Cody pushed open the guild doors, a smile crept onto his face as he smelled the musky air of old wood, alcohol, and dried ink. The sound of pens scratching and glasses clinking, the strange duality of a fantasy adventurer's guild. Ahead of him was a bar with two receptionists behind it. A girl with brown hair and blue eyes and a girl with short black hair and green eyes, the black haired girl was helping another adventurer. he stepped up to the counter and showed them his adventurer card. A young receptionist peered at it before straightening, her brown hair jostled with her quick motion.

"Ah, sir Cody! I-I'll contact the guild master!" She bolted, not much later she returned and opened the counter, "come come, the guild master would like to see you sir." Cody sighed at the treatment before following her upstairs. Man, everyone wants to be a celebrity till you are one. Though at this point he was used to this treatment, not that he cared really being given free access to so much allowed him to search for his true goals.

He followed the girl up to the second floor and into a warmly lit office, a man was seated there with warm brown eyes and a smile that didn't show a lot of teeth.

"Well if it isn't Cody, the hero of the goddess Gia herself." The man smiled as he held his hand out to greet him. Cody shook that hand and winced at its firmness. "Thank you Sasha, I'll take it from here." The Guild Master spoke to the brown haired receptionist, she bowed before heading back down to the main desk.

"Yes, that is my title." Cody replied as he sat down in front of the guild master. The man wore a fancy mage attire, he likely was a wizard, like Annabelle. A man who broke free from traditionally taught magic.

"Now Cody, I hear that you're here for the ritual site. Though that's still about a week off, so would you do some things for me while you're here?" The guild master asked, his gaze held a bit of meaning to them, like the job he needed was rather important to himself. It was true that Cody was here early but that wasn't too play around. No he came due to the Prophet's words.

"Cody, you're going to die." The blind girl told him seriously.

"What!? You can't just. . . Explain please." Cody sighed as he calmed himself. He was sitting in a white room with gold accents, it was situated in the main branch of the church. The girl in front of him was the newly appointed priest and a prophet.

"It's quite simple, Cody you are a piece in a large game, you have a destined part and a destined death. Most of the in-between is up to you. It can't really be explained more than that, the gods aren't really that easy to understand you know." She smiled softly at that bombshell.

"Hey, wait, there's got to be a way for me to change that, I can't be here forever I have to go home. I didn't even accept being chosen for this stupid position. This isn't my world, the people and things I care about aren't here. Why should I die for something I didn't even care about." Cody exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table so hard it splintered. However, the girl in front of him, Amelia didn't even flinch and the smile never moved.

"Yes, you're not involved so it makes sense you want to go home. Sadly currently there is no future where you make it home. However there's a future that's surrounded in a lot of mystery and confusion. Cody you are what's known as a Fate Breaker, and there are others like you. People who have an impact on the destined of many and change fate itself. You may find a future where home is an option if you chase other Fate Breakers, form a group and alter the destined fate of the world rather than just a few nameless faces in the masses." She explained thoughtfully, the smile never left her face.

"You know where they are don't you. Specifically there's the person I had a vision about right. That person must be a destiny right?" Cody was trying to work his vision into the prophet's words but instead her face cracked as confusion and surprise appeared on it. Then laughter slipped out as a larger smile grew.

"Yes Cody, Chase that girl from your vision. She's a Fate Breaker too! Haha, she seems to be unintentionally making a connection to you. I wonder why. Not that it matters. You should visit Aguris days in advance, you'll need time to form relationships with the different Fate Breakers there. There's a few actually." She finally calmed down and her cracks repaired as she finished. "Cody I have limited time this is all I can tell you, you should return as well." She then stood up and proceeded to leave, this wouldn't be the last time he met her but this was the reason he came here early.

As the memory faded he was brought back to the present, the Guild Master was looking at him strangely so he quickly responded.

"Depends, but probably. What do you have for me sir?" Cody asked politely, feeling slightly embarrassed that he spaced out.

"Two things to be honest, I'd like you to check out the site of an old dungeon and see if anything is there." The Guild master explained, pulling out a map of the city and surrounding areas.

"Inside this forest you'll find a ravine right around this X, this was created during the attempted collapse of a dangerous dungeon back in the day. We periodically check to see if it's resurfaced, though so far it hasn't. I tend to ask B or higher grade adventurers to check it out, as I'm unsure what might be found in there. Though whatever's in there you should be able to handle it sir hero." The Guild master let Cody keep the map.

"One more thing, could you keep an eye out for Skarlet, I'm a bit worried." The guild Master said while scratching his chin.

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"What's with the interest in Skarlet sir if I may ask." Cody was curious as he also had an interest in the girl.

"I owed her parents a great deal. It's the least I could do for the daughter of Aguris's only B rank party." He explained, pulling a picture from a drawer and letting Cody see. "Besides, I owe a debt for friends as good as them." The picture showed a younger version of the guild master and three black catkins, a young adult male and female they were fishing next to the guild master at a river. There was a young black cat boy who looked around five who was close behind them and seemed to be caring for a baby girl cat kin. "Skarlet is the baby there, her older brother loved her. So did her parents, she was there world. Not that they neglected their son more like they all loved her together." He sighed as he put the picture away. "We rented a magic camera for a day there were many more pictures but I didn't know they would be gone so suddenly. I didn't keep up with them and this picture is the only one that remains."

Cody frowned as he decided that he'd watch Skarlet regardless of what the guild's master asked.

"Alright, I'll get on this dungeon and keep my eye out for her." as they gave their farewells and Cody left the guild.

~

"Who's this little beast girly we're taking with us?" A rough voice spoke with annoyance, accompanied by the sound of boots on a dirt road

"Gah, come on Dean, I told you, boss said we gotta take her with us." Another tired voice spoke up as a man raised his hand to avoid the sun.

"Yeah, but who is she. Jack. . . did you see the way she spoke to the boss. He'd never let a beast slave talk to him like that, and he made sure we knew not to try anything with her." Dean frowned with annoyance as he tugged at a strand of his black hair. Jack stole a glance at the girl in the maid dress following them, her eyes were golden yellow and her hair was an orangish red. She had fox ears and a tail along with a thick red leather collar.

"I don't know man, just forget it. . . Hey there Maria!" Jack sighed and brushed the conversation away at a young girl in a school uniform and mage robe stepped from the gates ahead of them. Through those gates was the Academy City of Nilkeh, Maria had been studying here for a year now, she was coming home for the break though. A young fourteen year old lady, she held her head high as she approached them.

"My lady, you seem well." Jack spoke respectfully as he opened the door of the carriage they were standing beside. Dean scowled as he turned and hopped up into the Coachman's seat next to a gruff older man. Maria's eyes landed on Illia and she smiled as she approached and held out her hand.

"Hello, I haven't seen you before, my name is Maria. May I hear your name Miss." Maria was polite and it took Illia by surprise as her eyes widened for a moment before her expression reset.

"My name is Illia my lady, but we really should be moving here." Illia stepped up onto the carriage and offered her hand. Maria took it and stepped inside, Jack also followed and then the door was closed. And the carriage began to move.

"Illia, might I ask about your origin? Like did my father buy you recently?" Maria asked suddenly, Jack frowned as he wanted to know as well not that he wanted to know enough to treat a beast with respect like this. His thoughts were bare on his face. Damn, Seraph is right she needs to be removed for the betterment of the family name and image.

"I came into your father's service recently, I was lent to him by a business partner that's all." Illia responded with a slight head tilt as she seemed to be thinking.

"Ah, well I hope my father hasn't made you uncomfortable, me and him don't really share views on most matters." Maria scrunched her face up as talked and her father.

"Haha, don't worry about me dear, might I ask why you have such different opinions hmm?" Illia seemed truly interested as her eyes sharpened.

"My mom, she was something special by Noble standards. I don't remember much but she was the one who inspired a lot of my values and my views on other races came from her too. I met a Lithian for the first time when I was five years old. . . Ah nevermind you don't wanna hear that sto-" she paused as Illia took her hand.

"You seemed so passionate for a moment my lady, I would love to hear it." Illia was almost forceful.

"Haha, I guess I was huh. Ok I'll tell." Maria laughed, covering her mouth as a smile graced her lips. She pushed her blonde hair behind her ear as she readjusted her posture. "When I was five my father bought a batch of young slaves. Think five to ten years of age. Most were on the higher end of that, but there was one who was just barely four. A little fox who'd lost her parents. Father didn't have a use for such a young slave so she was given to my mother to nurture till she was old enough and knowledgeable enough to be a proper servant." Illia was listening intently as this was explained, Jack on the other hand proceeded to have his scowl deepen. Maria was unaware she was engrossed in her story.

"We took classes together, mother taught us our letters, speech, and etiquette together. Before race, before status, that girl was my friend. We used to copy each other's homework and hide from our chores together. . ." A look of Nostalgia appeared on her face, "ten years old was around the time I fully understood my position and hers and I made a decision. I threw the biggest tantrum I'd ever thrown, and I made the most selfish request I ever made. I wanted her to be mine, I was afraid that when she turned thirteen that father would defile her. I may have been young but my mother made sure I knew how my 'friend' was destined to be treated. I think she was probably trying to make me see the world this way. I think she knew she was gonna die. But that's another topic, I got what I wanted. Clara was her name, she became my personal maid and I made sure Father never touched her." Maria seemed happy and sad in a very conflicted way as she told that story. As the words finished she looked at Illia and was taken aback for a moment, there was a seriousness in Illia's face.

"You have a wonderful heart Maria, I hope it doesn't get crushed like your mother." Illia spoke, the honorifics disappeared, and she was even impolite. Maria was confused as Illia turned to Jack.

"We're almost there right. Make sure your men are ready and we'll get this over with."

"Haha, did her story touch you. You seem pissed off, miss Assassin. Geez, well feel free to relax we won't need your help. I'd rather die than get help from a beast." Jack spoke with venom as he glared at the two people across from him, he didn't notice the smile on Illia's face as she turned to look out the window. He then knocked on the wall separating the interior from the Coachman's seat.

"Hey! What's going on?" Maria exclaimed as a little worry entered her voice, Jack snapped his gaze back to her.

"Nothing much, today's the day we get rid of a nuisance." He grinned as the carriage came to a stop. A sense of dread rose up in Maria's stomach as Jack stood up and grabbed Maria's arm. She couldn't react as he threw her against the carriage door. It snapped open and she went tumbling, landing in the dirt. All her grace and nobility gone in an instant. Illia didn't even flinch or give her a second look as she stepped out of the carriage.