9 Arc II: The Firehouse's Five Subjects

The Proving Grounds: Forgotten City; Central, Firehouse

1821Y 02M23D 0300H

Mat welding iron bars on a windowsill using dark red electricity coming from his right finger tip slowly melting the metals; fusing them together. Satisfied with his work he jumped down then walks towards the buildings facade, viewing the red bricked, two storey firehouse that he reinforced with steel platings and beams.

'That should do it for now.' He walked towards the mechanized garage door for Mhirfa's wagon knocking on its solid steel gate.

. . .

On the rooftop surrounded by barbs and spikes, Mhirfa is humming softly as she takes the bedsheets from the hangers; saw Azaleah coming back from her reconnaissance as she folds, then shouted "Welcome home Azi!" waving at her.

The fairy ignored her, went straight for Mat's wolf head mantle and buried herself on its fur. "Mat, there's is another couple of idiots graciously walking towards their demise. Heh." She then opened a window showing four warriors heading towards City Hall.

Mhirfa opened the Firehouse's garage door. "We should help em."

Azaleah sneered, then started playing with the wolf's ears. "Like you could do anything to save them from what's waiting for them. Hoh ho ho."

Mhirfa puff her cheeks full of air.

Mat looked at the screen, ahead of the group was a girl about 169cm high, light armored ( reinforced leather ), brown hair in short pony. "This one seems odd, doesn't seem to have any armaments."

Azaleah rolled over to look at the screen. "The brown girl? She's a Summoner, see that hovering golden ball by her side — it turns to a dual crossbow wielding skull masked entity." She then opened another window showing the summoner in action, gracefully moving around as her summon fires.

"Also seems like she is the leader of the group." The fairy added.

Smirf moved closer, looking intently at the summon. It was a floating torso of a female with straight black hair wearing an ornamental skull mask. Its purple dress sways freely as it nimbly fired bolt after bolt.

Azaleah full of scorn opened a window showing Mhirfa pulling on her wagon's leash, trying to get it to move over a puddle. "Oh, Cat — your a Summoner too... Right!? Hoh ho ho."

"Why ya so mean Azi!" Mhirfa fluttering around. Mat pushed the screen away then patted Mhirfa on the head, making her keel over to him. Azaleah rolled her eyes.

Mat replayed the video of the group. "She is interesting, but — any heavy hitters among them?"

A window opened showing a heavy built male in scaled armor, about 188cm tall, ash blonde with short spiky hair. "This one is a Swordsman, carries an Ultra Great Sword which he swings like a club... can cut a Brute in half."

"Any other?" He asked.

Azaleah opened another window displaying a female with pink knee length hair that is tied by a red ribbon at the end; sporting a witch hat and a black robe adorned by pink fur. "This one is a Sorceress, her spells consist of firing high concentrated light particles through her wand catalyst."

Mat tapped Mhirfa whom is getting comfortable already on his side. "Mhirfa go prepare the wagon." She got startled as if waking up from a dream — looks at him then nodded, tearing herself away from him.

Azaleah asked him. "We going to save this idiots?"

Mat looked towards the last person on screen, 177cm tall, short blonde wavy hair medium built, wearing a chainmail armor; has a buckler and a straight sword as weapons. "How about this one... anything special?"

"As far as I know, that guy is a Mage Knight... nothing special but there is one more off screen." Another window opened.

Mat looked at it there was nothing but ruins. "I see nothing."

Azaleah zoomed in on one of the dark areas, there was a person secluded in shadows, only a red devil mask was visible. "Assassin, I am unsure how powerful he is but his stealth is impressive."

"I see..." He walks inside the garage and took hold of his full faced helm on a table just by the corner. It was charcoal black same color as his full plate armor, has two short horns and a narrow slit for the eyes. As he put it on the memory of the white room came back to him — darkness surrounded him.

Mat opened his eyes; darkness faded away, a clear view of the brick wall was in front of him with ruined photographs of the previous fire fighters covered in dried blood.

Azaleah crawled towards Mat's head going to a kneel; touching his helm and putting her head on its cold surface... gauges, consoles and such opened encompassing his visual field.

Dark red vapor started to seep out the helms eyes.

At the corner of Mat's eyes a white cloth swayed, turned his head and saw Mhirfa staring at him frozen holding a basket of sandwiches. He took off the helm making his short dark hair fall covering his eyes, and said. "You ready to go?"

"Oh — yes... Ah just need to put em inside ma wagon." She looked down... quivered, then turned towards wagon's rear hatch opening it.

Mat sighed, placed his helm on top of the wagon.