The winter time has passed in its sombre majesty; having brought us skies of richly marbled greys and trees so elegant in their bare beauty. Those cold days for calmness and reflection are waning and a new energy rises. On this spring day, Snowflake sees the flowers that are to colour her world for the warmer days to come, waving in the breeze like a smile born of the cosmos—happiness in brilliant shades. She lets her eyes flow from tree to tree, noticing the buds ready to open into the light, to be as green flags in the ever-warming wind and the spring flowers ignite an inner smile, the kind that burns warm and long. They are as candle flames, their colours as light in darkness, illuminating the world after a long wintry cold.

The flower festival seemed to continue over the days and more people—young and old alike—would crowd in the streets of Orchidia. The festival was always a place of unrestrained joy. The costumes lit up the summer’s day, a riot of colour to rival any gardener’s paradise. Music filled the air, festive beats lifted the spirits, and it was time to celebrate the wonders of nature, Spring. But, one young woman would be muddled in the crowd, her eyes darting here and there with nothing in particular on her mind, unknowing what to pursue first. She looked rather uncomfortable, being in the midst of people, which she normally had an aversion to, nevertheless, she couldn’t miss the festival. While the majority of the community wore kimonos, she decided to stick to a comfortable outfit instead.

After all, she was simply just here to enjoy the flowers.

The bustling streets and the burst of bright colours ahead was quite a change of sight from when she was in Magnolia and it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it was the sort of change she needed to perceive after remaining in the same boring location for months without travelling anywhere. For some reason, it was aesthetic, pleasing to the naked eye and she couldn’t help but dazed by the beauty of the festival.

It wasn’t unusual for the white haired beauty to be lost among the streets, in fact, it was almost as if it were one of her silly habits that she seemed to be unable to get rid of. Heels clacked against the paved roads, and beneath the linings of her worn shoes was the sound the scattering, most notably tiny mounds of pebble and dirt that filtered through the spaces in her steps. At her foot, the female would kick at a stray pebble, watching it rotate over the dust for several turns, unsure of where to head and doubtful if she had anything left to do in an area. She’d visited every stall that filled up the streets of Orchidia—well, the food ones at the very least, and they were the only ones that mattered to her, were they not?

Having so much time spent doing nothing but eating traditional food from the festival, Snowflake deserved a break, or perhaps a walk to digest all the food that entered her stomach a mere second ago. Although it was spring, the cold winds from the winter still lingered as the chill seeped into her bones. Her fingers reached for the rim of her outfit, pulling it tighter over her shoulders for a warmth that was so greedily coveted, but was sought for in vain. Black in colour, her attire did not attract any particular attention from the others, unlike those who walked past her with bright, colourful kimonos and she willed herself to melt into the shadows, to become nothing more than a slip of darkness.

Her silver hair flowed around her youthful face like a river of moonlight as she weaved through the crowds, edging through the dense flow of people. Her eyes were crystal, sparkling blue and grey, and her skin was white as alabaster. Cherry blossom flowers laid by her foot before she’d stop and knelt down to collect it, only to slip the flower between her silky strands of hair and wore it like how every other maiden would.

A familiar voice registered into her mind from a fair distance, that her brain waves suddenly reacted with a jolt, her head whipping immediately to the source of the sound. Sapphire eyes came to meet a gaze of scarlet, fused with diversity and her lips slightly parted from awe, followed by a soft smile that grew on the curved line of her lips. ”I didn’t expect to see you here, Alisa. Good afternoon,” the woman greeted, her eyes idly glossing over the figure of the other beauty. ”You still look stunning as ever, even more with a kimono.” It has been quite a while since their last rendezvous, although her closest friends never seemed to leave her mind wherever she went.

”How’s the festival treating you? Enjoying so far?”

”Really?” – was her immediate response upon her dear friend’s compliment, and somehow, that seemed to have left her lips in a more excited tone than she would have liked—not that it mattered. After God knows how long she’d been standing and walking through these bustling streets of Orchidia, she’d take a seat nearby, crossing her legs in the immediate process. ”Indeed,” she’d nod in agreement. There were too many people in the town—far too many than she’d ever seen in Orchidia, and it was undoubtedly due to the festival that took place in this particular area.

Silvery optics idly glided over to the work that Alisa had been working previously before she entered the scene. ”Calligraphy?” she piqued in, studying it curiously. ”That’s an interesting hobby, I’d say.” Not many attempted to commit to such an activity, and although it wasn’t of her interest, she found the practice a beautiful form of art.

There wasn’t any particular reason as to why she suddenly decided to change her appearance, and when people brings the topic into discussion, the only response she’d have was a blank stare—as could been seen from her in this situation. ”I don’t really know…I do miss my long hair though,” added the frosty maiden, her fingers reaching to tug on the ends of her hair gently; a habit that she’d collected a while ago when she felt indecisive.

Snowflake wasn’t sure which look she preferred and truth be told, her cyborg appearance had more stories than she could ever tell, which was perhaps one of the reasons why she wanted it to be still a part of herself. Albeit, her preference for longer hair evidently outweigh the other, nevertheless, she decided to remain with her current appearance for the moment and perhaps, even for the longer term.

”Oh no, this is my first time witnessing the Orchidia flowers in bloom. I must say that it’s really beautiful—maybe one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen.”

It has been months since she’d last visited Orchidia and none of her trips were meant for relaxation, more so, to complete quests or when she was simply dropping by for a mission, though she always enjoyed the verdant trees and the greenery that filled the city more than any other town she’d ever travelled to. ”I heard they used to have a hot spring around here, not sure if it still exists.” She should have paid a visit while she had the chance since hot springs appeared to be somewhat of rarity these days, and it’s rather difficult to find a good one, like the baths in Magnolia.

She gazed beyond, where the busy roads lie and where people gathered with a hint of glimmer within their eyes as they looked upon the beautiful flowers that adorned the vicinity; its bright colours and sweet fragrance filling the city with every passing second the breeze blew past. Each one is a delicate bloom, no matter if it is a formal garden or a waste land. Their petals are delicate works of art and their hues are medicine for many souls.

”Interesting. I haven’t quite found anyone with a passion for calligraphy, like you,” the frosty beauty returned her gaze towards her fellow guild mate before shifting her attention towards Alisa’s work that she had passed onto an old man seated beside. ”You do well at that,” she nudged her head in the direction of the fine piece of art that the dark haired sculptress had created.

The way the two women gazed longingly into a distance where the festival was held, it was quite evident that they enjoyed the exquisite sight of the flowers as well as the nature itself, despite not being fully engaged in the program. Snowflake had always been one to stare off into the sky, while her mind wandered off and without being fully aware, she would’ve already spent hours watching the clouds and the changing colours of the empyreans; from a refreshing blue to neon orange and fire red.

Only a nod that went unnoticed, she released a long sigh; not out of exhaustion but of relief as she balanced her body in a reclining position on her two hands on the bench. For a very brief moment, silence filled her ears, as if her body had filtered all the unnecessary sounds and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it was the sort of silence that she’s come to crave, especially when her mind had been growing so restless due to the upcoming troubles ahead.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted as the sculptress’ voice slowly registered into her mind and she’d blink once, twice, until she was finally able to comprehend what the other female had been saying. Her gaze would follow the direction of her finger, in which she assumed was the location of the hot springs that she’d brought into discussion in the previous moment. ”Lovely,” uttered the petite woman, gradually remaining her composure and allowed Alisa to lead the way to right where they wanted to be.

Hot springs weren’t the worst idea of all. In fact, it was far from worse, and though the cold temperatures were meant to be gone, the frigid harsh gales that blew through the town of Orchidia still brings a shiver from time to time. It might not be so bad to warm up her body after all, especially when she desperately needed to relieve the stress that her body had built up recently.

”No,” she paused, inhaling a large intake of breath before she continued, ”…I’m not quite the artist,” spoke the female softly, reflecting back upon the numerous attempts of involving herself into things that were related to art, but to no avail. It didn’t take her long to realise that she wasn’t interested in anything regarded to the topic itself, although, she still greatly appreciates the beauty of nature or particularly things that she found artistic. Though Snowflake might not be considered someone who excels in art, it wasn’t until recently that she noticed she had a keen interest in beauty. It was no surprise. After all, every young female of her age desired to be attractive to the human eyes.

Silence reigned supreme between the two as their conversation ended. Being one who thoroughly enjoyed the tranquillity, Snowflake did not find the absence of sound uncomfortable or any of the sort. Instead, she’d release an inaudible sigh out of content as she gazed beyond her.

”Let’s get going… Oh, and here you go~”

The snow haired maiden shifted her attention back to her dear friend, only to see a perfectly sculpted crystal blossom being handed to her. Without sharing a word, she retrieved it, twirling it within the tip of her fingers as she let her eyes gloss over the dips and curves of the sculpture. Receiving gifts were not common for the young female, which is why when encountering an event of such, she felt nothing but surprise and awe. This is how it would have played out in this situation, although the features on her face displayed no more than a twinkle in her stormy gray eyes. ”Thank you,” spoke the female, grateful for the little gift that she’d received.

It was no lie that she was terrible at expressing how she felt, but she knew that Alisa would understand her well, without needing an explanation. Despite how the gift was a mere cherry blossom, having it given from someone whom she considered a close friend, it was of importance to her. ”I’ll treasure it,” she promised to the other female before sliding the flower into the pocket of her kimono cloak.

Snowflake gazed upon the building in front of them. The characters written on the oaken board gave way that it was indeed the hot springs—not that she knew how to read them, but the place was easily distinguishable compared to the rest. ”Well, shall we go in then?” Upon their entrance, they would be greeted by the staff dressed in traditional clothing; a theme that paired up well with the festival, in which the mages would be led to the changing rooms to get ready for the hot springs.

Snowflake knew for a fact that whenever she was with Alisa, she didn’t have to be on guard at all times, like how she normally would be and that she could just simply just close her eyes and trust her with everything she had. Having spent time with Alisa more than anyone else in the guild—apart from her lover—the bond between the two females was nearly unbreakable, almost as rivals and as beloved friends, she treasured the relationship the two had. It was also one of the reasons why she always felt so comfortable around the crystal beauty, even during the time they first met, Alisa gave off the vibe of a family member to her; an older sister, to be exact.

”Indeed,” spoke the female, casually slipping her kimono over her shoulders and letting it fall and pool around her feet. ”I wouldn’t want my kimono to be ruined in the hot springs. It’s good that they provide one at the very least.” While she dressed herself into the bathing clothing that was given to the girls, she’d involuntarily glance towards the direction of Alisa, who was just as naked as her. There was nothing to be ashamed of; it wasn’t as if none of them didn't know of the female body parts that existed on their figures. Her eyes would happen to settle onto the other girl’s ample bosom. At the sight, her eyebrows would slightly cock upwards, amazed by the size of it. It was certainly larger than what she’d seen above all that clothing.

The snowy beauty had no intentions of ogling her dear friend. Perhaps it was just a habit of young girls, especially when placed in changing rooms together, they would unnoticeably observe at each other’s assets. Her bathing kimono was let loose around her petite yet, slender figure, her front torso and legs entirely bare as the couple finally entered the hot springs. Her eyes shifted left and right, and just like Alisa, she was observing the area upon entrance. There were clearly no signs of people. How fortunate were they that they had the entire hot springs to themselves? Undoubtedly, none of them complained about the lack of customers the place had.

The water was hot; hot enough to make a person recoil like a little girl at first touch, but Snowflake was craving for it, despite how it might have burned her porcelain skin. It was all part of the relaxation and she knew it would soon fade away as soon as she started getting used to the temperature. A long, content sigh escaped her lips as she settled by the side of the hot springs, her arms draped over the rim of the structure. ”I’ve missed this. It’s been so long since I last visited a hot spring.”

Of course, Snowflake wasn’t a lewd person—far from it, actually. To most people, she was a woman who radiated confidence and arrogance, and virtuous at the same time; one would have easily thought that indecent thoughts never occurred to her mind, which was true. Albeit, being in her pre-adult years, she was still curious in nature, as she always has been and was eager to learn and see things around her. Her relationship with her lover regarding their intimacy in bed hasn’t made much progress since their first time together. She felt as if it wasn’t exactly her forte and being someone who grew up very impassive, she couldn’t understand how sexual relationships worked, nor was she interested in them either.

Only a simple nod that went unnoticed upon Alisa’s question and neatly folded her kimono, careful not to cause any wrinkles on her precious clothing before placing it inside the locker. Her porcelain skin was flushed pink due to the hot temperature of the water. For someone who hasn’t entered a hot spring for several months, it was far too hot for comfort, especially for someone who utilizes ice magic on a daily basis. But soon, her body would finally get used to the temperatures and she’d finally learn how to relieve her stress all over again. And yet, another content sigh left her lips once again.

”Oh, really?” the female asked. The only reason she visited hot springs was to release stress and well, technically to clean herself, but she was never aware of the wonders it does to her skin. ”Interesting. I should definitely visit more often,” she agreed before adding, ”Likewise. You seem like you don’t need any of these with that beautiful complexion of yours.” Even after all the battles and fights that they had engaged before, Alisa always remained flawless; she’d hardly seen her with any battle scars or even a scratch—she truly wondered how.

She used to have several scars herself on her back, which she gained during the transition process from a human to a machia. Now that she’d obtained a new body, she was able to take care it more often than she used to before, as if it were her own. Snowflake submerged herself further into the waters, letting the water burn her skin, though in a nice way. The tips of her hair were drenched wet and upon contact with water, it would turn a darker shade of gray.

”…” she opened her mouth to give a reply to Alisa’s question, only to close it again. ”I wasn’t there… During that period, I was caught up with my own problems and remained idle. I heard rumours about the war, but I never had a chance to confirm the details with anyone.” A pause. Hesitance seeped through her and she wasn’t sure if she should inform Alisa about what was happening to her, and her body. ”A while back, I met the man who helped me transform into a machia. The same person got me out of that body and placed me into a new one...which happened to be a vessel of a demon.” It was something that she’s never discussed with Alisa, nor anyone else apart from Chelvaric.

She felt ashamed to tell it to anyone else, and believed that she would be viewed differently if people were to hear that she was a demon. It wasn’t as if she wanted it either. There was no other choice left, but she’s learnt to come to terms with herself and accepted for what it was. ”Were you involved in it?” A part of her wish that Alisa wasn’t. It was dangerous to be any related to the situation, but even if she had been, seeing her friend here meant that nothing alarming happened.

The dark haired beauty seemed glad that Snowflake wasn’t involved in the war, but she, herself wasn’t so sure about it. She regretted not joining the fight alongside others, especially her guildmates, albeit it could have been dangerous when she was struggling to control the demon within her. Now that all had settled well, perhaps it might not be that bad of a decision to lay on the sidelines, though a part of her still ashamed for not being fully responsible as a guild master. Either way, sharing Alisa a part of herself felt as if a burden had been lifted of her shoulders, as could be seen by a relieved sigh escaping from her lips.

Despite how Snow felt unwilling to share that information to anyone, she trusted Alisa enough to fill in on some details of her disappearance and inactivity. After all, she was the closest friend with the longest relationship she’d ever had. Even without words being spoken, Alisa always seemed to understand what her actions meant so effortlessly, as if she’d actually known her since childhood. Well, truthfully Snowflake was quite young when she was recruited by Lance, so Alisa might have watched her grow up at the same time—just like an older sister.

Alisa didn’t seem surprised with her confession, which was to be expected for her. For the longest time, Snowflake had always been worried about how others might view her due to her transformations, and her Pegasus guild mate here always exceeded her expectations. The woman simply comforted her and rewarded her with an understanding smile, as if she knew all the reasons to her decisions—the same way how she had acted when Snowflake revealed about her machia transformation. She knew Alisa would never judge her for who she was, whether she was a demon or a creature of another dimension.

”Do you know you always give the best advice?”

The woman gazed up into the empyreans above. She loved how the hot springs was in an open area, and how she could enjoy the beautiful sky and the puffs of white cushions drifting by. The wind that blew across the vicinity soothed her like no other and cooled her body down from the bubbling water. It felt refreshing, now that she was more used to the temperature of the water.

”I don’t know. I feel like I should’ve participated and did something—not like it would have done much, but still,” the woman rubbed her forehead in frustration. ”Well, I suppose we won the battle.” She felt like she had missed a decade of information, when there were so many things going on at the same time left and right. ”The emperor’s death might have been remorseful, but I suppose it was for a better cause.”

Despite how Snowflake had never shown an interest in politics, whoever sat on the throne was of importance as it does significantly affect the citizens of Earthland. The act of the coronation of the new king could be for the better, or for worse, but one thing for certain was that Blue Pegasus was in no good terms with Grimoire Heart, considering after what happened at the war and seeing their enemy sitting on top of the throne would only do so well to anger her. Nonetheless, Snowflake had discarded her past and learnt to forgive…but not forget—no, she would never forget how they had mercilessly slain their previous guild master and how the event had caused the members to shed tears and mourn for their loss.

She could only imagine how much it had affected both Alisa and Finn; the blonde especially, knowing how close they were back then.

It wasn’t as if Snowflake could do anything even after she had discovered that a Grimoire sat on the throne—after all, they had pledge loyalty to the crown and to cause chaos would only mean that there would be war and bloodshed. Unlike herself, the dark haired maiden seemed awfully interested in politics and how her views were on the new king and it was rather apparent that Alisa disliked; perhaps even loathed the current leadership. ”…Why’d you think he’s not worthy?” she squinted her eyes slightly and leaned back further onto the rock behind her. It wasn’t the fact that she doubted her opinion, but merely her curiosity to see for the other female’s reasons.

”I’m quite neutral about the Crown myself,” spoke the ice mage before adding, ”If I’m not wrong, I heard that the ruler and his accomplices saved the lives of many citizens of Earthland. He’s on the side of the civilians…is he not?” There was almost a hint of uncertainty in the tone of her voice. The information she had gathered from were either from drunk men in pubs or random strangers walking through the streets at night; surely, she could hold no trust in their words.

Alisa might be the only one she knew who seemed to be strongly against the current leadership, and she couldn’t blame her. After what Grimoire Heart did to their own guild, Snowflake could only sympathise with the young female to understand a part of how she felt. ”Anyways, enough about the government,” her eyes glided towards the side where they laid a row of wooden stools and buckets; all the materials needed to wash themselves up. Their encounter was to relieve their stress, not to engage further into the mundane world of civics and politics. ”Would you like me to scrub all the impurities off your body?” she teased out of amusement, the line of her lips tilting upwards into a small smirk as she rose herself out of the water.

Seeing Alisa completely engaged into their conversation of politics, the ice mage wondered if things would turn out different if the dark haired sculptress were to be the guild master. Not only was she a strong mage herself, she was acquainted with many people that Snowflake could only imagine having, and her social skills were far from being dull, unlike a fellow silver haired female. The woman could only wonder why the position was given to her, albeit, it wasn’t as if she disliked receiving the title—she would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy being the master. There was a certain authority that she had in this position; one that she had always aspired to have ever since she was young.

To be a leader was what she craved, nevertheless, she had her own doubts of whether she deserved to be one or not. Snowflake was all but young when she received the title, and even now, there were still many things that she has yet to learn and experience. Though she may be a guild master for the moment, it was only temporary. Masters were respective to change eventually, and she assumed that her job would soon be over.

”Fair enough,” she began, nodding at her comrade’s statement. Alisa seemed to be well-informed about the current emperor, which was no surprise, and it was one thing that she liked about her; she could always trust her with information, unlike the rumours from the streets.

”I agree, I don’t think there’s anyone yet to replace the king.” In an era thriving with magic and mages, finding a candidate for the throne was rare and difficult as one could possibly imagine. Perhaps one of the future masters might be the one ruling the country, and hopefully, it’s not one from a dark guild. ”How do you get all the information?” the woman smiled briefly, surprised at Alisa’s knowledge about the happenings over the country. ”Do you have your little spies in the castle?”

That aside, the crystal mage was correct.

Even after all these years, slavery was far from being abolished and with the new king in place, she doubted that anything would change. While some were fortunate enough to be born into wealthy families, the majority was living in poverty, or struggling their lives to make a living, and it was only the royals and nobles that received the most benefits with the littlest efforts. Life was unfair; nothing was fair and the only thing that Snowflake wished to do for these people was to make their lives a little bit easier.

The frosty maiden hadn’t expected Alisa to play along with her joke, but that only made their little hot spring adventure all the more interesting. Water splashed around her as she rose her being and scooted over to the oaken stools, grabbing a clean brush in hand. With Alisa’s porcelain back faced towards her, the woman simply nodded, ”Perfect”, before she began put her hands into motion. ”How come you’re so interested in politics?” she would begin to strike up a conversation, her hands gently brushing aside the other female’s charcoal hair over her shoulder. ”Is it a topic you’re keen into lately, or do you have any future plans regarding to it?” To her, Alisa appeared to be a laid-back type who always seemed to be enjoying the moment; one who doesn’t share so much of herself and she often wondered if Alisa had any resolutions for the nearby future, as ambitious as she knew her to be—just like herself.

The white haired woman smiled knowingly; partly out of amusement, but clearly acknowledging the fact that Alisa was amicable in many ways possible, which was one of the reasons why Snowflake could rely on her intel. ”Newspapers, eh?” she nodded sparingly. The ice mage was a lover of books, but not necessarily newspapers, as she strongly believed the information written on the pages were either propaganda or words twisted from the media—fear and misdirection. They’ll tell you who to hate, who should live and die—show the world how the enemy is barbarous and the powers that control their lives are heroes. She couldn’t believe the stories written on the news; every day when you read them, you see only a partial story, like the first three envelopes.

”Hm, I’ll heed your advice,” was what she said and promised herself that maybe, she would learn to absorb the information on the newspapers once again, like she did before.

Snowflake could only raise her eyebrows, impressed by her friend’s statement. Truly, it felt like Alisa and herself really thought alike in matters like this, yet the crystal beauty already had her beaten in intellect and perception of the situation. Albeit, the priority of her own was to ensure the safety of the townsfolk, most importantly, her own guildmates more than witnessing the defeat of her enemies.  

Droplets of water cascaded down Alisa’s web-like, dark strands of silky hair softly and the drops slowly made their way down to her hourglass body that she attained. As she scrubbed the bath sponge against her skin, foams of soap grew larger and larger until it completely concealed her hand. ”I hope I’m not scrubbing too hard,” spoke the female with a nervous chuckle. Of course, she didn’t want to ruin her perfect skin.

”Why not?" the question slipped her lips almost immediately after her response. ”I think you’d be the perfect candidate.” It was no lie, and it wasn’t because she was being modest simply due to the reason that Alisa was her close comrade. It was because she was her friend that she wanted to let her know that she had her utmost support. Though her fellow guildmate may not be a highborn nor an aristocrat, but to the snow haired maiden, she believed that Alisa would have deserved the title of the crown—if that were to happen, that is. ”In case you get the chance, you should go for it.”

Indeed, she was the guild master of Blue Pegasus, and has been for a while now nonetheless, she can’t really take credit for the title, for she felt like she hasn’t done much as a proper master should. Leading and protecting was meant to be her job, although she couldn’t recall herself performing any of that. ”I don’t really know if I’m suitable to be the master honestly…” she spoke her mind out loud, without the intention of her words being heard. The woman thought about those things while she continued to clean Alisa’s body thoroughly. Completely immersed in her thoughts, she had almost forgotten that her hands were in contact with a foreign body other than her own and somehow, she seemed comfortable with that more than she had originally expected.

”Glad to be of service,” the frosty woman uttered, relieved when she suspected herself of having brutish hands; but thankfully not, according to Alisa’s compliment. Indeed, scrubbing someone else’s back was a rare experience for her, especially when she was a woman who did not like being in any sort of contact—not to mention skin-to-skin—with anyone else. Nonetheless, Alisa was one of the exceptions, just like her beau and she couldn’t help but find it strange enough that she was enjoying the act; perhaps because it was something that she had always wanted to try with someone close.

Growing up without friends, Snowflake envied those around her who were different from herself. While she was reading books alone in the library, her classmates would be playing in the park amongst themselves. A quiet girl with an eccentric personality, she never thought that being alone would bother her—it didn’t, until her parents passed away in an accident which made her realise how truly alone she was. Perhaps it was then that she began to crave a kind of friendship that blooms in the center of your heart: that kind of friendship that grows from the seed basking in the warm soil to a vast tree with many ups and downs, many—but not enough to disguise the enormity or the grandeur of such a tree, the sheer brilliance and beauty of it.

Seeing how far she’d come from being an isolated child, she couldn’t be any prouder of herself. Though it was mostly Chelvaric who helped blossom her, her beloved ones; those she came to treasure close to her heart, and whom she could call as her friends were also a big part of it. While she busied herself with the scrubbing work, she thought about those things. Reaching for the tap, she let the water flow into the bucket that she’d place below, checking the temperature to make sure that it was warm enough before pouring it over Alisa’s back to wash away the soap.

It should be squeaky clean, she hoped.

Snowflake knew that Alisa enjoyed her travels far too much that it would be near impossible to make her remain in one location, which was possibly the main reason why she declined to be the guild master. Personally, the snow haired woman saw no problem with it, considering how she, herself was also one who disliked being grounded to a single place, though she wouldn’t have minded much even if that were to happen. The young maiden only smiled at her words. Alisa had her own doubts and Snowflake would question no further, but a part of her felt that if she were to try, she would achieve it, although it wasn’t as if she could completely convince the taller woman.

”You are? So…you’re not from here.” It was the first time she was ever informed of it, as infrequent Alisa shares about herself. Albeit, it was of no surprise, considering how she assumed that possibly half the citizens in the country are either mixed or from another region. Within the realm of possibility, Snowflake could even be half Fiorian as well, though she highly doubted it.

”Oh, Alisa…” the woman trailed off, breathing out a long sigh, completely flattered by her remarks. ”You’re being too nice and you flatter me too much.” The ice mage gently relocated her dark locks of hair over shoulder, her fingers brushing over her spine. Thinking back, she felt that it was the safest decision she could make, especially when everything was amiss and the advent of war that hung thickly over their heads. Lives of their own people had been lost already and the state of the guild would be put in danger if they were to go to war.

Indeed, if Alisa were the sword, Snowflake would be the shield for the guild.