The Dark Escort!

Job Info:

Kaseki stood before a large and over sized mansion. He held a weathered note in his hand. "Legal mage, eh? Good thing I still have that marking from Lamia Scale. I'll give that girl a very well escort." Kaseki mumbled to himself. He had recently left the guild of Lamia to go to his new home of Savage Skull. This was his first mission of evil. "This girl really deserves a good escort. I'm glad I saw this when I heh. Imagine it, a dark mage finding this on the floor. Wow, he could really do some damage. Heh... Rekka would have killed the girl!" Kaseki said to himself.

He walked up to the door of the home and knocked on the door. He waited for a response. "Hello? It is I, the mage that you requested? I saw the job and came right away. I'm not late am I?"

An adolescent girl arrived at the door. "You're the mage that's taking me to the banquet?"

"Why yes, shall we take our leave, maddam?" Kaseki asked the young girl.

"You have a stupid face. You sure you're a Legal Mage?" the young girl asked the plant man.

Kaseki lifted up his sleeve to reveal a faded Lamia Scale tattoo. "Yes, now let's go." Said Kaseki with a smile on his face.

The girl gave him a quite interesting look. "Is she... trying to look into my soul?!" he thought to himself. The girl seemed to have a question on her mind. She faded into the house and reappeared with a bag of some sort."Let's go, Mr.Mage." She walked past him as if he wasn't there. Kaseki turned and closed the door behind her, he chased after his maiden. He took her arm in his.

"Now, I believe we were off to a great start, let's keep it that way. Now, what is your name milady?" the taller man of plant asked the girl.

"My name? I am Xiaowei Bixian. Now, let's be on our way, I have things to do with my life, much less to do with you." she replied.

"A stubborn one, isn't she?" Kaseki thought to himself. "She reminds me of someone... But I can't remember who... Hmph."

"Ms. Bi-xian," Kaseki carefully pronounced her name, "Now, why might someone like you need an escort like me? Are there not enough people after someone like you? So beautiful?" Kaseki fell pale at the sound of his own words. "Did I... did I say that? Did I say that out loud??"

She stopped walking to stare the mage in the eyes. She stood motionless as if he had struck her nerve. Kaseki stood, nervous, waiting for an explanation. "My La-" "Why do I request a mage? Because for the last years of my life I have lived them in sorrow. I spent much time waiting for him to return, the glimpse of his face... It feels like decades upon decades have passed, and I not found him. Now, if you would kindly refrain from further comments, I have a banquet to attend to. Perhaps a mage like you should be glad to have this opportunity." She had cut him off to speak on her behalf. Once she had finished her words they had silently continued on their path. She seemed to hold onto Kaseki's arm a little tighter. He looked down only once to find her almost squeezing his arm.

"I...I... I never told anyone about him."

"I'm sure he's looking for you out there. That's exactly what I would be doing Ms Bi Xian."

The Cathedral :

The two arrived to the gates of the cathedral. There was many noblemen and women. It seemed to be a gathering of great importance. At the door there were Rune Knights standing watch. They looked at Xiaowei and her escort, she waved a card and pulled down Kaseki's cloak to reveal his tattoo. She gave him a look that he quickly understood and they proceeded to enter the great hall. They were ushered to a table off to the side. From their seat they could oversee the entire event. They watched as entertainers from far parts of Fiore arrived, they named executives and other powerful mages as they sat at their tables. Kaseki and Xiaowei begun to converse and laugh together. They were getting along. Then Kaseki began to touch on an old topic.

"Xiaowei, I do not mean to pry... but that other man, what was he like?" has asked her. "I understand if you must decline to answer, but I have to ask... who was the man you spoke about?" Kaseki looked at Xiaowei's solemn face and felt her reach into her own soul to answer the question.

"You want to know about him? I will tell you about him, all that I can remember." She smiled, but kept her eyes away from Kaseki. "He..."

Xiaowei began her tale. "The reason I requested a mage is the hope that maybe he would see it and finally come to my rescue." "I apologize, I am not hi-" "It feels like it was ages ago... " She began to lean back a bit, as if her mind had been sent to another realm for the story.

"He had powers beyond imagination. He was able to bend life before himself. You see, he never knew where he came from, he just... existed. He was cared for a god of another realm. He rose to great stature. He mended nature at his will, he captured enemies and villains of his family and friends. He fought for freedom, acceptance and unity. Then one day we were experimenting with magic... and ... he vanished." She began to look up, meeting Kaseki's eyes. "You have been the only mage that has been brave enough to help me with anything." She reach out and grabbed his hands. "Everyone fears me."

Kaseki looked puzzed. "Fears you? Why would that be?"

Xiaowei smiled. "Perhaps I should show you why..."

The girl gave a devilish smile as she arose from the table. She stood atop her seat and let out a demonic roar. Immediately everyone looked at the cause of the sound. "Don't you see? I am no human. We are the same my friend." She extended her arms at her side, wings began to form. She leaped up and dove forward. They had been sitting on a raised platform overlooking the event, now they were destroying it. Kaseki watched as a Legal Mage begun to charge a spell behind him aimed at the girl. "NO!" Kaseki yelled at the man, but he knew he would attempt to exterminate the threat. Kaseki felt an evil arise inside of him. "Kodai...If you must..." Kaseki thought to himself. Kaseki turned to the mage. He reached out to his glass of water at his seat. He splashed it at the man and quickly froze it to create spikes. The man was impaled with Kaseki's drink, and lay lifeless on the ground. "Foolish human, my host had just begun to master his spells. We are nothing to be trifled with." said Kaseki's body. Kodai was in control now.

Kodai turned back to look upon his date. She had begun to flip tables and assault mages. She flew in and out between them. This caused the spells to miss their target and end up on the bodies on their guildmates. Rune Knights ran in as the noblepeople ran out. They lunged and swung at the girl but found no luck. Kodai felt himself smile, but his control was being cut short, Kaseki was returning within. He watched the carnage unfold. "I am no longer a hero. I am that of Savage Skull... I am no longer on the side of my Lamia Scale brethren." he thought to himself. He found a window and broke it to get out of the hell house. He strolled around the cathedral to the back, away from the havoc. "There's no place for me in Fiore. I'm a true outcast." Kaseki leaned against the wall and begun to talk to himself. "I can't even do a simple task without destroying something." He sunk his head into his hands. The chaos begun to grow silent. And he sat against the building. "I don't belong anywhere."

Kaseki thought about the fun he had in his last guild, the great heroes he met, and those he had yet to meet. His face was no long among them, now he was a dark mage. "I have to accept this darkness." he said to himself. "I'm better off alone."

He felt a peculiar hand on his shoulder. The voice's holder drew near and sat beside him. "You don't have to be alone. I'll be here with you."

Kaseki smiled.

Today he had made a new friend.