When it was made clear that Eriol seemed to know the three strangers at the door, the hustle and bustle resumed.

"King Toya sent Kurogane-san and I down to get fitted for armor, and Fai is to be given a bow and arrow to fight with." Syaoran explained to Eriol, who nodded.

"Minoru!" Eriol called, looking to the back of the room. Minoru looked up from the suit of armor he was creating, banging the metal with a hammer, "Yes?"

"We need two suits of armor, one for Kurogane-san and one for Syaoran-san." Eriol said, adjusting his glasses so that they rested up higher on his nose.

Minoru smiled and walked over to the group, "If you two will follow me, I think I have just the thing for both of you." Minoru said, turning and leading Kurogane and Syaoran to the back of the room.

Eriol then turned back to Fai, who appeared to be studying Eriol, the key hanging around his neck in particular. Eriol smiled softly, and his suspicions about the blonde had been answered in that quick glance. "You are to become an archer, correct?"

"Yes," Fai said, "I'm not that good with a sword so-what are you doing?" Fai watched as Eriol had walked away from him and to the weaponry wall. He would pick up a bow at random, shake his head, and put the bow back. Finally he came to a long, white bow with a blue hand-grip. Eriol held it in his hands for a minute before he nodded, "This will be your weapon." He said, tossing the bow to Fai, who caught it and instantaneously decided that if he were to fight with a weapon, there could be no better one. Fai looked up from admiring his weapon just in time to realize a quiver holding a good amount of arrows was tossed to him; he caught that as well.

"You are very quick thinking, Fai-san. That's a skill that's needed for all wizards...Don't you agree?" Eriol said, lowering his voice so that only Fai could hear, "To avoid attacks, to hold up a marvelous defensive...many magical skills require quick thinking."

The way Eriol looked at him, and brought up the subject so suddenly caused Fai to falter. He hadn't told anyone here that he was a wizard; knowing that he would be expected to use magic...and that would cause him to explain too much.

Eriol laughed a bit, "Your magical aura pours off of you, and it's hard to ignore it. I think that you'd even be able to best Yukito-san." Eriol said, "And you did seem to be drawn to my necklace, it's the source of my magic." Eriol lifted the chain around his neck and held it so that the sun key dangled between them.

"Ah. So I suppose I gave myself away to you without knowing then," Fai said. A small smile rested on his lips as he continued, "But, I am currently unwilling to use my magic."

Eriol nodded, "I see. Well, seeing that this seems to be an uncomfortable conversation for you, I will not press the matter further." He said.

A quick sigh of relief escaped Fai's lips. He opened his mouth to say something more to Eriol when an obnoxious clattering was heard, followed by a string of equally loud swears. Fai stood on tip-toe to get a look over the crowd that had gathered around the source of the noise, and he broke out in cheerful laughter at what he saw. Kurogane, wearing a large metal suit, had apparently tried to walk and had fallen over. Syaoran, who had seemed to be able to move around quite nicely in his armor, looked panic stricken and he, Minor and a few others began to help the ninja to his feet, and not doing a particularly good job at it.

Although there was currently a lot of noise in the room, Fai made sure his voice was heard, "Hyuu! Did the Big Puppy forget to walk again?" He called out.

Kurogane growled, and within seconds he was off the floor and had a sword under Fai's chin. The room went silent.

"How many times...am I going to have to tell you? Quit it with the nicknames, especially that one!" Kurogane hissed his voice low and dangerous.

Fai, obviously feeling unthreatened, despite the sword being inches away from killing him, said, "Aw, Kuro-tan's so mean! I get you up off the floor in mere moments and the thanks I receive is a death threat?" Fai whined, though he was smirking.

Kurogane blinked out of confusion, wondering if that was really what Fai had been meaning to do. The ninja lowered his sword and sheathed it. "Idiot," He growled.

Fai patted Kurogane on his metal guarded shoulder, making a sort of hollow, thunk sound, "You're welcome." Fai chirped.

Syaoran and Minoru appeared from the crowd that was dispersing back to their previous positions and stood beside Fai, Eriol, and Kurogane. Minor held a set of clothing out to Fai, "Your archers uniform," Minoru explained, "There's a room in back where you can change." He added.

Fai took the clothing and nodded, "Syaoran-kun, make sure that Kuro-rin doesn't fall over again." Fai laughed and then sauntered to the back room, returning wearing black pants and boots, and a white folded top with blue along the edges; he also had on thick brown gloves to protect him from hurting himself with his own arrows.

"Wait. We have to wear these uncomfortable metal suits, and he gets to wear normal clothing?" Kurogane grumbled.

Minoru sighed and shook his head, "It seems we're going to need to explain." Minoru looked toward Eriol, who pulled off his necklace and held it before him.

"Key that hides the power of the dark, show your true form before me. I, Eriol, command you under our contract. Release!" A glowing magic circle appeared beneath Eriol and the sun key transformed into a shining, gold sun staff.

"What the hell are you going to do with that?" Kurogane asked annoyance and nervousness creeping into his voice.

"I'm going to explain to you about Minoru's suits." Eriol said, holding his staff rather elegantly. "You see, because Minoru hand makes each suit, they are built to enhance your own natural abilities." Eriol paused, "You're good with quick defensive moves, and rough offensive moves." Eriol raised the staff up and it transformed into a sword, which he immediately swung at the ninja, at a force one would not expect from one so small.

Kurogane acted quickly and pulled out his sword and swung at Eriol's, blocking the attack. He moved as though he wasn't wearing a suit of armor at all.

"You see?" Eriol asked, pulling his sword away, "Do not block this one, this is another part of the demonstration." Eriol swung at Kurogane again, and the sword hit the metal and bounced off, causing the sword and suit to vibrate with the force from the impact, but other than that, Kurogane was left unharmed. "Nigh unbreakable." Eriol explained as he transformed the sword back into a staff. He then shot a large amount of flame at Kurogane's leg, "It does not get hot under flame, which is useful when fighting a war against dragons." Eriol put his staff back into its more convenient key form and latched it around his neck.

"Syaoran-san's suit is designed to help him wield a sword as well as perform his offensive kicks, and Fai's uniform is designed in flexibility, for dodging, and it is flame retardant also." Minoru explained. The group looked from one person to the next, and decided that Minoru created fine armor.

"The time is now!" A voice called through the door, which then banged open ungracefully, revealing Toya in a suit of armor, holding a thick sword, and Yukito in an archer's uniform, holding a long bow.

"Archers will follow me to the castle roof, and knights will follow King Toya to the battle front." Yukito said.

Fai, Kurogane, and Syaoran exchanged glances before following their respective leaders. Fai, following Yukito and a large amount of archers out of the room and up a set of stairs; Kurogane and Syaoran followed Toya and the knights out a back door and out toward the battle field.