[i]For as long as I can remember, we have been been at war. No, that's not true. There was a brief time when all came to existence. The others and I lived in peace. Even the Wolf stayed his distance. Peace faded away when Maleficent became tired of our ways. I believe she was jealous and lonely. After all, everyone came to see me and ask for advice. She is just as powerful as I and yet she remained alone in her dark castle. Whatever the case, Mal came with a force unlike any we had seen before. Where she found them, I may never fully understand. Creatures of dark magic. Soulless beings cast their shadows over the land and the Kingdom fell into fear and chaos. That was a long time ago. We never managed to stop Mal and her forces. As time has gone on, my friends have grown old or died, but their legacies haven't. I've kept a close eye on their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Their bloodlines are special. They are talented fighters, skilled magicians, and some even have more...unique abilities. My research has also managed to find new bloodlines with desired qualities. You see, these are my soldiers. My only hope of ever bringing peace back to the world. My only hope to get my son back. Most of them are young and brash, but they have loyalty. They know why it is that I send them into danger. They know that the evil in the shadows must be dealt with. With proper training and encouragement, they might just become the Hunters that I need them to be. With the love and support they receive, they might end up calling Kingdom Guild their home. I fear that something is coming. Something that they are not yet ready for. I only hope when the time comes, that we will all know what to do.[/i] The Kingdom Guild, tactfully hidden away in the back rooms of the popular brothel, Beauty, houses a number of talented warriors. The brothel itself is not very high end, but is also no poor man's adventure. Beauty is more of a local attraction, bringing in men from Golden City and lonely travelers that pass through. Sometimes the customers catch sight of men and women dressed in strange attire and brandish weapons of all sorts walking around the brothel. The companions have been taught not to talk about it as most aren't skilled enough to come up with a convincing lie. Those that can make up stories about travelers, guards, or just future employees they're considering. The later often sparks curiosity and prompts more questions. If you can manage to get past Paul, the over-sized bouncer at the door, you find a whole nother world in the Guild Hall. The atmosphere is similar to an inn and tavern, with a wide variety of individuals engaged in activities. The bar is always stocked and run by a burly man named Woody. Don't cause any problems in his tavern, if you know what's good for you. He keeps his ax sharpened and tucked away under the counter. The other notable piece in the main tavern is the Contract Board. Nobody really knows where most of the contracts come from. They just kind of appear when nobody is looking, but occasionally Snow or another member can be seen tacking one up. The later event involves contract with low pay, but are considered favors for the posting member. Of course, this is just the beginning of the Guild. From their, multiple doors provide exits to different wings of the building that include individual rooms for the Hunters, training grounds capable of practice for a large assortment of skills, an extensive Guild Library managed by Belle, and of course a Supply Shop run by Rumple. It's said the little goblin can get you anything you need in the world. Careful, if it isn't currently in his shop, he tends to charge more than money for it. Some members would say that whatever you need can be found in Kingdom Guild, but if it can't then you'll have luck in Golden City. [center]---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center] The door to the brothel bust open with a crack of lightning and thunder blasting from outside. The rain poured down and drenched the pale-skinned woman standing outside. Snow hated getting caught in heavy rain. She was drenched and probably looked a hot mess. She could feel her jet black hair matte down around her face and neck. That's what she gets for being the guild babysitter. They find a new recruit and Merlin volunteers her to go and grab them. The customers had been intrigued by the random burst of excitement, but the regulars knew to go back to their business when Snow entered and scoffed at them. The water dripped down onto the wooden floors and carpets as she marched into the center of lobby area and just stood there. She spun around to look at her charge. It actually brought a smile to her face. The young woman's dark blonde hair was matted just like Snow's, the makeup ran down her face, but her skin seemed to just be glistening with the water droplets. She was the definition of hot mess, but Snow didn't much like snooty nobles. This girl was a bit of a brat and it made Snow rather happy to see her in such a state. She turned back around and spotted Lady Jane, the mistress of the brothel. She gave Snow a disgusted look. This was no regular brothel. The whores were not called such, but referred to as companions. Jane ran a different kind of business and she had her own form of class. Snow looked around and hollered. "Red! Get out here and clean up this mess!" Her tone wasn't mean or angry. It was demanding. Snow carried authority in Kingdom Guild and sometimes she let that get to her head. The door behind the front desk started to open. Paul stepped aside, knocking over a lamp that had been resting on the end table next to him. A woman with blonde hair up in a ponytail. She walked out, the weight of her wing-hilted sword causing the sheathe to bounce around against her hip. She walked right up to stand next to Snow and frowned at the sight. "What is it, Ellie?" "Just making sure you don't give my hunter too much trouble. That and I hate when you pick on Red." Ellie caught a glimpse of the pretty young maid entering the room. Snow found her about two years ago. Due to Red's unique conditions, only contained by the strong magic in a silver collar she wore, Snow always gave the poor girl a hard time. It didn't really matter how hard Little Red tried. Snow always saw the beast within people. "Jane has four other maids you can call on. Try bothering one of them next time." Ellie ignored Snow's attempt at a rebuttal and stepped towards the drenched girl. "My name is Ellie, I'm sure you have a lot of questions. There will be plenty of time to answer them, but what do you say we go back and get you dried off? Oh, and Red when you finish out here, Merlin asked you to come back with me." "What?!" Snow piped up. She looked over the maid and sighed. She couldn't believe they were really going to let her out on the field. It was like taking a rabid dog off the leash in a public park. "He can't actually be considering..." "Just relaying the message. So, Red can come back with us when she's ready."