Of Good & Evil

I. Phantom Diamonds

Six months had passed since Judais made contact with the final recruit for the guild. The recruits had intermingled with one another quite well and were now a fairly successful guild. Each of them had carved out a piece of the guild as their own and were now living comfortably within the halls of Phantom Diamonds.

Despite being so very different, the group got along very well with one another. Each morning they would emerge from their quarters, they would eat together, work, then they would return to their rooms only to prepare to do it all again the next day. They went on jobs individually and brought back a fairly lucrative paycheck. The members were both happy and successful.

When they weren't on jobs, Time, Scopes, and Hardy spent most of their days working in the gym or the training wing; Passion spent most of her time in the library; and Xenon spent most of his time training, attempting to unlock the deeper potential Judais seemed to suggest was there.

Today was a day off. They didn't have a specific schedule they were required to keep, but there were two to three days out of the week where no one was on a job. These days were typically reserved for rest, relaxation, and recuperating from any jobs they had recently taken on.

It started like any other day off with all the members keeping to their usual hobbies. Time, Scopes, and Hardy were in the gym, chatting about their most recent jobs and potential jobs they might like to go on. They were discussing their increasing power and what they thought the next step might be in their own development.

Passion walked into the gym, sat on one of the benches, and looked to the boys. Hardy waved at her, as Time and Scopes stopped working to greet her.

"Have any of you seen Judais today?" she asked, "I came across something while reading and I wanted to see if he could explain it a little further."

Time thought for a moment, and said, "No, I don't think I have seen him today, but we've been here all day, so that wouldn't mean he's not around."

Hardy walked over and sat next to Passion. "I took a stroll around the hall earlier this morning and didn't see him. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Xenon today either," he said.

Scopes smiled brightly. "Well, you know how much Xenon likes Judais. Maybe Judais finally broke down. He's giving him some... special training, know what I'm saying?" Scopes waggled his eyebrows.

Passion gave a skeptical look and said, "I very seriously doubt that. I'm pretty sure Judais sees him more as a little brother or a son than in that way."

Time stood up and said, "Woah... a son..." He raised his hand and said, "Who just thought of a short Judais?"

Everyone except Passion raised their hand.

Passion just rolled her eyes, standing up, and said, "So you guys don't know then."

"Nah, but we can help look for him with you," Scopes said encouragingly.

Time and Hardy nodded in agreement.

"Sweet, thanks!" Passion said.

They all left the gym and walked toward the training wing, following the corridors and staircases until they eventually reached it. They stepped inside the enormous training room, the sparring dummies standing at the ready, the various chambers primed and cleaned, but there was no Judais anywhere in sight.

Not only was Judais not here, Xenon wasn't either. The group headed back toward the main hall and stopped in the center just under the chandelier, surrounded with the luxury of the black marble and golden statues.

Passion was the first to speak. She said, "Even after living here for months, this hall still amazes me."

Scopes nodded, "Yeah, I know!" He said, "I can't believe Judais had this hall all to himself before he brought us."