[b]Conrad Felden[/b]

It had been a trip, but he had made it alright on foot. Living on allowance from the Inquisition for a few days had left a sour taste in his mouth. His job wasn’t to be a pull on resources, it was to be a guardian of peace. Even so, his expenses had been at a minimum. Some innkeepers considered a Paladin guest as good as security, so the room prices hadn’t been so high. Who would dare start a bar fight with a Paladin sleeping upstairs? It would be a brave thief who got within ten steps of one. Maybe their magic wasn’t effective on the common man, but their reputation and combat training was.

Conrad shook the thoughts from his head, moving quickly down the street towards headquarters. There were worse issues than living costs and typical street riffraff, like mages. Today was the day designated, he would be there. The crowded streets showed little sign that a grand meeting was about to be held, but excitement could be felt all the same. Paladins roamed everywhere throughout the city, and now were converging- that had to draw attention. He reached the first checkpoint. A flashed invitation gave the first requirement, but as for citizenship papers, he had none. Instead, Conrad had to unlace the top of his shirt and turn, pulling down the neckline to expose his shoulder. The brand was a bit more effective than the papers may have been. Property of the Inquisition, and a Paladin to boot, not much to question there. All the same, he surrendered his traveling bag. It represented a security issue, and would be inappropriate to have in an official meeting. A salute to the guards, and he was past. He didn’t bother with relacing his shirt until he got past the guards at the designated meeting building. There though, it was important to collect himself. Hood down, chin up, cloak arranged, shirt properly tucked and top tied, weapon sheathed and at proper angle. This was headquarters. He pushed open the door and entered with a careful step, neither submissive or arrogant, but relaxed.

There were a lot of higher ups in here, so many that, following proper protocol, he should be just holding a constant salute whenever someone passed- which was constantly. He moved to a side of the room and waited for the meeting to start. He gave a start when he spotted Aradus, and yet another when Sylvestra entered the room. Her presence alone provoked a wave of respect where she passed. This must be important, last he had heard she was still out hunting mages. Whoever had delivered that letter must have had a hard journey. Though she may have returned early, news travels slowly. The talking stilled, it was time to assume formation.

---

The speech was short, sharp, and to the point, like any decent blade. However, leaving in an hour left little time to prepare. As for the Inquisition’s choices for candidates, they generally made sense, for the most part. Conrad recognized Varkasan’s name, and Alicia’s. She stood out a bit more, but no one would question Varkasan’s strength, or intentions. Nothing had to be said when questioning Sylvestra’s candidacy either, her reputation spoke by itself.

As for questions, he had none. Being raised, he had learned some simple things. Questions made no difference, as you would be following orders anyway. Questions may anger superiors, and bring about punishment. Questions could bring moral and personal issues to mind when following orders. In short, better not to question. Conrad returned to the entrance to regain his pack, and poured onto the street with some other Paladins. Many were discussing what little information they had. As for himself, getting a decent horse before they set out was a more important matter than gossip.