A/N: I present upon thee… orphans! Yes, it's the return of the Krakenburg Orphanage orphans, but this time in Castle Krakenburg, being trained as soldiers.
Half-beastdragonsoul2013: Agreed. Same for a number of others. I want Keaton and Kaden to have supports with everybody!
ZygardeFusion: Woah, give her some time. Can't just give her a chapter then have more screen-time than most!
...Real life hobbies.
J-Dawg (Guest): Glad you liked the fight scene… and you mean as in the Pegasi and Wyverns? They're holding a conversation while they prance around and let their riders fight?
…
I could easily make a 'stupid' version with that idea. Forget proclaiming about how Hinoka is trying to save her brother, let's focus on what the Pegasi are whining about and whatever the Wyverns screeches mean.
Inside Castle Krakenburg's training yard hosts a number of soldiers. Anywhere between new recruits to more experienced army soldiers. The yard is large enough to host several platoons. Yet, among all of them, there is one section of this area that sees hold an… unusual group of people. These people have barely breached adulthood, only one of them has matured enough to be an adult. On top of that, these people have been… 'acquired' from the Krakenburg Orphanage. Their names?
Forrest, Siegbert, Ignatius, Soleil, Nina, Velouria, Dwyer, and Ophelia with her being the eldest. Forrest and Dwyer were struggling to say the least. The former held no skill in physical combat, so he now holds a tome with uncertainty, in the same section as Ophelia.
Ophelia has turned out to be a magical prodigy. For all of her dramatic flair, there is a potential in her that puts most of the more experienced Mages and even Sorcerers to shame… the only true regret is that she wasn't found out earlier, because she would have been the strongest Mage by now. The only real 'downside' is that she refuses to pick up any Dark Tome… apparently when she was still living with her parents, her tutor explicitly told her the dangers of Dark Magic.
Dwyer was… out. Asleep. However, there's nothing anyone can do about it, as the magical 'enhancements' his parents forced on him has put him in a constant state of almost no energy. However, when he does awaken and performs, he is superb at Staves and Daggers.
Velouria, being a Wolfskin, had the obvious training of… having her Beaststone taken away and given an axe instead. However, she is still beast-folk, so the dreaded Beast Killer can still easily kill her. Though, due to her innate strength of being a Wolfskin, is able to tear through armor without much issue… essentially any weapon she picks up is an 'Armorslayer'.
Nina held promise in the bow… when she wasn't trying to snipe weapons out of other people's hands… or staring at people. Or procuring papers out of seemingly thin air to write on… or sneaking off and being caught staring at people and writing on paper. And the material she writes is… questionable at the best of times. She's proven to be a very capable writer and artist, if she'd only do so on topics that held significant effect… instead of two men getting together. No amount of reprimanding has ever done her any good, as she is far too hardened by the slums to let anything get to her. And to think… she's the youngest of the group.
Siegbert and Soleil took up to the sword, with the latter having an unusually high skill in avoiding attacks while the former was developing a physical strength faster. There is the nuisance of Soleil prancing off to do things similar to Nina, except that she keeps staring at women instead. Well that and she continues to demand that she gets her sword that 'Mama Camilla' gave her.
Lastly, Ignatius seemed to favor a lance with heavier armor, but for whatever reason, he only truly fights well with someone beside him… and Siegbert has proven to be the best someone. As such, Siegbert and Ignatius always train together. The two are great defenders, becoming a wall of steel.
Not a single one of them wanted to be there, and why would they? They were all stolen away from a makeshift home, as tough as it was. And… apparently 'Mama Camilla' has died.
"Attention!" A relatively younger soldier walks up. When compared to the rest of the 'trainers', this one is actually pretty nice. He takes his time to listen to the orphans and is far more gentle when correcting them… that is, when he isn't being watched by his superiors. Gods only know how he kept his kind nature through all of this. He and his horse are protected with black Nohrian steel… high-grade steel, too. This man is the youngest one to ever train for and pass the Paladin classes. His name?
Silas.
"The noble and honorable Silas of the Stars now has the complete attention of the fair maiden, Ophelia Dusk." She shuts her Wind Tome closed and directs her gaze on him.
"I'm awake…" Dwyer says while nodding off.
"'Sup, Goody-Two Shoes." Nina takes aim and fires at the target… on its only supporting stand. It hits the wooden leg with enough force to cause the thing to break and fall down. "...whoops." She is most certainly not sorry. "I keep telling them to make those out of iron."
"My apologies, Mister Silas, I tried." Forrest sighs, "However, the only thing I could blast away is my own clothes." Nina snickers and gives him a whistle, causing the young man to flush. By now, all of the other orphans knows exactly what Nina is imagining. "What about my request for Staff training?"
Silas sighs, "It's been denied… again."
"We've held off trainees for a total of seventeen minutes and forty-five seconds." Siegbert starts.
"Seven sword, four lance, five axe, two tome, three dagger." Ignatius counts off.
"Still haven't gotten my sword yet." Soleil gripes. "I did see some rather… eye-catching healers today, though."
"Velouria?" Silas asks.
"...I want to be with my brother again." She raises her steel axe and slams it into the concrete ground, both cracking it and putting it deep enough to where it'll take several adults to pull back out… again.
The youthful Paladin nods, "Alright. Forrest, I'll set up a personal tutor for you again. Dwyer, I'm going to need to see some actual performance. The rest of you are free to go."
"I wish to instruct the fair Forrest in his pursuit of the magical arts…" Ophelia states. "He of the Nightfall has seen and judged Forrest worthy of Ophelia Dusk's teachings."
Forrest smiles, "I would like that very much, Ophelia Dusk." He looks at Silas with a straight face, "That is, if it is allowed. I understand if she isn't allowed yet." Forrest and Ophelia, perhaps due to the time spent training together, has caused the pair to become fast friends.
"I'll ask the…" Silas starts, before he pauses, "Actually. Go ahead. You'll do better than any 'tutor' I can find."
"And thus it has been spoken. Come, allow Ophelia Dusk to guide you through the ethereal planes of higher learning." Forrest and Ophelia retake their spots in the tome training area.
"I'm… ready… I guess." Dwyer gets up and brandishes a dagger. "How many?"
"Try and go for… three, I guess?" See, if they had anyone else, Dwyer might have been ordered to do at least ten.
"...Hey, Silas?" Dwyer smiles, "I wanna show you something."
"Hm? Sure, what is it?" Silas tilts his head…
As Dwyer fans the one dagger into a total of three, he then sends them all soaring at once… One bullseye on one target, then the next target then… slightly off center. "Oh, I thought I had properly calculated the force required alongside the correct trajectories…" He looks to the side, over to Forrest and Ophelia, "Ah, right… I had forgotten to include the residual magical energy that is emanating from the wind-based magic being practiced. I'll need to observe and figure out the average magical force with each Wind spell, then time my daggers when the interference is at its weakest."
No matter how many times it happens, Dwyer always manages to stun the others into silence with his extensive knowledge, "Uh… alright?" And of course, Dwyer is the only one who understands what he is saying.
"...Maybe tomorrow." He finishes off. "Was my performance satisfactory enough to leave with my fellow friends?"
"Y-Yeah. Go on ahead." Silas simply stares at Dwyer's latest display of skill. When Silas had originally accepted to teach a group of orphans, he was appalled that King Garon would force such young people to train. However, he quickly accepted because Silas knows there aren't many who would treat them with kindness. He wasn't expecting each of them to be such a prodigy in their own right. Each and every single one of them is far more capable than the average soldier… with Ophelia being the only one who is an actual adult. Even Nina, who probably isn't in her mid-teens, can snipe a weapon from the orphan's training area over to the 'normal' recruit's training area. He truly hopes that they keep their 'quirks', as annoying as some can get.
He wonders how his sister is doing…
Among the barren plains of Nohr, and about an entire mile away from the nearest town, a woman training as a Cavalier is both chasing down and trying very hard to call her horse back. The biggest part here is trying, since she's had the most unfortunate luck of picking the single most independent and stubborn horse to ever 'grace' the country of Nohr. "Axel! Axel!" She shouts. "Gods, if my brother saw me now…" Like her brother, she also has a set of black armor, but hers is a lower-quality Nohrian iron and her horse lacks any armor at all. "'Choose this one Sophie. He's a special horse, Sophie. He'll do wonders, Sophie'." She mutters in a mocking tone. "By His shadows, the only thing he's doing for me is giving me headaches… Axel!" She continues to rant. "Momma's a super awesome Paladin, Daddy's an expert Great Knight, brother's the youngest Paladin to ever be, and here I am, wanting to be like the rest… with a horse who doesn't listen to diddly-squat that I say. Axel! Get over here! I'll get you a whooole basket of apples!"
…
That she can't afford.
A snort sounds out from behind her and she both squeals and falls forward. Clop, clop, she raises her head to see Axel with a horse-equivalent of a smug smile on his face. "Finally, are you ready to go back?" She huffs. "Training's gonna start soon and I'm never gonna even make it a Cavalier if you keep running off like that!" She chides Axel, before sighing. "Let's go back, okay?" Axel snorts…
Then starts trotting off without her. "H-Hey! I'm supposed to ride you! Axel~!" She runs… and he starts running. "Aw, c'mon! I might as well sign up for the Mercenary courses at this rate!" Axel abruptly stops and Sophie skids to a stop, almost slamming into her horse's rear end. "Er, not really. Oh! I could be the first Mercenary that rides a horse!" At last, she climbs onto the saddle…
Then Axel starts running again before she is even secured, leaving her to grip onto the spot where her foot is supposed to go as she bounces up and down on her stomach. "Axel~!" She screams. "Stooop, I gotta…" He, for once, listens and stops… causing her to roll off the front and onto the ground. "Oof…" She blinks her eyes as her horse stares at her. "Mark my words, Axel, one day… we're gonna be the best pair ever!" Axel lets out a neigh. "No, we are. And… and one day, we're gonna show my family that we're the best pair ever!" With her inspiring speech over, she hops back onto Axel's saddle, "Let's go!" And for once… for once…
He doesn't throw her off.
"Hee hee…" Nina stifles a giggle as she sits on top of a chandelier in one of the hallways of Krakenburg. She's currently ogling two guards standing… well, guard to someone's chambers. Not that that bit matters to her, what matters is that these two guards are male. Sure, she could be using her expertise in stealth and balance for 'serious' things, but she also happens to have a fascination with men. She looks back down at her notebook and resumes drawing them… without armor… fondling each other. Matters that should be far too mature for a girl who hasn't even… 'blossomed' yet.
Well, there's actually another reason why she's up here… Dwyer has been strangely assertive to her 'hanging on high' and 'drawing the surrounding scenery'. Nina asked for clarification multiple times, but he happens to be out of energy by then.
"Crown Prince Xander." The two guards state as they part way for the eldest son of King Garon.
"Ooo… three's better than two!" She whispers as she starts a third drawing. "And the Crown Prince, no les… hee hee."
"If I catch you sitting, leaning, or anywhere that your feet aren't touching the ground, I will have you detained." Xander announces without even looking her way. He's… obviously crazy, right? There's no way, "Get down, Nina." The two guards share a look, completely clueless. "Or I will cut the chain to your perch myself."
Hastened by his threat, Nina moves just a bit too fast, causing her to lose her footing and fall nearly thrice her height onto the plush carpet, "Ow…" She whines, the notebook and pen landing near her. "How'd you know?" She asks without a hint of formality.
"If you're going to hide your presence, at least make sure your shadow doesn't give you away." He scoffs as he enters his quarters.
"...Hide my shadow? Hm…" Nina scoops up her notepad, pen, and dashes off.
Dwyer is resting his head down on his table after his recent work session. He likes to do his calculations in small bursts, and strangely enough, he does more in his bursts of work than most people do in hours. So, what lies next to him? It's simple, really…
Multiple step equations on the trajectories of airborne object versus their opposing forces such as the air density, magical backlash primarily from spells in the Wind category, the shape of the object itself, the average throwing strength of the person in question... You know, the things that 'every' child learns in their 'elementary' class. "Oh, right…" He slowly raises his head, "I was going to write a report on the subtle traits of Obsidian…" He sighs. "If only they knew… if only they knew…" He grabs a sheet of paper, "Keep pushing, Soleil. That sword alone is more valuable than any other possible armament you can wield. Only a 'Divine Weapon' can surpass what Mama Camilla gave you." Another, deeper sigh.
"It's a shame that some blacksmith made it… now, if only Gugurang forged it…" Shortly after, steam erupts as the temperature skyrockets. He even had to pat his sheet down as it caught on fire, "And always so showy with your power."
Soleil is standing outside of the armory, arms crossed as she stares the guards down. "I want my sword back." This isn't the first day, nor will it be the last day she stands here and demands her sword back. It's simply the fact that it's the only thing she has left to remember Mama Camilla back, well there's that and…
Dwyer has been strangely assertive on that she gets her obsidian sword back.
"..." The guards remain stoically silent.
"I could floor you two right now, y'know?" She tries to get a rise out of them.
"..."
"How about a spar later, huh? If… when I win, I get my sword back."
"..."
"How about a cup of tea, then? We could talk things out."
"..."
"Gods, if it's not one, it's another." Crown Prince Xander walks up, "Soleil, leave."
"I just want my sword back!" She gripes without a hint of formality. "At least let me have it during training! I swear I'll do better with it!"
He furrows his brows, sighs, rubs his temples, and… "Soleil can use her Obsidian Sword only during training. Not a second more, not a second less, understand?" He directs his attention towards the guards.
"Yes, milord!" The two respond at once.
"There, now leave."
Soleil flashes her best smile, "Sweet. Thank you, Crown Prince Xander!" She skips off.
"So, if I cover your left flank, and you cover my rear and right sides, what are we going to do about our blind spot?" Siegbert asks as he goes over several diagrams with Ignatius. "By His Shadow… we need a third body to make this work."
"...Hey, Siegbert?" Ignatius asks, "I notice you're the only one who still refers to the Dusk Dragon specifically… so, your faith?"
He grimaces, "I have every trust that He will make things right, given time. I… I just wish I had my medallion back." A short pause, "And your faith is on us, the orphans, correct?"
"No…" He shakes his head, but before Siegbert could follow up, he adds, "My trust is in us, my family." He smiles. "We're in this together, 'till the end. I don't want to keep referring to us as 'just orphans', I want us to be a family… a large, diverse, family."
"...I like that idea, Ignatius." Siegbert nods, "So, we would be brothers, then?"
"Yeah, we would… brother."
"I'm… afraid I still don't understand, Ophelia." Forrest sighs as he takes a short rest, being magically spent from failed attempt after failed attempt with a basic Wind tome.
"And you've tried dispersing your devilish spite onto the target of your anger?" She asks.
"I have tried focusing my inner anger on a person of interest." He nods.
"Maybe the person didn't pull enough visceral actions out of you?"
"Ophelia… I don't know anyone that I want to hurt." He sighs, "That's the problem, I don't want to hurt anyone, which is why I keep asking for Staff training."
"Well, this fair maiden doesn't accept your reasoning." She frowns. "I have peered into the astral plains beyond thus gained the divinity to know that there are corrupted…"
"Ophelia, please. Stop." Forrest recoils. "No, you're right, but those are things I never want to remember."
"Oh, Oh…" The Dark Mage-in-training deflates. "I… hadn't realized."
He sighs, "No, it's alright, you didn't know how much it affects me."
"...I do." She whispers, "I meant no humor or exaggeration when I say I saw visages of your pain."
"Ophelia?" Forrest starts.
"Yes, dear friend?"
"Please, leave me alone for a while." He flinches at the sheer sorrow in her face. "I need some time to think."
"O-of course. My sincerest apologies." Is all she responds with.
"Stupid…" Velouria growls as she claws at the steel walls inside her 'room', "damn…" reinforced steel at that, ever since the guards found out that Velouria could in fact, tear through steel without weapons. "Humans!" She howls out as her claws chip and break, causing her hand to bleed…
"...again?" The door opens as a light blue hair Maid walks in, flanked by two guards wielding Beast Killers. "By Her Ice, I might as well live here… hand." She pulls out a 'Staff', healing…
"Leave me." The Wolfskin growls… then the Maid coughs and the lethal weapons are pointed at her, "...fine, human." She outstretches her bloodied claws, to which she mends them, followed by wrapping each of her fingers gently. "There, now…"
"You know as well as I do that I'm not finished yet." The Maid scoffs as she pulls out a cloth and some cleaning fluids. "I refuse to leave a single blood stain here… wolf."
"You…" Velouria pounces, before being slammed down by the, fortunately, non-toxic end of a Beast Killer. "One day… I'm gonna rip into each and every piece in your body. I'm gonna drink every last drop of blood. I'm gonna store your bones as snacks for later… And, And when I'm finally finished with every last fragment of your body, I'm gonna do the same to your damn sister!"
The Ice Tribe Maid stiffens. "You'll leave Felicia out of this!"
Velouria chuckles, dark and throaty, "Maybe I should line up your whole 'Ice Tribe' as a feast for the pack then?"
A chilling wind starts to blanket the room, "And how about if I have your entire 'pack' hunted down, skinned alive, then served to the predators outside of your den? Because gods know I wouldn't want to stain my mouth with your kind's foul meat."
"Lotta talk for someone who needs to disarm their prey and needs two bodyguards to 'safely' enter my 'room'... how about you send them out and try that pathetic attempt at a threat again?" Velouria growls…
The Maid scowls. "Uncivilized bitch."
Yet, she only laughs, "At least I'm proud of my status as a 'bitch'."
"Hmph." She huffs as she leaves.
"I'll be sure to send a letter to let you know the day I rip into your precious sister… alive and squirming. Whimpering for her dear sister as the life drains from her eyes, her resistance slowly fading as more and more of her warm life-fluid is drained into me. I'll even keep her skull for the day I do the same to you, so you can look at her eye-less head." Velouria is breathing heavily, more than simply excited at such a possibility…
Then howls out as a dagger imbeds itself into her left leg. "Oh dear, it seems my Staff has ran out of magic… I suppose you're on your own." The light-blue hair maid walks out…
Velouria knows her name is Flora, but she doesn't care for it.
Silas sighs as he ruffles his already permanent case of 'bed hair'. Papers, reports, citations, demands…
It never ends. No matter how many times he tries to get through to the orphan-made-soldiers, nothing ever sticks. "So, Nina… Soleil… Velouria." He names each of them as he reads over the documents. "Spying on the Crown Prince's quarters…"
"Aw, c'mon. I didn't even know they were his!" The archer gripes.
"Threatening the armory guards…"
"At least my request finally got through." Soleil half-smiles.
"And.. gods. I can't even stomach what you told Flora." The Wolfskin remains silent. "Velouria, you are as alone here as her… could you try and be friendly?"
"Is she a Wolfskin?"
"No." He flatly states.
"Then the only thing I will try to do is give myself one of the single most pleasurable kills possible… I'm gonna…"
"Velouria, please. No." It's been a subtle change, but Silas has noticed that the glint in the Wolfskin's eyes have slowly started becoming… wilder, more dangerous. He fears that is the army's intention… No, he can only guess, as he doesn't know much about Wolfskin to make a proper assumption.
"So, what's it gonna be this time, mister Silas?" Soleil asks.
"Something relatively simple, maybe a talk, we'll get to walk, and this will happen again." Nina leans back on the chair, pushing it onto two legs. "Ain't that right?"
Silas was about to protest, about to claim he was going to give them something serious for once, but… then he sighs. "I'm going to explain why I ask to do what you should do, then I'm going to send you back."
"See? Told ya." Nina smirks.
"I don't have time for this…" Velouria growls. "If you're just going to sit there and do the same damn thing every time…"
"Velouria… alright, fine." He sighs again, "Alright, how about this. Instead of lecturing you three specifically about what you should do, how about I tell you three why I never actually do anything harsh."
"Uh, well… you're a Goody-Two-Shoes." Nina shrugs.
"It's because I care you your well-being." Silas counters, "It's because I think there's more to raising an army than to just drill them constantly. I think that the leading officers should set proper examples, that while yes, we want you all to do your best, but we also want to make sure nobody's breaking down. I believe that we should take the time to learn each other."
"Ugh… it's so sappy that I'm gonna get sick." Nina groans… then pushes the chair back a bit too far, "woah!"
That is, if Soleil didn't reach out and stop the chair. "I saw that coming from a mile away." She shrugs as she pushes the chair back into place herself. "Nina, the chair has four legs for a reason."
"Hmph." Velouria sticks her nose up. "If you really cared about my well-being, then you'd get me out of here."
"I'd rather go back into the slums than live here." Nina nods.
"..." Soleil remains silent.
"You also realize you are essentially asking me to die, right?" Silas smoothly asks. "And that's not even counting if the army doesn't find and capture you all."
"I'd rather stay with mister Silas." Soleil finally speaks up. "At least I know it's a bit safer here."
"You're trapped here, Soleil, how is that not getting to you?!" Nina counters.
"Nina, with all due respect… you're too young to understand."
"I'm… what?!" Oh dear. "I'm barely even one year younger than you!"
"Nina, what's the worst thing that happened to you during your time in the slums?"
"Got caught by a passing guard and was beaten for about ten minutes." She shrugs it off. "What about…"
"...Had a feeling." She then glances at Silas, then at Nina, before back at Silas. "About half a year before I arrived in the Krakenburg Orphanage, I was out on the streets. I remember this night 'better' than the rest. In an alleyway across the vendor that sells, usually stale, bread. I was hiding under one of the roofs of a building, trying to stay out of the rain. It felt like a night like any other, and maybe it would have been, had some thief hadn't ran past me." Nina's casualness turns into a more solemn expression, "Dunno what he was running from, but I remember him referring to me as a 'he'. He took me by the arm and told me I was gonna deliver this 'package' he had stolen. I told him no in a slightly panicked voice, and my pitch must've given way the fact that I'm a girl, and…"
"Rainy night, across the food stalls, alleyway?" Silas sums up, "Thief… brown paper-wrapped package in the shape of a small circle?"
"Yep. That was me you saved." Soleil looks heavily thankful she doesn't have to continue. "That's why I feel safe with you, that's why I don't wanna leave."
"All I remember is that was the first night I actually ended up having to kill a criminal. Besides, I could barely even see you… how can you remember me?"
A smile, as sad and empty as it was, "Your hair gave you away."
"My… hair?" Silas repeats. Soleil only responds with a nod.
Nina looks between the two, "I don't get it, your 'worst pain' was the fear of a few stab wounds?"
"Nina, with all of your adultery-drawing, foul-mouthed, expert thievery and archery, you can be so innocent at times." She, almost lifelessly, responds. "You've claimed to have 'seen the worst', but no… you haven't."
"Nina, this is a topic that shouldn't just be brought up out of nowhere."
"The hell is it?" Nina stands up.
"Nina, Velouria, dismissed." Silas instead orders. "Now, go."
"Ugh, fine."
"Took long enough." Velouria huffs as she leaves.
"...Mister Silas?" Soleil asks.
The Paladin stands up, walks around the desk and opens his arms, "Come here…"
"Mister Silas." The more masculine woman takes a few steps, before throwing herself into his arms. "Th-thank you… M-m-mister Silas."
"Soleil? I have a question, if you don't mind."
With tearful eyes, she nods, "Yes sir?"
"You said you were in the Krakenburg Orphanage? So by all technicality, you're still an orphan, right?"
"I… guess?"
"Soleil, if I had the chance, would you allow me to… take you in as my own? Would you allow me to be your father?"
"F-father…?" She repeats. "You'd… be my… father?" She looks up, licking her lips as she tastes the name. "Mister Silas would be my… father?"
"I'd need to file the…"
"Father!" Soleil cuts him off with a tight hug. "Father, father, father, father…"
Well, it's not official until he actually obtains the papers and… "That would be correct… daughter." She needs the reassurance more than anything, and he has every intention of following through.
Dwyer slowly raises his head as someone knocks on his desk. "Got the drawings." Nina says. "Still can't believe you're into this." She giggles.
"...I like drawings." He mutters as he accepts the papers. "Pen?"
"Yep." She places it on the desk. "Let me know what you think later, alright?"
"Will do… thank you… Nina." With his work ready, he straightens his posture. Nina skips out of the room. "Perfect as always." He grabs a clear liquid and just dumps it on the 'drawings', "Even if I have to lie to get it done." The 'drawing' fades away and all that's left is a perfect representation of the hallways that Nina was in. How?
Well, it's simple. With Ophelia's help, he crafted a spell that is infused into ink, which is then applied to a special paper using a modified pen. This ink 'draws' like any other, but what its true purpose is to convey the mental images formed inside the artist's brain, effectively making a one-for-one picture of wherever the person started drawing. Finally, there is a counter-agent in the form of a liquid that dissolves the 'drawing' and only leaves the mental imprint. With this and Nina's highly unusual skill in sneaking around, Dwyer is slowly making a map of Krakenburg, with the latest addition being the hallway of the Crown Prince himself. "Heh, you said you wanted a way out, Nina… you'll get your wish… eventually."
Tap, tap, and Soleil lets herself in. "Heya! Just wanted to let you know that I can start using my Obsidian Sword during training… and training only." A half-frown makes its way to her face. "That's all good, right?"
"I can make do." He nods.
"Hey, Dwyer?" She asks.
"You want to know why I'm interested in your Obsidian sword?" He smiles, then grabs the small stack of papers. "...I have plans, Soleil."
"With my sword?"
"They include your sword."
"Because of the, uh… spell-reflective thingy it can do?"
"Part of the reason."
"And the other part?"
"...How much do you know about the Dragon Gods?" A short pause follows.
"I sorta kinda know about Dusk."
"How about Fire?"
"Nope. What does the Fire Dragon God have to do with my sword?" She shrugs.
"I'll tell you… later. I'm tired." He sighs as he lies his head down.
"Oh fine… sleep well." Soleil leaves.
Velouria growls as she's taken by both arms with a soldier wielding a Beast Killer behind her. The second she was healed by an angered Flora was the second she apparently had some sort of 'test' to attend to. She was brought out into an… arena? "Oh-ho! There she is!" Some bald-headed human laughs, he has a massive axe strapped to his back. "Velouria! The Wolfskin! Heh."
"Human." She narrows her eyes.
"I hear you're pretty skilled with the axe."
"I want my Beaststone back."
"No." He scowls as he plucks an axe from the side. Serrated edges and gleaming with a magical light. "You're here for amusement, not preferences."
"I can have you…"
"Your own amusement." He cuts her off, "I can see it in your eyes, the need to kill. I heard about that glorious threat you made to that spineless Flora. I want to bring out that killing side, so…" He hands her the axe, to which one soldier releases a grip on her arm. "This is an axe made specifically for tearing deep, thrice forged for durability and sharpness, enchanted to keep it sharp… just for you." She grabs the shaft and her eyes light up. "You, stand here." He barks an order at the soldier who let go of her arm.
"Yes sir!" He stands right in front of the bald man…
Who twists him around, pulls his arms back, and kicked the backside of his knees. "Look at him, Velouria. Weak, pathetic." He starts, "Something easy to start off with. I want you to cleave him into two."
"Wh-wh-what?! I…"
"Do it, Velouria."
The Wolfskin grips the axe tighter. "And that's all I gotta do?"
"Velouria… if you do as I say for the next three days, the King has given me permission to let you walk free."
"...free?" Velouria gasps.
"That's right… and it starts with bisecting this man."
The man cowers and whimpers as the second soldier releases his grip. "Pl-please, don't…"
"For my freedom… I'd kill as many as you want." The man didn't even have a chance to scream as Velouria chopped him in half right at the waist… one single swing.
"Ha! Perfect!" The bald man laughs, "Glorious! I…" The other guard beside Velouria was cleaved vertically, "Go on…"
She rounds on the last one, the dreaded Beast Killer in hand… however, due to the gory deaths of the other two, the guard trembles. "Damn humans…" One, two, then three. Her first slash cuts through the Beast Killer, the second is a diagonal slice through his whole body, the third is across the waist. "Blood… I want more!" She looks at the bald man, "I want to kill more!"
He laughs, "Let your blood settle, Velouria. It'd do no good to charge in blindly." He bravely extends a hand, "My name is Hans."
"...Three days?"
"Three days."
"And I'm free?"
"And you'll be free, by the order of King Garon himself." He procures a paper, "Personally written and signed by His Highness."
Velouria licks her lips, grips the axe and shakes his hand with her free one, "Deal."
"Ophelia?" Forrest gently knocks on the prodigal Dark Mage's door. "Are you inside?"
"...Forrest?" She gently asks as she opens the door, "Ah, the…" She pauses, seeming deflated, "I mean. Welcome, please come in."
He smiles, if a bit empty, "Thank you." He looks around, magical lights are floating about, a number of objects are glowing… a testament to how skilled she is. "Your room is beautiful… it's like looking at a starry night sky."
"Thank you, Forrest."
"Ophelia? I need to apologize for my behavior earlier." He sighs as he sits himself, "Yes, it is a sensitive topic, but I shouldn't have dismissed you so quickly."
"...No, 'tis but this maiden's fault. I had… looked into your thoughts, your… nightmares without consent. While I had this dark feeling when we were still in the orphanage, I hadn't realized until I was getting proper training that I was actually sensing your aura."
"My… aura?" He repeats.
"Yes!" She quickly nods, "Everyone has a unique magical aura, and and… I noticed that shortly after you wake up, to about lunch time, your aura was so… dark. Like a terrible thunderstorm where all you can see is black clouds and rain and thunder and lightning."
"...I do have nightmares at times, yes." Forrest nods. "Again, I apologize for pushing you away so quickly. Can… we still be friends?"
Ophelia flashes a beautiful smile, "From the day we were brought from the cosmos was the day we were destined to become intertwined in a plan far greater than most could ever know. I, Ophelia Dusk, will ever stand by your side, Forrest, for as long as you'll have me." She bows.
"And I, Forrest, will forever be thankful for the Dragon Gods allowing us the chance to exist in the same plane of existence, that we may forever share our troubles and joys together, until the end of days... Ophelia Dusk."
A/N: I wanted to get more little scenarios up, but I kinda went… bleh.
Ah-ha! Silas has made his appearance and he's… already a Paladin? Before the war even started? It turns out Sophie is another '2nd gen' unit, this time in the form of Silas's younger sister. However, she hasn't even made it to a Cavalier yet.
So, how do y'all like the orphan's attitudes? I personally like how Nina is the youngest, apparently the most hardened… but also ignorant of some topics due to her youth. Or how about the kinship between Siegbert and Ignatius? Ophelia's and Forrest's friendly bond? Soleil and her… eventual adoptive father, Silas.
Oh, Dwyer's intellect, whew. Makes ya wonder how much he really does know.
Aaaand, Velouria. Well, at least this gives her a sort of canon reason to be able to use a Heart Seal to become a Berserker. Also, just, oof. Hope it all ends well for her, it would be terrible if she ended up as a…
Boss unit.
Oh, I suppose Flora and Hans made an appearance… and Xander.
