Chapter 1: Leaving Home and Getting a Job

"Please, *cough* be careful, Rainer," a withered woman spoke from beneath a mound of blankets, nothing more than a graying head poking out. In the same room, there was a second bed. A much younger woman rested in it, sleeping and shivering despite the fire built in the stove at the center. Rainer stood uncertainly near his mother's side, mouth set into a hard line while his pale brows sank. He rubbed his nose in a sort of snort, growing predictably irritable. "O' course I'll be careful, old hag!" blustered the blond boy, hair growing more prickly by the second, almost like the hackles rising on a cornered cat. Even though he was rude and obnoxious, the sickly woman smiled and labored to reach out and touch his arm.

Rainer's adrenaline was pumping in his ears, only increasing his high level of bother. He'd never admit that he was nervous to leave home. Perhaps he was even scared. He'd only ever been in this run-down shack, working his fingers to the bone at any job he could find. Once his pops had realized the two women in his life were so severely ill that they'd likely never recover without an unending supply of cash, he'd skipped town, leaving young Rainer to take up the provider's mantle.  Every bit of the cash the boy could scrounge up was spent on medicine. Food had been scarce for a few years, but with the right amount of persuasion [violence], a local tavern's chef had been convinced to at least provide the three of them with one hot meal a day. Rainer knew if they had access to better quality sustenance and more of it, no doubt his mother and sister would be healthier.

His home town slowly dried up as the quarries were depleted. The money became even harder to get. The tavern's meals became smaller and only enough for two. The angry young man let the women have them and foraged his own way, be it garbage or hunting. He was actually quite skilled at living off the land, but even the animals had seemingly vacated the area. With each passing day, it became clear. If his mother and sister were to have a chance of survival, he would have to leave. That thought turned his stomach. It'd always just been them three. His mother would hate the idea more than he did, but choices were made for him by simple economics. The world had literally bent him over and gave it to him.

Everything was arranged. Rainer would leave to find work in a better area and send the jewel back home, where it would pay the carer he'd hired as well as for medicine and food. The carer was a kind woman who knew her payment might be delayed at first but understood the situation. That is what led him to stand where he stood, explaining this to his fading mom and telling her goodbye. He would not wake his sister to tell her, hoping that if he left things unfinished, maybe they'd overcome their disease and one day he'd come back to a happy home.

\\\

Three months later.

Most of Rainer Niehaus life had been complicated, but right now this was simple. As simple a concept as one could get, yet the hardest thing to accomplish in any meaningful way when needed the most. He needed money. Fast money. Good money. It was the reason he was out on his own away from home. It was why he had stooped to some pretty lame requests. Guildless mages didn't have the best time of finding paying, steady work unless you had the aptitude for mindless physical labor or office jobs, neither of which were nice fits for someone like Rainer. Working the quarries in his home town with people who knew his personality had made it work in the past. These people were dicks! At the first sign of him riling up, he was out on his nose. Not only did the porcupine head have a hard time staying calm, but it was made even harder when these pantywaists hid behind their desks and piled unreasonable amounts of work on him for no extra pay! He was living in the woods already since every scrap he got went home, but with what chicken scratch they wanted to give him, he could barely cover their meds, nevermind food!

The best jobs went to guilds. Guilds were known for their high success rate, so when people needed stuff done, it was to an organization of mages. The people who put in those requests knew that the mage that took it was strong and didn't give them any lip. They paid well and on time. Rainer wasn't really the sociable type of mage, so the idea was disgusting to him. He held a high opinion of himself and his abilities. Stooping to forming parties and sharing rewards already had his lower jaw jutting out, but, put simply, he was desperate. When he'd been working the docks briefly in Hargeon, his ear had been perked about a Trading Company. West Fiore or somethin'.

It was agonizing to spend what little money he had left on travel, but this was his last-ditch effort to get paid. Erm, ok not his absolute last-ditch, but everything else involved less than savory lines of work that may or may not leave him with only a little dignity and perhaps as diseased as his family. He'd arrived at the West Fiore Trading Company, and without hesitation, he opened the doors and stepped inside, peering tensely around for someone to speak with to apply.


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Kyran stood in the reception area. People rushed back and forth around him. A piece of crumpled paper lay upon the reception desk. "Have we verified this report?" He asked Alisha. She nodded solemnly. The redhead rubbed his forehead. Hell, this wasn't good. The Black Legion was getting bolder every week. They'd attacked several villages in Tolgalen. Two had been entirely massacred, not including those that had been taken. The West Fiore Trading Company could no longer ignore them. "Do we know if its the Black Legion as a whole or just one of their divisions?" Alisha slid another report across the desk. Kyran skimmed it quickly. One division then. He was well within his rights to wipe them out.

"Gather the Red Guard. Have them load into two ships and patrol the area of the last attack. The Orange Guard will split into six squads. Each will take a village twenty to one hundred miles in range of the last attack. I'll also be going personally. This insult requires a response. The squads are not to engage the Black Legion. They are to radio it in so I can deal with these bastards myself." Kyran said, looking around. The reception had been bustling since the last attack. All outsiders had been forbidden from entering until the threat was dealt with. "Sir, the guards are being assembled. They'll be deployed within the hour." Alisha informed him. He nodded absentmindedly. Someone had entered the reception area.

He didn't look like a WFTC employee. He lacked the uniform. His hair was all over the place. He probably would have noticed that hair on an employee. The male also clearly didn't know that the WFTC was closed to outsiders at the moment. That meant he wasn't a native of Tolgalen either. Kyran noticed several company members begin to step toward the male. The redhead waved them off. He'd handle this one himself. He strolled across the reception area. A smile was forced onto his face. How he hated this all. Being CEO could be such a pain. Before he'd been CEO, he would have ignored the male. Let someone else deal with these responsibilities. Now, he needed to shoulder those responsibilities.

"Hello! Welcome to the West Fiore Trading Company! May I inquire what your reason for coming is? We're currently in the state of a crisis so I regret to inform you, we cannot do much. If you are willing to wait, we can attend to whatever you came here for." He informed the male, trying to sound affable. You shouldn't coddle him. Dominate him. Make him kneel before you! Medea whispered in his ear. There was something about this male that was riling up the demon. Kyran had to bite back a chuckle. It was rare that someone managed to coax a reaction out of his demons. They tended to merely content themselves with egging Kyran on. The redhead rubbed his chin. Perhaps he should put Medea into a doll. She was prowling about his mind making it difficult to think. Something to consider once the boy gave his answer.

WC: 519

Rainer stood for long moment just in front of the entry, watching the unexpected level of activity and tension within. Either this was a much busier, much more serious operation than he had heard about, or something was going very wrong. He considered turning and walking back out the door, but to be honest, he had bet all he had on coming here. If he was unable to accomplish his mission of joining, he'd be stranded in Tolgalen until he could somehow earn enough jewel to leave, and that would significantly delay his payments for the caretaker and his family's medicine by up to a month. Rainer cursed under his breath. This had been potentially been a huge screw up.

The spiky blond couldn't help but overhear something about attacks on towns and something called the Black Legion. His beady red eyes narrowed. A rival trading company, maybe? This level of seriousness and violence wasn't what he was expecting, and though it seemed the WCTC might be more dangerous than he could have anticipated, he couldn't help but feel a little bit of a thrill. Using his magic to fight off enemies seemed much more exciting than using it to bust up granite for sale. He could feel his magic trying to ooze out of his pores at the very thought of excitement.

Finally, a red head approached. From the way he'd spoken, though he'd not heard it all, it seemed this may be the boss. The boss was the best to talk to when looking for a job, in his experience. Dealing with an underling rarely got him anywhere but screwed over or tossed out. Best behavior, Rainer! The rough porcupine man adjusted his jean jacket over his black shirt, trying his best to look professional. he'd even pulled up his pants instead of letting them slouch. Yeah, yeah applying or jobs was easier in a suit, but he didn't have one. As he'd thought earlier, this was his last chance not for himself, but for the only two people he loved in this messed up world. He had to make this count. "I can see this is a crisis, but I'll wait," he said stiffly, trying not to sound like his usual irritated self. Waiting wasn't his style though, especially not with so much excitement. "Or maybe I could help? I'm lookin' for a job here. If I can handle the risks of the worst, that should prove I'm worth keepin' 'round for the best." There it was, his best shot.

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Kyran smiled slightly at the man's response. While his mouth and body language said one thing, his scent said something else entirely. Still, at least he was willing to jump into it without knowing what was going on. "My name is Kyran Dyer, CEO of WFTC." He held a hand out to the spiky haired male. Medea hissed at the action. He'd have to let her out at some time or another. Hopefully, while this man wasn't around. "Alisha, is the skiff out front yet?" He called over his shoulder. The receptionist nodded briefly, still struggling to get everything he'd asked for done. Kyran pointed at two employees and snapped his fingers. A small amount of magic imbued the action. Each employee snapped to attention. "Mrs. Dyrth and Mr. Thompson, please assist Alisha for the duration of this crisis. I'll call your supervisors and let them know what happened."

The redhead turned back towards the new recruit. "Sorry about that, you'll be coming with me. I'll test out a variety of your skills to see which branch we should start you out in. Though I have a pretty good idea of where I should place you already." Kyran's teeth sparkled as he laughed slightly. Ugh, where had all this charisma suddenly come from? Maybe he was better suited to CEO than he was willing to admit. The slayer gestured to the door the recruit had just come through. "I will be there as backup should you need it but this whole situation is going to require throwing you in headfirst without a safety net." That wasn't entirely true. Since this was only a single division of the Black Legion, their highest rank would be B. A rank possibly but very unlikely. Well within what Kyran could help with. However, he wanted to see if the young man would ask for help when he became overwhelmed.

As they exited the building, the redhead spotted their ride immediately. It was a small white flat boat with blue designs on the side. It was floating a few feet off the stone walkway and had a large sail in the back half of it. Kyran strolled over, requipping a few items along the way. A long white duster appeared on his shoulders. A blue bow with a wave pattern attached itself to his back and a large warhammer hung from his hip. Technically, he didn't need any of the items yet but he'd learned quickly that apperance was an important part of his job. He used a small burst of wind to launch himself onto the skiff. "Climb aboard. Maybe we can spot the bastards before the Guard is needed. I'd rather get this over with quickly."

Once Rainer had climbed aboard, the redhead moved about getting them into the air. The skiff rose quickly and smoothly. It moved swiftly toward their destination. The landscape passing beneath them was mostly woods though a few roads stood out. The WFTC was slowly working on cultivating and settling these lands. "Keep a look out for any abnormally large creatures. They'll usually be of one animal category: Birds, mammals, lizards. Unfortunately, since this is a rogue group, it's impossible to tell if that'll hold true." The CEO debated summoning a few creatures to keep a look out. He decided against it. Let the recruit decide when he needed help from the boss. It would be a good lesson if he wasn't used to asking for help.

WC: 579
TC: 1098

"Rainer Niehaus," the man countered, reaching out to shake the CEO's hand. He'd been right about him being the boss. He would think he luck was looking up, but Rainer wasn't one to believe in such intangible notions. Good luck did seem an odd way to look at it, though, considering the quagmire he'd walked right into. But hey, action was action. Moving was better than holding still.

It seemed that it would be a literal trial by fire for the spiky blond...and he was excited. "Aw, yeah," he muttered to himself, flexing his fingers. He hadn't expected a trading company to have fighting, but he was grateful for it. He was far more fit for the rough and tumble stuff, physical labor or blowing stuff up, than he was for the more office-y stuff. Quick footsteps sent him back out the way he came, following the red-head to the boat waiting. Kyran put off an amazing display that did impress the newcomer, thought it threatened him as well. Rainer liked being surrounded by strong people, yet hated feeling inferior because of it. It was complicated, but no one ever accursed him of being simple...well, that was a lie too. He'd been accused of being simple many times because he tended to be a 'hit first, ask later' type, but he wasn't actually stupid.

The boat wasn't what he expected. It was...floating. Weren't boats used for the water? He tried to keep the uneasiness off his face, but most likely failed. Modes of transportation were mostly all new for Rainer, and though he'd now been in boats and trains and cars...he'd yet to fly. Using some explosions from his hands to propel himself into the boat, Rainer pulsed the muscles in his legs as if to see if the flying boat would dip under the pressure. How secure was this? Before he could wrap his head around it entirely, they were off into the sky and he was left to try and adjust without clinging like a baby to the side.

His orders were to keep an eye out for big creatures. That was unexpected. Black Legion made him think of like, ninjas or something. Definitely something human and organized. Was the Black Legion actually packs of really big wild animals? Red eyes did as he was ordered, though not without confusion. Unsure what he was looking for, he pointed out the first creature he could see that seemed bigger than usual. A huge bird flying through a cloud not too far away. "Boss?" he called, pointing upward and to the right. "Is that what we're looking for?"

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Kyran squinted at the animal the initiate was pointing out. It was a roc, by the looks of it. Unusual for it to be this close to HQ. They had people that kept them away and magic barriers when the people failed. "Looks like it, Rainer. Good catch." As the two flying objects got closer together, it became clear the size difference. The Roc dwarfed the flying skiff. The boat could easily fit inside one of its talons. Its beak opening would probably tear the boat in half. Kyran passed a hand through his windswept hair. He wanted to take out the bird immediately. Allowing it to continue would endanger HQ and probably Cloverdale beyond. Neither were outcomes he wanted to see come to pass. Instead, the CEO swept a hand toward Rainer. "I'll let you handle this, Rainer." He called out when there was barely one hundred meters between the bird and the skiff. The redhead figured even if Rainer was a low ranking mage, this distance would be achievable for most spells. Especially since the distance was closing rapidly.

Kyran held course until there was no option. "Hold on!" He shouted, sending the skiff into a steep climb. The wind would have screamed past them if Kyran hadn't parted it with his magic. As they leveled out over the roc, it became apparent it had passengers. Groups of mages littered the roc's feathery back. Animals of mutated shape and size roamed about as well. As the mages spotted the skiff, several animals lifted off the roc. Magic began to sparkle below as well. Kyran whistled through his teeth. "Looks like we found the party. Shall we say hello?" He didn't wait for an answer. "The mages controlling the roc are on its head. I'm trusting you to deal with them, Rainer. I'll be around, call if you get overwhelmed or need help."

The attacking forces reached them at that point. The sky around them became darkness and feathers. A cacophony of animal shrieks created a cocoon of sound. For now, the creatures weren't attacking. Once they did, the boat would splinter apart beneath them. It was meant for recon, not battle. Kyran released the till to unlimber his bow. "You'll have to jump. Otherwise, we'll never stop the roc before it reaches HQ. Or worse before it reaches Cloverdale - where the families of WFTC members reside. I'll draw these things toward the boat. Jump once they break formation or forge your own path." He informed the initiate. The CEO of WFTC drew back on his bow and fired into the thick crowd of flapping animals. One of the creatures fell shrieking from the sky. For a moment, the mass of feathers was still. It didn't last long before the animals attacked.

Kyran checked that Rainer was off the boat before enacting his spell. A great whirlwind swept up the feathered mass. The creatures barely had time to scream before they were torn apart. The CEO frowned. Black Legion took pride in their experiments. These opponents had been uncharacteristically weak. He checked on the roc. Could the mages below merely be impersonating the Black Legion? That possibility made him shiver. The Black Legion had spread far enough to be a threat if the WFTC took them on in its entirety. Few parties would benefit from such a conflict. Perhaps the goal was merely chaos. That didn't make the redhead very happy either. That placed another opponent on the board while the WFTC was still reeling from sudden leadership change. He'd have to send people to investigate.

The CEO pulled out his iLac, watching Rainer's progress. The skiff was kept at a safe distance above the roc where the slayer could hear any calls for help. "Alisha, redeploy the Guard around HQ and Cloverdale as swiftly as possible. It seems the attackers are coming straight to us. If the potential recruit and I fail to stop it in time, the Guard has permission to engage with no holds barred. I don't want this thing reaching HQ or Cloverdale. However, redirect the creature toward headquarters if we don't have a choice. That building can take the hit and we have shelters in place for non combat employees. Cloverdale wouldn't survive." He clicked the iLac off and stowed it again. The demons scratched at his mind. Why do you not end things now? You are the Alpha. Protect your pack! Medea hissed with displeasure. Kyran smiled slightly at the cat's complaints. A leader must trust in their subordinates or they stood alone. He choose to trust Rainer. The CEO wanted to see if the male would call for his aid, or let things go too far.

WC: 786
PWC: 1884