The Mark of the Infinite

Back to the mess of it all, back to the same screams, the same pushing of the crowd, pretty much the same battles they had seen the day before. They had been stuck there since the early morning, making sure to watch every battle they could. Maybe from watching them they could get an idea of what they could do, maybe new techniques, new moves or spells. But one of them tried anything basic, or simple. To the four of them, everything was hard and confusing. Sure, they experienced some rather amazing battles, but none of the things they did looked possible for them to do… when their turn was coming closer and closer.

They had chosen the bottom floor, expecting the people here to be more behaved and less loud. They had been wrong. Their cheers were indeed louder, they moved, bump and even jumped against everyone, and sometimes they even threw random items or substances to people beside them. It was still a better place to gaze at the battles, to look upon close and notice any little detail that could have help to the defeat of the other.

Team Poison had just been defeated by Team Felipe De La Calcutta, the team of five cheering gladly, taking their own 20,000 points of reward, the other being taken 2,000 points for their loss. 2,000 points huh? Barely what they had. If they loss…they truly loss.

“Now calling, Team Bamboo, who shall you push forward to fight?” Carlos called from his seat still, holding a scroll where surely all the challenges and battles were put into order to be announced.

The team had pushed then their player, a young girl, the smallest in the group, harmless she seemed, but her team still looked smug, sure of the win they were to get.

“Anahid Lam.” Carlos announced the girl, as she took her position in the stage, ready to face her opponent from the next team.

“And from Team Panda, your player?” There they were, the four of them trembling, breathing heavily and looking frantically around, all stares on them, from where Suriel moved heading to the stage, ax tightly in his hand, tall and giving him a fearsome outlook that matched with the rest of the guild.

“Suriel Cruz.” As the name was called in the room, it was then that Xaymara had noticed, her voice falling silent from the conversation she was having with one of new recruits who were still asking on how to even get to participate in the main battles of the group. Without even giving the girl an apology for her rashness, she made her way quickly to the battle stage, expecting to not see who she thought it was, but it was.

That guy from yesterday who asked to participate. He was supposed to be gone by now, along with his groups, which she managed to spot in the crowd. How the hell did they even get in? Sure, anyone could easily sign up for the main challenge, but usually, if Carlos saw that they weren’t members or didn’t have the necessary points, he just skipped them and moved to the next group, later on have a talk with them. It didn’t seem to matter to him, he just sat on his own chair preparing to witness the battle. There was this sadistic look in his eye, one that he only gave when somebody was to receive punishment. Xaymara easily understood that he let this happen on purpose. What a fool! He shouldn’t have! Didn’t he know of the consequences this guild could have by just letting these beginners participate? She could get a memo from her superiors back at the angel base, and she could not let her good streak come to an end now.

The game had officially begun, both the opponents moving close to the other, Suriel gripping his weapon tightly, ready to attack the girl, even if she seemed harmless. But then, her hands were spread to her side wide and seeming like out of nowhere, a large chain was in her hands, large blades on either side. It had been so sudden, even intimidating that Suriel had faltered, moving back. What the hell kind of weapon was that?

She easily twirled one side, now coming closer to him, ready to aim at him with the spin wheel she had created. But Suriel easily stopped and defended himself from it with his ax, and it was then that Xaymara had a good look at it, with the lights from the ceiling pointing directly to it.

No…it couldn’t be. How did he get that? He wasn’t even supposed to be carrying it so easily, moving it around as he batted every throw the girl shot at him.

“Get me Jean here immediately!” she commanded to someone, who saluted and went to do so.

Despite the utter look of bafflement in Xaymara’s face as she continued to see the match, Carlos was mostly intrigued.

When he first got that ax from some old lady many years ago, she had blabbered out about some legend…or was it a prophecy? He could hardly remember. But if there was one thing he clearly remembered (after he tested it out) was that only one person in all of Eden, Earth, Hell and Heaven could hold it. Who was supposed to hold it? He had no clue, but it seemed like they found him.

The battle up till now seemed like a game between pitcher and batter, with Suriel not having made any move to actually attack the girl. It was something the crowd expecting, shouting it, just as Gensel, Rei and Luis did, getting swept with the excitement.

Sure, shout along as if it would make it any easier for him. They weren’t the beginner battling a young girl with a crazy blade chain who surely had more experience in this.

In the twirling, chain cackling, and hard shots against metal, Suriel had managed a glimpse to her points, printed upon the side of her neck: 25,857. Ah shit! In the sudden realization he had thrown the ax downward, pinning the chain to the ground, not letting the girl continue any movements with it.

Finally he had a chance.

Jean had just arrived to the battle stage as per request, being met with a Xaymara who was clearly mad at him. He did not get it until he moved closer and witnessed below to the battle. Oh look it was him! Still with the ax, using it to battle in a challenge even. He was doing pretty well with it for someone who had just found it.

“How did he get that?” She asked him with a scolding glare.

“Well it’s pretty obvious he just took it.”

“I get that! But did you let him take it!”

“Xay, it’s an ax that can only be held by its rightful owner. No one could even move it from its case, so I never really gave it much attention. Whoever this guy is, well, he’s the rightful owner.”

“But it can’t be…it’s just…” he was nothing like the stories had said.

The stories didn’t talk about some random beginner who came to an old and abandoned looking guild and just… took it! Wasn’t there something of more finesse to it? Wasn’t he supposed to be older and much stronger looking? Never mind this, she would have a talk with them later on, but for now she couldn’t do anything as the battle progressed.

Suriel had indeed gotten an advantage, managing to even rid the chain of the girl’s hand, letting himself wield it and use it like it was his, must be his soul as a weaponry one that made it easier for him. Now the girl was truly left harmless, with nothing to attack, moving back, afraid of the damages the ax and her own weapon could do on her. From here on, it was easy, too easy. By a simple throw and with the controlling of his ax, he had the chain wrapped around the girl’s feet, and with a harsh pull, he had the girl fallen off out of the stage. He had been kind enough to throw the rest of the blades with her, his ax now free of any other hits or annoying chains wrapped around it.

Most people in the stage couldn’t believe it; a beginner that just arrived the day before actually won his first battle. Rei, Gensel and Luis were the first to shout in joy, the three hugging themselves and jumping not believing that something like this could have happen. After the constant tension that they could HAVE lost, and the option being as available to them as an open door to drop below to hell, it was indeed so relieving for Suriel to grant them a win.

After the silence of surprise, the crowd quickly went into its usual rumble of sounds, cheering as if it was a player from their respective team that had won. Suriel of course, admired this, being the center of all this attention offered to him, breathing it in all like a sweet dessert. Even the guild leader seemed impressed, clapping slightly with the rest.

But it all had to come to an end, Suriel was asked to leave the stage to have the other teams fight. He came down happily, even running to his group to join in the random group hug they decided to share.

“I still can’t believe this!” Gensel shouted, in heavy breaths as if he was the one who had fought.

Forget the fights they had, how they had only met days before, but this winning could grant to them together finally a sure chance of survival to this new world.

A sudden grunt grabbed their attention, all turning to the angel who starred at them angrily. She tapped her feet against the ground, a sort of reminder of their scolding mothers back at home. Like one, she would need an explanation for this, and would punish them greatly, but before she could do anything about it, they were surprised to see Carlos join her side as well, easing her behind him while he decided to speak to them himself.

“I will have the four of you join my office.” And Xaymara smirked, knowing surely what was to come to them.

While Carlos lead them at front, Xaymara followed behind them, making sure none of them dared escape from their sure punishment. Afraid and slightly squirming they followed the guild leader through much darker halls, up and up, until they reached an area that seemed much richer and nicer than the things below them. They were afraid to ask what exactly was this place in the guild, but by the looks of it, and also because his office was over here, it was surely where he lived and many of the upper members of the guild.

They arrived to their destination, Carlos entering a…small, old and abandoned room. This was nothing like the guild leader’s office they expected. The only features in it were an old battered desk, a small bookshelf with old books messed in no clear order, a window that showcased the rest of the forest, still an early evening. The only thing that could offer them seat was the couch in front of them…which honestly could only hold three to sit. With the small space, they all squeezed each other annoyingly, feeling like even the air was limited to them. Carlos had the blinds drop, darkening the room but letting small dim light still enter. What did that help?

“I’ll take it from here Xay, just lock the door and make sure the battles still go on without another incident.” Disappointed, she yet still followed his order and left, finally leaving them to be dealt with.

As soon as her footsteps died down, surely leaving back down far enough, Carlos changed his more serious outlook to a laugh. It was boisterous, could have made the walls creak and fall with its intensity, which only made the other four more fearsome.

“How long have you been in Eden exactly?” he asked quite friendly, taking a chest that he saved in one of the lower chest drawers, placed heavily on the desk despite its small size.

“Including our days in the angel base?” Rei asked.

“Yep.”

“Three days.” Suriel answered for the rest.

It only made Carlos’s laugh become stronger, to the point of hysterical, his chair rolling down to support his weight as he nearly fell down to the floor in laughter.

“Three days! Three days!” he continued to exclaim.

This was getting awkward, weird and even scary.

“I have never seen anyone do so much just in that small amount, plus find the holder of the Ax of Ceniza, I want you all immediately in my guild.” He opened the chest to reveal all kinds of rocks and gems, all beautiful and impressive enough to distract the four of them from the fact that they were just invited to join this guild, plus the name of the Ax Suriel had just gotten.

He picked a red rock, tinged slightly with pinks and magentas, throwing it over for Suriel to catch.

“Place it over your points, and you’ll get the reward I owe you.”

Confused, but yet trusting the leader’s words, he placed the rock as he should over his numbers, Suriel’s 1,000, changing to a 6,000. He passed it next to Gensel, his 1,400, to a 6,400. It went so on with Luis, from 1,400, to 6,400, and then Rei…who didn’t really say, just handed back the rock once everyone got their deserved points.

“Still, I can’t just let you in like that. You did sign yourselves up without being members, after Xaymara even warned you. You all might have gone lucky now, but I assure you that the next challenge I have for you won’t be as merciful as this battle had been, punishment deserving enough.” After inspecting the rocks, making sure they only took what they were supposed to, he placed them back on his chest and hid them back in their place in the desk. “But, before I grant you this challenge, there is something the four of you must know about this guild.”