The news was on the Holo screens in the breakfast room, and as usual she was greeted first thing in the morning by Emery serving Chry with a smile on his face. Just that this time she was lounging on the couch and he was sitting on the floor letting her pat him absentmindedly while she watched the news. 

"There has been a major fire in Central City, the cause is still unknown but the police expect an accident caused by a mutated Croc in the sewers. Hunters have already been sent to eradicate the beasts, the well known plague has finally gotten out of hand." The news lady spoke, and held out a recording crystal to the man dressed in a hunter uniform next to her, "Mr. Kajali, you are known to have empathized with the problem of monsters forcing their way into the cities more and more." 

"Indeed, this has been a phenomenon that is occurring more and more frequently; we suspect that it may be because stronger monsters from the central zones are driving the weaker ones into the city. It is actually pretty rare for them to approach otherwise. Monsters like the Crocs that are actually finding an environment they are comfortable with within the city are indeed rare." Mr Kajali answered the news Lady and she seemed to nod. 

"Who would you say has the monsters under control the best among the high level hunter family clans?"

"Well considering their capabilities I'd say the Lumiere; their zones are, in comparison, well protected. Next, after them the Zhang; their high numbers allow them more flexibility. Otherwise, undeniably the Tarajan; despite being relatively new and claiming some of the poorer zones they are managing, but they are simply too small as a collective to really make an impact." 

"So you mean the Tarajan should have less territory?"

"No not that, I mean that they probably should take in more external people or at least distance themselves from their current actions so more people are interested in joining them; cleaning up and driving out the slums would be a great place to start."

"I see no reason why the Tarajan would drive out the slums, it is their place of origin after all… So you think if the Tarajan had acted differently this wouldn't have happened?"

"No, after all this is pretty central, neutral land, although close to their own." 

"Then as it is closest, should the Tarajan not have at least paid attention to the problem?" The woman asked again and Chry had the news go out with a growl. 

"Assholes." She grumbled before stroking Emery’s hair again. Turning and facing Titania, "That aside we solved the small problem of Emery’s yesterday evening so he can stay with me all he wants to… we did a little searching for the fiery variant… after his small slip up, we even found something interesting, very interesting and well… mother will explain." 

Titania turned around as she saw first her mother and Raon step through the door both clad in armor, and with their choice weapons on them. Behind them followed Anne in her combat maid uniform with a smile on her face and a net on her full of Croc crystals. 

"Do they still dare saying we cannot take care of ourselves?" She asked with a smile handing her net over to Drake, who took it and walked away, "The Madame was not amused by it. Now we have no Crocs at all left in the city."

"What do you mean?" Titania asked worriedly, and Anna smiled with gleaming eyes. 

"It was a marvelous sight, you should have seen it young Miss, Madame and the young master were magnificent; as they got rid of the pest, unlike a certain someone who almost screwed up..." she shot a look at Emery who for his part smiled at her. 

"TITANIA!" A shout echoed through the house and interrupted Anne and all of their eyes turned to the office where their mother had just stormed in. 

"Excuse me." Asking what she had done wrong she hurried off to the office where her mother was waiting for her, the long hair glittering underneath the sunlight as she threw a Data Pad on the table. 

"This." Her mother said and Titania picked it up looking at it, it was Mikkis face smiling at her. "I have your first real field job for the family and this is it." She stared at it and opened the pad looking through it. 

"My first ...." she looked at the pad. “And here I thought he was just a transfer student." she muttered, and her mother shook her head, "No he is not. Though I would have hoped he would be." She pointed at her.

"But from now on it is your task to spy on him without revealing anything about us. He does not know jet we are aware he is a enemy and we would be stupid if we didn't use that. We have scratched the surface yesterday with Raon in pursuit, but there is more behind it I am sure, not just a few fogeys who entertain the pipe dream of bringing about our demise. This is our entrance key, and I want to root those rotten pieces of flesh out for good."  

Titania waited a moment, it felt difficult for her to believe that he would be out to harm them. He had been nice, nothing giving away that he could possibly be an enemy. 

"Are you sure about that?" She asked again, and only earned a long blank look from her mother,  "Yes I am, as my youngest son and the others have brought to my attention, you are now an Eighth Order mage and a Tarajan, I cannot shelter you forever. It is time for you to start somewhere and this," She pointed again at the data pad, "...is a good opportunity for you to start with. If you want out at any time tell me and we will simply get rid of him."  

"It's okay....I'll do it." Titania took the data pad with trembling hands. She was not certain what she was supposed to do with this but she certain, for the first time ever, she had gotten the opportunity to show them she could do it. She could actually work and do her job, just like everyone else already did. 

"Good one, if you have any questions or need something just tell any of us, and you will get it. don't hesitate to ask. Ask no matter how stupid it may seem; field work is much different from writing up contracts like you have done up until now. That being said, I have an interview to give. ANNE!" her mother thundered before giving Titania a kiss on the temple. "If it gets dangerous at any point of time tell me. Remember, you have to stay safe, my little fairy." 

Annie rushed into the room, brightly smiling, "How may I be of service Madame?"

"I will be holding an Interview in two hours, tell Drake to prepare something, it seems we have a few rats to slaughter..." she moved her hands and said a small "...hush now." 

Her mother left the office and Titania kept the pad in hands. She stared at Mikki’s face and sighed, there went her first possible friendship. But she was an oath mage, she would just have him make a promise to tell her whatever she wanted. 

I can do this. 

She marched back into the room and settled down on another couch while beginning to work her way through the data provided about Mikki. 

Mikael Conner. 

Age unknown, born in the City at the outer edges of Zhang Territory, Combat Telepath and highly trained weapons specialist.

She stopped and let out a sign of relieve, well luckily he missed Cedric then. 

Grew up at the southern academy as a student and made his way as a talent, four years ago vanished, during that time his place of residence and occupation was unknown, it is suspected he is involved with the high noble families or the government, but closer facts do need to be confirmed.

After that followed a long line of information ranging from his favorite food, to his slightly unstable but still okay psychological profile, even his grades. Baby photos were included, and the longer she worked her way through the more Mikki seemed to unravel himself. He began to seem almost similar in a way, similar a story on how they came to be, only with another end. 

Born into a family of low ability users, he and his siblings exhibited signs of high orders from babyhood on. Their parents from a middle class family tried to provide them with good education but the mental instability of their children rebounded on them when they tried to elevate the status of their small family name to that of the noble ranks. 

First, his sister was married off to a Zhang prince, she apparently was deemed useless after her child was found to have not inherited the talent of its parents. Then, his brother followed a similar path while his parents divorced over it and he was given into a state facility and put into the southern academy. 

The story had been different but it felt familiar, it could have been them if their mother had not been capable of doing what she did, just the flip side of the coin. 

"Interesting." her sister stood behind her and Titania flinched, having been so focused on the file in front of her she had not noticed her approaching, "How about you try seducing him?" She asked, "He would make a good bird."

"I don't know. For now, I just want to gain his trust, to a dertain point." Titania said and looked up to her, "Any tips?"

"You are having an excursion no, should we stage a little incident?" Chry smiled, "What do you mean, no better way to start a close relationship than to save each other's life, even if yours would never be in danger." 

"You don't mean....?" Titania had an inkling where her sister was heading towards. 

"Sure I mean, we arrange a little suprise monster and then we have you two seperate from the other occupants and you can play hero, gain his trust, he is probably sent on the same mission just with you as his goal, let us see if he walks into it. To gain a man's trust, no matter how minuscule, or to change his ways of thought you first have to claim something of him." 

"And that would be?"

"In this case, his thankfulness. If you save his life he would feel thankful, no?" Chry raised her eyebrows. 

"Probably." 

"It is far easier to pry information from someone that is thankful to you Titania, I am speaking from experience here." Chry snapped her fingers and Emery stood next to her a platter of cookies in his hand as he handed them to Chry. She carefully took one and bit into it, behind Emery Titania could see Dex.

The boy stood there with a platter of his own, being a bit awkward where he was, tipsing from one foot to another. She waved him to her and he hurried over, Titania took a cookie of her own before patting his head.

Dex suddenly smiled and his entire face lit up before he hurried away. 

"Go on that excursion, I get the monster and we keep Lyle in the loop, a good story always begins with a possibly life threatening situation." Chry smiled and bit into the cookie before giving Emery a look which had him shudder and caused Titania to shudder a bit as well but for different reasons, "We will create an Illusion Titania, one of the only good in a world of evil and that will get you that information. But first...." Chry pointed at her hair. "...we need to do something about that haircut of yours, and a bit of makeup, a Tarajan woman heads of to her first mission while looking fabulous-issimous." Chry waved her hands in a dramatic way and Titania had to giggle, an action which had her sister smile as well. 

"See." she tapped against Titania's temple, "Now you loosened up a bit." 

"I am counting on you sis, but..." Titania perked up, "...we need a plan. How am I going to become the hero of the excursion, when I have the combat ability of a roadside kill." 

"Well....'' Chry stopped and then shot a look to her left where Dex was just trailing after Drake, helping a few journalists carry their camera equipment. "...your own little acquisition might prove helpful." 

Titania looked at Dex and at her Sister, "You are not thinking…? You can't be serious?"

"Why can't I? No one has ever seen an eighth order oath mage, or what you would be capable of, you don’t even know yourself...." her sister smiled mischievously. "Who says you cannot fight?"