January 19th, X784
Shiro, Bosco
"This… sucks…" Kano groaned before stuffing his head out the train window and gagging. Nothing left his throat, however, except spittle.
"There's not even anything left to throw up," he complained. "Why couldn't we have walked?"
"It would take us days to get from Port Hanshen to Shiro on foot, and that's not even accounting for the chances of us getting ambushed by bandits on the way there," Amethyst explained across from him. The wrappings around the woman's head were pulled down to reveal the rest of her face. Bangs that partially covered her left eye, bangs he didn't see yesterday, likely tucked under her head wrappings. Her brown eyes were more apparent now, and overall she wasn't unattractive, but she bore a serious expression, tinged with a bit of annoyance.
She usually wasn't one to remove her wrappings, but given the sweltering heat today, she might have gotten heat stroke if she'd left it on. Kano evidently felt it too - his jacket was off, tied around his waist, with only his sleeveless shirt to cover the upper half of his body now. The black material probably wasn't helping, though.
She sighed frustratedly. "This is why I prefer to run missions with Miethyor…"
"Who?" Kano gagged.
"One of our other members," Amethyst answered. "Not much of a socialite, but you'll meet him soon enough."
Kano seemed content with that answer, and they rode in almost-silence, save for Kano's gagging, until Ame posited another question.
"Any luck getting your magic working again?"
Kano groaned again, but this time it appeared to be from frustration. "I can get some sparks, but-" Another gag. "But that's all. Nothing concentrated. At best I could give a little kid a jolt right now. Guess that's what I get for suppressing it for seven years."
"Hopefully you'll be able to persevere through your trial quest without it," Ame said worriedly.
"I'll figure it out," Kano dismissed. He started to feel better as their surroundings turned from the vibrant greenery of plains and fields to a more urban, grey and black landscape and the train began to slow down.
"Welcome to Shiro," Amethyst said. "Home of every crime imaginable, and Dragon's Den."
"Helluva place to set up," Kano muttered. Now that the train was pulling into what looked like a large station close to the center of the city, he could stand up again. Still, his legs were a little wobbly.
"Well, we figured it was the prime place to get work," she began. "Not a lot of legal guilds in Bosco to begin with, and there's only one other in Shiro itself."
"So you guys usually stay local?"
"For the more standard jobs," Amethyst confirmed. She helped Kano collect his luggage, using a bit of requip magic to store it all away until he needed it. "We get more difficult jobs, but those are ones out of Shiro. Too difficult for other guilds, so we're their last gamble."
"Too afraid you'll wreck their towns?" Kano guessed.
"Basically." Amethyst sighed with a nod. "Since those missions have been around so long they start paying a lot better than they did initially, but given how much damage a lot of our members cause…"
"You barely make any of it back," Kano finished.
"Sometimes it pays less than it did when the job was first handed out to other guilds. But in a way it incentivizes our members to be more careful; if they don't cause any property damage, they come home with a big paycheck." She let out a dry chuckle. "If only it happened more often."
As they made their way through Shiro, Kano couldn't help but notice the winding streets of the city, how they would twist and turn, spiraling up or down. If he looked up, he could see metal walkways held by gargantuan supports, sticking from other walkways or buildings in some manner for the most part. He could still see the sun, but it was almost like being in a dense jungle, where light came in as bursts through shifting foliage.
"Just how big is Shiro?" Kano asked. "Looks like it goes on forever."
"The upper layer of the city is miles above us, but I couldn't give you an exact number," Amethyst answered. "Granted, not many live there. It's generally where the richest of the rich and the prolific businesses reside. We're on the middle layer, where your regular citizens live, and less renowned businesses. Then there's the bottom layer, also called the Undercity."
"Sounds spooky," Kano quipped.
"It can be. You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy," she described. "Name a crime and it happens in the Undercity. Human trafficking, murder, dragon remains being sold off, all of the sort are found in the Undercity. Generally speaking, it's where we often go for jobs in Shiro itself. The top layer is free of the sort of crime we handle. The middle layer, on occasion we operate here, but most criminals deal in the Undercity."
"And chances are I'll be paying it a visit soon," Kano guessed.
"Likely," Amethyst agreed. "But it depends on what jobs are available, and since your magic is more destructive, you might want to look to quests outside the city until you can safely control it again. Oh, before I forget - speaking of pay: usually you split a portion of your pay back to the Guild, but for your first mission we generally let you keep the full payment, so you can look into staying somewhere."
"Speaking of, what kinda places are around here?"
"There are plenty of places around Shiro, but personally I recommend Complex 8. Comfortable enough apartment complex, and most of our members have opted to stay there."
"Decrease the chances they get jumped in the night if they stay bunched up, right?"
"Exactly. Moving in herds and what-not."
"Makes sense," Kano ceded with a nod. It was ironic. Dragons were considered the apex predators of Earthland, but now their adoptive children were forced to move like prey, either hiding away from their predator's watchful gaze or moving in herds. "Probably keeps people other than us away from it, huh?"
"Usually, but it gets the occasional other occupant. Considering how many of us bunk there, though, we make up for it, and the complex owner doesn't mind. He has a positive opinion of the guild - one of our members saved his daughter a few years back."
Finally, after what seemed like an hour of walking, they had arrived. Amethyst saw it first - it was basic, all things considered. A wooden hall, about two floors if he had to guess. It reminded him of a lot of the more simple guildhalls he'd seen, but this one did better with standing out from their surroundings- most of the buildings in Shiro seemed to be made of stone or metal.
And then, hanging above the central double doors of the guild headquarters was a large emblem in red - it was mostly a circle, but the upper left quarter of it was gone, replaced with the head of a dragon peering out. The edges of the circular part of the emblem were tipped, to make it look more like a dragon's wing.
It was simple, but Kano liked it.
As the pair pushed open the doors and entered the guild hall, Kano took a moment to glance around the interior. Directly across from them was, of course, a bar. It was currently being tended by a more mature-looking woman with bluish-purple hair, hair so long that from where he was standing, Kano wasn't quite sure where it ended. The woman's bangs covered most of her forehead and her left eye - her right, however, was uncovered, and the almond-shaped eye was a vibrant blue in hue.
Several other guild members were sat at the bar, and he could tell they seemed a very colorful and rowdy bunch, judging by the loud cheering and swearing his hearing could pick up from outside. And he could tell most of them were like him alright - this place reeked of Dragon Slayer.
Amethyst gave off this sense of cool professionalism and calm, but he was starting to figure, by the way the others acted, she was the exception rather than the rule.
At least, if the wizard being hit in the head with a flying slipper was anything to go by.
He watched said wizard stumble, fall, and face-plant in the middle of the hall, with several of the members around laughing at them.
What he saw next confused him even more. A man - about the same height as Kano, 5'10" or so, but much thinner - walked over and retrieved the slipper.
Upon taking a closer look at the supposed slipper-thrower, he had immaculately combed back stark white hair, a black waistcoat over a white dress shirt, black tie, black mid-waisted pants, and black court shoes. He looked like he'd just gotten out of a dinner party. The rather starkly contrasting labcoat over all of that also made Kano think he had made a stop by the hospital to save a half a dozen lives before he arrived at the guild hall, and the latex gloves he wore only cemented the idea the man was inclined towards medicine or science of some sort.
The faint smell of blood and death on him assured Kano it was the former.
He watched the man slide the slipper underneath his lab coat, and Kano swore he saw five more inside the wizard's coat. He felt a chill run down his spine at the thought.
"Trust Shia to make a good first impression," Amethyst chuckled. "I'll help him out. Take a moment to look around the guild, then meet me at the bar?"
"Y-yeah," Kano muttered, gulping. He had a feeling that wouldn't be the last time he saw that dreaded slipper. He just hoped he avoided this wizard's wrath.
As he looked around the guild hall, he saw there were plenty of decorations and trophies all around, replicas of monsters the guild members had most likely slain. He saw a few pieces of artwork of different guild members - he assumed that was what they all were, as he saw Amethyst and that 'Shia' man in a few of them.
He wondered if they were commissioned works or drawn by another guild member. Instead of the decor, he brought his eyes back to the main functions of the guild. Next to the bar, he saw a board filled with different scraps of paper with writing and drawings on them; that would be the job board, then.
He gazed around, looking for anything else of interest. There was a small stage to the right of the hall, likely for performances - karaoke night, if he had to guess. Then, in the back left of the hall, next to the bar and job board, he noticed a spiral staircase that led upward, and another downward on the opposite side.
He briefly wondered what there was there, but thought better of wandering too far. Instead, he brought his attention towards the left, where he saw what looked like a small side room. Judging from the vibrant - and frankly intoxicating - aroma wafting from it, he guessed that was the kitchen.
In hindsight, it made sense they'd have one. Elexion always told Kano that Dragon Slayers often had voracious appetites. Of course, he was no exception. He turned his attention and began to walk forward, only to stop himself to see a stranger, he presumed one of the guild members, looking at him.
She was shorter than him, but only by a few inches - maybe 5'6"? She had shoulder length black hair, though he could see the inside of her hair was dyed a vibrant green. The girl was petite, with a black shoulderless dress top with extra sleeves, unattached to the dress proper, on her arms. It covered the length from her wrists all the way up to just past her elbows. The front hem of her top was in an upside-down V shape, and she wore a white skirt. It covered her decently, but it was a bit on the shorter side - save for the back, which went down a few more inches. He caught the inside of the skirt was multiple hues of blue, seeming to grow lighter the further up it went. He knew she was a guild member by the very evident lime green guildmark, right below her collar bone, in the center of her chest, which her dress top had enough room to show the mark openly.
He immediately didn't trust her - the way she looked at him, a condescending smirk and bright blue eyes narrowed, it screamed "troublemaker." Combined with the prim and proper posture she sported, she struck Kano as a spoiled brat.
He figured she would be his new guildmate though, so it'd be best to be nice-
"So, you're the rat Ame brought back, are you?" The woman asked with a snicker.
Nevermind, then. Sometimes it sucked always being right.
Instead of being angered by that comment, though, Kano said: "No, that's Remmie, actually."
He felt a weight crawling out of his jacket pocket and - speak of the devil - the oversized rat he called a roommate scampered up Kano's back with surprising speed and agility. It kept climbing until it scrambled up onto the boy's shoulder.
"This is the rat Ame brought back, I'm just the tagalong."
The girl squinted her eyes at him. "Uh-huh. Sure," she dismissed with a hand wave. As she did, Kano noticed something he hadn't before: a bracelet with about a dozen rings strung across it. He didn't get a good look, but they looked to all be of a different make, different materials for the bands and different gems inserted into each with no pattern at a glance. He wondered what that was about.
"Well, either way, I figured it best to make something abundantly clear to you now. And I don't like repeating myself, so listen up." Despite her bratty behavior, Kano had the feeling it wouldn't be a good idea to start something, especially since he wasn't even a part of the guild yet. So he nodded along and allowed her to continue.
"If you somehow manage to wiggle your way through your trial and join the guild, you will only refer to me as Lady Glacia, nothing else. Understood?" She pointed a finger at him, her smug grin still ever present on her face. Kano opened his mouth to reply, but before he could another voice interrupted their conversation.
"My, my," the feminine voice said. "Lady Glacia, give him a moment to breathe, at least."
Upon looking behind Glacia, both she and Kano saw the same purple-haired, stone-faced woman that was manning the bar a mere minute ago. In fact, on closer inspection, she was still there, speaking to a lavender-haired guy, with Ame sat nearby.
Twins, maybe? That made the most sense. "You're Kano, right? The guy that Ame brought back from Port Hanshen?"
The slayer nodded, and he noticed Glacia - sorry, Lady Glacia - glare at the lavender-haired lady before taking her leave with a hmph. "I'm Fuyuko, I handle the bar and try to make sure our guildmates don't get tear the whole city down in one of their little brawls. Ame wanted me to let you know that she's ready for you by the bar with the others."
Kano shrugged and followed after Fuyuko, towards said bar. He was curious about these 'others' the woman mentioned, but opted to see if Ame would explain instead. After all, for all he knew Fuyuko was only an employee here.
The pair made their way past rows of tables, many of which sat mages of all sorts - although, as one would expect, Kano could tell from the scent most of them were Dragon Slayers. And as they got closer to the bar, Kano started to doubt his earlier assumption towards the woman he walked alongside. Her twin manning the bar, much like many of the others here, smelled like a Slayer as well.
He was about to question them when the Fuyuko he'd been walking with turned purely into water and levitated towards the one behind the bar. The lavender-haired wizard's face remained stoic as the water spun around her arm, before seemingly being absorbed into her skin. Kano thought he saw a glimmer of amusement flicker in her eye, though.
"Don't worry, she tricked me, too," another masculine voice piped up from Kano's left. He saw, sat there, a purple-haired boy, who looked to be about Kano's own age. Gold eyes eyed him curiously, and Kano returned the favor. This boy was sitting down, so he couldn't tell exactly how tall he was, but he seemed to favor coats- he wore a long-sleeved one at the moment, mainly in a deep purple, with a gold trim around the outsides. He also spotted some patches of magenta along the outfit. Underneath the coat he had a white shirt, cut just low enough to show his collar bone and form-fitting black pants with a belt. What looked like keys dangled from the side of his belt - they were bright colors, he noted. Some silver, a couple gold, and a few were even more of a green tone. Never saw someone with green keys before.
Kano also couldn't help but notice he didn't smell like a Dragon Slayer - Ame did say that there were others like her that still joined up with the guild for one reason or another.
"Name's Seren, I guess we'll be working together?" He asked with a smile, a hand extended.
"Guess so," Kano shrugged before clasping the other wizard's hand and shaking it. He took a seat next to him and said: "I'm Kano. Hope we didn't keep you waiting too long."
"Nah, man," he reassured. "Just got here today myself, same with the other guy."
"Other guy?" He didn't see anyone else, aside from Ame. He did, however, hear a monotonous voice behind him.
"Me."
Kano almost jumped out of his own skin as he whipped around. He should've heard him approach, or at the very least smell him.
Personally, Kano blamed the overall large amount of new scents and sounds as for why he hadn't picked out this guy in particular.
Still, since this was apparently their third, Kano took a minute to look him up and down. Like the man he saw when he first entered, this boy smelled of death. Oddly enough, not of blood, though.
The way he dressed - in nearly uniform black. His turtleneck shirt, his pants, his boots, all black, as was the knee-length, flowy coat he wore. The only bit of color in his wardrobe seemed to be his belt, which was blue.
He looked like he was about to go to a funeral, and the umbrella he was holding in his left hand further gave him that sort of vibe.
He was tall, taller than either Kano or Seren by about half a foot, but he was more lean than Kano was, similar to Seren in that regard. He had semi-long black hair, with a fringe covering his left eye.
He would admit, despite the overall lack of color to the man's wardrobe, the black contrasted nicely with his skin - light as it was, towing the line on whether to be considered pale or not.
Given everything else about the guy, one might think he would be a more gaunt individual, like a corpse. However, he was actually fairly attractive - not Kano's type, but he could see how he could be appealing.
"There's a rat on your shoulder. Would you like me to dispose of it?"
Again, that tone was so dry, and it was always accompanied by a scowl. Kano couldn't tell if this guy was here against his will or just didn't like him. Maybe it was both.
"Nah, dude, it's fine. I brought him here, he's just hangin' out," Kano waved dismissively.
"Good to see you're all getting along," Ame spoke up, a slight smile gracing her features. "Like you all were told before, before you officially join the guild, we'll send you on a mission with a veteran overseer to make sure you're up to our standards. Those standards have lowered recently, but they still exist."
Fuyuko piped up from behind the bar counter. "What keeps the Dragon Hunters at bay is our strength, and we can't allow ourselves to be compromised by letting in members who can't watch out for themselves. Show your overseer your strength, and you'll get in no problem."
"Speaking of," Seren interjected. "Who is our overseer going to be?"
"Since I brought you here, Kano, I'll be the one to-"
"Actually, Ame," Fuyuko began. "The guildmaster said he needed you for somethin' important when you returned. I got a volunteer lined up already."
"Oh? Hopefully one of our gentler guildmates?"
"Miko hasn't found a job yet," Fuyuko stated with a shrug. "I mentioned it, and we agreed it seemed like a good idea."
"Mm," Ame nodded, a hand on her chin in thought. Kano could tell, though, that there was another reason she wore her mask - she was easy to read. It seemed like whoever this "Miko" was, Amethyst approved of them. "Miko will work. If you all want to-"
"Hold just a moment," a voice called. Kano hadn't heard it before, and all five of the present heads turned. It was the same man from before, who had rendered a guild wizard unconscious by throwing a single slipper, the most dangerous of weapons. Now that he was closer… Kano had never seen a more paradoxical look on someone.
The man looked like he hadn't slept in a week, but his green eyes were sharp and attentive. How could someone be both exhausted and perfectly alert?
He caught the man rolling his eyes slightly before speaking. "Amethyst, I'll be tagging along on their quest as well, if you've no objections."
The tone of the man's voice told Kano that it wasn't as much of a question as he'd worded it to be. "They could use a medical expert in case things get out of hand."
"I should've known," Fuyuko rolled her eyes, a faint glimmer of amusement in her tone. "You would tangle yourself in this. Nothin' wrong with that, is there Ame?"
"His reasoning is sound. So long as he and Miko don't directly interfere, I have no qualms," the shadow wizard said, a small grin on her own face.
As the man shifted to more directly face the three new recruits, Kano saw someone behind him. At first, she looked like a doll - immaculate pale skin, almost like porcelain. Large, pupil-less glassy sea-green eyes and deep red hair that went down to her ankles, styled wonderfully into a hime cut. She gave Silas a run for his money when it came to dressing in black - from her gloves, to her long-sleeved shirt and pants, and the equally black boots she wore. She wore a lavender-hued choker, with a silver bell on it - resting atop her shoulders was a white coat as well to finish off her ensemble.
"Rest assured," the redhead stated, her voice serene and calm, and her face seeming ever-passive. "We'll not interfere unless the recruits' lives are in jeopardy."
"In which case they will have failed," the white-haired medic added rather grimly. "My name is Shia Tsuchida, and as the guild's foremost medical expert, this gives me the opportunity to get a handle on your capabilities and, if you're in over your heads, stop you from dying horrifically."
Not the most cheery of guys, but someone could tell that from a glance, he supposed.
"And I am Mikotsuhime Hīragi, the Serene. It is a pleasure to meet the three of you," the redhead added, bowing as she did.
"So, speaking of the trial quest" Seren was the first of the three to speak. "Do we select a job, should Miko, since she's our oversee-"
"Not necessary," Shia began, at first nodding his head towards Silas and Seren. "I've already gotten a list of your magics from Fuyuko when you applied. And yours?"
Shia looked to Kano, a brown raised. He was pretty sure he saw the doctor glare at Remmie for put a moment.
"Well, I'm a Lightning Dragon Slayer," Kano started. "But I haven't used my magic in seven years - it's hard to call on now, I can only really get sparks. Until I can get jumpstarted, I got teleportation magic and Weak Point."
"Speaking of jumpstarted," Shia murmured as he approached the quest board, signaling for the others to follow. "We might be able to work on that sooner than you thought. Miko, do you think you could?"
"It's possible," the redheaded wizard replied. "Our magic is compatible, but I recommend a job away from the city if that's the case. My magic alone is destructive, but if we also need to reawaken his… doing so near others is not advisable."
"Wait, hold on - what's the plan here?"
"Already planned on it," Shia assured the redhead, before addressing Kano, still perusing the job board at the same time. "Miko is a Thunder Dragon Slayer - because both of your magics function around electricity, I think he could be the 'jumpstart' you mentioned."
"Wait. 'He?'" Seren asked, his face a mix of shock and confusion.
"Yes," Miko assured the purple-haired wizard. "I apologize if I confused you."
"Yeah dude, you didn't realize?" Kano asked. You know, like a liar.
"I- uh, no. Sorry," he said sheepishly. Mikotsuhime, though, seemed unphased.
"It's quite fine, I'm not offended."
Shia was still looking through the job board before, finally, the white-haired wizard snatched a piece of paper off of it. "About half a day's travel from here, a farming village has had reports of monsters stalking the nearby forest. They want us to investigate and, if necessary, put a stop to it."
"That sounds fairly routine," Silas said. He didn't sound disappointed, maybe a bit surprised? Sure enough, he'd confirm it a moment later. "I'm surprised, I'd heard that Dragon's Den doesn't often get those kinds of quests."
"That the one from Hamstead?" Fuyuko asked from back at the bar. "I'm not surprised. They probably want people in quick, and Sacred Ashes usually doesn't like leaving the city, especially not for a little job like this."
"I won't complain, it works out for us," Kano said with a shrug.
"Perfect," Shia stated, the doctor straightening his already-straightened coat. "Gather anything you need for the trip, we'll reconvene in an hour."
As the new recruits and their babysitters left an hour later, a familiar, gray-haired man ascended from the lower set of stairs.
He radiated power - but such was to be expected of the jolly old master of Dragon's Den. He wore a joyous smile. "Ame! It's good to see you made it back safely!"
The blonde returned the old man's smile. "It's good to be back, Master."
Soon, however, her smile faded. "What's this I'm hearing about Desierto?"
Cobain's smile dropped, and the giant of a man crossed his arms. A flick of magic glowed in his outer hand for a moment, then Cobain, Amethyst and Fuyuko were surrounded in a bubble. Sound-dampening magic, a necessity when you wanted to have a private conversation in a guild full of people who could hear you crystal clear from outside the hall.
"I sent Brayden to investigate, but we haven't heard anything back, hasn't reported in in weeks. I thought he might've gone radio silent, but this is too long. I sent Noelle out last night - she's going to find out what happened. Shan and Miethyor are with her."
"Not the most synergetic combination," Ame hummed. "But with Brayden MIA, Miethyor is our next best telepath."
"And the others make sense too. Noelle's magic makes her a good infiltrator, and she has the raw power to bust out if things go bad." The shadow wizard scoffed slightly. Knowing Noelle, she'd get bored and blow her own cover. "Miethyor's strong even without telepathy, and Shan'll be almost unstoppable."
"Part of the reason I'm glad you're back so soon," the man admitted with a sigh. "We have heavy hitters, but Shan and Miethyor can't follow Noelle into restricted areas. Not like you can."
"Noelle and Shan wouldn't take the train," Fuyuko added. "And their other option would draw too much attention,"
"So they're on foot," Ame surmised, receiving a nod from them both. "I can take a train to the next town over. I'd get there before them if I leave now."
"I trust Noelle to make it out just fine with both Brayden and herself, but someone to watch her back would make me feel more sure. Miethyor and Shan can bust her out of any trouble, but they can't help her if she needs to get somewhere they're not allowed. Better safe than sorry, especially if the rumors are true."
Amethyst made a motion with her left hand, and the bandage wrappings that hung loosely around her neck moved, snaking up her neck and wrapping around her face. Eventually, most of her face was covered, only her brown eyes and the luscious, blonde hair flowing behind her were uncovered.
"I'll handle it. We will return soon, with Brayden in tow."
Amethyst turned to leave, but just before leaving their sound-dampening bubble, Cobain spoke again. "One more thing."
"Yes, Master?" She asked, eyes turning back to look at her superior.
"If things go badly, I'll send the others in, consequences be damned. If you can't get Brayden out, they will."
"I'll ensure you don't need to resort to that."
OCs Introduced:
Fuyuko Miyazaki - Reduced20
Silas Burquest - Ahn Jihlo
Seren Abelfreyja - fallabeau faebelle
Glacia Beatrix - Just a Bad Writer For Fun
Shia Tsuchida - DeadlyAnimalsAreCute
Mikotsuhime Hīragi - Hypoxychloride
A/N: Hello, it's me and I'm still alive. Sorry it took this long to get the chapter out. Between Baldur's Gate, real life and writer's block I've been having a rough go at it. But I'd like to thank the lovely folks on the fic's Discord for their support, they've built an excellent community over there that makes me proud to see. Hopefully we'll have more in the near future! To anyone reading, keep in mind that while submissions are closed for guild members, I'm still taking villain ideas, so feel free to DM me either here or on Discord! And to anyone who had one of their lovely OCs featured in this chapter, please tell me either privately or via review what you thought, if I understood the character correctly or if there are any adjustments you'd like made.
I'll see you all in the next one, but until then remember to take care of yourselves!