A New Purpose

Aedion Malphur

I will burn my own blood

The man was sitting on a ship en route to Amber Island. He had heard a number of times of this Guild in which those, who held strength in high regard, while protecting people through any means necessary. It reminded him of the days when he had his mercenary company. He sighed and leaned against the edge of the ship. The ocean breeze ruffled his black hair as he thought on his decision. He refused to join other mercenary groups for years. He reckoned that he was looking for a place where he could use his strength for a greater good. At least he kept telling that to himself.

The voyage took a long while. The man passed the time by sleeping and reading. There was no way that he was going to be attempting to train, as much as he would like that, to quiet his restless mind. As soon as the ship arrived in the port of Amber Island, the man disembarked as fast as he could. He had a leather bag with him, in which he had a few items that he liked to have with him during travels, such as clothes and other items of personal care. He didn't bother talking to anybody in the port, his gaze was fixated on the palace-looking building that was not too far away.

Perhaps he wanted a beginning with a clean slate, perhaps he wanted to repair the irreparable mistakes of his past. Whatever his true motivation was, it pushed him towards the doors of the palace. With a little sigh, he pushed the door open with his artificial arm. He stepped inside with heavy steps, as his eyes glanced around for anybody who happened to be present in the building.

Lost in contemplative thought the silver-haired man slid his arms through the sleeves of the heavy black coat that constituted part of his ambassadorial uniform, the charcoal-colored cloth adorned with decoration of crimson and gilded hues, before turning from side to side in front of the wide mirror. An unceremonious nod followed, Johann taking the hat that completed his attire from the cabinet beside him and placing it atop the head of messy hair, doing his best to hide as much of the almost shoulder-length argent strands beneath the article of clothing. An almost soundless sigh escaped him as he turned, headed for the door of the Ambassador's office he shared with his rose-haired colleague. Wherever the young slayer had run off to again he did not know, but if she wasn't here it would, of course, most likely be official guild business. Sivvy wasn't one for senseless excursions, as far as he knew. Everyone needed a little downtime, however. Johann recognized that fact, departing from the mountain of paperwork waiting for him on his desk for much the same reason. That could wait until after he'd taken a short break and stretched his legs.

The hallway that led from the West Wing of the guildhall was relatively empty, the occasional soldier passing by, Johann acknowledging the passing salutes with brief, but solemn nods, every step on the polished granite floor echoing back from the walls of solid stone. Despite the fact that the man knew most of Amber Island like the back of his hand he still enjoyed wandering the streets of Port Amber, spending time by the docks or the beach and simply watching the ocean, taking in the soft, and at this time of year, frigid winter breeze, and so he, naturally, headed for the Throne Hall and the portal that exit from the palace-like structure that served Dies Irae as their home. Prepared to push open the pair of large, solid wooden doors he stepped towards the great archway when, in a not exactly expected fashion, the same already began to open, the Ambassador finding himself standing in front of a new face that had just entered the building. Johann's eyes wandered, giving the newcomer a quick glance-over, reckoning that, most likely, the other was new to Amber Island. At least, that would be what the Ambassador concluded from the luggage the other seemed to carry. So much for the quick break.

Anyway, Johann's expression shifted into a warm smile that, while friendly, would appear not particularly genuine to any especially observant beholder. The Ambassador cleared his throat before speaking with a tone that reflected the shift in expression, though certainly quite hospitable. "Welcome!", he began, pausing for a second to find the right words before continuing anew, "Forgive my presumptuousness. I reckon you are new to Amber Island? If you allow me, may I ask, what brings you to the guildhall of Dies Irae? Anything I could be of assistance with?".

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Word Count: 496
Word Count Total: 496
Word Count Thread Total: 788

Aedion Malphur

I will burn my own blood

Aedion didn't have to look far. The first person he came across happened to be standing right behind the door he had opened. The man ahead of him seemed to be of similar age to Aedion, but he wasn't the best at the guessing game, so he wouldn't attempt to decipher his age. The man smiled and welcomed him, though it sounded more of a compulsory pleasantry, with which Aedion was fine. He most likely didn't seem the friendliest himself.

Though the other man was only assuming, he was assuming correctly. He asked as to what business he had in the guildhall of Dies Irae. It was only then, Aedion realised that he was still holding a part of the door open. With a quick glance behind him, he stepped aside and closed it. "Apologies." He would say, apologising for his little mishap. Once the door was safely closed, the man would straighten his back as he cleared his throat. "Greetings. You are right about assuming my newness to the island." Aedion would confirm the other's previous assumption. "I am Aedion Malphur and I seek to join the ranks of Dies Irae." The man would introduce himself, while stating the reason behind his arrival. Short and to the point. Aedion wasn't sure if the Guild was explicitly recruiting, but he was willing to prove himself, should the need arise.

Johann once more suppressed the overwhelming urge to let a sigh escape him. So much for his much-desired break. Well, it wasn't like it could be helped, in any case. The duties he was expected to perform for the guild would come first and always came first, no matter how much Johann would wish for the opposite to be true. Resigning himself to his fate, the man listened intently as the other closed the door and stepped into the Throne Hall, promptly responding to Johann's inquiry in a curtly, but not impolite tone. Johann gave the other a solemn nod. "I see. Well, it seems that you're lucky", the Ambassador retained his official composure, but would chuckle softly under his breath, taking off the hat and pressing it to his chest, giving the man before him a short, symbolic bow.

"If you would allow me, Mister Malphur, my name is Johann von Weiss. I am one of the Ambassadors of Dies Irae. If you wish to join, that can certainly be arranged. Although, ...", the God of Ishgar paused for a few passing moments, his smile shifting into a smirk as he thought about his words, "... there are a few questions I would like to ask you first, if you don't mind. In any case, the journey to Amber Island is long and not without peril, so, my suggestion to you, Mister Malphur, why don't we talk over a cup of tea and a warm meal in the guild's Mess Hall, if you so desire?". Johann would step to the side, gesturing past the polished marble floor and archways to the wide hallway that would lead to the West Wing at the other side of the Throne Hall. Of course, the young man was in no way required to accept the other's offer, should he not appreciate the idea of a more casual and drawn out conversation. The same reasons Johann had made the offer presented a hurdle for some upon arriving at the guild, wishing to sink into a bed as soon as possible after spending days, weeks, possibly, on a boat. Giving the man called Aedion the option regardless, though, was probably the best bet.

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Word Count: 368
Word Count Total: 864
Word Count Thread Total: 1,385

Aedion Malphur

I will burn my own blood

The man in front of him offered him a small bow, as he introduced himself. His name did ring familiar in Aedion's mind, however. He was sure he had heard it before, among the many chatters in various inns and pubs he visited with his group to recuperate. It seemed that he would have to double on the respect and politeness. Aedion was glad to hear that it was possible for him to join. It meant that he didn't cross the sea for naught. On the other hand, he was not surprised that he had to go through a questioning, of sorts. He would be have been surprised if there was nothing like that required of him. He was still on the lookout for the possibility of a physical test, besides the mental one, though.

The prospect of tea did sound quite appealing. It would be a pleasant change, from the beverages offered on the ship, if he dared to call them that. The man kept his back straight, as he replied. "A cup of tea would be wonderful, if I may. Thank you." He would share his preference. He most likely should have agreed to the food aswell, but Aedion felt a little too restless to feel hungry. Which he imagined he would regret later. The Ambassador of Dies Irae stepped to the side and gestured to where Aedion assumed was the Mess Hall, the other man had mentioned before. The long haired man would step forward, however, he would stop, before he would pass the Ambassador. He would then nod, ready to follow the lead, into a place of unknown.

The Ambassador, now more or less having resigned himself to the fact that he'd have to pass a heavy-hearted goodbye to any recreational time he had planned, gave the man a nod after the other accepted the invitation to tea, a pleased smile, he was content with the fact that Aedion seemed to appreciate a warm cup, curling his lips into a smile once more. "Very well, Mister Malphur. Please, follow me". With these words, the Ambassador would turn, crossing his arms behind his back as he walked, stepping into the large corridor that would lead the two to the Mess Hall. He would remain quiet, the only sound coming from the silver-haired Rune Mage the rhythmic echo of his steps on the polished marble floor that would resound off the cold, white marble walls. The structure that served Dies Irae as a guild hall was really quite impressive, one had to acknowledge.

Reaching the Mess Hall would not take long, Johann passing a few rows of separate doors and hallways to the left that would branch off to miscellaneous other services supervised and used by the guild until finally, the end of the hallway would be reached, a large set of heavy wooden double doors, currently wide open and seemingly locked into position, presenting entry into a wide space behind. With familiar easiness, Johann simply walked past them, beckoning for the potential recruit to follow him. He was immediately hit the smell of a variety of foods offered at the buffet placed before the open kitchen, from fresh vegetables, prepared in different ways to suit different pallets, meats, sauces, and even the sweet hints of dessert. Johann, admittedly, was tempted to indulge in what the Mess Hall had to offer, though was aware that with his ... particular eating habits, taking a meal in front of a new recruit was somewhat impolite. He would resort to tea for now, and perhaps come back later.

The Mess Hall was lined with uniform rows of tables and chairs, Johann gesturing first to the buffet and then to an empty table. "Please, Mister Malphur, feel free to indulge in what our kitchen has to offer in any way you like. I will be taking my seat over here when you are ready". With that, the Ambassador turned once more, beelining for a table that seemed to hold various beverages, though, for the time, remaining content with naught but a teabag of Earl Grey, two tablespoons worth of sugar, and a hint of milk within the steaming hot water of his teacup that he carried back to the designated table. Stirring the drink, he would wait until the other man had joined him before taking a sip of the cream-colored liquid, the familiar taste of slightly-bitter bergamot filling his mouth. Setting the cup down, the man took a deep, almost relieved breath. In a sense, this little conversation over tea had its benefits, did it not? In any case, perhaps this could be seen as a break after all. "I'm curious, my friend, and I hope you don't mind me asking-", the argent-haired Ambassador spoke up once more, his eyes seeking those of the new arrival, "-what interests you to Dies Irae in particular? There exists a plethora of legal guilds within Fiore especially, and Earthland in general, that seem to have picked out their own little distinct niches, most I would say, a lot more accessible than this one. Tell me, Mister Malphur-", Johann would pause briefly, taking another short sip of his tea in a way that was perhaps more theatrical than it needed to be, though certainly provided a rhetorical emphasis, finishing his question to the other as he set down his cup with the distinct clang of ceramic, "-why this one? What brings you to Amber Island?".

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Word Count: 638
Word Count Total: 1,502
Word Count Thread Total: 2,278

@Aedion