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The moon glimmered high above Fiore, cloudless and quiet. It was a chilling night claimed by winter's kiss, where the shadows drew ever larger and threatened to choke the life out of the land. As the moon's light gently blanketed the rocky and uneven terrain of Oak Town and its surroundings, a single azure figure cloaked in the shadows moved away from the lights and safety that society brought. From a distance they could be seen as a pilgrim, or perhaps merely a fool for their midnight walk outside the walls of comfort and warmth behind them.

With the clanging of multiple golden bangles and metal accessories on their person and the deep trudging of their boots echoing around the canyons and trees hollowed out by foragers, they were making no effort to hide their presence.

Reaching the top of the hill, the figure turned backwards to gaze at their progress and allowed their features to be revealed by the light, as if graced from the heavens above. Among the most notable yet easily missed features of this figure was one of the basest - that the lone wanderer was a woman. A woman of silken garb and finely woven and crafted accessories such that she could be mistaken for high nobility if not for a number of features. Most curious was her dark butterfly mask, covering the top half of her face and matching the color of her raven-blue hair.

Her regal dress was contrasted by the torn and stitched leather sack slung over her shoulder and the various bloodstains that her cloak and deep blue tunic were adorned with. Dry, aged from combat - no doubt her adventures were not without sacrifice. Though if one were to think about it, was anything without sacrifice? Did the butterfly view its ascendance from mere grub as sacrifice? Leaving its coil to become one with the skies?

...Doesn't matter, the woman would think to herself, and turn her back to the town and allowing her body to temporarily become a glimmer of gold and crimson as she did so.

Passing by wildlife, eyeing the shadowy corners on her journey for any implication of an ambush, she maintained caution. She possessed no sword and no armor - merely the aura of a killer, and the determination to cower even the hardiest of Icebergian warriors. Her expression since leaving town hadn't changed from stone-faced for a moment, for she had no thoughts worth smiling over. When was her next meal? The next occasion on which she would again be required to fight just to breathe and maintain her grip on reality? It wasn't an easy life, and as she continued further up the next hill she used the back of her hand to wipe sweat from her brow.

It was an odd feeling, being both warm from exhaustion and cold from the weather at the exact same time. Regardless, despite how she'd prefer to present herself to her enemies, the woman was not a demon or dweller of the night - and the night was a haze of deception which anyone could make use of. Lacking the need for such deceit, she clipped her lantern onto her belt of black leather and ignited it. Glimmering pathetically, she tightened it to ensure it wouldn't fall and pressed on. The oil could still be heard sloshing around within the chamber, but by her estimate it wouldn't last longer than twenty minutes before she would once more be forced to trust the moon's guidance.

No matter., she thought to herself as her breath labored and became visible in the icy air.

Foolish as it would be to admit, she possessed no tent or any sort of fortifications to secure her own survival overnight. Relying on inns and the kindness of strangers, her mentality towards camping was, "lie down, eyes closed, and shut up until morning". In the winter of all things, she often woke up with a lost voice - inconvenient for a caster, but worth the costs it would save on travel budget.

The gods proved to be on her side this night, as after another fifteen minutes of hiking alone she'd find herself shadowed by the towering Phantom Lord guild hall. Not a soul in sight, no lights dancing within, and only the Satri gods with the sting of ice they bring with them. Moving through the rocks and brush with the ground beneath her slowly freezing over with a thin sheet of ice obfuscated by the dead of night, she clung tight to her cross of Illumin. From the inside looking out her approach would seem like a ghostly specter wandering in search of lost souls, the lantern flickering weakly to pierce the darkness. The woman would speak quiet prayers to herself as she limped towards the doors of the guild, keeping careful not to slip and keeping her mind off of the fatigue through her faith.

At first she noticed the doors appeared to be locked.

"I did not come this far to be denied at the entrance.", she muttered, stewing in frustration at her journey up here.

Without hesitation she exhausted the last of her stamina to deliver a swift number of kicks to the doorknob. On the fourth kick, the door swung open and the sound of splintered wood and dented iron echoed through the darkened manor.

Stepping inside, she closed the door behind her and slammed it to ensure her own desperation wouldn't let the cold in.

The moment it was obvious that no cold air or animals would find their way inside, she slumped to the floor and up against a wall to collect her composure. While she did want to count herself among the heroes and villains with the power to change fate, she was still a mere girl with ambition. As such, her own limitations had finally caught up with her. Her lantern dangling, she noticed unlit stands for torches along the foyer grounds, and began using her own lantern's flame to light them.

Finally. Warmth., she thought, sighing out loud.

It had been a long time since she had been back here. Many months indeed - and in that time, she had realized something to draw her back: nothing. Absolutely nothing was heard of from Phantom Lord, from rumors to news of their most recent exploits against the Council. No members were seen anywhere, and the looming threat that the phantoms once held over the land had faded. All that was left was legends from the old days of the dark and silent protectors of Western Fiore, snuffed out like the flames the woman had yet to light.

Upon brightening up the Foyer, she was disappointed to discover that not only was there no one around, but there wasn't even any new furniture added. The place was as empty as it had always been - as if no one ever lived there to begin with. But she knew better - there had to be somebody, right?

Just as she thought that, the sound of heels clacking reverberated the surrounding area, deafening the crackling of the fire and the woman's own breathing. Coming into the torch light in the center of the foyer was a woman of dark hair and elegant dress. Smiling, she waved towards the traveling, masked woman with a wine glass in hand.

"It's not often nowadays that travelers stop by. But wait, I know you... Celica, correct?", the woman spoke in a sultry voice, swirling the wine, a spiraling abyss of dark crimson.

The masked woman's expression - or what could be seen of it with her mouth movements, changed from nonchalant to concern, and circled around the woman into a fighting stance.

"How do you know me? I've never met you before.", the woman revealed as Celica responded, hands curled into fists - she had no weapon and was too exhausted for magic, but could certainly still throw a strong punch.

The dark-haired woman let out a devilish giggle that seemed to ignite the remaining torches in the room on sheer willpower, and finished off the rest of the wine in her glass. Now holding an empty container, she backed away a few steps in defense.

"I'm not here to fight. I could not help but notice the... state you appear to be in. As somebody who passes by this guild from time to time, I'd love to reintroduce you to it. We could, perhaps-"

"I don't recall telling you that I have so much as set foot in this place before. I don't trust faces I've never laid eyes on, and yours I have not once seen.", Celica spat, cutting the woman off spitefully.

Toying with the rim of the wine glass, the woman took a few steps further back with a disappointed expression. It wasn't the answer she wanted to hear, it appeared. Going purely off of her facial expressions and reactions, by all accounts a less trained eye would see her as an outgoing lady wanting to spend time getting to know people - but Celica was no fool to the mentality of brigands and cutthroats.

With a firm gaze that could be felt even through the mask, Celica wordlessly stared the woman into submission, who threw back her head in anguish.

"Fine! You are no fun at all. I'll come ringing again some time, then. I was going to ask if you wanted a bath, and I already prepared one. It has bubbles~!"

Celica pointed towards the partially busted door of the phantoms and with a stern expression, gestured at it.

"Leave now, or stay and face the consequences. This hall is mine, and any others who pledge their loyalty here. It is not for any commonplace scum and vermin to strut their hips in.", she would retort with.

With a pout, the wine glass lady moved past Celica's stern and upright self with an elegance almost as if gliding. Reaching for the non-broken side of the front doors, she turned back to look at Celica a final time.

"I'll keep in touch. Let everyone else know I said 'hello'!"

With that, a final wink and a hand wave, she descended into the cold midnight hills below; vanishing without a trace.

Ensuring the doors were locked and barred as best as they could be, Celica sighed with relief and began to move into a room to the left in which she saw steam pouring out from.

Inside, she stared silently at a hot bath, recently finished filling and with bubbles and various soaps and hair products around the tub. She raised a hand to her chin in thought, echoing the wine woman's statements in her mind.

Nothing to think of it for the moment., she thought, resigning herself to the inevitability that she let that woman go and may never find out her purpose for being in this place so late.

A foolish action it was to allow her departure so easily, but Celica felt deep down there was something very wrong about that woman. Something that stirred a flame in her own soul, as if she were an old friend that knew how to push her buttons.

"Enough of that for now...", she blurted out, becoming mesmerized by the steamy hot water lounge before her.

It had been a long while since she had allowed herself to be spoiled so - with the lavender scented room luring her forward step by step. Being the weary traveler she was, Celica skimmed the water's edge with her fingers and felt the silken liquid blessed by fragrance to absorb into her fingertips. It was a long journey to arrive at the guild once more, and until somebody else made themselves noteworthy, she felt obligated to at least take the wine woman up on her hard work to set this bath up. Caution was flung to the side for the moment, as the woman's words towards her relaxation - or lack thereof - stung like a needle.

Loosening her stiff shoulders with a pre-bath massage provided by herself, she almost felt like a child again. Locking the door into the bathroom, she could finally remove her mask - both literally, and metaphorically. Looking into the foggy mirror, she saw an exhausted version of herself on the other side. After a moment, she realized it wasn't some alternate version of herself. Quite the opposite in fact - it was definitely her, worn and withered from her time on the road.

Looking towards the bath once more, the steam dancing around the rim of it, she let a relieved smile show just this once while no one was watching.

A single night like this couldn't hurt., she thought.

There was a small voice retorting back that it wasn't okay, and try as she might that troublesome voice couldn't be silenced. Instead, she tried her best to pretend it wasn't there and begun undoing her various buckles, buttons and belts to prepare for her bath.

Spending the better part of an hour within the confines of the tub, drenching herself with the fragrances, herbs and remedies around her, she stepped out and withdrew once more feeling heavenly. Her muscles had loosened, her hair had felt anything other than dry for the first time in weeks, and had managed to clean up a nasty scar she had obtained on her last mission. Cleaning up after herself, drying herself off and returning to her old garb she stepped out with her mask on.

"I suppose that was... nice.", she muttered in a resigned tone.

Celica pulled up a chair, dragging it by the legs as it echoed across the quiet guild hall. In the dead of night even phantoms made some noise, and with her being the sole contributor it was proof no one would arrive any time soon.

She took a seat in the foyer, stationed at the opposite end from the doorway into the hall. Crossing her legs with her belongings at her side, she felt too exhausted to find a proper bed in the expansive building that the guild hall was. The fragrances seemed fit to act as a sleeping agent of sorts, and combined with her travels and injuries getting here, proved too much. As she felt herself drift off, she scanned the doorway for anyone that might try to enter at any time.

"The phantoms... where are they?", she blurted out lowly, drowsily, wearily.

Where could they be...

Allowing the natural ambience of the cold winds outside to take her in as white noise, her eyelids grew heavy. A small smirk formed in her freshly moisturized lips, allowing her guard to slip one last time before unconsciousness.

I need to find them... convince them...

The last thoughts Celica had before sleep that night were of home. Of the brutal acts she was forced to endure, and the people she was forced to suck up to in order to survive. The dreams of an adventurous and romantic little girl, crushed underfoot by Father Time. Of knighthood she'll never obtain, of loyalties she'll never gain, and of lovers she'll never entertain. She so badly wanted anything a human would desire, and failed to grasp any of it. Those were the thoughts her subconscious allowed to float to the surface in her final, drifting moments of the night.

"We'll find a place in this world... I know we will. There must be one. A silver lining to it all. If it exists, we'll find it. Together."

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[Exit]