Masters, Trains, and Pretty Girls Oh My!

'The Rising...'

Within a large room ten people could be seen sitting around what looked like a round metal table. Each one of these people were all seated in elegant metal thrones each with its own banner upon it.

The room they were in was large and elegant. Filled with many wonders...

"Well. You called the meeting here. Why not start us off Master Grimval." A sly voice asked. Seated in one of the thrones was a young woman in her late twenties. She had blonde hair and yellow eyes. She was dressed in what looked like leather armor, and golden chains were wrapped around her arms. Her banner was that of a golden snake slowly wrapping itself around a silver coin.

Yuma Lillian, Master of the Wandering Coins, the 8th best Arcane Hunter Guild.

At the front of the round table sitting above everyone else on a bigger throne, looking exactly like how Pako had, the real Master Grimval rested. "Thank you Yuma..." He said a bit of sarcasm in his voice. "I've called this meeting so that we may discuss some of the events that have happened in the recent months... The King has fallen ill and into a comma. We've stepped up and began to save this Kingdom. The group known as Dragon Dwellers has taken Camelot and now have their sight set on us... More Dungeons are beginning to pop up around the Kingdom, as are Oddity Beasts."

"Can you just get to a point." A voice grunted. Resting in the chair next to Grimval a tall and powerful looking woman rested. She had pure red hair and bright red eyes and she was dressed in silver armor. Her banner was what appeared to be a Morningstar with water flowing from it. Abigale Kage of the Mourning Stars. Tired with the Shining Sentinels, and Umbra Mortis as the top ranking Guilds.

Grimval let out a sigh. "My point is. We're becoming over run. Between having to fight monsters, explore dungeons, fight off this new gang of people, and also go on Quests... We simply don't have another people. Our job is to keep the Kingdom of Avalon safe, and yet between running it, fending off outside forces, and still help the people, we've taken on to much. That's why. I suggest we make it... Easier to get in."

"You want us to let anyone into the Arcane Hunters?" An annoyed voice asked. Sitting next to Grimval on the other side a young man with silver hair, purple eyes, and a light silver beard could be seen. He wore black leather armor and his banner was that of a black sun. Venefectus of the Umbra Morties. Tied for first placed with the Shinning Sentinels, and Mourning Stars, for the top ranked Guild. "You'd have us stoop so low as to allow commoners into our ranks? We aren't all as pathetic as Phoenix Flight."

It was...

Typically an unwritten rule that not just anyone could get into one of the ten Guilds. In most cases only Nobles could get in. All families that were considered Nobles had access to Arcane Energy and far more than simple commoners. Many Nobles also had Family owned Graces such as Oliver's Grace. Every now and then though a Commoner or two, would try out which showed a level of skill that allowed them to join.

Phoenix Flight however wasn't like most Guilds and would in most cases welcome all members. Though usually even Commoners turned them down not wanting to be associated with that Guild.

Grimval let out a sigh as he leaned forward on the table. He eyed everyone else up. "We. We are at war. War with the other Kingdoms. A war that has been lasting for over 400 years now. 30% of the total population has access to Arcane Energy, and yet we only allow a small select few to even join the Guilds, becoming Arcane Hunters. It is an Arcane Hunters job to keep this Kingdom safe. I'm not suggesting we let everyone that signs up join us. All I'm saying is please... Keep an open mind on the trials that are to come. After all... Should someone fail and not be selected to join the Arcane Hunters, there is noting stopping them from joining that new Dragon Dwellers group..."

"The Dark Guilds..." Venefectus sighed.

Dark Guilds were nothing new.

A Dark Guild was typically illegal. It was a band of people who claimed to be a Guild but were unofficially not. They were not associated with the Kingdom. It was like people who ran around a city fighting crime and then claimed to be cops. Most Dark Guilds were harmless and just a bunch of kids who couldn't get into a Guild. But every now and then you had a Dark Guild that focused less on the Guild, and more on the Dark.

A band of criminals. Assassins. Those who practiced Dark Magic.

Dragon Dwellers was one of these... A large group that started somewhere in Alnwick. Filled with murderers, and slave traders, it's as if this group simply wants the world itself to burn. They aren't playing to win. They're playing to make everyone else fail.

The Master of Umbra Mortis let out a small hum. "You know. This wouldn't be an issue if we could find the Holy Grail and save the King."

"There he goes again about that damn cup." A man said rolling his eyes. He had black hair tied back into a man bun, and he had a small goatee on his chin. He wore a fancy black suit and a pair of sunglasses that were on his forehead and he had a pair of shinning yellow eyes. Bao, the Guild Tree Beards. His symbol on his banner was a tree with a big green beard.

"Do you have an issue with me wanting to save the King?" Venefectus asked.

Bao eyed the man up. "I don't have an issue with you wanting to save the King. I do have an issue with you wanting to find the Holy Grail though."

"And why's that?"

Bao turned his nose up at the man as he leaned back in his chair. "You were always going on about that damn cup every chance you got... The Holy Grail is said to be able to heal anyone who drinks from it. You've always been someone who seeked it. I just find it a little interesting that the King refused people to go looking for it, and yet now he's been struck my a magical effect that's put him into a comma. A comma that you seem to think can only be cured with the Holy Grail."

"Are you suggesting I had something to do with the King being in the state he's in?"

There was a strange aura in the room... For a moment it looked as if the two Masters would fight.

Finally though Bao stood up turning his back on the man. "I'm leaving. I suggest you all think about what Grimval said. We'll be needing some new soldiers after all. I wonder. Just what kind of people will they be..."

Meanwhile...

"God damn it Athena get off me you lazy shit!' Davi yelled throwing Athena off of him and causing her to fall into the ground below.

She let out a small growl as bursts of Lightning seemed to slowly seep out of her finger tips and she stood back up. "I was dreaming that I was on the back of a Dragon!"

"That's a dumb dream-" Athena's fist slammed into the seat next to Davi breaking it in two.

Oliver let out a small yelp and slouched down as if to hide from the girls wrath. "P... Please stop making her mad Davi." He squeaked out. Currently the group of four, Davi, Athena, Oliver, and Cath, were all on a train heading towards Oleander City where they would be taking the Arcane Hunter Entrance exam and try and get into one of the ten Guilds.

Athena let out a sigh and slowly rested down in Davi's lap making his eye twitch. She leaned forward placing her arms on her elbows as she stared at Oliver for a moment making him shrink down in his seat. "Why do you want to become an Arcane Hunter?" She asked.

"I... I told you earlier?"

"I forgot."

"O... Oh..." Oliver let out a sigh. He was having some second thoughts about the group he now found himself traveling with. Now that he was actually getting to spend some time with them... "W... Well..." Oliver took a deep breath as he squeezed his hands tightly into a ball. "I want to become an Arcane Hunter! A total badass one that all the kids will hear stories about for years to come! I guess you can say I wanna be a hero! But more than that I want to draw the sword in the stone! Excalibur!" He yelled out as loud as he could announcing his dreams to the world.

"Someone as weak as you will never reach that goal." Athena snickered.

"O... Oh..." Oliver deflated.

Davi let out a hum. "Athena... Athena isn't wrong..." Davi said trailing off. "It's true that at your current level you're pretty weak."

"I... I'm not that weak... You two are just freaks is all." Oliver sighed.

"Still. I doubt I could draw Excalibur." Davi grinned showing off his shark teeth. "So if I can't do it then you don't stand a chance."

"T... Thanks for the confidence boost."

"Don't mention it!"

"That was sarcasm!"

"I know." Davi's grin grew as he leaned back. For a moment though a serious look seemed to form onto his face. "You won't ever reach either of those dreams at your current level of power Oliver Lot. If you truly want to follow those dreams then get stronger. Strong enough to hold what you cherish in your hands. Strong enough to insure no one can ever steal your dreams."

Oliver was silent for a moment. "What about you two... Why do you guys want to be Arcane Hunters?" He asked.

Athena let out a small hum for a moment. "I want... To get stronger." She said going quiet.

"You're already pretty strong." Oliver said with wide eyes.

"Yes but..." She stared down at her hands. "I wasn't strong enough..." She shook her head for a moment and looked into Oliver's eyes her one rainbow eye somehow capturing both of his. "I guess in a way... You can say I also have a dream... A goal that I wish to reach. I've said it before. I want to find a Dragon. Everyone claims that they're gone but... I want to find one and show the world that Dragons are real. So... So I can prove that he never..."

"Never what?"

Athena's frown grew as she gained a down cast look. "Sleepy." She spun her body around wrapping her arms around Davi's body as she buried her face into his neck and closed her eyes.

"Nice going Oliver you made her sad!"

"I... I'm sorry!" Oliver said with wide eyes.

Davi let out a chuckle as he reached out and patted Athena on the back. "Athena is... A bit weird if you hadn't noticed."

"Oh... I noticed."

Davi was silent for a moment. Finally though he reached up pulling his guitar off of his back. He held the thing upside down as it glowed and once more turned into that claymore from before. "This sword... This is why I want to become an Arcane Hunter." Davi said a serious look now on his face.

Oliver stared at the dark blade finding his reflection staring back at him. "You said this was a demon blade... Not fake like my sword right?" He asked reaching down and grabbing the hilt of his now broken golden sword. "I totally could have got a refund if you didn't break it."

"It's your own fault." Davi said flatly. He stared at his sword for a moment looking at his own reflection as well. "But yeah... This is one of the three reasons I wanted to join the Arcane Hunters. This sword is... It's one of the ten Demon Blades. As the name suggest ten of them in total exist. Each sword has its own magical powers. This one here is Long Calibur. The ever expanding sword. It's able to grow bigger. I currently have two out of ten. One of my missions is to collect all ten. Each sword is a Demon Level Weapon..."

There were five levels to determine how strong a spell, or magical item was. When a person was casting a spell they would start by saying the level of that spell, followed by the type of magic, and then finally the intent of that spell. The levels for spells were Row, Vil, Ril, Vow, and Full. Each in that order of lowest to highest.

Magic item also had levels. The name for them were Human, Hero, Demon, Devil, and Divine. Most magical items were Human level and low tier. They could do basic things but weren't made for combat. Hero Levels onward were. Athena's Maul was a Hero Class which was typically the level most Arcane Hunters had. Demon Classes were rare and extremely powerful magical items however they usually came with a Cost or a condition. Devil Classes were even stronger and even rarer, and were considered the strongest level a weapon could get. Finally was Divine. This class is so rare that only two known items are said to hold it. The Holy Grail, a chalice that is filled with a liquid said to cure any wound be it physical, or magical no matter how bad the wound is it'll fix it, even old age, and lastly Excalibur the sword in the stone. A blade in Camelot that hasn't been drawn since the Death of King Arthur at the hands of his bastard son Mordred.

Oliver's frown grew for a moment. "If they're all these powerful magical swords then why wouldn't the Guilds want them? Demon class weapons are strong." Davi gave a grin as he handed the sword over to Oliver. Oliver stared at it for a moment then reached out. As soon as he touched the blade he pulled his hand back as blood spilled from his palm which was now split open.

"To answer your question... Only three people in the world can wield these rare swords. Those people are known as Finders and there can only ever be three alive at a time." Davi announced. He twirled his blade around as it reverted back into a guitar. He placed his finger over the two purple rocks that were on the side of it. "These here are called Demon Stones. They're what the swords actually are right now. Somewhere in this world eight more exist and only me, and two other people can pick up the stones and use them. When we have the stones we can call forth their power transforming them into a Sword with magical powers."

Oliver nodded his head but wasn't paying to much attention as he was busy trying to cover his now bleeding palm up. "S... So I guess that's why the Guilds don't care. Only you and two other people can use the damn things... So you're joining the Guilds in order to look for these stones?"

"Among other reasons." Davi nodded. "I want to... Find some things."

"Like what?"

"Well... For one I'd like to find the Holy Grail."

"The Holy Grail!" Oliver said with wide eyes. "That's what all the Guilds are looking for right now. It was owned by King Arthur and legend has it the cup is filled with his blood. It can cure any wound. The Guilds want it because the King has fallen into a Comma and they believe that only it can wake him up."

"I just want some of the liquid inside. I need it to help someone..." Davi said quietly... "So joining the Arcane Hunters will let me look for the stones, the grail and... Her..."

"Her?"

"...It's not important." Davi said shaking his head. "Just... Know that, that's my reason. Truth be told... I never really liked the Arcane Hunters. My dad always wanted me to be one, so I never wanted to become one so I could spite him. I still don't. Only reason I'm joining is because it can help me. As soon as I find everything I'm looking for I'm leaving."

"S... So... To spite your dad huh... Yeah I know the feeling." Oliver sighed looking up. "It was with my mom though. She never wanted me to leave."

"Yeah. Parents suck. I think only Athena had good parents." Davi snickered running his hands through the girls hair.

"You're... Pretty close to her aren't you."

"Not at all?"

"She's in your lap!"

"So? She does this all the time. I hate it."

Oliver sighed. "How long have you known each other?"

"One month-"

"One month was all it took for a girl like her to fall asleep in your lap constantly? I'm so jealous!" Davi rolled his eyes. "S... So... How did the two of you meet?" He asked.

That caused a smirk to come onto the shark tooth boys face. "Now that's... A story..."