Baierlon, Chronicles of Trinaer Book 1

The mage known as Tehnir, as he was called since mastering the arcane arts, sneered through gritted teeth at the others that packed the council chambers. His distaste was masked by the hood of his black cloak that symbolized his guild, as the cloaks of the other guilds made a blinding rainbow effect, like the multi-colored sumbols that covered the five pillars that supported the weight of the vaulted ceiling. A dozen multi-colored cloaks, each holding a face that Tehnir despised.

If one had bothered to pay attention, it would have been obvious that the hand of the black aura was behind the descension swirling around them, creating distrust and distaste at every turn. If only the elders were that wise. The shouts and curses, coming from a dozen different voices, reverberated off the bedrock in an unintelligible mass of scorn and hate.

The chambers lay deep in the belly of the triple-peaked Mountains of Faith that ran through the heart of Trinaer. The ever present snow caps fed the rivers and streams that flowed north through the moss-covered Bramble Forest, and south through the Azrith Plains. Forked east through the acrid Dragontongue Swamp, and west into the Lake of Three Dreams, before each joined the great Blight Sea that was the end of the world, placing the council chambers in the heart of the world, where all the elements, that made it possible for magic to exist, began.

The council chambers existed where they had since the first mages came together to master the elements. Since that time, the five guilds have existed, at least in this place, each specializing in its own aura. The black mages dealt in the arcane, mastering death and torture, its counter, the white mages, mastered life and prophecy. The green mages mastered nature and growth, and the red mages mastered fire and destruction. The blue mages dealt in weather, illusion, and an overall manipulation of the world around them. Each served its purpose in the world.

Tehnir glanced around the room at the faces who had not yet come to grips with what was happening, who did not understand the events that he himself had put into motion. Unifying the five guilds in one unit made it easier for Tehnir to dispose of those that would keep him from power. He would rule the mages, and then, he would wipe them out.

"We have been separate pieces of the whole for as long as the mages have existed, what makes you think that any of us will agree to this?" Messan, the red mage, had a temper as fierce as her hair was red. "And just who do you think is going to lead this 'unified guild' Falkarnh? You?"

"Calm yourself Messan, no one is talking about undoing the guilds, merely changing their roles."

Ahh Falkarnh,one so willing to join my cause, and to think you don't even realize what a pawn you are in my game.Tehnir thought to himself, watching Falkarnh try to subdue Messan. For a green mage, Falkarnh would suffice to the task appointed to him.