LeoricAquila — Roleplayer Guild

Draxis stood at the head of a short table is a small war tent, looking across the table to four able bodied warriors, all who had served under him for some time, all who had proven themselves through trials and missions.”You all have proven yourselves loyal, intelligent and strong. I am confident in placing my trust in you and my life in your hands. You all know of my story, you know of my past and how I’ve worked to get here. But there are things you do not know about me, things that only those closest to me may ever know. I would like to call those people family.” He spoke as he strode around the tent, glancing down at a map set on the table, affixed with daggers in the corners to keep it pinned. A dim, melting candle flickered in the dark tent as the sound of owls hooting in the distance broke his silence. A petite figure stood on the outside of the group, she was younger than the others, and she seemed to have a different air about her than the others. ”This is Alyssis Rosethorn. She is the one of the youngest Templar I’ve ever met to be as accomplished as she is. No offense to you Val, but she is quite skilled and will be an asset to this squad-”

Valerie just sort of looked towards the commander, a small smirk plastered itself across her lips as she interjected into the speech, and spoke in a relatively playful tone, ”Now, listen here, I may look young, but I’m two years your junior. Besides, what sort of conduct is it to compliment another woman in front of your newest soldier? I thought you better than that.”

Regardless of their racist tendencies, a small laugh would break out amongst the crowd of soldiers, before being silenced by Draxis. Even though she had never been a formal member of any team, save for with Gale and Camilla, Valerie had always thought herself as that source of observational humor, the one who could lighten just about anything, but, right now, there was no time for lightheartedness, and from the look she received from Draxis, she understood that, and regained her composure, remaining silent as he continued.

“Which… Is the reason each of you are here. I have picked you five to become a part of an elite squad working directly with me. Two of you know me quite well, but Gale and Alyssis are still new here, new to my command. But with that aside, I want to form a close knit family of warriors. There is a poison gripping our homeland, and it is up to us to rid the land of this poison. We need to right the wrongs of those who have brought this corruption upon us. Up to us to defend the innocent people caught in this brutal struggle.” His back now turned to his squad as a slight sigh was released from his breath. Draxis knew that dragging Camilla with him into his personal business, his dream. But she was his wife, she would stand by him even if he told her no. 

The soft braying of horses tied up to a post outside the tent kept the party aware that they needed to enter the capital soon and report to Knight-Captain Sunderland for orders. That would have to wait, at least until Draxis was done with his new Elite Squad. ”All of you have proven yourselves to me through word of mouth from others that I trust, or through showing it to me yourselves. I know what each of you is capable of, and I know that each of you has room to grow. Myself included. We need to be each other’s support, if one stumbles, we all must pick them up, even Gale.” Draxis’ eyes land on Gale for a moment as he turns back to the group. He wasn’t wearing his armor, it was on a bed in the tent, instead he wore a simple brown tunic and chain shirt, brown leather pants and black leather boots. Four empty dagger hilts, attached to two small belts were attached to each of his thighs, two hilts per belt. A simple gold band lay on his left hand on the ring finger, affixed in it was a simple and small diamond surrounded by emeralds. Draxis often played with the ring between his fingers, rolling it back and forth on the ring finger while he spoke. He looked like he hadn’t had a chance to shave in a few days, a short beard growing on his face, and his hair certainly needed a trim. Bags were under his eyes as he tried to fight back sleep, to finish his speech.A tired yawn came from Draxis’ mouth before he finished his short speech. ”Before now, you all followed my direct orders from either me or one of my corporals. But, this will be different, we will act as equals, there will be no rank among us, I may be your leader, but I am also family. What you knew before now isn’t important anymore. I will oversee training and development of skills. Those who were not fortunate enough to afford to learn the way I did as a child, you will be given that opportunity, should you want to take it. I am not here to keep any of you from achieving your absolute best. I encourage it, and hope that we may one day unite the land under one banner. Under one king and under one united people.”

Draxis had hoped his words would inspire something in his chosen warriors, spark something to make them united, vulcanize them into one strong unit. Unfortunately there wasn’t much time to talk about much else, they needed to ride into the capital and meet with Knight-Captain Sunderland and gain their orders. There was something going on in the capital, and for some reason, he felt as though he needed to right the wrongs set in motion by evil-doers and rebels.

The Ride in - Draxis

The ride into the Capital would take an hour or two, they were camped out a ways and would have time to share stories of how they came to serve under Draxis and how they were ultimately picked by him for this squad. Draxis felt the comforting stare of Camilla on his back, knowing that she was watching him, feeling that feeling one gets when someone else is thinking of them. It was calming as he pressed onwards to the capital. He hadn’t heard any news or orders from his superiors in some time, and it was unsettling. 

One of the riders was not with them, however, Alyssis. She had business to attend to back in the camp still and would meet them in the city in the morning. It was a decision that meant that Alyssis would miss out on important information from the Knight-Captain, but it was also one that allowed for someone to stay back and help treat sick and injured parties as they returned from missions and from other villages surrounding the capital. There weren’t many healers and doctors out in the field to treat the templars right away, and having one of the most talented among his ranks be the one to treat his soldiers was better than nothing.

Draxis knew that some of his fellow Sergeants were  not keen on the leadership or the direction of the Dawn Covenant, but that didn’t matter to Draxis. He was devout and prepared to fight til his last breath to defend the people of Miras. It was his duty, he pledged his life to unity and peace at any cost, and rebellion was not a path to long standing peace. Draxis had many reservations about joining his fellows in a rebellion, knowing that it would only seek to undermine the authority of not only King Gregor, but the authority of Knight-Commander Garthan as well. 
Having not known of what destruction that the rebellion did cause when the high ranking officers of the Covenant were attacked, Draxis pressed further onward, the gates of the capital lit up with torches as the night sky darkened. Draxis noticed two flares set off in the city, but payed them no mind, they weren’t important to him, he was too far off to know why they were fired in the first place. ”When we reach the capital, I will make haste to meet with Knight-Captain Sunderland, she will know what we should do. Remember, we will always ride together, no matter what…” He spoke back to his squad members in tow, knowing it was likely they would get split into separate groups to handle whatever missions that Sunderland had for them.

Camilla

Her mind trailed off in that moment as her eyes fixated on Draxis just a bit ahead of her. Even the way Draxis was before her now left her in awe. Everything about him was captivating, he was hypnotizing; the man that now led them to the Capital city was brave, and wise, he was a man that possessed the spirit of a true warrior. It was that alone that brought Draxis and Camilla together, and ultimately entwined their own destinies into one.  It was a haunting memory but one that unfortunately would never cease to exist in the back of her mind.

Draxis stood, knee deep in the corpses of his fellow warriors and the bodies of the ogres that he had slain. Right arm broken, rib cage shattered. All of him was a mess, he could barely move on his own, but he had to… He needed to get help. His faint voice called for help as the sound of earth crumbling to the ground rung behind him. Massive pillars of stone marred the landscape, some of them sharp like spikes, some jagged, others flat, but all of them painted red with blood. It was a horrifying scene that Draxis wanted no part of anymore. He heard the sound of hoofbeats in the distance and the braying of horses. Loud voices called for battle, others were confused that there was no sound of combat. Draxis spotted the company approaching him and he fell to the ground, face first in a pool of what he hoped was water.

It was already too late by the time reinforcements had arrived; Camilla was a templar at the time and eager to by at the side of her brothers and sisters in arms… and there he was. Draxis. The lone survivor, painted in red among the corpse of his enemies and his brethren. He was broken and shattered, a fragment of the man he once was. Rushing to his side she called out to him “Corporal Felwind?!” her heart was racing in the moment, she was worried that the outcome of battle would have completely destroyed him mentally. “Draxis?” she spoke now with a soft tone almost in a whisper. Her eyes searched his with desperation for some kind of answer. He was empty… Just a shell. There was no life inside of him. It was in that moment their lives would have changed forever… it was that moment that Camilla decided she would mend him… she would stay by his side and help him put together his shattered pieces.

A few weeks later, Draxis lay in a cot within a makeshift nursing tent, his eyes staring at the roof of the tent. His arm was in a sling with a cast around it, his armor was nowhere to be seen. That was probably for the best, it was severely damaged in the battle. The only words he managed to choke out were, ”Did… did the city survive?”

Thank the heavens… Camilla thought to herself as she heard the faint sound of Draxis voice. “It did.” she replied as she sat on the small stool next to the cot. “Don’t speak Corporal. You fought a long hard battle, and we’re lucky we did not lose you….” the thought alone was unsettling for her.

”Good, good...And what of my men, did any survive? Please tell me they lived… At least one.. Please!” Draxis sat up and gripped his aching ribs, feeling bruised still. His body was mostly healed. His eyes rested on Camilla's face, a familiar and friendly face. But this didn’t calm his nerves, he was anxious about his templars, more worried for their well being, this was evident on his face.

A sigh escaped her lips. She was hesitant to tell him the truth that he was the only survivor. Surely, it would destroy him. “Corporal....” she spoke softly as she looked him in the eyes, afraid of the outcome. “Draxis… You were the only one that survived... I’m so sorry.” She couldn’t pull her eyes away from his, all she wanted to do in that moment was comfort him, pull him into her arms and shelter him from the truth. Moving from the stool to the cot she sat beside him now anxiously.

That news nearly shattered him, his eyes going completely blank as he just turned to stare at the sheets over his legs. ”You mean… They all died because of me… I killed them… This is my fault. How could I do this… How could I have been so arrogant! WHY! WHY DID I NOT CALL FOR REINFORCEMENTS!” Draxis’ brokenness turned into rage, swinging his good arm to his side and knocking down some medical supplies. This action caused him to buckle in pain from his ribs, which in turn hid his face. His face was wet with tears and only sobbing could be heard from him, the broken man that he had become. ”My pride... This was for nothing. My men followed me to die and now I have to live with their memories, I have to live with the loss their families will feel. I will be paying for this loss for the rest of my life Camilla… I can never do this again, I can’t be a knight any more. I’m not fit to be a leader.” Draxis cried in pain, physically, emotionally and mentally. His life was shattered in one whole week, he had ruined the lives of so many families.

The sound of his voice pained her deeply, but she knew he was broken, she knew Draxis was a kind man at the core of his being, and that losing so many of his brethren would stay with him for the rest of his life. “Look at me!” She shouted as she grabbed his face, and pulled him a little closer. “Draxis. They believed in you! Our comrades didn’t fall for nothing! You are a true warrior Draxis, and they believed in your dreams. They would have followed you to the ends of the earth… as I would.” Without thinking she pulled him in a little closer and pressed her lips against his letting them linger, savoring the moment before finally pulling away to look at him once more.

Just as Camilla pulled out of the kiss, Draxis stared at her and just sat in silence, his face still wet with tears as he pulled back from her. He sat there in pure surprise. ”Cam...You’ve always been sweet to me… But this isn’t the time to be kissing me… I know you love me, I’ve seen it in the way you look at me… I could tell in the days that you sat beside me and fed me here… I know your heart.” Draxis spoke before laying back down in the cot. His back was sore from not being able to sleep in a real bed, but it wasn’t a thing he could control. Memories of a few weeks ago flooded back in a rush, he sat there blank again for a few moments as images of his power being used to kill and crush his enemies.

”I remember it all… I’ve never lost myself like that before… I killed them all… Tore all of them apart. They tried to stop me, but… I’m the real monster. I’m the one that everyone should be afraid of. You remind me that I am human, you remind my heart of it’s softness. I could never hurt you, we’ve been close since we joined the Covenant. You are still strong and smart, you could go further than I ever could. You’ll be great one day, people will follow you and love you, not like I love you, but they will love you.” Draxis whispered as he shut his eyes, mouthing the words I love you Cam before falling back to sleep.

She couldn’t help but grin remembering the moment Draxis acknowledged his own feelings for her. She continued to watch her husband while a smile before her eyes fell on the back of Valerie. Half-elf or not she was beautiful, although Valerie would have had hard time believing such a thing about herself, it was true. Camilla never stopped to wonder what might have happened that night if she hadn’t noticed Valerie prowling through the night behind her…

She couldn’t help but grin remembering the moment Draxis acknowledged his own feelings for her. She continued to watch her husband while a smile before her eyes fell on the back of Valerie. Half-elf or not she was beautiful, although Valerie would have had hard time believing such a thing about herself, it was true. Camilla never stopped to wonder what might have happened that night if she hadn’t noticed Valerie prowling through the night behind her…

The moon was brighter than usual that night as it lit up the empty streets. Camilla was a new Corporal at the time, and was returning to the keep after a long day of training with her assigned Templars. It was well past midnight, and although it wouldn’t have been dangerous for a Knight to be traveling through the city alone it was still unnerving to feel a set of eyes on you. Camilla wasn’t aware at first of the wraith slayer following closely behind her, not until Camilla crossed paths with a small group of ruffians. They’d know better than to trouble a Knight of the Convent, however, it didn’t stop them from gawking or catcalling as they walked on by. “Hoodlums..” she muttered as she payed them no mind. It had been a long day for Camilla, and she didn’t want her night to end with roughing up a group of men that clearly needed to learn some respect. Well, that was  until she heard a ruckus not far behind her.

It seems that the group of three ruffians had pinned a girl against a wall, the shadow masking most of who, or what, this girl was, but, given the fact she was wearing leather greaves, it was assumed she was not a prostitute of any sort. However, it was obvious that she was gagged with something, as her frustrated pants came out muffled. Camilla would have started approaching the men, no, the molesters, with a mix of anger and frustration.

“And what do we have here, boys?”  the brute of a man said, it was too dark to make out any kind of features from afar, but it was quite obvious he was  the one in charge as the other two had the girl pinned against the wall and waiting for some sort of approval. The tip of his tongue skimmed between his lips as he eyed the girl over with a look of savagery and inched towards her.

“I suggest you unhand girl, and the three of you leave this place immediately.” her voice was stern as Camilla approached them with no hesitation. Perhaps she would be teaching a little lesson on respect after all.

“Mind your own damn business, Templar.” The brute huffed in response. His hands now lingering, and caressing at the girl’s thighs as the other two still had her pinned.

There was only silence and darkness for a moment before a forcefield of light energy burst from within the pinned, and helpless girl surrounding her and causing all three men to stagger backwards. “Leave.” Camilla barked once more as she stood between the men and the shielded girl. Frightened, and without another word the three men scurried off into the night.

“Are you alright?” she asked with concern, turning to face the girl as the barrier disintegrated.”Did they harm you?”

“No.” Valerie replied with a soft tone, brushing herself off and straightening her gear.

“I’m glad,” Camilla sighed in relief “Although, is there any particular reason you’ve been following so close behind me?”

Valerie would just stare at her, before giving a resigned sigh, explaining herself. She had been following, and researching, both Camilla and Draxis for the better part of a year now, and had just recently learned of their wedding, following Camilla in order to address her about several things, the most prominent of which was the fact that she was demanding to meet Draxis. She wouldn’t explain why, save for the comment that he had done the impossible, and she wished to meet, and possibly serve, the man who had done the impossible.

Camilla stood before the elf, and nodded as Valerie explained herself. Valerie was eager to meet Draxis, and so unwilling to explain why. It was a little unsettling at first why this random woman knew so much about them, knew of their marriage, and was so eager to meet her husband.  Of course, she’d never question Draxis’ loyalty and decided to take Valerie along with her.

Valerie

A day like any other, it seemed, as Valerie half-walked, half-road beside her her companions. Draxis may have only just now formed the elite group, but for Valerie, she was always a member of that membership. She had served directly under Draxis and Camilla for upwards of five years now, ever since Draxis regained his composure and began leading once again. Valerie looked towards Draxis, and then Camilla, knowing full well the story of the two of them. After all, she had done a lot of research before this group was ever formed. Some would call her a stalker, but there was a reason for it all, because, at the end of the day, Draxis had done something that would have been impossible for her to ever accomplish.

It was another day of nothing. No monsters to hunt, and no one that would accept assistance from a half-elf. Nothing exciting had been happening, and nothing of note had taken place. These were the types of days that Valerie hated the most, as these were the days when she was forced to interact with other people, non-Covenant people, the very same people that hated her guts simply because of her combined bloodline. It didn't really bother her that people hated her, no, what bothered her was the constant bullshit she received because of a fact she had absolutely no control over. Days like these were the days she detested being without a team, as she had no one she was expected to be around. However, despite all of the nothing, that was not to say Valerie did not have a plan of her own.

She had just arrived back from the North, after earning her title of Wraith Slayer, and learned of a devastating battle that took place between Ogres and a company of Knights, in which only a single Knight, their commander, had survived. What's more, he seemed to be continuing his Knighthood, something that Valerie understood to be impossible for her. The man had caused every man under his command to die during that battle, and he had barely walked away alive, so, how in the hell did he continue with the mentality of being a Knight? If it was her in that situation, she would have turned in her Templar insignia, and left to live a nomadic life, never again to be responsible for that level of failure. So, what gave this man so much more strength than her, such a better mental fortitude than she could ever have, because, her mind or not, he should have broken.

That's when she developed her plan, a means to end to discover what sort of hidden strength this individual had. Draxis was his name, and he was easy enough to find the location of, but, she couldn't be obvious about it. She was going to shadow him, stalk him, as if he were a monster in the forests of old, one that she had no information on. He wasn't nearly as elusive as, say, a twisted fairy would be, but he did keep to himself, as long as he wasn't with a certain brunette, who seemed to be doing most of the care work for him. So, her initial suspicions were correct, it had caused some sort of psychosis to set in, but, that brunette was a factor she didn't predict. Was she a nurse? A sister? A lover? Whoever she was, in actuality, she was the only social contact that Draxis had been getting, outside of the occasional meeting with a higher-up. It warranted investigation, and that woman quickly became her secondary target.

Camilla was her name, and, apparently, she had been close to Draxis before the event had taken place, and, according to some people, it seemed to be more than just a friendship, especially considering how often they were seen together these days. Pulling whatever strings she could, Valerie began to gather information on both Camilla and Draxis, and learned very interesting pieces of information about the two of them, both of their capabilities and their actual ranks. Camilla was still incredibly new to the order, yet, already achieved Templar, and was quickly rising up, a fact that seemed to be almost inherently tied to both her closeness with Draxis, and the unique magical she possessed, one where she can summon forth auras of power to aid others. It was interesting, to say the least, but, something had been bothering her about this entire thing, and it wasn't going away, no matter how she looked at it.

Love was a weakness, easily exploited and crushed, any enemy who did any sort of study into the personal life of their opponent would expose that wound first and foremost, and it was so laughably easy to do so, she never understood why people claimed that it was such an amazing thing. Why is it, then, that she kept seeing their relationship as a weakness, and one that was growing in strength, and why did they keep pursuing it while Draxis was in the kind of state that he was? In fact, it wasn't until nearly a year later that any of her questions were answered, and, besides the occasional hunt she was sent on, she spent all of her time studying and observing the two of them whenever she could. There was a specific day, though, one that she will always remember as one of her greatest failures, but also as one of the best turns of fate she would ever experience.

Camilla had caught her stalking, but, not in a way that would lead to fault. No, Camilla had saved Valerie from a group of thugs, a group of rapists who planned on using her for her body, and then killing her because of her blood. If it wasn't for Camilla, she doubted she would have walked away from that alive, let alone unscathed. After an introduction, Valerie confronted Camilla about her and Draxis' relationship, and demanded to speak with him once the man had the mentality to resume being a Knight in action, and not just in rank. After some convincing, Camilla agreed, and she was set up to meet with Draxis out during a hunt, a way for him to pass the time and relieve stress. It was here, face to face, Valerie finally got to meet the man who had done the impossible.

It was early in the morning, the morning after the morning that Valerie had first met the Knight-Sergeant Draxis, his wife as a medium between the two of them, and a thick fog covered the forest floor and penetrated the makeshift tents that Draxis and Valerie had built the previous night. Their hunt was about to begin, the first hunt. Draxis intended on seeing exactly how skilled Valerie was, if not by hunting some great beasts, then with a spar. ” We will set out after a little food, we can’t hunt hungry, impairs judgement and effects our ability to concentrate if we’re hungry.” He spoke to Val as he emerged from his tent in a brown leather suit of armor, a simple crossbow and his sword. He needed to be nimble for the hunt, his bulky armor would be too much for this. Of course he kept his chain mail on and a few other things like his daggers

Valerie, meanwhile, had yet to change her apparel, and, almost in contrast to the man known as Draxis, keeping her blade, her second main weapon, to her side, the scabbard giving no indication for the blade within, and her studded leather on. It had seen many a combat, and was obviously worn from use, but, very little actual damage seemed to have touched it. Her weapon for this hunt was, obviously enough, her shortbow, one that seemed more alive than inanimate, as the wood seemed to twist and turn, and the string seemed to move, as if the bow as breathing. This action, though, was only evident inside its sheath, for when she drew it, as she had done now, it stayed rigid and taut, although. The quiver on her back was nothing special, save for it’s elvish design, and it’s arrows were but simple steel projectiles, nothing inherently strange or magical about them.

”I wouldn’t recommend it,” Valerie commented, almost absentmindedly as she checked and rechecked the bow and her arrows, ”Eating strong food leaves a residual smell, and since we’re going to be hunting a dire boar, they’ll be able to smell it from several hundred meters away. Unless, of course, you intend to be the bait.” Despite the humorous nature of the words, the question sounded genuine, as Valerie had actually considered using the man as her bait, and was legitimately asking if he had considered it as well.

Draxis grinned as he looked over to Val, he had intended on making this a challenge for her, if she was as good as Camilla told him. He needed to make it so she needed to focus on more than just the hunt. ”Cam told me that you are an excellent Slayer, and you’re a candidate to move up. Also told me you’ve been among the ranks of the Covenant for a lot longer than most in our current generation. But I don’t think you have what it takes to be a part of my elite squad. You may have heard of growing concerns across the country that the king is growing old and that he is a weak, ineffectual leader, and some people seek to usurp his throne. I would stand by him no matter what the cost to myself is. I have dedicated my life to the service of King Gregor and the people of this land. I would expect you to show me that you have a heart and drive similar to that. I cannot allow you into my ranks and to be under the leadership of Knight-Corporal Camilla if you cannot uphold our values. I will be the bait, but you must keep me safe, as if I am a defenseless hunter from a village who happened upon this beast. We as knights are capable of slaying a beast like this quite easily, but an untrained hunter trying to feed his family does not have what we have.” Draxis spoke as he adjusted one of his dagger sheaths, his eyes not breaking contact with her own. He was an intense man with an equally intense sense of justice and lawfulness. ”You may be a great Slayer, but that won’t mean anything if you don’t have the heart and soul required to be a champion of the people. They are the reason we are Knights. Our purpose is not to slay these monsters for our own enjoyment, but to defend the weak and protect the helpless. We are a bastion of hope, if you cannot prove to me that you are worthy of being a part of that bastion, then we have nothing more to discuss and I will put in a request for your discharge. I have no patience for those who don’t care for our people.” He was rude and abrupt, but it was how you needed to talk to Half-Elves, they weren’t known exactly or loyalty where he came from.

”You know,” she replied, the hand that had held the bowstring now rested on her hip, her eyes never breaking contact, ”If I had an arrow for every time someone like you gave me a speech like that, this monster problem wouldn’t be around anymore. First of all, if you put your human king first, then you’ve failed in what the Covenant stands for. We are for all races who wish peace, we protect mer as well as men, and have no place in the greater politics. That’s why we were founded, and that’s why we changed from hunting heretics to hunting monsters. Second of all, Knight-Sergeant Draxis, I’ve seen the very worst your kind, the elves, and even the dwarves, have to offer this world. That’s what I get for being born. I’m sure you think I’ve deserved it, too. Hell, I would put gold on the entire reason you’re giving this speech to me is because I -am- a half-breed, and not some pure-blood. It’s funny, though, because, despite all the shit I’ve been given and all that I’ve seen, I’m still willing to put my blood on the line to protect these bastards. Thirdly, we are not the bastion of hope, we are the bastion of peace. The symbol does not inspire hope in civilians, it inspires safety, security, a place that peace can prosper. We don’t ride forward into battle, save to protect them, and we have no place in a war against nations.” She paused for a moment, and broke eye contact, only to place the bow back in her sheath, adding, ”Oh, and by the by, you may -think- I’m a bastard, but my parents had a great love and respect for each other, and for me. So don’t try the whole “broken family” line. I’ve heard that one far too often.”

Draxis smirked at her remarks, trying to deconstruct what he said, she was partly correct ”You’re not entirely wrong. But with the king growing older and becoming more likely to fall ill, enemies of the throne and of peace would seek to slay him, and his family. I am a man who has been an advocate of peace among the races, but you mixed breeds have had a bad track record with the Covenant, talented yes, but selfish.” He sat in front of the cinders of a dying fire and took a piece of bread from his pack and began to eat it slowly. Once he was done with the bread, he took a drink of water from a skin before resuming his speech. ”As for bastions of hope and peace. You do know who I am, don’t you? The Ogre Assault? Any bells? We are a symbol of hope to these people on their walls and in their streets. Not only a hope to survive against the growing presence and unification of these humanoid beasts, but the hope to keep the fragile peace we have intact. Mer of all three branches hate each other, but that hate is not readily out in the open. The peace we know could be shattered quite simply. Were it not for the Knights of the Dawn, this peace would have crumbled long ago.” Draxis spoke softly before grabbing an apple from his pack, waving it at Valerie jokingly. ”Now, I’ll be saving this for the boar. We will eat well tonight, provided you slay the beast.”

Valerie did not seem entertained by him or his notions, and her eyes seemed to narrow, starting from when he insulted her blood, and continuing throughout his conversation. It was obvious that whatever distrust he had against her kind affected his work, and his self image.

”Your wife, because I can’t rightly call her your caretaker anymore, seemed to have forgotten about your brazen arrogance. Congratulations, oh great “hero” of the Ogre Assault. You barely survived. And were it not for her, I doubt you’d be here, having this conversation, with me or anyone else. You boast your own strength just fine, and your own conviction, but never forget that you are nothing without those who brought you to this place. I’m here because I am spiteful. I despise those that despise me to a point that I want to disprove everyone who spits on my bloodstains. I will show every human, elf, and dark elf out there that a half-breed is the one who put her life on the line, every day, to hunt that which would hunt them, while they remained happy, and friendly, with their families. You don’t--”

”Listen here, before you go any further! Don’t you dare assume that I don’t know why I am here, don’t you dare think that I don’t carry that weight on my shoulders every waking moment of my life. I am no hero, I am an example of arrogance and pride. Something a Knight should never become. I let my closest friends die because I was too blind to see the true folly of my situation. You have no right, Templar, speaking to me like that! You are a half blood, and you may be different from your kind, but remember your place. I am your superior, you do not lecture me on my failings. I don’t care who you show outside of yourself and I. They aren’t what matters. We don’t do this for the recognition, we don’t do this so that they know who is protecting them. We do it because it is right.” Draxis stood up quickly and stepped up right into Valerie’s face, staring straight into her eyes, ”You cannot imagine my own pain, you think that your life is sad because you’re the little half elf that no one loves. You didn’t watch your brothers in arms get ripped to pieces because of your mistakes.”

”Why do you think I’m here? I’m fully aware of what you are, and every mistake you’ve ever made. If I wasn’t absolutely floored by the fact that you’re continuing life as you are, even -when- factoring in your biggest weakness as some sort of strange, improbable “strength,” I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you, or anyone else. All I see is weakness, Draxis, and your arrogance is a big one, but it isn’t your biggest. Titles mean nothing when you’re against these monsters. They simply say how many men you can lead. I can lead none, because I’d see everything as a weakness, and I’d either be too indecisive, or too paranoid, to ever lead a group of soldiers, even if I had hand-trained them from birth. We’ve both seen horrors, in our own right, but the difference between you and I is simple: I don’t work with a team. Ask yourself a question: Why would this half-elf come to the Knight-Sergeant Draxis, after proving herself to be incredibly competent and valuable as a single operator? Because I can confirm that it isn’t because I’ve had a change of heart. You and Knight-Corporal Camilla baffle me, because you are each your greatest weaknesses, and yet, for some unimaginable reason, you give each other strength that I cannot comprehend. Not only that, you continue on in your lives, despite all that has gone against you, and push forward, staying in that same field that you had failed in before. That’s not something I could ever do.”

She sighed, before tipping over a nearby bucket of water onto the remaining cinders, extinguishing the flame completely, saying, ”I don’t care about love. Love is foolish, and a weakness to all who experience it. For example, were I to capture your wife, and hold her hostage, in a situation where you could not free her, you’d be far more malleable than if, say, I took a random human hostage, and demanded the same thing. Everyone can make sacrifices. I’ve yet to meet one who would sacrifice the one they loved. That is why it is the greatest weakness any sentient creature can ever have. That is why I despise it. That is why I hope to never experience such a thing. … Family is a bit different, though. That can’t be helped. Still a weakness, but, your parents are no fault of your own, nor are they a fault of my own, so I love them as a family. I’m speaking purely of that thinly veiled disguise that sentient creatures use as an excuse to have a constant individual to satiate their lust and desire for intimacy.”

Draxis shook his head and headed into the woods, disappointed in her last few comments. ”You have a lot to learn, Val, a lot. You see weakness where I see strength. That love I have for Camilla, and she for me, empowers us to attain feats like no other. I would die for her, I would do anything it took to save her and protect her. You do not have that same feeling for anyone, which is why it is difficult to trust you. Family is different, you are right, but Camilla is my family now, she is my partner. You see the feeling of love as just a disguise for lust, you couldn’t be more wrong. Now, let’s go.” He spoke before heading into the forest to begin tracking the boar.

Some Time Later…

Valerie, who had just finished carving the dire boar into more easily-cooked chunks, had begun to place them atop the cooking tray, a raised metal platform above an intensely hot fire, courtesy of her own handiwork.

”For the record, I’m just glad it wasn’t a sow. It’s around mid-mating season, and while the aggressive ones need to be put down, the population isn’t near expansive enough to start hunting down the potential mothers. Though, this one was trying to run. I’m just glad whatever in him that causes him to charge and kill the villagers isn’t going to passed on to next year’s crop.”

Draxis wrapped his shoulder with a bandage and sighed while he waited for the meat to cook. She enjoyed that a bit too much, he felt, watching him trip over his own feet and tumble into a thorn bush, then almost impale himself on the tusk as he tried to dodge one of the charges. ”Yea well, you could have been quicker, Val, next time don’t waste time on the perfect shot, just shoot it. Christ, the thing almost took me out before you even fired a shot. You are too critical of yourself. You need to let that go. You have the heart of gold, but your mind is clouded with self doubt and diminishing self worth. You would make a great fit with us, but you need to let your mind go of these things. You are better than that.”

”If I hadn’t have gotten that perfect shot, right along the throat, it wouldn’t have taken it down. The ice stopped him from breathing, and froze his trachea. Dire boars are nearly impossible to down in a single hit, especially from an arrow. You told me to handle you as if you were a peasant, so I did. You walked away alive, with all limbs intact, and a superficial injury. That’s more than most people would walk away with. You might think it’s a weakness, my constant doubt, but, it’s made it so I’ve never lost a hunt. … I’ve had to hand over the dead because I was either not around to save them, or not in time, but I’ve never let my mark live.”

Draxis laughed a bit as he watched the meat cook on the pan over the fire. ”You, will, with time, become less sarcastic with me. I know you were stalling to see how I fared on my own. I know your skills Val, I’ve read the reports. You are calculated, and you’ve done your research, you know the exact spots to hit, and you are deadly accurate. I would be terrified of you if you chose to walk the path of an assassin rather than that of one of the Knights of the Dawn.” He held out his hand to her in a gesture to accept her. ”I know I was harsh with you. I may have been less than agreeable about your race, but you proved to me that when it comes down to it, you just might be worthy of becoming one of my close friends, perhaps worthy of being called family.” A sincere smile was spread across Draxis’ face, this was an ally he wanted, needed. Someone he could trust. Her mind was like no other, and that was something you could not just train. Draxis knew that Val would be a perfect leader one day, she just needed the coaching and she needed the confidence. Draxis would help her.

And that was that, she had become an official member of Draxis's squad of people, the third member ever, and the second elite, next to Camilla. But, none of that was important. What was important, though, was the fact that she was welcomed as Draxis's third, and the promise that she would not be assigned to any group but Camilla's, and retain her role and expertise as a Slayer. It was a huge moment for her, and the Covenant supported the decision in it's entirety, as Valerie had, perhaps, finally found a place that she could fit in. However, in the beginning, it wasn't all milk and cookies. In fact, Draxis even harbored a few racist tendencies and dispositions towards her, only to have his wife, Camilla, smack some sense into him whenever they came about. Eventually, though, she learned to trust the two of them, not only with her life, but with her secrets, as well.

Well... not every secret.

Valerie smiled, her mind and thoughts shifting back to the present, and she looked towards the woman riding at her flank. Gale, formerly known as Abigale Freshen, was the only person in the world she felt she was fit to lead, or instruct, in any fashion. There was something special about the way that her mind work, and while it was not to level, or negativity, that Valerie's did, Gale was still a unique individual. What's more, she was special to Valerie, and Valerie and Gale had led most of their companions to believe that they had a bond very close to sisterhood.

"You know," commented Valerie in a light-hearted tone, breaking the seemingly perpetual silence that plagued the group as they made their way towards whatever the capital held for them, in either intrigue or death, "Since we're marching to what is probably going to change this group forever, I suppose I can let you guys in on one secret that I've been keeping for about two years now. I know, I know, I promised I'd tell you guys everything, but, this was a secret that was quite important to me. You see," continued Valerie, winking at Gale as she did so, "You may want to change how you see Gale's and my relationship. Unless, of course, you guys think incest is okay."

Abigale

Gale smiled slightly as Val let slip the secret they had been keeping for so long. It felt great that they could finally let their secret out instead of hiding it. No longer did she have to hold back on her displays for affection, the hugs she gave Val for an example. Everybody was certainly shocked as they should have been but Gale’s smile was a more distant one as she thought back on the first day she ever met Val. She took a moment to look about the crew until her eyes landed on Val’s at which point she allowed the memory to flow like a  river.

A woman whose long, brunette hair flowed in the wind, stood in the middle of the sparring field as she faced her opponent. It was a man, most likely only a year older than herself, but he showed signs of long years of training. It was far from a fair fight but it was one Gale was use to, it would be one she had to get use to if she were to fight monsters. The pair took their stances and stood stock still for a few moments as they sized each other up, one deciding how take on a bigger foe while the other waited for the first chance to disarm his opponent. In less than a second, the young woman lunged forward in a feint and quickly turned on the heel of her boot to instead bring the sword around for a strike into the man's left ribs. Having only partly fallen for the feint, the man easily blocked the sword and proceeded to deflect it to the side and land a punch into Gale's gut. With the wind knocked out of her, Gale fell to the ground and the man brought the sword to her neck, solidifying that the victory was his.

"That's another loss Initiate! When are you going to learn to stop leaving such obvious openings! Even a farmer could deflect that attack and easily take you out. If you fight like that against a monster, you are as good as dead!" called the Templar who had been overseeing the spar as he stepped towards the young woman. He stood over her easily and was trained far beyond her own skill which was why he was perfect to assess her training. The Templar was a hard man but it was only because one could not be weak when fighting monsters, weakness meant death. "Now, take up your sword and do it again." He said as he took his position off to the side and gave the signal to begin the spar.

The same ritual was performed as they stood still and watched each other but this time around the man was far more confident in his skill. This time, Gale was determined to win and it was obvious by her actions as she threw water out from a small water flask and it splashed on the ground. The man, having thought her to strike took a step back but quickly lunged forward just as Gale had predicted he would. It was then that she froze the water into ice and the man, having not seen this coming and his lunge putting him off balance, fell as he slipped forward on the ice and landed on the hard ground. Gale stood above him with the sword's tip at the point of his neck and the Templar raised his hand, ending the battle.

"See Initiate, when you actually think about the battle, you win. If you aren't going to be able to learn how to get better with a sword, then you need to sharpen your mind. See things a different way than others and you can win the battle. Now you two are dismissed." the man said as he walked past the pair. The man who had been training with Gale stood up and walked away rather embarrassed, leaving Gale almost alone on the field. She unfroze the water as her training had taught her and moved the water back into the flask. As the last water fell into the flask and Gale felt the drain on her magicka, she began the walk towards the gates heading out of the sparring ground, aimlessly staring at the clouds in the overcast sky above as she went forward.

Gale was almost at the gates when she finally decided to look down from the dull blanket of gray clouds. She noticed something that had become quite common in the past two weeks, a woman who had been watching her spar. Never before had she been close enough to tell what the woman looked like as she often left before her spars were over but this time, Gale was able to get close enough to see the woman’s features. They were fine and elvish in origin but bore a look of curiosity which was almost unique to only humans. Gale assumed that this woman was most likely of Elvish and Human descent and she remember that she had been told as a child to avoid such kinds of people for they were the kind to pilfer whatever they could and lived in alleyways. But that belief flew out the window when Gale did such things herself and thus half-elves could be no worse than herself. Yet this woman’s features were so fine and striking to Gale that she could not stop staring, almost as if she was captured in her brown eyes. ”Oh uh… sorry for staring, I normally don’t do that. Then again, I normally don’t have people watching me other than the Ref when I spar either.” Gale said as she approached closer to the woman, rubbing the back of her head in the process and looking off to the side.

The woman approached her as well, not sure what to make of being spotted in the way that she did. It was visible that the woman, though with an appearance not much older than Gale’s, if older at all, though, Gale would have known that she’s been within the order for nearly fifteen years, and, as a half-elf, she simply looked much younger than she actually was. Part of the elven bloodline, just like the ears were. Valerie Zylcan was her name, and, up until two or three years ago, she was a member of no direct team, though, nowadays, she seemed to work directly under Knight-Sergeant Felwind and his second, Knight-Corporal Thorton. The strangest thing about her, though, was that she has never accepted a single promotion, something that would have been well-known amongst the Templars, but never the reason as to why. As Gale’s mind filtered her memory to these factoids, Valerie was now standing face-to-face with her.

”Come with me.” she said, and turned about, leading Gale towards a small building of sorts, one that was occasionally used as a classroom by the Covenant. Gale followed in surprise as the woman led the way to a place that Gale had been in a couple of times. She was wondering both why the woman had been watching her for the past couple of weeks and why the woman had decided not to leave early this time. It certainly couldn’t have been because of how the spar went for that was something that Gale found to have been a failure as she had to rely on the use of magic to win. Such a happening was something she was not proud of as her opponent was human which meant she couldn’t beat them on even ground let alone beat a monster whose strength could be far greater than her own. But Gale pushed the doubting aside as she sped up to walk beside the woman, a question poised on her lips.

”If I may ask, what is your name?” Gale said as they approached the building.

”Valerie Zylcan, and I’m surprised you don’t know it, Abigale. Or, you prefer Gale, yes? I’ve seen your training, and done my research on you. Your mind… it doesn’t work the way a normal mind does, does it? You process information and scenarios differently, especially on a battlefield. I’m curious to learn if that’s an inherent trait you possess, or if it’s simply something you’ve trained yourself to do.”

Valerie opened the door to the classroom, ushering Gale into the building, only to reveal what was inside. It was not the setup that was to be expected, instead, the floor had been cleared, and a mock war room had been set up, complete with a topographical map of a location that didn’t exist, and several different pieces and flags set about it. It looked as if someone had just starting planning a battle. What’s more, along the edges were books, bestiaries, and the like, all closed, as if they were waiting to be used.

”Oh… well thank you I guess,” Gale said as she entered the building, “but uh… what is all of this?”

”It’s a test. Here’s the situation…”

Gale would find herself in a test unlike anything she ever experienced before, as Valerie would lead her scenario after scenario, gathering input from her on everything from where to position troops to how to handle certain monsters. This would go on for several days, nearing a full week, with the map changing every session, and with the session starting every day after Gale’s training. It seemed as if Valerie had been planning this sort of gauntlet for a while, as there was no question she couldn’t answer, and no angle she hadn’t covered.

Everyday she was put through different scenarios by Valerie and everyday Gale questioned their point. Some were tedious and took a while to solve while others were easier and felt like a breath of fresh air. Despite still having to train everyday and often wishing she could simply sleep, Gale enjoyed the scenarios that Valerie was putting her through. Then again, she also grew to like being with Valerie she stole little glances at her beautiful features when she wasn’t quite paying attention. Gale couldn’t help but notice how Valerie’s hair had the perfect shine to it and fell about her face just right nor could she ignore how smooth and beautiful her skin was. But most of all, she liked to steal glances at Valerie’s eyes which she couldn’t help but find as her most striking feature.

Gale never did figure out the exact reason behind all of these examples, especially the ridiculous or unusual scenarios (as there were those in there as well), and probably wouldn’t have, until Valerie confronted her after it had all finished. It was the end of the week, and this particular test had been the easiest one as of yet, but, the fact that it was solved it so easily seemed to dishearten Valerie, as if she finally accepted something that had been bugging her for some time.

”Well, you certainly are special, I’ll give you that, but, your mind doesn’t work the same way mine does. I can’t tell if it’s inborn or just an unnatural talent of yours, but, your tactics, albeit phenomenal, are not the way I see things. I could tell the moment you started looking at the strengths of your units compared to the strengths of the enemy’s.”

Gale was shocked as Valerie’s statement hit her like a hammer would hit an anvil. ”So I… passed the test? What does that mean?” Gale said as she looked towards Valerie. Quite possibly for the first time since they had begun the test, she looked Valerie directly in her eyes with a look of curiosity and excitement.

Valerie thought nothing of it, and, out of respect, maintained the eye-contact as well, though, all that was reflected in her eyes was the color of disappointment, as she said, ”No. You failed. You are not like me, and your mind is not like mine. You can see it all, but you do not see it as a reflex. You can turn it off, you can switch it around. You can see strengths. I can do none of those things. Mine is inherent, and the only way I see “strength” is by seeing where someone is “not weak.” It’s a curse, and I thought, perhaps, that I had found someone that shared it.”

With that, she had begun packing up everything for the final time, letting those words sink into Gale, but, right before Gale could respond, she spoke, as if she was simply continuing the sentence as she had intended to do all along, saying, “But, you did pass a different test. One I had been conducting, in secret, since the very beginning. If you so wish it, Initiate Abigale Freshen, I will take you in as my one, and only, Initiate. I will train you to hone your mind, and see your tactics in everything you do. And I will teach you to no longer feel bad by exploiting your enemy’s weakness, or relying on another’s strength.”

Gale’s emotions clashed against each other inside her mind. At first she felt not sad but disappointed that she had failed the test but, upon hearing that she had passed a secret test,  lightened up as if her very heart was jumping with joy. She certainly wanted to learn more about tactics and she enjoyed the time she spent with Valerie, the little glances she stole at her as well. ”Yes, I’d… enjoy the chance to learn more.” she said after having to carefully choose her words so as not to sound a fool.

After hearing Gale’s response, Valerie’s face lit up, a mix of shock and delight, and she said, concisely, and in a somewhat higher-pitch than normal, ”Wonderful! Now, I just have to fight for you to Draxis- I’m sorry, Knight-Sergeant Felwind. It shouldn’t be too hard. Also, I should explain, and ask forgiveness, as I’m not going to be… open to you. Not at first. I have to make sure I’m not making a mistake. It’s just how I am. I can’t let you be my greatest weakness.”

Words failed Gale as her heart leapt about inside her chest as if it was a rabbit. Though she was sure that Valerie hadn’t meant it the way she had taken it, Gale was filled with delight that any person could consider her their weakness. She couldn’t wait to meet Knight-Sergeant Felwind, despite the stories she had heard of him.

”I just wish for you to know Draxis, sir, that I wanted to thank you actually. If it wasn’t for how hard Val fought for me to join you, I may never have fallen for her. In a way, you brought us together sir.” Gale said with a smile as she let her memory close and filed it back into the recess of her mind but couldn’t help and feel the rising of another memory. She had grown to trust Draxis over the years she had served him and she was happy that Val had fought for her right to join them. In fact, that very night  was one she wouldn’t forget, couldn’t forget, no matter how little she thought of it.

Valerie would be dragging Gale back to the encampment where both Camilla and Draxis were located, moving swiftly and with a purpose, only giving a brief nod to the occasional hello from the other Templars and Officers under Draxis’s command. Without so much as a moment’s hesitation, she enters Draxis’s command tent, calling out, with a very serious tone, something she only used when the matter required it, ”Draxis! I need to speak with you about a matter concerning this girl! It is rather important.”

Draxis lifted his head from a book, named Creatures of Miras, fixing his gaze on Valerie. He put down the book on the desk in front of him before speaking. ”Go on then, if you think to bring her into the circle, you better have a good case to plead. She’s not ready yet. I’ve seen her fight with the other initiates during sword training. She has no skill with a blade, and her magical skill is far from useful yet. Nothing on the scale we’ll need for our mission.” Draxis rose from his seat and walked around his desk, his normally embracing nature was not present at this time, not when the situation called for skilled, powerful warriors. ”We cannot risk our lives by letting in someone who can’t defend themselves.” Draxis made a gesture towards Camilla, who was working with her templars outside of the tent. This was a signal to say that he wanted to make sure how serious he was about his decision.

”Her mind, though not as severe as mine, works exactly as mine does. Her ability with tactics on the whole can rival my own. I wish to take her under my wing, and train her as my replacement. As a Slayer, and a tactician. I trust her judgement, and succeeded almost every scenario I could throw at her. All she must do, now, is train her magic and sword arm, things I can train her with in equal proficiency. She is still a young initiate, and I have many good years left any more, probably more than you, simply because of my blood. I have never led you astray, and I understand her weaknesses far better than you realize, but,” she pauses, sighing lightly as she looks to Gale, then back towards Draxis, ”She can give me a second point of view. She can give us a second point of a view. She can see strengths, she can see advantages, and she can see things that even I can’t.”

Draxis rubbed his temples before pacing around Val, shaking his head. ”Even if she has a brilliant tactical mind, how will that help us if she cannot be quick to react like you? She may have the same mind, tactically, but under pressure, how can we be sure she will be consistent. We cannot put our faith and our lives into the hands of an untrained initiate.” He sighed gently before resting a hand on Val’s shoulder and stared down at the desk, covered in books, notes and other important documents. ”We can’t take a risk like this and lose everything we’ve been working for. I can’t do that again.”

”With all do respect, Draxis, it’s me you’re talking about. It took me a year to come around to even trusting you all, and you know how my mind works. If I truly thought her weakness would be great enough to cause us detriment, I would never have brought her to us, or tested her as extensively as I did.” She was dead serious, not the light-hearted girl that they had learned to expect. This was like she was when they first met, and almost scarily so.

”I will come see her progress then, tonight. Infact, right now. Take me to see how far she’s progressed and I’ll make my decision. However, should I chose to let her into the circle, she will be your responsibility.” Draxis wasn’t harsh with his words, the opposite infact. He wanted to be wrong, to have Val prove that she had found a good candidate to learn directly from Val, Camilla and himself. Draxis  gave a gentle pat to Val’s shoulder and gave a grin that she’d probably seen a thousand times before, one that showed excitement, and eagerness to have Val prove to him again that she was right, and his assessment was wrong. A grin he gave all too often in situations of danger usually. Draxis did enjoy Val’s nature and demeanor, he knew she had a rather flat humor most of the time due to her bluntness, but it was her unwavering honesty that made him trust her as much as he did.

Val would drag Gale out, nodding to Draxis before she went. After all, she would need to prepare Gale for her trial. Gale was nervous, not only because she had  to prove herself to Draxis but also because failure meant she had disappointed Valerie. ”What sort of trial will I be put through? Will… will I be watched by everyone else while I do it too?” Gale said with a look of worry upon her face. She knew not what Draxis wanted to see though her guess would have certainly leaned towards a display of how she thought. But what scared Gale the most was having to perform this trial before others, even doing it in front of Draxis was horrifying to her let alone doing it before a crowd. She looked towards Val for answers and put her full trust in her even if she didn’t quite believe in herself.

”No, it’s going to be a private trial, with Camilla and Draxis observing. You are going to fight me. You might not be nearly as fast as me, but, that shouldn’t be a problem. Just use the mind you impressed me with, and pinpoint my weakness. I won’t be going all out, because that would be unfair, especially with me. Other than that, remember what I told you: there is no shame in pressing the advantage, whatever it may be.”

Gale bore a look of bewilderment as Val finished explaining the trial to her. She had to fight Val, a woman who bore far more experience than herself and who, even in holding back, would most likely be able to defeat her with ease. Despite this, she was not quite discouraged as she was determined to impress Draxis and prove that Val’s decision to bring her in would be a correct one. Gale would require not only mental preparation but also physical preparation for the night to come for it would be one which will test the limits of her skill and her nerve.

”Well, as it stands, get ready. We’ll do this at sunset. I trust you’ll use that to your advantage.” With that, Val would leave Gale, returning to the tent with Draxis, leaving to her own devices. Gale stood outside the tent and looked around at the camp she was within with a keen eye. Their spar would most likely be within the dry ground at the center of the camp, commonly reserved for training sessions, which meant that she should get to know every inch of the ground therein. She wandered off to the dry ground, leaving behind the tent and Val, with her water flask in hand. Gale had to be certain to use every advantage she could, even if that meant not playing fair.

Draxis left the tent after a brief conversation with Val, carrying a small vial in his hand. If Val had intended to fight Gale with nothing held back, then Draxis had to ensure that Gale survived the ‘spar’. ”Gale, I’m not entirely sure of how much you have trained with her, nor do I know how much you have improved. I am rooting for you, but I am also going to be judging you harshly.With that said, I do not want your blood on the ground of my camp. We are stationed here until further notice, this camp is a permanent reminder of my resolve. If you cannot impress me, then that is unfortunate. But if you were to die here, then I would be disappointed in not only you, but Val as well. This is not just your chance to prove to me your capability, but the capability of the one who trained you. I know of your magic and what it does, which is why I’m giving you this extra vial. She will already know of the one you carry on your person, as  do as well. Keep this hidden from her. You will have an advantage if you’re smart with it, and if you’re not, well… We will leave that as it is.” Draxis handed the small vial of water to Gale and nodded, with a gentle smile, assuring her that he did indeed have faith in her, and that she would be enough for him to trust Valerie with greater responsibility.

Having taken the vial from Draxis, Gale continued her preparation of the sparring field. In a normal setting, the sparring field would not be available to the participants until the actual spar but this was a camp and there was no way to make sure that Gale couldn’t get on the field. The hard packed dirt of the field was coarse and created a fine dust when she let go of a clump, an advantage she would certainly use. The grass around the field was sparkling with dew already in the cooling air and Gale made a note to remember its existence when she fought. Above all else, Gale emptied the contents of the flask she normally carried onto the field and watched as it soaked into the dirt. Her preparations were almost finished by this point but she had one last thing to do. Within a short moment, Gale found a small rag and stuffed it into the small space between her sword belt and her armor. It would be of use later in the night.

As the sun was setting, Gale took her position inside the circle of dirt and waited for Val to arrive. She had made sure to stand with the sun to her back. Valerie had arrived, on time, and could only smile at the girl’s preparation. Gale had taken extra precautions to gain every advantage she could, and it was obvious Valerie expected her to do so, simply by the respectful nod she gave to the girl. Gale nodded back towards Val as a sign of respect as she worked to push her doubts to the back of her mind. She had her sword in her right hand and the empty flask in her left, though it had been corked and one could certainly it was empty. She took her stance and looked towards Draxis for the signal to start. As the glance hit Draxis, he waved his hand gently and uttered the word ‘Begin’ and leaned in a small chair outside the sparring arena. He expected a show, something that he didn’t need to step into to stop. Gale needed to prove that she could handle her own, and from the looks of things, she had set a trap that Val had likely not yet seen yet, at least not without knowing of the spare vial.

Gale took the initiative at the sound of Begin and tossed the vial high into the air. As it rose higher, the glass vial caught the sun and shined brightly down upon the sparring field, the small water droplets which were still inside reflected intense light in several spots. Hoping that the brighter light had worked to hinder Val’s vision, Gale took a lunging stab forward, grabbing a handful of dirt in the process. What would be surprising is that the tactic actually seemed to work, as she stumbled back, taking the light directly into her eyes. She seemed to be completely fazed, but staggered back out of lunge range. Gale, having missed hitting Val, drew her sword in closer to herself while turning on the ball of her foot. At almost a quarter of the turn before she was facing Val again, Gale released her load of dusty earth up and towards Val before taking a step forward so as to swing her sword into the ribs.

As the dust was thrown into the air, Gale noticed a peculiar sight from her end, a red and orange flicker, before the dust itself seem to ignite in flames, and a familiar sound, the swinging of a sword, would be heard. Gale would have to stop herself to prevent injuries and being burned, and she saw Val, half-turned to prevent the glint of the sun from blinding her, with her sword drawn, flames crackling along it as she twirled it about in her left hand. Her face could not hide her satisfaction, not even in the midst of this combat, and, with a smile, she commented, ”You know, I’m impressed. You really are pressing every advantage. How long until you run out of tricks, though? A tactician should have a winning strategy, remember?”

A smile played across Gale’s face at the compliment that Valerie had given her. It was true that Gale was running out of hat tricks to use but she still held hope for her next one. ”A tactician’s mind is always her greatest weapon.” Gale said as she stood a few paces away from Valerie. She slipped her empty left hand into her belt and withdrew the cork from her second vial of water. With a quick movement, Gale threw the rag from within her belt towards Val and drew the water out of the vial, ground, and off the grass around them towards Val’s burning blade as fast as she could. As the water made contact with the strong, magical flames, it turned into steam until a fine cloud hung about the pair. At this moment, Gale threw the second vial directly at Val and circled around her until she was at her flank. Acting out of training alone, as she could only barely see through the steam, Gale stepped forward and swung at where Val was standing.

Gale heard the sound of metal on metal, the distinctive ring a sword hitting another sword, as the steam would begin glowing bright orange, quickly fading away, as the flaming blade continued to burn bright, meeting Gale’s. However, she would notice that something was off, seeing as Val, the left-handed individual, was holding her sword hilt-down in her right hand. As the steam cleared away further, Gale would notice a rather large gash along her left arm. The swing did connect, and left a long wound down Val’s forearm, not a particularly bad wound, but, one that would make it hurt to fight with her left hand. The Slayer back stepped away, running the orange flame from her sword along her arm, wincing at the pain as the wound was cauterized, before smiling, dispelling the fire along her sword, and putting it in her left hand once more.

”I don’t know about you, Draxis, but, if I were a monster, and were I not who I am, that cut would have cut through a few tendons, and taken any non-organized monster by surprise. Hell, it would take most soldiers by surprise. I’d say that qualifies as a success.” A few moments passed after Val spoke, Draxis in thought after the spar. There were a few things that concerned him, but they were minor.

”She is talented, you have taught her well, old friend, but she has a long way to go. She only scored that blow with a lot of preparation, it was a lucky blow as well. I saw you, letting her get the better of you. You are much more perceptive than that and fell right into her trap. She spent all night perfecting the battlefield to suit her. A true tactician would be able to adapt to the battlefield as it changes. Both of you failed in this regard. But neither of you are not qualified to be with me. In fact, you can play off of each other’s weaknesses. Val, you are an expert at adapting to the situation, it is the reason you are an effective slayer. Gale, you are an asset, and a terrifying enemy. Your expertise with traps and leading your opponent into them is something to be praised, you have a lot to learn and a lot to master, but you are on your way to becoming a very brilliant member of the Covenant. You may be able to become a Knight-Captain one day. I fully support you.” Draxis stood and bowed to Gale, his hand on his chest. Once he rose from the bow, he tossed a small sack of coins to Val. ”You won our bet, though part of me wanted you to beat me.”

”Excellent,” she says, catching the pouch of coins, smiling, before tossing it towards Gale, ”And here is your first allowance as my student. Go buy yourself some books about the monsters you want to understand the most about, and some geography books. We’re going to start advanced tactics tomorrow. And, next time we spar, I won’t let your tricks get by so easily. After all, I could have electrified the steam, and sent the charge up your sword.”

Gale caught the coins and squealed in happiness and excitement at the same time. She did not try to hide her happiness at being allowed to join them. ”Whoo, will do Valerie.” She said as she made a mental note not to do that again before Draxis spoke up.”She’s your teacher and your superior, please call her Ma’am, it would piss her off for sure.”. That would catch a glare from Val, both to Gale and to Draxis, but she said nothing on the matter. Gale knew her training would be difficult but she was willing to go through it. That day, she became a member of Draxis’ crew and it was one she certainly would never forget.

As the hours passed and the party arrived at the gates, being allowed into the city. Draxis made his way to the castle courtyard on horseback, alone, stopping before the scene of the Templar and other members of the Covenant, save for one Black Clad Dwarf. He stuck out like a sore thumb, a thumb Draxis did not recognize. ”Knight-Captain, It is good to see you. I’m glad you are well.” Draxis spoke as he did a slight bow from atop his horse. His armor glowed in the dim firelight of the torches around him and his gaze was fixed on Sunderland alone, none of the others mattered as much to him, he needed his orders and his greetings and introductions to the rest of the group surrounding the Knight-Captain were only a secondary matter. He stood proud atop his mount and nodded to her, then to the rest of the group as a minor greeting, not that he was above them.
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AKA Draxis

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