Well Guarded Secrets

**Users Involved:** User:Ash9876, User:Great Achlus
**Date Started:** January 12th, X943
**Setting:** Variifolia,
**Characters Involved**:
* **Present**: Violet Mikaboshi, Dorothy Hewett, Victoria Windsor

## Untested Blades

"My first Job as an S-Class Mage..." A young woman spoke. She possessed long, flowing, beautiful hair that was neatly tied into a ponytail from her waist downward. Wearing light armor befitting a swordsman, and keeping two notable broadswords at her hips, she was the definition of a warrior. She spoke hesitantly, almost as if she was quivering.

Violet Mikaboshi, recently promoted as a S-Class Mage, was going to go down in history books for her strength, should rumors be believed. But her lack of confidence plagued her. Although she tried to avoid shaming her guild mates with her plaguing doubt, they had known her enough to see it written plain as day on her face.

Within the port town of Variifolia, Violet stood in the halls of Pink Lotus, her Guild. She was tasked this job by the Magic Council themselves to see just how much they could depend on Violet. This was not merely a test for Violet alone, but rather, it was meant to put Pink Lotus in the eyes of the council.

Although the scent of flowers had calmed her nerves, a lingering doubt had remained in her mind. Violet began to take deep breaths as a way to try and calm herself. It was only a matter of a few minutes before she had to leave and meet the client she had to escort. While she couldn't be late, she needed to pay her respects to the Master before leaving.

Violet walked towards the Master's favorite spot, the garden. She had hoped to find her there, for any advice and blessings that the older woman may provide.

Dorothy Hewett was tending to the Guilds Garden, brushing the petals of a rose with her soft wrinkled fingers as she grabbed her watering pail and let the very essence of life sprinkle from it's nozzle. It was true that Dorothy could have used her Flower Magic to simply create a beautiful flourishing garden with a very simple spell, but hard work and dedication had always been something she took pride in, and this was no different.

Turning around in preparation to pick weeds, Dorothy was startled to see Violet! "Oh silly me! I must have gotten lost in my gardening! How could I forget that today is such a special day for you!" The woman flashed a smile, an ivory grin from ear to ear. "Your first S-Class job!"

"Thank you Master." Violet bowed. "Please don't worry, I understand that tending to the flowers are a very important task." Violet was still anxious. Although being in the presence of her Master was always therapeutic, today was a bit more nerve-wracking. "Say, Master...did you have any advice I could use for this Job? I'm not sure why, but my nerves won't calm down..."

Dorothy gave the girl a small chuckle. "Don't be silly dear! It's natural to be nervous, scared, and terrified. It's a new situation for you, one that I am sure you will do great in. I wouldn't have allowed you to become S-Class if I thought any less! But... I do have something that could help." Dorothy wandered a way for a second, something she did often, clearly she had forgotten her train of thought but shortly recovered. Roaming over to a large bush she picked a beautiful flower and returned to Violet. "A gardenia! It represents good luck!" Dorothy said, placing the flower in the girls hair.

"Ah..." Violet blushed. It was not often that she received open affection from others. Due to being born in a militant family, Violet found herself closed off from people. While she had learned to open herself up and be amicable, there were only a couple of people in the world who could break her barriers and enter her space. One of these people was her Master.

She knew that the flower alone did not manage to do anything. But, it was the mere thought that counted. Whether it was Magic or not was something that Violet couldn't tell, but she had felt a sense of relief. There was something, someone supporting her. Perhaps that's all that she needed.

"Thank you, Master." Violet smiled. "I think a gardenia is just what I needed."

Dorothy's smile only widened at the girls response. "And remember, they don't call you Edelweiss for nothing!" The elderly women winked before returning to her work. It was an astonishing title, one of power, courage, and of course beauty that Dorothy was proud one of her mages had obtained.

Violet bowed and said no more. With a soft smile on her face, she left the Guild building and headed towards the area the Magic Council had assigned her to go. It was time to begin her first S-Class job.

Violet reached the intended area where the Job was supposed to start. The sun had just begun preparations to set, and she had reached a somewhat closeted mountain path. It was treacherous, filled with dangerous terrain, and was noted to be traveled by unsavory bunch. At the same time, though, it was the most private path available to reach the Bureau of Magic and Development, which had been kept in deep isolation due to the nature of its affairs.

In front of her, with a carriage awaiting her, was a member of the esteemed Rune Knights. Clenching her fists to calm her nerves, Violet took a deep breath and walked ever forward.

She bowed, "Greetings, Lady Rune Knight. My name is Violet Mikaboshi. I am here to undertake the Bureau's artifact escort Job assigned to Pink Lotus."

Victoria squinted at the new arrival, seeming unimpressed. Why even bother with legal guilds? They were whimsical things; not to mention they were filled with plebeians. Her skin crawled just thinking about it. The Rune Knight conveniently forgot a good part of her comrades were commoners too.

"You're late Violet." came the curt response. Vic then decided to introduce herself, seeing her mentor cursing her out for rudeness in her mind's eye.

"Victoria Windsor of the Shield Unit: Alexander. I'll keep this short, since we have a delivery to make. Our objective is to deliver the item in the carriage to the Bureau; as I'm certain you saw on the way over, this path is rather closed off. It was chosen for that reason; less attention means less distraction, which means we reach our destination in a more timely manner. Nonetheless, it still has its fair share of danger, from volatile terrain to a ratty batch of carpetbaggers."

She paused. "Expect a fight at some point in our trip. Also, you aren't just representing yourself, but your entire guild. It would behoove you to remember that. Any questions?"

"I apologize." Violet bowed once more. Windsor, Violet had heard the name before. They were part of Ishgar's noble class, and Victoria was one of the most influential among them due to her station in the Rune Knights.

"I understand the details. However...before I escort the item, may I have a grasp of what I am escorting?" There was an innate curiosity budding up within Violet regarding what she was escorting. She could feel a tremendous power from within the carriage. It was something that surpassed anything she had ever felt. Even her own Master, a former member of the Wizard Saints, did not have a power quite so...intense.

"It...almost feels like I'm burning."

Victoria weighed it for a second before giving a small nod. "Follow me." She would lead Violet to the carriage. Nodding at one of her subordinates, the door would be opened slightly, then incrementally wider. She loosed her own magic power a bit, turning it into a mirror so as to reflect the item's presence back to itself. It simply wouldn't do to broadcast their location before they could even move.

"There. Step closer." With the door now ajar, Violet would have a clear view of just what she would be protecting, the intensity she felt from afar now increased severalfold.

"Impressive isn't it?"

A well of power suddenly surged over her. It was beyond anything she had felt in this world. It felt warm...yet at the same time, it felt like it would consume everything if it wasn't kept in check. It was as if the power was brighter than the sun itself.

Before she became overwhelmed, Violet turned around and left the carriage, allowing the Rune Knight to seal it away once more. "Thank you, Lady Windsor." Violet turned her head towards the Rune Knight and gave a soft smile, "It is an item truly worth the greatest protection. I am glad I have you as back up."

Violet took her position besides the carriage. She rode on an independent horse, while the carriage was strung along by a number of horses. They began with an ascent up the perilous mountain, while keenly aware of their surroundings.

## The Cold Descends

Violet and the carriage, being lead by Victoria, were moving up the mountain. Today's climate was warmer than usual, with the harsh sun making for a merciless journey. Although beads of sweat fell off Violet as she rode her horse, she looked around her surroundings, and for a brief moment, closed her eyes.

As her eyes closed, her magical senses widened. Her palms were placed on both of her swords, and they had also begun to glow gold and blue respectively. Their energies, combining, managed to broadcast Violet's senses across an immediate area of 500 meters with exceptional clarity. She could not feel any strong magical presences, although she would check again very soon.

"Lady Windsor." Violet addressed the Rune Knight, "If I may...What is the purpose behind every S-Class Mage going through a personal test by the Magic Council? From my knowledge, this practice was introduced very recently."

Victoria remained wrapped in her thoughts, until Violet's question cut through them. "Isn't obvious? The reason is twofold: you are considered an S-Class Mage by your guild. While they consider you worthy of the label, the Magic Council hasn't yet. Which leads the second part; you're a legal mage, under our jurisdiction. You aren't some thug dark mage or one of those trigger-happy independents. Thus, you need to pull your own weight," came her response, a bit terse in delivery.

"And more importantly, not be a liability."

Violet was a bit astonished, but at the same time, she understood the reasoning. What Victoria said was not completely wrong, but Violet caught onto the underlying truth of her statement. "So what you're saying is...the Rune Knights are trying to discredit weaker Guilds and force the public to rely on yourselves, strengthening the position of the Magic Council?"

Victoria simply continued along before responding. "Did I stutter? S-Class isn't a designation to be tossed around carelessly, nor is being a legal guild a position meant to be abused. Point is you all seem rather...comfortable," she said, even while mulling over Violet's pointed question. Truth be told, she had never really liked legal guilds. They had the advantage of magic council approval coupled with the ability to do go about the world as they pleased. Nominal posturing aside, they weren't beholden to the MC the way Rune Knights were, and she didn't like the idea of some flashy legal mage earning the credit her and the Rune Knights deserved. Especially if they were some pushover.

"Any other questions?"

"No other questions for-" Violet was taken aback for a moment. She looked forward and she could see...ice? Alarm bells were raised in Violet's mind. In the heat that they were traveling, and in the terrain, ice should not be a natural possibility.

"Lady Windsor, we need to stop here." Violet raised her arm to stop the carriage's movement. She got off her own horse and scanned the immediate area for life, "Ice in terrain like this is unnatural...Which means that there is someone capable of employing Ice Magic from an incredibly long distance. Let's prioritize the safety of the carriage into a place difficult to see."

Violet's eyes scanned the whole area as she issued those words. Her hands were firmly placed on the hilt of her blades, attempting to find some clue of the Ice Mage.

The clue that Violet would not be found directly in front of her. Instead the weather around get would slowly decrease in temperature as snow began to fall around the carriage. The Ice Mage appeared out of the snow that had begun to fall with a stone cold stare.

The same alarm bells that sounded in Violet's mind rang in Victoria's, especially as snow began to fall. Weather and terrain effect: it took a fair amount of power to do that, never mind so casually. She signaled the carriage to reverse course, locating a densely forested spot just off the beaten path. A few more precautionary measures, and both the carriage and what it contained were effectively hidden.

The source of the ice then emerged. Vic weighed the options in front of her, noting this could serve as an opportunity to test the S-Class mage. That was one of two main purposes for this affair after all.

"What do you think?" Victoria asked, though it was more an order than a question.

"I'll handle it." Violet's gaze was steeled. Her attitude shifted from the uncertainty before. Within combat, Violet had trained herself to remove all mental obstacles. All that existed for her was the result of the battle.

There was no need for enjoyment, and no need for testing her own skills. All that needed to exist from this collision was her victory.

Without a moment's delay, Violet made the first move. Drawing both of her blades, she swung both forwards in a cross formation. There was a split-second delay, enough to make her opponent question the meaning of the maneuver.

Not long after, a pulse burst out from the remnants of Violet's slashes, releasing waves of magical pressure that cut through the cold winds and sought to slice through the Dark Mage's arms.

While the slashes moved forward, Violet pressured onward, preparing for a counter-offensive if necessary.

Judas looked at the slash and held his hand up, coursing with blue magic energy a blast of ice and snow shot out towards the pulse of energy. He wasn't familiar with the type of magic she used, but was always prepared.

His cold eyes followed her as she ran and he followed her. Figuring she was a close range fighter he moved back. His snow magic went from creating a snow storm to making it harder for his opponent to run, sticking to her feet like clay as she ran. "This would be easier if you just let me have what you were transporting."

Victoria watched Violet's double-down offensive with mild interest, evaluating and grading her moves. How would the mage react to the menace's inhibitions? If this weren't a job of importance, she may have very well brought out some popcorn.

A response came to her as the dark mage spoke again. "We don't negotiate with terrorists."