Chapter 10: Into the Black Frost Guild
Rin had barely recovered from the chaotic events of his previous mission when Engine decided it was time to open another chapter in his tumultuous life. The morning was cold and sharp, the frost coating every surface as if to remind them that nothing in this world was ever soft or forgiving. Engine's booming voice cut through the silence as he roused Rin from his brief slumber.
"You're a disgrace of an apprentice if you think you can sleep while the world burns," Engine chastised, his tone both teasing and scornful. Rin groaned and shuffled to his feet, rubbing sleep from his eyes while the chill bit at his skin.
Engine, twirling his iconic red, thorny umbrella, motioned toward the chariot waiting outside. "Today, you'll learn more than how to wield a sword. You'll learn the truth of the Black Frost Guild—one that takes orders directly from the Wall."
As the trio—Engine, Appa (the massive enforcer Rin had seen in action before), and Rin—climbed into the creaking chariot, Engine launched into a tale that blurred the lines between myth and order. "Guilds aren't mere bands of outlaws," Engine explained, his voice resonating with a blend of pride and gravity. "They are the hands of the Wall—a silent force keeping chaos in check. We serve, we enforce, and we act as the unseen arbiters in a world gone mad."
Rin listened, a mixture of skepticism and reluctant intrigue playing on his face. Appa, silent as ever, merely grunted in response—a reminder that his actions in battle spoke louder than any words.
The chariot rattled along the frost-covered roads, Engine's stories punctuating the rhythmic clatter of its wheels. "The Wall isn't just stone or decree," Engine continued. "It is the very order that binds us. And every guild—especially the Black Frost Guild—is tasked with executing its mysterious, often dangerous, orders." He glanced at Rin. "You're about to see a side of our world that most never witness."
After a short journey, the chariot pulled up to a foreboding building carved from dark, frost-laden stone. This was the headquarters of the Black Frost Guild—a fortress of secrets. Appa disembarked first, his broad frame taking in the entrance with measured steps. Engine and Rin followed close behind.
Inside, the atmosphere was as stark as the building's exterior. The large hall was a mosaic of shadow and light, lit by flickering torches that danced off ancient tapestries and relics of forgotten battles. A group of guild members gathered to welcome the newcomers. Among them were Ray—a wiry man with hawk-like eyes that missed nothing; Sonia—a young woman with an affable smile that tried too hard to bridge gaps; and Gray—a silent, reserved figure whose calm was unsettling in its certainty.
Ray stepped forward first. "Welcome to the Black Frost Guild, Rin. We've been expecting you." His tone was smooth, almost inviting, yet every word dripped with calculated precision.
Sonia, with an overly enthusiastic warmth, added, "It's an honor to have you join our ranks! I'm sure you'll find that here, every day is a lesson in survival…and in secrets."
Rin's response was cool and measured. He gave a curt nod, his eyes betraying neither excitement nor approval. Sonia's friendliness was met with an icy reserve, and the brief silence that followed was thick with unspoken challenges.
Engine chuckled, clapping a hand on Rin's shoulder. "Sonia, always the diplomat. Rin here has his own way of saying hello." The remark drew a half-smile from Rin before his attention was forced back to the matter at hand.
The guild master was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a small wood-paneled office beckoned from the far end of the hall where a parchment awaited him. Engine explained that becoming an official member required a formal signing—a symbolic yet binding act of loyalty to the Wall's secret directives. Rin's heart pounded as he accepted the quill and ink. With a steady hand, he signed his name on the parchment. In that moment, he realized that he was not merely accepting a position; he was binding himself to a cause riddled with dangerous mysteries and unyielding authority.
Outside, the cool wind and the faint echo of his signature made Rin's mind whirl with new possibilities—and new burdens.
After the signing, Engine guided Rin into a spacious lounge where the guild members mingled. It was there that Rin encountered Chad—a portly, impeccably dressed man whose presence exuded both joviality and a hint of mischief. His suit was immaculate, his round face marked with laugh lines that belied the sharp intelligence in his eyes.
"Ah, you must be the new blood!" Chad boomed, slapping Rin on the back with surprising warmth. "I'm Chad—the collector of our stories. Every whisper, every secret, is currency around here."
Rin, ever the skeptic, raised an eyebrow. "Stories, huh? I'd expect someone like you to have more to say than a collection of rumors."
Chad laughed, his eyes twinkling. "Stories are the lifeblood of our work, my friend. They reveal what the eyes cannot see and the heart won't admit. In our line of work, trust is earned in snippets of truth hidden in plain sight."
As the conversation flowed, Chad's hand slipped into his pocket. With a sharp snap of his fingers, a raven burst through an open window, wings unfurling as it landed gracefully on the table between them. The raven's jet-black feathers and intense, knowing eyes sent a shiver through the room. Clutched in its beak was a sealed letter, its wax emblem unmistakable.
"Ah, our messenger," Chad murmured. "Sometimes, even the birds carry secrets too dangerous to be spoken aloud."
Rin watched, fascinated. "I have to admit," he said, his tone laced with reluctant admiration, "I never imagined a fat man in a suit could command a raven like that."
Chad's smile widened. "Appearances are deceiving, Rin. Beneath this exterior is a mind that can unravel mysteries even the darkest souls would fear. And tonight, you and I have a tale to chase—a killer on the loose who uses balloons for his murder."
Rin's eyes narrowed. "Balloons? You must be joking."
"Not at all," Engine interjected, his voice grave. "This is no trivial matter. Our orders from the Wall have directed us to hunt a killer whose methods defy reason. Balloons are his signature—a symbol of whimsy turned to murder."
Chad leaned forward, his voice conspiratorial. "The killer uses balloons as more than just a means of transport. They carry death—explosives or toxins that vanish without a trace, leaving only terror in their wake. It's a method as bizarre as it is brilliant, and it challenges everything we think we know about killing."
Engine's gaze swept over the assembled members. "Consider this your first real assignment as an official member of the Black Frost Guild, Rin. You and Chad will partner up. The clues point to a series of incidents: balloons appearing at murder scenes, each one a harbinger of chaos."
Rin felt a surge of adrenaline mixed with apprehension. The absurdity of the task—tracking down a killer who used something as fragile and playful as a balloon—was undeniable. Yet beneath that absurdity lay a deeper threat, one that challenged the very fabric of order. His mind raced with questions: Who was this killer? What did the balloons signify? And how would their investigation lead them into the murky underbelly of their city?
Chad spread out a worn map on a long, scarred table. "Our first lead is here, near the old market district," he explained, pointing to a cluster of locations marked with tiny red symbols. "Eyewitnesses report a brightly colored balloon seen floating above the area during each incident. The killer chooses his moments with precision."
Engine's voice was firm. "We leave at dawn. Prepare yourselves for a mission where intellect and reflexes must work as one. This killer is not to be underestimated."
As the meeting dispersed, the guild hall buzzed with low murmurs and determined glances. Sonia tried once again to smile at Rin, but he offered only a curt nod. Ray's sharp eyes followed every movement, and Gray's silent presence provided an unspoken assurance of vigilance.
Later that night, as the hall emptied and the flickering torches dimmed, Rin found himself wandering in quiet reflection. He recalled Engine's cryptic words about the Wall and the intricate web of loyalties within the guild. There was magic in the way Chad summoned the raven with a simple snap, a magic that belied the mundane exterior of a man in a suit. The letter the raven carried lay unopened in his thoughts—a silent promise of secrets yet to be revealed.
Rin's mind churned with the gravity of his new reality. He was now part of an organization that operated in the shadows, a realm where truth was hidden behind layers of subterfuge and every secret came at a price. The mission was absurd, yet the stakes were immense: hunt a killer who used balloons as his calling card, decipher the killer's cryptic message, and ultimately, bring a semblance of order back to a chaotic world.
Before dawn, the Black Frost Guild gathered again at the chariot. The cold air was brisk and filled with the heavy promise of impending danger. Engine, Appa, Chad, and several other guild members assembled near the ancient chariot—a relic of tradition and a reliable means of transport. As frost clung to the wheels and the first hints of sunlight glimmered in the horizon, Engine addressed them all it was about to begin.