Prologue
Year: x696
Violence among guilds was rampant across Earthland. Mages fought their rivals to the death in bloody battles for dominance, some of the worst of which culminated in Fiore's Second Trade War. But though the losses in that conflict were staggering, the fallout bridged the way into a new era for mages. The Magic Council of Fiore outlawed the waging of war among guilds in the country, and their example slowly spread to others who sought an end to the needless bloodshed. In some places, this new era of peace was welcomed with open arms. But much of the hatred that had been cultivated amidst the years fighting ran far too deep to be so easily let go. And some forces still deadlocked in wars of their own stubbornly refused to give up the fight until they had cemented their victory.
Such was the case in Minstrel, a large country just southeast from Fiore. The battle for dominance there had become a contest between three guilds: Red Falcon, Harpy's Nest and Chimera Kingdom. For over half a decade their fighting had endured, and still none were willing to back down. But the people of Minstrel had grown weary of the constant destruction brought on by the war, and were eager for the senseless violence to come to an end. On January 1, x696, their prayers were answered in a way none could have expected.
The capital city of Labette was abuzz as masses gathered around an enormous mansion. It belonged to the Martells, a family of strong mages who had built their fortune in part by offering their services to the highest bidders in the war. Rumor had spread that some sort of announcement would be made here today, and a large sheet covering a section of the wall above the front door suggested that much was true. "Does anyone know what's going on?" one man asked another, and the question was rephrased and repeated hundreds of times over through the crowd. None of the answers that came were any more than speculation and gossip. "Maybe one of them's getting married!" one guessed. "Maybe they're finally joining with one of the guilds. I heard there's been some sort of talks with Red Falcon recently," another offered. The crowd suddenly went silent as the front door opened, and a man strode out to face them all.
At 50-years-old, Raphael Martell looked closer to 30. His hair and tunic were black, and several intricate gold designs were spread over his clothing. In his hand was a black cane, which held a thick ruby at the top. His lips stretched into a grin and his brown eyes scanned over the gathered audience, while the rest of his large family filed out and took places behind and alongside him.
"As head of the Martell family, it is my honor to welcome you all here today!" he called out in a loud voice so all could hear. "This is a historic day for our country. It is not just the first day of a new year, but the beginning of a new era for Minstrel altogether! Long have the Martells served Minstrel as independent mages without a guild to call our own. But beginning today, that will no longer be the case! Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you the first family-owned guild in Minstrel, Royal Viper!" With the announcement Raphael made a sweeping gesture with his hand toward the sheet hanging above. Immediately his wife, a woman with long brown hair and clad in an elegant dress with colors matching Raphael's tunic, pulled a string to bring the veil down, revealing the words "Royal Viper" engraved in large characters in the wall. The announcement was met with mild applause, though many were none too thrilled to hear of a new guild coming into play when those already around had brought little more than war to the country. Finally, a loud voice asked the question on the minds of everyone in attendance.
"And which side will this new guild fight for?"
The call came from William Blackthorne, the current guild master of Red Falcon. He was a large man with a thick beard and brown hair that ran to his shoulders. A broadsword nearly the size of a grown man was sheathed over the back of his cloak. Those in his way quickly moved aside while he strode to the front of the crowd. "Your family has aided us in battle before, so why not-"
"As if you're the only one!" a woman's voice snapped, and everyone turned to see Angelique Lyneth, the master of Harpy's Nest. Her long, curly blonde hair and mesmerizing beauty were quite distracting from her reputation on the battlefield, where she was said to have slain dozens singlehandedly. She and Master Blackthorne exchanged equally hateful glares. "Maybe you've forgotten, but the Martells have just as many ties to my guild as they do to yours."
Before Blackthorne could retort, he was cut off by the sound of a man's bellowing laughter, as a third man stepped forward. Maximus Lander was Chimera Kingdom's guild master, though this guild's ranking system was different than that typically employed by others. Their ranks were labeled with titles of nobility, and the master was known as the "King." He was a grizzled old man with greying hair, though even in old age he was still proving himself a formidable warrior.
"I'd wager they've had more than a few 'ties' with your guild, considering it was barely more than a brothel before you Harpies stuck your noses into the war," he said to Angelique, who went red with fury at the insult while those around them watched on with mouths agape. Harpy's Nest had not always been a fighting guild. There was once a time when the mages of the all-female guild only used magic to entertain guests, with specific limits as to what that entailed. But it was no secret those rules had not always been abided, and Angelique knew there was more truth to Maximus' words than she cared to admit.
"We became fighters because you heartless savages made it necessary!" she spat back, and was about to continue before Raphael cleared his throat to speak, grabbing all of their attention again.
"I'm honored you could all join us today, but I ask that you refrain from this petty bickering while you are here. After all, this is a day of celebration." Their faces made it clear none of them cared to have the years of intense hatred between them as "petty," though it was equally clear Raphael didn't care what they thought.
"To hell with your celebration!" Blackthorne barked impatiently. "I want an answer my question, Martell. Which side will you fight for?!" The other masters kept their eyes on him too, each just as eager for the answer as Blackthorne was, knowing his decision could turn the tide in anyone's favor.
"We will fight for Minstrell, of course." Raphael replied with a grin, and the masters looked at him incredulously.
"And just what's that supposed to mean?" Maximus asked, his prior amusement now beginning to turn into irritation. "Do you intend to fight against all of our guilds?"
Raphael shook his head. "You mistake my meaning. For years your guilds have waged war on each other in a vain attempt to determine the dominant guild in this country. None of you have come any closer to that end, and it is clear the fighting will not cease until the matter is settled. But I say the time to end it has come now. If one guild standing above the rest is what it takes to finally Minstrel to peace and prosperity, then so be it!" He pointed his cane toward the carved name on the mansion wall. "Royal Viper will be the guild to do it!"
The three masters burst into laughter at the proclamation, though Raphael did not seemed bothered by their reaction in the slightest. "How exactly do you plan to do that? You can't possibly expect us to call a sudden ceasefire just because you say so," Angelique said.
"That's exactly what I expect of you," Raphael replied, bringing his cane back down by his side. "However, being the barbaric savages you are, I don't doubt a bit of convincing may be required. So…" He slowly walked down the stone steps until he was standing just a few feet from the masters. "I will give you all one chance and one chance only. Attack me. End my life if you can! If you succeed, Royal Viper will disband here and now, and no one will stand in your way."
The three looked at him incredulously. Surely he didn't plan on defeating all of them on his own, did he? As if the thought had run through all of their heads simultaneously, the masters looked to the rest of the Martell family, watching on from the front of the mansion. None of them moved to join Raphael, nor did they even looked concerned. Some even grinned in anticipation. Recognizing a fight was now imminent, the crowd hurried to back away so they could watch from a safer distance.
A glance was exchanged between the three masters, and silently they all agreed to briefly put their differences aside. Blackthorne was the first to move, unsheathing his enormous blade. Runes along the flat sides lit up, his magic making the mighty weapon feel as light as a simple dagger as lunged forward to slash at Raphael's head with startling speed, yet it still wasn't quick enough. His target easily ducked under the swing, before the ruby on the end of cane came up to crash into the large man's jaw, sending him reeling.
"LION SOUL!" Maximus' voice called out to the side, and Raphael turned to see the old king's body transforming until his figure was reminiscent to that of a lion. Takeover magic was common in the Chimera Kingdom guild, and this particular form was the most famous among them. With his gold fur and mane, razor sharp claws and teeth, and beastly frame he had slain more men than he could count. But this was no ordinary prey.
With a thunderous roar bellowing out, claws swiped rapidly at Raphael, though he backpedaled and dodged each attack with apparent ease. Finally Maximus' impatience reached a breaking point, and he made the mistake of lunging out for a far too predictable strike. A single hand caught his wrist, then used his own momentum against him to flip him over and slam him down onto the cobblestone street, before a stiff blow from Raphael's cane to the king's skull further stunned him..
In the commotion, Angelique had snuck off to the side and used requip magic to summon a bow and a quiver of arrows. Grinning confidently, she took aim and fired the arrow right at the side of Raphael's head. But without even looking in her direction, he reached his hand up and snatched the arrow out of the air.
"What?! No way…!" she yelled in disbelief.
Meanwhile, the others were starting to recover. Blackthorne was on his feet again, blood trickling out of the corner of his lip. A bright blue glow radiated from runes along the flat side of his sword as he held it up high and charged again. But before he could even try to swing down, the arrow that had been caught from the air seconds ago was being embedded just under Blackthorne's midsection. He gasped and coughed blood from his mouth before collapsing onto his knees, one hand bracing against the ground to hold himself up while the other moved to grip the shaft of the arrow.
By now Maximus was on the attack again, and Angelique fired another arrow, trying again to take advantage of the distraction. But to her dismay this arrow was caught just like the last, and Maximus' attempt to pounce on Raphael fared no better. The cane was briefly tossed aside, and again a beastly arm was caught and used to throw the king down. But this time Raphael took it a step further and twisted the arm around his foe's back, then stabbed the arrow through the palm of his hand and into his back to pin the limb in place. Maximus howled in pain and writhed about on the ground, while the first master of Royal Viper turned to face Angelique, his lips curled into a cruel smirk.
"Unless you want one of your own arrows turned on you next, I'd suggest trying something else…"
Angelique hissed and flared with anger, but she knew full well by now her bow was useless against him. A golden light briefly covered the weapons with the activation of her requip magic, exchanging the bow and arrows for a one-handed short sword, taking a stance with determined eyes. Raphael raised an eyebrow, finding the choice peculiar, but merely chuckled as he picked up his cane and held it out in front of him in a stance that almost mirrored hers. He waited for the blonde to charge, and when she did she moved so fast Raphael almost wasn't able to react in time. She screamed furiously while stabbing and slashing at him with tremendous speed. The cane moved quickly to parry and he swerved when needed to narrowly avoid being cut by her blade, but it seemed for the first time Raphael might be in trouble. But Angelique's advantage was gone as quickly as it had come. A sudden kick swept her legs from under her, then before she could even attempt to react the cane slammed down on her midsection and hammered her to the ground with such force that the impact cracked several of the hard stones under her. She gasped out heavily as all the air in her lungs seemed to leave her at once, and just like that all three masters were incapacitated.
"Are you ready to surrender? Or do I need to humble you some more?" Raphael asked.
"Never…" Blackthorne strained to speak while slowly pulling himself up. He'd pulled the arrow from him and was now using one hand to put pressure on his wound while the other kept a firm grasp on his giant sword. "We'll never yield to you, Martell!"
The other two slowly began to pick themselves up as well. One man, likely a mage from Chimera Kingdom, hurried from the crowd to remove the arrow from his master and free his pinned arm, then scurried back into the sea of spectators. Raphael scowled at the man, but quickly turned his attention back to the wounded masters.
"Very well then. You bring this on yourself." Until now Raphael had fought without using any magic, which had still proven more than sufficient to handle these three. But there was no sense in dragging this out longer than need be. So he raised his cane and struck the tip against the ground. A small shockwave surged out to the masters, who tensed and braced themselves, but nothing seemed to happen immediately. Seconds later, however, a shriek rang out from Angelique's lips and she immediately fell back to the ground, convulsing and screaming. The eyes of the other two masters bulged in horror at the sight, and then suddenly they collapsed and screamed in agony as well.
"Blood means so much in our world," Raphael said nonchalantly, ignoring the cries of his enemies. "You three have paid no mind the amount of it you've wasted, so I suppose it's only fitting I use your own to put a stop to it." It was clear to them now what was happening: he was using magic to manipulate their blood.
"Worry not. My blood will pave the way for Minstrel to grow and prosper…" He released the hold of his magic on them, leaving them shaking on the ground. "Or do any of you stubborn fools still intend on trying to stand in my way?" Only moments ago the proud masters had seemed ready to fight through their wounds to the bitter end. Now no such will was left in them. Angelique whimpered in pain and fear. Maximus had reverted out of his takeover and fallen unconscious, and Blackthorne was struggling to avoid doing the same. None attempted to even stand, much less continue fighting.
"I didn't think so," Raphael said. He then turned his attention to the crowd of stunned onlookers, who clearly didn't know what to make of any of this, and his lips stretched into a thin smile as he spoke. "Citizens of Minstrel! As I said, today is a day of celebration! Tomorrow I will petition the emperor to outlaw wars between guilds in this country! The future of Minstrel has been secured. And…" He motioned a hand to the fallen masters before him. "On behalf of Red Falcon, Harpy's Nest and Chimera Kingdom, I hereby declare that the Tri-Guild War is over!"
A thunderous roar of approval came in response from most of the crowd. No one had dreamed the war that had torn Minstrel apart for years would come to such a sudden end, nor had they expected the involvement of Emperor Augusta, who in the past had avoided involvement in the conflict in fear that the violence might suddenly be directed at him. Now it didn't seem that would be a cause for worry anymore. With the three rivaling guilds subdued, and under the power of both Royal Viper and the emperor himself, there was little they could hope to do about it.
But Raphael saw that not everyone was happy to hear the news. He recognized several scowling faces belonging to mages who were on the wrong side of this deal. "Those of you here today who belong to any of these guilds, come help your master. And be quick about it. I will only tolerate them groveling in front of my home for so long."
He saw several faces seeth in anger at his words, but slowly people came forward to help their masters up and away. A young boy bearing the mark of Red Falcon on the back of his hand, turned to glare at Raphael with tears in his eyes.
"You won't get away with this!" he screamed, then started to charge before the arms of several guildmates caught him just in time and held him back, though the boy made them work for it, thrashing and kicking with all his might.
The master of Royal Viper watched, knowing that even though he believed what he was doing was in Minstrel's best interest, he could well understand the boy's rage. If he had seen any of his family defeated and humiliated the same way Red Falcon's master had been today, he would be every bit as furious.
"If you truly care for your guild, work hard to restore their strength and pride. One day, if circumstances permit, perhaps you'll have the strength to challenge us. But learn from your master's failures today. This is what happens to those who underestimate the power of the Martell bloodline."
The message was as much for the other guilds as it was to the boy, and he spoke loud enough to make sure everyone heard it. A glance around revealed all eyes were on him. He knew what they were all thinking, and grinned as he turned and went back up the steps to enter his home - now his guild as well, the rest of his family following in behind him. The emperor, Martells and citizens of Minstrel may be happy about what had happened today. But such a drastic shift in power could not possibly go unchallenged forever. Laws would only keep the guilds in check for so long. There was no telling how long it would take, but one day there would be a reckoning. Nevertheless, Raphael Martell was confident that when the time finally came, his family would be ready...