Fragmented and blurry memories of the trip from Fieros Girdle flashed through her mind as the woman slowly roused. Voices that she was vaguely familiar with conversed in those hazy scenes, but no words were distinguishable to her. The only thing that she could clearly make sense of was the aching in her legs. A radiating sensation that teased the edges of her subconsciousness as well as promised relief if only she allowed it to overwhelm her again.

This time, Nadine didn’t give into the darkness.

Something in her environment had changed. The movement of travel had stopped, and the voices were gone. The woman still felt the mind numbing throbs pulsing in both her legs, and their refusal to be ignored this time forced her eyes to slowly blink open. Shapes and colors started to sharpen as she slowly became aware of her surroundings. The room she was in was rather plain, but nicer than what she had been expecting. The wooden wall that she was facing had a door, but no markings on where it might lead to. Crates and barrels lined the edges of the room, and several hanging lights graciously kept the whole of the space illuminated.

Her breathing, slow but deep, came out in raspy breaths. She wanted to rub the weariness from her eyes, but discovered that her forearms had been firmly tied to the arms of the chair she was sitting in. More rope wrapped around her torso securing her to the back of the chair. With her legs still very much broken she didn’t even bother checking if her captors had bound her ankles too. They probably were, in any case; it would be what Nadine would have done if the situation was reversed. Naturally, she tried to flex against her restraints with her arms, but found the ropes were particularly thick and tight, wrapped with many, many loops. Eventually she stopped her struggles, easing herself back into a calmer state of mind by force of will.

Panic wouldn’t do. It looked like she had been turned into the authorities after all, and in the end she was fine with that. This was the first time she had heard of Rune Knights using storage rooms for detention, though. Her eyes closed as she focused on her breathing to combat the ever present waves of pain in her legs.

As Nadine started struggling, Poropo peeked his head from behind the huntress and exclaimed, "Whoa! Good thing I just finished tying these knots, hah hah hah! I am too exhausted for another battle." The monk ducked down behind Nadine again to inspect the ropes tying her waist to the wooden chair and sighed in relief, "Yes, all good after all." Poropo then waddled around Nadine's chair and inspected her splinted legs - the First Immortal did not hold back, for good reason, too, but the damage would need Judith's help to heal quickly. The monk was not blessed with the magic to heal wounds, for better or worse.

Nadine's legs were not only splinted but also propped up onto another chair. The monk patted her shins to check the stability of the splints and said, "I hope your legs heal soon - I do not like to inflict violence on anyone and certainly not permanent injury. Ah! I should probably not pat your legs while they are hurt...apologies, heh heh..." Poropo began waddling his way to the closed door and turned the knob - there was one last thing he wanted to say to Nadine so he turned his head towards her, "we will probably meet again either as allies or as enemies...I pray to the Iron Deity for the latter." The monk then opened the door to reveal the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, but only for a moment was the scene of merriment visible to Nadine before Poropo closed the door behind him.

The monk then approached Judith somewhere within the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, "Hello, Mother of Fairies - I have a potential new member waiting for you to heal her wounds in one of the storage rooms...she is a bit aggressive, but she said she knows you and your cooking...Nadine was her name, I believe? Anyway, treat her well in my stead because she probably does not like me, hah hah hah!" The monk then left before anyone could interrupt - knowing how high the Contract on his head was worried the monk greatly. Would there be any place safe to rest and relax with his fellow Fairy Tail compatriots in the future?

"Of course there will be! Fairy Tail is a safe place! I change my mind - I will stay and rest, too," exclaimed Poropo as he was about to step out of the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. As long as his fellow fairies were here to help, the monk could rest within the place he called home. "I just hope Nadine will not mind, hah hah hah!"

It seemed a situation Judith might not expected was not a reality, Listening to what Poropo had spoken to her about some one new brought in, Given Judith was just causally taking a break from the kitchen work because no one was really around to order, Judith would quietly place the Closed For Now, Sign on the counter where people order from Judith."Oh? is that so, I will be there in a moment, Let me pick up a few things to bring over there."Judith would pick up the following items: A Stool, A bag with various materials of medical supplies, A few bottles of various drinks. With them all collected she would well go to this room Poropo mentioned Nadine was in.

The storage room much like the rest of them, Was well taken care of because well, Judith managed it like she did her kitchen. When walking in Judith had her normal delighted and warm smile known of her, Almost like even in this care she did not seem much different then she was now.

So she would place the stool next to Nadine to stand on, while she was working on fixing her up, She was a short woman after all and she needed to be sure she saw everything with out problem. She would also ask to make sure."Are you hurt Poropo?"Just to make sure with him already seemingly good spirits and did not mention much else to her, So Judith would just make sure.

So Judith would start checking over Nadine, To whoever else was in the room with her. It would not bother if Poropo or Kazimir watched Judith work because they knew what Judith was like anyway, unless requested by Nadine to leave them alone. It would be the only time that changed.

Then well, Judith just gently place one of her hands on Nadine's closest shoulder more as a sign to let her know she was there since she seemed still some what out of it."You seemed to here arrive here, Very differently than how I wished you had."Judith did not sound upset or disappointment.  If anything Judith just seemed like her self and normal. Then well Judith had a vine start wrapping around one of her shoulders, bright enough to give Judith more room to see and to test Nadine's vision."I am just checking on you, Can you see the flower okay?" With that the flower that was glowing moved on it's own left to right, Testing Nadine's vision to see if she was with them.

Hopefully with this start, Nothing happen to Judith because when you don't know where you were and some one started touching you, it would be risky. However if Judith was hurt in some manner it would not bother her either.

The sound of an unzipping bag, Judith seemed to check over supplies she had, Because she was looking over what damage was done with her legs."Leg was bandaged well."Judith would make sure the leg were perfectly okay before working on anything else."Let me know what else aside from your legs are hurting, So I can work on them too."Judith would be as professional as she could about this.

It would be starting that Judith casted a spell in her room. Nature's Tender Touch, Standing by Nadine, She was in area of the healing spell. It would help in her repairing of her legs."I have: Water, Orange Juice,Apple Juice, Wine, Rum and A bottle of beer."It was a mention to anyone in the room who might want a drink. Judith wanted to let Nadine free right away, But she might left that to some one else's choice just in case. When it seemed okay to, She would most likely be free.

Spell used.:

Kazimir walked out of the Guildmasters office. It was still weird to push the doors open from the other side. Mostly because he had spent very little time within the office. He leaned on the railing and looked down at the guildhall. The monk had made his way to the door but suddenly turned back around. It put a smile on the wind mage's face seeing him deciding to relax a bit in the guildhall.

He made his way down as Judith snuck away into a storage room. "Suppose I should go check on our guest too," Kazimir walked towards the storage room and waved at Poro, "Good to see you again. feeling well after the battle?" He pulled the storage room door open. "I bet you're almost strong enough to take on an elder dragon," he slid that remark in as if it were something casual.

The door creaked open at Judith was nursing the warrior woman back to health. Kaz stepped in silently and leaned on the wall, not wanting to cause too much of a disturbance. He left the door ajar in case Poro wanted to rejoin them and speak to his assailant.

"Looks like you're gonna get roped into a meal anyway," he remarked in response to Nadine's comment before the berserker clashed with Poro. Kaz had questions of his own for the woman. Namely how she managed to know the things she did.

"Judith is healing you. But if we untie you I'd like to know how you knew about Judith in the first place. Have you been spying on us?" Kaz nearly slipped back into his old rune knight habits. He looked at the ropes that bound the woman.

"And of course we'll untie you so you can drink, as long as you don't cause a ruckus." It was an odd thing to say, as Fairy Tail was known for a bit of rowdiness. But he was still unsure about all her intentions. But he respected the fact she didn't ambush Poro and instead made it a clean and fair fight.

If she looked confused about the situation, Kazimir would say, "Poro decided it was best to bring you here than to go to jail," Kaz looked towards the monk if he was in the room or walking the guild.

At the sound of Poropo’s voice Nadine’s eyes immediately shot open. His voice was not the one she had expected to hear first. The monk seemed as cheerful as ever, and rightfully so. However, it wasn’t until the man moved next to her legs that she realized how much care had been given to her injuries. Well, for the most part, anyways. The monk’s pats weren’t as gentle as she would have liked though, and the contact made the woman hiss and wince as she shifted in her bindings.

“Somehow, I doubt that you will need to pray hard for that wish,” said the woman through clenched teeth. Her eyes immediately became distracted though after Poropo opened the door. The scene beyond the doorway captured her attention. The sounds she heard. The food she smelled. The members she could see, and what she could gleam from her special sight. Did Poropo really-?

Her thoughts were the only thing she was left with as the door closed with Poropo’s exit. The next person to enter was Judith, although Nadine knew she shouldn’t have been so surprised by the other woman’s presence here.

“Madame Karlinius?” Glancing down at the healer’s hand on her shoulder Nadine relaxed a bit more in her seat. The demi-human chuckled softly as she shook her head. “This was not the meal discount I had planned on using, no.” She moved her gaze to the glowing flower, the pupils in her golden eyes constricting in reaction to the light. Nadine nodded affirmatively to Judith’s question as the light moved. Then Judith started working on healing her legs.

“Aside from my legs the monk hit my pride, but I don’t think magic cures that,” she joked as a spell was cast by the healer. Nadine could smell pollen as white lilies bloomed on her legs. It was strange to feel the broken bones knit back together, and bruised flesh return to its normal color as the swelling decreased. Soon enough the bound woman was truly relaxing in her seat with a relieved sigh, closing her eyes. She heard the door open again, but figured it was Poropo checking on things.

“Merci, Madame Karlinius,” muttered the woman gratefully, “ah, I’d take the wine, but..” Nadine lightly tugged at the ropes holding her arms to the armrests of her chair as she opened her eyes. It was then she noticed Kazimir’s presence in the room. Feeling much better now that her legs weren’t broken anymore, Nadine allowed her lips to curl into a smug smile at the man’s joke. However, the Guildmaster’s questioning put a genuinely skeptical look on her face.

“This is a strange way to thank me for saving Madame Karlinius from wolves.” Her tone was not defensive, but matter of factly and borderline offended by the implications directed at her. She didn’t get the feeling that he was trying to intimidate her in any way, though. They wouldn’t have healed her legs if that was the case, and Nadine did not see bullying or torture as a tenet of Fairy Tail.

To show that she was feeling better and not cowing to any pressure, she raised one leg up to rest atop the other in a relaxed posture on the chair in front of herself. Her legs bent without issue inside their splints. As the bandages stretched with her movements it was probably clear to anyone watching that she was well enough to kick off the wooden planks if she had wanted to.

“Poropo is a kind monk as he claims, but that’s what got him into trouble to begin with.” Nadine’s eyes didn’t leave Kazimir’s as she spoke, her tone rising slightly in calm amusement. “Any ‘spying’ I have done is because of Fairy Tail revealing itself to me today. Fortunately for you, I’m not in the business of selling secrets. How I met Madame Karlinius is a far more mundane story than whatever you’re thinking, though. This won't be the first time I've shared a meal with her.”

Poropo decided to turn around and reenter the Fairy Tail Guild Hall instead of suddenly leaving - talking to Nadine personally felt like the right call instead of putting the task on the busy Guild Master and Mother of Fairies. Poropo was happy to stay as well knowing Kazimir and the rest of Fairy Tail would help the suddenly magicless monk should another Contract Hunter appear.

Kazimir made a remark about Poropo being able to fight an Elder Dragon as if fighting dragons was normal - Kind Monk Poropo was not sure what to think and only replied with an, "umm, what? Did you say dragon?" Poropo spoke too late for Kazimir to hear - the Guild Master of Fairy Tail was eager to talk with Nadine, the huntress Poropo had encountered and forcefully brought back to the guild hall. Judith also seemed eager to talk with Nadine and help heal the huntress' wounds with special magic - healing magic seemed like the most fitting magic for the Mother of Fairies.

After Kazimir entered, Poropo entered as well, closing the door behind him - there was no real reason to keep the door closed, but the monk felt as though everyone would be safer if the talk with Nadine was kept private. Thankfully, the meeting might progress to a more comfortable room soon - the huntress was not openly aggressive towards anyone at the moment.

In fact, Nadine seemed to have already acquainted herself with Judith in a previous instance, but this information was already slightly confirmed just before Nadine lunged towards Poropo to initiate the hunt. What seemed to interest Kazimir most was the idea Nadine had been spying on Fairy Tail - Nadine denied the claim and referenced helping Judith and fight Poropo as the only two instances of meeting or interacting with anyone from Fairy Tail.

Poropo decided to speak up, "Hello, I am back sooner than expected." The monk waddled to make his visage clearer among the crowd of three. The monk continued speaking in a positive manner, but towards Kazimir rather than Nadine, "if she was spying on us then she would have chosen a time when I was guaranteed to be alone - she did not seem to know you would appear." The monk then addressed Nadine, "then again, how did you know my rank as a member of Fairy Tail? The rank of any mage is not common knowledge, as far as I am aware." Nadine did not explicitly state Poropo's rank during their initial interaction, but she did mention being of a lower rank than the magical monk.

With all of this seemingly rather calm now, Judith then looked around, She brought things to drink, she realized she forget a glass that might be useful, So she would get that in a moment."If we talk after, You may be able to convince me to allow you to use it another time."Yes it was left to wonder what this discount was, But if it was coming from Judith it was most likely something harmless in some manner, They could easily ask her what it was, she would gladly explain."Because this is not how exactly I wanted a guest of Fairy Tail to be, at least in the state of."With all of what seemed to be done, Judith hopped off of the stool.

"Sadly, You are correct I can not fix that."Judith did not sound like she was trying to offend Nadine with that everyone's pride worked differently."Oh that is what the discount was for, That situation they both did not have a chance to hear of yet."Judith seemed to casually walk over to the close door for a moment.

It was a fair point, but now left it open to have more from that reward from Judith."But alas, I need a glass for your wine."Then Judith just seemed to leave for a moment. Then she would actually get two things the wine glass and a flower.

To Kazimir and Poropo, It was just a flower, Judith had many and often planted so many across the guild and her house that it was almost typical to see any kind of them.Then she returned to the room and well, Said nothing as she stuck that flower from iceberg in Nadine's hair, With her normal smile and said."I have more of them, But this is the exact flower you helped me get that day."So she kept it alive and even some how made more of them.

Then Judith opened that bottle of wine that she brought in, It has the Fairy Tail guild mark on it, Also mentioned being made by Judith herself. then pouring out a dark red wine. Hopefully Nadine was considered safe enough to be united by then. Judith was more waiting until Kazimir gave the okay of it."Did you need anything to drink Poropo?"She did not ask Kazimir this question exactly."Did you need anything Kazimir?"Look at that, Judith was working like she normally was.

It was a magical ponder now learning that."Oh? she knew that information, Quite odd."This was the first time Judith had heard anything like that happening, She barely recalled her own rank so this was something new for her to read.

Judith only knew Kazimir as her guild leader, The ranks of everyone, She never really ask or remembered, she could have read it somewhere but never retained that information. This left Judith in that moment of, How did Nadine learn a thing Judith did not know.

Moving the stool next to Nadine she put the bottle of wine and the glass on it to allow it stay her until it she was given the okay to be free. For now, Nadine had to deal with not only what Poropo and Kazimir asked, But a flower stuck in her hair too. Then well Judith just pondered aloud."Somethings even the wind, nature and all who walk it never know what truly to expect from a person."A figurative phrase from Judith, something Kazimir was use to her doing but the other two were not.

Kazimir almost turned back, thinking he heard Poro mumble something, but shook it off. Surely he would have spoken louder if it was something meant for him to hear. He was glad to see Poro joining them and thoughtful enough to close the door. It would be...troublesome if anyone saw the bound person in the storage room.

The woman kicked her feet up and leaned back as casual as could be. "Ah so you two have met before," he crossed his arms with a raised brow, thinking about what circumstances would lead a person with a bounty to work alongside a guildmage, but he had walked that line many times himself. There was a clear sassiness to her personality but, it was a great way to deal with potentially uncomfortable situations. And being bound in a storage room was certainly one of those.

Kazimir couldn't hold back his small chuckle, "I'm afraid there aren't many secrets to be sold about our guild anyway. We are typically too much of an open book." He added despite the many individual secrets the members held, he couldn't think what anyone would gain from spying too deeply into the guild hall or their affairs. He kept eye contact with the woman as she spoke, respecting her bravado.

"Oh. Just the usual Judith. Thank you," he nodded and stood in the light of the room. His shadow cast on the wall behind him.

"True enough. I'm mostly just curious as to the how. Spying was just an example." Poro kindly pointed out the other question in Kaz's mind. The more detailed information she was able to obtain.

Kazimir gave a small sigh. "Old habits die hard," he shrugged and rose his hand. "If your personality is anything like your fighting style. I assume subtlety is not something you prefer. I also doubt you were spying on us. But I still want to know how you gathered that info or more importantly what all it is you know about us?"

He flicked his hand upward, and a blade of wind shot out beneath Nadine's chair and cut the ropes that bound her. "But we can talk about that over wine I suppose." he smiled at Judith's figurative remark. "True. The wind can only hear so much," He said to Judith and then turned his attention to all three.

"But I doubt Judith would stay happy if we kept treating a guest like a prisoner," he gave a warm smile and opened the door. "Plus you helped me see what Poro was capable of," he patted the monk on the shoulder.

Judith was being as kind as ever, perhaps even more so than what Nadine deserved right now. As much as she would have liked to have a word with the older woman in private, that would have to wait for now. She left the room as the talk continued, promising to be back with a glass.

Kazimir mentioned something that brought back Nadine’s smug smile: the comparison of Fairy Tail being an open book. She wasn’t sure if the man truly believed that, or was simply trying to mislead her. For his guild’s sake she hoped it was the latter, but Fairy Tail’s welfare wasn’t exactly high up on her priorities at the moment.

As Poropo had a word with his Guildmaster, Judith returned. The flower in her hand quickly attracted Nadine’s gaze as a glint of recognition entered her eyes. Before Nadine could say anything though Judith carefully stuck the flower in the demi-human’s hair. The younger woman opened her mouth to protest, but ended up just sighing in reluctant acceptance of the gesture. It wasn’t that she found the flower unappealing, but this was hardly the time for Nadine to look even more helpless.

“..and to think I thought myself a good nature mage,” she said with a quiet chuckle after hearing Judith had managed to grow more of the flowers.

Her gaze returned to Poropo at his question, but Nadine’s expression lost its humor once she understood what it was he wanted to know. Now their curiosities about her spying on them were starting to make sense to her, but the demi-human seemed suddenly disinterested and annoyed with the two men. As if the answer itself was either too bothersome to explain or so fundamental that she couldn’t understand their confusion, Nadine sighed once more. At the very least, Kazimir deemed it okay to release her with a gust of wind.

The Guildmaster was right in his assumption, though; while subtlety was a helpful tool it was not Nadine’s preferred approach to things.

Only for a moment did she stare outside as the door was once again opened. Instead she glanced back down to her legs to remove the bindings and the splints. A degree of sass returned to her tone, but she was more weary of this subject than anything else.

“I realize light guilds generally don’t concern themselves with bounty hunting, but you don’t have to think like a dark mage to understand how the game is played. Don’t be so irresponsibly naive either; both of you are better than that. Consider this a free lesson because now you two have me concerned for Madame Karlinius’ safety. Bounties for light and dark mages are public information if you know where to look. The listing that I saw wasn’t the first instance of the monk’s bounty, it was an update: for two-hundred and fifty-thousand jewels.”

She would let that number hang in the air for a moment as she finished putting the splints aside on the floor. Nadine would even reach down for the wine glass that had been left next to her chair, indulging in a sip as she studied Poropo with a judgmental stare before continuing.

“To earn a jump like that? It’s not only what you did, but who you did it to, and who for. You’d need to be getting involved with very influential people one way or another for a six-figure uptick, the kind of jobs that are above my pay grade. I knew you were a higher ranking mage from that alone, but you’re the ones confirming my guess. And, as I said before in the Fieros Girdle: 'all things considered, I have been nothing but polite.' A truly selfish hunter might attack Fairy Tail directly to force Poropo into a fight, and you’d be lucky if there was only one bounty hunter at that point.”

Nadine would then stand up from her seat after giving that chilling warning. With her free hand she’d pick up the wine bottle off of the stool before walking towards the open door. She wouldn’t leave the room, though. The woman stopped in front of Kazimir as she observed the happenings in the guildhall.

“As for Fairy Tail itself, the guild is more of a library of different stories than a singular open book. Even if the guild doesn’t have secrets, its members do. Isn’t that right, Kazimir?” The woman’s golden eyes flashed towards Kazimir then, narrowing slightly with suspicion. She moved her wine glass to her other hand, and then slowly and deliberately moved her empty palm towards the man’s stomach. If allowed to, she would lightly press her palm against his abdomen. A normal human body would offer resistance in the form of muscles and tightly packed organs. However, if those organs were shriveled away with neglect she’d expect to feel something very different and unnatural.

Judith was kind enough to ask if anyone needed a drink - Poropo would be happy to have an alcoholic drink of any kind but was not sure what to get. He let the others order their drinks which gave time for the monk to decide to have some red wine, a reminder of his time with Knuckles Shi in Bosco, "Red wine for me, please." The monk wondered where Knuckles was at this moment in time, especially since the monk ended up 'meeting' a Nephilim - Poropo blushed a little, distracted by the fact the Iron Deity blessed the monk with 'Nephilimhood' recently. However, in becoming a Nephilim the monk lost his Iron Deity Magic in exchange for a magic called Baratuq Magic.

Nadine getting out of her chair after the binds were taken off by Kazimir shook the monk back into the current situation - Poropo was worried Nadine might do something uncouth within this small room, especially if she somehow knew the monk suddenly did not have magic spells at the moment. The monk started to sweat as Nadine talked aggressively, walking around without a care for anything in the moment other than Judith.

The huntress' presence continued to distract Poropo, similar to the beginning of the fight between them only a few hours ago. Judith had brought drinks in already but the monk had not touched his yet. However, the monk felt he needed to seem undisturbed by Nadine's words so he leaned over to pick up his drink. Unfortunately, the monk would need to compose himself once Nadine announced the total sum of the Contract on Poropo's head.

The monk was doing mathematics in his head based on previous statements made by Nadine just before the fight which culminated in Poropo mumbling, "T-two million, two hundred and fifty thousand jewels..." The glass of wine was not in the monk's hand and would never get there at this rate - he was too shocked by the definitive number by which hunters and huntresses would see Poropo from now on unless the Contract was voided somehow. Nadine was probably more than just correct about hunters going after the monk from now on - such a high number would incentivize changes in careers.

Poropo was not sure how to feel about having a massive target on his back - on one hand, impure people would come to the monk for a chance at winning the lottery which could help the monk clean the world a little more efficiently, but the other hand said he would put those he interacted with in danger if he was not extremely careful. Oddly enough, when thinking about hunters as impure, the monk did not get an image of Nadine in his head - her care for Judith and bluntness about her intentions and method of hunting left the monk feeling she would be a good fit for Fairy Tail.

Poropo turned his attention to Nadine while she was trying to fondle Kazimir - a bold gesture for someone who was bound just a moment ago. This action undid the paralysis on Poropo's otherwise stunned visage, "...you would make a great fairy."

Almost like that Judith seemed like she would casually stroll off to what she was going to get, Then well she jumped, In the way Kazimir might have seen her jump before with the effect of her bunny ears item she recently got, It might be strange to see the small Judith just jump six feet forward for no reason at all just entirely because she felt like it. She was getting the request of Kazimir's usual, Which when she returned she was holding three glasses, one was already filled with what was for Kazimir, Quietly handing it off to him.

"Oh good, I am glad she is able to be free, Do be careful and try not to walk too hard on you freejust in case healing was not enough." Judith was just being herself and making sure Nadine was still okay, Which showed she might not have entirely noticed or listened to what would have happen, If anything Judith getting glasses might have left her out of parts.

Or maybe she did and it was not something she would worry herself about it, It might be something to ask Judith later when she might actually focus on a serious topic of conversation. Pouring Poropo his glass of wine and herself a glass of wine it seemed Judith had just taken this a normal moment of delight."There everyone has something to drink."With that she would pose it as a general thing that even if the conversation a bit more serious, Might be better that it was not just in a storage room to stay and talk here.

After all it might be better to have a conversation some where that might be more fitting then a storage area."Maybe before we get too carried away, We can find some where a bit more fitting to  sit and talk."Judith mentioned, Because she to maybe at least keep this still more welcoming then standing in place, It was just not her way of dealing with these things, It was also her normal way of life.

Plus Judith found talking in a storage room was for more seemingly pointless."I will cook something up to people to eat too if need be."Judith had not chosen an area exactly, It was a chance for Kazimir to choose where if he had wanted too.

"I am sure I have a few high quality stakes for you Nadine."And she already had not forgotten how much Nadine preferred meat over anything else. It might have been given a dead give away with the tail but that was at least Judith's view of it. Then again Judith also might have more then a few find quality kinds of meat here, Judith kept wonderfully large amounts of and different kinds of meat."Or more then steak, I am sure I had other kinds when I planned to make yellow curry at some point."The she just waited taking a few sips of her wine waiting to see how the three of them would react.

Kaz gave a lopsided smile at the flower being placed in her hair. For all the cold and distant way she spoke it seemed, there was a soft spot. Kazimir took the drink from Judith and set it on the shelf next to him. Not wanting to get too distracted from the topic at hand. "Thank you," he spoke softly to Judith.

The wind mage shook his head at the thought of being lectured by the young upstart. "You are good about dancing around answers and shifting the topic," he replied at the woman's nimbleness in not wanting to speak about anything concrete. Her implication about Judith's safety caused the wind mage to look more fatigued at the woman than upset by any emotional baiting that may have been attempted. For all the guild had gone through and Judith, he had no worry about the He held his tongue as the only flaw in her logic was that Neither Judith nor Kazimir had a contract. "A sharp rock has few allies," Kazimir said about her sass and defensiveness, more concerned for the history that she came from than anything.

A heavy atmosphere had bubbled up. Kaz glanced towards Poro as he repeated the number of his bounty. "You have gathered a lot of eyes. But in the end. if it is because you are doing the right thing then it's to be expected. I've been jumped before as well. Even not having a contract. You just have to make sure you're strong enough to keep on fighting. And we'll be with you."

He brought his attention back to the woman, "An argument can be made that attacking someone in and of itself to collect a contract is not polite, even if it wasn't a surprise," Kaz gave a small chuckle.

The mage's eyes narrowed as Nadine implied she knew something about him. A deeper suspicion was beginning to come to light. The woman then crossed over towards Kazimir and the wind mage stiffened for a moment as she reached out her hand towards his stomach, confused as to her intent.

She pressed against his abdomen and it all became clear. Kazimir placed his cold hand on hers and pulled it away from his stomach. She knew...He leaned in to whisper so that only she could hear. "Less than a handful of people know that truth. I've met someone like you before." He understood a little bit more about the woman but the exact nature was still a mystery to him. "You should be careful not to overplay your hand. Information is a dangerous thing to hold onto," it wasn't threatening. In fact, his tone was the opposite, he spoke with a concern for her safety if she had connections or access to information other people would covet.

He stepped back and towards the door, "We do all have something. But I do love to uncover a mystery. And there is still a lot to learn about both of you it seems," he said opening the door once again.

"You're right Judith. dinner sounds lovely. Steaks huh. I think I'll have one too. We can eat in my office. It's a little quieter there than the rest of the guildhall." he took a step out the door when he heard Poropo mention she would be a good fairy.

Kaz stopped and looked back at the two of them. Light snuck into the room between them. Dust glistened in the beams of light, from the old building that had mostly been remodeled. Judith stood next to them as carefree as ever.

"I could see it. You two would make good rivals." he reached back in and snagged the drink off the shelf. "Shall we eat? Oh and Poro I think I have something to tell you as well." He began to walk toward his office and left the door open for them.

There was a truly varied reception to what Nadine had said about Poropo’s bounty.

The monk in question seemed to be hung up on the magnitude of his contract, and Nadine couldn’t really blame him for that. It was a ridiculous sum of jewels to accrue in such a relatively short amount of time. If Nadine’s own bounty ever reached that high she wasn’t sure what she would do herself. Being targeted seemed like an inevitability at that point, though.

Judith appeared to be content that things were proceeding in a somewhat peaceful manner. Oblivious wasn’t what Nadine would call the other woman’s behavior, but perhaps indifferent was the better choice here. It was a strange thing to witness, but it reminded the demi-human of her first meeting with the healer. So long as nothing was immediately wrong, Judith always seemed unbothered.

Last but certainly not the least of the trio’s reactions, Kazimir’s expression and gestures were as plain as his words: neither himself nor Nadine were getting exactly what they wanted here. If anything Fairy Tail’s Guildmaster was supportive of Poropo accumulating a price on his head if it meant continuing their crusade of do-gooding. She said nothing though at his jab regarding her manners; that was surely another topic that neither of them would give ground on.

The Guildmaster sparked a look of intrigue in her eyes after pulling her hand away and lowering his voice for her ears only. It was easily the only thing said so far that managed to hook the demi-human’s attention so sharply. Being unfamiliar with her own newfound powers of perception she wondered what the vampire was playing at, and why he was so sure of himself.

“You’re making assumptions thinking I’ll answer your questions, but Madame Karlinius makes a compelling argument against leaving too quickly.” There was a bit of reluctance in her tone at this confession, but Nadine didn’t feel that she risked any danger by staying here. With how casual this interrogation had been Nadine was under the impression that she’d be allowed to leave freely if she pushed for it.

After hearing what Poropo said about her though she shot the man a dubious glare, thinking he was mocking her. Kazimir echoed the monk’s assessment legitimizing Poropo’s claim, though; that earned the Guildmaster a sudden scoffing huff in reply. As emphatic as she was with her doubt in their judgement of character the woman’s gaze didn’t rise to meet Kazimir’s. A light guild of all places would be the last place she’d expect to call a home.

Seeing that Kazimir had something to discuss with Poropo, Nadine glanced at Judith.

“Why don’t you lead the way to the kitchen, then? I’m sure you could use a hand carrying things.”

Nadine glared at Poropo when he called her a potential member of Fairy Tail - the idea of joining a light guild seems to disgust her for a reason the monk could not imagine. At the very least, Judith was able to distract the tension in the cramped storage room with the promise of good food! Poropo was happy to eat something after a long day as well and said, "yes, I could use a steak, too. Thank you very much, Judith." Kazimir even offered to let those present in this storage room to eat in his office! Poropo had not seen his Guild Master's office before and wondered what was inside.

However, Kazimir wanted to talk with the monk before they left the storage room - Poropo waited with his Guild Master as Judith and Nadine made their way out. The monk then turned to Kazimir, "what did you want to talk about?" The monk was curious about Kazimir's continued interest in the monk - Nadine unintentionally gave Poropo a chance to prove himself in front of the Fairy Tail Guild Master, but the reason Kazimir wanted a capable fighter in Fairy Tail was knowledge the monk did not possess. The monk waited with baited breath for his Guild Master's weighty words.

All and all Judith still did not really think much else was too much to worry about in the end, Then again if Judith had to make everyone behave she would, She might not have the power too but she would try. This was a peaceful place after all these areas needed to be some what peaceful for the other members of the guild, no matter the behaviour of the other people.

Then again follow Judith to the kitchen Judith had a few jokes she could actually say now."Oh is it because you want the flower out of your hair?"Judith said to laugh with to start, After all Nadine would be watching Judith just cook steaks. Because she did not need much help in the end.

But still it gave her a chance to just how she could be a bit more cruel."But if your here, I hope you don't assume your getting your food early."Judith mentioned in her normal tone of voice. Sadly for Nadine she was in it now.

As Judith enter her kitchen to prepare these steaks for everyone, as she was setting them on to cook she would just say."Or if you did really think that, I could be cruel.....And get you to do the dishes."Judith mentioned and it sounded serious, Leaving it unsure if Judith would actually get her to do it.

Then she just laugh."I am kidding, I do not think I need your help here, But stay here if you like."Judith mentioned. It gave a chance for Nadine to see aside from everything Judith used for cooking the things Judith had around in the kitchen.

Nadine could see between the lingering smells of cooking steaks all of the family pictures Judith had laid out in her work station. Some where of her husband and her alone,It seemed to be the younger years of her light progressing, from when she had a young Regis, Then one with Judina and Regis. One with the three mentioned children, One with the three children, the one adopted child and her husband.

Then Nadine saw a picture of Regis and his then alive wife and daughter. And Judith with one adult woman and her two children that seemed almost out of place because they were not in any previous pictures, Leaving a story left untold.

The main thing if you looked at all these pictures by the ordering window and sprawled around the kitchen is, Judith looked like she had never aged at all. She was the same even while everyone else had aged. Something Nadine could notice if she looked at the pictures while Judith cooked the steaks.

Eventually after cooking all of them and gathering the plates for them."Come Nadine I promise we won't be long let's us go see what Kazimir wants to talk about."Most likely it would not be long for what was to come, Just one last moment.

"Only what you want to. I'm sure you have some of your own," Kaz shrugged at Nadine's reply. He was always curious about all that was around him, and was rarely short on questions for people, but was never pushy about anything. Unless it was an interrogation.

The wind mage grinned at her scuffing huff. To him, it only proved that she was more apt to be a fairy than not. After all, if a vampire could make it...surely it was an accepting guild. Kazimir was ready to walk out when Judith and Nadine had gone first and both headed to the kitchen. He began to raise his hand and stop them when Poro spoke. He could have kicked himself in the butt. He had made it seem like there was something super-secret to speak about when it was really just to catch Poro up to speed now that he was one of the highest-ranked members in the guild.

"Well Poro," he said and turned to face the monk. The wind mage pondered what he wanted to say to Poro and how to word it. It was a golden moment to talk about something else on his mind. Something that he had put aside beforehand. He shifted his weight to one leg and scratched the back of his head, "Well, I didn't expect us to break away from one another. But there is something I want to talk to you about. Since we have this moment."

He looked out the doorway at the guildhall and the up-and-coming mages, as well as the empty seats where mages of the past used to sit. "As it stands right now. You, me, and Judith are the only strong mages in the guild. Judith's focus is on healing so your magic gives us a good round out of abilities. They will be useful in the coming attacks." He turned back to face Poro. "The former guildmaster was my godmother. She left to go face the dragons that threaten Earhtland. As she left, she asked me to look after the guild. However, the dragons have already attacked once and that was just a warning shot. I suspect they are planing a bigger attack. Your power is enough to contend with an elder dragon. And when they arrive, they will try to take out Magnolia. You and I may be the predominant force to attack the dragon, while Judith provides healing." Kaz put his hands on his hips and let out a breath. "But we can talk more about all that later, if you want. Don't want to keep those two waiting after all." Kaz would stay and answer any stray questions from the monk and then make his way out.


Kazimir opened the door to the office. The far wall had been replaced with a large window that overlooked the city with a balcony. Within was a western-themed layout, just the way Adriana had it, but there were a few Joyan paintings on the walls, to pay tribute to his homeland. A meeting table was near the center of the room, lined with cushioned chairs. In the center of the table was a teapot, surrounded by small serving glasses. A shelf of alcohol sat untouched on a far shelf, from the former guild master.

As he waited for the other two to arrive, Kaz poured everyone some tea and sat back in his chair. He took a sip of the steamy beverage and waited, even though it didn't taste like much to him anymore. His shadow was gone and if there was one thing in the room that was odd, it was the lack of mirrors. They were replaced with training equipment.

When Nadina and Judith entered and sat down, Kaz would place his tea on the table. "Well. since Poro is the only one in this room who doesn't know yet," he shot a friendly smile toward the cheeky Nadine. "I am a vampire."

Following Judith outside of the storage room Nadine tried to get her mind off the two men. She knew that they hadn’t been simply poking fun at her. The person doing that was the self proclaimed Mother of Fairies, ironically enough.

“You are a different kind of bully from your compatriots, Madame Karlinius,” muttered the younger woman with a chuckle. Even though it was said that Nadine wouldn’t be getting to eat early that didn’t stop the demi-human from plucking a dinner roll from a basket sitting on a counter. She didn’t bother to answer the threat of being told to do dishes. As much as she hated the idea of doing servant work for Fairy Tail, she did have water magic at her disposal. To think that Judith had to do the dishes as well as cook kind of got on Nadine’s nerves, though; she knew the older woman enjoyed the busywork, but that wasn’t the point.

As Judith cooked Nadine hungrily ate several dinner rolls while taking in her surroundings. Staring at Judith from behind she committed the faces directly connected to the woman to her own memory. Family. Friends. Allies. It was honestly surprising to her to realize what kind of connections this humble, unassuming woman had. There was one relationship she was keenly interested in more than the others. Nadine moved to the wall of photos eventually, taking a few minutes to study them.

“So that’s what the fool looks like after cleaning up,” she said as she softly spoke her thoughts, looking towards the photo of Regis and his family. She also noticed that Judith looked the same for the most part, in all these family photos. Given their discussion before in Iceberg, this didn’t surprise her too much, though. “Your son is.. Well, he is alive. He showed up in Iceberg not long after you returned to Fiore. He is a stubborn one though, isn’t he?”

Once everyone’s meals were plated Nadine picked up two of the dishes, helping as she said she would, and headed to the office with Judith.

After entering the Guildmaster’s private room she set one of the plates down on the table in front of Poropo, offering the monk a silent and reluctant nod of acknowledgement as she did so. Upset as she was about having her legs broken earlier, that was her fault for being unprepared for the man’s counterattack. She would not underestimate him a second time. Now that she wasn’t distracted there was something else she saw in the monk that caught her attention, but the woman took a seat to start eating.

Her golden eyes rose up to catch Kazimir’s gaze and smile, but she did not smile back even after swallowing her food. Nadine was not fond of the undead, but what she saw when she looked at Kazimir made the woman bite back her criticism for now. The only real reaction he would get from her was a resigned sigh.

“Well, if those are the kind of secrets we’re sharing, I’m a demi-human,” she said casually as she cut another bite sized chunk out of her steak with her knife. Her gaze then pointedly turned to Poropo as she arched her brow. “Your turn,” she said before forking the cut of meat into her mouth.

Upon hearing Poropo and Kazimir would be the front line between elder dragons and the rest of Magnolia, the predominant voice in the monk's head said something akin to, [I need my magic. I need to get my magic back! I NEED THE IRON DEITY TO GIVE ME BACK MY MAGIC!] A physical sign of being shaken by this information of an impending dragon attack was a shiver down the monk's back and a shake of his head to free himself of his repeating thoughts. All the monk could say in return was, "sounds g-good to me...yes."

Poropo attempted to hiding his shivering as he followed Kazimir to his office while Nadine and Judith were preparing food - the monk felt strange letting Nadine walk around freely within Fairy Tail's Guild Hall, but she also seemed much more docile than their initial encounter. However, aside from the news of dragons, the other impending feeling came from Nadine - she was waiting for Poropo to be alone again in the future. Whether this future was near or distant could not be known to the ignorant monk.

Poropo sat himself, still shivering every now and again, but mostly calm and taking in the scenery of Kazimir's Office. Nadine and Judith then came in to serve food to everyone with Nadine making sure to be the one to serve Poropo - the symbolism was not lost on the monk as he shakily clasped his hands in prayer, nodding at Nadine as thanks for the food, "T-thank you..." Poropo began gulping down his plate piece by piece as he listened to everyone else speak. When Kazimir mentioned being a vampire, the monk had to pound his chest as food got stuck from shock, "HU! Ok...a vampire..."

To ease his nerves, the monk kept eating but had to pound his chest once more after Nadine asked Poropo to explain what he was, "Ugh...I guess eating can wait...I am a h-human, mostly...maybe the battle I had with Nadine ended with me being b-blessed by the Iron Deity...I have heard making a contract with a divine being makes an individual a Nephilim." Poropo looked around, about to eat something but decided to put his food down for now - perhaps Judith had something revealing to add to the conversation.

It seemed with the cooking of food Nadine and Judith seemed to have more of a talk about the things that matter in Judith's life over all. Rather then anything else that was going on in the current moment. Which was something most people did not really do all that often, Then again maybe because it was connected to one of her children, Judith did not mind this as she cooked, Since she knew have to balance how to cook and how to talk."Oh please, I would a bully feed you food they cook themselves Nadine? I think not."Judith mentioned, Because she knew she was far from a bully, Judith was a small innocent mother after all, But you could easily see a slightly smug smile on her face and a laugh.

Just to make sure Nadine could control her needed to eat before settling into the dinner Judith herself had set up, Side from the dinner rolls, Judith walked over to her collect of many items with in the fridge, Took out a fairly large size of kielbasa and handed it to Nadine, Just so Judith could finish not only the steaks, but the adding in some vegetables for Poropo,Nadine and herself. After all Judith did think mash potatoes and asparagus did work well with them."I had a feeling he still lingered the planet...I do worry for him, No matter my offers to help, He yet answers anything to them."Which given what Nadine had seen of Judith's son Regis, It was easily guessed that Judith had been trying, Regis was just stuck in his own cycle of depression."Most of my children are stubborn, The only one who isn't is Waylon....Judina was stubborn, Regis is stubborn...Much like their father it is not anything new."With that Judith gathered the plates of completed meals to actually have this meeting.

They delayed because Judith was being herself and making sure everyone ate something and was happy. It showed in some manner the control Judith had around here, Even if not intentional.

So it seemed it was a fairly simple thing, Kazimir told everyone something she assumed was a secret, Nadine told everyone, something that might have been easy to tell with the tail she had, Poropo mentioned something Judith did not know, Nor would she have guessed either, Then again it was never her worry to start with.

With Poropo looking at Judith like she had some kind of secret she had to share. Judith seemed to be the disappointment of the group topic."Well well aren't I the odd one out here, I am still entirely human after all."Since everyone was revealing race Judith mentioned hers since well it only seemed fitting for the conversation, She was a simple human nothing more or less would really be told upfront of Judith unless some one really asked, But it would not promise a out right answer  from her.

"Good," he replied to Poro as they all made their way up to the office. Once there the others arrived soon after.

Nadine locked eyes with the vampire, but she kept a stony stare. She somehow seemed, even more, colder to his presence now than before. She sat down with a sigh, and Kaz finished pouring the tea for everyone and took a sip from the drink that Judith had brought him. Careful to clean the crimson liquid completely from his mouth before setting it back down.

"Maybe I should get a straw sometime," he chuckled to himself.

"Yes," he looked back at Poro, to confirm that Kaz had announced himself as a vampire. "I hope that doesn't bother anyone here. Judith already knew, and Nadine was keenly aware. Given that Poro has become one of our most active members, I felt it important and respectful that you became aware of my condition." he spoke to the table but mostly at Poro. Nadine seemed largely unaffected which he assumed came from how she uncovered the truth anyway.

"Ah yes. A demi-human is as rare these days as the many other races claim to be," he replied and hoped the chair wasn't a discomfort for her tail. Which made him wonder if she could use that same tail as a weapon, but he'd save that small talk for another time.

"Blessed by the Iron Deity," Kaz spoke softly. This could prove problematic if the church were to be involved. "It does indeed make you a Nephilim. I was one once. At your rate of improvement. I imagine you will get your wings before too long."

"Not odd at all. It seems we are a full table of different races, making us all equally odd," he laughed and cut a piece of his steak. "We should eat before it gets cold," he took a bite. "You know, this is the first dinner with people I've had in this office. I hope your legs are feeling all better now Nadine. Feel free to rest here as long as you would like, but of course the doors are always open for you," he added, to make sure she knew he had no intention of trying to stop her from leaving.

After having met Regis for herself, Nadine wasn't surprised to hear that he kept refusing Judith's help. If she hadn't forced her own assistance upon the man she didn't think that he'd survive in Iceberg's woodlands. That detail Judith didn't need to know, though. Her son was doing as well as he could be given his life circumstances, and was ultimately safe. Perhaps another time Nadine might have something more substantial for the older woman.

As the dinner proceeded in Kazimir's office the woman found herself enjoying the meal, but remaining lukewarm about most of the present company. She did nod in agreement with Kazimir when he pointed out how uncommon demi-human's were, though; like wood elves her kind usually kept to themselves. Poropo appeared to have a bit of trouble eating as interesting bits of information were passed around. Somehow, it was a tad frustrating to know that Judith's cooking was closer to knocking the monk out than her gauntlets. Although the monk did have valid reason to be concerned about what was being discussed. Vampires were dangerous as a general rule, and Nadine was mildly suspicious about Poropo's own sudden ascension. She was unfamiliar with this 'Iron Deity,' but religion had never been a big part of her life to begin with.

Having continued eating since prodding Poropo with a question, Nadine was far ahead on Kazimir when he suggested for everyone to dig in. Her gaze flickered up from her food when the Guildmaster addressed her again, prompting the woman to swallow what she had been chewing on. She paused to regard the man with a thoughtful stare before replying in a calm tone.

"You didn't have to bring me back here, and I'm not ungrateful for the healing. While my pride is the only thing stinging right now, what happened in the Fieros Girdle was just business. In the business of bounty hunting, losing a fight sometimes costs more than your pride. But, I'm not going to apologize for targeting your friend. Chances are we'll see each other again if we both keep playing this game." Nadine's stare shifted to Poropo briefly before she looked back down to her own plate and started cutting another piece of meat off her steak. "The next time might not be just business, but if I'm continuing to be honest, it'd kind of piss me off if someone else got to him first. Can't have that, now can I?"

She'd let everyone at the table interpret what she said for themselves as she ate the piece she had cut. Nadine said what she felt needed to be said, and what she felt she owed the people here; that was that. She'd then casually wave her knife around in a circular motion, intending to gesture to their current setting.

"You should do this more often though, eating together, I mean. Guilds do that, or so I hear."

The monk was able to continue eating after Kazimir, Nadine, and Judith stopped sharing surprising information - Judith's information was not necessarily a surprise, but the presentation almost made the monk choke a third time. Poropo coughed a little from the soreness of his throat, but otherwise did not have trouble swallowing his bites of food whole, as he usually did. The monk listened and thought intently about Kazimir's invitation for Nadine to come and go as she pleased - Poropo been hunted by Nadine earlier today and felt unease. Nadine also seemed to feel a sense of unease, albeit different to the monk's.

Nadine made a comment about hunting the monk and looked to him, continuing to prove the monk's uneasiness was not unfounded - a single, nice dinner is not going to remove the impurity within a person's soul, believed the monk now more than ever. Poropo respected Nadine's blunt practicality - she needed jewels and hunting the monk was the way to get jewels. Poropo swallowed his last half of steak whole, shoving the juicy meat down his gullet with a push of his fork. He then cleared his throat as he got up from sitting, "I now feel honored to have been hunted by you, Nadine. You seem to be honest and respectful, which I appreciate."

The monk then turned to Kazimir and Judith, "I need to get going now - I have some training to do now that the Iron Deity has bless me. Thank you kindly for the food, Judith." Poropo then turned back to Nadine and bowed, "if you find me then you can have my bounty, hah hah hah!" Poropo then left Kazimir's office with a target on his back - the monk felt the impurities of the world need to be focused in his direction if he was to cleanse them, starting with Nadine who seemed corrupted by something the monk could not see.

This all just carried interesting things in it's own manner. always nice to have a few things to note with in the manner of this situation. It was out of the bag that Kazimir was a vampire, Judith did learn a few things about Poropo and well Nadine even if going after bounties for her own personal wanting, Still was a fairly nice and decent person in terms of the actions here afterwards, Then again Judith could credit it to her cooking as well."I do worry that No one will help Regis and he will be forever drifting away in his bleak sea of despair"Judith would mention in general on their way back before they settled into eating where all of the listed above information would be learned.

It seemed Poropo left quickly, Not that it offeneded Judith if anything it would leave it left to mention by Judith for Nadine and Kazimir."I could also make desert as well, I am sure I have a few things that could be made up."Judith mentioned because well this was just her normal work, Judith kept her members happy this way, considering the food people were eating and how content it people where, Judith wanted to be sure people had wanted it before anything else, She would not really make anything if people refused.

"Nor did I ask you too," he politely responded to Nadine saying she wouldn't apologize for attacking Poro. The monk had made it clear he wanted a clean battle with her and it was one. Kaz had no further input on that front. "I'm sure you two will find yourselves on the battlefield again someday. Bounty Hunting has always seemed a bit too much work for me," Kaz laughed off the situation that they were in. But If Poro was ever in serious trouble again he would be there as always to make sure he was safe. Next time it may not be someone as forward as Nadine.

"I'm glad it was you," Kaz said once more, thinking it nice for Poro to have himself a rival of sorts.

"Ah of course Poro. Thank you for joining us. Best of luck on training." Kaz nodded toward the monk as he made his leave, wondering how soo Nadine would go after him again.

"Thank you, Judith. If anything maybe something for Nadine. I well...you know," he replied subtly hinting at his vampiric needs that dessert didn't cover.

"It is nice," Kaz replied to Nadine and looked around the table. "I suppose they do. I waited too long, to do this. I was away for some time, though. Do you have anyone you share a meal with?"

"So it seems the two of you know each other already? What all happened?" Kaz asked and took a bit of his meal as if nothing was odd about the situation.