‘Hello Ikazuchi, this is Augustus and I’m reaching out to you through the guild due to your previous work for my company related to the Dawncliff Mine. I truly appreciate and respect the skills you displayed while dispatching the guards within the mine during my previous request. We were able to profit immensely during this short time, however, the company you forced out of that area has been showing signs of returning.

It’s for this reason that I would like to request your services once more. Should they return, I hope that you will be able to drive them out once more. If you are willing to accept my request, I hope that you will stop by my office tomorrow in order to further discuss the details of the request. - Augustus’


Ikazuchi had just returned to the guild after a long day of training and was greeted by a letter from one of his previous employers. ‘Did you even introduce yourself?’ He couldn’t help but question whether he forgot or simply didn’t receive the man’s name previously. He was able to recall the man as there was only one instance that he visited the mine outside of his most recent trip with Xerxes. After that, he carried the letter with him to the room that he claimed for himself and considered whether he should accept as he cleaned himself thoroughly.

‘Who am I to say no to easy money?’ He spent all of this time considering it, but he knew after deciding that it was almost impossible for him to not accept. In the end, his interest in the mine was too high. Considering that, why would he not accept a new quest to spend time in the depths of the mines. It was also possible that he could work out a deal to obtain resources if Augustus was satisfied.

He didn’t think he could improve his skills as a blacksmith easily, so he accepted that he would need to steadily practice and explore new techniques. He had many opportunities for that due to the requests from the guild members, but they were slowing down after the initial influx of interest ceased. It was more common for the members to seek repairs in recent days, so he chose to look towards finding alternative methods to continue his practice.

Despite thinking the request would be simple, Ikazuchi didn’t neglect his gear as he thoroughly checked and maintained it. His equipment was high quality, but he didn’t rely on that fact as he continuously strove to keep it in perfect condition between battles. He was particularly strict with himself in this regard due to his skills as a blacksmith. Other than his actual physical abilities and sword skills, this behavior was what allowed him to be successful despite being unable to use magic. This maintenance continued until Ikazuchi was satisfied with the condition of his gear and chose to sleep in preparation for the request he would take.

Word Count: 490

Ikazuchi woke up early the next morning in order to prepare for the day ahead of him. He chose to do some light training to warm up his body before enjoying his breakfast. His general physical activity ensured that he had an abnormally large appetite, so he always stood out among his various guildmates when they happened to encounter each other during meals. On this particular day though, he found himself eating alone due to how early it was in the day.

After his meal, Ikazuchi made his way outside where his mount stayed and began preparing it for his trip to Rush Valley. “What? Not happy about getting up this early?” Ikazuchi was amused by the red wyvern that acted disgruntled. After being together so long, he knew that it was far lazier than he would have expected. He felt as though he could only recall it basking in the sun during the times when it wasn’t out hunting for its own food. He couldn’t help but pause his actions at that thought. “Are you gaining weight?” He closely observed the wyvern’s physique as he recalled the fact that the guild provided it food allowing it to be lazier than usual.

Hearing his question caused the creature to respond angrily as he chuckled and responded to its actions. “You’re going to go hunt your own food from now on.” The wyvern’s movements ceased after he said this. It’s eyes that looked at him seemed to be saying ‘Why would you do this to me?’ Ikazuchi smiled more as he knew the creature’s dramatic nature when it came down to working. Still, he had never once seen it ignore his commands since their unique fate bound them together.

Ikazuchi simply patted its head causing the wyvern to immediately calm down before finishing his preparations. He proceeded to double check all of the various connections on the saddle attached to the wyverns back before finally leading it to the open space they would depart from. “Time to go, partner.” Ikazuchi spoke those words as he skillfully mounted the wyvern that rose into the sky moments after he finished speaking.

Ikazuchi took in the sights of Orchidia as he flew away, intending to arrive at Rush Valley roughly two hours later. He attempted to line up his arrival time with an appropriate time to arrive at his employer's office, otherwise he would have left as soon as he woke up. His delay had only been for the sake of avoiding an unnecessary wait, not to mention the fact that he could enjoy the morning sky by flying during this time.

He was part of the way through his journey when he noticed movement from the neck of his mount that turned its head back to look at him as it flew. Despite the inexpressive face, he could clearly perceive the creature’s smugness. It seemed as if it wanted Ikazuchi to acknowledge its usefulness, or perhaps take back the words he said earlier. In response to this, Ikazuchi simply stared at it long and hard before finally speaking to it. “If you keep looking at me like that, we’re going to crash into the ground…” Panicked adjustments were made by the wyvern that finally noticed itself drifting far off course. Ikazuchi managed to stifle his laughter as he enjoyed the moment. It was a welcomed source of entertainment during the time he would spend traveling, so he didn’t do anything to stop its antics throughout the flight even if that meant his arrival would be slightly delayed.

Word Count: 590
Total Word Count: 1,080

Ikazuchi’s arrival in Rush Valley wasn’t one that went unnoticed. He had gained enough infamy that he would have likely been recognized regardless, but his choice to land his wyvern directly in front of the employer’s office ensured that he wouldn’t go unnoticed. It was only due to recognizing him, the owner of the creature, that the guards reluctantly backed off. They were unwilling to see a criminal roaming the streets, but were also unable to prevent him from doing so. Unless a powerful mage or adventurer stepped up, Ikazuchi would be able to roam freely through most cities. He wasn’t fond of the attention that he was given, but he accepted it due to the bounty on his head.

After dismounting his wyvern, Ikazuchi made his way into the familiar building and entered the office of the man named Augustus. “Ikazuchi! Thank you for accepting my request, I have no reason to worry now!” Ikazuchi felt perplexed as he listened to the man speaking. After entering the building, he recalled the man’s frustration due to his actions last time. It was only more surprising that he was contacted after considering this fact. Based on Augustus’ behavior now, it seemed that the man had no other way to respond to the circumstances that Ikazuchi created in the mine.

“Of course, I wouldn’t turn my back on a former employer like that.” Ikazuchi smiled and ignored the slight twitching that came from the heavyset man’s face. “Now, let’s discuss the details of the request.” While he found the man’s behavior amusing, he didn’t intend to continue a meaningless conversation. “That would be for the best.” Augustus took a deep breath as he composed himself before speaking. “As my letter said, the company that lost access to the mine has been moving suspiciously recently. Without any direct ownership of the area established they can’t use the law to reclaim what you took, but that also means they can simply take it back.” The man seemed slightly frustrated as he looked at Ikazuchi who seemed unfazed by what was said. “I recently learned from an informant that they had hired a mage to enter into the mine and reclaim their territory…”

Ikazuchi, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. “So, you want me to take care of that mage and protect your area of the mine?” He summarized everything the man said with that one sentence, and naturally ignored any responsibility he had for the current situation. The man nodded his head in response to that question causing Ikazuchi to smile slightly as he spoke once more. “Then let’s talk about the rewards.” Augustus was quick to respond after hearing Ikazuchi’s statement. “The same as last time, bonus included of course.” The show of decisiveness seemed to be an attempt to not be taken advantage of, but Ikazuchi wasn’t concerned. “That’s it? You want me to fight a mage for such a small amount?” Ikazuchi’s tone was particularly cold at this moment, expressing his displeasure. Augustus was unsure what to say in response, so the two sat in silence for a period of time.

That silence only ended after a minute due to Ikazuchi. “After this, you will become a supplier for the guild. If you can’t agree to this, then you can deal with your mage alone.” He had never forgotten this goal of his, and he felt this was the best time to mention it. “Supplier?” Ikazuchi smiled slightly at Augustus’ confusion. “Yes, supplier. We need resources for equipment, and you need skilled guards. If you provide us the resources, I can have certain guild members act as long term guards for your mining operation.” The deal progressed naturally after that as both sides gained what they needed, and Ikazuchi could resolve the immediate concern now that the negotiations had ended.

Word Count: 640
Total Word Count: 1,720

With everything settled, Ikazuchi departed on his wyvern once more intending to quickly resolve the issues at the mine before returning to the guild. It wouldn’t be long before he obtained the resources he needed on top of securing steady income for some of his guildmates. As members of a Dark Guild, that was something that would be welcomed by everyone. They may receive numerous requests, but the lack of consistency wasn’t something good for the guild long term. If they could establish more long term contracts, they would be able to more easily maintain and improve their position.

He was in a good mood after arriving in the depths of the mine where he stood guard in preparation for the mage that would arrive at some point today. He naturally surveyed the mining area he secured previously during this and noted the kinds of ores that could be found in order to know what he would be receiving in the future. He was completely satisfied in the end, and was only left disappointed by how long the mage was taking to show up.

He lost track of the hours by the time the mage finally appeared. “This mine is now under my con-!” Ikazuchi lunged forward and drove his sword through the chest of the mage who appeared during that time after recognizing the affiliation of the man was the same as the guards from his first request. “This is the kind of trash he requested me for?” Ikazuchi was disappointed by the mage, but thankful to be done with the request. On his way out, he caught sight of another area under the protection of guards with the same affiliation. ‘I will clear this area while I’m here.’ Having already become an enemy to the company previously, he didn’t hesitate to kill the guards before ultimately returning to the office. Once he received his payment, Ikazuchi naturally returned to the guild in order to discuss the contract with a few of the guild members.

Word Count: 330
Total Word Count: 2,050

OOC: Quest Complete