Assassination Contract: Knight Commander Hendrick Kennel

Once again, Odhran had been assigned to a mission with the girl from his last job. Given that it was his mission, he saw no reason to deny travelling with her once more. This time, they were once again tasked to kill someone, but this one was much more important than that of a simple town crier. Rather, this time the man they would slay would be a commander of the Rune Knights. Odhran smiled at the prospect of such a task. He could cut down someone of that status, and he could do so with aplomb. He prepared himself to head out, but before leaving the premises of Errings Rising, the girl had asked for him to summon "the girl spirit," though it was difficult to hear from her shy request. After summoning Lupa first and seeing that she shook her head no at her arrival, he figured she meant Arnaluuk, who she seemed to be rather fond of.

"I suppose if we are in an icy area, then it would be advantageous to bring along a Spirit who is a master of the ice. Smart thinking, dearest Silvia! Truly you are a valuable ally to the cause that I work towards, and you shall surely be a valuable ally in the future!"

Arnaluuk scoffed. "Not everything is about you, dunce. She might've just wanted the company of a woman so that she doesn't get overwhelmed by your...overflowing personality. That, or she just wants a sane companion. Because I know all too well that if we're talking about sane companions, you are not one of them."

Odhran laughed. "Ah, how you tease, Arnaluuk! I know what you say is only in jest, but perhaps the additional companionship of another would be of use! Leave it to me, the God of the Celestial Spirit Realm to have such a valuable ally, who not only cares for her Keybearer, but also cares deeply for those with whom she interacts! Among all Spirits, you must certainly be in an echelon of your own when it comes to Spirits. Of course, that is expected of any Spirit that bears the honor of having me as their Keybearer! One of the Zodiacs, Scorpio, follows my path, and the King of the Celestial Spirit Realm himself sees the glorious blood that flows through my blood and recognizes the power that I contain within my very essence! Ah, perhaps you were unaware, dearest Silvia. I am a personal friend of the Celestial Spirit King. We are two of the same ilk, after all. We are two kindred souls, bound together by the Spirits that call themselves our courtiers. I do not wish for it to sound like I am a tyrant, of course. I would never dream of being so callous and uncaring for those that I call my allies! I live to serve the people who are gracious and worthy enough to bring themselves into my personal retinue, ones such as Scorpio and Lupa and dearest Arnaluuk here. While you are no member of my retinue of Spirits, dearest Silvia, I would treat you as family, as all of Errings Rising is. My Spirits are my family, and this guild is those lucky few who live in the mortal realm that call themselves worthy enough to be the brothers and sisters of a God!"

Arnaluuk turned to the girl. "Honestly, I'm really sorry about him. Judging from his speech patterns, you're Silvia. I'm Arnaluuk. The wolf was Lupa, and Scorpio was the man that hit on you on the last mission. Again, I really can't do anything to stop them. As much of a dunce as he is, he does truly care for his allies. Anyways, hopefully I'll be able to prevent him from being so annoying all the time, especially if we have to walk all the way to this village. I do hope you have a way to get there quicker than just walking. Obviously I can just dip into the Celestial Spirit Realm and be re-summoned, but you don't even need to worry about the dunce.
He either has Lupa or he can imagine some way to get around quicker." She glared at Odhran. "I've got as used to his theatrics as one can, I'm just hoping for your sake you have some way to travel with him less often than you need to."

---

WC: 732

Silvia could feel her heart pulsing with intensity. She didn't know what it could've been. Was it magic? Was she dying? Or was it something else? All she knew right now though, was that she was going on a job with the conceited man she had done a job with from before. It seemed as though the administrators of the guild thought they worked well enough together to continue working on jobs together. Although this is true, the only thing that she could say about the man, was that his celestial spirits were strong. He himself, not so much. All he was was an overconfident man who could care less about anyone around him. If he wasn't her ally, he would easily be one of the first people she would kill. Though, Errings Rising had a problem with that kind of thing, no matter how much they wish they could break that rule for Odhran.

Even though Odhran was terrible, he had a spirit that completely counteracted him. A beautiful woman named Arnaluuk. Silvia didn't know what exactly she was, but it was obvious that she had the ability to keep herself young. Silvia wouldn't be surprised if she was some sort of god. Her display of magic was just as amazing as her, and so was her heart. No one as selfless as she was should be under the hands of an oaf like Odhran. She should be free from her key, being able to do whatever she wanted. She deserved freedom, just like everyone else in the world.

So, as she thought about this, she looked over to her partner and asked him, "Uhh...hi. Can you send out that female spirit for me? I wanted to talk to her for a bit if that was fine with you." As she asked this, she could feel her breath starting to falter. Her nerves were starting to kick in, and she couldn't believe that she had actually gotten the guts to do this. Sure, it wasn't like Silvia had a crush on her...or something. No. It was definitely not that. She just hadn't ever had as good of a...friend as Arnaluuk. Yeah.

The man agreed to her request, but instead of sending out the woman Silvia wanted, he instead sent out his wolf like summon. With this, she started to panic a bit, saying to him, "No...no, not her. Although she's pretty cool, I can't really talk to her. So yeah, can you please send out you're other summon." She then turned around, realizing that she had come off stronger than she expected herself to. She covered her mouth and screamed internally as she turned back around to see the Arnaluuk had been summoned into the world.

However, she didn't really get summoned in with ease, because right as she was sent out, Odhran had begun one of his long monolgues. In these cases, she has learned that Odhran had never listened to a single word that Silvia said. Instead, he made the world fit around what he saw fit. Which, was tiring for everyone who surrounded him. After he went on and on with what he was trying to say, Silvia held onto Selena as tight as she could, focusing more on Arnaluuk rather than what Odhran was saying. Even now, in the darkness of the dimly lit area, Silvia could still see the glimmers coming from her body. Every single movement she made sparked a new light. The disdain in her face made Silvia's heart flutter even quicker than before, happy to have known a woman who was as strong as she was.

As the man finished up what he was saying, Arnaluuk had gone over to Silvia. Not knowing what to say, Silvia froze up a tiny bit. She could hear every inhale and exhale that she made herself as Arnaluuk spoke. Taking in a tiny gulp of air, Silvia had finally gotten herself to say a few words, "Well...I don't really have too much of a choice. There's one good thing about this though...and that's being able to uhh...see you and...err his other summons. Celestial magic has always been cool to me." With that, she smiled, trying her best to conceal the fakeness of the lie, but it was not working well. So, she instead decided to change the subject by yelling out towards Odhran, "Well, I'm thinking that it's a good time to go towards the village where the officer is stationed. Right?" With that, she hoped to whatever gods there were out there, that he would go on with one of his rants, claiming the idea was his own and that he was so smart for coming up with it. Otherwise, she'd be stuck in a very awkward situation, one that she definitely did not want to be in.

wc: 805
twc: 805/3250

Odhran tilted his head in confusion at Silvia.

"But, dearest Silvia, we are already heading towa-"

"That's a wonderful idea, Silvia." Arnaluuk gave a knowing look towards the girl. She could tell that Silvia was as sick of Odhran as Arnaluuk was, and perhaps there was yet another reason for her insistence. Perhaps it was just the female companionship, Arnaluuk did not know.

Odhran thought through it a moment. "I suppose you may be right. If we delay much further, our quarry may manage to elude our grasp! Quickly now, without further waiting, our prey, our target upon which we have been sent! Come forth, Lupa!" He swung down Lupa's key, summoning the wolf forth. "Now, take a ride upon her. She is a very good girl, and I can assure you that she mostly likely will not buck you off, chase after a bird, or take a nap mid-flight. I am at least twenty-five percent sure. Okay, I suppose only fifteen percent sure that absolutely nothing wrong will happen. Now, we must away!" He was about to recall Arnaluuk back to the Celestial Spirit Realm, but Silvia protested, saying that she would enjoy the company of another rider on the back of Lupa, for the purposes both of companionship and if something wrong were to happen. Odhran contemplated it a moment, allowing it to work. He warned about the toll it would take on his magic, but Silvia strangely seemed to not mind that it would take a toll on his magic power.

"It is truly wonderful to see that you have such faith in my magical aptitude that you believe it will be no issue in the slightest that I will be depleted of magic! I certainly applaud your appreciation of my talents and abilities, truly it is something to be lauded! This must be why they assigned us to the same task once more! Ah, to have someone believe in me so much! It brings a tear to my eye! Now, Lupa, if you would follow me."

Odhran stepped to the side of the cliff on the mountain they were trekking down from. They could see the mountain that held the village in which Kennel was, the issue was that in order to get there, they would have had to have headed all the way down their own mountain before crossing the plains and then climbing up the next mountain once more. Flying was easier, he decided. Odhran stepped off the cliff, letting his body plummet a ways. He had telepathically told Lupa not to move until she saw him emerge. "Upon my back are the wings befitting of a creature of heaven! Angel's Wings! Burst forth!" Wings sprung out of his back as he flew up once more into view, conjuring up a mirror behind him to make sure Lupa was following. It was a fair distance to the next mountain over, and he hoped that any onlookers in the towns below would see him and Lupa as simply birds flying from one mountain to another without stopping. Little did he know that soon one of the nearby villages would begin rumors of the wolf-bird and man-bird, leading to many a tale to tell children to behave, lest the wolf-bird and man-bird consume them in the night.

As Odhran stepped off the cliff, Lupa failed to react. "Don't worry about the dunce. He does stuff like this all the time."

Odhran flew up from above the precipice from the cliff and Lupa sprinted to take off after him. She conjured fire into all four of her paws, firing forth as an initial boost into the sky before letting the wind take her paws, doing a strange and yet oddly charming combination of swimming and flapping her wings, with the addition of her tail spinning like a helicopter, though it failed to assist in speeding up her flight, regardless of what Lupa thought. Truly, this was paradise on earth for Lupa. She was able to soar through the skies at a quicker speed than any dog could usually hope for, her tongue fluttering in the breeze, the wind brushing against her fur. She enjoyed her flight more than any dog could have ever hoped for, not even minding the passengers she carried with her. Scorpio was much heavier than the new girl, after all, and although Arnaluuk did not often travel on Lupa's back, she was surprisingly light.

Lupa barked.

"Perhaps some day we'll try that strategy, Lupa."

Lupa whined in defeat, tilting her head downwards, though she quickly perked back up once more with the wind brushing against her ears. She saw the briefest glimpse of her master, and wished to catch up to him. This was one of the best games of tag that Lupa had ever played, she thought, and she did not want to lose.

"You seem to be in a much cheerier mood than last time you were sent out on a job with the dunce. He's definitely a difficult one to work with. Believe me, I know it far too well. I've had to deal with him for fifteen years. Fifteen years too many, if you ask me. But it's fine. As dumb as he seems...actually, I should rephrase that. As dumb as he is, he's a capable fighter. All of us are. You might not have been able to tell all too well from the last job. We all were separated across the town and all, but even the dunce is good in a fight. Maybe not as good as myself or Lupa or especially Scorpio, but he's competent enough. Although, speaking on not really being able to see everyone fight, I never really got a chance to see what your magic is. None of us really did. I already know the dunce's magic, same with Scorpio and Lupa, but, well, you're maybe thankfully not one of us. What kind of magic do you use?" Arnaluuk did her best to smile. She fit the model of "ice queen" very well, as Odhran often jokes during his pre-teen years. He quickly snapped out of that habit after two years and eight broken ice tridents. Alas, two years was quick for him. Arnaluuk's smile was far from good, but perhaps she was able to play it off enough. Most people did not want to deal with Odhran or any of his Spirits because of the dunce's personality, but this girl was oddly different. As guilty as she felt about it, Arnaluuk wanted to learn more about her. "Oh, I suppose I should show my own magic." She held out a hand, grabbing a hold of some of the air around her and freezing it. It formed a small, snowflake-shaped earring in her hand. "I'm a master of ice. Oh, and don't tell the dunce that I like some...more feminine things like making my own jewelry outside the jewelry that's bound to me." Lupa barked. "You tell him, and I'll tell him that you were the one that set his cottage back in...whatever that forest near Seven on fire." Lupa whined in submission, continuing her flight. "Anyways, what about you? What kind of magic do you use? I didn't really get a chance to see it, but it'd be good to know if it's something I can work with."

---

WC: 1226
TWC: 1958

Silvia had been startled as Odhran had sent out his wolf like summon. She had never really liked the idea of pets, because she never had any of her own. Of course, the wolf was extremely adorable in every possible way. That didn't really make her want to ride it though. So, she said to Odhran with deep concern in her voice, saying to him, "I can't ride him. What if something went wrong? I've never really been good with heights, or animals, or really anything at all. I...just...I can't do it." As she was saying this, she looked over to Arnaluuk, and realized that she could use this as an oppurtunity to get closer to the female summon. So, she took in a deep gulp, saying to him, "At least, I can't ride him alone. I need someone to be there with me. I doubt anything wrong will happen, but it's just a part of my nature. So, at the very least, please let Arnaluuk ride with me."

With this, she waited for her response, because not only did she want to ride with the woman, but also because Silvia truly did feel fear towards the idea of riding the summon of a man she didn't even like. After all, this wolf could be just as overbearing and ridiculous as it's master. There was nothing stopping it from being so. So, as she awaited her response, she grasped onto Selena, feeling her heart beat the way it did before. She had finally understood that whatever she was feeling was a form of fear. Although, she's felt it for most of her life, it had gotten stronger than it was before. Yet, she didn't quite understand why. Was it because of the growth of the magic power she wielded, or was it an outside source. Looking at Arnaluuk, she shook her head, trying to rid herself of the constant thoughts that were attacking her head.

After only a few moments, she heard as her job partner agreed with her. However, like he had done before, he twisted every single word she had said, and found a way to make himself look like he was some sort of magical god that possessed amazing strength. It was as though he thought he should live in a castle where people would fulfill his every need, when what he really deserved, was a mental institution where he could talk about his wild dreams. Either way, she was able to ride with the female spirit, so she couldn't really complain too much.

So, as she got on the animal summon, she took in a deep breath of air, and held on very tightly to the wolf. This grasping was to the point to where it looked extremely awkward for anyone looking at her. It was more like she was trying to hug the wolf to death, rather then hold on for dear life. With the dog travelling on the way with Odhran, Silvia closed her eyes, trying not to experience everything that was happening. If she did, she knew that she would die on the inside from all the fear coursing through her body. There was only one good thing about this, and that was the fact that the nervousness she had felt from before ceased to exist as it was replaced by an overlying fear for her life.

Silvia then turned around, and saw the icy woman behind her. That fear then came back as quickly as it had left her body. Her body felt like it was bubbling up, as her cheeks turned a bright red. This hot feeling was then countered by the cold coming from Arnaluuk. It made Silvia extremely confused to feel the heat coming from her flustered self, and the coolness coming from Arnaluuk. Even in something as scary as this, she stayed calm and collected, something Silvia had never really felt before at all. She was even comfortable enough to talk to Silvia without the fear of something flying in her face, or the wind drying out her throat completely. These things were all things Silvia was afraid of, even while holding onto Lupa as tight as she could. It was as though the list for things she was afraid of was never ending, while Arnaluuk's fears were very small.

Arnaluuk had then went on to ask Silvia about her magic, while displaying what her very own magic was. As she presented her magic, Silvia was entranced by the beauty and complexity of it. Ice magic could be extremely difficult, and it requires a certain mind for someone to use it. It required someone that could think about the intricacies of snow and ice itself. How to freeze the particles of magic around them, and use it for their own gain was something that took time to get used to. That's why it's not really included in her magic, because she didn't believe that she had the capacity to think of all those things while in battle. Though, she could understand why Arnaluuk had it. She was a calm and intelligent person, which is why Silvia thought it was so far fetched for her to be under the care of Odhran. She knew that she couldn't dwell on that thought though, because Arnaluuk had brought back up the question on Silvia's magic.

Answering back Arnaluuk's question, Silvia said to her, "Well...my magic is pretty cool. While trying to research different types of magics, I found one that seemed to fit me quite well. I'm able to use the elements around me and create elemental threads from theme. Each of these threads can be woven into powerful attacks by multiplying themselves into more threads. Once their interlocked, my work is done, and the threads work on their own due to being imbued with magic. It sounds a bit complicated, but I think you'll understand it a bit more whenever we actually begin fighting." As she said that, her face turned even redder than it was before, causing her to plant her face into the fur on Lupa. She had realized the extremely bad description of her magic, and thought that the woman would think of her as a dunce who couldn't even explain what their magic could do. She couldn't believe that she had been so dumb with her choice of wording.

wc: 1064

The flustered attitude the girl gave was strangely endearing to Arnaluuk. Perhaps it was just the Frozen Sea Spirit's numbness to Odhran's antics that left her unable to fathom embarrassment, or perhaps it was the girl herself. She had a strange innocence about her, with her bashful attitude or her use of threads for magic, or the strange doll she held. "So you fight using threads? That sounds really pretty. Gives you a bit more elemental capabilities than I can get. I suppose that's one of the perks of being a mortal instead of a Celestial Spirit. I was born or created with my magic. I've only been able to control ice for the whole time I've existed. In the centuries and millennia that I've existed, it's only been ice." She noticed the tension the girl had, gripping tightly onto Lupa's fur. Arnaluuk sat in contemplation for a moment before placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I figure that for most it's strange to be riding on the back of a wolf, soaring through the skies. Maybe it's just been dealing with the dunce for so long, maybe its me being a Celestial Spirit, but I've just seen these things as just par for the course, but they are decidedly not too normal, are they? Don't worry, I won't let you fall." She laughed to herself quietly. "This is the moment that the dunce would go on about 'not wanting to lose a worthy ally' or some grandstanding like that. But I'll just be honest, I think it would be bad to lose someone like you here." Arnaluuk did her best to smile. It was still unnatural to her to do such a thing. What was more natural to her was the slight lie that she had told. While she did certainly believe that should Silvia die it would be a tragic waste of someone who certainly was great, the more important business was that of her role as another voice of reason with Odhran. It was a selfish desire to get further dissociated with the antics of her Keybearer, or to at least share the normalcy with someone else.

Lupa, despite not knowing much about the strange girl that her master had brought along with the job, but she was by no means complaining about her addition onto the flight. The tight grip on her fur meant that the girl loved her. She held on so tightly because she could not bear to be separated from the wonderful dog that was soaring through the air. The girl planting her face into Lupa's fur was because she adored the feel of Lupa's soft, majestic fur and embraced the loving scent of the spiritual wolf. That was what Lupa thought, at least, her tail spinning even faster at this point. Lupa attempted to crane her head to lick the mysterious girl on her back, to no avail. It was always difficult for Lupa to interact with people that were riding on her back, as much as she wanted to. She felt slightly defeated by this, but continued towards the spot where her master had landed.

Odhran had just landed, collapsing onto his knees for a brief moment. The difficulty of flying several miles while also having two of his Spirits summoned was surprisingly taxing on the Celestial Spirit Wizard, but he could not show that. Lupa still had a ways to go before she would arrive with the others, so Odhran used it as a moment to rest. Perhaps contradictory to this thought, he conjured up a class of perfectly fresh orange juice to sip upon as he raised the snow around him to fashion a throne. Sitting upon his makeshift throne, it was unsurprisingly cold, but he could not show his discomfort. After all, what sort of God would he be if he could not merely handle the whims of nature? He sipped upon his juice, hoping to regain magic power by using more magic to create something to rest up. The Spirits existing were more taxing than expected, but he cared little. He could never falter in his unwavering devotion to proving to the world his great power. It was decided. He opened his eyes from contemplation and looked to the sky, only to immediately be tackled by Lupa. She crashed through his throne, licking her Keybearer in the face as Arnaluuk and the girl dismounted. Lupa's tail was feverishly wagging her tail, her wings fluttering alongside the excitement of her tail brushing up the snow that was around the group. They were still a short walk away from the village itself, but Odhran had a plan. He always had a plan.

After letting Lupa lick him for far too long, he finally stood up, ready to announce his grand master plan. "As you may notice, we are not yet in the location that our quarry resides. No, we are yet a ways away. But fear not! This has been my plan, my aim, my great vision for us! Arnaluuk! Lupa! Silvia! Heed my words! We are marching to the village. After all, aside from magic, armaments, and laser beams, the greatest weapon any man, woman, child, or good girl like Lupa can have is fear. We will take the walk towards the village in a slow fashion, using it to recover our great magical prowess, but perhaps more importantly in order to strike fear into the hearts of those that dare protect our target! Upon reaching the village, we shall slaughter our target, as well as any bodyguards, law enforcement, would-be protectors, or people who look at us the wrong way that we must. We are striking fear not only into the hearts of those that we are to slay, but tales of our exploits are to be heard from around the world, and they shall fear us as they who slew one of their commanders! Now, let us march!"

Odhran turned on his heel and walked off, Lupa following close behind. Arnaluuk turned to Silvia. "I look forward to seeing your magic in battle, and I hope you look forwards to seeing mine and Lupa's and Scorpio's magic." She stood in silence for a moment. "I suppose it might be best for you to see the dunce's magic as well. Now, let's go, shall we?"

---

WC: 1059
TWC: 3017

As Silvia lifted her head up from the wolf's body, she smiled at the kind words that Arnaluuk had to say. Though, she didn't really like the fact that Arnaluuk was putting herself down. For a one of such amazing power, she didn't deserve to put her down like that, and that was exactly what she said to her, except that it was a bit more reserved than that, "Oh well...thank you! But, you're magic's also pretty cool too. Even though you were made for it, it doesn't mean it's any less intricate. Ice magic is hard to get used to as a human. If you're born with it, then it's a lot less work! So...yeah. That's what makes it so cool." With that, she smiled at Arnaluuk with her body still down on the wolf. From the angle she was at, Arnaluuk probably couldn't notice her blushing, but it was surely there.

Arnaluuk went on with what she was saying, but went on to a new topic, her fear of riding on Lupa. Sure, Lupa was safe and fluffy, but that didn't make it easier for her to ride him. Neither did the fact that she had never actually flown before on anything. Not a plane, person, or anything else that could fly. So, this was new territory for her, and new things were not her forte. Hearing Arnaluuk's kind words made her blush a bit though, as she felt the feeling she had felt before. The same rapid heartbeat that hadbeen bursting through her chest. She then said to Arnaluuk, trying to joke back to her, "Well, I'm glad that it's you and not Odhran." With this, she smiled while Arnaluuk went onward with the joke, and talking about his odd speech patterns and nature. The one thing that really stuck out to her though was the compliment given to her by the summon. She smiled at the thought of it as her face grew red.

All of a sudden, the group had gone into a sudden decline as Lupa followed Odhran to his plummeting to the ground. Of course, it wasn't a full on plummet, but it did look a bit pathetic for the "Almighty God" or whatever. Though, Silvia knew better than to laugh at Odhran in his presence. He'd either crucify her, or find a way to turn the laughing around to prove how great he was. Neither option seemed rather appealing in all honesty. So, she just kept her mouth shut and let Odhran do his "Godly Work" by sitting down and drinking a glass of orange juice.

It was only a few moments of resting before Odhran decided that the group march in on the town. This idea wasn't very appealing to Silvia, but she knew that no matter what, Odhran would always decide to go an extremely offensive route. Even with the magical power he used up, he still wanted to go head first into the enemy. Of course, Silvia didn't want to argue with him, because of the fact that she was still extremely socially awkward and the fact that she just didn't feel like talking to Odhran in general. So, as she looked over to Arnaluuk, her face of disdain for Odhran turned into one of happiness, saying to her, "Yes, let's do this!"

wc: 554

Odhran and his party had made much of the two-mile-long walk in silence, or in at least as much silence as one could have with Odhran. He had monologued about how brilliant his plan was, for it to be met with mixed results in the form of Arnaluuk and Silvia not listening and Lupa wagging her tail as if she was not paying attention to a single word he had said. Clearly it was because they were so enamored by his words and speechless at the brilliance of his plan as opposed to just people not caring. Either they were in awe or they were simply conserving energy for the battle ahead. Both were equally as likely to be true. Perhaps both were true. He smiled. His allies were always so kind to him. Arnaluuk, Scorpio, Lupa, even Silvia, who was not even bound to a key was so willing and enthusiastic to join in on another mission of his. She was in awe of the sheer power of the Spirits Odhran was Keybearer for. It filled him with a sense of pride knowing that he had an admirer that was flesh and blood of the mortal realm as opposed to one of his Spirits.

Arnaluuk, however, was confused as to why the girl would opt to travel alongside Odhran. No one who had ever interacted with the dunce once ever wanted to deal with him again. But Silvia was still different. She had noticed the strange attitude the girl had taken over the course of their flight, but she was unsure of why such an attitude existed. Silvia trailed the rest of the group in the back, and Arnaluuk could have sworn that she felt a few gazes from the girl, though any attempt to investigate the matter turned out fruitless. The girl still had her eyes on her feet. She was so unlike Odhran that it was nearly foreign to Arnaluuk. Odhran was so loud and boisterous while this girl was so quiet and meek. In a way, it reminded Arnaluuk of Odhran's grandmother, who was the last owner of her key. That said, she still felt an air of kindness to Silvia, as opposed to the silent, ruthless, and deadly rampage that was Odhran's grandmother. Even with how odd Odhran was, Arnaluuk was at least glad that she did not have to deal with his grandmother any more. Arnaluuk felt guilty about her desire to investigate into this strange girl, but in Arnaluuk's mind this girl was an anomaly.

The group reached the edge of the town soon enough, and Odhran held a hand to ensure that he would be the one to make the first strike. "Lupa and Arnaluuk, while you are well aware of the talent and power I possess, I feel I must demonstrate to our new companion my strength. Watch closely, dearest Silvia." Without ensuring that Silvia was watching closely, he stepped forwards, his feet crunching against the snow with each pounding step. "This right arm is the blade that cuts down sinners who defile the world I wish to create. My right arm is the bane of those who are unworthy to live in the same realm, the same existence as my glorious self. Behold! Gaebolg! Spear of the Gods!"

Having announced his intent, his entire right arm burst into a scaled, clawed blade. He rested it on the ground for a moment before an evil smirk grew over his face and he extended the blade forth. It pierced through the sky before piercing the Knight Commander's throat. Odhran held it there for a moment before withdrawing it. It retracted into his arm like a rope being dropped as the townsfolk stared at the group of new arrivals. Odhran was not content with merely this showing of his power and might. He waved his arm in the air as pillars of marble rose around him, forming a path towards the town. A paved street of cobblestone flickered into existence as Odhran smiled, walking towards the townfolk, Lupa following close behind while Arnaluuk stayed with Silvia to see what her reaction would be.

"Rejoice! I am Odhran Aegisbane, and I have brought to you the message of my coming! Behold the power I contain, and the control over the world that I possess! Now, come forth, Scorpio!" He summoned Scorpio forth, who was in female form, standing dramatically atop one of the pillars Odhran had conjured forth from his imagination. "While I have completed my task of killing that filthy, degenerate Rune Knight, I do not believe my work here is fully completed yet. No, far from it. You are all to bear witness to my glorious power! Your establishment has created an outpost for them to station their petty soldiers within, and I have deemed it unworthy of my presence. Come forth! Lupa! Arnaluuk! Scorpio! Silvia! Strike down all who would oppose us!"

Having barked his proclamation, his arm shifted once more into Gaebolg as the enemies approached. He was prepared for a fight, but he figured it would be best to see what his mortal companion was capable of.

---

WC: 858
TWC: 3875

As Odhran entered the area, he made quite the entrance. It was quite the opposite from subtle. It wasn't really Silvia's style, but in all honesty, it wasn't Silvia could change what Odhran did. He basically just called attention to the rest of them. Everyone was now in their fighting positions, ready to defeat whoever came after them. Considering that the area was an outpost for rune knights, that meant that a whole lot of them would come down to the area to fight. Luckily though, the group had the strength to overpower their numbers. With that in mind, Silvia heard as footsteps could be heard coming from all different sides of the road.

There were three roadways, and each one had what seemed like a squadron for each road. They all seemed to have an extremely powerful magical signature. Though, it was only one person that stood out amongst each of the groups, meaning that it would be a lot easier to take out the others before the main one. As she looked down at Silvia, she waited for Selena's approval to take them out. Surely enough, a pulse of dark energy travelled up her arm, letting her know that it was time. So, she yelled out to her allies, "Hey guys, I'll take one of the roads, and the rest of you can take the other two!" With that, she ran off. Of course, she didn't exactly run off gracefully. Considering the fact that she had a large coat on, she had tripped over it numerous amounts of time before taking it off. She had left it on the ground, knowing that she would come back for it later. All she had on at the moment was a black sweater with blue jeans. Something that wasn't expected when she had taken off her coat.

Going down the road, she looked out to see a woman heading the charge. She wore heavy armor and held a big sword in her hand. Her squadron seemed to be full of other women as well. As the woman saw Silvia, her voiced boomed across the street, saying to her, "I am Hera Voodra! I am commander of the valkyrie squadron, and I will slash you down with my righteous blade!" Silvia looked at her as the woman charged forward with her group of troops. Silvia then looked down at Selena and said to her, "Selena, I hope you'll be happy with my completion of your request." With this, Silvia formed a ball of water threads and through it forward, creating a tsunami that crashed through the group of women, killing all of them as the threads wore down their armor. Though, the commander was as strong as ever. Her armor seemed to completely take the fall, but that didn't stop her. She seemed a lot quicker than she had been before as she dashed forward.

Even with her large sword, she moved quickly, but Silvia was ready for her. What the woman didn't notice, was that Silvia had already created several random elemental threads within her hand. So, with these threads, she yelled aloud, "Weave Art: Elemental Discharge." With the threads flying at the woman, she quickly dodged most of them, but the thread of earth pierced through her stomach. She gripped it in pain, but all of a sudden, the wound was gone. Hera looked like she was some sort of requip mage, but she was more of a berserker. She seemed to gain power from being hurt. Rather than give in, she empowered herself both mentally and physically, keeping that strength even after healing herself. She then charged forth towards Silvia, trying her best to slash down at her with her sword. However, Silvia had been a step ahead of the woman as she created a whirlpool beneath her foot. With the woman in the air, there was no other option for her besides fall into it. This allowed her to be an open target for Silvia.

The currents of it were too strong for Hera to handle, and she had given into it. Of course, a spell like that wouldn't kill her aloud. This meant that Silvia needed to attack her once more. This time with a move that would leave a mark. As she threw a thread into the air, it split into multiple different threads as it rained down upon Hera. The impact caused the sounds of bones to break, as the searing of her skin started to become more prominent. Silvia heard the woman's cries of pain, as Silvia sat down on the ground, looking over towards Odhran and his summons.

wc: 775

Silvia had left for one of the three squadrons of enemies, telling Odhran and his spirits to take care of the other two. "I must say, not exactly a fan of someone telling me what to do, but she at least acknowledges my greatness by asking I eliminate two of the three groups." He turned to Arnaluuk, Lupa, and Scorpio. "I cannot let myself be outdone by someone like that! You three! Take care of one of the squadrons! I shall eliminate the final!" The trio nodded as they turned their attention to their group while Odhran focused himself on the group approaching him.

At the helm of Odhran's group was a thin man with the appearance of a man of Seven, wielding a dual-bladed spear. "It seems as if Vera has introduced herself to your companion. I shall do likewise. I am Dorian MacOlie. My Heartslicer Squadron shall annihilate you!"

Odhran was mildly appreciative of the name the man gave to his squadron, but his speech was far from ideal in the self-proclaimed God's mind. Dorian had much more magical potential than the rest of the members in his squadron, so Odhran had opted to eliminate the lesser foes first.

"Those who dare to tread on the path laid out before a wonderful and terrifying God such as the one that stands before you is unfit to remain in the realms of mortality! You are not fit to even grovel at the feet of someone such as myself! You shall fall into the depths of hell, where sinners and defilers like you belong! Chasm of Hades! Open your mighty gates!"

At his announcement, the squadron behind Dorian stumbled for a moment, the ground giving way. Suddenly, the earth opened and hands of dark shadows dragged down each and every soldier into the depths of the chasm before it closed off, Odhran's foes having seemingly vanished from existence. In truth, they had been transported to the Celestial Spirit Realm, where they would soon be torn apart by the beastly creatures the Celestial Spirit King had set aside for Odhran's future keys. Dorian's face twisted into one of fear as Odhran menacingly walked towards him. Dorian lunged forwards in an attempt to slash Odhran, who merely raised up his left hand, covered in the scaled shields of his imagination, to block away the strike before piercing his throat with his spear of Gaebolg.

"I honestly feel a bit bad for you guys," Scorpio said to the group of soldiers approaching the Spirits. "The other two groups were lucky enough to only have to deal with one person. You guys gotta deal with three foes, including a Zodiac Spirit?Kinda sad, if you ask me."

"Indeed. Let's take care of this quickly."

Lupa barked.

Before the leader of this squadron could introduce herself, Scorpio had already raised her hands skywards, firing off a bomb of sand at the foes. Arnaluuk likewise had begun conjuring up a ring of ice to pelt the foes while Lupa charged in. Scorpio's bomb had struck the foes before Lupa arrived, and the dog was well used to dodging the falling hail of Arnaluuk's magic. The trio were able to annihilate all of their foes in a matter of half a minute, save for the captain, who Lupa had firmly in her mouth as she flew around, treating her struggling body like a chew toy.

Arnaluuk was the first to come up to Silvia after all the squadrons had been eliminated. "I wasn't able to see the entirety of your battle, but I liked what I saw. Even when finishing off an enemy, it's a bit more...graceful than what the dunce usually does. He prefers keeping things flashy, if you haven't quite noticed, and it's...to mixed results. It certainly worked here, but if we keep fighting together, we might have to-"

Arnaluuk's advice was cut off by Odhran coming forwards, boasting as always. "Even if those foolish Rune Knights attempted to protect their commander more than expected, their attempts are all in vain! Truly, we are a most formidable team, dearest Silvia! Arnaluuk has mentioned how she wishes to see you in combat more often, and so I am offering an opportunity most unlike those that I am normally wont to give to ones that are not Spirits of the Celestial Realm! I offer to you the chance, the glory, the very honor of becoming a most valuable ally! It is your call whether or not to accept my gracious offer, but you would be most foolish to deny such a request!"

Odhran laughed as Arnaluuk irately glared at her Keybearer before repeatedly bashing him with her trident, much to his chagrin and the laughter of Scorpio.

---

WC: 789
TWC: 4664




Group Total: 7862