<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Day 31st of Month 4: Lindela</span></span><br/><br/><br/>Slowly but surely, everything was finally starting to calm down.  Lindela as it was right now, was currently in the process of rebuilding.  Hand in hand with the knights, quite a few of the Lindelans took it upon themselves to contribute to the effort.  Having suffered a monumental amount of damage, it was not going to be easy for the knights to rebuild the broken districts by themselves.  People, Knights, noblemen or ranking—it didn't matter who they were or what rank they held, together they would face this trial with heads held high; unity was the one thing they couldn't afford to lose.<br/><br/>One such individual was Guilford, leading a group of knights with the meager task of clearing rubble.  He had just hoisted another huge chunk of debris onto their cart when one of the knights decided to once again protest, claiming that he should not be wasting his precious time with such mundane tasks that they themselves could effectively do.  Guilford simply shrugged his shoulders.  How many times would this make it now?  He had disregarded similar protests numerous times that he was already feeling a certain kind of immunity from them.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I came from a family of blacksmiths, Rogen.  I am no stranger to labor and the hammer."</span>he chuckled, grabbing another chunk of debris and tossing it into the cart,<span style="color: #0080FF">"and surely, being a Seraph will not net you immunity from these... <span style="font-style: italic">mundane tasks</span>."</span>he parroted the other, ending with a hearty laugh.<br/><br/>"But Master Guilford, surely you have other pressing concerns that warrant your attention more than this task of clearing rubble don't you?" the knight called Rogen continued his protest, lifting his part of debris and tossing it into the cart.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I'd like to think Seraphs are not the only capable leaders that we have in the ranks. I am confident that they can handle any further issues from here without me or Master Lethe having to oversee each and every single one of them."</span>he said, tossing another chunk of debris before tapping the cart twice to notify the driver that it was full.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Look, you can try to dissuade me all day long but I will tell you now that you wouldn't succeed."</span>he grinned at Rogen,<span style="color: #0080FF">"Now, let's go take a look at this house shall we?"</span><br/><br/>The group of six knights walked over to the house in question.  At first glance, the noticeable damage would be to its windows, front porch and side walls, secondary to that would be the garden that obviously needed some love and attention too. "It's going to need new window panes, new walls and doors—the support pillars for the porch roof seems ready to give at a moment's notice too." one of the knights openly mumbled.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Best get to it then. Gather what we need so we can start on this pronto."</span><br/><br/>A few hours later and the sun was already high up above the knights and people hard at work.  Guilford and his group of hardworking knights were steadily making progress at the house they were rebuilding when one of them stopped.  "Master Guilford, to your five o'clock." he notified the Seraph who was busy sawing some wood for the window panes.<br/><br/>Turning to check his five, Guilford's brows unexpectedly rose from the sight.  Coming their way was a person he did not expect to see out here even in the slightest. High Councilor Cornelius, escorted by a squad of knights, was making his way towards him.  One of the knights happily took over Guilford's current task and the Seraph decided to meet the Councilor halfway.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"What a surprise Councilor. What brings you here?"</span><br/><br/>"Well..." Cornelius trailed off, glancing at the work this Seraph had been previously doing, "certain individuals refused to heed a Council Summons. I was beginning to wonder what was keeping them tied to this island?" the Councilor grinned, "I suppose building houses and clearing debris warrants a Seraph's attention now?" he jabbed at Guilford who was currently tidying his hands from sawdust.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"It beats paperwork."</span>Guilford bluntly admitted,<span style="color: #0080FF">"and the stress of dealing with old men and woman."</span>he jabbed back, prompting a laugh from the High Councilor.<br/><br/>"Sorry for being a handful. By the way, where is Master Lethe?" Cornelius inquired.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Around. Here and there. Probably doing the same thing as I am.  Though I told her not to do anything that would stunt her growth."</span>Guilford chuckled.<br/><br/>"Hahaha! Where did that get you?"<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"A glare and an elbow to the stomach. You know her, stubborn, dutiful, headstrong—ever looking forward. She's fine Councilor."</span><br/><br/>A relieved sigh escaped the lips of the Councilor. "Walk with me Master Guilford." the old man requested, taking the lead as Guilford followed.  The two strolled along the streets of District Fourteen, currently one of the focus for repairs by the knights, and the air between them began to change into a more serious tone.  Guilford deemed it necessary to surround them in a privacy ward.  "Now that I can see the extent of the damage with my own eyes, I can understand why both of you feel compelled to stay." he spoke his mind, eyes surveying the district as they walked. "However, members of the council feel like you and Master Lethe have been less than stellar with carrying out your duties."<br/><br/>The remark earned itself a disgruntled expression from Guilford,<span style="color: #0080FF">"What?! We're doing exactly what we're supposed to do here! How could they even think that?!"</span><br/><br/>"Master Guilford, what is your title?"<br/><br/>A simple question,<span style="color: #0080FF">"Seraph, leader of the knights."</span>one that was answered instantaneously.<br/><br/>"Then, need I remind you of the responsibilities bound to that title?"<br/><br/>Guilford fell into silence.  He couldn't answer right away.  He knew exactly what High Councilor Cornelius was getting at.<span style="color: #0080FF">"No. There is no such need. I am fully aware of my responsibilities. However—"</span><br/><br/>"I know." Cornelius cut him off abruptly, "I know full well what you want to say, but there is only so much that I can do when the whole council feels differently." the councilor stopped and turned to look at Guilford. "There are questions that need answers, issues that need to be addressed in the soonest possible time—matters that cannot be put on hold any longer."<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Councilor... you've seen the damage, the people—morale is at a low and just our presence here helps lift broken spirits. These people need us now more than ever! We can't ignore that!"</span><br/><br/>"What of Palaugrim then? Things are stirring up over there as well even as we speak. Had either of you answered the summons, you would have been informed..." the councilor sighed, turned around again and continued to walk, Guilford trailing not too far behind the old man.  "Nevertheless, I did all I could to keep the council at bay." he finally admitted, "A few days.  A few more days is all the time I could buy for you before they can put their plans to action. By then, there's nothing more that I can do."<br/><br/>Guilford resisted the urge to sigh or blurt out words of resentment.  Everybody had their worries, everyone had roles to play—the councilors were no different.<span style="color: #0080FF">"If it's just a report they want, I could write them a detailed report on the things that transpired here on my account. It's not like we're staying on vacation here Councilor."</span><br/><br/>"It's not that simple Master Guilford. While your concerns mostly stem from a military standpoint, ours come from the societal one." Cornelius confessed, a grim expression lining his wrinkled face, "As I'm sure you're aware, a hit as devastating as this would undoubtedly cause a ripple effect that would be felt not just by the knighthood alone, but by our society as a whole. Wouldn't you agree? We council members are worried of that<span style="font-style: italic">ripple effect</span>."<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I've given it thought Councilor, and my thoughts led me to the conclusion that I must do what I can."</span><br/><br/>"As were their thoughts." the councilor continued, "With Lindela in its current state, Gless would have no choice but to bear this island's burden on its back, and it goes without saying that it will be on top of Gless' own concerns. It's also no secret that not much can be expected from Palaugrim. Adding to that, given we're also at war, how long do you think can we keep this up?" one eye peered at the Seraph as Cornelius glanced back at him; he had no answer.  "Not for very long, this much I can honestly tell you."<br/><br/>Silence descended upon the two.  Resources.  What else could High Councilor Cornelius mean by his words?  While economy was not among Guilford's primary concerns, the Seraph title was enough for both of them to be kept in the loop.  After the Rising, issues about resources had already been laid out on the table for discussion.  While they have been able to address a few, limited resources was something they could do nothing about. Metal, Regalia Quartz, Building Rocks—anything that can't be grown or raised were out of their hands.  While efforts have been in the making to address issues regarding limited resources, none have actually bore fruit up until today.  Although there have been numerous attempts, the Barrens simply held too much taint for them to harvest, forage, or even conduct mining operations safely.  Now that they were once again at war, Guilford could only imagine just how fast they were burning their resources.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Are we in that deep into the red line?"</span><br/><br/>Cornelius sighed at the question.  "Not so much as to cause any immediate concerns. However, if our situation does not change, in a few years time we will undoubtedly start to feel the backlash."<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"And this is why the council is stirring..."</span><br/><br/>"Yes, more or less. There's also the issue of us losing knights faster than we could train them. That goes without saying that we're losing them without getting significant results in the war too. Manpower is also a resource we can consider... limited."<br/><br/>The old man's words couldn't be any truer.  Since this second war started, they have done nothing but stay on the defensive, fending off attacks, keeping the enemy at bay, losing knights as they do so, and all that without actually putting a dent on the other side.  Slowly but surely, they were getting crushed.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Now they're pressuring us to get results too?  Sure, we may have managed to beat the God of Sin once, but have they forgotten how much that victory cost us? A lot of knights died trying to kill that thing! A lot of good knights! Light knows Lethe and I too were ready to die if it meant taking the God of Sin with us. It's not that easy, Councilor!"</span><br/><br/>"I am well aware, but that doesn't change the fact between then and now, our concerns are still the same."<br/><br/>Guilford's hands curled into fists.  The knighthood was stronger back then, and even so, victory did not come cheaply.  How steep would the price be for them to emerge triumphant this time around?  He and Lethe might have gotten a lot stronger since that time but the knighthood didn't as a whole, they were still just a shadow of their former glory.  Guilford shuddered from the pressure he felt.  The price was going to be steep, perhaps too steep for any of them to even imagine.<br/><br/>"And that leads me to my consultation." Cornelius turned to face the Seraph, breaking the ice, "Master Guilford, the council voted to act. As we speak, they are in the process of selection to form a group of knights that would take initiative and bring the fight to the enemy."<br/><br/>Purple eyes widened at the knowledge,<span style="color: #0080FF">"Have they lost their minds?! They'd go that far to bypass our command over the knights just so they can act?! To what end?! They'd be sending them to their deaths! Councilor Cornelius! I won't stand for this! We are not ready! The attack on Lindela should be proof enough that we can't win an outright conflict as we are now!"</span><br/><br/>"And as I told you earlier, the other council members think our Seraphs are not putting their best foot forward. Besides, it's not like they plan to send rookies Master Guilford, they are handpicking veteran knights for the mission—"<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Like that would mean anything! Veteran or not, the God of Sin should not be taken lightly! I know that for a fact! I'm one of <span style="font-style: italic">the two</span> who survived outright combat against it!"</span><br/><br/>The old councilor deflated at Guilford's words, particularly at the emphasis, "Even so... the council thinks that if we do not start fighting back, we would be sealing our fates."<br/><br/>Guilford could only look away. There just wasn't any arguing the fact that Councilor Cornelius brought to light. The longer they stay their swords, the more suffering they would have to endure, and the lesser their chances at victory.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Fine. Let us say we have your knights for the mission, where exactly are you planning to send them to? We don't know where the enemy is hiding."</span><br/><br/>"Your scout friend. What was his name? Take...Takeuchi?"<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"What of Akira?"</span><br/><br/>"He regained consciousness yesterday. Thanks to him, we have new information regarding just that."<br/><br/>For better or worse, Guilford lost track of how many times Councilor Cornelius had surprised him today.  Still, if he's saying that they now have information on the enemy, then perhaps a counterattack was possible.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Alright, if that's what they truly want, I'll lead the knights they picked."</span><br/><br/>Cornelius turned away from the Seraph, hands curling behind his back, "About that Master Guilford..." he paused, taking a deep breath to steady himself for the revelation, "Neither you nor Master Lethe would lead the knights. They selected Abel to fill that role."<br/><br/><br/><div><hr style="height:2px; width:100%; border:0; color: white;background:white;"/></div><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Day 3 of Month 5: Gless, Grand Cathedral</span></span><br/><br/><br/>True to High Councilor Cornelius' words a few days back, the other council members did not waste time getting their point across the council chambers, and all that with disregard to Guilford's protests, suggestions, or anything that he tried to say about their plan of action.  The votes had been cast: three ayes from councilors Livius, Mihai and Aurel, two nays from Laith and Cornelius, and one void vote from an uninterested woman who refused to participate—there was nothing the Seraphs could do.  The stage had been set, they were going to counterattack, and all that's left for the council to do was gather the players.<br/><br/>A distraught Seraph sat behind his desk, eyes locked onto a stack of documents he had (surprisingly) acquired yesterday from the redhead scribe who did some 'extra digging' about the former Squad Seven.  According to the scribe, these documents contained various details (some quite possibly forgotten) about the first ever Squad Seven and their adventures.  Said scribe had also been meticulous enough to have compiled personal mission reports under all names of individuals listed under Squad Seven.  This was it, the trail Guilford needed so he could follow the legacy of Abel the Lightbringer.  If the Council was set on putting lives of knights in Abel's hands, the least he could do was to prove that Abel could be trusted with them.<br/><br/>If only he didn't need to be so discreet about it...<br/><br/>Procrastination aside, Guilford picked up one of the documents—particularly the one tagged<span style="font-style: italic">Abel d'Arques</span>—and began reading.  An uneventful hour or so passed and Guilford set down the document with a sigh.  Of course, given his former captain's secretive nature, it was to be expected that a lot of details—such as the ones he was looking for—would be omitted from personal mission reports; a fruitless effort to begin his investigation with.  A groan of dissatisfaction involuntarily escaped Guilford. Why him?! Why did the council decide to pick Abel instead of their Seraphs?!  Was it because they had known him to be a man who would do anything for the sake of the mission?<br/><br/>Before he knew it, Guilford had already picked up another document, scanning its contents for relevant information.  What use was there over-thinking things?  They were pressed for time, and the sooner he finds out the truth behind his former captain's alleged sacrifice of his own squad members, the better it would be for all parties concerned.<br/><br/><br/><div><hr style="height:2px; width:100%; border:0; color: white;background:white;"/></div><br/><br/>Day 3 of Month 5: Lindela, District 16<br/><br/><br/>Fiona made her way inside the District Hall with a pace matching the urgency of her reason for visit.  Along the way she asked a few knights for direction and was told where she needed to go.  They had just finished rebuilding district Twenty-One and it was time for them to move on to another district.  With the damage assessment in hand, Fiona turned the knob of the door and walked right in.<br/><br/>"Fionaaaa!!"<br/><br/>The dark-haired female knight turned to the direction of the voice, only to be surprised when she got smothered by a hug.  A matter of seconds was all it took for Fiona to ease up when she realized who it was.<br/><br/>"Nat, it's good to see you too. Have you been well?"<br/><br/>With ruby eyes almost tearing up, and given the way Natalia looked at Fiona, the latter could only surmise that her female squad mate must have had a rough time. "It's been days!" the blonde exclaimed, "It's been days since I saw anyone from our squad, Fiona! You can't even begin to imagine how much I was beginning to miss you guys!"<br/><br/>Now that she mentioned it, Fiona found herself wondering again about her other squad mates.  Truth be told, she too has not seen or heard from anyone else aside from her Captain sending her a missive with orders; there wasn't even a shred of friendliness in that, just orders.  She sighed, patting the blonde in the head.  "I missed you too Nat, but with things as they are..."<br/><br/>"Yeah, I know. It's just..." Natalia looked back at her desk, dreading the amount of paperwork that was beginning to pile up.<br/><br/>"SO! I was told I would find the Chief Supply Officer here." Fiona scratched her head, "Where is that guy?" she wondered while looking around the cramped room they were in at the moment.<br/><br/>"Who told you that?!" there was a noticeable growl in Natalia's tone.<br/><br/>"S-some knights I passed on my way here. Why? Are you looking for him too?"<br/><br/>"<span style="font-style: italic">Him</span>?!"<br/><br/>The sudden increase in tone caught Fiona off-guard.  Why was Natalia suddenly so upset?  Was it something she said? "Nat...?"<br/><br/>"I AM the current Chief Supply Officer! Captain gave me this job! How dare they address me like a man!"<br/><br/>An apologetic grin lined Fiona's lips, followed by both hands raising slightly to claim innocence.  Natalia simply huffed and walked back around her desk littered with paperwork.  "The bunch you passed by were Lindelan Knights, they were asking if they could requisition building resources with a little excess on top—I denied them the excess."<br/><br/>This time, a curious look was evident in Fiona's eyes.  She walked closer to Natalia's desk and took a seat. "Why would they do that? What did they say they need the excess resources for?"<br/><br/>"<span style="font-style: italic">Home improvement</span>they said." Natalia scratched her head, shuffling several documents together before binding them inside a folder, "I wouldn't mind giving them the extra resources they wanted but..." she sighed, "as it stands right now, I was specifically told to put a tight rope around things." she then picked up another set of documents and scanned them, "And I can understand why..." she added with a slightly depressed tone.<br/><br/>"That bad huh?" Fiona placed the damage assessment over some documents for Natalia to see, "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to part with some of your precious resources too, but not in excess." she smiled as Natalia picked up the damage assessment report.  The blonde read the report thoroughly before putting it down and grabbing another set of documents. Half an hour passed and Fiona found herself being amazed by the blonde female at how she could tell which document was which from the mayhem that was her desk surface.  "You seem to have quite a handle on things here.." Fiona commented off hand, impressed by the fact that Natalia could make her work look easy.<br/><br/>Natalia simply looked at her and went back to finalizing the paperwork for Fiona's request, "I am Squad Eight's supply officer. The work is the same, this is just on a<span style="font-style: italic">Grand Scale</span>with Lindela being my Squad Eight." she proudly informed Fiona while attaching another document to Fiona's damage assessment report. "Here, take this to the Wyervia dockmaster—you'll find him in the clearing just outside the west gate."<br/><br/>"Wyervia? We're not using transport caravans anymore?" Fiona curiously asked.<br/><br/>"Nahh, it's too slow. I've ordered the retrofitting of some Wyervias for transporting resources to farther districts.  You're going to District Twenty next right? A resource caravan would take too long to get there and your guys on site would just be wasting daylight waiting for it to arrive."<br/><br/>A smile of appreciation broke out of Fiona's lips at the knowledge.  Truly, everyone involved was doing their best to help speed up the repairs of Lindela, even behind a desk and in front of loads and loads of paperwork, Natalia was still able to come up with ideas on how she could contribute to the effort. "I appreciate it Nat, thanks."<br/><br/>"Hey, no problem! Glad to help. Although, about the additional men requested... I could only provide you with the ones we have absolved in the past. I hope it's not going to be that much trouble considering they need hands-on supervision." Natalia fidgeted.<br/><br/>"No, they should be fine." Fiona assured the blonde, "They'd be under my supervision after all." she winked at Natalia. "I'll be on my way then. Thanks again Nat."<br/><br/>The doors closed behind Natalia and she once again found herself alone with her work.  The blonde slumped back into her chair, letting out a long sigh.  No matter how she tried to look at it, having to rely on those who were newly rehabilitated to help them rebuild wasn't a good sign at all.  In fact, it was sad that those people—the ones they promised new life—were going to be used for manual labor; it felt like slavery.  While there were Lindelans who volunteered to help, there were still a lot of them afraid to go back out there, stuck in the safe zones fidgeting, waiting—worrying about what's in store next for them.  Half of the reason was because of the attack, the other half? Who could tell? Who could blame them?<br/><br/>With another sigh, Natalia grabbed a new set of damage assessment reports forwarded to her.  No need to think about that now.  The sooner they get Lindela back on its feet, the better it would be overall.<br/><br/><br/><div><hr style="height:2px; width:100%; border:0; color: white;background:white;"/></div><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Day 3 of Month 5: Lindela, District 26</span></span><br/><br/><br/>A group of knights carrying several crates of food supplies walked the busy streets of the district.  Their destination was supposedly the best relief station/mess hall around.  Two days ago, word spread like wildfire from both the knights and Lindelans taking refuge in the district alike.  Apparently, there's this certain knight who could cook great food that many claimed to be able to fill both body and soul.  Since then, District Twenty-Six had seen an increase in the flow of knights coming and going through the district, making sure to stop by at a certain restaurant before they rotated again.  Lured by the promise of good food, Georg and his temporary men who worked tirelessly with the rebuilding efforts decided to give the place a try.<br/><br/>At first glance the joint did not seem to be anything special.  However, the amount of knights and refugees coming and going was staggering—definitely more than the place could hold.  Two brows that managed to rise on their own came down to normality as Georg and his men made their way onward.  Just before the entrance, a knight had stopped them from continuing any further with their cargo and was directed to the back of the establishment, directly to where the kitchen was supposed to be.  As the knights walked around back, Georg knocked on the door twice.<br/><br/>"Food Resupply as requested, where do you want these?"<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Come on in and set it down wherever! The place is packed so I can't attend to you."</span>replied a voice from behind the door.<br/><br/>True enough, men in white littered the large kitchen, each of them expertly moving their hands chopping, grinding, stirring and all that in their respective stations.  Picking a spot where their crates wouldn't be a nuisance to the people cooking, Georg and his boys set down their delivery.  As soon as they stepped further into the kitchen, the smell of goodness wrapped around their noses.  Upon closer inspection, the particular aroma that had been tingling their sense of smell appear to be coming from the center station.  With the need to have his delivery signed for inventory purposes, Georg asked the nearest cook for the person in charge.  Surprisingly enough, he was directed to the center station where one man was cooking something in a large cauldron.<br/><br/>"I need you to sign these for me."<br/><br/>"Sure thing, give me a min—" the man spun around in what seemed to be a moment of recognition, much to Georg's surprise.<br/><br/>Alfrei was the one in charge.  Instead of his usual black and red armor, he was wearing white overalls, an apron and a chef hat to top everything off. "V-Vice Captain?! What in Light's name are you doing here?!"<br/><br/>Sighing at the question, Alfrei spun back into stirring his cauldron, "It is as you see. I'm cooking."<br/><br/>"Yes you are." Georg took another whiff of the scent coming from Alfrei's cauldron, "I know Lexi can cook but.. I didn't expect this."<br/><br/>"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Alfrei retorted, glaring at the older knight, "Just who do you think taught Lexi how to cook? Besides, there's more to the Altieri name than just swords, magic and fighting. This is just one of them."<br/><br/>"Clearly." Georg peered into the boiling cauldron, "So, what's this called? It smells really, really good."<br/><br/>A smug smile lined Alfrei's lips while he expertly stirred, "This is a family tradition passed down from six generations of the Altieri name, We call it Altieri Ensemble. You're right too about this being really good—the people outside can vouch for that."<br/><br/>"Yeah, you and your food are the talk of town!" Georg laughed.  Enticed by the smell, the knight failed to suppress the rapidly growing hunger in his stomach. "Hey Vice Captain, we came a long way to get you your food supply, my men and I are famished. We'd like to get a bite before getting back to work."<br/><br/>Alfrei chuckled, "Yeah, I already knew you'd say that. Vlad said the same thing yesterday, and so did Joaquim two days ago."<br/><br/>Surprised, Georg cupped his chin in contemplation.  It was rare for Vlad to beat him when it comes to places where food was good but for Joaquim? It was madness! "I can't believe Joaquim was the first one here!"<br/><br/>This time, it was Alfrei's turn to laugh.  "I can't blame Joaquim for that you know? Given Lady Bianca's—"<br/><br/>"Chef Alfrei Altieri." Georg cut off the younger knight, "As unfortunate as Joaquim may be when it comes to tasty food, he loves his wife very much."<br/><br/>"My bad. Of course, I didn't mean any insult. Maybe I should teach Lady Bianca sometime?" the young Vice Captain suggested.<br/><br/>"That's better!" Georg patted the blonde by the shoulder, "So, where do we eat?"<br/><br/>With another sigh, Alfrei turned to one of his attendants, "Roy, find these good knights a table outside will you? Thanks!" and then back to Georg, "Just follow Roy, I'll join you shortly, break time is almost here."<br/><br/><br/><div><hr style="height:2px; width:100%; border:0; color: White;background:White;"/></div><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Day 3 of Month 5: Gless, Grand Cathedral (Afternoon)</span></span><br/><br/><br/>As much as Guilford wanted to continue working on his investigation, the cathedral bells tolled half past two in the afternoon.  He was finally getting somewhere with the information he had learned from Omi's compilation when the memory of an appointment he had for the afternoon struck home.  Wasting no time, Guilford neatly stacked the documents on his desk for later use and proceeded to the backroom for a quick bath.  He would be having guests shortly, the least he could do was make sure he was presentable and not look exhausted while he was at it.  The male Seraph had just finished putting on something formal when a knock on the door pulled his attention to it.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Master Guilford, your guests are here."</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Please, come in."</span><br/><br/>Moments later, a scribe ushered two individuals into Squad Eight quarters and gently closed the door behind them.  Guilford was attentively standing near one of the couches in the center of the room, welcoming the two with a warm smile.<br/><br/>"Lady Bianca, it has been a while." he bowed as he greeted the woman, extending his right hand to offer one of the vacant couches to his guests.  Bianca bowed in return, "Yes it has." she smiled politely, "Master Guilford, I'm sorry that me and my husband had to ask this of you but..." she trailed off, towing her eleven-year-old to the couch as both of them sat, "I know you're very busy so... I'm sorry for the trouble." she rephrased herself, bowing another one in apology.<br/><br/>Guilford simply smiled,<span style="color: #0080FF">"To make the time for our future is something I would never regret, Lady Bianca. It is my genuine honor to do this not just for you and Joaquim but for the kids as well."</span>he looked at the apologetic woman sincerely,<span style="color: #0080FF">"I trust arrangements with the other parents for this trip have gone smoothly?"</span>Guilford asked.<br/><br/>Bianca smiled sheepishly, "Not as smooth as you would like to think Mater Guilford, but I guess the other parents also had the same trouble I had with little Jessiah here so they conceded.  A lot of the other kids have been eager about their class field trip and it was a big letdown for them when..." she chose not to continue at the Seraph's prompt. "The other kids are downstairs with their teacher."<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Very good. Let me just introduce myself to this young lad before we head out."</span>he said, turning to Jessiah who had wide eyes staring at him all the time.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"And you must be Jessiah."</span>Guilford straightened himself, right fist snapping to the middle of his chest as he saluted the young boy.  The awestruck Jessiah struggled to respond to the salute until he managed a sloppy one after a few attempts.  A smiling Guilford walked towards him and knelt before the young one.<span style="color: #0080FF">"You've grown big, haven't you?"</span><br/><br/>"Y-Yes sir! I want to become a knight someday!" Jessiah proudly announced his dream.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Is that so?"</span>Guilford turned to look at Bianca who only nodded in confirmation,<span style="color: #0080FF">"Well then Knight Jessiah, my first lesson for you is how to salute properly."</span>he chuckled,<span style="color: #0080FF">"Now, feet together and stand strong,"</span>he instructed the young boy,<span style="color: #0080FF">"then form a fist with your right hand and put it to your chest like so."</span>Guilford showed him how,<span style="color: #0080FF">"Alright! Now you try it."</span><br/><br/>In one go, Jessiah executed the perfect salute.  A satisfied Seraph stood up and returned the gesture.<span style="color: #0080FF">"There we go. You're already a fine knight in my eyes."</span>he chuckled lightly, watching Jessiah's eyes brim with happiness.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Are you and your classmates ready for the tour?"</span><br/><br/>"Will we see Master Lethe too?" an eager Jessiah asked the Seraph.<br/><br/>Guilford tried his hardest not to show Jessiah any uncertainty with his features after getting asked about a chance to meet his female counterpart.  Of course Lethe was busy, as was he not too long ago.  This tour was already something he had to force into his tight schedule, he wouldn't want to break Lethe's itinerary for the day as well.<span style="color: #0080FF">"I'll tell you what, Master Lethe is quite busy at the moment so she wouldn't be able to join the tour,"</span>Jessiah's enthusiasm dropped a little,<span style="color: #0080FF">"so instead of her coming along with us, let's just go visit her before we end the tour okay?"</span><br/><br/>"Yes! Okay!" the young kid sprang back to life.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Alright then,"</span>Guilford glanced at Jessiah's mom,<span style="color: #0080FF">"Lady Bianca, if you could follow us please."</span>