It was time to make the Spire theirs. The doors had been opened, the entrance had been claimed, and Odin had come into possession of a throne room where he could meet those who wished to speak with him. The imposing throne would do well to remind them all just who they were talking to, and the power he controlled.

But that was only one floor, only one room in a tower of hundreds. Eternal Nightmare had opened the door, but the Wischtechian Spire was still a foreign entity, humming with a life that the even the Lich couldn't quite explain. They had to start exploring it, picking which rooms would be their own and, most importantly, checking out the view from the top. While that wasn't yet on Odin's agenda, it was something he very much wished to see.

At present, after standing from his throne, Odin would approach the magical contraption that stood behind his throne. Much like in Samhain's Tower, this elevator could take anyone to any floor, but exactly how it worked eluded the Lich at present. He was preparing himself for a lot of that. The Wischtechians were skilled magical engineers: the little of what Odin had learned about them showcased their ability, and he knew there would be much about their craft that he would need to study. For now, he would simply wait for another to join him. After all, where was the fun in exploring a brand new place if he did it all by himself.

258

Vivi waited for a bit after she watched Odin enter the elevator. She wouldn't have felt right taking the spot of someone higher up on the proverbial food chain. But, when no one stepped forward in quick order, she saw an opportunity that she didn't wish to pass up. After all, why wouldn't she take the opportunity to essentially rub shoulders with the man who led the entire organization. That would just be silly. And besides, as far as she's aware this tower contains threats well beyond her ability to handle. So why not partner up with the man who can likely obliterate any of them with just a single glance? There really wasn't any other realistic choice for her to make. So, seeing her chance, she slipped into the elevator with him rather quietly, pulling off her usual stoic demeanor as she tried to play off the moment.

"I hope you don't consider my initiative offensive in any way," She said. "But there seemed little other opportunity to have a chance to get to know my new guild master besides taking a leap of faith into an elevator." She cracked the slightest smile at her own joke, though it quickly faded.

[208]

Not that Vivi could see it, but Odin was smirking as she entered the elevator. As it stood, she was the main member of the group that the Lich had not yet had any real contact with. She had been brought into the guild by Zane, but beyond that he didn't know much about the girl. If she was to be a member of the guild, it benefitted both of them to meet in such circumstances as they were in. She could get to know the one she was supposed to follow, and Odin could gain an understanding of the most mysterious of his members.

"Quite on the contrary, I'm glad you decided to join me." Odin pressed one of the many buttons on the elevator, going to a relatively high floor in the Spire. His theory was that the highest floors would possess the greatest number of machinations and traps. And, if nothing else, they'd likely have some of the best views.

As they began to rise, Odin figured he might as well begin the conversation. It was entirely possible that Vivi wouldn't want to intrude, as she had already worried about doing just that, and so would stay quiet until spoken to. Trying to allay this concern, and if nothing else show that he was willing to converse with any of his guild members, the Lich began, "We haven't quite had the chance to talk until now, so I welcome this chance. May I start by asking what your goal is in joining our group? Nothing too serious, but I'd like to help if possible. At the end of the day", Odin looked up as they reached the desired floor, moving a lot faster than it had felt like, "We are all here with individual goals. I am also willing to answer any questions you may have about myself, or about Eternal Nightmare. I don't know how much Zane told you, so perhaps my knowledge can assist where his couldn't."

600/2000

Vivi nodded in agreement with Odin's assessment. He had Zane right on the nose, which didn't surprise her much. As the guild master, Odin likely knew the value of understanding those that followed him. Better to know your friends well before they become potential threats she supposed. "He was rather cryptic about the nature of this group and of your own personal nature by extension," She admitted. "Though he did seem to imply that we might very well share some things in common with one another. Looking at you now, I'm not sure if my words can even compare to the deeds you must have performed to come as far as you have."

There was a certain sincerity to her voice. Even during a conversation as potentially tense as this one, given how she knew she was in the presence of someone far beyond her skills, she was incredibly relaxed and honest. She didn't wish to hide anything now that the opportunity had presented itself to be as crystal clear as he might expect from her. She opened her mouth to answer his question just as the doors opened to the floor he had chosen. She blinked in surprise as she realized how fast the elevator must have carried them up to such a lofty level. She waited for Odin to step out before following.

"To answer your question, I am here in search of self-improvement." She paused and furrowed her brow. "Though that sounds almost altruistic. Put another way, I am here seeking power. It is something of a selfish desire, I will admit, but strength is my entire reason for living. To grow stronger every day is the calling that beckons me to the shore, and I have to follow it. There is so-" She stopped herself short, realizing what she was doing rather quickly. "Apologies. Once I get started I find it so difficult to stop. I will simply say that growing stronger is the reason I am here and the basis for my personal beliefs."

[547/2000]

As much as he was getting to know Vivi, it worked in his favour that Odin was presented with the opportunity to check up on some of the other members of his guild. He was pleased with Vivi's description of what Zane had told her, as being cryptic was the best way to present the guild. If the takeover mage was going around telling everyone the exact details of the guild there would've been a problem, but Zane was smarter than he let people think he was, and he knew his way around a situation. Also he has an ancient demon living inside him, so that probably helped. "You must understand, given the area of the law and morality in which we operate, that such mysteriousness is required." Not only was Odin already a wanted terrorist in connection with three different attacks in Fiore: Crocus, Era and Hargeon, but he was also a known associate and former member of the Midnight Cult, a group so dangerous that the Rune Knights had 'kill on sight' orders against them.

Odin listened intently to Vivi's words as he stepped out of the elevator, even chuckling slightly as she explained her goals. It was only once she stopped herself that Odin found the opportunity to speak himself, "Zane was actually very accurate, to the point of things he doesn't even know." Odin took a breath before continuing, as he knew how long his story could take to tell, "My entire life has been about gaining power, that was the reason I became a Lich in the first place. With this form, I can research things that would take lifetimes to understand, and attain powers lost to the ages. I think Eternal Nightmare is a fitting place for your goals, Vivi. Not only are there people here who can help you gain those powers, but we have something pretty unique among the guilds. And not just a really big house."

As if on cue, the first of the Wischtechian guardians appeared before them. It looked pretty weak, the size of a regular human and likely something anyone could defeat, but it would suffice for Odin to showcase what he meant. "Nightmare is more than just a name." A pulse emanated from the Lich, before a dark aura began to coat him. It was his first time accessing the power Zagan had given to them, so even he wasn't sure what it was going to do. Instantly, he felt stronger, faster. He took a moment to feel his bones react to the boost, before he dashed towards the machine, his fist colliding with its head and instantly reducing it to rubble. "Oh yeah, this is something I could get used to", he muttered under his breath before turning back to face Vivi, "This is Eternal Nightmare, rise in the ranks of our guild and this power will become accessible to you too. You can reach new heights here, do things no one could expect. How does that sound?" The smile on Odin's face, ever permanent, was glinting slightly. The joy on his face could be felt at this power. It felt good.

1128/2000

Wischtechian Guardian:

Vivi applauded Odin's display. While such an act may be meant in jest much of the time, she was clearly being sincere. She had watched him with the keenest interest, taking note of just how impressive his abilities were. It was the perfect opportunity that she had been hoping for; a chance to observe how the leader of their outfit exercised his strength. She couldn't wait to see more. If she was lucky, she may just learn a thing or two. That was to say nothing of how grateful she was to be among someone who seemed to value his physical strength as much as he did his magical power. She was much the same way, though maybe even more heavily weight to one side than she admitted.

"I believe I understand," She said once the dust had settled. With the ancient guardian lying in a heap at their feet, she carefully stepped around it. "And you make a compelling argument. Above all else, my goal is to become strong. Strong enough that no one need ever dictate to me the confines of my own life. Stronger than the laws that bind us down to this constrained life of unrepentant obedience and shame." She clenched a fist. "Strong enough to lay waste to any who would try to place shackles upon my spirit and confine me to a life of mediocrity. With that level of strength, surely it would not be too much to change this nation, to remake it even. If the strength of my body were to match that of my conviction, I might already be there already." She looked back up at Odin. "But you offer a path that is nearly as certain. If you are willing to accept Zane's judgement and have me as a member of your guild then I will make it my purpose to rise to meet your expectations. In doing so I will claim the strength that I desire and use it to further your aims in conjunction with my own. Though I wonder, if you understand me, how different our aims might be if they are at all?" She was clearly searching for Odin's intentions with that question, trying to lay bare the man she now sought to call her leader.

[931/2000]

The more Odin listened to his guild mate, the more he was glad she was on his side. Everything she said was almost exactly how Odin had felt, which meant she had the potential to reach his level, perhaps even surpass it. Someone with that ambition, that drive, was not someone you wanted to make an enemy of. While at that moment Vivi may not have been the strongest mage in Fiore, she possessed a power far too many people lacked and even those that had didn't use to its fullest: determination.

He chuckled lightly as she spoke about the laws and confines of life, something Odin himself had experimented with and had surpassed many years before, "So this is what I sounded like. I wonder if I was as sure back then as she is now", he whispered under his breath as she continued. He honestly doubted it. Vivi had someone like Odin in her life: someone who had transcended those rules and had gained power no one could dream of. She had a fixed point that she knew she could reach, Odin had never had that. He had been the first to reach the level in centuries. Perhaps that is what drove her.

Then came the question that cemented Vivi as one of Odin's favourite new members. Not only was she basically like he was in his younger years, but she had noticed something in his words. Odin talked about the past a lot, about how he had become the being he now was. Vivi wanted to know the future. She wanted to know what his personal goals were now. Sure, the guild sought to change Fiore, to make it a land where heritage or the blood you possessed didn't shape the life you would have. A land where anyone could reach any height provided they were able to push for it, Odin believed in that cause as much as someone in his position could.

But that was not his goal, as he took out a little black book from beneath his cloak. It was possible that Vivi would know the significance of the book, would have heard stories of the evil cult that the Holy Knights sought to eradicate. The group was shrouded in mystery, however, so there was no real way to know. Odin looked down at the book for a moment, remembering why he was here, and how much he had sacrificed already, "There is a woman, so powerful many have called her a Goddess over the centuries. She saved me when I was in a dark place, and I owe her my entire being. She is trapped, lost in a dark place much like I was once. I intend to free her, to release her from her confines so that she may breath fresh air once more." Perhaps it was just the romantic within Odin, but he had to admit that he made his plans for world domination sound almost appealing. The question now was, how would Vivi react? She now knew more about Odin than any other member of his guild. More than Zane, more than Genevieve, more than anyone.

1946/2000

The significance of Odin's words was not lost on Vivi. While it was true that she did not have the full context necessary to understand the nuance behind his desire, she could at least understand the intent. She could tell just from the way that he spoke of this mysterious woman, this goddess, that Odin felt a great deal of inspiration simply from speaking of her. That kind of connection didn't come around very often, and it was something that required the most fervent of belief in a particular ideal to achieve. She felt a certain level of kinship with that. As for his black book, she paid it little mind. Vivi was never the kind of person to listen to gossip or rumors, she much preferred to deal in hard facts and reality. In fact, she'd never even heard tell of an evil cult, not that knowing about it would sway her from her present course. She was devoted to the cause of strength, to the freedom of a people she saw as oppressed by the very society they had come to call their own. Next to that, cult activity was a drop in the bucket compared to the lengths she was willing to go to in order to see her goals met.

"Then I wish to help you," She said. She sounded quite certain of the conviction she felt despite knowing next to nothing about the deeper meaning of her agreement. But, as always, she didn't particularly care. "If freeing this goddess is your goal then I want to do everything in my limited power to make that goal a reality. Whatever confines hold her, let us sunder them and free her from her torment." She actually smiled. "Freedom is the highest form strength. To grant it to another is the ultimate gift. Whatever forces or enemies stand in the way of that freedom, we can crush them beneath our heels."

Ever the simple woman, the moment Vivi had set her sights on the end goal she had no intention to waver. She was in this fight for the long haul, and nothing was going to dissuade her from the path ahead even if it could mean her death. She was always rather fond of the more dangerous situations anyhow. Never mind the implications or the risks of uncertainty, she felt confident that taking such risks would only make her stronger than ever before if she stuck with the path that now called out to her. Whatever lay ahead, she would face it with staunch determination and gritted teeth.

[1366/2000]

"Then I wish to help you"

He would never admit it, but Odin had yearned to hear those words for a long time. He was incapable of tears but this was the closest he had ever felt to crying since first meeting HER. People had pledged loyalty, and services to the Lich many times, some having even sold their soul to him by way of assistance. But none had said those words, and none had known the truth of Odin's purpose before. Vivi was the first person outside of the former cult members to know exactly what Odin wished for, and she was hoping to help him in his mission.

"Thank you Vivi, I am glad you joined our guild."

Placing the book back inside Odin's cloak, actually slotting into his ribcage to keep it safe, he began walking further into the floor they were both on. They came to a large room, not quite the size of the entrance throne room but large enough for everyone to gather should they wish. Odin, however, had other plans for the area. With so many floors in the Spire, finding this exact one would be difficult for any who didn't already know what they were looking for. In that moment, Odin closed his eyes briefly, feeling his magic reaching out into the city of Oak. He felt the pull of the object in the Swineherd Pub. He brought it towards him, feeling an overwhelming surge in his power. His magical capabilities had almost doubled, but he also knew this was where he was his most vulnerable. The small ornament in his hand, a horn from Lucifer's head, held the entirety of Odin's soul. Its destruction would mean the permanent destruction of the Lich, but this location would be the safest place for it. It would become the location of his soul, and of his shrine to HER. From here, he would plan the liberation of his Goddess. SHE would be granted freedom, and then the world would burn.

Turning back to Vivi, Odin would tell her no more of his plans, or of what the horn signified -however his ridiculous increase in power would likely give away the truth- and instead simply ask her for a favour, "Tell no one about what we have discussed, or about what you have seen here today. To do so could bring our guild to its knees."


2000+/2000

-Exit-

Vivi felt, in Odin, a particular sense of understanding. While they were in no way similar at the first glance, after all he was a lich and she a mortal woman, she had a good sense of the plight that he faced. The world around him must always seem poised to take from him everything that he had achieved. With a goal as lofty as freeing an imprisoned goddess from eternal chains, there surely was quite a bit riding upon his survival. She did not entirely feel the same way about herself, of course. She was still weak, and her goals were far more personal than they were world-changing. But it was his conviction that stirred her heart. Before her was a man who understood the power of belief. Through determination, one could achieve any goal they set their mind to. Here was a man who had chosen to devote himself entirely to releasing the being who had saved his life. She did not believe for a moment there was anything that would deter the lich from pursuing his ultimate goal. That single-minded drive was exactly what she felt day in and day out as she pursued her own dreams. Her admiration for Odin only grew as she realized this.

She could sense the growth in his power, like a wave bursting forth from behind an unstable dam. The sudden explosion of his strength made Vivi's head spin. She could not imagine where such strength came from. She only knew that, by comparison, it made her seem even smaller than before. She was nothing before this kind of onslaught, and it nearly sent her to her knees. She stumbled but did not fall, managing to stay on both feet for the moment. Looking up at Odin, she could hear the grave tone in his voice. He meant his words sincerely, they were no hyperbole. She nodded her head just once in response.

"I will keep these secrets unto my grave, guild master," She said. "No words spoken here today nor sights that my eyes have witnessed will leave this room. You have my word."

She did not speak the vow lightly. She meant it, every single word. It was not beyond her to understand that what Odin had shared with her was likely not so widely accepted. Perhaps even members of their own guild might take some measure of offense to such goals if they knew the full extent of them. But Vivi, she saw the merit of Odin's plans. She saw in them the same sort of passion that she tried to exude every single day. She wouldn't betray the trust he had put in her, she would honor her commitments and offer him her assistance. This would be the very first test of that offer. She would not let a word of this pass from her lips even if someone tried to pry them from her with pain and torment. She would remain steadfast as she always had.

Looking around the room, she takes in its size and scope. It certainly seemed large enough for any sort of need. Not gargantuan by any means, but it certainly beat out any home she had ever lived in. She could only wonder what Odin's plans for the space were. Given how large the tower was in totality, however, she was sure there would be many other rooms to explore. Which gave her an idea.

She bowed to Odin. "I believe there are other duties which I can attend to this day, guild master. I will return to the main hall and see if I cannot find some manner in which to make myself useful. Should you have need of me, you need only call." She stepped out of the room, leaving Odin to his own devices. She did not want to disturb him as he prepared his own plans. She knew the value of secrecy even among those one trusts. But she did wonder just what would come in the weeks to follow. She also wondered what Zane was up to as she stepped into the elevator to head back down.

[Exit]

[2000+/2000]