Job l l The Maiden Snatcher (Aegis and Brielle)

Job Information:

Brielle's eyes followed the text on the sheet that contained the job information for her very first task. The girl was doing this as she was pacing back and forth at the exit of the guild, completely lost in the information to greet the other members of the Sabertooth guild that may have passed the smaller being by. It may have been out of nervousness or due to the pure notion that there was a desire to not embarrass herself before the ones who were her seniors, but this description was a quite a bout of information that needed to be read carefully. Despite the young age of 13, no one of the guild really seemed to mind that the girl was taking the challenge of The Maiden Snatcher. "How awful. Just grabbing girls like that..." Brielle muttered to herself, almost feeling a chill travel down the spine at the thought of even herself being subjected to that kind of emotional roller coaster the other victims must have been going through. It was certainly something that couldn't be ignored any further.

With a sudden shake of her head, the McCloud ripped her attention away from the paper and gazed about the room. Scanning the environment, it was no surprise that the girl was easily distracted once again by the interior of the establishment. Alas, a job needed to be done and it was with a bout of hope that perhaps someone could assist with the matter. It was at that moment that a figment of an idea came to mind. There was certainly no harm in just requesting a partner was there? Then again, it could be considered as rude because others could be approaching other activities with their own paces and time. Feeling a soft sigh escape her lips, Brielle looked downwards at the paper once more before following the proper procedures to request aide in the endeavor, leaving the information and all its necessities with it.

After having exited the guild, the girl made her way to the entrance of the Magnolia Forest on its east side. A request had been properly sent to the client for them to await the return with the girl that had been taken from him since he had already been distressed quite enough as it is. Upon crossing the border into the forest itself, Brielle had began tapping her finger on her chin in thought wondering just what exactly difficulty the Vulcans could serve. However, a bright side to this mission is that there was the chance to get to know a member of the Sabertooth guild along with the chance to make a client happy by succeeding on this job (at the very least she would try her best). Only time would tell...

It's been a while since the knight, perceived as young by many, has been in Sabertooth. He was, after all, one of its masters, and is for the most part responsible for what the guild currently was and stood to represent. There was, however, a small problem; Aegis wasn't one to like social environments.
It was a fact long-buried beneath the blanket of history, but when Aegis first set foot in Fiore, he was shaking. To that point, he only knew death. Having spent 5 years in exile, during which he was being hunted down by armies, suddenly finding himself on the road to a guild was... unnerving, to say the least. So much so, that he still feels the tips of his fingers shiver and tinge at the memory of it.

Yet in spite of that, here he was, still a member of that terrifying place. The azure knight couldn't help but smirk at the irony; he was still homeless, cold and for the most part - anti-social, yet he remained within the symbolic building that prided itself to be Sabertooth castle. A stalwart Goliath, gently overlooking the lands below; a massive sentry that lost its wooden warmth to the stringent chill of stone.
"Heh," he scoffed, his smile growing deeply reminiscent. "How foolish. I still wonder why, huh..."

The knight couldn't dwell on the past too much, however. Peering into history could only bring sorrow to him, so he felt it was time to let his gaze calmly return from its jaunt backwards. Slowly, his awareness of the world dawned back upon him. By the looks of it, no one had paid any attention to his presence in the guild, sitting in a shadowy corner, so he took the opportunity to shoot a glance around.
He was in the castle's foyer, across the room from the main gate that leads to the structure's front bridge, platform and teleportation pad. It was rather rowdy inside, as usual - to be expected from the guild's social hub, yet the air was tinted with a plethora of auras. Some strong, some weak; some proud, some humble; some good, others drunk - but amidst it all there was also the sensation of worry.
A foreign feeling to be sure, and a surprisingly intense one at that. It was enough to attract the cyan-haired knight's imploring scrutiny, but what his observation revealed was more strange; the source of that troubled aura - a very young girl. Her presence could almost automatically be labelled as a misfit without much thought, hence why she had drawn Aegis' attention. He always did have a penchant for tending to such people and, at that moment, her borderline trepidatious mien was more than intriguing enough.
"I don't think I know her," he mumbled to himself. "Is she new?"
But the concealed man's brief soliloquy was interrupted as the object of his attention left a note on the notice board and left, a comprehensive 'ahh' escaping his lungs, as Aegis fixated the eagle-like eyes he had on the note's contents.
"A help request for the job at Magnolia's eastern forest, huh?" he thought, briefly thinking it through before lifting himself up on his feet. His footsteps, their echo muffled by the surrounding guffaw, calmly traced a path towards the exit and, before long, the azure man was gone from the building.

He had caught up to the unidentified girl without much trouble, but he kept his distance from her until she reached her destination. The reason was simple - he was more interested in observing her at the time. Since a while ago, the knight had made it a point to avoid using Origin Perception on anything he doesn't plan on seriously fighting, since it's a 'fairly' crude infringement on personal space; one which makes him stalking a 13-year-old girl seem quite a lot more acceptable from an ethical standpoint.
Of course, having spent most of the time pondering over what's wrong and what's not, it wasn't long before the girl with olive-black hair arrived at the forest, officially declaring the knight's stalking fruitless to a point of redundancy. Having no more than a wry smile with which to commend her of the unintentional victory she achieved, Aegis heaved a sigh and decided to just walk up to the young wizard.

With the gusty wind carrying his long coat behind him, the azure magus calmly approached his soon-to-be partner for the day.
"Lovely weather for a stroll through nature," he articulated in a calming voice and with an equally calm smile; " isn't it?"

The lush green of the forest rooftop provided a shade of warmth to blanket the environment. Such a place could be viewed as a wonder of nature if one were to take the time to stand by and idly view the details - whether big or small. The leaves brushing against one another from the wind created a cascading wave of sound to flow through the forest, a soothing note to the mind and heart. All the wonders of nature had seem to go by unnoticed as a certain rookie ventured forth oblivious of the presence following behind. A swirling vortex was currently treading forth inside the girl's mind, trapping her attention within even after Brielle stopped in her tracks. It was unaware of the truth that she had arrived to her destination, not paying mind to the outside world until an unknown voice had soothed its way into her eardrums.

??? wrote:"Lovely weather for a stroll through nature," he articulated in a calming voice and with an equally calm smile, "isn't it?"

Turning around swiftly, the surprise had shot its way to the much smaller girl's face. Slowly leaning her head upwards, the black haired girl felt her lips part slightly in thought as she observed the individual before her. She certainly hadn't seen this man before... Then again, the McCloud was a fresh face to the guild so it would only make sense that this face is unfamiliar. The very tips of her pale fingers began to tremble slightly out of pure and utter shyness, yet with a small brush of a heel against the ground that was quickly hidden away within the sleeve of her pink jacket.

The man before her seemed to emit a calm and soothing air to him, yet it was no lie that he seemed to appear rather strong as well. Such a tall figure compared to her petite form along with the muscles of a man that clearly had Brielle's own composure beaten without a doubt. His locks of cyan tinted hair seemed to move slowly, the wind gracing not only the forest but him as well. The stranger's choice in clothing seemed to also commemorate a sense of strength within oneself, and almost fitting for a man of his stature. It even collided well with his hair, his black leather vest that was covered by a sky-blue trench coat. The design's sleeves seemed to fold at the elbows with a collar fit for comfort's sake almost. Ivory coated lines were made out at the edges of the coat, and one of the last details to catch her attention was the piece of armor adorning his shoulders. His combat trousers seemed to be fit for comfort along with the combat boots. Such time it must have taken to work on such fabrics must have been hours at times.

The very last thing was a medallion that seemed to hang around his neck, glimmering in what little sunlight crept through the forest roof above. It seemed to glow slightly, a soft blue light reflecting off of the sun's own rays. Such an insignia seemed delicately crafted with care...

Shaking her head in embarrassment at getting lost for that moment, Brielle's eyes seemed to brighten slightly at his presence. A small yet genuine smile passed the girl's lips as such electric blue irises focused intently up at the taller being despite the stutters that would dare to pass her lips. "I-It is! The weather seems warm enough and the skies are vibrant at this hour." Brielle shifted her weight from left to right, still keeping eye contact with the stranger before her as she fought back the embarrassed blush daring to penetrate her cheeks. It was always a challenge to converse with strangers at first, but as time passed the young rookie hoped that she wouldn't prove to be too much trouble for this individual. Swallowing a lump that had caught itself in her throat, Brielle suddenly outstretched a hand as her voice had grown softer compared to when she spoke just moments ago.

"My name is Brielle McCloud. It's safe to presume that you're here to help with the job I posted on the board, m-mister...?"

The knight observed his interlocutor's peculiar mannerisms with care. Keeping his eyes fixated onto her own, he focused his peripheral vision on her figure, putting that sense's heightened detection of movement to proper use and truly, was there a lot to see. Uneasy shuffling, trembling voice, cold fingertips - if there was one single word that encompassed her state, it would surely be 'fidgety'. In fact, her body language was in such brazen contrast with the composure he's used to observe, that the azure man couldn't help but tilt his head a little at the genuine fireworks display before him.
'What a pure soul' he thought, his eyelids calmly brushing away the strain from his piercing eyes. Speaking of eyes, it was often noted that the swordsman possessed a very penetrating gaze, in part due to his eye colour, but standing where he was at the time, he couldn't help but feel the sharpness of Brielle's beautiful electric irises. 'So disarming' his mind repeated, in part captivated within her look. The girl's almost child-like audit felt so pure, that faced with her scrutiny, one was tempted to just open his heart to her, utterly unconcerned with the possible percussions of it; her energetic, yet calm gaze called for a kind of thirsty leer in response, inspiring an inclination to attempt and absorb all the good intent that oozed from her simple smile and earnest eyes.

The brief silence after her words was conveniently broken by a multi-layered ambience of collective chirping and tweeting, much akin to a forest and, thankfully, loud enough to snap Aegis back to reality.
"Ah," he exclaimed calmly, playing off his daydreaming as non-existent; "no need for honorifics."
The azure knight took her outstretched hand with care, doing his best to treat it gently. "My name is Aegis Bright."
As those words left his throat, the magus brought Brielle's hand up a bit, he himself leaning in as well, and gave it a light kiss, before lowering it and finally letting go. His smile did not wane throughout, a sense of confidence having nested itself in his heart, and it seems he was determined to harness it fully. Beneath the blanket of greenery towering above, Aegis had chosen to put on his best knightly demeanour possible, which, by anyone's standards, would make him a stick out completely from the current surroundings, especially considering the light red that invaded his cheeks as a reward for doing rather embarrassing things.
Drawing a breath just as a gust of wind rushed by, eagerly fluttering his coat, which had almost no other uses most of the time, the violet-eyed man placed his left hand on his hip. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Brielle."
He shifted his weight a bit more on his right leg, his gaze intercepting her own. "It seems that I'll be your partner for today. Haha, I wonder..." he articulated, unconsciously tilting his head in the process ", What are your goals with this task? Seeking to train and grow stronger, or just seeking wealth?"

The chirping of the birds seemed to grow quiet at the moment of Brielle's words leaving her lips, naught a sound intruding other than the dancing motions of the leaves with the wind. The roof of the forest provided small openings for the sunlight to beam through, creating a puzzle of lines as far as the eye can see. It was a beauty and marvel to behold, but what was before the young mage was more of an interest than the forest. The man's name was Aegis Bright - a name that carried a certain ring to it... Upon accepting the hand that was outstretched his way, the girl felt her muscles release from the nervous tension the moment he accepted the notion. Despite the cold fingertips that she tried best to hide within the sleeves of her petite jacket, Brielle kept her gaze focused to Aegis' own cyan irises. It was certainly warming to meet someone new along with joining a guild despite the period of traveling the girl had done.

They were nothing short of strikingly vibrant, a color seeming to reflect the sun's own shine with the hues. Despite the unconscious and curious tilt of her head, Brielle didn't notice the man's lips draw nearer to the skin of her hand until they met. The girl felt her eyes widen a fraction with surprise, the action leaving a pink tint dusting across her cheek in her own version known as embarrassment. The action was one that certainly wasn't appreciated, however. In fact... It was something that the girl wasn't expecting leaving a foreign feeling in the heart as the pairs hands descended - finally parting at the lowest level of descent they could go. Because of the age that she was at, it wasn't a surprise upon others treating the McCloud differently because of the age differences. However, this man known as Aegis Bright was certainly one who proved to become rather... interesting.

There was no treating her like she was a child, or as if she wasn't to be bothered with in the first place. It was a presence and attitude that intrigued her, a youthful curiosity in her eyes as the 13-year-old tilted her head once again to the opposite side. A small smile seemed to align along her pink tinted lips that was directed at the elder mage, the beating of her heart seeming to calm with the passing of the time.

"It's very nice to meet you, A-Aegis Bright."

Despite the mental self-scolding of stuttering the man's very own name, Brielle rubbed an arm as her locks of black hair danced in the wind without fault. The man seemed to smile as he shifted his weight, emitting an air of kindness as things began to progress rather smoothly. This man was indeed the partner for the day, articulating in assurance that the girl had nothing to fear or worry of. In fact, it was quite the opposite as it was a faint aura of kindness and comfort. A question had then arose from within him, his head tilting with curiosity upon speaking.

Aegis Bright wrote:"What are your goals with this task? Seeking to train and grow stronger, or just seeking wealth?"

That was a question that deserved an answer, but with Brielle McCloud... Her answer was one that could prove to be rather lengthy if not detailed. Still, keeping in mind that the victims of The Maiden Snatcher were in danger, the girl brushed her shorts swiftly before providing her answer to Aegis - one that was either to be expected or not. "My goals are to train a-and grow stronger...! It's easier said than it is done, but I made a promise to my mother that I would do my best. It sounds a bit... silly, I suppose. I still want to do my best, though. I want to find out and learn of what I'm capable of accomplishing." There wasn't a mentor to guide Brielle throughout her training and Magic, and her mother was no longer around to care for her... The McCloud was honest with her answer to Aegis' question, disclosing only what was relevant to the subject.

"Silly? No, I don't think so."
With a brief gust of the winds, the knight's eyes closed. "Why would I deem it silly that you have an honourable cause to fight for? Really, if there's anything silly in this particular situation..."
Slowly, the azure knight's eyelids lifted, his gaze tossed over his shoulder; a faint, yet... satisfied smirk showed on his lips.
"...It would be the exuberant presence of our guests."

Breaking the flow of the conversation, the knight slowly eyed the surrounding scenery, his satisfied expression refusing to wane. Was it that he enjoyed being ambushed, or was it that frequent for him that it felt normal for him? Either way, even without using his senses, he knew that one such event was on its way - that fact made clear by the abnormally silent surroundings. The tweet of birds, the repetitive thuds of a feasting woodpecker, even the rattling of snakes; everything was drowned within the foreboding hum of the winds.
"Heh" - the one daring sound to echo within the prison of tension building up around the duo. In a quick motion, the knight signalled his partner to remain silent and sharpened his sense of hearing.

Fading winds.
Cracking branches.
Beneath the scorching sun.
Beneath the facade of the peaceful forest.
Between the troubled breaths.
Between the quickened heartbeats.
Within the span of a single breath...

"... There!"
In a lightning-fast flourish, the azure knight grabbed the edge of his coat, tossing it in front of himself just as a volley of several dozen arrows were about to lacerate him. He twisted his body around, his firm footwork taking control as he nimbly waltzed around his partner, blocking and deflecting all incoming projectiles with his coat.
"Tch."
Brushing off all the low-grade arrows off of his now-stained coat, Aegis stopped his manoeuvre right in front of Brielle - his back facing her.

Releasing the breath he held, the cyan-haired magus spoke in a higher tone to compensate for the fact he couldn't face the person he was talking to. "I sense 334 hostile entities closing in on our position fast," he proclaimed with a tinge of amusement in his voice, all surrounding greenery as if taking the moment of stillness to recover from the turbulent rustle caused by the gale-like movement. "It seems our presence caught the attention of a nearby horde. For the record, 260 of them are really weak and are mostly on your side of the forest."
Aegis' stance was completely relaxed, practically in brazen disregard of the odds currently facing his party... but was that really so strange? More than ever, the knight felt comfortable in such horrible circumstances, as if he considered them his true home.
And so he smiled. Broader than ever, his daring grin stood as a stalwart greeting, challenging any who thought of with misdeed and misery.

"I apologise, Brielle, but it would appear our greeting would have to be postponed," Aegis stated casually, a somewhat serious looking hopping his shoulder to meet hers while the bushes and shrubbery around began to shake ever-so-ominously. "There's still time to escape, if you feel intimidated. I won't, however. You see, I too wish to grow stronger... and I too have a reason to do so. Thus I will remain and fight...!"
With those energised words, Aegis lashed out his hands beside his torso, his blue coat fluttering behind him. "If you wish to run - run. But if you're brave enough to risk it all for your purpose and goal, stand by me and fight as if there is no tomorrow."

A challenging laugh escaped the blue knight's throat.
"They say that one can only learn more about his friends when they take turns in a dance with Death. Haha, I wonder, would you like to share this dance with me?"

The member 'TehDMCmaniac' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

'Monster Dice' :

Gazing up at the cyan haired magus, Brielle felt her eyes widen a fraction before noting the sudden change of the tension in the air. It seemed to grow heavy as the beating heart of the black haired mage arose within a moment's notice. Whatever sounds of nature that seemed to be heard of were no longer existent, mute out by the sound of the wind. The girl had instinctively bent her knees as she fixed herself into a defensive stance, only being stopped by the motion of Aegis' arm outstretching before her. At such a level, the young mage couldn't sense what the mage before her could - at least not yet. Although, it was within a moment's notice that Brielle felt a slight pain cascade into her own head as a flurry of different sounds reached her eardrums.

It almost sounded like a wave of slingshots...

Quickly attempting to regain her composure, Brielle had barely enough time to think before the azure knight practically circled around. A flash of sky-blue was to be made out as the man encased it around, using it as a shield to block the valley of arrows that went by unnoticed until now. The girl would normally haul rear with as many arrows as these launching about, but Aegis was present... It was with that one difference that there was the will to stay - to stand her ground.

As the defensive maneuver's for Aegis officially came to an end, Brielle  gazed up to the man despite how he wasn't facing her. Taking that position as a sign of sorts, the girl turned around herself and almost touched backs with him, the height difference almost vast in number. Despite the calm composure the girl was carrying, Brielle felt all of that change the moment the number of opponents were mentioned. "334...?! 260...?!" Electric blue irises widened in mere shock to the numbers he proclaimed to exist. Brielle couldn't help but shiver at that moment at all the Vulcans she would be facing, the number almost mind numbing. However, if it was to be looked upon the bright side...

She wasn't by herself in this endeavor.

The difference in stances were comparable beyond measure if there was a third involved - Aegis' being calm and almost energetic while Brielle's consisted of hesitation yet determination mixed into one. Despite the large numbers at hand that existed within this forest, the McCloud would stand her ground. If she was by herself, that was a different story at hand. Shaking her hands to numb whatever shivering tension left within them, the young mage listened to her elder behind her as a determined expression blanketed her features. The cries of the Vulcans began to surround the duo, the vast number nearing closer by the passing moments.

Aegis Bright wrote:"I apologise, Brielle, but it would appear our greeting would have to be postponed. There's still time to escape, if you feel intimidated. I won't, however. You see, I too wish to grow stronger... and I too have a reason to do so. Thus I will remain and fight...!"

Brielle couldn't argue with conviction like that, and it was with her own form of determination that she willed up the courage to reply back. This man had his own reasons to fight just as she did, his own reasons to grow stronger, and his own goals in mind just as everyone else did. There wasn't any reason for her to flee if he was staying as the usual vow the young mage carried for herself was now in play. It simply wasn't acceptable to leave this man all by himself against a large horde of the creatures, and in her perspective, running wasn't going to get her anywhere.

Aegis Bright wrote:"If you wish to run - run. But if you're brave enough to risk it all for your purpose and goal, stand by me and fight as if there is no tomorrow. They say that one can only learn more about his friends when they take turns in a dance with Death. Haha, I wonder, would you like to share this dance with me?"

Brielle shook her arms lightly before beginning to bound up and down with her feet, the beating of her heart accelerating. The locks of her black hair began to bounce with her movements, her clothing matching the rhythm as the young mage replied her voice growing higher in the passing moments - a struggle to stay loud without growing soft for seconds at a time. "If I run you'll be here by yourself, and I won't gain any progress if I don't face the odds...! In other words... I will share this dance with you!" Feeling the acceleration of her own blood pulsating, the girl closed her eyes for but a moment before opening them once again charging forth as two weak Vulcan's came into view. Making the attempt to catch the enemies off guard, she activated her Teleportation Magic. This was almost overwhelming as she could only attack a handful at a time...

The member 'Brielle McCloud' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

'Damage Dice' :