[Syliras Location] Recruitment Office

[Dusk]

Harper The Knight blinked down at her a moment, and then a smile flitted across his lips as he chuckled. "Ah, there's many things wrong with me, my girl, but not much that can be fixed. It's a side effect of doing magic for hundreds of years - eventually you get a bit hard to work with. But I have my uses, and there's no denying that. As for when we were supposed to meet... well, I am almost always late. In that, at least, I am reliable. May I come in?" he asked, one delicate silver eyebrow rising eloquently as he peered over her head and into the room beyond.

[Marcus Braeden]

Ravok, that damned town where he was born. That damned town where the Black Sun resided, plotting against everything that the knights have attempted to rebuild for the last 500 years. Syliras, the Windoak, society in general, all were targets of the Black Sun. Marcus grew up around them, and saw some of things they did firsthand. He hated it, he hated everything about it. Many of the citizens of Ravok didn't think much of it, or even supported the Black Sun. But Marcus formed his own opinions, choosing not to identify himself with their ideals. He worked in his fathers shop, developing his skills while ignoring the evil that seemed engulf the city. And eventually, he broke free of the hold the city seemed to have, which brought him to Syliras, which brought him here, in front of Loren.

"No, it won't be causing any problems. Hell, it's part of the reason I am here. To escape that damn place" Marcus chuckled.

[Harper]

"Oh," Was all Harper could say in reply. The man seemed so mentally...unstable. And it was all from using magic? It worried Harper, even though she tried her best not to show it. The likelihood of her living for hundreds of years was slim, and that she knew, but it still worried her. She heard all the rumors, and she was taught by her own father about the dangers of magic and how it can effect the user's mind and body. But Harper tried to shove the feelings of uneasiness back down deep inside where she couldn't feel them anymore and gestured for Ser Equuleus to come in. "Of course." She stepped aside and allowed him to enter her small apartment, and awaited for him to speak. Would she be tested? She was completely unaware of what she had to do to be accepted into the Knights, and Ser Equuleus seemed to be a tad bit unpredictable. But she kept a calm, passive expression on her face and waited.

[Dusk]

Marcus Loren nodded, a smile twitching again at the words he'd heard time and time again from more young men and women than he could count. "Good," he grunted quietly. "You had it easier than most we see come through here - a lot of those who manage to escape the pit make their way here, and they've stories to chill your bones. But you seem to understand what it is we're doing here," he said, leaning forward and settling his elbows on his knees. Those huge eyes were intense now, catching Marcus' gaze and refusing to let go. "We're trying to rebuild human civilization. Not just the facade of walls and buildings and gold trinkets. But a real civilization that cares for the welfare of its citizens and protects it from the chaos and danger that would tear it apart." He paused a moment, and time itself seemed to shiver and stop as he drew a careful breath. "Marcus, would you join us in this endeavor?"

Harper Equuleus stepped inside as soon as he was invited, peering curiously around the room. "Quiet little thing, aren't you?" he chuckled, finally returning his attention to her. "Oh, don't look at me like that. On the whole, magicians are strange and inexplicable folk. We're an amalgamation of oddballs, and all of us are hurtling ourselves toward our death as fast as we can. You especially! Leeching and voiding, I hear? I'd be surprised if you live to see thirty with that combination." He gave a shrug, but he was focusing on her now, and though he was on the whole a flighty and distracted sort, when he decided to pinpoint his attention it was an oppressively heavy thing. "To be fair, you're just packed with oxymorons. You seem genuinely hesitant and even concerned for my well-being, and yet you're a Leecher - which would typically mean a power-hungry little meddler with no regard for themselves or those around them. And Voiding! Gods, it's like your own little serial killer's magic kit: first you drain a person dry, then you chuck the body into the Void never to be found. Is that what you do, Harper?" he asked softly. He was watching her carefully, watching every reaction she had, trying to judge whether she was what she said she was or if she was no different from the others who used her particular powers.

[Marcus Braeden]

This was it, the question that would officially change Marcus' life. No longer would he be sitting in a room, dreaming of one day when he may be able to be a knight. Now, he was about to start living his dream, or at least get one step closer to it. Thoughts were a thing of Marcus' past. His future would now be determined by actions.

Marcus looked into Loren's eyes, which were now burning like one of the fires that Marcus had worked with all these years. "I would be honored to join you" Marcus said with excitement. A smile crossed his face, as it appeared that he was well on his way.

[Harper]

Harper could feel her face flushing. Everything the man was saying was true. All the magicians she knew, they were all strange people, but she had never seen herself as strange; only trying to survive in a harsh world. "You heard correctly," She replied in a calm yet stern tone. "Aye, I suppose it is true that my arts are of the more dangerous, but that's why I chose to pursue them." She paused. She looked over the man again, taking a particular interest in his horns. She gazed at them a little longer, and looked back to his eyes. "I plan to live much longer than 30, if I can help it. I'm no murderer. I've had my fair share of bad encounters, but I don't make it a habit of taking the lives of others. I believe in balance, in the scales being fully equivalent in weight. I find that Leeching, probably one of the most deadly of arts, helps me to maintain balance while in combat. I am aware of its reputation and its repercussions, but I lack physical strength. I would be no challenge for a grown man if it were not for my magicks. My father taught be the art of Voiding and for that I am grateful, even if I hate that poor bastard." She took in a large breath; yet again, she was saying a little too much. "I will agree that both arts are dangerous and can be used to do great harm, but what magick can't be? All of us magick-users are dabbling in forces greater than ourselves and I've come to accept that. I'm sure you've had your fair share of magick blowing up in your face; it's part of the territory. If you wanted, I'm sure that you could kill me in a second with whatever powers you posses. But you don't, and that's what makes you different from the rogue wizards that roam these lands. I find the art of Leeching to be useful and logical in certain situations, so I utilize it when I see fit. But that doesn't mean I go around sucking the life out of every poor bloke I see. I want to do good in this world, to aid in a cause greater than myself. I want to be different than the power-hungry Leechers out there. I want to help." After the long speech she gave, Harper was left semi-out of breath, fists clenched and her voice a lot louder than she had intended. She realized this and quickly realized that she shouldn't have been so disrespectful on the man who is deciding whether to let her into the Knights or not. After a long pause of collecting her thoughts, she spoke again: "I'm sorry for my ill tone, I meant no disrespect. I sometimes lose myself, a habit I wish I could overcome..." Harper was full of worry now, and it was visibly shown on her face. All she could do was pray that Equuleus would like her enough to give her a chance at knighthood.