A Lion's Heart

**A Lion's Heart** is a Story Arc of the the Exteria Multiverse. It takes place in Tasya and follows the perspective of the young Kitsune reporter Qandeel.

## Main Arc

### The Prince and the Kitsune

Qandeel, a nomadic reporter with Kitsune attributes and natural abilities as a Mage (as she possesses a Glyph) attemps to find a durable job. During a reporting mission, she stumbles on a fight between prince Sirius Astel and an unnamed member of the **Spidery Grasp** **Shadowguild**, an illegal union of criminal mages. Sirius protects Qandeel by defeating the member, but the leader of the shadowguild appears and attacks Sirius.

Something awakens within Qandeel : the spirit of the powerful Kitsune **Kandeel** who easily overpowers and kills the leader before attempting to feed on Sirius's life energy. However, Kandeel is soon sealed again within Qandeel's mind and she wakes up next to a shocked Sirius. The young prince decides to take her with him in order to create his own **Guild**, an association of mages who choose to work together in order to have more influence.

### Recruiting More Members

Strange clues given by a mysterious Guild manager guide Qandeel and Sirius towards a nearby jungle where Felicity Darcia fights a monster ; the pair rescue him. Felicity falls in love with the prince and quickly accepts to be part of his guild, and helps him find new members. Rumors of a town besieged by a Shadowguild guide the trio towards a sinister town that is said to worship an ancient **Dark Lord**.

In the deserted town, a nameless **Serpent's Maw** Shadowguild leader asks the trio to find a girl for them. The girl turns out to be Gemara, a kind but mysterious young woman with talent for the dark arts. By the time they find her, the leader uses a strange ritual to summon a monstrous Demon from the Dark Lord's Book. The four barely manage to defeat it with Kandeel's help, as the latter quickly becomes attached to Gemara. The four then depart in search for another mission.

A wounded girl, Sun Ophanim, visits the guild looking for help against the **Thousand Blade** guild, a barely legal coalition of thugs who bully other guilds into submission. The now complete **Lionheart** Guild, led by Sirius, challenges Thousand Blade to a battle.

While Felicity fights Feria Wulffen and the brutal guild leader Walden Breake battles Gemara, Sun and Sirius, Qandeel is viciously attacked by Barbara, a warrior whose parents were sacrificed to the Kitsune Kandeel. Kandeel awakens and overpowers her but Qandeel prevents her from killing her. Sensing the situation is dire, Thousand Blade strategist Messer Thrine teleports **Thousand Blade** away from ther refuge. The guild then returns home.

### Journey of Hunter's Mark

Meanwhile, the two elite hunters Galatine and Arch Nebilim have founded a guild alongside battle couple Susanoo and Caracal. After defeating an impressive monster, they meet a young girl without name, which they name **Kiri**. Alongside her, they reach one of Tasya's capital cities in hopes of resting for a moment there.

Not far from there, Selfyne Vodkanoff, looking for a legendary weapon to complement her fighting skill, encounters Mephisto, a mysterious dark being that gives her a dark stone and tells her to give that stone to Arch in order for him to forge a weapon for her. Although reluctant at first, Selfyne accepts and follows Mephisto's advice, finding the **Hunter's Mark** guild in town and giving Arch the dark stone.

The stone awakens the dormant spirit of Nebilim within Arch's blood, and the ancient Titan rewards Selfyne with the **Trishula** Devil's Arm. He is then captured by Mephisto who attempts to use him as a catalyst to resurrect his Dark Lord, but Nebilim defeats Mephisto easily. He helps Hunter's Mark defeat another Demon of the Lord's Book before Galatine fights him, shattering the spell with her bare strength and powers. Nebililm's spirit is forcibly exorcised from Arch's body and the latter returns to normal. The guild forgives Selfyne who asks to join them in order to redeem herself, which they accept.

### Back to Lionheart

When the Lionheart guild returns home, they are greeted by an invitation from the most powerful guild in Tasya, **White Lotus**. The five elite mages attempt to discuss with the guild and strike an alliance with Lionheart against the sinister **Sinful Flare** shadowguild, who is responsible for the use of the Dark Lord's Books. However, Kandeel is awakened by the scent of the leader Kuri-ma Avesta who sealed her within Qandeel a long time ago.

Kandeel attacks Avesta but the guild leader's tactical advantage and magical talent allow her to negate Kandeel's assauts. The spiteful kitsune exits the room only to be greeted by Demogorgon, the right-hand woman of Sinful Flare. She offers Kandeel a place in her world once the previous world is reduced to ashes, something a desperate Kandeel accepts.

### Confronting the Dark

As White Lotus departs to wage war on Sinful Flare, the rest of Lionheart catches up to Kandeel and discover her intentions. Through Gemara's words and Sirius's demands and confession towards Kandeel, the Kitsune finally makes peace with Qandeel and the rest of the guild and agrees to help them, finally earning the respect she deserves.

The guild finally goes to Sinful Flare's headquarters where they fight the powerful Legion, another member of the Shadowguild. Kandeel destroys him but Legion's magic of Anathema almost kills her, and Avesta saves her life, giving part of her life-force to save her, slowly mending the conflict between the two.

Astaroth, leader of the Guild, appears and attempts to kill a weakened Avesta, but Kandeel and Qandeel unite their powers and with the help of the rest of the guild, manage to be evenly matched with the powerful individual. Revealing himself - as well as the other members of his guild - to be themselves Qliphoth from the Books of the Lord, he disappears in darkness, leaving the two guilds able to celebrate their victory.

### A Great Tournament

Meanwhile, the **Rule Eterna** guild, ruled by Heimdal Kero, king of Tasya with a rivalry with Sirius, feels that control is slowly escaping their hands. Heimdal then organizes a massive tournament, inviting his own guild alongside Lionheart, Thousand Blade, Hunter's Mark and White Lotus. The four guilds obviously accept.

Tensions however slowly start to blossom between the guilds. The first trial - one of beauty and grace - is won ex aequo by Thalie Pinkojo, Heimdal's wife, and Lionheart's Qandeel. But during the second trial, monster hunting, Heimdal uses his Alma Decepta artifact to enhance his performance while Selfyne's Trishula draws stronger monsters to her and increase her performance. Thalie attempts to eliminate Hunter's Mark from the competition on the grounds of cheating, leading to increasing tensions and grudges between various guilds.

Tournaments go on with various battles, where Sun can finally encounter Intia Ophanim, her sister kidnapped by Thousand Blade, and where Heimdal and Sirius finally clash. However, when it is time for Thalie to battle a furious Galatine, the battle is interrupted by the arrival of Sinful Flare. The barrier meant to protect the tournament's coliseum from outside interference has been broken.

### Fight in Darkness

Qandeel and Avesta find Walden who hs been using Gemara as a catalyst to break the barrier and fight him, as the Qliphoth Orcus uses his body as a puppet to fight them. Avesta defeats Orcus and Kandeel is left to fight Demogorgon, who nihilistically hopes to be sacrificed in order for her Dark Lord to come back to life. Kandeel talks her out of the idea and protects her with an anti-magic field.

Meanwhile, while Legion is being fought by Thousand Blade and White Lotus, Mephisto uses Thalie as a human shield and taunts Rule Eterna and Hunter's Mark, but Heimdal cooperates with Galatine long enough for Thalie to escape, allowing Galatine to tear Mephisto apart. The only one remaining is Astaroth, who fights all guilds full power and proves to be a formidable foe, wielding tremendous magic, but he is finally killed. However, as he dies, he smiles and offers his existence to resurrect the Dark Lord.

### Dark Lord Rising

Silence falls on the coliseum ruins as Kiri slowly walks towards the center of the arena. Revealing herself to be the Dark Lord, Aracielle Tenkuro, she sealed her soul within the five Qliphoth of Sinful Flare in order to prevent herself from consuming the world with her uncontrollable **Anathema** mastery. Now that she has been resurrected, she has no choice but to end the world unless she is killed.

Galatine denies these worlds and dashes towards Aracielle, ignoring her deadly aura, and attempts to make her snap out of her curse, making her realize that she trapped herself into a cage of guilt and resentment which only made the magic in her even more lethal. Slowly, with affection and courage, denying Aracielle's pleas for death, Galatine manages to wear down the Dark Lord's aura, making Aracielle crumble in her arms, crying. The threat, for now, has been averted, and as a truce begins between all guilds, Tasya has the opportunity to truly prosper.

## Characters

### Lionheart Guild

* Leader Sirius Astel
* Qandeel
* Felicity Darcia
* Gemara
* Sun Ophanim

### Rule Eterna Guild

* Leader Heimdal Kero
* Thalie Pinkojo
* Claudius Bahn
* Rhenia Knightmare
* Miru Dokuni

### Thousand Blade Guild

* Leader Walden Breake
* Feria Wulffen
* Barbara
* Messer Thrine
* Intia Ophanim

### Hunter's Mark Guild

* Leader Galatine
* Arch Nebilim
* Caracal
* Susanoo
* Selfyne Vodkanoff

### White Lotus Guild

* Leader Kuri-ma Avesta
* Saint Thersius
* Myokara Nomos
* Redd Arkninian
* Nemesis

### Sinful Flare Guild

* Leader Astaroth
* Demogorgon
* Orcus
* Mephisto
* Legion

### Others

* Nebilim
* Aracielle Tenkuro

## Trivia

* **A Lion's Heart** is partly inspired by the **Fairy Tail** story. It can also be considered a crossover storyline since it features individuals from several Planes.