Patrol Duties [Private] [Andre]

[Don]

27th of Summer, 512AV. Patrol. It had not been Don’s first, nor did he believe it would be his last. It was a mundane task for a knight, yet was sometimes exciting all the same. The problem with patrol was that there rarely was any trouble about the city, as every thief, bandit and crook was to afraid to be flogged, or killed, by the city knights. Their armour alone was capable of intimidating even the greatest of thieves, and many of the underground murderers and troublemakers remained where they belonged.. underground. As such, patrol duty was nothing but roaming Syliras, looking for the seldom amount of trouble that was caused so that they could cease it before it continued. On this day, Don had been assigned a new patrol partner, someone different to the regular. Jazmon, his regular partner, had been sent off into the Wildlands for some rescue mission. A man known as Andresciel had been placed in his stead, someone who Donathon had never met before. They claimed him to be a Mage-Knight, men who used magic to fulfil their knightly duties. Don had never been one to use magic, nor was he particularly fond of it. Yet he had been told that Mage-Knight’s were skilled as a normal one, if not more. Don believed a good blade was all you need to get by, and the concept of magic slightly irked him. He did not need it, so he did not see why anyone else did. Adorned in his standard plate armour, Don had gone as far as combing his hair and shaving off his beard. He did not want to seem like some barbaric savage to his new companion, and believed that first impressions always left the greatest ones. His longsword rested comfortably at his hip, shaking with each step that he took. He kept one hand firmly rested on the hilt, so that the shaking was dulled significantly with each stride. Don had been waiting by the gate for his comrade, who seemed reasonably late to begin their patrol duty. To pass time, Don had been speaking to the Knights at the gate, who were seemingly bored of their duties. Sometimes, Don thought himself lucky to get patrol. He preferred to stretch his muscles, rather than keep them stationary for hours on end. "How is guard duty then?” Don asked, looking at the man from beneath his thick brow. "Terrible. I’m not one to complain, but it has to be the worst days of my life.” Don laughed. "Well, waiting around isn’t too fancy a thing either.” The men all laughed, though silence soon followed. Don remained standing, one hand rested of his hilt, eyes peeled for signs of his new patrol partner.

[Andresciel]

Andresciel moved towards the gate with slow grace, his eyes always on his companion, the little Avavali familiar Velenor. His light armor was worn with pride as he prodded the little smoke ball on. His green eyes softened, "Lets go Velenor. We have to meet Ser Donathon." The Knight spoke softly, watching his little friend return to his shoulder. He turned back towards his destination, his frame slowly parting the crowd, his hand raised to Knights, Guards and civilians alike. He was a friendly mage, if nothing else.

Soon though, he came upon the gate, his green eyes spotting the warrior Knight standing among the regular men. He raised his hand in greeting to all present, "Hello to all." The Mage Knight stated softly, his light armor barely making a sound as he walked up to the men. "Ser Donathon I assume?" He asked the other Knight, bowing slightly, "If so, I am Ser Andresciel. And this smoke ball is Velenor."

The Smoke balls wispy voice, air light, came, "Hello Ser Knight." The Ball stated, floating across his partners shoulder.

The Knight stood a bit taller, his eyes moving at the man he addressed. He wore a set of gauntlets, engraved in the ancient language of wizards. He didn't speak, but took in the other knight. He smiled softly, as he looks at Velenor "This patrol will be interesting." The Mage spoke softly to his familiar.

[Don]

As Andresciel approached, Donathon bent down into a sight bow, before raising up with a smile. His armour creaked as he did so, and on that day; it felt like he was an egg boiling on a stone path, only he was the egg; and the path was his armour. Don knew that the lighter alternative Andresciel wore would have been a far better choice on a day like this; yet you were only given one set. And Donathon would have preferred better defence over better comfort any day. Armour was not about the appearance, or the way it felt upon a man; it was about defence, and keeping you alive. “Yes, indeed I am. It is a pleasure to meet you Ser Andresciel, and you, Velenor.” Don replied as he came up from his bow, nodding to the small ball of smoky air. It was an odd sight, and one he had never come across before. All the same, this man was a practiced wizard, and he expected nothing less. Wizards were practitioners of all sorts of magic, and he doubted this man was any exception. In fact, being a Knight, Donathon half-expected him to know far more than the average wizard, or at the very least possess a bit more skill. He would not judge him though, nor jump to conclusions that could very well be false. Tugging at the hilt of the sword on his hip, Donathon gave a friendly nod to the men at the gates, before beginning to stroll past his new partner. As he went by he looked into the air, his tongue protruding slightly from his mouth to rub his lips, rejuvenating them from the heat that was bearing down upon them. ”Best we begin, then?” The wrongdoers of the city would not wait to commit their crimes and acts of treachery, so neither would Don to stop them.

[Andresciel]

The Mage Knight chuckles softly as he turned to walk after his new partner, speaking softly to Velenor, "I believe we have made the good warrior feel strange." The Mage spoke softly to the ball of smoke over his shoulder, who floated along with his Master. Bits of res flowed around Andresciel, ready to be turned into the gentle wind that would help propel Velenor along. "Lets begin. We can go where you lead, Ser Donathon." He walked to keep up with the other Knight, but showed no true hurry. Things would happen regardless of their speed, and the patrol required patience. The Mage knew of this, and would let his warrior friend lead. After all, he patrolled more then Andresciel. His eyes trailed up to his Familiar, "Spread out a bit. See if you can spot trouble from the air."

As if on cue, the air headed ball of smoke thinned, spreading out above them, and keeping an eye on every direction, looking for any trouble. This was the true use of his familiar, to keep an eye on his master, and watch from hidden attacks.

[Don]

As they began their patrol, a patrol in which Donathon lead, he felt a sense of unease run over him. Something was going to happen that day, he could tell. There were days when he walked the city proper for hours on end, without coming across a single hint of trouble. There were others when he was rushing from one side of Syliras to the other, trying to stop brawls and cease trouble. It all depended on the day, on the mood of the citizens. It was the sense of unease that washed over him that made Donathon believe something was going to stir that day, something bigger than the usual brawl. Still, he kept his cool, and continued patrolling like usual. His steps were measured and his pace slow, his gaze around him never faltering. He only had two eyes, and both had to be watching everywhere whilst on patrol. The intimidating presence of the Knights generally stopped trouble from happening in the first place, though there would always be the odd occasion when a man tried to mug another when the patrols back was turned. As such, he had to keep his eyes everywhere, covering every inch of his surroundings. Donathon was unable to let a single event slip past him, even a mere pickpocketing, which were generally a common occurrence around the crowded streets. As the ball of smoke ascended into the air, Donathon gave a worried look. Velenor, or whatever it’s name had been, was a very valuable and unique tool indeed. Sometimes he wished he could use such magic, yet it was more often than not that he preferred his blade. Still, a tool as diverse as that smoke ball would have come in handy in the most dire of situations. It made him happy to think that he had a Mage Knight by his side, so that they could stop trouble without him even having to draw his sword. He was not lazy, yet at times he would have preferred not drawing his sword just to stop a brawl, or to seize a mugger. Magic could fix that, as setting a man’s clothes on fire would easily stop him from committing a crime, and nobody had to draw anything. As they began to walk down a main, crowded street, Don turned to Andresciel. He was a smart man, no doubt, and one of skill and prowess. A conversation would have been interesting, to lighten the mood and make the patrol go by faster. His eyes never stopped moving as he spoke, yet he did so in a friendly tone, as if the two were long-time friends. ”So, Ser Andresciel, what brought you to join the knights? We all have our reasons.”

[Andresciel]

The Mage seemed surprised at the question, since it was not common he was asked the why, mainly the when. "I could tell you that honor brought it to me. But truth be told, I was an orphan, and my patron brought me into the Knighthood. She taught me Wind Reimancy, and Glyphing and how to be a Knight. Because of her, I live in the Knighthood, and didn't die when I was but a youth." The Knight stated, shrugging as he walked along beside the warrior Knight. He realized that the man was feeling him out, seeing if he was trustworthy, and had to hide a smile. "And you, Ser Donathon, what brings you into our beloved order?" The Mage Knight asked softly, a friendly question in return for his answer. "Was it the glory? The Honor? The uniform?" The last was a joke, a tease, since most Knights baked inside the heavy armor they wore. Luckily, Mage Warriors wore the lighter standard of armor.

[Don]

Donathon brisked by several scrawny children as they spoke, and laughed at his words. ”I can assure you, it was not the latter. This armour makes me boil, I’d be far better off without it.” Don explained, before taking a breath. He knew the exact reason why he joined the knighthood, yet there were seldom occasions when he had actually explained it to somebody. In fact, he could not remember the last time he had. He remembered telling the Grandmaster of the Order, when he was inducted, amongst a few of the higher-ranking knights. That was it though, nobody more. ”I joined because in my youth, I lost several of my friends to the wild. Not the terrain, nor the creatures, but the filthy souls that roamed it in search of killing people, and stealing all they owned from their lifeless corpse. My friends and I always wanted to become knights, though watching our friends die at the hands of men.. that secured our desire. We made a pact, that we would all join the order, and stop the evil in this world. So far, I am the only to fulfil that pact, and I have not seen my friends for years.” It was a long, but true story. It was a pact he had made, and a pact he had upheld. He would serve Sylira until he died, and keep the peace until his bones withered into dust. There was nothing more for him in life, but serving his people. Don hoped to one day see his friends again, whether they were dead or alive. Oh how he missed them.

[Andresciel]

The Mage nods, "A Pact is a sacred thing." The Knight stated as he waved at the children nearby, creating a bit of heat within his res. He allowed it to pop, forming a small firework above him. He watched the children laugh and run off, playing in the after math of a single firework spell. "Tis a noble calling you choose." The Knight Mage stated, "And a hard road to walk." The Male smiled as he walked towards the market, "Tis a dangerous time we live in, when you can't even trust ones own power." The Mage spoke of Magic, and overgiving, but few non-mages knew much about the dangers, only that some wizards became insane. He had vowed, before his Patron, to die for The Knighthood, before he would ever give himself to insanity.

"Come. The Market is on our list to patrol." Andre stated, waving his hand to signal Velenor to move past. The little air headed Avavali, distracted by a shiny object, moved out over the Market. "Andre, there seems to be a problem going on not far ahead." The Creature spoke into Andre's mind, speaking the Wizard's tongue.

"Velenor says there is a problem ahead. Might be a brawl." The Knight stated, moving on past Don in quick strides, his body carrying him forward until he saw the two arguing over a loaf of bread before the bakers. Words soon turned to blows as Andresciel took off at a mild jog, "Hurry Ser Donathon, we got a brawl on our hands."

[Don]

At first, Donathon had truly no idea what the man spoke of. Donathon knew he could trust his own power, he had been specifically trained to control it. And with control, also came trust. He came to the conclusion that the man spoke of magic, something that Don was completely and entirely uneducated in, nor did he care for it. Sure, he had recently realized that it had some perks: yet it did not mean he was going to go home and study it either. His sword was enough for him, and he enough for it. The two were like a married couple, only their bonds were made through the blood of the unjust and the evil. As the man spoke of a brawl, Don’s grip on his hilt tightened. They were all too common in the city, yet sometimes they were also one of the scariest events to cease. Several times had Don been hit in the face trying to stop a brawl, and several times had he hit others in the face during it. They were a pestering occurrence, brawls. All too common and all too dangerous, Don had witnessed several people, even innocence, come close to death during them. He only hoped that this one was not as serious, and that they could diminish it with minor injuries involved. Don picked up the pace to catch up to his companion, hand gripped firmly around his hilt, the other held tightly against his chest. His armour clanged with each step, and his boots left hard prints in the path below them. Many moved out of the pairs way as they passed, and Don tried his best to mutter thanks to those that did. It was a hard task though, as the sheer sound of his armour managed to drown any other sound out. It felt like a bit of an oddity, charging through the city streets. Yet it was necessary all the same.

[Andresciel]

The Mage Knight was the first to reach the brawl, watching as one big male struck the other in the nose. The blood that flowed was enough to make the Mage Knight reach into his res. Wind lashed out at his call, flung from the tips of his fingertips and into the chest of the attacked. He would try to end this peacefully, but as one of the Knights, he knew that it might not be possible. The crowd was already picking sides. Those on the side of the attacker, and those on the side of the defender. There were a few who walked away, seeing the two Knights. Still, Andre's magic did little but turn the others aggression on him. Velenor shrilled out a command, causing Andre to duck as a fist shot towards where the back of his head had been.

"Non-lethal force, Donathon." Andre called as he twisted about, listening to Velenor's constant ramble about the battlefield. He struck blindly, encasing his hand in wind, to lessen the blow instead of making it harder. He hit the civilian in the arm as he turned to face the attackers, barking out in a loud, authority demanding voice, "Cease and desist. By the order of The Knights of Syliras, go about your business or face justice." The Knightly Mage barked out loud and clear, his authority undeniable in that instance as he stood with the wind picking up around him. His res was transmuted into the ever flowing storm that now whirled about him in an almost shield like method.