Author's Note:

Hey, surprisingly I'm still on time. This chapter took a lot of time, wasn't sure where I was going with it but hopefully it's of good enough quality : )

On a more important note, tomorrow morning I'm leaving for my own country. I'll stay there for the whole holidays or even longer and two things may happen there. One I'll have too much free time and will be able to write as much as I would like to or the more likely one that I won't have the time at all because of all the meetings with relatives and friends. So let's all hope for the first one but in case I disappear know that I wasn't killed or abandoned my dear story again but life happened.

Character List

Titles and Abilities

Nein found Ace standing before a group of bards playing some ballad. It was of bad quality, sound chafing against one’s ears, and not even one of the known songs. The only reason anyone listened to the group was that their song gave a slight buff to one’s strength status.

“And you’d think they would care about the melody” the kid said to Nein in a soft tone, glaring at the bards.

“Why are you listening too if you despise it?” Nein asked, turning his back on the singer and his friends. “We should be moving towards the guild. The meeting is about to begin.”

“I wonder” Ace answered with a thoughtful look. “Does the song have no meaning in this world? Do people care only about statuses and buffs instead of beauty of creation?”

Nein didn’t answer to that. He didn’t feel like having a philosophical conversation about human nature in the middle of the street after a tiring meeting with the city’s lord. The guy was as tenacious as a lobster who’s gotten his claws onto something. He couldn’t get rid of him and was forced into making a contract too. His one was somewhat different, but still one none the less.

He never planned to have a job in the game on top of it, but life seemed to like making fun of all his plans.

“We should get moving” he told the kid again.

Ace turned from the entertainers, his eyes dark blue eyes meeting Nein’s violet gaze. “Do you know anyone that would be loyal and wish for no power in the guild?”

“No, why?” Nein asked in a calm voice, his eyes betraying his suspiciousness. He had ideas about why the kid was so concerned about the guild and with each passing moment the worst one looked more like the correct one.

“Could you spare one of your followers then?” Ace asked with a glint in his eyes. He didn’t trust Nein too much, but the guy didn’t seem like he wanted power. If he had, he wouldn’t be in this weak guild. He was way too strong to be here. This meant he would be good as an advisor for Romeo. The guy was good-natured and well versed in the art of talking people out of their money but he was not meant for ruling. He lacked the drive to order others around and make them obey, the belief in oneself to know the best. There needed to be someone behind his back to take care of all the darker businesses such as making sure no one stepped out of line, keeping track of gold transactions and hiring spies to ensure the survival of the guild.

If Ace was forced to come here to ensure his guild’s survival, he might as well make it a better place too.

“What do you mean?”

“Par told me of how you fight. He said they have minds of their own and make intelligent decisions. I think one would be perfect to overlook Romeo. He’s somewhat of an airhead whose dreams of glory had been crushed by reality.”

Nein eyed him calculatingly. “So you’re actually the leader” he said in a matter of fact tone.

“Is that a guess?” Ace asked with a raised eyebrow. “So what do you say? The guild will be a much better place with your contribution.”

“No, thank you.”

“Why not?” Ace asked in a whiny tone. “All you have to do is send one of your spirits and it’ll be done! You don’t even have to be there yourself.”

“I have limits. Spirits take energy and to keep one active all the time is too much. You should find someone else to do that for you” he answered in a level tone. Ace heard the open refusal in his words yet he wondered whether the guy really couldn’t do it or just didn’t have enough reason to.

“What if you were paid?” he asked then.

“I told you I wouldn’t wa-”

Ace interrupted him. “Water from the holy lake. I’ll give you bottles of that miracle water if you agree to do that.”

“Miracle water?” Nein asked with distrust in his eyes, his expression unchanged.

“The one from the lake that Par said was corrupted later on. I had taken some of it for future use but I’d give some to you. What do you say? Tempting?”

“What is so special about it?”

“Use some mana” he suggested and Nein did as told . He casted half of his buffs on Ace who used them to better stab Nein in the heart.

The brown robed mage didn’t seem too happy about that judging from his eyes that were promising Ace slow and painful death. “Oh, don’t be so pitiful. If I had wanted your death, I wouldn’t have done it in the middle of the street in broad daylight.” He took out one of the bottles and gave it to Nein to drink.

In a moment the guy was standing back on his feet, his body undamaged. There was wonder in his eyes as he watched at the liquid remaining in the bottle. He had drunk only a few gulps and the result had been instant. His mana, health and even stamina had went to max. It was unbelievable.

“How potent is this?” he asked in wonder.

“Very” Ace answered with a smile. He knew he had the guy hooked. It was only matter of time till he agreed. “So what do you say?”

“I said it’s impossi-”

“Thirty bottles with which you can do whatever you want. What do you say?” Ace asked with shining sky blue eyes.

“Thirty?” Nein asked, wonder showing in his voice against his will. Just how many experiments could he do with that much? And the lake was corrupted. No one else had a drop of that water most likely and here he was promised thirty. How was he supposed to refuse?

“Yep” Ace said, nodding easily“All for you.”

Nein’s eyes clouded for a moment as he tried to resist the temptation. He knew it was a bad idea. He had promised not to get caught in the web of politics and such at least in a game yet he had already accepted a job and now was going to agree to this. It was a horrible day for him.

“So?” the kid prompted, waving a bottle before his eyes. Nein knew better than to accept but he did love being an alchemist. It was the reason he’d joined the game and how he’d found his class. All he had was because of his alchemy skill, there was no way he could not take the chance to examine such an unusual substance and learn its secrets.

“Fine” Nein said through something that looked close to clenched teeth. “I’ll find someone.”

“Great!” Ace said, clapping joyfully. “I knew we could find an agreement! See you in the meeting! Don’t be late!” After saying that he smiled brightly and after a wave to the guy skipped towards his guild’s house.

It was a large place near the centre of the city. The front lacked any decorations which made Ace feel somewhat sad. Why in the world his guild looked so dismal and out of place among all those nobles houses even though it rivalled them in building size and it housed a way larger number of people? It was wrong.

He decided that it had to be changed and hoped that the person Nein was going to bring had a sense of taste.

Inside people mingled around in restless groups. They talked in hushed tones and eyed every newcomer with wary eyes. Who was the secret leader? Romeo had announced his coming yet didn’t give even the slightest hint as to who she or he was. Could it be someone they travelled and quested with? Or was it that lonesome ranger standing in the corner? He had such a sinister look that it didn’t seem too far fetched.

Ace smiled secretly at them all as their eyes passed him, unseeing. Who would ever think a kid could be the one behind the scenes?

He slowly made his way towards the stairs. There was no doubt Romeo’s office wouldn’t be on the first floor. So he climbed up and walking past generic similar looking doors looked for something that would stand out. Nothing seemed to fit so he found another staircase and went up.

Things seemed the same and he was about to climb to the next floor when his eyes caught on a corridor going to the left, right past the staircase. He went there and found doors that looked slightly better than the rest.

He opened them and entered to find Romeo slouched over a mountain of paperwork. Yet where L had looked in his place among them, Romeo seemed like someone who had wandered in here accidentally.

He was too clean, brightly dressed and athletic for one who sat days long with the books. There were no shadows under his eyes or light skin, he was bronze toned as if he’d been in sun all the time!

“Who are you?” Romeo asked him, holding one paper in his hand as he stood by the window. He was glancing at that paper with disgusted eyes, not paying Ace much attention. “You should go back to the main hall. The meeting will be held on the first floor.”

“Thanks for the information” Ace said mockingly. It was pretty obvious all the members won’t fit in this small, dusty room. He though about saying something to Romeo, but decided against it. If the guy had pretty much forgotten him, he might as well create a new self.

After leaving the room, he wandered around thinking of what he wanted to be known in the guild as. Should he keep his age and appearance of make an illusion? What class did he want to be? A mighty warrior? An all powerful mage? Well, not a deadly assassin for sure. He had enough of that already.

His legs took him to an empty room. There he sat down on the ground and looked through his backpack. It was filled to the brim with all sorts of random items. There were armours, weapons, elixirs, pendants, pieces of paper and items of strange shape and unknown purpose.

Ace’s eyes landed on something tugged in the corner. It was a small light green hat made from some plush material with a large violet plume. It had a lovely round amethyst keeping the plume in place and there were little golden chains connecting it to the hat, more for beauty than anything else.

It was a stunning thing and gave Ace an idea as to what he wanted to do for the meeting. He quickly shut his backpack, located the window and jumped out. He used [Radiant Step] to land on foot outside and ignoring the stares went in search for a clothes shop.

It was going to be epic, he was sure of it.

Nein entered the guild house late. It had taken him a long while to find a spirit that wouldn’t mind working as a secretary and even longer to get one that would be good at it. He might have been bought out but he didn’t want to do a bad job. If he was doing it, it had to be done well.

The inside was packed with people and he had to forcefully push through to reach the meeting room. To his surprise it was closed shut.

“Hey, you’re finally here!” someone shouted at him from a side and he turned his head to see Perry standing by the wall. Deedara was standing with her, looking sadly around. Her look said she didn’t expect to return here again and already missed the place.

He nodded their way. “What is happening here? Why has the meeting not started yet?”

“Who knows” Perry answered shrugging. “Maybe the leader is just playing with us once again. Wouldn’t be surprised with the way he’s cared for us all this time.”

Nein looked around. Wasn’t the kid the leader? It was strange for a kid to have enough money to create a guild but not impossible. There was no actual law or rule that would prevent one from earning his fair share, all adventurers were supposedly equal. And Ace wasn’t just a kid, he might have had the body of one but his mind was much more advanced.

Nein hadn’t hesitated even for a second after the kid suggested he might be the leader of the guild. He had taken that as truth without thinking too much about it, there was no reason to doubt the boy and now he wondered if he had done a mistake.

The kid hadn’t once said that he was anything but a regular member. Nein wasn’t sure if he even had a necklace with his neck always being hidden beneath a scarf.

“He should come” Deedara said. “He promised and he knows that if he doesn’t we’re done with this guild.”

Perry wasn’t so optimistic about that. “He knew that from the moment he abandoned us to that Romeo guy. In all his leadership only once did he take any action towards the discontent within the guild and even that didn’t last long. That Romeo is absolutely useless.”

“Don’t say that” Deedara said glaring at her friend. “He’s the only reason this guild has come as far as it did. He helped those that needed help after loosing everything, went to the nobles, befriending them and earning their support, and made opportunities for us to do those amazing guild quests. We might have had only a few but they were great! If you want to blame someone, blame the actual leader, but not Romeo. He has done everything in his power to help us and make this work!”

Both Nein and Perry eyed her warily. When did she become so passionate about the guild leader? They couldn’t remember the cleric girl talking to him even once .

“He lied to us” Perry said, closing her eyes as she was leaning against the wall. “He knew who the leader was and not once did he tell us. He hid him even. That makes him an accomplice.”

Deedara turned around, swishing her black hair. “You never cared for details” she said and before marching off turned halfway back. “The kid just might have been right about you."

Perry’s eyes narrowed as she took the insult and rushed after her friend. She was not going to leave it at that.

Nein turned away from them and looked at the people that had come. All of them were adventurers in their full gear. They were expecting a fight, he noted in the back of his mind as his spirit moved closer to him. She had her weapons at ready, eyes watching his guild mates with determination to kill.

“You’re here to lead them and keep this place alive, not kill them” he whispered to her, lightly brushing his fingers over her hands. She took them off her daggers but the stiffness in her body stayed. “I don’t trust them” she answered just as quietly. “They want blood, not leadership.”

Nein nodded having observed the same. The crowd had come because of arranged meeting but none seemed to want to talk. They wanted to see the true leader and make him pay for cheating them of their time. Many had thought this guild will rise very high but without power sharing and one who had it missing, it was an impossible thing.

The doors opened to allow another member. Nein couldn’t see him through the throngs of people but he noticed a certain restlessness that went through the crowd. Women took out their coquettish smiles and man grumbled under their breaths.

People made way for the newcomer and Nein got a good look at him. Instantly he knew the reason behind all that commotion.

On the path toward the meeting room’s door walked a young man. He was an elf that looked like all those Prince Charmings in fairytales; golden curls framing a face of perfect proportions, full lips, straight nose and almond shaped violet eyes that seemed to hide all the world’s secrets. There was a green cap put sideways on his hair with a large plume that matched the colour of his eyes.

He was clothed in a loose elegant tunic of forest green. It was adorned with little chains of gold all around. He wore fingerless gloves and four, five different bracelets on his right hand. One of them had a little bell on it which jingled softly with his every step.

On his wood coloured belt an intricate flute of amber hue hung. It shifted against his brown breeches with every move and brought attention to itself.

As he walked on, the newcomer smiled a soft, knowing smile. There was something strange in it and the way he looked from under his eyelashes. It made one interested to know what secrets that gaze of his held and whether it was really all perfect in the land of fairytales.

Nein rubbed his eyes with his fists.

What was he thinking? He wasn’t the sentimental type so where had those thoughts come from? He glanced back at the newcomer and was assailed by the same emotions, mostly wonder.

The guy caught his eyes and smiled a little wider but didn’t say anything. He just walked to the meeting room’s doors and opened them, entering first. The crowd followed him in an open-mouthed shock. It was obvious what this meant yet hardly believable. Was this kind of person their true leader?

It made no sense.

While waiting for their leader, they had come up with dozens of reasonings why he hid his identity. Some thought he might have chosen a hideous look, others guessed he was simply a loner, although that did raise another question as to why he made a guild in the first place, while still others believed he had some rare class or race and preferred to keep it a secret. A few wondered if he lacked any kind of leadership skills so he allowed one better than him to rule.

All of them were flushed down the toilet the moment he appeared.

His stunning looks made the first one instantly invalid. Second followed soon after judged by the easy way he walked through all the guild members. He smiled at some, waved to others and winked at the few left. His moves were laid-back and free, you couldn’t find a single sign he was anything but perfectly at ease in his surroundings.

Third didn’t need any pondering as he was clearly a simple elf and his class bard. There was nothing special about that or needing secrecy. It was as common as you could get actually. Or maybe you would need to exchange the flute for a lute to achieve that.

“Who are you?” someone asked as mostly everyone entered the meeting room and Nein found an empty corner near the stage. The ground was covered in different sized carpets with many pillows on them so he sat down and turned to the stage.

From where he sat on the ground he could see the elf’s side profile. Unlike the rest of the guild he sat on the edge of the low stage, feet drumming a steady beet on the ground, left hand’s fingers toying with the flute.

“Me?” the elf asked with an easy smile on his face. “I’m Lathlaeril, The Infidel” he said in a smoky voice. It wasn’t very loud but carried around the whole room.

“Are you really who you are letting us to believe you are?” another voice came from the now sitting crowd. The elf glanced that way, smiled and with right hand raised a necklace from under his clothes. It was shaped like a bird’s wing and shined silvery in the light of the torches.

Silence then reigned in the room. Many were too surprised to have coherent thoughts while others still wondered what was happening to their guild. How could this stranger be their leader if he didn’t even look like a player?

One had to be of useful fighting classes if he wanted to be rich or follow his dream and have fun but rarely having enough gold to even get new gear every fifty levels. This man however wore no battle garb, didn’t seem to have any weapons yet his clothes were of great quality with adornments of high metals. This was something possible only for the people of the land.

“Why, no more questions for me?” the elf asked after a while, eyeing them with a certain shine in his eyes. It wasn’t threatening or anything but it made people feel as if he knew them and all their secrets. And more. Yet most felt relaxed in the room. Nobody knew why but they would have betted their lives on it that even if he knew their secrets he’d never tell them.

A collector of stories, that’s what he was and in his eyes knowledge gained from all of them resided. They were very deep and secretive, mirror like.

Perry stood up and went to the elf, stopping right before him. She was a whole head taller over the sitting him. “Are you the one who created our guild?” she asked trying for a strong voice but his gaze, solely focused on her was unsettling. She felt half-attracted, half-intimidated by this unknown being.

One corner of his mouth went slightly up. “Why would you doubt me?” he asked in a silky tone.

“I’m making sure. Tell the truth. Now!” Perry said. She hadn’t planned to shout out the last word but the guy was strange. There was something wrong with him. Very very wrong.

“How could I lie to such a beautiful lady?” the elf asked, shaking his head slightly so the golden curls left his eyes. For a moment. Soon they were back again, all over the right side of his face. “I am what I am. A runaway, an infidel, a harbinger of ruin and downfall, soul lost to the vices of mankind. And also a guild founder. As it happens, yours.”

Perry shook her head to clear it of his soft voice. It lulled her into trusting him, that he was innocent and kind, but she didn’t want to believe that. Her true guild leader was a deceiver and liar. He was the worst of the worst.

As she was taking her time to do that, another person approached the elf. It was Michael from the supposed officers of the guild. His avatar looked to be in his late twenties and for this occasion had donned his best light brown leather armour. His twin swords were hanging at his sides.

“You say you’re our leader but how can we believe you. I was one of the first to join and not once had I seen you before.”

The elf didn’t seem to be intimidated by an accusing man twice his size with weapons at hand. He was either very brave or stupid, Nein thought. Michael was known in the guild to be a nice guy until he got angry. If that happened he lashed out at anyone in sight so it was better to be as far away as possible when that happened.

“I was never one to stay around. The wind changes and I go following it to the farthest corners of the world. Joy or sorrow may it bring” the elf answered, smiling at the huge man before him. His exterior was as calm as if this was something of an everyday thing for him.

“You tricked us then! You created our guild and left without caring what happens to those that joined! Do you imagine how much time we wasted trying to make this work?” Perry asked, getting angry herself.

“Wasted time?” the elf asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “How can you waste something that doesn’t belong to you? Time is not something you can create, destroy, lose or regain. Each moment that passes teaches us something new and is irreplaceable for that, but why would you want to? Life is made of these moments and each and every one makes us who we are. How could you say that some of them were bad or wasted?”

Perry blinked a few times to make sure what he was talking about. He was giving them a lesson in philosophy in the middle of the meeting with a friendly, chiding expression on his face. She felt like a misbehaved child standing like that before him.

“Who cares about any of that nonsense? Stop spouting it and start answering questions” Michael growled, not liking discussing the meaning of life apparently. “Why did you leave us with that incompetent bastard in command?”

“Hey, hey, hey!” the elf said in a jovial tone, shaking his head disapprovingly to the warrior before him. “No need to insult one another, is there?” His slight smile returned to his face as he extended his hands to the sides. A bell on one of them jingled while the little chains on his tunic waved in the air or bumped against his body. “I’m a travelling minstrel, the whole world calls to me in different tunes and I go in search of them.”

He’s asking to be executed, Nein thought sitting in his corner. The guy clearly couldn’t give a straight answer if his life depended on it and it was too late for games. The guild had become a battlefield and one didn’t anger his enemies there for no reason.

He wondered where the kid was and if he planned to show up. The meeting had started on a strange note but was sure to end in bloodshed, red names and even more deaths if nothing changed.

“So you say we don’t deserve your attention?” Michael asked in a barely controlled voice, his face a mask of rage and disgust. “Some stupid little songs are worth more than us? You made our brotherhood but we weren’t important enough to be cared for?” His hands clenched into tight fists.

“It’s not about deserving. Humans can care for themselves. They don’t need me while music does. If not me, who’s going to let it out into the wide world? Those perfect notes might have to wait decades of even hundreds of years until someone like me appears that can listen to them and release them into the world. They want to be heard.”

It was too much for Michael and he snapped, punching the bard straight in the face. The elf didn’t dodge it but neither was he surprised. There was a sad smile on his face as he turned his face back to the front and massaged his cheek lightly. It was bruised but with pain threshold being twenty percent for usual players it wouldn’t have hurt much. “If you think all your problems will be solved by killing me, go ahead. We can talk some time later.”

It was hard to say if he was mocking the warrior or not. His words were such but the tone he said them in was soft, sad. No wounded pride or anger evident.

“I might just do that” Michael growled, bracing his fists for another hit. “You’re useless to us anyway.”

A hand petted the big man’s shoulder and he turned with a curse on his lips. It died down as he saw Jackal standing behind him. He was a knight in full plate armour, great sword on his back and one of the most respected people in the guild. He didn’t have any high position but he was high level, kind and always ready to help. “Calm down, Michael” he said to the big guy. “What would it make us if we killed our leader the moment he showed up before us? It would mean he had a very good reason to hide.”

Michael looked a bit sheepish after hearing that. “I’m sorry” he said with a sigh. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“No harm done” Jackal said with a small smile before turning to the elf sitting on the edge of the stage. He was lower now than all the of them but still didn’t stand up. The knight wondered what that could mean. Usually people tended to equal the high as quickly as possible because it made them feel smaller, intimidated. Size was power and no one liked to feel weak. This man however didn’t seem to have any of such thoughts. He sat smiling and watching them as if he was seeing a movie instead of stopping his life from being taken. “Why did you create a guild?” Jackal asked, quietly.

“Someone needed to” the elf answered, demurely. “People needed help and others were ready to give if only they had something to share. My music wasn’t what they needed so I gave them something else.”

“What are y-” Michael started but Jackal raised his had to quiet him down. “You want to say you paid the money for the guild to be created because nobody else had it and then left because you’re not one to lead people around? Is that correct?”

The elf laughed softly, like bells ringing. “We’re all different. Some are meant to lead while others to follow. I have the misfortune of not belonging to either group.”

“So we only need to pay you the money you wasted to create the guild and you will leave us alone forever?” someone asked from the front lines of the crowd hopefully. Perry glared at him in anger. “Have some decency” she said, her voice dripping with disgust. “This guy wasted probably all his hard earned gold to create a safe haven for us, a place where we could find solace and regain our peace after what we had encountered. And he didn’t have to do that. There was not a single reason to and yet he still did.”

Jackal nodded at her respectfully. He had come to the same conclusion, but, although, it did make their leader easier to understand and even respect but it didn’t solve their problems. “Why did you return?” he asked the elf finally. “You should just have let us disband. We’re fine now.”

The man shook his head, curls dancing around his head. “You? Yes, but I never gave it to you. I gave it to those in need and there’s still many of them. It won’t be over until the end of his reign.”

Perry felt like throttling the guy. Why did everything that left his mouth had to be a riddle? What was wrong with speaking in a normal human language? Saying what you mean?

Jackal didn’t seem to have any problems deciphering it out, however. “We’re no longer your audience, are we?” he shook his head with a smile. “So how do you plan to solve everything? The guild is in a mess now and most will leave by the end of today if you won’t change anything.”

“I’m not the wind of change but a slight breeze to cool you throughout the hot day” he answered cryptically.

This was a bit too much even for the knight. He glanced at the two at his side but they had puzzled expressions mirroring most of the guild members. Jackal was about to tell the elf to explain himself when someone moved in the corner of his eye. He turned there and saw Nein rising.

He didn’t knew much about the man but enough not to take him lightly. He was said to have been a solo player before joining the guild and one that cleared quests meant for large parties and way above his level. After joining them he was under Perry’s command but no one even for a moment believed she was stronger than him. He was just biding his time for something.

The guild didn’t trust him much to say the least.

Behind him walked a women of thirty with autumn hair to her shoulders and deep green eyes. She wore a simple tight shirt and a pencil skirt but there were two daggers at her belt and her hands were lingering over them.

“He wants to say, we’ll have to change the guild ourselves” Nein said, coming up to the stage. “He won’t lift a finger to help us.”

“What? But he’s the leader!” Michael said in outrage, glaring at the elf who was still smiling slightly. It was probably the only face expression he had with the varying degrees of the smile’s levels. Those barely noticeable too.

“Why would we do that?” Perry asked. “It would be so much simpler to just recreate the guild anew.”

“People think that creating is extremely hard or easy. It’s neither” the elf said, directing his violet gaze to her. “Creating is giving life to something and it’s exhilarating. But there always comes a time when you realise it’s not perfect. You try to recreate but it’s not working. What mistake did you do, you wonder? And years after when you lie half asleep in your bed it comes to you. Life is ever-changing and moving, perfect in its imperfection Not everything that is broken need to be repaired.”

“I don’t even want to even try to understand that” Perry murmured to elf’s laugh. He grinned at her before turning to the rest of the people standing around him.

“Will you give us more leadership abilities?” Nein asked, ignoring that exchange. He didn’t really want to do much with the guild leading but the guild itself was a useful accessory to him so he needed to make sure it didn’t disband.

“One to help those in need, one to keep the place alive, one to train, another to hunt and the last to keep the face.”

Nein nodded as if that was spoken in a human understandable language. “It should work if we do it that way.”

“What was he talking about?” Perry asked, unsure of whether to feel like an idiot for not understanding or just put the blame on the elf for being unable to speak as a normal human being.

“There should be five leaders” Nein answered. “Romeo to help Silver Wing’s victims as it was his duty from the beginning, able to invite players to join, me or more like Morta to take care of the guild’s financial problems, talk with nobles and so on with the power to finance quests, expeditions and expansion. Then Michael and you Perry able to create groups within the guild. He would be tasked with training new players, helping them in quests while your job would be to take down Silver Wing. The last place lands on Jackals head. He would become the official leader, our guild’s face. He’ll be able to let players join and remove them.”

“So we only have two people able to recruit members? We’re never going to expand like that” Perry murmured.

“We could make it work” Jackal said after a moment. “Every month we could hold some kind of ceremony like a knighting. It would be something unusual and might attract more people.”

“And people could choose a way to enter, be killed or wait a month” Nein said in half-mocking tone.

“The biggest ceremony could be held for all the existing members first” Morta said from behind Nein. “It would attract lots of people who would pay to see it.”

Other s glanced at her in surprise for having spoken but her input was a useful one. This way they could make their lack of leadership abilities work, earn money and even look like something different, stand out of the crowd.

The elf watched them pondering with a secretive smile for a while before grinning widely and taking his flute in the hands. He put it to his lips and started to play.

The first soft notes startled the group and they turned to face him but the man had his eyes closed, lost to the world. His long, delicate fingers ran swiftly over the buttons and holes, releasing clear sounds into the air.

At first they were just random notes put together but soon their randomness started to make sense. Each note a being unlike any other, different in it’s pitch and weight yet confided into one world, melody. They played and danced around, meeting, joining, separating and returning together again.

They sounded great together but just as fine by themselves.

Then a darkness came. It was a tune unlike any other. Notes low as gravel mixed with something worse still. Anger, hurt, disgust interchanging with a knife’s sharp edge. It cut through the other notes, disbanding them, removing, until it was the only one left in its all corrupted glory.

The group quietly sat down as the tune grew heavy on their mind’s. They could see the monster that had killed them for no other reason than to kill. It wasn’t vengeance or anything he sought but simple madness controlling his actions. And the tune grew even heavier, bringing back worse and worse memories.

When it seemed like they couldn’t take it anymore a lighter note sounded. It was childish and sweet but mature in a strange way. It died under the heavy weight of the dark one too, but it didn’t let that to dim it’s light. It danced around the dark one until it met another one.

This was friendly and encouraging, even if pretty simple. A mother’s word, helping hand from a stranger. The two light melodies mixed, making a new stronger one and the dark one retreated. It was as powerful as before, low notes of despair washing through the room but it sounded from somewhere farther away.

The two returned to the front and now others joined them too, those freed from the hold of depression after being swallowed in the dark one. Together the melodies made even a better stand. They fought against the black notes with their lightness, ignoring that it was an impossible feat to defeat the darkness.

The black tune was like an ancient beast with thousands of tendrils reaching everywhere. It didn’t weaken after losing those corrupted, it became even stronger, clearer if that was possible. Three tones differentiated; one low, rolling around the floor of anger, another sharper, edgier of disgust, betrayal from those trusted and the third, maybe the worst, softer and higher than others that of grim determination. It knew itself being enveloped in the darkness of madness and accepted it

It hurt to listen to it.

Without knowing it, the whole guild started to feel for the monster. He was mad and crazy but he was made into that, he didn’t choose it. Or more like he chose to avenge himself. The once maybe innocent soul.

But it was too late to turn back now. The deeds were done and he had to be destroyed even if it wasn’t his fault he turned out like that.

The dark melody lost it’s overpowering edge after being stripped bare of all the rumours and mysteries it had shrouded itself in but that only made it more cunning. It became swifter, running around in random motions, two notes never repeating themselves yet staying the same, unmistakable.

The mix of melodies from previously returned and tried to envelop the quick one, but to no avail. Their steps were light and strong, notes dancing up in the air, but that was why they failed too.

Their tune was too light and cheerful, they knew of the darkness but were not of it. They died again, being swallowed whole.

Yet this time they didn’t separate or get stuck in darkness. They returned into one almost instantaneously. Their notes were a bit lower, not as exited but nowhere near close to the dark tune, who ran rampant in the background. It was taking other innocent notes, eating them and then spitting them out scared and alone.

The light one learnt to pick them all up and mix into itself. It grew stronger and more delicate with every added note but there was something wrong within. A shiver ran through the melody and, without any interaction from the dark one, broke into pieces.

All the notes separated, playing by themselves. Chaos happened. It was impossible to say what was happening through the myriad of colours. Each tune fought for dominance, pushing others away and doing everything they could to stay relevant. Nobody wanted to disappear which resulted in an ear-splitting noise.

Some people covered their ears, but it did little to help. The flute’s sound had a way to pass through the thin barrier of fingers and bring madness closer.

Once again when the end seemed imminent a note of strange lightness took a step back from the frenzy happening around. It stunned the others with it’s unusualness. It was the same as at the beginning but no longer was it innocent and sweet. It had grown up somewhat, sounding lower and wiser, aware of the world’s horrors.

But just as before it wasn’t strong. It attracted attention by its beauty and delicateness, not power.

After other notes got accustomed to it, they tried to remove it, they pushed it, hitting it but the the lovely tune stayed the same. It didn’t falter.

In time other six rose from the group, distinguishing themselves. They were strong in their own right, either bright or light, dark but knowledgeable or simply very clear, sure of itself. Together they danced around for a bit before coming to some agreement and joining to make a strange combination.

It was strong and light, dark and clear but it wasn’t good. Each separate note was a melody of itself. They were too strong to be anything but a jumble of perfect notes, cold and emotionless.

So a myriad of other notes carefully entered the picture. They wavered, unsure, but as time passed they joined the six and the melody grew stronger, louder. All of them together were able to dim the brightness of the six and make them more approachable.

Now the light tune was filled with tunes of different colours, dark and light, low and high. They danced in the air, unafraid of anything. Their power lay in their bond which nothing could remove. Separately they were a random set of notes for giving headaches, but together they were something more.

The dark one entered the picture again. It sneered at their happiness, cutting it apart, killing many. This didn’t destroy the bond and the happy one rejoiced but the dark one just chuckled to itself as it swallowed the melody whole.

No matter how many times you return, alone or together, you’re just another set of bones to lay to rest, it whispered with a twisted smile as the song ended and faded into nothingness.