Enter the Half-Demon [Intro - Open to Sabertooth]

Zen was seated comfortably, his coat slung over his legs. The barkeep slid his the beer he had requested and Zen nodded back at him in thanks. He was about to have a sip of it, when a man sat down near his seat, greeting him. Zen didn't really expect anyone to strike up conversation with him, but it was a pleasant surprise, nonetheless. The stranger even offered o pay for his drinks, which was quite unusual aswell. Unusual for Zen, at least. People usually looked at him with fear or disgust in their eyes. But this man clad in black and red with a pinch of purple seemed different, somehow.

Zen would nod towards the stranger. "I am thankful for the offer. It's quite generous of you. Glad I picked the right place to stay." He would thank the young man with a small smile. "I am Zen, pleasure to make your acquaintance." The blue haired man would introduce himself. It was a common courtesy, after all. This time he wasn't worried about revealing his name, like he was in the past. Knowing somebody's true name was one of the best bargaining chips in the backalleys. It allowed other people to gather dirt and ruin or possibly even end lives. Since he used to be a pretty high ranked and well known criminals, he had to increase his carefulness tenfold. It felt.. freeing, not having to worry about that anymore. Not as much, anyway. "How come you are so generous towards strangers?" Zen was honestly intrigued. He never experienced the so-called 'kindness of strangers'. But perhaps now he has. It definitely didn't feel bad.

Zen's newfound companion took a sip of his shot and tipped his hat, introducing himself as Ryo. He then explained his generosity and Zen had to agree with his reasoning. It was easy to be generous, when you had the resources to be generous, without going broke, then sure. Unfortunately for Zen, he couldn't be generous like Ryo was. Maybe once upon a time, but not anymore. The young man was about to take a drink from his beer, when a certain something flew down from... the ceiling, probably, and landed down on Ryo's hat. It looked like a some sort of sprite that spoke up. What it spoke about, however, was quite interesting. It claimed that Ryo was scouting for Sabertooth. Bingo for Zen.

Ryo then introduced the sprite, Hekate. He then admitted the truth behind Hecate's words. Ryo then extended his right hand to Zen with a proper introduction. Not only did he share his full name, he also mentioned that he was one of two Sabertooth Guildmasters. What intrigued him was the part when Ryo said that he was one of two Guildmasters. Zen could've sworn that there was usually only one. The young man would nod and extend his own right hand and shake Ryo's. "Allow me to properly introduce myself then aswell. I am Zen Astair." He would give a little laugh. "It would seem that the fate has brought us together then." Zen would give Ryo a small smile. "Coincidentally, I was looking for Sabertooth, so I arrived at the Ace of Spades and decided to take a breather here." He would briefly explain how he ended up at the inn. "I was looking to join Sabertooth, but seeing as you are one of the Guildmasters, the decision is up to you. Feel free to ask me anything." Zen would finish and have a drink of his beer.

It seemed that the Sabertooth's Guildmaster had an another plan to acquire the necessary information about Zen's true intentions. Ryo stood up and motioned towards a table. Zen followed suit right after he dunked the rest of his beer, but had a chill come down his spine, when Ryo mentioned that he had a 'more fun' to find out the answers. Would he find out about his demon pact...? There was no way he could get out of the situation without raising suspicion. This was his way into joining Sabertooth, though. He had to see it through. It was probably better if the Guildmaster knew about his secret, anyway.

Ryo sat down and Zen did the same. The man sitting in front of him explained what he needed to do. It sounded simple enough. Zen had never had a fortune told to him before. Not that he eexpected any exact fortune to come his way, anyway. Ryo bickered with Hekate for a moment, that made Zen wonder, if he would be allowed into Sabertooth at all. Slightly nervous, Zen would place his right hand over the cards. Nothing happened. At first. Then a light flicker of blue spectral, demonic flames danced on atop his fingertips. They quickly moved to the told of his hand and disappeared. The mark on Zen's forehead glowed faintly under the bottom of his fringe for a moment. He was unsure of what he had done to the cards.

The young man would take his hand off of the deck, worry written in his eyes. "Is there anything else I need to do?" Zen would ask the Guildmaster in an equally worried voice as his eyes were. Not just because he didn't particularly enjoy revealing his demonic side, but mostly because of the reaction that happened. The flames were harmless, yes, but there was no telling what could happen next, when it was a demon in question.

Nothing bad was supposed to happen. Zen could think of at least a couple dozens of ways everything could go wrong. His magic's reaction to the deck of cards made the Guildmaster scoot back a bit. That would definitely reflect on Zen's resume later on. After he removed his hand from the deck, Ryo smiled and revealed his fangs. That meant.. /"He's a vampire, isn't he?"/ That would certainly explain the reaction towards the spectral flames that appeared. But that also meant that maybe, just maybe, he may be understanding of his situation and his current state of being. Not all was lost just yet.

The Guildmaster took the deck into his hands and skillfully arranged the cards into a star shape. The other man then explained which every one of the five cards he layed out represented. The first card would explain who Zen was. He was unsure whether it would reveal his demonic portion and his pact with Apollyon. The blue, invisible shackles that held his soul hostage, binding his to the demon, leaving him at the demon's mercy until he grew bored. All because he was afraid of death. It could also speak of his backalley criminal past. Kill and steal to survive. Or perhaps it could talk about both sides of the coin. The second card would reveal the nature of his power. This portion of the star would most definitely speak of his pact and the spectral demonic powers that were passed onto him because of it. Flames and chains of his soul's inprisonment became Zen's domain. The cross shaped markings on his forehead, the ones that adorned his irises, all of them were the proof of this pact that had been sealed. The third card would reveal his reason for being there. If Zen had to be honest, even he wasn't entirely sure as to why he was there. Perhaps he felt like needed a place to belong in? A place he could finally call home once more? As cheesy as it sounded, maybe it was truly what his tired heart yearned for. The fourth card would reveal his usefulness to the guild and if he is to help the guild at all. Zen's personal answer would be that he wanted to do actual good for people, instead of using and robbing them, like he had to for most of his life. He wanted to help. But only the card's answer counted, so it was ultimately up to them to decide. The last, fifth card would reveal whether or not he should be allowed into the guild. Zen wanted to be bold and say yes, but that would be his selfish self talking. This part was completely up for cards to decide on. The young man would accept whatever outcome of the fortune telling.

The Guildmaster was about to flip the topmost card, when he stopped to put on a slight show, that made Zen and also Ryo's impatient. As much as he was afraid of the outcome, he was also curious as to what the cards would say about him. With goosebumps going down his spine, Zen awaited the reveal.

Zen had his gaze fixated upon the cards. Could they really show what Ryo claimed? He was a Guildmaster afterall, so there must've been truth to what he was saying. Ryo noted on Hekate's complaining, but Zen himself was itching for him to start, so he couldn't blame her. With skilled fingers the first card was flipped over. It showed a Demon. The young man swallowed. /"So they do show the answers, afterall.."/ He slightly shifted in his seat, as Ryo explained the interpretation of the card.

For the most part, he was very much correct. He used to be called the Dim Devil in his old days, indeed. But now it wasn't just a badass nickname; it was much more real. His ears caught something interesting that Ryo mentioned - dragon slayers? Zen could only assume that they slayed dragons, but maybe it meant something more than just this simple assumption. Zen breathed a breath of relief, when the Guildmaster said that they do not care as to where one's power stems from, but rather that they use it to protect the kingdom. That was what he wanted. Protect instead of destroy. Ryo then revealed the second card, the one which would hold the answer to Zen's power. It showed a flame and the Guildmaster didn't elaborate any more than that on the matter. Zen wished to raise a question, but he knew that it would be for the best if he just stayed quiet for the time being. The third was the Death, which, according to Ryo symbolized an end and a new beginning. Again, it was true, in a sense. His old, criminal self died that night and he got a second chance. At what price, though...?

The fourth card was the Star, which, according to the Guildmaster, symbolised that Zen will be an asset to the Guild, which made Ryo pleased. Zen himself was glad to see that. At least he wasn't being selfish when he thought so. Maybe just a little bit. However, when Ryo flipped over the last card, which turned out to be just a green checkmark, Zen's face turned sour for a moment, but he felt really relieved shortly afterwards. When he looked up at the Guildmaster, he was met with a sly smirk. Luckily for Zen, it seemed that he had passed the test the Guildmaster set before him and was willing to let him in the Guild. He wanted to ask a few questions, but the other man was faster. He leaned back, inquiring about the nature of Zen's power, also offering to share his own. Ryo held his hand over the table and the cards sprung back. He put them away, as he took out one that he made dance around his fingers. Ryo explained that his power was the Card Magic. A unique kind of magic that belonged to him and his teacher. His secondary techniques were based on blood magic. The card magic sounded intriguing, but Ryo was more interested in Zen's magic.

The young man leaned back in his chair. Where was he supposed to begin? He took a few moments to ponder. "As the cards said, I seek to forge a new beginning in the Guild. In the past I used to be somebody who stole and killed, in order to survive. I was ruthless and merciless. If the pay was good, I would do it." Zen would look down on the table. "People talked about me in hushed voices, praying that I wasn't after them. Again, it was because if I didn't, I would die. And technically speaking, I did." He would look up back to Ryo. "I got careless and payed the ultimate price for my overconfidence. I was backstabbed when I least expected it. In the heat of the moment I realised.. that I didn't want to die." The young man would cross his arms on his chest. "I guess I didn't want to die so hard a demon thought it looked like some fun for him and gave me an offer. I could die there and then, or I could chain my soul to his and partake of his power to remain alive. Albeit quite different." Zen would reach to his fringe and brush it away, revealing the deep blue coloured cross symbol that belonged to the demon - Apollyon. "I don't know what exactly I am capable of with these powers, myself. But whatever they may be, I will use them to protect people." The young man would look at the Guildmaster once more with both determination and sadness etched on his features. "I'm sorry I can't share any more knowledge about my magic."

The young man was slightly surprised when the Guildmaster smiled after he shared his story. The Guildmaster subsequently welcomed him into the folds of the Guild of Sabertooth. Zen didn't feel any different, but he definitely felt relief wash over him. The relief of leaving behind his unfortunate past and the relief of being officially accepted into the Guild. Ryo pulled out an another card, but this time it had the emblem of Sabertooth imprinted on it. With a bit of magic the Guildmaster changed the card into a stamp-like thing that had the emblem of Sabertooth on it, just like the card. Ryo leaned forward, holding it out. Zen was then instructed to mark himself as a member of Sabertooth, with the premise of entering the Guild itself.

The young man took the stamp from the Guildmaster's hand. He briefly pondered as to where he was supposed to slap it on. Without thinking, he held it in his left hand and pressed it on his right hand's back. He wasn't sure what to expect. Zen carefully removed the stamp to reveal a silver symbol of Sabertooth, that now adorned his right hand. He didn't know if the colour changed from person to person, but he felt comfortable with silver. After he marked himself as a member of Sabertooth, Zen would the stamp back to the Guildmaster. "Thank you for allowing me to join the Guild. A simple thank you doesn't cut it, but it's the best I can do." He would sheepishly thank Ryo. Right now, it pretty much meant the world for him. He didn't have anywhere to go. Zen briefly pondered as to where the Guild actually resided. "Where is the Guild, actually?" He would ask the Guildmaster, as he didn't notice any great buildings that would indicate a Guild.

Zen thought that he would hand back the stamping thing, but instead it burst into harmless purple flames. He instinctively flinched, but soon realised their harmlessness. After Zen placed his question, the Guildmaster stood up and put on his coat. The young man followed, standing up and putting on a coat of his own. He pat down his fringe to cover the mark again. The Guildmaster moved towards the door and the spirit beckoned to Zen to do the same, and he did. When they stepped outside, there was a rather large direwolf just nonchalantly waiting and walked beside the Guildmaster. The young man was a little bit surprised, but he felt himself begin to care less and less about such sudden and unusual appearances.

The small group made their way through the streets of Ace of Spades. Ryo seemed to have been recognised by the people, presumably because of his position as one of the Sabertooth's Guildmasters. He explained that the Guild built the city they were walking through and act as the protectors of the people living there. Ryo also mentioned that the people would soon recognise Zen  aswell. He was unsure whether he liked that or not, but he would have to see for himself later on. Eventually, they reached a castle upon a hill. It definitely looked majestic from the outside, Zen could only wonder how it looked like from the inside. He didn't have wonder for long, as the group reached the castle doors and the Guildmaster promptly pushed them open. They stepped inside and stopped in a spot, where the floor had some design on it. Zen could only guess that it wasn't there just to pretty up the floor. Ryo instructed him to focus on creating a portal. The young man would tilt his head in confusion. He was not very well versed in magic usage just yet, so he wasn't sure how he was supposed to achieve a portal creation. "Hmmm.." He was kind of stumped, but attemped to give it a shot. Zen would close his eyes and concetrate on a shape of a portal in his mind's eye. Nothing would happen at first, so Zen tried to think of Sabertooth aswell. After that he could feel something forming near him. It didn't seem to be enough, he probably needed an another trigger. But he couldn't think of anything. He didn't know how exactly the Guildhall looked like, he had never been there before.

Zen then thought of one thing, that could perhaps help him to fully summon the portal. He thought of home. That is what he wished Sabertooth to become for him. The magic of the Guild mark worked its magic and fully opened the portal that had been shaping up near Zen. The young man would open his eyes, seeing the portal for himself. For some reason he felt mentally exhausted. He would look at the Guildmaster, worry written on his face. "Is this.. right?" Zen wasn't sure if he had opened a correct portal, or if it was a proper portal at all.

It seemed that Zen did a good job with his very first portal, even if it took him quite a long time to create. The Guildmaster and the newly joined mage stepped through the portal, into a realm that was unknown to Zen. Upon exiting, his feet landed on a wooden platform that had the emblem of Sabertooth on it. The portal closed behind them. Ryo gestured to the world that surrounded them, calling it the world tree, Yggdrasil, which housed the Guild of Sabertooth. The surroundings were breathtaking; Zen had never seen anything like it before. The tree trunk itself was ahead of them and the young man spotted several indentations in it. He wanted to look around more, but the two mages were stopped by a strange chittering sound. Within a moment, Ryo was standing in front of Zen, taking hold of the situation.

The source of the sound seemed to be a squirrel of some kind. And apparently it really didn't take a liking to Zen. It was intent on guarding the Guild and the Guildmaster had to explain that the young man was there as a member Sabertooth. The squirrel seemed quite irritated, but left them alone. Ryo then introduced it as Ratatoskr and noting that he will not hurt him. /"I would prefer that, yeah."/ Zen thought to himself as he followed the Guildmaster. "We all have our quirks, I suppose." The young man would chuckle. Even if Ratatoskr seemed to have some interesting ones, to say the least. "So.." Zen wasn't sure where to begin. "..How big is this place? I've never seen anything like this." He would ask the Guildmaster. The young man could only assume that it was huge.