Episode 21

Kanon was outside, looking out for something to come by. He was waiting for Shebi & Ez to arrive with transport. The train had been delayed on the reports of the Dragon, according to witness reports it had flown off and they were putting everything on halt until they had searched the area's surrounding the train tracks for the Dragon. Kanon knew they were wasting their time, but getting some of his own Guild members up here wouldn't have been a bad thing. He had been surrounded by ?Galea Runts? even those who weren't yet but were to be for the entire duration of the mission. He knew he couldn't just walk away with the job money, even if he did do most of the work, or well. He thought he did anyway.

Yugami was still laying there, quite proud of himself even though he hadn't done much. A full team, just like that. They could participate in the Grand Magic Games now for sure, they had 11 members! Even one to spare! He rubbed where his wound was, still amazed by the Doctors talent. Yo was sat beside him, her face dug into her hand as she did close to literally nothing. Kyoko on the other hand was watching Dura, amazed, stunted by his sheer revel of ability back there in the fields of battle, squaring off against a Dragon and saving her. It really was something out of a Fairy tale, and she seemed bewildered by the thought of it all. She whispered to herself 'my Hero..' as she watched him rest, keeping her hands to herself in case she might wake him. Yo ended up watching Kyoko's weird acting, not saying anything about it but just gazing at her do so. Sirus was watching Kyoko in a similar way to Kyoko was watching Dura, almost in an idolised fashion. He was sat though, a chair opposite to that of Yo's on the other side of the room, he had hidden his face behind a newspaper but his eyes were still capable of viewing her every few seconds, the clear scars underneath his sockets running down his cheek poking in and out of view with the sway of the paper in the 'wind', somewhat controlled by his hand.

A carriage was pulling up now a few hundred yards off the Inn they were staying at, Kanon was watching eagerly to see who stepped out of the cart behind. He hoped it would be Ez & Shebi, his companions to give him someone better to talk to than these 'Galea Runts' as he referred them to. The door opened slowly, but he had no luck. It was just some regulars returning from wherever they had been, obviously they were loaded if they could afford a carriage into Hearthland, being in the centre of Minstrel it was pretty much the middle of nowhere and from any major city it would've cost an arm and a leg to get there. And that's when it hit him, why on earth would they come by carriage?! He turned swiftly to see a trio of figures in the distance. He could distinguish them all with ease. The Red & Gold of Ez and his Demonica Armlet, the Black and Green overcoat Shebi so adored and the all white shirt with trousers combination to his snow pale locks, he didn't consider it were a possibility at first but it had to be him.

"..Asuka..?"

Kanon questioned himself in disbelief. Asuka was the first and only Guild Master of Aeria Sabre, the man who had started it all and was here now? For what reason?! On what business? Kanon stayed cool outside the inn, waving to the three to signal his presence and that the others were all in the inn he stood outside. Kanon went indoors, looking about to see if anything was going on before the others arrived.

Asuka was the first to walk in, looking over at Yo first, someone he'd never seen before that looked like she should've been in a guild. He couldn't see her Galea Force brand, but Kanon shook his head in disregard for Asuka's idea. His eyes then skimmed past the bed-lain Yugami & Dura, and to Kyoko and then Sirus.

"Slacking as always. Eh, Slayer?"

Asuka said with a chuckle, Sirus' eyes widening behind his newspaper as he gulped slightly. Ez & Shebi watched Asuka, confused whilst Kanon chuckled. He thought he understood what Asuka was saying.

"So. I heard we have a Dragon slayer,in the house."

Asuka repeated, grinning as he could sense the strain coming from Sirus. He must've been hiding something from the group, it was obvious to Asuka and he wanted to make it known. Sadly, Kyoko jumped in excite from the remembrance of her 'Hero''s courageous actions early at the Castle.

"Yeah, we do. Right here. Dura, My Hero. He saved me from the Dragon!"

"Oh did he now? I don't really think he was what I was thinking when I said Dragon Slayer."

Sirus was getting more and more tense by the minute, Asuka knew if he continued a little longer he'd crack. What he didn't think was that Yo'd crack first.

"What are you on about? Who are you even?"

"Yo, don't talk like that to Asuka. He's the Guildmaster of my Guild, he is by far the strongest man in this whole building, if not even the whole city."

Yo shrugged, almost as if she didn't care much for it.

"Well what's he trying to get at? He keeps going on about Dragon Slayers as if they still exist."

She said, huffing before picking up a magazine on the table to preoccupy herself whilst the guys stood around like idiots. Sirus couldn't hold it, he shot up and out of the room away from the mounting pressure Asuka was dropping on him with the constant hinting. But that didn't eman it was over, Asuka followed. He had him where he wanted him.

Sirus was walking north toward the mountains the others had just come from when Asuka left the small inn, calling out Sirus.

"Hey, slayer. Where you going?"

"Away from you, if you'll stop trailing."

Pulling out a sheet of paper, he smirked.

"Sirus Preiya, wanted on account of Murder. Dead or Alive. What you doing here, what's your business with the Galea Runts?"

"I'm a part of their guild now."

"Oh, is it? And who made that a rule, I don't see a brand on you."

"Yugami, we're waiting for Rai to get here and make it official."

"I'll just have to kill you before he gets here then and make sure you don't get that chance!"

Said Asuka with a smirk, raising his hand toward Sirus. The Winds started to pick up with his movement, clamping down ferociously toward the 'Slayer' at Asuka's command. He was a Wind Mage. Sirus bounced backward, keeping away from the sheer strength Asuka was forcing into his high velocity strikes. He knew that even if he kept moving away, Asuka would get him eventually, so he needed a plan to get in and strike him.

Once he'd gotten what he deemed was out of range, Sirus watched the enemy with his pained eyes, not a feint of immerse within his stare as he dropped off his coat, left it there on the floor as he was ready to get it on, time to fight!

Click here for Episode 22