Sinners

Axel and Mel stood outside of the King's Castle. They stood in front of two guards and the King's personal servant.

"Are you saying the King doesn't want to meet with us?" (Mel)

"No and yes madam. The King does want to meet you, but..." (King's Servant)

The Servant pretended to care.

"Only special requested individuals may enter the castle." (King's Servant)

Mel looked at the Servant with confusion.

"But if he wants to meet us, can't he just let us in?" (Mel)

The Servant rolled his eyes and ignored Mel.

"Back to what I was talking about earlier. So the High Priest is sick. That is so very sad. Will he not be participating in the mission?" (King's Servant)

"What mission?" (Axel)

The Servant turned to Axel.

"And who are you?" (King's Servant)

"He's my assistant." (Mel)

"Yes yes of course..." (King's Servant)

He pretended to collect his thoughts.

"Actually, I just had a wonderful idea. What if you two took the High Priests place?" (King's Servant)

"No no, we can't." (Mel)

"Mel, isn't that why we're here. I want some action!" (Axel)

"Perfect, so you two are on board then." (King's Servant)

"No, we really shouldn't." (Mel)

The Servant pulled out a scroll and handed it to Mel.

"That contains all the relevant information on the mission." (King's Servant)

---

A day later on the outskirts of Albatra near the entrance of the valley, twelve Adventurers stood in a party. They were the best of the best, personally picked by the Guild Master. 12 of the best Adventurers. B-Ranks, C-ranks, and D-rank. Twelve in all. Three Healers. Four Tanks. Four Attackers. And one D-Rank Porter.

Axel and Mel walked across the empty field. They watched as the faces began to turn. The men and ladies, the tall the short, the fat the skinny. Of all sizes and abilities.

"Who are these guys?" (Axel)

He covered his eyes from the shining morning sun.

"It said in the scroll. Oh yeah, you can't... Read...!" (Mel)

She chuckled under her breath.

"Shut up. I lost my memories remember." (Axel)

He stared straight. His right eye covered in the starlit cloth, a hood covering his black hair. A long dripping black cloak in a full three-sixty around his body, his arms tucked in with only his head peaking from the top. He was like death. A ghastly being from hell, a pure dark being.

"You look so stupid." (Mel)

"This is what you picked out for me." (Axel)

Mel's slight chuckle turned to laughter. Axel's face stayed serious.

"Yeah right. You know you like it. Your all moody anyway." (Mel)

"Shut up or I'm gonna punch you." (Axel)

She ran up a bit and turned around. She pulled the scroll from her white robe.

"It says that we should be accompanied by one of the best Adventurer Parties in the Guild. The Orange Fox Party. Their captain is a B-Rank Attacker, Mike Yellow. Or he's most known for his name. Yellow Flash." (Mel)

"The Yellow Flash. Heh. I bet he's fast but not faster than him." (Axel)

"Than who?" (Mel)

"It's none of your business." (Axel)

"Come on tell me-" (Mel)

"Hey?" (Mike Yellow)

Suddenly Mike Yellow stood behind Mel and Axel. He stood with his arms crossed and his head tilted looking right at Mel.

"Who are you cutie? You look like a healer? No no. More like a Priest. Oh, are you the High Priest? Are you gonna be joining us?" (Mike Yellow)

She leaned away from Mike's advances.

"No, I am the High Priests Right-Hand Lady." (Mel)

In a flash.

"He's fast." (Mel)

In an instant, Mike to the blind eye teleported in front of Axel. He leaned forward with his arms crossed.

"You are-" (Mike Yellow)

Axel swung his fist. A boulder in lightning speed. Mike's eyes immediately opened in the split second before death and life. He arched back, his face way too close to the punch.

"I can see it..." (Axel)

"Woah Woah Woah man! Calm down I only-" (Mike Yellow)

"Your evil!" (Axel)

Mike stopped evading. His face stiff and still, his eyes stuck to Axel's unknown presence.

The fight stopped faster than it started.

"Who are you?" (Mike Yellow)

Mel stood up on her tippy toes. She slapped Axel across the back of his head.

"He's my assistant." (Mel)

She pulled Axel to the ground making him apologize. Mike stood stiff. He looked at Mel. He looked at his party as they watched the confrontation from a distance. He watched as B-Rank Adventurer named Wendyran up from the group. She waved with a smile. Mike smiled back.

"Heh an assistant huh? You-" (Mike Yellow)

He looked at Axel again. The fierce gaze as he bent forward. The anger in his eye. The anger in his dark eyebrows. The wrinkles in the fear. The grit in his teeth.

"You... You don't look like an assistant." (Mike Yellow)

"Mel you said you were gonna put me into action, right? How about we start now." (Axel)

Mel looked up at Axel with concern and regret. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from Mike and the other Adventurers coming their way.

"Look I'm trying to be nice ok. Stop trying to attack these people. These guys have a lot of power and influence. And they're on good terms with the King." (Mel)

"But he's a monster." (Axel)

"He's not a monster-" (Mel)

She looked at Axel's silver eye. It was determined, truthful, sincere, genuine, buitiful.

"Is he actually a Monster in disguise?" (Mel)

"No, not a monster in disguise. A Monster in heart." (Axel)

---

"Who are those two?" (Wendy, B-Rank, Magician)

"They work for the High Priest." (Mike Yellow, B-Rank, Attacker)

"The big guy with that eye covering? What's his deal?" (Hike, B-Rank, Healer)

"Nothing but bad news. He knows something about it. The incident." (Mike Yellow)

"He does!" (Wendy)

"How much does he know?" (Tinnin, B-Rank, Tank)

"He knows something, but I don't know what? He could be using some sort of ability. That eye is fierce. It could be Harmony. Hike..." (Mike Yellow)

He turned to Hike, a short chubby healer who wore a long robe and carried a tall staff.

"Can you do it?" (Mike Yellow)

"Yeah I'm already on it." (Hike)

---

The Attacker, Mike Yellow. The Magician, Wendy Sinci. The Healer, Hike. The Tank, Tinnin Jin. These four were known as the B squad of Orange Fox Party. They were known across the Kingdom of Albatra as the reliable, the strong, the best of the best. And then there was the C Squad located directly behind the higher group. These seven other C-Ranks were known as the weaker of the B squared, but weaker wasn't always worse. They were the backbone of the Orange Fox Party, the chumps holding the B Rank to the heavens. But there was one more, a D-Rank Porter.

The group walked through the Valley. The two mountains peaked to the clouds on either side of them. Mike took the lead. He commanded the force. Axel and Mel walked in the back.

"Everyone listen up! Were about to come across a steep uphill. Make sure to keep track of the person next to you. We don't want any stragglers. Don't forget, our goal is to get to the campsite before noon!" (Mike Yellow)

"He's quite good at speeches." (Mel)

Axel stared with a sour mood. He pulled up his cloak and slowly climbed up the steep hillside. As he climbed up step by step he suddenly heard a cry from down below. He turned around to see someone laying on the side of the hill, his heavy backpack dragging him down.

"By the way. About your eye-" (Mel)

She turned to Axel. He was missing. She looked down the hill.

"Are you ok?" (Axel)

"Yeah. I can keep going you don't have to-" (Gen, D-Rank, Porter)

Axel immediately picked up Gen. He carried her and the bag up the hill. He passed by Mel.

"Wow, you're so nice." (Mel)

"Shut up." (Axel)

---

Hours later at the camp.

"Wheres my water!" (Wendy)

Wendy the B-Rank Magician emptied out Gens bag to the dirty ground.

"Wendy I mean... Madam Sinci. It probably fell off back at the hill please-" (Gen)

She kicked Gen in the stomach. The dirt flying in the air, the weapons and supplies crashing to the dust. Gen fell clutching the pain in her stomach, her face crying, tears of self-loathing rolling down her cheeks.

"While your down there you should clean up the stuff you dropped." (Wendy)

Wendy picked up loose dirt. She dumped it on Gen's head. She walked away past everyone's glaring eyes. The eyes of C-Ranks helpless to the hierarchy.

"What are yall looking at?! To become a high-ranking Adventurer you have to be perfect. No mistakes! Or you learn the hard way!" (Wendy)

A silvereye in the crowd of confused anger.

"Axel don't. You can't take them all on." (Mel)

"Sure I can." (Axel)

"Four B-Ranks is equivalent to a Holy Knight. Two Holy Knights are equivalent to an A-Rank. If you attack Wendy Sicil then all the C-Rank's will be involved. There is nothing you can do to change the system. Four B-Ranks and Seven C-Ranks equal an A-Rank. And Five A-Ranks equal one S-Rank." (Mel)

"S-Rank, A-Rank..." (Axel)

He remembered that specific feeling. The flash of speed. His unfiltered expression of pure silence. The blind stare of a powerful man. He smiled.

"Not in a million years." (Axel)