The Paragon of Virtue and the Bringer of Death (INTRO/OPEN)

The Paragon of Virtue

Jin sighed, tensing his hand. I thought those wolves were going to eat me! he said to himself.

As if, the voice in his head boredly said. Their goal is just to protect the hall. They're not aggressive.

You seem awfully calm, he responded. I would have expected you to cause more problems.

The voice only seemed to laugh. Why? Do you not trust me? Am I a nuisance?

I don't trust you, and yes you are a nuisance. I'd've been perfectly fine going to a legal guild, but your...your whole existence throws that away!

The voice was silent for a moment. Finally, he spoke again. Keep walking. I'm getting cold and I'm bored.

Jin sighed once again, following with his other half's request to move. The snowstorm was fierce, and bitingly cold. While Jin himself wanted to be a part of a legal guild, the unfortunate nature of his lineage, the unfortunate nature of his curse dashed any hopes.

I'm curious, the voice spoke again. Why did you want to join a guild? We were fine guildless, and if you're so worried about me doing something you don't like, then the lack of restrictions ensured we had a job.

Jin couldn't help but smile. It was one of the few times that he managed to convince the Bringer of Death to follow him. It's a secure job, secure lodgings, and, most importantly, secure pay. I have no problems with any restrictions, but-

So you're just using this to get back at me? The rage in the demon's voice began to raise.

Not quite. It's a bit about power, too. We were pretty much stagnating while guildless. Not gonna get more powerful protecting old ladies' gardens from stray cats. Being in a guild means we can rank up more efficiently, right?

A twinge in the back of his mind pinged into existence for the briefest of moments. Fine. Whatever. Just make sure you don't do anything to screw me over.

Jin sighed. It took him a moment to realize, but suddenly he was a lot warmer. The snow seemed to lighten up. The weather shifted? he thought for a moment, before turning around to see a snowstorm flaring, a noticeable cut-off as he neared the hall of the Silver Wolf. He mustered his courage, taking a deep breath. This would be the first guild he ever joined. He wasn't sure what the experience was, but he felt this was what was necessary. Let's do this! he shouted internally, causing a twitch of distress for the Bringer of Death. Having steeled enough resolve to fight a horde of monsters, he knocked on the doors to the Guild Hall of the Silver Wolf.

-Silver Wolf Guild Hall, Guild Mistress' Office-

Wearing her green-and-gold outfit with Argent Gloves, Leona was busy trying to locate vintage wine shops across Earthland to find a convenient shop that sold vintage wines in case she had to deal with a potential bookseller named Kemal. He resided in one of the Tri-Council Cities and he was fond of vintage wines, something that was a mixed blessing. The man was likely to accept a gift of vintage wine in exchange for rare books, but he favored foreign wines that were not exactly cheap or easy to come by. The blonde read over a list of shops across Earthland that was thoughtfully provided by a staff member who was himself a fan of expensive drink.

According to the list, the closest one to her was in Capital Crocus, that jewel of Fiore where anything and everything appeared to be for sale. There was a shop in that city that sold wines from all across Earthland, including rare vintages from Pergrande, Bellum, and Desierto; even sake from Midi was available. The name of the shop was Cosmopolitan Wines and it was located in an upscale part of Capital Crocus in a district that featured a lot of shops that sold specialty goods from other countries across Earthland.

Leona felt a magical signature about the same time that a staff member entered the office and reported a knock on the guild hall's door. Leona thanked the staff member, stood up from her desk, pushed the chair in, and walked down to the guild hall's foyer.

-Guild Hall foyer-

Leona descended the stone stairs and strode into the foyer, which looked like it had been recently cleaned thanks to the efforts of the devoted guild staff. She walked over to the guild hall's entrance and opened the door to find a young man standing just outside. He was most likely a prospective new member looking to find out more about Silver Wolf.

"Welcome to Silver Wolf Guild Hall! I'm Leona Jarnefeldt, Guild Mistress of Silver Wolf!" Leona warmly greeted the new arrival.

Paragon of Virtue

Standing before him now was a girl. She didn't look as experienced she claimed, but Jin saw no reason to doubt.

"Ah, M-Miss Jarnefeldt!" he stammered. "Of course!" He found himself bowing at the waist. "My name is Jin Auri-el, and I want to join your guild!"

Why else would you be here? the voice in his head said.

I suppose, Jin admitted.

He took a look around, both at the guild hall and at the girl before him. This was the guildmaster? The Bringer of Death did not seem to agree with Jin on this note.

If you look past the surface on this one, he said, you can tell she's immensely strong. Not just a few ranks of difference, either. I've honestly never seen this level of power before. Suddenly, the Bringer of Death seemed to laugh. Honestly, I want to meet her myself. Get out of the way.

Jin tried to resist, but his world faded to black.

---

The Bringer of Death

The Bringer of Death opened his eyes. He had been stagnating within the body of the "Paragon of Virtue" as he liked to say. A small smirk appeared on his face as he rose from his bow, taking a relaxed stance, placing his left hand into his pocket.

"Seems like it would be a good idea to pair up with someone of such a high rank," he lazily said. "I mean, you really have to be in order to be a guildmaster, right?" He let out a light laugh. "So, what's the policy on killing people during a job?

Leona received the greeting of the young man, who was named Jin Auri-el. Something about him was... different, but she could not quite place a finger on what the quality was that made him different. If she had to take a wild guess, it was like there was two of him in the same body, but there were a lot of people who were like that. Perhaps one could say the same about Leona.

Leona had a friendly public persona that was hampered by weak social skills, but when facing bandits she tended to be utterly ruthless and quick to employ violence as the first and best solution to the problem. Not too many people in Earthland complained about known outlaws getting beat up and killed, but it concerned the blonde that her only demonstrable skills lay in combat. She was doing her best to build up her meager skillset by studying ancient languages and conducting magic research on behalf of Silver Wolf. She had learned quite a bit of spoken and written Court Heiromesh and was a novice researcher who was learning how to conduct quality research on magical artifacts. Unless one had met her in person or read of her exploits, one would never guess that the blonde was the dreaded adversary of Desierto's diverse outlaw population.

Leona recalled Jin asking her about Silver Wolf's policy on killing on the job. As the most combat-prone and arguably the deadliest member of the guild, Leona was eminently qualified to answer that question. She looked Jin in the eyes before giving her response.

"If you encounter outlaws who threaten you and won't flee or surrender, you can kill them. The same goes for wild animals. I've done so myself plenty of times." Leona told Jin without hesitation. Leona had a tally of over one hundred human enemies slain at this point, to say nothing of the count of wild animals, zombies, demons, and ghosts that had met their end at her hands. She had no right to lecture anyone on non-violence. Sometimes violence was the only way to solve a problem for good, especially when it came to the Crimson Sashes or the cult trying to destroy Earthland by using ley lines.

The Bringer of Death


Jin smiled as he heard the guildmaster's response.

"It'll have do," Jin responded.

You're satisfied with that answer? the other Jin asked.

I'm content with it, he answered in response. As long as I get to kill.

The other Jin sighed and fell into silence. The Bringer of Death longed for the taste of the kill once again. It gave him no extra power, no special talent, just joy. Joy in his own power, joy in seeing the life flicker out of a human or beast's eyes, all of it. Of course, the Paragon of Virtue desired mercy for everyone and everything. He was too naive, the other Jin. He always thought he could save the world simply by letting people live. The Bringer of Death saw it fit to teach his other half a proper lesson.

"Miss Jardefeldt, was it?" Jin continued. "Might I ask if you're the only one here? I don't see anyone else, and I..." he hesitated, forcing his next words out. "...I want to meet our-" he cut himself off. "My new allies."

I'm surprised you took the initiative for that, the other Jin said, teasing.

I knew you were going to ask anyways, the response came. If their leader is someone of this power, I'm curious what other powerful people this guild has.

The Paragon laughed. And you were the hesitant one to join a guild.

Jin smiled once again. This girl, the founder of Silver Wolf, seemed to be on par, if not greater than, the power of the other. To imagine not only one person of so much power, but to be followed up by a second.

"Wonderful," he laughed to himself. "Seems like I have a lot of work to do, especially in comparison to people as strong as you."

Don't you think that it's weird? That the founder isn't the guildmaster?

Jin ignored his other half. "I must say that it's...unique, though. Two people of such unimaginable power, not only in the same place, but the same guild?" His lips curled into a frown. "Makes me feel a bit...lacking, I suppose?"

The two girls didn't even need any form of explicit magic sense to tell how powerful they were; their mere existence sent goosebumps up Jin's arms.

Someday, I want to be as powerful as these two.

For once, Jin was in harmony with their goals. The Paragon surely was thinking he could use such power to help the innocents or save the world. The Bringer of Death saw no desire for such a thing. He only desired the end for so many people, and having such power would make him feared, so he thought.

"Nevertheless, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Vergious. I do hope that we can get along."

Leona did not have much time to respond before Leila appeared and walked close to Jin before speaking to him. What they said was between them and Leona would not ask, but seeing Leila act like that made Leona somewhat nervous even though the blonde was the Guild Mistress. Maybe it was the thought of seeing Leila angry for any reason that made the blonde worried. Jin's response to Leila's presence and stated admiration for the power of Leila and Leona indicated that he was interested in power himself.

Leona could understand his interest in power because she herself had been the same way once. She wanted to become strong enough to defend herself from Desierto's bandits, who regarded her home village as little more than a pit stop on their tour of mayhem through the desert. Now Leona was one of the strongest mages around... while not as strong as Samira, Johann, Ruvel, or Mythal, Leona was still a force in her own right and not a mage to be taken lightly.

"Getting to be this powerful takes a lot of work, Jin. It's not easy. Leila and I both can testify to that." Leona told Jin. It had taken her many months and a lot of fights to reach her level of strength, but strength was not only physical. It was also mental, namely in the sense that it took devotion to the goal and the willingness to take life to protect others. Leona struggled on and off with the last part because while she recognized the necessity of killing threats to protect others, she feared that she might become too comfortable with it and forget that not every problem had a violent solution.

"Aside from Leila and myself, Silver Wolf is home to quite a few other mages. They stay busy with various projects, so they might not all be here." Leona said to Jin. Leona herself stayed on the road a lot, but lately she had been busy at the guild hall with a few projects of her own. One was keeping the Aggression Pack safe until she could test it further to discover any beneficial properties it might have. Another was trying to find a book that could help her translate New Muserian, the language written on the Muserian Focusing Stone she had taken to her mother for help translating. A stone with the ability to amplify the holder's magic could be a valuable resource... or a deadly threat, depending on who controlled it.

The Bringer of Death

Jin's previous excitement turned to a hint of disappointment. "No killing innocents," the guild's founder had said.

You take it from here, he said to his other half.

Jin closed his eyes as the world went dark.

---

The Paragon of Virtue

Jin opened his eyes once more, quickly bowing in response. "O-of course, ma'am!" he shouted.

You're always such a pain, you know that? the Bringer of Death sighed.

"I'm afraid that I don't exactly know where anything is here." He rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, really I don't know much about how guilds work in general, but I'm happy to learn!"

I'm not kidding when I say you're a pain. You bend and break too easily. Learn to have some self-respect.

You mean you're not scared of two people with this much power?

There's a difference between fear and respect. I respect their power. I don't fear them. He sighed. I know this is odd for me to say, but it's best to stay on their side. Perhaps we can train under them some day.

You sound like you're getting soft.

Shut it. Just listen to what they say, don't be too soft, and learn to get stronger.

Jin nodded, ready to follow in the footsteps of a new guild.

Leona had forgotten to explicitly mention that it was forbidden to kill innocent people. She had assumed that Jin would infer that fact from her previous statement, but it seemed that Leona would have to mention it in the future. The blonde would have to live and learn from her mistakes, something that she had made plenty of during her time as Guild Mistress of Silver Wolf. She was thankful that Leila was so forgiving, but that leniency was perhaps due only to Leona's rank as Guild Mistress. The blonde needed to step up her game so that she could quit feeling like a disappointment to Leila.

"Aside from not killing innocents, there's only one hard and fast guild rule. Don't betray the guild and don't betray your guildmates." Leona added the only hard and fast rule that Silver Wolf had. Members of the guild were free to have their own morality and free to take the jobs that suited them, but betraying the guild or betraying guildmates was the only non-negotiable rule on the books. Leona hoped that there would be no friction with Jin over the rules. Leona appreciated Leila's vigilance and appreciated the helping hand with running the guild since the blonde was so often out of the office.

"Also, in order to be considered an official member of Silver Wolf, you have to have the guild tattoo. That goes for any guild in Earthland." Leona informed Jin of a requirement for membership. It was a universal rule that cut across guild alignment and mission. Even dark guilds required their members to bear the guild tattoo unique to their organization.

"It can be any color and placed anywhere on the body... within reason." Leona quickly added the last part. She then turned and rolled up her sleeve to show the blue tattoo on her right shoulder as proof of her statement. The tattoo had been given to her by Leila Vergious when the blonde had first joined in what seemed like a lifetime ago. Back then she could have never imagined that she would one day be the one inducting new members into the guild.

The Paragon of Virtue

Jin shook his head profusely at the mention of the mixed bathing. He would hardly ever think of something so vulgar!

You're not that holy, kid.

Jin did his best not to sigh. That said, Silver Wolf certainly had impressive headquarters. Hot springs? A library? Even a restaurant? In the past, he had to travel all across towns in order to get accommodations like this. Hot springs, especially. Both halves of Jin enjoyed the refreshing feel of the springs, and to have one at what would essentially be his home? It was heaven on earth, so he thought.

"No questions, Miss Vergious!" he quickly said, still sighing in embarrassment over the comment on the springs. He turned to the Guild Master. "I'd be happy to have my tattoo sorted out. Preferably in silver right here-"

He stopped as his left hand touched against his cheek. They were scaly to the touch, a result of the curse that brought him the Bringer of Death into him. He had grown so accustomed to it that it was second nature to him.

"Yeah. Just right here, where there's just skin." He smiled, hiding his wariness.

Thanks for these scales.

You'd look far too cliche if you didn't have something new.

Jin wanted the tattoo on the left cheek of his face, which was scaly for unknown reasons Leona was not going to ask about. The Guild Mistress was not affected by that because she had inducted Song and Inkormine Talea and the siblings were people who were half-spider. Leona was accustomed to dealing with people that others would consider unusual. Since he did not have any questions, now was the time to give him the tattoo that would make him an official member of Silver Wolf.

"So you want it on the left cheek and in silver? OK, let's make it happen." Leona said to him, removing her right Argent Glove and preparing the spell that placed the tattoo. She placed the palm of her right hand a respectful distance from his face and focused to let the spell do its work. Thirty seconds later and the process was complete... Jin had his tattoo and now he was a full-fledged member of Silver Wolf with all the rights and privileges that membership entitled him to.

"All right, Jin. It's done. Now you have the tattoo, so you're now a member of the guild." Leona said to him.