"Hey! Get back here!" The pattering paws of a thieving squirrel disturbed the peaceful quiet of the morning as shouts and footsteps were not far behind. A young woman dressed in a colorful robe with the pattern of magpie feathers and a young man in similar less colorful garb were in hot pursuit of the furry animal. The red squirrel stopped to look behind, tail twitching, before darting off again. There was a red corded bracelet with a bird-shaped charm dangling from it in its paws, the very thing the two were after. "Lanying, slow down!" Mingyi yelled as he tried to keep up, shading himself with an umbrella. His hair was stark white and he was nearly out of breath while his friend had more than enough to spare. "I can see it! Oi–give the bracelet back! Mingyi needs it!" Lanying yelled at the squirrel. Kicking up her heels, she summoned her jade lute and quickly strummed a a few sharp notes, teleporting rapidly with each sound. She was closing the distance between her and the bushy-tailed thief when it made a sudden turn and disappeared. Skidding to a halt, she shaded her eyes and squinted as she looked left and right. "Where'd you go, you furry little bandit?!" 

Her friend was slowly catching up while she scanned the area for the squirrel. Seeing Lanying searching high and low for the charm bracelet, Mingyi sat down on a nearby rock with the umbrella keeping the sun off of him. "It's fine, Lanying. There's no point chasing after it. It's just a bracelet." A grumble of frustration came from the wandering exorcist as she poked her head inside an empty log. "No way, I'm not giving up. I made that bracelet for you. You won't be able to stay outside during the daytime for very long without it." Fanning himself, the pale-haired young man sighed. "Don't you have other talismans? You can just give me one." Having found nothing, she marched back to him and took a seat on the other side of the rock, crossing her legs. "What if it gets wet, burnt, or ripped? Besides, having the bracelet means you can go out whenever you want."

He did have a point. There were too many places for a squirrel to hide, and tracking it down would take forever. She still didn't want to give though; the bracelet had sentimental value. In their first year of traveling together, she made Mingyi the charm bracelet so he could have it on his person at all times. She infused the trinket with a bit of her spiritual power, and it allowed him to to disguise himself as a human. Without it, his activities would be limited to the evening hours when his spiritual essence was stronger. For someone who had been human, the bracelet allowed him to live a normal life. But the reason why Lanying wanted the bracelet back was because of the charm. It was a tiny porcelain bluebird, a lucky symbol. She picked it up one time in Ataiyo, and she hadn't found anything like it ever since. Noticing Mingyi wasn't looking well, she slung her arm behind him and helped him stand. "Let's find a spot in the shade. It's almost noon." Holding the umbrella with her other hand, they walked together until they found an overhang that blocked out the sunlight. There was the sound of rushing water nearby, and the two were greeted by a majestic waterfall cascading down from a high cliff down into the sea.

Even though they lost the bracelet, if it wasn't for the squirrel they would have never gotten the opportunity to see such a view. "It's beautiful…" Lanying said, watching it in awe. Like an endless fountain, no matter how much water fell down the sea remained undisturbed. Having calmed down, she let Mingyi rest in the shade as she began dowsing. Strumming her lute, she closed her eyes as she focused on the faint vibrations coming off of the bracelet. Since it held a small portion of her spiritual power, there would be a resonance. Contrary to her typical musical style, gentle trilling notes echoed through the air as she slowly plucked the strings. 

In one of the many corners of the library was a crackling fireplace and a comfortable purple sofa. A fae woman with deep blue hair wearing a tight red gown lounged lazily on the sofa as she turned the page of her book. She barely noticed when a bright red squirrel jumped in from the window that overlooked the rest of the spring. The squirrel tossed the bracelet onto her book and started chattering to get her attention. Ciara's eyes lifted from the pages, traveled to the charm bracelet then she looked at the creature with a look of confusion. 

"Darling, where did you get that?" She asked the squirrel. 

The squirrel made some chattering noises again while the fae woman was listening intently. Suddenly she stood up and snatched the squirrel, holding it tightly so it couldn't escape and picking up the bracelet. 

"If I recall correctly, I wanted you keep an eye out for artist. Not to steal from them!" She shouted at the squirrel. 

The squirrel rolled its eyes and made a sassy remark then began to explain itself. The squirrel chattered and squeaked and screeched as it told its story. Ciara listened as the reckless rodent explained what it was planning. 

"Darling, I know my reputation isn't the best, but we do not lure artists into our caves to kidnap them! First of all that would create a bad reputation. Second, the artists wouldn't want to stay with their kidnappers and work for them." She said with a pause before looking back at the squirrel, "We are going to go right back there and you are going to apologize to them. Got it?" 

The squirrel squeaked with defiance. 

"I don't want to hear it! We are going and that's final! If you don't apologize, then you won't get those special golden nuts from the golden tree. I'll make sure Lassy doesn't let you anywhere near that thing." She scolded. 

The squirrel crossed its arms and sighed but seemed to have given in the moment the food got involved. Ciara took the bracelet and the mischievous squirrel with her as she stepped through the halls of the guild. Flinging the doors of the guild castle open, she whistled for the white serpent to take her to the edge of the waterfall and the secret entrance of the cave. After riding on the back of the serpent, whom she lovingly called Lassy, she waved her hand and the waters of the waterfall parted, letting her pass without getting her wet. The sounds of an instrument being strummed hit her ears first as her eyes scanned the area. It only took her a few seconds before she spotted the two artists she had seen before. Gliding over to them, she cleared her voice to get their attention. 

"Darlings, I believe someone owes you an apology." She said dropping the squirrel onto the ground with a small thump, "Oh and I believe this is yours." 

She held out the bracelet for one of them to take while the red squirrel stood up, brushing itself off. Ciara looked at it with a stern glance and it crossed its arms and chattered for a few seconds. 

"He said he was sorry. Though the tone in his voice can be improved." Ciara said, "I'm sorry about him. He seemed excited when he saw you two were musicians and wanted to meet you. We are still working on his social skills." 

That was one way of putting it, and technically it was true, if one looked at the situation from a certain angle. 

She was starting to hone in on the bracelet's location when a voice interrupted her focus. Opening her eyes, the colorful wandering exorcist saw a woman that truly did match the age-old descriptions of a fairy. Gasping, Lanying's brain was trying to process it all as she took in the incredible sight that was Ciara. Then she saw the squirrel. "Youuu!" She jabbed a finger at the bushy-tailed rodent and narrowed her eyes, though she stopped the moment the fair lady had the bracelet in hand. "Alright, I forgive you." She said to the squirrel. "Thanks, I was worried it'd be lost somewhere." She took the bracelet back and immediately went to give to her friend, then came back. Any anger from having the bracelet taken was gone and it was clear the young woman could hardly sit still. The mention of them being musicians caught her ear, and Lanying was curious. "Oh! I didn't know word of mouth traveled so fast! Looks like even animals know about my style!" Her friend was quick to correct that notion, his hair turning dark once the bracelet was worn. "It probably saw us while we were talking underneath the trees this morning." Mingyi folded up the umbrella now that he had the charm bracelet back.

"Hm, you're right. I guess it'd be a stretch for a squirrel to hear one of my performances in Jayou." She mused. It was clear that for a moment she truly believed her far-fetched idea. The young man with her stepped forward until they were side-by-side. "We cannot thank you enough for your help. My name is Mingyi, and this is Lanying–" 

"I'm his older sister!" The woman butted in with a grin, causing Mingyi to frown slightly. "I guess you can call us musicians, though most of the time it's me up on stage. Mingyi can play the flute, and I play mostly string instruments." She spun her lute around by its neck, something that most musicians definitely wouldn't do, then struck a pose. If it weren't for the fact that her instruments were magical, she would've ruined them. "So are you a musician too? Why are you here?" Lanying was quite the chatterbox, and you could tell that in most situations she was the one who did most of the talking. Mingyi was content with watching as long as she didn't say or do something that'd cause them trouble. The exorcist put a hand on her hip as the other held the neck of her lute. Her posture was casual and unrefined, matching with how she talked. 

The young lady seemed like she stored all the world's energy as she hopping from one subject to the next. Luckily, neither one of them were permanently angered by the situation. The young man, who was far calmer in comparison to the girl, introduced them as Mingyi and Lanying. The woman mentioned she was his sister but the boy's reaction told Ciara there was more to the story. Lanying was a chatty one and seemed to be incredibly excited as a flood of questions ran from her mouth. Ciara simply smiled and waved her hand. In a bright violet flash of magic, a dark brown fiddle appeared in her hands.

With a mischievous smile, she placed the bow upon the strings and then began to play. The tune was fast and she jumped from note to note like an expert. The tune snapped and cracked like a whip with speed. The sound called every creature to get on their feet and try to dance along. The speed slowed down at some parts then sped up all the while keeping up the overall composition the same. There wasn't a single error in her performance and by the end of it, her heart was ablaze with fire. After the last note, she lifted her bow and gave a little smile. 

"I suppose I'm a bit of an musician as well." The fae woman said with a grin, "You may call me Ciara. I run an artist guild nearby and it would do me the greatest honor if you both would perform for me there. Its only fair, as I have given you a free performance." 

Mischief twinkled in her eyes as she spoke, making it clear that the free performance was partially a way to get them in the guild. They wouldn't have to stay but she hoped if they saw it, they would be more willing to join. Besides, from a fae's point of view, she has given them both a gift and by listening, they accepted it. Gifts couldn't be denied and in return she was to be given a gift as well. If she was truly harsh, she could press that point. But she had a feeling she wouldn't have to. 

"What do you say?" She asked. 

The sound of the bow across the fiddle's strings were hypnotic and fluid, humming and intimidating in their own right. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the lady weave sound like threads on a loom, the bow being the shuttle. It wrapped around you like wings in the night, smooth but swift and just out of reach. At the end of the grand performance, Lanying clapped profusely, her emotions written all over her face. "Amazing! That was perfect! Incredible!" The pitch of the sound was different from that of her erhu but the rhythm was rather similar. The fiddle's notes were more mellow and rounded while the erhu was sharp. Mingyi gave a round of applause too, though he started to feel a bit unsettled when Ciara requested a performance from them in turn. Lanying had no objections naturally. Gifts or not, she wasn't going to refuse sharing a bit of their own composition. "Of course, we'd be glad to! Come on, let's go–I hope the ceiling is high enough, the sound carries better in a room that's spacious."

She started pushing Mingyi to go along much to his chagrin. Both 'brother' and 'sister' were interested in the artist guild this unusual lady was running for different reasons. Mingyi was considering it as a place where they could stay, while the exorcist was more interested in seeing who or what was there. Following the fairy, they stood before the great waterfall and watched in amazement when it parted like a screen, revealing the guild building inside. The great serpent had Mingyi worried, but Lanying reassured him that there was nothing to worry about. "It's not hostile so we'll be fine!" The magic here was strong, just like the rest of this island. The exorcist could barely conceal her excitement–this was just like the myths and legends she heard about while she was an apprentice.

"A glittering building like a castle in a cave hidden away from the world; what a fantastic place!" Came the young woman's chatter. Mingyi stayed close to her, taking the sights in with awe. To her such sights might be nothing special, but to the young man who knew nothing but his family's estate a few years ago–this was a new world. When they arrived at the place where they would perform for Ciara, Lanying and Mingyi discussed what to play. "Hmm, what should we pick? If you're playing the dizi flute, then that leaves me with either the erhu, pipa lute, or the zither." Competing with the lady's flawless performance would be a tough act to follow, and Mingyi was giving this considerable thought. "We could try a ballad. A duet works well for that." Lanying crossed her arms as she laid out her instruments on the ground, tilting her head back and forth.

"Mmm….I've got it. Let's do 'Ambush in the Forest of Eyes Beneath the Moonlight'." A rather lengthy title, but her companion understood. Putting all the instruments except the lute and flute away, the two positioned themselves with Mingyi standing up while Lanying was sitting down. Moving her hands in place, the woman waited until there was absolute silence. Her nails struck a chord, its sound clear and strong. She struck again, punctuating the air. Nails plucked at the strings with bold, aggressive movements unlike the dexterous cadence of most minstrels. Tension was built as she transitioned into a series of rapid strumming, signaling for her friend to come in with the flute. The lilting, melancholy notes of the woodwind instrument accentuated the song as they painted the picture of a a group being beset on all sides. Lanying threw back her head as her fingers danced along the lute's body and neck, adding to the abruptness of the notes. Ending as suddenly as it began, it was now apparent why she wanted to play in an area with wide walls and a high ceiling. Their performance finished, she looked to Ciara with a grin. "How was that? Bet you've never heard anything like this!"

"Wonderful! Please follow me."  Ciara said with satisfied look. 

She approached the waterfall the glistened and sparkled in the sunlight. With a wave of her hand, the water separated like a curtain. They crossed the spring on the back of the ever-gentle white sea serpent and arrived at the building. She escorted them through a glittering golden hall with clean marble floors and a ceiling painted to look like the sky. There were empty spaces along the walls, meant to be for statues made by their artists. They had one statue in the hall but Ciara hadn't approved of any other statue to be selected. They didn't lack artists, there had been plenty of people all trying to improve their talents. The ivory statue in the hall was of an islander woman holding a broken sword. The anatomy was perfect and the positions were realistic. It was the expression the drew people in, with the woman's sad smile but determined eyes. This was the only statue Ciara allowed to be officially placed in the hall. One day she planned to fill it with the statues that managed to impress her. 

"Thank you my dear. I wanted to give my artists a sense of privacy, as I know many fans try to interrupt their day to day life." Ciara said with a small smile, "Please do not get lost. There are hundreds of rooms and it would be quite easy to get lost." 

She had them follow her down the hallway and to the left to a large black door. She opened it, revealing a massive room lit up with candles and candelabras. The majority of the room was taken up by a stage but instead of a risen stage, the stage was flat on the ground. Instead the simple chairs of the audience were risen so each person could see the performance. The stage was simple and didn't even have curtains to hide any performance. Above them were high lights designed to light up the stage and the ceiling was high enough for decent acoustics. 

"This is called a black box theater." Ciara explained, "It is very simple in design so that the audience can get a more personal view. Its also got a simplicity about it so the audience will be entirely focused on the performance, and nothing else. This is where I take all my first time performers."

She moved over to one of the chairs and sat, giving them a nod to the two. Her sharp eyes were looking for something from them. They had been brought to the stage where there was nothing that would distract from the performance. If they couldn't impress her here in what seemed to be a simple stage, then they had no business being on any other stage. The performance began with the striking of a cords. Her eyes widened as she watched Mingyi and Lanying's performance. The notes were bold and aggressive, far different than most musicians with lutes and flutes. A chill ran down her spine as she listened to the fiery performance. When they finished, Ciara smiled and stood up, walking over to Lanying. 

"That was one of the most amazing performances I've ever heard." She said genuinely, "Its one thing to create a song with your instrument. Its quite another to create a genre with that instrument. I get a hundred and fifty applications for my guild every month. I accept a few talented among them but you two are far beyond that. I suspect with enough guidance, support, and marketing, you two could become pillars of music in Revaliir's culture."

She smiled then walked towards her chair, sitting once more. 

"Would you both be interested in joining my guild?" She asked, "There are many benefits of joining including quick transportation, free classes, a room and food every night except when traveling, and much much more."

Mingyi was apprehensive as the performance ended. Many times in the past they had received a less than warm reception at numerous places when they went to perform. Though to be frank, it was more of him watching Lanying on stage while he stood among the crowd. Her style was avant garde, using instruments commonly played in romantic ballads and flowing melodies for blaring chords accompanying what one drunkard described as 'screaming'. With the majority of her education being related to exorcism more than actual musical theory, calling the woman a performer was a stretch in of itself. Yet it was her particular style of music that had been a light of hope when he had been at his lowest. When you went past the shouting and intense sound, one found themselves engrossed in whatever tale was being sung. Until today, their greatest success had been in the least profitable establishments: common taverns and by the docks where shipyard workers toiled. They criticized Lanying's singing at first, but eventually they themselves were caught up in moment with her. 

So seeing this lady speak so glowingly of what would have gotten them thrown out in a decent teahouse was a shock to him. Lanying herself was surprised, but not nearly as much. "You really think so? Wow, I never thought I'd be able to do that! I've always sorta wondered if I was playing to the wrong audience or something." Hearing somebody praise her music was enough to make her happy. It didn't take much to do that. Not only was Miss Ciara incredibly impressed, she was offering to let them join her guild! The mention of marketing and being 'pillars of music in Revaliir's culture' completely went over the young woman's head. But she and her 'brother' did catch the part about the benefits they'd have as members. Being on the road as traveling performers for so long made the few times they stayed in one place precious opportunities. Most of the time they were looking for a place to lay their heads before moving on to the next city or town. Camping out in the wilderness was a common occurrence. 

To Mingyi and Lanying, the guaranteed room and board was the most attractive part. With Lanying's line of work it would be hard to hold herself to a single place, and although she never complained–she did feel a bit guilty for dragging him along. Having a place to call their home base would be less tiring for Mingyi until his spiritual power became stronger. In the past he would often be left at wherever they were staying during the day while she performed at local pubs in the evening. Although he had a higher level of education, his physical condition limited what types of jobs he could take. At best he could find a clerical position that required him to stay inside. They looked at each other for a moment before Lanying spoke up. "You've got a deal!" She reached out for a handshake, grinning. "Oh by the way, playing music's not my only job. Even though technically it's more of a side gig now, officially I'm an exorcist. Funny how things turn out, huh?"

"Oh an exorcist! I'll have to keep that in mind in case we have any ghost problems." Ciara said, half jokingly, "Now that you have agreed to joining the guild, I'll show you were you'll be able to sleep and a bit more of the guild hall." 

Ciara allowed them enough time to pack up their instruments then began to lead them out of the black box theatre. Although she had a calm exterior, her heart was pounding with excitement. Whenever she found new artists that she felt would do well she had this feeling. It was a mixture of excitement along with fear for their future and a hint of curiosity. It was something she had never felt while she was on her endless travels. Her previous life before the guild seemed so gray and dull in comparison to her new life. Though the paperwork for all of this was still a form of torture. 

"I assume you both are hungry so I'll show you to the banquet hall first." The fae woman decided out loud. 

They passed through the main hall which led to a smaller corridor with two large doors at the end of it. She opened the doors, revealing a massive room lit by torches and a sparkling chandelier. The room was filled with round tables and chairs, clearly meant for when the guild decided to eat together. At the very front of the room was an extremely long black table where food would be presented during meal times. The entire room had a gothic appearance with its dramatic lighting from the windows and the overall style. If they were going to eat, they might as well eat in a stylish place. 

"If you're ever hungry during non-meal times then you can go down to the kitchens and offer to be the chef's food taster." She said with a smirk, "She's a good chef so you don't have to worry too much about the quality of food. But she will ask you a hundred questions about the texture, color, presentation, and taste. She IS an artist after all." 

There were a couple of artists having their late meals in the guild hall. Ciara tapped one of them on the shoulder and asked the artist to go fetch some food from the kitchen for their new guests. In a few minutes, the artist returned handing Lanying and Mingyi. The meal for that day had been roasted duck with a delicious sauce and a side of chickpeas to add some calcium for the artists. 

"There you are. Oh we also have vegetarian options and if you want anything cooked from your hometown just hand a recipe over to the chef. She loves new recipes." Ciara explained. 

After they had their meal, Ciara decided to guide them over to where they would be staying. The caverns of the hidden spring were massive so there was more than enough room to keep building up new rooms and storage spaces. There was a long hall for the rooms and where you were going to sleep depended on your rank in the guild. If one was apprentice, they would sleep in one of the apprentice rooms. If one was a full artist, one would sleep in the normal guild member's room. If one was considered a particularly good artist, they would sleep in the specialized rooms. However the simple truth was all rooms had the same quality. She only separated it so that fans of extremely famous artists who had newly joined the guild couldn't go harass their idols. 

Ciara brought Lanying and Mingyi down the guild member hall and showed them two rooms that had no occupants. The first room had a pretty blue queen-sized bed with a sitting area and a fireplace in case they got cold. There was a bookshelf and a desk as well for anybody who needed to write things down. The second room was a shade of soft green with a green bed and the same furnishings as the first room, only more suited for the color green. 

"Keep in mind you are free to decorate your assigned rooms however you like. If you ask some of our painters nicely they may even change up the walls for you." Ciara explained, "Well? What do you think so far?"

"If that ever happens, don't be shy and give me a call!" Lanying quipped, half serious. Next came the part the two had been waiting for: the rest of the tour. As they were led further into this hall of wonders, their first stop was the exorcist's favorite–food. When Ciara showed them the banquet hall, she certainly wasn't kidding. Lanying and Mingyi stood in awe at the place, far more lavish than anything either had ever seen. Mingyi had seen his share of wealth being the former successor to a merchant house, but the sheer size and scale of the hall was fit for a king. Perhaps this place was once the ancestral castle of a lineage now long-gone. If so, then they must have been influential in their heyday. "Do you mean we get to eat in a place like this?! That's wild!" Lanying's jaw dropped as she tilted her head back to see how high the ceiling went. There were windows–windows! Ones bigger than anything she'd ever seen! And those fancy hanging lights that you'd only see in the super high-class establishments! It must be a Canelux thing.

The mention of being a food taster got the young woman grinning again, to which her 'brother' frowned as she wasn't above sneaking bites off of plates. "Getting eat delicious food in exchange for answering questions? Sounds like a great job to me!" She saw Mingyi's expression, to which she quickly regained her composure. "Uh–I mean, happy to help!" Apparently making food was an art too. Who knew? Having been on the road and living off of preserved food and tavern grub, even the simplest dish was a fancy meal to her. When she saw the main entree had meat, she could hardly contain her excitement. "It looks good! I've never had duck before, I've seen it hanging in the butchers' windows tons of times with their crisp crackling skin like brushed mahogany." And the aroma–absolutely gorgeous. So of course the first thing she'd do is shovel as much of what was on the plate into her mouth.
Mingyi on the other hand was eating at a more reasonable pace with the utensils, while Lanying went all in grabbing a drumstick by the bone. Once her mouth wasn't too full to talk, she gave her 'brother' some playful ribbing as she said: "I bet she can make shrimp wontons the way you like 'em!" With the meal finished, they were introduced to the different areas guild members lived based on their level of mastery. Having lived with the sect that trained her for a few years, this wasn't anything new to the exorcist. Both were pleased when they saw the rooms Ciara showed them. "Oh, nice! They're bigger than I thought! I'll take the green room. Although, is there any way to prevent sound from coming out through the walls? I don't wanna keep other people up all night with my singing." Either color was fine with her, she just thought Mingyi would like the room with the blue bed better. The soundproofing was necessary though, as she knew how loud she could get after a few drinks. She didn't want to disturb her friend either.

"Oh you're worried about the sound? We have special seals made for rooms. All you have to do is put a seal on the door and sound won't be able to escape the room." Ciara explained, "You should find that when we send you the welcome package. The welcome package provides some snacks,  the seals, and a badge that shows your guild membership so you can work with merchants we partner with. "

Ciara snapped her fingers and a seal appeared in front of Langyin, a seal that would block sound. Everyone had it since even non-musician artist typically played their music boxes too loud. The rooms were all set up, they knew about meals, and the basics of the guild. Of course there was stuff that Ciara hadn't even covered yet, such as the marketing and the available locations they would have access to. But she had a feeling they would need time to get settled first. 

"You know, I'm technically supposed give you paperwork that explains everything." Ciara sighed, "But you know what? I have a feeling you'll have more fun figuring it out as you go!"

The truth was this fae woman hated paperwork. She still was putting off making official guides for newcomers in writing. Usually she procrastinated on the dull parts of work since it seemed so terribly dull. After all, she had a co-leader for a reason! Simone loved to write and it was her job to write stuff, so Ciara occasionally slipped paperwork into Simone's stack while she wasn't looking. Her hatred of paperwork was the main reason they wouldn't have all the information at hand right away. 

"Well darlings it seems you've got everything settled." She said with a little smile, "I'll see you soon my dear aspirants." 

With that, the blue haired fae woman left them to their own devices.