Chapter 1 – The Guild
Gates of Cerelii was exceedingly popular in Japan—where it had originated—and was rapidly spreading across Asia and further west. It wasn't really a surprise; after all, the class system (which offered nine different options) and special skills for each class (of which there were two hundred and seventy total) were new and advanced. Another bonus was the open world map. To top it off, there were randomized dungeons, cool quests, and epic bosses.
Makoto had bought the game when he was fifteen, and it was worth every penny. Two years later, his character, Maleko, was a level seventy mage. His stats were great, his armor and weapons elite, and his spells were powerful. He had even made many friends through the game. So what if they were only online? Despite not knowing them in real life, Makoto trusted them.
The guild he had been accepted into was the Free-Fighters-Guild. The Guildmaster went by Seithan. A level eighty Paladin, Seithan was an excellent player. Raids always went smoother when he was around to coordinate movements. His younger brother was also a part of the guild.
Fighter_Moran was energetic, peppy, and easily excitable. Despite Seithan's worries about his brother, the Barbarian was a powerful warrior. Almost reckless, the guild's Priest and Priestess had to keep an eye on Moran's health bar. He didn't like carrying potions.
Reis and LadyLenou were the two Priest class characters. Their powers of light magic and healing came in very handy in the guild's raids. With their trusty staves, the Priest and Priestess kept health and mana bars up.
LordRinion was LadyLenou's older brother. A Paladin like Seithan, LordRinion tore through the ranks of enemy lines with his two swords and holy armor surrounding him. He and LadyLenou were the only two people located outside of Japan. Living in Australia (and therefore dealing with time zone issues) frustrated the Paladin and his sister.
Chiyosa was a Warlock. Dark magic was under his control. Summoning beasts to do his bidding was his specialty. Having them attack enemies while he stood back and shot spells was what he did. He and Reis were close, despite Reis complaining that dark magic "wasn't beautiful".
Kaito was the last member of the guild. The quiet man was a Druid, capable of summoning the elements to destroy his enemies. With his special skills Hurricane and Ice Orb, Kaito was the second most powerful character in the guild. Despite this, he refused to take the lead during any of the raids.
Makoto liked all of the guild members, but he got along with Kaito the best. It seemed like he always knew where Kaito was going to attack, and so he moved his character accordingly. They were a dangerous duo, even when it was just the two of them grinding for experience.
Makoto knew he'd like to meet the other guild members one day, but that wasn't likely to happen. After all, coordinating a meeting would be difficult, and he'd never know if he was passing one of the other members on the street. He'd never meet them, but that couldn't stop him from wishing that he could meet Kaito. They'd be friends—that was something Makoto was sure of—because he already felt he knew the other teenager. How could they not be friends with how close they were online?
And so, Makoto continued to fight monsters, and he continued to talk to the other guild members, and he continued balancing real life with Gates of Cerelii. Things were good. He had no idea what was to come with the arrival of a black haired, blue eyed, silent teenager that was moving into the house at the top of the hill.
Hey guys, I'm Firefly, on my cousin's account. This story is dedicated to her and her love of video games and fantasy worlds. Please review, reviews are love, reviews are life. Let me know what you think. This story is also on AO3. -Firefly