In From The Cold (Intro/Open)

The trek up the mountain had been a little rough and the approaching woman had almost ended up on her backside more than once. The snow was coming down fairly hard and if it wasn’t for the ghostly wolf spectre by her side, she would have definitely lost her way by now. Sure, she had her slayer enhanced senses to go by but even they were somewhat dulled by the ferociousness of the mountain weather. Her temporary guardian was ever vigilant though and together they made decent progress up the slope. She had become rather fond of the canine and even though it wasn’t an actual one, it still seemed to behave as thought it was. It felt real enough anyway and that’s what mattered to her.

Vanita’s features were almost entirely covered by a thick and wooly coat but the redness of her face and the occasional shiver easily showed how she was handling things. She wasn’t all that used to the cold and although she did her utmost to keep her spirits up, it was a little bit of a struggle after a while and the occasional negative thought began to break through her mental defences. Her hand would quickly reach inside her coat and pull out a flask, which she took a grateful draught from, before shaking it in annoyance as she realised that she’d just drank the last of its contents.

Thankfully, the weather eventually began to calm down and a smile would cross the woman’s face as a silhouette of a building soon came into view. It was also at this moment that the spectral wolf would suddenly dig its heels into the snow and look up at her, as if saying goodbye, before wagging its tail and walking away, soon disappearing from view completely.

“Thanks for guiding me, my friend,” she’d say softly, before heading towards the building and entering without a moment's thought.

The warmth hit her the second she entered and Vanita happily pulled her hood down, revealing her long purple coloured hair and blue eyes. Unsure of where to go, she’d simply remain in the lobby for the moment, watching folk as they passed her by, while gathering her thoughts.

(370 Words)

-Silver Wolf Guild Hall, Guild Mistress' office-

Wearing her green-and-gold outfit with Argent Gloves, Leona sat in her office reading over another letter concerning the situation of her home village Nebdoui. Unlike the letters from a couple of days ago, this one was a mix of good news and bad news.

The good news was that the Regudo had managed to beat back the bandits long enough to send some of their best scouts to conduct reconnaissance of the iron mine. The scouts had learned that the occupying force Leona and Leonidas had encountered was a gang of slavers called The Golden Band; they had earned that name for their uniform of tan robes with a golden band on either the sleeves or around the collar. Slavers were typically not as skilled in combat as raiders because slavers preferred to intimidate their targets into submission. However, most slaver bands either had a cadre of fighters or made a temporary partnership with a raider gang to be their muscle in exchange for material loot after the human loot had already been taken from the target village.

The bad news was that the Crimson Sashes had taken notice of the iron mine and wanted it for themselves. The Regudo scouts had observed a brief skirmish between Crimson Sashes raiders and the Golden Band guards and saw that the slavers could hold their own against the infamous raiders. That in itself was more bad news because anyone who could fend off the Crimson Sashes would be a tough customer to deal with. Still, it had to be done because Nebdoui needed the iron if it were to survive. Maybe Leona could use the strife to her advantage somehow.

Leona was about to re-read the letter to see if she had missed anything when she felt an unfamiliar magic signature approach. Unlike most magic signatures she had sensed before, this one was fairly strong, much stronger than the normal new mages who made their way to the guild hall looking to join Silver Wolf. The curious Wizard Saint got up from her desk and pushed her chair back in, then made her way to the guild hall's lobby to see the mage for herself.

-Silver Wolf Guild Hall lobby-

Leona strolled into the lobby and soon spotted the source of the signature, which was a young woman taller than Leona herself. She had long purple hair and blue eyes and appeared to be trying to get warm after a lengthy trek through the cold to get here. Leona walked over to the young woman and introduced herself.

"Hi there. I'm Leona Jarnefeldt, the Guild Mistress of Silver Wolf!" Leona introduced herself to the purple-haired young woman.

Vanita had only been there for a few minutes or so before she was approached and a smile crossed her face as she looked up to see a blonde woman heading in her direction, introducing herself in the process. The sky slayer could easily tell from her magical aura alone that she was clearly at a level of strength that Vanita could only dream of becoming at that point in her magical career and was by no means shocked when Leona revealed her role in the guild. She hadn’t expected that the first person she’d meet within the guild would be the mistress though and the purple haired woman and she felt a slight sense of surprise although it didn’t appear across her face.

“Hey there, my name’s Vanita Narcista,” she answered with a smile, extending her right hand out politely for the guild master to shake, “Your spectral wolf did a fantastic job of guiding me here and I’d never have reached the peak without it. Forgive me for being so curious but are they a result of your magic or perhaps another of the guild? I’ve little experience with spirit magic and my own magical talents lie elsewhere.”

She couldn’t help but be curious and her mind was beginning to re engage after the monotonous  trudge through the snow, as were her hands and feet, that she was finally able to feel again. Oh, the trek had definitely been worth it and as she briefly gazed around the lobby, she couldn’t help but feel a rather homely vibe from it, something that deep down she wanted more than anything. Her time as a wandering mage had her taught her many things about magic and life in general but recently the sense of adventure of wanderlust had started to fade and to be replaced by a longing for somewhere to call her own.

Her gaze soon returning to the guild mistress, she’d speak once again, “I was also hoping that I could possibly join the guild, if there is a place open for me. I’ve been wandering the wilds alone for quite some time, a life that I think I’ve had my fill of.”

(366 Words)
(736 Total Words)

"The spirit wolves? They're part of the guild's magic that the first Guild Mistress of Silver Wolf, Leila Vergious, set over the guild hall. They're also quite valuable, even to someone like me who's lived here for over a year." Leona replied to the tall purple-haired young woman, whose name was Vanita Narcista. Vanita's magic signature was a lot stronger than that of most new mages who came to Silver Wolf Guild Hall seeking to join the guild, so she was a fairly experienced mage. As it transpired, Vanita was a fairly experienced mage who had tired of the solitary life and was looking for a guild to join.

Leona believed that she could help Vanita with that problem. As a former Guildless mage who decided to join a guild after the close call with Jacob Goodnight in Hargeon Town, Leona knew where Vanita was coming from when she claimed to be tired of the solitary mage lifestyle. The blonde wanted somewhere to call home and guildmates that could possibly become friends. If it turned out that they were not best buddies with her, Leona could at least count on them to not be against her.

"Silver Wolf is always open to new members, Vanita. If you want to join us, I'd be more than happy to admit you." Leona assured the purple-haired mage. If she wished it to be so, Vanita would be the latest addition to Silver Wolf. In time she too might find a place in the guild and make a name for herself just as Leona herself had so many months ago.

It was a relief to hear that she could join the guild and Vanita relaxed a little more at that point. She hadn’t expected to be turned away because of the guild’s reputation but there had still been a slight sliver of doubt in the back of her mind nonetheless. The sky slayer had heard nothing but good things on her travels, even if she’d openly admit that picking the right guild had been a struggle for her. There were so many out there but few seemed to have the right vibe that she was seeking. Most appeared to either be based solely on the legal or dark aspects of both wok and in life in general, a viewpoint that Vanita didn’t agree with herself. Everyone had light and dark within them, it was just a case of finding a balance between the two.

“I was hoping that you’d say that,” Vanita answered with a smile, “If there’s anything that you need to know about me before I may join then by all means ask, I have nothing to hide.” Honesty was always the best policy in her opinion and she naturally wanted to start things off on the right foot.

She’d briefly ponder for a moment then about the answer that the guild mistress had given her about the spectral wolves and that only seemed to add to the homely vibe. Vanita did appreciate the wolf mentality when it came to being in a pack and that had been just another of the reasons that had helped her in choosing Silver Wolf.

There were still a few gaps in her knowledge though and she felt the need to probe a little deeper into the core principles of the guild, which soon caused a question to form on her lips, “Could you give me a brief run down on the philosophies of the guild please? I’d also like to know a little more about how Silver Wolf stands on aspects such as killing and extreme violence. I understand that sometimes violence is necessary or part of a job but I’ve never believed in excessive force.”

(356 Words)
(1092 Total Words)

"Sure, I'd be glad to give you a run-down." Leona said to Vanita, who seemed to be genuinely interested in joining Silver Wolf. Vanita wanted to know about both the guild's philosophy and its stance on violence, the latter subject being something that Leona was eminently qualified to discuss with the purple-haired mage. Leona had fought in many locations across Earthland and was the most qualified member of Silver Wolf to speak on the topic of violence, but first she had to describe the guild's philosophies to the newcomer.

"At Silver Wolf we're dedicated to the study of magic and technology. We also study how both magic and technology can have real-word applications beyond just being used by mages. For example, how magic can be applied to weapons and armor to give them special properties." Leona explained a small bit of guild philosophy to Vanita. A prominent example of magic being applied to armor was Leona's Argent Gloves. An example of magic being applied to weapons was the Nightshade Machete that Leona had gathered the ingredients for and had forged with her own hands. There were many more uses for magic than in forging weapons and armor... Leona would set aside some time to stop fighting and start researching very soon.

"As far as our stance on violence goes, it's entirely up to you. Me, I've had to fight for my life on many occasions and I have no problem taking life if it's necessary to protect myself or innocent people. Other guild members still fight but try to avoid killing if they can. The only hard and fast rules of Silver Wolf are don't do anything that'd turn Earthland against us and don't betray your guildmates. Otherwise you're free to take the jobs you want even if they're not related to our guild mission." Leona told Vanita about the guild's stance on the use of violence during jobs. Leona had no right to tell the mage whether or not she could use violence to defend herself. Vanita herself would have to judge when to take life and when to spare it.

The slayer listened with interest as Leona began to give her the insight into the guild’s workings that she had asked for. She appreciated the candour with which the guild mistress spoke and the purple mage didn’t disagree with anything that she was told. There were mysteries behind her own magic and in truth, she didn’t know the full truth about either of them. Her primary one had been passed through blood but she didn’t truly know where it had originally stemmed from. There were tales of her family being descendants of being known as elves but that was all she knew. As for the slayer magic, well, it was simply a case of not knowing who the progenitor of her magic was. Obviously the lacrima had come from a sky dragon but Vanita had yet to find the creature, much to her unhappiness. She did truly wish to meet it one day, if only to simply thank he or she for the gift that she now carried inside her.

The idea of giving magical properties to items was something that Vanita had heard of, although not something that she was particularly well experienced with. “Like granting a blade the properties of flame or a pair of gauntlets with additional punching power?” she asked, genuinely curious about the topic and she pondered if perhaps it was something that she could get into herself. She was certain that there were probably more uses than simply adding firepower to regular weapons but she gave the first couple of ideas that popped into her head. Science was a fascinating topic and even though she would be the first to admit that she wasn’t a genius in the field, that didn’t mean that she wasn’t interested enough to try.

The purple haired woman tilted her head slightly in though as the guild mistress explained the Silver Wolf policy on violence and it was one that Vanita could understand well enough. Necessary had always been the key word for her during her years on the road and it was fortunate that it seemed that the guild was rather open minded on the subject. When approaching guilds, this had been her sticking point, in terms of picking one over the others. Some spoke of violence as thought it was enjoyable or that it was the only way of handling a situation, which slightly sickened her in truth. She just did not find joy in taking life and believed that every life that was taken was another part of the killers soul that had turned to dust.

“It’s a relief to hear that the guild has an open minded view on the subject of harming others,” she would say after pondering over Leona’s words a little more, “I’ve never believed in violence being the first way of handling a situation but I can understand why that might not be the case for everyone in the guild. I appreciate your honesty on the subject and I think that answers my question rather well. I have no intention of causing problems for the guild nor the members.” She would smile and add, referring back to her main reason for joining, “I’m simply looking for a place to call my own.”

(542 Words)
(1634 Total Words)

"Yes, exactly like that. A sword blade that can produce flame and gauntlets with additional punching power are but two practical applications of combining magical enchantments with weapons." Leona replied in the affirmative in response to the two examples that Vanita had provided. While Leona had never heard of gauntlets that could give additional punching power, just because she had not heard of it did not mean that such an enchantment was impossible. Answering questions like that was exactly why Silver Wolf was founded by Leila.

Leona turned her attention from the topic of enchanting weapons and armor to the subject of violence. Leona was all too familiar with that subject. As a Rising Star and as the Wizard Saint of Courage, the blonde had had to deal with threats to herself and Earthland in an aggressive manner. It would have been naive of her to expect that all problems could be solved by talking them through with the offending party. Some threats just could not be reasoned with... force was the only answer in that case.

"I won't issue a blanket order on that, Vanita. I don't expect everyone to believe as I do. I leave it up to individual guild members how they deal with threats that come up on a job." Leona told Vanita truthfully. The blonde knew that Leila preferred not to kill if it could be avoided, but she had no problem with disabling threats in a non-lethal fashion. Eilidh also had no problem with using lethal force if it came down to it. She did not know how the rest of the guild felt, but they were free to make up their own minds on the matter.

"If you're looking for a home, Silver Wolf would be willing to provide you with one." Leona assured Vanita.

Pleased that she had least got the right idea about what magical enchantments were used for, Vanita would briefly ponder if it was something that she should look into herself. Her own magics were fairly broad and could handle most situations but perhaps such an item would be worth considering, just to be on the safe side. She’d always been fond of using blades although more for just keeping herself in shape rather than combat and despite the fact her Phase Magic was capable of temporarily creating one, it was so light that it seemed as though it was more a laser sword than anything, lacking much in the way of actual weight. It was something to consider anyway and since science was one of the primary goals of the guild, then that only encouraged her further to delve into that field.

She appreciated the truthfulness in Leona’s thoughts on how the guild, as well as herself personally viewed violence and death. It had been her only true sticking point when it came to committing herself to any guild, not just Silver Wolf. There were honestly a few that she’d looked into but simply had to dismiss due to their single minded approach on the subject, which just worried her, in all honesty. Oh, she had been around long enough to have experienced a few situations where she had been sadly forced to take a life, in defence of her own but it always left her with a sense of unhappiness that could take quite some time to shift. She would simply blame herself for it, regardless of whether she was actually responsible.

Vanita was already reaching the point where she felt ready to ask for membership properly but the last comment that Leona uttered was what gave her that last little push. “Then I’d be more than happy to become a member of the guild and join the Silver Wolf pack,” she would say cheerfully, a smile crossing her face as she uttered those words, “What must I do in order to become one?” On her side of things, she didn’t need any more assurances, she was ready to commit.

(362 Words)
(1996 Words Total)

"All you need to do to become a Silver Wolf member is to get stamped with the guild mark and you're officially part of the guild." Leona said to Vanita, not wasting any more time beating around the bush. The purple-haired young woman seemed to be satisfied with everything said to her so far and was ready to sign on the dotted line. Leona was going to strike while the iron was hot, but she did not need to appear desperate. Playing it cool was the best way to go.

"I can give you the guild mark in any color and in any location you want... within reason." Leona explained the sole formality involved in a mage becoming an official member of Silver Wolf. As long as the location was not somewhere like the backside anything went. Leona had a feeling that Vanita was not one to make waves by requesting the mark to be placed in a location of questionable taste.

"Now then... what color would you like your mark to be and where do you want it?" Leona asked Vanita.

The sky slayer was half expecting some kind of test so to be told that all she needed was to be stamped was a little bit of a surprise although when she thought about it more, hadn’t getting to the guild in the first place been a test in itself? Anyway, it was a pleasant surprise and Vanita briefly wondered about just where she wanted to be stamped. The comment about it being within reason caused her to raise an eyebrow slightly and the idea of putting it somewhere obscene wasn’t something that she’d consider for a moment. To be marked with the guild symbol was a sign of pride in her opinion and not only that but it would also give her a reminder that she was no longer alone, if she was ever in a position where she needed a little morale booster. No, it needed to be somewhere in plain sight.

In the end, she would offer the back of her left hand towards the guild mistress and after a brief glance back at her purple coloured hair, Vanita had her answer, “I’d like a purple coloured mark please, right here.”

(195 Words)
(2191 Words Total)

"On the back of the left hand and in purple? OK, I can make it happen." Leona said to Vanita after the taller mage presented the back of her left hand to the Guild Mistress. Leona removed her right Argent Glove and prepared the spell that would make Vanita an official Silver Wolf member. The blonde was not sure if the gauntlet did anything to affect the spell, but she did it out of force of habit because she had done so many previous member inductions that way. Why fix something that was not broken?

Leona raised the palm of her right hand to the back of Vanita's left hand and activated the spell. A rainbow prism emanated from Leona's hand and coated the back of Vanita's hand, bathing it in rainbow light as the guild mark of Silver Wolf began to form slowly but surely. After about thirty seconds the process was complete and Vanita was now officially a member.

"Congratulations, Vanita. You're now an official member of Silver Wolf!" Leona congratulated the purple-haired mage, who was now the guild's newest member.