Here's the next chapter. Yeah, back to Victor, the random dragonslayer I added. Because hundreds of people totally don't make up dragonslayers just because they can. Yeah, I made him really strong the previous chapter, and I'm afraid he may become a Gary Stu. An online test I took told me he already was, but I don't believe it. I'll be the first to admit that Victor is not perfect. He's an asshole, to start. He's inconsiderate of others feelings, cares little about love and romance, and his life's dream is to earn enough money and buy a place far from civilization. Not exactly a model citizen, so I don't understand how that is Gary Stu. However, I am on guard. It could still happen.

Let me just take a moment to rant about the very thing I'm sure some fanfic authors have had too. Starting a new chapter. You get on the computer, open up a word document with the mindset "I'm going to write a new chapter today!" and end up with a blank page staring you in the face. I don't know about you, but that blinking little cursor is like, hypnotizing you. "Forget ALL of your ideas!" (yes, the meme.) And then all you can think about is how much you have to write before the chapter is done. I'm ready for someone to invent something to read thoughts and record them on paper. Allows for much less typing, and then the story can literally write itself. Hah, I'll keep dreaming.

Anyhow, I'm done and I'm actually going to get writing now. 10000 words, here I fucking come!


His eyes were unfocused, gazing at the other side of the carriage in which he was traveling. This was one of the few cases where Victor was forced to seriously think about his future.

The dragonslayer was used to sitting at the bar after a successful job, waiting for Hester to find something else for him to do. Victor's life previously had been nothing but waiting for his next paycheck, which he would promptly save half of it, and spend the other half to keep himself alive.

By accepting Orb's offer, he had essentially given up his way of life as a mercenary, and would have to stick around in one place. Chances are, he would go stir crazy within the first few days. However, Victor knew that eight million jewels was not something he could just turn his nose up at.

A bump in the road returned Victor to reality. He sat up and gave a nearly inaudible sigh. Traveling had never been his strong suit. It was boring, and more often than not he could run faster than the actual means of transportation. Orb's carriage was no exception.

Victor glanced out the window. The moon still hung high in the sky, showing that it was still the middle of the night. Orb said that they would reach his guild by dawn, so that left him with at least a few more hours of travel. The dragonslayer considered taking a nap, but he didn't fully trust Orb yet. Sure, he was being recruited for a dark guild, of all things, but the fact that the wizard had seen it necessary to manipulate him into doing his bidding irked Victor.

True, he had experienced joy while destroying Donnel's guild, but now it left a bittersweet feeling in his memory, knowing that it hadn't been fully his choice.

Victor groaned and slammed his fist into the side of the carriage irritably. He was thinking too much. This was one of the reasons he hated travel.


Time passed very slowly, and it got to the point where Victor was sure he was going to just get out and run the rest of the way. By the time he started moving and was actually about to bust his way out, he began to see signs of civilization.

At first it was just a bunch of ramshackle buildings hastily constructed next to large fields dedicated to agriculture. Then, then Victor began seeing heavily armored soldiers stationed at regular intervals along the road.

Now he was curious. These guys were nothing like what he had seen back in Cardinal City. They were more heavily armored and way more disciplined; Victor hadn't seen one move an inch so far.

"Take a look at this, Victor. This is Natrasil Fortress, an old fortified city that once was the capitol of the old Fiore Empire," Orb finally spoke for the first time since they traveled. His voice was muffled to Victor, as the dragonslayer was sitting inside the carriage still.

"Thanks for the history lesson," Victor grumbled sarcastically, but he still peered out the window to see what they were heading for. His eyes went wide.

Natrasil Fortress was aptly named. The city was incredibly complex, but organized. From what Victor could see, the city was separated into different tiers, with each tier being situated higher than the others. A large stone wall circled the base of the city, patrolled constantly by soldiers and armed with powerful magic ballistae that dotted the walls every so often.

"Like what you see? The only place more impressive than this is the Magic Council at Era," Orb continued. His carriage reached the main entrance to the city, which was guarded by at least of score of soldiers. Travelers passed in and out of the city underneath the deadly looking portcullis made of lacrima-enforced steel.

"Whatever," Victor muttered, his response causing Orb to chuckle. He was impressed at the layout of the massive city, to be sure, but it wasn't something to ramble on about.

"Halt!" a soldier commanded them. Orb obediently slowed his carriage to a stop just in front of the gates. The soldier that had called to them walked up to them stiffly, grasping his spear in his right hand.

"What is your busine…oh, Orb! It is good to see you again, sir," the soldier corrected his official tone when he saw who he was speaking to. Victor raised an eyebrow. He had thought that this dark guild would be well concealed, but it seemed that even the military was on their side.

"You too, soldier. Keep up the good work," Orb replied officially, a cool smile on his cultured face. The soldier saluted and moved aside to let the carriage pass. Victor was lurched about in his seat as the carriage started moving again, passing underneath the menacing gate.

"So, what, you even have the military in your pocket?" Victor asked curiously, raising his voice so that the wizard could hear him. Orb found the question amusing, as indicated by the laugh he emitted.

"You are mistaken, my friend. Full Moon are the powers that be here in Natrasil," the wizard corrected him. Victor blinked. So what Orb just said was that this city was completely under the control of the Full Moon guild.

"So if the city is openly controlled by an active dark guild, why hasn't the council taken steps to wipe you out?" Victor questioned. As a rogue wizard, Victor had been on the run from the council for a long time, so he was intrigued.

"Openly? Of course not. The city is officially ruled by Duke Marynkaz, but he does as we command," Orb explained. Victor nodded, understanding. So Full Moon ruled the city through bribery or blackmail of some sort. Effective, but tenuous at best.

They fell into a silence then, as Victor chose to observe the surroundings. On the lowest level of the city, it was the most crowded. In fact, the dragonslayer could tell that the poorest citizens lived here. The clothes the passerby were wearing were by no means fancy, and the houses here that lined the walls were made of grimy stone. Victor was disgusted.

"This is the plebian district. Those less fortunate spend their time here, usually handling agriculture in the undercity and making sure the city gets fed," Orb explained.

"If they tend to the food source for the city, why are they so run down?" the dragonslayer asked curiously.

"Oh no, my friend. You see, the plebeians are much better off here than in other cities. The Duke himself regularly subsidizes the citizens in this district with a portion of the profit that their food sales make," Orb explained happily. The wizard seemed to delight in talking about his home. Victor was getting annoyed at how Orb kept referring to him as his "friend." Victor still didn't trust the guy, and he was certainly not friends with him. "That's why you don't see the poor or homeless begging in the streets. They have the money to keep themselves alive, but don't have nearly enough to move to the upper tiers."

Their carriage moved up the steadily inclining walkway until they reached another gate. Victor assumed that there were similar gates barring the way to each tier. It also made the city very defensible; if one tier was lost, then the soldiers could merely fall back to the next gate.

The next tier was much less dismal compared to the plebian district. This one, while still crowded, was very lively. Victor could see hundreds of ramshackle stalls lining the walls, where many a merchant called out to the passerby. There were several banners hanging down from the walls, advertising the presence of a more sophisticated walk-in shop. It was around these shops that most of the crowds congregated. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this was the shopping district, but Orb launched into another lengthy explanation, which Victor ignored, his boredom growing.

The next two tiers, according to Orb, were residential. The middle class lived in these areas, separated out by what their jobs were. Merchants were allowed the lower tier for the sake of convenience, while the upper tier was reserved for the more privileged members of the middle class.

Orb was all too willing to explain the next tier's purpose as well. Victor groaned inwardly and had to restrain himself from blowing the carriage up to get the man to shut up. He certainly liked his explanations.

"This tier is where the private corporations make their headquarters. Merchant guilds is one of the many examples of such that can be found here. In fact, this is where our guild is located," Orb continued. Victor finally started paying attention, as it seemed that their trip was nearly complete.

The carriage finally came to a halt just in front of a fairly large building with the words "Preston's Lacrima." Victor quirked an eyebrow at the fairly odd name, but he ignored it and slammed the carriage door open, finally glad to be back on his feet. Orb seemed surprised by his impatience, as the wizard had been moving to open the door for him. Orb shrugged and recalled the carriage to one of his many lacrima, the vehicle disappearing in a flash of cyan light.

"Isn't this supposed to be your guild?" Victor questioned, gazing up at the name of the store. Orb smiled and opened the door into the shop. A bell chimed as he entered, gaining the attention of the shopkeeper that was standing at a desk.

"We're nearly there, Victor. Have patience," the wizard chided him gently. Victor growled and crossed his arms. Patience was not something he had in a limitless supply.

"Ah, Lord R…" the shopkeeper began, only to be cut off. Orb's eyebrows tightened and his expression turned dark. In the blink of an eye, a lacrima was in the wizards hand. A blast of energy shot forth from the glowing orb, nearly taking the shopkeeper's head off.

"Do not call me by that name," Orb commanded. Victor was surprised by the sudden show of force by the wizard. The dragonslayer's first impression of the man was all talk, but it seemed he wasn't above using intimidation to achieve his goals. Victor found himself respecting the guy a little more.

"Of…of course, sir Orb. M…m…my apologies…" the wizened shopkeeper stuttered violently, clearly frightened out of his wits. The steaming hole straight through the wall just next to him served as a testament to that fear. Orb relaxed and replaced the lacrima back on his belt, a cool smile returning to his face once more.

"Apology accepted. Now then, Victor, this is Renn Preston, the owner of this simple, yet beneficial shop," Orb introduced the quite old man to Victor. When Renn held out his hand for Victor to shake, the dragonslayer grunted and turned the other way. Renn gulped and lowered his hand.

"I don't care who he is," Victor responded, rather bluntly. Orb chuckled a little at that.

"You should care. If you don't inform him before leaving the guild for any reason, we'll send someone to retrieve you," the wizard warned. Victor glanced back at Orb with an irritated look. Did that mean he couldn't come and go as he pleased?

"That's bullshit. I like to move around, and now you're telling me some old fart has the power to tell me when I can and can't go?" Victor demanded. He certainly wasn't one to stay silent when he had something to say. Orb shook his head.

"You misunderstand. You may roam as you please, but our guild wishes to keep record of anyone who enters and leaves the guild. If someone fails to check in or out, then we will think something is wrong. It's merely a formality, you see," the wizard corrected. Victor was slightly reassured, but the annoyed look on his face didn't go away.

"I hate formalities," the dragonslayer spat. Orb shrugged at that. Then, the wizard moved back towards Renn.

"If you please, Renn," was all the wizard had to say before the old man scattered to do what he was told. Renn glowed with a crimson light, and he swiped his hand to the right.

As Victor watched, a blood red magic circle faded into existence on the back wall of the store, rotating and covering everything nearby in an eerie shade of red. In the center of the magic circle was the image of a crimson full moon. After a few moments, the wall encompassed by the magic circle shrunk and contracted to nothing, disappearing into the center of the circle. The circle faded not long after that.

Now that the wall was gone, Victor could see a staircase made of a different material than the rest of the store. The staircase extended downwards out of sight. Lining the walls downwards were flaming lacrima that served to light the way down.

"Follow me, Victor. Your new comrades await you," Orb pressed. The wizard then descended the staircase, until his figure was lost from view. Victor grumbled incoherently under his breath, but did so.

The stairs were made out of a strange black stone that had a completely different texture than the walls outside. Every step Victor took made a metallic click when his boots hit the ground. He found it intriguing that such a material existed.

The lower they descended, the more Victor became aware of voices. Raucous laughter and the sound of rhythmic pounding could be heard. The dragonslayer didn't know what to expect. It sounded like there was a bar down here, rather than a guild.

When they finally reached the end of the extensive staircase, the corridor opened up into a massive chamber. Victor was in awe at the layout and architecture of the place.

The floors and walls were made of the same black material as the stairs. Lining either side of the massive chamber were multitudes of tables and chairs, where men and women dressed in identical midnight blue clothing sat and conversed or played card games. Another figure dressed in the same clothing would occasionally walk down the aisles and distribute food and drinks to the crowd.

In the center of the room was a completely cleared space, where other members of the guild danced, grinding against one another or doing their own thing to the music. The music itself came from a stage just in front of the dance floor, where a strange man wearing personalized evergreen clothing with black body armor was playing on an electric guitar. Floating around him were several other instruments that seemingly played themselves.

"Ah, it seems that Titan is here today. He's a one-man rock band, you see," Orb explained, a happy grin crossing his face upon reaching his guild. Victor ignored him and continued to survey the room.

Behind the stage was a dual staircase that led to a large raised area that took up the whole back end of the room. On the staircase, directly behind the stage, was a giant rendition of the standard crimson full moon. Atop the raised area, several doors lined the walls, leading to other areas of the guild.

"So where are your S-Ranked wizards? I want to see how strong you guys are?" Victor finally said as the entered the main room. The moment Orb entered the room, the other guild members took immediate notice.

"Hey all, it's Orb!" declared a particularly loud man who was halfway through a bottle of brew. His yell got the attention everyone else, who began sending greetings at the wizard.

"Greetings, Danar," Orb acknowledged the man's words with a smile. Even Titan hopped down from the stage to come say hello. Strangely enough, he dropped his guitar, which remained floating in midair. The rest of his instruments continued to play as if the wizard had never left.

"You took a lot longer than I expected. This new recruit give you trouble?" Titan commented. He had a mischievous look on his sweaty face. Titan himself was a skinny man who held himself with confidence. His dark hair, which was streaked with red, was short like Orb's, but incredibly untidy, flopping all over the place. It was clear by his posing and his tone that he thought that he was "all that." It was an attitude that Victor despised.

"'This new recruit' is standing right here," Victor snapped at the man, who was taken aback by the latent hostility present in the dragonslayer's tone. Titan raised an eyebrow.

"Chill dude, you're among friends," he remarked. Victor scoffed at that statement. Friends? Not bloody likely.

"Victor performed amazingly at my entry test. Actually, we scored quite the powerhouse here. You see, Victor is a dragonslayer," Orb continued, acting as if he hadn't heard Victor's displeasure. Now Titan was visibly impressed.

"No way! A dragonslayer?! Far out!" the punk wannabe exclaimed in shock. He looked at Victor in a new light. The dragonslayer shifted uncomfortably, not used to people discussing his powers.

"Indeed. Titan, would you go and inform the master that we have arrived?" Orb requested. Titan looked put out, but he nodded and rushed back towards the stairs to do as he was asked.

"Can I do a job now? Seeing as how your little test didn't result in me being any richer," Victor asked irritably.

"Patience, Victor. The master will want to meet you before you head out," Orb replied patiently. Victor grunted and moved towards the tables, only for him and Orb to be approached by one of the women from the dance floor.

"Orby! Hi!" the woman drawled, clearly drunk. She practically flung herself at the wizard. Orb, without even looking at her, sidestepped so that the woman fell past him and hit the ground. "Ow…that wasn't very nice! I just wanted a dance!"

"Unfortunately, I am busy at the moment," the wizard replied smoothly, still refusing to meet the drunk woman's gaze. She looked put out, but then she looked at Victor.

"What about…" she began, but that was as far as she got.

"No," was Victor's immediate response. The woman pouted and moved back to the dance floor, whining that neither of them were any fun. "Who the hell was that broad?"

"That…was Sonja. She's a powerful wizard, but she enjoys her male attention a little too much," Orb answered wryly. "Though I have to admit, that was the fastest rejection she's ever seen."

"So what you're saying, is that she's a slut," Victor reiterated, as bluntly as always. Orb sighed, but nodded. "Figures. So far, I've seen a punk wannabe and a dunk slut. Is this the best this guild has to offer?"

Before Orb could even answer, there was the sound of a chair falling over. Victor and Orb looked to see another guild member, dressed in the usual midnight blue clothes, standing up and looking enraged.

"I won't let that one stand, you lousy excuse for a wizard," the man snapped, glaring directly at Victor. Orb sighed again and turned the other direction. He seemed used to seeing this sort of occurrence.

"Oh? So you have guts," Victor replied, meeting the man's gaze coolly. The two of them gazed at one another intensely. "But I've seen nothing but weaklings since coming here."

"That's it!" the man shouted obnoxiously. His yell was enough to attract the attention of many of the other members of the guild. "I'm not going to stand for some newbie walking in here and talking shit."

Victor could hear other members of the guild encouraging the man, and others shouting derisive remarks at himself.

"Yeah! Get out of our guild, you blasted newbie!"

"Take him down, Blake!"

"A fight!"

Victor scoffed and stretched his arms, showing Blake his readiness for a fight. Blake pulled out leather bands, and as Victor watched, tied them around his fists.

"You. In the Dark Room. Now," Blake demanded, thrusting a thumb back towards a red door located in the wall not far from them. Victor didn't need to be a genius to figure out that the Dark Room must be a place where the guild members went to fight.

The dragonslayer looked over his shoulder as he heard someone approaching him from behind. Orb wore a smile as he walked up next to them. Victor sighed, thinking that Orb was going to spoil his fun.

"Go ahead, Victor. Maybe this will show you what our guild is like," Orb whispered. Victor was surprised that Orb was actually encouraging them, but he didn't dwell on it long. The dragonslayer grinned and walked towards the indicated door, following Blake.

"Better hope you don't regret this," Victor warned with an evil smirk crossing his face. Blake scoffed, but didn't turn to look. The wizard opened the red door into a moderately sized room that had absolutely nothing in it. It was a completely empty room.

Victor raised an eyebrow as he noticed cracks and ruptures in the stone from past fights. Apparently the guild went all out in this room. It pleased him to know that he was about to do the same.

"So what, you plan to 'defend your guild's honor' by fighting me?" Victor spat disdainfully. His tone clearly showed what he thought of such a motive. Blake sneered.

"You could say that. It would be more precise to say that I'm testing you. If you can't even beat me, then you don't belong here," Blake corrected him. His words caused Victor to become angry. Testing him?

"Enough with the damn tests, you pathetic excuse for a dark guild!" Victor roared in rage. His body erupted with an aura of black smoke, swirling up around him and filling the room with his magic power. Blake gazed at the spectacle, impressed.

"Blizzard Knuckle," Blake whispered. The leather bands around his fists started glowing with cyan light, and the temperature around his hands dropped scores of degrees.

Both combatants launched themselves at one another in unison. Victor coated his fist with shadow and slammed his fist forward. Blake's fist collided head on with Victor's, causing an explosion of shadow and ice to fill the room.

The sheer amount of force behind Victor's punch caused Blake to reel back and nurse his fist. At the same time, the extreme cold behind Blake's attack caused Victor's hand to become coated with a thin film of ice, which then shattered and dug into the dragonslayer's skin.

The result was a comical scene where both fighters recoiled and nursed their hands. Other members from the guild looked on the fight from the doorway, bets being made on the outcome of the fight.

Blake and Victor rushed at one another once more. This time, Blake leapt up and brought his leg around. Victor ducked under the attack and swiped upwards with a shadowy fist. The other wizard was swift enough to leap back and retaliate with a flurry of furious punches with his freezing cold hands.

Victor evaded punch after punch as he collected himself for another attack. Each time Blake's fist would rush past him, the dragonslayer could feel the temperature drop.

Blake finally managed to land a hit on Victor's upper torso, chilling his skin to the bone and leaving a bruise upon the dragonslayer's torso. Victor gritted his teeth, but wasted no time in striking back. Blake was too busy celebrating his hit to dodge Victor's powerful kick.

Blake hit the wall on the other side of the room, cracking it an eliciting a grunt of pain from the wizard. He landed on his feet however, and then brought his fists together.

"Sleep Knuckle," Blake whispered. The leather bands on his fists began glowing a lavender color. Victor noticed the color change, but thought nothing of it. Instead, the dragonslayer collected shadows in each of his hands and rushed to attack once more.

The two warriors engaged in a furious melee, fists swinging at one another, the intent to kill evident in each attack. Victor punched forward with his right fist, which was then redirected by Blake's wrist. As the other wizard retaliated with a right hook, Victor caught his fist and held it there. His next attack was a right uppercut, which slammed right into Blake's sternum. The hit caused the wizard to reel back, which gave Victor enough time to blast him backwards with a torrent of shadow released from his palm.

Blake tumbled end over end in midair, but he managed to land on his feet, his legs bending in to absorb the impact and his hand touching the ground to steady himself.

Victor rushed forward in an attempt to end the fight, but Blake was ready for him. When the dragonslayer lashed out with both fists, Blake hit the ground and slammed one of his lavender glowing fists into Victor's chest.

That's when Victor began to feel woozy. He stumbled backwards, holding a hand to his head. He suddenly found it difficult to remain standing. His eyelids began to droop. Victor realized that something was going on, so he shot his eyes open, but they only began to fall closed again.

"How do you like my Sleep Knuckle?" Blake taunted confidently, earning laughs from his guildmates.

"Ha, what a loser. Couldn't even handle one of Blake's status punches."

"Come on, even I was able to take a hit from that!"

The taunts coming from the Full Moon guild members registered in Victor's brain. His eyes shot open with rage, black smoke covering his corneas and trickling into the air.

"W…what? You're awake? Impossible. A runt like you shouldn't be able to…" Blake protested when he saw Victor's eyes open. When he saw that the dragonslayer's eyes were now pure black, the wizard grew slightly nervous.

A dark aura exploded from around Victor, shattering the stone floor around his feet and causing the very air to dilate around him. With a single roar, Victor launched himself at Blake.

Blake moved forward to combat Victor, but was taken aback by the ferocity and strength behind the dragonslayer's attacks. Punch after punch, Blake could only dodge or block. Each time he blocked, he was left with a mark that would soon form into a bruise. Blake took a hit to the cheek, and then another to the lower torso. Although hurt, he managed to duck under Victor's next assault and pound his fist into the dragonslayer's chest. This time, however, the sleep magic did absolutely nothing, and earned Blake a knee to the face.

Blake rolled backwards, blood dripping from his nose. He wiped the blood away with a hand, letting it streak across his arm. He the clenched his fists again, unwilling to give up.

"Wind Knuckle!" Blake yelled out. The lavender glow on his leather bands faded away, only to be replaced by a white one. A breeze began to flow through the room. There were gasps from the onlookers while they watched the battle unfolding in front of them.

Blake saw Victor sprinting at him once more, and he ran forward and met the dragonslayer halfway. The wizard lashed out with his right fist. Victor easily dodged the attack, but the grin on Blake's face indicated that not all was well. Victor's eyes widened as a powerful gust of wind slammed into him. The impact caused a bruise to form where the wind landed.

"You see these fists? Now that I activated Wind Knuckle, you can't just dodge them!" Blake revealed, and then he went on the offensive. Victor was troubled by the wizard's revelation, but he wasn't able to think up a way to avoid the fists and the wind that accompanied them in time. On instinct, the dragonslayer avoided each of the punches that the wizard sent at him. However, the gusts of wind buffeted his body relentlessly, and after a particularly powerful attack, Victor was sent skidding backwards.

The dragonslayer grew annoyed. The air currents flowing around Blake made it nearly impossible to get close to him, and his attacks couldn't be avoided anymore. The two combatants clashed again in the center of the room, though it was clear that Victor was taking more damage than Blake was.

"You should just give up! No blasted newbie can withstand my Wind Knuckle!" Blake began to taunt the dragonslayer, the grin now permanently etched onto his face. Victor didn't respond very well to taunts and overconfidence.

Victor skidded backwards once more after being hit by the wizard's fist. While still skidding, Victor planted his foot into the ground. His foot gouged a trench in the ground until he finally came to a halt. The dragonslayer suddenly cupped his hands into makeshift tubes, bringing them up to his mouth.

Blake raised an eyebrow, clearly not realizing what it was Victor was trying to do. He began to get an inkling when the dragonslayer started sucking in air, his cheeks puffing out.

"It…it can't be…" Blake stammered incredulously. He took a step back, his eyes going wide with shock.

"Yami no hoko!" Victor roared, and then he released all of the power he had been gathering within him. A powerful stream of darkness erupted from the dragonslayer's lips and blasted forward. Blake was completely unprepared for an attack of such magnitude, and was hit dead on by the blast.

The wizard let out a yell of agony as the darkness shredded his clothes to bits and cut into his skin. He was sent flying backwards into the wall, and then the darkness enveloped him and exploded.

Victor grinned wolfishly, looking with satisfaction at the destruction left by his breath attack. The onlookers were shocked into silence by the sheer power of a dragonslayer. Orb watched from the front, a satisfied smile on his cultured face.

The cloud of darkness faded away, revealing Blake. Despite the severity of the attack he had just taken head on, the wizard was still standing. His Full Moon uniform was completely shredded, leaving him shirtless above the waist. His torso was blackened and burnt from the darkness, blood seeping through small openings in the tender skin.

Victor was surprised to see a grin form on Blake's lips. The wizard supported himself by resting his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"I don't believe it. There are dragonslayers other than the ones in Fairy Tail," Blake panted, grudging respect evident in his voice. Victor cracked his knuckles callously, waiting to see if he had to finish the fight or not. "I think I misjudged you."

"What, you're telling me that's all you've got?" Victor scoffed, his pompous attitude not changing one bit despite the wizard's compliments. Blake smirked and straightened, stretching his arm muscles. Victor was secretly impressed to see the wizard standing despite his injuries.

"Are you kidding me? This is the most fun I've had in ages," Blake shot back. He beckoned with both hands for Victor to come at him. "Come on, let's finish this!"

"That's more like it!" Victor responded in satisfaction. The wizards gathered their magic power and lunged at one another once more.

Victor stopped in the middle of the room before reaching Blake as he felt the strongest, most evil source of magic power he had ever felt in his entire life. Not even his strength came anywhere close to this, a fact that caused sweat to bead on his brow.

Blake skidded to a stop as well, obviously feeling the evil magic filling the room as well. The color leeched out of the wizard's face in an instant, leaving him pale and shaking. Victor wasn't a coward, but he'd never felt anything like this. Was this one of the ten wizard saints?

A vortex of darkness appeared in the floor just between the two combatants. The darkness emanating from the floor was so deep, it seemed to suck the very light out of the air. Flames erupted from the ground around the vortex. The temperature shot up scores of degrees, forcing the wizards to step away from the vortex for their own safety.

A shadowy, ominous figure spiraled up from the floor, floating in midair directly above the vortex. Dressed in a pure black robe made of the finest material, the figure's mere presence was enough to send waves of fear through the onlookers. The figure was hooded and wore black gloves, so that no skin was showing at all. The only things that indicated that the figure was alive at all were the two glowing crimson points of light that shone from under the hood.

The vortex of darkness and flame slowly faded away, and the figure floated gently to the ground, its black boots touching the ground with a soft click. Almost immediately after it had appeared, the onlookers, including Blake and Orb, fell the ground in a kneel, their foreheads nearly touching the ground as they showed their penitence to the incredible figure.

Victor gazed upon the new arrival with respect. The sheer amount of power that the figure gave off was enough to make even him hesitate. He didn't kneel like the others. Instead, upon noticing their penitence, Victor was confused.

"It is good to see you, Master," Orb was the first to speak since the figure's arrival. Victor looked back at the figure, now realizing that Full Moon's guild master was standing before him.

"Welcome back," chorused every other member of the guild that was in the room. The master stood silent, not saying a word as he viewed his guild. His ruby red eyes then turned to Victor. A bead of sweat rolled down the dragonslayer's temple.

"So what, you're the master, huh?" Victor finally said, getting over his initial trepidation at the intimidating appearance of the guild master. The master said nothing at first, and instead continued to gaze down at the dragonslayer. "H…hey, say something already."

"I am Xanatos," the master revealed. The master's voice was in the form of a menacing whisper, loud enough to be heard, but quiet enough to inspire fear in the hearts of those who heard it. "Full Moon is my guild."

"Duh, that's what guild master means," Victor snapped, crossing his arms. The other guild members hissed in shock or winced at the dragonslayer's blatant disrespect for Xanatos. The robed figure didn't seem to be angry, but then again, it was nearly impossible to read the emotions of the master.

"All forms from the eternal darkness, and returns there once its purpose is done. The only thing that is certain is the rising of the moon," Xanatos continued, raising his robed arms into the air. Victor raised an eyebrow, but let the guild master continue to speak.

"Everyone standing in this room realizes the roots of darkness that intertwine with their hearts, and join together as brethren, taking solace in that singular truth. Nothing is pure…innocence is an illusion…justice does not exist," Xanatos's words began sounding a little like a cultist to Victor, but he continued to listen respectively.

"This world is devoid of justice, love, and happiness. It is only we, the embodiments of the light of the Full Moon, that can bring hope to the world," Xanatos finished, and then he gazed across the room to the guild members.

"So it shall be," the guild members spoke in unison. As soon as that last statement left their mouths, they rose from their penitent position and stood up once more, smiles returning to their faces.

"Master Xanatos, it's so good to see you again," Orb greeted the robed figure jovially, reaching his hand forward. Xanatos shook the wizard's hand, much to Victor's surprise. He had expected the master to be less of the touchy-feely type. But he guessed appearance could be deceiving.

"Same to you, Orb. How did you fare on your assignment?" Xanatos questioned curiously. Orb looked over at Victor.

"Very well, actually. Victor here passed my little test with flying colors. I don't believe there was anything left of Donnel by the time Victor was done with him," the wizard replied. Victor grunted and waited for the guild master to actually speak to him.

"That is good to hear. Tell me, where are the rest of the S-Rank Wizards?" the master continued. Orb blinked and scratched his chin, clearly trying to remember.

"Well, Titan is here entertaining. Fear is still out on an S Rank quest. I don't think he'll be back for a while. Thorn is just in town, but she's conducting one of her rituals. I'll never understand her kind." Orb took a moment to laugh good-naturedly. "Phantasm went out with her team not long ago, and Genesis is…well he's Genesis. I doubt he'll be back for another year or so."

"I see. Perhaps it is time to begin looking for candidates," Xanatos replied. Orb remained silent as he thought about that for a moment.

"You may be right. However, I guess we better tend to our dragonslayer here. He has an issue with patience," Orb joked. Victor shot him a glare, but he knew the wizard was right. Xanatos finally returned his gaze to Victor. A small crimson magic circle formed in the master's hand. Before Victor even knew what was going on, the master's hand snapped out in the blink of an eye and slapped onto his shoulder. Victor yelped as his shoulder began to burn like fire. The pain only lasted for a moment, however, and soon faded away.

The dragonslayer looked at his shoulder to see the Full Moon emblem, the crimson moon, emblazoned there. He looked it over, secretly pleased with the way it looked.

"You are now a member of Full Moon, Victor. Your strength as a dragonslayer is very welcome," Xanatos declared. Victor sighed. His dissatisfaction caused Orb to glance at the dragonslayer with confusion. "Is something the matter?"

"Yeah…it's mostly a matter of curiosity on my part. If you'll indulge me?" Victor requested. Xanatos gazed at him in silence. After while, he nodded slowly. A wolfish grin crossed the dragonslayer's face. He took a few steps back, and summoned his magic power.

Shadows exploded from around his form. Victor shouted wordlessly while he summoned his power. Orb's eyes widened when he realized what Victor was trying to do and he hastened to put some distance between him and the guild master.

"Shadows guide me! Yami no…" Victor planted his foot into the ground, cracking and rupturing it, and then propelled himself forward. Black shadows swirled around his outstretched fist. A dark curtain of shadow peeled away from him, the dragonslayer drawing ever closer to the guild master. "TEKKEN!"

Xanatos never moved an inch as the dragonslayer soared towards him with powerful shadows heading directly for him. The second the dragonslayer drew close enough the master retaliated.

A massive black magic circle appeared in midair directly in front of Xanatos. Blood red flames danced through the air around the circle, threading in an around the runes. Victor's fist collided with the circle, and to the dragonslayer's surprise, he couldn't get any further. No matter how hard he pushed, his powerful fist attack could not penetrate the magic circle.

A powerful gust of wind erupted from the point of impact, causing Xanatos's robes to flap backwards in breeze. Still without moving, Xanatos fought back.

The master's eyes flashed evilly, and then the magic circle exploded into a mixture of shadow and flame, engulfing the dragonslayer and bearing him through the air at speeds faster than any human should ever be able to attain. Victor slammed into the wall and was driven into it, shouting out his pain all the while.

"Amazing, Master Xanatos!" Orb praised the robed figure, though his expression showed shock and fear. Victor was no push over, and for him to be so soundly defeated with one blow was frightening, to say the least.

Victor fell out of the wall and hit the ground, leaving a man-shaped imprint in the wall. He rose to his feet not long after that, his skin covered in burns. It didn't take a genius to realize that Xanatos had been holding back, as Victor was sure he'd be dead if the master had gone all out.

"Ha…I guess I joined the right guild after all," Victor wheezed, his chest heaving with effort. The dragonslayer walked up to Xanatos with respect showing in his gaze. "It's been ages since I've met someone strong enough to defeat me."

Xanatos took the hand that Victor offered and shook it lightly. Even so, Victor could feel the strength in the grip. Respect from Victor was a rare thing, yet the dragonslayer now respected the master more than anyone he'd ever met.

"I have a goal now. It's you, Xanatos. Someday, I'll defeat you, just as soundly as you did me. I'll stick around until then," Victor declared, a genuine grin on his face. Xanatos listened silently, and then acknowledged the statement with a slight nod. Orb smirked openly, however.

"Ah, good. Unattainable goals are the best kind," the wizard remarked. Victor's grin vanished, and he glared at Orb. The S-rank wizard chose that moment to back out of the room swiftly.

"I look forward to seeing your growth, Victor. You are now free to choose jobs as you please," Xanatos said at last. "Now, I must take my leave."

Victor nodded and left the room, returning to the guild's main room. Titan was back on stage, playing a fiddle of all things, and playing it well. The dance floor grew rowdier, causing the dragonslayer to shake his head.

Xanatos glided across the floor and out of the room. As the other guild members politely called out to him, the master ascended the stairs and entered one of the doors at the top.

Victor shrugged and walked over the exit to the guild. It was here, on the right of the exit that all the job requests were posted. He stalked up to the board and began scanning the requests, looking for one good enough for him. A hand then clamped onto his shoulder.

"Seems we never got to finish that fight, huh," Blake stated, standing next to the dragonslayer. Victor brushed off the wizard's hand with his own, earning a chuckle from him.

"No, we didn't. The guild master showed up before we could," Victor replied, not looking at the wizard, instead continuing to look over the jobs. Blake sighed and went silent, seeming to look at the jobs as well.

"Well, do you want to go on a job with me? I kinda want to see how you do things," Blake requested. Victor turned his head slowly, his favorite "are you fucking kidding me" look stamped on his face. Blake laughed hysterically at the look on the dragonslayer's face. "I'm guessing you do things alone?"

"I work better on my own," Victor muttered, crossing his arms again. Blake shrugged nonchalantly.

"I could care less. Pick a job, and then I'll tag along," he pressed. Victor growled and shot a glare at the wizard.

"Didn't I just say no?!" he snapped. Blake laughed and shrugged again.

"Didn't I just say I could care less? I'm going with you no matter WHAT you say," the wizard affirmed. Victor let his face fall into his hands, and he groaned irritably.

Resigned to the fact that he was going to have unwanted company on his next job, Victor returned his gaze to the job board. He was about to start reading one when he heard someone coming down the stairs from the lacrima shop.

A girl in her late teens stepped down the stairs delicately, choosing each step carefully. She stood out from the other members of Full Moon, considering that she didn't wear the standard uniform. Since the only members of the guild that Victor had seen not wearing the uniform were all S-Rank of higher, then it wasn't that far-fetched to conclude that this girl was among their number.

Her face was smooth and angled nicely, with a straight nose and two liquid red eyes. Her thick, silky black hair extended from her head, rolling over her shoulders and descending down her back until it reached a point just above her waist. Her bangs were parted at the middle and spread to either side, where they were tucked behind her ears.

Her ears were both pierced, each bearing a small orb shaped earring. Upon closer inspection, Victor could tell that they were in fact tiny lacrima. That was a piece of jewelry that had both form and function, as it gave the girl a source of backup magic power if she needed it.

Her lip was also pierced on the lower right, with a tiny metal ring fitted there. Also, a set of fangs poked out from under her upper lip. Victor didn't know if they were real or were merely for aesthetic value, but the intimidation factor it lent her was nothing to be scoffed at.

The girl wore black clothing that matched her hair. Her clothes were very revealing, as her shirt was cut low in the front and showed a considerable amount of her midriff. For her lower body, she wore tight-fitting black pants that were tucked into a set of black boots that possessed several metal buckles. With every step, her heavy boots thudded onto the slick ground.

Blake saw her approach and a smile crossed his face. He walked near her as she walked into the main chamber, waving a hand shyly at her.

"Oh, Thorn! It's good to see you back," the wizard greeted her politely. Thorn shifted her head slightly to view Blake, who gulped. Then she returned his greeting with a friendly smile, revealing her fangs. Blake sighed in relief when she continued on her way.

"Who the hell is Thorn?" Victor asked, watching her go. Blake's eyes shot open wide and he hissed in warning at Victor, who just looked confused.

"My, that's not very polite, is it?" the girl spoke, turning around and gazing at Victor. She walked back towards him elegantly, attracting the dragonslayer's gaze. "If you want to know about someone, shouldn't you ask them directly, rather than asking behind their back?"

"Tch, does it look like I give a shit?" Victor muttered, turning his head away from her piercing gaze. Blake slowly backed away, a comical look of fear on his face. Thorn watched Victor with interest. Victor coughed awkwardly when he realized that she was sizing him up.

"You certainly have guts for a new recruit," Thorn remarked. Victor scoffed, but didn't respond. She cocked her head, a cheeky smile crossing her face.

"W…what? What the hell do you want?" the dragonslayer snapped, coloring slightly. Thorn laughed at his reaction and stalked down the stairs, waving a hand behind her. Victor was now utterly confused.

"Just saying hello. Maybe you should learn some social skills," Thorn replied as she strode towards the dance floor. The other guild members noticed her arrival and began calling out to her, but she paid them no attention. At least, she paid the rank and file no attention. When Orb came to greet her, she stopped and embraced the man briefly.

"How did it go, Thorn?" Orb asked when they broke apart. Thorn reached down into her pocket with a black gloved hand and withdrew what looked to Victor like a human finger bone.

"Very well, surprisingly. Despite being a fallen angel, Lucifer is quite the softie. That is, once you get past his tendency to torture you mercilessly," Thorn responded. Victor blinked. What the hell was this girl talking about?

"I bet he relented once he realized it wasn't going to faze you," Orb commented. Thorn nodded and returned the finger bone to her pocket.

"Indeed. So how about a dance before I take a look at the dance floor?" Thorn offered, indicating the dance floor. Orb glanced at the dance floor with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Now you sound like Sonja," the wizard remarked. Thorn's immediate respond was the smack Orb hard on the face, leaving a red handprint behind. Then, the girl stalked to the dance floor herself. "I…probably deserved that one."

"Titan…play me something good!" Thorn demanded, a smile returning to her face. Titan nodded and moved over towards the electric guitar once more. The music immediately changed into something more metal. Victor could hear choral accompaniment that seemed to come from nowhere, adding the surreal sound of the new song. It was rousing dark music, a genre that seemed to fit the S-Rank wizard.

Thorn began to dance seductively, raising her arms into the air and twirling around. She weaved her way into the crowd, where she started to dance with another girl.

"This guild is messed up," Victor remarked. Blake stood next to him, a comical look on his face.

"I agree. Come on, choose a job and let's go," the wizard demanded. Victor sighed again, realizing he'd never get rid of this guy. The dragonslayer turned back to the request board.

It seemed his time in Full Moon would be a most interesting one.


What is wrong with me recently? I'm finding it harder and harder to reach my 9000 word minimum, and I don't know why. It's not writers block, I mean, I'm writing as much as I can, but when I reach the area in the story where I want to pause, my word count is not where I want it to be. AGH!

I'm probably agonizing over nothing. I mean, there aren't that many people that hold themselves to this kind of a standard. Anyhow, time to add some notes about this chapter.

First off, I made two references. One to Crisis Core: Final Fantasy, and the other to Pirates of the Caribbean. See if you can find them.

So you've met five of my OC wizards. Thorn is basically, hot emo girl who likes vampires. Half inspired by people I know, a quarter inspired by Persona, and another quarter inspired by the lead singer from the Hex Girls who shares the same name. Jennifer Hale singing…nerdgasm.

Blake is the guy with the status punches. So far you've seen blizzard knuckle, which does exactly what it says. It makes things cold. Then there's sleep knuckle. Also explanatory. Same for Wind, though the wind knuckle is very strong.

Titan is a one man band. You may think, how is a guy like that a mage? Here's an answer that fellow Doctor Who fans will get: Pilot Fish. That's his power.

As for Xanatos, badass incarnate. Totally raped Victor into the wall.

Anyhow, I get to go back to Kerrich! Finally! Time for him to learn some magic, and fail miserably.

Keelah Se'lai,

The Proud Quarian,

Terran34