Fantasy Chivalry: Academy for Future Knights

[Killigrew]

"Foolishness doesn't become you." Mal replied in kind, with dry humor. "You know as well as I what we came here for; it was not to incite fear in them; it was to forge a bond of peace, one from which we will equally prosper. We are here to prevent bloodshed, but your threats and anger shall steal our chance at that. Is that what you want?"


She leaned in closer as she spoke, the dragon tongue coming out in a hissing, low sound, scraping against the back of her throat. It was a pleasant thing to speak in that familiar language.

 

[Nozzivix]

"Hmmph." he replied, smoke coming from his nostrils. "No. It isn't. I've spent so long amongst the Little Souls, seen so many live and die, both great and evil men. Then I come here, to the land that blessed our people with longevity and wisdom, to see such foolishness dominating it. Tell me Glacier, you come from the Dead Lands, you've seen the hell our people have been through. Tell me it was worth it."





The Dragon was bummed out now, the words from earlier having placed a damper on his usually happy demeanour.

 

[LonesomeWizard]

John nodded. "Yes Sir Jakob" He said hoping that would be fine as he did not know how to pronounce his last name. "Well i must say those are fine objectives.. It must be a great honor.."

 

[Sgt Grunt]

"Indeed it is, sir knight. Though hearing these talks of peace with dragons is... worrisome. The priests do not approve, and I fear what the priests do not approve of, gets destroyed. The gods will not suffer the existence of those who would see us eradicated." Jakob sighed, not liking that line of thought even for a moment. He remembered the war, remembered the dragons burning great swaths across the land, and quite frankly did not wish to see it happen again.


"Forgive me, brother. I should not speak of such things aloud. Pray tell me, how go the festivities inside? Aside from your rebellious student, that is." He smiled, one corner of his mouth turned up to show that he was joking.

 

[LonesomeWizard]

"I feel the same way that those priests do truth be told.." John said grimly. "I should say okay but most of the students well most of the Teuts and Templars.. Do not approve" He said "Ill keep the peace between both races as long as both do not provoke each other or i fear there'll be blood.." He grinned at the comment. "Im glad he's not a templar"

 

[Killigrew]

A chill ran through Mahl'Iss at the mention of the Dead Lands, and, irritated despite herself, she let out a long breath, a cloud of frozen air expelling from her lungs. "Worth it? I would not even pose such a question if I were you. Nor should you point to the Little Souls as the single point for blame." The desert scape of below was a desperate place, and aptly named; life there was a slow death. The black memories Noz'Onn's question stirred up in her urged her on emphatically, eating at her soul all the while. "Forget this not; the legends say that this all began with one fire dragon unable to restrain his lust. Keep your desires in check."





This said, Mal took hold of a roasted beast, breaking the flesh from the bone. Gingerly, she took a bite, swallowing with some effort. Face contorting in disgust, she placed her plate back on the table.

 

[Sgt Grunt]

Jakob shook his head, willing the gods to change the minds of his colleagues. He had no wish to kill dragons, but he would do as he was ordered.


"You are right, of course. Most of the soldiers do not approve of this peace. Too many of them suffered irreversible damage during the war, to both family and personal property. Regardless, let us not speak on this further, it wouldn't do to pray with such Ill thoughts on the mind. Rest easy, friend." Jakob patted the man's shoulder and turned to leave, leaving the common room in silence once more. He didn't like it, but he need to show a presence among the dragons as well, as a show of good faith on the clergies part if nothing else.

 

[LonesomeWizard]

John sighed as he left. "May i come with you i have nothing to do around here sir.." He said hopefully. He had nothing much else to do around the academy but sleep and pray.

 

[Nozzivix]

At her look of disgust, Nozz couldn't help but smile a little. "It's tough getting used to food cooked this way, eh? Took me a while to get used to food not cooked with my own fire. If I remember correctly, there's some game-lands to the north, near a lake. I doubt we'll get a chance to go there though." He added with a sigh.

 

[Original Hylion]

There was an odd crowd gathering about the area, all starting when three new students made their way into the hall. The tension and queerness that covered the room seemed to grow in an awkward frenzy, only being shaken when a would speak to the three students. Something must have been up, with all the silenced commotion. The three did not seem particularly interesting. It seemed like they came somewhat color coated. One was quite red in appearance, as in red hair and large red eyes. Speaking of their eyes, they had some large ones, and some weird pupils. One had silvery white hair, and it looked soft. She had an icy stare, cold and direct. Looking into them, Law left a shiver.


He kept from looking for to long, he did not want to come off as too judgmental. He noticed they were greeted by a small few and took a seat to eat amongst everyone else. They sat not too far from Laurence, allowing him to keep them within his peripheral. He was within a descent ear distance, and with nothing really to keep his attention, Law could not help but eavesdrop. For the most part, they spoke of idol banter, and occasional went on in a language that Law did not recognize.


The girl seemed to be displaced by the male's words. As well, the male seemed quite displeased with the atmosphere of the area. Even more so, they seemed quite bothered by the food. On that, Law made the assumption of them being of quite high nobility. It would give some evidence on why they caused such a tension within the building. It made him wonder who they were.


"The food isn't that bad," he spoke lightly to them, "It's far better than what most eat."


His eyes kept on his plate now. He found it better to keep his expression away from them. He assumed disdain from them, the pettiness of blue bloods grew with rank.


"I'm Laurence, though most people find it easier to call me Law." He rose his face to them and offered a warm smile. They were new, there was no reason to treat them poorly. "I've been here for a good long time, Upper Maje and such. If you need help with anything, I'd be willing to supply." There was nothing wrong with making a kind first impression.

 

[Killigrew]

"It tastes like dirt." Mal said, nostrils curling as the scent filled her senses. "I can only stand its taste because the journey left me famished..." The mention of hunting grounds to the north perked her interest, but the hope was quickly crushed. "No, I daren't hope for that. We have signed our lives away to this castle and these humans, Wildfire. It's best to keep such desires away, even from our thoughts."





A low murmur was rising up behind the two dragons, and Mal raised her eyes to see a crowd of Teutons, marked by their black and red uniforms, jeering at the student that had approached Noz'Onn before -- Heinrich.


"Why shy away so from battle, babe? Do ye fear the gods'll favor the outcast?" They called out. "Afraid of a little blood, Heinny?"


One raised himself up on a stool, and smacked at his behind, making use of the word well, and raising a cacophony of laughter. Mal watched quietly, and wondered at their strange behavior. Heinny? A contraction of the friendly one's name. And the sounds seemed to set off all manner of amusement amongst the Loride. They were a strange species indeed.


A more friendly voice came from behind her and Noz'Onn, and she caught the gaze of a smiling student, tall, elder than most around him. Mal took in his words, and waited for Nozz to reply, moving back to sit against the table and observe.

 

[Riddle78]

Narathzul noted the crowd's response to his shaming of the Teuton. They reacted exactly as he had expected. And,rather than face his peers,the manling walked out,making a conscious effort to bump into him on his way out. Prideful,arrogant,ignorant,and cowardly. A potentially disastrous mixture. He approached the dragons,seated near eachother,and leaned in. "I am sorry to interrupt,my Lord and Lady,but I must adjourn to run drills. Please,exercise tact and caution. I cannot do my duty if I cannot be present." He straightened himself,and left the dining hall. He caught some whispers. Some recognized him. Narathzul Arantheal. The man who slew an opponent in a duel to blood,and was stripped of house and title as a result.


But they also knew he practically won the Forsworn War for them.


He caught one of the students,an Upper Maje,introducing himself to the dragons as he left for the training fields. The Teuton walked out into the yard,and made his way to the training field without incident,though he drew many eyes. He was pushing forty. Many would question his intent for going to the training field. However,he was a soldier. He needed to keep sharp,especially now,in his age. He stepped past a barrel of practice weapons,and plucked from it a longsword. The two-handed weapon felt natural for him. Of course,it did. He preferred the even larger zweihander,and he started with longswords.


Narathzul started with practicing his forms. It was quite a sight,moving the weapon with such speed from one guard position to the next,with absolute control over the weapon. And,each transition was also a strike. Eventually,after several repetitions,he made his way to one of the training forms,and started assaulting it with equal speed and measure.

 

[Sgt Grunt]

Heinrich walked the halls with a lopsided smile, the jeers from the dining hall bouncing off of him like a wooden sword on a knights armor. He had great confidence in himself and his abilities, and knew himself to be better than most of the other students. He excelled on the field, and had beaten more than his fair share of hopefuls with his training weapons.


In the end, what those around him thought mattered little, and he was dead set on his goal of nobility. He would find a way to be raised from the common rabble, if it killed him. He grabbed a sword from the rack and began his practice moves on the tourney field. 
Jakob waved John over, waiting for him to catch up and entering the dining hall. He was somewhat shocked by the clamour going on, their blatant disrespect for dining hall rules of quiet orderly eating making him frown.


"Students! Return to your seats and remain respectful or so help me I'll have you all scrubbing pots for a week!"

 

[LonesomeWizard]

John walked up behind him quickly and frowned. "Whats going on in here" He whispered to Jakob as he caught up to him.

 

[Auren]

Lureana observed the dragons. They seemed to be an amusing bunch, foreign tongue and all. She watched as one of the Upper Maje spoke with the dragons, and she couldn’t quite recall what his name was. She had seen him around the academy, but she never seemed to remember names of anyone that was at the academy. If they weren’t important to her succeeding and gaining knighthood, they weren’t important at all.


There were many more Academ that didn’t want anything to do with the dragon trio. When the Magisters walked in, she rolled her eyes. They always had to destroy the entertainment. Taking that the crowd wasn’t going to get any more interesting surrounding the dragons, Lureana stood and readjusted her cloak. She glanced out the widow, seeing the older guard from previous. He had stepped out when she didn’t notice, and it looked like there were others on the training field. She scowled, but she supposed sharing her free hour on the training field wouldn’t be too bad.


She left her plate for the servants to gather before leaving the dining hall, slipping past the Magisters with a silent nod in acknowledgement of their authority. She walked briskly to the combat field and upon arriving, immediately removed her cloak. A servant took it from her, placing it somewhere for safe-keeping until she could fetch it. Without her cloak, she wore a simple tunic, tight-fitting combat shorts, and tall boots. While her boots had a bit of weight to them, for both training purposes and packing a punch in a kick, they were far lighter than they appeared.


Lureana took a tie out of her pocket. She pulled her hair up in to a pony tail and grabbed a practice rapier. She walked out onto the field, her short frame apparent by the dummy that stood only at five and a half feet. It was enough to make her appear like a small adolescent instead of an experienced upper maje. Laying down her weapon in front of her, Lureana stretched her limbs. When she finished, she took up the rapier again, beginning her practice with some of the beginner swings, slowly progressing into a stronger and faster pace.

 

[Nozzivix]

Nozz looked down at his plate after her words. He'd hoped that she would have agreed to go hunting, to help along the mischievous spark inside his mind, but he knew better. "I suppose, still, it'll be a long stay if we have to keep eating this. Back when I first started hiding amongst the humans, I actually took up work in a butcher's shop for access to raw meat. It wasn't glamorous, but it was living." He smiled a little at the memory before turning to the human that had addressed them, regaining his happy demeanour in an instant.


"Hmm." He started. "Wouldn't know if we could get some raw meat, would you? A little bloody, maybe... struggling?" He asked jokingly. "It's nice to meet you, Laurence."

 

[Sgt Grunt]

When the dining hall finally settled down, Jakob huffed in annoyance and walked inside, eyes still scanning for any insolence. He still held his helmet under one arm while he went to the kitchen to grab his own meal for the day, and came out with quite a bit of meat stacked on his plate. Shooing away some of the nearby student, Jakob took a seat across from the remaining dragons and set his helmet to the side before addressing them both.


"My apologies, honored guests. I had thought our students more disciplined than that. I only hope they did not offend." His tabard of the Templar cross blazed across the chest seemed to kill their want to speak back immediately, but he had patience.

 

[Nozzivix]

"Not at all, not at all." Nozz replied, waving away the knight's concerns. "Any problems I've had with the student body has been... Dealt with." he added with an unintended pause as he looked for the right phrasing. "Though, I must say it's harder to get used to human cooking than I anticipated."

 

[Sgt Grunt]

"I see. If I recall correctly, you prefer raw meat, yes? The cook should be able to accommodate your needs should you ask. But if I may, how long will you all be staying? I'm afraid I missed the itinerary on such matters." Jakob still didn't touch his food while he waited for a response, as he did not want to have a mouth full when he needed to respond. Table manners were something he was equally as strict about as religion.

 

[Killigrew]

"This is an amazing thing." Mahl'Iss said in her native tongue, smiling sardonically. "The teacher was not told for what reason we have come? Do humans make a habit of hiding truths from one another?"


They had been brought here for a simple reason; to assuage the humans' suspicions of dragonkind. And they would stay here as long as was needed to accomplish a lasting peace. Even so, she suspected these humans wanted them here for a different reason; to uncover the dragons' claim to power, and steal it. It was of little consequence; the extent of the humans' delusion would be more than enough to haze over the answer.

 

[Nozzivix]

"Erm." Nozz started, "Mal says that we'll be here for a while, at least until our governments stop trying to kill each other." He said half-jokingly. Mal responding in the Dragon tongue was suspicious in of itself, if not disrespectful. "Pardon her, she hasn't spent a lot of time around the Loride"

 

[Sgt Grunt]

Jakob frowned at the odd hissing voice the female used, tilting his head a little and leaning back on the bench. He understood their mission well enough but he feared if given enough time and courage, someone would do something stupid and spark an incident.


"I'm sorry? I can't say as I understood that." He looked between the two, finally settling on the one who had spoken first. "Does she speak any human tongues? I do not wish to offend by leaving her from the conversation."

 

[Nozzivix]

"She does, but, it's a hard switch to flip." He said, making excuses. "It's strange enough swapping from being over 25 feet tall to about a fifth of that, but going from our language to a more guttural one like yours is... difficult. I have years of practice, and even I have trouble sometimes." He added with an apologetic smile.


"Please refrain from speaking our language when a Little Soul is addressing you. The hisses tend to scare them. Trust me, I know." He asked her, framing the question as if he were translating in order to keep the ruse up.

 

[LonesomeWizard]

John glared at the students until they went back to their seats. He walked down the hall keeping a fierce eye on them before he sighed and sat next to Jakob. He looked at both of the dragons, he had only met one of them. John kept quiet as Jakob talked to them.

 

[Killigrew]

Mahl'Iss nodded slowly to Nozz's advice. Her own language was convenient for her; she was still coming to grips with the human tongue, despite having had a few years' worth of study, but their customs were lost on her. It seemed the dragon tongue was an offense to them; Mal supposed she should have expected this.


She sighed, feeling exhausted. The confinement of her form was difficult, but the confinement of this society was more so.


"I apologize." She said, bowing her head towards the Templar. "It is as he says; human customs are foreign to me, and there are hidden ways that... I now see I have neglected to prepare for."