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[h3]Sir Sawyer Hayworth[/h3]
At the dock of the Battle-Blood Minstrel in the city of Hathforth, on the day of the Athius voyage
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[center][b]VI: Calm Before the Storm[/b][/center]
[center][@Estylwen][/center]
[justify]The waters of Hathforth were looking peaceful today, with naught but a wave or two to crease the surface. Now if only the state of Arrowfell could be much the same... A revolution was dawning, sure as the morning sun, and with it, the looming prospect of conflict. 

A lump formed in his throat as he led an elite squad of Agrovia’s finest warriors through the busy pier.

He could feel the wood beneath him bend with each step he took. Though the pier was normally not so tough to navigate, and certainly not as crowded, the preparations for the Athius voyage had filled it to the brim with sailors, helmsmen, and engineers, all of whom were carrying around their own goods, hauling them off to the various cargo holds of the Battle-Blood Minstrel. 

[i]Could the pier withstand so much weight bearing down on it?[/i] The good sir Hayworth would ask himself in his head. He’d yet to take a tumble into the sea below, and the others in the pier did not look worried in the slightest. So he tucked the concern in the back of his mind, choosing to place his faith in the pier’s construction. The voyage was expected to span multiple days, so it would not hurt for its crew to be ready for any and all contingencies. That explained the surplus in supplies.  It seemed the Wizard Queen was not taking any chances. [i]Whatever lay in Athius, she must be determined to have it.[/i]

After wading through a complex network of people, Sawyer would eventually find himself at the dock of the Battle-Blood Minstrel. He would ascend the large wooden plank connecting the ship to the pier, beckoning his subordinates to do the same. He wasted no time in finding the Wizard Queen, immediately spotting her horned black dress from within the cacophony of the crowd. He would also spot her advisor, Sir Urimyar, not far from her, though it appeared he was already engaged in a conversation with the court mage and his apprentice. In his haste, Sawyer did not manage to glean the words exchanged between them. It was not any of his business, anyways.

Sawyer stopped in front of the Wizard Queen. His voice boomed as he turned to face behind him. “Attention!” Like clockwork, his juniors would fall into a single file line. They would all salute to the Wizard Queen, dropping to their knees in reverence shortly after. 

Sir Hayworth would be no different. He extended both hands in a gesture of paying tribute, holding a sheathed blade. He gripped it tightly, imbuing it with the slightest touch of magic, which would have been imperceptible to the naked eye. It was a display of fine magical control, a testament to Sir Hayworth’s pedigree. But the Wizard Queen was a formidable magician, and more practiced in the art of the arcane. This was not something that would escape her gaze. “Good day, Your Highness,” he began with a standard greeting. “I prostrate myself before your radiance.”

He rose to his feet, returning the sword to his side. “Unfortunately, Her Grace could not make it this occasion. I hope it is not an insult to Your Highness to have me take her place on her behalf.” He reached inside his breastplate to retrieve a necklace laden with a shining gem. It was the Convictus Lavalliere. “Her Grace has bequeathed to me her most prized possession, a sign of her dedication to your safety.” 

Sir Hayworth would put on a playful smile. “People often say that there will inevitably come a time when the student surpasses the master.” A lighthearted chuckle. “But I’m afraid that time has not yet come for our poor Duchess.” He would bow deeply. “Rest assured, Your Highness, I will keep you safe.”
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