the cabin, closed it behind himself as he stepped out and placed a single, glowing rune on it, sealing the way magically before turning to the side, once more taking in a deep breath of air, his head shifting ever so slightly as he followed the scent. There was no time to lose. Without any hesitation Johann immediately burst into a full sprint, zipping through the relatively small hallways of the metal behemoth like a bullet through a barrel. Reaching the engine room took him only a good minute, a long while for someone who was out of time, before finally bursting into the massive, hall like space that accommodated the ships main propulsion system, the deafening sound of massive steel pistons scratching and scraping, beating on steel filling the air. The scent, mixed with the everpresent smells of saltwater, oil and steel came from somewhere within this beating heart of the warship, though, through a quick glance, Johann could tell that that matter would be secondary for now. Immediately upon entering he was greeted with a sad display of ruthlessness, part of the machine crew lying on the cold steel floor, some in their own blood, others seemingly wearing expressions of pain and terrible anguish on their lifeless faces. The silver haired male grit his teeth. Already he had been too late. He couldn't lose himself in anger now. There was a more pressing matter. Focus, Johann, he would say to himself as he scanned for the magical signature he had felt earlier, his gaze falling on the side of a structural beam before widening in shock.

Sitting there, glowing faintly and pulsing with magical energy, was a lacrima crystal, large, larger than Jo would've expected for an explosive lacrima. If this thing would go off ... it might actually rip the vessel in straight it half. Johann panicked. He had not planned for an explosive device of this potency and he had nothing to even attempt defusing this. Maybe he could try and separate the structural beam from the rest of the ship and carry it away from the ship ? Too risky. The lacrima was already unstable. A simple touch could be enough to wreck the ship. "Like what you see ?", all of Johann's attention had been centered on the magical crystal, he had completely missed the person approaching from behind, Johann's head whipping around as a reaction to the sudden voice shouting out loud over the beating of the engines. His eyes met those of a blonde woman, perhaps in her early to mid twenties, dressed in the uniform of a West Fiore Trading Company Sailor, her left hand grasping between her fingers a set of steel needles, the other aiming a gun at the Vice President, a condescending smile lifting up one corner of her mouth as she, despite her smaller, athletic stature, seemed to look down on the silver haired male. The Vice President immediately reached for his blade "Nuh uh uh, I wouldn't do that if I was you. Or do you want me to shoot the lacrima and blow this ship into the next world ?". The man's hand stopped mid motion. "What do you want ?"

"Oh, you know, your client has got something in his little head that we don't out there for people to know about, and we are being paid really well to make sure he doesn't spill anything, but I'm sure you know that. For now, whatever I do, don't move, or everyone on this ship dies, got it ?", Johann simply nodding in response. He fast fast, undoubtedly, but not faster than a bullet. "Good, then let's start with this", the smirk on her lips ever so slightly intensified as she threw, in one elegant sweep, the 3 needle-like projectiles she had been holding in her hand at the rune mage, all of them piercing his white coat at the shoulder and burrowing into his flesh, the rune mage remaining in place. He knew that the things were poisoned, barely even feeling the pulsing pain anymore, but ... he didn't know how much intel the enemy had on him. Judging from what the other assassins had known and how they had acted ... it seemed to be next to nothing, perhaps even due to the fact that his appearance had been changed completely. He played along for now, dropping to one knee, faking an expression of pain. "There we go, that should do the trick", the assassin seemed happy, lowering the pistol. "This thing will tear the ship apart in ... a good 5 minutes, maybe even set off the magazines, make a nice flash fire for me to see from the lifeboat ? Well, was nice seeing you, I have a big cheque to cash in thanks to you guys eliminating my, ahem, "colleagues". Don't take it too personal, gambled and lost as I like to say."

Seemingly happy with the fact she had gotten this far and now got to walk away, the woman turned towards the door to the engine room with a smug grin on her face, stepping forward without turning back. Now was the VP's chance. The gravity around the woman shifted and, within a moment, her face slammed into the cold steel floor, the pull of her own gravity amplified by the rune mage's spell, unable to move and pinned to the ground. "H-how, you shouldn't be able to move a muscle ?!", her voice serving as a testament to the force that exerted its power on her. Johann however smiled, grinned almost, pulling the projectiles out of his flesh one after the other. What he had in mind just might work, and if it didn't ... well, they'd all be doomed anyway. "Hold still for me and it will be over in no time", Johann kneeled down as he gently touched her left wrist before grabbing it and lifting her up. "I commend your efforts, assassin, you have caused us real issues, but this ends here and now. Consider yourself honoured though, you shall be the first witness to a spell considered to be perfect. Supreme magic unknown to the eyes of the public". Once more, he offered her nothing but a sinister grin, looking her straight in her fearful eyes with the same piercing red orbs from before "The Perfect Defense", before throwing her at the lacrima crystal, the woman clashing with the object with a pained yelp as Johann extended a hand, the magic circle engulfing her form "Keeper's Secret". The next few seconds would decide. It was a gamble, really, Johann didn't have deeper knowledge about the spell, it was the first time he even used it, in fact, despite the certain knowledge that he was not yet ready for it and that it would do more than just exhaust him, but the spell was designed so that nothing could penetrate the shield it created. Not from the outside, and, in theory, not from the inside either. The shield, translucent and almost invisible, appeared immediately, encasing the woman before finally, the lacrima shattered, a piece of it breaking off. For a painfully long second nothing happened, the only sound filling the hall the heavy metal pistons scratching across metal before finally, BOOOOOOOOOOM, the enormously loud crack of thunder shook the ship as the entire hall lit up with bright red and orange light. Johann shielded his eyes instinctively, the other hand working on maintaining the shield sphere, lowering his hand to see that, to his surprise, it was still there. Everything was still there, a roaring firestorm beating against the shell produced by this powerful magic while being thrown back time and time again only to collapse on itself. It was harsh. While the explosion only lasted a few seconds before the last light finally dimmed down, the shaking stopped and the sphere collapsed, nothing but ash remaining from the living catalyst that had been used. With weak smile, Jo stumbled forward, "It actually worked ...", before falling, face first, all magical energy drained from his body.

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Word Count: 1.997
Word Count Total: 8.500 / 7.000