Guild Bosses

The room was dimly lit, the flickering light from enchanted sconces casting wavering shadows on the stone walls. The council chamber of Eclipsevane, typically a meeting ground for guild leaders to strategize, now felt suffocating, weighed down by loss and division.

At the head of the table sat Elara Windwhisper, the guild master of Eclipsevane. Her silver hair was tightly pulled back, though streaked with stress, and her sharp eyes moved with precision across the gathered leaders. To her left sat Garrick Ironfist of Duskborn, his gruff demeanor as unyielding as the armor he wore. Across from him was Eldric Stormrider of Ironpact, his wild silver mane and piercing green eyes practically crackling with restrained energy. Lady Seraphina Nightshade of Crimsonward lounged in her seat, her midnight-blue robes flowing like liquid shadows, her sharp gaze cutting into the discussion.

Aetterus Voss of Ariants was absent, his chair empty, a reminder of his enigmatic and often unpredictable priorities.

"We're holding this meeting without Voss?" Garrick grunted, his tone laced with irritation. "He should be here. The situation demands everyone."

Elara's eyes lingered on Aetterus's vacant chair before she responded. "Aetterus made it clear he had… other priorities. But we can't afford to delay. There's too much at stake."

"Too much at stake?" Garrick echoed, leaning forward. "We've already lost Merrick, and our guilds are bleeding members. You have an unconscious boy wielding the most dangerous artifact we've seen in decades, and no one knows where the missing people are going."

"Don't overstate it, Garrick," Seraphina said smoothly, her voice dripping with a dangerous calm. "He's restrained. Your real concern should be the Crimson Dagger itself, not the boy."

Eldric tapped his fingers against the table, his gaze narrowing. "The Crimson Dagger isn't a passive artifact. It's a predator. It's not just a weapon—it's a force of will. And if what I've heard is true, that force is bound to the boy now."

"Which means we're sitting on a time bomb," Garrick growled. "And Elara seems perfectly content to let it tick."

Elara rose from her chair, her voice sharp and commanding. "I'm not content with anything, Garrick. But killing the boy, or even exiling him further, won't solve the problem. The dagger is the real threat. If you're so concerned, why don't you offer a solution?"

"Jane," Garrick snapped, glaring at Elara. "She was close to Merrick. She's always near that boy. And your blind loyalty to her—"

"You'll leave Jane alone," Elara cut in coldly. "She's one of the few who's remained steadfast. If you want to question someone, question the people who vanished without a trace. Question the circumstances that brought us here."

A brief silence followed, heavy with unspoken tension. Eldric finally broke it, his voice calm but firm. "The disappearances aren't isolated. This is systematic, not random. My guild's scouts reported strange disturbances in the northern regions—people disappearing, whispers of unnatural activity. I suspect the same is happening here."

"And the boy?" Seraphina asked, her dark eyes flicking to Elara. "When he wakes up? What then?"

Elara's gaze didn't waver. "We monitor him. Closely. The dagger may have chosen him, but we can still control this. When he wakes, we'll get the answers we need."

"And if he's too far gone?" Garrick challenged.

Elara's lips pressed into a thin line. "Then we'll do what must be done."

The room fell into an uneasy silence. Eldric finally leaned back, his wild hair catching the dim light. "The Crimson Dagger aside, we need a plan for the missing guild members. If this is tied to the same force, it's only a matter of time before it spreads."

Elara nodded. "Agreed. We'll focus our resources on finding out what's happening to the missing members. Meanwhile, Jane stays close to the boy. If anyone can reach him before it's too late, it's her."

Seraphina tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "And if she can't?"

Elara's voice was steady, though her gaze flickered to the empty chair. "Then we prepare for the worst."

The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by the faint tapping of Eldric's fingers on the edge of the table. His piercing green eyes flicked around the chamber, weighing each leader in turn. "And then there are the Seven."

The mention of the Seven Deadly Sins sent a chill through the air. Garrick, unflinching in most battles, shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his heavy gauntlets resting uneasily on the table. Lady Seraphina's enigmatic calm faltered, her sharp features betraying a flicker of unease.

"They're more than a myth now," Eldric continued. "Envy is gone, but there are still six of them. If even one of the others fully awakens, we could be looking at devastation unlike anything we've seen in centuries."

Garrick leaned forward, his tone gruff but laced with uncertainty. "We've got fragments of information at best. Wrath… there are whispers of him, but nothing concrete. Seth is a potential lead, but that man hides in plain sight like no one else. If he is Wrath, he's a damned good actor."

"And Pride?" Seraphina asked, her voice smooth but tinged with doubt. "There are… suspicions. Aetterus Voss has always been an enigma, his methods too calculated, too self-assured. But without proof, we can't afford to accuse one of our own."

Elara's gaze flicked to Aetterus's empty chair, her expression unreadable. "He's unpredictable, but Pride? It doesn't seem certain."

"None of it is certain," Eldric said sharply. "Gluttony, Greed, Sloth—we've got nothing. No leads, no whispers. Just shadows. But Lust…" He trailed off, his gaze narrowing. "There's something there. Reports of a girl wandering the nights in the south. The way people describe her… it fits. But if she is Lust, she hasn't fully awakened yet."

"And what of Changra?" Garrick asked, his tone heavy. "The boy of prophecy. Is he one of them? Or something worse?"

Elara's knuckles whitened as she gripped the edge of the table. "We don't know."

Seraphina's dark eyes glittered with cold calculation. "You're telling me that boy lying unconscious in your infirmary, who wields the most dangerous artifact we've encountered in generations, is still a mystery? You've been housing him for years, Elara."

"He's been many things," Elara said firmly. "But we don't know what he is. If he's tied to the Sins, he hasn't shown it. What we do know is that the Crimson Dagger chose him. And that alone makes him a danger."

"To us all," Garrick added grimly. "If he's not one of the Sins, he might be worse. And if he's just a normal boy, then why does he hold such power?"

The room fell silent again, the weight of Garrick's words sinking in. Eldric finally broke the tension, his voice calm but resolute. "The Crimson King is stirring. That much is clear. Whether or not this boy is connected, we need to prepare for what's coming. If the Sins are gathering, if the King's shadow is spreading, we don't have the luxury of indecision."

"And what do we do with the boy when he wakes?" Seraphina asked pointedly. "If he's not a Sin, but something worse?"

Elara's gaze didn't waver. "We watch him. We learn from him. If he's just a boy, we help him. If he's something more… we do what must be done."

The leaders exchanged uneasy glances, the enormity of the situation pressing down on them. Outside the chamber, the faint hum of the guild's daily activity was a stark contrast to the dark reality unfolding within.

Eldric leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his broad chest. "We're losing ground," he said, his voice a low rumble. "The Sins are stirring, the Crimson King's shadow looms larger every day, and now there's talk of a new group in the East—this Crimson Dominion."

"The Crimson Dominion," Seraphina repeated, her tone cold and clipped. "A cult, most likely. Another misguided faction latching onto ancient legends."

Elara's jaw tightened. "They're more than that. Reports from the Eastern territories suggest they're organized. Powerful. And they're growing fast. Entire villages are being absorbed into their ranks, and those who resist… vanish."

"Fools," Garrick muttered, his fist slamming onto the table with a metallic thud. "What is it about the Crimson King that draws so many to their deaths? He's been gone for centuries."

"Gone," Eldric echoed darkly. "But not forgotten. For them, he's not a relic of the past—he's a promise. A promise of power, vengeance, and order in a world falling apart."

Seraphina's lips curled into a mirthless smile. "Order through destruction. Typical. And what are we doing while they spread their influence? Sitting in meetings like this?"

"We don't have the manpower to confront them directly," Elara said, her voice taut. "Not with the guilds already stretched thin dealing with rogue magic, monster outbreaks, and the whispers of the Sins. Every time we think we have control, another fire breaks out."

"We can't afford to be reactive anymore," Eldric said firmly. "We need a plan. The Sins, the Crimson Dominion, the King—if even half of these threats fully manifest, we'll be overwhelmed."

Garrick nodded. "Then we prioritize. Start with what we know. The Crimson Dominion is an immediate threat. If they continue to grow, they'll destabilize the East completely. And if they really are connected to the Crimson King—"

"They are," Elara interrupted. Her voice was steady, but there was a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. "I've seen the symbols they use. The obsidian crown, the crimson sigil. It all points to him."

The room grew still, the weight of her words pressing down on them like a leaden fog. Eldric broke the silence, his voice sharp. "Then we can't wait. We need to send scouts, gather intelligence. If we're to stop this Dominion, we need to know what we're up against."

"And what about the boy?" Seraphina asked, her gaze fixed on Elara. "If he's part of this prophecy, part of the King's return, do we just keep him here? Hope for the best?"

"We don't have a choice," Elara said quietly. "He's not going anywhere in his current state. But if he wakes… we'll deal with it then."

"And if he doesn't?" Garrick asked bluntly.

Elara hesitated, then shook her head. "Then perhaps the world will be spared."

Eldric frowned, his silver brows drawing together. "We're fighting a war on too many fronts. If the Crimson Dominion is connected to the King, and the Sins are waking, we need to act. And we need to act fast. Who can we trust to handle this?"

"We don't even trust each other," Seraphina muttered.

"Then we start small," Elara said, her tone resolute. "We gather what resources we have, pool our information, and prioritize. The Sins will continue to awaken—of that, I have no doubt. The Dominion will keep spreading. And the King…"

Elara's gaze swept across the room, her voice steady but carrying a sharp edge. "We don't have time to waste debating what-ifs. We have to move forward, even with incomplete information."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Seraphina asked, her tone skeptical. "With no certainty about the Sins, the Dominion, or even the Crimson King's true state, where do we start?"

Eldric leaned forward, his green eyes narrowing. "We start by cutting off the Dominion's growth. If they're recruiting villages, then we disrupt their efforts. We need intelligence—scouts who can move quickly and return with information."

"Agreed," Garrick said with a nod. "But who do we send? The guilds are stretched thin, and every operative we pull from their posts leaves another gap."

Elara's lips pressed into a thin line. "I'll send what's left of my capable fighters. Eclipsevane has already suffered enough losses, but we can't sit idly by."

Eldric turned to Garrick. "Duskborn is close enough to the Eastern territories. Can you spare anyone?"

Garrick scratched his beard, his expression grim. "I'll pull a few. They're not the best, but they'll get the job done."

"And Ariants?" Seraphina asked, her gaze drifting to the empty seat where Aetterus should have been. "We're not even certain if they're willing to cooperate."

Elara exhaled slowly, her patience clearly wearing thin. "Then we work with what we have. Ironpact, Duskborn, Crimsonward, and Eclipsevane—if we can't count on Aetterus, then we move forward without him."

Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "And if we're wrong? If the Dominion is more entrenched than we thought? Or worse, if they're actively working to revive the Crimson King?"

"Then we adapt," Elara replied sharply. "We don't have the luxury of waiting for perfect clarity. If the King is returning, if the Sins are gathering, then sitting still is the same as surrendering."

The room fell silent again, the weight of the conversation settling heavily on the shoulders of those present. Finally, Eldric broke the silence with a heavy sigh. "We've faced impossible odds before. We'll do it again. But we need to stay unified, or none of this will matter."

Seraphina's gaze softened slightly, her voice losing its edge. "Then let's make it count."

Garrick grunted in agreement. "For the guilds, for the world. Whatever it takes."

Elara's expression remained resolute, her hands tightening on the table's edge. "Whatever it takes."

The leaders exchanged nods, a tenuous but necessary agreement forged in the face of overwhelming uncertainty. One by one, they rose from their seats, their faces grim but determined. The weight of their task was immense, but they carried it nonetheless, stepping into the unknown with resolve.

As the chamber doors creaked open, letting in a gust of cool air, Elara lingered for a moment, her gaze drifting toward the corridor that led to the infirmary. Her thoughts turned to the boy lying unconscious, a figure both central and uncertain in the unfolding chaos.

"Whatever it takes," she murmured to herself, before turning and stepping into the shadows.