A series of Enchanted fireworks exploded in the sky, and illuminated the festive Circle below.
Enchanted instruments played a Celtic tune, hovering through the wooden buildings that nestled within the woods. Floating Lanterns hovered above their rooftops, whilst Magical Streamers strung themselves across their sills.
Flakes of golddust drifted from the heavens, and onto the Crowds of Spellcasters who thronged beneath the Blood Moon. They piled into the Clearing – a wide expanse of land in the middle of their settlement – and separated themselves underneath the flags that represented their Guilds.
Three decorative flags – one to represent each kingdom – made a wide arc around the Clearing. A flag with a painted Tree marked Aoba Josai, the Sorcerers of the East, whilst another with an Owl represented Fukurodani, the Magicians of the West.
A flag with a painted Raven billowed nearby. It flew over the members of Karasuno, the Spellcasters of the North.
The Fireheart – a massive campfire that blazed towards the treetops – burned in the center of the Clearing. Most nights, like moving images against a glowing screen, Enchanted Silhouettes would reenact grand adventures within its golden flames. But tonight, the Fireheart shone with a ruby glow. The emblem of a Wildcat – the symbol of Nekoma, the Wizards of the South – was reflected within its flames.
The Spellcasters of Nekoma were armed with Enchanted Weapons, and carried sacks that were packed with provisions.
They chattered with anticipation, spinning tales of massive beasts and magnificent treasures, as they waited to embark on their first Quest.
A lanky teenager stood within the masses, his blonde hair draping over his ears. A sword was tied to his back, a dagger was strapped to his side, and a staff was clutched in his hands.
He shifted under his arsenal, and seemed intent on blending into the crowd.
'Kenma!' called a voice.
The boy was taken aback as a blurred figure barreled into him. A pair of arms wrapped around his waist, and a head of blonde hair tucked itself beneath his chin.
A faint smile crept over his face as he realized who she was.
'Hi, Yachi,' said Kenma, as a smile tugged at his lips. 'Shouldn't you be with your Guild?'
'I'll join them when the Ceremony begins,' Yachi replied.
The little girl pulled away from him, and gave his shoulder a gentle punch.
'Are you ready for today?' she balanced on her heels.
'I-well-' Kenma felt heat rising to his cheeks, and cleared his throat. 'I hope so. Where's Shoyo?'
'He's not here yet?' asked Yachi, with a gentle shake of her head. 'He should've been on time for your Embarkation Ceremony.'
She clucked her tongue. 'What's with that boy? He's probably out in the woods, securing his Enchanted Traps for the thousandth time.'
Kenma allows himself to grin. That sounded just like Shoyo –
'Sorry, sorry – ah, was that your foot? I'm sorry!' A breathless voice rose from the crowd.
As Kenma and Yachi turned towards the source of the voice, they spied a blur of orange hair racing through the crowd. With flailing limbs and harried cries, a teenage boy barrelled through a pair of disgruntled Questers, and stumbled towards his friends.
He tripped on his feet, and toppled towards the ground. Before he hit the floor, he regained his balance with outstretched arms, and paused in his comical position.
The teenager righted himself, and theatrically spread his arms.'Ta-da!'
Yachi giggled, whilst Kenma maintained a soft smile. The boy stepped lightly towards them.
'You're late, Hinata,' chided Yachi.
'A thousand apologies, m'lady,' The boy bowed playfully, causing Yachi to laugh.
'Some of the charms that I cast on my traps went awry,' Hinata continued. 'I spent the last hour re-casting them. You know, just in case.'
Yachi rolled her eyes, and gave Kenma a grin: 'Told you so.'
'Congratulations on your first quest, Kozume!' Hinata slapped Kenma's back. His amber eyes glowed as he laughed. 'You are officially a man!'
He studied his friend's armored attire, noticed how awkward he looked in it, and let out a laugh. His laughter died away as he noticed that Kenma's smile was absent.
'Hey, what's wrong?' Asked Hinata. 'You look as though you're being led to your death.'
'You could almost say that,' muttered Kenma, tightening his grip around his staff. 'I'm not made for Quests, Shoyou.'
When the Nekoma Spellcasters invited him to be a part of their Brotherhood, Kenma was hesitant to accept. He knew that belonged here in camp, amongst his books and scrolls, not beyond the Borderlines of their camp.
Despite his fears, he knew that it would be ridiculous to decline their invitation. It was a great honor to be chosen for a Quest – an honor that many desired, but few received.
Hinata blinked. 'Kenma, you're the smartest Spellcaster in our Circle. It didn't surprise me that these Questers chose you as their Alchemist.'
'Ah -, he's their Navigator, Hinata. Not their Alchemist,' commented Yachi.
'Details, details.' Hinata shrugged. 'No matter what your role is, you're still a part of your Guild. You're still a part of a Quest.'
Hinata beamed at his friend. 'Kenma, we're all proud of you.'
Kenma started at Hinata's smile, and a bubble of joy rose in his chest.
We're all proud of you. Hinata's voice replayed in his mind, and Kenma knew that he would be all right
A trumpet's blast echoed through the night. The Fireheart glowed with rainbow light, and commanded the crowds' attention, as the Leaders of each Guild stepped out of its flames.
Hinata joined the Guilds as they burst into cheer.
'That's our cue,' said Yachi, guiding her arm around Hinata's. 'See you later, Kenma!'
'Kick some butt!' Hinata winked as he was dragged back to his Guild.
Eight Leaders – two for each Guild – stood before the Circle. The commanders of each Guild looked towards the First and Second leaders of Karasuno.
Karasuno's Leaders stepped forward. The Raven crests that were pinned to their cloaks glittered in the campfire.
Yachi and Hinata positioned themselves underneath the Raven's flag. They cheered with their Guildmates as their Leaders advanced towards the crowd.
'Good evening, everyone,' waved the Second Leader of the Karasuno Guild. His silver hair billowed in the wind. 'Alright, friends, settle down.'
Despite the Leader's gentle tone, his voice carried an authoritative air. The applause gradually diminished, and he gave the crowd a broad smile.
'Thank you,' he beamed, and cleared his throat. 'We are gathered here to honour the Nekoma Spellcasters -'
'Skip the details, Suga,' screamed a member of the Circle, 'and name their Quest!'
Before he could continue, the crowd burst into fresh applause.
'Name their Quest!' Several Casters chanted. 'Name their Quest! Name their Quest!'
'Everyone, please,' Suga called towards the crowd, 'if I could just have your attention –'
Members from the other Guilds chanted alongside his, and his voice was drowned by the crowd's boisterous cheers. The Leaders of the Guilds exchanged concerned looks.
'Silence!' a voice rippled through the crowd.
Daiichi, the First Leader of the Karasuno Casters, stepped forward with a raised arm. With an authoritative stance and a warning stare, he calmed them back into silence.
'Thanks, Daiichi,' Suga gave his friend a grateful smile, which was warmly returned.
Suga turned back towards his audience.
'We are gathered here to honour the Nekoma Spellcasters, who have recently been chosen to embark on a Quest,' announced Suga.
Whoops arose from isolated members of the crowd. Daiichi gave them a glare: 'Not again, you morons.'
'As you all know, the Leaders of our Circle have no authority to name a Quest. That responsibility belongs to the Celestial Spirits,' Suga continued. 'In order to communicate with the Spirits, we have invited the Oracle to our circle.'
'THANK THE GODS!' screeched a pair of voices.
A pair of teenage Spellcasters jumped into the air, their heads bobbing in the crowd. As boys roared with glee, the crowd burst into fresh laughter.
'Tanaka, Nishinoya, do not harass our Oracle when she arrives!' Demanded Daiichi.
'Yes, sir!' Bellowed Tanaka.
After adjusting the bronze ring around his shaved head, Tanaka grabbed Nishinoya's hand, and raised it to his friend's forehead in mock salute.
Nishinoya pushed the boy away, and punched him with a grin.
'Knock it off, doofus,' he laughed.
A gentle smile spread across Daiichi's lips. Nishinoya and Tanaka always behaved like this when Oracle Kiyoko came to visit.
Unlike most Oracles, Kiyoko had discovered her gift while she was in her youth. She was granted the gift of immortality whilst she was still a teenager, and retained the appearance of a beautiful young woman. Due to this, she had unintentionally entranced the of the nuts of their family.
'Oracle Kiyoko will be arriving shortly, when the Blood Moon is at its peak,' announced Suga.
He turned towards the pair of troublemakers, who had begun a poking war with each other.
'When she arrives,' he warned, 'I expect you all to be on your best behaviour!'
'We always are!' Screamed Nishinoya.
Members of the crowd responded with satirical laughter, and Tanaka threw him into a headlock.
Hinata laughed as Tanaka pressed his knuckles into Nishinoya's spiked hair. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Suga hiding a smile behind his hand, whilst Daiichi's eyes twinkled with amusement. To his happiness, he realised that the other Leaders were smiling too.
Unlike the other Circles, which were formed by seasoned magicians, the four guilds in Hinata's Circle had members who were no older than eighteen. Not only did their ages make them stand out, but the members had embraced an entirely different culture.
Although most Circles were military in nature, the Spellcasters of Karasuno did not regard their Guildmates as colleagues. Instead, they acted just like a family.
'Like a family,' Hinata smiled. Karasuno had definitely been a safe haven for him. Even after they discovered that he –
'Hey, look!'
Hinata's thoughts were interrupted as a Nekoma Spellcaster pointed across Clearing.
The Guildsmen stood in attention as the Fireheart's flames pulsed with emerald light. Karasuno righted themselves as green mist seeped through the surrounding wood.
As the smoke encroached onto the Clearing, a Nekoma Spellcaster stumbled out of the wood. He advanced towards the Circle, and a pair of hooded figures followed close behind.
Kuroo, the First Leader of Nekoma, grinned at the sight.
'Yamamoto's back,' he smiled at the Leaders.
Suga grinned in return, 'And so is the Oracle.'
A Nekoma Spellcaster led the visitors through the Clearing. A golden shock of hair streaked across his otherwise black locks, and his feline eyes were narrowed into slits.
The Spellcaster's ruby scarf seemed tattered, and his forearms peeked through his ripped sleeves. The symbol of Entrapment – a faded mark that was left on the victims of Hinata's Enchanted Traps – was scorched onto his arm.
He walked with a slight limp, and scanned the crowd with an aggravated scowl.
The Spellcaster caught Hinata's eye, and his scowl deepened.
Hinata put his hands together, and gave the boy a tiny bow: 'Sorry.'
The young magician grimaced, and ran a finger across his throat: 'I'll kill you.'
After directing the cloaked figures towards the Fireheart, the Spellcaster rejoined his Guildmates.
His Guildmates surrounded him with bemused expressions, prodded him with their enchanted staffs, and tugged at his tattered clothes.
The Leaders of Nekoma stifled their smiles. The poor magician looked like he wanted to sink into the ground.
The Spellcasters bowed in reverence as the figures stepped before the Fireheart. As they lifted their hoods off their heads, green smoke billowed away from their bodies, and formed a clear circle around the spot on which they stood.
A teenage boy, with hair as black as the night, stood before the crowd. Although his arms were by his side, his fingers were flexed over a set of enchanted daggers. Hinata knew that he wouldn't hesitate to use his weapons if any harm befell his partner.
The girl who stood beside him carried herself with regal diginity. Although her hair was the same shade of black, flecks of stardust shone in her locks. The Guildsmen held their breath as Kiyoko – the Oracle of the Third Kingdom – looked towards the crowd.
With a wave of her hands, the flames of the Fireheart turned a brilliant shade of blue. A vibrant patchwork of stars shone through the flames, casting a kaleidoscope of colour across the Clearing.
The crowd was silent with awe. Kiyoko was just as powerful as she was beautiful.
'WELL DONE, KIYOKO-SAN!'
'YOU'RE A NATURAL, MY LOVE!'
Kiyoko smiled faintly, whilst her Guardian grimaced, as a pair of voices pierced the silence. Tanaka and Nishinoya waved their arms, slapped each other repeatedly, as they attempted to secure the Oracle's attention.
Daiichi facepalmed, whilst Suga blushed furiously. Out of all the idiots in the kingdom, their Guild had to be stuck with those two.
'Those fools –' said the boy, wrapping his fingers around his daggers.
'Ennoshita, control yourself,' said Kiyoko, giving her Guardian a gentle stare.
Ennoshita released his grip on his daggers, and fastened his hands by his side. He allowed a smile to spread across his face. Not only had Kiyoko had inherited their mother's powers and beauty, but she also possessed her patience. He had never been prouder of his elder sister.
'Spellcasters of Nekoma,' said the Oracle. Although she spoke softly, her words echoed well across the Clearing, 'the Celestial Spirits have smiled favorably upon you. You have been chosen to represent your Circle in a Quest.'
A series of cheers emerged from around the Circle. Hinata whooped, with his eyes fixed on Kenma, as the Nekoma Spellcasters beamed before the Oracle.
'I have arrived to communicate with the Spirits, who will hereby name your Quest,' continued Kiyoko.
The cheers grew louder as Kiyoko bowed towards her audience. However, as soon as she turned from the crowd, and spun towards the Fireheart with outstreched arms, their voices instantly faded away.
Silence drifted through the crowd, and the Spellcasters held their breaths.
The Ceremony had officially begun.
One by one, the lights in the Enchanted Lanterns were snuffed out, and the Enchanted Instruments dissipated into smoke. A blanket of darkness draped over the Circle, concealing the Blood Moon from view.
The Fireheart's flames, the only source of light, pulsed with a luminescent glow. Despite the massive fire that stood before them, the Spellcasters shivered as the air turned cold – it was almost as if the campfire was absorbing, not releasing, its heat.
All of a sudden, the pillar of fire disappeared with a poof, only to appear seconds later in a burst of light and fire.
The Spellcasters shielded themselves as white flames shot from the Fireheart, and billowed through the Clearing. Although the flames licked their boots, and danced around their bodies, they didn't seem to burn.
Oracle Kiyoko stood in a ball of fire. Her hair whipped around her shoulders, and her eyes glowed with spiritual energy, as she turned to address the crowd:
'Spellcasters of Nekoma,' said the Oracle. A chorous of voices resonated through her lips, almost as if four other people were speaking with her throat. 'The Spirits have decided on your Quest.'
The Oracle raised her head to the heavens, and a stream of white light spilled from her body. The light rose towards the sky, briefly formed an image of a triangular prism, and rushed towards the magicians of Nekoma.
The entire Guild was hit with a bang! The entire Circle watched in awe as the Questers' bodies glowed with spiritual energy, and their eyes shone with a similar white light.
Just as soon as the magic had hit them, the spell wore off, and the light faded from the Spellcasters' eyes. Waves of spiritual energy flowed from the Questers' bodies, and the Oracle's form, as they were sucked back into the Fireheart.
As the last of the magic disappeared into the Fireheart's, the blanket of darkness was lifted over the Circle, and the flames were instantly extinguished.
The Enchanted Instruments reappeared, and played their celtic melody, as the Circle returned to normal. The Spellcasters were speechless as Kiyoko bowed to the empty hearth, and spun to address the crowd.
'Spellcasters of Nekoma,' she announced. 'the Celestial Spirits have informed you of your Quest. They have told you what you have to find, and where you have to go.'
They did what? Hinata's eyes widened.
He looked towards the Guild of Nekoma. The Spellcasters stared at the Oracle, and nodded in comprehension.
Hinata gasped. In mere seconds, the Spirits had imparted the details of their entire Quest. They were as powerful as the legends had described.
'Your Quest has been named,' the Oracle recited. 'Go forth, and recover what was lost.'
With that, the Guild of Nekoma let out a rousing cheer. Their cheers were amplified as the members of the other Guilds rushed towards them, and lifted the Questers onto their shoulders.
Hinata grinned as Kenma was raised above the crowd. His friend scanned the Circle until their eyes had met.
With a brilliant smile, Hinata gave his friends a thumbs-up. Kenma waved in return, and bounced upon the shoulders of a Fukurodani Spellcaster, as the crowd celebrated the rise of their Circle's chosen heroes.