A Rough Rider (Septimus)

[Xalet]

Xalet stepped out of the heavier woodline and saw the girl was still present, interesting. He could see she was simply passing the time, doodling in the soft powder. His boots trudged through the snow until he finally cape to a stop, his enormous height casting a darkened shadow down below. As he arrived at where she sat, he dropped to a knee in order to remove some of the distance between the two of them. It was much the same as when he would dismount his steed in order to talk to a civilian while training or on a patrol with a supervising Knight or his own Sergeant.

"Something is going on..." he began, looking across her frame with his silvery hued eyes, his brow folding slightly as he contemplating the things he learned internally, "...the horse tracks simply ended, and there was something else. You came from the woodline so thus I was seeing...your tracks? The horse tracks ended...your tracks began..." Somewhere in the back of his mind there was that one fantastical idea that this girl was somehow a horse in her spare time. How was that even possible? Was it some sort of magery?

The squire stared at the stranger a bit more, as if he were waiting for the answer to jump out of her cloak, "...so then somehow you are related to this somehow, am I correct? Very well then." he stood, pushing up from his knee with the palm of his hand. His shield fluttered against his back lightly, some of his black hair sticking against the sides of his scalp. He reached down with a hand toward the girl, not having formally introduced himself yet, "I am Xalet, squire to Sergeant Irine Braklin of the Syliran Knights. Who are you?"

[Septimus]

Septimus elegantly stood up "You have guessed correctly, Akalak." She smiled then looked at her drawings then looked directly at him shaking his hand "Nice to meet you, Xalet. They call me Septimus. The Seventh Generation of Kelvics in our family line. So that explains just about everything." She sighed "I've never known exactly who I am. My parents shoved me out the door when I was about a year old, but in a quick moment they said it was for a purpose. I don't know. I went back to the place I was raised, the place they kicked me out, and the house was burned and only one of my parent's horses were still in the pasture, which I set free. So I never got answers of who I really am. So, part of that question I can't honestly answer that question." She chuckled "But yes, I was that giant horse you seen earlier, but I had to take off so I could morph. In some places, I've heard it's extremely rude to morph in public, forgive me for that." She looked into the woods, eyed her snow covered horse armor, then looked back. "Sorry for sending you on a wild goose chase. I must admit, it was extremely funny, but alas, I have a rude sense of humor sometimes. Perfect example." She wasn't going to lie. She had no reason to lie. To anyone. She was just a horse in a human body waiting to morph again. But her human form made her have almost a different personality, especially when it came to humor. She ran a hand through her blonde hair.

[Xalet]

Xalet had heard it all correctly, and certainly with the wild displays of magical prowess he had observed in Mizahar he didn't doubt it's possibilities. There were still questions that floated past his mind, some of which he had every intent on being answered. Not because he demanded them, but because at least some form of scholarly pursuit was bred into his Akalak heritage. He had been very ignorant of the many different people that surrounded the world of Mizahar, it was time to take the opportunity to learn what he could.

"Kelvic..." he repeated as he released her from his grip. When she stood he noticed how startlingly tall she was for a Human female. Though she still stood a head or so below the Akalak, many were a foot and a half or more below Xalet's eyes. "So then, you are a Horse? Or are you a Human? You know magic then to transform? Magic is not illegal within the Castle CIty of Syliras or anything, but one must take care not to cause any destruction with it, less they be fined or face incarceration." There was more to the story as well. If what the girl said was true and she did not truly understand who she was, Xalet had to take the time to inform her.

The squire knew a bit about horses, but more so he understood the most about the breed indigenous to Syliras, the Tiaden Warhorse. Stepping back a bit he seemed to look the girl over, noting how uncanny her resemblance was to any normal person walking the streets of Syliras. "The breed of horse you are is not a typical breed, you have the blood of the Tiaden Warhorse, bred only by the Syliran Knights to be the largest and strongest of equines, capable of wearing heavy armor, and carrying a Knight in full uniform. They are also said to relish combat, and fear neither man or beast as they carry their rider. You must have grown up in Sylira then, correct?"

[Septimus]

Septimus sighed "I'm a horse, not a human. Just a horse with a talent to transform into a human, which I'm not the only one. There are many other Kelvics out there that can shift into all sorts of animals. But I wish to cause no harm to anyone but who my rider's enemy is, but you see when us Kelvics change their form, they are nude which is why i rushed into the woods and put my cloak on. I hope to one day be able to carry a warrior into a battle and fight along their side. So it's like you described my life perfectly. All I've wanted to do is train and train for the exact moment of war or a battle. Just to impress many. I just wait for the battle horn to be sounded." She chuckled "I even bought my own armor for the occasion." She sighed once again then walked over to where she'd hid her armor which now had a thin layer of fallen snow on it. She picked it all up then walked back over and sat it in front of him. She smirked "But what's the chances of that happening, right?" She looked around then looked back at him "That's why I was so interested in your training. I've spent a small amount of time studying it." She shook her head "I'm not even sure why I brought it. I'm not comfortable leaving it anywhere I don't go. And yes, I was born in Syliras, raised in Syliras, and I've been wandering around Syliras." She smiled "So, that's enough about me, who are you actually?" A spark of curiosity lit her eyes.

[Xalet]

"You are saying then, that you train but you have no assurance in your training?" Xalet adjusted the strap on the shield that hung across his shoulder a bit idly. Training for the sake of training was a waste of talent. Talent, especially in the realm of warfare, could best be described as a sword. A sword without proper balancing, tempering, and edging was just a piece of metal. An outline of a tool of war, but with no true lethality. No, you needed a goal, a reason. Something to fight for. Those emotions, that passion would give you your edge. They could temper your heart, and balance your spirit. You had to find that reason first.

"Before ever going to war, one must know what it is they fight for. As I said, I am Xalet, a squire of the Order of the Syliran Knights. I train myself to eventually become a full Knight, in order to protect my friends, my brothers, and my city. Just as important, I fight for the glory of the Radiant Lady, Priskil, so that one day Mizahar could reclaim that which was lost so long ago. I also fight for the father of the Akalak, Wysar, whom did give us strength and conviction, in order to do him proud." Xalet was never one for speeches as a younger boy, but now as he began to grow into manhood, the rhetoric of the Knights was beginning to rub off upon him. This was especially true being the squire of one of the most persuasive Patrons, his very own Sergeant.

"So then you are a horse. A horse meant for war, but with no rider..." was this all just a coincidence? Was it chance? Was it something stronger...was it fate? Priskil had taught Xalet to have faith, and that to those with a strong heart and a righteous mind, answers could be found. Still, Xalet was far from perfect, and not even a true Knight himself. His training was far from complete. He himself was that dull blade. "You should know that there is always a place for you within Syliras. You don't need to be alone. Some look upon the Knights as see simply the metal and the weapons, but within all that there is a family as well. You could come back to the city, and I could show you the strength of the Knights. You, whom are a Taiden Warhorse, have perhaps more right to become part of the Knighthood than even I."

Even then, there was more. There was more to being a Knight than simply swinging a sword or wielding a shield. There was an entire history, rich with the conquests and disasters of war, "We do not look for war, we protect our land and our people. Still, there are things I know, such as the attack upon Priskil's loved one, which must be retaliated for one day. Only for such reasons would I ever go looking for a fight. Will you join me back in Syliras?"

[Septimus]

OOCSorry I posted so soon. I don't believe Ill be able to get on for atleast two days due two dance concerts at our high school so I'm trying to squeeze my roleplaying in a bit. Septimus sighed "I do believe that is exactly what I'm saying." She sighed. She just trained just to be... training. She always loved the feeling she got in her legs whenever she was training to hard on her endurance and speed. Xalet was right. She had been training wuth no solemn purpose. She looked at him listening to him speak "Yes Xalet, but I myself am just a horse. A loyal horse. That is a downfall to being a horse. We are loyal to our riders for whatever their purpose is unless it absolutely is in the wrong, well for me anyways. That is the breaking point for me." Her own words rang throughout her ears I am just a horse... Septimus sighed then looked down "You are correct, squire." Hmm? A warhorse meant for war, but no rider? It somewhat sounded ridiculous to herself. What warhorse would have no rider? She somewhat even felt ashamed. She heard him invite her into the city, and hope sparked in her heart. She pondered his words "I do understand that war is not something one would want to search for." Tons of thoughts flooded her mind of wars in the past. She smiled "I accept."

[Xalet]

Xalet nodded, feeling some small sensation of pride. The feeling of being lost in the world was a difficult thing to combat. For a man like Xalet, used to wielding a sword and defending with a shield, the obstacles inside of ones own heart seemed unbeatable without the right tools. Just as Septimus had, Xalet found himself in Syliras once, alone save for his mother. No friends, no family beyond the one that allowed him passage into the Knighthood, and a body and skin tone that left him alienated from nearly the entire population.

The Knighthood was more than just a surrogate family, it was a road. A pathway to a defined destination, and that destination felt like something Septimus could use. Xalet didn't assume too much about the horse, but if you lived for the fight, he found you could fight better when you had something to fight for. Gesturing with one burly arm, Xalet walked over toward his hastily made contraption and began disassembling it. Something much more important had taken precedence today. "I am simply a squire, but I'll try to ensure your integration into Syliras is easy..."

That was until the Akalak thought about it, how did one integrate a horse that could turn into a female? As they walked he found himself wanting to know more and more of her species, "So then...do you sleep in a bed, or in a stable? What sort of things do you eat? Can you read and write?" and that wasn't all. Should Septimus become a part of the order, would she technically be a squire? Could a horse have rank? Did a horse want rank? All strange philosophical things the Akalak tried to consider.

OOCHey! I'm not sure what else you might want to do in the thread now that the two have had their meeting. If you want to move onto a different thread maybe a few days later where they can bond a bit and maybe get into trouble, we can always do that!

[Septimus]

OOCI think I'll just respond to his questions and then we can make a thread like you suggested. Septimus took a deep breath and smiled "I do truly appreciate your help, Xalet." She chuckled. Her dream was finally coming true. She would soon be the warhorse she'd longed to be her whole life. Not until that moment did it dawn on her she might die from it, but it was her dream and it would be an honor to die in service. Hold your head high, young one. You still have much to learn I suppose, she thought to herself. Septimus tuned back into the surrounding world and then thought to herself I can't be distracted so easily. Stay alert. Stay alert! She heard his questions then let them rumble around her mind "Well, I haven't slept in any sort of bed since I was about six months old. When I was kicked out. Otherwise, I've just been sleeping in my horse form quietly in the woods. So, either is fine with me. But, more than likely stable if I am to be the warhorse I was bred to be." She thought about his next question "To answer your second question I pretty much can eat the surrounding things. Grass, bark off trees, and lettuce and greens are pretty good. I eat oats when I can find them, and apples and carrots as well. I usually don't like to eat in human form unless it's things like a salad with just lettuce or carrots or apples. I don't want to seem strange when eating oats or grass infront of others in human form." She laughed at the thought. "And for your third question, my mother tought me how to read and write Common, and surprisingly, Tukant. But Tukant is one of my poorer languages. But all the same, it could also be good for spying. I mean, who expects a horse to know what they're doing? Other than that, I believe I'm up for learning another language if needed."

[Emblem]

Congratulations! You Get Glorious Experience! Xalet Skills Observation- 3 XP Rhetoric- 3 XP Tracking 3 XP Weapon: Short Sword- 2 XP Shield-2 XP Running- 1 XP Lores Following the Trail Tracking in the Snow Kelvic- Partial Septimus Skills Rhetoric- 3 XP Observation- 3 XP Subterfuge- 2 XP Running- 1 XP Lores Syliras- Partial Syliran Knights- Partial Importance of Tiaden Warhorses Playing a Trick Comments : Nice social thread that could potentially lead to some good interactions between you two. Any questions regarding XP, send me a PM!