[IC] Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

[vancexentan]

Cole heard the footsteps coming down the hall but he wasn't sure who's exactly they belonged too until Fer spoke up, and he shrugged as he turned around eying up, and down the metal, and common clothes of the Shield hero. "The King told me he was having us dress up in order to make a better impression on the knights, and nobles in attendance before turning us over to the public for a few hours. So they had me wear this, and dress sharp. I guess the King is a bit sharper than I gave him credit for. Especially for being around our age. Wonder if he rigged this whole thing since way before we were summoned?" Cole said leaving the question in the air as he adjusted his sword on his belt. "I feel out of place never been one to like dressing up. But hey if it makes people like me more with this heavy gold sword strapped to my waist then by all means." Cole shrugs as he looks around the hall. "I heard the guards tell us that the king is allowing another member to join the party of ours. It'll help if we get into another fight like with Rayla...and we will in a week and a half." Cole comments as he looks up towards that let the sun shine in above them. He wondered where the bow, and spear were...probably off training, and kill wild animals, and or monsters he supposed. "Speaking of Rayla...she's in the dungeon right now. Hope the King doesn't expect me to kill her myself." Cole says as he cracked his knuckles and then stretches out his arm rotating in a circle with his other hand on his shoulder to help out some stiffness he felt wearing these clothes.

[Omni5876]

Fer felt under dressed compared to Cole but his upbringing helped. The humble clothes that were repaired over and over until they either did not fit or were much to tattered to be of any use were common to him. During his time as a guerilla fighter, he had often had to repurpose the clothes of those who had died not hours before in order to remain clothed. More than once his shirt or pants sported holes that had been the demise of the item’s previous owners.

The shield hero heard his companion speak regarding the upcoming events. A nod was given back as response to the question. “Cole, I have do doubt that the king needs to be a sharp individual. As I am sure I have said before, we are one of the many tools in his box that helps keep the wolves away and inspire his allies. Even dressing you up like that is a good show of force.”

The young hero had no doubt that the king or somebody from his advisors, had planned for the success or failure of the heroes. While Fer was no stranger to the manipulations of men in power, he hated that his companion had to experience some form of it. The shield hoped with all his heart that the king did not just view the two of them, or actually the four of them, as disposable assets. Cole deserved better than that.

“My friend, people will like you because you are a good person. You are sincere and upright. The people need that, especially now.” The young hero offered his friend a smile. “They dressed you up like that to cement your image as a hero in the hearts of the people. That image will be used to inspire and rally. You will be the example to follow in the dark times.” Fer took a slow deep breath in. He hoped that Cole would not be used as an inspirational martyr.

The next statement resulted in a questioning look. It would not be strange to attract more followers, especially after a victory. But what would that mean for their team dynamic. Speaking of team, where was their feathered friend? Fer decided to ask Cole which seemed to be more informed than him.

“Cole, have you seen Auriel? Will she not be joining us?” He looked around. The young hero hoped he had not driven a wedge between him and their angelic companion. The purity in Auriel’s heart might have been troubled by Fer’s sadly pragmatic approach to life and death. The young Hero knew that mercy and honor were not always the best ways to win a battle.

“You say we may have new companions? I wonder if they are volunteers or have been ordered by higher authority?” The trio had already been spied on enough by those damned shadows. The young hero did not want to have to worry about spies in their own team.

“Yeah, more people would help. It would help you and Auriel at least more than I can. I still need to find out more about this shield Cole. If you can, using your new found direct connection to the king, could you ask if there is someone who can help us unlock our true potential faster?”

"Speaking of Rayla...she's in the dungeon right now. Hope the King doesn't expect me to kill her myself."

Fer hissed at this. He wanted to believe that this would not be the case, but what better way to showcase a heroe’s obedience to the throne than to have them perform a state mandated execution. “I hope that too, Cole. I would say I would do it in your stead but…” He pointed to his jeweled bracer which seemed to glow as if in reaction to the jive.

“You know, for what its worth, I think you did a great job. We got the bad guy. You prevented her death so she could be tried by a lawful court. The mission was a success. You do deserve props.” Fer smiled as he patted Cole on the expensive looking clothes. “Oh maybe I should not have done that. Hope I did not stain your regal dress Sir Cole the Magnificent!” He teased his companion hoping to help the young sword be at ease.

[vancexentan]

"That's the thing having done minor training, and nearly killed a person with my own hands. Nearly passing out from some relatively small amount of blood...I don't feel 'legendary'." Cole comments and then sighs as he folds his arms across his chest. He wonders how much more would he need to do to truly become something he would consider 'strong'. "I've no doubt in my mind they're going to pin up this defeat of an ex-Zeltoble gladiator as something big but I'm not even level 20 yet. That's something to be worried about. I'm not sure if you've been keeping an eye on your stats but we got a long way to go too. I looked at Marcino on the walk here. His health, and pool of abilities make ours look like child's play. The only thing we have is our fame, and these so called legendary weapons." Cole says to Fer looking directly at him now as he moves his gaze from above to Fer.

"I'll play my role as best I can though if I need to be the white knight of the gods that come in and save everyone I'll try. But like I keep saying I don't feel like one. Yeah my sword can cleave through armor like butter, and my meteor strike can crush rock like paper but...what I always thought what made a legend is someone who did something special. Not someone who just showed up swung a gold sword around and fought a skeleton or two. If these waves are more dangerous then we'll have to worry about if we're actually being trained well enough, or if they're coddling us too much." Cole says as he takes a moment to let Fer talk. He wonders if the young man was having doubts about himself like Cole was about his own abilities. It didn't seem that way...was he just being to self conscious? It didn't feel like that. But then again those who are unsure about their own place just may inexperienced like he himself was.

"Auriel? She's around somewhere I thought I saw her with Hans, or one of those priests from the temple. Speaking of which we should probably see these things called 'Dragon Hourglasses' supposedly counting down to the waves. It'll be good to know what the local priests think of us. Speaking of 'us' do you have any interest in the bow, or spear heroes? Supposedly the tale being we can't all work together at the same time is the reason we can't all be in one party outside the waves. But...that Japanese girl I don't know if she can be reliable. She was rude, and she seems to be off in a mass slaughter of anything that she can get her hands on. Wolves, Bandits, monsters...she's busy for a girl just off the boat so to speak. And I don't even know about the spear. They said he vanished and was re-summoned like the shiel-like you I mean." Cole speaks stuttering a bit with his last part. He didn't want to offend Fer by mentioning that the summoning ritual the mages used was flawed and ended up apparently summoning the wrong heroes. It seemed odd that magic could be used in such a way but that was the whims of fate it seemed.

[Omni5876]

The young Shield Hero understood what Cole meant regarding not feeling that big a deal. Hell, it had taken three of them, two supposed legendary heroes and the battle tested guardian angel. Out of the three, Fer felt as the most useless. He had done his job, true, but he needed to bring more to the table. To show his agreement, the young hero nodded to his companion’s assessment.

“I have not been keeping and eye on my stats, as you say. Honestly, I don’t really understand them much. Being able to see writing with not book in front of you is honestly a bit weird.” He proclaimed truthfully to his partner. Back on earth, he did not have the opportunity or the ability to play videogames. Those that existed were definitely not advanced enough to have compared to the real live application that was possible in this world.

“I don’t even know how levels work but I have heard you and Marcino talking about them. I can only assume that the higher the level the stronger we are. If that is the case, then I hope we are able to get that number higher and that the monsters we are to face in the wave are not that much higher than us. But even as I say it, I am sure we will not be that lucky…” he trailed off. If Cole himself was having doubts about how proficient they were and he was their main fighter, then the party was in dire straits.

“Well, I agree with you that we still have a long way to go. But I think comparing us to Marcino might not be the best thing. The man was a gladiator for years and even now does mercenary work. We have about a week here.” Fer shrugged, he knew that Cole was only trying to prove a point but it was like comparing cats and tigers. Marcino being the latter.

“Like I told you before buddy, I will support you and defend you as best I can. I will follow you not because you are some great hero or because you are in some pedestal, but I will follow you because we are the same. I know you are just human like me so you have real weaknesses and problems.” Again he patted his companion on the shoulder. “You may not feel like much but you have already proven you have what it takes to one day be that hero you envision to be. I don’t really know what special task you want to do but the way I see it, you are a stranger in this land and have agreed to put your life on the line for people you don’t know and owe nothing to. That is pretty special to me. You ask nothing in return. You have not demanded riches, or women, or anything like that. Trust me Cole, just that is pretty special.”

“I guess we will find out when the waves come how ready we were. There really are only two outcomes to a battle, either you survive it or you don’t.” he chuckled, “At least you have a damn sword to hack your way to victory. What the hell am I supposed to do…bitch slap them?” he chuckled again to hide the pain in those words. Oh how he wished he could use his old bow. He was not a master, but he could put arrows down range pretty decent.

Fer looked around again at the mention of their angelic friend. He nodded when Cole mentioned the Dragon Hourglasses. “Yeah, from the little I gathered, those things are special. Anything that can help in our upcoming fight will be worth looking into….heck even if I have to rub some fat man’s belly.”

A pensive frown appeared on the young Shield’s face at the mention of the other heroes. He had never met the bow, but from what had heard from Marcino and the local gossip, the girl was a loose cannon liable to kill anybody in their path, friend or foe. He remembered meeting the Spear briefly before the man had declared he would adventure solo. It still baffled Fer how other humans could leave each other to fend for themselves in a foreign world and with a wave looming in the future.

“To be completely honest, I don’t think about them much. Some times I forget they even exist. They would have sure come in handy fighting Rayla. At least, so that there was some more people who could actually use their weapons for offensive.” The ex rebel felt like he was complaining too much so he added. “I am sure that we were given our specific weapons for a reason but I am at a loss as to what that reason is.”

The mention of a person having been summoned before him made him raise one eyebrow. “Wait, you are saying there was somebody summoned before me? What happened to that person? Were they killed? Maybe that is why they don’t really worry too much about sending us out on dangerous missions if they are just able to summon another person to take up the fight” The implications of that did not sit well with the young hero. This meant that they could bee seen as disposable.

“I would like to talk to you more about what you know of this previous shield. For the time being, I do hope they have some food after this ceremony thing. Now that we are back amongst civilization, I want to have a warm meal instead of our travel rations you know.” Fer stood up, feeling antsy and wanting to get the whole ordeal over with.

[vancexentan]

"We're actually close to leveling up you can check out the menus and stuff by moving your eye a certain way, its kind of like browsing a MMO. I don't know if you've ever played one but..." Cole says as he attempts to get Fer on level with how to check out the menus presented to them showing him how he's been messing around and found out that he can store stuff in his sword more or less. Intending to strengthen his sword by feeding it various other swords later was his main plan after the show the king was putting on. "Think of them like a measuring stick though. The more we fight the stronger we get, and the more powerful moves we can pull off. Its stuff like that and it helps us gauge if something is too strong for us." Cole says further trying to offer more information though he was doubtful Fer was getting it by the look on his face. "Without having seen a 'wave' yet I can't tell you for sure what's up. Other than the fact that there's probably clues around from the previous heroes if what the tales are right were. Not sure if you knew this but the summoner talked about how one of the previous heroes left some notes around."

"When push comes to shove though I don't think a man like Marcino is on the side of this kingdom. He's probably loyal to his own country we may find ourselves in a whole new country soon enough if we defeat the current wave. I wouldn't get use to being around him, or his majesty much longer. I mean he's getting paid yeah but if the waves are here are we sure they aren't in his home country? He spit on Rayla so that must mean he had some sort of pride in his country." Cole says postulating based on the given facts he himself didn't particularly care one way or another they weren't leaving anytime soon regardless.

Cole's face twisted in annoyance at once again reminded that he was top cheese just because he had a pointy metal shaft attached to a hilt instead of a bow, or a longer stick with a spear point. Yeah he was fully aware of how needed he was he just didn't feel quite up to task. He knew he'd get better but he was wondering if Fer was starting to project his own helplessness out on him. Did he really feel like he was useless. "You're a shield hero you're not useless by any means despite what people think. Despite no one not wanting to 'be the tank' so to speak someone has to keep people safe. When you start developing spells think of ways to hinder people, or call on magic that will be able to protect groups of people. You have more defense than anyone on our team just not the attack. Its a trade off of protection for attack power just a heavy one. So don't gripe over that, do what you can with what you have Fer. Trust me I wish I had something better than some armor to protect me. I'm out there having to close the distance and hope I can cut something down before it kills me. That's what you're there to do. Protect me so I can save the day in our party's dynamic. If I die then I'm doubtful we'll get anymore heroes." Cole comments as he brings the subject around once more. He hoped his little speech would help Fer come to grips with his situation but he was fully aware of it possibly doing the opposite. "Can't tell you much about the other guy...he was old...and grumpy...who knows what happened to him. Hans must've fucked up the ritual somehow maybe we're imperfectly summoned and aren't tethered fully to this world-" Cole starts before he's interrupted by a man in silver armor from head to toe. He salutes both the heroes.

"Sword Hero are you, and the shield ready?" comments the knight as Cole raises an eyebrow towards Fer.

[Whoami]

Lessons

(Mood Music)

Auriel walked down the city's concourse. She looked up at the old monastery where she was raised by her mother. The golden sun rested between the two prominent stone towers as if it was a holy gateway to another world. Knowing about the heroes and their summoning... Perhaps the sun very well was a gateway. But even if she wanted to find out, she couldn't with the state of her wings. As she walked, Auriel spread her wings out, some kids cheering and clapping their approval at the display. Auriel looked sidelong as the kids as their parents tried to corral them along. She smiled at them and gave a gentle wave, then focused her attention back to her wings. They spread out further than they normally did, but she could still feel that familiar pain in the joints of her wings. The breaks from the heavy chains were taking a long time to heal, and Auriel worried that the longer she went without flying, the harder it would be for her muscles to relearn the skill. Still, the fact that she was able to spread her wings out further than usual was a clear sign of progress, and that warmed her heart. One day, hopefully soon, she could soar through the skies again.

She reached the monastery and pushed her way through the two great oaken doors. Beyond was the courtyard where a variety of activities were being held. Near the fountain in the center of the courtyard, there was a class being held by a monk as he taught letters to a group of orphan children. Auriel knew that the monk teaching the lesson always preferred to do his classes outside whenever possible. He believed that the fresh air and sunlight motivated and opened up the mind to learning. Auriel's golden hues traced left, spotting some of the older monks and nuns of the monastery having a gathering and relaxing in the shade. Their attention was drawn afar to the opposite end of the courtyard, which made Auriel follow their gaze to see what they were watching. She blinked when she spotted a lone woman in some old but well maintained armor. She had a sword in her a hand, a saber to be precise. She appeared to be going through some motions and stances with the saber. They were skilled, and the woman was clearly a veteran with the blade.

Auriel made her way over to her, "Mother? I never thought I'd say the day that you'd wear your old armor!"

Mirin Asher turned her eyes over to Auriel, and her expression made her appear so youthful. "Auriel! Ohh my baby girl! I wasn't expecting you!" she immediately stopped her practicing and tugged Auriel in for a firm embrace.

Auriel hugged her mother back and looked back at her afterward, "The king wanted an audience with the heroes, so I was left with some time on my own. I figured... given how close we are to the First Wave... That I'd come by and see how you and the monastery are doing. Do you need anything? Has the throne promised any soldiers to the defense of the monastery?"

Mirin smiled at first, then scoffed a bit after Auriel's follow-up question. "My dear, if the monastery was given any priority, I wouldn't be here in my armor working off years of rust!"

Auriel frowned at that, "I... I can talk to the king, or the arch-bishop to get the monastery some prot-"

"Ohh don't worry yourself, sweetie! I used to be quite the swordsman back in my golden days. Ask some of the older folks in this monastery, most of them would challenge that I might have been able to best even you in a duel~" she gently elbowed Auriel, which made her blush a bit and look off to the side.

"I'm... Not that great a warrior..." the angel said bashfully.

Mirin gasped, "Nonsense! Auriel! You are the Holy Warrior! You trained since before you even knew your letters! You've done battle with demons and monsters and returned with your head held high! You are the first of your lineage in hundreds of years to fulfill your duty as a guardian and defender of the Heroes of Legend! Don't sell yourself so low, daughter-mine! You might very well be one of the most talented warriors in all the land, and everything you are known for is known because YOU made it happen!"

Auriel looked around the courtyard nervously as her mother spoke out loud. She was feeling rather embarrassed by her mother's motivational speech, though it seemed that some of the others in the courtyard who had overheard Mirin were nodding their agreement. She only blushed more. Then she was elbowed lightly again as her mother leaned in with a mischievous grin, "But I could probably still take you on~"

Auriel let out a defeated laugh, "Now, now, mother. Save your energy for the waves, please!"

Mirin chuckled some more before walking over to a rack loaded with wooden training swords. She grabbed two of them, and tossed one to Auriel. She caught it and blinked, "I'm not good with swords."

Mirin nodded, "Oh I know. I remember when you were a little girl constantly fawning over the Spear of Archiel. You were so fixated on being able to hold it one day that you would rather spar with a broomstick before even laying hands on the training swords. BUT!" she raised a pointed finger, "Your spear wont always be the most ideal weapon in certain places, a sword would be a good sidearm. And besides, I'm sure at least on young hero in your party would gladly appreciate a sparring partner who could teach him a thing or two on the road. Now- use both hands on that sword, and adopt a ready stance."

---

40 Minutes Later...

Auriel lay on the cobblestone floor of the courtyard. She was sore all over, sweating, and heaving. She had dropped the wooden sword next to her. Her mother stood over her, the tip of the wooden sword pointed right at Auriel. The two had attracted quite the audience, and some were even passing silver coins between each other every time Auriel ended up on the ground or disarmed! "I don't... Get it... Haah... How are you so fast?!"

Mirin drew her sword back and offered a hand to pull her daughter to her feet, "Your father was a famous adventurer, he taught me a thing or two during our travels before we settled down."

Auriel took her mother's hand and got up. "Aah... Haa... Alright... I'm convinced that- whew... The monastery is in good hands for the Wave."

There was a myriad of laughter around them. "You focus on saving the world and keeping the heroes safe. Then when you're done, this monastery will still be standing, ready to welcome you back with open arms. But in the meantime... Get that sword ready, I'm coming at you!"

[Omni5876]

The young Shield Hero was a quick study. It stemmed from his awe and interest at things that he had never imagined possible in his life. This whole world was technically that but he had always been an inquisitive person. Unlike his younger brother, Fer had not been able to spend his days behind a book. If he had been given the opportunity to accompany Auriel while visiting the great library, he would have been in heaven. Knowledge was something that drew him. Thus, he was more than willing to learn anything that not only would scratch that itch but could also help him learn to be more useful.

Certain examples or references that Cole gave were lost on him but what he could grasp was committed to memory. A few nods and okays let the other lad know that he had his full attention. The young shield was especially interested in the leveling and enhancing mentions. He was not dumb. He knew that they were getting stronger. You could almost feel it. Having a numerical representation however, made it the more real.

Like his companion, Fer was itching to see how they both stacked against the monsters of the waves. This was double edged wish however. What if the monsters that they were to fight were so far out of their league that the effort would be herculean. Based on the fighting prowess he had seen from Rayla and Marcino, it was not hard to imagine that the two heroes still needed quite a bit to learn.
The shield grunted at Cole’s probably very accurate appraisal of their mercenary tag along. “You are probably very right there buddy. Marcino is after all a mercenary. His loyalty is probably depended on the amount of gold given to him. While I don’t think he is a man without scruples, I do think that his loyalty should be taken with a grain of salt.” Fer shrugged. “I think it is best to keep our full trust only to each other and our winged companion.”

He looked around again. “Speaking of which, where is she? I am sure that her assistance in the subduing of Rayla should be recognized.” His attention was brought back to his companion as Cole tried to pep him up. A chuckle escaped the young shield.

“Don’t worry Cole, I am not going to go and cry myself into a slump in a corner somewhere. Knowing my shortcomings is important for me to grow. I just don’t know how to do that efficiently and in my eyes, I am not doing it quickly.” He patted his friend on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I will willingly be your shield and this country’s or world or whatever. I was given this.” He raised his arm where the jewled bracer sat, “for some reason. I just hope whoever made the choice had a good reason.”

That reason seemed even more vague when Cole told him about the previous wearer of the Shield. “Well, I guess it does not help to dwell on the troubles of the past. For whatever reason, I am the wielder of the Shield now. No reason wondering what was wrong with the old wearer and no reason wondering if there may be something faulty with me. I think our goal is pretty simple actually. Fight the waves and survive.”

The two heroes were interrupted by another example of the strange fantasy world they had been summoned to. The man in silver armor was straight from the drawings of the books his younger brother like to read. Fer nodded his readiness and followed beside Cole. He felt he needed to show his friend that he would stand beside him and in doing so, ease the pressure that the Sword probably felt as being the defacto leader. At least, that was probably what the small folk and the King wanted. The look of the knight was not lost on Fer. Just what the hell had happened in the past for the people to have such contempt, distrust, and dislike of him merely for being the wielder of the Shield? This was a mystery that he felt he needed to solve.

[vancexentan]

Cole entered the throne room of the castle with his friend, and companion the shield hero Fer not to far behind him. He had drawn his sword in order to give the crowd confirmation of who he was when he entered the room prior to actually doing so. Cole figured that if the nobles of this country wanted something to gawk at he'd give them what they wanted. As they arrived the crowd was smaller than expected and some of the common citizens were there as the crowd starter waving, and shouting at their heroes Cole lifted his sword in the air and took the lead forward. "These are your heroes! The Sword, and Shield Hero duo! They have captured the bandit Rayla Winters and defeated her in combat." the crier for the king stated loudly above the crowd as they made their way to the foot of the steps leading up to the throne. Cole stopped when prompted by a soldier, and the young king sat there his red cape draped around his body. A neutral look on his face as his crown rested on his head. He too was dressed well but even Cole could notice from where he stood how tired his eyes looked as he raised his hands. "Ladies, Gentleman, Countrymen. I am your king of Melromarc. And it is my great pleasure to announce to you that the people before us have been here less than a week and have already assisted you in making the city a better place. As the Bow Hero made the wolves hounding the trade caravans no more, the spear hero heroically managed to track down a gang leader whom had been trying to make slaves of the good people of this country." Vincent stated as he spoke clearly, and loudly. He looked over the crowd more so preaching to them then the heroes in front of him his legs spread apart his footing firm.

"We can expect that you, and the people will be kept safe, and prosperous under their vigilant protection, and the quickness of their action. They are an extension of my good will to the people of Melromarc. The waves are coming, a doom will befall the world, but let it be known that these kind, and great heroes will revert these waves to nothing. My people, and my friends from other countries here I wish for you to spread the word that even as inexperienced as these young heroes are, they are still powerful and will continue only to become more so! I trust these men, and their companions to defend Melromarc to the best of their abilities! Fear not, worry not, for we shall keep all of your safe and the world shall return to normal!" Vincent stated as the crowd applauded once more for the heroes giving them both a share of praise with their calls. As Vincent looked to his left he motioned to a guard. "And I shall be giving this young and promsing adventurer a chance to join their party." Vincent stated as he pushed the young lady to the front of the party. Cole smiled at the young cat girl, something unsurprising to him since a few had been working around the city since he had arrived. "If it what she wants and it is the king's will I will accept the offer." Cole states smiling kindly.

[Lunarlord34]

Rivia Silvermane

A fair amount of time had passed since that...incident. Yet, no matter how many days passed this burning desire inside of her refused to go away. If anything, it only seemed to grow with time within the outwardly stoic girl. What was this feeling exactly? Hatred for the monsters? Frustration at her weakness? Her inability to still do nothing about it? Or perhaps, it was simply a desire to stop such things from happening again. The young girl wouldn't be able to give a proper explanation, but perhaps it was in fact all the above and more. So instead she shifted those feelings to the side, instead embracing the cold, calm nature her father had tried to instil in her. It was the least she could do to honour his memory from her perspective.

She had been in the capital for a few days at this point. The reason for her being here? Well, she had caught wind of the heroes summoning, and upon arrival had undertaken the task of tracking them down. Now a normal person, raised in normal circumstances would naturally assume the castle or a tavern, but from her isolated upbringing, her first thought was trying to find tracks and their scent. It wasn't until she once more caught wind of rumours that she finally caught a break in trying to find them. Apparently, the King was calling forth any young adventurers who wished to join the heroes party. Now, she wasn't entirely oblivious to this society. After a few weeks, she had learned the basics at the very least. So she knew that some people considered her a 'adventurer', which also made sense to her. Was she affiliated with a guild or anything of the sort? No, but she didn't even know what those things were so her official or unofficial status meant even less to her than anything that wanted to stop her from volunteering her services.

So after boldly having just walked up to the front gate, and being immediately approached by guards who naturally weren't going to just let anyone just waltz on in, it would take a half-hour or so before she finally managed to convey to them that she was here to join the heroes party. It was only after a captain of the guard intervened that the situation was amended and she was sent on her way inside. though a guard still escorted her for understandable security reasons. Once she was shown to a waiting room, she did just that and had a nap while doing so.

She wasn't sure how long had passed, all she knew was she nearly sliced the throat of the poor servant who tried to wake her up. Luckily for them both, she stopped when she was realised what she was about to do and instead got them to state their business while at knife point. Once that little misunderstanding was resolved, and a brief apology, she made her way to the throne room where the king was summoning her. Amongst all the fancily dressed nobles and armoured knights she was standing with, she stuck out like a sore thumb in her tattered red cloak, the yellow pockets worn down with use and age with messy silver locks that looked like they hadn't been washed or cleaned in a week. She flinched and covered her ears at the sudden raise of volume amongst the crowd, her gaze fixing on the duo now approaching. So these were the legendary heroes?

At first, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Like, the sword one of them was holding looked heroic and all, but the duo just seemed to lack...well she wasn't quite sure and was currently unable to put her finger on it. But something was missing from her image of the heroes. Well bar the fact she thought there was four, but there was currently only two here. Maybe she expected them to be bigger? But regardless, she could sense that they were at least no push-overs. Perhaps even stronger than herself, which was something she was relishing. Maybe she could get the chance to play with them later!

But at the moment, her focus returned back to the task at hand. First and foremost, she had to get into the party before thinking of any potential sparring bouts. When she was prompted, she stepped forward in front of the heroes. Standing up tall, even going a little onto her tiptoes as she realised they were a far bit taller than herself, the most prominent feature of the girl wasn't her worn-out travelling attire, nor the swishing thick brush that was her tail behind her, nor even the twitching ears atop her head. No, it was the topaz golden gaze that fell upon them. While she seemed to not be giving much away in terms of facial expressions, within these golden orbs burned a determination and strength that belied her more slender frame.

"Rivia Silvermane." Jabbing her thumb into her chest as she gave them her name, the wolfgirl proceeded to take a knee like she had watched some do before the king. She wasn't sure of the gesture, other than it apparently was something akin to respect."Rivia wishes to join your clan. Fight against the waves. Rivia is strong and willing to prove it."

[Omni5876]

Fer followed behind both brightly garbed and armored men in front of him. Ironically that he would take the back row being the wielder of the Legendary Shield. This made the young hero wonder, why had he been selected to carry such an artifact? It was not like he had ever worn or used something like that back on earth in his past life. He was a stealth warrior. The bow would have been more his tune. Now, he had to be the one in the front, visible to all, willingly be the one to take the hits. It made no sense.

He caught the movement as Cole drew the sword. Even in his timeline, the shield hero had always known that swords mean authority. From what he could remember from history, swords were the weapons of nobles, rich people, and influential people. It was the main weapon of knights and kings. It made sense that his partner had been chosen to wield it. His companion was heroic, noble and just. A sword was perfect for him.

Apparently, the people in the room agreed as there were excited whispers, approving nods, and cheers Even now, the Sword was being recognized as the weapon that would save them from the waves. Few eyes gave Fer a look. Those that did lingered with a suspicious or distasteful look on their eyes. It was almost as if his presence was not welcomed. The young shield did not care for attention. He felt more comfortable in the shadows.

The royal voice of the king presented them. Fer lifted both eyebrows in surprise that he had even been mentioned. That was something at least. Not that he cared for credit but he was hoping people were not going out of their way to discredit anything he did. Cole may be the face of the group but they were all a team. The last thing the young hero wanted was for his companion to feel that again he was being thrust into the leadership role.

Fer raised his hand to wave, not really knowing what to do and not to appear rude for the recognition. The shield hero almost bumped into his friend when Cole abruptly stopped as the shield was not paying attention where he was going. Even behind the pair in front of him, the wielder of the shield was able to see the regalia that adorned the king.

“This celebration must be more than just a thank you”. Fer thought. “The small party is probably hand picked. They will be the witnesses of the abilities of the heroes who are in the service of the king.” The young hero smirked. Young he may look but this king was no fool. Unlike Cole, the shield did not notice the tired eyes of a person burdened with the weight of the crown.

The young hero could not help but raise an eyebrow and offer a sardonic smile at the declaration of the king. He was praising them yes, but he was also advertising and perhaps warning. “Politics sure are a game I never wish to have to play directly. For now, I guess I will continue my role as pawn.” The young shield thought.

Fer joined in the applause that was the result of the great speech that held many lines to read between. “I wonder if our fans would have been so warm if we had failed. Or maybe they would just have found new heroes.” A gloomy thought appeared in his mind. There was still that itch that knowing a person before him had worn the shield. No one had mentioned that and Cole had only mentioned it in passing as if he had forgotten.

His musings came to an end when the king announced that there would be an addition to the party. His eyes eagerly took in their new would be companion. A hump came from his being when Fer saw that the person seemed to have animal features. He had seen the demi humans around the capital but he had never really been too close to one. They seemed to avoid crowded places, especially if the majority of the people were human. The animal like people used to keep their head down and avoid eye contact.

Fer would have been embarrassed if he realized he was openly staring. His eyes could not help but stick to the silvery hair of hers and those ears. Eventually he noticed her worn and tattered clothing. His brow furrowed. He hoped that poor girl had not volunteered out of need for food. The shield made it a point to figure out why the wolf? Girl had decided to join them on what could no doubt be a very dangerous assignment.

Something inside him made him notice that she was actually studying them. What was that Fer saw in her eyes…disillusionment? A slight smile appeared in the young man’s face. Yeah, I guess based on the stories he had heard, the heroes had big shoes to fill and big legends to live up to. He could not blame the raggedy girl for thinking them less than worthy. “Man is she going to be in for a surprise when she learns I am basically useless.” He snickered inside his mind.

The snicker went away as the girl stepped closer. Fer was captivated by her eyes. He seemed to be hypnotized. There was nothing like them in his Earth and he had never seen anything like them so far in this world. They were like two burning suns, shining. His mother had always told him that the eyes are the windows of the soul. If that was true, this wolf girl, for her ears seemed to be from some canine, had a spirit that could match any fire.

“Rivia Silvermane."

Her voice brought him out the trance and he cleared his throat figuring he would have to introduce himself at some point too. Fer watched her get on one knee and huffed out some air. “I hope the poor girl does not thing we are a pair of high born buffoons' or whatever. Well, the polite honorifics need to be performed I guess.” The hero realized Rivia was trying to be respectful.

"Rivia wishes to join your clan. Fight against the waves. Rivia is strong and willing to prove it."

Her statement brought a smile to his face. Yeah she was definitely brave. After all, few, even knights in the king’s service, had volunteered to be their companions. It had taken a holy warrior and now what seemed to be an indigenous person based on the way she addressed them. There was no way Fer could hide his pride. He remembered how villagers turned rebels had always been more than a handful for the organized armies of the government. Yes, this wolf girl would do be a welcome addition.

[Whoami]

The Rank and File

(Mood Music)

"Aaagh... Wow she really didn't hold back..." Auriel said as she groaned and rotated her shoulder.

Her mother's training had been intense, and it helped Auriel to see that despite her natural fighting talent, she still had a long ways to go to be on her mother's level. After all... Her mother had travelled with a great hero before Auriel's time. That hero would eventually come to be her father, a man who Auriel knew very little about. It made sense that her mother would be a ferocious combatant. It made Auriel think about how famous her mother might have been before taking up a life of peace in the Monastery to raise her winged daughter. It was a curious thing... Auriel wasn't that old, yet nobody ever mentioned her mother in conversation, or recalled tales of her and her father's exploits across the land. It was the one thing that always confused her about her parents, and whenever she asked, Auriel was always met with 'maybe some other time, when you're older'. Well Auriel was an adult now, and even still she had never managed to find out.

Auriel clenched her jaw a bit as she rolled her tight shoulder again. She was walking toward the palace, the great stone gates leading into the castle shadowing over her. Some guards at the gate recognized the Holy Warrior and didn't stop her as she passed. One even nodded to Auriel with respect, to which she smiled back as she worked the soreness out of her body. As she exited out the other side of the gatehouse, Auriel's eyes turned to the sky. It was peaceful still, but Auriel knew that the peace would be gone soon enough. The first wave was near, and soon the skies would be dark with smoke, arrows, and twisted magicks. She walked slowly as her mind wandered. She wished she had more time before the bloodshed... More time away from the very hordes that she had done battle with before. But as fate had ordained, Auriel was to do battle with them again. The thought made her nervous, but that nervousness was quickly set aside when she thought of the two heroes she was going to be fighting with. The incident that crippled her wings wouldn't happen again as long as she had them by her side. With them, Auriel couldn't possibly be defeated.

The angelic woman heard a loud, uniform sound off to her right beyond a stone alleyway. She stopped and looked sidelong down the alley as the sound repeated itself in a pattern. She knew the sound. Soldiers were training and going through their drills together. The pattern was only broken by a singular voice hollering commands between the war cries. Auriel looked up at the palace, then to the alley again. With all of the travelling with the heroes, Auriel hadn't thought much about the soldiers that would be holding the front lines against the hordes. She had fought by their sides before, and she was always viewed as a hero by them. It wouldn't be fair to not see them before the waves began. She pivoted on the spot and made for the training fields. Once she was through the narrow stone path between barracks, Auriel's eyes took in the large training fields. There was close to three hundred soldiers practicing their trades in the fields. In one place, she could see a platoon of soldiers forming a shield wall with tall rectangular shields and short swords. They were practicing a unified advance in a testudo. Another section of the field was taken up by pairs of soldiers sparring with wooden swords. In another, archers stood in a long line and practiced their marksmanship against targets spaced out at several distances. Further across the field was a large space reserved for the cavalry as they practiced their charges and lancing. Off to the side in the shadow of the castle walls was a small group of gallant knights and their squires tending to their armor and weapons. Some knights were busy training their squires in the art of the blade.

"Hail Auriel! The Holy Warrior of the Four!" a mounted captain said as he pointed his sword to the sky in her direction. Behind him, a platoon of soldiers did the same as they all knelt before her fifty meters away. They all shouted in unison, "Hail!"

Auriel smiled and made her way over toward the platoon. The platoon captain lowered his sword as Auriel approached. Auriel waved a hand to the kneeling soldiers, "You don't need to hail me, men. There are for more important people within the castle grounds than I."

The troops stood silently as the captain dismounted and removed his helmet. She recognized the man. Calder, once a squad sergeant in the King's Army when Auriel led the fight against the encroaching hordes. Calder was a well respected man in the regiment, and it was no surprise that he would be elevated to a commanding position after so many fell to the hordes. It was actually Calder that had led the charge to break the horde lines when Auriel was pulled from the skies by catapulted nets and chains. Calder and ten of his best men formed a circle around the fallen angel and managed to get her to safety. He had saved her life, something Auriel would never forget. "Besides," Auriel started, "I should be the one hailing you, Calder. I owe you a debt I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay."

Calder laughed and shook his head, "Ahh, sweet Auriel." Calder placed a hand on her shoulder and gestured toward the men, "We hail you out of respect. Many of these men fought alongside you on the field of battle. Many more are standing her today in one piece because of your heroism. They would rather pay their respects to the Holy Warrior over some noble that has never once seen the horrors of war."

Auriel looked back at the troops in formation, all of them were staring at her. Now that she was closer, she was able to make out some of the faces underneath the open faced helmets. He was right, many of them were series of battles against the hordes that signaled the coming of the Waves. They were all veterans and the most experienced warriors Melromarc had when it came to doing battle with the evil forces that were nearly upon them. While she looked at the troops, Calder continued, "As for repaying the debt, perhaps we could discuss my proposal that was never finished the night before the battle?"

Auriel blinked and blushed, looking quickly back at Calder, who had a cheeky grin on his face. The man all laughed knowingly, "Calder!" she gasped, "N- now is hardly the time!"

Calder laughed, moving his hand to pat her on the back, "I know! I know! I just wanted to get a reaction out of you. I can wait! I know you've got bigger fish to fry at the side of the sword and the shield! Just know I'm still waiting on that answer."

Auriel buried her face in her palm and the troops all laughed again. It was no secret amongst Calder's men that he was sweet on the Holy Warrior, not that Auriel minded. But things were always so complicated. First the hordes. Then the injury and following recovery. Then the summoning. Now the heroes and the waves. She simply couldn't afford to distract herself with fairy tale romance! Auriel puffed her cheeks out at Calder, her blush still present on her pale skin and her wings furrowing. He chuckled again. Then his eyes turned back onto the platoon, "We're to guard the main gate to the city when the first wave comes. You can rest assured that no monster will breach out defenses. Just focus on what you do best, Auriel. Bring victory and hope to the people."

Auriel's blush faded a bit when she followed his gaze to the soldiers. Their formation had turned to more of a gaggle as things seemed to relax. They were all laughing and joking with one another. She was glad to see the morale was high and the troops were practicing hard to prepare for the wave. "Well I can only deliver hope when I have given it. And I am pleased to say that I have plenty of it after seeing the troops here."

A distant ringing bell of another passed hour took Auriel's attention away from the troops and Calder. She blinked and looked back up at the palace towering above them. Calder followed her gaze before looking back down at her, "I suppose you should return to their side. You should go, Auriel. We're all glad you came to visit. And if we don't see each other before the first wave, know that I am wishing good fortunes upon you."

Auriel smiled again at that and nodded, "And I you, Calder. Thank you."

Calder nodded curtly, "Take care, Auriel." He fitted his helmet back over his head and mounted his horse. Pulling the reins aside to turn the horse back to the troops, Calder hollered to his men, "Form up! Testudo formation! We're taking it from the top! You all have thirty seconds to get those shields locked together! Go!"

Auriel watched for a few seconds as the troops went from relaxed to cold-faced instantly while moving into position. She chuckled a bit and turned to head to the palace and reunite with the heroes.

[vancexentan]

Cole wondered if he could've said more to put the girl at ease before hand but at the moment all he could do is keep his smile. As Cole moved his hand to his side but he did notice a few of the nobles commenting how disgusting the subhuman was being but he didn't want to make King Vincent's life any harder than it needed to be so he kept quiet for he knew precious little about this country and its relationship with the animal folk. "Rivia we are not a clan but a group of friends. If you would stand with me do so and be at ease. You have no obligation to serve me even if I am one of the foretold heroes of this cataclysm. Please defer to me if you desire but don't do so only because of my status as a hero. I am still learning after all just as you are about humans I'm sure." Cole said as he watched King Vincent clap his hands loudly. "Very well then all of you are dismissed. The heroes have shown themselves to the people, so let them know that they are only needing to ask and they shall receive whatever help they desire." King Vincent calls out loudly as the crowd bows to their king and starts to disperse the herald for the king telling everyone to move to the designated dining area, or the the ballroom to enjoy the rest of the king's hospitality.

Cole leads the newly formed trio to the ballroom where he has to turn down a number of suitors looking to dance with him, as he moves the group to a corner where they can have some relative peace for a brief moment so they can get more 'normal' introductions done. As Cole approaches Cole leans against a wall as he takes a deep breath letting the music do its thing even as brief as their little meeting with the king was it felt a lot longer for him with all eyes on his bloody golden longsword. When he finally feels ready to talk after a minute or so of rest he introduces himself. He didn't hear if Fer, and Rivia were talking before hand but he himself speaks up just so he doesn't make a bad first impression. "Hey I'm Cole, the Sword Hero, Rivia its nice to have you on the team. I'm glad to have you with us, and I'm glad to know that we have another member to look out after our backs. I'll have yours that's for sure." Cole says as he makes sure to add Rivia to the party officially. It was really like some weird MMO rpg...except every npc was actually sentient. "So Rivia can you tell us a little about yourself? What you can do? Sorry if the music is too long but...can't exactly immediately leave a party the king is throwing for us." Cole says tiredly as he scratches his head. "We have another member, a valkyrie of the church called Auriel. She's...not here but you'll meet her soon I'm sure."

[Lunarlord34]

Rivia Silvermane

As Cole spoke to the girl, her ears stood at attention, twitching occassionally as she soaked up his every word. Friends? Her father had spoke of that word before. Hmmm....scrunching her eyes in concentration, she probed the deepest parts of her memories for her fathers exact words. It was that time when she had beaten up some of the kids in the tribe when she was 'playing' with them wasn't it? The scolding she got from her father even to this day reveberated throughout her soul. 'You'll never make any friends if you keep hurting them' wasn't it? What even were 'friends'? Maybe she would find out the answer with these two heroes? Suppose the sword hero was correct, she was still learning. Not just about humans, but on a lot of different subjects she was currently lacking in.

Raising to her feet, she quickly dusted off her knees and moved between the two heroes if there was space. She wasn't sure which one exactly to stand by the side of, so why not both at the same time? Though she seemed to shrink a little as the volume in the room increased once more once the King clapped his hands. Excited murmuring and chatter filled the air from the gather nobles and common folk as they began to disperse to the dining area or nearby ballroom to enjoy the festivities. Or that's what Rivia assumed they were, she hadn't been involved in a lot of her own tribes celebrations bar a few her Father brought her to. While the music was certainly loud enough to make her wince, one notable difference was the citizens involved were a lot less.....rambactious. Normally there would've been a brawl or two in her tribe.

Following Cole and Fer into a quieter corner, she scooted a little closer to the heroes as if to hide from the music. Not that it was working of course, but the further away she could get the better. During the minute Cole took to settle his mind, Rivia stood almost deadstill. Well, bar the constant swishing of her tail behind her. Was he waiting for her to say something? She wasn't entirely sure how to start up a conversation proper and pondered with her hand on her chin for a moment, deep in thought when Cole spoke up. Hearing the hero address her she snapped back to attention and nodded vigerously. So there was another one of their 'friends' in this group she was yet to meet? The mention of it made her tail move just a little faster.

"You want Rivia to...uh tell you about herself? Ummm...." Taking a moment, she shifted her weight a couple of times as she seemed to think. What was there to say? Or rather, how could she convey it? "Rivia was raised by a great man. Head of the pack. Super strong and big. Taught Rivia to hunt and forage, fight, fend for herself. Rivia is umm...swift, fast to strike. Like this." As she spoke, she made great exageratted movements with her hands. To describe her father, she reached up high on her toes before widening to try and represent his broad shoulders. For hunting, she actually made a pair of rabbit ears with her hand before having the other hand pounce on it. Then the last part, she did a few shadow boxing-equse punches into the air before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small blade from within.

She looked around for a moment before something caught her attention. A ice sculpture on the other side of the room. That would do nicely as target practice! Winding her hand back, she lobbed it with speed, power and prescision sliced the head off of it. Smugly, she turned back to the heroes as the head slid off and shattered onto the floor, the suddenness of it no doubt causing a commotion which she remained oblivious to.

"See? Rivia can hit a moving rabbit from fifty yards moving through underbrush. If you want to see what else Rivia can do....um....well the best way would be to spar with Rivia. But father always scolded Rivia for playing too rough....wouldn't want to hurt friends, but it's also fun..."

[vancexentan]

"Alright so you're a melee contestant? Was kind of hoping for a magical sort we got a lot of melee in the group. Well at least we'll be consistent in our rush attack. I suppose we should start looking around for a ranger, or someone who can use magic to bolster our front. But...that's a bit hard I don't really want someone who's just using Fer, and I as living reputation boosters. I understand we need everyone but people motivated by greed doesn't exactly make me feel safe." Cole states as he looks directly towards Rivia he adjusts his fancy clothes slightly he speaks to her with a serious but sincere tone.

"Don't mistake my comments just now as a disregard for you though. With every additional person who is willing to help us fulfill our purpose the closer we get to beating the upcoming waves. I'd like it if we could be friends as well Rivia, but for now we should enjoy the festivities while they last? So...would you like to dance?" Cole says offering his hand figuring it would be a possible start to something given the circumstances sure the other nobles would look down on him. Cole however was the sword hero an individual who was meant to smite chaos and darkness. Maybe a few would reconsider their stance if they saw him with Rivia.

"Of course this is just an offer. If you'd prefer to just sit back and drink, or eat or what have you then feel free to. But this is a once in a lifetime thing may as well make the best of it. Unless you're afraid you got two left feet." Cole says lightening up his tone a bit with a chuckle, and a then a brief laugh. "Wouldn't suggest dancing with Fer though our dear shield hero is incapable of dancing for fear upstaging me." Cole says sarcastically his hand still offered to Rivia.

[Omni5876]

Fer felt a rise of annoyance that bordered on irritation at the comments he heard around them regarding the young woman. He unconsciously stepped between the voices and the pair talking as if to shield them. He even glanced in the direction he heard some of the comments and issued the first person he locked eyes with a glare. Hearing Cole’s comment regarding being a group of friends, the young hero nodded and smiled trying to add his two cents to make the young lady feel welcomed.

When the king dismissed those gathered, Fer positioned himself on the opposite side of the wolf girl so that she had one hero on each side. The young shield could not help but stifle a giggle as more than few prim and puffed up ladies tried to approach Cole. It reminded him of the way the pretty girl in the town had to turn away eager suitors at the town’s carnival celebration. He silently applauded Cole’s presence of mind to find a corner. Again, he positioned himself between the pair and the masses. He hoped that his presence alone would deter any would be interruption. He aimed to use the apparent apprehension some people had to his advantage.

With his back to the ballroom and guest, Fer stood with his arms crossed and a slight smile on his face. He was fascinated how her ears seemed to react to the ambient sounds. Being so close to a demi human, the shield hero could not help but take in the details. The fur looked as it should but it seemed to merge and disappear into the almost fur like hair. The energetic tail made Fer want to touch it but he knew that would be extremely rude. Perhaps as much as grabbing somebody’s ass cheeks.

Fer let Cole lead off the conversation. After all, he was the defacto leader. The young shield hoped that Auriel was indeed here. It would make the party that much more enjoyable. There was something about looking at her wings that brought him peace. He hoped that nothing had changed between them after the capture of Rayla. When Rivia began to speak, Fer listened attentively.

The smile on the young hero’s face widened at the pantomimes of the wolf girl. It seemed that Rivia was so native that it was challenging to communicate. Fer did not mind. Living in a mountain town, he often dealt with natives that still held to the old ways. This actually made him more interested in the young woman. Being raised in the harsh wilderness no doubt had made her a very efficient and capable person. After all, only the strong survived in nature.

His appraisal was rewarded with the surprising attack the wolf girl made. Fer was not the only one who was surprised. Cries of shock rose from those near the ice sculpture. Thankfully, nobody really knew where the projectile had come from. A look of approval crossed the young hero’s face. He could not suppress a chuckle when the wolf girl suggested sparring and the scolding her father had given her regarding rough play.

Unlike Cole, Fer was glad that they had another melee fighter. It somehow made him feel better that there would be an offensive upgrade. It still sat heavy on his heart that he could not be more useful. However, he could not deny the logical assessment of his companion regarding the benefits of ranged attack. If he had his bow, he would definitely bring his assets to bear. Not knowing much about magic, he could not lean in any direction regarding its use. The young hero could also agree with the fact that their party should welcome only those that have a good reason not just fame seekers or mercenaries that are only as loyal as your pockets are deep.

Fer smiled at Cole’s handling of the situation. In a short time he had welcomed the newcomer and at the same time set the expectations. If the wolf girl was joining their cause for the wrong reasons, there would be a slight disconnect that eventually they would come to see. At the same time, he had shown her in return that as heroes, they were also down to earth and would not expect to be served rather to be teammates and friends.

The young shield hero almost choked when his blonde haired companion invited the wolf girl to dance. To clear his throat he coughed a couple times. “Damn, very smooth Cole.” Fer thought. His friend had managed to turn his introduction into a sort of assessment. A person of true intentions would see nothing wrong with sharing a dance. Also, a dance was a personal space situation. One could read much from a person’s eyes and body language.

It got Fer wondering if Auriel had been here….would he have had the same courage? Would his feathered companion even accept? What if she would rather dance with Cole? After all, out of the two, the blonde haired lad was the most Heroe-y. Looking at the sword hero, his eyes ascertained what he had just thought. The lad was definitely a good fit for a knight in shining armor. He was kind, brave, and good looking. Just the perfect symbol to hoist and parade around. But also because of his pure heart, Cole was in danger of being used. Fer felt it his job to ensure that his friend was not reduced to a tool.

He was brought out of his musings by the obvious playful jab at him regarding dancing. His eyes refocused and the shield hero chuckled. “I fear Cole has me pegged completely. Allow me to introduce myself Miss Rivia. I am Ferdando Gutierrez, you can call me Fer if you would like.” He bowed his head slightly in the direction of the wolf girl “I have the honor of being the bearer of the Shield.” He lifted up his hand to show her the green jeweled bracer. His voice was half sarcastic half serious. “I know it does not look much like now but it does its job. I am thankful for your desire to help us in our quest. The more the merrier. I can see you are a great warrior. I look forward to also sparring with you.” He offered her a slight smile.

“As Cole already said, there is one more companion. I am sure Auriel will be thrilled to know she is not the only female in our group and will have more than two guys as companions. I would offer to be your partner for another dance but like Cole said, there is a danger you may be swept away by my prowess.” He joked. Though he doubted he knew how to dance any of this world’s dances. His tanned face and dark hair a stark comparison to Coles fair skin and blonde hair.

[Lunarlord34]

Rivia Silvermane

His comment on her being another melee contestant earned Cole a confused look and a tilted head. What did he mean? Oh a rush attack? Oooh now she got it! She nodded along in confirmation, crossing her arms over her chest as she did so. She didn't know much about magic so wasn't sure why he thought it was important to have it, but they were indeed going to be quite strong up close and personal! And if the enemy tried to run, then she would just chase them down and get them! Her speciality was tracking and hunting after-all. Once more his comments on potential allies integry flew right over her head, so when he seemed to apologise for potentially offending her it once more earned him that tilted, confused look.

"Rivia doesn't care much for things. Rivia just wants to hunt. Hunt the monsters. Not lose again." A slight twitch of her eyebrow betrayed a hint of annoyance, though it didn't seem directed at Cole or anything he said. More something else on her mind. Though any thought of her being mad or annoyed would flew right out the window as her ears stood at attention, as did her tail is it stopped swishing behind. What had seemed to catch her attention so? Well the sparkling look in her golden eyes as she grabbed Coles hand with both of hers and constant nodding painted enough of a picture, let alone the words that accompanyed it. "Father always wanted Rivia to make friends! Rivia would love to be friends with Cole. Ferr too! As well as other friend! Rivia's never had a friend before!"

Her tail was back to swishing back and forth, even more energetic than before as she moved over and grabbed Ferr's hand as well. If it went any faster, than there might've even been fears it would just act like a helicopter and lift her off the ground. Yet it didn't even when she became visibly more excited as Ferr said they could spar at one point. There wouldn't be a better way to see how the heroes worked after all! She found that action was far easier to communicate than with words.

"Can't we all dance together?" Rivia suggested, looking from one hero to the other as she genuinely and innocently asked the question. She had never seen or learned a dance that hadn't involved numerous individuals back in the tribe. So she was confused why all three of them couldn't dance together? And what did 'two-left feet' mean? Rivia even took a moment to look down and study her feet for a moment. Nope, she had one right and one left.

"Back home...Rivia always danced with others. Celebrations of the hunt. Of life, and of death. Everyone was involved. Wouldn't it be less fun to be alone and watching?" If they hadn't caught on by now, there was no way on earth this girl knew the first thing about ball-room dancing let alone any dances they would know. So she was completely unaware of how absurd it must sound to have the three of them dancing together....or was it?

[Omni5876]

The young Shield Hero watched the new arrival with curious eyes. All the head tilting and tail wagging made her seem as innocent as a puppy. Those eyes of hers always seeming to be inquisitive and trying to figure out what to the two men was simple talk. She was more wild than civilized, that could be guessed in a few moments of meeting the wolf girl. The way she ported herself and the way her eyes darted left and right showcasing her hunter’s nature. Fer could not help but sport a sidewise smirk. Was it even proper to think of Rivia as adorable?

“Things are not always as it seems…” The voice of his father entered his mind. His father had always been wise beyond his years and sayings such as these had kept the young hero alive during his time as a guerrilla fighter. Rivia might seem cute and adorable with all her broken talk and pet like looks but the predator beneath rested just below the surface. Her footing was sure and her eyes were sharp. Probably as sharp as those claws of hers. Simple she may be but so is a sword because it has only one purpose….to kill. Still the Hispanic lad could not help but want to pet her ears as they stood and twitched.

“… not lose again…” The words echoed in his mind. This was significant he knew and could tell. As a scout, it had been imperative for him to be able to judge the enemy’s strength. Those words were a burden and a drive. The smile disappeared and a solem face replaced it as his own sharp eyes stared at Rivia. There was a cloud of mystery about the girl. He hoped that he could some day be invited within it.

The young Shield almost sprang back in surprise at the sudden change of mood. The wolf girl became energetic at the word friend. His smile appeared again as she grabbed firs Cole’s hand then his own. A chuckle of amusement escaping his lips. Looking at the blonde lad he raised an eyebrow in quizzical playfulness. The tail almost waked Fer a few times as it all but danced. A few of the guests murmured and pointed.

“Well Rivia, I think you will find no objection on my part. My mother always used to say that if you can make as many friends as you can then you will always have friends.” Her energetic grip was strong. Calloused hands revealed that she had worked long and hard with the weapons she carried. The wolf girl was indeed a warrior. The way her eyes had sparkled when he offered to spar with her left little doubt of that. She may seem little more than a teenager but he would not be the fool who underestimated her.

"Can't we all dance together?"

The question caught him as off guard as the energetic tail which smaked him on the cheek again. The fluffy tail making Fer blow any lingering silver hairs. The question had been innocent but did not have a simple reply. “um…” the young hero turned to the Sword seeking his help. “I am not sure that this is one of those dances but to be honest I don’t know many of these world’s dances.” He turned again to Cole and shrugged. “I don’t see anything wrong with a group dance. Hell we can even improvise. After all, we need to find how well me mesh with each other.” He chided.

The Shield hero was sure that their antics would draw attention to them. Probably bad attention but he did not care. People were going to talk anyways. Haters were going to spew hate anyways. Why not show the newcomer that the group cared more for those members of the group than what people thought. Fer shifted his hand so that his fingers interlaced with those of Rivia. “Maybe you can teach us one of your dances Rivia. You said you know many. That is if you don’t mind me stepping on your toes. After all, like Cole said, I am not that great a dancer.” He offered a friendly smile his brown eyes looking into the gold ones of his new companion.

[Whoami]

The Struggle

(Mood Music)

Auriel hurried toward the palace in an attempt to reach the celebrations and the heroes. But nearly everything that could stop her did. When she reached the palace gate, Auriel was stopped by the two gate guards. One was young and appeared happy and almost in awe of being in the presence of a figure of such renown. The other guard was old, grizzled, and all too serious. He held his halberd out across the gate, "Halt. State your intention, Lady Auriel."

Auriel blinked. This was the first time she was ever stopped from entering the palace. Auriel raised a brow. "I am rejoining my party in the throne room. The heroes of legend, the sword and the shield." she said, suddenly feeling self conscious that such an answer wasn't good enough.

The guard gave her a look of appraisal, his eyes wandering her figure which made her uncomfortable. Finally the guard spoke, "Dressed like that?"

Auriel looked down at herself. She wasn't wearing anything special. A cloth shirt and slightly frayed pants from an afternoon of training with her mother at the monastery. She looked tattered, because she was. Auriel was about to speak when the guard spoke again, "Need I remind you that you'll be in the company of the king, and that it would be offensive to show up looking the part of the common rabble."

Auriel tried speaking again, "But I-"

"Present yourself in a manner appropriate to standing before the throne, Lady Auriel, and then I will let you pass." he said plainly, a hint of boredom in his tone.

Auriel looked incredulously at the guard for a moment before turning her gaze on the younger guard. He stared in disbelief at the veteran as he had just stood his ground and told off one of the most venerated people in the kingdom. He glanced at Auriel and mouthed 'Sorry!' at Auriel, which she sighed and shrugged back in response before turning and heading back to the monastery.

Auriel had lost a little over an hour of time by the time she had returned in an slender white dress, her back exposed to allow her wings freedom of movement. The dress' material was thin and lightweight, and there was white-gold filigree embroidered into the trim of the cloth. She maintained her warrior stature by wearing small shining pauldrons, armor made purely for ceremony with no protective value in a fight. Her arms were guarded by similar ceremonial vambraces. Glimmering chains of gold and silver kept the ceremonial armor plates fastened to the dress. She also wore a circlet of white gold, inlaid with a vibrant yellow topaz on the forehead. Her hair was braided back. In one hand, Auriel held her signature weapon, the golden spear of Archiel. She wasn't about to leave that sitting around for some silly gala.

Auriel returned, her back straight and patience thin with the guards. The younger guard fawned at the warrior-angel and gasped. Auriel kept a stone face and didn't regard the younger warrior. She stared at the veteran who had denied her access. "I have met your condition. Will you allow me to rejoin my party now?"

The veteran cleared his throat and stammered for a moment before nodding and making for the gate latch, "Ahem! O- of course, Lady Auriel! Apologies for the inconveniences, my lady. We have orders!"

Auriel sighed and rolled her eyes as she walked past him, "You were just doing your job... Goodbye, captain."

Auriel stepped into the palace and out of the guard's area of responsibility. Auriel began making her way up the large rounded staircase that led to the second floor of the palace. Once she got to the top of the steps, Auriel heard a man call her name. "Lady Auriel."

Auriel stopped, sighed, and looked over to the voice. It was Bander, a member of the king's guard. He stepped towards her, his gleaming armor shining and reflecting in the light, cape brushing the immaculate marble floor. Bander removed his feathered helmet and tucked it under his arms. Auriel and Bander were the same age, but they never got along. Bander had grown up in the monastery as an orphan. He was a man of exceptional combat talent, and they would often quarrel throughout their childhood. As children and teenagers, Bander had always coveted Auriel's destiny to become the Holy Warrior. He had asserted that he was more than capable of inheriting the role, but the priests would never even give him the time of day. It always satisfied Auriel's juvenile competitiveness whenever Bander was brushed aside. But it seemed that Bander had found his own place among the king's guard, a feat that at their current age, spoke volumes of his skill. The young man could very well be one of the nation's best warriors. But where Auriel received all the praise and fanfare, Bander existed in solitude and null reputation. It would work in his favor. People would underestimate him.

"Bander." Auriel acknowledged him, but her tone was sweet at least.

"You're awfully late to the event, aren't you?" he said flatly.

Auriel glanced at the door leading into the throne room. She nodded, "I am, hence why I am in such a hurry to rejoin the heroes in the ballroom."

Bander, "Yes well, perhaps you should have dressed more appropriately for the event off the get-go. Hm?"

Auriel raised a brow at that and remained silent for a moment. "You knew I was coming. You ordered that captain to delay me."

Bander's lip twitched, but he contained the smirk that was trying to form. He shook his head, "Now why would I do such a childish thing?"

Auriel pinched the bridge of her nose, "You're a terrible liar, Bander... Aren't we a little too old to be playing pranks?"

Bander shrugged, "Well with the world about to end I figured I'd have a bit of fun and relive the younger years, a bit."

Auriel straightened up a bit and bristled her wings at that statement, "The world is not ending! That's exactly why the heroes are here! Why I am travelling with them!"

He was still obsessed over holding the title of Holy Warrior it seemed... What a shame... If only he knew about the sheer amount of stress and uncertainty that came with the title. Not to mention the amount of eyes that were constantly watching her every move. Bander shook his head, "You know, Auriel..." Bander started, his voice almost serpentine, "I would have never fallen on that battlefield."

Memories of that awful moment flashed in her eyes. The rain... The chains... The blood... Auriel's breath hitched her throat, her body seemed to have froze. Her wings twitched, and inadvertantly sent jolts of fresh pain through the injured joints. Bander continued, "You thought you were so great because you could fly. It only made you a singular target to focus on." Bander said, walking a circle around her and tracing a hand along her bare shoulderblade, right to where one of her wings started.

Auriel clenched her jaw, reliving the moment when her wings were twisted in chains and broken under the weight... The pain when she crashed into the ground and was beaten in the mud... The fear gripped her heart when she could practically feel the heat of the branding iron bearing the mark of slavery mere inches from her chest. "Stop..." Auriel said, her voice wavering a bit.

Bander didn't, "You've lost your greatest strength. You can't fly anymore. Have you told your heroes that yet? Or have you simply danced around the subject? You know... I speak to the troops every day, and I lost count how many times I've heard how the soldiers have lost faith in you. How you're just a shadow of your former self, hiding behind the your glorious title." He gripped at the base of her wing hard, causing a fresh lance of pain to shoot through her.

Auriel said louder this time, "Stop, Bander!" Just before turning on her heel and slamming a fist right into his face.

Bander recoiled with a grunt, blood jutting from his nose. He held his hand over her face. The commotion causing a few others partygoers on the mezzanine to stop what they were doing. Eyes were on them know, and whispered began to echo through the high ceiling's chamber. "Is that Lady Auriel and that new king's guard?"

"Are they fighting?"

"She looked so pale. I wonder what happened."

Auriel breathed deep and pointed the Spear of Archiel at Bander as he clutched his clearly broken and bleeding nose. "I am the Holy Warrior, not because I was ever better than you. I am the Holy Warrior because, unlike you, I moved beyond my childish grudges and rivalries. Because I grew up where you clearly did not. I am still the Holy Warrior, because even when I fall in battle and fail the people, I get back on my feet and keep going rather than wallow in self pity like you do, Bander Van Kronen. It is amazing that you've gotten this far in your career. The King's Guard." she scoffed, "What did you have to do to slither your way into that position? You are despicable, Bander."

Bander snarled and stepped closer to Auriel, "You bitch! The king will hear about this-"

Auriel pressed the spear closer, the tip just barely prodding at his chest now. Auriel's wings splayed wider now, an aura of light seemingly emanating from her and making the shadowed corners of the palace hall retreat. "Aye the king will hear about this. He will hear that one of his own personal bodyguards is quarreling with his childhood. That he assaulted one of the king's guests. He will hear it, and he will cast shame upon you."

Bander stared daggers at her, which she returned in kind. He said nothing. "Touch me again, Bander, and I will not hesitate to end you."

Auriel lowered her spear and made for the throneroom door. She reached for the handle to open it, then she hesitated. Her hand was shaking and goosebumps and formed. Not to mention her eyes were watering. She couldn't go in there like this... She couldn't stand before the heroes and the king in such a discheveled state. Auriel took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before turning to head further down the hallway instead of entering the throne room.

Auriel stepped out onto a balcony, the same one she had stood on the day the heroes were originally summoned. She set her spear against a wall, using a torch sconce to hold it in place laterally so it wouldn't fall and clatter on the marble floor. Auriel leaned over the rail of the balcony with her elbows and stared off to the city below, then up the opposite hill to the monastery. She frowned as the fresh thoughts of her darkest hour swirled around in her head.

Auriel heard a flock of birds chirping and squawing above. She looked up at the birds in flight as they swooped down and caught a current of air. 'You can't fly...' Bander's words sat at the front of her mind. 'Do they know?'

Auriel opened his wings a bit, feeling the wind catch in the feathers. She could feel the pressure of sting of ruined joints and damaged tendons. She tried to flap them, but a crack of bones and flash of pain halted her from completing even one full push. She hesitated and drew her wings back in. Auriel closed her eyes, a tear escaping finally and slipping down her face. She brushed it away and took a deep breath. "Master yourself, Auriel... What's done is done..."

Another tear fell, and once again she brushed it away. After a few deep breaths, Auriel managed to compose herself. She took her hands off of the rail and straightened out her dress. A bit of Bander's blood had spattered on the skirt of the dress. It wasn't much, but the crimson definitely stood out on the white. She let out a long, frustrated sigh. That was stain she would have to deal with before going into the throneroom... "Haaah... I'll get there eventually..." she said to herself as she turned and made for the powder room.

[vancexentan]

"Well Rivia to tell you the truth I wouldn't mind trying to learn some of your dances but for the moment I'd say we'd probably avoid a trio dance. Swapping partners inside our own group, or doing something more native to your people would probably just get people to look at us funny. These nobles, and soldiers want to see people dance like them and I'm not certain all the people here would like their time in the spotlight stolen by a beast girl. No offense meant by myself of course." Cole states as he looks around at the people who were dancing here, and there. He noticed many of the people in the ball room were nobles, and that the King himself was absent from the room in his own party. Maybe he was entertaining business duties else where, or maybe he just simply didn't care for the festivities himself. Cole wouldn't be surprised in all reality. Still as the sword hero took a deep breath and stretched he wondered what to do next as the two others in his party conversed a bit.

"Oh and about losing?" Cole says as he gives Rivia a thumbs up with a big smile crossing his face as he prepares to speak his next words, "As long as I'm here. There's no way in hell we're losing to anything that comes out of those waves. I'm the god damn Hero of the Sword. No zombie, no devil, and no thug is going so stand in the way of me saving this whole world! I'll become the strongest, the best in this whole world if I need to be!" Cole tells her with brimming confidence in his voice as he tries his best to sound bigger than he was. In reality he wasn't sure he could live up to those words but he would try. He had to. Cole wanted to get back home, he didn't want to risk his life, get cut up, and have people worshipping him. He wanted to live a normal, and comfortable life. But the long road ahead meant he would need to step up, and be the man he didn't think he could be. Because if he couldn't then he would be dooming more than just himself. "Fer, Rin, and I will save the world! And once the spear hero shows himself again we'll be unstoppable!" Cole as he tries to boost morale a bit further by tying in the rest of the heroes. But would they buy his words?

[Lunarlord34]

Rivia Silvermane

"Mm-hmm! Rivia is happy to teach Cole and Ferr! Rivia was bad at first as well...but Rivia kept at it so Ferr can do it too!" Nodding eagerly, it would seem the dance lessons would have to be on hold as Cole was quick to shut it down. It didn't damper her mood one bit, though she was now uncertain. She wasn't sure she knew any of the 'outsiders' dances. At the mention of not swapping partners, the demi-human took a moment to consider the fact that there were dances that didn't involve more than one partner, squeezing her eyes shut from the effort of trying to imagine it. Nope, wasn't working. She couldn't even begin to visualize it, it was far too foreign a concept for the young wolf girl. Perhaps if she looked around instead of looking within, she would have had more success but the thought never crossed her mind.

The comments on being a beast girl and the nobles in general flew over her head. She didn't understand human hierarchy or their discrimination against the demi humans, nor had she been around them long to have really experienced it. So she just nodded as if she understood. Suppose she could at least understand that humans had a vastly different thought process to both dancing and having fun. Well, there was only way for her to properly understand then.

Glancing down with that now familiar tilt of her head as Ferr interlaced their fingers, she stared down at their hands. Why was Ferr doing that with his fingers? Was he trying to break her grip or something? She didn't think she was gripping him that hard, but her father had always told her that she had a habit of not minding her own strength. Giving the man a quizzical look, their eyes locked and in that moment as she went to open her mouth, Cole spoke. Much louder this time.

It wasn't like an angry rising of his voice, it was more a...well Rivia wasn't quite sure how to describe it. Heroic was probably the right term, but the term was unknown to her. So to her it was more like her father addressing the hunters before a hunt. Inspiring? She wondered for a moment if that was the correct way to think of it. But as he spoke, the girl feverishly nodded her head as she absorbed by his every word. "Rivia too! Rivia will crush the waves as well. Will hunt down every monster."

She wasn't entirely sure what a zombie was, but she was certain that a hero of legend would have no troubles dealing with such a weak sounding creature. Indeed, the heroes were more than worthwhile to follow if his words were anything to go off of. If he even got close to the mantle of the strongest in the world, then Rivia would have the chance to grow strong as well! That was all she truly wanted. She needed to become strong to get payback on the waves however she could after-all. But there was one pressing matter to deal with. While they could deal with the waves and becoming stronger soon, this was something she had to defeat now.

"Then can Ferr and Cole teach Rivia? Human dances that is. Rivia wants to fit in and not be a nuisance or hassle. It's what Father always wanted." She looked between the two of them as she spoke. "And if we can't dance together...then could we take turns?"