'The Rising...'
Arcane Hunters...
Powerful Magical warriors who use magical weapons, or study the art of magic, enhancing themselves up with Arcane Arts, and Arcane Energy...
Within Avalon they form the ten Top Guilds made up of the strongest warriors who lived.
The Ten Guild Masters...
It is an Arcane Hunters job to be the strongest. They fight monsters, dark wizards, and witches, hunt dragons, demons, devils, and even fallen Gods, explore the lands, discover treasure, destroy dungeons, and collect loot, all the while keeping the people safe.
If that is the duty of a single Arcane Hunter, it makes you wonder...
What would the Masters, those that are in charge of such mighty warriors truly be like...
Avalon...
Iron Mountain...
The Meeting Place Of The Arcane Hunter Guild Masters...
Within a large room ten people could be seen sitting around what looked like a large square metal table. Each one of these people were all seated in elegant metal thrones each with its own banner upon it marking them and their Guilds.
The room they were in was large and elegant. Filled with many wonders from shelves of weapons, to statues of ancient warriors, too pictures of many wonders such as strange black skeletal like metal monsters, or a picture of a bizarre looking egg shaped man.
"Well. You called the meeting here. Why not start us off Master Grimval." A sly voice asked. Seated in one of the thrones was a young woman in her late twenties. She had blonde hair and yellow eyes. She was dressed in what looked like leather armor, and golden chains were wrapped around her arms. Her banner was that of a golden snake slowly wrapping itself around a silver coin.
Yuma Lillian, Master of the Wandering Coins, the 8th best Arcane Hunter Guild.
At the front of the square shaped table sitting above everyone else on a bigger throne, looking exactly like how Pako had, the real Master Grimval rested letting out a small hum as he nodded his head. "Thank you Yuma..." He said a bit of sarcasm in his voice. "I've called this meeting so that we may discuss some of the events that have happened in the recent months... I think we should go over some of it... The King has fallen ill and into a comma and as of late has not woken up... I'm sure I don't need to tell any of you how serious that is... We've stepped up and began to save this Kingdom ourselves with him gone. The group known as Dragon Dwellers has taken over Camelot and now have their sight set on us... More Dungeons are beginning to pop up around the Kingdom, as are the Oddity Beasts some of which are getting stronger faster and faster. It was months before attacks, but now it seems like every day is a new threat. On top of that I hear many retired Arcane Hunters are being targeted and taken out, and many Wizards and Mages, are siding with Dragon Dwellers meaning they are only growing every day. Artifacts are going missing and whispers are in the air about a-"
"Oh my God... Can you just get to a point already. Who cares about all this trash. get to the good stuff." A voice grunted. Resting in the chair next to Grimval a tall and powerful looking woman rested. She had pure red hair and bright red eyes and she was dressed in silver armor. Her banner was what appeared to be a Morningstar with water flowing from it. Abigale Kage of the Mourning Stars. Currently tied with the Shining Sentinels, and Umbra Mortis as the top ranking Guilds of the Avalon Kingdom.
Grimval let out a sigh. "My point, Abigale is, we're becoming over run too quickly. Between having to fight monsters, explore dungeons, fight off this new gang of people, and also going on Quests for the people in need... We simply don't have the man power to keep in this race. It's all changing too fast. Our job is to keep the Kingdom of Avalon safe, and yet between running it, fending off outside forces, and still helping the people, we've taken on to much. That's why. I suggest we make it... Easier to get in so too say."
"You want us to let anyone into the Arcane Hunters?" An annoyed voice asked. Sitting next to Grimval on the other side an older man with silver hair, and a light silver beard. He had only a single eye that was a light blue and seemed to almost glow a little. His right eye was unseen as it was hidden behind a black eye patch. He wore black leather armor and his banner was that of a black sun. Venefectus of the Umbra Morties. The man who was the one that personally burned Lilith alive at the stake all those years ago... The one most loyal to the King... Tied for first placed with the Shinning Sentinels, and Mourning Stars, for the top ranked Guild in the Avalon Kingdom. A one eyed Solider. Or was he... "You'd have us stoop so low as to allow commoners into our ranks? We aren't all as pathetic as Phoenix Flight."
As if on cue everyone turned to look at the only throne that was empty...
The throne was run down and uncared for sporting the flag of Phoenix Flight, a flaming fire bird. In the chair was a small stuffed teddy bear with a note on it.
The note read.
'Didn't feel like showing up sorry. XOXO love Master Of Phoenix Flight.'
It was...
Typically an unwritten rule that not just anyone could get into one of the ten top Guilds. In most cases only Nobles could get in. All families that were considered Nobles had access to Arcane Energy and far more than simple commoners. Many Nobles also had Family owned Graces such as Oliver's Grace. Every now and then though a Commoner or two, would try out which showed a level of skill that allowed them to join.
Such as the rumor about a pair of boys, one who seemed to be on fire, and one who seemed to have a guitar able to change forms.
Of course those were just rumors, and people like that were unlikely to exist.
Right?
Phoenix Flight however wasn't like most Guilds and would in most cases welcome all members. Though usually even Commoners turned them down not wanting to be associated with that Guild.
Grimval let out a sigh as he leaned forward on the table. He eyed everyone else up. "We. We are at war. War with the other Kingdoms. A war that has been lasting for over 400 years now. 30% of the total population has access to Arcane Energy, and yet we only allow a small select few to even join the Guilds, becoming Arcane Hunters. It is an Arcane Hunters job to keep this Kingdom safe. I'm not suggesting we let everyone that signs up join us. All I'm saying is please... Keep an open mind on the trials that are to come. After all... Should someone fail and not be selected to join the Arcane Hunters, there is noting stopping them from joining that new Dragon Dwellers group..."
"The Dark Guilds..." Venefectus sighed.
Dark Guilds were nothing new.
A Dark Guild was typically illegal. It was a band of people who claimed to be a Guild but were unofficially not. They were not associated with the Kingdom. It was like people who ran around a city fighting crime and then claimed to be cops. Most Dark Guilds were harmless and just a bunch of kids who couldn't get into a Guild. But every now and then you had a Dark Guild that focused less on the Guild, and more on the Dark.
A band of criminals. Assassins. Those who practiced Dark Magic.
Dragon Dwellers was one of these... A large group that started somewhere in Alnwick. Filled with murderers, and slave traders, it's as if this group simply wants the world itself to burn. They aren't playing to win. They're playing to make everyone else fail.
The Master of Umbra Mortis let out a small hum. "You know. This wouldn't be an issue if we could find the Holy Grail and save the King."
"There he goes again about that damn cup." A man said rolling his eyes. He had black hair tied back into a man bun, and he had a small goatee on his chin. He wore a fancy black suit and a pair of sunglasses that were on his forehead and he had a pair of shinning yellow eyes. Bao, the Guild Tree Beards. His symbol on his banner was a tree with a big green beard.
"Do you have an issue with me wanting to save the King?" Venefectus asked.
Bao eyed the man up. "I don't have an issue with you wanting to save the King. I do have an issue with you wanting to find the Holy Grail though."
"And why's that?"
Bao turned his nose up at the man as he leaned back in his chair. "You were always going on about that damn cup every chance you got... The Holy Grail is said to be able to heal anyone who drinks from it. You've always been someone who seeked it. I just find it a little interesting that the King refused people to go looking for it, and yet now he's been struck my a magical effect that's put him into a comma. A comma that you seem to think can only be cured with the Holy Grail."
"Are you suggesting I had something to do with the King being in the state he's in?"
There was a strange aura in the room... For a moment it looked as if the two Masters would fight.
Finally though Bao stood up turning his back on the man. "I'm leaving. I suggest you all think about what Grimval said. We'll be needing some new soldiers after all. I wonder. Just what kind of people will they be..."
It didn't take very long for everyone else to leave the room.
Only one stayed behind.
Venefectus.
He let out a sigh as he rested in his throne and slowly turned to look at the portrait of an egg shaped man.
"You know... I never knew why the King hung this picture up." The one eyed elder man hummed out as he reached slowly towards the picture. It was on the other side of the room though so his hand was unable to make contact with it. "Do you have any idea why the King placed such a picture up... Well? Captain of Phoenix Flight?"
For a moment the teddy bear seemed to twitch as black smoke began to rise off of it.
"Aww..." A strange distorted voice said speaking out of the teddy bear. The voice was too distorted to get any indication of who it was but it sounded very high pitched and almost childish. "You were able to figure out that I was a teddy bear so easily? And here I thought my disguise magic would trick all the other Captains."
"Maybe a normal Captain..." Venefectus said letting out a chuckle as he slowly reached up placing a hand over his black eye patch, as a faint red glow seemed to come from underneath it. "But... My eyes can... My eyes can see more then any other... Following Destiny and Fate just happens to be something I excel at..." He hummed as his blue eye turned to stare at the teddy bear spotting the unseen black butterfly that rested on the bears head...
"Well..." The distorted voice said still coming out of the teddy bear. "I still do wonder..."
"Hmm?" Venefectus turned back to look at the strange painting as more butterflies began to land on the egg shaped mans picture. "What do you wonder?"
"Just who are we going to get as Guild members this year..."
Meanwhile...
About too board the train to finally go take the Arcane Hunter entrance exam Davi Hawker stopped...
And he let out a loud sneeze.
"Bless you." Oliver said.
"T... Thanks." Davi hummed wiping his nose. "Guess someone must be talking about me?"