If there was but a single word to describe Orchidia at that very moment, it was "Pure." Snow, white and untainted but by footsteps quickly covered, fell in thick white snowflakes on slant rooftops. They piled on top of one another, the change happening without notice until it was already accumulated. What little light forced its way through the clouds reflected, making the entire city glow. How such a dirty place filled with so many wrongs and so much deceit could ever look so clean was irony at its best. It was no worse than any other within Fiore, arguably better due to the guild that resided there, but it had its share of secrets. Those little truths that begged to be discovered were somewhere within, buried within the snow.
Today was no the day that they would be discovered. At least, not intentionally. For the man whose presence was announced by the muffled crunch beneath his feet, there was only his destination in mind. His body was hugged tightly by warm cloth, stacked in layers on his body to fight the cold. His feet were covered by a pair of odd looking boots, ones that seemed to bend to his foot and allow full maneuverability despite their bulk and fur. Thick, baggy pants that looked of similar material to sweatpants were tucked into the boot, hugging his waist. His hands were stuffed into pockets of a thick jacket made of similar material, and around his neck hugged a scarf that looked as though it had seen horrendous conditions in the past few years.
His face was bare, rugged and sporting an even layer of scruff over his face and neck that did not look at place on the young mans chiseled and handsome features. Across his chest was as a strap, holding tight to his back a hilt that looked of far higher quality than his clothes, and the hilt of a blade that looked otherworldly.
The air about him was different. There was nothing physically to indicate he was anything other than a wanderer, making his way into a town that had buckled down for the snow. The wind blew over him, the snow clung to any surface that would accept it, and his nose tinted red to the elements. Yet there was a presence about him that demanded attention.
It was in his eyes that scanned the environment, passing over and memorizing every thing before him. It was in his slow and delicate twists of his head, craning his ears towards every little sound that did not come from him. It was in his even breaths that came without a shiver, as if he had found a way to simply ignore the cold.
It were as though a lion had found itself into the den of sheep, a predator that none would even identify.
Near the center of town, his face let on the first bit of emotion since his arrival. A sense of recognition, formed by raising eyebrows and a parting "Ahh," that found its way to no one. He continued his pace, neither slowing to analyze the structure nor speeding up to hasten his journey. Before long he traveled over one of the bridges of the moat which surrounded the guild, and the doors of the hall swung open to his touch. It was funny; Despite their size and weightiness, they moved as though they dared not resist his touch.
Beyond that door was not a hint of proof that the outside existed at all. Artificial lights shone a yellow hue reminiscent of the sun, and the sounds of laughter and joviality filled the halls from end to end. Song and dance were aplenty, and everyone seemed to know one another. There was hardly a glance at the door, and why would there be? This was Lamia Scale. It was one of the biggest guilds in all Fiore, with the most renown for its members being proficient in combat. Would there dare be an attacker? Would there even be a criminal who sought to wreak their terror upon these halls? There were a few idle glances cast in the direction of the door, but the sheer difference in lighting and temperature caused people to both look and shy away from the portal outdoors.
The door closed, and nothing had changed.
It was a slow change. A shift in the atmosphere, one that no one noticed. The lighting still filled every corner, and heat still radiated from the floorboards. Dance and song reigned supreme, but there was a challenger to their throne.
Silence began to eek its way through the guild like a poison, introduced unnoticed and spreading in its benign way. People found their eyes drawing to the strange individual whom had entered. Few recognized him, and none knew his name, but still they found themselves looking at him.
There was a presence among them that did not belong. One who could pose a threat to their wonderment, to their fun. The peace that felt so natural was fading, and yet nothing had happened. It was a calm before the storm.
Would it even hit the shores?
If one would ask when it got so quiet within the guild that a pin could be heard hitting the floor, no answer could be given. It happened so gradually, then so abruptly, that none had noticed. Yet now all were aware of its deafening pressure, and the sense of wariness that radiated from this traveler like a warning.
"Something warm to eat, and some water please." Jewel was slid across the counter to the bartender who had long since cleaned the glass within his hand. Then on cue, like a dam giving way, things were back to normal. Dance and song, laughter and shouting. The hall went back to a celebration of life and companionship, and the stranger was left back to his vices. Whoever he was, he seemed to mean no harm nor ill will.
In fact, he did not. He was a member of a guild much like this, but his path had not allowed for him to have such a care free mentality. The past years had changed him, carving into him as though he were marble and forcing him to take shape in a way that he could have never seen himself before. He had grown and matured, and perhaps in other ways decayed. Yet he was here, alive and well, and he was waiting for someone whom he had not seen in a very long time.