[Storm's Edge] Finding a Weapons Teacher

[Seira Shiryu]

15th Ymiden, 720


Seira and Seri had been given a couple of trials to get settled in and to get a feel for the layout of the fort before they had to report in to duty, and they had made the most of the time they had been given. But now it was time for their real work to begin, and the twins were both ready and eager to get started.

Seira was up with the sun, and she took a few bits to make her bed, and tidy up her room once she had gotten dressed. She wasn't sure if the stories some of the other Knights had told them about room inspections were true or not, but if they were, Seira was determined that anyone doing a surprise inspection of her room wasn't going to find anything to take fault with.

When she was done with that, she walked next door and knocked on her sister's door. Seira was certain that Seri would be awake by now just as she was, and she was right.

"Are you ready to go to breakfast?" Seri asked quietly in case the people in the other rooms nearby were still sleeping.

Seira nodded.

"Did you tidy up your room just in case they inspect it while you're gone?"

"Of course I did. I don't want to be caught unprepared if those stories were true."

Seira grinned at her twin.

"Good. Then I think we're both ready."

Breakfast was simple fare; oatmeal, bread, and cheese with some milk to wash it down with. The oatmeal was thick and hot, and sweetened with a hint of sugar. The bread was the hard brown bread that was readily available in stalls throughout the Earth Quarter; simple, but nourishing, and filling. And the cheese was of similar quality. Not moldy, but plain and filling. The twins said little as they ate, each lost in their own thoughts as they wondered what the trial would bring.

When they were finished, they took care of their dishes, and made their way to the office of the training master they had been told to report to when they started work. They didn't have to wait long. When they were called into their superior's office, they snapped to attention in unison as soon as they had stepped inside.

The training master was a middle aged woman with shoulder length black hair that had streaks of grey in it and piercing blue eyes. She studied them carefully for a few trills before glancing down at the papers in her hands.

"According to your paperwork, you've already started learning the short bow?"

An answer was clearly expected, so the twins nodded.

"Yes, ma'am." Seira said politely.

"Good. You'll be expected to keep up with that on your own time until you've gotten the basics down well enough to require further training in it."

"We understand." Seira told her simply.

"You will also be expected to take up another weapon in addition to the short bow. I'd like you to learn the use of a blade of some kind. Although..."

The woman eyed the twins critically, and Seira knew she was thinking that they looked like kids. Thankfully, she didn't say anything about it.

"Some blades obviously aren't going to be suited to you, but your instructor will help you to choose one that will suit you well. For now, take this."

The training master quickly jotted down a message on a sheet of paper, and put it in an envelope. Then she handed it to Seira.

"Give this note to Warden Vega. She'll sort you out."

The twins exchanged glances.

"How will we know we've found the right person, ma'am?" Seri asked carefully.

The training master laughed.

"Oh, you'll know. She has red hair, and she's very loud. You won't be able to miss her."

It was a dismissal, and the twins knew it. So they saluted, and left to do as they had been told. And the training master was right; it didn't take long to find the woman they had been sent to report to.

"Are you Warden Vega, ma'am?" Seira asked politely when they approached the woman they believed to be Warden Vega.

"I'm Seira Shiryu, and this is my sister Seriel. We're initiates who arrived at the fort two trials ago. The training master told us to report to you for training." she added a few trills later as she offered the woman the note she had been given.

[Vega]

Practice, practice.....

"Pick up yer elbow or I'm gonna get testy!" Vega was working with two of the other Lightning Knights, trying to teach them how to fight better, but there was a bottom line and that was simple enough. "If you treat this as different to fightin', then yer gonna learn nothin' except bad habits." There was no doubt about this in her mind., and she was - it had to be admitted - a hard task master when it came to training. But she worked as hard as anyone there every hour and, due to her complete lack of sleep, she had earned a reputation for being utterly tireless. And she new that, whatever was happening here, these pumpernickels were just the beginning - or certainly, in a best case scenario, not the end of this - and so she knew that they had to be in absolute top form. So, she was demanding and she pushed.

And then, there was a small voice, and Vega turned to look at who was speaking. Or, more precisely, the two folks who were there. They were ...

Vega listened, looking at the two with a frown, and then she took the note. Lowering her eyes to the parchment, she looked at it and read it, then read it again. She wasn't a quick reader and most people would have been able to take in the words of a lot longer missive more than twice, but Vega slowly read the words and then she looked at the two of them. "I'm Ranger Vega. Or Warden Vega. But mostly, I'm jus' Vega." She handed the paper back, holding out the parchment. As she did that, she looked at the two of them and she shook her head. "This letter says you're joinin' the Lightnin' Knights?" There was, quite obviously, a lot of opinion stored in the red-head. The fact that Vega stood a full two foot taller than Seira meant that the woman literally towered over her.

"Are you havin' a giraffe?" Vega looked at the two of them and then focused on the one who had spoken. "You don't look old enough, an' yer more scrawny than a string. I'm not teachin' you to fight, you'll get yourself killed an' then I'll feel responsible." Vega grinned a humourless (although toothy) grin. "An' I've got quite enough that I feel responsible for, thanks." Vega frowned, looking at the two of them and then she spoke again, "You look like yer four foot an' a fart tall, about as well-build as a blade of grass an' with all the strength needed to fight yer way out of a wet paper bag." If that was who the Lightning Knights were taking on, then as far as Vega was concerned, it was tantamount to murder and she would have no part of it.

"So, as far as I'm concerned, you need someone to protect you, some good food inside you an' some strength trainin' to build you up. If that's true," Vega said, honestly - the woman's eyes swirled a whole riot of colours as she spoke and she glared at the two of them, "then if I train you an' send you off to fight these pumpernickel-flame-creatures, then I'm complicit in killin' you an' I don't harm kids." Vega leaned, apparently casually, against a nearby wall and she looked at the two of them with an appraising - and an entirely disapproving - glance.

"So you tell me what it is that means you aren't jus' canon fodder masqueradin' as .... well, canon fodder," she said. "What is it that means you aren't what you seem to be, cos, I gotta tell you, you seem to be a pair of teenie-weenie scrawny kids who want to help an' someone's been daft enough to say ok because they think we're that desperate." What was really important to Vega was a clear message. "An' we're not. If you need protectin', then let folks look after you, but if you pair are Knights, then yer gonna be fightin' an' I reckon that's a really bad idea. I hate diggin' graves." Her eyes looked at them, toes to head, and she added. "Especially graves for short people."

[Seira Shiryu]

Seira made a mental note of the titles that the woman gave her. She wondered which one she was supposed to use, and if using one at all might offend her since she had also said that she was usually just Vega. On the other hand...wouldn't it be disrespectful of them to call her Vega when she outranked them? They had just joined the Knights as initiates a few trials ago. Neither Seira nor Seri wanted to risk being kicked out before they could even join the branch that they hoped to join by insulting the wrong person accidentally. They were fairly certain that that wouldn't happen...but why take unnecessary chances?

When Ranger Vega commented on the letter that Seira had given her, she and Seri nodded. As Seira looked up at the woman who towered above them, it was hard not to be intimidated by her. Impossible, really. But she tried hard not to show that she was. After all, everyone was taller than the twins were...except for young kids. They were used to it by now. It was just that this woman was practically like a giant compared to them.

The Ranger asked them if they were having a giraffe. Seira blinked, startled. Had she heard the Ranger correctly? Was she really asking them if they were pregnant with a baby giraffe? The twins exchanged glances, then quickly turned back to Ranger Vega. Maybe this was some sort of slang that was used by the Lightning Knights, and since all of the Knights knew what it meant, they sometimes forgot that new recruits wouldn't understand it? If that was the case, asking the woman what it meant might well bring ridicule down on them, so Seira didn't ask. Instead, she simply shook her head, and listened to the rest of what the woman had to say.

"We're seventeen." Seira said once Vega was finished.

"I know we don't look it, but that's because we were on our own for most of our lives before we were adopted. Back then, we didn't always get enough to eat, and that meant that we missed a few growth spurts over the arcs. We're still hoping to grow a few more inches, at least, but I know that we might not."

As for the rest of what Vega had said...that was easier to respond to.

"As for fighting pumpernickel flame creatures...we don't want to do that. Seri said quickly.

"We'd rather not fight at all if we can avoid it. Seri and I are initiates now, but we're hoping to join the Support Branch of the Knights. What we need to do is learn how to defend ourselves so if we are ever in a position where we need to do so, we can hold an enemy off long enough for real help to arrive. There may be times we need to defend a patient who can't be moved, or to keep an enemy from stealing something that the Support Knights have been developing. And for that reason, we need to know how to defend ourselves. That way, we won't be a burden on the other Knights. But neither of us plan on fighting anything unless there is no other choice. We just need to know how to in case the worst happens. And if you know of a way we can get stronger, we would be grateful if you would be willing to teach us how." Seira said quietly.

[Vega]

Say what now?.....

They were seventeen? Vega snorted. "Then at least we both agree that yer kids," she said, with a glare.

But as for the rest of it? It just made Vega's blood boil. "Right," she said, looking at the pair of them. They'd explained their viewpoint, or one of them had, and there was no doubt that they were being sensible and stupid in equal measure - at least in Vega's eyes. "So, let me get this straight... actually, you know what, never mind. I'll teach you to fight, an' I'll help you get stronger, but first, we've got to do somethin', a'right?" She looked at the pair of them and her eyes swirled in a cacophony of colours, but purple and red were the main ones. She gestured to the pair of them, motioning towards the fortress itself. "Here's the deal," she said. "I'll teach you to fight, keep up Tiddles," that was to Seri, ".. an' you, Wink, come on," to Seira. Vega had long legs and she strode with determination. "I'll teach you to fight, an' I'll teach you exercises to get strong. I'll work with you, an' we'll get you sorted, ok? But there's a condition," she said and her gaze to the pair of them was genuinely fierce. "If somethin' attacks or there's trouble, an' you have even one millionth of a chance to run an' hide, then you run an' hide," She was very determined when she said that, and her voice shook with emotion. "Cos, I'm gonna sort this out if I can. You two wanna help, an' we need help. An' you two wanna survive, an' we need you to do that too. But the expectation on you has to be that you leg it, you hear me?"

And so, Vega strode.

Right across the courtyard, into the Fortress proper. There, she cast her eyes around and turned in the direction of the Recruitment Blokie. She wasn't entirely sure who the Recruitment Blokie was in the big picture of the Lightning Knights, but he was the person who took in the new recruits, who assigned them, who did all of that malarkey and Vega was not one bit happy at him. So, she walked .... fairly stormed ... up to the door of his office, turned to make sure that Tiddles and Wink were still there, and she nodded with a frown. "It's gonna be a'right." Vega said, and then she knocked the door.

The call came for her to come in and Vega opened the door and strode in, motioning for the twins to do the same. There were two of them there, the one Vega had dubbed Recruitment Blokie in her mind and a tall chap with dark hair and bright eyes. He was important, Vega knew, in the Lightning Knights, but she didn't really know how important, or what his role was. She hadn't really seen him much, but people seemed to like him.

Equally, she didn't care.

The two men turned to look at the redhead and the twins with her and Vega saluted. "Sir. Sir," she said. "What is it, Ranger?"

Vega looked between the two of them, tall and imposing men that they were, and she said. "We've got a problem, an' I'd like to raise it with you," It wasn't really asking permission since she simply carried on talking. "These two have jus' joined up for the Knights. The Support. An' I would like to point out that havin' kids of seventeen arcs who are barely tall enough to reach the door handle an' look like they'd get blown over in a breeze is not a good look for Knights." She frowned, fiercely, looking between the two men.

"They want to help, an' by all the Immortals, we need every pair of hands. They want to learn to fight an' defend themselves, an' to get stronger so they can work better. Good on them an' I'll happily teach 'em, but what steamin' idiot thinks that they've got to join the Knights to do that? When the next attack comes, who's gonna shout 'all knights except the short ones and the wafer-thin ones an' the ones that aren't knights but are support to the wall!". They're not. No one is." Vega was angry, there was no doubt about it.

"There's a bottom line here, an' it's simple," she said, firmly. "They want to help, an' they could help, but what bright spark told 'em they've got to join the Knights to do it? If you want people to support, give them their own role, their own kudos, their own ranks. Don't tell them they're an almost-knight who helps out on weekends, thanks very much." She glared at the two men and said, quite firmly. "It's a stupid system an' I'd like to change it. These two, an' all the others like them, deserve to have their own rank an' their own role, an' not be lumped in with obnoxious sword-swingin' redheads. Let them shine, an' don't put them in a place where people will expect things of them which it ain't right to expect." She was running out of steam, and she sighed slightly.

"Two kids who want to help shouldn't be told they've got to be Knights to do it. They should be part of a group what's celebratin' the smiths an' the armorours an' the cooks an' the innovators. They're not a side job, they're the backbone." She stopped and grinned, then said to the dark-haired one. "Nice to meet ya, by the way."

[Squirrel]

The office was sparsely decorated, but homely. No guards stood outside, nor within, no assistants milling about with thick-lensed spectacles and polished noses. Certainly nothing as ostentatious as a receptionist to take calls and manage guests. Should anyone disturb him for matters of drastic importance, he wanted them to know, distinguished knight or common peasant, that he would hear them out and answer their calls swiftly, fairly, and with personally... and in turn, he trusted the men and women of Storm's Edge to avoid interrupting him during his daily duties unless it was a matter of such drastic importance that he, and only he, should be the one to turn to in their time of need. It was a special relationship, one that he felt a lot of pride in. It was why, when a knock came at his door, he held up a hand to stop his fellow Knight mid-sentence and turned at once to offer them inside. A Ranger and two children. Simple pleasantries were exchanged, his eyes lingering for just a moment on the two young ones, before snapping back to the red-haired Knight as she began her explanation.

It was very quickly turning clear that this was not a matter of drastic importance.

From her firm tone and the constant scowls she threw their way, however, he could tell that she wasn't interested in listening to their opinions on the matter. Indeed, by saying nothing and offering nothing but a blank mask, he allowed her to carry through her entire monologue uninterrupted to the last syllable. Only when she finally stopped, shined a toothy grin that he presumed was meant to be charming, and paradoxically ended her introduction with a greeting, did he finally raised one thick eyebrow as if requesting permission to speak, and begin his measured reply.

"I don't know who you think you're talking to, or why you believe this matter should be discussed here, but this is not the Skywatch Keep, and I am not the Patron of the Support Division." It was very clear that she thought that he had the absolute authority to assign and change the very nature of the Lightning Knights as he saw fit. There was nothing dismissive in his mannerisms, or his tone. She was simply talking to the wrong person about her problems. Like an artist complaining about the quality of his paintbrush to a blacksmith. "I assume you'll know which direction to ride to find it." Just like that, the conversation was over.

He turned back towards the lanky man she referred to as Recruitment Blokie to resume his conversation, but the man immediately bowed his head and picked up the feather-plume helmet laid carefully on the table. "I'm sorry sir; if you would excuse me for just a moment. I'll be back momentarily." There was nothing but respect for the dark-haired man in Recruitment Blokie's eyes, but that same looked carried pure rage when it landed on Vega just a moment later. "Ranger, you two, with me." Nothing else was said. He left the room and waited for them to follow. Out into the courtyard, and then further still. Just about far enough that he was absolutely certain that what he was about to say next wouldn't reach the office again. Then he spun, his helmet tucked so tight under his armpit that the thing looked like it might pop like a ripe watermelon.

"If you ever again disrespect the chain of command so blatantly as you have today, you will lose every rank you have ever held, so help me Mother," he hissed with such venom it might have blinded the two children - who's mere presence was the only reason he refused to resort to extremely crass language in that heated moment. "When you have a concern, no matter how valid, you bring it up with your immediate commanding officer. When you have a suggestion, you file it with the proper authorities to be judged, examined, and actioned as seen fit by the superior authorities." The more he talked, the more he visibly began to calm, until his last words were almost serene, and the near-purple tint in his face had settled back into its normal ruddy hue. "Let me make one thing clear: You are not so exceptional that you are able to disregard the same rules by which all of your companions must obey. You do not, ever, presume the intentions of officers who, I can very much assure you, know a lot more about the motives and inner workings of the Knights than you do." He straightened himself and sucked in a slow breath through his nostrils.

"I don't want to hear another word out of you." For the first time, he opened the floor to the two subjects in question. "Is what she said true. You want to become Support Knights, to help, and you also want to learn how to fight, despite your..." He trailed off, unable to think of a way to point out their clear disability without sounding outright insulting, as Vega had. "You understand that being a Knight means risk, no matter what position you hold. While crudely put, what the Ranger said is true; there is no discrimination between Knights. To take up the mantle, now more than ever, is to walk face-first into dangerous territory the likes of which few have ever known. Though not all those that walk this path are fighters, however," he said with a particularly hard look towards Vega, "it is not what lies in their arms or their legs that makes them Knights, but what is in their heart. The courage to stare down a Flameborn, to even give up their very lives for the cause of protecting Rharne and its people, is something even medics and scientists must find in themselves if they are to become a Lightning Knight." There was deep meaning to his words. As if he might have even felt it first-hand himself, watching a Steward stay behind to make sure that a family makes it free safely, or perhaps giving up their lives to make sure their thousands of hours of painstaking research would make it unscathed back to Storm's Edge, even if their creator perished. He turned back to the pair. "Do you believe you have what it takes?"

[Vega]

Line in the sand....

She figured this must be the Commander, judging by his uniform, and Vega was pleased - genuinely pleased - that she'd managed to find someone who was able to make a change. Then, he spoke, and her eyebrow raised. She looked at him - at them both - and she shook her head. "Look. I get that I'm talkin' to the wrong person, but aren't you in charge here? An' no, I have no idea where Skywatch Keep is." Her eyes darkened and colours moved quickly in them. "I came here, to this office, cos this guy is the only one I know. My commandin' officer died, see, an' I got given a field commission by him, an' then a promotion by Ilaren, so I've got no idea where Skywatch Keep is, or who the Patron of the Support Division is."

If he'd thought that she was complaining, he was as blind as he was stupid. Vega didn't move when the Recruitment Blokie said that they should leave. "No," she said, in response to him and that was that. No, she stood her ground and if Recruitment Blokie looked at her with anger, Vega glared right back at him "See. My concern is these people in this place. I want to keep them safe, an' damn me an' my red hair and loud mouth, but I have done." She gestured outside, towards the courtyard. "I've fought more of those pumpernickels than I can count, Ilaren popped in an' blessed me, an' gave me a specific job to do, an' I will not be trainin' children to fight."

With that, Vega looked at the man who was obviously in charge. She ignored Recruitment Blokie. He was not important. "I reckon you're Commander Martell. Jack, he was my commandin' officer, he talked about you. Said you were fair an' cared about your people. Jack did, too. An' he, an' my whole troop died bringin' back the body of the Bob-thing. I was the only one who survived, an' we did it so that children don't have to fight." Tears stood in Vega's eyes, but her back was straight, her chin lifted. "So, yeah. I got a field commission near an arc ago because I fought here, an' I've not really left since then, I've just kept fightin'. Maybe, I guess, because of this," she pulled the ring from her finger - the one which showed that she'd worked with the Knights before, many arcs ago, when she'd fought for Rharne then. "Or maybe from when I fought to free Isle Vyrelle. I don't know. But I got the field commission, an' I were happy to help. But they died. All of them. In the Stormwastes Massacre an' all I've done is be here an' fight, an' bleed. So, no. No, I don't know where those places are, but I know what's right an' what wrong."

That said, she looked at him - the Commander of this place - and she didn't drop her gaze. "I'm here, because I thought you migh' be interested to know that kids are signin' up an' thinkin' they have to fight. I won't harm children. An' I won't be part of somethin' that does. Jack taught me better than that. An' I came here, because here is the only place I know that isn't Vivian's, an' she's busy." With that, Vega shrugged. "I'll go find that place, then, an' tell them what I think about lettin' children fight. Seems like a right daft way to work when there's a siege, but what do I know?" Undoing her sword belt, she dropped it, containing the sword she'd been given as a knight when she joined, on the table. "I've jus' been fightin' for a year."

And with that, Vega turned and walked out. She smiled at the twins, and nodded. "Good luck, you two," she said.

Then, she went towards her horse, but she remembered that Numbnuts would need picking up - and so she turned and started walking towards the kitchen. It meant she had to walk past Recruitment Blokie and the twins, but that was fine, Vega could do that. And then, she heard him speak.

"While crudely put, what the Ranger said is true; there is no discrimination between Knights. To take up the mantle, now more than ever, is to walk face-first into dangerous territory the likes of which few have ever known. "

Vega had once turned and punched Faldrun in the face and, on that trial she had learned what a part of her had always known; she was his daughter - born from violence and fear and with the blood of the Immortals in her silver veins. They shared many things, she and he - most specifically, their hot tempers. Yet, at her core Vega was nothing like her father, where he was turmoil, she was rhythm - and she was emotion, all fury and fight. As she heard those words coming from that man's mouth, sparks of flame literally began to flick around Vega and fly off her. Fury turned her biqaj eyes red, and she stopped walking away and instead, started walking towards.

"Are you havin' a giraffe, you plant-pot?"

Emotion, yes, rhythm, yes. But Vega was also the Mortalborn of Children and this whole thing literally went against every aspect of her personality, every fibre of her being. She strode forward, her eyes suddenly not swirling colours at all but solid crimson red, sparks flying from her. She had a hundred things to say and a million thoughts, but they all vanished as he spoke - there were no words which summed up what she was feeling and so Vega simply stepped and swung and punched him square in the nose. Only once she'd done that did she again find her voice. "Knights protect children," she snarled. "They protect those who don't fight, and you are worse than those creatures if you think different!"

She knew that she was in all sorts of trouble but she couldn't find it in herself to care. If he dropped to the floor then she'd kick him. If he didn't? She'd punch him again.

[Seira Shiryu]

Seira was deeply relieved when Ranger Vega agreed to train them. For a while, it had looked as if she might refuse, and Seira had been afraid of what might have happened if she had. She wasn't sure if they would have gotten in trouble if Ranger Vega had refused to train them, and she had been dreading that she might find out. Part of her was mostly confident that the Knights wouldn't punish someone for something that they couldn't help the way members of the military in Rynmere might have. But at the same time, Seira was very well aware of how new she was to the Knights. An Initiate who had just joined a few trials ago would be expected to obey their orders. That much could be expected from any military force.

The promise that the ranger wanted them to make was an easy one to agree to. Vega's eyes were fierce as she spoke, and her voice shook with emotion. Seira could tell that this meant a lot to her. And a quick glance at Seri told her that her twin understood that as well. So the twins were equally serious when they looked up at the older woman and nodded.

"We promise." Seira said softly.

"We'd rather not fight at all. If there's a way out of a fight, neither one of us are going to stick around." Seri agreed.

When Ranger Vega told them to come with her, the twins had to jog in order to keep up with her. Seira and Seri weren't quite sure what to think about the nicknames that the ranger had given them, but they were quickly distracted from thinking about it when they arrived at the recruitment officer's office. Two men were in the room, and Ranger Vega saluted, so Seira and Seri were quick to do the same.

The twins listened in fascination to what the ranger told the two men. Seira thought it was a wonderful idea, and she couldn't help but hope that they would listen to her. Unfortunately, the two men did not seem to like the idea as much as they did. In fact, one of them was quite dismissive of it, and the other was furious at Ranger Vega. That fury reminded Seira of the anger the twins had often faced when they were on their own back in Rynmere. And it took an act of will for her not to retreat in the face of it.

The man was so furious when he ordered Ranger Vega and the twins to come with him, Seira wasn't at all certain that he wasn't going to attack them once they had gotten to wherever he was taking them. She told herself that things were different here, and that he wasn't going to hurt them for pissing him off. But it was hard when her instincts were telling her to run. She and Seri had come a long way from the wary kids they had been when they had first met their mother, but old instincts still reared their heads when faced with something that reminded them of their past.

He calmed down as he spoke, but his words filled the twins with dread. It sounded as if they would be expected to be fighters first, and support second...if at all. And that wasn't what Seira had signed up for. She didn't need to look at her sister to know that Seri felt the same way. When he asked them if they had what it takes, Seira froze. An honest answer would likely get her and Seri thrown out of the Knights. What would their mother think if that happened? It was clear that there was only one "right" answer to that dangerous question, and Seira knew that if she were to give the man the answer that he wanted, it would be a lie.

Ranger Vega's words made Seira wonder if she wanted to be a part of something that would force even their support to fight, and if she was honest with herself, the answer was no. She and Seri were prepared to fight if there was no other choice, but neither of them were fighters, and they knew it. Fighting was always going to be an absolute last resort for them, and if the Knights were expecting more than that, then Seira didn't think that she wanted to be a part of it. But they had joined, and the worry about what their mother would think kept the twins from following Ranger Vega out when she left. If they did leave the Knights...or were kicked out...would there be any disgrace for their mother? Back in Rynmere, Seira would have said yes, but Rharne was different. Better. Even so, having heard the man's words, and his fury over Ranger Vega making a perfectly good suggestion, it made her wonder.

Then the ranger returned, and she was literally sparking. The twins watched wide eyed as she yelled at the man before punching him in the nose. They exchanged glances. Something about Ranger Vega's actions gave them the courage they needed to speak the truth.

"To answer your question, sir...no. I don't think that I have what it takes." Seira said quietly.

Seri nodded, and gave Seira a pointed look, letting her know that she was in full agreement with what Seira was saying.

"Our mother is a Knight. She saved us in more ways than one. And while she would never think that we owed her for that, we want to do something for her. The Knights are important to her, and for that reason among others, they are important to us as well. We want to help the Knights...we've wanted to do that for arcs. But we're not fighters, and we never will be. Not in the way you seem to be saying. Neither of us are cowards, sir. We will fight if there is no other choice. But we are not going to look for a fight. We are not going to throw ourselves in front of the first pumpernickel flame creature, or Flameborn creature...or anything else we might see."

Seira glanced at Ranger Vega.

"And if that call for Knights to come to the wall comes...we're going to be in the infirmary where we might be of some use. Seriel and I were sent here mere trials after we joined the Knights. We've only had a few lessons in how to use a short bow. And nothing else in the way of combat training. We know how to fire an arrow, but it would be a miracle if we hit anything we aimed at. And that assumes that the pumpernickel flame creatures were willing to wait long enough for us to manage to prepare an arrow to fire at them. It takes us several bits to do that, and we'd be dead before we even managed to fire a single arrow. Then you'd have a hole in your defense."

Seira paused.

"We don't know much more about medicine than we know about fighting yet. But an unskilled pair of hands can be of more use in the infirmary than they can as part of the first line of defense. We'd only be a liability there."

Seira truly wanted to be able to help the Knights. But she didn't have what it took to be a fighter first, and support second. And if that was what was expected of her, then she didn't have what it took to be a Knight.

[Squirrel]

He'd thought the issue was resolved. Indeed, he'd been about ready to resume his earlier engagement, discussing the amount of steel necessary to restock their armoury, when she suddenly flew off into another monologue with barely room to breathe. Admittedly, in hindsight, her words didn't make a lick of sense - what Knight didn't know the way to Skywatch Keep, of all places, nor knew even the basics of the structure of the high command? - but then, did she truly expect him to know about the personal situations of every single Knight that made up Storm's Edge? Indeed, the ones that had earned their place through field commissions, in the middle of the biggest and most dangerous assault in the history of the Lightning Knights? She was somewhat of a unique case, given her widespread reputation, but the matter remained that no matter how many accolades she threw in his face, even the intervention of Ilaren herself, did not grant her the power to do as she pleased, nor grant him the power to allow it.

In the end, once she'd finished her verbal assault on him and his office, she didn't even give him an opportunity to say something in response. It was good, because he didn't know what he would have said anyway. Vega was a good soldier, and she'd be sorely missed to boot, but in times as uncertain as these, the one and only constant they could remain loyal to was the eternal chain of command. As long as he remained true to that, he could trust that the high command had a plan that would carry them through to ultimate victory, and the betterment of Rharne. Once Vega, the two children she'd brought with her, and his fellow officer had left the room, Commander Martell slumped in his seat and stared at the sword now resting over the top of his paperwork. As long as he remained true to the chain of command, he could be sure that he was doing the right thing.

Outside, the recruitment officer berated, but he also sought to clarify. His methods were, to some, slightly more unpalatable, it was true. His intentions however were never to actually encourage such behaviour! Only to make sure that they were informed and aware of the risks. Surely that was clear? Apparently not. "What did you just call me?" he spat back at Vega when she interrupted him, moments before she landed a clean shot on his nose and sent his head snapping back like a broken tree branch. He fell like a sack of potatoes, blood leaking from his freshly-broken nose, clutching at his face and leaving him entirely unprepared for the foot that buried itself deep in his gut shortly afterwards.

Of course, in full view of the rest of Storm's Edge, that was exactly as far as Vega got before intervening forces came into play. One moment she was stood, free to do and move as she pleased... but the next, she wasn't. It wasn't that she couldn't move her arms or legs, but almost like the air around it had become a solid, unmoving thing, gripping her body like that of a giant clenched fist. Of course, from where she stood, she probably couldn't see the rather unimposing Lightning Knight with both hands raised, creating a shimmering prison of solidified air. The commotion soon changed into an eruption as Knights descended on the two, surrounding Vega from every side to create a second physical barrier between her and the injured recruitment officer, now nursing a very crooked nose and stained quite thoroughly in his own blood.

So close to the office of Commander Martell, it couldn't evade his notice for long. When he finally emerged from his office, it was with visible pain whenever he pressed weight on his left foot, and still clutching the abandoned sword that Vega had thrown across his desk. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" he yelled at the assembled crowd, forcing them to part until it showed Vega trapped in the grip of an Abrogative mage and his favoured recruitment officer, still sitting on the ground with both hands to his bloodied face. Putting two and two together was child's play. "RANGER Vega," he started, stressing her title rather pointedly, "Abandoning your post. Attacking a senior officer." He should have dismissed her on the spot, but the truth was, she'd have taken that as a reward, not a punishment. "Investigator Petras!" One of the first men to intervene stepped forwards. "Oversee her transfer to Skywatch Keep for court martial. Special Lieutenant Rhone, Officer Damares, Officer Jheir, you will be the escort. Move!"

Special Lieutenant Rhone tightened the restrictions just enough for Investigator Petras to slip a heavy pair of cuffs around her wrists, forcing them behind her back, before the prison of air dissipated and she found herself being hauled between the two Guardians towards the stables, to find a cart willing to take her back to Skywatch and await trial for her transgressions.

Recruitment Blokie, as he had come to be known, wiped tears from his eyes and blood from his nose when he finally looked back towards the two knights-to-be. "If... that is your choice," he strained. "I'll have your names stripped from the record tonight." Nothing else needed to be said. There was no dishonour in knowing one's own limits, nor a ceremony for the removal of ranks from those that technically never had one to begin with. Seira and Seri, unlike Ranger Vega, were free to do as they wished with their lives.

[Vega]

Inevitable consequences....

Had Vega known what it was that Commander Martell was thinking, she'd have not cared in the slightest. Because, to her, it was simple. It was his job. Not to sit in his office, scratch himself, and rely on the chain of command. It was his job to run this place, to know these people, to fight. To damn well stand up to these creatures. Vega, by nature, threw herself into things completely; heart and soul. This was no different, as far as she was concerned, that dweeb in his office needed to get out of the office, to find out what was going on and know the place. Like Vivian did.

She knew, of course, what was happening as soon as it started, and Vega didn't move, she didn't resist. She had no sword to drop, but she didn't struggle or fight. Her eyes swirled in a prism of colours, but she stood still, and let them do their thing. They formed a barrier between her and Recruitment Blokie, which caused a flash of almost-amusement from her. They knew her, these people, they knew her and if she wanted him dead, he'd be dead. If she wanted him injured in a more permanent way, then he wouldn't ever lose his limp no matter how good the medics were. Come to that, Vega knew ~ and so did the people suddenly forming a barrier between her and Recruitment Blokie ~ that if she wanted to get to him, they wouldn't stop her. Thankfully, she didn't want to, she'd made her point.

As for them? Well, they had to do what they had to do.

Then, Commander Martell came out and yelled at her, and Vega raised an eyebrow at him. "I didn't abandon my post, an' if you had any idea what any of us are doin', you'd know that." Vega said. "I've come off shift a few breaks ago, an' I were trainin'. I don't really sleep much, so I take double shifts, an' when I came off shift I went to help a few of the fellas with trainin'." She shook her head. "You've got yer priorities all wrong, you have. Whatever." She was going to argue, but Vega wanted no part of this; this bloke had been uninterested in the welfare of these children, of the way this place was working or running. So, she just shut up and let him get on with it.

So, Vega stood and she didn't resist; she was compliant as they put cuffs on her and she smiled slightly at the twins, giving them a reassuring nod when they spoke. They took her to a cart and she climbed up and sat down. She didn't speak, simply sat. Vega had been here nearly a year now, and she'd fought in literally dozens of battles. She had a reputation for never sleeping and it was more or less true; she'd pushed herself to the very limit of her endurance. When the leaders and commanding officers were losing hope, she'd stood and chivvied them, she and Gennadiya.

Vega didn't care about Recruitment Blokie or Commander Martell, not for a trill. Ironically, it was the people - her fellow soldiers - who'd simply run forward, and not one of them spoken to her, not one of them spoken up. They'd been there when the kids had come in - and how many other kids were there, who she hadn't met? She'd spent a year, near enough, fighting off the attacks and rebuilding this place with these people. And not one?

Suddenly overwhelmingly tired, she felt the weight of every battle, of each life lost and of every sleepless night. What was she doing, Vega thought? Why was she so worried, when the Commander of the place wasn't? Without a word, and without interest in the people around her - the ones she'd thought she was part of, with whom she'd at least earned the right to a "what's going on" or "what happened". But no. She didn't mind not being like the BigWigs who were admins and not involved, but in this moment she realised that it was more than that. She'd given more and more and more again, and not one of them had even spoken up? It was more than an issue with the leadership, Vega realised. It was an issue with her. She didn't belong here.

So, Vega rested her head against the side of the cart and she allowed sleep to overtake her. There she'd stay until they stopped moving.

[Seira Shiryu]

Everything was happening too quickly for Seira to be able to process properly. One trill, Ranger Vega was punching one of the officers in the nose and yelling at him furiously. And the next...she just...wasn't. Her arms were at her sides, and the air shimmered around her. And although Seira didn't understand what was holding her in place, it was pretty obvious to her that something was. She glanced over at Seri, but her twin didn't seem to know any more than she did about it. Her sister was just as confused as she was, and her wary expression told Seira how very much Seri hated to be confused about something. In the past, the unknown was something to be feared. It was potentially dangerous, and often trouble when it wasn't an outright threat. Things were different now, but neither girl felt especially safe just now.

Seira had heard that some of the Knights, especially those of high rank, had been marked by Ilaren. Her own mother had been, so she guessed that this must be true. Could that be what was going on here? Was there a Knight who had been marked by Ilaren nearby who was using one of their abilities to restrain Ranger Vega? Or was it some form of magic? Seira didn't know much about magic aside for the fact that it existed, but it seemed possible that some type of magic could be behind what was happening to the ranger if a marked Knight wasn't responsible.

Should they do something? If so...what could they do to help the woman that had tried to help them? Ranger Vega didn't seem to be trying to struggle, so as soon as the impulse flared up within Seira, it faded away. Anything they tried to do would likely only make things worse anyway.

As Seira and Seri watched while Ranger Vega was arrested, they didn't know what to think. It felt...wrong somehow. Not in any legal sense, of course. Punching an officer was clearly against every rule in every book. There were no circumstances when that would ever be okay. And yet...she had only been trying to help. Was that really so wrong? Ranger Vega's idea had been a very good one. Seira truly believed that if there was a support group like the ranger had suggested, a lot more people would be willing to join it than would be willing to join the Support Branch of the Kinghts. Especially if the Support Branch members were supposed to be fighters first just like the other branches. Sure, Ranger Vega could have handled that better...but was punching someone really an arrest worthy offense? In any other military, Seira would have said yes. But here? In Rharne? Where brawls happened every trial as a matter of course, and people could legally challenge those who offended them to a public duel? One of the entrance exams for one of the branches of the Knights involved drunken brawls, for the Immortals' sake!

Seira knew that she was probably missing something about the situation. Possibly it was the fact that a senior officer was the one who had gotten punched in the face. But the whole thing felt wrong to Seira, and it troubled her more than a little. Her feelings about things like this were one of the reasons why none of the other branches of the Knights had appealed to her. Arresting criminals was one thing. But arresting some street kid who had stolen a loaf of bread to feed themselves was very much another thing in her eyes. As a former street kid herself, Seira didn't think that she could do it, yet had she wanted to join the Inquisitors like her mother, it would have been her job to do so. This wasn't the same type of situation, but it disturbed Seira even so. And she knew without having to look at her twin that Seri felt the same way.

The people who had come to watch what was happening didn't help matters any. Seira didn't know any of them, but she recognized a few of them that Ranger Vega had been training when she and Seri had approached her for training themselves. These were people that knew the ranger...some of them were, at least. Why weren't they saying anything? Why weren't they at least asking what had happened? That disturbed Seira too, and she could tell from a quick, uneasy glance that her sister was just as disturbed as she was.

"Please don't..."

Seira hesitated. Please don't...what, exactly? Whether it was worthy of being arrested or not, punching an officer wasn't an acceptable thing to do.

"She was only trying to help. She was trying to do the right thing." Seira said quietly.

Ranger Vega gave them a reassuring nod as they led her away. It didn't make the girls feel any better about the situation. Seira felt numb when the injured officer told the twins that he could strip their names from the roster of Knights tonight if they had made their choice. The man looked familiar to her, and after a few trills, her troubled mind realized that he was the Quartermaster, the same man who had given them trouble when they had first arrived at Storm's Edge. That didn't matter now, though.

Being a member of the Support Branch of the Knights had been a dream of theirs for a long time because it would allow them to help the Knights. It would allow them to give something back to their mother, who had taken them in when she didn't have to, and who had saved them in more ways than one. But Seira simply couldn't accept the fact that in order to do so, she would have to be a fighter first, and she knew that her twin felt the same way. So they nodded.

"Yes, sir." Seira said softly.

"I'm sorry, sir."

She wasn't quite certain what she was apologizing for, exactly. But it felt important to do so, and so she did.