Please be sure to read all of the information and rules for this fic at the bottom before submitting. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.
Prologue Part One: Spark
High above the clouds, where even rain and wind cannot reach, floats a castle. Its walls are built from a metal no longer forged, and held together with a magic long forgotten. It's circled by a flowing moat of ever-changing liquid: sometimes magma, sometimes mercury, sometimes water, sometimes blood, sometimes silver and sometimes gold. The castle has no windows. It has no doors.
Only those who live inside know how to get in and out, and they haven't left in so long it's a wonder they still remember.
One day, the owner of the castle, a man with a deep, bass voice asks his wife this question:
"Is it me, or has life become so incredibly dull lately?"
As his words echo aimlessly through the empty hall, he rolls a pair of crimson dice on the black desk in front of him. They come to a sudden stop, revealing a pair of sixes.
"Doubles again," the man sighs. "How-"
"Predictable?" His wife's song like soprano voice interrupts as she rests her chin in her hands. "Some would kill for predictability, Adrastus. Or have you forgotten the Oracles?"
"Even Oracles have a certain level of unpredictability, Desdemona. It can be incredibly difficult determining whether their prophecies are metaphorical or literal, and more than half of their visions are fabricated." The man heaves another sigh. "To think our lives, our hard work has amounted to nothing but this bleak existence. Nothing exciting happens anymore."
"Plenty of exciting things happen."
"Not for us. If I knew leaving would bring about this monotony, I would have remained among the paupers."
"I highly doubt that." Desdemona picks up the dice, their color shifting to a deep purple, and rolls. They land on a pair of twos."You think too highly of yourself to ever live with the common folk."
"You're missing the point, my dear."
"Then enlighten me."
"If you insist." Adrastus' grin resembles that of a shark's. "I'm trying to ask if you would like to play a game with me."
It is now Desdemona's turn to sigh. "We've discussed this Adrastus. We are not gods."
"Of course not, my love." Adrastus picks up the dice once more, their color shifting back to crimson. "We're much better."
Desdemona watches her husband let the dice fall from his hand and sighs as they don't even roll, simply landing on snake eyes.
"Very well." She rises from her seat, tying back her mane of ebony hair. "Same stakes as always?"
"Of course." Adrastus rises as well, eyes smoldering like embers. "I'll even let you make the first move."
"How gracious of you." Desdemona claps twice, summoning a looking glass to her hands. Through it, she can see the world.
And thus the game begins.
August 23, x785
On Fiore's West coast, in a small town that rests at the base of the Obsidian Mountain, a woman with warm brown skin sits beneath a willow tree. She listens to the peeps of newborn chicks hatched out of season. She watches the clouds glide across the crystal blue sky. She releases a sigh and lies down, closing her eyes against the sunlight.
Her name is Lina Cinerus, and she is unbearably bored.
Staying in one place for too long has always made her anxious, and miraculously she's lived in Barberry Town for almost twelve years now. Everytime the wind blows, she smells the salt of the sea. The warmth of the sun reminds her of long days spent lying on the deck of her ship. She can hear the cry of the seagulls from here, and it makes her miss the chatter of her crew.
Maybe she's just not suited for domestic bliss.
"Mama!"
Lina's lips curve into a smile without her consent.
"Over here, Pollito." She calls.
Emerging from behind an oak tree, her son comes bounding towards her, his dimpled grin bright enough to light up the darkest night.
At eleven years old, Evander is the perfect blend between Lina and her husband, Ajax. It's almost as if someone dumped all of their features in a bag and only pulled out the best ones to create her boy.
"Look what Papa taught me!" Evander holds his cupped hands out to her, a tiny, controlled flame coming to life in his grasp. It flashes from red to blue as he still struggles to control its temperature, but compared to last week when he almost burned down his bedroom, this is a vast improvement.
Lina laughs in joy, throwing her head back so that her long braids beat against the trunk of her willow. Evander joins with his own giggles, extinguishing his fire before tackling his mother with a hug. They roll around together amongst dirt and leaves, neither concerned for their clothes.
"With progress like that, you will become a master in no time Pollito!"
"What do I do when I'm a master, Mama?"
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
Evander's nose wrinkles as he thinks, a habit he picked up from his father. Lina kisses away the furrow in his brow and watches his green eyes sparkle.
"I want to join a guild!"
A missing piece seems to slot into Lina's life at his words, and she has the solution to her unease. It's so obvious, she doesn't know why she didn't think of it sooner.
An hour later, Lina scowls as her husband, her beloved, her partner in crime and the light of her life laughs himself silly. He braces himself against the stove, his hands resting right on top of the burners without any problem. In the other room, Lina can hear Evander instructing his sisters in some made up game.
"Are you finished?" She knew that convincing Ajax to start a guild would be hard work, but she assumed that he would at least take her seriously.
She understands why: Barberry is not a town known for its magic. Few mages live in the area, and fewer more pass through. It's part of the reason she and Ajax moved here in the first place. There's no need for a magic store, nevermind a guild.
Lina wants that to change.
Ajax straightens himself out and wipes away a few tears. A few chuckles still escape him, but he manages to speak.
"Marcelina" he starts, "are you forgetting who you are?"
"Mi sol," Lina replies, "are you forgetting your connections?"
"Are you talking about Donovin?" Ajax scoffs. "Not even he would let you start a guild." He stops and thinks. "Probably."
"Maybe not." Lina waves her hand dismissively. "But you would be an acceptable applicant, no?"
The look Ajax gives her is one full of betrayal.
"Why are you trying to do this to me? I thought you understood my aversion to bureaucracy." He shudders and shakes his head. "No. The whole reason I left the Rune Knights was to avoid exactly that."
Lina fakes a pout. "I thought you left them for me."
"It was twenty percent for you, and eighty percent for my own sanity." Ajax ducks away laughing as Lina swats at his arm.
"Ajax. I'm serious about this, you know."
Ajax offers her a smile and gives her a quick peck. "I believe you, but you and I both know how reckless you can be."
Lina can't deny that. "Promise me you'll at least think about it."
"I'll make you a deal: if you find a place we can use as a guild hall, and convince Zyon to let you start one, I'll contact Donnovin about the necessary paperwork."
Brilliant and bright, Lina grins. "Challenge accepted."
Okay, that's all for the first part of the prologue. Part two will be posted in a few days. The submission form is on my profile.
While the prologues take place in the year x785, the rest of the story will take place in the year x795, two years after where the manga ends. Please keep this in mind while creating your characters.
I am looking to get about twenty characters, with three of them being specialized roles.
The first role is someone to work in the infirmary. This person may or may not be a mage and may or may not go on missions. It's up to the submitter. If two people want to fulfill this role, I will allow it.
The second role is someone to work in the kitchens and/or in the bar. This person may or may not be a mage and may or may not go on missions. It's up to the submitter. If two people want to fulfill this role, I will allow it.
The third role is a secret. If you are interested in fulfilling this role, please PM me. Only one person may fulfill this role, but this is not a first come first serve deal. Whoever submits a character who best fits will get this role, and if no one does so, I will fill it myself.
RULES OF SUBMISSION!
1. I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY OCS SUBMITTED IN A REVIEW. If you would like to submit a character, you may do so in a PM or through the tumblr I made specifically for this fic. The link is on my profile.
2. NO SUBMITTING MORE THAN TWO CHARACTERS. I really want to give as many people a chance to submit as possible.
3. I WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTING ONE SLAYER OF ANY KIND! If you plan on submitting a Dragon Slayer, they can only be a second generation one. I will also not be accepting any exceeds.
4. I WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTING 2 S-CLASS MAGES AND NONE UNDER THE AGE OF 24.
If you can, please leave a review telling me if you plan on submitting a character just so I know what to expect.
Thank you for your time! I look forward to going on this adventure with you.