"--after that, I had to play peacemaker and jump between them because for some reason the Cross decided getting himself killed was the best way to resolve the entire saga. Like, Aaramis acted like he was a fucking lone wolf, wouldn't work within ten yards of anyone else...and yet Cross got it in his head that he needed to join him. Didn't stop antagonizing the ass until Inan and I dragged them to opposite sides of the village. Needless to say, the groups basically fell apart."

Sera shook her head, her expression somewhere between amusement and annoyance.

"What did you expect?" she asked. "With the exception of the serious injury, it sounds like about every other job you've been on with them."

Sia sighed and dropped her face to the bar top cheek first. Sera had a point. As she was one of the few people who could tolerate the majority of those in the guild--certain people just rubbed others wrong--Sia had been on dozens of jobs with everyone that had been in that particular group. None of them had gone any better. Well, none of them with Cross or Ilias. Oren and her got along pretty well, so if it was just them things went smoothly. And she wasn't sure Gideon knew how to mess up a job.

"We leave the day after tomorrow and I probably got an hour's worth of training," she complained. "What I expected was a little more than that."

Sera laughed. "Don't let Cross hear you whining like that. He'll start calling you princess again."

Sia bristled and tilted her head up. At the evil look she shot her, Sera raised her hands, brows up.

"Sorry, sorry, you know I don't mean it, Val."

She groaned, this time dropping her head face first.

"I find it hard to believe apologies with that name," she mumbled.

Silence followed the complaint, but Sia knew Sera well enough to guess that she'd simply shrugged, unrepentant about the issue. And, sure enough, when Sia peeked up the elf was carelessly prying at the paper packaging around a box of chocolates. Apparently, her complaints were less interesting than Sera's sweet-tooth. Perfect.

"Believe what you wish," Sera said once the box was open. "Either way, if you're so upset about your training, shouldn't you be outside right now?"

Sia shook her head, never lifting it from the bar.

"No. I heard from Kier that everyone is meeting up today to smooth out the final details for the tourney. Apparently, we're actually trying to be organized this time."

Sera scoffed, pulling a chocolate from the box. "That would be a first. I had to make the inn reservations for the master, if you would believe it. She'd completely forgotten that you folks need somewhere to sleep."

The wording caught her attention, forcing Sia to tilt her head back to give her a better view of her friend.

"You folks. So...you're not coming, then?"

Sera busied herself picking through the box, as if any of the chocolates differed from the others. "No. Someone has to watch the guild."

Silence stretched between them, before Sera cleared her throat and offered Sia the box. "So, Kier? Was Waverly with him? I haven't seen her for some time."

"She was," Sia confirmed. "She looked better. Still a bit pale, but not like she was going to get sick any second. Kier said they'd be dropping by as soon as she finished packing."

Sera cocked a brow. "Kier said that? That Kier?"

"Well...he said they'd be by later," Sia relented. For some reason, whenever Kier pulled himself together, he was a lot less wordy than when he was forcing Rhett to share a chair with him. "Waverly was complaining about her laundry when she walked off, so I assumed the rest."

"Ah."

At that same moment the front door opened. A quick glance told Sia that the timing of their conversation had been impeccable, because there in the doorway stood the tiny, teal-haired fae of discussion. Her hair--as per usual--had been dragged into twin ponytails that nearly reached her thighs, leaving a clear view of her pointed ears. Her equally teal eyes seemed to scan the guild, before dismissing whatever she saw. She turned back to the man at her side--Kier. His unruly, deep green hair had been wrangled into control beneath a fancy, black hat. Between that, and the fact he was at Waverly's side, it was clear to anyone watching that--today at least--Kier was still in one of his calmer, polite moods.

"Waverly!" Sera called out.

The girl glanced at them and frowned. For a moment, Sia thought she might turn away, but Kier whispered something in her ear and the lingering tension in her shoulders fell away. Within the second they were both approaching the bar.

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"How are you feeling?" Sera asked as they neared. "I heard you ate something you shouldn't have."

Waverly shrugged. Her eyes focused on the menu board behind the counter.

"I'm fine. Can I have whiskey?"

Sera sighed. "Food first. Real food."

As Waverly started negotiating the definition of food, Sia let her attention wander. After the meeting today, she would need to head back to her quarters and train the best she could for the tourney. Not that it would allow for much. Perhaps she would sneak back later when everyone was asleep. The silent, empty training grounds were tempting.

Her magic was strong, that she knew, but she wasn't the strongest of their party. Sia was a cleric, so that was expected. But, in this situation, she needed to do better. Her guild would be counting on her--at least, they would during the beginning rounds. Her father had taken her to the tourney the last time it had been hosted, and from what she recalled, the first four sets were duet games, followed by an individual, bracket style tournament. But, in order to get there, they had to win in the team events.

What if her game was the one that stood between them and qualifying?

"Cross!"

"I'm just looking at it! Calm down. I'll give it back soon."

Sia shifted her head. Across the room, Sky--looking like she was about to throttle a particular demon--was seated at one of the many guild tables. Seated across from her was a battered looking Hawthorne. Next to them, Cross lingered with a paper in his hands. His tail flicked slowly behind him, betraying the quiet mood that laid behind his chipper voice.

"Ask before you take things," Sky ordered. "I was reading it."

"You know how to read?" Cross joked as he flipped a page. His brow furrowed in the slightest degree.

"Why..." Sky began. The sharp tone in her voice had Sia wincing, alongside many others. It was edged with mana, betraying how irritated the air djinn truly was. "If I hadn't started in a good mood, I'd have you eating the floor for that."

Cross shrugged. "My luck, then."

Before Sky could argue further, he slapped the paper down on the table.

"Look at this. Have you heard of these guys?"

Unfortunately for Sia, she was too far away to read what he was talking about. Sky glanced down at the paper and--like Cross--furrowed her brow. Hawthorne, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but there, studied it as well.

"Polar Fox," he read aloud. "It sounds familiar."

Cross recovered the papers from the table, his smile undaunted. Although, Sia realized, it was far from the usual, genuine expression he always wore. It was a subtle difference. If his tail hadn't been twisted about his waist instead of flicking in the air, she might not have even noticed. It was a habit born of hours spent on missions with the demon--when he wasn't being honest, she always looked to his tail.

Sky leaned back in her chair, sending it teetering on two legs. "I don't remember hearing about them, so they must not be worth anything."

"A lot of people haven't heard of us," Hawthorne pointed out. "It's wrong to judge other guilds by that."

"Most people are idiots," Sky declared. "That includes you, Thorne. But, this is a fixable issue!"

As Sky dragged Hawthorne into a lecture about how if he only took his S-Rank exam and got promoted they would gain a bigger following, Cross slipped away. Likely banking on her distraction, he brought the paper with him. Sia hesitated and--after waving goodbye to Sera--slipped away from the bar top. He glanced up as she joined him near the doorway, that familiar smile overtaking his lips.

"Whatcha need?"

She shrugged, before gesturing to the paper. His reaction to whatever he'd read was strange and very not-Cross. He was the sort to drag attention to his interests, not quietly leave to examine them.

"I'm curious. What about that guild caught your attention?"

He rolled against his leg as he gave a dismissive wave with his free hand. "Nothing important. They're rumored to be attending the tourney is all. I thought learning something about them might make it easier when we go face-to-face."

"...right," she sighed. Cross wasn't a thinker. He was an impulse fighter--looking for strategies against his opponents wasn't something he did. "So, I take it this is all I'm going to get out of you about them?"

Cross blinked, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Probably. Just...don't worry your little head about it, Princess. It's nothing serious."

Sia narrowed her eyes, then sighed. Calling her princess meant he was hoping to piss her off--there really was no point in continuing to question him.

"Right. Whatever. Drop the damn nickname or I'll make sure you forget your own, okay?"

"Ha, sure. I'll do my best to follow your order, Your Highness."

Sia struck out for his shirt, cursing as the demon danced just out of reach. She might have tried again, but at that same moment, the door swung open forcing both of them back. Varya appeared with Lock at her side. The moment they stepped inside, Varya cut off whatever animated conversation they were having, hands mid-wave, and peered past Lock to study the room. Her face lit up as she apparently saw whatever she was hoping for.

"Good, you're all here," she cheered, clapping her hands together. "That means I don't have to send Lock looking for you. I wanted to know--how many of you are coming along with us to watch the tourney?"

Hands shot up following the question. As expected, the group consisted of those of the eight that were present, Kier, Sage--Gideon's sister--a few quiet members, and--

"I want to go, too!" a familiar face declared, appearing beyond Varya in the still-open doorway. "Sorry I'm late."

With her sky-blue hair scattered about her face in a familiar, wind-blown way, Nova slipped past the guild-master, before spinning to face her with one of her ever-constant smiles. One hand grasped the bandana hanging around her neck to mop the sweat off her brow as the other settled on her knee, as if that was all that was required to support the near-breathless girl.

"I was caught up in a thing," Nova continued, before straightening. Within a second of blurred magic, she seated herself next to Gideon and Sage. "The bakery lady was worried about her supplier so I had to go check on him but it turned out that he was being held up by robbers so I had to take them out and turn them over to some people but then those people were worried about their accomplices so--"

An ache formed in Sia's temple as Nova's rapid explanation continued at a rate beyond human comprehension. So, she returned to the bar, a grateful smile on her lips as Sera knowingly offered her regular drink.

Eventually, the conversation turned back to the matter at hand--the tourney. As Sera had said, they would be staying at an inn she had already made contact with about reservations. Their transportation to the capital consisted of boarding a train a town over--tickets for which Sera had also secured. Towards the end of the discussion, Sera even produced a rule book. It was lost on Sia how she procured it, given her friend rarely left the guild, but Varya looked ecstatic. The second it was in her hands, she held it up to Lock as if she'd just gained some sort of grand prize. Sia couldn't help but smile.

It would seem that for their master, at least, the tourney was nothing more than a game.

"Alright, everyone! Get plenty of rest. We'll be heading out first thing Friday morning!"

At that, Sia bid Sera farewell for real and started for the exit once again. On her way, she caught sight of Cross standing towards the far side of the guild. His back laid against the wall, papers clasped in his hands as his tail slowly slid against the guild floor. And as if that wasn't enough, she could have sworn the man was frowning. After a moment of watching him, however, Sia shook her head and forced herself to continue out the door.

Whatever the problem, it would be revealed soon enough.

Polar Fox was rumored to be attending, after all.