Fantasy Chivalry: Academy for Future Knights

[King Of Imagination]

Aristaeus couldn't hold it back any more, and his body started shaking a bit from his laughter. He leaned back and let out a good chuckle, wincing slightly from the arrow in his foot.


"No, her arrows are not poisoned, but perhaps my sense of humor might be. I apologize, you did not deserve that. Although, I am losing quite a bit of blood, so perhaps we should hurry back to the Academy so the medic can look at it."

 

[Auren]

Lureana let out a breath that she had been holding and shook her head. "You are something else," she said as she handed the boys his reins. She wasn't pleased with the joke, more concerned about his foot. She slid off her mount and tore a piece of her undershirt off. She wrapped the boy's foot as well as she could. "This should help stop the bleeding until we get to the medic."


She climbed up onto her mount and looked at the boy. She glanced at his food. "Would you like me to lead your steed? Or do you think you can do it?" she asked.

 

[King Of Imagination]

He smiled at her.


"I will be fine. I just led you on a chase at full gallop, did I not?" He rode off at a light canter, heading towards the Academy. Luckily his horse responded to voice commands as well as ones involving tapping the flank with the heels, otherwise he might have had to let the woman lead horse. He grinned again as he rode across the fields, the wind in his hair. He liked this feeling.

 

[Killigrew]

"What a cruel joke!" Emmony exclaimed once the boy had galloped away. "I cannot fathom why one of my Order would commit such unkindness."


"'Tis uncanny." Emmie said, then sighed as she turned towards Lureana in her saddle. "I don't suppose you'd be inclined to continue this hunt..?" Oh, Emmie had done a fine job of showing value as a friend. For the hunt to end on such a sour note... Emmie crinkled her nostrils. Lureana now had every right to distrust her.


No matter.


Emmie was nothing if not foolishly persistent. She had already set herself down this path, and would not admit or accept retreat until she had reached the prize.

 

[JellyFish]

She was being bedeviled by her thoughts.


Cordelia had a cloud of gloom overhead, taunting to be turned into a storm. She wasn’t ready to go back to her room. She indeed wasn’t ready to unpack her things. No, she was much too antsy to even think of resting like she had originally planned. So instead she paced. Her light footed boots pulsing against the dull colored floors of the halls. Every step was a steady heartbeat but grew into a pounding race as she barred herself into thought.


“Why would the Heinrich ask for such a thing? Obviously there is something suspicious about the whole business. To find a space hidden under the cover of the open eye…?” She swung her hair, the few rays of light that floated in from the vibrant colored windows catching the pale blonde strands. Her hands were lifted to brush away the kinky pieces of silver that got in the way of her sight.


“Where would I even begin looking for such a place? I can’t even begin to comprehend the size of the monstrosity!”


Her cheeks were heated in tones of red, her cumbersome ideas and protests being unheard except by the lifeless walls of the academy. Her brown eyes were flecked in worry. All she had wanted was to see what a dragon looked like. Hearing stories from raving old story tellers could only give you a blind taste of the truth. What she wanted was to know what it was like to stare a dragon down, hear the the rising roar that vibrated from its chest, to place her palm on the dying chest of the beast as it died by her sword. What a blissful experience that would be.


She bit the corner of her lip a twitter of laughter passing her by. She could feel her skin crawl in pleasure at the thought. She had simply just given the death of a dragon wing to fly in her imagination and her body was being racked in continuous shivers of joy.


This was was a hunter loved. This was what she loved. The experience of being a god, deciding when to take life at the mere whim. She had leaned against the uneven, cemented bricks trying to steady herself. Her breathing was too ragged and intense. She almost sounded like a woman on the throes of love. Both hands flew to her mouth, trying to stifle her breathy cries.


“Oh absurd… You need to calm down Cordelia, just calm down.” Her brown eyes gazed up at the ceiling, now that she had slide down onto the floor. Her heart was still hammering against her chest and her vision was blurred in unspilled tears. Why did she crave death? Why did she crave for the screams of the hunted? A choked sob escaped her, the cold tears in her eyes refusing to fall.


Because. She was the hunter.

 

[Auren]

Lureana watched as the boy road away and shook her head. He was a cocky child and now she had two people to ask the academy medics about. She looked back at Emmony. She seemed to not know what sort of distraction she was, but Lureana didn't hold it against her. It wasn't her fault, she felt. The girl was innocent enough, even though they were equals in the Academ.


"Well, he was shot in the foot. Such a prank does seem to happen when boys have hurt prides," she said, remembering how many an opponent had tried to use her weakness for the wounded against her. The boy didn't necessarily know her weakness, but she was a girl. Many men assume girls are weak in such a way, their sympathies being used against them. "I suppose we should return to the academy. That gallop we just did probably scared away most of the beasts of the wood," she sighed. She turned her mount toward the academy and slid her hand over its neck. It was still breathing hard from the previous ride. Stopping, she slid off her mount and looked back at Emmony. "We should probably stop the river on the way back. The mounts will need a bit of rest," she was saying more than she should, but she was feeling a weird compassion for the girl. She seemed to only mean well, and her intentions were enough to make Lureana respect her.


She patted her mount's shoulder and took hold of its reins. She lead it toward the river, and expected Emmony to follow. She stopped, letting the horse take a drink. "Good boy," she cooed softly, "You did such a good job." She petted his neck before leaving her hand on his shoulder.

 

[Sgt Grunt]

Jakob stood beside the training field, leaning on the railing of the outside and watching for potential recruits. It was funny in a way, when he showed up everyone seemed to try and fight harder to prove themselves, which was precisely not what he wanted to see. He wanted the ones who fought that way all the time, never holding back yet showing courtesy to defeated opponents. It was an admittedly tough line to walk, but he accepted only those who could walk it regardless.


He wondered briefly where the dragons had gone since he'd spoken to them, hoping they hadn't run into more trouble from fools and misguided souls. The last thing he wanted to see right now were calls to war over idiocy.

 

[Killigrew]

"Perhaps commoner boys react in kind." Emmony replied quickly. "But not those of the Templar Order. We are taught to uphold the most rigid of moral standard, in both action and inaction, in both demeanor and in behavior. Forgiveness is a virtue that saved humanity, and all followers of Airesh must have it readily at the forefront of their hearts. That's..." She retracted, and grew self-conscious, face coloring as she played with her horse's mane. "That's what we're taught..."


And it was what she had denied for years by frequenting the town in self-pleasing pursuits, disregarding her duty and responsibility. But no more, she'd changed, and would continue to change. She would no longer compromise her beliefs or the standard placed upon her as a daughter of the Templar Order.


And she would improve. And she would not be abandoned.


Emmie was more than relieved to find that Lureana was not in any hurry to be rid of her, and clucked her horse into motion, following the older girl to the river, a small, man-made canal of streaming water that led into Galt's moat, providing security for those within. Letting her horse slurp at the rippling, translucent surface, Emmie leaned back against the grass. Absentmindedly, she tore a reed from the dirt ground and chewed it between her teeth, sighing up at the storm clouds hovering above.


" 'And it was so that Airesh carrieth a dark tide with which to veil the blue'." She said quietly. "Remember that verse? We recited it at Worship last week. It was written in the green book, 'twas, if I recall in truth, Airesh's reaction to the dragons' thievery of souls." She glanced at Lureana, gauging a reaction. She wasn't sure what the Lionharts had said the previous night, but she knew that Order had been the most avid in the dragons' coming. "What are your thoughts? The dragons have come, but what do you think is their purpose?"

 

[Karma200]

Cecile and Celeste were amazed by everyone' s skills but that wasn't going to help their training. Cecile poked Celeste before motioning for her to follow her.


"What now?" Celeste sighed with a raised eyebrow at her sister before following after her toward the forest, with a roll of her eyes she followed after her red haired sister who was walking surprisingly graceful inside the forest, something she always did since she preferred to stay in the forest more then at their home before they came here.


"So we can practice with our daggers," Cecile snorted as if Celeste was supposed to know about it, once the two of them were alone they both put down their main weapons but close in enough just in case. Taking out their unique daggers both twin sisters stood in the middle of the small clearing surrounded by trees.


Seconds later the twins rushed at each other with speed and skill, the blades of their daggers scrapped against each other as the sisters continued to practice. Quickly dodging Celeste's swiping dagger she kicked Celeste in the stomach but not to hard, hard enough for a bit of pain though.


"It is so on," Celeste huffed before both sisters once again went after each other, even though Cecile wasn't an expert on swords like Celeste she was still very skilled in small daggers but more so in her bow and arrows. Because arrows are fast she had long ago decided to get faster along with her flying arrow.


"Come on," Cecile challenged with a smile on her face, their daggers continued to block each other while the sisters would find other ways to deal blows to each other. At least they wouldn't have to worry about anything. For the moment.

 

[Nozzivix]

Torath watched the students training from his office window, just as he watched the rainclouds rapidly approaching. The Dragons believed that the weather was affected by the mood of nearby Spirits in Yl, and if he had to guess, the wizard would say that somewhere, somewhen, a Dragon was crying...

 

[Killigrew]

Her message delivered, Mahl'Iss gazed over the training field for a glimpse of Noz'Onn and his flame-red hair. Seeing none, she stood, looking with further intensity. She glanced over the human that had said such strange things the previous night, but nothing struck her in recognition of her own kind.


"Where has Noz'Onn gone..." She began to ask. The words had scarcely left her mouth and a shadow fell over her, and a moment's turn revealed a tall, one-armed man with a frozen eye and ice-like robes. Mal blinked, and he began to speak, beginning with a thorough introduction and moving on to a confession. Mal was silent through it all, letting him speak and pour out in honesty his regrets and his penance.


Though she thought she should, Mal did not smile when he had finished, only stared seriously into his eyes, seeing the sincere intent within them.


"I am owed nothing." She said finally, not breaking eye contact. "Instead, I give credit to you, human. A human's life is a mist that appears for a little while, and then vanishes. That you could see past, in so short a time, that which has been instilled into the very fabric of your life is of credit to you, and I am grateful that you have spoken to me thus." A softness entered her eyes then, looking fondly at the man. "It gives me hope."


@Taqhart

 

[Auren]

Lureana nodded, listening as the girl babbled on. She turned to meet her gaze when she paused, almost as if she was unsure of what she saying. She could see why, it sounding more rehearsed than natural thought. She looked up at the clouds, feeling the storm moving in, and fast. She frowned.


When Emmony turned to question her, she met the younger girl’s gaze steadily. This would be a delicate conversation, she sensed. She thought about the verse, but had never been the religious sort. She found the prayers they rehearsed to be vague and superstitious at best.


“I remember it,” she said, watching the girl’s reaction carefully, “Well, I have only talked to two of them, and briefly. They seem to intend no harm. I’m sure that if they had, we would be in ashes and frozen in ice.” She paused for a moment. The girl seemed dedicated to her own studies in the Temple, and those of the Temple were well-known for their dislike of the ‘devils’ that were invited to the school. “Let me ask you a question. From your observations of the dragons on the Academy grounds, what have you seen? What do their actions say to you?”

 

[Killigrew]

"Their actions..?" Emmie replied, chewing the grass thoughtfully.


What did their actions matter? The dragons had already proven they could not be trusted. In the Book of Wind, it stated very clearly that these dragons were soulless husks that hungered for the purity of humanity, that had even stolen it from them. So Emmie was silent as she mulled over Lureana's question, wondering both at the woman's motive, and the words themselves.


"What do you mean?" She finally asked, giving up after running circles in her mind. "What would their actions reveal to me?"

 

[Auren]

Lureana paused for a moment before nodding. "Just as I said. Tell me what they have done since their arrival to the academy. What have you seen?" She watched the girl mull over the thought for a moment. She turned toward her mount and patted his shoulder before petting his mane. She started de-tangling it.


She turned to Emmony and raised an eyebrow. "Did you watch my actions before you decided to speak to me? Did you decide an on an opinion before you had seen me at all?"

 

[Killigrew]

Emmony sat upat that. Did Lureana suspect? Emmie did have the intention of using the Maje, of befriending her, too, but Lureana figuring that out would severely lower any chance at this.


"Is it so strange that I spoke to you?" She said, guarded even though she was trying to appear relaxed. "You're dedicated." That word again. Emmie was certain it was the right one. "I could not help but draw an opinion after seeing you so often, daily, tearing away at those dummies and the like, taking correction without complaint, only resolve. I was impressed, couldn't help but be, that's the best way to describe it, really." She relaxed a little as she spoke, believing she knew where Lureana's words led her. "But the dragons are not the same. We know we are both human; we know where we start, and what's good for us. There are liars among us, sure. We can be fooled. But we're still human. They're completely different from us, inside and out. Even though they pretend to be like us, that's all it is in the end; pretending.... right?"

 

[Auren]

"Yes, but you saw me. Defining me as dedicated because you saw me everyday on the training field," she said, hoping to lead the girl to a conclusion that involved drawing her own opinion on the dragons. She thought of the word for it, bias. She wanted Emmony to forgot all bias, to understand what bias could do to someone, how it could harm others, how it created an unjust system. She tried to keep her facial expression encouraging as she spoke again to the girl.


"I don't know what's good for me. I simply have goals, ambitions, like any other being. Am I pretending with you now, do you think?" Lureana asked. "I am a Lionhart, I am above you in all means and fashion. Yet I still speak to you. Am I pretending?" She continued again, "So again, please tell me. What have you observed the dragons doing? Such as the actions of myself on the training field, what actions have you seen from the dragons?"


"One last question, Emmony. If dragons are all powerful devils, devils that could destroy everything we know in moments, devils that are legend to be wise and old enough to know the weaknesses of humanity, then why do they try so hard to create a peace with something they could easily destroy?" She paused again, thinking for a few moments, mauling over a thought. "Do you know kind devils, Emmony?" she looked at the girl sincerely.

 

[King Of Imagination]

Aristaeus listened, out of sight, as Lureana and Emmony spoke. He understood perfectly what she was saying, because he had thought those things himself. He did not agree with what the Templars thought of the dragons. He had seen little but kindness from them, and hard work in defending the land. He was a Templar because of another belief that he held strongly, that all life was sacred, and that the useless waste of it was wrong. This was why he used only blunt weapons. He would not kill, simply incapacitate. He wanted peace between all things; humans, dragons, and ForeSworn alike. This is why he was squired as a Templar. He could have easily fit in with the Lionharts, but the Templars seemed more concerned with justice and equality, while Lionharts seemed a bit more concerned with power over people. He could never have been a Teuton, he was not violent enough.


Aristaeus rode off quietly to the Academy to get hs foot checked out, his thoughts churning.

 

[Killigrew]

Lionhart or no, gentle expression or no, Emmie felt a hot lump burn in her stomach when Lureana questioned the words of the gods. This truth that she had been taught from the time she was a babe, surrounded and threaded into the fabric of her society seemed not only clear, but blatantly clear. This lack of understanding mixed with the burning offense in a swirling, growing storm that darkened her countenance like the sky above.


As she recalled the words of her teachers, Emmie opened her mouth to speak.


But because Emmony was neither so patient nor so gentle as her teachers, and could not even pride herself in more than hearsay, the words came out brusque and pointed, little maturity to temper them.


"You answer your own question even as you slip towards heresy." These words once rebuked her, and she wielded them now without the gentleness she remembered.


"So be very, very careful. I cannot permit such a thing, and I will take measures to right the wrong should you explicitly disregard the words of the Gods." She stared heavily at Lureana before continuing. "The dragons want peace and our trust because they seek the destruction of our race. Their forceful assault ended in the slaying of nearly every dragon, remember? It only makes sense that now they would come under a banner of solace, deceiving many while their hearts desire only our destruction."


"And then, I suppose, you'll ask, 'why then did they assist us with the Foresworn?'" Emmie felt her father's voice in her mind as she spoke, recognizing his words even as she said them. "The peasants have asked the very same, but you should not even have this question in your mind. Should you read through the Holy Books, you would see the truth yourself, and better prepare yourself for the destruction that is to come because of human foolishness. The dragons would not receive our souls unless they were to consume us themselves; it takes an eating, a devouring of the physical in order to obtain the spiritual."

 

[Taqhart]

Rowan felt a tide of honor rise up within him as the dragon accepted his confession; he could feel Eesna smiling down on him. Eesna's acolyte making peace with a dragon the colour of ice, almost as if Rowan's God planned it himself. Rowan knew the feeling of completing a just act, it is written that man can feel the fires of turmoil and hate within a mans soul being cooled by Eesna himself. He had felt that feeling many times while he was completing the Pilgrimage of the Even Hand, and Rowan felt it now.


The acolyte continued to look up into the dragon's ice blue eyes, they seemed to have thawed as they gazed upon Rowan. This dragon girl before him acted like she had lived years far beyond that of his own life, her words were wise and filled Rowan with happiness, they were testimony to everything Master Gaol had taught.


"You give me hope as well, dragon" Rowan said as he rose in front the dragon. "May I ask your name?"


Rowan couldn't contain his smile, then a a loud clash of steel reminded him that they were outside beside the training field. In a half panic, Rowan turned his head the left quickly checking if anyone was watching from the field. Scanning the field quickly revealed many of the knights paid them no heed, too focused on their swords, bows and horses. Rowan looked the other direction towards the academy and temple. Rowan let out a sigh, everyone was too busy scurrying about to notice him bow to a dragon.


The acolyte let out a sigh of relief. Before looking back to the dragon, Rowan's eye caught one robed figure standing still outside of the temple. The pointy nosed priest of Airesh that Rowan bumped into earlier, stood with his hands folded into his sleeves. The tall priest eyed him and the dragon carefully, and did not remove his leer even as Rowan returned his gaze.


Dark grey clouds had started to formed over the academy, Rowan felt a storm coming.

 

[Auren]

Lureana walked over to Emmony, holding out her hand in order to help the girl stand. Once the girl was on her feet, Lureana patted her shoulder. "Let us go back to the academy," she smiled, "It looks like it's going to rain soon, and ladies such as ourselves shouldn't be caught in such a predicament." She walked over to her mount, sliding onto her saddle. She knew that with Emmony' s reaction was partly her own, and partly from what she had been told. She waited for the girl to hop onto her own mount before she led the way to the academy. She thought about asking Emmony another question, but figured it would not come across the way she would wish. So instead, she rode in silence.


When they reached the stables, Lureana handed her mount over to a stable hand, gave her practice bow and arrow to another servant, and commanded a third to fetch her cloak. "Well, I must be taking my leave now, Emmony. I hope we have the chance to chat again," she said as a servant approached with her cloak. She slid it over her shoulders and walked back to the academy. She made her way to the medic's station, as a fast stop before heading towards her Temple lessons. She slipped into their little alcove, waving a familiar medic over. She wasn't sure if the other boy had made it in to have his foot checked out, so she stuck to asking about Heinrich. The medic walked over to her, knowing her because of her multiple visits to check on the wounded.


"How is the boy with the cracked rib?" she asked. The medic gave a grimace.


"He is alright. A tad bit sensitive to his own wounds though," the medic muttered, glancing toward a cot in the back, "I believe he came back with another wound." The medic kept his voice low. Lureana smiled softly before nodding.


"Did a boy with an arrow in his foot come by?"


"Not that I have seen, miss," he said, glancing about at the visitors. Many of the academ were present after training, some with minor injuries and some with large, accidental ones. With that Lureana walked around to observe those that were being cared for by the nurses, occasionally stopping when there was a child being cared for, and the nurse asked her to hold their hand while they tended some broken bone. She had done this many times before, always checking on those who were wounded, whether by her hand or not. She would speak to many of them, offering kind words to soothe their prides, if not to encourage them to keep trying.

 

[King Of Imagination]

Aristaeus stabled his horse, and with the help of one of the stable boys, slid down and hobbled over to the gate, where his mentor was waiting.


"What happened this time? Did you shoot yourself in the foot?"


"No sir, I was shot by a Lionhart, twas simply a mistake."


"Well, allow me to help you to the infirmary so we can get that removed, you know I expect you at training tomorrow."


"Yes sir."


With that, Aristaeus wrapped his arm around his mentor's neck and hobbled with him towards the infirmary. On the way, he thought about something, and, trusting his mentor, turned to him and asked.


"Sir, what do you think about the dragons."


He considered for a moment, not even shocked, and then replied, "According to the Books, they are soulless creatures hellbent on the destruction of mankind."


Aristaeus sighed, "Yes, the Books do say that-" He was cut off by his mentor though.


"However, they were written in a time when the dragons were as such, cruel and hateful of the humans, during a time of war between us. Things have changed, I do think, and the dragons wish to atone for their ancestral crimes. I believe everyone deserves a second chance, human or otherwise. Don't you?"


Arstaeus smiled. His mentor was of like mind. He wasn't alone among the Templars. "Yes sir, I believe everyone deserves a chance."


As their conversation ended, he hobbled into the infirmary, where a nurse immediately took him to a bed and called a physician over. He glanced around and noticed the woman that had shot him in the foot earlier, who has argued for the dragons. He called out to her, "My lady, how fortunate to see you here."

 

[Auren]

Lureana glanced up from the child she was helping with. After noticing the boy from earlier, she turned her attention back to the child. She mumbled some encouraging words before leaving the nurse to take care of him. With that, she walked over to the one who called out to her. "Hello, again," she said glancing at his foot. The medic in charge of taking care of such wounds came over soon after.


She stood to the side, out of the way. "I'm glad you made it here safe," she said, watching the medic work, "My name is Lureana, lady of the house Rompth." She smiled gently, feeling again that she was going to have to atone for her mistake in shooting the poor boy's foot. She would have to become better at her own concentration around others if she ever wanted to excel as a knight.

 

[King Of Imagination]

Aristeaus smiled, then bit down on his wrist bracer as the medic pulled the arrow out quickly. He looked at her while the medic grabbed a needle and stitching thread.


"I have to say, it could have been worse. A foot is not overly bad, and I will be able to walk tomorrow." When one of the nurses shot him a look like 'You'll be here for a few days' he raised an eyebrow and she backed down. "As for my name, Aristaeus, house of Versols." He winced as the needle went into his skin and the medic stitched it up.


"Just saying, don't beat yourself up over this, it could have happened to anyone. You and I just got lucky." He smirked slightly.

 

[Auren]

"I still feel responsible for the harm done," Lureana said. He seemed like the brave sort with how he handled his pain. She'd seen many like him in the infirmary, trying not to yell or believing that they should hold in their pain. It was admirable of them. His wound did look worrisome though, and she furrowed her brow as she stared at it.


"What do you mean by brave?" she asked, as she watched the medic. She didn't think that he would be able to walk nearly as soon as he believed he did. "I don't think you can walk on that," she grinned at him, teasing.

 

[Killigrew]

"In the human tongue, I have chosen to be called Mal." She replied, and fell silent.


Among dragons, when equals exchanged names, they would cross their tails in a twining motion as a show of peace. But in this human form, Mahl'Iss had no tail, and she had only words, and a very limited number of words to boot.


When the priest stiffened, his gaze shifting to beyond her, she turned to follow it, catching sight of a long-nosed priest with squinty eyes, dressed all in a glowy kind of green. Mal saw the discomfort in the blue priest's gaze, and inclined her head. Bidding a parting to Ma'ar, she retreated from the smaller group to find Noz'Onn, who was so strangely absent.


She circled the sparring yard a second time, and made her way to the Grand Temple, ducking her head at the frowning faces of the priests. The last place she'd seen Noz'Onn was in the room she'd slept in, and she moved for this destination.


The room was empty, a quiet breeze fluttering in, tasting of sea salt and thick with the wet of coming rain. Mahl stepped inside, sighing in disappointment. A fluttering wind set the hay atremble, and as her eyes followed the movement, she caught the carved stone atop the still bloody bag of meat in her sight.


You forgot to eat this. Meet me at the top of the temple, 8:00 PM. You need to see.


She raised an eyebrow. 8:00 PM? That was human time. She was terrible in the translation. But perhaps 'top of the temple' gave her Noz'Onn's whereabouts exactly.


Mahl made her way up the winding staircase, pushing up the trapdoor at the top of the Grand Temple's high tower, higher even than the surrounding walls, and saw the seated form of the scarlet-haired flame dragon.


"Wildfire..." She murmured, standing behind him. "Why did you call me here?"