Fantasy The Ebony Guard: Champions of Namira

[Lain.Laurent]

THE EBONY GUARD


GUARDIANS OF NAMIRA




​

The morning sun hit the city in the early hours, glittering through the streets giving the white walls that stood tall a heavenly appearance. A crowd of cheering citizens had flocked to the great courtyard where a group of young warriors stood in the center, their eyes closed with their hands placed over their hearts. Lord Gavril stood before them, he was a tall intimidating beefy man with a thick hairy jawline, heavy set eyebrows and piercing grey eyes that gave the warriors a sweeping look before addressing the crowd.


"Ladies and Gentleman, Citizens of Windell! Natives of Tharna! The Packs of Gorthek! The Clans of BalBone! I present to you our finalists! Our champions! The warriors that are knealed before you may one day have the greatest honor of becoming a member of The Ebony Guard! A champion of Namira!"


He paused allowing the roaring crowd a moment for their shouting, squealing, their clapping of hands to eventually die down low enough to allow him to continue. He pulled from his thick leather belt a scroll to which he unraveled and continued to read from...


"I present to you, Alisha Sandrow! Valdemire Lore! Varick Malwyn, Ren Orion! Abelard! Castien! Mariko Sakuya! Norven of Clan ShieldHeart! Ayrenn Dracoseir! And lastly Sarvi Culain!"


"Now as you all know, in order to succeed in becoming a member these warriors now have to work as a team in order to deal with a situation worthy of The Ebony Guards intervention. Late last night we received word from Lord Mkhai of Gorthek calling for aid. A large demonic beast has taken to attacking the surrounding villages outside of Gorthek's walls. Lord Mkhai has already evacuated the surviving citizens deep in to the mountains but with that beast still roaming normality can not be restored to these people and their homes."


Lord Gavril's face softened as he looked upon his recruits, it looked like it was looking upon them for the last time.


"You shall travel together to Gorthek, seek out Lord Mkhai and help aid his people but to complete your task that demonic beast must be slain. This task is not for the faint of heart, not everyone is guaranteed to return and you will face many perils, the wild world of Namira is not a safe one.


To help on this journey I have two things to give you all, firstly to those that do not own a steed you may take one to call your own courtesy of the Royal Cavalry. Horses can sometimes be a warriors greatest friend. The second, you will find a horse drawn cart filled with food and supplies but this will only last part of the way. The rest depends on you... I wish you luck on your journey and I bow in your honor!"


Lord Gavril also stepped down on to one knee placing his hand over his heart as the crowd's cheering roared on. The celebration was over, they had received their task and it was now time to set out in the world. Twenty of the Royal Cavalry members stepped forward in shining armor offering their horses up to the warriors for them to choose from in a variety of colors.

 

[Harbinger]

Alisha felt like she had a big opportunity to help with this. She had lived a pretty boring life back home and she wanted to do something other than hunt in the swamps. She loved the roar of the crowd but was worried because she had a certain urge to kill someone right now and she doesn't want to do that in front of a crowd of innocent people. She walked over to the horses and she wanted a color that would chose her personality. she saw an all black horse at the far end of the row and she walked up to that one and jumped onto the saddle. I think I'll take this one, she is a lot like me and I think we will get along just fine. Alisha waited for the rest of the group to pic their horses and while they did that she took a dagger out of her belt and began to inspect it. I hope they got some blood in that carriage because I could go for some right now, but I'll wait until we are outside of the city to drink some of it.

 

[Hoax]

Ren stood, trying not to put her hand over her ears. The crowd was deafening. Who knew people liked the Ebony Guard so much? Huh. The Ebony Guard. Ren was part of the Ebony Guard. This was going to be interesting, to say the least. Hopefully, the other warriors wouldn't be annoying, overly macho, or can't do anything themselves. She would not be babying some over-achieving kid. Sighing, she turned to her attention back to the current task.


Multicoloured eyes scanned through the horses, not looking for anything in particular. Her gaze stopped on a bright chestnut mare, a similar colour to Ren's hair. She walked over and gave it's face a rub. "Hey there. You okay with me as your rider?" She asked, to which the horse replied by head-butting her shoulder. Ren chuckled and gave it another pat. "I'll take that as a yes?"


With her hand still on the horse, she turned to watch the other warriors. They seemed a pretty capable bunch, if nothing else. Looking back at her mare, she rolled her eyes. "What do you think? I guess they have to be good if they were chosen to become the Ebony guard..." The horse whinnied, and Ren raised an eyebrow before going back to watching and waiting, the other warriors still choosing their steeds.

 

[Effervescent]

Their task was set, and Valdemire reflected on what was to come. He had managed to get this far on his own without need to concern himself over others and their lives. Such trivial things. Even his own was lacking in substance, which is why he chose to embark on an endeavor such as the Ebony Guard. He did not care for the cheers and the praise. He did not care for the others he was forced to traverse with.


He rose from his kneeling position as horses were brought to the front. While others scanned the horses, he observed the others. He took particular note of the other two vampires, his eyes narrowing somewhat with the notion. It was often difficult to note pureblood, half-blood, or turned, especially when not engaged in any form of combat.


Valdemire's eyes then swept through the humans and elves, or perhaps half-elves. Most appeared rather capable individuals, and rightfully so, for otherwise they would have not made it this far. It was a good sign to him. It meant the others could handle themselves in a fight and he'd be allowed to focus very little on their well being.


The time to appraise the horses only came after his quick assessment of the others. There was a wide variety of colors and breeds displayed and offered to the group unquestioningly, as if it were an honor to give up such beautiful creatures to a laborious task. Slowly, he walked up to a particularly intriguing dapple grey stallion. What fate would he have if he were not chosen? What fate would any of them have? Valdemire mounted the saddle and took hold of the reins, nodding to both Alisha and Ren before looking to the others.

 

[Lain.Laurent]

Sarvi stepped forward considering the horses colors and breeds contemplating which one to ride, she had finally settled for the beautiful white one when a strong firm hand grasped her shoulder. She looked up to see it was Lord Gavril glaring down upon her with his cold grey eyes "The cart with supplies has been left by the main gate and it needs a driver, I think you would be well suited for the job, wouldn't you agree?"


A bright red flush appeared within her pale cheeks which greatly clashed with her long ginger hair in sheer embarrassment, it was only the other day she had tried horse riding for the first never having owned a horse previously. This only lead to her giving off to Lord Gavril a spectacular display of exactly how not to ride a horse which had resulted in her being swung in to the horses water trough.


"I.. Uh.. Yes Sir" Sarvi stammered lowering her head so her long hair would cover her face in the hope no one had noticed she had turned as bright red as a tomato. It was with luck that many of the citizens had returned to their everyday lives for the most part and only a few stragglers had remained. Slightly annoyed that Lord Gavril had singled her out like that and in such an embarrassing way that she stormed off to find the cart at the gate and intended to sit there until the others were ready for the group to head out on their quest.

 

[Effervescent]

Valdemire watched the exchange between Lord Gavril and the redhead, his head somewhat tilting as he observed the demeanor and body language of the two. He lightly nudged his horse's flanks to urge him to a calm walk forward. He approached the cart and the redhead with barely a discernible expression as he looked down at her from his position atop the Andelusion.


"What you fail to understand is that you bear a far greater responsibility," Valdemire said to Sarvi. Whether it was meant to belittle her intellect or raise her spirits had yet to be seen upon the vampire's gaunt features. "By driving the cart, the ease of our travels rests in your ability to drive it well and protect the supplies. You should not be embarrassed. You should be more focused on your task." He leaned forward in his saddle, the leather creaking with the shifting of his weight. A small smile broke his lips revealing his sharp fangs. "Don't let it get to you. It isn't worth it. He isn't worth it."

 

[Thewarsword]

Abelard strode forward, and picked the first horse he gaze came to. He reached his hand up to the black horse, with intricate white patterns decorating its hair. "You are now my partner" -brings his face to muzzle of horse- "Treat me with respect and I promise not to treat you as my subordinate, I will supply the direction if you supply the motion, mighty warrior" The horse nuzzled in response, and Abelard slid onto the back of the horse. He saw the Lord talk to a girl, he thought nothing of it until she turned bright red and headed to the wagon. He waited a few moments until the vampire followed her. Abelard was within earshot of the vampire, and saw the prominent reaction of the young woman.


Abelard slid his hood off, but the bottom half of his face was still covered by his cloth. He only wanted the vampire to see his eyes.


"Vampire, your cannot comprehend that teamwork is far superior skill then her capacity to ride a horse. I suggest you follow your own principles and thinks things though before making enemies. After all, what will you do when the supplies are gone?"


Abelard turned his eyes a rich violet color, a minor illusion used to communicate intentions among monks, this color was one of peace. It hadn't crossed Abelard's mind that they might not understand his subtle communication technique. Surely they did not use it.


Abelard got off the horse, and walked behind the cart. "Aren't we all responsible for protecting the supplies anyway, Vampire? Or do they not teach self-sufficiency?"


Abelard felt unnerved by the vampire's stare back. He wasn't sure if he offended the vampire, surely he hadn't meant to.

 

[Lain.Laurent]

Sarvi had reached the cart and had hauled herself in to the drivers seat picking up the reins and letting them sit loosely in her lap, the horse pulling the cart was a female palomino which seemed a little odd in comparison to the large amount of black stallions. She looked nothing like a war horse, it had a more maiden delicate feel to it which just made Sarvi press her forehead in to her palms. She hadn't noticed that Valdemire had tailed her, upon hearing his words however it lifted her spirits. Of course he didn't know she had completely humiliated herself thanks to her non existent horse riding skills. She sat upright pushing her hair out of her face "You know you are right! It is an important job!" she said rather smugly.


Her smugness was short lived as Abelard showed up and by the sound of it was being scolded by his kind words of encouragement, she quickly shuffled to side of the drivers seat away from the air and busied herself with placing her bow and quiver in to the back of the cart along with the rest of the supplies. She highly doubted she would need them while in such a close proximity to the city walls. Though her face was reaching that deep shade of scarlet again when Abelard noted her inability to ride a horse. How the hell did he know?! Either way their adventure couldn't get underway until everyone was saddled up and ready. Though a thought had crossed her mind that the mission itself had made some of the finalists give up on their dreams of seeing this through to the end.

 

[Effervescent]

"It would do you well to think before you speak," Valdemire calmly responded to the monk. "You assume far too much and are quite quick to stereotypes."


He stared down at the man. Men like him were the reason he felt it best to work alone. At least his intent was not lost on the redhead. The man had sullied his feeling of welcome, and he guided the horse away from the cart without another word. He no longer cared to know who he was traveling with.

 

[Thewarsword]

Abelard was confident, until he saw her reaction to his words. Combined with the retort of the vampire he felt something was wrong, whether it be with him, or perhaps there was something between the two. Nevertheless, the monk knew he crossed one of those ,"social lines", unfortunately not taught at the monastery.


He was glad he was behind the cart out of sight of the two. He was certain these "outsiders" had once again misunderstood, but he had given many clues as to his intention he thought. Why would they feel threatened?


He felt outcast by the moment. As if he didn't belong in these foreign lands, he drew his hood over his head. He began to murmur to his horse in monastery speak, and focused on the growing weight of his cloak.


The shame was not his fault, he had not known any better, and perhaps at a later date, once he understood the situation. He may apologize.

 

[Harbinger]

" Do ypu guys think you csn hurry up these conversations and pick a horse and get going. I'm starting to get the feeling for the taste of blood again and I'm starting to lose some control now. If I kill someone while we are on this trip, just stay away from me and try not to calm me down. I'll do that myself and I might accidentally try to kill you. I will apologize for that now in advance." Alisha was starting to get anxious with all these bodies around her filled with delcious blood. She startedto flip her blade now while grabbing onto the reigns of the horse very tightly while waiting for the rest of the group. She kept her eye on the other vampires that were in the group.

 

[Dreesirk]

Norven couldn't help but smile at Lord Gavril's proclamation and the following cheers of the gathered citizens around; he'd actually managed to become one of the Ebony Guard! This was, perhaps, the greatest honor he'd ever received in his life, and he intended to make good use of it.


Standing at the call of his name, Norven saluted the Lord, and then saluted those citizens around him. He, along with his new teammates, were now sworn to protect them and this land. At the thought of his teammates, Norven glanced around to see just who he would be working with. None seemed to be quite as chivalrous as himself, but he knew it'd be unfair to determine their character with just a mere glance. "Hopefully we'll all get along," he thought to himself. Norven's grin grew a little bigger.


With his companions mounting up, Norven began looking for his personal horse, Nobleflame. Thankfully, one of the Royal Cavalry had fetched him from the family stables and had him fully barded. Norven thanked the Cavalryman for the assistance and work, saluted, then mounted his horse. Nobleflame whinnied as Norven got comfortable in the saddle and began dancing back and forth anxiously. "I know, boy," Norven patted Nobleflame and said, "I'm ready to get this going too."


As the others began mounting up, Norven noticed the small, red-haired girl blushing and moving from the horses to the wagon that was to accompany them.


"What you fail to understand is that you bear a far greater responsibility," one of the others, a vampire by the looks of it, said to the ginger girl. After a few more words, another, monk-ish looking person, began speaking as well. Norven trotted over and joined in the conversation.


"Hail, companions! Our vampire friend is correct, driving the wagon is a very important responsibility, and the monk is also correct in that we'll need to work together if we're to protect this country. Since we're going to be together for some time, I'll introduce myself: I am Norven of the ShieldHeart Clan. I'm pleased to meet all of you!"

 

[maxacec]

Cas felt his spirits lift as the crowd cheered them on. It was a strangely comforting feeling but at the same time he felt nervous. 'What if I'm not good enough. I've never been to school like the others.'. As self-condescending thoughts raced through his mind, he felt himself growing more and more nervous. Though his face wasn't one to convey much emotions, two kids could see it even from the crowds.


"Go, Cas !!", shouted the little boy. "You're the best !!", a girl had joined in, breaking his train of thought. He smiled at the two; Kiana and her mischievous little brother Kaiden, two orphaned human siblings he found a few years back. They had grown very close over the years, to the point that the two would follow him wherever he went. This will be the first occasion in which they were going to be apart from him for an extended period of time. He felt sad at the thought but knew that this was something he had to do. Their cheer had lifted his spirits back up and he took a deep breath as he headed over to the stable to choose a horse.


As he walked towards the horses, the two kids followed closely behind. "Cas, pick that one....that one !!", Kai said pointing at a wild looking horse. "Um, this one? But it looks dangerous.", Cas asked in confusion. "No, pick that pretty one.", Kia interjected, pointing to a beautiful white horse the earlier redhead girl had wanted to choose. Feeling somewhat irritated at the two conflicting voices, he randomly picked a horse and pulled on its rein but it stood its ground. The horse looked even scarier than the one Kai had asked him to choose. One of the attendant came over when he saw Cas with the horse. "You sure you want that one, boy? She's a stubborn one. She won't be easy to deal with.", he said. 'What? Does he think I can't handle a horse? I mean, how hard can it be? I see people riding them all the time. Kia and Kai rides their donkey all the time too.' Feeling somewhat confident and stubborn himself, he said firmly, "Yes."


"Heh, good luck kid. You'll need it.", the attendant said with a amused grin as he walked off. "Whoa, that one looks scary.", Kai commented at the large beast. The horse had several scars on its body giving it a seasoned look. It had mostly dark brown hide with sock-like white on all four legs up to its knee. If it weren't for all the scars, she would look beautiful. Her mane is long but spiky at places, giving off its young age.


"You're in for it now.", Kai laughed while Kia simply smiled, obviously amused at Cas's misfortune. Deciding that it would look bad for him to change horses now, he put on a smug smile before saying, "Hey, I'm an elf....."


"Half-elf", Kia interrupted, speaking while holding her nose shut giving off a mocking monotonous voice before both her and Kai started laughing. Cas sighed before continuing, "yeah whatever...I'm still an Elf. And elves can tame all beasts."


His smugness disappeared completely a little later as he struggled and pulled the horse with him towards the wagon. Realizing that it was not in his best interest to mount the horse and potentially embarrass himself, he pushed the horse towards the wagon and tied her to the wagon. "Yep, that should do it.", he said before jumping into the wagon. 'Whoa, look at all the food. I'm gonna get sooo fat...', he thought with a wild grin as he sat inconspicuously among the supplies.

 

[Lain.Laurent]

After finally daring to look up, Sarvi spotted Alisha slightly apart from the others looking much more eager and anxious to get the road trip started than the others. She noted the paleness of her skin much alike to Valdemire but unlike him she seemed rather anti-social which put her on edge, they were about to travel hundreds of miles together. It was then with great relief that Castien and Norven came over to join the group. She smiled rather amused as Norven introduced himself to which she inclined her head "Sarvi Culain". It seemed an odd combination, the daughter of a Fletcher and son from a noble clan to ride in the same group, apparently their line of work really did take out all of the divides.


She turned her head to Castien who had jumped in to the back of the cart, to which she raised an eyebrow before spotting the horse covered in scars. That's the same horse that had kicked me off! She quickly stopped looking as though the horse might suddenly plan it's revenge if it figured out who she was. Sarvi sunk in to silence wondering who was left that they were waiting on however she soon spotted Lord Gavril walking down the sloping streets towards the group that had now gathered by the main gate.


He passed up a scroll to Norven "This contains the call for aid from Lord Mkhai, you must keep it safe! Security has been tightened around Gorthek, it will be your only way to gain entry in to the city!"


He then turned his attention to the rest of the group "It appears a few of your comrades disappeared within the crowd, One I am currently having words with and I will send him to catch up with you lot due to a current investigation, I honestly have no idea whether they wish to complete this task or attempting to break rules and go alone but the mission at hand is now your priority!"


Getting the all clear to get their journey underway Sarvi gave the reins a little tap and the Palomino started to pull the supply cart out of the city.

 

[Harbinger]

Alisha saw everyone that was here was here. Her rage was starting to get a little uncontrollable now. She was craving blood and needed it right now. She saw that the elf was sitting in the back of the wagon. "Hey Cas, can you search through those supplies and find me some blood please. I'm starting to get that feeling right now and I'm a few minutes from taking a bite out of one of these poor people right now." Alisha got off her horse and rushed towards the wagon before it got into full gallop. She reached the back of the wagon and waited for Cas to find her some blood now.

 

[maxacec]

Cas's eyes widened at the request. 'Blood? What would she need blood for?', he wondered blankly before realizing that she had called his name.


It took him a moment to register that someone was actually talking to him. He went through the food items looking for a container which would be viable to store blood but saw none. Just as he was about to break the news to Alisha, the wagon moved, almost sending him overboard. "Whoa...", he said, grabbing on to the sheet of hide which was meant to cover the wagon.


As the wagon distanced itself from Alisha, he shouted over, "There's no blood in here. But there are plenty of food if you want some."


His horse, which was yet to be named as she did not have a collar like some of the rest, had reluctantly started moving along with the wagon.

 

[Harbinger]

I don't need food right now Cas!. I'm going insane here and I need the taste of blood or I'm going to kill something. I haven't had the taste of blood for over 3 days now and it is starting to make me crazy. Alisha took out her knife and began flipping it sporadically to keep herself calm and not try to attack anything. Her eyes were starting to turn a noticeable bright red color. She was almost getting into her rage but she kept it calmed down and the only thing that people would notice of her was her bright red eyes.

 

[Chao5Th3ory]

As Varick heard the increasing chaos behind him he felt now was the best time to make his presence known as has began to emerge from behind a tree to the left of the group. "As i seem to be the only one prepared for this i might as well take care of this." As he said this he started walking over towards Alisha and reached into his pocket revealing a small vial of blood. "This isn't from some random animal as i knew this could happen so this is from me, this is not a trick" He started to give her the vial but paused for a moment.


"Now this is only one i have so after this it would be wise for you to control these urges better". As he gave her the vial he turned forward and began walking past the rest of them before eventually stopping for a moment and turned his head slightly to the left and spoke "Otherwise the only blood you will be tasting is your own". And with those words he continued forward at a somewhat slow pace waiting for the others to follow.

 

[Effervescent]

Valdemire was always in a presented state of calm neutrality, and observed the vampire woman's state in silence. It was intriguing to see one of his kind so out of control and unable to fend for themselves. His kind would be remiss if she were pureblood, and the notion made him wonder if she was one of the turned. Trotting up next to Alisha, he looked down at her and kept his pace alongside her.


"Go and hunt in the forest when we get there," Valdemire suggested. His voice was soft and smooth and carried no hint of his emotions. It was a trait he had developed and found quite favorable. "The blood will be fresh, though if you cannot wait, you do have a horse." He nodded to Alisha's steed and slowed his pace to remove himself from her presence. As a pureblood, he felt it his responsibility to act as an ambassador for his kind and aid the other vampires in representing with dignity, or at least some semblance. They were a rather animalistic race to begin with. None the less, he loathed the interaction and pitied the vampire he gazed upon.


He then turned his attention to the man that offered his blood. Valdemire's lips pursed at the sound of a threat. It was clear the man did not understand the power and viciousness of a frenzied vampire.

 

[Harbinger]

Alisha was able to calm her self down for now thanks to Valdemire. Thank you for that, it helped a lot. Ever since I was turned, I have not been able to keep the feeling controlled and I have ruined a lot of innocent lives. Alisha drinks some of the blood that Varick had given her. She calmed down for now and her eyes returned back to their normal blue color. Plus I'm sorry for yelling at you Cas, I wasn't really thinking at the moment. I hope we could forget about that and start off on neutral terms. I'm sorry I forgot to introduce my self. My name is Alisha Sandrow for people who didn't know that. Alisha continued to stay with the group and was now in a more calm demeanor

 

[Thewarsword]

Abelard rode out from behind the cart.


"I am Abelard the monk, my aplogies, i am not used to your culture. I hail from a sheltered monastray far from here."


Abelard lowered his voice and approached Norven.


"Hello you are knight of chivalry are you not? I think you may have a lot in common with me as we have similar codes of honor i am told. "

 

[Lain.Laurent]

The looming shadow of the city had finally left them and the homes that surrounded Windell was becoming further and further apart, however it was safe to say they were still within the cities limits. You could see faces pressed up against the windows watching as their convoy rode on at a slow pace down the dirt track of a road. Farmers in the fields would usually stop what they were doing as they made their way. others would wave from afar while they collected their crops. Not that many of the warriors seemed to pay attention, they all seemed much more interest in chatting amongst themselves, getting to know their comrades and hell the bonds they make now might actually pay off big time later...


Many of them would dart up and down the convoy on their faithful steeds talking with one another, Sarvi listened rather than talked as she clutched the reins of her Palomino pulling the cart. "We don't need them do we old girl" She chuckled more to herself than the horse. It was quite unnerving to find herself surrounded mostly by men, the only exception was Alisha and it was as if they were from two different worlds. "I suppose I better give you a name" she mumbled to herself watching the backside of her horse and sat in silence for the most part deep in thought.


The grass on either side of the road was getting longer and longer, the bushes thicker and thicker until eventually their path would lead them to the top of a hill. Sarvi glanced over her shoulder, it would be the last time for a long time she would lay eyes upon Windell and a sentimental sadness suddenly hit her. She had left home...

 

[maxacec]

Cas yawned as he sat in the wagon. Feeling pretty relaxed now with the paced vibration and subtle sound of the horse's gallop, his eyes shrunk and his vision started fading. He shook his head to stay awake but the urge is too strong and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.


/It was dark and cold. He knew it was raining outside but no one came to him when he called. He climbed down his bed and slowly walked towards the front door. His walking was wobbly and the house was unfamiliar but he knew exactly where he was supposed to go. The house was dark and was illuminated only with candlelight which was lighted sparingly around the house. He moved down a set of stairs reached an ominous looking front door. Opening the door, He shivered as the cold damp air touches his skin. Suddenly a loud screeching noise pierced the sky and someone screamed in response./


His eyes opened as he sat up. He swallowed his saliva and realized that he was sweating. Opening the wagon cover, he noticed that it was already late in the evening. His stomach growled, telling him that it was about time for dinner. He sat back, drinking some water while waiting for them to stop for dinner.

 

[Harbinger]

It was dark and Alisha finally felt at home in the dark and she loved it. The rest of the group was walking out at stable pace. She loved the silence that surrounded them and she just took it in. It reminded ogpf her home in the swamp. She kept thinking to herself about how she ended up being a vampire after being bitten by one 10 months ago. Alisha was getting a little hungary now and needed some food but, was still having a little craving for blood. "Do any of you know what kind of wildlife they have around here, I'm may go hunting later when we set upncamp for the night and I need to know what I might be dealing with."

 

[Dreesirk]

"Sarvi Culain," the red-haired girl in the wagon responded to Norven's introduction. He smiled in response, about to continue the introductions with the rest of the group when Lord Gavril appeared beside him.


"This contains the call for aid from Lord Mkhai, you must keep it safe! Security has been tightened around Gorthek, it will be your only way to gain entry in to the city!" The Lord urged him, passing up a small scroll.


"I'll do whatever is in my power," Norven assured Lord Gavril as he tucked the scroll away in one of his belt pouches. Lord Mkhai announced that the group hadn't much time and that they must move forward, despite missing a few members. The red-haired girl, Sarvi, flicked the reigns to the horse drawing the wagon and began to creak forward. Norven followed suit, setting Nobleflame into a calm walk aside the wagon.


As the new Ebony Guardsmen exited the city gate, the monk-looking boy approached Norven quietly. The monk introduced himself as Abelard, saying that he hailed from a monastery far from here. Norven, pleased to have met another one of his compatrots, beamed a smile at Abelard. "Hello there, friend! You can call me Norven, from the ShieldHeart clan. We hail from the very city we had just left, though I've never heard of a monastic monastery in any corner of this land. Pretty big world, huh?" Norven laughed at this thought.


"You are knight of chivalry, are you not? I think you may have a lot in common with me, as we have similar codes of honor, I am told. "


With the mention of honor and chivalry, Norven perked up even further. "Ah, my friend, I'm not quite a knight yet. I've yet to be knighted by the king, though I do hope to some day. But yes, I do have a code I choose to live by. It might very well be similar to your own." Before Norven could begin a grandiose speech on the aspects of chivalry and honor, he noticed the little faces that dotted the windows of the houses they were passing. Each time, Norven would raise his hand into the air, wave it, and beam yet another smile at the occupants. The small children seemed to especially enjoy this, and would often smile and giggle back at him. Seeing the joy upon their faces gave Norven just a little more purpose to go on this journey. Truly, the people are what the Ebony Guard exists for.


As the daylight grew shorter and the moon rose higher in the sky, Norven began to feel a slight twinge of hunger. Looking back at the rest of the trope, some seemed to share the same feelings, with the elf-boy's stomach loudly protesting at the lack of food. Norven sauntered over to Sarvi, smiling as he did so.


"It's getting late and we have quite a long journey ahead of us. Perhaps we should break now for camp, before our stomachs begin somersaulting?"