"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, The time has come once again for the Knight selection ceremony." The announcer boomed from the stage located in the center of the capital city. his voice broadcast through the entire city through an intricate speaker system. Those who heard came walking to the center of the city where a massive stone stood. Upon arrival, there were nine visibly different groups of people. Each from a different region of Elementia. Grinning as he spoke the announcer continued.
"As you all know we have always believed in this stones power and the knowledge it possesses has always been immense. And now more than ever the Knights this stone gives us are needed to help with the invading forces. Ladies and gentlemen the scrolls." he said rubbing his bald head as he spoke. Not as soon as the word scroll had formed in the announcer's mouth a team of nine assistants walked onto the stage each holding two scrolls. The people all knew the drill here nine blank scrolls are sealed and placed before the stone then a small manifestation of each element is shown from the scroll and finally, the names of the chosen are read aloud for all to hear. After that, the newly christened knights are handed the other scroll which only the knights are allowed to read. All of this began quickly and before they knew it the first scroll was being read.

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Leonidas stood among his peers from his village. He knew he had so much to prove but being here seemed to validate all the hard work he put into his training. He looked up at the Announcer as he broke the seal on the first scroll and began to speak.
"As always we begin with the scroll of light," he said opening the scroll reading before leaning toward the crowd with a smile. "Leonidas Gainsborough, You will be the next Knight of Light." he finished with a grin. Leonidas was floored he had been chosen, all of his hard work had led him to this moment. He almost couldn't contain himself as he moved through the crowd and ascended the stairs to accept his scroll and stand before the freshly erected banner that bore the symbol of his element.
"May your Light shine bright enough for all to see." The announcer said with a slight bow to Leonidas before continuing grabbing the next scroll.

There was an energy and excitement buzzing in Telius that he hadn't felt in a long time. Here he was in the capital city, about to witness the choosing of the next Knights. Of course, like many, he had the desire to become one, but he also knew that there were so many better warriors out there than he. He was young and though he had seen his fair share of battles, was still inexperienced. He had never seen the hardship of war or fought in a battle that had lasted more than a few hours. There were plenty more than he that would make a better choice.

Telius stood surrounded by other members of various noble families, many of which he was forced to know personally. Since he was marrying age, quite a few of the unmarried noblewomen around his age had been coming up to him to chat. He had polite conversation with them, but also politely told them he wasn't interested. He hated the concept of marrying for politics rather than for love. Something he had protected his sisters from passionately. Two of them were happyily married to noblemen that had properly courted them, and that they had fallen for.

As was usual, the choosing started with the scroll of Light. Telius was surprised to see someone so young chosen. He sort of understood choosing someone around his age, but this looked like a child wearing his father's armor. It confused the warrior greatly. "Next is the scroll of Spirit." The announcer continued, picking up the next scroll in the line. He cracked the seal and read the name inside. "Telius Arden, you are the next Knight of Spirit."

All Telius could do was stand there in shock for a moment, barely even registering the cheers around him. He couldn't believe it, why choose him? There were no doubt much better fighters out there. Like the boy before him, Telius moved through the crowd, ascended the stairs, accepted the scroll, and stood before the banner for the element of Spirit. Though unlike the boy, Telius' face was the perfectly blank mask that he had trained at his whole life. None of the confusion, concern, and doubt that swirled through his mind showed through on his face.

Mira stood at the back of the crowd. No one seemed to notice who she truly was and she wanted to keep it that way. She thought of herself as a good warrior, but had never been a knight before but in the past seven years she became good at what she did and that was to survive. Mira's arms were crossed with her bow on her back and her quivers on her hips. The slight wind playing with her dress. Her ice blue eyes shined with hope but somewhere in her there was doubt. How could I ever become a knight She thought to herself as she watch the two men grab their scrolls. They were handsome but didn't look like her type. That was one thing about Mira she was a very stubborn women who had something to prove to herself, even though she was the dead princess she was still strong enough to be a knight and she didn't need a man to protect her. She was lost in thought and looking at the two men on stage that she almost missed the announcement for the next scroll.

""Next is the scroll of Arcane Spirit." The announcer continued, picking up the next scroll. He cracked the seal and read the name inside. "Mira Bellwood, you are the next Knight of Arcane Spirit." She heard gasps coming across the crowd. Mira had never heard of Arcane Spirit before and no one had either. Mira put her stone face on and started walking up to the stairs. Mira didn't know what to think other than this is my chance. As she accepted the scroll a weird feeling came over her. As she stood in front of the arcane banner she looked over at Telius, at least that is what she hear when he was called, the weird feeling she had was stronger as she stood next to him. I am going to have to figure out what this is She thought to herself and decided to look forward ignoring the weird feeling as the announcer grabbed for the next scroll.

Arno sat on the stood bench brushing aside his cloak, opting to take one of the few tables just outside of the tavern doors. The fresh air was crisper, and it wasn't as stuffy. He set down two tankards on the well made oak table, next to his shield, assortment of weapons and helmets. He pushed a tankard towards the woman sitting across from him, who gracefully took it and pulled it closer to her chest. She was a strange one, Arno admitted. Just showing up at his doorstep in his lodge, who nobody should know the location of, wearing a loose shirt and pants. She said that Arno had a great quest ahead of him, whatever that meant. He still fed her and gave her a place to sleep, rule of hospitality after all. She introduced herself as Sapphira, an Oread. Arno had no idea what an Oread was. Later she followed him here, where he sold his pelts from trapping and purchased whatever supplies he needed. She was probably the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid eyes on, young and petite. Though she was still taller than Arno. He could describe her as a flower, much like the red flowers she always kept tucked on her right ear, which never wilted. Arno wasn't a florist, but he had never seen flowers like that before.
"Just water." He plainly said to his new companion. She simply smiled at him, looking with him with her inviting blue eyes while sipping the water. "No ale, that's for celebrations. I've no interest in becoming a drunkard or making you one." The girl nodded. Arno scratched his beard, she was beautiful indeed, and thankfully his wide variety of killing tools and armor dissuaded any troublesome men from bothering her. He looked down the road towards the city center, where a huge mass of people gathered for some Knighting ceremony. Arno had no interest in it, but he was intrigued this time. He took a gulp of his water and looked back at the girl, who looked at him knowingly.

"I'll be back before dark!" a young blonde woman of fair complexion said before leaving the small tucked away library she resided in, bidding a short farewell to her caretaker. A kindly old man who was in his twilight years whom she would help frequently with various tasks such as grocery shopping and running errands, to even organizing the shelves of his small library. Oriel was quick as she moved through the crowded streets of Elementia; One had to be on such a day as this. The choosing of Knights to be defenders of the downtrodden and champions of justice...if only such people really were capable of existing. She'd given up on believing in heroes being left in the world after her father's death, and that cynisism was what kept her from walking in to watch the festivities. Passing by with a scant glance, the busy former noblewoman was turning to head into the busy market district before a glint of metal caught her eye, sitting on a middle aged man's table. Perhaps it was merely a trick of the light, or fate itself that brought her eye to it as she saw that familiar helmet...at least, she had heard a description of it.
Hurriedly walking over, the woman's bright blue eyes were transfixed on that helmet. "Are you...Volke the Small Demon?" she asked with an acute level of curiosity. Something in her eyes would seem familiar to him as well.

Arno looked up at the voice, "Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time... A long time." He looked at her up and down, "The answer depends on who's asking." Sapphira glanced at the newcomer, then went back to her drink, seemingly uninterested.
"I... n-nothing...my brother he was..." Oriel started, before taking a moment to arrange her thoughts. "He served under Aldebrand, and told me stories of a man with a painted helm just like that one."
Arno rose an eyebrow, "Really? What unit did your brother serve in? I may have punched him out during a brawl."
"He was in a foot knight unit. I believe he was one of the Fifty Peasant Demons of Schulz." the girl replied, not having to think about it at all.
Arno grinned widely, "Really now? Then I most definitely punched your brother out, and probably broke one of his ribs. I trained my little devils hard." He extended out a hand, "Former Captain of the 50 Peasant Demons, Arno Folke, the Small Demon. Hows your brother then? He still in the 50?" Arno asked cheerfully.
The amount of jovialness this small fragment of Oriel's former life quickly dwindled and burned away as her eyes lost a bit of their luster, avoiding looking directly at Arno as she said: "There...are no 50 anymore. Haven't you heard? Lord Aldebrand...was assassinated. And his men were either sent into exile or reinstated into the King's army. My brother was...one of the few that got neither choice."

The former footknight frowned at the news, "My 50 gone?" He looked down at his tankard, "And General Aldebrand assassinated?" His grip tighted and his hand shook, the man suddenly stood up, the bench he was sitting on knocked over. He threw the half full tankard against the wall and took a few hard steps towards the girl, "Who?!" He shouted, a few people walking by now staring. He grabbed his war hammer, turned towards the bench of a nearby table and dropped it on the seat, snapping it in two with a loud crack, "Who killed the General?! Who killed my Knights?! I will rip the spine from their back and use their skull as a flail to kill the conspirators!" He thundered.

Oriel took a step back, honestly surprised not at the outrage, but that one so loyal had been ignorant for so long. Gulping slightly, she averted her gaze and said: "None are certain...but...I believe only one man would be so heartless." in a hushed tone, before she leaned forward and gave Arno a suddenly quick hug before whispering: "Our King." and breaking off the hug. She made a motion as if she was wiping tears from her eyes, but plain to see to Arno, she was simply acting.

Arno was taken aback at the news, surprise stamping out most of his anger, The King did this. He looked to Sapphira, "You knew." She nodded, "And you didn't tell me?" He asked, his voice now much quieter. She shrugged. "Fair enough." He grumbled, after all he wouldn't have believed a stranger. This must have been that great quest that she mentioned to him when they first met. He didn't believe that either. He turned back to Oriel, "I'll need..." he stayed quiet for a moment in throught, he mumbled a few things as his eyes glanced up to the sky, "If it's the two of us at least six years, then I'll rip his spine out and use his skull as a flail. Maybe four if we can find proof to this assassination and get it out to the peasants."

A glimmer of hope quickly dwindled within Oriel's heart. Realistically...a peasant knight, no matter how skilled couldn't hope to amass the same army a King and his Lords might. Even a Demon Peasant. "Don't be so reckless...I've...given up on avenging my brother long ago. All we can hope in is a fool's legend that we'll be saved by some magic wielding heroes that will likely be suaded by coin and wine...just as our Knights already have."

Arno grimaced at her, "Magic wielding heroes? We didn't need any klazomaniac sorners like them during that three year long siege, or when we counterattacked to get out of that siege. Giving up is for the weak, and to be related to a man of my 50 Demons, you should not be weak. What was your brothers name? I knew all of my men, only a few mentioned a blonde sister. I want to know who I can complain to when I pray for them." He asked.

Oriel tensed up for a moment at the mention of her being weak, before she rather swiftly raised her right hand. Not responding to what he had asked, her palm was an inch from smacking across his face before she suddenly froze, words from neither of them stunning her and sending her into a cocktail of emotions.
"Oriel Schulz, you will be the next Knight of Fire!" the announcer called with enthusiasm, not knowing that his words had practically just damned the newly christened hero. Lowering her hand, she stared in disbelief at the ceremony, before clenching her fists, nails digging into her palm as she tried to fight down the urge to scream. Dread, anxiety, hope, nausea, and anger welled in her chest, begging to be let out before she hurriedly pulled her hood over her head. "...There is your answer." she said, turning to start towards the square.

Arno looked at the raised palm, ready to take the slap to the face. That was good, she was insulted at being called weak, and that anger could be turned into resolve against the King. He had a slight smile until she stopped. A name boomed out from the announcer, Oriel Schulz. The name of the Generals daughter. He looked to the city center down the road, then at the girl in front of him, who was visibly troubled. He put the two together. "Oh." He simply said. She moved to run to the stage, but Arno grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Hold on." He quickly undid the belt for his rondel dagger, shoving it into her hand, "Lady Oriel you should have been trained in rondel dagger." He got on one knee, unstrapping the belts for his dagger on his boot, "We'll go over this quick- Lady Oriel Schulz you are now the head of House Schulz. I promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to the Lady, never cause her harm and will observe my homage to her completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit." Quickly saying the sacred Oath of Fealty. He finished unstrapping his dagger and tossed it to Sapphira, who handed him his warhammer and helmets. He quickly placed the warhammer on his belt and donned the helmets in only a few swift and practiced movements. He handed Oriel the arming sword. "Now if I recall correctly you have to get your scroll thing."

Oriel was ready to scream once her wrist was grabbed, but found she didn't need to. In spite of the danger he must know in her still being alive...this knight that knew her not was swearing his life to her. Biting her lip as she took a moment to realize she could not on her honor turned down an oath such as this, especially sworn on her family's name, Oriel turning the Rondel dagger in her hand before nodding. It had been a while, but she knew well enough how to pierce an eye with this. Strapping the belt tightly around her waist, the young woman would say: "Much as I'd love to skip this part...appearances and all. Wouldn't do well for a returning Noblewoman to run off like a thief." as she strode towards the square, confident that her Knight, who had shown genuine rage at the knowledge of his lord's death would defend her if the need should arise. She would need her father's old equipment however...ill-fitting as it may be. Walking up, she gave a graceous bow with Arno at her flank, a terrifying sight to behold as she had pretty much the angriest looking midget in the kingdom on her side as she ascended the stairs to stand at the banner for Fire with her scroll in hand. "May the fire in your heart never die." the bald announcer would say as she strode up confidently.

As they walked up to the stage Sapphira stayed hidden in the crowd, as told by Arno. They needed someone down there to keep an eye out for them if they were high profile targets of the King. As Lady Oriel took her scroll and stood by her banner, Arno kept at her side. That is until the announcer continued, "The Scroll of Earth, Arno Volke!" He loudly proclaimed. Arno leaned over to get a better look at the announcer, then he looked at Lady Oriel, then back at the announcer. He pointed to his face, a muffled "Me?", coming out of his helmet. The Announcer looked over. Arno took off both of his helmets, resting his bascinet in his great helmet. The Announcer nodded. Arno gingerly approached the Announcer and took the scroll that he held out. "Be the foundation of which great things are built."
Arno nodded and walked back to Lady Oriel, standing by the Earth Banner, next to the Fire Banner.

"Today was more than a coincidence." she said in a hushed tone, face still obscured by her hood.
"I'm inclined to agree." Arno replied, his gaze falling on Sapphira, who had a knowing smile on her face. They'd need to make a stop after this...and then quickly break for out of town. No doubt the King would soon hear that her head was available to be chopped...and to quell hopes of rebellion in one fell swoop with her as a Knight of Elementia.

---

A hunter by trade, a tribesman by blood. Alya was quite unfamiliar with the structure of towns, let alone cities. Unlike most of the citizens in this maze, the huntress had taken to running along the roof tops as the freedom from closed spaces gave her comfort as did the breeze that gently caressed her.. She didn't quite understand how these people could live in such a confined space, but she merely dismissed it as another way of living outside of her own. The few people that she had actually spoken to about this subject were mostly horrified by her upbringing as she regaled the stories of her hunting trips in the wilderness. She wondered why people didn't take her upbringing into stride as she did theirs... To each there own.

Alya followed the crowds below from above as they made their way to the center of the capital. The Knight Selection ceremony seemed very important to these people and she was curious as to what made it so. The stories she had been told as a child were vague at best, but the image she was given was that these Knights were like Heroes. She observed the proceedings, noting at person as they received their.. piece of paper?

The first Knight. The Knight of Light. He seemed quite young... Almost too young. He seemed inexperienced, which was hardly a hero-like quality. The Knight of Spirit seemed more capable. His build looked more formidable as did the colour of his hair, the origins of which were more ambiguous than the meaning behind 'Spirit'. Then came the Knight of Arcane Spirit. A woman this time, with a bow as well. She didn't seem to move like a hunter, so Alya couldn't really rationalize why she had a hunting tool; the colours of which were almost as odd as the difference between 'Arcane Spirt' and 'Spirit'.

The Knight of Earth, while seeming rather short compared to everyone she's ever met (Excluding children), he looked capable. Whether he is or not remained to be seen. The Knight of Fire.. wore a hood. The Huntress couldn't really see much passed that, but she felt some sort of... hatred within them. Hatred and an air of confidence. Perhaps it was her imagination.

"Alya Frei shall be the next Knight of Air!" the paper man announced. Alya felt her heart skip a beat in excitement, but she paused for a moment to survey the area. No traps.. A fairly pure hearted festival? From one of the higher roof tops, Alya leapt. Many gazes fell upon her as they noticed a giant falcon appear out of nowhere, the huntress gripping onto one of it's massive talons. With ease, she and Akash floated down to the stage. The crowds moved further away from the stage as she descended; and as quickly as he appeared, Akash vanished back into Alya's arm as she landed in front of the paper man. His expression was amusing. He, like most of the other folk, were shocked by her antics. "M-May the winds favour you." he stammered slightly. She made a slight curtsy before taking the scroll, her hunter weapons shown to be dangling from her belt. It would seem that Alya was the odd one out in terms of weapon choice.
"They already do~" She replied with a carefree grin, walking over to the banner with the Air symbol.

In the back of her mind she hoped that such a title wouldn't give her too much trouble.

Sidero stood still, holding his breath while the announcer continued his narration. The crowd in the capital city was truly massive, and the intricate speaker system that snaked throughout the city was simply astounding - or, it was to someone as uneducated as Sidero was. Sidero honestly didn't really care much about the announcement as much as some others, however. No, he spent most of the speech walking to the various food stands, purchasing delicacies he would never be able to eat on the field. While the event itself was truly amazing - let's be honest, being chosen to become a knight sounds amazing! - It wouldn't do anything to impact his life. So, he may as well eat as much as he can and enjoy the luxuries that civilization provides! After eating his fill, Sidero realized that the narrator had just gotten access to the scrolls, and began to read them out. The men holding some objects, most likely scrolls, stepped onto the same stage as the narrator, and began to read off the names that appeared on them. Sidero couldn't see it due to his distance from the stand, but small nodes of the element appeared over the scrolls as each were read.

First, a man by the name of Leonidas was decreed as the knight of light, the small globe of light shining brightly as it hovered over the scroll. The man - or was boy more accurate - was far younger than Sidero had anticipated. He quickly rushed forwards, accepting his scroll and making his way towards a white banner bearing the symbol of light. The kid had a bright future ahead of him. The bald announcer then grabbed the second scroll, reading from it as the element of spirit hovered nearby the scroll, barely within view for Sidero, who was quickly making his way forwards. The chosing of the knights was far more grandiose than he had expected. Telius, a man with red hair and bearing several scars was called forwards, and quickly mimicked the same behavior of the previous knight. Finally making his way to a bench after coming as close to the stage as he was allowed, Sidero looked for a bench to sit at, only to see that every seat was filled with anticipating citizens. Standing, he watched as the next scroll was read, a ball of purple energy appearing above it. A brown haired woman named Mira was next, sauntering up the stage and accepting the scroll. She then made her way towards the Knight of Spirit, before coming to a stop in front of her banner.

What occurred next was one of the biggest shocks that would happen in the festival, or at least it was to Sidero. The knight of Fire was called, the name "Oriel Schulz" echoing throughout the entire city via the speaker system. Unlike the others, Sidero was actually familiar with her - or, at the very least, he knew about her. She was the daughter of the famed Aldebrand Schulz, a noble who was famed for his skill in combat and loyalty to the current king. While Sidero himself wasn't very familiar with nobles, he had heard of a legend that was passed on by several nobles who were complaining about problems with an ogre on the outskirts of their property. Apparently, a soldier in Aldebrand regiment by the name of Arno Folke defeated a once well respected member of the aristocracy, who was now almost a laughing stock among his peers. This legend was only made more memorable when it was said that the supposed "Small Demon" was only 5'1. Imagine Sidero's surprise when the very next knight was none other than Arno himself. Wait until the boys at work hear about this, Sidero thought smugly. They were probably grumbling wright now, annoyed that Sidero was able to waste time in the city while they had to actually work.

Sidero's thoughts were interrupted only seconds later as the knight of air was called, an "Alya Frei", only to be met with several seconds of silence. People began to appear restless, wondering what was going on, before a woman soared onto the stage whilst gripping the talons of a large eagle. Once the girl, presumably Alya, landed her feat on the stage, the eagle slowly began to shrink, almost as if it was being sucked into her arm. Several guards seemed to reach for their weapons, before he narrator shakily handed off the scroll and blessed her. The guards quickly relaxed, and the girl made her way over to her banner, slightly bemused. What occurred next changed Sidero's life forever.

"Sidero Denholm, Knight of Metal! Please come forwards!" The tension in the air was palpable, but Sidero only had seconds to be shocked, before adopting his most formal and neutral facial expression. He didn't want to make an ass out of himself, and he already felt ridiculous - he had left his armor in the inn that he was staying at since he believed this was only going to be him viewing the ceremony, so he had gone to the festival in his leather traveling clothes. At the very least, he still had his famed quarterstaff, attached to his back via a strap. He was going to at least look somewhat presentable. Sidero quickly made his way to the stage, taking long strides to cover the distance as quickly as possible, all the while his mind was abuzz with thoughts. What would become of his position in the military? Would he be forced to quit? And what did the knights even do? Some of the other people seemed extremely thankful for becoming knights, so it surely was a good thing... right? As he finally made his way over to the bald announcer, whom he towered over, he accepted the scroll he was presented, only nodding to the blessing of the announcer. He wasn't paying attention - all the eyes of the crowd... No, all the eyes of the city were on him. He felt like throwing up, but did his best not to show it, as he made his way to the light grey banner, bearing a single bar of some miscellaneous metal on it, the symbol of the element of metal. Emotions he hadn't felt before welled up inside him, and he decided that this trip was for the best - After all he was bout to experience something he never had before.

Venator stood amongst the shadows nearer the back of the crowd, a place he felt most at ease during gatherings like this, his ebony black scarf loose around his neck but close enough to calm his nerves. His eyes drifted across the sea of heads, drawn to the occasional splash of colour amongst monotonous blacks and brunettes before turning to the side, to fall on the man standing by his side. The man was taller and broader than himself, with muddy brown hair and bluish green eyes. The armour cladding his body and the greatsword on his back marked him as a knight, the flecks of grey in his hair and his rigid posture betraying his years, yet the first thing Venator saw wasn't the veteran knight, but the man who had raised him for the past 12 years. The older man noticed his gaze and gave him a wide smile before jerking his back to the stage, Venator returning a small smile and turning his attention back to the raised podium. This was important for the older man, so the least Venator could do was see it through.

As the first scroll was called, the first thing the black-haired knight remarked was that the chosen Knight of Light was young. Too young, in his opinion, and his father agreed, judging on his tightened expression. Despite this, his appointment met no opposition and the next scroll was quickly unsealed. The Knight of Spirit, Telius, was definitely more suited to his position but the way he carried himself, like a noble, left a bad taste in Venator's mouth. The third knight, however, caught his attention more than the other two.

Arcane Spirit was a previously unheard of element, which was unusual enough, but the Knight the scroll had chosen was even more so. A bow-wielding woman stepped onto the stage, but her movements were of noble grace diluted by something, as if absent for a time.

The Knights of Fire and Earth were familiar names to Venator, even though he had never met either in person. The Shulz Family was deeply respected in his home village and many young men had left to serve under Lord Aldebrand, Venator too considered it but remained by his adoptive father as wandering free-lance knights. His travels had afforded him many stories, many about the 'Peasant Demons' formerly lead by the very same man taking his place underneath the banner of Earth. The Knight of Fire, however, was more of a Mystery. All he could recall of the cloaked and hooded woman was that was Aldebrand's daughter, but little else. As he looked closer at the pair, however, he saw a glimpse of the interaction they shared, and his curiosity grew as he wondered about what was going on between them...

His train of thought was lost as he, like many of the crowd, was surprised by the sudden and dramatic entrance of the Knight of Wind, although his reaction was limited to the raising of an eyebrow and slight jerk of his head. He was quick to gather her as a huntress, given her weapons of choice, but her brazen entrance seemed incongruous with the low-profile that they require. Shaking his head lightly, he spared a glance at his adoptive father, his expression equally bemused, before waiting for the opening of the next scroll.

The Knight of Metal seemed much like his namesake, sturdy and reliable, although he seemed to be at least a decade older than most of the other Knights, and at least twice the age of the boy standing under the banner of Light. His weapon was possibly the most fitting of all the present knights, a quarterstaff made of solid metal, although he couldn't identify which type. Shifting his weight off one foot and leaning against the shadowy wall, he made to take a long breath only for him to freeze up as he heard the next name to be called.

"Venator Nylis, You have been chosen as the next Knight of Darkness!" His eyes, which had been gently closed snapped open and locked quickly onto the announcer as he pushed himself off the wall. A gentle jab in the ribs got his attention and he turned to look as his father's grinning face.

"Go. They're waiting for you, Lad."

Giving the man a short hug and a small smile in return, Venator pulled the scarf up over his mouth and nose as he broke from the shadows, gliding through the crowd like a shadowy blade. As he reached the announcer, he wordlessly accepted the scroll and took his place under the black banner of his own element.

"May your shadows keep that close to you safe from harm." Before he could contemplate the meaning of the words, a fluttering sound caught his attention and he looked up to see a black shape fly low over the crowd. For a reason he couldn't understand, he felt compelled to extend his hand, and when he did so, the black shape flew straight towards him, forming into a shadowy black raven. The bird perched itself on his arm and cocked its head curiously, Venator smiling slightly under his scarf as it did so. It was the size of a normal raven, but shadows peeled and coiled off of its wings and tail like thick black smoke and its very presence felt... otherworldly, like a ghost or shade. Casting his arm out, the shade-like raven took to skies again, only to circle the podium and perch on his shoulder as if a trained bird.

Looking at the creature and then to the other Elemental Knights, Venator couldn't help but worry that something drastic was stepping across his path...

As soon as all of the Knights had been selected and they stood on the stage in a row in the appearance of being one unit. The announcer raised his hands and beamed at the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentlemen your newest Knights of Elementia!" he shouted as the crowd roared. Before the group could enjoy this moment however they were ushered out of the town by a group of palace hands and escorted to a large wagon.
"Well, I guess that's one way to tell us where to go," Leonidas said as he boarded the wagon and took a seat near the driver on the right-hand side. Looking back at all of the others who were filing in behind him. Shortly after taking his seat he jumps up and shouts. "Oh man I almost forgot." before whistling as loud as he can. Not more than a few moments later a gray colored wolf came running out of the town and leaped into the wagon next to the young man. "You didn't think I forgot about you did you buddy?" Leonidas said petting and scratching at the wolf's head who seemed to wag its tail in delight. Looking up the young man saw the others and smiled naively. "Sorry about that everyone, couldn't leave him behind," he said sheepishly. "I'm Leonidas by the way."

---

The last few knights had been announced, their appearances and actions true to their titles. Again, their reliability remained to be seen. It wasn't long before the knights were to be ushered onto a... Wagon? The only time Alya had ever dealt with these things was when she played pranks on traders that came through the forests. She never really knew what it'd be like to be in one. She wasn't a trader, why would she get into a wagon?

Such thoughts quickly disappeared as the young Knight of Light whistled loudly. A wolf sprinted through the crowd, approaching the group. Alya instinctively took a half-step back and drew her hunting knife, concluding that the wolf was moving too quickly for her to use a blowgun or bola at that point in time. She readied herself for a quick wrestle with a wolf, however it's behaviour was completely out of the ordinary. It was docile and obedient toward the boy who introduced himself as 'Leonidus'. Her gaze remained fixed on the wolf as she analysed actions. Strange. Suddenly Akash burst out of her arm, the falcon was of normal size this time. It screeched aggressively at the wolf, ready to assist it's master in a confrontation against another predator.

Alya's eyes narrowed as the wolf's tail wagged happily. She sighed, sheathing her blade. "Akash.", the huntress said firmly. The falcon stopped it's screeching and retreated back into it's tattoo form. "I apologise. I'm not used to seeing a predator in such a docile state. Pray you keep him under control." She warned in a serious tone before relaxing, her tone becoming a lot lighter in comparison as she quickly introduced herself.

"I am Alya Frei. Nice to meet you all! This whole 'Knights' thing is pretty weird isn't it? You guys have strange customs.", rambled the huntress, a cheerful, carefree expression in her voice. It sounded like some sort of weird switch had occurred in her speech pattern, but it was mostly just her trying to.. Not seem like a complete outsider.

Telius watched from his position, unmoving in his pose, his expression staying that blank mask. Each Knight that was chosen after him was interesting in some way. Some were names that he knew from his classes or legends told by the hunting companies by a nightly fire. It seemed the most interesting of all was the woman of Arcane Spirit, Mira as her name supposedly was. Not only had Telius never heard of the element before, but there was something different about that woman. A strange sensation rose in his chest when he first looked at her. While it could have just been that Telius was attracted to her, it felt like something else entirely.

Once the last Knight was chosen, the were ushered through the city to a wagon. The first one to board was the Knight of Light, the boy. It seemed that he had forgotten something though and was soon whistling loudly. Moments later, Telius had to leap to the side to avoid a wolf crashing into him. The boy apologized and introduced himself as Leonidas. A strong name, Telius couldn't help but worry for the boy's safety. He remembered himself at that age, and now inexperienced he had been. Unconsciously the noble reached up and brushed his fingers against the scars that marred his face.

One of the women, the one who had leaped down from the sky on her bird, seemed to react badly to the sudden appearance of the wolf. Telius didn't blame her in the slightest, it had been startling. She drew a weapon and her bird appeared once more, but this time the size of a normal bird. She introduced herself as Alya and spoke about the Knights and how odd the customs of the people were. Telius figured he would be the next to introduce himself. Both his words and actions giving away his status as a noble immediately, if his last name didn't already. The noble gave a graceful bow to his new companions. "Telius Arden at your service."

With his introduction said, Telius stepped onto the wagon next. He made the split second choice to sit across from the boy rather than next to him. As tamed as it seemed, the wolf still made him wary. Besides, the longsword at his hip was not a close range weapon, if the wolf suddenly attacked, he needed time to draw his blade. He didn't want to be rude, but it had been a wild animal, though not a wolf, that had scarred his face. After that he had found himself much more cautious around them. Rightly so.

After all the knights were chosen Mira looked around at her companions, but her eyes seemed to fall on Telius. Mira shook her head and stood there blanked face. She just listened as the announcer concluded the choosing of knights. Mira felt her arcane fox near by. Don't worry girl I won't leave with out you. She thought knowing that her fox could hear her. She gave the slightest smile when she felt her joy through there bond.

After all was said and done they got ushered to a wagon. It wasn't Mira's first time in a wagon. She looked at the male named Leonidas who was the first to enter the wagon and jumped when a wolf came barreling by her to be with his master. She smiled as the next knight of air was looking like she was ready to fight the wolf, her name was Alya. Mira studied the bird that she flew down on as if this all a scene from a play. Mira let out a small chuckle. Mira's attention was suddenly snapped to the next knight that entered the wagon. Telius Arden, the sudden buzz she got when he introduced himself was odd to her. She noticed not only from his last named but from the way he held himself and the way he spoke, he was a noble. She could spot a noble from miles away. She watched him climb into the wagon. The next thought that came into her head was very strange to her Father would very much so approve of that one she shook her head as though she was trying to clear her thoughts. Fayla her arcane fox gave her a mental chuckle. It was her next to introduce herself.

"I am Mira Bellwood" She said as she curtsied. She might want people to know that she was the lost princess but she couldn't help her nature. "And this is Fayla my arcane fox" She said as Fayla appeared beside her. Fayla swished her tail gracefully. After Mira was done introducing herself she climbed on the wagon and sat next to Telius. Fayla wrapped herself around Mira's legs eyeing the wolf that was sitting across from them.

As the palace attendants began to lead them away, Venator's eyes caught those of his adoptive father and offered him a final, solemn nod as he smiled under his scarf. He turned to follow, hanging back from the group like a shadow. He watched as the Knight of Light boarded the wagon, only to sharply whistle and a timber wolf to burst through the crowd. It's sudden appearance made the both the Knight of Air and Spirit weary, but Venator could see that the canine was tamed. The way it bounded through a crowded city plaza as opposed to stalked cautiously like a creature in enemy territory was a clear give away in that regard.

As the Knight of Air's bird reappeared, the ghostly raven tilted its head curiously, drawing Venator's attention for a moment before the Knights of Light and Air identified themselves respectively and his gaze returned to the gathered Knights as they boarded the wagon. As the Knight of Spirit introduced himself, the noble identity was cemented in Venator's mind and his eyes narrowed into a brief but sharp glare that he had to forcibly dispel, his past history with nobility reverberating in his mind. His glare returned alongside a raised eyebrow as the Knight of Arcane Spirit introduced herself also, his mind also pegging her as a Noble of some kind, although he didn't recognise her.

As she climbed into the Wagon, Venator followed without a word and took an open seat on the right hand side, across from the two nobles. Adjusting the scarf over his face, he offered no introduction and instead opted to close his eyes and remain quiet, suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable about the whole ordeal. The raven hopped from his shoulder to flap its wings a few times before perching on one of the wagon posts behind Venator, watching its surrounds vigilantly.

A great deal of annoyance became evident on Oriel's face as she was pretty much shoved to the wagon along with the others...some ceremony. The minute it was over, they were rushed out as if all the problems were in a tight timeslot to be repaired straight away. And then reality hit her...she hadn't anything to defend or protect herself with, barring the dagger and sword that Arno had given her. In a panic, she was trying her best to slip away, only to just be shoved along. She wished for an instant that her status would have been enough to take a fucking minute to get her equipment, but apparently these palace hands were under the assumption that everyone was fully armed at all times...Oh gods, all the other Knights were. What kind of situation was she getting involved with now?

Regardless, griping about it would do nothing. Keeping her chin up and dignity intact, Oriel was thinking of how guilty she felt just...up and leaving her caretaker for over a year now without so much as a goodbye. As much as she wanted to avenge her father and all that, debts must always be repaid, especially to those who are patient enough to wait. Just as she was about to take another step onto the wagon, a thunderous calamity could be heard a bit back down the road. "LET ME THROUGH! BLAST IT, CAN NO ONE SPARE AN OLD MAN AN INCH OF ROAD TO TREAD!?" a familiar, yet far more frustrated sounding voice resounded as an elderly man, clearly in his eldest of years was carrying a large trunk behind him, making impressive headway to the wagon.

"Hendrick!?" Oriel said aloud in surprise, the elderly librarian panting as he got closer. "Phew...made it just in time...Oriel...I know that you have to answer the summons...but you...whoo...l-let me catch my breath..." the elderly man said, dabbing his sweat covered face with his shirt collar. "You need to be able to defend yourself the way your father taught you!" he said, before just about thrusting the heavy trunk into Oriel's arms, the young woman maintaining her balance despite the weight. "This is...father's equipment?" she asked, receiving a nod and a reply of: "The same you polished and maintained for all this time."

Taken aback by the act of kindness that she deemed almost Saintly, Oriel gingerly set the trunk down before giving her friend a hug, the old man returning it in kind. "I...thank you. For everything. For letting me at least try to lead a normal life." she said before sticking a hand into her pockets and producing the pouch of coins he'd given her for grocery shopping that day. "Sure you'll manage without me? Claudia from down the street might be fit to help," Oriel suggested, only to be met with the elder's statement of: "Bah! Strong arms, but no thought. Girl hasn't rented a good book from me in years. Anyway...you take care now. Go with peace, Oriel. May you and your new friends be legends in the making. Good ones, I'd assume." he said before giving a smile and a nod to the Knights, giving Oriel one last hug before being on his way, clutching his lower back. "Oof...last time I run with a trunk of armor...Sword's on the bottom!" he grumbled, then shouted before making his way on out of the commotion and clamor of the crowds.

Oriel took a deep breath before resigning herself to this prophesied knighthood, lifting her trunk to step into the wagon, figuring it'd be best to take a seat beside Arno, and quickly finding a wolf to enter the wagon. Well...that was certainly something to be alarmed about. At least it would have been, had Oriel not had experience hunting such things from her younger days. Without a pack, a wolf wasn't much, and the softest spot of the neck could be reached easily enough to cut through without worry of its pack-mates. However, it seemed as tame as a hunting dog as it bounded towards its master, eliciting a small smile from Oriel. Loyalty was...something she admired, especially from what was usually viewed as an untamable wild beast.

Relaxing, Oriel moved her hands to pull her hood down, no longer feeling the need to hide anything from the others as it was. Her name was enough reason not to, she'd imagined. "It troubles me not, Leonidas. It is a pleasure to meet you all. I am Oriel Schulz...and I do hope that our journey will be fruitful. Though I've heard all your names from the announcement, I feel we've still much to learn of one another before we can come to trust in each other. And, Ayla, if you would like to, I can teach you some of the customs of the area. I'm interested in where you hail from, personally." she said, accustomed to being good at delivering pleasantries, greetings, and offers of mutual benefit as a previously housed noblewoman. And...she was trying really hard not to break down and ask where exactly all the others were getting their strange animal companions. "I hope to not bore you with tales of myself, however. We've time enough...at least I assume. Where are we going?"

Temporarily, embarrassment and anxiety was beaten back, and in it's place streamed pride and a strange sense of accomplishment. Internally, Sidero knew that he did absolutely nothing - hell, knighthood was earned by complete luck, even if it was called 'fate'. But despite this, Sidero still felt special that he was chosen. The following knight was the Knight of Shadows, a young Venator Nylis. The pale, dark-haired boy slowly made his way to the stage, and just as he accepted his title, a dark mass appeared from his arm, eliciting a slight jump from Sidero and his hand reaching for the staff on his back. Seconds later, everything was fine - the shadows molded themselves into the shape of a bird (another one? What's with these knights and birds?), and he made his way to the banner bearing his element. Finally, the bald man had run out of scrolls, and all the knights were finally gathered under their respective banners.

"Ladies and Gentlemen your newest Knights of Elementia!"

As soon as this was said, a set of hands clasped themselves around Sidero's shoulders, a move that should never be done suddenly to a man who's killed more Trolls than you have teeth. Sidero immediately broke the hold by forcing the hands off, before turning and realizing who it was. Sighing, he allowed the now disgruntled guards to take him to the wagon, and just before he was about to complain about his lack of equipment, a blur of gray and silver rushed in his peripheral vision. Turning quickly, Sidero saw it - a wolf. Judging by it's size, it could probably kill one of the younger knights with ease, and it was already moving towards the knight of light, jumping onto the wagon. Reaching for his sword, Sidero was seconds away from slicing the beast in half and saving his ally, before the beast adopted a more friendly and dog-like stance, ignoring the concerned Sidero entirely. It then proceeded to nuzzle the young boy and, sighing slightly, Sidero sat down in the corner of the wagon, near the rider. Somehow, someway, the kid had managed to tame a freaking wolf... The looks that he received from some of the knights was pretty jarring, but that was to be expected - he nearly eviscerated that animal, and if it wasn't for it's calm demeanor, he would have killed it. Luckily, he wasn't the only one that was startled by the wolf, as the knight of wind, Alya, reacted in a similar manner, before apologizing. Despite his usual silence, Sidero issued out his own apology in short turn.

"I apologize as well, I'm just used to these creatures being more... Murderous. I am Sidero Denhol, glad to meet you all."

Directing his introduction to the whole group, Sidero remained seated where he was, and proceeded to listen to the rest of the young knights introduce themselves. The knight of arcane introduced her fox, making Sidero ponder just how many of them had pets. Was being an animal handler a required part to being a knight? And besides the sudden arrival of the man carrying Oriel's equipment, nothing especially interesting occurred... Wait, speaking of equipment... Sidero had the bare minimum. Sure, he had his weapons, but he expected to simply stand around and watch the unfolding ceremony, not actually be apart of it. And now, he was on a wagon headed to god knows where. Turning to the man directing the horses, Sidero called out.

"Hey, will I need any of my equipment where we're headed? I only have my weapons on me, and only a few gold pieces... If we do need our equipment, do you mind dropping me off at my inn room for my armor and gear?"

Leonidas smiled at all those who hopped onto the wagon finally the last Knight, the Knight of Lightning, climbed up into the wagon only for his eyes to grow wide in shock and the palace hands to start shouting. The wagon lurched forward sending the Knight of Lightning falling from the back as he fell he turned revealing the 7 arrows protruding from the Knights back.
"What the hell was that?!" Leonidas asked looking around trying to see just in time to see a volley of Arrows flying toward the wagon.
"Everybody take cover!" he shouted covering his head and his wolf trying to shield them from the arrows.

Arno watched as they were herded towards a wagon, he'd been on wagons before during marches. Usually only the most armored troops got on the wagons, to save their stamina. Of course they were infamous for being rolling coffins against enemy ambushes. But Lady Oriel was being put onto the wagon, so Arno had to follow. The palace workers tried to help him onto the wagon, but Arno pushed them off of him, he could get on a wagon himself. He hoisted himself onto the transport and took a seat next to Lady Oriel, and soon an elderly man came running over, surprisingly carrying a trunk towards them. He gave the trunk to Oriel, and the two exchanged words. Arno studied the mans face and committed it to memory, judging from their conversation he kept her hidden from the crown. He'd have to thank him later.

The Knight of Light whistled and a wolf leapt onto the wagon, the sudden appearance of a wolf prompted Arno to place a hand on his warhammer, but he didn't draw it. If a wolf wanted to attack them it would have leapt onto someone with its jaws in their neck, not onto the deck of the wagon itself. The wolf itself was impressive, as most wolves were. In response, a magical bird of prey came from another Knights arm. She said its name and it became a tattoo on her arm. The one with the wolf introduced himself as Leonidas and the one with the falcon introduced herself as Alya Frei. Next the Spirit Knight introduced himself, with grace and the practiced words of a noble. Arno knew his kind, and hoped he wasn't like most of his peers. The Arcane Knight introduced herself next, saying her name was Mira Bellwood while doing a curtsy. Usually young nobles or royals did those. Arno saw that the next had summoned a fox from thin air. Arno tuned out after that. He simply sighed, and buried his face into his left hand, resting his elbow on his knee. Did he join a circus?

As the last Knight started to get on the wagon, it moved forward abruptly, causing the last Knight to lose his grip. He fell, revealing seven arrows in his back. Arno quickly slid his helmets onto his head and unslung the shield from his back. Leonidas covered his head and yelled for everyone to take cover. What cover!? Arno thought, he grabbed Lady Oriel's shoulder with his right hand and pulled her towards the floor. He stood up quickly and raised his shield, standing between his Lady and the incoming volley of arrows. A split second later he felt and heard half a dozen heavy thumps on his shield, and a few glancing blows off of his pauldrons and helmet. Arno glanced behind him to make sure Lady Oriel was safe. He shouted, "We must move out of this ambush!"

Telius saw the unpleasant looks from several of the other Knights after he introduced themselves. He had expected some of this, those of common birth tended to judge his kind rather quickly. Some nobles certainly deserved the hate, just as some common folk did. Telius found the judgement to be irritating, but politely held his tongue. He had found that responding to the common folk, telling them that by judging him like they did they were stooping to the level of the nobles they so hated, the hate tended to grow worse. They grew angry because he was right.

The next to introduce themselves was the Knight of Arcane Spirit, Mira Bellwood. The lady took a seat next to Telius, and once again he felt strangely drawn to her, and her fox, Fayla. As she sat down next to him, he felt a strange sensation in his chest. The burning desire to aid her, to keep her safe. Telius had no idea why. Perhaps it was because she shared some similarities with the second youngest of his sisters. Sort of the black sheep of the familly with their mother's brown hair, rather than the crimson of their father.

Telius sat quietly as each Knight introduced themselves and took a seat on the wagon. As the last Knight stepped on, the wagon lurched foward, and so did the Knight, pitching forward to reveal seven arrows embedded in his back. Dead. The Knight of Light revealed his inexperience by staying where he was, covering his head as if that would protect him from the arrows. Instinct kicked in for the noble however. He slid off his seat and crouched on the floor, making himself a smaller target. As he did, he gently grabbed hold of Miss Bellwood's wrist and pulled her down too. Then, reaching across the wagon, and risking the bite of the wolf, he did the same to Leonidas.

The noble nodded in agreement when the small man in heavy armor shouted that they needed to get out of the ambush. "Agreed, both moving away from the wagon and staying inside have their risks, but I'd rather take my chances out in the open. At least for me, the chances of survival are higher." Crimson eyes scanned his companions, trying to formulate some sort of plan. He was sure there were other leaders among the Knights, and is they came up with a better plan than he, Telius would gladly yield to their lead. "Miss Bellwood, Miss Frei, can you return fire? It may distract them enough to allow us to get away from the wagon without too much risk."

---

Alya for the most part studied each person's body language, attempting to understand how they felt at this current moment. She couldn't pick up on anything because her social skills were as adept as a solitary animal. The woman who introduced herself as 'Oriel' had offered an interesting proposition. Something that the Huntress was quite intrigued by. The customs of those who are unlike herself. So far, nobody had offered to help her understand their culture, so hearing this from a fellow knight was quite nice. "I would love that, Oriel!" She responded in a cheerful tone, sitting next to her in the wagon.

As the other's introduced themselves, the Knight of Lightning moved toward the wagon.. But suddenly fell over dead with a good amount of arrows in his back. Upon seeing this, she immediately unhooked her blow gun from her belt, loading a dart into it. She got out of her seat, her stance low to the ground. The crowds had begun to scream and start to stampede out of the city center. Complete chaos.
"What a strange custom you city folk have!", Alya laughed in a cynical manner. The sight of a fallen comrade did little to her psyche. Death was a common thing. Only the strong survive.

Alya was the first to respond to Arno's suggestion, hopping out of the wagon. There was something strange on the wind. In an instant she side stepped and snatched an arrow out the air mid flight. She glanced over at Telius as she tossed the arrow aside. "My weapons don't have that kind of range. But I will go hunt them down." She replied firmly before dashing off toward the direction from which the arrows came, as if she didn't hear the second part of Telius' sentence. She wasn't going to use Akash to fly, as that would make her an easier target. The huntress wanted to use the stampeding crowd as a form of concealment.

Weaving through the waves of people, she progressed toward where she thought the enemy to be, being sure to keep her body low and difficult to target. As she moved, she released Akash from it's tattoo form. "Be my eyes." She commanded. The falcon soared into the sky, searching for the assailants.

Mira didn't realize what was happening until Telius was pulling her down to shield her from an incoming arrow. Fayla growled wrapping herself protectively around Mira and Telius. "I agree we need to get out of here" She poked her head up and ducked again when an arrow flew past her head. She got a wicked grin when Telius asked her to return fire "With pleasure" She said popping up. Her dress flaring around her as she posed her bow. She drew as much power as she could from her surroundings, but she noticed it was stronger this time. She was drawing power from another source. Her bow glowed a brighter blue then it ever had before. She shot off an arrow as fast as she could and reloaded just as fast. She had no idea if she hit any of them all she knew is one, she was just trying to cause a distraction and two she didn't want to hit Alya as she went to go hunt the people that were attacking them down. "Fayla seek and destroy my darling girl" She told her fox who popped up and jumped from the wagon disappearing into thin air to do as she was told. As she was just about to fire another arrow, she screamed as an arrow pierced her shoulder. Mira dropped her bow as she dropped to her knees. "Those stupid son of a bitches" She yelled gripping her shoulder. Mira's instinct was to reach out to Telius and she had no idea why.

The others continued to talk among themselves as Sidero impatiently awaited his reply from the driver. The others didn't seem to mind his presence that much, and the sounds of the various wildlife behind him only served to keep him on edge. The noises of animals was a queer one, at least to him. While most found comfort in the pur of cats and the whine of dogs, Sidero had been conditioned from the years in the wilderness, the years of watching his friends and comrades fall to bears, big cats, and the like. He couldn't relax with their presence, and the vast number of them only served to provoke him even more. This, combined with the lack of response from the driver, caused Sidero to lean forwards. The driver sat there, or at the very least, his corpse did. An arrow was brutally bulging from his side, easily avoiding the pesky bones and hard bits that would slow down it's advance. Blood pooled below him, trickling down the side of the wagon, and it was clear - based on the raw depth of the arrow and it's angle, it must have punctured a lung, and possibly pierced the heart. He was dead, no need to even take his pulse. Sidero immediately grabbed him, throwing him onto his shoulders, just as the knight of lighting let loose a small gasp. Snapping his head forwards, Sidero saw that the heavy-set man was almost certainly dead, with several arrows angrily protruding from his back. He fell, landing on the ground face first, allowing the arrows to be seen in full glory. Flashbacks of goblin camps flooded his mind, and Sidero quickly reached for Tirell, pulling him onto the wagon as an arrow flew right by his head. Tirell was dead.

"Everybody take cover!"

The plan did not seem that sound - the wagon had no roof, and even if it did, arrows from strong archers could pierce iron. A wooden wagon stood no chance against them. The short man, Arno, voiced his own plan.

"We must move out of this ambush!"

Sidero nodded, holding the corpses of the two men as he did so. Their was no hope of defeating them here - the group had no idea where the archers were, and even if thy did, what could they do? Only two of them had the potential range to reach long distances, and they were severely outnumbered. The best they could hope for was that the guard came. Speaking of, where the hell were they? Their should have been bodyguards, escorts, anything to provide even a semblance of security? After all, the knights were apparently celebrities, so assassination should have been expected. And now, there were two dead men. Sidero was broken out of his thoughts as a slight cry to his right broke out. Turning revealed the knight of Arcane, an arrow sticking out of her shoulder. That was it, staying still wasn't an option. If Sidero had his armor, the arrows would be unable to pierce him unless they had a 100 pound draw weight, and even then the armor would slow it enough to be non-fatal. But out here, the only thing available was his years of experience and the materials at hand. Sighing slightly, Sidero called out to the rest of the group.

We don't have anything to take shelter with. Arno is right, we need to get out of here. I'll go first, draw their fire. You guys can rush to the building to the left for cover, and I'll follow when you're all safe. If I'm hit, keep running, they'll take time to kill me. Be as quick as possible."

Their was little time to be quick, and arrows were hitting the ground around them with great force. Crawling towards the front of the wagon, Sidero reached for the reins. Successfully grabbing them, he did what he had to do - Pulling all the arrows free from their fleshy prisons, he began to tie the driver to his back, and upon finishing, began to do the same with the knight of lighting. Thanks to his weight, however, Sidero also needed to hold him up using his hands. In total, he was not going to be moving very quickly, and the bodies were extremely cumbersome to carry. But, this was all he had. Pain stroked his heart, the fact that he was going to use the corpses of others truly impacting him. Sidero promised to visit their funerals. Finally ready, Sidero turned to the others, before calling out sincerely.

"If anyone has a better plan than this, I would love to hear it."

Of course, this was probably the best course of action. The risk of everyone else getting hit was low, and he had the most protection out of all of them. Even if he died, it didn't really matter - he was far older than them, so their lives were more important than his. Sidero prepared himself. The second somebody made a move to leave the wagon, he would jump out, allowing the arrows to be aimed at him. Best case scenario, everyone lives and only 2 corpses are desecrated. Worst case scenario, they all die.