Chapter 7

***Important Author's Note at the end***

"I don't trust this guy one bit." Emer declared.

Malac grinned. Maybe. It was hard to tell his expressions under the face covering he wore. "Lotsa folks don't trust me, lad."

Emer gave him a withering look. He was good at those. "My name's Emer."

"Aye, alright Emer. Now tha' we've begun introductions, 'tis only fair these lovely ladies give theirs."

"Blight." The green-haired woman answered shortly.

"Callie May!" The blonde replied, grinning.

"Good." The man muttered. "Now that I know your names, it'll be less guilt-tripping when I do this!" With that, he burst free of Blight's vine trap.

"OW!" Ani suddenly roared, clamping her hands over her ribs.

"Um, are you okay?" Maverick asked.

"DO I LOOK OKAY?!" She howled at him.

"Stop moving around so much." Axel admonished calmly, pulling bandages out of his pack. "The healing charm wore off."

"YOU THINK SO?" The dragon slayer yelled, managing sarcasm despite her pain. "I'M GONNA FRICKING BURN THAT GUY!"

"You can't just burn someone." Lenore pointed out. "You don't even have fire powers."

"Okay, that last bit I was not expecting." Mal muttered to Maverick. The purple haired card mage nodded in agreement.

"THEN I'LL BREAK HIS EAR-DRUMS!" Ani shrieked.

"Calm down." Axel told her.

"I'LL NEVER CALM DOWN!"

"You'll only hurt your ribs more."

"I DON'T—OW!"

"I told you to be careful, Dragon."

"Well, don't go frickin' strangling a girl with bandages, Angel."

"I wasn't strangling you."

"Oh, sorry. You were trying to mummify me. My bad."

"I wasn't planning on it, but maybe I should."

Ani scowled, mustered up as much magic as she could despite the magic-draining spells implanted in the walls, and shot a bit of sound at the Nephilim. He nonchalantly brought up his hand and blocked with a shred of his own magic. As soon as the two magicks collided, there was a massive shockwave that knocked all four mages (plus exceed) backwards.

In the darkness, a beast that had not awoken for over 500 years, began to stir…

Galen Auberon stiffened, feeling an unsourced shiver run up his spine.

"You okay, Gal?" A small, dark-skinned girl peered at him from over the edge of the table.

He frowned down at her. "Makra… did you feel that?"

The girl tipped her head to the side. "Feel what?"

"Like, a shiver up your spine?"

"Aye. I did."

"That's cos the last asshole who left the guild left the damn door open." A third voice interrupted. A black-haired, blue eyed man hurried over to the swinging door and slammed it shut. "This trash guild of ours is losing members by the hour. If we don't do something soon, we won't be able to run legally anymore."

"Hantaro's doing the best he can, Galaxy!" Makra cried. "It's not his fault Sol Emporium is falling apart!"

The second of the guild's three remaining S-Class wizards sighed. "Aye. I know."

The door to their master's office swung open, and a young woman strolled out, shouldering a pack. She was followed by Hantaro Miko himself, the master of the guild.

"Thank you for being a part of our guild." He said, but he didn't really sound like he meant it. The young woman nodded and hurried out, the spot where her sun-shaped guild mark had once been seemed painfully bare to the few dozen remaining members. The door shut behind her with an ominous thud, leaving the small guild in depressed silence.

"Well, at least she shut the door." Galaxy muttered.

In another guild, Evan Damien glanced up from his glass and turned to his best friend and pseudo-older sister, Andromeda Polaris. The young woman gave him a look. "Are you alright, Evan?"

The 14-year-old shrugged. "I got a weird feeling. It's nothing."

The blue eyed woman tousled the boy's sea green hair. "A shiver down your spine?"

He nodded. "Do you think it was a premonition?"

"Probably not."

The guild doors burst open, revealing a distressed looking man with dark-brown hair. "Thanatos Rising!" He cried, orange eyes wild. "Attacking civilians! Guys c'mon!"

The was a clatter as everyone leaped out of their chairs, the master hurrying out of his office. "Dominick! What are you yelling about, little brother?"

"Dmitri! It's Thanatos Rising!"

Dmitri nodded curtly. "Rowley, take your squad and back up the north side! Make sure no one is hurt and reinforce the boundaries!"

"Yessir!" a blonde man barreled out the door, followed by five other mages.

"Dalton! You and your team to the west, do the same!"

"Roger that!" A second man with dark skin and determined eyes saluted and took his leave, his team of five hurrying after him.

"Mitsuko!"

"Sir!"

"Take your team to the south and do the same!"

"Affirmative!" A woman with black hair headed out, five mages in tow.

Dmitri turned to the rest of the guild. "Split yourselves into your defense squads, await orders! My team! With me! We'll take the east side!"

He rushed down the stairs, long coat billowing out behind him. Andromeda, Evan, Dominick, Dmitri's wife, Fantine, and a woman called Jovani followed him faithfully.

Ani and Axel stared down at their hands in utter shock.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Mal, Maverick and Lenore all roared in perfect synch, untangling themselves from each other.

The Angel and the Dragon turned slowly to them, mouths gaping like fish.

"I-I-I…" Axel stuttered.

"The hell?" Ani whispered.

The others sweat-dropped.

"Magical rebound?" Mal guessed.

"Perhaps." Maverick replied. "But it was so powerful. Maybe their magic shouldn't interact?"

"Maybe it's a good thing!" Lenore put in. "Like a super weapon!"

"Hmm, yes. Good point, my feline friend."

"Maybe it's like when you put an acid and a base together and it just goes 'kablewy'?"

"Hmm, yes, yes."

'DON'T TALK ABOUT US AS IF WE AREN'T HERE!" Ani and Axel roared, suddenly recovering themselves.

They all dissolved in to a vocal fight, except for Lenore, who had suddenly stiffened and was twitching her ears.

"WELL AT LEAST I DON'T HA—are you okay, cat?" Ani broke off, leaning close to her best friend.

They argument quickly died down as all turned their attention to the small exceed.

"Do you hear that?" She inquired.

"Hear what? I don't hear anything."

"Exactly."

"…?" Ani tipped her head up, golden eyes squinted shut.

"It's completely silent." Axel whispered. His voice bounced off the walls of their cell, ringing away into oblivion.

"Shitshitshitshitshit!" Callie dove out of the way, summoning up a handful of lightning. She lobbed it at Malac, but he dodged it easily. Sliding back against a massive oak tree and literally running up the trunk in a feat of amazing agility.

Unfortunately for him, the tree began to move, courtesy of Blight. Their adversary swore, leaping over branches swing toward him, barreling at a large cliff.

"Oh, no. You aren't getting away!" Emer muttered. He snapped his hands closed, summoning up a massive amount of magic. "Arcane Bomb!" He roared, sending a myriad of magenta orbs of energy in the other man's path. "It's too late at night for this."

A/N: WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Chapter seven done! *Dances jig*

I'm sorry that took so long! I'll try to keep updates once a week to every other week from now on.

***I NEED OC'S FOR STELLAR PALACE AND SOL EMPORIUM! 15 FOR STELLAR PALACE AND 9 FOR SOL EMPORIUM***

Your cooperation and patience is greatly appreciated! Have some virtual apple pie!

Hey. Hey Hofund. Hey. Hey, guess what? I FINALLY PUT GALAXY IN! *Falls over from exhaustion* He is not fighting. I am sorry.