Chapter 20 - Step One of Negotiations is Not to be Intimidated

Magic Item Exchange. The term wasn't that foreign to the Magic Guilds in Evermont; it was normally a name for a party where the attendees flaunted their wealth in the forms of intricate magic items. Of course, this translated into a way for those same Magic Guilds to keep tabs on those with more money than their station allowed, or those who seemed easy to bully.

Locki hadn't attended one before, nor had he an idea on what went down in these parties. However, that only made his decision even more imperative. He needed to go to this event. It was what would cement him as a standing power in the city or someone who can be press-ganged into someone else's guild. And, in the worst case, a threat to be eliminated.

No pressure really.

"You're shaking." Gyutaro commented from his right.

"It's the wind." Locki said smoothly, shoving the offending hand into his pocket. A soft giggle that could have been the wind entered in the teen's ears long enough for him to glare down at his shadow. "And nothing out of you, Max."

A pair of large eyes appeared within his shadow, glaring back at him.

"I refuse to say your name." Locki said, ignoring the Pokemon's pointed scowl. "It's too long. I am not going to say 'Maximillian Genovious Hortiture' every single time I ask you to do something…"

At this point, he was half convinced that all ghost-pokemon liked such outlandish names. Probably to screw with people. No wait, that was definitely the reason. Locki would bet money on it.

Locki shook his head, thinking back to the ghost-type Pokemon book he received in his jail cell. As convenient as it was, the young guildmaster wondered just what went through someone's head to study creatures that seemingly grew off of negative emotions and dead spirits. It seemed like something that was most definitely about to backfire.

Of course, Locki had to teach his friend how to read Standard Earthland. Which led to the Haunter to choose such a weird and outlandish name. Though, if the teen was to be honest, he didn't want to name something so sentient like a common dog.

"Did you need to bring… Max, with you?" Gyutaro asked carefully. Locki found the demon seemed almost wary in the presence of Haunter.

Which was weird; one of them was a human-eating demon and the other was a sentient cloud of poison and nightmares. If anything, Locki had expected them to fit right in with each other.

"He's necessary as extra backup." Locki finally explained. Though, the teen knew that the Pokemon would have sneaked after them even if he asked for it to stay. Gyutaro luckily dropped the topic with a shrug, letting Locki deal with his current apprehension.

The Magic Item Exchange was held within the Western parts of Evermont, territory that was within Rose Tyrant's supposed jurisdiction. It said something that the Magic Guild who called forth this event were the False Giants instead.

Locki wasn't under any illusions that the other Magic Guilds didn't know how deep the shit that Rose Tyrant's Guild was in. Anyone with a sense of the city would understand just how frantic they were to please the others to not become the target of the other three Magic Guilds. There was blood in the water, and Locki knew that the other three could demand almost anything from the Rose Tyrants and they would have no other option but to accept.

As the trio pulled up to the event, the young guildmaster had an idea on what the False Giants had asked for.

The Magic Item Exchange was primarily held within a massive merchant union that the teen had, through the information of Berrel, found out was associated with one of the largest smugglers of imports from Bosco. Locki knew that the False Giants were one of the stabilizing presences within the four major Magic Guilds, but he had forgotten that just because they advocated for peace didn't mean they wouldn't take a bite out of you in the process. It was just another piece of information that let him in on just how dangerous his current situation was. The fact that they had the audacity to host the event from the place they had stolen was just another nail in the proverbial coffin.

Locki heard the caucus of conversations and soft music as he stepped closer to the brightly lit building of the event. There was a line of well-dressed people who waited patiently for their turn to enter, and Locki took up his spot behind the last one. Everyone there seemed to line up with their friends or associates with clearly paid mages who ambled awkwardly behind their employers.

Idly, the teen watched the crowd, looking for traces of the other three major Magic Guilds. He had left earlier than what he assumed was their meet-up time, so he hoped that he could avoid a confrontation before he had everything in place. Not that he had some grand plan or reveal; in fact, his plan hinged on the False Giant's guildmaster not killing him on the spot.

Something that Berrel had helpfully told him was a very low possibility. Again, no worries.

However, as he wandered closer to the building, the teen stilled, feeling like his heart had just jumped into his head. His heartbeat slammed into the back of his mind as various thoughts and plans ground to a halt at the sight of one of False Giant's two S-rank mages. The mage only looked at him from the exposed roof of the building, but next to him, Gyutaro had similarly frozen as the man's eyes stalled on the two of them.

His demon guildmate silently reached over, gripping Locki's shoulder as if ready to bolt with him in tow. The mage kept his gaze on their frozen forms as Locki watched the man pull out a blue communications Lacrima. After a moment, his gaze left them and returned to his watchful sentry.

"W- what the hell was that?" Gyutaro was the first to recover, taking a moment to release the grip from Locki's shoulder. "No seriously, is that what strong mages are like?"

Locki took a second to breathe. He had experience in the presence of S-rank mages, and he knew that the act of them just letting their Magic flow out from their bodies was something everyone could feel. An inefficient use of magic that doubled as an act of intimidation. However, when that energy is around someone weaker, it is beyond effective.

"That," Locki deliberately lowered his head, hiding his lips from anyone watching from above. "Was Zeronu Kobella, one of False Giant's S-rank mages."

"And the other guy I fought was only one rank weaker than him?"

Locki held his scoff, almost forgetting that he was talking to someone without this world's common sense. "Technically yes, but that's only because they don't have a ranking above S-rank mages. He's one of the outliers within Evermont, but generally, you're not considered an established guild here unless you have someone who's at least S-rank. By the way, his epithet is the Horizon Eyes."

"Is that so…" Gyutaro wondered aloud.

"Don't think about testing him. And I mean that literally: don't even think about it randomly." Locki warned quickly, unsure of the demon's thoughts. "Its common knowledge that he has some form of clairvoyance, and he can figure out who is coming here with not so nice intentions."

Locki felt a bit more at ease as his companion nodded and fell into step beside him. There were no more problems as they finally reached the entrance. Inside, he could see people amble around, conversing as waiters carrying drinks and food on large, silver plates navigated through the crowd. The young guildmaster could see suited men who stood off to the sides as they carefully examined the attendees, and the insignia of a crouching metal giant spoke of their association, the False Giants.

"Mister Wyn?" Locki felt his heart rate rise as the large bouncer stopped him with a raised eyebrow. "Do you really have an invitation?"

Locki frowned at the clear disdain that man forced into the question. Instead of acting on his desire to fight the man, the teen raised his opaque bag up and jiggled it in his sight. "I brought an item for the exchange."

"What can a small guild like yours even bring?" The man asked dryly.

Gyutaro wordlessly shot Locki a glance, and the teen hurriedly shook his head. As annoyed as this line of questioning was, Locki was not ready to start a fight with the only Magic Guild in Evermont who had two S-rank mages. Both of whom were fiercely loyal to their guildmaster, if Berrel's information was to be accurate.

"And what's a grunt like yourself to question me?" Locki asked back, waving a hand at the roof. "You're just a redundant extra. If the Horizon Eyes hasn't said anything, then why are you still questioning me?"

The man's eyes burst into balls of fire. The teen had been expecting to get him mad, but he hadn't expected the man to immediately decide he wanted to break the unsaid truce. Locki backed up as the mage's hands caught fire as well, clenching into shaking fists.

The next moment Gyutaro shot in front of him, putting himself between Locki and the man. However, the demon didn't need to make a move, and Locki wondered if Gyutaro had gotten in front of him to protect him from the fire-fist mage or the sudden appearance of the interloper.

One second, the mage raised a fist to strike the demon. The next, his hand was missing. The stub pitifully came up short, splashing flecks of blood onto the demon's suit. Then, the mage began to scream, drawing everyone's eyes to their confrontation.

In the instant, Locki had a cold flash of terror run through his chest. For a second, he had thought that Gyutaro had cleaved the mage's hand off, but he saw that Gyutaro's gaze was locked on the man who stood next to the mage who fell to his knees, clutching the bleeding stump where his hand had been.

Zeronu Kobella had, at some point, teleported right next to the mage. The man was large, but more muscular than height. Locki found it a little odd that Zeronu was shorter than him by a couple inches or so, standing at what the teen estimated to be five foot six. However, that was drowned out by the massive array of scars that curled around the S-rank's exposed arms. He wore them like badges of honor. Locki caught a particularly odd one that simply circled around his right forearm as if it had been cut off completely at one point.

The man's face was similar to his body. Hard features stacked on a stern, no nonsense type of gaze. Oddly, it seemed as if all the scars on his face missed his eyes; they bore into his cheeks and forehead in long chasms, but nothing ever reached his eyes. In fact, they seemed to frame the multicolored eyes as they shifted between all the colors of a kaleidoscope.

"Guildmaster Vistas is waiting for you in a private room." His voice was not as deep as Locki expected. It was more like a dulcet tone of a giglio. Was it offputting? Yes, but still equally intimidating.

"... he just appeared in the room. I couldn't catch him." Gyutaro whispered harshly.

Locki pursed his lips as Zeronu sheathed a large, bloody knife into a case on his back. He looked at the mage who had gotten his hand cut off as the man scrambled to grab his severed appendage and hurry out of the place. Whether it was to escape the S-rank mage or because he was afraid to spread blood on the floor of his guildmaster's party, Locki did not know.

Because both were equally viable.

Zeronu silently gestured for them to follow, and Locki wasn't going to complain. He tapped his guild member's back carefully, getting the demon's attention.

"He can teleport anywhere he can see." Locki said simply. Information about Zeronu's Magic was open for everyone, and the fact that no one tried to do anything with that was a testament in itself.

Gyutaro seemed to understand something as his face twisted in apprehension. Locki nodded at the demon's emotion, understanding just what went through Gyutaro's mind.

Zeronu scared everyone in Evermont. Sight-based teleportation was a weaker subset of Space Magic, and it wasn't so dangerous when it came down to many factors in Magic, but it was the fact that the S-rank had his clairvoyance eyes added onto it. After all, he was named the Horizon Eyes instead of the Teleporter.

Locki followed after Evermont's premier reason why idiots had a short lifespan, making their way deeper into the maze of open rooms in the event. The young guildmaster could see people crowd around various items placed on pedestals within the rooms. There were plaques attached to every pedestal that described what every magic device did. They leaned in close to read the words in the dim lighting of the event, but most that took one look at Zeronu quickly got out of the way.

Finally, the trio reached a set of double doors. They were simple and away from most of the attendees. Darkly, Locki found that this was the perfect place to execute someone away from the more normal eyes of those who enjoyed the Magic Item Exchange.

"Your bodyguard can't follow you in."

Locki held back a grimace, forcing a smile that did nothing to the stone faced mage. If he gave up Gyutaro, there was a good chance he'd be bullied by the other guildmasters. Especially, when he hadn't gotten the support of the False Giant's guildmaster.

"I apologize, but I can't follow that order." Locki said as calmly as possible, and quickly added on, "Everyone knows you can see through walls and intentions. With your Magic, it can be as if you are everywhere in this building, so your guildmaster can be said to have his guard with him in somewhere there's supposed to be a truce. While I trust him completely to follow through, it seems a bit unfair to me, your guest."

Locki swallowed after he spoke, feeling like his heartbeat was drowning his thoughts. He was as respectful as he could be, and he knew that any slight against Zeronu's guildmaster could mean that he'd lose a few inches from the neck-up. However, Berrel had said that the False Giant's guildmaster appreciated competence more than someone who accepted everything he ordered.

And, as if relieving him of his terror, Zeronu nodded easily as if he expected such a response. "Very well."

With that, the mage opened up one of the doors, letting both Gyutaro and Locki through. The young guildmaster presented a calm and collected front, smiling as he took in the predominantly empty room. Unlike the other rooms, it was well lit and furnished with tasteful chairs and stands that sat next to the walls of the room. Painted onto the floor was a map of Evermont.

It was around the size of the rooms he had walked before, but instead of being cluttered with pedestals full of odd Magic Items, there were four large, empty pedestals. Each one had a plaque that said a different Magic Guild's name.

Where other rooms had been occupied with throngs of people, this one only had one occupant. An elderly man in a suit who stood in front of the pedestal labeled "False Giants." His clothes were pressed and cleaned, looking as if it had just been picked up from someone's cleaners.

He turned as Locki entered, slotting a circular pocket watch into his suit jacket with a genial smile. White hair was combed back professionally, shiny with pomade. His face was lined with wrinkles and sunspots that crinkled with his smile, looking like a grandfather happy to see his progeny.

He strode across the room in large steps. Locki saw that most of the man's height was from his long legs, and noted just how silent the man was. It brought further attention to how economical he seemed with his movements; a steady pace, an amiable smile, and all of it to press the point of how much he wasn't a threat. Like an assassin.

"Its a pleasure to meet another Guildmaster Wyn. If you hadn't known before, I am Drumlowe Vistas. My friends and associates just call me Guildmaster Vistas, though." He reached out a hand to shake, letting Locki catch a bit of metal where skin should be under the sleeve. Locki bit his lip as he returned the shake and was surprised nothing happened.

"Ah, this?" The older guildmaster smiled, pointing to the gloved hand. He removed the glove to reveal a metallic prosthetic. "I lost it when I killed your grandfather; a powerful and intelligent man, him."

Locki blinked as Drumlowe's words finally clicked in his head. Gyutaro also stilled next to him, unsure of how to respond to such a frank statement. Finally, Locki recovered and took time to review all the information Berrel had on the man in front of him. Based on everything he had seen as well, Locki concluded: Drumlowe is insane.

"I… see." Locki said, choosing to wave off Gyutaro. In the back of his head, the teen already knew it was a test. The man wanted to see how he'd react to such a provocation. At one point, Locki resorted to his Curse to realize that he was completely truthful, but he needed some support to get his foot in the door. If Drumlowe kicked him out before he could get a reasonable place of safety, then he'd be all out of luck.

He still noted this information down in his head, just in case.

The man's smile grew by a tiny fraction, and Locki felt gratified in his correct guess. "You remind me a lot of him; you have his intelligence. One of the few men I respected and liked. Your father, on the other hand," he didn't hide an annoyed grimace. "I am sure you have more things to say about him. But, I must say I am curious about your presence here. Last I heard about you was your impressive resurgence of your thought-to-be shut down guild. Tell me what you want; its the least I can do for you for taking care of my ex-wife."

Locki pursed his lips. He knew Lon had divorced her husband. However, he had not expected this. Still, he knew he needed to lay all his cards on the table. Right now, Drumlowe treated this similar to how one would look after an acquaintance, but Locki knew that the man cleanly separated others from Magic Guild matters.

"I'd like to join this exchange." Locki pointed over to the four pedestals.

The teen watched with a healthy trepidation as Drumlowe's smile slowly disappeared, replaced by a calculating gaze. "Perhaps, you are as brash as your father. He, at least, was an S-rank mage. If you had asked for some money or helpful connections, I might have obliged. What you ask is to step between the four guilds without sufficient," he shot a look at Gyutaro, taking only a moment before his gaze fell back on Locki. "Foundation."

"I can get foundation." Locki said calmly, feeling like a hurricane just blew through his heart. "I just need enough time where no one is trying to stab me in the back or force their spies into my guild."

"Oh?" Suddenly, the man was interested. "You seem to have good eyes. If you understand your position, why then are you so insistent on rushing to this?"

Locki locked eyes with the older guildmaster. "I just don't want to roll over and die. Besides, I am worth more alive."

"The only worth I can see is that standing on your side means that Fiore's Magic Council thinks weren't not Zeref Cultists." Drumlowe stated easily, shaking his head in what seemed like disappointment. "You might be able to scare the other three, but I won't…" he paused mid sentence as a smile came back to his face. "That is why you're here this early, huh? If the goal was to just scare and intimidate, you would try to interrupt our meeting or something similar. You came to me first because you knew you needed someone who firmly supported your decisions or else we'd all be against you. Did I get that right?"

Holy shit, he was exactly like Lon when they figured something out! Locki tried not to immediately shoot back a snide comment, feeling that habit he gained from interacting with Lon might come back to bite him in the ass.

"Yes… I wish to reach a compromise." Locki agreed.

Everything that Drumlowe said was basically what he came to when he gained Berrel's assistance. The only major obstacle was the False Giant's guild; they had too strong of a backer in Bosco that any option of mutual destruction would only arouse the other country's support. Not to mention they were the only Magic Guild in the city with two S-rank mages who had served in Fiore's military at one point in time. If anything, Fiore's Magic Council might just side with them instead of him.

Drumlowe chuckled wryly. "A compromise? You do realize that can only be done with two equal parties? Say I do agree, though, what would you have to sway me?"

"I have my guild." Locki shrugged, trying not to seem desperate. "I can guarantee that I can have an S-rank in my guild within two years. At that point, I would be able to help Evermont."

"Help Evermont?" Drumlowe perked up visibly, letting Locki know that those words really affected him.

Throughout the conversation, Locki had been throwing intentions at Drumlowe with his Curse, trying to figure out what made him tick based on how strong the reaction got. Oddly, it got a fair bit stronger when asked if Drumlowe cared about Evermont. Why that was true when the man had his finger in almost every unsavory element in the city was the last thing Locki had expected. Still, it was enough to grab the man's attention.

"Your grandfather had a similar goal." The older man reminisced with a genuine smile. His eyes seemed to sparkle as he looked over Locki. "I guess I never asked what your Magic Guild hoped to accomplish. To help Evermont, though? I never took you for the type."

Locki bit back a curse, wondering how to push the idea that he actually cared for the city. How anyone could actually like it was beyond him. "I would… hate it if Berrel's bar closed for good. And the other bars, too."

"J- just for that?" Since Locki entered, this was the first time he saw Drumlowe so off balanced.

"Yeah," Locki decided to double down, running his hand over the metal vambrace of the folded up [Rune Woven Armor]. Gyutaro also stepped marginally closer. Not enough to be seen as threatening, but with the demon's speed, Locki knew he could grab Drumlowe if anything went wrong.

The both of them bet on the demon's regeneration to surprise Zeronu long enough. A gamble Locki was not keen to take anytime soon.

"You would potentially start a conflict with the four Magic Guilds over such a thing?" Drumlowe asked carefully as if he still needed confirmation on Locki's lie.

"What do you think I am doing now?" Locki asked, wondering just that as well. Just what the hell was he doing?

Drumlowe's smile seemed to grow wide enough to show teeth, completely separating him from the grandfatherly image from before. "Interesting! To think that your goal was such a wild and crazy one. Very well, you have my attention. I will monitor your progress on that statement of yours, but first," he held out his prosthetic hand. "But don't think that I will just provide such accommodations for free in my city. You need to show your generosity before I give mine; a give and take, you understand? No one in this city works for free."

Locki grit his teeth slightly. He knew the man would do this even if the teen offered his guild in a sense, Drumlowe was the type of person to wring you for all that you were worth. The young guildmaster liked to think that those same words were used to take this merchant's union from the Rose Tyrant guild.

Still, whether he accomplished his goal or not, Locki felt a little apprehensive. Like he expected, he had been both lucky and unlucky with the tier 2 Blue Prisms. He knew that his gift would definitely earn him quite a bit of prestige and credit with the False Giants, but he knew it was the only thing that he got that would intrigue the man. Still, he hated to give something so precious away.

Reluctantly, the teen reached into the bag, pulling out a small glass tube. Both the bottom and top were capped with metal rings that sealed it completely. Inside the tube was a green, frothy liquid that seemed to bubble ominously. Suspended within that were two opaque eyes with cloudy pupils.

[Byakugan]

A tube with easily transplanted Kekkei Genkai.

Effects: Allows the recipient to see through objects with near omnidirectional sight.

Locki held back the annoyance that built up within him as he handed the tube over to the skeptical man. He didn't look that disturbed by the eyeballs, but Locki would be surprised if he was.

"Eyes?" The man looked over the gift as Locki held it out. Though, he made a point to not touch or take it. He chuckled wryly. "Should I worry where you got them?"

Locki forced himself to ease up. Giving up these [Byakugan] served two purposes. One, they would allow Drumlowe to see how invested Locki seemed to be. And more importantly, would lie about just how dark Locki would go to serve his purposes.

"We both know that's not a line of questioning that we want to go into. I will say that no one will come after them after I hand it over."

Drumlowe thought over it for a moment, and then took them easily, looking over the eyes curiously. "While I know who exactly these are for, a pair of eyes that look like you ripped them from a blind guy are not exactly what I expected."

"They're clairvoyant eyes." Locki admitted, taking a moment to show his true feelings on the matter with an aggrieved sigh. "I really didn't want to give them up, but I know that your friend was blinded a couple months ago, and with their teammate being the Horizon Eyes… Well, I just figured he wanted some of his own. A fair price?"

Drumlowe hummed, giving away nothing. He slipped the tube into his suit jacket, and nodded at Locki. "I will take your word for it, Guildmaster Wyn."

"You can check them if you want. They should be easy to implant." Locki said with a shrug.

"No, I will show trust to a new companion." He said, smiling and holding his non-prosthetic hand out. Locki knew that had to mean something as he took it. Drumlowe's smile switched back to his grandfatherly demeanor. "Of course, I will need to check in on your progress later. It wouldn't do to not know about your companion's capabilities."

"Ah, yes…" Locki said, shooting a look over at Gyutaro. The teenager had put together a basic image of the older guildmaster in his head.

Drumlowe was someone with an agenda beyond simply profit. The man wanted something, and the balance between the four Magic Guilds had given the city a fake semblance of stability. They and the gangs were needed to spur the economy; to keep everything in tip-top shape.

Evermont was just a small stop between Fiore and Bosco. Even with Lacrima trade, there just wasn't enough above ground commerce to keep the entire city running. Magnolia was too close for Evermont to really grow from the exposure, and unknowingly, the other city attracted more and more businesses that popped up. The point is, Evermont needed the gangs and criminals to function. Locki knew it. Everyone else knew it. They just ignored the issue.

The younger guildmaster now knew that Drumlowe has strong feelings about the city with the ruthlessness to understand just how to push things. He figured that his grandfather had done something against the man's wishes, leading to Drumlowe taking drastic actions. Whatever it was, Locki didn't really give much thought.

Now, he had to deal with the fact that Drumlowe needed his Magic Guild for a reason; the man wouldn't even consider the deal if he didn't. The fact that Locki promised an S-rank mage further pushed the idea that Drumlowe needed some heavier firepower. Locki filed all this information at the back of his mind, knowing that he needed to act in the city's best interests or else he'd risk his newfound cover. Given the man's statement of killing the teen's own grandfather, Locki felt it would be prudent to not give him any reason to do the same to him.

In the end, the teenage guildmaster already accomplished what he needed, feeling like a timer had just paused in the back of his mind. It was still there. It just moved a bit slower.

"I look forward to our cooperation." Locki smiled as nicely as he could fake it.

Drumlowe hummed. "Indeed. Though, I believe that we should talk about our other acquaintances that should be coming soon.'' The man quickly segued into the other main issue Locki had to deal with to cement himself into Evermont's fragile balance. "Now, about your plans to intimidate the other guilds. I find the idea to be good in theory, but the potential fallout with the Zeref Cult is something that no one here can handle."

The surety of the statement caught Locki off guard. He was used to how casually blunt Drumlowe was; a way to intimidate and portray himself as infallible. A ruse that Locki had used himself. To so quickly throw that away was a little startling. And terrifying.

"Don't believe in the Magic Council's ability so easily." The older man smiled as if he saw through Locki's thoughts, patting Locki on the shoulder like someone would to placate a child. "They are powerful but slow. They'll react to the appearance of Zeref Cult members. Though, you might be dead before you can get adequate assistance."

"That's…" Locki paled as he slowly realized the flaws in his idealistic plan. He was suitably scared and respectful of the Magic Council, but that didn't mean everyone was.

"Don't worry too much. It was not a horrible plan, all things considered. A bit juvenile, but your resourcefulness is impressive in its own way." Drumlowe commented before his smile slowly disappeared, replaced with a serious stare. "Though, I must remind you to not think too little of the Zeref Cults. Sure, there are plenty of weaklings and idiots that can be cleansed by smaller guilds or even merchant caravans. However, the strongest ones are mages that can bring all of Evermont to its knees." Locki could see something intense behind the man's eyes. "Do not provoke them."

Locki swallowed heavily at the clear warning. Whatever could make Drumlowe concerned was not something the blonde teen could not even think about handling.

"There's rumors of a group called the Balam Alliance being formed. Don't mess with anything related to them."

"Are they Zeref Cultists?" Locki was cowed by the knowledge that Drumlowe just dropped on him. His plans had changed, but his pact with the older guildmaster was something that would definitely be good for the short term.

"Possibly." Drumlowe said. "Some rumors say that they are, but most seem to be false. Though, they are problems for other Magic Guilds to handle."

"I'll keep that in mind the-" Locki was cut off as his pant's pocket buzzed loud enough to be heard in the fairly quiet room. He froze immediately, feeling Gyutaro tense next to him as well.

Before Kagura and Daki had left, he had given Kagura a communications Lacrima tied to the one in his pocket. Since his Lacrima would need a day or two to recharge every time he used it due to his Magic Mutability, he had explicitly told them to only use it for emergencies.

Drumlowe raised an inquisitive eyebrow, no doubt seeing their reactions. "No need to stand around. It could be important."

Locki pursed his lips, not knowing if this was another test. In the end, his body moved for him, pulling out the buzzing, blue sphere that was his communications Lacrima. Quickly, it connected to the other end.

"Hello, is this… Guildmaster Locki Wyn?" An icy thrill went through the teen's chest as the voice that came through was older and male. It didn't seem aggressive, but Drumlowe proved that looks can be deceiving. "I apologize for startling you. Your… erm, guild member did not know how to use this, and she was rather vocal, for lack of a better word."

Daki is okay, Locki and Gyutaro both figured out immediately. That meant something was wrong with Kagura. Again, Locki's heart was gripped by a fear he never thought he'd have.

"Could I know the condition of my other guild member?" He asked quickly. At the same time, Locki pulled up Kagura's information to cross check whoever he was talking to.

[Kagura Mikazuchi]

A new mage of the Scarlet Hand Magic Guild. She desperately wishes for her family back. She wants to prove herself as strong to both her guild master and Validator.

Best Abilities: [Earthland Magic — Unison], [Determination]

Mood: [Hopeful], [Injured – Magic Deficiency Disease, Minor Burns]

Bond: 33%

"My friend said she showed symptoms of Magic Deficiency Disease and some severe burns. We are treating her the best we can, but I-" Locki frowned as he heard a distant yell and crash. The man on the other end sighed, tired and aged. "Your guild member and mine have been like this since we took in young Kagura for treatment. If you could come to Magnolia to help ease the process, I would- Grey! Put some clothes on and get Erza away from her!"

There was a yell, and Locki felt like he was on a rollercoaster of emotions. The main one was confusion now. Gyutaro seemed to ease up with the knowledge that his sister was alright enough to get into a fight.

"Sorry, things have been hectic here. Normally, there are others to corral the children, but they went off on missions. Anywho, if the trip to Magnolia is too far, I can reimburse you for the trouble. Probably."

"No, it's not far." Locki said quickly, shooting a glance to see Drumlowe's reaction. The older man seemed amused and intrigued enough that Locki could breathe a sigh of relief to know he wasn't overstepping an unknown boundary. "I'd like to know where Kagura is. And who you are as well. I can go help her recover faster."

"You have a treatment for Magic Deficiency Disease?" There was a slight uptick in the man's voice. He seemed incredulous and interested in the information. "Ah right, I am Makarov Dreyar, guildmaster of Fairy Tail."

Locki paused, looking over to see Drumlowe cast him an appreciative glance. Why?

"I can settle things here." He said softly, silent enough that his voice wasn't picked up by the Lacrima. "Settle things with your guild, and take a look around Magnolia in the meantime."

So go and spy for him, Locki surmised from the man's words. He supposed it wasn't too hard an order if only a bit scummy to repay them for their care of Kagura.

"I can get there by tomorrow morning." Locki said, planning his trip to one of the most famous Magic Guilds in Fiore.