---

Atop the stone ramparts of the city walls, a young woman by the name of Vanadise stood at the ready, gazing out across the sea that surrounded the western peninsula. She was a bit small for her age, nearly a few months past her twenty fifth birthday, but she made up for it with athletic skill. She was training to become the first in the Lynn family line to become one of the Rose Vanguard. Already, she had shown exceptional prowess with a halberd and sword, as well as unwavering loyalty to the Lordship of Ursa. This land was her home, after all. She was raised in a village not far from the castle, and longed to visit the royal courts and parties when she was a little girl. These aspirations changed, as most do, as she grew older. After one too many scuffles with some of the more uncouth boys of her village, she began to teach herself how to fight. Secretly, at first, but it was not long before people found out why those same boys were starting to return home with bloody lips and bruises. As one would expect, she was scolded for her behavior, but even the boys she fought would not deny she was a skilled brawler. By the time she passed into her teenage years, she was offered a chance to learn swordplay from a retired member of the Rose Vanguard. That was when she decided to strive towards achieving that rank herself.

As her skills increased, she became part of the Town Guard, then moved to the city and became an officer of the City Guard. It was only a few years until she joined the Royal Guard, and soon after became a Knight. Trained to fight in chain mail, Vanadise preferred the use of her Halberd, but kept a broadsword and round shield as a backup for engagements in close quarters. Now, she waited for the day when she could face the trials to become part of the Rose Vanguard.

The woman talked to herself, as she often did while alone on patrol, "I shouldn't be too long. The Captain will surely give me my trial, I just need to be ready." Vanadise tightened her grip on the halberd that rarely left her side, "If the rumors are true, if War is coming-" Her thoughts trailed off for a moment as she looked away from the sea and faced the city.
"I need to be ready."

---

"Should probably stop day dreaming while on patrol," Pietro hollered, tapping his fellow knight on the shoulder with a jovial chuckle. "That's my job anyways, you're the one who is supposed to be actually doing the job." Pietro was a burly man and the chain mail he wore itched his body like no other. Underneath the intertwined metal chains was a physique of solid muscle, something that the man was not only born with, but also worked for. "It's a heatwave today." The brunette panted heavily, feeling the heat of the sun burn his tanned skin.

Growing up Pietro always had a darker more olive complexion than those within the castle walls. It was said that his father, who was a Rose Vanguard, had impregnated an exotic, dancing gypsy who had cursed him when he left and broke her heart. Pietro knows little about his heritage other than the fact that his father was a Rose Vanguard and was a respected enough man to have the lord of Ursa's respect. With a deep breath he straightened his belt which held one short sword to his right side and a small knife to his left, on his back the man carried a large broadsword, opting for the usage of swords over pole arms and ranged weapons, knowing that his skills lie in close-ranged combat.

Vanadise was one of the fellow knights Pietro had gotten close too. She wasn't like any of the other knights, not just because she was the only woman, which didn't really bother Pietro all that much, but she was more in-tune with herself and was a lot brighter and much more intelligent than him and the rest of the knights combined. She wasn't just smart though, Pietro experienced it first hand how fast the woman was and how much quicker she was than most of their fellow knights.

"The trials for the Rose Vanguards are coming up soon, there are three spots left." Pietro said, "Is the captain going to speak up on your nomination yet? There are not any other good candidates besides you, to be honest."

---

Startled by Pietro's sudden outburst, Vanadise snapped her attention back to her immediate surroundings. She tensed up for a brief moment, but quickly relaxed when she realized who was speaking to her. It was not the first time his gruff voice had caught the female knight by surprise during her otherwise quiet patrols, and it was surely not going to be the last, much to her dismay. Turning her head to eye him from her peripheral, the chain mail mantle the woman wore over her shoulders jingled slightly. Vanadise sighed as the man commented on the temperature. While the truth was not lost on her, she handled the warmer weathers a bit better than most of the other knights, as she opted to wear less armor in favor of agility. Still, she had some chain mail restricted to her mantle, bracers, and boots, and the heat was quite uncomfortable in her padded garb.

Vanadise smirked lightly before speaking. "You know, if you spent as much time patrolling as you do complaining, this City would be the safest in all the kingdom." She gave a slight laugh as she returned her cerulean gaze towards Ursa, lifting a hand up to brush back a few loose strands of her dirty blonde hair away from her face.

She teased Pietro often, though always in jest. It was a side effect of her upbringing, and a hard habit to break. Despite her faux tone, she enjoyed the man's company and humor. The other knights frequently looked down on the girl, not just due to her physical height, but for her common blood and fragile physique. Most would swear it was just her imagination, but it was painfully obvious to a trained eye. Pietro was different, though, and seemed to see her in a light of respect. Paired with his large stature and friendly demeanor, in addition to the tactical advantage of his combat style, Vanadise would always request to share the same patrol path, rumors be damned. Pietro was her friend, and that meant more to her than what others would say behind their backs.

"If we are being honest," She responded to his final question, "The Captain will probably nominate Stein or Gestar, if not one of the other Knights on the Southern Patrol. Still, I can only hope. After all, someone needs to watch your back during the Trials."