"What utter rubbish! Complete and utter nonsense!"
To say that Beatrey was irritated was an understatement. As of now, she was waiting at the Academy's entrance. Today was the day that she was to start her pilgrimage. Normally, she would've left long before dawn, unfortunately, the new Head Mage of the Academy had taken liberties to hire a knight to protect her, and make sure that she couldn't leave without him! A knight! Was Head Mage Alistair unaware of the fact that Head Master Theo was murdered by his so-called bodyguard, who was also a knight?! There was also the fact that the knights in the town that the Academy resided within, were very disrespectful and crude, and they would only just get in the mages' way when it comes to magic! If it weren't for Alistair making sure that she couldn't leave without the knight, she would've disobeyed and left already.

She crossed her arms and grumbled "I do not need some bumbling, bungling, sword-waving buffoon to protect me!" She then added out loud, noting the time from the sun's position and her shadow (the time is 10:00 AM), "Especially one who is FIVE HOURS LATE!"

Beatrey smirked to herself as she recalled that she had prepared a few things in case the knight did decide to try and kill her, or if he needed to be taught a lesson in not to underestimate magic or to disrespect a mage. As she waited, she held what looked like an ordinary briefcase in her left hand, knuckles white under the gloves as she clenched around it's handle, and in her right hand was a tall staff with an clear orb on the top of the staff. She kept herself alert and looking for the tardy knight who was meant to bodyguard her, and she tilted the brim of her red hat so that it would block the sun from her eyes.

"Ahhh what a great morning!" Fin stretched his arms out wide as he walked on the stony path, "I get to go on my first big assignment, I get to travel a bit during it, the sun is shining, nothing wrong with anything today." he cheerfully continued on his stride, stopping to read the wooden sign to make sure he was heading towards the academy.

Fin couldn't help but wonder what type of adventures awaited them, and his delusions of grandeur gave way to the thought of fighting of hordes of undead and other vile creatures, then he thought of the Mage, in blue robes, long white beard with a white staff in hand. The two of them could fight against anything! Undead, Demons, Armies, Fire breathing Dragons...He stopped walking when he thought of the last one. "I don't want to fight a dragon if it breathes fire." folding his arms, he nodded as if agreeing to his own words, "Water breathing dragon, yes, I shall vanquish one of them."

He raised his sword high in the air with one hand, the sun shimmering on the black blade, "But first I must meat up with the master mage, I hope he is awake by this hour." Placing his sword carefully back upon his back he continued till finally, "Ah Alas, it is here!" He saw the Mages Academy and continued his steady pace till the entrance, then spotting a lady dressed in red. "Excuse me Madame, I am Sir Leonitus, and I am here to meet with the Master Mage whom I am to escort on their quest. Could you alert him to my arrival?"

Beatrey looked up from the ground, when a glint of sunlight, reflecting off of armor, caught her eyes. She looked to the knight as he approached, no doubt in her mind that this was the one assigned to protect her. She listened to him speak when he approached her, and insulted her, just as she predicted. Even if she did see the insult coming her way, it doesn't make his words any less offensive. A vein could be seen if she wasn't wearing her red hat, and one of her eye's lower eyelid twitched in irritation as she answered him "You've already done that yourself, Sir Lefou. And do you realize how long you kept me waiting? Five hours! FIVE! You are beyond tardy!"

She uncrossed her arms, the stern and irritated look on her face still present, and she walked past the knight, saying "Well, let's go! I've burnt enough daylight waiting for you," She didn't stop to wait for him as she walked down the path away from the Mages' Academy and headed for the path through town that would lead her to the exit. She knew that she had a long and harsh road ahead of her, one that no knight could even begin to imagine what it's like, all to ensure the entire world's safety. She couldn't help but wonder how ignorant the knight was. He clearly didn't recognize her when he saw her. How much did he know of this pilgrimage and it's importance anyways?

Puzzled at what he had done wrong, Fin took the opportunity to correct the mage, "The last name is Leonitus, not Lefou, and from the intell which I received, I am here bright and early, on time." Walking beside her as they went down the path, he pushed his right hand into a small rucksack he had on him, pulling out a paper, "It specifically tells me to be here in the morning, which last time I checked, would be any hour prior to high noon. Knight code number seven, Never be late to an arranged meeting." He carefully folded the paper and placed it back in its place, "It also informed me of how urgency this pilgrimage of yours is, and that I would be guarding a master mage," He eyed her up from her red hat to her shoes, then back up again, "I'm well aware that a woman can be such a thing, my mother was one after all, but you do seem a tad bit...young for such an ordeal?"

Beatrey couldn't help but smirk to herself in slight amusement when he corrected her on his name, clearly unaware that Lefou was an insult in a different language. She listened as he pulled out a paper and read it out loud, silently conceding that he had a point despite that mages wake long before dawn. She raised an eyebrow when he recited a knight code like a boy scout. When he asked his question, she answered sagely and calmly, "Age is unimportant. In this situation, the most important thing is that I'm able to cast the necessary spells for this pilgrimage, and be able to defend myself if necessary,". She then added "Besides, looks can be deceiving. You would do well to keep that in mind,"

As they walked through the town and past some shops, she commented to him "I've already stocked up on some healing potions, rations, and other necessities for the journey, but if you feel the need to spend your money on something here, you may as well do it now," She knew that preparation is very important, and she didn't know whether this man was already stocked up on necessities as well or not.

"Never judge a book by its cover eh?" Fin laughed, he was still having a hard time picturing this young lady casting powerful spells, but he would trust her, and hope that she could pull her weight in a fight, not that she looked like she weighed much in the first place though. He started to look at her curiously thinking about this matter, knowing that a man should never ask such a question, but his train of thought was derailed when she mentioned stocking up on supplies. "I should be covered for at least the next week. I may look big, but I don't eat much during travel, that and I stocked up when the shops opened this morning, so unless he fight a fire breathing dragon, I should be fine for supplies." The thought of fire caused a shiver to course down Fin's spine.

"So if my map is correct, we must follow the road beside the river for a bout a days journey correct? after that part, my letter doesn't state anymore, or was that simple a lie encase my letter was intercepted?"

When Fin laughed, Beatrey answered calmly and seriously "That is another way to put it," She listened to his answer in regards to supplies and she raised an eyebrow when he mentioned a fire breathing dragon. When he asked about the directions, she answered "That is correct. We will follow the road beside the river for a day's journey," She commented, "Following the river will lead us to our first destination, which is-"
She stopped when she sensed a presence that didn't settle well with her. She looked towards where the presence was, and she looked back to Fin when she didn't see anyone. She said to him "Never mind. I'll continue the explanation when we're alone. For now, we should be on our way,"

Were they already here? Her journey had barely begun! How would their enemies catch on to Beatrey and her pilgrimage so soon? This really did not bode well. As she headed for the gate, the unsettling presence she sensed grew stronger. She quickened her pace, making sure that she was still walking and wasn't breaking out into a run. If she ran here, then she wouldn't be able to hide in the crowds well. She looked back to Fin and she hissed "Come along now,"

A bit oblivious as to the meaning of what she meant by alone, Fin responded bluntly, "We are in the midst of town, of course we are not alone." He raised an eyebrow at her increasing pace, questioning why she felt the need to speed up, surly she was not still upset about them leaving five hours later than she had planned right? Then it hit Fin like a battering ram to a wall, "Oh. Never mind Madame, I understand." he picked up his speed till he was just behind her, remaining on full alert and ready to draw his sword at a moments notice. However he wished if it was possible to not be in the town, there would be too many people who could get injured, or have their stalls and thus, careers crushed in an instant if combat broke out. Muttering under his breath, Fin voiced his distaste for this in the way only a select few would ever be insulted by, "coward."

Beatrey rolled her eyes at Fin's blunt response, seeing that he didn't understand. She didn't say anything though as she kept on going as fast as she could to the gate. She had been betting with herself mentally when Fin would realize what she meant, and sooner than she had figured, he told her that he understood. She didn't answer him, but as they moved closer to the gate, she heard him voice his distaste to their enemy, and she said nothing in response. She only hurried to the exit before the enemy can attack them in the town.

Soon they reached the gate, where fewer townspeople were, and two knights stood guard at the gate. When Beatrey approached, the knights unsheathed their swords and crossed them together, blocking Beatrey's and Fin's path. Beatrey glared at the two of them, and she asked "What do you two think you are-"
She stopped herself when she saw the knights' eyes under their helms. They were glowing purple and she immediately knew: They were not acting of their own free will. She raised her staff and she said to Fin, keeping her eyes on the knights that readied themselves, "I hope you are ready to fight against your fellow knights," One of the knights charged at her and she blocked his sword attacks with her staff and briefcase. She also dodged their attacks fluidly and quickly.

"I'd rather not have a fight with another knight, especially one who is guarding the gate of the town," Fin's words were to no avail though, as he watched the knight swung his blade at Beatry, "I see, I have no choice in the matter. I suppose they don't either then? Or did you really annoy them in your youth?" Unsheathing his sword, he dashed forwards to block the second knight with his sword on his back, "I am sorry, it goes against my ideal to fight another knight not on the field of justice, but you do need some sense knocked back into you." With his other hand free, Fin punched the knight in the face, rattling him and his helmet, and stepping back a bit, but largely unaffected, "I see...Madame, I do not think mere violence is going to help us too much." Spinning around, he used the flat side of his blade to knock the knight down, also allowing him a chance to see the chaos that had begun.

Citizens running away from the gate, screaming, dropping their goods and running in terror. More knights, presumably the guards of the town, in full force running towards them, armor, shield, spear and all.

"Unless you have some fancy trick up your magical sleeve, may I suggest we run?" Then it hit Fin, they were acting like criminals, and being treated like them! Oh the irony, the knight who would do anything to uphold the law, brought down to the same position as a bandit! It was a refreshingly new point of view to see the world from, but not one that Fin was overly keen on.

Beatrey answered Fin's question "They don't, because they're not acting of their free will," She did want to comment on how they were the ones who annoyed her, but she knew that now was not the time for that. After Fin knocked the two knights back, and made his comment and question, she answered "I agree. No, we do not need to run, I have something that can remedy their conditions. This mind control spell is at its weakest! Such sloppy work!" She mumbled the last comment under her breath regarding their enemy.

As the two knights stood back up, Beatrey moved the staff to her hand holding the briefcase and she pulled out two small white spherical stones. She said to Fin "Keep them distracted for me, Leonitus. This spell will be finished quickly so long as they don't hit me," She knew that if they land an attack on her, then she would have to start her incantation over from the beginning. She then started mumbling under her breath, and as she mumbled the incantation, the two spherical stones started to shine a white light.

"Sounds like a grand plan, and I like our odds, this will be much more of a challenge for me anyhow." He rolled his shoulder, stretching out a bit before taking a greater grip on his sword, he let out his breath, then charged at the knights before they could make the first move, slapping them about with the flat side of the sword, he had mental made an area around Skye, and he wouldn't let anyone get past it. He also had mental a line drawn where if they crossed it, he had accepted the fact he might have to kill his fellow swordsmen.

As a few other knights joined eyes equally as miscoloured from Fin's point of view, it got harder and harder to not use a fatal strike to keep them back, he almost let one get through earlier, and had paid for it with a cut on his left forearm. "How much longer milady?" He spoke as he slide back on his feet, taking a blow from three at once, "This knights are unskilled, but holding back is not something I am used to, actually it is an insult."

Beatrey couldn't answer Fin's question as she was focused on her spell and was still chanting the incantation as he knocked the mind controlled knights back. Soon she opened her eyes and the two white, marble-sized stones shined brighter. She called out the final part of her incantation while raising her hands that held the stones above her head, signaling that she was done, "Absorb!" After she called out the final part of the incantation, purple light flooded from the knights' eyes and into the marble sized stones in her hand, darkening the stones' colors to black.

The knights then fell over unconscious and Beatrey lowered her hands, and pocketed the stones, knowing that the stones will prove useful later on. She said to Fin, having a feeling that he may be worried for his fellow knights, "Do not worry about them. They're just unconscious," She then commented "Now, I suggest we move on, before we have to deal with the enemy's attacks again. We were lucky this time around,"
Before they could move another voice called "Wha' 'appened 'ere?!"
Beatrey sighed, recognizing the voice. She knew that the person that voice belonged to, and his friend, were the worst knights in the town. They were lazy on their own free time, when they fought, they moved clumsily to the point that they should be embarrassed of themselves, and they often accused the respected mages of the Academy in town of evil acts. These two knights were Troddon and Shakey. She looked at the two respective knights, as Shakey, the slim knight, pointed at Beatrey "You! You witch, Beatrey! You cursed everyone din't ya?!"
The short, fat knight, Troddon added "Yeah! Don't lie your way out of it!"

Beatrey groaned at the two and said "No, I didn't curse anyone. If anything, I helped them out. Now, if you two idiots don't mind, I have to start my pilgrimage,"
Shakey shouted as he unsheathed his sword, "NO! You have to pay for what you did, you witch!"
Troddon did the same, stupidly saying "Yeah! What Shakey said!"
They both charged at Beatrey, only for her to simply side step out of the way, and trip the both of them with her staff, making them fall over onto the ground.

Fin was awestruck as he watched the magic, it had been a while since he saw any first hand, however that was broken quickly, as he witnessed the way that the so called knights of the land acted. "Oh dear, do they let just any old riff raff become a knight in these parts?" Even though he was speaking about Shakey and Trodden, who lay on the ground, the question was addressed to Beatry, "No wonder you didn't give me a warm welcome, I would have surely died if I had to travel with one of those." Placing his sword back into it's sheath, and pointing at them with the other hand. "A knight is supposed to live by honour, and a set of rules and codes," He then quoted one of his codes again, "How canst thou lift another, if thou lay in filth." He then glanced at the men on the ground, "Case and point. My fellow knights, act the part."

Beatrey shrugged in response to Fin's question and she commented "Honestly, I wouldn't know how the knights gain recruits," She grumbled under her breath after he commented about why she didn't give him a warm welcome "They're not the only reasons," She listened as he quoted one of the knights' codes silently, and she watched as Shakey and Troddon stood up and shoot glares at Fin.
Shakey spoke up first, "We are 'onorable knights! We know that Beatrey is an evil witch, and we're protecting the town from 'er!"
Beatrey rolled her eyes and she commented sarcastically, "Yes, and you're doing a fine job of that,"
Troddon spoke to Fin, ignoring Beatrey, "Sir! I'd be careful around 'er if I were you! She turned Shakey and I into dogs some weeks ago,"
Beatrey retorted, insulted by Troddon's accusation "You two were the ones who broke into, and intruded upon, my private quarters and drank my experimental concoction of your own free stupid wills! The Academy wasted weeks of valuable time for research on getting you two back to human form! You got what you deserved,"

Shakey then shouted "ANYWAYS! Yer comin' wit' us Witch! You're going to the dungeons!"
Beatrey rolled her eyes at them and said "There is no need for you to do that. I'm leaving town for my pilgrimage, or had news not reach to you yet?"
As Beatrey expected, Shakey and Troddon didn't believe her and shouted "YOU'RE LYING!" at her. She sighed and muttered "I guess it can't be helped," She then grabbed Fin's wrist and started mumbling under her breath, as the two so-called knights charged at the both of them. Soon she called out "Teleport!" and she rammed the bottom of her staff into the ground. A white light flashed from the top orb of her staff and engulfed her and Fin. When the light disappeared, Fin and Beatrey were nowhere to be found. Shakey and Troddon looked around stupidly after tripping over each other again from their charge, and asked "Where'd they go?!"

Beatrey and Fin soon reappeared right by the river outside of the town. Beatrey panted slightly, recovering from using her own energy for the teleportation spell. She looked around to see where they were. She could see the walls around the town they came from and knew that they weren't that far. She sighed through her nose and she muttered "Well, getting out was more trouble than it was worth,"

After being teleported Fin was a bit shaken, like a man who just got on land after a long time on a boat, "That was unexpected, and not something my body is used to." Trying to regain his footing, he looked around, "So I guess that those Knaves are not on the best terms with you. I do apologize for any inconvenience that these knights have been in the past," He lowered his head in a bow, "A knight should act like one, this truly is heart breaking, I am sorry." He stood upright again, "But if possible, I hope that you will find it in you to trust me," He pulled out his sword and stabbed it into the ground, lowering himself to a single knee, "Madame Beatrey, I pledge my loyalty to you, till your Pilgrimage be done, or I lie cold in the ground with my spirit having no will left to carry on." Looking to her in the eyes, his next words where as meaningful as Fin could make them, "I swear by my honour."

Beatrey looked towards Fin, mainly to check and make sure that the teleportation spell hadn't switched any of his body parts around (thankfully it wasn't the case), and she listened as he spoke. She raised an eyebrow at his apology and watched as he took out his sword, kneeled before her, and swore loyalty to her. She remembered Theo's knight had done the same for him, right of Beatrey's eyes when she was younger. And yet, Theo was killed by the same knight, and now she was on this pilgrimage. She crossed her arms and looked at Fin seriously, after he made final statement to show how serious he was about this, and answered almost ominously, "I hope for your sake that you don't break your promise,"

She then stated, "Alright. Let's go. We'll be traversing to the port town of Rainier. If we stay by the river, we should reach that destination by sundown,"

Why would I break my own promise? I bit confused at Beatrey's statement, Fin decided to just shrug it off and continue, he knew what he had to do, and he also knew that Lady Beatrey clearly didn't like knights, or having to travel with them. He would work hard during their journey to change this opinion, but he felt he had his work cut out for him.

"Well if we wish to make it by sundown, we best be off then." stretching his legs quickly before they made off on their journey, Fin recalled something he had heard on his way in to find the mage, "We might want to go quicker than that actually and make it there sooner. I recall rumour of bandits hiding close to Rainer. It would be best to get past them prior to dusk." He waited for Beatry to start heading off so that he could keep up the rear and make sure nothing jumped them from behind.

Beatrey already started walking as Fin spoke, leading the way, following the river's currents. She remembered the rumors of bandits and she sighed, mumbling under her breath, "Of course. There just has to be bandits," As she walked she kept her senses keen and alert for any sign of anyone or anything hiding nearby. As she walked on, she asked Fin, "Do you have any questions in regard to this journey we're on?" She wanted to get any of his questions out of the way so that she wouldn't have to fill him in if they were in the middle of an emergency.

"I have many questions, and a few of them do pertain to the journey." Fin started, then held his hand up with a single finger sticking out, "One, How far are we going, Two any dangers I should be made aware of, Three phobias you might have." A finger rose with every question he asked, then he scratched his head trying to think if there was any other things that he would like to know about the journey, "Ahh yes, as trivial as it is, Four, the payment that was mentioned for after I had successfully taken you on this pilgrimage, I have to bring you all the way back for that, which mage do we speak to when we return? I only got to meet you after all, so I will need help pointing him out." Then he thought for a moment, what if all the mages there are master mages and women? I was wrong the first time after all, "Errr....or her." He then turned to Beatry, smiled and nodded, "If I need to know something, I'm sure you will inform me, I do feel it is better that way. Oh and about number three, I mention this one due to a strong dislike of fire I have." he shook his head, "Should a fire breathing beast come along, you are likely on your own, everything else I will do what a knight and a Man should do." Puffing up his chest now as he was swelling up with pride, "I shall vanquish the evil and never run from a challenge!" he pounded his right pec with his fist.