Zeroth

To Become a Knight! ~ A Chivalric (Mis)Adventure

K A I

Friends?

---

@webboysurf"It is a pleasure to meet you, Kaiser Underwall. Your adoptive father is spoken of quite highly across the kingdom, and I imagine many will speak highly of you as well." Nathaniel looked him over--was he sizing him up? If Kai was third seat, and Nathaniel was second...did that mean Nathaniel saw him as less dominant in the group? Kai didn't think he should feel offended yet, because he wasn't actually sure if Nathaniel was doing that. Also, what the other boy said about Gramps made Kai wonder what kind of things people said. He remembered that, back when he had given the proctors his information for the qualifying tests, one of them had said something strange...

"...Sauvage? As in, Sir KYNER Sauvage?" The man looked at the paper in his hand, and then passed it to another proctor. He looked Kai over. "A third son, at his age?" But then the man's look of disbelief faded as he shrugged. "Then again...it's Kyner Sauvage."

"Isn't he supposed to be like eight feet tall?" The second proctor looked at Kai as well. "With hands big enough to crush a man's whole skull in just one? You certainly don't look like you're gonna grow into that, kiddo."

"I'm adopted, though?" Kai mimicked their skeptical looks and shrugged.

"There, see? Also, that's obviously hyperbole, ya dingus! Sir Kyner's not just some tall-tale!"

"I knew that!" the second proctor crossed his arms, though neither of them had noticed Kai copying the gesture. "Obviously nobody could do ridiculous things like...cook raw chickens just by slapping them!"

"Well o'course he could do THAT, ya nimrod! That's just Fire magic!"

"Um, can I go?" The question was barely out of the bluette's mouth before they waved him away and went back to their argument about which of Sir Kyner's supposed feats of bear wrestling, beard-punching, and Daemon-slaying were the least realistic.

"You should introduce yourself to our squad captain, and join us in heading to the barracks. I imagine they’ll be excited to meet you.” Oh right, Nathaniel was saying something. Kai felt the other boy's hand settle on his shoulder, and looked at the limb with curiosity. Then the 2nd Seat made a quick step to some of the others, and introduced himself to them as well. Most everyone seemed to be moving in the same general direction of the barracks as they talked. Kai followed along with the crowd, keeping an eye out for the Prince like Nathaniel suggested, but someone else spoke to him as they passed.

“That flip was really cool,” said the slender, cloaked kid who had been up on the other post. “Bet you could get over someone at ground-level with enough momentum, if they were, y'know, swingin’ low or something. Would be pretty sweet…uh, sir. Sorry.” Were they sorry because they'd interrupted him going to speak to the Prince?

@Mcmolly"Oh, it's um, no problem." he said, mimicking Dot's bow--it was a lot less stiff than Nathaniel's, but seemed to dip the head lower, too. He wanted to say more, but was only able to get out, "It's, y'know, nice to meet you! Dot, right?" before they slipped back into the crowd. But they had come close to the Prince now--Dot kept going, with head down, however Kai picked up his pace a step or two to catch up.

"T-Thank you your highnesslord-c-captain! I won't let you down!" said the guy Kai remembered being called "Zenshin Ferros." Zenshin saluted the prince, blushing for a moment before he continued on his own way. He carried himself much more confidently now--was it because of something the Prince had said? That made Kai smile--that guy wouldn't have lasted long if he had kept acting like prey that way.

@ERode"E-excuse m-me, your highnesslord-c-captain!" Kai snapped off a salute of his own as he finally caught up to Rossweine. "I'm Kaiser Underwall! F-f-feel free to call me Kai, if you want!"

To Become a Knight! ~ A Chivalric (Mis)Adventure

K A I

Squad 13's 3rd Seat

---

A man in too many colors for Kai's liking came out on stage, and made a long speech. Contrary to what one might think given what little display of his temperment they'd seen, Kai actually leaned forward on the post as he focused on the speaker.

This was it! He would be joining a grand tradition of knighthood, going back over five whole centuries! The same figures in the books, who slew Daemons and rescued princesses! The ones who defended the weak, and saved those in need! The ones like his Gramps, who could be stronger than anyone else...and kinder than anyone else, too. He was going to be like Gramps, too!

Then the strangely dressed man began reading out names. Kai tried to observe the others, but there were just so many even his eyes got tired after a while. He also fidgeted, and began to wonder when his own would be called. Gramps had once told him he'd been in one of these houses, but Kai couldn't remember which one. But Gramps had been House Champion--he'd been the best of the best! The bluette cracked his neck from side to side and renewed his vigilance, eager to live up to his adoptive parent's legacy.

The speeches of the other Heads of House weren't as interesting, as most of them only addressed the students themselves. The big guy with hair like a lion made it sound like his House would be a lot of fun, but even by Kai's standards it also seemed a little meat-headed. However, he noticed that the boy he himself had wrestled down to the ground in the qualifier spar, without even using a weapon, had been selected for this House. He smiled at that, genuinely happy that they might get to fight again...although, deep down, something inside him felt prickly, too. Why had that boy's name been called before his own, if he won the duel?

The older guy and the dangerous fellow with sharp eyes weren't long-winded either...but Kai's name was also not called for their houses. The boy's braid lifted over his shoulder in a question mark at first...and then began to droop.

"And, finally, the thirteenth squadron!"

Kai felt something cold, and heavy--a feeling he couldn't remember experiencing too many times before--settling on his chest. He gulped. What if...what if he had to go home? What if...he couldn't be like Gramps? He tried to tighten his jaw, because for some reason his lower lip was quivering.

"This squadron will be headed by His Highness, Prince Rossweine Lupus Grayle!"

This boy was tall and slender, but to Kai's opinion he seemed almost...fragile. He was a Prince? Weren't Princes supposed to be the ones, alongside Heroes, to defend the kingdoms and face down evils? Could a guy like this really do that? Kai had never really met any high nobility while living with Gramps. He tried to remember if he had seen this youth's spar before...and as he wracked his memory, he found it. He had found it really, really boring. And he didn't understand why everyone had cheered.

“The Knight King’s blood must truly run in his veins! Look at how he forced his foe to kneel without once striking back!” That was what they had said. But Kai had only thought this: How insulting it must be, to be beaten by someone who doesn't even have the will to fight.

"His second seat shall be Nathaniel Lothwren," continued the announcer. As the other boy walked on stage, Kai recognized him as one of the intense ones, the one he had noticed other applicants talking about--though most of those had already been chosen by now. Once the bluette got a better look at his face, he remembered that spar now too. Now that had been what a fight was supposed to be--although that little blonde had been more willing to "win," whereas Nathaniel had just been the "better fighter." Maybe that was why the guy had seemed like he was mad about something this whole time.

"...and his third... Kaiser Underwall, of House Sauvage."

"YES!" The boy's heart leaped, and so did the rest of him. Kai did a somersault with a one hundred and eighty degree twist from the post's top, and upon landing on the ground went on to perform a full cartwheel into a backflip before he landed with a heavy THUMP. Then he noticed the announcer and some of the others staring at him, and the body language on the House Commander. He decided to imitate the "ten-hut" attitude and curt nod that Nathaniel gave, and snapped his hands to his sides as he stood up ramrod-straight. His braid curled near his temple as if it were saluting.

The naming continued, and Kai relaxed a bit as he became more focused on watching those around him. Although...now that he wasn't up above the crowd anymore, there was really a lot going on. He started to feel...itchy, in a way. There were so many to pay attention to...

"Signar Wayland!" The big guy--the one he'd just seen back on the bridge, too. That blonde was still next to him. Wait a minute! That was the same one Nathaniel fought! Kai glanced at the other boy, feeling that an interesting reaction would have to take place if that kid got called. But, if Kai was remembering the big guy's spar, too...He didn't think he'd seen it directly, considering the crowds and so many other fights going on. He thought he remembered...an explosion? He smiled. He bet that guy had cool magic.

"Zenshin Ferros!" The one who acted like he didn't want people to notice him. Would he pull his hood down now? It was hard to figure out what might be going on there if Kai couldn't see his face. Watching other people's expressions seemed important if he wanted to understand what they were feeling.

"Dot Auferrum!" The other one from the post! Kai had a better look at them despite that flowing cloak and their dark clothes. And he recognized anger, not just in their face, but in their body's tension and the white-knuckle grip they had on that post. Why? Were they looking at...the Prince? But the shock of being called almost threw them off their perch. The anger seemed to...not so much fade, but cloud over. Maybe only for now.

"Liese Victoire Brendorn!" The other blonde, and the other really intense one. Kai got a look at their face and other features in more detail now that there wasn't a crowd between them. He...wasn't sure what to think. They didn't...look strong. Physically. But he got the impression that they were, somehow, strong...or...maybe the better term would be determined? Like the idea of retreat or losing wouldn't even occur to them. Kai thought that was...somewhat foolish. Maybe if you had no chance to get away from the predator, it was better to fight to the death. But the vast majority of fights weren't like that, at least from his perspective. If hunting prey took too much energy, it was better to scavenge. If holding territory meant facing a more powerful predator, it was better to give up and retreat.

"Julian Baker!" The one whose stomach had growled. The one who had beaten Nathaniel. Kai couldn't help but smile a little as the blonde came running towards the stage--some of these others were hard to figure out, but this one looked like they felt a bit like he did--like a dream was coming true.

The final of the four men upon the dais rose up, his long, dark hair trailing behind him as he approached the front of the stage.

"That will be all," he said, dismissing the herald, who nodded, rolled up the scroll, and departed. Not a word was spared for the remainder among the hopefuls, who quietly began to gather their things and trudge away. Kai looked at them and felt, to a lesser degree than before, the heaviness in his chest. An intrusive thought broke through--what if he had been like them? How would he have felt? He wasn't quite sure...but he figured, if he wouldn't have liked it, they probably didn't either. His braid slinked from one shoulder to the other.

"I have never had a particularly fine way with words... but I think we have all heard more than enough speeches today already, so I will keep this brief..." Their House Commander had struck Kai as one of the "dangerous" ones he'd seen today--all four of the men had. There was no doubt in his mind any one of them could easily best him, or any of the kids gathered here--maybe even all of them at once. But each one had different qualities, and thus they felt "dangerous" differently. This one...this one felt somewhat like...a vulture, maybe. Or a hyena, watching other beasts fight and ready to eat the loser.

"What is it that you can do for Grayle? Think long and hard on that in the days to come... and when you find an answer, see it through."

"Be a Hero!" Kai answered immediately, without even having to think. Why else would he be here? Why else do any of this? Knights fought and followed laws and codes. The only reason to fight was to win, which meant beating the enemy. And the only reason to follow rules were because you were good, and the rules were good to follow. So if good people had to fight and win, they had to fight evil, and protect people. So they had to be Heroes.

"Report to the Eastern Barracks. Your instructors will be waiting there to assign you your quarters, and you'll also have opportunities to meet with your squadmates. I would encourage you to use this time to familiarize yourself with both your accommodations and your brothers-in-arms, as tonight will be the last night of your old lives. Your training begins at dawn tomorrow. Dismissed!" Barking back these curt remarks, the bespectacled man turned and strode away, his long mane of hair and flowing cloak trailing behind him as he disappeared from view. Kai thought the man had scowled, but otherwise the bluette's "answer" had been seemingly ignored. The cadets looked around, unsure of themselves, but moments later began to disperse, making their way in a disorderly procession out of the courtyard and around the perimeter of the palace's outer wall, towards the barracks on the eastern side of the castle grounds.

Kai's gaze yet again swept the others. Liese moved to talk to Dot. Julian approached Signar. The Prince immediately headed for Signar as well, but had something to say to Julian too. And others. Nathaniel addressed the Prince. The blue braid lashed back and forth as Kai breathed out through his nose. There were too many conversations going on, and he wasn't sure what to do now. No one was talking to him at the moment...should he just follow the Commander's orders and head for the Barracks? But all of the others were introducing themselves and stuff. How...how should he act? He reached up and pulled at two of his hair's spikes in frustration, like a dog pawing at its own ears.

I don't want to be left out! I just--I gotta do something! Quick! The quickest! What's the fastest way!? He didn't want to initiate, but there was already so much going on, he felt itchy on the inside all over!

@webboysurfThe closest! The physically closest person to him! And that was...

Nathaniel!

The Prince had made a sort of circuit to greet several people, and Nathaniel had beelined after him, but between the stage and Kai. The others had been further back in the crowd even after they were called forward. And Nathaniel had introduced himself to the prince, and suggested that they head towards the barracks, and the Prince had responded, and it all sounded a lot like some of the older books he had read with Gramps, the ones where the words just kept going and going...

"Please excuse me, 2nd Seat Nathaniel." Kai walked with completely straight legs towards the other boy, then snapped them together when he stopped within arm's distance. He slammed his right fist over the left side of his chest and bent at the middle, then straightened again. "I'm Kaiser Underwall, adopted third son of Sir Kyner Sauvage." His braid twitched back and forth. "I thought I should introduce myself properly. I also look forward to working together in this squadron!" He smiled, with more than a hint of nervousness in his cheeks. But it didn't quite wrinkle his eyes--because they were focused intensely on the young man of equal height in front of him. Had he...done that right?

To Become a Knight! ~ A Chivalric (Mis)Adventure

K A I

Wandering Eyes

---

From up here, Kai not only had a good view of the stage, but all the students gathered beneath it. While waiting, he scanned the crowd with curious eyes and used his hand as a visor against the sun. That other person who had climbed up on a post was scowling. Their dark, flowing cloak made it hard to gauge their build, but they didn't seem quite so tall or broad as many other figures here. Kai felt like he wasn't the largest person around either, but he wasn't scowling. So why were they? Had something displeased them? He thought they were deep in thought earlier...but deep in thought about what? Were they just worried about what would happen?

There was someone else pushing through the crowd as well, making their way towards the front. This was a bronzed young man with dark hair, though Kai only saw a few wisps of it beneath that cloak and couldn't make out much about the youth's face from here. Without any way to see their expression, he instead looked at their body language. The head was low, almost the same level as the shoulders, and they moved between people and away from eyes like they didn't want to be seen. To Kai, they seemed like nervous prey evading the notice of predators around them. Was that a sign of this person's weakness, or the danger presented by others in the crowd? Kai's ponytail flicked back and forth as he scanned those gathered once more. There were certainly some here who were dangerous, in different ways...

A brown haired teen, whose equipment seemed a little better managed than most, stood out next to Kai's roving eye. Though he couldn't hear the voices from here, Kai could tell by the movement of others near the boy that they were probably talking about him--the way they tilted their heads when they looked back at each other, or gestured slightly with their hands, made that clear. And the brunette's stance was tense...were his fists clenched at his sides? There was definitely tension in his neck and shoulders, like he had clenched his jaw or something. Definitely aggression there, and from his size it was clear he was physically fit.

That other blonde, near the front of the crowd, was another dangerous one for sure. They stood at sharp attention, fidgeting only once to fix their cuffs, and though Kai could only see the back of their head from here he could tell they were intensely focused on that stage. Something about them seemed similar to someone else...ah, that person he had seen just a moment ago! He turned his attention back to the bridge. He could still see that tall figure, and every so often he thought he saw the bobbing blonde head. That was the one who seemed similar to the one in front...but at the same time, not quite. What was the tall figure doing to them? Were they arguing? He thought he caught a whiff of food. He had heard someone's stomach growl back there, before he ran all this way--so maybe they were arguing over food? Why would anyone do that? The smaller one could just wait for the larger to finish, and scavenge the rest, or go get their own. To fight when it wasn't necessary was a waste of energy a hunter couldn't get back.

The ear-piercing keen of a trumpet shattered the awkward silence. The sound of heavy boots echoed upon the wooden planks of the stage, and four imposing figures clad respectively in red, white, black, and gold emerged before the crowd, taking their seats upon four raised benches atop the dais. Kai crouched down on his post out of instinct--suddenly the idea of being up where those four could see him seemed unwise. Legs bent and palms down on the top of the fence like a frog, however, he still stuck out amongst the group. Again, his braid twitched--this time going straight down the back of his neck and shivering, like it too didn't want to be seen.

A raven-haired man with an expression that seemed...sure. As if everything were going to plan. Another man with a powerful stance and fierce expression, yet seemed to be trying too hard--especially given those glances he threw at the black-haired one. An old man, whose mouth quirked down at the edges as he surveyed the children before him--he seemed unsatisfied, if Kai had to put a word to it. And then, a man with piercing-green eyes and cornsilk golden hair. Kai gulped. That one was dangerous. And both he and the raven-haired man seemed to be looking at specific kids in the crowd--when they turned on Kai, the boy bristled and almost raised his hackles, but thought better of drawing attention to himself. Their gaze went past him soon enough...

To Become a Knight! ~ A Chivalric (Mis)Adventure

K A I

The Sauvage Stray

---

Of all the boys gathered on the King's Bridge, one seemed completely unfazed by their long wait to file into the courtyard. Perhaps at the risk of drawing the adult's ire, he wasn't even waiting in the crowd, or on the bridge itself. No, Kaiser--or Kai--Underwall currently had his ankles locked around the bottom railing on one side of the bridge. The rest of him hung down, and his arms stretched even further...but, unfortunately, it seemed he was still several feet short of reaching the water. And the delicious, fresh fish beneath it. With one more grunt of exertion, he failed to even brush his fingertips against the water, and sighed. The teen performed a hanging situp as easily as others might turn their heads, reached up past his toes with a flexibility any contortionist would envy, and grabbed onto the top railing. He unhooked his feet, then did a complete pullup with a push-through before vaulting himself back onto the bridge proper...although, he was still standing along the side-rails in a balanced crouch, like some oversized cat. He looked around the crowd, to see if anything had changed during the time he'd been attempting to find a snack.

@FeyblueSomeone else needed a snack too, if that rumbling was any indication. If Kai had actually caught anything, he would've been willing to share with the short blonde currently jumping up and down. @ZombehsBut he wasn't sure he could have caught enough, at least not with just two hands, to feed the bigger fellow who appeared behind the blonde. That guy was even bigger than the kid Kai had to fight to get this far--but the bluette could tell at a glance, he wouldn't be able to whimsically toss his sword aside and wrestle that one to the ground like he had his tubby opponent in the qualifiers. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if the other boys still talked about him the way they had before that fight?

"'Underwall?' As in, he was found...literally under the Walls?"

"That's what they say. Supposedly an old knight found him in the Wild. Doesn't make any sense to me--even if somebody dumped a baby off the End of the World, how would he ever survive?"

"What kind of sword is that? Was he raised by animals? Does he even have an education?"

These questions and many more had rippled around Kai wherever he went, on the day he tested for enrollment. Many didn't realize that he could hear them--but even if they had, the complete lack of reaction put them off as if he'd turned to stare right at them. Though some knew the name of Sir Kyner Sauvage--the man was a former House Champion in his own days on the training yard, after all, and hadn't done too badly for himself in all his years as a knight--they also knew there was no way this boy could be related. His blue hair, delicate face, and general build had nothing at all in common with his adoptive family. Nor did he seem to match the appearance or air of any renown noble that might be trying to hide him as an illegitimate son. The mystery of the unknown child had conceived both loathing--perhaps born of trepidation--and curiosity.

But, most of them past his immediate surroundings weren't paying attention to him now. Most were entirely focused on where they were going, towards that big courtyard, though foot traffic had come to a halt. Up ahead, just over the bridge and at the back of the courtyard, he saw another kid doing the same thing he was and climbing on top of a post. Not one to be outdone, Kai stood up to his full height right there on the railing--he only wobbled once before, like a tightrope walker, his balance held him impeccably still. He put one hand over his brow to defend against those rainbows reflecting off the water, and focused his eyes. It looked like there was a stage up there. Was that where they were supposed to be?

Again he looked at the throng still milling around on the bridge, then at the figure up ahead standing on the post. With a nod and a smile to himself, the blue haired boy took off--his footsteps made the metal rails rattle and clank all the way down their lengths as he ran past several others. He never missed a step, despite picking up speed. When he reached the end of the bridge, he actually leaped right over some boys' heads, turning a full somersault--@Mcmollyand then landed on a post on the opposite side of the crowd from the figure he'd seen afar.

The figure looked like they were thinking deeply about something, so Kai furrowed his brow too, and crossed his arms. One leg folded into the crook of his knee, he looked entirely at ease as he too now balanced above the group for a bird's eye view.

To Become a Knight! ~ A Chivalric (Mis)Adventure

I’m ok with the doggo, though his nose will suffer.

@ERode

Not as much as Rossweine's sense of dignity XD

*formal ball for some reason, everyone's in elegant attire, the Prince is obviously shmoozing the upperclassmen and has a gaggle of fangirls*

Kai: "YO ROOMIE!" *his tuxedo and dress shirt have had the sleeves ripped off, he has done away with his shoes ("Too pointy!") and his tie is backwards (genuinely never learned how to do it)* "I finally figured out why all you high-society types are so skinny! Your food's too small!" *holding the entire plate of pigs in blankets*

@Feyblue Great opener, I immediately distrust several people mentioned in the House Prologue! XD Do we need to make mention, or flashback, of the "qualifying spar" like Julian did, or will we be fighting again soon after introductions? I'll try to get a post up asap, although today will be a long one for me with work and such, so it'll be quite late by my time-zone (probably after 9PM CST). Also, should I send you mini-CSes for Sir Kyner Sauvage, the old knight that adopted Kai, or any of his already-knighted sons, for NPC or story filler purposes? Being Kai's parent I kinda figured Sir Kyner might make an appearance later on or something, but as of yet I didn't have any particular "plot oriented" plans.

To Become a Knight! ~ A Chivalric (Mis)Adventure

Also, since characters are decided now, I should probably mention this. For some added excitement, characters are probably going to be assigned to individual quarters with bunkbeds, meaning y'all are getting roommates. I'm thinking that since Dorothy and Liese's biological sexes are kind of known information for the higher-ups at the very Liese-t (groan), they'd probably get stuck together to avoid accusations of indecency (them being an Absolute and a Light user also helps, since, y'know, Successor of Alexander obviously will be working with the Successor of Arbert Grayle, right?)

But for everybody else, how do you want to go about deciding? I could randomly roll to see who gets assigned to room with who, or I could pick pairs based on who wants to be stuck together. Ultimately, depends on what everybody wants to do.

@Feyblue

Whoever gets Kai just has to remember: he needs walkies at least 3 times a day, he won't eat dry food, and he gets anxious during thunderstorms. XD

To Become a Knight! ~ A Chivalric (Mis)Adventure

The Boy From Under the Wall

_______________________________________________ // INFO P E R S O N A L D E T A I L S Full Name - Kaiser “Kai” Underwall Age - “Best Guess: 14 - 15” Gender - Male Heritage - Unknown - Presumably Abandoned, Non-native to Grandor Magical Affinity - Wind - // PERSONALITY P E R S O N A L I T Y Two Way Mirror Perhaps due to his lack of socialization at an early age, Kai’s interactions with other people are…a little odd. He’s clearly very observant, to the point that his stare often makes people uncomfortable, but exactly what he’s “looking for,” could be anyone’s guess. He won’t often make the first move with someone he doesn’t know, but if they’ve proven kind to him at any point then he’ll have no fear of initiating contact with them–even if, perhaps, they’d rather he chose a less awkward time for it. But, that first impression is key–because it will often determine how Kai himself interacts with that person. He will invariably, perhaps to the point of annoyance, match the energy that is given to him. If you greet him politely, he will return the manners. If you act aggressively, he will escalate to match your force. Only after several interactions will he act in a more “natural” way–maybe because it takes him that long to figure out what combinations of traits he should be using with a particular individual. Unfortunately, this also means he doesn’t exactly…do well in group settings, where multiple people are all talking or behaving differently at the same time. Lawful AND Good The knight who adopted Kai must have seen right away what kinds of troubles his lack of social skills would get him into. As a result the boy was constantly drilled on the Knight’s Code, on ideals of chivalry, ethics, morality, and various laws and regulations. Yet while he might seem incredibly straight laced and logical sometimes, at other times he’ll cast an opinion or rule aside as if it doesn’t matter at all–and if asked for an explanation, you’re likely to get something to the effect of “I don’t think that’s of much help right now.” Rather than plan some sort of elaborate ruleset or procedure to accomplish a given task, even if it would help more people, Kai would rather do the most immediate good in the moment. It’s not to say he won’t ever consider thinking a few more steps ahead. But most of the time, he seems to take the stance of, “What can I, at this moment, with what I have, do to help?” And when it comes to the question of evil? Most of the time, at that very moment, with what little he may have available, the answer is always a very stern, “I will make them stop. Now.” Voracious Reader You would think, given his background, that Kai wasn’t one for intellectual pursuits. You…would not be entirely wrong. But, if there’s one thing everyone needs to know regardless of their natural born curiosity, it’s how to read and write, yes? The knight who raised him made sure Kai could do these, as well as what little math he could force into the boy’s thick skull. His penmanship is still horrible, but he can write. And not only can he read, Kai is an obsessive reader. He can easily become distracted by the words on the page of a student’s book in front of him, or by a scrap of paper that blows past his ankle on the road. He’ll lose track of hours in a good book, never taking his eyes out of it (although his body will actually react to some things without him being aware of it, often preventing a distraction). His favorite books are stories of heroes, and adventures to far-away lands, or biographical tales. Perhaps it's because of his own lack of experiences that he craves them vicariously. // SKILLSET S K I L L S E T Wild Nature Kai seems to be physically talented in a way not many youths his age could be. He has no qualms scrambling up walls and trees, sometimes on all fours, or balancing himself from just about any position. Strong enough to hold himself in a handstand, or pull his whole body up over a branch, with just one arm. Fast enough in the water or on land to catch live prey with his bare hands. While his senses aren’t much “sharper,” than normal, he’s more aware of them–for instance, most people don’t pay much attention to their sense of smell unless it involves food, rot, or blood, but Kai can–after some time spent with them, of course–still differentiate between people entirely by scent. Combine this environmental awareness with his reflexes, and the boy proves to be quite adept at making the kind of on-the-fly decisions required by high-paced combat. Explosive Results While he might be a prime specimen physically, Kai proves an exceedingly poor student of magic. He performs his particular speciality, the one Spell that seems to come by instinct, well enough. But given an Incantation of any other type, even that of his own element, the boy will never fail to…well, fail–with rather dramatic results. He can learn the words properly, or even draw the runes, if he practices it with dedication and determination. It’s just that he can’t seem to actually do it. Only his own, personal Spell has ever worked out for him–so that’s what he sticks with. Wind Aura Sword Style - Void Slayer Unknown Sword An unknown bloodline, likely not even from Grandor. A strange blade of what seems to be Valefor craftsmanship–could that be where his heritage lies? Nonetheless, the rare and powerful ability of Aura awakened within Kai, and despite knowing nothing of Incantations or “proper” magic procedure at the time, he incorporated it flawlessly into his own particular fighting style. Sharpening the field of energy into a manifested blade from the “airspace” around him, Kai is able to project a slash from his sword over a distance, or enhance its cutting ability by overlapping the Aura with his sword. However, using his Aura to attack means that its usual “primary” nature as a defense against other magics is non-functional. Its current range limit is ten feet, and projected slashes (Slash Verdict) are not quite as strong as a “normal” slash without Aura. All Aura techniques are intensely draining. Currently only a single Verdict can be used before Kai has to get his breath back.

Physical Description At 5’8” and 128 pounds, Kai’s build is about average for his age. However, for a boy, his long hair and smooth, pale skin don’t exactly seem the most masculine. He’ll probably be one of those knock-out “pretty boys” when he gets older and his muscles fill out more, but for now he seems like a ripe target for bullying by the bigger boys–may the gods help their souls. For as much time as he spends outside, Kai doesn’t seem to tan very well. He tends to wear cloaks or thicker outer garments with hoods, and even in the summer he’ll often wear something long sleeved to keep from burning his arms. Other than that, though, his clothing is pretty plain and generally of whatever general fashion is popular among boys that age, just slightly above the commoners. His adoptive parent isn’t exactly rich or high ranking, but has been at his duties long enough to have accrued quite the substantial savings, so Kai never wants for much. At the same time, he’s not much of a fashionista–and he will literally give someone the shirt off his back if they ask him, perhaps not even so much out of kindness as just the fact that being seen without clothes doesn’t seem to bother him the way it does other people. Fitting, given his background. His voice is a pleasant tenor, though it’s starting to break here and there. He doesn’t seem as self conscious about it as most other boys his age, but it does mean that listening to any attempt to sing is usually not met with standing applause. His resting expression is a somewhat neutral, soft smile, just barely evident at the corners of the mouth. His eyes are bright and wide, frequently darting here and there whenever he sees something interesting–and then he stares for too long. He often walks with a confident stride, head up and chest out, and when standing still often defaults to a confident hands-on-hips stance. If he were taller and broader, it might actually be intimidating, but as he is now it comes off almost as playing pretend. Character Conceptualization Sir Kyner Sauvage had already raised two boys and married off a daughter, so what more was there for a Senior Royal Knight to do? Well, damn the hides of all those young bucks telling him to retire–dying alone and decrepit in his armchair would certainly not be his fate. Indeed, if they didn’t want to let him do what he wanted, out on the field where the real action was, then he would do what all those lazy sods didn’t want to do–take Wild duty at the End of the World. The Curse of Fendal hadn’t been seen in Grandor for a hundred years, but with the Wild right on its doorstep it would be foolish not to remain vigilant against all manner of monster and demon. Down below those magnificent falls, the Knights who walked secret paths and set foot into dark, twisted jungle knew that evil might not be so far away as the commonfolk liked to believe. But Kyner was still stout of heart, and of arm–he hadn’t been a House Champion for nothing, some three decades ago–and so with torch and blade he joined the patrol at the bottom of the misty cliffs. And one fateful day, not far beyond the treeline, he found not a monster, nor a runaway Dark Mage, nor even some lost knight finally making their way back to civilization. Sir Kyner stumbled upon a sleeping boy, sprawled in the grass without a care in the world–naked as the day he was born, save for the sword clutched in his hand. When the child awakened, Sir Kyner found he had no concept of language–or at least, not the tongue of Grandor–and seemed, for all intents and purposes, completely ignorant of the world. How long had he been surviving out here? Who had abandoned him here, and why? A knight is sworn to protect women and children, widows and orphans, and thus the obvious thing for Sir Kyner to do was take the boy in. He searched for some time to try and find any scrap of information. But no missing child posters turned up, no family claimed him among the impoverished, the immigrants, or the refugees of war on the borders, and ultimately, no origin could be found. Even once they had bonded, and the boy learned to speak, he wouldn’t–or couldn’t–tell Kyner much about his life before they found one another. So, time passed, and the boy–Kaiser, called “Kai” for short–grew into a youth. And Kyner decided to enroll him as a Knight-in-Training, to give the boy some education at the least, and perhaps a purpose in life. Kai was all too eager to swear that he would become a great Royal Knight, and save people wherever they needed his help–just like that day when “Gramps” had saved him, years ago. Other Information Theme Song: Ittou Ryouran It’s not magic or prehensile or anything, but his braided ponytail tends to…”show his mood,” one might say. Despite all his physical prowess, Kai has a penchant to get sick more easily than one would think. There were several times not long after Sir Kyner brought him back to Grandor that he caught flus, colds, et cetera and suffered with them longer than usual. Perhaps, wherever he’s from, the diseases and medicines are different…

To Become a Knight! ~ A Chivalric (Mis)Adventure

Dime's handwriting is... nightmarish distinctive. The basic, biographical details have been written in a different hand from the rest of the document, which is thankfully being handled by a professional reader.

@Sniblet

Examiner: ...At least she CAN write... *looks up as Kai, the next in line, hands in his own paper* Even a commoner will surely be better than a dog...

*crinkling sounds, the paper opens--it's a black-and-white manga style comic biography with no text and yet a precise level of detail, dynamism, and perspective*

Kai: Gramps always told me pictures were worth thousands of words, so I figured it'd save time! :D

Examiner: What the f--

@Zombehs

Seems like he'll have plenty of great potential interactions with the rest of the cast! ^_^

@Feyblue

Interactions such as "Why does the blue haired gremlin boi keep STEALING MY TOOLS?!" *Kai scampers out of the smithy on all fours, a hammer clenched in his teeth, as something that should not have been touched explodes in the background*

To Become a Knight! ~ A Chivalric (Mis)Adventure

@webboysurf
I think Nathaniel's an excellent addition! As far as any critiques go, the only thing I'd personally suggest is maybe adding a flaw or two, or pointing out the negative aspects of his established traits. You did that with his "honorable to a fault" trait, but aside from that and maybe the implication that he holds grudges (which is still pretty tame since there's no malice in it) most of his backstory is about all the positive skills and abilities that were taught to him, and there's not much mention of the things he can't do or isn't much good at. There's an element of bittersweet in the parts about him being "meant" for the battlefield as opposed to his brothers--has he ever stopped to consider what his life COULD be like if he CHOSE to do something else? Of course, that particular thing could feature more in the RP itself as he develops, rather than being openly stated.

@ERode
I mean, the opener did state that Aura was starting to appear more often, and that it seemed like a new generation of Heroes was on the cusp, right? And since we're all in the "childhood arc" right now, we could always just handwave it as "they're all super talented--for a bunch of teenagers, comparatively." Fey could always have a grown-ass knight come manhandle us all on the training yard and then reveal, "oh that guy? He's actually the weakest knight in his unit, he's just actually been fully trained and has battlefield experience whereas you are all literal kids," XD

To Become a Knight! ~ A Chivalric (Mis)Adventure

Basically, that one friend who is talented not because he's super magical, but because he can just think his way through a fight. Read moves, anticipate, find a counter. So nerdy in a fight? Still working out the kinks.

@webboysurf

So like, whereas Kai might be the kind of "naturally talented" athlete who can do an unassisted no hands backflip without even warming up, your guy would be the one who can watch a technique be executed, and figure out like, the body mechanics, or how it ties into a combination of techniques, or how to counter it?

And if someone were to ask either of them, "How do I do this move?" your guy would be able to say "Lower your hips, and pivot on your lead foot," and work them through it, whereas Kai would just gesticulate wildly with his hands and tell them "First it's like, shaa! And then you do it like, BAM! And if you did it right, it'll be like Ka-tiiing!" and then smiles while they look at him in abject defeat.