Chapter 1: Home
Year: x795
Raku Martell woke to the sound of a knock on his door. "Ugh… What time is it?" the teen grumbled as he rolled over, opening his eyes just enough to read the clock by his bed. 8:45, much earlier than he was used to getting up. He was about to close his eyes and go back to sleep, but there was another knock on his door.
"Wake up, Raku!" he heard his mother's voice call from the other side of the door. "We're starting preparations for the festival today, and I need you to run some errands. Get dressed and come downstairs when you're ready."
The boy groaned, but pulled himself out of bed and wasted little time doing as he had been told. He threw on a white shirt and a pair of pants, then a jacket. It wasn't freezing out today, but it was still a winter morning. He almost walked out without his phone, but at the last second remembered to grab it from the bedside table. There was a text he hadn't opened yet from Nami, a girl he'd met a few months ago, and had secretly been dating since.
"Are we still going to that cafe you talked about this weekend?" it said. It had been sent late last night, probably well after he'd already fallen asleep.
"Of course! Just a shame it couldn't be sooner." he sent back, then pocketed his phone. He decided his black, curly hair looked fine as it was, and didn't bother brushing it before he hurried out. Raku wasn't a morning person by any means, and often chores given to him this early were put off so he could get a couple extra hours of sleep first. But this particular occasion was too important for that to be an option. After all, the upcoming festival was not going to be any normal celebration.
Nearly a hundred years had passed since the rise of Royal Viper brought an abrupt end to the destructive Tri-Guild War. Today was December 1, and the first day of the new year would mark a century since that fateful day. The years that followed were the longest era of peace and prosperity ever known in Minstrel. The New Year's Festival had been an annual tradition in the country every year since the inception of Royal Viper in celebration of their accomplishment, but nobody missed the significance of maintaining that status for a full century. This festival was going to be the largest and grandest ever seen in the country. Raku may not have liked having to get up earlier than usual, but as the youngest son of the current guild master, he knew all too well what the expectations were, and that he would have to play his own part in making sure it was a success.
Labette was always lively, but clearly the Martells weren't the only ones preparing for the upcoming festivities. Amidst the tall gothic buildings lining the stone cobbled streets were stores advertising their sales and discount offers, each trying to lure in their share of shoppers. So it was probably best Raku was handling much of the shopping rather than his older siblings. His two brother and sister would have spent as much time taking advantage of the prices to shop for themselves as they would for the festival. Raku, on the other hand, just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible so could find something fun to get into after.
"Plates, cups, napkins, tablecloths…" Raku read aloud as his eyes moved over the list his mother gave him. Even as he read the teen moved easily through the crowded streets. "Fireworks too, guess I should save that for last." A right turn led him to Godfrey's General Store, a quaint little building with a modest sign posted over the wooden door. The Martells often shopped here weren't often the greatest, but the store wasn't far from the guild, and the people who owned it had been family friends for many years. A small bell chimed when Raku pushed the door open and entered.
"Raku!" a welcoming voice immediately boomed. "Good to see you again!"
George Godfrey was a heavy-set man in his late forties, with a balding head and a thick, brown mustache over his upper lip. "How's the family? I hear you just returned from your trip to Fiore. How was it?"
"Good morning, Mr. Godfrey… Nothing special, really," Raku replied with a shrug. "Rob wanted to see the Grand Magic Games for some reason, and the rest of us basically got dragged along for the ride." Along with Raku and his older brother Rob, his sister Renae and their parents had all taken the trip together. "Honestly, the mages there seemed pretty weak in comparison. But I think the others enjoyed it a little more than I did."
"So I hear! Word is Rob brought someone back from the games with him!" A knowing grin spread on the shopkeeper's face.
It didn't surprise Raku that he had already heard about the woman who had accompanied them home. News and rumors spread quite quickly through this city. One of the elements of Royal Viper that so strongly distinguished them from so many other guilds was their exclusivity. No one could simply show up at the front door and ask to join as they could with other guilds, and the Martells weren't known to befriend just anyone. But the single most significant factor was that Rob, on top of being Raku's older brother, was the ace of the guild and first in line to succeed their father as the next master of the family guild. And his sister Renae, also an S-Class mage in the guild, had been fully in favor of it as well. Still the fact remained that for him of all people to bring a mage from Fiore back home meant there must have been an important reason behind it, and everyone in Labette had their own theory about what that reason was. Godfrey's grin told Raku he suspected there was a romance brewing. The thought made Raku want to roll his eyes and gag, but he knew better than to speak ill of any member of his family in public, especially Rob.
"She said she wanted to train here in Minstrel. I'm afraid anything more than that Rob will have to tell you. I'm sure he'll be around to introduce her to you soon," Raku answered. He knew more than he was letting on, but thought it best not to fan the flames of rumors.
"Yes, of course! I don't mean to pry, but one can't help but be curious, eh?" He let out a hearty laugh. "Now! You did not come to my humble establishment for an interrogation. What can I do for you today?"
"It's always an interrogation with you, Mr. Godfrey," Raku joked, before producing the shopping list from the pocket of his dark jacket. "Mother's sent me out to do some shopping for the Festival." He held the list out, and the shopkeeper leaned over the counter to look at it.
"Hmm… I think I should have everything you need. Except the fireworks, of course. Let me know if you need help finding anything."
It was only minutes before Raku returned to the counter to pay for his items. The store owner was just about to tell him the total before the teen placed a thick stack of jewels in front of him. Even without counting it was easy to tell it was far more than he owed.
"Keep the change, Mr. Godfrey," Raku said.
"Thank you, Raku! We appreciate the Martells' continued generosity," he replied with a big smile. "Give my regards to the family! And do tell your brother and sister to come see me again soon!"
They waved to bid each other farewell as Raku turned to take his leave.
The nearest place that sold fireworks unfortunately wasn't quite so close. It was a half-hour trek through the busy streets. But despite being able to maneuver through the crowds of people with ease, even Raku soon began to get annoyed with the claustrophobic nature of the city. And perhaps he was either too tired to notice or simply hadn't been paying attention earlier, but now he was starting to notice people staring and talking about him as he passed. Given the celebrity status of his family this was nothing new. But it was the things he overheard that caught his attention.
"Isn't that Raku Martell? I heard his brother brought a woman from Fiore home recently," he heard while turning the corner by the church.
"Look, it's Raku! I wonder if Rob and Renae are around too…" he heard as he passed the theater.
As he walked by an inn, "Hey, that the heir's younger brother. You know Rob's apparently dating some foreign girl? Hope she doesn't try to kill him like his last girlfriend did."
"You know that's just a rumor, right?"
Every corner he turned it was more of the same, and it took all of his will not to let his irritation show. But his patience could only hold out for so long. If he heard one more person talking about Rob and his new "friend"...
It was in that moment that Raku heard something that completely took his mind off of everything that had been bothering him just seconds ago.
"Thanks for coming, Mrs. Perez! Please come again sometime soon." The voice came from the bakery he had just passed when the door had opened. There was only one person Raku knew who that name could imply.
Cleo Perez was a member of the Chimera Kingdom guild, and Raku's ex-girlfriend. Not a word had been spoken between them since their breakup many months ago. His conscience told him to mind his own business and keep moving, but his body refused to comply. He just stood there and waited, unsure of why, yet unable to do anything else. The next few seconds felt as if several minutes were passing by, and then he finally saw her. Beautiful as ever, long, blond hair extended all the way down her back. She wore a short, white dress with matching boots. And her eyes, blue as sapphires, seemed to peer into his very soul as their gazes met- Oh no, she was looking right at him…
Too late to leave now. Time to think of something to say. When they last spoke she had been livid at him. He just hoped time had helped to lessen that anger.
"Sorry, I just-"
"Hmph."
Raku had barely even started his sentence when Cleo cut him off, turning on a heel and marching away. "Yeah, still angry I guess," he muttered to himself, then let out a heavy sigh. Well, whatever. It wasn't as if he had any intention of getting back together with her anyway. If she wanted to stay mad at him forever, that was her choice. Not that the thought made the cold shoulder he just received any more pleasant.
He was just starting to turn to go the other way, when something he saw out of the corner of his eye made him reconsider…
Today had been going just fine for Cleo. Why did he just have to show up and ruin her good mood? She tried to put it out of her mind, turning down a few alleys to get away from the busy streets and buy a few moments of privacy. It seemed to at least accomplish that much initially, until she heard footsteps trailing her. She turned, then waited, until three men came around the corner into view. One had shoulder length brown hair, and wore a gray shirt and sunglasses. On the other side was a larger man wearing a red tank top. The man in between them walked just ahead of the other two, and appeared to be the leader. He wore a leather jacket, and his blue hair was shaved along the sides. Cleo noticed a tattoo on the side of his neck, a black tree without any leaves. She guessed it was the mark of a smaller guild she was unfamiliar with, but she couldn't immediately see it on either of the other two.
"You seem a bit lost. Maybe we could help you," he said as he slowly approached. But Cleo knew their true intentions weren't so friendly. The grins on their faces alone were more than enough to tell her as much.
"I don't need any help from the likes of you. Stay away from me," she replied coldly, though the three men just laughed.
"She dates a Viper, and suddenly she thinks she can talk down to other people like she's one of them! I think someone owes us an apology, don't you?" the man said to his group, and both echoed the sentiment.
"Yes sir, I think that'd only be fair," said one.
"Can't remember the last time I've felt so disrespected," the other said, "Think it might take more than a simple apology to let that slide."
Suddenly that man reached out with his arm, which quickly stretched well over a dozen feet to close the distance to Cleo, and snatched the box right out of her arms.
"Hey! Give that back!" the blonde demanded, but her words fell on deaf ears. The man who stole it pulled the box in and opened up the lid just enough to peek inside.
"Ooh, this looks delicious! What do you think, boys?" he said, holding it out for the other two to see. Both raised their eyebrows and laughed when they saw what was inside.
"I think we'll be taking this," the leader said before the third man interjected.
"Say, she had to pay for that, didn't she? Let's see if she's got anymore money on her."
"A great idea!" the leader replied as if it had been a sudden thought, even though it had been their primary intention from the beginning. Cleo was seething by this point, but none of the three seemed intimidated in the slightest as their boss started to step closer again, this time with a hand extended out. "If you'd be so kind, make this easy for us and just hand over whatever money you have."
"That's not going to happen," a voice called from behind, and the trio turned to see Raku Martell walking into the alley. Now a sense of panic was starting to come over the would-be thieves.
"It's him!" called out the one who had stolen the box from Cleo.
"I know who that is, you idiot! Just calm down and keep your mouth shut!" the leader barked back, then took a second to regain his composure before addressing Raku. "This really isn't any of your concern. Why don't you just-"
Suddenly a bright light shone behind them. With their attention on Raku, the three had made the grave mistake of taking their attention away from Cleo. She used Feline Takeover magic, and had taken advantage of the distraction to don the form of her Cheetah Soul. She now had a coat of spotted fur covering her body and stood on all fours with sharp claws on her hands and feet. She bared her teeth and growled, then bolted forward! Before the man in the red shirt could even react, a paw crashed right into his face, driving his head into the wall behind him, cracking the surface and knocking her target unconscious! The second man, who had stolen the box from her moments ago, had time to take a single step before Cleo whirled around and drove a kick into his stomach, hurling him back into the opposite while and leaving him in the same state as his ally. The box flew out of his hand and Cleo desperately lunged for it, but the leader got his hands on it first and flew high up into the air.
"Flight magic?" Raku said aloud, prompting a laugh from the thief above.
"Yeah, that's right! This brat may have gotten the jump on us, but there's no way in hell you can reach me up here!"
"How pathetic," Raku said with a sigh, and suddenly the man didn't seem so smug. "It's bad enough you tried to rob a woman. But you're a mage of Minstrel, yet you use such a basic magic and have the nerve to act like it's anything special? You're a joke."
Rage and humiliation filled the man's expression. Martell or no, he wasn't just going to sit there and let anyone talk to him like that. But just as he was about to retort, the sight of small surges of lightning flickering around Raku made him stop.
"Allow me to demonstrate what a real mage of Minstrel is capable of… Lightning-Make, Icarus!"
When the words left his lips, a large surge of lightning flared around him. On his arms the electricity molded to the shape of gauntlets, while boots of lightning formed around his legs and feet. A pair of wings materialized on his back, also made of lightning. This was the most prominent spell in Raku's arsenal, and the sudden fear in the eyes of the thief made it clear he knew just how outmatched he was. A single flap of the electric wings jolted Raku into the air just above his target. The man barely had enough time to turn his gaze up before a lightning-covered fist slammed directly into his jaw! His body plummeted down into the ground just as quickly as Raku had ascended into the air, and left an imprint in the stone where he landed. The thief was unconscious and dealt with, but the box he'd stolen from Cleo had slipped out of his grasp and was now falling through the air.
"Shit!" Raku cursed himself under his breath for taking his attention off of it. He was about to dive down in a desperate attempt to catch it, but fortunately Cleo had been paying more attention. Still in her Cheetah Soul, she dashed forward and cleared the distance of the alley in the blink of an eye to get underneath the box, then reverted out of her Takeover just in time to catch it safely in her arms. Relieved, Raku then descended next to her, the lightning around him disappearing as he landed.
"Just as quick as ever, I see," he said, hoping his lighthearted compliment might ease her mood. But Cleo offered no response, only opening the box to ensure what was inside hadn't been damaged. She peered inside, then breathed a sigh of relief. From where he stood, Raku could see just well enough to tell a cake with white icing was in the box. It wasn't in perfect shape, but miraculously had not been too badly damaged in all the comotion.
"You know the Festival is still a month away, right?" he commented, then immediately regretted it as he took a step forward and got a better look. The number "57" was inscribed with red icing, and just under that were the words "Happy Birthday, Father!"
"I know it may be hard for you to believe, but not everything in this country revolves around the 'glory' of the Martells," Cleo said coldly, quickly closing the box and holding it close as she stood up. The master of Chimera Kingdom was technically her stepfather, though she had never considered him as such. The two loved and respected each other as much as any father and daughter could. Raku was annoyed that she had responded with a barb at him and his family, but recognized he had walked into that on his own.
"You're right, I'm sorry," he said, putting his hands up to make it clear he had no intention of arguing the issue. "Are you alright?"
"I'll be fine," Cleo replied, then started to to walk away, only to come to a sudden stop after a few steps. "...Thank you, Raku," she said. Whatever resentment she still harbored for him, she at least appreciated he had helped her.
Raku smiled, and modestly replied, "I couldn't just stand and ignore a damsel in distress." For the first time, his words brought the faintest of smiles to Cleo's lips. It may not have been much, but it had been months since he had seen her smile. "Anyway, I'll take care of these three here. There should be a few royal guardsmen around who can take them away." He assumed that would be the end of it, but Cleo didn't leave. She looked away from him, something clearly weighing heavily on her mind.
"What is it?" Raku asked. Cleo hesitated a few moments longer before she spoke again.
"I know I shouldn't ask, but… There's a lot of rumors going around about that woman your brother brought back from Fiore."
"Oh come on, not you too!" Raku groaned, and Cleo looked curiously at him. "That's all I hear about anywhere I go since we've come back. Rob made a new friend and invited her here so she could see Minstrel. What's the big deal about that?"
"You know there's more to it than that, Raku," Cleo said, unconvinced. "Why did he bring her here? What is he trying to accomplish?"
Raku only shrugged. "I don't think anyone knows why he does the things he does. They seemed to get along in Fiore. She wanted to see the country and train here, so he invited her back with us."
"No one from Royal Viper has ever trained an outsider. Why would its ace be the one to break that chain?"
"Oh, Rob's not training her. She wants to train with old Green Eyes," Raku said, and Cleo's eyes went wide with shock.
"The Green-Eyed Devil… You're telling me he brought a foreigner home, now of all times, so she can train with the most powerful mage of a rival guild...and you don't see anything wrong with that?"
He wasn't fond of it either, but he had his own reasons for disliking it. Cleo's perspective was putting new thoughts into his head on the matter, and they weren't exactly putting his mind at ease. "What do you mean 'now of all times?'" he asked.
"Tensions between Royal Viper and the other guilds have been getting worse lately. I'm sure you have to have noticed. Mages in Red Falcon, Chimera Kingdom and Harpy's Nest have been a lot more vocal about wanting to bring the Vipers down from their pedestal."
"Is that what you want too?" Raku asked with an almost teasing grin. Clearly he wasn't taking this very seriously. Cleo just looked down to the box she held.
"I just want my family to be happy. But some people…"
"This wouldn't be the first time people have talked a big game. But that's all it is, Cleo, just talk."
Sadness seemed to fill the girl's gaze as her eyes moved up to meet Raku's again. "Not this time."
All became silent between them, neither knowing what to say. Raku had a hard time believing much of this was worth worrying over. Evidently Cleo could tell, as she let out a small sigh. "I just hope your brother knows what he's doing," she said then turned and began to walk again.
"Oh, and..." she stopped, taking a moment to glance over her shoulder at him, "Welcome back, Raku." With that she took her leave. And as Raku thought over it all, the rumors of an uprising and their foreign guest, the teen couldn't help but smile to himself while he went to grab his things and fetch the Royal Guard.
"It's good to be home."
TBC in Chapter 2: The Family
