A Common Foe, the Alliance Grows

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"

"Of course I will Mr. Piggy, though not cause your greedy ass asked," Aethon fired back.

Tetsuya smirked "Noted. You've got a sassy mouth but at least your reliable in this regard. Now then, 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.

They weren't as subtle as they thought. Rene's eyes narrowed a hair as she caught the shared glance, her amused state masked by typical stoicism. "I know my limits." With that she turned back the way they came, traveling through the open doorway as Aethon followed.

"See you in three days."

The door closed behind them as silence filled the room before Dyson turned around to address his guild master.

"Seems your plan worked, she accepted the mission"

Tetsuya only smiled a bit as he stopped the movements of his pen. "I knew it would. There was no way she was going to turn down such an opportunity"

Dyson frowned. "Are you really certain she'll join the guild at the deadline if she goes with us on this meeting? If you honestly ask me, I think she's still not convinced" He puffed out another air of smoke from the cigarette stuck in his mouth.

"Of course she isn't" Tetsuya snorted. "You think I don't know that? It hasn't even been a month yet, there's no way she'd be ready to join so soon already. Which is why this meeting will be extremely important for us to draw her to our side. Becoming a member of Dawn Horizon means also becoming a member of the Trident Alliance and while we might not have everything she's looking for, the Alliance might be able to fill in what she's lacking from here" Tetsuya responded as he looked up at Dyson.

"She belongs here, Dy. I didn't just recruit her off some random whim, I can tell she's desperately searching for a place to belong, for a place to truly call home. And you know me, I can't ever turn my back on someone like her"

Dyson remained quiet for a few seconds before he smiled and threw the cigarette in the trash before sitting on a nearby couch.

"You'll never change, always wanting to help people. Call it meddlesome or necessary, you've always been true to your convictions. Let's just hope you can get through to her"

"I will, that's a promise"

Gatherings
Three days had passed. Aethon had tried to convince Rene to relax, though her success was limited. Not that she was surprised; the assassin was a fighter and fighters wanted to stay sharp. There was nothing worse than a slow recovery as far as that archetype was concerned. At the very least, she convinced Rene to draw a bit more, giving the young woman's poor legs a much needed rest. Now, she stood at the gate where Mr. Piggy had told Rene to meet him, ready to see her off.

"At least the weather's nice today."

"That it is."

Rene's expression remained its usual pokerface, carefully contemplating the world around her as she waited for Tetsuya. If she was being honest, the last three days had been absolute torture. When Aethon proved unable to convince her to rest, she brought Jaziah and Violet to tag team the assassin. Violet talked about the importance of being fresh for the summit, Jaziah quoted how Rene would hamper her own recovery if she didn't sit down for a bit, and Aethon used the sympathy card. The result? Rene sketching imagery that was as dark as her mood, cloistered in a room with food and water.

At the very least, that ended. Now, she pondered what awaited her at this meeting. She assumed the other alliance leaders would be quirky if Tetsuya was any indication; they wouldn't have struck up a partnership otherwise. Strength only goes so far. "Hopefully this is worthwhile."

"Oh it will be, I guarantee it"

That voice came from behind the duo who turned around to spot both Dyson and Tetsuya walking towards the entrance from down the hall. They were both outfitted in snazzy and slick black business suits and had styled their hair more formally as they both looked devilishly handsome and would ignite a swooning from ladies of all ages who got a look at their model like appearances.

"You're here early" Tetsuya laughed "Guess you couldn't wait to get out of here huh? Don't worry, you'll be able to stretch your legs once we get there"

Rene glowered at the two of them. "You do realize this is a summit meeting, not a modeling contest," she commented. The woman also couldn't help but feel under dressed for the occasion, still wearing her usual get-up. Nonetheless, she shrugged it off. "You would be tired of staring at walls and windows too."

Aethon rolled her eyes as she took the duo's appearance. "Here we go, two guys who think their bad bitches starting to stroll," she snickered. With their arrival, she knew the trio would be departing. She hugged Rene. "Be safe. Bring her back healthy and in one piece you hear?" she said, staring down Dyson and Tetsuya.

"Hater. And just relax chicken feathers, she's in good hands with us. And last time I checked, she was supposed to be guarding me" Tetsuya chided before he looked back at Renes as if he had caught something off as his eyes widened at her choice in clothes.

"Hold the hell up. Why are you dressed like that?" He side glanced over at Dyson with a frown. "Where's her suit? I thought I told you to make sure she recieved a suit for the upcoming summit"

Dyson scratched the back of his head "My bad, we've been so busy lately that it must have slipped my mind. In my defense though, I thought it would be alright if just wore something casual since she's not an official member"

Tetsuya shook his head immediately "It doesn't matter. The fact that we're bringing her along means we recognize her as part of the guild and as a member of the guild, we can't disrespect our fellow partners by presenting one of our own in such casual attire at a meeting of this magnitude" Tetsuya raised his voice a bit at the end as Dyson looked surprised but nodded nonetheless.

"Right, my bad" He had to admit, he couldn't help but be inwardly proud that his guild master had shown such a level of dedication to punctuality when he was so adamant against it before.

"It's fine, we'll fix it now. Isabella!" He called out as a blonde woman dressed in a maid outfit appeared in front of him kneeling.

"You summoned me, Master?"

"Yes, I need you to tailor this girl up with a suit that's similar to our own. We're short on time so you'll need to be quick" He ordered as he pointed towards the still confused Renes.

"Understood" She replied before standing and grabbed Renes' hand abruptly "Please follow me, Lady Renes" She dragged the poor girl to the nearest changing room as Tetsuya looked over at Aethon and waved at her to follow.

"Don't just stand there, give them a hand"

Rene blinked before suddenly finding herself towed away by Isabella. Since when were suits a thing? This was a summit but still, this all seemed a bit much. "Waittttt." Her voice faded as she was brought into a changing room, the door shut behind her.

Aethon took a deep breath. "So you're just taking her away now? Don't you think that's a bit much? And since when did you start ordering me around sleaze ball?" she shot back at Tetsuya.

"Since the moment you put on those badges and started living in my house, now quit dawdling and hurry up. We're already short on time as it is"

Nonetheless, the complaining and the sound of...odd noises finally spurred her forward.

"What the hell are you doing in there?" she rapped the door with her knuckles before kicking it in. She then slammed the door behind her to keep the privacy. What Aethon found though was well..shocking.

"Um...why is your face as red as a tomato?" She could see Isabella buzzing around the assassin as she took measurements, Rene's clothes in a pile nearby.

"N-nothing." Rene flinched as Isa's hand moved, her face only growing redder by the second.

"That's not nothing? Uh..wow..um..wow," Aethon was speechless as she gazed as the stammering, blushing assassin. "What were those noises earlier?"

"Nothing! Just surprised."

"Uh huh."

Standing outside, neither Tetsuya and Dyson said a word as they tried to ignore the noises they had heard earlier but still couldn't help but imagine what was transpiring behind closed doors. Tetsuya especially knew how adamant Isabella became when she recieved an order and that nature of her's caused her to be quite aggressive and well, that could lead to some... interesting mishaps.

The waiting seemed to drag on for an eternity before the door opened as Dyson and Tetsuya, who were laying against the base walls, shot up to meet with Isabella who stepped out first.

"Well? How'd it go?" Tetsuya asked anxiously. He had never seen Renes were formal clothing so he was definitely intrigued as to how she'd look in them.

Isabella only responded with a warm smile before she turned and raised her hand towards the door.

"See for yourself"

Aethon came out first, rubbing her eyes a bit as she tried banishing what she heard from her mind. "Never again...never...again." She caught the two men waiting. "What? You just sicked the maid on her. Smh." She sat down as Dyson and Tetsuya walked towards the door.

They would find Rene standing stock still, the seemingly imprinted blush fading away finally. Her long black locks had been gathered into a high ponytail, their sheer length still causing her hair to reach her lower back. She was dressed in a suit that was very close to the one Dyson and Tetsuya wore, though hers was a bit more fitted for her body type. At the very least, the black business attire was a mix of the professional and sinful as it hugged her frame, presenting a career woman that was as beautiful and desirable as she was commanding and knowledgable.

Nonetheless, Rene appeared traumatized but the "fitting and dressing" session. "Don't ever do that again..."

Isabella ignored her as she looked proud of her work. "What do you think, Master?"

Tetsuya gave his nod of approval at the result. "Marvelous. You've outdone yourself, Isa. Right Dy?"

Dyson whistled. "You got that right. We've gotta be careful around her, last thing we need is for us to start falling for her" He teased with a hearty laugh.

"Good, now then let's get going already" Tetsuya proclaimed as he began walking towards the exit, turning around to address his maid quickly. "Isa, I trust you'll take care of everything while I'm away"

Isabella bowed deeply. "Leave everything to me"

Tetsuya smiled as he turned around and raised one hand into the hair while addressing Aethon. "We'll be back soon bird brain, try not to die from boredom while we're gone"

Dyson said his farewell's as well before going over to join his boss as they waited on Renes to join them at the entrance door.

Aethon gave him the middle finger before refocusing on Rene. She put her hands on the woman's shoulders. "Take care of yourself, have fun, and handle business. I'll be here waiting for you when you return. Remember, this a trial run. If you don't want to stay just say the word and we'll hit the road again." She hugged Rene, the assassin slowly bringing her hands Aethon to return the hug. The assassin still wasn't used to giving and receiving these things, but tried her best to do so.

"Will do. I'll see if I can bring something back as a souvenir." The two separated, Aethon waving as Rene walked to where the other two were waiting.

Rene's gaze hardened, solely focused on the looming summit. "Let's go."

"Do you think we should be formal with this?" a woman asked, going through her clothing. That figure was Halfrida, a mage of the prospective guild.

"Of course we should be well-dressed, they're analyzing us as much as we are analyzing them. First impressions matter," came the tart reply from a room over. A sleepy voice followed, complaining about noise. Said complainer would then be shushed by the initial replier.

"Hmm....I only have my military uniform...the one worn for ceremonial exercises. I hope that's formal enough."

"It is dear. And if they have anything bad to say about it, they'll deal with me," Halfrida would receive a warm, almost suffocating hug from a tall brunette. "Thanks Mother Ari, but I don't think we're supposed to be fighting them."

"Oh? It wouldn't be a fight. We'd resolve it through meaningful discussion," Mother Ari said before smiling. Frida cringed as she thought about what Ari's meaningful discussion looked like.

"So how many of us are going?"

"Just us, Selene if she can stop her attentive affection for a minute," Selene cursed from the room next door,"and Juli. Speaking of which, where is she?"

"Right here listening." A taller, silver-haired woman with playful grey eyes leaned against the door frame, "You can go in your combat fatigues or military regalia, whatever makes you comfortable. If they can't accept our little group as we are, then we don't need them. They aren't the only alliance in the world; they just happen to be the longest lasting."

"So you decided to go as you are Julianna," Ari said after turning her head.

"Of course Mother Ari. Prancing around with little stubby wings gets old after a while you know? All of you, meet me in thirty at the main hall, then we'll be on our way. And for chrissakes Sel, let Savannah sleep." The woman grinned before disappearing, ignoring Selene's grumbling.

The sound of a carriage being transported echoed through the forest inlands as two white stallions carried a brown carriage through the linear roads of the forest. The symbol of the infamous guild known as Cross Sector was plastered at the side of the door and within the carriage, three individuals, really four excluding the elderly gentleman who sat outside to steer the horses, laid inside chatting among themselves.

"You better be on your best behavior, you got that Isabelle? The last thing we need is for you to embarrass the boss at the meeting with your antics" That scolding came from a handsome silver haired gentleman sitting across from Isabelle and Francine as he gave her a hardened glare. He was known as Xavier Domontez, the second in command of Cross Sector and Francine's right hand man.

"You got it?" Somewhere deep in his heart, he already had this strange feeling that no matter what he said, trouble was going to follow them due to bringing along the troublemaker in front of them.

"I'll be good!! So good that you'll be shocked!" came the triumphant reply.

Isabelle finally managed to convince her guild master to bring her along for a summit. Sure it had taken a little bit of healthy blackmail, but who wouldn't do the same thing when what lie ahead was so interesting? She had heard all sorts of things about these summits, from guild masters hooking up to orgies, parties and juicy gossip. Not to mention an information broker was supposed to be there; they probably had all sorts of cool tidbits to share.

"Aren't you excited nee-chan? You'll get to see them again." She wiggled her eyebrows knowingly as one of her tails flicked eagerly. Isa prepared to dodge the blow that was surely coming.

"Hmph, your such a child" Francine huffed as she laid her chin against the back of her hand as she stared at the window of the carriage, deciding not to bash open her subordinates head for that nickname. She could sympathize with her excitement and decided to be lenient today, though of course that would go right out the window if she did anything stupid.

Xavier sighed. "That attitude is exactly what I'm worried about. We're not going for a party, we're here on official business. Speaking of..." Xavier turned his eyes towards his boss. "...What do you think of the new guild entering the Alliance? You think they're worth the trouble of inviting?"

Francine didn't take her eyes off the window. "Perhaps. I trust Tetsuya's judgment but I'm still a bit concerned on the nature of this Northern Light guild. For a guild to have the balls to try and enter the Alliance and not have much background information, it seems fishy to me"

Xavier nodded. "I agree. We better be on our guard against them. You hear that Isa?" He turned back to Isa and poked her forehead. "You need to be especially careful of those from that new guild if you come across any of them"

"I'm not a child, I'm grown thank you very much. See how many tails I have? I'm matuuuree," Isa responded gleefully before giggling.

"They're mysterious? Even better! New people to see, new people to meet!" What Xavier said went in one ear and out the other as she rubbed her forehead.

"...You're hopeless" Xavier dropped his shoulders in defeat and resigned to let whatever happens, happen. Francine smirked at the interaction between she refocused on the window and couldn't hide the rise of butterflies in her stomach at being summoned to another summit. She'd get to meet her close friends and potentially make some more, if nothing went wrong that is.

"Sounds like this should be fun"

Tetsuya, Dyson, and Renes were making great time on their approach to the summit meeting thanks to the magical vehicle they had boarded after their leave of the guild. In this day and age, travelling far distances without such a handy automobile was simply unheard of. The vehicle was being supplied mana by Dyson who stood near the front to navigate the thing as Tetsuya and Renes sat side by side inside the vehicle.

Rene remained largely silent as they continued their trek to the destination, her thoughts preoccupied by the grandeur of what they were going to. Her mind continued drawing up different scenarios, some of which appeared favorable, several others which did not.

"How many guilds are a part of this alliance?" she asked, grabbling with the numerous figures that represented the unknown they were going to. "Also, how cordial are relations?" Rene fidgeted with one of her cuffs, having not worn formal attire of any sort in years. Part of her hoped she wouldn't have to wear this for the entire summit. Surely they had a casual break/socializing period where they weren't so...stuffy.

"Five, so far at least" Tetsuya candidly responded as he watched the road from the window in front of him. "There used to be only three but we added two more not that long ago as a way of expanding the Alliance even further past the borders of Fiore. Our relationship is at the very least not antagonistic between the other guilds. I'm only referring to the two new guilds, the bond between Shin, Francine, and I are beyond close. We'd never consider betraying or hurting each other" He stated with a warm smile before he noticed Renes fidgeting with her cuffs and chuckled.

"You really aren't used to wearing formal clothing huh? I used to be like that too, couldn't stand wearing anything so restricting but I learned to deal with it for the sake of my guild. A guild leader's gotta look presentable right?" He winked before nudging her with his elbow gently.

"And try to smile a bit more. You don't want to scare off any potential allies you'll make there by having that stoic face you always have. You're pretty, it's okay to show off a bit" He complimented genuinely.

Rene stopped fidgeting, listening to the new bit of information instead. Five guilds....two of which were added recently, while the first three might as well be one mega-guild; the warmth in Tetsuya's expression and tone made their closeness clear as day. At the very least, the founders would remain tight-knit.

She nodded. "I don't like restrictive clothing; I absolutely abhor dresses. What's the point of looking good if you're uncomfortable or immobile?" Rene commented. As one steeped in pragmatism, it didn't make sense to her, even if she had to abide by it during some missions. She had a tendency to burn the clothes after. "I'll try. You may not like the result though." She turns her head to watch the passing countryside through the window.

Julianna drummed her fingers against her arm as she waited for her cohort to arrive. First among them was Halfrida, dressed in full ceremonial regalia, her uniform neatly pressed and a gleaming cap on her head. Juli whistled.

"Look at you Mrs. General, ready to lead the procession?" she asked, grinning.

Halfrida smiled back. "Haha Dankeschön, it was the most formal thing I had in my wardrobe. So I went with it, since Selene said first impressions matter. You're not changing?"

"Nein. I'm sticking with what I got cause well, it's who I am. While it's nice to be formal, I like to be as authentic as possible too."

"Fair enough," said Selene as she joined the two, dressed in her typical finery. Sometimes Juli wondered if the girl was a noble given the outfits she wore.

"Cool, all we need is Ari and we'll be on our way. You have the coordinates for the place right Selene?"

The woman looked almost insulted. "Of course I do; you'd forget them the moment they were given to you, Lady Julia."

"Pish posh, I remember the important stuff. The spot we're meeting these big kahunas at is one of them. Hopefully happy hour is goo-Ari??!" Her jaw dropped as a white-haired, nine-tailed tenko made her way into the space.

"Um, when Lady Julia meant authentic and comfortable, she didn't mean showing off your abilities Mother Ari," Selene commented, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Hmm? But I'm most comfortable in this form; and this might as well be my authentic self. So I don't see the problem dear," came the woman's cheerful response. She patted Sel on the head as the latter facepalmed.

"Well, they're probably think we're a looney bin..at the very least we'll be memorable. Let's roll. Lene, can you do the honors?"

Selene huffed. "I ought to start charging you for this. Everyone, place a hand on my shoulder," she ordered. After the others had complied, she activated her magic, setting the rough coordinates provided. "Alright. Here we go!" Her ethernano poured over the four of them, whisking them away to a spot near their destination.

Just on the outskirts of Caverun City, the place where the summit was going to take place, an elderly gentleman dressed in a sharp and smooth tuxedo stood standing next to a fancy looking carriage along with six mages, four men and two woman, who were acting bodyguards and patiently awaited the arrival of their esteemed guests. The older man, who went by the name of Alfred and held the position of Overseer of the Alliance, pulled out a silver pocket watch from his vest and nodded his head.

"It's about time for them to arrive"

Just on cue, a magic circle appeared not too far from where the group was standing as four woman appeared from the magic circle. The loose and lax mages chatting among themselves who were hired as bodyguards all shut up and straightened up immediately when Alfred cast them a serious glare.

"Straighten up, our guests have arrived" He stated as they all nodded before he stepped up and bowed elegantly before the ladies that were taking in their surroundings.

"You must be our guests from Northern Light, we've been expecting you. My name is Alfred. I am the acting overseer of the Alliance and I, along with the men and woman you see behind me, were tasked with the duty of escorting you ladies to the summit meeting" He spoke with remarkable finesse and professionalism, as if he had done this a million times over.

"That's the ticket. Nice to see you have a squad of your own," Julianna commented with a smirk. Truth be told, the carriage was a bit fancy for her tastes, but she'd deal for the time being.

He raised his head and flashed a warm smile towards the ladies as his elderly form didn't detract from the man's own charm and even seemed to make him younger. "It's a pleasure to make all of your acquaintances"

"Well aren't you a peach," Irekawari said, smiling back. His charm was undeniable in spite of his old age. A few of her tails waved in the gentle spring wind.

"I assure you the pleasure is ours," Selene stated warmly, giving a light bow in return. Her gaze shifted to the carriage and the six mages accompanying Alfred. Bodyguards naturally; given how much of their guild remained an enigma she wasn't surprised.

While he was smiling, Alfred was also analyzing the four woman who stood before him in his mind as he memorized their faces, voices, and mannerisms. The one with the silver hair was very clearly their leader and presented herself with confidence and swagger, signs of a good leader. The one with the tails seemed gentle and the type to smile when they were both happy and angry, a dangerous combination. The other two hadn't made much of an impression yet but they were far from unpleasant, Alfred believed as he nodded inwardly. That all said, even though they all seemed personable and very welcoming, that didn't mean they were completely trustworthy yet and he aimed to discover as much about them as possible during today's trip.

Frida eyed the carriage as well before refocusing on the task at hand. "How long is the trip from here?" she asked, moving forward with the rest of her guild mates. At the very least, things seemed cordial for the time being, setting her at ease. She straightened her military uniform, wanting to be presentable for what lay ahead. Alfred straightened up and turned to Frida. "Half an hour at most. There's a certain route we must take to avoid any unwanted eyes but rest assured, we will not be traveling for very long" He then stepped towards the carriage and opened the door wide to permit entry before a pair of steps fell forward into place and connected with the floor.

"Hmm. That's doable. Thanks," Frida responded, nodding slightly. A maximum of thirty minutes was something she would be fine with. Now, had he said an hour that would be a completely different story.

"Please, watch your step" He spoke as he reached a hand out like a gentleman to safely guide the ladies into the carriage.

A game of studies. A gentleman and a scholar he seemed, but Juli assumed Alfred was far from helpless, despite the six bodyguards accompanying him and his advanced age. She did note that six seemed a bit much; did they look that dangerous? Or was the unknown that scary? She assumed it was, given the sharp eyed looks behind the group's polite mannerisms. Her grin broadened; so today was a probing day.

She would enter the carriage first, politely declining Alfred's hand. Ari would follow suit, adjusting her tails so there was enough space for the last two. Once Halfrida and Selene entered the coach, Juli stretched a bit.

"Alright, everyone's in, so let's get this show on the road."

"As the lady commands" Alfred smiled before he signaled to the bodyguards spread out in front of the carriage to take their positions at the side of the carriages before he took his place at the helm and gripped the whips, commanding the horses to begin their pull as the carriage began its trek to the location along the inroads.

There was an open window behind where Alfred sat that allowed him to see and speak to those within the carriage as he turned his head to reassure the ladies inside.

"Please enjoy the ride without any worry, mademoiselles. The six men and woman gathered here are your bodyguards as we have been given strict instruction to make sure you ladies are thoroughly guarded and delivered. While I'm sure you ladies are more than equipped to deal with any threat on your own, we cannot allow our guests to dirty themselves when we are the ones who invited you." He stated with his usual charming smile.

"What a big fat liar" One of the rougher looking bodyguards whispered to a man standing next to him while walking next to the carriage with both his hands over his head "Alfred's stronger than all of us put together, he's only got us out here so that one of us can report back if things go south-aiiie!" The man jumped in fright when he noticed a shivering glare being sent his way from the corner of Alfred's eyes before he began whistling and turned the other way. That old man's hearing was still as sharp as ever despite his old age.

"We shouldn't keep the others waiting, come let us speed things up" Alfred's ability to switch mood gears was unparalleled before he turned forward once more and picked up the pace as the carriage began to move faster and the group made its way to the center of Caverun City.

Well, that reaction confirmed one thing; the old man was as helpless as a bear facing an ant. Juli laughed. "Well, I feel almost special. A nice little entourage bringing us to our destination. Do you always pamper your guests like this?" she asked.

"I wouldn't call it pampering. We simply like to show those who we recognize as potential allies that we take care of our own" Alfred responded in kind.

Frida, for her part, watched the city come into view from her window. "I wonder what the others are like. Hopefully they're civil."

Selene sighed. "This alliance wouldn't exist if they weren't. No one wants a passive aggressive partnership always on the verge of violence; it's counterproductive," she commented.

Ari simply hummed happily, hoping this meeting would be fruitful, if for reasons sharply contrasting with her cohort and those they were going to meet.

The journey to Caverun City was indeed a short one as Alfred had estimated and it wasn't before long that the ladies of Northern Light found themselves entering the rather robust and large city of Caverun. There were hundreds of people inhabiting the streets, going about their daily lives and carriages entering and leaving the city through the various gates positioned at the entrances. Security was rather lax as the guards simply asked for a quick inspection and for the nature of his visit to the city and he replied with automated answers, indicating he had done this procedure quite a few times.

Once they were past the gates, they moved through the city and were treated to various activities and street attractions as Alfred spoke towards the women within the carriage.

"Welcome to the city of Caverun. Is it not a marvelous city?" Alfred stated more than asked as he was sure they were also appreciative of the city's attractive sights.

"Amazing!!" Ari's face was glued to the window as she watched marvelous architecture pass them. The construction was rather extensive, with each building intending to outdo the one that came before it.

Frida nodded approvingly. "How old is this city?" she asked, studying the populace.

"Almost a century. I've known this place for many decades now and yet each time I visit it, it seems to get even more beautiful" Alfred answered with a tender gaze as fond memories passed through his mind. "I'd recommend seeing the many sights this city has to offer, you most certainly will not regret it."

Juli, simply watched as her guildmates ogled the place stretched out before them. Her mind, however, remained focused on the joyous task of meeting her fellow guildmasters and their cohorts, even as she smirked outwardly. "This is a nice little spot. Maybe I'll move out here someday after retiring. We should be arriving soon no?"

"I look forward to that day" Alfred smiled. "We've already arrived my dear lady. We just have to pass one last obstacle" he spoke vaguely, earning raised eyebrows from the ladies inside as the carriage and bodyguards turned an unexpected corner into an empty alley way with a dead end. The ladies within the carriage of course did not understand how this place was connected to the meeting and Alfred gave a nod to one of the female bodyguards who nodded back and walked ahead of the carriage to the wall. When she recieved confirmation that they hadn't been followed from her fellow peers in the rear, she placed her hand on the obstruct and moved it across as she looked for a certain spot.

The process didn't take very long before she found what she was looking for and seemingly slipped her finger through the entrance without any resistance as she signaled back to Alfred that everything was fine.

"Excellent, now we may proceed" Alfred whipped the horses as they began moving once more and aimed to cross through the wall that acted as a form of Illusion Magic.

"Um...what are you doing? You do realize tha-" Selene protested before seeing one of the guards stick her hand through the wall.

Julianna chuckled again as she stared down the "wall". Looks like the poor group had to take some precautions. "Ho ho ho, the plot thickens. How many other surprises lay ahead I wonder, old man," she said, smirking as the carriage surged forward. With seeming ease it made its way through the misleading wall, onto the other side.

"You'll have to see for yourself, my lady" Alfred smirked back at the silver haired woman.

Ari clapped. "Ooooo. Your illusions are pretty good; I'd love to meet who cooked them up," she added, looking forward to this meeting more than ever. Yes, there was definitely potential to be found here; she couldn't help but be excited by the prospects.

Frida sighed as this happened. While she could feel her guildmaster's and guild ace's anticipation growing, she couldn't help but feel a bit ill at ease given all the precautions taken. It left several question marks. "A century old huh...."

Once everyone had passed through the wall, the new sight they were treated too was quite the change in scenery as an estate the size of a small village now appeared before them. The property itself was quite large and spread out, with a multitude of smaller buildings surrounding the largest one in the center. There were mages all over the place, conversing with one another joyfully or engaging in sparring sessions at the side as the carriage moved forward and passed by the onlookers who recognized Alfred immediately and curtly bowed towards him as a sign of respect mixed with admiration.

"We've arrived ladies" Alfred spoke towards his guests at the back before he stopped the carriage and jumped off the platform and moved towards the door to escort the ladies off the carriage.

"I welcome you to the Trident Alliance Headquarters" He began as he reached his hand out to once again guide the ladies as they made their way out of the carriage one by one, of course withdrawing his hand at the silver haired leader's refusal on needing a hand. "Forgive the secrecy and precautions, we aren't exactly in a position to be frolicking out in the open right now" He stated and gave the bodyguards a quick glance as they nodded in understanding and began to disperse since they were no longer needed.

He smiled towards the group once more and took the lead "Please follow me and I'll direct you to where the meeting shall be held"

Ari's approval only grew as she saw the space they now entered. The number of mages had grown tremendously when compared to city lying just beyond the wall; active sparring, lively socializing and all the grandeur of a proper headquarters. "Marvelous!" Her joyous cry rippled across the space, a few of the mages turning before spotting the tenko woman. Their eyes widened in surprise.

"...Who's that chick?" One man said in the background with a raised eyebrow when he noticed the tails on the woman.

"No clue, but damn she's hot. In fact, all those chicks are" Another male spoke with lust in his eyes at the gorgeous collection of women gathered around Alfred.

"Hmm...looks like they haven't seen your kind before Ari," Julia grinned, giving the shifter a clap on the back. "Well, let's be off. I wanna see who I'm dealing with. Hopefully they aren't pansies." She followed Alfred as he brought them to the meeting spot, the others gradually falling in line. Well, except for Ari, who had to be dragged away from chatting up a mage by Selene.

Halfrida rested her hand on the hilt of her sword, steeling herself for what they would find in this meeting space; even if the people appeared cheerful enough, she didn't want to be lulled into a false sense of security. Unknowns were to be treaded carefully. "Are all the other guilds here already?"

"I'm not sure, I was not informed of any of their arrivals yet since I left to meet you all" Alfred spoke before he led the four woman inside the main building, which acted as a lobby of sorts as tens of men and women were spread out, either in front of the mission board to choose their next assignment or hanging out and chatting in the various sofa's and couches in the corners. When they spotted Alfred walking in with the ladies, whispers and murmurs began to fill the building.

"Hey, I don't recognize them. Who are those girls?"

"You didn't hear? Apparently there's a new guild joining the Alliance today"

"Seriously? That's pretty freaking big news isn't it?"

"Yeah, I heard that too. Damn, that must mean they're hella strong. It's weird that I haven't heard of them before though"

Alfred ignored the whispers coming around and moved towards the reception desk where a young woman wearing glasses was currently sitting and working through papers. When the woman noticed Alfred and the group approaching, she immediately stood up and bowed towards him, as did the rest of the ladies that were working in the backroom as Alfred flashed them his signature smile.

"Welcome back, Alfred-sama" They all said in unison.

"Mhm. I have returned with our guests. May I ask how many of the other guild leaders have arrived before us?"

"Everyone's already arrived, sir. The guild masters of Swift Trigger, Fallen Dusk, and Moon Claw arrived earlier this morning and the guild masters of Cross Sector and Dawn Horizon just checked in not too long after you arrived. They're all currently waiting in the conference room on the fourth floor" She explained.

"Excellent, you have my thanks" Alfred nodded with a content expression as he then turned to the four ladies and beckoned them to follow him to the higher levels.

"It seems all of you are the last ones to arrive. You'll have the honor of making a flashy entrance" Alfred laughed heartily as he began his trek to the conference room while conversing with the accompanying ladies. "I'm sure you're already aware of this but make certain you're bold and steadfast. The other guild masters will chew you up and spit you out if you show any signs of weakness in front of them"

"Just what I like to hear," Juli responded, her grin both widening and darkening, "Well..they can try anyway. Looks like your aesthetic was a smart one Ari. Oh, I forgot to say this. You don't have to dial it back any more, I know how uncomfortable it can be." As soon as she said this, the pressure in the hallway spiked, fissures running along the walls as the floor cracked. The building started to shake a bit.

"Damn, you must been really holding it in all this time huh. You're getting me hype girl." Juli received the smile Alfred had dubbed "dangerous" earlier. "Now where is my thunder girl? All I see is a stoic army wannabe." She laughed as the air crackled and sparked around Halfrida. A distant boom of thunder could be heard throughout the estate and courtyard. "There's my s-class who refuses to be s-class. We have a parade to rain on."

Lastly, her gaze shifted to Selene, as they reached the doors leading to the conference room. "Let's have a fun time alright? Oh, and Freddy boy, I'll reimburse whoever need to be reimbursed for this." She extended her hand, light and dark extending from it before turning the doors into swiss cheese. Her own energy built to match the monstrous magic power of her guild ace.

With that, she stepped through the ruined entrance, her guildmates fanning out behind her. "So, how's everyone doing today?" Julianna quipped.

Deadly Conference
The room was deathly silent as over thirty sets of eyes landed on the unexpectedly flashy entrance of the four ladies, spearheaded by their eccentric and smug guild master who flexed her power throughout the building and drew everyone's attention towards her. An awkward silence befell the room as while everyone was waiting on the new guild to show up, none of them believed they'd have an entrance like that, not even Alfred who could only sigh heavily as he pinched his eyebrows.

Good lord, it seemed they had invited quite a rowdy guild into their ranks.

"....I know I said you could make a flashy entrance but this isn't what I meant. This is a place of negotiation and diplomacy, so please refrain from unleashing your magic power within the vicinity. Also, I'll be billing you for the damages later so please see me after the meeting" He responded candidly, not fazed at all by their showcase in magical power before he stepped forward and bowed towards the other guild masters.

"Awh. Were you expecting a casual strut or something? Don't be dry Freddy," Julianna commented as her wolf grey gaze raked across the room. She waved away his concerns about property damage while picking out the guild masters from their guards one by one. Her gaze then rested on one particularly excited guard.

"Heh."

"I apologize for their... lack of conduct everyone, they're just a bit excited to meet such prominent individuals such as yourselves" He spoke on their behalf before he was waived off by Tetsuya who was sitting at the top of the table with Dyson and Renes standing behind him on both sides.

"It's fine, Alfred. They've got spunk, that's always a welcome trait" Tetsuya smirked

"Gahaaha!" A woman with pink hair wearing an eyepatch laughed loudly "You got that right Tetsu, she's got some damn balls" Her sharp teeth came into view as a vicious smirk graced her lips, though one of the other guild masters didn't share their viewpoints.

"Great, another nut case to deal with" A tall man wearing shades with spiky combed back hair sighed as he was slumped in his chair as a smug look was on his face. He glanced over at both Tetsuya and the eyepatch wearing woman, who both responded by flipping him off before Tetsuya spoke towards Alfred.

"Please Alfred, direct our friends over there to their area so we can begin"

"Of course" Alfred curtly bowed before he addressed the four ladies behind him. "Please follow me" He would lead them to the east side of the room where they passed by Fallen Dusk's members and Cross Sector's members before reaching the seat where their leader was designated to sit. The room was quite spacious as a large semi-circle table laid in the center of it as five chairs were spread around it, designated for each leader while the a separate smaller table was at the center point a bit upward. The bodyguards were all standing a few feet behind their leaders and were left out of the discussions, being brought along primarily for the task of protecting their masters.

"Take your seat, Miss Juliana" Alfred requested before moving away from the group to take his place at the corner of the meeting and act as overseer. The question of how he knew her name without her ever telling him was just another one of the mysteries that surrounded him.

Something that didn't slip her attention. "It's rude to say people's names before they can introduce themselves you know," she added before sitting down. The three would gather in a loose semi-circle around her, Selene residing closest to her guildmaster.

Isabelle for her part, was ecstatic when they finally arrived, especially when she saw Ari. "ANOTHER KITSUNE." She resisted the urge to tackle hug the new arrival, giggling when Irekawari smiled back at her.

"Keep your voice down" Xavier elbowed the ecstatic Isabelle as Francine ignored the both of them and kept her eyes on their new guests. She was both excited and cautious of this new group as they appeared to be quite the uncivilized type, especially the silver haired woman. She reminded her alot of Mizuki and that was not a good thing, if her memories of the god slayer before she had met Tetsuya were anything to go off of.

Halfrida too felt her enthusiasm grow; she sensed another lightning user in their midst. For the time being, however, this meeting took precedent. Her and Selene exchanged a nod as the magic power died down to more reasonable levels.

"So.....I'm guessing we should start with introductions no? Just so everyone knows who is who. We already met your butler gentleman guide, so that means we can start with us. We were the ones who made the request after all. My name's Julianna Godwin, Guildmaster of Northern Light. The friendly faces you see behind me are Irekawari," the tenko woman waved cheerfully, "Selene," the white-haired noble dipped her head in greeting, "and Halfrida."

Alfred chuckled. "I'm not a butler, though I can understand why you'd assume I was"

The blonde tipped her military cap. "Guten Tag zusammen," she said, addressing those gathered, "And your names?"

A few frowns were cast towards Julianna and her group from a few bodyguards at their boastful attitudes as usually the conduct of meetings required the guests to be called upon to introduce themselves and not the other way around. The guild masters though didn't seem to take issue with it as Tetsuya nodded.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Julianna. We've been waiting for your arrival and are glad you could make it to this gathering. My name is Ludius Grande Di Tetsuya and I lead the guild known as Dawn Horizon" He inclined his head towards his two bodyguards "These are my retainers, Dyson Salvatore and Renesmee" the duo gave their own nods and following that, Tetsuya looked around the room for the other masters to introduce themselves.

"Nice to meet you all. I lead Fallen Dusk" A handsome crimson haired man spoke on the right of Julianna "The name's Shintaro Tiberius, and my escorts behind me are Damon and Ragal" The two men standing behind Shin gave their own nods.

"I'm Francine Azure, and I'm the head of Cross Sector. On my left is Xavier and on my right is Isabelle" Francine, the woman over on Shintaro's side replied with a neutral expression. "A pleasure"

"Moon Claw is the guild I'm in charge of, and I'm known as Reika Nightwolf. These two are called Amanirenas and Gladys" she pointed with her thumb to the two women behind her before she flashed a toothy grin. "Glad to have you here"

"Hmph, Ricardo Valentino" The last one spoke from the furthest edge as he straightened up a bit. "My guild is Swift Trigger, and the two behind me are Julio and Ezio" He looked the least friendly of the bunch but nonetheless curtly nodded to show he approved of his potential new partners, at least for now.

"Good" Tetsuya nodded. "Now that we've all met and gotten to know each other, I believe it's time we get this meeting started" His eyes shifted over towards Alfred who stepped forward in response. "Al, what's our first topic of business?"

"The inclusion of Northern Light into the Trident Alliance" The elderly man responded.

"Right, that'd be a great way to kick things off" Tetsuya smiled as directed his gaze over to the Northern Light group. "You requested a meeting with the Trident Alliance because you wanted to join our ranks, if I'm not mistaken. What was the reason for such a request? Not that we're not welcoming to the idea of a new group joining but we always have to question the interests of those that wish to become apart of this coalition" He said and true to his words, all present eyes honed in on Juliana and her group intensely, wishing to hear the reason she wanted to join the Alliance. In particular, Ricardo's group were the most curious as they had their doubts on this woman and her group.

"Nice to meet you guys," Julianna commented before stretching, "Alright, I'll be perfectly candid with you on this: it's a numbers game. I'm sure most of you are wondering why you've heard so little about us, or where we came from, or what we've been up to. Truth is, my guild preferred it that way. Contrary to our smashing entrance, we picked up jobs, handled business, then disappeared. Out of sight, out of mind you know?"

Francine nodded. "Being secretive only makes sense when your in this kind of profession. All of us know that well" she interjected but soon quieted down to hear the rest of what their guest had to say.

"Unfortunately, things have grown complicated since our founding all those centuries ago. For starters, there's the Magic Council's crackdown on independent guilds, Dawn Horizon in particular. I knew it was only a matter of time before they started snooping around for the hidden after they exhausted the obvious, and well, precipitated a bloodbath."

The mood dropped a bit as it was difficult for the guild masters to disguise their hatred towards the magic council when they were brought up.

"So the idea of reaching was to join the strength of my guild with the strength of your alliance. You gain another capable guild in the fight against the MC, we gain further isolation against the menace."

"...That can't be the only reason. What's this woman hiding?" Ricardo narrowed his eyes behind his tinted shades as he kept his gaze focused on Juliana who didn't seem she was finished speaking.

Juli stretched a bit before continuing. "The second reason has to do with information. I'm certain you have a myriad of connections to draw from and well, I could use those. I lost two members over the past few years; one because she wanted retribution for her slain parents and well, she couldn't focus on anything else anymore. I gave her my blessing, took in her brother, and off she went. I lost the second after the first didn't return and the years dragged on. While rumors on the latter have been virtual nil, the former has had some....rather unsavory things associated with her. I want to know how many of those rumors are true."

"Certainly. You'll find no better place for information within these borders than the Alliance" Shintaro boasted, having a particular blonde haired woman in mind when he said those words.

"I see, so those are your reasons. You wish to join us not just for self preservation but also because you wish to gather information that you normally wouldn't be able to obtain" Tetsuya repeated as he scratched his chin. If those truly were her only reasons, then joining the Alliance wouldn't be an issue at all since they were certainly in need of more firepower to combat against the Avalon Brigade who were becoming an even bigger eyesore then before.

Although, there was still a glaring issue that came to Tetsuya's mind and just as he was going to bring it up, someone else beat him to it.

"So that's the only benefit you have to offer the Alliance?" Ricardo spoke with skepticism in his voice "I won't deny that battle strength is certainly important and all of you ladies look like you handle yourselves in a fight, but there has to be something more than just your proclaimed strength that's beneficial to the mages within this alliance" He proclaimed as the two men he brought along with him nodded with their master's statement.

"I agree" Francine chimed in as she crossed her arms. "We operate on a give and take system, if you want something, you must give something back. All of us here don't just provide the Alliance with strength, we provide connections, weapons, finances, property, magic lessons, entertainment, and various other forms of activities to encourage other mages to join us. Can your guild provide any of those things?" She wasn't as skeptical as Ricardo but Francine had yet to give her approval of this new guild joining them.

Tetsuya could see that getting the approval of Francine and Rick would be difficult and he turned his eyes towards Reika and Shin. "Do you two agree with them?"

Reika shrugged her shoulders. "If that earlier magic I felt is any indicator, they're more than strong enough to join us but rules are rules so I can't just give my okay yet, even though I want too"

Shintaro nodded. "I'm with her. They pass the strength requirement easily, the only issue is what you all described, which is the lack of benefits excluding strength we'd receive by them joining"

Tetsuya had gauged the room and turned back to Julianna. "I'm also of the same mind set. Do you have something to provide this alliance that isn't just your battle strength?" He'd be lying if he said that he was itching to test out their guild strength but he knew diplomatic matters came first above everything and he needed to provide the Alliance with as much benefits as possible.

Valid reservations to have. Truth be told, if they had agreed so easily, she might have been concerned. People who agreed right on the nose usually spelled trouble. And as much as she loved fighting her way out of a trap, it would put a damper on a very nice day.

"Hmm. Something besides being a bruiser...I mean, we do have several investments, a robust financial portfolio, a booming textile arm, plus weapons manufacturing but you know...I don't see you all being interested in that type of aid," Julianna commented, shrugging a bit.

"And while your illusion magic weaving is pretty good...well, I've seen better in my years. As your cloaking magic stands, all it takes is one teensy ," the illusion cloaking the estate seemed to falter for a few seconds, the energy she expended earlier seemingly effecting it, "and you're as naked as the day you were born. Fortunately, I happen to know people who not only know how to make these illusions more convincing, but to give them a bit more resiliency as well."

"But then again, we're just bruisers, who can only punch walls in, so what would we know? Right Ricky?" she flashed an infuriating grin at the Swift Trigger guildmaster. Of the five GMs in the alliance, she saw him as the most prickly and easily irritated, something which amused her to no end.

"Now, don't be so hard on him, he just wants to make sure everything is alright, dearie," Ari chimed in.