"Hey, wake up. it's time to move out." he heard, his eyes fluttering open from their temporary respite. He made a lone grunt, a symbol that he acknowledged the command and was carrying out the order. He shook his head, scratching it absentmindedly before exhaling. His eyes, an empty blue gray color, looked to the man who had woken him, his larger figure, black armor and orange furred shirt unmistakable. "You had that dream again, didn't you Cetanu?" he asked, and he nodded, his eyes seeming to focus on nothing in particular.
"About a war. It was fascinating." he said, and the older man chuckled. "Why is that? Was there something that interested you?" he asked, and Cetanu stared blankly, as if pondering. "A woman. Some of the weapons were interesting, but a woman with bright green hair and beautiful eyes. Something about her captivates me. It's a familiar feeling." he said, and the man looked to the younger male, sighing. "You only get so passionate about a few things, and that dream is one of them." he said, and Cetanu blankly hummed. "I wonder why that is. Is my face really not showing how I feel, Father?" he asked, and his father, a battle worn mercenary named Jeralt Eisner, sighed.
Before he could respond however, a mercenary entered the tent in haste. "Sir, I apologize for interrupting, but there's something that needs your attention." he said, and Jeralt looked to Cetanu. The stone faced mercenary grabbed his sword and followed his father from the tent.
When they exited the tent, they were met with an interesting sight. Cetanu saw three young adults, each wearing a similar uniform with varying colored garbs.
In the center, with the broadest shoulders and the most respectful air, was a tall young man with blond hair. Cetanu thought he was rather handsome, and his eyes traveled the other male's body, subconsciously gauging his physical ability should he prove to be an enemy. "Forgive us for interrupting you, but we require your aid. We were separated from the rest of our camp and came under attack from a group of bandits." he said, and Cetanu couldn't help but notice the bright blues he wore on his garb.
Jeralt looked to Cetanu, and the black garbed mercenary stepped forward. To the right of the blonde boy was a bronze skinned male with an obvious air of deception about him. Even without much contact with normal people besides his fellow mercenaries, he could tell that this one, garbed in bright yellow, was clearly the most intelligent, if only for the aura of deception that cloaked him almost like a shield.
"You kids are from the Officers Academy, aren't you?" Jeralt asked, and they all nodded. The lone female, a beautiful young woman with lavender eyes, and an air of superiority about her, smiled ever so slightly. "Yes. Unfortunately, despite our talents, we were far too outnumbered and untrained to deal with a rabid band of hooligans." she said, and the bronze skinned boy nodded. "They're after our necks and our gold." he said, and Jeralt looked to Cetanu.
Another mercenary ran up to them, seeming slightly nervous. "Captain Jeralt! There's a shit ton of bandits coming. I can't tell how many but there's enough to match us at least." he said, and Cetanu frowned ever so slightly. "Twenty five at the least? Damn. Pack up camp, I'll head out myself." he said, and the mercenary nodded.
"Alone? With all due respect sir, a lone mercenary against two dozen bandits seems like a suicide mission." the blonde one said, and Jeralt chuckled, walking over to his horse and sighing. He looked to Cetanu, who silently nodded, beginning to walk silently in the direction of the bandits.
He looked to the three students, who he assumed were all nobles of some form. As Jeralt's horse began to neigh, Cetanu inhaled deeply, his mind beginning to shift into a combat state. "Come." he said, his voice coming out as a near god like decree. The three looked amongst each other and immediately followed, murmuring amongst themselves.
Slightly ahead of the younger trio, Jeralt looked to Cetanu. "What do you want to do about those three?" he asked, and Cetanu glanced back to them, his stoic face and empty eyes merely staring forward. "They fight. If they fall, it will not be in vain." he said, and Jeralt narrowed his eyes. "They look like nobles. If two of them survive, they will bring their entire houses down on us." he said, and Cetanu looked to his father, and on this rare occasion, he could see the most dim sparkle of emotion in his son's eyes.
It was a gleeful emotion, masked well by his son's ever so unmoving features. Jeralt sighed, looking ahead and seeing the first of the bandits lazily searching for the three missing students. "Whatever you do, not in front of the brats." he said, and Cetanu looked to his father, nodding. "Understood."
When they came upon the bandits, Jeralt and Cetanu began to watch them, the three students coming upon them and looking to the group. "There's twenty three of them. I'm sure the others, if any, are farther out." Jeralt said, and the three students had caught up to them.
The bronze skinned boy whistled. "That's a lot of them. Are we waiting for the rest of your guys or going around them?" he asked, and Jeralt looked down to the boy. "Cetanu. How long should this last?" he asked, and the blank faced male tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "Without the three of them? An hour at most. With their assistance, provided that they are at least decently trained, thirty minutes at most." he explained. "You can't be serious." the girl said, and Cetanu stared blankly.
"Cover me with random fire." Cetanu said to the bronze skinned boy, who blinked. "How could you tell I'm an archer?" he asked, and Cetanu sighed, drawing his sword and rolling his shoulders.
"You have no scars or bruises. Either you're an archer, a healer, a mage, or a coward." he said, moving forward first. He bolted forward, towards the right, the three students following after him, the yellow garbed boy shooting iron tipped arrows at the bandits, scattering them and confusing the group to the right.
Cetanu was fully aware that the bandits to the eastern side of the area would be easily dispatched by his father. However, even though this side only held seven bandits, Cetanu's primary desire was to test the students that he was around. He saw that the blond boy has a lance on him, and the girl wielded an axe, his focus on their appearance and physical attributes causing him to miss their weapons, which agitated him ever so slightly.
"You pompous fucks!" one of the bandits shouted, running directly at him. "Jab!" he shouted, swinging his blade low and chopping the thigh of the bandit before ducking down and flipping the man over his shoulders. The blond boy seemed to respond to Cetanu's command, jabbing forward and striking the airborne bandit in the back of the throat. He removed the lance, looking up at the black garbed man, who moved like a villainous shadow as he chopped down two of the bandits with little effort.
Cetanu parried swords with one of the bandits, jabbing his left leg out and dislocating the man's kneecap. He struck the sword from his foe's hands. He slashed the man's chest and grabbed him by the throat. "Chop!" he shouted, chucking the man at the girl, who came down swiftly, her axe catching the man in the collar bone, his body collapsing to the ground. "This guy is insane." the yellow garbed student said, and the blonde male nodded. "He's something else." he said, watching Cetanu dispose two more of the bandits, his blank face not betraying any sense of humanity.
"Hey you blank faced shit! Why don't you try someone your own size!" they all heard, a larger bandit, obviously the leader, standing with a pair of axes in his hands. His large forehead was an obvious target for Cetanu, who inhaled. "Why are you protecting those little shits!? They paying you or something?" he growled out, and Cetanu watched his opponent closely.
"The Mercenaries of Jeralt Eisner don't stand for scum like you." he said, and the man hesitated, his grip tightening on his axes ever so slightly. "Jeralt Eisner? Y-you mean Jeralt the Blade Breaker!?" he said, and the man shook his shaggy head. "You're bullshittin' me. You're just some fancy merc who gets lucky! After I'm finished with you I'll take out those little brats behind you!" he said, and Cetanu remained akin to a statue, a guard dog poised and ready to explode at any second. The man narrowed his eyes and growled, crouching down, obviously about to surge forward. "And if I'm not satisfied after those brats, maybe I'll look up your mother." he said, running forward with both axes abroad.
The bronze skinned boy launched an arrow that was deflected by the bandit leader's axe. Cetanu, his back unmoving and to the three students, dropped his sword. The bandit leader came down with both axes, crossing them both to protect his chest. Cetanu stepped back, kicking the man in the face and causing him to flip back, the force wrenching both axes from his hand.
Cetanu was upon him before he even hit the ground. He struck him once, a punch to the face as he stood atop the man. He stepped on his face, grinding his heel into his face with vigor, his face still a stalwart mask.
"Get the fuck off me!" the bandit screamed, and Cetanu lifted his boot, slamming it down and stunning the bandit. Cetanu lifted his foot again, another stomp shattering the man's nose. The next stomp took out some of his teeth. Cetanu couldn't express it well, but he felt a pure fury, a Frenzy of sorts. He didn't know how to express himself, and in his anger and frustration, he simply continued to stomp the man. He lost track of how many times his foot came down, but he wasn't satisfied yet.
"Kostas!" Cetanu heard, being tackled off the man by a stray bandit, Cetanu wrestling himself to atop the bandit, his mounted position allowing him to rain down punches, the armor on his fingers cutting the flesh of the bandit. In his fury, Cetanu didn't notice the leader, Kostas, leap to his feet and grasp one of his axes. He leapt forward, like an inhuman beast, directly at the girl.
The other two students knew they wouldn't make it in time, calling out for her to run. Cetanu picked up on this and surged forward, covering the girl and exposing his back to his opponent. As the axe came down, Cetanu felt himself sink, as if being pulled down underneath water.
"You absolute buffoon! What are you trying to accomplish!?" Cetanu heard. He sighed, looking up to the same stone chair he'd seen in his dreams. "Honestly, jumping in front of an axe for some girl you've just met!?" he heard, another scolding remark from the chair's direction. Residing in the chair was Sothis, a pointy eared, wild haired girl that haunted Cetanu's dreams and thoughts. "Jealous?" he asked, his blank stare and unmoving face aggravating the girl, who narrowed her eyes and puffed up her cheeks. "What did I tell you about keeping your wit in line?" she scolded, and Cetanu remained silent.
She sighed, trying to remain calm in the face of the emotionless mercenary. "So what shall we do? If you die, I might cease to exist as well." she asked, and Cetanu hummed. He began to think about what could be done, but he was distracted by Sothis herself. He wild mane of hair and bright eyes, and her lithe, feminine frame were captivating to Cetanu. "It's quite simple. Release me from this hold you have and let me take the blow. My armor should suffice." he said, and she frowned.
"Like I said, I won't take the chance of you dying, especially for some random harlot you just met." she said, and Cetanu could feel his face twitch at her agitation. "You truly are jealous, aren't you?" he teased, and she groaned aloud, rising from her seat and looking at him with a fiery gaze. Cetanu enjoyed teasing her for some reason, but relented. "Unless you can turn back the hands of time, I don't think you have a choice." he said, and she blinked. "Of course. I'll just turn back the hands of time!"
Cetanu inhaled. "Will I retain my memories?" he asked, and she nodded. A large magickal seal appeared in front of her, bright in color, and with some odd symbol in the center. It reminded him of a House Crest, a symbol on the banners of some of the noble houses he'd worked for in the pace. "Save the girl, and save yourself. You who was brought her by the flow of time. Bring the flames of justice to those who'd harm the innocent." she said, and Cetanu felt himself launched backwards, his mind replaying the past few minutes before he found himself back atop the bandit as the leader began to rise. Cetanu exhaled, throwing a stiff right punch at the bandit he was atop before leaping up and surging at Kostas.
Cetanu launched himself, slamming his shoulder into Kostas' abdomen and driving him to the ground, the axe bouncing from his grip. Using the momentum, Cetanu rolled to his feet, clenching his fists and lifting his left leg. "Rise!" he shouted, his voice melancholic and loud. Kostas rolled to his feet coughing and wheezing, he shook his head and looked to his remaining bandits. "Re-retreat!" he screamed, running in the opposite direction as Jeralt and a few of their allies arrived. "Are you alright Kid?" he asked, and Cetanu stared off at the bandits, his face still a stone mask, disguising how he felt.
"Hey, not here." Jeralt said, and Cetanu inhaled sharply. Just then, a group of soldiers, led by a burly man in snow white armor burst into the clearing. "Reach for the heavens scoundrels! The Knights of Seiros have arrived!" he shouted, looking to Jeralt, who seemed incredibly aggravated. "Of all of the Church's lackeys, why'd it have it to be him?" he asked, and the man began to laugh happily.
"Captain Jeralt!? Is that you? It's me, Alois, your old squire!" he said, and Jeralt looked to Cetanu. "It's been a while." he said, and Alois laughed again, smile on his face. "What a blessing that the students ran into you!" he said, and Jeralt tried his best to brush him to the side. "Yes. And now that you're here, they're your problem again. I'm a busy man and I must be going." he said, and Alois seemed upset by the statement, Cetanu noticing that the three students were all being waited on by various soldiers the burly man brought with him.
"Please Captain! You must return to the Monastery with me! Lady Rhea has been worried about you for years!" He pleaded and Jeralt looked to Cetanu before sighing. "I knew this day would come. You better try to relax while you can, because it's only going to get more difficult from here." he said, and Alois looked to Cetanu.
"Is this your son, Captain?" he asked, and Cetanu nodded. "As far as I know." he said, his melancholic voice only added to Alois' amusement. "There's no doubt about it with that humor." he said, and Cetanu looked to Jeralt, who nodded with many meanings as Cetanu headed over to the students he saved.
When he approached, the soldiers all were on edge, seeing the blank faced mercenary approach, his ebon attire only disturbed by random pink strips of cloth and the marking of Jeralt's Mercenaries in white. On his waist was a blue dagger, but that seemed to be less of a weapon and more of an heirloom or personal effect. "Halt. Whether you saved them or not, we can't trust you approaching so carelessly." they said, and Cetanu inhaled through his nose lightly.
"Is there another name they speak when they tell tales of Jeralt's Mercenaries. Surely they speak of my father, but what of another?" he asked, and they all took a step back. "I hold no ill will towards these students. If anything, I wish to check on their well being and gauge their potential should they ever take up a mercenary's blade." he said, and one of the soldiers shook his head. "We'll allow it, but do know that we'll be watching, Ashen Demon." he said, and Cetanu nodded, his eyes looking past them to the three students, who seemed rather impressed with the man who saved them.
"You are something else. And to think that Jeralt the Blade Breaker, former Captain of the Knights of Seiros, is your father." the girl said, and Cetanu looked to her, focusing on her purposely to agitate Sothis. "I knew nothing of my father's past." he said, and her eyes narrowed slightly. "How fascinating." she said, her posture shifting slightly. "However, I must move on to more important matters. It would be an honor if you could swing your blade in service of the Adrestian Empire." she said, and Cetanu remained silent, his mind not moving much either.
"I ask because I am no ordinary student. My name is -" "Halt Edelgard, do not be so hasty." the blond boy said, and Cetanu focused on him for a moment. He found him rather amusing, his posture belying a much more animalistic physicality than he let off. "Forgive me, but I would love if you could offer your services to the Kingdom of Faerghus. We could use someone with your prowess and knowledge." he said, and the bronze boy whistled.
"Wow, demanding fealty already? I'm surprised Your Highnesses, I for one was planning on building a bond on our trip back to the monastery before begging for favors and making the guy who saved us take a knee." he said, and Edelgard narrowed her eyes.
They began to bicker amongst themselves as Sothis groaned in his mind, agitated by the situation. "Unbelievable! You save their life and they demand fealty!? What kind of snobbish little nobles are they! Especially that girl!" she shouted in his mind. "What do you think of Edelgard?" Cetanu asked her, and she frowned. "I think she's strong, and willing to do anything to achieve her goals. I smell the ambition on her, and something about it unnerves me." she said, and he hummed. "And the blond boy?" he asked, and Sothis scratched her wild mane of hair. "Well, he's virtuous, but his eyes show a lot of suffering, and I'm afraid for what happens if that repressed evil rises to the surface." she said, and Cetanu nodded.
"Indeed. I noticed as much. Honestly it interests me. I wonder if he'd be a worthy opponent for me." he mused, looking to the bronze boy, his more flamboyant garb only accenting his height and slim build. "And this one?" he asked, and Sothis narrowed her eyes. "He's full of mischief. He's got a pretty face and a nice smile, but his eyes… they seem to always be hiding something." he said, and Cetanu nodded in agreement. Alois and Jeralt approached. "Come along now, we must make it back to the Monastery as soon as possible!" he said before walking away with a hearty laugh, the students all bowing to him as they departed. Jeralt looked after them.
"What do you think?" he asked, and Cetanu hummed. "The boy in yellow is interesting. It's clear that he's not a fighter like the blond one, but he's more than capable of holding his own and surviving. The girl, Edelgard, is something. She asked me to serve the Empire before introducing herself." he said, and Jeralt looked to his son. "Did they.. stir you?" he asked, and Cetanu tilted his head ever so slightly. "A little. Nothing I can't handle." he said, and Jeralt frowned. "I was hoping to avoid the Monastery for a while longer, but it can't be helped. Come on, we have to keep up." he said, and Cetanu nodded, following silently, the stoic mercenary like a Gargoyle, stony and vigilant.
The walk, which went through the night, the next night, and into the next morning, was uneventful. When they approached their destination, the two groups, the Knights and Jeralt's Mercs, began to intermingle, as they'd be working together more often. This led to the three students walking alongside the mercenary. They all took to him, something he found odd. Normally, his stoic attitude, lack of interest in normal activities and battle prowess made him an outcast. Even amongst the band of mercenaries he'd spent his entire life with, he was one of the less popular, normally only speaking to his Father.
"I could show you around when we get there." The blond boy, whose name was Dimitri, said. "It really is Fodlan in a nutshell." Claude, the bronze boy, said. Cetanu remained silent, something the trio had gotten used to somehow. They didn't take it as rude, and if they did, they never showed it outwardly. He walked through a final clearing, and saw a massive compound of a building, huge and castle like in size and structure. "There it is. Garreg Mach Monastery." Edelgard said, and Cetanu remained stoic, his face locked on the huge building, glancing to his father briefly before narrowing his eyes. He knew he'd be spending a large portion of his year here at the least, and for some reason, he didn't mind it. Normally remaining in one place would aggravate Cetanu for many reasons, but this time.. it was alright.
The students followed the Knights when they entered the gates, Cetanu's eyes traveling about at the many people, commoner and noble alike, that resided within the large walls of the monastery. He looked to his father, who frowned as he walked about. "I'm not too happy about being back here." he said, and Cetanu could tell. His father was always a scowling face, but never this much. It was like there were memories he was trying to repress, or people he didn't want to see. And, as if on cue with Cetanu's thoughts, his father stopped, looking up to a high balcony, where Cetanu saw a lone woman.
She was mesmerizing, and he could tell she was a figure of importance. Her long, lavish hair was a unique, bright green color, and her eyes held a worldly wisdom and desire about them. Her garb was extravagant in it's simplicity, her headdress and mantle distracting from her simple, formfitting white robe that hugged a figure that Cetanu could only gaze at. He felt his tongue run along his lips as he looked at the woman. "Get a hold of yourself." Jeralt said, and Cetanu could almost feel his face move. He wanted to frown, but something in his body prevented him from emoting at all. He wondered what it was, but he didn't dwell on it, choosing to follow his father through the halls.
"Father, how familiar are you with my… 'condition'?" Cetanu asked, and Jeralt looked to him as they traveled through a large building towards a set of stairs. "Your mother pointed me to some literature, and explained that in order to keep you.. healthy, that we'd have to suppress your symptoms with constant activity, to keep your mind off of it. That's why I don't want to be here." he said, and Cetanu frowned. "Would it be so wrong if I gave in? Have you seen what happens if I do?" he asked, and Jeralt sighed at they headed towards a large audience chamber. "That's why I brought you along instead of leaving you with the band. I've seen how you get when we get into fights with bandits and thieves. You need to give in, Kid. Just.. not too much." he said, Cetanu nodding as they entered the chamber, the captivating woman from the balcony there to meet them with a small smile.
"Jeralt, it is so good to see you again, old friend." she said, her soft voice carrying a sense of authority with it. "I'm not too thrilled about being back here, but the feeling is mutual all the same, Rhea." he said, and Cetanu watched as her gaze shifted to him. "And I see the miracle of fatherhood has blessed you as well." she said, and Jeralt nodded. "Indeed. He was born many years after I left the monastery. I wish I could introduce you to his mother, but we… lost her to illness shortly after he was born." he said, and Cetanu locked eyes with the woman, ignoring the tales his father told. The woman was oddly perceptive, as she could see the emotions hidden beneath his stony gaze. His desire, his curiosity, his anger. It was mesmerizing to her, and she could tell he was special. Jeralt picked up on this, because he nudged Cetanu in the side, breaking his trance.
"Go on, introduce yourself to Rhea." he said, expecting Cetanu to be plain and stoic as always. Instead, the ebon warrior dropped to one knee, bowing his head and inhaling, trying to hide his face from her view. "I am Cetanu Eisner, second in command of Jeralt's Mercenaries." he said, and Rhea smiled. "Rise, Child. You owe me no such fealty." she said, and he rose, his inward feelings like a tempest within, struggling to be let out. Cetanu hated this part about himself, and he would have to find the key to his physical cage, the thing that would allow him to smile, to frown, to cry, and to be… human.
Before the conversation could continue, a man with green hair, a shade identical to Sothis', and blue garbs, entered from the left of the Archbishop. "Pardon my intrusion, but there is an urgent matter that requires our attention." he said, and the woman nodded, almost reluctantly. She looked to the pair of sellswords. "We will continue this tomorrow. Please allow Alois to show you to your quarters for the night." she said, and Cetanu bowed his head slightly.
The walk to his quarters was uneventful, and when he entered the room, which was rather close to many of the students that attended the Officer's Academy, he sat on his bed and tried to frown. His body wouldn't allow it, and he heard a familiar sigh in his mind.
"If you were an animal, you would have jumped that Rhea woman more than once. Do try to control yourself." she said, and Cetanu stared blankly. "My body doesn't respond to my desires. I can not smile, frown, cry or even call out in anger as I desire. Do you know how much pent up rage is within me for that sole fact alone?" he asked, and the girl seemed hesitant before she spoke again. "I heard you speaking to your father of a 'condition'. Tell me that you are healthy, and that I will not fade from existence because you have some illness or another." she demanded, almost pleaded. Cetanu exhaled, as his body wouldn't even allow him a sigh.
"My heart… does not beat. Neither me or my Father know why. He tells me that my Mother knows, but she has passed on." he said, and Sothis sighed. "Can you explain to me what it is? Perhaps I can offer you some advice, or at the least tell you how to hide your illness from others." she said, and Cetanu relented. He never could say no to Sothis.
When the Eisner's reached the audience chamber, they noticed that the woman named Rhea was absent. "It looks like I'm going back with the Knights of Seiros." he said, sighing and shaking his head. He looked to his son. "It seems you'll be working here as well." he said, and Cetanu narrowed his eyes. "As a mercenary, or a part of the Knights with you?" he asked, and his father groaned, disliking the situation. "No, turns out you'll be doing something a little different. Turns out that during that little expedition into Remire Village, one of the Professors at their Academy ran off like a bitch. So that damn buffoon Alois went and recommended you to Rhea." he said, and Cetanu was honestly surprised. A teacher? That was the last job he'd expect to have.
When the woman named Rhea entered the room, she had the blue garbed man with her. "Greetings. My name is Seteth, I am the Advisor to Archbishop Rhea in all manners." he said, bowing slightly as Cetanu bowed in turn, something his Father didn't do. "I assume Alois filled you both in on our requests?" he asked, and Jeralt nodded. "Of course. We accept, but do know that you should come to me or my son directly instead of taking a recommendation from Alois of all people." he said, and Seteth frowned, as if disrespected.
"If there is a problem, we can surely come to a compromise. Of course, I myself find it hard to believe that an esteemed warrior such as yourself would refuse such an honored position as Captain of the Knights of Seiros." he said, and Cetanu narrowed his eyes. He found the man's tone unacceptable, and grinded his teeth ever so slightly.
"I can handle myself. It's my son I'm speaking of. Appointing someone that young as a Professor has to be a fool's errand." he said, and Seteth folded his arms, Cetanu and Rhea watching silently. "I agree, that's why I'm giving him a chance to back out. I already have a backup planned should he refuse or not meet expectations." he said, and Cetanu took a step forward, tilting his head up at the man slightly, as he was taller than the ebon garbed man.
"I will be fine. Do try and keep your wit in line. I'd hate to be the man that made an enemy out of the Ashen Demon without lifting a finger." he said, the other three, much older adults, taken aback by his words, which were said with a flat, dead voice. He looked to Rhea, bowing. "Your orders, My Lady?" he asked, and she smiled. "With you being appointed as the newest professor, you will be placed in charge of one of our three classes. I advise you to spend the day traveling the grounds, interacting with and meeting some of the students. When you are satisfied, please return here." he said, and Cetanu beat his fist on his chest before leaving, trying his best to remain in control of all of his suppressed emotions and desires.
After leaving, Jeralt caught up to him, rather quickly as well. "What the hell was that?" he asked, and Cetanu frowned. An honest to the Goddess frown, something that Jeralt took note of. "I will not tolerate being spoken to in such a tone. The man hadn't known me for a single day or held a single conversation with me and already insinuated that my skills were not to his standard? He's lucky he wasn't first." Cetanu said, and Jeralt sighed. He knew the day would come when Cetanu would grow restless and easily agitated, and he knew that day would be when he was forced around so many people at once.
A pair of older people walked up to them, a man in a gray overcoat and a woman in a revealing dress with daggers strapped to her thigh. Cetanu narrowed his eyes, inhaling as he tried to calm himself. He noticed that the older man had a scholarly air about himself, whilst the woman seemed anything but professional. "My, you must be the new professor. It makes sense, with such a stern face and imposing figure." the woman said, crooning over Jeralt, who seemed unnerved by the attention. "Uhh, you got the wrong guy." he said, patting Cetanu on the shoulder before leaning closer. "Good luck. Watch out for Rhea, I don't know what she's up to, but it can't be good." he said, and Cetanu nodded before turning his attention to the woman.
There was no denying that she was beautiful, her bosom, bountiful and shimmering against the light of the sun that peered through the windows, one of the first things that Cetanu noticed. "So it's you? Well, aren't you a little young to teach?" he asked, and the older man sighed. "You should know full well that appearance doesn't bely age, Manuela." he said, and she sighed. "Stuff it Hanneman." she said, and Cetanu tilted his head slightly. "I am Cetanu. I am the new Professor, yes." he said, bowing respectfully. "My name is Hanneman. This boisterous woman here is Manuela. We are the other Professors that will be teaching here this year. I myself am a Crest Scholar. I look forward to speaking with you in private, should you have a moment. I would love to see if you have a Crest of your own." he said, and Cetanu stared blankly.
He'd heard of Crests, as they were the focal points of certain missions he'd gone on. The bloodline abilities of certain noble houses. He knew of them, and had even faced them, and their 'Relics', before. They were rather powerful, and he began to wonder how often he'd be able to face them, now that he was in the center of the country, at a place where all nobles visited.
"Pleasure. I'll make sure to pay you a visit. Crests interest me as well for their battle potential." he said, and the woman almost pouted, as if jealous. "Well, my name is Manuela. I'm a physician, a songstress, and.. available." she said, and Cetanu wished he could smirk at the comment, his face unmoving despite his thoughts. Cetanu bowed to her, taking her hand and placing a chaste kiss on it. "It's a pleasure Madam. I look forward to working with you." he said, winking to her before he departed, leaving her staring after him. Hanneman could tell something was wrong, and he looked to her. "Is something amiss, Manuela?" he asked, and she nodded, clutching her hand. "His lips were… cold."