She was exhausted. After traveling from Marigold to Oak City by way of her Tempest Wolf, the teen had hoped to find some answers in the very least. Some clue as to what happened at Penumbrel Guard. Some answers or hints as to the whereabouts of her friends and guildmates Tomoe, Aegis, Masami, Lucian... and her boyfriend. Ko.

Where was he right now?

He wasn't part of the guild. So he wasn't there during the fire. Or was he? He had his issues... his dark... secrets. That's what drew her to him. They were so much alike in that aspect. As the girl walked down the empty streets, she looked up at the moon as it shone in the night sky, surrounded by the twinkling stars. It was full. And fit so beautifully with the quiet calm of the city streets.

She felt an urge to howl but suppressed it. She didn't intend on anyone finding out what she was. Not yet. She knew there were those out there not so accepting of those who are... different. Vampires. Werewolves. Demons. All monsters of the night.

Feared.

Hated.

Misunderstood.

Yes, there was some evil out there. But, the truth was there was good and evil among all races. No one was perfect. She encountered a friendly alpha werewolf seeking her help. Lucian was also proof that not all werewolves were evil. But, in helping that alpha, she had encountered a werewolf of not so pure nature. In fact, that encounter was how she ended up what she is now. Or rather, was becoming. She had the traits but lacked the power to transform. She was kind of grateful for that fact, as she was unsure what'd happen once she finally turned for the first time.

Would she lose control?

'Lucian was supposed to be here with me... guiding me to do the right thing... teaching me how to control this... Luci, where are you...?' She thought as her fists clenched tightly.

Winter:

Walking by her side was a small six-tailed fox with fluffy white fur. The creature looked up at the young woman with concern in her deep ice blue eyes. She let out a tiny yip and whine as she nuzzled the teen's leg.

The teen werewolf looked down at the fox and offered a smile. "I'm fine, Winter. I'm just... lost in thought." She reassured her companion as they walked down the streets.

It was quiet, empty, some might even say eerie. Yet the darkness of the night didn't seem to bother this young girl at all. She walked along the streets as though it were day. But the night was also cold, prompting her to dress warmly in winter attire. She wore a toboggan, gloves, a warm coat, long pants, and knee-high boots. Her color scheme was black and turquoise blue.

There wasn't a lot, if any, snow on the ground to be seen. Maybe a few patches here and there. Rinni Faithe hadn't noticed either way. It wasn't the weather she was focused on, after all. It was finding some clue as to what happened and where her loved ones had gone. After all, she refused to believe they were dead.

As she continued her stroll down the empty streets, she paused and lifted her head at an unfamiliar smell. The scent of alcohol and some other unfamiliar aromas entered her nostrils causing her to sniff the air a few times in an attempt to identify the smells, only to sneeze twice as they tickled her nose in a very uncomfortable way.

Having a sensitive nose was a bitch.

The smell was drawing closer, however. She couldn't quite ignore it now. She caught the scent of wine but being unfamiliar with alcoholic beverages as a minor she wasn't sure what kind. She also caught the scent of smoke; odd. Was the source of the smell a smoker? A fancy cologne entered her nose causing another light sneeze. But the strongest scent she noticed was the metallic aroma of blood.

Lots of blood.

This caused the girl to stop dead in her tracks. A million thoughts in her head. Whose blood was it? Was someone injured? Or was another Tenshi heading her way? She couldn't dare go through another night like that! She was stronger now than she was when that man cornered her that night.

She refused to be cornered again.

Activating her Pocket Dimension Ring, she summoned her bow. As it materialized in her hand, she drew back the bowstring aiming in the direction of the smell as two figures approached her. A yellow arrow materialized as the bowstring was drawn back, and Rinni stood rigid, though slightly trembling, as she had no intent on killing anyone.

"Who's there? Who... who are you?" She called out, her voice betraying her attempt at boldness.

Items:

As Gunter and Kratos were leaving the bar and walking down the frigid, cobblestone streets of Oak, enjoying the nice and snowy weather, Kratos was finishing off a bottle of whiskey and Gunter was having a nice cigar with the aftertaste of wine still on his breath. He was wearing a nice black four-piece suit, and dress shoes. He did not care if they'd get ruined by the snow, for he would simply just buy a new pair. What was money to someone who lived like a mob boss? Kratos looks at Gunter and says "So boss, what's the pla-" and they were then interrupted by the voice of a young woman. She asked who they were, and when they looked in the direction through the snowy night, they saw a young girl with a bow pointed directly at them.

Gunter looked this woman dead in the eyes, took one last deep inhale from his cigar, and ashed it out on the bottom of his shoe. He then said "And who might you be, little one? An assassin, perhaps? Are you here looking for revenge?" Gunter would then wait on her response, his armor, helmet and weapon in his pocket dimension ring. His Eye of Kaom was not active, but it was on his forehead. His necklace, earrings and all of that would be on him. After Rinni's response, Kratos would look down at her companion and say to Gunter "Hey boss, that thing looks tasty. Can I eat it?"

Gunter would reply to Kratos "No. Remember my friend, we need to be civil. Besides, you just ate. We don't want you getting fat, now." Kratos would respond "Fine. But if she fires that arrow, I will have a midnight snack." Gunter would simply shrug. He would then ask the young woman "What is that, by the way? Your traveling companion. I haven't seen a creature like it before. Does it have a name, and is it friendly?"

When waiting for the young girl's response, he would crouch down and extend a hand for the small creature to sniff. Being that it is a sign to most pets that one is trying to be friendly.

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Despite the darkness and the dim light of the moon and street lamps, Rinni could see the man and his companion perfectly clear even at 10 meters distance. She trembled slightly as something about the two of them was offputting. She never saw a creature like that of the one beside him. His companion, she assumed. When the man took notice of her, he responded quite calmly for a man being held up by a bow. She watched him flick out his cigar, and as he spoke to her, various emotions hit her at once.

Firstly, he referred to her as 'Little One' a term of endearment once used by her friend Lucian. This caused her to lower the bow slightly as she let out an audible gasp as she felt a sting in her heart. Where was Lucian? Was he alive? Was he in trouble? Did he need her help? Her inner thoughts were interrupted when the man asked if she were an assassin or someone out for revenge. She was confused by this question, and once she found her voice again, she answered him shakily.

"Assassin? N-no, sir. I'm... just a ranger. Why... would I be looking for revenge? I don't even know you. I'm... I'm just looking for my friends..." She was then startled to hear the three-horned creature speak. Her shock by the fact he spoke was overpowered by the words he said, prompting her to aim her bow at the large monster in defense of the small fox that now huddled behind her legs trembling.

Rinni relaxed only a little when the man told his companion that he could not eat the fox, causing both the girl and her companion to sigh in relief. She was still wary, however, of a companion that would so casually want to eat someone else's companion. What the hell was that thing? His threat to eat Winter should she fire her bow caused her to tense up. Reflexively, and in an attempt to show she meant no harm, she returned her bow into her ring's pocket dimension. As it shimmered out of existence, she noticed the man's interest in her companion.

"I... what? Oh... she's... she's a snow vulpix... her name is Winter." The teen responded as she cautiously kept an eye on the three-horned monster while speaking to the man. Her brown eyes then fell to the stranger as he squatted down and held out his hand to reassure her companion of no ill intent.

The teen folded her arms nervously and bit her lower lip as Winter slowly inched closer to the man, sniffing his hand gingerly. She then lightly licked his fingertips, and if he would attempt to pet her head she would quickly react by running behind the girl to hide timidly, to which Rinni would respond in her defense, "She's.... she's a bit shy. But harmless. I'm... I'm sorry I... meant no harm. I've been through.... well, I thought you were...." trailing off, she shook her head and reached up to brush a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Nevermind. Um, I'm Rinni."

Regaining a little of her nerve, Rinni slowly approached the stranger but remained on guard. As she neared him, her eyes darted toward his companion. Winter stayed behind her legs, whimpering nervously as she peered up at the larger creature. Once the man decided to stand up from his previous position, the small girl would take in his full height, her heart racing as she realized just how tall and intimidating this stranger was. However, she'd try to play it cool and push through her shy and timid nature so as to avoid another potential Tenshi incident.

"What... what is that thing? Your companion... I mean...." she asked the man, before quickly turning her attention toward his companion who she already knows to be capable of speech, "Not that you're a thing... I... I mean no offense... I'm just... curious, I guess. I've never seen anything like you."

As the snow vulpix known as Winter would come forward and sniff and lick Gunter's hand, Gunter would try to pet it while saying "Hello, Winter. Aren't you just a cute little thing?" just to see the tiny creature run and cower behind its master. Gunter would say "Such a cute creature." in response to Winter. As he casually and calmly stands up, he would pull another cigar out of his inner jacket pocket and light it. He would inhale deeply and exhale, watching the smoke dance in the cold night air below the moonlight. Gunter would say to the young girl "I'm sorry if I assumed you to be an assassin. I just got out of jail a few days ago, had a 2.1 million bounty on my head. A few people are not too happy with me. Just yesterday, I was having a lovely dinner with a Rune Knight, the guild master of Fairy Tail, and a famous mage known as Kurisa. During that lovely dinner, I was attacked by a lich who wanted my head, but was too cowardly to start what she was trying to start."

As Gunter listened to this young woman who was apparently called Rinni stumble around her words, in his mind he was curious on who she thought he was. He would bow to the young girl with one hand across his chest and the other behind his back, while saying "It is a pleasure to meet you, Rinni. My name is Gunter Von Wolf."

He would then extend the hand on his chest, signaling to Kratos in an almost elegant bow that one would do towards nobility, while saying "And this is my friend Kratos. He is a Dardian, but different from most of his kind." As Gunter does the introductions, he is looking at Rinni's reaction to see if she shows any fear about his name. Because if she does, then she might be connected to Penumbral Guard or Fairy Tail in some way, and that would be most interesting.

Gunter would then raise his head and inhale the smoke of his cigar, and as he exhales, he would then say "So why would you be looking for your friends at such a late time of night? It seems a bit dangerous for someone as young as you to be out so late at night. Perhaps I've met these friends of yours, who knows?"

Kratos would blurt out "Well, boss, I'm gonna head back to the suite, grab me a snack, get fuckered, and pass out for the night. I'll see you later. Try not to get your ass kicked by a pre-pubescent girl." Gunter would smile in reply and wave goodbye as his friend Kratos would walk by Winter and Rinni, eyeing them up and down, and continues towards the suite.

Gunter would walk over to a nearby bench, brush the snow away, and he would then take off his jacket to cover the bench so that it would not be wet. He would then sit down. He'd then look at Rinni and say "Being that it is a late night, why don't you sit with me and tell me a bit about yourself? And I will do the same. It's not so often that you meet such interesting people ready to shoot you in the face with an arrow late at night." He would then smile at Rinni, a misleading, cheerful and caring smile, and tap his hand on the jacket beside him. He would then inhale cigar smoke and exhale it again while bringing out a bottle of wine from his pocket dimension ring, with two crystal glasses. He'd then say "Do you drink? If not, no worries. And if you don't, do you mind if I have one?"

Gunter would wait on Rinni's response and if Rinni would like a drink, then Gunter would pour her one and hand her a glass. If not, he would pour himself one, put the bottle beside him, and put the second crystal glass cup back in his pocket dimension.

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The amount of honesty this man had toward a complete stranger was astounding. He revealed so much in such a short time, it was a lot for the teen to wrap her head around. Though the part that was most interesting was when he mentioned just recently being released from prison. This put the girl on high alert as she wondered what on earth he had done to earn such a bounty. Though curious, she wasn't comfortable asking such a personal question so early in their discussion. After all, she knew nothing about this man now revealed to be Gunter. The politeness behind his actions and tone almost caused her to relax in his presence.

Almost.

As he had introduced himself, she seemed to have little to no reaction to his nor his companion's names. She hadn't been with Penumbrel Guard for long, nor had she met or heard the name, Gunter Von Wolf. She was furthermore across seas in Enca during the tragedy that befell her old Guild. And having only recently returned to Fiore, she hadn't a chance to catch up on what had happened. Her parents would probably read the newspapers and her brother would probably gather information from the Rune Knights. She could ask them what they discovered next time she sees them. In the meantime, she was out on her own mission for intelligence and discovery.

She watched as Gunter pulled out yet another cigar and began to inhale and exhale. That explained the smoke she had picked up on earlier. Her nose crinkled at the odor as she attempted to hide her predatory senses from the mage. As he inquired why she was out here alone so late at night looking for friends, she hesitated to tell him. She didn't know who this man truly was for sure, and the fact he was in prison implied he may be a dark mage or in the very least part of a Dark Guild. She quietly chewed on her lip in contemplation of her next move as she rubbed her left arm nervously.

Before she could respond to Gunter's previous question, Kratos announced his own intentions. Rinni shivered a bit from his voice and choice of words, the Dardian making her quite uncomfortable. As he walked past, eying her and Winter, she gingerly sidestepped him as the small fox circled around her legs, ears laying flat, body low to the ground intentionally avoiding the monster. At the sound of footsteps, the young woman returned her gaze toward the giant of a man as he was now brushing off a bench and placing his coat across the seat. As he sat, she timidly joined him, Winter hopping into her lap and curling into a ball as she stroked her soft white fur with one hand, her eyes never leaving that of her company.

Rinni couldn't help but cringe when he joked about the fact she almost shot him in the face. She apologized again for her initial reaction, confessing that they had simply startled her and that she was under a lot of stress. He proceeded to ask her to tell him about herself, to which she grew a bit more uncomfortable as she sat beside him alone... at night... on an empty street...

'Smart move, Rinni...'

As he offered her a drink, she gingerly declined, admitting meekly, "No, thank you. I um... I don't drink... yet... that is... I'm umm... not quite old enough." Since he was being so honest, she felt that if the trust was to be built she should do the same. "I actually just returned to Fiore earlier today. I was on a family trip with my parents and brother to the island of Enca. I have no idea what happened while we were gone, but when we returned home to Marigold our guild was a pile of rubble. Apparently a fire or something. My brother and I searched and questioned the town but no one knew where our friends had gone to, or if they even survived. I heard that my boyfriend was last seen heading to Oak City, so I came here hoping to find him in the very least. But..." she choked, her body shaking as tears began to form in her eyes leaving trails down her cheeks.

Gunter apologizes to Rinni for not asking about her age. He should've made sure that she was old enough, but being a less than legal man such as himself, it wasn't his top priority. He simply puts the bottle back into his pocket dimension ring after pouring himself a glass, and then pulls out a sparkling champagne, non-alcoholic, being that it's a preferred drink by most families during this time of year. He pours a glass for Rinni, and then hands her the glass while saying "I apologize, I did not know."

As Rinni talks about her trip, Gunter listens and finds himself intrigued. He says "I've never been to Enca. I was born in Bosco, and my mother was from Iceberg. I've wanted to go to Iceberg and see the other lands like Enca, but I never got the chance."

Gunter would listen to Rinni talk about his handiwork, and her missing friends, and her apparent boyfriend in Oak. As she finished, Gunter would notice the quiver in her voice and the tears start to form. Gunter would embrace Rinni with a hug, and a combing of the hair. "There, there, little one. It's okay. I'm sure you'll find your friends and boyfriend." After Rinni would stop crying, or try to break away, he would let go instantly. But if she stopped crying, Gunter would release her from the embrace and say "Oh, by the way, there was no fire in Marigold, Penumbral Guard was attacked. And to meet a fellow Penumbral Guard member, it's an honor to see a fellow guild member once again. I've met only two members other than yourself. Ahhh, the good old days."

Gunter would look up at the stars, thinking back to that fateful day with a smile on his face. As he looks up at the stars, as the very cosmos itself calls out to him for the actions and deeds he has done, he listens to Rinni's response, knowing the questions that would come next. Gunter would look at Rinni and smile in a caring and thoughtful demeanor, as if to say that the situation was very unfortunate.

The teen is not offended nor bothered by the error in judgment on his part. She watches as he returns the bottle to his Pocket Dimension Ring. So, he has one too. She can't help wonder what he has stored within his ring. Her own holds her armor and weapons. Does he also have an unforeseen arsenal? What sort of mage was he? Did he possess magic like Ko and Lucian? Or was he like her, a barebone fighter? Not that she liked fighting. She preferred to resolve things peacefully when possible. However, she wasn't against fighting to defend herself and her family. She was also willing to fight to protect those more helpless citizens in need of protection from the dangers of this world. As he poured her a glass of sparkling champagne, she gingerly accepted the sparkling beverage.

Putting it to her nose, she gingerly sniffed the liquid attempting to detect any fragrance of alcohol or drugs of any sort, in case he had ill intentions toward her. The bubbles tickled her nose as she inhaled, causing her to sneeze softly and scrunch up her sensitive nose. If she does not pick up the scent of drugs or alcohol, she will proceed to thank Gunter for the drink and slowly indulge in a small sip.

As Rinni discusses her trip to Enca, she pauses in between to take sips of her champagne. Gunter intercepts with a comment of his own ancestry, revealing that he was born in Bosco but is also Icebergian from his mom's side. In response to this, Rinni replies, "My parents are both Encan. My older brother and I were both born in Enca. But, we moved to Fiore when I was a baby so I have no memories of home. My family thought a trip there was a good idea, so I could finally see it. It has a lot of storms, it's a bit scary but also amazing."

The topic of her return trip is where things truly hit home. As the girl began to cry, Winter lifted her head and let out a soft yip of concern with a questioning undertone behind it. It was as though the animal was asking if Rinni was okay. She wasn't. The more she talked, the more upset she grew until the tears started to flow. Winter's ears drooped as a look of concern crossed her otherwise adorable face. Things took an unexpected turn when the man pulled the young girl into a comforting hug, his fingers running through her long dark brown hair. At first, Rinni gasped and her body tensed up nervously.

When he called her Little One, she noticeably jolted slightly as she was brought back to her memories of Lucian Crimson. Her fingers clutched Gunter's shirt briefly as the tears fell. After a moment or two lost in her memories, she remembered where she was and gently pushed the man away, relieved when he released her of his grasp. She gingerly wiped her tears from her cheeks with the palm of her hand, her eyes widening as the man proceeded to drop not one but two bombshells on the girl.

Firstly, he revealed Penumbrel Guard had been attacked. The 'fire' was no accident,  though perhaps made as a cover-up? This was news she wasn't expecting at all. The second bit of news caused her to look up at Gunter in disbelief as he revealed he too was a member of Penumbral Guard. She couldn't contain the gasp of realization as it escaped her lungs. She watched him as he smiled towards the sky. Assuming he was reminiscing the good old days with his friends, Rinni saw no malicious intents in his smile.

In fact, if he was truly once a part of her Guild... he was a friend. No. He was family.

She shifted on the bench to face him more directly, lifting the leg closest to him to rest upon the seat, her sudden movement causing Winter to nearly fall off her lap as the creature yelped startled, and hopped off her lap in order to curl up beneath the bench to sleep in the cold snow. As Gunter had expected, the questions began.

"Wait! You... you're one of my Guildmates? I never saw you in the hall... how long were you a member? Do you know who attacked the guild? Were you there during the attack? Is Guildmaster Tomoe alive? You said you saw other members... have you seen Masami or Lucian? Who survived the attack? When did it happen? Where did the other members go? Please, please tell me everything you know!"

Her tone was desperate and determined. Her brown eyes locked contact with his own, an unusual trait for Rinni as her shyness often prompts her to avoid eye contact. But, this night was different. She had returned home to find everything she loved gone. And this man had the answers. Without Kratos present to intimidate her further, she was more determined than shy about facing Gunter.

Gunter would look at Rinni with a smile on his face and a calm, caring and nurturing expression. Truly the expression of a hero, an honorable man. He'd raise his hands up, saying "Lot of questions there. I guess I will answer to the best of my abilities. I was a guild member of Penumbral Guard, and the reason you never saw me was that the only person from the guild that ever met me was Tomoe. I did a couple of quests with him, and then the unfortunate raid happened, should we say. I was in the heat of battle during the guild's raid, so I saw firsthand the outcome and aftermath of Penumbral Guard."

Gunter would look up at the stars, remembering the cruel actions he did to the guild, while not showing any sign of malevolence or sinister emotion to the young girl in front of him. He'd then look back at Rinni and say "Your guild master Tomoe is alive. The other one known as Aegis, he... ran to the winds. He never showed up to the guild's defense. Most of Penumbral Guard's strongest was not there to defend. In response to your question of other members I've seen, I never met this man named Lucian. Masami, however, is around and kicking. He joined the Rune Knights, and I believe he is a high-ranking official now."

Gunter then smiles and says "In fact, Masami was one of the individuals to arrest me. It was quite hilarious, actually. To my knowledge, most of the famous individuals from Penumbral Guard survived. Don't get me wrong, there were casualties, but nothing that was so drastic to the guild's military force that it couldn't recover. However, Aegis decided to disband the guild because he was a coward. The raid happened shortly after my joining, and other than Masami and Tomoe, I don't know where the others went off to. I think Tomoe is in the north, but that's just speculation at this point."

At this point, Gunter would look Rinni directly in the eyes and say "As a fellow guild member of Penumbral Guard, and due to the fact that I have served my sentence, and I am, though you may not believe me, a truly honest man, I see no point in hiding it. Considering you'll find out eventually. To my knowledge, there are seven survivors of that raid, myself included. And the reason why I was in the heat of that raid, and why I know that your friend Lucian is not dead, is because I was one of the individuals that raided Penumbral Guard." Gunter would say that last part while opening his Eye of Kaom. If Rinni would jump back or pull out her bow, Gunter would raise his hands and say "Do let me finish." If not, he would continue.

"I had no personal hatred for the guild. Tomoe had his own reasons for wanting the guild obliterated. So if you want more answers, I would ask him. The fact of the matter is, is that very few of the famous mages of that guild came to its defense, and that is why it remains in rubble. I do apologize if you lost friends that day."

Gunter would take a deep inhale of his cigar, then a drink of his wine, and exhale the smoke, letting it dance in the moonlight. He would then say to Rinni, without looking at her, "You may think me a monster, but the actions of this monster were necessary to bring peace to the world. You may not understand, like others have not, but I truly do want to make the world a better place. I'm just willing to do actions that will get results, regardless of morality." He would then close his Eye of Kaom, and smile at Rinni again in a calm and respectful manner, and say "That's probably a lot for you to take in. If you have any further questions, just ask."

At this point, knowing that Rinni would either overreact or be extremely furious with Gunter like, well, most are, Gunter would remain seated, not take any hostile action whatsoever, and simply listen to this girl's outrage if she decided to do that. As he listened, he thought back to the raid of the guild, how he mercilessly and extremely arrogantly butchered and humiliated the various mages of the guild, the fires, pissing on beds, pissing on members, and the books he took from the guild's library. As he thought about that, he had a bit of a premonition. This young woman kept sniffing at drinks that were given to her, and she seemed to notice Gunter before he did. That being said, he didn't have the eye open at the time, yet it was a feat that most individuals he's come across wouldn't be capable of.

As he thought about that, and the books that he took from Penumbral Guard, and in his mind it was only speculation, but there was the potential that this young girl known as Rinni might have been a werewolf or a Dragon Slayer. Gunter didn't have enough information to correctly guess at this assumption, but he would definitely take it to note. He then thought to his first meeting with Tomoe on that bridge, how his entire adventure up to this point could've been ended right there by the swing of a sword; Gunter's own current sword. How ironic that the sword used by the man that could've killed him so long ago was now something in his possession. And that it would be used by him to butcher the members of Penumbral Guard.

He'd then think back to the raid on Fairy Tail, and the absolute butchery, more of a genocide than anything, of that guild. He remembered his time in jail, being drugged to a point of becoming the man he is now, the tool he needs to be to bring peace. As he thinks about the angry members of Penumbral Guard and Fairy Tail, the attempted 'assault on his life' by a cowardly lich, he just thinks to himself "I still don't know why people hate me." By this point, Rinni would probably be done responding or running away or firing an arrow at him. Should she run away, Gunter would not stop her. Should she fire an arrow, Gunter would take it. Should she be finished her outrage, Gunter would not interrupt her once. He would sit there politely, waiting for any future questions, though it be in an angry voice, to be asked.

Rinni listened intently as the man explained his side of the destruction of her beloved Guild. So, only Tomoe knew him. Was he keeping him hidden the same way he kept her werewolf nature a secret for her? Tomoe always was trustworthy like that. But, a part of her still feared the man after their clusterfuck of a sparring match. He could have killed her that day. She still wasn't sure what happened and what stopped him. It all happened so fast. It was as if he were possessed. Still, she didn't wish death nor harm to him. He was her Master after all.

She never took her eyes off him as he told her of how he was in the heat of the raid against Penumbral Guard. She presumed he was one of the ones defending the Guild. He mentioned knowing without a doubt Tomoe is alive and well. She wasn't surprised. He's a powerful mage. She saw him in action against those kobolds. He was merciless. They couldn't even touch him. She was surprised, however, to hear of Masami's fate. That sweet, cute young boy is a high ranking Rune Knight now? She's glad to hear he's safe but... wow, that was totally unexpected news. She was heartbroken to hear that Gunter was unsure of the fate of Aegis and Lucian. Her heart sank in her chest at the news, as she wondered would she ever see him again?

It wasn't until he mentioned that Masami was his arresting officer that the expression on her face changed and a look of confusion became apparent. Why would Masami arrest Gunter? He's one of us... it doesn't make any sense. Her heart pounded in her chest at the realization something was off in this story. Her fight or flight instincts were urging her to get away from this man. And fast. She dug her fingers into the jacket that he had placed as a cushioning for her seat. It wrinkled under her grasp as her eyes never left his face, studying every detail. She had been searching for the truth since she returned. This man had the answers. She couldn't run away now. She'd never know the truth if she ran... also, she learned from her experience with Tenshi that fleeing could be dangerous.

She wasn't sure yet how or why he was arrested, after all. It may have been a misunderstanding. She'd quietly allow him to speak, as her heart drummed loudly in her ears. Her knuckles paled from the tight grip on his jacket. Winter, picking up on her tension, slowly lifted her head from her napping position and peered up at the two as they talked. Her ears perked up as she listened to their conversation, not fully understanding what was going on.

He then proceeded to look her directly in the eyes; an action that made her quite uncomfortable. She trembled, resisting all temptation to avert her gaze as she normally would. She knew eye contact was a way to read rather or not a person was being honest. She didn't look away because she was a liar, of course. She had other reasons for averting her eyes. She was simply shy and socially awkward. But, at this moment she had to remind herself of a simple fact.

'You're not a kid anymore. You're an A-rank Ranger. Quit running. Quit hiding. Face what scares you!'

Gunter continued to confirm the survival of at least seven members. Who, he did not say. But it was already known that himself, Tomoe, Lucian, and Masami were among the survivors. If you wanted to include herself and Aegis who were not present during the raid that made six. Who was the seventh? She wasn't a member long enough to meet everyone, unfortunately, so she was only familiar with those she encountered during her short time with them. Wait, her brother was with her. Was he the seventh? No. She doubted Gunter was even aware of Masado to confirm him as a surviving member.

Gunter then dropped the biggest bomb of all. He was involved with the Raid. He was attacking Penumbral Guard, not defending it! A startled gasp escaped her lips, and as his third eye opened, she jumped back terrified her small form shaking as she sat perilously on the edge of the bench now, her heart racing and thundering in her ears. She was more frightened by that eye than by his words. But before she could react or speak, Gunter raised his hand causing her to flinch slightly. However, rather than striking against her, he requested a chance to finish his tale. She wasn't unreasonable, and curiosity was getting the best of her at this point. The more answers he provided, the more questions she had.

His next words would definitely bring more questions than answers to her mind. The teen was astounded by his audacity. Why did he betray his guild for the sake of world peace? How does slaughtering a Light Guild bring any form of peace? Why would he attack a Light Guild over a Dark Guild if he had pure intentions? What the hell was wrong with him? This was a lot for the young Ranger to process. And the smoke from his cigar wasn't helping her to think as her sensitive nose inhaled a bit of the smoke causing her to sneeze in discomfort.

To her relief, he closed his third eye, allowing her nerves to calm just slightly. This news was hard enough to face without dealing with that as well. She wasn't sure why he had opened it, she only knew it sent chills down her spine and caused the hairs on her neck to rise. He finished by informing her that if she has any further questions, she may feel free to ask. He was right on one thing. This was a lot to take in. She was still wheeling with the information he so freely dumped into her lap. She didn't believe he was making it up, however. It was all too crazy and too detailed for anyone to make up. Her gut told her she could trust him... at least as far as answers go. He was so honest with her thus far, there was no reason nor logic in him to lie now. She felt light-headed, confused, heartbroken.

She slowly rose from the bench and paced a few steps away from where Gunter sat watching her. She wrapped her arms around herself and peered up at the full moon, seeking strength and courage. She was breathing in short quick gasps, clearly under a lot of stress. Tears threatened her, stinging at her eyes once more. She sucked on her teeth as she tried to find the words to say to this traitor of her Guild. Her body was trembling in mixed fear and rage, and she was fighting the urge to attack him. The urge to run away. Both nagging and gnawing at her senses.

She inhaled slowly, then exhaled in a long slow calming motion. She tried to rationalize that he wasn't an immediate threat. That if he wanted to kill her, he would have done so already. Of course, of all the information provided, her mind wandered to the news that Tomoe may have assisted him in the attack. That much was heavily implied by him so casually mentioning Tomoe's desire to obliterate the Guild. Once she managed to recover and process all she was told, Rinni slowly turned to face Gunter. Her eyes wavered as she attempted to make eye contact. She wasn't sure she could. She faltered as her eyes wandered toward the ground. Not looking up, she finally spoke.

"I... I knew Tomoe was... unstable. He uh... he lost it and nearly killed me during a friendly spar." She confessed, her voice shaking yet managing to remain soft and calm. He was the first and only Penumbral Guard she ever told that story to. It was a relief to get it off her chest, actually. "He made me promise to keep that day a secret. I... I did so out of fear... but... I never thought he'd actually attack his own Guild. He was our Master. Why... why would he betray us like that?!" As she spoke of Tomoe's betrayal, her voice rose in anger and pain. Her voice cracked the higher the pitch became, and her words were shaky with a mix of fear and anger as she fought back her inner werewolf which was threatening to make itself known. "And you. Why? Why did you betray your own Guild? Your family?! That Guild was everything to me! Do you realize what you took from me?!" Her voice became an inhuman growl as she bared her fangs.

Realizing she was losing control again, she covered her mouth with her hands and began to pace the streets in front of the bench where they once sat together. He may be being honest with her, and her with him. But that was one secret she wasn't ready to reveal yet. Very few knew what she was. And she didn't know him like that. In fact, she didn't know him at all. Her pacing caused the snow fox to grow nervous as she shifted under the bench watching Rinni's movements and then looked up at Gunter nervously.

Rinni squatted after a moment of awkward contemplation and Winter darted toward her. The girl scooped the animal into her arms and stood 5 meters from Gunter, her eyes examining him fully. If he would move to stand or make any action/gesture toward her, she'd nervously take a step backward. After a few minutes of awkward silence on her part, Rinni finally spoke, her voice quivering as she attempted to stay calm. "I trust you, Gunter. I trust that you're being honest, I mean. But, why did you tell me all this? How does answering my questions serve any use to you? So... you served your time... what does that even mean? That you regret what you did? That I should... forgive you? You said I wouldn't understand. Then make me understand! Or do you intend on killing me too?"

As Gunter listened patiently and respectfully to the young girl, paced and be clearly furious with him but also confused, he would sit there listening through it all. He did smile and raise an eyebrow when Rinni mentioned the sparring match. He wouldn't make any comments on it, but he found it funny in his mind because he, too, almost got killed by Tomoe. As Rinni started asking questions about why Gunter betrayed the guild, she bared her fangs and had a more bestial voice. At this moment, Gunter knew that his assumption was correct. This young girl was in fact a werewolf. He did not bring it up, due to her hiding her face it was clear that she was not happy about what she was. This told Gunter that she wasn't born with this, and that it was forced upon her.

Eventually, when Rinni was 5 meters away and began asking the questions, he listened still and then responded. Gunter would cross his legs and relight his cigar during her fit of slight rage. He'd inhale deeply, and exhale just as deeply. He would then look Rinni directly in the eyes with a calm and respectful nature, and say "You asked me why I destroyed the guild. I did it because it needed to be done.", he would then look down at his cigar watching the smoke dance in the moonlight, thinking of Penumbral Guard and Fairy Tail burning as he looked at the embers of his lit cigar. Without looking back up at Rinni, he would say...

"I, too, lost my family long ago, and I too watched my family estate burn, just like your guild. It was attacked by assassins in the night, and I saw my mother, my father and everyone I grew up around butchered. They died just as I barely escaped." and he would then look back up at Rinni, and the emotion on his face is no longer that of a polite, caring man. It's of someone who's lost in the past, and an emotion of sadness on his face. "Penumbral Guard was not my family, I lost mine long ago."

With the hand that was not holding the cigar, he wiped away some tears and put back on the expression of polite and respect towards Rinni. He'd then say "I apologize that you lost people you cared about, I truly do. Because I understand what that pain feels like, that knife to the heart. But the sooner you get used to that pain, the better off you will be. I may be an evil bastard, a wolf in sheep's clothing if you will, but there are going to be people that sprout up, true monsters that will do a lot worse to innocent people than I ever could. Do you think that Penumbral Guard would've been capable of dealing with those threats if they were still here?"

Gunter would then wait for her response, and before Rinni could really answer, he would interrupt by saying "The answer is that they couldn't The only people that attacked Penumbral Guard were me, Tomoe and a man named Yugo who is now a Rune Knight. A man that burned down your home was given medals and became a Rune Knight. Meanwhile, Aegis, Masami, you, Lucian, and any other survivors of Penumbral Guard... what were you doing? Nothing. Those that were in Fiore didn't even have the balls to defend their home, and if they cannot defend their home from Tomoe, me and Yugo, when I was just a measly C-rank warrior at the time and Yugo was a D-rank mage, there's no way they could fight the monsters that are gonna be coming out of the darkness."

At this point, Gunter would stand up and begin pacing, not towards Rinni, just kind of back and forth by the bench.

"The reason why I was honest with you is out of respect. After I destroyed Penumbral Guard, me and Tomoe went on to destroy Fairy Tail." Gunter would let that part sink in to Rinni as he paced, and then look her in the eyes and say "Unlike Penumbral Guard, Fairy Tail is renowned for being a guild of heroes. A powerful gem of a guild in Fiore. That being said, they weren't as strong as Blue Pegasus, but still. And you wanna know what Fairy Tail did after hearing about Penumbral Guard's destruction? Nothing. What did Blue Pegasus do? Nothing. What did the nobles do? Nothing. Fiore as a whole, the guilds, the kingdom, its people, did nothing. Now after seeing that, and unlike the people of Fiore, I couldn't sit back and do nothing. So I went with Tomoe to Fairy Tail, and we killed everyone. And we put them on pikes right outside of their guild hall, for all to see. For the people of Magnolia to see. Their poster child, their gem of a guild, the guild of heroes, burning to ashes."

He would stop pacing, looking at Rinni, and say as his Eye of Kaom opens, looking at her, "And what do you think the people and the kingdom did after we put Fairy Tail on pikes? It's an easy answer: nothing. The only person that stood up against those evil acts was Masami. Not even Fairy Tail's own members, that were not at the guild, sought revenge."

He'd begin pacing again. He'd say "I want you to think about this. The fact that me and Tomoe destroyed two guilds, and nothing. Nothing was done about it. Not from the kingdom, not from the Rune Knights, not from the council, not even the people acting as vigilantes. Not even Blue Pegasus. Nothing. So when Masami came for me, a former member of Penumbral Guard, I went without a fight. It's not my intention to hurt people that this kingdom needs, and in my mind, Masami is one of the best mages that I think Fiore has. So when I went in and served my time, I did so without regret, I did so without fighting, and I accepted the punishment."

Gunter would then inhale deeply of his cigar and sigh, turning away from Rinni. "But, as we have discovered, this kingdom is rotten to the core. Caring not about corruption, and as such, I got out in less than a week. The lives, and the destruction of your home of Penumbral Guard or of Fairy Tail, was only about a week of sentence and community service. And that community service, before you ask, was simply the Rune Knights wanting to test experimental drugs on prisoners. And it wasn't just me, they did it on others. But with the hell I went through, in my past and with what the Rune Knights put me through with their drugs, I came out a better man as you can see. Reformed.", he says with a smile, but not hiding the fact that it is fake.

Gunter with his Eye of Kaom open, then casually takes a step towards her, putting him at 4 meters away. After doing so, he says "This kingdom is corrupt. And until these light guilds truly have a threat before them, I don't think that they will actually give a shit about the people."

He then takes another step towards Rinni, putting himself at 3 meters away.

"If I need to be the monster that forces these light guilds to get stronger, then I will."

He takes another step towards Rinni, putting himself at 2 meters out.

"Do I regret what I did? No. And should you forgive me? Absolutely not."

He would then step again, being 1 meter away now. And if Rinni hasn't moved, he would stand there. He would say "I have no intention of killing you. There's no action you can take that would halt the progress towards the betterment of humanity."

He would then extend his hand, and if Rinni hasn't moved at this point, he would put his hand on her chin, having her look up at him. With a smile on his face, he would say "Now do you understand, little one?" How truly rotten this world is?"

As Rinni thinks about what has just been said and had explained to her, Gunter would flick his cigar away from him, and run his hands through her hair in a calming nature. During his entire approach, his Eye of Kaom would've been giving off a feeling like fear to Rinni and her pet, as if to say not to move at all. And if Rinni were to look at the eye, the eye would look as if she is staring into a vast void with some entity staring right at her, making her feel as if the man before her is an insect in comparison to some eldritch horror lurking behind.

After Rinni has thought about what Gunter has said, and if she had any further questions, Gunter would answer. But the last thing she would hear leave Gunter's mouth before those questions, would be him saying "So what now, little wolf? Any further questions?" and this would be Gunter's way of saying that he knows what she is.

She feared this man. She wasn't entirely sure what he was fully capable of, but she had a pretty good idea after wiping out her guild. But, if he had Tomoe helping him that still says little of his own strengths as Tomoe is pretty dangerous on his own. She watched him as he pulled out another of his cigars, lighting it (the smell once more causing her to wrinkle up her nose) as he slowly, calmly inhaled and then exhaled. He then explained that he destroyed the guild because it needed to be done.

But... why? She couldn't understand. Not sure how to respond to that statement, she quietly listened as he continued his explanation rationalizing his reasonings in a way she assumed he had hoped she'd understand. He spoke so calmly and patient, though he didn't treat her as an ignorant child. For that she was grateful. He broke eye contact to study his burning cigar, and she watched quietly listening as he spoke without looking at her. He revealed he was being honest out of respect. An odd but understandable reason. She kept her eyes on him the entire time, Winter clutched tightly in her arms as she trembled slightly from a mix of the chill in the air and fear of this man she happened upon.

Did she regret meeting him? No.

He was an ex-Guildmate and the only one, besides Tomoe, who could answer her questions. To be honest, she'd rather face Gunter alone than run into Tomoe. The giant of a man revealed that he had also attacked and burnt Fairy Tail to the ground, prompting a shocked gasp to release her lips. He... he destroyed the most famously known Guild in all of Fiore? How was that possible? Just what kind of power did this man possess? And, not surprisingly, Tomoe helped him. Was it just those two? Impossible. There had to be something he wasn't telling her.

He told her how he had lost his entire family. How his estate burned and only he survived. Her heart clenched, aching for him. She couldn't imagine losing her parents and brother. He was right. The Guild wasn't family. Not in the true sense. She may have lost her guild, but her family was still alive and save in Marigold. She decided to not volunteer that information to Gunter, out of fear of putting her family at risk. He wiped away a tear, revealing he did have some degree of emotion left in him. Not a complete monster. But perhaps a broken man. Her heart was breaking at what this man went through. A part of her hated herself for feeling anything other than contempt for this man who killed so many.

To Rinni's surprise, Gunter apologized for the pain he caused her. He tried to connect to her on a more personal level. They had both felt the pain of loss and betrayal. Rinni found herself nodding in agreement before stopping herself. He spoke of how monsters greater than him were out there, and how she needed to get used to the true evils of this world. He then asked her if she truly thought that the members could defend the guild from true threats, considering how easily Gunter and Tomoe demolished them.

"If... if Lucian and I were..." she was interrupted. A few stray tears trailed down her cheeks as she listened to his words. He was right. So far, he told nothing but truth and facts. It made her heart ache and her stomach churn in disgust. She listened in silence as he revealed a third partner to the destruction. Yugo. It took a D-Rank Mage, an S-Rank Mage, and a C-Rank mage to destroy Penumbral Guard. Were they really that weak? Or did no one care?

As he stood up, Rinni flinched back a step, but only one foot. She kept her eyes on him as he began to pace in front of the bench. He wasn't advancing, however, so she eventually returned to her previous position. Watching. Listening. There was a moment of silence between them as she thought over his words and he allowed time for this new information to sink in. He then looked her in the eyes and began to speak of the great Fairy Tail.

Gunter described in great detail the events of Fairy Tail. How no one came to help. No one went out of their way to seek revenge. No one defended it just as no one defended Penumbral Guard. She knew, if she was there she would have. Masado would have. Masami.... Lucian. Why were they not there? Her body tensed in horror as he stated so calmly the fact they placed the victims on pikes, displayed for all to see. It made her feel that much more helpless. If he and Tomoe could cause so much suffering and death... would she and the others defending the Guild even matter? Would they have died like the others? And... for what?

She watched nervously as he stopped pacing, turning his gaze toward her. That third eye of his opened again sending chills down her spine. Not wanting to put Winter in danger, she whistled for her Tempest Wolf. She could have escaped right there, but she wasn't finished talking with Gunter. Instead, she placed Winter on the large wolf's back and told him to take her back to their hotel where she'd be safe. Once the wolf and fox kit were out of sight, Rinni stood ready for whatever this man had planned for her.

Storm Fang:

Her chocolate eyes wandered toward his Eye of Koam. She never saw anything like it, and looking into it terrified her. She was snapped back to reality as Gunter proceeded to explain how even after taking out Fairy Tail, no one came to help. Not a single member. The only one to do anything was Masami. Rinni smiled a bit at that. Sounded like the Masami she knew. That kid was something special, that was certain. So, he joined the Rune Guards and arrested Gunter. Things were making sense now. A weird, twisted sense. But... sense nonetheless.

He revealed that he surrendered, going with Masami, accepting his punishment without a fight. Why would he do such heinous acts and then turn himself in? That parted confused her the most. Her curiosity edged her to continue to listen. After all, she had all night and nothing better to do. Her family was in Marigold, her Guild destroyed, her friends scattered. She completed nearly every job in Oak City. At this point, her only goals were to find her boyfriend and to seek answers. Gunter had at least one of those goals in his possession.

The man took another deep inhale of his cigar. He spoke of how rotten this world was. He spoke of the evils as though he wasn't one of them after what he had done. As he looked at her, the third eye continued to fill her with discomfort that she couldn't shake. She was so scared everything in her was telling her to run. But even so, she was an A-Rank Ranger. She wasn't going to allow a presumably lower rank Warrior to scare her so easily. She'd push through her fears, be a woman, not a child, and learn what she came here to learn.

What she would do with that knowledge, she wasn't certain. She didn't plan that far ahead. It was recklessness like this this often got her scolded by her brother and parents. Her tendency to act without thinking. She needed to work on that. She got lucky with Gunter. Her next encounter may kill her on sight. She listened as Gunter described the tortures, drugs, and experiments conducted in the prison. Was that even legal? How... could our protectors be so corrupt? She felt even worse for this man now. No one deserved to be treated as a lab rat.

He gave her an obviously fake smile. She could tell he had his pains. But, who didn't? This world wasn't perfect, after all. Far from it. Gunter then proceeded to do what she feared he would inevitably. Approach her. His steps weren't quick, however. They were slow, calculated, and that third eye never left her. She couldn't help but look up at it, her body shaking. At this point, she wasn't sure what she was more scared of. Him, his third eye, or the fact they were alone, and if he did anything no one would know.

One step...

"This kingdom is corrupt. And until these light guilds truly have a threat before them, I don't think that they will actually give a shit about the people."

Two steps...

"If I need to be the monster that forces these light guilds to get stronger, then I will."


Three steps...

"Do I regret what I did? No. And should you forgive me? Absolutely not."


Four steps. By this point, he was now towering over her. His presence and shadow made her feel so small. She lowered her gaze trembling as he spoke. She clearly feared for her life at this point, and was contemplating summoning her dagger or bow to defend herself should he try anything,

"I have no intention of killing you. There's no action you can take that would halt the progress towards the betterment of humanity."

She then felt his hand under her chin as he tilted her head to look up at him. As she only stood to about his waist in height, she had to crane her head further than was physically comfortable to gaze up at him. Her eyes quivered as she peered up into his, her body trembling noticeably as her heart raced with dread. He then asked her if she understood now, how rotten this world is. Once more he called her the term of endearment that Lucian once used toward her. She wanted to tell him to not call her that. But, at the same time, it was nice to hear it again. It reminded her of Lucian. She felt so torn and confused at this point. He was smiling as he spoke to her. Lost in thought, trying to wrap her head around everything he had said, she barely noticed him flicking away his cigar and reaching his hand toward her until she felt his touch and flinched.

He was running his hand through her hair. A gesture that was both calming and terrifying at the same time. Ok, so she established he doesn't wish to kill her. And his touch doesn't seem to have any malice behind it. The only thing scary here right now was that damn third eye. She wished he would close it already. Looking into it was the most surreal experience she ever had. She was trying to find her voice when he spoke again.

"So what now, little wolf? Any further questions?"

A startled gasp escaped her lips and her eyes widened in horror.

He knew.

She wasn't sure how, but he knew.

Was she that obvious to him?

Aside from Lucian, who is a werewolf himself, no one ever figured out what she was without her openly telling them. She gulped nervously, licking her lips to moisten them. "What... what is that thing?" She finally asked, her voice trembling as she raised her hand to point toward his third eye. "Please... close it... I... I don't like it...."

She wouldn't admit she was scared. Though, he probably already knew anyway. She would give him a moment to respond, and if he closed his third eye she'd proceed with her questions. However, if he left it open she'd look away from him and proceed anyway in a more shaky tone. "Why Light Guilds? If... if your goals are intended for good why not attack Dark Guilds? How does destroying the heroes while the monsters get away help bring any Light into this world? I... I don't understand how slaughtering innocent people can do any good... how destroying Light Guilds can make them stronger..."

Though Gunter, throughout this, is watching Rinni, the eye on his forehead watches carefully as the big wolf comes out of nowhere. Rinni puts her pet known as Winter on it, and tells them to head back to their suite. As the wolf vanishes into the moonlight fog, the eye continues following them, noticing the general direction and path they take up to its range. Then, it returns looking back at Rinni. Gunter would not hide the fact that his eye is following them for a total of 50 feet out, before it looks back at Rinni.

Out of respect for the young werewolf, Gunter closes his Eye of Kaom while saying "I do apologize. I forgot that my general appearance scares most." When she asked about the eye, Gunter would say "In Iceberg, it is considered a blessing. It symbolizes that the owner will become the king of Iceberg one day, but I think that it holds much more power to it. Ever since I've had this eye, I've seen visions of unspeakable, indescribable things in a black void." Gunter then takes a few minutes looking up into the stars, before looking back at Rinni and continuing with answering the questions.

Gunter puts his hand on his chin, kind of rubbing his facial hair. Then, he says "How do I put this? So as I've said, the world is corrupt. And light guilds and governments have not done anything against the wave of dark guilds. I could go out there and hunt down dark guilds, but like weeds in a garden they'll just sprout up again, and again, and again. At that rate, there would never be peace in this world. Unfortunately, the path to peace that I will have to take is the path of most blood. I will have to destroy, annihilate, and burn Fiore to the ground. In that moment, we will have an age of dark, where dark guilds will flourish. But in return, heroes will rise, getting stronger, training, and fighting back against the sea of despair in order to combat these dark guilds. Just as the light guilds have grown weak, in that time the dark guilds have grown strong, thinking they have total control. As the heroes fight tooth and nail to bring the world back into an age of light, in that moment, I will hunt down those filthy, rotten, disgusting maggots. But I will also take that time to annihilate Fiore's nobility, so that when all that is left is true heroes in this world that care about its people, we elect one as a ruler. And in that moment, I will either spend the rest of my days in jail, or awaiting execution, but knowing that I have brought peace and light into the world. True, lasting peace. Or, I will serve that ruler as to atone for my sins."

Gunter would finish off explaining with his arms out, staring up at the stars, in almost an opera pose at the end of a performance. He would lower his arms, look back at Rinni, letting it sink in for her and see if she had any further questions or looked confused. Gunter at this point was thinking to himself that if she doesn't understand, he might have to explain it slower, more simple, almost childlike. But he would try not to. Gunter would pull out another cigar from his pocket dimension ring, light it, and then pull out a bottle and glass of whiskey. He'd pour himself a glass, put the bottle back in the pocket dimension, and enjoy the whiskey with small sips. After three sips of the amber liquid, he would take a long inhale from his cigar, and exhale it, making three O's of smoke before blowing the rest away from his lungs.

Before Rinni could respond to his statement, he would say "I've got a question for you, if you don't mind answering. Why did you become what you are? Not in a werewolf sense, I mean like as an adventurer. Joined a guild, and go out helping people. Why?"

He would wait patiently to Rinni's response of that question, and after she responds, he would thank her, followed by asking if she had any further questions. Gunter would listen carefully to Rinni's questions if she had any more, while thinking about her answer to his.

Rinni noticed the creepy eye watching her mount and companion leave. She wasn't sure how far it could see or how much Gunter knew about her or even what kind of power that eye possessed. The exchange between herself and the man that towered over her was peaceful, at least. She was half afraid of another Tenshi incident, only this man was bigger and scarier. She was grateful to learn that wouldn't be the case as he allowed Stormy and Winter to leave without protest. She was more grateful when he apologized and closed his third eye.

She listened with great intrigue as he explained what the eye meant to him and his people. How it potentially placed him in a seat of royalty. He also went into great detail about some sort of visions he has received since he acquired the eye. Was it really that powerful of an artifact? It must be, as she had never seen anyone else with one. She rubbed her arm nervously as she chewed idly on her lower lip with her fang. No point hiding it now, he already knew. Unless he was bluffing, in which case she played right into it.

Either way, she neither confirmed nor denied his assumption. At this point, was it really worth the effort she put into keeping it secret? Lucian told her she had to be tough. Masado told her she shouldn't hide who or what she was. Ko wasn't even worried about her turning and attacking him. Her eyes widened at the images that crossed her mind, causing her to step back a few steps from Gunter. Not in fear of him, but in fear of what she could do to him if she turned. It was a full moon night and she wasn't sure if that could influence the transformation process in any way or not. Especially for one turned and not born.

She listened to his long explanation of how what he was doing would throw the world into darkness but bring peace and everlasting light in the long run. She wasn't entirely sure how, but as he described his role in all this, her expression changed to one of shock. Did he just say he'd spend the rest of his life in prison or be executed? Was he going to be a martyr to reach his goal? She opened her mouth as if she were going to say something, but closed it again as no words came.

His actions and the harm he so casually spoke of causing sounded so evil and gruesome. Yet, at the same time, his long term goals sounded so... noble. She was no longer certain what to think or feel about this man. She kept trying to remember that he slaughtered her Guild. Yet, in the back of her mind was a voice reminding her that her own Guildmaster had aided in the assault. How he took part in the Guild's destruction. Was Tomoe corrupt as well?

Before Rinni could think of a response to anything Gunter had told her, the man proceeded to ask her a question. She flinched at first, but he quickly explained that it was related to her choice to become an adventurer... and not to her origin as a werewolf. The girl shrugged her shoulders slightly, reaching her to brush a few strands of hair behind her ear. She swayed from side to side and bounced on her heels as she tried to think of an answer as if she hadn't really thought of it before. "I... don't know. My parents were always super supportive of me and my brother. Especially since we grew up poor and never had much. You... said your family had an estate. That life is the complete opposite of my own.  My brother trained and practiced with a toy sword, and I with a toy bow. We sparred as kids with each other and with Daddy. And umm... well, my brother grew up wanting to be a brave heroic knight fighting bad guys and saving the day." She smiled and looked to the stars and moon, remembering those days. She then continued while still gazing at the night sky. "I followed my brother like a shadow. Always wanting to go where he went. Do what he did. Once I was old enough my Dad got me a real bow and I went out doing jobs trying to help people. I stupidly took a particularly dangerous job and got..."

She paused.

She turned her head toward her right shoulder and placed her hand where her scar was. Remembering the day she got bit, she shut her eyes and inhaled deeply before turning her gaze to look up at Gunter. "Anyway, I met Tomoe, and shortly after I joined his guild. I thought it was fate. I hadn't realized he was a Guildmaster when I first met him, so when I met him again I asked to join Penumbral Guard. I was hoping to make friends... take jobs... do something... useful. I always put the well-being of others first. It's just... who I am. I follow my heart."

She paused a moment, carefully thinking over her next words. She searched her mind for any further questions, but only one was nagging at her now. She couldn't ask before, but since he was aware of her secret it was safe to do so now. She looked up and down the street to make sure they were still alone. They were. That was both good and bad in a sense. But for now, it worked in her favor. She could be open without the fear of eavesdroppers.

"Before... when I first saw you and Kratos... and I had my bow aimed at you..." She began slowly, her left hand rubbing her right arm awkwardly as she looked up at him, but avoided directed eye contact. "I only summoned my bow because... I wasn't sure if someone was hurt and needed help... or if I was going to have to fight... I.... I smelled blood. A lot... a lot of blood. Whose blood was that?"

She was almost afraid to receive an answer.

Gunter would look at Rinni and say in response to his apparent smell "It's not who I killed, it's how many. I know not their names, nor do I care. They were thugs, delinquents, rapists, murderers, not fit even to be dog shit." Gunter would look down at the amber liquid in his whiskey glass. He would bring it to his lips and finish it off. He would send it back into his pocket dimension via the ring, then he would say as he looks up at the moonlight "It's getting late. Why don't I walk you home? I'm sure you've had a long day, and rest is needed."

Gunter would wait on her response, and should she agree, he would walk beside her down the cobblestone road. After a few minutes of walking, he would say, with a smile, "It's funny, we have something in common." He would look down at Rinni and say "We've both almost been killed by Tomoe." with a chuckle. "He was about to cut my head off on a bridge. That was back when we were all in Penumbral Guard, when he was still guild master. How time does fly."

He would listen to Rinni's response if she would make any comment on it. Gunter finishes off the cigar that has been lit for a while, and pulls another one out of his jacket. He puts it to his lips, and lights it, letting the smoke dance in his lungs and mouth before blowing it out, letting the smoke fill the air like a dragon would release its fiery dragon.

Well, she may not agree with his methods. But at least it was the blood of some very corrupt and evil people and not of random innocence. She decided she'd let that slide. She still felt hurt and betrayed over the loss of her guild and her friends. But she didn't want to go to war against this man, as she hadn't a clue how strong he truly was. And if Tomoe was on his side... truly, she didn't intend to anger THAT man. As he offered to walk her home, she shrugged a bit and responded with, "I don't mind it. I've grown fond of the dark since..." She trailed off still not able to admit what she was. Perhaps in denial of it herself.

She had been walking the streets several hours before meeting Gunter. They were at least 200 meters away from her 'home' so even if they start walking now, it'll take them a while to get there. And, as it was she wasn't even tired. Her mind was racing with worries, fears, and contemplation on what she learned tonight. And in all that, she still never found nor learned of Ko Lesalt's fate. She wondered if Gunter had met him, and thought about asking him. But as the chilling night air hit her causing her to shiver in the cold, she agreed to allow him to walk her home.

It wasn't that she couldn't protect herself. In truth, she was curious about this man and wanted to talk more with him. Her curiosity drove her to want to know more. To try to understand him, if possible. She needed to know if he was a potential ally or enemy. Would they be fighting together in the future? Or would she have to fight him before all things were said and done?

She had to speed walk to match his pace as his height allowed him the luxury of longer steps. As he flicked his cigar and pulled out another, Rinni wrinkled her nose again. Now that he knew what she was, she had no problem voicing her opinion on his horrible habit. "How many of those things do you have? Do you ever rest your lungs? I don't know how you're still alive. That smell is burning my nose!" She didn't mean to raise her voice, much less growl and show her fangs in annoyance, but at the rate he was going he was about to damage her werewolf senses.

"Sorry. I... didn't mean to... I've... had trouble controlling my temper since I..." again, she failed to finish the sentence.

Rather he accepted her apology or not, Rinni would quietly walk beside him feeling embarrassed by her outburst. Gunter would then mention that they have something in common and proceed to tell her how her old Guildmaster almost killed him. This gave her the courage to finally share the story Tomoe had ordered her to never talk about. "Tomoe and I were sparring on the tower. It was going good at first. We were laughing cause he slipped on Winter's ice spell." She giggled, and it would be the first genuine smile Gunter saw since meeting her, "But... something changed. He learned a weird ability to control a lot of swords. And suddenly, it wasn't a spar anymore. He pierced all four of my limbs and was about to stab me in the heart. When I cried out to him... he stopped and told me to stay away from him and keep what happened between us."

As Gunter would be walking with Rinni, and upon his noticing of her shivering at the cold, he would summon forth a new jacket, being that his ring holds literally everything on him. This fine dress coat, he would put around Rinni as to keep her warm, and then summon another one as he had just remembered he had forgotten his jacket on the park bench. Ah, well. Upon putting the jacket on Rinni, he would say "You seem cold, lemme help you."

As Gunter inhaled the smoke, Rinni piped up in a bit of annoyance, and after hearing her complaint, he would smile jokingly and say "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm used to the smell of things burning." He would give a coy smile after that, as if to joke about his family's burning estate and, well, Penumbral Guard and Fairy Tail. If she was angered by this, he would respond saying "I'm sorry, that was probably too soon."

As Gunter listened to Rinni's story about Tomoe, Tomoe penetrating this young girl, he would say after she finished "Ah yes, he's a bit of a rabid dog now these days. It's better just to let him do his own thing. He seems like a man on a mission, to what that is, I don't know. Personally, I kinda like the guy. I still remember when I first joined up with Penumbral Guard and met our guild master. Looking him dead in the eyes and calling him a drunk. I was a little shit back then, trying to do whatever it took to make him lose his temper." Gunter would say as he chuckles a bit. "That's probably why he almost took my head off my shoulders on that bridge." He would inhale the smoke of his cigar, and hold it in while saying "Good times." and let the smoke leave his lungs.

Rinni flinched a bit when Gunter put his coat over her, but quickly recovered and muttered a timid, "Thank you, sir..." as the two walked together through the cold wintery night. All things considered, it was calm and peaceful. She was still on edge over the realization that this man is both an ally and an enemy. A traitor of her Guild. Yet here she was. Walking and talking with him like old friends. What would Lucian and Masado think if they saw her now?

Gunter apologized for his smoking habit in the form of a joke. A dark humor joke at that. And one that caused the girl to glare up at him and growl in a very feral manner. She bared her fangs to show she was quite serious and her guttural growl was very much intentional this time. She huffed through her nose when he apologized for his 'too soon' joke. She looked away from him as they walked and slowed down her steps falling behind him intentionally. He clearly didn't care about others as much as he said to be that insensitive toward the young girl's plight.

As she trailed a few steps behind him, he told his story of how Tomoe was a rabid dog best left alone. He stated that his habit of trying to anger him is probably why he almost got killed by the man. To this Rinni scoffed as if to say 'I believe it'. Still able to smell the smoke, she glanced at him and noticed he was still smoking that damned cigar.

"Are you trying to push me like you did Tomoe, Mr. Wolf?" She asked pointedly, her voice a low inhuman growl as she was growing annoyed with his habits and attitude. She wasn't sure how much longer she could last. But yet, she couldn't bring herself to fully accept what she was. She had the senses but had yet to transform. Maybe she wasn't a full werewolf. Maybe being bit didn't turn you.

Maybe...

Gunter, seeing that he, well, struck a nerve, would raise his hands as if to say "I'm sorry.". He would then take one last long puff of his cigar, blow it directly up into the air, and then flick his cigar off onto the cobblestone road, watching the embers dance as they fly up into the air. He would then look up at Rinni and say "Very well, for tonight I will quit smoking. But not drinking." With that, he pulls out a bottle and a glass from his pocket dimension, pours himself a drink, and puts the bottle back in his ring. As he continues walking with the amber liquid swishing around in his glass, he looks at Rinni and says "So, what now? For you, that is. What's your plan? Are you going to go sign up with the Rune Knights, Fairy Tail?" And then he chuckles a bit. "Perhaps you'd like to join my guild?" He says jokingly, expecting her to flat-out say "Fuck that."

As Gunter continues walking with Rinni, listening to her response, suddenly Gunter's Eye of Kaom activates. Gunter puts his right hand over his face, and leans over in visible pain. At this point he'd begin screaming out in pain as he falls forward, his forehead against the cobblestone in an almost fetal position. Veins would start bulging out from under the eye, and Gunter would slam his fist into the ground, cracking the very stone beneath his knuckles. Though Gunter has no magical aura, magic aura would emanate from the eye and surround him in an almost black shade.

His body would then begin to grow to a size of 8'1", and he would lean back, looking at the stars with his arms out, screaming in pain. During this moment, the aura would begin forming a shape of tendrils, teeth, and one massive eye behind him. All of this would be visible to Rinni. A mouth below the massive eye would open up, and the tendrils would begin wrapping themselves around Gunter as if the magical aura alone was about to devour this man. And then, Gunter would slam his head against the stone, causing even the stone underneath Rinni and around him to crack. He would then lessen in size, veins would disappear, and the magical aura would fade.

He would take a deep breath before standing up, wiping the blood away from his brow, and dusting himself off. He would then look at Rinni, who was probably terrified at this point, and say "My apologies. It gets the better of me sometimes." And he smiles.

---

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Though still annoyed with this man whom she somehow by some sick twist of fate ended up in the company of, she also appreciated the fact he'd apologize so openly when upsetting her and further was grateful when he finally agreed to quit smoking. At least for her, anyway. She blushed a bit at that. Though it may be only for one night, the thought of someone quitting an addicting habit for her sake left her feeling slightly flustered. She was more used to people ignoring her and treating her like a kid. So, though terrifying at points, these interactions had been quite pleasant.

Then he said something that made her eye twitch. He asked her what her plans were. Rather she was going to sign up for Rune Knights, or Fairy Tail, or some other such guild. The eye twitch came when he asked if she'd want to join his guild. She could tell by his tone and expression that he was joking, intentionally jabbing at her buttons. Rinni wasn't generally one to swear. She was the prime example of young innocence. Still, she couldn't let that question by without some retort. "Yeah, right! I wouldn't join your guild if it was the last guild on Earthland!" She then rolled her eyes, and looked away contemplating his question more seriously, aside from the last part. "To be honest, I don't know yet. I haven't been thinking much about where I'd go next. I've just been focused on finding my friends."

Before Rinni could say anything more, something happened. Something bad. She hadn't even noticed the eye activating until Gunter himself doubled over in pain. She immediately stopped walking behind him and rushed to his side. That desire in her heart to help others. It was dangerous. It even drove her to try to help an enemy. She wasn't even thinking about what Gunter had done. All she knew was this man was in pain. "Gunter!"

She flinched a bit startled as he screamed in pain, falling forward. She attempted to catch him so as to not allow him to get hurt, however, she was so small in comparison to him that all she really managed to do was hug his waist and drop to her knees beside him as his head hit the cobblestone. In trying to examine his face for any further injury she noticed the third eye was open and weird veins were coming from it. Her eyes widened in horror. Had it activated on its own? Was that thing alive? She had little time to act nor react to what was occurring before her eyes as a black aura engulfed Gunter.

Rinni wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not, but as she hugged the man's waist in an attempt to help him, he began to grow. He was clearly becoming bigger as it was harder to hold him at this point. She fell backward as he leaned back, arms spread screaming to the sky. She remembered when Ko was suffering from pained memories and screaming in pain. How she hugged him to calm him down. But this... this was different. This was almost like Tomoe when he lost control and nearly killed her. It was as if he were being possessed.

To her horror, tendrils, a massive eye, and a mouth formed behind Gunter. The girl scooted backward across the ground distancing herself from the man as the tendrils wrapped around him, seemingly trying to pull him into the void. When Gunter suddenly slammed his head into the ground, she let out a scream as the ground cracked around them both. She was afraid he was going to hurt himself, or even her, at this point. She wasn't sure if he did that on purpose in order to stop the eye, or if the eye caused him to... but whichever came first the result was the same. He slowly shrunk back to his normal size. Though still a giant compared to the 5'4" teen, he wasn't as big as he was a moment ago, at least.

She watched trembling on the ground as Gunter took a deep breath and slowly stood back up, acting as though nothing had happened. He looked down at her and smiled.

My apologies. It gets the better of me sometimes.

This had happened before??? Was this a normal thing for him? He acted as though he was used to it! Rinni wasn't sure how to react, how to respond to what just happened. Instead, she sat on the ground leaning back on her hands as she looked up at Gunter. She was shaking, and the coat he had draped over her had fallen to the ground. Her eyes showed complete fear of the man that stood in front of her. The poor teen was rendered speechless.

Gunter looks at Rinni, who is clearly scared. He understands why, he kind of had a hulk-out moment. He would crouch down, looking at Rinni with a smile, saying "It's okay, I'm good now. You don't need to be afraid." He would stand up and walk over to Rinni, and put his right hand on her head, giving her headpats, trying to calm her down. He would then embrace Rinni, holding her in his arms to calm her down, and upon her being calm, he would release her from his embrace and stand up, looking down at Rinni, saying "See, whether we be human or wolf, we all have our inner monsters. Anyways, best be on our way, the night's not getting any younger."

Gunter would continue down the road, after five meters if Rinni did not follow, he'd say "Are you coming? Or do you need a minute?" If she needs a minute, Gunter would wait, and if she followed then he would continue down the road in the direction of Rinni's place.

Meanwhile, back at Gunter's place, Kratos is currently balls deep in a hooker, and eating some weenies. But that's not important. Back to the heroes.

Good wasn't exactly the word she'd use. He had a monster for a companion. He slaughtered countless innocent people. He burnt down her guild. And he just now became a visible monster right before her eyes. She was trembling uncontrollably and far too scared to move right now. She didn't even respond to his head pats, which she would normally shy away from and view as completely awkward. In the next moment, she felt the man pulling her gently into an embrace. She made a tiny whimper as she trembled in his arms.

It took a bit of mental strength to convince herself that he wasn't going to stab her in the back, randomly combust into flames, or literally squeeze her until she exploded. Those were all mental exaggerations of a traumatized child's imagination. True, she wasn't technically a child. However, she was still young and just as innocent and naive as one at times. Especially moments like these, when she's at her weakest. Afraid, alone, feeling helpless. Moments like these she forgets she's an adventurer. A Ranger.

As Gunter finally released her of his embrace, she watched as he stood up. He compared himself to her, calling them both monsters. It sickened her, to be honest. She didn't want to be a monster. Ko, Masado, Lucian all convinced her she was not a monster. But now Gunter called her such. Was he right? Or was it a poor choice of words in an attempt to comfort her fears? Either way, it kinda worked as she calmed down enough to stand up. As Gunter walked away, she slowly followed him, staying 5 meters behind him.

If he was speaking to her, she barely registered his words. Her mind was wheeling. There was too much going on. Too much she learned and experienced. Kratos. That eye. The knowledge provided by Gunter regarding the guild. In truth, the only thing she didn't know right now was where the hell her boyfriend was. Ko couldn't have just disappeared. She wondered if he died. That was a possibility. Her heart raced in dread at the very thought.

Or what if... while she was away.... he replaced her with someone older and more mature. Prettier. What if he was cheating on her? No. No way Ko would do that to her. Would he? She heard whispers of a man matching Ko's description being seen with multiple women at different times. Maybe they were friends? Guildmates? Or doing a quest together?

She then looked up at Gunter as she followed behind him. Why was she with him? She should hate him for what he did. Her voice went into a low growl as she struggled to fight the inner wolf. Gunter caused all this. She lost everything because of him. It's all his fault. Without thinking and before she could stop herself, the small girl lunged at Gunter from behind.

As Gunter continues walking down the street, he would suddenly hear a growl and turn around just in time to see Rinni with fangs and claws being bared and rushing at him. He would dodge just in time, watching her claws rip through his coat jacket as if it was a knife through butter. He wasn't thinking much as this happened, considering he had a 16 year old trying to rip his fucking throat out. But he figured due to the randomness of this attack, that this was probably Rinni's first time transforming. That, or Gunter said something that pissed her off, to which he just couldn't remember. Gunter didn't really want to harm this young wolf, nor did he want anyone to walk by and see him bashing her skull in with a sword, so he decided to deal with this situation politely.

Gunter would don his armor by summoning it from his ring, and after getting a bit of distance he would find himself 5 meters away from Rinni, looking directly at her. He'd activate his Eye of Kaom and get into a boxing stance, using his legs to make a hopping motion while having his arms up guarding his torso from any incoming attacks. After doing this, and being in a defensive stance ready to react to the quick movements of this young wolf, Gunter would then look at Rinni and say "You need to get control of yourself like I did. Don't let that monster inside of you win. I'm giving you a chance, girl. Control yourself or I will put you down."

---

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Rinni's lunge barely missed and she could hear the shredding of cloth as her claws ripped through his jacket. Her heart pounded in her ears, which were now long and wold shaped, as they twitched to follow the sounds of Gunter's movements. Deep down, she didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want to hurt anybody. But the beast was awake, and she was scared. That fear caused her to lose the initial fight as she was taken off guard by the irrational thoughts of the wolf within.

Reddish-brown fur covered her shoulders and arms. Her fangs were more prominent. Her hair grew longer and thicker. Her face took on a wolf-like shape. You could still tell it was her, however, as she was still mostly human. She turned toward Gunter snarling as he took a battle stance. Her nails were longer than before, he'd notice. Then again, he probably noticed the second she shredded his jacket.

She could barely make out his words over the pounding of her heart. Something about taking control. Rinni had been trying. But she was so scared she couldn't break free. As she gazed at Gunter, he'd see a hint of fear in her eyes. She obviously didn't want to do this. In the next instance, she lunged at the man once more. In the moonlight, he could see her new muscle mass had torn her clothing in sections.

As she lunged she attempted to swipe Gunter with her claws. If he would manage to dodge yet again, she would slide to a stop and turn toward her growling. However, if he would fight back and land a surprise attack she would stagger back with a yelp of surprise.

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Gunter, standing in a defensive position looking directly at Rinni, would be observing her movements cautiously. As she lunges at him with a swipe of her claws, Gunter would dash 1 meter to the right at the last possible second, starting and ending his dash in 0.08 seconds. He would counter with a punch to Rinni's temple. As the punch is being thrown though, he would also be casting his Viking King's Might by screaming a battle cry and shouting "Get a hold of yourself!" If the punch hits, he would continue saying in his screaming voice "Don't end up a monster."

If the attack landed, Gunter would dash forward and kick Rinni in the chest, and then return to his defensive stance. At this point, Gunter would continue watching her movements and getting ready to react to any attacks while saying "Come on girl, you can fight through this. You don't need the beast to have control over you. Rip its heart out and master your own body."

Gunter would then activate his Viking King's Rage spell, growing in size as his muscles expand and he grows to a height of 8'1" with both of his Eye of Kaom's spells now active.

---

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Rinni's ears erected, her eyes widening in confusion as Gunter easily evaded her lunge at the last possible second. He was fast. She turned toward him only to receive an unexpected punch to the temple causing her to let out a surprised yelp. She rubbed her head where his fist had made contact as she heard his raised voice encouraging her to get ahold of herself. She shook her head, growling as she recovered easily from the first hit. However, with his strength now boosted his next hit would be the blow that would end her rage.

She barely recovered from the punch when she felt him kick her directly in the chest, the blow sending her skidding to the ground with the high pitched yelp of a kicked dog. As she lay on her belly pushing herself to all fours shakily, her ears drawn back in pain, she could still hear his voice. The words reached her ears, telling her to fight this. To not let the beast take control. Her chocolate eyes looked toward the man, her voice a low rumbling growl as she watched him activate another spell.

It was pretty similar to earlier. It was that eye of his. She watched him grow, and his new height made the 5'4" werewolf feel that much smaller in comparison. She stood there a moment breathing heavily as she gazed up at his full 8'1" form. Her chest hurt like hell from the blow. She placed her left arm across her chest as she staggered to her feet panting. Her growls suddenly changed into a soft whine. A whimper.

"G-Gunter...?" She finally spoke. The voice was her own. Rather it was his words, his blow, or her own will power, Rinni was in control.

As she looked at the monster of a man that stood across from her, she realized several things. One was the fact she could have killed him. Another was the fact he could have killed her. Yet, he didn't. She noticed he had armored up, but yet he chose to fight her without a weapon. She suspected he most likely had one. Yet, he chose to not use it. He was sparing her. Giving her a chance. But why?

As evil as she and others may perceive him to be, especially after all he's done, the fact that he did not simply put her down but instead helped her overcome was enough to earn the girl's respect and trust. After a moment of recovering, Rinni slowly approached Gunter. She sniffed him gently, trying to pick up any scent of injury. There was none, that she could make out. Then again, all the previous odors made it hard to sort out what was what.

"Everything happened so fast... I... I remember your voice but not the words... I remember lunging... after that...." She trailed off, her ears twitching as she looked up at him. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Her voice held genuine concern. It was odd as she was more concerned about his wellbeing than her own. Was she simply an innocent naive child? Or was this just who she was? Selfless even to those who wronged her? Maybe it was a bit of both? Regardless, despite how much she fears the Kaom Eye, and how much hurt he caused her by destroying her Guild, she still didn't wish to harm the man.

He served his time, she convinced herself. Attacking him now would make her the evil one, she reasoned. He hasn't tried to hurt her, she rationalized. Maybe he wasn't a villain after all.

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