First Step Forward

"Character counts most when duty calls."

“Another batch of degenerates, my lady?” Serilda shoved a couple of bound men forward toward the Rune Knight that had addressed her. The Knight motioned to a couple of his comrades, who stepped forward and took charge of the two apprehended criminals. As they were hauled off for processing, the guardsman continued to chat idly with the woman who had brought them in. “That’s what… thirteen this week? You better be careful, or the Knights are bound to try and recruit you at some point.”

She smirked lightly at the man, genuinely amused by his comment but also not one to show overly dramatic displays of emotion. “Well, that is the idea, lieutenant. Someday, at least. Very soon I imagine.”

Even though Serilda was a civilian, she still was dressed quite proper. Her clothes were clean, pressed, and trimmed to fit her form perfectly, nearly as uniform in their appearance as the actual uniforms of the Knights. She wore her long quite hair pinned up in a tight bun at the crown of her head, where the only strands of it that hung loose was a swath of bangs that framed one side of her face. She had eyes the color of ice and stood straight with confidence and discipline. In fact, she carried herself with such an air of self control that one might easily mistake her for already being in the military. Sheathed at her hip were two swords, one with a silver handle and a worn scabbard, the other with a black handle and an equally black scabbard.

Sitting obediently at her feet was a wolf. The creature had thick fur as black as the midnight sky, and littered with a dusting of cream colored specks like stars along her spine, face, and paws. The radiant hound was at the last edges of puppy hood, not small enough to truly be a pup anymore but still noticeably young and not quite fully grown yet. The animal wagged her tail lightly as she observed the interaction between her mistress and the Knight, curious and alert to her surroundings.

Serilda gave her report to the Knight about what had happened while she’d completed her mission and arrested the criminals. During this time, a young girl entered the area. The noble woman glanced over long enough to take notice before finishing the report, figuring another Knight would see to the civilian. After signing the paperwork from the statement and bidding farewell to the lieutenant, however, she realized that was not the case. Turning to leave, she observed that the woman was looking around a bit timidly, like she was a bit unsure of herself or what she was supposed to be doing.

Since all the Knights in the room were apparently too busy to help the girl, Serilda decided to approach her, the wolf following easily at her heels. “Did you need some help?” she asked, her tone even but not unkind. “You just look a little lost. I’m not with the Knights, but I am quite familiar with the layout here. Are you wanting to file a statement or report an incident?” The girl didn’t look much older than a teenager, so she wasn’t thinking along the lines that the younger woman might be there to try and join the Knights themselves.

There was something a bit… peculiar about the girl, though Serilda kept her observations to herself. The Voidwalker’s senses told her that the blond woman’s body wasn’t made up of flesh and bone but metal and other types of non-bio-organic materials -- though her outward appearance seemed quite like skin. Even only a couple weeks ago it may have been something that drew raised eyebrows from the noble woman, but after everything with Ozorith, Archimedes, and Kingdom Darkness, the idea of a person being both flesh and metal was hardly a concept worth blinking over. So instead, she simply sought to see what the other woman was in need of in case it was something Serilda could assist with.

"Character counts most when duty calls."

Serilda gave the young woman a moment to admire the wolf. She was used to such reactions. Star Wolves were quite rare and very beautiful, so strangers offered compliments and attention to the hound quite frequently. Though the girl got down to get a better look, she did not make any attempts to pet her, which was wise. The hound was typically very mild mannered but it was never a good idea to extend a hand to a working animal, and obviously the girl had a bit of sense about such things which Serilda appreciated. For her part, the wolf didn’t step forward but she did watch the stranger with bright, curious eyes and a wagging tail that betrayed her desire to be friendly.

She smiled a little at the praise over the animal. “She’s female. Her name is Xiuhcoatl.” Looking down at the hound, Serilda said, “Til lethed.” Xiuh stood to all four feet and stepped over to the girl, sniffing her eagerly like any common house dog might do. “You may pet her if you wish.”

Eventually, the younger woman explained that she wasn’t lost, but did need some help. It seemed she had taken Serilda’s comment literally, which was a bit odd, but the conversation moved forward before the noble woman could really stop to think about it too much. Her brows furrowed a little in thought when the girl explained that she was actually looking to join the Rune Knights. Serilda accepted Selene’s handshake when it was offered. “Serilda Sinclair, with the guild Sabertooth. I can certainly show you around some places and point you to the right people. Though I have to ask… you look a little young to be joining the military. They usually won’t accept anyone under eighteen years of age, sometimes seventeen if they are emancipated. Might I inquire as to how old you are?”

Her tone was not condescending at all as she asked the question, her intentions kind and not to offend. Looks could be deceiving, so it was entirely possible that Selene was older than she appeared to be. Or something else entirely could be going on, given the sheer amount of metallic makeup in the girl’s body. Either way it would be prudent for her to make sure before following through on anything. She didn’t want to get the girl’s hopes up if she wasn’t old enough to join, nor would she want to busy the Knights with someone too young for them to accept just yet -- though at the very least she could probably still give a tour of the place if Selene’s interest was so high.

"Character counts most when duty calls."

Xiuhcoatl was more than happy to receive the attention. Her pink tongue lolled happily out of the side of her mouth and her thick bushy tail whapped repeatedly against the ground as she leaned into the girl’s hands and soaked up the praise and affection. When the wolf was on duty she was quite professional and disciplined, but once she was given leave to relax and be herself it was an entirely different story. She turned into the biggest ham and attention whore in existence. Serilda would have shook her head if she wasn’t already used to it by now.

The girl was immediately put off by having her age asked about, or at least thrown off by it. She bowed her head and mumbled to herself as she figured out how to answer. Even with normal human senses Serilda was sure she probably would have heard the girl debating to herself about what age to give, but with her senses heightened from her recent acquisition of slayer magic she could hear every word Selene said as though the girl hadn’t been muttering at all.

Though Serilda’s face was blank, she was turning over the girl’s words in her thoughts. Obviously, Selene was lying about her age. It didn’t take any great skill to put that together. Still, there was something odd about all this. She kept coming back to the sheer amount of mechanical makeup in the girl’s body, and wondering if the girl was actually human or just looked like one. There were questions she wanted to ask, and probably would, but the rather private nature of them meant that she didn’t want to ask while they were surrounded by so many people. That would just be rude, and intentionally embarrassing for the hopeful recruit.

So instead, she simply decided to play along with it for now until they were someplace a little less crowded. “Very well,” Serilda said with a small smile. “Why don’t I show you around a bit. We can talk some about yourself and your interests with the Knights so I know where best to guide you. If you have questions, feel free to ask them. I may not have all the answers, but I’ll do my best.”

She gestured for the girl to walk beside her and lead her through the room to a door in the back that would bring them further into the complex. The first area they walked passed appeared to be offices for day to day use of the Knights. They were pretty bare rooms consisting of little more than tables, chairs, and basic office supplies. Some had Knights sitting in them using archive magic to do research, while others appeared to be rooms where they brought civilians for filing reports. Serilda explained the purpose of these rooms as they walked.

“What kind of skills do you possess?” she asked while they moved forward at a comfortable pace. “The Rune Knights have branches that focus on different approaches to fighting crime, so knowing the kind of things you’re practiced in would help narrow down where you would fit best.”

"Character counts most when duty calls."

Serilda listened patiently as the girl explained that she wasn’t really great with people. It was difficult for her to understand them at times, she claimed, though she was adept with fighting. Selene admitted she still had a long way to go toward getting better, which Serilda respected. Too many times people tried to talk up themselves and their abilities. It was refreshing to hear from someone that was aware of her weaknesses as much as her strengths, and was also willing to confess them.

“Well, nearly all new Knights are brought in as recruits, anyway,” Serilda informed the girl after she expressed that she wasn’t looking for anything high ranking. “There are some exceptions to that, of course, but generally that’s where everyone starts and then they rise through the ranks from there based on their actions, loyalty, and time spent with the force. So, I don’t think you’d have to worry about being given too much responsibility too quickly or getting in over your head. They would start you at the lowest rank and then move you up once they have proper time to evaluate your strengths.”

She opened another door that lead to the mess hall. It was a long room with rows of tables and benches. The smell of food lingered in the air, and there were several Knights scattered about the area relaxing. Some were in uniform and taking their lunches, while others were in casual clothes and clearly had the day off. “The Knights have two major branches: Combat Corps and Special Ops. Based on what you’ve told me of your abilities, the Combat unit seems most appropriate for you. Obviously you would want to go wherever you’re most interested in, but if I were to make a suggestion that would be it. The Combat unit is the one that most people are familiar with and have exposure to, the ones that handle most of the day to day policing. Special Ops is more covert affairs and information gathering.”

Obviously, the latter branch would be more suitable for someone that was able to socialize more smoothly with people. If Selene wasn’t great with that, then it wouldn’t really make sense for her to join that unit.

Serilda didn’t really bother to explain what the current room was as they passed through it, as she felt its purpose was a bit obvious. Instead, she continued to ask the girl for more information about her in order to help get her oriented and pointed in the right direction. “Tell me a little bit about yourself. Where you’re from, your family. What made you interested in joining the Rune Knights?” Her tone continued to be kind and curious, rather than demanding. The noblewoman was still just looking to get a feel for the girl and whether or not she truly belonged in the military.