The Prologue: The Story of Valcrest | Prologue
It has been several years since the demise of Valcrest, after the death of Daniel Ketch. Since then, Zachary had been able to rebuild the guild hall on his own island, which he named Valcrest Island. He even created a new clan that he had called the “Ashes of Valcrest”. He was truly determined to follow through on his promise to Daniel, and he wasn’t alone. Nick Grey had accompanied him, and became his second in command. He was even able to recruit more warriors labelled as “dark wizards” and have them work for the clan and carry out their mission of helping dark wizards and stopping the Grand Navy from killing any more that could be saved.
Today, the Ashes of Valcrest clan had decided to stay in their clan hall for a while. Inside, members had relaxed, taking a day off. Zachary began to walk around to observe everyone. He first went into the cafeteria. There he saw three members of the Ashes of Valcrest: Ray Anchor, Acelina Salore, and Magnus Banks. Ray was the first to notice the guild master.
“Oh, hello Guild Master.” Ray said, cutting up his ham. Magnus and Acelina saw Zachary came in and greeted him as well.
“Good day to you all. I trust the day’s been well?” Zachary asked.
“Yeah, it’s been alright.” Acelina replied, sounding bored. “But all this peace is boring me. I wanna fight someone.”
Magnus turned to her. “But days like this are nice. There isn’t anything to worry about so we can just take naps and eat food.” As he said that, another guild member, Jared Lamina, entered the room, looking nervous.
“Oh, hey Jared.” Acelina said, doing a hand gesture to him, then returning to her meal.
“Uh what’s up? Why do you look nervous?” Ray asked him, as he finished his ham.
Jared turned to them. “Trying to avoid Lucien. I may have lost his sunken sword and now I’m trying to avoid getting mutilated.” Jared then noticed Zachary in the room. “Oh, hello Guild Master.” He ran behind him. Before Zachary could react to it, the doors slammed open as Lucien Stone walked in. He looked around the room.
“Hello all.” Lucien said in a cold tone. “You all wouldn’t happen to see Jared at any point today, would you?”
“Uh nope.” Magnus said.
“Haven’t seen him.” Ray added.
“He’s hiding behind the Guild Master.” Acelina said, snickering.
“ACE!” Shouted Ray, Jared, and Magnus in unison. Zachary sighed as Lucien ran towards Jared, who began to run around Zachary in order to escape, but Lucien managed to catch him by running the other way.
“Stop running dammit I’m trying to catch you!” Lucien reached for Jared’s arm, but he jumped back. “How could you lose that sword?! Do you know how long it took me to find that thing?!”
“I’m sorry I’m sorry! But hey, Nick has a replacement for you!” Jared turned to the dining hall exit. “Oh, Nick! Perfect timing!”
Lucien turned back, but he didn’t see Nick. “Nick isn’t the- oh no you DON’T-”
“Ignition Boost!” Jared created two magic circles on the bottom of his feet and squatted down. Then, the two circles detonated and sent him flying away, the flames warming everyone in the room a bit.
“Get back here!” Lucien began running after Jared as they both left the dining hall and left outside. Sounds of magic being flung around could be heard in the dining hall as Ray, Acelina, and Magnus finished their meal.
“Why’d you rat him out?” Ray asked Acelina, who was giggling a bit.
“I just thought it’d be funny.” Acelina got up and took her dish to a counter.
“You’re a mean one…” Ray followed suit, along with Magnus.
Zachary began to walk outside to break up the fight. “Well in any case, someone should stop this.” When he got outside, he could see shadow blasts flying towards Jared, who was trying his best to avoid them.
“I didn’t mean to lose it, honest!” Jared shouted as he jumped behind a tree. He then created another magic circle on his hand, then aimed it at Lucien. He began to fire multiple small fire blasts at him. “I know I left it in my room, I’m not sure how I lost it!”
“I don’t need your excuses…” Lucien nimbly evaded the blasts, and ran to Jared, fist clenched. “I need to get my sword back!” Jared began to jump back, but Lucien created a dark magic circle, and slid it on the ground so it would end up behind Jareed, and create a dark explosion that propelled him forward. Lucien then grabbed him and slammed him onto the ground. “And if you can’t return it, I’ll have to teach you a lesson to be more mindful…” Lucien formed a larger magic circle with both of his hands, aiming it at Jared. Jared looked up at the circle.
“I said I was sorry!” Jared formed one more magic circle, larger and surrounding his body. “Massive Fiery…”
“Oh crap!” When Lucien saw the circle, he tried to get away from him. However he was too late.
“BOMBER!” Jared yelled as he detonated the circle, causing a big fire explosion that hit Lucien and knocked him towards the shore. However, Lucien was able to land on his feet, and recharge his mana for another spell. This time, he put magic circles on his hands and aimed them downwards.
“Shadow Ascent!” Lucien used the circles to blast him towards Jared, who just got up. He saw Lucien flying towards him like a jet, and was prepared to counter attack. But before he could do anything, Zachary pushed Jared out of the way, and he was able to evade Lucien’s charge. Lucien turned around to face Jared and Zachary.
“Lucien, that’s enough.” Zachary said, lending Jared a hand up. “Your sunken sword was valuable, yes. But you two are part of the same clan! I won’t allow such infighting, do you hear me?”
“… yes Guild Master…“ Lucien bowed his head. “My apologies Guild Master… apologies Jared…”
“Good. Now head back inside.” Zachary pointed to the entrance, and Lucien went away. “And you!” Zachary turned back to Jared. “You need to find Lucien’s sword. You owe him that much.”
“I know Guild Master, but the thing is, I’ve looked everywhere in my room. I know I left it there when I was finished practicing with it, so I don’t know what happened.”
“Well it’s not like it grew two legs and ran away is it?” Zachary looked at Jared skeptically.
“No… I’ll keep looking…” Jared began to walk back to the hall as well, to look for the sword. Zachary followed him back inside.
Meanwhile, Acelina returned to her room and jumped onto her bed to lay down. She reached over to the side of the bed and grabbed a sword, lifting it over her head to look at it.
“At some point they’re gonna find out I swiped out from Jared’s room, so the question remains…” Acelina thought to herself. “What kind of fun can I have with you before then…?” She laid there for a while, brainstorming activities to do with Lucien’s sunken sword. “If I tried swinging it around in my room it’ll just get wet and everyone will know I swiped it… maybe I could try sneaking it outside.” Acelina got up. “Yeah, that’s what I’ll do. When I go on a mission, I’m gonna take this puppy out for a little spin, see what it can do. It’ll be so cool!” Acelina was feeling excited in that moment. She couldn’t wait to find some poor Grand Navy soldier or bandit to take out with this sword.
Meanwhile, when Zachary got inside, he made sure that Lucien wouldn’t try to attack Jared again, and that Jared was looking for the sword. After confirming that, he returned to his office. He sat down at his desk, and saw all the letters on his table. He read them all: Today’s World News which talked about how islands were feeling safe with their wizards helping them out, some wanted criminals currently on the loose, so forth. One particular item, however, caught his eye. The Grand Navy is still trying to catch one particular villain. They simply know him as Gallan, and he’s notorious for his destructive magical power and fearful combat abilities. Most believe he has never lost a battle in his life, and that he was powerful enough to defeat the king of the Summer Hold back in Magius. Some believe the downfall of Magius to be his doing as well.
After reading the article about him, Zachary leaned back. “This guy… who is he…?”
Later that night, members of the clan decided to have dinner before everyone went to bed for the night. Ray, Jared, Lucien, Acelina, Nick, Magnus, Zachary, and an extra member named Luna Cutlass. Nick sipped some tea, seemingly deep in thought.
“Something on your mind?” Magnus asked him.
“It’s just… you know how our clan operates. We take in dark wizards and rehabilitate their minds so they can get back the lives they’ve lost, right?” Nick replied.
“Yeah, I know. It’s a nice deal we have.”
“Right, but what about when we can’t help a dark wizard? We just send them to the Grand Navy for them to deal with.”
Magnus looked down. “Yeah, I know that too.”
“Sure, there’s nothing we can do for them, but when we do that it feels as if we’re admitting defeat… and I don’t like giving into the Grand Navy… I don’t think any of us do… especially the Guild Master.”
“Been thinking about that lately: We’re called a clan but we keep calling him the Guild Master. Shouldn’t we call him the Clan Master?”
“That’s his personal choice. It reminds him of Daniel Ketch. But that isn’t the point.” Nick sipped his tea. “What if there was a way that we could still do something about the uncooperative dark wizards…?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know… but something so that we don’t have to rely on the Grand Navy…”
Just then, there was a knock at the main entrance. Ray was standing there to keep guard, so he opened the door. There, he met a pale man, his left arm completely black. He began to walk forward, disregarding Ray.
“Who are you…?” Ray asked him. The man turned back.
“You may call me… Gallan.” The man said, smiling at Ray. But something about that smile rubbed him the wrong way. The man continued to walk, and eventually he got to the dining hall. Most of the members were there, conversing, along with Zachary. They all saw him enter so casually, and they all felt a chill up their spines.
“Who the heck is he?” “What is this magical energy I’m feeling?” “What the hell is this guy doing here?!” These thoughts flooded the minds of the members.
“Greetings, Ashes of Valcrest. I am Gallan.” Gallan said, calmly.
“Explain yourself, now. Who are you?” Zachary said. He began to walk to Gallan.
“Me? I’m simply a man. A man who wants to make a deal with you all.”
Gallan, Gallan… that word was familiar to Acelina. But where. Just then, the light bulb lit up in her head.
“I know you… You’re a notorious criminal, wanted for all sorts of crazy crap!” Acelina shouted at Gallan, pointing at him. Gallan merely smiled.
“Good. Someone here already knows of me.”
“Yeah well the hell are you doing here?! We don’t deal with your type.” Acelina prepared herself for a fight, along with everyone else in the room.
Gallan began laughing. “I suggest you all stand down. I’m not here to brawl. I merely wish to… do business.”
“I believe you heard her when she said we don’t deal with your type.” Zachary reminded Gallan.
“I haven’t even told you what exactly I was here for. My, you people are stubborn.”
“And what would that be?” Zachary tried to keep calm for all the other members in the room, but even he was unnerved by Gallan’s magical energy.
“Let me explain. I’ve heard that this little clan here has been having some trouble with dark wizards. I know how your operation goes: You rehabilitate dark wizards so they aren’t all ‘dark’ anymore.” Gallan chuckled. “How noble you lot are. However, your naivety is showing through your failures to help certain wizards.”
Jared spoke up, “Did you come here just to badmouth us?” Gallan immediately turned to him, glaring. Jared immediately silenced himself, and looked downward. He continued.
“However, what if I told you I had a way to help you out a bit?” Gallan reached inside of his jacket, and from his pocket he pulled out a black collar. “I have in my possession a collar that can remove a person’s magic. It’s still being tested as the procedure is rather agonizing… however, with it, you can take away a dark wizard’s magic, rendering them helpless.”
“Well that sounds totally humane.” Magnus said sarcastically. “Thanks but no thanks!”
“Yeah, and what makes you think removing a dark wizard’s magic would make them better again-”
“Not another word from you all. I am explaining and you all keep interrupting me.” Gallan said coldly, causing everyone to shut up once again. “Anyways, I have many people working under me who have greeted and examined this. We’ve seen how a dark wizard reacts to getting their magic removed. After they’re done screaming in agony, they’ve become more… tame. More timid. They lose all the insanity that makes them… them. And that’s not all. I offer you all more technology, such as anti magic chains.” Gallan dropped down his bag, and pulled out a weird looking chain. He then looked around at everyone, growing a malicious smile. Ray was the first to get a bad feeling, and his instincts told him to run. But then he saw Gallan look at Jared.
“JARED LOOK OU-” Ray shouted, but then, Gallan shifted his vision to Ray, and, as if it was an instant, dashed towards Ray, and wrapped him in the chains. Ray was confused by this, and tried to jump away with a jump spell. However, his magic couldn’t come out, as if all the magic that would go into his feet were being blocked inside of him. He looked up at Gallan.
“What the hell are you doing?! My magic won’t come out!” Ray said, panicking. After looking down at Ray struggling, Gallan removed the chains, and put them back in the bag. Everyone looked in shock at that.
“As you can see, they’ll stop anyone that is wrapped from being able to use magic. A pretty nice invention, wouldn’t you agree?”
“How did you even make that?” Ray said, panting.
“You needn’t worry about it.” Gallan snickered at Ray. “So what say you, Master? Will you accept these gifts of mine?”
Zachary looked at the bag, then at Ray. Luna Cutlass ran to him to make sure he was fine, and helped him up.
“What’s the catch here?” Zachary asked him.
“Simple: The Ashes of Valcrest will put themselves below me.” Everyone’s eyes widened.
“… come again?” Zachary said.
“You see, I have big aspirations. Soon, this whole world will bend to my will. All of the masses will be mine to control.” Gallan slowly waved his hand up in the air. “However, I can’t just go about taking down everyone I see with my might. I have to go about this as if it were a game of chess. I must gather my pieces and use them to overcome the enemy.” Gallan pointed to Zachary. “Become my piece. I will grant you these boons, but in exchange, I’ll have your clan take down anyone that I feel will get in the way of my ever-expanding empire.”
Zachary simply looked at him as he said that, his mouth open. “Do you honestly take us for some petty shadow clan, committing crimes around the land and sea for your sake?!”
“Is that a problem? I won’t stop you from treating dark wizards, but when I need you to take someone out for me…” Gallan slid his thumb across his throat. “You will take them out for me.”
“No!” Zachary yelled. “Hell no! The Ashes of Valcrest aren’t about that! Take your crap and leave us!” Zachary pointed to the door. Gallan smirked.
“Is that how you feel? And what will happen if I don’t leave?”
“Then I’ll force you out.” Zachary ran forward, prepared to throw a punch at Galland. However, Galland evaded it, and hit Zachary on the back of the head.
“Hmhmhm… it would seem I must show you who you’re dealing with.” Galland dashed towards Zachary right as he turned around, grabbed him by his collar, and punched him repeatedly, before sending him into a table, his nose bleeding.
“EVERYONE GET HIM!” Ray shouted as he drew his cutlass and charged. He jumped into the air and swung at Gallan. But before he did, Gallan turned towards Ray, looked him in the eyes, and smiled a wicked smile. He used his black arm to repel the cutlass, and ended up breaking it to pieces on impact. Ray jumped back at pure shock, looking at his blade handle. “H-how…”
“Ray, keep going! Now isn’t the time!” Jared yelled as he made a magic circle on his hand. “Ember Blaster!” Jared fired six blasts at Gallan, who dodged all of them effortlessly. Jared kept using his spell, again, and again, and again. But Gallan evaded each shot, and they hit the walls, creating small fires. “Damnit, how fast is this guy?!” Jared began sweating as he kept pouring his energy into his hand, creating more magic circles, and firing them. Just then, BOOM! Fire blasts began to hit Gallan, all six of them in fact. Jared smiled, but then his smile went away. SOmething about how they landed didn’t sit well with him. As if Gallan just gave up on dodging. Just then, when the smoke cleared, Gallan walked up to him, unwounded by the attacks.
“Was that all you could muster? Pathetic.” Gallan mocked him, then raised his hand. “Let me show you a real fire spell.” He formed a magic circle almost instantly, and aimed it at his face. Jared was paralyzed with fear, and he couldn’t move. The heat from the circle washed his face. It felt as though he was facing a door that would lead straight to the afterlife, and it wasn’t ready to go through it. But just then, Gallan felt something scratch his back. Something wet. He turned around and saw Acelina, holding Lucien’s sunken sword.
Before Gallan could do something about that, he was then hit with tons of magic on his side. Nick, Magnus, Lucien, Luna, and Ray attacked him all at once, making a massive explosion on impact with their spells. However, Gallan was merely pushed back by the force: he wasn’t harmed by them at all. He merely laughed. He then took his fire magic circle and aimed it at all of them.
“Fire Magic: Destructive Bang…” Gallan muttered, as a large fireball appeared from his circle, charging at the group at high speeds. The ball blew up in beautiful flames and created a hole in the wall. A hole that led outside as well. When the smoke cleared, the five of them were on the ground, their clothes burnt up. Zachary got up and saw the sight. He remembered the day the Grand Navy had attacked the old Valcrest guild. How Daniel was being overwhelmed just like them. How he died… he couldn’t let that happen again. He got up, and began charging at Gallan one more time, yelling in rage. Gallan merely looked at him as he did that.
“Predictable…” Gallan said under his breath. He prepared himself for Zachary’s attack. But Zachary was also prepared. He created magic circles on his feet, and right as he got in front of Gallan, he leapt into the air, using the circles to give him a boost. As he was in the air, he created two more on his hands, aiming them at Gallan.
“GO TO HELL!!” Zachary yelled as he fired both of the shadow blasts down on Gallan. However, Gallan raised his left hand up, creating a different circle this time. He detonated it, and fired off a large beam of water at the blasts, pushing them up and causing them to collide with Zachary. They hit him, and caused him to hit the ceiling, blowing a huge hole into it.
Zachary fell onto the ground, and Jared ran over to him to make sure he was still alive. Zachary coughed up some blood, then looked up at Gallan.
“Let us try this again.” Gallan kicked Jared in the face, knocking him away from him and Zachary. Jared rolled into a table, his jaw aching like all hell. “Will you put your guild underneath me in exchange for these gifts…?” Gallan created another circle, aiming it at Jared. Acelina looked around her. Her teammates taken down, her clan master defeated with one beam. She had enough. She gripped the sword, and lunged at Gallan one more time.
“You’ll pay for that you scummy-” Just as Acelina got close to him, she felt the wind exit her body immediately. She looked down, and saw Gallan’s leg right in her stomach. She dropped the sword, and fell down, grabbing her stomach, gasping for air. Gallan then stepped on her back, his magic circle still aimed at Jared.
Zachary looked down for a moment, thinking.
“Tick tock. I can’t hold this circle forever you know…” Gallan taunted Zachary, enjoying the sight of him on his knees at his mercy. Zachary clenched his fist, knowing that whatever he’s going to say, he’ll regret it very much.
“… yes…”
“Hm? Speak up my dear boy.”
“… we’ll work for you… the Ashes of Valcrest…”
“Guild… Master…” Acelina tried to say in between her gasps.
“Are… yours…” Zachary felt his heart ache as he said those words, the pain greater than the wounds from his battle.
“Smart move.” Gallan put his hand down, the magic circle disappearing. He left the bag next to Zachary, and began to walk away. “I’ll be bringing more tools for you all. I’ll lend you some hands to help you repair as well. Until then…” Gallan turned back to the clan, another devilish smile, “Welcome to my chess board, my pawns.”