Chapter 1: The New Guild

It began in the Heroes Guild, hidden underground since the uprising. It was where those with the blood of heroes would go to learn their craft and head on out into the dark crevasses of society. The heroes were often children when they were spotted and recruited. Then they spent much of their young lives training in the three main arts of heroes. The arts were the art of strength ("Right. When I come back from the infirmary, try to stick the sword in the dummy's gut, not mine."); the art of skill ('Maybe we should hold off on shooting dummies and work on not shooting ourselves in the feet."); and the art of will ("For the last time, WILL YOU STOP RAISING DEAD BUNNIES?"). Many heroes were skilled in one art and generally grouped together to compensate for the skills they didn't have. In the whole guild there were only two members who could use two arts well (and as many people noted, these were considered the best of all the heroes). These two were Tatiana Blades and Brick Boomstick. Tatiana (or Tatty, as Tatiana is too long at times) is highly skilled in both skill and will, able to use all kinds of spells and shoot a man through the eye across the length of Bowerstone Bridge. She can even hold her own against several people at once in melee combat, if need be, so she could theoretically be a very rare Omni-Hero. An Omni-Hero is skilled in all three arts. Brick is very skilled in melee, being able to use a hammer or axe as skilfully as a dancer, and one of the few heroes that can use the dragon-like blunderbuss. But despite his rugged skills, Brick seems to believe he isn't doing enough. He keeps pushing himself harder and harder to be the best of his classes. This attitude has always placed him as the top of his classes, often meaning he has surpassed the very people teaching him. Only in classes that Tatty are in does his efforts fall short.

But even though Tatty surpasses Brick in every class they share, they seem to have a kinship. It could be that their accomplishments when coupled with their attitudes, him not thinking it was good enough and her barely trying, have led to other heroes ignoring them. But whatever the reason, they are always seen together. Chatting. Training. Studying in the Guild library or dining together in the Guild hall, where they seem to relax in the memories of their day.

But even though many of the heroes are skilled, they are still learning their trade, and so are not truly heroes. When they first join the guild they are called apprentices. At this stage they are to be shown 'the ropes' of being a hero, and finding an art that suits them. After years of training and learning, the apprentices become known as henchmen. A henchman would join a hero for a short time (usually a week or two. It depends on the hero, the quest and how often the henchman injures the hero.) and see a hero in action. During this time the henchman would often be asked to assist in a matter, serve as a distraction, or if they are lucky enough, take on a quest by themselves in the hero's name. Those who perform well often return to the guild with praise and recommendation from a hero, and are promoted to heroes with days.(In fact, the henchmen who take on a quest by themselves return to the guild to merely say goodbye.) Others who do not so well often would remain as henchmen for years, and often have to wait months to join another hero. But every year, there is a Tournament of Heroes to choose the heroes from the henchmen. They are fought like standard tournaments, with a match system and finalists. But unlike tournaments the individual matches are graded. This means that even if a henchman is beaten in the first round, if they showed good use of the arts they can still pass the tournament. To ensure everyone is tested fairly, the henchmen are placed with someone of similar skill. The tournament is the one day every henchman awaits for.

And that day is the day of our story.

BONG! BONG! BONG! The bell rings echo throughout the guild, announcing the beginning of a new day. Tatiana's eye flutter open, sleep tempting to pull her under but anticipation keeping her afloat. She rises from her bedding, stretching like a cat and pulling in odd directions. Her bed shirt hangs off her pale, petite body like the clothes on a scarecrow, except for around her chest, where the material is taunt against her breast. She weaves the spell that lights the lamps in her room and looks round it with a nervous smile. By her bedside is a worn drawer, one of the first things she ever actually owned. On it is a small lamp, perfect for when one wishes to read a book well into the night, the candle a mere sliver. Beside it are several books, comprising of history books about heroes and Albion as a whole. On the very top was a small battered book titled 'Jack of Blades: A Man or A Monster?'. On the wall by the door hung a weapon stand, where her dual daggers, katana and clockwork rifle all were placed. A chest lay open at the foot of her bed, clothing spilling out like a lolling tongue. On the far wall every book she owned was shelved above her desk, where many a night she studied till her eyes remained closed. Around the wall were trophies from her several, several quests.

Surely they can't deny it now, she thought as she scratched a knot out of her hair. Surely they'll have to promote me. Her face unconsciously reddened in embarrassment, as she recalled her last attempt to be promoted. She had arrived back to the guild, laden with trophies from the quests she completed, a positively glowing letter of recommendation slyly hidden in her bosom. She went straight to the Guildmaster, expecting to be informed that she is now a heroine. Instead, he looked at the letter with an air of barely suppressed boredom and told her that he had other plans for her. At this Tatty lost her cool, telling him that he was an idiot and he should be begging for her to be a hero. It was her saving grace that he seemed to have not heard her, and so she slinked out before she got herself in trouble. She and Brick had fun mocking the Guildmaster later that day. Shaking herself out of that memory, she went over to her changing screen to get ready for her morning training. As she stripped of her bed shirt, Tatty stopped to appraise herself. Even though she had looked the way she does for a few years, people still call her an exotic beauty. She couldn't really see what people meant. She was very pale, heck she was the palest person in the guild, and very tall. But since skill causes an increase in growth glands this wasn't unusual. Her blond hair and red eyes may have been exotic in a country full of dark hair and blue eyes, but she wasn't the only person with different traits.

Maybe I'm just exotic for my knockers, Tatiana thought dryly. She had a petite body all her life. Slim waist, slender arms, hardly the large curves of other females. She liked that though, since those girls looked like someone took all their body fat, stuffed it into their curves and tied them off. But the only thing that wasn't petite about her was her breasts. They were as large as watermelons (and yes, after having loads of men saying so, Tatty did check to find they were right) and it took ages to get clothing tailored to suit her. Often the men she walked past made it blatantly obvious that they were looking at her chest, even though she usually kept them well covered. The only person who didn't stare at them was Brick. In fact he seemed to do his best not to stare at them, as if they were 'elephants in the room'. He was the only person who respected her out of all the damn people here.

Stop daydreaming, she chided herself. This was the second time already and the roosters were probably still crowing. And on today of all days no less! Sighing, Tatty resumed getting changed. First her undergarments, which were rather sturdy up top. She found out the hard way it is hard to be heroic if your 'juggs' are still bouncing around and slapping you. Then the tight pants, to not get in her way with flowing parts. A bandana to tie back her long hair. And a vest-like shirt to 'give her modesty'. Mind you, the design was made back when heroes had generally been men, and so it was more to show off their rock-hard abs. Not to mention that with her rack, a vest that covers the chest of an average man stops just short of the undersides. She asked the quartermaster to have a new vest to cover her, but he said that unfortunately the size was determined to be perfect and no alterations in amount are to be made. This meant that, like it or not, she was pretty much flaunting her assets for all to see. Perhaps that is why she trains first thing before anything else, while everyone is busy taking baths, having breakfast and doing other things.