A soft song hums through the garden, wading into the nearby hallways and bringing a pleasant sound to one's ears. Loud clicks of metal echo against the stone floor as one of the guards marches from inside the castle into the garden proper. "Excuse me, miss?" The man approached a young woman who was dressed in a fancy skirt and a button-up shirt. She slowly stopped playing the harp in her lap and looks up questioningly. "Her Majesty is requesting your presence, along with the other commanders." With a bow of his head, he spun on his heels and marched out - assumingly to find the others.

Adelina pursed her lips softly and tied her small harp to her back - a clever way to carry it around she had come up with months ago. Brushing her hair back, she made way to the throne room. Unlike other monarchs, Queen Celosia only demanded few protocols from her knights and slightly less from her commanders, which meant that the commanders did not have to be properly dressed when in session with her. Of course, not that it mattered, since Adelina could easily arm herself with a simple whistle but it was more of a convenience for the other who could not.

Eventually, she found herself in the throne room, looking up at her queen. One of the protocols being that every subject under her command - knight or not - must bow before her in the throne room. So, she did, but with slight hesitation. Adelina had found herself fancying the queen of late, not of her free will, but by the grace of the older woman. She had made it a habit to admire the queen's beauty for just a moment before bowing as expected. She doubted the queen even noticed she had this small delay - in truth, she was extremely nervous in even telling a single soul about her feelings. "Your Majesty.. you summoned me?" She kept her knee bent and head bowed, until told to do otherwise. She was the first to arrive and it might be days or weeks before some of the others did as well - though some had be given prior notice. She suspected the queen wanted to try and get all the commanders in the room at roughly the same time.

As Adelina would continue kneeling, waiting for the Queen’s good graces to stand her right again, the sound of heavy boots clicking along the ground would echo and reach the chambers. It wasn’t that difficult to distinguish such footfall with the Knight Commander known as Kolburn. While many might have chosen to dress in less official wear, Kolburn made it a point to also be shown in the appropriate garbs of her rank.

Having been disturbed from a sparring session with one of her personal knights, she held a stoic expression on a neutral face. Whether she was annoyed at having been summoned was hard to tell. Nevertheless, she too bowed before the Queen but not with the hesitation Adelina showed on her part. She did so without question, keeping her gaze to the ground.

“You summoned for my presence your Majesty?” the Knight Commander asked, not even acknowledging Adelina. Well, no, that wasn’t entirely true. Kolburn glanced under her hat at her fellow Knight Commander as if to study her. She didn’t convey irritation or welcome, instead swiftly reverting her gaze back to the ground.

“Whatever it may be, the Knight Commanders will gladly carry forth your will to the world. This, we swear as you know very willingly,” she said in greater aptitude. Now then, where were the rest of their comrades? Surely the Queen had beckoned for all her elite and finest to join her on this day. For whatever reason, it had to be something important.

It'd be nice to say she was humming to herself as she put books away in the castle's library, or singing a lovely tune as she watered the flowers in the garden, but that wasn't Willow. All those stories of fairy tale princesses? Yeah, none of those were Willow, and none of them ever would be.

Instead of being a pretty little princess, Willow was running around the castle, slipping easily in and out of secret passages, trying to avoid sight. Her bare feet padding against the hard floor as she made her way into the secret room to the Throne room, the one where secret troops could wait in hiding to save the Queen should they need to.

Willow had been spending the afternoon making a new dress for her sisters (for when they came back from their trip to a neighboring country) when she'd overheard some of the guards nearby talking about how quickly Chad, the usual runner, was running the information around. Then they started talking rather loudly about how all of the commanders were being asked to meet the Queen in the Throne Room. If it was meant to be a secret, Willow would have to talk to Eliza about that.

Your knights are shit with secrets. You might want to fix that, missy.

Willow chuckled, a silent chuckle but she considered it a chuckle all the same. It involved a smile and air rushing out of her mouth. It counted.

I think...

Regardless, Willow was now in that not so secret secret room, watching as Adelina and Kolburn, affectionately referenced as 'Cold Sore' by Willow, bow before her mother.

Enough bowing, do something interesting.

Oooh, Mom, tell them to dance or sing or something.

I know that when Adelina gets drunk she sings rather loudly... and badly. It's amusing.

Ooooh, what if we got them drunk and THEN made them sing and dance?

That would probably be in poor taste, wouldn't it?

Ugh, this is already boring.

Samuel Alderach

The wind was like a cocoon - it enveloped him, cushioned him, bore him aloft. When he was young he had been afraid of great heights, but they held no terror for him now; he had more pressing concerns, anyway.

It had been some time since he had been to Azure Gate, he reflected as the woods zipped by under him. For almost a year he had lived amongst his knights, training them and leading them on raid after raid on the Queen's enemies. If she asked it of him, he would stay by her side always as her companion and protector, but he knew that he served her best out there. Whatever was going on, it must be truly serious to call him back.

The Woodsmen's camp was nearly a week away from the city on foot - windborne, however, Samuel was able to arrive in a matter of hours. Moving silently out of old habit, he entered without the notice of a soul, save for the maid who'd nearly passed out when he'd tapped on a window and asked to be let in. He really had been gone too long.

Note to self - talk to the Queen about the state of the guard. He knew Her Majesty was tired of hearing his complaints about the inadequacy of her security, but he was always eager for a reason to take it back up with her, and single-handedly infiltrating the castle seemed like a good one. He could already hear her tired response: Samuel, it hardly counts when you can fly.

Mud tracked behind him as slipped into the throne room, barely registering the presence of Adelina and Kolburn as he caught sight of her. Queen Celosia was not beautiful; women were beautiful. The queen was a thing apart, divine, indefatigable, noble. Samuel sank to his knee, head bowed.

"My Queen," he said without looking up, "You called, and your woodsman has come. As always."

Eliza was over in the training room when she was alerted that the Queen requested the pressence of her and the other Knight Commanders. Having the one of the Queens personal messengers locate her to give her the message meant something was going down. Unsure what it was Eliza put Silverhand back in it's sheath then proceeded to leave the room. Yes she was in her armour, something she would do while training was put it on to simulate battle while wearing it.

Having the messenger travel down a floor and onto the otherside of the castle, as Eliza's training room is over there. She had a feeling some of the other commanders would be there by now. Unsure which ones would be she let her mind ponder on that thought. Maybe Samuel would be there for once, Eliza had a feeling he didn't like her very much. Something about him gave that feeling off to her.

After thinking on that for sometime she found herself at the Queens chambers. She looked herself up and down quickly and made sure her hair looked decent. Taking note she was in full armor would be interesting, it was never her style to wear a helmet. It made much to hard to be worth the effort. Losing part of your vision and messing up your hair wasn't worth it. Never the less, she took a breath and walked on inside of her Majesties chambers.

Upon enterence and hearing the metalic clank of her boots as she walked along, she took note of the others in the room already. She smiled slightly upon the scent of Willow. Eliza didn't keep her eyes looking about for long as she was summoned here for a reason, unsure what it was at the moment she would soon find out.

Eliza sank below onto her knee and bowed her head, her words escaping her lips upon finishing her movements. "Your Majesty, I report as summoned."

Arthur's day began as many others already have. Be rudely awoken by one of the family butlers and told he must get ready for the day ahead of him. Groggily get out of bed and dress in one of the suits, grey for today, his father had tailored for him, which he hated but had nothing else. Spend some 'quality time with dad' as he and associates discussed finances, sales, and other menial things Arthur could care less about. Come up with an excuse to leave... and do so when they were so preoccupied anyway. This was the choice of the day, so Arthur had to make it wisely, where to go?

Today, Arthur felt it would be a good day to watch the skies. So he headed to the roof of his home. Life was simple, and his father was happy. But some stories aren't meant to remain the way they are, are they?

Look at that... puffy... cloud.

Arthur groaned, shifting to look at the sky over the palace.

Izzy and Soph were always better at this than I am. Maybe...

Arthur shook his head back and forth, returning his focus back to the skies.

That was then. This is now. I'll... see... something..?

Arthur's thoughts trailed off as something flew around the castle. It moved far faster than any bird Arthur knew of, and when it when it went behind one of the towers of the castle, it seemingly vanished.

Okay... the Woodwraith? But... aren't those stories? I mean... well... magic can do a lot... so... if it's him... why is he here? And didn't the Storming Queen show up in town earlier this week? Something's up...

Arthur nodded to himself. He was going to the palace... and somehow gaining entry. Or trespassing to figure out what's going on. Perfect plans are half-baked ones, right? Arthur dropped from rooftop to the second floor balcony and from there to the ground. He begins a trek he's taken a few times, cut a corner here, through an alleyway there, towards the palace of Azure's Gate.

I can get there in about 5 minutes... I hope that they're still there when I arrive. Otherwise, I hurt my legs to— well... might keep me out of a meeting for a day or two... yeah, worth it then.

As soon as she heard she could relax, she slowly rose and looked to her right to the other commanders. So Samuel, Kolburn, and Eliza were here. While Eliza's presence never surprised her, since she was Willow's personal guard after all and neither did Kolburn's since she was more of the military might at the moment - Samuel's presence surprised her, but only slightly. She knew the man obeyed the queen like an unwavering servant, which wasn't exactly bad, it just made him predictable. It certainly wasn't an insult though and her attention easily shifted to Celosia, who sat upon the throne in majesty. Adelina had to admit there was a somewhat almost other-worldly beauty about the woman, but ever since Adelina was determined to see the human underneath the grace, she had been smitten and since had seen a completely different person.

The news brought her back to reality though as she pursed her lips, laying a hand on her hip idly at she thought. 'Hm.. I had heard whispers.. but this is becoming a bigger issue than I originally thought.' The woman was fairly confident she'd get some sort of information though and fast, such were her harps. As the queen continued on, she nodded at the mention of her name, smiling just a little bit more than usual. She loved the sound of her name when it came from her lips. Though as attention shifted from her, she quietly wondered if either of the other commanders would even want to assist her. She had the faint feeling that neither Samuel nor Kolburn liked her much, but then again Samuel may yet just to please his queen. The moment came and went too soon though as they were dismissed. Adelina had to admit to feeling a tinge of disappointment and she didn't bother to hide it either. Regardless, she bowed once but stayed for a moment longer. "Your majesty.." She looked to the others once more. "Commanders.. just a word of warning - these men. It's not just the eyes. They possess a giant's strength. It would be best to be safe when confronting them. I'll work on what I can.. and let everyone know." As much as she wanted to stay, chat even, she needed to get ahead of this. Quickly and quietly, she left the throne room.

To the others, Adelina likely didn't seem to be doing anything about her commands and instead choose to make her way back to the garden. When she finally arrived, she stood there for a few moments, simply looking at the walls that had been erect around it to protect the royal family from unwanted guests. Drawing in a lazy sigh, she sat back down at her bench and unstrapped the harp, plucking once more at it's strings. Minutes went by, making it seem like she simply didn't care for her orders. Suddenly however, one of the few actual mages in the queendom capable, teleported right in front of her. "Dame Adelina?" Normally knights would refer to their commanders by last name, but Adelina found that many people has issues with it, so they used her first name instead.

"The attackers.. with black eyes.. do we have any more information on them?" Adelina, unphased by the sudden appearance, kept playing the harp. In truth, it was hard to discern how the mage-knight had known to come.

"Not much my lady. Only that a man has been seen around each occurrence. We're trying to find him as we speak.." The woman was garbed in the usual mage robes from the queendom's magi guild, hands folded in front of her. Had she not been talking to Adelina right now, no one would've known her knighthood.

Biting her lips for a moment, she stopped the harp and looked across the garden for a few moments. "Be careful. You've heard what they can do.. try to let the royal guard handle it and support them if needed. Otherwise your priority is finding this man and seeing what he knows. Do what you do best." With a simple nod, the mage began to chant her spell before Adelina pressed her hand against the woman's hand, causing her to look at her oddly. "... I know I ask this a lot, Jenna... but why me?"

The mage-knight smiled knowingly. "The answer is always the same my lady.. we believe in you.." Without any more hesitation, the mage disappeared in a brilliance of magical light. The Bladesinger smirked softly before tying the harp back in it's place. There was only one thing she could do now.

---

Locket was doing what he usually did whenever he had free time:

Learning as much as he could about the Aura Stone.

To some of the other knights, at least those who managed to catch him reading, he was borderline obsessed with the thing. He was in the midst of scouring as many libraries as possible to try and get any information he could which would help him better understand the stone. However, it wasn't quite as easy as one would think. Especially with Locket's... attitude.

"Argh! Reading and studyin' sucks! I just wanna hang out with some'tha folk at the bar... Hmmmmmmph..." It wasn't easy to keep his mind set on the task at hand. In many ways, Locket's mind was like that of a child, being very much reactionary rather than having forethought for any given situation. Even so, somehow he maintained the willpower to accomplish a decent level of study, given the limited resources and rare amounts of free time. What had he learned, exactly?

Nothing.

One would think that a sacred gem such as the Aura Stone would have more information on it. However, Locket assumed all that information would be a closely guarded secret even among royalty. Queens and future queens only, no doubt. Either that, or he'd been looking in the wrong places. There were plenty of tales and stories regarding the stone, though nothing which could be put down to concrete evidence. Even the stone itself could be left entirely up to speculation, but Locket doubted a lie so large could naturally assimilate into society as such. And he was an expert liar.

Slumped, stumped and stopped dead in his tracks, the young knight found himself repeatedly tapping at the journal, as he made several dots with his ink. Even he was amazed he knew how to read and write; it was by no means perfect, sure, but he always found the subject of reading and writing... difficult when growing up. Words never seemed to look like what they meant to him, however as he neared adulthood, he began to adjust. As mind-numbingly fun as it was to sit there without a clue on how to go on, Locket wasn't that kind of person. With a yawn and a stretch, the young man found his feet once more. He put his journal to the side without much care for neatness, though left the books he'd borrowed from a library on his desk stacked, so to remind him he was done for now.

Instead of studying, Lenny decided he could do what he did usually anyway:

Socialise and think dirty.

Unfortunately for him, most of the people in the stealth division didn't like talking too much, from his understanding. "Ya'll are too quiet. Dammit, why couldn't I be put under the command of Lady Adelinaaaaaaaaa...?!" His complaint wailed out throughout the hall as Locket exited his room and, subsequently, the stealth division barracks. Locket fancied her - and he made his declarations publicly whenever he got the chance. Everything about her just appealed to Locket; she was gentle, kind, but firm in her own right. Her beauty rivaled that of the Goddess, and her eyes... well, he'd get lost in those forever. Skin, soft and supple, seemed to stimulate several sensations in Locket. The way she spoke never felt uptight or condescending, and instead gentle, with regal elegance. Yet she also maintained the will and strength of a lion, and the strength of many men.

McCain had some work to do if he were to catch up to that.

"Alright!" He began, now with a clear vision ahead of him. "I'm going to work hard and train to be the best freakin' knight there is so I can win Lady Adelina's heart!" A change in course brought Locket in the direction of the training grounds, in which he knew he'd likely find himself being challenged by other swordsmen. Or women. It was a great opportunity, however, to know where one's faults lay, or so his superior once said. The knightess had always been a source of his inspiration, so it was time to make her proud! Though he realised on the way he really should've got his combat attire before he got there...

'Ugh... Back to the armoury...'

This is a collab between Willow and Eliza

With this new found information given to Eliza from the Queen, as it was said they were to be dismissed. She stood up, bowed before the throne and left the room. The Royal Guard was called for, magical ways weren't the best with Eliza. She'd not learned that, instead she had a messenger go around and inform them of a meeting in the quarters. With that going around she headed there herself. Without known to her how quickly the knights would show up, Eliza ended out taking the longer way in an attempt to find Willow. Heading down the hall to her quarters seemed like the better option of them. On the way there she hadn't seen her or heard the guards chattering as usual. Not that it was a problem, this was interesting news after all. They were probably out and about on patrol regarding what she found out just now.

Eliza while looking about through the castle stumbled into Willow, easy as it was to find her. Maybe she had the same idea of finding Eliza, none the less it brought a smile to her face. Eliza hugged Willow and started to sign to her. "Hey how're you feeling? Anything interesting going on with you?" While she had a feeling Willow listened into the meeting as her scent was there, it was either that or she was there moments before the meeting of commanders was called upon. None the less she was glad to have run into Willow, they could talk and enjoy each others company at that. Eliza then explained that she was on her way to a meeting she called for the Royal Guard and that Willow could sit in if she would like to do as such.

After watching the meeting, Willow had decided that she hadn't wasted her time spying on her mother. This was... interesting news. Very... interesting. A grin grew on Willow's face. She loved when exciting things happened, though she didn't really like conflict, she just didn't like being in said conflict. Being a silent observer was more than enough for her. Satisfied and not wanting to get caught in the secret room, Willow left, padding her way through the castle.

She honestly didn't expect to run into Eliza so quickly, or easily. Though, it seemed like Eliza had been looking for her too from the way her eyes lite up and she hugged. Willow smilled and returned the hug, signing back to her. 'You say that like I've been sick. I'm fine. Uhhh...'

Willow paused for a moment, not really wanting to admit she'd been listening in, but also wanting to have Eliza take her out to town to have a look around. Deciding not to mention it for now, Willow merely nodded her head when Eliza offered to let her sit in on the meeting. 'I'd love to.' She signed, smiling brightly at Eliza.

With this short meeting of the two in the hall, Eliza put her hand in Willow's and started to walk off towards the Royal Guard quarters, causing a slight blush from Willow. What she had in mind for the meeting was informing them of the current situation and giving the order to go into the town and protect the civilians. It'd be crucial for them to keep an eye out as any of them could be one of these 'creatures.'

'So, what's the plan for this meeting?' Willow signed, looking over at Eliza.

"Well, I was going to inform them on what I was told by the Queen, give them their orders after that is done and then answer any questions, after that call the meeting to an end."

'That sounds incredibly boring.'

"Well, with these people it could be boring or it could be entertaining honestly. It goes either way at times, just depends on their mood and what get's said."

As they walked, Willow ran her free hand through her hair. 'I hope your right. It's been so boring around here lately. I mean, I can only spend so much time in the library before I've read every book there.' She told Eliza, throwing her free hand up in the air in exasperation.

With how Willow motioned her hand it caused Eliza to chuckle. "Well, that is rather true to be honest, one can only spend so much time in there before reading every book in their collection if that's how it should be called. Hopefully it goes well and then we could do something later if you'd like. With all said, Eliza softly rubbed Willow's hand with her thumb before stopping before the doorway to the Royal Guard quarters, she let go of Willow's hand and held the door open. "After you Princess." Eliza meant this in a teasing manner of course.

"Beauty before fleas, I suppose." Willow replied, sticking her tongue out at Eliza before she entered the room. She nodded at the knights as they bowed to her and found a seat nearby where Eliza would no doubt be speaking from.

Eliza entered the room after Willow, nodding as they bowed before signaling them to sit down once again. Eliza took her usual seat which happened to be next to where Willow sat herself. She let out a sigh before smashing onto the table with her fist. "Alright down to order. I've been informed by the Queen of these creatures, they can take the form of anybody at anytime, they carry great strength, that of a giant. If you are to engage one in battle you are to attempt to get outside the city walls while it follows behind you. Failure to do this will lead to grave damage to the city and to those around the location. If you cannot lead it outwards attempt to have the area cleared and make attempts to dodge any and all attacks thrown at you, if one of the other Royal Guard members happen to be around call them to assist you. All of you are dismissed, Sophia you are to remain, disregard the dismissal order for you."

Sophia looked at Eliza and then nodded, with this order to remain after the rest were dismissed it would need to be of some importance. With that in mind, she watched as the others left and focussed her attention onto their commander. "Commander Eizenhower, with this order to remain here, I feel I must ask why this was asked of me. An order to be expected but if so why couldn't it be said infront of the others?

"While it could be said with the others around, I thought it to be best to have them off onto their own mission. My orders for you entail something else, something different. I know I can trust you, you've proven yourself to me many times before. While being on lookout for those creatures can always be benificial, I did have something else for you in mind. While you can take somebody with you, it might be best to venture alone. I'd like for you to venture into the city depths and see if there is any evidence of them residing down there. While it might prove to be nothing, it would seem to be worth looking around from my viewpoint. Dismissed."

With her orders, Sophia stood up from her seat, stood at attention and saluted. Once Eliza did as such back to her, she promptly left the room to begin on her part of the orders given out on this day.

Willow, having been silent for most of that, stood up now and walked over to Eliza, tugging at her sleeve. "Speaking of which..." She signed, grinning at Eliza, as if to look sweeter than she was normally. "I was... kind of hoping we could... I don't know. Go out to town ourselves?" She asked, biting her lower lip in anticipation.

It really didn’t take long for the throne chambers to be filled with welcome audiences. From Willow, the Princess herself, to her fellow Knight Commanders, Kolburn kept silent and resolute in waiting for their Queen’s high command. Though she had to roll her eyes at some of her peer’s response to the Queen, clenching her teeth at Samuel’s blatant adoration.

Had he no patience or will? No one just up and greeted the Queen in so cheery a manner. It were fools like him that made Kolburn sometimes question the legitimacy of their guard but at least he knew how to do his job well; his one saving grace in her eyes. Regardless of these thoughts, the commanding voice of their Queen compelled all to rise and Kolburn held no hesitation.

And what the Queen had to say was certainly concerning, enough to make Kolburn narrow her eyes. Yes, they had all heard rumor of these individuals who could overpower ordinary men. No doubt they matched the description of demons or perhaps those under a bewitching effect. Given their assignment at last, Kolburn nodded with a, “Yes your Majesty,” before turning to do her part for Azura’s Gate.

Only when she slowly thought about the Queen’s orders did she realize she was indirectly paired off with Samuel. Of all the idiots…no, she could make do with this. He would just have to remember to keep out of her way after all. Keeping in a sigh, she turned to him and said, “I will have my command guard the people as best as they can. You can gather intel on these strange creatures,” before moving back towards the sparring session that she had been ripped away from.

A quick chat with one of her knights later and she was back at the training grounds, only to see that hardly anyone was around. A mental slap would be met to herself as she realized she had just sent all of her potential sparring partners, her knights, off to do their duties. Great. Alone with nothing to do…except maybe notice that green-haired, idiotic flirt muttering to herself. Taking some amusement from Locket’s action, she watched from a distance, finding a bench to rest upon with crossed arms and legs.

---

Samuel Alderach

Samuel rose. Indeed, he had heard the rumors of this bizarre infection; though many had dismissed it as superstition, he had far too much experience with the mysteries of this world to be so sure. Such foul magics were common in the dark places of the world, powers that could strip a man of his mind and soul.

After the other commanders had spoken, Samuel thumped his fist over his heart and bowed his head. "My lady, I shall have my Woodsman comb the countryside for information. If this plague is the work of some warlock or hedge mage, we will find him, your grace." Upon being dismissed, he turned and left, stealing one last glance at the most beautiful woman in the world before he exited the throne room. Without sparing a single word to the others, he marched over to the nearest window, pushed it open, and dove out, the wind rising to meet him as he fell.

Within a few hours, he was standing in the middle of the Woodsman's Camp, all his knights circled around him (those who weren't currently on an assignment, anyway - he'd write to them later.)

"What's the word, chief?" spoke Harald, a big man with an axe slung over his shoulder. "Something bad enough to get us all involved?"

Samuel nodded, and addressed the crowd. "You've all heard the rumors. A plague, a serious one, something that makes monsters of men. The Queen's worried, worried enough that she set all of her Knight-Commanders on it. Now, if I know the rest of them, they're probably running about, chasing their tails right now." There were snickers at that - mocking the other knight orders was something of a woodsman pastime - "But we are going to get results. Fan out, search the countryside. Be thorough. Track down every witch, every hedge mage, everyone who can cast a cantrip and question them. If they have anything useful to say, bring them in. If they're suspicious, bring them in. Lethal force is only to be used when necessary - we want answers, not corpses. Mages are dangerous, so nobody travels alone; twos and threes, I'll let you figure it out. Any questions?"

Isabelle Vastria raised her hand. "Where are you going, chief?"

"I'm headed back to the city. If this gets worse, it could be a disaster, and the Queen's going to need someone reliable. I'll send a bird if there are any new developments. Or maybe a Harp, make them feel useful." More laughter, and Samuel raised his fist. "What are we, Woodsmen?"

"Queensmen!" came the roar in reply, and Samuel smiled.

"You have your orders. Get to work." The Woodsman bustled off to their tasks, and the wind lifted Samuel off his feet.

---

Now thankfully for Locket, the armoury wasn't located too far away from the training grounds, for obvious reasons. As he suited up and got ready to spar, or at least practice with dummies, he noted that there were quite a few knights around also gearing up. Did he miss a tournament announcement or something? Members of the Royal Guard and Order of the Serpent were gearing up. Wait, did he miss hearing about a CLAN WAR? Like Hell that was possible!

Locket grabbed his things, suited up, and headed back to the training grounds, too excited to hear the reason behind why both parties were actually gearing up. He had to get a good seat, of course! "Ahh, yes! I freakin' love these bigger battles! So awesome!" Locket himself had never been a part of one, seeing as it was mostly just a fun event for the best in each company. Locket, however, was the worst in his, so it was no wonder he never got picked. Even so, the battles were badass to watch, seeing fighters beat the ever-loving shit out of one-another! It also gave him some insight into how the other companies worked; he couldn't help but feel he could do well in the 'Order of the Harp', but then again, a lot of them were... well, tough!

Not to mention, Lady Adelina would be his commander...

'God, I wouldn't mind seeing more of her every day...! No, hidden blade! Down!'

He struggled with his thoughts all the way to the training grounds, yet soon realized something was off. For starters, nobody else was around. Nobody from the armoury had followed him there, either. In fact, as he looked towards the way he came, everyone was headed in the opposite direction! "H-hey! Where are you going! Training grounds are THIS WAY!" Unfortunately his shouting came with zero success, and he sighed when he realised he's been wrong about the clan war. "Dammit... Guess nobody is gonna be around. Might as well play with'e dolls, then. Ugggggggggggggggh..."

Being the optimist that he was, Locket attempted to think positive. He muttered to himself as he entered the training grounds. "OK, come on, it can't be that bad. Maybe there's a hot girl waiting for me just around the corner? Yeah, that would make my day better! Ahh, I can imagine her now: a beauty beyond compare, her eyes sparkling like gemstones amidst the beautiful light of day. Her skin glistens like her armour, and her hair... Oh man! I gotta see who-"

That was it. Today was D Day.

No, not that kind of D! He meant death!

Locket's worst nightmares had been realized, as his eyes came into contact with that of one of the Knight Commanders. However, this wasn't just any Knight Commander. This was the Knight Commander. Better known among the recruits as 'The Storming Queen', she was... ruthless, if the stories were to be believed! A gifted veteran both dishing out commands and on the battlefield, she was basically the best of the best. Also downright horrifying when it came to punishments! To say there was no-one better in the Queendom would be an understatement; he had to admit Lady Adelina likely wouldn't fair well against Kolburn's sheer physical and mental prowess. She was symbolic of a Commander if there ever was one...!

Furthermore, she scared the absolute shit out of Locket.

Sir Kolburn. That was who she was, but even then Locket couldn't bring himself to speak her name often, regarding the woman as 'Sir', unless told otherwise. He hadn't met her in person, at least not technically, but he knew what she was capable of, seeing as she frequented the training grounds and would even train other knights. Locket, however, tried to avoid getting killed as much as possible though, so he tended to chicken out whenever there was something involving her.

'Although...', he pondered briefly, 'it would make for some excellent training... With a... good-looking girl? Yes, definitely good looking! But don't be an idiot or she'll chop ye nuts off!'

Lenny gulped. Then bowed.

"H-hey, Sir! I-I mean, good day! Err, a-apologies if I interrupted y-your training, Sir! Uhh... d-do ya need anythin'?" He tried to be as formal as he could. Really, he was trying. But it was hard when you have the mind of a nineteen year old child whose hormones are off the charts.

That, and his hidden blade still hadn't sheathed.

'Please don't kill me, Sir! I'm too young to die!' As he thought more about his current predicament, however, he seemed to calm. Not because he was getting accustomed to Kolburn's presence, mind, but the fact that she possibly had an adorable side. Of course he'd probably die if he ever got to see it, but whether it was having a serious thing for sweets to a bed full of teddy bears, Locket couldn't help but wonder if there was something else behind 'Scary McScare Scare's scariness. 'The day I learn that information is the day I'm framed against the Queendom and put to death... Would probably be worth it though.'

Meet Locket McCain: Who'd be put to death by cuteness, for cuteness.

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@TheWindel

William loved the Queen, he really did. However, everyone in the kingdom knew William needed his sleep or he'd be an unhappy camper. Yet, there he was, trudging by familiar faces as he walked down the halls towards the throne room, eyes not even half opened. Will would be lying if he said he didn't run into the wall a few times. Far be it his place to claim what was important and what wasnt, but could anything be important to actually warrant this? He probably did something terrible and this was some sick divine retribution wasn't it.

"Whatever sins I've committed,  I've learned from them I swear, oh mighty one. Please never again." He groaned as he walked, anyone other than him, and they would've been seen as crazy, certainly not given an audie nice with the queen, luckily he had the skills to pay the bills. "Perhaps she just wants to bond, and is informing me that she is now keeping a bed in her throne room for me, so I can just rest here. That'd be nice... Maybe I should ask her for one... Would that sound bad? 'Hey, your majesty, can you get a bed in her so we can spend time together?' Yeah, definitely shouldn't say that. If I reworded it though, I'm sure she'd get me one."His useless blabbering came to an end when he reached the throne room. It was pretty big, and now he'd get to see the queen, that was always nice. He half walked, half stumbled into the room. Luckily the queen knew if his issues with sleep, so perhaps she'd cut him some slack if she knew that he woke up early just for her.William kneeled down

"Your majesty, it's an honor to be called here by you, please tell me what you'd like from me, and it'll be done hastily ...Also, have you thought about bringing a bed in here? Kinda making like a guest room, but in the throne room, I think it'd improve morale. At least mine..." He asked, doing his best not to yawn while talking to her.

A bit winded, Arthur slows his run as he arrives at the road following the castle wall. He was a fair distance away from the main gate, which he would probably be let through if he said he was there to see Sophia. However, he thought that lie might be a bit shortsighted if both the Woodwraith and Storming Queen were in town. Something big must be happening, and his both his sisters would more than likely be involved in recon, surveillance, or conflict depending.

I don't believe they've found this entrance yet... I don't use it that often— is it even considered an entrance?

"Doubtful." Arthur mumbled, beginning to think aloud as his thoughts drifted a bit. Any excuse for being within the castle walls that might be enough to save his hide. "Only if caught... right?" Arthur looked around briefly before making his way across to the bushes in front of the castle wall. Behind them, just out of sight, was a small crawlspace leading to the other side; into the royal gardens. Arthur tugged at his collar, loosening it a bit and calming his nerves slightly, before crawling through to the bushes beyond.

A soft melody echoed through the garden, adding a nice ambiance. Arthur took a few moments longer than he intended to stand and dust himself off. He still remained out of sight, at least he believes he's out of sight, admiring the beauty and delicacy of the harp in the distance. Arthur might have simply left afterwards, his heart and mind put at ease due to the music. But it stopped abruptly, snapping his attention back to the reality of where he was.

It stopped? Wh— I was smaller before, but I was caught then. How to get to the castle?

William's eyes grew hard, and he stiffened at the order to kill those who were once regular people. He hated killing, and did whatever he could to avoid it. In his eyes, very rarely did a person deserve something as harsh as death. Many a times he had even spared those who had attempted to take his life, just because he believed that despite the actions one chooses to take, they still have the chance of being a good person, and he had no right to decide if someone deserved to live or die, after all, he was just some powerful idiot that had an unhealthy obsession with sleeping. However, an order from the queen was absolute, he'd kill if need be, but if it was at all possible, he would heal anyone and everyone who was infected. "As you wish, my Queen. I promise you however, I will save whoever I can." He stated before standing up and leaving, walking out of the throne room significantly faster than the stumbling that brought him in.

William walked through the halls, his mind still trying to comprehend the news about the strange ailment.How many people have it, and how did those who have it contract it? If we don't know these things, who's to say the Queen herself may fall ill and nobody will be able to prevent it. I have to figure these things out. It's about time I summon the Paladins . The thoughts swirled around his head until he reached the exit. As he exited the castle, he was subsequently met head on with a knight, sprinting inside, almost causing William to wipe out. Upon further inspection, it was one of his own knights, Brom.

"Commander William, something is wrong with Lucius, we heard a sound of things being knocked over in his quarters, and either he's been turned into some sort of demon. You have to come to the quarters!" Brom said hastily, pulling William along as he spoke, the Paladins quarters was just outside of the castle gates, it was William's person residence , but he used the money he received from the various jobs he had done to make a sort of Quarters for his knights.

William climbed onto his horse, snapping the reins and flying off towards the residence. Arriving there in about 10, he recognized what the infected were capable of. There was a large hole in the wall that if William's memory was correct, was the room that Lucius bunked in. The more pressing matter however, was the rampaging figure William could tell must be Lucius, seeing his eyes caused shivers to run down William's spine. Other Knights were scattered about around him, swords drawn.

"Men, I command you all stand back, I'll be dealing with this. If something is to happen to me, Christopher, inform the Queen on my behalf." William commanded, jumping off of his horse. He walked towards the creature, throwing his boomerang at its head with all the force he could muster. Suffice to say, the creature just moved out of the way and the boomerang missed. William drew his sword and charged Lucius, planning to knock him out, he smashed the hilt of his sword into Lucius's face, it did absolutely nothing. Lucius delivered a heavy punch directly to William's gut, winding him as well as causing him to fall back a few steps.

"If you don't want to take a nap, I suppose I'll have to nail you down." William charged forward with his sword as his boomerang came back, hitting Lucius in the back of the head, and making him lean forward enough for William to impale his side. William carried his momentum from the lunge and smashed his full weight into Lucius, knocking him down, and causing the sword to go through his side and embed in the ground.

"I'm really sorry about this." William said, although he doubted Lucius understood. William put his hands onto Lucius and began attempting to heal him, and he found it was one of the very few times he was unsure if he could fix it. However, if he couldn't abandon a stranger, he sure as he'll wouldn't abandon a knight under his command. He poured everything he had into healing Lucius. To his relief, he watched as Lucius's eyes reverted back to normal.

William proceeded to pull his sword out of Lucius's side(lucky for him William knew how to avoid hitting vital areas), and subsequently collapse onto the ground unconcious. Christoper immediately rode off to inform the Queen that William 'undemonified' Lucius, despite the fact he had no idea what was going on. Fellow Paladins proceeded to heal Lucius, and then carry William to bed, as they have had to do many times before.

She had it set in her mind, but suddenly something snapped her from her task, causing her eyes to drift over the garden lazily. While it was anything but lazy, her time within the Harp had taught her how to act when needed, and suspecting a spy was definitely one of those times. Now was not one of them though and it was obvious the moment she spotted the young noble - she knew he was one of theirs, but hadn't gotten the chance to introduce herself with everything that was happening. 'Resourceful,' she thought, smiling slightly to herself. "You can come out, young master.." It had been a term she picked up while abroad, though she wasn't sure others called the nobles 'master' or 'miss' as much as they did 'lord' and 'lady.'

Adelina slowly strode over to the bush the man had crawl into and placed a hand on her hip with a growing smirk. "Very clever to find that entrance.. normally only used for emergencies. I suppose it's best though, with what's going on." She nodded thoughtfully, not wanting to spook the young man, but the statement was true none-the-less. "I would advise staying by my side though or one of the knights. Just for your own protection, young lord."

The sound of footsteps caught the Songbird's attention, though it wasn't who she had been expecting. The queen gracefully strode into the garden proper, causing the knight commander to blush just enough to be noticed. Adelina had elected to stay at the castle before mainly to protect the queen, even though she hadn't told anyone that's what she was doing. Even as loyal as Samuel was, all the commanders were about doing their duties to the crown and even Eliza was so focused on Willow that Adelina thought it best that she kept an eye on Celosia. Of course, a few members of her order (especially her second-in-command Flik) knew there was another reason beyond the subtle move and anyone paying attention to her soft blushes would've finally clued onto it as well. In fact, it was one of the few things that Adelina was horrible at hiding and she often wondered if the queen had ever truly caught on.

Though as much as she adored being the queen's unofficial body guard, she did miss the old days from time to time. As it was, her position demanded that she be the decision-maker and the one that kept most of the information. Back when she was just a knight climbing the ranks though, she had fun, collecting information, playing on people's attraction to her, helping the queendom. She had never gotten that though. People had always had this sort of unusual attraction to her, like she was so easy to trust - not that she was complaining, but even her predecessor Commander Tir marveled at her unique ability. Of course some individuals had a natural resistance to it or so it seemed, such as Kolburn and Samuel. Whatever it was, she was glad for the gift.

Glancing back to Arthur as to collect her thoughts a little again, she gave him a smile - an almost shy one as she gave her attention back to her queen. ".. Celosia.." She used to be so causal with the woman, but recently she's felt so internally shy and bashful that sometimes it felt awkward to be so informal. It was a strange feeling, like butterflies making a whirlwind in her stomach. "Taking a moment to rel-"

Adelina was cut off as one of the paladins came rushing in. "Your majesty! I came to report that Sir William cured one of the afflicted! Though he is being taken to bed to rest, one of very own was saved the fate of the sickness." Assuming, and probably justly so, that the queen would soon dismiss him, the knight simply bowed deeply before running off once more - probably to attend to his commander.

The news made Adelina widened her eyes for a few moments before pursing her lips in careful thought. Just as the news sank in for Celosia, Adelina added, "good to know they are not impossible to cure. However Sir William's healing magic is one of the strongest.. and it took it out of him.." All Adelina could do then is meet eyes with Celosia with a somewhat worried look on her face. The Bladesinger never said so out loud, but she often looked up to the older woman for her wisdom.

Unfortunately Jetar wasn't able to reach the summons of their beloved queen as he was far too busy arguing with some collegues over the value of arcana and the capabilities of what a man can contain before they require some sort of magical strengthening to allow the frail human form to maintain a higher capacity for magical power. It was simply impossible! So amplify one's human for just to store more raw power would... it would make them a walking bomb of arcanic energy that could blow at the slightest urging, yet for some reason his fellows didn't seem to understand. Regardless, the arguement ended and he was free to leave his lab without worrying that his more... etcentic students wouldn't be trying to turn thmselves into walking magical bombs.

Taking his exit out his favorite and quiet exclusive way to the balcony of the Arcana Spire, way up near the top that was often used to watch and study the stars. Casually walking to the edge he looked out at the beautiful rising sun and all that it shed it's radiant light on. With how beautiful Azure's Gate shined it was no wonder that he could and has spent years just watching the great wonder build and grow. However, now was not the time to sit and marvel over the wonderous city.

Placing his hands up onto the railing of the balcony he closed his eyes and in a surge of magic his body melted away, shrinking down till the old Jetar was gone and the onlyl thing left was a beautiful raven, perched on the edge of the balcony ready to take flight and take flight he did. Leaping from the tower and diving down with tucked in wings he fell from the top floor of the tower down about halfway before spreading wide his black wings to catch the falling air and soar up away from the ground and into the dawning sky.

Taking to the morning winds he made his way to the castle as being late, while not such a great thing to be, is still better than never showing up at all. Taking wing to the window of the throne room he pecked at the high windows, creaking them open before flying inside. Only t then almost immediately realize that he was running soo far behind that they'd all up and left him to head off to their, most likely, pressing matters.

Still he was determined and would find her royal majesty no matter what. With how much he knew her it wasn't hard to know where's see be off to anyway and before long he was flying above the gardens. Seeing her resting as she alwasy did when she needed a moment to herself. Yet she wasn't by herself and had another familiar face to keep her company, Knight Commander Loxaerion. He had an opinion of the woman, but most of it was about how she made the kingdom go round and how her spies could find him anything! When he needed a rare reagent, special subject, or even an ancient site to conduct his research she'd be able to find it for him.

Diving down to the ground he shifted again midflight, leveling out with the last few seconds of his wings before chaning once more.

For Queen Celosia she'd enjoy a few more moments of peace with Loxaerion before a clean and well kept cat with a clean black collar on leaped up onto the bench next to her from behind, escaping all eyes on quiet paws. From there though the curious feline wasted no time in cozying up to her majesty jumping up onto her lap and rubbing it's head across her chest looking for attention. And no matter what happened from that point the cat would persist trying to raise a reaction until he eventually spoke up. Not with mewlings or purrs and instead with a grown man's voice, "Please, be a dear and pet me behind the ears. You know you want to and I'll never complain over it. Besides I'm sure it will cheer you up child." The voice easily recognizable as Jetar's by anybody who knew him well enough, which both of the ladies present should given their working relationship with the feline.

"Huh?"

Kolburn had been so lost in her thinking, as she usually was, that she hadn't even noticed the presence of another until they were standing and stuttering right in front of him. From the green hair alone she could identify this person as none other than Locket. Then her gaze narrowed just briefly. That's right, Locket. Locket the pervert among his fellow knights. Locket, the one who would do anything to cope a feel, though surely he would have some common sense in approaching her. Expression turning neutral again, she looked him up and down before saying, "I require nothing of interest Knight. Except maybe a soul whou would be willing to entertain me in battle."

Locket gulped as he heard those fateful words escape Sir Kolburn's lips. "Yeah, uhh, I was actually j-just going to train myself... S-so, uhh, I guess..."

'Dammit, you idiot! If you accept the challenge you'll die! But how do you turn her down without getting your ass kicked...?Think, Locket, think!'

Locket's mind was going a hundred miles an hour to try and think up an excuse. However, it was somewhat difficult being in front of the person he feared more than anyone else. "Th-though I d-do kinda feel a bit ill, now that I th-think about it..." He wasn't sure if this would be enough to convince Kolburn, but it was the only thing he could think of. If he couldn't get away pulling a sicky, then he would get away via the sweet embrace of death. "Y-yep! Definitely sick! Ugh... Not good, sir! It's like I'm under the influence of a dark spell of sorts! Ow ow ow!"

Little did he know, this likely would only worsen the situation. Worsen in ways that he could never predict because Kolburn gave him a strange look. His "feareful" face only made him look scrunched or, at worse, constipated. Or he was trying to insult her without words. Had she not thought that was ridiculous, she might have struck him in two right then and there. But as it were, she realized that maybe he really was ill and feeling weakened. Was it a heatwave? Some kind of bad stomach flu?

"In that case, there's no point in it. I can't strike down an ally who can't even fight back," the Knight Commander said with a hint of annoyance. "Fine then. At least let me escort you to the barracks so that you may recover soon. I hear soup is good for both the soul, mind, and body," she said further, getting up and about. Her hand clasped his wrist like an iron shackle as she near-dragged him away from the training grounds and towards a doctor. Whether she was just playing the part or genuinely Locket was ill was yet to be seen....but honestly, it was probably the latter.

"O-ow! Hey, s-sir! I-I'm OK enough to walk! I-I'm not crippled!" Unfortunately, Locket's pleas likely fell on deaf ears. He almost collapsed from the sudden strength shown by the Commander, though it may have also come down to the height difference. Thankfully he was good on his feet and managed to stand without making an ass of himself, but that still didn't mean he didn't feel awkward as Hell being lead to the barracks by the Commander. 'Sheesh, it's like being dragged home by an annoying mother... Wait... If you look at it from a certain angle, it almost looks like she's holding my ha- nonononononoNO! Do you want a death wish?! First rule of getting in bed with someone: make sure it's NOT someone who will cut your junk off for ANY reason!'

Welp, there went that idea...

The not-so-chivalrous knight was thankful that there wasn't a whole lot of people around to see his current predicament. Though he had to admit, now that he was walking, it didn't feel so bad. Other than his wrist wanting to be spared from being crushed, of course. Pretty soon the green-haired knight found himself being taken back the way he'd come, silently crying to himself that he'd be right back where he started. Not only that, but Sir Kolburn could possibly impose lock down on his ass until he got better, which would mean no training. No training meant nothing to do. Boredom was the true killer. As he followed behind her, however, a thought occurred:

"Wait, you can cook?! Like, even soup?! I didn't take you for the cooking type, Sir!" He thought aloud, though immediately regretted his lack of forethought. 'Shit shit shit! I fucked up! I'm as good as dead...!' He gulped hard. Again. Surely this time she'd take some kind of offence, right?

For her part, Kolburn was actually quite surprised by how cooperative Locket was being towards all this. Not that she could tell if he was terrified or not, but his reputation definitely proceeded him. She had expected him to cop a feel out of her by now or comment some "smooth" remark to get in her good graces. But for once in his life, Locket was acting like the disciplined soldier he was supposed to be, quiet and following an order without question. She was definitely enjoying the sound of her own thoughts and briefly wondered if she had entirely misjudged Locket's character-

"Hmm? Well of course I can cook. I've done so multiple times in the past before," Kolburn said, surprised but not outraged. "My cooking is so good in fact, that whenever someone tries it they humbly refuse to eat for a week. Surely that's a sign that I've fed their stomach full to the point that a week's wait is enough to satisfy them," said the Knight Commander proudly.

'You aren't very bright, are you, Sir...?'

He was incredibly surprised the person he feared most of all so far hadn't even rose her voice in protest against him. However, Locket was far too dumbfounded by Sir Kolburn's lack of awareness that even he couldn't contend with. "Just by hearing you speak of it, S-Sir, makes me feel a bit better. Maybe you just have some kinda... spiritualistic nature'a somethin'? Makes me feel unworthy of eatin' such a thing." Suggested the young knight, as he felt a lot more at ease than before. 'So far, things are good... I'll admit she's not trying to strangle me, so I must be doing somethin' right... Maybe I should try my luck...?'

He mentally slapped himself for that.

'Nope! That is WRONG! Remember, she can and WILL chop my nuts off! Do not engage in-... oh, fuck it.'

"S-say, uhh, S-Sir...? I must admit, I-I never quite got... I mean, w-well, that is to say... Ugh, this isn't like me..." Every fiber of common sense Locket actually had told him not to go through with it. Buuuuut unfortunately for him, he had a tendency to not listen. A lot. "Erm, well, I'll just p-put it bluntly... Uhh... You're... a lot cuter up close than I thought... Th-that is to say you didn't look cute before, but I was just a bit of an idiot to not realize it, y-yeah? L-l-like I didn't mean to offend or anything and I'm sorry if I did since you're totally a badass but I just thought to speak what was on my mind aaaaaaaaaaaand I'll stop talking now." Well if this didn't do it, then Locket figured nothing would. At the very least, knowing how everyone ticked was a fun little past time of his. Through his... unique methods, Locket had gained a lot of insight into the hearts and minds of his fellow Knights, learning through casual conversation and excessive flirting. Sir Kolburn would be a nigh impossible obstacle in Locket's advance to the Aura Stone, unless he chose to learn about her...

"Um...huh?" said Kolburn, stopping in her tracks yet again to the love confession being held. This was a love confession, right? Yes, yes, it sounded like a love confession. There was no anger or outrage in Kolburn's gaze as she slowly turned to stare down at Locket. Her grip did not tighten or lessen upon his wrist, so that was a good sign. Maybe? Perhaps. "I see. Well, I can't say for sure if I feel the same way. Of course I'm cute. By the fact that you flirt with all the women you interact with, why wouldn't I think you'd feel the same for me? Although, that comment about my intelligence didn't go unheard Knight," she added, tightening her hold just a little. "So I'm cute but I'm not bright, huh? Just another pretty face for you Locket?"

'Oooooooooooooooh nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...' This wasn't the drawn-out 'no' of someone who was being sarcastic. More like someone who may have just lost their will to live. 'No, Locket, you can fix this. It hurts a bit more but you're not dead; you must've had some kind of effect! Sir Kolburn, I think I misjudged you! Though, who blatantly states they themselves are cute...?'

"N-not at all, Sir! Err, that is to say, you are cute and bright, but what I should've said was th-that you're not the best at understandin' peeps. Like, lots'a people have different strengths and weaknesses; where ya don't shine so much socially, you make up for tonnes in fighting! Like, I-I don't know anythin' much academically, but I can kinda fight n' stuff and talk't people. Not all your stars in the sky shine the brightest, but you can't excuse those which are and which will be. That's what... an old friend o' mine once said!" In truth it was actually his sister, however Locket didn't want bad memories to resurface.

"Just 'cause I say you're cute doesn't mean you're like every other girl. You're unique, everyone is! N-not another pretty face, Sir, but your pretty face; Sir Kolburn's pretty face." He beamed a stupid grin on his face as he spoke, a sign of his growing confidence and comfort in Kolburn's presence. Even if it felt his wrist was in a vice grip.

"You don't know social skills to cut someone in half Locket," the woman said dryly, her grip not loosening at all. Only when Locket had finished his spiel did she even think about how she was crushing his hand like a rotten piece of fruit. She promptly released pressure, lest she be carrying around a corpse with her. "Very well then. You've saved yourself a swift punishment Locket, though you would do wise in making sure to choose your words correctly. After all, I lack social skills, remember?" Kolburn said, mocking the very words the Knight had said unto her. "Now then, something tells me you've suddenly required a boost of strength. A heroic wind of sorts. Or were you lying to me about your illness as well?"

'Erm...'

"Ah, w-well, I guess your presence perked me up! Aha..." Locket nervously scratched the back of his head, his gaze turned to the right as he shook his now free hand loosely to rid it of the pain. "You don't gotta escort me much further if you don't wanna, Sir. I know you likely have more important things to do or think about than cater to my needs."

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