The Phoenix and the Salamander

A Little Detour
It was just his luck.

Not that Prometheus ever professed having a large margin of coincidences guiding and aiding him unexpectedly to get through each day he lives and breathes but sometimes it took a turn for the worst. He had gotten a contract to return a stolen pendant to a client who kept himself anonymous; as usual given his connection to his own Guild being conspicuously off the radar. It was an heirloom and an ancient one at that, spanning to be over 37 generations in their possession. All he was told was that it was a necklace of gold with a tear diamond shaped jewel colored red. Rumored to have been channeling the blood of a Dragon through its Lacrima crystal the Slayer understood the ramifications if someone gotten a hold of it or realized its true worth.

He first caught the perp trying to auction it to the underworld in Minstrel. Breaking it up, he was forced to deal with the buyers and their muscle while the thief got away. Following his scent to Mida where he had to fend off Sorcerors aiding his escape, he took flight but found himself intercepting him mid-use of a Teleportation Lacrima. It was then, even as he apprehended him and took possession of the pendant that he realized he was far from home. Not even his ring, fashioned by Victor's company, could send out a signal to where his comrades were. Despite the circumstances he knew that it wasn't uncommon to be gone long from his home so he took the opportunity to survey the surroundings.

"The air here smells so alive and fresh," Prometheus commented to himself, inhaling and exhaling as he strode across a paved road. The passerbiers were plentiful but not as much as they'd be within a city. It was only in passing that he heard wind of talks about a group called The Wardens. Stopping by a gentleman he inquired about them, and he was only too happy to educate them. Being protectors of the people foremostly before the Crescent Archipelago's rulers, they were led by an infamous "Demon wearing Human Flesh," known as Markus Hotaru. The man's title intrigued him and he asked about the leader.

It was much to his surprise that he discovered that not only was he perhaps the strongest being within the lands and sea here but also that he himself was a user of the Lost Magic of the Slayer Arts. Specifically, he utilized the power to fell the great mystical avian predators, the Phoenixes. He had only found about Phoenixes in the footnotes of his history texts, finding nothing more but myths about them compared to the elusive history texts about Dragons of the Dragon Era. Still, it excited him to find another piece to an unknown puzzle about the meaning and origin of Slayers.

Deciding he still had plenty of time to go board a ship back home he walked to where he was instructed the Hotaru Estate was. It was a bit of a jog but he found that it was nice exercise for the morning. Reaching the elaborately designed home of an illustriously spoken man he was all too eager to meet him. Conducting himself properly, he rapped his hand on the premise's front door, hoping that he wasn't being too intrusive.

"Oh well, no backing out now," He thought to himself with a sheepish grin.