Welcome to the Big City [Open]

[Etrius]

Etrius stood leaning his back against the door, holding it open to let Aeryn and Tara pass him. Tara's look of confidence seemed to dissolve completely the moment she stepped in the building. They both looked VERY nervous now, especially Tara. Why she would be this nervous was anyone's guess. Aeryn, despite the happy confidence he that emanated from him, looked like he was tempted to turn around and leave. Well he wouldn't become a knight by just standing there. Etrius thought about giving him a confidence boost but decided against it. He leaned against a nearby wall, arms folded, and watched Aeryn from a short distance. Let's see if he has the strength to do this on his own. He grinned mischievously. This was going to be interesting.

[Aeryn Weylyn]

Aeryn watched as Etrius leaned on the door, making way for Tara and himself. As Tara strolled in, he paused a second before shaking off his doubts once more and proceding behind her, entering the large building. As he crossed the threshold, he was filled with wonder and excitement at the contents within. The building was amazing. He looked around at the place, gazing at the rows of weapons that lined the walls. Though the place was a bit glum, it was quite awesome. He glanced over at Tara, who had entered before him, and was surprised to find that instead of the confident girl he had seen outside, she now looked extremly nervous and uncomfortable. He briefly wondered why. "You alright?" he asked, concerned. Glancing back at Etrius, he found the man leaning against the wall, watching him curiously and grinning. What in the world? Was he trying to bolster his confidence, or was he simply watching, amused? Either way, it didn't really make a differance. He grinned back before looking around once more, shifting his gaze back to Tara after a moment, still wondering if she was feeling ok.

[Chevalier]

To say that Ser Erik had an open door policy was an understatement. Indeed, he could nearly always be found at the recruitment office, perusing through a pile of paperwork, jotting down notes and credentials, changing the status of various squires and Knights. He kept track of which Knights were designated as Patrons to which squires, and although it sometimes changed frequency, the best intent was given to Patron's that would jive well with their prospective squire. In truth Ser Erik wished that all whom came through those doors took their commitment seriously and made it to Knighthood. There was a world of adventure to be had, but it was not without danger and sacrifice. Unlike children's fables, the good guys didn't always return unscathed.

The leather faced Knight leaned a bit from his desk, eying the various citizen's that had entered the office on this day. Immediately he found his brow scrunching, not in a perturbed manner, but instead with surprise. It was very rare that a trio of interested individuals walked into the office at the same time. Certainly two friends had often come before, eager and prepared to outdo the other, but three at once was much less common. "Well? Don't be shy youngsters, come on in, have a seat, there's plenty of room for the three of you. Three youthful, able bodied recruits, is this right? Not something you see every day. Tyveth be praised."

At first anyone meeting Ser Erik would have immediately taken him for a pleasant, articulate sort. He seemed happy enough with his lot in the Knights. Once he turned slightly in his seat it was clear that there was more to this man than a stack of paperwork and the scribbling of a quill. Ser Erik was missing his entire right arm, a sleeve limply hanging where it should have been. His chocolate colored hair, curly and short didn't do much to cover the area upon the left side of his head where an ear should have been. Such were the possible outcomes when you lived to serve as a shield of the people, fighting against the most powerful threats with the strength and courage of your comrades. "I am Ser Erik Rainstrom, 6th Wing, Gray Company, 5th Regiment, Silver Quadron. And who might you all be?"

[Tara]

Tara looked over at Aeryn and tried to rearrange her features into something resembling confidence. ”I’m fine, I’m just not-“ she started, but broke off to step out of the way of a young but tall enough squire. ”I’m just not very good with crowds” she finished, with a small but reassuring smile.

Tara was taken a bit by surprise when the friendly knight greeted them but got over it quickly. Turning to face him, she smiled at him, noting his missing arm and ear. She wondered how that had happened, and gained some amount of respect for the man. ”I’m Tara, pleased to meet you” she said with a friendly grin. ”I’m not here to join the knights though” she said. ”But he is” she continued, nodding her head towards Aeryn.

[Etrius]

Etrius widened his eyes in surprise. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew the voice was talking to the three of them. He looked around for the source of the voice to find a jovial old man beckoning to them. He certainly was assertive if nothing else. Etrius found himself approaching the man at the desk. "Uh, hi I'm-" He froze dead in his tracks. As the man had turned towards Etrius he had revealed that he was missing an entire arm and an ear. As if they had been cleaved off in a single stroke. "Etrius. I'm Etrius." he said, regaining his composure. "No, I'm not here to become a knight. The girl and I are just accompanying that one." He pointed a thumb over towards Aeryn. "He's the one you want to talk to."

[Aeryn Weylyn]

Aeryn nodded to Tara, understanding her fears. He wasn't much of a crowd person himself, but it didn't really bother him as much as it seemed to be nothering her. As he heard a gruff voice speak up, he shifted his gaze towards the desk, where a rugged-looking knight sat. He listened to the man greet them, inviting them over. He heard Tara and Etrius greet the knight, insising that Aeryn was the only one of the group interested in joining the knights. He glanced at the others momentariy, somewhat unsure of what to do, before strolling up o the desk and taking a seat. He quickly noted the mans missing arm and ear, and tried not to stare, for fear of insulting the older knight. Theremust be an interesting story behind that, but he thought better than to ask. As the knight introduced himself, pretty much the only thing he caught was the knight's name, Ser Erik Rainstrom. Everything after that was pretty much lost on him. "My name is Aeryn Weylyn, Ser," he replied awkwardly to the man's inquiry.

[Chevalier]

"Perhaps we can change your minds then, hm? But moral support is always welcome, it's a difficult choice for some. You've got to train to be the best after all. Indeed, the life of hard work and sacrifice isn't for everyone, but for those dedicated to the cause the rewards are rich and bountiful." the aged warrior replied, taking a moment to realize that the young folks were at the very least training their eyes toward his missing limbs. "As you can tell, my body has seen better days. Don't let that deter you. I fought and survived many battles before this...happened. I went to places others can only dream of, and carried out missions so fantastic they belong on some book shelf rather than in my head. But now it's time for those days to come to other, younger recruits."

Sweeping some of the papers from his desk to the side, Ser Erik placed his quill back into his inkwell and gave a quick introduction to the Knights, "Before I ask you too much about yourself, I'll give you a quick interlude to the Knights. The Knights, who serve Sylira, are responsible for maintaining the largest, safest, and most fruitful civilization in all the world. It's no easy task. You may realize that the woods of Sylira are the safest and also the most bountiful in their yields, the Knights make it so. From the fields to the south, to the mines to the north, Syliras produces both the finest equipment, and the finest soldiers to wield them. Should you become a Knight, you will first start as a squire, and shall be assigned to a Patron. From there you will be tasked with understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and interests. You will then be trained to become the absolute best at what it is that interests you. Swordsmanship, archery, riding, or even magic. The Knights are also skilled at intelligence gathering, wilderness survival, and tracking. A little bit of everything, you could say."

Anyone who knew anything about the history of Syliras understood that the cross scarred Knight before the three was not simply talking with hot air. The province of Sylira and the city of Syliras maintained it's strength because of the Knights, an undefeated force that existed to keep the peace by preparing for violence and war. The Knights didn't simply claim to be the best, they were the best. Often their very presence was enough to calm any situation. "So then what of you, Aeryn Weylyn? Did you grow up in our fair city? What sort of skills do you possess, and which would you wish to hone with the Knights? These are important things to consider, as there is no magic that simply grants a man great understanding of the art of war. That understanding comes through drills, training, conditioning, and hard work."

[Tara]

Tara listened intently as the man spoke, her eyes fixated on him. She did not make a sound while he asked Aeryn a couple questions. She took in about half of what Ser Erik said before losing her concentration to a bird chirping outside the building. She realized what she was doing and once again concentrated on what the old knight was saying. She had come here to learn, had she not?

Through the process, Tara gained a newfound respect for the Syliran knights. That respect would only run so deep though, as Tara’s love for disobedience was a trait set in from her birth. She had never really complied with any rules. She was bit confused though. The concept of people giving their lives for strangers was new to her. She had to stop herself from asking why people would join the Syliran knights. That question would not bring any good into the situation. She had learned that the Syliran knights were not solely based in Syliras, and that they travelled out into the wildlands. This would be useful to know, for future reference.

[Etrius]

Everything the man said sounded a little over-the-top, but Etrius could tell there was truth behind his words. With the way the old knight talked about it, Etrius was tempted to change his mind and join them himself. He shrugged off the thought. He didn't very much take to the idea of being under someone else's command. As he listened Etrius began to develop a new sense of respect for the knights. One that he usually reserved for a very small amount of people. They devoted their entire lives to making themselves stronger and helping the weak. Even the man sitting before him, who could easily retire if he wanted, still worked with the knights and recruits. He was again tempted to join, but dispelled the thought once more. With his luck he would probably be put on guard duty anyway.

[Aeryn Weylyn]

Aeryn listened as the man talked of his missing limbs, and was slightly embarassed that he was caught gawking. As Ser Erik gave a brief introductory speach aboou the Knights, he grew more and more anxious, ready to get started as soon as he could. The nervousness that he had felt on the journey here was slowly starting to ebb away. When the knight spoke of squires and patrons, he briefly wondered who would be his Patron knight. When the questions were directed at him, he sat up slightly, thinking about what to say. "No, Ser, I grew up south of here, near the border with Cyphrus, on a farm," he replied before pausing, pondering the next question. "I'm pretty decent with a sword, and I've been practicing with a bow. I'm ok at unarmed combat and hunting, I suppose," he stated, not sure what the knight was looking for as an answer. Aeryn glanced back at Tara and Etrius, noting that they were listening intently to the knight's words.