Unknowing Trails

"Tsk."

Vandrad du Wolff wasn't sure what he was expecting when he entered the populated city. In truth, he wasn't sure what he was expecting out of this entire little adventure of his. It was so off the cuff, out of the blue, that he hadn't taken a decent amount of time to plan or prepare. The experience was wholly new to him; he'd spent so many years being taught that taking a breath and formulating a strategy was the best way to achieve any goal. But even after all that time having others bash that practice against his head, he never truly let it soak in. Fact of the matter was, he acted in the moment more times than he didn't. And why should he change his ways when they had kept him going after all these years?

But he wasn't here on a philosophical pilgrimage to better his spirit or anything. No, there was the near-blinding fact that he had been told by his mother that he was, in fact, her true bastard. And according to her, his father had been a member of a Fiore organization known as the Rune Knights. Vandrad knew the group well; they had been the Fiore Magic Council's primary defense, a truly exceptional lot of soldiers and wizards. But their strength had dwindled over the years before they suffered a heinous culling over a year ago. Now they were rebuilding. While all of that was very interesting, it did very little to pique the curiosity of the Prince. His attention had been solely focused on the man known as Gren Ragnos – the seed supplier for his genetic design.

Records showed that Gren had died some seventeen to eighteen years ago; killed by a fire in his own home. An awfully pathetic way to go, if Vandrad could say himself. But there had been recent rumors circulating the fallen Rune Knight; tales of sightings and stories of brief, fleeting encounters. It was curious enough that Vandrad had decided that it was worth investigating. Oh, it had caused his mother to break into such a frenzy. Even now he swore he could hear her shouting over the winds, the shrill sound nipping at his heels as he walked. But her misplaced anger was nothing compared to his at the realization, almost four decades in the making, that he wasn’t some street orphan. Bastard or not, he was the son of a Duchess and a Rune Knight. And an entire half of his life had been kept hidden from him for far too long.

Fiore was… similar to Bellum in a few ways but different in the ones that mattered. He had paused at the perimeter of the town he had wandered into, a town known as Magnolia, as he caught sight of its structures and people. The architecture was so… strange and intricate. Bellum relied on its magic to form buildings and, as such, they were a bit odd to the outside world. But for one that had lived in such structures all his life, the normal design was pause-inducing. He got quite a few looks as he walked up to the closest townhouse and poked and prodded its exterior walls, studying its structure.

But it wasn’t for the sights or sounds of Magnolia that he had come here – it was for his own purposes. On his way to Fiore, he had been attempting to figure out the best means of approaching his investigation. His first, flippant plan had been to march to the Rune Knight doors and demand answers from whoever was in charge. But there were two facts working against progress there; one was his being a complete stranger than then the deeper issue that, upon giving his name and heritage, he would be revealed to be a Bellum noble. Fiore and Bellum were uneasy at best in terms of governmental relations. His intrusion and subsequent demand for answers would probably earn him nothing, if not possibly getting him arrested. And the last thing he wanted to do was fight his way out of the Rune Knights, even though he imagined it would be quite easy.

There were no shortage of guilds in Fiore but there were none that commanded an aura of independence like Fairy Tail. Even when he was in the military, he’d heard of the fall of Fairy Tail’s fame, from legal guild to dark. And after that, they had slowly but surely moved themselves back towards a more gray area. Now they viewed themselves more as a corporation that employed members to operate like mercenaries. There was a certain level of free range that came with that, as well as allowed him to launch his own investigation into Gren’s appearances, be they truth or not.

As he approached the doors of the guild, he took a moment to look himself over once more. He’d managed to stop his one track mind momentarily and realize that marching into anywhere here bearing his royal or military officer garments would cause issues. Instead he had stopped briefly at a clothing shop on the rim of Bellum and tasked the tailor with designing a new type of armor; one that was modestly similar to the Bellum wear but not enough to flash warning signs.  A royal blue jumpsuit covered the entirely of his body with white gloves and boots adorning his limbs. The actual armor chassis sat on his chest comfortably, providing the greatest coverage of defense. He looked like a warrior out on his first quest – and that suited him just fine.

He pushed through the doors of the Fairy Tail guild and entered the main reception area. While others may have stopped to admire the surroundings before continuing forward, Vandrad continued his march right up to the desk. He stopped before it, arms crossing naturally over his chest, as he stared down with a stoic gaze. "I want to speak to whoever is in charge,” he said simply. There was no beating around the bush with Vandrad; he knew exactly what he wanted.

Vandrad didn’t make any attempt to hide behind pleasantries when it came to asking for what he wanted. He imagined most people came in here, twiddling their thumbs and looking around nervously. But the Prince had never been one to sit and wait when he knew exactly what he wanted and needed to do. He had come here with the intent of learning more about the Fairy Tail guild – of discovering just how strong their wizards were. If he was going to join any organization, they needed to possess magic users that were capable of handling themselves. And there was no better way to judge a snake than by its head.

He didn’t need to wait long as an odd specter approached him. He spoke to him casually but with the tone of one who was far more interesting in simply talking than making any sense. The comments about his hair and forehead caused Vandrad’s eye to twitch slightly in annoyance but didn’t send him quite into a tirade. It was more the constant stream of words that kept coming at him and the seeming lack of true magical power that caused him distress. There was an energy there and it wasn’t weak by any definition but it wasn’t what one would feel is coming from a person. This was clearly someone’s familiar or summon or something similar to that.

The vein in Vandrad’s forehead popped to the surface, throbbing a few times as his annoyance began to boil upwards. "Listen you…” He started, now ready to shoot some words at the specter. But then the strange sound of an elevator reaching the floor gave him pause and he wrenched his attention away from the babbling ghost to lay eyes on the… teenager that walked towards them. The boy couldn’t have been much older than fifteen or sixteen by the look of him and the way he carried himself made him seem just as disinterested as an actual teenager. But the magic power that clung to him was… immense. Vandrad hadn’t felt a strength like this in all his life. His eyes widened a fraction as he felt it pressing against him, almost weighing him down.

The supposed leader of Fairy Tail laid his gaze on the ghost first, questioning him about his intent with Vandrad. "No. He was doing it with my being fully aware of it,” the Prince replied for the ghost first, flashing a look at the spirit before looking back at Mura. His gaze softened slightly, if only out of respect for the strength of the guild master. "I wish to join your guild.”

Vandrad wasn’t honestly aware that he shouldn’t have been able to see Kyuken. While he generally doubted most things until he saw proof, it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen spiritual summons before during his time in the military. But given the way the specter blanched – and achievement in and of it self – it was obvious the Prince’s stare on him was strange. It was only further confirmed when Mura claimed the ghost had been caught guilty and demanded he apologize. Vandrad lifted a single eyebrow as he looked back over at the stuttering ghost, who was as nervous as a servant who’d forgotten dinner. He sighed softly though it was not out of offense nor annoyance. "It’s fine, spirit. If I were to take offense every time someone remarked about my hairline, be it to my face or behind, I would be constantly caught up in my anger. Consider your apologize accepted.” Most people may have spoken the words with a bit of kindness but not Vandrad – he spoke as matter-of-factually as anyone could. But he had accepted the apology; considering his natural disposition, that would probably come as quite the shock.

With that out of the way, he turned his attention back to Mura. As the guild master began what was surely leading to an introduction, another girl appeared through a portal practically right on top of them. She was wrapped up in quite the large comforter and cradling a mug between her hands. She offered each of them a simple, respectful bow, with Mura returning it. Vandrad nodded his head firmly, a small sign of returned respect without the full gesture. He was never one for bowing. But as the attention turned back to his initiation, the guild master explained that he needed a few details about the Prince himself. To show fairness to the new recruit, Mura went ahead and offered his introduction.

He knew this was coming. He couldn’t simply just join a guild and not expect somewhat of a background check. Luckily he had mentally prepared for this. "I am Vandrad. Half of my blood is from Fiore and the other half Bellum. I’ve spent most of my years in Bellum though. I’ve served in professional military outfits before so I’m no stranger to situations with magic or working with and against wizards. As for my own magic, it is called Energy Monarch. The details of it are complicated to explain.” He returned the sign of greeting from Mura by placing his clenched hand over his heart, right on his breastplate, in a form of salute. "I came to Fairy Tail in hopes of finding work as a mercenary. I am, by no means, green around the gills.”

Vandrad truly had no idea what to make of the two spirits that Mura controlled. He seemed to have them under his magical constraints but at the same time, they operated with an immense amount of… freedom. The girl that had come and greeted the two of them set herself down nearby, apparently suffering from some kind of minor sickness. One of the spirits offered to keep her warm while the other was quick to combat against it, devolving into an almost cartoonish brawl of specter buffoonery. The Prince eyed the two carefully as he made his introduction to the Mura, granting him a brief, albeit mild explanation of his magic and past. He could go through it rather easily without having to reveal too many details and hopefully, the guildmaster wouldn’t be looking for too in depth admissions either.

The Fairy Tail guild master explained that Vandrad had come to the right place, as they were always in need of people that could excel in the lifestyle. It seemed like a genuine enough offer to join the guild… until Mura spoke a beat later. His tone had completely shifted within that timeframe and the air itself had warped as well. A heavy pressure rested itself on Vandrad’s shoulders, pressing down on him and trying to force him to his knees. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Mura had unleashed his magical power, allowing its weight to fill the entirety of the room. Even his friendly demeanor had taken a more stony facade, etching itself in seriousness as he approached a far more serious topic.

Yet Vandrad remained stoically placed, despite the immense pressure. He sure felt it in his bones but he refused to be bent down, if only to match the man’s strength of will. This was an intimidation act; one born out of treachery that Mura had certainly encountered before. As Vandrad listened, the guild master explained what being a mercenary for Fairy Tail meant. It wasn’t just joining an organization and being able to earn jewel without responsibilities or connections. They were a family in Mura’s words and that family held a strong bond. Mura came to his point, explaining that if Vandrad possessed any inclination to betray them, it would be found out and it would be brought to light.

The Prince settled his gaze firmly on the Fairy Tail guild master, leveling his attention fully. "You’ve spoken bluntly and truthfully to me so allow me to reply in kind,” he started, keeping his arms tucked over one another. "I chose Fairy Tail because I have no desire for fortune, fame or infamy of any kind. My allegiance is not easily swayed nor is it easily given. I have my own goals for being in Fiore and Fairy Tail provides the best means of attaining them. But in spite of all of that, I have no intention of betraying anyone in this guild. You have my word that my joining Fairy Tail is under the goal of helping myself grow as well as helping the guild profit. And anyone that considers themselves an enemy of Fairy Tail is now an enemy of mine and will be handled as such.”

It seemed that his answer had proven to be more than satisfactory. Mura was quiet for a moment before he idly scratched his head and spoke of how happy he was to hear Vandrad’s response. His words drifted off for a moment as the elevator on the opposite side of the building slid open, revealing… well, another version of Mura. He was an exact copy save for the box in his hands, causing Vandrad to raise a single brow in curiosity. Was that the original guildmaster and the one before him a clone? Or perhaps a replica, tasked with fetching something while Mura met with a new possible member of the guild? His answer came a short moment later as the clone tossed the box to the man in front of him and the one in the elevator faded to nothing but shadow.

A nifty trick -- it seemed Mura had far more magical abilities than just shackling two spirits to his form. The Fairy Tail guild master explained that the box was filled with enchanted paint, used primarily for tattooing guild marks upon their members. He showed an example of what one would look like, moving apart some of his hair to reveal the eloquent mark upon his forehead. It seemed to Vandrad as an odd place for a person to get a brand but, at the same time, there would be no mistaking it from anyone. In a way, that was taking a lot of pride in the marking and even the Prince could respect that. Mura continued, stating that all Vandrad had to do was state where he wanted the mark.

"Here,” he said, pulling at the collar of his suit and armor, yanking it down low enough so the top part of his left pectoral could be seen. He watched as the box opened of its own accord, a magical root twisting out from the opening with the padded stamp on its head. Curiously he would stare as the root extended its face and planted itself firmly against his flesh, the Prince feeling a warm sensation spreading over his skin. A moment later the vine removed itself and in its place was a pitch black version of the Fairy Tail guild mark, shimmering slightly against his body before settling into a matted state

Vandrad released the collar of his outfit, resetting it in place. "Is there anything else I should know before I begin?” he asked, looking around briefly. "Housing, rules regarding jobs -- that sort of thing?”