A Common Foe, the Alliance Grows

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Preparations
It had been close to a month since the stoic assassin and her feathered companion had joined the infamous Dawn Horizon guild as honorary members, per the woman’s request as she had desired a trial period before officially announcing her decision. No doubt, the misunderstanding caused by several of the younger guild members that resulted in the woman sustaining heavy injuries left a bad taste in her mouth and she couldn’t readily join despite her somewhat interest down below.

However, over the course of the past few weeks, the enigmatic guild master of Dawn Horizon had done everything in his power to make the assassin feel comfortable and enjoy the many benefits the guild had to offer. Whether these had major effects on her eventual decision, no one could tell. At the very least though, it seemed both Renes and Aethon had grown accustomed to the guild and its members, one in particular being an S-Class mage and the one who boasted the title of the guild’s most skilled swordsman; Violet Miyamoto. The woman’s maturity and kindness, along with her exceptional skill had garnered the assassin’s respect and the two of them had become sparring buddies during the course of Renes’ stay in the guild.

In fact, they were currently engaged in one of their daily sparring sessions that took place in one of the guild’s training facility halls that they had booked for themselves. The sound of steel clashing against each other violently echoed throughout the spacious room as the two of them exchanged strikes at a frightening speed, if Aethon who was spectating from the side as she sat on a bench would attest too.

“You’re countering me well, Rene. You’ve really honed your technique these past few weeks” Violet praised with a smirk as she parried several strikes from Rene and kept up the attack. Unlike her formal attire that she wore during missions, she was dressed in a sports bra and sweatpants, her usual training attire that felt both comfortable and allowed for easy movements.

Rene hopped back, spinning one of her two ubiquitous crimson blades. It gleamed in the sun shining through the window. "And you're as sharp as ever Violet," Rene responded with a small smirk of her own. While she wouldn't say she was comfortable yet, sparring with Violet had gone a long way towards helping the assassin establish a routine. She tended to build her day around these sparring sessions, whether it was strengthening her right leg through therapy.

Most of her had healed rather quickly (though it would have been even faster if she consumed blood, as Eva loved to point out), but the right leg had been stubborn. It didn't help that her left leg was hardly better. She didn't want to know what type of maneuvers Esme had forced her body to utilize, nor what limits she had surpassed. Either way, her legs were at least strong enough to do handle these sparring sessions. Plus, she could hone sword style in these situations.

"Again."

"With pleasure"

Aethon watched the two clash once more, their blades flashing through the air before another ear-splitting crash occurred. Seriously, how could they function with this much noise?? Thon resisted the urge to cover her ears, even as she was mesmerized by their movements. This Violet woman was good; more than good actually. It was rare to see Rene on the defensive in a swordfight, but it was a sight Aethon had become accustomed to in these weekly, now almost daily sessions. Part of her liked to think Rene was working off her angst, as the assassin seemed to buzz with energy/impatience most of the time. Maybe that's why Rene had taken up drawing again.

Thon remembered the first time she caught the assassin sketching, her forehead furrowed in thought as she emulated and enhanced her chosen subject on the page. Ae stood there for over an hour before Rene noticed her, the assassin cursing softly before swearing her companion to secrecy. It was still odd to think her cool, often emotionless companion would have such a hobby, never mind excel at it. But that's just who she was Aethon supposed.

"How much longer? We're supposed to have lunch soon," Aethon called out to the sparring companions, straining to make herself heard over the noise of their blades.

Violet had heard the shape-shifting bird's plea's for a lunch break but momentarily ignored her as she finished parrying a horizontal strike from the rapidly improving assassin, her eyes gleaming when she saw Rene lose her balance for a brief moment, no doubt the strain coming from her still recovering legs, as Violet spotted an opening and seized it. Putting pressure on her right leg, she flashed forward with incredible speed and maneuvered her way through Renes' defenses with her family's footwork, parrying and/or blocking whatever slash the assassin countered with before she had closed the distance and aimed her katana directly by the raven haired woman's throat as the cold steel blade rested on her opponent's soft skin gently.

"Your leg must still be causing you trouble if you gave me an opening like that. Why don't we take a break?" Violet commented in a whimsical manner as her smile never left her face, even as her katana was aimed at the woman's throat, though of course without any malicious intent as Violet slowly withdrew it backwards. The two of them were covered in sweat, as expected of such an intense training session, and it would do them good to catch their breaths and eat some lunch.

Rene cursed her mother and her legs in the same breath. Her gaze burned, especially at the slip. In the field such a slip meant death. "No. Again." Rene said, gritting her teeth as she balanced once more. Lunch was the last thing she wanted after such an embarrassment. Rene was quickly discovering that even after all of the extensive training, meant to stamp out emotions and other "inconveniences", she still had pride. Pride in her skills, in being a survivor who didn't stop until the deed was done. It was the only thing she could hang her hat on, only thing she would hang her hat on. One that felt as if it was being trampled by her slow leg recovery and the skills she witnessed on a daily basis. Feeling inadequate was not something she encountered often, and the feeling was less than..pleasant.

Aethon took the pause as an opportunity. "Come on. Let's eat. You'll be sharper after a good meal," she cajoled, starting to pull the brooding Rene forward. She threw a glance at Violet for some assistance in moving the disgruntled assassin. "You really need to stop viewing things as life and death situations."

Violet nodded at Aethon's pleading glance as she elegantly sheathed her treasured katana back onto her waist and approached the stubborn Renes with a comforting smile.

"You need to take it easy. Muscles heal and grow stronger through rest, not straining them by overexerting yourself. Besides, I'm under orders by Jaziah to make sure you're properly taken care of and the last thing I want is for him and her to chew me out"

Violet suddenly grabbed Renes' arm and threw it over her shoulder as she assisted Aethon in moving Renes to the bench and let go once the girl could sit on her own. Still seeing some defiance and bitterness in the woman's gaze, Violet scratched her head helplessly.

"You're just as stubborn as Tetsuya. You'll get another crack at me again, once we've both filled our stomachs" Violet assured before reaching for the hair braid that was tying her hair into a ponytail and removed it as she tried to readjust the loose braid that had been loosened from their earlier bout. After that doing, she made her way over towards a fridge that was nearby and opened it, pulling out two ice cold water bottles as she threw one over towards Renes and began drinking one herself as she let out a deep sigh of relief as the cold liquid poured down her throat.

"Nothing's better than a cold drink after a nice work out. Don't you agree?" Violet asked, already knowing the answer.

Rene glared at her legs, cursing them once again in her mind as she sat down. Truth be told, she didn't care about the muscles growing stronger through rest; she wanted her leg strength back where it should be. The assassin bristled a bit at being compared to Tetsuya; there was a difference between stubbornness and pride as far as Rene was concerned.

Renesmee put her two swords away before catching the water bottle. She quickly downed it. "Not when you're performing below par," came her moody response. Despite Aethon's feelings on the matter, she still measured her performance by how it would transpire in life and death. And truth be told, Rene still didn't like what she saw.

Not that it was any better than her dreams; occasionally she'd see or rather meet Atae there. Her great-grandmother; it was still difficult wrapping her head around it, especially when she saw the god's tricky nature. Yet somehow her ancestor had to nerve to wonder where Esme's monstrosity came from...no, those dream conversations felt more like nightmares.

Aethon stared at Rene's brooding figure before turning to Violet. Truth be told, while Rene remained rather secretive and closed off, Thon had found at least a couple friends in the guild, Jaziah and Violet being her main favorites. She still didn't like the haughty vampire "queen" and still found much to be annoyed about with Mr. Piggy. Still, inroads were being made.

"What's on the menu for today?" she asked Violet, standing up. Aeth nudged Rene to do the same as the former's stomach began to rumble.

"Well let's see now..." Violet trailed off as she looked inside of the fridge and marveled at how well packed it was with various specials and desserts that were hand cooked by their cooking fanatic of a guild master. Spotting a plate with plastic wrapped sandwiches, Violet's mouth watered a bit as she recognized what kind they were and brought them out as she laid them on a nearby table.

"We're in luck, the boss left us with his signature ham sandwiches" Violet spoke to the approaching duo as she unwrapped the sandwiches and admired the handiwork of a dish made by her leader. It was a well known fact that Tetsuya was master chef and everyone had become obsessed with his cooking, even this newbie who outwardly appeared to dislike the boss would never turn down a meal made by him.

Once she finished unwrapping the sandwiches, she offered them to the duo as she grabbed one of her own and took a bite, salivating at the seasoned ham mixed with a creamy ranch sauce that were blended well with the salad dressing. A few comical tears appeared in her eyes as she thanked the heaven's that she had joined this guild.

"So..." Wanting to start some small talk, Violet leaned back against the counter as she stared at the starving assassin and excited Aethon with a smile. "...You've both been here for almost a month now. What do guys you think of the guild? It's alot different from how you thought of it the first day you arrived, right?"

Aethon ate hers with a gusto, savoring the myriad of flavors present. "Hmm? Well, you're not so bad. Jaz is cool too; both of you are reasonable people and really nice. It's a much needed change of pace," Aeth said, finishing off her sandwich in record time. Well, at least Mr. Piggy could cook. That was better than nothing she supposed.

"Otherwise, the guild itself is huge. I mean, it's a pretty massive space for the amount of people you have. Though I'm sure your guild master plans on filling it as soon as he can; with strong people of course."

Violet giggled "Of course. Tetsuya's always been a visionary. We could add a hundred more people and we still probably couldn't fill out the entire base. He's always been one to do everything in a big way"

Rene ate her own sandwich in silence, nibbling at the corners before eating the rest in small bites. Her own appetite, seemingly veracious at first, faded. "It's tight-knit," she said finally, her tone not betraying whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Now that the sparring had ceased for the time being, she seemed to retreat into herself again.

"Though I could already tell that much before coming here, given how adamant your fellow guildmates were about protecting it. You and Jaziah at least have been very hospitable." She knew Tetsuya was trying his level best to woo them into the guild; Rene still hadn't decided if she liked be wanted. After all, when other people had tried the same thing, she immediately felt suspicious; maybe it was her past interactions with people.

"At the very least, your presence has been a comfort. It adds a sense of normalcy given everything else."

Violet smiled sweetly at the praise "I'm glad to hear that you at least trust a few of us. I can't speak on Jaziah but at the very least, I wasn't anything like I am now before I joined the guild. I was obsessed with duty and quite strict and harsh towards my subordinates during my time in the Brigade, but meeting Tetsuya and the others and becoming a part of this guild really opened my eyes" Fond memories began flooding into Violet's head as her gaze softened towards Renes and she patted the woman's shoulder.

"This place is your home now Renes, and I'm sure you'll come to love it if you give it a chance" Her words were soothing and comforting as she let go of the woman's shoulder and finished downing her meal before stretching.

"Man, that meal hit the spot. So, you ready for round two?" She questioned with a subtle fire in her eyes. Despite her calm and caring demeanor, Violet possessed the heart and spirit of a true warrior and absolutely loved to test her blade against worthy swordsman. Duty. Well that was a word she was familiar with. Though she had no idea about being harsh to subordinates; usually she was on the receiving end in the assassin guild she worked for. Maybe that was why she remained solo for so long; Rene shrugged mentally.

Nonetheless, the assassin wasn't sure how she felt about the "home" comment. Sure it might be beneficial to recover a bit longer, but saying this was her home after nearly a month? Too soon. She nodded as she watched Violet descend to the sparring area once more, Rene following suit.

She drew a sword, blade glowing with readiness. If Rene didn't know any better, she'd say the blade was excited. "No time like the present."

At the very least, it seemed sparring was one of the few ways to get Renes to show some level of emotion and right now, that all that Violet was interested in as she nodded and signaled the start of their bout by charging in once more.

Aethon watched them resume. Well, she had at least mentioned having a couple people in confidence, so that was an improvement right? Certainly better than what she expected to hear. This time, she covered her ears as the inevitability of screeching blades soon reached them

A few minutes passed as the two swordsman went at it before the sound of the automatic door sliding open could be heard and from it, a half naked woman walked in with a lazy step as she yawned heavily, scratching her exposed stomach as she wore nothing but a crop top and short shorts.

"They're really going at it huh..." Serena, the former bounty hunter, spoke lazily as she walked inside the room and took note of the sparring session going on. The only people she knew that got up this early to spar were her boss and Violet, and apparently this new girl too. Go figure.

She walked over to the fridge and pulled out a beer as she chugged the drink down and exhaled heavily with a wide smile.

"Shit, I needed that" She chugged it down even further, causing Violet to disengage from the fight to berate her fellow guild mate with an annoyed look.

"Serena, it's not even noon and your drinking? And for the love of god throw something on! This isn't your bedroom"

Serena rolled her eyes "Relax Vi, it's not gonna kill me or anything, right Rene?" She cheekily smirked at the stoic assassin before she remembered something as her eyes widened. "Oh that's right, big bro wanted to see you. He told me he wanted to speak with you about something important right now"

Rene sighed, putting her sword away as she glowered at the slovenly figure. "Unbelievable."

Violet's eyebrow's raised when she heard that as she tilted her head "With Renes? Do you know what it could be for?"

"Beats me, I'm just the messenger" Serena shrugged as she continued to jug down the cans of alcohol, picking up a few more cans as she left the training room.

"Hmm..." Violet seemed to contemplate the matter before she nodded and looked back at Renes with an apologetic expression.

"Sorry Renes, looks like we'll have to continue our spar another time" She sheathed her katana and went over to the bench and picked up two towels and threw one over towards the assassin as she wrapped her own around her neck.

"I'm drenched in sweat so I'll be hitting the showers. You should do the same before you go and meet Tetsuya, you wouldn't want to meet him with such a rowdy look and give him ammo to make fun of you" She laughed as she made her way towards the showers at the other side of the training hall.

Aethon stared at the new addition, before shaking her head at the woman's antics. "You know, you should have some water before downing a beer. It helps with digestion," she commented, staring at Serena as she took another one out of the fridge.

She turned, following Violet to the shower. "Next time it will be then." Finding a spot in one of the open showers, she undressed before turning on the water, letting it pour over her face as she thought. Could it be about the trial period? Given how close the deadline was, that would make sense. If Rene was being honest, she hadn't given any thought as to what her decision would be. Her days were spent either rehabilitating or being forced to rest. The latter proved irritating enough that she stared drawing again, before hiding her sketches where others couldn't find them.

She began washing. Maybe the meeting was something else too; since the deadline hadn't passed yet, there wasn't any pressure to come to an immediate decision. Rene decided that if pressed, she would ask for an extension; she still wasn't at her best yet. Seemingly satisfied with this answer, Rene washed up further, banishing the sweat and grime from repeated clashes.

After toweling off, she threw on some clothes, finding an expectant Aethon waiting for her. The two would then move through the guild, headed for the place where they knew Tetsuya would most likely be. Reaching the closed doorway, Rene knocked.

"Enter"

Having gained permission to enter, the duo walked inside as they were treated to a rather crazy sight of stacks upon stacks of paperwork piled onto Tetsuya's usually clean desk as the dark skinned guild master was currently engaged in dutiful work. A pair of glasses was present on his face, something Renes was unaccustomed to seeing, as Tetsuya concentration and focus didn't break for a moment and he addressed the duo who had just entered without even glancing at them.

"Have a seat, let me just finish this and then we'll discuss what I called you for" He said nothing more as he continued on with his work at a remarkable speed. There were very few people who saw this side of Tetsuya, the side that didn't include him either running around the continent on a power hunt or him goofing off with others.

"Quite a shock, isn't it? I still can't get used to the sight of him doing actual paperwork" A voice spoke from Renes' side as Dyson Salvatore, the second in command of Dawn Horizon and Evangeline's husband appeared, carrying in his arms a giant pile of more paperwork. He had stopped next to Renes and flashed her a charming smile

"How are your injuries holding up?"

Aethon gaped at the suddenly studious looking guildmaster. "You know what productivity is??!!!" she exclaimed, catching herself. She shook her head several times to see if this was a dream. But no, he remained at a desk, besieged by paperwork.

Like most things, Rene took this sudden change in stride. Though one could catch a hint of approval in her gaze. At the very least, he proved capable of being serious when he needed to be. She dipped her head a bit, acknowledging Dyson's sudden appearance as Aethon jumped.

"They're going..slower than I'd like, but going," she said, responding to Dyson's inquiry politely. Her gaze drifted to the mountains of paperwork. "What is all of this for? It seems you're rather behind on whatever logistical tasks you have here."

"You could say that" Dyson wryly smiled before moving towards the desk and placing the paper work on the table as he looked back at Renes. "We're in the midst of planning a summit meeting between all of the leaders of the Trident Alliance in order to discuss the possible acceptance of a new guild that wishes to join. As a result, we've been neck deep in planning it and we've let our work get behind us" He admitted with a sigh.

"By the way, how was your training session with Violet? I've heard you've been getting along well with both her and Jaziah, at least that's what Eva has told me from her observations of you"

Aethon shook her head. "A summit meeting? It must be huge if you have all of this paperwork to sort thr-" she felt Rene stiffen beside her at the mention of Eva's name. While it wasn't outright violence, there always seemed to be tension. The two were never found in the same room; Rene would turn around if she saw Eva in the hallway, disappearing if Eva began pestering her. It was a veritable Cold War between the two; at least it was from Rene's end.

The assassin let out a breath, willing herself to calm. "It was decent; still not where I should be though. Jaziah's been very kind and accommodating, though they can be pushy about rest at times," she said in response, studying the documents piled around.

"I see, that's good to hear then" Dyson commented, having noticed the subtle shift in body posture when he had mentioned his wife's name. He already knew of the dislike shared between the vampire and vampire slayer, though it seemed to be rather one sided as Eva hadn't spoken of Renes anywhere near as negatively as vice versa and Dyson felt as if he had to do something about that, if only so that he wouldn't have to witness such awkward situations between them.

"I hope you and Eva will eventually be able to get along. I know your history with vampires but she's different, I can assure you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made her my wife haha" Dyson laughed innocently, not even aware of the bomb he had dropped by revealing that he was betrothed to Renes' somewhat mortal enemy.

The room fell deathly silent. "YOU MADE HER YOUR WHAT???" Aethon screeched. Her attention immediately turned to a now simmering Renesmee. "Breathe. BREATHE Rene!" She shook the assassin vigorously, trying to get her to come back.

Rene for her part, while simmering externally, was besieged by memories in her mind. Laws printed in bold letters, stamped on the city papers: NO COHABITING BETWEEN BLOODSUCKERS AND HUMANS. She remembered the witch-hunts that followed, dhampir babies torn from their vampire mothers' breasts, male vampires strung up for public display after being hung, staked heads of "nightcrawlers" front and center on the property of city hall. It was a paradigm shift from the terror of her early formative years, people disappearing only to be found as prune like corpses. Dry to the bone; nightcrawlers. She couldn't remember who was the one that pushed to do something about it; but they became a city and eventually a national hero. Monstrous vampires, monstrous humans...a death-trap for people like her..maybe that's why she had no problem killing them.

She refocused as Aethon's shaking finally pulled her from this memory onslaught. "You're mad. Do you...have any idea what you did?" her tone was as cold as winter and as chilly as the mountain wind.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Dyson blinked confusedly, unaware of why such a reaction had occurred. Were they not aware of his relationship with Eva? It hadn't even dawned on him that perhaps no one had mentioned it to her. It made sense given how little this new girl interacted with other members of the guild who weren't Jaziah or Violet. In any case, he shook those thoughts for now as he addressed the cold Renes with a straight glance, one that showed absolute resolution and conviction.

"Indeed, you could say that I am mad. Madly in love with that clumsy oaf of a vampire that is" Dyson said smoothly with a chuckle, but soon turned serious once again "I don't care how vampires and the like are treated from where you come from, we in Dawn Horizon treat everyone the same regardless of race or background. I didn't fall in love and marry a vampire queen, I fell in love and married a beautiful woman named Evangeline and that's all that matters. Do try to remember that" Dyson finished with a smirk as he said nothing more and turned around to walk over towards his boss, leaving Renes and Aethon to contemplate his words.

Rene simply stared him down as he talked, seemingly unconvinced. She continued turning over the small fact a vampire and a human were married. Are married; that would be an instant death warrant for both parties in her hometown, and woe on the children born from that marriage. The moment they were discovered...she didn't let herself finish that thought. In a way, the assassin guild offered its own protection, if only because it was using her too. So much for home; not that she really knew what that meant.

"......So what is it that you wanted to meet with me about?" she asked Tetsu, preparing for yet another barrage of 'how are things going? What do you think of everything?'. While Rene knew they were trying to be nice, if she heard that one more time she was going to puke.

Aethon shook her head, letting go of Rene finally. She was really growing to despise Sin; she felt it was holding Rene back in more ways than one. "Yeah, what is the issue? Besides the sheer amount of paperwork you need to complete."

After he finished signing another paper, Tetsuya laid back and took a deep breath before cracking his aching neck. He had been at this for several hours and his body just wasn't used to this sort of thing. It took every fiber of his being to tell his body to suck it up and not quit halfway through and it seemed he had won that battle as he picked up his coffee mug and drank from it, exhaling as he then glanced towards Renes and Aethon.

"Right, sorry to keep you waiting. Since it seems I won't be able to finish this anytime soon, I guess I'll take a break and explain to you both why I've called you here" Tetsuya already figured that Renes had heard enough questions regarding her stay in the guild and he already recieved daily reports from Jaziah and Violet regarding Renes' condition so there wasn't really a need for him to ask how she was doing. The trial period was almost over and he'd know her answer by then, no need to annoy her by constantly asking.

"The reason I've summoned you here is because there is an important task I'd like to hand you with that involves the summit meeting that will take place a few days from now. I know you've been itching to move about these past few weeks and so now I'm giving you the opportunity to do just that by assigning you to a mission" When he saw the intrigue within the woman's eyes as to the nature of what her assignment would be, a smirked flashed across Tetsuya's face.

"I'm assigning you the task of being a bodyguard for the upcoming meeting. What do you think?"

Well, at least he had the decency to not ask about that. She raised an eyebrow. "Me as a bodyguard at this summit meeting? I've only been here for about a month. You should bring someone with more experience," she stated plainly. Or someone more trustworthy; Rene was raised to be an assassin from birth, trust was something few could afford in her industry. Rarely did they give it out; it was even rarer to receive it, not to mention she still wasn't a hundred percent. Renesmee estimated she was currently sitting at somewhere in the ninety range.

Nonetheless, she knew her particular skill boded well in such an environment. Just because this summit was full of allies didn't mean they were all friends. Quite the contrary; it was like a partnership based on convenience or necessity. The moment it stopped being either was when it would likely fall apart.

Dyson, who had been standing next to Tetsuya, pulled out a cigarette from his shirt pocket and a lighter from his pocket and lighted the bud in his mouth as he blew out a puff of smoke to address the woman's refusal leaning answer.

"Unfortunately, we don't have the personnel available to fill in that position at the moment. Everyone else is on missions of their own and won't be able to make it. Fortunately, we have a new girl whose been sitting at home with nothing to do whose skills fit perfectly for what we need for this upcoming meeting" He stated.

Aethon snorted. "The summit is in a few days and you have all of this to finish? Good luck with that," she said before studying Rene's expression. The assassin was clearly mulling it over; Mr. Piggy was right about Rene being driven mad by staying indoors all the time.

Tetsuya could only sigh at Aethon's words "It can't be helped. If we don't finish this work before the summit begins, we'll have far worse to deal with when we get back" He didn't even want to imagine the amount of paper work he'd have on his hands if such a nightmare came to be.

Rene met Tetsuya's gaze. "Where will it be?"

Tetsuya smiled at her gaze; seems she was interested.

"The summit will take place at the Alliance Headquarters, which is located to the west of here in the city of Caverun. Of course, only those who are in the Alliance can find the place since we've cast illusion magic over it to prevent outsiders from discovering our whereabouts. The reason I'm telling you this despite you not being an official member of Dawn Horizon or a member of the Alliance is because I trust you, Renes" Tetsuya explained as his smile widened further.

"Taking this job would warrant its own fair share of benefits for yourself you know? By meeting the other members of the Alliance and even joining, the network of information available to you would skyrocket. A good friend of mine works as an information broker for the Alliance in fact, she has intel on almost everything there is to know within the world of magic and is the reason I was able to find you in the first place. You'd find many things in the Alliance worth checking out if you came" Tetsuya explained before he reached into his desk and pulled out a small envelope and held it within his hands.

"You would also be generously compensated for your work as since this is a top class mission, top class payment is also involved" He threw the envelope towards Renes and placed both his hands together on the desk. "This is only the down payment, you'd receive the rest after the summit is completed" He mentioned, expectant that the money inside would surprise the woman considering it was just a down payment.

Rene caught it, her expression blank as she noted the envelope's heft. It appeared there was quite a bit of money to be had if this "down payment" was any indication.

"If this location is hidden, how do you expect the potential addition to find it? Or have you forgotten the debacle a month ago when people were just tossed into the wind. Misunderstandings happen that way," she commented coolly, tucking the envelope away.

Tetsuya waved his hand to dispel her worries. "That's already been arranged. Unlike with your case, we're aware of when the other party will be arriving so we've already dispatched a mage to escort them to the location. We won't make the same mistake twice"

Internally, she made a note of the information broker; Rene still was piecing together all of those memories Esme had inflicted upon her during Rene's captivity in her own body. While some had faded away, a few still offered landscapes, even the outskirts of an estate, the open ocean not too far away. Others showed buildings, including a fuller view of the town and estate nestled in the hills...yet, no name. It could be anywhere.

"You would be a little more persuasive if you stopped grinning like a Cheshire cat," Rene added while folding her arms, "And I didn't realize you used an alliance member as your personal recruitment agent."

"Well, he's Mr. Piggy. What else would he use an information broker for?" Aethon quipped.

"I can't help it, I've been told I have a very lovely smile" Tetsuya chided towards the assassin before rolling his eyes at Aethon's quip. "You know me so well, bird brain"

"True. I'll do it; if only to see something other than three walls and a window."

"Excellent, I knew I could count on you" Tetsuya smiled briskly as he glanced over at Dyson subtly as the adviser returned his glance, confiding in each other a secret form of approval as their first objective had been completed. As for the other stages of their plan, only god knew as they returned back to normal and continued.

"With that settled, meet me by the guild entrance three days from now. Until that time, if you have any questions regarding the summit and what it will entail, look for Dyson and he'll fill you in. Also, try to take it easy and recover your body. The last thing I need is for my bodyguard to collapse right in front of my colleagues" He glanced over at Aethon "I trust you'll keep her from pushing herself too hard, bird brain"

"If you ladies will excuse me, I need to finish this mountain of work. Dyson, see them out" Tetsuya ordered before he jumped right back into signing the documents.

"Got it" Dyson complied as he walked forward to escort the ladies out "Please, take care" He gentlemanly opened the door and waited for them to leave.