Odin hated Hosenka. He couldn't help it, always had and likely always would. Some people thought it was because of his complicated relationship with Empyrean Divine's guildmaster, well those that knew there was a complicated relationship anyway, but honestly it was nothing like that. Kurisa was a powerful mage in her own right, but Odin hadn't heard her name uttered in a while and, if he was being honest, a great weight would be lifted off his shoulders if she were to retire. Or die. Either way she wouldn't get involved in everything Odin had planned so the semantics didn't really matter all that much. But that wasn't even why hated Hosenka. It was probably a mixture of two things: it was a very boring location outside of the Crimson Quarter, and Odin preferred Magnolia and Dahlia a lot more.

The latter, as Odin sipped his glass of wine in a nearby bar in that very quarter he found interesting, wasn't really Hosenka's fault. Magnolia was arguably the prettiest city in Fiore, and Fairy Tail had been good to Odin when he had needed it. Not that they had known who he was at the time, obviously, but useful to the Lich nonetheless. He also got on surprisingly well with its members, both past and current. Zane and Steel had followed him from Fairy Tail after all, and he could say with some certainty that he and Kazimir would be friends if not for Odin's slight terrorism antics.

He sat in the pub in full view of everyone in the area. He wasn't hiding, he just wanted a drink while he found himself in the city. And this was the same bar where he had found Genevieve, or found her again he should say, after having lost her for some time. And then he lost her again after she had joined the Rune Knights. Was Odin the sentimental type? His fourth bottle of wine certainly seemed to suggest so, even as the liquid did nothing to inebriate him or quench his thirst.

God, he had lost so many.

"That wraps up our shift for tonight... Or rather my shift. I've given your new superior orders for the next few months. I'm on vacation now so don't bother me with matters that can be handled by someone else. I won't respond. " Clapping her hands together she thanked the large team of rune knights in front of her. The Hosenka division of the rune knights was much laxer due to the guild that resided here, crime wasn't too rampant but she was still working and that was something she quickly ended. Hitomi was officially burned out and in large part, due to the work, she had gotten from working in Orchidia and Shichiro leaving. The more she thought about his departure the more annoyed she got. He could have at least said fucking goodbye to her, but now he apparently officially quit and vanished into thin air like a god damn ghost. She was hurt especially since she thought they had a deeper connection going on but she could see now that she probably didn't mean much to him.

Now that she was finally free of all duties for a few months she found herself wandering in a familiar part of the Crimson Quarter. For whatever reason Hitomi couldn't put her finger on what made this particular part of town hit her with longing nostalgia. Her thoughts wouldn't linger on though as she passed by a group of young women, in most circumstances she would have ignored them but their words on the wind caused her to turn to them and stop the group. " What was this I hear about a lich?"
She hoped she heard wrong, she hoped that even if she did hear correctly that it wasn't who she was thinking of, she couldn't face him again not after their last interaction, but she wanted to. One of the girls spoke for the rest and explained how there was a lich in a pub three stores down from where they were. For Hitomi that was all she needed to hear and off she went even against that sinking feeling in her stomach, she had to be sure.

To her knowledge, there weren't many liches in Fiore and the ones who chose to show themselves to the public had the power to do so. Was she surprised to see Odin when she walked into the pub? No. But the feeling she felt was indescribably uncomfortable. Walking up to him she couldn't smile, nor cry, nor show any emotion and by the time she was close enough to touch him and she could do was sit down and order two shots of vodka and the strongest beer they had. How long had it been since the last time they were both in the same room? She couldn't remember. " So, when did you get out? "

There had been four occasions, including today, where Hitomi had appeared in front of Odin without him having expected her and each time it was a completely different expression on her face. The first had been confusion from Asmodeus transporting her from her home town to Oakland Church, back when her bat-like wings were prominent and she knew very little of the Fioran language. She had definitely changed a lot since then, especially given their second meeting was after Genevieve had changed. When she had succumbed to the will of Asmodeus briefly, but had found her way back to Odin.

Their most recent meeting had been a bit more intense, as it had taken place through prison bars after Odin's capture at Shichiro's hands. Hitomi had joined the Rune Knights, hell she was a Captain now from what the Lich had heard, and she was doing well for herself. Thus when she awkwardly sat next to Odin at the bar and placed her order, asking how long he had been out of prison, the surprise in the Wizard Lord's response was obvious, "Oh, uhh, you know. A couple of hours after you said goodbye." Collecting himself for a moment, Odin allowed a small chuckle to escape his mouth, "I imagine it wasn't announced straight away so that the people didn't completely lose faith in their knights. Imagine defeating their greatest threat but only being able to hold him for a couple of days." He took a moment as he realised he was insulting that same organisation that his former ward was now part. "Sorry if it caused you much hassle, but I didn't have a good view." Another chuckle, as he took a sip of his wine.

Goddammit this was more awkward than it needed to be.

"So how is working for the good guys? You're not going to get fired for having a drink with me, are you?"

Watching as the barkeeper set down her drinks she was more than surprised that it only took him that long to get out of his cell. Hitomi was of course curious because she didn't get the report of his disappearance until a week later, causing many of her ranks and below at that time to think he vanished then instead of what he just told her. Taking down two of the shots of vodka as if it was water she could hear Seika's words echo in her that drinking didn't fix anything. The temptation to answer it by shooting down the beer was strong, but she opted to take a sip of that instead and let out a satisfying " ah " sound afterward.

" I'm on vacation. Though I'd suspect even if I wasn't they couldn't fire me. Not after Shichiro left unceremoniously. It's left me to take on most if not all of his work. Though I'd suspect the money I'd make off of taking you in would keep me happy for a long time. "

Looking over at the lich fully for the first time she walked into the bar, a smile crept on her face, a genuine and warm smile, the same smile she used to give him when she was just a puppet to a demon. She missed him but after all she's been through she wasn't sure if she held the exact same love for him. Odin was a source of protection and like a father she wanted to fuck, the fucking part due to Asmodeus, but all those feelings came with not knowing the world around her when she came to him. Now she was a fully capable and respected mage who didn't need her handheld, in fact, she was the one holding the hand that needed help to many. But still, she held something for him, something that no matter how strong she got she would always have for him.

" You know, I never knew the true goal of your guild. When I came to you I was naked and confused and you took me in... I hardly did anything to warrant being a dark mage besides not being in a light guild and of course associating with you. We didn't seem bad at the time, I know from reports what you and the guild were up to during that whole dragon debacle but outside of that, nothing. So what are you trying to do?"

Her question was a valid one and it was something to fill the space between them. She didn't want one moment of silence and besides that, she had questions she wanted answers to that lingered on her mind for far too long. They had plenty of catching up to anyway.

The rumour that Shichiro had left the Rune Knights had circulated through Odin's contacts, someone as well respected as he couldn't just disappear, but the Lich hadn't fully believed it until Hitomi gave him then confirmation. The man who had defeated Odin was no longer there to stop him. The boyish disappointment in not getting a rematch with him was quickly quelled by the revelation that one of his greatest foes had been taken off the board. Without Shichiro to lead the Rune Knights, their power was significantly weakened.

He chuckled at the discussion of his bounty, always forgetting how high it actually was. probably because he spent much of his time with Erebus, who sported the highest active bounty in Fiore, "I've heard retirement is really boring though, there's nothing to do. You'd lose your mind." He smiled with her, although it could never show on his face, and was genuinely glad to have her back in his life, regardless of how long or fleeting this moment would be.

The question that followed evolved Odin's chuckle to a full-blown roar of laughter. It was a sound very few, if any, had ever actually heard from the Lich, but he couldn't help himself. So many viewed Eternal Nightmare as the 'bad guys' due to their relation to Zagan, but that was a long time ago now. "Everyone thinks Eternal Nightmare want to destroy the world because of me and because of Zagan, but it's not at all true", Odin began the story. It made sense the Rune Knights weren't told the truth of his guild, for fear they would defect.

"Eternal Nightmare hasn't had any contact with Zagan since its inception, and the demon's purpose was its own. We only sided with him in the beginning to gain the ancient power he promised. Turns out that was a very big house." He took another sip of his wine, straight from the bottle as he had spent the day so far. "Our purpose is to change the inequality of the world. Give everyone a chance regardless of the circumstances of their birth. That's why I sided with Hildegard in Bosco: to prove to the people of Fiore that, just because we've always been a monarchy doesn't mean it's the right way to lead a country. I want to create a Fiore that is a meritocracy, where someone's limits are purely based on their power, and how hard they are willing to work. Will it be more chaotic? Of course, that is the nature of people, but I'm fed up of someone unworthy sitting on that throne just because they were born to the correct family."

Not realising how loud his voice had raised, Odin took a moment to breathe and collect himself. After the death of Arthurias, he was fed up of incompetent rulers hurting their people, but even he hadn't realised just how passionate he was about the cause.

She smirked at his retirement comment but she could hear the passion in his voice when he spoke of the goals of Eternal Nightmare, in short, his goals. She could never have understood way back then but she understood now and she agreed. Ever since learning of what she thought or rather was convinced were people from her birth family she gave herself to a life that wouldn't shame them, a life working for the rune knights. For a long time, Hitomi had been lost in life, doing what she thought others would like rather than living for herself. Of course, it wasn't all bad as fresh memories of her " partner in crime " Seika popped up in her mind, and even fading memories of Shichiro assured her that the life she was living wasn't all for nothing. It felt good to have people like that in her life but she couldn't keep living a life that didn't make her happy, a life that led nowhere and felt like it was holding her back rather than helping her push forward.

"Sounds like something that threatens the royal family and everything they've built. Even if you came out and told the world the true goals of the guild you'd still be looked at as the villain as far as the Fioran government goes... A Dangerous guild indeed."

Chuckling at the thought she took another sip of her beer. It seemed that when one door closes another one opens and right now opportunity was staring her right in the face. It was an easy choice for the most part, to leave the rune knights and denounce them and the royal family so that she can return to her real home within Eternal Nightmare. The choice was made even easier now that she knew what they stood for but the thought of Seika prevented her from speaking up right away. Hitomi had to think about how this would affect him because she cared about him a lot and this would put them on opposing sides if she left and went to a dark guild. Hitomi knew she wouldn't be able to avoid him but perhaps she could persuade him to join her.

" Being a Rune Knight of my ranking allowed me a lot of information I wish I didn't know. I grow tired of protecting the royal family's interests, I never cared for them to start with. Can't say I regret joining them though, I've learned a lot, met some good people who I can call friends, and who I can say I truly care about. It'll be hard to leave them behind because I know a lot of them will stay on that side. It means that eventually we will cross paths and I'll have to put them down or they'll put me down. "

Downing the rest of her beer and slamming her cup down she leaned over enough that her head was resting on Odin's bony arm. It was time for her to return to the fold and she was more than happy to do so. Leaving Odin and learning the world for herself was the best thing that could have happened to her, now she could return and be of some use to him while still pursuing her own goals in life, goals she is still figuring out. She didn't want to be bound by the laws of a world that would hold her back, she wanted the freedom to do what she pleased and to gain the power to do just that.

" I think it's time I returned home and turn in this badge. I've missed you and I hope I can help you build the world you envisioned. "

Hitomi's musings about Eternal Nightmare's purpose and plans relaxed the Lich, who hadn't expressed himself to someone outside the guild in some time. Not that Hitomi was really outside the guild, but she still had an allegiance to the Rune Knights. She may have been loyal to Odin once, but many months had passed since then. "Having the entire world think you are a small-time cult, or a regular dark guild wanting to do bad things has been good for us though. If the King knew how active our goals were, and how close we are getting, he would likely make more moves to step in." They weren't ready to deal with the royals yet, but that day was fast approaching, and the guild was getting stronger every day.

For the rest of her words, Odin did not interrupt. Hitomi had to come to this decision herself. He had made the offer, it was hers to take or refuse. He wouldn't push her, he wouldn't force her into any decision. That wasn't who he was. He wanted freedom for all, that included the freedom to upset the Lich, if it were to be. However, as he felt her head rest on his arm, he knew what her response was going to be, and her words confirmed it. It was time for her to return to her family, just as Khalfani had done before her. Becoming part of Eternal Nightmare once more was her destiny, and Odin was there to help. He had his own goals, of course, but he wished to see everyone in his guild achieve what they desired, be it becoming the new ruler or killing the gods. If it was in his power, he would make it happen. And if it wasn't, then he'd become stronger. He brought her in closer for an embrace as he spoke, making the decree official.

"Welcome home Hitomi, I've missed you too."

-Exit-

She could only agree with Odin's statements, a simple nod of the head to let him know that she was listening and understood. She could tell that for now, their time was coming to an end. His embrace after she made her proclamation made her feel as welcome as the day she came into his life with Asmodeus by her side. Hitomi wondered that now if she was going to return to Eternal Nightmare's guild would she also return to her previous name? Her face? All those things she is now were built on lies fed to her by a family that she found out was not her own but a mistake. Letting go of the embrace she paid for their drinks and stood up. It was time to leave the Rune Knights. The next time they heard from her it would be on the opposite side of their law. Seika's face popped into her head, he would be so much of a headache to deal with once this was all said and done.

It's good to be back. I've got some loose ends to tie up. I'll see you around.

-exit-