Wishful Reading [Plot closed Kyll]

Kyll shook her head and her yellow aura grew around her. She started to feel a tad thrown off. The tattoo on the back of her neck began to go off in three different colors, red, blue, and gold. "Intruders..." She said aloud. "Alye is going to freak. I need to get back to my guild to reassure her that I'm still around." With those words Kyll flew off at an alarming rate. A blustering gust of wind was the evidence of how fast she was going.



If Alexander were to shield his face and then open his eyes after the event of Kyll fleeing to her guild, his eyes would open up to a figure standing right in front of him. He held his shoulder as he looked off in the direction Kyll stood. "Good... she only remembers the incantation." He said aloud. The figure had revealed an arching fox over an Eclipse Soul tattoo on his hand. He wore a cloak that bore the same marking on the back. He had pink hair held half hazardly in a pony tail with the bottom half of his hair out. He stood about 5' 11" tall. The man held magic far beyond Alexander's knowledge. "Ice Demon Slayer. You're going to be a part of a chain of events that will confuse you. The choice is your's as far as her fate goes." He was definitely older by the way he spoke. "It seems the thorned vines of destiny have led you two to each other. I hope you choose my student's warm, light hearted, and clumsy side over that imp inside of her. Fight to actually protect her, or fight to use her. Perhaps... She will stop being covered in the blood of her family and walk away from her hypocrisy." The figure gave a single 'heh' then stood there waiting for a reaction from the Demon Slayer.

The woman seemed to rush out of the forest in a haste. Faust started to run after her until the presence of another caught his attention. The demon slayer instantly spun around with a white aura wrapping around him. He was rather cautious at the moment, the woman that had the power to grant any wish had just practically reviled her powers to him. The man though that he had appeared was not real, Faust could tell that at the very least, there was no scent to him, no heartbeat, a magical hologram it seemed. The man had a tattoo on his hand, Faust did not recognize it at first but there seemed to be an image underneath that bared resemblance to Eclipse Soul’s markings. “Ice Demon Slayer. You're going to be a part of a chain of events that will confuse you. The choice is your's as far as her fate goes. It seems the thorned vines of destiny have led you two to each other. I hope you choose my student's warm, light hearted, and clumsy side over that imp inside of her. Fight to actually protect her, or fight to use her. Perhaps... She will stop being covered in the blood of her family and walk away from her hypocrisy.”

Faust was somewhat lost in what the man was speaking about but picked up rather quickly. This man knew the truth of Kyll, any judging for his mastery of the magic that allowed him to displace his conscious to spectral form he was a decently strong mage. This man might be the Einrich that Kyll’s wish fairy mentioned. Faust took a cautious step towards the man calling the aura back inside himself. “And why should I listen to you? The warm, light hearted, clumsy side you speak of offers me nothing in return while the imp as you call it could bring the world to my knees if I wished, literally and metaphorically.” His eyes were narrow and suspicious of this man, Faust was not about to let his guard down just yet.

The gave a single 'heh' again. The snow started to fall on his light pink hair. "I find it funny how a creature with one goal in mind entertains you more than a human being with a partial soul." He gave a warm smile. "Yet I find it sad how you will wind up killing that imp." He gave an ominous look. "Imps that belong to the spiritual plane to feed on the greedy vile souls of the dead. They only are sent to fool their masters into thinking that they are pawns." Each word fell off his tongue with a stinging bit of hatred. "Those that lust for them... They turn into shells. Soulless husks that would do anything to get their soul back." Einrich glared at Alexander. "Son of Loros... the Ice Demon right?" Einrich sighed and turned around revealing his affiliations again. "I guess there's no way other than to show you what I saw. You're a key player." As quick as lightning itself Einrich turned around and touched his forehead showing him the vision Einrich was distraught with.

Kyll was frozen up to her waist in a pillar of ice that was 30 feet off the ground. She bore a pair of skeletal wings. Her guildmate the Ice Dragon Slayer Reiki was clearly upset. The white haired boy looked up at Kyll. "Kyll you don't have to do this!" He shouted.

Alye fell to her knees. She didn't know what to do for once. Her determination seemed to be shaken.

Zenshin was holding someone back.

"It's okay," she said with a warm smile. "It has to end this way," Kyll's eyes were slightly opened. "I want you to destroy me." She looked towards the figure that Zenshin held back. "Let him go." Zenshin moved his head to the ground and moved to the side.

Immediately the figure was revealed. It was Alexander himself standing there with some ice he formed into the shape of a spear with a butterfly symbol on the spear head. His eyes were cold. Immediately when Kyll pleaded for her death, he jumped to her at such an alarming rate and impaled her. Kyll's eyes opened wide showing the pain she had received. She looked warmly at the man and smiled. "I'm so sorry..." She said. "I wanted to save you from these creatures, but instead, I've used you. This is my fault... all my fault... all my." The glow in her eyes faded and her body fell limp.

The scene disappeared and immediately Alexander found himself still standing in the same spot. Einrich only had a solemn look on his face. "You wind up a puppet for the Queen. You were angry about that and wanted to kill her for that anyway. She was too weak to find a solution on her own. So she did something that she said she would never do. She took the easy way out. The world was still in shambles, because no one's soul returned the way it should have. Just like the first time. Wars will break out everywhere. The soulless against those with souls trying to kill to get their bodies back to the way they were. That is the goal of these mindless creatures. To bring chaos to our reality." Einrich looked at Alexander. "You really want that to happen to those that don't deserve to die?"

The man touched Faust’s head before he even had time to react. Instantly a vision flashed before his eyes. He seemed to be watching from an aerial view. Before him was Kyll, she seemed to be trapped in ice, partially at least. There seemed to be four people down below all around Kyll, two white haired men, and a woman, the fourth figure was what shocked him the most it was Faust. One of the white haired men was holding him back, he seemed upset, angry, and concerned with Kyll’s wellbeing something that was nothing like that Faust that he knew. Kyll seemed to want Faust to kill her, the skeleton wings of the fairy were present. The Faust that was in the vision seemed to close his eyes for a brief moment before jumping up and stabbing the woman right in the chest causing a bright light to fill the area. After the light occurred the vision seemed to fade and the two were back to the snowy forest.

You wind up a puppet for the Queen. You were angry about that and wanted to kill her for that anyway. She was too weak to find a solution on her own. So she did something that she said she would never do. She took the easy way out. The world was still in shambles, because no one's soul returned the way it should have. Just like the first time. Wars will break out everywhere. The soulless against those with souls trying to kill to get their bodies back to the way they were. That is the goal of these mindless creatures. To bring chaos to our reality. You really want that to happen to those that don't deserve to die?" Faust stared at the man, what he showed him was it real? Something seemed real about the vision but at the same time he felt like the Faust that he saw in the vision was not the Faust that he knew. He took a few steps back from the man and looked down at the ground trying to collect his thoughts. “What…what was that? Those people..who were they?” His eyes flickered up at the man, now having a bit of rage and confusion. “That image of me, something in my eyes showed that it was not myself. What happened to me? How did the Queen use me and for what purpose?”

Einrich put a finger on the bridge of his nose and then closed his eyes. "In due time, we will find out, slayer," Einrich looked at the man very concerned. "That was my student. This vision plagued me for three days straight. It came to me so hard that I was unconscious continuously seeing the person I consider a daughter to me die before my eyes. By your hands." He sighed. "I cannot kill you, because it seems that you will learn much more about killing the Queen. Ergo, the butterfly etched on your spear." Einrich sighed again, this time a much more concerned look. "Plus, if you're wondering why you looked so concerned for Kyll or so ashamed to murder her," Einrich gained another mischievous grin. "You really will learn as you two get to know each other and her friends."

Einrich didn't want to answer all of his questions. "This vision turns out the same no matter how much I intervene. I've tried everything, but you wind up killing her in the end. Even a simple 'wish' to change fate would wind up in another disastrous situation. Even if I were to partake of the faerie's temptation, I would not be able to save her." Einrich sighed. "However, if I tell you and another about what is to come, maybe you two could team up. Save such a warm and lighthearted being." Einrich looked at the sky as snow fell down onto the ground. "Kyll never asked for any of this to happen to her. She was forced into gaining her chaotic magic. Her ability to fathom affections were taken away. She only found me because she couldn't survive in these woods on her own." Einrich sighed.

Faust listened to the man speak, he was unsure how to respond. He wondered if what the man said was real and if it was what was he supposed to do? Help save Kyll? Why would Faust do that it was against his nature and everything his father had taught him. Faust looked at the snow filled sky, it brought a slight peace to him on the inside, he felt as if he was looking at the sky from back home or even at his new home in the mountains so far away. He took a deep breath sucking in a few of the snowflakes with it. Their cold sensation on his tongue was like heaven. He closed his eyes trying to understand what these all meant in the grand scheme of things. As his eyes opened he turned to the man, something about him felt as if he should trust him no matter how much his teachings from his father conflicted with that. As he looked at the man his body language softened. “So why should I believe these things are real? Why would a demon trust a man who has devoted his life to stomping out the darkness? And more importantly why would a man of the light want a child of darkness to help them?” Three short and simple questions but three very important questions at the same time. If this man wanted Faust help in this situation with Kyll he was going to need to give some answers instead of just talking in riddles and visions. For all Faust knew this was a ploy by Fredrick to see if he was loyal to the guild, one false answer and he could be killed right then and there. No matter how strong and fast he was he could not out run or fend off an entire dark guild such as Savage Skull not by himself at least.

Einrich put a hand on his forehead and then the other hand on his side. His golden eyes closed as he smiled. "Stomping out the dark- What?" Einrich laughed at Faust's remark. "Well, sure, my magic is pretty bright, but I would never stomp out the darkness." Einrich couldn't help by laugh again. "My job isn't to stomp out darkness. My job is to find those lost in the darkness. My guild finds those who are lost and hides them away from the world only to come back to the world with an understanding of balance. They take what they learn from there and choose their own paths." Einrich gave a small 'heh' again. "With Kyll, I found her. She would've probably died if I hadn't found her. However... these ruins that you see, I had to make no exceptions with Kyll. I had to excommunicate her. She broke a golden rule. Do not destroy my cloak." Einrich looked at Alexander and laughed again. "A demon slayer as a dark mage," Einrich gave a look that could say 'How amusing'. Einrich laughed again. This time closing his eyes and pulling his head back. He finally stopped. "Isn't it your job to kill your demon mentor?" Einrich laughed again. He couldn't take it anymore. Alexander just seemed so unique to him. "And yet you tell me... I stomp out the darkness to bring more light. Oh young mage. I may be wise, but I would know better than to destroy something like the darkness. If there were no night, we wouldn't sleep. If there were no day, we wouldn't wake. If there were no Dark Guilds, the Magic Council would create a utopia that would seem so... artificial. If there were no Legal Guilds, Dark Guilds would just run amuck of our country and knowing how some of your dark guildmasters are, they would really just stink at running Fiore." Einrich smiled. "I chose no side, just as I have taught my student. Choosing sides is wrong. There are grey areas. I believe that matters can be settled than with just death, but death surrounds everyone. Like a mantle, we wear Death. It is the prettiest of all colors of black."

Fausst listed to the man’s words, he seemed to have a way with them. He spoke of the darkness and light coinciding. He seemed to have a shepherd style vibe about him. Faust came him a slight grin, this man was more than meets the eye that was for sure. He talked about finding those in the dark and guiding them out, he could only wonder if this is why the man had appeared to him. “Your words, they are very… philosophic. I guess Kyll was telling the truth when she said that you were more known for your writing skills than your magical prows. But I have to wonder what kind of future do you see for a man born in the blood of his mother’s death, conceived by a creature from the most inner circle of hell, and then molded by said creature like one of his dogs? Does a man like that have a future in any light? Or is he destined to follow the dark path down the rabbit hole, continuiously going deeper and deeper until not even the faintest glimmer of the sun can be seen?”

He took a few steps towards the man, no longer fearing the spectral image. He gave him a one over, the tattoo on his wrist, he made a mental note of that. He would be searching that image in the guild’s archives when he got back, that or his own personal library if he ever made it back to his home. The way today was shaping up Faust was unsure about what the next few hours would bring. Should he take the Kyll’s diary to Fredrick? Should he keep it for himself? Or the path that might lead to the most actual harm to the world, should he take this information to the one that would revel in it the most, Loros. Faust let out a sigh and looked at the man in the eyes. “You still have not answered my question, why should I trust you? You can be all prophetic as much as you like but until I know why I should listen to a single word you say they will all just fall on deaf ears. Why should a person like me want to save Kyll? Know that I know that the Queen will try to use me it will be all the much easier to use her. Heck if I wanted to I could hand her over to things much greater than myself and possibly much smarter, though that has yet to be seen.” Faust had used the word things since Loros was far from just a human and even Fredrick had a presence about him that did not seem all too real. What he said was not a bluff really, if the Queen thought she could use him he would love to see her try to work Loros, that old prick would freeze the world over two times before he would be outdone by some creature that cannot take a breathe on its own and has to latch onto others to live.

"No one is 'destined' to follow a path. That's poppycock, Alexander. You make your choices and the path will lay out in front of you as a consequence to your choices." Einrich smiled and looked at Alexander. "I haven't asked you to trust my word and I'm not asking you to trust it. I'm giving you a choice. Let this play out and the rest of the world will be completely out of balance with nothing to rule or make yours or simply find a way to actually cut through those puppet strings and move forward." Einrich smiled and held his hands in an 'I don't know fashion' as he spoke, "Either way, you will wind up meeting the Queen." Einrich put both of his hands on his side and gave a small sigh. "Kyll sees something in you, even though you almost betrayed her. Perhaps she feels she is looking into a mirror." Einrich turned around and his figure began to walk away. He waved his hand as he faded. "Enough talk, take some action and show that journal to who you want to show it to. It's the only way to get the ball rolling on your wish anyway."

The man’s last words of advice echoed throughout Faust mind. It seemed that he was going to be making a lot of difficult choices in the near future. He watched the man walk away disappearing into nothing. Faust stood there in the middle of the woods waiting for a few minutes just staring, hoping that another might pass and offer him advice for the trouble that the last two just brought into his life. Under an hour or so ago Lord Fredrick had just called him in to ask a small task for him which has turned into a rather big order. First thing was first though, once Faust realized that he was alone in the woods he reached into the pocket and begun reading the diary. At first the book was not too much to go on, more dramatic than a normal girl’s diary he was sure but a diary none the less. After a few pages of nothing too interesting it started to talk about her father and mother, along with her relationship her ex-husband.

Faust read a small bit on the Queen and the Fairies but nothing that would ultimately lead him to the power to fully tap into the Queen. Another quick one over and he would slide the diary back into the interior coat pocket and would begin his march back to the guildhall. He would have to give Fredrick the diary he knew that but he would at least get a bit of info on what he was getting himself into. As he walked through the white forest he kept replaying the past scenario over and over in his mind. The girl, the fairy, and the specter, three beings that Faust might never had crossed paths with if not for this simple diary. A shadow crossed the forest, Faust was now right outside the guildhall. He looked up at the massive building, from an outsider’s perspective it might look like an abandon building but it was one of the strongest dark guilds out there. Faust walked up the stairs to the main door, pushing with a rather forceful push opening up the massive oak door sheading in light to the building. Not a sound was made in the building though something set off an alarm in his mind, telling Faust that Fredrick was indeed here. The trickle of power radiating off of him made the hairs stand. Faust made his way up the staircase to the man’s office. Three short but powerful knocks to the door would alert his master to Faust presence.

Three resounding slams were to be heard when Alexander knocked onto the door to Frederick's office, interrupting the heavy thoughts that occupied his mind at the moment. Mostly painful memories from his past mixed in with merciless thoughts on exacting revenge.
'Come in..'

If Alexander walked in he could see the back of his guild master, who was staring from out the window onto the vast landscape. It was a dark yet somehow serene display with the endless sea of trees and marshes. This was the Spooky Forest, a vast woodland that laid in front of the guild.
Frederick himself was as always clothed in his usual attire, a cloak that covered his entire body with a hood that was pulled over his head and concealed most of his face.
Without even turning around Frederick started to speak to the young mage.

'So tell, what is it that brings you here?'

Faust waited for his master’s answer before opening the door. As he entered the last glimpses of the wintery light cross his office. The figure in the room was standing there, watching out of the large bay window, his black cloak hide his body from Faust’s eyes. Faust walked slowly into the room, his heels echoed with every step. “I have returned from the task you had me preform.” Faust walked over to the small mini bar that was nested on the wall near the door. He grabbed a bottle of brandy and a clean glass. He pour a small bit, a shot and a half, maybe two shots worth. He took a small sip from the drink, after the day he had he could have gulped down a whole bottle and still would not be at ease. He walked over to the man, a large desk was all the separated the two. Faust reached into his coat pocket pulling out the diary. He put it on the desk and slide it over to Fredrick’s direction.

“I found something that might peak some interest out of you sir.” Another small sip and Faust was ready to speak again. Something about what he was doing did not feel right, he felt as if he should protect this woman and her ability, listen to the man in the forest, though everything from his past points to him following the path he originally started on. “There is another thing Master Fredrick, while I was in the woods there was a girl, Kyll was her name. Her name is all over the diary. She is a member of Eclipse Soul, it might be a bit of trouble to flat out go after her.” He gulped the rest of the drink down and putting the glass on the desk as well. “Do you need anything else of me sir?”

'Nothing right now, you may leave'

Replied Frederick with a cold and monotone voice, it was a emotionless sound devoid of any joy that life could offer. And was able to make even the strongest mages feel uneasy, but not for those who heard it often like Alexander or the other mages of Savage Skull. Over time they had grown accustomed to it.

Frederick would keep standing in front of the window until Alexander had taken his leave. And on the moment the young mage would shut the door behind him, Frederick would turn around towards his desk and grab the diary from it. While wondering why Alexander thought it would be worth his interest.
As he turned it open he could see the fine handwriting in the book, it almost felt as if it was written down gently. Clearly it was written by a woman. But besides the neatly written down words there was one thing that immediately captured Frederick's attention. Just one word written at the op on the first page. 'Wishes'

And as Frederick started reading through the pages of the diary, an old flame of hope that he thought extinguished for some time now was lit once again. Only this flame was actually more of a burden that had tossed Frederick deeper and deeper into the darkness.
He kept reading, now filled with excitement and dark desires, and when he finally reached the last page he felt something, a small touch of destiny as it may. Because for some reason Frederick felt as if this would be his last chance to bring back his beloved Cecilia once again.

As he closed the diary, he couldn't help but smile. Not only because he found a way to bring Cecilia back. But also because he saw a familiar name pass by every now and then in the diary. Someone who the owner of this small journal assumed to be dead.
Frederick put the diary back on his desk, and shouted out for one of the guards stationed somewhere in the hallway. And within a few seconds the door towards his office opened and a black armored men entered.
'You! Go down towards the dungeon. And bring me our torturer... He might be some use to me after all.'