The sun had been up for a few hours when Damian called for his adoptive daughter, the sun glinting from the grips of his revolvers. "Ame, come here a moment lass! Need to talk to ya while we walk."
Amelia looked up from her desk, where she had been working on a sketch, when she heard her adoptive father call for her. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard him call her lass. That usualy signaled that something serious was happening. Taking a deep breath, he rose from her seat and headed out of her room and over to Damian, trying to hide her nervousness.
"
What wrong Dad?" She asked.
Damian smiled at her and beckoned for her to walk with him as Jaëger and Carmilla joined them, playing with each other. "As I'm sure you've heard, Jenna's Rising Starborn has made quite the name for themselves and is doing a hell of a job showing Pergrande us Immigrant mages aren't so bad. But, I want to know your thoughts on all of that."
"
I haven't... really been paying much attention to it. It's not like it's something that really concerns us and even if it did, I assume they would be more interested in you than that would with me." Amelia admitted. "
Why do you ask? Do you have business with them?"
"In a way, I do. Well, really, we do." Damian pauses a moment and then sighs. "Jenna and I have talked a lot about the situation with you, and the fact that there are some things I'm not able to help with. So, at her request, we're heading to check out the guild today." The two dire wolves chased each other through the trees along the road. "I want you to seriously consider joining them. But me? No, lass, my days of galavanting with groups are over. I have enough of a reputation as the Lord of Steel and Flame from my days with the Magic Knights, not someone that the guild needs."
Amelia couldn't help but grimace when Damian brought up the situation concerning her. She should've known it had to do with all the trouble she brought him.
"
I guess... I could give it a try." She said, unable to hide her lack of enthusiasm at the thought. She didn't do well with crowds. Hell, she rarely left the house to go into town unless Damian dragged her there. She simply did not do well with strangers, crowds, or any sort of social situation. It was something she simply lacked experience in.
Seeing her grimace and hearing her lack of enthusiasm, Damian stopped and kneeled to put himself at her level. "This isn't because of your magic and the fact that you're my daughter, Amelia. This is because that there is such of a difference between them that I have no means to do more than teach you more endurance and you need more than that. You know I'll be right there for you, all you have to do is call. I love you, Ame and will be there to support you, always."
Amelia looked up at him, her red eyes steady as she listened to what he had to say. She smiled when he finished.
"
I know you'll always be there to support you. You always have been and always will be." She said. "
So, I'll try my best. I just... hope that things will really work out. After all, I won't want your friend's hard work to be for not just because I joined their guild."
"There's nothing to worry about. Fortunately for you, Jenna's put time into correcting Ardem's town leader's statements that you're a necromancer to say you're a spiritual mage and that his remarks and slander against you have done a lot of harm to mages who practice spirit magic and Celestial mages. Seeing as Rembrandt almost wholeheartedly backs her word and we have Aryl on our side," Pendragon grins, "things should go well." He pulls Amelia into a hug. "You'll be fine and I'll visit often, but I want you to make friends and memories. Carmilla will never be far should you need help before I get there.
"
But... if anyone sees my spells, they'll know what I am instantly. I won't be able to use my magic at all, regardless." Amelia argued, even as she was pulled into a hug. At his last two sentences, tears began to well up in her eyes as she hugged him back, rather tightly. "
Why are you talking like that? You make it sound... like I'm going to be staying there and you'll be away all the time? You're... you're not going to leave me are you?"
"Of course I'm not leaving you, Ame. You are my daughter. But there's been some happenings that I need to investigate and I'll be gone for longer than normal and I want to know you're safe from that jack ass in Ardem and his guardsmen. Jaëger and Carmilla will also be with you as extra security." Damian smiles. "But I also want you to start getting out of that socially awkward shell of yours and, well, spending all your time talking with your old man isn't going to do it. As for your magic, just avoid constructs unless you absolutely have to and even then, explain that you never learned how to do anything beyond skeletons and you should be fine."
"
How will I pay for anything though? How long do you think you'll be gone? Will you and visit often? Where will I live while I'm there? If you're not going to visit often, will you at least keep in contact somehow?" Amelia asked in rapid succession, asking whatever popped into her head at the moment, not caring to put them in a logical order.
Damian waited until Amelia was done and smiled. "In order asked, I'm going to leave you with plenty of money to get what you need, plus there will be jobs the guild gets that you can do. I'm looking at at least a couple of months, potentially longer, to be gone investigating. I plan to visit quite frequently, or as frequently as this investigation will allow, but you do have my number if you need to talk between. You'll stay at the guild hall, Jenna already has a room for you. And, again, you have my number to call me between visits." Pendragon looks Amelia in the eyes and smiles softly. "You're more capable than you're giving yourself credit for, Ame. Have a little faith."
Amelia listened to all the answers given to her. If she was honest, she didn't really like the fact he was so ready for all her questions, hoping to find something to latch onto to get him to possibly stay. But it seemed as if he had thought this through, like he seemed to do for everything. So, she lowered her head in resignation, biting her lower lip.
"
I'll... go pack up then." She said quietly before turning to leave.
"Ame, I know you're nervous. I promise you though, no one in that guild is going to hold anything against you. Who knows, maybe you'll find some members your age. All kinds of people, including entire families, have moved to Pergrande to get away from Fiore's bureaucracy." He stands and follows her. "All the same, I'll help you pack up and we can take our time getting there, talk all you want and have a couple of contingency plans in place if we need them."
"
I think the most important plan to have is what to do if I'm no longer welcome." Amelia said as he headed into her room. She would pack her clothes, while Damian could grab anything he thought was important besides that. After she had all of the essentials packed, he got a few extra things, like her drawing supplies, some of her favorite books, and some knick-knacks that she used to decorate her room. Once that was all done, she turned to her father, waiting for him to lead the way.
"You're a fellow mage, Ame," Damian said as they headed out, him pausing just long enough to pet Tigger and Alessa before the two of them head out. "You will never not be welcome with the Rising Starborn." It was a beautiful sunny day out as the two headed towards Rembrandt, with birds chirping in the trees and the sounds of various wildlife all around them. "I think you'll like the place personally. You've known Jenna long enough she's practically your aunt."
"
I know but... it's going to be different without you around." Amelia said, stopping to pet the cats as well. She would walk alongside him in silence, more than happy to just be with him until he departed. When he brought up Jenna, she nodded. "
Again, it'll be different without you around. So, I'm not sure how well I'll handle even the familiar while knowing you won't be there to help me if I'm having trouble with something."
"Don't be afraid to ask Jenna for help. She knows you as well as I do." Silence reigned again as the two walked and it wasn't until Rembrandt came into view that Carmilla and Jaëger came over to walk alongside the pair as Damian smiled a little. "The one town in the blasted militant country that isn't utterly opposed to foreign mages. I think you'll enjoy your time here."
"
I hope so." Amelia said once the town was in sight, staying silent for a few more seconds as she took the sight in before deciding to tease her father a little bit, if only as payback for springing this on her all of the sudden. "
Who knows, maybe while you're gone, I'll get a boyfriend. After all, you won't be there to stop anyone from coming after me."
Damian's posture stiffened ever so slightly before he answered. "I hope he has the fortitude to withstand my scrutiny then."
"
Oh? You stiffened up? Why, am I not allowed to try and find someone else to support me? Do you want that role all to yourself?" Amelia pressed on, a playful smile spreading across her face. Even if she actually had no plans on getting a boyfriend, her father's reactions to the suggestion were always amusing.
"Of course you can find someone else to support you, my daughter." One of his hands clenches into a fist. "They had just take care not to hurt you, or they will never find the body."
"
Papa, relax. We both know that if someone did that, I wouldn't stay with them. You've taught me better than that." Amelia said, gently taking his fist into her hands. "
So, please, just relax. I won't do anything reckless while you're away, I promise."
Damian sighed and nodded, his fist relaxing. "Honestly, in a lot of ways, I'm more worried for the boy than you. But...if you're gonna be reckless, just be smart about being reckless. Odin knows sometimes reckless is the only way to move forward."
"
I always try to be smart. But we both know everyone has limits." Amelia said before taking a deep breath. "
Shall we head into town then? No reason to keep delaying, right?"
Nodding, Damian lead the rest of the way into town, with his two long time companions and friends staying on either side of Ame just in case. Upon their arrival to the guild hall, the sounds of music could be heard from outside, drawing a smile from the older mage. "Seems they finally got the band back together."
"
It seems... very loud." Amelia said nervously. She preferred her peace and quiet, especially after living in the countryside for so long, but she guessed that if she was going to live in town, she would have to get used to things like this. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves now that their destination was in sight. It was time for her try and get by on her own. She hoped she would do well enough to get by.
"I don't imagine this will be a daily thing, but for her and her bandmates, this is a big deal. They've hardly had time to do more than small practice sessions." Approaching, the four enter as Jenna is in the middle of the second verse of the song she was presently singing and Damian lead the way to a corner booth where it wasn't quite as loud. "Always have enjoyed her shows."
"
I feel bad for Jaeger and Carmilla." Amelia said as they took their seats, petting the dire wolves as they waited for the show to end so they could do what they needed in order to get her set up and settled in. The longer the wait was, the more nervous she would be and it showed as she began fidgeting and growing restless.
Damian placed a reassuring hand on his daughter's shoulder and chuckled. "This is hardly the worst, or even loudest, noise they've heard in their lives. It's actually fairly tame compared to the shows she put on in Fiore."
"
Hopefully it'll be quieter in my room." Amelia said, leaning against her father, just waiting at this point. "
But if they get any louder, I might have to leave town just to keep myself from going deaf."
Damian chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her and hummed along. He would stay long enough to make sure Ame settled in alright and to see the overall state of things with the guild after a year and then he'd head out, starting with rumors about a mage with black wind terrorizing a town on the eastern border of Pergrande.
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Back in the guildhall, Amelia finished unpacking and setting up her room. She had a few baubles from home to try and help her feel more comfortable but otherwise, her room was still rather bare, with very little personality to it at the moment. When she was finished unpacking, she took a moment to sit on her new bed, looking around the room before taking a deep breath and hugging herself. This whole scenario scared the hell out of her. The idea of having to rely on mostly herself was scary, since she was so used to being able to count on Damian if something she couldn't handle occurred. But now it was just her, Jaeger, and Carmilla, and the wolves could only do so much.
After taking a minute or two to gather herself, Amelia slowly got up and headed downstairs, hoping that things wouldn't be too lively.
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