"Welcome to Shade Tower, Guildmaster Benji and company. My name is Levi and I have been assigned as your guide for the duration of your stay here. If there is anything I can help you with, please do tell me and I will do my very best to help," said a young boy, no older than about sixteen. Benji glared around at the entrance gate. It hadn't changed a bit.
"Where is Guildmaster Masa? Can we meet with him," Benji asked cooly. The boy's expression seemed to soften. He smiled brightly, his face looking even younger than before.
"Guildmaster Masa is in a meeting with a party that recently returned from a field mission. He told everyone not to disturb him under any circumstance. One of the members is very important," Levi said quietly. Benji, who had been glancing around, snapped his attention to the young boy. Sure, he hadn't seen Masa in years, but he knew the man well enough to know what he would and wouldn't do.
"Masa said not to disturb him," he nearly shouted. "Who is he meeting with? Masa would never deny anyone unless someone was dying on his floor or..."
"Benji," Kohl called from behind some of the Sun Guild's guards. "Are you okay?"
"Is Taro here?" The humming of the game's soundtrack seemed to completely stop and the players froze, not even blinking for a moment. Levi looked wide eyed at Benji. "Well, is she?"
"How do you know Ms. Taro?" Before Levi could finish, Benji was off like a shot. "Wait!"
-..-..-
"So, I recommend moving Karla into a permanent secretarial position. Her scribe skills are highly developed, but her druid healing abilities are lacking a bit. It would be in her best interest to keep her here, not that she wasn't a key part of the mission. As for Joey, he is a great strategist with a very well developed mase skill, so maybe putting him in charge of small raids and missions would be a good start for him. Either that or put him in a council position," Taro said, seated across from her brother with the two younger players behind her. She looked thoroughly exhausted.
"Good, but there is another issue I want to discuss with you. Why did you go on a mission the day you got back, idiot! You said you would rest for a while!" Masa was fuming in his position, slumped in his chair. He looked more like a sulking child than a guildmaster with his arms crossed and legs wide. Taro didn't answer, but continued to stare unflinchingly at her younger brother. Masa sighed. "Are you prepared for the conference tomorrow? You are the one who requested that it be called. You do realize that most of the guilds you invited are led by recruits of yours. I know at least a few who hold grudges about being left behind, not that they're bad-"
"I understand what you're saying, but I know these leaders. They are the best people to talk to and tell about what I have to say. This is why I chose them to open up new safe haven guilds. I wouldn't choose anyone else. We all know some of them would just open a raiding guild and get everyone killed," Taro said, looking down and picking at her nails, although they couldn't be dirty or imperfect due to the game's system. "If you are talking about Benji, I know what he'll do. In fact he's already here."
"How can you know what he'll... He's already here?" No sooner had Masa said that, that the door was flung open revealing a disheveled young man, with mussed blond hair and wide green eyes in a Sun Guild uniform, panting heavily. Taro didn't turn around, but Masa and the twins who had previously been the topic of discussion, sprung into action. They jumped in front of the seated player, Joey pulling a blade from his belt. "Guildmaster Benjamin."
"Taro," the other guildmaster said, still panting. The sound of heavy footfall was fast approaching. "Taro. Taro. Taro!"
"Guildmaster Benjamin, please calm down. Keep in mind that the Shade Guild owns rights to this tower and we can blacklist you. There is no need for such inappropriate behavior," Karla said smoothly, her 'secretary mask' covering up her easy expression and demeanor from earlier.
"That's Taro, isn't it? It has to be! That's her coat! Taro," he shouted. Taro still didn't turn around, but she did stand up. "Taro!"
"I'm going out again. I will return before the meeting. If you really need me, come get me," Taro said and Benji strained against Masa and Joey as he tried to get to her. "Benji should be kept on watch in a dead room until the meeting starts."
"Taro!"
"You mean a lot to me, Benji. Don't do anything stupid until I get back." Taro disappeared from the room using a small, round object, just as Benji broke through. Green eyes searched desperately for any hint of the signature black and gray coat, coming up with nothing. He quickly turned back to the group behind him.
He was met with the sharp blue eyes of the other guildmaster, a glare that could kill... no, the eyes of someone who would. Benji would never admit it, but his former guildmaster was a scary man, although he always thought that his more mild-mannered sister was far more intimidating. Masa looked scarier than he had seen him in a long time, not that it had been that long since he had left the guild and Masa behind. Benji cringed.
"I hope you have an explanation, Benji. This was not even close to the ideal time for you to show up."
-..-..-
"Do you know where she might have gone," Karla asked her brother, trying to ignore the shouting match that the two guild masters were having on the other side of the door. She glanced over at Joey, whose face was dark with worry. "You don't, do you? She said we would know where to find her, but I honestly have no clue. Who would know with her?"
"The only people who might know would be Soren, Masa, and maybe Levi because he is one of her favorites. But honestly, she doesn't seem like she wants to be found. And when Taro doesn't want to be found, she isn't found." Joey looked down at his feet. "She probably picked up another mission. She's a fool like that."
"Yeah." Karla sighed heavily as something hit the wall on the other side. "I hope they aren't being too harsh. Benji is her favorite. I mean, she never said anything, but it's just her reactions to his name and the way that he was the first one she sent out to set up a guild. She didn't even watch over them for that long. He's got her trust and by the blush on her cheeks, he's got her."
"She blushed? THE Taro blushed?" Joey's eyes widened comically as he span around to face his sister. He realized what he must've looked like and leant back against the wall, scratching the back of his head. "Gee, Taro must see something really great in Guildmaster Benji."
"Yeah, I don't know what," Levi said, popping up out of nowhere. Karla glared at Levi; she had never really liked him and didn't see what Taro saw in him. Joey on the other hand, must've jumped about a foot in the air, both out of surprise and embarrassment at having someone he admired having seen him in such an easy position. "Hello, Taro groupie twins. I came to see if Guildmaster Benjamin was dead yet. I truly hope he is!"
"Says the guildmaster's guide. What are you really here for, Levi," Karla asked cooly. She continued to glare at the smirking boy.
"Oh, I came to see if Taro wants to go to the tavern."
"She ran off a little while ago. You wouldn't happen to know where she went, do you," Joey asked. He sent a fleeting glance toward his sister, choosing his words very carefully as to not make the situation any worse. Levi's smirk grew ten times larger.
"Indeed I do, not that I'll be telling you. She's probably waiting for me now, so I'll be seeing you around, groupie twins!" Levi opened up the player menu and transported away, leaving the two siblings alone in the hallway, staring at where he had been moments ago.
"Is that tracker Masa had you place on him still active," Joey asked quietly, face palming at the devious look on his sister's face.
"Yeah. Let's go find Taro before she does something that get's her killed."
-..-..-
Taro leaned up against the wall of Titan's Fist, a troublesome murder guild in the town of Quest. Her hands were soaked in blood, or what should have been blood, but was really just pixels; that didn't make the pain any less. There were at least seven players surrounding her, all wearing the same smirk. It was quite obvious who was winning because the blood on her hands was her own.
"What's a pretty lady like yourself doing here? And you're a feisty one, too. I would have thought you were one of those losers who decided to join up with some guy in a 'marriage'. But obviously not, since you're out here," the leader said, stroking his beard. Taro grit her teeth. "Oh, did I strike a nerve? Did your hubby get killed? Or maybe you were shot down?"
"It wasn't either of those, and like I would tell you if it was." Taro gripped her daggers tighter, flicking her hair over her shoulder. If she didn't start fighting soon, this would all be over, and there were things that she couldn't lose. It was hard, though. She hadn't taken a rest in days, not that she really needed to, but the fatigue was hitting her hard now. This fight wasn't prompting any adrenaline, and that was what she really needed.
"Woah! Look at that spirit. Why don't you just give up? We might keep you around for a little while." Taro gripped her daggers even harder than before, the cuts on her hands pouring out blood. It hit the ground before dissipating.
"I just haven't started fighting yet," Taro spat. The men laughed.
"Taro!" Taro span around, eyes wide and horrified as she took in the person who called her name.
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